Commerce minister criticises import tariff regime
June 22, 2016
Commerce Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan
criticised the import tariff regime, saying that custom duties and tariffs
cannot be a source of revenue. Talking to a group of journalists he said that
whatever concessions were given and tariffs reduced during General Musharraf's
tenure benefited Pakistan but after that period import tariffs were raised
continuously."It is clear that customs duties and tariffs cannot be a
major source of revenue for a country. In Pakistan, average tariff is 30 per
cent or above and when a country is dependent on higher tariffs, it cannot
lower them," he added. He said that all the Central Asian States
especially Tajikistan believe that their main route of trade passes through
Afghanistan and if the latter has internal issues then trade is compromised and
they should opt for the China route.
Khurram said that he has offered Tajikistan to conclude third country neutral trade agreement which implies that the name of third country as transit route will be kept blank. Tajik's Minister for Energy who recently visited Pakistan gave a positive response, saying his government will consider this option positively. However, if Afghanistan is willing to become part of the agreement then we will welcome it, Dastgir added.
In reply to a question, he said that proposed trilateral agreement between Pakistan- Afghanistan - Tajikistan is on the back burner because Afghanistan wants India to be part of this agreement which is not acceptable to Islamabad. Pakistan is not pursuing the trilateral agreement and is now focusing on bilateral agreement with Tajikistan. Pakistan has also offered Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to Tajikistan.
Answering a question, the Commerce Minister said that Pakistan had given access to Afghan trucks till Wagha border under transit trade agreement but has not allowed entry to India. He said the proposal to further strengthen trade ties will India is also in deep freeze.Dastgir said that India is not part of TIR and in future if it happens then this issue will be tackled accordingly. He pointed out that Pakistan has already indicated exception in the TIR Convention according to which any country can be blocked on the basis of security concerns. GHQ gave its consent on the TIR Convention when Commerce Ministry shared the exception chapter. Pakistan is also focusing on an old quadrilateral agreement afresh as Kyrgyzstan was also part of that agreement.
Replying to another question, Khurram Dastgir Khan said that import of Indian products except those on the negative list is allowed through sea route. The main non tariff barrier is Wagha. A number of goods are imported into Pakistan from India because their consumption centre is upcountry and if those goods are imported though Karachi, weighty freight would make them too pricey.
Khurram said that Commerce Ministry has not allowed further import of cotton from India and directed that whatever quantity has entered Pakistan over and above 0.5 million bales cotton and filed their goods declaration would be allowed. He clarified that 25,000 or 26,000 bales have landed in Pakistan. The minister argued that interested parties should import cotton for Tajikistan instead of India.
Answering a question on reduction in exports and increase in Commerce Minister's foreign visits, Khurram said that if the Commerce Minister is contained in the country, international trade will not flourish. "Commerce Minister has to travel. I do not travel on 90 per cent possibilities. I don't go to trade exhibitions despite the fact that there is a potential demand for Commerce Minister's presence in major exhibitions as it provides support to exporters and a signal to the host country that Pakistan is taking such opportunities seriously. I only travel when there are serious concerns or opportunities to be made," he added. Khurram said that the name of Commerce Ministry is not appropriate, adding that it should be renamed "Ministry of International Trade" and Commerce Ministry will move a summary to the Prime Minister to do so.
The commerce minister said that the Ministry has deliberated on the reasons for the decline in exports with a special focus on the Commerce Ministry's own role but the answer has been negative so far. He said exchange rate policy is not within the Commerce Ministry's purview."Fiscal issues like exchange rate, refunds and domestic taxes are to be resolved by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) not the Commerce Ministry," he added. He said sales tax zero rating for five sectors has been announced in the federal budget in accordance with commitment of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in February 2016 and would be implemented from July 1, 2016. The Finance Minister has promised to clear refunds by September 30, 2016.
"I have written a letter to Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar that zero rating should be at zero per cent so that the five sectors should become completely independent from the refund circle," he added. When Commerce Ministry was requested to submit budgetary proposals it requested the Finance Ministry for nothing but zero rating, the Minister stated adding that the correct quantum of refunds has not been provided to the Ministry so far. The refunds claims are hovering around Rs 210 billion to Rs 300 billion. However, FBR claims the amount of refunds is Rs 85 billion. In last September's meeting, FBR claimed that refunds are around Rs 58 billion. Exporters' key demands like energy availability have been met to some extend which implies that two major demands of exporters have been met with zero rating.
The Commerce Minister said he made an effort to open the Iranian channel which will boost Pakistan's rice and other agriculture exports; and added that presently, trade volume with Iran is around $270 million. Dastgir said that Pakistani banks are hesitant to facilitate trade with Iran. He said, trade in dollars with Iran is constrained but trade in Euros is open and yet Pakistani banks are cautious.He said Joint Economic Commission (JEC) of Iran and Pakistan will be held in July in which the issue of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will also come under discussion. Answering a question, the Commerce Minister said that unspent amount of STPF 2015-18 will not be given to Commerce Ministry , saying that it would be a big thing if next year's allocation is disbursed.
He said the machinery of most of the textile industry is obsolete in terms of usage of raw materials and in terms of usage of energy. "Overall efficiency and energy efficiency is very poor in Pakistan. There are few proactive measures being taken in Pakistan, only maintenance measures. We should protect domestic industry but they have to be exposed to international competition," he continued.
Replying to a question, he maintained said that change in tax on sugar did not impact on its price saying that prices are stable at Rs 63 per kg in the domestic market. He said Commerce Ministry has also not extended the validity of export of sugar with inland subsidy after March 30, 2016 due to which prices in Ramazan remained stable. However, Commerce Minister gave indication that after Ramazan export of sugar will be allowed.
http://www.brecorder.com/market-data/stocks-a-bonds/0/59083/
Lotus Foods Seeks to Preserve Traditional Dehraduni Basmati Rice
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. Frankly and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact pressreleases@franklyinc.comSOURCE Lotus Foods
RICHMOND, Calif., June 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lotus Foods is honored and proud to extend its line of exceptional heirloom, organic and specialty rices with an authentic Indian basmati – Dehraduni basmati. Dehraduni's famed flavor, fragrance and elongation are what elevated basmati rice to one of the world's most recognized and best-loved rices. Dehraduni basmati is a long slender, aromatic grain that almost doubles in length when cooked. The word 'basmati' comes from the Sanskrit word for 'fragrant.'
Dehraduni basmati is recognized as the 'mother of all basmati.' It is a landrace, which means it is a locally adapted variety with a distinct identity of historical origin and lacks any formal crop improvement. Landraces are often genetically diverse and associated with traditional farming systems. They are closely associated with traditional uses, knowledge, habits, dialects and celebrations of the people who developed and continue to grow them.
Dehraduni basmati gets its name from the city of Dehradun, capital of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, in the foothills of the Himalayas, where it has been grown for centuries on small family farms. However, in recent years, farmers have been abandoning the rice to get higher yields from hybrid rices. To counteract this trend, Lotus Foods is sourcing Dehraduni basmati from farmers who have adopted More Crop Per Drop™ (System of Rice Intensification) methods. With this method of organic rice intensification farmers can increase their yields 40-50% with 30-40% less water. And because they need 80-90% less seed than with conventional practices their actual yield is even higher and their production costs significantly lower. "Providing these innovative farmers with a market and organic premiums will make Dehraduni basmati production profitable," says Ken Lee, Lotus Foods Co-Founder/Co-CEO. "We hope that consumers will join us in helping to preserve this traditional basmati and at the same time scale adoption and spread of More Crop Per Drop™ practices, which reduce women's toil, conserve water and cut methane emissions."
The company's introduction of the Dehraduni basmati coincides with the launch of their 'Do the Rice Thing' campaign, which will draw attention to the benefits of More Crop Per Drop™ growing methods for water and women. It will be available in bulk initially, and in both polished white and whole grain brown rice options.
Since 1995, Lotus Foods has been partnering in fair trade with small family farmers around the world who are growing rice more sustainably and preserving heirloom and specialty rices. Lotus Foods' product line is unique in delivering consumers healthier, versatile rice and rice-based foods that respect their multiple concerns for the highest standards of taste together with social and environmental ethics.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lotus-foods-seeks-to-preserve-traditional-dehraduni-basmati-rice-300288380.html
More awards for PhilRice
Posted
on Jun - 21 - 2016
Multi-awarded PhilRice researchers Dr. Roel Suralta, Dr. Sailila Abdula, and Jaime Manalo IV were once again recognized for their notable contributions to rice science and development.
Suralta, Scientist I and Crop Biotechnology Center director, received the Eduardo A. Quisumbing Medal for basic research from the Department of Science and Technology- National Academy of Science and Technology (DOST-NAST).
He was recognized for his study titled, Developmental and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses of root plasticity in response to soil moisture fluctuation in rice. These QTLs are now being used in fine mapping analyses and identification of specific genes involved in root plasticity trait for marker-assisted breeding.
His research aims to breed rice varieties that are able to adjust its root architecture under varied soil moisture conditions such as drought and flood, and maintain growth and yield of rice in rainfed lowland environments.
Suralta, 42, one of the country`s pioneer researchers in root studies based at the Institute, is one of the Presidential Lingkod Bayan awardees in 2013. He was conferred the Scientist I rank by the Philippine Scientific Career Council and awarded Outstanding Young Scientist in the Philippines in 2010. He is also a recipient of this year’s Gawad Saka Award as Outstanding Agricultural Scientist for Central Luzon.
He finished his PhD in Agricultural Sciences at the Nagoya University, Japan through the Monbukagakusho Scholarship in 2008.
Abdula, chief science research specialist, is Soccsksargen Region’s Gawad Saka Outstanding Agricultural Researcher.
Abdula was recognized for his significant contributions in the rice science particularly in the development of NSIC Rc120, and Rc226. These varieties, known to be pest-resistant, were developed to address the rampant infestation of tungro rice disease in Southern Mindanao.
He is also a recipient of various awards in basic and applied research. His project titled Improvement of rice-based farming technology through training of religious leaders in Maguindanao, ARMM: A pilot test of Madrasah sa Basak was awarded as the Best Re-entry Project of the Development Academy of the Philippines’ Middle Managers’ Class 8.
Abdula, 43, is PhilRice Midsayap’s acting branch director and finished his PhD in Agriculture at Chungbuk National University, Korea.
Meanwhile, Manalo was recognized as the 2016 Outstanding Australian Alumnus for Development Communication.
He leads the Institute’s Infomediary Campaign, a youth engagement in agriculture initiative. It mobilizes young people to serve as information providers or infomediaries in the rice –farming communities.
Manalo, 30, has published journal articles on ICT for development. His study, Really, they don’t want to farm? Challenging existing orthodoxies on youth perceptions on rice farming in the Philippines was awarded by the Crop Science Societies of the Philippines as best paper in 2012.
He obtained his master’s degree in Communication for Social Change at the University of Queensland, Australia in 2011.
http://www.philrice.gov.ph/awards-philrice/#sthash.yivcg8TG.dpuf
UK’s Brexit vote: What impact on rice, cotton, and grain prices?
Jun 20, 2016
- What does Brexit vote mean for agricultural commodities?
- Thursday vote leading to major shift in EU membership?
What is Brexit?
The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, which some refer to as the EU referendum or Brexit referendum, where United Kingdom (U.K.) voters vote on staying or leaving the European Union.
Talk about market, political, social, and regional unknowns
The outcome of the Brexit vote (for or against) is unknown and a vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union has huge known and unknown near term market impacts.
No matter the outcome of the Brexit vote European Union leadership face some heavy economic, political, and social lifting to keep the European Union from unraveling. Whether the U.K. stays or leaves, a business as usual approach by European Leadership is sure to fail as growing economic challenges, separatists’ movements, and social unrest throughout Europe are gaining momentum.
The week of June 20 is filled with economic uncertainty for market participants around the world. On June 15, the Bloomberg Brexit Poll Tracker showed 44 percent want to remain in the EU, 47 percent wish to leave, and 9 percent are undecided. Obviously the undecided will likely decide the outcome.
Immigration and national sovereignty are key issues that are at the top of the ‘EXIT the EU’ group list and are key issues for more European member countries in their consideration to exit or stay in the EU. The fear is if Britain votes to leave the European Union, contagion will set-in and a number of other EU countries may also vote to leave.
Interestingly, if Britain votes to leave the European Union no one really knows the mechanics of the process of leaving. Understand, no country has ever left the European Union.
The ballot is very straight forward. Do you want to leave the EU? Do you want to remain in the EU?
A country that votes to leave the EU is free to leave the European Union family two years after the decision is made.
Why all the market anxiety this week, since it will be two years before the U.K. is officially not part of the European Union?
On the one-hand a two-year transition seems like a very long time; on the other hand market participants will immediately start repositioning their portfolios and trades, and of course that process has already started. Front and center will be currency trades in the Pound, Euro, U.S. Dollar, etc.
Markets hate uncertainty so consider:
- First, since no country has ever left the European Union the mechanics or sequence of events will have to be defined.
- Second, United Kingdom trade agreements made through the EU will now have to be negotiated with a vast number of global trade partners. Trade agreements can take many years to develop with a decade or longer not being uncommon in the negotiation process.
- Third, Britain has one of the world’s largest financial centers, by some measures the largest financial center. There is no question that some major financial institutions would move back to one or more European member countries like Germany. Today, investments into the U.K. have a direct financial conduit into the rest of the European Union and to the world by some measures.
- Fourth, currency questions near term, intermediate, and long term are interesting. A Britain vote to stay and one assumes the EU survives over time then Britain’s sovereignty and currency likely slowly dissolve.
- Fifth, a vote to exit the European Union, in my opinion, would be good for Britain longer term, since they would retain their sovereignty and have greater control of their destiny.
- Sixth, a vote to leave would wave a large red flag and start a realistic discussion about the future of the European Union. Even a vote to stay will start a discussion on the future of the European Union, but a vote to stay would delay the discussion.
A vote to stay in the European Union would basically have analysts focused on fundamentals, technical indicators, and the increasing impacts of fiscal and monetary policy on markets across the board.
A vote to exit is where market participants start to scramble. One scenario: near term the Euro would strengthen against the Pound and Dollar. If the Dollar broke support, one could make an argument given the current global economic and fiscal and monetary policy setting that rice, cotton, soybeans, corn, wheat, and oil could likely have an additional price leg-up in near term price activity. The bull market in U.S. treasuries would continue and likely set the stage for a U.S. equity market breakout. All of this suggests firmness to strength in land values
http://deltafarmpress.com/government/uk-s-brexit-vote-what-impact-rice-cotton-and-grain-prices
Past USA Rice Chairman Highlights
Rice's Role in Cuba
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- The Louisiana
Álliance for Cuba met here today for the "Doing Business in Cuba
Summit" where Farmers Rice Milling Company CEO Jamie Warshaw shared the
rice industry's perspective.
The Louisiana Álliance for Cuba is
a consortium of Louisianans seeking to foster partnership with Cuba. Its
focus is to promote education, entrepreneurship, business, and social
development opportunities between Cuba and Louisiana. Today's Summit
brought together companies from across the state with interest in doing business
in Cuba from the agriculture, commodities and mining, culture, food and
entertainment, and healthcare/biomedical research industries.
Warshaw spoke on a panel specific
to opportunities in Cuba pertaining to the agriculture sector led by Louisiana
Commissioner of Agriculture and champion to the rice industry Mike Strain.
Making clear that U.S. taxpayers
are not on the hook for the legislative changes requested by the agriculture
industry, Warshaw said, "The U.S. government will not be extending credit
to Cuba. The legislation our industry supports is being debated today in
Washington and would provide financial institutions the ability to extend
private credit to Cuba if they so choose, enabling all agricultural businesses
to export their products to the country as a free and open market."
Warshaw added, "This is a big
deal for U.S.-grown rice. Cuba imports the bulk of the rice they consume
and we're losing out to Vietnam and other competitors by restricting
ourselves. Focus is needed on the economic value that Cuba provides not
only as an export destination but as a two-way trading partner and we need
Congress to weigh-in and support these changes through passage of
legislation."
The Louisiana Álliance for Cuba is
just one part of the broad effort by USA Rice to normalize trade with Cuba on
both the grassroots and the national level.
You Can Be One of the National
Faces of Farming & Ranching
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers
Alliance® (USFRA) is looking for the new class of standout farmers and ranchers
to share how they grow and raise food on a national stage. To help put a
real face on agriculture, USFRA will select a group who is proud of what they
do and strive to be sustainable and technology-driven, eager to share their
stories of continuous improvement, and who are actively involved in sharing
those stories in public and on social media.
Farmers and ranchers who grow and
raise an assortment of foods through various methods, on differing scale, and
across all regions of the country are encouraged to apply, as it is important
to show American agriculture and all of its diversity.
"People genuinely want more
information about farming and ranching, and talking to people as a
representative of the industry sharing the facts, but also addressing their
feelings, is an interesting part of this role," said Carla Wardin, one of
USFRA's current Faces of Farming & Ranching and a Michigan dairy
farmer. "I'd encourage everyone to apply, because not only does it
help you improve as a communicator, but you can also make an impact on the
consumers' view of today's agriculture being progressive and committed to
responsible practices."
To apply, visit www.FoodDialogues.com/farmers-ranchers to learn more about
the program, complete an application entry form, and to submit a video no
longer than three minutes that shows your operation and your role on the
farm/ranch. Entries are being accepted through Sunday,
July 10, at 11:59:59 CT.
Finalists will be announced by
USFRA in mid-August, and each finalist will be profiled on
FoodDialogues.com. The general public will be able to vote for their
favorite in mid-October. A combination of public votes and USFRA judges'
scores will determine the winners, who will be announced on November
9 at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention (NAFB) in
Kansas City.
Winners will receive a $15,000
stipend, professional media/speaker training, and full support from USFRA
through their year-long tenure. Winners will serve in multiple
high-visibility roles on behalf of USFRA, participating in a number of
activities including national media interviews, advertising, and public appearances.
Have questions? Contact Paul
Spooner at USFRA - pspooner@usfraonline.org.
6/22/2016 Arkansas Farm Bureau Market Report
Soybeans|
High
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Low
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Cash
Bids
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1157
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1058
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New
Crop
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1131
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1066
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Riceland Foods
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Cash
Bids
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Stuttgart:
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Pendleton:
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New
Crop
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Stuttgart:
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Pendleton:
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Futures:
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Soybean Comment
Soybeans again tested support near $11, but
managed to garner enough support late in the day to end higher today. Soybeans
continue face a bullish outlook which is supporting prices as many expect a
higher acreage number in next week's acreage report. U.S. soybeans and products
remain competitive on the international market which will provide support for
prices even if acreage numbers are increased next week.
|
High
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Low
|
|
|
Cash
Bids
|
467
|
404
|
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New
Crop
|
464
|
439
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Futures:
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Wheat Comment
Wheat prices closed mixed today as the July
contract closed slightly higher and other contracts need lower. After a
volatile day wheat prices had little change from yesterday to show for it.
Wheat remain under pressure, from large supplies and weak demand; however the
recent run up in corn has wheat now some looking to feed wheat. While this is a
lower value product it could be a viable way to reduce large U.S. supplies.
|
High
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Low
|
|
|
Cash
Bids
|
361
|
286
|
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New
Crop
|
369
|
292
|
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||
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash
Bids
|
409
|
366
|
|
New
Crop
|
464
|
382
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Futures:
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Corn Comment
It has taken the corn market just 3-day to
erase a month worth of gains. While demand remains supportive for price, the
mass exodus of long non-commercials in the market has pushed prices back to
support near $4. There remains a lot of uncertainty surrounding next week's
acreage report with some private estimates forecasting more than a million acre
increase in soybean acres, with some reduction in corn. While total acreage
remains uncertain so does growing conditions with parts of the corn belt
getting dry. The market will continue to focus on weather, but will need demand
to continue to strengthen in order to support prices.
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Futures:
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Cotton Comment
Cotton futures ended higher but traded in a
narrow range. December failed at resistance at Friday’s
high of 66.64 cents earlier this week. Uprtending support is near 62.84 cents.
The improving value of the dollar this week has added pressure as has lower
crude oil prices.
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High
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Low
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Long
Grain Cash Bids
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Long
Grain New Crop
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Futures:
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Rice Comment
Rice futures were under renewed pressure today.
Crop conditions remain generally favorable, with 68% of the crop rated good to
excellent. July has support near $10.75. The market needs to see better export
movement to generate buying interest. Net sales for this week totaled 59,400
tons for the 15-16 marketing year and 21,200 tons for the 16-17 marketing year.
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Futures:
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Live Cattle:
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Feeders:
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Cattle Comment
Cattle prices closed higher today after
dropping to their lowest level in 4-years yesterday. Continued weakness in corn
prices remains supportive for cattle despite weakness in beef prices and slow
cash cattle demand. Cattle continue try and search for a bottom as prices
remain under pressure from bearish fundamentals
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Futures:
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Hog Comment
42nd annual Eagle Lake Rice Field Day June 28
EAGLE LAKE – The 42nd annual Eagle Lake Rice
Field Day is Tuesday, June 28 at 4 p.m. at the Wintermann Rice Research Station
on FM 102, just north of Eagle Lake.
The field day will offer an opportunity for
producers to tour the research station, making stops along the way to hear
about disease management, plant nutrition management, varietal testing, the
breeding program, and insect management.
Council On Recovery - IN STORY
The field day is planned and coordinated by the
Colorado County Rice Committee, which is comprised of local producers who meet
throughout the year to identify topics for the event that are relevant and
applicable to producers in the area.
Area agribusiness continues to provide crucial sponsorship to support
this event so that all who are interested in attending can do so free of
charge.
The evening program will be held at the Eagle
Lake Community Center with Dwight Roberts, president and CEO of the U.S. Rice
Producers Association, discussing the new and expanding relationship with Cuba
and the potential market, as well as a global rice market update.
Also on the agenda for the evening program is
Peter Bachmann, Manager of Government affairs for USA Rice, who will give an
economic update and discuss new crop insurance products.
Once producers have completed the tour, a
catered meal will be provided at the Eagle Lake Community Center, where the
evening program will continue. Two continuing education units will be offered
to all licensed pesticide applicators who attend the tour and evening program.
For more information, contact the Wintermann
Rice Research Station at (979) 234-3578 or Stephen Janak (979) 732-2082, or
email HYPERLINK
"mailto:Stephen.Janak@ag.tamu.edu" Stephen.Janak@ag.tamu.edu
http://www.coloradocountycitizen.com/news/article_b4ee1fc2-37e2-11e6-9862-cb8485762165.html
Rice farmers badly need production support—group
June 22,
2016
A
non-governmental organization urged the administration of President-elect
Rodrigo R. Duterte to give farmers flood-tolerant and early maturing rice
varieties to help them cope with La Niña.Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) asked Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol to provide production support for rice farmers, who have yet to fully recover the losses they incurred due to El Niño.
“We do not want to have another calamity from La Niña, simply because the government failed to do its job of providing the farmers with the needed production support,” R1 Lead Convenor Aurora Regalado said in a statement.
“The farmers have not yet recovered from the drought with their crops and livestock practically wiped out and leaving them with nothing and their families hungry,” Regalado added.
R1 noted that among the flood-resistant rice
varieties being used now are RC18, Mindanao, Blondie red and Bulaw black rice.
The other certified seeds that may be used to mitigate the impact of heavy
rains and flooding are RC112, RC360 and RC222.Regalado urged Piñol to
distribute flood-resistant and early maturing seed varieties and to procure
these materials from farmers’ groups.
“The
government can encourage farmers to grow seeds that are adapted to the possible
impact of La Niña. From our experience, farmers can deliver when it is
necessary, because this can be an additional source of income for them,” she
said.R1 warned that La Niña is threatening the Philippines, and that Filipino
farmers “have seen the worst because of delayed government action on the
drought they just experienced.”Citing majority of international climate models, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration projected that La Niña would hit the country in the second half of the year.
A La Niña event is characterized by a persistent cooler than -0.5 degree Celsius sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical Pacific.
Meanwhile, R1 said it distributed organic palay seeds, bokashi organic fertilizer and organic pesticide Korean Natural Farming plant juices to farmers in select municipalities in Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato. The group was supported by Greenpeace and Christian Aid.
R1 said Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato were among the provinces that were heavily affected by El Niño
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Illegal-basmati-eats-into-regions-share/articleshow/52878311.cms
Commodity prices lower than in 2015: Minister
Rabu, 22 Juni 2016 23:11 WIB | 480 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Agriculture Minister
Amran Sulaiman has claimed that the prices of a number of commodities were
lower in June 2016 than what these were in the same month of 2015.
The minister told the House Commission IV on agriculture affairs on Wednesday that commodities whose prices were lower this year included RI 42 rice, red curly chili, large red chili, red cayenne pepper, green chili and wheat.
"The lowest prices are recorded in case of red cayenne pepper that went down 28.44 percent, red curly chili 26.88 percent and IR 42 rice 15.8 percent," the minister informed.
However, at the same time, prices of other commodities increased, such as IR I, II rice types, Muncul I rice, rice of equivalent premium quality, cooking oil, shallots, garlic, chickens, chicken eggs, sugar and beef.
The increase was highest in case of garlic whose price rose 61.24 percent, while sugar prices went up by 36.9 percent and chicken by 34.62 percent.
Compared with commodity prices during the fasting month in 2015, food commodity prices fell, with the maximum 49.92 percent fall being in case of cayenne pepper, while red chili prices came down by 24.12 percent and cooking oil by 16.56 percent.
"Prices rose in case of rice, sugar, eggs, shallots and garlic. The highest increase was recorded for garlic at 78.25 percent, shallots at 57.32 percent while sugar prices rose by 14.67 percent," he said.
In order to bring down prices, the agriculture ministry took a number of steps, including launching bazaars at Jakarta markets and organizing market operations through farming shops (TTI) where food commodities were offered at low prices.
During market operations, the TTI shops offered beef at Rp80 thousand per kilogram (kg), shallots at Rp23 thousand, cooking oil at Rp9,500 per kg, chicken at Rp30 thousand per kg, sugar at Rp12 thousand per kg, garlic at Rp22 thousand per kg, rice 7,900 per kg, and red chili at Rp16 thousand per kg.(*
The minister told the House Commission IV on agriculture affairs on Wednesday that commodities whose prices were lower this year included RI 42 rice, red curly chili, large red chili, red cayenne pepper, green chili and wheat.
"The lowest prices are recorded in case of red cayenne pepper that went down 28.44 percent, red curly chili 26.88 percent and IR 42 rice 15.8 percent," the minister informed.
However, at the same time, prices of other commodities increased, such as IR I, II rice types, Muncul I rice, rice of equivalent premium quality, cooking oil, shallots, garlic, chickens, chicken eggs, sugar and beef.
The increase was highest in case of garlic whose price rose 61.24 percent, while sugar prices went up by 36.9 percent and chicken by 34.62 percent.
Compared with commodity prices during the fasting month in 2015, food commodity prices fell, with the maximum 49.92 percent fall being in case of cayenne pepper, while red chili prices came down by 24.12 percent and cooking oil by 16.56 percent.
"Prices rose in case of rice, sugar, eggs, shallots and garlic. The highest increase was recorded for garlic at 78.25 percent, shallots at 57.32 percent while sugar prices rose by 14.67 percent," he said.
In order to bring down prices, the agriculture ministry took a number of steps, including launching bazaars at Jakarta markets and organizing market operations through farming shops (TTI) where food commodities were offered at low prices.
During market operations, the TTI shops offered beef at Rp80 thousand per kilogram (kg), shallots at Rp23 thousand, cooking oil at Rp9,500 per kg, chicken at Rp30 thousand per kg, sugar at Rp12 thousand per kg, garlic at Rp22 thousand per kg, rice 7,900 per kg, and red chili at Rp16 thousand per kg.(*
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/105360/commodity-prices-lower-than-in-2015-minister
China
tightens control over rice imports from Vietnam
VietNamNet
Bridge - Vietnam and China have signed a protocol on phytosanitary requirements
on Vietnamese rice and rice bran exports to China. The protocol sets stricter
sterilization inspection of exports.
From May
30, 2016, when the protocol takes effect, all the rice export consignments to China
must satisfy the phytosanitary requirements and they must be sterilized to be
sure that nine harmful biological objects are eliminated.
Le Van Banh, former head of the Mekong River Delta Rice Institute, commented that in principle, farm exports to China or any other countries, must be quarantined and disinfected.
Le Van Banh, former head of the Mekong River Delta Rice Institute, commented that in principle, farm exports to China or any other countries, must be quarantined and disinfected.
|
Vietnam
and China have signed a protocol on phytosanitary requirements on Vietnamese
rice and rice bran exports to China. The protocol sets stricter sterilization
inspection of exports.
|
In the
past, since there was no such a protocol, Vietnam’s rice exports found it hard
to enter the Chinese market because of complicated phytosanitary procedures.
This stalled Vietnam’s rice exports and Vietnamese exporters had to export rice
through unofficial channels – across border gates.
Therefore, the newly signed protocol is beneficial for Vietnam. “The protocol is what Vietnam has wanted for a long time. Quarantine is a must. And once the two sides can reach an agreement on the issue, this will help boost Vietnam’s rice exports.”
The Vietnam Plant Protection Agency has provided a list of nine sterilizing units to China for approval.
Under the protocol, instead of carrying out the inspection over Vietnam’s rice in China, Chinese agencies will send their officials to Vietnam to supervise production, processing and sterilization in Vietnam, before rice is shipped to China.
Duong Van Chin from Loc Troi Group, a rice exporter, said Vietnamese exporters must satisfy the requirements set by import countries.
Loc Troi now has 100,000 hectares of safe rice growing area which can satisfy requirements to export to China. If each of the Vietnam Food Association’s members can develop a growing area of 10,000 hectares, Vietnam would have 1.4 million hectares which allows Vietnam to export its rice to any country in the world.
Developing material areas is not what many rice exporters do. They simply collect rice from domestic sources and export to other countries.
In many cases, the exports are rejected by importers as they discover high plant protection residues in rice. This causes a loss of billions of dong to every container of refused rice.
“Once China tightens inspection over imports from Vietnam, Vietnamese companies will have to change to satisfy the requirements of the partners,” he said.
An analyst said that the protocol has been signed in the context of Thailand, the biggest rice exporter, planning to sell 11.4 million tons of rice in stockpile to earn $2.8 billion.
However, Chin said there was no need to worry because Thailand is selling old products, and Vietnam offers new rice
Therefore, the newly signed protocol is beneficial for Vietnam. “The protocol is what Vietnam has wanted for a long time. Quarantine is a must. And once the two sides can reach an agreement on the issue, this will help boost Vietnam’s rice exports.”
The Vietnam Plant Protection Agency has provided a list of nine sterilizing units to China for approval.
Under the protocol, instead of carrying out the inspection over Vietnam’s rice in China, Chinese agencies will send their officials to Vietnam to supervise production, processing and sterilization in Vietnam, before rice is shipped to China.
Duong Van Chin from Loc Troi Group, a rice exporter, said Vietnamese exporters must satisfy the requirements set by import countries.
Loc Troi now has 100,000 hectares of safe rice growing area which can satisfy requirements to export to China. If each of the Vietnam Food Association’s members can develop a growing area of 10,000 hectares, Vietnam would have 1.4 million hectares which allows Vietnam to export its rice to any country in the world.
Developing material areas is not what many rice exporters do. They simply collect rice from domestic sources and export to other countries.
In many cases, the exports are rejected by importers as they discover high plant protection residues in rice. This causes a loss of billions of dong to every container of refused rice.
“Once China tightens inspection over imports from Vietnam, Vietnamese companies will have to change to satisfy the requirements of the partners,” he said.
An analyst said that the protocol has been signed in the context of Thailand, the biggest rice exporter, planning to sell 11.4 million tons of rice in stockpile to earn $2.8 billion.
However, Chin said there was no need to worry because Thailand is selling old products, and Vietnam offers new rice
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/159042/china-tightens-control-over-rice-imports-from-vietnam.html
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/159042/china-tightens-control-over-rice-imports-from-vietnam.html
SunRice unveils profit lift, reaffirms plans to
list on ASX
A healthy profit result has food processor SunRice confident it
can proceed with an ASX float and bring rice growers back into the fold next
season.Despite recent troubles at dairy cooperative Murray Goulbourn, SunRice
chairman Laurie Arthur told growers that despite twice postponing a float on
the ASX, the board and management were in frequent conversation with equity
partners to find the right time to restructure.As it unveiled a $52 million
profit, up 1.9 per cent from last year's result, the company forecast more
growers would return to planting rice later this year.
A drop in water allocations saw rice growers, including Mr
Arthur, planting less crop last season, and forcing SunRice to source product
from the USA and Thailand."Some of them were quite distraught, to be
honest, that they weren't able to participate in the terrific results that
those who were able to grow last year."They (farmers) are ready and they
hope the wet conditions will enable them to grow a good crop this year."Most
of SunRice's shareholders are also grower-suppliers, and their B-class
shareholdings paid a fully franked dividend of 33 cents, up 6.5 per cent on
last year.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-22/sunrice-profit-rice-financial-year/7531606
Good Monsoon Rain In Andhra Pradesh Boosts Kharif Sowing
June 22, 2016
The state of Andhra Pradesh has performed
extremely well this Monsoon season so far. Coastal Andhra Pradesh has received
excess rains to the tune of 53%. Rayalaseema has performed even better and
recorded 65% of normal rains.After the recent rains, the total area under Kharif crops has risen to 1.26 lakh hectares
against 2.51 lakh hectares at the same time last year. Till June 15 2016, only
3% of the normal area of 40.96 lakh hectares has been covered under Kharif 2016.Rice is the main cultivated crop
holding 77% of area followed by Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Ragi, Small Millets,
Pulses, Castor, Tobacco, Cotton and Sugarcane.Rice has been sown in 0.17 lakh
hectare (till June 15, 2016) against the normal coverage of 16.03 lakh hectare
in the state.
Nellore has seen maximum sowing
with area under rice cultivation being 14,929 hectares against 7906 hectares at
the same time last year. In Nellore, the normal area under rice cultivation is
46,378 hectares.
Chittor is holding the second
position with 2275 hectares of land under rice crop production against 2494
hectares last year at the same time. The normal area under Paddy cultivation
here is 13,656 hectares.West Godavari is at third position with 121 hectares of
land being sowed against 28 hectares at the same time last year. The normal
area under Paddy acreage is around 23,8524 hectares.Sesame has covered the
maximum of 53.1% area at 13,263 hectares, against the normal 24,967 hectares.
Last year only 9087 hectares of land was covered at this time of the season.Sugarcane
is also not far behind with 32.8% coverage at 47,676 hectares till June 15
against the normal area of 14,5483 hectares.
Maize is sown in 1177 hectares
against 1398 hectares at the same time last year. The normal area under Maize
cultivation is 91,494 hectares.Cotton is sown in 3050 ha against 19765 ha at
the same time last year. Normal area under cotton cultivation is 640774
hectares.Pulses are also leading the race with total area being cultivated
rising up to 9343 hectares against 2876 hectares at the same time last
year. The normal area under pulses cultivation is 25,3247 hectares.
Early sown crops like Green Gram,
Black Gram and Sesame are in the vegetative stage. The paddy nurseries are
being raised under assured irrigation sources.
The early Kharif sowings were
commenced under assured irrigation and rainfed conditions. No pest and diseases
have been reported
http://www.skymetweather.com/content/agriculture-and-economy/good-monsoon-rain-in-andhra-pradesh-boosts-kharif-sowing/#sthash.VG22YipN.dpuf
Monsoon may shrug off delay; cover whole country ahead of time
The Hindu
Thiruvananthapuram, June
22:
The
monsoon covered Madhya Maharashtra, east Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, most parts
of west Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on
Wednesday.
It has
already covered Jammu & Kashmir and parts of west Uttar Pradesh as rains
pushed in from the Bay of Bengal.
Normal schedule
The
monsoon continues to be delayed in Gujarat by more than a week; on Wednesday,
it has entered its border with neighbouring west Madhya Pradesh.
But the
thrust from the Bay has taken it to parts of west Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
and Himachal Pradesh around the normal onset date.
It is
this context that its coverage during the last week of June assumes
significance. The normal schedule suggests that the national coverage is
complete as rain pushes past Rajasthan by July 15.
Forecasts
put out by global models indicate that this could happen even ahead, which
would mean that the eight day drag from a delayed onset over Kerala will have
been more than made up.
Likely ‘low’
Crucial
to this scenario is the assumption that a helpful weather system would form in
the Bay of Bengal over the next few days to blow in even more monsoon
easterlies into North-West India.
A
familiar storm tracker featured by the US Climate Prediction Centre maintains
that such a system would drop anchor over the ‘Head Bay’ (around Kolkata), the
sweet spot for monsoon systems.
The US
agency suggested that the system (which is expected to grow into a low-pressure
area) would form over the next four days. From here, it is forecast to travel
in a west-northwest direction along the plains in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh
before heading into Rajasthan.
This
makes for a copy-book style propagation of the monsoon from the Bay of Bengal
into the farming heartland over East and North-West India.
The
India Met Department appears to concur with this outlook. A preliminary
circulation has already formed in the Bay, located on Wednesday off north Tamil
Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh.
The
system is expected to drive the monsoon to a fresh peak during the week
beginning on Wednesday. The rains will now be concentrated over East, Central
and North-West India
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/monsoon-may-shrug-off-delay-cover-whole-country-ahead-of-time/article8760710.ece
Rice Prices
as on : 22-06-2016 08:10:28 PMArrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Gorakhpur(UP)
|
250.00
|
NC
|
6252.00
|
2145
|
2120
|
7.79
|
|
Bazpur(Utr)
|
220.00
|
-26.34
|
44707.21
|
2636
|
2206
|
20.92
|
|
Azamgarh(UP)
|
127.50
|
10.87
|
5188.00
|
2190
|
2235
|
10.05
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
97.00
|
3.19
|
6524.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
17.95
|
|
Howly(ASM)
|
80.50
|
-17.01
|
2103.20
|
1550
|
1550
|
10.71
|
|
Aligarh(UP)
|
75.00
|
-6.25
|
4095.00
|
2300
|
2280
|
20.42
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
56.00
|
-6.67
|
5660.00
|
2380
|
2375
|
10.70
|
|
Kasimbazar(WB)
|
48.00
|
6.67
|
2088.00
|
2300
|
2275
|
NC
|
|
Pandua(WB)
|
48.00
|
-4
|
2508.00
|
2750
|
2750
|
5.77
|
|
Karimganj(ASM)
|
40.00
|
100
|
1760.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
-6.52
|
|
Gazipur(UP)
|
40.00
|
5.26
|
2240.00
|
2050
|
2050
|
0.99
|
|
Khatra(WB)
|
37.00
|
NC
|
951.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-2.22
|
|
Coochbehar(WB)
|
35.00
|
-2.78
|
1798.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
4.88
|
|
Lanka(ASM)
|
30.00
|
-14.29
|
2835.00
|
1750
|
1750
|
-1.41
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
30.00
|
NC
|
2142.00
|
2380
|
2160
|
NC
|
|
Mekhliganj(WB)
|
23.00
|
NC
|
803.00
|
2100
|
2150
|
13.51
|
|
Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB)
|
22.00
|
-31.25
|
1784.00
|
2100
|
2100
|
10.53
|
|
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
|
22.00
|
4.76
|
1086.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
2.33
|
|
Ulhasnagar(Mah)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
127.00
|
3500
|
3500
|
-
|
|
Kolaghat(WB)
|
18.00
|
NC
|
721.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
4.55
|
|
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
|
18.00
|
NC
|
740.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
9.52
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
15.00
|
NC
|
1952.00
|
3750
|
3750
|
-
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
14.50
|
126.56
|
1559.10
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Pundibari(WB)
|
12.50
|
-3.85
|
267.50
|
2100
|
2100
|
5.00
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
12.00
|
71.43
|
1008.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
1.96
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
782.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-4.17
|
|
Cherthalai(Ker)
|
8.50
|
13.33
|
345.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
-13.73
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
7.50
|
NC
|
614.50
|
2300
|
2300
|
-8.00
|
|
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
|
7.40
|
124.24
|
95.90
|
6100
|
4200
|
48.78
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
5.30
|
-40.45
|
1273.60
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Silapathar(ASM)
|
5.20
|
18.18
|
625.40
|
3000
|
3000
|
NC
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
4.50
|
-10
|
1353.60
|
1975
|
1975
|
NC
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
3.50
|
40
|
110.20
|
4100
|
4300
|
NC
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
129.00
|
4000
|
4000
|
21.21
|
|
Murud(Mah)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
201.00
|
3000
|
3000
|
87.50
|
|
Karimpur(WB)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
82.00
|
3150
|
3150
|
NC
|
|
Siyana(UP)
|
2.50
|
25
|
100.00
|
2075
|
2065
|
1.47
|
|
Aroor(Ker)
|
2.00
|
NC
|
176.70
|
6300
|
7100
|
-4.55
|
|
Mangaon(Mah)
|
1.00
|
-66.67
|
40.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
12.00
|
|
Sardhana(UP)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
88.30
|
2340
|
2350
|
9.86
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article8759828.ece
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