Updated
21 Jul, 2020
KARACHI: Despite negative
impact of COVID-19, rice exports maintained an upward momentum and rose by some
5 percent during the last fiscal year (FY20).
After the coronavirus
pandemic, global economies including Pakistan facing lower growth and the
country's most exports registered a negative growth due to slow demand.
According to the Federal
Bureau of Statistics, in terms of value, Pakistan earned all-time high foreign
exchange amounting to $ 2.175 billion in FY20 compared to $ 2.069 billion,
showing an increase of 5.12 percent or $106 million during last fiscal year.
In terms of quantity, during
the period under review, rice exports moved up by 1.12 percent. Overall,
Pakistan exported 4.166 million MTs of rice during July-June of FY20 against
some 4.12 million MTs in the corresponding period of FY19.
During the last fiscal year,
some 890,207 tons of basmati rice (including basmati steam, basmati brown,
basmati parboiled) and some 3.276 million tons other varieties of rice
(including 100 percent broken Irri-6, Irri-9) were exported.
Commenting on the rice
exports, Convener Rice Export Committee of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and former chairman Rice Exporters Association of
Pakistan (Reap) said that despite COVID-19 and slow demand worldwide,
Pakistan's rice exports posted growth in a difficult time, when the country's
remaining major exports were moving down.
He said that during the
initial months of the last fiscal year, rice exports were posting healthy
growth; however, the last four months were difficult for the exporters due to
COVID-19.
"It was a challenge for
the exporters to maintain rice export growth after Coronavirus pandemic and
Pakistan's exporters with the support of ministry of commerce successfully
achieved all time rice exports," he added.
He informed that during the
last year exporters could not travel abroad to explore new markets and focused
the previous market. Exporters have planned some foreign tours during this
fiscal year to find the new export markets and achieve another milestone in the
rice exports.
Currently, African countries,
China, and European Countries are leading buyers of Pakistani rice, which
quality is much better compared to other competitors like India, he mentioned.
Suleman informed that Kenya
is the one of the largest buyer of Pakistani non basmati rice and Pakistani
have exported approximately 425,000 metric tons of rice during the last fiscal
year. "Iran is also a potential buyer of Pakistani Basmati rice, but due
to the non availability of banking channel, we are unable to export rice to Iran",
he mentioned.
Pakistan has limited access
in the Chinese market due to quota system, but Pakistan can increase its share
with some concrete efforts. Pakistan's government should ask China for up to
one million tons rice quota, he suggested.
In addition, Pakistan can
enhance its rice export to Saudi Arabia, if they allow the duty free import of
Pakistani rice, he added.
Convener FPCCI committee said
that Pakistan can achieve $5 billion mark rice exports with improvement in rice
crop and further focusing leading markets like Africa and Europe. There is also
need to renegotiate the Free Trade Agreements with Indonesia and China to
further enhance the rice exports.
Talking about the domestic
issues, he said that Pakistan's rice crop is facing multiple challenges including
Seed development, storage and higher cost of production. The federal government
should support the rice exports by enhancing cultivation area and providing
quality seeds to farmers for an improved and higher crop yield, he demanded.
Suleman said that there is
need to develop of new rice seed varieties to get a more production and earn
more foreign exchange. "The Reap has already plan to increase the rice
exports from $2 billion to $5 billion rice in next five years, but it need
government's attention and some serious efforts," he added.
In addition, in order to
ensure the quality of rice grain, some quality standards like other should be
implemented in the domestic market, he suggested.
He also appreciated the rice
exporters' efforts for increases in rice exports and urged them for making more
efforts to achieve another milestone in this fiscal year (FY21). Minister of
Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood is also supporting exporters, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder,
2020
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40006513/rice-exports-reach-21bn-mark-in-fy20
GI Act to provide legal protection to local
products, enhance exports’
PM's adviser says
Geographical Indications Law will ensure 'premium price' for Pakistan's
indigenous products in the int'l market
By
-
120
ISLAMABAD: The
Geographical Indications (GI) Law will help protect Pakistani products like
Peshawari chappals, Multani pottery, Hunza apricots, Hala ajrak, Kasuri methi,
Chaman grapes and Turbat dates etc.
This
was stated by Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak
Dawood during a briefing to commerce ministry officials following the meeting
of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Commerce.
Talking
about the objectives of GI Law, Razak Dawood said the law would ensure that
indigenous products of Pakistan get a premium price in the international
market. “Under this act, a wide range of products, including basmati rice and
mangoes, will be introduced in the international market as national brands of
Pakistan.”
The
adviser noted that a lot of companies in the past used to sell Pakistani-origin
products without mentioning the country.
Pakistan
had enacted Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Act, which
was pending for over 14 years, in March 2020. “The GI Act, 2020, will also
encourage Small and Medium Enterprises to expand their business worldwide. The
protection of geographical indications will boost exports and will be helpful
in supporting rural development in the country, enhancing the livelihood of
agriculture producers and skilled craftsmen,” the adviser stated. “In addition,
the marketing of GI products will enhance the secondary economic activities in
the GI region, which will boost regional economic development.”
At
the end of the session, the advisor directed the ministry officials to
continuously follow up on the implementation of the GI Act and resolve any
issues in this regard so that the intended objectives could be achieved with
maximum benefits to the SMEs and local communities across the country.
Auction date set for machinery to be purchased using RCEF
Published July 20, 2020, 10:00 PM
The Philippine Center for
Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) had set on August 4, 2020
the start of the actual bidding of machinery it is supposed to buy and
distribute using its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) allocation.
PhilMech said that the bidding for
RCEF-funded machinery, which should have been done more than a year ago or
immediately after the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) was passed, will start on
August 4 and will involve the purchase of nine types of farm machinery.
Pre-bidding already started this
month and two machines are being featured in each bidding session, according to
the agency.
To recall, one of the crucial
components of RTL, which allowed unlimited rice importation in the country, is
to make Filipino rice farmers competitive by giving them access to free seeds
and modern farm equipment to be funded by RCEF, the collection of tariffs from
rice imports.
RCEF is supposed to be injected with
P10 billion annually from 2019 to 2024. Of this, P5 billion is allotted to
mechanization.
However, due to bureaucratic
bottlenecks, it took PhilMech more than a year to actually withdraw this cash
allotment and process the procurement.
PhilMech said the second pre-bidding
conference for the first batch of machineries to be procured under RCEF was
held on July 14 for the supply, delivery, and testing of Mechanical Rice
Transplanters and Rice Reapers.
This conference discussed and
explained procedures and instructions for bidding, including eligibility
requirements, technical, and financial components of the contract.
The bids for the Mechanical Rice
Transplanters have 12 lots with an Approved Budget Contract (ABC) of P637.47
million, while the ABC for the Rice Reapers, which has 6 lots, is P132.51
million.
On July 10, PHilMech also conducted
the pre-bidding for four-wheel-drive tractors with 27 lots and with
ABC of P2.84 billion, as well as for
rice combine harvesters with 26 lots and ABC of P1.84 billion.
The pre-bid conference was held at
PHilMech Auditorium and was streamed live via the DA-PHilMech Facebook account.
The Zoom application was also used for other bidders and Bid Award Committee
(BAC) members.
Strict protocols were observed for
physically present participants in compliance for the COVID 19 precautions,
PhilMech said.
In June, PhilMech assured that the
actual distribution of farm machinery funded under RCEF will take place in
August.
This is despite the lockdowns and
quarantines imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said PHilMech Executive
Director Dr. Baldwin Jallorina Jr.
Right now, Philmech is still
validating eligible RCEF beneficiaries, particularly farmers’ cooperative and
association (FCAs), in order to provide them with additional machines if needed.
The FCAs who did not qualify in 2019
can apply for 2020 as long as requirements set by the government are met,
PhilMech Facility Management and Field Operations Division chief Joel Dator
said.
RCEF currently covers 957
municipalities in the country and for rice farmers to benefit from the program,
they should be part of the DA’s outdated Registry System for Basic Sectors in
Agriculture (RSBSA).
As for RCEF’s mechanization program
alone, only rice farmers who are members of an FCA who can benefit from it.
In the selection of beneficiaries, PhilMech has adopted the farm clustering and
consolidation strategy to “achieve economies of scale that will pave the way to
cost-efficient operations, higher crop productivity and bigger farmers’
incomes”, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.
PhilMech has estimated farm
mechanization can lower the cost of producing palay (unmilled rice) by P1 to P2
per kilo.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/20/auction-date-set-for-machinery-to-be-purchased-using-rcef/
Potential of boosting Pakistan’s
exports
Islamabad needs to establish ‘commercial consulate’ in Beijing
to facilitate exporters
July 19, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
There are vast benefits of trade with China.
Currently, China ranks as the second-largest market for Pakistani products with
a 7% share, while the US has a share of 16.7% in total exports. China is also
the second-largest source of the country’s imports.
Owing to the free trade agreement (FTA), there
has been a surge in exports to China. The trade growth has increased by up to
26% because of the free trade policy from 19%.
The Chinese government has shown great
interest in expanding trade with Pakistan. It is hoping to import more goods
from Pakistan. Vegetables and fruits are expected to be imported by China.
Pakistan imports machinery but the industrial
infrastructure requires a lot of development to make cost-effective production
possible.
In China, there is a huge demand for Pakistani
mangoes, berries, potatoes, wheat, rice and citrus fruit. The two countries are
also working on developing genetically engineered rice. Another big project is
to build reliable supply chains for halal food.
Windows of opportunities
In China, there are specific opportunities for
Pakistan in the agriculture sector as the country is facing problems with the
quality of its irrigated land area. There is a growing shortage of it. For some
crops, it is severe.
China prefers trade for its agrarian needs
with Asian countries, such as Pakistan, India, Thailand and Vietnam.
Rice trade between Thailand and China is
difficult due to high tariffs. It was a success for Pakistan that grabbed the
opportunity and filled the market gap. Pakistan, after being the top exporter
of cotton to China, became the second largest exporter of rice to Beijing.
Pakistan’s Adviser on Commerce and Trade Abdul
Razak Dawood sees the possibility of expansion. Introducing new products is
essential but expanding the current product export volumes is equally
important.
Sugar comes as a priority for Dawood. He notes
that trade of several future items will rise, which will further solidify the
Pak-China geopolitical relationship.
There is another important area which covers
minerals and precious stones. Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
project, tariffs have been reduced from 35% to 0%. Now, gold and copper
reservoirs have also become a focus of Chinese engineers as they have been
discovered in Reko Diq.
China has expressed the possibility of
importing CPEC-made products in the agricultural and horticultural sectors,
because of quarantine problems in the potential importing nations.
Barriers and advantages
Dawood expressed the view that Pakistan would
be trying its best to increase trade with China. There are specific problems
which come in the way of realising that.
Most of the Pakistani exports go to Europe and
the US, but China is Pakistan’s biggest exporting destination. It is mostly raw
material which Pakistan exports to China. Cotton and hard chromium account for
66% of exports. This has not changed for quite a long time.
There is a significant advantage that Pakistan
has, unlike other nations trading with China, which is the FTA. It offers the
potential of growth for many Pakistani products.
The FTA with China should give Pakistan an
edge over other countries in several potentially high profit-generating
products such as textiles and sports. But the country has been unable to take
advantage of this substantial market because of non-tariff barriers.
In most of these goods that have a huge
potential, Pakistani exporters have failed to make headway because of the
non-tariff barriers.
The barriers noted by the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) are time-consuming and high-cost bureaucratic procedures,
lack of commercial judiciary, lack of transparency and non-standardised
tenders.
Furthermore, there is a communication gap
between the two countries, unlike Pakistan’s other trade partners. This creates
hesitation among traders of both countries because they are unable to
understand each other’s expectations and lack trust because of the absence of a
bridging factor.
Once a deal is dropped, or a bad experience
happens, it becomes difficult for the party at a loss to regain trust.
China is a big market, and sometimes it is
seen that there is not enough supply on the side of Pakistan. China demands
imports because it has shortage in the labour market. The high cost makes it
difficult to compete with foreign competitors.
There is an issue of marketing. Pakistan needs
to highlight the trade opportunities in the CPEC project because many traders
from both countries do not know sufficiently about it. Due to this drawback,
several opportunities remain out of the scope of local and foreign-resident
traders.
Several reports indicate the discomfort of
Pakistani traders with the intensive investigation of their products, which
sometimes spoil the goods. This is because a Pakistani product is not highly
esteemed in China.
Suggestions
Pakistan is in a huge need to shift from
exporting raw material and simple manufactured goods to higher value-added
products. In this way, the labour market will benefit and growth will continue
to expand.
It is advised that Pakistan needs to build a “commercial
consulate”, separate from the embassy in China. This will facilitate exporters
to understand the Chinese demand based on research of institutes, and will
connect Chinese traders with Pakistani counterparts.
It is also suggested that the Trade Development
Authority of Pakistan should allocate a budget for improving the branding and
marketing of Pakistani goods.
It is hoped that the government will help
traders in building efficient procurement and distribution networks so that the
quality of goods can be improved in the Chinese customer’s perception.
The article originally appeared on the China
Economic Net
Published in The Express
Tribune, July 20th, 2020.
Like Business
on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay
informed and join in the conversation
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2255670/potential-of-boosting-pakistans-exports
FIA foils smuggling bid of drug
in rice bags
A campaign has been launched by the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) Sindh-I against hawala operators, smugglers, money launderers and other
criminals.
A spokesman for the FIA Sindh said that the FIA’s Corporate Crime
Circle Karachi raiding team conducted a raid on credible information that a
psychotropic substance, ketamine HCl, was being exported from Karachi to
Antwerp, Belgium, under the guise of rice export.
The raid was conducted in the Hussainabad area in the presence of
federal inspector of drugs. A truck no.TK-684 carrying a 20-foot container was
intercepted in Hussainabad, containing 18 metric tons of rice. The search of
the container by the FIA & FID (Drap) resulted in the recovery of 170
one-kilogramme packets of suspected Ketamine HCl which was tactfully concealed
in rice bags.
The Custom documents of consignment of rice i.e E-Form, invoice,
GD, loading program of shipping line were already prepared by the accused
persons in the name of the company, M/s Tedik Trading Co, Sialkot. The
documents were to be entered in Weebok after reaching the container at the
port.
The rough value of the recovered Ketamine Hcl is more than $3,000
per kilogramme and the total value of the seized substance has been estimated
at $510,000. The suspect, Dawoodur Rehman, was present on the spot during the
raid. Upon interrogation, he disclosed that the said consignment of ketamine
HCL was being exported to Antwerp, Belgium.
Accordingly, an FIR No.18/2020 was registered at the FIA,
Corporate Crime Circle, Karachi against Dawoodur Rehman, absconder Hifzur
Rehman and others under the Customs Act 1969 read with the section 109 and 34
of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Since, the Customs Act, 1969 is a predicate offence of the
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Act, 2010, therefore, a widespread money laundering
investigation shall also be initiated after identification and tracing of the
proceeds of crimes.
The government of Belgium will also be approached to identify
probable beneficiaries of ketamine HCl. Further investigations are under way.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/689318-fia-foils-smuggling-bid-of-drug-in-rice-bags
Boosting agriculture
Reservoirs will help produce hydro-electricity, a relatively
inexpensive source of power
EditorialJuly 19, 2020
In Pakistan, the government has been providing
subsidies to farmers on agricultural inputs since the early 1960s to boost food
production. For the ongoing financial year, the federal government has
announced a subsidy of Rs37 billion for famers on fertilisers and other
agricultural inputs, especially in view of the impact of the coronavirus
pandemic on the economy. Subsidy on financial assistance for setting up
tube-wells for agricultural purposes and on electricity consumption by such
irrigation devices will also likely be provided.
The subsidy package aims at boosting per
hectare yield of major crops such as wheat and cotton. Efforts are also being
made to provide high-yield variety of seeds to famers at subsidised rates. The
government also plans to improve the canal system. More efforts are to be made
for water conservation. Now most of the rainwater goes to waste as it flows
into the sea, so big and small dams have been planned to be built. The
Diamir-Bhasha dam is one of the significant components of the strategy aimed at
overcoming water storage. The authorities have been stressing the need for
building big and small dams in the country like China. Reservoirs will not only
boost availability of water but will help produce hydro-electricity, a relatively
inexpensive source of power. The government is making all efforts to improve
the canal system and also to persuade farmers on the need for adopting
efficient management of water.
In Pakistan, the per hectare
yield of major crops like wheat, cotton, rice and sugar cane is much below that
of China, the US, France and other developed countries. Per hectare yield of
cotton is 2.5 tons in Pakistan, which is 52 per cent of what it is in China.
Pakistan produces 3.1 tons of wheat per hectare while France gets a yield of
8.1 tons. Egypt’s per hectare yield of sugar cane is more than 63 per cent
higher than Pakistan’s. These facts make a strong case for increasing crop
yields in the country.
Published in The Express
Tribune, July 20th, 2020.
Like Opinion
& Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive
all updates on all our daily pieces.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2255661/boosting-agriculture
Auction
date set for machinery to be purchased using RCEF
Published July 20, 2020, 10:00 PM
The
Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) had
set on August 4, 2020 the start of the actual bidding of machinery it is
supposed to buy and distribute using its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(RCEF) allocation.
PhilMech
said that the bidding for RCEF-funded machinery, which should have been done
more than a year ago or immediately after the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) was
passed, will start on August 4 and will involve the purchase of nine types of
farm machinery.
Pre-bidding
already started this month and two machines are being featured in each bidding
session, according to the agency.
To recall, one of the crucial components of RTL, which allowed unlimited rice
importation in the country, is to make Filipino rice farmers competitive by
giving them access to free seeds and modern farm equipment to be funded by
RCEF, the collection of tariffs from rice imports.
RCEF is
supposed to be injected with P10 billion annually from 2019 to 2024. Of this,
P5 billion is allotted to mechanization.
However, due
to bureaucratic bottlenecks, it took PhilMech more than a year to actually
withdraw this cash allotment and process the procurement.
PhilMech
said the second pre-bidding conference for the first batch of machineries to be
procured under RCEF was held on July 14 for the supply, delivery, and testing
of Mechanical Rice Transplanters and Rice Reapers.
This conference discussed and explained procedures and instructions for
bidding, including eligibility requirements, technical, and financial
components of the contract.
The bids for
the Mechanical Rice Transplanters have 12 lots with an Approved Budget Contract
(ABC) of P637.47 million, while the ABC for the Rice Reapers, which has 6 lots,
is P132.51 million.
On July 10,
PHilMech also conducted the pre-bidding for four-wheel-drive tractors with 27
lots and with
ABC of P2.84
billion, as well as for rice combine harvesters with 26 lots and ABC of P1.84
billion.
The pre-bid
conference was held at PHilMech Auditorium and was streamed live via the
DA-PHilMech Facebook account. The Zoom application was also used for other
bidders and Bid Award Committee (BAC) members.
Strict protocols were observed for physically present participants in
compliance for the COVID 19 precautions, PhilMech said.
In June,
PhilMech assured that the actual distribution of farm machinery funded under
RCEF will take place in August.
This is
despite the lockdowns and quarantines imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
said PHilMech Executive Director Dr. Baldwin Jallorina Jr.
Right now,
Philmech is still validating eligible RCEF beneficiaries, particularly farmers’
cooperative and association (FCAs), in order to provide them with additional
machines if needed.
The FCAs who
did not qualify in 2019 can apply for 2020 as long as requirements set by the
government are met, PhilMech Facility Management and Field Operations Division
chief Joel Dator said.
RCEF currently covers 957 municipalities in the country and for rice farmers to
benefit from the program, they should be part of the DA’s outdated Registry
System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
As for RCEF’s mechanization program alone, only rice farmers who are members of
an FCA who can benefit from it.
In the selection of beneficiaries, PhilMech has adopted the farm clustering and
consolidation strategy to “achieve economies of scale that will pave the way to
cost-efficient operations, higher crop productivity and bigger farmers’
incomes”, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.
PhilMech has estimated farm mechanization can lower the cost of producing palay
(unmilled rice) by P1 to P2 per kilo.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/20/auction-date-set-for-machinery-to-be-purchased-using-rcef/
Rice exports primed for decade-low
PUBLISHED : 21 JUL 2020 AT 08:35
NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS
WRITER: PHUSADEE ARUNMAS
Thailand's rice exports are
likely to plunge to 6.5 million tonnes this year, the lowest in a decade, from
an earlier projection of 7.5 million tonnes because of a spate of negative
factors, says the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
Chookiat Ophaswongse, the
association's honorary president, said after a discussion with Commerce
Ministry officials including Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, the group
offered dim export prospects for the second half, and downgraded its rice
forecast to only 6.5 million tonnes this year.
"Thailand's rice exports are
hampered by a host of negative factors, be it the coronavirus crisis that
weakened global demand, a strong baht that makes Thai rice more expensive, or
continued drought cutting into production," said Mr Chookiat.
Thailand's benchmark 5% broken
rice price is now quoted at US$520 per tonne, while rice from Vietnam and India
stands at $440-450 and $360 per tonne, respectively.
"Thailand's relatively more
expensive prices have led buyers to opt for grains from our competitors,"
he said.
In the first five months,
Thailand shipped 2.57 million tonnes of rice, down 31.9% from the same period
last year, with an export value of 54.2 billion baht, down 13.2% for the same
period.
The top five rice importers from
Thailand for the period were the US (338,769 tonnes, up 41.2% year-on-year),
South Africa (231,412, down 12.6%), Angola (195,438, down 1.5%), China
(120,207, down 41.6%) and Japan (116,338, up 7.9%).
Mr Chookiat said for the second
half of the year, Thailand is estimated to ship about 3.5 million tonnes.
For the first half, he predicted
3 million tonnes shipped, while India and Vietnam are expected to ship 5.5
million tonnes and 3.4 million tonnes, respectively. Thailand shipped 7.58
million tonnes of rice worth 131 billion baht in 2019, down 32% and 25% from
the previous year.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1954663/rice-exports-primed-for-decade-low
HANKS
NAMED USA RICE CHAIR
Bobby Hanks, CEO of Supreme Rice
Mon, 07/20/2020 - 5:47pm
ARLINGTON, Virginia
Bobby Hanks, CEO of Crowley’s Supreme Rice, has been named as
the new chair of USA Rice.
New chairs for USA Rice, The Rice Foundation, the USA Rice Millers’ Association
(RMA), and the USA Rice Merchants’ Association were elected by their respective
Boards of Directors during annual meetings this week held via video conference
calls.
All newly elected officers will assume their two-year posts on August 1.
Hanks takes over for Charley Mathews Jr., a rice farmer from Marysville,
California, who has been chair of the group since 2018.
"Bobby is going to make a great chair," Mathews said. "He is
well versed in U.S. rice industry issues and is a long-term member of USA Rice
having joined in 1999 when he first acquired Louisiana Rice Mill.”
Hanks has served on numerous USA Rice committees, including past chair of the
USA Rice Millers’ Association and current chair of the USA Rice International
Trade Policy Committee.
"Under Charley’s leadership over the past two years, USA Rice finally
opened the world’s largest market – China – to U.S. rice. We also solidified
relationships in Iraq, did great outreach in Central America and Mexico, and
received our largest ever grant from the federal government to promote U.S.,
rice overseas," said Hanks. "He has represented USA Rice in markets
around the world, and made presentations at the annual Mexico trade mission and
the annual international promotion planning conference in Colombia in Spanish!
“Here at home,” Hanks added, “Charley helped us notch wins for rice in domestic
purchasing programs and federal aid programs and lent his support to retail
efforts. He also visited the White House twice – something no USA Rice chairman
has ever done.”
David Petter was elected chair of The Rice Foundation. Petter, a
fourth-generation rice farmer from Stuttgart, Arkansas, replaces Frank Carey,
who served as chair of The Rice Foundation for two years.
Outgoing RMA Chair Keith Gray passed the gavel to Keith Glover, president and
CEO of Producers Rice Mill.
Ryan Carwell, vice president at Poinsett Rice and Grain, replaces Dick Ottis
who helmed the USA Rice Merchants’ Association for six years.
“On behalf of USA Rice, I extend special thanks to our great board leaders who
served with distinction over the past two years – Charley, Keith, Dick, and
Frank,” said USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward. “We are very grateful for
their guidance and support.”
https://www.raynetoday.com/news-local-agriculture/hanks-named-usa-rice-chair
USA
Rice's Bachmann Named to USTR, USDA Trade Advisory Committee
WASHINGTON, DC -- Last week, U.S. Trade
Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue
jointly appointed 25 new members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory
committees through 2024, including Peter Bachmann, USA Rice vice president,
international trade policy.Bachmann was named to the Agricultural Trade
Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds,
replacing Bob Cummings who retired from USA Rice last year but remained an
active member on the Committee until new appointments were made last week.
The committees are made up of industry trade
policy representatives from across all agricultural sectors who provide advice
to federal agencies regarding agricultural trade provisions within existing and
pending trade agreements on both a broad and sector-specific level. The
committees typically meet annually or semi-annually in-person and frequently by
phone for confidential briefings. "I see this as an opportunity to
ensure that the collective voice of U.S. rice farmers, millers, and merchants
is heard loud and clear in Washington both before and during U.S. government
trade negotiations," said Bachmann. "In trade agreements,
details are everything, and while there are many skilled staff at both USTR and
USDA, they rely on the trade advisory committees to ensure they get the details
right."
USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward
agrees. "Trade is such a vital part of our domestic rice industry's
business and it's even more important now, given the active and planned
negotiations with several countries where U.S. rice exports could be
impacted. As an advisor on ag trade, Peter will represent U.S. rice
interests and provide policy makers with the latest, most accurate
industry information available."
In addition to representation on the grain
sector's technical advisory committee, USA Rice is also represented on the
Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee by Arkansas rice farmer and former USA
Rice chair, Dow Brantley.
Slimy invader attacks La.
crawfish and rice farms
Never
Miss A Story
Apple snail eggs are a common sight in area marshes. [The
Courier and Daily Comet/File]
First it came for your wetlands.
Now it’s coming for your crawfish and your rice.
A foreign snail that appeared in
Louisiana just over 10 years ago and quickly infested ponds, bayous and streams
in about 30 parishes has recently found its way to the farms that produce two
of the state’s favorite foods.
The invasive apple snail has shut
down harvest at some crawfish farms in Vermilion, Acadia and Jefferson Davis
parishes and has made its first devastating appearance in rice fields. In
March, the invasive mollusks wiped out a 50-acre field of rice, marking the
first reported case of the snail damaging the crop in Louisiana.
“Where it’s hit ’em, it’s hit ’em
hard,” said David Savoy, a Church Point crawfish farmer and chairman of the
Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board. “In Vermilion, it’s so bad,
you pick up a trap and there’s 5 to 10 pounds of them. It’s horrible.”
Attracted by the bait in traps,
the snails crowd in, leaving little or no room for crawfish. At some farms,
apple snails are being caught in such high numbers — sometimes 12 crates per
day — that disposal of the thick-shelled snails is becoming a problem.
Some farmers have had to halt
harvests and drain their ponds early, suffering revenue reductions of as much
as 50%, said Blake Wilson, an LSU AgCenter researcher.
“The impact on some of those
farms, particularly where snail populations have been building for years, has
been immense,” he said.
Only about 10 crawfish farms have
been affected, but new reports keep coming in.
Louisiana is by far the nation’s
biggest crawfish producer. The industry contributes more than $300 million to
the state economy each year and employs about 7,000 people, according to the
research board.
“If the problem spreads to the
whole industry, economic impacts could be tens of millions of dollars annually
without effective control tactics,” Wilson said.
Those tactics are currently
limited to pesticides. But what kills snails will also likely kill crawfish.
Native to South America, the
apple snail’s first appearance in Louisiana was in a Gretna drainage canal in
2006.
They’re popular in the aquarium
trade partly because they eat the algae that dirties tanks. But they get quite
big — sometimes growing shells 6 inches in diameter — and they often have a
strong, swampy odor. Their presence in the wild is likely due to aquarium
owners dumping them in ditches and ponds.
The snails stay below the water’s
surface and aren’t often seen, but their bubblegum pink eggs are hard to miss.
In clusters of 200 to 600, the tiny eggs have become an all-too-common sight on
tree trucks and pilings just above the water line. Destroying the eggs is one
of the best ways to reduce their numbers.
The state Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries recommends people scrape the eggs off with a stick and crush
them, or at least knock them into the water. Be careful not to touch them
because the eggs contain a neurotoxin that can irritate skin and eyes.
The snails are edible but are
known to carry rat lungworm, a parasite that can kill humans and other mammals.
Rapid reproducers and voracious
eaters, the snail overpopulates waterways and kills off habitat important to
native fish and other wildlife.
The snail’s appearance in
crawfish farms comes at a particularly bad time for the industry. Crawfish have
been hit with white spot syndrome, a deadly virus that was first discovered in
farmed shrimp in Asia in the early 1990s and first appeared in Louisiana 2007.
The coronavirus pandemic has
taken a toll as well. The AgCenter reported that some crawfish producers have
been able to sell just 15% of their catch due to pandemic-related restaurant
closures and occupancy limits.
Scientists and farmers are
perplexed about how the snail arrived in crawfish farms and why certain farms
are swarming with them.
“It’s weird,” AgCenter researcher
Greg Lutz said. “It pops up in certain regions. You can have a farm with
nothing, and three or four miles down the road they’re overrun.”
It could be that the snails
benefit from flooding. An Acadia Parish farm started having a snail problem
after its fields were flooded from a bayou linked to the Mermentau River, which
is loaded with apple snails.
The snail has been identified in
just one rice field so far, but the potential for widespread destruction is
strong. It’s a major pest for rice growers in Spain, Asia and Central America.
In the Philippines, the snail is considered a national menace, infesting about
half the nation’s rice fields during the late 1980s.
The snail left almost nothing at
the rice field near Rayne. Wilson estimated the field had two snails per square
foot.
“There was no trace of rice,” he
said. “If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a snail production farm.
w.houmatoday.com/news/20200719/slimy-invader-attacks-la-crawfish-and-rice-farms+
Sakuna: Of Rice
and Ruin will launch this November
Marvelous Europe has announced that the
upcoming Action/Simulation game developed by the 2-man team at Edelweiss, Sakuna:
Of Rice and Ruin, will launch physically and digitally within
Europe and Australia on the 20th November 2020 for the Nintendo Switch and
PlayStation 4.
In addition, Marvelous Europe has also
announced plans for a physical Limited Edition of Sakuna:
Of Rice and Ruin for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4
that will be sold on the Marvelous Games Store and
from selected retailers within Europe. This Limited Edition will have an SRP of
£49.99 / €59.99 with contents and pre-order availability to be announced at a
later date. A standard physical edition for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4
will also be available at selected retailers within Europe and Australia with
an SRP of £34.99 / €39.99.
Key Features:
- Refined
Side-scrolling Platform Action: Using farm tools as weapons, chain
together quick, heavy, and special attacks to take down demonic beasts
while mastering the magical “divine raiment” will be essential to grapple
distant platforms, evade danger, and overcome powerful enemies.
- Detailed
3D Simulation-style Gameplay: Learn the ancient art of agriculture by
following detailed steps from planting to harvesting to cultivate the
perfect crop. As a harvest goddess, Sakuna’s strength grows with each
successful rice crop, with attributes such as aesthetic and flavour
directly correlating to her combat abilities.
- Creating
a Home in the Wilderness: Sakuna’s mortal companions make weapons, armour,
and meals for her using the materials and ingredients she gathers on her
adventures, and completing quests for them will unlock even more options.
- A
Fresh Take on Japanese Mythology: The heroine is part of a pantheon of
gods and demons inspired by traditional Japanese mythology but featuring
many unique twists. The story and world are filled with lovingly rendered
details, some familiar and some completely original.
- Refined
Side-scrolling Platform Action: Using farm tools as weapons, chain
together quick, heavy, and special attacks to take down demonic beasts
while mastering the magical “divine raiment” will be essential to grapple
distant platforms, evade danger, and overcome powerful enemies.
- Detailed
3D Simulation-style Gameplay: Learn the ancient art of agriculture by
following detailed steps from planting to harvesting to cultivate the
perfect crop. As a harvest goddess, Sakuna’s strength grows with each
successful rice crop, with attributes such as aesthetic and flavour
directly correlating to her combat abilities.
- Creating
a Home in the Wilderness: Sakuna’s mortal companions make weapons, armour,
and meals for her using the materials and ingredients she gathers on her
adventures, and completing quests for them will unlock even more options.
- A
Fresh Take on Japanese Mythology: The heroine is part of a pantheon of
gods and demons inspired by traditional Japanese mythology but featuring
many unique twists. The story and world are filled with lovingly rendered
details, some familiar and some completely original.
If you enjoy games and gaming and
want more NEWS from the Gaming World Click Here
https://invisioncommunity.co.uk/sakuna-of-rice-and-ruin-will-launch-this-novembe
BEPA Seals 100 Rice Mills
In-violation Of Environment Laws
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint /
Pakistan Point News - 19th Jul, 2020 ) :Balochistan Environmental
Protection Agency (BEPA) has sealed 100 unauthorized rice mills in the province
for violating the environment laws.
The Director General BEPA issued orders to seal 10 illegal rice
mills in Naseerabad district, 6 in Sohbatpur district and 84 in Jaffarabad
district.
Talking to APP, an official of the EPA Muhammad Khan Utmankhail
said "No one will be allowed to violate the Environment act 2012 and no
concession will be given to the violators. Strict action will be taken against
illegal factories without permission of the Environmental Protection Agency".
Muhammad Khan said that EPA has also imposed fines on dozens of
industries across the province for polluting the environments and violating the
laws.
In Pishin district,
7 illegal crushing plants were sealed on the orders of Director General of EPA.
The EPA has also banned 16 industries in Hub, two in Chaghi and one in Jafferabad district over polluting the
environments.
The industries have been imposed Rs
50,000 each fine for violating the Environmental Protection Act 2012
and all the industries concerned were required to pay the fine within 15 days of the action, he added.
In case of non-payment, action
would be taken under Balochistan Environmental
Protection Agency Act 2012, he added.
He said that it was the duty of us to keep the environment clean
and to protect the people.
Air pollution was a major problem which was causing dangerous
diseases, he added
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/bepa-seals-100-rice-mills-in-violation-of-en-978762.html
Rice Planting Plans Reduced for Kyushu in 2020
The Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry, and Fisheries released an updated report on rice projections for
planting. Accordingly, three Kyushu prefectures (Saga, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima)
adjusted their plans from “same as last year” (as of Apr. 2020) to “less than
last year.” In the entire Kyushu-Okinawa area, only Fukuoka Prefecture plans to
continue the same scale of planting as 2019. Despite the situation, the
ministry anticipates rice price drop due to a continued fall in consumption.
Sources: MAFF / AgriNews
Published: Jul 20, 2020 / Last Updated: Jul 20, 2020
https://www.fukuoka-now.com/en/news/rice-planting-plans-reduced-for-kyushu-in-2020/
Brown rice demand from industry buyers declines
July 20, 2020 | 12:03 am
PHILSTAR
DAVAO CITY — Supermarket sales
for brown rice increased during the public health emergency, making up for the
drop in demand from corporate clients, according to Sun Made Brown Rice
producer Mindanao Agri Network Corp. (MANCOR).
Carlo C. Lorenzana, vice-president
of MANCOR, said orders from major supermarket chains were higher during the
strict lockdown months between mid-March and May.
The company also tapped online
shops Pacific Bay and Hometown Grocer for distribution.
“So we were able to partly make
up for the dip in (big volume) trade sales, but not completely,” he said in an
e-mail interview.
Mr. Lorenzana said the boost in
retail demand allowed the company to stay on time with payments to partner
farmers, who needed cash as the lockdown coincided with the peak harvest
season.
“We are obligated to honor our
agreements with them. The core of our social enterprise where we assist farmers
in planting premium palay (unmilled rice) for production of Sun Made brown… and
we purchase these palay directly from them,” he said.
He added that rice farmers in
general did not feel the health and economic blow of the pandemic as rural
areas remained largely safe from the outbreak.
“Farmers in other areas were also
able to increase the selling price of palay due to the high demand brought
about by the municipal ordinances during the lockdown that restricted the
selling of goods within their respective areas,” he explained.
MANCOR is currently exploring new
revenue streams while adjusting to the health safety protocols in both office
and mill operations.
“We view things now as the ‘next
normal,’ meaning it’s the next phase of life for the whole world. So for our
social enterprise, we need to adapt and evolve for the changing times,” Mr.
Lorenzana said. — Maya M. Padillo
www.bworldonline.com/brown-rice-demand-from-industry-buyers-declines
Rice importers face suspension on
unused SPS-IC
July 20, 2020
RICE traders and importers who
have unused sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance could be suspended by
the Department of Agriculture (DA) as about 60 percent of issued SPS-ICs in the
first half, covering almost 2 million metric tons (MMT), are unutilized to
date.
Latest Bureau of Plant Industry
(BPI) data obtained and analyzed by the BusinessMirror showed that only 1,803
SPS-ICs out of the 3,926 SPS-ICs issued from January to June have been used by
eligible rice importers as of July 10.
This corresponds to a total rice
volume imported of about 1.347 MMT out of the 3.261 MMT applied volume during
the six-month period, BPI data showed.
About 2,123 SPS-ICs, which cover
1.914 MMT of rice, are yet to be used by registered and eligible traders,
importers, firms, cooperatives, and organizations, based on BPI data.
Agriculture Secretary William D.
Dar has issued a new memorandum order (MO) reminding importers that “low
utilization” of SPS-ICs could be “grounds for rejection of application or their
suspension as importer.” “Importers should regularly account and surrender any
unused SPS-ICs to BPI,” Dar said in his MO No. 30 dated June 4 but was made
public on July 6.
“They are reminded that low
utilization of applied SPS-IC can affect their track record and can be grounds
for rejection of application or their suspension,” Dar added.
Dar issued the new order to
address the “problem of low utilization” of SPS-IC for milled rice and “ensure
availability of food” during this Covid-19 pandemic.
The new order required rice
importers to submit additional requirements for the application of SPS-IC which
are 1) payment of certification of the consignment and 2) list of distribution
points/warehouse of the said consignment.
The additional requirements shall
be attached to the importers’ application together with previous requirements
of proforma/commercial invoice, GMO or non-GMO certification and certificate of
analysis for heavy metals, according to the MO.
In his order, Dar said failure to
comply with the new requirements will result in rejection of the traders and
importers’ application for SPS-IC for milled rice.
BPI data showed that the agency
issued a monthly average of 654 SPS-IC while utilization by importers was only
at about 300 SPS-ICs per month.
In January, BPI issued 801
SPS-ICs but only 307 SPS-ICs were used, while in February, only 227 SPS-ICs
were utilized by importers out of the 1,076 SPS-ICs issued to them.
Under the rice trade
liberalization (RTL) law, interested rice importers shall secure a SPS-IC—a
document that certifies food and plant safety of the goods—from the BPI to be
able to bring in staple from abroad.
The implementing rules and
regulations (IRR) of the RTL law stipulated that “imported rice should arrive
before the expiration of the SPS-IC from BPI.”
Furthermore, Dar issued MO No.
28, Series of 2019, that further specified the said provision of the IRR of the
law.
Based on his MO last year, the
actual rice consignment “must be shipped out from the country of origin within
the prescribed date in the approved SPS-IC and must arrive not later than 60
days from the Must Ship Out Date.”
Earlier this year, Dar ordered
the voiding of all unused SPS-ICs for milled rice that were issued last year as
BPI data showed that some 1,752 SPS-ICs were unused at the end of 2019.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/07/20/rice-importers-face-suspension-on-unused-sps-ic/
Thai National
Rice Policy Committee says rice prices for 2020-21 crop year will remain
unchanged
Source:
Xinhua| 2020-07-17 23:28:30|Editor: huaxia
BANGKOK, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's National Rice Policy and
Management Committee (NRPMC) chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha,
announced on Friday that Thai rice prices for the 2020-21 crop year will remain
unchanged from those of the previous season.
The price guarantee policy will cover five types of Thai rice.
They are white rice paddy with 15 percent moisture, jasmine (Hom
Mali) rice paddy, fragrant Pathum Thani rice paddy with 15 percent moisture,
glutinous rice paddy with 15 percent moisture, and provincial fragrant rice
paddy.
The price guarantee policy will also offer compensation to
farmers if market prices fall below the benchmark.
Meanwhile, the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said earlier
this week that rice export prospects looked grim in the second half amidst
sluggish global demand caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
The association also said that Thailand was once the world's
largest rice exporter by a wide margin, but now is ranked third with 3.15
million tons shipped between Jan 1 and July 8, trailing behind India at 4.65
million tons and Vietnam at 4.17 million tons.
Thailand in 2019 exported 7.58 million ton of rice, down 32
percent from the year before, with a value of 131 billion baht (4.132 billion
U.S. dollars), down 25 percent. Enditem
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-07/17/c_139220943.htm
Vietnam's rice exports may slide after one-month high
Chia sẻ | FaceBookTwitter Email Copy
Link
20/07/2020 08:00
GMT+7
Rice exports were the only bright
part in the picture of Vietnam’s farm exports in the first six months of the
year. However, the achievements may not be upheld in the second half.
Reports show that though the
total amount of farm exports reached 6.79 million tons, an increase of 281,000
tons and 4.3 percent compared with the same period last year, Vietnam only had
revenue of $17.6 billion, a decrease of 2.3 percent because of sharp price
drops.
In such conditions, the high turnover from rice exports was good news. With the
export volume of 3.54 million tons, a modest increase of 5.6 percent, Vietnam
had turnover of $1.73 billion, a significant increase of 19.4 percent.
The rice exports in May, when the quota mechanism was removed, made a great
contribution to the miracle. Around 954,000 tons of rice were exported in this
month, a record in Vietnam’s rice export history.
The figure was 1.84 times higher than the average export volume of the
remaining 5 months, while the export price was 8.2 percent higher, at $516 per
ton.
Nguyen Dinh Bich, a trade expert, in his article on Thoi Bao Kinh Te Sai Gon,
commented that the figures show two things.
First, the quota of 800,000 tons initially set by the Ministry of Industry and
Trade (MOIT) for April and May exports was too low compared with the real
export capacity of 1.46 million tons.
|
|
|
Rice exports were the only bright part in the picture of
Vietnam’s farm exports in the first six months of the year. However, the
achievements may not be upheld in the second half. |
Second, those who disagree on the
quota scheme and oppose rice export restrictions, may be right. Soon after the
strict quota scheme was removed, Vietnam’s rice exports bounced back in May.
However, the bounce could not be maintained in June, which saw export volume
drop by 50 percent compared with May and 24.7 percent compared with the same
period last year. The export price also slid.
The sharp fall in both export volume and export price in June was seen as a
sign that the best days are over and difficulties are ahead.
According to Bich, there are two reasons for this.
First, experts have warned of the strong competitiveness of Indian rice in the
world market. Thanks to plentiful water supply in the rainy season and the
government’s decision to increase the rice purchase price, India is expected to
obtain record high output this year. Its rice and wheat stocks are very high.
Meanwhile, the state of global financial markets is causing the rice export
price in US dollar to become cheaper.
Second, Bich believes that Thailand will try every possible way to improve its
competitiveness in the market which will put more pressure on Vietnam’s
exports.
https://vietnamnet.vn/en/business/vietnam-s-rice-exports-may-slide-after-one-month-high-658389.html
Bac Lieu
expands cultivation of world’s best rice varieties
The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu has decided to expand the
cultivation of ST 24 and ST 25, two local rice varieties that rank among the
world’s best, this year.
ST 24 ranked third in the World’s Best Rice Contest in 2017 and ST 25 topped
the contest last year.
For the 2020 summer – autumn rice crop, the province has undertaken field
demonstrations for growing the two varieties for the benefit of 60 households
in five districts and Gia Rai town on a combined area of 60ha.
After the crop is harvested, the area under the two varieties will be expanded
to 3,500ha using the rice – shrimp rotation model this year, according to the
provincial People’s Committee.
Under the rice - shrimp model, rice is grown in the rainy season and shrimp is
bred in the dry season on the same rice field. Both are clean since farmers use
few chemicals under the model.
The model will be adopted mostly in Hong Dan and Phuoc Long districts and Gia
Rai town.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and local
authorities will call on companies to tie up with farmers for growing the two
rice varieties and buying the output.
Besides the province’s field demonstration models, farmers in many areas are
also growing ST 24 rice for the summer – autumn crop.
In Phuoc Long district, for instance, they are growing 500ha, according to the
local People’s Committee.
Tran Quang Liem, Vice Chairman of the Phuoc Long District People’s Committee,
said the district would work with the province’s Agriculture Extension Centre
to teach farmers techniques to improve production.
In the 2019 rice crop during the rainy season, farmers planted ST 24 on 45ha in
Phuoc Long district and 120ha in Hong Dan district.
Luu Hoang Ly, director of the department, said ST 24 and ST 25 have many
advantages like being resistant to salinity and disease.
They provide average yields of 6.2 – 7.7 tonnes per hectare and offer farmers
an income of 30.8 – 38.5 million VND (1,330 – 1,660 USD) per hectare per crop
since they are highly popular varieties, he added.
Move to import rice following poor boro
procurement
Emran Hossain | Published: 01:10, Jul 18,2020
Despite a surplus rice
production, the food ministry has sought advice from the prime minister on
importing rice saying that it may not procure enough rice to keep the rice
market stable in the COVID-19 crisis along with the floods.
The food ministry has recently
sent a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office as rice millers apparently
remained reluctant in supplying rice to the government at the current price.
Nearly three months into the boro
rice and paddy procurement, the food ministry could achieve only 28 per cent of
its rice procurement target and 12 per cent of the paddy procurement target.
The government planned to buy
11.50 lakh tonnes of rice from millers at Tk 36 a kg and 8 lakh tonnes of paddy
at Tk 26 a kg by next month.
‘We shared with the Prime
Minister our fear that we may not meet the procurement target and sought her
advice on building rice stock through import,’ food secretary Mosammat
Nazmanara Khanum told New Age.
The food ministry move came after
it announced that it was considering slashing the import duty on rice if the
procurement did not pick up soon.
Agricultural economists have long
blamed the cumbersome procurement process behind farmers’ reluctance in selling
paddy to the government.
Agricultural economist Jahangir
Alam demanded an explanation from the government as to why it failed to procure
rice from handpicked rice millers.
‘The government should have moved
to procure through open tendering rather than opting for import,’ said
Jahangir.
Bangladesh produced 3.80 crore
tonnes of rice, far above its demand for around 3 crore tonnes, he said.
‘There is no justification to
import when there is a surplus production,’ Jahangir said.
He said that the government was
planning to spend money on rice import when the country’s farmers were in need
of cash more than ever before because of the coronavirus crisis and the
devastating floods in the north.
The worsening floods in the
northern districts are making it difficult for farmers to preserve rice at home
as deluge overtook vast areas.
Economist Md Asaduzzaman said
that by repeatedly talking about import the government was frightening the
farmers to give away rice at a cheaper rate.
‘It gives farmers the message
that time is running out for them to sell rice,’ said Asaduzzaman.
He said that the rice millers
would take advantage of the situation, convincing farmers of selling rice at
cheaper prices to secure their profit margin.
Rice growers hardly get return on
their investment because of their complete dependence on middlemen to sell
their crop.
But agricultural economists have
always advised the government against buying rice from the millers to avoid
many middlemen pocketing benefits that should go to farmers.
They warned that a continued fall
in income might discourage farmers from growing the Aman paddy next season.
Asad said that the food ministry
should not be in a hurry to import rice because there was enough rice in
Bangladesh.
‘It may not be in the
government’s hand but it is in the country. The government should find a way of
buying the rice,’ he said.
The government had a stock of
12.04 lakh tonnes of food grains until July 12.
The food secretary said that the
stock should be around 20 lakh tonnes to keep the market stable.
The rice millers have been
demanding an increase in the rice price by Tk 4 per kg.
https://www.newagebd.net/article/111443/move-to-import-rice-following-poor-boro-procurement
Panel okays
price guarantee for rice
PUBLISHED : 18 JUL 2020 AT 04:00
NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS
WRITER: CHATRUDEE THEPARAT
The scheme offers guaranteed prices at the
previous season's rates.
The National Rice Policy
Committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday approved a rice
price guarantee scheme for the 2020-21 crop year, offering guaranteed prices at
the same rates as during the previous season.
Rachada Dhanadirek, a deputy
government spokeswoman, said the annual 2020-21 scheme, which will be
implemented between Sept 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021, is expected to use a budget
of 85 billion baht.
Some 23.5 billion baht will be
assigned to price guarantees, 56 billion baht to support management and quality
development costs for farmers, and 5.72 billion baht to subsidise the interest
rate for loans extended to stabilise domestic rice prices.
If 30.3 billion baht worth of
loans to be issued by the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives is included, the scheme will total 115 billion baht, Ms Rachada
said.
The scheme covers five main types
of rice: white rice paddy with 15% moisture, hom mali rice paddy,
fragrant Pathum Thani rice paddy with 15% moisture, glutinous rice paddy with
15% moisture and provincial fragrant rice paddy.
·
Rice price guarantees unchanged
The rice price guarantee offers
compensation if market prices fall below the benchmark.
Under the scheme, farmers will be
offered 10,000 baht a tonne for white rice paddy with 15% moisture, limited to
30 tonnes per family or 40 rai.
The guaranteed prices are set at
15,000 baht a tonne for hom mali rice paddy, limited to 14 tonnes per family or
40 rai; 11,000 baht a tonne of fragrant Pathum Thani rice paddy with 15%
moisture for a limit of 25 tonnes per family or 40 rai; 12,000 baht a tonne for
glutinous rice paddy with 15% moisture with a limit of 16 tonnes or 40 rai; and
14,000 baht a tonne for provincial fragrant rice paddy with a limit of 16
tonnes per family or 40 rai.
Ms Rachada said the Commerce
Ministry will propose the scheme for cabinet approval soon.
In a related development, the
ministry reported to the committee that Thailand was the third-largest rice
exporter, with 3.15 million tonnes shipped, for the period of Jan 1 to July 8.
India was the world's top rice exporter in the period, with 4.65 million
tonnes, followed by Vietnam with 4.17 million tonnes.
Pakistan and the US were the
fourth- and fifth-largest exporters at a respective 2.07 million and 1.61
million tonnes.
Charoen Laothammatas, president
of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said earlier this week that rice export
prospects looked murky in the second half amid sluggish global demand caused by
the coronavirus crisis.
The association has set a
full-year rice export target of 7.5 million tonnes but is scheduled to adjust
the target on July 22.
Thailand shipped 7.58 million
tonnes of rice worth 131 billion baht in 2019, down 32% and 25% from 2018.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1953336/panel-okays-price-guarantee-for-rice
Rice millers want govt to end Bernas’ rice monopoly
-
July 18, 2020 7:02 PM
The
Malay Rice Millers Association is against Bernas’ sole importer licence being
renewed when it expires next year. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: The Malay Rice Millers Association (PPBMM) has
urged the government to abolish the monopoly Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas)
has on rice supply in the country after its import licence expires in early
2021.
Its chairman, Tirmizi Yob, said if there are more players, it
would lead to the healthy development of the rice industry.
“For other industries, they give the approved permits (AP) to
everyone.
“As a rice producer, we do not get any privileges from the
government. If the padi is not enough, damaged or is not of the required
quality, the factory will face losses. The same goes for farmers.
“Many rice mills are being closed down due to losses, but the
government does not seem to care at all,” he told FMT.
Tarmizi said Bernas will however not experience the same
situation as the company can cover the losses incurred with its sole ownership
of the AP.
“If more APs are given, companies like us have a better chance
to survive,” he said.
Tarmizi said they had previously suggested to the government to
open up 30% of rice quota to Bumiputera companies, but the discussions were
suspended after the change of government earlier this year.
“I hope this new government is aware of the grievances of
Bumiputera producers like us.
“The Bernas monopoly needs to be removed for greater
competition,” he said.
Meanwhile, Padi Rescue, a coalition of NGOs representing rice
farmers and wholesalers, agreed that the sole right to import rice given to
Bernas should be abolished and the industry should be fully controlled by the
National Paddy and Rice Board (LPN).
“Unlike other agricultural commodities such as chilli or
vegetables, this industry must be managed by government agencies as rice is one
of the controlled items,” Padi Rescue coordinator Nur Fitri Amir said.
Nur Fitri said private agencies such as Bernas must not be
allowed to manage the rice industry as they face a conflict of interest as they
were motivated by profit.
He said as long as the government maintains Bernas’ position as
the sole importer, the target of 100% self-sufficiency level will not be
achieved.
Rice Prices
as on : 20-07-2020 06:18:48 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in
Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals |
Price |
|||||
|
Current |
% |
Season |
Modal |
Prev. |
Prev.Yr |
|
|
Rice |
||||||
|
Bangalore(Kar) |
3929.00 |
553.74 |
117601.00 |
4200 |
4200 |
-7.69 |
|
Mandya(Kar) |
764.00 |
-6.26 |
17530.00 |
2080 |
1520 |
- |
|
Varanasi(Grain)(UP) |
135.00 |
NC |
2197.00 |
2650 |
2640 |
11.34 |
|
Gondal(UP) |
118.00 |
10.8 |
7376.50 |
2420 |
2420 |
-1.22 |
|
Dadri(UP) |
110.00 |
22.22 |
1345.00 |
5950 |
5950 |
- |
|
Bindki(UP) |
100.00 |
-44.44 |
5440.00 |
2500 |
2500 |
10.62 |
|
Kalipur(WB) |
82.00 |
NC |
2933.00 |
2400 |
2400 |
NC |
|
Choubepur(UP) |
70.00 |
-22.22 |
1985.35 |
2550 |
2600 |
-4.67 |
|
Maur(UP) |
46.00 |
-9.8 |
544.00 |
2590 |
2580 |
5.50 |
|
Kopaganj(UP) |
46.00 |
-9.8 |
1505.00 |
2590 |
2580 |
5.93 |
|
Teliamura(Tri) |
45.00 |
12.5 |
454.00 |
2800 |
2700 |
-3.45 |
|
Aligarh(UP) |
45.00 |
NC |
4112.00 |
2550 |
2550 |
0.39 |
|
Allahabad(UP) |
45.00 |
28.57 |
2357.00 |
2525 |
2485 |
3.06 |
|
Azamgarh(UP) |
45.00 |
18.42 |
5166.70 |
2575 |
2580 |
5.10 |
|
Mainpuri(UP) |
45.00 |
32.35 |
3766.50 |
2576 |
2580 |
-2.05 |
|
Hardoi(UP) |
40.00 |
60 |
8282.80 |
2470 |
2450 |
-3.52 |
|
Sindhanur(Kar) |
38.00 |
52 |
301.00 |
1820 |
1925 |
1.11 |
|
Gorakhpur(UP) |
37.00 |
2.78 |
849.70 |
2545 |
2525 |
- |
|
Saharanpur(UP) |
37.00 |
-2.63 |
2403.00 |
2730 |
2730 |
-6.19 |
|
Faizabad(UP) |
35.00 |
-10.26 |
1406.00 |
2455 |
2450 |
3.37 |
|
Muradabad(UP) |
35.00 |
16.67 |
1422.00 |
2630 |
2630 |
1.15 |
|
Bankura Sadar(WB) |
35.00 |
-7.89 |
2134.00 |
2600 |
2600 |
8.33 |
|
Beldanga(WB) |
35.00 |
-12.5 |
1390.00 |
2700 |
2700 |
5.88 |
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP) |
33.00 |
10 |
4358.00 |
2780 |
2780 |
-5.76 |
|
Meerut(UP) |
32.00 |
6.67 |
689.50 |
2785 |
2800 |
-6.23 |
|
Ghaziabad(UP) |
30.00 |
-14.29 |
2455.00 |
2840 |
2840 |
-2.91 |
|
Khalilabad(UP) |
30.00 |
NC |
1670.00 |
2540 |
2540 |
12.89 |
|
Shamli(UP) |
30.00 |
3.45 |
1072.40 |
2780 |
2770 |
0.72 |
|
Sehjanwa(UP) |
30.00 |
50 |
2378.50 |
2590 |
2590 |
19.91 |
|
Firozabad(UP) |
28.00 |
5.66 |
1529.60 |
2600 |
2625 |
- |
|
Hapur(UP) |
25.00 |
25 |
1032.00 |
2700 |
2660 |
-9.40 |
|
Mathura(UP) |
25.00 |
4.17 |
2869.50 |
2560 |
2550 |
-0.39 |
|
Durgapur(WB) |
24.00 |
-4 |
1111.75 |
2780 |
2770 |
5.70 |
|
Asansol(WB) |
23.00 |
-8 |
1153.89 |
3100 |
3100 |
9.15 |
|
Vilaspur(UP) |
21.00 |
5 |
1598.20 |
2630 |
2630 |
4.78 |
|
Sirsaganj(UP) |
19.50 |
11.43 |
1049.50 |
2510 |
2550 |
-6.34 |
|
Balrampur(UP) |
19.00 |
-20.83 |
1005.00 |
2450 |
2450 |
6.52 |
|
Utraula(UP) |
19.00 |
31.03 |
406.70 |
2420 |
2420 |
- |
|
Basti(UP) |
18.00 |
-47.06 |
1591.50 |
2550 |
2590 |
5.37 |
|
Nawabganj(UP) |
17.00 |
-5.56 |
696.00 |
2420 |
2420 |
51.25 |
|
Champadanga(WB) |
16.00 |
-5.88 |
678.00 |
3200 |
3150 |
6.67 |
|
Etawah(UP) |
15.00 |
15.38 |
2543.50 |
2530 |
2525 |
-4.53 |
|
Rampur(UP) |
15.00 |
7.14 |
588.50 |
2630 |
2630 |
3.14 |
|
Kayamganj(UP) |
15.00 |
50 |
1901.00 |
2510 |
2510 |
-4.92 |
|
Chorichora(UP) |
15.00 |
-25 |
1393.00 |
2545 |
2540 |
6.71 |
|
Dahod(Guj) |
14.30 |
308.57 |
931.00 |
4200 |
4200 |
-2.33 |
|
Bahraich(UP) |
14.00 |
-7.89 |
1071.70 |
2460 |
2450 |
1.44 |
|
Farukhabad(UP) |
13.00 |
-3.7 |
1072.50 |
2500 |
2500 |
-7.41 |
|
Banda(UP) |
12.00 |
50 |
327.50 |
2430 |
2445 |
2.97 |
|
Etah(UP) |
12.00 |
50 |
390.00 |
2550 |
2570 |
-0.39 |
|
Gazipur(UP) |
12.00 |
NC |
2090.00 |
3240 |
3240 |
0.93 |
|
Purulia(WB) |
12.00 |
-25 |
204.00 |
2620 |
2640 |
4.80 |
|
Devariya(UP) |
11.50 |
-4.17 |
1003.00 |
2570 |
2580 |
8.21 |
|
Paliakala(UP) |
11.00 |
-45 |
561.50 |
2440 |
2430 |
5.63 |
|
Mawana(UP) |
10.00 |
11.11 |
206.20 |
2775 |
2780 |
- |
|
Karvi(UP) |
10.00 |
42.86 |
578.00 |
2415 |
2450 |
1.68 |
|
Rasda(UP) |
10.00 |
NC |
472.00 |
2550 |
2540 |
1059.09 |
|
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB) |
10.00 |
11.11 |
1148.00 |
2800 |
2800 |
1.82 |
|
Robertsganj(UP) |
9.00 |
12.5 |
276.10 |
2460 |
2450 |
4.24 |
|
Mohamadabad(UP) |
9.00 |
12.5 |
811.80 |
2480 |
2500 |
- |
|
Raath(UP) |
9.00 |
5.88 |
194.40 |
2350 |
2350 |
- |
|
Fatehpur(UP) |
8.80 |
17.33 |
2256.70 |
2510 |
2500 |
7.26 |
|
Holenarsipura(Kar) |
8.00 |
-20 |
115.00 |
2100 |
2500 |
- |
|
Atarra(UP) |
8.00 |
-40.74 |
806.50 |
2425 |
2430 |
3.19 |
|
Ajuha(UP) |
8.00 |
-11.11 |
341.00 |
2500 |
2480 |
4.17 |
|
Vilthararoad(UP) |
8.00 |
14.29 |
314.00 |
2100 |
2100 |
NC |
|
Barhaj(UP) |
8.00 |
-90 |
9796.00 |
2590 |
2580 |
8.37 |
|
Bareilly(UP) |
6.00 |
200 |
1942.00 |
2575 |
2575 |
4.04 |
|
Kannauj(UP) |
6.00 |
9.09 |
444.10 |
2500 |
2500 |
-5.66 |
|
Raibareilly(UP) |
5.50 |
-26.67 |
1510.00 |
2460 |
2460 |
12.33 |
|
Kasganj(UP) |
5.00 |
-16.67 |
454.50 |
2560 |
2540 |
0.39 |
|
Nadia(WB) |
5.00 |
NC |
251.00 |
3700 |
3700 |
NC |
|
Jahangirabad(UP) |
4.50 |
28.57 |
224.50 |
2640 |
2640 |
-1.31 |
|
Mahoba(UP) |
4.40 |
-2.22 |
436.60 |
2420 |
2430 |
6.84 |
|
Naanpara(UP) |
4.40 |
4.76 |
648.70 |
2440 |
2450 |
9.91 |
|
Chandoli(UP) |
4.00 |
-20 |
73.20 |
2575 |
2580 |
10.52 |
|
Mirzapur(UP) |
4.00 |
NC |
274.00 |
2650 |
2630 |
9.73 |
|
Milak(UP) |
4.00 |
11.11 |
148.00 |
2610 |
2600 |
- |
|
Kalyani(WB) |
4.00 |
-60 |
84.00 |
3450 |
3500 |
1.47 |
|
Lucknow(UP) |
3.60 |
-10 |
4952.60 |
6700 |
6700 |
143.64 |
|
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP) |
3.60 |
5.88 |
586.90 |
2500 |
2500 |
NC |
|
Tundla(UP) |
3.50 |
16.67 |
256.50 |
2570 |
2565 |
-0.39 |
|
Fatehpur Sikri(UP) |
3.20 |
6.67 |
126.70 |
2555 |
2560 |
-0.58 |
|
Auraiya(UP) |
3.00 |
-14.29 |
242.10 |
2530 |
2530 |
-0.78 |
|
Achalda(UP) |
3.00 |
-25 |
327.90 |
2500 |
2520 |
13.12 |
|
Mugrabaadshahpur(UP) |
3.00 |
50 |
61.10 |
2510 |
2510 |
12.05 |
|
Kosikalan(UP) |
2.80 |
NC |
229.10 |
2550 |
2545 |
-0.78 |
|
Uluberia(WB) |
2.80 |
3.7 |
52.80 |
2700 |
2700 |
-6.90 |
|
Chitwadagaon(UP) |
2.50 |
-37.5 |
457.60 |
2550 |
2560 |
21.43 |
|
Ranaghat(WB) |
2.50 |
NC |
68.90 |
4200 |
4200 |
20.00 |
|
Akbarpur(UP) |
2.00 |
33.33 |
383.10 |
2440 |
2435 |
3.39 |
|
Safdarganj(UP) |
2.00 |
NC |
75.50 |
1630 |
2410 |
- |
|
Jhansi(UP) |
1.60 |
6.67 |
143.40 |
2480 |
2480 |
4.42 |
|
Melaghar(Tri) |
1.50 |
NC |
59.70 |
2800 |
2700 |
3.70 |
|
Panichowki(Kumarghat)(Tri) |
1.50 |
15.38 |
48.20 |
2970 |
2900 |
- |
|
Baberu(UP) |
1.50 |
7.14 |
77.80 |
2420 |
2440 |
8.76 |
|
Sonamura(Tri) |
1.40 |
-22.22 |
63.20 |
2800 |
2800 |
- |
|
Bangarmau(UP) |
1.40 |
75 |
208.20 |
2460 |
2485 |
6.96 |
|
Alibagh(Mah) |
1.00 |
NC |
87.00 |
4200 |
4200 |
90.91 |
|
Murud(Mah) |
1.00 |
NC |
86.00 |
4200 |
4200 |
90.91 |
|
Lalganj(UP) |
1.00 |
-16.67 |
267.80 |
2350 |
2350 |
- |
|
Anandnagar(UP) |
0.90 |
-10 |
209.10 |
2535 |
2540 |
12.67 |
|
Gurusarai(UP) |
0.90 |
50 |
21.00 |
2485 |
2485 |
7.58 |
|
Bharuasumerpur(UP) |
0.80 |
-68 |
23.40 |
2500 |
2500 |
28.21 |
|
Achnera(UP) |
0.70 |
-12.5 |
38.90 |
2560 |
2560 |
-1.92 |
|
Kasipur(WB) |
0.60 |
-7.69 |
1.85 |
2570 |
2620 |
-3.38 |
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article32139465.ece
Auction date set for machinery to
be purchased using RCEF
Published July 20, 2020, 10:00 PM
The Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) had set on August 4, 2020 the start of
the actual bidding of machinery it is supposed to buy and distribute using its
Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) allocation.
PhilMech said that the bidding for
RCEF-funded machinery, which should have been done more than a year ago or
immediately after the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) was passed, will start on
August 4 and will involve the purchase of nine types of farm machinery.
Pre-bidding already started this month and
two machines are being featured in each bidding session, according to the agency.
To recall, one of the crucial components of
RTL, which allowed unlimited rice importation in the country, is to make
Filipino rice farmers competitive by giving them access to free seeds and
modern farm equipment to be funded by RCEF, the collection of tariffs from rice
imports.
RCEF is supposed to be injected with P10
billion annually from 2019 to 2024. Of this, P5 billion is allotted to
mechanization.
However, due to bureaucratic bottlenecks,
it took PhilMech more than a year to actually withdraw this cash allotment and
process the procurement.
PhilMech said the second pre-bidding
conference for the first batch of machineries to be procured under RCEF was
held on July 14 for the supply, delivery, and testing of Mechanical Rice
Transplanters and Rice Reapers.
This conference discussed and explained
procedures and instructions for bidding, including eligibility requirements,
technical, and financial components of the contract.
The bids for the Mechanical Rice
Transplanters have 12 lots with an Approved Budget Contract (ABC) of P637.47
million, while the ABC for the Rice Reapers, which has 6 lots, is P132.51
million.
On July 10, PHilMech also conducted the
pre-bidding for four-wheel-drive tractors with 27 lots and with
ABC of P2.84 billion, as well as for rice
combine harvesters with 26 lots and ABC of P1.84 billion.
The pre-bid conference was held at PHilMech
Auditorium and was streamed live via the DA-PHilMech Facebook account. The Zoom
application was also used for other bidders and Bid Award Committee (BAC)
members.
Strict protocols were observed for
physically present participants in compliance for the COVID 19 precautions,
PhilMech said.
In June, PhilMech assured that the actual
distribution of farm machinery funded under RCEF will take place in August.
This is despite the lockdowns and
quarantines imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said PHilMech Executive
Director Dr. Baldwin Jallorina Jr.
Right now, Philmech is still validating
eligible RCEF beneficiaries, particularly farmers’ cooperative and association
(FCAs), in order to provide them with additional machines if needed.
The FCAs who did not qualify in 2019 can
apply for 2020 as long as requirements set by the government are met, PhilMech
Facility Management and Field Operations Division chief Joel Dator said.
RCEF currently covers 957 municipalities in
the country and for rice farmers to benefit from the program, they should be
part of the DA’s outdated Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture
(RSBSA).
As for RCEF’s mechanization program alone,
only rice farmers who are members of an FCA who can benefit from it.
In the selection of beneficiaries, PhilMech has adopted the farm clustering and
consolidation strategy to “achieve economies of scale that will pave the way to
cost-efficient operations, higher crop productivity and bigger farmers’
incomes”, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.
PhilMech has estimated farm mechanization
can lower the cost of producing palay (unmilled rice) by P1 to P2 per kilo.
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Legacy vs
price: Rice exports from Vietnam and India vie for ASEAN trade post-COVID-19
20-Jul-2020 - Last
updated on 20-Jul-2020 at 01:23 GMT
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Vietnam and India are competing for ASEAN rice trade
post-COVID-19, with the former having gained advantage due to support from
traditional partner Philippines, and the latter having come out ahead with
Malaysia in terms of price. ©Getty Images
Vietnam and India are competing for ASEAN rice trade post-COVID-19, with
the former having gained advantage due to support from traditional partner
Philippines, and the latter having come out ahead with Malaysia in terms of
price.
The Philippines is the world’s largest importer of
rice (between 7% and 14% of its requirements) and had initially announced a
government-to-government (G2G) deal in May this year to buffer national stockpiles,
with Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar saying that
discussions were in progress with Asia’s biggest rice producers Myanmar,
Vietnam, Thailand, India and Cambodia.
Government agency Philippine International Trading
Corp (PITC) issued a tender earlier this month for white rice imports with bids
from India, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar, and Myanmar had been in the lead to
supply some 75,000 tonnes to the Philippines based on its bids whereas India
and Thailand bids were rejected.
However, the Philippines later announced in a June 24
statement that these import plans would be cancelled given Vietnam’s resumption
of rice exports in May.
“[The G2G deal is] no
longer necessary under the current situation [as supply issues] has been
properly addressed with the lifting of the rice export ban by Vietnam and the
rice import arrivals of around 1.3 million metric tonnes as of the third week
of June,” said Dar.
“[By] no longer
proceeding with the planned imports, the government will be able to generate
PHP8.5bn (US$170.4m) savings, a sum which can be tapped to support
productivity-enhancing activities in agriculture that can assist in ensuring
food security for the country.”
Vietnam made headlines in March this year when it
announced a rice export ban in what many deemed to be a ‘protectionist’ move threatening the global supply chain. The ban was a
particularly hard blow for the Philippines for which Vietnamese rice
traditionally makes up some 90% of imports.
Vietnam moved to allow 400,000 tons of rice exports in
April, followed by a complete lifting of the ban in May after widespread
criticism and mounting reports of rice spoiling or going to waste due to the
ban.
That Vietnam has managed to secure Philippines’ rice
trade is unsurprising given the legacy relationship between both countries, but
at a price range of US$405 to US$450 per tonne as of June 25, in terms of price
it is higher than global top exporter India at prices of US$373 to US$378 per
tonne – which has led it to lose out on trade from some other ASEAN countries
such as Malaysia.
Malaysia signed an agreement with India earlier this
year to import a record 100,000 tonnes of rice, around double the average
volumes imported from India over the last five years at about 53,000 tonnes.
“[The lower prices
India is offering for its rice] is making buying lucrative from India,” said Olam India Rice VP Nitin Gupta told Reuters.
That said, it is also likely that political forces
have come into play here – Earlier this year, India issued bans on Malaysian
palm oil imports after then-Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
criticised India’s actions in Kashmir, badly affecting its exports as India was
one of Malaysia’s largest palm oil buyers.
Mahathir was later ousted by his successor Muhyiddin
Yassin, and since then both countries have been in discussions on solutions to
repair the soured ties, and this could be one of them.
What about other countries?
According to data from Statista, India is the largest
global rice exporter at 9.79 million metric tonnes, and Vietnam is the
third-ranked at 6.58 million metric tonnes.
At second place is Thailand at 7.56 million metric
tonnes – but Thailand has been laying relatively low as compared to India and
Vietnam due to its current struggles with weather, economical and quality issues.
Droughts in the country have led to a low supply which
has driven rice prices up to between US$514 and US$520 per tonne as of June 26,
but most reports describe demand to be subdued despite an initial strong rise
during COVID-19.
Thai Rice Exporters Association President Charoen
Laothammathat told Nation Thailand that in April
Thailand has exported over 640,000 tonnes of rice which was a 32.7% increase
from March – but expected exports to drop after this due to prices and
returning competitors.
“[The] price of Thai
rice is higher than that of competitors due to limited supply and strengthening
of the baht, [whereas] Vietnam, India and Pakistan have returned to the
market,” he said.
On the other hand, rice is also a main staple in
Indonesia but the country has largely remained out of top import and export
lists as it struggles to decide whether or not
to relax import regulations via its controversial
omnibus law.
The Indonesian government also plans to strengthen
self-sufficiency as well as potentially look to exporting rice by planting this
across 2.2 million acres of land in Borneo, in what is now peatland – but the
project has also come under fire by various parties.
“Peatlands in general
contain few nutrients,” Bogor Institute of
Agriculture (IPB) Basuki Sumawinata told Mongabay.
“So if they are to be
managed for rice fields, it will need thorough and serious technology, with
costs that we might not be able to imagine.”
In 1995, a project deemed the Mega Rice Project (MRP)
was launched and failed spectacularly due to soil conditions, and was in
essence similar to the upcoming new project announced by Indonesian President
Joko Widodo.
This has led experts such as Sumawinata to fear that
the new project will become a repeat of past mistakes – the abandoned project
area purportedly burns on a yearly basis.
“In the past, we wanted
to open up a rice estate in 1970 in South Sumatra. That ended up in failure.
[And] then we wanted to open 2.5 million acres in 1995. Of that, where has rice
cultivation has been sustained on peatlands?”
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