Chinese scientists reveal a novel signaling pathway for chilling
tolerance in rice
CHINESE
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS
The ability of plants to tolerate chilling stress is fundamental
in determining the growing season and geographical distribution of plants.
Local temperature anomalies caused by global climate change directly threaten
crop production.
Improvement of chilling tolerance in rice varieties requires
clarifying the regulatory mechanisms of chilling signaling pathways.
The primary signal transduction pathway of chilling tolerance in
rice has been established already, but how the diverse components are regulated
is not clear.
OsbHLH002 is one of more than 100 members of the bHLH
transcription factor family in rice and has the highest homology with
Arabidopsis ICE1 protein, which is one of the core members in the cold
signaling pathway in Arabidopsis (hence OsbHLH002 is also called OsICE1).
The research team led by Prof. CHONG Kang from the Institute of
Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed a new mechanism for
chilling tolerance mediated by OsMAPK3-OsbHLH002-OsTPP1 in rice.
The research team had shown in 2009 that overexpression of the
wild rice gene OrbHLH2 enhanced tolerance to osmotic stress in Arabidopsis.
This time they discovered that the cold-activated protein kinase
OsMAPK3 phosphorylates the transcription factor OsbHLH002/OsICE1 directly to
enhance its transactivation activity.
Moreover, OsMAPK3 attenuated the interaction between OsbHLH002
and E3 ubiquitin ligase OsHOS1, which led to reduced ubiquitination and
degradation of OsbHLH002.
The increase of the protein content and transactivation activity
of OsbHLH002 effectively activates the expression of OsTPP1 (encoding trehalose-6-phosphatase)
to promote the hydrolysis of trehalose-6-phosphate, increasing the trehalose
content and enhancing the chilling tolerance of rice.
These results established a novel pathway
OsMAPK3-OsbHLH002-OsTPP1. This pathway transduces the cold signal from the
kinase cascade system to the nucleus and promotes synthesis of an osmotic
protectant to regulate the chilling tolerance in rice.
###
This finding has been published in Developmental
Cell in an article entitled "OsMAPK3 Phosphorylates
OsbHLH002/OsICE1 and Inhibits Its Ubiquitination to Activate OsTPP1 and
Enhances Rice Chilling Tolerance."
The study was supported by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture,
the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of
China.
Rice prices expected to drop by P7
per kilo
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 (SunStar file photo) THE lifing of the
quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice imports in favor of tariffs will bring
down rice prices by as much as P7 per kilo, the country’s Finance department
estimates. Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary Gil Beltran, in a
statement, said a 35-percent import tariff on rice in lieu of restricting rice
import volumes would encourage private traders to bring in the staple into the
country, which would, in turn, allow the influx of cheaper rice in the domestic
market. The Philippines, according to Beltran, ranks fourth among five other
Asian countries (Vietnam, Thailand, India, China and Indonesia) in
terms of palay (rice) production cost. The country’s average cost
in producing this staple is about 10 percent higher than those of these Asian
countries and 48 percent higher than the least cost producer. With the
quantitative restriction adopted by the country since 1995, it had allowed the
country to limit the volume of rice imports with a tariff of 35 percent.
Imports outside the designated volume would result in a higher tariff rate. On
June 30, the QR expired after the economic managers earlier decided to allow
its expiration by not applying for another extension before the World Trade
Organization (WTO). The QR lifting is expected to help free some 730,000
Filipinos from poverty who spend at least 20 percent of their budget for rice,
the DOF said, citing studies done by the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA). Reducing rice prices is crucial to poverty reduction because
the staple is a major driver of inflation, said Beltran. The DOF official said
the tariffication would generate P27.3 billion, which the government can use to
augment funding for social protection projects like cash transfers for the
poorest families as well as for palay productivity programs. (JOG)
Read more:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2017/12/20/rice-prices-expected-drop-p7-kilo-580533
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Vietnam's 2017 exports,
imports hit record US$400bn
20 Dec 2017
Men load rice bags to a ship for
export at a rice processing factory in Vietnam's southern Mekong delta, July 6,
2017. (Reuters photo)
HANOI, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Vietnam's 2017 exports and imports
combined set a record, topping US$400 billion, the customs department said on
Wednesday.
Vietnam exported roughly $204 billion of goods as of Dec 15, the
department said in a report, while imports in the same period were $201.3
billion.
Trade has jumped four-fold in a decade, the department said in
a statement on Tuesday.
The department estimated Vietnam would have a trade surplus of
$3 billion this year.
Vietnam posted a trade surplus of $596 million in November,
higher than a government forecast.
Smuggling of Parboiled Rice from
Across the Borders
Tuesday,
December 19, 2017 02:17PM / Ade Adefeko*
Rice consumption in Nigeria is almost entirely of parboiled rice. In West
Africa only Nigeria consumes parboiled rice. Other West African countries
including all the neighboring countries to Nigeria ( Niger, Benin, Cameroon,
Chad) are not consumers of parboiled rice. In Africa only South Africa is the
other major country that consumes parboiled rice.
The shipments of parboiled rice from India and Thailand into Lome , Cotonou and
Douala ports is a very fair estimate of smuggled rice into Nigeria as none of
these countries have internal consumption of parboiled rice. All the imports of
parboiled rice into these countries finally find their way into Nigeria.
Smuggling of Parboiled rice from across the borders (mainly Benin Republic) is
creating a major disaster for the rice industry in Nigeria. The below data
which is collated from the customs department of exporting countries, shows the
amount of rice that are being shipped to Benin, Cameroun, Niger etc. These
neighboring countries don’t consume parboiled rice! All these rice is
eventually smuggled into Nigeria with the full knowledge of these countries
respective authorities.
Such huge quantities of rice cannot be smuggled in without them being loaded
into big trucks or barges! These needs proper roads and hence can be
intercepted easily.
If the border management is difficult due to the huge swaths of land border,
the authorities can raid the markets and confiscate contraband
commodities. Once this is done no trader would ever buy smuggled rice!
If we can’t beat them at the borders then choke the market place which is
within our territory.
The Nigeria rice farmers and millers are losing livelihoods to smuggling! The
government is not only losing revenue but the self-sufficiency goal as well due
to the heavy influx of smuggled rice from across the borders.
The industry associations have been notifying the government of this menace but
little has been achieved so far! Moreover the rice millers have found that it
is a challenge to procure large quantity of paddy in a reliable way. As a
result most of the rice mills are operating below capacity.
Oyo, Osun
Customs arrest 4, generate N16.1b in 11 months
December 19, 2017
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Oyo/Osun Command said it has
arrested no fewer than four persons in connection with smuggling of some
prohibited items into the country.
The four suspects who will soon be
charged to court according to the Customs Area Controller in charge of Oyo and
Osun states, Mr. Elisha David Chikan were arrested and subsequently granted
conditional bail.
Chikan while briefing journalists
on activities of the command at a press briefing on Tuesday in Ibadan, the Oyo
State capital, however called on journalists not to relent in helping the
command in educating and informing members of the public about the ills of
smuggling.
He declared that the command had
generated the sum of sixteen billion, one hundred and eighty two million, two
hundred and six thousand, two hundred and sixty five naira, seven kobo (N16,
182, 206.7k) in the last eleven months.
He said, “The command has been
doing very well in the area of revenue collection which comes purely from
excise factories and few imports. The command generated the sum of sixteen
billion, one hundred and eighty two million, two hundred and six thousand, two
hundred and sixty five naira, seven kobo (N16, 182, 206.7k) as against the
thirteen billion, five hundred and forty three million, eight hundred and two
thousand, five hundred and eighty nine naira, three kobo (13, 543,802,589.3k)
generated within the same period in 2016. This shows and increase of 19.48% in
the revenue collection over last year”.
Speaking on anti-smuggling
activities of the command within the last eleven months, Chikan said, “During
the same period, the command made a total of hundred and eleven (111) seizures
with a duty paid value (DPV) of two hundred and ten million, one hundred and
eighty eight thousand, one hundred and thirty four naira, twenty four kobo
(210, 188,134.24).
Chikan said, “The command during
the months of November and December 2017, successfully recorded the following
seizures: One used DAF 85 truck carrying 500 bags of sumggled foreign rice, One
used DAF truck carrying 300 bags of foreign rice, one used MACK Trailer with
1000 pieces used tyres and 75 bales used clothes, One used DAF Leyland carrying
500 bags of foreign rice, 200 bags of smuggles foreign rice, One used Mazda Bus
carrying 20 bags of foreign rice, One used FORD Bus with 30 bales of used
clothing, One used DAF Truck carrying 500 bags of foreign rice, One used DAF
Truck carrying 500 bags of foreign rice, One used DAF truck carrying 300 bags
of foreign rice, One used AUDI 80 (Tokunbo Car), One used Toyota Corolla
(Tokunbo Car), One used Ford Bus carrying 50 bags of foreign rice, 30 bales of
used clothes.
“The duty paid value (DPV) of the
seized vehicles is put at N 11,066,983.48k. The duty paid value of goods is put
at N 53,116,021.29k. The total duty paid value of all the seized items is N 64,
183, 00. 77k.
“At this juncture, I call on the
media not to relent in helping us to educate and inform members about the ills
of smuggling and the need to desist from such practice, as we will not fail to
make them face the full wrath of the law.
“However all genuine importers and
exporters within the command will have the support of the service in
facilitating their businesses. For the avoidance of doubt, the ban on the
importation of rice and used cars (Tokunbo) through the nation’s land borders
is still in force”.
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12 Lagos convicts get freedom, Plateau prisoners produce rice
Sesan Olufowobi and Friday Olokor
Twelve inmates of the Kirikiri Maximum
Security Prison in Apapa, Lagos, got emotional on Tuesday after they were told
to “go and sin no more.”
The ex-convicts, who were beneficiaries of
the state’s Prerogative of Mercy, were pardoned by the state Governor,
Akinwunmi Ambode.
It was gathered that the inmates had spent
between 20 and 34 years in prison and were released having satisfied basic
conditions, such as good behaviour.
The beneficiaries are Peter Kalu, Gbenga
Olusegun, Emmanuel Agogbor, Oladeinde Atanda, Lasisi Osho and Ishmael Azubike.
Others are Ojukunaya Henry, Rahimi Adeniyi,
Adeyemi Adeniyi, Yau Usein, Uche Okpara and Lukman Kehinde.
While handing over the release order from
the governor to the Lagos Command of the Nigeria Prisons Service, the Chairman
of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo,
said the release of the inmates was in line with the commitment of the Ambode
administration’s commitment to justice sector reforms through prison
decongestion.
Oyewo, who represented Ambode at the event,
said the exercise was pursuant to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as
amended) which empowered the governor to exercise prerogative of mercy, and
also to offer hope to inmates who had demonstrated capacity to be re-absolved into
the society.
Oyewo said, “Basically, there are guidelines
that are set and some of these include looking at the period that has been
served by the inmates; and for hard capital offences, such inmates must have
served for a sufficient period of time to ensure that they are reformed and
rehabilitated.
“It also includes transformation in the life
of the prisoner because there must be remorse and acknowledgment of the fact
that something wrong had been done and then the prisoner must also have
acquired some skills to show that he is ready to be rehabilitated into the
society.”
Aside from that, Oyewo said the families of
the released inmates, in accordance with the guidelines, were also made to
guarantee that they would follow up on them to ensure that they did not go back
to their old ways of crime.
Oyewo admonished the freed inmates to be of
good behaviour, saying that the governor was willing to release as many of them
who meet the requirements for freedom as possible.
The Controller of Prisons, Lagos Command,
Mr. Tunde Ladipo, said the release of the inmates had brought hope to other
inmates.
“It is my pleasure and honour to receive the
letter of release from the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.
“I call him the action governor for his
commitment to do more for this state and for the prison command,” Ladipo said.
He urged Ambode to come to the aid of the
command in the areas of logistics, construction of a security tower and
procurement of CCTV cameras.
In Plateau State, the Lakushi Farm Centre belonging
to the prisons service, harvested over 400 bags of rice in 2017, the
spokesperson for the NPS, Plateau State Command, Luka Ayedoo, said on Tuesday.
Ayedoo, an Assistant Superintendent of
Prisons, in a statement said the LFC was already living up to the expectation
of supporting rehabilitation of prisoners and their reintegration into the
society.
He said, “The farm is one of the 17 prison
farmlands owned by the NPS. The farm was repositioned in the wake of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to diversify the Nigerian economy with emphasis on
the agricultural and mining sectors.
“The Nigerian Prisons Service inaugurated
the transformation of these farms in 2016, leading to the procurement and
distribution of modern farm tools.
“The Lakushi Farm Centre in 2017 received
two tractors, one operational vehicle, two boom sprayers, three seed-drill
planters, two multi-crop threshers, herbicides, and pesticides.
“The Controller-General of Prisons, Ja’afaru
Ahmed, also approved N33.4m for the renovation of the farm building and inmate
cells, which is ongoing.
“The farmlands are already living up to the
expectation of supporting prisoners’ rehabilitation and reintegration through
enhanced modern skills/training in farming techniques and has started the
prisons service’s drive towards self-sufficiency.”
The state prison command’s spokesman said
the NPS was opened to support and partnership that would enhance the execution
of its mandate.
Ayedoo said 205 prison inmates in all
formations in the state had been enrolled in formal and non-formal
schools.
He said, “Twenty-two of our inmates
participated in the 2017 Literacy Examination conducted by the Plateau State
Directorate of Adult and Non-Formal Education Board.
“Also, 24 of our prisoners sat for the 2017
Basic Certificate Examination, organised by the Plateau State Education
Resource Centre.”
Ayedoo said 67 inmates were trained in rice
production, while 15 were trained in poultry farming to promote agriculture in
the country.
Ramadan fasting and Diabetes
Diabetics should seek proper
medical advice if they consider fasting
Fasting by people who treat their diabetes with insulin or have
diabetic complications can put their health at serious risk.
The body usually enters a fasting state eight hours after its
last meal.
First the body uses stored glucose and later it will turn to
fat, which can lead to weight-loss.
The weight-loss could help someone control their blood glucose,
blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Diabetes UK advises people to eat food which is more slowly
absorbed such as basmati rice, pitta bread, chapattis and dhal.
Also people should eat fruit, vegetables and salads while
avoiding large amounts of sugary and fatty foods - as a well as using less
cooking oil.
People should also check their blood sugar levels more often as
they are greater risk of hypoglycaemia.
Anyone who feels shaky, sweaty and disorientated should break
their fast immediately and take their hypo treatment followed by a snack.
Type 1 diabetes sufferers also run a risk of their blood glucose
level going too high.
Diabetes UK advises all people with the condition who are
considering fasting to hold a discussion with their specialist team to ensure
their blood glucose levels remain under control.
Myanmar rice exports highest in 50 years in 2017-18
Myanmar
is estimated to export up to 2.8 million tonnes of rice worth a maximum of $800
million this year, the most in 50 years. Aung Htay Hlaing/The Myanmar Times
Demand for rice produced in Myanmar has risen to its highest
level in 50 years in the current 2017-18 fiscal year, with rice exports
estimated to have increased to 2.5 million-2.8 million tonnes compared to the
previous estimate of 2.2 million tonnes, said U Khin Maung Lwin, assistant
secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.
U Nay Lin Zin, joint-secretary of Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF),
said Myanmar’s rice exports should be worth up to $800 million this fiscal
year.
So far, Myanmar has exported over 2 million tonnes of rice worth
$600 million in the first 8 months of the current fiscal year. That is the
highest level of exports in 50 years, Dr Aung Thu, Minister of of Agriculture,
Livestock and Irrigation, said during the annual general meeting of MRF last
Friday.
Myanmar’s rice exported its highest volume of rice ever during
the 1930s, when it sold over 3 million tonnes to international countries.
During the 1960s though, exports dropped to just a third of its peak to just
over 1 million tonnes.
The country exported 1.2 million tonnes of rice worth $200
million during the same period last year.
In the previous fiscal year, total rice exports amounted to 1.7
tonnes.
Border demand
The rise in exports this year was due to higher demand from
countries like Africa and facilitated via government-to-government agreements
between Myanmar and Sri Lanka as well as Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which are rice-exporting countries,
this year faced shortages due to poor weather, which destroyed much of their
paddy fields. With supply from Cambodia and Vietnam insufficient to meet those
needs, demand for rice from Myanmar increased.
More than half of Myanmar’s rice exports this year were
conducted by sea. Around 53pc of locally produced rice was transported to
buyers via sea this year, while the remaining was sold to the Chinese at
Myanmar- China border gates like Muse, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
In the past, rice trade was conducted cross-border with China.
Myanmar exports 80 percent of its rice to China while the remaining 20pc is
exported via sea.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- December 20, 2017
DECEMBER 20, 2017 / 1:14 PM
·
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-December 20
Nagpur, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices today recovered strongly in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased seasonal demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing regions. Healthy rise on NCDEX in gram and reported demand from South-based millers also jacked up prices.
About 200 bags of gram and 200 bags of reported for auctions in Nagpur APMC, according to
sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Desi gram reported higher in open market on renewed demand from local traders.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.
* Major rice varieties reported higher in open market on good marriage season demand
from local traders.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,000-4,150, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,700-5,800, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 8,200-9,000, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,000-7,300, Gram – 4,525-4,675, Gram Super best
– 7,300-7,500
* Wheat and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,500-3,950 3,200-3,800
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 3,500-4,030 3,500-3,900
Moong Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,600-1,642 1,525-1,640
Gram Super Best Bold 6,600-7,500 6,600-7,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 6,000-6,300 6,000-6,300
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 3,900-3,950 3,900-3,950
Desi gram Raw 4,750-4,950 4,700-4,900
Gram Kabuli 12,200-13,000 12,200-13,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,100-6,300 6,100-6,300
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,700-6,000 5,700-6,000
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500
Tuar Gavarani New 4,100-4,200 4,100-4,200
Tuar Karnataka 4,600-4,850 4,600-4,850
Masoor dal best 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200
Masoor dal medium 4,600-4,800 4,600-4,800
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,500-7,800 7,500-7,800
Moong Mogar Medium 6,600-7,000 6,600-7,000
Moong dal Chilka 5,800-6,500 5,800-6,500
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,200-9,300 8,200-9,300
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,500 5,800-6,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,200-6,400 5,200-6,400
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,200 2,900-3,000
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,800 3,400-3,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,800 1,750-1,800
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,800 2,400-2,800
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,600 3,000-3,500
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-2,900 2,800-2,900
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700 2,500-2,600
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,300-2,400
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,600-4,000
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,600 3,250-3,600
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,900-5,200 4,900-5,100
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,700 4,500-4,600
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-13,500 9,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,700-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 29.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 9.2 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 29 and 09 degree
Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)
India eyes African nations to
increase export of non-basmati rice
ZeeBiz WebTeam
Tue, Dec 19, 2017,01:22 pm
ZeeBiz WebDesk
According to official data, India had exported 5.66 million
tonnes of non-basmati rice in 2016-17 and the shipments were 3.51 million
tonnes in the first six months of the current fiscal.
India eyes African nations to increase export of
non-basmati rice. File photo of rice field. Image source: IANS
Looking at continuous rise in the country’s rice production,
Union Commerce Ministry has asked the All India Rice Exporters Association
(AIREA) to explore the possibility of finding new markets as well as to scale
up in existing market, said a newspaper report.
According to the report, the industry body, which was so far known
for promoting basmati rice, on Monday met ambassadors and trade counsellors
from 11 African countries including Mauritius, Namibia, Zambia and
Angola.
The industry body reortedly perceives a possibility of
increasing at least 10 per cent export of non-basmati rice to African countries
in the next two years. Traders say that these African nations have the major
share in India’s shipments of the cereal.
According to official data, India had exported 5.66 million
tonnes of non-basmati rice in 2016-17 and the shipments were 3.51 million
tonnes in the first six months of the current fiscal. Besides, the production
of rice has been on the rise in the last one decade crossing 110 million tonnes
in 2016-17 from about 93 million tonnes in 2006-07, the report said.
The robust production of rice made India largest exporter of
cereal in the world in 2012, replacing Thailand.
President of AIREA, Vijay Setia, told the newspaper that
discussions were also held to introduce basmati rice in the African market, as
a very limited volume of basmati is exported there, hence, there is a scope for
increasing it.
An official in the Ministry reportedly said that India has done
good in non-basmati exports to the African markets in the past but there is
scope for increasing the volume.
He also stated that the meeting was important not only to
strengthen the relationship with the African countries in terms of non-basmati
rice exports but also to add basmati variety.
Meanwhile, representatives of African countries have reportedly
extended their support for Indian non-basmati rice exporters to market the
product in their region through upcoming exhibition and other available
platforms.
Myanmar rice exports highest in 50 years in 2017-18
Myanmar
is estimated to export up to 2.8 million tonnes of rice worth a maximum of $800
million this year, the most in 50 years. Aung Htay Hlaing/The Myanmar Times
Demand for rice produced in Myanmar has risen to its highest
level in 50 years in the current 2017-18 fiscal year, with rice exports
estimated to have increased to 2.5 million-2.8 million tonnes compared to the
previous estimate of 2.2 million tonnes, said U Khin Maung Lwin, assistant
secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.
U Nay Lin Zin, joint-secretary of Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF),
said Myanmar’s rice exports should be worth up to $800 million this fiscal
year.
So far, Myanmar has exported over 2 million tonnes of rice worth
$600 million in the first 8 months of the current fiscal year. That is the
highest level of exports in 50 years, Dr Aung Thu, Minister of of
Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, said during the annual general meeting
of MRF last Friday.
Myanmar’s rice exported its highest volume of rice ever during
the 1930s, when it sold over 3 million tonnes to international countries.
During the 1960s though, exports dropped to just a third of its peak to just
over 1 million tonnes.
The country exported 1.2 million tonnes of rice worth $200
million during the same period last year.
In the previous fiscal year, total rice exports amounted to 1.7
tonnes.
Border demand
The rise in exports this year was due to higher demand from
countries like Africa and facilitated via government-to-government agreements
between Myanmar and Sri Lanka as well as Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which are rice-exporting countries,
this year faced shortages due to poor weather, which destroyed much of their
paddy fields. With supply from Cambodia and Vietnam insufficient to meet those
needs, demand for rice from Myanmar increased.
More than half of Myanmar’s rice exports this year were
conducted by sea. Around 53pc of locally produced rice was transported to
buyers via sea this year, while the remaining was sold to the Chinese at
Myanmar- China border gates like Muse, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
In the past, rice trade was conducted cross-border with China.
Myanmar exports 80 percent of its rice to China while the remaining 20pc is
exported via sea.
Sri Lanka, China commemorate 65th anniversary of
Rubber-Rice Pact
Source:
Xinhua| 2017-12-19 00:52:17|Editor: yan
COLOMBO,
Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka and China on Monday exchanged plaques of
friendship commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Rubber-Rice Pact agreement
which was signed between the two countries in 1952.
The
celebratory event was held in capital Colombo and attended by Sri Lanka's
Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese embassy
in Sri Lanka Pang Chunxue and relatives of both Sri Lankan and Chinese
ministers who signed the pact 65 years ago.
Jayasuriya
said at the event that the friendship between China and Sri Lanka had
strengthened since the signing of the agreement, and he thanked China for
always supporting the island country.
"I
would not really call the Pact a trade agreement but I would call this an
agreement of friendship. At that time, in 1952, rice had become a very
politically sensitive commodity in Sri Lanka and we were facing a severe
shortage," Jayasuriya said.
The
friendship between China and Sri Lanka dates back to a long time ago and is
stepping into a new phase under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative,
said Pang.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/19/c_136835536.htm
Jan-Nov rice export brings in US$2.49 billion
http://english.thesaigontimes.vn/ - 12/19/2017 10:14:05 AM
The news website of Vietnam Television at VTV.vn
cited data of the department as indicatingthat Vietnam exported 5.52 million
tons of rice worth US$2.49 billion in the year to November, up 24.1% and 24.9%
respectively over the same period last year.
Local rice exporters have sharply reduced the amount
of medium- and low-grade rice but have increased high-quality white rice products
whose quality and value are higher.
Vietnamese rice products have been present in 132
markets all over the world, with China being the largest consumer.
The country is forecast to ship 400,000-450,000tons
of rice abroad this month, taking the total export amount to 5.9-6 million
tonsin all of 2017, up 1.1-1.2 million tons against last year.
Read original article here
Rice prices to
drop with QR removal
The lifting of the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice imports
could slash retail prices of staple, the Finance department said.
In an economic bulletin, Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said
that replacing the QR with tariffs would bring several benefits to the economy,
including rice price drops of as much P7 per kilo.
The QR lifting will also help free some 730,000 Filipinos from
poverty, he added.
Beltran said a 35 percent import tariff on rice in lieu of
restricting import volumes would encourage private traders and lead to an
influx of cheaper rice in the domestic market.
He added that lower rice prices would benefit the majority of poor
households that spend at least 20 percent of their budgets on rice, citing
studies done by the National Economic and Development Authority.
Reducing rice prices is crucial to poverty reduction because the
staple is a major driver of inflation, Beltran continued.
The QR allows the country to limit the volume of rice imports,
with higher tariffs imposed on shipments exceeding the quota. The WTO-approved
rice QR expired at the end of June this year and the Duterte administration
decided not to seek an extension.
The WTO first allowed the Philippines to impose a 10-year QR on
rice imports in 1995. This was extended in 2004 until 2012 and then renewed
again in 2014.
At an expected import rate of 35 percent, Beltran said
tariffication would generate P27.3 billion, which the government can use to
augment funding for social protection projects like cash transfers for the
poorest families as well as for palay productivity programs.
He claimed the cash transfers could let at least 730,000 people
out of the poverty trap.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd has said that a key
objective of the government’s inclusive growth agenda is to transform the
Philippines into an upper middle-income economy and cut the poverty rate from
the current 21.6 percent to 14 percent by 2022.
“The tariff revenues that will be generated from rice imports can
augment the funds used for the government’s social welfare programs for the
poor (e.g., conditional cash transfer) and rice productivity programs that will
enhance efficiency. Tariff revenue is estimated at P27.3 billion annually from
2017 to 2023,” Beltran said.
Instead of subsidizing imports, the national government could
reallocate funds for public goods and services that directly benefit farmers.
Beltran noted that the National Food Authority (NFA), which is
empowered to import rice and regulate imports of the grain, in the process
received of P187 billion in tax subsidies from 2005 t0 2015, or an average of
P19 billion per year.
Lifting the QR will pave way for the proposed reorganization of
the agency, he said.
“Given that import quotas will be eliminated, the private sector
is encouraged to increase importations, thereby reducing import requirements of
the NFA and its financial burden to the government,” Beltran said.
“The NFA can now reorganize and limit its function to proprietary
activities, in particular buffer stocking for food security and calamities, and
local procurement. Note that in its present state, the NFA loses about P11
billion annually, even after operating subsidy of P5 billion average per year,
from 2005 to 2015 and has an accumulated debt of P155.84 billion as of end of
September 2016,” he said.
Beltran said the Philippines ranked fourth when compared with five
other Asian countries (Vietnam, Thailand, India, China and Indonesia) in terms
of palay production cost, which is about 10 percent higher than its neighbors
and 48 percent higher than the least cost producer.
The WTO granted the Philippines an extension of its QR on rice
importation until June 30, 2017 to give local farmers more time to prepare for
free trade
http://www.manilatimes.net/rice-prices-drop-qr-removal/369506/
