Boosting exports to China
By Editorial
: January 26, 2018
That Pakistan can appreciably raise the
level of exports to China is hardly much of a surprise. Trade watchers have
been expecting this for some time now but not without trepidation. The latest
projections by the Pakistan Business Council show that exports could be boosted
by an additional $3.3 billion worth of goods provided of course the country is
able to bring down tariffs to zero at least on some items. The council has so
far singled out a total of 25 products for zero tariff ratings that could be
negotiated with the Chinese government. Such input is useful especially since
the second phase of the free trade agreement negotiations is already under way.
In the near future, Pakistanis know they could perhaps increase rice, textiles,
seafood, footwear and leather exports and in doing so secure greater market
access to China. These steps could help Pakistan but not significantly narrow
its overall trade imbalance with China.
In the dozen or so years that the friendly
neighbours signed a free trade agreement, Pakistan’s trade deficit of $12 billion
has been growing not merely because of the crucial imports needed for the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects but also other lesser known factors.
The private sector has led the national chorus of calls for removing the
existing trade imbalance with China. There are fears that the imbalance itself
will fuel a shift from higher to lower productivity. To offset this, Pakistan
is hoping to gain the same tariff concessions that China grants Asean states.
Only then would Pakistani manufacturers be able to move away from lower
productivity to higher productivity and export value-added goods to China.
The idea is to ensure that Chinese
industrial initiatives yield the maximum economic benefits for Pakistani
stakeholders. One obvious way is to devise industrial activities that have
well-defined local stakeholders who help maximise benefits for firms. This is
where joint ventures between Pakistani and Chinese companies come in handy. The
government needs to take into account which sectors can most benefit from
higher productivity and which have the most potential to boost exports.
Pakistan-Indonesia Business Forum today
Muhammad Arshad
Islamabad
With an objective to make Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA)
mutually more beneficial and progress towards the conclusion of Free Trade
Agreement (FTA), Pakistan and Indonesia are going to hold bilateral talks here
at Pakistan-Indonesia Business Forum today (Friday). Minister for Commerce
Pervaiz Malik and Indonesian Trade Minister will lead their respective side in
the forum.
Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Indonesia is worth around US$1 billion. Pakistani exports to Indonesia include kinnow, seafood, textiles, cotton yarn, medical equipment, rice, wheat and carpets while Indonesia exports palm oil to Pakistan. In 2017, the trade volume between Pakistan and Indonesia reached $ 2.5 billion dollars. A well placed source at Commerce Ministry told Pakistan Observer here on Thursday that Pakistan considered Indonesia as an important bilateral trade partner and was keen on improving economic ties between both the countries. Trade growth has been one sided in the bilateral trade between both the countries.
However, the source said that Pakistan appreciated Indonesian unilateral act of including 20 items of Pakistan’s prime interest for duty free access in the PTA to make it mutually beneficial. Therefore, Pakistan is committed to further expand and deepen the bilateral trade and economic cooperation with Indonesia.
“The first meeting of the trade negotiations committees in this regard is being coordinated mutually convenient dates in March 2018” the source added saying that Pakistan would urge Indonesian side to extend the date of delivery for 6500NT rice.
In September 2013, the source said that the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Indonesia and Pakistan, which was signed in February 2012, came into effect from September 1 following the signing of an additional Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in which Indonesia recognized Pakistan as a pest-free area for kinnow.
Similarly, the source said that in November 2005, Pakistan and Indonesia completed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, one of the provisions of which was that the countries, in 2006, commenced negotiations to conclude a PTA. The latter agreement was after the two countries had successfully concluded the final eighth round of negotiations held 1n September 2011. “Pakistan’s PTA offer list to Indonesia includes a total of 287 tariff lines at preferential tariffs, and it also agreed to give the same treatment to Indonesian palm oil products as provided to Malaysia under the Pakistan-Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA)” the source maintained.
While Indonesia cancelled tariffs on imports from Pakistan of the regionally-important citrus fruit, kinnow (a type of mandarin), creating a level-playing field in the Indonesian market for this product, which is produced in Pakistan. However, the source said that in August 2016, Pakistan refused to start negotiations on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Indonesia until Pakistan’s concerns on existing Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) were addressed within six months.
Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Indonesia is worth around US$1 billion. Pakistani exports to Indonesia include kinnow, seafood, textiles, cotton yarn, medical equipment, rice, wheat and carpets while Indonesia exports palm oil to Pakistan. In 2017, the trade volume between Pakistan and Indonesia reached $ 2.5 billion dollars. A well placed source at Commerce Ministry told Pakistan Observer here on Thursday that Pakistan considered Indonesia as an important bilateral trade partner and was keen on improving economic ties between both the countries. Trade growth has been one sided in the bilateral trade between both the countries.
However, the source said that Pakistan appreciated Indonesian unilateral act of including 20 items of Pakistan’s prime interest for duty free access in the PTA to make it mutually beneficial. Therefore, Pakistan is committed to further expand and deepen the bilateral trade and economic cooperation with Indonesia.
“The first meeting of the trade negotiations committees in this regard is being coordinated mutually convenient dates in March 2018” the source added saying that Pakistan would urge Indonesian side to extend the date of delivery for 6500NT rice.
In September 2013, the source said that the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Indonesia and Pakistan, which was signed in February 2012, came into effect from September 1 following the signing of an additional Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in which Indonesia recognized Pakistan as a pest-free area for kinnow.
Similarly, the source said that in November 2005, Pakistan and Indonesia completed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, one of the provisions of which was that the countries, in 2006, commenced negotiations to conclude a PTA. The latter agreement was after the two countries had successfully concluded the final eighth round of negotiations held 1n September 2011. “Pakistan’s PTA offer list to Indonesia includes a total of 287 tariff lines at preferential tariffs, and it also agreed to give the same treatment to Indonesian palm oil products as provided to Malaysia under the Pakistan-Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA)” the source maintained.
While Indonesia cancelled tariffs on imports from Pakistan of the regionally-important citrus fruit, kinnow (a type of mandarin), creating a level-playing field in the Indonesian market for this product, which is produced in Pakistan. However, the source said that in August 2016, Pakistan refused to start negotiations on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Indonesia until Pakistan’s concerns on existing Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) were addressed within six months.
PCCI, PFVA
demand removal of trade barriers on eve of Indonesian president's visit
Last Updated On 25 January,2018 08:16
pm
The balance of trade between Pak-Indonesia is in favour
of both countries.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Vice President of Federation of
Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and Patron-in-Chief of All
Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters , Importers & Merchants
Association (PFVA) has appealed the President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain &
the Primer Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that during the visit of President of Indonesia
to Pakistan and on eve of his address to the Parliament , elimination of
barriers being encountered by Pakistani products in Indonesia shall be
emphasized so that both countries can be befitted from the Preferential Trade
agreement by enhancement of mutual trade.
In a statement Waheed Ahmed said that the balance of trade
between Pak-Indonesia is in favour of Indonesia and Pakistan having opportunity
is not taking full advantage of the same. Availing unique opportunity on visit
of the Indonesia President, we shall insist to have similar trade concessions
like Indonesia is extending to China and Thailand.
Exports of Pakistani Agriculture produces like Rice , Fruits and
Vegetables can be enhanced up to US$ one billion within three years , however
introduction of quota system by Indonesia is proving to be a trade barrier in
enhancement of export of Pakistani fruits particularly Kinnow, Waheed deplored
.
Indonesia has imposed quota system during the current season
till 31st December limiting export volume of Kinnow and after a gap of one
month the quota has been allocated on 13th Jan.
Waheed strssed that under the quota system a long span of 24-25
days transit time poses problem since the export consignments coming from
Pakistan after this period to Indonesia are rejected. 1400 containers of Kinnow
were exported in previous season while 2500 kinnow containers are expected to
be exported during the current season and thus Indonesia can emerge as a big
market for Pakistani Kinnow , however to attain that , the barriers such as
quota system need to be abolished.
According to Waheed Ahmed , Pakistani exporters managed to
procure export contract of 65000 tons of rice by successful bid against stiff
competition from Thailand and Vietnam , however Indonesia has given dead line
for execution of this order by 28th Feb.
The terms and conditions issued by a Indonesian organization
Bulog creates difficulty for Pakistan in completion of order by 28 Feb because
of lengthy transit time about 20 to 30 days of shipment arrival to Indonesian
port, However such terms and conditions are favorable for traditional business
partner Vietnam and Thailand because the transit time from Vietnam /Thailand
are of only 2 to 4 days.
Similarly other terms & conditions of tender including
letter of credit, penalty term and laboratory test requirements are difficult and
consist on lengthy procedures.
Also due to commencement of new Chinese’s year there would be holidays in the Far Eastern countries which would make it very difficult to execute the order within the given dead line because due to festival holidays in far east countries cause in-ordinate delays and congestion on seaports so delivery of rice export consignment may delay from scheduled arrival. So it is mandatory that deadline of tender to complete the order should be extend till mid of April 2018. So the Pakistan exporters may successfully complete export order to increase trade between Pak-Indonesia and play role to balance trade system between both countries.
Also due to commencement of new Chinese’s year there would be holidays in the Far Eastern countries which would make it very difficult to execute the order within the given dead line because due to festival holidays in far east countries cause in-ordinate delays and congestion on seaports so delivery of rice export consignment may delay from scheduled arrival. So it is mandatory that deadline of tender to complete the order should be extend till mid of April 2018. So the Pakistan exporters may successfully complete export order to increase trade between Pak-Indonesia and play role to balance trade system between both countries.
Waheed emphasized Ministry of commerce that to follow the mutual
Preferential Trade agreement in it’s true spirit, it’s imperative that Pakistan
shall insist for removal of trade barriers during forthcoming visit of the
Indonesian President.
With high frequency of flights by the national carriers of both
the countries, the air link shall be improved and banking channels as well as
people to people contact between the countries be promoted simultaneously so
that economic relationship between the two brother countries can be further be
strengthened and made sustainable, Waheed desired.
Businessmen
views to be incorporated in trade policy: TDAP
Secy says
medium term trade policy framework to up exports
January
26, 2018
LAHORE - The government is endeavoring to
formulate a medium-term trade policy framework for enhancing exports on a
sustainable basis by incorporating suggestions of the business community in
strategic trade policy framework (STPF) 2018-23.
This was stated by Trade Development Authority
of Pakistan TDAP secretary Inam Ullah Dharejo while addressing the business
community during the consultative session held in perspective of STPF here at a
local hotel. "The concept of holding exercise on the initiative of
Younas Dagha, Secretary Commerce on consultative sessions across the country
was to ascertain the opinion of trade bodies for bringing radical changes in
the new trade policy', he said and hoped that the substantial measures would
help in consolidating the growth of the export sector of the country.
Dilating on the number of measures taken by the
government to enhance and diversify exports, he apprised the business community
about introduction of Prime Minister Export Enhancement Package of Rs 180
billion to arrest declining exports with provision of an additional 2% duty
drawback for the non-traditional markets, successful organization of 10th
edition of Expo Pakistan where more than 800 foreign buyers/importers from 70
countries visited and Secretary Commerce Younas Dagha initiative "Emerging
Pakistan" to showcase Pakistan's futuristic image and organizing
"Look Africa" conference to encourage exports to non-traditional
markets. He further informed the audience that on the sidelines, FTA
negotiations with Turkey and Thailand, review of Pakistan-China FTA,
Pakistan-Indonesia FTA and GSP Plus scheme will enhance market access for our
products.
Earlier, Director General Trade Policy,
Ministry of Commerce Nauman Aslam made the introductory presentation. Mian Riaz
Ahmed, Director General TDAP, Lahore along with other senior officers
coordinated the activity.
On the occasion, the president Lahore Chamber
of Commerce and Industry and vice president FPCCI also addressed the house.
Representatives of LCCI, Women Chamber of Lahore and Multan Division, Pakistan
China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, FPCCI Lahore, PAAPAM, Pakistan
Tanners Association, APTMA, Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, Rice Exporter Association, Pakistan Ethanol Manufacturers Association
and Pakistan Poultry Association respectively attended the session.
Meanwhile, Ch. Arfan Yousaf, Regional Chairman
FPCCI, during a Consultative Session, said that the cost of doing business and
Reimbursement of tax refunds and payment of funds under PM package should be
top priority of the Government for the promotion of Exports.
Ch. Arfan Yousaf highlighted his concern about
GSP Plus status and said Pakistan has succeeded in getting 'GSP Plus' status
but its imported to cultivate its benefits. He further added efforts should be
made for identifying potential markets and buyers.
While appreciating prime minister's initiative
to seek stakeholders' suggestions on broad-based consultative process to
formulate Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) 2018-23, Ch Arfan Yousaf
informed in order to enhance the exports and curtailing imports, the FPCCI has
documented proposals for Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2018-2023 and
submitted to the ministry.
Rice prices soar in top exporters as Indonesia shops, fresh
deals beckon
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice prices in top exporter India jumped
to their highest in about 6-1/2 years on strong demand from Asia and Africa,
exporters said, while rates for the staple hit multi-month highs in Thailand
and Vietnam following recent purchases by Indonesia.
A
farmer winnows rice in a field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, November 4, 2016.
REUTERS/Amit Dave/Files
In India, rates were also buoyed by hopes that Philippines and
Indonesia will buy more rice in the coming months to build inventories.
Indonesian state food procurement agency Bulog bought about
346,000 tonnes in an international tender last week, to be sourced from Vietnam,
Thailand, Pakistan and India.“Prices (in India) have jumped, but even at higher
levels, buyers are ready to make purchases. They fear prices could rally
further,” said M. Adishankar, executive director at Sri Lalitha, an exporter
located in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
India’s 5 percent broken parboiled rice price jumped by $12
to $444-$448 per tonne, the highest level since September 2011, when the
country lifted a four-year-old ban on non-basmati rice shipments.
“The market is expecting more buying from Indonesia and
Philippines. Bangladesh and African countries are also active in the market and
buying mainly from India,” said an exporter based in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
Surplus supplies in all exporting countries have been depleting
and that could push prices higher by another $10-15 in coming weeks, the
exporter said.
Workers
unload bags of rice from a truck before loading them onto a boat at Sunda
Kelapa port in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 21, 2016. REUTERS/Iqro
Rinaldi/Files
Bangladesh, which has emerged as a major importer of the grain
since 2017 after floods damaged its crops, has approved the purchase of 100,000
tonnes of parboiled rice in a domestic tender, a food ministry official said on
Thursday.
The winning bidder will supply the rice from India, the official
added.Meanwhile, Vietnam’s benchmark 5-percent broken rice rose to $450 a
tonne, FOB Saigon, the highest in more than three years. Last week, prices
ranged $420-$430.Traders said despite higher prices, sellers are reluctant to
commit to new deals as stock is low at the end of the crop season while
harvesting is scheduled in late February or early . The market is also
eyeing deals from the Philippines, which plans to import 250,000 tonnes to
boost thinning stockpiles.
Thailand’s benchmark 5 percent broken rice rose to a peak since
June 2017, at $440-$448, free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok, versus $415-$420 last
week.
“Indonesia purchased about 120,000 tonnes from Thailand and
there are talks of the country importing an additional 150,000 tonnes from us,”
said a Bangkok-based trader.
“It has been the single biggest factor for the hike in rice
prices. There are no other impending deals at the moment and supply is
constant.”
Reporting by Suphanida Thakral in Bangkok, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai,
Mai Nguyen in Hanoi, and Ruma Paul in Dhaka, editing by David Evans
NFA pushes rice imports to stabilize prices
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:28 AM January 27,
2018
The National Food Authority (NFA) is urging
economic managers to approve its request to import rice this year to stabilize
prices of the staple.
A report from the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) showed that prices of regular and well-milled rice have risen
by as much as P3 a kilo in six regional centers, including Kidapawan City, Naga
City and the National Capital Region.
Although the grains agency has not been able
to control the prices of commercial rice, it sells the staple at more
affordable prices as part of its mandate to ensure food security.
“Removing NFA rice from the market is like
taking away the lower-prices brand of rice whose quality is comparable to high-priced
commercial rice,” NFA Administrator Jason Aquino said.
“It is the function of the NFA to ensure
that rice is always available, affordable and accessible to all, especially to
the poor and low-income sector that rely on government to fulfill this social
responsibility,” he added.
NFA’s presence in the local market is
estimated to be only at 6 to 10 percent, but Aquino said that “with more than
100 million Filipinos at present, that means about 6 to 10 million of our
population are consuming NFA rice on a regular basis.”
The policy-making body of the NFA rejected
the proposal of the agency to import 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice this year
as the agriculture sector continues to see a positive outlook in rice
production.
The PSA reported earlier this week that the
country’s palay production for the first quarter might reach 4.67 million MT as
the crop’s harvest area and yield per hectare continued to improve.
With the importation, the NFA is hoping to
“immediately replenish its fast-depleting buffer stock.” To date, its could
meet the country’s national consumption requirement for only three days with
1.8 million bags, way below the stock requirement by its council of 15 days.
But NFA spokesperson Rebecca Olarte said
consumers need not worry since the country’s total rice inventory, including
those of households and commercial stocks, was placed at 2.8 million MT.
*AUDIO* HUSKER
RESEARCHERS EXPLORE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF SWEET SORGHUM ETHANOL
BY January 26, 2018
Lincoln, Nebraska, A University of
Nebraska-Lincoln research team is exploring the potential of sweet sorghum
ethanol as an income source for agricultural producers in western Nebraska.
Sweet sorghum is a cultivar of sorghum
primarily grown for its juice. Due to its high sugar content and stability
during drought, researchers have identified it as a potential ethanol feedstock
crop for non-irrigated farmland. The sugar syrup from the stalks would be
fermented to make ethanol.
For sweet sorghum to compete with corn – the
leading feedstock for ethanol production in the United States – it must be more
lucrative and more economical. Considering factors such as yield and the cost
of processing, researchers estimate that the current sweet sorghum-ethanol
pathway is a barely break-even prospect in western Nebraska.
“Under the typical conditions considered, there
are insufficient benefits to farmers and ethanol plants to make the sweet
sorghum-ethanol pathway an attractive economic opportunity,” said Richard
Perrin, Jim Roberts Professor of Agricultural Economics at Nebraska. However,
the researchers found that there are a few circumstances that would improve the
crop’s viability.
Currently, the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard
mandates consumption of specific levels of renewable fuels made from various
feedstock categories. Under the markets created by the program, ethanol plants
would be almost certain to obtain a premium for sweet sorghum ethanol compared
to corn ethanol, making the former more economical. However, according to the
researchers, the volatility of the premium and political opposition to the
program make this benefit risky.
Another consideration that could enhance the
crop’s viability is an increase in yields. A $13.5 million, multi-institutional
research project led by the university may provide the necessary yield
increases. That effort aims to improve sorghum as a sustainable source for
biofuel production.
“If the research efforts raise biomass yields
by 20 to 30 percent, or show that yields are actually 20 to 30 percent higher
than our estimate, the benefits to both the producer and the ethanol plant
would be sufficient to make adoption of sweet sorghum for ethanol a sustainable
possibility,” Perrin said.
Joining Perrin in the research effort were
Lilyan Fulginiti, professor of agricultural economics at Nebraska; Ismail
Dweikat, professor of agronomy and horticulture at Nebraska; and Subir Bairagi,
post-doctoral fellow at the International Rice Research Institute.
Wild Australian rice could feed the world
26.01.2018
The world's population expected to hit 10 billion by 2050 and
wild Australian rice that grows in crocodile-infested waters could be the key to
feeding them.Wild rice growing in northern Australia's crocodile-infested
waters could hold the key to breeding a more nutritious grain that is drought
and pest resistant, according to scientists who have just mapped its genetic
family tree.International researchers, including Robert Henry from the
University of Queensland, examined 13 domesticated and wild rice species
globally, raising hopes about breeding commercial rice from Australian variety
Oryza meridionalis.
Rice is a staple food for over half of the world's population and consumption levels are rising, according to the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).Henry said this Australian rice was found to have valuable traits that could be bred into commercial rice.
"(This could have) a really positive impact on the human health on a large scale," Henry told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.Henry, whose work was part of a paper published this week in Nature Genetics, said researchers found the Australian rice shared the same ancestor as an Asian rice species consumed by millions of people today but evolved three million years ago.
He said it had probably been overlooked until now due to its location.
"Some of the best rice sites are where there are a lot of dangerous crocodiles," he said.
Rod A Wing, co-author and director of the Arizona Genomics Institute at the University of Arizona, said wild rice species globally provide "a virtually untapped reservoir of genes" that can be used to improve current rice species.
Since 2003, Wing has been leading global research into 25 wild rice species that are genetically similar to two rice species consumed globally today with the next research to focus on a wild rice that grows in saltwater.
"The world population could be 10 billion by 2050 and the question is how do we feed our world without destroying it," Wing said.Genetic information could allow the world "to make crops that are higher yielding, more nutritious" but do less harm to the environment by using less water or pesticides.
Rice is a staple food for over half of the world's population and consumption levels are rising, according to the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).Henry said this Australian rice was found to have valuable traits that could be bred into commercial rice.
"(This could have) a really positive impact on the human health on a large scale," Henry told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.Henry, whose work was part of a paper published this week in Nature Genetics, said researchers found the Australian rice shared the same ancestor as an Asian rice species consumed by millions of people today but evolved three million years ago.
He said it had probably been overlooked until now due to its location.
"Some of the best rice sites are where there are a lot of dangerous crocodiles," he said.
Rod A Wing, co-author and director of the Arizona Genomics Institute at the University of Arizona, said wild rice species globally provide "a virtually untapped reservoir of genes" that can be used to improve current rice species.
Since 2003, Wing has been leading global research into 25 wild rice species that are genetically similar to two rice species consumed globally today with the next research to focus on a wild rice that grows in saltwater.
"The world population could be 10 billion by 2050 and the question is how do we feed our world without destroying it," Wing said.Genetic information could allow the world "to make crops that are higher yielding, more nutritious" but do less harm to the environment by using less water or pesticides.
A third of coral reefs 'entangled with plastic'
26 January 2018
More than 11 billion items of plastic were found on a third of
coral reefs surveyed in the Asia-Pacific region.
This figure is predicted to increase to more than 15 billion by
2025.
Plastic raises by 20-fold the risk of disease outbreaks on coral
reefs, according to research. Plastic bags, bottles and rice sacks were among
the items found.
"Plastic is one of the biggest threats in the ocean at the
moment, I would say, apart from climate change," said Dr Joleah Lamb of
Cornell University in Ithaca, US.
"It's sad how many pieces of plastic there are in the coral
reefs ...if we can start targeting those big polluters of plastic, hopefully we
can start reducing the amount that is going on to these reefs."
Precious resource
More than 275 million people rely on coral reefs for food,
coastal protection, tourism income, and cultural importance.
It's thought that plastic allows diseases that prey on the
marine invertebrates that make-up coral reefs to flourish. Branching or
finger-like forms of corals are most likely to get entangled in plastic debris.
These are important habitats for fish and fisheries, the
scientists say.
"A lot of times we come across big rice sacks or draping
plastic bags," said Dr Lamb, who led the study.
"What we do find is these corals with a lot of complexity
like branches and finger-like corals will become eight times more likely to be
entangled in these types of plastics."
In the study, published in the
journal Science, international researchers surveyed more
than 150 reefs from four countries in the Asia-Pacific region between 2011 and
2014.
Plastic was found on one-third of the coral reefs surveyed.
Reefs near Indonesia were loaded with most plastic, while Australian reefs
showed the lowest concentration. Thailand and Myanmar were in the middle.
"The country's estimated amount of mismanaged plastics - so
the way they deal with their plastic waste - was a strong predictor of how much
we would see on the reef," said Dr Lamb.
Coral reefs face many threats. Coral bleaching is caused by
unusually warm water. Coral polyps loose algae from their tissues, which drains
them of their colour. They may recover if temperature changes are reversed in a
reasonably short time, but this process can take many years.
In the case of diseases, organisms attack coral, leading to
likely death. Previous research has found that plastic debris can stress coral
through blocking out light and oxygen, thereby giving pathogens a chance to
take hold.
Based on projections of plastic waste going into the ocean, the
researchers suggest that the number of plastic items snagged on Asia-Pacific
corals may increase from 11.1 billion to 15.7 billion plastic items by 2025.
An estimated 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste enter
the ocean in a single year.
More than three-quarters of this plastic is thought to originate
on land.
Rice price hike probe sought
January 26, 2018, 10:00 PM
By Mario B. Casayuran
The Senate agriculture and food
committee yesterday asked concerned government agencies to check on reports of
an increase in the price of rice, althoug
Sen. Cynthia Villar
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
h no agricultural product was
taxed under the recently-signed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion
(TRAIN) law.
Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, committee
chairwoman, said the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of
Agriculture should activate their monitoring teams to guard against
unreasonable increases in the price of commodities and services.
“Unfortunately, there are
businessmen who would take advantage of the situation and use the enactment of
the TRAIN (law) to justify price increases. We don’t want these unreasonable
increases to undermine the intended benefits of the law and we ask concerned
government agencies to protect the consumers,” Villar said.
The lady senator noted that there
are reports of spikes in the price of rice in some areas.
China's rice exports to Africa surge
25.01.2018
China's rice exports to Africa surged last year, customs data
showed on Thursday, with the world's second-largest producer of the staple
grain pushing to clear bulging state and commercial warehouses as it overhauls
government support for its farming sector.That rapid growth in sales to African
nations is expected to continue in 2018, as buyers there increasingly turn to
China as stockpiles are almost depleted in rival supplier Thailand.West
Africa'sIvory Coast overtook South Korea to become the top destination for
China's rice in 2017, with total purchases of 309,200 tonnes.
"China has very high stocks of rice. The state is taking various measures to destock," said Chen Xiaoshan, an analyst with Zhuochuang, a commodities consultancy in China's eastern province of Shandong."The Belt and Road Initiative policy also boosted the chances to export rice to these African countries," Chen said, referring to a Chinese project to promote trade links with Asia, Africa and Europe through billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.
The pace of exports may stoke concerns in the international market about China selling excess grain abroad after years of stockpiling. In 2016, the United States complained to the World Trade Organization about Beijing's support for the country's wheat, corn and rice farmers.China has around 94 million tonnes of rice stockpiles, two-thirds of the world's excess inventory and enough to feed India for a year. A lot of that was accumulated through years of the government buying the grain from farmers at a minimum price when the market price dropped below that level.
"China has very high stocks of rice. The state is taking various measures to destock," said Chen Xiaoshan, an analyst with Zhuochuang, a commodities consultancy in China's eastern province of Shandong."The Belt and Road Initiative policy also boosted the chances to export rice to these African countries," Chen said, referring to a Chinese project to promote trade links with Asia, Africa and Europe through billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.
The pace of exports may stoke concerns in the international market about China selling excess grain abroad after years of stockpiling. In 2016, the United States complained to the World Trade Organization about Beijing's support for the country's wheat, corn and rice farmers.China has around 94 million tonnes of rice stockpiles, two-thirds of the world's excess inventory and enough to feed India for a year. A lot of that was accumulated through years of the government buying the grain from farmers at a minimum price when the market price dropped below that level.
But last year Beijing cut minimum prices for rice and wheat for the first time, marking the start of an overhaul of the subsidy programme. Analysts expect another cut to rice prices in 2018.The U.S. Department of Agriculture said earlier this month that it expected Chinese sales of old-crop rice, especially to West Africa, to continue to expand as Thailand's old-crop government stocks are nearly depleted.Thailand has sold most of the about 18 million tonnes of rice built up during a rice-buying scheme introduced by a previous government.
"This year, we no longer have any old rice in the state stockpile, so it is likely that China will take this African market from us," Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters on Thursday."This will also depend on how much old rice China has in its stockpile."
South Korea bought 167,270 tonnes of rice from China in 2017, Thursday's data showed, making it the second-largest buyer of the grain. That was down 4.7 percent from 2016.
For Blake Girard, the rice is right
Meet the only
man growing commercial rice in Illinois
Karen Binder AgriNews Publications
Jan 25, 2018 Updated Jan
25, 2018
MCCLURE, Ill. — Cahokia high
protein rice with strawberries and cream is one of Blake Gerard’s favorite
breakfasts these days.“What’s amazing to me is that there’s 6 grams of protein
in each serving. That’s twice as much as other rice,” said Gerard, an Alexander
County farmer and now a food entrepreneur.
This makes Cahokia Rice as
nutritious as almonds, spinach, oatmeal or mixed nuts. But what gets Girard
cooking is his rice’s high quality flavor and appearance on a plate — its bite
is crisp and non-chalky while the long grain is opaque, long and consistent in
shape.
Gerard added this specially-bred
rice into his crop rotation last year. While he already grows soybeans (85
percent) and wheat (5 percent), his seed rice and Cahokia rice account for 15
percent of his crops.
Yet another differentiation of
Cahokia Rice from all the others is that it is grown only in Illinois and even
takes its brand name from the Cahokia American Indians who once lived on his
farmland. In fact, the Blake Gerard Farms in McClure is the northern-most
location east of the Rockies to grow rice.
Tired of floodwater destroying
his corn crop, Gerard planted his first rice in 2000. Unlike most other rice
growers who benefited from generational knowledge, he often turned to other
rice farmers in Missouri for information and learned from his mistakes.
Because his acreage is well
isolated from other rice fields, Gerard first started with seed rice and
conditioned it for bagging and distribution at another business he helped start
in 2005 — River Bend Rice in Cairo.
Here’s what else makes Cahokia
Rice unique:
A special rice variety — During Gerard’s tenure with U.S. Rice Farmers as a
former chairman and board member, he came in contact with rice researchers at
Louisiana State University and secured an agreement for exclusive growing and
production rights on a particular variety. It is a non-genetically modified
variety developed with old fashioned breeding practices, Gerard said.
Botanically different — Lending to Cahokia’s doubled protein content is this
rice variety’s preference for a cooler growing season. The Illinois location in
the north, where there are much cooler nights, allows the rice grain to turn
fully opaque — not chalky white, like most other rice. The opaqueness is an
indicator of the impact of those cooler nights as the starches pack tighter
into the kernels.
Local product — Cahokia Rice is marketed, distributed and sold by two
staff working in southern and central Illinois, as well as southeast Missouri.
The rice is milled and packaged at southeast Missouri facility.
In Illinois, it can be found at
retailers in Carbondale, Effingham and Champaign. Plans also call for reaching
out to chefs serving locally-raised food this year
MSU Extension Service cooks with rice
/ 1
Natalie Ray, Mississippi State University Extension Service
agent for Clay County, has a free cooking demonstration once a month for those
interested in learning more about healthy food preparation.
By: DONNA SUMMERALL
Staff Writer
Thursday, January 25, 2018
WEST POINT, MS
Natalie Ray, Clay County Agent with
the Mississippi State University Extension Service, offers a free healthy
cooking and baking class once a month for those interested in learning more
about food preparation."Rice is so versatile, I thought it would be a good
presentation," Ray said. "With white and brown rice, long grain,
medium and short grain, parboiled, specialty and aromatics, rice can be used in
many different dishes."Ray said rice wasn't grown in Mississippi until
1948. Rice fields have sprung up in the Delta due to the richness of the soil
and the proper amount of rainfall. Mississippi is now the fourth largest
producer of rice in the nation.
She said rice provides folate,
fiber, magnesium and iron to the consumer, all things that the human body
needs.
Rice is gluten free, sodium free
and cholesterol free, Ray said. But often salt, butter or oil is used to
prepare rice so these things are added during the cooking process. She said
one-half cup of rice is equal to a whole serving of grain.
"There are a lot of studies
that link rice consumption to weight loss," Ray said. "Even though
rice is high in carbohydrates, eating it as a side dish to a meal creates a
feeling of fullness and satisfaction. Not all carbs are alike. Rice is a good
part of a healthy diet."
Ray said when using rice as part
of an Asian dish, such as fried rice, cold rice works very well.
"Rice can be frozen,"
Ray said. "If you make more rice than your family can eat, freeze the
leftover cooked rice. When you want to make fried rice at home, take the
leftover rice out of the freezer and thaw it. But keep it cold. The rice will
stand up well to being stir fried."
During the demontion Ray prepared
two rice recipes, one for a basil tomato salad, made with brown rice, and Ray's
own take on a light lemon and tomato side salad, also with brown rice. Both
were taste tested by those participating and were judged to be very flavorful.
"We offer this class once a
month at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday morning," Ray said. "It's not the same
Tuesday because I never know what my schedule will look like a month in
advance. But I try to pick something that is easy to make, tastes good and is
healthy and good for you."
For more information visit the
MSUES website at extension.msstate.edu/msu-extension-clay-county or to reserve
a spot for the Cooking and Baking Class, call 494-5371.
http://www.dailytimesleader.com/content/msu-extension-service-cooks-rice
Congressman in Liberty after
addressing Rice Symposium
Congressman in
Liberty after addressing Rice Symposium
U.S. Rep. Brian Babin (R), August 2017.
Posted: Thursday, January 25, 2018 6:11 pm
By
Casey Stinnett, managing editor
After a stop at the local radio station, Congressman Brian Babin
was kind enough to drop by The Vindicator office this afternoon for a short
visit.
He had just come from the Southeast Texas Rice Symposium being
held in Winnie and talked a bit about the problems area farmers have faced
following Hurricane Harvey.
Many farmers along the Gulf Coast have been unable to take their
crops to market because of the possibility that flood waters contaminated their
fields. This is true in some cases whether or not any actual contamination has
taken place. The congressman mentioned one farmer he learned of at the
symposium who said he was not allowed to take his crop to market and had to
bury 1.2 million pounds of rice because it might have been contaminated.
“There needs to be a little safety net for farmers,” Babin said.
He added that America has the most efficient farmers in the world
and stressed the importance of our taking care of the industry that feeds us.
Waters of the United States
One particular issue of concern he mentioned is over how the
federal government defines “Waters of the United States” that fall under
federal jurisdiction.
Obama-era regulatory changes expanded the definition of Waters of
the United States. So much so, Babin said, that any ditch with water in it or a
mud puddle might be considered as falling under federal jurisdiction.
He sees this as a hindrance to farming and ranching operations and
said, “We’re in the process of trying to roll that back.”
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Babin also touted the newly passed tax reforms.
“The ramifications of the new jobs and tax act has been huge,” he
said.
Hundreds of companies are giving their employees raises and
bonuses because of the act, and billions of dollars held overseas are being
repatriated, Babin said. The congressman mentioned Apple Computers as one
example of a company responding to the tax reform by bringing many billions of
dollars back to invest in the U.S. economy.
Unemployment is at an all-time low for minorities, Babin said,
“People are going back to work, and people want to work.”
Electronic Logging Devices
The congressman spoke at some length about his opposition to the
federal regulations that went into effect Dec. 18 requiring Electronic Logging
Devices be installed all American freight trucks.
He believes the ELDs are an invasion of privacy, place an
unnecessary financial burden on small trucking operations, and will actually
create safety issues.
Babin was once himself a trucker for a couple of years in the
early 1970s.
“My heart goes out to the truckers,” he said.
The ELDs monitor how long each truck is in operation, and as the
congressman explained, with federal rules forbidding truckers to stay on the
road for more than 14 hours at a time, the ELDs make it possible for the
government to impose a fine should a trucker continue to drive after that
14-hour period has elapsed.
The safety issue Babin predicts is that truckers might often race
to reach their destinations before being forced to stop wherever they are when
their 14 hours are up. A driver, he said, might be only 20 minutes from his
destination when his 14 hours are complete and would have to either stop beside
the road for 10 hours before driving that last 20 minutes or else continue to
his destination without stopping and be fined for driving more than 14 hours.
“I think it’s going to make the roads less safe,” Babin said.
The congressman said he is disappointed that President Trump has
not addressed this issue. He had hoped the president would issue an executive
order delaying the implementation of ELD regulation, but so far the president
has not acted upon it.
He thinks the president will likely come to regret this. Babin
said the compliance costs of ELDs is some $2 billion, much of which will be
borne by individual owner-operators and small companies — that very part of the
population whose interests the president promised to protect in his inaugural
address.
Babin introduced H.R. 3282, titled the ELD Extension Act of 2017,
last summer, but it has not yet come to the floor of the House.
“It’s not sexy,” the congressman said explaining his frustration
in trying to get the national media’s attention on the issue of ELDs, but it
matters a great deal to the small business truckers.
NFA bats for rice importation to replenish depleting stocks
13
SHARES
Published January 26, 2018, 3:57 PM
By Madelaine Miraflor
While economic managers already decided that the country could
survive sans a new batch of imported rice, the state-run grains agency National
Food Authority (NFA) is still pushing for the immediate replenishment of its
“fast-depleting buffer stock” via importation.
This is for the agency to be able
to effectively fulfill its mandate of food security and price stabilization in
the wake of increasing prices of other basic commodities, NFA said.
RICE SURPLUS OR SHORTAGE? – While there appears to be sufficient
stock of National Food Authority (NFA) rice at the grains agency’s warehouse on
Visayas Avenue in Quezon City, the government has already authorized the
importation of rice via government to private (G2P) scheme. (Mark Balmores |
Manila Bulletin file photo)
Just this week, NFA Council, the
inter-agency policy-making body of NFA, disapproved the agency’s request to
import 250,000 metric tons of rice in view of the “stable” commercial rice
prices and “bright” local production forecasts.
“Even if commercial rice prices
are stable, regular NFA rice patrons are still looking for it [cheaper NFA
rice] because of the average P9 per kilogram difference in price. Removing NFA
rice from the market is like taking away the lowest-priced brand of rice whose
quality is comparable to higher-priced commercial rice,” NFA administrator
Jason Aquino pointed out.
Right now, NFA sells rice at
P27/kg and P32/kg, while commercial rice varieties of comparable quality are
sold at P36/kg to P41/kg.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/01/26/nfa-bats-for-rice-importation-to-replenish-depleting-stocks/
Kalla responds to farmers` opposition to rice import plan
antara 26th January 2018
Vice President Jusuf Kalla. (ANTARA /Puspa Perwitasari)
Makassaar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla
has responded to the farmers, especially those from Java island, after they
voiced opposition to the government`s plan to import rice.
Kalla on Thursday stated that the government's plan to import rice had been assessed carefully and thoughtfully.
"The government will not take any risks. If it falls short of stocks (domestic rice stock), it will add stock," he explained, after receiving the Honorary Doctorate Degree (Honoris Causa) from the State Islamic University (UIN) Alauddin Makassar, on Thursday.
The farmers in some areas in Java Island as well as in Klaten (Central Java), Bojonegoro (East Java), to Demak, Central Java, have opposed the rice import plan.
The farmers had cited the approaching harvest season as the reason for opposition. In addition, the costs incurred by farmers are also huge.
"The government does not want to take risks, if it falls short of stocks it will be added," he stated briefly.
The VP has previously asserted the government?s decision to import 500 thousand of rice because of the shortage in the supply of rice in the country.
The lack of domestic rice production is due to weather conditions, which affect the quality of rice.
In the meantime, the chairman of the People`s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Zulkifli Hasan, has reminded the government not to import rice before the harvest time, as it may cause the price of rice to drop during the harvest season.
"The decision to import rice before the harvest time creates injustice, because it will harm local farmers," Hasan stated at the Parliament Building in Jakarta on Thursday.
He called on President Joko Widodo to prevent rice imports ahead of the harvest period, as it would be detrimental to local farmers, whose incomes are already limited.
According to him, if rice imports are done before the harvest, then the rice stock will increase sharply. This will result in drastic drop in rice price, resulting in loss for local farmers.
"I appeal to the president to avoid any incidental policies that could disrupt the main policy of the government," he noted.
On the occasion, he also reminded the government to be careful while making decisions about the provision of rice stock.
According to him, although the government is trying to reduce increase in rice price, it still can create new problems by importing rice.
Hasan pointed out that even if the government is forced to import, the rice should not be stored directly in Indonesia but in the country of origin, until the very precise time to bring it to Indonesia.
"This is in order to prevent farmers, who are in the harvest time, from being affected by the drop in rice prices," he pointed out.
(A014/INE)
(T.A014/A/KR-BSR/A014)
Kalla on Thursday stated that the government's plan to import rice had been assessed carefully and thoughtfully.
"The government will not take any risks. If it falls short of stocks (domestic rice stock), it will add stock," he explained, after receiving the Honorary Doctorate Degree (Honoris Causa) from the State Islamic University (UIN) Alauddin Makassar, on Thursday.
The farmers in some areas in Java Island as well as in Klaten (Central Java), Bojonegoro (East Java), to Demak, Central Java, have opposed the rice import plan.
The farmers had cited the approaching harvest season as the reason for opposition. In addition, the costs incurred by farmers are also huge.
"The government does not want to take risks, if it falls short of stocks it will be added," he stated briefly.
The VP has previously asserted the government?s decision to import 500 thousand of rice because of the shortage in the supply of rice in the country.
The lack of domestic rice production is due to weather conditions, which affect the quality of rice.
In the meantime, the chairman of the People`s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Zulkifli Hasan, has reminded the government not to import rice before the harvest time, as it may cause the price of rice to drop during the harvest season.
"The decision to import rice before the harvest time creates injustice, because it will harm local farmers," Hasan stated at the Parliament Building in Jakarta on Thursday.
He called on President Joko Widodo to prevent rice imports ahead of the harvest period, as it would be detrimental to local farmers, whose incomes are already limited.
According to him, if rice imports are done before the harvest, then the rice stock will increase sharply. This will result in drastic drop in rice price, resulting in loss for local farmers.
"I appeal to the president to avoid any incidental policies that could disrupt the main policy of the government," he noted.
On the occasion, he also reminded the government to be careful while making decisions about the provision of rice stock.
According to him, although the government is trying to reduce increase in rice price, it still can create new problems by importing rice.
Hasan pointed out that even if the government is forced to import, the rice should not be stored directly in Indonesia but in the country of origin, until the very precise time to bring it to Indonesia.
"This is in order to prevent farmers, who are in the harvest time, from being affected by the drop in rice prices," he pointed out.
(A014/INE)
(T.A014/A/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
https://en.antaranews.com/news/114394/kalla-responds-to-farmers-opposition-to-rice-import-plan
Rice trade plummets at Yangon's commodity
exchange due to fraud fears
Eleven on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 13:10
Writer: Zayyar Nyein
Bayinnaung Rice Commodity Exchange.Ever since numerous cases of
fraud and malpractices involving Bayinnnaung Rice Commodity Exchange got
revealed, rice makers have been directly dealing their products to the markets.
Rice exporters used to always go
through agents associated with the wholesale market so sell rice both
internationally and domestically but ever since money related issues occurred,
both customers and rice coming into the wholesale center had been cut by half.
Traders from the wholesale center
claim that since the middle-men from Bayinnaung has been cut, the going price
for rice will be lesser but paddy businessmen feel that the security against
fraud is worth the loss.
The most recent fraud case within
the rice market involves a hefty sum of Ks 5 billion and more in January.
Chairman Aung Than Oo from
Myanmar Rice Trader’s Association had warned at a press conference in regards
to the abovementioned case that Myanmar’s rice market faces collapse if major
fraud cases involving billions of Kyats continue to occur.
http://elevenmyanmar.com/business/13276
KARI, JICA
partner to train Mwea rice farmers
WRITTEN BY:Benson Rioba
The Kenya Agriculture and
Livestock Research Organization in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation
Agency has initiated a training programme for rice farmers at the Mwea
Irrigation Scheme.
The training involves cultivation
of rice via water saving techniques which increase yields from 15 bags of rice
per acre to 30 bags.Kenya’s annual rice demand stands at 540,000 metric tons,
against a production of only 140,000 metric tons.
This means the country has to
import the deficit to bridge the gap. The Mwea Irrigation Scheme is Kenya’s
biggest rice producing schemes, whose production was adversely affected last
year by prolonged drought that led to shortage of water at the scheme.
The Kenya Agriculture and
Livestock Research Organization in conjunction with the Japan International
Cooperation Agency have been training farmers on water saving techniques which
entails flooding the paddy fields only twice as opposed to frequently, to
minimize water usage.
Through this technique, farmers
have been able to produce an average of 30 bags of rice per acre as opposed to
the usual average of 15 bags.To further increase rice production, KALRO is
developing rice seeds that are drought resistant, disease free and can
withstand different climatic and soil conditions.
The construction of the 15
million cubic liters Thiba dam is expected to facilitate putting more acres
under irrigation, thus extending the scheme by an additional 2,200 acres.
The expansion programme is
expected to double Mwea’s rice production to about 120,000 metric tons
annually.
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