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19th June,2017 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter
Iran Produces 61% of Central, West Asian Rice
With around 54% of Central and West Asia's
paddy fields located in Iran, the country accounts for 61% of the
regions' combined rice production, the Central and West Asia Rice Center
said.
According to CWARice, in order to meet growing demand, achieve food
security and reduce poverty in Central and West Asia, a 25% increase in
rice production is needed by 2035, IRNA reported.
CWARice was officially established in 2010 at the Rice Research
Institute of Iran in the city of Rasht in Iran's northern Gilan
Province. Its member states include Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan.
The mission of CWARice is to conduct advanced rice research with an
emphasis on new production technologies that will be required to adapt
rice production systems in the region to climate change, the center's
official website said.
The International Rice Research Institute has estimated that rice
consumption in Central and West Asia will rise from the current 9
million tons to around 16.5 million tons in 2035.
The International Rice Research Institute is the world’s premier
research organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through
rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and
consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future
generations.
IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute,
founded in 1960. Headquartered in Los Banos, the Philippines, IRRI has
offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa.
Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year, of which more than 2.2
million tons are supplied by domestic farmers.
The Agriculture Ministry expects domestic rice production to increase by
10-15% in the current Iranian year (started March 21), because of
favorable weather condition and timely distribution of seeds,
fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and equipment among local farmers.
The government periodically places a ban on imports during the harvest
season to support local farmers. Import tariffs have increased from 22%
four years ago to 40% at present for the same reason.
The two northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are home to the
majority of Iran’s paddy fields.
Director General of Grains and Staple Foods Office with the Ministry of
Agriculture Kaveh Khaksar said about 81% and 70% of rice harvest in the
two provinces respectively were mechanized in the last Iranian year
(ended March 20, 2017), Mehr News Agency reported.
“The figures are estimated to increase to 86% for Mazandaran and 80% for
Gilan in the current year. Mechanization expansion is done with the aim
of increasing productivity and achieving self-sufficiency. A 100%
automation of rice harvest is projected by the end of the sixth
five-year development plan (2017-22),” he said.
Khaksar added that out of the 185,000 hectares of paddy fields in
Mazandaran, 38,000 hectares went under mechanized rice planting. In
Gilan, mechanized rice planting was carried out over 95,000 hectares
from the total of 238,000 hectares of paddy fields.
According to Kambiz Abbasi, an official with the Ministry of
Agriculture, the government of President Hassan Rouhani invested 6
trillion rials (about $156 million) on mechanization of rice production,
which investment is “unprecedented”.
He added that mechanization would cut rice harvesting costs by up to
70%.
Abbasi also noted that in view of water shortage in Iran, the
administration is not willing to expand paddy fields in provinces other
than the northern Mazandaran and Gilan.
Rice
is an important food source for a majority of the world population. Worldwide,
on average around 60 kilograms of rice is consumed per year per person.
Researchers from all over the world, including from the ITC Faculty of the
University of Twente, have developed the RiceAtlas: a spatial database that
answers key questions like where, when and how much rice is grown globally. The
database has just been made publicly available.
RiceAtlas
consists of data on rice planting and harvesting dates by growing season and
estimates of monthly production for all rice-producing countries. The database
represents a long term global effort to collect, and continuously update, the
most detailed information on rice calendars and production worldwide. This is
an important dataset that is crucial for understanding the effects of policy,
trade, and global and technological change on food security.
Spatial
data for strategic planning and modelling
Alice
Laborte, scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI): “Several
rice crop calendars exist. However, they do not adequately capture the spatial
and temporal detail associated with rice production. With the help of
collaborators from various countries, RiceAtlas has become the most
comprehensive and detailed spatial database on global rice calendar and
production.”
Andy
Nelson, Professor of Spatial Agriculture and Food Security at ITC, University
of Twente: “We developed RiceAtlas to support strategic planning and modelling
which require information on the where and when of rice. Making it a global
public good serves the research and policy community but also means that
RiceAtlas can be regularly improved through expert knowledge and
contributions.”
Sander
J. Zwart, principal researcher at AfricaRice: “Strategic knowledge on the when
and where of rice production supports the debate on food security and the
development and implementation of policies across Africa. Experts from national
institutes were consulted to contribute information to RiceAtlas that was before
available only in national data bases and not shared with the greater public.
RiceAtlas was already deployed to spatially analyse the impact of climate
change on rice production in the different growing seasons.”
The
development of RiceAtlas is a global collaboration across institutions: the
International Rice Research Institute, the Africa Rice Center, the Italian
National Research Council, the International Food Policy Research Institute,
the University of California, and the University of Twente; and was supported
by the CGIAR Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) and Policies,
Institutions, and Markets (PIM), and the Global Futures Project.
Read
more
Access
the recently published paper in Nature Scientific Data and find out the
methodology behind the most comprehensive and detailed spatial database on rice
calendar and production to date. Users are invited to suggest improvements and
provide better data so that RiceAtlas remains the best source of contemporary
rice calendar and production information.
Eat
rice, but be riceponsible!In the light of the issue of unlimited rice serving
in food establishments, one piece of advice from the Department of Agriculture
– Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is – Be Riceponsible!The
Institute, through its Be Riceponsible Campaign, has affirmed that eating too
much rice has ill effects to human health.
A
study by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that excessive rice intake
may adversely affect glucose metabolism and insulin production of the body thus
may result in diabetes. According to study, carbohydrate content of one (1)
bowl of rice is equivalent to more than twice of a can of soft drink and each
plate of white rice eaten in a day raises the risk of diabetes by 11% in the
overall population.
“That
is the main reason why we are promoting brown or unpolished rice as it has
lower glycemic index, which means that it takes longer before it is converted
to blood sugar. It also has higher satiety so you tend to eat less. Those are
the reasons why it is better for diabetics compared with white rice,” explained
Be Riceponsible campaign director Myriam Layaoen.
Brown
rice is the whole grain or unpolished version of white rice with its bran
retained and contains superior amount of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins,
minerals, and antioxidants that can help control blood sugar level, lower bad
cholesterol, prevent heart disease and the risk of developing cancer.
The
campaign also tries to influence policy directions and involve
farmer-cooperatives to make brown rice more accessible and affordable to the
general public.“We are tapping local governments to issue ordinances and
resolutions that will support the advocacy. Meanwhile, we also talk to farmer
groups to produce brown rice and sell it at reasonable price. We also partner
with food establishments throughout the country to encourage their
participation.”
Layaoen
emphasized that brown rice is just an ordinary rice, but unpolished during
milling. Its milling recovery is 10% higher than ordinary rice, hence getting
more rice after milling.PhilRice executive director, Dr. Sailila Abdula said
that as an R&D institution, PhilRice will consistently explore ways to
improve the rice ecosystem.
“That
said, we are not just looking at production but also at the other side of rice
security, which is consumption. We welcome any support towards achieving rice
competitiveness, especially from our colleagues in the government. The good
news should start from us,” Abdula expressed.
PhilRice’s
new strategic plan strongly promotes competitiveness of farmers and the rice
industry as a whole to become profitable, resilient, and sustainable.
“We
are one in curtailing rice wastage because we believe that every grain our
farmers produce means life to a Filipino, and could help in ensuring enough
supply of rice for the country,” he added.
The
Be Riceponsible Campaign is DA’s nationwide initiative to promote responsible
rice consumption by reducing rice wastage in households and eating healthier
forms of rice such as brown rice.
AFTER instantly receiving criticism
over her remarks on rice, Sen. Cynthia Villar explained that she was
misconstrued and denied that she’s initiating a measure to ban restaurants and
fast food establishments from offering unlimited rice.During a committee
hearing, Villar, who is also the chair of the Senate committee on agriculture
and food, proposed an initiative to curb the habit of eating too much rice
among Filipinos who are known to be heavy consumers of rice. She further
encouraged the consumption of more vegetables over white rice, which is said to
cause diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
“I think we should learn how to eat
vegetables because it’s healthier. Kasi sasabihin mas mura ang rice sa
vegetables eh ang mahal naman magpagamot ng diabetes(I think we should learn how to
eat vegetables because it’s healthier. People would say vegetable are way more
expensive than rice, but look at how much it would cost you to pay your medical
bills due to diabetes),” said Villar during a hearing on rice
production and consumption.
Villar clarified that she was
merely “voicing out” her concern on the health risks of excessive consumption
of rice when she made a statement during a Senate hearing on rice importation
and rice self-sufficiency on Wednesday, June 14.
“I just voiced out my concern that
eating too much rice is one of the main causes of high blood sugar that leads
to diabetes,” said Villar.
Meanwhile, the senator has tasked
the Department of Agriculture (DA) to stop rice importation starting 2018, a
directive which that coincides with an earlier statement by Agriculture
Secretary Emmanuel Piñol before the committee who said that he aims to end the
country’s need to import rice by next year.
According to the Philippine Rice
Research Institute (Philrice), self-sufficiency in food staples means the
country must produce the national food requirement while also maintaining a
buffer stock to be used in times of need.
Villar touted that attaining rice
self-sufficiency for the country is a no easy job, but she is quite bullish
that the DA can solve the rice problem given that it has implemented effective
measures in addressing various issues on rice production.“Iyon ang projection
(2018) ni Secretary Piñol, kung makukuha niya. Kasi ang importation depends on
production.(That was the projection of Secretary Piñol for 2018. Rice
importation depends on the production). If the production can meet
the consumption, then no importation. Marami nang nag-project nang ganoon, hindi
naman natupad,” she explained to reporters.
Present during the hearing were
representatives from the Department of Agriculture, National Food Authority
(NFA), and Cabinet Secretary Leoncio “Jun” Evasco, chair of the NFA Council.
Further, Villar also told the
officials to encourage the consumption of brown rice, instead of well-milled
rice.“We should not encourage well-milled rice. Kung pwedeng brown rice, brown
rice na lang. Kasi pag kinain mo, mabigat sa tiyan, konti lang nakakain mo (If
possible, consume brown rice because of its fiber content, making you feel full
even with a small amount, thus, you eat less),” she added.
However, Villar’s proposal to end
unli-rice was met with a barrage of negative comments from netizens— from
serious suggestions on other viable options to manage the production of rice,
to comments with comical undertones, and those that accuse Villar of being
“cruel” for denying them a simple joy.(With reports from Jennifer Soriano/AJPress)
THE statistics are staggering. According to the
International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines wastes more than 300,000
tons of rice annually. This translates to a cost of more than P20 million a
day, or about P8 billion annually.
To put this in the proper
perspective, the annual volume of rice wastage is equivalent to a third of rice
imports, an issue that is fraught with political, economic and even health
considerations. All this because Filipinos, on the average, are said to waste
three tablespoons of rice every day.
But the proposal to ban “unlimited
rice” servings in some restaurants, apparently a knee-jerk one, by Sen. Cynthia
Villar, seems misplaced. This week, in a Senate hearing on the country’s rice
importation and failed attempts to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production,
these statistics on rice wastage were again brought up, along with the ill
effects of too much rice consumption on the health.
Betraying the Big-Brother or
draconian tendencies many Filipino politicians have, Villar proposed to stop
restaurants from offering “unlimited rice” promotions to their customers. It
touched a raw nerve especially on social media, with the senator being the
subject of a few memes.
On Twitter, parody accounts of
local fast-food chains made fun of the proposed “unli-rice ban.” It’s likely a
manifestation of Filipinos’ frustrations with the misplaced priorities of some
politicos. Indeed, there are bigger problems to tackle than restaurants’
unli-rice promos. As expected, Villar walked back her proposal.
Equating unli-rice to wastage is a
debatable proposition. Perhaps Villar has not eaten in restaurants offering
these promos. Waiters often make it a point to ask customers how many cups of
rice they need, and serve rice only when requested. The restaurants, it seems,
are aware of the likelihood of wastage, and often use very small cups.
Needless to say, these promos are
popular. To many working-class Filipinos, it’s perhaps the only luxury they
could afford given the rising cost of food, but one that could easily fill
their stomachs. Thus, the immediate backlash on the senator.
A more sound proposal is Senate
Bill 1863 filed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in 2013. It
sought to penalize not unli-rice promos, but the practice among restaurants of
refusing to serve less than a cup of rice, and proposed to fine these
establishments up to P100,000. To keen observers of Filipino habit, the wastage
happens with those who order more rice than they are able to consume, not with
those who are willing to pay for an extra serving.
To be sure, the solution to rice
wastage is education, not Machiavellian impositions. Villar could instead fund
an extensive campaign to curb rice wastage, for instance, by emphasizing the
ill effects of a high-carbohydrate diet, among them diabetes and heart disease
http://www.manilatimes.net/unlimited-rice/333208/
Spatial database on rice for research and policy questions on food
security
June 16, 2017 by Laurens Van Der
Velde
Credit:
University of Twente
Rice is an important food source
for a majority of the world population. Worldwide, on average around 60
kilograms of rice is consumed per year per person. Researchers from all over
the world, including from the ITC Faculty of the University of Twente, have
developed the RiceAtlas.
The RiceAtlas is a spatialdatabasethat
answers key questions like where, when and how much rice is grown globally. The
database has just been made publicly available. It consists of data on rice
planting and harvesting dates by growing season and estimates of monthly
production for all rice-producing countries. The database represents a long
term global effort to collect, and continuously update, the most detailed
information on rice calendars and production worldwide. This is an important
dataset that is crucial for understanding the effects of policy, trade, and
global and technological change onfood security.
Spatial data for strategic planning and modelling
Alice Laborte, scientist at the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI): "Several rice crop calendars exist. However, they do not
adequately capture the spatial and temporal detail associated withrice production. With the help of collaborators from
various countries, RiceAtlas has become the most comprehensive and detailed
spatial database on global rice calendar and production."
Andy Nelson, Professor of Spatial Agriculture and Food Security at
ITC, University of Twente: "We developed RiceAtlas to support strategic
planning and modelling which require information on the where and when of rice.
Making it a global public good serves the research and policy community but
also means that RiceAtlas can be regularly improved through expert knowledge
and contributions."
Sander J. Zwart, principal researcher at AfricaRice:
"Strategic knowledge on the when and where of rice production supports the
debate on food security and the development and implementation of policies
across Africa. Experts from national institutes were consulted to contribute
information to RiceAtlas that was before available only in national data bases
and not shared with the greater public. RiceAtlas was already deployed to
spatially analyse the impact of climate change onriceproduction in the different growing
seasons.
By
Ismail Adebayo, Birnin Kebbi | Publish Date: Jun 18 2017 8:10AM
Rice farmers working on their farm
Given the rich harvest recorded by
rice farmers in Kebbi State between last year and now, many of them are smiling
to the banks as millionaires.
The chairman of the Rice Farmers
Association in Kebbi State, Alhaji Sahabi Augie, told our correspondent that they
had witnessed an influx of buyers from different parts of the country and
neighbouring countries like Niger and Benin.
He added that millers and traders
from Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, Lagos, Maiduguri, Niger and Adamawa, had come with
trucks and trailers to buy rice from the farmers, saying this led to an
increase in the price of the commodity beyond expectations. According to him,
this development has enriched farmers.
The governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele had, during the pre-commissioning of the
N10billion WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu, said that over 88,000 farmers had become
millionaires in Kebbi through the Anchor Borrowers Dry Season Rice Farming
programme of the bank. He added that because Kebbi was the largest rice producing
state in the country, farmers would continue to make money, especially with the
introduction of rice mills such as LABANA and WACOT.
The chairman of rice farmers
association in the state, Augie said: “By the end of 2019, additional 250,000
millionaires would have been created in Kebbi through rice farming.
“We were lucky the weather was
favourable and the input given to the farmers by government was efficient. This
greatly assisted in raising the yield during last year’s harvest and putting
more money into the hands of the rice farmers. I must say that the harvest was
very good for us. It had never been like this before. We harvested rice in a
way we had never harvested it before in Kebbi.”
Under the Anchor Borrowers
programme, 78,000 farmers were engaged to produce rice in the state. Each of
them was given the required input to cultivate one hectare of farm. Apart from
this, there are over 300,000 rice farmers in the state that were not captured
under the programme, but are also producing rice on their own.
During an interview with Daily Trust
on Sunday, Justice Uthman Mohammed (retired), who is a patron of the Kebbi
State Rice Farmers Association, spoke about his interest in rice farming. “I
have over 50 hectares of rice field. I harvested over 1,000 bags of rice last
year. People have been coming on excursion to my farm to see what I have done
there. Last year, a bag of rice was sold at N10,000.
“Because of the boost in rice
farming, most of the young men have gone into it. If you go to the FADAMA area
in Argungu, you would be amazed. When the Federal Government asked Governor
Atiku Bagudu if we could produce a million metric tonnes of rice from Kebbi
State last year, I told the president that we would exceed the target. Last
year, we achieved over 1million metric tonnes of rice production capacity.
“There is no reason for us to import
what we can grow in our country. And I am happy the farmers have taken the
challenge very seriously, particularly now that we have a rice mill in Argungu.
During last year’s dry season harvest, a bag of paddy rice was sold at N15,000,
against the initial price of N10,000,” the retired justice said.
This year, projections show that the
price of paddy rice may be higher. Under the Anchor Borrowers arrangement, the
government is expected to buy rice from the registered farmers at the rate of
N113,000 per tonne.
Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday, a
rice farmer, Ahmed Idris Bunza said, “I can hardly find a word to commend
facilitators o
of this rice programme. Before now,
we were making farmers from other countries millionaires while we remained
poor. There were moves to take up similar initiatives, but the policies were
inconsistent. However, today we are lucky that the president and our governor
are determined to address the issue. We can’t quantify the economic advantage
it has brought to many of our farmers in Kebbi State.
“Last year, after harvest I got over
600 bags of paddy rice. That year, I made money I had not made in the past 30
years as a rice farmer. I was able to build my own house, buy a car and I marry
a new wife. This year, my rice farm is bigger and I expect to make more money.”
“It is true that we made unexpected
profit from our rice last year, and we have started making more profit from
this year’s harvest. Some of us made so much that they could build houses, some
bought cars and even married more wives. I was able to complete my two house
projects, one at Bunza, my home town and the other one in Sokoto.
“It is a fact that we made so much
money, but many of us are still indebted to the government. You know it was
government that gave us money, fertilizer, seeds and herbicides during the
farming season. I have settled my debt. I will urge other farmers to do same so
that we can be considered for more loans. I learnt that government was planning
to give 140,000 farmers loans under the Anchor Borrowers programme, so it will
be better for them to settle their debt.’’
Hamisu Garba, a farmer in the Duku
area of Birnin Kebbi, told our correspondent that although it was the first
time he ventured into rice cultivation, he made a huge profit. “I encountered
some problems during the farming season because it was new to me, but at the
end I was shocked beyond imagination to make the kind of money I made after
harvesting my rice. Today, I own a house and two cars. Last year, I only
cultivated one hectare of rice farm, but this year, I am doing three hectares,”
he said.
Another rice farmer, Kabiru Usman,
who said he cultivated five hectares during last year’s season, told our
correspondent how millers came to his farm to buy up his harvest. “It was like
a dream when traders bought everything I harvested right from the farm. I
didn’t buy a car because I am planning to build a house. We must thank God and
the government who allowed us to make the kind of money we made. I have been
engaged in rice farming for the past 15 years, but I never made the kind of
money I made last year.”
Speaking to our correspondent in his
palace, the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Muhammad Mera, who is also a rice farmer,
said, “When you talk about agriculture here, it is rice first. The late Emir of
Argungu started the dry season farming in Kebbi State. The good news for our
farmers is that there is available market for their produce. With the WACOT
Rice Mill, market is guaranteed. In the past, 100kg bag of rice cost between
N3,000 and N4,000. People simply cultivated rice to feed their families and
sold the little leftover. But rice has since become profitable. These days we
see company directors closing their offices and coming to farm in Argungu,
because there is a guaranteed market for the produce.”
Malama Halimatu Muhammed said that
when she started, government gave her two pumping machines, fertilisers,
insecticides, 44 seeds and money, under the Anchor Borrowers Programme.
“You know the farming method has
changed. What we are witnessing in rice farming now in Kebbi has never happened
before. During last year’s dry season farming I harvested over 200 bags of
rice. This year, my rice is doing well and I am expected to harvest over 500
bags. If I get more money I could produce more than 1,000 bags of paddy rice,”
Malama Halimatu said.
The secretary of Rice and Wheat
Farmers Association, Alhaji Muhammed Bello, told our correspondent that rice
traders and millers now follow the farmers to their farms to buy up their
produce. “Many of us are being offered
large sums of money to sell our rice as they are being harvested at the farm.
We are also being patronised from Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, Maiduguri and
even Lagos. Even people from the eastern states come here to buy rice in large
quantities,” he said.
Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi also said:
“This is my seventh year in rice farming. Before my husband died, I was helping
him in the farm, but now the “rice farming is better than it was in the past. I
was able to achieve a lot during last year’s harvest. The incentives given to
me by LABANA Rice Mills really helped to increase the yield. I farmed rice
across one hectare of land last year and I made a lot of money. For this year’s
harvest, I am expecting over 400 bags of rice.
18
June 2017
Tehran – Head of International workshop on national rice development strategies
for Central and West Asia (RRTC-CWA) Dr. Shahdi Komala said that 54 percent of total area for
cultivation of rice in Central and West Asia is in Iran, but Iran is producing
61 percent of total rice of the region.
Shahdi
pointed to the rising demand for rice in this region, so in order to face
increasing demand, establishment of food security and reduction of poverty, we
need to increase rice production by 25 percent more in the region until year
2035.
Head of (RRTC-CWA) said that rice consumption in the region has increased by
threefold since 1980.
He stressed that according to prediction of International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) rice consumption in the region will increase from around 9
million tons currently to 16.5 million tons in year 2035.
Shahdi said Iran and Iraq will allocate 50 percent of this demand until 2035 to
themselves lonely.
He said that the center is trying to coordinate member-states for new
scientific progresses and increase in production function and scientific,
research cooperation with the world rice scientific society.
Shahdi said 10 countries of Iran, Azerbaijan Republic, Turkey, Iraq,
Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan
are covered by the center.
Head of Central and West Asian Rice Center said effects of global climate
change on rice production through increase of greenhouse gases, increase in
population, reduction of area for cultivation of rice, because of land use
patterns and supplying less percent of world rice production in the market are
the most important challenges of production of this crop in the level of
international and regional.
The center has defined 15 goals to face the problems like promotion of
cooperation among regional countries among themselves and other international
institutes, development of scientific, research, cultural, economic and social
relations between countries of the region with Iran's key role for its
permanent hosting advantage, development of trans-territorial cultivation,
improving quantity and quality of function, helping self-sufficiency of
member-states, organizing and promoting knowledge level of farmers, experts
through training, research and consultation, cooperation and participation and
organizing associations and unions either public or private.
International Rice Research Institute located in Philippines and its Middle
Eastern branch opened in Northern Province of Mazandaran in Iran in 2010
IRRI scientist
for raising nat'l rice yield by 50pc
Published : 17 Jun 2017, 22:42:19
A scientist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has
suggested increasing national rice yield by at least 50 per cent to meet the
increasing demand of the staple food grain in rice consuming countries.
Peter Jennings, a senior scientist emeritus at IRRI, made the
recommendation in an article, published in IRRI's regular publication Rice on
Saturday.Jennings led the team that bred IR8 in the early 1960s.The first
generation high yield rice variety was also a breakthrough for Bangladesh
agriculture sector. Many farmers in the country grew more rice for years by
replacing local rice varieties with the IR8.In the article, Jennings strongly
recommended that the rice growing countries should take effective steps to
increase the national yield to six tonnes per hectare from current four tonnes.
The scientist made the suggestion specifically to the Philippines
authorities, but said that "it equally apply to all countries currently
mired at an average yield of some 4 tonnes per hectare".
"To reach an average of six tons per hectare, farmers require
many improvements including better farm-to-market roads, modernised rice mills,
earthen dams to capture rainwater where topography permits and credit for tube
wells and low-lift pumps," he said.
Besides, he recommended subsidies to reduce electricity costs to
run the pumps, a massive increase in skilled agriculture extension staff and
reduction of multiple deficiencies in crop management that constrain yieldhttp://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/06/17/74157/IRRI-scientist-for-raising-nat%27l-rice-yield-by-50pc
MoU signed to improve socio-economic conditions of
rice growers
Amanullah Khan
Karachi
A Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) was signed between Matco Foods, Pakistan’s largest Basmati rice exporter,
Oxfam in Pakistan and Doaba Foundation pledging to improve the socio-economic
conditions of rice growers in Pakistan. The MoU was signed in a ceremony
organized at the Matco Foods factory in Sadhoke and was attended by the senior
management of the three organizations.
Under the project called ‘Towards a Gender Transformative and Sustainable
Basmati Rice Value Chain in Pakistan’: Matco and Oxfam aim to work with rice
growers and workers in 10 villages in Punjab as a pilot project. The overall
objectives of the project is “Empowered and organized women and men rice
growers and workers in Punjab, Pakistan achieving better prices for their
sustainably produced rice, earning a higher income, and lobbying for improved
working conditions”.
Expressing his views on the occasion, Faizan Ghori, Director, Matco Foods said,
“As a responsible corporate citizen, Matco is delighted to partner with Oxfam
to help improve the livelihood of farmers in the Basmati rice growing areas of
Pakistan. We believe this initiative has both a social and commercial impact.
Greater productivity and sustainable production of rice will help farmers and
also strengthen Matco’s supply chain.”
Oxfam’s Program Director Ms. Javeria Afzal and Senior Program Manager Mr.
Qaisar Arafat were present at the signing ceremony. Speaking at the MoU signing
ceremony, Ms Javeria Afzal noted that rice growers in Pakistan have limited
opportunities for learning improved farming practices such as integrated pest
management, alternatives to chemical fertilizers and water management. Moreover,
Ms Afzal said a lack of understanding of market dynamics means many growers are
unable to get a fair price for their produce. “Rice growers, most of whom are
women in children working for low wages, are among some of the most vulnerable
and marginalized in the rice industry,” she said.
The goal of the collaboration is to fight poverty and improve food security by
implementing a joint development project. Matco Foods has shown willingness to
develop partnership and collaboration on rice value chain work in Pakistan.
Under the Rice value chain project in Muridke, Sheikhupura district, Matco
Foods will support in providing technical support on sustainable rice
production practices and improve knowledge and agricultural practices at field
level
Authorities
say initial investigation debunks claims of Cap Rambutan fake rice
Sunday June 18, 2017 06:54 PM GMT+8
Acting director of the Kedah Paddy
Regulatory Office, Mohd Hidzir Selamat, said following an inspection conducted
by him and a team of five this morning, they found that the rice at the Cap
Rambutan factory came from a genuine source. — Reuters picALOR SETAR, June 18 —
Initial investigation carried out on ‘Cap Rambutan’ rice wholesaler, OEL
Distribution (Kedah) Sdn Bhd near here, following a viral video claiming that
it used fake rice made from plastic, revealed that the company used genuine
rice.
Acting director of the Kedah Paddy
Regulatory Office, Mohd Hidzir Selamat, said following an inspection conducted
by him and a team of five this morning, they found that the rice at the
company’s factory came from a genuine source.
“We have taken a sample of their
rice and carried out texture and iodine tests. We have even cooked the rice.
The results reveal that the rice produced by Cap Rambutan contains starch and
is of pure origin.
“We have also examined the rice
clamping machinery and its premises... and no traces of fake rice were
detected. However, we will still send a sample of the rice to the Chemistry
Department to gauge its actual contents and composition which will provide a
more accurate result,” he said when contacted by Bernama here today.
Mohd Hidzir also advised the public
to not easily believe unverified information made viral on the social media,
but to check on the information from the authorities first. — Bernama
Fine
quality rice sale in all RDO offices from today
THE HANS INDIA |
Jun 19,2017 , 12:32 AM IST
A Mallkarjuna
Kakinada: East Godavari joint collector(JC) and
collector for civil supplies A Mallkarjuna said that the sale of fine quality
rice (Gidda Masuri variety) will be extended to all the seven RDO offices in
the district, 10 municipalities and two municipal corporation offices in the
district from Monday.
Highlights:
JC says the
sale will be extended to all municipal offices
These are in
addition to the rice miller counters at Rythu Bazaars
The district
authorities initiated the measure in view of sharp rise in price of fine
quality of rice
Speaking to The Hans
India on Saturday at his chambers, the JC said that these sale points are in
addition to Rythu Bazaars rice mill counters in the district. The district
authorities initiated these measures in view of sharp rise in price of fine
quality of rice in open market in the last two weeks crossing Rs 50 per kg.
Mallikarjuna said that
negotiations were going on with wholesalers to reduce the price of fine quality
of rice in market also. “We will wait for next two days and initiate the future
course of action,” he said.The joint collector said all these counters will be
managed by East Godavari rice millers’ association and each person will be
entitled to get 10 kg of rice at any of these counters as one transaction.
Commenting on the
stoppage of kerosene supply under PDS from June, the JC said that as the
coverage of LPG had almost been extended to BPL cardholders, the kerosene
supplies have been withdrawn except in Rampachodavaram mandal in East Godavari
Agency where 17,000 PDS cardholders are to be covered with LPG
·The New Goods and
Services Tax Act to be implemented from next month
·Rice will carry the new
tax of 6.50 per cent under the GST
·Branded and packed rice
varieties to pinch more
Think twice before inviting guests over an elaborate Biryani
dish at home, this year. For, the price of rice will go up by from Rs 3 to Rs 5
per kilogram with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to be implemented by July 1.
Branded and packed rice varieties are expected to cost more as
they are being sold with the new GST cess, 6.50 per cent tax - 5 per cent tax
under GST and 1.50 tax under the Karnataka Sales Tax. This will be applied to
all varieties of rice, said KG Nagaraj, joint secretary of Karnataka State Rice
Millers' Association to Kannada Prabha.
Karnataka along with West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh
and Punjab are the predominant rice-growing states. Till now, except for the
1.50 per cent sales tax, the state had not imposed any tax. However, with the
GST all set to roll out next month, it is sure to pinch customers' pockets.
How does it affect:
Rice millers in the state purchase rice from paddy growers and
they sell the rice under their own brand or trade mark in the market.
There are at least 900 varieties of rice in the state of which 500 types are
being sold through various brands and other 400 types through trademarks. They
carried only 1.50 per cent sales tax, earlier.
At present, Sona Masuri, steamed rice and raw rice is available
from Rs 28 to Rs 62 per kg. There are other brands of rice and their price
ranges from Rs 52 to Rs 62. The branded or the packed rice costs Rs 80 to Rs
180. Now, with 6.50 per cent of GST, the price of rice will only soar with every
KG. This would not only affect the consumers but even farmers will also be
severely, impacted. For, the rice millers may not take the price quoted by the
farmers while purchasing the rice from them, reports Kannada Prabha.
There are fears that such a price rise may lead to rice
hoarding. There are chances that free rice provided by the state government may
be sold through the black market. Even rice millers can sell substandard
variety of rice through their packaging. The Millers' Associations are expected
to meet Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and explain him the impact of GST on rice
Notice to ACSO,
MI for Rs 6 cr waiver to rice mills
June 18 2017
Jajpur: In the
wake of allegations of a Rs 4 crore loss by district supply officials by
showing undue favour to millers, the deputy secretary, state food supplies and
consumer welfare department has issued a notice to the assistant civil supply
officer (ACSO) and the marketing inspector to appear in person in his office
for a probe June 24. ACSO Prahallad
Chandra Sethy and MI Biswajit Mishra have been asked to bring relevant
documents with them and be present in the office of the deputy secretary by 11
am June 24. However, no notice has been issued to civil supply officer Kushal
Majhi who may be called for a probe at a later date.
The state food supplies and consumer welfare department framed a
charge-sheet against the CSO, ACSO and the MI for incurring a loss of Rs 4
crore by showing undue favour to rice millers during 2015-16 paddy procurement
season.
These officials allegedly connived with each other and waived of Rs
6 core security deposit to six rice millers. Among the six mills, Sabitri
Industries got the highest waiver of Rs 3.34 crore and the creditor auctioned
its properties.
After reports surfaced the state food supplies and consumer welfare
department framed charge-sheet against the CSO Majhi, ACSO who doubled up as an
authorized officer for Mahabali rice mill and marketing inspector Mishra on
charge of negligence and connivance.
Managing director of Orissa state civil supply corporation Niranjan
Nayak asked these errant officials to send their replies within 30 days. Their charge-sheet claimed that they violated
clause-16 of the Orissa Government Employees Act. Majhi had joined as CSO,
Jajpur December 5, 2015.
The officials were required to provide paddy to rice mills on the
basis of their milling capacity and security deposits which they failed to
ensure. Moreover, they failed to supervise the milling and delivery of rice in
regular intervals
Sylhet rice
millers urge authority to fix new procurement rate
Aus paddy cultivation going on in full swing
Sylhet rice millers urge authority to fix new procurement rate
A partial view of an Aus paddy field in Golapganj upazila of
Sylhet. — FE Photo
Our Correspondent
SYLHET: Only 45 millers out of 482 listed signed contracts with the
Food Department for supplying 1358 tonnes of rice from the four districts of
the division.However, sources said most of them wouldn't be able to supply as
the region had lost almost 95 per cent Boro crops in Sunamagnj while the other
districts also suffered much.Besides, the other millers even on repeated
requests from the Food Department, didn't respond that way for signing
contracts, said Regional Controller of Food, Sylhet division, Md Anisuzzaman.
Only one miller managed supplying 22.5 tonnes of rice in
Jogonnathpur upazila till as yet.Of the total, only two millers out of 85 in
Sylhet district signed contracts while it is 36 against a total of 49 in
Moulvibazar and only seven in Sunamganj against the total 270. None among 78
millers in Habiganj responded to sign contract. A number of millers, requesting
to remain unquoted, said the decision of rice procurement in the division was
wrong one this year as the effects of disastrous floods is still visible in the
haor region.
Besides, market price of rice is higher all over the country than
the rate government is offering during the drive, a good number of millers
said. They urged the authority concerned to fix a new procurement rate.Meanwhile,
Aus cultivation is going on in full swing across Sylhet division.
Additional Director of DAE, Sylhet divisional office, Md Altabur
Rahman said the department had revised the division's target from 133,028
hectares to 1176,919 hectares for the season in a bid to recoup the loss of
Boro paddy due the repeated and early floods this year.
Over 90 per cent of the new target is achieved yet, he said,
adding, the area stood at 170,578 till Saturday last.
Already the farmers have completed farming on 64,621 hectares of
land against the target of 67,509 hectares in Sylhet, 48,337 hectares in
Moulvibazar, 45,120 hecatres in Habiganj and 12,500 hectares in Sunamganj
district.
With around 54% of Central and West Asia's paddy fields
located in Iran, the country accounts for 61% of the regions' combined rice
production, the Central and West Asia Rice Center said. According to CWARice,
in order to meet growing demand, achieve food security and reduce poverty in
Central and West Asia, a 25% increase in rice production is needed by 2035,
IRNA reported. CWARice was officially established in 2010 at the Rice Research
Institute of Iran in the city of Rasht in Iran's northern Gilan Province. Its
member states include Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The mission of CWARice is
to conduct advanced rice research with an emphasis on new production
technologies that will be required to adapt rice production systems in the
region to climate change, the center's official website said. The International
Rice Research Institute has estimated that rice consumption in Central and West
Asia will rise from the current 9 million tons to around 16.5 million tons in
2035. The International Rice Research Institute is the world’s premier research
organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science;
improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting
the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent,
nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960. Headquartered
in Los Banos, the Philippines, IRRI has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in
Asia and Africa. Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year, of which
more than 2.2 million tons are supplied by domestic farmers. The Agriculture
Ministry expects domestic rice production to increase by 10-15% in the current
Iranian year (started March 21), because of favorable weather condition and
timely distribution of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and equipment
among local farmers. The government periodically places a ban on imports during
the harvest season to support local farmers. Import tariffs have increased from
22% four years ago to 40% at present for the same reason. The two
northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are home to the majority of Iran’s
paddy fields. Director General of Grains and Staple Foods Office with the
Ministry of Agriculture Kaveh Khaksar said about 81% and 70% of rice harvest in
the two provinces respectively were mechanized in the last Iranian year (ended
March 20, 2017), Mehr News Agency reported. “The figures are estimated to
increase to 86% for Mazandaran and 80% for Gilan in the current year. Mechanization
expansion is done with the aim of increasing productivity and achieving
self-sufficiency. A 100% automation of rice harvest is projected by the end of
the sixth five-year development plan (2017-22),” he said. Khaksar added that
out of the 185,000 hectares of paddy fields in Mazandaran, 38,000 hectares went
under mechanized rice planting. In Gilan, mechanized rice planting was carried
out over 95,000 hectares from the total of 238,000 hectares of paddy fields.
According to Kambiz Abbasi, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture, the
government of President Hassan Rouhani invested 6 trillion rials (about $156
million) on mechanization of rice production, which investment is
“unprecedented”. He added that mechanization would cut rice harvesting costs by
up to 70%. Abbasi also noted that in view of water shortage in Iran, the
administration is not willing to expand paddy fields in provinces other than
the northern Mazandaran and Gilan.
HCM CITY — The price of Vietnamese
rice has increased strongly in both domestic and foreign markets recently
because of high demand and limited supply, local reports say. In the
world market, Vietnamese rice is only priced lower than that from
Thailand Jasmine rice is now priced at US$565-570 per tonne, $65-70 per
tonne higher than three weeks earlier. Việt Nam’s 5 per cent broken rice
is selling at $410-420 per tonne, up $35-45 per tonne, while 25 per cent broken
rice is fetching $25-30 per tonne higher at $370-375 per tonne. Rice
prices have also increased in the domestic market by an average of more
than VNĐ1 million ($44) per tonne, said Đặng Thị Kim Liên, director of Long An
Food and Foodstuff Co Ltd. Nguyễn Văn Đôn, director of Việt Hưng Co Ltd in the
Mekong Delta province of Tiền Giang, said demand for jasmine rice has surged
recently while supply was low. Some farmers are waiting for even higher prices
before selling their harvest, he said. The competition between local
businesses has pushed domestic rice prices higher than export prices. Some
enterprises which have signed export contracts at lower prices are now facing
difficulties. Rising consumption Market observers have attributed the
price recovery in both domestic and foreign markets to a global surge in
consumption. Recent information on demand for Vietnamese rise in some countries
like Bangladesh, the Philippines and Malaysia has also heated up the domestic
market. Bangladesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Việt Nam
on rice trade and announced its intention of importing 250,000-300,000 tonnes of
Việt Nam’s 5-per-cent broken rice in the coming month and about 500,000 tonnes
for the whole year. The Philippines has also revealed its plan to buy 250,000
tonnes of rice in June and July. According to the Việt Nam Food
Association, Việt Nam saw a drop in rice exports in the first five months of
this year. However, there has been a recovery since May, with exports of the
grain rising 27.3 per cent in volume and 24 per cent in value. Việt Nam is
expected to be the world’s fifth largest rice producer in 2017, according to
the Crop Prospects and Food Situation report released by the UN’s Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The FAO has forecast that the biggest rice
producer this year will be China with 142.3 million tonnes, followed by India
with 110.4 million tonnes. The report said the global rice output was likely to
increase by 0.7 per cent to 502.3 million tonnes, thanks to production
facilitation policies in Asia and yield recovery in South America and
Australia. After declining for two years, globally, rice exports are predicted
to expand by 5 per cent in 2017 to 44.2 million tonnes, compared to 43.6
million tonnes the previous year. — VNS Read more at
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/378512/rice-prices-up-in-domestic-foreign-markets.html#PJUvyHwXDckvE0Xb.99
NDO - After months of significant
reductions, Vietnam’s rice exports have finally returned to growth thanks to
positive market news.
According to the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam shipped 2.3 tonnes of rice in the
first five months of 2017, bringing in US$1 billion, up 1.6% in volume and
1.2% in value. Thanks to such positive figures, the rice sector has escaped a
long period of shrinking exports and re-joined the club of commodities with
respective export values reaching over US$1 billion. China is currently the
largest buyer of Vietnamese rice, importing 815,000 tonnes worth US$376
million, up 16% over the same period of 2016. Shipments to China, which has a
preference for glutinous and jasmine rice from Vietnam, account for 47.5% of
Vietnam’s total rice exports. Although rice exports are still experiencing
some difficulties, shipments to China remain strong, especially through
official channels. Vietnam has also received good news from Bangladesh after
a memorandum between the two countries was renewed until 2022, under which
Vietnam will provide Bangladesh with one million tonnes of rice of different
strains depending on the South Asian country’s demand and market prices.
Immediately after this agreement was signed, Bangladesh placed an order for
250,000-300,000 tonnes of Vietnam’s 5% broken white rice this year. The Bangladesh
side has also invited a Vietnamese representative to visit Bangladesh as soon
as possible to discuss the price, quantity and delivery method for the order.
In addition, the National Food Authority of the Philippines recently
announced that it would hold a bidding session in June to purchase 250,000
tonnes of rice to increase its national reserve ahead of typhoon season.
Enterprises from Thailand, Vietnam, India and Pakistan can all offer their
bids. In addition, the Philippines will have to import at least 1.5 million
tonnes of rice from now until the first quarter of 2018 to meet domestic
demand, which is a good opportunity for Vietnamese rice exporters. There are
also some bright signs from the supply side as Thailand has unloaded most of
its stockpile, a significant factor which will help the global rice trade to
return to normal without a strong pressure on prices as of late. Thanks to
such positive news, Vietnam’s rice export prices have been on the rise.
According to the Vietnam Food Association, the price for a tonne of 5% broken
rice has increased from US$360-380 at the end of May to US$390, the highest
level since December 2014. Domestic prices have also risen by VND250-550 per
kilogram. However, it is predicted that Vietnam’s rice sector will continue
experiencing numerous difficulties. For example, China is tightening
cross-border rice trade and increasing imports through official channels. The
Philippines has also changed to a new rice import mechanism in which rice
will be bought by private enterprises instead of through government bidding.
Although this may make Vietnamese enterprises more proactive in approaching
foreign customers but if the quality is not improved and Vietnamese brands
remain unknown, Vietnamese exporters will find it hard to compete with other
suppliers from regional countries. Therefore, it is necessary to fine-tune
existing policies to facilitate rice exports, in addition to the immediate
task of finding new orders. Recently the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT)
finished compiling a new decree on rice trading with many amendments such as
loosened requirements on warehouses and supportive measures to develop
high-quality rice growing areas. The new decree, expected to create the most
favourable conditions for rice exporters, has been publicised for feedback
and will soon be promulgated. Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the MOIT’s
Export-Import Department, said the majority of feedback from rice exporters
and local governments in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s rice bowl, has been
positive due to the MOIT’s more relaxed conditions for rice exports.
With around 54% of Central and West Asia's
paddy fields located in Iran, the country accounts for 61% of the
regions' combined rice production, the Central and West Asia Rice Center
said.
According to CWARice, in order to meet growing demand, achieve food
security and reduce poverty in Central and West Asia, a 25% increase in
rice production is needed by 2035, IRNA reported.
CWARice was officially established in 2010 at the Rice Research
Institute of Iran in the city of Rasht in Iran's northern Gilan
Province. Its member states include Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan.
The mission of CWARice is to conduct advanced rice research with an
emphasis on new production technologies that will be required to adapt
rice production systems in the region to climate change, the center's
official website said.
The International Rice Research Institute has estimated that rice
consumption in Central and West Asia will rise from the current 9
million tons to around 16.5 million tons in 2035.
The International Rice Research Institute is the world’s premier
research organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through
rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and
consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future
generations.
IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute,
founded in 1960. Headquartered in Los Banos, the Philippines, IRRI has
offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa.
Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year, of which more than 2.2
million tons are supplied by domestic farmers.
The Agriculture Ministry expects domestic rice production to increase by
10-15% in the current Iranian year (started March 21), because of
favorable weather condition and timely distribution of seeds,
fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and equipment among local farmers.
The government periodically places a ban on imports during the harvest
season to support local farmers. Import tariffs have increased from 22%
four years ago to 40% at present for the same reason.
The two northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are home to the
majority of Iran’s paddy fields.
Director General of Grains and Staple Foods Office with the Ministry of
Agriculture Kaveh Khaksar said about 81% and 70% of rice harvest in the
two provinces respectively were mechanized in the last Iranian year
(ended March 20, 2017), Mehr News Agency reported.
“The figures are estimated to increase to 86% for Mazandaran and 80% for
Gilan in the current year. Mechanization expansion is done with the aim
of increasing productivity and achieving self-sufficiency. A 100%
automation of rice harvest is projected by the end of the sixth
five-year development plan (2017-22),” he said.
Khaksar added that out of the 185,000 hectares of paddy fields in
Mazandaran, 38,000 hectares went under mechanized rice planting. In
Gilan, mechanized rice planting was carried out over 95,000 hectares
from the total of 238,000 hectares of paddy fields.
According to Kambiz Abbasi, an official with the Ministry of
Agriculture, the government of President Hassan Rouhani invested 6
trillion rials (about $156 million) on mechanization of rice production,
which investment is “unprecedented”.
He added that mechanization would cut rice harvesting costs by up to
70%.
Abbasi also noted that in view of water shortage in Iran, the
administration is not willing to expand paddy fields in provinces other
than the northern Mazandaran and Gilan.
18 JUNE,
2017
Acting director of the Kedah Paddy
Regulatory Office, Mohd Hidzir Selamat, said following an inspection conducted
by him and a team of five this morning, they found that the rice at the Cap
Rambutan factory came from a genuine source. — Reuters picALOR SETAR, June 18 —
Initial investigation carried out on ‘Cap Rambutan’ rice wholesaler, OEL
Distribution (Kedah) Sdn Bhd near here, following a viral video claiming that
it used fake rice made from plastic, revealed that the company used genuine
rice.
Jajpur: In the
wake of allegations of a Rs 4 crore loss by district supply officials by
showing undue favour to millers, the deputy secretary, state food supplies and
consumer welfare department has issued a notice to the assistant civil supply
officer (ACSO) and the marketing inspector to appear in person in his office
for a probe June 24. ACSO Prahallad
Chandra Sethy and MI Biswajit Mishra have been asked to bring relevant
documents with them and be present in the office of the deputy secretary by 11
am June 24. However, no notice has been issued to civil supply officer Kushal
Majhi who may be called for a probe at a later date. 
With around 54% of Central and West Asia's paddy fields
located in Iran, the country accounts for 61% of the regions' combined rice
production, the Central and West Asia Rice Center said. According to CWARice,
in order to meet growing demand, achieve food security and reduce poverty in
Central and West Asia, a 25% increase in rice production is needed by 2035,
IRNA reported. CWARice was officially established in 2010 at the Rice Research
Institute of Iran in the city of Rasht in Iran's northern Gilan Province. Its
member states include Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The mission of CWARice is
to conduct advanced rice research with an emphasis on new production
technologies that will be required to adapt rice production systems in the
region to climate change, the center's official website said. The International
Rice Research Institute has estimated that rice consumption in Central and West
Asia will rise from the current 9 million tons to around 16.5 million tons in
2035. The International Rice Research Institute is the world’s premier research
organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science;
improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting
the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent,
nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960. Headquartered
in Los Banos, the Philippines, IRRI has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in
Asia and Africa. Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year, of which
more than 2.2 million tons are supplied by domestic farmers. The Agriculture
Ministry expects domestic rice production to increase by 10-15% in the current
Iranian year (started March 21), because of favorable weather condition and
timely distribution of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and equipment
among local farmers. The government periodically places a ban on imports during
the harvest season to support local farmers. Import tariffs have increased from
22% four years ago to 40% at present for the same reason. The two
northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are home to the majority of Iran’s
paddy fields. Director General of Grains and Staple Foods Office with the
Ministry of Agriculture Kaveh Khaksar said about 81% and 70% of rice harvest in
the two provinces respectively were mechanized in the last Iranian year (ended
March 20, 2017), Mehr News Agency reported. “The figures are estimated to
increase to 86% for Mazandaran and 80% for Gilan in the current year. Mechanization
expansion is done with the aim of increasing productivity and achieving
self-sufficiency. A 100% automation of rice harvest is projected by the end of
the sixth five-year development plan (2017-22),” he said. Khaksar added that
out of the 185,000 hectares of paddy fields in Mazandaran, 38,000 hectares went
under mechanized rice planting. In Gilan, mechanized rice planting was carried
out over 95,000 hectares from the total of 238,000 hectares of paddy fields.
According to Kambiz Abbasi, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture, the
government of President Hassan Rouhani invested 6 trillion rials (about $156
million) on mechanization of rice production, which investment is
“unprecedented”. He added that mechanization would cut rice harvesting costs by
up to 70%. Abbasi also noted that in view of water shortage in Iran, the
administration is not willing to expand paddy fields in provinces other than
the northern Mazandaran and Gilan.
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