Exports to China, UAE decline
June 25, 2016
Pakistan's exports to China and United Arab
Emirates (UAE) have declined by 13.71 percent and 24.5 percent in the financial
year-2015-16, respectively. According to sources, China has abandoned its
policy to store raw cotton and yarn that comprises major portion of Pakistan
export basket. China's policy shift has also affected international price of
yarn.Pakistan's exports to UAE have declined due to decrease in the exports of
petroleum products, chemicals, jewellery and rice. South Africa has imposed
anti-dumping duty on Pakistani cement companies, whereas, the demand from
Afghanistan for cement has shifted to Tajikistan. Generalised Scheme of
Preferences (GSP)-plus Pakistani products have duty free access in 28 member
states of European Union (EU) since 1st January, 2014. As a result of these
concessions Pakistani exports to EU grew by 22 percent in 2014. In 2015 also
Pakistani export to EU grew by 11 percent in Euro terms. However exports to
Britain after Brexit may dampen exports.
The sources said Pakistan's export market lacked diversification and was concentrated only in a few regions and countries with 51 percent of exports confined to six countries/ regions like EU, US, UK, China, Afghanistan and Middle East. Pakistan has not been able to tap its export potential in the regional market and was facing tariff and non-tariff barriers in markets like Iran and India, they said.
Investment in exporting sectors has remained disturbingly low, as a cut-throat competition with emerging players like Bangladesh and Vietnam have made margins in the exporting business fairly unattractive. Sources said that rice being the second largest export item of Pakistan was given priority in the Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2015-18. To promote and develop rice exports, a Rice Development Council is being established. Basmati rice has been selected as one of the focus products for short term turn around in exports.
The sources said that Ministry of Commerce had recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesia for export of one million tons of rice over the next four years. Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) organises participation of Pakistani rice exporters in all the leading international food fairs and organises trade delegations to the export markets. Federal government has also contacted Chinese Government for enhancing export of rice and an exercise is under way to identify/register rice processing plants for export of rice to China. A gift of rice (15,000 MT) was being sent to Cuba, sources further revealed, and added that that was more than a gift to the Cuban people. "It was a marketing effort which will expose the Cuban consumer to our rice and be our first step in the Cuban domestic rice market," it added. According to documents, provincial governments are providing transport rebate of $90 per ton to the private sector for enhancing export of surplus wheat stocks of Provincial Food Departments of Punjab and Sindh.
China invites Pakistan to tap halal food market
By APP
Published: June 26, 2016
Suggests quarantine deals for export of meat, agri-products. PHOTO:
REUTERS
BEIJING: Pakistan, the second largest exporter of rice to
China, has every opportunity to grab a sizable share in the halal food market
as well as meet the demand for fruits, primarily mangoes, through better
competitiveness in terms of quality and price, said Ye Anping, Director for
Asia and African Affairs, Department of International, Ministry of Agriculture,
China.
Talking to a group of journalists from South Asia, who were on a
visit to China, he said Pakistan and China should enter into livestock and
agriculture quarantine agreements to clear the way for export of meat and
agricultural products to Beijing.
In reply to a question, he said the balance of trade in
agricultural products was in favour of Pakistan as in 2015 China imported
agri-products, of which rice constituted 85%, worth $430 million from Pakistan
and exported fruits and vegetables valuing $320 million.“China does not want to
reduce its trade deficit because it wants to expand agricultural trade to meet
its domestic demand,” he said, reiterating that tremendous scope existed for
Pakistan and other South Asian nations to capitalise on the opportunity.
Ye emphasised that countries keen to enhance exports of agricultural
products to China needed to understand the demand from Chinese markets and also
ought to be extremely competitive.
He also invited the countries interested in gaining access to the
halal market of China to attend the China-Arab States Expo that was held in
Ningxia Hui autonomous region every two years in September.
He acknowledged that the cost of Chinese agricultural products was
comparatively high and Beijing, because of the constant shrinking of its
cultivable land, had turned into the largest importer of agricultural goods in
the world since 2012.
Published
in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2016
http://tribune.com.pk/story/1130293/halal-food-china-invites-pakistan-tap-market/
Cape Town Chef to cook for Qhubeka team at Tour de France
Friday 24 June 2016 19:18
SABC
Lindsay Venn 43 year old was born in Mitchell's Plain says taking
care of all the team Qhubeka's culinary needs at the prestigious race is the
highlight of his career.(Leighlounge)
A Cape
Town born chef has been asked to take charge of the kitchen for Team Dimension
Data for Qhubeka in the
upcoming Tour de France. Lindsay Venn, 43-year-old, was born in Mitchell's
Plain; he says taking care of all the teams’ culinary needs at the prestigious
race is the highlight of his career. The Tour de France starts on the second of July and ends on the 24th. The 103rd Tour de France comprises 3519 kilometres and includes 21 gruelling stages. Venn has cooked for the likes of the Springboks, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs, but this opportunity is the cherry on top.
Venn says, "Definitely a prestigious event for me to and a highlight in my career. I have watched the Tour de France for years and cooking for Manchester United and other teams I'm very aware of the needs of high profile sportsmen."
He believes that providing balanced nutrition will be the key ingredient for fuelling the team every day.
Venn says, "The cyclist’s burn between 4 to 5000 calories a day. So I have to fuel them with basically 6000 calories to keep them going through the day. They love carbs, lots of rice, especially basmati rice, lots of protein, lots of fresh vegetables of course, fruit, fruit juices. Vegetable juices are important and then a protein shake before they go to sleep."
Breakfast includes lots of eggs, omelettes, pancakes and yogurts.
Logistics will be challenging the Capetonian will start cooking at 5am each day, once the race starts at 10 he has to get ahead of the pack to the next town and hotel to prepare supper and the next day's breakfast.
Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka will be in good hands the chef wo
270 mn ton grain prodn expected this year: ICAR
Published on 25 June 2016 By Prameya News7 (author)
Hyderabad: The Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR) today said a production of 270 million tons of
foodgrains was expected during the kharif and rabi seasons this year, thanks to
the forecast of a normal monsoon.
Director General, ICAR, T Mohapatra, made the announcement while
speaking to reporters on the sidelines of 23rd ICAR Regional Committee Meeting
here. "270 million tons production is forecast this year due to normal
monsoon," he said.
He said that several rice varieties which can withstand heavy
downpour have been developed by researchers, and submergence-tolerant rice
varieties like `Swarna sub 1' should be cultivated to withstand heavy
rains/flash flood situations.
Similar "calamity-tolerant" varieties were being
developed by Centre for Rice Research Institute, Bhubaneshwar, he said.
ICAR was also getting ready to commercialise rice varieties 'Bina
Dhan 8' and 'Bina Dhan 10', he said.
Mohapatra said even though there was normal monsoon this year,
cotton cultivation in rain-fed areas should be discouraged.
Regarding GM technologies, he said ICAR was increasing investment
in research to resolve bio safety analysis issues.
Pulses promotion was also being taken up in a big way and there
was special focus on high yielding varieties. Rs 500 crore has been allocated
for pulses' promotion, he added.
www.prameyanews7.com/en/jun2016/business/26822/270-mn-ton-grain-prodn-expec
Iran expects increase in rice output
25 June 2016 17:29 (UTC+04:00)
Access to paid information is limited
http://en.trend.az/iran/business/2550363.html
Rice-laden trucks off to Nepal
Of the 19 words in the banner fastened to this lorry, there are
four spelling mistakes. Bangladesh sent nine truckloads of rice as relief for
the Nepalese earthquake victims but someone was seriously careless about the
banner. The photo was taken at LSD warehouse of Bangladesh Food Control
Department at Phulhat in Dinajpur on Friday. Photo: Kongon Karmaker
Our Correspondent, Dinajpur
In a
gesture of friendship, Bangladesh has started sending 10,000 metric tons of
rice to Nepal for the earthquake victims.Nearly 8,000 people were killed and
about 21,000 injured in the earthquake that hit the Himalayan country on April
25 last year. An estimated 4,00,000 people have been affected by the disaster.The
first convoy of nine rice-laden trucks was sent out by Mir Khairul Alam, Deputy
Commissioner (DC) of Dinajpur. The trucks left on Friday afternoon from LSD
warehouse of Bangladesh Food Control Department at Phulhat in Dinajpur
town. “Our trucks will carry the rice up to Phulbari point of Nepal, while trucks from Nepal will carry the load to Kakarvita,” said the DC.
Giasuddin Ahmed, director of the Department of Disaster Management, Abu Raihan Mia, ADC (General), Abdul Kadir, district food controller and Mokhlesur Rahman, district relief and rehabilitation officer in Dinajpur, were also present on the occasion.
“The total shipment of 10,000 metric tons of rice will be completed by this month by road via Banglabandha port in Tentulia, Panchagarh,” added the DC, thanking the Indian government for allowing Bangladesh transit facilities for the shipment.
Around 5,500 metric tons of rice is coming from Dinajpur and the rest from Thakurgaon.
This food assistance for the earthquake-affected people of Nepal is being sent out as per the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Talking to The Daily Star, rice millers of Dinajpur said they feel proud to be a part of this friendly gesture to the people of Nepal.
“We thank Sheikh Hasina for her decision ... this [gesture] will strengthen the bond between Bangladesh and Nepal,” said Mosaddeque Hossain, President of Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Earlier, Bangladesh sent rice to Sri Lanka as humanitarian assistance
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/rice-laden-trucks-nepal-1245757
Official sees opportunity for Pakistan to enter China’s halal food market
Anping stresses livestock-agriculture agreements between both countries
BEIJING:
Pakistan, the second largest exporter of rice to China, holds every opportunity
to gain a sizable share in the market for halal food as well as fruits,
primarily mangoes, through enhanced competitiveness in terms of quality and
price, a Chinese official said.
Chinese Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of
International Director for Asia and African Affairs Ye Anping said Pakistan and
China need to enter into livestock-agriculture quarantine - agreements paving
way for exports of meat and many of the other agricultural products from
Pakistan to China.
In reply to a question, he said trade balance
of agricultural products between the two countries is presently tilted towards
Pakistan as only in the year 2015 China imported agri-products, rice
constituting 85 per cent, worth $430 million from Pakistan and exported fruits
along with vegetables worth $320 million to it.
"China does not want to reduce its trade
deficit because it wants to expand agricultural trade to meet its domestic
demand," he said reiterating that tremendous scope exists for Pakistan and
other South Asian countries to avail of the opportunity.
Anping emphasised that countries keen to
enhance their agricultural products' exports to China need to understand the
Chinese markets' demand and also ought to be extremely competitive.
The senior official also invited countries
interested to gain access to halal market of China to attend China-Arab States
Expo, which is held in China’s Ningxia Hui every two years during September.
He acknowledged that cost of Chinese
agricultural products were comparatively high and that his country, owing to
constant shrink in its cultivable land, had turned to be the largest importer
of agricultural goods in the world, since 2012.
"The import volume of agri products to China
was $122.6 billion against export volume of $72 billion in 2015," he said
mentioning that over the years the trade gap was registered widening with
considerably high margin.
To a query, he said China each year mainly
exports agricultural products that are in demand and this besides cotton also
included soybean.
Last year, he said, only China imported 87
million tonnes of it worth $40 billion dollars and the soybean imported by
China in 2015 constituted 56 per cent to 58 per cent of the entire world's import
of soybean.
South Asian countries, he said, can provide
these products to China but with equal attention towards competitiveness in
terms of quality as well as price. "No country wants to imports products
from fixed importers as it is hard to negotiate."
Anping said trade, science and technology must
be given equal attention and that Chinese government was willing to cooperate
with South Asian countries in all spheres of agricultural sector.
"We want to expand investment in the
agricultural sector of the South Asian region as it is hard to do trade without
investment in the present day world," he said.
He regretted that cooperation between China and
South Asia in the spheres of foreign agricultural investment, scientific
research and agri trade lags far behind and this was despite the fact that it
was largely favourable for the region.
He said it was important to import agricultural
development as it can catapult investment in the agriculture sector leading
towards improved technology, quality training of manpower and poverty
alleviation
http://dailytimes.com.pk/pakistan/25-Jun-16/official-sees-opportunity-for-pakistan-to-enter-chinas-halal-food-market
Foodgrain production expected to be 270 million ton this year: ICAR
Director General, ICAR, T Mohapatra, made the announcement while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of 23rd ICAR Regional Committee Meeting in Hyderabad.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Friday said a
production of 270 million tons of foodgrains was expected during the
kharif and rabi seasons this year, thanks to the forecast of a normal monsoon.
Director General, ICAR, T Mohapatra, made the announcement while
speaking to reporters on the sidelines of 23rd ICAR Regional Committee Meeting
in Hyderabad.
“270 million tons production is forecast this year due to normal
monsoon,” he said.
He said that several rice varieties which can
withstand heavy downpour have been developed by researchers, and
submergence-tolerant rice varieties like `Swarna sub 1′ should be cultivated to
withstand heavy rains/flash flood situations.
Similar “calamity-tolerant” varieties were
being developed by Centre for Rice Research Institute, Bhubaneshwar, he said.
ICAR was also getting ready to commercialise
rice varieties ‘Bina Dhan 8’ and ‘Bina Dhan 10′, he said.
Mohapatra said even though there was normal
monsoon this year, cotton cultivation in rain-fed areas should be discouraged.
Regarding GM technologies, he said ICAR was
increasing investment in research to resolve bio safety analysis issues.
Pulses promotion was also being taken up in a
big way and there was special focus on high yielding varieties. Rs 500 crore
has been allocated for pulses’ promotion, he added.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/foodgrain-production-expected-to-be-270-million-ton-this-year-icar-2874817/
AfricaRice trains 28 farmers in Northern Nigeria
AfricaRice research center has trained 28 Rice farmers in handling and maintenance of thresher Machines specially fabricated for paddy harvest and production.The intervention by AfricaRice research center, an Africa Development Bank funded project, focuses on food security and poverty alleviation through capacity building to boost local production of Rice, Maize and Wheat in Africa.The beneficiaries, who are predominantly youths, were selected from 5 local government areas and were taught with nitty-gritty of business development.Speaking at the ceremony marking the end of the training, AfricaRice monitory and evaluation specialist, Mr. Attiogbevi-Sonado Kafu-Ata, told journalists that the three weeks capacity building targeted at empowering young Rice farmers would check restiveness in Northern Nigeria.
Kafu-Ata posited that investment in Rice production in Nigeria was part of Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC) on Rice, Maize and Wheat designed for 11 African countries.
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He hinted that the African Development Bank funded project is being implemented by SARS-SC, a multi-national consortium through three international research centers including IITA, ICARDA and AfricaRice and were entrusted with cardinal trust of providing technology, capacity building and monitor the workability of the agricultural empowerment initiative and would be run for 5 years between 2012 and 2017 across the 11 countries.
The benefiting countries include Benin, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Senegal, Sierra-Leone, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Madagascar.
Managing director, Kano state agricultural development Authority, Prof. Muhammed Danaji, said Kano state government has commenced registration of 10,000 Rice farmers to benefit from Central Bank of Nigeria Rice anchor borrowers program.
Danaji reiterated that the federal government intervention will enable registered Rice farmers get high quality seeds, fertilizers, chemicals and significant capital for production saying that the initiative would further improve massive production of rice locally.
At the end of the training AfricaRice disbursed 6 thresher machines to the local government areas where participants originated from.
http://naija247news.com/2016/06/africarice-trains-28-farmers-in-northern-nigeria/
ADB, IRRI Sign Knowledge Partnership
Agreement
Capital Market June 24, 2016
Last Updated at 16:34 IST
ADB, Partners Sign Collaboration Agreement to Strengthen Country
Safeguards India and ADB Sign $80 Million Loan Agreement to Improve Urban
Services in Two North Eastern State Capital Cities of Agartala and Aizwal ADB
and Government of India Sign $200 Million Loan Agreement to Help Upgrade 176 Km
of State Roads in State of Jharkhand World Bank, AIIB sign co-financing
framework agreement India, ADB sign loan deal on Aizawl, Agartala
infrastructure (Lead, Correcting headline)
Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao and International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Director General Matthew Morell signed an
agreement to promote food security in Asia and the Pacific by scaling up
collaboration on disseminating research and other knowledge on the role of
advanced agricultural technologies in providing affordable food for all.
Under the partnership agreement signed today during ADB's Food
Security Forum 2016, the two institutions will undertake annual consultations
to review and ensure alignment of ongoing collaborative activities, and to
develop a joint work program. The 2016 program will focus on expanding the use
of climate-smart agriculture and water-saving technologies to increase
productivity and boost the resilience of rice cultivation systems, and to
minimize the carbon footprint of rice production.
"This new form of collaboration with IRRI is another step
toward our shared goal of ensuring good food and nutrition for all citizens of
this region," said Mr. Nakao. "We look forward to further
strengthening our cooperation in this area to promote inclusive and sustainable
growth, as well as to combat climate change."
"I am delighted to build on our partnership with ADB to add a
new dimension to our long-standing collaborative work," Mr. Morell said.
"IRRI looks forward to deepening our already strong
partnership as we jointly develop and disseminate useful agricultural
technologies throughout Asia."
ADB and IRRI have collaborated since 1975 on agricultural research
to provide scientific solutions to a wide array of challenges including low
crop yields, vulnerability to extreme weather, pests and disease, postharvest
losses, deteriorating land and water resources, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Powered by Capital Market - Live News
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cm/adb-irri-sign-knowledge-partnership-agreement-116062400793_1.html
Firefighters struggle as fire engulfs three factories in Karachi
Last Updated On 24 June,2016 04:04 pm
Fire in all three factories has been declared third-degree by the
authorities
KARACHI
(Dunya News) – Two factories and a rice storehouse have caught fire on Friday
in different areas of Sindh’s capital while Fire Brigade has an insufficient
number of 25 functioning vehicles.A tire factory in Gulbai area caught fire and
rescue workers are struggling to claim control of the situation.Locals have said that they had called authorities in Gulbai at around 11:00 am but Fire Brigade dispatched one vehicle after 1:00 pm that too did not have water.
Clouds of smoke seen in Gulbai
Reportedly, the department concerned has only 25 vehicles for a city of over 20 million population while majority of the vehicles, parked at stations have given out.
Rice godown in flames
Despite the efforts, fire was not put out and it intensified as nylon and other kinds of inflammable cloths were there in the warehouse. Firefighters are yet to take control of the situation.
Fire in garment factory in SITE
Reportedly, Pakistan Navy personnel are helping the firefighters to extinguish the fire
http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/342557-Firefighters-struggle-as-fire-engulfs-three-factor
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