Bulog allocates Rp 2.5 trillion for
government’s rice reserve
News Desk
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Wed, January 31, 2018 | 03:58 pm
The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) has
allocated Rp 2.5 trillion (US$187 million) to buy rice for the government’s
rice reserve (CBP), in an attempt to stabilize rice prices and help victims of
natural disasters.
Bulog operational and public service director
Karyawan Gunarso said with the budget, Bulog could buy between 250,000 and
300,000 tons of rice.
“The government’s rice reserve will be used for
market operations in an effort to push prices down and help victims of natural
disasters,” said Gunarso in Jakarta on Tuesday, as reported by tribunnews.com.
Since last December, the government had
intervened in the market to push down prices of rice to the ceiling price
level, as the market price has always been above the ceiling decided by the
government.
Since December, Bulog had distributed 204,000
tons of rice for market operation, Gunarso said, adding that the agency still
had 800,000 tons of rice stocks after being combined with government rice
stocks.
“If our stock runs out, we will use the CBP for
market operation,” he added.
Gunarso said Bulog was ready to increase the
stocks for CBP as long as it passed the right procedures, such as rice purchase
only being proposed by related bodies and that purchases are reported to the
Finance Ministry.
Disposing of the stock should also be
considered, particularly because it can only stand for a certain period, he said,
adding that “Bulog should be authorized to sell rice to private firms at a low
price.” (bbn)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/01/31/bulog-allocates-rp-2-5-trillion-for-governments-rice-reserve.html
Malay Rice Millers' Assoc lauds move to set up
tribunal for paddy farmers, millers
Noorazura Abdul Rahman
New Straits Times31 January 2018
ALOR STAR: Malay Rice Millers'
Association (PPBMM) has lauded the government's plan to set up a complaints tribunal
to mediate disputes between paddy farmers and millers.
Its president Mohamad Termizi Yop
said the setting up of the tribunal would allow the association to properly
explain on the deduction of paddy grades to the farmers.
As such, Termizi said PPBMM fully
supports the Agriculture and Agro-based Ministry plan to set up the tribunal as
it would be the right platform to mediate dispute between the two groups.
Malay Rice Millers' Association
(PPBMM) president, Mohamad Termizi Yop. (pix by NOORAZURA ABDUL RAHMAN)
"The tribunal will be the
best platform for us to properly explain to the farmers on the reasons behind
the millers decision to deduct between 20 per cent and 26 per cent from the
amount of paddy produced by the farmers.
"We want to explain to the
farmers that it is (the deduction) is in accordance to the standard operating
procedure (SOP) to ensure the quality of rice," he told a press conference
at the association's office here today.
Termizi said the tribunal would
also serves as an avenue for the farmers to seek justice from millers who
failed to adhere to the SOP, thus protecting the farmers interest.
"This issue has been going
on for sometimes, the farmers are complaining that they failed to get proper
explanation from the millers," he said.
On Saturday, the Agriculture and
Agro-based Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek announced the ministry's
proposal to set up a tribunal to mediate disputes over the high dedication of
paddy grade by millers to the extend of affecting their income.
Shabery said farmers who are
unhappy with the deduction could refer their case to the tribunal.
He said the ministry is proposing
the tribunal to be comprised of representatives from Pertubuhan Peladang
Kawasan (PPK), farmers and millers.Translated from Berita
Harian © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
SLAC to hike
premium rice prices in Q2
January 31, 2018
SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC) will
increase the price of its premium rice products by at least 5 percent in the
second quarter, according to company Chairman and CEO Henry Lim Bon Liong.
Lim said the cost of producing
paddy has gone up following the implementation of the Tax Reform for
Acceleration and Inclusion law, which hiked the excise tax on fuel. He
noted that the price increase might take effect in April.
“Transportation costs have
increased. Maybe we will increase the price by 5 percent per kilogram [kg]
across all varieties,” Lim said in an interview on the sidelines of SLAC’s news
briefing last January 30.
He also revealed that rice
farmers are demanding a higher price for their crop as the cost of producing
paddy continues to go up.
“If we increase the price of
rice, consumers will be affected but farmers will benefit also because we will
buy palay at a higher price,” he said.
A letter from SLAC addressed to
distributors dated January 29 indicated that the price increase of its Doña
Maria and Willy Farms Premium Quality rice is “unavoidable.”
“In the effort of continuously
providing the highest quality and delicious rice that you and our customers
love and patronize, we wish to inform you of our impending price increase for
Doña Maria and Willy Farms Premium Quality rice,” SLAC Marketing Director
Tiffany Lim-Ngo said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the
BusinessMirror.
“This price increase is brought
about by the continuing rise in production costs and cumulative hike in
petroleum prices coupled with weakening peso value. Thus, as much as we want to
maintain our prices, this increase is unavoidable,” she added.
Documents obtained by the
BusinessMirror showed that the list price of Doña Maria and Willy Farms Premium
Quality rice products in Luzon would increase by at least P5 per kg.
A kilogram of Doña Maria
Jasponica White Rice would go up to P105, from the current P100, while a
25-kilogram bag of Doña Maria Jasponica White Rice would rise to P1,950, from
P1,850.
Also, the price of a 10-kg bag of
Doña Maria Jasponica Brown Rice and Doña Maria Miponica Brown Rice would go up
to P835, from P790.
A 2-kg bag of Willy Farms Sticky
Jasmine Rice would increase to P180 from P171, while a P25-kg bag of Willy
Farms Sticky Jasmine Rice would go up to P1,815,
from P1,724.
from P1,724.
As for a 2-kg bag of Willy Farms
Dinorado Rice, the price would rise to P145, from P138, while a 25-kg bag would
be sold at P1,490, P74 higher than its current price.
Rice basmati
weakens on subdued demand
PTI | Updated: Jan
31, 2018, 15:34 IST
NEW DELHI: In restricted activity, rice basmati prices fell by Rs 100 per quintal at the wholesale grains
market today owing to slackened demand.
However, other grains held steady in thin trade.
However, other grains held steady in thin trade.
In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety moved down by Rs 100 each to Rs 8,200-8,300 and Rs 6,900-7,000 per quintal, respectively.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,080-2,280, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,795-1,800, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,805-1,810, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 960-970 (50 kg), Maida Rs 990-1,000 (50 kg)and Sooji Rs 1,050-1,060 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 8,200-8,300, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 6,900-7,000, Permal raw Rs 2,325-2375, Permal wand Rs 2,375-2,425, Sela Rs 2,800-3,000 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,975-2,025, Bajra Rs 1,200-1,205, Jowar yellow Rs 1,375-1,425, white Rs 2,750-2,850, Maize Rs 1,350- 1,355, Barley Rs 1,470-1,480.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/rice-basmati-weakens-on-subdued-demand/articleshow/62723992.cms
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- January 31, 2018
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open
Market-January 31, 2018
Nagpur, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Gram and
Tuar prices reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture Produce
Marketing Committee (APMC) on good
buying support from local millers amid thin supply from
producing belts. Notable rise in
Madhya Pradesh pulses and repeated enquiries from South-based
millers also boosted prices.
About 150 bags of gram and 1,000
bags of tuar reported for auction in Nagpur APMC, according to
sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani showed weak tendency in open market here on subdued
demand from local
traders amid good supply from producing regions.
* Lakhodi dal firmed up in open market here good demand from local
Traders.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,100-4,300, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,400-6,600, Udid
Mogar (clean)
– 7,600-8,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,300-7,600, Gram – 3,500-3,600, Gram
Super best
– 5,200-5,700
* 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
3,100-3,800 3,100-3,751
Gram Pink Auction
n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction
4,000-4,490 3,950-4,500
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
1,600-1,704 1,690-1,706
Gram Super Best Bold
6,000-6,500 6,000-6,500
Gram Super Best
n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best
5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Gram Dal Medium
n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality
3,750-3,850 3,750-3,850
Desi gram Raw 3,700-3,800 3,700-3,800
Gram Kabuli
12,500-13,100 12,500-13,100
Tuar Fataka Best-New
6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600
Tuar Fataka Medium-New
6,100-6,300 6,100-6,300
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New
5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New
5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Tuar Gavarani New
4,250-4,550 4,300-4,600
Tuar Karnataka
4,600-4,800 4,600-4,800
Masoor dal best
4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Masoor dal medium
4,500-4,700 4,500-4,700
Masoor
n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New)
7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000
Moong Mogar Medium
6,500-7,000 6,500-7,000
Moong dal Chilka
5,900-6,600 5,900-6,600
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) 7,200-7,700 7,200-7,700
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)
5,600-7,000
5,600-7,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)
5,800-6,200
5,800-6,200
Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)
2,550-2,650 2,500-2,600
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)
3,100-3,200 3,100-3,200
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)
4,200-4,300
4,200-4,300
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)
1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)
1,750-1,850
1,750-1,850
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)
2,150-2,350
2,150-2,350
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)
2,300-2,400 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)
2,000-2,200 2,000-2,200
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)
n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)
3,200-3,700
3,200-3,700
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)
2,400-2,700
2,400-2,700
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)
3,500-4,000
3,500-4,000
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)
3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG)
3,300-3,500 3,300-3,500
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)
2,500-2,700
2,500-2,700
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)
2,600-2,800
2,600-2,800
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)
2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)
2,400-2,500
2,400-2,500
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)
4,500-4,800
4,500-4,800
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)
3,900-4,300 3,900-4,300
Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG)
4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG)
5,200-5,600 5,200-5,600
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)
4,700-4,900 4,700-4,900
Rice Shriram new (100 INR/KG)
4,800-5,200
4,800-5,200
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)
9,500-14,000
9,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)
5,000-7,500
5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)
6,100-6,300
6,100-6,300
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)
5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG)
5,600-5,800
5,600-5,800
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. 32.4 degree Celsius,
minimum temp. 10.7 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum
and minimum temperature would be around and 32 and 11 degree
Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are
excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)
https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-january-31-2018-idINL4N1PQ3Z7
osted
on January 30, 2018
Rice Exporters delegation to
visit Mauritius
Written byThe Frontier
Post
ISLAMABAD: Senior Chairman, Rice
Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Rafique Suleman on Monday said a
delegation of REAP will visit Mauritius next month to further explore the
market of Pakistani rice in that country.
Addressing a function today in
Karachi, he said that Pakistan has the best quality Basmati and Non Basmati
rice of the world. He said Pakistani rice is very much liked by the people of
rice buying countries and rice is the staple diet in Mauritius. He said State
Trading Corporation (STC), has issued tender for 6000 Metric Tons of Basmati
rice to import from Pakistan.
He said that this quantity must
be increased, as Pakistan has the capacity to cater more quantity of rice. He
also highlighted the growth of rice export trade in this fiscal year and
informed that this fiscal year 29% growth was observed and he was hopeful that
Pakistan will achieve the target of US$. 2.0 Billion. The function was
organized in honour of Rashid Soobadar, High Commissioner of Mauritius which
was hosted by Senior Vice Chairman REAP Rafique Suleman.
Sohail Yasin Suleman, Honarary
Consult General of Mauritus was also present on this occasion. During the
meeting Irfan Shaikh, Ex Chairman REAP, Chela Ram, Haji Abdul Rauf Chappal,
Abdul Qayyum Paracha, Anis Majeed, Ashfaq Ghafar, Fuad Garib and other leading
rice exporters were also present. Addressing function Rafique Suleman
appreciated the work done by Abdul Rahim Janoo, Ex Chairman REAP for the
enhancement of rice export trade. He also informed that working is in final
stage on the new seeds of Pakistani basmati rice which are sustainable in very
less amount of water and give more yield.
High Commissioner of Mauritius
Rashid Soobadar, while addressing on this occasion said that rice is the staple
diet of people of Mauritius.
He said Mauritius is a peaceful
country and open economy for the all countries and believes in the rule of law
as a business can only grow with the proper implementation of law. He said, “We
are facilitating, guiding and helping the business community to work in
Mauritius.” He expressed his full support for the upcoming REAP delegation to
Mauritius. He also approved the request to increase the quota for tender and
assured to review it with the consultation of officials of his country.
Scientists
Worried as US Gives Green Light to Genetically Modified Rice
20:35 31.01.2018
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially gave safety
approval to China's genetically modified Huahui No.1 rice grain; however,
in China the large-scale cultivation of GMO cereals is
still officially prohibited.
"The creation
of genetically modified crops is one of new breed of scientific
methods," Na Zhongyuan, the director of the Yunnan Institute
for Ecological Agriculture, told Sputnik China. "I do not exclude that if the research continues,
the problems that cannot be solved right now could be eliminated in the
future. However, currently studies indicate that [GMO] products are unsafe, and
therefore cannot be used."
According to the scientist, mass cultivation
of genetically modified crops may damage biodiversity:
"The risk here is much greater than that of widespread hybrid
crops," Na warned, adding that the use of GM products is a
"forced measure."
Professor
Na Zhongyuan, who has been studying the problems of organic farming
for many years, expressed confidence that GMO products will never conquer
the market completely.
"This is absolutely
impossible," the scientist believes. "If it was not for our
institute, the GMOs would quickly come out on top in China. The state
is required to make a fair and open choice and in this case genetically
modified products will completely lose their market. The technologies that we
develop at the Institute of Ecological Agriculture surpass the
methods of genetic engineering in almost every respect."
Polls show that there is a strong
belief among the Chinese about the potential danger of GMO
products to human health. In 2016, in the northeastern province
of Heilongjiang, the cultivation of genetically modified grain,
including soy, was banned. In the survey, almost 91.5 percent of respondents
expressed their disapproval of GMOs.
The
rice, known as Huahui No.1 has been developed by a group
of scientists since 1998 at Huazhong Agricultural University.
The rice is resistant to many pests and thus does not require the
excessive use of pesticides. In 2009 the product received a bio-safety
certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's
Republic of China after 10 years of safety tests.
However, the product has never been released on the
country's commercial market and was banned for mass cultivation
in China. Given the fact that the commercialization of GMO rice in China was prohibited Huazhong
Agricultural University decided to enter the international market and has
been trying to obtain approval and safety certification in other
countries, including the US.
On January 11, 2017, the FDA
confirmed that "human and animal foods from Huahui No.1 rice grain
are not materially different in composition, safety, and other relevant parameters
from rice-derived human and animal food currently on the market, and
that genetically engineered Huahui No.1 rice grain does not raise issues that
would require premarket review or approval by the FDA."
According to the
university's statement the product previously passed a review on pesticide
residue by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Although, the FDA approval does
not automatically allow mass cultivation of GMO rice in the US or
deliveries of Huahui No.1 to the American local market, it's a
victory for Huazhong Agricultural University to obtain a FDA
certificate.
The university team has plans
for expansion into the Southeast Asia markets which requires
government support.
"We hope the authorities can provide funding and legal
support," Lin Yongjun, a professor at Huazhong Agricultural
University told Global Times on Monday.
The views and opinions expressed by Na Zhongyuan are those
of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.
India Expects Rise in Basmati Exports as Iran Resumes Rice Imports
Thursday, February 01, 2018
The resumption of rice imports by Iran could give a fillip to
India’s basmati shipments that have risen by about a fourth in rupee terms in
the first eight months of the current fiscal year (started March 21, 2017), the
Indian newspaper Hindu Business Line reported.
Iran is the largest buyer of
India’s basmati and accounts for a fourth of India’s annual aromatic rice
shipments of around four million tons.
The country restarted rice import
registration this year from Jan. 21 till June 21. The permission was
communicated by Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati in a letter to Minister of
Industries, Mining and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari.
According to the letter, the
order registrations will be valid for a three-month period and are extendable
by a further one month.
Hojjati noted that any rice
shipments as per the new orders need to be cleared through Iranian customs by
July 22, after which all imports will be banned.
Every year and during the rice
harvest season (July-January), the Iranian government bans rice imports in
support of local farmers and domestic production.
“Based on the current export
trend, we expect basmati shipments to be higher than last year,” said DK Singh,
chairman of India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority.
Basmati is the second largest
product in Apeda’s export portfolio after buffalo meat and accounts for over
22% of the total shipment value.
In the April-November period of
this fiscal year, basmati exports grew 29% to $2.61 billion from $2.02 billion
in the corresponding period of last year.
In rupee terms, basmati exports
grew 24% to Rs.16,838 crore (1 crore=10 million) during the April-November
period from Rs.13,571 crore in the corresponding year-ago period. In 2016-17,
India’s basmati exports stood at 3.98 million tons valued at over $3.22
billion.
However, Indian rice exporters
are cautiously optimistic over the shipment prospects with Iran, considering
the fact that they have been facing issues related to traces of fungicide in
exports to the European Union, another major market.
“We expect basmati shipments this
year to be the same as last year or even higher,” said Rajen Sundaresan,
executive director of All-India Rice Exporters Association.
Sticking Points
“While Iran has reopened its
market, it has stopped extending concessional foreign exchange (set at lower
rates compared to market prices) to its rice importers,” said Vijay Setia,
president of AIREA.
The move is aimed at discouraging
more rice imports into the West Asian country.
Furthermore, Iran has also been
raising objections to the digital phyto-sanitary certificates issued by Indian
authorities. The issues have been taken up with India’s Agriculture Ministry
and are likely to be resolved soon, sources said.
Iranians consume 3.2 million tons
of rice a year while domestic production stands at 2.2 million tons.
“We need imports, but imports
that are limited and controlled,” Hojjati has been quoted as saying.
More than 1.05 million tons of
semi- and wholly-milled rice worth close to $996 million were imported into
Iran during the first half of the current Iranian year (March 21-Sept. 22),
registering an 84.4% and 108.4% surge in weight and value respectively compared
with the corresponding period of last year.
Rice imports accounted for 6% and
4.2% of the volume and value of Iran’s overall imports respectively during the
six-month period.
Imports are made mainly from the
UAE, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey and Iraq.
The two northern provinces of
Gilan and Mazandaran are home to a majority of Iran’s paddy fields.
A total of 81% and 70% of rice
harvest in the two provinces respectively were mechanized in the last Iranian
year.
https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-business-and-markets/81179/india-expects-rise-in-basmati-exports-as-iran-resumesAdvertisement
Shrewd Lebanese Businessman - Key Contributor to Election Victory,
Enjoys Near Monopoly on Rice
Monrovia – During his recent inaugural address, President George
Weah went to great lengths to pledge that under his watch, he will do all
within his powers to ensure that Liberian businesses are not marginalized.
“As we open our doors to all
foreign direct investments, we will not permit Liberian-owned businesses to be
marginalized,” the President declared.
/pyj-writes.jpgWe cannot remain
spectators in our own economy."
"My government will prioritize the interests of
Liberian-owned businesses and offer programs to help them become more
competitive and offer services that international investors seek as partners.”
One area that is likely to come
under scrutiny is the country’s staple food, rice and one businessman who has
enjoyed near monopoly during the course of the Sirleaf-led government is George
Nehme.
Nehme is the CEO of Supplying
West Africa Trader Inc (SWAT) and the Harbel Supermarket Corporation.
Multiple sources have confirmed
to FrontPageAfrica that the businessman was a key contributor to Mr. Weah’s
election victory.
SWAT is supplied by Louis Dreyfus
(LD) Company and mainly sells rice that is 50% and 5% broken kernels.
A diversified food import
company, SWAT also operates the Harbel chain of supermarkets and has used its
ties in government to contemplate new investments in food processing, including
palm oil and cassava.
Rice is the only important source
of cereal carbohydrates in the Liberian diet and imported rice is the lion’s
share of rice availability in Liberia, having gone up 75% since 2011, now
comprising almost 70% of rice consumption.
Under current policies, the
Government Issue import licenses for rice and sets a maximum sales price.
Consequently, it can exert some control over the market.
Because Liberia faced food
shortages during the Ebola epidemic, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
began requiring the four major rice importers to maintain minimum stocks (up to
50,000 MT in the case of SWAT), and to report their rice stocks weekly.
The minimum stock requirement for
each import varies according to their annual volumes and appears to be a
minimum four to six-month supply.
Liberia’s rice importing industry
is consolidated - four importers control around 95% of all rice imports.
Domestic production of rice in
2016 rebounded back to its previous peak in 2012, after a dip in 2014 due to
the Ebola epidemic.
Almost all domestically grown
rice is husked at the village level, either mechanically or by hand pounding.
Currently, less than 3% of
domestically grown rice is industrially milled; there is one small
privately-run industrial mill built (30 MT/day paddy capacity) and two Ministry
of Agriculture mills with similar capacity.
In recent years, the Ministry of
Agriculture has plans to add four more similar sized mills that could increase
domestic capacity to up to 10% of domestic production if all mills run at full
utilization.
Since the second civil war ended
in Liberia in 2003, rice has grown significantly in consumption as the staple
cereal grain, with FAO reporting only 60 g/c/d in 2001 but 248 g/c/d in 2011.
Prime Gateway Access
In addition to rice, Nehme is
also linked to the recent purchase of some 8.5 acres of prime land previously
owned by Western Cluster to be used as a route to ship iron ore.
The property was previously owned
by Western Cluster Limited (WCL), which in October 2012, signed a port lease
and operating agreement with the management of the National Port Authority (NPA)
for the rehabilitation and construction of infrastructures at the Freeport of
Monrovia for WCL’s export of iron ore.
The WCL Mineral Development
Agreement signed with the government of Liberia in August 2011 for the
development of iron ore mines in Bea, Bomi and Mano River Mines in western
Liberia required the company to enter into a Port Lease and Operating Agreement
with the NPA for the shipping of its iron ore through the Freeport of Monrovia.
At the time, the agreement
allowed WCL to construct loading and unloading facilities including
rehabilitation of the former Liberia Mining Company (LMC) and National Iron Ore
Company (NIOC) piers. Under the agreement, 43.29 acres of land was earmarked
for use by WCL for developing the port facilities.
Apart from the infrastructure
development which will be undertaken by WCL, the National Port Authority is
said to be receiving annual lease rental for the land.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that
the lease of the prime property shortchanges much-needed revenues for Liberia.
“They took the entire – in the
middle of it at the front of the waterfront where they will build a pier and
have the key front which is the waterfront portion."
"It is a multi-year lease
deal set at US$150,000 per annum and anyone looking to lease it will have to go
through Nehme,” one source told FrontPageAfrica.
The revelation comes in the wake
of the President’s first Annual Message in which he called for the removal of a
"racist" clause in the constitution which restricts citizenship
to people of Negro descent while also pledging to scrap the law that
prohibits foreigners owning land.
The clause was "unnecessary,
racist and inappropriate", President Weah averred.
The constitution defines black
people in the language of the time, as "persons who are Negroes or of
Negro descent".
Other communities, like the
estimated 4,000 Lebanese people who have lived in Liberia for generations, are
barred from citizenship and, by extension, land ownership.
Nehme’s near monopoly of the rice
market and ownership of the prime gateway property is raising new questions
about how serious the new administration is toward curbing the marginalization
of local businesses.
Currently, there are four
companies licensed to import rice by the vessel load.
They account for about 95% of all
rice imports (SWAT and UCI each bring in over 100,000 metric tons (MT) per year
and the third company, Fouta Corporation, does about 70,000 MT.
K&K is the fourth licensed
importer and does only about two vessels (40,000 MT) per year. Small traders,
who import rice in 20- foot ocean containers, apparently have different
licensing requirements.
UCI buys from Ameropa and
Swiss-Agri Trading, selling mainly 100% broken kernels.
The UK company, DRUM Commodities,
provides collateral management services on behalf of the banks that finance UCI
imports.
UCI is a sister company of Group
Carre d’Or/SDTM, the dominant rice importer in Côte d’Ivoire. In Côte d’Ivoire,
Group Carre d’Or/SDTM buys exclusively from LD Company.
The Lebanese Ezzedine family owns
UCI and now does only rice imports by the shipload, having given up palm oil
and sugar imports.
K&K also has a warehouse but
its capacity is unknown. SWAT policy is now to keep a minimum inventory of
50,000 MT.
It is studying a project to build
30,000 MT of milled rice silo capacity at its port site to make importation in
bulk vessels possible.
Such a storage arrangement would
make destination fortification feasible but this would be limited to rice
imported by SWAT.
DRUM Commodities controls UCI
warehouses at the port as part of its collateral management arrangement to
support trade and inventory financing to UCI from a number of local banks.
SWAT was last year engulfed in a
major scandal after being linked to a consignment of Bella Luna Indian
Parboiled Long Grain Rice contaminated with harmful substance
It can be recalled that a 2013
FrontPageAfrica investigation uncovered how the Government incurred
losses resulting from dubious transactions.
The documents show that scanty
transactions between the Ministry of National Defense and the Supplying West
African Trading, Incorporated (SWAT) led to acute cut-down of food supplies
meant for the country’s new soldiers encamped at military barracks.
According to the documents, an
amount of US$282,000 was paid as first installment to SWAT-a Lebanese business
rice supplier- for 9,400 bags of rice for the soldiers without full delivery.
Investigation further revealed that only 800 bags were delivered.
Payment Without Full-Delivery
A receipt dated February 14, 2011
with voucher number MOD: 203-000146 shows that the amount of US$282,000 was
paid to SWAT.
A delivery note with two
different dates of February 14, 2011 and February 18, 2011 confirmed the rice
was delivered
However, delivery of the 9,400
bags of rice could not be confirmed to auditors of the General Auditing
Commission (GAC), who had gone to commission an audit of the Ministry.
The revelation was a major
violation of both the regulations of the 2009 enacted Public Finance Management
(PFM) and the 2005 approved Public Procurement and Concessions Commission
(PPCC), which require that full payment must be made only when delivery is made
in full for work duly performed.
Part 10 of the PFM Act captured
under ‘Responsibility for Accuracy of Vouchers’ states: “Any public officer,
including a Minister and head of any government institution, commission, board
who signs a voucher, a check, a document or record pertaining to accounts shall
ensure that:
(a) There is sufficient evidence
that payment is being made for work duly performed, goods delivered or services
duly received in accordance with the contract and the price to be paid is also
in accordance with the contract.
The PFM’s procurement method used
is in line with the provisions of the PPCC Act.
Section 34 of the PPCC under
‘Description of Goods, Works and Services’ states: “(1) To the extent possible,
any specifications, plans, drawings, designs and requirements or descriptions
of goods, works or services shall be based on the relevant objective technical
and quality characteristics, and performance of the goods, works or services to
be procured.”https://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/business/6798-shrewd-lebanese-businessman-key-contributor-to-election-victory-enjoys-near-monopoly-on-rice
Bangladesh to scrap planned rice imports from Thailand
DHAKA,
Feb 1 (Reuters) - Bangladesh will scrap a plan to import 150,000 tonnes of rice
from Thailand, agreed at $465 a tonne in October, head of the state grains
buyer said on Thursday.“They have been taking too much time to finalise the
deal. There is no point to wait for them when we are getting supplies from other
sources, including India, at cheaper rates,” Badrul Hasan, the director general
of Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Food, told Reuters. Traditionally the
world’s fourth-biggest rice producer, Bangladesh emerged as a major importer of
the grain in 2017 after floods damaged crops and sent domestic prices to record
highs.
https://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL4N1PR2VS
Consumers to
gain from new rice policy
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:22 AM February 01, 2018
(First of 2 parts)
Myrna Panaguiton, a 56-year-old on-call
helper in Caloocan City, was doubtful about the prospect of cheaper rice in the
market before the end of the year. With a family of nine, rice makes up a huge
chunk in the Panaguiton household’s budget. In a week, the family consumes 10
kilos of rice at an average of P37 a kilo. This is about P370 in a week.
“Of course cheaper rice is good for us, but
I don’t want to say anything unless it really happens,” she said in Filipino.
“Imagine our expenses with the new tax law, everything is getting expensive.
For what I know, prices of rice will rise, too.”
As an on-call helper, Panaguiton earns
P3,000 a week from cleaning houses and washing clothes. Meanwhile, her niece is
set to work overseas in the Middle East next month as a househelp. The other
members of the family are either too old or too young to work.
The Panaguiton family is only one of the
hundreds of thousands of families in the country that rely heavily on rice. For
this year, a new policy direction being taken by the Duterte administration is
predicted to lower the retail price of rice by as much as P6.97 a kilo.
With current retail prices, this means
regular milled rice and well-milled rice will be priced at P31.08 and P35.34 a
kilo, respectively. In a study made by the Southeast Asian Regional Center in
2010, a Filipino’s average consumption of rice per year was at 119 kilos while
annual household consumption was at 568 kilos.
For a family of nine that consumes 10 kilos
of regular milled rice in a week, this would translate to P69.70 in
savings—more than enough to buy two more kilos of rice.
However, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel
Piñol is less optimistic with the rosy forecast, along with rice retailers and
distributors on the ground. The administration’s decision to stop regulating
the entry of imported rice in the country by lifting the limit it imposes under
the so-called quantitative restriction (QR) scheme is not bound to make any
difference, he claimed.
Import restriction
In exchange for lower tariff rates and more
flexible trade pacts, the Philippines allows rice to be imported in the country
as part of its obligation to the World Trade Organization under a so-called
quantitative restriction (QR) scheme.
The QR, which puts a cap on the volume of
rice to be imported, is meant to protect local rice producers from being
stifled by competition in the market.
Back during the Ramos administration, the
government decided to set the country’s import quota at 350,000 metric tons
(MT) with a tariff rate of 35 percent on rice that would come from other WTO
member-countries. Rice that would be coming from non-WTO members would have to
pay a higher tariff of 50 percent.
The country later on extended this scheme
up to 2012, and then again to 2017, during the Aquino administration. While
these extensions were approved, they came with a price in the form of
concessions. These concessions were a compromise for other member-countries
that wanted to take advantage of free trade. To further protect rice farmers,
the government agreed to lower its tariff rates for the entry of processed
pork, dairy, oil seeds and frozen potatoes while also increasing the limit of
imported rice to 850,000 MT.
But the country could not hide under the blanket
protection of QR forever. The administration of President Duterte is finally
seeking to amend the decade-old law that put in place the rice import quota in
line with its economic managers’ decision to scrap the QR for good this year.
“Removal of the QR will increase imports
and depress palay prices,” economist Roehlano Briones said in a study published
by the state-run think tank Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS).
“Rice imports are cheaper than domestically produced rice. Under a free market,
the market price of rice will decline with the influx of cheaper rice imports.”
Most consumers are unaware that rice from
abroad is cheaper than domestically produced rice. Data from the United
Nations’ agriculture arm showed that since the 1990s, the price of rice in the
world market has remained cheaper compared to the price of rice in the
Philippines. This was due, in part, to higher cost of production since the
country has very limited land suitable for rice production as compared to other
Asean countries.
PIDS noted that “as a result, production
cost goes up before enough rice is produced to meet domestic demand.”
Nonetheless, Piñol said he believed the
lifting of QR would not make any difference in current rice prices. “There are
statements that the lifting of QR will reduce the price of rice in the market
by P7. It’s a flawed assumption,” he argued.
“Let’s not kid ourselves. For how many
years have we been importing rice? Those imported by the private sector, do we
see any of those being sold in the commercial market? No. Even the imported
rice are mixed in the local rice so consumers don’t feel the effect of
importation and even the lifting of the QR,” he added.
Rice distributors have the same sentiment.
“I don’t think that is going to happen,”
said Jun Aguilar, a wholesale and retail distributor in Cagayan Valley. He and
other traders sell rice in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon,
Calabarzon, Cebu, Davao and Metro Manila. “With no limits to importation,
traders will blend rice again maybe at a 70-30 ratio of local and imported.
Expenses in producing rice is huge right now.”
But whether or not rice prices would be
affected or remain at its current level, Aguilar said that as traders, they
could always change their selling price according to movements in the market.
“It’s really the consumers and especially
the farmers, who will be greatly affected by this,” he said.
For industry group Samahang Industriya ng
Agrikultura (Sinag), lifting QRs would not automatically reduce the retail
price of rice.
“The liberalization of the agriculture
sector since the mid-’90s saw the dumping of agriculture imports in the
country, but it did not help in lowering the prices of most agriculture
products,” it said. The sorry state of the garlic industry could be the
exception. With almost 85-90 percent of the country’s garlic supply sourced
from outside in the last 10 years, it did result in the lowering of the retail
prices of garlic.
For the agriculture chief, the only way for
consumers to feel the change in policy was if the government would decide to
set a benchmark for the price of imported rice—a mandate that only the National
Food Authority has the power to impose.
“Unless they allow private traders to
import rice with a condition that they can only sell these imports at a certain
price, it can work. But until then, nothing is going to change.”
With nothing to stop the deluge of rice
imports that are about to enter the country, stakeholders in the agriculture
sector as well as economic managers are banking on one thing: A better
safeguard for local farmers against tighter competition.
The Duterte administration has decided to
remove its quota on importation under the QR scheme, which was meant to work as
a protection for our own rice producers.
Faced to compete with cheaper rice imports,
many are worried that this scheme would aggravate the plight of local farmers
who are mostly caught up in poverty.
“What we need is a comprehensive government
program that would significantly increase public spending in the strategic
areas of the rice sector,” Sinag said.
“These government programs must be anchored
on the development of our capacity to produce our staple and food
requirements,” the group added.
(T0 be concluded)
https://business.inquirer.net/245111/consumers-gain-new-rice-policy
In search of
diet and climate-friendly rice
January 31, 2018
Back when I was busy pounding the
agri-commodities beat, one of the things that I obsessively monitored was the
National Food Authority’s (NFA) rice inventory. This is not a “sexy” topic for
any business reporter. Why bother with rice stocks, when it’s more exciting to
cover, say, a corporate takeover that can shock and awe the stock market?
So it might not be sexy,
but it’s nonetheless significant whenever there’s news that the NFA’s inventory
has fallen below the required 15-day buffer stock, as this means that the
state-owned body will have to tender for rice anytime soon. According to a
report by BusinessMirror journalist Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas, the NFA is urging
the interagency National Food Security Committee to recommend the importation
of 250,000 metric tons of rice to beef up its stockpile, which is now just
equivalent to three days of consumption. At an average daily consumption rate
of 31,000 MT, that means that the NFA is holding just over 90,000 MT in its
warehouses.
Anyone who has a stake in the
global rice market will pounce on this information, as the Philippines is a
huge rice importer, and its import volume can move prices. In the domestic
market, this incites unscrupulous local traders to hoard and jack up
prices. And this is quite worrisome in a country where, in most poor
households, rice accounts for a huge chunk of their budget.
But more than prices and market
trends, any story on the rice inventory is one that hits us on the gut, as this
is one staple that we can live without. This even if popular low-carb
dietary regimens like South Beach or Keto have discouraged a health-conscious
populace from consuming too much rice. How else can we enjoy our adobo, kare-kare and paksiw
na lechon without a serving of fluffy white rice to sop up the
rich sauce of our favorite ulam?
In my diabetic family, eating too
much rice is a problem, as it can jack up the blood sugar levels of my parents.
I managed to mitigate this problem by persuading my parents to switch to
unpolished brown rice, as its glycemic index is lower than white rice. Only
our kasambahay defied
the white-rice ban in our household, as she refused to eat bland brown rice.
But, as I became more conscious
with what I eat, nutritional content is not only thing that bothers me about
rice eating. It’s the fact that rice farming is resource-intensive. Not only
does it consume too much land, water and other farm inputs, but rice farms’
carbon footprint is quite steep. The Food and Agriculture Organization
said that agriculture (including forestry, livestock and fisheries production)
accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions. Asia has
the highest GHG output from agriculture at 44 percent. The International Rice
Research Institute (Irri) said that 20 percent of Asian agriculture’s GHG
emissions come from paddy-rice production, and it’s a major source of methane
gas.
Rice fields are also the first
casualty of extreme weather events caused by a warmer planet. Rice production
falls when there’s El Niño or La Niña, prompting the Philippines to import
more. With climate change bringing in longer dry spell and stronger typhoons,
local rice production is expected to decline further, forcing the country to
rely more on imports for food security.
I’m still optimistic, however,
that there’s a way to make rice more climate-friendly. The IRRI, for instance,
is developing and promoting technologies that will reduce rice farms’ GHG
emissions. One of these is the alternate wetting and drying technology that can
cut water consumption by up to 30 percent and methane emission by up to 50
percent. The AWD technology is now being used in Thailand, Vietnam and the
Philippines, although the Irri said it’s yet to be implemented on a wider
scale. The IRRI is also developing climate-ready rice, or rice varieties
that have tolerance to various climate stresses like drought, heat, salinity
and flooding. They have also been tested and disseminated in various Asian
countries. Unfortunately for us consumers, we have no way of knowing (and
consciously buying) climate-friendly rice varieties, as none of the
commercially available rice are branded as such.
But, even prior to the
development of these climate-ready varieties, we already have traditional rice
varieties that can be considered climate-friendly, as they’re resistant to pest
and diseases, require less fertilizer and are even tasty to boot. Julian
Gonsalves, senior consultant of the International Institute for Rural
Reconstruction, said the institute has been collecting and propagating these
heirloom varieties for years, and the IIRR, in fact, has a plot of land in its
headquarters in Silang, Cavite, that is dedicated to the cultivating of various
indigenous rice varieties. Gonsalves said most of these upland rice varieties
that can tolerate both drought and excessive rainfall. They’re healthier, too,
he said, as they have more fiber and anthocyanins, which can serve as
antioxidants.
A lot of these heirloom varieties
are grown in the Cordillera region and are cultivated by small farmers. If we
want to reduce our carbon footprint while, at the same time, provide livelihood
to these farmers, we can do so by buying these heirloom rice, which are
available in weekend markets and food expos. If you are keen on knowing
more about these heirloom rice varieties, you might also want to get the seed
catalog Philippine Traditional Rice Varieties published
by the Bureau of Plant Industry.
Another option for us who want a more
climate-friendly diet is to cut rice consumption and eat more food that are
grown with less carbon emissions. So perhaps, we can eat more beans, lentils,
leafy greens and amaranth (more known as kulitis and is used in the
classic Ilocano dish diningding). Yes, it’s more
eco-friendly to be vegetarian, and that’s something that I will discuss in my
next column.
****
Prime Sarmiento is a longtime
business journalist who specializes in food, agribusiness and commodities-trade
reporting. Her stories have been published in both local and international
publications, including Nikkei Asian Review, China Daily, Science and Development News
Network and Dow Jones Newswires.
Comments and ideas are welcome
at prime.sarmiento@gmail.com.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/in-search-of-diet-and-climate-friendly-rice/
Who is behind the rice price hikes?
·
Published
at 01:59 AM February 01, 2018
·
Last
updated at 02:01 AM February 01, 2018
Bangladesh imported over two million tons of rice between June and
December last yearMehedi
Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
A rice price
model prepared by Dhaka-based think tank South Asian Network on Economic
Modeling (SANEM), showed that rice prices shot up by about 35% over the year.
To better understand the key factors behind the surge in rice prices, the Dhaka Tribune’s Bilkis Irani travelled across
three northern districts – Naogaon, Dinajpur, and Panchagarh – and spoke to
farmers, traders and rice millers in early December. This is the first in a
three-part series on the crisis in rice prices
Bangladesh imported over two
million tons of rice between June and December last year. It is extraordinary
when one takes into account the scanty 7,100 tons imported in the previous
fiscal year.
Floods and pests had a
devastating effect on major rice basins during both the Aman and Boro seasons,
prompting the government to import rice in a vain attempt to stabilize prices.
The leap in rice prices at the
consumers’ end reflects the increased price of paddy sold by the farmers. Since
most farmers suffered huge losses because of the floods and pest attacks, the
increase in price can be considered a tawdry compensation.
Azizar Rahman was issuing
instructions to farm labourers he hired to harvest the crop on the morning of
December 1. Azizar, a farmer from the village of Makhmalpur in Naogaon, needs
the extra hands during the harvest like most large-scale farmers.
In the previous Aman season, he
sold coarse paddy varieties at the rate of Tk800 for every 40kg (1 maund*).
This time around, brokers scouting the neighbourhood are offering as much as
Tk1,000.
But the yield this season has
been disappointing. A storm in October ravaged the paddy fields, cutting down
the output of every bigha of farmland (1 bigha = 33 decimals) by at least
200kg.
Azizar could usually harvest
around 3,200kg of paddy from his lands, but his final yield was only around
2,000kg.
“I had to buy seeds at Tk35 per
kg. I spent money on fertilizers and insecticides. The market price of paddy is
around Tk980-1000, this cannot cover my expenses. I could only make a profit if
the price was Tk1,200 or more.”
Workers are seen drying paddy out on the floor of a rice
processing mill Photo: Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
Nurullah Miah, who brought his
fresh harvest to a haat (weekly market) in Mohadevpur on December 2, said:
“Brokers usually offer low prices before the harvest. I brought my harvest to
the haat so that I can directly sell to miller agents to fetch a higher price.”
He complained that brokers and
millers are the ones who control the price and reap the benefits when the rice
is sold at higher prices in cities.
Nurul Islam, a broker at Mohadevpur
haat, claimed buying the paddy before the harvest is the only way to make any
profit.
Several other brokers agreed,
noting that they lack the facilities to stock paddy. Brokers make a profit of
Tk10-50 for every 40kg of paddy when they sell to millers, who in turn make
profits of Tk10 for every 40kg.
They also claim that paddy prices
have risen because the millers’ demand is always greater than the market
supply. When compounded with the drop in supply due to disasters, the rice
price hike is the result, according to several brokers.
“The government has fixed Tk39
per kg to buy Guti Swarna (coarse rice) from us, but after processing, it costs
Tk41 per kg. We are now purchasing paddy at Tk1,013-1,020 for every 40kg,” he
added.
Md Anisur Rahman, proprietor of
Messers Tosiron Automatic Rice mill in Naogoan sadar, said the wholesalers in
big cities and brokers who buy rice from the millers are the ones who
manipulate the market price.
Dhaka’s wholesalers, however,
denied the allegation saying: “A wholesaler in Dhaka can store 50-60 tons of
rice at most. Auto rice mills can store at least 1,000 tons. You tell me who
can hoard enough rice to manipulate the price,” said Rafiqul Islam, organizing
secretary of Babubazar and Badamtoli Wholesale Rice Market Owners’ Association.
The market price does not
establish that wholesalers and their agents are making a lot of profit. Sacks
of 50kg of rice was bought at Tk1,950 in early December. The rice was sold at
Tk41-45 in Dhaka, a profit of roughly Tk1-6.
Currently, retail price of coarse
rice in Dhaka stands between Tk45-46 per kg
Dr Asaduzzaman, research fellow
at Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, told the Dhaka Tribune that the
rise in rice prices was to be expected due to the twofold floods and pest attack.
He, however, pointed out that the
government acted promptly by cutting import duties to increase rice import to
meet the shortfall, and the current erratic nature of the price is out of fear
and speculation.
“Maybe farmers are afraid, and
they are hoarding some. Maybe the millers also feel the same way and
stockpiling,” he observed.
“There is no denying the
production loss this year. But if about two million tons of rice has already
been imported – it is a record amount and far surpasses the estimated crop loss
– the market must have been flooded with rice. The government should not have
let permitted such a huge import of rice.
There should have been conditions
on the importers to sell whenever the government asks. The state can always
regulate, if it is willing,” he added.
A recent report by the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that the Aman output in 2017
would stand at 13 million tons, down by 350,000 tons from 2016.
Floods ruined 591,647 hectares of
Aman paddy field in 32 districts last year, according to a government estimate.
Dhaka Tribune correspondents from
Nilphamri, Naogaon, Sylhet, Narail, Habiganj and Chapainawabganj also reported
pest attacks late in the Aman season.
Throughout March-April, a series
of flash floods hit the northeastern districts. The government admitted the
Boro output would be some 450,000 tons less than the 19.1 million tons target.
According the Ministry of Food,
as of December 21, 2017, about 464,000 tons of rice was imported by the
government and 1.705 million tons by private importers in the current fiscal
year.
Additional reporting by Sazzadur
Rahman Sazzad, Khondaker Md Abdur Rouf, and Md Faruk Hossain
Note: In rural Bangladesh, paddy
is usually measured and sold in bulk using the maund unit of measurement. 1
maund = 40kg. The metric system is used throughout the article
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2018/02/01/behind-rice-price-hikes/
Nigeria: Govt Not Paying Subsidy,
but Suffering Under Recovery - Adeosun
By Jonathan NDA-Isaiah
The federal government is not paying subsidy to keep fuel price
at N145 but there is under recovery on the part of the Nigeria National
Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC) the minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun has said.
Recall that the landing cost of petrol is N171 and the NNPC
which has been the sole importer of fuel since October last year had suffered
huge losses.
It also has led to the fuel scarcity being experienced in the
country for more than two months now.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the federal
executive council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the
presidential Villa, the minister said Nigerians have been bearing the burden of
revenue loss from the NNPC.
She explained "On the question of subsidy, the price of oil
for Nigeria today is a double edge sword. So every dollar that goes up we get
more revenue but also because we are importing refined petroleum increases the
landing cost of fuel.
"So for every time we get excited that the oil price is
going up, there is also a knock on effect on the price of imported PMS and that
is a function of us not having refining capacity, it is one of the unfortunate
impact of that.
"Now, when there is talk of payment of subsidy, technically
today, there is no subsidy but there is under recovery. Why that is, is because
NNPC are currently doing all the importing. They are importing at a higher
price than they are selling which means they are losing money, which means
effectively that loss is being borne by everybody and effectively it reflected
in the federation account.
"So, there is no subsidy payment in the way the old subsidy
scheme use to work where they were paying the oil marketers but there is an
under recovery, a loss on the importation of PMS being borne by NNPC and
therefore indirectly being borne by everyone one of us.
Adeosun also said she presented two memos on behalf of Nigeria
Customs Service.
According to her, One was to acquire additional 81 units of two
bedroom residences in Ido, Gwari district, Life Camp for use as barracks for
customs officers within the Abuja area. The total amount is N1.2 billion.
She said the second approval was for the purchase of 50
operational vehicles that are going to be deployed for anti-smuggling or
anti-rice smuggling task force that is being put together, which customs will
be leading.
She added "As you know, effort to become major rice
producers has resulted in the revival of local rice growing. What we have found
is 90 per cent reduction in the official import of rice but smuggling has
increased and of course, our borders are very, very porous.
Now, we believe that to protect our farmers, to protect the
investment that people have gone back to the farm for, government must really
act to stem the tide of illegal rice importation and rice smuggling.
So, there is a multi-task force agency that has been working
since last July which includes customs, NAFDAC, the Consumer Protection
Council, the Ministry of Finance, the Trade Mark Practices Bureau, gathering
information on how this rice is coming in. What are the key entry points? And
mapping out how we are going to have effective strategy to stop it.
"We felt that it is important that we don't want customs going
to seize rice in the markets. Customs should actually stop rice coming in at
borders points and customs indicated that they need additional vehicles,
additional resources as well as more information driven measures that will be
taken. But what was approved today was the purchase of 50 vehicles as part of
these efforts. The contractor is Elizade and the value is N1.12 billion"
During his briefing Minister of Power, Works and Housing,
Babatunde Fashola said the his ministry had 66 approvals by the Council in the
last two years.
Disclosing that the approvals cover roads, cpn projects and some
housing projects particularly Federal Secretariat, he added that the
implementation of the projects had led to the creation of 69,736 jobs.
"Some of the topical once were the progress of works on the Katsina Wind Mill, the Kaduna 216 mwt power plant,
the Afam 240mwt plant, and of course the Mambilla 3,060mwt hydro power plant,
and the project to evacuate the Ajura 459mwt power plant.
"It also covers federal secretariat in states like Gombe,
Zamfara, Bayelsa, Ekiti and of course the Zik Mausoleum in Anambra. And we
reported about the state of the Pilot housing projects that is also going on in
33 states. Our report also dealt with the short, medium and long term impact of
these approvals vis a vis the budget implementation for 2016 and 2017, and our
report showed that the implementation of these projects had led to 69,736 jobs.
And most of these are jobs largely that were lost in the construction industry
before the advent of this administration,' he said.
The Alert on
Massive Rice Smuggling
February 1, 2018
Hameed Ibrahim Ali
The NSA alerted Comptroller
General of Customs (CGC) Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) on the discovery of not fewer
than 20 shiploads of rice in Cotonou, Republic of Benin with final destination
believed to be Nigeria. According to the Office of the National Security
Adviser (ONSA), fifteen of the ships had already been discharged at the Ports
in Cotonou while the other five other ships were due to berth.
Coming at a time Nigeria is
already making progress in its quest to boost local production of rice with the
view to achieving self sufficiency, the discovery of large consignment of rice
at the Cotonou ports ostensibly for smuggling into Nigerian is clearly act of
economic sabotage. We therefore expect ONSA and other security agencies to
unearth the masterminds of such dastardly plot against the Nigerian economy.
There is no doubt that the
smuggling of the large quantity of rice would, to a large extent, undermine
government’s efforts at boosting local production of rice and other grains for
domestic consumption to boost the Nigeria’s dwindling foreign reserves. It is
recalled that the Federal Government had in January 2017 banned the importation
of rice into the country from land borders.
It is also heart-warming that the
Custom authorities have since swung into action with increase surveillance
across the land borders at Seme, the busiest land frontier with the Republic of
Benin as well as Idi Iroko (Ogun State), Shaki (Oyo State), Babana (Kwara
State) and other Nigerian borders with the Republic of Benin in the northern
axis of the country.
We can only hope Customs personnel
remain vigilant in ensuring that the laudable objective of encouraging
cultivation and consumption of home grown rice would not, for the umpteen
times, be sabotaged by unpatriotic antics of smugglers.
While it is reassuring that the
relevant authorities were diligent in discovering the large consignment of rice
due for smuggling into Nigeria from Cotonou, the scenario, no doubt, paints a
worrisome picture of the gravity of threats which nefarious activities of
smugglers constitute to an economy that is only smarting out of recession.
If anything however, this
discovery should serve to encourage security agencies to scale up their
networks so as to forestall the activities of saboteurs who in their
desperation to thwart government efforts at diversifying the economy would stop
at nothing in the determination to compromise Nigerian security system.
Nevertheless, the fact that such
large consignments of rice were imported into the neighbouring country Cotonou
with the intention of smuggling across Nigeria’s borders is an evidence of the
prevailing complicity of bad elements within the Customs and other security
agencies which compromises operational vigilance at the country’s land borders
with manifest loopholes that could be exploited by smugglers. Consequently, the
Nigerian Customs must be alert to the additional responsibility of purging the
agencies of officers who continue to connive with smugglers to sabotage the
economy.
It must be emphasised that self
sufficiency in local production would aid food security and should be seen as
cardinal aspect of national security. Any attempt therefore to sabotage
Nigeria’s efforts at attaining self sufficiency in grains production must be
resisted by the relevant agencies.
Government on its part must
ensure that Nigerian embassies in Benin Republic and other neighbouring
countries be put on alert on the activities of smugglers.
We are also of a strong
conviction that Nigerian government should engage authorities of neighbouring
countries on bilateral measures that could further discourage the criminal
activities of importers of rice as well as other banned items who use the ports
in these countries as cover for their smuggling activities.
Professor Explains Implication of
Rice Cultivation Techniques for Developing Countries
By
As
bizarre as it sounds, Prof. Norman Uphoff, government and international
agriculture, argues that cutting the water supply in half and reducing the
plant population by a factor of 10 actually increases rice harvest yields.
The
counterintuitive advice is derived from System of Rice Intensification, which
is “not a technology, but a set of ideas and insights” that seeks to maximize a
crop’s potential through better management, according to Uphoff.
SRI
focuses on making “a set of changes in the management of plants, soil, water
and nutrients to get a more productive phenotype, a more productive plant from
the existing genetic potential,” Uphoff explained.
SRI
breaks from traditional ways of rice farming that “might seem counterintuitive”
at first, according to Uphoff.
Uphoff
gave an example of farmers who are asked to “cut the plant population by 80 to
90 percent,” to plant only one seed in a clump as opposed to 3 or 4, to use
about half as much water and to limit the amount of chemical fertilizer they
use in favor of organic fertilizer.
Father
Henri de Laulanié, a French Jesuit living in Madagascar, created SRI in the
1980s and began working with the Cornell International Institute for Food,
Agriculture and Development in 1993.
Uphoff,
the director of CIIFAD from 1990 to 2005, has overseen efforts to research the
potential benefits of SRI. CIIFAD itself has been instrumental in the
promulgation of SRI techniques abroad. Many of the photos Uphoff presented had
been sent to him by farmers with whom he or CIIFAD had worked with during their
research.
Uphoff presented
numerous case studies where SRI grown rice plants appeared significantly
healthier and larger than traditionally grown rice plants in the same location.
SRI plots tended to produce a much higher yield than traditional plots.
“The
focus is on developing countries,” explained Uphoff. SRI has the potential to
reduce the amount of water, money and labor that farmers in developing
countries need to spend.
“At
first, SRI takes more time and labor investment than traditional farming,” said
Uphoff. This can be explained by the more frequent weeding that SRI grown crops
require along with the more precise degree to which the crops have to be
planted. But, as Uphoff stated, “over time eight percent less labor per
hectare” was needed to maintain the crops.
Despite
Uphoff’s efforts, acceptance of SRI in the international community has been
slow. Uphoff said that the international community did not greet SRI “as
curiously or as open-mindedly as I expected.”
As a
result, SRI research efforts have not been funded through the more traditional
academic avenues. Rather, SRI research has been funded by organizations like
the Ohrstrom foundation, actor Jim Carrey’s Better U Foundation and various
non-governmental organizations.
Uphoff
described SRI as a “paradigm shift” and explained that there will always be
resistance against new ideas. Moreover, he described SRI as “going against the
tide of proprieterization of agricultural technology” in that SRI is
information designed to be usable by anyone.
Despite
the skepticism, many countries, including China, India and Indonesia have
integrated SRI practices into their agricultural systems. While Uphoff
described the interest in SRI as “limited,” he pointed to a “worldwide network
of researchers and practitioners” known as SRI-Rice as evidence for SRI’s
bright future.
Seth Klarman Gives $5 Million
to Spelman: Philanthropy Tracker
By Amanda L Gordon
January
31, 2018, 3:00 PM GMT+5
·
Bill Gates wants more
milk, Marc Benioff protects oceans
·
Bezos funds news
literacy, Moskovitz is sending vitamin A
It’s unclear what recent tax changes will mean for U.S.
donations, but in January, there was plenty of publicly noted giving.
Seth Klarman
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Celebrities spurred donations to Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund,
to aid those who’ve experienced sexual harassment. Billionaires at Davos
announced mega gifts for ocean conservation, agriculture development and health
workers. Seth Klarman donated to a historically black women’s college. And
how about football as a philanthropic engine? Colin Kaepernick’s #10for10
brought 10 days of donations to 10 different charities, while the countdown to
the Super Bowl had fans opening up their wallets. It started with Buffalo Bills
loyalists donating to Bengals’ charities. As for office pool winnings come
Sunday, Super Bowl ads may offer some ideas. Matt Damon will tout Water.org for
Stella Artois.
The Bloomberg News Philanthropy
Tracker rounds up big, small and interesting gifts of the month. Email tips
to agordon01@bloomberg.net.
January Gifts
$306 million: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for
agricultural development, including $164.5 million to Alliance for a Green Revolution
in Africa to improve soil health, $46.9 million to TechnoServe for coffee
production in East Africa, $19.8 million to International Rice Research
Institute to develop stress-tolerant rice, and $5.2 million to CARE for the
dairy value chain in Bangladesh. "If we are serious about ending extreme
hunger and poverty around the world, we must be serious about transforming
agriculture for small farmers -- most of whom are women," Gates said in a
statement.
$75 million: Bill Miller, founder
and chairman of Miller Value Partners, to the Johns Hopkins University philosophy department.
$50 million: Evelyn and Ernest Rady, chairman of American
Assets Trust, to Salvation Army to build transitional housing in San Diego. Two
facilities will serve the city with the fourth highest homeless population in
the U.S.
$50 million: Jeff Skoll, Richard Branson, Christopher Hohn and
the ELMA Foundation have pledged this amount to Last Mile Health and Living
Goods to train and deploy 50,000 community health workers to provide digitally
enabled care to 34 million people.
$30 million: T. Denny Sanford to the Horatio Alger Association
for scholarships at 12 universities, seven of which are in South Dakota, where
Sanford founded First Premier Bank. Sanford also gave $30 million this month to
the San Diego Zoo.
$33 million: Jeff Bezos to TheDream.US to fund college
scholarships for dreamers, immigrants brought to the U.S. as children without
documentation. Donald Graham solicited the gift for the organization he founded
after selling the Washington Post to Bezos in 2013. Separately, Bezos gave
$250,000 to the News Literacy Project to train youth in consuming and producing
journalism.
$25 million: Janice and Ken Freeman, a KKR alum, to Bucknell
University for a new college of management.
$10 million: Ophelia Lazaridis, wife of BlackBerry founder Mike
Lazaridis, to the Stratford Festival in Ontario for building a new Tom
Patterson theater. The gift matches that made by Bridgewater Associates’ Dan
Bernstein, chairman of the festival.
$10 million: Len Blavatnik to Columbia University’s Fu
Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science to supports doctoral
students and fund breakthrough ideas. Through the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
$7.2 million: Asana Inc. CEO Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna’s
Open Philanthropy Project to Helen Keller International for vitamin A
supplementation to preschool children in sub-Saharan Africa.
$5.5 million: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla
Chan’s Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to University of Massachusetts Amherst’s
Center for Data Science to create an AI-based tool to map scientific knowledge.
$4.5 million: Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff and his wife,
Lynne, through the Benioff Ocean Initiative to the World Economic Forum Friends
of the Ocean Action, a three-year public-private effort to meet United Nations
sustainable development goal No. 14.
$5 million: Beth and Seth Klarman, CEO of Baupost Group, to
Spelman College to provide scholarships at the Atlanta-based school.
$2.5 million: Robert F. Smith, CEO of Vista Equity Partners, to
Prostate Cancer Foundation for research on the disease in African Americans and
care for U.S. military veterans.
$350,000: A mobile health van will fight the opioid epidemic for
eight months in a pilot by the Kraft Center for Community Health at
Massachusetts General Hospital. Support from GE Foundation, Partners
HealthCare, Hearst Foundation, Ford Motor Co. and the Massachusetts Department
of Public Health.
$200,000: Mark Heising, founder of Medley Partners, and Liz
Simons, a former teacher, through the Heising-Simons Foundation, to award
freelance journalists reporting on U.S. immigrants and other under-represented
people.
$25,000: Paul G. Allen through Vulcan Productions, to create a
fellowship for a documentary filmmaker to tell a story about environment or
conservation in conjunction with the San Francisco International Film Festival.
$20,000: Kaepernick and Stephen Curry each pledged $10,000 to
United Playaz in San Francisco, which works to keep youth out of the justice
system.
DEDICATION:
THE SECRET SPICE FOR THE SAUK RAPIDS-RICE CULINARY TEAM
RICHARD
LEGUIL
January 31, 2018
Photo Courtesy of: Mary Levinski
SAUK RAPIDS -- The
Sauk Rapids-Rice Culinary Team is one of the most successful in the nation, and
their secret is an open one: dedication.
They're ten-time defending state champs in management, they've
crossed the national stage twice in the past decade, 2013 and 2016 and have
been named in the top 50 programs in the country for five years in a row.
Photo Courtesy of: Mary Levinski
Mary Levinksi is the ProStart Culinary and Management Team Advisor. She
says along with the team's dedication, which sees students take time away from
work and family to make sure they're at their best, they also do a lot of
research to maintain their edge.
"We like to do a lot of research. We like to see what's on
the cutting edge of the industry, what's new. Then we try to find mentors that
understand the new trends, and then help us to grasp those concepts so we can
recreate them in the classroom."
The team will be in a special super bowl event this weekend as
well. Levinski says the "Taste of the NFL" is big deal featuring with
some of the best chefs in the country.
"Chefs from all major 32 NFL cities. They represent the
teams, and they put together small plates for the people who buy tickets to
attend this event. Really to support food shelves and preventing hunger."
The team starts to participate in that on Friday and Saturday,
their day Friday will kick off at 4:00 a.m. They'll spend all day with the
chefs on Saturday helping them serve the guests attending the event.
Photo Courtesy of: Mary Levinski
Levinksi recently won the American Culinary Federation's Teach
of the Year award for the Minneapolis Chapter.
That award usually only goes to a college instructor, and is
given to "an active culinary instructor whose knowledge, skills and
expertise have enhanced the image of the professional chef, and who, by example
has given leadership, guidance, and direction to students seeking a career in
the culinary profession".
Several of Levinski's students have gone on to successful
culinary careers, at some big name restaurants on both coasts, and here in
Minnesota.
http://wjon.com/dedication-the-secret-spice-for-the-sauk-rapids-rice-culinary-team/
Sokoto has good climate for rice farming —
Expert
By
Nasiru Bello, Sokoto | Publish Date: Feb 1 2018 2:00AM
Irrigation
farming system has been identified as one of the sure methods for all year
round rice production, the Executive Director, National Cereals Research
Institute, Dr Samuel Agboire, has observed.
Dr
Agboire, who disclosed this in Sokoto while delivering the keynote address at a
two-day sensitisation workshop organised by AfricaRice with theme ‘Applying
Innovation System Approach in Rice Value Chain Analysis and Development for
Competitive Markets in Nigeria’, said Ttransforming Irrigation Management in
Nigeria (TRIMING) was conceived to increase competitive advantage through
collaboration in a venture that links producers, millers and marketers.
The
executive director, who was represented by, Dr. Aliyu Umar, said Nigeria can
produce high quality rice and rice based products that can withstand the test
of time.
In
his remarks, an official of the AfricaRice, Dr. Salim Ndindeng, said Sokoto
State has less risk climate, which according to him, is suitable for rice
farming.
‘‘Sokoto
State is blessed with very good soil, a maximum of eight to nine metric tonnes
can be gotten from a hectare. So, Sokoto is less risk farming state,’’ he said.
Study Reveals The Healthiest
Plant-Based Milk Alternative To Cow's Milk
A
study has determined which non-dairy milk is the best substitute for cow's
milk. Researchers compared the nutritional values of soy, rice, coconut, as
well as almond milk and this is what they found out. ( Foundry Co |
Pixabay )
Soy milk has the best nutritional profile among non-dairy milk,
according to a new study. A team of researchers came to the conclusion after
comparing four alternative kinds of milk to dairy milk, namely soy, coconut,
rice, and almond.
The experts found that coconut, rice, and almond milk did not
have the essential nutrients that are beneficial for overall good health.
Cow's Milk
Scientists from Canada's McGill University conducted the
research to see if there was any truth to claims that plant-based milk is
appropriate and wholesome substitutes for dairy milk. They analyzed the nutrition labels of various unsweetened
rice, soy, and almonds milk apart from beverages that were free from coconut
dairy and were easily available in grocery stores.
Milk obtained from cows is still the most balanced and complete source of
carbohydrates, fat, and protein, according to the researchers.
Dairy Vs.
Non-Dairy Milk
The researchers found soy milk as the source of non-dairy
milk to be most comparable to cow milk as far as overall nutrient balance was concerned. There
are about 95 calories of protein in every 8-ounce serving of soy milk, making
it the non-dairy milk that has the highest content of protein.
There are also phytonutrients like isoflavones in soy milk that
have cancer-fighting abilities. However, soy milk was also found to have
anti-nutrient substances like phytic acid, which can make it more difficult for
the body to absorb and digest crucial minerals and vitamins.
The low amount of calories in almond milk was found to be high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which are good for
weight management, weight loss, and reduction of bad (LDL) cholesterol. Almond
milk, however, is low in carbohydrates and protein that make it less
nutritionally balanced than soy or cow milk.
The researchers observed that there was no protein in dairy-free
coconut beverages. Most of the energy provided by such type of milk come from
saturated fats, though it is low in calories. Drinking such beverages, however,
increases the good HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL ones.
Rice milk, which is sweet tasting, is a good option for people
who are allergic to almonds and soybeans. However, it has a high amount of
calories and is comparatively low in good nutrients. The researchers also added
that consuming rice milk instead of cow milk without proper care can result in malnutrition,
specifically for infants.
“It is quite clear that nutritionally soy milk is the best
alternative for replacing cow’s milk in human diet,” the research team
concluded.
Rice Husking Machine Market 2022 Research Report Driven by
Country Analysis (USA, EU, Japan, Chinese etc)
January 31, 2018
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The report covers 10-years data on global, regional
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In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project before
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Browse Detailed TOC, Tables,
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- South America
- Europe
- APAC
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Key Topics Covered:
Chapter 1: Introduction of Rice Husking Machine Industry
Chapter 2: Manufacturing Technology of Rice Husking Machine
Chapter 3: Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers
Chapter 5: Market Status of Industry
Chapter 7: Analysis of Rice Husking Machine Market Chain
Chapter 8: Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Rice Husking Machine
Market
Chapter 9: Market Dynamics of Rice Husking Machine
Chapter 10: Proposals for New Project
Chapter 11: Research Conclusions of Global and Chinese Rice Husking
Machine
http://factsweek.com/29471/rice-husking-machine-market-2022-research-report-driven-by-country-analysis-usa-eu-japan-chinese-etc/
8 factors which point to higher
rice prices
Possibilities
exist for rice prices to improve.
We are in a farming price
depression as I write this. Almost all things grown with a futures market are
going down in price. If you were trading ag for profit, why wouldn’t you be
short the grain markets?
The trend is your friend. I would
not argue with the bears, but rice may be dancing to a different animal. Some
of the eight factors and turning points listed below, which point to higher
rice prices, apply only to rice, and some apply to all ag products:
1. Stocks in the hands of the
five major rice exporters are at their lowest level to world rice trade in the
last six decades, and world rice trade is trending higher.
2. Two major rice exporters have
disastrously low levels of water resources per capita: India and Pakistan. The
U.S. is not a poster child for good water management either, but has seven
times more water resources per capital than these two countries that export
about 15 million metric tons or one-third of traded rice per year. Their
water metrics are dropping by 1 percent to 2 percent per year. That is a dire
trend over the next two decades.
3. If India cuts back its rice
exports as it has its cotton exports, the world rice price would double over
night. India would export less of its scarce water to boot.
4. China has 65 percent of the
world’s rice stocks now, and apparently has been piling up rice for the last 11
years. I say apparently because technically grain stocks are a military secret
there. Those who know do not tell and those who tell do not really know for
sure.
Why is China importing 5 million
to 7 million metric tons of rice per year, increasing production and stocks and
selling off very little in the world market? One answer is that their price
inside the country is about $18 per hundredweight; no one would buy their rice
without massive export subsidies in the global market that is $7 (India) to $12
(Vietnam) per hundredweight.
If China drops its domestic rice
support price, it must contend with labor costs rising at 15 percent per year,
and tiny rice farms with polluted soils and water and not much of that either.
Also, if it dropped its domestic price to farmers to Vietnamese prices — much
less Indian rough prices — it would import a huge share of world rice trade
that could easily double the world price.
5. The global corn yield is now
30 percent higher than rice yields, and its upward trend could be 50 percent
higher in the next five years. Is that bearish on rice, which suffers from a
GMO ban?
6. Long-grain rice, like cotton,
cannot easily be grown above the Bootheel of Missouri. If you extend that line
across the world, most of the world cannot grow rice north of that latitude.
You can grow high corn yields in Canada now. You can grow oats, wheat,
soybeans, canola, and sunflowers very far north, but not long grain rice. Rice
is latitude-challenged.
6. Our weather consultant,
www.commoditywx.com believes we are entering a period of extreme cold winters
that could last a decade or longer due to a decline in sunspot activity. If the
northern latitude growing season is reduced, what would that mean for rice?
Work I have done suggests that global warming is kind to rice; but wet, cold
growing seasons decimate rice in North and East Asia.
7. So, exporter stocks are historically
very tight. What happens if trade is disrupted by a withdrawal of the U.S. as
the world’s oceanic police force? I say the answer is stockpiling.
8. The U.S. dollar went down in
value in 2017, making the export price of all grains and cotton, rice included,
cheaper to foreign buyers. This trend could continue in 2018. That is good news
for demand for U.S. rice on the global market.
So, I watch the charts closely and I see these eight turning
points ahead for rice. I am still a grain price bear, but I am not hibernating.
I am watching what is going on from the mouth of my dismal economic cave and
sniffing the market for a more positive price outlook.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/8-factors-which-point-higher-rice-prices
Time and labor savings cited as key advantage for row rice
Furrow-irrigated
row rice provides time and labor savings for Arkansas farm.
Yield comparison between
furrow-irrigated or row rice and traditional flood-irrigated rice was
statistically the same, for Mississippi County, Arkansas farmers Mike and Ryan
Sullivan.
But with fewer trips across the
field to prepare land for the next soybean crop saved time, labor and
money, said Ryan during a presentation at the January national Conservation
Systems Cotton and rice Conference in Memphis.
Pulling levees was one of
the reasons Ryan decided to try furrow-irrigated rice. Although he’s a recent
graduate of Arkansas State University, Ryan has spent his whole life on the
fifth-generation rice-soybean farm.
“Every fall we would go in with a
field cultivator and a Kelly Diamond to get the soybean fields ready so we
could plant rice flat,” he said in his presentation. “We drilled into the old
soybean beds from last year. We planted at an angle because we couldn’t get
good down pressure in the middles.”
Planting on the old soybean beds
meant the Sullivans didn’t have to put up levees in their rice, a practice that
on their heavy gumbo soils could require five or six trips with a tractor and a
levee plow. The lack of levees means the fields are also less likely to become
rutted during harvest.
Sullivan said the
furrow-irrigated fields that were grown in side-by-side comparisons with
conventionally-planted rice produced an average of 4.6-bushels-per-acre less
rice than the fields of levee rice. (The 477.2 acres of furrow rice produced an
average of 196.5 bushels vs. 201.1 bushels per acre on 539 acres of flooded
rice.)
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/time-and-labor-savings-cited-key-advantage-row-rice
Mekong
Delta seeks to turn agriculture challenges into opportunities
A
workshop on new techniques under the Consortium for Unfavourable Rice
Environments (CURE) was held in Can Tho city on January 30, highlighting the
need to turn challenges into opportunities for Mekong Delta agriculture.
Farmers
use combine harvesters to harvest rice
Prof. Bradford Mills from the US’s University of Virginia said saltwater and flood prevention, a traditional agricultural practice in the Mekong Delta, no longer matches modern agricultural development. Studies show that using farming plant varieties and animal breeds that suit local soil conditions will help turn challenges into opportunities.
Agreeing, CURE expert Jeffrey Alwang said the Mekong Delta needs to plan agricultural activities according to agro-ecological zones, elaborating that in upper river areas, agricultural production should be switched to eight crops per three years, including rice-aquatic farming, rice-lotus farming and luc binh (water hyacinth) farming.
Instead of preventing saline intrusion in the river mouth and coastal areas, farmers should consider saltwater as a natural resource and adopt crops other than rice such as rice-shrimp farming and farming of saltwater aquatic species. Meanwhile, integrated agriculture-forestry like cajuput-aquaculture and cajuput-rice-aquaculture should be promoted in the Ca Mau Peninsula, which has submerged forests.
Nguyen Thi Lang, Director of the Mekong Delta Institute for High Technology Agriculture Research, suggested solutions to improve Vietnamese rice quality, aiming to export rice to demanding markets instead of shipping up to one-third of total rice exports to China like at present.
She said scientists need to advise the Government about communication strategies and training to raise farmers’ adaptability to high-tech agriculture. It is also important to develop rice varieties tolerant of harsh natural conditions and climate change.
Lang added her institute is transferring saltwater, flood and drought tolerant varieties which have been successfully piloted in many provinces.-VNA
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/194983/mekong-delta-seeks-to-turn-agriculture-challenges-into-opportunities.html
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2018/02/01/behind-rice-price-hikes/
Researchers continue studying
‘fish in the fields’
By Democrat staff
MARYSVILLE
>> The Resource Renewal Institute is mounting the second phase of a
control study measuring how the introduction of freshwater forage fish into
fallow rice fields can reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation.
After
six years of work demonstrating that small fish grow rapidly in flooded fallow
rice fields, using these small fish to control methane emissions from rice cultivation
could be a huge Climate Change breakthrough.
Preliminary
results indicate that reviving and modernizing the simple, age-old practice of
raising fish in rice fields can reap enormous benefits worldwide, according to
spokeswoman Deborah Moskowitz, “dramatically reducing climate-changing methane
emissions, protecting our ocean wildlife, supporting more sustainable and
profitable agriculture, and providing a new source of protein for the earth’s
growing population.”
On
Thursday, a team of scientists from the University of Montana and UC Davis will
introduce Golden Shiner minnows into experimental rice field ponds near
Marysville to measure the effect small fish have on nutrient levels and methane
emissions in rice fields.
Samples
taken from the flooded fields over the past two months confirm there is an
abundance of protein-rich zooplankton for fish to dine on. Scientists have also
noted the presence of methane emissions, a harmful greenhouse gas.
“Understanding
why and how these small fish be used to reduce methane emissions may surpass
the project’s goals to sustainably produce a second crop of fish, since methane
emissions from rice cultivation around the world make up 1.5 to 2 percent of
global greenhouse gas emissions (the equivalent of nearly 1.4 billion tons of
CO2),” stated Moskowitz.
Since
1985, Resource Renewal Institute has facilitated the creation, development, and
implementation of practical strategies to solve environmental problems in a
comprehensive framework.
The
project is similar to the one undertaken at Yolo County’s Knagg’s Ranch,
where salmon have been introduced into rice fields as a
meanhttp://www.dailydemocrat.com/article/NI/20180130/NEWS/180139983s of
accelerating their growth before they are released into the Sacramento River.
http://time.com/5125580/soy-milk-healthiest-plant-based/
Wednesday, 31 January 2018 - 10:18
President
Maithripala Sirisena has instructed the cabinet to stop importing rice since
the Maha Season paddy harvest has begun.
President gave the
directive following detailed facts regarding the matter being put forward at
the cabinet meeting on Tuesday afternoon(Jan.30).
Responding to an
enquiry, a senior government minister said that accordingly, a cabinet
sub-committee was set up to look into rice stocks currently available in the
market.
The committee includes
the ministers of Agriculture, Industries and Commerce as well as the minister
of Rural Economy.
In addition, reports
state that discussions relating to a proposal to import 100,000 metric tonnes
of rice, has been postponed.
Meanwhile, the cabinet
approval was granted to set up a special High Court bench of three judges to
expedite the hearing of the cases regarding bribes or corruption charges.
The cabinet also
approved the suggested amendment for revising the court organization act.
It was decided to have
this special high court in addition to the high court currently in operation.
http://www.hirunews.lk/182497/importing-rice-halted
Soy Is The Healthiest Plant Based Milk, Researchers Say
Rice milk was described as the least nutritionally
adequate
Jan 31, 2018 1:41 PM
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Soy
milk has the best nutritional profile out of the most-commonly consumed
dairy-free alternatives, according to researchers from McGill University
in Montreal.
A new
study, which was recently published in Journal of Food Science
Technology, looked at almond, soy, rice, and coconut milk - and compared
the nutritional values of the unsweetened versions.
The
researchers - PhD Candidate Sai Kranthi Vanga and his supervisor Vijaya
Raghavan of the Department of Bioresource Engineering - then compared the
plant-milk to cow's milk, which they described as 'a wholesome, complete food,
providing all major nutrients like fat, carbohydrates and proteins', and claim
offers the best nutritional profile of all the milk options.
Soy
The
study bills soy milk as having 'the most balanced nutritional profile', of the
plant-milks, linking its health benefits to the anti-carcinogenic properties of
phytonutrients present in the milk.
Rice
milk fared poorly in the test, with scientists claiming it has 'sweet
taste and little nutrition'.
The
report says: "Concerns, apart from the high carbohydrate count, is that
consumption of rice milk without proper care can result in malnutrition,
especially in infants."
Coconut
milk contains 'no protein and few calories, with most of them fat', according
to the study; almond milk has larger amounts of healthy fats and can help lower
cholesterol, but the study quotes a 'need for complementary sources of food to
provide essential nutrients'.
'Harmful'
Despite
the study's assumption that cow's milk is best, many health experts disagree.
According
to the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine, '[cow's] milk and dairy products are
not necessary in the diet and can, in fact, be harmful to health'.
"Milk
and other dairy products are the top sources of artery-clogging saturated
fat in the American diet, says plant-based doctor Neal
Barnard.
"Milk
products also contain dietary cholesterol. Diets high in fat, saturated fat,
and cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease, which remains America’s top
killer."
Disease
Leading
physician Dr. Michael Greger associates dairy products with harmful health
conditions, including acne, cancer, asthma, Parkinson's disease, and elevated
blood pressure.
The
McGill researchers also noted there are potential health issues with cow's
milk, saying: "The presence of various pathogens like Salmonella spp and
Escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk have been associated with disease outbreaks
around the world."
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