Friday, May 17, 2019

17th May,2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

Plan to check Fall Armyworm attack

TIRUCHI, MAY 15, 2019 22:51 IST
UPDATED: MAY 15, 2019 22:51 IST
With the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) causing extensive damage to maize crops in Tiruchi, Karur, Perambalur and several other districts in Tamil Nadu last year, the State government, in coordination with various Central and state government organisations, is set to evolve an action plan to prevent the pest attack in the crop this year.
On Wednesday, state agricultural officers attended a workshop on management of Fall Armyworm at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute on the outskirts of the city. The workshop was organised by the Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (CIPMC) in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)- KrishiVigyan Kendra (KVK).
V.Dakshinamoorthy, Director of Agriculture, said steps were being taken to evolve an integrated approach to prevent attack of the invasive pest this year. The two-day workshop would evolve and finalise an integrated crop protection protocol to prevent the pest attack.
Maize is grown on about 3.5 lakh hectares in the state and the pest had caused extensive damage in the crop last year. The pest had spread rapidly within a short period across various districts and caused damage to the crop despite various control measures.
Scientists from various agencies would share their expertise and experience to finalise the approach to be adopted to check the pest attack. Assistant Directors of Agriculture (Quality Control) and Agricultural Officers of all districts would be trained on the measures to be adopted to control the pest. Agriculture officers had a major responsibility in taking the message to the farmers.
P. Sankaralingam, Additional Director of Agriculture (Research), Directorate of Agriculture, elaborated the importance of research and management strategies to control the pest.
S. Gnanasambandan, Head, CIPMC, underlined the importance of collective and collaborative efforts by various government agencies and research institutions in the management of Fall Army Worm during the forthcoming season.
K. Prabakar, Director, Centre for Plant Protection Services (CPPS), N. Sathiah, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Entomology, and N.Muthukrishnan, Professor and Nodal Officer (FAW), Department of Agricultural Entomology, TNAU, Coimbatore, explained the integrated pest management capsule developed by TNAU for management of the pest in maize and other issues requiring research.
Various other experts including C. Elangovan, Head, Regional Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (RCIPMC), Bengaluru, P. Masilamani, Dean, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, J. Diraviyam, ICAR- Kirishi Vigyan Kendra, Karur, and V. Ambethgar, Director, TNAU-Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai, spoke.
The Joint Directors of Agriculture from various districts along with all scientists and technical experts from various agencies deliberated on integrated pest management modules developed by TNAU and ICAR to finalise the action plan for the 2019-20.
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Called porridge, can prevent obesity
By paradox
 -
16.05.2019
Description: Названа каша, способная предотвратить ожирениеThe results of the latest research.
Examining the link between eating rice and the risk of obesity, the researchers came to the conclusion that its use can protect against excess fat in the body.Regular, but moderate consumption of rice is able to prevent the development of human obesity – this is according to a study conducted by experts from the College of Humanities in Kyoto (Japan).
“In countries where people eat on average 150 grams of rice a day, the obesity rate is much lower”, – quotes the authors resource project.
Before making this conclusion, researchers analyzed the diets, peculiar inhabitants of 136 countries with a population of over 1 million people. Information about diets was presented to the Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations. Data on feeding habits were correlated with indicators of obesity prevalence, health expenditures and GDP per capita.
Scientists stated that the inclusion of rice in regular diet would help to delay the rapid spread of obesity among the population of the planet. The researchers calculated that if every adult started to consume 50 grams of rice a day, the incidence of obesity worldwide would be reduced by 1%.
Study leader, Professor Tomoko Imai, said that the use of rice protects against overeating – this is facilitated by the present in the rice fiber and nutrients. At the same time, she spoke about the fact that too much rice in the diet makes people more prone to diabetes and metabolic syndrome – this product leads to a small increase in the level of glucose in the blood after ingestion.
Sustainability Report:  Land Use and Soil Conservation  

Third installment in the series recapping the U.S. Rice Sustainability Report.
   
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. rice farmers have a vested interest in sustainability because they care about the land they cultivate.  They live and work on the acreage that they plan to pass on to future generations, which means preserving the integrity and health of the soil itself so that it can continue to grow rice for decades to come.  The U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report highlights the many technological advances that have allowed rice to become the most efficient major crop when it comes to soil conservation. 

Rice is already a crop that's soil smart.  Due to the unique nature of rice production practices, erosion has not historically been a major problem.  Heavy clay and silt loam soils that are often ill-suited to other crops retain water well, making them perfect for rice.  But just because rice farmers were already the best in the soil business didn't mean that they couldn't find ways to improve.  Over the course of the 36-year period covered by the report, soil erosion on U.S. rice farms decreased by 28 percent, and according to the Field to Market 2016 Indicators Report, rice consistently demonstrates the lowest per-acre soil erosion of any major crop. 

The first way rice farmers go about conserving soil is simply by using less of it.  As mentioned in the first installment in this series, overall increased efficiency and improved crop yields has led to a 39 percent decrease in planted acres per hundredweight of rice.  Beyond using less land to produce more rice, farmers are also employing new technologies to decrease erosion, retain nutrients, and reduce runoff. 

You can't talk about soil conservation without mentioning water.  Precision land leveling uses GPS and laser-guided earthmoving equipment to create uniform grades and slopes within fields.  This uniformity means less water use and less runoff, which preserves important nutrients within the soil.  Good land leveling practices also achieve sustainability goals by increasing crop yields, improving weed control, and reducing seeding times. 

Conservation tillage-in which rice is planted with no or minimal tillage into previous crop residue or a stale seedbed-protects the soil from erosion, loss of nutrients, and salinization.  Keeping organic matter in the soil helps improve soil health, and naturally saves energy and reduces carbon emissions by requiring fewer tractor passes.  

For example, farmers in Missouri, under the National Rice Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), reduced soil losses by 88 percent and prevented 380 dump trucks of soil from entering the waterways by employing conservation tillage and retaining winter rainfall. 

Of course, much of this effort would not be possible without the support of programs, such as RCPP, offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Louisiana rice farmer Christian Richard participates in the NRCS Gulf of Mexico Initiative, which seeks to improve water quality in the Gulf.  Richard uses a variety of sustainable techniques throughout his operation, including precision leveling, conservation tillage, and a state-of-the-art tailwater recovery system.  Using water efficiently holds the soil on his farm in place, minimizing erosion and nutrient loss. 

"U.S. farmers should not be afraid to tell their story," said Richard.  "We are being productive while conserving natural resources and maintaining the safest food supply in the world.  It's important to leave the land better than it was before."  

Soil and water go hand in hand, and the next installment in this series on the U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report will focus on the many improvements in water use and quality rice farmers have achieved since 1980. 
USA RICE DAILY

Virtual water export virtually dries Pakistan

Globally, climate change and urbanization are increasing water scarcity and water disparities respectively. Yet, humans are using six times more water as they did 100 years ago. The pressure on water resources is expected to increase with the population growth and flourishing middle class by 60% by 2025.
In Pakistan, life for 120 million people is going to be harder in future who currently have limited access to water. According to Water Resources Institute, the country is already categorized as “extremely highly-water-stressed country” as it draws nearly 80% of available water supply every year. The coming decades will unleash further hardships as the climate models predict an overall flow reduction of 20% in the Indus river system by 2100.
Pakistan’s national water footprint currently stands at 3,600 litres per person per day, 84% of which is covered through domestic resources. Due to economic and demographic pressures, the demand for ground and surface waters will continue to grow in the years to come. With limited supplies of water and finances, the water managers and policymakers have limited choices and time to avoid a catastrophic future.
Pakistanis still love to be called an agrarian society. Although the share of agriculture to national GDP has now been reduced to around 20%, the use of water in the sector remains at 90% of the available water. The three main crops of wheat, rice and cotton are among the top five water-intensive crops.
There is a need to separate right to groundwater from land ownership rights
The State of the World’s Water 2019 report informs that wheat is responsible for 22% of groundwater depletion with an average water footprint of 1,800 litres per kilogram.
Rice is a major culprit which uses 40% of all global irrigation, and 17% of groundwater and has an average water footprint of 2,500 litres per kilogram.
Cotton has a heavy use of irrigated water, which can turn arid environments like Southern Punjab and Northern Sindh into deserts. In Pakistan, the cotton crop uses an average of 9,800 litres per kilogram, which is much higher than that of other cotton producing countries like USA. The production of cloth from cotton crop is also highly water intensive. A cotton shirt takes 2700 litres and a pair of jeans pants take 10,000 liters of water during manufacturing, which is sufficient to meet the drinking requirements of a normal human being for 2.5 years.
A 2017 research published in scientific journal “Nature” claimed that Pakistan was the largest groundwater exporter with 7.3 billion cubic meters back in 2010. Nearly 10% of the UK’s virtual water imports come from Pakistan with negative implications for the later. Most of these imports are based on crops grown in lower Indus aquifer where the amount of abstracted groundwater is more than 18 times the amount of natural water recharge through rainfall and glacial melting. On the other hand, UK meets about one-third of its water demand in agriculture and industry through imports i.e. 53 billion cubic meters per year.
Pakistan needs out-of-the-box solutions to manage its water resources and ensure the supply of clean water as a basic human right to the impoverished people living both in big cities or far off villages. In the long run, the country has to shift its focus from water-intensive crops and manufacturing to stop the export of virtual water.
Many hydrologists and water experts believe that virtual water trade can be used as an important adaptation measure for climate change. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, the CEO of LEAD Pakistan is of the view that the substitution of water-intensive crops and products’ with other water-efficient exports is an innovative way of adapting to climate change. However, this is possible only when our economy is data-driven and our society is environment sensitive.
In the medium run, the government needs to work with local and foreign manufacturers and farmers to promote water smart technologies in industry and agriculture. Some international buyers are already working on their own with local producers and farmers and producing excellent results.
The State of the World’s Water 2019 report further informs that Mars and H&M are working with local farmers and industries in Pakistan to reduce their water footprint and increase their incomes at the same time. Under the Better Cotton Initiative, Pakistani rice farmers have reported an increase in their income by 32% and yields by 17%. Meanwhile, they have decreased their water usage by 30%.
In the short run, the country needs development and implementation of laws on groundwater abstraction. Punjab lawmakers are brooding over such a law for long but God knows how many more years it will take to finally hatch.
“There is a need to separate right to groundwater from land ownership rights. The state must determine institutional responsibility and control over groundwater resources. The existing legal framework has a colonial legacy which allows unlimited private use. More recently, we have seen a number of versions of the said law in Punjab drafted by the previous and incumbent governments in Punjab and hope to see a comprehensive law as soon as possible”, says Nadeem Ahmad of WaterAid Pakistan.
The writer is a freelancer

ECC allows 150MW additional power supply to Karachi

ByAPP

Description: https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/4-3-696x342.jpg
·       Committee approves Rs1.8bn power subsidy for tribal districts
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Wednesday allowed an additional supply of 150MW power through the national grid to K-Electric in order to address the power shortage problem in Karachi.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired the ECC meeting, which was convened to deliberate upon various proposals and recommendations submitted by the divisions.
The Power Division had moved a summary to seek ECC’s approval to allow an additional supply of power to Karachi.
The ECC also approved additional subsidy of Rs1.8 billion to Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO) so as to ensure additional power to seven tribal agencies of ex-Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) during Ramzan.
The Power Division informed the committee that the government had been paying the electricity bills of the domestic consumers of former tribal agencies through subsidy of Rs1.3 billion per month.
The ECC also acceded to the proposal of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority by granting tax exemption to the projects being constructed under the Saudi Fund for Development Grant.
On the occasion, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research secretary gave a presentation to the committee, updating it about the availability of wheat stock in the country.
He informed that the wheat procurement process was being conducted smoothly by the provincial government (Punjab) and Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).
The committee approved the proposed procurement target of the wheat crop for the year 2018-19 to the tune of 5.15 million tonnes with a financial limit of Rs158.5 billion.
On the proposal of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the ECC waived off demurrage (KPT storage charges) on the consignments of rice to be distributed among the needy people by a non-profit welfare organization working for the poor and the needy people of the country.
The committee also approved technical supplementary and supplementary grants for different ministries/divisions

S. Korea Introduces First Autonomous Rice Planter for Commercial Use

Description: http://cache-02.cleanprint.net/media/pfviewer/images/CleanPrintBtn_text_small.png

Description: The autonomous rice transplanter follows the seedbed and plants rice seedlings on its own. (image: SK Telecom Co.)
The autonomous rice transplanter follows the seedbed and plants rice seedlings on its own. (image: SK Telecom Co.)
SEOUL, May 16 (Korea Bizwire) — SK Telecom Co., in cooperation with Daedong Industrial Co., South Korea’s largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery, has developed an autonomous rice transplanter for commercial use.
It is country’s first autonomous agricultural machinery to be commercialized using mobile communications technology.
The autonomous rice transplanter follows the seedbed and plants rice seedlings on its own.
The vehicle is capable of maintaining course, keeping space between seedlings, and sprinkling fertilizer to carry out variety of tasks.
Farmers, in the meantime, can engage in other tasks, reducing labor costs while maximizing yield.
The transplanter is equipped with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) technology, which uses location data it received from global positioning system (GPS) and LTE-M, an exclusive network for Internet of Things (IoT), to reduce the margin of error down to centimeters.
“Incorporating ICT into agriculture raises productivity because it becomes so much easier for everyone to handle the machinery,” said Park Jin-hyo, head of the ICT R&D Center at SK Telecom.
“This will solve a variety of social issues faced by farmers, and bring the primary industries into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)

Rice, palay prices continue to decline

Local market preparing for influx of cheap imports
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:18 AM May 16, 2019
Prices of palay and rice continued to fall for the fourth consecutive month as the local market prepared for the arrival of more imported rice.
Meanwhile, farmers reeling from low prices await the disbursement of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which should aid them in the transition toward the deregulation of rice trade.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the average farm-gate price of palay further slid to P18.37 a kilo in April from P20.71 last year, down 11.3 percent.
Similarly, the average retail prices of regular milled and well-milled rice declined to P39.15 and P43.52 a kilo, respectively, from P40.03 and P43.77 last year.
Industry sources said the market was slowly adjusting to the expected arrival of more imported rice this year after the government allowed the unimpeded entry of the staple to tame prices.
Farmers are seen to bear the birthing pains of the new policy, especially with the slow disbursement of the annual P10-billion subsidy intended for the sector’s development.
In some regions, palay prices have declined to P14 a kilo, with no indications of when the downward trend will stop.
While farmers may choose to sell their produce to the National Food Authority at P20.70 a kilo, the agency’s absorptive capacity is only 2 percent of the country’s palay production.
The RCEF is intended to cushion rice farmers from the blows of liberalization by subsidizing them with machinery and seeds and by providing credit and training to ensure that they become competitive against more affordable imported rice.
But until now, only P1 billion of the P10-billion subsidy has been funneled to the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, which was created in 1986 by virtue of Executive Order No. 113 to assist the Department of Agriculture (DA) in synchronizing all credit policies and programs in support of the latter’s priority programs.
Economic Planning Assistant Secretary Mercedita Sombilla said another P5 billion would be released by the third quarter of the year, while the remaining P4 billion is still being contested as to whether or not it should be pulled out from the DA’s own rice fund.
A report made by the Global Agricultural Information Network said the benefits of the new rice law would be realized only after two years and only if the government’s interventions would be effective.
The deregulation of rice trade is seen to cut retail prices in half over the next few years while lowering the cost of producing rice and provide fresh revenue to the national government in the form of tariffs.

China accelerates rice cultivation in saline soil

Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 14:47:28|Editor: Liangyu
Description: CHINA-AGRICULTURE-SALINE ALKALI SOIL (CN)

A farmer checks cultivated sea asparagus, a genus of succulent halophyte plants that originally grow in salt marshes or saline-alkali soils, at a greenhouse in Yangkou Town of Shouguang City, east China's Shandong Province, Nov. 24, 2016. China has about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali soil, of which about one fifth could be ameliorated to arable soil. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhilong)
CHANGSHA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A leading saline soil rice research center in eastern China's Shandong Province made the decision to expand its experimental land to over 666 hectares early this month.
The Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center in the coastal city of Qingdao said the move aims to speed up research and development and optimize the types of saline soil rice.
The center said one other important purpose of the expansion is to seek the best cultivation methods.
"All strains of rice to be grown on the experimental land passed regional experiments in different types of saline soil," said Zhang Guodong, deputy director of the center.
Zhang noted that regional experiments were conducted in Xinjiang, Bohai Gulf in eastern China, northeastern China and coastal areas in southeastern China.
"We were surprised by parts of the experimental data last year. And this year, we are not only expanding the test area but also making stricter test parameters in order to better simulate actual production," Zhang added.
The center has set a target of 300 kg yield per mu (one mu is equivalent to 666 square meters). Meanwhile, researchers will study which rice types are suitable for which areas and which saline-alkali land needs to be ameliorated.
Rice is a staple food in China, as well as many other Asian countries.
China has about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali soil, of which about one fifth could be ameliorated to arable soil.
"This is not a small amount. We want to ameliorate 6.7 million hectares of saline-alkali soil at first, and then expand the area gradually. But the task cannot be done by any single institution; we need to work together," Zhang said.

Unbelievably simple solutions

05:36 AM May 16, 2019
There is an unbelievably simple solution offered by Asia Rice Foundation chair Santiago Obien. It is to address the plight of our rice farmers who are now confronted with the recent 35-percent tariff on imports and are instead offered complicated measures.
This is specially important because more than 40 percent of our farmers will not survive this low tariff. Experts such as International Federation of Agricultural Producers vice president Raul Montemayor and PhilRice vice president Flordelis Bordey have the same position: To survive, rice farmers should produce at least four tons per hectare to bring down their average production cost significantly and immediately. This will enable them to compete with the cheap rice imports. Unfortunately, almost half of our rice farmers cannot do this now.
The Food and Beverage magazine reported: “Local farmers will be affected by the introduction of more foreign competitors. How they fare in the face of that competition will depend on the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) that the law has put into place.”
Herein lies the problem. RCEF allocates P10 billion annually to support the rice farmers distributed as follows: 50 percent for machines, 30 percent for seeds, 10 percent for credit and 10 percent for extension. Were the appropriate rice experts and farmers consulted regarding this distribution?
Probably not enough. Commenting on the 50-percent allocation for machines and zero for fertilizers, Obien states: “Rice plants must have food to grow and produce grains. The food [or fertilizer] is missing in the law. Machines for better land preparation and harvesting will indeed reduce the cost of rice production. But reducing this cost on an average yield of 4 tons per hectare will not mean much. The yield must first be increased. This is done by providing food to the plant so that the high-yielding varieties will reach their yield potentials of 6 to 10-12 tons. Then you are competitive. The basis for this claim is the result of the long-term nutrients experience of International Rice Research Institute and Philrice Maligaya for over 50 years.”
Definitely, mechanization is good. But akin to saving a person about to die in a hospital’s Intensive Car Unit where one must take emergency measures before the long-term ones, farmers must immediately raise their yields even before the longer term and more complex solution of mechanization. When I talked to other rice experts and rice farmers about Obien’s unbelievably simple solution, they unanimously agreed. They were disappointed that that many of them were not consulted.
Other thoughts came through regarding the RCEF distribution. On the 30-percent allocation for seeds, it was calculated that the use of hybrid seeds increases average yield by 50 percent from 4 to 6 tons per ha at a seed cost of less than P6,000. But the RCEF does not support hybrid seeds. Because of our 5.7 million denuded ha and our low water tables, irrigation now often yields only the same 50-percent yield increase that the hybrids can obtain. P6,000 in hybrid seeds is far less than the minimum P300,000 in irrigation, which produces the same 50-percent increase in many areas.
The 10-percent credit allocation of P1 billion a year hardly scratches the surface to help rice farmers. Land Bank’s 2017 Annual Report states that only 7.5 percent (or P45 billion) of their loanable funds went to small farmers and fisherfolk. The RCEF’s P1-billion credit support can instead be sourced from the balance of Landbank’s loans (of P600 billion), instead of some of this balance going to nonagriculture beneficiaries. Alternatively, much of Landbank’s net profit (P16 billion for 2017) can go to rice farmers, instead of being entirely given to the government’s treasury.
With the newly elected local and national government officials, it is hoped that more consultation is done with private sector experts and stakeholders. This way, unbelievably simple but effective solutions can be implemented, instead of complicated measures that are the product of insufficient thought and inadequate private sector interaction.
The author is Agriwatch chair, former Secretary for Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects, and former undersecretary for DTI and DA. Contact him via agriwatch_phil@yahoo.com.

Plan to check Fall Armyworm attack

TIRUCHI, MAY 15, 2019 22:51 IST
UPDATED: MAY 15, 2019 22:51 IST
With the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) causing extensive damage to maize crops in Tiruchi, Karur, Perambalur and several other districts in Tamil Nadu last year, the State government, in coordination with various Central and state government organisations, is set to evolve an action plan to prevent the pest attack in the crop this year.
On Wednesday, state agricultural officers attended a workshop on management of Fall Armyworm at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute on the outskirts of the city. The workshop was organised by the Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (CIPMC) in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)- KrishiVigyan Kendra (KVK).
V.Dakshinamoorthy, Director of Agriculture, said steps were being taken to evolve an integrated approach to prevent attack of the invasive pest this year. The two-day workshop would evolve and finalise an integrated crop protection protocol to prevent the pest attack.
Maize is grown on about 3.5 lakh hectares in the state and the pest had caused extensive damage in the crop last year. The pest had spread rapidly within a short period across various districts and caused damage to the crop despite various control measures.
Scientists from various agencies would share their expertise and experience to finalise the approach to be adopted to check the pest attack. Assistant Directors of Agriculture (Quality Control) and Agricultural Officers of all districts would be trained on the measures to be adopted to control the pest. Agriculture officers had a major responsibility in taking the message to the farmers.
P. Sankaralingam, Additional Director of Agriculture (Research), Directorate of Agriculture, elaborated the importance of research and management strategies to control the pest.
S. Gnanasambandan, Head, CIPMC, underlined the importance of collective and collaborative efforts by various government agencies and research institutions in the management of Fall Army Worm during the forthcoming season.
K. Prabakar, Director, Centre for Plant Protection Services (CPPS), N. Sathiah, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Entomology, and N.Muthukrishnan, Professor and Nodal Officer (FAW), Department of Agricultural Entomology, TNAU, Coimbatore, explained the integrated pest management capsule developed by TNAU for management of the pest in maize and other issues requiring research.
Various other experts including C. Elangovan, Head, Regional Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (RCIPMC), Bengaluru, P. Masilamani, Dean, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, J. Diraviyam, ICAR- Kirishi Vigyan Kendra, Karur, and V. Ambethgar, Director, TNAU-Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai, spoke.
The Joint Directors of Agriculture from various districts along with all scientists and technical experts from various agencies deliberated on integrated pest management modules developed by TNAU and ICAR to finalise the action plan for the 2019-20.

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Report: Rice price falls as North Koreans turn to other crops
MAY 15, 2019 / 1:25 PM
Description: https://cdnph.upi.com/svc/sv/upi/8211557940408/2019/1/d724d47f7c9fb03930b9152a2376f6fb/Report-Rice-price-falls-as-North-Koreans-turn-to-other-crops.jpg
North Koreans are turning to wheat and corn and buying less rice, according to a South Korean analyst. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
May 15 (UPI) -- The price of rice, a staple North Korean crop, is falling, despite heavy sanctions and peak demand season, according to a South Korean analyst.
Prices have been falling steadily since late 2018, when rice prices hovered at 5,000 North Korean won ($4.21) per kilogram (2.2 pounds). The price had reached 4,180 won ($3.52) by Tuesday, South Korean news service Seoul Pyongyang News reported.
Kwon Tae-jin, head of the North Korea and Northeast Asia Research Center at the GS&J Institute in the South, told SPN demand for rice has declined among ordinary North Koreans because of economic difficulties.
Kwon also said North Koreans are turning to substitutes, including wheat flour or corn. Flour-based food products are increasingly used among North Korean food vendors, Kwon said.
Flour comprises 80 percent of imported foods, according to the analyst.
A source in North Korea's Ryanggang Province told SPN flour is preferable because it can be cooked in a variety of ways. The source added flour prices are rising, and at a higher rate than the price of rice: Flour now trades at 4,300 won ($3.62) per kilogram and corn at 1,800 won ($1.52) per kilogram.
The North Korean diet is evolving at a time when the country continues to claim it is suffering the worst drought in nearly 40 years.
State-controlled news agency KCNA said Wednesday about two inches of rain fell across the country during the first four months of 2018.
Precipitation has reached only 42 percent of normal rainfall, according to Pyongyang's news agency.
South Korea has offered humanitarian assistance, but the North has reacted negatively to the news and suggested this week Seoul is not doing enough to expedite the food aid, or reopen Kaesong, the jointly operated factory park in the North.
SCUs and unifying R & D efforts
MAY 16, 2019
SCUS AND UNIFYING R & D EFFORTS
Description: https://s14255.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Dr-William-Dar-Ways-of-the-Oasis.jpgDR. WILLIAM DAR
Second of two parts
I stated in the first part of this two-part series that one of my wishes is that state colleges and universities (SCUs) would become one of the main pillars of agricultural research and development (ARD) in the near future. However, the ARD efforts of SCUs must also be complemented with stronger extension programs, so smallholder farmers and fisherfolk would benefit from matured technologies immediately. And I mean, immediately!
Also, the matured technologies should have the following benefits: put in place a new technology or practice; can be adopted by a producer or agribusiness to upgrade or improve operations; can result in greater yields and higher product quality; save costs; and improve sustainability.
While many believe in the capabilities of a growing number of SCUs when it comes to ARD, there needs to be a better mechanism or system to set the overall research agenda and rationalize funding for research efforts.
In the Philippines, the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) should have stronger and better coordination while collaborating with the Commission on Higher Education on getting SCUs more involved in research.
The stronger and better coordination between BAR and PCAARD should result in developing jointly a unified/harmonized research for development (R4D) agenda including that of upscaling and technology commercialization, and joint review and approval of R4D proposals.
Again, I mentioned R4D that is distinct from traditional research and development (R&D) that has been more concerned on developing new technologies with little or no regard to societal impact, especially on smallholders and the marginalized of society.
SCUs can also be counted on to compliment or collaborate in the R4D efforts of agriculture research institutions, which, sad to say, are still few in number in the Philippines.
Under the Department of Agriculture (DA), we have the Philippine Rice Research Institutions (PhilRice), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and Philippine Rubber Research Institute (PRRI).
PhilRice was established in 1985 or very much delayed. For one, the African Rice Center was founded in 1971. PhilMech traces its roots to agencies involved in post-harvest research and was formally given a mandate for mechanization in 2010.
Meanwhile, the PCC was created in 2010 but still needs a lot of levelling up as it is the de facto dairy research institute in the Philippines. It must also build partnerships with other countries to develop the local carabao industry
The PRRI is also relatively new and has yet to make an impact, which is understandable.
Also under the DA are regulatory agencies that can upscale or level up their R4D activities are the Philippine Coconut Authority and Sugar Regulatory Administration.
While the country’s top export are coconut products, the average annual yield of coconut trees in the Philippines is 35 to 45 nuts, which is way below India’s 250 nuts,
Mexico’s 300 nuts and Brazil’s 400 nuts.
So why don’t we establish another R4D center for coconut?
As for sugar, much of the research is being done by the Philippine Sugar Research Institute Inc. (Philsurin), a private industry initiative. I have yet to see a groundbreaking research initiative from Philsurin, which may indicate it needs more support from both the private sector and government.
More research institutes needed 
We also need R4D centers for corn and I find this logical since the DA has a national corn program. With a corn research institute, our total corn production can be improved and we can even aspire to export the commodity.
As for coffee, research is mainly funded by corporations such as Nestle’ while the establishment of the Cacao Research Center is being pushed by industry players.
For fisheries, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources must improve its R4D efforts or back the current research efforts being conducted by SCUs.
Clearly, there is a dire need to level up and coordinate the R4D efforts for agriculture in the country, and for Congress to be informed on the need to create more ARD institutions for commodities like coffee, cacao, sugar, coconut, among others. Also, Congress must provide more funding for R4D efforts in agriculture.
Besides SCUs, local government units can be valuable partners in technology piloting and commercialization that can be made part of their extension mandate for agriculture.
We could also involve nongovernment organizations, the private sector and foreign institutions to put into place ARD that should ultimately result in more wealth creation and poverty reduction.
This means the ARD agenda should focus on smallholder farmers and fisherfolk, and especially women and the youth. For the youth, there should be incentives to attract them into the agriculture sector, so we can also address the critical issue of aging farmers.
Furthermore, and I have stated this many times, R4D must have real applications in the real world, and one that results in the creation of more business enterprises. This also means R4D should lead to innovation that is entrepreneurial in nature, as opposed to being only or mostly technological.
I must emphasize that ARD should become one of our top priorities as land and water resources needed to grow more are dwindling but the country’s population continues to increase.
And while there is still a lack of commodity-based research institutions in the Philippines, SCUs can be tapped to take the lead in the interim or be part of an effort spearheaded by the private sector.
By also doing that, more of the youth can also be attracted to the agriculture sector or join the ranks of researchers in the country.
And it was Jose Rizal in his poem “To the Filipino Youth” who said that the country’s future also lies in the hands of its younger generation.

Concrete Based on Agricultural Waste Materials

·       by Pareesh Phulkar May 15, 2019
 Description: Concrete Based on Agricultural Waste Materials
Researchers from Monash University Malaysia analyzed the engineering properties of concrete produced using widespread agricultural wastes
Increasing amount of waste generated is a major concern for a sustainable environment. According to a report by the World Bank, over 2.01 billion tons of solid waste was generated in cities worldwide in 2016, which amounted for a footprint of 0.74 kg per person per day. The phenomenon of rapid waste generation is highly evident in urban poor regions in emerging economies. Improper waste management or accumulation can lead to several disease vectors and also increase methane emission that can contribute to global warming. Now, a team of researchers from Monash University Malaysia assessed general properties of selected agricultural wastes that are suitable for concrete production.
The team compared the properties of palm oil fuel ash, rice husk ash, sugarcane bagasse ash, and bamboo leaf ash with ordinary Portland cement. Palm oil fuel ash is one of the major cash crops in several tropical countries.  It can be used in concrete either as aggregates, supplementary cementitious materials or as filler material, owing to its high amorphous content with silicon dioxide as the main constituent. Rice is one of the three major food crops worldwide. Rice husk is used to produce various useful products. The rice husk ash contains 90–96% amorphous silica, which can be used as alternative binder for concrete.
Sugarcane bagasse ash is produced as a fibrous residue after crushing and juice extraction in water media in sugar factories. It contains large amounts of silicon dioxide and significant amount of aluminum oxide, iron (iii) oxide, and calcium oxide, which makes it an excellent option as binder to cement in concrete production. Bamboo leaf ash is rich with silicon dioxide and demonstrates high pozzolanic reaction when used as binders for producing concrete. According to the researchers, increasing focus is required on the long-term properties of agricultural waste materials, along with development in production technology. The research was published in the journal MDPI Materials on April 3, 2019

Right Balance of Phosphate and Nitrate Facilitates Crop Yield, Study Finds
A team of researchers examined the factors in plant nutrition that can ensure higher yield in some crops.
The research team demonstrated that a perfect balance of nitrate and phosphorus determined the yield in Asian rice (Oryza sativa). The two minerals were transferred to the crop from the soil, and through the roots. According to co-author Dr. Stanislav Kopriva from the University of Cologne’s Botanical Institute and the Cluster of Excellence CEPLAS, a healthy balance of nutrients is required to ensure optimum growth of living organisms. However, not much research has been conducted on how this theory could affect plant growth. The research team from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China had previously established that phosphate, combined with the right amount of nitrogen, could positively impact growth and yield of crops. Dr. Kopriva adds, “Together, we have now discovered the mechanism by which nitrogen controls the absorption of phosphate.”
A thorough analysis at a molecular level unveiled an interaction between NRT1.1B, a nitrate sensor, and SPX4, a phosphate signaling repressor that triggered the process within the plant. “The sensor that recognizes nitrate quantities enable the synthesis of the so-called transporters that carry the phosphate into the plant,” Prof. Kopriva explained. The researchers noted that although most components are individually distinguishable, the current research identified a signaling chain which brought the mechanisms together. “This gives us a completely new understanding of how to control plant nutrition. In addition, it enables specific manipulations to either couple the uptake of both nutrients more closely or to separate them from each other, depending on how nutrient-rich the soil on which the rice grows is.” Prof. Kopriva concluded.
The findings of this study could pave the way for more research associated with plant nutrition, and could prove beneficial in achieving higher crop yield in the future.

Slow growth in global rice supply seen

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM May 16, 2019
The global rice supply for this year until 2020 is expected to register the slowest growth in 13 years as consumption outpaces production because more countries are projected to turn to rice as a staple.
This was disclosed in the latest report of the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN), where it pegged global rice supply to reach 499.9 million metric tons, which is slightly higher compared to the previous level of 495 million MT.
Similarly, global consumption is expected to rise by 1.5 percent to 489.5 million MT, with the Philippines seen to contribute to the trend given the expected abundance of local rice supply and more affordable imports.
Following the passage of the Rice Import Liberalization Law, which will deregulate rice trade, GAIN forecast an increase in the country’s imports by 200,000 MT to 2.8 million MT.
Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are also growing rice as a staple to cope with rising population, given the affordability of the crop. —KARL R. OCAMPO

Rice training program held in the Upper West Region

Business News of Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Agricultural Manufacturing Group logo
Description: Amg Fertilizer Global consumption of rice has seen a slight increase over the last several years. In the 2018/2019 crop year, about 490.27 million metric tons of rice was consumed worldwide, up from 437.18 million metric tons in the 2008/2009 crop year. In Ghana’s jurisdiction, 66% of rice consumed is imported and $400 million to $500 dollars is expensed on rice imports annually. Then again, Ghana imports 680,000 metric tons of rice annually.

Agricultural Manufacturing Group’s (AMG) quest to complement the Ministry of Agriculture’s plans to reduce the importation of rice by at least 50 percent this year led to the organisation of a robust rice training program in the Upper West Region.

The training program took place in Kokoligu, Gengenkpe, Tuopari, Karni, Piina and Tapiimo.

Henry Otoo-Mensah, General Manager of Agricultural Manufacturing Ghana had the following to say during an interview.

"We are fulfilling our objectives which is keenly in tandem with that of Ministry of Food and Agriculture. One of our crucial objectives lies in building the capacity of the average Ghanaian farmer through knowledge sharing and extension service. This will equip them to better apply our inputs for higher and sustainable yield”

“MOFA wants to reduce the importation of rice by at least 50 percent this year. We believe in that objective and it is possible with the Chiefs, farmers and extension officers on board. This all-important rice training program will earnestly prepare us in that national direction” Mr. Henry Otoo-Mensah contended in the interview.

The Rice Training Program (RTP) was done in collaboration with MOFA extension officers, Inputs distributors and AMG fertiliser partners from ROSIER. Relevant stakeholders such as community chiefs and farmers graced the training program.

The theme of the program was to educate farmers on how to increase their crop yield through appropriate fertiliser application. Farmers were also shown demonstrations from planting of hybrid seed rice, maize and Sorghum to the application of granular and foliar fertilisers. Over 500 stakeholders and farmers were part of the massive training program.

According to Henry Otoo-Mensah, AMG General Manager, the rice training program will only enlighten farmers in the light of fertiliser application and good seed usage geared towards increasing crop yield per acre. He further reiterated that; AMG are committed to the Minister’s objective of halving the importation of rice in the country.

“Approximately, the average yield of rice and maize crop per acre in Kokoligu, Gengenkpe, Tuopari, Karni, Piina and Tapiimo is 3bags (300kg) per acre. More importantly, we believe our training program will assist farmers to attain an average of 12 bags per acre of cultivated land, which is in line with MOFA’s objective”

AMD also took the opportunity to educate farmers on profitable maize cultivation and fertilizer application thereof. Farmers were further enlightened on how to access the planting for food and jobs crop seeds and fertilisers as well as the necessary modalities in their line of operations.

Unbelievably simple solutions

05:36 AM May 16, 2019
There is an unbelievably simple solution offered by Asia Rice Foundation chair Santiago Obien. It is to address the plight of our rice farmers who are now confronted with the recent 35-percent tariff on imports and are instead offered complicated measures.
This is specially important because more than 40 percent of our farmers will not survive this low tariff. Experts such as International Federation of Agricultural Producers vice president Raul Montemayor and PhilRice vice president Flordelis Bordey have the same position: To survive, rice farmers should produce at least four tons per hectare to bring down their average production cost significantly and immediately. This will enable them to compete with the cheap rice imports. Unfortunately, almost half of our rice farmers cannot do this now.
The Food and Beverage magazine reported: “Local farmers will be affected by the introduction of more foreign competitors. How they fare in the face of that competition will depend on the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) that the law has put into place.”
Herein lies the problem. RCEF allocates P10 billion annually to support the rice farmers distributed as follows: 50 percent for machines, 30 percent for seeds, 10 percent for credit and 10 percent for extension. Were the appropriate rice experts and farmers consulted regarding this distribution?
Probably not enough. Commenting on the 50-percent allocation for machines and zero for fertilizers, Obien states: “Rice plants must have food to grow and produce grains. The food [or fertilizer] is missing in the law. Machines for better land preparation and harvesting will indeed reduce the cost of rice production. But reducing this cost on an average yield of 4 tons per hectare will not mean much. The yield must first be increased. This is done by providing food to the plant so that the high-yielding varieties will reach their yield potentials of 6 to 10-12 tons. Then you are competitive. The basis for this claim is the result of the long-term nutrients experience of International Rice Research Institute and Philrice Maligaya for over 50 years.”
Definitely, mechanization is good. But akin to saving a person about to die in a hospital’s Intensive Car Unit where one must take emergency measures before the long-term ones, farmers must immediately raise their yields even before the longer term and more complex solution of mechanization. When I talked to other rice experts and rice farmers about Obien’s unbelievably simple solution, they unanimously agreed. They were disappointed that that many of them were not consulted.
Other thoughts came through regarding the RCEF distribution. On the 30-percent allocation for seeds, it was calculated that the use of hybrid seeds increases average yield by 50 percent from 4 to 6 tons per ha at a seed cost of less than P6,000. But the RCEF does not support hybrid seeds. Because of our 5.7 million denuded ha and our low water tables, irrigation now often yields only the same 50-percent yield increase that the hybrids can obtain. P6,000 in hybrid seeds is far less than the minimum P300,000 in irrigation, which produces the same 50-percent increase in many areas.
The 10-percent credit allocation of P1 billion a year hardly scratches the surface to help rice farmers. Land Bank’s 2017 Annual Report states that only 7.5 percent (or P45 billion) of their loanable funds went to small farmers and fisherfolk. The RCEF’s P1-billion credit support can instead be sourced from the balance of Landbank’s loans (of P600 billion), instead of some of this balance going to nonagriculture beneficiaries. Alternatively, much of Landbank’s net profit (P16 billion for 2017) can go to rice farmers, instead of being entirely given to the government’s treasury.
With the newly elected local and national government officials, it is hoped that more consultation is done with private sector experts and stakeholders. This way, unbelievably simple but effective solutions can be implemented, instead of complicated measures that are the product of insufficient thought and inadequate private sector interaction.
The author is Agriwatch chair, former Secretary for Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects, and former undersecretary for DTI and DA. Contact him via agriwatch_phil@yahoo.com.

Millers worried about fall in paddy arrivals

CHENNAI, MAY 16, 2019 01:00 IST

Blame collection of marketing fee by Agriculture Department officials

Rice millers are worried about a drop in paddy arrivals from other States and the resultant increase in prices of paddy this season. A 75-kg bag of paddy that sold at 1,200, is now priced at 1,400, which also finds reflection in rice prices.
The reason that the Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Millers and Paddy, Rice Dealers’ Association attributes for this fall in arrivals is the collection of marketing fee under the Agricultural Marketing Act at places other than marketing committee yards.
A.C. Mohan, the federation secretary, said Agriculture Department officials were stopping vehicles from other States and collecting the fee on the roads. “They are also visiting mills where farmers are directly selling paddy. The fee is not just for paddy but for all foodgrains and agricultural products, including cotton,” he explained.
Under the Act, it is mandated that marketing yards with facilities including storage spaces, weighbridges and parking space be provided for farmers. “At these points, the produce is weighed and according to the its quality, a fair price is fixed. The government collects 1% of the total sale value,” he explained.
However, a G.O. issued in February gives powers to the Department to collect the fee wherever it wants. D. Thulasingam, the federation president, said this was unfair.
“The government does not provide any service like weighing or grading, then why should it collect a fee from a truck carrying paddy say from West Bengal or Andhra Pradesh? They just stop vehicles and collect the fee. These points become checkposts, though under the GST, checkposts and unnecessary taxes and fees were done away with,” he said.
Official sources in the Agriculture Department said this involved legal issues. “We will still look into the demand of the millers,” said the official.

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Corporate corner



LARKANA (PR): “In line with Allied Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy to create awareness on financial inclusion avenues for the small and medium enterprises & agri financing and to create conducive environment for women entrepreneurs to thrive and prosper, an awareness seminar was conducted on both SME & Agri Finance & Women Empowerment recently at Larkana. The session was attended by senior officials of Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) along with around 80 participants including members from small and medium enterprises, rice millers, notable business community members, agriculturists & members of commerce and other trade bodies of the area and the corporate depositors of SRSO. Fasih Siddiqui from ABL briefed the participants about the SME & Agri products being offered by the Bank. Further, in accordance with the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) and strategic directions of SBP, a detailed presentation was also given on SBP refinance products for SME & Agri business, warehouse financing, green banking initiative, refinancing facility for women entrepreneurs, highlighting the focus of both the regulator and the Bank on the sector.
Telenor unveils Sustainability Report 2017-18
ISLAMABAD (PR): Telenor Pakistan, one of country’s leading telecom operators, has unveiled its Sustainability Report 2017-18 which highlights the company’s transformative efforts towards building Pakistan’s economy and society. By staying true to its purpose of connecting people to what matters most and integrating the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to its core strategies and activities, Telenor Pakistan continues to make significant contributions to the country’s socioeconomic progress.
The report delves into Telenor Pakistan’s investments in the country in addition to the contributions it has made to the national exchequer in lieu of direct and indirect taxes. It also provides insights into the company’s role as one of Pakistan’s leading employers with thousands of direct and indirect employees. The powerful social impact of Telenor Pakistan’s digital interventions in critical domains of life, such as agriculture, digital literacy, diversity & inclusion, environment, human rights andethics &compliance, is also one of the key takeaways of the Sustainability Report.
“The Sustainability Report 2017-18 effectively summarizes our efforts and testifies to our progress being in the right direction,” said Kamal Ahmed, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Telenor Pakistan. “As we envision empowering the communities that we operate in, the report helps us keep good track of our journey towards sustainable, transparent, efficient, and innovative business practices in the country. At Telenor Pakistan, we stay committed to helping shape Pakistan’s future through sustainable development in all areas and will continue to explore more innovative ways to serve the country better.” Kamal added.
Punjab food minister visits Tetra Pak factory
LAHORE (PR): Punjab Minister for Food Sami Ullah Chaudhary visited Tetra Pak Pakistan’s state-of-the-art packaging material manufacturing factory in Sundar Industrial Estate on 14th May, where he was briefed on the company’s world class manufacturing processes and plant features. The visit was followed by handing over of six milk-testing units to the government to aid in the objective of provision of safe milk to the masses.
Chaudhary was given a tour of the factory, which included factory operations and an overview of food processing packaging and the dairy value chain in the Innovation Room. The minster experienced first-hand the enforcement of world class occupational health and safety standards and manufacturing processes practiced by Tetra Pak. As per the company’s slogan of committing to make food safe and available everywhere, Tetra Pak is deeply appreciative of the Prime Minister’s stance on providing pure milk to the masses and as such took this opportunity to present the provincial food department with 6 milk testing units to further their efforts in proving safe and healthy milk.
Upon visiting the factory, the minister showed satisfaction and appreciated the efforts made by Tetra Pak to maintain quality of production and increase customer awareness about packaged milk. Commenting on his visit, Chaudhary said, ‘’It is great to see Tetra Pak contributing in the food sector of Pakistan as a leading processing and packaging provider. Their environment-friendly techniques are very important for sustainable development and Tetra Pak is living according to these principles. We are also thankful to the company for the milk testing units, which will benefit us in the fight against adulterated milk.”
Towards the end of the visit, the food minister also took part in Tetra Pak’s plantation drive and planted a tree in the factory to advocate for a greener country. Tetra Pak is a socially responsible organization and has undertaken many community improvement initiatives while working with different NGOs, media and academic institutions.
Descon organises drive to plant over 2,000 trees
LAHORE (PR): Descon is doing its part to uplift the environment in Lahore by sponsoring an Afforestation Drive in the Bulley Shah Interchange area of the Lahore Ring Road. As an environmentally friendly organization, Descon collaborated with Go Green Lahore, to plant more than 2,000 trees at the Bulley Shah Interchange as part of the drive.
This plantation drive will help turn the vacant area of the Interchange into a greenbelt populated with a variety of indigenous trees such as Sumbul, Peepal, Neem and Sukh Chain among others.
Speaking about the drive, Faheem Butt, Head Administration said, “We have built our corporate culture to instil a sense of social responsibility in our employees. This afforestation drive is a great way for us to reinforce this while also allowing us to give back to the community. Just as importantly, initiatives such as this help to encourage our employees to be more environmentally friendly and to look for sustainable solutions, both of which are key values for us here at Descon.”

Slow growth in global rice supply seen

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM May 16, 2019
The global rice supply for this year until 2020 is expected to register the slowest growth in 13 years as consumption outpaces production because more countries are projected to turn to rice as a staple.
This was disclosed in the latest report of the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN), where it pegged global rice supply to reach 499.9 million metric tons, which is slightly higher compared to the previous level of 495 million MT.
Similarly, global consumption is expected to rise by 1.5 percent to 489.5 million MT, with the Philippines seen to contribute to the trend given the expected abundance of local rice supply and more affordable imports.
Following the passage of the Rice Import Liberalization Law, which will deregulate rice trade, GAIN forecast an increase in the country’s imports by 200,000 MT to 2.8 million MT.
Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are also growing rice as a staple to cope with rising population, given the affordability of the crop. —KARL R.








Indian rice prices slide to seven-month low as demand stalls
MAY 16, 2019 / 6:25 PM /
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export prices in top exporter India slid this week to their lowest in nearly seven months as demand continued to stagnate, while rates for Vietnamese rice dipped on expected increase in stockpiles after the summer harvest.
A worker uses his feet to spread rice for drying at a rice mill on the outskirts of Kolkata, India, January 31, 2019.Picture taken January 31, 2019. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
India’s 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $362-$365 a tonne this week, down from last week’s $371-$374 for a sixth weekly decline as it also came under pressure from depreciation in the rupee.
“Demand has dried up in the West African market, as they are sitting on high inventories,” said Nitin Gupta, vice president for Olam India’s rice business.
Aggressive selling of old inventories by China to African buyers is also weighing on prices, exporters said.
The rice-growing southern peninsula of India could receive 95% rainfall during the forthcoming monsoon, private weather forecaster Skymet said.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Bangladesh is planning to export surplus rice to protect farmers’ interests, food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar said, amid growers’ increasing frustration over low rice prices.
Farmers say that 40kg of paddy is being sold at about 500 taka ($5.90) against an average production cost of 700 taka, while the harvesting of the summer rice crop, known as Boro, is in full swing.
In Vietnam, rates for 5 percent broken rice fell to $355 a tonne on Thursday, compared with $365 a week earlier, on expectations that stockpiles will increase when the early harvest of the summer-autumn crop begins late this month.
“Rice exports from Vietnam this year are forecast to stay flat on last year but will gradually fall as the rice growing area is shrinks to give way to growing fruit trees,” a senior official with the Vietnam Food Association told Reuters.
“Though Chinese importers have reopened the door to Vietnamese rice, it’s not yet easy for Vietnamese exporters to boost their sales to China as several technical barriers are still in place,” the official added, referring to regulations on quality management, packaging and origins.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s benchmark 5-percent broken rice prices were unchanged at $385-$400 a tonne free on board (FOB) Bangkok.
But Thai traders said they were worried that Thai rice, currently priced higher than Vietnamese and Indian rice, is also losing competitiveness because the Thai baht is the strongest-performing currency in Asia this year.
The Thai Rice Exporters Association stood by its January forecast for Thailand to export 9.5 million tonnes this year, falling from last year’s 11 million tonnes because of the strong baht.
Thailand’s deputy commerce minister, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, on Wednesday said the country had exported 3.2 million tonnes of rice in the first four months of the year.
Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Arpan Varghese and David Goodman

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- MAY 16, 2019
MAY 16, 2019
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-May 16, 2018 Nagpur, May 16 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased buying support from local millers amid weak supply from producing belts. Sharp rise on NCDEX in gram prices, good rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses and repeated enquiries from South-based millers also helped to push up prices. About 700 bags of gram and 500 bags of tuar reported for auction, according to sources.

GRAM
* Desi gram prices firmed up in open market here on good buying support from

local traders.

TUAR
* Tuar Karnataka reported higher in open market on good seasonal demand from local

traders.

* Rice BPT and Chinnor varieties reported down in open market on poor demand from

local traders.

* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,400-5,550, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,000-8,200, Udid Mogar (clean)

– 6,900-7,800, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,000-8,600, Gram – 4,200-4,400, Gram Super best

– 6,000-6,200 * Other varieties of rice, wheat and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in

scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak trading activity.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close

Gram Auction 3,900-4,350 3,900-4,270

Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600

Tuar Auction 4,850-5,780 4,800-5,580

Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200

Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500

Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500

Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,800-1,970 1,750-1,950

Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000

Gram Super Best Bold 6,300-6,500 6,300-6,500

Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.

Gram Medium Best 5,900-6,100 5,900-6,100

Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a

Gram Mill Quality 4,500-4,600 4,500-4,600

Desi gram Raw 4,400-4,500 4,350-4,450

Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000

Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,400-8,500 8,400-8,500

Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200

Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,600-7,800 7,600-7,800

Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,300-7,500 7,300-7,500

Tuar Gavarani New 5,950-6,050 5,950-6,050

Tuar Karnataka 6,100-6,200 6,050-6,150

Masoor dal best 5,600-5,700 5,600-5,700

Masoor dal medium 5,400-5,500 5,400-5,500

Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,500-9,000 8,500-9,000

Moong Mogar Medium 7,000-7,800 7,000-7,800

Moong dal Chilka New 7,000-8,500 7,000-8,500

Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 8,200-9,000 8,000-9,000

Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000 6,000-7,000

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,900 4,500-4,900

Mot (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000 6,000-7,000

Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,600-4,800 4,600-4,800

Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,500 5,300-5,300

Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,700-6,900 6,700-6,900

Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200

Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100

Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600

Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500

Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300

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) 2,600-3,000 2,600-3,000

Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200

Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,500 3,300-3,800

Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-3,000 2,700-3,100

Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,100 2,800-3,200

Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000

Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700

Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400

Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,600 4,100-4,600

Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,900 3,600-3,900

Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400

Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800

Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,000 4,600-5,000

Rice Shriram New (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200

Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500

Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,000 5,000-7,000

Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,200 6,600-7,200

Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,500

Rice Chinnor New (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 5,000-5,200

Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550

Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 44.3 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 28.4 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Heat wave likely. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 45 degree Celsius and 28 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)
Source says FCI sells 29,490 tn rice in first open mkt sale 2019-20
Wednesday, May 15

FCI offered 300,000 tn rice under first open mkt sale '19-20

By Sampad Nandy

NEW DELHI – Food Corp of India sold 29,490 tn rice in the first round of auction under the Open Market Sale Scheme of 2019-20 (Apr-Mar), a senior official told Cogencis today. The agency had put up 300,000 tn of the food grain for auction. 

"This a very normal response for the first tender. Usually, states buy rice in large quantities for the various welfare schemes. Private purchases are very limited," the official said.

The government is selling rice at a reserve price of 2,785 rupees per 100 kg for Apr-Sep. 

In 2018-19 (Apr-Mar), the government had sold 846,080 tn of rice from the central pool, primarily to states, under the scheme. 

The entire quantum sold in the first tender was picked up by three states, with Karnataka buying 25,000 tn, he said.

The government has earlier notified that it will review the base selling price in October after it sets the minimum support price for rice. 

"Purchase by private players are likely to be limited this year as the reserve price has been raised. However, the government will look at ways to offload a higher quantum of the grain to liquidate the stock in the central pool," the official said. 

The government aims to offload 5.0 mln tn of rice under its open market sale scheme this financial year. 

As of Apr 1, the government had 29.39 mln tn of rice in the central pool, more than double the strategic and buffer stock requirement.  End

Edited by Mainak Moitra

Cogencis Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000
Send comments to feedback@cogencis.com
This copy was first published on the Cogencis WorkStation

Rice, palay prices continue to decline

Local market preparing for influx of cheap imports
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:18 AM May 16, 2019
Prices of palay and rice continued to fall for the fourth consecutive month as the local market prepared for the arrival of more imported rice.
Meanwhile, farmers reeling from low prices await the disbursement of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which should aid them in the transition toward the deregulation of rice trade.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the average farm-gate price of palay further slid to P18.37 a kilo in April from P20.71 last year, down 11.3 percent.
Similarly, the average retail prices of regular milled and well-milled rice declined to P39.15 and P43.52 a kilo, respectively, from P40.03 and P43.77 last year.
Industry sources said the market was slowly adjusting to the expected arrival of more imported rice this year after the government allowed the unimpeded entry of the staple to tame prices.
Farmers are seen to bear the birthing pains of the new policy, especially with the slow disbursement of the annual P10-billion subsidy intended for the sector’s development.
In some regions, palay prices have declined to P14 a kilo, with no indications of when the downward trend will stop.
While farmers may choose to sell their produce to the National Food Authority at P20.70 a kilo, the agency’s absorptive capacity is only 2 percent of the country’s palay production.
The RCEF is intended to cushion rice farmers from the blows of liberalization by subsidizing them with machinery and seeds and by providing credit and training to ensure that they become competitive against more affordable imported rice.
But until now, only P1 billion of the P10-billion subsidy has been funneled to the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, which was created in 1986 by virtue of Executive Order No. 113 to assist the Department of Agriculture (DA) in synchronizing all credit policies and programs in support of the latter’s priority programs.
Economic Planning Assistant Secretary Mercedita Sombilla said another P5 billion would be released by the third quarter of the year, while the remaining P4 billion is still being contested as to whether or not it should be pulled out from the DA’s own rice fund.
A report made by the Global Agricultural Information Network said the benefits of the new rice law would be realized only after two years and only if the government’s interventions would be effective.
The deregulation of rice trade is seen to cut retail prices in half over the next few years while lowering the cost of producing rice and provide fresh revenue to the national government in the form of tariffs.

Description: processed food

New study says processed foods make us crave more calories

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Mike Wehner Description: https://s2.wp.com/wp-content/themes/vip/bgr/assets/images/icons/twitter-blue.svg@MikeWehner
May 16th, 2019 at 11:07 PM
What is healthy when it comes to food? That’s a question that many people struggle to answer on a daily basis around the world. How much sugar, fat, carbs, and salt our bodies need has been the topic of debate for, well, pretty much forever, and constantly-shifting nutritional guidelines aren’t making things any easier to understand.
Calories are, of course, the biggest factor in how much weight a person loses or gains, but how we get those calories can vary dramatically from person to person. Now, a new study suggests that eating so-called “ultra-processed” foods may be fueling the obesity epidemic and contributing to overeating across the board.
The study, which was published in Cell Metabolism, focused on the eating habits of a group of 20 volunteers who agreed to follow specific eating guidelines for two weeks. The subjects selected for the study were considered “weight-stable,” meaning they had been maintaining their weight without any dramatic fluctuation.
The group was randomly split into two groups, with one group eating a diet of unprocessed foods and the other eating the oh-so-convenient ultra-processed foods, or “junk food,” as we often think of it.
“During each diet phase, the subjects were presented with three daily meals and were instructed to consume as much or as little as desired,” the researchers write. “Up to 60 min was allotted to consume each meal. Menus rotated on a 7-day schedule, and the meals were designed to be well matched across diets for total calories, energy density, macronutrients, fiber, sugars, and sodium, but widely differing in the percentage of calories derived from ultra-processed versus unprocessed foods.”
With no limitations placed on the number of calories any of the subjects were consuming, the participants ate until they were satisfied and full. Those in the processed diet group could eat chips, candy, cereals, and other energy-dense foods, while the others consumed cooked whole vegetables, minimally processed rice, and fruit. The scientists kept careful track of total calories consumed by each individual, and at the end of the test period, the difference was dramatic.
On average, those who were given the ultra-processed diet ate just over 500 more calories than those who ate the unprocessed foods. The ultra-processed group gained an average of two pounds during the two-week experiment, while the unprocessed food group lost roughly the same amount.
The study accounted for various macronutrients and attempted to match them up between both diets, but despite that, the group given the ultra-processed foods had to eat more calories to feel the same level of satisfaction that the unprocessed group received from a more modest amount of food. It’s definitely something to think about the next time you have the option between a hearty salad and a bag of chips.
Image Source: Keystone-SDA/REX/Shutterstock

Rice forecast upheld amid downturn

Description: C:\Users\Mujahid\Downloads\Rice forecast upheld amid downturn _ Bangkok Post_ business_files\c1_1678580_190516062255_620x413.jpg
The government maintains its rice export forecast at 10 million tonnes this year.
Despite the global economic slowdown, the government is maintaining its rice export forecast at 10 million tonnes this year.
Adul Chotinisakorn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said yesterday the Commerce Ministry still strongly believes potential buyers and importers are confident in the quality of Thai rice.
He said the country puts great emphasis on premium quality and speciality rice such as fragrant hom mali, coloured varieties with special characteristics and organic rice, all of which fetch higher export prices.
Rice-based innovative products have been developed with modern technology, said Mr Adul.
"Thailand has reigned for over three decades as one of the world's leading rice exporters. Thai rice, regarded among the world's best, is exported to countries around the globe, taking up 20-25% of the global market, generating an average annual income of over 150 billion baht," he said.
In 2018, Thailand exported 11.09 million tonnes of rice, worth about 180 billion baht.
Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the government must focus on policy and action plan to promote farmers' awareness of the quality of rice and market-driven production so that Thailand can maintain competitiveness and leadership in the global rice market.
In a related development, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, the acting commerce minister, said to boost rice exports Thailand is scheduled to host the Thailand Rice Convention 2019 from May 27-29.
The ninth convention will be held under the theme "Rice Style: The New Global Lifestyle", promoting value-added rice through innovation.
Ms Chutima said the convention is a great platform that promotes Thailand as the leading rice exporting country, while strengthening trade partnerships with representatives from related public and private sectors.
The convention is expected to draw 800 delegates, 300 of whom are key players from around the world and 500 are farmers and entrepreneurs from throughout Thailand.
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David Moyer: From the wastewater pond to the kitchen table
Columns | May 16, 2019
David Moyer
Other Voices

As a retired person, I find it easy these days to retreat from the concerns of the world and mindlessly watch TV. However, the other day two articles on the internet and a television ad jolted me out of my entertainment-mediated somnolence. But first, some context.
In 1989, scientists discovered a soil bacterium surviving in a glyphosate-contaminated wastewater pond in Louisiana owned by a company that makes a popular weed killer. Normally, glyphosate kills plants by blocking proteins essential to plant growth. The bacterium should not have survived in the toxic brew, but it did. Long story short, scientists went on to splice the gene from that bacterium into various crops so they too could survive glyphosate. Sounds good, so far.
Today, glyphosate is found in genetically modified crops such as corn, soy, alfalfa, and crops that are not genetically modified such as rice and wheat. Farmers desiccate their non-GMO crops with it to promote homogeneity during harvest. Millions of us use the stuff to kill weeds in our yards. It is in our breakfast cereals. It is in our water supplies.
Now for the not so good. It is ubiquitous. Since 1970, the frequency and volume of glyphosate-based herbicides increased 100 fold. Additional use of glyphosate is expected due to the expected evolution of more glyphosate-resistant plants. Currently 41 species of weeds resist the weed killer. Numerous glyphosate related health risks have been identified, but here we will focus on just one, the effect it has on our livers.
The FDA should have banned glyphosate years ago.
The first article in the Jan 9., 2017, issue of Scientific Reports is entitled “Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide. Rats exposed daily to levels of glyphosate well within the guidelines of the European and American regulatory agencies developed fatty liver disease.
The second was a CNBC article dated Dec. 30, 2018, entitled, ”The $35 billion race to cure a silent killer that affects 30 million Americans.” This silent killer is Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), also known as non-alcoholic fatty lever disease. According to the article, “The National Institutes of Health estimates as many as 30 million people, or 12 percent of U.S. adults, now have NASH.” The article attributes this to rising obesity rates. “Today we are seeing people in their 20s and 30s with NASH,” According to Dr. Leona Kim-Schluger, a hepatologist and professor at the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York,” the disease is even reaching the pediatric population. Caused by fat? Hmm …
MIT research scientists Samsel and Seneff, in a review of the scientific literature demonstrated that exposure to glyphosate causes or contributes to a host of chronic medical diseases, including fatty liver disease and kidney failure.
In the TV ad mentioned at the beginning of this article, lines of folks are waiting for their liver transplant. The narrator announces hopefully that you can move to the front of the line if you find a donor willing to share a part of their liver with you before you get too sick. In other words, find a partial donor before the line gets too long, before it is too late. The ad is foreboding and dystopian. The abnormal is normalized.
In a book I wrote in 2015, I introduced the term “perilous symbioses” in the context of mental illness. Here is simple example. An industry manufactures a toxin that increases the risk for depression (e.g., mercury) and the pharmaceutical industry comes up with a treatment for depression (e.g., antidepressants).
With glyphosate, we have an example of “perilous symbiosis.” Corporations manufacture glyphosate. The pharmaceutical industry works to develop a treatment to mitigate one of the harmful effects. Actually, when the toxic effects are particularly onerous, a third symbiotic beneficiary class, the lawyers, enter the fray. Note the appeal of the August 2018 $289 million finding against Monsanto for a glyphosate-linked terminal cancer. The court settled on $80 million. (I digress. I promised to only talk about livers.) To summarize, the beneficiaries of the perilous symbioses win. We, the public lose.
The FDA should have banned glyphosate years ago. For now, the most we consumers can do is to stay away from it, whether it is in our weed killer, our breakfast cereal, our nonorganic bread or our fast foods. As a prophet said of old, “They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind.”
David Moyer lives in Penn Valley.

Illegal paddy found stored in B'garh

 |  | BARGARH
The district administration conducted a raid on a rice mill. Lath Industry, at Patharla under Bargarh block where more than 2,500 quintals of paddy was found illegally stored.
The administration has registered a case against the mill and more investigation is going on.
Sources informed that some millers of Bargarh district have purchased paddy at Rs 1,300 per quintal in Chhatishgarh illegally.
Lath Industry got allotment of custom milling in Kharif season to provide 2.60 lakh quintals of rice in Bargarh district and 1.40 lakh quintals in Jagatsinghpur district. But the mill has not sent rice to Jagatsinghpur district yet. However, the Civil Supplies Department has included the  mill in paddy collection list in Rabi season. https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-editions/illegal-paddy-found-stored-in-b-garh.html

Cambodia's rice exports to China continue to rise in first 4 months

Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:31:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan
PHNOM PENH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 95,066 metric tons of milled rice to China in the first four months of 2019, a 66-percent increase over the same period last year, showed an official report released on Thursday.
China is still the top buyer of Cambodian rice during the January-April period this year, said the report of the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export, adding that export to China accounted for 44.5 percent of the country's total rice export.
It said the Southeast Asian country exported a total of 213,763 tons of rice to 46 countries and regions in the first four months of this year, up 8.3 percent over the same period last year.
The report noted that the kingdom exported 65,552 tons of rice to the European markets during the period, down 34 percent because, in January, the European Union imposed duties for three years on rice importing from Cambodia in a bid to curb a surge in rice imports from the kingdom and to protect European producers.
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Indo-China integration meets Cambodia’s interests

Published
 23 hours ago 

 May 16, 2019
By
Description: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Cambodia.jpg
Cambodia, which is located between Thailand and Vietnam and has a 440-kilometer coastal zone which is separated from the rest of the country by a mountain ridge, is in need of a “third neighbor” in order to survive economically and politically, and for improving its export opportunities.
Pnomh Penh’s hopes for partnership with the United States fell through. After Washington passed the Cambodia  Democracy Act in 2018 in support of the Cambodian opposition, it became clear that the US was ready to use legal instruments against Pnomh Penh to pursue its interests in the region.
At present, Cambodia’s “third neighbor” is China. Cambodia is doomed to participate in the Chinese infrastructure project “One Belt, One Road” because otherwise it will not get access to South East Asia markets. The extent to which the Cambodian economy is sensitive to market changes was demonstrated by Italy, which initiated extra duties on Cambodian rice imports into the EU. Rice is the main item of Cambodian food exports. Rome thereby secured a review of the Cambodia-EU “Everything Except Weapons” trade scheme.
In the course of a visit to  Beijing in January 2019 by Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, the Chinese side promised to allocate $ 588 million as aid for Cambodia by 2021, to increase rice imports to 400 thousand tons and boost bilateral trade volume to $ 10 billion by 2023 . This is designed to ensure the economic survival of Cambodia.
In foreign policy, Cambodia avoids aggravating relations with its neighbors lest there appear conflicts detrimental to the weak Cambodian economy, and underscores the importance of maintaining peace in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Phnom Penh is fully aware that it can improve its economic performance only on condition it maintains a long period of peace and strict neutrality. Cambodia is among the world’s fastest growing economies (7.5% in 2018). If the country is to preserve and build on the current pace of development, it will have to boost exports of manufactured goods (80% in the structure of exports) and rice, and should encourage tourism and attract foreign investment.
Phnom Penh is worried about two major problems in Asia – the North Korean issue and territorial disputes in the South China Sea as part of a greater US-China conflict.
Pnomh Penh sees the essence of the North Korean issue in that Cambodia traditionally maintains close economic and political ties with both Koreas. Cambodia and North Korea form a united front at international forums on the issue of human rights, North Korean military experts have assisted Cambodia with the development of a demining service, and North Korea has invested $ 24 million in the country’s tourism industry.
South Korea is the second largest investor for Cambodia after China. By 2018, the total volume of South Korean investments in Cambodia had reached $ 4.56 billion. For Pnomh Penh, Seoul is an influential economic player and cooperation with it contributes to the diversification of the Cambodian economy.
South Korean capital helps Phnom Penh to dilute the financial presence of Chinese investors in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone – the country’s main economic gateway. For Cambodia, the conflict between the two Koreas is fraught with significant financial and political losses.
In the opinion of Pnomh Penh, diplomatic clashes between the United States and China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea may exacerbate Cambodian-Vietnamese relations. Although relations between Cambodia and Vietnam have  always been tarnished by conflict,  Phnom Penh, following a policy of strict neutrality, has been promoting broader cooperation with Hanoi in recent years.
As Vietnam, unlike China, is moving closer to Washington, Phnom Penh does not want to find itself in a situation where he will have to make a clear choice in favor of one of the parties to the conflict. Militarization of Vietnam, whose territory blocks Cambodia’s access to the sea, will be ruinous for the economy of Cambodia.
Vietnamese seaports are the final point of the Southern Economic Corridor, which runs from Myanmar via Thailand and Cambodia to Vietnam. Phnom Penh pins  big hopes on cooperation within the framework of the Southern Economic Corridor. An ASEAN report describes Cambodia as a perfect place for an export-oriented economy that serves as a binding link for the regional economy as a whole.
Given the situation, it can be assumed that Phnom Penh’s policy over the next few years will focus on diversifying the economy, attracting a greater number of foreign economic partners (Japan, Australia, Russia, the EU), strengthening regional integration within the Southern Economic Corridor and within the framework of the ASEAN, and minimizing US-North Korean, Sino-US, and Sino-Vietnamese differences. 
First published in our partner International Affairs


FG to disburse another N649bn Paris Club refund to states — Finance Minister ON MAY 17, 20195:48 AMIN NEWSBY UROWAYINO WARAMI9 COMMENTS As external reserves hit $44.69bn Says capital release for 2018 now N2.079trn Records N3.96trn revenue for 2018 Customs moves against rice importers By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief; Emmanuel Elebeke & Mayowa Baiyegunhi   The Federal Government is set to disburse N649.434 billion to states of the federation, being balance from the Paris Club refund. The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this, yesterday, at a press conference on the achievements of the administration in the last four years. She said: “For the final phase of the Paris Club debts refunds, a total sum of N649.434 billion was verified by the ministry as the outstanding balance to be refunded to the state governments. Zainab Ahmed “The payments made by the  Central bank of Nigeria, CBN, as at March 2019, is N691.560 billion. The increase in CBN payments partly arose from exchange rate differential at the point of payment, although, some states still have outstanding balances, which will be refunded in due course.” The minister said through the implementation of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP, which the Buhari-led administration developed in 2017, the economy exited recession and moved upwards on a path of sustainable, inclusive and diversified growth. Accident : 5 die, 2 injured on Sagamu/Abeokuta expressway She maintained that the ministry was focused on addressing the long-standing issue of “unsatisfactory revenue performance” in Nigeria, particularly in the non-oil sector in order to ensure appropriate financing for critical sectors, such as health, education, and infrastructure. External reserves On the nation’s external reserves, Mrs. Ahmed said it had climbed to $44.69 billion as at May 13, 2019. Describing it as impressive, having moved from the $28.3  billion in 2015, she said: “Our external reserves, on the other hand, grew from $28.3 billion in 2015 to US $44.69 billion as at May 13, 2019, representing significant improvement that has helped stabilise the economy, including our currency exchange rates. However, the minister acknowledged that the expenditure performance cannot be in isolation of revenues, which as a result expenditure largely depends on government’s ability to generate budgeted revenues with deficits funded through borrowings. “In 2018 our budgeted revenue was N7.2 trillion. This is against the realised figure of N3.96 trillion, signifying a negative variance of 45 per cent. Despite this shortfall we have been able to fully pay salaries and service 100 per cent of our debt. Capital release for 2018 now N2.079trn ‘’We have also released seven months overhead for 2018, two months for 2019, and N2.079 billion capital expenditure as at 14th May 2019. “We have adopted a prudent debt management strategy which ensures that we invest what we borrow in capital projects, although our debt by international standards, at 19.09 per cent Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio is well below the threshold of 56 per cent for countries similar to Nigeria. Description: https://i0.wp.com/cdn.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Zainab-Ahmed.jpg?resize=412%2C268&ssl=1 ‘’The government is addressing the issue of reducing the debt service to revenue through a combination of debt substitution strategies.” The Minister maintained that on global risks, the Ministry would continue to remain focused on taking key mitigating actions to safeguard the economy and ensure it is “resilient to external shocks.”  Budget Performance On budget performance, Ahmed said despite the shortfall in revenue projections, “we have been able to fully pay salaries and service 100 per cent of our debt. We have also released seven months overhead for 2018, two months for 2019, and N2.079 trillion capital expenditure as at May 14, 2019. “We have adopted a prudent debt management strategy, which ensures that we invest what we borrow in capital projects. Although our debt by international standards, at 19.09 per cent Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio is a reasonable ratio, but this is well below the average threshold of 56 per cent for countries similar to Nigeria. ‘’The government is addressing the issue of the high debt service burden by a combination of substitution strategies, which include refinancing our shorter term, higher cost debts to longer term lower cost debt.” Customs moves against rice importers On his part, Director-General of Custom, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), denied issuing any license to rice importers and appealed to Nigerians to stop the consumption of imported rice. He said the harms related to the consumption of imported rice and its effects on the economy was enormous and urged Nigerians to stop patronizing smugglers of imported rice. “We inaugurated new task force officers last Tuesday to fight the smuggling of rice to Nigeria. Rice is one of the most consumed food in Nigeria, and at so, we should consume our own products to be able to boost our economy.” “When Nigerians stop buying these imported rice, the sellers will go out of business and stop the importation

China accelerates rice cultivation in saline soil

Xinhua, May 17, 2019
Description: http://images.china.cn/site1007/2019-05/17/47b7778f-a2e2-4753-a7b9-9f4cb048b332.jpgStaff members harvest saline-tolerant rice in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
A leading saline soil rice research center in eastern China's Shandong Province made the decision to expand its experimental land to over 667 hectares early this month.
The Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center in the coastal city of Qingdao said the move aims to speed up research and development and optimize various types of saline soil rice.
The center said one other important purpose of the expansion is to seek the best cultivation methods.
"All strains of rice to be grown on the experimental land passed regional experiments in different types of saline soil," said Zhang Guodong, deputy director of the center.
Zhang noted that regional experiments were conducted in Xinjiang, Bohai Gulf in eastern China, northeastern China and coastal areas in southeastern China.
"We were surprised by parts of the experimental data last year. And this year, we are not only expanding the test area but also making stricter test parameters in order to better simulate actual production," Zhang added.
The center has set a target of 300 kg yield per mu (one mu is equivalent to 667 square meters). Meanwhile, researchers will study which rice types are suitable for which areas and which saline-alkali land needs to be ameliorated.
Rice is a staple food in China, as well as many other Asian countries.
China has about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali soil, of which about one fifth could be ameliorated to arable soil.
"This is not a small amount. We want to ameliorate 6.7 million hectares of saline-alkali soil at first, and then expand the area gradually. But the task cannot be done by any single institution; we need to work together," Zhang said.
To scientifically exploit and use saline soil, increase the grain output of China, as well as prevent disasters of saltwater intrusion into paddy fields at home and abroad, organizations and institutions have now strengthened cooperation.
"From the experimental field to farmers' land, there need to be repeated experiments at different stages," said Li Xinqi, a saline soil rice expert.
Li said the regional experiment is one of the key links of the whole production process, which could lay the foundation for the strains of saline soil rice.
MAY 17, 2019 / 6:33 AM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO

Modi proclaims a cleaner India, but the reality may be more murky

Sachin Ravikumar, Munsif Vengattil
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KOPPAL/SHIKRAWA, India (Reuters) - Every morning around dawn, dozens of people gather by the dusty banks of a stream snaking through Shikrawa village, two hours south of India’s capital, New Delhi, to do the same thing: defecate in the open.
A toilet is pictured in a field outside a school near Jaikisan Camp village in the southern state of Karnataka, India, India, April 30, 2019. REUTERS/Sachin Ravikumar
“There are close to 1,600 houses in Shikrawa. And I know for a fact that some 400 of those don’t have toilets,” said Khurshid Ahmed, a village council official in Shikrawa, which is located in the northern state of Haryana.

Federal government records say Haryana - with its population of more than 25 million - is squeaky clean. The state, along with most others in India is classified “open defecation-free”, while a World Bank-supported nationwide survey says only 0.3% of Haryana’s rural population defecates outside.
But interviews with over half a dozen surveyors involved in the World Bank-supported study, and two participating researchers, all raised significant concerns with the methodology of the survey, and its findings.
In Shikrawa, interviews with 27 people showed at least 330 villagers still defecate in the open because of a lack of toilets, issues with accessing water, or simply a dogged opposition to changing old habits. An hour away in the village of Nangla Kanpur, things aren’t any different.
Studies link open defecation to public health issues, as it increases the spread of parasites due to water contamination. The World Bank said in 2016 one in every ten deaths in India is linked to poor sanitation.
In a country plagued by sexual assault crimes, the lack of toilets also disproportionately affects women, who have to walk long distances before dawn or after dark to relieve themselves.
In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the “Swachh Bharat,” or “Clean India” campaign and vowed to eliminate open defecation nationwide in five years.
Modi, who is seeking re-election for a second term in polls that conclude on Sunday, has often used the success of Swachh Bharat in campaigning. “We got more than 100 million toilets built,” he said at a rally in north India on Sunday.
Swachh Bharat, a multi-billion-dollar programme backed by money from the government and a World Bank loan, has indeed built millions of latrines, but critics say official statistics paint an overly optimistic picture of its success.
“The whole point of this is for people’s health,” said Payal Hathi, a researcher consulted on the World Bank-backed survey. “It’s unfortunate that the data is so misleading.”
Data from the World Bank-supported National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) that concluded in February shows that only about 10% of rural Indians defecate in the open. The survey was conducted using funds from a $1.5 billion World Bank loan for Swachh Bharat.
A separate study conducted over a similar timeline by the non-profit Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE), where Hathi was a researcher, shows 44% of the rural population across four large states still defecate in the open. (See graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2JF2LFB)

“IMPOSSIBLE” FINDINGS

Hathi and fellow researcher Nikhil Srivastav also say they witnessed several lapses at meetings held to design the survey.
The specific goal of reporting low open-defecation levels was communicated clearly by government representatives to Kantar Public — the company contracted to conduct the survey — and by Kantar to the surveyors, the two said.
Kantar, owned by advertising giant WPP, did not respond to requests for comment.
Hathi told Reuters the NARSS questionnaire contained leading queries about toilet usage that may have influenced respondents, and the government ignored suggestions aimed at fixing queries.
“RICE has been repeatedly attempting to undermine the achievements of the Swachh Bharat Mission,” the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation said in an email.
The ministry “categorically dismisses and denies the claims of the two RICE researchers,” it said, without elaborating.
Seven surveyors who collected NARSS data and had a direct view of the sanitation situation in their respective regions, gave Reuters state-wide estimates of open defecation that were sharply higher than the findings in the survey.
Two called NARSS findings “impossible” and said very little time had been spent questioning respondents.
Slideshow (2 Images)
The surveyors interviewed by Reuters worked in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, and declined to be named for fear of losing their jobs.
A NARSS surveyor in western Rajasthan state said surveyors would mark a village as ODF - for open defecation-free - even if they spotted faeces on the ground or people defecating outside — a violation of government guidelines.
“If we see some open defecation in stray cases away from the main centre of a village, we cannot mark the village as non-ODF,” he said, adding trainers from the ministry told surveyors to follow such practices.
The ministry denied the allegations and said NARSS surveyors typically have “very limited” knowledge of state-wide data.

TUTORED RESPONSES

Despite researcher concerns around the lapses in the survey, the World Bank has so far given NARSS-linked funds of $417.4 million to India, a right-to-information request shows.
“The World Bank has not received any formal expressions of concern related to the work of the surveyors,” said a World Bank spokesman in a statement. “An exercise of this scale will have inconsistencies.”
Reuters also visited the southern state of Karnataka. Across seven villages in Koppal district, at least 150 people defecate in the open, interviews with over 50 people showed. The Indian government also classifies Karnataka as “open defecation free”.
Many people in north and south India told Reuters that a lack of toilets near fields where farmers spend their day, and poorly built toilets, all contribute to people defecating in the open.
Some say they were beaten or shamed by authorities publicly if found to be defecating outside. Others said they were threatened with food ration cuts.
Such coercion, sanitation experts say, discourage honest answers about toilet usage as villagers fear reprisals.
“The respondents will give you false answers,” said Nitya Jacob, a water and sanitation consultant. “They’re all tutored to say ‘yes-yes,’ we use toilets.”
Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar and Munsif Vengattil; Editing by Euan Rocha and Philip McClellan

Is Modi's Swachh Bharat a success?


Devdiscourse News Desk New Delhi India
 Updated: 17-05-2019 07:00 IST 
   
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Every morning around dawn, dozens of people gather by the dusty banks of a stream snaking through Shikrawavillage, two hours south of India's capital, New Delhi, to do the same thing: defecate in the open. "There are close to 1,600 houses in Shikrawa. And I know for a fact that some 400 of those don't have toilets," said Khurshid Ahmed, a village council official in Shikrawa, which is located in the northern state of Haryana.
Federal government records say Haryana - with its population of more than 25 million - is squeaky clean. The state, along with most others in India is classified "open defecation-free", while a World Bank-supported nationwide survey says only 0.3% of Haryana's rural population defecates outside. But interviews with over half a dozen surveyors involved in the World Bank-supported study, and two participating researchers, all raised significant concerns with the methodology of the survey, and its findings.
In Shikrawa, interviews with 27 people showed at least 330 villagers still defecate in the open because of a lack of toilets, issues with accessing water, or simply a dogged opposition to changing old habits. An hour away in the village of Nangla Kanpur, things aren't any different. Studies link open defecation to public health issues, as it increases the spread of parasites due to water contamination. The World Bank said in 2016 one in every ten deaths in India is linked to poor sanitation.
In a country plagued by sexual assault crimes, the lack of toilets also disproportionately affects women, who have to walk long distances before dawn or after dark to relieve themselves. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the "Swachh Bharat," or "Clean India" campaign and vowed to eliminate open defecation nationwide in five years.
Modi, who is seeking re-election for a second term in polls that conclude on Sunday, has often used the success of Swachh Bharat in campaigning. "We got more than 100 million toilets built," he said at a rally in north India on Sunday. Swachh Bharat, a multi-billion-dollar programme backed by money from the government and a World Bank loan, has indeed built millions of latrines, but critics say official statistics paint an overly optimistic picture of its success.
"The whole point of this is for people's health," said Payal Hathi, a researcher consulted on the World Bank-backed survey. "It's unfortunate that the data is so misleading." Data from the World Bank-supported National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) that concluded in February shows that only about 10% of rural Indians defecate in the open. The survey was conducted using funds from a $1.5 billion World Bank loan for Swachh Bharat.
A separate study conducted over a similar timeline by the non-profit Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE), where Hathi was a researcher, shows 44% of the rural population across four large states still defecate in the open. (See graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2JF2LFB)
"IMPOSSIBLE" FINDINGS
Hathi and fellow researcher Nikhil Srivastav also say they witnessed several lapses at meetings held to design the survey. The specific goal of reporting low open-defecation levels was communicated clearly by government representatives to Kantar Public — the company contracted to conduct the survey — and by Kantar to the surveyors, the two said.
Kantar, owned by advertising giant WPP, did not respond to requests for comment. Hathi told Reuters the NARSS questionnaire contained leading queries about toilet usage that may have influenced respondents, and the government ignored suggestions aimed at fixing queries.
"RICE has been repeatedly attempting to undermine the achievements of the Swachh Bharat Mission," the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation said in an email. The ministry "categorically dismisses and denies the claims of the two RICE researchers," it said, without elaborating.
Seven surveyors who collected NARSS data and had a direct view of the sanitation situation in their respective regions, gave Reuters state-wide estimates of open defecation that were sharply higher than the findings in the survey. Two called NARSS findings "impossible" and said very little time had been spent questioning respondents.
The surveyors interviewed by Reuters worked in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, and declined to be named for fear of losing their jobs. A NARSS surveyor in western Rajasthan state said surveyors would mark a village as ODF - for open defecation-free - even if they spotted faeces on the ground or people defecating outside — a violation of government guidelines.
"If we see some open defecation in stray cases away from the main centre of a village, we cannot mark the village as non-ODF," he said, adding trainers from the ministry told surveyors to follow such practices. The ministry denied the allegations and said NARSS surveyors typically have "very limited" knowledge of state-wide data.
TUTORED RESPONSES
Despite researcher concerns around the lapses in the survey, the World Bank has so far given NARSS-linked funds of $417.4 million to India, a right-to-information request shows.
"The World Bank has not received any formal expressions of concern related to the work of the surveyors," said a World Bank spokesman in a statement. "An exercise of this scale will have inconsistencies." Reuters also visited the southern state of Karnataka. Across seven villages in Koppal district, at least 150 people defecate in the open, interviews with over 50 people showed. The Indian government also classifies Karnataka as "open defecation free".
Many people in north and south India told Reuters that a lack of toilets near fields where farmers spend their day, and poorly built toilets, all contribute to people defecating in the open. Some say they were beaten or shamed by authorities publicly if found to be defecating outside. Others said they were threatened with food ration cuts.
Such coercion, sanitation experts say, discourage honest answers about toilet usage as villagers fear reprisals. "The respondents will give you false answers," said Nitya Jacob, a water and sanitation consultant. "They're all tutored to say 'yes-yes,' we use toilets."
(With inputs from agencies.)
Paddy of despair, farmers getting poor deal
·       Published at 12:59 am May 17th, 2019
Description: Farmers-Rangpur-Dhaka Tribune
Farmers block Rangpur highway and dump paddy grain on the road during a demonstration in Mahiganj Satmatha area in Rangpur on Thursday, May 16, 2019 Dhaka Tribune

The government’s market interventions have been largely ineffective
Bangladesh’s resilient farmers recouped the 2017 devastating flood-induced crop damages by growing more rice over the last few growing seasons including the current Boro.
This high rice output brings much relief to the government that spent millions of Taka importing a record four million tons of rice in 2017-18 through public and private channels.
But much to the misery of growers, the prices that they are being offered for their produces in the current marketing season is non-commensurate to their production costs.  
For the past one week – news and pictures of aggrieved farmers taking to the streets demanding fair price for rice and different socio-cultural and student groups rallying supports for the same cause hogged the media attention big time and deservedly so.  
Yesterday too, farmers blocked a highway in rice-rich northern region of Rangpur – spreading paddy grains on the road – demanding the government to purchase paddy directly from farms, and ensure a fair price.  
Production projection
Bangladesh’s rice production is expected to increase for the second straight year in a row, thanks to good weather and increased yield due to continuing cultivation of hybrid and high-yielding varieties (HYV).
Following the crop loss in 2017 due to Haor zone’s flood and crop diseases, the country’s rice growers bounced back with a higher production – nearly 35 million tons in 2018-19 making the country self reliant in staple production again.   
According to the Ministry of Food, country’s current stock of rice in public granaries is over one million tons, well above the comfortable food safety threshold level.  
Farmers getting poor price 
Polash Kanti Nath heads a farmers’ organization goes by the name – Krishak Sangram Parishad (KSP).  
He said, "It costs around Tk700-Tk 800 to produce a maund of paddy but we can only sell it for Tk400. Even buyers are few in number."
Another farmer Momtaj Uddin said: "The government has promised to buy paddy directly from farmers, but we do not see that happening here. We are not getting a fair price for the paddy, so we are protesting." 
And in Tangail, some college students came forward to help a local paddy farmer Abdul Malek harvest his crops after he set some of it on fire, protesting the steep fall in paddy prices and after not being able to afford the high labour costs for harvesting the paddy.
Shahidul Islam runs a rice mill in Kushtia’s Khwajanagar, one of the largest wholesale rice markets in the country.
Talking to this correspondent over phone yesterday, Shahidul acknowledged that millers and traders are offering Boro farmers much lower a price this year compared to last year’s prices.
He said millers have already enough carryover rice in their stock and that’s why there is no urgency to buy rice from the growers.
Lukewarm public procurement 
On March 31 this year the government decided to procure over a million tons of paddy and rice from the farmers at a good price offers of Tk. 26 and Tk. 36 a kg respectively. Government’s food department was supposed to provide the farmers with this price support from April 25 but eventually the public grain procurement process kicked start much later only in mid-May.
Dr Akhter Ahmed of the Washington-based food policy think-tank International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) told Dhaka Tribune that government’s late entry into the market and buying rice from traders and millers instead of farmers would not help offset the situation.
He wondered if the government in West Bengal, India can buy paddy directly from the farmers why can’t be it possible in Bangladesh. 
Anwar Faruque, who served the agriculture ministry in Bangladesh for many years prior retiring as the ministry secretary, told this correspondent that with a paltry volume of public procurement the food department would not be able to make much impact on rice pricing in the market.
“Why shouldn’t government procure three million tons of rice from farmers and give them the price support? If the public granaries suffer from space constraint, the government can always keep the procured rice in hired private godowns.”
Unwise tariff regime   
Market is glutted with cheaper imported rice because of zero tariff still in place on rice import, said Faruque adding that “Government said we lost 1.9 million tons of rice in Haor flood in 2017 and import tariff was cut from a whopping 28 percent to zero.” 
But after periodic reviews, he thinks, the government should have re-imposed tariffs on rice import thereby, giving much required protection to domestic rice growers.
 Will exporting rice ease the solution?
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzque told reporters yesterday that government would export rice to ease the situation. He said government is now in a position to even export over a million tons of rice.
Dr Akhter considers entering into the rice export market is not that easy and such an intervention even if is conceived now its benefit would not trickle down to the farmers rather, it would only benefit the big millers and traders – who had purchased rice from farmers at a cheap rate and hoarded that for quite some time to make a windfall. 
“Countries like Thailand and Vietnam developed a place for them in a very competitive rice export market over a period of time. It’ll not be so easy for Bangladesh to make a sudden inroad into that global rice market,” explained Dr Akhter.
If in tobacco, why not in rice?
An expert, who has been following increasing instability in rice pricing in disfavor of paddy growers in Bangladesh, told Dhaka Tribune each year government facilitates fixing procurement price of tobacco from farmers for private tobacco companies. 
“Why can’t it do it for the rice growers? It’s understandable government will not be able to buy all 35 million tons of rice that Bangladeshi farmers grow a year but the least government can do is dictate the market by fixing floor price for rice for private buyers and sellers,” said the expert, who works for an organization where he is not authorized to speak to the press on record.
All the other experts that t Dhaka Tribune talked to were also of the view that the government needs to streamline its paddy procurement process so that farmers and not traders are benefited and it has to reign in the profit-mongering middlemen, millers who made most of the paddy profits depriving the principal stakeholder – the farmers.

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