AR distributes mini rice mills
04-Jul-2019
IMPHAL, Jul 4 : Mantripukhri Bn of 9 Sector AR under the aegis of IGAR (S ) distributed four mini rice mills at Pangei village today.
The paddy farmers of Pangei village were selling unprocessed paddy to traders and millers due to non availability of rice mill in the village, said a press release of IGAR (S) adding that the villagers had to travel long distances to get the paddy cleaned.
As the transportation cost of cleaning the paddy was uneconomical, the farmers had little choice but to sell unprocessed paddy at lower rates. The Battalion, on receiving the request for provision of mini rice mill from the villagers, decided to distribute the same to the village.
The event witnessed an attendance of over 400 locals of areas in and around Pangei village and presided by Commandant Mantripukhri Assam Rifles along with president Meira Paibis and village headman of Pangei village.
Lauding the efforts of the Battalion for its initiative in reaching out to the needy, the Commandant urged the villagers to make optimum use of the rice mills for adequate utility for their homes and economic gains and further assured the villagers that Assam Rifles will continue to undertake such projects for the development and welfare of the people.
The rice mills were handed over to the village headman of Pangei village
Nueva Ecija farmers to grow special rice
Farmers in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, will plant special rice to
supply the demand of rice cake vendors in the province and in Tarlac, according
to the Philippine Rice Research Institute.
PhilRice, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture,
said farmer-members of its Rice Business Innovations System (RiceBIS) Community
Program recently planted special rice in a demo farm managed by the Ugat-Uhay
Farmers Association (UUFA).
Joel Pascual, PhilRice community development facilitator, said
the association selected special rice because special rice cake vendors place a
premium on the variety.
With 40 farmer-participants, the program involves seasonlong
capacity enhancement on agripreneurship and Farmer Business School to help them
increase their income from rice farming.
Pascual also said farmers can benefit from economies of scale
that lowers the cost per unit when palay is sold in bulk, which makes palay
selling more attractive to bigger buyers, such as consolidators and millers.
“When realized, This model will pull the farmers out of being
trapped in the non-lucrative small-scale palay production. Aside from palay
trading, organized farmers can also try other enterprises, such as labor and
machine contracting, input selling, seed production, rice milling, wholesaling
and retailing,” he said in a statement.
Since wet season last year, UUFA had established demo farms in
partnership with PhilRice to test and exhibit technologies, including rice
varieties and machines, such as mechanical transplanter and drum seeder.
UUFA’s neighboring RiceBIS partner-cooperative, Pinagbuklod na
Adhika Agricultural Cooperative, already handles multiple enterprises including
inputs selling, custom service facilities provision and processed-rice products
selling, such as rice and mung bean brew, brown rice and milled rice.
Scientists demonstrate ASF risk
posed by animal feed
Scientists demonstrate ASF risk posed by animal feed
BY
PW REPORTERS ON
JULY 5, 2019FEATURES
Farmers have been urged to
consider the risk of exposure to viruses like African swine fever and PED from
animal feed. Caroline Stock reports from the ONE Alltech Ideas conference in
Kentucky
Scientists
in the US have discovered that potentially harmful DNA from the African swine
fever (ASF) virus can survive on feed ingredients including corn, rice and
wheat, as well as complete feed, imported from Asia.
With
research proving that the virus can be spread to pigs from infected feed and
water, they said feed poses a serious potential biosecurity risk which
producers have to take seriously.
Jon De Jong, swine nutritionist
at Pipestone Veterinary Services in Minnesota
Speaking
at the ONE Alltech Ideas conference in Lexington, Kentucky, Jon De Jong, swine
nutritionist at Pipestone Veterinary Services in Minnesota, said previous work
by Pipestone vet Scott Dee had identified that porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus
(PEDv) could survive in imported feed.
The
team thought the same might apply to ASF. To test the theory, they commissioned
third-party scientists in China to take thousands of samples from feed mills at
a rate of 250 a day, testing bulk feed ingredients, including corn, soy, rice,
wheat and distiller’s dried grain with solubles.
Of
the ingredients and complete feed tested, 1-2% was positive for DNA from the
virus. The researchers also detected virus DNA in dust around the feed mill, as
well as on feed trucks and trailers, complete feed in bins, hair and shoes of
feed mill staff, and in the fresh market where pigmeat is sold to shoppers.
With
this knowledge, the Pipestone researchers began to investigate the
survivability of ASF during transportation from China to the US. Testing the
virus in different feed materials ranging from soya bean meal to complete feed,
they simulated a 37-day trip across the Atlantic to see if the virus survived.
“We
were able to prove that if a feed is inoculated with a virus, it does survive
across the ocean,” Dr De Jong told delegates.
“The
second question was whether it could infect pigs if they consume that feed, and
researchers at Kansas State University showed that that’s possible.
“We
didn’t have this knowledge nine months ago, and this completes the circle for
us,” he added. “If it can survive in feed, then it can make pigs sick, so quality
control of feed is critical.”
With
so many feed ingredients coming from Asian countries, Dr De Jong said having
that knowledge should encourage farmers to make more considered sourcing
decisions. That could include asking feed suppliers where their ingredients
come from and asking ingredient manufacturers about their biosecurity
practices.
“The
goal is to protect global trade and herd health, so you have to ask if you’ll
continue sourcing from ASF countries, what the level of contamination could be,
what the transportation time is, and how long you can store it,” he said.
“We
also need to ask whether we can mitigate the effects of the viral load in the
feed.”
In
a bid to do this, Dr De Jong said Pipestone had partnered with Alltech and
animal health company Cornerstone to develop a dietary supplement that could
help protect pigs from viral infections.
Named
APC after the three companies involved, the blend of organic acids and
essential oils has been shown to prevent the transmission of PEDv, PRRS and
Seneca Valley virus from feed to pigs.
“When
PED hit the North American herd we started work on this product to stop viral
transmission in the feed,” Dr De Jong explained.
“We
conducted two trials and found that if you inoculate the feed with APC at a
rate of 15lb/tonne the PED virus can’t replicate. What’s more, including APC in
the diet didn’t affect average daily gain or feed conversion.”
Having
replicated the trials against PRRS and Seneca Valley virus, Dr De Jong said the
team is confident that APC – which is being launched in the US this month and
will be available in Europe later in the year – could work against a number of
damaging viral infections.
“This
is a groundbreaking study,” he added. “We focus on filtering air to protect pig
health, but until now we’ve never really done anything with our feed.
“We’ve shown time and again that
viruses can be transmitted by feed, so it’s important that farmers think about
the interventions they could make to protect their herds.”
For the
First Time Ever, United States Sells Rice to China
BY
A bi-plane
from Williams Ag Service flies over wild grasses as it drops rice seeds on a
flooded field in Biggs, Calif. on April 25, 2008. (Justin Sullivan/Getty
Images)
July 4, 2019 Updated: July 4,
2019
One of the
largest private importers of rice in China recently
bought rice from the United States for the first time ever, according to a
statement from Sun Valley Rice, the U.S. company that secured the Chinese
contract.
The Chinese
importer bought two containers of medium-grain rice from
the California-based company during the week of June 23 in the midst of a
trade war between Beijing and Washington. President Donald Trump said on July 1
that China agreed to buy agricultural products from the United States, but it
isn’t clear if the rice sale is part of that concession.
Sun Valley
Rice has worked to get into the Chinese market since 2004, according
to Ken LaGrande, the company’s CEO.
“Fifteen
years of patience and hard work have paid off,” LaGrande said in a statement.
“It is truly an honor and a privilege to blaze this trail of trading
history—American rice in China. Our team has worked with incredible tenacity
and diligence to reach this point.”
The rice
deal follows a sale of 544,000 tonnes (about 600,000 tons) of U.S. soybeans to
China, the largest such sale since March.
China is the
world’s largest rice grower and consumer. China produced 148.5 million tonnes
of rice in the 2018–19 marketing year, more than 42 times the amount it
imported. The United States produced 7.1 million tonnes of rice during the
same period and exported less than 3 million tonnes.
The Chinese
purchaser, Shenzhen Yintuo, part of the Dragon Ocean Hing Group, will
receive the order in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival in September.
Most of the
rice imported into China currently comes from Thailand, Pakistan, and Vietnam,
which produce long-grain varieties. The Californian medium-grain rice is
considered a premium variety, based on its taste, aroma, and texture, according
to Sun Valley Rice.
“We chose
Sun Valley Rice because when we first toured the U.S., we went to California
and witnessed that Sun Valley Rice had clearly studied Asian cultures deeply,
especially Japanese and Chinese,” William Li, vice president of Dragon Ocean
Hing Group, said in a statement.
Chinese
officials agreed to allow imports of U.S. rice in July 2017, following years of
negotiations. But a nearly year-long trade dispute between the two countries
threatened the first sale.
“It looked
dicey for us for a while, with the hostility going back and forth,” said
Michael Klein, a spokesman for USA Rice, a trade group that promotes the sale
of U.S. rice. “We were about to have a market, and saw it snatched away, or so
we thought.”
The LaGrande
family has been growing rice for five generations in the Sacramento
Valley, one of the most fertile agricultural regions in the United States
and among only a few places in the world capable of growing both short- and
medium-grain rice, according to Sun Valley Rice.
“This sale
marks a turning point for the U.S. rice industry and its relationship with
China,” Betsy Ward, president of USA Rice, said in a statement. “We’ve spent
decades chasing this enormous market, and the Sun Valley Rice sale is the first
ever of U.S. rice to a private importer. It is truly historic and sets the
stage for continued regular trade with China for U.S.-grown rice.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/for-the-first-time-ever-united-states-sells-rice-to-china_2989699.html
CBN
Hasn’t Allocated Forex To Rice Importers Since 2015,
RIFAN Says By Economic Confidential - July 4,
2019 CBN Headquarters, Abuja CBN Hasn’t Allocated Forex To Rice Importers Since
2015, RIFAN Says The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has
said since 2015, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has not allocated any money
to fund rice import even as it said at least N1.2bn worth of rice is consumed
daily in Nigeria. RIFAN also debunked claims from some quarters that CBN owed
RIFAN contractors who supplied farm inputs in the Anchor Borrowers Programme
(ABP) being implemented by the bank. The National President of RIFAN, Alhaji
Aminu Goronyo, said this in Abuja in a chat with newsmen while reacting to an
advertorial by “concerned RIFAN contractors” claiming the CBN owed them
billions of naira. The advertorial, titled ‘Rice Farmers Association
contractors cry out: An open letter to President Buhari’ and signed by one Mr.
Christopher Gajere, said “the contractors are being forced out of business
because of the billions of naira the CBN owed them for months.” But in a swift
reaction, RIFAN claimed the group was faceless and the name of the person that
signed the open letter cannot be traced as an input supplier to the farmers
under the ABP. It said there was no such thing as “RIFAN Contractors” but
“RIFAN Suppliers” adding that “among our 25 inputs suppliers and five services
providers, making 30 in number, we don’t have such a name among those who have
given RIFAN service or supplied RIFAN any inputs.” Alh. Goronyo also stated
that RIFAN discovered that a name of an individual was used to countersign the
advertorial, and explained that RIFAN didn’t deal with individuals but
corporate organisations. “That alone has clearly shown to us that the open
letter has nothing to do with RIFAN,” he stated. According to him, it appeared
the individual or group were out to discredit the landmark achievements
recorded in rice sufficiency through the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme.
BoC rice import tariff collections at P5.9 billion
July 4, 2019 | 9:58 pm
A
rice store in the Kamuning Market, Quezon City. -- PHILIPPINE
STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS
THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) has
collected a total of P5.9 billion in tariffs from 1.43 million metric tons (MT)
of rice imported by private traders following the implementation of the Rice
Tariffication Law in March, the Department of Finance (DoF) said Thursday.
According to the DoF, the Port of
Manila generated the highest tariff collections from the rice shipments at
P978.51 million, followed by the Manila International Container Port at P942.76
million, then the Port of Cagayan de Oro at P754.13 million.
The Port of Davao, meanwhile,
collected P703.93 million, based on preliminary data from the BoC.
The Rice Tariffication Law
removed quantitative restrictions on rice imports while imposing tariffs to
fund the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which will aid rice
farmers in the form of mechanization, credit, education and seed.
The RCEF allocation for farmers
is P10 billion annually.
The DoF said that liberalizing
rice imports has made the food more affordable, with a drop of P10 per kilo at
retail during the dry-season months.
The National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) has said that it expects revenue collected from
rice imports to exceed P10 billion.
The law provides that the excess
is to be used to help farmers diversify into other crops.
“The law stipulates that the
excess of P10 billion will go back to assist farmers diversifying into other
crops. Assistance for diversification is not in the RCEF. Funds for this will
come from the excess revenue,” NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon has
said. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
Rice tariffs
collection at P5.9 billion
By Rea Cu
July 5, 2019
File
photo shows workers at a rice warehouse in Manila’s Divisoria area carrying
different types of milled rice.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) collected P5.9 billion in tariffs
from some 1.43 million metric tons (MMT) of rice imported by traders following
the implementation of the rice trade liberalization law in March, according to
the Department of Finance (DOF).
In a report to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III,
Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero said preliminary data indicated
that the Subic Bay port recorded the highest collection of rice tariffs at
P1.37 billion.
During a recent DOF Executive Committee meeting, Guerrero also
reported that the Port of Manila collected P978.51 million in tariffs, followed
by the Manila
International Container Port (MICP) with P942.76 million.
International Container Port (MICP) with P942.76 million.
The Port of Cagayan de Oro collected P754.13 million in tariffs
from rice imports, while the Port of Davao recorded P703.93 million.
Republic Act (RA) 11203 was signed and approved by President
Duterte last February 14 and took effect on March 5. It converted the
quantitative restriction on rice into tariffs.
Dominguez said RA 11203 is a “proud accomplishment” of the
Duterte administration as it took more than 30 years to get Congress to pass a
“game-changing” reform.
He said liberalizing rice imports will not only make quality
rice more affordable and accessible to Filipinos, but will also lower the
country’s inflation rate and help farmers become more productive and
competitive.
According to the DOF, liberalizing rice imports has made the
staple food more affordable to Filipinos, as retail prices fell by P10 per
kilogram.
RA 11203 also mandated the creation of the P10-billion Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to help palay growers and their
farmers’ cooperatives transition to a new trade regime.
RCEF aims to provide farmers tools and equipment, assistance in
the production, promotion, and distribution of certified rice seeds, upgrading
of post-harvest storage facilities, credit assistance, irrigation support, and
research and development (R&D) support.
The BOC-MICP said the DOF will publish a guide for businesses on
the rice import process to enable them to take advantage of the liberalized
rice importation policy in the country.
The MICP said the guide is a product of the focused group
discussion (FGD) spearheaded by Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito G.
Lambino II last June 27.
The FGD included representatives from randomly selected
businesses that are into rice trading even before the passage of RA 11203.
“The discussion centered on extracting feedback from the private
sector on the proposed information materials on rice importation. The DOF is
compiling a resource material that can be used by businesses as a guide into
the rice import process if they wish to take advantage of the liberalized rice
importation policy in the country,” the MICP statement read.
Based on proposals during the FGD, the resource material will be
used as an official guide on the rice importation process which will include
flowcharts on the methods of importation, the documentary requirements from
each agency, an estimated timeframe for every step, and the contact information
of the involved offices. Rea Cu
Neda: Rice
trade liberalization law to boost GDP
July 5, 2019
Sacks
of imported rice are delivered to a rice seller at San Andres district in
Manila. Philippine rice imports are expected to reach a record-high of 3
million metric tons this year, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
The law that sought to further open up the Philippines’s rice
sector is also expected to boost the country’s GDP, according to the latest
estimates of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the
International Food Policy Research Institute (Ifpri).
In a statement, Neda said preliminary estimates showed that the
rice trade liberalization law will add 0.44 percentage points to the country’s
economic growth. This is based on a 35-percent tariff rate.
This means that if the country’s economic growth is at 6
percent, adding the impact of the rice trade liberalization law will mean GDP
will reach 6.44 percent.
“The agriculture sector would expand as there would be more crop
diversification—as uncompetitive rice areas shift to other high-value crops
with relatively higher net returns,” the Neda said.
Neda Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Rosemarie G. Edillon
said the reform, which was advocated by the oversight agency, will also boost
investments in agriculture.
Edillon said prior to the passage of Republic Act (RA) 11203,
the government monopolized rice trade nationwide. Only the National Food
Authority (NFA) was authorized to import rice, the country’s food staple.
However, with the new law, Edillon said more investments can
come in given that the NFA’s powers to import rice have already been amended
under RA 11203.
“Before the rice tariffication law was passed, the government
had been monopolizing the rice trade. This setup had been restricting the flow
of private funds going to the sector,” Edillon said.
“We have conducted similar studies on this. But we want a model
that integrates climate change into farmers’ decisions,” she added.
The Neda also said the world rice market is capable of supplying
the additional import demand of the Philippines in the long run with minimal
increases in prices.
The accessibility of affordable rice will contribute to lowering
domestic rice prices that will benefit everyone especially the poor, it added.
The study also emphasized the need to support local rice farmers
by assisting them to improve productivity, providing cash transfers in the
short run, and helping them in the adoption of climate-resilient technologies.
“The agriculture sector, particularly the rice sector, is
vulnerable to climate shocks, which have been increasing in frequency and
intensity. So we want to be prepared and provide interventions ahead of time,”
Edillon said.
Neda and Ifpri conducted an assessment on the projected impact
of the removal of the quantitative restriction on rice and climate change on
the agriculture sector.
Initial results were presented in a recent policy forum attended
by representatives of concerned government agencies and nongovernment
organizations in Pasig City.
RA 11203 liberalized the country’s rice trade by removing the
quantitative restriction on imports, and transformed the NFA into a
buffer-stocking agency.
Officials of the agriculture department sounded the alarm last
week that the government could face lawsuits if it implements the rice trade
liberalization law on March 5 even without the IRR.
Some groups are looking into the possibility of securing a
temporary restraining order against RA 11203 from the Supreme Court
The Sprout: Bibeau and Carr huddle with meat industry leaders
By Charlie Pinkerton. Published on Jul 4,
2019 12:30pm
Marie-Claude Bibeau is Canada's
first female agriculture minister. iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood
Good
morning and welcome to the Sprout. Happy Independence Day to our American
friends — and to everyone else, happy National Caesar Salad Day.
Here’s
today’s agriculture news.
The Lead
Agriculture
Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and International Trade Diversification Minister
Jim Carr met with the leaders of several Canadian pork and meat organizations
on Wednesday, to discuss China’s ban on Canadian meat imports.
“We
are still at the early stage of this issue,” Bibeau told reporters. “Our first
priority is to reopen the market; we have daily conversations with the Chinese
authorities, which give me hope that we can find a solution. The objective is
really to reassure our trading partner that there will be no more inauthentic
certificates in circulation.”
The Globe and Mail has
more of the ministers’ comments.
China
halted all Canadian meat imports after identifying a chemical in pork being
shipped to the country that it does not allow, as well as discovering falsified
export documents.
Canada
and China have been in a tense diplomatic spat since Canada arrested Huawei
executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver late last year at the request of the United
States. U.S. authorities want her extradited to face allegations that she broke
trade sanctions it has against Iran.
Around town
The
House and Senate have adjourned for the summer.
Bibeau
is at Berry Haven Farm in Abbotsford, B.C. today, where she’s planning to make
an investment announcement that will support the province’s berry industry.
The
Canadian Produce Marketing Association named Liberal MP Wayne Easter
its 2019 Produce Champion for his work in supporting the produce industry.
Carson
Callum will be the new general manager of the Manitoba Beef Producers, the
organization announced. Real Agriculture has
more about Callum.
In Canada
Canadian
National Railway says it’s on track to ship record quantities of western
Canadian grain this year, following a strong June. The company says its total
was up nearly 16 per cent from the 1.99 million tonnes it moved last year, as
well as above its three-year average of 1.8 million tonnes. Canadian Pacific
Railway also says its grain shipments are up this year. CTV News has
more.
CBC News reports that
71 per cent of Alberta’s crops now have a “good or excellent condition” rating,
after recent rain boosted growing conditions.
Internationally
Bulgaria
has confirmed two cases of African swine fever among backyard pigs, its
national food agency said. Reuters has more details.
China
has bought rice from the United States for the first time. In the thick of a
trade war between the countries, a California producer will deliver 40 metric
tons of rice to a private Chinese importer.
“This
sale marks a turning point for the U.S. rice industry and its relationship with
China” as it is the first sale of U.S. rice to a private importer “and is truly
historic as it sets the stage for continued regular trade with China for U.S.
grown rice,” USA Rice president and CEO Betsy Ward said, as Agri-Pulse reported.
Noteworthy
·
50 more cannabis stores
coming to Ontario (iPolitics)
·
Maggots are the answer to
feeding a human population that’s heading to nine billion people(Washington
Post)
·
Food Makers Crowd Snack
Aisle Despite Uneven Growth (Wall Street Journal)
The Kicker
We
close today with a followup story of a past kicker. The Alabama man who was
accused of feeding his “attack squirrel” meth has been charged with illegally
possessing wildlife. USA Today has
more.
Basmati exports to Iran back on track after embargo-induced
roadblocks
Trigger provided by Centre's assurance ob sufficiency of funds in
special rupee-denominated bilateral barter account
Basmati exports to
Iran, which is currently facing US sanctions on crude oil, are back on track
after initially facing roadblocks following the trade embargo. After the US
imposed trade sanctions on Iran in May, Indian basmati exporters, fearing uncertainly
and payment defaults, adopted a wait-and-watch stance and sought help to make
their shipments.
However, after assurance given by the central government to
exporters that there were sufficient funds in the special rupee-denominated
bilateral barter account that facilitated oil import from India and rice export
to Iran, basmati exports
along with bilateral trade in other commodities are, again back to normal.
The US, while imposing trade sanctions on Iran, had granted waiver
to a few nations, including India, to facilitate crude oil imports from the
country. Since the preconditions forbade direct funds transfer to Iran for any
bilateral trade, India had instituted a rupee payment mechanism, under which
Indian companies importing crude from Iran deposited their payment in rupees in
the special escrow accounts opened with two banks, IDBI Bank and Uco Bank.
These banks then released payments to Indian rice and pharmaceutical exporters.
“There are sufficient funds in the special account. We do not anticipate any
major payment issues cropping up in the next 6-7 months. Besides, the Central
Government is seized of the matter and hopefully some steps would be taken to
allay the apprehension of exporters and to resolve the issue,” All India Rice
Exporters Association (AIREA) executive director Vinod Kaul told Business
Standard. Since, the embargo only bars oil imports from Iran, the
escrow account would not get any fresh deposits by Indian refiners, but the
available funds could be used for paying Indian basmati exporters. In
fact, basmati exports to
Iran have hit the upper circuit (or increased sharply). Compared to last year’s
export volume of nearly 200,000 tonnes till May 2018 last year, exports had
breached 300,000 tonnes in the corresponding period this year, showing 50 per
cent growth this season. In 2018-19 exports to Iran rose 85 per cent to $1.56
billion (1.4 million tonnes) having 32 per cent share in total basmati rice exports. Iran had been
procuring 1-1.1 million tonnes of basmati on average over the past few years.
Higher imports last year were also attributed to Iran stockpiling ahead of the
anticipated US sanctions on crude oil. Meanwhile, rice exporters are also
exploring other markets to hedge their positions going forward, if the Iran
issue continues to boil and the payments situation stiffens. “We have been
analysing about the potential international markets, which could be explored
for diverting basmati, if exports to Iran come under cloud. These destinations
include the South East Asian and African markets, where Indian basmati is quite
popular,” Kaul said. He added that exporters had been keeping in touch with the
union commerce and finance ministry to keep track of the latest developments
and seeking more clarity on the unfolding situation. Meanwhile, Gurnam Arora,
joint managing director of Kohinoor Foods, a leading basmati exporter, claimed
the Iran export situation was now normal and there should not be any problem in
meeting the export targets this year. “Basmati exports to Iran jumped last year
and I am confident, this year would be no different,” he said. The Basmati
export basket is wide, and the most exported variety of Pusa 1121 had an
average procurement price of Rs 35,000-38,000 per tonne during 2018-19 season,
compared to Rs 33,000-35,000 during 2017-18, a hike of 8.5 per cent. However,
basmati export realisation had inflated at a much higher ratio of 14 per cent
to over Rs 74,000 per tonnes during April-January 2018-19 against Rs 65,000 per
tonne during the same previous fiscal.
United States makes first-ever
rice sale to China: trade group
CHICAGO
(Reuters) - A private importer in China last week bought U.S. rice for the
first time ever, in the midst of a trade war between the two nations, a rice
industry group said on Wednesday. The Chinese importer bought two containers,
about 40 tonnes, of medium-grain rice from California-based Sun Valley Rice,
said Michael Klein, a spokesman for USA Rice, a trade group that promotes the
sale of the U.S. grain. The U.S. rice was milled and packaged into bags for
consumer and food service use, Klein said. China was a major buyer of U.S.
soybeans and pork before the trade war started by the Trump administration.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that China had agreed to make
unspecified new purchases of U.S. farm products after he met with Chinese
President Xi Jinping, but purchases of major export crops have so far been
elusive. It was not immediately clear whether the rice purchase was a goodwill
gesture following the Trump-Xi meeting. The rice deal follows a sale of 544,000
tonnes of U.S. soybeans to China confirmed last week by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, the largest such sale since March. China is the world’s largest
rice grower and consumer, producing 148.5 million tonnes of the grain in the
2018/19 marketing year and importing 3.5 million tonnes. The United States
produced 7.1 million tonnes of rice in 2018/19 and exported less than 3 million
tonnes. Chinese officials agreed to allow imports of U.S. rice in July 2017,
following years of negotiations. But a nearly year-long trade dispute between
the two countries threatened the first sale. “It looked dicey for us for a
while, with the hostility going back and forth ... We were about to have a
market, and saw it snatched away, or so we thought,” Klein said. Sun Valley
Rice hopes the deal lays the groundwork for more sales of U.S. rice to China in
the future, representatives said. “Sun Valley has been a leader when it comes
to agriculture trade with China, we have been taking the first steps,” said
Karen Leland, Sun Valley’s chief marketing officer.
Date: 04-Jul-2019
Iran keen to import 0.5m tons of
rice from Pakistan
Pakistan intends to improve
bilateral trade and economic ties with Iran, said Adviser to Prime Minister on
Commerce, Textile, Industries and Production Abdul Razak Dawood. He made
the remarks while talking to an Iranian delegation, led by Minister of Industry,
Mines and Business Reza Rahmani, during first session of the 8th Pak-Iran Joint
Trade Committee held to review progress on issues relating to bilateral trade.
The adviser underlined the
importance of issues pertaining to two-way trade, which were discussed
during the prime minister’s recent visit to Iran, and expected
positive response from the Iranian side.
These
issues included removing barriers which made Pak-Iran preferential trade
agreement – signed in 2006 – ineffective and establishing a barter trade
mechanism in order to ramp up bilateral trade in agriculture, food and
pharmaceutical products. To start barter trade, both countries should select a
few items having competitive advantage,” he asserted. “In this regard, Pakistan
can enhance export of wheat, sugar, rice and fruits to Iran.” The adviser
apprised the delegation that bilateral trade was not up to the true potential
and urged Iran to take necessary measures to remove non-trade barriers so that
the real potential could be tapped. He also suggested elimination of various
forms of taxes such as road and load taxes on vehicles/trucks, which crossed
the borders, to facilitate trade between the two nations. During the meeting,
Iran expressed keen interest in importing 500,000 tons of rice from Pakistan.
It urged Pakistan to establish a necessary mechanism for early shipment of
rice. Speaking during the meeting, Rahmani appreciated Dawood’s stance on
bilateral trade issues and agreed to step up efforts to enhance trade with
Pakistan in order to improve economic wellbeing of both countries. He
promised to address all the issues which were hampering bilateral trade
and assured the PM aide of creating a win-win situation for both sides. The
Iranian side acknowledged the fact that Pakistan-Iran trade relations did not
match the real potential and emphasised the need for constituting a committee
for barter trade. “Both the countries have a huge potential in
agriculture, which has not yet been exploited,” the delegation
highlighted. Iran extended full support for removing potential bottlenecks in
order to enhance trade and jointly develop a way forward. Furthermore, it
requested Pakistan government to open more border points between Pakistan
and Iran mainly at Ramdan, Pishin and Korak, which would uplift bilateral
trade. Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2019.
Basmati rice exports rise to $
4.71 bn in 2018-19
The country’s basmati rice
exports increased to $ 4.71 billion in 2018-19 as compared with $ 3.20 billion
in 2016-17, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Commerce Minister Piyush
Goyal in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said promotion of agricultural products
such as basmati rice is a continuous process. In volume terms, the exports
increased to 44,14,605 tonne in 2018-19 from 39,85,210 tonne. Similarly,
exports of non-basmati rice also rose to $ 3 billion in the last financial year
from $ 2.52 billion in 2016-17. Replying to a separate question, the Minister
said the top-10 destinations for the country’s agricultural exports include the
US, Vietnam, Iran, China, the UAE, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. The main
countries from where India mainly imports include Indonesia, Ukraine,
Argentina, the US, Malaysia and Brazil.
Date: 05-Jul-2019
Nueva Ecija
farmers to grow special rice
By
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48
Farmers in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, will plant special rice to
supply the demand of rice cake vendors in the province and in Tarlac, according
to the Philippine Rice Research Institute.
PhilRice, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture,
said farmer-members of its Rice Business Innovations System (RiceBIS) Community
Program recently planted special rice in a demo farm managed by the Ugat-Uhay
Farmers Association (UUFA).
Joel Pascual, PhilRice community development facilitator, said
the association selected special rice because special rice cake vendors place a
premium on the variety.
With 40 farmer-participants, the program involves seasonlong
capacity enhancement on agripreneurship and Farmer Business School to help them
increase their income from rice farming.
Pascual also said farmers can benefit from economies of scale
that lowers the cost per unit when palay is sold in bulk, which makes palay
selling more attractive to bigger buyers, such as consolidators and millers.
“When realized, This model will pull the farmers out of being
trapped in the non-lucrative small-scale palay production. Aside from palay
trading, organized farmers can also try other enterprises, such as labor and machine
contracting, input selling, seed production, rice milling, wholesaling and
retailing,” he said in a statement.
Since wet season last year, UUFA had established demo farms in
partnership with PhilRice to test and exhibit technologies, including rice
varieties and machines, such as mechanical transplanter and drum seeder.
UUFA’s neighboring RiceBIS partner-cooperative, Pinagbuklod na
Adhika Agricultural Cooperative, already handles multiple enterprises including
inputs selling, custom service facilities provision and processed-rice products
selling, such as rice and mung bean brew, brown rice and milled rice.
NEDA studies ways to boost farm output with rice
tariffication
July
4, 2019, 8:16 pm
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MANILA -- With rice tariffication in
place, bulking up investments in research and development in agriculture and
investing in irrigation, among others, can markedly increase rice yields and
farm productivity in the long run, the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) said in a statement on Thursday.
NEDA, in partnership with the
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), conducted an assessment
on the projected impact of the removal of the quantitative restriction on rice
and climate change on the agriculture sector.
Initial results were presented in a
policy forum attended by representatives of concerned government agencies and
non-government organizations in Pasig City.
“Before the rice tariffication law
was passed, the government had been monopolizing the rice trade. This set-up
had been restricting the flow of private funds going to the sector,” NEDA
Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Rosemarie Edillon said.
Edillon said the much-awaited reform
in the rice sector, which NEDA had advocated, would positively impact the
agriculture sector and the whole economy in the succeeding years.
“We have conducted similar studies
on this. But we want a model that integrates climate change into farmers’ decisions,”
she added.
The preliminary results of the
policy simulations done by NEDA and IFPRI show that, at the macro level, rice
liberalization generates positive impacts on GDP across all sectors.
Under 35 percent tariff rate, GDP
would improve by 0.44 percentage points. The agriculture sector would expand as
there would be more crop diversification -- as uncompetitive rice areas shift
to other high-value crops with relatively higher net returns.
Meantime, the world rice market is
capable of supplying the additional import demand of the Philippines in the
long run with minimal increases in world prices. The accessibility of
affordable rice will contribute to lowering domestic rice prices that will
benefit everyone especially the poor.
The study also emphasized the need
to support local rice farmers by assisting them to improve productivity,
providing cash transfers in the short run, and helping them in the adoption of
climate-resilient technologies.
“The agriculture sector,
particularly the rice sector, is vulnerable to climate shocks, which have been
increasing in frequency and intensity. So we want to be prepared and provide
interventions ahead of time,” Edillon said.
NEDA and IFPRI will consolidate
inputs and recommendations, which arose from the policy forum, before releasing
a policy note containing official results and recommendations.
Among those present in the forum
were representatives from the Department of Agriculture and its attached
agencies, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Trade and Industry,
United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, and non-government
organizations, such as Samahang Industriya sa Agrikultura, Laban Konsyumer,
Inc., and Federation of Free Farmers. (PR)
Capacity
building programme on scientific cultivation of rice held
Source: The Sangai Express
Source: The Sangai Express
Chandel,
July 03 2019: A
capacity building and input distribution programme on "Scientific
cultivation of High yielding varieties of rice, rice bean, blackgram under
rainfed condition for doubling farmers' income under NEH component" was
conducted today at KVK Chandel.
The programme was sponsored by ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand) and implemented in collaboration with KVK Chandel.
The programme was attended by Krishna Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Chandel, Dr Tilak R Sharma, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand), Dr Vijai Pal Bhadana, Nodal Officer & Pr Scientist (Genetics & Plant Breeding), ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Dr IM Singh, Joint Director, ICAR-RC for NEH Region, Manipur Centre as presidium members, said a statement of KVK Chandel.
DC Chandel Krishna Kumar in his speech acknowledged the role of scientists of KVK Chandel and line departments in successful implementation of programmes in the Aspirational District.
He encouraged all concerned including the farmers to cooperate in development of the district.
Dr Tilak R Sharma, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand) highlighted that the programme is being implemented in five hill districts of Manipur, said KVK Chandel.
Dr I M Singh, Joint Director, ICAR-RC for NEH Region, Manipur Centre in his presidential speech shared his gratitude in achieving a milestone during the Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan in the district.
Being aspirational district, he requested the farmers to involve keenly in their agricultural activities to uplift their livelihood and the district as a whole.
Dr Vijai Pal Bhadana, Nodal Officer & Pr Scientist (Genetics & Plant Breeding), ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand) gave keynote address.
The programme was sponsored by ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand) and implemented in collaboration with KVK Chandel.
The programme was attended by Krishna Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Chandel, Dr Tilak R Sharma, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand), Dr Vijai Pal Bhadana, Nodal Officer & Pr Scientist (Genetics & Plant Breeding), ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Dr IM Singh, Joint Director, ICAR-RC for NEH Region, Manipur Centre as presidium members, said a statement of KVK Chandel.
DC Chandel Krishna Kumar in his speech acknowledged the role of scientists of KVK Chandel and line departments in successful implementation of programmes in the Aspirational District.
He encouraged all concerned including the farmers to cooperate in development of the district.
Dr Tilak R Sharma, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand) highlighted that the programme is being implemented in five hill districts of Manipur, said KVK Chandel.
Dr I M Singh, Joint Director, ICAR-RC for NEH Region, Manipur Centre in his presidential speech shared his gratitude in achieving a milestone during the Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan in the district.
Being aspirational district, he requested the farmers to involve keenly in their agricultural activities to uplift their livelihood and the district as a whole.
Dr Vijai Pal Bhadana, Nodal Officer & Pr Scientist (Genetics & Plant Breeding), ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi (Jharkhand) gave keynote address.
China Focus: China's sci-tech innovation
persistence pays off with great human progress
Source:
Xinhua| 2019-07-04 20:26:17|Editor: Li Xia
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chen Luojing, a designer with the
China Academy of Space Technology, was surprised at the public's enthusiasm for
the country's space programs.
In a display during the 19th China National Science and
Technology Week in May, an event to popularize science, throngs of visitors
came to watch the model of lunar rover Yutu-2, which was developed by Chen's
academy.
"They were very interested in how Yutu-2 works on the far
side of the moon. One visitor even asked me how the Queqiao relay satellite
sets the communication link between Earth and the probe," Chen recalled.
China has made great progress in science and technology in
recent years, from probing space to exploring the deep sea, and from observing
the universe to researching micro particles. Advances have fueled the public
zeal for science.
Over 310 million visits were paid to more than 21,000 science
popularization events during the week. "It is inspiring to learn about new
technologies so closely," said a visiting middle school student.
PROBING SPACE
Yutu-2 has driven more than 200 meters on the far side of the
moon to conduct research.
The rover was reported to have found materials from deep inside
the moon that could help unravel the mystery of the lunar mantle composition.
The research has been published online by the academic journal Nature.
China launched the Chang'e-4 probe on Dec. 8, 2018. Its lander
and Yutu-2 made the first-ever soft-landing on the far side of the moon on Jan.
3.
Since the launch of its first satellite in 1970, China has
achieved one feat after another in space.
In 2003, China's first astronaut Yang Liwei went into space on
the Shenzhou-5 craft. So far, the country has launched two space labs into
orbit. Tiangong-2, the second, accommodated two astronauts for 30 days and
hosted a series of cutting-edge science experiments, such as quantum key
distribution, a cold atomic clock and gamma ray burst observation.
Now China is building its own space station, which is expected
to be operational around 2022. To lay the groundwork for its construction,
China will carry out joint tests and exercises by the end of this year to
prepare for the maiden flight of the Long March-5B, according to the China
Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
China also has a busy schedule for other space activities. It
will send more than 50 craft into space via over 30 launches this year,
including the launch of the Long March-5 carrier rocket and the Chang'e-5 lunar
probe.
BASIC RESEARCH
China is pursuing a development path driven by innovation, which
is at the heart of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020). Basic
research, as a fundamental source of innovation, has received more priority as
well as longer and more stable support.
Major breakthroughs in basic research are highlighted at annual
awards honoring distinguished scientists, engineers and research. This year,
Xue Qikun, 55, won the State Natural Science Award for pioneering contributions
to the quantum anomalous Hall effect.
His research will help accelerate the development of low-power
consumption electronics and is an important boost to human scientific
knowledge, said Professor Xue Qikun, of Tsinghua University and a Chinese
Academy of Sciences academician.
Over the past 40 years, China has granted more than 100,000
national science awards, covering achievements in areas such as
high-temperature superconducting materials, supercomputers and hybrid rice.
Moreover, major facilities like the 500-meter Aperture Spherical
Radio Telescope nicknamed "Tianyan" in southwest China's Guizhou
Province, the neutrino facility of Dayawan Nuclear Power Plant in south China's
Guangdong Province, and the experimental superconducting tokamak magnetic
fusion energy reactor in east China's Anhui Province are also world-renowned.
In 2018, research and development spending in China rose 11.6
percent to more than 1.96 trillion yuan (285.3 billion U.S. dollars),
accounting for 2.18 percent of GDP. Patent applications numbered 4.32 million,
up 16.9 percent.
China has the world's largest number of R&D personnel, and
ranks second for the number of scientific papers published in international
journals.
China ranked third worldwide in citations of science and
technology papers by its researchers. Chinese scientists contributed 16,900 of
the world's most-cited papers in the decade to 2016, or 12.8 percent of the
global total, according to the Institute of Scientific and Technical
Information under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
"China's basic research is under a critical transition from
quantity accumulation to a quality leap, and from some breakthroughs to overall
capability enhancement," Xue said.
BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL
China has never been reluctant to share opportunities brought by
its scientific and technological achievements, hoping to contribute to the
building of a community with a shared future.
Recently, China announced with the United Nations nine
international science experiments that will be conducted on its planned space
station, which is hailed as a fulfillment of its commitment to openness and
international cooperation.
China will also open the Chang'e-6 mission to international
payloads and invite scientists around the world to explore asteroids and comets
together.
Advanced technology and products from China have played a key
role in promoting sustainable development and improving livelihoods in
developing countries.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has provided more than 1.8
billion yuan (about 268 million U.S. dollars) for science and technology
projects in association with the Belt and Road Initiative since 2013,
benefiting many Asian and African countries.
Supported by the Chinese government and the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, Chinese agriculture scientists have bred new rice varieties
named Green Super Rice (GSR) with high and stable yields for developing Asian
and African countries to help reduce hunger and increase local farmers'
incomes.
"I like GSR because its grains are good and are
considerably heavier than rice grains I tried in the past," said Montano,
one of the first Philippine farmers to grow the tough variety GSR 8. "The crop
is tolerant to pests and diseases."
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
said his foundation will always support China in building a better future for
all: "I believe in China's ability to help hundreds of millions of young
people in the world's poorest countries fulfill their potential."
Local Researcher Invents
Innovative Way To Monitor Ocean Micro Plastics
July 3, 2019 | 8:39 pm
A Newfoundland-based invention
will help to better monitor the amount of micro plastics on the surface of the
ocean.
“BabyLegs” is
the creation of Dr. Max Liboiron, the Director of Civic Laboratory for
Environmental Action Research at MUN.
It uses baby’s tights, soda pop
bottles and other inexpensive materials to trawl for floating micro plastics.
Most marine plastics are smaller
than a grain of rice and are ingested by all sorts of marine life, including
fish consumed by humans.
Dr. Liboiron is partnering with
the Public Lab for Open Technology, which will help to produce BabyLegs kits
for distribution to the public.
It will also host sessions on how
to use the contraption to collect data that can be shared with scientists.
A scientific research trawl could
cost as much as $3500 dollars, while BabyLegs costs around $20 and can be built
and used by people without scientific knowledge, but produces similar data.
For more information on the
crowdfunded science project: www.kickstarter.com/projects/publiclab/babylegs
Basmati exports to Iran back on track after embargo-induced roadblocks
Trigger provided by Centre's assurance ob sufficiency of funds in special rupee-denominated bilateral barter account
After the US imposed trade sanctions on Iran in May, Indian basmati exporters, fearing uncertainly and payment defaults, adopted a wait-and-watch stance and sought help to make their shipments.
The US, while imposing trade sanctions on Iran, had granted waiver to a few nations, including India, to facilitate crude oil imports from the country. Since the preconditions forbade direct funds transfer to Iran for any bilateral trade, India had instituted a rupee payment mechanism, under which Indian companies importing crude from Iran deposited their payment in rupees in the special escrow accounts opened with two banks, IDBI Bank and Uco Bank. These banks then released payments to Indian rice and pharmaceutical exporters.
“There are sufficient funds in the special account. We do not anticipate any major payment issues cropping up in the next 6-7 months. Besides, the Central Government is seized of the matter and hopefully some steps would be taken to allay the apprehension of exporters and to resolve the issue,” All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) executive director Vinod Kaul told Business Standard.
Since, the embargo only bars oil imports from Iran, the escrow account would not get any fresh deposits by Indian refiners, but the available funds could be used for paying Indian basmati exporters.
In fact, basmati exports to Iran have hit the upper circuit (or increased sharply). Compared to last year’s export volume of nearly 200,000 tonnes till May 2018 last year, exports had breached 300,000 tonnes in the corresponding period this year, showing 50 per cent growth this season. In 2018-19 exports to Iran rose 85 per cent to $1.56 billion (1.4 million tonnes) having 32 per cent share in total basmati rice exports.
Iran had been procuring 1-1.1 million tonnes of basmati on average over the past few years. Higher imports last year were also attributed to Iran stockpiling ahead of the anticipated US sanctions on crude oil.
Meanwhile, rice exporters are also exploring other markets to hedge their positions going forward, if the Iran issue continues to boil and the payments situation stiffens.
“We have been analysing about the potential international markets, which could be explored for diverting basmati, if exports to Iran come under cloud. These destinations include the South East Asian and African markets, where Indian basmati is quite popular,” Kaul said.
He added that exporters had been keeping in touch with the union commerce and finance ministry to keep track of the latest developments and seeking more clarity on the unfolding situation.
Meanwhile, Gurnam Arora, joint managing director of Kohinoor Foods, a leading basmati exporter, claimed the Iran export situation was now normal and there should not be any problem in meeting the export targets this year. “Basmati exports to Iran jumped last year and I am confident, this year would be no different,” he said.
The Basmati export basket is wide, and the most exported variety of Pusa 1121 had an average procurement price of Rs 35,000-38,000 per tonne during 2018-19 season, compared to Rs 33,000-35,000 during 2017-18, a hike of 8.5 per cent.
However, basmati export realisation had inflated at a much higher ratio of 14 per cent to over Rs 74,000 per tonnes during April-January 2018-19 against Rs 65,000 per tonne during the same previous fiscal.https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/basmati-exports-to-iran-back-on-track-after-embargo-induced-roadblocks-119070400442_1.html
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