Pakistan
committed to free trade agreement with GCC states
Commerce ministers of GCC countries are expected to meet by the
end of August
Published: 15:42 August 9, 2017
Pakistan remains fully committed
to finalising a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) in a bid to step up trade between the two sides, a Ministry of Commerce
official has told official news agency, APP.
The report released on Friday
also added that a text of the initial FTA framework had been agreed with the
GCC, comprised of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, while
the third round of negotiations would start after conclusion of a
ministerial-level meeting of the GCC countries to be presided over by Bahrain.
Commerce ministers of GCC
countries are expected to meet by the end of August where the FTA between
Pakistan and the Gulf bloc will be considered a high priority.
A Pakistani Ministry of Commerce
official was also quoted as saying that Pakistan and GCC states were committed
to promoting bilateral trade and business relations. “Promoting private sector
for enhancing trade volumes is a priority for both sides,” he added.
Opportunity
This Gulf News Correspondent has
learnt that a draft of the initial FTA framework has already been prepared as
early as in March 2017.
Pakistani businessmen hope that
the country would have better opportunity to export rice, meat, fruits and also
an investment in the agro-processing unit in Pakistan. While the GCC countries
would have an opportunity to concentrate on tourism, manufacturing and the
services sector of Pakistan.
Private sectors from both sides
are expected to play a major role in enhancing the trade volume with the GCC
http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/pakistan-committed-to-free-trade-agreement-with-gcc-states-1.2071445
Government issues rules for MAV
rice importation
AUGUST 9, 2017
Local traders may start applying
for permits to import rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme on
August 29, according to the guidelines released by the National Food Authority
(NFA) on Wednesday.
The NFA released Memorandum
Circular AO-2017-08-002, which detailed the guidelines for the importation of
805,000 metric tons (MT) of rice under the MAV scheme of the World Trade
Organization (WTO). Imports within MAV are usually slapped a lower
tariff.
“Rice importation under this
program shall be pursuant to Republic Act 8179 and the July 24, 2014, decision
of the WTO on waiver relating to special treatment for rice of the
Philippines,” Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr., who is also the NFA
Council (NFAC) chairman, said in the memorandum circular.
Under the importation guidelines,
rice traders are allowed to source from countries with a specific quota and
from omnibus origin, or other rice-producing countries.
Rice traders and farmers’ groups
can import 293,100 MT of rice from Thailand and Vietnam. They can also import
50,000 MT of rice from China, India and Pakistan; 15,000 MT from Australia; and
4,000 MT from El Salvador.
“No applicant shall apply,
directly, or indirectly, for an import volume allocation under this program in
excess of 20,000 MT for crop year 2016-2017,” Evasco said.
Evasco noted that well-milled
rice imported under the 2017 MAV program will be slapped a 35-percent tariff.
The quality should also not lower be than 25-percent brokens and/or any special
rice variety.
The NFAC, the highest
policy-making body of the NFA, has divided the shipment of rice imports under
the 2017 MAV into two phases: first, starting from December 20 until February
28, 2018; and the second phase covering June 1, 2018, until August 31, 2018.
NFA Deputy Administrator for
Marketing Operations Tomas R. Escarez told the BusinessMirror that the NFAC
scheduled the arrival of rice imports in two phases to ensure imported rice
would not depress palay prices.
“The reason behind this is to
ensure that its arrival will not coincide with the harvest season, which
usually ends on the second week of December. So we allowed imports to arrive
between the second week of December until February 28, when there is no harvest
of rice,” Escarez said in an interview.
“Imported rice will also be
allowed to arrive in the country from July to August, because again, these are
the lean months for palay. So, this will not affect local producers,” he added.
While most of the rice imported
under MAV could arrive within 2018, Escarez said the NFA’s decision to purchase
rice from abroad to beef up its buffer stocks would depend on the supply
situation next year.
“The importation of 805,200 MT is
not usually totally availed because some of the rice come from Australia,
China. Usually we do not source from those countries because we import from
Asian countries, like Thailand and Vietnam,” he added.
After interested importers have
filed their letter of intent, the NFA MAV prequalification team will conduct
the validation and authentication of all the requirements submitted by the
applicants.
The team will also verify if the
applicant is a party to any case or investigation for rice smuggling, hoarding,
unauthorized rebagging or resacking of government stocks to commercial sacks,
diversion and cornering activities.
“The validation would take about
another 30 calendar days. So the issuance of certificate of eligibility
[COE]will be around first week of November,” Escarez said.
He added one of the significant
changes in the 2017 MAV importation program is the decision of government to
allow rice traders to decide when and how much they will import. For example,
traders could choose to import 40 percent of their volume allocation during the
first phase and the remaining 60 percent during the second phase of the MAV
program, according to Escarez.
“Before, when they receive the
COE, they automatically pay 50 percent of the tariff. But now, if you only
decide to import 40 percent of your volume during phase 1, they will only pay
half of the tariff for the 40-percent volume,” he said. “The remaining tariff
shall be paid by the importers once, before the clearance of customs, when
their shipments arrive.”
Under the guidelines, all rice
importers are also required to register with the Bureau Plant Industry-National
Plant Quarantine Services Division prior to the conduct of negotiation and
actual importation.
Last year, the NFA allowed 210
farmers’ organizations and private firms to import 692,340 MT of rice, 110,160
MT less than the 2016 MAV volume of 802,500 MT
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/government-issues-rules-for-mav-rice-importation/
Kelvin Ong -
10
Aug 2017
An
old Chinese concept, the idea of a lifelong job is no longer attractive to
workers in this part of the world.
Finding a good job and building a
lifelong career in an organisation used to be the goal of many employees,
although it’s clear that this has gone to the wayside. With the changing of
jobs every few years becoming the new norm, the concept of “iron rice bowls” is
now increasingly passé in countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
According to the Randstad’s
latest Workmonitor Research for Q2 2017,
73% of employees globally felt that the “job-for-life” was all but extinct.
This sentiment was much higher across the region with over 8 in 10 employees in
Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia agreeing that life-long jobs no longer
existed.
Surprisingly, the more senior employees in Singapore and Hong
Kong were more pessimistic about a lifelong job than their younger
counterparts, going against popular thinking that millennials are the
job-hopping generation.
Managing Director for Randstad
Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, Michael Smith, attributed the demise of
lifelong jobs and careers to the growing willingness of employees to move
organisations and specialisations to define their own career paths based on
their own requirements.
With organisations having
understood that the traditional career ladder has evolved into a career web,
employees are often provided the opportunity to move laterally within their
current companies with strong retraining programmes to boost retention of their
best talent.
“Despite the
less-than-encouraging findings from this latest Workmonitor research, many
organisations are starting to take appropriate steps in ensuring that their
employees are being provided opportunities for retraining and lateral
movement,” says Smith.
“My discussions with senior
leaders across industries say they find these lateral movements highly
beneficial for both the organisation and the employee, as it allows for fresh
innovative perspectives, faster on-boarding and stronger retention rates.
http://www.hrmasia.com/content/why-asian-workers-no-longer-seek-%E2%80%9Ciron-rice-bowls%E2%80%9D
Facility at ILRI to monitor rice blast outbreak
Aug. 11, 2017, 12:00
am
A screening facility has been developed to monitor the outbreak
of rice blast.
Lusike Wasilwa, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research
Organisation director for crop systems, said this will go a long way to
securing one of the four most important food crops in Kenya.
“Based on the current challenges facing the number one crop,
maize, rice may become even more significant for food security in Kenya,” he
said.
The bio-bank of different rice blast-causing fungi has been
established at the International Livestock Research Institute, under the
Durable Rice Blast Resistance for Africa project.
Nick Talbot, the project leader from the University of Exeter,
said the facility will make it easier to monitor outbreaks and identify
specific forms of the pathogen.
“In this way, we can facilitate efficient screening of African
rice varieties for blast resistance and guide future rice breeding programmes,”
he said.
He said rice is steadily becoming a staple food for a large
population in Africa, yet its production is outstripped by demand, resulting in
net imports. Rice blast is one of the major production constraints to rice
production in Africa.
The Bioscience Eastern and Central Africa-ILRI Hub director
Jacob Mignouna said between 2013 to 2017, they have collaborated with
international and regional partners to develop rice varieties that are
resistant to blast and enhance production in sub-Saharan Africa.
“There is need to translate the research to impact. We have to
ensure that all the research efforts being made to address this challenge
eventually get to the farmer,” he said.
He added that the four-year plan has made significant progress
in breeding for durable resistance against blast in rice varieties that are
adapted for Africa, and developed a robust collection of resources for outreach
and awareness creation.
The multidisciplinary team of experts in this project are drawn
from national, regional and international research institutions
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2017/08/11/facility-at-ilri-to-monitor-rice-blast-outbreak_c1614235
Kingdom courts
rice deal with Bangladesh
Thu, 10 August 2017
A woman harvests her rice crop at a paddy field in Phnom Penh’s
Dangkor district late last year. Heng Chivoan
The Kingdom’s apex rice industry body has been meeting this week
to discuss ways of nailing down a potentially massive deal with Bangladesh,
which earlier this month inked a memorandum of understanding to purchase 1 million tonnes of
Cambodian rice over the next five years.
Bangladesh has been shopping
around to fill its silos after devastating floods earlier this year reportedly
wiped out a potential 700,000 tonnes of rice under cultivation, leading to a
severe food shortage. Its government has reportedly discussed import deals with
Thailand, Vietnam and India, but has yet to settle on a supplier.
The Cambodia Rice Federation
(CRF) convened on Tuesday for a strategy session aimed at clinching
Bangladesh’s initial order of 250,000 tonnes of rice. The shipment calls for
200,000 tonnes of white rice and 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice to be
delivered in October.
CRF Vice President Hun Lak said
the federation’s board and members discussed whether Cambodia was capable of
filling the large order, and if it could compete on price.
“According to our members, we
have sufficient rice to supply Bangladesh, but we must first see what the terms
and prices are,” he said yesterday. “It’s too early to make any conclusions on
our [offer] price as we’re waiting to see how prices fluctuate on the
international market.”
Lak said the CRF was working with
state-owned rice exporter Green Trade to prepare the offer price as well as its
terms, with Green Trade to take the lead on firming up a contract with
Bangladesh.
Norng Veasna, director of sales
and marketing at Nikoline Rice Mill, said local millers were ready to supply
rice to Bangladesh but would need support – such as reduced electricity tariffs
or logistics costs – to lower their price.
He said currently the market
price for Cambodian white rice was between $410 and $415 a tonne. By
comparison, Thailand was offering $390 to $395 a tonne, and Vietnam was even
cheaper at $385 to $390 a tonne. In addition, Cambodia’s market price on
parboiled rice was $450 per tonne, about $50 higher than that of Thailand and
Vietnam.
“Even though the current price of
Cambodian rice is a bit higher than the rice of our neighbours we remain
hopeful that negotiations can reduce this gap, allowing us to export to the
Bangladeshi market,” he said.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/kingdom-courts-rice-deal-bangladesh
Govt hints GST on packaged food
awaiting trademark, MSMEs say much needed
New Delhi, Aug 10
(KNN) Responding to the complaints that
big companies are misusing the exemption under GST given to small scale
industries, reports have surfaced that the government may consider 5 per cent
GST on packaged foods that are yet to receive trademarks confirmation.
Talking to KNN, Prem Chand Goyal,
Finance Secretary of Punjab Rice Millers Association explained that the
industries particularly the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that
didn’t have logos and trademarks demanded exemption.
Following which many big
companies stepped in and are misusing the exemption that is exclusively meant
for the MSMEs.
To avoid the tax net, companies
that are already registered are seeking deregistering to avail the exemption;
also there are companies who are enjoying zero per cent tax just because their
logo and trademark is yet to get approval.
This is resulting in an unfair
playfield for the MSMEs, while the zero GST was given to ensure that the small
scale doesn’t suffer, it is happening otherwise.
Goyal informed that there are
talks of requesting the government to consider the definition of brand used
under excise laws for Small Scale industry and not go by the trademarks laws.
Also the government must go ahead
with a 5 per cent tax on the brands that have already applied for the
trademark, he added. (KNN/ DA)
http://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/msme/govt-hints-gst-on-packaged-food-awaiting-trademark-msmes-say-much-needed
Greens oppose commercial release of Golden Rice
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In stiff opposition to the plans
for commercial release of genetically modified (GM) Golden Rice, green activists and
voluntary organisations supporting farmers in Kerala have raised concerns that
it would contaminate existing indigenous rice varieties and pose grave threat
to food safety and consumers' health. It forms part of the national and Asian
campaign against golden rice.
Swiss based agro-chemical firm Syngenta which has recently merged with ChemChina, along with Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had funded International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the research and promotion of Golden Rice. However, rampant protests against GM golden ricein Bangladesh, Philippines and India had prevented its commercial release.
Recently this year, IRRI has established its South Asia's Regional Centre in Varanasi and the greens have raised alarm over its aggressive move to commercialize GM rice on the pretext of government support.
"If Bangladesh allows Golden Rice it can impact India's rice biodiversity as well as food security and sovereignty of the region. It will affect farmers and consumers. Its introduction will take away rice farmers rights over seeds and country's seed sovereignty," Save Our Rice campaign national coordinator Usha S said.
Swiss based agro-chemical firm Syngenta which has recently merged with ChemChina, along with Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had funded International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the research and promotion of Golden Rice. However, rampant protests against GM golden ricein Bangladesh, Philippines and India had prevented its commercial release.
Recently this year, IRRI has established its South Asia's Regional Centre in Varanasi and the greens have raised alarm over its aggressive move to commercialize GM rice on the pretext of government support.
"If Bangladesh allows Golden Rice it can impact India's rice biodiversity as well as food security and sovereignty of the region. It will affect farmers and consumers. Its introduction will take away rice farmers rights over seeds and country's seed sovereignty," Save Our Rice campaign national coordinator Usha S said.
A gene from the wild daffodils plant is engineered to
create GM golden rice and it is touted to address Vitamin A deficiency. Even
after decades of research, the efficacy, safety and viability of Golden Rice
remains uncertain, she said. In 2012, there was an uproar in China over
unethical feeding of Golden Rice to children without informing the concerned
families. Till date, there are no published reports proving that Golden Rice is
safe for human consumption, she said.
Inventions like Golden Rice are dangerous ways of
solving an otherwise easy issue. "Night blindness caused by Vitamin A
deficiency can be tackled by consuming green leafy vegetables, papaya,
drumstick leaves. Instead, a costly, hazardous GM technology is not needed at
all" said Sridhar R from Thanal.
"Studies indicate that over 55 traditional rice
varieties in Kerala are extinct, still the state has a good number of
traditional rice species under cultivation. India is also home to rich rice
biodiversity hosting two-thirds of the world's rice varieties," Green
activists told TOI.
Campaigns against golden rice in India has gained
momentum. Voluntary organisations including Coalition for GM Free India, Save
our Rice network, the Folk Rice Movement and the Seed Mothers movement who
conserve traditional indigenous seed varieties have joined the protest
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/greens-oppose-commercial-release-of-golden-rice/articleshow/60009257.cms
In Delta,
governor calms on NAFTA
Outing a chance to meet farmers
This article was published today
at 2:08 a.m.
STUTTGART -- On his second day
visiting farming communities in the Arkansas Delta, Gov. Asa Hutchinson
defended free trade and said he hopes to meet with the president of Mexico next
month.
The Thursday visit at the
University of Arkansas Agriculture Division's Rice Research and Extension
Center was one stop on a seven-county "Turnrow Tour" of east and
northeast Arkansas farms.
Rice farmers, scientists and
businessmen turned out to talk to the governor -- including Danny Kennedy,
president and chief executive officer of Riceland Foods. Arkansas produces more
rice than the rest of the nation combined.
Hutchinson celebrated gains for
farmers at the stop. He noted that China had agreed to import American rice and
that Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency with whom he
met in Arkansas last month, would be more farmer friendly.
The governor also said he planned
to meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto when pressed by one attendee
to urge President Donald Trump to first do no harm when it comes to the North
American Free Trade Agreement.
J.R. Davis, a spokesman for the
governor, said later that the meeting with Pena Nieto is in the planning stages
and has not been finalized.
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"Modernizing NAFTA -- that's
fine," Hutchinson said. "It's probably a good idea, but if we
modernize it, we've got to keep in mind that we want to make sure that we keep
that trading relationship expanding versus shrinking."
After the event, Hutchinson said
the trip to Mexico -- planned for late September -- would include visits with
businessmen and an open house at Arkansas State University's new campus in
Mexico.
"Mexico is a very
significant trading partner to Arkansas," Hutchinson said. "We want
to make sure that maintains strength and to assure them that while we
renegotiate NAFTA and strengthen that, we certainly don't want to reduce that
trading relationship that we have with Mexico.
During the meeting, farmers
pressed the governor about the future water supply, a failed plan to reorganize
the Arkansas Agriculture Department and the possibility of eliminating tax
exemptions for farmers.
Kennedy said the state should be
open to private investment for big projects that aim to reduce the need for
groundwater by harnessing the White and Arkansas rivers.
"If we can figure out a way
to do that -- put in private money -- and not lose control of the water, I
think there's a lot of workable solutions," the Riceland CEO said.
"Growers are the best in the world at trying to figure out how to get
something done. Those discussions, I think, would really benefit the state and
more than just agriculture."
The Grand Prairie Area
Demonstration Project and Bayou Meto Water Management Project are expected to
cost more than $1 billion, but federal money for the projects had dwindled,
Kennedy said.
Hutchinson said the project plans
might need to be changed to lower the cost.
"These projects need to be
re-examined to make them work under the more constrained investment commitment
from the federal government," he said. "That's what I've asked the
irrigation districts to do, to re-engage engineering services to re-examine the
original plans, to see how they need to be adjusted so they can come to
fruition sooner than 50 years."
During the meeting, Robert
Seidenstricker, who grows rice and soybeans about 15 miles north of Stuttgart,
expressed concern about a proposal to reorganize the state Agriculture
Department -- a plan that the House defeated during the regular session earlier
this year.
Seidenstricker said the plan
could politicize entities such as the Plant Board, which largely has operated
free of politics since its creation in 1917.
"I am just 100 percent for
keeping those agencies as independent as they are," Seidenstricker said.
Supporters have said House Bill
1725 by Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, would have saved about $600,000 a year
through various management tools involving the Agriculture Department and its
several entities, including the Plant Board, the Livestock and Poultry
Commission and the Arkansas Forestry Commission.
Hutchinson said Thursday that
greater integration would allow the state agriculture agencies to respond to
problems as a group instead of operating in separate silos.
Also during the meeting, Gary
Sebree, a rice farmer, said the possible end of agriculture-focused tax
exemptions was of concern to him. He said a tax exemption on agricultural
inputs like seed keep his business above water.
The Legislature formed a task
force to look into ending some exemptions to lower the overall tax rate,
Hutchinson said.
"I would encourage you to
look at this as an opportunity to show the value that those exemptions bring
and make your case," the governor said. "I think the Legislature
would be very responsive to that message."
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/aug/11/in-delta-governor-calms-on-nafta-201708/?f=business
Bangladesh’s
import grows by 10.47% in FY 17
By Siddique Islam
Dhaka, Bangladesh – Bangladesh’s overall
imports grew by 10.47 per cent or US$4.20 billion in the fiscal year (FY)
2016-17, thanks to a jump by over 37 per cent in import of capital machinery,
officials said.“The country’s overall import payments increased in the last
fiscal year mainly due to higher imports of capital machinery,” a senior
official of the Bangladesh Bank (BB), the country’s central bank, said in
Dhaka.
The actual import in terms of settlement of
letters of credit (LCs) rose to US$ 44. 27 billion during the July 2016-June
2017 period of the FY 17 from $40.08 billion in the previous fiscal year,
according to the central bank’s latest statistics. It was $38.45 billion in the
FY 15.
On the other hand, opening of LCs, generally
known as import orders, grew by 11.05 per cent or $4.79 billion to $48.12
billion in the FY 17 from $43.33 billion in the previous fiscal year.
He also said the overall imports may increase
further in the ongoing fiscal year because of rising trend in food grains
particularly rice to meet the growing demand for the essential in the domestic
markets.
The import of food grains particularly rice and
wheat increased by 2.78 per cent to $1.15 billion in the last fiscal from $1.12
billion in the FY 16 while import of consumer goods increased by 9.18 per cent
to $5.02 billion from $4.60 billion.See also:
"Skullcap" ruin Belarusian business
On the other hand, the import of capital
machinery or industrial equipment used for production rose by 37.39 per cent to
$4.85 billion in FY 17 from $3.53 billion in the FY 16.Higher imports in
sectors including textile, leather and tannery, garment industry, power and
energy, pharmaceuticals, telecom industry and ship building have contributed to
raise the overall capital machinery import in the last fiscal, according to the
central bankers.
The imports of intermediate goods like coal,
hard coke, clinker and scrap vessels increased by 11.05 per cent to $3.72
billion in the FY 17 from $3.35 billion in the previous fiscal year.
The import of industrial raw materials rose by
3.52 per cent to $16.22 billion in the FY 17 from $15.67 billion a year ago.
Besides, import of machinery for miscellaneous
industries witnessed a 7.25 per cent growth to $4.62 billion in the last fiscal
from $4.30 billion in the previous FY 16.
“Lower prices of petroleum products in the
global market have contributed to easing import payment pressure on the economy
in the recent years,” another BB official explained.
He also said fuel oils import increased by 3.30
per cent to $2.52 billion in the last fiscal from $2.44 billion a year before.http://micetimes.asia/bangladesh-s-import-grows-10-47-fy-17/
Missouri Rice Field Day to Offer Growers Updates on Markets,
Crop Management, Global Testing
Anyone with an interest in rice
production is invited to this free event. The farm is located about 10 miles
west of Malden, Missouri, on Highway J in northern Dunklin County.
The day begins with
registration at 7:30 a.m. Trailers will load at 8 a.m., with presentation
tours scheduled for 8:30-11:30 a.m. Lunch will follow.
Featured lunch presentations
will be given by Greg Yielding with the U.S. Rice Producers Association, who
will give a U.S. Rice Producers Association update, and Eric Hover who will
present a Missouri Rice Research and Merchandising Council update.
Various field presentations to
be discussed during the tours, including row rice and market acceptance,
mid-season using sensors, rice varieties for Missouri, rice straw management,
weed control, rice markets and farm program payments, irrigation scheduling of
row rice with a crop water use application, managing rice to reduce chalkiness
in grain, rice diseases, and global agricultural testing of rice products.
Speakers will include Dr.
Michael Aide, soil scientist with the Southeast Department of Agriculture;
Samuel Atwell of the University of Missouri Extension Service; Anserd Foster of
Kansas State University; Dr. Christian De Guzman, rice breeder with the
Southeast Department of Agriculture; David Dunn of the University of Missouri
Soil Testing Laboratory; James Heiser with University of Missouri Weed Science;
David Reinbott, agriculture business program with the University of Missouri
Extension, Southeast Region; Matthew Rhine, University of Missouri agronomy
professor; Dr. Gene Stevens from the University of Missouri Fisher Delta
Research Center; Yeshi Wamishe, University of Arkansas plant pathology; and Ken
Cote of Intertek Ag Services.
The Missouri Rice Council will
host the Missouri Rice Research Station Annual Field Day with support from
Southeast Missouri State University, University of Missouri Fisher Delta
Research Center and University of Missouri Extension.
For more information, contact
the Southeast Department of Agriculture at (573) 651-2106
http://news.semo.edu/missouri-rice-field-day-to-offer-growers-updates-on-markets-crop-management-global-testing/
FAO to boost rice production in Africa
Wednesday 9th August, 2017
By Benjamin Mensah, GNA
Elmina, Aug 9, FAO - Rice farmers in Africa
should be empowered with more resources for higher productivity and less post-harvest
losses for food security, job creation and improvement in livelihoods.
Mr Bukar
Tijani, FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Africa,
maintained that food production and nutrition were still basic human needs,
which required the commitment of more resources and investment even as many
economies in Africa turn their attention to mineral and oil wealth.
Opening a five day workshop underway in Elmina,
on “knowledge sharing for the promotion of efficient rice farming practices and
value chains in Sub- Saharan Africa through South-South Co-operation,” Mr
Tijani highlighted the rice value chain as a major example of agriculture’s
potential for income and employment generation and a critical entry point for
poverty reduction.
He said rice production in better and higher
volume has the potential to induce economic development in Africa, and that
required that government committed more resources to its production and that of
other staples.
There has been a sharp rise in rice production
in Africa in recent years, but producers in the region continue to contend with
the lack of right and enough planting materials, tools, machinery for land
preparation, harvesting, processing and prevention of post harvest losses.
Growth rates went up to a high eight per cent
between 2007- 2012, but there were significant post-harvest losses of between
15-25 per cent.
Top rice producing countries in Africa, namely
Nigeria, Madagascar, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania have boosted their rice
production through the introduction of high yield technologies and the
application of modern rice cultivation techniques including mechanization.
Mr Tijani noted that the availability of right
quality and quantity of seeds, improved geographical and environmental
conditions, capacity development, and suitable technology, especially locally
manufactured small-scale machinery supported by FAO’s South-South Cooperation
(SSC) approach as fundamental to efforts to improve the quality of rice
production and reduce post-harvest losses.
South-
South Cooperation approach places emphasis on the mutual sharing and exchange
of development solutions as a pathway towards the achievement of regional and
national agriculture development goals.
It focuses on facilitating the exchange of
agriculture development innovations through a range of methods such as the
deployment of experts, policy dialogues, technology exchanges, study tours and
learning programmes
The FAO is working closely with knowledge and
research institutions to scale up the application of technologies able to
enhance agriculture and rural development.
Mr Tijani assured the conference participants that
the South- South team engaged development institutions including national and
regional stakeholders in the promotions of SSC knowledge exchange networks and
platforms based on an overarching demand driven approach.
Consequently, FAO is actively supporting
AfricaRice in the establishment of rice centres of excellence such as the
Africa Korea Rice breeding laboratory launched this month in Saint Louis,
Senegal.
Under the five million dollar regional project
called ‘Partnership for Sustainable Rice
Systems Development in Sub-Saharan Africa, FAO is supporting the sharing of
technologies and innovations among beneficiary countries, as well as capacity
building, while facilitating access by smallholders, especially women and young
people, to inputs and small-scale agricultural equipment. It is envisaged that all targeted project
beneficiaries located in Benin, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Kenya, Mali,
Nigeria Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda will benefit from the impact of planned
actions.
Mr Josey Kamanda, Leader of Rice Sector
Development of the Abidjan-based Africa Rice, said rice is a strategic and
priority food security crop in Africa, the single most important source of
dietary energy in West Africa and Madagascar.
Rice is also the third most important crop for
Africa as a whole; and it offers s a pathway out of poverty and employment
opportunities for young men and women entering job markets.
He noted that rice demand was growing at more
than six per cent a year and faster than for any other major food staple in
SSA, but the local production has been unable to keep pace with demand.
The continent continues to rely on importation
to meet its increasing demand for rice.
In 2015 rice production in SSA was
approximately 14.4 million tons and consumption approximately 26 million tons,
reflecting a self-sufficiency ratio of 55%. This increase in demand is caused
both by accelerating growth of per capita incomes in most of the countries and
high population growth rates. SSA currently spends about 5 billion US dollars
on rice import annually.
He said: “As the demand-supply gap continues to
widen, there was an increasing need for investments that will significantly
increase local rice production to reduce the import bill.
The FAO responded to requests received from
African Heads of States and Ministers of Agriculture for increased rice
productivity and production by initiating a partnership for sustainable rice
systems development in Africa (PARDA).
The initiative sought to mobilize resources and
key partners at the global, regional, sub-regional and national levels to
jointly develop and implement a holistic and comprehensive programme for
sustainable rice systems development in the region. PARDA expected outputs
include increased access to and utilization of quality seeds and appropriate
rice varieties (ii) increased production and productivity in the major rice
production systems and reduced post-harvest losses and improved grain quality.
Other interventions are finding options for
effective policies, institutions and markets developed/promoted, developing
linkages between actors of the rice value chain strengthened and ensuring a
self-sustaining partnership for rice development.
Within the framework of PARDA, AfricaRice and
FAO have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that builds on their
long-standing collaboration, spanning over a period of 40 years.
AfricaRice’s concept of working towards
widespread diffusion and use of scalable rice technologies and innovations in
rice sector development hubs established in African countries is aligned with
the broader concept and activities of PARDA and can make a significant
contribution to the achievement of its goals.
The workshop is being attended by
representatives from FAO partner institutions– AfricaRice, Coalition for Africa
Rice Development (CARD), Rural Development Administration (RDA)–Korea and the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Government representatives, FAO
officials from Africa country offices and FAO Regional office for Africa.
It will provide an effective platform to share
knowledge, experiences and best practices for sustainable rice intensification
and provide guidance on the documentation of innovative models to enhance rice
production systems and accelerate rice value chain development.
http://www.ghananewsagency.org/economics/fao-to-boost-rice-production-in-africa-120750
Arkansas Rice: Late Season Rain Exacerbates Disease Problems
By Yeshi Wamishe, University of Arkansas Extension Rice Plant
PathologistAugust
9, 2017
Photo: University of Arkansas
According to Dr. Jarrod Hardke,
Extension Rice Agronomist, over 70% of Arkansas rice is headed, most in the
southern Arkansas. Of these fields, most are ready for harvest or close to it.
However, the rain has moved in and it appears will continue for several days.
False smut: With the rain, temperatures
have also gone down. These conditions may encourage false smut. I observed
(8/7) a high level of false smut in CL151 planted on April 12 in test plots at
RREC (Rice Research and Extension Center near Stuttgart (Figure 1).
The plots were provided with 20%
more nitrogen fertilizer above the recommended rate. Excessive nitrogen
fertilizer was added to encourage diseases. False smut is a late season disease
favored by a wet and cooler environment in susceptible rice. It is severe in
fields with history of the disease that received excessive nitrogen
fertilization.
The false smut pathogen is
relatively less sensitive to the protective fungicides than the kernel smut
pathogen. Protective fungicides (Propiconazole) have been proven to protect
only 50% to 75% of the crop if applied with the correct rate (at least 6
oz/acre of tilt or tilt equivalent), correct timing (between early to mid-boot)
and adequate coverage (at least 5 GPA).
Both false smut and kernel smut
are very important diseases that contribute a paramount loss in grain quality
and grain yield. Most rice cultivars including hybrids are susceptible to false
smut.
Kernel smut: If rice kernels are already
infected, endosperms get fully or partially replaced by pathogen spores.
Wet conditions allow the kernels to swell and spores to ooze out (Figure 2). If kernels are free of
infection, quality loss would be from wetting and drying effect as harvest is
delayed by rain. Warm and wet conditions often favor the kernel smut disease in
rice.
Fig. 2. Wet conditions make grain to swell and black spores of
kernel smut pathogen ooze.
Sheath blight: Sheath blight disease of rice is widespread in Arkansas and is
estimated to be found in more than 50% of rice fields. It is more severe in
susceptible semi-dwarf long grain rice varieties. With hot, dry conditions in July,
sheath blight disease was moving very slow. In test plots at RREC where plots
were artificially inoculated we have observed sheath blight moving up (8/8) in
the last few days (Figure 3).
The disease affects both sheath
and leaves and progresses quickly under favorable conditions. Therefore, it is
advisable to continue scouting both headed and late rice. Rice past milk stage
may possibly outrun the disease. Remember the PHI before deciding to apply
fungicide. For strobilurin fungicides the PHI is about a month.
PHI (Pre-harvest interval) is the
number of days from treatment to harvest. To slow down sheath blight disease
for up to two weeks, 6 to 8 oz/acre rate may be used. Remember, sheath blight
at later stages of the crop is more to protect stem strength against lodging
than getting a grain yield advantage.
Generally, as long as the upper
two or three leaves including the flag are not threatened, there is no need to
apply fungicides.
Blast: Last year (2016), joint blast (Figure 4) was seen in some headed rice
fields after continuous rain that started at the end of July. Blast spores that
had rested on the leaves or leaf collars appeared to be washed and percolated
with water between leaf sheath and stem.
The spores got trapped at stem
joints and similar to neck blast, they germinated and penetrated in joint
tissues leading to joint blast and then lodging. To check for joint blast, we
remove the flag leaf sheath carefully and look for greyish rot at joints.
In hybrid rice we have observed similar joint lesions. Instead
of blast spores, we only isolated spores of Culvularia spp. To date, in 2017,
leaf blast has been reported in 14 Arkansas counties. A few cases of neck blast
have also been reported recently.
Fig. 4. Joint blast in some headed rice fields after continuous
rain that started at the end of July in 2016
Sooty molds and other weak pathogenic and saprophytic
microorganisms: Sooty molds (Figure 5) affect the appearance of rough
rice and hence, lower the quality of bran. Sooty mold symptoms are caused
by opportunistic fungi that colonize rice panicles under wet, humid weather.
These molds are often severe in
lodged rice or in rice where harvest is delayed. Sooty molds are superficial
and, therefore, milled rice is not affected. Often kernel surfaces get covered
and black spores are seen on leaves. Sooty molds can sometimes be confused with
kernel smut. To separate sooty molds from kernel smut, remove the hull and see
if the dark color is superficial or internal.
If a kernel has sooty molds, once
the hull is removed the kernel should be whole and clean. If kernel smut, the
kernel should be partially or completely filled with black spores. Both sooty
molds and kernel smut problems may result in black, discolored equipment during
harvest.
Fig. 5. Sooty molds (black) superficially affect the appearance
of rough rice and lower quality of bran
If harvest is delayed due to wet conditions, infection from
Fusarium spp. may be seen (Figure 6). Also, other microorganisms
that cause various kernel discoloration may be favored as in (Figure 7). Neck or panicle blast-looking
symptoms as in (Figure 8) may also be seen where most grains in panicles are full unlike
neck blast where panicles are blank and upright (Figure 9).
Fig. 6. Fusarium spp. play role in rice kernel discoloration
late in a season.
Fig. 7. Sooty molds and other microorganisms on mature rice
kernels.
Summary: When harvest is delayed due to rain, real pathogens, opportunistic
pathogens and saprophytic microorganisms, in isolation or collectively, work
against grain yield and quality.
Fig. 8. Neck or panicle blast-looking symptoms may also be seen
when harvest is delayed.
Fig. 9. Neck blast leads to blank panicles that do not tip down.
http://agfax.com/2017/08/09/arkansas-rice-late-season-rain-exacerbates-disease-problems/
Rice industry
complains cauliflower
"rice" is misleading
AUGUST 10, 2017, 8:20 AM| Cauliflower rice is growing
in popularity as a trendy substitute for carbohydrates. Minced cauliflower is
popping up in many stores, from organic markets to the freezer aisle. However
the rice industry is upset over the product's name. John Blackstone reports.
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/rice-industry-complains-cauliflower-rice-is-misleading/
Saving water a vital part of rice
profitability formula
Researchers are finding farmers can grow a "nice rice
crop" using two acre feet of irrigation water.
enough to make rice farming truly profitable.
That’s why more than 100 farmers traveled to Osceola, Ark., to attend the
Mississippi County Water Management Field Day Tuesday (Aug. 8).
Joe Massey, agronomist with the
USDA-ARS Delta Water Management Research Unit at Arkansas State University, set
the stage for the presentation, which included talks given by Mike and Ryan
Sullivan with Florenden Farms, which hosted the field day.
Dr. Massey said he’s seen a number of farmers grow “a nice rice
crop” with only two acre-feet of water. That could be increasingly important as
growers try to conserve water in areas like the Grand Prairie of Arkansas.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/saving-water-vital-part-rice-profitability-formula
Spread the
word about the great South Indian flavors at Kathakali in Kirkland
Originally
published August 10, 2017 at 6:00 am Updated August 10, 2017 at 12:46 pm
The restaurant is easy to miss,
but once you’re there, Kathakali will be a pleasant surprise with layered
flavors from Kerala, the state on India’s southern tip.
If you go
looking for Kathakali, you may drive right past it, distracted by the orange
construction drums and traffic cones guarding the stand-alone building across
from Columbia Athletic Club in Kirkland’s Juanita Bay neighborhood. The
sidewalk is nothing but gravel, thanks to a municipal improvement project expected
to take several more months. The only signage on the building is a drooping
banner that says “coming soon.”
Kathakali
opened in April and word-of-mouth is doing a fine job of filling the dining
room. I first heard about it from my dermatologist. She’s a vegetarian married
to an omnivore. They both like to eat out and they live in the neighborhood. If
I lived nearby, I’d be regularly indulging in Kathakali’s dosas and curries.
Husband-and-wife co-owners Ajay Panicker, the chef, and Ramya
Balachandran, a friendly, front-of-the-house presence, established a following
on the Eastside after opening Aahaar, an Indian restaurant in Snoqualmie, five
years ago. The couple met in New Jersey, but both were born in Chennai, in the
Indian state of Tamil Nadu, as was Srinivasan Anandhakumar, their longtime
friend and also a partner in Kathakali.
Kathakali ★★★
Indian
11451 98th Ave. N.E., Kirkland
425-821-8188
Reservations: accepted for dinner only Tuesday-Thursday
Hours: lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-3:30
p.m. Friday-Sunday; dinner 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5:30-10 p.m. Friday
and Sunday, 5:30-9 p.m. Sunday
Prices: $$ (plates $7-$24)
Drinks: Indian and other beers by the bottle; wines by the glass; wild
berry lassi, lavender coconut lemonade and other soft drinks
Service: gracious
Parking: free lot on site
Sound: moderate
Credit cards: all major
Access: (temporary rough terrain due to road construction)
Aahaar is a more traditional
Indian restaurant than Kathakali, which concentrates on the cuisine and culture
of Kerala, the state west of Tamil Nadu on India’s southern tip, a lush,
verdant land of rice paddies, coconut groves and spice plantations. Kathakali
(accent on the last syllable) is a storytelling form of classical dance in
Kerala (accent on the first syllable). Examples of the dancer’s elaborate
costumes and masks dress up the restaurant’s white-walled, wood-trimmed
interior. A tasseled nettipattam, the forehead ornament worn by elephants
during Keralan festivals, hangs opposite the front door, next to a wall of tea
lights in Mason jars that evokes in a small way the thousands of candles
illuminating Kerala’s 5,000-year-old Guruvayoor temple.
Kerala has been central to the
spice trade for millennia. In his interpretations of this exuberantly flavorful
cuisine, Panicker wields a large arsenal that includes green chilies,
peppercorns, cumin, coriander, mustard and fennel seed, cardamom, turmeric and
tamarind, just to name a few.
In a well-made curry, you can
detect layers of flavors that usually start with toasting the myriad spices.
This complex, aromatic base rounds the peppery heat. The best sauces here — and
there are many — unfold like a blossom in the mouth. You discover something
different in every bite.
This was as true for the bright,
tart, ruddy sauce of Kerala chicken curry, as it was for mutton varattiyathu,
cubed lamb submerged in dark, brown gravy rippling with ginger, cumin, curry
leaf and fennel. Vegetarian curries include eggplant kootan, in which the
eggplant’s soft, charred flesh mingles with red chilies, tamarind, tomato and
lots of garlic — a curry for baba ganoush fans.
These are forthrightly spicy
dishes. For something less explosive, try green mango fish curry. Coconut milk
gentles the green-chile heat in the thick, creamy sauce. The slightly sour
fruit counters the strong flavor of mackerel, a particularly oily fish.
Kerala’s long coast line means
seafood figures prominently in the cuisine. Several dishes here feature
tilapia, a fish I don’t usually care for. Its muddy taste is well masked,
however, in the extremely pungent Kerala meen curry, made with kodampuli, a
special type of dried tamarind they import just for this dish. Meen
pollichathu, sea bass smothered in thick masala paste, is pan-fried in a banana
leaf. It’s a beautiful package, but the fish was very firm and the sauce lacked
the nuance that distinguished the curries.
There are other nifty bits of
packaging. For chemeen vada, whole shrimp are embedded in deep-fried lentil and
rice-flour fritters. They have a texture like falafel and flecks of mint
complement the heat. Chicken tikka naan is a flatbread stuffed quesadilla-like
with minced seasoned meat and onion. It’s served cut into wedges with a smooth,
buttery tomato dipping sauce that I could have eaten happily with a spoon. The
same tomato sauce accompanied tandoori chicken, a notably moist leg and thigh
joint.
Dosas are the most eye-catching
bundles. You’ll see one on almost every table. The large wraps are indigenous
to South India where it’s often breakfast food. They are crepe-like pancakes
made with a lentil and rice-flour batter that are lightly browned and
delicately crisp, yet pliant enough to roll and fill. Basil and spinach pesto
was spread inside one dosa, filled with masala-spiced potatoes. Another was
packed with minced green jackfruit and coconut. My goal is to try them all.
Though you can use a knife and
fork, traditionally you tear and eat a dosa with your hands, scooping up some
mint or tomato chutney along the way to your mouth. “In all of India we eat
with our hands,” Balachandran told me in a phone interview. That includes
idiyappam, or string hoppers. Balls of steamed rice are pressed through a sieve
to make the thin, noodle-like strands. Topped with grated coconut and dipped in
coconut milk, they have a comforting blandness that stands out amid so many
scorching flavors.
Bread is another utensil for
conveying food. Here they make naan, kulcha, puri and roti, but my favorite was
the Malabar parotta that pulls apart in lacy striations like a croissant.
Steamed basmati rice accompanies all the curries, but consider biryani, rice
mixed with nuts, herbs and spices. You can incorporate a protein if you wish. I
loved the clove and cinnamon percolating through a biryani with shrimp.
So, Doc, if you’re reading this:
Thanks for the tip. You and hubby should definitely plan on a date night at
Kathakali.
http://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/spread-the-word-about-the-great-south-indian-flavors-at-kathakali-in-kirkland/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_food-drink
S.Korea buys 77,222 T of rice for Sept-Nov
arrival
Reuters | Aug 10, 2017, 09:55 AM IST
SEOUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) - South Korea bought a total of 77,222
tonnes of non-glutinous rice for arrival between September and November via
tenders that closed on Aug.4, state-run Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp
said on its website (http://www.at.or.kr). Details of the purchase are as
follows: TONNES(M/T) GRAIN TYPE SUPPLIER PRICE/T 22,222 Brown Short Sinsong Food Corp $757.97 15,000 Brown Short DNB Co. $750.00 10,000 Brown Short
Sinsong Food Corp $757.99 10,000 Brown Medium DNB Co. $655.00 20,000 Brown Long Sinsong Food Corp $435.80 *Note: The
state-run agency bought the 22,222-tonne and 10,000-tonne brown short rice
products from China, while it bought another 15,000-tonne brown short rice
from Vietnam. For the brown medium and brown
long rice products, it purchased from Australia and Thailand respectively. (Reporting by
Yuna Park; Editing by Sunil Nair)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/s-korea-buys-77222-t-of-rice-for-sept-nov-arrival/articleshow/59998273.cms
Rice imports under MAV opened to
private traders
By Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine
Star) | Updated August 10, 2017
- 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - State rice
importer National Food Authority has opened to private traders the importation
of up to 805,200 metric tons of rice under the minimum access volume (MAV)
scheme.
In its published guidelines, NFA
said private traders could import up to 293,100 MT each from Thailand and
Vietnam, while the rest would come from other countries.
Philippine private rice importers
can also buy up to 50,000 MT each from China, India and Pakistan, up to 15,000
MT from Australia, up to 4,000 MT from El Salvador, and 50,000 MT from any
country.
According to the NFA, traders
should bring in well-milled rice with a quality not lower than 25 percent
brokens or any special rice variety.
All shipments will be levied with a
35 percent tariff to be paid in advance with the Land Bank of the Philippines.
The first phase of the arrival of
rice imports will start on Dec. 20, 2017 up to Feb. 28 next year while
the second phase will be on June 1 to Aug. 31, 2018. Discharge ports are La Union, Batangas, Iloilo, Bacolod, Zamboanga
City, Davao City, Legaspi, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Manila, General Santos City
and Tacloban.
All interested NFA-licensed
importers shall submit documents to the grains marketing operations department
which will include letter of intent, legal, technical and financial documents.
All applicants will also undergo
the MAV pre-qualification team before the issuance of certificate of
eligibility which specifies the country of origin, quantity commodity,
discharge port, schedule of arrival and the tentative assessed custom duty.
Importers are required to register
with the Bureau of Plant Industry quarantine services division prior to the
conduct of negotiation and actual importation.
MAV refers to the volume of a
specific agricultural product allowed to enter the country at a lower tariff as
a commitment of the Philippines under the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade of the World Trade Organization.
The NFA Council is composed of
Evasco and representatives of the NFA, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Development
Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, Department of Finance,
Department of Trade and Industry and National Economic and Development
Authority.
http://www.philstar.com:8080/business/2017/08/10/1727164/rice-imports-under-mav-opened-private-traders
Egypt rice production to cover local needs
until Oct 2018
Thursday 08/10/2017 8:38:00 AM
Cairo: Egypt's rice production is enough to cover local needs until
October of next year, Ragab Shehata, head of the Rice Division at the
Federation of Egyptian Industries, told state news agency MENA on
Wednesday.Egypt expects to produce about 4 million tonnes of white rice during
its harvest this season, which begins this month, higher than its annual consumption
of about 3.3 million tonnes per year.
https://www.arabfinance.com/2015/pages/news/newsdetails.aspx?Id=406747&lang=en
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices Open-August 11
Nagpur, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Select pulses showed firm tendency in
Nagpur Agriculture Produce
and Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased demand from local
millers amid weak supply from
producing regions because of rains. Notable rise on NCDEX, fresh
hike in Madhya Pradesh pulses,
enquiries from South-based millers and weak overseas arrival also
boosted prices, sources said
Thursday.
* * * *
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram prices reported higher in Nagpur APMC on fresh festival
demand from local
millers amid tight supply
from producing belts.
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market but demand was poor.
TUAR
* In Nagpur APMC, tuar prices recovered on increased buying support
from local millers.
Weak overseas supply also
pushed up prices.
* Tuar varieties remained static in open market matching the demand
and supply
position.
* Moong Chamki declined sharply in open market on lack of from
local traders and
release of stock from
stockists.
* In Akola, Tuar -
2,725-2,750, Tuar dal - 5,200-5,500, Udid at 3,800-3,900,
Udid Mogar (clean) -
4,900-5,000, Moong - 3,700-3,850, Moong mogar
(clean) 5,800-5,900, Gram -
3,000-3,050, Gram Super best bold - 3,300-3,600
for 100 kg.
* Wheat, rice and other
commodities prices remained steady in open
market in thin trading
activity, sources said Thursday.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC
auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Thursday's open Previous close
Gram Auction 2,336-2,931 2,300-2,870
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 1,992-2,249 1,900-2,200
Moong Auction n.a. 3,200-3,400
Udid Auction n.a. 3,600-3,800
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,100-2,200
Gram Super Best Bold 3,800-4,000 3,800-4,000
Gram Super Best n.a.
Gram Medium Best 3,500-3,600 3,500-3,600
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality 3,400-3,500 3,400-3,500
Deshi gram Raw 2,950-3,050 2,950-3,050
Gram Filter Yellow n.a. n.a.
Gram Kabuli 6,800-7,800 6,800-7,800
Gram Pink 4,700-5,200 4,700-5,200
Tuar Fataka Best (new) 5,400-5,700 5,400-5,700
Tuar Fataka Medium
(new) 5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300
Tuar Dal Best Phod 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Tuar Dal Medium phod 4,100-4,300 4,100-4,300
Tuar Gavarani 2,750-2,850 2,750-2,850
Tuar Karnataka 2,900-3,200 2,900-3,200
Tuar Black 4,900-5,300 4,900-5,300
Masoor dal best 3,600-3,700 3,600-3,700
Masoor dal medium 3,300-3,400 3,300-3,400
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 6,300-6,450 6,300-6,450
Moong Mogar Medium
best 5,800-6,050 5,800-6,050
Moong Mogar Super fine n.a. n.a.
Moong Dal Chilka best 4,800-5,100 4,800-5,100
Moong dal Medium 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 4,800-5,500 5,000-5,700
Udid Mogar Super best (100
INR/KG) 6,500-6,600 6,500-6,600
Udid Mogar Medium (100
INR/KG) 5,700-6,100 5,700-6,100
Udid Dal Black (100
INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 2,550-2,700 2,550-2,700
Lakhodi dal (100
INR/kg) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Watana Dal (100
INR/KG) 2,575-2,600 2,575-2,600
Watana White (Naylon) (100
INR/KG) 2,500-2,550 2,500-2,550
Watana White (100
INR/KG) 2,400-2,450 2,400-2,450
Watana Green Best (100
INR/KG) 2,800-3,050 2,800-3,050
Watana Green Medium (100
INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,350-1,450 1,350-1,450
Wheat Mill quality (100
INR/KG) 1,200-1,250 1,200-1,250
Wheat Filter (100
INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800
Wheat Lokwan best (100
INR/KG) 1,600-1,675 1,600-1,675
Wheat Lokwan medium (100
INR/KG) 1,450-1,600 1,450-1,600
Lokwan Hath Binar (100
INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100
INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
MP Sharbati Medium (100
INR/KG) 2,100-2,150 2,100-2,150
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,350-1,450 1,350-1,450
Wheat Best (100
INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,150 1,950-2,150
Rice Swarna Best (100
INR/KG) 1,850-2,000 1,850-2,000
Rice Swarna Medium (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,900 1,600-1,900
Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,800 2,300-3,850
Rice HMT Shriram (100
INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice Basmati best (100
INR/KG) 9,100-11,100 9,100-11,100
Rice Basmati Medium (100
INR/KG) 7,100-7,400 7,100-7,400
Rice Chinnor (100
INR/KG) 3,750-4,000 3,750-4,000
Rice Chinnor Medium (100
INR/KG) 3,650-3,850 3,650-3,850
Jowar Gavarani (100
INR/KG) 3,300-3,500 3,300-3,500
Jowar CH-5 (100
INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 30.6 degree Celsius (87.1 degree Fahrenheit), minimum
temp.
23.8 degree Celsius (74.8 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - 98 per cent, lowest - 73 per cent.
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature
likely to be around 32 and 24
degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices,
but
included in market prices.)
SARITA PURADBHAT: CONTACT NO. 0712-2226020, 096650-72288,
094221-029
http://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4E7JB01N20110811
Govt to further slash duty on rice
import
12:00 AM, August 10, 2017 / LAST
MODIFIED: 03:27 AM, August 10, 2017
Goes for deal with Thailand to buy the staple
Anticipating
a further reduction in import duty, importers delay unloading rice-laden trucks
from India at Hili Land Port in Dinajpur. Some 4,500 tonnes of rice are on the
trucks and importers expect to save a lot of money. The photo was taken a few
days ago. Photo: Collected
In a desperate bid to stabilise rice price, the government has
decided to further reduce the duty on import of the staple and strike a deal
with Thailand to buy rice.
Meanwhile, private importers, anticipating the duty slash, are
delaying in having the already imported rice released at the country's two main
land ports -- Hili in Dinajpur and Benapole in Jessore.
Over 200 trucks loaded with some 7,000 tonnes of rice were
standing still at the ports yesterday.
As rice prices continue to remain high, the food ministry on July
25 proposed to allow import of the staple on zero tariffs.
On Tuesday, the commerce ministry informed the parliamentary
standing committee concerned that the government would halve the import duty
from 10 percent.
Bahauddin Nasim, a member of the parliamentary body on the
ministry, told The Daily Star yesterday although the food ministry insisted on
lifting the duty altogether, the government would keep a five percent duty on
rice import.
Till last night, the National Board of Revenue, however, did not
receive any communications in this regard.
But speculation over an imminent duty cut prompted private
importers to go slow with the release of already imported rice consignments
from India.
On June 20, the government reduced duty on rice import from 28
percent to 10 percent. As a result, the country witnessed over 2.4 lakh tonnes
of rice import in the last one and a half months. This volume is almost double
the entire volume of rice imported by private traders in the last financial
year.
Mamunur Rashid, an importer, told our Dinajpur correspondent
Kongkon Karmaker yesterday that they were taking time in unloading the imported
rice as they heard that the government would lower the duty further.
“We are waiting for a final decision from the government,” said
Rashedul Islam, a Clearing and Forwarding Agent at Hili Land port.
As many as 138 loaded trucks were parked at the port, said Sohrab
Hossain, public relation officer of Panama Port Link Ltd at Hili. Import of
rice would go up further once the duty is cut off, he said.
Our Benapole correspondent Mohsin Milon reported that 65
rice-laden trucks were kept in port area as importers were waiting to reap the
duty-cut benefit.
Meanwhile, a Thai delegation is due in the city today to sign a
government-to-government (G2G) deal with the food ministry for export of the
staple to Bangladesh.
However, ministry sources yesterday declined to reveal the price
at which the government is going to buy the rice from Thailand, which in last
month had asked for a high price ($500 a tonne). The price, however, was not agreed
by Bangladesh.
Besides, a Cambodian official delegation is also due sometime next
week to decide on rice price. Last week, a MoU (memorandum of understanding)
was signed between Bangladesh and Cambodia for the import of
10 lakh tonnes of rice from the Southeast Asian country in next
five years.
After with Cambodia, if the deal is signed with Thailand today, it
would be the third such import deal in two months since the government approved
import of 2.5 lakh tonnes of rice from Vietnam under a separate G2G agreement.
Besides, over the past two months, the Directorate General of Food
floated seven international tenders seeking to import an additional 3.5 lakh
tonnes of rice.
The moves come long after the crop loss in the March flashflood,
which ravaged the backswamps in the country's northeastern region where 90
percent of standing Boro crops, totalling over 10 lakh tonnes, were damaged.
Fungal attacks in at least 19 districts also caused crop loss in the last Boro
season.
With the Cambodian deal signed, 8.5 lakh tonnes of rice is now
lined up for import, which still falls short of a projected import need of 12
lakh tonnes. A recent US Department of Agriculture projection, however, put the
figure at 15 lakh tonnes in the current fiscal.
The food ministry's move also comes at a time when end-season rice
stock in public granaries dropped to a six-year low and market price of coarse
rice shot up to as high as Tk 48 a kg in June-July. This is a 47 percent rise
from the price during the same period last year.
Despite government moves and increased imports by the private
sector, a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh's market monitoring report shows
that the price of coarse rice has remained static at Tk 45 a kg for over two
weeks
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/govt-further-slash-duty-rice-import-1446367
Guess what?
Rice prices are ruling steady
By Express News
Service | Published: 10th August 2017 01:18
AM |
Last Updated: 10th August 2017 07:54
AM |
KOCHI: Rice
prices in the state, which saw a spurt during March and rose to Rs 50/kg, have
cooled down to Rs 36-38/kg now, justifying the government’s claim in the
Assembly on Wednesday there has not been any spike in rice prices. With the
government likely to place orders for 750-1,000 loads (1 load equals 10 tonnes)
of rice from Andhra Pradesh for Onam to sell it through Consumerfed/SupplyCo,
the prices are likely to remain subdued for another couple of months at least,
say dealers.
The state imports its branded rice from Andhra Pradesh, especially its preferred Jaya variety. The government purchases the rice at wholesale prices and sells it at subsidized rates of around Rs 25-26/kg during the festive season. “Due to this, prices will remain lower,” said Gangadaran, a leading rice broker. However, compared to last Onam, when the rice prices were in the Rs 26-27 range, the prices this year are higher. The state consumes nearly 40 lakh tonnes of rice per annum, of which the ‘Jaya’ and ‘Surekha’ varieties account for at least 22 lakh tonnes. Around 70 per cent of the state’s populace consumes the two rice varieties.
Venkatesh Divakaran, another rice dealer,
said rice production has been good this season in Andhra Pradesh. “The
lack of domestic demand will ensure the prices continue to be lower in the
coming months. There has not been a major hike or fall in prices in recent
months. We expect it to rule steady until the end of Onam season,” he said.The
spike in prices during January-March was attributed to large-scale rice exports
from Andhra Pradesh to Africa and south Indian states, which led to a reduction
in arrivals from Andhra Pradesh.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2017/aug/10/guess-what-rice-prices-are-ruling-steady-1640932.html
BD,Thailand to
ink-MoU on rice import today
High-level delegations comprising
representatives of different ministries and private sectors of both the
countries attended Wednesday's meeting that also discussed the scopes of
increasing trade and investment between the two countries.
Sources said the meeting discussed
about the scope of signing a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA), but
agreed to set new target of doubling trade between the two countries by 2021
from US $ 995 million to $ 1.8 billion.
The Bangladesh ambassador to
Thailand said though bilateral trade between Dhaka and Bangkok increased during
the last two years, Bangladesh's export to Thailand dropped significantly after
2012.
Ms Tasneem said the 4th JTC meeting
is likely to help reach the bilateral trade target set by the two countries by
focusing on trade-related issues, including comprehensive FTA.
"We are looking towards more
intensive trade and investment cooperation with Thailand," she told the
FE.A Commerce Ministry official, attending the meeting, said the Thai side has
shown more interest in FTA, but the Bangladesh side was for conducting a
feasibility study first in this regard.
As Bangladesh enjoys duty-free
facilities as a Least Developed Country, he said a study is needed first to
assess benefits of FTA with Thailand, he added.The Bangladesh side, however,
placed a list of 36 products to get duty-free quota-free (DFQF) facility from
Thailand.
Besides, the two sides agreed to set
a common standard of certification and will sign an MoU between two agencies
concerned.Though Bangladesh's share in the $ 995 million trade recorded last
year is insignificant, the country was able to export new products including
seeds, pharmaceutical items, readymade garments and fertilisers to Thailand
following a trade expo last year.
Both Bangladesh and Thailand are the
3rd largest bilateral trade partners among countries of the Association of
South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and South Asia.Thailand exports mainly
poly-raising, clinkers, machineries and cosmetics, toiletry and food items to
Bangladesh.
Thailand provides DFQF access to
nearly 5,000 products of Bangladesh. But the latter has hardly any of those to
export.Bangladesh's fresh list of DFQF items was placed as the Thai government
had announced revision of its list this year.
smunima@yahoo.com
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/08/10/79433/BD,-Thailand-to-ink-MoU-on-rice-import-today
Rice import duty to see another 5% cut
·
Published
at 10:30 PM August 09, 2017
·
Last
updated at 01:56 AM August 10, 2017
Once the
decision comes into effect, the import duty on rice will be halved from the
existing 10%
The government has decided to cut
the import duty on rice by another 5% to make the essential commodity more
affordable for consumers.
The decision came at a meeting
held at Jatiya Sangshad on Tuesday following Monday’s Cabinet meeting, when
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed the authorities concerned to effect the
decision.
Once the decision comes into
effect, the import duty on rice will be halved from the existing 10%. The
meeting also discussed the recent hike in the price of onions caused by
floods across the country.
The chairman of the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Commerce Ministry, Tajul Islam Chowdhury, said the import
duty on rice had already been cut once, to 10% from the previous 28%.
“Prime Minister on Monday reduced
the duty by another 5%, which means it will have only 5% import duty now. We
expect that rice price would come down further thanks to the new move,” he
said.
“There is no reason for hiking
rice price as there is a lot of rice in the stock. Rice prices saw a rise as
the people were in a panic due to floods and conspiracy by some people with ill
motives,” he added.
Another member of the committee,
AKM Bahauddin, said the meeting also discussed prices of several other
commodities including onion and salt but the authorities concerned have yet to
issue any gazette.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed
said the Finance Ministry would issue a gazette in this regard.
Meanwhile, several hundred
rice-laden trucks remain parked at Hili Land Port in Dinajpur because of the information
that teh rice import duty may drop in Bangladesh.
Onion price hike
The Commerce Ministry informed
the parliamentary standing committee that the prevailing flood situation
resulted in a hike in onion price.
“The onion price was quite lower
for some time. Consumers got angry, with the price going up. They must have
patience,” Bahauddin said.
“We import onions from India when
a flood occurs in Bangladesh. But this year, prices have gone up there as well
because of floods. The price has also increased as the Eid-ul-Azha is nearing
fast.”
Bahauddin said the ministry was
monitoring the issue. “Everything will become normal soon,” he said.
Appointment of new TCB dealers
The committee made several
recommendations for appointing new dealers in districts and upazilas and
emphasised monitoring the whole system so that people can easily buy
commodities from Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
It also underscored the need for
befittingly holding the International Trade Fair and recommended the ministry
take necessary measures so that it can contact organisers to make sure
Bangladesh’s pavilions are allotted important places at the fair.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/business/commerce/2017/08/09/rice-import-duty-see/
Nation’s food
self-sufficiency rate hits 23-year low as rice consumption decline continues
Nation's food self-sufficiency rate hits
23-year low as rice consumption decline continues
JIJI
AUG 10, 2017
ARTICLE HISTORY
PRINT SHARE
The nation’s food self-sufficiency rate hit a 23-year low on a
calorie basis in fiscal 2016 ended in March, due primarily to falling rice
consumption, the farm ministry said.
The self-sufficiency rate fell 1 percentage point from the previous
year to 38 percent, the second-lowest level on record after the 37 percent
recorded in fiscal 1993, when the country suffered a serious rice shortage
following unstable weather, the ministry said Wednesday.
The drop reflected significant falls in the production of wheat and
other crops in Hokkaido, which suffered typhoon damage, in addition to the
continuing decline in rice consumption. The government aims to raise the
self-sufficiency rate to 45 percent by fiscal 2025, a task expected to be difficult.
The self-sufficiency rate shows how much domestic consumption is
covered by domestic production.Demand for meat is increasing, due to the
Westernization of dietary habits, while consumption of rice, with high levels
of self-sufficiency, is steadily declining.Per capita annual rice consumption
fell 0.2 kg to 54.4 g, less than half the amount consumed 50 years ago. On the
other hand, meat consumption rose 0.9 kg to 31.6 kg.
On a production value basis, the food self-sufficiency rate rose 2
points to 68 percent, mainly because domestic beef prices rose. Imports of
fruits and vegetables fell, while domestic production went up.“It is necessary
to enhance both the calorie-and production value-based self-sufficiency rates
from the viewpoint of food security,” a ministry official said, voicing
determination not to backtrack on the calorie-based target.
“We hope to achieve the 45 percent target by expanding the
production of rice and wheat that suit the needs of consumers,” a senior
official said.An agricultural cooperative official, however, said, “With the
number of farmers decreasing and trade liberalization progressing, the
self-sufficiency rate will not rise unless the government goes all out to take
necessary steps.”
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/10/business/japans-food-self-sufficiency-rate-hits-23-year-low-rice-consumption-decline-continues/#.WY2AcjMjEdV
Blocking pathogens in rice
Düsseldorf plant researchers
funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
IMAGE: RICE PLANTS; THE RESEARCH GROUP LED BY WOLF B. FROMMER WANTS TO
MAKE RICE RESISTANT TO THE HARMFUL RICE BLIGHT THAT ENDANGERS RICE HARVESTS IN
AFRICA AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA. view more
CREDIT: WOLF B. FROMMER
What is known as "rice
blight" is a dreaded plant disease that endan-gers rice harvests
throughout the whole of South-East Asia, especially India, as well as large
parts of Africa and can thus lead to great hardship amongst the local
population. The disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas
oryzae oryzae.
Professor Wolf B. Frommer, plant
researcher at the Institute of Mo-lecular Physiology at HHU, has assembled an
international research group to fight rice blight. The team includes scientists
from Iowa State University and the University of Florida in the USA, the
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement in Montpellier, France, Colombia's International
Centre for Tropical Agriculture and the International Rice Research Institute
in the Philippines. The researchers have found a way to make plants resistant
to the pathogen.
Frommer is an expert on transport
processes in plants. The sugar transporters known as SWEET identified by his
research group play a key role in resistance. Plants need these transporters to
bring the sugar produced during photosynthesis in the leaves to the seeds. And
it is precisely this transport mechanism that the pathogens re-programme for
their own purposes.
In independent studies,
US-American researchers Professor Bing Yang and Professor Frank White (now at
Iowa State University and the University of Florida) discovered that a protein
(which later tran-spired to be SWEET) is responsible for plants' resistance to
rice blight. Joint trials then revealed that the bacteria systematically
activate the transporters in the rice cells and in so doing gain access to
nutrients. If such activation is prevented, the bacteria cannot multiply.
Wolf B. Frommer says: "This
surprising discovery has provided us with a strategy for our joint research
project: We cut off the patho-gens' route to their larder - the plants' sugar
stores - and starve them out."
The research project
"Transformative Strategy for Controlling Rice Disease in Developing
Countries" began on 1 August 2017. The pro-ject is supported by a
four-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In the framework
of the project, Frommer will concentrate especially on the production of elite
varieties for India and Africa. He will mostly conduct his research work within
the working group led by Dr. Joon Seob Eom at the Max Planck Institute for
Plant Breeding Research in Cologne.
The research results can prove
valuable beyond the specific topic of rice blight. Wolf B. Frommer: "Our
discovery might be just the tip of the iceberg. We could use the same approach
to try and combat other plant diseases and in that way hopefully make a small
contribution to protecting the world's food supply." And that would also
be good for the climate and the environment, since if plant diseases can be
com-batted effectively, less pesticides and fertilisers would be needed
worldwide to ensure sufficient harvests
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/hud-bpi081017.php
"unming
scientist works to change world with perennial rice
This article was posted by Patrick
Scally in News and published August
11, 2017
There are an estimated 300 million
people engaged in some form of agriculture in China — a statistic almost equal
to the total population of the United States. That number is almost impossible
to fathom. Imagine the prospects if tens of millions of Chinese rice farmers
suddenly had their workloads cut by half. What would the consequences be in
terms national employment trends, in terms of new entrepreneurial
opportunities, in terms of even more internal migration?
These are only a few of the
questions that may need to be answered if rice scientists based at Yunnan
Agricultural University in Kunming are successful. They — and many colleagues
around the country — are involved in researching how to create viable perennial
rice strains that grow and produce grains over multiple seasons — perhaps years
— before dying.
The research has been going on in
Yunnan for years, both in hermetically sealed laboratories and wide-open
paddies, under the watchful eye of agronomist and biochemist Hu Fengyi (胡凤益).
His team has now bred a perennial strain that earlier this summer yielded 9,000
kilograms of rice per hectare growing in test paddies near Yuxi (玉溪).
Professor Hu Fengyi of Yunnan
Agricultural University
The plant in question is a hybrid of
the seasonal species Oryza sativa — the most common rice variety in the world —
and a wild-growing perennial cousin from sub-Saharan Africa called Oryza
longistaminata. Doctor Hu is cautiously optimistic with the results, but more
research is necessary to see if this new strain, called PR23, stands up as
expected to drought, extreme temperatures and other challenges associated with
global climate change.
"We think this version should
be able to grow for somewhere between three and five years," Hu told
reporters in Yuxi, adding that PR23 can be harvested twice each year. Hu's
overall goal is to create a tough and sturdy rice plant that can be grown
almost anywhere, but his intention is also to lower the impact of rice-farming
in general. Nandula Raghuram recently visited farms growing Hu's rice. He is
the Dean of Biotechnology at New Delhi's Indraprastha University, and explained
what he saw in Yuxi:
It seems very convincing and
promising. [Hu's rice] reduces or eliminates the need for nitrogen fertilizer
and reduces the pest/pathogen problems typical to monocultures...While the
present varieties of perennial rice developed in China may be suited for
Chinese agro climates, they do offer adequate proof of concept that they can be
developed for other agro climates and markets.
Hu's rice requires far less water
than current commercial seasonal versions. This fact makes intercropping with
nitrogen-producing plants such as potatoes possible, and could lessen — as
Raghuram suggests — the overall use of fertilizers. The next major question to
see if assumptions about pest resistance prove valid, which is another factor
Hu and his team are testing in their Yunnan plots.
The competition in China to create a new rice that checks all the
proper boxes is intense. In April of this year, the country hosted its first
ever International Forum on Rice, where scientists debuted 500 new strains of
rice. Hu was there, extolling the virtues of PR23. His 20-year dream of finding
a way to make "rice perennial, just like fruit trees" may someday
come true. If it does, the impact on China will extend well past the dinner
table.
http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/3992/kunming_scientist_works_to_change_world_with_perennial_rice
Indian
Scientists Devise Novel Method to Extract Silver From Paddy
Anupam Nath
11:39 10.08.2017(updated 12:11 10.08.2017)
Researchers claim that as much as 15 mg of silver can be
extracted from a kilogram of the Garib-sal variety of rice which accumulates an
unusual quantity of the noble metal in its aleurone layer.
New Delhi (Sputnik) – Indian scientists have rediscovered a rice
variety that accumulates an unusually high quantity of silver in the
grains. The test conducted by researchers from the Indian Institute
of Technology (IIT) could become a novel method of bio-extraction
of silver metal.
“Our study of 505 native rice landraces
showed that nine of them accumulate silver at a high concentration
when grown in the same soil. Among these, a medicinal rice landrace
from West Bengal, Garib-sal was found to accumulate silver at an
especially high concentration in the grains. Cultivation of Garib-sal
rice in three successive years in Basudha farm in the rice
growing period of June–October confirmed that for the same
concentration of silver in the soil (∼0.15
mg/kg), Garib-sal accumulates it in the grains to the extent of ∼15 mg/kg,” reads the report published in science
journal —
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
“The rice variety has the ability to accumulate silver
about 100 times more than any other rice. It is possible
to extract 14.60 mg per kg of silver from the rice using a cheap
and simple chemical method. This is a unique way of extracting silver
through agriculture. With further research, it may be possible
to find better ways of enhancing the bioaccumulation of silver,”
Prof. T. Pradeep told The Hindu.
To detect the location
of deposition of silver in the grains, scientists had performed
secondary ion mass spectrometry where it is revealed that silver is
concentrated in the aleuronic layer of the rice bran. Its
concentration decreases in the sub-aleurone and becomes negligible
in the endosperm. “Accumulation of silver does not alter the grain
morphology and chemical characteristics. The metal may be extracted
from the bran after milling of the rice, thereby causing no loss
of the foodstuff,” the research paper claims.
Garib-Sal was once grown
in West Bengal and was recommended as a diet for patients with gastrointestinal
infections and the presence of silver in rice might have had a
therapeutic effect by killing pathogenic microbes in the human gut
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201708101056341772-indian-scientists-silver/
Asia Rice-Bangladesh in new deal talks,
Indian prices rise again
10 AUGUST, 2017
By Nguyen Mi and Ruma Paul
HANOI/DHAKA, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Bangladesh is in talks to import rice from Myanmar, the food ministry said on Thursday, after plans to import rice from Thailand and India suffered a setback due to high prices.
Bangladesh, the world's fourth-biggest rice producer, has emerged as a major importer of rice this year due to depleted stocks and record high local prices following flash floods.
HANOI/DHAKA, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Bangladesh is in talks to import rice from Myanmar, the food ministry said on Thursday, after plans to import rice from Thailand and India suffered a setback due to high prices.
Bangladesh, the world's fourth-biggest rice producer, has emerged as a major importer of rice this year due to depleted stocks and record high local prices following flash floods.
"We are in talks with Myanmar to import rice in a
government-to-government deal," Badrul Hasan, head of Bangladesh's State
Grains buyer, told Reuters.
Hasan said an Indian state agency was also in talks to sell rice to Bangladesh after a previous attempt fell through because of high prices.
Hasan said an Indian state agency was also in talks to sell rice to Bangladesh after a previous attempt fell through because of high prices.
Bangladesh also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
Thursday with Thailand to import up to 1 million tonnes of rice every year till
2021.
"The price will be determined in line with the prices in the global markets after a negotiation between the two countries," Bangladeshi Food Minister Kamrul Islam told reporters, after signing the deal in Dhaka.
Prices in India rose as the rupee climbed but dipped in Thailand due to upcoming white rice supply.
In India, 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices rose $3 per tonne to $412 from $409 as the appreciating rupee forced traders to raise prices despite weak demand.
India's non-basmati rice exports are likely to slow over the next few months as its shipments of the grain have become too expensive on the world market due to the rally in the rupee and an increase in local paddy prices.
The Indian rupee has risen more than 6.5 percent so far in 2017 to its highest in more than two years.
"New season paddy supplies will become available only from October onwards. Until then Indian prices are likely to remain firm," said a New Delhi based dealer.
Thai benchmark 5 percent broken rice was quoted at $385-$387 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) in Bangkok, down from $390-$392 a tonne last week.
Thai traders said the slight drop in price could be attributed to incoming off-season white rice which is being harvested from mid-August through to September.
Thailand has been hit by floods in the north and northeast since July but traders said there had been minimal impact on rice export so far.
The government has said the floods are unlikely to affect Thailand's export target and it is expecting the country to export 11 million tonnes of rice this year.
In Vietnam, the price range for benchmark 5 percent broken rice widened to $395-$405 a tonne, FOB Saigon, ending a three-week flat trend. Traders were unsure if the prices would fall further.
"If companies ask to buy or foreign demand increases considerably, the prices will soar," a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said.
Vietnamese rice suppliers are completing delivery of 175,000 tonnes of rice to Philippines between August and September. Other deals being delivered include 200,000 tonnes of rice to Bangladesh, which is expected to complete by mid August.
Thailand and Vietnam are the world's second and third biggest rice exporters.
(Reporting by Mi Nguyen in Hanoi, Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; editing by David Clarke) ((mi.nguyen@thomsonreuters.com; +84 24 38259623; Reuters Messaging: mi.nguyen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
"The price will be determined in line with the prices in the global markets after a negotiation between the two countries," Bangladeshi Food Minister Kamrul Islam told reporters, after signing the deal in Dhaka.
Prices in India rose as the rupee climbed but dipped in Thailand due to upcoming white rice supply.
In India, 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices rose $3 per tonne to $412 from $409 as the appreciating rupee forced traders to raise prices despite weak demand.
India's non-basmati rice exports are likely to slow over the next few months as its shipments of the grain have become too expensive on the world market due to the rally in the rupee and an increase in local paddy prices.
The Indian rupee has risen more than 6.5 percent so far in 2017 to its highest in more than two years.
"New season paddy supplies will become available only from October onwards. Until then Indian prices are likely to remain firm," said a New Delhi based dealer.
Thai benchmark 5 percent broken rice was quoted at $385-$387 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) in Bangkok, down from $390-$392 a tonne last week.
Thai traders said the slight drop in price could be attributed to incoming off-season white rice which is being harvested from mid-August through to September.
Thailand has been hit by floods in the north and northeast since July but traders said there had been minimal impact on rice export so far.
The government has said the floods are unlikely to affect Thailand's export target and it is expecting the country to export 11 million tonnes of rice this year.
In Vietnam, the price range for benchmark 5 percent broken rice widened to $395-$405 a tonne, FOB Saigon, ending a three-week flat trend. Traders were unsure if the prices would fall further.
"If companies ask to buy or foreign demand increases considerably, the prices will soar," a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said.
Vietnamese rice suppliers are completing delivery of 175,000 tonnes of rice to Philippines between August and September. Other deals being delivered include 200,000 tonnes of rice to Bangladesh, which is expected to complete by mid August.
Thailand and Vietnam are the world's second and third biggest rice exporters.
(Reporting by Mi Nguyen in Hanoi, Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; editing by David Clarke) ((mi.nguyen@thomsonreuters.com; +84 24 38259623; Reuters Messaging: mi.nguyen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Bangladesh to
import 1.0m tonnes of rice from Thailand
MoU signed on Thursday
FE Online Report
Bangladesh will be able to import up to one million tonnes of rice
from Thailand in next five years.To this end, a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) was signed on Thursday.
Through the signing of this MoU Bangladesh can now import rice from
Thailand until the year 2021 as per need of time.
Bangladesh Food Minister Qamrul Islam and Thai Commerce Minister
Apiradi Tantrapirn signed the MoU on behalf of respective governments before a
ministerial level meeting of Joint Trade Committee in the afternoon.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed also present during the signing
ceremony.After the signing ceremony, the food minister told the press that
import of rice is necessary as there may be shortage of rice production this
year due to natural disaster.
Bangladesh usually produces around 35 million tonnes of rice every
year. But due to natural calamities, the production could not meet the target
this year, he said.
As a result the government has started importing rice from Vietnam
and will also import from Thailand through negotiations to ensure interest of
each other.The Thai minister also expressed her happiness after signing the MoU
and is hopeful about the success of new export target set by the two countries
in JTC.
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/08/10/79464/Bangladesh-to-import-rice-from-Thailand
Arkansas Rice Farm Tests the Waters
By Frank Leach
OSCEOLA, AR -- On Tuesday, USA Rice staff participated in the
Mississippi County Water Management Field Day here. Hosted by Mike Sullivan, a rice farmer from
Burdette, Arkansas, the event was an opportunity to spotlight the innovative
approach Sullivan has employed to facilitate water conservation on his farm.In
consultation with USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Sullivan's tour
included four neighboring fields with different approaches to irrigation: traditional cascade flood, Multiple Inlet
Rice Irrigation (MIRI), Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), and row rice. The water used on each field has been
recorded during the irrigation cycles, with noticeable differences in the
amounts of water used.
"The key to this deal here is we are trying to find ways to be
more efficient and conserve water because there are many counties in Arkansas
that have groundwater challenges," Sullivan said.
USA Rice, through the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship
Partnership, has helped champion water conservation for rice farmers through
the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The RCPP secured funding for projects like
the Mid-South Graduated Water Stewardship Program, which was awarded $7 million
to be used for rice-specific projects in Arkansas, Central and Northeast
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri.
Josh Hankins, USA Rice Stewardship Partnership Coordinator, is
based in Little Rock and led the development of the Mid-South Graduated Water
Stewardship Program.
"The USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership is
excited to see our RCPP efforts making such a large impact on irrigation in
Arkansas," said Hankins. "We
are increasing the awareness of these techniques and technologies, and it's
great to hear more people in the Mid-South include water management shop talk
wherever they gather - in organized field days like this one or in the local
coffee shop."
Innovative irrigation system controlled from a phone
WASDE Report Released
WASHINGTON, DC -- Total U.S. rice supplies are lowered 5 million cwt from last month due to a smaller crop and a slight reduction in beginning stocks. The 2017/18 U.S. rice production forecast is lowered 4.8 million cwt to 186.5 million based on the first survey-based yield forecast of the 2017/18 season. Long-grain production is lowered nearly 4 million cwt and combined medium- and short-grain production is down almost 900,000 cwt. This is the smallest all rice crop since 2011/12. At 7,513 pounds per acre, the 2017/18 yield is down 194 pounds from the previous projection. Partly offsetting the reduction in supplies is a 2.5 million cwt reduction in domestic and residual use. All rice ending stocks are lowered 2.5 million cwt to 30 million, the lowest in a decade. The 2017/18 all rice season-average farm price is raised $0.40 per cwt at the midpoint to a range of $12.20 to $13.20. Prices for all rice classes are raised this month.
The 2017/18 global supplies are lowered fractionally with decreased production more than offsetting higher beginning stocks. This remains the second largest global crop on record. Foreign production is lowered 900,000 tons on reductions for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Global consumption for 2017/18 is lowered 600,000 tons with the largest reduction for Bangladesh. Global exports are raised 500,000 tons primarily on India. The 2017/18 global ending stocks are raised 400,000 tons to 122.9 million.
Read the full report here.
Ghana now has an official ‘Jollof
Rice Festival’ and here are the details
Jollof was made in Ghana and there
is a new festival in town. You don't wanna miss it.
·
Published: 09.08.2017
·
Kwame
Boakye
Ghana now has
an official ‘Jollof Rice Festival’ and here are the details
Jollof is made in Ghana. Nigerians
can take their argument to wherever they want to take to not here in Ghana.
They should start marketing their ‘3ba’ maybe.
The Ghana Tourism Authority has
initiated a ‘Jollof Rice Festival,’ a strategy in their mission to help people
patronise made-in-Ghana goods.
Ghana’s first edition of the Jollof
Rice Festival is set to take place on Saturday, August 26 as part of the Ghana
Tourism Authority's ‘See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana’ campaign.
Ghana Tourism
Authority to take take Jollof Rice tot he world.
Mr. Akwasi Agyeman who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana
Tourism Authority talked about the event at a press conference at the
authority’s head office saying:
“Basically we want to settle the age old controversy of who has
the best ‘jollof’ rice in West Africa. We believe it is Ghana and we are going
to hold one of the biggest food festivals.
“Even though this is a ‘jollof’ competition, it will also help us
showcase all the other food we have. Under the big umbrella, it is a food festival
but we want ‘jollof’ to feature prominently.
“We are going to also leverage on some of the festivals that will
be held in August. August is our eat Ghana month so Homowo is also ongoing. We
will use that platform to project Ghanaian foods.”
SunRice seeks new opportunities to increase
returns for growers
NATALIE KOTSIOS, The Weekly Times
August 9, 2017 7:00pm
SUNRICE has acknowledged
the real risk of its growers turning to other high-value commodities if its
doesn’t improve its farmgate returns.
SunRice chief executive Rob
Gordon said higher returns were necessary so the rice exporter could “earn your
(rice growers) resources”, with new markets and supply chains in South-East
Asia, China and Europe on the hit list.
It comes as 60 Riverina growers
are planning to grow cotton for the first time this year.
“We’ve had a good deal of success
but the reality is we’ve probably optimised what we’ve got and when we have a
look at challenges in the Riverina, nothing stands still,” Mr Gordon told the
Ricegrowers Association of Australia annual conference in Leeton last week.
“Frankly ... we need to be making a better return for you at farmgate
otherwise you, as people who have responsibilities within the farm, will need
to move to other higher-returning activities.”
A low Riverina rice crop and low
medium-grain rice prices saw SunRice’s consolidated revenue drop to $1.1
billion for the financial year to April 2017, while net profit was $34.2
million — down 34 per cent from the previous year.
Mr Gordon said SunRice’s sales
line needed to grow by 11 per cent each year — about twice the rate of the past
five years — which would see it be a “substantially different-scale business by
2021 than we are today”.
Mr Gordon said SunRice was “at
something of a crossroads” and if it continued to rely on medium-grain rice
sold in its normal channels, “we will find ourselves increasingly challenged by
other nations that have a lower cost base”.
SunRice’s new five-year strategy
will try to take advantage of emerging food trends, including typically
rice-eating nations’ growing desire for premium produce and health foods.
Mr Gordon said SunRice was
“knocking on the door to China” with its low-glycaemic index rice. He said they
would not be exporting the low GI rice as a rice commodity, but instead as a
health food. China is home to the largest population of diabetics, at 109
million people. SunRice is already selling its products in China through the
online shopping platform Alibaba, which it is able to do despite no
phytosanitary clearance.
The first order for entry into
Malaysia — the most obese nation in South East Asia — has already been
received, Mr Gordon said.
The growing, global love of sushi
and Japanese cuisine also presented an opportunity for Australian-grown
japonica-style rice, while the shift away from sugars and toward gluten-free
products meant a rise in rice flour and rice bran.
The global desire for food safety
assurances could also see the supply chain expanded in Vietnam, Cambodia and
Myanmar to allow SunRice customers “dual sourcing”
newsbrief
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Rice yield competition in Punjab
SIALKOT (APP): Agriculture department was
finalising arrangements for organising Rice Yield Competition 2017-18 across
Punjab province. Sources in Agriculture department told APP on Wednesday that
agricultural implements worth millions of rupees will be awarded by the
government to the winners. The department was mobilizing all the available
modes for creating awareness among the rice growers about the proposed rice
yield competition. Both male and female farmers growing Basmati rice, super
basmati 515 of rice growing districts would be invited to join the competition.
Rice Yield Competition will be held at provincial and district level in Punjab.
Those interested were directed to obtain application forms from Tehsil and
markaz level and Agriculture department to get themselves registered latest by
September 15.\ According to sources, farmers having self-cultivation not less
than 5 acres, tenants or lessee having lease agreement duly verified by tehsil
committee will also be considered for the competition after fulfilling the
conditions.
Application from candidates having land under
Mushtarka Khata will also be entertained. The participants growing basmati rice
from approved and certified seeds only would be able to join the contest. The
district committee will select overall 10 plots from the district on the basis
of evaluation marks given to plot through tehsil committees, the sources added.
Spices exports earn $84.022m in one year
ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan exported spices
worth $84.022 million during the fiscal year 2016-17, showing growth of 9.58
percent in trade when compared to the same period of last year. The spices
exports during last fiscal year (2015-16) were recorded at $76.677 million,
according to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). In terms of
quantity, Pakistan exported 22,927 metric tons of spices during the period
under review against the exports of 19,746 million during last year, showing an
increase of 16.11 percent. It is pertinent to mention here that the overall
food exports from the country during the fiscal year (2016-17) decreased by
6.94 percent when compared to the last year. The overall food exports from the
country were recorded at $3,712 million in July-June (2016-17) compared to the
exports of $3,989 million in July-June (2015-16), the PBS data revealed.
Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the exports of spices increased by 75.30
percent during the month of June 2017 compared to the same month of last year.
The spices exports during June 2017 were
recorded at $7.913 million compared to the exports of $4,514 million recorded
during June 2016.
On month-on-month basis, the exports of spices
increased by 5.58 percent in June 2017 when compared to the exports of $7,495
million in May 2017, according to the data.
The overall exports from the country during the
fiscal year 2016-17 witnessed decline of 1.63 percent when compared to fiscal
year 2015-16.
The exports from the country in FY2016-17 were
recorded at $53,026 million compared to the exports of $44,685 million last
year, according to PBS data.
PARC chairman for disseminating research,
innovation to farmers
ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Agricultural Research
Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Yousuf Altaf on Wednesday called for disseminating
research and innovative technologies to the doorstep of farmers to promote and
develop agriculture and livestock sectors. Chairing a meeting of the
Competitive Grant Selection Committee, he said new techniques would help the
farmers to achieve high per acre yield. The meeting was held under Agricultural
Innovation Programme (AIP) for Pakistan in collaboration with PARC-CIMMYT and
USAID for grant selection. Dr Yusuf Zafar said that under the AIP, agricultural
funds were provided for adopting new techniques to enhance crops output and
livestock sector. He said that under the AIP initiative a modern beef production
and research centre was established in Sibbi to enhance daily weight of
livestock. In order to promote the livestock sector in Balochistan a cross
breading center was also established in modern beef research center, he added.
He further said that detection of mycotoxin in
poultry feeds of Balochistan and its bio control had also been developed by
using probiotic bacteria.
Other participants of the meeting also
expressed their views and share their expertise to enhance agriculture and
livestock production in the country.
The meeting also discussed microbiological
upgradation of industrial waste, poultry fed fortification, effect of different
antibiotics and their effect on human health.
Attack on LEJA ex-chief condemned
LAHORE (Staff Reporter): The Federation
of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and Lahore Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have condemned the attack on former president of
Lahore Economic Journalists Association. In a statement issued on Wednesday,
FPCCI Regional Chairman Manzoor Malik and LCCI President Abdul Basit expressed
their great concern over attack on senior anchor person of Bole TV and
ex-president of LEJA Sudhir Ch during his programme recording at Liberty Chowk.
They said that it is a well-known fact that working journalists in Pakistan are
a beleaguered community threatened from all sides. Pakistan has been one of the
most dangerous countries for media practitioners for years. It has also
consistently ranked among 10 nations with the highest levels of impunity for
perpetrators of crimes against journalists. Business community believes that
the culture of impunity makes the work-related threats facing journalists more
grave.
The FPCCI regional chairman and LCCI
president urged the authorities to take all possible measure to apprehend the
perpetrators in this case. They said that a failure to do that will not only
embolden the perpetrators but also force journalists, whose services society
needs more now than ever, to exercise self-censorship in the hope of avoiding
violence.
Meanwhile, a rally in support of senior
journalist was organized here by various media associations including the
Lahore Press Club and Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) and Lahore Economic
Journalists Association, condemning the attack on Sudhir
http://nation.com.pk/business/10-Aug-2017/newsbrief
How to identify fake rice
Updated: a day ago
Views: 4574
Some people may be afraid of
getting tricked in restaurants or eating some spoiled food on the street. But
you probably never imagined that there are other places you can be tricked with
food you don't want. Did you know that plastic cabbage and eggs have also been
made, and you might not be able to recognize if they are fake or not. Now
plastic rice is booming in the food market. In almost every African and Asian
country, Chinese and Vietnamese plastic rice is hard to be identified. In this
short overview, we will provide you with some ways of how to identify fake
rice. Besides, learn about consequences of eating fake rice and its influence
on your health.
African markets are filled with
fake rice
China is the main producer of
rice, and nowadays plastic rice as well. The process of making rice was taken
to whole different level. These days rice made of plastic is not a joke, but a
reality in a lot of Chinese factories. It is cheap and profitable to produce
such kind of rice, but how about its danger for people? Not to be tricked with
fake rice, here are top ways of how to detect plastic rice:
1. Burn it
Everybody knows how plastic
smells. So just take a lighter and burn a handful of rice. Does it smell like
burnt plastic? Well, then your rice has to be thrown out.
Burn some rice to identify if it
is fake or not
Do this test to check if the rice
is fake. Take a few grains of rice and pound it with a mortar and pestle. If
the powder gives us white in colour, the rice is natural. If the colour turns
yellow, your rice is fake.
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3. “Water” it
For this test, you only need to
use some cold water. Put raw rice in bowl or glass and pour some water in it.
Stir it for a couple of seconds. Then watch carefully to see if the rice sinks
or floats. If it sinks to the bottom – the rice is natural. If the rice is
floating at the top, it contains some plastic in it.
Water may help you to identify if
you eat natural rice or fake one
4. See any mold?
This test would take a while, but
it is worth it. First, you need to boil the rice. Then leave it for 2-3 days in
warm place. Do not touch the rice. If there is no mold, then rice is fake,
being left alone will not have an effect on plastic rice. Usually, original
rice gets mold within 30-40 minutes. Therefore, if there is no mold in few
days, the rice is fake.
5. Boil it
Put the rice in a pot and observe
it while boiling. At around 4-5 minutes, if you notice a layer on the surface,
then it's plastic.
6. Bring some hot oil
Prepare some hot oil and get your
rice. Put rice in oil and watch how it will change. Just take some of the rice
and drop into some real hot oil. If it is plastic, it will melt. It may also
stick to the bottom of a pan or just stick together.
Watch out for fake rice!
The dangers: health risks of eating plastic rice
All dietitians and health experts
have stated that plastic grains could cause serious damages to a person's
digestive system. It is so dangerous that after a long period of time eating
fake rice, a person simply dies, showing no symptom. Popular platforms, such as
Whatsapp and Facebook have been filled with photos of fake rice being sold on
markets in Shaanxi province. Neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and
Singapore also confirmed some “plastic rice” accidents in their countries. Both
countries mentioned that rumors about fake rice are true.
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Malaysia’s health ministry is
aware of that fake rice is being produced in China. After the rice is packed,
it will then be exported to a number of Asian and African countries. Also,
plastic rice, sold on the Chinese market might even find its way into popular
rice brands. The difficult thing is to detect this kind of rice. It is hard
because usually it comes mixed with normal rice. Right now, there is no system
to check fake rice when importing, but we can help you with ways of identifying
fake rice on the spot.
Markets are filled with fake rice
bags, how to stop the import?
The toxic synthetic rice is
usually made from sweet potatoes or/and synthetic resin (plastic). Usually, you
cannot even know it's fake just by eating it, as it looks and tastes like rice.
But your body would definitely let you know, as fake rice is incredibly toxic.
Natural rice is gone, or where
can it be found?
No one wants to have semi-boiled
plastic rice in own stomach. The danger of fake rice is terrifying. It causes
gastritis and stomach-related diseases. Plastic rice consumption causes not
only problems with stomach but leads to various other health issues such as
cancer, impaired immunity, and problems with reproductive functions, as well as
birth defects.
Nutritionist Upasana Shukla says:
” One of the biggest risks of ingesting plastic is the hormonal imbalance it
creates giving rise to a host of diseases. It also stops the body from
absorbing nutrients present in the food thus leading to deficiencies.”
Now you know how to recognize
real rice from the fake. Toxic grains are made of sweet potatoes, plastic and
synthetic resin to look like real rice. Because they have been sprayed by
chemical product, fake rice even smells like the natural one. Remember to test
your rice and share these tips with your friends and family. Watch out for fake
rice in shops and stay healthy.
