Indonesian
government to control inflation optimally
Senin, 2 Maret 2015 16:57 WIB |
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The
Indonesian government will take various measures and efforts to control
inflation in 2015, in accordance with its target plan."We will do anything
to control inflation," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Sofyan
Djalil said here on Monday.According to Djalil, the government can control
inflation because the price of rice is no longer a problem.
The current stock of rice is
sufficient to meet demand till the next harvest season in March and April 2015.Djalil
revealed that the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) will play a greater role
towards this end.Earlier, he feared that the rising price of rice in various
regions could lead to a sharp increase in inflation.To prevent this, the
government has taken anticipatory measures related to the procurement of
commodities."As the price of rice can affect inflation significantly, the
government is determined to tackle the problem," he stated here on
Tuesday.To curb the rising price of rice, he noted, the government has
distributed rice to the poor (raskin)."We asked Bulog to conduct market
operations," he affirmed.
Djalil acknowledged that the
rising price of rice is a result of scarcity in its supply, although Bulogs
stock of 1.4 million tons of rice could be sufficient to meet demand for the
next few months.Therefore, the problem of delays in supply is expected to be
resolved soon."We have distributed as much as 300 thousand tons of rice to
the poor. Bulog must ensure the supply," the minister emphasized.
Furthermore, Djalil also pointed out that the government will take legal action against perpetrators found stocking and reselling rice illegally.Although the price of rice has increased, that of other food commodities has not. This raised suspicion that the surge in the price of rice was caused by traders hoarding stocks of the commodity.Moreover, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) remarked that the rising price of staple foods such as rice, eggs, and other commodities can increase inflation pressure in February 2015.
"The prices of rice and
other commodities are still high. If we look at indicators, we will find that
the price of rice is still high. It (inflation) may increase in February,"
Deputy Head of Distribution and Service Statistics of the BPS, Sasmito Hadi
Wibowo, said here on Monday. According to Wibowo, the harvest season will boost
production and supply, which will, in turn, lower the price of rice.In
addition, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa noted that the
distribution of raskin can reduce rice prices by up to 60 percent."The
timely and precise distribution of raskin can reduce rice prices by 50 to 60
percent," the minister affirmed here on Sunday.
Parawansa admitted that the
governments raskin program had distributed only 45 percent of its total target
of national rice distribution due to late supply in some regions.The minister
pointed out that rice stock in all Bulogs warehouses are safe and adequate, and
they also have the budget. So there is no longer any reason for Bulog to not
distribute raskin."The fluctuating prices of rice can be offset by the
distribution of raskin," she stated.According to the minister, the budget
allocated for the raskin program was Rp18.8 trillion for 15.5 million targeted
households, with 15 kilograms of rice per month for each household.
UU.A063/INE
High-Temperature Tolerance Enhancement Successful On Tomatoes
And Rice
First Posted: Mar 02, 2015 12:15 PM EST
High-Temperature Tolerance Enhancement Successful On Tomatoes
And Rice (Photo : Flickr/Andry Wright)
Researchers at Kobe University Graduate School of Agricultural
Science Functional Phytochemistry Laboratory in Japan have identified for the
first time that the (E)-2-hexenal, otherwise known as a plant-derived chemical substance that can
induce a plant's stress response from high temperatures.Plants have
high-temperature resistance that's switched off during normal conditions.
During the study, researchers hypothesized that if certain chemical signals in
the plants that switch the functions on could be identified, then the plants'
stress response to high temperatures could be controlled artificially.
Previous research has shown that some plants' high-temperature
resistance function works to switch on when oxidative treatment is applied.
Researchers believed that a chemical compound that's generated through
oxidation of fatty acids in plants by reactive oxygen triggers the switch.
Through their experiments, the researchers identified that the (E)-2-hexenal compoundacts as a signal
chemical.
Researchers examined the effects of the (E)-2-hexenal at cooperative farms and found
their use effective on cucumbers, rice and tomatoes."Acquired
thermotolerance in plants in a non-genetically modified way. It will be easier
for this method to find acceptance in Japan where consumers are less accepting
of genetically-modified crops," the study stated, according to a news release.
"Since the (E)-2-hexenal is a plant-derived chemical substance, its use as
a spray over farm produce will face little resistance from consumers."
Payment continues to be a problem in the
rice industry
MARCH
2, 2015 · BY ·
Dear Editor,
Essequibo rice farmers staged yet another protest on the main
public road, demanding payment for the last paddy crop which was sold to rice
millers. The payment areas most affected are the Essequibo Islands, West
Demerara and Regions 5 and 6. Harvesting of the present crop has commenced in
Region Two, with some 31,500 acres expected to be harvested. There will be much
difficulty in payment because of deliberate neglect by millers.Under the
current system millers procure paddy from farmers below the minimum support
price. This system is leading to increased stocks in the warehouses of the
millers. The government needs to intervene from time to time and ensure that
farmers are paid on time. Government could also introduce online payments to
make the transactions more transparent, as farmers have to wait four months to
get their dues.
The payments for the paddy are directly deposited in the
farmers’ accounts.In some instances farmers are selling their paddy to rice
millers at a lower price to avoid the long wait. Paddy payment for farmers in
Guyana has witnessed a steady decline since the ’90s. The sharp fall is due to
problems with the local and international marketing of our rice, as well as the
quality of rice produced by some millers, and it has serious implications for
Guyana’s economic development. Over the past 5 years, however, there have been
no signs of a revival in terms of prompt payment and rice quality.Today rice
occupies the first position among Guyana’s agricultural crops with respect to
foreign exchange. First, labour costs are relatively high, and at the same time
the expenses involved in purchasing agricultural inputs are a heavy burden
without payments being made on time.
Typically, farmers hire machinery from private sources, since
not all of them own combine harvesters and tractors with a harrow plough. Given
the high costs of cultivation and reaping and the modest yield levels, the
price of paddy becomes an important determinant of profitability.The minimum
price for a bag of paddy was $1,500 last crop, and the maximum was $3,000 – a
drop of $1,000 on each grade. However, even $4,000 a bag is not remunerative
enough for a farmer who is primarily dependent on rice farming. Given
government’s absence from effective participation in the rice industry, rice
farmers are left at the mercy of private dealers, mainly a group of modern rice
millers.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
Mohamed Khan
Arkansas rice
farmers, others get deadline from USDA
Posted: Mar 01, 2015 12:25 PM PSTUpdated: Mar 01, 2015 12:25 PM PST
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The U.S. Agriculture
Secretary has announced that Arkansas producers would get one more month to
update their farm information for new commodity safety-net programs established
in the 2014 farm bill.The February 27 deadline is now extended to March 31.Arkansas
Rice Farmers Chairman Dow Brantley says the extra month will help more
producers submit the most accurate information on their yield histories and
base acreage. Brantley also adds this will be the only deadline extension, and
called on farmers who had been waiting to submit their updates as soon as
possible.The new programs are called Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss
Coverage. Producers needing more information on the programs can contact their
local Farm Service Agency office or go to www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc .(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
2/28/2015 4:44:49 PM (GMT -6:00)
S.Korea buys 44,000 T of rice for
May
Mon Mar 2, 2015 1:49am GMT
SEOUL, March 2 (Reuters) - South Korea's Agro-Fisheries &
Food bought a total of 44,000 tonnes of non-glutinous brown rice
for May 31 arrival via tenders closed on Feb. 25, according to
the agency's website (www.at.or.kr).
Details of the purchase are as follows:
TONNES GRAIN TYPE SUPPLIER ORIGIN PRICE
22,000 Medium Brown Seomok Trading Corp U.S. $856
22,000 Short Brown Daewoo Int'l Corp China $870
(Reporting By Brian Kim; Editing by Sunil Nair)
Palay farmgate price continues to
fall
By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) | Updated March 1, 2015 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - Farmgate
price of palay (unmilled rice) continued to fall in the second and third week
of February, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).From the
monitoring period of Feb. 11 to 17, the average farmgate price of palay fell
0.47 percent to P17.87 per kilogram from the previous week. Year-on-year, this
was lower by 5.90 percent.This translated to price reductions in the wholesale
and retain prices of well-milled rice.The average wholesale prices of
well-milled rice at P38.90 per kilogram was 0.32 percent below the previous
week’s quotation. Year-on-year, this was higher by 3.29 percent.The average
retail price of well-milled rice fell to P41.97 per kilogram week-on-week.
Year-on-year, however, this was higher by 4.54 percent.The average wholesale
and retail prices of regular-milled rice also declined.
Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
Wholesale prices of regular milled rice fell 0.21 percent to
P35.74 per kilogram on the average from the previous week. From the previous
year, however, this was higher by 2.24 percent.The average retail price of
regular milled rice fell 0.24 percent to P38.38 per kilogram. Year-on-year,
this was higher by 4.14 percent.The National Food Authority (NFA) announced
early this month that it would intensify palay procurement this year as the
farmgate prices of unmilled rice have begun falling to P14 to P16 per kilogram
in several areas.NFA administrator Renan Dalisay said “massive” procurements
would be conducted in Iloilo, Palawan, Sultan Kudarat, Antique and Isabela
provinces.
NFA having difficulty buying palay
Bocaue, Bulacan — Now that the harvest season of “palay” is
peaking in most rice-producing provinces in Luzon, traders have affected the
prices of the golden grain that the National Food Authority (NFA) cannot
sustain to procurements for its buffer stock.In a recent random check on palay
prices inside the Intercity Industrial Estate here, a major rice trading center
of the country, the regular wholesale prices ranges halfway of P19 to P22 per
kilo, reliant on its qualities and varieties.With these aspects, sources said,
the NFA cannot compete with the commercial grain traders in acquiring palay
stocks for their buffer stock requirements.Jun Cid, a palay classifier, said
the prices have already decrease to an average of R18 per kilo in the last week
of January, just as the palay harvest season is about to begin in major rice
producing provinces of Northern Luzon.
Last days of January this year, Simeon Sioson, president of the
Federation of Central Luzon Farmers Cooperative, revealed alleged rice
smuggling in Mindanao that was perceived to have pulled down the prices of
locally-harvested palay.“The smuggled rice finds its way to local markets in
Metro Manila and Central Luzon that has caused local palay prices to go down
even if the peak rice harvest season has already ended,” Sioson said.Sioson
also mentioned that palay prices in the main crop harvest last November reached
R25 per kilo and with the harvest season about to begin has dipped to an
average price of P18 per kilo in at the end of January.
Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Draws Record Crowd
Rice
wins every time
MEMPHIS, TN -- The USA Rice Federation attended
the 63rd annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show here over the weekend. Staff provided attendees with information
about the U.S. rice industry and activities conducted by USA Rice. Show officials reported record attendance
including rice producers from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri
who stopped by the USA Rice booth."USA Rice's presence at the show gives
staff an opportunity to meet with rice producers as well as educate the general
public about rice. We talk with more
than 1,000 individuals and families each year and always enjoy making
connections," said Randy Jemison, director of field services in Louisiana.
In addition to exhibit booths and activities,
the event includes agriculture updates and outlook presentations. Carl Brothers, senior vice president of
Riceland Foods, was on-hand to give a market update for rice.The Mid-South Farm
& Gin Show is one of the largest farm shows in the region with attendees
from all of the surrounding states in the Mid-South and Southeast. Four hundred companies and organizations from
40 states and 15 countries took part in this year's show. USA Rice received
informational and product donations from Dainty Foods, Producers Rice Mill,
RiceTec, Riviana, and The Wright Group used as giveaways at its booth.
Contact: Amy Doane (703) 236-1454
Rice Leadership Visits Cuban Interest Section
As customary in their final session in
Washington DC, the newly graduated Rice Leadership Class visited the Cuban
Interest Section last week where they met with the Deputy Chief Juan
Lamigueiro. They were joined by USA Rice
President & CEO Betsy Ward, USA Rice staffers Marvin Lehrer and Chuck
Wilson, and Terry Harris with Riceland Foods.From left: John Compton, Wes Long,
Rodd Dedman, Juan Lamigueiro, Marvin Lehrer, Betsy Ward, Joel Stevens, Seth
Fiack, Steven Schuler,
Mark Isbell, Chuck Wilson, and Terry Harris.
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
|
Rice prices in Jakarta begin to go down
Senin, 2 Maret 2015 22:08 WIB
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The prices of rice in
Jakarta, especially at the Mayestik and Kebayoran Lama markets, have started
declining by an average Rp200 per kilogram, according to traders."The
price of rice here started to go down since yesterday (Sunday, March 1),"
Fauzi, a trader at the Mayestik market, said here on Monday.Based on Antaras
observation, the rice types whose prices began to decline at the Mayestik
market included the IR I type (64), which declined by Rp200 per kilogram from
Rp10,000 to Rp9,800 per kilogram; IR II (64) that fell from Rp9,500 to Rp9,000
per kilogram; and IR III (64) that dropped from Rp9,000 to Rp8,800 per
kilogram.
"Although the price fall is small, I hope it
would continue until it reaches the normal level and consumers are not burdened
anymore," Fauzi added.He noted that the price had possibly gone down due
to a decrease in the price of rice at the Cipinang wholesale rice market."Market
operations conducted by state-owned logistics board Bulog must have possibly
played a role in bringing down the price," he added.The same also happened
at the Kebayoran Lama market in South Jakarta where the prices of rice begun to
go down since Sunday. The average decrease in the price of rice here is some
Rp200 per kilogram."The average decrease is not too big, it is only Rp200
per kilogram," remarked Johan, another trader at the Kabayoran Lama
market.The types of rice that saw a fall in their prices included IR I type
(64) whose price dropped from Rp9,000 to Rp9,600 per kilogram.
The price of IR II (64) rice dropped from Rp9,400 to
Rp9,200 and of IR III (64) declined from Rp9,000 to Rp8,800.President Jokowi
earlier inspected the rice warehouses of Bulog in Kelapang Gading, North
Jakarta, where he launched the rice for the poor (Raskin) program and some
market operations.The country has 1.4 million tons of rice stock, which will be
adequate until March-April when harvest season starts, the President revealed
on the occasion."You should not think we are short of rice stocks. We will
always have enough stocks and we will release it no matter how much will be the
requirement," he remarked on Wednesday (Feb 25). Jokowi also promised to conduct market
operations and distribute some 300 thousand tons of rice in the market.
Businesses begin stockpiling rice
in Mekong Delta
Businesses have begun purchasing one million tons of winter spring rice in the
Mekong Delta on March 1 when the Prime Minister’s rice stockpiling decision
took effect.
Hau Giang farmers reap winter spring rice (Photo: SGGP)
The Government has assisted businesses with 100
percent of bank
loan interest rate in four months to buy rice under
the program from March 1 until April 15.Rice prices were in down trend near the
lunar New Year Festival but have a bit increased recently owning to the
program.Specifically, a kilogram of fresh rice fetches VND4,200-4,600 a
kilogram, up VND200-300 over it before Tet.
Traders have boosted purchase in Can Tho, Hau Giang, Dong Thap,
and Vinh Long for the last few days.Farmer Ngo Van Kha from Vi Thanh District,
Hau Giang province said that the new prices are
acceptable.The busiest purchase is along the 40 kilometer road linking Can Tho
and Vi Thanh, where nearly 100 combined harvesters have continuously operated
in fields.Leaders from Can Tho, Dong Thap, An Giang, Tien Giang, Long An and
Can Tho say that this year the rice stockpiling program has been launched
timely as farmers are entering peak
harvest season.Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has allocated rice volume for
businesses to buy in each province. The largest purchase will be 250,000 tons
in An Giang, followed by Can Tho with 175,000 tons and Bac Lieu with 8,000 tons.
The lowest volume is in Ca Mau with 2,400 tons.
2015 is the sixth year in a row
VFA carries out the rice stockpiling program for the yearly largest winter
spring crop in the Mekong Delta.
Rice bags are transported to
warehouse for stockpiling (Photo: SGGP)
The program is a Government’s
intervention measure in the rice market to prevent a price drop during peak
harvest time and ensurefarmers’ profit, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development Vu Van Tam said at a meeting on the program’s implementation
in the delta yesterday.In addition to the program, the Southern Food
Corporation has won a bid to export 300,000 tons of rice to the Philippines,
creating a better tendency in the rice market, he added.However, Deputy
Chairman of VFA Huynh The Nang said that tendency would not prolong because the
Mekong Delta would have up to five million tons of commercial rice by the
second quarter. The number includes iventory rice from last year and newly
harvested rice.
NFA secures additional rice imports from
Thailand, Vietnam
February 28, 2015
The Philippines has secured rice imports from Thailand and
Vietnam after the two countries presented competitive offers in a state-to-state
deal that commenced on Friday, which involves the purchase of a total of
500,000 metric tons (MT) of well-milled white rice supply.National Food
Authority (NFA) is importing 500,000 MT of rice to cater to the mandatory
buffer stocking requirement for the lean season that starts in July.
This requirement would be purchased through
government-to-government (G2G) procurement with countries that have procurement
agreements with the Philippines such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.For
this bidding, which is the first planned rice importation for this year, only
Thailand and Vietnam decided to participate.For the 15-percent brokens
well-milled long grain white rice, Thailand offered a selling price of $441 per
MT for a total supply of 100,000 MT against a required minimum supply offer of
250,000 MT. The total offer price stood at USD44.1 million.With an offer price
that stood at USD110.62 million, Vietnam offered $442.50 per MT for a total
supply of 250,000 MT.
For this, the winning bidder is supposedly Thailand for its
offer price, which is lower, but since it could not supply the entire supply
needed by the Philippine government, Vietnam later on agreed to match
Thailand’s price offer.In its matched offer, Vietnam agreed to supply the
remaining 150,000 MT for a price of P$441 per MT, with a total offer price of
USD66.1 million.For the 25-percent brokens well-milled long grain white rice,
Thailand proposed to supply 100,000 MT for USD421 per MT against the total
supply needed by the government, which is also at 250,000 MT. The total price
stood at USD42.1 million.
Vietnam, on the other hand, originally offered to supply the
entire 250,000 MT but since it priced it at a higher cost, it just decided to
match the offer of Thailand, agreeing to supply the remaining 150,000 MT at a
price of USD353 per MT instead. In total, Vietnam will earn USD63.15 million
from the contract.The term of references orders the delivery of all the
well-milled white rice in two tranches from March to April.
Achara Deboonme
achara_d@nationgroup.com
Twitter@Biz_TheNation March 3, 2015 1:00 am
Thailand's rice basket shrivels amid drought of
long-term policy The tyranny of the hot season has returned, as the temperature
climbs towards a sizzling 40 degrees.Office workers are complaining about the
steamy commute to air-conditioned workplaces. They should spare a thought for
those who have to work under the blazing sun, including farmers, who are
watching their crops whither for lack of water - though they won't fetch much
anyway at current prices.Official statistics show that the country's major
reservoirs have dropped to 57-60 per cent capacity - near the levels of 2005
when one of Thailand's worst-ever droughts affected 71 provinces and caused
nearly Bt8 billion in damage.
This year, the Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives Ministry estimates the drought will affect 16.17 million rai of
farmland in 58 provinces, including 12.61 million rai in the Northeast, the
region least covered by the national irrigation system.Over half of our
working-age population is in the agricultural sector, yet for decades the
irrigation system has expanded at a snail's pace.The latest figures show that
in 2012, only 29.57 million rai, or 9.22 per cent of Thailand's landmass, was
irrigated.That represents only a slight increase on the 28.35 million rai in
2009.That year, as the Royal Irrigation Department celebrated its 107th
anniversary, its chief unveiled a plan to expand the irrigated area by 6
million rai by 2020.
He explained that Thailand's reservoirs had a
combined capacity of 52,741 million cubic metres - only 70 per cent of the
annual demand of 73,788 million m3. Without new investment, the shortfall could
hit 34,183 million m3 in 2019.The root of this longstanding problem lies in the
fact that policymakers treat irrigation as a political tool, channelling
budgets to temporary projects that only address short-term hurdles. No
government has ever embarked on a grand-scale project to tackle long-term
problems. Irrigation plans were included in the Yingluck government's Bt350
billion water-management plan, but it was the 2011 flood that sparked its
creation, not drought.The junta scrapped that plan and drew up a new strategy,
expected to cost about Bt900 billion over 10 years.
However, last month the Cabinet refused to
green-light the comprehensive strategy, approving only some of its projects for
this fiscal year and keeping the budget to Bt50 billion. Prime Minister Prayut
Chan-o-cha admitted that the limited budget available meant only urgent
projects could be carried out this year, though the 10-year strategy remained
in place.The Cabinet resolution received wide media coverage, but not so the
attacks from the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT), which is adamant that
the strategy and the investment for this year do not meet the national
interest.The EIT's academic network criticised the strategy for ignoring public
views and failing to address the root problems. Warning that the plan carried
more negative consequences than the Yingluck government's version, it vowed not
to rubber stamp the project.
Pramote Maiklad, former chief of the Royal
Irrigation Department, remarked that "The NCPO's version is not a real
strategic plan, but rather the annual budget allocation plan."With the
global economy still fragile thanks to the slowdown in China and difficulties
in the euro zone and Japan, Thailand's exports are expected to remain sluggish.
TMB Analytics anticipates a 1 per cent growth rate this year, following two
years of contraction. In this scenario, economists agree that domestic demand
should play a bigger role in driving the economy. Yet, they are also concerned
about lower crop prices, which will reduce farmers' income. Couple that with
Thailand's high household debt of 85 per cent of GDP, and there are doubts
about how much farmers and consumers in general can spend.
As part of its economic stimulation programme,
the government plans cash handouts for farmers.While that move is welcomed by
Federation of Thai Industries chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree, he said last week
that what are truly needed are mid- to long-term solutions to help farmers lift
productivity and lower production costs.
I guess that he might not like the Commerce
Ministry's Blue Flag project either. The project, which sells products at
ad-hoc markets at about 30 per cent below their market price, reaches
relatively few people but costs over Bt100 million annually. It will require a
budget of Bt241 million this fiscal year.If farmers' income were to climb in a
sustainable way, they would be able to spend more and perhaps also save more.
But as things stand, their finances are at the mercy of capricious Mother
Nature.
And no matter who is in power, their problems
remain neglected.Thailand can no longer afford to handle problems as they
arise. We need to start thinking "out of the box" and forge long-term
strategies.Thai nationalists have enjoyed success in guarding our tiny
petroleum reserves. They should also push for a reform agenda to deal with drought.
If the problems aren't addressed in a sustainable and comprehensive way,
millions of our farmers will likely need government support when they get old
and can't work in the fields. Then, the moaning from taxpayers will only get
louder.
Indian rice exports to plunge as
Thailand offloads stocks
A Thai farmer loads paddy onto a truck.
MUMBAI/BANGKOK, MARCH
2:
India's rice exports will
struggle to compete with cheaper cargoes from No.1 seller Thailand in 2015 as
Bangkok looks to offload grain from its huge state stockpiles, industry
officials and traders said. B.V. Krishna
Rao, managing director of leading Indian rice shipper Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt
Ltd, said the country's exports could plunge by a fifth this year to 8 million
tonnes, with some other industry officials in the country making similar
warnings.
Lower exports will leave more rice in Indian hands, piling
pressure on already-bulging storage and raising the spectre of grain getting
damaged in temporary silos.But competition among the world's top two exporters
will drag further on prices that have fallen 5 per cent since the start of
October. That's good news for African nations like Nigeria and Senegal that are
typically major buyers of Asian rice."The Thai government's efforts to
sell rice from its own warehouses has been putting pressure on global prices
and limiting Indian exports," said Rao.Thailand will open a tender to sell
around 1 million tonnes of rice in March, as it tries to shift over 17 million
tonnes of rice built up under a controversial subsidy scheme. It aims to sell
10 million tonnes in 2015 and 7 million next year.Indian exporters can compete
with private Thai traders, but not with the government as it can cut prices to
generate demand for old stock, said M. Adishankar, executive director at Sri
Lalitha, a major rice exporter in southern India.
In the latest tender, Thailand sold 5-percent broken rice from
old stocks for $236 to $378 per tonne, although the market price for new crops
was around $415. India has recently offered the same grade at around $400."The
government's rice is old and has been stored for a long time so its value
depreciates accordingly ... there is always a price gap between new rice and
old rice," said an official at the Thai Rice Exporters Association, who
declined to be identified.
India, which lost the top rice exporter spot in 2014, could see
its shipments of non-basmati or common grade rice fall by nearly a quarter to 5
million tonnes in 2015, while exports of aromatic basmati could drop over 14
percent to 3 million tonnes, Rao said.Basmati sales have also been hit after top
buyer Iran suspended imports late last year to support local farmers, although
one exporter expected shipments to restart in April.Rice inventories at India's
state-run agencies had jumped to around 25 million tonnes by Feb. 1, nearly
double the targeted level, government data shows.
(This article was published on March 2, 2015)
Karachi
The Sindh government announced on Saturday that it was banning
rice cultivation in the command areas of the canals lying on the left bank of
the Indus River to control water-logging and salinity.This decision was made at
a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah. It was attended by
National Assembly opposition leader Khursheed Shah, MNA Syed Asghar Shah, MPAs
Sardar Imdad Ali Pitafi, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Syed Sarfaraz Shah, Board of
Revenue senior member Shahid Gulzar Shaikh, the irrigation secretary and the
Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad commissioners and deputy
commissioners.
The chief minister said the perennial canals at Guddu, Sukkur and
Kotri barrages had a lengthy command area of more than 150 to 350 kilometres
and water shortage persisted at their tail-end.“These canals are meant for dry
kharif crops. But rice cultivation in the command areas of these canals had
further aggravated the water shortage because paddy crop required a lot of
water,” he added.He added that because of rice cultivation, the sub-soil water
level had elevated and caused water-logging and salinity to dangerous
proportions, destroying the entire green belt on the left bank of the Indus
River.Khursheed Shah said there was a dire need for changing the crop pattern.
Otherwise, he added, the entire left bank strip of the province would turn into
lakes of saline water.MPA Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi said climatically Sindh had
the distinction to cultivate early kharif crops but the irrigation department
released water in the canals and distributaries very late.
Therefore, he added,
growers were left with no choice but to grow rice. “Rice cultivation is easy
and it does not require hard labour and extra care. That is why the growers
prefer to cultivate rice,” he noted.MNA Syed Sarfraz Shah and MPAs Syed Murad
Ali Shah and Nasir Shah, who own farms on the left bank command areas, said
water-logging had destroyed fruit orchards in the area.The chief minister said
the problems of the command areas of the perennial channels, especially the
Ghotki Feeder Canal, the Rohri Canal, the Nara Canal, the Khairpur Feeder East
and the Khairpur Feeder West, had to be addressed on an urgent basis.“The Sindh
government has spent millions on the installation, maintenance and operation of
tube-wells to control the water table,” he added.
We will pay more attention to
rice value chain" – Minister
Government would pay more attention to the
development of the rice value chain for mass production of rice to reduce its
imports, according to Mr. Fiifi Kwetey, Minister of Food and Agriculture.He
said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture was fully behind initiatives that
aimed at developing the rice value chain and assured that all investors and
communities involved in developing rice fields, especially the Nasia-Nabogo
valley, would be given a fair deal.Mr Kwetey said this in a speech read on his
behalf during the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP) Investor
Conference in Tamale.The Investor Conference organized by the GCAP was meant to
introduce to participants, the Nasia-Nabogo valley rain-fed rice production and
opportunities available to whet investor interest in the project.
The government
of Ghana secured a $100 million credit from the World Bank and a grant of $45
million from the USAID to implement the GCAP projects mainly in the Accra
Plains and the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) zones for crop
production scheduled to be completed over a five-year period.Mr Kwetey said the
investor conference marked a milestone in the work of GCAP, which had the
opportunity to outdoor an innovative approach by establishing an Agricultural
Growth Pole (AGP) in the SADA zone.He said adoption of the growth pole strategy
had the potential for accelerating economic growth and support social progress
through efficient utilization of natural and agricultural resources in line
with the potentials of SADA.He said now that GCAP had selected one of the
agricultural growth poles for attention there was the need for government to
support to ensure that it served as development corridor that remained focused
for developing the rice value chain.
Mr Alabi Bortey,
the Project Co-ordinator of GCAP said, GCAP was currently seeking investors to
invest in commercial agriculture business in rice production on the 10,000
hectare arable land at the Nasia-Nabogo valley in the Savelugu/Nanton
Municipality of the Northern Region.
He said strong emphasis would be on the involvement of farmers from neighbouring communities within the Nasia-Nabogo valley and assured investors who wish to cultivate rice within the GCAP demarcated area in the Nasia-Nabogo valley area of support through a matching grant scheme based on eligibility criteria.Mr Bortey said GCAP would support investors with the construction of water retention structures to ensure availability of water throughout the cropping season and that the investors would be expected to integrate smallholder farmers into the inputs, outputs and farm equipment services on a continual basis for at least five years.He announced that the project was also inviting contractors wishing to bid for the design and construction of the irrigation infrastructure to be constructed and called on all to support the project to succeed, saying, “Let us together create an environment that would increase rice production and productivity”.
He said strong emphasis would be on the involvement of farmers from neighbouring communities within the Nasia-Nabogo valley and assured investors who wish to cultivate rice within the GCAP demarcated area in the Nasia-Nabogo valley area of support through a matching grant scheme based on eligibility criteria.Mr Bortey said GCAP would support investors with the construction of water retention structures to ensure availability of water throughout the cropping season and that the investors would be expected to integrate smallholder farmers into the inputs, outputs and farm equipment services on a continual basis for at least five years.He announced that the project was also inviting contractors wishing to bid for the design and construction of the irrigation infrastructure to be constructed and called on all to support the project to succeed, saying, “Let us together create an environment that would increase rice production and productivity”.
Rice exports to plunge as
Thailand offloads grain from its stockpiles
By
Reuters | 2 Mar, 2015, 12.15PM IST
"The
Thai govt's efforts to sell rice from its own warehouses has been putting
pressure on global prices and limiting Indian exports," said Rao.
ET
SPECIAL:
MUMBAI/BANGKOK:
India's rice
exports
will struggle to compete with cheaper cargoes from No.1 seller Thailand
in 2015 as Bangkok looks to offload grain from its huge state
stockpiles, industry officials and traders said. B.V. Krishna Rao, managing
director of leading Indian rice shipper Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt Ltd, said the
country's exports could plunge by a fifth this year to 8 million tonnes, with
some other industry officials in the country making similar warnings. Lower
exports will leave more rice in Indian hands, piling pressure on
already-bulging storage and raising the spectre of grain getting damaged in
temporary silos.
But competition among the world's top two exporters will drag further on prices that have fallen 5 percent since the start of October. That's good news for African nations like Nigeria and Senegal that are typically major buyers of Asian rice. "The Thai government's efforts to sell rice from its own warehouses has been putting pressure on global prices and limiting Indian exports," said Rao. Thailand will open a tender to sell around 1 million tonnes of rice in March, as it tries to shift over 17 million tonnes of rice built up under a controversial subsidy scheme. It aims to sell 10 million tonnes in 2015 and 7 million next year.
Indian exporters can compete with private Thai traders, but not with the government as it can cut prices to generate demand for old stock, said M. Adishankar, executive director at Sri Lalitha, a major rice exporter in southern India.
In
the latest tender, Thailand sold 5-percent broken rice from old stocks
for $236 to $378 per tonne, although the market price for new crops was around
$415. India has recently offered the same grade at around $400. "The
government's rice is old and has been stored for a long time so its value
depreciates accordingly ... there is always a price gap between new rice and
old rice," said an official at the Thai Rice Exporters Association, who
declined to be identified. India, which lost the top rice exporter spot in
2014, could see its shipments of non-basmati or common grade rice fall by
nearly a quarter to 5 million tonnes in 2015, while exports of aromatic basmati
could drop over 14 percent to 3 million tonnes, Rao said. Basmati sales have
also been hit after top buyer Iran suspended imports late last year to support
local farmers, although one exporter expected shipments to restart in April. Rice
inventories at India's state-run agencies had jumped to around 25 million
tonnes by Feb. 1, nearly double the targeted level, government data shows.
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