PDS racket runs deep as brokers
galore in Wanaparthy
Many
white ration card holders in villages who produce their own fine grain rice and
also buy thick rice from ration shops sell it back to the millers on slightly
higher cost.
Many white ration card holders who produce
their own rice and also buy rice from ration shops sell it back to millers at
higher cost.
Wanaparthy: Farmers sell their paddy in
agricultural markets, from where the produce is sent for milling at rice mills.
The mills deliver the rice to State Warehouse Corporation (SWC) godowns, from
where it is distributed to various fair price shop dealers in villages across
the district through Public Distribution System (PDS).
The
supply chain process that takes place after every harvest looks clear and
simple. But there is a missing link which has created an industry of illegal
transportation and recycling of PDS rice. This was exposed earlier this week in
Wanaparthy district.
The
recycling starts at the rice mills, where millers are required to process raw
paddy and deliver 70 per cent of the thick variety to the warehouses — SWC
godowns in Madanapuram. The State government not only lets the millers keep 30
per cent (mostly the leftover low quality rice, barn and other stuff) of what
remains with them, but also pays good amount of money for transporting the 70
per cent rice to the godowns, in addition to other grants. Most of the millers
who want to make the most out of it have been resorting to illegal means to
replace the unwanted 30 per cent with high quality rice, to be sold in the open
market. So where does this 30 per cent come from?
This
is where a grassroots level illegal transportation chain, which is not part of
the PDS supply chain, starts. It starts from the white ration card holders in
villages who either produce their own fine grain rice but still take thick rice
from ration shops by paying Rs 1 per kg, so that they can sell it back to the
millers on slightly higher cost. There are ‘runners’ or ‘brokers’ in villages
who buy this PDS from the ineligible beneficiaries by paying them anywhere
between Rs 5 and Rs 10 per kg. Combine the entire rice procured this way, the
total quantity is considerable to be transported to rice millers again.
At
this point, self-employed youths with small four-wheelers like Tata Ace and
other pick-up trucks go from village to village across the district and even
beyond, as far as Gadwal, collecting this PDS rice.
For
instance, in Madanapuram mandal headquarters, there is an entire fleet of such
vehicles bought mostly by youth belonging to weaker sections of society. They
are paid Rs 10,000 per trip and they make around eight trips per month. They do
this in the middle of the night when there is hardly any patrolling. In
villages, power supply is cut when vehicles are being loaded.
These vehicles then dump the procured PDS rice in mango gardens, agricultural fields and other unsuspecting places, from where bigger trucks owned by rice millers take the produce to the mills. By the time the rice reaches the miller, he would have to shed anywhere between Rs 15 and 20 per kg, depending on the layers of brokers involved.
These vehicles then dump the procured PDS rice in mango gardens, agricultural fields and other unsuspecting places, from where bigger trucks owned by rice millers take the produce to the mills. By the time the rice reaches the miller, he would have to shed anywhere between Rs 15 and 20 per kg, depending on the layers of brokers involved.
In
a recent raid, a truck was seized by Madanapuram police from Surya Rice Mills
in Athmakur, when the truck was ready to unload 135 quintals of rice at SWC
warehouse.
Profit all the way
The
rice millers not only compensate for the 30 per cent, but also sell the
remaining in the open markets for Rs 40 per kg, in addition to sending the old
rice again to SWC warehouses. Quite a prosperous venture isn’t it!
One
would wonder why despite having an official from the Civil Supplies Department
assigned for each rice mill to regulate the quality and flow of rice in and out
of the mills, the administration can’t put a check on this illegal activity.
That is a million dollar question.
The
enforcement wing of the Civil Supplies Department is supposed to monitor and
arrest illegal transportation of PDS rice. According to Revathy, District
Supplies Officer, the department had filed 60 cases this year over illegal
transportation of PDS rice and had booked Section 6(A) of Essential Commodities
Act against the transporters.
However,
many feel this is like catching the little fish and leaving the bigger ones to
swim free.
Madanapuram police officers have seized three trucks during the past one month and have booked Section 420 of the IPC against the culprits. They have also invoked PD Act against one of the repeat offenders. Despite this, the civil supplies officials have been blaming the police for showing over enthusiasm.
Madanapuram police officers have seized three trucks during the past one month and have booked Section 420 of the IPC against the culprits. They have also invoked PD Act against one of the repeat offenders. Despite this, the civil supplies officials have been blaming the police for showing over enthusiasm.
“It
is the job of the enforcement wing of the Civil Supplies Department to monitor
and seize vehicles carrying PDS rice illegally. We have other things like
maintaining law and order to do. If they do their job, why will we put efforts
to prevent this illegal trade?” asked Saidaiah, SI, Madanapuram police station.
“The
higher ups in the Civil Supplies Department ask us what business we have in the
warehouse. It is our duty to go anywhere and seize anything illegal,” he
asserted.
Media plays a major role in seizing these vehicles, but such cases hardly make it to the police stations.
Media plays a major role in seizing these vehicles, but such cases hardly make it to the police stations.
Govt moots new system
The
State government has been contemplating depositing money directly into the
accounts of ration card holders, so that they can purchase rice or any other
item directly, without need for this supply chain. While many are now
appreciating the idea because of the gross misuse of the present system which
only feeds the corrupt, more deliberations need to be done on this front.
While Dalits and Adivasis who hardly own agricultural land and do not produce rice are the ones who may get affected if the new system is not implemented properly, the ones who are wrongful holders of white ration cards are the ones who may exploit the new system, if a complete purification of ration cards is not done immediately.
While Dalits and Adivasis who hardly own agricultural land and do not produce rice are the ones who may get affected if the new system is not implemented properly, the ones who are wrongful holders of white ration cards are the ones who may exploit the new system, if a complete purification of ration cards is not done immediately.
If
the new system is implemented, how would estimates for requirement of paddy and
other items is made and what would be its impact on the paddy sent to FCI
warehouses (to be procured by the Centre) is also food for thought, which needs
to be studied and analysed.
USA Rice
stops in Shepherdstown on East Coast tour
November 8,
2019
Tabitha Johnston - Chronicle Staff , Shepherdstown Chronicle
SHEPHERDSTOWN -- Hundreds of rice
cookers and bags of rice lined the walls of Evolve on Saturday for USA Rice's
only stop in West Virginia on their East Coast "Think Rice"
promotional tour. 
Based in Arlington, Va, USA Rice
Federation's first promotional tour was held last year on the West Coast. Both
events featured free giveaways of one rice cooker and bag of rice per person,
along with the sale of raffle tickets for a new Ford truck that was being used
to carry the giveaway items, itself decked out with USA Rice insignia.
"We are a trade organization
that represents the U.S. rice industry -- that includes farmers, millers and
other industry agents," said USA Rice domestic promotions representative
Lesley Dixon.
Tom Barton, of Elkins, shows off
a bag of red rice he was given by USA Rice in their pop-up shop at Evolve on
Saturday. Tabitha Johnston
"Our farmers are all over
the country. Mostly in the south, but also in northern California--that's where
a lot of the medium grain and short grain rice, or sushi rice, is grown,"
Dixon said, mentioning the southern farms usually grow long grain, jasmine and
basmati rice. "The southern rice farmers are in Texas, Louisiana,
Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas. Arkansas grows the most rice in the U.S.
"We're giving out rice
cookers, which we bought at-cost, because we did some research and figured out
that people would be more willing to eat rice if it were easier to cook,"
Dixon said, mentioning all of the bags of rice were donated by American farms
and millers. "A lot of people don't even know we grow rice in the U.S.
Eighty-five percent of the rice we eat in the U.S. is grown in the U.S."
According to USA Rice domestic
promotions representative Michael Klein, last year's tour was 5,000 miles over
nine states. This year's is also 5,000 miles, but will cover only the District
of Columbia and five states: Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware
and Virginia.
"Most people are excited to
know that we grow rice in the U.S. -- there's a strong sense that people want
to buy U.S. produce," Klein said, mentioning this was the first time USA
Rice has held a pop-up shop. The tour typically stops at farmers markets and
colleges, or for bar trivia nights and charitable events.
"This morning, we donated
156 pounds of rice to local food banks," Klein said, mentioning rice grown
in the U.S. is sustainable and safer to eat than rice grown internationally.
"We produce more rice with less land than other countries do, and with no
GMOs."
To learn more, visit usarice.com.
CRISIL ratings for Indian debt instruments-Nov 7
NOVEMBER 7, 2019 / 11:57 AM
Nov 7 (Reuters) - Below are the ratings awarded by Credit Rating Information Service of
India (CRISIL) for local debt instruments as of November 6, 2019.
COMPANY INSTRUMENT RATING AMOUNT MOVEMENT
(RS.MLN)
------ ---------- ------ ----- ---------
SHORT TERM RATINGS:
-------------------
Aditya Timbers Overdraft CRISIL A4 24 Assigned
AIA Engineering Ltd LOC & BG%% CRISIL A1+ 500 Reaffirmed
%%nk guarantee is a sub-limit (of Rs 20 crore) of the total limit
Apollo Tyres Ltd LOC^ CRISIL A1+ 6000 Reaffirmed
^Interchangeable with bank guarantee/letter of undertaking or acceptances for buyer's
credit/packing credit
Apollo Tyres Ltd CP CRISIL A1+ 9000 Reaffirmed
Baba Structural Pvt Ltd BG CRISIL A4+ 17 Reaffirmed
Baba Structural Pvt Ltd Bill Discounting CRISIL A4+ 3 Reaffirmed
under LOC
Ford Credit India Pvt Ltd CP Programme CRISIL A1+ 7500 Reaffirmed
Jaycee Autofab Pvt Ltd BG CRISIL A3 5 Assigned
Kailash Healthcare Ltd BG CRISIL A2 20 Reaffirmed
Kailash Hospitals Ltd BG CRISIL A2 10 Reaffirmed
Kailash Hospitals Ltd LOC CRISIL A2 10 Reaffirmed
KN Engineering Works Pvt Ltd BG CRISIL A4+ 50 Assigned
Raghul Spinning Mills BG CRISIL A4+ 3 Upgraded from
CRISIL A4
Ravi Shankar Jaiswal Proposed NFBL CRISIL A4+ 35 Assigned
Ravi Shankar Jaiswal BG CRISIL A4+ 36 Assigned
Southern Tropical Foods Pvt Ltd BG CRISIL A3 7.5 Upgraded from
CRISIL A4+'
Southern Tropical Foods Pvt Ltd Packing Credit CRISIL A3 400 Upgraded from
CRISIL A4+'
Suven Life Sciences Ltd BG CRISIL A1 25 -
(Continues on 'Rating Watch with Positive Implications')
Suven Life Sciences Ltd LOC CRISIL A1 200 -
(Continues on 'Rating Watch with Positive Implications')
Tricolite Electrical Industries Ltd Bill Discounting CRISIL A4+ 100 -
(Migrated from 'CRISIL A4+ ISSUER NOT COOPERATING')
Tricolite Electrical Industries Ltd LOC CRISIL A4+ 65 -
(Migrated from 'CRISIL A4+ ISSUER NOT COOPERATING')
VR Earth Movers and Constructions Pvt BG CRISIL D 30 Downgraded
Ltd from CRISIL A4
(ISSUER NOT COOPERATING)
VR Earth Movers and Constructions Pvt Overdraft CRISIL D 20.8 Downgraded
Ltd from CRISIL A4
(ISSUER NOT COOPERATING)
LONG TERM RATINGS:
-------------------
Aditya Timbers Proposed TL CRISIL B+ 50 Assigned
Aditya Timbers Proposed Overdraft CRISIL B+ 6 Assigned
Fac
Aditya Timbers Proposed LT Bk CRISIL B+ 20 Assigned
Loan Fac
AIA Engineering Ltd CC & WC demand CRISIL AA+ 1000 Reaffirmed
loan**
**Interchangeable with usance bill discounting, export packing credit, foreign bills
discounting, and letter of credit
Apollo Tyres Ltd CC** CRISIL AA+ 10000 Reaffirmed
**Interchangeable with working capital demand loan/foreign currency non-repatriable (B)/buyer's
credit/overdraft/foreign bill discounting/export bill receivables
Apollo Tyres Ltd Proposed LT Bk CRISIL AA+ 3500 Reaffirmed
Loan Fac
Apollo Tyres Ltd TL CRISIL AA+ 3000 Reaffirmed
Apollo Tyres Ltd NCD CRISIL 5000 Assigned
AA+/Stable
Apollo Tyres Ltd NCD CRISIL 350 Reaffirmed
AA+/Stable
Apollo Tyres Ltd NCD CRISIL 4500 Reaffirmed
AA+/Stable
Apollo Tyres Ltd NCD CRISIL 3000 Reaffirmed
AA+/Stable
Baba Structural Pvt Ltd CC CRISIL BB- 150 Reaffirmed
Baba Structural Pvt Ltd Channel Financing CRISIL BB- 50 Reaffirmed
Bargarh Rice Millers Consortium Pvt Ltd CC CRISIL BB- 50 Assigned
Bargarh Rice Millers Consortium Pvt Ltd Proposed LT Bk CRISIL BB- 20 Assigned
Loan Fac
Brij Rama Hospitality Pvt Ltd Drop Line CRISIL BB+ 50 Assigned
Overdraft Fac
Brij Rama Hospitality Pvt Ltd Proposed FB Bk CRISIL BB+ 50 Assigned
Limits
Jaycee Autofab Pvt Ltd WC Fac CRISIL BBB- 15 Assigned
Jaycee Autofab Pvt Ltd CC CRISIL BBB- 100 Assigned
Kailash Healthcare Ltd CC CRISIL BBB+ 350 Reaffirmed
Kailash Healthcare Ltd TL CRISIL BBB+ 1290 Reaffirmed
Kailash Hospitals Ltd CC CRISIL BBB+ 30 Reaffirmed
Kailash Hospitals Ltd TL CRISIL BBB+ 80.5 Reaffirmed
Kailash Hospitals Ltd Proposed FB Bk CRISIL BBB+ 17.5 Reaffirmed
Limits
KN Engineering Works Pvt Ltd Foreign Bill CRISIL BB 20 Assigned
Discounting
KN Engineering Works Pvt Ltd Export Packing CRISIL BB 80 Assigned
Credit
Motilal Oswal Real Estate (MORE) India Reality - - -
Excellence Fund -IV
(CRISIL Fund Management Capability Level - 1 - Renewed & Reaffirmed)
Odisha Generation Phase II Transmission Rupee TL* - 9540 Withdrawn
Ltd
*Sublimit of letter of credit equivalent to 80% of the rupee term loan amount
Raghul Spinning Mills CC CRISIL BB- 60 Upgraded from
CRISIL
B+/Stable
Raghul Spinning Mills Proposed LT Bk CRISIL BB- 8 Upgraded from
Loan Fac CRISIL
B+/Stable
Raghul Spinning Mills TL CRISIL BB- 19 Upgraded from
CRISIL
B+/Stable
Ravi Shankar Jaiswal CC CRISIL BB 11 Assigned
Southern Tropical Foods Pvt Ltd Foreign Bill CRISIL BBB- 450 Upgraded from
Discounting CRISIL
BB+/Positive
Southern Tropical Foods Pvt Ltd LT Loan CRISIL BBB- 130 Upgraded from
CRISIL
BB+/Positive
Southern Tropical Foods Pvt Ltd Proposed LT Bk CRISIL BBB- 12.5 Upgraded from
Loan Fac CRISIL
BB+/Positive
Suven Life Sciences Ltd CC CRISIL A 310 -
(Continues on 'Rating Watch with Positive Implications')
Suven Life Sciences Ltd Standby FB Limits CRISIL A 50 -
(Continues on 'Rating Watch with Positive Implications')
Suven Life Sciences Ltd WC Fac CRISIL A 500 -
(Continues on 'Rating Watch with Positive Implications')
Tricolite Electrical Industries Ltd CC CRISIL BB 70 -
(Migrated from 'CRISIL BB-/Stable ISSUER NOT COOPERATING')
Tricolite Electrical Industries Ltd Proposed LT Bk CRISIL BB 3 -
Loan Fac
(Migrated from 'CRISIL BB-/Stable ISSUER NOT COOPERATING')
Tricolite Electrical Industries Ltd TL CRISIL BB 52 -
(Migrated from 'CRISIL BB-/Stable ISSUER NOT COOPERATING')
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$: Rating watch with positive implication
#: Rating Watch with Developing implications
@: Rating Watch with Negative Implications
%: Rating under Credit Watch
wd -Rating Stands Withdrawn
sp -Rating Suspended
pp -Principal Protected
pn -Principal Not Protected
CRISIL may apply + or - signs for ratings to reflect a comparative standing within the category.
BG-Bank Guarantee; CC-Cash Credit; CCPS-Cumulative Convertible Preference Share; CD-Certificate
of Deposit; CLO-Collateralized Loan Obligation; CPA-Claims Paying Ability; CP-Commercial
Paper; CPS-convertible preference shares; CRPS- Cumulative Redeemable Convertible Preference
shares; DDB-Deep Discount Bond; EPBI-Exchange premium bond; FBL-Fund Based Limits; FRB/FRN
-Floating Rate Bond/Note; ICD -Inter Corporate Deposit; ITD-Immediate Term Debt; LOC-Letter of
Credit; LT -Long Term; LTB -Long Term Borrowing; LTD -Long Term Debt; MOCD-multiple option
convertible debenture; MTD -Medium term Debenture; MTN-medium term notes; NCD(SO) -
Non-Convertible Debenture-(Structured Obligation); NCD-Non-convertible Debentures; NCRB-Non
Convertible Redeemable Bonds; NM-Not Meaningful; OCD-optionally convertible debenture; OD-Over
Draft; OFCD-Optionally Fully Convertible Debenture; PCD-Partially Convertible Debenture;
PCN-partly convertible notes; PCPS-Partly Convertible Preference Share; POCD-partly optional;
PP-privately placed; PSPC-Post Shipment & Packing Credit; PS-Preference Shares; PTC-Pass
Through Certificates; RPS-Redeemable Preference Shares; SCPN-secured convertible preference
notes; SDO-Structured Debt Obligation; SLR-Statutory Liquidity Ratio; SO-Structured
Obligation; SPCD - Secured Partly Convertible Debentures; SPN-secured premium notes; STB-Short
Term Bond; STD-Short Term Debentures; ST-Short Term; Sub. Bonds-Subordinate Bonds; TB-Taxable
Bond; TFB-Tax Free Bond; TL-Term Loan; TOCD-triple option convertible debentures.
(Mumbai Rate Reporting Unit + 91 22 6180 7222 / 3317 7222 , E-mail at
rru.data@thomsonreuters.com)
Power shortages again in dry season, says
prime minister
Thou Vireak | Publication date 07 November 2019 |
23:31 ICT
Share
The Kingdom can currently generate a total of 1,328MW from
hydropower, but low water levels will increase electricity shortages, Prime
Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday. Heng Chivoan
Cambodia will face power
shortages again from the end of this year throughout the dry season, Prime
Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday.
Speaking at the official launch
of the National Strategic Development Plan 2019-2023, Hun Sen said the
shortages were due to unprecedented low water levels in the Mekong River
leading to hydropower generation dropping below local demand.
The Kingdom can currently
generate a total of 1,328MW from hydropower, he said, but the low water levels
will increase electricity shortages from 184MW to 687MW.
“I recommend Minister of Mines
and Energy Suy Sem to order the acceleration of the construction and
preparation of the 400MW power generators earlier than planned, adding more
workers and working day and night,” the prime minister said.
He was referring to the $180
million 200MW generator from Germany and the $175 million 200MW power generator
from Finland that the government agreed to purchase in June and July,
respectively.
In June, Electricite du Cambodge
(EdC) signed an agreement with two Chinese companies to build a $380 million
400MW oil and liquefied natural gas power plant in Kandal province’s Lvea Em
district.
Victor Jona, the director-general
of the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s General Department of Energy, said the
plant will be online in May next year.
“This plant will help curb the
shortage of electricity during the dry season – when demand is the highest – as
our hydropower production is reduced. I appeal to consumers to save power
altogether,” said Jona.
To address the power shortages,
he said, the government is planning talks late this month or early next month
with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) to purchase an
additional 300MW of power.
Early in September, a cabinet
meeting decided that the government will purchase 2,400MW of electricity from
Laos.
A lack of electricity supply has
become an obstacle to the Kingdom’s manufacturing sector, which faces higher
electricity costs compared to neighbouring countries and puts a strain on
competitiveness.
Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF)
vice-president Chan Sokheang said the advance notice could help prepare rice
millers to adjust their production lines.
“We need a lot of power. We will
meet with the EdC and negotiate so that rice millers [who are] members [of the
CRF] can operate. We will find a solution and talk to the rice millers . . .
try to grind at night, try to shift schedules around,” Sokheang said.
Last year, Cambodia consumed
2,650MW of electricity, a 15 per cent increase compared to 2017. Of the amount,
442MW was imported from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. The rest was produced in
Cambodia from coal-fired plants, hydropower dams and solar farms.
Journalists thrashed
by mills owner Our staff reporter
A
Daska based journalist and his cameraman were beaten by the owners and
employees of a local flour mill in Daska.According to the FIR, Rana Ghulam
Mustafa, a reporter of ARY News Channel, and cameraman Irfan went to the said rice
mills in Daska for getting the version of the millers regarding the shortage of
the flour in Daska.
After seeing the journalist, mills’ owner Abdul
Rasheed became infuriated and called some employees in his office. Later, the
accused locked the journalist and his cameraman in the office and thrashed
them. The journalist made an emergency call to the local police for help. The
accused also broke the camera and mobile phones of the journalist and kept them
hostaged there for an hour besides threatening them with dire
consequences.
Later, a police team reached there and rescued
the journalist and cameraman.
On the report of victim journalist, the Daska
City police have registered a case ( No. 852/2019)against accused under
sections 34, 342, 427 and 506 PPC, with no arrest, in this regard. Local
journalists have expressed grave concern over this incident, demanding early
arrest of the accused...#
A married woman committed suicide at Kamalia on
Thursday. Police said deceased Azra Bibi, 30, wife of Muhammad Waris of
Khurshid Abad locality, took poison after quarreling with her in-laws over some
domestic issue.
When her husband knew he shifted her to Kamalia
tehsel headquarter hospital but she expired at there after few hours.
ASIA
RICE-THAI TRADERS HOPE FOR BOOST IN SHIPMENTS FROM IRAQ DEAL
11/7/2019
* India prices drop to $365-$370 a tonne from $368-$372
* Rains delay harvesting, damage paddies in many Indian states
* Bangladesh rice output may jump 2.27% in May-April- USDA
* Vietnam's jasmine rice prices climb to $520/tonne
By Swati Verma
BENGALURU, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Thai rice export prices were little
changed this week, but traders hoped a deal with Iraq could bolster shipments,
while lacklustre demand and a slightly weaker rupee weighed on rates for the
Indian variety.
Local media on Wednesday reported Thailand signed a deal to sell
rice to Iraq, nearly 10 years after losing contracts over quality concerns.
Traders said they hoped the new Iraqi market could jumpstart fresh
demand for Thai rice.
Also, fresh supply, which is expected to enter the market in the
coming weeks, could potentially bring down Thai prices, they added.
Thai exports have been hurt by the relatively higher prices for
the variety from Thailand, especially compared with Vietnamese prices, mostly
due to a strong baht -- Asia's best-performing currency this year, trader said.
One Thai trader said he was unable to sell any rice for more than
one month because customers turned to cheaper options from Vietnam.
"It's been terrible. We've lost a lot of income," said
another trader, who has been facing the same problem for three months.
Thailand's benchmark 5-percent broken rice <RI-THBKN5-P1>
prices were quoted at $390-$408 a tonne, versus $390-$413 last week.
In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> were
unchanged from last week at $345-$350 a tonne on Thursday amid lacklustre
trading.
The country's export prices had risen to a four-and-a-half-month
high last month.
"Low supplies at the end of the summer-autumn harvest have
helped keep prices from falling," said a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader.
However, no deals were struck this week as most buyers were
waiting for new supply from the autumn-winter harvest in the Mekong Delta,
which is expected to come in bulk in December, another trader said.
"While prices of the regular 5% broken rice stayed flat, prices
of jasmine rice have climbed up to $520 per tonne due to tight supplies,"
he added.
Top exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety
<RI-INBKN5-P1> was quoted around $365-$370 per tonne this week, down from
$368-$372 last week.
"Demand is weak. We are waiting for the new season supplies
that could rise from this month," said an exporter based at Kakinada in
the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Many rice growing states received rainfall in the last two weeks,
which delayed harvesting and damaged paddy crops ready for harvesting,
exporters said.
In Bangladesh, rice output is expected to jump 2.27% to 35.8
million tonnes in the May-April marketing year, thanks to favourable weather,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.
Rice imports are expected to hit 50,000 tonnes in the year to
April, down 50% from a year earlier, USDA said in its latest report on
Bangladesh, released this week. (Reporting by Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi, Patpicha
Tanakasempipat in Bangkok, Ruma Paul in Dhaka and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai,
Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
INVESTIGATION: Border
closure bites hard on rice, textile shops in Benin Republic
By Sunday Michael Ogwu, Lagos |
Published Date Nov 8, 2019 4:10 AM
Telegram
Investigation by our reporter has revealed that the major textile and rice
markets in Cotonou, Benin Republic, have seen a massive decline in patronage
following the complete closure of the land borders and increased clampdown on
smuggling. A 24-hour observation at the Seme border post revealed a complete
compliance with the FG’s directive on the closure of borders to both imports
and exports as only passenger movement is aloud. ADVERTISEMENT In August,
President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the closure of Nigeria’s land border with
Benin, hence preventing the import of goods. ADVERTISEMENT OVER 5,000 NIGERIAN
MEN HAVE OVERCOME POOR BEDROOM
PERFORMANCE SYNDROME DUE TO THIS BRILLIANT DISCOVERY This recent move is part
of an effort to tackle smuggling and associated corruption and also to spur
domestic agricultural industry. On October 14, 2019, Nigeria ordered the
closure of its border with Benin, as well as those with other countries, for
the same reason. According to the Nigerian maritime site Ships and Ports, in
2014 Benin lowered its tariffs on rice imports from 35 to seven per cent, while
Cameroon erased it completely from 10 per cent. Neighbouring Benin then
recorded an astronomical rise in imports from Thailand, the world’s second
largest producer of rice. At its height, each of Benin’s 11.5 million citizens
would have had to consume at least 150kg of rice from Thailand alone. With the
market for smuggled food now restricted, domestic food prices – already high –
have gone up and the economy of neighbouring Benin – a staging area for
smuggling into Nigeria – has been devastated. At the border front on the Benin
area, commercial activities have drastically reduced from mere observation
compared with the last time this reporter visited before the closure. Foreign
rice, which litters most shops around the area hardly get buyers despite
selling at N9,000. Commercial cab drivers are not left out. Mr Oliver, a Benin
citizen who conveyed this reporter to the major market for cars, textile and
rice, repeatedly expressed frustration at the border closure. Oliver said,
“Oga, I used to do five trips between Seme border and Cotonou daily before the
closure. I have been at the park since 04:30am and it is 12:30pm, and this is
my first trip.” Right inside the border area, trailers carrying sardine, milk,
turkey and chicken have been abandoned, with many of them already rotting and
smelling. Our reporter also came across several trailer loads of cow skin
(kpomo) purportedly from Mali also rotting away and forcing the owners to rent
warehouses to offload. Some others were seen drying the skin on the floor along
the road to salvage some. At the textile and rice market in Dantokpa and
Missebo in Cotonou, the major dealers are mostly Chinese and Lebanese and the
native Benin people chasing after clients and getting commission from sales.
The market is a shadow of itself, with the shops stocked with goods and very
few native buyers. A Lebanese textile trader, Samir, said, “What Nigeria has
done is devastating. We had already ordered these goods on the high sea for
December rush when the government closed the border. “When Nigerians used to
come, one person buys textile wax worth around CFR15m CFR. But these days, as
big as this shop, I hardly make sales of CFR100,000.” When our reporter visited
the used clothes section of the market, the lamentations were the same. Emeka
Eze, a trader in used clothes, said, “My brother, we are in serious trouble. I
have not been able to sell one bale in one month. I used to sale two bales in
one day when the borders were opened. “We are begging the Cotonou government to
settle with our government so that we can survive.” At the several mega car
plazas around Tokpa, the story was the same for used car dealers, mostly
Lebanese and Indians. Luxembourg-based shipping company, BIM e-solutions, said
an average of 10,000 cars arrived at the Cotonou port from Europe monthly.
Findings by our reporter revealed that a used Lexus 2014 which used to be sold
for CFR15m now goes for around CFR11m. On the Nigerian side, some amount of
foreign rice makes it to the communities around the Seme border and a 50kg bag is sold for N11,000. However, the
several Customs, Immigration and police checkpoints have discouraged buyers as
you would be forced to pay heavily to move just one bag to Badagry; a 10km
distance. In fact, commercial drivers reject passengers with any kind of load
except you open them for inspection to ensure that nothing inside will land
them in trouble. A passenger from Seme to Badagry who had five pieces of dry
fish worth about N1,000 in the taxi this reporter traveled in, paid N200 at
each of the two checkpoints to Customs before we were allowed to continue. The
Customs checkpoints at Sesikodji junction and Gbaji road junction are notorious
for these checks and extortion as closely observed by this reporter. At the
bridge before Badagry, there are about five checkpoints, with a distance of 50
meters from one to the other, comprising Customs, Police and Immigration. These
officials collect money for a pair of shoes, a bottle of groundnut oil, fish,
textile, herbs, tin tomatoes, among others.
The officers are ruthless; they can be seen
recklessly emptying travellers bags in search of contraband. Meanwhile, the
impact of the border closure seems to be creeping in as workers at Nichem
Textile Factory around Ogolonto area of Ikorodu, Lagos, told our reporter that
they had resumed their shifts owing to increased patronage of the company’s
products. A worker said, “We were recalled recently because their inventory has
gone down and we have continued to be busy in the last three months.” The
National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) said the border closure had
not only curtailed importation of smuggled textile materials into Nigeria, but
that it was reviving the Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) sub-sector. In an
interview with the President of NACOTAN, Mr. Anibe Achimugu, he said, “The
reduction in the influx of textile materials 
into the country has boosted the morale of players in the
sub-sector to get back to work. “The major advantage of the closure is the
control it has brought to the importation of smuggled textile materials,
including used clothes. The closure has reduced that significantly, but that
also puts a burden on us to fill the gap. We have to start developing our
internal capacities to meet the needs of Nigerians.
into the country has boosted the morale of players in the
sub-sector to get back to work. “The major advantage of the closure is the
control it has brought to the importation of smuggled textile materials,
including used clothes. The closure has reduced that significantly, but that
also puts a burden on us to fill the gap. We have to start developing our
internal capacities to meet the needs of Nigerians.
The association is fully in support of the
partial closure of borders.” Meanwhile, the Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has said if the closure of the land borders was
sustained for the next two years, the issue of insurgency, banditry and
kidnapping would be eradicated. Emefiele who stated this at the first
Convocation Lecture of Edo University, Iyamho, Auchi, at the weekend, explained
that if the youths, who were into vices, were gainfully engaged, insecurity
would reduce to the barest minimum.
He
said, “I can tell you that if our borders remain closed for two years, the
issue of Boko Haram, kidnapping, banditry and Yahoo-Yahoo will stop. CBN will
promote this policy by making sure that we produce what we consume and eat what
we produce.” He vowed that the apex bank would not allow the country to be used
as dumping ground for smuggled goods. Emefiele further said, “Instead of some
neighbouring countries to develop policies to grow their own economies, they
rather engage in things that undermine the Nigerian economy.”
NIZAMABAD, NOVEMBER
07, 2019 23:51 IST
Minister V. Prashanth Reddy observing damaged crop at Nalluru
village in Nizamabad district on Thursday. | Photo Credit: K_V_RAMANA
Collector asked to hold a meeting with concerned officials
Minister for Roads and Buildings
V. Prashanth Reddy asked farmers not to worry over crops damaged due to the
recent rains as the government would purchase it.
He was addressing the farmers
after inaugurating a paddy purchase centre at Nalluru village in Mupkal mandal
on Thursday, where he inspected the damaged crops.
After the assessment by the
officials, it was found that crops in around 22,000 acres was damaged at
Nalluru village. Allaying farmers’ fear of not getting MSP for their produce,
he asked District Collector M. Ram Mohan Rao to issue orders for the purchase
of soaked grain at all the purchase centres and transport the same to rice
mills immediately.
The Collector was asked to hold a
meeting with the District Civil Supplies Officer, rice millers and the
officials of the Agriculture Department on what to be done with the soaked
grain. The Minister was appraised about the hurdles that the district
authorities would face in purchasing soaked paddy.
Mr. Prashanth Reddy asked the
Agriculture Department to look into the issue of compensation to farmers who
suffered severe loss. The Minister suggested the officials to take an
individual farmer as a unit.
Also, he unveiled the statues of
Jyothi Rao Phule and Telangana Talli on the occasion.
Kano/Jigawa Customs Command Says Smuggling
Has Drastically Reduced
The Kano/Jigawa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
says the activities of smugglers across its coverage areas have reduced
drastically since the closure of land borders in the country.
Mr Isa Danbaba, the command’s Public Relations Officer, who
disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday,
in Kano, said the success was achieved due to the serious measures put in place
by the NCS to reduce the smuggling of contraband products, especially rice and
other food items.
“In spite of the drastic reduction of smugglers’ activities in this
zone, up till now we have not achieved our target of reducing it to the lowest
level as you know, I cannot say to zero level because it cannot be possible,”
he said.
He said lack of cooperation from the residents of those border
areas by not providing all necessary information on the activities of the
smugglers was one of the biggest challenges hampering the operations of the
area command.
“Therefore, we are calling on them to give us more support by
providing all the necessary information on the smugglers.
“We are doing everything possible to enlighten the public on the
danger of smuggling the contraband products into the country,” he said.
Danbaba said that from October 14 to October 20, the command had
intercepted 11350 kgs of smuggled rice with over N2.9 million Duty Paid Value
(DPV) in addition to seizing one vehicle as a means of transportation.
“From October 21 to October 27, we intercepted 223 compressed
blocks and one small sack of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp).
“We also seized 34 bags of foreign rice of 50 kg and nine bales of
second-hand clothing. All the seizures within this period have DPV of over N4.6
million,“ he added.
Alhaji Auwalu Yusuf, the Chairman of Dawanau International Grains
Market Traders Association said the closure of the land borders would boost
food production and help to improve the country’s economy.
He said that the measure taken by the Federal Government would
encourage many farmers to be more productive, encourage many people to go into
farming business and improve the nation’s economy.
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“Nigerian farmers can feed the country and some neighbouring
countries if given the needed support by the government.’’
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He said that in spite of the closure of land borders, there was no
significant increase in the prices of food items in the market as being
speculated.
He said that four years back, a bag of maize was sold for N20, 000
and now a bag costs N9, 000.
Yusuf added that some of the foodstuffs only recorded price
increase of between N500 and N1, 000, which according to him is normal.
The chairman said that President Muhammadu Buhari meant well for
the country going by his actions, adding that the president would not introduce
any policy deliberately to hurt the masses in the country.
“We cannot say that traders are doing well, but the truth is that
we have started enjoying the impact and we are going to witness more by the
grace of God,” he said.
According to him, the policy or measure had also encouraged
Nigerians to patronise our local products and seriously helped in employment
generation.
He said that the decision had also generated employment for women
and youths involved in the processing of rice.
Yusuf said that many people were currently engaged in rice
processing and there was an increase in the number of rice mills in the state.
“With the need support of the government, there is hope that
Nigeria can produce enough to feed its citizens and export it,” he said.
The chairman also appealed to the government to provide a
laboratory in the market for testing products before export.
“We only have two laboratories in the whole of Nigeria, one in
Lagos and the other one in Port Harcourt, and about 75 per cent of the products
tested there passed through Dawanau Market.
“We are appealing to the President to provide one for us in Kano,
specifically in Dawanau Market for convenience,” he added.
According to him, Dawanau international grains market, being the
biggest grains market in West Africa, lacks basic amenities.
RPT-Asia
Rice-Thai traders hope for boost in shipments from Iraq deal
Swati Verma
NOVEMBER
8, 2019 / 6:32 AM
·
(Repeats item originally published
on Nov 7, no change to content)
* India prices drop to $365-$370
a tonne from $368-$372
* Rains delay harvesting, damage
paddies in many Indian states
* Bangladesh rice output may jump
2.27% in May-April- USDA
* Vietnam’s jasmine rice prices
climb to $520/tonne
By Swati Verma
BENGALURU, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Thai
rice export prices were little changed this week, but traders hoped a deal with
Iraq could bolster shipments, while lacklustre demand and a slightly weaker
rupee weighed on rates for the Indian variety.
Local media on Wednesday reported
Thailand signed a deal to sell rice to Iraq, nearly 10 years after losing
contracts over quality concerns.
Traders said they hoped the new
Iraqi market could jumpstart fresh demand for Thai rice.
Also, fresh supply, which is
expected to enter the market in the coming weeks, could potentially bring down
Thai prices, they added.
Thai exports have been hurt by
the relatively higher prices for the variety from Thailand, especially compared
with Vietnamese prices, mostly due to a strong baht — Asia’s best-performing
currency this year, trader said.
One Thai trader said he was
unable to sell any rice for more than one month because customers turned to
cheaper options from Vietnam.
“It’s been terrible. We’ve lost a
lot of income,” said another trader, who has been facing the same problem for
three months.
Thailand’s benchmark 5-percent
broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 prices were quoted at $390-$408 a tonne, versus
$390-$413 last week.
In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken
rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 were unchanged from last week at $345-$350 a tonne on
Thursday amid lacklustre trading.
The country’s export prices had
risen to a four-and-a-half-month high last month.
“Low supplies at the end of the
summer-autumn harvest have helped keep prices from falling,” said a Ho Chi Minh
City-based trader.
However, no deals were struck
this week as most buyers were waiting for new supply from the autumn-winter
harvest in the Mekong Delta, which is expected to come in bulk in December,
another trader said.
“While prices of the regular 5%
broken rice stayed flat, prices of jasmine rice have climbed up to $520 per
tonne due to tight supplies,” he added.
Top exporter India’s 5 percent
broken parboiled variety RI-INBKN5-P1 was quoted around $365-$370 per tonne
this week, down from $368-$372 last week.
“Demand is weak. We are waiting
for the new season supplies that could rise from this month,” said an exporter
based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Many rice growing states received
rainfall in the last two weeks, which delayed harvesting and damaged paddy
crops ready for harvesting, exporters said.
In Bangladesh, rice output is
expected to jump 2.27% to 35.8 million tonnes in the May-April marketing year,
thanks to favourable weather, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.
Rice imports are expected to hit
50,000 tonnes in the year to April, down 50% from a year earlier, USDA said in
its latest report on Bangladesh, released this week. (Reporting by Phuong
Nguyen in Hanoi, Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok, Ruma Paul in Dhaka and
Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
As climate change hits
crops, debate heats up over use of plant gene data
Thin Lei Win
NOVEMBER 8, 2019 / 12:08 PM
ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Rich and poor countries are at
loggerheads over how to share benefits from genetic plant data that could help
breed crops better able to withstand climate change, as negotiations to revise
a global treaty are set to resume in Rome on Monday.
The little-known agreement is seen as crucial for agricultural
research and development on a planet suffering rising hunger, malnutrition and
the impacts of climate change.
“We need all the ‘genetics’ around the world to be able to breed
crops that will adapt to global warming,” said Sylvain Aubry, a plant biologist
who advises the Swiss government.
Rising temperatures, water shortages and creeping deserts could
reduce both the quantity and quality of food production, including staple crops
such as wheat and rice, scientists have warned.
The debate over “digital sequence information” (DSI) has erupted as
the cost of sequencing genomes falls, boosting the availability of genetic
plant data, Aubry said.
“A lot of modern crop breeding relies on these data today,” he
added.
At the same time, the capability of machines to process vast
amounts of that data to identify special crop traits such as disease resistance
or heat tolerance has grown.
Pierre du Plessis, an African technical advisor on treaty issues,
said companies and breeders can use DSI to identify the genetic sequence of a
desired plant trait and send it by e-mail to a gene foundry that prints and
mails back a strand of DNA.
“Then you use gene-editing technology to incorporate that strand
into a plant. So you have created a new variety without accessing the trait in
biological form,” he said.
That process could enable businesses to circumvent the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture which
stipulates that the benefits derived from using material from species it covers
- including money and new technology - must be shared.
Developing states, which are home to many plant species such as
maize and legumes used in breeding, hope to add digital sequence information to
the treaty’s scope.
This would force companies and breeders that develop new commercial
crops from that data to pay a percentage of their sales or profits into a fund
now managed by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The fund’s resources are used to conserve and develop plant genetic
resources - the basis of the foods humans eat - so that farmers, particularly
in the developing world, can cope better with a warming climate.
Most wealthy nations, which are generally more active in seed
production, argue digital information on plant genetics should be available to
use without an obligation to share benefits.
“There’s almost no one still doing the old-fashioned, ‘let’s try it
and see’ breeding. It’s all based on the understanding of genome and a lot of
CRISPR gene editing creeping in,” said du Plessis.
CRISPR is a technology that allows genome editing in plant and
animal cells. Scientists say it could lead to cures for diseases driven by
genetic mutations or abnormalities, and help create crops resilient to climate
extremes.
But developing nations and civil society groups such as the Malaysia-based
Third World Network say companies that develop new crop varieties using this
information could lock access to their critical traits using intellectual
property rights.
SCIENCE FICTION?
The treaty row emerged in late October when representatives of
governments, the seed industry, research organisations and civil society
attended a meeting at FAO headquarters in Rome.
Negotiations have been going on for more than six years to update
the treaty, which came into force in 2004 and governs access to 64 crops and
forage plants judged as key to feeding the world.
Last month, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Germany
rejected a proposal from the co-chairs of the talks to include “information,
including genetic sequence data” in the treaty’s provisions on benefit-sharing.
Africa, India, Latin America and the Caribbean pushed back but the
meeting ended without a compromise, which negotiators now hope to secure before
the treaty’s governing body meets on Nov. 11.
The International Seed Federation, a body representing the
$42-billion seed industry, says plant breeding still requires the use of
physical material and it is too early to set the rules on genetic data.
“Developing policy based on speculation and on things that are
bordering on scientific fiction doesn’t seem wise,” said Thomas Nickson, who
attended the Rome talks for the federation.
“It is critical to have the information publicly available,
especially for small companies in developing countries,” he added.
But Edward Hammond, an advisor to Third World Network, said small
farmers needed support, and open access to plant data should not mean a
“no-strings-attached free-for-all”.
“Resilience to climate change is being grown in the fields,” he
said. “Interesting and new varieties are appearing in the fields as they adapt.
This is not coming from companies using new seeds.”
‘UNFAIR’ SYSTEM
Kent Nnadozie, secretary of the treaty, said if it were agreed the
genetic data should be freely available, it would be mostly developed countries
that had the capacity, resources and technology to put it to use.
“The fear is that (this) perpetuates and reinforces an unfair
system or... amplifies it,” he said.
Concerns over increasing privatization and monopolization of food
crops - which experts say threaten agricultural biodiversity - played a role in
the treaty’s origins.
Its aim was to build a multilateral approach to access and exchange
plant resources, with “fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from
their use” as a means to address historical imbalances between farmers and seed
companies.
While breeders and seed firms rarely pay for the knowledge and
genetic resources they source from farmers and indigenous peoples, farmers
usually have to buy the seeds of the improved crop varieties businesses produce
and sell.
So far, more than 5.4 million samples of plant genetic resources
have been transferred under the treaty between governments, research institutes
and the private sector in 181 countries, its secretariat said.
A large majority of those transfers are improved materials from
CGIAR, the global agricultural research network, to public-sector research
organizations in developing countries tackling food security issues, said
Michael Halewood, head of policy at Bioversity International, a CGIAR center.
“Countries around the world have always been interdependent on crop
genetic resources. Climate change is making us all more interdependent than
ever on those resources,” he said.
Reporting by Thin Lei Win @thinink; editing by Megan Rowling.
Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson
Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, women's and LGBT+
rights, human trafficking, and property rights. Visit www.trust.org
DJI’s Agras Drones are Being Deployed in the Fight
Against Malaria
Malek
Murisonon: November 07, 2019
DJI’s Agras drones are being used
by scientists in Tanzania to combat mosquito populations. The Agras MG-1S,
typically adopted by farmers to spray pesticides over crops, is one element of
a revolutionary attempt to fight Malaria.
The equipment is being customized
and used by entomologists in Zanzibar in a pilot project that could eventually
change the way mosquito populations are controlled.
Drowning
mosquitos with help from DJI
The Anti-Malaria Drones project is being led
by Dr. Bart Knols. The new method of fighting mosquito populations involves
spraying infested rice fields with a unique non-toxic and biodegradable
silicone-based liquid. The liquid is spread across stagnant water, creating a
thin film that prevents pupae and larvae from breathing at the surface –
effectively causing them to drown.
The trail started in October in
Zanzibar. The aim is to show that the precision application of biological
insecticides in rice fields can significantly reduce the local mosquito
population. The team will sample the larval and emerging mosquito population
before, during and after spraying to determine the possible impact of the
approach. If successful, it could be rolled out across the continent.
“This experience has been made
possible thanks to a customized DJI Agras MG1-S spray drone, enabling the
deployment of the Aquatain liquid over rice paddies”, said Dr. Bart Knols, the
scientist behind the project.
“The use of spray drones proves
to be essential in efficiently treating large rice fields, because spraying by
hand is very time consuming and using a helicopter is too expensive and simply
not realistic.”
In the pilot project, several
rice paddies in Zanzibar are being sprayed with differing levels of the organic
pesticide. Some are not being sprayed at all to provide a benchmark to measure
the results against.
The hope is that in the fields
sprayed with the Aquatain liquid, the numbers of mosquitos emerging into
adulthood will be significantly reduced, which will, in turn, lead to a drop in
bites and a local reduction in the transmission of malaria.
After the trial, the scientific
team intends to publish the findings in a scientific journal generate publicity
around the new method.
“This pilot project is the first
attempt to fight malaria with spray drones on such a large scale. If the
results of these tests are as good as expected, this could give a tremendous
boost for winning the fight against malaria,” said Professor Wolfgang Richard
Mukabana from the University of Nairobi.
DJI
tech used for good, again
This isn’t the first time DJI’s
drones have been used for good. The company already supplies search and rescue teams, inspection
crews, public safety officials and more with life-saving technology.
“We are proud to be pioneers in
this field along with scientific experts using our spray drones against malaria
in Africa, and we have great hopes that this approach will significantly
contribute towards defeating this fatal disease in affected regions around the
world”, said Dr. Barbara Stelzner, Director of Marketing and Corporate
Communication at DJI Europe.
“Reducing the cases of new
malaria infections will not only put an end to all the suffering of people, but
it will also contribute to generating larger harvests, and provide new
economical perspectives in Africa.”
The
sky’s the limit: Could drones help eliminate malaria altogether?
In conjunction with the new
pesticide that builds a physical barrier rather than a chemical one, drone
technology could soon play a huge role in fighting malaria around the world.
In an interview, Dr. Bart Knols argues that some
countries in Africa could see the disease eliminated completely if the right
steps are taken.
“If you’re asking me what is my
vision with this technology I would tell you: I see several countries in Africa
that could use drone technology to actually eliminate their malaria problem.
Two examples: the Gambia in West
Africa. You could use drones to spray all of the river’s flood plains and
remove your malaria problem there. Second, Sudan: the Nile river. You could use
drones flying up and down the Nile to control these mosquitos and get rid of
malaria altogether.
There’s really a role to play for
drone technology in eventually moving malaria down to zero.”
Malek
Murison is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for tech trends and
innovation. He handles product reviews, major releases and keeps an eye on the
enthusiast market for DroneLife.
Email Malek
Twitter:@malekmurison
Email Malek
Twitter:@malekmurison
How Do You Tackle Crop Burning? Here Are 5 Solutions That Can
Work!
What does groundwater have to do
with stubble burning in Punjab? As it turns out, a lot. Which is why we need
solutions that help farmers. #DelhiAirEmergency #DelhiSmog
·
NOVEMBER 7, 2019
Every winter, vast swathes of
North India, particularly the Delhi-NCR region, get engulfed under a cloud of
poisonous smog.
Besides the usual suspects, one
singular phenomenon which has a massive bearing on the devastating air quality
in the Delhi-NCR region is the decision of farmers, especially in Punjab and
Haryana, to burn their fields following the rice harvest.
Keep yourself safe from
respiratory infections with this ultrasoft, lightweight and
comfortable mask which keeps dust, germs and airborne
contaminants out!
According to an August 2019 study titled ‘Fields on fire:
Alternatives to crop residue burning in India,’ published in the journal Science, farmers in northwest India burn
around 23 million tonnes of rice straw so that they can clear the land quickly
for the sowing of wheat.
The effects are devastating. Air
quality monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR registered above 999 on the Air
Quality Index, which is way beyond emergency levels. Schools and offices were
forced are forced to shut down for days.
As per a report in Business Standard,
officials at the Central Pollution Control Board last year stated that
stubble-burning in Punjab and Haryana contributed to 20-30% of the capital’s
overall air-pollution for that period.
While it’s important to note that
crop burning only exacerbates the air quality crisis for 15 days to a month
(last week of October and the first week of November), and isn’t a core source
of air pollution, we also urgently need definitive solutions.
Crop
burning (Source: Flickr/CIAT)
Here are some of them:
1) Waste Decomposer
Scientists at the National Centre
for Organic Farming have developed a ‘Waste Decomposer’ solution concocted with
effective microorganisms that propel in-situ composting of the crop residue.
“This is done by spraying the preparation on the post-harvest
stalks of crop plants and leaving it for a month. The waste decomposer comes in
a small bottle that is distributed to farmers at a measly price of ₹20. According to the centre
officials, the solution can decompose over 10,000 metric tons of biowaste in 30
days. The same can also be used in foliar spray and via drip irrigation,” says
this TBI report.
2) Converting Crop Stubble Into Animal Feed, Manure, Cardboard
In a recent tweet, eminent agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan said,
“In South India, stubble is not burnt as there’s economic value as animal feed.
For years I pointed out many commercial uses of rice straw. We should adopt a
do-ecology approach with farmers to convert rice stubble into income rather
than making them agents of eco-disaster.”
You can also upcycle stubble to make products including paper,
cardboard and animal feed. In Palla village outside Delhi, for example, a
non-profit called the Nandi Foundation recently shared a tweet of
its initiative where 800 MT of paddy residue was purchased from farmers to turn
it into manure.
Prof.@msswaminathan This is exactly what @naandi_india has been doing! The pictures below
are from our #UrbanFarmsCo farmers cluster in Palla village
of #Delhi where purchased 800MT of paddy residue from
farmers to prevent them from burning! We will now compost it as manure! https://t.co/DgmBCEaZE5 pic.twitter.com/St1fOaSNHj
— Manoj Kumar (@manoj_naandi) November 4, 2019
3) Happy Seeder
(Source: Twitter/Pooja Shali)
Instead of burning the stubble, a tractor-mounted machine called
the Happy Seeder “cuts and lifts rice straw, sows wheat into the bare soil, and
deposits the straw over the sown area as mulch,” says this Ideas For India article.
According to a recent study published in the journal Science, it will “eliminate air pollution by
crop burning and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from on-farm activities
by more than 78% relative to all burning options.”
Having said that, there are concerns surrounding
the machine’s costs and maintenance that need to be addressed.
4) Converting Crop Stubble to Biodegradable Cutlery
(Source: IIT Delhi)
Kriya Labs, an IIT-Delhi startup,
has developed a machine that can convert the leftover rice straw into pulp, and
that is further moulded to produce biodegradable cutlery.
“The straw is treated with a natural solvent to separate the
organic polymer from cellulose leading to the formation of pulp. The semi-solid
substance is then dried and moulded into biodegradable cups, plates and jars.
This entire operation is eco-friendly and sustainable,” says Kanika Prajapat,
the Chief Technology Officer, speaking to YourStory.
Kriya claim that in a day they
can generate 4-5 tonnes of rice pulp with residue generated by 800 acres of
land every harvest season.
(Source: Flickr/CIAT)5) Incentivising Farmers to Grow Crops That Don’t Guzzle Water
The problem of crop burning cannot rest entirely on farmers. For
example, in Punjab, this practice has a lot to do with the groundwater crisis,
and this is a well-documented fact.
Since paddy is a water-intensive
crop, why not incentivise farmers to make the shift towards millets. Besides
using very little water, millets are suitable for the land available in Punjab
and are highly nutritious.
But how do you incentivise
farmers to make that shift from a money-earner like paddy?
“Delhi can prevent its annual health catastrophe by creating
markets for these nutritious millets. What if Punjab and Haryana included
millets in their mid-day meals in schools? Apart from positive health outcomes
for children, this could also be a fix for an earlier, polluting policy flaw.
Delhi could offer to work with Punjab to identify how much millet supply it can
procure and consume next year, and pilot a downstream project in select
schools. The lessons should be incorporated to scale up and feed children with
millets more frequently,” writes Bharati Chaturvedi for Hindustan Times.
Between elected representatives
bickering among themselves in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, and the Supreme
Court’s sermons to ordinary farmers, the discourse surrounding crop burning is
rife with hopelessness.
However, there are real solutions
that can work, and it’s high time they are utilised.
AAU Regional Agricultural Research Station
observes Farmers’Day-2019
November 7, 2019
By Bijoy PTC Handique
Jorhat: Like the previous years
the 30th Krishak Divas was organized by Regional Agricultural Research Station,
Titabor following inauguration, interaction with farmers, field demonstration
of various paddy breeds, field visit and drone demonstration as how drone
helping scientists to control pest and other diseases during its various stages
till the period of harvesting and how proper surveillance output report for
pest infection in the experimental filed where a total of 45 number of latest
variety of Ahu and Sali rice being produced for seeds . It may be mentioned
that a total of 500 ahu and 1500 Sali local variety of which 45 are of latest
that’s making records for years , said Dr. Tomiz-uddin Ahmed, the chief
scientist of the station here today.
The 30th Krishak Divas that is
Farmers’Day was an annual affair of the station at Titabor and the day was
inaugurated by Dr. Ashik Bhattacharyya, the Vice Chancellor incharge of AAU
among others were Dr. Jayanta Deka-Dean, Faculty of Agriculture and Hemanta
Das-a progressive farmer from Merapani, Golaghat was felicitated in presence of
farmers from Sivasagar, Majuli, Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat among agricultural
experts, faculty members from four colleges viz College of Agriculture,
Horticulture, Sericulture and Community Science along with students.
Day long Expo in agricultural
activities along with Rain Forest Research Institute, Tocklai Tea Research
Institute, North East Institute of Science and Technology, Fishery Research
Station, Rubber Board of India etc. Moreover during the inaugural session of
the day long Farmers ‘Day the vice chancellor Dr, Bhattacharyya called upon the
farmers to come forward to take the latest technical tips from the AAU
scientists here as just because of the 45 new variety of paddy findings at
RARS, Titabor the station is soon to be declared as National level status by
the Government of India which is the very good result for the farmers
‘fraternity and the people of this region in days to come.
We celebrate this day like a
farmers ‘festival as Titabor is well known for bumper paddy cultivation and
just adjacent to our experimental paddy field – there lies historic
Bosapathar which the Ahom king named it since 1246 (Bosapathar means selected
paddy field) . On this day 80% of the farmers both Rabi and Kharif comes out in
cluster whereas schools and office goers comes to the station and enjoy the
Divas to know about the latest techniques of paddy cultivation for maintenance
of crops and other farming, said Dr. Ranjit Kumar Choudhury, former scientist
from the station during the day long farmers festival
Scientists work to improve rice varieties
impacted by higher temperatures
Wednesday, November 6th 2019
Scientists work to improve rice varieties impacted by higher
temperatures (Photo: Pixabay)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (TB&P)
— Temperatures have been on the
rise in recent decades and the increased heat is having an impact on
agriculture. About half of the nation’s rice is grown in Arkansas, so it will
be imperative for farmers to find ways to continue to increase yields in the
rice paddies in the coming years.
Scientists are working to develop
rice varieties that are tolerant of Arkansas’ frequent high nighttime air
temperatures, a condition that can significantly reduce yields and post-harvest
quality.
Paul Counce, a University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture professor and rice physiologist, is
leading the high nighttime air temperature rice research in the division’s
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
“We began to do work about twenty
years ago to pin these issues down,” Counce said. “We started a series of experiments
at the Rice Research and Extension Center and in Fayetteville with Dr. Terry
Siebenmorgen.”
The team’s current objective is
to identify genes associated with resistance to high night temperatures.
Lao Citizen Scientists Manage Wetlands Sustainably
November
6, 2019
By
Tassaya Charupatanapongse and Derin Henderson
There
were no fish in the Nong Tham Hee wetland in the 2017 dry season. There were
none in the 2018 dry season. The people of Nyangkham village, who once fished
here year around, saw only cracked, parched earth. Over the years, the water
had slowly dwindled, as farmers in the village expanded their rice paddies into
the wetlands and disrupted their natural hydrology. It wasn’t until the
community got organized that things started to change.
The Nong Tham Hee wetland, in
Nyangkham, Laos, after years of agricultural encroachment. Photo: Mouksy
Vongsouvath.
Lao
PDR (Laos) is rich in natural resources: water and fertile land, timber,
metals, gems, and minerals. Laos’s wetlands have long provided its people with
a range of benefits, including water for agriculture, fish and wildlife
habitat, water purification, and flood mitigation. But this precious endowment
is increasingly threatened by unsustainable economic development practices.
Among them, the reclamation and conversion of wetlands for agriculture is one
of the most significant threats facing natural wetland
ecosystems.
The Nong Tham Hee wetland. Photo:
Mouksy Vongsouvath.
In
the past, resource management in Laos was divided up between different
ministries, depending on the type of resource. Development planning was
centralized, and water projects were often implemented without local input or
deliberation. Over the past decade, however, as pressure on water resources has
grown, the government has worked to institute more effective, community-based
approaches.
With
support from The McConnell Foundation, The Asia Foundation recently worked with
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to bring the Community-Based Integrated Water Resource Management Project (CWRM)
to three villages in the Xe Bang Fai District of Khammouane Province.
The
CWRM project uses Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), which
emphasizes that competing uses of finite water resources are interdependent and
must be managed equitably and systematically. Heavy agricultural use, for
example, can mean less fresh water for drinking or industry; industrial
wastewater can threaten rivers and wetlands; wetland preservation can mean less
land for farming. Attempts to manage these competing uses in isolation fail to
address their systematic interdependencies.
CWRM
emphasizes bottom-up, participatory mechanisms for water resources management
that acknowledge the legitimate interests of competing stakeholders and help
communities understand and manage their own water resources, waste management,
and the local environment. The project in Xe Bang Fai focused on three
principal areas—agriculture, waste management, and wetlands and fisheries. In
the CWRM project area, the Napork wetland had been reduced to one-third of its
original size by the expansion of rice paddies. The fish catch had declined
drastically, and water quality had deteriorated due to agricultural run-off
from nearby fields.
To
address this unfolding tragedy of the commons, the CWRM project partnered with
the affected villages and the government to create a participatory resource
management framework. They trained village volunteers, local government staff,
teachers, and students to become “citizen scientists,” who began monitoring
wetland water quality using macroinvertebrates such as mayflies, midges, water
boatmen, and freshwater shrimp.
The
project raised earthen embankments around the wetlands to prevent further
encroachment and reduce agricultural contamination, and it introduced organic
agriculture techniques to the surrounding farms to limit agrochemical runoff.
Villagers and local authorities came together to establish consensus rules for
legal and illegal fishing practices. In some cases, villagers went a step
further and set aside large portions of the wetland for fish conservation.
Nong Tham Hee wetland after
enhancement. Photo: Mouksy Vongsouvath.
The
villagers had to work through a patchwork of competing interests, such as one
Napork farmer who was unwilling to return parts of his paddy fields to the
wetlands. “Some people may want to eat fish,” he said, “but I want to eat
rice.” So, a compromise was eventually struck: the project created natural
barriers around the remaining wetlands to prevent further encroachment, and the
farmer kept the additions to his fields. This is what CWRM seeks to achieve: a
practical system of cooperative, local resource management that addresses the
needs of all users.
In
Nyangkham village, the CWRM project supported the restoration and regeneration
of the degraded wetland—building embankments, digging deeper pools for fish in
the dry season, and restoring the channels that connect the wetlands with the
Xe Bang Fai River.
And
the villagers of Nyangkham are proud of the results.
“Since
the village’s wetland was improved,” says the village head, “there is water in
the wetland all year around, so there is an abundance of fish even in the dry
season.”
All
the villagers know the rules to protect the wetlands and the fish in the
wetlands,” said a member of the Nyangkham Wetland Committee. “Since we have put
the wetland management regulations in place, we have not found any villagers
who have violated the rules.”
Nong Tham Hee wetland in
Nyangkham village after enhancement. The villagers have erected a sign
declaring parts of the wetland off limits for fishing. Photo: Mouksy
Vongsouvath.
While
the CWRM project provided technical expertise, the real success lies in the
villagers banding together as citizen scientists to manage their wetlands
systematically and sustainably for all stakeholders. It underscores the
interconnectedness of water management among competing users and the importance
of an inclusive, equitable, and participatory approach that considers both
environmental and socioeconomic needs.
As
Laos and the rest of Asia continue to grow and develop, water supplies and
other natural resources will come under increasing stress. Sustainable
management practices that allow competing stakeholders to both benefit from and
protect these natural resources will be vital to future prosperity.
Tassaya (Toffy) Charupatanapongse is a program associate in The
Asia Foundation’s Resource Development Department, and Derin Henderson is
director of The Asia Foundation’s Environment Program in Laos. They can be
reached at tassaya.charupatanapongse@asiafoundation.org and derin.henderson@asiafoundation.org respectively.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors, not those of
The Asia Foundation.
Researchers use drones to pilot a new tool to fight malaria
06 November,2019 09:41
am
Ninety percent of all cases occur in Sub-Saharan
Africa, according to the World Health Organization.
CHEJU, Zanzibar (Reuters) -
Scientists seeking a breakthrough in the fight against malaria have used drones
to spray rice fields in Zanzibar - not with traditional pesticides but with a
thin, non-toxic film.
The fields are typical breeding
grounds for the anopheles mosquito - the type that transmits malaria, which the
United Nations says kills a young child every minute and causes 75 percent of
all under five deaths.
Ninety percent of all cases occur
in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Health Organization.
The researchers, led by Bart
Knols from Radboud University in The Netherlands, plan to sample the larvae and
the mosquitoes in the fields before, during and after spraying it with the
silicone-based liquid, Aquatain AMF, to test its impact.
Malawi has used drones to map
mosquito breeding sites but the researchers in Zanzibar say preventing pupae
and larvae from attaching themselves to the surface of the water takes the
malaria fight to the next level.
“By controlling them right at the
source we hope to have an impact ultimately on the transmission of malaria,”
Knols said.
He and fellow researchers chose
Tanzania’s Zanzibar archipelago for the pilot partly due to its progressive
laws on the use of drones for research.
“It is very difficult to just
walk through the paddies and apply the chemicals, so you want to have something
that can just spray it on the water surface. It spreads, does the job and
that’s it,” said Wolfgang Richard Mukabana from the University of Nairobi, one
of the researchers.
After the trial in Zanzibar, they
aim to publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals, they said, and hope to
expand the approach across the continent.
The liquid is made by Australian
company Aquatain Products Pty Ltd, which says it is highly permeable to gases
so does not prevent the water from being oxygenated.
Annual Yellow Rails and Rice Festival Attracts Birders from Far and
Wide
By Kane Webb
THORNWELL, LA -- This past weekend marked the eleventh year that
ornithologists and avid birdwatchers have gathered in southwest Louisiana for a
chance to take in the beauty and abundance of waterfowl and wildlife here -
particularly the yellow rail, a rare marshbird that migrates to the Gulf Coast
each winter, stopping over in Louisiana's rice fields.
The Yellow Rails and Rice Festival grew out of an idea that began
with the curiosity of birdwatchers passing through the Thornwell area in search
of yellow rails. Rice farmers Shirley
and Kevin Berken, along with ornithologists Donna Dittmann and Steve Cardiff
with Louisiana State University, realized the potential this elusive little
bird had in bringing folks to the area to showcase the habitat created by the
conservation efforts of the rice industry.
Beyond birdwatching in the rice fields, the festival also includes
tours of Falcon Rice Mill in Crowley, as well as trips south to the Louisiana
coast and north to the Piney Woods region for a chance to view all the state
has to offer as a birding paradise.
As this year's festival got underway, rainy weather slowed activity
on the first day, but the weekend improved with clear, sunny skies and perfect
conditions for enjoying birds in their natural habitats. There were a number of return human visitors,
along with folks from as far away as Alaska, and from around the globe, including
the Netherlands.
The festival kicks off with a 'Rice Farming 101" presentation
by Kevin Berken. "The opportunity
to share the importance of how the rice industry benefits not only the habitat
it provides for waterfowl and wildlife, but the economic impact the rice
industry and agricultural in general provides to our community and across the
country is eye opening to everyone who attends," said Kevin. "Each year, we get to share our story
firsthand with hundreds of people who then go back to their communities and
share what they've seen and learned with others. The ability to not just tell, but to show how
and why we do the things we do goes a long way in resolving a lot of
misinformation they may have had about agriculture and farming practices."
A highlight for festival attendees is riding a combine and spotting
rails as they are flushed from the stubble, with the best views from the
platform near the cab. This year there
were two harvesters operating, Kevin Berken in one and fellow rice farmer Paul
Johnson at the helm of the other.
With another successful outing in the books, many birders are
already looking forward to next year's festival and returning to southwest
Louisiana to share their experience and promote the Louisiana and U.S. rice
industries.
People watching from the yellow rails' perspective
How to Write an Effective Marketing Article
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Disasters
to hit rice output
Northeast reeling from drought, floods
published : 8 Nov 2019 at 05:37
newspaper section: Business
writer: Phusadee Arunmas
Workers unload sacks of rice at a
warehouse. Rice export prospects remain dim as a result of the stronger baht.
(Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)
Alternating drought conditions and flooding in northeastern
Thailand are expected to cut paddy production in the region in the 2019-20 crop
year by 488,000 tonnes.
According to the latest report by the provincial extension
offices in 20 provinces of the Northeast, paddy production from the 2019-20
main season is estimated at 12.7 million tonnes, compared with 13.2 million
tonnes in the previous season.
Of the total 488,000 tonnes, white rice and glutinous rice paddy
are forecast to make up a combined 405,000 tonnes, with hom
mali paddy accounting for the rest.
Widespread rice blast disease was also blamed for a fall in hom
mali and white rice paddy production, notably in Surin province.
The report was presented on Thursday in Khon Kaen to a
joint meeting of leading rice exporters, millers and senior-ranking provincial
extension officials to evaluate main crop production for 2019-20.
Paddy production from the Northeast typically represents 37% of
the country's average production of 32 million tonnes a year.
The report said a particular drop was seen in production of
glutinous paddy, whose output is estimated to fall by as much as 320,000
tonnes, prompting a price surge in recent months.
Partly due to lower production, rice exports in the first nine
months fell by 28% year-on-year to 5.93 million tonnes.
Shipments of white rice in the period tumbled 42% to 2.38
million tonnes, while those of hom mali rice were down 12.3% at 786,275 tonnes
and those of sticky rice were down 49% at 71,724 tonnes.
India's rice exports were reportedly down 9.1% at 8.25 million
tonnes for the period, while China's surged 56.2% to 2.15 million tonnes.
Vietnam's were flat at 5.62 million tonnes.
Because of the strong baht, Thai rice export revenue in baht
terms is estimated to lose 30-40 billion baht this year, with rice shipments
expected to slip to as low as 8-8.1 million tonnes this year from 11.2 million
tonnes last year on a sharp drop in white rice exports, said Chookiat
Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
The strong baht is expected to shave 35% off white rice
shipments from last year's 5.49 million tonnes.
Thailand's rice exports average 10 million tonnes a year, with
white rice making up half the amount.
Mr Chookiat said white rice shipments could reach just 3 million
tonnes this year.
In July, the association cut its target for 2019 rice exports
from 9.5 million tonnes to 9 million.Of the total, white rice would account for
3.9 million tonnes, followed by parboiled (2.8 million), hom mali (1.3
million), aromatic (600,000) and glutinous (400,000).
Rice Prices
as on : 07-11-2019 12:39:15 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in
Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bangalore(Kar)
|
1994.00
|
-11.02
|
87430.00
|
4650
|
4650
|
8.14
|
|
Barhaj(UP)
|
200.00
|
17.65
|
7683.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
6.43
|
|
Agra(UP)
|
85.00
|
-15
|
3697.00
|
2570
|
2560
|
3.21
|
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
|
80.00
|
NC
|
2510.00
|
2690
|
2755
|
1.32
|
|
Naugarh(UP)
|
72.50
|
17.89
|
2916.50
|
2465
|
2470
|
8.59
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
68.00
|
13.33
|
1978.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
-
|
|
Madhoganj(UP)
|
62.00
|
53.09
|
2012.50
|
2280
|
2300
|
1.79
|
|
Manvi(Kar)
|
60.00
|
140
|
312.00
|
1825
|
2469
|
-
|
|
Beldanga(WB)
|
45.00
|
12.5
|
1625.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
3.85
|
|
Bhivandi(Mah)
|
44.00
|
158.82
|
825.00
|
2750
|
2300
|
18.53
|
|
Basti(UP)
|
35.00
|
34.62
|
1282.50
|
2475
|
2475
|
10.00
|
|
Bankura Sadar(WB)
|
35.00
|
25
|
403.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
-3.85
|
|
Hanagal(Kar)
|
30.00
|
900
|
533.00
|
1900
|
1900
|
NC
|
|
Sahiyapur(UP)
|
30.00
|
233.33
|
1081.50
|
2470
|
2465
|
9.78
|
|
Dadri(UP)
|
30.00
|
NC
|
943.00
|
2800
|
2920
|
1.82
|
|
Jorhat(ASM)
|
29.00
|
-35.56
|
1850.50
|
3400
|
3400
|
6.25
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
26.00
|
13.04
|
320.00
|
3750
|
3700
|
-
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
22.00
|
-4.35
|
294.00
|
3650
|
3550
|
-
|
|
Wansi(UP)
|
20.00
|
-9.09
|
758.00
|
2110
|
2110
|
NC
|
|
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
|
18.00
|
-25
|
1693.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
NC
|
|
Honnali(Kar)
|
15.00
|
-79.17
|
503.00
|
1863
|
1986
|
4.96
|
|
Akbarpur(UP)
|
15.00
|
87.5
|
796.60
|
2430
|
2450
|
8.48
|
|
Shikaripura(Kar)
|
14.00
|
-
|
28.00
|
1700
|
-
|
-
|
|
Puwaha(UP)
|
12.00
|
100
|
347.20
|
2500
|
2500
|
-0.79
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
12.00
|
NC
|
433.00
|
3100
|
3100
|
-1.59
|
|
Vilthararoad(UP)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
761.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
NC
|
|
Badayoun(UP)
|
9.00
|
NC
|
618.50
|
2660
|
2670
|
17.70
|
|
Tamkuhi Road(UP)
|
9.00
|
-5.26
|
537.40
|
2250
|
2250
|
4.65
|
|
Khurja(UP)
|
8.50
|
-5.56
|
413.30
|
2665
|
2675
|
2.50
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
6.80
|
-24.44
|
350.80
|
3100
|
3100
|
6.16
|
|
Hailakandi(ASM)
|
6.00
|
-14.29
|
102.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
2.08
|
|
Nadia(WB)
|
6.00
|
-14.29
|
412.00
|
3800
|
3800
|
-5.00
|
|
Kasganj(UP)
|
4.00
|
-60
|
202.00
|
2560
|
2580
|
1.99
|
|
Kishunpur(UP)
|
3.00
|
-81.25
|
208.00
|
1800
|
1900
|
NC
|
|
Muskara(UP)
|
2.60
|
62.5
|
27.40
|
2360
|
2250
|
4.42
|
|
Gadaura(UP)
|
2.00
|
NC
|
561.50
|
2300
|
2300
|
9.52
|
|
Anandnagar(UP)
|
1.80
|
-10
|
204.00
|
2445
|
2455
|
11.14
|
|
Khair(UP)
|
1.50
|
-50
|
42.10
|
2580
|
2600
|
1.98
|
|
Nandyal(AP)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
36.00
|
4250
|
4250
|
-
|
|
Jambusar(Kaavi)(Guj)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
91.00
|
3100
|
3200
|
-
|
|
Penugonda(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
28.00
|
4090
|
4090
|
0.25
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
106.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
-16.00
|
|
Murud(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
107.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
5.00
|
|
Achalda(UP)
|
0.60
|
NC
|
23.30
|
2500
|
2600
|
31.58
|
Published on November 07, 2019
Rice exporters
require certification of inspection to export to European Union
06/11/2019
NEW DELHI: Indian rice exporters
will now have to obtain a certification of inspection from a government agency
to ship both the basmati and non-basmati varieties to countries of the European
Union.
“Export of rice (basmati and
non-basmati) to European Union (EU) countries will require certificate of
inspection from Export Inspection Council/Export Inspection Agency with
immediate effect,” directorate general of foreign trade has said in a
notification.
Two aromatic basmati rice
varieties—PB1 and 1401 — witness maximum export to the EU.
The European Commission had
brought down in basmati rice the maximum residue limit (MRL) level for
Tricyclazole, a fungicide used by farmers against a disease, to 0.01 mg per kg
from 0.03 mg earlier. This was done for all countries.
India, the world’s top rice
exporter, exports about 3 lakh tonnes of basmati rice to the EU.
The Export Inspection Council
(EIC) is the official export certification body of India which ensures quality
and safety of products exported from India.
It was set up by the government
of India under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963 to ensure
sound development of export trade of India through quality control and inspection.
The assurance to quality and
safety is provided through either a consignment wise inspection or a quality
assurance/food safety management based certification through its field
organisation.
The Export Inspection Agencies
(EIAs) under the council are located at Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, Delhi and
Chennai. (AGENCIES)
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices Open- November 08, 2019
NOVEMBER
8, 2019 / 1:29 PM * * * * * *
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-November 8, 2018 Nagpur, Nov 8 (Reuters) –
Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Producing and
Marketing Company (APMC) here on good seasonal demand from local millers amid
weak arrival from producing regions. Good hike on NCDEX in gram, upward trend
in Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh pulses and reported demand from South-based
millers also boosted prices. About 250 bags of gram and 100 bags of tuar
reported for auctions here, according to sources.
GRAM
*
Desi gram reported higher in open market here on renewed demand from local
traders.
TUAR
*
Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local
traders
amid ample stock in ready position.
*
Moong chamki recovered in open market here on increased demand from local
traders
amid
weak supply from producing regions.
* In
Akola, Tuar New – 5,500-5,700, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,300-8,400, Udid Mogar
(clean)
–
7,900-9,000, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,500-9,200, Gram – 4,350-4,500, Gram Super
best
–
6,000-6,300 * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered
deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.
Nagpur
foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS
Available prices Previous close
Gram
Auction 3,930-4,550 3,900-4,500
Gram
Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar
Auction 5,400-5,560 5,200-5,500
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 2,050-2,198 2,000-2,098
Wheat
Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram
Super Best Bold 6,200-6,500 6,200-6,500
Gram
Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram
Medium Best 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Gram
Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram
Mill Quality 4,600-4,750 4,600-4,750
Desi
gram Raw 4,450-4,650 4,400-4,600
Gram
Kabuli 8,500-10,000 8,500-10,000
Tuar
Fataka Best-New 8,500-8,800 8,500-8,800
Tuar
Fataka Medium-New 8,000-8,300 8,000-8,300
Tuar
Dal Best Phod-New 7,800-8,000 7,800-8,000
Tuar
Dal Medium phod-New 7,200-7,600 7,200-7,600
Tuar
Gavarani New 5,800-5,900 5,800-5,900
Tuar
Karnataka 6,200-6,300 6,200-6,300
Masoor
dal best 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Masoor
dal medium 5,300-5,400 5,300-5,400
Masoor
n.a. n.a.
Moong
Mogar bold (New) 9,100-9,600 9,100-9,600
Moong
Mogar Medium 7,600-8,200 7,600-8,200
Moong
dal Chilka New 7,200-8,000 7,200-8,000
Moong
Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong
Chamki best 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500
Udid
Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 9,000-10,000 9,000-10,000
Udid
Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,500-8,500 7,500-8,500
Udid
Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,900-6,200 5,900-6,200
Mot
(100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000 5,800-6,800
Lakhodi
dal (100 INR/kg) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200
Watana
Dal (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Watana
Green Best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-8,800 8,500-8,800
Wheat
308 (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Wheat
Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,150-2,250
Wheat
Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,650-2,750 2,650-2,750
Wheat
Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,750 2,600-2,750
Wheat
Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Lokwan
Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP
Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-4,000 3,400-4,000
MP
Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
Rice
Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice
BPT best new (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice
BPT medium new(100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000
Rice
Luchai (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,100 3,000-3,100
Rice
Swarna best new (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700 2,600-2,700
Rice
Swarna medium new (100 INR/KG)2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice
HMT best new (100 INR/KG) 3,900-4,000 3,900-4,000
Rice
HMT medium new (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800
Rice
Shriram best new(100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800
Rice
Shriram med new (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,300 4,000-4,300
Rice
Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500
Rice
Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,200 5,000-7,200
Rice
Chinnor best new 100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,500 5,400-5,500
Rice
Chinnor medium new(100 INR/KG)5,000-5,200 5,000-5,200
Jowar
Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Jowar
CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 33.4
degree Celsius, minimum temp. 20.2 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST:
Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rains or thunder-showers. Maximum
and minimum temperature likely to be around 33 degree Celsius and 20 degree Celsius
respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded
from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)
Bangladesh
Rice Production and Area Rises During MY 2019/20
Bangladesh
Rice Production and Area Rises During MY 2019/20
November 7, 2019 8:05 IST | capital market
As per the latest update from United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Bangladesh rice production area and output
have been marginally increased to 11.8 million hectares (HA) and 35.8 million
metric tons (MMT), respectively. The increase is due to a reportedly strong
year for Aus rice (April-August) production and a forecasted good season for
Aman rice (July-December). Harvested Aus rice area is revised up to 1.1 million
HA and production up to 2.45 MMT, based on official data from the Government of
Bangladesh (GOB). Harvest of Aman rice will start in November. The planted Aman
rice area is revised at 5.8 million HA and production forecast is raised to 14
MMT as official sources and other contacts believe that continued favorable
weather will result in an above average Aman rice harvest.
The MY 2019/20 rice import forecast is
lowered to 50,000 MT, which is 50 percent lower than MY 2018/19 imports. The
forecasted decrease in imports is the result of the increased import tariff to
on rice, from 28 percent to 55 percent.
According to the Ministry of Food, on
October 16, 2019, government rice stocks were 1.33 MMT, compared to 1.1 MMT at
the same time last year.
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