Hafeez Sheikh rejects reports about decrease of
auto sale
By Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh
has said that economy has stabilised as a result of historic steps taken by the
present government.
Speaking on a motion regarding economic condition in the
National Assembly on Wednesday, he said the confidence of the world stands
restored in Pakistan. World institutions including the IMF, Bloomberg, World
Bank, Asian Development Bank and Moody’s are recognising government’s economic
performance. The adviser said
the stock exchange stands stabilsed and exports are increasing which witnessed
zero growth during the five year of the previous government.
He said the taxes also witnessed a growth of 16.5 percent during
the first seven months of current fiscal year. Hafeez Sheikh said the current account deficit
has been reduced from 20 billion dollars to two billion dollars whilst the
fiscal deficit has also been cut.
The adviser said the government is not only focusing to enhance
tax collection but also non tax revenue. He said we have targeted to fetch one
thousand and five hundred billion rupees through non tax revenue during the
current fiscal year. Hafeez Sheikh said the foreign direct investment has
doubled whilst the portfolio investment has fetched three billion dollars in
the first seven months of the current fiscal year. He said tourism has also
doubled during this period. The adviser on finance said despite constraints, a
serious effort is being made to bring down the prices of essential commodities.
He expressed the confidence that the inflation will come down in next one to
two months.
A big relief package has been announced through the Utility
Stores Corporation to provide essential items such as flour, rice, pulses and
sugar to the people at discounted rates. He
said we are planning to enhance the network of utility stores from four
thousand to six thousand in the next few months.
The adviser said that a ration scheme will also be launched
before Ramadan under which the deserving people will be provided with essential
items at 25 percent reduced rates through the utility stores. Hafeez Sheikh said the government has increased
the funding for social safety nets from Rs 100 billion to Rs 192 billion
, which is an unprecedented increase.
He said steps such as tightening monetary policy and
non-borrowing from State Bank of Pakistan have been taken to keep the prices
under check. Hafeez Sheikh
said 72 percent consumers are getting subsidized power including the exporters
and those consuming less than three hundred units. He said we are also trying
to check power pilferage to reduce the prices of power. He said the circular debt was increasing Rs 38
billion on monthly basis and we have brought it down to Rs 12 billion.
The adviser also rejected the impression that auto sale is on
the decline. He said different companies have registered increase in the sale
of their vehicles. The adviser
reminded that the country was at the verge of bankruptcy when the present
government assumed power.
He said we inherited a loan of thirty thousand billion rupees
and we had to return five thousand billion rupees in the first two years. He
said the current account deficit was at the history’s highest level whilst
fiscal deficit was also on an upward trajectory. Foreign exchange reserves had
nosedived due to the policy of the previous government.
The adviser said the bilateral assistance from the friendly
countries amounting to eight billion dollars and the IMF financing of six
billion dollars on easy terms as well reduction in our expenditures helped
avert the crisis.
Prime Minister Approves Multi-pronged Strategy To Control Price
Hike: Dr Firdous
Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on
Tuesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the cabinet meeting, had approved
multi-pronged strategy to control the fresh wave of price hike in the country
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point
News - 11th Feb, 2020 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM)
on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on
Tuesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the cabinet meeting,
had approved multi-pronged strategy to control the fresh wave of price hike in
the country.
In a briefing to media about cabinet's decision,
she said he had pledged to go an extra mile to break the nexus of sugar cartels
and mafia.
The special assistant said the government had
given an opportunity to sugar mafia to bring their stored stalk in the market, otherwise
the market would be
flooded with sugar and the cartels would have to face a huge loss, adding
whosoever would challenge the writ of the government be
dealt with iron hands.
She said the prime minister's
economic team along with institutions concerned briefed him in detail about the
recent wave of price hike.
She said prime minster had approved relief
package of Rs10 billion to
stabilize the price of basic
commodities as well as constituted a team to regularly monitor and control the
prevailing inflation.
According to the relief package, the government would
provide Rs2 billion per
month to the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) for the next five months to
provide subsidy on wheat, sugar, rice,
grains and edible ghee. 20 kg pack of flour would be
provided at Rs800, sugar Rs70, and edible ghee Rs175, she said adding 15 to 20
percent prices of rice
and grains would be reduced.
With the
support of the USC, 2,000 Youth Stores would be opened across the country, the
SAPM said adding, these stores would open under the umbrella of "Kamyab
Jawan Youth Programme".
This initiative of the government would
provide direct employment to
400,000 youth whereas indirectly 800,000 people would be beneficiary, she said.
Through "Kamyab Jawan Programme"
working capital in the shape of interest-free loans would be provided to the
youth and apart from that the
USC's 12 cash and carry would be opened in the biggest cities.
It was also decided in the cabinet meeting
that the USC would provide basic commodities of day to day use at the
subsidized rates to "NanBais" and small tuck shops, she said adding
five free-zones would be built alongside the Afghan border to stop
illegal smuggling of the basic commodities.
Rashan Cards would be issued before the holy
month of Ramazan to help the poor and
deserving people to buy commodities
of day to day use at 25 to 30 percent cheaper rates than the market price, she said.
She said to stabilize the sugar prices the ban
on sugar import had been
lifted whereas export of sugar had been embargoed, however, to eliminate the
regulatory duty on sugar a comprehensive strategy had been ordered by the prime minister and
the economic team was tasked to review taxes on the imports of grains.
She said under the Ehsas Kifalat programme
Rs2,000 stipend was being paid to 4.3 million poor women in the
country and Ehsas assets programme was going to be launched on 21st of this
month.
She said 20,000 women would be
benefited with the Ehsas Nutrition programme whereas 100 more langer khanas
would be opened during 2020.
She said the prime minister had
expressed dissatisfaction on the inquiry report of wheat crises in
the country and returned the same with some
observation and questionnaire to resubmit the report in fortnight.
She said the prices of electricity and gas were
increased due to flawed policies of the previous government and
the prime minister had
ordered to prepare a report to bring down the prices of electrify and gas which would
be made public.
SAPM on health Dr Zafar Mirza updated the prime minister on coronavirus and
the situation of Pakistani students
strangled in China.
Pakistan Market Monitor Report - November 2019
REPORT
Published on 12 Feb 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
·
In October 2019, the average retail price of wheat slightly
increased by 2.4% while price of wheat flour negligibly increased by 0.5% from
September 2019; the price of rice Irri-6 negligibly decreased by 0.4% while
price of rice Basmati negligibly increased by 0.1% in October 2019 when
compared to the previous month;
In October 2019, the average retail price of wheat slightly
increased by 2.4% while price of wheat flour negligibly increased by 0.5% from
September 2019; the price of rice Irri-6 negligibly decreased by 0.4% while
price of rice Basmati negligibly increased by 0.1% in October 2019 when
compared to the previous month;
·
Headline inflation based on the
Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased in October 2019 by 1.82% over September
2019 and increased by 11.04% over October 2018;
·
The prices of staple cereals
experienced negligible to slight fluctuations and most of non-cereal food
commodities in October 2019 also experienced negligible to slight fluctuations
when compared to the previous month’s prices;
·
In October 2019, the average ToT
negligibly decreased by 0.5% from previous month;
·
In November 2019, the total
global wheat production for 2019/20 is projected at 765.55 million MT,
indicating an increase of 0.3 million MT compared to the projection made in
October 2019.
Hafizabad
profiteers, hoarders taken to task
RY WAHEED
HAFIZABAD-The
district administration has warned that a stern action will be taken against
profiteers and hoarders.
READ MORE: PAF
aircraft crashes in Takht Bhai
The assistant commissioner has sealed godowns
of wholesalers Zahir Khan, Shoaib Sethi, Sheikh Abdul Salam and Sheikh Muhammad
Javed on charges of hoarding huge quantity of sugar and vegetable ghee.
On a tip off, the assistant commissioner raided
the godowns and found 620 bags of sugar and 1,300 cartons of vegetable ghee and
sealed godowns on charges of unlawfully hoarding essential items.
The district administration has advised the
wholesalers and retailers to ensure provision of consumer items at fixed prices
otherwise strict legal action would be taken against them.
The deputy commissioner said there was no
shortage of sugar and flour in the district and anyone found creating
artificial scarcity of essential items would be shown zero tolerance.
Six held for killing youth
The police have solved murder mystery of a
youth of Sukheke following recovery of his dead body from Kot Nakka Canal
Bridge and arrested six people including a woman.
According to police, Ali Sher son of Manzoor
Hussain of Mohallah Barkat Shah Sukheke had disappeared mysteriously about 12
days ago and despite hectic search by his parents and police, the deceased
could not be traced. However, his body was found in canal by some villagers
which was later identified as Ali Sher. The body was shifted to morgue in
Hafizabad and according to police the deceased was abducted and badly thrashed
and shot dead by the accused who later threw the dead body in the canal. The
deceased had contracted marriage about 18 months ago. The exact motive of the
offence could not be ascertained as yet. However, the Sukheke police have
apprehended six suspects including a women and started interrogation.
Alhaj Muhammad Ishaq Sheikh, former Central
President Pakistan Rice Exporters Association (PREA) and President TB
Association Hafizabad, passed away after protracted illness. He was 86. He was
laid to rest in local graveyard. The funeral was attended by large number of
businessmen, rice dealers and renowned personalities across the province.
Matco Foods Limited
By RECORDER REPORT on
Matco Foods Limited (PSX: MFL) was established in 1964 as a
private limited company under the Companies Ordinance 1984.
It is essentially in the business of processing and exporting
rice, along with other related products. In 1967 it set up its first rice processing
plant in Larkana, Sindh, after which it has continued to add to its production
capacity and product portfolio. Some of its known brands include Falak, Amber
and Bahar. In addition to rice and rice related products, the company has also
ventured into the flour and spices segment which it sells under the brand name
‘Falak'.
Currently it has five rice processing and milling plants
including vertically-integrated paddy drying, storage, husking and processing
facilities in Punjab and Sindh. In 2018, it commenced a new plant for the
production of Rice Glucose and Rice Protein; the plant has a capacity of
producing 10,000MT rice glucose annually and 1000MT rice protein per year.
Apart from its presence in the domestic market, MFL also exports
to countries such as the USA, Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Middle East,
Australia and South Africa among others.
Shareholding pattern
Matco Foods has largely been owned by the directors, CEO and
their spouses and children- about 60 percent. There have minor changes in
ownership in the rest of the categories between FY18 and FY19. The next major
shareholder is the foreign shareholder's category, which primarily includes the
International Finance Corporation, owning about 15 percent of MFL. The
local general public has reduced its holding from 14 percent in FY18 to 11
percent in FY19. The remaining shares are distributed between the rest of the
categories.
|
MFL: Pattern of shareholding as at June 30, 2019
|
|
|
Categories of shareholders
|
%
|
|
Directors, CEO, their spouses and children
|
60.38
|
|
Bank, DFIs, NBFCs
|
2.14
|
|
Insurance companies
|
4.9
|
|
Mutual funds
|
1.67
|
|
Foreign shareholders
|
15
|
|
General public:
|
|
|
Local
|
11.14
|
|
Foreign
|
0.91
|
|
Other
|
3.85
|
|
Total
|
100
|
|
Source: Company accounts
|
Historical operational performance
Matco Foods Limited has consistently been growing its topline.
However, during FY15 and FY16 its topline declined but the company remained
profitable, albeit lower than before. Profitability, on the other hand has been
rather fluctuating, dipping FY14 and again in FY16, after which it peaked in
FY17 and been stable since then.
The costs of production for Matco Foods have been above 80
percent of its topline through the years, of which the major constituents are
the raw materials, salaries and electricity and power.
During FY18, the company's topline grew by 10 percent year on
year which was largely driven by higher prices in the international market. The
company's basmati per metric ton commanded an export price of USD 1,119.68 on
average as compared to USD 849.83 in FY17. Moreover, the net exchange gain
pushed the net margins upwards. Gross margins did not incline due to a
corresponding elevation in costs of production for the year which consumed
about 87 percent of the sales value.
In FY19, MFL's topline increased by nearly 17 percent year on
year- the highest recorded in the last five years of operation, standing at Rs
7.8 billion as compared to previous year's Rs 6.7 billion. The increase was
again governed by high export prices, although slightly lower than that of
FY18.- USD 1045. FY19 was an overall a decent year for the rice industry, as
Pakistan's rice exports increased by almost 10 percent in terms of value,
according to the company's annual report for the year, whereas in volumetric
terms it grew by around 19 percent. MFL's own export sales recorded volumetric
growth of about 2.5 percent due to their focus on high margin basmati rice.
Recent results and future outlook
The recent result of the six months ended December 31, 2019
shows year on year growth by about 6 percent in the topline whereas the costs
of production although have increased in value terms but as a percentage of
sales, it has decreased marginally allowing gross profits to improve from Rs406
million in FY19 to Rs503 million in FY20.
|
MFL: Half yearly results for the six months ended
December 31,2019
|
|||
|
Rs (mn)
|
HY20
|
HY19
|
YoY
|
|
Net revenue- LHS
|
3,793
|
3,580
|
5.95%
|
|
Cost of sales
|
-3,290
|
-3,174
|
3.65%
|
|
Gross profit
|
503
|
406
|
23.89%
|
|
Distribution expenses
|
-95
|
-72
|
31.94%
|
|
Administrative expenses
|
-142
|
-120
|
18.33%
|
|
Other operating income
|
16
|
26
|
-38.46%
|
|
Operating profit
|
282
|
240
|
17.50%
|
|
Finance cost
|
-154
|
-120
|
28.33%
|
|
Net exchange gain/ (loss)
|
-13
|
63
|
-120.63%
|
|
Profit before taxation
|
115
|
183
|
-37.16%
|
|
Taxation
|
-37
|
-31
|
19.35%
|
|
Profit after taxation
|
78
|
152
|
-48.68%
|
|
EPS
|
0.64
|
1.24
|
|
|
Source: Company accounts
|
As has been the case across various sectors, the increase in the
policy rate caused finance costs of many companies to escalate. Similarly, MFL
also experienced a rise in its finance cost from Rs120 million in FY19 to Rs154
million in FY20. Moreover, the company also saw a net exchange loss in FY20 as
opposed to a net exchange gain of Rs63 million in FY20. Collectively these
factors caused net profit to nearly halve between the two periods.
As per MFL's annual report, the change in European law for
pesticide MRLs has hindered Indian basmati exports which made way for Pakistani
basmati exports to grow. The company expects this to continue. On the other
hand, the company's exports to other countries have contracted due to low
demand as a result of political disturbance in Middle East among other factors.
Considering the stringent economic policies adopted by the
current government, and the dependence on external sources to support the
economy stability, the company in the future plans to focus on cost controls,
operational efficiencies, and portfolio diversification. With the government's
focus to boost exports may also improve the financial performance of the
company in the future.
PAK PM'S WAGE JUST
ISN’T EVEN VALUE OPERATING A HOME
Islamabad: The wage of the PM of
Pakistan (Pakistan) just isn’t even value operating a home. Imran Khan is
unable to bear the bills of his residence from his wage. Imran Khan mentioned
this in a gathering with merchants. Actually Imran Khan was explaining to the
merchants the necessity to pay taxes.
Let us inform you that WION News Channel has acquired the wage
slip of Pakistan PM Imran Khan. In which it’s clearly written that Imran Khan
will get a complete of two,01,574 Pakistani rupees within the type of gross
wage in a month. In which Imran will get a complete of 1,96,979 Pakistanis
after deduction of taxes and many others. Let it’s mentioned that Imran Khan
accused the opposition leaders that he was getting cash by stealing tax. <!
–
->
In truth, costs of vital issues are additionally skyrocketing
attributable to inflation in Pakistan. The frequent man of Pakistan may be very
upset by this. There has been an enormous scarcity of wheat in Pakistan,
attributable to which consuming a bread in Pakistan has develop into very
costly. After the autumn within the worth of Pak rupee, the costs of pulses and
rice have additionally elevated quite a bit right here. Pulses and rice have
been additionally severely poor in a number of Pakistani states.
Let us inform you that Pakistan's PM Imran Khan mentioned this
to win the guts of the frequent man residing in Pakistan. Actually the frequent
man of Pak just isn’t getting cash based on his requirement as a result of
bread, lentils, rice and all issues of meals have develop into very costly.
Imran simply needed to point out that the situation of the frequent man of
Pakistan is identical. If you have a look at the essential wage of Imran, even
a typical man's home can run comfortably, which is 1,07,280 Pakistani rupees.
Significantly, these days the situation of Pak economic system
may be very poor. Due to the ever growing mortgage over Pakistan, Imran Khan
himself goes to different nations and asks for mortgage for Pakistan.
According to a latest World Bank report, the worth of the
Pakistani rupee has decreased by 20 p.c towards the greenback. The deficit in
Pakistan's finances can also be growing steadily. It has additionally been
advised on this report that there was an enormous discount within the income
that the Pak authorities will get.
Vietnam sees
rice export growth in January
09/02/2020 10:09
GMT+7
Vietnam exported 560,000
tonnes of rice in January 2020, earning US$270.3 million, an increase of 12 per
cent in volume and 39 per cent in value month-on-month, according to the
General Department of Customs.
 |
|
Viet
Nam posted strong growth in rice exports in January.
|
Exports rose by 28.1 per cent in
volume and 38.4 per cent in value year-on-year.
Since the start of the
winter-spring rice crop, domestic prices have remained stable while export
volume has surged. Before the Tet festival, local businesses contracts to ship
rice to the Philippines and Malaysia due to more competitive prices than other
countries.
FOB (free on board) prices stand
between $340 and $350 per tonne for five-per-cent-broken rice, falling $10-$20
for 15-per-cent broken rice and 25-per-cent broken rice.
This year, the Philippines is
expected to maintain its import volume, while the African market is forecast to
purchase 1 million tonnes, followed by Malaysia at 500,000 tonnes.
The nation also exports from
300,000 to 400,000 tonnes to Cuba each year, while Iraq buys about 300,000
tonnes. China plans to buy 400,000 tonnes of local rice every year.
Bui Thi Thanh Tam, general
director of the Northern Food Corporation, said five years ago, China was the
largest market for local rice but now Viet Nam had expanded its export markets.
This meant the coronavirus epidemic would not take a big hit on Viet Nam's rice
exports.
Do Ha Nam, vice chairman of the
Viet Nam Food Association, said China would continue to tighten rice imports
this year, so the rice import quota from Viet Nam would stay the same as last
year.
However, Viet Nam has a chance to
boost its rice exports to Japan this year because it wants to diversify its
rice import sources by seeking other suppliers from countries that have signed
the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
(CPTPP), including Viet Nam. At present, Japan depends on US rice supplies.
The Import-Export Department
under the Ministry of Industry and Trade also said, besides allocating a quota
of 20,000 tonnes of rice to all members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
this year, South Korea had given a quota of 55,112 tonnes of rice for Viet Nam,
according to a multilateral agreement between South Korea and five WTO
partners, including Australia, the US, China and Thailand.
To take this export opportunity,
local exporters were looking for more information about the Korean market and
the tariff quota mechanism to develop their production and business plans.
Nam said this year, Viet Nam was
forecast to export the same volume as 2019 or a slight increase.
However, drought and saline
intrusion were likely to reduce
rice output this year.
In addition, prices were also
expected to decline due to lower demand on the world market, according to the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Many countries have been
restructuring their agriculture sectors to move towards self-sufficiency.
Meanwhile, Viet Nam now faces
difficulties finding new rice markets.
Last year, Viet Nam experienced a
fall in rice export value of 10 per cent to $2.76 billion but a surge of 3 per
cent in export volume to nearly 6.3 million tonnes. The main reason was falling
global prices.
The Philippines was the largest
export market for Vietnamese rice with a value of $885 million, a year-on-year
rise of 92.58 per cent, according to the General Department of Customs.
Markets with strong growth in
rice export value included Senegal (98 per cent), Ivory Coast (78.6 per cent),
Taiwan (31 per cent), Hong Kong (28.3 per cent) and Tanzania (26.6 per cent).
Viet Nam’s rice has been exported
to 150 countries and territories around the world. — VNS
'We have nothing to keep the sea out': The struggle to save Spain's Ebro
Delta
Still no word
about EBA but rice likely unaffected
Khorn Savi |
Publication date 10 February 2020 | 23:11 ICT
Garment workers at a factory in Phnom Penh. The Kingdom exported
$10 billion worth of apparel to the EU last year. Hong Menea
Officials on Monday said the
government had not received an official statement regarding the EU’s potential
withdrawal of Cambodia’s Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme.
The EU launched the EBA
withdrawal procedure on February 12, citing “a deterioration of democracy [and]
respect for human rights” in the Kingdom.
It completed its report in
November after a three-month investigation and gave the government three months
to respond. Its final decision is officially due on Wednesday.
But on February 5, a document
purportedly revealing details of the EU’s decision was uploaded on the European
Parliament’s website.
The document was said to have
been submitted by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Danilo Oscar Lancini,
who is also on the MEP’s Committee of International Trade.
While it did not specify which products
were included in the possible withdrawal, rice was apparently excluded.
The commission “decided through a
delegated act to withdraw Cambodia’s EBA status on some products” but “rice is
not listed among these products,” said the document, which was cited by the
Japanese financial daily Nikkei Asian Review.
Government spokesman Phay Siphan
and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation spokesman Koy
Kuong declined to comment on Monday, saying only that the government had not
been briefed on the EU’ final decision.
Ministry of Labour and Vocational
Training spokesman Heng Sour told The Post on Monday that while he too had not
seen its official response, the government had laid out measures to boost the
Kingdom’s economy in the absence of the EBA scheme.
“We are not aware of it. But
whatever decision the EU makes, Cambodia is prepared to act flexibly and has
already outlined measures to spur its economic growth,” he stressed.
Sour said the Kingdom may see
some garment factories close in March and lay-off workers, but such closures
would be the result of supply disruption by manufacturers in China, and not
because of the possible EBA withdrawal.
He said some garment factories in
the Kingdom are facing shortages of materials after Chinese manufacturers
closed their factories indefinitely since before the Lunar New Year holiday
amid the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed over 900 lives.
Citing media reports, Cambodian
Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union president Ath Thorn said the EU is set to
withdraw the scheme either temporarily or in part on some of the Kingdom’s main
exports.
He said though the final decision
on EBA is due on Wednesday, the EU may give the government more time to
reconsider fulfilling its requirements.
He said the EU is the main buyer
of garments imported from the Kingdom. Losing the EBA status, he said, will
take a heavy toll on the sector.
Thorn stressed that of the $10
billion worth of apparel exports to the EU last year, Cambodia gained only
around $4 billion from labour and tax exemption, while the remaining went to
Chinese manufacturers who brought materials to be produced in the Kingdom for
export.
“For employers and buyers, they
are waiting to see whether the EBA will be withdrawn before planning their
investments. Most factories are waiting on the EU’s decision,” he said.
Economic analyst Hong Vannak
agreed that the government seemed to be prepared to offset the losses from the
EBA’s withdrawal.
He said the government had begun
public finance reforms by enforcing tax collection, restricting the use of
funds by state institutions, diversifying sources of revenues such as the sale
of personalised number plates and the first phase of oil extraction in the
foreseeable future.
“Furthermore, the Ministry of
Tourism can improve services to attract more tourists. Through this
diversification, the national budget will not decrease too much. It can help in
the absence of the EBA scheme,” he said.
Vannak said while the possible
EBA withdrawal will force some factories out of business and leave workers
unemployed, it remains to be seen how it will affect the sector.
The Post could not reach Garment
Manufacturers Association in Cambodia secretary-general Kaing Monika for
comment on Monday.
Cambodia ships 50,450 tonnes of rice worth 39
million USD to foreign markets in January. (Photo: phnompenhpost.com)
Cambodia’s rice exports fall 15.39 percent in January
By
February 12, 2020
Cambodia shipped 50,450 tonnes of
rice worth 39 million USD to foreign markets in January, a year-on-year decline
of 15.39 percent, according to the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF).
CRF secretary-general Lun Yeng
said that exports to the European market, the largest importer of Cambodian
rice, in the month fell 22 percent year on year to 5,269 tonnes since the EU
Commission introduced safeguard measures last year on rice imports from the
country.
However, Lun Yeng said rice
exports to the European market are set to increase in the coming months, thanks
to a drop in taxes on rice imports from 175 EUR (190.99 USD) per tonne last
year to 150 EUR this year.
Rice Prices
as on :
11-02-2020 03:34:08 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in
Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Manjeri(Ker)
|
290.00
|
NC
|
6090.00
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
35.00
|
40
|
1100.00
|
2450
|
2480
|
5.60
|
|
Kishunpur(UP)
|
31.00
|
-
|
62.00
|
1800
|
-
|
-5.26
|
|
Sehjanwa(UP)
|
20.00
|
33.33
|
1405.00
|
2545
|
2555
|
17.82
|
|
Badayoun(UP)
|
17.00
|
-5.56
|
811.50
|
2600
|
2600
|
7.22
|
|
Soharatgarh(UP)
|
16.00
|
6.67
|
1168.50
|
2520
|
2535
|
7.92
|
|
Karvi(UP)
|
9.00
|
-21.74
|
328.00
|
2320
|
2320
|
3.57
|
|
Vilthararoad(UP)
|
7.00
|
288.89
|
33.80
|
2100
|
2100
|
-
|
|
Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB)
|
5.50
|
-21.43
|
143.30
|
2600
|
2600
|
-1.89
|
|
Ruperdeeha(UP)
|
5.00
|
NC
|
146.00
|
2250
|
2250
|
2.27
|
|
Jahangirabad(UP)
|
4.00
|
NC
|
116.00
|
2600
|
2625
|
-2.26
|
|
Achalda(UP)
|
4.00
|
-20
|
113.10
|
2600
|
2600
|
17.65
|
|
Anandnagar(UP)
|
2.70
|
3.85
|
123.90
|
2545
|
2560
|
15.68
|
|
Jambusar(Kaavi)(Guj)
|
1.00
|
-
|
39.00
|
3300
|
-
|
57.14
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
55.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
-41.67
|
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article30789867.ece Canada, Bangladesh
agree to cooperate in agriculture
Staff Correspondent |
Published: 00:16, Feb 12,2020
The Global Institute for Food Security at the University of
Saskatchewan in Canada and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council have
agreed to cooperate on multidisciplinary research, training and development
partnership to ensure sustainable food security.
On Monday, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the
institute and the council under the agriculture ministry at a city hotel in
Dhaka in presence of agriculture minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque and the
Canadian province Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister David Marit, according to
a press release.
The MoU work-plan includes establishing a Bangabandhu
Chair at GIFS, linked to a similar position at BARC, in recognition of the
invaluable contribution of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in striving for food security for a newborn Bangladesh;
and also establishing an agricultural technology centre named ‘Bangabandhu –
Pierre Elliot Trudeau Agricultural Technology Centre’ in Bangladesh in joint
collaboration to reflect Canada’s support during the war of Independence of
Bangladesh and the strong, longstanding bilateral relationship.
While speaking as the chief guest, Razzaque said that the
country had made progress in agriculture despite decreasing land and water
resources, increasing natural hazards and climate change vulnerability.
He expressed his hope that the partnership with the Canadian
institute would support our government’s plans to achieve food security, and
would strengthen Bangladesh’s relationship with Saskatchewan and Canada.
Saskatchewan minister David Marit said, ‘I am happy to see that
relationship extended to our research communities, so we can further strengthen
our ties to work towards an agricultural future that can provide food security
for billions.’
The five-year memorandum with the provision for further extension
aims at advancing knowledge and technologies for agricultural research and
development in Bangladesh. A consortium will jointly be led by the institute
and the council, which coordinates the National Agricultural Research System in
Bangladesh.
The consortium will work with partners in Canada and Bangladesh
to deliver programmes focused on enhancing farmer incomes, addressing the
adverse impacts of climate change in Bangladesh, and strengthening the
country’s delivery of the sustainable development goals.
A 16-member delegation of the Canadian institute arrived in
Dhaka on February 4. As part of the memo signing programme with the council,
the delegates attended a workshop on February 6 and a joint meeting on
agricultural cooperation was held on February 8 at the council.
The delegation visited Bangladesh Agricultural Research
Institute, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman Agricultural University in Gazipur on February 9. The senior scientists
and heads of the agricultural research institutes and university professors
also attended these programmes from Bangladesh side.
The Canadian province of Saskatchewan is a leading agri-food
exporter, with $ 12.9 billion in sales in 2019. Canada’s major
agricultural exports are lentils, wheat, peas and potash fertilizer.
Researchers Find Contemporary Arsenic
Compounds In Rice Fields
Researchers find contemporary
arsenic compounds in rice fields. University of Bayreuth researchers in
conjunction with scientists from Italy and China have elementally precisely
probed under which circumstance and to what expanse sulfur entailing arsenic
compounds are constituted in rice-growing soils. Up till now, these
thioarsenates have not been considered in the evaluation of the health
influence of rice intake. The scientists recognize the pressing requirement for
research with a perspective of safeguarding consumers from health
probabilities.
Th research team spearheaded by
the Bayreuth environmental geochemist professor Britta Planer Friedrich has
advanced an estimating method by indications of which thioarsenates in rice
soils can be decisively discovered. Till now the procedures generally utilized
to observe arsenic in rice fields have not been enough for this motive. This is
because they are unable to recognize sulfur entailing arsenic compounds as such
or to differentiate them from oxygen entailing arsenic compounds. The defect is
extremely troublesome in the context of probable health issues.
At least one organic sulfur
entailing arsenic compound detected in rice fields is already familiar to be
carcinogenic. This renders it equally vital to particularly detect organic
sulfur entailing arsenic compounds and to probe them for their toxicity. Supposedly
these compounds have been demented with harmless organic oxygenated arsenic
compounds till now in the course of deficient calculative processes.
Planer Friedrich describes that
the back answer of the differing thioarsenates in rice plants and the probable
likelihood to human health emanating from them demanding need additional
research.
Bayreuth researchers discover new arsenic compounds in rice fields
Risk or opportunity for rice
cultivation?
IMAGE: PROF. DR. BRITTA PLANER-FRIEDRICH, DR. CAROLIN KERL, AND JIAJIA
WANG M.SC. (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) IN FRONT OF THE MASS
SPECTROMETER IN BAYREUTH, WHICH WAS USED TO DETECT THIOARSENATES IN... view more
CREDIT: PHOTO: JOSÉ MIGUEL LEON
NININ.
University of Bayreuth
researchers, together with scientists from Italy and China, have for the first
time systematically investigated under which conditions, and to what extent,
sulphur-containing arsenic compounds are formed in rice-growing soils. To date,
these thioarsenates have not been taken into account in assessments of the
health effects of rice consumption. In the journal Nature
Geoscience the scientists present their results and identify
the urgent need for research with a view to protecting consumers from health
risks.
A new measuring method for
thioarsenates
The research team, headed by the
Bayreuth environmental geochemist Prof. Dr. Britta Planer-Friedrich, has
developed a measuring method by means of which thioarsenates in rice soils can
be reliably detected. Up to now, the methods routinely used to monitor arsenic
in rice fields have not been sufficient for this purpose. This is because they
are not able to identify sulphur-containing arsenic compounds as such, or to
distinguish them from oxygen-containing arsenic compounds. This shortcoming is
highly problematic in terms of possible health risks. At least one organic sulphur-containing
arsenic compound discovered in rice fields is already known to be carcinogenic.
This makes it all the more important to specifically detect organic
sulphur-containing arsenic compounds, and to examine them for their toxicity.
Presumably, these compounds have been confused with non-toxic organic
oxygenated arsenic compounds up to now due to inadequate measurement
procedures.
Limit monitoring for all toxic
arsenic compounds
"The uptake of the various
thioarsenates in rice plants and the potential risks to human health arising
from them urgently require further research. Rice is the world's most important
foodstuff and secures the basis of life for more than one half of the world's
population," explains Planer-Friedrich, and calls for legally defined
limits to be set for all toxic arsenic compounds in future. "Analytical
procedures for limit monitoring, which correctly detect all of these compounds,
must become routine", says the Bayreuth scientist. At the moment, there is
only a legal limit for inorganic oxygenated arsenic compounds, while organic
oxygenated arsenic compounds are still categorized as non-toxic.
New approaches for forecasting
methods
With their new measuring method,
the researchers have observed the formation of sulphur-containing arsenic
compounds over long periods of time in rice fields in Italy and China. It turns
out the amounts of thioarsenates occurring are linked significantly to the
pH-values of the soils and other easily measurable parameters. "These
findings contain valuable starting points for the development of forecasting
methods. If in future we could predict, without great technical effort, on
which rice fields particularly large or only small amounts of
sulphur-containing arsenic compounds are to be expected, it would be an
important contribution to the assessment of health risks", says the
Bayreuth PhD student and first author of the study, Jiajia Wang MSc.
Urgent need for research on
opportunities and risks
The authors of the new study
consider further research to be indispensable in order to be able to
scientifically assess the health risks posed by thioarsenates. For example, the
exact transport routes with which these arsenic compounds are transferred from
the rice fields to the rice grains, and to what extent, must be clarified.
Studies in Bayreuth laboratories have already confirmed that sulphur-containing
arsenic compounds can enter the rice plant and even reach the rice grain.
However, based on our current state of knowledge, it cannot be ruled out that
the total arsenic contamination of rice harvests could even decrease if
sulphur-containing instead of oxygen-containing arsenic compounds are formed in
the soil. This would be the case if sulphur-containing arsenic compounds were
largely retained in the soil, or if rice plants were less able to take up these
compounds.
At the University of Bayreuth,
these relationships are being investigated in the research groups of Prof. Dr.
Britta Planer-Friedrich and of plant physiologist Prof. Dr. Stephan Clemens.
The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF) are supporting these interdisciplinary research projects.
"Our further studies will show whether thioarsenates as a whole represent
a risk or an opportunity for the production of rice containing the lowest
possible amounts of arsenic, which is hazardous to health. Only then can
further directives for water or soil management in rice fields and the targeted
breeding of new rice varieties be developed," says Planer-Friedrich.
Central Asian
Atlantis who lived on the site of the Aral sea
11 February 2020
History 11/02/20
commons.wikimedia.orderedness Atlantis who lived on the site of the Aral sea
Historical discovery was made in
2000 in the Kazakh part once one of the Aral sea. According to the stories of
scientists, the ruins of the first settlement saw the inhabitants of the
village Karateren engaged in hunting near the island Barsakelmes, which is located
approximately 300 km North-West of the city of Kyzylorda.
by the Way, the name of the island
translates from the Kazakh language is very scary “‘ll not return.” The hunters
told about the seen representatives of local government, and in 2001 we began
excavations, which were attended by the staff of the Kyzylorda state University
and other scientific institutions.
Discovered the city archaeologists
called “Aral-Asar,” which means “the Aral trail.” Area the settlement occupied
about 6 hectares and pottery found here dates from the XIV century. Near the
mound were two mausoleums, which subsequently received the name “Kerderi I” and
“Kerderi II”.
“for the First time being in this
place, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Imagine: at the bottom, strewn with white
salt could be seen the outlines of the ancient city, clearly distinguished from
the remains of mausoleums and necropolises. A first even jokingly said that
Kazakhstan found the lost Atlantis,” – said the head of the Department for
conservation and archaeological documentation of the Institute of archaeology
named after A. Kh. Margulan of the Ministry of education and science of
Kazakhstan Dmitriy Voyakin.
I Wonder what the inhabitants of
the village Karateren rumor has it that saw at least another two similar
settlements, previously hidden by the waters of the Aral sea. That is, it is
possible that we are talking about a culture previously unknown to scientists.
judging by the found instruments of
agricultural production and millstone, it turns out that the inhabitants of the
Aral-Asarand mostly engaged in agriculture. They grew rice and milled it into
flour. This is surprising because previously it was thought that in XIII-XIV
centuries Central Asia was inhabited by mainly nomadic pastoralists. However,
the huge warehouses and around the city of rice plantation with a typical
irrigation system say that local farmers could be supplying flour for export
along the silk road.
Director of the Institute of
archaeology named after A. Kh. Margulan, Karl Baipakov noted that the ancient
city was built the capital. This meant that people were not planning to leave
this place for a long time. In the center was a residential building, which on
one side abuts the industrial zone, and the necropolis with mausoleums.
scientists maintain that the
Aral-Asar was inhabited by the descendants of the Oguz and the Kipchaks. The
first are the probable ancestors of the Azerbaijani Turks and the Turkmens, and
the second participated in the ethnogenesis of modern Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Karachay
and some other people.
according to graves, the
inhabitants of the Aral-Asar professed Islam. But found in one of the crypts
gold earrings in the form of bars, biting its own tail, indicate that the
population was still strong traditions of paganism.
Researchers believe that in the
early thirteenth century, Mongol invaders destroyed the irrigation system in
the lower reaches of the Amu Darya, after which the sea almost completely dried
up. To this land came the people began to grow rice. But then nature has
recovered, the river carried its waters to the sea. The farmers had to leave
their homes to relocate.
Although it is possible that the
shallowing of the sea has nothing to do with the activities of the Mongol
invaders, and happens periodically for natural reasons.
the journalist of the newspaper
“Kyzylorda news”, Kazybek Botev, in the article “Discovering the secrets of the
Aral sea” (dated 5 December 2017) noted that recent studies conducted by
researchers in the dried bottom of the Aral sea, support the hypothesis of the
founder of Kazakhstan school of archaeology Alkey Margulan (1904-1985 gg.). The
academician suggested that in ancient times in this territory there was a
developed culture containing about 40 cities and settlements.
At the time the scientific world
was skeptical of the idea of A. H. Margulan, because then among historians was
dominated by the theory of the irreconcilable enmity that existed between the
nomadic pastoralists and settled cultivators. It was thought that in the middle
Ages the Aral sea was a bare steppe, because of the warlike tribes of breeders
for its regular attacks are just not allowed to develop there agricultural
culture.
“currently Kazakhstan scientists
completely refute a pre-existing opinion on the separate existence of the
cultures of the nomads and the people who have moved to a settled way of life
at an early stage of development of society. Close communication between the
nomads and residents of cities contributed to the formation of some steppe
culture. It proves a variety of everyday objects, found during excavations of
the ancient settlement Aral-Asar,” wrote Kazybek Botev, referring to the
opinion of the scientific employee of a state institution for protection of
monuments of history and culture of Kyzylorda region Erkebulan Eleuova.
the Fact that the Aral sea was
periodically filled with water or dry up, you can see even by the works of
Greek scientists. For example, the famous historian Herodotus (484-425 BC)
claimed that the Caspian sea and the Aral sea are a single body of water.
Perhaps in its time it was. But the Byzantine author of the VI century Menander
Protector in his essay “History” told more about the sea, but of a system of
lakes, on the banks of which was located the whole city.
More gold archaeologists, as you
know, appreciate the broken pots. The ancient settlement Aral-Asar is a great
material for research, which is still in progress. Here scientists found a
variety of ceramic tiles, grinding stones, remnants of a brick plant, copper
coins, various domestic utensils, jewelry, etc.
Professor of the Kyzylorda
statetion of the University Ablay (Ablai) of Aydosov noticed that the
Foundation of the mausoleum “Kerderi” was built of stone slabs and was a very
solid construction, and the walls of the building were made of baked bricks.
Moreover, their thickness is over a meter. The facade of the medieval builders
was decorated with glazed tiles, and the entrance to the mausoleum housed the
inscriptions in Golden letters in the Arabic language.
analysis of the burials revealed
that among the inhabitants of the Aral-Asar was a marked social stratification,
burial of aristocrats easily distinguished by massive tombstones and General
decoration.
it is Noteworthy that in the
mausoleum, someone from the farmers hid a big jug with tools resembling modern
axes. As suggested by the researchers, the man was hoping to use them after I
do the water and he will return to his native land, but his plans were never
realized.
Origanum Tanatarova
Now Rajama-rice threatened with corona virus
BY JACK
"OLE" PITSU ON FEBRUARY 11, 2020
new Delhi. Countries around the world are worried about the corona
virus. In China, the number of people who die due to this virus is increasing.
In China, the death toll due to corona virus has crossed 1 thousand.
Infection of this virus is
spreading in many countries of the world. Worry is not just because of illness.
Corona virus has been affected in many ways. Business from China has also been
affected.
Countries around the world do
business with China. India is also one of them. We import many things from
China and also sell many items. Those businesses have been affected by the
Corona virus. <! –
->
Its prices in India have been affected due to the impact on imports and exports.
Its prices in India have been affected due to the impact on imports and exports.
Rajma prices have increased in the
last 10 days due to the corona virus spreading in China. Rajma prices in India
have increased by 8 percent in the last 10 days. However, it has not had much
effect yet.
But if the lock-down situation in
China prolongs due to the Corona virus and because of that imports from there
are affected, then its effect will increase further.
India imports 50 per cent of its
requirement from Rajma from China. Rajma is one of the main food items imported
from China. In the last 10 days, prices of Rajma have reached $ 1100 per ton in
the global market. This is an increase of about 8 percent.
Import-export work has stopped at
Dalian Port in China. Due to the shutdown, 300 containers of Rajma coming to
India are kept at the port.
But importing them is not possible
right now. These containers contain about 24 tonnes of kidney beans. Experts
are telling that this shipment will still take about a month to reach India. By
then the prices of Rajma will become more expensive.
WASDE: Soy Ending Stocks Down on
Increased China Purchases
From USDA - February 11 WASDE
Report
WHEAT: The outlook for
2019/20 U.S. wheat is for stable supplies, increased exports, and decreased
ending stocks. The only supply or use category that was changed this
month was a 25 million bushel increase in exports reflecting growing
competitiveness in international markets. Ending stocks are cut by a
corresponding amount and are now forecast to total 940 million bushels, a
five-year low.
Global wheat supplies are lowered
fractionally on small and mostly offsetting changes to beginning stocks and
production. World exports are increased 1.8 million tons led by a
1.0-million-ton increase for the EU on strong shipments and more competitive
prices. Kazakhstan is raised 0.8 million tons, also on a fast export
pace. United States is increased 0.7 million tons and is projected to
have the largest exports in three years. Partly offsetting are export
reductions of 0.5 million tons for Canada and 0.3 million tons for Pakistan.
World imports for 2019/20 are raised 1.9 million tons led by a
0.8-million-ton increase for China and a 0.7-million-ton increase for Turkey,
both on a strong pace to date. There are also several historical
revisions for trade, consumption, and ending stocks reflecting updated export
data, particularly for Pakistan. For the 2019/20 market year, global
consumption and ending stocks are lowered fractionally though world ending
stocks remain record large.
COARSE GRAINS: This month’s 2019/20 U.S.
corn outlook is little changed relative to last month, with offsetting changes
to exports and corn used for ethanol. Exports are lowered 50 million
bushels, reflecting the slow pace of shipments through January. Offsetting
is a 50 million bushel increase in corn used for ethanol, based on Grain
Crushings and Co-Products Production data through December and the robust pace
of weekly ethanol production data as reported by the Energy Information
Administration during the month of January. With no other use changes,
U.S. corn ending stocks are unchanged from last month. The season-average
corn price received by producers is also unchanged at $3.85 per bushel.
Global coarse grain production
for 2019/20 is projected 0.9 million tons higher to 1,402.7 million. This
month’s foreign coarse grain outlook is for larger production and consumption,
and lower stocks relative to last month. Global corn production is raised
0.8 million tons, with increases for South Africa, Moldova, and Ukraine more
than offsetting a reduction for Vietnam. For South Africa, production is
higher as timely rainfall during the month of January improves yield
prospects.
Major global trade changes for
2019/20 include higher projected corn exports for South Africa, Ukraine, and
the EU, with a largely offsetting reduction for the United States. Corn
imports are raised for Turkey and Brazil, with the latter reflecting
larger-than-expected shipments to livestock production areas in the southern part
of the country. Foreign corn ending stocks are down from last month,
mostly reflecting reductions for Vietnam, Brazil, Paraguay, and the EU.
Global corn ending stocks, at 296.8 million tons, are down 1.0 million
from last month.
RICE: This month’s outlook for
2019/20 U.S. rice is for increased imports, higher exports, and larger ending
stocks. All rice imports are raised 2.4 million cwt to a record 32.5
million on an extremely fast pace so far in the market year. Long-grain
imports are raised 1.5 million cwt consisting largely of fragrant varieties
from Asia. Combined medium- and short-grain imports are raised 0.9
million cwt on continued imports from China. Total rice exports are
raised 1.0 million cwt (all long-grain) reflecting a strong pace of shipments
so far in the market year and an abnormally large outstanding sales balance.
All rice ending stocks are raised 1.4 million cwt to 30.0 million and the
season-average farm price is lowered $0.20 per cwt to $13.00, still the highest
price in 5 years.
Global 2019/20 rice supplies are
raised fractionally with higher beginning stocks mostly offset by lower
production. Global exports are lowered 0.8 million tons led by a
0.6-million-ton decrease for India reflecting a slowing pace. Global imports
are down 0.4 million tons and world consumption is down 0.9 million; both
reflecting several downward revisions. With supplies higher and
consumption lower, global ending stocks are raised 1.0 million tons to a record
high 178.1 million.
OILSEEDS: This month’s 2019/20
U.S. soybean outlook is for increased exports and lower ending stocks.
Soybean exports for 2019/20 are projected at 1.825 billion bushels, up 50
million from last month partly reflecting increased imports for China.
With soybean crush unchanged, soybean ending stocks are reduced 50
million bushels to 425 million.
The U.S. season-average soybean
price for 2019/20 is forecast at $8.75 per bushel, down 25 cents reflecting
reported prices to date. The soybean oil price forecast is lowered 0.5
cents to 33.5 cents per pound. The soybean meal price forecast is
unchanged at $305.00 per short ton.
This month’s 2019/20 global
oilseed outlook includes higher production, trade, and stocks relative to last
month. Global oilseed production is raised 2.2 million tons to 576.8
million, with higher soybean, sunflowerseed, and cottonseed production.
Partly offsetting is lower palm kernel production. Soybean
production for Brazil is increased 2 million tons to 125 million due to
favorable weather in Mato Grosso as well as improved rainfall in southern and
northeastern soybean areas. Sunflowerseed production is increased for
Ukraine on a higher yield. Palm kernel and palm oil production are
reduced for Malaysia and Indonesia on current production to date and dry
weather conditions throughout the past year.
Global 2019/20 oilseed exports
are raised mainly on a 2.4-million-ton increase to soybean trade. China’s
soybean imports are increased 3 million tons to 88 million reflecting higher
soybean crush. Correspondingly, soybean exports are increased for the
United States, Brazil, and Ukraine. Global soybean ending stocks are 2.2
million tons higher than last month, with higher stocks for China and Brazil.
SUGAR: Mexico sugar production for
2019/20 is projected at 5.672 million metric tons (MT), a reduction of 99,994
from last month. This forecast matches the survey-based estimate made by
CONADESUCA on February 5. Imports and domestic deliveries are unchanged.
Ending stocks are increased slightly to reflect 2.5 months of forecast
domestic sugar use before the start of the 2020/21 sugarcane harvest.
These changes of 101,388 MT flow through to a reduction of forecast
exports. Exports outside of those shipments under license to the United
States are reduced to 32,951 MT, an amount estimated by CONADESUCA that is
equal to exports through January 26. Exports to the United States are
reduced by 94,296 MT to 1.469 million.
Total U.S. supply for 2019/20 is
reduced by 33,694 short tons, raw value (STRV) on lower forecast imports.
Imports from Mexico are reduced 110,180 STRV to 1.717 million. TRQ
imports are increased by 70,486 STRV to 1.674 million. This increase
reflects the USTR reallocation of unused country-specific quota allocations for
the fiscal year 2019/20 WTO raw sugar TRQ announced on February 6. The
resulting raw sugar WTO shortfall is projected at 40,000 STRV. There are
no changes to use. Ending stocks are projected at 1.516 million STRV,
implying an ending stocks-to-use ratio of 12.36 percent, down from 12.69
percent last month.
LIVESTOCK, POULTRY, AND DAIRY: The 2020 forecast for
total red meat and poultry production is raised from last month on higher
forecast beef, pork, and broiler production. The beef production forecast
is raised from the previous month on higher cattle slaughter and heavier cattle
weights in the first half of the year. However, the forecasts for second
half beef production is reduced on lower anticipated steer and heifer slaughter
in the second half of the year. This reflects a smaller number of cattle
outside feedlots implied by the January 1 Cattle report which results in lower
placements during 2020. Pork production is raised on higher expected hog
slaughter and heavier carcass weights. Broiler production is raised on recent
hatchery data which shows continued growth in the laying flock. The
turkey production forecast is decreased as hatchery data points toward slower
expected production growth. Forecast egg production is increased.
Estimates of 2019 red meat, poultry, and egg production are adjusted to
reflect December data.
For 2020, the beef export
forecast is lowered slightly reflecting weakness in several markets, but no
change is made to the beef import forecast. The pork export forecast is
raised from last month on expected robust global demand. The turkey
export forecast is reduced from last month. Broiler and egg trade
forecasts are unchanged for 2020. Livestock, poultry and egg trade
estimates for 2019 are adjusted to reflect December trade data.
Fed-cattle prices for the first
quarter of 2020 are lowered from last month on recent prices. Hog price
forecasts are reduced from last month on increased production. Broiler,
turkey, and egg price forecasts are raised from the previous month as demand
remains strong.
The milk production forecast for
2020 is unchanged from last month. The 2020 fat basis export and import
forecasts are unchanged from the previous month. On a skim-solids basis,
the import forecast is unchanged while the export forecast is raised on the
strength of international demand for nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder.
Dairy supply and use estimates for 2019 are adjusted to reflect December
data.
Annual product price forecasts
for cheese and butter are lowered from the previous month as demand remains
relatively weak. The 2020 nonfat dry milk forecast is unchanged while the
whey price forecast is raised from last month. The Class III price is
reduced on the lower cheese price forecast while the Class IV price is reduced,
reflecting a lower butter price forecast. The 2020 all milk price
forecast is reduced to $18.85 per cwt.
COTTON: The U.S. cotton
estimates for 2019/20 are unchanged, except for a 1 cent-per-pound reduction in
the season-average upland farm price, to 62 cents, 8.3 cents lower than in
2018/19.
The 2019/20 world cotton
forecasts include a 2.5-million-bale increase in ending stocks, driven by both
larger production and lower consumption. A 1-million-bale decline in
China’s expected consumption is the largest single change this month:
consumption is lower despite the positive impact of the U.S.-China trade
agreement, due in part to the negative economic effects of the novel
coronavirus outbreak. Consumption is also projected lower in Vietnam but
higher in Pakistan and Turkey. Production in Brazil in 2018/19 is revised
upward by 480,000 bales reflecting higher production in Mato Grosso.
Pakistan, Brazil, and Tanzania production in 2019/20 is revised upward.
Total production changes this month come to a 1.3-million-bale global
increase, while total consumption changes net to a 1.2-million-bale reduction.
Kirinyaga rice farmers welcome Sh85 price for kilogramme
President
Uhuru Kenyatta made the announcement during a visit to the region last week.
In Summary
• The farmers previously sold unprocessed rice to brokers at
Sh60 per Kilogramme.
• Poor prices have been blamed on cheap imports that saturate
the local market.
Governor Ann Waiguru (5th R) during in a rice mill in
Wang'uru town on Monday
Alice Waithera
Alice Waithera
Governor Ann Waiguru in a rice mill in Wang'uru town.
Alice Waithera
Alice Waithera
Mwea rice farmers are pleased by
the government’s announcement that it will buy their unprocessed rice for Sh85
a kilogramme.
President Uhuru Kenyatta made the
announcement during a visit to the region last week. The president ordered the
Ministry of Agriculture to act swiftly. He said the government had set up a
Sh500 million revolving fund that will be used to buy rice from farmers.
Uhuru added that the Kenya
National Trading Cooperation would buy rice directly and sell it to public
institutions such as schools, prisons, the police and army barracks, which have
been instructed to consume locally grown rice. Farmers will receive their
payments through their cooperative societies.
The news came as a sigh of relief
following complaints about exploitation by unscrupulous middlemen who have been
buying for Sh60. Governor Ann Waiguru had called for the government’s
intervention, saying farmers had been selling their produce at a throwaway
price. She expressed fears that many farmers would abandon rice farming because
of poor prices.
On Monday, Governor Waiguru said
the interventions announced by the government would alleviate poverty.
She visited a rice mill at Wang’uru. Waiguru said the
measures will help control cheap rice imports that have been saturating
the local market and occasioning losses to farmers. She said the cheap imports
are of low quality.
"The offer by the government
to buy rice from farmers comes as a great relief to them after suffering losses
for a long time," she said.
The governor urged the government
to impose more levies on imported rice to discourage importation and create a
bigger demand for local rice. She expressed confidence that private
millers will be compelled to increase their prices after the government fixes
the prices at Sh85. Farmers will also benefit from subsidised fertilisers,
which, previously, only reached a few.
"Genuine farmers have been
missing out on the subsidised fertiliser as it was bought by unscrupulous
people who then sold it to farmers at exorbitant prices," Waiguru said.
She asked the Agriculture
ministry to ensure the fertiliser is sold to farmers according to their
acreage.
Wang’uru town, whose main
economic activity is rice trade, will also benefit from the tarmacking of 30
kilometres of roads. Construction works are expected to start in April. The
enhanced road network will boost the movement of people and goods, hence
enabling rice business to boom.
The county government is also
upgrading 230km roads that cut through the Mwea irrigation scheme. Waiguru
said 15km will be upgraded every day. The county road construction machinery
will focus on the project.
The devolved unit also plans to build a rice husk factory that
will make boards out of the husks that normally go to waste. The boards will be
used to make furniture, among other things. This is part of the value addition
programme meant to ensure farmers boost their incomes.
Researchers discover new arsenic
compounds in rice fields
Prof. Dr. Britta Planer-Friedrich, Dr. Carolin Kerl, and Jiajia
Wang M.Sc. (from left to right) in front of the mass spectrometer in Bayreuth,
which was used to detect thioarsenates in rice soils. Credit: José Miguel Leon
Ninin.
University of Bayreuth researchers, together
with scientists from Italy and China, have for the first time systematically
investigated under which conditions, and to what extent, sulphur-containing
arsenic compounds are formed in rice-growing soils. To date, these
thioarsenates have not been taken into account in assessments of the health
effects of rice consumption. In the journal Nature Geoscience the
scientists present their results and identify the urgent need for research with
a view to protecting consumers from health risks.
A new measuring method for thioarsenates
The research team, headed by the Bayreuth
environmental geochemist Prof. Dr. Britta Planer-Friedrich, has developed a
measuring method by means of which thioarsenates in rice soils
can be reliably detected. Up to now, the methods routinely used to
monitor arsenic in
rice fields have not been sufficient for this purpose. This is because they are
not able to identify sulphur-containing arsenic compounds as such, or to
distinguish them from oxygen-containing arsenic compounds. This shortcoming is
highly problematic in terms of possible health
risks. At least one organic sulphur-containing arsenic compound
discovered in rice fields is already known to be carcinogenic. This makes it
all the more important to specifically detect organic sulphur-containing
arsenic compounds, and to examine them for their toxicity. Presumably, these
compounds have been confused with non-toxic organic oxygenated arsenic
compounds up to now due to inadequate measurement procedures.
Limit monitoring for all toxic arsenic
compounds
"The uptake of the various thioarsenates
in rice plants and the potential risks to human health arising from them
urgently require further research. Rice is the world's most important foodstuff
and secures the basis of life for more than one half of the world's
population," explains Planer-Friedrich, and calls for legally defined
limits to be set for all toxic arsenic compounds in future. "Analytical
procedures for limit monitoring, which correctly detect all of these compounds,
must become routine", says the Bayreuth scientist. At the moment, there is
only a legal limit for inorganic oxygenated arsenic compounds, while organic
oxygenated arsenic compounds are still categorized as non-toxic.
New approaches for forecasting methods
With their new measuring method, the
researchers have observed the formation of sulphur-containing arsenic compounds
over long periods of time in rice fields in Italy and China. It turns out the
amounts of thioarsenates occurring are linked significantly to the pH-values of
the soils and other easily measurable parameters. "These findings contain
valuable starting points for the development of forecasting methods. If in
future we could predict, without great technical effort, on which rice fields
particularly large or only small amounts of sulphur-containing arsenic
compounds are to be expected, it would be an important contribution to the
assessment of health risks", says the Bayreuth Ph.D. student and first
author of the study, Jiajia Wang MSc.
Urgent need for research on opportunities and
risks
The authors of the new study consider further
research to be indispensable in order to be able to scientifically assess the
health risks posed by thioarsenates. For example, the exact transport routes
with which these arsenic compounds are transferred from the rice fields to the
rice grains, and to what extent, must be clarified. Studies in Bayreuth
laboratories have already confirmed that sulphur-containing arsenic compounds
can enter the rice plant and even reach the rice grain. However, based on our
current state of knowledge, it cannot be ruled out that the total arsenic
contamination of rice harvests could even decrease if sulphur-containing
instead of oxygen-containing arsenic compounds are formed in the soil. This
would be the case if sulphur-containing arsenic compounds were largely retained
in the soil, or if rice plants were less able to take up these compounds.
At the University of Bayreuth, these
relationships are being investigated in the research groups of Prof. Dr. Britta
Planer-Friedrich and of plant physiologist Prof. Dr. Stephan Clemens. The
German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF) are supporting these interdisciplinary research projects.
"Our further studies will show whether thioarsenates as a whole represent
a risk or an opportunity for the production of rice containing the lowest
possible amounts of arsenic, which is hazardous to health. Only then can
further directives for water or soil management in rice fields and the targeted
breeding of new rice varieties be developed," says Planer-Friedrich.
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How to make the best fried rice,
according to physics
Scientists have analyzed motions that chefs use to toss the
food into the air during cooking
Physicists
have revealed how chefs in Chinese restaurants move their woks to launch rice
in the air, preventing burning.
SERGE_BERTASIUS/ISTOCK /GETTY IMAGES
PLUS
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To make fried rice like a pro, use physics.
Chefs typically toss fried rice from their woks into the air
before catching it again. Launching the rice and its fixings allows the food to
cook at a high temperature without burning, essential for creating the tastiest
stir-fried fare. Now, using video of five chefs in Chinese restaurants,
physicists have analyzed the repetitive movements used to toss the rice.
These chefs made a specific set of motions that repeated about
three times a second, the researchers report February 12 in the Journal
of the Royal Society Interface. Each repetition includes sliding
the wok back and forth while simultaneously rocking it to and fro, using the
rim of the stovetop as a fulcrum.
Cooking fried rice like a pro requires tossing it in
the air to avoid burning. Physicists analyzed details of chefs’ movements and
report that sliding and rocking motions repeat about three times a second,
launching the food from a wok. Blue lines track the edges of the pan, with the
left side moving clockwise and the right side counterclockwise. The red line
notes the motion of the wok’s center.
Similarly complex maneuvers come into play when cooking other
foods: Tilting and rotating the pan is necessary to get smooth, flat crepes, for example (SN: 6/19/19).
By simulating the trajectories of rice in a wok, the researchers
hit on some key culinary tips. The rocking and sliding motions shouldn’t be
totally in sync, otherwise the rice won’t mix well and could burn. And the
wok’s movements should repeat rapidly. Moving the wok even faster could launch
the rice higher, and might allow cooking at higher temperatures, and perhaps a
quicker meal.
But faster shaking may be
difficult for chefs to achieve. According to previous studies, chefs at Chinese
restaurants can struggle with shoulder pain, and rapidly shaking a wok could be
part of the problem. The researchers suggest that a stir-frying robot could be
built based on these results, taking the weight off chefs’ shoulders.
CITATIONS
H. Ko and D.L. Hu. The physics of tossing fried rice.Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
Published online February 12, 2020. doi:10.1098/rsif.2019.0622.
Manila Water Foundation honors 4 engineers for social-impact
inventions
Published February 11, 2020, 10:00 PM
Engr. Alexis T. Belonio, an agricultural engineer, was awarded
for his rice husk gasifier stove design which he shares for free in order to
cut costs and help save the environment by using rice husk and other biowastes.
Manila Water Foundation (MWF)
honored four Filipino engineers who made significant social impact at the MWF
Prize for Engineering Excellence Awarding Ceremony on February 3 at Seda Hotel
Vertis North in Quezon City.
The Manila Water Foundation Prize
for Engineering Excellence (The Prize) is the only recognizing body in the
Philippines that honors engineers who made notable contributions in solving
development problems in the areas of water, sanitation, environment, and
sustainability.
In partnership with the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Technological
Council (PTC),the umbrella organization of the thirteen professional
engineering organizations in the Philippines, The Prize honored four awardees
this year – Engr. Alexis T. Belonio, Dr. Michael A. Gragasin, Dr.Ruel M.
Mojica, and Dr. Francis Aldrine A. Uy.
Engr. Belonio,an agricultural
engineer, is the man behind the rice husk gasifier stove. His technology allows
people to have a more affordable alternative to LPG by using rice husk, a
common bio-waste from rice production, as its main source of fuel. Through this
invention, more Filipino families can now allot additional budget for food and
other important items as each sack of rice husk can be purchased for only P10
and is already sufficient for one-week use. For the same invention, Engr.
Belonio has received the Rolex Award for Enterprise for turning his technology
into open source, making its fabrication cost more affordable.
Also an agricultural engineer,
Dr. Gragasin worked on making milling machines more accessible to farmers.
Through his inventions, the compact corn mill and impeller rice mill ,farmers
can now process their own crops and won’t need to rely on commercial millers or
sell their produce at a low price to traders.
With these machines and the capacity-building activities Dr.Gragasin spearheads, farmers can now increase their income from ₱5 per kilo to around ₱14 to ₱25per kilo. Production costs for corn and rice, which are staple food in the country, are also maintained at a low cost making these grains more affordable for each Filipino.
With these machines and the capacity-building activities Dr.Gragasin spearheads, farmers can now increase their income from ₱5 per kilo to around ₱14 to ₱25per kilo. Production costs for corn and rice, which are staple food in the country, are also maintained at a low cost making these grains more affordable for each Filipino.
Dr. Mojica, another agricultural
engineer, has a vision to empower low-income coffee farmers to increase their
financial viability by involving them in value-adding activities such as
roasting. To make this happen, he invented the Bravura Coffee Roasting Machine
and has partnered with a local manufacturer to help him fabricate the machine
at the lowest possible cost. Compared to imported and commercially available
roasters, his machine is at least 50% cheaper and offers local support to
farmers such as trainings on coffee science, business operation, and marketing.
Now, more coffee farmers reap the benefits of being able to turn their green
coffee into roasted coffee beans as their profit increases by at least 50%.
Lastly, Dr. Uy, a civil engineer,
commits to make our communities less vulnerable to the adverse effects of
earthquakes. Taking his profession to heart, he invented the Universal
Structural Health Evaluation and Recording (USHER) System, a device which can
be used to continuously gather data and monitor the structural health and
integrity of buildings and other structures.
The data gathered from his invention will allow structural engineers to have better basis for assessment if it is safe to go back in a building after an earthquake which can prevent injuries and possible loss of lives.
The data gathered from his invention will allow structural engineers to have better basis for assessment if it is safe to go back in a building after an earthquake which can prevent injuries and possible loss of lives.
Now on in its third run, MWF,
PTC, and DOST conduct a biennial nationwide search for extraordinary Filipino
engineers to recognize their contributions, help them achieve a wider reach and
help promote their technologies to contribute to national progress.
Manila Water Foundation Chairman
Rene Almendras shared, “I hope that we will be able to continue this
partnership not only to recognize the greatness of Filipino engineers, but more
importantly, to help promote positive change for marginalized communities
through the innovations our engineers make.”
Related Posts
What is the body clock?
11 February 2020
Part of the show
Eat, Sleep, Repeat: Body Clock Science
ALARM CLOCK
CC0, via Pixabay
What exactly is the body clock?
Megan McGregor has been finding out...
Megan - How do we know when to
wake up without an alarm? Why don’t we just keep sleeping? For that we have our
body clock to thank. It's our body’s way of keeping track of time to coordinate
vital functions like metabolism, when we eat and when we grow and repair our
tissues.
The body clock is powered by a
cluster of nerve cells called the supra-chiasmatic nucleus, or SCN. This rice
grain sized structure sits in the brain's hypothalamus.
The SCN "ticks" like a
genetic domino effect: a series of genes turn on and off in sequence, producing
proteins that turn on the next gene and turn off the first one. The whole
process takes about 24 hours to complete the genetic cycle.
The clock's time is updated by
signals sent from the retina, which uses daylight to reset the system. This is
how we adapt to jet lag.
The SCN transmits the time signal
to the rest of the brain through connections to other nerve cells, and to the
rest of the body by controlling the release of the hormone cortisol from the
pituitary gland.
The cortisol signal is carried through the bloodstream to pass
on the time signal to every cell in the body. This means that literally every
one of our organs knows what time it is, and metabolism is efficiently synced
up in all of them, helping us to perform at our best each day...
Rice shipments
seen below 10m tonnes
PUBLISHED : 12 FEB 2020 AT 07:21
Thailand is expected to ship 7.5
million tonnes of rice this year, a drop below 10 million tonnes for the second
straight year, due to the strong baht, decreasing competitiveness and low
supply because of widespread drought.Keerati Rushchano, director-general of the
Foreign Trade Department, said 3.17 million tonnes of the total will be white
rice, shipped primarily to the Philippines, Angola, Benin, Cameroon and China,
with parboiled rice making up 2.23 million tonnes and Thai hom mali rice 1.1 million tonnes. The remainder is
glutinous rice and other types of grains.
Export value is estimated at 131
billion baht this year.
The department said yesterday
that Thailand shipped 7.58 million tonnes in 2019, fetching 131 billion baht,
down 32% and 25% respectively.
The biggest export market was
Benin, which imported 1.07 million tonnes of Thai rice, followed by South
Africa at 730,000 tonnes and the US at 560,000 tonnes.
Mr Keerati said the sharp drop in
exports last year stemmed from the strong baht, which made Thai rice prices
higher than competitors' rates.
China also turned from an
importer to a rice exporter, draining its huge stocks of 120 million tonnes and
reducing the Thai market share in Africa.
Mr Keerati said Thailand lacks
diversity in rice varieties to compete in the world market. The government has
set up a panel that includes representatives from the Rice Department, the Thai
Rice Exporters Association, the Thai Rice Millers Association and farmers to
develop soft-textured rice varieties that are popular in the global market.
Because customers' tastes have
changed, the government wants to develop soft-textured grains such as Kor Khor
79 with good quality and high yield. Officials also want rice to compete in the
lower-priced segment.
"The development plan will
be concluded as soon as possible, hopefully around May," Mr Keerati said.
Charoen Laothamatas, president of
the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said Thailand has shipped the same rice
varieties for 30 years and needs a more diverse selection to deal with changing
market demand and consumer behaviour.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1855469/rice-shipments-seen-below-10m-tonnes
Canada, Bangladesh
agree to cooperate in agriculture
Staff Correspondent | Published: 00:16, Feb 12,2020
The Global Institute for Food Security at the University of
Saskatchewan in Canada and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council have
agreed to cooperate on multidisciplinary research, training and development
partnership to ensure sustainable food security.
On Monday, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the
institute and the council under the agriculture ministry at a city hotel in
Dhaka in presence of agriculture minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque and the
Canadian province Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister David Marit, according to
a press release.
The MoU work-plan includes establishing a Bangabandhu
Chair at GIFS, linked to a similar position at BARC, in recognition of the
invaluable contribution of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in striving for food security for a newborn Bangladesh;
and also establishing an agricultural technology centre named ‘Bangabandhu –
Pierre Elliot Trudeau Agricultural Technology Centre’ in Bangladesh in joint
collaboration to reflect Canada’s support during the war of Independence of
Bangladesh and the strong, longstanding bilateral relationship.
While speaking as the chief guest, Razzaque said that the
country had made progress in agriculture despite decreasing land and water
resources, increasing natural hazards and climate change vulnerability.
He expressed his hope that the partnership with the Canadian
institute would support our government’s plans to achieve food security, and
would strengthen Bangladesh’s relationship with Saskatchewan and Canada.
Saskatchewan minister David Marit said, ‘I am happy to see that
relationship extended to our research communities, so we can further strengthen
our ties to work towards an agricultural future that can provide food security
for billions.’
The five-year memorandum with the provision for further
extension aims at advancing knowledge and technologies for agricultural
research and development in Bangladesh. A consortium will jointly be led by the
institute and the council, which coordinates the National Agricultural Research
System in Bangladesh.
The consortium will work with partners in Canada and Bangladesh
to deliver programmes focused on enhancing farmer incomes, addressing the
adverse impacts of climate change in Bangladesh, and strengthening the
country’s delivery of the sustainable development goals.
A 16-member delegation of the Canadian institute arrived in
Dhaka on February 4. As part of the memo signing programme with the council,
the delegates attended a workshop on February 6 and a joint meeting on
agricultural cooperation was held on February 8 at the council.
The delegation visited Bangladesh Agricultural Research
Institute, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman Agricultural University in Gazipur on February 9. The senior scientists
and heads of the agricultural research institutes and university professors
also attended these programmes from Bangladesh side.
The Canadian province of Saskatchewan is a leading agri-food
exporter, with $ 12.9 billion in sales in 2019. Canada’s major
agricultural exports are lentils, wheat, peas and potash fertilizer.
Japan
grants N55m to Ekiti rice farmers By Raphael Ogbonnaiye, Ado-Ekiti |
Published
Date Feb 12, 2020 5:01 AM
A grant of $148,209 (N55 million) to
facilitate provision of modern equipment for local rice farmers in Ekiti State
has been made to the government for rice production. Agreement for the grant
was signed by the Ambassador of Japan in Nigeria, Mr. Kikuta Yutaka, and New
Initiative for Social Development (NISD) Programme Manager, Mr. Martins
Ogunlade, representing the civil society body facilitators of the grant. It is
to assist rice farmers from Gbonyin LGA with farming equipment such as power
tillers and combined harvesters. The state government was represented at the
signing ceremony by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Folorunso Olabode;
Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Partnerships, Mrs Margaret
Fagboyo; and Special Assistant to the Governor on Civil Society Matters, Biodun
Oyeleye. The scheme was floated under the Japanese Grant Assistance for
Grassroots Human Security Projects. Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Yutaka
expressed confidence that the public-private-partnership assistance would boost
rice production in Ekiti State, adding that the Japanese Embassy in Nigeria
would monitor the project and ensure it was implemented to the letter. The
envoy said the project would be implemented in collaboration with Toyota Tsusho
Corporation which would provide agricultural equipment from Yanmar Company
Limited and Mahindra Agricultural Machinery Company Limited. The NISD Programme
Manager on his part described the project as “a boost to food security not only
in Ekiti but in Nigeria.”
Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/japan-grants-n55m-to-ekiti-rice-farmers.html
Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/japan-grants-n55m-to-ekiti-rice-farmers.html
TESDA, DA eye training of rice farmers
Published February 12, 2020, 11:09 AM
By Dhel Nazario
The Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are
looking to train 104,808 rice farmers this year.
(Tara Yap/ MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Through the Rice Extension
Services Program (RESP) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF),
skills training is provided to farmers and their dependents listed in the
Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
Among the 104,808 listed, 73,425
scholarship slots are allotted for Farmer Field Schools (FFS); 15,648 for Rice
Machinery Operations (RMO) NC II; 3,871 for Drying and Milling Plant Servicing
NC III; 2,875 for Solar Powered Irrigation System Operation and Maintenance NC
II; and 8,989 for Small Engine Servicing (Certificate of Competency).
The FFS covers 14 days of
training in a span of 4-5 months, while Small Engine Servicing covers 18 days.
RMO covers 29 days, and 32 days for Drying and Milling.
Currently, there are 1,010
municipalities in 57 priority provinces targeted for the RCEF program.
These municipalities were the
identified rice-producing areas by DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute
(PhilRice), except for those in the National Capital Region (NCR), which is a
non-rice-producing Region.
Data from the TESDA Scholarships
Management Division – Regional Operations Management Office (SMD-ROMO) shows
that TESDA Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) has the biggest number of scholarships
benefiting 3,363 rice farmers.
This is followed by Western
Visayas (TESDA-Region VI) which has implemented skills training to 3,100
farmers while TESDA–Region II in Cagayan Valley has granted scholarships to
1,769 rice farmers.
All other concerned TESDA
regional offices are currently implementing their respective skills training as
provided under the RESP.
Last January 9 and 10, the DA and
TESDA conducted a planning workshop to intensify the RCEF implementation.
“The fact that the law compels
several agencies to join forces indicates the urgency of the situation,” said
TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña.
The Rice Extension Services
Program (RESP) of the RCEF is implemented by TESDA among other DA attached
agencies to provide services such as skills training on rice crop production,
modern rice farming techniques, seed production, farm mechanization, and
knowledge/technology transfer through farm schools nationwide.
Fighting malnutrition: Golden Rice
and the EU’s GMO conundrum
DISCLAIMER: All
opinions in this column reflect the views of the author(s), not of EURACTIV.COM
Ltd.
Promoted content
11:00
The relative affordability of
biofortified crops like Golden Rice may make a world of difference to
households who are most in need and yet least able to afford nutritious food. [Shutterstock]
“This
rice could save a million kids a year”, read the July 2000 cover of Time
Magazine, referring to a genetically modified rice, “Golden Rice”, that had
been biofortified with life-saving nutrition. But in the nearly two
decades that have passed since then, the cultivation of genetically
biofortified crops, such as Golden Rice, to help solve the global humanitarian
crisis of “malnutrition” remains elusive.
One major reason for the delay has been the
systematic opposition to all forms of GMOs and genetic engineering by radical
interest groups including Greenpeace and many Green party politicians,
particularly in Europe. On December 18th, 2019,
the Philippines joined a growing list of countries granting a permit for Golden
Rice as food and feed, and for processing – a major milestone in making it
available to the people who need it most.
So, let’s consider the facts.
Over two billion people worldwide continue to
suffer from hidden hunger, or the lack of essential micronutrients, which
impairs the physical and cognitive development of children, productivity in
adults, and quality of life for all. There is a case to be made here for
agricultural biotechnology, specifically in the context of biofortification to
improve the nutritional value of staple crops through various means, including
transgenic biofortification and genome editing. Biofortification allows for the
delivery of additional life-improving and life-saving nutrients without the
need to change dietary choices or preferences, and at relatively low cost. The
potential benefits are especially pronounced in developing countries like the
Philippines and Bangladesh, which suffer from high rates of malnutrition[1].
The cost of malnutrition in all its forms is
unacceptably high, at 3.5 trillion USD per year worldwide. In the Philippines,
the projected annual national economic burden of malnutrition is more than 4.65
billion USD per year, of which 33 million USD is attributable to Vitamin A
deficiency. The relative affordability of biofortified crops like Golden Rice
may make a world of difference to households who are most in need and yet least
able to afford nutritious food. In Bangladesh, which has an average daily per
capita rice consumption of 367g, ultra-poor households spend three-quarters of
their income, or 75 out of 100 taka, on rice. Oftentimes, fruits, vegetables,
eggs are not only unaffordable but also unavailable on a regular basis in
marginalized and hard-to-reach communities. When rice is all that a
nutrition-deficient household can afford, it is unconscionable to push for the
adoption of a nutritional intervention that will financially burden its target
communities. Coupled with a relatively longer shelf life, Golden Rice is
therefore an affordable complement to a diet when access to other vitamin
A-rich foods is difficult or lacking.
Global public goods like Golden Rice are
developed with a clear humanitarian purpose and in partnership with national
research organizations in the countries where they are intended for adoption[2].
The nomer of “Golden Rice” does not refer to a single line or variety. Rather,
it is the result of technology that has been extensively researched and
introduced into local varieties that are most consumed by the communities that
need it most in their respective countries. This ensures that the developed
product meets the needs and preferences of its target communities, and that
appropriate deployment mechanisms are established to sustain adoption. In the
case of Golden Rice, consumer benefit is established: its beta-carotene content
can provide up to 50% of the estimated average requirement for Vitamin A. Initial
estimates are even higher, with beta-carotene content ranging from 357-561
μg/day for every 100 g of raw Golden Rice But whether it is adopted or
not depends entirely on farmer and consumer preference.
In addition to helping solve immense public
health issues through biofortification, agricultural biotechnology also holds
enormous potential to contribute more substantially to other Sustainable
Development Goals. Already today, more than 14 million farmers grow GM cotton
on smallholder farms in Asia (comprising the vast majority of farmers who have
adopted GM crops globally) in order to increase yields and improve farm safety
and sustainability by lowering the cost of and need for inputs. Many
other GM crops have also been developed around the world by public research
institutions (see map here). Examples of biotech crops which have
made it to market include virus resistant papaya (in Hawaii)[3] and
insect resistant aubergines (in Bangladesh), which help to reduce the need for
chemical control. A number of GM crops with health benefits also exist, such as
soybeans to produce healthier oils, low acrylamide potatoes, and insect
resistant maize, which significantly reduces naturally occurring mycotoxins
that cause problems also in European maize harvests.
However, the majority of ag biotech innovations
have unfortunately not had the immense financial resources needed to get safe
GM crops through the regulatory process. In the EU, GM import approvals
typically take six years and cost 11 to 16.7 million Euros. The costs and
waiting times associated with such approvals are preventing public institutions
from investing in ag biotech solutions to solve global challenges. The same EU
predicament now also applies to genome edited crops, even if they do not have
any ‘added’ genes[4].
With the EU’s stringent stance towards GMOs based largely on anti-corporate
sentiment campaigns, and the false impression that GMOs are strictly the
territory of profit-driven innovation, we tend to forget that these same
technologies are also developing parts of the solution to help the poorest of
the poor attain decent lives and livelihoods. Also, the majority of ag biotech
solutions listed above are of course not available to European farmers, with
the exception of one single type of insect resistant maize, which is available
to Spanish and Portuguese farmers.
Those of us working and advocating for Golden
Rice look forward to the day that regulatory approvals will allow us to respond
to societal challenges. While the evaluation process has taken much longer than
intended, this underscores the presence of regulatory protocol to independently
assess the Golden Rice biosafety dossier which has already received food safety
approvals in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
It is unfortunate then that regulatory delays
in some parts of the world are held by critics, especially in Europe, as proof
that the product is ineffective and unsafe. Yet any action taken to provide and
assess the data needed to demonstrate its safety and benefits is viewed as an
attempt to force feed Golden Rice to communities who need it the most. We
sincerely hope that European decision makers will have the courage to listen to
the science, given also that Europeans today are much less concerned with GMOs
than they were a decade ago. After 25 years of millions of farmers growing GM
crops, now on about 12% of the world’s fields, it would only be reasonable for
Europe to look at the evidence surrounding the proven safety of GM crops,
instead of demonising a technology which can and does provide multiple
benefits.
About the authors
As the head of the Strategic Innovation
Platform, Ajay Kohli leads a team primarily in the application of fundamental
sciences such as genomics, genetics, and informatics instruments. His platform
identifies genes and provides genetic materials and associated information that
enables the institute’s rice breeders and physiologists to harness upstream
research into translational research, through a highly interdisciplinary
approach. Ajay also leads IRRI’s Plant Molecular Biology Group for the past 10
years. During this time, the group has gained recognition in gene discovery and
characterization in environmental stress tolerance of rice, particularly in
improving yield under drought condition. Ajay brings 27 years of experience in
upstream research, innovation, and leadership in the agricultural sector.
Joanna Dupont-Inglis is the Secretary General
of EuropaBio, where she has worked since 2009 in a variety of leadership
positions. Prior to EuropaBio she worked for two leading Brussels-based
consultancies on agriculture, healthcare, environment and energy policy
together with a broad range of industries, international organisations, NGOs
and with the EU Institutions. She has an academic background in environmental
science and European studies and is a French-speaking UK/Irish national.
[1] See
table 6 of Swamy et al (2019) for potential benefit of GR2E in the Philippines
and Bangladesh. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6646955/
[3] GM
papaya practically saved Hawaii’s fifth largest crop from decimation (http://www.vib.be/en/about-vib/Documents/Virus%20resistant%20papaya%20in%20Hawaii.pdf)
and results of the genome sequence of the GM papaya were reported as a measure
of transparency (Kohli and Christou, 2008, Stable transgenes bear fruit. Nature
Biotechnology 26(6):653-4
DOI: 10.1038/nbt0608-653
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