Pakistan holds opportunity to gain access to halal food market in China
June 26, 2016 BY Agencies
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.
Rice farmer fundraising to supply farm machinery to Lao producers
By Emma
Brown
Posted
Imagine
spending hours doing backbreaking labour in a rice paddy to plant what
sometimes might only be a subsistence crop.
Media player: "Space" to play,
"M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.
That is
the reality for many farmers in Laos who are now facing unreliable monsoon
rains and a shrinking labour force. The
growing manufacturing industry is drawing young workers away from agriculture
there, a country still mainly reliant on manual labour.But one rice grower in
southern New South Wales wants to change this and has teamed up with the
Crawford Fund to buy basic seeders for foreign farmers.After spending seven
years studying Laos and other Asian farming systems, Nuffield scholar Leigh
Vial said he was urging farmers to donate funds for the project.
"To
plant a typical hectare of transplanted rice takes 30 people days, so 30 people
one day or one person 30 days," he said."That's a system that's
worked very well for thousands of years."Now you have a situation where
the labour, particularly young labour is just not there anymore, so there's
this profound need for change."We want to lift the standard of the seeding
machinery just that little bit."That then leads to an instant improvement
in what the farmers can achieve [and] other farmers will see what's being
achieved and doing their own experiments."http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-27/vch-rice-fundraising/7546484
Expansion of coco production pushed
Monday, June 27, 2016
INCOMING
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Monday, June 27, he will push for
the expansion of coconut production in at least 600,000 hectares (has.) over
the next six years."I realized how much we have lost and squandered opportunities which our farmers could have benefitted from," he said in Monday's International Coconut Conference at SM City Annex.
“We used to be the number one in coconut production but where are we now?” he said.
He added that coconut farming must be coupled with other farming activities like intercropping with cacao and/or coffee.
The target of 600,000 has. of replanted and newly planted coconut areas was under his recommendation program called Coconut Productivity and Rehabilitation Agenda (Copra).
"Copra will be supported under the plant now, pay later scheme," he said.
When asked about where will this be planted, Pinol said it will be from Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, where coconut is grown.
Coconut exports generated $760 million in net earnings annually and 80 percent of total coconut production is exported in the form of copra, coconut oil and desiccated coconut.
Still most of the coconut farmers live below the poverty line, he said.
Piñol also pointed out that the Philippines is the only country that “exhausts the most advanced study institution of rice through the International Rice Research Institute” and “one of the two countries where abaca, a highly valued fiber, grows endemically.”
Piñol deeply stressed out that if the Philippines continue to squander these resources, we might be losing more export opportunities to other countries.
“After seeing the vast lands and the large rivers of the country, I still couldn’t understand until today as I sit here why we could not be rice sufficient. We could be rice sufficient but you know what our problem is? Our problem is, low farm productivity,” Piñol said.
Low farm productivity is caused by the inability of farmers to invest in their respective farms and equipment due to low income and lack of investments.
One of the DA’s main agenda is to empower the farmers and maximize the country’s agricultural resources to its full potential. (Viel Elysse Cansino/UPMin Intern)
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on June 28, 2016.
Latest issues of Sun.Star Davao also available on your mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Subscribe to our digital editions at epaper.sunstar.com.ph and get a free seven-day trial
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2016/06/28/expansion-coco-production-pushed-482006
Scientists go against the grain to make Dubai an unlikely quinoa hotspot
With groundwater stores drying up in the Middle East and staple crops under pressure, quinoa is the focus of a bold experiment to improve food security
A quinoa twig with seeds: can it be grown in
the Middle East? Photograph: Alamy
Monday
27 June 2016 07.00 BST
Ringed by inhospitable desert and assailed by
fierce temperatures for much of the year, Dubai isn’t the most natural of
settings for bold farming experiments. What little grows here is largely
cultivated in air-conditioned greenhouses. So depleted is the local aquifer
that it’s forecast to run completely dry within the next half-century.But if
the scientists and agronomists at the International
Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) get it right, the Gulf’s glitzy commercial hub
may soon be responsible for one of the most significant regional food
innovations in recent memory.
As the
Middle East’s groundwater
stores have ebbed, and the mercury
has soared, staple crops such as wheat, barley and rice
have suffered in the increasingly hostile conditions. Desperate to maintain
agricultural yields at a time when populations are also booming, some experts
have come to wonder: might quinoa, the hardy, much-vaunted “super food” of the
Andes, offer a solution?
“It can
deal with high salinity, very little water and is seen as a climate
change-resistant crop,” said ICBA’s Kameswara Nanduri Rao at his organisation’s
neatly landscaped centre, which sits amid the semi-arid scrubland on Dubai’s
outskirts. “Because of all these problems, people are looking at it as the crop
of the future.”Quinoa and the mostly low-lying terrain of the UAE make strange bedfellows. But several years of encouraging test trials – many conducted on two Emirati farms abandoned due to high groundwater salinity – have softened scepticism and boosted hopes that quinoa can be successfully adapted to local soils.
Bolivian women bank on sweet success of quinoa bars
Read more
Early
results suggest that certain quinoa varieties can yield up to four to five
tonnes a hectare, as opposed to the usual two to three tonnes a hectare
produced by most regional wheat farmers.At a time of mounting obesity in parts of the region, the grain’s higher protein content is seen as a healthy boon. And with 500 litres of water needed to produce 1kg of quinoa, it’s much less of a drain on scarce aquifer stocks than rice, which requires about 2,500 litres a kilo, or maize, which needs 1,200 litres. “Here you see the biggest comparative advantage,” said Abdullah al-Dakheel, who is also working on quinoa at ICBA.
But some are questioning the wisdom of introducing quinoa into the region instead of increasing wheat yields and improving agricultural practices.
The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), which is working to introduce quinoa across the Middle East and north Africa, has been accused of pushing new crops without regard for local preferences or customs.
There is also concern for the livelihoods of people living in the Andes, whose staple crop has experienced dramatic price fluctuations as its international popularity has grown.
“It stands to reason that if you introduce production of a particular grain or food into a country where formerly it was not grown it will mean market competition for the traditional growers of that crop and a subsequent drop in the prices they receive,” said Lynne Chatterton, author of Sustainable Dryland Farming.
Peruvian and Bolivian farmers are feeling the effects of the falling market price.
ICBA and FAO representatives acknowledge that plenty remains to be done before quinoa can be promoted in the Middle East. In the UAE, Rao and Dakheel say they’re still working on maintaining quinoa’s nutritional content, which has fallen when grown in highly saline soils.
For the most part, however, they remain bullish about quinoa’s prospects at a time when other crops aren’t keeping pace with environmental changes and climatologists are forecasting that parts of the Middle East will be uninhabitable by 2050.
“We have plenty of land that’s not being used optimally for agriculture and, given the market price and the increasing demand, we think this can succeed,” said Marie-Louise Hayek, a project coordinator at FAO Lebanon.
“Thirty crops provide 99% of the world’s food needs. Just rice, wheat, maize and potatoes provide over 60%. We need to diversify our food supply in this region and elsewhere. We need to make ourselves less vulnerable if something happened,” said Hayek.
Beyond laboratories, quinoa is little known in the Middle East; fewer still know how to grow it. But “if it works for the farmers, then I’m sure it will work for us”, says Mariam Saadek, as she bought a week’s worth of vegetables at a market in central Cairo. “We’re open to change.
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/jun/27/dubai-unlikely-quinoa-hotspot-scientists-go-against-grain-food-security
Former Snapdeal executive Anand Chandrasekaran to invest in six startups
Taslima Khan | ET
Bureau | Jun 27, 2016, 10.34 AM IST
Anand Chandrasekaran, who quit as the chief
product officer at Snapdeal a month ago, has announced investments... Read More
NEW
DELHI: Anand Chandrasekaran, who
quit as the chief product officer at Snapdeal a month
ago, has announced investments in six startups — Truce, MagicX, Lucideus,
LoanCircle, Lernr and Rupeek — and plans to invest in three to five more
companies this year.
Chandrasekaran has become an active angel investor in Indian startups over the past 12 to 15 months and typically invests about $25,000 (Rs 17 lakh) in each entity. He declined to say how much he invested in these six startups.
Chandrasekaran has become an active angel investor in Indian startups over the past 12 to 15 months and typically invests about $25,000 (Rs 17 lakh) in each entity. He declined to say how much he invested in these six startups.
The investor, who has met about 200 companies since leaving Snapdeal , has built a portfolio of over 15 startups, including gaming network Gamezop and online marketplace RentOnGo.
Chandrasekaran, a co-founder of mobile applications software company Aeroprise (acquired by BMC Software), moved to India in 2014 and played a key role at Airtel, building products such as My Airtel, Airtel Money and Wynk Music. Later, at Snapdeal, he ran technology initiatives and worked on products such as Freecharge , Shopo, Exclusively, supply chain efforts and post-product customer experience.
He turned angel investor after spotting a trend of growth in startups being primarily driven by a couple of 100 million people on Android smartphones and about 30 million of them with active mobile data connections. For each of these startups, products and technologies started becoming core differentiators to their businesses. "I started getting a lot of folks writing in to me. It all started very informally, serendipitously," said Chandrasekaran.
So far, he has kept away from angel networks mainly to keep his investment decisions independent. "I got into angel investing to learn about new exciting areas where startups are setting up companies. If I purely follow what other people are doing, I would rob myself of opportunities," he said
Vietnam's H1 rice exports drop 9.8 pct y/y to 2.7 mln T
Mon Jun 27, 2016 3:37am GMT
Revenue from the January-June rice shipments, headed mostly for China, Indonesia, Ghana and the Philippines, is estimated at $1.21 billion, down 5.9 percent from the same time last year, the ministry said in its monthly report. (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
Vietnam
to export 5, 7 million tons of rice in 2016
|
According to the Vietnam Food Association
(VFA), Vietnam is expected to export 5, 7 million tons of rice this year.
Rice export volume in June is expected to
reach 450, 000 tons which will raise total number of rice export up to 2, 732
million tons and total turnover of VND 1, 2 billion in the first
six months of the year
The purchase price as well as rice export
price will strong growth if Vietnam receives many export contracts.
VFA predicted rice demand from Chinese,
Philippines and Indonesian markets being stable growth.
Accordingly, total number of Vietnam rice in
summer- autumn and autumn- winter crops only reaches 3, 9 million tons in six
last month of this year.
|
||
|
By Van
Phuc- Translated by Huyen Huong
|
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/2016/6/119406/
Monsoon to end late, benefit farmers
NEW DELHI | By Sankalp
Phartiyal and Mayank Bhardwaj
Labourers plant saplings in a paddy field on
the outskirts of the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar in this July 19, 2014
file photo.
Reuters/Stringer
Monsoon
rains are likely to end in India later than usual this year, with plentiful
showers towards the latter stages of the season helping farmers recover from
two straight droughts, the chief of the country's weather office told Reuters
on Friday.Monsoon rains are the lifeblood of India's agriculture-dependent economy and a week's delay in their onset this year has caused the planting of summer-sown crops such as cotton, rice, soybean and sugar cane to drop by nearly 24 percent.
The monsoon has remained 15 percent lower than average in June, but the deficit is expected to narrow in the days to come, Laxman Singh Rathore of the Indian Meteorological Department said in an interview.
The weather office forecasts monsoon rains to be above average this year after the droughts ravaged crops and worsened rural distress.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on Friday singled out good rains as one of the factors helping India when Britain's vote to leave the European Union is roiling world markets.
Monsoon rains typically arrive at the southern coast of Kerala state by June 1 and start retreating by September from the western state of Rajasthan. But a late start is no guarantee of a delayed end.
"There is a strong possibility that the terminal phase will be wetter and the withdrawal will be later than normal," Rathore said.
Farmers will need to adjust their sowing period to reap a good crop, Rathore added.
An extended monsoon leaves the soil moist for the sowing of winter crops such as rapeseed, wheat and lentils.
(Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal and Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Malini Menon and Keith Weir)
http://in.reuters.com/article/india-monsoon-rains-retreat-idINKCN0ZD1BL
Water management in rice output key to tackle climate change'
Jun 27, 2016, 11.32 AM IST
New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) At a time when
climate change is set to impact rice production in Asia, simple water
management by farmers as an adaptation strategy will minimise the damage, an expert
said.
"Climate change will impact rice production in large parts of Asia, including India. Water management will be a key feature of decisions aimed at adapting to the impacts of climate change," Dennis Wichelns, Senior Research Fellow of Thailand-based Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), said during the Knowledge Forum on Climate Resilient Development in Himalayan and Downstream Regions held in New Delhi recently.
The event was organised jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Delhi-based IEG.
According to Wichelns, improvement in water management will help in areas where higher temperatures are likely and where shift in rainfall pattern is expected.
In certain areas, crop yields will increase in some seasons, perhaps in response to higher rainfall during the production cycle or with a reduction in summer days in the northern regions. In other areas, yields might be reduced due to higher night temperatures, untimely drought conditions, or submergence caused by massive natural events.
According to Wichelns, improvement in water management will also help in reducing methane emissions and arsenic uptake in the rice fields.
"Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. It is estimated that up to 20 per cent of the anthropogenic releases of methane to the atmosphere are generated in agriculture, largely by livestock and in rice production," he said.
"The anaerobic conditions in which paddy rice is produced is largely responsible for the methane generation and release. Methanogenic organisms, which thrive in anaerobic conditions, break down carbonaceous materials and form methane," he added.
Efforts to reduce methane generation and release in rice production can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emission from agriculture, thus contributing to climate change mitigation," Wichelns said.
He said rice production generates substantial amount of methane annually, thus adding notably to the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere each year.
Switching from flooded paddy production to aerobic rice production or to alternative crops that are produced in aerobic conditions can substantially reduce regional methane emissions, Wichelns added.
Nitrous oxide emissions can increase when switching from anaerobic to aerobic production, yet the change in production methods will reduce global warming potential.
"Adopting some form of aerobic rice production will also reduce the release of arsenic from soils to groundwater, and the subsequent uptake of arsenic by rice plants." Wichelns said.
Arsenic accumulation in rice grain declines sharply when farmers switch from anaerobic to aerobic production methods. Millions of residents of South and Southeast Asia already are exposed to harmful concentrations of arsenic in drinking water. In those areas, and elsewhere, successful efforts to reduce arsenic uptake in rice will be helpful in reducing total exposure, to the benefit of many adults and children who currently consume harmful amounts of arsenic each day, he said.
De-watering is the practice of removing water from the rice paddies, at least once during the season. Normally, paddies are kept flooded for the entire season, from planting to about two weeks ahead of harvest. Substantial methane is generated and released during that time.
"If farmers remove the water for seven to 10 days mid-season, they can substantially reduce methane generation and release. The paddies are re-watered after the de-watering, but the methanogenic organisms will have been greatly reduced during those seven to 10 days," Wichelns stressed.
The practice allows oxygen to reach the root zone. The oxygen is unfavourable to the methanogenic organisms, yet favourable to rice roots and thus rice productivity. Therefore, the de-watering also contributes to producing more resilient rice plants with stronger root systems, he added.
"Climate change will impact rice production in large parts of Asia, including India. Water management will be a key feature of decisions aimed at adapting to the impacts of climate change," Dennis Wichelns, Senior Research Fellow of Thailand-based Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), said during the Knowledge Forum on Climate Resilient Development in Himalayan and Downstream Regions held in New Delhi recently.
The event was organised jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Delhi-based IEG.
According to Wichelns, improvement in water management will help in areas where higher temperatures are likely and where shift in rainfall pattern is expected.
In certain areas, crop yields will increase in some seasons, perhaps in response to higher rainfall during the production cycle or with a reduction in summer days in the northern regions. In other areas, yields might be reduced due to higher night temperatures, untimely drought conditions, or submergence caused by massive natural events.
According to Wichelns, improvement in water management will also help in reducing methane emissions and arsenic uptake in the rice fields.
"Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. It is estimated that up to 20 per cent of the anthropogenic releases of methane to the atmosphere are generated in agriculture, largely by livestock and in rice production," he said.
"The anaerobic conditions in which paddy rice is produced is largely responsible for the methane generation and release. Methanogenic organisms, which thrive in anaerobic conditions, break down carbonaceous materials and form methane," he added.
Efforts to reduce methane generation and release in rice production can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emission from agriculture, thus contributing to climate change mitigation," Wichelns said.
He said rice production generates substantial amount of methane annually, thus adding notably to the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere each year.
Switching from flooded paddy production to aerobic rice production or to alternative crops that are produced in aerobic conditions can substantially reduce regional methane emissions, Wichelns added.
Nitrous oxide emissions can increase when switching from anaerobic to aerobic production, yet the change in production methods will reduce global warming potential.
"Adopting some form of aerobic rice production will also reduce the release of arsenic from soils to groundwater, and the subsequent uptake of arsenic by rice plants." Wichelns said.
Arsenic accumulation in rice grain declines sharply when farmers switch from anaerobic to aerobic production methods. Millions of residents of South and Southeast Asia already are exposed to harmful concentrations of arsenic in drinking water. In those areas, and elsewhere, successful efforts to reduce arsenic uptake in rice will be helpful in reducing total exposure, to the benefit of many adults and children who currently consume harmful amounts of arsenic each day, he said.
De-watering is the practice of removing water from the rice paddies, at least once during the season. Normally, paddies are kept flooded for the entire season, from planting to about two weeks ahead of harvest. Substantial methane is generated and released during that time.
"If farmers remove the water for seven to 10 days mid-season, they can substantially reduce methane generation and release. The paddies are re-watered after the de-watering, but the methanogenic organisms will have been greatly reduced during those seven to 10 days," Wichelns stressed.
The practice allows oxygen to reach the root zone. The oxygen is unfavourable to the methanogenic organisms, yet favourable to rice roots and thus rice productivity. Therefore, the de-watering also contributes to producing more resilient rice plants with stronger root systems, he added.
Much of the rice production in South and Southeast Asia is found in the deltas formed by major rivers, such as the Mekong, Irrawaddy, and Ganges-Brahmaputra. Rice is well-adapted to these deltaic regions, many of which are characterised by monsoonal climates.
"Given the important role of rice production in rural economies across much of Asia, adaptation strategies are needed urgently to ensure that smallholder farmers can continue producing rice for domestic and international markets, while generating sufficient income and ensuring that household and national food security goals are achieved." he said.
Good price expected when 1.11million tonnes of rice goes to auction
The Nation June 27, 2016 5:47 pm
The Rice Policy Management Committee Monday agreed to sell 1.11 million tonnes of rice to 29 traders, which should earn the country Bt11.54 billion.Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said that with demand for rice rising in the market, the government could gain a good price from the latest auction.The traders were among the 64 that joined the year's fourth round of bidding for 2.23 million tonnes of rice.The government has managed to dispose of 6.59 million tonnes of its rice worth Bt69 billion via tender in the past two years, leaving 9.5 million tonnes in its inventory. It will try to unload as much of this rice as possible this year
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Good-price-expected-when-1-11-tonnes-of-rice-goes--30289223.html
Paddy farmers ‘watching’ rain; sowing expected to pick up in coming days
New Delhi, June 27:
Sowing
of paddy in the country so far is significantly lower compared to the average
sowing in the previous five years.
Farmers,
not just in States that have received low rainfall, such as Odisha, Haryana,
Assam, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, but also in Punjab, which received good
‘pre-monsoon’ rains last week, have adopted a ‘wait-and-watch’ approach.
On the
bright side, rice sowing is likely to gather pace in the last week of June and
early July, as “conditions are becoming favourable” for a further advance of
the South-West monsoon after June 24, according to the Indian Meteorological
Department.
Farm advisory
Some
more parts of the north Arabian Sea and Gujarat, the remaining parts of west
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and most parts of
Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab and east Rajasthan are likely to get covered
by the monsoon this week.
“Advisories
are now being sent to farmers to undertake transplanting of rice seedlings and
continue nursery sowing of rice in almost all major rice growing States,
including Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh,” an Agriculture Ministry official told BusinessLine.
Farmers
in coastal Karnataka and Kerala as well as Assam, which may get a short-spell
of heavy rains, have been advised to provide for proper drainage in rice fields
and drain out excess water from rice nursery/transplanted rice field and
orchards to avoid water stagnation.
“The
timing of sowing is very important as not just early sowing but late sowing
could also spoil a crop as a deluge at the wrong time could harm the seed,”
pointed out agriculture expert VN Saroja.
Lower acreage
Till
June 24, lower area coverage under rice, compared to normal of corresponding week
(average of 2011-12 to 2015-16), was reported from Punjab (8.08 lakh hectares
shortfall), Odisha (2.09 lakh hectare shortfall), Chhattisgarh (1.59 lakh
hectare shortfall), Haryana (1.26 lakh hectare shortfall), Assam (0.9 lakh
hectare shortfall), Kerala (0.26 lakh hectare shortfall), Uttarakhand (0.12
lakh hectare shortfall), Bihar (0.10 lakh hectare shortfall), Telangana (0.09
lakh hectare shortfall), Andhra Pradesh (0.08 lakh hectare shortfall), West
Bengal (0.06 lakh hectare shortfall), Tripura (0.06 lakh hectare shortfall),
Rajasthan (0.05 lakh hectare shortfall), Sikkim (0.02 lakh hectare shortfall)
and Mizoram (0.01 lakh hectare shortfall).
Plentiful
rain is vital for a good rice crop as cereal — the staple food for people in
Eastern and Southern India — is very heavily monsoon-dependent in the country.
India is
the second largest producer of the crop (annual production of about 105 million
tonnes), which is mostly grown in the kharif season, and accounts for
over a fourth of total world production.
(This article was published on June 27, 2016)
Mekong
Delta drought losses total $215m
The Mekong Delta suffered losses worth more
than VNĐ4.7 trillion (US$215 million) due to the severe and prolonged drought
and saltwater intrusion last dry season, the Southwest Region Steering
Committee has reported.
Drought in Tan Thanh Commune, Go Cong Dong
District, Tien Giang Province of.
More than 221,000ha of rice, 6,500ha of
vegetables, and 26,500ha of fruits and industrial trees were affected, the
committee said on Tuesday.
Paddy grown on 128,205ha was completely
destroyed.
The drought and saltwater intrusion also caused
a freshwater shortage for 225,000 households in coastal provinces like Ben Tre,
Soc Trang, and Kien Giang.
Rains have now begun in the delta and farmers
are growing new vegetable crops and the autumn-winter rice crop and farming
shrimp.
Harvest
It is now the peak harvest season for the
summer-autumn rice, but with unusually heavy rains and winds battering paddies
and affecting the quality of the grain, farmers have difficulty selling.
Le Van Xuan, who has just 1.5ha in Hau Giang
Province's Vi Thuy District, said just before his crop ripened a trader had
deposited money to buy on the field at VNĐ4,700 a kilogramme.
But by harvest time, after the rains had
flattened his field, the price of the grain was cut to VNĐ4,000 because of poor
quality, he said.
In Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Vinh Long and An
Giang provinces, heavy rains and strong wings have flattened thousands of
hectares of paddies.
Farmers whose fields were affected are likely
to earn only around VNĐ10 million ($455) a hectare, down by nearly half
compared to those whose fields were not affected, according to local
agriculture departments.
Farmers have to harvest flattened fields by
hand since harvesters cannot be used on them.
Traders are not keen to buy from such fields.
Nguyen Thi Kieu, Deputy Director of the Can Tho
city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said harvest of the
summer-autumn rice was expected to be finished in early July.
If their fields are flooded, farmers should
pump the water out gradually to avoid flattening the crops, she said.
Farmers should acquire the practice of drying
their paddy instead of selling it fresh to traders, and should not depend too
much on traders, she added.
Autumn-winter rice
Farmers are set to grow only 860,000ha of rice
in the autumn-winter crop, down from the original plan of sowing 900,300ha,
according to the Plant Cultivation Department.
This is due to the decline in rice prices and
unfavourable export conditions, according to the department.
Nguyen Dinh Bich, an expert, was quoted as
saying in Saigon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper that global rice
prices are unlikely to harden this year because Thailand plans to liquidate its
stocks.
But if the autumn-winter rice area is reduced,
authorities should help farmers grow other crops to sustain farmers’
livelihoods, he said.
Cultivation of the autumn-winter rice has
begun.
Dinh Van Sang, Deputy Chairman of Phuong Thinh
Commune in Dong Thap Province's Cao Lanh District, said farmers in the commune
planted more than 4,000ha.
Some of the lands are outside the protection of
dykes despite warnings by local authorities.
Nguyen Van Lam, Deputy Chairman of The Mon
Commune in Can Tho City, Thoi Lai District, said: “The profit from
summer-autumn rice was not high, but the commune’s farmers have sown more than
1,600ha of autumn-winter rice.”
"The farmers cannot leave their land
untilled after harvesting the summer-autumn rice," he said.
Besides, farming cash crops or aquatic species
depends on the conditions in an area and not all areas are suitable for them,
according to Lam.
Demand for cash crops and aquaculture produce
is not steady either.
“Therefore, farmers continue to grow rice,” he
said.
VNS
FG Urged To Inaugurate Committee On Rice Importation
Posted:
Jun 27, 2016 at 6:21 am /
A
freight forwarder, Alhaji Tajudeen Adetayo, on Saturday, urged the Federal
Government to inaugurate a committee to brainstorm on the issue of rice
importation.Adetayo, chairman, Freight Forwarders Association, Badagry (FFAB), made the plea in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
He called for a reversal of the policy banning rice importation through the border posts.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in October 2015 lifted the ban on rice importation through the borders but the service made a reversal of the policy in March 2016, due to heavy smuggling of the commodity.
The freight forwarder suggested that government should allow duty payment on rice through the border posts to generate more revenue.
He recalled that the Ogun Command of the Customs Service generated over N1 billion within the short period the ban on rice through the border posts was lifted.
Adetayo said that some people would continue to smuggle as long as government restricted rice importation through the border posts.
“Banning rice imports is not a good omen. When Nigeria has sufficient foods, then importation of rice can be banned,’’ he said.
Adetayo said that Customs could not man all the porous routes alone.
The freight forwarder said that activities at the border posts were also low due to the high exchange rate and the ban on rice, which had given room for smuggling.
He, however, called on the Nigeria police to dismantle the 30 road blocks between Idiroko, Ajielete and Ilase.
Adetayo described the road blocks as major hindrance to trade, adding that a journey of one or two hours, might take five hours on the road.
“We do travel to Benin Republic and Togo with three to four check points to Togo.
“On roads leading to the border posts, the police, Customs, everybody is at the check points.
“Customs officers have the right to be at the road blocks but the police should not be there,” he said.
The freight forwarder commended the Divisional Police Officer, officers and men of the Idiroko Divisional Police Office, adding that the officers were doing their best in terms of security.
“Car snatching, stealing have become minimal at the border posts. Commercial motorcyclists no longer move after 8.30p.m. due to restriction of their movements,” Adetayo noted.
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06/27/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice Comment
Rice
futures closed higher but traded within Friday's range.
Crop conditions remain generally favorable, with 68% of the crop rated good to
excellent for the second week in a row. July is testing support at $10.75. A
close below that level could signal a move toward support a dollar below that
level. The market needs to see better export movement to generate buying
interest. Net sales for this week totaled 50,100 tons for the 15-16 marketing
year cancellations resulted in -100 tons for 2016-2017 delivery
FG urged to inaugurate committee on rice importation
Lagos – A freight forwarder, Alhaji Tajudeen Adetayo, on Saturday urged the Federal Government to inaugurate a committee to brainstorm on the issue of rice importation. Adetayo, Chairman, Freight Forwarders Association Badagry (FFAB), made the plea in an interview with newsmen In Lagos. He called for a reversal of the policy banning rice importation through […]
http://www.nigeriannation.news/nigeria/news-headlines/fg-urged-to-inaugurate-committee-on-rice-importation-2/
ADB, IRRI to promote food security through
agricultural technologies
By Eden Estopace | 2016-06-27
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an
agreement with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to promote food
security in the Asia-Pacific through disseminating research on the role of
advanced agricultural technologies in providing affordable food for all.
The partners said the advocacy for 2016 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.“We
look forward to further strengthening our cooperation in this area to promote
inclusive and sustainable growth, as well as to combat climate change,” said
ADB President Takehiko Nakao in a statement.
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.IRRI Director-General Matthew Morell said the new
partnership will add a new dimension to their long-standing collaborative work.
“IRRI looks forward to deepening our already
strong partnership as we jointly develop and disseminate useful agricultural technologies
throughout Asia,” he said.In December 2016, the ADB will mark 50 years of
development partnership in the region. Last year, ADB assistance totaled $27.2
billion, including cofinancing of $10.7 billion.IRRI, on the other hand, is an
independent, nonprofit agricultural research and educational organization
established in 1960 through funding from the Ford and Rockefeller foundations,
with support from the Philippine government. It has offices in 15 countries. http://www.enterpriseinnovation.net/article/adb-irri-promote-food-security-through-agricultural-technologies-642561718
Nigeria: NCS Decries High Rate of Rice Smuggling
The
Customs Area Controller, Ogun Area Command, Comptroller Waindu Multafu, has
decried the unpatriotic attitude of smugglers who persisted in making rice
smuggling a matter of "life and death".Multafu made the remark in an
interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.He said that
there were so many creeks around the borders, adding that the smugglers were
using small canoes to take the rice across rivers."Rice has become a
staple food. It is the most smuggled item because of the financial benefits
accruing to the smugglers.
"People smuggle rice to avoid payment of
Customs duty," Multafu said.
"There is no place in our warehouse to put
rice again. .Though, we are making efforts to dispose the ones we have in the
warehouse," he told NAN. Multafu said that the command was doing what
was right and expected of the officers and men of the command.
The controller said that the command generated
over N3 billion in the first quarter of 2016, adding that the amount exceeded
what was collected in the corresponding period of 2015.
He noted that the command would block all
revenue leakages.
Multafu, however, said that the economic
meltdown had affected business activities at the border posts as it affected
the seaports.
According to him, because of the current
exchange rate, it is not profitable to smuggle an item like vehicle.
The controller, however, said that the
smugglers still floated vehicles across rivers on wooden planks.
Multafu warned that any attempt by smugglers to
obstruct the activities of the service would be met with resistance.
He said that the service would not be deterred
and would continue to make seizures.
"We make seizures everyday; their
(smugglers) vehicles and their motorcycles," Multafu said.
According to him, a situation where officers
are attacked, matchetted and had their nails removed by smugglers will not be
tolerated.
"Once in a while, if it happens that we
are on the defensive, we have to use our guns. Idiroko is the most notorious of
border posts in West Africa.
"I cannot say how many of our officers were
killed right from Seme up to Idiroko and Imeko.
"The lands are accessible to any would-be
smuggler, The terrain is another obstacles to smooth operation because
everywhere is road," he told NAN.
Multafu said that there was no constrain in
terms of crossing the border, adding that there were three major entrances -
Idiroko, Ohunbe and Imeko.
He said the commands also had out-stations like
Ijoun, Ifoyintedo and Ijofin to curtail any smuggling on foot, machines or
through the waterways.
According to the controller, Ohunbe, Oke Odan
and Ilase are some of the notorious places located along the road to Ajilete.
The controller said that when he resumed at
Ogun Command on January 2016, he called for a stakeholders' meeting, thinking
that both parties could not continue to be at war always.
"After some days, they (smugglers)
over-ran two of my officers with motorcycle; one is in a private place of
healing and another in an hospital in Kano.
"One time, we made seizures at Ajilete.
They barricaded the road, matchetted our officers and took away two of our
rifles.
'I constrained my officers from not shooting
"The last time, in the process of bringing
the seizures from Ajilete, the miscreants blocked the road,
"Our officers secured the seizures and in
the process, there was a shoot-out and we recorded some casualties,"
Multafu said.
"We have intercepted a lot of motorcycles
being used in smuggling. They used a kind of vehicle that can carry 80 bags of
rice.
"As long as the service has been
authorised to entrench and implant Federal Government's fiscal policy on
anti-smuggling activities, we will continue to carry out our
responsibility," the controller said
http://allafrica.com/stories/201606260261.html
Louisiana farmers lent hand in war effort
After President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war against Japan on Dec. 8, 1941, U.S. production shifted to defense: Manufacturing weapons and growing food for thousands of troops sent overseas.
Household staples such as sugar and butter were rationed and grow-your-own “victory gardens” sprang up in yards across the country.
Food will win the war
Producers of Louisiana’s three major crops — sugar, cotton and rice — also pledged their support in the nation’s defense effort for what was expected to last three years.
On Jan. 1, 1942, shortly after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the Louisiana Sugar Cane League shared its pledge on behalf the war effort in its monthly publication, The Sugar Bulletin.
St. Mary Parish resident, Wallace Kemper, the league’s president at the time, wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirming the cooperation of Louisiana’s sugarcane industry.
“We are impressed with the force and reality of the statement that production will determine the result of war,” Kemper wrote. “We subscribe to your statement that food will win the war, and we recognize with you that the production of essential foods is just as important to our country as the production of the munitions of war.”
Farmers were encouraged by the Office of Agricultural Defense Relations to do their patriotic “bit” and conserve their farm equipment rather than buying new machinery.
“The obvious reason is that the raw material for new machinery is more greatly needed for defense munitions,” the Sugar Bulletin post said.
Pests take a toll on crops
Like much of the South, cotton was major crop in Louisiana for many years. But by the time the country entered WWII, the industry had been hurt by boll weevil infestation and the Great Depression. Under Roosevelt’s Agricultural Adjustment Act, acreage was reduced in an effort to drive up the price of the crop. The federal regulation impacted many sharecroppers, both black and white, who were barely surviving.
According the Louisiana State University’s AgCenter, cotton became of the most “management-intensive and expensive” field crops to grow in the state.
The demand for cotton increased during wartime, but it lasted only until the war’s end.
It has taken decades of state research to battle insects and disease to keep the crop profitable in Louisiana.
“I don’t see the return to the king cotton days we had for many years, but Louisiana farmers will remain substantial producers of cotton,” John Barnett, LSU AgCenter Northeast Region Director said in the AgCenter’s report on the crop’s history.
Rice production during wartime also fluctuated in Louisiana. Records kept by the LSU AgCenter indicate that domestic production of the crop increased 40 percent since 1940, but because the U.S. only produces roughly 1 percent of rice globally, prices are regulated by global market."
“It is reasonable to assume that the prices received in the immediate prewar years (1935-39) are more typical of long-term rice prices than the higher prices received in the war years,” said a 1946 report donated by Jennings resident J.B. Trahan, an employee of the Federal Land Bank, to the Rice Research Station library. Unlike Japan, rice during WWII was not heavily rationed like other U.S. household staples.
Rationing goods was a nation-wide effort and families in Louisiana did their part. The Louisiana Cooperation Extension led a campaign to recruit agricultural labor work to replace farmers and worker who left to fight.
According to the AgCenter, the campaign employed nearly 80,000 workers on short-handed farms. After the war, agents also managed prisoner of war labor programs throughout the state.
Extension agents also worked with Louisiana neighborhoods for gardening programs and distributed “LSU victory pinches,” containing vegetable seeds for victory gardens.
The extension also assisted in creating neighborhood canning centers and issued tools to preserve and conserve food rations, such as sealers, pressure cookers and food dehydrators.
Children in Louisiana’s 4-H youth programs even sewed military uniforms and held scrap metal drives. According to the AgCenter, clubs collectively raised $3.5 million in war bonds, which were used to build a cargo ship
http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2016/06/26/louisiana-farmers-lent-hand-war-effort/85002384/
Origins of Farmed Rice Discovered in China
David DeMarPosted date: June 26, 2016in:
A new archaeological dig in China has uncovered
evidence of just how long humans have been farming domesticated rice: around
9,000 years, according to an international team of researchers.In a press release from University of Toronto Mississauga, Professor Gary Crawford, who was involved in the research, says that while rice might be one of the most crucial grains in today’s global economy, at one time it was a wild plant. The researcher, who studies the interrelation of plants and people in prehistorical contexts, worked alongside a team of researchers from Zheijiang Province’s Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in making the discovery of fragments of ancient domesticated rice, revealing that around 30 percent of the plant material turned out to have been cultivated, on purpose, for human consumption.
The fragments, found in a probable ditch located within the lower Yangtze valley, indicate that rice domestication had been going on for quite some time according to Crawford – likely much longer than previously thought. The remains found by the research team also bore characteristics of a short grain rice known as japonica, commonly cultivated in Korea and Japan in order for use in sushi; the anthropological archaeologist pointed out that this specific rice crop’s lineage is clear, and that finding it in China – for the first time ever – confirms that it was indeed being cultivated within the region.
Around three years of concentrated exploration of Huxi, a five-hectare dig site located around 100 meters above sea level in a flat basin, were needed for the team to make their conclusions. With the aid of other U of T Mississauga researchers – graduate students Nattha Cheunwattana and Danial Kwan, as well as fellow professor David Smith – Crawford and the rest of the team worked in the fall, winter and spring to avoid the unfavorable conditions that late spring and early summer bring to the region. In addition to the rice remains, the archaeologists found a trove of artifacts such as animal bones, stone tools, charcoal and examples of advanced, sophisticated pottery discovered around 1.5 meters below the surface.
This is not the first time Crawford has conducted research into China’s early agriculture. In the past, the researcher has studied the ancient animal and plant management efforts as well as the tools and settlements present in other regions of China, all in an effort to understand how and why prehistoric humans transitioned to an agrarian lifestyle in lieu of a more nomadic one focused on foraging and hunting.
Something pushed individuals living in these regions away from hunting and instead into farming in a major way, Crawford remarked, adding that he wants to answer the question as to what exactly drove these people to undertake such a fundamental shift in behavior. The researcher stated that farming was likely an unintended consequence of humans searching for methods to make life more sustainable and manageable, and that the discovery of this early example of rice domestication represents the initial stages of that fundamental shift towards sustainability.
Crawford’s research findings, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, can be found online here
Millers oppose misuse of basmati tag in Rajasthan
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Muktsar, June 26
Seeking
a ban on the illegal use of ‘basmati’ by rice millers of Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh, the Punjab Basmati Rice Millers’ Association has lodged a complaint to
the Assistant Registrar of Trademarks and Geographical Indication Registry,
Chennai. They have further appealed the authorities concerned to investigate
and verify the records of exporters who buy this rice. The affected rice
millers of the state had last month complained to the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) saying that the
Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) had not given the geographical
indication (GI) tag to basmati in these states. The APEDA had, however, asked
the millers to pursue their case with the Trademarks and Geographical Indication
Registry.
Notably,
the rice millers here are in a fix over falling prices of basmati and have
suffered huge losses in the past. Ashish Kathuria, general secretary of the
association, said, “The IPAB has given the GI tag to basmati in Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, western UP, Uttarakhand and two districts of J and Kashmir.
MP and Rajasthan do not have the GI recognition for basmati.
Nevertheless,
rice millers in these states are using GI of basmati on their bills, letter
heads, websites, advertisements, web advertisements and SH code in the
international market,” he added.
“Almost
every merchant and retailer is selling the products of rice manufactured by the
millers of Rajasthan and MP mentioning the basmati GI tag. This is clear case
of infringement of registered GI,” he pointed out.
The
association has even attached a list of some rice millers, sellers and
exporters who are allegedly violating the norms. “With this illegal use of the
GI tag, the millers and farmers of Punjab and Haryana have suffered an
estimated loss of Rs 2,500 crore which should be levied on these culprits,” he
said.
Geographical
Indication tag
The
geographical indication (GI) is a sign that identifies a product as originating
from a particular place which gives that product a special quality or
reputation or other characteristic, like Darjeeling (tea)
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/millers-oppose-misuse-of-basmati-tag-in-rajasthan/257503.html
Trade Policy Featured at
Louisiana Farm Bureau Rice Meeting
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USA Rice's Bob Cummings
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NEW ORLEANS, LA - The Rice Advisory Committee
of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation (LAFBF) held its annual meeting in
conjunction with the 94th annual LAFBF convention here on Saturday. USA Rice's Chief Operating Officer Bob
Cummings updated attendees on a range of trade policy issues, including
challenges in key Louisiana rice export markets and the status of the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations.
Cummings noted that Mexico remains the number
one U.S. rice export market and that milled rice is increasing as a share of
exports. He noted that the U.S. enjoys an 83% market share, but that could
change due to increasing competitiveness of Vietnamese rice if the TPP
agreement is implemented. He indicated that although milled rice imports
are increasing in Mexico, Haiti remains the largest export market for U.S. milled
rice.
The U.S. agreement with Colombia was held up as an example of a well-negotiated and smartly-executed free trade agreement, but noted the need to resolve an existing phytosanitary restriction on imports of paddy rice, and secure year-round access to the lucrative market. Colombia is the third largest U.S. rice export market with 2015 Louisiana exports valued at approximately $2.6 million.
Cummings reported that opening the Cuban market
remains a top priority for USA Rice noting that its efforts to reestablish
trade with the island nation began in 1999 when John Denison, a past chairman
of the LAFBF Rice Advisory Committee, was chairing USA Rice.
According to Cummings, a new Memorandum of
Understanding between USA Rice and the Government of Cuba is being finalized
that outlines technical exchanges and regular meetings and consultations
between the parties that will pave the way for advantageous market positions
once trade between the countries has been normalized.
Cummings also shared his insights on other
markets and topics of interest, including Iraq, ("a mess politically and
economically"), China, ("mills are ready, waiting for the green
light"), TPP, ("more clarification on details is needed"), and
TTIP ("possibly the best hope for U.S. rice to get back into the European
Union").
Cummings closed his presentation with an update
on the use of unfair domestic and export subsidies by advanced developing
countries. He noted that the Obama Administration is moving in the World
Trade Organization to take these nations to task.
"We greatly appreciate Bob taking time to
come to New Orleans to bring us up to speed on trade policy that impacts each
of us," said Donald Berken, LAFBF rice advisory committee chairman.
"The news was a mixed bag, but I see positive developments and good
opportunities for Louisiana rice in his report."
Vegetarian recipe: Forbidden rice with beluga lentils and mushrooms
By
CAROLE KOTKIN
No matter what kind you like best — jasmine,
arborio, bomba, basmati — rice offers a lot of goodness in a small bag. Most
rice is white or ivory-colored, but a varietal rainbow exists — red, brown,
purple, even black.I was introduced to black rice in a cooking class taught by
Miami chef Michelle Bernstein. I had never seen it before, but she explained
that it's commonly used in Asian cuisine. Black rice has a texture comparable
to that of brown rice, but with a more pronounced nutty flavor. The color comes
from the un-milled rice grain, which leaves a dark husk. It's delicious and
incredibly good for you, one of the healthiest grains you can eat. Besides
being packed with antioxidants, it is rich in iron and fiber.Black rice was highly treasured and protected in Asia for many centuries, and until recently, it was not easy to find. According to ancient Chinese legend, black rice was so rare that only emperors were allowed to eat it. For this reason, it can also be called "forbidden rice" or "emperor's rice." It is now available at stores such as Costco and Whole Foods and appears to be gaining popularity in kitchens and restaurants in the United States. It's visually striking on a white plate and delicious on the palate.
Black rice cooks in 30 minutes. It has a chewier texture than other rice, and its starchy flavor works well as a healthy side dish and in salads, stuffing and even desserts.
This grain is a wonderful way to dress up even the simplest of dishes. At the cooking class, Chef Bernstein stir-fried tender cooked black rice with baby bok choy and Asian seasonings — with delicious results.
Once you taste it, I am sure you will agree that it makes sense to think outside of the box (or bag) and not limit yourself to only one type of rice.
* FORBIDDEN RICE WITH BELUGA LENTILS AND MUSHROOMS
Adapted from "The Heart of the Plate," by Mollie Katzen, HoughtonMifflinHarcourt Publishing Co. ($34.99)
1 cup black ("forbidden") rice
1 cup beluga (small black) lentils
Scant 3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 tablespoon grapeseed, canola or peanut oil
1/2 cup finely minced shallots or red onion
1/2 pound domestic or cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed if necessary, and finely minced (can use a food processor)
1/2 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Black pepper
Lemon wedges or extra fresh lemon juice for sprinkling on top (optional)
White truffle oil (optional)
Combine the rice, lentils, water and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook undisturbed (with a heat diffuser, if you have one, underneath) for 40 minutes. If the rice is not tender enough at this point, splash in up to 1/4 cup additional water and cook a little more. (The lentils will remain a bit al dente.) When it's done to your liking, turn off the heat and fluff with a fork to let steam escape.
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