Rice mill owners look for alternative businesses
By Amber Rajashekar | THE HANS INDIA | May 12,2017 , 11:07 PM IST
Kamareddy: The
State Government policies have been allegedly forcing the rice mill owners to
close down their businesses. In fact, during the kharif season this year, not
less than 20 rice mills were shut down their businesses and the mill owners
switched over to alternative vocations.
Many more mills
are on the verge of closure. In the
past, the rice mill owners enjoyed a lot of clout. Banks used to advance loans
to them and politicians used to patronise them. The mill owners used to conduct
their businesses extending necessary financial support to farmers. But the
government policies allegedly proved to be a threat to the rice mills.
Some of the
rice mill owners are not in a position to repay the bank loans given to them. A
situation has arisen where banks have no alternative except to seize the
properties. There are 89 rice mills in
the district, but only 69 mills milled paddy this season and the rest of the 20
mills remained closed.
The State
Government sent 1.07 lakh tonnes of paddy, purchased by the paddy purchase
centers, to the rice mills for milling. After milling the paddy, the rice has
been entrusted to the Civil Supplies Corporation.
As against the
earlier practice, custom milling was through for three months. The rice mills
remained idle for about three months waiting for farmers to get their harvest.
As the rice mill business has been severely affected, clashes between rice mill
partners became more common.
Earlier, the
rice millers used to purchase paddy directly from farmers and the milled rice
was sold by them. Some of the millers used to export the rice to other states
and even to other nations. With the
entry of Farmers’ Cooperatives and IKP outlets in paddy procurement business on
behalf of the State Government, the rice mills are facing severe crisis.
Further,
management of the rice mills has become difficult. Many mills are not in a
position to afford the wage bill expenses of their workers because of the drop
in business.
Over 15 rice
mills were closed in the district during the past two or three years. In each
mill, at least 20 to 30 workers used to work, including drivers. With the
closure of the mills, the workers were driven on to the streets.
The rice millers have decided to close down their mills in villages
around the town and some are keen on developing real estate ventures in the
rice mill site. Some rice mill owners vanished from the town unable to clear
the debts. Banks obtained orders to attach property of some of the rice mills
from the cour
Piñol seeks
‘last’ NFA rice import
AGRICULTURE
Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Friday conceded that the government should no
longer be involved in rice importation to ease the debt burden of the National
Food Authority (NFA).
But the
state grains agency should be allowed to do a final importation of the staple,
the Cabinet official said in
an interview, without going into details.
an interview, without going into details.
“My
suggestion to the President, when we met last April 26, was that this should be
the last importation by the NFA. In the future, the NFA should no longer
intervene, it should only be concerned with local procurement,” Piñol said.
“Let the
private sector do the importation. Let them fill the gap in our production through
importation. The NFA will only drown in debt because of repeated importation,”
he added.
The
President is studying the proposal, the Agriculture chief said.
A
dispute between NFA Administrator Jason Laureano Aquino and the NFA Council
over the former’s decision not to extend private rice import permits beyond
February led to the sacking of an undersecretary under Cabinet Secretary
Leoncio Evasco, who heads the council.
Aquino
wanted to pursue government-to-government deals that could further bloat the
NFA’s debts, and was accused of favoring certain private rice importers.
Debt
at P157B, not P211B
Aquino
denied earlier reports, citing official documents released by the Department of
Finance (DoF), that the grains agency’s debts have ballooned to as much as P211
billion as a result of massive rice importation.
“The
current NFA management is paying for these debts, which ballooned from only
P10.7 billion in 2000 to P177 billion by June 30, 2010. The NFA accumulated
these loans to finance the implementation of food programs that were not
sustainable during those times,” Aquino said.
“The
figure released by DoF, totaling P210.73 billion, is not the amount of NFA
loans. As stated in the document, it was the total support given to NFA as of
December 31, 2016. The total loan was only P157.02 billion as of that date,” Aquino
explained.
Piñol
said the government should start importing rice now that the harvest season is
over, adding that he would propose a buffer stock of at least three months.
“I never
said that we should not import rice. Our position is that if we need to import
rice, then the right time is now as it would no longer affect prices of local
palay,” he told reporters.
Piñol
also said that rice importation before the lean months, the size of which had
yet to be decided, would arrest the unusual price movements of rice in the
local market as a result of hoarding and price manipulation by rice traders.
“If we
are going to import, we should no longer make noise out of it because it tends
to push prices upward,” he added.
No
voice
Piñol
pointed out that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has no voice in the NFA
Council, which decides on rice imports.
Piñol
said the Office of the Cabinet Secretary had promised to allow a DA
representative to participate in decision-making at the interagency NFA
Council.
“I have
already talked with Secretary [Leoncio] Evasco, who said that he would allow me
to sit at the NFA Council,” Piñol said.
Evasco
has yet to reply to his letter. “I don’t know what happened,” Piñol said.
Under
Presidential Decree 1770, or the National Food Authority Act, the NFA Council
should include the heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Finance, Trade and
Industry, the governor of the central bank, the chairman of the Development
Bank of the Philippines, the president of Land Bank of the Philippines, the
director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, and a
farmers’ representative.
The DA
was booted out of the NFA Council after former President Benigno Aquino 3rd
signed Executive Order 165, which transferred the NFA along with the National
Irrigation Administration, Philippine Coconut Authority and the Fertilizer and
Pesticide Authority to the Office of the President.
http://www.manilatimes.net/pinol-seeks-last-nfa-rice-import/326929/
Indian scientists develop transgenic rice that can withstand drought
Friday 12 May 2017
Under water scarce conditions created in laboratory, the
transgenic rice performed better than their unmodified counterparts
A group of
Indian, Chinese, and Canadian scientists have developed transgenic rice that
gives high yields even under severe water deficit.
The new rice
variety has been developed by transferring a gene from a common plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, into a
variety of Indian rice called samba
mahsuri. This gene is known to be involved in pathways controlling
growth and development. Arabidopsis
thaliana is a
flowering plant widely used for research purposes but it has no agronomic value
as such.
Putting the thaliana gene into rice increased its height,
length of the panicle that encloses the grain, efficiency of photosynthesis,
chlorophyll content, and water use efficiency. Under water scarce conditions
created in laboratory, the transgenic rice performed better than their
unmodified counterparts, according to research results published in journal Scientific Reports.
The content
of chlorophyll which is required for plants to grow reduces under stress
conditions like drought, which in turn hits the yield. The transgenic rice
maintained high chlorophyll content even under water-deficit and therefore
performed better.
“The need of
extensive irrigation is a major constraint in rice production. Overexpressing
TOR gene plays a major role in improving plant development, biomass, and yield
potential under limited water conditions. Transgenic plants would be expected
to have higher yields and better plant performance. Also, saved water, the most
important ingredient in cultivation, could be utilized in the cultivation of
other crops that need water and are deprived of it,” said P B Kirti, professor
at the Department of Plant sciences, University of Hyderabad.
The research
team included Achala Bakshi, Mazahar Moin, M Udaya Kumar, Aramati Bindu Madhava
Reddy, Maozhi Ren, Raju Datla, E A Siddiq, and P B Kirti at the University of
Hyderabad and PJTS Agricultural University in Hyderabad, University of
Agricultural Sciences-GKVK in Bangalore, besides scientists from National
Research Council of Canada in Canada, and Chinese academy of Agricultural
Sciences in Beijing, and Chongqing University in Chongqing, China. (India
Science Wire)
For more such i
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/indian-scientists-develop-transgenic-rice-that-can-withstand-drought-57861
Centre, basmati exporters looking
at alternative fungicides to treat rice
Isoprothiolane is good alternative to tricyclazole, but restricted
in the US
NEW
DELHI, MAY 11:
The Centre is working with basmati exporters to identify
alternatives to tricyclazole — a fungicide used to treat rice — as the European
Union seems inflexible in its decision to bring down the tolerance level for
the chemical next year, effectively banning its use.
“If alternatives are not found, India’s basmati exports to the
region could get hit drastically as the levels of tricyclazole in Indian rice
is mostly much higher than the default level of 0.001 ppm (parts per million)
that the EU wants,” a government official told BusinessLine.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority (APEDA), under the Department of Commerce, together with basmati
rice-exporting companies, is looking at possible solutions to the problem, the
official added.
No issues with current cap
The maximum residue limit (MRL) for tricyclazole, a fungicide used by rice-growing countries to protect the crop from a disease called ‘blast’, is at present fixed at 1 ppm by the European Union.
The maximum residue limit (MRL) for tricyclazole, a fungicide used by rice-growing countries to protect the crop from a disease called ‘blast’, is at present fixed at 1 ppm by the European Union.
Indian exporters do not have any problems staying within this
limit, but once the default level of 0.001 ppm kicks in, much of the $3 billion
of basmati exported to the EU from India could get affected.
The industry and government are finding it difficult to zero in
on other fungicides that could be used because of a peculiar problem, the
official said. While the fungicide isoprothiolane (IPT) could be a good
alternative to tricyclazole as it has similar properties and is allowed in the
EU, it is difficult to advise farmers to switch to it as the chemical is
restricted in the United States.
So, in order to save the market in the EU, India would have to
put at risk its market for basmati rice in the US, if it switches to IPT. The
Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) is also working on varieties of
rice that are resistant to the heat blast disease but it will take time to
yield results.
“Before we are able to have our own varieties of disease-free
rice, we have to use our diplomatic skills to sort out the problem with the EU
and also with the US if required,” the official said.
India is continuing to talk to the EU hoping to convince it to
change its mind about lowering the maximum residue limit for tricyclazole.
“The EU does not seem too impressed by the problem Indian
basmati exporters may face next year. India is talking to countries like Italy
and Portugal, which do not support the EU initiative of raising the tolerance
level, to strengthen its argument,” the official said.
(This article was published on May 11, 2017)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/centre-basmati-exporters-looking-at-alternative-fungicides-to-treat-rice/article9693685.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication
PHL must import rice
soon–Piñol
MAY 11, 2017
The chief of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday he has changed his mind, and is now urging
President Duterte to allow the National Food Authority (NFA) to import rice for
its buffer stock during the lean months.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F.
Piñol made the pronouncement following reports that rice prices have increased
by as much as P100 per 50-kilogram bag.
“Let the NFA do the importation
now, because the harvest season has ended. The NFA is complaining that they
don’t have sufficient buffer stock. If it wants to import, it should be now,”
Piñol told reporters in an interview on Thursday.
“I told the President that now is
the best time for the NFA to import. And it should be via government to
government,” he added.
Advertisement
Citing data from the
International Rice Research Institute (Irri), Piñol said the country’s rice
shortfall this year could reach as much as 800,000 MT. “However, this is much
lower than the shortfall in previous years. The Irri study showed that the
trend in the rice consumption of Filipinos is declining,” Piñol said.
“The Filipino family has become
prosperous and, more often than not, when they eat outside, they only consume
less rice,” he added. The NFA had earlier asked the interagency NFA Council
(NFAC) to allow the government-to-government purchase of 250,000 metric tons
(MT) of rice, citing its difficulties to procure palay from farmers to boost
its stockpile.
The food agency said it would
need an additional 490,800 MT to meet the 30-day buffer-stock requirement of
the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council. The NFA is
mandated to maintain a rice buffer stock that will last for 15 days at any
given time and 30 days at the onset of the lean months. Rice harvest is
significantly lower during the lean months of July to September.
Data from the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that as of April 1, rice stocks held by NFA
depositories reached 327,240 MT, which is sufficient for only 10 days. NFA
Administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino had been urging the NFAC for months to
approve his proposal to import rice. “It’s always better safe than sorry,
especially when dealing with our people’s basic staple. If the government does
not possess the right volume of stocks when the lean months come, who would
provide for the needs of calamity victims?” Aquino said last month.
The NFA chief had been urging the
council to approve the purchase of the 250,000 MT of imported rice. The volume
is part of the 500,000 MT standby authority granted by the council to the
agency in 2015. Last month Duterte thumbed down the purchase of imported rice,
citing the need to protect local farmers. The NFAC and Piñol had also been
lukewarm to the idea of allowing the NFA to import rice.
Some members of the NFAC said
they prefer the private sector to buy rice from abroad to prevent the food
agency from incurring more debts due to government- to-government importations.
To boost its buffer stock and
reduce its debts, Piñol asked the NFA to focus on the procurement of palay from
local farmers. “In the future, if the NFA intends to increase its buffer stock,
then it should buy local produce. Importing rice would only cause the NFA to be
saddled with more debts,” he said.
Data from the PSA showed that
Philippine unmilled-rice output declined by nearly 3 percent to 17.62 million
metric tons (MMT), from 18.14 MMT recorded in 2015. The DA attributed the
decline in output to onslaught of strong typhoons, as well as pest infestation
in some rice-growing areas.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/phl-must-import-rice-soon-pinol/
USDA Reorganization Matches Up with Rice Priorities
By Sarah Moran
WASHINGTON, DC - Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced
a reorganization of his agency that shows a clear emphasis on trade - a
priority of this Administration's - and a philosophical shift on policy
priorities at the farm level - both of which are in line with USA Rice
initiatives.
Trade Up
An Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural
Affairs (TFAA) has finally been created; the position was included in the 2014
Farm Bill but never filled by Secretary Vilsack. The Foreign Agricultural
Service (FAS), that is vital to the rice industry, has been pulled away from
the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) and placed under
the auspices of the new TFAA.
FAS manages the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign
Market Development (FMD) program, that together provided USA Rice with more
than $4 million this year to help develop U.S. rice markets and promote
American-grown rice overseas.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), also
important for rice, remains under the Marketing and Regulatory programs Under
Secretary at USDA, however as a means of facilitating communication among all
agricultural trade components, the new TFAA will chair an inter-agency
committee including FAS, APHIS, the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), the
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and the Federal Grain Inspection Service
(FGIS).
"U.S. agricultural exports have quadrupled over the past 40
years so it makes sense to have a component of USDA completely devoted to trade,"
said Carl Brothers, chair of USA Rice's International Trade Policy
Committee. "With 50 percent of the U.S. rice crop exported each
year, export markets are hugely important to our industry, so seeing an Under
Secretary dedicated to trade is quite encouraging."
Brothers explained that while tariffs and duties on U.S.
goods remain a major obstacle and concern, non-tariff barriers have grown
substantially over the past several decades and require the expertise of
agencies such as APHIS to deal with foreign sanitary and phytosanitary
restrictions.
Home Front
Perdue also announced his intention to create an Under
Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, to include the Farm Service
Agency, Risk Management Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Realigning these domestically-oriented departments logically puts farm
services, crop insurance, and conservation programs under one roof and
recognizes that conservation programs, like the very successful Regional
Conservation Partnership Program of which rice is a major benefactor, are the
way of the future for farming and farm policy.
Since the number of Under Secretaries the Department can
have is limited by Congress, Perdue eliminated the position of Under Secretary
for Rural Development and will have the agencies and functions dealing with
this area report directly to him.
"This reorganization has been a long time coming and is
quite welcome," said Brian King, Chairman of USA Rice. "It shows that
this is an agency well-aligned with our priorities and I expect our already
great working relationship will only improve as we look to help our industry
with strong and growing foreign markets and domestic policies and programs that
ensure our farmers can continue to feed their families and families around the
world in a safe and sustainable manner."
Trump Trade Team Locked and Loaded with Lighthizer
WASHINGTON, DC - President Trump's trade team was
rounded out yesterday when the man at the top, Robert Lighthizer, was finally
confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the U.S. Trade Representative.
Ambassador Lighthizer hits the ground running
with a long list of To-Do items, perhaps most notably overseeing the
renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a process
that could get underway as early as next week with a formal notification to
Congress of his intent to reopen the sprawling deal.
Lighthizer's views on free trade and agriculture that
emerged during his confirmation process did much to reassure the ag sector,
upset by what many perceived as reckless rhetoric on trade coming out of the
White House.
When asked if the needs of farmers and ranchers
could be protected during any tinkering with NAFTA, Lighthizer responded: "I do believe it can be done. I'm
not suggesting that it will be easy, but I do believe it can be done."
"We welcome Ambassador Lighthizer to his new
position and trust that any renegotiation of NAFTA will adhere to the guiding
principle of 'First do no harm,'" said Betsy Ward, President and CEO of
USA Rice. "Mexico remains our top export market and Canada our
fourth. That is because of NAFTA, not in spite of it."
Other issues awaiting Lighthizer include a 100
day trade program with China that, at this time, does not look to include U.S.
rice, a possible opening up of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement from which
rice was excluded in 2007, and a stepped up emphasis on enforcement of existing
trade deals and rooting out bad actors as emphasized by President Trump on the
campaign trail and since.
Flooding hits northeast Arkansas rice hard
“At this point, we’re estimating over 150,000 acres of rice will have been lost
by the time this is over,” says Jarrod Hardke, Arkansas Extension rice
specialist. “Of course, soybeans and corn will be taken out, but to less an
extent. There wasn’t as much of those crops planted in the region being
affected – especially corn, which is typically planted in lighter soils on
higher ground.”
The May 1 NASS report said 89
percent of Arkansas’ expected 1.2 million-acre rice crop had been planted.
“Once rice is 10 days submerged,
you can start writing it off. Some will survive but once that 10-day mark is
hit you’re on the downhill side of expectation for a good rice crop. Rice may
like a flood but doesn’t like to be submerged. And while it may survive being
submerged longer than other crops it has a breaking point.”
In many cases, says Hardke, “the
water isn’t going down but is leveled out. And farther downstream the flooding
is getting worse. The additional rain last week just added insult to injury. More rain is forecast for (the week of
May 8).
“It’s heartbreaking for the areas
hit. It’s very reminiscent of the flooding in 2011 when we thought the flooding
was bad enough. By all accounts, this may have far surpassed that.”
The rains came while expectations
for a great crop were high.
“Things were going so well. This
has been described as one of the fastest, earliest, best-looking rice crops
we’ve had in anyone’s recent memory. To have things go so well and then have an
event like this is devastating – especially on the heels of the floods from
excessive rains last August.”
More acres
The flooding of northeast
Arkansas follows a shift to more rice acres in recent years.
“Our largest rice-producing
counties are now in the northeast where the flooding is worst – Lawrence,
Jackson, Poinsett. Arkansas County isn’t that far behind. Lawrence and Randolph
counties have taken the brunt of the flooding. The hits just keep on coming for
Randolph County. Obviously, flooding got them in 2011 and there have been some
more minor issues until last year’s two flooding events.”
How much this could cost the
state?
“Just for rice, and based on
input costs incurred so far for acres that will be lost, it’ll be a $30 million
loss. And that number will only get worse as the water moves farther south.
“That $30 million is only for the
acres that’ll be lost. That doesn’t include the cost for all the acres affected
– washed out levees that have to be re-pulled, lost yield, replanting, you name
it.”
Hardke has been asked about
potential help coming from the government.
“I’m being asked about this and
the (Arkansas governor’s) disaster designation should kick things off. The area
from Pocahontas to Walnut Ridge is the largest lake in the state, right now.
“Elnora Church just south of
Pocahontas is kind of a landmark that’s a good place to pull into the parking
lot and meet folks. I meet county agents and growers there all the time before
heading out to a field.
“Right now, the water is to the
eaves of that church. It has to be 8 feet deep. If that isn’t a disaster area,
there isn’t one.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/flooding-hits-northeast-arkansas-rice-hard
Making brown rice? Don't follow the instructions on the box
By Chris Morocco
You've been cooking brown rice
wrong your whole life. (iStock)
When I was a kid, brown rice felt like punishment. Like the
ever-increasing amount of whole wheat flour that would appear in my mom’s
pancakes and waffles, brown rice with dinner felt like we had done something
really wrong.
My mom would always scorch it, informing us that, in other parts
of the world, kids fight over who would get the crispy rice at the bottom of
the pot. Charred rice cinders were the one thing my sister and I never felt
compelled to fight over.
My mom was right about one thing, though: Brown rice is better. It
just took me 15 years to come around.
There are some things, like sushi, that I’ll still choose white
for, because its flavor is so unobtrusive. But I actually prefer the nutty
intensity of brown rice in stir-fries, grain bowls, and as my go-to grainy side
dish. When it comes to how to actually cook brown rice, though, there’s a
shocking amount of bad info out there. I want to go out on a limb and assume
that you like your brown rice pleasantly al dente, not mushy. Unfortunately, everything
from the directions on the bag of rice to your rice cooker are working against
you.
More
From Bon Appetit
32 Recipes to Make in Your Cast Iron Pan
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make These Lemon Desserts
40 Avocado Recipes, So You Can Eat as Much Avocado as Possible
75 Fast & Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
34 Ways to Eat
Rice for Dinner (and Dessert!)
If you gave up on brown rice ever being good, you are
not alone. We are here to show you the way. These are the three failsafe
approaches to making the best brown rice of your life.
Method #1: The Rice Cooker
Say you have one of those fancy rice cookers with a computer chip
and a special setting for brown rice. Don’t use it. Cook brown rice on the
white rice setting and you'll get better rice in nearly half the time.
In the Bon Appétit test kitchen, our fancy rice cookers have
always worked perfectly for white rice. Brown rice, however, tends to come out
a bit mushy and overcooked. But, as I recently discovered, if you cook brown
rice on the white rice setting, it comes out perfectly, with distinct
chewy-tender grains.
I called up Zojirushi, the brand of rice cooker we’ve always sworn
by, and spoke with Marilyn Matsuba, their marketing manager. It turns out she’s
been hearing this feedback every so often, specifically from users outside
Japan. She said that, in Japan, people often prefer their brown rice to be a
good bit softer and stickier, while Americans tend to prefer a much firmer
grain. She confirmed that, as long as there’s enough water in the rice cooker
(i.e., add water to the mark indicated for brown rice inside the cooking pot),
cooking it on the white rice setting is perfectly fine.
Side note: You know what that brown rice setting is actually great
for? Cooking super-dense whole grains like spelt, rye, einkorn, whole barley
and whole farro. We simply mix handfuls of several types that we have on hand
and cook them all together.
Method #2: The Fast Stovetop
Do you want the most distinct, perfectly cooked grains possible in
half an hour? The best thing about this method is that it's the fastest
possible way to cook brown rice, and the amount of water you use doesn’t
matter. That’s because we are talking about just boiling the rice like pasta in
a pot of salted water until it’s al dente (25-30 minutes), then draining it and
returning it to the pot for 10 minutes, covered, to steam out and get even
fluffier and drier.
I was very skeptical about this before trying it. It somehow felt
like violating the rice to treat it like pasta, but that’s actually how I like
to cook quinoa and most other grains, so I don’t know why I would be giving
rice special treatment. It creates the most beautifully separated fluffy-tender
grains of rice possible, but some of the rice’s flavor does get lost to the
boiling water. Chances are you won’t notice.
Method #3: The Standard
Stovetop
If you want maximum nutty flavor and don’t mind a slightly longer
cook time or pleasantly sticky grains, the standard method is there for you.
This is the method that’s on the back of the bag of rice, but probably not the
ratio you'll find there. We recommend 1¾ cups water to 1 cup rice. No need to
rinse, but salt is essential. Bring the rice to a simmer in a heavy saucepan
over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until
rice is tender and water has evaporated, about 40–45 minutes. Fluff gently and
let sit, covered, for 10 minutes to make it as light and fluffy as possible.
Phew. You made it. Welcome to the world of people who love brown
rice
http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2017/05/10/making-brown-rice-dont-follow-instructions-on-box.html
Rice exporters
delegation eyeing big deals in KSA
Observer Report
Jeddah
A 14-member joint delegation of
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and Pak-Saudi Joint Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (PSJCCI), headed by Shah Jan Malik, Vice Chairman REAP
visiting Saudi Arabia from 11-19 May, 2017, as part of trade promotion
activities to increase export of rice to the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(KSA).
According to the Consulate General of Pakistan, Jeddah, Shehryar Akbar Khan Consul General of Pakistan has appreciated the initiative taken by the rice exporters of Pakistan, and hoped that these efforts would support our efforts to increase the exports of rice to the Kingdom.
He shared that the consulate is making an extensive programme for the delegation which includes meetings with Makkah and Jeddah chambers, Business to Business Networking Session and meetings/visits to the leading supermarkets and hypermarkets of the Western Region.
The President of Pak-Saudi Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mian Mehmood said Saudi Arabia imports over USD 1 billion worth of rice every year making great opportunity for REAP to further increase the export of rice.
He said the joint chamber of both the countries is playing a very vital role in promoting trade in all the sectors between the two brotherly countries.
Vice Chairman Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Sheikh Mahzen Batterjie has welcomed the visit of the delegation and said such bilateral visits are necessary to increase the bilateral trade, commerce and investment between both the countries.
Members of the delegation are very confident that they will meet their objective and the visit will be fruitful. They are hopeful that there is tremendous scope for the export of Pakistani Basmati rice to Saudi Arabia, because of its supreme quality, unique aroma and taste
According to the Consulate General of Pakistan, Jeddah, Shehryar Akbar Khan Consul General of Pakistan has appreciated the initiative taken by the rice exporters of Pakistan, and hoped that these efforts would support our efforts to increase the exports of rice to the Kingdom.
He shared that the consulate is making an extensive programme for the delegation which includes meetings with Makkah and Jeddah chambers, Business to Business Networking Session and meetings/visits to the leading supermarkets and hypermarkets of the Western Region.
The President of Pak-Saudi Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mian Mehmood said Saudi Arabia imports over USD 1 billion worth of rice every year making great opportunity for REAP to further increase the export of rice.
He said the joint chamber of both the countries is playing a very vital role in promoting trade in all the sectors between the two brotherly countries.
Vice Chairman Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Sheikh Mahzen Batterjie has welcomed the visit of the delegation and said such bilateral visits are necessary to increase the bilateral trade, commerce and investment between both the countries.
Members of the delegation are very confident that they will meet their objective and the visit will be fruitful. They are hopeful that there is tremendous scope for the export of Pakistani Basmati rice to Saudi Arabia, because of its supreme quality, unique aroma and taste
http://pakobserver.net/rice-exporters-delegation-eyeing-big-deals-ksa/
Brown rice prices unstable
Submitted by Eleven on Fri, 05/12/2017 - 15:34
Writer: Nilar
Workers unloading rice bags at Wardan jetty in Yangon.
The price of brown rice has
been unsteady in the domestic market,
according to rice merchants.
Merchants speculate that the unsteady price is due to Chinese
buyers who have come to Ayeyawady
Region to buy the rice directly.
A Yangon-based merchant said: “They [Chinese] pay whatever price the sellers ask, making the domestic market
prices unstable.”
The price of a sack
of brown rice from Myaungmya, Ayeyawady, jumped
from Ks19,000 (US$14) to Ks22,000 between
April and May. The prices may
vary with the type and quality
of rice.
“I think the market
prices may fall. Formerly, they
bought rice through brokers. So Yangon brokers were careful not to hurt market prices. Now the Chinese are bypassing the brokers. They purchase rice at the asked price so the prices rise and domestic brokers
can’t compete with them. When they stop buying, the prices fall and the
market becomes inactive,” said the merchant.
Chit Khine, chairman
of the Myanmar Rice Federation, told a workshop
on April 29 that he asked the
government to do something
about the situation since it
could hurt the market in the
long run.
“Chinese buyers are buying rice directly in Bago and Yangon regions. I’ve requested the government to control them with a trade policy since they disrupt
domestic trading.” The country’s rice trade
heavily depends on China and the
business becomes inactive
when the Chinese government seizes
Myanmar rice because it is
unofficial in China.
There was an agreement in 2014 over the export of 100,000 tonnes of rice by
sea. There are no
more contracts since.
http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business/9367
Demand from
China, Africa supports Vietnamese rice prices at harvest end
By Ho Binh Minh May 12, 2017 | 03:21 pm GMT+7
Vietnamese rice is being offered at
around $35-$40 a ton below Thai grain.China and several African countries have
returned to Vietnam seeking fragrant and white rice, and the demand has helped
stabilize export prices even though supply has risen at the end of a major
harvest, traders said on Friday.They also said Vietnamese rice being offered
for cheaper prices than Thai and Indian rice has also attracted buyers, mostly
from Africa. Vietnam is the world's third-largest rice exporter, behind India
and Thailand.
Farmers in the Mekong Delta,
Vietnam's food basket, have finished harvesting the winter-spring crop, the
biggest of the country's three annual crops. Paddy output eased 2 percent from
last year to an estimated 9.8 million tons, based on government statistics.
Most of the grain from this crop is being exported.
Reuters cited Vietnamese traders'
quotations for five percent broken rice showing prices rose this week to
$355-$360 a ton, free on board (FOB) basis, on more active trade.At $360 a ton,
the price is at its highest since August 31, 2016.But traders at foreign firms
and a dealer at a state-run export company in Ho Chi Minh City told VnExpress
International that exporters are looking to sell the grade at around $355 a
ton, while bids stood at $350-$352 a ton, similar to last week.
"Rice exports to China are
going well," the dealer said. "Africa is also coming back with
inquiries for the 5-percent and the 15 percent broken varieties, as well as
fragrant rice."He added that ample supplies are now available to
state-owned export firms that have better access to bank loans, while private
exporters are struggling to build stock due to weaker finances.
Vietnamese prices are below those
offered by Thailand, where the 5-percent broken rice rose this week to
$387-$392 a ton, FOB basis, from $380-$390 last week and $360-$375 at the end
of April due to loading demand during a slow off-season harvest, Reuters cited
Thai traders in Bangkok as saying.Traders noted China, the biggest buyer of
Vietnamese rice, has been taking more of the grain in the past month.
China imported 288,000 tons of rice
from Vietnam in April, way above the monthly average of 176,000 tons in the
first quarter, Vietnam Customs data showed.That brought Vietnam's total export
volume to China in the January-April period to 815,000 tons, a rise of 16
percent from a year ago, based on data from the Finance Ministry-run customs
agency.
Earlier this year, China approved 22
Vietnamese rice export firms as official suppliers, but is also trying to limit
rice purchases across the land border with Vietnam.China is projected to import
5 million tons of rice this year, up 8.7 percent from 2016, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture said.Vietnam is forecast to export 5.6 million tons in 2017, up
10 percent from last year, the USDA said in a report on Wednesday.
The USDA also forecasts both India
and Thailand will export around double that amount this yearhttp://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/demand-from-china-africa-supports-vietnamese-rice-prices-at-harvest-end-3583719.html
Asia
Rice-Buyers turn to Vietnam as prices stay firm in Thailand, India
By Patpicha Tanakasempipat
BANGKOK, May 11 Buyers of Asian rice
turned to Vietnam this week as prices remained firm in Thailand and India,
traders said on Thursday.Thai benchmark 5-percent broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1
edged up to $387-$392 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok, from $380-$390 last
week."Some ships are still loading," said a trader in Bangkok. Thai
prices went up last week as exporters rushed to fill shipments amid a slow
off-season harvest.Prices are expected to remain high for the next one to three
weeks, traders said.
Trade will likely stay subdued as
rice-consuming countries in the Middle East prepare to observe the Islamic holy
month of Ramadan, during which Muslims around the world will be fasting.Ramadan
begins on May 26 and ends on June 24 this year.
Thailand's commerce ministry said on
Thursday it will hold the second state auction of the year on May 24 for 1.82
million tonnes of rice.Vietnam's 5-percent broken rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 was quoted
at $355-360 a tonne, FOB Saigon, up from $350-$352 last Thursday on more active
trade.
"Thai prices increased further,
so importers turned to Vietnamese rice," said a Ho Chi Minh-based trader.Vietnam
shipped an estimated 1.84 million tonnes of the grain between January and
April, down 8.8 percent from the same period last year.Thailand and Vietnam are
the world's second and third biggest rice exporters.
In India, the world's biggest rice
exporter, prices of 5-percent broken parboiled rice RI-INBKN5-P1 were steady at
$394-$399 a tonne this week as export demand remained weak amid a rally in
local paddy prices."Overseas buyers are not ready to pay more than $390
and Indian exporters couldn't cut prices due to rising paddy prices," said
an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
"Buyers are shifting to other
producers like Vietnam."Local paddy prices are rising due to limited
supplies and aggressive buying by state-run agencies, dealers said.The Indian
government buys rice from local farmers at a fixed price to supply subsidised
food and meet any emergency needs such as a sudden spike in prices.
An appreciating rupee is also making
it difficult for exporters to reduce prices, said another exporter based in
Kakinada.The rupee has risen more than 5 percent so far in 2017, trading near
its highest level in 21 months. A stronger rupee trims returns of exporters.India
mainly exports non-basmati rice to African countries and premier basmati rice
to the Middle East.
Bangladesh said this week it will
import 600,000 tonnes of rice, parts of which will be from the world's top
three exporters through government-to-government deals. (Additional reporting
by My Pham in HANOI, Rajendra Jadhav in MUMBAI, Ruma Paul in DHAKA; Editing by
Subhranshu Sahu)
http://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice-idINL4N1ID39O
May 12th, 2017
The editorial, entitled “Mobilize
and concentrate all the power to finish the rice transplanting at the right
time and in a proper way”, came a day after the ruling party organ announced
the unveiling of a new rice plantation in Pyongwon County, South Pyongan
Province.
Pyongyang claimed the U.S. and
hostile forces – who are reportedly “freaked out” by the DPRK’s “nuclear
deterrence and powers extending to the universe” – are now “publicly and
habitually make military threats and blackmail.”
“The malevolent offensives of all
the hostile forces – who stubbornly cling to the brutal racket of imposing
sanctions and smother the space for our lives as well as take away our right to
survive – is unprecedented in history,” the Rodong Sinmun said.
The party organ reiterated that
the success of the country “can’t be considered without self-sufficiency of
food,” but also said that recent gasoline shortages and
an ongoing drought meant that farmers had shifted to harrowing dry rice paddies
instead of wet.
Pyongyang called for farmers,
workers, and volunteers to be “deeply aware” that the struggle to resolve the
food problem is part of a “fight without guns.”“Rice is socialism. And
a splendid harvest is like ‘a nuclear bomb’ that gives a terrible
punishment on the heads of the enemies,” Rodong Sinmun said.“If we have enough rice there is
nothing we are afraid of, even if we face an Arduous March a hundred
times,” it added, a reference to North Korea’s famine of the 1990s in which
hundreds of thousands are estimated to have died.The DPRK is urging its people
to “breach the despicable and atrocious siege ring” of the country’s
enemies by achieving the “great story of the rice planting campaign by any
means.”
Rodong Sinmun reported on Wednesday that wheat,
barley, and corn production had begun to suffer from drought damage due to low
rainfall on the east coast, as well as South and North Hwanghae Provinces.
In the editorial entitled “Let’s
Powerfully Struggle to Prevent the Drought Damage,” the North reiterated that
preventing drought damage is a “time-sensitive project.”
https://www.nknews.org/2017/05/n-korea-calls-for-bumper-nuclear-bomb-rice-harvest-in-response-to-sanctions/
After Wheat, FCI to Set up Rice Silos
By Madhvi Sally
ET Bureau | May 12, 2017,
11.22 AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Food Corporation of
India, on a pilot basis, will set up rice silos in the country to drive modernisation and technology
adoption for mechanised preservation of food grain.
In the past, the country’s only centralised food procurement agency has set up wheat silos, with technology and grain movement in bulk for the crop, for a while. Rice silos are different from wheat silos in size: They are smaller, and require chilling units.
“In Kaimur and Buxur regions of Bihar, we will be setting up 12,500-tonne capacity rice silos on a pilot basis. The tenders have been issued and in the next three months, the results will be out,” says Aseem Chabbra, general manager (silos), FCI.
The silos will be developed in proximity to private freight terminals, so that grain could be transported by specialised rail wagons in bulk form. “This will prevent loss, damage and degradation of grain quality,” says Chabbra.
Officials say they were exploring the possibility of setting up rice silos in Chhattisgarh and Andhra.
Chabbra added that rice silos require a chilling unit to maintain 15 degree Celsius temperature to avoid degradation in rice quality. However, in wheat silos, blowers are used and there is no need to bring down the temperature. Further, rice silos have a capacity to store a maximum 3,125 tonnes, while in wheat it is 12,500 tonnes, he says. In each location, FCI would be putting up about four silos, with a maximum rice storage capacity of 3,125 tonnes in each silo.
This capacity building will be part of the government’s target to construct 100 lakh tonne silos across the country in a phased manner by 2019-20. The silos are being constructed by FCI and various state agencies
In the past, the country’s only centralised food procurement agency has set up wheat silos, with technology and grain movement in bulk for the crop, for a while. Rice silos are different from wheat silos in size: They are smaller, and require chilling units.
“In Kaimur and Buxur regions of Bihar, we will be setting up 12,500-tonne capacity rice silos on a pilot basis. The tenders have been issued and in the next three months, the results will be out,” says Aseem Chabbra, general manager (silos), FCI.
The silos will be developed in proximity to private freight terminals, so that grain could be transported by specialised rail wagons in bulk form. “This will prevent loss, damage and degradation of grain quality,” says Chabbra.
Officials say they were exploring the possibility of setting up rice silos in Chhattisgarh and Andhra.
Chabbra added that rice silos require a chilling unit to maintain 15 degree Celsius temperature to avoid degradation in rice quality. However, in wheat silos, blowers are used and there is no need to bring down the temperature. Further, rice silos have a capacity to store a maximum 3,125 tonnes, while in wheat it is 12,500 tonnes, he says. In each location, FCI would be putting up about four silos, with a maximum rice storage capacity of 3,125 tonnes in each silo.
This capacity building will be part of the government’s target to construct 100 lakh tonne silos across the country in a phased manner by 2019-20. The silos are being constructed by FCI and various state agencies
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/news/after-wheat-fci-to-set-up-rice-silos/articleshow/58639851.cms
PH-Korea collaboration to develop corn mill
Published
By Zac B. Sarian
It is all systems go for
the development of an efficient village-level corn mill under a collaborative
project between the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (Kamico)
and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization
(PhilMech).
The memorandum of agreement (MOA)
was recently signed for this project between Kamico chaired by Shin Gil Kim and
PhilMech headed by Dr. Dionisio G. Alvindia.
·
PROMOTING PHILIPPINE FARM
MECHANIZATION – Philip Kim of Fitcorea Philippines is largely instrumental in
bringing together the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative
(Kamico) and PhilMech to undertake joint projects to promote farm mechanization
in the country. The first project is the development of an efficient village-level
corn mill that will process white corn for human consumption. Another project
is the setting up of a farm mechanization training center at the PhilMech
headquarters in Muñoz City in Nueva Ecija. Photo shows Philip Kim operating a
Branzon tractor, a Korean brand that is prized for its high quality and
performance.LeeWha Industry Company, makers of compact rice mills, headed by
Seok Jin Lee, has been designated by Kamico to implement the project. LeeWha is
the number one manufacturer of compact rice mills in KIorea which has
revolutionized rice milling in that country.Because the compact rice mills are
efficient, the big rice processing centers with huge rice mills are no longer
necessary for most farming communities in Korea. The compact rice mill is
affordable by even individual farmers, hence it has become very popular. The
rice mills can also be a good investment for entrepreneurs in the countryside.The
corn mill to be developed for the Philippines is also compact as well as
efficient and affordable. The target is to provide milling facilities for white
corn which is a favorite staple food, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao.MECHANIZATION
TRAINING CENTER – Another area of collaboration between Korea and the
Philippines is the setting up of a training center at the headquarters of
PhilMech in Muñoz, Nueva City.The center will showcase the different machines
needed for various chores on the farm. These will include Branson tractors and
various implements that could be attached to the big machine.Farmers and
trainees will be familiarized with different kinds of machines and equipment
that can help promote faster mechanization of farms in the Philippines.
Machines like rice transplanters, direct rice seeders, harvesters, levelers,
disk harrows and plows, loaders and many more will all be showcased there.Philip
Kim of Fitcorea also sees a need to train tractor operators on proper land
cultivation. The plows and harrows should achieve the proper depths so that the
plants will be provided with properly prepared land. Philip Kim has observed
that many tractor operators operate their tractors as if they are racing so
that the land is not properly cultivated.
****
**** ****
MANGO FESTIVAL – The AMIA Mango Festival started yesterday at the Centris Walk
on Edsa corner Quezon Avenue in Quezon City and will end tomorrow, Sunday. Go
visit the place to get updated on the latest developments in the mango
industry. There are also fresh and processed mangoes on sale.
IMPACT Philippines – This is a
new project that will be launched on Monday, May 15, with Sen. Villar giving
the keynote speech at the Agricultural Training Institute in Quezon City. The
project under the auspices of an NGO called ASSIST, will help smallholder
farmers in Buguias, Benguet to increase their productivity and income through
the use of tools supplied by Pessl GmbH of Germany.
Tags: Agri plain talk, collaborative project, KAMICO, Korea Agricultural Machinery
Industry Cooperative, PH-Korea collaboration to
develop corn mill, Philip Kim, Philippine Center for
Postharvest Development and Mechanization, Seok Jin Lee, Shin Gil Kim
http://newsbits.mb.com.ph/2017/05/13/ph-korea-collaboration-to-develop-corn-mill/
Irri
research paper
Visit the
next link to view the paper
http://www.senova.de/index.php/dissertation/24356/
No comments:
Post a Comment