Saturday, February 10, 2018

10th February ,2018 daily global regional local rice enewsletter

Gov't-to-gov't deal seen to speed up NFA rice arrival
By Catherine Teves February 8, 2018, 9:02 pm Share

MANILA -- The National Food Authority (NFA) could have more affordable rice available for sale to Filipinos beginning April if the agency gets the go-signal to and starts importing the staple grain this February through government-to-government (G2G) arrangement.

This was according to NFA information officer Cynthia Suarez, who noted G2G facilitates importation, since governments concerned transact directly with each other under this arrangement.

"Such arrangement takes about 45 days only," she said, noting rice importation under government-to-private (G2P) scheme takes longer.

NFA has admitted its rice inventory is already running low.

The agency explained that aside from the time needed for the bidding process itself, the G2P arrangement involves compliance requirements under RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The country may have to wait until around May for inbound rice shipments if the NFA imports the grain this February under G2P, the agency said.

G2G and G2P are government's authorized arrangements for NFA rice importation.

Created in 1972 as the National Grains Authority, the NFA is the government agency tasked with providing an adequate local supply of affordable rice and corn while ensuring reasonable return rates for Filipino farmers.

The agency said it must maintain 15 days' and 30 days' rice buffer stocks at any given time and during the July-September lean season, respectively, to ensure availability of lower-cost rice nationwide.

"Regular well-milled" NFA rice costs PHP27/kilogram, while "well-milled" NFA rice costs PHP32/kg -- lower than commercial rice in the market.

This week, however, the NFA said its total inventory of some 1.2 million bags of rice may last for two days only.

Such situation has prompted the agency to recalibrate its distribution of the remaining rice, prioritizing as recipients government agencies involved in relief operations.

Earlier, the NFA Council approved the agency's 250,000-metric-ton (MT) rice importation for this year.

NFA is awaiting the council's authorization for this agency to proceed with the importation.

Despite its shrinking inventory, the agency said there was no rice shortage in the country, since commercial rice was available in the market.

The council expects private importers to complete bringing into the country some 325,000 MT of rice by end-February.

That importation, the NFA noted, comprises the first tranche of the 690,000 MT of rice private importers are authorized to ship into the country this year.

Such imports would be sold as commercial rice, the agency said. (PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1024598

NFA rice import plan questioned
By: Karl R. Ocampo - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 07:40 AM February 09, 2018

EMPTY HOUSE. Virtually empty, the Loakan warehouse of the National Food Authority contains 14,428 bags of grains good for three days, a condition shared by many NFA warehouses in the provinces. Commercial stocks are plenty, but traders have been concerned about the impact of the absent NFA rice on prices in the market. Photo by EV ESPIRITU

Government officials on Thursday questioned the National Food Authority (NFA) for insisting on another importation of rice, saying the agency’s plans could be contributing to the manipulation of rice prices.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol and Socioeconomic Planning Assistant Secretary Mercedita Sombilla said there was no need to import rice because the country recorded a bumper harvest of 19.4 million metric tons (MT) last year.

“We cannot understand why [the NFA has] to import rice,” Sombilla said. “If they are saying that they cannot compete with the prices of private traders, we are actually hearing otherwise.”

Sombilla said the NFA should explain why its buffer stock had dwindled to 64,000 MT, its lowest level in 10 years.

Total rice stock

According to the NFA, the country’s total rice stock—including commercial and household inventories—is at 2.7 million MT, which can meet the usual demand for 86 days.

“Even Secretary Piñol and private traders are saying there are cheaper rice available. They just have to look in other regions,” Sombilla said.

Claim of shortage

Piñol said any claim of rice shortage only aimed to justify an increase in rice prices.

“Rice importation has always been a lucrative business for several big traders, including people in government in the past,” he said in a Facebook post.

Piñol said unmilled rice could still be bought at P17 per kilogram. An industry group, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag), said unmilled rice also cost P17 per kg in Mindoro.

Though the NFA admitted that there was an abundance of local rice, its director for operations, Rocky Valdez, claimed that “unmilled rice [is] being sold to private traders at a much higher price, and we cannot compete with that.”

But Sinag warned that allowing NFA to import would cause problems because any importation at this time would arrive in 35 to 45 days, coinciding with the rice harvest beginning in March.

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Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/967374/nfa-rice-import-plan-questioned#ixzz56hSPAQlK
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https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/967374/nfa-rice-import-plan-questioned

Hom mali price hits 5-year high on demand
9 Feb 2018 at 08:31 1,738 viewed3 comments
NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS | WRITER: PHUSADEE ARUNMAS

Hom mali rice from famous growing areas is available at a market in Bangkok. SEKSAN ROJJANAMETAKUN

Paddy prices for hom mali fragrant jasmine rice have surged to a five-year high, boosted by rising global demand.

According to Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, purchase demand has led to a surge in paddy prices, particularly for hom mali paddy, whose price stands at 17,000-18,000 baht a tonne, the highest in five years and up from 9,500-11,600 baht a year ago.

The price of white rice paddy has risen as well, from 7,300-8,000 baht a tonne to more than 8,000 baht, while glutinous paddy prices remain unchanged at 10,000-11,000 baht a tonne.

According to Agricultural Economics Office data, hom mali paddy was quoted at an average 16,070 baht a tonne in 2013.

"The ministry is upbeat that paddy prices will rise further, especially for hom mali rice, which is in high demand among rice exporters because of limited supply and depleted state stocks," Mr Sontirat said. "The prospects of Thai white rice are likewise positive, thanks to higher purchase demand from foreign buyers and depleted state stocks."

He said overall rice exports look promising after Thailand shipped 1.2 million tonnes of milled rice worth US$578 million or an average $474.91 a tonne in January. Shipment volume rose by 16.5% from 1.03 million tones in the same month in 2017.

The Commerce Ministry forecasts rice exports to stay at 9.5 million tonnes of milled rice this year, easing from a record high of 11.6 million tonnes in 2017.

But rice exporters have recently voiced concerns about the strong baht, saying the earlier projections of 9.5 million tonnes may be hard to achieve.

Charoen Laothammatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said that in light of the baht's strength, most exporters are apt to avoid selling rice for fear of foreign exchange losses. This will eventually affect farmers' income as exporters delay their purchases.

Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the association, said that the baht, which appreciated 9.2% last year and 3.2% in January, represents the greatest threat to Thailand's rice exports this year.

The baht's strength has weakened the competitiveness of Thai rice, Mr Chookiat said, adding every one-baht gain against the dollar is estimated to raise the free-on-board price of Thai white rice by $12.50 (292 baht) a tonne and that of Thai hom mali rice by $35 a tonne.

The Agriculture Ministry forecasts rice production for the 2018 season of 30 million tonnes of paddy rice and 22-23 million tonnes of milled rice, similar to last season. Hom mali rice production is estimated at 7.2 million tonnes of paddy in this year's season.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1409878/hom-mali-price-hits-5-year-high-on-demand

Bangladesh rice output forecast lower
Reported by: `CT Report February 9, 2018

DHAKA: Rice production in Bangladesh in 2017-18 is forecast down slightly from a year ago, according to a Feb. 6 Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This year’s output of 32.65 million tonnes is predicted lower than the 2016-17 total of 34.57 million tonnes due to heavy rains during a key grain maturing stage.
The report noted that more than 20 inches of rain fell in December, causing damage to the Aman rice crop.
Rice imports for the country in 2017-18 are forecast at 3.4 million tonnes, up from last year’s 2.47 million tonnes.
http://www.customstoday.com.pk/bangladesh-rice-output-forecast-lower/

Rabi sowing remains subdued
OUR BUREAU T+ T-

bl21_ndvgk_rabi_GQR44IJNM.1+BL21_MUSTARD.jpg

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 9

The area under rabi cultivation continued to lag, albeit marginally, during the week ending Friday as compared to the same period last year, according to the data released by the Agriculture Ministry.

Farmers have so far covered an 642.88 lakh hectares (lh) as against 648.19 lh covered in the corresponding period last year.

The maximum decline in cropping area was reported in wheat whose acreage was 304.29 lh, 13.59 lh lower than last year, the Ministry said. The overall shortfall, however, was made up by an increase in area under pulses and rice cultivation.

While the area under pulses was up by 5.29 per cent to 169.10 lh during the corresponding week in the previous year, acreage under rice went up by 4.57 lh to 31.89 lh.

The total area covered oilseeds so far was at 80.87 lh (84.85 lh). Coarse cereal cultivation too was on the lower side with area going down to 56.73 lh as against 57.24 lh.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rabi-sowing-remains-subdued/article22707279.ece

House Cites Commerce Minister Over Rice Price Reduction

Monrovia – Representative Clarence Massaquoi has requested the Plenary of the House of Representatives to invite the Minister of Commerce and Industry to appear before the august body to provide an explanation on how the recent reduction in the price of rice will benefit every Liberian.

Report by Henry Karmo - henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline.com

Rep. Massaquoi request was contained in a communication written to his colleagues on Thursday, February 8 during the 8th day sitting of the House of Representatives.

“I would like to crave the indulgence of this august body to invite the Minister of Commerce or person in charge of the Ministry to appear before the full Plenary to state how every Liberian benefit from this reduction,” Rep. Massaquoi stated.

According to Rep. Massaquoi (UP-District 3, Lofa County) Minister Wilson Tarpeh is to answer to inquires as to who bears the cost of the reduction, the magnitude and cost of such adjustments to the economy; and the general welfare of the people.

Rep. Massaquoi also wants the Minister, if he appears, to explain how the drop in the price of rice will benefit the ordinary people who cannot afford to buy bags of rice but purchase per cup.

The concern raised by the lawmaker is grounded on a recent meeting held between President George Weah and the Leadership of the Rice Importers Association of Liberia to negotiate a reduction in the price of the nation stable rice.

At the end of the negotiations, officials of the Association of Liberian Rice Importers consented to effect a reduction of the price.

The Association of Rice Importers headed by their Chairman, John Bestman, agreed to reduce the price of the 25Kg bag of rice by the US $2.00 while the price of a 50kg bag of rice will be reduced by the US $4.00 with immediate effect.

The meeting was attended by Nathaniel McGill, Minister of State, Samuel Tweah, Prof. Wilson K. Tarpeh, the Minister of Commerce-designate, Minister of Finance, Eugene Nagbe, Minister of Information, and Hon. Archie Bernard, Legal Advisor to the President.

According to the executive in a release President Weah had earlier proposed a reduction of US$3.00 but due to some constraints proffered by rice moguls, it was agreed that the US$3 reduction from the cost of a 25kg bag of rice would not be possible immediately, but that it could still be possible in the future once a few challenges facing the rice market were addressed and the modalities worked out.

Following the reading and debate on the matter, it was agreed by the Plenary of the House of Representatives that the communication be forwarded to the Committee of Commerce and Industry to review and advice the august body in two weeks’.
https://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/news/6895-house-cites-commerce-minister-over-rice-price-reduction

NFA calibrated rice supply in NegOcc good for 7 weeks Friday, February 09, 2018 THE calibrated supply of the P27 per kilogram National Food Authority (NFA) rice in Negros Occidental is expected to last for at least seven weeks. Marianito Bejemino, provincial manager of NFA-Negros Occidental, said on Thursday that latest inventory showed the current NFA rice stocks in the province is about 8,000 bags. Bejemino said additional buffer allocation of 1,000 bags from Panay is expected to be delivered to Negros Occidental on Friday, February 9. Using the prevailing average weekly sales of 1,200 bags, the available buffer stocks will still last for 52 days or seven weeks. “The normal weekly sales of NFA rice in Negros Occidental are actually 6,000 bags. However, it reduced to 1,200 bags since we started calibrating the supply in January,” he added. Like in Metro Manila and other provinces in the country, NFA-Negros Occidental has also noted a “thin” supply of both the government and commercial rice among local market retailers. The tight supply, which contributed to an average increase of P2 to P4 per kilogram of commercial rice, is attributed to low production as farms in some parts of Western Visayas were damaged by calamities. For NFA rice, the agency is calibrating the supply since the schedule of rice importation is still in April. Bejemino allayed fears over the possible shortage of rice in local markets. “We still have ongoing harvests, and the available supply of NFA rice is still enough to meet the weekly requirement until additional allocations arrive,” he added. After the delivery of 1,000 bags on Friday, another 4,000 bags will be delivered from Panay next week. Negros Occidental will also receive some 25,000 bags from Cebu later this month. For commercial rice, NFA-Negros Occidental reported a current inventory of 1.4 million bags. Based on the province’s average daily consumption requirement of about 20,500 bags, the commercial rice inventory can still last for the next 68 days. (EPN with reports from PNA)

Read more: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2018/02/09/nfa-calibrated-rice-supply-negocc-good-7-weeks-588068
Follow us: @sunstaronline on Twitter | SunStar Philippines on Facebook
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2018/02/09/nfa-calibrated-rice-supply-negocc-good-7-weeks-588068

INGREDIENT INTELLIGENCE

Are Rice Krispies Gluten-Free?

Sheela Prakash

Feb 7, 2018

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How To Make Better-than-the-Box Rice Krispies Treats

(Image credit: Leela Cyd)

Whether you're simply pouring them into a bowl with milk or whipping up marshmallow-loaded treats, it's hard to beat the reliable simplicity of Rice Krispies cereal from that blue box. Since they're made of rice, you might be wondering if they're gluten-free. The answer to that question may surprise you.

Are Rice Krispies Gluten-Free?

Rice Krispies are, in fact, not gluten-free. Yes, the cereal is made from rice, which is naturally gluten-free, but because of the malt flavoring used in the recipe, the cereal itself is not gluten-free. Malt flavoring is made from barley and barley is a whole grain that is closely related to wheat, therefore it contains gluten and should be avoided if you have celiac disease or are following a gluten-free diet. Kellogg's was actually making a line of Rice Krispies that was gluten-free but, due to poor sales and manufacturing issues, they discontinued it.

How to Make a Single Rice Krispies Treat

(Image credit: Maria Midoes)

The good news is, however, that there are a handful of other brands of crisped rice cereal that are gluten-free. Nature's Path makes gluten-free crispy rice cereal, as does Barbara's and Erewhon. These brands can be found at Whole Foods and in the natural foods aisle of many other grocery stores. The key is to look for a crisped rice cereal that isn't made with malt flavoring and isn't made in a facility that processes wheat. Take a look at the ingredient list and, most importantly, look for an official stamp or seal on the box that marks the product as a gluten-free one.

hy should NFA import rice instead of boosting its local palay procurement? 2 groups want to know

Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon

| February 9, 2018, 5:26 PM

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Rice price tags in a market. NEWS5GRAB

MANILA, Philippines – Two advocacy groups criticized the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to give the go-ahead to the National Food Administration (NFA) to import rice amid the reported shortage.

“Duterte is giving in to the luxury of unscrupulous rice traders and corrupt NFA officials who will get the most benefit from the importation,” Zen Soriano, head of the National Federation of Peasant Women (Amihan) said.

Soriano urged concerned authorities to conduct an investigation “to clarify the differing statements of government officials which only create confusion on the people, and to determine the real cause of NFA rice shortage.”

In a separate statement, the group Bantay Bigas said “corrupt NFA officials and devious traders” will gain the most from the impending rice importation.

“The importation is very dubious as it contradicts Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol’s statement that the country has a 96-day buffer stock which is one of the biggest inventories of the country in recent years resulting from a 19.4 million MT harvest last 2017,” Cathy Estavillo, Bantay Bigas spokesperson, said.

According to Soriano, the government should instead increase local palay procurement of NFA instead of relying on importation and acting as broker for imported rice.

“The farmers have continuously been flogged by anti-farmer policies from the failed agrarian reform program, the lack of support services and subsidy from the government, the dependence on importation and the recent additional excise tax which resulted to increased cost of production,” Soriano said.

She said the NFA should also raise the buying price of palay from farmers to increase its buffer stock and ensure food security, stabilize rice prices and guarantee affordability of the staple, and help local farmers earn from their produce.

Estavillo questioned the need to import amid the statement of Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco that the 325,000 MT of rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) will be arriving towards the end of the month.

“If a huge volume of rice will be available soon, why does the government need to spend billions for importation? Importing another 250,000 MT will no longer be necessary as local rice supply will be available at the time of its arrival, 45 days after which is in time for the harvest season and thus, detrimental to the local rice industry and the livelihood of our farmers,” Estavillo said.

Bantay Bigas denounced NFA’s failure to perform its mandate citing the agency’s local procurement which is less than 3 percent instead of its mandated 10 percent of local production.

The NFA’s share in the country’s total rice stock has been declining, reaching 50 percent or 1.7 million MT in 2011 and 28 percent or 906, 000 MT in 2016. Correspondingly, commercial stock increased from 16 percent or 557, 000 MT to 965, 000 or 30 percent during the same period, Bantay Bigas added.

“This means that the shortage of NFA buffer stock is because the rice supply of the country is at the hands of the traders. Worse, the NFA’s P7 billion budget this 2018 for its buffer stocking program which should supposedly be used for local palay procurement, will be used to pay for the imported rice,” Estavillo said.

The group reiterated its call to ensure the country’s food security by putting an end to dependence on importation and instead increase the procurement of local produce and hike the purchase price of palay

http://www.interaksyon.com/why-should-nfa-import-rice-instead-of-boosting-its-local-palay-procurement-2-groups-want-to-know-should-nfa-import-rice/

Hundreds of Pak rice containers stuck up at Zimbabwe ports

February 09, 2018

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LAHORE - Hundreds of Pakistan rice containers have been stuck up for more than a week at Zimbabwe ports on the issue of Phytosanitary protocols.

The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan Chairman Samee Ullah Naeem told The Nation that shipments made by the Pakistani exporters had been stuck up at Customs clearing point of Zimbabwe ports for the last seven days despite the fact that exporters had paid all local taxes and duties, besides providing Phytosanitary certificate to the authorities.

He said that approximately 200 containers, having about 5,000 metric tons of rice were held at the ports just on minor issue as some amendments were made in Phytosanitary protocols by Zimbabwean government but not intimated to the Pakistan government.

"Our rice exporters have provided all kinds of Phytosanitary certificates to Zimbabwe ports authorities issued by the Pakistan Plant Protection Dept, but they are not satisfied. "We have now approached the concerned department in Pakistan and ministry to intervene and save our members from the heavy cost of demurrage."

Samee Ullah asked the government of Pakistan to approach the Zimbabwean authorities to press them to release hundreds of ricecontainers held at these ports without any solid reason.

"The REAP is also in contact with Zimbabwean officials to discuss the problems faced by our members," said Samee.

He also written a letter to the Pakistan Ministry of National Food Security & Research federal Secretary Fazal Abbass Mekhan, asking him to intervene in the matter and coordinate with the Zimbabwean authorities to expedite the matter and resolve the problem of Pakistani rice exporters, so that Pakistani rice cargo could be released on priority basis. "In present case, importers are facing loss in the form of demurrage bills as a result of which our potential business to Zimbabwe will also be suffered greatly."

Samee Ullah said that Pakistan is one of the largest exporters of rice to Zimbabwe.

He said that Pakistan rice exports to Zimbabwe have increased particularly during last six months due to aggressive marketing by REAP members and exporters.

In recent case, the phytosanitary certificate issued by the Pakistan Department of Plant Protection (DPP) has been rejected by the DPP of Zimbabwe and the shipments are lying at Zimbabwean Ports, who are not issuing Import Permit to Pakistani exporters, he said.

He said that issues the importers are facing in Zimbabwe will have a negative effect on exporters in Pakistan in the form of late payments which will lead to a slowdown in exports.

"We hope that the problem will be taken up by Pakistani government with Zimbabwe at the earliest. It is a national issue and not anyone's personal matter," he said. The REAP chairman said "The Department of Plant Protection Zimbabwe intends the following details to be mentioned on Phytosanitary Certificate by the DPP Pakistan. So that import permit could be issued for the entry of Pakistan rice in Zimbabwe."

"The grain is free from the following and other storage insect pest. a) Larger Grain Borer (Prostephanus Truncatus) b) Angoumois Mouth (Sitotroga Cerealella) c) Khapra Beetle (Trogoderma Granarium) d) Lesser Grain Borer (Rhizopertha Dorminica) e) Grain Weevils (Sitophil Granaries) f) Red Floor Beetle (Tribolium Castaneum) g) Saw Toothed Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus Surinamensis) h)The Grain has been fumigated through Phsophine (Mention Dose) for minimum period of 120 hrs i) Parent Crop was field inspected during active growth and found free Tilletia Indica, the seed and weeds have also been laboratory tested. j) Free from Sitorogacereallella and Plodiainterpunctella k) Tr-treatment (Mention the appropriate fungicide). He said if our DPP includes above lines in the certificate and intimates the Zimbabwean DPP through an email and our shipments of rice will be released.

He also appealed the DPP at Karachi Ports to also include the above information in Phytosanitary Certificate to all shipments destined for Zimbabwe so that no further shipment could be rejected in future

https://nation.com.pk/09-Feb-2018/hundreds-of-pak-rice-containers-stuck-up-at-zimbabwe-portsJAILS FACE RICE SHORTAGE

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By: Cris Evert B. Lato-Ruffolo, Jessa Mae O. Sotto, Morexette B. Erram

@cebudailynews

11:58 PM February 8th, 2018

DWINDLING SUPPLY. This National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse at the pier area in Cebu City used to keep in stock 200,000 sacks of rice. But as of Feb. 8, 2018, it is left with only 8,800 sacks of rice.

As the supply of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) continues to dwindle every day, detention facilities such as the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) are now faced with the dilemma on where to look for alternative rice sources.

The provincial jail needs to feed its 3,691 inmates and, according to CPDRC staff member Carl Dela Cruz, they already sent a letter to NFA Central Visayas (NFA-7) Office requesting for additional sacks of rice as their supply will only feed the inmates until today (February 9).
CPDRC is yet to receive a reply from NFA-7, he said.

But by the looks of the current inventory of NFA-7, which stood at 139,000 bags of rice as of February 5, it would only be enough for four days and way below the 15-day buffer stock requirement. This means that the request of CPDRC will likely be declined.

In fact, NFA-7 also got a request for 30 bags of rice from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Minglanilla town (BJMP–Minglanilla), and the agency has to turn it down, said NFA-7 Information Officer Olma Marie Bayno.

BJMP–Minglanilla manages the Minglanilla Municipal Jail, which has more than 120 inmates as of September 2016.

“We already sent letters of notices to these agencies that the Central Office has directed us not to sell rice to other government offices. We stopped distributing rice since February 1. We’re prioritizing those which will be used for relief operations,” Bayno told Cebu Daily News yesterday.

At the CPDRC, Dela Cruz said they usually purchase more than 100 sacks from NFA-7 in one order.

“Last December, we ordered more than 500 sacks of rice from NFA. The inmates alone can consume 30 sacks per day or around 1,670 kilograms,” explained Dela Cruz.

The provincial jail, which is managed and ran by the Cebu provincial government, allocates 400 grams of rice per day for each of its 3,691 inmates.

(The jail’s number of prisoners is double than its designed capacity of 1,500 individuals.)

CPDRC Acting Jail Warden Roberto Legaspi said they were now looking for alternative sources of rice, and have coordinated with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) and the Office of the Vice Governor to secure a supply of the staple from these offices.

“We have other sources that we can borrow from such as the PSWDO and the vice governor’s office,” Legaspi said in a text message sent to reporters yesterday.

A representative from PSWDO said their office has enough NFA rice that it could provide to the provincial jail in the event that the CPDRC administration would request from them.

The representative, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the matter, said their office actually has enough supply for relief goods that they could distribute to all the 50 local government units (LGUs) comprising Cebu province in the event of calamities or disasters.

“As of now, our supply is still enough. Our last purchase of NFA rice was in December 2017. At the same time, we sent them request for additional stocks, but we haven’t received any update. We’re still waiting for their advisory,” the source said.

Price stabilizer

Erwin Gok-ong, vice president for Cebu City North District of the Grain Retailers Confederation of the Philippines (Grecon), called on NFA to resume the importation of rice and properly distribute this rice to cities and towns that are not rice sufficient.

Gok-ong, an accredited NFA retailer and rice retailer at Carbon Public Market, said they received reports that around 700,000 sacks of rice reached Cebu in early 2017 but of this number, 200,000 sacks were distributed to Leyte and another 250,000 sacks were sent to Iloilo.

This left Cebu with only 250,000 sacks of rice and only 100,000 sacks were distributed to retailers.

“My question is, ‘Why did they bring these sacks of rice to Iloilo and Leyte, which are rice-sufficient provinces? Last year, each accredited retailer was only given four bags of NFA rice per week,” said Gok-ong, also the chairman of the Cebu Market Vendors Development Cooperative (Cemvedco).

Gok-ong said imported rice are usually sourced from Vietnam and Thailand. Sometime, rice is sourced from Pakistan.

Price of NFA rice is P32 per kilo (15 percent presence of broken rice) and P27 per kilo (25 percent presence of broken rice).

Limited supply of NFA rice fuels the increase of the prices of commercial rice as there are no other alternatives, said Gok-ong.

“The market operates under the law of supply and demand. In the absence of price competition in the market, the price of commercial rice will increase,” he said.

The daily price monitoring report of the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7) Agribusiness and Marketing Division as of February 8 did not report any increase in the prices of regular-milled rice (RMR) and well-milled rice (WMR).

According to the report, RMR or ordinary rice is priced between P45 to P46 per kilo while WMR or special rice is sold at P50 to P52 per kilo.

Daily monitoring is conducted by DA-7 in the public markets of Tabunok, Mandaue, Pasil and Carbon.

But Gok-ong said they already noticed an increase of P2 to P4 per kilo in the prices in the last two weeks. This is equivalent to P100 to P150 increase per 50-kilo bag of rice.

“Our request is for NFA to play its role of being the price stabilizer of the market. We should only stop importation if we are rice sufficient. But we are still not sufficient,” he told CDN.

Use wisely

NFA-7 has already called on government offices to use the remaining sacks of NFA rice wisely.

This followed after the NFA Central Office issued an advisory to prioritize distributing government-subsidized rice for relief purposes and as emergency supply in the event of calamities.

Bayno could not give a particular date as to when government agencies and LGUs can start purchasing rice from the NFA. This is because they will have to assess the situation and wait for the permit to start rice importation.

“We still cannot determine a specific date because it will depend on the approval of the permit to import rice again. In the event that the council approves the importation, then that’s time CPDRC and Minglanilla BJMP can purchase rice from us),” explained Bayno.

Price increase

Prices of commercial rice in Cebu’s public markets have increased due to the limited supply of NFA rice.

Reslyn Belia, a rice retailer for over 20 years at the Carbon Public Market, said her supplier from Mandaue City had increased by P70 every bag of rice delivered to her, forcing her to also increase her retail price by about P1 to P3 per kilo.

Anacorita Pareja, who has been selling rice at the T. Padilla Public Market for more than 50 years now, said she was thinking about cutting her usual order of four sacks of rice to only two sacks to cope with price increase implemented by her suppliers.

Pareja added she only makes P50 in profit per sack of rice she sold, and the profit is not even enough to pay her medicine for hypertension.

Bayno said they have no authority to control the price of commercial rice and could only urge both suppliers and retailers not to take advantage on the great demand of rice because it would be the low income earners who would suffer the most from its high cost.

Instead, she said, they would summon any NFA-accredited retailers who would be found to have unreasonably adjusted their prices. If found guilty of rice price manipulation, Bayno said their office could cancel their license to sell NFA rice.

Right now, however, the authorized distributor could not even get their hands on NFA rice, as the NFA-7 had stopped distributing rice to at least 1,991 accredited retailers in the region since February 1.

https://en.vietnamplus.vn/positive-signs-promise-good-year-for-rice-export/126360.vnpNFA Plan to import rice draws flak

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:32 AM February 10, 2018

Various groups have criticized President Duterte for allowing the National Food Authority (NFA) to import an additional 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to ramp up its buffer stock despite the abundance of local unmilled rice or palay.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag), Bantay Bigas and the National Federation of Peasant Women (Amihan) released statements condemning the move, saying that the shipments of imported rice would coincide with the harvest season, which would be detrimental for local farmers.

“Importing another 250,000 MT will no longer be necessary as local rice supply will be available at the time of its arrival, 45 days after which is in time for the harvest season,” Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo said. “The importation is very dubious as it contradicts Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol’s statement that the country has a 96-day buffer stock.”

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the agriculture sector was able to harvest 19.4 million MT of rice last year—a record harvest in recent years.

Amihan, on the other hand, denounced NFA’s failure to perform its mandate to procure enough local palay to stabilize rice prices. Last year, the state-run grains agency was able to buy only 19 percent of its target or 587,748 bags, while its share to the country’s total rice stock has been declining over the years.

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Neda: Pinoys to benefit if rice import quota lifted

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM February 10, 2018

Majority of Filipino families will likely benefit from lower retail prices of rice once a tariff-setting law is amended.

The Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, which sets the the country’s rice import quota, is expected to be amended this year. This will remove the limit on the volume of rice imports.

According to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), the price reduction in rice can go as much as P4.31 per kilogram if the amendment is passed. This will enable a Filipino household of five to save as much as P2,362 per year, Neda said.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the savings would be equivalent to about 13 percent of a household’s average rice expenditure of P17,921 as indicated in the 2015 Family Income and Expenditure Survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“About 93 percent of Filipino households are rice consumers and they stand to benefit from lower price of rice,” Pernia said. “The amount of savings they can get could mean a lot to ordinary Filipinos especially to those struggling to make ends meet.”

Amendments to the law will pave the way for the lifting of the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice and the imposition of a 35-percent tariff on imports coming from Asean member-countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

The removal of the QR is also expected to ease the impact of the new tax reform package, which has inflated prices of commodities.

Based on Neda’s preliminary estimate, the policy shift can reduce the country’s headline inflation rate by 1 percentage point. This measures the total inflation of the country including commodities such as food and energy prices.

NEWS

NCS Distributes Seized Rice, Maize To IDPs In Adamawa

By The Eagle Online On Feb 9, 2018

The Nigeria Customs Services has handed over seized rice, maize and soaps for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons in Adamawa.
Adetoye Francis, the Area Comptroller of Customs for Adamawa and Taraba states, presented the items to the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency on Friday in Yola.
Francis said the exercise was in compliance with the directive of Presidency Muhammadu Buhari to alleviate the sufferings of IDPs in the country.
The items comprised 1,648 bags of rice, seven bags of maize and 642 cartons of soap.
Francis said: “The Comptroller General of Customs said I should hand over these items to you for onward distribution to IDPs in the state.”
Receiving the items, the Executive Secretary of ADSEMA, Haruna Furo, lauded the gesture and assured that the agency would ensure judicious distribution.
Furo said the agency would distribute the items to IDPs in the camps and returnees in the seven local government areas affected by insurgency in the state.

https://theeagleonline.com.ng/ncs-distributes-seized-rice-maize-to-idps-in-adamawa/

USA Rice and Undersecretary McKinney Discuss Trade in Mexico

By Gaby Carbajal

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- As part of a visit to discuss trade with his counterparts in Mexico, U.S. Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney held a roundtable discussion with several U.S. trade associations based here, including USA Rice. The meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Agricultural Affairs and the Agricultural Trade Office in Mexico.

Undersecretary McKinney acknowledged the importance of maintaining a positive trade relationship with Mexico, and stressed his strong support for the Foreign Market Development (FMD) and Market Access Programs (MAP) which have helped facilitate U.S. agriculture's robust export surplus. McKinney also reiterated Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue's commitment to expanding trade.

USA Rice's Marvin Lehrer represented the rice industry's interests at the meeting and briefed the Undersecretary on the vital importance of the Mexican market to the health of the U.S. rice industry.

"The entire rice industry is depending on the continuation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to maintain markets for our rice farmers and to keep viable the countless small businesses that comprise the rice industry," said Lehrer. "With half of U.S. rice production destined for overseas markets, our members need the U.S. government to pursue and maintain trade agreements that work and to facilitate market development tools that enable us to grow the Mexican market."

As the largest overseas market for U.S. rice, Mexico imports over 20 percent of all U.S. rice exports; in 2017, Mexico imported record amounts of U.S. rough and milled rice. USA Rice manages a large and active promotions program in Mexico, conducting nearly 300 activities each year to increase consumption of U.S. rice in this critical market.

Domestic Usage Report: Specialty Rice Shipments Up 35 Percent

By Lesley Dixon

WASHINGTON, DC -- USA Rice released the annual U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report today, tracking shipments and consumption of U.S. milled rice from August 2015 to July 2016. According to the report, U.S. rice mills shipped 112.1 million cwt of rice to domestic and foreign markets, an increase of 6 percent from one year earlier.

Gary Reifeiss, of Producers Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice Domestic Usage Report Subcommittee, shared his optimism about this report. "While total rice production was down in the period covered, rice imports have also decreased by 2.1 percent due in large part to declining purchases from Thailand, and the percentage of domestic rice in the U.S. market share remained steady at 81 percent."

Reifeiss also disclosed some of the subcommittee's priorities for the 2016/2017 report. "Total specialty rice shipments were up 35 percent this year, with basmati and jasmine accounting for most of that amount. The subcommittee plans to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of the Census to update the method of collecting data for long grain imports. While the data currently breaks out basmati from overall long grain imports, it does not do so for jasmine, and that would be valuable information to have for the sake of accuracy."

Overall, the report captures 70.4 million cwt of rice shipped domestically, of which 61 percent is for direct food use and 39 percent for processed foods like pet food, beer, saké, and snacks.

The report is free for USA Rice members who have participated in data collection. All others can go here to purchase a report for the reduced fee this year of $250 ($500 for non-members).

JAILS FACE RICE SHORTAGE