In Assam, cultivation of this
flood-resilient superfood has boosted farm income over four years
Farmers
are attracted by the health benefits, taste and higher profit margins of black
rice.
Yesterday · 07:30 pm
Taj
Hazarika, a farmer from Upper Assam’s Golaghat district, discovered black rice
on the internet in 2017. Many people had commented on how the rice was being
cultivated in Assam and its health benefits.
Hazarika set off to Assam Agricultural University in the
neighbouring district of Jorhat and got 2 kg of seeds. The first year, he
produced 5 kg of rice. He shared some and cooked the rest at home. This year,
he is preparing to grow the rice on two hectares of his 12-hectare farm.
Hundreds of farmers of Assam are taking up cultivation of black
rice, attracted by its beneficial properties and higher profit margins.
The variety, with its high nutritional value, has become a
popular superfood. Black rice is also better than other varieties at
withstanding floods and droughts. This means it could help rice farmers adapt
to more erratic weather in Assam, the Himalayan state highly
vulnerable to climate change impacts.
But farmers complain that lack of support from the Indian
government means they can’t exploit the potential market opportunities of this
exotic rice.
What is black rice?
Prized
globally for its high level of antioxidants, black rice was known as “forbidden
rice” in ancient China. It was reserved for the emperor and given in tributes.
The rice contains anthocyanin, an antioxidant that gives it its colour. It
grows in various parts of Asia.
In Assam, farmers grow more than 300 varieties of rice,
nourished by the Brahmaputra and Barak river systems. Rupankar Bhagwati, the
principal scientist at the Regional Rainfed Lowland Rice Research Station in
Gerua near the city of Guwahati, said the black rice varieties grown in Assam
came from Southeast Asia via the state of Manipur.
Sanjay Chetia, principal scientist at Assam Agricultural
University, agreed.
“There are several black rice, or cha-khao, variants in
Manipur,” said Chetia. Cha-khao, which means “delicious rice” in the language
Meitei Lon, is a key ingredient in puddings and community feasts. Recently, it
has also been used in the preparation of other snacks including doughnuts.
There are many types of black rice in Assam, but a cha-khao
variety now referred to as Upen is most popular. It is this variety that has
made its way to Goalpara, the Western Assam town now known for black rice. The
thick grain has a distinct aroma perfect for porridge and puddings.
The rice is a slow-growing, traditional variety with a
relatively lower yield. It is a tall plant, which makes it resilient to
moderate flooding. But this has its drawbacks. “The plant is susceptible to
falling due to its weight closer to the harvest time, decreasing the yield,”
said Surendra Ghritlahre, a scientist who used to work at Regional Rainfed
Lowland Rice Research Station.
Assam’s journey
Upen Rabha
is a farmer in Amguripara, a village in the Goalpara district. In 2011, he
received 1 kg of black rice seeds from a scientist. “One grain germinated and I
sowed it in my paddy field,” said Rabha. The following year, he had 150 gm of
seeds from this plant.
As his black rice produce grew, Rabha gathered other farmers
together and formed the Amguripara Black Rice Producers Society. It now has 50
members. “Another 500 farmers across the state have an understanding with us
[that] they have to sell paddy or rice to ABRPS [Amguripara Black Rice
Producers Society],” Rabha said.
S Bishnu, a member of the Bodo tribe in Baksa district on the
Bhutan border, is one of these farmers. He got seeds from Rabha in 2016. “Every
year I sell the paddy to Rabha. I get Rs 1,200 for every 40 kg,” he said.
In 2019, Rabha procured 2,000 tonnes of black rice paddy.
“Depending on the quality, [farmers sell] 40 kg of paddy for Rs 1,300,” Rabha
said. One kg of rice could fetch around Rs 100 in the market. Rabha said that
other local varieties would fetch only half this.
Rabha grows black rice on half of his farm. He gets a yield of
around 2.3 tonnes per hectare, compared with 3.75-6 tonnes per hectare for
other rice varieties. The higher market price makes up for the smaller yield.
“It is a medicinal rice. The demand is mostly from outside
Assam. The five-star hotels buy it,” said Rabha. “I still cultivate the other
varieties because we don’t eat black rice every day.”
Small profits, big lure
The society makes
a small profit by selling the rice. This goes towards buying equipment or
helping farmers learn new techniques.
“We have bought a tractor and a power tiller and constructed a small godown
[warehouse],” Rabha said.
This year, farmers connected to Rabha plan to grow black rice in
270 hectares. Government schemes are promoting the crop. “750 quintals [about
75 tonnes] of black rice seeds are being given to farmers in four districts of
Cachar, Goalpara, Golaghat and Kamrup. We are promoting traditional varieties
this year,” said SN Talukdar, a sub-divisional officer at the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana scheme to develop
the agricultural sector.
Officials at Assam’s agriculture department have no concrete
figures, but said hundreds of farmers are taking up cultivation. “Black rice
has picked up in the past three to four years,” said Tiranga Bharti, the
district agriculture officer of Dhemaji in Eastern Assam.
Chetia said that the Assam Agricultural University estimates
that black rice is grown on about 1,000 hectares in Assam.
Hazarika and Bishnu confirmed other farmers in Golaghat and
Baksa are also experimenting. “In my village, two or three farmers have started
to grow black rice recently for their own consumption,” Hazarika said.
Black rice has become part of Assamese festivals. “We eat it on
Bihu. We make pitha [rice cake] with it,” Hazarika said.
He started growing black rice because he liked the taste. “Now,
I am making more money by selling it,” he said. But now he is worried. His
black rice seeds are lying in fields that have been flooded in the monsoon.
“I am not sure if they will survive the flood to be fit for sowing,” he said.
No marketing support
Lack of
marketing support from the government is hampering the potential benefits of
the crop. “There is no initiative from the government to motivate the farmers,”
Bishnu said as he rued the limited market options. “People still go for
traditional varieties because they can find a buyer as soon as they step out of
their house,” he said. “For a poor farmer, timely money is more important than
big profits.”
Hazarika had a similar complaint. “There is no help from the
government to market the rice,” he said.
Last season, he produced one tonne of paddy, which he sold
locally. This year he hasn’t grown more because of market uncertainties.
Rabha is worried too. Because of the lockdown, big
buyers like the Taj Hotels group haven’t placed any orders this year. Usually
they approach him or come through middlemen in Guwahati. “The government hasn’t
helped much in marketing,” Rabha said.
“Farmers and NGOs are marketing black rice themselves,” said
Prafulla Mahanta, a deputy director in Assam’s agriculture department.
Manoj Das, managing director of the North Eastern Regional Agricultural
Marketing Corporation, said that government intervention is not needed because
the production of black rice is limited. “Black rice has a good market. The
current channels are good enough. They get a better price that way,” Das said.
But the lack of marketing prevents farmers from reaching
consumers, including those close to home. Keyaa Das Choudhury, a baker in
Guwahati, has never bought black rice from Assam. She makes black rice cakes
and cookies using the Manipuri variety. “I have only heard that black rice
grows in Assam,” she said.
Promise of better varieties
The World
Bank’s Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project may improve the
crop’s prospects. “This year, we are looking at black and red rice to study how
to improve their productivity and marketability,” said Laya Madduri, project
director of Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services, APART’s
implementing agency.
“Developing climate-resistant varieties is also our focus,” she
said. Farmers could soon have improved varieties of black rice. The Assam
Agricultural University’s Regional Agricultural Research Station is close to
releasing high-yielding varieties of the traditional black rice. “Twelve
high-yielding black rice lines have already been developed and evaluation is
going on. The lines will reach farmers within a year or two,” Chetia said.
Back in Amguripara, Rabha said that black rice has changed his
fortunes. “From two oxen, I have come far. Now, I am farming with a tractor,”
he said.
This article first appeared on The Third Pole.
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at letters@scroll.in.
Fruits
worth$431.27m, vegetables $299.29m exported in FY 2019-20
APP
ISLAMABAD-Fruits and vegetables exports from
the country during fiscal year ended on June 30,2020 witnessed 3.80 per cent
and 27.95 per cent respectively as compared the exports of the corresponding
period of last year.
During
the period from July-June, 2019-20, the country earned $431.272 million by
exporting about 807,313 metric tonnes of fruits as against the exports of
$415.497 million 755,688 metric tonnes of same period of last year.
Meanwhile,
836,330 metric tonnes of vegetables valuing $299.290 million also exported
during the period under review as against the exports of $233.910 million of
same period last year.
Rice
exports from the country during the period under review registered about 5.12
per cent growth as about 4,166,123 metric tonnes of rice worth $2.175 billion
exported, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The
rice export from the country during the same period of last year was recorded
at 4,120,137 metric tonnes valuing $2.096 billion, it added.
Pakistan largely
controlled Covid-19 pandemic in short period: PM Imran
Meanwhile,
the country earned $790.792 million by exporting about 890,207 metric tonnes of
Basmati rice in 12 months of fiscal year ended on June 30, 2020 as against the
exports of 659,571 metric tonnes valuing $634.532 million of same period of
last year.
Meanwhile,
3,275,923 tonnes rice other then Basmati worth $1.384 billion also exported
during last year as against the exports of 3,460,555 metric tonnes valuing
$1.435 billion of same period last year.
It
may be recalled that food group exports during fiscal year 2019-20 decreased by
5.38 per cent as it went down from $4.607 billion to $4.361 billion.
The
decreasing trend in exports of food commodities were mainly attributed to
COVID-19 Pandemic, which has also effected the other economies of the world.
The
exports of food commodities from the country during month of June, 2020 also
decreased by 3.38 per cent as compared the exports of the corresponding month
of last year.
Fruits worth$431.272 million,
vegetables $299.290 million exported in FY 2019-20
July 26, 2020
ISLAMABAD,
Jul 26 (APP):Fruits and vegetables exports from the country during fiscal year
ended on June 30,2020 witnessed 3.80 percent and 27.95 percent respectively as
compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year.
During the period from July-June, 2019-20, the country earned $431.272 million
by exporting about 807,313 metric tons of fruits as against the exports of
$415.497 million 755,688 metric tons of same period of last year.
Meanwhile, 836,330 metric tons of vegetables valuing $299.290 million also
exported during the period under review as against the exports of $233.910
million of same period last year.
Rice exports from the country during the period under review registered about
5.12 percent growth as about 4,166,123 metric tons of rice worth $2.175 billion
exported, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The rice exports from the country during the same period of last year was
recorded at 4,120,137 metric tons valuing $2.096 billion, it added.
Meanwhile, the country earned $790.792 million by exporting about 890,207
metric tons of Basmati rice in 12 months of fiscal year ended on June 30, 2020
as against the exports of 659,571 metric tons valuing $634.532 million of same
period of last year.
Meanwhile, 3,275,923 tons rice other then Basmati worth $1.384 billion also
exported during last year as against the exports of 3,460,555 metric tons
valuing $1.435 billion of same period last year.
It may be recalled that food group exports during fiscal year 2019-20 decreased
by 5.38 percent as it went down from $4.607 billion to $4.361 billion.
The decreasing trend in exports of food commodities were mainly attributed to
COVID-19 Pandemic, which has also effected the other economies of the world.
The exports of food commodities from the country during month of June,2020 also
decreased by 3.38 percent as compared the exports of the corresponding month of
last year.
Government Concludes
Processes To Purchase Livestock And Poultry Species
24-Jul-2020
Government has
concluded the procurement processes for the purchase of 531,100 improved breeds
of livestock and poultry species including sheep, goats, pigs, cockerels and
guinea fowls, and related products.
The delivery of the livestock and the related products are expected to be
effected before the end of December 2020.
Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, who announced this at the mid-year
budget review in Parliament on Thursday said, a total of 30,000 cockerels were
distributed to 3,000 farmers in 12 selected regions in 2019 for crossing with
local hens to improve the live weight from 1.2kg to 1.5kg and egg laying rate
from 70 to 110 eggs per year. A total of 7,500 small ruminants were also
distributed to 750 farmers in six selected regions.
He said a total of 15 million seedlings of cashew; coffee, coconut, and oil
palm were distributed to farmers. Parliament also passed the Tree Crop
Development Bill, fashioned along the lines of COCOBOD, into law.
On Greenhouse Capacity Development Module, he said government had established
three greenhouse training centres with commercial components, each on a
five-hectare piece of land, at Dawhenya, Akumadan, and Bawjiase.
He said at the end of December 2019, the three centres had, together; trained
296 graduates in greenhouse vegetable production and a total of 180 graduates
were targeted for training in 2020, of which 61 had been trained as of end-June
2020.
“The remaining 119 graduates are scheduled to receive their training during the
second half of the year,” he said.
In the area of Mechanisation, 6,270 units of agricultural machinery and
equipment were supplied to mechanisation service providers, Metropolitan,
Municipal, and District Assemblies, and farmer-based organisations to improve
access to mechanisation services.
The Minister said this had reduced drudgery in farming and has improved
efficiency in operational activities of farmers to enhance productivity.
He said government, under a Czech Republic Credit facility, took delivery of
farm equipment worth €10,000,000.
These include 300 global multi-purpose mini-tractors with various accessories,
and 220 Cabrio compact tractors with accessories such as rice reapers, rice
threshers, and chemical applicators.
He said this equipment was for sale to small and medium-scale farmers across
the country at 40 percent subsidy.
In addition, government took delivery of 1,000 rice harvesters (rice cutters)
and 700 multifunctional threshers from China for distribution to rice farmers
at 20 per cent subsidy.
These measures are to improve farmers' timely access to mechanised services and
enhance productivity.
He said in the second half of the year, Government would conclude arrangements
for the importation of about US$31 million worth of farm machinery and
equipment, including hand-held equipment, tractors, combines harvesters, and
rice mills, under the third tranche of the Brazil "More Food International
Programme".
In the area of irrigation development, a total of 7,141 hectares of land were
being developed for various irrigation systems.
These include Tamne phases I and II, Mprumem phases I and II, rehabilitation
and expansion of existing schemes at Tono, Kpong Irrigation Schemes, and Kpong
Left Bank Irrigation Project.
In addition, Government had invested in numerous small earth dams in the
Northern, Upper East, Upper West, and the Savannah Regions to provide farmers
with easy access to water.
He said as at June 2020, 11 out of 14 programmed small earth dams had been
completed, an estimated irrigable area of 224 hectares would be developed in
the next phase of construction.
Mr Ofori-Atta said in the second half of the year, government would complete
the resettlement of people in Tamne and Mprumem to pave way for completion of
these projects.
The Tono and Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Projects will be completed by December
2020 with the remaining three small earth dams, which are expected to irrigate
over 80 hectares of crop lands, will also be constructed at the Dawhenya
Greenhouse Village, Kaniago, and Ohawu Agricultural College.
Source: GNA
https://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/business/news/202007/420978.php
Department of Agriculture of
Republic of P : DA aims to make Filipino rice farmers competitive
|
07/25/2020 | 09:06pm |
|
Author: DA Communications Group | 26 July 2020
The Department of Agriculture through the
Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) is
on track in providing rice farmers appropriate machinery and equipment under
the Duterte administration's Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)
program.
'We will continue to boost farm mechanization
to reduce production costs, enable our rice farmers produce more harvests, earn
bigger incomes, and subsequently compete with their counterparts in ASEAN,'
said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
To date, the DA-PhilMech has procured and
currently distributing 2,938 farm machinery and equipment worth P2 billion (B)
to 625 RCEF-accredited farmers' cooperatives and associations (FCAs)
nationwide.
The second batch of 4,996 units - worth P3B
under the P5-B RCEF farm mechanization component for 2019 - is under a bidding
process and expected to be completed by July 31, 2020, said DA-PhilMech
director Baldwin Jallorina. Thereafter, the farm machines and equipment will be
given to the second batch of 1,068 FCAs.
For the 2020 P5-B RCEF farm mechanization budget,
Jallorina said the DA-PhilMech has to date validated 2,587 FCA applicants, of
which 1,259 FCAs have been shortlisted and qualified to receive 4,543 farm
machineries.
'With the sustained and vigorous implementation
of the RCEF program, coupled with our Rice Resiliency Project (RRP), we expect
Filipino rice farmers to be at par with their counterparts in the ASEAN, in
terms of cost efficiency and productivity, in the next three years,' the DA
chief said.
Currently, Filipino farmers spend an average of
P10 on labor, seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs to produce one kilogram (kg)
of palay (paddy rice), while the country's average harvest is at four metric
tons (MT) per hectare (ha).
Farmers in Thailand and Vietnam spend an
equivalent P8/kg and P5/kg, respectively, to produce one kilo of palay.
Studies conducted by the DA-PhilMech and
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) show that the country's high
production cost is attributed to several factors, namely: heavy reliance on
manual operations from land preparation to harvesting; high cost of farm
inputs, notably fertilizers; lack of irrigation; inaccessible and inadequate
credit; usurious loans offered by traders; and low productivity.
'We are confident that with appropriate
interventions and assistance under RCEF and RRP, we can reduce our production
cost to P8 per kilo and increase our national average yield to six tons per
hectare, in the next three years,' said Secretary Dar.
'Further, to take optimum advantage of the
Duterte administration's farm mechanization program, we will strongly encourage
RCEF farmers to collectivize, and consolidate their farms into contiguous
clusters of at least 50 to 100 hectares each,' the DA chief added.
In fact, Jallorina said the DA-PhilMech
prioritizes provision of assistance to clustered FCAs.
'Farm consolidation and clustering is one of
the major features of a modern, industrialized, market-driven, sustainable and
resilient Philippine agriculture,' Secretary Dar said.
'In all, we need to raise the productivity and
incomes of Filipino farmers to enable them to cope with the COVID-19 crisis,'
he added said.
'Rest assured, the DA family will do its utmost
to propel the agriculture sector as a major player in the nation's economic
recovery efforts,' concluded Secretary Dar. ### (DA PhilMech and DA StratComms)
Attachments
DA yet to
obligate, disburse 65% of RCEF for this year
Published July 27, 2020, 1:15 PM
Seven months into 2020 and
the Department of Agriculture (DA) is yet to obligate and disburse 65 percent,
or nearly P10 billion, of this year’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(RCEF), the tariff collected from rice imports and is supposed to help lower
the production cost of Filipino rice farmers.
Based on data obtained
from the Department of Agriculture (DA), RCEF has P15 billion that must be
disbursed within this year, which included the P5-billion allotment for
mechanization that weren’t touched last year due to bureaucratic issues.
Hence, of this P15
billion, P10 billion is now supposed to go to mechanization, while P3 billion,
as usual, will go to seed distribution. The rest would be for the provision of
credit and extension services for rice farmers.
However, as of July 24,
only P4.65 billion of the P15 billion has been obligated, while P606.8 million
has been disbursed, of which P574 million was disbursed for seeds distribution,
the same data showed.
To recall, one of the
conditions of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or Republic Act (RA) 11203,
which allowed unlimited rice importation in the country, is for the Philippine
government to help Filipino rice farmers become more competitive by giving them
access to free seeds and modern farm equipment to be funded by RCEF.
On top of the rice import
tariff, RCEF is supposed to be injected with P10 billion annually from 2019 to
2024.
As the DA fell short in
RCEF distribution, Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) National Manager Raul
Montemayor is also looking for the excess in the rice import tariffs for 2019,
which he said stood about P3 billion and should have been appropriated by
Congress.
Based on RA 11203, if the
annual tariff revenues from rice importation exceeded P10 billion in any given
year, the excess tariff revenues shall be earmarked by Congress and included in
the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the following year.
“In 2019, I understand
total tariff collections was about P13 billion, so the extra P3 billion should
be appropriated by Congress this year for additional support programs such as
crop insurance, diversification, land titling, etc. I don’t think this has been
done yet. And of course there is the issue of undervaluation of imports and
lost tariff collections, which we estimate at P3 billion since 2019,”
Montemayor told Business Bulletin.
Montemayor thinks that if
tariff collections for rice importation will exceed again for this year, it
will still take a long time for the government to release it and distribute it
to farmers.
“For the tariff
collections in 2019 in excess of P10 billion, BoC will first have to finalize
its computations and then Congress will have to appropriate the money. If
tariff collections exceed P10 billion again this year, the excess will also be
appropriated by Congress. But we have to wait until the end of the year and up
to early next year for BoC to determine the exact surplus before Congress can
appropriate the money,” Montemayor said.
“If there are unused RCEF
funds in a given year, it is not a problem because the money just stays in the
fund. But for the excess over P10 billion that is appropriated every year, the
money has to be spent during the year otherwise it will be lost. It may take
until 2022 before we can use this excess tariff from 2019 and 2020,” he added.
Nevertheless, Montemayor said the DA is already slowly catching up in terms of
the release of RCEF, especially with the rice seed distribution component.
In a statement, the DA said it is on track in providing rice farmers
appropriate machinery and equipment under RCEF.
The agency said that to
date, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization
(PhilMech) has already procured and is currently distributing 2,938 farm
machinery and equipment worth P2 billion to 625 RCEF-accredited farmers’
cooperatives and associations (FCAs) nationwide.
The second batch of 4,996
units worth P3 billion is under a bidding process and expected to be completed
by July 31, 2020, according to PhilMech Director Baldwin Jallorina.
Thereafter, the farm
machines and equipment will be given to the second batch of 1,068 FCAs.
Jallorina also said that
PhilMech has to date validate 2,587 FCA applicants, of which 1,259 FCAs have
been shortlisted and qualified to receive 4,543 farm machineries.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/27/da-yet-to-obligate-disburse-65-of-rcef-for-this-year/
Rice tariff take seen
44% off 2020 targets
July 27, 2020
CITING the drop in rice import volume amid the
pandemic, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) is now eyeing to collect just P14 billion
in rice tariffs in 2020—44 percent lower than what it initially hoped for early
this year.
Customs Assistant Commissioner and spokesman
Vincent Philip C. Maronilla told the BusinessMirror they would have been close
to hitting the P25-billion mark in rice tariff collection this year if not for
the decline in the rice import volume as rice-exporting countries decided to
control the volume of exports amid local supply concerns.
Despite this, Maronilla still expressed
confidence they could exceed the P12.3 billion in rice tariffs that they
collected last year.
“We expect better volume in the succeeding
months, so if our projections in volume hold true, we expect to exceed last
year’s revenue performance,” he said.
Pressed on their projection on rice tariff
collection this year, he said: “Hard to give specific figures at this time, but
hopefully we reach P14 billion.”
As of July 17, BOC said it was able to collect
a total of P10.728 billion in rice tariffs despite the rice import volume
falling 24.6 percent year-on-year to 1,651.267 metric tons.
The rice tariff collected by BOC for the period
is 8 percent higher than the P9.936 billion it collected for the same period in
2019.
BOC attributed the increase in rice tariff
collection to its continuous effort to ensure correct valuation of goods and
protect government revenue. It added it consistently conducts close monitoring
of the declared value on rice importations in view of its strict adherence to
global published prices for rice, which serves as a guide when the veracity of the
declared values is under dispute.
Under the rice tariffication law, Filipino rice
farmers are guaranteed with a P10- billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement
Fund (RCEF) annually until 2024 regardless of whether or not rice tariff
collections hit P10 billion.
However, any revenue collections in excess of
P10 billion would still be earmarked for other interventions aimed at boosting
rice farmers’ yield and improving their global competitiveness.
To recall, the Cabinet-level Development Budget
Coordination Committee further slashed in May the collection targets of BOC and
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to P520.4 billion and P1.744 trillion,
respectively.
The new combined collection target this year of
the BIR and the BOC—the main collection agencies of the government—is now P2.26
trillion, a 31.66-percent reduction from the original revenue goal set at
P3.307 trillion.
The downward revision was done on the back of
government’s expectations—as the pandemic gouged almost all sectors—of an
economic contraction by 2 percent to 3.4 percent and lower imports, as well as
a drop in tax base.
BIR’s collection target for the year is down by
32.3 percent to P1.744 trillion from the initial goal of P2.576 trillion.
On the other hand, BOC’s revised collection
target is a 28.8 percent drop from its initial goal of P731 billion.
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https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/07/27/rice-tariff-take-seen-44-off-2020-targets/
Agriculture CS Peter Munya On
Kenya’s Food Security During COVID-19
By Richard Kamau / Monday, 27 Jul 2020 06:46AM
/ 0 Comments
/ Tags: food security, Peter Munya
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary discusses Kenya’s
food security amid the coronavirus crisis.
Does the country have enough food?
Yes, harvesting
of most long rains cereal crops (maize, sorghum, rice and millet) commenced
from mid-July in many parts of the country.
They include
the Coast, lower parts of Nyanza and western, central Rift (Baringo, Bomet,
Narok, Kajiado and parts of Nakuru) and central.
All counties in
the lower and upper eastern are harvesting too. Harvesting of pulses (beans,
cowpeas and green grams) commenced in all counties from early June, while
harvesting of pigeon peas will start from end of the month.
Generally, we
have had high amounts of rainfall in several parts of the country. Although
floods affected some crops such as beans and irrigated rice, the rains also led
to increased fodder, raising milk production by 11 per cent especially in the
arid and semi-arid counties.
Supply of fresh
vegetables is also high. This is backed by research. Some 78 per cent of
households reported having enough food stocks in a survey carried out by the
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in June.
Food prices and
domestic supply have also remained steady for all the staples. There is
adequate food in all markets and in most areas, prices of maize are below or
close to the five-year average and remain fairly stable.
In June,
private millers were supported by the government to import four million bags of
maize at a reduced tax of 10 per cent.
The maize
balance sheet projects that at the end of September, there will be a surplus of
15.7 million 90kg bags and 7.5 million bags of beans.
Does this mean food production hasn’t been
affected by the Covid-19 crisis?
No. During the
partial lockdown, the ministry, in collaboration with county governments,
ensured that agricultural production was not affected.
The ministry
also worked with the national Covid-19 emergency committee and the Ministry of
Health to develop guidelines that facilitated movement of essential service
providers.
This included
suppliers of farm inputs, importers and exporters of essential goods, as well
as non-closure of agricultural markets.
Moreover,
farmers who mostly operate far from their farms were provided with movement
permits.
The projected
production for maize and beans is 36.9 million bags and 4.9 million bags,
respectively.
We don’t expect
to experience any crisis since projected production will be normal and it is
expected that the normal monthly imports of maize, beans, rice and wheat will
supplement the domestic stock.
But we are not
sitting pretty. We have put in place a number of measures to ensure hunger
doesn’t kill anyone.
For instance,
the ministry established a toll-free call centre to enable the public,
especially farmers, to reach us directly and get immediate support to continue
their operations.
We have also
created a ‘food security war room’ comprising various experts that monitor
different aspects of food security such as agricultural productivity, food
prices, imports and exports as well as supplies of inputs.
We are also all
set to launch a digitisation strategy that will hasten the adoption of various
digital platforms to support farming, including e-subsidy, e-extension and
digital food balance sheet.
he ministry
will also channel certified seeds or seedlings and other farm inputs to the vulnerable
small-scale food producers to ensure continued food supply.
Insurance is
also picking up. For example, 25,200 farmers who took crop insurance in 2019
were compensated some Sh100 million. This has helped farmers build resilience
against the effects of climate change.
Going forward, should we expect more efforts
to boost food production?
Yes, we will
provide vulnerable households with early maturing seeds, especially in 13
counties that were affected by flooding.
These are
Kisumu, Tana River, Busia, Mandera, Isiolo, Wajir, Garissa, Kilifi, Migori,
Siaya, Turkana, Kakamega and Taita-Taveta. At Sh4 million per county, this will
cost Sh52 million.
We shall also
conduct training and data collection at a cost Sh10 million and enhance
operations at the call centre.
We also expect
to supply kitchen garden kits across the country, which will cost us Sh1
billion, while the supply of fruit tree seedlings (two million of them at Sh300
each) will cost us 600 million.
Bernas helps
plight of farmers through Ikhlas Prihatin 
Monday, July 27th, 2020 at , News
by HARIZAH KAMEL
PADIBERAS Nasional Bhd (Bernas) through its
Ikhlas Bernas programme has launched Ikhlas Prihatin to help farmers affected
by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bernas corporate communications department head
Rosniza Baharum said the contribution given is one of the company’s corporate
social responsibilities (CSR) to the community, especially farmers.
“Bernas will continue to balance its commercial
and social role. CSR is an important part of our business foundation.
“Bernas as a company, which performs social and
commercial duties for the country’s paddy and rice industry, places a high
priority on the welfare of the community,”
she said in a statement. Recently, Bernas
handed over donations worth RM2,000 to farmer Muhammad Jamil Dahlan (picture;
right), 54, who has been cultivating rice fields since 1985 in Kampung
Sungai Leman, Sekinchan, Selangor.
“Muhammad Jamil’s paddy harvests this season
have decreased due to various factors, and this has affected his income.
“Donations in the form of cash and necessities
such as rice, sugar, spices and others have been handed over to Muhammad Jamil
and his family. We hope the donations he received can ease his burden to some
extent,” added Rosniza.
Commenting further, she said the programme will
be done continuously.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Jamil who is a full-time
farmer expressed his gratitude for the donations received, adding that paddy is
the main income of his family.
“My wife and I are very grateful to Bernas who
is always concerned about the plight of farmers like us.
“God willing, with the help of donations
received, we will repair the roof of our house that has been damaged for a long
time and also for daily use,” he said.
Bernas is responsible for overseeing the
development of the country’s paddy and rice industry including rice imports,
management and payment of subsidies to farmers.
It also manages Bumiputera Paddy Millers
Scheme, which is buying paddy from farmers at a guaranteed minimum price and
acting as the last buyer of paddy from farmers.
https://themalaysianreserve.com/2020/07/27/bernas-helps-plight-of-farmers-through-ikhlas-prihatin/
Exports to Qatar, Saudi Arabia rise
despite Covid-19
Mubarak Zeb KhanUpdated 26 Jul 2020
Qatar has allowed imports of Pakistani-origin rice after a ban of
more than seven years.
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Commerce informed the National Assembly
that exports have seen an upsurge in few countries despite the global economic
slowdown since March.
The ministry shared details with the lower house in response to a
series of questions demanding explanations on government-led measures towards
promoting exports.
In the post-Covid-19 period, exports have seen a sizable increase
in two major destinations: Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Despite Covid-19, Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the top export
destinations for Pakistani goods in the Middle East as exports to the peninsula
increased by 34 per cent in June.
The volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
increased to $2.181 billion in FY20. Exports to Saudi Arabia have seen a
consistent increase from $336.9 million in FY17 to $342.08m in FY19 and
$446.18m FY20. However, the imports from Saudi Arabia have declined from
$3.213bn FY18 to $1.735bn in FY20.
Meanwhile, in the March-June period, exports to Qatar also
increased to $50.13m compared to $39.33m in March-June FY19. Over the last few
years, Pakistan’s trade with Qatar has increased. In FY20, exports to the
country jumped 36pc.
Despite the pandemic, Pakistan’s exports to Qatar have seen an
upward trend throughout Feb-June. Exports in June alone increased by 40pc.
Qatar has also allowed import of Pakistani-origin rice after
several years of ban after low quality rice consignments were sent to the
country back in 2012. So far, Pakistan has exported 4,000 tonnes of basmati
rice to Qatar.
Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Singapore was recorded at
$679m in FY20 with the trade balance heavily in favor of the latter. Pakistan’s
exports to Singapore stood at $52m while imports were recorded at $632m FY20.
Pakistan is also exploring the possibility of setting up an
institutional mechanism such as the Joint Trade Committee with Singapore. Such
an institutional arrangement will play a key role in deepening trade ties as
well as economic diplomacy between the two countries.
Trade between Norway and Pakistan is showing gradual increase with
the balance in favor of Pakistan. Pak-Norway bilateral trade has increased from
$69.06m in 2013-14 to $81.47m in 2018-19. Pakistan’s exports to the country
have increased from $55.16m in 2013-14 to $57.46m in 2018-19.
To promote trade relations and gain access to the Norwegian market,
the government has initiated negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with
the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states, namely Norway, Switzerland,
Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Collectively, these countries offer an import
market of around $360bn. The government is actively engaging with the EFTA
states for concluding an FTA between the two in areas including trade in goods,
services, and investment.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s exports to Denmark increased from $102.13m in
FY14 to $184.91m in FY19 whereas imports decreased from $176.31m in FY14 to
$90.46m in FY19.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh dropped from
$752.67m in FY19 to $654.79m FY20. Even though the trade remained in surplus
this year, the overall volume, including exports and imports, decreased in the
wake of Covid-19.
Read: Pakistan's top export destinations have been devastated by
Covid-19. What does it mean for our trade?
The government has included Bangladesh in the List ‘A’ countries
since October 2019 facilitating travel of businessmen to Pakistan. However, the
Bangladesh government is yet to reciprocate the offer.
Pakistan’s exports to Kyrgyzstan stood at $1.75m in FY20 against
$1.81m in the previous year, while imports stood at $0.114m during the year
under review. Pakistan’s major exports to Kyrgyzstan are medicament mixtures,
razors and razor blades, instruments, and appliances used in medical, surgical,
dental, fruit and vegetable juices - unfermented. Pakistan’s major imports from
Kyrgyzstan include dried vegetables and live animals.
Draft memorandum of understanding to establish a Joint Working
Group to enhance trade cooperation has been shared with the Kyrgyz Republic.
However, Kyrgyz side is yet to respond.
The National Assembly was also informed about several measures to
promote trade with Japan, Turkey, and China.
Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020
https://www.dawn.com/news/1571194/exports-to-qatar-saudi-arabia-rise-despite-covid-19
1.
Global methane emissions have reached the
highest levels on record
Global
methane emissions have reached the highest levels on record
The current levels could lead to 3-4°C of
warming by the end of the century.
26th
July, 2020 at 08:00
Between 2000 and 2017, levels of the potent
greenhouse gas methane barrelled up toward amounts that could lead to 3-4°C of
warming before the end of this century, researchers at Stanford University have
found.
Increases are being driven primarily by the
growth of emissions from coal mining, oil and natural gas production, cattle
and sheep ranching, and landfills, contributing to climate
change, and could lead to an increase in natural disasters, including wildfires, droughts
and floods they say.
Methane is a colourless, odourless gas that is
28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat over a 100-year
period. In 2017, the Earth’s atmosphere absorbed nearly 600 million tons of
methane, a nine per cent rise since the early 2000s, with more than half of all
emissions coming from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and
agriculture.
In terms of warming potential, adding this much
extra methane to the atmosphere since 2000 is akin to putting 350 million more
cars on the world’s roads, the researchers say.
Read more about fossil fuel emissions:
·
Much more methane emitted from fossil fuels than
previously thought – but this is actually good news
·
Effects of emission cuts on climate change ‘may take
decades’
·
The dirty truth about eating green
“We still haven’t turned the corner on
methane,” said Rob Jackson,
a professor of Earth system science in Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy &
Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth).
“Emissions from cattle and other ruminants are
almost as large as those from the fossil fuel industry for methane. People joke
about burping cows without realising how big the source really is.”
Curbing methane emissions will require reducing
fossil fuel use and controlling errant emissions such as leaks from pipelines
and wells, as well as changes to the way we feed cattle, grow rice and eat, the
researchers say.
“We’ll need to eat less meat and reduce
emissions associated with cattle and rice farming, and replace oil and natural
gas in our cars and homes,” Prof Jackson said.
Do we really know what climate
change will do to our planet?
Asked by: Jennifer Cowsill, via email
There is no doubt that greenhouse gas emissions
caused by humans are changing our climate, resulting in a progressive rise in
global average temperatures. The scientific consensus on this is comparable to
the scientific consensus that smoking causes lung cancer.
Our climate is a hugely intricate system of
interlinking processes, so forecasting exactly how this temperature increase
will play out across the globe is a complex task. Scientists base their
predictions on powerful computer models that combine our understanding of
climatic processes with past climate data.
Many large-scale trends can now be calculated
with a high degree of certainty: for instance, warmer temperatures will cause
seawater to expand and glaciers to melt, resulting in higher sea levels an
UK
agrees in principle to continue EU trade facilities for Pakistan’
KARACHI:
The United Kingdom has agreed in principle to keep the European Union’s tax
incentives intact for Pakistan even after leaving the 27-member block next
year, a government official said on Saturday.
Kamal
Shahryar, adviser of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan generalised scheme
of preferences plus said the negotiation between Pakistan and UK is continuing
for getting the similar facility, which Pakistan is enjoying under EU GSP plus.
“UK has
not shared conditions of new trade agreement but in principle agreed for
similar level of facilities,” Shahryar said addressing a webinar.
“After
Brexit the border trade with EU will not take place for moving goods in EU
member countries. UK has started revision of its MFN (most favoured nation)
tariff for all countries which will also benefit Pakistan.”
Pakistan
has been benefiting from the standard GSP regime of the EU and exports to the
EU have been subjected to 20 percent less duty than the normal MFN duties
charged by the EU since 2014.
Currently,
trade between Pakistan and UK is going on under EU GSP plus scheme, which will
end for UK from January 1, 2021.
Aaisha
Makhdum, joint secretary of ministry of commerce said UK’s
conventions
are same which Pakistan has already ratified under EU GSP plus.
Sultan
Rehman, vice president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FPCCI) said UK played a key role in economic and social development
of Pakistan. At present, the balance of trade between Pakistan and UK is in
favour of Pakistan.
Pakistan’s
exports to UK stood at $1.7 billion and Pakistan is mainly exporting textiles
cotton fabrics, knitwear, readymade garments, bed wear and rice to UK.
Zakaria
Usman, former president of FPCCI said Pakistani exporters have made huge
investment in textile sector in accordance with EU GSP plus requirements,
“which should not be affected with Brexit”.
Asim
Yousuf, vice president of Pakistan-UK Chamber of Commerce and Industry said
there are huge opportunities for exports in agriculture, textile and food items
to UK.
There is
a need of early formulation of a trade delegation to UK for getting new orders
from there.
Sheikh
Muhammad Tariq, chairman of Pakistan UK Business Council of FPCCI said more
than 250 million
new
custom declarations will be filed and processed after completion of Brexit.
“Pakistan
should comply with standards and sanitary and phytosanitary measures as UK is
importing 1.2 million ton of meat,” said Tariq.
He also
underlined the need of developing Pakistani business center in UK as UK is
establishing business hub wherein all the countries are establishing their
offices.
The
participants said the State Bank of Pakistan should sign agreement with the
central bank of England for trading in property of UK on collateral basis like
India has signed.
This
agreement will also facilitate transfer of remittances from UK to Pakistan.
UK
should also follow registered exporter system – certification of origin of
goods based on a principle of self-certification – after Brexit, which is
convenient to Pakistani exporters, they said.
Department of
Agriculture of Republic of P : DA aims to make Filipino rice farmers
competitive
|
07/25/2020 | 09:06pm |
|
Author: DA Communications Group | 26 July 2020
The Department of Agriculture through the
Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) is
on track in providing rice farmers appropriate machinery and equipment under
the Duterte administration's Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)
program.
'We will continue to boost farm mechanization
to reduce production costs, enable our rice farmers produce more harvests, earn
bigger incomes, and subsequently compete with their counterparts in ASEAN,'
said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
To date, the DA-PhilMech has procured and
currently distributing 2,938 farm machinery and equipment worth P2 billion (B)
to 625 RCEF-accredited farmers' cooperatives and associations (FCAs)
nationwide.
The second batch of 4,996 units - worth P3B
under the P5-B RCEF farm mechanization component for 2019 - is under a bidding
process and expected to be completed by July 31, 2020, said DA-PhilMech
director Baldwin Jallorina. Thereafter, the farm machines and equipment will be
given to the second batch of 1,068 FCAs.
For the 2020 P5-B RCEF farm mechanization
budget, Jallorina said the DA-PhilMech has to date validated 2,587 FCA
applicants, of which 1,259 FCAs have been shortlisted and qualified to receive
4,543 farm machineries.
'With the sustained and vigorous implementation
of the RCEF program, coupled with our Rice Resiliency Project (RRP), we expect
Filipino rice farmers to be at par with their counterparts in the ASEAN, in
terms of cost efficiency and productivity, in the next three years,' the DA
chief said.
Currently, Filipino farmers spend an average of
P10 on labor, seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs to produce one kilogram (kg)
of palay (paddy rice), while the country's average harvest is at four metric
tons (MT) per hectare (ha).
Farmers in Thailand and Vietnam spend an
equivalent P8/kg and P5/kg, respectively, to produce one kilo of palay.
Studies conducted by the DA-PhilMech and
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) show that the country's high
production cost is attributed to several factors, namely: heavy reliance on
manual operations from land preparation to harvesting; high cost of farm
inputs, notably fertilizers; lack of irrigation; inaccessible and inadequate
credit; usurious loans offered by traders; and low productivity.
'We are confident that with appropriate
interventions and assistance under RCEF and RRP, we can reduce our production
cost to P8 per kilo and increase our national average yield to six tons per
hectare, in the next three years,' said Secretary Dar.
'Further, to take optimum advantage of the
Duterte administration's farm mechanization program, we will strongly encourage
RCEF farmers to collectivize, and consolidate their farms into contiguous
clusters of at least 50 to 100 hectares each,' the DA chief added.
In fact, Jallorina said the DA-PhilMech
prioritizes provision of assistance to clustered FCAs.
'Farm consolidation and clustering is one of
the major features of a modern, industrialized, market-driven, sustainable and
resilient Philippine agriculture,' Secretary Dar said.
'In all, we need to raise the productivity and
incomes of Filipino farmers to enable them to cope with the COVID-19 crisis,'
he added said.
'Rest assured, the DA family will do its utmost
to propel the agriculture sector as a major player in the nation's economic
recovery efforts,' concluded Secretary Dar. ### (DA PhilMech and DA StratComms)
Department of Agriculture of the Republic of
the Philippines published this content on 26 July
2020 and is solely responsible for the information
contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 26 July
2020 01:05:05 UTC
Https://www.marketscreener.com/news/Department-of-Agriculture-of-Republic-of-P-DA-aims-to-make-Filipino-rice-farmers-competitive—3099
PHL to
see lower rice production cost by 2023’
Despite
the delays in the distribution of free farm equipment to rice planters, the
Department of Agriculture (DA) said the country is on track to reducing palay
production cost to P8 per kilogram by 2023.
The DA
said the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization
(PhilMech) is on schedule to distribute thousands of free farm machines to rice
farmers this year, including those funded by the 2019 Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
Under
the rice trade liberalization law of 2019, rice farmers are entitled to receive
a guaranteed P10-billion worth of interventions annually to boost their
productivity. Half of the amount is for the distribution of farm equipment.
“We will
continue to boost farm mechanization to reduce production costs, enable our
rice farmers produce more harvests, earn bigger incomes, and subsequently
compete with their counterparts in Asean,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar
said in a statement.
To date,
PhilMech has procured and is currently distributing 2,938 farm machinery and
equipment worth P2 billion to 625 RCEF-accredited farmers’ cooperatives and
associations (FCAs) nationwide, the DA said.
The farm
equipment were still part of the 2019 RCEF farm mechanization with the
remaining P3 billion still undergoing the bidding process, which will be
completed by the end of the month, PhilMech Executive Director Baldwin
Jallorina said.
The
P3-billion worth of farm machinery would be distributed to 1,068 FCA, according
to DA.
For the
2020 RCEF farm mechanization fund, the PhilMech has already validated 2,587 FCA
applicants, of which 1,259 FCAs have been shortlisted and qualified to receive
4,543 farm machineries, Jallorina said.
“With
the sustained and vigorous implementation of the RCEF program, coupled with our
Rice Resiliency Project [RRP], we expect Filipino rice farmers to be at par
with their counterparts in the Asean, in terms of cost efficiency and
productivity, in the next three years,” Dar said.
“We are
confident that with appropriate interventions and assistance under RCEF and
RRP, we can reduce our production cost to P8 per kilo and increase our national
average yield to 6 tons per hectare, in the next three years.”
Currently,
Filipino farmers spend an average of P10 on labor, seeds, fertilizers, and
other inputs to produce 1 kg of palay (paddy rice), while the country’s average
harvest is at 4 metric tons (MT) per hectare (ha), according to DA.
In
comparison, rice farmers in Thailand and Vietnam spend P8/kg and P5/kg,
respectively, to produce 1 kilo of palay, DA added.
The DA
attributed the country’s high production cost to heavy reliance on manual
operations from land preparation to harvesting; high cost of farm inputs,
notably fertilizers; lack of irrigation; inaccessible and inadequate credit;
usurious loans offered by traders; and low productivity.
Prices
The
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the nationwide average farm-gate
price of dry palay as of the third week of June was pegged at P18.86 per kg,
5.7 percent higher than last year’s P17.85 per kg.
However,
the latest farm-gate price of dry palay was slightly lower than the previous
week’s P18.96 per kg, preliminary PSA weekly price monitoring report showed.
From
June 17 to June 23, the highest average farm-gate price of dry palay was
recorded in the Northern Mindanao region at P20.34 per kg while the lowest
average quotation was in Caraga region at P17.75 per kg, PSA data showed.
PSA
report also showed that both the average wholesale and retail prices of
well-milled rice registered downward movements during the reference period.
“The
average wholesale price of well-milled rice plunged to P39.36 per kg or by 0.4
percent during the week from its price level of P39.53 per kg in the previous
week,” it said.
“Compared
with its level of P39.29 per kg during the same period of the previous year, it
registered a slower annual increase of 0.2 percent.”
At the
retail trade, the average price of well-milled rice dipped to P42.61 per kg, or
by 0.3 percent from last week’s P42.75 per kg, PSA said. The latest average
quotation was 0.7 percent lower than last year’s P42.91 per kg price level.”
The
average wholesale and retail quotations of regular-milled rice also declined
during the reference week, PSA said.
“The
average wholesale price of regular-milled rice fell to P35.71 per kg or by 0.4
percent during the week, from its level of P35.85 per kg in the previous week,”
it said.
“Meanwhile,
it inched up at an annual rate of 0.9 percent from its level during the same
week of the previous year of P35.4 per kg.”
PSA said
the average retail price of regular-milled rice dropped slightly to P38.47 per
kg from last week’s P38.52 per kg.
“It also
declined at an annual rate of 0.1 percent from its level of P38.52 per kg
during the same week of the previous year.”
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/07/27/phl-to-see-lower-rice-production-cost-by-2023/
KAU to adopt villages for enhancing
farm output
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