Vietnam’s
rice sector forecast to face difficulties in 2020
23/12/2019 09:10
GMT+7
The Philippines and China,
Vietnam’s two major rice export markets, may reduce rice imports in 2020.
Vietnam’s rice sector is
predicted to face difficulties in 2020 with strong volatility of production,
demand and prices, while the government has not been able to find new export
markets, according to Viet Dragon Securities Company (VDSC).
VDSC suggested land use for
growing rice will be reduced. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development (MARD), in October 2019, there were 7.47 million hectares of
available land for rice production, shrinking by 92,300 hectares compared to
October 2018.
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The acreage under rice
cultivation will continue to decline by 500,000 hectares in the coming
years, which will be used for other purposes such as aquatic or fruit
cultivation in order to reduce the pressure on rice production which is higher
than demand.
Based on the productivity of
2019, the volume of rice produced in 2020 will be around 41.5 million tons,
down 6.7% year-on-year, stated VDSC.
 |
Moreover, the Philippines and
China, Vietnam’s two major rice export markets, may reduce the amount of
imported rice. The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) publicly announced
the end of a preliminary investigation on the application of global
self-protection on imported rice into the Philippines. However, they are still
able to use other methods allowed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and
ASEAN to affect the volume of imported rice.
 |
Meanwhile, the US Department of
Agriculture is expected to maintain tight control over Chinese rice imports. As
a result, China will not change the amount of rice to be imported from Vietnam.
Moreover, China tends to increase its imports from Cambodia.
In the first nine months of 2019,
China’s rice imports from Cambodia grew 44% year-on-year, according to
Xinhuanet.
Additionally, the prices may fall
in 2020. The MARD stated that the demand for rice has been decreasing.
Actually, some countries have restructured their agriculture sector in order to
improve the domestic supply and satisfy local demand. Vietnam is struggling to
find other customers so that a decline in prices in 2020 could negatively
affect the sector.
Few positives for Vietnamese
rice in 2020
However, there are few positives
for 2020 for Vietnamese rice, stated VDSC. Firstly, Vietnam’s ST25 rice was awarded
the world’s best variety, surpassing Thai and Cambodian rice. This is an
opportunity for Vietnam to improve its image globally.
Secondly, there are opportunities
to export rice to Singapore and Japan. In 2019, Thailand faced problems due to
the drought season which led to lower available quantities for exports.
Consequently, Singapore, who
imports 30-40% of its needs from Thailand, had to diversify its suppliers. The
MARD plans to approach this market in order to take advantage of the close
distance between the two countries. Meanwhile, Japan also wants to diversify
its source of supply. The country’s rice imports are very US-dependent.
Currently, they are looking for another supplier who is a member of the
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
and Vietnam qualifies for this criterion.
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According to the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), the production of rice worldwide has not
changed much lately as the supply remained at 427.83 million tons in the first
10 months of 2019, decreasing by 0.83% compared to the same period last year. In
terms of price, Japonica prices went up by 3.9% meanwhile all others witnessed
a price decline. On average, rice prices dropped by 1%.
In Vietnam, total rice cultivated
area in the first ten months of 2019 was 7.47 million hectares which is lower
than last year by 1.2%. However, until October, there are only 6.35 hectares
ready to be harvested and the productivity was 5.96 tons per hectare, up 0.03
tons per hectare year-on-year. Hence, total production stood at 37.8 million
tons, down 3,600 tons year-on-year.
According to the General
Department of Vietnam Customs, 5.506 million tons of rice was exported in the
January – October period, which represent 14.6% of the total production.
This was an increase of 6.1%
year-on-year in volume (mostly comes from the rise in importing of the
Philippines), but a 9.1% decline in value because of a decrease in the price.
The Philippines is the largest export market as they imported 1.94 million tons
of rice, accounting for 35.3% of the total export amount. Prices fell by 13.4%
compared to last year. In fact, the average price of exported rice as of
October was US$435.6 per ton. Hanoitimes
West Africa Regional Supply and Market
Outlook, December 23, 2019
REPORT
from Famine Early
Warning System Network, World Food Programme, Permanent Interstate Committee for
Drought Control in the Sahel
Published on 23 Dec 2019 —
KEY MESSAGES
Aggregate cereal production in West Africa in 2019/20 is
estimated to be 75.1 million metric tons (MMT), stable compared to the previous
year (2018/19) and well above the five-year average (2014/15 to 2018/19). Major
production countries are expecting above- average production. Below-average
production is expected in minor producing Cape Verde, The Gambia, and Sierra
Leone. Maize and rice production continued increasing, while millet and sorghum
production stagnated (Figure 1). Roots, tubers, and cash crop production are
also expected to be above average. Pastoral conditions are fair.
• Commodity balances remain above
average but are at or below 2018/19 levels (Figure 2). The region will maintain
gross marketable coarse grains surplus and will continue to rely on
well-supplied international markets for rice and wheat imports. Rice imports in
the Eastern basin (including Nigeria) will decline due to recent policy changes
• Market supplies are following
regular post-harvest trends. Cereal prices were atypically low during the lean
season in the Sahel and remain below 2018/19 and average levels. Both imported
and local rice prices are above average, especially in the countries outside
the WAEMU zone where local currencies have depreciated.
Livestock prices and terms of trade (ToT) are above average, supporting pastoralist food access. Despite above-average regional supply, regional trade faces several obstacles. The recent closure of Nigeria’s land border impedes trade with neighboring countries, especially Benin and Niger. Persistent insecurity and conflict in the Greater Lake Chad, Liptako- Gourma, and Tibesti regions continue to limit staple food and livestock market functioning and access.
Livestock prices and terms of trade (ToT) are above average, supporting pastoralist food access. Despite above-average regional supply, regional trade faces several obstacles. The recent closure of Nigeria’s land border impedes trade with neighboring countries, especially Benin and Niger. Persistent insecurity and conflict in the Greater Lake Chad, Liptako- Gourma, and Tibesti regions continue to limit staple food and livestock market functioning and access.
• Staple prices will follow
seasonal trends, similar or below average in most countries, except in Senegal
and Mauritania where they could be higher due to crop and pasture deficits.
Local and imported rice prices will remain higher than average in Coastal
countries. Livestock prices will remain close to the average in most markets
but will be atypical in conflict zones.
https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/west-africa-regional-supply-and-market-outlook-december-23-2019
RDB begins
releasing $50M capital to rice milling firms
Thou Vireak |
Publication date 23 December 2019 | 21:43 ICT
The funds are to be used to purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of rice
during the post-harvest season which begins next month.
State-owned Rural Development
Bank (RDB) CEO Kao Thach told The Post that 15 private rice milling firms were
granted loans to address the capital shortage in the sector.
RDB had allocated 40 per cent of
$50 million in credit to the 15 firms as of Monday, Thach said.
The funds are to be used to
purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of rice during the post-harvest season which
begins at the beginning of next month, to fill domestic and international
demand.
“The loans are to accommodate
demand in the rice sector for capital. Some of the rice millers continue to
submit proposals for loans but the data is still unavailable,” he said.
The additional loans come after
the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) requested the government to provide $200
million in credit to rice millers in late November.
In early December, the Ministry
of Economy and Finance allocated $50 million in funds to the RDB to be used as
capital to buy additional rice stockpiles during the harvest season.
CRF vice-president Chan Sokheang
said loan recipients will also use the funds to purchase “additional rice for
grinding, processing and export to domestic and international markets”.
“Rice millers from some provinces
where the harvest season has already passed, such as Takeo and Kampong Speu did
not submit loan applications”, Sokheang said.
The Kingdom’s rice exports to
international markets topped more than $286 million in the first 11 months of
this year, the Ministry of Commerce’s annual report said.
The annual report also said rice
exports to the international market totalled 514,149 tonnes in the first 11
months of the year, a 3.4 per cent increase from 497,240 tonnes during the same
period last year.
China was the Kingdom’s leading
export market during the period, accounting for 195,242 tonnes. The EU imported
174,397 tonnes and Asean 69,239 tonnes.
Contact author: Thou Vireak
Goronyo: Saboteurs behind hike in price of
local rice
By
National President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN),
Alhaji Aminu Muhammad Goronyo, in this interview with Abdulwahab Isa lauds
Federal Government’s decision on land border closure, describing it as a golden
decision that has turned Nigerian farmers to kings
Nigeria’s land borders were shut since August this year. One of the reasons was to
combat smuggling of foreign rice in addition to halting trafficking of illegal
nationals into Nigeria. What do you make of government’s action?
Border closure is a hard decision. I believe it is one decision
long overdue. It’s a hard but necessary decision for a rational leader to take.
We thank the type of person we have as president one gifted with the capacity
to take a hard decision. It will augur 100 per cent well in favour of Nigeria
and Nigerians. The border closure isn’t only in favour of small holder farmers;
it’s about Nigeria and Nigerians. It’s a welcome idea by Nigerians. This is
because Nigerians desire progress; they want to see Nigeria amongst top
developing nations. And this is one of the steps that will position Nigeria. So
we thank Mr. President for taking this very hard but economically good and
benefitting decision. It’s very pleasing and okay for Nigeria, particularly at
this material time.
Navy seizes 1,831 bags of rice
smuggled by sea from Cameroon
December 23
10:012019
The Nigeria Navy forward operating base (FOB) at Ibaka in Mbo
local government area of Akwa Ibom has arrested 24 suspects with 1,831
bags of smuggled rice.
Peter Yilme, the commanding officer
of the FOB, disclosed this to journalists in Ibaka, on Sunday.
Yilme said five wooden boats used
in smuggling the rice from Cameroon to Nigeria were also seized, and
that the arrest was made during routine operations by operatives in the
past one month.
Yilme, who was represented by
Kabiru Yusuf, base operations officer, during the handing over of the suspects
and items to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the command would remain
steadfast in fighting criminals on Nigeria’s territorial waters in line with
the directive of the chief of naval staff.
Dauda Garuba, an officer of the
NCS, received the suspects and items from the navy.
Two of the suspects claimed they
were not told that they were to carry bags of rice from Cameroon to Nigeria
while another said he was told that he would be transporting fish.
He said it was when the rice was
loaded into the boat that he realised that he would not be conveying fish as
told.
The federal government closed
Nigeria’s land borders in August to check smuggling. While some Nigerians
condemned the action, other citizens praised the government’s initiative.
In October, the Gombe state chapter
of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) expressed its support for the
border closure, saying farmers in the country can produce enough rice to feed
Nigerians and to export.
Kalagar Lubo, state secretary of
RIFAN, said the closure is a positive development that will promote the
production of fresh locally made rice.
“With the extension of rains to the
end of October, the yield will be good. The home production is very good, first
it is fresh and the value is good. If the border is opened the farmer will not
have it good. When you buy a bag at N10,000, it will cost you just N20,000 for
two bags. When you go to the market, a bag of foreign rice is sold at N18,000,”
he had said.
Crack down on godowns
Posted on December 23rd, 2019
Posted on December 23rd, 2019
Editorial Courtesy The Island
The prices of rice and vegetables have gone into the
stratosphere, nay mesosphere, and sent both Citizen Perera and the newly formed
caretaker government reeling. Inclement weather, which has wreaked havoc on
farming areas and caused disruptions to the transport network have also led to
sharp increases in the prices of the locally produced food items. Such price
hikes are also seasonal. But they are mostly due to deplorable market
manipulations and the absence of storage facilities and an efficient distribution
network. This situation, which has come about due to lack of government
interventions, has enabled unscrupulous traders to fleece both the producer and
the consumer alike.
One may recall that about 10 years ago, the then President
Mahinda Rajapaksa revealed that vegetables, grown in Ranna, reached nearby
Tangalle, after being taken all the way to Dambulla, which is about 300 km
away. This is how big-time traders controlled the vegetable prices, he said.
But his government did precious little to protect producers and consumers. The
same goes for all other food items whose prices are jacked up by wholesalers
who manipulate the market to make unconscionable profits. Even the price of an
egg laid by a hen in a far-flung area is said to be determined by traders in
Pettah.
There are some varieties of vegetables, which perish where they
grow without being harvested. Murunga is a case in point; owing to extremely
low prices it fetches in the areas where it grows freely, especially in the dry
zone, it almost goes unharvested, though it is expensive elsewhere. If such
vegetables can be transported where there is a market for them, the public will
benefit.
There has been a proposal for setting up solar powered cold
storage facilities, in the vegetable producing areas, to prevent the farmers’
produce from decaying in the event of surpluses or adverse weather conditions
or other such problems. It has gone unheeded. Bumper harvests which should be a
blessing to farmers become a curse for them because they cannot dispose of
their produce at reasonable prices. It is not seldom that we witness protests
where irate farmers destroy colossal amounts of pumpkins, etc., on the
roadside.
A left-wing firebrand in the SLPP-led government has reportedly
revealed how to bring down vegetable prices; he wants the public to stop buying
them so that a decrease in demand for them will result in a drop in their
prices! We are reminded of the popular local saying, ‘bale thiyanakota mole ne,
mole thiyanakota bale ne,’ (when one has power one has no brains, and when one
has brains one has no power.)
The people have already reduced the consumption of vegetables to
a bare minimum, but the prices still remain very high. We are not short of
contortionists in the garb of ministers, blessed with hypermobility, which
enables their feet to get into their big mouths easily. Another such
double-jointed ministerial potentate once claimed that a family of three could
live on a monthly income of Rs. 7,500 if it managed its resources frugally!
Meanwhile, attempts are being made to control the prices of
rice. However welcome such measures may be, the government is barking up the
wrong tree. The general consensus is that the country has enough stocks of
paddy, but the big-time mill owners with political connections are not
releasing them to the market so as to prevent the prices of rice from dropping.
Raids are being conducted on business places in Colombo, but sprawling
warehouse complexes wherein paddy is hoarded, in areas such as Polonnaruwa,
have been spared. Our money is on the Millers’ Mafia having the last laugh, for
the new government, in spite of its rhetoric, has stopped short of conducting
raids on the godowns in the North Central Province in search of hoarded paddy.
The will of the government seems to stop where the interests of the big-time
businesses begin! Governments don’t hesitate to subjugate the interests of the
public to their political compulsions. The SLPP-led caretaker government is no
exception.
The Paddy Marketing Board (PMD) suffered a crippling blow at the
hands of the JRJ government, which sacrificed vital state ventures at the altar
of economic liberalisation. It has been revived but cannot compete with the
buccaneering private millers. It allegedly buys the paddy stocks that private
traders reject. That the PMD has a pivotal role to play in protecting the rice
growers and consumers by making market interventions where necessary cannot be
overemphasised. A prerequisite for making it work efficiently is to ensure that
it is properly managed.
Some big-time rice mill owners have offered to co-operate with
the government and release some of their stocks to the market to help maintain
rice prices at the stipulated levels. Their offer smacks of a tactical
manoeuvre to prevent the government from getting into a desperate situation
where it will be forced to act against the Millers’ Mafia.
The government will have to get tough with the paddy hoarders if
the problem of market manipulation is to be solved once and for all.
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Christmas:
Travellers groan over high fare
• Female shoppers hide money in undies to avoid pickpockets •
Rice farmers, millers lament poor patronage
Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki with agency report
Few hours to Christmas, commuters travelling from
Lagos to other parts of the country by road, are groaning and weeping over the
astronomical hike in fares.
The travellers in separate interviews at various motor parks in
Jibowu area, Mazamaza, Ojota, Berger, Yaba parks all in Lagos, said the
development was compounding the hardship in the land.
A Benin-bound traveller, Mr. James Uche, said the hike was
abnormal, as he was not prepared for the 100 per cent hike.
Uche, who spoke to NAN at Edegbe Motors at Jibowu, said: “I
boarded this bus at Ajah and paid N9,600 for a trip to Benin, and I also paid
another N9,600 for a seat for my luggage.
“Meanwhile, because passengers
were not forthcoming, the bus carried us to Jibowu here to fill all seats. I
never bargained for this, it is painful.”
A cleric, Tony O. Tony, who took
his brother travelling to Owerri to Chisco park, said the fare had jumped from
N7,000 to N13, 000.
“It should not be so because
there is no hike in fuel price, gridlock has been there, road condition has
been there also. So, there is no justification for this pain being inflicted on
people, especially the masses.”
A Port Harcourt-bound traveller
at Veno Tours, Mr. Joseph Eleyi, said fares were unfriendly, as he had to pay
N12,000 as against N6,500. He blamed it on the season, bad road and multiple
checkpoints.
Mr. Monday Ani, a businessman
travelling to Enugu from Ifesinachi Express park, said the fare, which rose
from N6,000 to N10,200, was unfair, considering the harsh economy.
At Chibest Park, an Abuja-bound
lady, Miss Titilayo Aina, said the fare jumped from 5,000 to N8,000 because of
the season.
Fare for Lagos to Onitsha, Port
Harcourt, Owerri, Enugu and other eastern parts was going for over N20, 000 in
many of the parks.
An official at Chisco Transport
said the increase was usual during the season.
“That is how it has always been,
even since the days of our parents. Fares are increased during festive seasons,
so nothing is abnormal here. People are shouting too much now maybe because
there is no money in town.”
On what government could do to
alleviate hardship on the roads, the travellers called for speedy road
rehabilitation and checkmating of extortion at numerous checkpoints.
According to them, most transport
operators consider the challenges and factor them into the fare, which is
usually passed down to the poor masses.
However, last minutes Christmas
female shoppers now hide money in their undies to avoid being mugged at Balogun
Market in Lagos.
The female shoppers at the market
have to device means of hiding their valuables from pickpockets who had invaded
the market in large numbers.
Miss Lovelyn Shedrach, said: “No
one is to be trusted in this kind of market, especially a crowded one, everyone
to me is a suspect. I don’t let people get too close to me in the market, even
when they do, I’m always careful.”
Another shopper, Mrs Ukamaka
Dike, also raised alarm of her purse being stolen which contained her phone,
Identity card and money.
Mrs. Veronica Bassey, who shops
at the market regularly, said pickpocketing was a usual occurrence especially
during festive periods.
“For a market that is always
crowded, especially during this season, one needs to be careful. I have been a
victim of pickpocketing and that day I was stranded,’’ Bassey said.
Mr. Adeyemi Tobi, a trader who
sells bags, said that the market was a busy place where only the smart and
vigilant can survive.
“It is not only buyers’ purses
that are stolen, traders’ goods are also being stolen. For both buyers and
sellers, one need to be vigilant in order to avoid loss of valuables,’’ he
said.
Meanwhile, rice farmers and
millers in Ebonyi are lamenting low patronage of their commodity even at the
peak of the yuletide period.
The farmers and millers said they
had expected to record good sells of the commodity and make corresponding gains
by this period of the yuletide but that
the reverse was the case.
They attributed the
development to the crash in the price
and also the delay in payment of workers salaries by the state government.
A visit by Daily Sun to Abakaliki
Rice Mill industry, yesterday, indicated that a 25kg bag of rice which was previously sold between
N7,000 and N8,000 when Federal
Government closed borders is currently selling between N6,000 and N7,000.
One of the rice farmers and
millers, Chief Simon Adiekwe, who said he started milling in the industry
since 1980, said people from east and west were trooping
to the industry to buy the commodity in large quantity when borders were closed but now it is no
longer the same in this yuletide period.
Buy Ghana Rice And Merry Xmas
By Daily Guide
This year's Yuletide has a special feature which many have not
observed. For the first time in the history of rice production, the staple has
received a boost from the Presidency on the threshold of Xmas.
There is a marked rise in Ghanaians going to the market with the
intention of buying grown-in-Ghana rice. It is a wonderful development which we
must all as a matter of urgency support.
There is a seeming magic about the presidential campaign for
local rice as the rising demand is palpably evidenced. We might not have the
statistics about the rising demand for the staple but credible information from
the market points to that direction which for us is heartwarming.
A woman who went to the Agric Ministry near the Court Complex in
Accra with an intention to buy the locally grown rice returned from the mission
with a positive story. She reported noticing an unusual patronage.
Now that the Presidency has joined in the campaign and consumers
are responding positively, it is for the appropriate state agencies to maintain
the heat until all Ghanaians switch over to locally produced rice; that is the
way to go doubtlessly.
The advantages in a positive response to the campaign are
enormous the most outstanding of all being the strengthening of the cedi and
the creation of employment opportunities for more Ghanaians.
The amount of foreign exchange, which goes into the import of
rice and the fallout of the transactions on the value of the cedi, is not
far-fetched.
The patronage for locally produced rice for us should be put on
a patriotic footing. Indeed, schoolchildren should be educated about the
subject so that they grow with this fact etched on their memories.
With the impetus now created, it would not be difficult to
increase the momentum and to eventually reduce to the barest minimum our
dependence on imported rice.
We are aware that importers of so-called Basmati and other
qualities of the staple from Asia would resort to other means of sabotaging the
drive. That notwithstanding, we must not relent but increase the pressure on
the campaign.
Our social marketing experts should be engaged to assist us with
a more effective means of reaching out to us all with well packaged campaign
stuff in this drive.
Xmas in Ghana would be incomplete without the patronage of
locally produced rice.
As we prepare to celebrate Xmas, we must bear this in mind and
include Ghana rice on our list of purchases.
Diabetes Diet: Is Brown Rice Safe For Consumption?
By
One indicator is its glycemic
index that falls between 56 to 69, which are parameters used to categorize
medium GI foods. Boiled rice’s GI is at 68, therefore not contributing to a
spike in blood sugar levels unlike white rice that is digested faster, as per Healthline.
Brown rice being high in fiber is not only good for digestive
health, it also promotes fullness and helps with maintaining weight. The whole
grain has an antioxidant effect that reduces risk of chronic diseases,
especially Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Brown rice boasts of many vitamins and minerals, particularly
high magnesium content. One cup of brown rice meets the daily requirement of
magnesium, a mineral that helps regulate blood sugar levels. It also aids
bone growth and nerve functioning while providing other health benefits.
Brown Rice Is Good For Diabetes
A study published in 2017, which
involved a total of 16 outpatients with type 2 diabetes, found that consumption
of brown rice improves glycemic control in diabetics. During the randomized and
crossover controlled study, the patients were fed white rice twice a day for a
week, after which they were put in two separate groups.
The first group consumed brown rice twice a day for eight weeks.
Later, they were asked to switch and eat white rice for another eight weeks.
Following the same pattern, the second group was asked to eat brown rice for
eight weeks twice a day as well and subsequently white rice for the next set of
eight weeks. The researchers evaluated plasma glucose and serum C-peptide
levels after eight and 16 weeks, respectively, in both groups.
When they checked hemoglobin A1c levels, it was found to have slid significantly
in patients while eating brown rice. The study had therefore confirmed that
brown rice aided glycemic control for people with type 2 diabetes.
Brown Rice Prevents Diabetes
A study by Harvard School of
Public Health, which was published in 2010,
showed that a huge amount of white rice regularly consumed could potentially
increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The study involved health professionals
with a follow-up period of 20 years. The Nurses’ Health Study's part one was
followed up between 1984 and 2006, and part two between 1991 and 2005.
About 3,318,196 participants were included, all of whom did not
have diabetes, cancer and heart problem. Food intake was first examined at
baseline and then compared from time to time during every two to four year
intervals. The cohorts had 39,765 men and 157,463 women overall. After
the follow-up period had ended, 10,507 people reported having type 2
diabetes.
After cancelling out other risk factors, researchers at Harvard
Medical School were clear that eating a lot of white rice resulted in
increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, contrary to the effect of brown
rice. 
New
hands and new plans amid a storm of issues
By Luchi
de Guzman, CNN Philippines
Published Dec 24, 2019 10:00:56
AM
Significantly, rice, pork and
fish, the prime food staples on the typical Filipino dining table, emerged on
top of the major concerns during the year.
Already the laggard among the key
economic sectors, agriculture started 2019 limping in an environment of high
inflation, low domestic supply, and surging imports of rice and fish products.
The year started with Manny Pinol
as the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and ended with William
Dar taking the reins. Several big decisions were made to ensure an adequate and
affordable supply of food, but would local producers be able to withstand the
consequences?
Here's a brief rundown of the
major government decisions that shaped the Philippine agriculture sector in
2019:
Rice tariffication lowers prices, but farmers take a hit
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the rice
tariffication law in February. The measure was meant to
temper the high rice prices in 2018 by allowing more rice imports into the
market through a regime of lower tariffs. The law also restructured the
National Food Authority (NFA) and required that a portion of the tariff
collected be set aside for a P10 billion Rice Competitiveness Fund to help
local farmers compete with the expected influx of imports.
While both food and rice prices
did decline, local farmers soon felt more than the intended effect. Prices of
palay, or unhusked rice, fell drastically and gnawed into farm producers’
earnings.
The situation grew into a critical
political problem that eventually led to the ouster of the agriculture
secretary. He revealed this in a June 28 Facebook post.
On August 5, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed William Dar as
the new Agriculture Secretary. Dar, who had previously held the same post
during the term of former President Joseph Estrada, was not among the
undersecretaries Pinol recommended to replace him.
READ: Farmers blame rice tariffication
law for law palay prices, a lawmaker blames a natural disaster
In September, farmers groups said
that palay prices have plummeted to as low as P7 per kilo due to rice
tariffication. Senator Cynthia Villar, principal author of the rice tariffication
law and chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, shifted the blame to
recent storms.
While the plight of the farmers
elicited some harsh words from Duterte, going as much as saying that he would
suspend the law, the rice tariffication law is still in full effect. This is
after Dar and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez talked the president out of
it.
African Swine Fever enters the country, pigs culled
Newly appointed Agriculture
Secretary Dar also faced a fresh challenge as soon as he entered office, as
African Swine Fever (ASF) entered the Philippines. The highly contagious
disease, while not deadly to humans, ensures the death of the affected pig within
3-5 days. The entry of ASF, officials warned, could be catastrophic to the
local hog raising industry that counted more than 13.1 million pigs and
revenues worth billions of pesos at the time.
The first report of ASF in the
Philippines came from Rizal in July, and lab results on suspected pigs were
positive the next month. This led to a culling of around 70,000 pigs, mostly
from the regions of Central and Southern Luzon. The DA launched a campaign to
quarantine and prevent the spread of the disease, which included cash
assistance to affected backyard swine raisers.
The Department of Budget and
Management released additional funds to assist the agriculture
deapartment. The Bureau of Customs confiscated
pork and pork products from other ASF-affected countries at the
ports.
Trade in pork products within the
country has been regulated, as uncooked pork and humans can be carriers of the
disease. This has led to local manufacturers slashing their
pork product output just before the yuletide holidays. But as of
November, the DA assured that there was enough supply of pork products for
Filipinos to enjoy a traditional Noche Buena, which has ham as a centerpiece.
Toward the end of the year, the
ASF imbroglio has for the most part simmered down.
Galunggong prices increase by year end
But an old issue resurfaced by
the year's end. Galunggong, the fish that has become an informal indicator of
market prices, has become more expensive. Former Secretary Pinol faced the same
challenge in 2018, which led to more imports and alleged
smuggling.
The Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources cited typhoons and the lean season as reasons for this price
increase, adding that it is expected to last until February. The government imported 45,000 metric tons of
galunggong to make it more affordable.
In the meantime, Dar has asked
the public to consider buying cheaper local fish, like bangus and tilapia.
Russia likely to lift yearlong ban on Pakistani rice
KARACHI: Russia is expected to lift a yearlong ban on rice imports
from Pakistan as concerns about the grain phytosanitary standards have been
allayed, brightening prospects of reopening of $50 million market, a government
official said on Monday.
The official at Trade Development Authority of Pakistan said
Russian government is likely to lift the ban on grain imports from Pakistan, as
state-owned Department of Plant Protection implemented the compliance program
for export of rice to the Russian Federation
“The implementation of compliance program will ensure export of
pest-free grains to Russia,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
The Department of Plant Protection has sent a detailed report to
Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian
Federation, elaborating measures that have been taken to prevent the
proliferation of the Trogoderma granarium, also called cabinet or khapra
beetle, in products supplied to milling, processing, storage, and packaging
facilities in Russia.
Earlier this year, Russia had imposed a temporary ban on import of
rice from Pakistan on a claim that khapra beetle was found in a batch of rice.
This was despite the fact that the consignment was duly cleared by the
Department of Plant Protection, which issues sanitary and phytosanitary
certificates to each grain consignment moving outside the country.
After the ban, Russian side had asked for information on measures
taken to prevent the proliferation of the beetle in products supplied to Russia
and information about zones in Pakistan free from the beetle.
“Russian side has been informed that there is no specific area in
Pakistan, which is free from Trogoderma granarium beetle,” the official said.
“The implementation of compliance program will help in exporting
pest-free rice to Russian Federation. Russian side has also been requested for
a meeting of experts of both sides too.” Pakistan exported approximately 35,000
tons worth $40-50 million of rice and other grains to Russia per annum.
Rice is one of the main exports of Pakistan, fetching the country
more than two billion dollars in a year. According to latest available numbers,
exports from Pakistan to the Russian Federation in the month of July 2019
increased 15.14 percent and equaled $24.15 million as opposed to $20.97 million
in the same month of the previous year.
Pakistan’s imports from Russia decreased from $23.95 million to
$10.6 million, depicting a decline of 55.83 percent. Bilateral trade fell 22.7
percent in July 2019 compared to the same month of the previous year, reaching
$34.73 million from $44.93 million. Monthly trade balance amounted to $13.57
million in favour of Pakistan.
India
Basmati Rice exports fall to $2.22 bn in Apr-Oct FY20
Commodity Online |
December 20 2019
UPDATED 11:56:17 IST
UPDATED 11:56:17 IST
India's basmati rice shipments declined by a tenth at $2.22
billion during April- October 2019-20 on lower volumes, despite a marginal
increase in per unit realisation, according to the latest figures released by
the Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA) under
the Commerce Ministry.
Exports of basmati stood at $2.47 billion in the corresponding period last year.
In volume terms, shipments stood lower at 2.05 million tonnes (2.29 million tonnes). Basmati rice is India’s largest export product, and accounted for a fourth of the total farm produce shipments.
Non-basmati rice saw a major decline in both volumes and value terms after being outpriced in the international market. Non-basmati rice shipments were down 37% at $1.14 billion ($1.81 billion) during the period.
Volumes fell drastically to 2.81 million tonnes, against 4.48 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year. Non-basmati rice accounted for 13% of the overall farm produce exports.
Exports of basmati stood at $2.47 billion in the corresponding period last year.
In volume terms, shipments stood lower at 2.05 million tonnes (2.29 million tonnes). Basmati rice is India’s largest export product, and accounted for a fourth of the total farm produce shipments.
Non-basmati rice saw a major decline in both volumes and value terms after being outpriced in the international market. Non-basmati rice shipments were down 37% at $1.14 billion ($1.81 billion) during the period.
Volumes fell drastically to 2.81 million tonnes, against 4.48 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year. Non-basmati rice accounted for 13% of the overall farm produce exports.
India
Basmati Rice exports fall to $2.22 bn in Apr-Oct FY20
Commodity Online |
December 20 2019
UPDATED 11:56:17 IST
UPDATED 11:56:17 IST
India's basmati rice shipments declined by a tenth at $2.22
billion during April- October 2019-20 on lower volumes, despite a marginal
increase in per unit realisation, according to the latest figures released by
the Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA) under
the Commerce Ministry.
Exports of basmati stood at $2.47 billion in the corresponding period last year.
In volume terms, shipments stood lower at 2.05 million tonnes (2.29 million tonnes). Basmati rice is India’s largest export product, and accounted for a fourth of the total farm produce shipments.
Non-basmati rice saw a major decline in both volumes and value terms after being outpriced in the international market. Non-basmati rice shipments were down 37% at $1.14 billion ($1.81 billion) during the period.
Volumes fell drastically to 2.81 million tonnes, against 4.48 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year. Non-basmati rice accounted for 13% of the overall farm produce exports.
Exports of basmati stood at $2.47 billion in the corresponding period last year.
In volume terms, shipments stood lower at 2.05 million tonnes (2.29 million tonnes). Basmati rice is India’s largest export product, and accounted for a fourth of the total farm produce shipments.
Non-basmati rice saw a major decline in both volumes and value terms after being outpriced in the international market. Non-basmati rice shipments were down 37% at $1.14 billion ($1.81 billion) during the period.
Volumes fell drastically to 2.81 million tonnes, against 4.48 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year. Non-basmati rice accounted for 13% of the overall farm produce exports.
Wheat
sowing area touches 27.8 mn hectares
Commodity Online | December 23
2019
UPDATED 18:39:06 IST
UPDATED 18:39:06 IST
Area
sown to wheat, the main rabi crop, touched 27.8 million hectare (ha) so far in
this season, about 90% of the normal sowing area under this crop, according to
latest agriculture ministry data.
The area sown to wheat crop is higher than 25 million hectare covered in the year-ago period.
Currently, farmers are planting rabi crops, sowing of which normally begins from October and harvesting from April onwards.
According to the ministry's data, more area coverage under wheat crop has been reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The current low temperature in the growing regions is expected to boost the prospects of wheat crop, said the ministry official.
Besides wheat, rice has also been covered in more area at 1 23 million hectare so far in the ongoing rabi season of the 2019-20 crop year (July-June) from 1 million hectare in the year-ago period.
Sowing of pulses remained flat at 13 .1 million hectare so far.
Coverage of coarse cereals has been slightly higher at 4.3 million hectare as against 4 million hectare, while that of area under oilseeds remained lower at 7.1 million hectare as against 7.3 million hectare in the said period.
Total area sown to all rabi crops reached 537.21 lakh hectare so far in this rabi season, higher than 504.69 lakh hectare a year ago, the data showed.
It may be noted that rabi crops have been sown in more than 90 per cent of its normal sowing area of 634 lakh hectare.
The area sown to wheat crop is higher than 25 million hectare covered in the year-ago period.
Currently, farmers are planting rabi crops, sowing of which normally begins from October and harvesting from April onwards.
According to the ministry's data, more area coverage under wheat crop has been reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The current low temperature in the growing regions is expected to boost the prospects of wheat crop, said the ministry official.
Besides wheat, rice has also been covered in more area at 1 23 million hectare so far in the ongoing rabi season of the 2019-20 crop year (July-June) from 1 million hectare in the year-ago period.
Sowing of pulses remained flat at 13 .1 million hectare so far.
Coverage of coarse cereals has been slightly higher at 4.3 million hectare as against 4 million hectare, while that of area under oilseeds remained lower at 7.1 million hectare as against 7.3 million hectare in the said period.
Total area sown to all rabi crops reached 537.21 lakh hectare so far in this rabi season, higher than 504.69 lakh hectare a year ago, the data showed.
It may be noted that rabi crops have been sown in more than 90 per cent of its normal sowing area of 634 lakh hectare.
India's
Steel output falls 2.8% in November
Commodity Online |
December 23 2019
UPDATED 10:17:57 IST
UPDATED 10:17:57 IST
India's crude steel output fell for the second straight month in
November, declining 2.8% to 8.934 million tonne (MT), according to a report.
During November 2018, the country's crude steel output stood at 9.192 MT, World
Steel Association (worldsteel) said in its latest report.
In October 2019, India had reported a 3.4% fall in crude steel output at 9.089 MT as against 9.408 MT in the year-ago month, according to the global body.
Global steel production also registered a 1% fall at 147.791 MT in November 2019 as compared with 149.356 MT in November 2018, the report said.
However, world's largest steel producer China registered increase in production.
The country produced 80.287 MT steel in November, up 4% as compared to 77.213 MT a year ago.
Japan's crude steel production fell 10.6% to 7.743 MT as against 8.659 MT in November 2018.
The US produced 7.233 MT of crude steel in November 2019, a decrease of 2.2% as compared to 7.399 MT in the same month last year.
South Korea's crude steel production stood at 5.895 MT in November, 0.5% lower against 5.923 MT in November 2018.
In the EU, Italy produced 2.0 MT of crude steel in November, while France and Spain produced 1.1 MT each.
Brazil produced 2.6 MT crude steel in November, while Turkey and Ukraine produced 2.9 MT and 1.3 MT, respectively, last month.
Members of worldsteel represent approximately 85% of the world's steel production, including over 160 steel producers, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes.
In October 2019, India had reported a 3.4% fall in crude steel output at 9.089 MT as against 9.408 MT in the year-ago month, according to the global body.
Global steel production also registered a 1% fall at 147.791 MT in November 2019 as compared with 149.356 MT in November 2018, the report said.
However, world's largest steel producer China registered increase in production.
The country produced 80.287 MT steel in November, up 4% as compared to 77.213 MT a year ago.
Japan's crude steel production fell 10.6% to 7.743 MT as against 8.659 MT in November 2018.
The US produced 7.233 MT of crude steel in November 2019, a decrease of 2.2% as compared to 7.399 MT in the same month last year.
South Korea's crude steel production stood at 5.895 MT in November, 0.5% lower against 5.923 MT in November 2018.
In the EU, Italy produced 2.0 MT of crude steel in November, while France and Spain produced 1.1 MT each.
Brazil produced 2.6 MT crude steel in November, while Turkey and Ukraine produced 2.9 MT and 1.3 MT, respectively, last month.
Members of worldsteel represent approximately 85% of the world's steel production, including over 160 steel producers, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes.
RDB begins
releasing $50M capital to rice milling firms
Thou Vireak |
Publication date 23 December 2019 | 21:43 ICT
The funds are to be used to purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of rice
during the post-harvest season which begins next month.
State-owned Rural Development
Bank (RDB) CEO Kao Thach told The Post that 15 private rice milling firms were
granted loans to address the capital shortage in the sector.
RDB had allocated 40 per cent of
$50 million in credit to the 15 firms as of Monday, Thach said.
The funds are to be used to
purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of rice during the post-harvest season which
begins at the beginning of next month, to fill domestic and international
demand.
“The loans are to accommodate
demand in the rice sector for capital. Some of the rice millers continue to
submit proposals for loans but the data is still unavailable,” he said.
The additional loans come after
the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) requested the government to provide $200
million in credit to rice millers in late November.
In early December, the Ministry
of Economy and Finance allocated $50 million in funds to the RDB to be used as
capital to buy additional rice stockpiles during the harvest season.
CRF vice-president Chan Sokheang
said loan recipients will also use the funds to purchase “additional rice for
grinding, processing and export to domestic and international markets”.
“Rice millers from some provinces
where the harvest season has already passed, such as Takeo and Kampong Speu did
not submit loan applications”, Sokheang said.
The Kingdom’s rice exports to
international markets topped more than $286 million in the first 11 months of
this year, the Ministry of Commerce’s annual report said.
The annual report also said rice
exports to the international market totalled 514,149 tonnes in the first 11
months of the year, a 3.4 per cent increase from 497,240 tonnes during the same
period last year.
China was the Kingdom’s leading
export market during the period, accounting for 195,242 tonnes. The EU imported
174,397 tonnes and Asean 69,239 tonnes.
Indian rice export
prices rise as demand picks up
By RECORDER REPORT on December 24,
2019
Indian rice export prices extended
gains this week as demand ticked up and paddy prices on the local market rose,
while demand for Thai rice was still being hurt by cheaper competitors. Top
exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $360-$365
per tonne this week, up from last week's $358-$363.
“Paddy rice prices have been rising
as farmers are demanding the minimum support price," said an exporter
based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. New Delhi earlier
this year raised the paddy rice purchase price by 3.7% to 1,815 rupees per 100
kg for the 2019/20 crop.Demand for the Indian rice has been fairly subdued of
late, with export rates near multi-year lows. Rice exports in October fell 42%
year-on-year to 485,898 tonnes, government data showed, due to weak demand from
African countries for non-basmati rice.
Demand has been dull for Thailand's
exports too, with prices throughout the year significantly higher than those
from main competitor Vietnam, largely due to a strong local currency.
“Prices are already low for us, but
still not low enough to compete with Vietnam," said one Bangkok-based
trader. Thailand's 5% broken rice was quoted at $395-$420 a tonne, on a free on
board basis, compared with $397-$411 last week.
Farmers are harvesting new season
rice and exporters hope the new supply could help lower prices in the near
future. In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice were quoted at $350-$352 a tonne
on Thursday, compared with $350 a week earlier.
“Demand from the Philippines is
increasing, but domestic supplies are running low," a trader based in An
Giang province said. “We expect prices to edge up further until supplies from
the winter-spring crop are available from late January and early February,"
he said.
In Bangladesh, the rain-fed rice
output or Aman crop is expected to exceed the 14 million tonne target for this
year, helped by favourable weather, a senior official at the agriculture
ministry said.
Aman, the second biggest rice crop
after summer variety Boro, makes up just under 40% of Bangladesh's total rice
production of around 35 million tonnes. Fears that Cyclone Bulbul that ripped
through coastal areas of Bangladesh and eastern India last month could cause
havoc, were unfounded, the official added.
LCCI For
Win-win Situation In Pak-China Trade
LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Dec,
2019 ) :Chinese efforts
to bring mutual trade to a win-win situation would be a great favour to Pakistan economy for which Chinese entrepreneurs
should help Pakistani exporters
to show their full presence in Chinese markets.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Vice President
Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad suggested this in a meeting with a 24-member Chinese delegation from Shandong
Province of China here at
the chamber on
Monday.
The delegation comprising businessmen from investors
to vendors was led by Yang Jun, while LCCI Executive
Committee members Muhammad Khalid, Haji Asif Seher, Wasif Yousaf & Fayyaz
Haider and Mustafa Kauser were also present.
Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad said that balance of trade between
the two countries was heavily in favour of China, which
required to be turned into a win-win situation for both the countries. Pakistani products
were best of the best and easily
cater to the needs of Chinese market.
He mentioned that Pakistan and China not only
shared border but also
have unanimity of views on various global and economic issues, while both also
have a combined market of more
than 1.
5 billion people,
however trade volume needed to be pushed up.
The Chinese importers
might have better prospects for Pakistani goods
particularly of Carpets, leather products, Surgical Equipment, sports goods, Fruits and vegetables, Rice,
Pharmaceuticals, Cotton etc.
He suggested that Chinese investors
should explore the business opportunities
in the fields of refrigeration, healthcare products, locomotive accessories,
rubber products, steel pipes/sheets, laser equipment, bearings, engineering
tools, auto parts and machinery etc.
The LCCI Vice
President said that projects under CPEC (Chian-Pakistan
Economic Corridor) which has great importance for One-Belt-One-Road Initiative
was inspiring the business community
of China to
consider Pakistan for
further expanding trade and investment relations. This scenario promised to add
new dimensions to our bilateral ties, he observed.
"It is encouraging to see that public and private
sectors from both sides
are actively engaged in policy and investment consultations, technology exchange, market networking
and brand recognition etc.
We hope that these interactions will give us more exposure
to excel," he hoped.
Guilan: The Iranian province that didn’t revolt
DECEMBER 24, 2019
Iranians watch the sunset along the
shore of the Caspian Sea in the northern province of Mazandaran, bordering
Guilan province, on July 8, 2019. Photo: AFP/Atta Kenare
Known as Iran’s gateway to Europe, Guilan is the fifth richest
province thanks to its agricultural resources
·
·
·
·
·
As Iranians took to the streets
in cities and towns across the country last month in response to a massive fuel
hike tax, the northern province of Guilan stood out as an exception.
Home to more than 2.5 million
people, and bordering Russia from its perch on the Caspian Sea, Guilian’s muted
reaction to the protest movement offers a window into the economic inequalities
in the Islamic Republic today, as well as the resignation felt by many Iranians
under sanctions.
Figures by the Statistical Center of Iran indicate Guilan is the
fifth richest province of Iran, outpacing 26 provinces in terms of household
net worth thanks to its agricultural resources.
According to the Rice Research Institute of Iran, Guilan is
the most important producer of high-quality rice nationally. The province is
also the heart of Iran’s tea production.
Historically, Guilan has been known as Iran’s gateway to Europe,
due to the heavy involvement of the Russian Empire in the province. Today, Russia maintains a
Consulate General in the provincial capital of Rasht. The province shares a land
border with the Republic of Azerbaijan and is connected by sea to Russia,
Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
Guilan greatly benefits from this geography, exporting
considerable quantities of goods from its ports of Bandar-e Anzali and Astara
to the Caspian Sea countries and beyond to Turkey and several European states.
The first six months of the Iranian calendar year, beginning in
March, saw a total of US$182 million worth of goods exported from
Guilan’s harbors.
The northern
exception
A combination of sectarian tensions, religious grievances,
mismanagement by the authorities, damages sustained during the eight-year war
with Iraq in the 1980s and unfavorable environmental conditions have made
Iran’s southern and some western provinces hotspots for public resentment
against the government.
In the southern port city of Mahshahr alone, anywhere from 40 to
100 protesters are believed to have been killed during
the November protests.
Although Guilan suffers from a dearth of modern infrastructure,
mostly in the transportation and housing sectors, its people do not face the
level of deprivation or sectarian fault lines which Iranians in southern and
western parts of the country wrestle with.
Guilanis generally have less resentment toward the government and
more tolerance for shocks such as the one triggered by the government’s
decision to multiply the gasoline price.
In the 2020 budget bill, which President Rouhani submitted to the
parliament on December 6, Guilan was one of the provinces being allocated the
smallest share of the national budget, in recognition of its relatively
well-off position.
Samaneh Tohidzadeh, a young physics teacher and nanophysics
graduate student in Rasht, says local resources have allowed the people of
Guilan to be self-reliant.
In Tohidzadeh’s view, the “resistance economy” promoted by the
authorities – switching to domestic inputs, bartering, etc – “is
only being tested on underprivileged groups.”
Yet the people of Guilan are
already implementing their own resistance economy, relying on local resources
as opposed to outside aid.
“The people of Guilan have less reliance on the state economy and
administrative jobs, and even the government employees earn the greater portion
of their income through agriculture and investment on the lands they own,” she
told Asia Times.
Resigned to reality
Other residents of Guilan say they have simply accepted that
crippling US sanctions are an inescapable reality that will be impacting their daily lives for
the foreseeable future.
Jila Farzin, a 30-year-old housewife in Rasht, says the people of
Iran have come to terms with the economic situation, because they have no other
choice.
“People have been grappling with inflation and a skyrocketing of
prices for several years and I can say although there have been protests
nationwide over the fuel price hikes, such spasms [in prices] are being normalized,”
she told Asia Times.
For some Iranians, moving out of the country is the panacea. “However, it should be noted the
unfavorable economic conditions and the fluctuations of foreign currencies have
taken a toll on people’s ability to emigrate,” the teacher Tohidzadeh said.
According to UN figures,
there were 2.68 million Iranians living outside the Islamic Republic, a country
of more than 80 million, as of this year.
“Nobody is happy with the situation,” said housewife
Farzin. “Other
than a small group of well-off merchants and owners of hereditary businesses,
the rest of the people are struggling.”
At the same time, she says,
people have lost hope of a breakthrough or change in Iranian policies that
would allow the sanctions to be lifted.And, “they know that if they
protest, it will be quashed.”
Solon seeks easy access to ‘Golden Rice’ for farmers
Published
By Charissa M. Luci-Atienza
Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga had asked the government to
ensure that farmers would have “easy and equitable” access to the Golden Rice
seeds after the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry
(DA-BPI) affirmed its safety for direct use as food and feed, or for processing
(FFP).
Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga (Cong. Mark Enverga Official Facebook
Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The chairman of the House Committee on Food and Agriculture
welcomed the DA-BPI’s issuance of a bio-safety permit to the
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) for GR2E Golden Rice.
After rigorous bio-safety scrutiny, the DA-BPI declared
Golden Rice “to be as safe as conventional rice,” according to reports.
Enverga said benefitting from the approval of the bio-safety
permit are pregnant women and children aged 6 months to five years who usually
suffer from VAD.
“Golden Rice has great potential to help address the problem of
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This was developed as a dietary supplement, hence,
it could improve the Vitamin A status of deficient food consumers, especially
women and children,” he said.
Citing studies, he noted that the beta-carotene of
Golden Rice seeks to address about 30 to 50 percent of the estimated average
requirement (EAR) of Vitamin A for pregnant women and young children.
Enverga said to ensure food security and to make the country’s
agriculture sustainable, the government should ensure that the poor Filipino
farmers would benefit from Golden Rice seeds, and not the abusive private seed
producers.
“To address the issues on food security and sustainable
agriculture, our direction should be towards the equitable access to these
seeds and make them easily available and affordable for the Filipino farmers,”
Enverga said.
The House leader expressed concern that some unscrupulous
individuals might take advantage of the situation and manipulate the access and
the cost of the Golden Rice seeds.
“My concern is that private seed producers of this kind may
monopolize or control access and thus would defeat our purpose of providing
means to the great number of Filipinos for agricultural inputs (seeds, lands,
machineries, etc) to ensure food security,” he said.
“Perhaps we should strike a balance between modern agri
technology and access to these to mitigate hunger and ensure food security,” he
added.
In a statement, PhilRice and IRRI welcomed the Philippine
government’s decision to affirm the safety of Golden Rice.
Enverga maintained that Congress should allocate more funds to
strengthen the country’s existing biotechnology center to ensure food security
in the country.
“Funding is still needed to advance further the technologies
suited to our country vis-a-vis our need for varieties of crops resistant to
pests, diseases, and effect of climate change,” he said.
He noted that for 2019, the total research and development
(R&D) budget on biotechnology amounted to P1.1 billion.
Guilan: The Iranian province that didn’t revolt
DECEMBER 24, 2019
Iranians watch the sunset along the
shore of the Caspian Sea in the northern province of Mazandaran, bordering
Guilan province, on July 8, 2019. Photo: AFP/Atta Kenare
Known as Iran’s gateway to Europe, Guilan is the fifth richest
province thanks to its agricultural resources
·
·
·
·
·
As Iranians took to the streets
in cities and towns across the country last month in response to a massive fuel
hike tax, the northern province of Guilan stood out as an exception.
Home to more than 2.5 million
people, and bordering Russia from its perch on the Caspian Sea, Guilian’s muted
reaction to the protest movement offers a window into the economic inequalities
in the Islamic Republic today, as well as the resignation felt by many Iranians
under sanctions.
Figures by the Statistical Center of Iran indicate Guilan is the
fifth richest province of Iran, outpacing 26 provinces in terms of household
net worth thanks to its agricultural resources.
According to the Rice Research Institute of Iran, Guilan is
the most important producer of high-quality rice nationally. The province is
also the heart of Iran’s tea production.
Historically, Guilan has been known as Iran’s gateway to Europe,
due to the heavy involvement of the Russian Empire in the province. Today, Russia maintains a
Consulate General in the provincial capital of Rasht. The province shares a land
border with the Republic of Azerbaijan and is connected by sea to Russia,
Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
Guilan greatly benefits from this geography, exporting
considerable quantities of goods from its ports of Bandar-e Anzali and Astara
to the Caspian Sea countries and beyond to Turkey and several European states.
The first six months of the Iranian calendar year, beginning in
March, saw a total of US$182 million worth of goods exported from
Guilan’s harbors.
The northern
exception
A combination of sectarian tensions, religious grievances,
mismanagement by the authorities, damages sustained during the eight-year war
with Iraq in the 1980s and unfavorable environmental conditions have made
Iran’s southern and some western provinces hotspots for public resentment
against the government.
In the southern port city of Mahshahr alone, anywhere from 40 to
100 protesters are believed to have been killed during
the November protests.
Although Guilan suffers from a dearth of modern infrastructure,
mostly in the transportation and housing sectors, its people do not face the
level of deprivation or sectarian fault lines which Iranians in southern and
western parts of the country wrestle with.
Guilanis generally have less resentment toward the government and
more tolerance for shocks such as the one triggered by the government’s
decision to multiply the gasoline price.
In the 2020 budget bill, which President Rouhani submitted to the
parliament on December 6, Guilan was one of the provinces being allocated the
smallest share of the national budget, in recognition of its relatively
well-off position.
Samaneh Tohidzadeh, a young physics teacher and nanophysics
graduate student in Rasht, says local resources have allowed the people of
Guilan to be self-reliant.
In Tohidzadeh’s view, the “resistance economy” promoted by the
authorities – switching to domestic inputs, bartering, etc – “is
only being tested on underprivileged groups.”
Yet the people of Guilan are
already implementing their own resistance economy, relying on local resources
as opposed to outside aid.
“The people of Guilan have less reliance on the state economy and
administrative jobs, and even the government employees earn the greater portion
of their income through agriculture and investment on the lands they own,” she
told Asia Times.
Resigned to reality
Other residents of Guilan say they have simply accepted that
crippling US sanctions are an inescapable reality that will be impacting their daily lives for
the foreseeable future.
Jila Farzin, a 30-year-old housewife in Rasht, says the people of
Iran have come to terms with the economic situation, because they have no other
choice.
“People have been grappling with inflation and a skyrocketing of
prices for several years and I can say although there have been protests
nationwide over the fuel price hikes, such spasms [in prices] are being normalized,”
she told Asia Times.
For some Iranians, moving out of the country is the panacea. “However, it should be noted the
unfavorable economic conditions and the fluctuations of foreign currencies have
taken a toll on people’s ability to emigrate,” the teacher Tohidzadeh said.
According to UN figures,
there were 2.68 million Iranians living outside the Islamic Republic, a country
of more than 80 million, as of this year.
“Nobody is happy with the situation,” said housewife
Farzin. “Other
than a small group of well-off merchants and owners of hereditary businesses,
the rest of the people are struggling.”
At the same time, she says,
people have lost hope of a breakthrough or change in Iranian policies that
would allow the sanctions to be lifted.And, “they know that if they
protest, it will be quashed.”
Solon seeks easy access to ‘Golden Rice’ for farmers
Published
By Charissa M. Luci-Atienza
Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga had asked the government to
ensure that farmers would have “easy and equitable” access to the Golden Rice
seeds after the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry
(DA-BPI) affirmed its safety for direct use as food and feed, or for processing
(FFP).
Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga (Cong. Mark Enverga Official Facebook
Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The chairman of the House Committee on Food and Agriculture
welcomed the DA-BPI’s issuance of a bio-safety permit to the
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) for GR2E Golden Rice.
After rigorous bio-safety scrutiny, the DA-BPI declared
Golden Rice “to be as safe as conventional rice,” according to reports.
Enverga said benefitting from the approval of the bio-safety
permit are pregnant women and children aged 6 months to five years who usually
suffer from VAD.
“Golden Rice has great potential to help address the problem of
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This was developed as a dietary supplement, hence,
it could improve the Vitamin A status of deficient food consumers, especially
women and children,” he said.
Citing studies, he noted that the beta-carotene of
Golden Rice seeks to address about 30 to 50 percent of the estimated average
requirement (EAR) of Vitamin A for pregnant women and young children.
Enverga said to ensure food security and to make the country’s
agriculture sustainable, the government should ensure that the poor Filipino
farmers would benefit from Golden Rice seeds, and not the abusive private seed
producers.
“To address the issues on food security and sustainable
agriculture, our direction should be towards the equitable access to these
seeds and make them easily available and affordable for the Filipino farmers,”
Enverga said.
The House leader expressed concern that some unscrupulous
individuals might take advantage of the situation and manipulate the access and
the cost of the Golden Rice seeds.
“My concern is that private seed producers of this kind may
monopolize or control access and thus would defeat our purpose of providing
means to the great number of Filipinos for agricultural inputs (seeds, lands,
machineries, etc) to ensure food security,” he said.
“Perhaps we should strike a balance between modern agri
technology and access to these to mitigate hunger and ensure food security,” he
added.
In a statement, PhilRice and IRRI welcomed the Philippine
government’s decision to affirm the safety of Golden Rice.
Enverga maintained that Congress should allocate more funds to
strengthen the country’s existing biotechnology center to ensure food security
in the country.
“Funding is still needed to advance further the technologies
suited to our country vis-a-vis our need for varieties of crops resistant to
pests, diseases, and effect of climate change,” he said.
He noted that for 2019, the total research and development
(R&D) budget on biotechnology amounted to P1.1 billion.
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