RICE PRODUCTION TO HIT RECORD HIGH IN 2023
Nigeria
rice production could hit 16 million tons in 2023 if all the participating
states under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP)
convert their pilot programmes into massive production, the Executive Director,
Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Olufemi
Oladunni, has said.
He said the nation’s rice production is
expected to set a new record with increased cultivated area, which will
increase paddy production to 16 million tons in 2023. The figure is now four
million tons.
According to him, Nigeria can produce more than
12 million tons over four-year with the support of President Muhammdau
Buhari’s administration, adding that increasing support to the paddy crop
is likely to keep the country’s rice production high.
He expects Nigeria to retain its ranking as the
leading rice producer in Africa. Although most rice projects embarked by states
are in pilot forms, Oladunni said the projects are showing positive results.
He said such projects, should be part of the
nation’s strategy to stabilise and increase the production of rice on a
sustainable and economically viable basis. He urged more states to key into the
CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).
Director-General, Africa Rice Center, Benin
Republic, Dr Harold Roy-Macauley has said Nigeria has overtaken Egypt as the
largest rice producer in Africa with four million tons a year
Egypt was producing 4.3 tons annually, but it
reduced by almost 40 per cent this year owning to the Egyptian government’s
decision to limit cultivation to preserve water resources. Egypt’s rice
cultivation requires about 1.8 billion metres of water in evaporation,
transpiration and irrigation each year.Africa produces an average of 14.6
million tons of rough rice annually.
He said there are efforts to increase overall
rice production in Africa, but expressed doubts that it will curb rice
importation as population has increased across the continent. Consumers, he
said, are looking for safe and certified rice.
Record rice, corn crops forecast in Thailand
03.18.2019
By Arvin Donley
BANGKOK, THAILAND — Rice and corn production in
Thailand are forecast to increase to record levels in 2019-20 due to expanded
acreage driven by attractive prices, according to a March 15 Global
Agricultural Information Network report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA).
“The government is expected to maintain the
above average domestic prices through financial supports for both rice and corn
farmers, including a pledging program for paddy rice,” the USDA said.
Rice production is forecast to increase to 21.1
million tonnes, a 2% increase from 2018-19. Corn output also is expected to
increase by 2% to 5.4 million tonnes.
Rice and corn consumption are forecast to
increase 1% to 3% in line with feed demand growth, according to the USDA.
Additional import demand for feed wheat is
expected to increase to around 2 million tonnes, up 3% from 2018-19 mainly due
to insufficient supplies of domestic corn to meet growing broiler feed demand.
Milling wheat imports also are expected to
increase to around 1 million tonnes in 2019-20, up 2% from 2018-19 in anticipation
of growing demand from bakeries and noodle producers.
Dead whale found
with 88 pounds of plastic debris inside; died from gastric shock, starvation
By: Shelby Lin Erdman, Cox Media Group National
Content Desk
Updated: Mar 18, 2019 - 9:35 PM
Another
whale with a belly full of plastic debris was found dead, this time in the
Philippines.
Scientists
discovered almost 90 pounds of
plastic debris inside the young beaked whale, including 16 rice
sacks, four banana plantation-style bags and multiple shopping bags, according
to a social media post by researchers at the D’Bone Collector Museum, a natural
history institution, which performed a necropsy on the marine mammal.
Museum
founder and marine biologist Darrell Blatchley called the discovery
“disgusting.”
“This
whale had the most plastic we have ever seen in a whale,” Blatchley said on
Facebook.
Scientists
said the whale died from gastric shock and starvation, according to media
reports.
Blatchley called for government
action “against those who continue to treat the waterways and
ocean as a dumpster.”
A young
pilot whale was found in the waters off Thailand last June with a stomach full
of plastic shopping bags and other plastic debris. Veterinarians were unable to
save the starving whale.
Scientists
also discovered 64 pounds of plastic garbage inside a young sperm whale that
washed up on a beach in southern Spain in last February and believe the plastic
trash also killed it.
Over the
past 10 years, in the Philippines alone, scientists have recovered 61 dead
whales and dolphins that have died from fishing nets, dynamite fishing and
plastic garbage, CNN reported,
and four were pregnant.
“This
cannot continue. The Philippines needs to change from the children up or
nothing will be left, Blatchley said.
A report
from the Ocean Conservancy in 2017 found that that the majority of plastics
pollution in the oceans originates from rivers in five Asian countries: Thailand,
China, Indonesia Vietnam and the Philippines.
Assin North to promote rice Cultivation in 2019
-
Mar 18, 2019
Rice
Farm
In fulfilment of maintaining national food
security, the Assin North District has expressed its commitment to prioritise
the cultivation of hybrid rice under the “Special Rice Initiative” (SRI).
Dubbed “Public private partnership for competitive
and inclusive rice value chain development: Planting for Food and Jobs – Rice
Chapter,” the project is aimed at increasing rice production, strengthening and
expanding access to output markets among others.
The move is also intended to adopt a two-tier
approach on short, medium and long-term solutions to enable the government
achieve its sub-sector goal of becoming self-sufficient in rice production to
improve the livelihoods of 128,763 farmers by 2020.
Mr Francis Kwame Freeman, the District Director
of Agriculture, who announced this said the interdependence on rice imports
would significantly reduce.
Ghana has since 2015 spent over a billion
dollars on rice imports annually regardless of the fact that fertile lands were
available for the growing rice to feed the whole of West Africa but it was
importing rice to that tune.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in
November 2018 entered into a 2.5 million euro Public Private Partnership (PPP)
agreement to boost rice production of in the country known as “Ghana Rice
Initiative”.
Championed by the German Government and
implemented by AGRA and other partners, the innovative initiative is expected
to last 36 months beginning last November.
It also intends to adopt a two-tier approach on
short, medium and long-term solutions to enable the government achieve its
sub-sector goal of becoming self-sufficient in rice production to improve the
livelihoods of 128,763 farmers by 2020.
Nationally, the project will be implemented in
the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Central and Volta regions with about
130,000 farmers from 110 districts in the beneficiary regions supplied with
subsidised certified seeds under the project.
The District Director of Agric explained that
government has put in place a number of measures to cause a permanent change in
the structure of the sector by halting the importation of basic commodities,
especially rice, and increase export.
He said government’s interventions in the
sector included horticulture development, perennial crop development,
irrigation development, agriculture mechanization promotion, agriculture
financing and private sector investments.
Government, under the Planting for Food and
Jobs, is supporting farmers with certified seeds, marketing services,
e-agriculture, fertilizer and extension services to boost crop production in
the country, the lowest in the sub-region.
Mr Prince Osei Poku, the District Crops
Officer, identified some challenges in the sector to include the lack of
effective extension services to help educate farmers on improving farming
technologies.
He urged farmers to adopt modern agronomic
practices and best farming methods to increase crop yield.
Vietnamese
rice industry needs value chains
The rice
industry requires more radical and sustainable solutions like establishing
value chains (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - After the Government took steps to prevent rice prices from falling in February, prices have started to inch up in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta – the granary of Vietnam – though not by much.
Still, the Government’s purchase of rice to stock reserves was a temporary solution. The rice industry requires more radical and sustainable solutions like establishing value chains.
Following a requirement of the State Bank of Vietnam in early March, several commercial banks provided loans with three to six month terms at preferential rates of 6 percent to enterprises so they could buy rice from farmers.
This helped push up prices in region by around 200-300 VND per kilo.
Nguyen Ngoc Nam, President of the Vietnam Food Association, the difficulty now was seeking markets for rice consumption, especially exports.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnamese rice must now compete fiercely with other big producers like Thailand and India as well as emerging producers like Cambodia, Myanmar and Pakistan, who were providing a variety of high quality varieties of rice.
China – the largest rice export market of Vietnam – was opening its doors to rice imports from India, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Pham Van Chinh, Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Import-Export Department, said that many markets had significantly changed their rice import policies, such as increasing tariffs and allowing more rice providers to compete.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh said that countries importing rice tended not only to increase rice production by themselves but also to diversify import markets to reduce dependence on a single or several export markets.
“Vietnam should have a more radical plan for the development of the rice industry,” Khanh said, adding that establishing value chains to diversify rice types and enhance rice quality was critical.
Pham Thai Binh, General Director of the Trung An Hi-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company, said that promoting the development of a large-scale paddy field model to establish rice value chains would be an important solution.
However, to do this, enterprises needed more credit support from the Government.
“It is important that credit policies for agricultural and rural development are implemented efficiently. Credit policies with an aim of sharing risks and damages for participants in the agriculture production chain should also be promoted,” Binh said.
Director of Soc Trang province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Minh Quyet said that in the long term, the rice industry needs proper planning for raw materials. In addition, enterprises and farmers needed to be supported in terms of farming techniques, processing technologies and seeking consumption markets.
Vo Tong Xuan, an agriculture expert, said that to promote rice consumption, farmers and companies must cooperate to produce rice following quality standards.
Xuan also pointed out that the rice industry in Vietnam lacked key enterprises that worked directly with international intermediary firms to promote exports like Thailand.
Firms and farmers also need to get updates on market information and demand for rice production, Xuan said.
At a Government meeting on rescuing rice in February, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that the way forward for Vietnamese rice was improving quality and increasing added value to meet the global market demands and build the brand for Vietnamese rice.-VNS/VNA
Managing change under the RTA law
Introspective
March
18, 2019 | 9:47 pm
Despite the rice tariffication law or RA 11203,
there is a chance rice prices can go up this year if the government fails to
manage well the changes it causes. The law is about a month old. But from what
I know, it is not implemented yet.
Its implementing rules and regulations had not
been issued yet. Those assigned to issue the IRRs — the DA, NEDA, and DBM,
particularly the first two — are still exchanging views on few remaining issues
like who decides on and how to set the special safeguards duty; how to allocate
the minimum access volume of imported rice; or how to implement the spending
from the rice competitive enhancement fund or RCEP, amounting to P10 billion
yearly.
There is no question that the IRRs must be
crafted well to ensure a good implementation of the RTA law. We all have a
stake in it, our food security. But I do hope that they issue the IRR next
week.
Why? We are now in the middle of March, three
and a half months before the start of the rice-lean quarter of the year. If we
recall, under the old policy regime the NFA has to have rice stocks worth at
least 30 days by July 1 to stabilize rice prices.
The RTA law assigns the NFA to maintain the
country’s rice buffer stocks. But these stocks are meant for emergencies, when
the rice markets get temporarily disrupted by natural or man-made calamities.
But what about the task of making sure we have
enough rice to keep rice prices from spiking as we approach the lean months of
the year? With the RTA law just about ready to be implemented, the NFA
management would no longer consider itself accountable for that task.
If we don’t have adequate rice supply by July,
then we are back to the situation we were in 2018. Rice prices went up then
because the NFA did not import rice on time.
The RTA law replaces the NFA’s imports with
private sector imports of rice. It dismantled the import monopoly of the agency
in rice. Any one of us can start a rice import business and the only
restrictions we have to comply with in importing rice is that we apply for a
sanitary and phyto-sanitary clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry, and
pay the customs duty, which is 35% if rice is imported from the rest of ASEAN.
Policy analysts would easily agree that private
sector imports of rice would effectively ensure that the country can have
enough rice by July 1 this year under the new law.
If there is enough time to import rice before
then, if we manage this change in rules well. But the problem is the Joint
Departmental Circular prescribing the IRRs for the RTA law is not issued yet.
Private sector importers could not initiate the import business without the
IRRs. And the way we are proceeding, we are getting closer to July 1 without
adequate rice stocks. By now the rice imports of NFA last year had already been
used up or whatever remain of it is not enough for this year’s requirement for
stabilizing rice prices. If the change had not happened, by now the NFA should
have placed its order to import rice. But it would not do that precisely
because the RTA law has changed the rules.
So there is urgency in issuing the IRRs. There
is always time to refine the IRRs. Filipinos would certainly not be happy to
see the IRRs in April or May 2019, only to find out also that rice prices would
start to go up because there is not enough rice in the country today.
Assuming the IRRs are issued next week, the NFA
Council, which remains to be a policy-setting body created by Presidential
Decree 4 as amended, has a task to do. It should monitor the supply-use
situation in rice. With the IRRs issued, the government may have enabled the
rice importers to start importing rice, but do we know for sure all these are
ready to bring in, analysts estimated, nearly three million metric tons of
rice?
I doubt that the figure would happen this year.
But even if we import just half of that volume, there should be enough buffer
to prevent price speculation by those who have the local rice stocks this year.
In managing this change, the NFA Council or
whoever it would deputize to do this should check with the Bureau of Plant
Industry the applications for SPS and the respective volume of rice imports.
That should give us a first source of information in finding out intended rice
imports in the next few months.
Secondly, it should monitor with the Bureau of
Customs arrivals of rice imports. This information is crucial, as it gives
policy makers the data to update the country’s supply-use table for rice.
A possible shortfall in rice stocks may happen
simply because there is transactions cost that the private sector faces in this
import business. They may first try out with a smaller volume, and if all of
them adopt this precautionary attitude, then import arrivals may not be enough
to stabilize rice prices this year.
Fortunately, the RTA law had prescribed for
unlimited rice imports from ASEAN at 35%. The rice importers would not see a
need for applying from whomever the right to import the minimum access volume.
In fact, the ASEAN rice duty is the lowest we have and that facilitates private
sector imports from ASEAN.
Compared with other laws, this one is
relatively fast. In about a month from President Duterte’s signing into law of
the RTA, there is already a very good draft of the IRRs that is being
circulated for final comments. If I am not mistaken it is just about ready to
be issued. The agencies responsible for the IRRs had worked very hard to meet
this deadline, other laws have had much months spent before the authorities
issued the IRR.
But let us just suppose some issue divides the
NEDA and the DA, delaying the issuance of the IRRs. The NFA Council has the
important task to do in coming up with Plan B, now that there is no longer the
NFA which carries out this task. I suppose the NFA can still legally import
rice for as long as the RTA is not implemented yet due to a delay in coming out
with the IRRs. But the agency just has more to worry for now, after the RTA law
stripped it of several regulatory powers under PD 4.
The RTA law is a game changer in how we do
agricultural development in our country. We had waited for it for nearly a
quarter of a century, since 1995 when we applied for special treatment in the
WTO. Now that the reform has finally arrived, it can still evaporate into thin
air with the government’s mistake in managing the change it causes, and its
benefits snatched away from us.
Ramon L. Clarete is a professor at the
University of the Philippines School of Economics.
Rice Farmers Laud President Buhari For Inputs
Distribution
Published 21 hours ago on March 18, 2019 By Our
Reporter Farmers in Gombe State who benefited from dry season farming
inputs under the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrower Programme have commended
President Muhammadu Buhari for investing in the agriculture sector. Some
of the beneficiaries, 
who gave the commendation while speaking with
the Newsmen in Gombe on Monday, said that four bags of fertilizer, a bag of
improve variety of rice seed, water pump and insecticide were given for a
hectare. It was revealed that the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN)
in the state has commenced the distribution of farming inputs to the
beneficiaries for 2019 dry season farming. Malam Hamisu Ahmadu said the Federal
Government’s gesture under President Muhammadu Buhari had helped them to get
good yields in dry season farming. According to him, the gesture will encourage
them to continue with farming to boost their economy and that of the country at
large. He added that he received the inputs for three hectares and assured the
government of using it judiciously and repay back on time. Another farmer,
Abubakar Musa expressed satisfaction with method of distribution of the inputs,
saying that every registered farmer got the commodity irrespective of his
political affiliation. He commended the government for providing them with
water pumps as it would help them to boost paddy rice production. Malam Mamman
Adam, another farmer appreciated the efforts of the Federal Government in
helping the less privileged members of the society to get such inputs.
According to him, the gesture will definitely boost food security in the state
and the country. Adam advised the association and the government to ensure
early distribution of inputs, suggesting that such efforts should be done in
January. A female rice farmer, Maryam Usman, said the programme would help in
improving the economy of the country as they were engaging youths to work for
them on daily payment. According to her, she received inputs for one hectare of
land and this encouraged her to double her production of rice. (NAN)
Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2019/03/18/rice-farmers-laud-president-buhari-for-inputs-distribution/
who gave the commendation while speaking with
the Newsmen in Gombe on Monday, said that four bags of fertilizer, a bag of
improve variety of rice seed, water pump and insecticide were given for a
hectare. It was revealed that the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN)
in the state has commenced the distribution of farming inputs to the
beneficiaries for 2019 dry season farming. Malam Hamisu Ahmadu said the Federal
Government’s gesture under President Muhammadu Buhari had helped them to get
good yields in dry season farming. According to him, the gesture will encourage
them to continue with farming to boost their economy and that of the country at
large. He added that he received the inputs for three hectares and assured the
government of using it judiciously and repay back on time. Another farmer,
Abubakar Musa expressed satisfaction with method of distribution of the inputs,
saying that every registered farmer got the commodity irrespective of his
political affiliation. He commended the government for providing them with
water pumps as it would help them to boost paddy rice production. Malam Mamman
Adam, another farmer appreciated the efforts of the Federal Government in
helping the less privileged members of the society to get such inputs.
According to him, the gesture will definitely boost food security in the state
and the country. Adam advised the association and the government to ensure
early distribution of inputs, suggesting that such efforts should be done in
January. A female rice farmer, Maryam Usman, said the programme would help in
improving the economy of the country as they were engaging youths to work for
them on daily payment. According to her, she received inputs for one hectare of
land and this encouraged her to double her production of rice. (NAN)Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2019/03/18/rice-farmers-laud-president-buhari-for-inputs-distribution/
Study: How You Speak Shaped by What Your Ancestors Ate
Mon,
03/18/2019 - 2:30pm
by
Christina Larson, Associated Press
a farmer, left, ritualistically offers a small
portion of food to god before eating her lunch while working at a rice field in
Chunnikhel, Katmandu, Nepal. Photo: AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha
The way most of us speak today is shaped in
part by how long ago our ancestors gave up chewing tough, raw meat.
It’s widely known that languages evolve as
societies develop and change, but the sounds we utter are also shaped,
literally, by the placement of our jaw—and that is influenced by how we chew
our food, researchers report in the journal Science.
Language study often focuses on cultural
factors, “but our work shows that language is also a biological phenomenon—you
can’t fully separate culture and biology,” said Balthasar Bickel, a linguist at
the University of Zurich and co-author of the new study.
The researchers analyzed Stone Age and modern
skulls and created simulations of how different jaw placements allow our mouths
to make different sounds. They analyzed a database of roughly 2,000
languages—more than a quarter of languages in existence toda —to identify
what sounds were more and less frequently used, and where.
Languages spoken by groups with hunter-gatherer
societies in their more recent past are far less likely to use consonants used
by longtime farming societies, the study found.
“Our anatomy actually changed the types of
sounds being incorporated into languages,” Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel, an
evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Buffalo who was not involved
in the study, wrote in an email.
Before societies cultivated crops and learned
to cook food, early humans chewed tough raw meat, which was hard work on our
jaws and teeth. Stone Age adult skulls don’t look like modern skulls. These
older skulls have upper and lower teeth closing directly on top of each
other—whereas today most people have some degree of overbite, with the front
teeth extending in front of bottom teeth when the mouth is closed.
“If you are raised on softer foods, you don’t
have the same kind of wear and tear on your bite that your ancestors had, so
you keep an overbite,” said Bickel.
Eating softer foods not only sets the jaw in a
different fashion, but also changes what sounds are easily pronounced. In
particular, it becomes much easier to say “f″ and “v,” which linguists call
“labiodental” sounds.
(Try it. Put your upper and lower incisors—or
“front teeth”—directly on top of each other and try say “favor.” It’s
difficult.)
The researchers looked closely at 52 languages
from what is called the Indo-European language group—including dialects spoken
from Iceland to India—and charted how the “f″ and “v″ sounds appeared in a
rising number of languages over time. As more societies developed agriculture
and traded in raw meat for softer fare—whether it’s cooked meat and potatoes,
or rice and stewed vegetables—these sounds became more common, the researchers
found.
“New sounds get introduced into languages, and
then are more widely adopted,” said Steven Moran, also a linguist at the
University of Zurich and co-author of the paper.
The notion that agriculture shaped language was
first suggested decades ago by American linguist Charles Hockett, but he did
not attempt to prove it.
Elan Dresher, a linguist at the University of
Toronto who was not involved in the study, commended testing Hockett’s theory,
but said the research could be fine-tuned by looking at historical
reconstructions of languages, rather than using language databases to make
comparisons.
Producing 8 Million Tons Of Rice Annually
RIFAN Published
March 18, 2019 By JULIANA AGBO
Contrary to the report that says Nigeria
produces 4 million tons of rice, the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria
(RIFAN) says it has established that instead, Nigeria being the largest
producer of rice in Africa is producing 8 million tons of rice annually. The
RIFAN President, Aminu Goronyo who disclosed this said Nigeria has two rice
farming season, in each season according him, 4 million tons of rice is
produced. He said the annual rice production of Nigeria is put at Eight million
tonnes annually with twelve million farmers engaged in the production of the
commodity. Goronyo said Nigeria has no option than to put a total ban on rice importation
before the end of this year.
“We have
two cropping seasons of production and each season we produce an average of 4
million tons that will give you 8 million tons per annum”, Goronyo said. He
added that the association is collaborating with the federal government towards
reducing the cost of production which will as well bring down the price of
milled rice in the market. “We have enough paddy in ground, the same thing with
rice Millers, they have more than enough in stock, which means that we don’t
need to import paddy of milled rice”, Goronyo added. Also, Rice Millers have
described smuggling as a major challenge confronting rice production and its
business in the country. The National President of Rice Millers, Muhammed
Abubakar Maifata says smuggling is capable of crippling rice business in the
country. He appealed to Nigerian Customs and other security Agencies to come
out with other strategies that will address the menace. “Smuggling is our major
challenge, rice keep on coming through land borders despite the fact that
government has banned importation through land borders”, Maifata says. 
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How safe
are the red mud reservoirs in the Central Highlands?
VietNamNet
Bridge - The tailings dam break at Corrego do Feijao in Brazil in January has
raised the fear that a similar disaster may occur at the red mud reservoirs in
the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
A report
from Greenpeace about the accident, which killed more than 120 people, showed
that mercury and arsenic content in the red mud on the site was ‘surprisingly
high’.
The
accident has once again sparked worry about the safety of the red mud
reservoirs at Nhan Co and Tan Rai bauxite mines, though Vinacomin, the investor
of the projects, has reassured the public that the reservoirs are safe.
An
analyst said Vale, the owner of Feljao mine in Brazil, is the second largest
mining group in the world and the biggest iron exploiter and pellets processor.
Feijao is an open cast mine.
“This
means that incidents may occur even when the mining is carried out by a large
corporation.”
Local
newspapers reported that in 2018, due to the high rainfall, deep holes appeared
next to the tailings dam at Nhan Co bauxite project in Dak Nong province, which
may lead to subsidence and dam failure. This once occurred in Hungary in 2010
|
The discharge from sorting workshops to iron
containing reservoirs includes iron pieces w smaller than 1 mm, mud and water
from sludge settling machines. If the waste water spills into ponds, lakes
and fields, it will kill fish, microorganisms, rice and crops.
|
In
Vietnam, an incident at the bauxite tailings reservoir occurred at Tan Rai mine
in Lam Dong province on October 8, 2014.
The
discharge from sorting workshops to iron containing reservoirs includes iron
pieces w smaller than 1 mm, mud and water from sludge settling machines. If the
waste water spills into ponds, lakes and fields, it will kill fish,
microorganisms, rice and crops.
Scientists
said there is a risk of alkaline leaking into underground and rainwater, which
may lead to the spillover at the Tan Rai and Nhan Co red mud reservoirs.
The
waterproofing panels used to line the bottom of the reservoirs are mostly
geotechnical membranes.
Experts
advise against using this membrane in an alkaline environment and for a long
time. Studies have found that this membrane is only suitable for waterproofing
chemicals for 50 to 100 years.
HDPE
film has very good resistance against chemicals, but it will crack in the
environmental pressure and heat. The Tan Rai project uses this type of
membrane.
Scientists
have warned of the possible pollution to the water underground system.
Designers
and contractors of reservoirs in Vietnam all say they strictly follow technical
regulations.
However,
accidents still occur. The accident at Na Lung mine in Cao Bang in 2010 buried
hectares of rice fields and houses.
Nigeria: 'Agricultural
Development Is Kebbi Government's Strength'
By Ahmadu Baba Idris
Birnin-Kebbi
— Following the re-election of the Kebbi State governor, Senator Atiku Bagudu
Abubakar in the last gubernatorial election, the people of the Kebbi State have
attributed the success of the election to his achievements in the agricultural
sector.
Speaking
to newsmen, Alhaji Dantain Kanya, who is a major stakeholder in the Kebbi State
politics, described Bagudu and President Muhammadu Buhari as silent achievers,
especially in agricultural investments, adding that their re-election by the
people of the state were based on the achievements.
He added
that being a state blessed with many agricultural and agro-allied
potentialities, Senator Bagudu saw an opening to positively impact on the
sector, thus putting smiles on the faces of both large and small-scale farmers.
Bagudu
provides inputs and expertise, as well as invites agencies and companies to
partner for the overall development of the sector.
For
turning Kebbi into the largest rice-producing state in Nigeria, the governor
was appointed the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force Committee on Rice and
Wheat Production.
Considering
the socio-economic importance of agriculture to food production and income
generation for the people of the state, the governor initiated an agricultural
revitalisation, transformation and diversification drive through partnership
with the Bank of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
President
Buhari personally launched the Anchor Borrowers' Programme aimed at production
of food, job creation, income generation and self-sufficiency, and more
millionaires are said to have been made of the rice farmers whose productivity
per hectare of land has increased to an average of six metric tonnes of rice
paddies.
Before
the scheme, an average of two to three tonnes per hectare were recorded in rice
cultivation, but production has double with productivity, enhanced by improved
varieties, fertilizer application and good agronomical practices facilitated by
the Bagudu-led administration.
Partnership
with the Lagos State government in the production of Lagos-Kebbi Rice (LAKE
Rice) has created a sustainable, reliable and profitable ready market for the
paddies produced by farmers in Kebbi, transforming their fortunes and boosting
their socio-economic standards of living.
Speaking
on achievements in agricultural sector, Hajiya Ubahida said that "A
landmark is the partnership between Lagos and Kebbi states on rice value chain
and other commodity that produced the LAKE Rice. This positive result did not
go unnoticed by some leading newspapers, closely monitoring the human capital
investment and interventions."
Kanya
added that the mobilisation of over 70,000 farmers, the production of over
three million tonnes of rice and other successes recorded in the state had earned
governor the chairmanship of the Presidential Task Force Committee on Rice and
Wheat Production in Nigeria, the post which comes with additional
responsibilities beyond of Kebbi, reaching out to other state governors,
legislators, farmer associations, millers and other stakeholders towards
reviving agriculture and making Nigeria a leading rice producer in Africa.
The
government's sustained efforts in agricultural revitalisation and development
have attracted investors from far and near. Kebbi has become a model and a hub
in in rice and wheat production.
The
commissioning of WACOT mill recently held in the state was an attestation of
the administration's investment drive. The investment efforts have placed Kebbi
second only to Kano in rice milling in the whole of the northwest zone.
To
consolidate on the gains recorded in the dry season rice farming and improve
output in wet the season, Kebbi has also entered into partnership with Katsina,
Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara states as well as the Moroccan Government to
receive the supply of over 300,000 tonnes of fertiliser.
The
administration has also procured for distribution to famers 100 tractors, 1000
ox-drawn ploughs, 100 rice threshers and 100 motorcycles for trained
agricultural extension workers.
In an
effort to diversity, develop and harness the non-oil sectors of the economy,
the administration is encouraging livestock production. From prevention and
control of diseases in poultry and fisheries, the state ministry of
agriculture's mandate is gradually coming to fruition with increased beef
production and partnerships.
Nigeria now produces 8 million tons of rice every year
RIFAN 21
hours ago 1896 views by Tunde Ososanya
The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has said Nigeria produces 8
million tons of rice annually, adding that the country is the largest producer
of rice in Africa. The disclosure was made by the president of the association,
Aminu Goronyo, who said Nigeria has two farming season, Leadership reports.
Legit.ng gathers that Goronyo, who said Nigeria has no option than to put a
total ban on rice importation before the end of 2019, stated that 4 million of
rice is produced in each farming season. NASS candidates in Edo petition
tribunal over election outcome He said: “We have two cropping seasons of
production and each season we produce an average of 4 million tons that will
give you 8 million tons per annum.
" Goronyo said there is a collaboration
between the association and the federal government which is aimed at reducing
the cost of production. According to him, the collaboration will also bring
down the price of milled rice in the market. He said: “We have enough paddy in
ground, the same thing with rice Millers, they have more than enough in stock,
which means that we don’t need to import paddy of milled rice." PAY
ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigeria’s #1
news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Kano-based Amarava Rice
Mill said it was targeting to record 500 tonnes of daily production by June,
just as it hit 250 tonnes to boost local self-sufficiency. Subhash Chand, the
Indian deputy high commissioner in Nigeria, made this known in Abuja on
Tuesday, January 1. The multi-million naira state-of-the-art rice mill, owned
by an Indian national, was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in Kano in
December, 2018.
USA Rice and
Anheuser-Busch Partner to Support Sustainable Rice Farming
By Josh Hankins
WASHINGTON, DC -- USA Rice and
Anheuser-Busch are partnering for the third year in a row to invest in
America's rice growers, with America's leading beer company announcing it will
donate $150,000 to USA Rice to support the organization's Rice Stewardship
Partnership. The Rice Stewardship Partnership (RSP) is a public - private
partnership between USA Rice, Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, and supply chain partners that provides growers with technical and
financial support to transition to more efficient irrigation, nutrient, and
energy practices while creating wildlife habitat on working ricelands.
"Anheuser-Busch's investment in the Rice Stewardship Partnership will support U.S. rice farmers and their growing operations, as well as allow them to test new technology to improve their operations and meet sustainability goals," said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of USA Rice. "Investments like these are what sustain U.S. rice farmers and provide the opportunities to test new agriculture practices."
As the largest end user of rice in the U.S., Anheuser-Busch sources all of its rice from U.S. farmers, totaling more than $120 million of rice last year alone.
"We're proud to stand with USA Rice and invest in a program that will help growers continue to adopt efficient practices and technology," said Jess Newman, Anheuser-Busch's director of U.S. agronomy. "Supporting both the environment and our growers' livelihoods is a clear win for our 2025 sustainability goals and, most importantly, for the growers who make our beers possible."
Anheuser-Busch's investment in the RSP will help fund strategies to protect working ricelands, including conservation planning, irrigation efficiencies, nutrient management, and education of decision-makers on water, agriculture, and wildlife habitats. The RSP also helps improve air quality, conserve energy, and support rice growers' bottom line by testing new irrigation strategies.
U.S. Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR), who represents the largest rice producing district in the country, said, "In Arkansas, the rice industry is a major economic driver, employing over 15,000 Arkansans. The important Rice Stewardship Partnership will reinforce the identity of rice as a row crop with various benefits enjoyed by people across the world. We appreciate any investment in the rice industry and family-owned farms, which play a key role in the viability of rural American communities."
"Anheuser-Busch's investment in the Rice Stewardship Partnership will support U.S. rice farmers and their growing operations, as well as allow them to test new technology to improve their operations and meet sustainability goals," said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of USA Rice. "Investments like these are what sustain U.S. rice farmers and provide the opportunities to test new agriculture practices."
As the largest end user of rice in the U.S., Anheuser-Busch sources all of its rice from U.S. farmers, totaling more than $120 million of rice last year alone.
"We're proud to stand with USA Rice and invest in a program that will help growers continue to adopt efficient practices and technology," said Jess Newman, Anheuser-Busch's director of U.S. agronomy. "Supporting both the environment and our growers' livelihoods is a clear win for our 2025 sustainability goals and, most importantly, for the growers who make our beers possible."
Anheuser-Busch's investment in the RSP will help fund strategies to protect working ricelands, including conservation planning, irrigation efficiencies, nutrient management, and education of decision-makers on water, agriculture, and wildlife habitats. The RSP also helps improve air quality, conserve energy, and support rice growers' bottom line by testing new irrigation strategies.
U.S. Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR), who represents the largest rice producing district in the country, said, "In Arkansas, the rice industry is a major economic driver, employing over 15,000 Arkansans. The important Rice Stewardship Partnership will reinforce the identity of rice as a row crop with various benefits enjoyed by people across the world. We appreciate any investment in the rice industry and family-owned farms, which play a key role in the viability of rural American communities."
SCA
urges govt to control price of agricultural inputs
-
March
17, 2019
HYDERABAD: The
Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA), a leading farmers’ lobbying group urged the
Federal Government to control the price of the agricultural inputs including
urea.
A meeting of the SCA, chaired by its Vice
President Nabi Bux Sathio at its office here Sunday, requested the Federal
Government to intervene to decrease the price of the urea.
Sathio said a urea bag was available for
Rs1,350 but at present the price had been jacked up to Rs1,850 per bag.
He urged the Federal Government to fix the rate
of urea bag urging the center to take action against the hoarders as well.
The SCA also pointed out the sale of spurious
seeds of rice and cotton crops and asked the Sindh Government to take action.
The Chamber expressed concern over delay in the
opening of the wheat procurement centers in Sindh and demanded the provincial
government to open the centers within a week.
“We urge the provincial government to double
the wheat procurement target,” Sathio said on behalf of the SCA.
The chamber asked the Sindh government to
approach the center for opening of PASCO’s wheat procurement center with the
target of buying at least 500,000 tons from the province.
The meeting was attended by the farmers’
representatives from Karachi, Sukkur, Ghotki, Sanghar and other districts
through video link.
Pak Govt urged to resolve anti-dumping barriers in Turkey
18Mar '19
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FPCCI) recently urged the government to resolve all anti-dumping barriers
imposed by Turkey on Pakistani textile and other items
before signing a free trade agreement (FTA)
with the country. These measures have reportedly
reduced Pakistan's exports to Turkey to $327 million from $850 million in
2011.
Appreciating efforts by both governments to enter into a strategic economic framework (SEF) for enhancement of bilateral trade relations, FPCCI president Daroo Khan Achakzai said the primary purpose of SEF is to enhance bilateral trade by five fold from current $ 800 million and for achieving that, the FTA should be signed this year.
Textile and rice are the main exportable items of Pakistan facing high tariff rates in Turkey, Pakistani media reports quoted him as saying.
Turkey is currently importing surgical items from Germany that are originally manufactured in Pakistan, he added. (DS)
Appreciating efforts by both governments to enter into a strategic economic framework (SEF) for enhancement of bilateral trade relations, FPCCI president Daroo Khan Achakzai said the primary purpose of SEF is to enhance bilateral trade by five fold from current $ 800 million and for achieving that, the FTA should be signed this year.
Textile and rice are the main exportable items of Pakistan facing high tariff rates in Turkey, Pakistani media reports quoted him as saying.
Turkey is currently importing surgical items from Germany that are originally manufactured in Pakistan, he added. (DS)
Vietnamese
rice industry needs value chains
The rice
industry requires more radical and sustainable solutions like establishing
value chains (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - After the Government took steps to prevent rice prices from falling in February, prices have started to inch up in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta – the granary of Vietnam – though not by much.
Still, the Government’s purchase of rice to stock reserves was a temporary solution. The rice industry requires more radical and sustainable solutions like establishing value chains.
Following a requirement of the State Bank of Vietnam in early March, several commercial banks provided loans with three to six month terms at preferential rates of 6 percent to enterprises so they could buy rice from farmers.
This helped push up prices in region by around 200-300 VND per kilo.
Nguyen Ngoc Nam, President of the Vietnam Food Association, the difficulty now was seeking markets for rice consumption, especially exports.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnamese rice must now compete fiercely with other big producers like Thailand and India as well as emerging producers like Cambodia, Myanmar and Pakistan, who were providing a variety of high quality varieties of rice.
China – the largest rice export market of Vietnam – was opening its doors to rice imports from India, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Pham Van Chinh, Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Import-Export Department, said that many markets had significantly changed their rice import policies, such as increasing tariffs and allowing more rice providers to compete.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh said that countries importing rice tended not only to increase rice production by themselves but also to diversify import markets to reduce dependence on a single or several export markets.
“Vietnam should have a more radical plan for the development of the rice industry,” Khanh said, adding that establishing value chains to diversify rice types and enhance rice quality was critical.
Pham Thai Binh, General Director of the Trung An Hi-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company, said that promoting the development of a large-scale paddy field model to establish rice value chains would be an important solution.
However, to do this, enterprises needed more credit support from the Government.
“It is important that credit policies for agricultural and rural development are implemented efficiently. Credit policies with an aim of sharing risks and damages for participants in the agriculture production chain should also be promoted,” Binh said.
Director of Soc Trang province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Minh Quyet said that in the long term, the rice industry needs proper planning for raw materials. In addition, enterprises and farmers needed to be supported in terms of farming techniques, processing technologies and seeking consumption markets.
Vo Tong Xuan, an agriculture expert, said that to promote rice consumption, farmers and companies must cooperate to produce rice following quality standards.
Xuan also pointed out that the rice industry in Vietnam lacked key enterprises that worked directly with international intermediary firms to promote exports like Thailand.
Firms and farmers also need to get updates on market information and demand for rice production, Xuan said.
At a Government meeting on rescuing rice in February, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that the way forward for Vietnamese rice was improving quality and increasing added value to meet the global market demands and build the brand for Vietnamese rice.-VNS/VNA
Amira Nature Foods Ltd Announces Conversion of Debt to Equity
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Mar 18, 2019--Amira Nature Foods Ltd (the “Company”) (NYSE: ANFI), a
global provider of packaged specialty rice, announced today that its Indian
subsidiary, Amira Foods India (“Amira India”), has converted Amira India debt
into ordinary shares of Amira India. As a result of the debt conversion, the
Company’s ownership in Amira India decreased from 80.4% to 49.8%. This event is
a continuation of Amira’s focus on strengthening the Company’s international
business.
Further information on the Company, including
an updated investor presentation and other information, can be found on the
Company’s website at www.amira.net.
About Amira Nature Foods
Founded in 1915, Amira has evolved into a
global provider of packaged specialty rice, with sales in over 40 countries
today. Amira sells Basmati rice, premium long-grain rice grown only in certain
regions of the Indian sub-continent, under their flagship Amira brand as well
as under other third party brands. Amira sells its products primarily in
emerging markets through a broad distribution network. Amira’s headquarters are
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and it also has offices in India, Germany, the
United Kingdom, and the United States.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. These
forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases that we or
our members of management use such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,”
“foresee,” “forecast,” “estimate” or other words or phrases of similar import.
Specifically, these statements include, among other things, statements that
describe our expectations for the global rice market, the financial impact of
new sales contracts on our revenue, our expectations regarding the successful
efforts of our distribution partners, and other statements of management’s beliefs,
intentions or goals. It is uncertain whether any of the events anticipated by
the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do,
what impact they will have on our results of operations, financial condition,
or the price of our ordinary shares. These forward-looking statements involve
certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements, including
but not limited to our ability to perform our agreements with customers; our
ability to recognize revenue from our contracts as planned; continued
competitive pressures in the marketplace; our reliance on a few customers and
distribution partners for a substantial part of our revenue; our ability to
implement our plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect to our
business and realize additional opportunities for growth; and the other risks
and important considerations contained and identified in our filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable
to us or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their
entirety by these risk factors. Other than as required under the securities
laws, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking or other
statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
View source version on
businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190318005260/en/
CONTACT: Wendy Eguez
The Amira Group
+447340071854
wendy.eguez@theamiragroup.com
KEYWORD: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ASIA PACIFIC
MIDDLE EAST INDIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE
RETAIL FOOD/BEVERAGE SPECIALTY OTHER RETAIL
SOURCE: Amira Nature Foods Ltd
Copyright Business Wire 2019.
PUB: 03/18/2019 08:00 AM/DISC: 03/18/2019 08:01
AM
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- March 19, 2019
MARCH 19, 2019
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open
Market-March 19, 2018 Nagpur, Mar 19 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices declined
in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) here on poor buying
support from local millers amid high moisture content arrival. Easy condition
in Madhya Pradesh pulses also affected sentiment. Two-day Holi festival from
tomorrow affected trading activity. About 1,000 bags of tuar and 8,500 bags of
gram reported for auctions in Nagpur APMC, according to sources.
GRAM
* Gram super best bold and medium best
recovered in open market here on renewed
demand from local traders for Holi festival.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani reported higher in open market
here on good seasonal demand from
local traders.
* Udid varieties firmed up in open market here
on good festival demand
from local traders.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,450-5,450, Tuar dal
(clean) – 7,900-8,200, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 6,500-7,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,200-7,800,
Gram – 4,100-4,250, Gram Super best
– 6,000-6,300 * Wheat, other varieties of rice
and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in
weak trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,600-3,860 3,600-3,900
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,400-4,985 4,450-5,100
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,800-1,940 1,850-2,160
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 6,000-6,200 5,900-6,100
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,600-5,800 5,500-5,700
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,250-4,350 4,250-4,350
Desi gram Raw 4,150-4,250 4,150-4,250
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 7,300-7,500 7,300-7,500
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,000-7,200 7,000-7,200
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 6,800-7,100
6,800-7,100
Tuar Gavarani New 5,450-5,550 5,400-5,500
Tuar Karnataka 5,550-5,750 5,550-5,750
Masoor dal best 5,300-5,500 5,400-5,600
Masoor dal medium 5,000-5,200 5,000-5,300
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000
Moong Mogar Medium 6,500-7,000 6,500-7,000
Moong dal Chilka New 6,700-7,800 6,700-7,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,600-8,700 7,600-8,700
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 6,900-7,900
6,800-7,800
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,600-6,600
5,500-6,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000
3,700-3,900
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,800-5,900 5,800-5,900
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 5,000-5,100
5,000-5,100
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,700 5,600-5,700
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,500-6,700
6,500-6,700
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,150
2,100-2,150
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600
2,500-2,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700
2,600-2,700
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,500
2,300-2,500
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) 2,100-2,200
2,100-2,200
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,600
3,400-3,600
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-3,000
2,500-3,000
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,200
2,900-3,200
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000
2,900-3,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800
2,600-2,800
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600
2,500-2,600
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400
4,100-4,400
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,900
3,500-3,900
Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,800
3,600-3,800
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,600
5,400-5,600
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,000
4,600-5,000
Rice Shriram New (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,400
4,200-4,400
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,000-13,500
9,000-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500
5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-6,800
6,500-6,800
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,400
6,200-6,400
Rice Chinnor New (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000
4,700-5,000
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. 34.3 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 21.3 degree
Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum
temperature likely to be around 34 degree Celsius and 21 degree Celsius. Note:
n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery
prices, but included in market prices)
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust
Principles.
Iraq seeks 30,000
tonnes of rice in tender - govt source
Falling
rice Grains of white rice falling through outstretched fingers into shallow
glass bowl.
REUTERS/ Allison Achauer
BAGHDAD - Iraq’s trade ministry is
seeking at least 30,000 tonnes of rice of any origin in an international
purchasing tender, a trade ministry source said on Monday.
The deadline for offers is March 26 and offers
should remain valid until March 31.
; +20225783290; Reuters Messaging:
asma.alsharif.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Indian rice export prices up on strong
rupee
Rice export rates in India rose this week due
to an appreciation in the rupee, even as demand remained moderate, while Thai
traders struggled with a lack of interest from foreign markets due to high
prices. India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety rose to $386-$389 per tonne
from last week's $383-$386. "The rising rupee is forcing us to raise
prices. Demand is moderate," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the
southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
The rupee was trading near its highest level in more than two months, trimming returns from overseas sales for traders in the world's biggest exporter of the staple. In Thailand, the world's second-biggest rice exporter, benchmark 5 percent broken rice prices were quoted at $380-$385, free on board Bangkok, mostly unchanged from last week's $380-$390. Demand remained flat and the price fluctuation was due to the exchange rate between the local currency baht and the US dollar, traders said.
"Domestic prices have slightly increased this week but because the baht has weakened, the export price remains relatively same," a Bangkok-based rice trader said. However, the baht's gains over the past few months have prevented domestic prices from falling, denting demand for Thai rice overseas, another trader said. Higher domestic rates translate into increased procurement costs for exporters. The market has also seen an influx of new supply, which is yet to impact export prices, according to traders.
Meanwhile in Bangladesh, rain-fed rice output or Aman crop is estimated to hit 14 million tonnes this season from 13.5 million tonnes in the previous year, due to favourable weather, Mizanur Rahman, a senior official of Department of Agriculture Extension, told Reuters on Thursday. The Aman crop is the second biggest rice crop after the summer variety, Boro. It is cultivated during December and January, and makes up for about 38 percent of Bangladesh's total rice production, which is around 35 million tonnes.
The south Asian country, which emerged as a major importer in 2017 after floods damaged its crops, imposed 28 percent duty to support its farmers after local production revived in 2018.
The rupee was trading near its highest level in more than two months, trimming returns from overseas sales for traders in the world's biggest exporter of the staple. In Thailand, the world's second-biggest rice exporter, benchmark 5 percent broken rice prices were quoted at $380-$385, free on board Bangkok, mostly unchanged from last week's $380-$390. Demand remained flat and the price fluctuation was due to the exchange rate between the local currency baht and the US dollar, traders said.
"Domestic prices have slightly increased this week but because the baht has weakened, the export price remains relatively same," a Bangkok-based rice trader said. However, the baht's gains over the past few months have prevented domestic prices from falling, denting demand for Thai rice overseas, another trader said. Higher domestic rates translate into increased procurement costs for exporters. The market has also seen an influx of new supply, which is yet to impact export prices, according to traders.
Meanwhile in Bangladesh, rain-fed rice output or Aman crop is estimated to hit 14 million tonnes this season from 13.5 million tonnes in the previous year, due to favourable weather, Mizanur Rahman, a senior official of Department of Agriculture Extension, told Reuters on Thursday. The Aman crop is the second biggest rice crop after the summer variety, Boro. It is cultivated during December and January, and makes up for about 38 percent of Bangladesh's total rice production, which is around 35 million tonnes.
The south Asian country, which emerged as a major importer in 2017 after floods damaged its crops, imposed 28 percent duty to support its farmers after local production revived in 2018.
Ghana to become self-sufficient in rice production
Augustine Collins Ntim, Deputy Minister of Local Government
and Rural Development
Ghana is to become self-sufficient in rice
production by the year 2025. This may sound ridiculous but certainly not
impossible.The disclosure is couched in the Akufo-Addo government’s newly
introduced initiative on rice production, strategically structured as an arm of
its flagship Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme, to boost the
production of the crop in the country. Ghana is said to be importing rice close to the tune of $1billion annually with an apparent negative effect on the national economy and therefore any attempt to reduce or halt the over-dependence on imported rice must, of course, be considered as a welcome piece of good news.
But no! The hard truth is that some efforts made in the past to resolve the rice importation puzzle virtually failed to produce the desired results rendering it a seemingly intractable enterprise.
It therefore stands to reason that any news on Ghana achieving self-sufficiency status in rice production, let alone stop rice importation appears a rather far cry or far-fetched and will naturally be taken with a pinch of salt. That’s understandable, you know.
The irony is that Ghana with its vast fertile lands, human and other resources, according to agricultural experts, has the potential of becoming a major rice producer capable of meeting local demand and even export. So what’s the problem?
The Akufo-Addo administration, in an audacious attempt to have a go at the problem, has announced a plan to ginger up rice production in 122 selected districts across the country taking effect from 2019 .
Outdooring the plan in Kumasi recently at a sensitisation workshop on rice cultivation for some selected municipal and district chief executives and their directors of agriculture from the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions, Mr Augustine Collins Ntim, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development indicated that the selected districts are already actively involved in rice production.
The focus on the new initiative, he explains, is to intensify rice cultivation and production with an initial target of producing over 700,000 metric tonnes on 233,000 hectares of land in the 2019 farming season, register dramatic increase of yields every year and ultimately reduce and possibly halt rice importation by the year 2025.
Failure is dreaded, abhorred and considered out of the question as far as this new initiative is concerned and so every necessary step has been taken to ensure its smooth and successful implementation.
The procurement of the requisite equipment and machines notably tractors, tillers, planters, harvesters and threshing machines as well as rice seeds and fertilisers for distribution to rice farmers in all the 122 selected districts under very soft terms, thus comes as little surprise.
As an additional incentive package, rice farmers will enjoy the services of agricultural extension officers at no cost to them.
Like its parent PFJ programme and sister appendages, the special initiative being co-piloted by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA) and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development(MLGRD), has also been tagged with the multi-purpose agenda of helping to improve national food security, job creation and private sector participation.
Mr Collins Ntim who is in charge of Rural Development and Agriculture hypes the importance of all agricultural initiatives and interventions introduced by the government with a simple and clear statement that “MOFA and MLGRD see agriculture as a vehicle for driving rural economic development besides serving as an avenue to boost local revenue generation by the district assemblies”.
The country’s rice import bill, as stated elsewhere, is gargantuan and, no doubt, a drain on the economy. We don’t need economists to drive that home to us as a people.
The new initiative on rice cultivation and production must not only survive but more important, become a success story this time. For God’s sake it should not be made to pale into insignificance like its “predecessors”. Ghana can hopefully surmount. this albatross of over-reliance on imported rice this time round. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Ghana-to-become-self-sufficient-in-rice-production-731142
Growing rice and resilience with women in Mali
REPORT
Published
on 18 Mar 2019
Women in Mali are successfully growing more
food for their families and the market, improving their health, food security,
and communities while building resilience against climate change.
Farmers in the Koulikoro region in
south-western Mali are amongst those who have contributed the least to climate
change, yet suffer the most from its impact. Approximately 80 per cent of
Malians rely on farming or fishing, and have been hard-hit by erratic rains and
increasingly frequent droughts and floods. Communities face rising food
insecurity and poverty.
Around half of Mali’s farmers are women, who
struggle to access land, water and fertilisers. Labouring on small plots with
degraded soil, the women’s hard work yields poor returns.
“Last year’s crop was very bad throughout the
village due to the rains stopping early. The harvest was scarcely sufficient
for three months,” says Koura Sinayogo, a farmer and mother of six from Beneco
village.
“It was total poverty throughout the village
and the sadness was visible on our faces – especially we women who meet almost
all the household expenses.”
Sowing
the seeds of success
It was at this low point that Islamic Relief
Mali began working with farmers in Diago, Dio and Ouelessebougou in Kati to
improve the food security and resilience of 300 vulnerable households – around
1,800 people.
In Beneco village, 145 women and 155 men
received training in climate-adaptive farming techniques before planting 77
hectares of land with an improved rice variety. A micro-dam was also built to
store rainwater, providing irrigation throughout the dry season.
The resulting harvest was a great success, more
than doubling the yield of rice from 800 kg to 1,800 kg per hectare, giving
136,800 tons of rice in total. The bumper crop cut the lean season of food
scarcity down from six months to two.
“Without this production my family would not
eat rice because we do not have the means to buy rice on the market. Thanks to
the project, rice will no longer be a luxury but a staple,” said Koura, who
benefited from the scheme, which was funded by Islamic Relief Canada.
Empowering women to defend their rights To help
establish more gender-equitable systems, Islamic Relief Mali is also empowering
rural women to defend their rights and interests, as well as improving their
livelihoods via market gardening. Involvement in decision-making processes and
organised cooperatives is already boosting cooperation, solidarity and teamwork
among local women.
“It has been salutary for me and all the women
of the village,” explains Koura. “With the establishment of the rice producers’
cooperative, women found themselves in the management committee with men, which
was not the case in the past.
“We advance our ideas, which are taken into
account during meetings, we participate in all the trainings in sufficient
numbers, and we access inputs and equipment the same as men.”
An initial 50 peer-educators from local
cooperatives received training on women’s rights including land and inheritance
rights, women’s advocacy, leadership and empowerment. They then went on to
train 1,348 fellow cooperative members.
Putting their training into action, members of
the unions of Diago and Dio approached local officials regarding women’s lack
of access to state-subsidised fertilisers. Equipped with the tools for
effective advocacy, the women successfully secured commitments that they will
also benefit from subsidised fertilisers in the future.
Following this success, the unions are planning
more advocacy actions to challenge inequalities in women’s economic
empowerment, health, and education. Future plans involve grouping the unions
into a federation for more powerful engagement with authorities and
politicians.
Increasing
food and incomes
Islamic Relief is also working with 1,000 women
across 10 villages to establish vegetable production on market garden plots,
supplied with water via solar power. A conservation and processing unit is
being established to allow farmers to add value to their produce. Thanks to the
training in production, processing and preservation, women have been able to
improve nutrition at home, reducing malnourishment in children, as well as
increasing incomes.
Islamic Relief Mali continues to work with
communities living with the challenging effects of climate change, helping to
strengthen resilience, improve food security and livelihoods, and empower women
to tackle gender inequalities.
No proof for ‘12 million jobs’ in Nigeria’s rice
industry, as presidential aide claimed
Claim
12
million jobs created in Nigeria’s rice production industry.
Source: Lauretta
Onochie, aide to President Muhammadu Buhari (February 2019)
unproven
Verdict
Explainer: No data exists to support the claim.
·
An aide to
President Muhammadu Buhari said 12 million jobs had been created in Nigeria’s
rice production industry.
·
The
country’s statistics bureau does not keep data on jobs in rice production.
·
Experts
said the claim was possible, but there wasn’t enough data to prove it.
A man offloads rice from a truck at the
Monday-Market, one of the biggest markets in Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria
in July 2017.Photo: AFP/STEFAN HEUNIS
Rice has
become a staple food in Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country, making the
industry a priority for governments wanting to improve their track record.
But were
millions of jobs created in rice production during President Muhammadu Buhari’s
first term, as an aide claimed?
Lauretta Onochie, the president’s social media adviser, tweeted in February 2019 that “12 million jobs
have been created in the rice production industry”.
For this
reason only, she said, Nigerians would elect Buhari “again and again and
again”, suggesting the jobs were created by his government. (Note:
Buhari has since been re-elected.)
Africa
Check has previously
fact-checked a
claim by Onochie about Buhari’s achievements in putting kids back in school and
found it inaccurate.
Does
this one check out?
Source of
the data
Africa
Check has repeatedly tried to contact Onochie for the source of her data, but
she is yet to respond. We will update this report if she does.
Twitter
users have also asked for her evidence of the claim.
What is a
job?
The National Bureau
of Statistics defines
having a job as being in
employment. An employed
person is engaged in the production of goods and services,
contributing to gross domestic
product in a
legitimate manner and receiving compensation for the activity.
People
who are willing and able to work – members of the labour force – but do not, or work fewer than 20 hours
a week, are considered unemployed.
People
who work at least 20 hours but less than 40 hours a week, or work in an
activity that underutilises their skills, time or educational qualifications,
are categorised as underemployed.
Half
Nigeria’s workers employed in agriculture
The
bureau does not have data on employment
in rice production, Leo Sanni, its statistical information officer, told Africa
Check.
It does
have general data on employment in agriculture. In the third
quarter of 2017, about 77.55
million Nigerians were engaged in some form of economic activity. Of these, nearly half
(48.19%)were doing
agricultural work, according to the 2017 third quarter labour force
statistics report –
the most recent.
More than
12 million rice farmers?
The Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria claims
more than 12 million members in rice production, from farming to milling,
marketing and research.
It says its focus is to help meet Nigeria’s demand
for rice, which it estimates at 5 million tonnes a year.
The
group’s members have grown from 7 million before Buhari took office to 12.2
million “or even more”, Aminu
Muhammad, its president, told Africa Check.
He
attributed the growth to the success of the administration’s agricultural
policies. But he didn’t say
how those numbers were arrived at, or if they were equivalent to jobs.
Claim
‘possible’ but ‘difficult to check’
The
claim was possible but difficult to check, Dr Wale Oni, an agricultural
economist, told Africa Check. This is because rice production is largely
informal and its jobs seasonal.
Incentives
such as the Anchors
Borrowers’ Programme,
which helps small farmers grow more rice, and concessional lending had been
beneficial, Oni said.
“But the
claim is hard to verify. We must be provided with a methodology as to the
figure was arrived at.”
‘Enough
activities’ in rice production
Dr
Festus Awoyelu, an agricultural economist at the University of
Nigeria Nsukka, also
said the jobs claim was possible.
“Twelve
million jobs so created could be full-time jobs and not seasonal as some
believe. Rice production has many parts and [thus] enough all-year-round
activities.”
But
independently verifying the number would require a state-by-state count of rice
farmers and related jobs. Not all states keep this data, Awoyelu said.
Conclusion:
Difficult to verify that Buhari has created 12 million jobs in rice production
Lauretta
Onochie, President Muhammadu Buhari’s social media adviser, said 12 million
jobs had been created in Nigeria’s important rice industry.
But she
didn’t give the source of her claim. The country’s statistics office doesn’t
keep data on jobs in rice production.
The
industry’s largest grouping said its members had increased from 7 million
before Buhari took office to 12.2 million in 2018.
Two
agricultural economists said the jobs claim was possible, but the numbers
difficult to verify because there wasn’t enough data available.
We
therefore rate the claim as unproven.
Danish researchers make beer from sushi rice
- Last updated on GMT
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A Copenhagen restaurant is offering consumers a
new beer, which is made with surplus rice from its sushi production.
Researchers from the Technical University of
Denmark have created a method whereby Sticks ‘n’ Sushi can use excess rice to
brew the sustainable draught beer.
Making sushi requires large batches of rice to
be cooked, not all of which is used. Surplus rice is sometimes turned into
biogas or used as animal feed: but the National Food Institute at the
University has been working with spinout company Science Brew to develop a beer
recipe.
Rice beer
While Danish beer relies on barley as its base
ingredient, a number of Asian beers made from rice are available in the
country.
“While brewing a beer based on rice is not a
novel idea, the notion of using surplus rice is,” say the researchers.
The task was to develop a recipe for a beer
that uses as much surplus rice as possible – a challenge as the starchy
ingredient tends to block filters in a way that a grain-based mash does not.
German masters student Marlin Kersting
succeeded in brewing 10 liter batches using almost solely surplus rice, water
and a small amount of malt. Led by director and brewer Preben Bøje Hansen,
ScienceBrew was then able to scale this up into a workable recipe for larger
production volumes.
The resulting brew, called Gohan Biiru,
contains around 20% excess cooked rice: but Hansen believes this can be
increased.
The beer is currently available in one of
Sticks ‘n’ Sushi’s restaurant in the Lyngby district of Copenhagen, but the
chain hopes to be able to extend availability to all its restaurants.
ScienceBrew is a spinout brewer and food tech
laboratory from the Technical University of Denmark.
It works with internationally patented
technology and aims to be the centre for science, innovation, product and
business development: and a showcase for new technologies and news in the field
of food and fermentation.
Other brewers have also been experimenting with
surplus food in their brewing. Founded in London in 2015, Toast Ale is brewed
with fresh surplus bread, with all profits going to charities that address food
waste.
It has upcycled 1 million slices of bread and
brewed 454,180 litres of beer.
India may push exports via G2G trade for food
products
Worried
over a slowdown in exports, the government is looking to use India’s good
relations with other countries to push up exports through
governmentto-government (G2G) trading arrangements for food products.
By Kirtika Suneja,
ET Bureau|
Updated: Mar 17, 2019, 11.38 PM IST
Worried over a slowdown in exports, the government is
looking to use India’s good relations with other countries to push up exports
through governmentto-government (G2G) trading arrangements for food
products.
The commerce department is exploring export of non-Basmati rice to the Philippines and Indonesia, and sugar to Egypt under this mechanism to boost exports that have been hit by rising protectionism globally and slowdown in trade.
The department sent a proposal to Egypt last week to participate in its sugar tender.
“We want to increase total exports and G2G trade is one such arrangement. This was a common way to trade a decade ago and is being revived now because many countries float tenders to procure food,” said one official aware of the details. “We want to be part of that procurement.”
The commerce department is exploring export of non-Basmati rice to the Philippines and Indonesia, and sugar to Egypt under this mechanism to boost exports that have been hit by rising protectionism globally and slowdown in trade.
The department sent a proposal to Egypt last week to participate in its sugar tender.
“We want to increase total exports and G2G trade is one such arrangement. This was a common way to trade a decade ago and is being revived now because many countries float tenders to procure food,” said one official aware of the details. “We want to be part of that procurement.”
The foreign trade policy for 2015-20 has set a target of $900 billion for merchandise and services exports by 2020, which is seemingly unachievable due to muted growth of traditional exports such as gems and jewellery, farm and engineering, liquidity crunch stemming from the Goods and Services Tax, and global factors.
India’s exports rose 2.44% on year in February to $26.7 billion and the total exports for the entire 2018-19 are expected to be around $330 billion.
Agriculture is one of the nine sectors that that the department has identified to take overall exports to $400 billion in the next five years.“The talks are at a preliminary stage. We are exploring if Indian non-Basmati rice can be exported to Southeast Asian countries through our state-run trading firms,” said another official.
At present, the Philippines and Indonesia source rice under G2G tenders from Thailand and Vietnam. “Though a large part of their rice imports are done through private tenders, a small proportion of government tenders are floated and we are keen to participate in those,” the second official added.
Iraq has expressed interest in procuring wheat and rice from India. Iraq, under its government food stuff procurement scheme, primarily procures wheat flour, rice, sugar, milk powder and edible oil.
Iraq’s annual requirement of wheat is 4 million tonnes, of which 1 million tonne is imported. Of its 1 million tonne of rice requirement, one fourth was imported from Vietnam last year.
