Exports to Gulf states jump 36pc
Mubarak
Zeb KhanUpdated April 28, 2020
Increase
seen in exports of three major commodities: Rice, meat and fruits and
vegetables. — Reuters/File
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s exports to the Middle Eastern countries increased by 36 per cent
during the current fiscal year, data released by the Ministry of Commerce
showed on Monday.
The ministry
claimed that the growth in export proceeds was achieved owing to several
initiatives but did not share any details on the actions.
Three major
commodities posted impressive growth between July 2019 and April.
The rice
exports to the region increased by 59pc in value from $264 million to $420m,
meat from $127m to $200m, an increase of 57pc during the period under review.
And fruits and vegetables exports enhanced from $70m to $140m, an increase of
100pc.
The data
compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan showed exports to the UAE surged by 28pc
during the July-March period. The export value reached $1.244bn this year as
against $971.173m over the corresponding months of last year.
Pakistan’s
export to Saudi Arabia increased by 42.9pc to $352.164m during the July-March
period this year as against $246.419m over the corresponding months of last
year. Pakistan’s exports to Saudi Arabia mainly include rice, fruits, vegetable
preparations, apparel and clothing, and made-up articles of textile.
Currently,
negotiation on a preferential trade agreement covering both tariff and
non-tariff barriers are pending before the two governments.
Exports to
Qatar increased 50pc to $108.898m during the July-March period this year as
against $72.49m over the corresponding months last year. Similarly, exports to
Bahrain also witnessed a growth of 8.33pc to $52.856m as against $48.789m over
the corresponding months last year.
Pakistan’s
exports to other countries in the region remained stagnant during the period
under review.
Meanwhile,
exports to Iran during the July-March period stood at $0.055m as against
$2.892m over the corresponding period of last year. Pakistan mostly trades on a
barter basis with Iran, which does not account in the official figures. On the
other hand, the country’s exports to Afghanistan, once Pakistan’s
second-biggest export market after the United States, dropped by 10.8pc to
$789.437m as against $885.779m over the corresponding months last year.
Pakistan has
closed its border stations with Afghanistan since Mar 15. Only $61m worth of
goods were exported to the neighbouring country during March. The government
has virtually banned all kinds of exports to Afghanistan except kinno.
Published in
Dawn, April 28th, 2020
Pakistan, Afghanistan trade at standstill
28 APRIL 2020 Last Updated at 8:56
AM | SOURCE: IANS
Pakistan, Afghanistan trade at standstill
Islamabad, April 28 (IANS)
Businessmen have requested the concerned authorities to allow export of
Pakistani consignments to Afghanistan through the Chaman, Torkham and Khorlachi
borders which were facing hurdles due to restrictions in the wake of the
coronavirus pandemic, it was reported on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on Monday,
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President
Anjum Nisar highlighted that bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan
was at a standstill, reports The Express Tribune.
Earlier, the borders were sealed
due to the pandemic but the Pakistan government re-opened them this month and
allowed movement of cargo to Afghanistan, he said.
"However, the concerned
authorities on the borders are allowing only those trucks to pass which are
carrying cargo under the Afghan Transit Trade," he said.
"Pakistani exporters are
facing heavy losses as thousands of trucks, carrying perishable items such as
rice, potatoes, vegetables and medicinal items, are stuck at the
Pakistan-Afghan borders."
The official stressed that these
items could not be exported to any other country except Afghanistan and
requested the concerned authorities to allow Pakistani export consignments to
enter Afghanistan.
He highlighted that even in the
midst of COVID-19, trade between Iran and Afghanistan was not halted and was
running smoothly whereas Pakistani exporters were facing hurdles and trade
between Pakistan and Afghanistan was at a standstill, which was damaging the
economy.
--IANS
Japanese Ambassador Calls On Food Security Minister
Japanese Ambassador Matsuda
Kuninori here Monday called on Federal Minister for National Food Security and
Research Syed Fakhar Imam
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint /
Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2020 ) :Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori
here Monday called on Federal Minister
for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam.
The minister told Ambassador
that Pakistan is
among major wheat exporters of the world because of adverse weather conditions wheat export would be affected this year. Pakistan and Japan should increase collaboration in transfer of technology and information in agriculture sector. The minister also emphasized role of Japan in agricultural machinery. Pakistan also required assistance from Japan in growing crop seeds technology he added.
Japanese Ambassador said Pakistan was one of the major agricultural products exporter
and many countries depend upon Pakistan for rice and fruits.
Japan is already working (in Pakistan) on various projects and many Japanese companies are
willing to invest in agriculture sector in Pakistan.
Japan is willing to help Pakistan to acquire pesticides and other essential
products. Japan is also helping Pakistan financially in current COVID 19 epidemic. Pakistan does export fruits and vegetables, but the quantity
is limited to cater the increasing demand of Japanese market especially of mangos.
The minister emphasized that
the government wanted to enhance flori culture in Pakistan and assistance from japans' government would be highly valuable.
In the meeting it was discussed
that Japan would facilitate Pakistan to control locust, in value addition of fruits and
vegetables and Flori culture specially tulip and roses.
Collaboration in sectors of fishery, livestock, poultry etc should
also be enhanced.
The minister also acknowledge the
ongoing projects and collaboration of Japanese Government in Pakistan. Japanese Ambassador ensured further financial assistance
and collaboration in agriculture sector by the Japanese Government.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/business/japanese-ambassador-calls-on-food-security-mi-905083.html
Rice Worth 1.594 Billion Exported In 9 Months
Rice exports from the country
during first three quarters of current financial year registered an increase of
7.13 percent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period last year
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint /
Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2020 ) :Rice exports from the country during first three quarters of current
financial year registered an increase of 7.13 percent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period last year.
During the period from July to March 2019-20, country earned US $ 1.594 billion by exporting over 3.146 million tons of rice, according to the data released by
the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The exports of rice in first three quarters of last financial
year were recorded at 2.987 million tons valuing US $ 1.487 billion, the data revealed.
During the period under review
about 657,280 metric tons of Basmati rice worth of US $ 573.196 million were also exported as compared the exports of 433, 097 metric tons valuing US $ 428.796 million of same period last year.
The exports of Basmati rice witnessed about 38.68 per cent growth
during the period under review as compared the exports of same period last year, it added.
In last nine months over
2.488 million tons of rice other then Basmati worth US $
1.020 billion exported as compared to the exports of 2.553 million tons valuing US $ 1.059 billion of same period last year.
However, during the period under
review the exports of rice other then Basmati remained on down track as
it decreased by 3.62 per cent, the data revealed.
It may be recalled here that food group exports from the country during first nine months of current
financial year grew by 1.43 per cent as different food commodities worth US $
3.396 billion exported as against US $ 3.348 billion of the corresponding period of last year.
Meanwhile, food group exports during the month of March 2020 were decreased by 23.23 per cent as compared to
the same month
last year.
Two Reed Grads Elected to
National Academy of Sciences
The
nation’s top scientific organization hails a pair of Reed researchers for their
groundbreaking work.
By Romel Hernandez | April 27, 2020
Two prominent Reed grads have been elected to
the nation’s top scientific organization, the National Academy of Sciences, in
recognition of their groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of genetics and
evolutionary biology.
Pamela Ronald ’82 revealed
how the Xa21 gene plays a key role in helping rice crops
resist disease. Her work on flood-resistant rice has been credited with
improving crop yields in Asia and Africa. (Check out her TED talk on the case for engineering our food.)
She’s a plant pathologist at the University of
California-Davis.
Susan Alberts ’83 is
an evolutionary biologist at Duke University and an expert on the effects of adversity and
belonging on the health and survival of primates. She made her mark
researching wild primate behavior, devoting the bulk of her career to the study
of baboons in Kenya—work she has pursued nearly four decades since her senior
year at Reed when she earned a Watson Fellowship to study in Africa.
Being chosen for the National Academy of
Sciences is a prestigious achievement reserved for only the most eminent
researchers. Reed ranks No. 12 in the nation when it comes to producing
fellows in the NAS and its allied academies in medicine and engineering.
Reed also ranks No. 1 in the nation in the proportion of STEM majors who go on to earn PhDs in STEM fields.
Ronald and Alberts both say they were inspired
to pursue biology by their experiences as students at Reed.
“Reed is the reason I am a scientist,” says
Alberts, who started at Reed expecting to major in philosophy. “We’re so lucky
to have been there during such a remarkable time in the biology department.”
“You don’t pursue a career at this depth for
this long if you’re not excited at the outset,” says Ronald, who says her
first-year intro bio course at Reed inspired her to become a scientist.
Ronald recalls getting turned on to genetics by
Prof. Peter Russell,
whose engaging approach to teaching science as “stories of discovery.” Alberts
remembers being enthralled by Prof. Bert Brehm and
his description of the complex co-evolution of the fig tree and fig wasp for
mutual survival. And both were awestruck by the late Prof. Helen Stafford,
the first female faculty member in the division of mathematics and natural
science when she was hired in the 1950s.
“She was scary,” Ronald says. “I was so
impressed by how she loved her research and her students.”
“I don’t know I realized at the time what a
singular role model she was as a woman in science of that generation.” says
Alberts. “She was a force of nature. We were amazed and intimidated by her
intellect.”
Ronald and Alberts are the third and fourth
Reed women to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, joining the late
psychologist Eleanor Maccoby ’39 and
neuroscientist Gina Turrigiano ’84.
Altogether the NAS has elected 21 Reedies.
The academy’s annual meeting, at which they will be honored, will
be held virtually due to Covid-19. Nonetheless, both scientists are looking
forward to their next chance to meet and catch up. “Getting this honor is
surprising and exciting,” Ronald says. “Even after so many years, you sometimes
feel like an impostor just stumbling along. To be recognized by your peers is
so meaningful. I’m grateful.”
2020 RMA Convention
Postponed
By Jeanette Davis
ARLINGTON, VA -- Due to the global COVID-19
pandemic, the USA Rice Millers' Association Board of Directors voted
unanimously last week to cancel the 2020 RMA Annual Convention that had been
scheduled for June 16-19 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The convention will be rescheduled for June
2021 at the same location.
"Protecting the health, safety,
and well-being of our members, attendees, families, and the community at-large
was paramount in the decision," said Kenneth LaGrande, chair of the RMA
Convention Coordinating Committee.
"This was to be our 121st convention and while we take great pride
in our longevity and traditions, this was the correct decision and we did not
enter into it lightly. We wish everyone
continued health and safety, and the convention will be back bigger and better
in 2021."
USA Rice Daily
Navigable Waters Rule
to Replace WOTUS
By Josie McLaurin
David Petter
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Navigable Waters Protection Rule was
published in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and the Department of the Army on April 21.
The publication of this final rule formally replaces the Obama-era
Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and is the final result of Trump
Administration efforts to re-define and contain the reach of the Clean Water
Act of 1972.
The Navigable Waters Protection Rule divides U.S. waters into four
categories and also identifies those waters not subject to federal control,
labeling them as "jurisdictional" and "non-jurisdictional."
Of major interest to rice farmers,
prior converted cropland and the treatment of ditches are considered
"non-jurisdictional" hence not included in the definition of WOTUS
and not subject to federal jurisdiction.
"The Navigable Waters
Protection Rule gives the U.S. rice industry a definite advantage when it comes
to water management on our farms," said David Petter, an Arkansas rice
farmer and chair of the USA Rice Regulatory Affairs and Food Safety
Committee. "We have an unparalleled
record of sustainable farming practices and the clarification provided by the
new rule will allow us to continue those successful conservation
practices."
Barring court challenges or
Congressional action, the Navigable Waters Protection Rule will go into effect
on June 22, 2020.
Market Information
State Row Crop Planting Delayed by
Wet Weather
Meridian Star
Bobby Golden, rice specialist with
the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, said frequent rains also
put the rice crop well behind schedule. USDA estimated rice was 11 percent
planted on April 19. Golden said about 60 percent of the crop is usually
planted by this date.
USA rice Daily
India's top rice miller KRBL has
enough supply and demand but little material to pack them in
§ KRBL saw a 43% jump in its
share price since the nation-wide lockdown started.
§ Anoop Kumar Gupta the company’s
joint managing director said the company witnessed an increase in requirement
from the retail channels.
§ Mittal said the company did
experience shut down for a few days when the lockdown started, but when it
opened up, it had significant constraints of transportation and labour in the
market.
During the lockdown, Indians are worried about only
one thing - groceries. It hence comes as no surprise that the share price of
KRBL — the world's largest rice millers and Basmati rice exporters — jumped 43%
during the period.
“Despite global lockdown, the demand for rice is picking up. We have sufficient orders in hand, and the execution did look difficult on March 22, but it now seems that we will be able to fulfill the obligation without any problems,” said KRBL chairman Anil Kumar Mittal in a conference call.
“Despite global lockdown, the demand for rice is picking up. We have sufficient orders in hand, and the execution did look difficult on March 22, but it now seems that we will be able to fulfill the obligation without any problems,” said KRBL chairman Anil Kumar Mittal in a conference call.
A two-fold jump in demand
As Indians are stocking up on basics, retailers have
been pushing for more stock. “We have seen a quantum rise in volume dispatch,
especially in the online channel to the extent twice as much as usual,” said
Anoop Kumar Gupta, the company’s joint managing director.
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cases in India inches towards the 28,000 mark— 22% recovered and 3.1% dead as
of April 27
However, that does not mean that the rice miller had it easy. To cater to the
increased demand, it had faced many hurdles. The first being transportation
which had been hit hard, and added to that, labour had migrated leaving them
with little manpower.
Packing
pains
The company received some relief when state
governments gradually eased the supply chain pains. Soon after it opened up
shop to supply essentials as directed by the government, it was left with a new
set of troubles.
“There were other challenges such as unavailability of labour, logistic issues, lack of courier services and transportation issues,” said Mittal. KRBL however was able to “streamline the process” with the help of local bodies.
The orders are pouring in, and supply is also inching up. But the company is still struggling with packing material shortage. “The availability of the packing material, weather plastic bag, a carton or a jute bag as they are connected with paper poly and other industries,” Mittal said. And most of these industries are still shut down.
“There were other challenges such as unavailability of labour, logistic issues, lack of courier services and transportation issues,” said Mittal. KRBL however was able to “streamline the process” with the help of local bodies.
The orders are pouring in, and supply is also inching up. But the company is still struggling with packing material shortage. “The availability of the packing material, weather plastic bag, a carton or a jute bag as they are connected with paper poly and other industries,” Mittal said. And most of these industries are still shut down.
Since packaging material doesn’t fall under the
essential commodities, they are still closed.
Without weddings
and fewer Indians in a celebratory mood, Titan’s sales to remain muted for the
next 2 years
‘There is no alternative to Basmati on the menu’
Even as its Punjab plant is running at 60% capacity due to labour constraints, its packaging unit is running around at 80% capacity. But the company believes that it is in a position to meet the increasing demand both globally and within the country.
Even as its Punjab plant is running at 60% capacity due to labour constraints, its packaging unit is running around at 80% capacity. But the company believes that it is in a position to meet the increasing demand both globally and within the country.
“We
will take longer to turn around but remain confident that it will because there
is no alternative to the kind of Basmati on the menus that branded companies
like us can provide,” Gupta added.
https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/rice-purchase-for-central-pool-to-hit-record-50-mt/1941468/
https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/rice-purchase-for-central-pool-to-hit-record-50-mt/1941468/
Joseph Banks:
traveller, botanist and agent of the British Empire
The Conversation
28 Apr 2020, 06:40 GMT+10
28 Apr 2020, 06:40 GMT+10
Captain James Cook arrived in the Pacific 250 years ago,
triggering British colonisation of the region. We're asking researchers to
reflect on what happened and how it shapes us today. You can see other stories
in the series here and an
interactive here.
Sir Joseph Banks is justly
celebrated as a "naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural
sciences." His role as an expedition scientist on Captain Cook's first
voyage set a benchmark for rigour, and helped to lift him to election as
president of the Royal Society in 1778. From that position, he directed and
encouraged multinational scientific endeavours for more than four decades. Less
well-known is how he used that science to pursue imperial power.
The role of science in the "Age of Enlightenment"
has sometimes been imagined as a bubble of purity, where the hunt for new
knowledge outweighed all other considerations. It is certainly true that
warring European powers granted safe passage for elite scientific correspondence,
and sometimes for individual scholars, or whole expeditions. But the context
for this was a consensus on the value of scientific discovery for the pursuit
of imperial aggrandisement.
Banks was a hereditary
member of the English establishment.
Born in 1743, his father and grandfather had been members of parliament and he
inherited extensive Lincolnshire estates at an early age. He blended formal
education with self-funded studies, and by his mid-20s, was already a member of
the Royal Society, undertaking an expedition to the north-eastern shores of
Canada, where he identified the Great Auk for
science.
Great Southern Continent
Cook's first voyage was
ostensibly to observe the "transit of Venus"
across the face of the sun in 1769: thus forming part of a multinational
scientific effort to map the size of the solar system. But a deeper goal had already been voiced.
The first person the Royal
Society suggested to command the voyage was Alexander Dalrymple, an
eminent Scottish geographer and vocal proponent of the theory that a
"Great Southern Continent" awaited discovery. He saw this as an
opportunity equivalent to the discovery of the Americas, so great, as he wrote
in his 1770/71 volume An Historical collection of the several voyages and discoveries
in the South Pacific Ocean, that even:
Dalrymple, however, demanded a
full naval captain's commission, which the Admiralty would not grant to a man
who was not a professional seaman. James Cook had the necessary background, and
was content with lieutenant's rank. Cook's voyage, of course, disproved the theory
of a great Terra Australis, while at the same time mapping the outlines of New
Zealand and eastern Australia. Banks (who had paid out of his own pocket for
eight other scientists and servants to accompany him) both diligently completed
his core botanical duties, and returned with clear views on how British
imperial power could be enhanced through Cook's discoveries.
Banks firmly advocated the
strategic use of colonisation, vigorously promoting the use of "Botany
Bay" as a penal colony. He sought to have interloping American trading
vessels excluded from New South Wales "with severity", but was not
averse to other nations setting up settlements elsewhere in Australia, because
there was a "moral certainty" that such territories would fall
"into our hands in time of war".
The Bounty
Banks was also the guiding light
behind the most notorious episode of attempted ecological imperialism in the
1780s: the voyage of the Bounty, which set sail from the south coast of England
in 1787, bound for what its crew saw as the very furthest reaches of the world.
Banks had personally overseen its refitting, including the transformation of
its captain's cabin into a greenhouse, where hundreds of breadfruit seedlings
were to be nurtured.
The ship's captain, William Bligh
- who was only 35, not the grizzled veteran sometimes depicted - had been
sailing-master on Cook's fatal third voyage, and had come under Banks'
subsequent patronage. His mission failed dramatically, not least because of the
huge pressure its goals put him under, and the Bounty was lost to Fletcher
Christian and his fellow mutineers in April 1789. Bligh redeemed his naval
reputation with a voyage of more than 3,600 nautical miles to safety in an open
boat. Only two years later, he led a second voyage of two ships, which did
bring breadfruit from Tahiti all the way to the Caribbean. The Royal
Society awarded
him a gold medal.
Breadfruit never became a
self-sustaining food crop for Britain's brutalised plantation slaves, which had
been the grim objective at the heart of these voyages. But this was just one
small part of Banks' vision of imperial botany. He took a leading role in
establishing the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew as a centre for the systematic
study of the world's plants. He helped promote a network of such centres, from
Calcutta to St Vincent in the Caribbean, and the exchange of species between
them.
In the lead-up to Bligh's
departure, Banks had expounded in a letter on the
benefits of transplantation. From his own previous voyages, he noted the
potential value of New Zealand flax for rope-making, and the "Mangosteens,
Jacks, Durians" that might be brought westwards from Malaya (now
Malaysia). One letter listed more than 30 products of both hemispheres that
might be profitably transplanted, from the "lichee" to Basmati rice,
"Naugharbussee bamboo" - superior, he noted, to Philippine bamboos
already brought to the Caribbean by the Spanish - and what he called the "Cajir Gautch", a palm whose sap made an
alcoholic drink.
Banks closed this letter by
noting how happy and eager he was to take forward such plans "so highly
fraught with disinterested benevolence" as they were. His correspondent,
however, was His Majesty's secretary for war Sir George Yonge. Sir
Joseph Banks, like so many leading lights of his generation, drew no
distinction between the advancement of humanity and the interests of the
British Empire.
Author: David Andress - Professor
of Modern History, University of Portsmouth 
https://www.philippinesnews.net/news/264850670/joseph-banks-traveller-botanist-and-agent-of-the-british-empire
Rice price in Thailand shoots up as demand
spikes during pandemic
The Nation/Asia News Network / 01:10 PM April 28, 2020
BANGKOK — The global Covid-19 outbreak
combined with ongoing drought in major rice-growing countries has triggered
fear of possible food shortages, said Somporn Isvilanonda, senior fellow at the
Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand.
In response, countries around the globe are
increasing their orders from established rice suppliers such as India,
Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan, as well as from emerging rice growers like
Myanmar and Cambodia.
In Thailand, exports have fallen as demand
for domestic rice rises due to food hoarding during the lockdown, which has
pushed up the price.
The global price of good quality
broken rice (5% and 25%) had been on a downward trend before the outbreak since
the market was being flooded by India, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as new
production sources such as Myanmar and Cambodia. The price of good
quality rice from Thailand, meanwhile, is higher than its competitors
because yields have been hit by ongoing drought that began in the second season
of 2018. The baht’s strengthening against the dollar and other currencies has
also hit competitiveness of Thai rice exports.
The Covid-19 outbreak has upset the balance
of demand and supply in the global rice market, as importing countries seek
more rice to build their reserves for emergencies. As a result, rice prices
have been rising since January. The price has risen sharply in March, after
Vietnam placed restrictions on rice exporters and India maintained strict
lockdown measures resulting in deadlock of the rice export supply chain. In
Thailand, measures to restrict movement have affected some supply chains for
rice exports but not to the point where it is no longer fulfilling orders from
exporters. However, the supply of Thai rice products in the market has
decreased, which has lifted global prices.
According to the Thai Rice Exporters
Association, prices for 5% and 25% Thai white rice rose from US$491 and $471
per tonne on March 11, to $579 and $547 per tonne on April 8 – increases of
14.17 percent and 14.92 percent respectively.
Prices for other types of rice also
increased significantly with the exception of jasmine rice, a high-priced
premium product. The price of lower-quality fragrant rice has meanwhile risen
by almost 20 percent as consumers switch varieties amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Rice prices will continue to swing in an
upward trend for the next two months but the situation is not so serious that
it will result in a crisis of high-priced rice as in the past, since there has
been an excess of supply of rice for exports in the past decade. In addition,
when rice prices rise, China, which has the world’s largest stockpile, will
release stocks to help ease pressure in the market as a whole,” said Somporn.
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What you need to know about Coronavirus.
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Corona-update: King Philippe visits Port of Antwerp - port has
remained 100% operational
More news coming in with regard to
the global effects of the Corona-virus on horticulture, trade and logistics
everywhere. In New York, organic farmers have turned from selling to
restaurants to consumer’s homes. Canadian officials have stated that fruit
pickers coming to British Columbia need subsidized housing to curb COVID-19,
while elsewhere 200 million pounds of Canadian French fries are ‘frozen in
limbo’.
In Belgium King Philippe paid a
visit to his nation’s Port of Antwerp on Monday. Since the outbreak, the port
has remained 100% operational thanks to the efforts and commitment of all
employees.
Multinational food retailers
Auchan, Carrefour, Casino Group and El Corte Inglés have signed a
ground-breaking Declaration committing to work with UNI Global Union to protect
supermarket workers and customers during the pandemic.
In Pakistan, Japanese Ambassador
Matsuda Kuninori has called on Federal Minister for National Food Security and
Research Syed Fakhar Imam, to talk about both Covid-19 and the ongoing locust
situation - both threats to Pakistan’s the food security.
This, and much more, in today’s
Corona-virus update.
New York organic farmers pivot to
selling to homes
New York’s farmers who can no longer sell crops to Big Apple restaurants are turning to a new business model: Boxing up produce for the growing hordes of home cooks, the New York Post reported.
New York’s farmers who can no longer sell crops to Big Apple restaurants are turning to a new business model: Boxing up produce for the growing hordes of home cooks, the New York Post reported.
Zaid Kurdieh, an organic farmer in
Norwich, NY, used to rely on sales to top chefs and restaurateurs like
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Thomas Keller and Danny Meyer for 60 percent of his
revenues. But with Gotham’s dining scene shuttered, Kurdieh has pivoted from
packing up “hundreds of pounds” of produce for restaurateurs to curating 12- to
24-pound food boxes for home chefs.
Port of Oakland says canceled
sailings could hit cargo volume
Fewer container ships would likely mean less cargo at the Port of Oakland this spring. That was the message Oakland Maritime officials delivered to the Harbor Trucking Association last week. The Port told freight haulers via video conference that 20 May and June voyages to Oakland have been scrubbed. The result could be a 5-to-15 percent drop in containerized cargo volume heading into summer.
Fewer container ships would likely mean less cargo at the Port of Oakland this spring. That was the message Oakland Maritime officials delivered to the Harbor Trucking Association last week. The Port told freight haulers via video conference that 20 May and June voyages to Oakland have been scrubbed. The result could be a 5-to-15 percent drop in containerized cargo volume heading into summer.
“It’s a clouded picture,” said Port
of Oakland Business Development Manager Andrew Hwang. “About 10 percent of our
scheduled vessel arrivals have been canceled by shipping lines, but we don’t
know if that will translate into a similar drop in volume.”
The Port blamed vessel cancelations
on the coronavirus pandemic which has stunted global trade. With consumer
spending down, there’s less merchandise to load onto ships. That means fewer
vessels needed between Asian manufacturing centers and U.S. ports. Import
volume is expected to suffer the biggest cargo decline in coming months, the
Port said.
King Philippe visits Port of
Antwerp - 100% operational
His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium paid a visit to Port of Antwerp on Monday. The port is classified as "essential national infrastructure" because of its importance in keeping Belgium and indeed a large part of Europe supplied.
His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium paid a visit to Port of Antwerp on Monday. The port is classified as "essential national infrastructure" because of its importance in keeping Belgium and indeed a large part of Europe supplied.
Since the coronavirus outbreak the
port has remained 100% operational thanks to the efforts and commitment of all
employees. The King therefore wanted to see with his own eyes how this is being
done in practice, and was keen to show his appreciation for the some 60,000
people who keep the port running day by day. His visit underlines the
significance of the port and of the work being done by all those in these
exceptional times.
Fruit pickers coming to British
Columbia need subsidized housing to curb COVID-19
A coronavirus outbreak among fruit pickers in B.C.’s Okanagan is all but inevitable unless stringent protocols are brought in, domestic workers in the region say.
A coronavirus outbreak among fruit pickers in B.C.’s Okanagan is all but inevitable unless stringent protocols are brought in, domestic workers in the region say.
In the coming weeks, up to 1,500
domestic farm workers, many of whom hail from Quebec, will flood into the south
Okanagan in search of short-term work during the harvest season.
David Olivier-Demers, a French
Canadian with 18 years’ experience working in the region, said the risk of an
outbreak is high, especially given some working conditions. “A lot of farms are
really small in scale, and there’s barely accommodation like toilets. On some
farms, you’d be happy to have a flushing toilet or you’d be happy to have a
place just to take a shower.”
Domestic farm workers should be
treated the same as temporary foreign workers, Demers said, and have to undergo
14 days of self-isolation at a hotel or motel, paid for by government.
Quebec has the highest number of
lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, at more than 24,000 as of Monday
morning, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Meanwhile, B.C.
reports fewer than 2,000 confirmed cases.
200 million pounds of Canadian
French fries are frozen in limbo
Out at Carleton Mushroom Farms, a family operation run by two brothers south of Ottawa, the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll. Revenue has dropped 25 per cent. Production has been slashed to cope with lower demand from restaurants shuttered by government decree. And, burdened with a recent crop with nowhere to sell it or give it away, the farm was forced to let more than $40,000 worth of mushrooms expire in the growing room.
Out at Carleton Mushroom Farms, a family operation run by two brothers south of Ottawa, the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll. Revenue has dropped 25 per cent. Production has been slashed to cope with lower demand from restaurants shuttered by government decree. And, burdened with a recent crop with nowhere to sell it or give it away, the farm was forced to let more than $40,000 worth of mushrooms expire in the growing room.
“It’s disheartening,” said co-owner
Mike Medeiros. “We don’t want to waste anything, that’s not who we are.”
Madeiros’s woes are echoed at farms
across Canada as the closure of dine-in restaurants and slowdowns at processing
facilities have knocked the food system askew. Dairy farmers have dumped
surplus milk, potato producers have frozen goods clogging storage to capacity,
and crops like carrots, onions and lettuce are being destroyed because they
can’t be sold or given away.
Some farmers have lost 80 to 90 per
cent of their revenues because of the sudden disappearance of the dine-in
restaurant business, Currie said. Some are destroying crops they can no longer
sell or can’t donate to food banks because of the cost of repackaging them for
retail consumers instead of the bulk bundles normally sold to restaurants and
hospitality sectors.
Global food retailers sign landmark
Declaration with UNI
Multinational food retailers Auchan, Carrefour, Casino Group and El Corte Inglés have signed a ground-breaking Declaration committing to work with UNI Global Union to protect supermarket workers and customers during the pandemic.
Multinational food retailers Auchan, Carrefour, Casino Group and El Corte Inglés have signed a ground-breaking Declaration committing to work with UNI Global Union to protect supermarket workers and customers during the pandemic.
In ratifying the Joint Declaration,
these food retailers – with a combined global workforce of a million workers –
recognise the vital role of supermarket workers during the crisis and pledge to
make worker safety a priority. The signatories also agree to work closely with
UNI and its trade union affiliates around the world on measures to control the
risks of Covid-19.
UNI is calling on more food retailers
to sign the Declaration to achieve a collaborative global response to the
pandemic.
Japanese ambassador calls on
Pakistan’s Food Security Minister
Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori on Monday called on Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam.
Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori on Monday called on Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam.
The Japanese Ambassador said
Pakistan was one of the major agricultural products exporter and many countries
depend upon Pakistan for rice and fruits. Japan is already working (in
Pakistan) on various projects and many Japanese companies are willing to invest
in agriculture sector in Pakistan.
He said ongoing locust situation
was the biggest threat to the food security situation in Pakistan.
Japan is willing to help Pakistan
to acquire pesticides and other essential products. Japan is also helping
Pakistan financially in current COVID 19 epidemic. Pakistan does export fruits
and vegetables, but the quantity is limited to cater the increasing demand of
Japanese market especially of mangos.
The minister also acknowledge the
ongoing projects and collaboration of Japanese Government in Pakistan. Japanese
Ambassador ensured further financial assistance and collaboration in
agriculture sector by the Japanese Government.
South Korean marketing promotion to
stimulate asparagus consumption sparks online competition
An online discount marketing promotion led by a provincial governor to help asparagus farmers who have seen a sharp drop in exports of their crops due to a coronavirus pandemic sparked an unexpected craze among South Korean online shoppers.
An online discount marketing promotion led by a provincial governor to help asparagus farmers who have seen a sharp drop in exports of their crops due to a coronavirus pandemic sparked an unexpected craze among South Korean online shoppers.
Asparagus is a common food
ingredient in the western world, but it is not so popular in South Korea mainly
because of its high price. One kilogram of asparagus sells for 25,000 won
($20.4).
The eastern province of Gangwon has
a chief producing area for Asparagus, accounting for 70 percent of South Korea's
total production. A COVID-19 pandemic has foiled the province's initial plan to
export about 45 tons of the highly-valued food ingredient this year.
Governor Choi Moon-soon brought up
the idea of selling asparagus through an online shopping mall operated by an
association of farmers at a discounted price of 7,000 won per kilogram. The
province provided packaging and delivery fees and decided to evenly distribute
profits among farmers.
How COVID-19 has jammed South
India’s jackfruit economy
Jackfruit, along with mango and banana, is one of the three primary horticultural crops in Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala.
Jackfruit, along with mango and banana, is one of the three primary horticultural crops in Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala.
Due to the nationwide lockdown in
the wake of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, millions of jackfruits are yet to
be picked up from trees, causing huge losses to farmers and seasonal
contractors.
COVID-19 is a nightmare to
agriculture in general and horticultural products in particular. While
jackfruits are cultivated commercially in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore, Pudukottai,
Dindigul and Thanjavur districts, they are grown in backyards in Kerala for
domestic use. In Karnataka’s Tumakuru and Hassan districts, farmers raise
jackfruits in so-called strip plantations, where a field is partitioned into
long, narrow strips which are alternated in a crop rotation system.
Besides farmers, small traders also
make a quick buck during the jackfruit season in crowded places like bus
stands, railway stations and regular large market yards. Now, these places are
shut. Only head loaders and push cart sellers are selling on bare minimum scale
in local temporary market yards.
Pandemic hits 10 months of earnings
in Kenyan horti sector
The pandemic has halted 10 months of high earnings from the horticultural sector as tight containment measures in destination markets delay supply schedules. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the quantity of horticultural exports had risen by 61 percent to 35,550 tonnes in January, the highest in 10 months.
The pandemic has halted 10 months of high earnings from the horticultural sector as tight containment measures in destination markets delay supply schedules. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the quantity of horticultural exports had risen by 61 percent to 35,550 tonnes in January, the highest in 10 months.
Horticultural exports, which
include cut flowers, fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts were at 36,683 in March
last year before touching the year-low of 22,046 tonnes last December.
January’s recovery saw
horticultural exporters earn Sh8.68 billion, being the highest since June last
year (Sh10.5 billion). The rosy earnings have, however, suffered major setback
with coronavirus pandemic halting exports to major destinations in Europe as
countries turn to lockdowns and curfews to stop spread of the virus.
Sfax-Tripoli inaugural shipping
service docks
The inaugural ship carrying goods from the port of Sfax, Tunisia, left Sfax on Saturday and arrived at Tripoli port on Sunday, Libya’s Tripoli based Transport Ministry confirmed yesterday. The ship was carrying Tunisian goods, mainly fresh produce including fruit. The Libyan Ministry said it was carrying 134 containers – Tunisian media reported about 300 containers onboard the ship.
The inaugural ship carrying goods from the port of Sfax, Tunisia, left Sfax on Saturday and arrived at Tripoli port on Sunday, Libya’s Tripoli based Transport Ministry confirmed yesterday. The ship was carrying Tunisian goods, mainly fresh produce including fruit. The Libyan Ministry said it was carrying 134 containers – Tunisian media reported about 300 containers onboard the ship.
The ship will make another trip to
Tripoli on 4 May. Tuniship is the acting agent for the service. On a related
Tunisian-Libyan bilateral trade matter, the ship’s arrival coincides with
movement in the case of the stranded Libyan lorries at the land border.
The lorries are loaded mostly with
foodstuffs in anticipation of the peak demand month of Ramadan. On 16 April,
the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce called on the Libyan government to solve the
crisis and held it responsible for any further delays.
Bangladesh: Steps taken to continue
food production
Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque yesterday said the government has taken various steps to continue food production and ensure uninterrupted supply of vegetables and perishable agricultural products amid the crisis created over coronavirus outbreak.
Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque yesterday said the government has taken various steps to continue food production and ensure uninterrupted supply of vegetables and perishable agricultural products amid the crisis created over coronavirus outbreak.
“The government has taken necessary
measures to continue the production of agro products amid the coronavirus
situation as well as ensure their export and import, and food supply,” he said.
The minister came up with the
information while speaking at an online meeting over marketing and supplying of
vegetables, seeds and fresh agricultural products, at his ministry.
The Department of Agriculture Marketing
has started conducting mobile marketing of agricultural products with the help
of deputy commissioners concerned and potato, vegetable and onion were included
in the relief materials given by Disaster Management Ministry, Abdur Razzaque
said.
Bangladesh: Price drop hits
Rangamati pineapple farmers hard
A bumper yield of pineapple made farmers happy in Rangamati's Naniarchar district, but the lack of customers due to the coronavirus pandemic cut short their happiness. Supply is higher than demand, but local growers are being compelled to sell the juicy fruit at painfully low prices.
A bumper yield of pineapple made farmers happy in Rangamati's Naniarchar district, but the lack of customers due to the coronavirus pandemic cut short their happiness. Supply is higher than demand, but local growers are being compelled to sell the juicy fruit at painfully low prices.
Naniarchar is famous for producing
different kinds of delicious pineapples. Wholesalers from across the country
including Dhaka and Chittagong throng local markets for this delectable
fruit every year. However, this season, local markets are suffering from lack
of wholesalers and customers due to the transport shortage triggered by the
nationwide shutdown to rein in coronavirus.
Farmers in the district said they
are taking their hard earned pineapple to local markets on boats, but the lack
of customers is forcing them to sell the produce at a low price and a huge
loss. Pineapples cannot be stored for long as the fruit rots quickly.
Speaking on the matter, Rangamati
Department of Agricultural Extension(DAE) Deputy Director Paban Kanti Chakma
said: "Like every year, the hilly areas of Naniarchar upazila had a bumper
crop of juicy pineapples this year. However, the lack of customers triggered by
the coronavirus crisis will mean a loss to farmers."
Azerbaijani scientists reveal connection between rice consumption,
COVID-19 spread
Tue 28 Apr 2020 20:34 GMT | 00:34 Local Time
Eating rice in warm countries has positively affected
the general trend on coronavirus pandemic, Trend reports citing Azerbaijan
National Academy of Sciences (ANAS).
The Institute of Geography of the ANAS conducted research to
identify a possible connection between the geography of the coronavirus
pandemic (COVID-19) and the diet of the world population.
Thus, leading researcher of Azerbaijan's Institute of Geography,
Ph.D. in Geological and Mineralogical sciences Rashid Fataliyev conducted a
comparative analysis of the statistical data of the World Health Organization
(WHO) and individual countries, the geography of the spread of coronavirus,
climatic conditions, as well as data on agriculture, in particular, production
and the consumption of agricultural products.
The scientist came to the conclusion that the relatively low
spread of the COVID-19 virus and the greater number of recovered people in
countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Pakistan, the
Philippines, and Indonesia are associated with the consumption of rice by the
population of these countries, which is rich in B, PP and E vitamins, carotene,
as well as trace elements important for the human body.
He noted that the results of this research should seriously be
studied by scientists and specialists.
Kerala against the
abrupt end of lockdown on May 3
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 27, 2020 14:15 IST
A TV grab of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (front), accompanied by
Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and other dignitaries,
during an interaction with the Chief Ministers of various States/UTs via video
conferencing on April 27, 2020. | Photo Credit: PTI
Pinarayi Vijayan had conveyed the
State's view to Amit Shah
The Kerala government has argued
against an abrupt lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on May 3. It has
instead sought a progressive dialling down of curfew stipulations aimed at
liberating relatively safe localities first and high-risk areas later.
Officials said Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan had appraised Union Home Minister Amit Shah of the State's
opinion during a protracted interaction in the run-up to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's interaction with Chief Ministers on Monday.
They scotched news reports that
Mr Vijayan had excused himself from the video conference with Mr Modi at the
last minute allegedly because the Centre had not invited him to speak at the
critical interaction.
Mr Vijayan had laid out the
State's case in detail with Mr Modi in the previous video conference of Chief
Ministers. Moreover, it was the turn for the Chief Ministers of nine other
States, who did not get the opportunity to speak at the previous meeting, to
raise their demands with the Centre, the officials said.
Hence, Mr Vijayan had tasked
Chief Secretary Tom Jose in advance to stand-in for him at the conference. The
government had also informed its decision in the matter to the Union Cabinet
secretary.
Officials said that Mr Vijayan,
in his interaction with Mr Shah, had stressed the need to keep Kerala, a
predominantly consumer State, well supplied to ensure its food security.
Mr Vijayan said cross border
movement of freight was essential to keep the State's rice, wheat, sugar,
pulses and edible oil stock at the optimal storage level.
( The intense lockdown in five
districts in Tamil Nadu till April 29 had whittled down movement of cargo
lorries into Kerala. There were reports that rice consignments bound for Kerala
from Andhra Pradesh were held up.)
Kerala has also urged the Centre
to operate special trains to ferry an estimated 3.5 lakh migrant workers
hunkered down without wages or work in scores of labour camps across Kerala.
Most relied on free rations and food supplied by the government to survive and
were desperate to return home.
Mr Vijayan told the Centre that
the impending arrival of tens of thousands on non-resident Keralites from
COVID-19-affected countries, especially in the Gulf would further stretch its
limited finances. Public health expenditure was set to rise sharply. Kerala
could ill-afford to have its COVID-19 caseload shoot up.
Moreover, the State urgently need
a financial stimulus package to repair its battered economy. Remittances from
the Gulf has registered a sharp fall. Vital sectors, such as tourism, required
rejuvenation.
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Indian govt nudges West Bengal to
smoothen goods export to Bangladesh
April
28, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:58 PM, April 28, 2020
Petrapole-Benapole
Integrated Check Post (ICP) between India and Bangladesh. Star file photo
Star
Online Report
Central Government of India has
urged the West Bengal government to facilitate smooth movement of goods to
Bangladesh during Covid-19-induced lockdown period.
The nudge from New Delhi came after
the movement of cargo to Bangladesh through West Bengal territory slowed down
as the state government expressed apprehension that movement of trucks carrying
goods might spread coronavirus infection in the state, reports our New Delhi
correspondent.
Dhaka is important not only to New
Delhi's "South Asia first" policy but also for facilitating movement
of goods to north eastern India using Bangladesh as transit.
While the Indian home ministry has
permitted movement of goods for cross-border trade during the ongoing lockdown
period with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, West Bengal authorities are curbing
the movement of goods, reports our correspondent quoting Indian officials.
The restrictions on trucks'
movement could hit Bangladesh's imports of basmati rice from Punjab and Haryana
states and "Gobindobhog" variety rice from West Bengal.
"This is the time when
Bangladesh imports basmati from India for making biryani during Ramadan,"
reports The Economic Times quoting Suraj Agarwal, CEO of Tirupati Agri Trade.
"Since trucks are not moving
between the two countries, exports have completely come to a standstill,"
he told the daily.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/indian-govt-nudges-west-bengal-smoothen-goods-export-bangladesh-1897564
What to cook when there's
(almost) nothing in the house
April 27, 2020
© MargJohnsonVA
via Twenty20
Making do with limited
ingredients has taken on new urgency in pandemic times.
I thought I was decent at making
meals out of limited ingredients before the coronavirus pandemic hit, but you
should see me now! I do everything to avoid going the grocery store, which
means that, day after day, I make meals for five hungry people using what
appears to be a mostly empty fridge and pantry. Of course it isn't truly empty,
but the ingredients are not necessarily the easiest to assemble and require a
bit more forethought than the standard veg-carb-protein trio that most
Americans define as a proper meal.
Not surprisingly, I've become
obsessed with reading lists of what other people are cooking in quarantine –
and not the descriptions of fancy culinary experiments. I want to know how
people are scraping by, making do, and stretching their pantries to the max,
without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. So now I figured it was time to share
my own list of go-to meals when it feels like there's almost nothing in the
house.
If there's
rice:
1. Risotto: It is delicious and easy, especially now that I've
discovered the almost-hands-off version in "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen. It may not be entirely
authentic, but that's the last thing I'm worried about as I scoop spoonfuls of
risotto into my mouth. All it takes is a batch of homemade stock and a pile of
asparagus, spring peas, or mushrooms (even better if I have a packet of dried
porcini).
2. Fried rice: Whenever I make rice, I make extra so that I can fry it up
the next day. Cold rice is best for stir-frying. I keep it simple at lunchtime,
starting with onions and garlic in plenty of vegetable oil, adding the rice,
then fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. At dinners, it gets fancier with
shredded carrot, tofu, frozen peas, parsley, and whatever else I have.
If there are
beans and legumes:
3. Black bean soup: Black bean soup with smoky chipotle flavoring is a popular
dish in our family. I start soaking dried beans first thing in the morning and
simmer them in the afternoon. All I need is onions, garlic, homemade stock,
beans, and canned chipotles in adobo sauce. I serve with homemade cornmeal muffins
and a salad.
4. Red lentil dal: Supremely easy and delicious, dal comes together with just
red lentils, onions, and a basic collection of spices. It cooks up quickly and
is served over hot basmati rice. I serve whatever vegetables I have on the side
– stir-fried carrots or zucchini, spinach salad, or steamed broccoli.
If there are
eggs:
5. Spanish tortilla: Potatoes and eggs transform into a magical combination
when you cook them like this. It forms into a soft cake that you cut into
wedges and can eat for any meal of the day, at any temperature.
6. Huevos rancheros: My version is probably not what's served in Mexico, but
it's still tasty. I start with a quick homemade tomato sauce (made with onions
and green peppers), poach eggs in it, and top with shredded cheese and
scallions. We eat it with toast and green salad.
If there's
bread:
7. Pizza: You can make pizza out of many kinds of bread – naan,
pita, English muffins, even bagels. As long as I have tomato sauce (sometimes I
just whirl a can of tomatoes in the blender and add a splash of olive oil and
dried herbs) and mozzarella, the kids will be occupied with making their own
and happy with the result. On their own, these make a great lunch; served with
soup or salad, they're a satisfying dinner.
8. Wraps: As long as I have tortillas, I feel equipped to make a
meal. It could be black bean burritos, cheese quesadillas, a felafel wrap, or a
roll-up with peanut butter and jam, banana slices, or a thin egg omelet with
shredded cheese.
If there are
vegetables:
9. Grain bowl: If I have sturdy vegetables like cauliflower, sweet
potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and fennel, I like to roast them at high heat and
stash in the fridge to make grain bowls. I use whatever grains I have (rice,
quinoa, barley, couscous), top with the vegetables, some crumbled cheese,
herbs, seeds, and vinaigrette.
10. Cream soups: Almost any vegetable can be turned into a
cream-of-something soup – cauliflower, broccoli, butternut squash, beets,
carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, etc. Start with onions, add the chopped
vegetable and stock, simmer till soft, puree, and add cream or coconut milk.
Curry powder or dried herbs make it tastier.
.
Nando’s shares secret recipes for
some of its most popular dishes
Fans of the chicken chain can try
their hands at making some of it’s best dishes
With restaurants across the UK
remaining closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many are missing their
favourite venues more and more.
Some of the best restaurants
around have been sharing recipes for their delicious dishes, and Nando’s is the
latest to join in.
This weekend, the chicken chain
ran a step-by-step cookalong on Instagram, showing fans how to make Nando’s
Boneless Chicken Thighs, Spicy Rice and Macho Peas at home.
But don’t worry if you missed the
session, as Nando’s has shared all the details for each dish on Instagram too.
So, if you want to try your hand
at making some of Nando’s most famous dishes, here’s everything you’ll need to
know.
Cover the bowl with cling film
and put it in the fridge for at least one hours, preferably overnight
When it’s still smoking hot, put
four to six of the thighs skin side down in the grill pan
Turn thighs over once the skin
has the grill marks and grill for another one to two minutes
Turn the oven down to 100℃ and keep the grilled thighs warm
while repeating with the remaining thighs
China Focus: Major rice producer promotes
double-cropping rice to ensure food security
Source:
Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:49:25|Editor: huaxia
CHANGSHA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Standing on the ridge of rice
paddies with a hoe on his shoulder, farmer Xie Xiping breathed a sigh of
relief. "The paddy fields finally began to grow double-cropping rice after
20 years."
Xie's hometown, the village of Changan in central China's Hunan
Province, planted double-cropping rice on its 120 hectares of arable land 20
years ago.
However, as the income from rice farming continued to decline, a
large number of young and middle-aged villagers left to work in cities, and the
elderly left behind switched to single-cropping rice due to the shortage of
laborers.
In Hunan, a major rice producer in China, farmers planted
double-cropping rice in most plain areas and even mountain areas with
relatively poor farming conditions, to ensure stable grain yields.
However, with the rice-planting cost rising and the market price
of rice dropping in recent years, more and more mountains switched to grow
single-cropping rice. In Hunan's Dongting Lake plain, one of China's major
commodity grain production bases, large areas of fertile land were used for
crayfish farming for a better income.
Nationwide, the country also saw a falling planting area of
double-cropping rice. In March, according to figures released by China's
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the planting area of double-cropping
rice in 2019 was about 9.3 million hectares, down about 2.3 million hectares
compared to 2012.
Rice is a staple food in China, whose total grain output
consists of three parts -- early rice, summer grain and autumn production.
Autumn grain crops, which include corn and middle- and late-season rice,
account for the bulk of the grain production.
To ensure grain supply, major grain-producing provinces in
China, including Hunan, are speeding up efforts to curb the decline in the
planting area of double-cropping rice, which accounts for nearly one-third of
the country's total rice-planting area.
Hunan first worked on the provision of high-quality early rice
seedlings for farmers.
"The seedling raising work of early rice is troublesome
because it's labor-intensive. The unstable temperature in spring will also
reduce the survival rate of rice seedlings," said Wu Jianjun, a senior
agronomist in Huarong County. "Therefore, many farmers gave up planting
early rice in the past."
To solve the problem of rice seedlings, the local government
entrusted professionals to raise rice seedlings and built seedling raising
greenhouses and intelligent plants, in an effort to reduce farmers' financial
and labor burdens.
It also promoted the use of agricultural machines to help
farmers with scattering and transplanting seedlings.
"We were given subsidies to purchase agricultural
machinery, which saves us a lot of time and manpower in our farm work,"
said Zeng Dekong, a rice farmer in the township of Wanyu in Huarong.
In addition, Hunan sent more than 11,000 agricultural and
technical cadres to rice paddies to provide guidance for farmers in rice
planting.
The efforts have paid off. The latest statistics from the
provincial agriculture and rural affairs department showed that the planting
area of early rice in Hunan has so far increased to about 1.22 million
hectares.
In Xie's village, the 120 hectares of fertile land has been
entrusted to farmers in neighboring villages to plant double-cropping rice.
"For us farmers, self-sufficiency is the most reassuring
thing," Xie smiled. Enditem
Rice stock in check despite lower production, higher
demand: Ministry
·
Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta / Sat,
April 25, 2020 / 05:12 am
Farmers plant rice during their
second planting period of 2020 in Tunggulwulung village, Malang, East Java, on
April 10. (JP/Aman Rochman)
The Trade Ministry has said that
the rice stock from the upcoming harvest season will last through November
despite declining production and surging demand.
The ministry’s domestic trade
director general, Suhanto, estimated rice production to decline by 10 percent
to around 17.8 million tons, citing a report by the Indonesian Rice Millers and
Entrepreneurs Association (Perpadi). Added with the current stock of 3.3
million tons, the supply would exceed national demand by 6.2 million tons, the
ministry estimated.
Perpadi also recorded a threefold
rise in demand recently with government agencies and private organizations
buying more rice for social assistance aimed at helping those most vulnerable
to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.
“It means that milled rice in
general has been distributed to the public either via retail markets or social
assistance,” Suhanto said Tuesday in an online hearing with the House of
Representatives Commission VI overseeing trade and industry.
Rice farmers and food businesses
are facing logistical disruptions on top of price volatility due to the
large-scale social restrictions that were implemented to contain the
fast-spreading coronavirus, which has infected more than 7,700 people
nationwide.
The average price of rice slightly
rose by around 0.8 percent to Rp 11,950 (77 US cents) per kilogram on Wednesday
from a month earlier, according to data from the government’s staple food
prices tracker, the Information Center for Strategic Food Prices (PIHPS).
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said
Tuesday that rice prices should have fallen instead, in line with the downward
trend in unhusked rice prices. The average price of unhusked rice declined
4.6 percent to Rp 4,936 per kg between March and January, according to
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data in February.
With Ramadan having started Friday,
the demand for rice is expected to rise even more. According to data from the
Agriculture Ministry's Food Security Agency (BKP), rice demand rose 3 percent
in the days leading up to Ramadan and is expected to jump 20 percent ahead of
Idul Fitri in late May.
“To ensure there is a sufficient
rice stock and stable prices, the Trade Ministry has ordered the State
Logistics Agency (Bulog) to distribute medium quality rice to the markets,”
Suhanto said.
Vietnam PM says to fully resume rice exports from May
APRIL 28, 2020 / 4:52 PM / UPDATED 21
FILE PHOTO: Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks
during the closing ceremony of the 35th ASEAN Summit and related summits in
Bangkok, Thailand, November 4, 2019. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday agreed to fully resume the country’s
rice exports from May, the government said.
“From May 1, rice export
activities will be resumed as normal,” Phuc said in a statement on the
government’s website.
Phuc’s decision came after a
proposal from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to remove a quota on rice
exports to fully resume the country’s shipments of the grain from May.
The Southeast Asian country, the
world’s third-largest rice exporter, banned rice exports in March and limited
shipments for April to 500,000 tonnes to make sure the country has sufficient
food during the coronavirus pandemic.
The statement said Vietnam has
6.5 million to 6.7 million tonnes of rice left for export this year, after
setting aside a portion for domestic consumption and stockpiles.
Reporting by Khanh Vu, editing by
Louise Heavens
APRIL 28, 2020 / 7:55 AM / A
DAY AGO
Vietnam trade ministry proposes fully resuming rice exports from
May
HANOI, April 28 (Reuters) - Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and
Trade has asked the prime minister to remove a quota on rice exports to fully resume
the country’s shipments of the grain from May, the ministry said on Tuesday.
The Southeast Asian country, the world’s third-largest rice
exporter, banned rice exports in March and limited shipments for April to
500,000 tonnes to make sure the country has sufficient food during the
coronavirus pandemic.
The ministry said Vietnam has 6.5 million to 6.7 million tonnes of
rice left for export this year, after setting aside a portion for domestic
consumption and stockpiles.
Vietnam’s rice exports in the first four months of this year are
estimated at 1.9 million tonnes, it said. (Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by
Tom Hogue)
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Trade ministry wants rice export limits
scrapped
By Anh
Minh, Anh Tu April 28, 2020 | 10:32 am GMT+7
Farmers harvest rice in a paddy field in the southern province
of Soc Trang, March 10, 2020. Photo by
VnExpress/Nguyet Nhi.
The Ministry
of Industry and Trade has called for lifting restrictions on rice exports and a
return to normalcy from May 1.
In a communication to the
government on Monday it said rice supply and demand are steady and the goal of
limiting exports to ensure food security during this difficult time has been
fulfilled.
According to the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam can export 3.2 million tonnes of the
grain from the recently harvested winter-spring crop and from last year.
Output in the upcoming
summer-autumn crop is expected to be 11 million tonnes, and Vietnam could
export 2.3-2.4 million tonnes, it added.
Based on these figures, the trade
ministry said that Vietnam could export 1.3 million tonnes of rice between
early May and mid-June.
However, to ensure food security,
it also proposed that exports should only be allowed through international
border gates, and authorities should crack down on smuggling.
It would urge exporters to comply
with recent government decrees and ensure that the circulated reserve is at
least 5 percent of the total volume of rice exported in the previous six months.
The country's 20 largest exporters
would be required to sign agreements with at least one supermarket chain so
that this reserve could be released in the domestic market immediately whenever
the government wants, it said.
Any exporter failing to maintain
this reserve or comply with the agreement would lose their rice export license,
it added.
At a meeting held to discuss food
security last month, the ministry had suggested suspending rice exports until
the end of May due to concerns surrounding the Covid-19 epidemic and saltwater
intrusion in the Mekong Delta, resulting in the suspension of all rice exports
on March 24.
Just a day later the ministry sought the lifting of this ban, and
the government did so on April 10 but capped April exports at 400,000 tons.
Many companies complained however
that customs began accepting declaration forms at midnight on April 11 without prior
notice, and as a result many of them with large quantities of rice stuck at
ports were unable to submit their forms before the 400,000-tonne threshold was
reached.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has
ordered the Government Inspectorate to look into possible violations in this
regard.
Vietnam is the world's third
largest rice exporter after India and Thailand. Last year it exported 6.37
million tons worth $2.81 billion, with the top markets being the Philippines,
Ivory Coast, Malaysia, and China.
Rice price in Thailand shoots up as demand
spikes during pandemic
The Nation/Asia News Network / 01:10 PM April 28, 2020
BANGKOK — The global Covid-19 outbreak
combined with ongoing drought in major rice-growing countries has triggered
fear of possible food shortages, said Somporn Isvilanonda, senior fellow at the
Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand.
In response, countries around the globe are
increasing their orders from established rice suppliers such as India,
Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan, as well as from emerging rice growers like
Myanmar and Cambodia.
In Thailand, exports have fallen as demand
for domestic rice rises due to food hoarding during the lockdown, which has
pushed up the price.
The global price of good quality
broken rice (5% and 25%) had been on a downward trend before the outbreak since
the market was being flooded by India, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as new
production sources such as Myanmar and Cambodia. The price of good
quality rice from Thailand, meanwhile, is higher than its competitors
because yields have been hit by ongoing drought that began in the second season
of 2018. The baht’s strengthening against the dollar and other currencies has
also hit competitiveness of Thai rice exports.
The Covid-19 outbreak has upset the balance
of demand and supply in the global rice market, as importing countries seek
more rice to build their reserves for emergencies. As a result, rice prices
have been rising since January. The price has risen sharply in March, after
Vietnam placed restrictions on rice exporters and India maintained strict
lockdown measures resulting in deadlock of the rice export supply chain. In
Thailand, measures to restrict movement have affected some supply chains for
rice exports but not to the point where it is no longer fulfilling orders from
exporters. However, the supply of Thai rice products in the market has
decreased, which has lifted global prices.
According to the Thai Rice Exporters
Association, prices for 5% and 25% Thai white rice rose from US$491 and $471
per tonne on March 11, to $579 and $547 per tonne on April 8 – increases of
14.17 percent and 14.92 percent respectively.
Prices for other types of rice also
increased significantly with the exception of jasmine rice, a high-priced
premium product. The price of lower-quality fragrant rice has meanwhile risen
by almost 20 percent as consumers switch varieties amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Rice prices will continue to swing in an
upward trend for the next two months but the situation is not so serious that
it will result in a crisis of high-priced rice as in the past, since there has
been an excess of supply of rice for exports in the past decade. In addition,
when rice prices rise, China, which has the world’s largest stockpile, will
release stocks to help ease pressure in the market as a whole,” said Somporn.
For more news about the novel coronavirus
click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1265911/rice-price-in-thailand-shoots-up-as-demand-spikes-during-pandemic
Rice purchase for central pool to hit record 50 MT
Published: April 28, 2020 2:45:43 AM
Though rabi
rice procurement continues till the end of September, the maximum procurement
happens by July 15 before monsoon covers the entire country.
Though rabi rice procurement continues till the end of September,
the maximum procurement happens by July 15 before monsoon covers the entire
country.
The Centre is set to procure a record 50-51 million tonne (MT) of
rice in 2019-20 (October-September), which is 43% of the production estimate,
as farmers are eager to sell paddy to government agencies for getting the
minimum support price, with the lockdown reducing chances of sales through
mandis.
States like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, major producers of the
grain, are planning to buy the entire rice crop in their states. The Food
Corporation of India (FCI) has already bought 39.4 million tonne (MT) of rice
as on March 31 during 2019-20 season. Due to the impact of corona, officials
expect 10-11 MT rabi rice to be purchased, taking the total to about 50 MT this
year.
https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/rice-purchase-for-central-pool-to-hit-record-50-mt/1941468/
Rice distribution to
BPL sector to be completed
PUDUCHERRY, APRIL
27, 2020 23:52 IST
The Civil Supplies Department
expects to complete the distribution of rice sanctioned by the Centre for red
card holding BPL families as a measure of relief during the COVID-19 crisis in
the next few days.
Addressing a press conference, R.
Alice Vaz, Civil Supplies Secretary and E. Vallavan, Director, said as on
Saturday, over 5000 MT of rice had been distributed to red ration card holders.
This included consumers in the enclaves of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.
The total Central allocation of
rice for Puducherry was 7350 MT, which is thrice the usual quota distributed a
month in the UT.
On Monday alone, an estimated 600
MT of rice had been distributed in some parts of the city and a near equivalent
volume was expected to reach red card holders on Tuesday.
“We are on schedule to distribute
the entire rice quota in the next four days across Puducherry,” Ms. Vaz said.
The MHA has approved rice
allocation for APL categories and the modalities for distribution were being
worked out, the officials said.
The department was keeping a tab
on the price line of essential commodities in the open market. For the period
since April 15, the price line had remained stable. Nonetheless, the department
was monitoring the market and would take stringent action against profiteers,
Ms. Vaz said.
Rice Prices
as on :
28-04-2020 03:41:13 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Barhaj(UP)
|
100.00
|
25
|
7165.00
|
2520
|
2520
|
9.09
|
|
Lucknow(UP)
|
82.00
|
-3.53
|
3350.00
|
2420
|
2400
|
-8.33
|
|
Hanagal(Kar)
|
10.00
|
-70.59
|
314.00
|
2000
|
1900
|
5.26
|
|
K.R.Nagar(Kar)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
20.00
|
1900
|
1800
|
5.56
|
|
Milak(UP)
|
4.60
|
15
|
48.60
|
2580
|
2580
|
-
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
59.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
NC
|
|
Murud(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
58.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
NC
|
Published
on April 28, 2020
Rice price shoots up as demand
spikes during pandemic
PUBLISHED 28
APRIL 2020
The
Nation/ANN
The global Covid-19 outbreak combined with ongoing drought in major rice-growing countries has triggered fear of possible food shortages, said Somporn Isvilanonda, senior fellow at the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand.
In response, countries around the globe are increasing their orders from established rice suppliers such as India, Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan, as well as from emerging rice growers like Myanmar and Cambodia.
The global Covid-19 outbreak combined with ongoing drought in major rice-growing countries has triggered fear of possible food shortages, said Somporn Isvilanonda, senior fellow at the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand.
In response, countries around the globe are increasing their orders from established rice suppliers such as India, Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan, as well as from emerging rice growers like Myanmar and Cambodia.
In
Thailand, exports have fallen as demand for domestic rice rises due to food
hoarding during the lockdown, which has pushed up the price.
The
global price of good quality broken rice (5% and 25%) had been on a downward
trend before the outbreak since the market was being flooded by India, Thailand
and Vietnam, as well as new production sources such as Myanmar and Cambodia.
The price of good quality rice from Thailand, meanwhile, is higher than its
competitors because yields have been hit by ongoing drought that began in the
second season of 2018. The baht’s strengthening against the dollar and other
currencies has also hit competitiveness of Thai rice exports.
The
Covid-19 outbreak has upset the balance of demand and supply in the global rice
market, as importing countries seek more rice to build their reserves for
emergencies. As a result, rice prices have been rising since January. The price
has risen sharply in March, after Vietnam placed restrictions on rice exporters
and India maintained strict lockdown measures resulting in deadlock of the rice
export supply chain. In Thailand, measures to restrict movement have affected
some supply chains for rice exports but not to the point where it is no longer
fulfilling orders from exporters. However, the supply of Thai rice products in
the market has decreased, which has lifted global prices.
According
to the Thai Rice Exporters Association, prices for 5% and 25% Thai white rice
rose from US$491 and $471 per tonne on March 11, to $579 and $547 per tonne on
April 8 – increases of 14.17 percent and 14.92 percent respectively.
Prices
for other types of rice also increased significantly with the exception of
jasmine rice, a high-priced premium product. The price of lower-quality
fragrant rice has meanwhile risen by almost 20 percent as consumers switch
varieties amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
"Rice
prices will continue to swing in an upward trend for the next two months but
the situation is not so serious that it will result in a crisis of high-priced
rice as in the past, since there has been an excess of supply of rice for
exports in the past decade. In addition, when rice prices rise, China, which
has the world's largest stockpile, will release stocks to help ease pressure in
the market as a whole," said Somporn.
Rice purchase for central pool to hit record 50 MT
Published: April 28, 2020 2:45:43 AM
Though rabi
rice procurement continues till the end of September, the maximum procurement
happens by July 15 before monsoon covers the entire country.
Though rabi rice procurement continues till the end of September,
the maximum procurement happens by July 15 before monsoon covers the entire
country.
The Centre is set to procure a record 50-51 million tonne (MT) of
rice in 2019-20 (October-September), which is 43% of the production estimate,
as farmers are eager to sell paddy to government agencies for getting the minimum
support price, with the lockdown reducing chances of sales through mandis.
States like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, major producers of the
grain, are planning to buy the entire rice crop in their states. The Food
Corporation of India (FCI) has already bought 39.4 million tonne (MT) of rice
as on March 31 during 2019-20 season. Due to the impact of corona, officials
expect 10-11 MT rabi rice to be purchased, taking the total to about 50 MT this
year.
https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/rice-purchase-for-central-pool-to-hit-record-50-mt/1941468/
Rice management key to mitigating
food crisis: President
President Joko Widodo.
(ANTARA/Biro Pers Setpres/pri)
Domestic rice management is key to anticipating and mitigating
the food crisis the FAO has predicted in recent months.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said rice management
is key to anticipating and mitigating any food crisis in wake of the COVID-19
pandemic.
"Domestic rice management is the key to anticipating and mitigating the food crisis the FAO has predicted in recent months," he said in a limited meeting held via video conferencing at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on Tuesday.
The President asked officials to carry out a detailed assessment of the nation’s rice stocks by computing stocks available with the public, rice millers, and warehouses, including those with the National Logistics Agency (Bulog).
"We hope the grand harvest has reached its peak in April. According to the report on our rice production I received yesterday, it (rice harvest) could reach 5.62 million tons. This is very good," he remarked.The Head of State further asked the Bulog to buy unhusked rice from farmers by offering fair and flexible price incentives.
He also asked officials to calculate the nation’s rice needs in the event of a drought this year.
Although the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has forecast that the country will not experience extreme weather this year, the nation must always stay alert, particularly when it comes to national rice stocks, the President said. (INE)
https://en.antaranews.com/news/147012/rice-management-key-to-mitigating-food-crisis-president
"Domestic rice management is the key to anticipating and mitigating the food crisis the FAO has predicted in recent months," he said in a limited meeting held via video conferencing at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on Tuesday.
The President asked officials to carry out a detailed assessment of the nation’s rice stocks by computing stocks available with the public, rice millers, and warehouses, including those with the National Logistics Agency (Bulog).
"We hope the grand harvest has reached its peak in April. According to the report on our rice production I received yesterday, it (rice harvest) could reach 5.62 million tons. This is very good," he remarked.The Head of State further asked the Bulog to buy unhusked rice from farmers by offering fair and flexible price incentives.
He also asked officials to calculate the nation’s rice needs in the event of a drought this year.
Although the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has forecast that the country will not experience extreme weather this year, the nation must always stay alert, particularly when it comes to national rice stocks, the President said. (INE)
https://en.antaranews.com/news/147012/rice-management-key-to-mitigating-food-crisis-president
Arhtiyas red-flag token system
· Posted: Apr 28, 2020 07:21 AM (IST)
· Updated
: 1 day ago
Gurminder
Singh Grewal
Khanna,
April 27
Inclement
weather in the past couple of days has put farmers in a quandary.
Sukhwant
Singh, a resident of Ghutind village, and Bhupinder Singh, a resident of
Khanna, said rain and the lockdown in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak will
lead to crop loss as harvesting season is midway.
Arhtiyas
(Commission agents) at Khanna grain market, including Kamaljit Kamma, Navin
Sharma and Pal Singh Rouni termed the token system as faulty and alleged that
commission agents at the grain market have been given less tokens and as
compared to rice millers.
Khanna
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sandeep Singh said tokens are issued by the
Mandi Board on average wheat arrival of last year. He said this time
procurement season will last for 45 days.
The
SDM said 40,000 metric tonne of wheat has arrived and procured at Khanna Grain
Market.
Meanwhile,
commission agents protested in front of the Market Committee Office and and
demanded more tokens. Gurdial Singh Diali, president, Rice Millers’
Association, Khanna, flayed charges of getting more tokens and weight.
The
SDM said they will verify if more tokens or weight is being received by rice
millers.
Banks to partner on competitive
agribusiness development
Chea Vannak / Khmer Times
Cambodia’s
state-run Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) and Asian Development
Bank (ADB) have initiated a scheme to boost agricultural development through
added value into production chains of farming in Cambodia.
Called the Competitive
Agriculture Development Project, it will contribute funds to farmers and agricultural
cooperatives to expand into the whole production cycle, from A to Z.
The initiative was raised in a
video conference meeting held between ARDB and ADB yesterday.
ARDB director-general Kao Thach
said that the project is in line with the government’s target of boosting local
agricultural production.
“The purpose of the project is to
focus on increasing added value to each main factor of agricultural production
chains for boosting their development,” Thach told Khmer Times on Tuesday.
To implement the project, $110
million will be funded at a lower interest rate to farmers and agricultural
cooperatives and it would run from 2021 to 2027, according to Thach, who added
that agricultural production bases in six provinces would be selected to
benefit from the project.
“The project focuses on
development of agriculture, from the farm to the post-harvest stage, which
includes the post-harvest infrastructure cool room and pre-cool room,” Thach
said.
The project was raised while the
government is seeking to boost agricultural production to supply the domestic
market, particularly to eliminate dependence on imports of agricultural
products – including vegetables from neighbouring countries.
The call to boost agricultural
production is also aimed at increasing food security in the country as the
government and people fight against the potentially fatal Novel Coronavirus
pandemic.
“The project is important because
some farmers and agricultural cooperatives are in need of loans with low
interest rates to expand and support their production,” Thach said.
ARDB is also providing special
loans to rice millers for the purchase of paddy rice and to build rice storage
facilities and recently it started providing loans to small and medium
enterprises for processing agricultural products.
Japan jumps in on energy
Sorn Sarath / Khmer Times
Two Japanese renewable energy
firms plan to build rice husk-fired energy plants and solar panels in Cambodia
in the aim to help secure the Kingdom’s regular power supply.
The report, by the Japanese news
agency NNA, says the two companies are Aura Green Energy Co and solar panel
system provider WWB Corp. They have teamed up to launch a hybrid power
generation business, combining biomass and solar energy in Cambodia in 2021.
Lun Yeng, Cambodia Rice
Federation (CRF)’s secretary-general, welcomed the plan, saying that the
investment will help reduce production costs for some rice millers.
“Investing in renewable energy
such as rice husk-fired power will help rice millers to reduce costs,” he said,
adding the investment should be located in a cluster of rice millers that could
provide a self-sufficient supply of energy.
Under the $3.7 million project,
the combined green energy facilities, with a total output capacity of 1,500
kilowatts, will supply power to the rice mill of Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung Co,
a major local rice producer, in Kandal province, adjacent to the capital, with
a plan to sell any surplus to a local power company.
“Even though the companies could
produce both rice husk power and solar energy, they will still not benefit much
from it if they are still connected to the national grid for power supplies,” he
said.
For Yeng, the high cost of
electricity is still the main challenge for the rice sector that creates higher
production costs. However, he said the quality of electricity supply is more
important.
“We could offset the cost of
electricity by reducing other costs, but the issue right now is the poor
quality of electricity supply that interrupts the production chain,” he said,
adding the poor quality of electric supply cost more than its actual price.
“Sometimes, when the electricity
is cut off, it damages 400 to 500 tonnes of paddy rice that is being dried, the
damage is the cost of investment,” he said.
Cambodia aims to produce at least
390 megawatts from solar farms by next year – 15 percent of total power supply.
A host of solar energy projects
was approved earlier this year after the country was hit by power shortages
last year. Some of these recently approved projects will come this year.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
in 2019 approved a $7.64 million loan to support the construction of a 100
megawatt (mW) solar power park in Cambodia to help to contribute to the
development of renewable energy and diversify the power supply that can improve
the country’s competitiveness.
The two Japanese companies
established a joint venture in Cambodia in February for the business.
The project is partly subsidised
by the Japanese government to the tune of about 110 million yen (over $1
million), under the Joint Crediting Mechanism, a greenhouse gas emission
reduction plan to exchange reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Aura Green Energy
estimates the project will contribute to cutting 1,316 tonnes of CO2 emissions
annually from biomass power generation and 565 tonnes from solar power.
COVID-19 is
exacerbating food shortages in Africa
Many fear that supplies built up, won't last for
long.
Image: REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
27 Apr 2020
- COVID-19
is set to radically exacerbate food insecurity in Africa.
- Lockdown
measures have disrupted internal supply chains halting food production.
- Huge
locust swarms have also devastated crops in Eastern Africa, making the
continent is more dependent on food externally sourced.
- The
continent is more dependent on food externally sourced, but countries are
reducing exports, meaning Africa can't import the supplies it needs.
“I can’t mill because the marketers are not coming,” Yialase said, referring to wholesale buyers, as she sat at a market stall in the city of Makurdi with dozens of other millers.
Although food truck drivers are meant to be exempt from lockdown restrictions, many are afraid for their own safety, or fear they will be fined or arrested by overzealous police.
The situation in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is reflected across sub-Saharan Africa.
Trucking logistics firm Kobo360 said 30% of its fleet across Nigeria, Kenya, Togo, Ghana and Uganda was not operating as a result. Several farmers said crops were rotting in the fields or at the depots waiting for trucks that never arrive. And millers cannot get their milled rice to buyers.
“There is no clarity around what can move around ... or what is essential transportation,” said Kobo360 co-founder Ife Oyedele, adding that truck bosses were afraid. “They’re scared to go out and have their drivers on the road.”
Millions of people in the region are at risk of not getting the food they need due to coronavirus disruptions, according to the United Nations and World Bank.
Sub-Saharan Africa
could be heading from a health crisis straight into a food security crisis.
Image: World Food
Program
While domestic crops and capacity go to waste, the imports the
region relies on have also dried up as major suppliers, including India,
Vietnam and Cambodia, have reduced or even banned rice exports to make sure
their countries have enough food to cope with the pandemic.Meanwhile, scarcity has driven up prices of the main staple food beyond the reach of some people since lockdowns were announced in three states at the end of March to tame the spread of the virus.
Sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s largest rice-importing region, could be heading from a health crisis straight into a food security crisis, the World Bank warns.
More widely, the United Nations says coronavirus disruptions could double the number of people globally without reliable access to nutritious food, to 265 million.
“There is no question about it that there is an imminent problem of food insecurity, not only in Nigeria, but also in nations all over the world,” Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister Muhammed Sabo Nanono told Reuters.
Strategic Reserves
Nanono said Nigeria had at least 38,000 tonnes of grains in government-controlled strategic reserves. It is looking to replenish with 100,000 additional tonnes.
However the region has among the lowest inventories relative to consumption, so export restrictions mean rice shortages “could happen very quickly,” according to John Hurley, lead regional economist for west and central Africa for the U.N.’s International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Nigeria has substantially increased domestic rice production in recent years. But figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) show it still imports at least a third of what it consumes. Across sub-Saharan Africa, countries rely on imports for roughly 40% of rice consumption.
This puts these countries at particular risk.
India, the world’s largest rice exporter, temporarily stopped new export agreements earlier this month, while lockdowns and supply chain disruptions in Pakistan, Vietnam and Cambodia have limited available exports.
Since only 9% of global output is traded internationally, the curbs hit prices immediately, the USDA said.
“We need to make sure we’re not taking policy measures that are going to hurt the rural poor and people in developing countries, said Hurley.
The price of a bag of imported rice rose by more than 7.5% in Abuja and Lagos between the third week of March and early April, according to SBM Intelligence, while bags of local rice became about 6%-8% more expensive.
Locusts Plague
In Kenya, panic-buying and government programmes to distribute rice to low-income households have already depleted reserves.
If imports don’t pick up, East Africa alone could face a shortfall of at least 50,000-60,000 tonnes by the end of the month, said Mital Shah, managing director of Kenya-based Sunrice, one of the region’s largest rice importers.
“The entire supply chain has been disrupted,” Shah said. “In the next couple of weeks, East Africa is going to have a huge shortage.”
Getting the bills of loading for imports into Kenya has also stretched from three to four days to three to four weeks. In Nigeria, clearing imports has gone from weeks to months.
Senegal’s rice imports have fallen by around 30% due to international supply disruptions, said Ousmane Sy Ndiaye, executive director of UNACOIS, a Senegalese commerce industry group. He estimated the nation had enough in storage to cover two months.
Growing rice in nations outside East Africa, such as Nigeria, is also more important now due to a plague of locusts in East Africa that has decimated crops this year.
Broken Chains
Domestic movement restrictions and import delays are also hindering farmers, and some are warning that production will fall if governments do not act.
A survey by AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited, a Nigerian company that assists the agriculture sector with logistics and financing, found that Nigeria’s fertilizer stocks are currently 20% below normal levels. There are only enough seeds and other inputs to farm 1 million hectares out of the roughly 30 million typically farmed, the study showed.
Other farmers say the lockdowns are hindering farm inspections by banks, putting their financing at risk, and creating problems physically getting tractors - which are often hired - to fields. Planting rice would typically start in May.
“Most people in the industry I speak with are worried,” said Dimieari Von Kemedi, managing director of Alluvial Agriculture, a farm collective.
Nigeria’s government has created a task force to minimize the coronavirus’s impact on agriculture. Nanono said it was creating ID cards for those in the agriculture sector, from farmhands to food truck drivers, to enable them to move freely.
He said the government was taking steps to make sure farmers, millers and marketers could operate. The agriculture ministry is working to increase locally produced fertilizers, while the central bank would look to expand financing for farmers, he added.
Help cannot come soon enough for Yialase in Benue, who is awaiting the day marketers return.
“When they start to come, I can mill everything here, and they will buy.”
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/africa-coronavirus-covid19-imports-exports-food-supply-chains
Rice stock in check despite low
production, high demand
·
Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman
The
Jakarta Post
Jakarta / Tue,
April 28 2020 / 01:40 am
Flooded:
Farmers harvest rice at their inundated rice field in Terusan village, Sindang district, Indramayu regency, West
Java, on Sunday. Hectares of rice field in the region were damaged due to the
overflowing Cimanuk River. (Antara/Dedhez Anggara)The Trade Ministry has said
that the rice stock from the upcoming harvest season will last through November
despite declining production and surging demand.
The ministry’s domestic trade director general, Suhanto, estimated rice production would decline by 10 percent to around 17.8 million tons, citing a report by the Indonesian Rice Millers and Entrepreneurs Association (Perpadi). Added to the current stock of 3.3 million tons, the supply would exceed national demand by 6.2 million tons, the ministry estimated.
The ministry’s domestic trade director general, Suhanto, estimated rice production would decline by 10 percent to around 17.8 million tons, citing a report by the Indonesian Rice Millers and Entrepreneurs Association (Perpadi). Added to the current stock of 3.3 million tons, the supply would exceed national demand by 6.2 million tons, the ministry estimated.
Lockdown impact: Bangladesh rice
exports stop; Gulf nations' demand up
“This is the time when Bangladesh imports
basmati from India for making biryani during Ramadan,” Suraj Agarwal, CEO of
Tirupati Agri Trade, told ET. “They also buy lot of Gobindobhog rice from
Bengal. But, since trucks are not moving between the two countries, exports
have completely come to a standstill.”
Last Updated: Apr 28, 2020, 07.32
AM IST
Prices of
Pusa-1121 basmati have gone up from ₹60-61 per kg before the lockdown to ₹65-66 per kg now.
Kolkata:
Rice exports to Bangladesh have come to a
standstill as truck movement between the neighbours has been halted, even as Gulf nations are placing more orders for the
basmati rice variety.
Bangladesh imports basmati rice from Punjab and Haryana, and GI-tagged aromatic Gobindobhog rice from Bengal.
“This is the time when Bangladesh imports basmati from India for making biryani during Ramadan,” Suraj Agarwal, CEO of Tirupati Agri Trade, told ET. “They also buy lot of Gobindobhog rice from Bengal. But, since trucks are not moving between the two countries, exports have completely come to a standstill.”
Rice prices inched up 10-15% during the lockdown on increased demand. In Bengal, the largest producer of the grain, only 25 -30% of rice mills are operating due to labour shortage.
Gulf nations are, however, placing orders for basmati and are ready to pay in cash. Movement of basmati rice through Kandla and Mundra ports has eased, although non-availability of packaging material is delaying exports.
Exporters have received new orders from the Gulf and the EU in the last one week. “Demand has gone up in GCC countries, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Cambodia, too, is showing good demand,” said Gautam Miglani, owner of Haryana-based LRNK, a leading rice exporter.
Prices of Pusa-1121 basmati have gone up from ₹60-61 per kg before the lockdown to ₹65-66 per kg now.
Bangladesh imports basmati rice from Punjab and Haryana, and GI-tagged aromatic Gobindobhog rice from Bengal.
“This is the time when Bangladesh imports basmati from India for making biryani during Ramadan,” Suraj Agarwal, CEO of Tirupati Agri Trade, told ET. “They also buy lot of Gobindobhog rice from Bengal. But, since trucks are not moving between the two countries, exports have completely come to a standstill.”
Rice prices inched up 10-15% during the lockdown on increased demand. In Bengal, the largest producer of the grain, only 25 -30% of rice mills are operating due to labour shortage.
Gulf nations are, however, placing orders for basmati and are ready to pay in cash. Movement of basmati rice through Kandla and Mundra ports has eased, although non-availability of packaging material is delaying exports.
Exporters have received new orders from the Gulf and the EU in the last one week. “Demand has gone up in GCC countries, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Cambodia, too, is showing good demand,” said Gautam Miglani, owner of Haryana-based LRNK, a leading rice exporter.
Prices of Pusa-1121 basmati have gone up from ₹60-61 per kg before the lockdown to ₹65-66 per kg now.
With migrants restless to go
home, Telangana stares at severe workforce shortage
Roushan Ali
| TNN | Updated: Apr 28, 2020, 11:30 IST
Picture used for representational purpose only
HYDERABAD: Telangana, which depends on over seven lakh migrant
workers for various tasks, is likely to face a severe shortage of workforce
during and after the lockdown ends and it could have an adverse impact on the
economy.
Migrant workers are involved in the 2-bhk project, construction activity in private sector, loading and unloading paddy and rice, farming operations, etc. But with Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other state governments keen on taking back their people, the state is likely to suffer on account of workers’ shortage.
Migrant workers are involved in the 2-bhk project, construction activity in private sector, loading and unloading paddy and rice, farming operations, etc. But with Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other state governments keen on taking back their people, the state is likely to suffer on account of workers’ shortage.
Confederation of real estate developers’ association of India (CREDAI) state chairman, Gummi Ram Reddy, said migrant labourers working in the construction industry have become restless due to the extended lockdown. “As there is no clarity on whether the lockdown will end on May 7 or would be extended further, they just want to get back and reunite with their families. Of course, they would come back for work, but right now they want to be back with their families,” he said.
“When I spoke to them at our half a dozen construction sites earlier this month, they were not keen to return back to their home states. But today, one of our project manager called me and said the workers said they want to go back to their homes as their government (West Bengal) is likely to make transport arrangements for them to get back home,” Ram Reddy said.
The CREDAI state chairman said the private developers have been delivering 30,000 units every year. “These are extra-ordinary circumstances and the work will suffer if the labourers go back. But it is inevitable. The Rs 18,000 crore worth works in construction industry will get delayed,” Ram Reddy said. The construction industry is one of the largest employers of migrant labourers, he said.
Ramakanth Inani, senior vice-president, Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said even the industrial sector will be affected badly as 60% of the workforce comprises migrant labourers working in steel, metal, induction furnace, plastic, brick kiln, cement, mining, stone cutting and polishing industries to name a few.
“It will be a challenging task for the industry to hold the migrant labour back and continue to work. Some may even offer incentives, but the situation is such that they may not stop for now,” he said.
Telangana Rice Millers Association secretary, Mohan Reddy, said nearly 50,000 hamalis from Bihar specialise in loading and unloading of paddy and rice. Over 70% of them had gone back for Holi festival and did not return due to the lockdown. “Even those who stayed back are now ready to go back if they get an opportunity. We are trying to get fresh batches of hamalis from Bihar as peak season of paddy harvest has already commenced,” he said. A top official in the Telangana government said that so far they have not received any request or communication from any state government to make arrangements to send back their people.
E Gangadhar, joint commissioner of labour, said they were ensuring that all migrant labourers were supplied 12kg rice and Rs 1,500 cash.
Bangladesh
grain output to jump in 2020-21
04.28.2020
DHAKA, BANGLADESH — Bangladesh’s rice, wheat and corn production
is expected to increase due to good weather and increased plantings, according
to an April 19 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the US
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Rice production for the 2020-21 marketing year is expected to rise
to 36.3 million tonnes in Bangladesh as further cultivation of hybrid and high
yield variety plantings increase. The country is expected to import 200,000
tonnes of rice in the 2020-21 marketing year to ease food security tensions
brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA said.
Bangladesh wheat production for marketing year 2020-21 also is
projected to increase. It is forecast at 1.25 million tonnes, primarily
reflecting decreased concern over wheat blast and strengthening domestic
prices, the USDA said. Wheat imports also are being spurred over food
insecurities caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The 2020-21 marketing year wheat
imports are forecast upward to 6.4 million tonnes.
Unlike rice and wheat, Bangladesh’s corn imports are expected to
decrease as increased domestic production is expected along with lower demand
from the feed sector, the USDA said. The country’s livestock and poultry sector
are slowing production due to COVID-19 causing the less demand for feed. The
USDA lowered Bangladesh’s 2020-21 marketing year imports to 1 million tonnes.
The country is seeing a higher corn output as some producers are
looking to grow higher margin crops and hoping to achieve higher profit
margins. The USDA forecasts about 5.1 million tonnes of corn to be produced in
Bangladesh for the 2020-21 marketing year.
Follow our breaking news coverage
of the coronavirus/COVID-19 situation.
UAE's 2020 milled rice
imports set to jump 17.6% year-on-year: USDA
2020
consumption seen falling 12.9% on the coronavirus pandemic
Rebound in demand seen in 2021 as tourism
returns
Exports this year likely to be limited to
preserve food security
London — The
UAE's 2020 milled rice imports are forecast to rise 17.6% year-on-year to 1
million mt, according to the USDA.
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The UAE
does not produce rice due to limited water resources and unfavorable weather
conditions. Imports in 2021 are forecast to rise further to 1.2 million mt
(+20%) due to increased consumption and government stock building. Around 98%
of this volume is expected to comprise milled and semi-milled rice. Imports in
2019 were mainly sourced from India at 470,000 mt (-24.4%), followed by
Thailand (28,862 mt, -64.8%) and Brazil (16,925 mt, +6,865%). While rice
imports are not subject to a customs tariff, they are subject to a 5% value
added tax.
Volumes
which are imported into the UAE and then re-exported are being recorded as
re-exports. Other volumes are sold by local traders after the imported rice has
officially entered the UAE and are included as exports; sometimes these volumes
are processed further and/or repackaged. Exports in 2020 are forecast to rise
from zero to 10,000 mt (milled equivalent), although the government is expected
to limit exports to ensure food security during the coronavirus pandemic.
Exports in 2021 are forecast to rise to 100,000 mt (+900%); the majority of
this volume is expected to be exported to Iran and African destinations.
Consumption
in 2020 is forecast to decline to 740,000 mt (-12.9%) due to a decline in
tourism amid the pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in a 30% - 50% decline in
sales from food service distributors, which have switched from supplying
restaurants and hotels to retailers. Consumption in 2021 is then forecast to
increase to 1.05 million mt (+41.9%) as demand from the tourism and food
industries improves. Consumption typically comprises Basmati and fragrant rice.
Ending
stocks in 2020 and 2021 are forecast to rise to 250,000 mt (milled equivalent,
from zero) and 300,000 mt (+20%) respectively, all of which are expected to be
held by the government. The government currently has silos able to hold
approximately 300,000 mt of food stocks including rice; the government plans to
construct more silos to increase its total storage capacity to 900,000 mt.
Under its food subsidy and price support program, the government distributes
four types of rice to around 54,000 people; Basmati is sold at a subsidized
price of AED 120 per 40kg (US $817/mt).
Less Than a Third of the World Can Feed Itself From Local Crops,
Says Study
APR 27, 2020
Is a global food crisis on the horizon?
Only 27 percent of the world’s population has access to wheat,
barley and rye within a radius of less than 62 miles.
Photography by aboikis on Shutterstock.
It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting global
food supply chains in significant ways. Experts say the crisis could cause the number of people suffering
through severe food shortages across the world to grow this year to 265 million
from 135 million.
Last month, the World Health Organization, the World Trade
Organization and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Association released a joint statement, calling on governments to minimize trade
restrictions on food as it could create a shortage in global markets.
And new research shows just how concerning disruptions in global
trade are when it comes to food. A recent study, published in Nature Food and led by Finnish researchers, found that
less than one third of the world’s population could feed itself using staple crops
grown within a 62-mile radius.
As a large percentage of the items sitting on supermarket shelves
in many parts of the world are imported, researchers say that relying on
locally grown crops to fulfil all food demands is not realistic for most places.
Researchers looked at a variety of crops, and discovered just 27 percent of the world’s population had
access to temperate cereal crops, such as wheat and barley, within a radius of
less than 62 miles. This proportion was 22 percent for tropical cereals, 28
percent for rice and 27 percent for pulses. For maize and tropical roots,
researchers calculated the amount ranged from 11 to 16 percent.
The lead author of the study, Pekka Kinnunen, says these
conclusions help us understand the big picture of food systems, especially
given the current situation.
“Local food supply can help reduce vulnerability to global
crises,” says Kinnunen, a researcher at Aalto University in Finland. “One
definitely interesting finding was that even when considering only six crops,
our results showed that there are a lot of global dependencies.”
Researchers note that parts of Africa are particularly lacking in
self-sufficient food systems. Most areas in North America and Europe could
satisfy their needs for temperate cereal crops within 310 miles, but in
Sub-Saharan Africa, this distance increases up to 3,100 miles.
Kinnunen says that going forward, he expects to see growing
pressure on governments to improve their food sovereignty. Relying on mostly
vegetarian diets, Kinnunen says, can also ensure regions have adequate food
supply while also limiting damage to the environment.
“There needs to be holistic approaches when assessing the impacts
and vulnerabilities of food systems,” he says.
FG’s rice: Customs wants Oyo govt to probe ‘contamination’
Oyo/Osun Area Command of the
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Monday called on the Oyo state government to
probe alleged roles of its officials in charge of the 1,800 bags of rice
collected from the Customs which “suddenly became contaminated” few hours after
collection. 
The NCS area command made the call
in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Abdullahi Lagos-Abiola on
the controversy over the fitness of the rice for consumption, saying, the command was “surprised,
even embarrassed to hear three days later that the rice allocated to them were infested with
weevils and unfit for human consumption.”
Abdullahi pointed out that in the
process of loading the said 1,800 bags of rice, “few bags fell at different
times and burst open in the presence of Mr Ojekunle and Mrs Lasisi and there
was no time that any of the burst bags of rice had weevils in them.”
“We suspect foul play on the part
of the handlers of these allocated 1,800 bags of rice. The state government may
wish to dig deeper. It is surprising how bags of rice that exited the Command
HQ in good condition suddenly became so bad
after three days as being
circulated in the social media,” he said.
“The command wishes to reiterate
that weevils do not hide and in the process of loading the vehicles, traces of
weevils would have been noticed on the floor, on the bags, on the loaders or on
the trucks bearing in mind that the entire process was in the presence of the
CAC, Oyo state government’s high ranking team and men of the press with full
video camera coverage.
“The attention of the Oyo/Osun
Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to some mischievous and
deliberate falsehood being circulated in the media for reasons best known to
their author(s) concerning the federal government’s palliative given to Oyo
state among other states.
“As a responsible agency of
government whose functions include ensuring that nothing that could compromise
the security, economy and general being of Nigerians are allowed into the
country, we cannot turn round and be associated with giving anything that will
negatively affect our people,” AQbdullahi stated.
Hormozgan Essential Goods Imports at 400K Tons Since March 19
Hormozgan Essential Goods Imports at 400K Tons Since March 19
About 400,000 tons of essential goods were imported into Iran's
southern Hormozgan Province since the beginning of the current fiscal year
(March 19).
According to Abolfazl Akbarpour, a customs official in Hormozgan
Province, the imports includes rice, oil, oilseed, corn, wheat, barley, sugar,
rubber, paper, oilcake, soybean and legume, Fars News Agency reported.
A total of 246,243 tons of the goods were imported from Shahid
Rajaee Port alone–Iran's biggest commercial port, located 23 kilometers west of
the port city of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province.
