21st March,2020 Daily Global Regional Local Rice

Cambodia’s rice bowl remains half full

Sangeetha Amarthalingam | Publication date 20 March 2020 | 00:25 ICT

A rice field in Battambang dries up in the heat of a prolonged drought last year. Hong Menea

Dust swirls in the distance of vast rice fields flanking north-connecting National Road 6. It signals the start of the dry season in Cambodia. There is no human activity, as the heat is stifling.

March to June are the hottest months. The balmy days can hit 43 Celcius, triggering the brisk sale of air conditioners and fans in the cities. In the provinces though, farming communities brace for the harsh weather.

Every year, the drought is said to be longer than the previous year although rainfall is projected to rise in wet seasons. Most times the outcome is different.

In Toul Chreav village in Pursat province, traditional rice farmer Say Ny prepares for the solo planting season that begins in May.

He remains placid on this year’s performance, although last year’s harvest yielded good results due to higher rainfall. “I will leave it to nature to determine output,” he said.

Nearby, a long canal project is taking off. It is the first he has seen despite talks of it in previous years. The promise of uninterrupted supply of water is alluring, yet Ny remains sceptical.

“I have never seen an agriculture infrastructure built here. We have solely depended on rainfall to feed our fields for generations,” said the 52-year-old farmer who owns 10ha of rice fields, inherited from his ancestors.

His scepticism has a deeper inference.

Agriculture infrastructures have been built in farming provinces, with many in the pipeline but these architectures lack insight.

Seen as game changers to rice production, with the likelihood of raising output, irrigation canals are only so good as being connected to a water source.

As of 2008, rice farming constituted 2.6 million hectares out of 3.31 million hectares of arable land.

Permanent crops and rubber plantations made up less than one million hectares.

Out of the total land, only seven to eight per cent is irrigated while 10 per cent is supplementary irrigated. The remaining 80 per cent relies on rainfall.

In 2017, 28.5 per cent of the national climate budget was spent on irrigation, the highest allocation compared to other climate-related segments such as road improvement, climate-affected livelihood, and climate disaster preparedness and management.

Irrigation and water supply fall under the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MoWRAM), which soaked up the largest funds at 37 per cent of the budget that year, said a report produced by The NGO Forum on Cambodia entitled Cambodia’s Citizens Climate Budget for 2017.

“Water is the biggest problem due to extreme weather. Rice farms cannot survive drought. Animals also suffer.

“So, the authorities dug out irrigation canals but the water has since dried because it was not connected to a water source.

“This is prevalent in many provinces,” said Keo Keang, an independent consultant for the farming and climate change industry.

From her observation, some 80 per cent of the community she worked with usually leave their provinces to take up construction work during the dry season to make ends meet, and return later in the rainy season.

“Many farmers simply give up because they cannot cope,” said the former president for US-based Heifer International Cambodia, an organisation that supports women farmers.

Year-on-year, the figure fluctuates on unpredictable weather. Last year, rice production totalled 10.6 million tonnes – marginally higher than 10 million tonnes in 2018.

However, this data is a rough estimate procured from various sources, as the authorities claim its disclosure is sensitive, even though the rice sector forms the nation’s second largest export market.

The fact that the farming industry teeters on the onslaught of climate change with secretive figures, questionable budget allocations for climate projects and the lack of initiative to see them through, is somewhat damning.

In Cambodia, about 75 per cent of the population is involved in the agriculture sector. The sector contributed 32.1 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011.

Having said that, the Climate Change Strategic Plan (2014-2023) identifies agriculture as being the most affected by it, with 90 per cent of losses from extreme events related to crop harvest failure.

And this impact is closely connected to water resources shortage.

It also threatens Cambodia’s food security, and hits on the poverty level as crop damage and lower wages can push the highly indebted communityfurther below the line.

Given the gravity of the impact, the government has been gradually increasing climate change expenditure.

Its proportion to the GDP, the expenditure rose marginally to one per cent in 2017 from 0.9 per cent a year ago, underpinned by larger external and domestic fundings.

In absolute terms, total climate expenditure rose 23 per cent to 912 billion riel ($221 million) in 2017 from 770 billion riel in 2016.

Unfortunately, only 10 per cent was spent on the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Despite the increased allocation, the sum is paltry compared to the total national budget of 20,556 billion riel in 2017, and when balanced against the actual benefit to combating climate change.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Climate Public Expenditure Review 2017 (CPER) revealed that once climate change relevance weights are applied to the budget, it only constituted 3.2 per cent of the total public expenditure, the same level in 2016. It dipped from 4.3 per cent in 2015.

Simply put, 70 per cent of that total budget was spent without climate change benefits, 27 per cent with partial benefits and only three per cent with exclusive climate benefits.

“Climate change is cross-cutting. There are 14 ministries to tackle and respond to climate change. How is $225 million sufficient to cover sub-national levels?” asked The NGO Forum’s environment and agriculture programme manager Hok Menghoin.

Cambodia is a tiny emitter of carbon dioxide. In 2000, it released 47.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent into the atmosphere but the forests absorbed 48 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

However, the consequence of rising temperature puts Cambodia as the eighth most vulnerable country to disasters.

What lies beneath?

Here is the rub. It is not just the lack of funds that is scuppering the national climate action plan.

Rather, transparency and accountability over the usage of funds, whether for climate change or other sectors, affect the functionality of climate-related projects.

This is why The NGO Forum asked that civil society organisations and citizens be allowed to participate in decision-making, monitor spending on the ground, and hold the government accountable for managing public money.

Therefore, people and organisations need access to complete, timely, detailed and understandable information on the government’s budget plans.

Another setback is related to the implementation of climate action plans within ministries which involves abiding by climate policies and bylaws in the National Council for Sustainable Development.

“Cambodia wants to align itself with international procedures. We have those policies. They are good and the words are beautiful but what is the point when application is low?” Menghoin said.

The limited ownership of climate action plans in the ministries and its implementation is perhaps related to underfunding, suggests the mid-term review of Climate Change Strategic Plan in 2019.

For instance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ technical working group, which was created to develop the climate action plan, was unclear of its function after the plan was approved.

Another example Menghoin shares is the construction of a road where the cost is lower than a climate change resilient infrastructure.

“So it becomes a challenge. How does the ministry execute the projects by taking into consideration adaptation and climate change measures when it is expensive? I don’t think many comply due to high costs,” he said.

This pushes ministries to seek additional financial resources to implement climate action plans as they are short of government funds.

In 2017 alone, some 692 billion riel was required to conduct climate adaptation and mitigation works.

But here too, the CPER warns that climate financing should aim not only at attracting new resources. It should also improve the efficiency and effectiveness of significant climate-related expenditures.

In any case, the government found it difficult to mobilise resources as the action plans were not even integrated in sector plans and the National Strategic Development Plan, which is the basis for budget allocation.

In an interview last month, Ministry of Environment spokesman Neak Pheaktra acknowledged that the success of the Kingdom’s climate goals hinged upon the lack of funds and implementation of action plans by the ministries.

It is not enough that his ministry alone does its level best to meet the goals outlined in its pledges made under the UN Framework on Climate Change and Paris Climate Agreement ratifications.

Pheaktra said there has to be more emphasis on knowledge and capacity building in the ministries that includes training the staff to understand the impact of climate change.

At the same time, it will seek for increased funding assistance from development partners and the Green Climate Fund.

Three years ago, donors for climate change expenditure comprised the Asian Development Bank (35 per cent), China (29 per cent), and Japan (seven per cent).

The impact from the shortage of funds is apparent for the rice sector, said Directorate of Agriculture director-general Nhim Chhay.

“Often, we cannot do much such as build canals as that comes under MoWRAM.

“Rice needs a lot of water unlike vegetable crops which are able to grow with minimum water.

“We have built grid irrigation for that sector but for rice fields, we are hampered by funds,” said Chhay.

Nevertheless, the department is ready to help farmers by distributing 1,000 tonnes of seeds from its reserve to poor farmers across Cambodia, and provide smart agriculture capacity building trainings.

“We have a 2,000 tonne seed reserve and are trying to develop climate resilient rice varieties.

“This is what we can do now while seeking a higher allocation from the budget. But it is difficult to get more,” he said.

“Some years were good”

For Ny, who works the fields with his 49-year-old wife, the days of rice farming is coming to a close. He plans to retire in 10 years as age is catching up.

“I suffer nearly $2,000 whenever my crop is damaged by drought, floods or pests.

“We had some good years but there were bad years too. Still, I managed to send my seven children to school and university with what we earned and small loans.

“These days, I can’t tell anymore. I don’t make much like before. When it is time to retire, my wife and I will survive by planting fruits and vegetable, and raise cattle for daily living,” he said.

Moving forward, with the unpredictable weather wreaking havoc in the agriculture sector, coupled with weak climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, more farmers might just turn in their tools than risk taking a gamble year after year.

https://www.phnompenhpost.com/special-reports/cambodias-rice-bowl-remains-half-full

Đồng Nai wary of water shortage amid salt intrusion

Update: March, 20/2020 - 09:00

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Trị An Reservoir. — VNA/VNS Photo 

ĐỒNG NAI — The People’s Committee of the southern province of Đồng Nai has called on relevant agencies and the public to take proactive measures to ward off a freshwater shortage as drought and saltwater intrusion in rivers cause an increasing shortage.
It instructed authorities around the province to keep a close eye on the weather and water bodies to estimate availability for production and domestic needs.
They also need to find ways to prevent saltwater intrusion, it said.
Based on the water availability in their localities, they should switch crops and restructure agriculture and comply with relevant agencies’ recommendations to mitigate possible damages caused by drought and saltwater intrusion, it said.  
It wanted them to take the initiative to adopt necessary methods to store water, strengthen forecasts of water levels in reservoirs and mobilise funds to build and upgrade freshwater supply systems.
The province's Environmental Protection Sub-department said it would check the quality of water in the four main aquaculture regions to provide information and warnings, if required, to local authorities and farmers to reduce losses.  
The province has 32,000 hectares of aquaculture farms.
The water storage in irrigation reservoirs in Đồng Nai is down to 63.8 per cent of capacity. Water levels in rivers and streams are also low, at less than 72 per cent of their levels a year ago. The salinity rate is around 5.5 grammes per litre, according to the People’s Committee.  
According to the province’s Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, rainfall will be scant from March to June and temperatures until June will be 0.5-1.5 degrees Celsius higher than normal.
HCM City has not yet been affected by saltwater intrusion.
Trị An Reservoir in Đồng Nai Province will discharge water to clear salinity in rivers. It stores a large volume of water and responds to drought and saltwater intrusion in the lower sections.
Efficient irrigation methods
More farmers in the south-central province of Ninh Thuận are using automatic irrigation systems to water their crops, saving water and improving production efficiency.
The automatic irrigation systems with spray or drip methods have helped farmers cope with water shortages caused by drought in the province, which has the least rainfall in the country.
Nguyễn Thành Quang spent VNĐ30 million (US$1,290) to install a spray irrigation system in his 5,000sq.m of grape orchard in Ninh Hải District’s Vĩnh Hải Commune last year. He has no longer had to worry about the shortage of irrigation water for his orchard in the ongoing dry season.  
In previous dry seasons, many grapevines in his orchard died because of the lack of irrigation water, he said.
The spray irrigation system can maintain soil humidity suitable for the growth of grapes and help grape roots develop well, he said.
The spray irrigation system can also be used to spray fertiliser directly on grape roots, reducing the loss of fertiliser caused by traditional irrigation methods.
Farmers normally irrigate a large quantity of water for crops in traditional methods which can wash away fertiliser for crops.
The cost of buying an automatic irrigation system for each 1,000sq.m of farming area is VNĐ5-12 million ($210-510) and the system can save 20-40 per cent of irrigation water compared to traditional irrigation methods, according to farmers.
An automatic irrigation system requires a water pump, a water tank, water lines and irrigation valves. To irrigate crops, farmers only need to open the automatic irrigation system and the irrigation task will be automatically done, saving time and labour.
Farmers in the province use automatic irrigation systems for various crops, including grapes, asparagus, aloe, peanut and vegetables.
Từ Văn Phúc of Ninh Phước District’s An Hải Commune said drought has occurred in his area in recent years and to secure irrigation water for his 5,000sq.m asparagus field, he installed an automatic irrigation system in 2018.
The automatic irrigation system has released proper amount of irrigation water to keep soil humid for asparagus, he said.
Ninh Thuận is strengthening restructuring of agricultural production activities to cope with the impact of drought and authorities have encouraged rice farmers to switch to drought-resistant crops in drought-prone areas.
Phạm Dũng, head of the province’s Plant Protection and Cultivation Sub-department, said the strengthening of restructuring agriculture and the application of efficient irrigation methods are feasible solutions for using water reasonably and efficiently during drought.
The province has about 1,500ha of crops which apply efficient irrigation methods, he said.
The province has encouraged farmers to apply efficient irrigation methods and has provided them with techniques for installing such systems for various crops.
Only 53.7 per cent of farming areas in Ninh Thuận have secured irrigation water, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The province's farmers have turned nearly 6,500ha of ineffective rice to other high value crops like grapes, jujube, grapefruits, asparagus and aloe in recent years.
The province is expected to have a total of 86,000ha farming rice and various types of crops this year. — VNS
IN BOX
$185,000 provided for Việt Nam for response to drought in Mekong Delta
HÀ NỘI — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released US$185,000 from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund to support the Mekong Delta’s response to drought and saltwater intrusion.
According to Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Việt Nam, amid severe drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta and in response to the appeal by the Partnership for Disaster Risk Reduction, the UNDP has coordinated with Việt Nam Disaster Management Authority to send working groups to assess the situation and provide information as a basis for other members in the Partnership to give support.
The UNDP will provide 300 water tanks for affected households in Bến Tre Province and assist livelihoods of 176 households in Cà Mau Province, she said.
It has also carried out an assessment of drought impact on local livelihoods and access to freshwater, supported policy dialogue on disaster prevention and control as well as the application of mobile technology to keep updated on damage caused by natural disasters.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held in Hà Nội on Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp, said: “This is the worst drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta’s history.”
This year, saltwater intrusion came one and a half months earlier than usual. In some areas, saltwater reached as much as 90km inland, he said.
The UNDP’s support was very important as residents in Mekong Delta are facing difficulties in water resources for both living and production, Hiệp said, adding that the ministry has committed to Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc that saltwater would be put under control in Bến Tre Province by 2023 and basically ensuring sufficient fresh water for daily life of people in the Mekong Delta by 2025. — VNS

https://vietnamnews.vn/society/653854/dong-nai-wary-of-water-shortage-amid-salt-intrusion.html

Central Visayas has abundant rice supply

Published March 20, 2020, 10:10 AM

By Minerva Newman 

CEBU CITY – There is enough supply of rice in Central Visayas, contrary to rumors that have circulated in Cebu that has been the cause of panic-buying in the province.

In a message relayed through the Office of Presidential Assistant to the President for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino, Grains Retailers Confederation (GRECON) Cebu President Teresita Alegado said that there was abundant supply of rice from the private suppliers since they were no longer limited to any quota that was formerly imposed by the government.

Alegado said that under Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, any supplier who is willing to pay the tariff can import rice. The current supply of rice is more than double compared to what it was from this same period last year.

“We should not panic, first and foremost supply is not a problem and as long as the entry of supply and goods are not impeded, we have abundant supply of rice grains,” Alegado said.

She added that importers usually don’t wait for situations to get worst or supplies to go low, they continuously order for more supply for the market especially for the current health situation.

Alegado bared that there was rice coming to Cebu from Vietnam and Thailand, and she said that the market now was good because she noticed people are now buying the more expensive quality of rice.

She further asked the public to refrain from spreading the news of rice shortage. The National Food Authority (NFA) Central Visayas currently has a buffer stock of 139,939 sacks of rice for the region.

NFA-7 Regional Director Rocky Valdez said the daily consumption of the region is at 36,420 sacks per day, and based on the current supply and with the daily average sales of the NFA rice which is at

1,849 sacks, the supply will still be enough for 76 days.

Valdez instructed all the NFA-7 provincial offices in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor toprioritize local government units, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and government agencies in availing of NFA rice. NFA rice is priced at P27/kilo, he added.

Authorized retailers are only allowed to purchase 15 to 30 sacks of NFA rice per week and Valdez bared that most of the public now choose to buy high end and expensive quality of rice.

Dino said he will make sure that all sanctions are imposed on all retailers who will take advantage of the current situation, and hoard rice to create an artificial shortage.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/03/20/central-visayas-has-abundant-rice-supply/

Across China: Chinese firm ensures rice seed supply for Pakistani partner

Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-20 19:05:05|Editor: huaxia

NANJING, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Huang Yao, a salesman of a seed company in east China's Jiangsu Province, has had to cancel his scheduled flight to Pakistan on Friday due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Huang works for Jiangsu Hongqi Seed Industry Co., Ltd., an enterprise engaged in wholesale and retail of crop seeds. His company reached an agreement with the Pakistani side to ship 500 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds after the Spring Festival.

However, affected by the epidemic, the seeds could not be processed and packaged as planned.

Thanks to the help of the customs of the city of Taizhou, which opened a green channel and streamlined the process, the seeds were finally loaded on a ship and departed for Pakistan at the end of February.

"If these seeds couldn't be delivered to our customers in time, our business and reputation could be damaged, while the local grain yield in Pakistan could also be affected," said Zha Lianqun, general manager of the company.

After a weeks-long journey, the seeds recently arrived in Rahim Yar Khan, a city in Punjab Province. By convention, Huang, who is in charge of the business with Pakistani partners, needs to follow the seeds to their destination, and monitor seed quality and provide training for local farmers.

The 32-year-old has visited Pakistan three times a year since 2017, and spends two to three months there each time. During his stay, Huang took part in sowing seeds, breeding seedlings and applying fertilizer with local farmers, sharing experience and giving them guidance. He also traveled to inspect the output during the harvest season and collected feedback from local farmers.

"I can't fly to Pakistan at the moment, but my colleagues and I delivered a batch of masks to our partners in the city of Rahim Yar Khan," said Huang, adding that although he is in China, he still worries about Pakistani farmers and friends who also face the risk of being infected by the deadly virus.

In addition, Pakistan has struggled to combat locust plagues which have destroyed crops and threatened the livelihoods of farmers since the end of last year. "This batch of seeds aims to help ensure the grain yield of Pakistan this year," Zha said.

China and Pakistan have seen closer cooperation in agriculture in recent years since the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative in 2015. China's seed products have become very popular with Pakistani buyers.

Huang's company obtained an order of 100 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds from Pakistan in 2017 and expects the export volume will exceed 1,000 tonnes in 2021.

"We hope our seeds can take root in Pakistan and contribute to the food supply and security there," Huang added.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/20/c_138899157.htm

Surprise! Ammonia emitted from fertilized paddy fields mostly doesn't end up in the air

INSTITUTE OF ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

IMAGE: AMMONIA EMISSIONS, DEPOSITION, AND CONVERSION TO AEROSOLS IN THE ATMOSPHERE. view more 

CREDIT: JIANLIN SHEN

Livestock production and nitrogen fertilizer used in croplands emit lots of ammonia, which is the most abundant alkaline gas in ambient air. In recent years, Chinese scientists have suggested reducing ammonia emissions as an effective measure to alleviate aerosol pollution because ammonia can react with acidic gases to form aerosols and pollution.

"Ammonia is also reactive and sticky, and can be removed from the atmosphere quickly. We call this process dry deposition," explains Dr Jianlin Shen, from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences. "Agricultural sources contribute to most of the ammonia emissions, but whether all the ammonia emitted from agriculture enters the atmosphere needs to be urgently evaluated." This was the motivation behind a study conducted by Dr Shen and colleagues, recently published study in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters.

The ammonia emissions intensity is relatively high in the subtropical hilly regions of China. The pattern of distribution of croplands or animal farms accompanying the surrounding natural ecosystems in this region may result in a large proportion of the emitted ammonia being deposited in the neighborhood of the sources before entering the atmosphere. Thus, it is important to determine the fate of the emitted ammonia in these subtropical hilly regions of China.

"Paddy fields constitute a major type of cropland in the subtropical hilly regions of China. We developed a method to measure the ammonia dry deposition around ammonia emission sources, and used it to measure the ammonia concentrations and dry deposition within 100 m around paddy fields (0.6 ha) with double rice cropping in the subtropical hilly area of southern China," says Dr Shen.

Based on this study, it was found that there were high ammonia concentrations at downwind sites within 100 m from the paddy fields, which occurred during the 15 days after nitrogen fertilizer application. With an increase in distance from the paddy fields, the atmospheric ammonia concentration at the downwind sites decreased exponentially. Ammonia deposition within 100 m downwind of the paddy fields accounted for about 80% of the ammonia emitted from the paddy fields, and thus only about 20% of the emitted ammonia entered into the atmosphere to form aerosols.

"Our study indicates that ammonia deposition in the neighborhood of sources can largely reduce the amount of emitted ammonia entering the atmosphere, and thus can reduce atmospheric ammonia pollution. This mechanism should be considered in inventory compilations in order to objectively assess the potential impact of agricultural ammonia emissions on air pollution. Measures to increase the level of ammonia deposition around sources, such as by planting trees, are advocated to reduce the amount of ammonia pollution," concludes Dr Shen.

"This study is only a case study. In the future, we intend to study the dry deposition of ammonia around sources with different emission intensities to assess the fate of ammonia when it is emitted from these sources," adds Shen.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/ioap-sae032020.php

Rice exports increase 11.09pc in eight months

APP

March 21, 2020

ISLAMABAD         -         Rice exports from the country during first eight months of current financial year increased by 11.09% as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period from July-February, 2019-20, about 2,763,171 metric tons of rice worth $1.397 billion was exported as against the exports of 2,497,536 metric tons valuing $1.257 billion of same period last year.

According the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, exports of basmati rice grew by 36,56% as above mentioned commodity worth $501.179 million was also exported as compared to exports of $366.765 million of same period of last year.

READ MORE: FM Qureshi urges all parties to work together against coronavirus

In last 8 months, country exported about 566,711 metric tons of basmati rice as compared to exports of 370,248 metric tons of same period last year, the data revealed.

Meanwhile, country managed to export about 2,196,460 metric tons of rice other then basmati worth of $896.312 million as against the exports of 2,127,288 metric tons valuing $891.230 million of same period last year, it added.

The exports of rice other then basmati in last 8 months of current financial year grew by 0.57% as compared to exports of the corresponding period of last year, it added.

It may be recalled here that overall food group exports from the country during last 8 months grew by 5.48% as food commodities worth $3.033 billion were exported as against $2.875 billion of same period last year.

On month on month basis, the food group exports also witnessed 4.09% growth in month of February, 2020 as country fetched $424.748 million by exporting the food commodities, which was recorded at $408.072 million of same month of last year.

On the other hand, food group imports into the country also decreased by 8.07% as it came down from $3.868 billion of first 8 months of last financial year to $3.556 billion in 8 months of current financial year.

Meanwhile, the tea imports into the country decreased by 17.59 percent during the first eight months of the current fiscal year against the imports of the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.

The tea imports into the country were recorded at $324,372 million during July-February (2019-20) against the imports of $ 393,585 million during July-February (208-19), showing decrease of 17.59 percent, the PBS data revealed.

In terms of quantity, the tea imports into the country decreased by 9.80 percent by falling from imports f 149,510 metric tons to 134,853 metric tons.

Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the tea imports during February 2020 increased by 6.28 percent as compared to the imports of February 2019. The tea imports during February 2020 were recorded at $ 49,234 million against the imports of $46,281 million in February 2019.

On month-on-month basis, the tea imports into the country increased by 6.55 percent during February 2020 when compared to the imports of $46,206 million in January 2019.

It is pertinent to mention here that the trade deficit during the first eight month of the current fiscal year reduced by 26.06 percent as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The trade deficit during July-February (2019-20) was recorded at $15.872 billion against the deficit of $21.467 billion during July-February (2018-19), the PBS data reveaald.

The exports from the country during the period increased by 3.62 percent by going up from $15.097 billon last year to $15.643 billion during the current year whereas the imports into the country declined by 13.81 percent, from $36.563 billion to $31.515 billion.395

https://nation.com.pk/21-Mar-2020/rice-exports-increase-11-09pc-in-eight-months

State symbols are part of what makes Minnesota home

The authors of the News Tribune's Ask a Master Gardener column bring you fun facts about Minnesota’s state symbols.

Written By: Catherine Winter, For the News Tribune | Mar 20th 2020 - 3pm.

An editor at the News Tribune was surprised recently to discover that Minnesota has a state bee. She made the mistake of asking me about it. If asked, I tend to go on about bees until people start edging away from me. Perhaps to change the subject, she asked whether master gardeners might like to write about other state symbols that have some connection to horticulture.

So we master gardeners set off to research state symbols. We discovered that we owe several of them to enterprising elementary school children who petitioned the legislature to adopt them. Other state symbols have their origin in groups of enthusiasts with keen interest in things like mushrooms or soil. And we discovered that Minnesota is on the cutting edge when it comes to state symbols. It’s one of only three states with an official state muffin, and one of only two with a state mushroom. More than a dozen states have adopted the honey bee as their state insect — even though the honey bee isn’t even native to North America — but Minnesota is the only state that has adopted a native bumblebee as a state symbol.

Ah, I see I’m talking about bees again. Okay, on to the symbols:

Blueberry muffin

Blueberry muffin (Getty Images)

By Gary Kruchowski

Minnesota has not recognized an official state berry, but the blueberry is honored to be the key ingredient in Minnesota’s state muffin. The blueberry muffin became a state symbol in 1988 in response to a proposal from third-grade students from South Terrace Elementary School in Carlton. The students were inspired by Massachusetts students who had lobbied for the corn muffin in their state. The Carlton students brought their idea to St. Paul arguing that wild blueberries were common in northern Minnesota and delicious, and that Minnesota’s farmers produced another key ingredient, flour.

The students’ proposal gained widespread support in the region and was sponsored by local legislators, Representative Mary Murphy (DFL-Hermantown) and Senator Florian Chmielewski (DFL-Sturgeon Lake).

The students’ campaign concluded with a field trip to the capitol where they demonstrated their political skills by distributing blueberry muffins to the legislators. The result of the taste test was a standing ovation from members of the House of Representatives and passage of the bill. Governor Rudy Perpich of Hibbing signed the bill into law on April 27, 1988.

While the blueberry muffin won the bipartisan support of lawmakers, there is still no official recipe.

Monarch butterfly

A monarch butterfly rests on a coneflower in a Duluth yard. (Photo by Gary Kruchowski)

By Gary Kruchowski

Students at O. H. Anderson Elementary School in Mahtomedi were studying monarch butterflies when State Representative Harry Mares (R-White Bear Lake) visited a fourth-grade class in 1999 to explain how proposals become law in Minnesota. Inspired by a monarch curriculum developed by the University of Minnesota and their new understanding of lawmaking, the students decided to combine the two lessons and pursue state-symbol status for the monarch.

The students testified at a House committee meeting, highlighting how studying monarchs encourages interest in science, ecology and geography. Mares was quoted in Session Weekly saying: “A lot of people have an early introduction to the magical world of nature through the monarch, and as we get older it becomes a thread that takes us through science to beauty and aesthetics.” Representative Mares and Senator Charles Wiger (DFL-North St. Paul) sponsored the measure, which was signed into law by Governor Ventura (I) on March 31, 2000.

While monarchs are currently threatened by a variety of environmental factors, they are still a common sight across Minnesota. Each year, four generations of monarchs are born in Minnesota before the last generation migrates to a location in central Mexico. Because monarchs require milkweed to survive, Minnesotans are encouraged to plant milkweed to ensure survival of this colorful state symbol.

Showy lady’s slipper

Showy lady's slipper (File / News Tribune)

By Linda Harper

Well, excuse me for saying, but the Minnesota State Flower originated out of a “slipper”-y past. Back in 1893, the state’s Women’s Auxiliary to the Chicago World’s Fair wanted to display flowers at the fair that represented Minnesota, and they petitioned to have the wild lady’s slipper become our state flower. The legislature passed a bill making the lady’s slipper the state flower, but there was a problem. The flower they named, Cypripedium calceolus, did not grow in Minnesota.

In 1902, women from the St. Anthony Study Circle of Minneapolis pointed out the error, and the Minneapolis Tribune ran an article with the headline “State Flower Called ‘Fake.’” Shortly thereafter, the legislature named a different lady’s slipper, Cypripedium reginae, as our official state flower. The Cypripedium reginae is commonly known as the showy lady’s slipper or pink-and-white lady’s slipper, and it does grow here, although it is quite rare. In 1925, the legislature passed a law prohibiting picking or digging up the state flower.

The state flag also contained a lady’s slipper error for many years. The flag adopted in 1893 depicted a white lady’s slipper that does not grow here. It wasn’t corrected until 1957.

Some other interesting facts about our state flower: It is a part of the orchid family, being one of 43 orchid species in Minnesota. They grow slowly and can take 4 to 16 years to produce their first flower. They can live an average of 50 years, but some may live as long as 100 years. They can grow to be over 4 feet tall, but most commonly are 1-2 feet tall.

It is truly a magical moment when you are out in nature to come across our beautiful state flower.

Wild rice

Wild rice (File / News Tribune)

By Kathy Hannan

Wild rice is Minnesota’s state grain, although it’s arguably not a grain and certainly isn’t rice; it’s an aquatic grass. Northern wild rice, Zizania aquatica, is native to the Great Lakes region and has been part of the human diet since prehistoric times. It is a nutritional powerhouse, high in protein and carbohydrates and low in fat.

Accounts of explorers, fur traders and government agents from the early 1600s to the late 1800s described Native people harvesting wild rice in the traditional way using poles from a canoe. Europeans traded with Native people for wild rice and depended on it as a nutritious food that they could store for long periods of time.

Despite the close association of the Anishinaabe and wild rice today, indigenous use of this food predates their arrival in the Lake Superior region. The Anishinaabe migration story tells of a prophet who told the people to go west to a place where food grows on water; this journey ended in the Lake Superior wild rice country when they encountered the plant. They called wild rice manoomin, meaning "good berry."

Minnesota has more acres of natural wild rice than any other state, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. A DNR report to the legislature says that wild rice is “one of the most important foods for waterfowl in North America” and provides habitat for other wildlife, too.

The legislature designated it our state grain in 1977.

The more we come to appreciate wild rice, the less likely we are to repeat my father-in-law's Christmas mistake, when he called to say my box had arrived but the jar of rice had spoiled and turned brown during shipping and had to be thrown out. A teachable moment, for sure.

Morel

Morel (Getty Images)

By Christina Zierman

Morels are one of the most recognized and sought-after edible mushrooms because of their scrumptious flavor. They’re more prevalent in southeastern Minnesota, but determined mushroom hunters find them in our region, too.

In 1983, a member of the Minnesota Mycological Society proposed making them our state mushroom, and the legislature made it official in 1984. Minnesota and Oregon are the only states with state mushrooms (theirs is the Pacific golden chanterelle).

The morel can be either yellow or black with a cap that is pitted, is uniform in shape and resembles a sponge. They can be 2 to 6 inches in length.

They are the first wild mushrooms to emerge in the spring after an adequate rainfall. In southern Minnesota, the growing season is typically from late April through May. In the northern part of the state, the season can go through June. Morels can be found growing under and around decaying elm, ash, poplar and apple trees.

If you decide to hunt for the morel, keep in mind that there is also a false morel that can be poisonous. The false morel has an irregular shaped cap that is more lobed and wavy in appearance. The stem of the false morel is filled with cotton-like fibers, while true morels have hollow stems. Be sure to positively identify any mushroom you plan to consume and remember the axiom: “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Honeycrisp

Honeycrisp apple (University of Minnesota Extension)

By Deb Scott

In March of 2006, members of a fifth-grade class from a Bayport elementary school testified at the state legislature in favor of making the Honeycrisp the state apple. The Star Tribune reported that they sang lawmakers a song to the tune of the Minnesota rouser:

"Apples, apples, we love apples, Honeycrisp apple … for our state fruit!"

It is an apple worth singing about. It arguably possesses all of the best qualities we seek in an apple intended for eating: crisp, juicy, simultaneously sweet and tart — and it keeps well.

University of Minnesota researchers sought to produce a winter-hardy tree that produced great-tasting apples. A hybrid of the Macoun and Honeygold apples, the Honeycrisp was developed in 1960, with the first seedling planted in 1962.

This apple has become popular with small- to medium-size orchards and has been credited with reinvigorating the apple industry. It is hardy in USDA zone 4 (where winter temperatures get down to 30 below). Given its ability to keep for six to seven months with proper refrigeration, combined with its great flavor, it is no wonder that this Minnesota gem can now be found growing as far away as Nova Scotia and New Zealand. In Europe, it is known as the Honeycrunch.

Norway pine

Norway pine (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)

By Deb Scott

The red pine is a Minnesota native — it doesn’t come from Norway — and there’s debate about how it came to be called the Norway Pine. The 1953 resolution naming it the state tree calls it “a sturdy and majestic tree” whose harvest “helped lay the foundation for much of the wealth of the State of Minnesota.”

We’re on the western edge of the tree’s native range. It grows as far north as Manitoba and Canada’s maritime provinces and as far south as Pennsylvania and the mountains of West Virginia. Its most distinguishing features are red, scaly bark on mature trees, paired 4- to 6-inch-long needles, and foliage that resembles a foxtail.

Much stronger than the white pine, the Norway pine is valued by the construction and mining industries for structural timber. It is also used for pulpwood, and its porous structure readily absorbs preservatives to make long-lasting railroad ties. Recorded oral histories indicate the tree’s use by indigenous peoples throughout northern Minnesota to treat wounds and stomach pains.

Norway pines grow to be 60 to 100 feet tall and can live to be 400 years old. The tree’s use by the region’s people and industries, past and present, make it a worthy recipient of state tree designation.

Lester

Lester soil (sos.state.mn.us)

By Catherine Winter

Yes, Minnesota has a state soil. There was plenty of joking around when it became the state soil back in 2012. Columnist James Lileks wrote that lawmakers had named a state soil “just to show they could do it if they wanted to.” Its sponsor, Gen Olson (R-Minnetrista), told the Star Tribune, "I told people that if I didn't get this passed, my name would be mud."

But to us master gardeners, soil is serious business. We’re always advising people to get their soil tested — it’s cheap and easy! — before planting things in it or adding fertilizer or other amendments. And our state soil is good for growing things in. It’s built from a combination of glacial activity and decaying plant matter, making it rich and productive. Sadly, it has nothing to do with Lester Park or the Lester River, so we can’t have hometown pride about it. It’s named for one of the locations in which it is found, Lester Prairie.

Instructions for having your soil tested ($17) can be found here: soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/testing-services/lawn-garden.

Rusty-patched bumblebee

The rusty-patched bumblebee captured near Cromwell this summer. She's been busy. The "baskets" on her back legs are full of pollen she's been collecting to carry back to her colony. (Photo by Chris Julin)

By Catherine Winter

The state bee is our newest symbol, adopted only last year.

Until very recently, the rusty-patched bumblebee was common in our region and throughout the northeast. But its population has dropped precipitously. This year, when volunteers from the Minnesota Bee Atlas fanned out across the state to capture and identify bumblebees, there was great excitement when one person captured a rusty-patched bumblebee in Carlton County.

That volunteer was me. Every summer, a partner and I participate in this citizen science project. We catch bumblebees in specimen cups, chill them in a cooler until they are calm enough to be photographed, try to ID them, and send photos to experts in St. Paul. (We let the bees go once they’ve posed for pictures.) Our route is near Cromwell, and the rusty-patched bumblebee hadn’t been seen there for decades.

The rusty-patched bumblebee was the first bee in the continental United States to be declared endangered. Experts believe its population crash is being caused by a deadly combination of disease, habitat loss and pesticides. It was placed on the federal Endangered Species List in 2017.

Bumblebees and other wild bees provide important pollination services to many crops, such as apples, tomatoes and blueberries, as well as to wildflowers. Without bees, we’d lose our most delicious and nutritious foods — as well as coffee and chocolate. So there’s good reason to celebrate our state bee and work to keep it and other pollinators from vanishing.

Written by U of M Extension Master Gardeners in St. Louis County. Send your questions to features@duluthnews.com.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/5003434-State-symbols-are-part-of-what-makes-Minnesota-home

Price of local rice skyrockets, FG kicks

By

 The Eagle Online

March 20, 2020

The Federal Government has frowned at the hike in the cost of local rice, saying it is dishonesty on the part of the dealers and unfair to consumers.
Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, made this known at the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja.
Nanono said: “l am going to engage with them on this; we are going to discuss this and l am going to be thorough on it because l know this business.”
He said before the closure of the border, the cost of rice ranged between N5,000 and N9,000, adding that most of the dealers had stock for as long as eight months.
Nanono however noted that shortly after, two months into the border closure, they inflated the price to N15,000, N16,000 and N17,000, depending on the brand.
According to him, the effect of the exorbitant hike is that it will make people to take risk to smuggle rice into the country.
He said if this persisted, there would be pressure on government to import rice, adding: “If such measure is taken, who will lose?
“The millers and people that are employed, that is Nigerians that will lose.”
The Minister however assured that he would engage with the producers in few weeks’ time to address the indiscriminate hike.
“Sometimes people are not honest.
“Before the border closure, rice was sold for between N5,000, N8,000 and N9,000, but shortly after the closure, dealers were selling it for N15,000 to N16,000 and now it has risen to N17,000.
“There were times when they were buying rice at N5,000, N8,000 and most of them if you check they have stock up to eight months.”
Nanono however described border closer as the best decision ever taken by the Federal Government for the economic development of the country.
He said before the closure of the border, there were 11 integrated milling plants, milling about 28 tonnes to 300 tonnes per day.
“When the border was closed, a company told me that it was having over 600 tonnes in stock and most of these integrated millers are employing between 200 and 350 people directly,” the Minister said.
NAN.

https://theeagleonline.com.ng/price-of-local-rice-skyrockets-fg-kicks/

FG frowns at indiscriminate hike in cost of rice ON MARCH 20, 2020

12:31 PMIN NEWS The Federal Government has frowned at the indiscriminate hike in the cost of local rice, saying it is dishonesty on the part of the dealers and unfair to consumers. Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development made this known at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja. “l am going to engage with them on this; we are going to discuss this and l am going to be thorough on it because l know this business.’’ He said that before the closure of the border, the cost of rice ranged between N5,000 and N9,000, adding that most of the dealers had stock for as long as eight months. Nanono however noted that shortly after, two months into the border closure, they inflated the price to N15, 000, N16, 000 and N17, 000, depending on the brand. According to him, the effect of the exorbitant hike is that it will make people to take risk to smuggle rice into the country. He said that it this persisted; there would be pressure on government to import rice, adding “if such measure is taking who will lose? “The millers and people that are employed, that is Nigerians that will lose,” he said, The minister however assured that he would engage with the producers in few weeks’ time to address the indiscriminate hike. READ ALSO: Dangote backs Buhari on border closure “Sometimes people are not honest, before the border closure, rice was sold for between N5,000,  N8,000,  and N9,000 but shortly after the closure, dealers were selling it for N15,000 to N16,000 and now it has risen to N17,000.  “There were times when they were buying rice at N5, 000, N8, 000 and most of them if you check they have stock up to eight months.’’ Nanono however described border closer as the best decision ever taken by the Federal Government for the economic development of the country. He said that before the closure of the border, there were 11 integrated milling plants, milling about 28 tonnes to 300 tonnes per day. “When the border was closed, a company told me that it was having over 600 tonnes in stock and most of these integrated millers are employing between 200 and 350 people directly,’’ the minister said. (NAN)

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/fg-frowns-at-indiscriminate-hike-in-cost-of-rice/

China May Be Beating the Coronavirus, at a Painful Cost

Beijing says its heavy-handed measures are working. Can other countries battling the outbreak learn from its efforts — or is the cure worse than the disease?

A market in Beijing this week. The Chinese economy has ground to a near standstill, and many small businesses say they may soon run out of cash.Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

By Amy Qin

·       Published March 7, 2020Updated March 10, 2020

阅读简体中文版閱讀繁體中文版

BEIJING — As the new coronavirus races around the world, tanking markets, cutting off global travel and suspending school for hundreds of millions of children, governments are desperate for ways to contain it.

China, the place where it first appeared, says it has the answers.

To the surprise of some, the country that concealed and mismanaged the initial outbreak appears to be bringing it under control, at least by its own official figures. The number of new cases reported has fallen dramatically in recent days even as infections are surging in other countries. The World Health Organization has praised Beijing’s response.

Officials reported only 99 new cases on Saturday, down from around 2,000 a day just weeks ago, and for the second day in a row, none were detected in Hubei Province outside of its capital, Wuhan, the center of the outbreak.

China says the trend proves that its containment measures — which include a lockdown on nearly 60 million people in Hubei and strict quarantine and travel restrictions for hundreds of millions of citizens and foreigners — are working. And it has begun trying to promote its efforts as successful in propaganda at home and abroad.

The rest of the world, much of it fearfully confronting its first cases, has taken note. But there is also concern that China’s numbers may be flawed and incomplete. The real test will be whether the virus flares again when children return to classrooms and workers to factories, and commuters start taking buses and subways.

China’s blunt force strategy poses deeper questions for other countries. Its campaign has come at great cost to people’s livelihoods and personal liberties. Even countries that could copy China still have to ask whether the cure is worse than the disease.

Image

Medical staff checking on a coronavirus patient at the Red Cross hospital in Wuhan on Friday.Credit...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

“I think they did an amazing job of knocking the virus down,” said Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “But I don’t know if it’s sustainable. What have the Chinese really accomplished? Have they really contained the virus? Or have they just suppressed it?”

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Read our live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak here.

Elsewhere, Italy, South Korea and Iran are struggling to control the spread of the virus. In the United States, where there are now more than 400 confirmed cases, the government has been criticized for fumbling its rollout of test kits and allowing the virus to spread in vulnerable communities like a nursing home in Seattle. The outbreak now threatens global growth and is intensifying a backlash against immigration and globalization.

Countries studying China’s approach would need to consider how it has upended nearly every corner of Chinese society.

The economy has ground to a near standstill, and many small businesses say they may soon run out of cash. Patients with critical illnesses are struggling to find timely care, and some have died. Hundreds of millions of people have been placed in some form of isolation. As of Friday, about 827,000 people remained under quarantine in Beijing, according to the state-run China Daily newspaper.

“I have been worried about all the focus on just controlling the virus,” said Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. She recommended a more measured response, such as that taken by the governments in Hong Kong and Singapore. Officials there enacted targeted quarantines but did not shut down workplaces altogether, allowing their respective economies to continue operating while so far successfully containing the virus.

“We have to take a broad view of the impact on society,” Dr. Nuzzo said, “and do a better accounting for the social tolls of these measures that is not just focused on the numbers.”

For China, the numbers are key.

The number of cases reported on Saturday was a substantial decline from two and a half weeks ago, when China was recording around 2,000 new infections and as many as 100 deaths a day. Twenty-eight new deaths were reported on Saturday, all in Hubei.

In Beijing, traffic was light on Friday afternoon during what would usually have been rush hour.Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

By comparison, Italy reported 49 deaths from the virus on Friday.

Outside of Wuhan, the spread has effectively stopped, according to the official figures. All but one of the 99 new cases reported on Saturday were in Wuhan or were people who had traveled to China from abroad.

The World Health Organization says China’s containment measures may have saved hundreds of thousands of people from infection. Its efforts show that uncontrolled spread of the virus “is not a one-way street,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the group’s director general, said on Thursday.

“This epidemic can be pushed back,” Dr. Tedros said, “but only with a collective, coordinated and comprehensive approach that engages the entire machinery of government.”

W.H.O. experts sent to China have also highlighted clinics that could diagnose hundreds of cases a day with CT scans and laboratory tests, and the mass isolation centers in stadiums in Wuhan that separated people who had mild infections from their families.

“There’s no question that China’s bold approach to the rapid spread of this new respiratory pathogen has changed the course of what was a rapidly escalating and continues to be a deadly epidemic,” Dr. Bruce Aylward, the leader of the W.H.O. team that visited China, told reporters in Beijing late last month.

The numbers suggest that aggressive quarantine measures, when fully enforced, could choke the spread of the virus, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.

“This is the largest public health experiment in the history of humankind,” Dr. Schaffner said. “They can’t turn it off, but they did turn it down. And it did provide the rest of the world with some extra time.”

Still, the total number of infections in China, at more than 80,000, is staggering. And there are reasons to doubt the official figures.

In the early days of the outbreak, a shortage of test kits and hospital beds meant that many were not able to get tested. Many mild infections are likely going undetected. The government has changed how it counts cases several times in recent weeks, prompting large fluctuations in the reported figures, though experts say such adjustments are not unusual.

Medical experts say that there have been few signs that the government has aggressively tested for the coronavirus outside of medical facilities in Hubei. Until they broaden the scope of testing, experts say, it will be impossible to determine the true extent of the epidemic because those who have mild infections might not see a doctor.

“At the moment we are focused on the tip of the iceberg,” said David Hui, the director of the Stanley Ho Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The ruling Communist Party hails the slowdown of the outbreak as a sign of the superiority of its authoritarian, top-down political system that gives officials nearly unchecked power. But its heavy-handed measures are testing the patience of its citizens, many of whom think such a clampdown could have been avoided if officials had not first hid the scale of the outbreak and silenced whistle-blowers.

The impact of the restrictions has been felt most acutely in Hubei, where 56 million people have been effectively penned in since January. For more than five weeks, the typically bustling hub of universities, commerce and transportation has been transformed into a collection of ghost towns as the virus has ravaged communities, ensnared entire families and infected thousands of medical workers.

China’s experience combating the virus has also highlighted the risk of family transmission if hospitals run out of beds and testing kits, as they did in Wuhan, where for weeks, many who were sick were sent home and infected their relatives.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/world/asia/china-coronavirus-cost.html

FG warns local rice dealers to desist  from price hike
 The Federal government (FG) has Ruth Okwumbu

March 20, 2020

warned dealers of the locally produced rice from hiking the price, as it may pressure retailers to go back to imported rice.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nano, decried this practice which he described as dishonest and unfair.

Nano, who spoke during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, observed that this hike became widespread after the Federal Government closed the nation’s borders to rice importation in order to encourage local production and self-sufficiency.

He noted that before the border closure, a bag of locally produced rice ranged from N5000 to N9000 but barely two months after the closure, the dealers had hiked the price of a bag of rice to a range of N15000 to N17000 for different brands.

According to him, the effect of the exorbitant hike is that people might decide to take risk to smuggle rice into the country, and Nigerians will bear the most loss for such actions.

“The millers and people that are employed are the ones to bear the loss.  Nigerians will lose if we go back to importing rice,” he said.

He assured consumers that the ministry would engage with the producers and dealers in a few weeks’ time to address the indiscriminate hike, as it was unfair to consumers.

“Sometimes people are not honest, before the border closure, rice was sold for between N5,000,  N8,000,  and N9,000 but shortly after the closure, dealers were selling it at higher prices,’’ he complained.

Nanono described the border closer as the best decision ever taken by the Federal Government for the economic development of the country.

He said that before the closure of the border, there were 11 integrated milling plants, milling about 28 tonnes to 300 tonnes per day, an indication that the country was well on the path to self-sufficiency in rice consumption.

https://nairametrics.com/2020/03/20/fg-warns-local-rice-dealers-to-desist-from-price-hike/

PAU student bags PM fellowship

·       Posted: Mar 21, 2020 08:23 AM (IST)

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 20

Rajveer Singh, a student of School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has brought laurels to the university by bagging the prestigious Prime Minister Fellowship for his doctoral research. The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and private partner AP Organics limited (Dhuri Punjab), awards this fellowship for four years.

During his Ph D, Rajveer will work on the “Enhancement of rice bran oil quality through CRISPR/Cas9 based editing of Lipoxygenase 3 (LOX 3).” During rice milling due to rupturing of cells, free fatty acids (FFAs) are generated. These FFAs are converted into low-molecular-weight volatile products via hydroperoxides and subsequent oxidation and decomposition by lipoxygenase3 (LOX3), creating a stale flavour in the product. This makes the rice bran oil unfit for its consumption. The best approach to eliminate the effect of oxidative rancidity in rice bran oil is to knockout the function of LOX3 gene.

This would lead to maintain the nutritional value of rice bran oil; promises wider markets to rice millers and farmers, in addition to providing a healthy food product to the consumers.

Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU; Dr Gurinder Kaur Sangha, Dean, Postgraduate Studies; Dr NS Bains, Director of Research and Dr Parveen Chhuneja, Director, School of Agricultural Biotechnology, congratulated Rajveer Singh and his guide and wished them success in their future endeavours.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/pau-students-bags-pm-fellowship-58880

Families First Act Becomes Law

by Jamison Cruce

WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, which President Donald Trump signed into law yesterday. 

The roughly $8 billion dollar stimulus package includes emergency provisions for paid sick leave, free virus testing, domestic food aid, and unemployment insurance. The new law takes effect on April 2, 2020 and will remain effective until December 31, 2020. 

A third aid package focusing on tax rebates and industry assistance is currently being negotiated in the Senate. It's expected once the third stimulus is passed that a fourth is expected to be introduced with a focus on infrastructure related issues due to the pandemic.

USA Rice President & CEO Urges Americans to Follow Health Guidance, But Support Local Restaurants & Foodservice Workers Where Possible Amidst COVID-19

WASHINGTON, DC - The COVID-19 crisis is affecting all Americans and with the forced closure or heavy service restrictions being placed on the foodservice industry around the country, this cornerstone of our society is being hit hard.

The restaurant industry directly employs almost 16 million Americans, and the National Restaurant Association is estimating as many as 7 million jobs could be lost, with a negative impact on the economy of as much as $675 billion over the next several months as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward issued the following statement:

"The history of the United States is tied deeply to the foodservice industry - from the taverns and public houses where the American Revolution began to the modern restaurants where so many Americans had their very first job; restaurants have introduced Americans to new cuisines and customs, served as community meeting spaces, and for sure, the restaurant industry has helped so many achieve the American dream of financial independence and owning your own business.

"All of that now is threatened as we are told not to gather and to remain in our homes if possible. The lasting impact on this industry that means so much to us will be catastrophic, and we support the restaurant industry's call for government assistance through direct and targeted financial relief, loans and insurance options for impacted small businesses, and various tax measures specific to the industry.  But as citizens and loyal customers, we too can help. 

"Of course we must all remain safe, we must practice social distancing, not just for ourselves, but for the vulnerable in our community, and we must adhere to the guidelines our government and health officials are giving us.  But we should also try to help this industry that is one of the cornerstones of our society.

"I urge Americans to support their local restaurant industry by purchasing establishment gift cards for future use, ordering take out, and making use of curb side pick-up as available.  And be sure to tip your servers as generously as you are able.

"I have confidence that as a nation we will get through these difficult times, but I think we all realize the world will look very different on the other side of this challenge.  I, for one, want my favorite restaurants to be there with me, so I'm ordering take out from them this weekend."

Paneer Our Daughter’s Delight

Kamal Baruah *

Cooking is all about a skill of preparing food by combining, mixing and heating ingredients. All we wish at home for is our mother to cook us a hearty meal. Gone are those days of struggling with cooking?

Food ordering and delivery platform make life easier by changing the way India eats – all with just a tap! It’s a reality Swiggy dare not introduce a Lazy Roll. Isn’t that LOL – Life of lazy, we tried more times than often to restrain from ordering a meal even at late night.

Cooking can be a drag for this busy world. You don’t need to be an experienced chef to cook dishes at home, do you? I don’t either.

I am an avid foodie, yet I did not develop an interest in cooking since I saw MRE “Meal Ready-to-Eat” wherever I go. US Dept of defence supply MRE for its service personnel in combat field. It’s called Packed-Lunch in IAF and I simply loved those typical poori and potato masala.

Fortunately my better half is a great cook and I enjoy scrumptious meals over dinner. I don’t cook very often but those lucky guests are always full of praise for my style of Biryani, the only menu I cook well but I make kitchen rather messy. Old things are passed away, behold, online food delivery is becoming new trends. Hosts are no longer in stress to serve a feast at guest anytime.

Despite all luxury to availability of online meals, we try for home-cooked food on weekends. It was not just another Sunday but another special day I busied myself with housework as my wife was days away at school for board paper evaluation.

Soon after dropping her in the early morning I began working around. Our little daughter couldn’t help anything for keeping our home clean and tidy. Her first preference is the morning cuppa which I also cannot do without that. In fact, I started my day with a tea.

Office goers do not believe breakfast as the most important meals of the day. After all mornings are tough as time constraints make it impossible to do everything. And I chose for quick and easy yet healthy menus for the hectic morning however the ideas of recipe were scrambling for few minutes to pull together.

I sat by the fire and toasted a piece of bread with a mug of microwave omelette and a pair of banana somehow satisfied our healthy appetite.

The next couple of hours of the day were forced in a whirl of feverish activity. The Sunday bazaar is another attraction for me as I walk around a kilometre in the market for want of organic vegetables from villagers.

I enjoy the smell of clothes dried out in the sun on the terrace. I began thinking another recipe for the lunch while giving the entire floor a quick sweep. I crouch down in fear for meat and poultry products as the Coronavirus outbreak outside. Finally I chose a milk product Paneer that come back to me at last however the worst fear has then been realized that I had never cooked before.

Incidentally, our daughter’s favourite is Paneer. She was also confused whether to fry it or otherwise. YouTube rescued us for that juncture. Tomatoes are chopped like a professional with onions were cut into the slices on chopping board quickly.

As Curry was put under preparation over low flame, I kept a look at timepiece on the wall while acquiring a taste for the cumin and coriander inflected gravy-soaked stews, stained yellow with turmeric. The preparation was going progress, albeit rather slowly.

After all lunch got to be ready on time as I was expecting my wife’s arrival after a fatigue duty. However, it’s not just the food which makes it so pleasant. The fact that we do it together is just as important. It’s not just incredible curry served over lunch but happiness is being served at home.

A big plate of basmati rice get delighted everyone although it is blamed for being fattening our belly yet South Indian go for all rice products like Biryani to Dosa, Idli and Vada. Soon I raised the lid on the karhai, the paneer smell beguiled us for a moment.

But that was not continuing on that day as we found a very few spoonful of rice cooked quickly in a pressure cooker. There was no way to cook again another plate.

It was 8th March - the International Women’s Day and was the most challenging that I have ever encountered. Although I was experiencing difficulties it was a great cooking experience for a memorable meal.

Nothing gives us more pleasure or a delight which is not necessarily a Paneer, the more delight is of sharing food. Finally I realise, making fresh Paneer is way easier then I think. She is very fussy about food and I could bring a smile of our daughters’ delight.

---

* Kamal Baruah wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer is a former Air Warrior and currently working for SBI Dispur. He can be reached at kamal(DOT)baruah(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
This article was webcasted on March 20, 2020.

---

http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=leisure.EI.Paneer_Our_Daughter_Delight_By_Kamal_Baruah

Exporters to get relief package

By MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN on March 20, 2020

Prime Minister's Advisor on Commerce, Industries and Production and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said on Thursday that the government would soon announce a relief package for the affected exporters.

“I want to assure our exporters that the government is fully aware of the difficulties faced by them due to coronavirus. In the coming days, we will be giving a relief package, particularly to ease the liquidity problems faced by them," he added.

A committee under the chairmanship of Finance Advisor Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh is already reviewing the situation on a daily basis to evaluate the losses being incurred by the exporters.

According to an official document, the Trade Advisory Committee, comprising different ministries, is of the view that considering Pakistan's rising global export trend, the government can take facilitative measures to support the domestic industry through rationalization of regulatory duties/additional customs duties, advance sales tax on 62 selected tariff lines concerning raw materials of textile, engineering, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals.

The committee has observed that this step will provide relief to the importers and would cover costs of higher world prices of raw materials, and additional costs of sourcing from countries where higher tariffs will apply (zero or lower due to the FTA).

Pakistan's imports in value terms from the world from February 1, 2020 to March 18, 2020 have reduced by about $200 million, of which a large portion was those which were enjoying duty exemptions under the CPFTA.

The sources said, through the TAC, the TDAP was tasked to hold consultations with all the stakeholders of trade and share their inputs, proposals, concerns and recommendations.

The TDAP held consultation with 12 trade associations representing sectors including auto, electric fans, and cosmetics, marble, rice, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, readymade garments, leather, and textiles etc.

The overall response received from 12 associations suggest that importers are facing delays in supplies. However, stocks are available for 30 days or more and have not reached critical levels, while business activities in China are improving quickly.

China is expected to be back to normal within a month's time, except for Hubei province, for which the time period of restoration of activities is two months.

Top declining exports of Pakistan include rice, ethyl alcohol, cotton yarn, chromium ores, cotton fabric, raw leather, natural sands, marble, vegetable saps, natural steatite, flour and meals, and sacks and bags. In terms of absolute value the biggest decrease in exports to China has been observed in rice for February 2020, i.e. 85 per cent.

Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has informed that Chinese market is expected to rebound quickly, however, if demand does not pick up in China, orders of rice can be diverted to Africa, which is a huge market of Chinese Irri-6 variety.

The TDAP's consultation with Sea Food Association and response received from Trade and Investment Officer in Bangkok hints an expected decrease in exports of fish and fish products to Thailand mainly because of the fact that the tourism industry of Thailand has been badly affected by the outbreak.

Around $160 million of fish and fish products is exported to Thailand, which constitutes around 56 per cent of total exports of Pakistan to Thailand.

The textile wing held consultative sessions with all the related trade associations and informed that although prices of polyester yarn began to rise earlier, however they are now showing decreasing trend and moving towards stabilization.

They further informed that in terms of readymade garments, orders have diverted from China to Pakistan, which will result in improved export figures for exports to the US and the EU.

The statement is corroborated by export figures for February, 2020, where although overall exports to China has decreased by 16 per cent, yet Pakistan's exports to the world has increased by 13 per cent.

https://www.brecorder.com/2020/03/20/581794/exporters-to-get-relief-package/

Cost Of Grocery Items Increased In Pakistan Shroud Prices Also Increased

 Yasir Zeb

Kryana Merchants requested a meeting of the Price Control Committee for an official increase in prices. According to President Kryana Merchant Pervaiz Butt, Dal mung increased from Rs 230 to Rs 250 kg, Dal Mash from 220 to 227 kg, sugar by Rs 2 kg to wholesale. With the addition of 50kg of sugar, the price of rice increased by Rs12.

President Pervaiz Butt Kryana Merchants Association says supply is also decreasing, commodity prices will be raised and new prices will be set, otherwise, the strike will be initiated.

Along with food, prices of “shroud” have also increased, while the price of flower leaves has seen a record decline. Male Shroud Sewing increased from Rs 1200 to Rs 2100, Female Shroud Sewing was increased from Rs 1300 to Rs 2200 to Rs 2500. Dried flowers and sheets placed on graves also increased from Rs 200 to Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

On the other hand, the end of the marriage, Vilma, Mehndi, political and social events reduced the price of flower necklaces, earrings, floral leaves, and beads. The petals of rose flowers dropped from Rs 400 to just Rs 100 per kg while necklaces of roses cost only Rs 10, roses beads 8 to 10 and mala costing Rs 15.

https://www.researchsnipers.com/cost-of-grocery-items-increased-in-pakistan-shroud-prices-also-increased/

Global food security at risk if India, Pakistan fight

Research shows limited nuclear war between India, Pakistan will impact food security for billions worldwide

Vakkas Dogantekin   |19.03.2020

ANKARA

A nuclear war between India and Pakistan would significantly impact global food security, according to nearly 20 scientists who analyzed the outcome of a potential nuclear standoff between the South Asian neighbors.

The research, published in the official journal of the U.S.’ National Academy of Sciences, revealed "the impacts of such low-likelihood but severe events … to inform the public and policy makers”.

“A limited nuclear war between India and Pakistan could ignite fires large enough to emit more than 5 Tg [teragram] of soot into the stratosphere,” said the article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday.

“Climate model simulations have shown severe resulting climate perturbations with declines in global mean temperature by 1.8 °C and precipitation by 8%, for at least 5 y [years]."

Evaluating potential impacts on the global food system, scientists calculated that “global caloric production from maize, wheat, rice, and soybean falls by 13 (±1)%, 11 (±8)%, 3 (±5)%, and 17 (±2)%” over a five-year period.

“Total single-year losses of 12 (±4)% quadruple the largest observed historical anomaly and exceed impacts caused by historic droughts and volcanic eruptions,” the report said.

The research suggested that “domestic reserves and global trade can largely buffer the production anomaly in the first year” but “persistent multiyear losses … would constrain domestic food availability,” particularly in food-insecure countries.

“By year 5, maize and wheat availability would decrease by 13% globally and by more than 20% in 71 countries with a cumulative population of 1.3 billion people,” the report added.

The scientists drew attention to the “increasing instability in South Asia”, and warned that “a regional conflict using <1% of the worldwide nuclear arsenal could have adverse consequences for global food security unmatched in modern history.”

Long-fraught relations between the two nuclear rivals brought them to the brink of war in 2019, after India scrapped the special provisions of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

India and Pakistan both hold Kashmir in parts but claim it in full. China also controls part of the contested region, but it is India and Pakistan who have fought two conventional wars over the territory.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/global-food-security-at-risk-if-india-pakistan-fight/1772378

REAP chief urges government to double term of ERF

By ZAHID BAIG on March 20, 2020

Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has urged the government for enhancing the term of export refinance facility (ERF) scheme given to the rice exporters from 180 days to 360 days, enabling them work smoothly and with peace of mind.

‘Due to outbreak of coronavirus in certain countries, our members are facing issues of delayed shipments, delayed payments, cancellation of their future export orders as well as substantial increase in the cost of freight,' said REAP chairman Shahjahan Malik in a letter addressed to the Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood.

Shahjahan further said that these issues are being faced particularly in China, Saudi Arabia, UAE etc. Keeping in view these issues the term of the ERF should be doubled to enable the Pakistani rice exporters to repay the finance obtained from the banks in time, he added.

Talking to Business Recorder here on Thursday, he said that terms of both type of export refinance facilities should be enhanced. Under ERF-I scheme; exporters obtain finance for a specific consignment while under ERF-II, exporters are provided finance for one year and they have to double their past export figures in that specific time.

Malik said that they are receiving more export orders this year because of panic buying in the wake of coronavirus. These are slightly 10 per cent higher but to manage these demands exporters are in need of finance. He was of the view that the textile sector is given all the incentives and facilities but rice which is second highest foreign exchange earners for the country is always ignored and neglected.

To a question, REAP chairman said that the picture of rice export is very rosy as during the first eight months of current fiscal year, exports have shown 15 per cent hike, especially in export of Basmati. However, he regretted that figures of production of rice crop are the same as was in the corresponding period so efforts have to be made for production of more export surplus.

Replying to another query whether ban on transportation would hit the rice exports, he hoped that movement of essential items would not be banned as it may also create shortage of commodities in the market for domestic requirement.

He said that they had met about 10 times to the adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood to discuss various impediments blocking growth of rice exports from Pakistan. “We are aiming to double the rice crops in next five years but it will need full backing by the government and producing more export surplus,' Shahjahan Malik concluded.

https://www.brecorder.com/2020/03/20/581745/reap-chief-urges-government-to-double-term-of-erf/

Rice exports grow 11pc in eight months

By APP

March 20, 2020

ISLAMABAD: Rice exports from the country during the first eight months of the current financial year increased by 11.09pc as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

During the July-Feb FY20 period, about 2,763,171 metric tonnes of rice, worth $1.397 billion, was exported, as against the exports of 2,497,536MT, valuing $1.257 billion, during the same period last year.

According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports of basmati rice grew by 36.56pc, as the commodity worth $501.179 million was exported during the period under review as compared to the exports of $366.765 million during the same period of the last year.

In quantitative terms, the country exported about 566,711 metric tonnes of basmati rice in 8MFY20 as compared to 370,248MT in the same period of last year.

Meanwhile, the country managed to export about 2,196,460 metric tonnes of rice other than basmati, worth $896.312 million, as against the exports of 2,127,288 metric tonnes, valuing $891.230 million, in the same period of last year.

The export of rice other than basmati in 8MFY20 grew by 0.57pc as compared to the corresponding period of the last year.

It may be recalled that the overall food group exports from the country during the first eight months of FY20 grew by 5.48pc as food commodities worth $3.033 billion were exported as against $2.875 billion worth of exports in the same period of last year.

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/03/20/rice-exports-grow-11pc-in-eight-months/

Across China: Chinese firm ensures rice seed supply for Pakistani partner

Xinhua, March 20, 2020

NANJING, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Huang Yao, a salesman of a seed company in east China's Jiangsu Province, has had to cancel his scheduled flight to Pakistan on Friday due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Huang works for Jiangsu Hongqi Seed Industry Co., Ltd., an enterprise engaged in wholesale and retail of crop seeds. His company reached an agreement with the Pakistani side to ship 500 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds after the Spring Festival.

However, affected by the epidemic, the seeds could not be processed and packaged as planned.

Thanks to the help of the customs of the city of Taizhou, which opened a green channel and streamlined the process, the seeds were finally loaded on a ship and departed for Pakistan at the end of February.

"If these seeds couldn't be delivered to our customers in time, our business and reputation could be damaged, while the local grain yield in Pakistan could also be affected," said Zha Lianqun, general manager of the company.

After a weeks-long journey, the seeds recently arrived in Rahim Yar Khan, a city in Punjab Province. By convention, Huang, who is in charge of the business with Pakistani partners, needs to follow the seeds to their destination, and monitor seed quality and provide training for local farmers.

The 32-year-old has visited Pakistan three times a year since 2017, and spends two to three months there each time. During his stay, Huang took part in sowing seeds, breeding seedlings and applying fertilizer with local farmers, sharing experience and giving them guidance. He also traveled to inspect the output during the harvest season and collected feedback from local farmers.

"I can't fly to Pakistan at the moment, but my colleagues and I delivered a batch of masks to our partners in the city of Rahim Yar Khan," said Huang, adding that although he is in China, he still worries about Pakistani farmers and friends who also face the risk of being infected by the deadly virus.

In addition, Pakistan has struggled to combat locust plagues which have destroyed crops and threatened the livelihoods of farmers since the end of last year. "This batch of seeds aims to help ensure the grain yield of Pakistan this year," Zha said.

China and Pakistan have seen closer cooperation in agriculture in recent years since the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative in 2015. China's seed products have become very popular with Pakistani buyers.

Huang's company obtained an order of 100 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds from Pakistan in 2017 and expects the export volume will exceed 1,000 tonnes in 2021.

"We hope our seeds can take root in Pakistan and contribute to the food supply and security there," Huang added. Enditem

http://www.china.org.cn/china/Off_the_Wire/2020-03/20/content_75839918.htm

 

COVID-19 threat boosts sales at Yangon wholesale market

AUNG LOON 20 MAR 2020

Workers pack rice at a warehouse in Bayintnaung Trading Centre. Shin Moe Myint/The Myanmar Times

Trading is brisk at Yangon’s Bayintnaung Trading Centre, where delivery-truck traffic has risen three-fold amid the threat of a COVID-19 outbreak, a trader at the wholesale market said on Thursday. 

U Win Naing, owner of OK Rice Sales Centre at the market, said trucks carrying rice, vegetables and other commodities have been arriving at the market non-stop since the deadly disease was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December and spread to 159 countries.

“Trucks are coming in and going out every day,” he said. “Mostly they’re carrying basic stuff like onions, garlic, chillis, potatoes, rice, cooking oil and salt.” 

“Prices haven’t changed much except for cooking oil,” he added, “which has increased slightly because of higher demand.”

Sales perked up at the wholesale centre last weekend after the World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic, and supermarkets in the city almost ran out of food and medicine. 

“Since March 11, trucks have been in and out of the market almost non-stop,” he said.

The price of rice has increased K500 (US$0.35), but traders are trying to control the increase. He attributed the uptick to the strengthening of the kyat against the US dollar.

The wholesale market is situated on about 76 acres in No. 1 ward of Mayangone township and has about 1200 wholesalers. – Translated

 

https://www.mmtimes.com/news/covid-19-threat-boosts-sales-yangon-wholesale-market.html

Rice, pulse, sugar, egg, potato get pricier amid virus fear

 FE Report | Published:  March 20, 2020 12:16:56

Focus Bangla file photo used for representation

Prices of key essentials items, including rice, pulses, sugar, egg and potato soared notably last week which the market observers and traders attributed to a panic-buying by the city-dwellers, triggered by fears of coronavirus spread.

They said, more customers than usual rushed to kitchen markets and shops and were buying more goods than normal.

In fear of further spread of novel coronavirus in Bangladesh amid a global pandemic, many city-dwellers were making food stockpiles at their homes concerned to any possible lockdown amid the viral infection that already killed one in the country.

Prices of staple rice increased by Tk 3.0-6.0 per kilogram (kg) at retail depending on varieties.

Finer quality miniket, najirshail and jeerashail were sold at Tk 60-68 per kg on Thursday, the last working day of the week.

Medium quality Brridhan-28, paijam and lata were traded at Tk 52-56 a kg while coarse variety swarna and BR-11 at Tk 40- 42 a kg on the day.

Raqibul Alam, a grocer at Zakir Hossain Road at Mohammadpur, told the FE that people who have purchasing capacity are now busy stocking rice, pulses, potato, flour, onion, other cooking ingredients, dry food and sanitary items to prepare for any bad situation which may arise out of the virus outbreak.

Acknowledging that both wholesalers and retailers were charging additional prices for the items, he said there was a huge stock of the products in the city wholesale markets.

Haji Mohammad Asadullah, a Babubazar-based trader, said millers have also increased prices of the items by Tk 1.5-2.0 per kg in the last three days amid rising demand in Dhaka, Chattogram and other big cities.

"Millers in Kushtia and Rangpur district supplied the best quality miniket at Tk 2,750-2,780 for a 50-kg sack on Wednesday which was Tk 1,600 a few days back.

He said retailers in Dhaka also want to make more profits now which is hitting the consumers, especially the common people.

Asadullah said they were selling best quality miniket at Tk 53-54 a kg which were retailing at Tk 60-65 a kg by the grocers and chain-shops.

Potato prices rose by Tk 5.0 per kg and the essential item was sold at Tk 25 (cardinal, diamond) and Tk 35 (local or carriage) a kg.

Sugar prices increased to Tk 70-75 per kg from Tk 68-72 a kg.

Egg prices jumped to Tk 108- 110 per dozen on Thursday which was Tk 90-96 a dozen a week back.

Coarse lentil was traded at Tk 80-90 per kg and finer quality lentil at Tk 120-145 a kg on the day-Tk 10- 20 hike in a week.

Amid a significant cost hike of hand sanitisers of all brands, this correspondent noticed a price hike of baby diapers too.

In many places of the city, there was also supply shortage of sanitisers, baby diapers, dry foods, oral saline and other necessary items.

tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/rice-pulse-sugar-egg-potato-get-pricier-amid-virus-fear-1584685016

Corona outbreak: Bengal to provide rice free of cost

·          Fri, Mar 20 2020 08:07:20 PM

Kolkata, March 20 (IANS): The West Bengal government will provide rice from ration shops to 7.5 crore people free of cost till September, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Friday.

The rice is being given to those people who now get it for Rs 2 a kg.

"In view of the coronavirus outbreak, for the next six months, the state government will give rice free of cost to those who used to get it for Rs 2 a kilo. Altogether 7.5 crore will be benefitted," she said.

Banerjee also announced that starting Monday, state government employees would be allowed to work from home by rotation.

"Every day, 50 per cent of the employees will work from home through e-office service, and the rest would attend office. Those who work from home on one day, will attend office the next day, and vice versa," she said.

The roster system will continue till March 31, she said.

Banerjee also appealed to the private sector to follow the model and reduce the strength of workforce in office premises, which would also reduce the crowd on the street and in public transport.

https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=686755

Indian agri export business hit hard by outbreak in European Union, West Asia

The disruptions in air and shipping logistics have emerged as the biggest challenge to Indian banana exports, say exporters. (Photo: HT)

Updated: 20 Mar 2020, 11:42 PM ISTSayantan Bera

Shipments of non-basmati rice from southern Indian ports have nearly come to a standstill, say exporters

From rice and buffalo meat to perishables, such as bananas, exports of major agricultural produce from India has been hit due to the worsening coronavirus outbreak in the European Union (EU), West Asia and South-East Asia.

While traders have not been able to resume work at import hubs, including Singapore and Hong Kong, disruptions to logistics and non-availability of container ships have hurt farm produce exports.

This, despite the fact that food products were essential commodities for the importing countries.

For instance, India is the largest exporter of rice in the world, but shipments of non-basmati rice from Southern Indian ports have nearly come to a standstill.

“We have witnessed a 90% loss of business since end of January," said Veera Pandian, a trader who sends shipments from Chennai and Krishnapatnam port.

He said traders in Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, who serve markets in Malaysia, Indonesia and African nations, are not coming forward to purchase.

“Everyone is stuck at home," Pandian said.

India exported over ₹53,700 crore worth of rice in 2018-19, out of this, non-basmati rice accounted for ₹20,900 crore.

According to Chennai-based Vishnu Kumar, who exports premium non-basmati rice to the EU, West Asia and the far East, availability of containers and higher freight rates have emerged as a big challenge.

“In the past 15 days, enquiries have dropped and there were no fresh orders." Traders from Doha have also sought for declarations that the rice was not infected by coronavirus. The volatility in exchange rates has added to the woes.

Exports of premium basmati rice, which has been facing headwinds due to higher than mandated pesticide residues (in the EU), and a payment crisis coupled with economic sanctions (in Iran) have been further impacted due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Everyone’s attention is geared to fighting the virus... so traders in Doha, Dubai and other places are taking it slow," said a basmati rice exporter from Haryana, requesting anonymity.

However, logistical issues, such as a severe shortage of containers, is a bigger challenge, he added.

Not just rice, exports of perishables like bananas have also been severely affected, leading to a dip in farm gate prices.

“Disruptions in logistics, both ship and air, have emerged as the biggest challenge," said Pankaj Khandelwal, managing director, INI Farms, which supplies fresh bananas to West Asia.

For instance, banana prices at the farms in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have fallen by 30% within two weeks.

“We need to ensure that documentation work in Indian ports continues, and truck movement for perishables are not impacted by internal restrictions," Khandelwal added.

Buffalo meat, India’s second largest farm export, valued at ₹25,000 crore for 2018-19, has also been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The industry lost business worth ₹1,500 crore in February due to the outbreak in China, said Fauzan Alavi, vice president, All India Meat and Livestock Exporter’s Association.

Export units are now facing a shortage of shipping containers, but with the situation in China improving, enquiries have started, he added.

“This is an unprecedented short-term supply shock in food trade," said S. Chandrasekaran, a Delhi-based trade policy analyst and author of Basmati Rice: Natural History and Geographical Indication.

Export demand is likely to fall in coming months as importing countries reduce their demand and bargain for a better price due to the economic shock from the coronavirus pandemic, he added.

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/covid-19-farm-exports-take-a-hit-11584707252512.html

Rice exports increases 11.09%, reaches $1.257 billion in 8 months

March 20, 2020

ISLAMABAD, Mar 20 (APP):Rice exports from the country during last eight months of current financial year increased by 11.09% as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period from July-February, 2019-20 about 2,763,171 metric tons of rice worth $1.397 billion exported as against the exports of 2,497,536 metric tons valuing $1.257 billion of same period last year.

According the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, exports of basmati rice grew by 36,56% as above mentioned commodity worth $501.179 million was also exported as compared the exports of $366.765 million of same period of last year.

In last 8 months country exported about 566,711 metric tons of basmati rice as compared the exports of 370,248 metric tons of same period last year, the data reveled.

Meanwhile, country manged to export about 2,196,460 metric tons of rice other then basmati worth of $896.312 million as against the exports of 2,127,288 metric tons valuing $891.230 million of same period last year, it added.

The exports of rice other then basmati in last 8 months of current financial year grew by 0.57% as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year, it added.

It may be recalled here that overall food group exports from the country during last 8 months grew by 5.48% as food commodities worth $3.033 billion exported as against $2.875 billion of same period last year.

On month on month basis, the food group exports also witnessed 4.09% growth in month of February, 2020 as country fetched $424.748 million by exporting the food commodities, which was recorded at $408.072 million of same month of last year.

On the other hand food group imports into the country also decreased by 8.07% as it came down from $3.868 billion of first 8 months of last financial year to $3.556 billion in 8 months of current financial year.

https://www.app.com.pk/rice-exports-increases-11-09-reaches-1-257-billion-in-8-months/

Acadiana newsmakers: Acadiana Cos. honors retiring VP Erroll Babineaux

·       MAR 20, 2020 - 12:15 AM

Ida Wenefrida, LSU AgCenter

Acadian Cos. has honored Vice President of Air Services Erroll Babineaux, who retired after 45 years, by naming Acadian Air Med’s base in Lafayette as the Erroll C. Babineaux Air Med 1 Base in recognition of his contributions to the company.

Acadian leadership, employees, associates and Babineaux family members participated in a dedication of the base and plaque recognizing Babineaux’s efforts creating and fostering Acadian’s air ambulance program and its mission of saving lives.

“Erroll’s long hours and hardworking, can-do attitude have helped make this company what it is today,” said Richard Zuschlag, Acadian Cos. chairman and CEO. “Of all the things he has done, his legacy will be his contributions to the air ambulance industry in Louisiana. Anytime an air ambulance saves someone’s life, I credit Erroll for getting the program started."

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The New Iberia native had worked as an ambulance driver, paramedic, supervisor, communications specialist and district manager of Iberia, St. Martin, Vermilion and St. Mary parishes. He became Acadian’s first commercial pilot in 1979 and worked with Petroleum Helicopters Inc. to design and assist in building the first air ambulance helicopter used in Louisiana, which became FAA-certified.

Acadian Air Med began service in 1981 and has expanded to include 11 bases of operation in Louisiana and Texas and a fixed-wing division, Executive Aircraft Charter Service. Acadian Air Med operates a fleet of 12 medically configured helicopters and seven fixed-wing aircraft.

Additionally, Babineaux provides marketing, public relations and governmental relations in many of the rural parishes that Acadian serves.

Dal Miller, who resides in Lafayette and is chairman and chief executive officer of Premium Inspection and Testing Group, has been selected as one of four graduates for induction into the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business Hall of Distinction recognizing their success and contributions to their professions and communities. The other inductees are Kathleen L. Quirk, Robert K. Reeves and M. Jack Sanders for 

Miller also serves on the boards of Certus Energy, Southwest Elevator, Alliance Source Testing and Petrolog. He is a member of the E.J. Ourso College of Business dean’s advisory council, Tiger Athletic Foundation and the LSU Foundation. Miller holds a bachelor's degree in finance, 1989, and an MBA, 1991, with an emphasis in economics, from LSU.

Quirk, of Phoenix, is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. and has been with the company for more than 30 years. She serves on the board of Vulcan Materials Co. Quirk holds a bachelor's degree in accounting, 1985, from LSU.

Newly retired, Reeves served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. in Houston. Reeves is a member of the LSU Foundation national board and the board of Episcopal Health Foundation. He previously served on the boards of Key Energy Services Inc., Western Gas Partners LP, Western Gas Equity Partners LP and St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System. Reeves received his bachelor's degree in business administration, 1978, from LSU and doctor of jurisprudence, 1982, from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

Sanders, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is the retired president and chief executive officer of Sonoco Products Co., with a 30-year career there. Sanders served on the boards of South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, American Forest and Paper Association and The Charles W. Coker and Elizabeth H. Coker Foundation. He received his bachelor's in finance, 1976, from LSU.

The seventh annual Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction this year has selected Calvin Viator, James Barnett, John Denison, Jay Hardwick and for induction for their major contributions to sugar cane, forestry, rice and cotton.

The Hall of Distinction recognizes people making contributions to Louisiana’s farming, ranching, forestry, aquaculture, education and agribusiness industries.

A native of the Bayou Teche area, Viator was reared on his family’s sugar cane farm and has become an active contributor to the agriculture community. He founded a crop consulting company and works closely with the American Sugarcane League, the LSU AgCenter and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Denison, a third-generation farmer from Iowa, is being recognized for his role in the advancements in production and profitability of Louisiana’s rice industry.

Barnett, a Pineville native, has spent nearly 50 years advancing the reforestation of Southern pine species. He is being honored for his major contributions, research and advancements with seeds and seedlings.

Hardwick, of Newellton, has made cotton farming more environmentally friendly by focusing on production techniques that have minimal impact on the surrounding ecosystem.

LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Don Groth received the Distinguished Service Award from the Rice Technical Working Group, an organization of researchers and academicians that meets every two years to share information, coordinate research and find solutions for rice industry problems.

Groth is resident coordinator at the AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. Groth has received in excess of $3.5 million in grants during his tenure at the rice station and has worked on grants totaling more than $6 million. He also has extensively published his work as both senior author and co-author in more than 450 publications, of which 105 are refereed. He also has received numerous AgCenter awards.

Groth has initiated an extensive screening program of thousands of early and advanced-generation rice breeding lines for sheath blight, blast and bacterial panicle blight. He has identified several new sources of resistance to multiple diseases, including sheath blight and bacterial panicle blight. These materials are being actively used in genetic and breeding projects in Louisiana, the U.S. and overseas to enhance disease resistance.

Groth began his career with the AgCenter in 1984 after graduating from Iowa State University with a doctoral degree in plant pathology. His master’s degree in plant pathology is from Iowa State and bachelor’s in botany from Eastern Illinois University.

LSU AgCenter rice researcher Ida Wenefrida was honored with Top 20 Global Woman of Excellence Award for 2020 by the American Multi Cultural Ethnic Coalition.

Wenefrida, an Indonesian American, is an associate professor who conducts her work at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station near Crowley. She has developed a high-protein rice variety, Fontiere, and is involved in research to develop more new varieties. Wenefrida is president of the worldwide Indonesian Diaspora Foundation and the Louisiana Chapter of the Indonesian Diaspora Network.

She received her bachelor’s degree in agronomy in Indonesia, her master’s degree in plant pathology from Mississippi State University and her doctorate in plant health from LSU.

https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/business/article_b17869bc-693c-11ea-a6f6-8f12ac03fd5f.html

Stocks to tide over coronavirus crisis

Devinder Sharma,

• Mar 19 2020, 22:19 ist
• updated: Mar 21 2020, 07:44 ist

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As the European Union sealed its borders in a desperate attempt to put the brakes on the ferocious spread of the coronavirus pandemic, a young Indian student returning from Italy recounted how the battle for a loaf of bread has intensified in a country which is perhaps the worst hit by the spread of the deadly virus. An Indian NRI couple returning to America a few days ago, after spending two months on holiday in India, were shocked to find that the price of wheat atta they usually would buy for $10 a bag had now skyrocketed to $90.

As hordes of worried shoppers have been stockpiling supplies of food, toilet paper and other groceries day after day amidst the coronavirus scare in America, US President Donald Trump had to step in to assure people that there is no shortage of food supplies and urged them to resist panic-buying.

In India, as the Supreme Court directs all states to ensure that the disbursement of nutritional food to children and lactating mothers is not affected as a result of the closure of schools, Kerala has launched a programme for delivering mid-day rations to schoolchildren at their homes. Meanwhile, reports of consumers stocking food and other essential items in panic have poured in from across the country. With Punjab closing down the weekly vegetable market called Apni Mandi, and with some experts saying that community transmission of coronavirus is imminent, which means that self-quarantining will become the norm in the days to come, the scramble for buying and storing essential food commodities has only heightened. My own neighbours have already stocked their monthly household requirement of wheat atta, rice, sugar, edible oil, onion and potato.  

Although there is no shortage of food globally as well as nationally, panic-buying of food items at a time of crisis is nothing unusual. As far as wheat, rice, sugar and pulses are concerned, there are enough stocks available within the country. In fact, for wheat and rice, the godowns are already overflowing with the surplus over the required emergency buffer being several times more. Against the requirement of 214 lakh tonnes of wheat and rice at the beginning of the year on January 1, 2020, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had 565.11 lakh tonnes, which means roughly two-and-a-half times more than the essential requirement for public distribution. With the new wheat arrivals expected from the first week of April, India has certainly nothing to worry on the foodgrain front.

In addition, India already has a buffer stock of 30 lakh tonnes of sugar, which the government is planning to raise to 40 lakh tonnes this fiscal. In the cases of pulses, the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs has been trying since December to offload 8.47 lakh tonnes from its buffer stock of pulses.

The abundance of food stocks within the country at a time when national borders are closing for movement of people and which is also expected to hit international trade is certainly cause for a big sigh of relief. This reminds me of the global food crisis in 2007, when food prices had soared globally and food riots had erupted in 37 countries, including countries like Egypt. While people went hungry, food companies had raked in huge profits, with the food commodity prices soaring in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the world’s biggest commodity trading market. The UN Human Rights Council had attributed commodity futures trading to be the primary reason behind the global food crisis. Nearly 75% of the blame for the unprecedented rise in food prices was directly linked to the exploitative commodity prices that prevailed. 

India had escaped the global food crisis primarily because it had enough food stocks and also it had not linked its agriculture to the international futures market.

With public memory being short, the coronavirus pandemic has perhaps come knocking at the right time. For the past several years, mainline economists and policymakers have been seeking the reversal of the food procurement system that is primarily responsible for building the food reserves so essential for ensuring household food security. With all eyes on dismantling the network of regulated mandis under the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act, the government is keen to gradually withdraw from the open-ended procurement of wheat and rice. The Prime Minister’s Office has already written a letter to the Punjab government asking why the open-ended procurement, under which whatever quantity of wheat and rice farmers bring to the mandis the government is under obligation to procure at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), has not been curtailed.

The basic objective being to liberalise the agricultural markets which, in turn, means not learning enough from what led to the 2007 global food crisis. Any tinkering with the food procurement system built so assiduously over the years is certainly fraught with unforeseen dangers. More so in a country which has the worst child mortality rate in the world, with over 8.8 lakh children succumbing to malnutrition and related ailments every year. Termed by the UNICEF as the burden of death, it clearly shows that the problem is not with surplus food the country has but with its (mis)management. More so, at a time when the country also ranks 102 among 117 countries on the Global Hunger Index.

Therefore, the policymakers need to remind themselves again and again of what Dr MS Swaminathan once said: “The future belongs to nations with grains and not guns.” India cannot afford to go back to the days of ‘ship-to-mouth’ existence when food would come directly from the ships to feed the hungry.