News Headlines...
·
Rich harvest for TN farmer
from drip irrigation
·
Essequibo rice millers owe
farmers over $632m
·
News Shared by PhilRice
·
Uneven Rain Mars Paddy
Cultivation
·
Rice Finds A Welcome Home
In Wisconsin Paddies
·
Price rice of commodities
flayed
·
Vietnam finds new direction
for rice industry
·
Recipe: Tandoori fish with
saffron rice
·
Nigerians Gasp Over High
Inflation Prices Of Frozen Foods, Fish, Rice SoarPH finalizing rice import plan
ahead of El Niño
·
Exports of 10 key agriculture
products including coffee, rice in negative zone in July
·
Cambodia's rice exports up
46 pct in 8 months
·
Flood destroys 200 rice
farms in Jigawa
·
New Thai rice auction draws
33 buyers to compete
·
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily
Commodity Report
·
Rice Production in Arkansas
News Detail...
Rich harvest for TN farmer from drip irrigation
LN REVATHY
COIMBATORE,
SEPTEMBER 7:
Farmers in Govindapuram village, a small hamlet in Dharapuram,
Tirupur district have proved that three crops (including rice) can be raised in
a year under limited water conditions using drip irrigation.One among them – M
Parthasarathy was recently identified for the Innovative Rice Farmer Award,
conferred by the Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad.He was among the
30 farmers from 16 States across the country to be nominated for the award.Incidentally,
Parthasarathy’s guide BJ Pandian, Director, Water Technology Centre, Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University, said: “growing rice under drip irrigation is a new
concept, tested and promoted for adoption by WTC.”Parthasarathy introduced the
drip irrigation for rice in a cropping system approach.He raised onion between
April – June using drip system, followed by maize between July – September and
cultivated rice using the same system in October – February.
(This article was published on September 7, 2015)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rich-harvest-for-tn-farmer-from-drip-irrigation/article7625562.ece
Essequibo rice
millers owe farmers over $632m
Essequibo rice millers owe Region Two
farmers over $632m and the head of the rice board says that the government has
made good on all payments so there should be no problem.The government on
Thursday released the names of five millers in Region 2 who owe paddy farmers
in excess of $632M from the spring crop of this year. The government in a GINA
release stated that it “empathises” with the farmers’ frustrations.The
government called on Wazeer Hussain of Dry Shore/KSCL to pay out $285,360,540;
Ramesh Ramlakhan of Ex-Mouth, $156,584,455; Deonaraine (Evergreen),
$135,000,000; Old Mac Guyana Inc, $28,300,000 and La Resource Rice Industry,
$27,600,000 owed to farmers.Speaking to farmers, Stabroek News was told that a
gathering was held on Thursday outside http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/news/stories/09/07/essequibo-rice-millers-owe-farmers-over-632m/
News Shared by
PhilRice
National Rice R&D to highlight climate change, competitiveness
Around
500 researchers, scientists, members of the academe, students, and farmers will
gather at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Science City of
Muñoz, Nueva Ecija for the 28th National Rice R&D
Conference, 9-10 September.With the theme, Rice science and
technologies for climate change, resiliency, and competitiveness, the
conference will bring together some of the brightest minds in the Philippine
rice R&D to discuss the latest and cutting-edge innovations in the rice
industry.
Dennis
G. Dela Torre of the UP National College of Public Administration and
Governance will serve as the keynote speaker of the conference. De La
Torre is a consultant of the House of Representatives Special Committee on
Climate Change and was former Chief for Research and Policy Development of
the Climate Change Commission of the Philippines.
Among
the papers to be presented are Coping with Climate Change in the
Philippines: Advancements and Challenges in Rice R&D by Dr.
Ricardo F. Orge, and Coping with Water Scarcity while Improving
Productivity by Dr. Frisco M. Malabanan.
Speakers
will expound on the Philippine rice sector’s status and prospects for
competitiveness, and rice science, systems and technologies, and promotion for
competitive, sustainable, resilient and efficient rice-based farming.
Several
high-profile presentations on highly relevant topics will be presented. Dr.
Flordeliza Bordey will talk about her study titled Game Changer: Is
Philippine rice ready to compete globally? while Dr. Eduardo Jimmy P.
Quilang will explain the project Philippine Rice Information System
(PRiSM): An operational system for rice monitoring to support decision-making
towards increased rice production in the Philippines.
The
R&D projects in support of the Food Staples Sufficiency Program of the
Department of Agriculture in collaboration with international and national
organizations will also be highlighted.
New
PhilRice knowledge products will be launched including the rice technology
handouts, climate change kit for farmers and impact videos.
The
conference consists of paper and poster presentations will focus on integrated
topics in four thematic areas: rice germplasm, grain quality and nutrition, and
breeding for improving yields and resistance to stresses; crop management
options and high value-added products for increasing productivity and
efficiency; technologies, systems, tools, and information for efficient
rice-based farming, and reducing climate change effects; technology promotion,
partnerships, and impacts on farm productivity and sustainability.
Four
plenary sessions and 41 papers for concurrent sessions will be presented along
with over 100 technical posters for viewing.
This
year, PhilRice added Experts’ Discussion on Rice R&D and Industry Trends
and Opportunities and invited several scientists and experts as part of the
panel. The new innovation is part of the plenary session on the second day of
the conference.
IT
students develop soil series app
Agriculturists
can soon analyze soil properties through their mobile phones. Information
Technology students from the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) developed
“SoilMate," a mobile application that can show soil properties, color
groups, and productivity.The app has a Geographic Positioning System or GPS
feature that can locate the origin of the soil. Starting off within the
provinces in Central Luzon, it is expected to guide agriculturists, farmers and
researchers to identify the soil series in a specific location through simple
steps.Janndel Rosario, Gengee Madarang, and Ramon Rama of CLSU developed the
app under the Enclosed Field Category aimed at creating or enhancing an app
from PhilRice. The app was based on the guidebook Simplified Keys to Soil Series produced
by the Institute.SoilMate was the grand winner in the 2nd AgriHackathon,
an application development competition, organized by the Information Systems Division
(ISD) of PhilRice.Once fully developed, users can also use the app to identify
soil properties and soil management recommendations.
The
developers acknowledged that this kind of app is highly technical and needs
crowdsourcing. But with guidance from PhilRice, the students hope that they can
come up with a solid app that can significantly help our farmers and experts in
soil management.Compared to hardcopy literatures of the soil series, ISD Head
Jovino De Dios said that a digital version like a mobile app has a higher
potential in terms of accuracy on soil identification and analysis.Meanwhile,
“Digital Leaf Color Analyzer” won the Open Category developed by Mark Angelo
Pitogo, Kier Joseph Navarro, and Roberto Ross Melgar from the Asian Institute
of E-Commerce, Gapan City. The app creates a digital leaf color chart using an
RGB sensor.
In
the Battle Field Category (game development), a time-based simulator called
“Purantochi” won first place. The game provides basic knowledge on raising and
caring a plant. It was developed by John Walter Galicia, John Carlo Inocencio,
Lemuel Ignacio, and Marc Martin from CLSU.“AgriHackathon is our way to gather
new ideas and innovations from various groups to create an efficient
agricultural information system that we can use in our research and development
initiatives,” De Dios said.The competition was sponsored by Smart
Communications, S1 Technologies, Microsoft Philippines, PowerNet, and Mobility.
Piolo
Pascual is new 'RICEponsible' ambassador
Multi-awarded
actor, recording artist, endorser, and producer Piolo Pascual joins the
nationwide call for responsible rice consumption as the new RICEponsible
Ambassador. Pascual on 20 August, pledged to promote the advocacies of
the Be RICEponsible campaign such as the consumption of brown rice and rice
mixed with corn or other staples, appreciation of our farmers’ hard work, and
the non-wastage of rice that would all contribute to the country’s rice
self-sufficiency stride.During the photo and video shoot at the Sofitel
Philippine Plaza Manila, Pascual expressed his excitement and gratitude in this
new undertaking.“Culturally, we love to eat rice. It’s disappointing to know
the facts on how much rice is wasted every year. I think it’s about time for us
to do something about it. The best way for me to help is by using my influence
to send out awareness for people to really value rice in this country,” Pascual
said.
He
added that he regularly eats brown rice as part of his diet to keep him fit and
healthy.Pascual will promote the Be RICEponsible advocacy in photos and videos
that will be shown in print advertisements, television, radio and social media.
He also committed to personally promote it through his social media accounts,
sing the campaign song, and attend the campaign events as much as he can.According
to Hazel V. Antonio, director of the Be RICEponsible campaign, Pascual was
chosen because he is a health and wellness icon who embodies the advocacies of
the campaign.
“Piolo’s
influence to the public can help encourage more Filipinos to be RICEponsible to
their bodies and to our country,” she said.Taking off from the National Year of
Rice in 2013, the Be RICEponsible is an advocacy campaign that promotes
responsible rice consumption by encouraging Filipinos not to waste rice, eat
healthier forms of rice, and by valuing the hard work of our farmers.
Uneven Rain Mars Paddy Cultivation
By
Published: 07th September 2015 06:43 AM
Last Updated: 07th September 2015 06:43 AM
JHARSUGUDA: The cultivation of
paddy in the district has been delayed due to scanty and uneven distribution of
rain during the last few months. Farmers are staring at a drought-like
situation with the rain playing truant.Cultivation has not been started in
several areas of Lakhanpur block. While the farm fields have developed cracks,
cultivable land in the block has turned into grazing ground for the cattle. The
farmers of the block have urged the Tehsildar to declare Bhanarkhol panchayat
and other villages as drought affected.
Sources said the district
administration had targeted paddy cultivation in 42,600 hectares (ha) of land
during current kharif season. Of the targeted area, local paddy was planned to
be raised in 100 ha, high yield variety in 42,200 ha and hybrid varieties in
300 ha of land. However, cultivation has been undertaken only in 14,875 ha of
land.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/Uneven-Rain-Mars-Paddy-Cultivation/2015/09/07/article3014738.ece
Rice
Finds A Welcome Home In Wisconsin Paddies
SEPTEMBER
07, 2015 4:32 PM ET
Marquette University scientist Michael Schläppi grows
rice in paddies on his lab's rooftop.
Michael Schläppi
A Marquette University molecular biologist is experimenting with
growing rice in the Midwest.In the U.S., most rice is grown in Arkansas and
California. But with drought conditions in California and the uncertain impacts
of climate change, scientist Michael Schläppi has been trying to grow the
water-intensive crop in a Wisconsin lab and field.Four years ago, Schläppi
began stress-testing rice using special climate-controlled growth chambers here
in his Marquette University lab.
iNaoki Shimoyama helps Michael Schläppi dig rice paddies 30 miles
north of the Marquette lab in May.
Michael Schäppi
One month later, Schläppi expanded his experiment by digging out
paddies on a third of an acre on a farm 30 miles north of campus. Schläppi
plunks his germinated seedlings in their watery new home. Their bright green
shoots gently sway in the breeze. He wove experimentation into his design;
Schläppi planted both seeds and seedlings and tested flooded and unflooded
paddy systems.Stephen Petro manages this 40-acre farm, a smidgen of which
Schläppi occupies. Small-scale urban farmers cultivate the rest, growing
vegetables and flowers to sell at market in Milwaukee.Many of those renting
land emigrated from Laos, where growing rice is a way of life. Petro says
they're watching Schläppi's experiment with keen interest.
"This is what I do for a living is to try to understand the
genetic attributes the different varieties that are needed for the future might
have. Since the climate is becoming less predictable, it's hard to know what
the farmers of the future will need in terms of the traits that will enable the
crops to be productive and to provide a really healthy food base for this
enormous global population," she says.McCouch says scientists like
Schläppi with his farmers in Wisconsin could play a crucial role in helping to
provide food for that population.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/07/438249071/rice-finds-a-welcome-home-in-wisconsin-paddies
Price rice of commodities flayed
Mahila Congress members staging a demonstration in
Ramanathapuram on Monday.Photo: L. BALACHANDAR
The district Mahila Congress unit
of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee staged a demonstration protesting against
rise in prices of essential commodities and demanding total prohibition in the
State.As part of the statewide agitation, the demonstration was held at
Aranmanai here on Monday. Congress district president ‘Goodluck’ Rajendran and
Mahila Congress district president Sagunthala Devi led the protest.They raised
slogans against the Central and State governments for failing to check the
prices of essential commodities, especially onion under check.Middle and lower
middle class people struggled as they had to spend more on the essentials month
after month, they said. The protestors also demanded that the State government
impose total prohibition in the state and condemned the “move to cripple” women
self-help groups. For the women folk, self-help groups provided the livelihood
and helped to supplement the family income, they added.
Vietnam finds new direction for rice industry
After 30 years of renovation, Vietnam has obtained great
achievements to become one among two top rice exporters in the world. However,
rice productivity has reached its peak while the world supply has been
increasing forcing the country to find new development direction for this
industry. Vietnam has managed to improve
rice quality (Photo: SGGP)
Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, head of the Institute of Policy and Strategy
for Agriculture and Rural Development, said that Vietnam’s rice production has
showed signs of less competitiveness than other emerging markets such as
Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia and has been behind traditional producers like
India and Thailand.The most weakness of Vietnamese rice is from quality, which
has mainly accessed easy markets such as the Philippines and Africa with low
export price, which is US$10-15 lower than Thai rice price a ton of the same
variety.
Post harvest loss hits 13 percent while it is only 6.1-9.1 percent
in Thailand and 6 percent in India, he analyzed.The Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development has reported difficulties in rice exports since early this
year. In August, the export turnover reduced 13.1 percent over the same period
last year.Mr. Tran Manh Bao, director general of Thai Binh Seed Company, said
despite of export slowdown businesses still have to ask permission to export.
In addition, rice land area allocation limit of 3 hectares to a household has
been a barrier for farmers who want to attend in large scale production models.
More drastic restructuring
At meetings on agricultural development towards higher added value
and sustainable development, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao
Duc Phat said agricultural restructuring should improve rice value and quality
instead of expanding volume and output to improve competitiveness at this time.The
ministry has determined that rice would continue to be strength of the
agricultural industry.The Government has also set a target to maintain 3.8
million hectares of rice land in an overall plan by 2020, visions till 2030.A
national plan should be mapped out to define where rice areas would be for
exports, where for local consumption and where would be converted into other
crops, say experts.
The Prime Minister has recently permitted to shift part of rice
area in the Mekong Delta into maize and other fruit trees with higher value
than rice, which Minister Cao Duc Phat said a right policy that not only ensure
rice area under planning but also convert new crops back to rice cultivation
when necessary.Professor Tran Van Khoi, deputy director of the National
Agricultural Promotion Center, said that rice growers have been short of
knowledge especially market information.Therefore, it is necessary to improve
their awareness of goods production, build a stronger connectivity between
farmers and businesses, businesses and businesses from production to
consumption phase, and attract investors to agriculture, he suggested.Rice
production should be reorganized focusing on developing high quality varieties
and Vietnamese rice brand names.Besides, authorized agencies should simplify
procedures for rice exporters, preventing interests
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2015/9/115224/
Recipe: Tandoori fish with saffron rice
Image Credit: Supplied
Tandoori fish with saffron rice.
Published:
14:24 September 7, 2015
By Banu Kumar
INGREDIENTS
King fish fillet (thinly sliced), 350gms/3 pieces
Lemon juice, 70ml
Ginger garlic paste, 25 gms
Salt to taste
Chile powder, 1.5 tsp
Garam masala powder, ½ tsp
Vegetable oil, 125 ml
Basmati rice, 125 gms
Saffron, a pinch
Bay leaf, 2 pieces
METHOD
1. Add lemon juice and salt to the sliced king fish fillet and
leave for 15 minutes.
2. Prepare a marinade of lemon juice, vegetable oil, ginger
garlic paste chili powder, Garam masala and salt. Dip the fish in the marinade
and refrigerate for two hours.
3. Clean and soak the rice for 20 minutes. In a vessel, heat the
oil and add bay leaf, the drained rice and saffron and add water sufficient to
cook the rice. Allow to cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Take out the king fish. Roll up firmly and tie with a kitchen
thread
5. Pre-heat the oven to 200C, and roast the fish for 15 minutes,
basting once or twice with oil
6. Serve the cooked saffron rice with tandoori fish
Gulf News
NEW FOREX
POLICY: Nigerians Gasp Over High Inflation Prices Of Frozen Foods, Fish, Rice
Soar
Inside
the pots and on most tables across the country, rice, frozen food items like
turkey, chicken, gizzards, sausage etc form the contents in most homes. These
are some of the food imported meats and grains most Nigerians depend upon for
sustenance. Now, at the first hint of the dollar squeeze and restriction over
importation of most of the food items, many homes are lamenting that the new
forex policy has caused panic inflation that is pricing the meats and rice out
of their reach.Daily Times investigation revealed that the restriction has sent
the prices of the items up by more than 35 percent in major markets in the city
of Lagos from late July to date … and the prices are still rising.
Trust
the Nigerian opportunistic system. Barely hours after the FG announcement, the
Nigerian Customs and Immigration personnel which had been having field days
seizing and confiscating such imports smuggled across the border started a
fresh campaign, such that local traders coming in with few cartons of frozen
foods or just few bags of rice fell victims in the hands of customs and
immigration officials.David Adesanya, one of the major frozen foods dealers at
Ikorodu main market mourns that the decision to ban these food items is a
negative one that is having adverse effect on Nigerians. He told our
correspondent that the hardship importers of the stuffs go through to bring the
products into the country was a nightmare before now.
“The
major challenge we face is with Custom officials; most times they seize the
goods at will and don’t return them to us; sometimes we are compelled by them
to pay almost the same price as the seized goods before we get them.“Now, with
this new ban, the problem has quadrupled, causing scarcity of the products and
as you know, when there is scarcity, there is bound to be a rise in prices,” he
said.The price hike is so uniform in all the markets, with insignificant
variation that you would think the whole traders in the city had held a meeting
to peg the prices.Mrs. Comfort Okorocha, a housewife who had spent hours in the
market but unable to buy much, lamented the sharp increase in what she called
‘essential food items’ her family needs to survive.
“The
house keeping money my husband gives to me was barely manageable before; now
this new policy of a thing has worsen the situation for me. How am I going to
manage? My husband has stretched himself to give us what he gets and it would
be unreasonable to press him for more.“The prices of all the food items I buy
for the upkeep of the family have almost double in some cases. What kind of
change is this?” Comfort queried.
A
cross section of traders who spoke with Daily Times lamented that the ban may
lead to food crisis in Nigeria; saying that most traders that import the banned
items have had their goods worth millions of naira confiscated by custom
officials.One major raw foodstuffs merchant at Mile 12 market, Obinna Chibuike
disclosed that since the federal government publicly announced the ban on
importation of certain food items into the country, the traders were forced to
jerk the prices so as to cover up for expenses incurred from custom officials
and transportation.“I can tell you that since the federal government disclosed
their intention to ban importation of food items, importers were forced to
increase the prices of such commodities so that they can recover expenses
incurred from Custom men while bringing the items into the country,” said he.
Our
investigation also revealed that the new policy has caused the quantity of
frozen food items like turkey, fish, shrimps, gizzard and prawns that dealers
used to import to drop drastically, further causing a price hike.Two major hubs
of frozen foods, Orile and Suru-Alaba markets sold one carton of the products
at a uniform price of N10,000 up from N7,500 (for turkey) and N9,500 up from
N7,000 for chicken.One kilogram of turkey that sold for N750 now sells for
N1,000 while chicken sells for N900 up from N700 in
the same market as you read this.The cold stores dotted along Oshodi Expressway
had only two cold stores with limited stock of the items.
One
Nogozie Okereke, a housewife who was there to window shop told our correspondent
she used to buy frozen turkey for her family because it was cheap. “But now I don’t buy at all because the prices have gone beyond my
reach. I only came today to see if the price may have come down but it has not.
Now I make do with meat or fish which also are not cheap.“It would be helpful
if our government can create a form of intervention so that those who are
trading in this frozen food business can take up livestock
production,” Nogozie said.
Rice
importation syndicate
MD/CEO
of Topman Progress Resources, the big time raw foodstuffs merchant who lost
about N1.5 million to the Idimu inferno last June threw some light into the
networking syndicate of rice importers and what they (the buyers) are facing in
the light of the new policy.“The price of Thailand brand of parboiled rice for
example, has shot up since the forex restriction announcement. Most importers
are not selling the stock they have at hand; they are hoarding it in the hope
that the pressure will force a further increase in price and the strategy is
working for them. Every passing day they add money to the cost of a bag of rice
of 50kg bag.”A big time bulk buyer, Onomor recently booked and paid for four
trailer loads of 600 bags each but had a surprise waiting when he went to take
delivery:
“I
had paid for four trailer loads at the rate of N7,200 per bag; but when I went
to collect, news of the forex restriction and ban on some items came. Because
of that the company released only one trailer load at the price I had paid; the
remaining three I was forced to pay N500 extra on each bag before they released
them to me.
“Now,
if you calculate N500 x 600 bags x 3 trailer loads, you will understand what
we’re going through. Of course the increase is much; I couldn’t pay at once but
before they had the chance to increase again I raised money quickly and
collected the remaining three. Just yesterday, I wanted to buy two more trailer
loads but they could only give me one.”While some shops sell a 50kg bag for
upwards of N12,000, Onomor still stems his price at N8,900 per bag, and for a
humane reason:
“Because
of the long term customer relationship I have with my suppliers, I can still
sell at N8,900 per bag. Some people are selling higher than that.”
Future
of rice importation
“Difficult
to say because things can change anytime, but one thing is that as far as food
is concerned, there can be no stable price, and once it goes up, it takes a
very long struggle to come down again. Now the sudden increase and the cost
goes to the retail buyer … the common, ordinary man and woman who buys in cups
or in small kgs.”
The
bleak future
“Food
is not like clothes or cars,” Onomor said; “It is a consumable that is
essential and compulsory for the rich and the poor. People must eat every day
whether you’re on the sick bed or healthy.“So no matter the cost, people will
buy but I am afraid what will happen if this situation is allowed to continue.
My worry is in the area of crime: to minimise crime, food must not be priced
out of peoples’ reach, because a hungry man is not only an angry man, he or she
is unpredictable. People will device one crooked way or the other to survive;
that is my fear.”
Stockpile
“There
is no stockpiling at the price they are selling to us now; besides, no matter
what you buy, people will buy it all up because people must eat.”
Beans
“We
do not import beans; all of them are sourced locally, but even sourcing it has
been risky and difficult for many years because of the Boko Haram problems in
the North.“All the areas we buy beans now are in the far North generally but
especially at Yobe, Maidugury (Borno State), and Adamawa especially. Because of
the harassment of insurgents most of them have fled their farms. This has
greatly limited the quantity of beans we can buy at high risk to ourselves.”Gari
is not left out of the rising scale. Our correspondent gathered that a bag of
70kg was selling for N5,000 before but has risen to N7,000, depending on the
bag of course.Cotonou gari is N8,500 now; the Nigerian gari (Ijebu) gari is
N7,000. Onomor said he doesn’t sell much of Delta yellow gari because it is
difficult to preserve long enough to sell out.
“On
the rice market, the situation is worrisome, but you know that a business man
is there to make money; unfortunately, the instability and the state of the
economy generally gives the business man better grounds to make more money.”
Onomor said.“We have one problem though, the rising cost has forced us to
reduce the quantity we buy; instead of buying 100 bags for example, we come
down to buying just 50 for nearly the price of the 100. However our confidence
is that the price of rice, no matter how high always settles itself, so to
speak.”
Of
local Abakiliki and Ofada rice
”People
have issues with Abakaliki rice because it contains stones so the market for it
is very low. If you buy it into your store, you’re on your own.“But Ofada rice
is far more expensive than imported parboiled rice. The last time I sold it,
one 50kg bag of ofada was N25,000, and that was a long time ago and, before I
could sell it, it tied my money down for a long time. Even if you sell one
derica of it at N500 you will not make any profit on it.“I don’t know what’s so
special about it; most customers don’t go for it anyway so I don’t bother with
it. I have not even tasted it one day because anything that costs too much is
not my friend. I want to put smiles on the faces of my customers. If I begin to
sell a kilo of rice for about N200, you will see the pain in the faces of the
people and I don’t like it.
However,
some sections of stakeholders see the move by the federal government as timely.
A lawyer and public affairs analyst, Barrister G. P. James gave kudos to the FG
for the initiative which he said has long been overdue.“The new federal
government import policy on foodstuffs is the best way to stem the pressure of
the dollar over our Naira.
If
you want dollars to transact your business, the policy says, go and fill Form
M, pay in your Naira and they give you the dollars. FG has enough dollars so
you don’t have to go and mop up dollars from the black market.“If importers
want to follow government rules, the forex policies should not cause increase
in prices of basic things like foods, but if this government can implement it
forcefully, importers will have to play the importation game by the rules.
Nigerians must learn to discipline ourselves if this change must work.”
PH
finalizing rice import plan ahead of El Niño
September 6,
2015 9:37 pm
THE interagency Food Security
Committee (FCS) is expected to finalize next week its rice importation plan as
part of preparations for a possible worst-case scenario in rice production due
to the looming El Niño, which could mean a prolonged drought ahead, the
National Food Authority (NFA) said.“We need to prepare our supply early so we
will not play catch up,” NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay said in a text
message.
Dalisay said that the FSC may
allow the NFA Council to go ahead with the 250,000 metric ton standby authority
for the year.“I think initially they will probably recommend utilizing the
250,000 MT standby authority, which has not been utilized,” he said.The NFA
chief also said that discussions were still ongoing whether to schedule the
arrival of the volume this year or next year, noting that the country still has
adequate supply of the grains until December 2015.“But given the severity of El
Niño, they [FSC] will give recommendations if we need to beef up the industry
inventory until end of the year,” he added.
The NFA Council, through the
recommendation of the FSC, approved a total of 1.8 million MT of rice imports
this year – including the 500,000 MT of rice awarded to Thailand and Vietnam in
February; the 250,000 MT for the lean season and 250,000 MT reserve volume; and
the 805,200 MT private sector imports under the so-called minimum access
volume.The approved grain importation still does not include the 300,000 MT
under last year’s MAV which arrived earlier this year.Discussions on another
round of importation came on the heels of lower production expectations this
year as harvest areas contracted due to insufficient water supply and intense
heat because of the El Niño phenomenon.
To recall, Philippine Statistics
Authority-Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said that palay production for 2015
may reach 18.86 million MT, 0.6 percent below the 18.97 million MT output in
2014.In the January-June 2015 period alone, palay production was pegged at 8.32
million MT, which is 0.7 percent or 56 thousand MT lower than the 8.38 million
MT output in 2014.
Significant reductions
“Significant reductions in output were noted in SOCCSKSARGEN, MIMAROPA, Caraga, Western Visayas and Northern Mindanao,” PSA-BAS said.In SOCCSKSARGEN, the harvest area contracted due to delayed cropping in South Cotabato brought about by the closure of the NIA Aris Dam 2 for the rehabilitation of lateral canals. Also, some areas were damaged by the dry spell. Yield was lower due to insufficient water supply and damage by dry spell.In MIMAROPA, there were damaged areas due to intense heat, while insufficient water supply resulted in lower yield.
There were reductions of harvest areas and
yield in Caraga and Western Visayas due to insufficient water supply and
intense heat during the reproductive stage of the crop.In Northern Mindanao,
palay crop in some irrigated areas were totally damaged by the dry spell during
reproductive stage in Bukidnon, while in Lanao del Norte some areas were not
planted due to insufficient water supply. Yield decreased in Bukidnon due to
insufficient supply of irrigation water and in Misamis Occidental, palay crop
was infested by army worms.For the third quarter of 2015, PSA-BAS expects
output to continue its downward trend as probable palay production and harvest
area may decline by 0.5 percent and 0.8 percent from their respective levels in
2014. On the other hand, yield may improve from 4.01 MT per hectare to 4.02 MT,
or by 0.3 percent.
Based on standing crop, the July-
September 2015 production may drop by 14.5 percent from 3.03 million MT in 2014
to 2.59 million MT this year.“Except the Bicol Region, all regions expect
decreases in production and harvest areas. These could be attributed to
unrealized planting intentions as a result of delayed and inadequate release of
irrigation water, late onset of the rainy season, and some areas left
in-fallow. These were noted in Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, Eastern
Visayas, Central Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula and SOCCSKSARGEN,” it said.
The improvement in yield could be
traced to the high yielding technology adoption (HYTA) program of the government.On
the other hand, farmers’ planting intentions for October-December 2015
production and harvest area indicate positive growth by 5.1 percent each when
compared to their respective levels a year ago. Yield is expected to remain at
4.05 MT per hectare.“Production, harvest area and yield are expected to
increase in several regions. There will be movement of cropping from the third
quarter to the fourth quarter because of delayed plantings caused by
insufficient supply of irrigation water and rainfall in the previous quarter.
Significant increases in output are expected in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region,
Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and SOCCSKSARGEN,” the PSA-BAS said.
The NFA is under fire for the
excessive importation of about 2.1 million metric tons of rice for 2015, which
lawmakers said jeopardizes the livelihood of some six million farmers and
agricultural workers nationwide.
‘Fatal consequences’
In House Resolution 2231, Bayan Muna Partylist Reps. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate said the Department of Agriculture (DA) claimed the country has attained rice self-sufficiency, having a total rice stock inventory of 3.02 million metric tons as of June 1 this year.The figure was 30.9 percent above the 2.31 metric tons in June last year, records from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics showed.
Given the rice self-sufficiency
figures provided by the DA, “the approval of excessive importation of a total
of 2.1 million MT in rice imports for 2015 is highly irregular and doubtful,”
Colmenares said.Colmenares said excessive importation would have fatal
consequences to the farmers. Even NFA admitted that the importation would cause
the farm-gate price of palay to go down from its current price of P17 per kilo,
Colmenares said.The excessive importation would also affect the consuming
public, Colmenares added.“The Aquino administration has been marred by its
incapability to distribute rice leading to overstocking, which results not only
in expiration of these stocks but in potential abuse and supply manipulation as
well,” Colmenares said.
“This was the case during the
sudden spike in the price of rice and other agricultural products during 2014.
Seemingly, the government has not learned anything from that experience,”
Colmenares said.The Aquino administration is likewise marred by slow rice
distribution that is why, despite the record-setting importation, the consuming
public did not benefit from sustainable rice inventories, particularly in the
country’s critical areas, according to Colmenares.
Zarate noted that no less than
President Aquino questioned the excessive rice importation during the Arroyo
administration during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). “Yet,”
Zarate said, “the situation worsened during his term.
”Zarate pushed for a
congressional inquiry, saying, “It is the primordial duty of Congress to
partake in measures or actions that would ensure not only food security to the
public, but also their protection from those who try to abuse our resources.”Zarate
said the House Committee on Agriculture and Food and the Special House
Committee on Food Security should conduct an inquiry and summon officials of
NFA, the Bureau of Customs and the Food Security Council to clarify issues
relative to the importation and the country’s rice self-sufficiency.
Incoherent direction
“It is highly needed that the NFA, the BOC and the FSC be made to clarify whether or not the pronouncement made by Agriculture Secretary Prospero Alcala that the country is self-sufficient is true or not,” Zarate said.For its part, the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) believes the reported importation of 2.1 million MT of rice was due to the incoherent direction of the government in addressing the rice problem, with two different agencies running the rice commodity.“The Department of Agriculture is focused more on raising productivity and incomes of farmers while the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agriculture Modernization, where the National Food Authority is currently linked, is just looking at the market side of the equation,” the group said.
R1 said that they have already
raised in the FSC their concern for the very high target for importation set by
the NFA, considering that the Philippine Statistics Authority reported an
increase in rice output in the last season.“We are doubly alarmed that the
NFA’s target importation does not even include the target for MAV,” it said,
adding that oversupply of imported rice will spell the death of livelihood for
local rice farmers and that traders will exploit this situation to drive the
farmgate prices of palay at their lowest possible rate.“We believe that the
government’s estimates of potential supply gap are without basis. The question
is, who gained from this over-importation?”
Meantime, the prices of rice in
the market remain at P37 to P45 pesos for kilo.“We received reports that the
traders cornered the procurement of palay in the last season because the NFA
focused on rice importation. We challenge the NFA to flood the market to press
the prices down so that the consumers will benefit from the oversupply during
the lean season,” they said.R1 still believes that a major leap in rice
production is possible especially if the government will seriously implement
its programs designed to achieve rice self-sufficiency.
http://www.manilatimes.net/ph-finalizing-rice-import-plan-ahead-of-el-nino/216661/
Exports of
10 key agriculture products including coffee, rice in negative zone in July
By
PTI | 7 Sep, 2015, 03.45PM IST
In all, 10 out of 13 main agriculture products
that are closely monitored by the Commerce Ministry, were in the negative zone
in July. Exporters body FIEO said that low prices of agri-produce in the global
market is one of the main reason for India's declining exports. "Prices in
the domestic market are much above the global prices making domestic market a
better option than exports," said Ajay Sahai, DG & CEO of Federation
of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). During the month, exports of rice,
spices and tobacco declined by 6.7 per cent, 2.5 per cent and 3.41 per cent,
respectively.
Other products which have reported negative
growth include other cereals (71.56 per cent), oil meals (43.81 per cent), oil
seeds (30.98 per cent), fruits and vegetables (11.38 per cent) and meat, dairy
& poultry products (7.34 per cent). Decline in these exports is a key
factor for overall contraction in India's merchandise exports.
Agri-products
account for over 10 per cent of the country's total exports. As per estimates,
outbound shipments of agri-produce in 2010-11 amounted $17.35 billion; $27.43
billion in 2011-12; $31.86 billion in 2012-13 and about $45 billion in 2013-14.
India's exports contracted for the eighth straight month by 10.3 per cent in
July to $23.13 billion, pushing the trade deficit to $12.81 billion. In order
to boost agri-exports, the Commerce Ministry is asking exporters to explore new
markets and ship value-added products. Prices of soyameal, a variety of oilmeal, has decreased to $392 per
tonne from $509 per tonne in August 2014.
"Our soyameal is costlier by about $100-125 per tonne in the last one year that is why we are outpriced in the global market," Solvent Extractors' Association Executive Directr B V Mehta said.
"Our soyameal is costlier by about $100-125 per tonne in the last one year that is why we are outpriced in the global market," Solvent Extractors' Association Executive Directr B V Mehta said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/exports-of-10-key-agriculture-products-including-coffee-rice-in-negative-zone-in-july/articleshow/48856459.cms
Cambodia's rice exports up 46 pct in 8 months
Saturday, 05 September 2015
PHNOM PENH, (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 342,136 tons of milled
rice in the first eight months of 2015, an increase of 46 percent from the
233,859 tons over the same period of last year, according to the latest report
on Saturday.Three top buyers of Cambodian rice are China, France and Poland,
said the report released by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice
Export.From January to August this year, the country had sold 74,949 tons of
rice to China, 45,493 tons to France, and 38,370 tons to Poland, it said,
adding that types of exported rice include fragrant rice, white long grain, and
parboiled long grain.The Southeast Asian nation produced over 9 million tons of
paddy rice per year.
Last year, the country exported
nearly 370,000 tons, earning a gross revenue of 247 million U.S. dollars,
according to the Ministry of Commerce.In 2010, Cambodia launched a rice
promotion strategy, setting a goal of exporting one million tons of milled rice
by the end of 2015, however, Commerce Minister Sun Chanthol said early this
year that it was unlikely to achieve the self-imposed target due to a lack of
milling capacity and funding.
www.khmertimeskh.com/.../cambodia-s-rice-exports-up-46-pct-in-8-mo
Flood destroys 200 rice farms in Jigawa
September 6, 2015
Flood washed away over 200 rice
farms valued at N20 million in Warwade, Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa
State, the village head, Ado Musa, has said.Mr. Musa made the disclosure in an
interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse on Sunday.He said the flood
was a result of heavy rainfall caused by tributaries of the dam in the area.“All
the rice we planted in over 200 farms at the bank of the dam was destroyed
because the dam was overfilled with water.
“We lost rice of over N20 million because we planted on north,
south, east and west sides of the dam and the water has submerged it all, and
the fishes in dam were feeding on the rice day in day
out,” he said.The village head recalled that it was predicted
that low rainfall would be recorded in 2015, and as a result, farmers decided
to plant the rice close to dam.According to him, the motive behind planting
close to the dam is that the farmers can use it to water the rice in case of
short rainfall as predicted.He pleaded with the government to assist the victims.
New Thai rice auction
draws 33 buyers to compete
Source:
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/new-rice-auction-draws-33-buyers-to-compete
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/new-thai-rice-auction-draws-33-buyers-to-compete/113536/
Arkansas
Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
A comprehensive daily commodity
market report for Arkansas agricultural commodities with cash markets, futures
and insightful analysis and commentary from Arkansas Farm Bureau commodity
analysts.
Noteworthy benchmark price levels
of interest to farmers and ranchers, as well as long-term commodity market
trends which are developing. Daily fundamental market influences and technical
factors are noted and discussed.
Soybeans
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash Bids
|
889
|
814
|
|
New Crop
|
885
|
809
|
|
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Riceland Foods
|
|
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|
Cash Bids
|
Stuttgart: - - -
|
Pendleton: - - -
|
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New Crop
|
Stuttgart: - - -
|
Pendleton: - - -
|
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Futures:
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Soybean Comment
Soybeans closed lower again today. Soybeans were down 19-cents
as the market continues to be pressured by turmoil in China. While things
improved over the last couple of days U.S. markets remain fragile and continue
to pressure commodity prices. Oil as well as other commodities continue weaken
as a stronger dollar and prospects of the Federal Reserve raising interest
rates remain a negative for most markets.
Wheat
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash Bids
|
330
|
330
|
|
New Crop
|
473
|
362
|
|
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Futures:
|
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Wheat Comment
Wheat price closed slightly higher today as the market continues
to try and set a bottom. After losing 8-cents for the week, this week may have
marketed a near term low for wheat. However, with slow exports and improving
supply outlook we could see additional losses in the wheat market.
Grain Sorghum
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash Bids
|
367
|
323
|
|
New Crop
|
367
|
287
|
|
|
||
Corn
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash Bids
|
350
|
318
|
|
New Crop
|
360
|
324
|
|
|
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|
Futures:
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Corn Comment
Corn prices closed slightly higher today; however it was not
enough to erase losses on the week as December closed down 12-cents on the
week. Corn prices closed slightly higher as talk began to focus on the USDA
lowering yields in the September 11 report. Corn prices continue to trade near
the bottom of recent trading range and just a few cents above overall contract
lows. Until demand picks up we could see prices stay low as it will likely take
the USDA a few months to make meaningful adjustments to yields.
Cotton
|
Futures:
|
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Cotton Comment
Cotton futures ended a bit lower. Concerns about the Chinese
economy continue to overshadow the smaller U.S. crop for now. From a technical
perspective, December is attempting to consolidate just above support at 62
cents. A close below that level would bring the contract low of 61.20 back into
play.
Rice
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Long Grain Cash Bids
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
Long Grain New Crop
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
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Futures:
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Rice Comment
Rice futures were little changed today. The weekly export report
showed 66,000 metric tons sold to foreign buyers today. USDA says that 26% of
the crop had been harvested as of Sunday, August 29. Yield reports are
disappointing for a lot of farmers so far this year, which could result in a
reduced production total in the next report. November moved back above
psychological resistance at $12 and is in position to test resistance around
$12.25.
Cattle
|
Futures:
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Live Cattle:
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Feeders:
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Arkansas Prices
Arkansas Weekly Livestock Summary
Arkansas Weekly Livestock Summary
Cattle Comment
Cattle prices ended the week with more losses today. For the
week, live cattle prices were down $6 from last Friday and feeders were down
almost $9 from last Thursday. Both markets gapped lower and could see
additional losses in the coming weeks that would push both prices back to near
contract lows.Hogs
|
Futures:
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Rice Production in Arkansas
Rice Production
Practices
Rice Research and Extension
personnel are constantly working to refine and create new recommendations
and practices to improve Arkansas rice
http://www.uaex.edu/farm-ranch/crops-commercial-horticulture/rice/
Download/View
On-Line the above News in pdf format,just click the following link
