FSII
urges adoption of hybrid rice to increase rice productivity
Sep 11, 2019 (1 day ago)
| ANI
New Delhi September 10 : Federation of Seed Industry of India
(FSII) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized a seminar on 'Seed
Technology Innovation for Sustainable Rice Production' in New Delhi today.
The
objective of the seminar was to discuss ways to enhance rice productivity
sustainably and improve farmers' profitability in India. Union Minister of
State for Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare, Kailash Choudhary was present at
the event.
Other eminent guests present at the event were Dr Prem Kumar, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, Dr SK Malhotra, Agriculture Commissioner, Government of India and VK Gaur, Chairman and Managing Director, National Seed Corporation. Other participants at the event were senior government officials, farmer organizations scientists and industry representatives.
Rice is one of the primary crops of India and is therefore critical to increase its productivity. Among the rice-growing countries in the world, India has the largest area under paddy - 43.86 million hectares and ranks second by producing 163 MT (million tonnes) just next to China which holds the first position and produces 203 MT.
In India, up to 25 per cent of yield losses in rice crop are due to the disease and insect pest infestation. Further, low planting density, poor agronomic practices, and weed management, low seed replacement rate etc are also leading to low rice productivity.
The major challenge is however posed by its production; one kg of rice requires 2000-3000 litres of water. Therefore, average water inputs for India's rice production of 163 MT stands at 327 thousand billion litres. Since 90 per cent of the cultivated land in India belongs to marginal, small and medium farmers, it is essential for the country to make effective technologies and processes available to them.
Deliberations at the seminar brought forward the need for long-term research investments in bringing more productive hybrids with improved grain characters, strengthen seed production systems by geographic diversification and take up more intensive promotion of hybrid in new areas through PPP mode. Further, the State Government's support is also essential to increase acreage under hybrid rice in all states.
"Government is always thinking about finding ways to increase the income of farmers, as they do not get the requisite timely profits due to multiple issues. Farmer awareness regarding new technology and techniques is essential to realize the benefits in this sector. We also need to work together to change the perception of the farming profession. Farming needs to be branded in a way that more youngsters are interested in taking up agriculture as a profession", said Kailash Choudhary.
"Growing rice is very expensive in India and we have not been able to reach our full potential due to several limitations. Support through policies will facilitate the adoption of technologies and sustainable practices to achieve our goal of doubling farmer's income", said Dr M Ramasami, Chairman, FSII.
"Hybrid rice is one of the most feasible and practically adaptable approaches for the farmers as it gives 20-35 per cent additional yield and is environmentally sustainable. It requires less water and nitrogen as they grow in short duration, are stress-tolerant and are better adapted in rainfed conditions. Hybrids have been key in increasing productivity of maize and cotton in India but not in rice so far", said Ram Kaundinya, Director General, FSII.
"Technologies like Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) also hold tremendous benefits. It can cultivate rice in a sustainable manner by reducing water inputs, labour costs and can increase yields. For example, farmers use on an average 50 litres/acre of diesel for transplanting rice in the northern region. DSR gives an opportunity to save approximately 15 litres/ha of diesel consumption by eliminating puddling operations in the northern region alone", said Dr Shivendra Bajaj, Executive Director, FSII.
India's agricultural exports have increased from Rs 2,15,396 crores in 2015-16 to Rs 2,50,273 crores in the financial year 2017-18 registering a growth of nearly 16.19 per cent. This success can be primarily attributed to the higher exports of rice (both basmati and non-basmati) followed by raw cotton, oil meals, castor oil, etc. To surpass these records while growing rice sustainably, farmers will have to adopt and given access to new technologies and advancements in the field.
This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article
Other eminent guests present at the event were Dr Prem Kumar, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, Dr SK Malhotra, Agriculture Commissioner, Government of India and VK Gaur, Chairman and Managing Director, National Seed Corporation. Other participants at the event were senior government officials, farmer organizations scientists and industry representatives.
Rice is one of the primary crops of India and is therefore critical to increase its productivity. Among the rice-growing countries in the world, India has the largest area under paddy - 43.86 million hectares and ranks second by producing 163 MT (million tonnes) just next to China which holds the first position and produces 203 MT.
In India, up to 25 per cent of yield losses in rice crop are due to the disease and insect pest infestation. Further, low planting density, poor agronomic practices, and weed management, low seed replacement rate etc are also leading to low rice productivity.
The major challenge is however posed by its production; one kg of rice requires 2000-3000 litres of water. Therefore, average water inputs for India's rice production of 163 MT stands at 327 thousand billion litres. Since 90 per cent of the cultivated land in India belongs to marginal, small and medium farmers, it is essential for the country to make effective technologies and processes available to them.
Deliberations at the seminar brought forward the need for long-term research investments in bringing more productive hybrids with improved grain characters, strengthen seed production systems by geographic diversification and take up more intensive promotion of hybrid in new areas through PPP mode. Further, the State Government's support is also essential to increase acreage under hybrid rice in all states.
"Government is always thinking about finding ways to increase the income of farmers, as they do not get the requisite timely profits due to multiple issues. Farmer awareness regarding new technology and techniques is essential to realize the benefits in this sector. We also need to work together to change the perception of the farming profession. Farming needs to be branded in a way that more youngsters are interested in taking up agriculture as a profession", said Kailash Choudhary.
"Growing rice is very expensive in India and we have not been able to reach our full potential due to several limitations. Support through policies will facilitate the adoption of technologies and sustainable practices to achieve our goal of doubling farmer's income", said Dr M Ramasami, Chairman, FSII.
"Hybrid rice is one of the most feasible and practically adaptable approaches for the farmers as it gives 20-35 per cent additional yield and is environmentally sustainable. It requires less water and nitrogen as they grow in short duration, are stress-tolerant and are better adapted in rainfed conditions. Hybrids have been key in increasing productivity of maize and cotton in India but not in rice so far", said Ram Kaundinya, Director General, FSII.
"Technologies like Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) also hold tremendous benefits. It can cultivate rice in a sustainable manner by reducing water inputs, labour costs and can increase yields. For example, farmers use on an average 50 litres/acre of diesel for transplanting rice in the northern region. DSR gives an opportunity to save approximately 15 litres/ha of diesel consumption by eliminating puddling operations in the northern region alone", said Dr Shivendra Bajaj, Executive Director, FSII.
India's agricultural exports have increased from Rs 2,15,396 crores in 2015-16 to Rs 2,50,273 crores in the financial year 2017-18 registering a growth of nearly 16.19 per cent. This success can be primarily attributed to the higher exports of rice (both basmati and non-basmati) followed by raw cotton, oil meals, castor oil, etc. To surpass these records while growing rice sustainably, farmers will have to adopt and given access to new technologies and advancements in the field.
This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article
Forum
focuses on agricultural technologies
By Yuan Fang
China.org.cn, September 12, 2019
Agricultural technology experts
gather at a forum in Beijing Wednesday to review the achievements in agricultural
technologies since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and
look to the future. [Photo by Zhao Jinyue]
Yuan Longping, a Chinese agronomist
known as the "father of hybrid rice," made another breakthrough last
year as his team successfully grew rice in Dubai's desert areas with a top
yield of 500 kilograms per mu.
Yuan's success in Dubai illustrates
how agricultural technologies can transform agricultural production.
In China, a country that has
managed to feed its 1.4 billion people with a level of per capita arable land
area far below the world average, the role of agricultural technologies is
undoubtedly also very evident.
As this year marks the 70th
anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC), agricultural technology experts
gathered at a forum in Beijing Wednesday to review the achievements in
agricultural technologies since the PRC's founding in 1949 and look to the
future.
Scientific and technological
advances now contribute to nearly 60 percent of China's agricultural growth,
said Wan Jianmin, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and vice
president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), when speaking
at the forum.
As a key player in organizing,
leading and driving China's agricultural technology research and application,
CAAS now hosts two national key science facilities - the National Key Facility
for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, and the National Center
of Agricultural Biosafety.
CAAS will stay committed to
innovation in ensuring food security, protecting the environment and increasing
resources utilization efficiency, said Wan.
In response to a question regarding
rice varieties, Wan, a prominent expert on rice breeding, said research has
gone from simply focusing on how to raise yield and quality to also catering to
various consumer needs such as those of diabetics and lung disease patients.
Speaking of China's international
cooperation concerning agricultural technology, Mei Xurong, also CAAS vice
president, said that so far, China has reached cooperation agreements with 140
countries and regions as well as international organizations.
While introducing advanced foreign
technologies, China is also seeing its own agricultural technologies going out
and being applied abroad in recent years, Mei added.
Mei also noted that China is
increasingly participating in international agricultural technology governance,
expecting China to play a bigger role in the future and become a rules setter
instead of simply a game player.
When giving a detailed introduction
about the National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic
Improvement, Liu Chunming, director of CAAS' Institute of Crop Sciences,
revealed that China is building a new seed bank that is set to be the world's
largest with a designed storage capacity of 1.5 million seed samples, given
that its current seed bank, with a capacity of 500,000 samples, is no longer
sufficient.
Sun Tan, director of CAAS'
Agricultural Information Institute, discussed the trending concept "Smart
Agriculture" at the forum.
Sun believed that "Smart
Agriculture," featuring the use of artificial intelligence, big data and
cloud computing technologies, has the potential to make agricultural technology
research more flexible and advance at a faster speed, and help agricultural
growth cut costs, improve quality and increase efficiency.
Wang Jing, a professor with CAAS'
Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products,
said her institute has formulated nearly 300 standards to ensure the quality
and safety of agricultural products.
Wednesday's forum was the third of
a series of dialogues between scientists and journalists to communicate
science, organized by the China Association for Science and Technology.
How IT, communication can boost sustainable
farming in India
Use of messaging services, web-based applications, capacity
building and encouragement of public-private partnership can enable farmers to
get fair price for their produce and understand the ease of doing business.
Agriculture has been recognised
as the core of the Union budget for the year 2019-20. The Government of India
has planned to invest widely in agriculture infrastructure to provide assured
income to small and marginal farmers. 
It has made Niti Aayog a national
think tank to establish and conduct programmes and research on technologies of
the future namely, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to
facilitate the economic development of our country.
Uzhavan app, Ag mobile, CCMobile
app, IFFCO Kisan are some of the applications developed keeping in mind the
need of the hour requirements in farming. Several notable initiatives like
e-choupal, Agri market, Kisan Suvidha and the more recent e-NAM had long been
trying to place agriculture as the forerunner.
The current budget has outlined
setting up of 20 technology business incubators to develop at least 75,000
skilled entrepreneurs in the agro-rural industry.
Further, Rs 805 crore has also
been allocated to Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)
to address critical gaps in the value chain including infrastructure,
modernisation, traceability, production, productivity, post-harvest management
and quality control through integration of latest technology.
This will eventually pave way to
achieving long-term sustainable agriculture goals of environmental health,
economic profitability and social and economic equity.
In a research, conducted in China
in 2013 on agriculture-based on cloud computing and IoT (Internet of Things),
the integration of IoT in farming mainly facilitated soilless culture, solution
control technology, artificial photosynthesis technology, growing environment
control technology (carbon dioxide density, humidity, wind pressure and speed)
and intelligent irrigation technology.
After several years of intense
work, China's industry and information ministry has achieved remarkable success
in projects like ‘Every village project’, ‘Golden Agricultural Project’, ‘The
three Dian project (Computer, Television and Telephone network coverage in
rural area)’.
However, as more emphasis was
laid on hardware than software, there was a lack of communication of right information
to the farmers. This led to the development of an agricultural information
cloud with integration of IoT and RFID (radio frequency identification)
technology.
Also, the agriculture sector,
has, in recent times visualised the integration of IoT and farming practices in
development and conceptualisation of plant factory technology. For example, a
lighting sensor and a video sensor can show the distribution of the intensity
of light in real time and monitor the size of the plant. This would help determine
the stage of the plant growth.
The health condition of plants,
thus, could be obtained in real-time by the spectral analysis of the images of
the plant.
Data from the global positioning
systems (GPS) and wireless sensor nodes (WSN) also served as powerful
monitoring tools to supervise parameters and correlate between them.
Geo-referencing methods that employed the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and
drones were observed to have a positive impact on crop cultivation and
pesticide control.
Data stored in these sensors and
farm equipment and machinery was shared periodically to the farmers through a
mobile phone connected to GPRS. The farmers could remotely monitor and control
on-field sensors like switching on/off a pump/valve when water level in the field
reaches a specific threshold value or take important decisions with the help of
deep learning algorithms involving crop management.
In Brazil, a Smart Farming
project was studied intensively. It involved digital revolution, AI, mobility
with intelligent sensors. It led to the identification of more innovative
products, process optimisation and managing effective agricultural production.
The project was, in 2014,
executed as collaboration between Dutch research institutes, Dutch industry and
Dutch agricultural businesses. The collaboration led the Smart Farming
consortium to investigate the possibility of using remote sensing solutions in
the cultivation process.
The trend in variables like
sunlight, humidity, temperature, rain was obtained from the archives of Royal
Netherlands Meteorological Institute to gain prior knowledge on deviations in
seasons in comparison with previous years.
From the satellite images, the
Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values were deduced, which served
as an indication of the amount of photo-synthetically active vegetation on the
region.
Using historical analysis, the
variety specific NDVI curve was established and its relationship between the
variables was identified. This information was observed to be crucial in formulation
of data driven models.
In the year 1980-1983, a global
study on vegetation types were conducted using satellite images. It was
observed that the NDVI highly correlated with vegetation parameters such as
green-leaf biomass and green-leaf area.
Incidentally, India was found to
have high NDVI values. This could potentially serve as a key driver to increase
sustainable farming practices in India.
NextOn, a South Korean company in
2018, successfully built the country’s largest smart farm inside an abandoned
road tunnel. The indoor farm provided ideal conditions with a steady
temperature and the right amount of artificial light and rest of the factors
were controlled by IoT.
The company signed an agreement
with the South Korea government to develop an indoor vertical farm as an
alternate solution to prevent damages to crops due to extreme weather
conditions. It successfully cultivated more than 60 different types of fruits
and vegetables.
Foods produced from the farm were
found to be healthier as they had reduced insect infestations being in a closed
environment.
In India, the Union Ministry of
Earth Sciences and Agricultural Meteorology Division of the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) have in their mission 2030, proposed the
formation of an integrated unit involving the IMD, Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR) in collaboration with the different institutions
like agricultural universities, ICAR Institutes, state department of
agriculture, department of information technology, department of space, MS
Swaminathan Research Foundation and non-governmental organisations,etc in a
phased manner.
The inter-institutional
collaboration could be further strengthened at national and international level
in the field of agro-meteorological activities.
The National Mission on
Agricultural Extension and Technology (NMAET) as a part of sustainable
development group aims to strengthen and restructure mechanisation and plant
protection to enable delivery of improved agronomic practices to farmers.
This was planned to be achieved
through interactive methods, using information and communication technology
(ICT), which includes messaging services, web-based applications, capacity
building, institutional strengthening, encouragement of public-private
partnership and training services to guide farmers.
Our government, thus, has
acknowledged the role of ICT in agriculture for sustainable intensive farming;
and the newly established farmer producer organisations ensure to provide a
conducive atmosphere between the central and state government enabling farmers
to get fair price for their produce and understand the ease of doing business.
(Views expressed are the authors'
own and doesn't necessarily reflect that of Down To Earth)
Guam's favorite starch is genetically hardier
·
·
Sep
12, 2019
It’s time to have a look at the
real basis for human existence. Although plants could get along without us just
fine, humans can’t survive without the plants. And today we’re going to have a
look at Guam’s favorite starch: rice.
Researchers from the University
of Queensland have mapped the genetic family tree of wild rice growing in
northern Australia and in a paper published in Nature Genetics say that
developing commercial rice strains from this rice could help boost global food
security.
Northern Australia's wild rice
species contain valuable traits like drought tolerance and pest resistance.
They also have resistance to diseases like rice blast, brown spot and bacterial
leaf spots. At least two species are very closely related to domestic rice, so
they can be cross-bred with it.
Rice genetically diverged about
three million years ago to produce the Asian and African rice species commonly
used in commercial rice production today. At the same time, a rice variety
developed that is now found only in northern Australia.
Rice is the most widely consumed
food staple for much of the world's population and it’s Earth’s third-largest
agricultural crop. This study provides a comprehensive insight into the rice
family tree and confirms that wild Australian rice is the most directly related
species to the ancient ancestor of all rice.
Digging into the history of rice
is good, but what if scientists could change the nutritional content of rice by
breeding it to contain extra protein? In a paper published in the American
Society of Agronomy researchers from Louisiana State University say they’ve
done just that.
There are hundreds of millions of
people around the world who depend on rice and eat it three times a day, but
their access to protein is very limited by availability and cost. High-protein
rice could be used to help solve the worldwide problem across social, cultural,
and economic issues.
The scientists have developed a
high-protein rice cultivar which was released in 2017. The rice was developed
through a traditional breeding process and is the first long grain high-protein
rice developed for use anywhere in the world. On average, it has a protein
content of 10.6%, a 53% increase from its original protein content and it also
needs less heat, time, and water to cook. This high-protein cultivar is
currently marketed as “Cahokia” rice and is grown commercially in Illinois.
But breeding a crop for more
nutrients like protein can cause the yield to go down and the researchers are
trying to combat this. They tested a total of 20 new lines of high-protein rice
to see if any would have a higher yield. Their data showed the new high-protein
lines improved yield by 11-17% compared to the yield of the first high-protein
line. The new advanced lines, with a higher yield, are ready for final field
testing prior to release.
In addition to being eaten plain,
the high-protein rice can be processed into specialty foods for higher
nutrition. Many products, from rice flour used in baked goods to rice milk,
baby foods, cereals, and crackers, contain rice and could benefit from more
protein.
The researchers say that farmers
don't have to change much to grow the high-protein line now on the market and
that the higher protein is an incredible added value they can get without any
additional cost or changed practices.
Rice that is genetically hardier
and has more protein. Scientific research can be very beneficial!
FECARROZ
Elects New Board of Directors
SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR -- Last week, USA Rice participated
in a triparty meeting here with FECARROZ (Central America Rice Federation) and
the U.S. Rice Producers Association (USRPA) to continue discussions on the
Central America & Dominican Republic free trade agreement (CAFTA-DR).
Discussions have focused primarily on maintaining and growing rice trade
between the U.S. and our third largest export market, Central America.
"The CAFTA-DR permits a cumulative amount of 569,015 MT of U.S. rice to enter duty-free in 2019; as of June, 41 percent of that amount has been imported into the various countries. The majority of rice imports in Central America come from the U.S., but Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina also supply rice to the region," said Sarah Moran, USA Rice vice president international.
Also last week, FECARROZ elected its new Board of Directors: President Jason Hawit (Honduras); Vice President Ulises Espinoza (Nicaragua); Secretary Eduardo Rojas (Costa Rica); Treasurer Jose Tudo (El Salvador); and, At Large Sergio Garcia (Guatemala).
"USA Rice would like to congratulate Jason Hawit on his new role as president of FECARROZ," said Moran. "We've known Jason and his family for many years now and look forward to working with him in this new role."
USA Rice, FECARROZ, and USRPA plan to meet again during the 2019 USA Rice Outlook Conference this December in Little Rock, Arkansas.
"The CAFTA-DR permits a cumulative amount of 569,015 MT of U.S. rice to enter duty-free in 2019; as of June, 41 percent of that amount has been imported into the various countries. The majority of rice imports in Central America come from the U.S., but Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina also supply rice to the region," said Sarah Moran, USA Rice vice president international.
Also last week, FECARROZ elected its new Board of Directors: President Jason Hawit (Honduras); Vice President Ulises Espinoza (Nicaragua); Secretary Eduardo Rojas (Costa Rica); Treasurer Jose Tudo (El Salvador); and, At Large Sergio Garcia (Guatemala).
"USA Rice would like to congratulate Jason Hawit on his new role as president of FECARROZ," said Moran. "We've known Jason and his family for many years now and look forward to working with him in this new role."
USA Rice, FECARROZ, and USRPA plan to meet again during the 2019 USA Rice Outlook Conference this December in Little Rock, Arkansas.
USA rice Daily
U.S. hints at rice concession in Japan
trade talks
Sep.
11 04:00 pm JST
WASHINGTON
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny
Perdue suggested Tuesday the United States may make concessions in seeking
greater access to Japan's rice market, during ongoing bilateral trade talks.
Calling rice a "a sort of a
cultural issue in Japan," Perdue told reporters the product is an area in
which the United States has not been "successful" as Washington and
Tokyo work toward sealing a trade deal this month.
But he said any deal, for the most
part, "gets us back on parity with our competitors," apparently
referring to U.S. farmers being put at a disadvantage due to trade agreements
Japan has signed with other countries, including the revised 11-member
Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The United States had initially
joined the TPP before pulling out in 2017, with President Donald Trump saying
he preferred to forge bilateral trade agreements. He has also pushed for a deal
to reduce the country's hefty trade deficit with Japan.
Trump and Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe agreed a bilateral trade deal in principle on the sidelines of the
Group of Seven summit in France, in August, and planned to step up work toward
signing it on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly in New York later this
month.
While details of the agreement are
yet to be announced, Japan is expected to cut tariffs on U.S. farm products
such as beef and pork to around the same levels as in the TPP.
Whether Japan will set a
tariff-free import quota for U.S. rice has been one of the focal points of the
talks, given it had agreed in the original TPP to incrementally raise such
annual quotas to up to 70,000 tons over 13 years.
"I'm hopeful and
optimistic" that Trump and Abe will reach an agreement on the occasion of
the U.N gathering, Perdue said.
The tragedy of
the Filipino rice farmers
September 12, 2019
TODAY there are 10 million rice
farmers in the Philippines. Extrapolating their number of dependents, they
constitute a big portion of the over 100 million Filipinos today, and they are
in trouble.
Not much of their land can be
reached by irrigation facilities and rain has not been heavy on lands depending
on rain for water.
On the other hand, the rice
tariffication law (RTL, RA 11203), recently passed but lacking yet in
publicized IRR (implementing rules and regulations) is a good law. It thinks
primarily about food security for 100 million Filipinos rather than just
protecting the parochial needs of some 10 million Filipino rice farmers.
For decades, in the name of
“protecting” the farmers, rice importation was limited by quota restrictions.
There was tons of money to be made, reportedly by bureaucrats who approved the
import allocation, the traders who cornered the importation permits and which
allegedly acted as a “cartel” in order to dictate market prices. And, of
course, there were the smugglers-scarcity being the mother of smuggling.
Divine intervention came last
year when these market aberrations resulted in a price supply deficit and
prices of rice went to the roof-hiking inflation rate and negatively affecting
the gross domestic product (GDP). The government was shocked and, thus, the RTL
was born.
Today, the full effect of the law
has not yet been felt generally by retail consumers because as Agriculture
Secretary William D. Dar said “although some 2.5 million tons of rice have
already been imported up to August,” the traders are withholding their market
entry in order to command higher prices. Dar had warned them on September 4
that the full force of the law like “economic sabotage,” perhaps, can be meted
on these unscrupulous businessmen in Satan’s robe.
The average production cost of
palay is at P12 per kilo. People from the mountains in other rice-growing parts
of the country say some greedy wholesalers there are buying farm-gate palay at
only P8 per kilo stealthily citing what is
happening in some parts of Luzon.
happening in some parts of Luzon.
But Agriculture Committee Senate
Chairman Sen. Cynthia A. Villar debunked the case explaining that those being
sold at P8 per kilo in Luzon were those that have been severely damaged by the
typhoon rain causing unwanted moisture.
Buying palay at P8 per kilo will
certainly kill the poor farmer, who is forced to agree to this confiscatory
price just to be able to pay for the children’s schooling, have food money for
the family and buy the seeds for the next planting.
Can one-fathom cruelty as
offensive as this? There are those who pretend to “help” the farmers in need
but the financial arrangement is such that in the medium term, the poor farmer
will be so much buried in obligations that he is forced to give up his land as
payment.
We have heard of those who are
now landed “oligarchs” precisely by “helping” farmers this way.
Local government units should
start buying palay at P20 per kilo (average) to stymie these greedy traders.
Dar said LGUs, after all, are autonomous and a mere resolution of their local
legislative bodies can authorize the LGU officials to borrow from LandBank and
buy palay from farmers at P15 per kilo to 17 per kilo (above production cost)
and certainly way above the “criminal” rate of P8 per kilo.
This is necessary because the
government cannot use their present approved local 2019 budget because no such
specific appropriation exists and using such funds would be technical
malversation.
If any funds are left, NFA can
also buy, we believe, palay at about the same P20.70 per kilo, as well. But
farmers are not enthused to sell to the NFA because of the tedious processes in
the collection of payment.
It is important the government
acts with dispatch because the so-called Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(RCEF) of P10 billion will still be implemented only in the 2020 budget of the
DA.
The P10-billion funds to be
distributed to the aggrieved farmers are without interest for six years but
their usage is limited to just seed distribution and machinery. What about
working capital, sir?
After helping the farmers from
the above, will be RTL benefit the rice-eating populace of over 100 million
Filipinos? Yes, but not yet perfectly now.
Philippine Statistics Authority
shows that today—on average—regular milled rice is still priced at P38.40 and
well-milled rice at P43.50, lower than last year but not yet at the government
targeted retail price of P27 per kilo of regular milled rice.
Currently, in some areas, palay at
farm-gate is bought by traders (not the unscrupulous ones) at P19 per kilo to
P20 per kilo and wet type at P17 per kilo to P18 per kilo.
The government buying palay price
at P20 per kilo to P22 per kilo for now, therefore, would be of big help. With
retail price currently at P38 per kilo, there are enough margins to be shared
among the trader, retailer and even the government to pay for LandBank’s
interest.
The point is that government must
have the correct moral posture—of placing its heart nearest the interest of the
poorest sectors of society, which include our millions of rice-industry
dependent Filipinos (P150 daily income for a family of five?).
Bingo Dejaresco, a former banker,
is a financial consultant, media practitioner, and book author. He is a life
member and broadcast chair of Finex, His views here, however, are personal and
do not necessarily reflect those of Finex. Dejarescobingo@yahoo.com
Liberal Party solons
want to use P13 billion in funds as cash aid for rice farmers
ABS-CBN News
MANILA - Members of the House of Representatives from the
Liberal Party on Wednesday filed a joint resolution that would authorize the
use of some P13 billion in funds as cash assistance for farmers amid the drop
in the price of palay or rough rice.
Under the rice tariffication law that removed the cap on grain
imports, the government is mandated to allot P10 billion to aid farmers through
the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
Of this figure, P4 billion remains unused, according to the
lawmakers, citing the Bureau of Customs in a Senate hearing last week. The
bureau also said it has collected P9.19 billion as revenues from rice
importation.
“We see no reason why we can’t use this P13 billion to
immediately give aid to our farmers who need it the most. There is no point to
[be] earning from imports if our people won’t benefit from it, especially the
most affected," Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo said.
Quimbo, along with Quezon City 6th district Rep. Kit Belmonte,
Occidental Mindoro Rep. Nene Sato, and Camarines Sur 3rd District
Representative Gabriel Bordado filed the joint resolution Wednesday.
“What our farmers need is immediate cash assistance, not loans
that will only add burden to the smallholder farmers."
The Department of Agriculture earlier said farmers could avail
themselves of a P15,000 loan payable in 8 years with zero interest to help
local producers of the staple grain cope with falling prices.
The National Food Authority will also buy rough rice from
farmers at a higher price, while tariffs on further imports this year could be
increased, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.
A counterpart resolution has been filed in the Senate by LP
president Sen. Francis Pangilinan, the lawmakers said.
Pangilinan had proposed that the P10 billion RCEF be given
directly to rice farmers together with the tariff already collected by the
government.
Senators earlier raised concern about the use of the P10 billion
annual fund, with Sen. Cynthia Villar seeking an investigation into its use.
Quimbo, meanwhile, urged the Philippine Competition Commission
to investigate rice millers and traders for possibly abusing farmers through
“unfair” and “severe” reduction of palay prices.
Dar earlier said some traders might have caused the drop in the
price of palay through hoarding.
Minister: Paddy procurement to start in Oct
Sep 12, 2019, 7:12 AM; last updated: Sep 12, 2019,
7:12 AM (IST
Chandigarh, September 11
Minister of
State for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Karan Dev Kamboj said today
that Custom Milled Rice (CMR) policy would be formulated for paddy procurement
for the convenience of farmers. Besides, the process of paddy procurement would
begin from October.
Kamboj was
presiding over a joint meeting of officials of all procurement agencies and the
Rice Millers’ Association. The meeting was attended by senior officers of Hafed
and other departments. During the meeting, the Rice Millers’ Association gave
suggestions for the formulation of a policy. — TNS
Impeller-type
rice mill pushed for brown rice
IMPELLER-TYPE RICE MILL PUSHED FOR
BROWN RICE
The Philippine Center for
Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) has developed a village
level impeller-type rice mill that would help increase the consumption and sale
of brown rice.
“The technology address short
shelf-life of brown rice of around four weeks under normal condition by “Just
in Time” hulling approach. Brown rice consumers or retailers shall be given the
capability to mill their one to four weeks requirements to avoid quality
deterioration,” PhilMech said in the literature for the impeller-type rice
mill.
The
impeller-type rice mill developed by the Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization will help address the need to mill the right
amount of brown rice for sale and consumption. Consumption of brown rice in the
country has been low because of its short shelf life. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The impeller-type rice mill has a
capacity to dehusk 200 kilograms of palay (unmilled rice) into brown rice.
Since it is has compact
dimensions, the impeller-type rice mill could be easily transported and is easy
to operate. It also requires low maintenance and is powered by electricity via
a 220-volt supply.
PhilMech said the target market
for the impeller-type rice mill are brown rice retailers and small-scale rice
millers.
Increased consumption of brown
rice is hampered by its short shelf life, which deters retailers and millers
from offering it to the public. Also, most rice mills offered in the market are
for large quantities. PhilMech is hoping that with the impeller-type rice mill
it developed, sales and consumption of brown rice would increase over the short
to long term.
THE TIMES
India Grain:
Wheat up on low arrivals, weak demand weighs on maize
Wednesday, Sep 11
By Sampad Nandy
NEW DELHI – Prices of mill-quality wheat rose across key
spot markets today due to a sharp decline in arrivals amid firm demand from
flour millers, traders said.
"Arrivals fell today as most farmers and stockists have
liquidated their stocks and the market has entered into the lean arrival
season," Indore-based trader N.K. Agarwal said.
Anticipation of further decline in arrivals in spot markets also
supported prices in futures trade. The most-active September wheat contract on
National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange today ended at 2,035 rupees
per 100 kg, up 1.7% from the previous close.
Spot prices of wheat are, however, seen declining in the near
term as most bulk buyers may move to government auctions in the
coming days due to an anticipated tight supply in spot markets, Kota-based
trader Aniket Mehta said.
Maize prices remained weak today as purchasers avoided picking
up stocks in bulk at sharply higher spot prices, traders said.
"Bulk demand is seen weak in coming days as most bulk
purchasers are not seen waiting for the fresh crop to hit markets in large
quantities," Nizamabad-based trader Amrutlal Kataria said.
Maize futures on NCDEX also fell tracking spot markets, with the
most-active September contract ending 0.5% lower at 2,064 rupees per 100
kg.
Traders see prices declining in the coming days once the fresh
kharif crop hits the market. According to a Cogencis poll, market
participants pegged the 2019-20 (Jul-Jun) kharif maize output at 16.1 mln
tn. They estimated the output at 15.1 mln tn for 2018-19.
In case of basmati paddy, prices of the Pusa 1121 variety, too,
fell as demand from rice mills and exporters remained weak, traders said.
"Export demand for basmati is likely to remain subdued in
coming days due to the prevailing uncertanties over exports to Iran,"
Delhi-based trader Anand Goyal said.
Futures contracts of Pusa 1121 basmati on Indian Commodity
Exchange, too, ended lower taking cues from the spot market, traders said.
The October contract ended at 3,340 rupees per 100 kg, down
0.9%.
Following are today's prices of wheat, maize, and paddy, in
rupees per 100 kg, in key wholesale markets, and the change from the previous
day:
|
Commodity
|
Market
|
Price
|
Change
|
|
Wheat
|
Kota
|
1,990-2,040
|
10-15
|
|
Wheat
|
Indore
|
1,990-2,040
|
10-15
|
|
Maize
|
Nizamabad
|
2,380-2,400
|
(-)10-15
|
|
Maize
|
Purnea
|
2,300-2,310
|
(-)10-15
|
|
Pusa
1121 basmati
|
Amritsar
|
3,720-3,800
|
(-)10-20
|
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
Duterte told
to file raps vs abusive rice traders
September 12, 2019
Different prices of rice are on display at a local store in San
Andres, Manila. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, the House ways and means panel
chairman, has urged the Departments of Justice, and Trade and Industry (DTI),
and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to file cases of economic
sabotage, profiteering and price manipulation against abusive rice traders.
THE chairman of the House
Committee on Ways and Means has recommended “urgent” measures that the national
government can implement to counteract and further deter price manipulation and
profiteering.
In his letter to President
Duterte, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez,
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, the panel chairman, urged the Departments of Justice,
and Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC)
to file cases of economic sabotage, profiteering and price manipulation against
abusive traders.
The DTI in particular, Salceda
said, may invoke Executive Order 913, which grants it adjudicatory powers to
protect consumers from profiteering and price manipulation.
“Additional penalties under
Letter of Instructions 1359 may also be imposed upon proven profiteers and
price manipulators. The mere intensification of efforts to investigate
profiteering should itself be a deterrent to abusive farm-gate pricing,”
Salceda, an economist, said.
“A range of legal recourses
should be made available for farmers. Actions that can be undertaken in this
regard include a government hot line for complaints of farm-gate price
manipulation, information campaigns on traders that offer the highest buying
prices,” added Salceda.
Moreover, the lawmaker said
active efforts must be taken by the government to make widely available
information on prevailing farm-gate prices, best private buyers of palay and
government invitations to supply rice.
He also said the National Food
Authority (NFA) should be allowed to borrow as much as P22.5 billion, or triple
its current buying operations of P7.5 billion.
“The DA [Department of
Agriculture] and DTI should [extend] comprehensive assistance to affected
farmers,” Salceda said.
He said the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA), DA and DTI should closely monitor price movements and volumes
of domestic and import trade on rice including heavy importers, import records
and warehousing receipts.
“[These agencies should] focus on
possible restraint of trade amounting to price manipulation and difference
between farm-gate prices as reported by the PSA [P17.62 per kilogram as of the
second week of August],” he said.
“And the claims of some farmers
that prices have gone down to as low as P8 to P10 per kg is an indication that
some traders are reporting different figures to government surveyors and to
their farmer clients. Efforts must be made to link farmers to traders buying at
the farm-gate prices reported by the PSA,” he added.
‘Economic tokhang’
The lawmaker also called on the
government to implement an “economic tokhang” against people behind rice price
manipulation and profiteering in the country.
“President Duterte’s unique
historical position as being the most popular president in recent Philippine
history, and his well-known political will and personal style enable him to
issue resolute expressions of the government’s firmness in combating rice
cartels,” Salceda said.
He added the President’s channels
and methods of communication will be of decisive importance in discouraging
price manipulation in the rice sector.
While these proposed measures
will help deter abusive behavior, Salceda said the Executive branch and
Congress must work together to solve structural issues that allow such
behavior.
He said the government must
provide farmers the means to transport, store, mill, sell, organize, capitalize
and consolidate their production and improve their bargaining powers through
well-planned rural infrastructure and improved access to market information.
The lawmaker said the rice trade
liberalization law, while curtailing certain inefficiencies in the rice sector,
most notably the supply shortfall, has not addressed “chronic inequities” in
the bargaining power between farmers and traders.
“The objective of the law was to
shift the supply curve to the right, thus bring more volume at lower prices and
higher welfare gains. Instead, the law has the unintended consequence of
increasing the bargaining position of trading monopsonies over powerless
farmers,” he said.
Salceda added that this resulted
in “massive margins” between farm-gate and retail prices, which allow
opportunistic traders to further abuse their already undue control of the
market as “feudal monopsonies.”
“Without measures to curtail
rent-seeking behavior among opportunistic traders, the dividends of reforms,
such as the rice trade liberalization, are being hijacked as these accrue
mainly to these feudal monopsonies and not to the Filipino consumers while
causing grievous injury to farmers,” he added.
Agricultural
trade liberalization: Missing adjustment and transformation programs
September 12, 2019
THE crisis in agriculture is
systemic. It is deeply rooted in the lack of a clear development compass for
the sector.
The clearest indicator of this is
the poor performance of agriculture under the two major phases of trade
liberalization. The first happened in the 1980s when the sector was placed
under the IMF-World Bank’s structural adjustment program (SAP). Government
support for the sector was severely downsized. The NFA’s personnel and
grains-buying capacity was reduced by more than half and irrigation and rural
infrastructure development grounded to a halt. The SAP battle cry:
“Agricultural deregulation” to help transform the small farmers to become
efficient and modern agricultural producers.
The second phase of trade
liberalization happened in the 1990s when the Philippines joined the World
Trade Organization and the Asean Free Trade Agreement (Afta). The whole sector
was tariffied except rice. The SAP’s twin goals of greater farm efficiency and
modernization were reaffirmed under this second phase of agricultural
deregulation or trade liberalization. Accordingly, the country’s traditional
(sugar, coconut, tobacco, etc.) and nontraditional (pineapple, banana, etc.)
export crops would conquer the global markets. The pro-WTO economists even came
up with fantastic projections: half a million new jobs a year being created in
the sector, P60 billion GVA a year, and growing trade surplus in agriculture.
As things turned out, the 1980s-1990s
and the subsequent decades of 2000s-2010s were lost decades for the sector.
From a net agricultural exporting country, the Philippines has become a net
agricultural importing country. Virtually everything is being imported
today—rice, corn, sugar, tobacco, meat, milk, coffee, garlic, onion, and so on
and so forth. The only exceptions are banana and pineapple, which are planted
in less than five percent of the country’s agricultural land area. Today, the
share of agriculture in the GDP is a measly eight percent.
Meanwhile, rice, the only crop
exempted from agricultural tariffication, was liberalized in 2018. Again, the
battle cry of the liberalizers was aired: Market liberalization shall help
transform the rice farmers to become more competitive and, therefore, more
efficient and modernizing. No more visible guiding hand of the government in
the rice sector. National Food Authority (NFA) hands off the market!
And yet, months after the rice
tariffication law was passed, the rice market was quickly transformed. It is
now dominated by the still anonymous big-time rice importers and distributors.
Meanwhile, the small palay producers and petty domestic traders and millers
became helpless, as palay prices went down steadily, from P17 to P12 a kilo
(average cost of production) and as low as P6 to P7 a kilo in some areas.
Alarmed by the collective anger
of the palay farmers over the situation, the government today is trying to
upsize its role in the market, the exact opposite of the objective of the rice
tariffication law, which is the downsizing of the government to pave the way
for full market liberalization. Today the NFA is being asked to buy as much as
it can. The LGUs are being asked to also help intervene in the market. The
Department of Social Welfare and Development is being asked to set aside
Conditional Cash Transfer funds for the distressed palay producers. And,
ironically, Congress is now discussing additional allocations for palay
procurement by the NFA, as well as proposals for the establishment of full-blown
CCT programs for the palay farmers. After passing the rice tariffication law,
Congress is now trying to soften the adverse impact of the law by adopting a
variety of reverse measures.
Why are the above episodes of
agricultural trade liberalization have not succeeded in transforming the small
farmers to become productive and modern “agripreneurs,” a favorite term of
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar?
There are at least three major
explanations.
First, there are no clear
adjustment and transition programs. These are compounded by the absence of
pre-liberalization communication and meaningful consultation with the farming
population.
In the rice tariffication law,
the focus of the modernization program is simply the distribution of hybrid
seeds and agricultural machinery to palay farmers. The institutions assigned to
do the distribution are not ready, especially the Philippine Center for
Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMec), a relatively small outfit
attached to DA. Moreover, there are no programs to compensate the palay farmers
for the losses they would incur in the initial years of the implementation of
the tariffication program. The Integrated Rural Development Foundation
estimated that for 2019 alone, the total losses for the 2.4 million rice
farmers would reach a whopping P67 billion if the buying price for palay
remains stuck at P12 a kilo. And while the palay farmers are registering
losses, the neoliberalizers are hoping that these farmers would switch to the
production of higher value-adding crops!
Second, there are no
transformation programs. Any transition toward modernization requires
supporting programs for positive transformation, such as human resource
development for the farming population, not only allocations for support services
and infra development. Transformation, therefore, necessitates the deployment
of an army of agricultural extension professionals who have the knowledge and
expertise in the propagation of high-yielding seeds and the development of farm
business plans. The country does not have these high-caliber agricultural
cadres or “transformers.” In fact, the Bureau of Agricultural Extension was
downgraded decades ago into a small and underfunded Agricultural Training
Institute. The DA extension services were devolved in the 1990s to the LGUs,
most of which have no expertise in agriculture nor do they have the willingness
to finance agricultural extension service.
Third, the proponents of
agricultural deregulation simply assume that a liberalized market sans any government
intervention will sort out things for the better. However, the reality is that
effective participation in the global market and in the globalized domestic
market requires Team Philippines to do some market strategizing and adoption of
programs to strengthen winners and transform losers into survivors and eventual
winners. Membership in the WTO and Afta does not mean everything shall be left
to the market. If this is so, there will be riots in China and Indonesia, two
big rice-producing countries which, like the Philippines, also imports a
certain percentage to fill gaps in their domestic market. Both countries
intervene in the import-export market, maintain price support for their rice
farmers and provide subsidies for poor rice consumers. And yet, both are
members of the WTO and are compliant with the WTO’s agricultural tariffication
mantra.
The truth is that the biggest
farm subsidizers in the world are the European Union (with their Common
Agricultural Policy) and the United States (with their US Farm law, renewed
every five years). Both provide support prices for critical agricultural
products. Because of their CAP program, the EU has been criticized for
producing an unwanted “mountain of cheese” and “lake of milk” that distort the
global agricultural market. And yet, here in the Philippines, the neoliberal
proponents of rice tariffication dread any measures that would be interpreted
as government intervention in the market.
More in the next issue.
USA Rice Outlook Conference & Trade Show
December 8–10, 2019 |
Little Rock, AR
This year’s Outlook Conference is going to be the biggest and
best conference yet featuring exciting speakers, outstanding learning sessions,
and a trade show bringing the newest and most promising innovations to attendees.
Session topics will include robotics and artificial intelligence on the farm, breaking into or expanding your e-commerce platform, best conservation practices, food and farm trends, farm safety, data management, managing stress, and much much more.
Mark your calendar and watch for announcements in the USA Rice Daily, on this website, and on our social media channels.
Session topics will include robotics and artificial intelligence on the farm, breaking into or expanding your e-commerce platform, best conservation practices, food and farm trends, farm safety, data management, managing stress, and much much more.
Mark your calendar and watch for announcements in the USA Rice Daily, on this website, and on our social media channels.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- September 11, 2019
SEPTEMBER
11, 2019 / 1:10 PM
* * * * * *
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-September 11, 2018 Nagpur, Sept 10
(Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce
and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good seasonal demand from local millers
amid tight supply from producing belts. Notable rise on NCDEX, upward trend in
Madhya Pradesh gram prices and repeated enquiries from South-based millers also
boosted prices. About 500 bags of gram and 50 bags of tuar reported for
auction, according to sources.
GRAM
* Gram
varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.
TUAR
* Tuar
gavarani and tuar Karnataka showed upward tendency in open market here on good
demand from
local Traders.
* Udid
varieties and Mot prices quoted weak in open market here in absence of buyers.
* In Akola,
Tuar New – 5,400-5,600, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,100-8,200, Udid Mogar (clean)
–
7,300-8,100, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,200-8,900, Gram – 4,000-4,200, Gram Super
best
–
5,600-6,000 * Wheat, rice 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 3,640-4,290 3,600-4,220
Gram Pink
Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction
4,950-5,150 4,900-5,100
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 1,800-2,045 1,800-2,145
Wheat
Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super
Best Bold 5,600-6,000 5,600-6,000
Gram Super
Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium
Best 5,300-5,500 5,300-5,500
Gram Dal
Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill
Quality 4,100-4,200 4,100-4,200
Desi gram
Raw 4,150-4,250 4,150-4,250
Gram Kabuli
8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka
Best-New 8,300-8,400 8,300-8,400
Tuar Fataka
Medium-New 7,800-8,200 7,800-8,200
Tuar Dal
Best Phod-New 7,400-7,700 7,400-7,700
Tuar Dal
Medium phod-New 7,000-7,300 7,000-7,300
Tuar
Gavarani New 5,750-5,850 5,700-5,800
Tuar
Karnataka 6,100-6,200 6,050-6,150
Masoor dal
best 5,500-5,600 5,500-5,600
Masoor dal
medium 5,200-5,300 5,200-5,300
Masoor n.a.
n.a.
Moong Mogar
bold (New) 8,300-8,800 8,300-8,800
Moong Mogar
Medium 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500
Moong dal
Chilka New 6,800-7,800 7,000-7,800
Moong Mill
quality n.a. n.a.
Moong
Chamki best 8,500-9,000 8,500-9,000
Udid Mogar
best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,400-8,400 7,500-8,500
Udid Mogar
Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,400 5,600-6,500
Udid Dal
Black (100 INR/KG) 4,400-5,000 4,500-5,000
Mot (100
INR/KG) 5,600-6,700 5,500-6,800
Lakhodi dal
(100 INR/kg) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Watana Dal
(100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Watana
Green Best (100 INR/KG) 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000
Wheat 308
(100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,350 2,250-2,350
Wheat Mill
quality (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Wheat Filter
(100 INR/KG) 2,650-2,750 2,650-2,750
Wheat
Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,550-2,650 2,550-2,650
Wheat
Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,450 2,300-2,450
Lokwan Hath
Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati
Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-4,000 3,200-4,000
MP Sharbati
Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000
Rice Parmal
(100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Rice BPT
best new (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice BPT
medium new(100 INR/KG) 2,600-3,000 2,600-3,000
Rice Luchai
(100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice Swarna
best new (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,750 2,600-2,750
Rice Swarna
medium new (100 INR/KG)2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Rice HMT
best new (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000
Rice HMT
medium new (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,400 3,200-3,400
Rice
Shriram best new(100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,000 4,500-5,000
Rice
Shriram med new (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,400 4,200-4,400
Rice
Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,000-13,500 8,000-13,500
Rice
Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,200 5,000-7,200
Rice
Chinnor best new 100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600
Rice
Chinnor medium new(100 INR/KG)5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300
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. 32.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 25.0 degree
Celsius Rainfall : 0.6 mm FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with a few spells of
rains or thunder-showers. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around
30 degree Celsius and 24 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but include
d in market prices)
Construction of CalPlant nears completion
By Ruby Larson / rlarson@appealdemcrat.com
Sep 10, 2019
Construction
on CalPlant 1, located on Highway 162 in Willows, is nearing completion.
Courtesy photo
After
about two years of construction, CalPlant 1 is set to be complete in the fall.
CalPlant
1 will be the world’s first commercial-scale producer of no-added-formaldehyde,
rice straw-based medium density fiberboard, commonly used to make things like
furniture and kitchen cabinets, according to a fact sheet.
Elizabeth
Whalen, vice president of marketing for CalPlant 1, said in the late 1990s, the
idea was formed when burning rice straw after harvest was banned in
California.
Jim
Boyd, a rice industry veteran who has since died, and Jerry Uhland, a rice
farmer, had been seeking alternative uses for rice straw – a common practice of
straw disposal is to decompose the straw by flooding rice fields after
harvest.
Through
conversations, testing and trials they ended up on medium density fiberboard,
Whalen said.
The
facility is being built in Willows on land owned by Boyd’s family, she said.
“We
closed in June 2017 and then we started doing some site work that summer but we
broke ground in September,” Whalen said. “And now, two years later, we’re
almost there.”
She
said they’re planning to turn the machines on in the plant in November, and it
could take a couple of months to work out the kinks.
“By
the first quarter of next year, I expect us to be commercially available,”
Whalen said.
Bringing
new jobs to the area
According
to the fact sheet, the project has resulted in about 200 jobs for construction
of CalPlant 1.
Whalen
said they’re “intensely hiring people” right now to work at the facility and
are working to hire 115 full-time employees.
There
will also be around 450 part-time jobs during rice straw harvest.
She
said they have had a lot applicants – a job fair CalPlant 1 hosted had a
turnout of around 300 people – and haven’t made a number of decisions
yet.
She
said many of the senior positions have been filled – a bulk of the positions
left are for maintenance, warehousing, packaging, technical positions,
etc.
“We
want to provide good benefits and provide jobs in a company culture where it’s
more family than corporation,” Whalen said. “This is the way we are.”
To
see what positions are open and to download an application, visit www.calplant1.com/careers.
Benefits
of using rice straw
Whalen
said the rice straw-based fiberboard can go head to head with traditional
wood-based fiberboard and comes with several benefits.
“We’re
taking what’s essentially a waste product and turning it into something
usable,” she said. “You don’t have to flood fields to decompose the straw,
which is a cost savings for farmers.”
Whalen
said it could also mitigate some of the emissions that comes with decomposition
of the rice straw.
The
rice straw is also annually renewable.
Whalen
said they plan to get all of the rice straw for the plant being procured from
Sacramento Valley rice growers within a 15- to 25-mile radius of the plant
site.
She
said they also believe there will be some benefits to the fiberboard itself
that will make it perform at least as well as traditional wood-based fiberboard
if not better.
“There
are aspects that we think are going to help us perform as well as wood based
but we hope to perform better,” Whalen said.
She
said they’ve run “every test we can think of” – including to test things like
strength, durability and moisture resistance.
She
said once the fiberboard is running off the line, they intend continue to test
it.
Brazil expects bumper crop in 2019
Source:
Xinhua| 2019-09-11 05:47:41|Editor: yan
RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Brazil expects to see a
record high agricultural output this year of 239.8 million metric tons of
cereals, legumes and oilseeds, a 5.9 percent increase compared to 2018.
According to data released on Tuesday by the Brazilian Institute
of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), this year's grain crop is set to be the
largest in history, exceeding the 238.4 million tons of grain produced in 2017.
Some 62.9 million hectares of land are expected to be cultivated
this year, a 3.2 percent increase over 2018.
Rice, corn and soybean account for 92.7 percent of the year's
estimated agricultural output, and for 87.2 percent of land to be cultivated.
The agricultural sector expects to see a 21.5 percent increase
in the production of corn compared to 2018, while soybean and rice will see a
3.9 percent and a 12.7 percent decrease in output, respectively.
That's because land set aside for corn cultivation is expected
to see a 6.8 percent increase compared to last year, while areas set aside for
soybean and rice are expected to shrink by 2.3 percent and 10.3 percent,
respectively.
Rice Prices
as on :
12-09-2019 11:40:11 AM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in
Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Barhaj(UP)
|
70.00
|
-22.22
|
6388.00
|
2430
|
2430
|
8.97
|
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
|
42.50
|
21.43
|
855.50
|
2830
|
2845
|
-
|
|
Naugarh(UP)
|
41.50
|
50.91
|
2328.50
|
2450
|
2465
|
18.64
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
40.00
|
100
|
3361.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
NC
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
35.00
|
NC
|
1598.50
|
2420
|
2430
|
7.56
|
|
Jafarganj(UP)
|
23.00
|
187.5
|
1238.00
|
2450
|
2420
|
-
|
|
Devariya(UP)
|
20.00
|
60
|
1203.00
|
2465
|
2460
|
13.86
|
|
Asansol(WB)
|
19.00
|
-9.52
|
2410.10
|
2900
|
2900
|
-6.45
|
|
Jayas(UP)
|
18.00
|
9.09
|
1015.90
|
2100
|
2100
|
5.00
|
|
Durgapur(WB)
|
16.50
|
-8.33
|
1274.40
|
2700
|
2680
|
-4.42
|
|
Sahiyapur(UP)
|
13.00
|
-7.14
|
1247.00
|
2440
|
2450
|
12.44
|
|
Mugrabaadshahpur(UP)
|
12.00
|
33.33
|
202.00
|
2260
|
2260
|
-
|
|
Paliakala(UP)
|
12.00
|
NC
|
602.80
|
2280
|
2310
|
0.66
|
|
Vilthararoad(UP)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
741.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
-1.83
|
|
Tamkuhi Road(UP)
|
7.50
|
-11.76
|
498.50
|
2250
|
2250
|
5.14
|
|
Unnao(UP)
|
6.50
|
8.33
|
116.70
|
2675
|
2675
|
17.58
|
|
Jhansi(UP)
|
6.00
|
-25
|
133.60
|
2370
|
2350
|
5.57
|
|
Nautnava(UP)
|
1.50
|
-40
|
257.10
|
2250
|
2350
|
-
|
|
Doharighat(UP)
|
1.50
|
NC
|
81.00
|
2100
|
2100
|
5.00
|
|
Nandyal(AP)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
7.00
|
3900
|
4250
|
-
|
|
Anandnagar(UP)
|
1.00
|
-33.33
|
216.90
|
2400
|
2350
|
-
|
|
Ujhani(UP)
|
0.60
|
NC
|
25.30
|
2630
|
2600
|
7.79
|
Published on September 12, 2019
Custom Milled Rice policy would
be formulated for paddy procurement: Kamboj
Chandigarh, Sep 11 (UNI) Haryana Minister of
State for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Karan Dev Kamboj said that
CMR (Custom Milled Rice) policy would be formulated for paddy procurement, CMR
returned and for the convenience of farmers in the state. Apart from this,
during this year, the process of paddy procurement would begin from October.
Mr Kamboj was presiding over a joint meeting of officials of all procurement agencies and Rice Millers Association in this regard here on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by senior officers of Hafed, Agro, Warehouse, Market Board and the department. During the meeting, the Rice Millers Association also gave suggestions for the formulation of policy.
He said that during the last year, the state government has received 99.99 per cent CMR. For this, he congratulated the millers and said that this has increased the respect of the millers of the state and has set a good trend. Apart from one miller of Ambala, all the rice millers of the state have returned their cent per cent CMR. The last date of returning of CMR is till September 30, 2019. Under this, 67 per cent of the rice made available to the rice millers has to be deposited with the government.
Mr Kamboj was presiding over a joint meeting of officials of all procurement agencies and Rice Millers Association in this regard here on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by senior officers of Hafed, Agro, Warehouse, Market Board and the department. During the meeting, the Rice Millers Association also gave suggestions for the formulation of policy.
He said that during the last year, the state government has received 99.99 per cent CMR. For this, he congratulated the millers and said that this has increased the respect of the millers of the state and has set a good trend. Apart from one miller of Ambala, all the rice millers of the state have returned their cent per cent CMR. The last date of returning of CMR is till September 30, 2019. Under this, 67 per cent of the rice made available to the rice millers has to be deposited with the government.
West farmers urged to grow more
rice
September
11, 2019
Rice field.
ELIZABETH CHATUVELA
THE Western Chamber of Commerce has implored rice farmers in the province to grow enough rice in the 2019/2020 season as there is ready market in Angola.
Regional coordinator Fred Mulozi said farmers in the region should take advantage of the open market in neighbouring countries to expand on their yield. CLICK TO READ MORE
THE Western Chamber of Commerce has implored rice farmers in the province to grow enough rice in the 2019/2020 season as there is ready market in Angola.
Regional coordinator Fred Mulozi said farmers in the region should take advantage of the open market in neighbouring countries to expand on their yield. CLICK TO READ MORE
Gov’t official
cites PhilRice as premiere research institution
Dr. William Dar, acting
Department of Agriculture secretary, had recognized the Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice) as a lead agency in research during his recent
visit at the Institute’s Central Experiment Station in Science City of Munoz,
Nueva Ecija.
“I’ve [already said
this] and I will always mention that the number 1 research institute in the
country, comparing any research institute, is PhilRice. [This is not to flatter
you. I know because I have worked with you],” Dar said.
“I am a returnee to the department, and I’ve
seen 21 years ago, how good PhilRice is. I would like to recognize the
leadership and all of you for having sustained and having alleviated your
responsibilities and your way of serving the country,” the servant-leader in
agriculture, who had served as DA secretary from 1998 to 1999, said.
Since 1985, PhilRice has
received citations from government officials and award-giving bodies including
the Civil Service Commission. PhilRice human resources, which has seven ranked
scientists, are also recipients of national and international accolades in
conferences and in their field of specializations. In 2018, Pres. Rodrigo
Duterte conferred outstanding public servant awards to three PhilRice
officials.
As research institution,
PhilRice has registered the highest number of patents granted among government
agencies – a feat recognized early this year by the Intellectual Property
Office of the Philippines.
Among the rice varieties
planted by farmers, study showed that PhilRice-bred NSIC Rc 216, Rc 160, and Rc
300 were included in the top four most preferred rice varieties in irrigated
lowland fields, both for dry and wet seasons.
The Rice-Based Farming
Household Survey, conducted every five years, showed that the use of PhilRice’s
inbred rice varieties had increased from about 5% in 1996 to about 34% in 2017.
The study also showed
that use of certified seeds, which is promoted by PhilRice, is practiced by 48%
of the farmer-respondents. Certified inbred seeds are promoted in the Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
Moreover, 12% of the
farmer-respondents plant hybrid rice. Among hybrid rice varieties,
PhilRice-bred Mestiso 20 had shown consistent good yield at 6-11t/ha in
farmers’ demonstration sites across the country.
Meanwhile, minicombine
harvester – a machine that can harvest, thresh, clean, and bag grains in one
passing, has high adoption rate in some of the top-producing provinces
including Isabela. In San Mateo, extension workers noted that almost all of the
farmers use the machine, which reduces labor costs.
PhilRice also had
conducted season-long farming training program for African extension workers;
trainings for farmers, rice specialists, seed growers; Infomediary module
training; Training of Trainers on PalayCheck System; and Rice Boot Camp,
totaling to more than 500,000 training alumni.
In 2016, PhilRice ranked
37th in the web ranking of research institutions in Southeast Asia. In the
Philippines, it ranked better than institutes conducting researches on natural
science, medicine, and education.
The Civil Service
Commission also grants bronze award to PhilRice Human Resource and Management
Office recognizing its excellence in human resource management systems,
practices, and competencies of government agencies.
It is also one of the
first government institutions to receive ISO 14001 certificate on environmental
management system, and certifications on Integrated Quality, Environment, and
Health and Safety Management Systems.
In January 1994, former
Sen. Blas Ople announced PhilRice as one of the country’s 33 Centers of
Excellence. It can also be recalled that four years following its
establishment, former Pres. Corazon Aquino lauded the Institute in unifying the
country’s rice research efforts.
To know more of the
recent accomplishments of PhilRice, you may access the PhilRice 2018 Milestone
at https://www.philrice.gov.ph/databases/milestones
Farmers
urged to enlist, join groups for RCEF support
The Department of
Agriculture (DA) urges individual farmers to enlist in the Registry System for
Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and join organizations to access
agriculture-related programs and services including the Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
Under the Rice
Tariffication Law (RA 11203), eligible RCEF beneficiaries include farmers,
farmworkers, and their dependents who are listed in the RSBSA –an electronic
database containing basic information of farmers and fisherfolks, and members
of DA-accredited farmer organizations (FOs) such as multipurpose cooperatives,
irrigators’ associations, and people’s organizations. Farmers who are already
enlisted in the DA-updated RSBSA will be prioritized this 2019 dry season.
Meanwhile, those who have just registered will be included in the seed
distribution in the succeeding planting season.
“The program does not
only aim to reduce the cost of production and increase farmers’ yields, but it
also intends to strengthen FOs through agro-enterprise and collective
activities. We are partnering with local government units so they can guide the
farmers on RSBSA registration and membership to existing or formation of new
FOs,” DA said.
The municipal government
of Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac and the Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council
helped farmers in their area complete the requirements in time for the
RCEF-seed support to be given by October this year.
“We met with the
farmer-leaders of the different organizations and cooperatives in Sta. Ignacia
so we can identify strategies on obtaining the documents needed for the FO
accreditation and thoroughly update the municipal’s RSBSA master list. We hope
that every eligible farmer in our locality will receive support so we can
simultaneously progress,” James Ocampo, Sta. Ignacia MAFC chairperson said.
To register in the
RSBSA, individuals must be 18 years old at the time of registration, a Filipino
citizen, and must be a farmer, farm laborer/worker. They must also fill up the
RSBSA form which can be acquired through their city or municipal agriculture
office or online through the DA website.
Aside from the form,
registrants must also present one original and photocopy of any valid
identification cards such as SSS/GSIS UMID card, postal ID, TIN card, passport,
PRC ID, OWWA/iDOLE card, voter’s ID or certification from the election officer
with dry seal, PNP firearms license, senior citizen ID, or valid school ID for
students.
For registrants without
valid ID, a duly signed barangay certification containing his/her permanent
residence may be secured. They must also present proof of farming activity such
as evidence of land ownership (land title/ certificate of land ownership/ deed
of donation/ lease of agreement), municipal/city/ barangay business permit, or
geo-tagged photos of their farm, if possible.
Ocampo affirmed that
these requirements are means to ensure that the right people will benefit from
the program.
“Getting enlisted in the
RSBSA and accredited by the DA would mean that the recipients of the program
are legitimate farmers. We can avoid [political] entities from interfering in
RCEF, and we can be sure that there is equal distribution of the resources,” he
said.
He also added that the
accreditation provides easy access for the farmers and their groups to become
partners of the department in its agriculture-related initiatives. This,
according to Ocampo, brings confidence to the farmers that they will not be
left out.
Created through RA
11203, RCEF is a new government program, which aims to help farmers through the
P10B-fund covering seed, machine, credit, and extension support to improve the
competitiveness of the Filipino rice farmers.
For more information
about the processes, please call or text the Farmers’ Contact Center at
0920-946-2474.
Philrrice
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