Tributes pour in for the late Terry Hogan
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EMAIL
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THE region is mourning the loss of a pioneer who dedicated
his life to the rice industry and local government.
Former SunRice chairman and Coleambally rice grower Terry Hogan
passed away on Wednesday night, with tributes flowing for the man who dedicated
so much of his time to the area.
Mr Hogan served as a director on the SunRice board for 17 years,
including five as chairman from 1996 to 2001.
His extensive involvement in and service to the rice industry
were recognised with an Order of Australia Medal in 2003.
Mr Hogan was a long-serving director of the Ricegrowers’
Association of Australia and Coleambally Irrigation; and served as Chairman of
the Rice Co-operative Research Centre.
The medal was also presented for his more than 45-year
commitment to local government, including 13 years as mayor of Jerilderie, with
a 10-year stint between 2004 and 2014.
Mr Hogan retired from local government in May 2016.
SunRice chairman Laurie Arthur was saddened to hear the news of
his passing.
“It was an honour to know Terry, who I greatly respected for his
leadership and support, not just for myself, but for many current and future
rice industry leaders,” he said.
“Terry undoubtedly played an integral role in driving the
success of SunRice and the Australian rice industry and both will be indebted
to his significant contribution.
“He will be sadly missed by the rice industry and those who had
the privilege of knowing and working with Terry during his time with SunRice.
“Our thoughts are with Terry’s wife Heather and the Hogan family
at this sad time.”
In recent years former Australian Deputy Prime Minister Tim
Fischer worked closely with Mr Hogan on the John Monash project.
“Terry Hogan was a great citizen who gave much to the community,
State and Nation,” Mr Fischer said.
“My sympathy to the Hogan family, he will be greatly
missed.”
A portrait of Mr Hogan hangs in the Murrumbidgee Council
Chambers in Jerilderie. Council general manager Craig Moffitt said Mr
Hogan was “a true gentleman” and “fierce community advocate”.
“Terry was an extremely passionate man, whose contribution to
his community was exceptional,” he said. “He was someone with a progressive
mind and a real desire to make a difference.”
Other recognition
Mr Hogan achieved included receiving an Outstanding Service Award from the
NSW Local Government and Shires Association among other honours during his
life.
http://www.irrigator.com.au/story/4957083/tributes-pour-in-for-a-great-leader-of-industry-and-government/
Vietnam's
Jan-Sept coffee exports down, rice up
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HANOI, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Vietnam’s coffee exports in the first
nine months are expected to fall an estimated 20.5 percent on a year earlier,
while rice shipments are set to rise 21.7 percent from the same period in 2016.
COFFEE
Coffee exports from Vietnam will drop an estimated 20.5 percent
in January-September from the same time last year to 1.12 million tonnes (18.7
million 60-kg bags), the General Statistics Office said in a report on Friday.
Exports revenue was estimated to rise 1.3 percent annually to
$2.55 billion, the report said.
September shipments of beans in Vietnam, the world’s largest
robusta producer, are estimated at 90,000 tonnes, lower than August’s exports
of 95,000 tonnes, the report said.
RICE
Nine-month rice exports from the world’s third-largest shipper
of the grain were forecast to rise 21.7 percent to 4.61 million tonnes. Revenue
from the January-September rice exports was seen rising 19.5 percent
year-on-year to $2.03 billion.
Vietnam would ship an estimated 500,000 tonnes of rice in
September, compared to 658,000 tonnes in August, the report said.
ENERGY
Vietnam’s January-September crude oil exports rose 9.7 percent
year-on-year to an estimated 5.69 million tonnes, or 153,000 barrels per day
(bpd).
Crude oil export revenue in the nine-month period rose 33.4
percent to $2.27 billion.
Oil product imports increased 11.4 percent to an estimated 9.73
million tonnes, while the value of imports jumped 42 percent to $5.11 billion.
Vietnam’s liquefied petroleum gas imports during the period
increased 18.6 percent from a year earlier to 1.07 million tonnes. (Reporting
by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Richard Pullin)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL4N1M638O
Vietnam raises rice export target for 2017 amid rising
orders
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Thursday,
2017-09-28 10:23:36
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NDO - The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has revised its
rice export target for 2017 up to 5.6 million tonnes from the previous 5.2
million tonnes set in July, as export orders have grown continuously and
reached a record high in August.
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According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Vietnam’s rice export volume in the first nine months of 2017
was estimated at 4.57 million tonnes, bringing in US$2.02 billion, up 20.8%
in volume and 18.6% in value.
Such a strong rise in rice shipments was boosted by the growth
in both governmental and commercial orders from China, Malaysia, Bangladesh
and the Philippines.
Specifically, Vietnamese rice exporters have secured several
contracts to provide 150,000 tonnes for Malaysia, 250,000 tonnes for
Bangladesh and 175,000 tonnes for the Philippines.
Strong growth was also witnessed in new markets, such as
Australia and a number of countries in Western Asia.
August was the month when Vietnamese rice traders reported the
strongest growth, with a 70% increase in volume and 56.8% in value.
The month also witnessed a record high in new orders with
nearly 842,000 tonnes in total, more than triple the volume in July and up
115% in comparison to a year earlier.
Vietnam’s rice exports are expected to continue growing as the
Bangladesh Ministry of Food recently announced plans to purchase 50,000
tonnes of parboiled rice.
Bangladesh has emerged as a new potential market for
Vietnamese rice, as the two countries recently renewed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) in May in which Vietnam will provide the South Asian
country with up to one million tonnes of rice each year for the 2017-2022
period.
Following the MOU signing ceremony, Bangladesh stated that it
wanted to buy approximately 250,000-300,000 tonnes of Vietnam’s 5% broken
rice immediately.
The Philippines has also increased the quota on Vietnamese
rice imports to 293,100 tonnes, while China is also expected to continue
importing rice from Vietnam in order to meet its rising demand in the final
months of the year
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http://en.nhandan.com.vn/business/item/5532102-vietnam-raises-rice-export-target-for-2017-amid-rising-orders.html
12:00 AM, September 29, 2017 /
LAST MODIFIED: 03:38 AM, September 29, 2017
32,000 MT of poor quality rice imported
Govt rejects the consignments; importer looks for pvt buyers
The first two consignments of
rice imported for replenishing the government's low food stock have been
rejected over quality concern.
However, the Singapore-based
Olam International, which brought the grains from Thailand, has kept two ships
with over 32,000 tonnes of parboiled rice at the outer anchorage of Chittagong
port for almost a month with intent to sell those to private buyers in
Bangladesh.
Food department sources told The Daily Star that they had to reject the two
shipments brought through international tender process at a time when the
public granaries require immediate replenishment for running various food-aided
programmes like Tk 10-a-kg rice for ultra poor and the Open Market Sale (OMS).
The government is already one
month behind the schedule in the Tk 10-a-kg rice programme. It deferred twice
the launch of the scheme under which some 50 lakh ultra poor were supposed to
get 4.5 lakh tonnes of rice in September, October and November.
In such a situation, the food
ministry plans to meet on October 2 for a stocktaking of the food reserve
situation and the already-floated tenders for purchase of two lakh tonnes of
parboiled rice from local private importers who have been allowed to use
polybags instead of jute sacks.
The government has so far
imported a little over two lakh tonnes of mostly white rice from Vietnam under
a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement since its rice stock hit an
all-time low at 1.5 lakh tonnes at the beginning of fiscal 2017-18.
Though Dhaka struck a separate
G2G deal with Cambodia as well, the rice is yet to reach Bangladesh ports.
Besides, a deal with Myanmar is yet to be approved by the cabinet body
concerned.
Apart from the G2G
arrangements, the Directorate General of Food also started processing imports
of three to four lakh tonnes of parboiled rice through international tenders.
In early August, Singapore's
Olam won the first of the bids under which it would supply the government with
parboiled rice for $419.51 a tonne.
Olam dispatched over 32,000
tonnes of the stipulated 50,000 in the first two consignments in two ships at
the beginning of September.
A food department team
inspected the grains and declined to receive those, saying the rice brought
from Thailand is too reddish and not up to the mark.
The setback comes at a time
when the government badly requires to fast-track import of 15-20 lakh tonnes of
food to boost its reserve as the country lost at least 20 lakh tonnes of Boro
crop due to Haor flashfloods and fungal attacks.
The stock that the government
could build so far is mostly of white rice. But most people have shown little
or no interest in buying the rice variety channelled through OMS at a
subsidised rate as they prefer parboiled rice.
Meanwhile, private traders have
imported nearly seven lakh tonnes of rice over the last three months, giving a
little stabilising effect on volatile domestic rice prices.
Qaid Siraj, proprietor of the
Olam International's local agent Zarah Grains told this newspaper that the Thai
rice looks a little reddish because of its varietal feature, but it's not
substandard.
Since the government declined
to take it, Olam kept the ships at the outer anchorage and was trying to sell
it to private parties in Chittagong, said Qaid.
If no deal can be struck here,
Olam would move the ships elsewhere, most likely to South Africa and sell the
rice there, he added.
Ali Akbar, who heads the Seven
Seas Shipping in Bangladesh, told this newspaper that two of their ships that
Olam hired for shipping the rice to Bangladesh have been kept at the outer
anchorage of Chittagong port for nearly a month.
"Yes, they [Olam] are
paying for the demurrage. As Bangladesh's food department gave them
no-objection certificate for selling the rice to private buyers, they are
trying to do so," he said
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/poor-quality-govt-rejects-32000-mt-imported-rice-1469278
SEPTEMBER
28, 2017 / 1:17 PM / 4 DAYS AGO
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Septmember
28, 2017
Reuters Staff
6 MIN READ
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Nagpur Foodgrain Prices –
APMC/Open Market-September 28
Nagpur, Sept 28 (Reuters) –
Gram prices declined in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing
Committee (APMC) here on lack
of demand from local millers amid high moisture content arrival.
Easy condition in Madhya
Pradesh gram prices and downward trend on NCDEX also affected
sentiment.
About 200 of gram and 100
bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market
here but demand was poor.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani and tuar Karnataka reported
higher in open market on increased demand
from local traders amid thin supply from
producing regions.
* Moong Chamki recovered in open market on
good demand from local traders amid weak
supply from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,100-4,250, Tuar dal
(clean) – 6,000-6,200, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 7,700-8,700, Moong Mogar (clean)
6,600-7,000, Gram – 5,500-5,650, Gram Super best
– 7,800-8,300
* Wheat, other varieties of rice and other
foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels
in weak trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 4,600-5,200 4,690-5,400
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 3,750-3,910
Moong Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,580-1,664 1,550-1,650
Gram Super Best Bold 8,000-8,500 8,000-8,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 7,400-7,600 7,400-7,600
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 5,700-5,800 5,700-5,800
Desi gram Raw 5,650-5,950 5,650-5,950
Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,200 12,500-13,200
Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,000-5,400 5,000-5,400
Tuar Gavarani New 4,100-4,200 4,050-4,150
Tuar Karnataka 4,550-4,750 4,500-4,700
Masoor dal best 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,400
Masoor dal medium 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Masoor
n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 6,800-7,200 6,800-7,200
Moong Mogar Medium 6,300-6,600 6,300-6,600
Moong dal Chilka 5,500-6,200 5,500-6,200
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,000-7,500 6,900-7,400
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New)
8,000-9,000 8,000-9,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000 6,000-7,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,500 5,500-6,500
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,900-3,100 2,900-3,100
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,850
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,400 3,100-3,400
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,100 2,800-3,100
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,100 3,700-4,100
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,700 3,400-3,700
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-13,500 9,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,700 4,500-4,700
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-2,000 1,700-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 34.9 degree
Celsius, minimum temp. 24.8 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky.
Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 35 and 25
degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs
are excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)
https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-septmember-28-2017-idINL4N1M939C
Govt asks rice
millers to fall in line
KOTTAYAM, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 00:00 IST
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Meet
held to fix revised quality parameters amid discord over low wholegrain
recovery ratio for paddy
The government will not give in to the pressure of millers who
have fixed a low wholegrain recovery ratio for paddy, Food and Civil Supplies
Minister P Thilothaman has said.
Speaking at a conference of farmers, officials, and padasekharam
committee members at Vechoor to fix the revised quality parameters, the
Minister said the millers had fixed the wholegrain recovery rate at 61% while
the national average was 68%.
“The government has asked them to fix it at 64%. But the millers
want it to be fixed at 60 to 61%, which is not acceptable,” he said.
The Food Corporation of India would fix the State’s quota after
giving weightage for the quantity procured internally, he said.
The low recovery rate would affect the State quota as well as
the remuneration for the farmers.
The Minister said that in case the millers refused to procure
paddy as per the parameters fixed by the government, alternative options would
have to be thought about. He said the government would constitute a body
consisting of the grama panchayat president concerned, paddy officer, and the
agriculture officer to ascertain the quality of paddy being procured from a
polder.
Millers warned of action
Mr. Thilothaman said the government would initiate disciplinary
steps against millers who procured high quality paddy from the polders and
furnished low quality rice to the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation.
He also said the government would consider revising the daily
wage of headload workers who carried paddy to the vehicle. “However, the
government cannot entertain separate wage structure for different polders,” he
said.
Millers have fixed
the wholegrain recovery rate at 61% while the national average is 68%.
P Thilothaman
Food and Civil
Supplies Minister
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/govt-asks-rice-millers-to-fall-in-line/article19773488.ece
Rice worth $223.937m exported in two months
64
Rice field
Islamabad
Rice worth US$ 223.937 million has been exported during the
first two months of current financial year.
During the period from July-August, 2017 rice exports from the country grew by 40.36 percent as compared to the exports of the same period of last year, according the data of Pakistan Bureauof Statistics.
In last two months around 428,993 metric tons of rice worth US$ 223.937 million was exported as compared to the exports of 380,861 metric tons valuing US$ 159.543 million, it added.
Meanwhile, the exports of basmati rice grew by 10.35 percent and about 59,433 metric tons of basmati rice worth US$ 62.741 million was exported as compared to the exports of 59,192 metric tons valuing US$ 56.857 million of same period last year.
The exports of rice other than basmati also witnessed an increase of 58.98 percent, around 369.580 metric tons of rice costing US$ 161.198 million was exported as compared to the exportsof 251,669 metric tons worth US$ 102.888 million of last year.
On month on month basis, rice exports from the country grew by 53 percent in August, 2017 as compared to the same month of last year, the data reveled.
About 227,998 metric tons of rice worth US$ 116.041 million exported in August as compared to the exports of 146,769 metric tons valuing US$ 75.569 million of same period last year.
Meanwhile, basmati rice worth US$ 86.290 million was exported last month, which grew by 2.15 percent as compared to the same month of last year.
Exports of basmati rice were recorded at 28,482 metric tons in the month of August as compared to the exports 30,446 metric tons of same period last year.
During the period from July-August 2017, food group exports of the country increased by 30.6 percent as compared to the exports of the same period of last year.
Country earned US$ 512.321 million by exporting different food commodities during first two-months of current financial year as compared to the earnings of the corresponding period of last year.—TNS
During the period from July-August, 2017 rice exports from the country grew by 40.36 percent as compared to the exports of the same period of last year, according the data of Pakistan Bureauof Statistics.
In last two months around 428,993 metric tons of rice worth US$ 223.937 million was exported as compared to the exports of 380,861 metric tons valuing US$ 159.543 million, it added.
Meanwhile, the exports of basmati rice grew by 10.35 percent and about 59,433 metric tons of basmati rice worth US$ 62.741 million was exported as compared to the exports of 59,192 metric tons valuing US$ 56.857 million of same period last year.
The exports of rice other than basmati also witnessed an increase of 58.98 percent, around 369.580 metric tons of rice costing US$ 161.198 million was exported as compared to the exportsof 251,669 metric tons worth US$ 102.888 million of last year.
On month on month basis, rice exports from the country grew by 53 percent in August, 2017 as compared to the same month of last year, the data reveled.
About 227,998 metric tons of rice worth US$ 116.041 million exported in August as compared to the exports of 146,769 metric tons valuing US$ 75.569 million of same period last year.
Meanwhile, basmati rice worth US$ 86.290 million was exported last month, which grew by 2.15 percent as compared to the same month of last year.
Exports of basmati rice were recorded at 28,482 metric tons in the month of August as compared to the exports 30,446 metric tons of same period last year.
During the period from July-August 2017, food group exports of the country increased by 30.6 percent as compared to the exports of the same period of last year.
Country earned US$ 512.321 million by exporting different food commodities during first two-months of current financial year as compared to the earnings of the corresponding period of last year.—TNS
https://pakobserver.net/rice-worth-223-937m-exported-two-months/
A woman
harvests her rice crop at a paddy field in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district late last
year. Heng Chivoan
Terms settled on deal to supply rice to Bangladesh: CRF
Fri, 29
September 2017
Cambodia and Bangladesh have
finalised terms on a massive rice deal that could see up to 1 million tonnes of
rice purchased from the Kingdom over the next five years, with the first
shipment due to begin by November, a source close to the deal said yesterday.
Hun Lak, vice president of the
Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), confirmed that an agreement had been made
between the two governments after the relevant ministries signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) in August that hoped to replenish Bangladesh’s
stockpiles after heavy flooding earlier this year decimated the country’s
crops.
“We have already signed a price
agreement with supply terms valid for six months in order to reach the export
target of 250,000 tonnes,” he said. “We will start to ship biweekly from
November to April.
However, the total amount we
will supply will be based on the level of local production and international
market demand.”
He added that the deal, which
will be managed by the state-run company Green Trade, allows for flexibility in
the next harvest season that will begin in January. While he declined to
provide the agreed upon price for the deal, he said that the current market
price for Cambodian white rice was at $430 a tonne.
In late August, Reuters news
agency reported that Bangladesh had agreed to purchase Cambodian rice at $453 a
tonne, while local officials insisted that price negotiations were still
ongoing.
Soeng Sophary, spokesperson for
the Ministry of Commerce (MoC), said that the government would only play the
role of helping the Cambodian rice sector access new markets, and that price
agreements would be handled by the private sector.
“We are working on market
access, but the private sector is responsible for fulfilling the agreements and
reaching the export targets,” she said.
In 2016, Cambodia exported
542,144 tonnes of milled rice, a nominal 1 percent increase from the previous
year while rice exports reached 300,000 tonnes during the first half of the
year, according to MoC data. Most of the rice has been bound for China after it
agreed to an export quota of 200,000 tonnes of rice this year.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/terms-settled-deal-supply-rice-bangladesh-crfConference seeks ways to build sustainable rice
production chains
Scene
at the conference (Photo: nhandan.com.vn)Hau Giang (VNA) – Measures to build linkages towards sustainable rice production chains in the context of climate change were the focus of a workshop in the framework of the recent investment promotion conference held in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang.
Tran Huu Hiep from the Southwest Steering Committee said that investing in production chains will prevent imbalanced investment. He also recommended that Hau Giang should pay due attention to selecting suitable key products based on local comparative advantages to prevent stretching investment.
Meanwhile, Doan Manh Truong from the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute suggested that Mekong Delta localities need to promote linkages through restructuring the rice market from purchasing, processing to consumption markets.
Transparent mechanisms for purchasing activities must be set up to prevent unhealthy competition and contract breakdown, he said, adding that priority should be given to facilitating businesses’ investment in advanced rice preserving and processing systems.
Truong highlighted that connections in rice production and consumption can also be established through cooperation in mechanization, the transfer of technology and scientific advances and development of services and product sale.
Hau Giang has over 200,000 hectares of rice with average rice productivity of 6.2 tonnes per hectare per year. The province has built over 3,300 hectares of large scale fields, drawing the participation of 3,200 local households.-VNA
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/conference-seeks-ways-to-build-sustainable-rice-production-chains/118741.vnp
Fatima
Fertilizer holds ‘Dhan Seminar’
Fatima
Fertilizer in association with Government of Punjab and Rice Research Institute
Kala Shah Kaku organized 'Dhaan Seminar' in Gujranwala. The seminar brought
together more than 3,000 farmers. Chief guests included Secretary Agriculture,
DG Agriculture, DG Agriculture Extension, DG Agriculture Research, President
Kissan Ittehad, MNA Zafarwall, Hafizabad and Gujranwala.
The seminar was focused on latest rice production technology, pest control and balanced use of Sarsabz Nitrate Fertilizers. Secretary agriculture in his speech to farmers asked them to start incorporating latest technology as that was the only way their prosperity could be guaranteed. For this purpose, the government of Punjab is setting up 72 Hi-Tech Mechanization Service Centres in partnership with Fatima Fertilizers all over Punjab. Latest agriculture farm machinery and services will be rented out to farmers through these centres.
At the end of the program, Fatima Fertilizer distributed four Umra tickets, one tractor, two motorcycles and other such high value gifts among farmers through lucky draws.-PR
The seminar was focused on latest rice production technology, pest control and balanced use of Sarsabz Nitrate Fertilizers. Secretary agriculture in his speech to farmers asked them to start incorporating latest technology as that was the only way their prosperity could be guaranteed. For this purpose, the government of Punjab is setting up 72 Hi-Tech Mechanization Service Centres in partnership with Fatima Fertilizers all over Punjab. Latest agriculture farm machinery and services will be rented out to farmers through these centres.
At the end of the program, Fatima Fertilizer distributed four Umra tickets, one tractor, two motorcycles and other such high value gifts among farmers through lucky draws.-PR
http://fp.brecorder.com/2017/09/20170928221919/GARS plans to launch hybrid rice seeds in Punjab
After
successful results of hybrid rice in Sindh, the Guard Agricultural Research
& Services Ltd (GARS) is planning to launch hybrid rice seeds (coarse
variety) for growers in Punjab from next season.
"We have completed test trials of our hybrid seed in Central Punjab and South Punjab, and want to make seeds available commercially from the next season witnessing encouraging results of the seed. At present, the IRRI rice is giving 50-60 maunds per acre in Punjab and we are quite hopeful that our hybrid seed would give 120-130 maunds per acre," said Guard Agricultural Research & Services Ltd Chief Executive Shahzad Ali Malik while talking to a group of journalists here on Thursday.
Shahrukh Malik, Executive Seed Division of the Company, Rizwan Younis General Manager and representative of Yuan Long Ping International Company from China were also present on this occasion.
Shahzad said the lifestyle of rice growers had improved in Sindh, tenants' kids were now going to schools and their income had increased since they started sowing the hybrid rice. He claimed that production had increased by 55-60 percent and hoped that same result would be gained in Punjab changing the socio-economic conditions of Punjab farmers too.
The Company would be targeting Okara, Deepalpur, Pak Pattan and Haveli Lakha areas in the first phase. In Sindh, hybrid rice is being sown over 1.5 million acres of land and in Punjab potentially it could be sown over 4 million acres of land. Nevertheless, we will be making efforts to ensure its sowing over 500,000-700,000 acres of land in first stage, added Shah Rukh Malik Executive Seed Division.
He said trial in Punjab had been made on large scale and the Company arranged visits of farmers so that they could see themselves, yield and other potential of this variety.
Shahzad Malik, however, said they had to make lot of efforts prior to reaching this stage as some companies in the past imported seeds and sold it to farmers without research and trials. Those seeds were failed and created a negative impression of hybrid seed. "We had to make a lot of effort to dispel this impression."
He said some 55 companies were importing seeds in Pakistan and the government should formulate a law that only those companies could market their seed which are at least producing 40 percent of their marketed hybrid rice in Pakistan. Then these companies could gradually go to 100 percent production in the country. He disclosed that presently they were also producing 40 percent of their seed within the country and making efforts to increase it.
Malik also showed his concern that after 18th amendment the companies were finding it hard to get their product registered with the provincial governments. He proposed that seed should be registered at federal level and an Authority should be constituted on the pattern of Drug Registration Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for medicine registration
"We have completed test trials of our hybrid seed in Central Punjab and South Punjab, and want to make seeds available commercially from the next season witnessing encouraging results of the seed. At present, the IRRI rice is giving 50-60 maunds per acre in Punjab and we are quite hopeful that our hybrid seed would give 120-130 maunds per acre," said Guard Agricultural Research & Services Ltd Chief Executive Shahzad Ali Malik while talking to a group of journalists here on Thursday.
Shahrukh Malik, Executive Seed Division of the Company, Rizwan Younis General Manager and representative of Yuan Long Ping International Company from China were also present on this occasion.
Shahzad said the lifestyle of rice growers had improved in Sindh, tenants' kids were now going to schools and their income had increased since they started sowing the hybrid rice. He claimed that production had increased by 55-60 percent and hoped that same result would be gained in Punjab changing the socio-economic conditions of Punjab farmers too.
The Company would be targeting Okara, Deepalpur, Pak Pattan and Haveli Lakha areas in the first phase. In Sindh, hybrid rice is being sown over 1.5 million acres of land and in Punjab potentially it could be sown over 4 million acres of land. Nevertheless, we will be making efforts to ensure its sowing over 500,000-700,000 acres of land in first stage, added Shah Rukh Malik Executive Seed Division.
He said trial in Punjab had been made on large scale and the Company arranged visits of farmers so that they could see themselves, yield and other potential of this variety.
Shahzad Malik, however, said they had to make lot of efforts prior to reaching this stage as some companies in the past imported seeds and sold it to farmers without research and trials. Those seeds were failed and created a negative impression of hybrid seed. "We had to make a lot of effort to dispel this impression."
He said some 55 companies were importing seeds in Pakistan and the government should formulate a law that only those companies could market their seed which are at least producing 40 percent of their marketed hybrid rice in Pakistan. Then these companies could gradually go to 100 percent production in the country. He disclosed that presently they were also producing 40 percent of their seed within the country and making efforts to increase it.
Malik also showed his concern that after 18th amendment the companies were finding it hard to get their product registered with the provincial governments. He proposed that seed should be registered at federal level and an Authority should be constituted on the pattern of Drug Registration Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for medicine registration
http://fp.brecorder.com/2017/09/20170929222191/What really
triggered the rice price hike?
·
Published at 01:08 AM
September 30, 2017
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Last updated at 01:21 AM
September 30, 2017
Rice prices have seen a significant rise in recent times, putting the
masses in trouble. Different quarters hold several reasons responsible for the
hike, such as weak food reserve, tremendous damage to paddy during both Boro
and Aman seasons by monsoon flooding, and lacklustre attempt in importing rice.
In the backdrop of this crisis with seemingly no immediate solution on the
cards, Bangla Tribune hosted a Boithoki roundtable, styled 'Chal Ato Chora
Keno?', at its office in Dhaka on September 28 with representatives from
traders’ organisations and the government. The participants’ take on the issue
varied from disagreement with the topic to blaming the government or retailers
or wholesalers for the price hike
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- 45SHARES
Rice not pricier anymore
Speaking at the discussion, Bangladesh Auto Major and Husking
Mill Owners’ Association General Secretary Layek Ali opposed the Boithoki title
claiming rice prices have decreased.
“It is true that the prices had gone up, but they have dropped
lately. A type of rice’s price had shot up to Tk43 from Tk38. However, now it
has come down.”
He said: “Prices of rice and paddy are not the same. Why cannot
the government see that? We could not provide rice to the government in the
last Aman season. At that time, paddies were priced at Tk23 and rice at Tk33.
How do we incur this much loss? Millers agree to face a 50-paisa loss, but how
can they incur a loss of Tk3 to Tk4. So, why would the mill owners be blamed
for the imbalanced prices set by policymakers and the government?”
“The prices of paddies are higher than rice in the market.
Hence, we could not supply rice to the government warehouses. We had asked the
government to give us an incentive, but to no avail. So, we could not supply
rice. How can we do so while suffering losses?” Layek said.
He blamed the imbalanced prices of paddies and rice set by the
government for the crisis.
Government should take
responsibility for the rising rice prices
Bangla Tribune Planning Editor Nazrul Kabir blamed the
government’s dependency on import for the price hike of rice. “Due to the
emphasis on import, mill owners expressed discontent and raised the prices as
well. The government should take responsibility for this.”
He said: “At a press conference, the food minister said the media
has increased the rice prices but one doth the scathe, another hath the scorn.
Kawsar Alam Khan also did the same by blaming the retailers for the price
hike.”
Nazrul further added: “It is not right to hold one accountable
for another’s deed. Even when the government was providing rice at Tk10 per kg,
the price in the market rose to Tk70. The government must take responsibility
for this too.”
He said: “Importers predict the rice crisis. Every business
sector has an exclusive group who creates a syndicate and therefore increases
the price of goods to make more profit. It is the common people who then come
under the pressure of the soaring prices.”
In order to reduce the prices, Nazrul said the government and
rice traders will have to work together to find solutions and take actions.
Retailers not reducing prices
Kawsar Alam Khan, vice-president of Bangladesh Rice Merchant
Association, claimed that retailers were the ones who were not curbing the
prices. “I myself had to sell rice at higher prices. I sell rice at the
wholesale level. How will the retailers manage to sell rice at lower prices
then? They are the ones who push up the prices.”
He said: “The retailers used to make a Tk1 profit in one kg of
rice. But they currently make a profit ranging from Tk3 to Tk5 per kg. These
retailers are not reducing the prices.”
Though no crisis, rice worth Tk38
is being sold at Tk52
Bangla Tribune Business In-Charge Shafiqul Islam told the
discussion that the only rice crisis the market saw was during the flood in the
haor areas in early March. “Rice traders had taken advantage of that situation.
But there is no crisis right now. Yet the rice, which is worth Tk38 is now
being sold at Tk52.”
“However, as a journalist, I have found out is that the rice
prices have started to decline at the wholesale level, which is good news.”
He said: “After the flood affected the haor areas and the crisis
begun, rice mill owners like Abdur Rashid and Layek Ali stopped supplying rice
to the government warehouses. Maybe they have rice hoarded in their warehouses.
Maybe they slowly supplied from that stock to the market and raised the prices
gradually.”
Shafiqul continued: “Soaring rice prices also impacts the other
daily essentials and leads to instability in both the market and society. This
year’s price hike is unprecedented in Bangladesh’s history and has badly
affected the society. The Food Ministry is also responsible for failing to
control the hike when it started following the rice crisis caused by the flood
in the haor areas.”
Addressing Commerce Secretary Shubhashish, he said: “The
government alone can figure out the reasons behind the price hike and the
solutions. Deploy monitoring teams to the markets and have them only check the
vouchers, you will easily find out the rates rice are being bought and sold at.
Only the government can stop the price hike and it needs to step in to solve
the crisis.”
Rice prices slightly down at
wholesale markets
According to Commerce Secretary Shubhashish Bose, the prices at
wholesale markets have somewhat dropped. “But that is not the case in retail
markets. We have had a meeting at the Food Ministry in this regard. We have
also decided on several steps to reduce the prices.”
He said: “Even though the Food Ministry was supposed to reserve
some rice, not much was stored. Since we have been producing various other
crops for past few years and did not encounter any natural disasters, we were
not worried about storing rice. Compared to the government’s target, more rice
is usually produced.”
Regarding the price hike of rice, Shubhashish said:
“Illegitimate hoarding of rice is responsible for this. Even though there is a
policy on storing grains, nobody followed the rules.”
Flood in haor areas spurred rice
price hike
Explaining the cause of the rice price hike, Bangladesh Rice
Mill Association Chairman Abdur Rashid said: “The unwanted truth is the rice
prices are soaring. The crisis started because of the immense loss of paddy in
the floods in the haor region. As the haor region only produces coarse rice,
the current crisis is basically for those types of rice, which has also made
coarse rice import necessary. That’s why rice prices are going up. ”
“The government is informed about the price hike. Though the
importers were given special facilities to bring in more rice to tackle the
crisis, they kept the rice shipments for a few days at the land ports in the
borders and delivered late. Consequently, those special facilities did not
help,” he added.
“Prices of the coarse rice have only increased, as there is no
crisis of fine rice. But the prices will not go beyond control. The government
needs to figure out the right policies to tackle the crisis and bring down the
prices. Only the government can solve this,” Rashid further added.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2017/09/30/really-triggered-rice-price-hike/
In negotiating trade
agreements like FTA, Pakistan will remain disadvantaged as long as it keeps
approaching the negotiation table with protectionism on its mind
30-Sep-17 by Jazib Nelson
- 6
Shares
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5
It has become a common
knowledge in policy and academic circles that Pakistan has failed to benefit
from its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China. While trade volume between
Pakistan and China has almost quadrupled since the FTA came into force in 2007,
it has mostly favored the Chinese exporters. Pakistan’s trade balance with
China has worsened by a whopping 240 per cent since 2007.
Trade experts have
highlighted Pakistan’s weak negotiation with the Chinese on the matters of
bilateral trade as one reason behind this poor performance. In addition to
this, the fact that China has signed FTAs with ASEAN countries on even more
concessionary terms has dissolved any tariff advantages Pakistani products had
in the Chinese markets. For example, under Pak-China FTA, tariff rate of 3.7
per cent is imposed on import of cotton yarn from Pakistan, while Vietnam
enjoys a tariff rate of just 0.4 per cent under the ASEAN FTA. Similarly,
tariff rate on rice which is Pakistan’s second largest export product to China
is 65 per cent as compared to 33.7 per cent for rice imports from Vietnam and
Thailand.
The recent 8th meeting
on the Second Phase of our FTA with China shows that both of these issues may
be resolved. According to Secretary Commerce Younas Dagha, Pakistan has shared
a list of 70 exportable products to be zero-rated immediately. The items
include textiles, specifically, cotton yarn and readymade garments, along with
leather food and fisheries products. The list could include up to 300 products.
If it materialises, Pakistani products will have a natural advantage over ASEAN
countries.
Pakistan’s exports to China comprise low-end products. These
can’t be relied upon to increase our export earnings significantly. One such
product is cotton yarn which accounts for 42 per cent of our exports to China
However, it remains to
be seen if China will agree to this, because as per the Chinese reply, they
will have to consult with their industry representatives before agreeing. But
if they do agree to Pakistan’s requirements, can we expect that our exports to
China will increase enough to improve our trade balance?
Most of the Pakistani
exports to China are low-end products. Being low-end products, they are not
priced high enough to increase our export earnings significantly. One such
product is cotton yarn which accounts for 42 per cent of our total exports to
China. Due to various factors like high energy price and protectionism in the
spinning industry, cotton yarn from Pakistan’s regional trade rivals like
Bangladesh and Vietnam is relatively cheaper. Protectionism, in particular, is
more to be blamed here because it reduces incentive to become efficient and
competitive which can decrease the cost of production. Even the quality of
Pakistani cotton yarn is low compared to countries like India.
In Pakistan’s case,
protection of the spinning industry has another downside that can diminish the
positive impact of zero-rated tariff for ready-made garments under the second
phase of Pak-China FTA. Pakistan has currently imposed a regulatory duty on
import of cotton yarn to protect domestic spinning industry. The spinning mill
owners wield serious political influence in the country. Due to their strong
lobbying, a protectionist environment is created.
In July 2016, the
price of cotton yarn increased by 15 per cent to Rs. 11, 500 per bag of 100
pounds from Rs. 9, 950 due to cartelisation of local manufacturers. Instead of
importing cheap cotton yarn, ready-made garments manufactures have to use
costly local cotton yarn. As a result, the regulatory duty has increased the
cost of producing ready-made garments which has made them uncompetitive with
regards to readymade garments produced in Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh. The
cost difference of Pakistani exports compared to India and Bangladesh is
already 6-8 per cent due to this practice.
If Pakistan wants to
take full advantage of its FTA with China, it must withdraw this regulatory
duty. Export of readymade garments has more potential to improve our trade
balance with China. Being on the high-end of the textile value-chain, it
fetches higher price compared to export of cotton yarn. Promoting high-end
textile export products isn’t necessary in the context of Pak-China FTA only.
Pakistan will be able to target other markets as well where sizeable demand for
high-end textile products exists.
The recent much-needed
improvement in Pakistan’s overall trade deficit in the month of August 2017 has
also come on the back of increase in exports of ready-made garments by 15.65
per cent. Interestingly, in the same month, the export of cotton yarn has actually
decreased by 4 per cent due to reduction in the demand of cotton yarn from
China.
Pakistan can only win
trade games with its rivals if it adopts the policy of trade liberalisation by
reducing import tariffs across the board. The best way to do it is by reducing
them in different phases rather than doing it abruptly.
The best performing
economies in international trade are those who have followed the path of trade
liberalisation. Even in negotiating trade agreements like Pak-China FTA,
Pakistan will always be on the disadvantaged side if sits on the negotiation
table with protectionism on its mind.
The writer is a
researcher and works in the development sector of Gilgit
Published
in Daily Times, September 30th 2017.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/30-Sep-17/will-2nd-phase-of-pakistan-china-fta-work
USC outlets without pulses, ghee and
sugar for over a month
Islamabad: The utility stores
throughout the country including twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are
without all kinds of pulses, ghee, cooking oil, sugar and rice for a month.
The Utility Store Corporation
(USC) is supposed to a public welfare department where poor could avail
opportunity to save some coins but people have been facing worst shortage of
commodities at outlets for a month while government authorities seeing the
whole drama with closed eyes in this regard.
The Utility Stores Corporation
(USC) Senior General Manager (Procurement) Muhammad Munir told ‘The News’ that
consumers will never face shortage of items after some days. He said that they
were fixing rates of pulses, sugar and other items as they wanted to provide
all food items to public at low price. All kinds of tenders have been cleared
as all items will be available at USC outlets throughout the country in some
days, he claimed.
All utility stores throughout
the country are without ‘daal moong’, ‘daal channa’, ‘daal masoo’r, white
‘channay’, white ‘lobia’, red ‘lobia’, ‘daal mash’, black ‘channay’, rice,
sugar and utility ghee and cooking oil for a long time.
Talking to ‘The News’ consumers
have expressed serious concerns over the absence of basic commodities
particularly ‘ghee’, cooking oil, sugar, pulses and rice. They also said that
the federal government was making only tall claims for provision of essential
items on subsidised rates but the situation was entirely different.
“I was the regular customer of
USC due to big difference in prices as compared to open market. But, now I am
not visiting Utility Stores Corporation outlets due to higher rates and
shortage of basic commodities all the time,” Bashir Ahmed Butt a customer said.
Dr. Shakila Imran, a consumer
said if the government was serious to provide relief to the masses it should
take solid measures for availability of items, prices and their quality. The
concerned management was not taking interest in providing essential items to
public and busy only in paperwork, she denounced. “I visited Utility Stores
Corporation outlets, but I could neither save money nor get full items,” she
said.
The poor consumer said that
sugar is available at skyrocketing prices in open market shops as there was no
sugar in utility stores for more than two months.
Consumers using ‘Utility ghee
and cooking oil’ have appealed to Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar to direct
management of Utility Stores Corporation to improve the quality of their brands
of ghee and cooking oil for betterment of larger segment of society, as it
cannot afford to purchase costlier ghee and cooking oil of other brands.
The sale of utility ghee and
cooking oil which was sold at Rs112 per kilogram was affordable for public but
on January 24, 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its verdict banned sale
of all low quality ghee and cooking oils.
It merits mentioning here that
the sale of utility ghee and cooking oil was high against all other ghee and
cooking oil brands which according to Utility Stores Corporation management
worth billions of rupees at 63 outlets of the USC.
‘The News’ has learnt reliably
that after the SC verdict regarding ban on sale of low quality ghee and cooking
oil, all branded ghee and cooking oil companies have increased rates of their
brands by own and launched six to eight different kinds of other ghee and
cooking oil brands as well. The price of 1-kilogram ghee pack is between
Rs170-Rs190.
The reliable sources said it
seems some hidden powers are fully trying to destroy the reputation of USC in
the country only to privatize this public welfare department. The USC
department is the only ray of hope for poor public where they could buy food
items on subsidized prices, the sources said
U.S. Rice Exhibits and
Makes an Impression at Turkey's Largest Food Show
ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- Last week, during the
Istanbul World Food Exhibition, one of Turkey's largest food and beverage expos
targeting foodservice and deli operators, USA Rice showcased U.S. medium grain
and wild rice for the more than 35,000 traders on hand.
A USA Rice booth welcomed visitors with a
display of many U.S.-grown rice samples, including recently launched U.S. wild
rice packages sold here, along with brochures and other literature explaining
U.S. rice import procedures, quality determination, types of U.S.-grown rice,
and supplier lists.
Activities focused on medium grain rice
varieties Calrose and Jupiter, and wild rice mixed with white rice that could
increase profitability while providing nutritious and flavorful meals to
restaurant patrons.
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Chef Sabahettin Guney
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USA Rice partnered with Istanbul Chefs
Association Chef Sabahettin Guney to prepare three unique recipes featuring
U.S.-grown rice that were served at an official event lunch to hundreds of
attendees.
The recipes were: Wild Rice Pilaf cooked with
USA Calrose Rice, Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Wild Rice, and Wild Rice Cream
with Fruits, with the latter receiving the most positive feedback for its
exciting flavors.
Fred Klose, manager of the California Wild Rice
Advisory Board attended the show and met with traders and potential packers to
understand the market and evaluate demand and interest in his organization's
products.
"We joined USA Rice here with a few
specific objectives, all of which were accomplished," Klose said.
"We wanted to introduce wild rice mixes and varieties and showcase new
uses for wild rice; we wanted to offer participants and targeted food
professionals the opportunity to taste the products; and finally we wanted to
educate the trade about U.S.-grown rice across the supply chain."
Feedback for USA Rice,
and the California Wild Rice Advisory Board was positive, interest from food
professionals and trade guests was high, and trade leads with major
distributors across the region were generated, leading market watchers to
suspect U.S. rice exports to Turkey are set to grow in the coming months.
USA rice works cooperatively with California and Minnesota to promote wild rice consumption internationally. California wild rice received funds from USDA's emerging markets programs to conduct these specific activities.
USA rice works cooperatively with California and Minnesota to promote wild rice consumption internationally. California wild rice received funds from USDA's emerging markets programs to conduct these specific activities.
Bio-techs in crops to help Pakistan earn more revenues
through exports
·
VIEWS:
63
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has bright prospects of doubling yields of rice, maize and other crops through application of bio-technology methods which would help the country make more revenues through their exports.
Pakistan is still not importing Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods. Most European Union countries, Japan, Korea and China are importing genetically modified corn, soya, soya-meal, and canola.
In a media briefing, Tan Siang-Hee, Executive Director of `CropLife Asia' said Pakistan needs to introduce bio-technology and other modern methods to enhance farm production beyond self-sufficiency.
"Pakistan is on track, and after attaining self-sufficiency in food, the country needs to adopt such modern technologies and methods which would help make agricultural production sustainable and improve conditions of the farmers," he said.
CropLife Asia is a Singapore-based international organization - carrying out research and development to introduce innovations in crop protection and plant bio-technology.
Dr Siang-Hee disclosed that 18 million farmers around the world have successfully adopted bio-technology; with this, the total beneficiary peasant families have reached 65 million.
Globally, a total area of bio-tech crops since 1996 has reached 185.1 million hectares in 26 industrialized and developing countries.
Dr Hee stressed the need for Pakistani farmers to be educated about introduction and benefits of bio-technology, improvements in infrastructure of agriculture as a whole, and suggested the government to take measures for value-addition, processing and efficient mechanism for export of fruits and vegetables.
Dr Siang-Hee said he also held a meeting with Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, who informed that a consensus on issue of bio-technology would be developed through consultations with all stakeholders including farming community. The use of bio-technology is already under consideration of the government and a committee has been formed, Bosan said.
Meanwhile, mobile applications were also becoming popular in Pakistan. One of the mobile operators, Mobilink had already launched Value Added Service (VAS) "Ba Khabar Kisaan" to connect farmers, agribusinesses and rural communities to increase productivity, profitability and innovation in the agriculture sector by providing timely and accurate information.
The app based service utilizing interactive voice response technology is providing farmers information and services related to agriculture such as optimized cultivation methods, modern farming techniques, health education for farmers, health precautions for plants, 24/7 helpline with training, weather information, crop insurance, market related information and a platform for sales.
Another operator Telenor, in continuation of its efforts to take digitization of Pakistani agriculture to the next level, has introduced a project called "Connected Agriculture Platform for Punjab (CAPP) which aims at empowering Pakistani farmers
http://www.brecorder.com/2017/09/28/372067/bio-techs-in-crops-to-help-pakistan-earn-more-revenues-through-exports/
Eriko SUGIKI VOLAT / Getty
Images
The Japanese town of Inakadate is famous
for its rice paddy "paintings."
September 28, 2017
Even the coolest corn mazes have nothing on rice paddies. Rice paddy art—you
may remember these creations from Shenyang, China—is a ridiculously
impressive form that turns whole landscapes into gorgeous works paintings. In
this video from
Great Big Story, you can see the stunning rice paddy creations of Inakadate,
Japan, a village famous for its rice.
"I don't think
people can really understand rice paddy art without seeing it," says Yukio
Kasai, Inakadate's vice mayor, in the video. As gorgeous as the images in the
video are (at 1:37, it starts to look like something out of a Wes Anderson
movie), the small-screen representation can't capture the beauty of the paddies
as they are in real life. Still, it's inspiring to know that these gorgeous,
communal works of art are being made.
Glenn Waters in Japan /
Getty Images
Inakadate's rice paddy
creations began as a way to turn the village's rice fame into a way to draw
tourists. Inspired by children planting rice by hand at local elementary
schools, village officials now hold an annual conference to decide what the
year's rice paddy artworks are going to be. After the officials create a mockup
of the image using seven colors (because the images are ultimately grown using
seven different colors of rice), school art teachers turn the images into more
artistically sophisticated drawings. From there, the officials go into the
field and mark the areas for each color.
Hungry
Yet - SakaMai
Making the Truffle Uni Rice Pot at SakaMai in the Lower East Side.
Play Video
This year, 1,300 people
participated in planting the images by hand. Then, three months after the
original conception, the images are created. The images have come a long way
from the first design they ever planted: a simple, local mountain with the name
of the village printed below it, no more complicated than an Atari graphic.
Today, the images are incredibly intricate illustrations, depicting scenes from
mythology and folklore. The rice paddy art draws visitors from Tokyo, Osaka,
and other parts of Japan, and it's no wonder.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / Getty
Images
For more creative
mini-documentaries, check out Great Big Story's YouTube channel.
http://www.foodandwine.com/news/rice-paddy-art-inakadate-japanChinese
saline soil rice experiment a success
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A rice growing experiment with saline-alkali soil has beaten
expectations, laying the foundation for commercialization, Chinese scientists
announced Thursday.
Four types of rice registered an estimated output of between 6.5
to 9.3 tonnes per hectare after testing at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice
Research and Development Center.
In spring, more than 200 types of rice were planted at the center
in the coastal city of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province. Diluted
seawater was used on the soil to test which types could survive and prosper in
saline environments.
Seawater from the nearby Yellow Sea was pumped into the center,
diluted to a salinity of around 0.3 percent and channeled into the rice
paddies, then increased to around 0.6 percent salinity, to intensify the effect
on the rice.
Researchers had expected an output of around 4.5 tonnes per
hectare, said Wang Kexiang, chief of center's technology department.
"The test results greatly exceeded our expectations,"
said Liu Shiping, a professor of agriculture at Yangzhou University, who is
reviewing the results.
Certain types of wild rice that have not yet been modified by
humans can survive salinity, but they typically have a yield of between 1.125
to 2.25 tonnes per hectare.
Yuan Longping, who led the experiment, said that he was very
satisfied with the results. Known as China's "Father of Hybrid Rice,"
Yuan helped found the Qingdao center in October 2016.
Rice is a Chinese staple, and the mission of the center is to
develop commercially viable rice tolerant of saline-alkali soil.
Increased
health benefits
Yuan said the increased harvest may encourage farmers to grow more
such rice in the future.
"If a farmer tries to grow some types of saline-tolerant rice
now, they most likely will get 1,500 kilograms per hectare. That is just not
profitable and not even worth the effort," Yuan said.
"Farmers will have an incentive to grow the rice if we can
double the yield," he said.
Increased productivity could also change the landscapes. China has
about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali soil, of which about one fifth
could be cultivated, Yuan said.
Millions of hectares in humid regions of South and Southeast Asia
are technically suited for rice production, but are left uncultivated or have
very low yields because of salinity and problem soil, according to the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the leading research organization
dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science, which is based
in the Philippines.
Breeding varieties with in-built salt tolerance is considered the
most promising, economical and socially acceptable approach, the IRRI said.
Theoretically, rice grown in saline soil carries added benefits.
Calcium and other micro-nutrients are abundant in salty environments, so the
rice could be rich in these nutrients.
It is also difficult for pathogenic bacteria to grow on
saline-alkali soil, so rice grown there is less likely to be exposed to pests,
which would mean pesticide use could be decreased, said Yang Hongyan from the
Qingdao center.
Long way
ahead
Despite Thursday's announcement of the record-high output,
breeding rice varieties that are tolerant to saline-alkali soil is an arduous
task.
At the Qingdao center, scientists have gathered over 200 types of
rice from around the world, planted them and installed sensors in the fields to
monitor the environment.
So far, the center has also carried out experiments on 35 types of
rice at 23 locations in China, to see which specific types of rice are most
suitable for each area.
It usually takes several years to go through the various legal
procedures involved in having one crop approved by the government for mass
production and distribution on a commercial level.
In addition, to identify and breed potential types of rice, the
center will study saline-alkali soil as well, which involves major engineering
and soil amelioration processes.
But Yuan's team isn't daunted by the difficulties.
They are aiming to change 6.67 million hectares of previously
saline land into arable land, and increase rice production to feed 80 million
people, the scientists said.
Travelling rice seminar visits over 100 farm
fields
56
Islamabad
Traveling rice seminar has so far
visited over 100 rice farm field across the crop sowing areas of the country,
besides visiting the outlets of
different seed producing companies.
The travelling seminar was designed by PARC and Chines Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Company to travel in all the four ecological zones of the country in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.
This was a month long activity in which a group of hybrid rice researchers from China comprising on 12 scientists also participated and visited the rice farms and fields different areas of the country, said Programme Coordinator and Member Plant Science in Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr Anjum Ali.
Talking to APP here on Thursday, he said that the main aim of this joint initiative was to enhance per acre crop productivity, increase profitability and produce surplus commodity for exports enhancement.
In order to further enhance the local rice output China- Pakistan have decided to work together for conducting joint awareness programmes to adopt hybrid rice seeds, he added.
He informed that the Chinese scientists had trained 30 Pakistani agriculture scientists, selected from all the four provinces.
Besides, he said that they will also impart training to the members of the provincial field extension departments on hybrid rice cultivation.
They had also organize road-shows and field visits across the rice-growing areas to address the issues and challenges in promotion of hybrid rice seed, he added.
He further informed that the a revolutionary hybrid rice seed was recently developed by the Chinese researchers, which would help Pakistani farmers to enhance significantly their per acre yield.
The new developed rice seed variety would help to produce extra surplus, hence the country would be able to export more rice for exporting it to other countries, he added. The seminar would be concluded by next month would be able to
The travelling seminar was designed by PARC and Chines Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Company to travel in all the four ecological zones of the country in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.
This was a month long activity in which a group of hybrid rice researchers from China comprising on 12 scientists also participated and visited the rice farms and fields different areas of the country, said Programme Coordinator and Member Plant Science in Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr Anjum Ali.
Talking to APP here on Thursday, he said that the main aim of this joint initiative was to enhance per acre crop productivity, increase profitability and produce surplus commodity for exports enhancement.
In order to further enhance the local rice output China- Pakistan have decided to work together for conducting joint awareness programmes to adopt hybrid rice seeds, he added.
He informed that the Chinese scientists had trained 30 Pakistani agriculture scientists, selected from all the four provinces.
Besides, he said that they will also impart training to the members of the provincial field extension departments on hybrid rice cultivation.
They had also organize road-shows and field visits across the rice-growing areas to address the issues and challenges in promotion of hybrid rice seed, he added.
He further informed that the a revolutionary hybrid rice seed was recently developed by the Chinese researchers, which would help Pakistani farmers to enhance significantly their per acre yield.
The new developed rice seed variety would help to produce extra surplus, hence the country would be able to export more rice for exporting it to other countries, he added. The seminar would be concluded by next month would be able to
https://pakobserver.net/travelling-rice-seminar-visits-100-farm-fields/12:00 AM,
September 29, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 03:38 AM, September 29, 2017
32,000 MT of
poor quality rice imported
Govt rejects the
consignments; importer looks for pvt buyers
However,
the Singapore-based Olam International, which brought the grains from Thailand,
has kept two ships with over 32,000 tonnes of parboiled rice at the outer
anchorage of Chittagong port for almost a month with intent to sell those to
private buyers in Bangladesh.
Food
department sources told The Daily
Star that they had to reject the two shipments brought through
international tender process at a time when the public granaries require
immediate replenishment for running various food-aided programmes like Tk
10-a-kg rice for ultra poor and the Open Market Sale (OMS).
The
government is already one month behind the schedule in the Tk 10-a-kg rice
programme. It deferred twice the launch of the scheme under which some 50 lakh
ultra poor were supposed to get 4.5 lakh tonnes of rice in September, October
and November.
In such
a situation, the food ministry plans to meet on October 2 for a stocktaking of
the food reserve situation and the already-floated tenders for purchase of two
lakh tonnes of parboiled rice from local private importers who have been
allowed to use polybags instead of jute sacks.
The government has so far imported a little over two lakh tonnes of mostly
white rice from Vietnam under a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement
since its rice stock hit an all-time low at 1.5 lakh tonnes at the beginning of
fiscal 2017-18.
Though
Dhaka struck a separate G2G deal with Cambodia as well, the rice is yet to
reach Bangladesh ports. Besides, a deal with Myanmar is yet to be approved by
the cabinet body concerned.
Apart
from the G2G arrangements, the Directorate General of Food also started
processing imports of three to four lakh tonnes of parboiled rice through
international tenders.
In early
August, Singapore's Olam won the first of the bids under which it would supply
the government with parboiled rice for $419.51 a tonne.
Olam
dispatched over 32,000 tonnes of the stipulated 50,000 in the first two
consignments in two ships at the beginning of September.
A food
department team inspected the grains and declined to receive those, saying the
rice brought from Thailand is too reddish and not up to the mark.
The
setback comes at a time when the government badly requires to fast-track import
of 15-20 lakh tonnes of food to boost its reserve as the country lost at least
20 lakh tonnes of Boro crop due to Haor flashfloods and fungal attacks.
The
stock that the government could build so far is mostly of white rice. But most
people have shown little or no interest in buying the rice variety channelled
through OMS at a subsidised rate as they prefer parboiled rice.
Meanwhile,
private traders have imported nearly seven lakh tonnes of rice over the last
three months, giving a little stabilising effect on volatile domestic rice
prices.
Qaid
Siraj, proprietor of the Olam International's local agent Zarah Grains told
this newspaper that the Thai rice looks a little reddish because of its
varietal feature, but it's not substandard.
Since
the government declined to take it, Olam kept the ships at the outer anchorage
and was trying to sell it to private parties in Chittagong, said Qaid.
If no
deal can be struck here, Olam would move the ships elsewhere, most likely to
South Africa and sell the rice there, he added.
Ali
Akbar, who heads the Seven Seas Shipping in Bangladesh, told this newspaper
that two of their ships that Olam hired for shipping the rice to Bangladesh
have been kept at the outer anchorage of Chittagong port for nearly a month.
"Yes,
they [Olam] are paying for the demurrage. As Bangladesh's food department gave
them no-objection certificate for selling the rice to private buyers, they are
trying to do so," he said.
Published: September 29, 2017
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In an earlier article, I highlighted the
enormous opportunity of China’s $160 billion agricultural imports and $1
trillion-plus food market, with Pakistan’s negligible share. Can the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) change this?
While CPEC is expected to lead to a
reduction in logistics costs, this will not automatically translate into
greater exports. Market access requires an examination of tariff and non-tariff
barriers to trade too. The second phase of negotiations of the Pak-China Free
Trade Agreement (PCFTA) are now under way. These negotiations were long overdue
and considering our inability to make use of the first phase signed in 2006,
our domestic industry has a number of concerns.
Nevertheless, the question remains: what we
should negotiate for and how we can benefit from this huge opportunity.
Recently, I was involved in conducting some research on the subject, as part of
a team sponsored by International Growth Centre. Our research attempted to
provide some of the answers in Punjab’s context.
ADVERTISEMENT
Let’s look at Pakistan’s agriculture exports. Textile and clothing make for
more than half of our exports, followed by vegetables, accounting for 14%. Food
products are the fourth important item in Pakistan’s exports, constituting
almost 4%. As we can see, that not only bulk of our exports is reliant on
agriculture but the top two food categories account for almost one-fifth of our
exports.
Digging a bit deeper on our agricultural and
agro-processed exports, we found a well-diversified basket of $4.06 billion,
excluding cotton and livestock. Now out of this $4 billion+, how much do we
export to China? Only a third of a billion dollars, with rice taking more than
half, followed by the ‘beverage, spirits and vinegar’ category, which takes
another one-third. Although Pakistan’s agricultural exports to China spread
over 14 broad product categories, most of them are very small or negligible.
What is even more interesting is that China
imports $76 billion worth of goods in these categories, with Pakistan claiming
merely half a per cent share. Since we are exporting these products elsewhere,
we must be somewhat competitive and since China is importing them, we know that
there is an established market next door. So, what exactly is happening here?
Let’s look at the example of rice. Pakistan
is one of the top five world exporters of rice. Our rice exports of $1.9
billion in 2016 represented 5% of global rice exports. Rice exports to China,
however, accounted for only 8% of this. On the other hand, China imported $1.4 billion
worth of rice, with Pakistan getting only 11% share. From where did China get
the rest? Mostly Vietnam and Thailand with 3-5 times more rice exports than
Pakistan.
Despite the fact that the bulk of China’s
imports is in non-basmati rice, there is still significant room to increase our
exports. But the major impediment is non-favourable tariffs. China maintains a
special low tariff of 1% on import of a quota of 5.3 million tonnes of rice,
however, beyond this quota, rice imports are subject to a tariff of 65%. The
Asean countries, which are the top exporters of rice to China, enjoy
preferential tariffs as a part of Asean-China FTA — 20% on non-basmati and
broken rice and 50% on tariff in basmati rice. In case of Pakistan, no
preferential tariff is applicable on any rice category, making us
non-competitive.
The story of rice is not the only one.
Similar stories are there in other product categories such as citrus, fruit
juices, vegetables, etc, where either tariff or non-tariff barriers are
hindering our exports to China that would otherwise be made.
Such insights should drive the ongoing PCFTA
negotiations with China. Fortunately, Punjab has taken up many of these issues
with the federal government but other provinces need to do the same. And this
exercise should go beyond agricultural products. The state can pave the way by
negotiating better terms of trade for Pakistani exporters, while businessmen
should explore why they aren’t exporting more.
Once we tap these opportunities, we could
look for other high demand areas in China, where we can potentially develop
production capabilities from the scratch. But that remains a story for another
day.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th,
2017
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1518708/cpec-chinas-food-market/Chinese
saline soil rice experiment a success
0 Comment(s)Print E-mailXinhua, September 29, 2017
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A rice growing experiment with saline-alkali soil has beaten
expectations, laying the foundation for commercialization, Chinese scientists
announced Thursday.
Four types of rice registered an estimated output of between 6.5
to 9.3 tonnes per hectare after testing at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice
Research and Development Center.
In spring, more than 200 types of rice were planted at the center
in the coastal city of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province. Diluted
seawater was used on the soil to test which types could survive and prosper in
saline environments.
Seawater from the nearby Yellow Sea was pumped into the center,
diluted to a salinity of around 0.3 percent and channeled into the rice
paddies, then increased to around 0.6 percent salinity, to intensify the effect
on the rice.
Researchers had expected an output of around 4.5 tonnes per
hectare, said Wang Kexiang, chief of center's technology department.
"The test results greatly exceeded our expectations,"
said Liu Shiping, a professor of agriculture at Yangzhou University, who is
reviewing the results.
Certain types of wild rice that have not yet been modified by
humans can survive salinity, but they typically have a yield of between 1.125
to 2.25 tonnes per hectare.
Yuan Longping, who led the experiment, said that he was very
satisfied with the results. Known as China's "Father of Hybrid Rice,"
Yuan helped found the Qingdao center in October 2016.
Rice is a Chinese staple, and the mission of the center is to
develop commercially viable rice tolerant of saline-alkali soil.
Increased
health benefits
Yuan said the increased harvest may encourage farmers to grow more
such rice in the future.
"If a farmer tries to grow some types of saline-tolerant rice
now, they most likely will get 1,500 kilograms per hectare. That is just not
profitable and not even worth the effort," Yuan said.
"Farmers will have an incentive to grow the rice if we can
double the yield," he said.
Increased productivity could also change the landscapes. China has
about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali soil, of which about one fifth
could be cultivated, Yuan said.
Millions of hectares in humid regions of South and Southeast Asia
are technically suited for rice production, but are left uncultivated or have
very low yields because of salinity and problem soil, according to the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the leading research organization
dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science, which is based
in the Philippines.
Breeding varieties with in-built salt tolerance is considered the
most promising, economical and socially acceptable approach, the IRRI said.
Theoretically, rice grown in saline soil carries added benefits.
Calcium and other micro-nutrients are abundant in salty environments, so the
rice could be rich in these nutrients.
It is also difficult for pathogenic bacteria to grow on
saline-alkali soil, so rice grown there is less likely to be exposed to pests,
which would mean pesticide use could be decreased, said Yang Hongyan from the
Qingdao center.
Long way
ahead
Despite Thursday's announcement of the record-high output,
breeding rice varieties that are tolerant to saline-alkali soil is an arduous
task.
At the Qingdao center, scientists have gathered over 200 types of
rice from around the world, planted them and installed sensors in the fields to
monitor the environment.
So far, the center has also carried out experiments on 35 types of
rice at 23 locations in China, to see which specific types of rice are most
suitable for each area.
It usually takes several years to go through the various legal
procedures involved in having one crop approved by the government for mass
production and distribution on a commercial level.
In addition, to identify and breed potential types of rice, the
center will study saline-alkali soil as well, which involves major engineering
and soil amelioration processes.
But Yuan's team isn't daunted by the difficulties.
They are aiming to change 6.67 million hectares of previously
saline land into arable land, and increase rice production to feed 80 million
people, the scientists said.
http://china.org.cn/business/2017-09/29/content_41665673.htm
SL’s exports growth on track but higher oil bill stretches
trade gap
2017-09-29
10:27:34
0
139
The restoration of the GSP Plus facility, higher prices received
for tea and the weaker currency appear to have propelled Sri Lanka’s export
earnings but the higher oil bill is showing signs of becoming a headache,
threatening the attempts to contain the expanding trade gap in the import
dependent economy. In July, Sri Lanka exports grew by 13.9 percent
year-on-year (YoY) to cross a billion dollar mark – the second month to exceed
a billion dollars during the year. But the imports, which grew by 11.1 percent
to US 1.59 billion stretched the trade gap to US $ 575.3 million from US $ 541
million a year earlier.
As a result, the cumulative trade gap from January to July also widened to a high of US $ 5.3 billion from US $ 4.7 billion YoY as the US $ 11.7 billion expenditure on imports for the seven months exceeded the earnings from exports of just US $ 6.4 billion.
In July, the industrial exports grew by 11.6 percent year-on-year (YoY) to US $ 757 million while the agricultural exports grew by a notable 21.8 percent yoy to US $ 253 million.
Textiles and garments led the industrial exports as the earnings from such grew by 9.6 percent YoY to US $ 467 million in July, registering the highest monthly value recorded so far during the year. This is a reversal of the trend seen during the previous two months.
“Garment exports to the EU market increased by 10.6 percent YoY to US $ 188 million in July 2017 signaling the positive impact of the restoration of the GSP Plus facility in May 2017”, the Central Bank said in a statement.
For the seven months, the textiles and garments exports rose by 3.0 percent YoY to US $ 4.8 billion.
Meanwhile, earnings from rubber products exports grew by 15.2 percent YoY to US $ 78.5 million, the food and beverage exports by 47 percent YoY to US $ 33.5 million and petroleum products exports by 21.5 percent YoY to US $ 36.6 million during July.
The agricultural exports, which were led by predominantly tea
exports, grew by a notable 21.8 percent YoY to US $ 253.3 million and out of
which, tea earned US $ 143 million registering a growth of 33 percent YoY,
supported mainly by the higher prices fetched at the auctions and partly by
higher volumes.
“The average export price of tea increased by 27.8 percent to US $ 5.36 per kg in July 2017 from US $ 4.19 per kg in July 2016 and US $ 4.86 per kg reported at end 2016.
The volume of tea exports grew by 3.8 per cent to 26.7 million kgs in July 2017, recording the highest export volume of tea so far during the year”, the statement added.
The cumulative earnings from tea exports for the seven months reached US $ 871 million, up 20 percent YoY.
Meanwhile, the rising oil prices in the world market pushed the oil bill and thereby the intermediate goods imports.
The oil bill in July rose sharply by 52 percent YoY to US $ 216 million, largely driven by the importation of refined petroleum. The seven-month petroleum bill was up 47 percent YoY to US $ 1.36 billion.
The average import price per barrel of crude has gone up to US $ 49.75 in July 2017 from US $ 46.10 in July 2016 but the prices are now flirting US $ 60 a barrel—a development that could cause a lot of trouble for Sri Lankan policy makers. Further, the gold imports have also grown substantially during July to US $ 62 million registering a growth of 182 percent YoY.
Besides, imports expenditure on textiles and textile articles also rose by little under 20 percent YoY with higher expenditure on fabrics and fibre, indicating a likelihood of increased exports of textiles and garments in the period ahead, the Central Bank said.
These commodities pushed the total imports of intermediate goods by 28 percent YoY to US $ 902 million in July and by 14 percent YoY to US $ 6.3 billion for the seven months.
Meanwhile, under the consumer goods imports, food and beverage imports led purely by the rice imports, grew by 10.2 percent YoY to US $ 133 million while the non-consumer goods imports, of which the bulk comprised of vehicles, edged down by 0.6 percent YoY to US $ 201.3 million.
In July Sri Lanka imported vehicles worth of US $ 62. 2 million, up 16 percent YoY while for the seven months the country spent US $ 432 million on vehicle imports, down 9.0 percent YoY from the same period last year.
The investment goods imports fell by 12.7 percent YoY to US $ 352 million, but the country’s construction sector grew strongly during the 2Q17.
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/SL-s-exports-growth-on-track-but-higher-oil-bill-stretches-trade-gap-137487.htmlWill Adhere To 48-Hour Deadline For Paddy Lifting: Punjab
Government
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today
promised strict adherence by his government to the 48-hour deadline for lifting
of paddy and payment to farmers for their crop in the ensuing kharif season.
All India | Press Trust of India | Updated:
September 28, 2017 21:58 IST
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Amarinder Singh promised strict
adherence by his government to 48-hour deadline for lifting of paddy.
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister
Captain Amarinder Singh today promised strict adherence by his government to
the 48-hour deadline for lifting of paddy and payment to farmers for their crop
in the ensuing kharif season.
Addressing a meeting of rice millers, led by All India Rice Miller Association and Punjab State Rice Millers Association, the Chief Minister also promised revival of sick rice milling units to be taken up on priority by his government.
The Chief Minister said everything was in place for smooth procurement of paddy in this season, when an estimated 182 lakh tonnes of the crop was expected to come into the market, as against the previous season's target of 165 lakh tonnes, said an official release.
Addressing a meeting of rice millers, led by All India Rice Miller Association and Punjab State Rice Millers Association, the Chief Minister also promised revival of sick rice milling units to be taken up on priority by his government.
The Chief Minister said everything was in place for smooth procurement of paddy in this season, when an estimated 182 lakh tonnes of the crop was expected to come into the market, as against the previous season's target of 165 lakh tonnes, said an official release.
The mandis were witnessing
182 per cent increase in arrival of cotton crop as compare to last year, as a
result of the collective efforts of the state government, PAU and farmers,
backed by favourable weather conditions, said the Chief Minister, expressing
satisfaction over the bumper production of cotton.
Reiterating his government's commitment to early redressal of the various problems faced by the beleaguered industry, Mr Singh pointed out that his government had recently announced a One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme to provide an opportunity to all defaulter rice millers to clear their past dues.
Reiterating his government's commitment to early redressal of the various problems faced by the beleaguered industry, Mr Singh pointed out that his government had recently announced a One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme to provide an opportunity to all defaulter rice millers to clear their past dues.
Around 1,500 of the total 3,500 defaulting and sick milling units would benefit by the scheme, he said, adding that this was one of the several measures initiated to bring the industry back on the path of progress.
Responding to a demand from the rice millers, Mr Singh said he would take up the issue of 'Bardana' use and transportation charges with the central government next week at his meeting with Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
On the issue of millers in surplus paddy districts being given more paddy at a rate of 140 per cent of their original entitlement, he assured that no miller would be forced to mill paddy beyond his capacity and only those willing to mill extra paddy would be considered.
The Chief Minister called upon the rice milling industry to collaborate with the state government in ensuring smooth procurement of paddy in the forthcoming kharif season.
Collective efforts always yield positive results, he said, recalling the success of the collaboration between the farmers and the government in tackling the recent whitefly attack on cotton crops.
With farming community and the agricultural scientists of the Government of Punjab coming together, the spread of the whitefly was successfully prevented, he added.
Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Lal Singh blamed the previous SAD-BJP government for the "mess" in the industry, saying the Akalis and BJP had "plundered" the state, leaving it under a massive debt burden of Rs. 2.08 lakh crore as a result of its "ill-conceived and corrupt" policies.
Under Amarinder Singh led government, the state was witnessing a turnaround with more than 300 new rice mills already set up in just six months, said Lal Singh, promising to act as a bridge between the milling community and the government to resolve any issues of concern.
One last mission for the country
Just when she
thought her career was winding down, Duangporn Rodphaya got the call to help
offload the state's massive rice stocks. By Phusadee Arunmas
- 30 Sep 2017 at 04:00
1,730 viewed0 comments
- NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS
| WRITER: PHUSADEE
ARUNMAS
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When one is asked to take on a
project, it pays to have strong expertise in the field. Duangporn Rodphaya's
career is a case in point. In her first job three decades ago as a junior civil
servant, she began working on state policies dealing with major commodities,
particularly rice.
That background came in handy in 2014, when she was
assigned to discharge 18 million tonnes of state rice stocks, the largest
amount ever."It was a historic release of rice stocks that no one had had to deal with before, and you needed to release the stocks at a time that the world market had plenty of rice," Mrs Duangporn recalls.
In 1977, a young Duangporn graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Chulalongkorn University and started her career in the commodities division of the Commerce Ministry's Foreign Trade Department. Her duties included work on government-to-government rice deals, mostly with China and some of Thailand's traditional rice clients in the Middle East. The role taught her about the trade, logistics and quality standards of rice.
Mrs Duangporn, 59, spent nearly half of her working life dealing with rice traders, exporters, retailers and farmers, with the goal of stabilising Thai rice prices. After more than a decade dealing with rice, she moved on to several departments in the Commerce Ministry.
In 2003, Mrs Duangporn shifted to the Bureau of Merchandise Trade Administration, overseeing import-export issues and the standards of Thai products, before moving to the Bureau of Trade Interests and Remedies in 2004, working on protection of Thailand's interests in the world market.
During 2013-14, she was assigned as deputy director-general of the Intellectual Property Department. This position seemed to take her quite far away from the Foreign Trade Department, which oversees rice-exporting issues.
It appeared that she would spend the rest of her working life in other jobs in the Commerce Ministry before retiring peacefully at 60. But things got interesting in 2014, when the National Council for Peace and Order staged a coup on May 22.
The ouster of the caretaker government formerly led by Yingluck Shinawatra set the stage for exposure of Thailand's biggest rice scandal.
The debacle began in 2011, when Yingluck took power after her party's landslide election win. During the campaign she had promised to buy every single grain of rice in the country for 15,000 baht a tonne. That was roughly double the market price of 7,000-8,000 baht at the time.
The Yingluck government's rice-pledging scheme brought 18 million tonnes of rice into state stockpiles, with no clear plan for how to deal with the supply.
Yingluck was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on May 7, 2014, but the massive rice stocks and burdensome management and warehouse rental costs remained, leaving the military-led government to sort out the mess.
The question went to the Foreign Trade Department, where some personnel were seen as lacking strong expertise in rice and others were under suspicion of taking part in corruption under the rice-pledging scheme.
"At that time I was working in the Intellectual Property Department," Mrs Duangporn says. "However, I sometimes offered comment and suggestions to the Commerce Ministry's permanent secretary to help tackle the [rice] problem.
"I do not want to be offensive against anyone in the previous government, so I will not say something about who caused this huge problem and why they did it. But what everyone knew by that time was that the rice stocks were involved in massive corruption cases and no one wanted to deal with it."
One day, Mrs Duangporn was asked by the government to take the position of director-general of the Foreign Trade Department. She would be tasked with getting rid of the 18 million tonnes of rice stocks as quickly as possible.
She declined the post several times until one day the permanent secretary asked: "If it is not the right time for you to lend a helping hand to our nation, when will it be the right time for you?"
It was a question that shook Mrs Duangporn. "It's now or never," she said before accepting a job that would require all of her dedication.
She started inspecting rice inventories across the country and set up a committee with a clear action plan to gradually and cautiously release rice stocks. It was during this time that every rice-producing country was enjoying a bumper crop. The global rice glut kept pressure on prices as Thailand's own rice stocks were starting to decay.
"The longer we kept the stocks, the higher the losses to the government," Mrs Duangporn says. "So it was time to pull off the bandage and accept the truth."
She and her team set a target to offload the entire 18 million tonnes of rice stocks within three years.
Starting in 2014 and continuing through this year, Mrs Duangporn and her team classified the rice by various grades and offloaded the stocks in precise amounts from time to time.
"We needed to be very careful in releasing the stocks," she says. "Do not forget that Thailand is also a major rice producer that grows about 33 million tonnes of paddy a year. We needed to make sure that our stock sales would not hurt our rice growers. So we stopped selling rice during the harvesting period to avoid adding pressure on price."
Mrs Duangporn and her team endured criticism, particularly from those who had praised the massive farm subsidies. But finally she and her team succeeded in releasing all 18 million tonnes of rice stocks within three years, as planned.
The triumph helped unchain the Thai rice industry and let it move freely under real market forces, with no additional price pressure from state stocks. It also marked Mrs Duangporn's swan song as a civil servant.
"My task is over," she says, "and I will not feel any loneliness in retirement, since it's time for me to take care of my family members, who kindly allowed me to do my job for many years without any complaint, particularly my mother-in-law."
She has used most of her savings to buy a 20-rai coconut orchard in Ratchaburi province, a region famed for producing premium-grade coconuts.
When asked what she'll do in retirement, Mrs Duangporn says: "I will take care of my coconut orchard. It's time to taste and smell the aromatic coconut juice."
Govt asks rice millers to fall in line
KOTTAYAM, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 23:41 IST
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Meet held to fix revised quality parameters amid discord over low wholegrain
recovery ratio for paddy
The government will not give in to the
pressure of millers who have fixed a low wholegrain recovery ratio for paddy,
Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman has said.
Speaking at a conference of farmers,
officials, and padasekharam committee members at Vechoor to fix the revised
quality parameters, the Minister said the millers had fixed the wholegrain
recovery rate at 61% while the national average was 68%.
“The government has asked them to fix it
at 64%. But the millers want it to be fixed at 60 to 61%, which is not
acceptable,” he said.
The Food Corporation of India would fix
the State’s quota after giving weightage for the quantity procured internally,
he said.
The low recovery rate would affect the
State quota as well as the remuneration for the farmers.
The Minister said that in case the
millers refused to procure paddy as per the parameters fixed by the government,
alternative options would have to be thought about. He said the government
would constitute a body consisting of the grama panchayat president concerned,
paddy officer, and the agriculture officer to ascertain the quality of paddy
being procured from a polder.
Millers warned of action
Mr. Thilothaman said the government
would initiate disciplinary steps against millers who procured high quality
paddy from the polders and furnished low quality rice to the Kerala State
Civil Supplies Corporation.
He also said the government would
consider revising the daily wage of headload workers who carried paddy to the
vehicle. “However, the government cannot entertain separate wage structure for
different polders,” he said
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/govt-asks-rice-millers-to-fall-in-line/article19772089.ece THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE > BUSINESS
Training session held for rice
growers
By APP
Published:
September 28, 2017
1SHARES
SHEIKHUPURA: Rice growers were asked to adopt Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP)
standards during a training session held on Wednesday.
The SRP standards are designed to achieve
higher yield per acre of the crop. The training session was organised by Rice
Partners Pvt Ltd (RPL) in collaboration with Helvetas Swiss Inter cooperation
and MARS food with over 120 rice growers attending the event, said a press
release.
ADVERTISEMENT
Talking to rice growers, the facilitator highlighted the rapidly increasing
water scarcity in the country to emphasise the need for stricter quality
standards. RPL Senior Advisor Riaz Mann highlighted the importance of laser
land leveling, direct seeding of rice (DSR), AWD technology and reducing
post-harvest losses for sustainable rice cultivation.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2017
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1518042/training-session-held-rice-growers/ Rice worth $223.937m exported in
two months
Islamabad
Rice worth US$ 223.937 million has been exported during the first two months
of current financial year. During the period from July-August, 2017
rice exports from the country grew by 40.36 percent as compared to
the exports of the same period of last year, according the data of
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. In last two months around 428,993
metric tons of rice worth US$ 223.937 million was exported as compared to
the exports of 380,861 metric tons valuing US$ 159.543 million, it
added. Meanwhile, the exports of basmati rice grew by 10.35 percent
and about 59,433 metric tons of basmati rice worth US$ 62.741 million was
exported as compared to the exports of 59,192 metric tons valuing US$
56.857 million of same period last year. The exports of rice other
than basmati also witnessed an increase of 58.98 percent, around 369.580 metric
tons of rice costing US$ 161.198 million was exported as compared to
the exports of 251,669 metric tons worth US$ 102.888 million of last
year. On month on month basis, rice exports from the country
grew by 53 percent in August, 2017 as compared to the same month of last year,
the data reveled. About 227,998 metric tons of rice worth US$ 116.041 million
exported in August as compared to the exports of 146,769 metric tons
valuing US$ 75.569 million of same period last year. Meanwhile, basmati rice
worth US$ 86.290 million was exported last month, which grew by 2.15 percent as
compared to the same month of last year. Exports of basmati rice were
recorded at 28,482 metric tons in the month of August as compared to
the exports 30,446 metric tons of same period last year. During the
period from July-August 2017, food group exports of the country
increased by 30.6 percent as compared to the exports of the same
period of last year. Country earned US$ 512.321 million by exporting different
food commodities during first two-months of current
financial year as compared to the earnings of the corresponding
period of last year.—TNS
U.S. Rice Exhibits and Makes an Impression at Turkey’s Largest
Food Show
|
Chef
Sabahettin Guney
|
|
|
ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- Last week, during
the Istanbul World Food Exhibition, one of Turkey’s largest food and beverage
expos targeting foodservice and deli operators, USA Rice showcased U.S. medium
grain and wild rice for the more than 35,000 traders on hand. A USA Rice booth
welcomed visitors with a display of many U.S.-grown rice samples, including
recently launched U.S. wild rice packages sold here, along with brochures and
other literature explaining U.S. rice import procedures, quality determination,
types of U.S.-grown rice, and supplier lists. Activities focused on medium
grain rice varieties Calrose and Jupiter, and wild rice mixed with white rice
that could increase profitability while providing nutritious and flavorful
meals to restaurant patrons. USA Rice partnered with Istanbul Chefs
Association Chef Sabahettin Guney to prepare three unique recipes featuring
U.S.-grown rice that were served at an official event lunch to hundreds of
attendees. The recipes were: Wild Rice Pilaf cooked with USA Calrose Rice,
Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Wild Rice, and Wild Rice Cream with Fruits, with the
latter receiving the most positive feedback for its exciting flavors. Fred
Klose, manager of the California Wild Rice Advisory Board attended the show and
met with traders and potential packers to understand the market and evaluate
demand and interest in his organization’s products. "We joined USA Rice
here with a few specific objectives, all of which were accomplished,” Klose
said. “We wanted to introduce wild rice mixes and varieties and showcase
new uses for wild rice; we wanted to offer participants and targeted food
professionals the opportunity to taste the products; and finally we wanted to
educate the trade about U.S.-grown rice across the supply chain."
Feedback for USA Rice, and the California Wild Rice Advisory Board was
positive, interest from food professionals and trade guests was high, and trade
leads with major distributors across the region were generated, leading market
watchers to suspect U.S. rice exports to Turkey are set to grow in the coming
mCulture night teaches Pakistan
tradition
Austin Lewis,
Staff Writer • September
28, 2017 • Leave a Comment
Share via Email
Austin Lewis
Students with the Center for International Programs cheer after performing a dance routine during the Pakistani cultural night at Ruston Hall Wednesday night. The Pakistani night was one of several cultural nights that will take place throughout the semester.
Students with the Center for International Programs cheer after performing a dance routine during the Pakistani cultural night at Ruston Hall Wednesday night. The Pakistani night was one of several cultural nights that will take place throughout the semester.
Curious eyes scanned around all sides of the Ruston Hall
multipurpose room. All walks of life met in one place to experience the wonders
of Pakistan Tuesday evening.
Danish Kumar and Kiran Naeem, both exchange students from
Pakistan, guided the masses through the presentation. Not only was this the
first cultural experience for a lot of the students attending the event, but
this semester is Kumar and Naeem’s first time experiencing America.
“People are so loving and caring here. I haven’t met anybody
that has behaved toward me in a negative manner yet,” said Naeem.
The presentation covered everything from regional customs,
marriage traditions, famous people and many more engaging bits of Pakistani
trivia.
Naeem burst out into song several times during the presentation,
giving us an auditory sample of what the traditional songs of her home country
were like. “Pakistanis don’t really like all that rock ‘n roll like here in
America,” Naeem joked before one of her musical numbers.
The finale of the presentation was a true spectacle. As if the
audience wasn’t already engaged enough, both of the speakers and several other
volunteers came together to perform a few dances native to Pakistan. Everything
was on point from the traditional garb to the dance choreography. As the final
pose was struck the room erupted into a thunderous applause.
A line immediately formed behind a set of folding tables which
were covered in dishes of traditional Pakistani food. The students served
Buyani rice and chicken along with a side of Pakistani batter-fried potatoes to
the audience.
“The food was really spicy, but I liked it a lot. It had a good
kick to it,” said Catelynn Doffin, freshman political science and public
relations major.
The event was made possible to start by Nicole Vernon, program
coordinator for the Center for International Programs. She said once she gets
everything set up, it’s all on the students to make the rest happen. The
students create the presentation, decide what events will take place during it
and choose the dishes that will be served.
“I encourage any student to come out because you get to
experience the culture of a country without even going there. You really get to
learn so much,” Vernon said.
The Center for International Programs attempts to hold a
cultural night every other Tuesday, depending on holidays and campus scheduling
per semester. The next cultural night will be England and Wales. All are
encouraged to attend.onths. USA rice works cooperatively with California and Minnesota to promote
wild rice consumption internationally. California wild rice received
funds from USDA’s emerging markets programs to conduct these specific
activities.
Author Name: https://www.usarice.com/news-resources/daily/usa-rice-daily/2017/09/29/u.s.-rice-exhibits-and-makes-an-impression-at-turkey-s-largest-food-show
Austin Lewis,
Staff Writer • September
28, 2017 • Leave a Comment
Share via Email
Austin Lewis
Students with the Center for International Programs cheer after performing a dance routine during the Pakistani cultural night at Ruston Hall Wednesday night. The Pakistani night was one of several cultural nights that will take place throughout the semester.
Students with the Center for International Programs cheer after performing a dance routine during the Pakistani cultural night at Ruston Hall Wednesday night. The Pakistani night was one of several cultural nights that will take place throughout the semester.
Curious eyes scanned around all sides of the Ruston Hall
multipurpose room. All walks of life met in one place to experience the wonders
of Pakistan Tuesday evening.
Danish Kumar and Kiran Naeem, both exchange students from
Pakistan, guided the masses through the presentation. Not only was this the
first cultural experience for a lot of the students attending the event, but
this semester is Kumar and Naeem’s first time experiencing America.
“People are so loving and caring here. I haven’t met anybody
that has behaved toward me in a negative manner yet,” said Naeem.
The presentation covered everything from regional customs,
marriage traditions, famous people and many more engaging bits of Pakistani
trivia.
Naeem burst out into song several times during the presentation,
giving us an auditory sample of what the traditional songs of her home country
were like. “Pakistanis don’t really like all that rock ‘n roll like here in
America,” Naeem joked before one of her musical numbers.
The finale of the presentation was a true spectacle. As if the
audience wasn’t already engaged enough, both of the speakers and several other
volunteers came together to perform a few dances native to Pakistan. Everything
was on point from the traditional garb to the dance choreography. As the final
pose was struck the room erupted into a thunderous applause.
A line immediately formed behind a set of folding tables which
were covered in dishes of traditional Pakistani food. The students served
Buyani rice and chicken along with a side of Pakistani batter-fried potatoes to
the audience.
“The food was really spicy, but I liked it a lot. It had a good
kick to it,” said Catelynn Doffin, freshman political science and public
relations major.
The event was made possible to start by Nicole Vernon, program
coordinator for the Center for International Programs. She said once she gets
everything set up, it’s all on the students to make the rest happen. The
students create the presentation, decide what events will take place during it
and choose the dishes that will be served.
“I encourage any student to come out because you get to
experience the culture of a country without even going there. You really get to
learn so much,” Vernon said.
The Center for International Programs attempts to hold a
cultural night every other Tuesday, depending on holidays and campus scheduling
per semester. The next cultural night will be England and Wales. All are
encouraged to attend.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1334059/one-last-mission-for-the-country
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