Pakistani mango’s special taste appreciated at Ankara festival
Thursday, 01 September 2016 20:55
ISLAMABAD:
In order to popularize Pakistani mangoes in Turkey and facilitate their
availability in the Turkish market, the Embassy of Pakistan in collaboration
with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Swissotel Ankara
organized a "Pakistan Mango Festival" in Ankara.Key political
figures, representatives of the food and beverages industry, fruit importers,
diplomats and media representatives had a first-hand experience of the taste,
juiciness and aroma of Pakistani mangoes, a message received here from Ankara
on Thursday said.The "Pakistan Mango Festival" included a wide-range
of mango delicacies such as mango ice cream, mango souffl, mango mousse, mango
trifle, mango tart, mango pudding, mango salad, mango milk- shake, mango lassi,
and mango cake, made of freshly-arrived mangoes from Pakistan were served to
the guests.
Pakistani cuisine including `Biryani' made of
famous Pakistani Basmati rice was also served.
Welcoming the guests to the festival,
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood said Pakistan was the 5th largest producer of mangoes
in the world and 6th largest exporter of this "King of Fruits."
He added
that Pakistan was exporting mangoes to 57 countries including the US, European
Union and Japan.He also informed the participants that there were over 110 varieties of high quality mangoes including Sindhri, Anwar Retaul, Lungra, Malda, Dusehri, Fajri, Chaunsa and others.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood added that the Pakistan Embassy had further intensified its efforts to popularize mangoes and in this context a promotional event was also organized at a leading super market in Ankara last week.
"Pakistan and Turkey are moving towards concluding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA)," he said, and observed that the FTA will help availability of Pakistani mangoes in Turkish market on a regular basis.
Chairman of Pakistan-Turkey Cultural Association and Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly from Van, Mr Burhan Kayaturk, in his speech appreciated the unique flavor of Pakistani mangoes and termed it as number one in taste in the world.
He said he had spent over ten years in Pakistan and the major things that he missed about Pakistan were its delicious mangoes. He appreciated the efforts to make mangoes available for Turkish people and consumers on a regular basis.
The proceedings started with observance of one-minute silence for the martyrs of democracy on the night of 15 July and for all the innocent people who had lost their lives in recent terrorist attacks in Turkey, Pakistan and other places.
The event was also attended by a large number of Ankara-based Ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions as well as relevant Turkish Ministries/Departments
Failure to supply rice: Rs 4.2 million bid bond forfeited by TCP
September 01, 2016
The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has
forfeited the bid bond amounting to some Rs 4.2 million of a rice exporting
firm as it failed to supply the commodity. Sources told Business Recorder Wednesday
that despite getting a contract award letter from the state-run grain trader
for supply of 10,000 tons Long Grain White Rice (IRRI-6) for China, M/s Chappal
failed to supply the commodity as per the prescribed terms and conditions.
Besides forfeiting the bid bond, the state-run grain trader also initiated the
process of blacklisting the firm from the suppliers' list," they added.
Following the directives of the federal government, on August 5, 2016, the TCP invited bids under the Public Procurement Rules 2004 on Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) basis from domestic companies dealing in export of rice for the export of 10,000 tons of IRRI-6 rice to China as gift.In response to the TCP's import tender, opened on August 10, 2016, some three companies submitted their offers and quoted price ranging from Rs 41,392 per ton to Rs 44,920 per ton for the supply of rice. M/s Chappal Traders was the lowest bidder, which offered to supply 10,000 tons of IRRI-6 rice at a price of Rs 41,392 per ton on CIF basis. After bid evaluation, the first lowest bid was declared responsive and accordingly, the TCP awarded the contract to M/s Chappal Traders for supply of 10,000 tons of IRRI-6 rice for China.As per the tender's terms and conditions, the successful bidder was required to supply the entire quantity in 22 days. However, after getting the contract award letter, M/s Chappal Traders put forth some conditions for supply of rice.
Sources said the successful bidder on August 12, 2016 expressed inability to meet the timeline stipulated in Clause 15 of the tender documents, which required completion of shipment of 10,000 tons of Long Grain White Rice (IRRI-6) at the load port within 22 days from the date of issuance of the letter of award. In addition, M/s Chappal Traders communicated another condition for supply of partial cargo of 5,000 tons eight days after the last date of shipment (ie September 10, 2016 against the tender stipulation of September 2, 2016).
M/s Chappal Traders further asked the TCP for restrictions on procuring rice from other bidders at a price higher than the price quoted by it, which defeats the objective of procuring the complete cargo of 10,000 tons by September 2, 2016. According to sources, M/s Chappal Traders also failed to meet the timeline and secondly it defeated the very objective of procuring 10,000 tons of rice by the state-run grain trader. Due to these reasons, the TCP was forced to cancel the first rice tender for China and accordingly, procurement was made through the second tender opened on August 16, 2016.As M/s Chappal Traders failed to supply the commodity, the TCP forfeited some Rs 4.2 million bid bond submitted at the time of tender submission. The state-run grain trader also issued show cause notice to blacklist the company under Rules 19 of the Public Procurement Rules 2004.
Source said a delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) also met the TCP Chairman Rizwan Ahmed to resolve the matter, however the chairman refused to give any favour.Meanwhile, while responding to the TCP's show-cause notice for blacklisting, M/s Chappal Traders said that it never expressed inability and instead indicated that the delivery will be within 22 working days, as there would be holidays for Eid festival....the TCP had already accepted our conditional bid. "After pressure and negotiations, we came forward and offered supply of 5,000 tons before September 10, 2016 to sort out the issue. Regarding the restriction not to buy at higher rate from other bidders, it was only a request," the firm maintained.
Rs 4.2 million bid bond forfeited by
TCP
Thursday, September-01-2016
Thursday, September-01-2016
The
Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has forfeited the bid bond amounting to
some Rs 4.2 million of a rice exporting firm as it failed to supply the
commodity. Sources told Business Recorder Wednesday that despite getting a
contract award letter from the state-run grain trader for supply of 10,000 tons
Long Grain White Rice (IRRI-6) for China, M/s Chappal failed to supply the
commodity as per the prescribed terms and conditions. Besides forfeiting the
bid bond, the state-run grain trader also initiated the process of blacklisting
the firm from the suppliers' list," they added.
Following
the directives of the federal government, on August 5, 2016, the TCP invited
bids under the Public Procurement Rules 2004 on Cost Insurance and Freight
(CIF) basis from domestic companies dealing in export of rice for the export of
10,000 tons of IRRI-6 rice to China as gift.In response to the TCP's import
tender, opened on August 10, 2016, some three companies submitted their offers
and quoted price ranging from Rs 41,392 per ton to Rs 44,920 per ton for the
supply of rice. M/s Chappal Traders was the lowest bidder, which offered to
supply 10,000 tons of IRRI-6 rice at a price of Rs 41,392 per ton on CIF basis.
After bid evaluation, the first lowest bid was declared responsive and
accordingly, the TCP awarded the contract to M/s Chappal Traders for supply of
10,000 tons of IRRI-6 rice for China.
As per
the tender's terms and conditions, the successful bidder was required to supply
the entire quantity in 22 days. However, after getting the contract award
letter, M/s Chappal Traders put forth some conditions for supply of rice.
Sources
said the successful bidder on August 12, 2016 expressed inability to meet the
timeline stipulated in Clause 15 of the tender documents, which required
completion of shipment of 10,000 tons of Long Grain White Rice (IRRI-6) at the
load port within 22 days from the date of issuance of the letter of award. In
addition, M/s Chappal Traders communicated another condition for supply of
partial cargo of 5,000 tons eight days after the last date of shipment (ie
September 10, 2016 against the tender stipulation of September 2, 2016).
M/s
Chappal Traders further asked the TCP for restrictions on procuring rice from
other bidders at a price higher than the price quoted by it, which defeats the
objective of procuring the complete cargo of 10,000 tons by September 2, 2016.
According to sources, M/s Chappal Traders also failed to meet the timeline and
secondly it defeated the very objective of procuring 10,000 tons of rice by the
state-run grain trader. Due to these reasons, the TCP was forced to cancel the
first rice tender for China and accordingly, procurement was made through the
second tender opened on August 16, 2016.
As M/s
Chappal Traders failed to supply the commodity, the TCP forfeited some Rs 4.2
million bid bond submitted at the time of tender submission. The state-run
grain trader also issued show cause notice to blacklist the company under Rules
19 of the Public Procurement Rules 2004.
Source
said a delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) also met the
TCP Chairman Rizwan Ahmed to resolve the matter, however the chairman refused
to give any favour.Meanwhile, while responding to the TCP's show-cause notice
for blacklisting, M/s Chappal Traders said that it never expressed inability
and instead indicated that the delivery will be within 22 working days, as
there would be holidays for Eid festival....the TCP had already accepted our
conditional bid. "After pressure and negotiations, we came forward and
offered supply of 5,000 tons before September 10, 2016 to sort out the issue.
Regarding the restriction not to buy at higher rate from other bidders, it was
only a request," the firm maintained.
http://pakissan.com/english/news/newsDetail.php?newsid=31436
Pact on research on salt-tolerant rice
‘As the world population is estimated to grow to 9.3 billion by 2050, food production also needs to increase’
As part of an effort to develop a rice variety that is tolerant
to salt water, an agreement was signed between M. S. Swaminathan Research
Foundation (MSSRF) and the University of Tasmania (UTAS) here on Thursday.
The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) project,
awarded to UTAS and MSSRF through a competitive bidding process, will explore
the use of a halophytic, wild rice relative (Porteresia coarctata or also
called Oryza coarctata) that occurs as a mangrove associate in the inter-tidal
mangrove swamps along the coasts of India and Bangladesh.
The three-year project will be supported by the Australia-India
Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) during which time, scientists would conduct
research on salt-tolerant rice varieties identified from wild species using
biotechnology approaches in India and in Australia. The value of the research
project is about one million USD.
Sergey Shabala, School of Land and Food, UTAS, said developing a
salt-tolerant rice variety was imperative for food security. By 2050, the
world’s population is estimated to grow to 9.3 billion and to feed such a large
number, there has to be an increase of 38 per cent in food production, he said
adding that switching to saline agriculture was inevitable.
“Salinity is a quiet crisis with 950 million hectares of arable
land globally affected by it,” he added.
Holger Meinke, Director, School of Land and Food, University of
Tasmania, Hobart, who signed the agreement on behalf of UTAS, said “We need to
produce as much food in the next 50 years as we did in the entire 10,000-year
history of agriculture. This is the reason why we need these kinds of
projects.”
V. Selvam, Executive Director MSSRF, the Indian signatory to the
project, spoke about the foundation’s work on mangroves and saline-tolerant
plants. The Integrated Mangrove Fishing Farming System developed by MSSRF has
been recognized as a ‘Blue Solution’ by the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change, he pointed out.
Ajay Parida, principal investigator for the Indian side of the
project, Lana Shabala, from UTAS and Gayathri Venkataraman and Sivaprakash
Ramalingam of MSSRF, who shared the techniques that would be employed towards
achieving this process, also spoke.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/pact-on-research-on-salttolerant-rice/article9061358.ece?ref=sliderNews
NFA shake-up
posted September 02, 2016 at 12:01 am
As recommended by Duterte’s economic team, NFA would no longer be engaged in buying and selling of rice, meaning it should focus, instead, on regulation to ensure an adequate buffer stock of the commodity and other grains.
Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia has assured that low-priced rice will remain available to the public through cheap rice imports. Imported rice, he says, is always cheaper than homegrown rice. He adds splitting NFA’s commercial and regulatory functions will also resolve the rice smuggling problem.
The problem with the NFA, Pernia says, is that it buys high and sells low. This has resulted in losses and has caused NFA huge debts.
The NFA as a corporate entity has failed because of its inability to sustain its operations without government assistance. It may have stabilized supply and rice prices but it has also cost the government billions of pesos just to maintain it, given its inefficiency. Through subsidies, the NFA also has not made rice farming a productive sector. The Philippines still relies on cheaper imported rice from more successful neighboring countries to augment the shortfall.
The Cabinet should revisit rice farming in the Philippines to make it more productive and efficient. With no commercial functions, the NFA, along with the Department of Agriculture should now take the initiative to introduce modern farming methods to raise the productivity of Filipino farmers
http://www.thestandard.com.ph/opinion/editorial/214981/nfa-shake-up.html
Rice Field Day: Sacramento Valley growers fed rice, rice news at annual gathering
Posted: 08/31/16, 7:03 PM PDT | Updated: 1 day ago
Jona Pressman, a nutrition program manager,
smiles in her “Have a rice day” shirt during a truck tour of the rice fields on
Rice Field Day at the Rice Experiment Station in Biggs on Wednesday. Bill Husa — Enterprise-Record
Biggs
>> Hundreds of rice farmers gathered at the 100-plus-year-old Rice
Experiment Station in Biggs to learn about the latest in rice breeding and
management research. The experiment station is funded by the rice industry. A
staff of researchers works to breed rice that will produce more yield in
California and resist pests and disease. Once a year, the growers get together to hear what’s new.Rice growers have some new know-how in Whitney Brim-DeForest, the newest farm adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension. Brim-DeForest recently received her PhD from UC Davis and specializes in weed science. Her main terrain will be Sutter and Yuba counties, as well as the counties of Placer and Sacramento.
She replaces Chris Greer, who worked as a rice farm adviser before moving to a different job.
Brim-DeForest specializes in knowledge about weeds, while Luis Espino, in Colusa County, specializes in rice pests and Cass Mutters, in Butte County, specializes in plant physiology (the plants themselves, how they grow, etc).
In addition to her doctorate degrees, Brim-DeForest earned her master’s degree in International Agricultural Development from UC Davis, and a double bachelor’s degree in Biology and music from Brown University.
She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, for three years.
Since 2012, she has worked at the Rice Experiment Station in Biggs, managing the field trials for the UC Weed Science program in rice.
Folks who stopped to chat with members of the California Rice Commission, could learn more about the new California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation, http://calricewaterbirds.org, formed to continue waterfowl habitat enhancement in rice-growing land.
The foundation would continue the work of the Waterbird Habitat Enhancement Program.
WHEP has been around since 2011, and helps rice farmers fund the cost of field management that benefits different types of birds, explained Paul Buttner, manager of environmental affairs for the California Rice Commission.
The funding for that program is due to expire, and it is unknown if more funds will be set aside. When that program first formed, funding from private donors complemented the federal funds.
Now, Buttner is trying to keep the program in play in rice fields in California, and is hoping donors will contribute to the Waterbird Foundation. Efforts have just begun, he explained during Rice Field Day.
A man with a legacy, Homer Lundberg was chosen this year to receive the Rice Industry Award, which is given during the Rice Field Day event. The award was given to him by Lance Tennis. The two men have shared seats at the table on the Western Canal Water District Board of Directors.
Lundberg, along with his three brothers Eldon, Wendell and Harlan, moved to Richvale in 1937 with their parents Albert and Frances. Homer was 2 years old at that time.
After college and service in the Air Force, Lundberg returned to Richvale in 1959 to join is brothers and parents in farming.
In addition to running Lundberg Family Farms with his brothers, and helping the farm and rice product business flourish, Lundberg has served on the Butte County Rice Growers Association board for eight years and the California Rice Research Foundation board for 17 years.
In 1985, Lundberg and many others founded the Western Canal Water District, after the water system was purchased from PG&E. He served on Western Canal’s board for 22 years, and has worked with several other farm water groups.
He also has served on the Butte County Fair board for more than 20 years. In 2006, Lundberg stepped down from his longtime role as chairman of the board of Lundberg Family Farms, passing the business to the next generation.A one-day training about emerging weed problems including red rice and winged primrose willow will take place 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Rice Experiment Station in Biggs. Growers will meet at the Hamilton Road Field on Hamilton Road. The talks will include planning on herbicide programs, handling herbicide resistance, weed identification and a tour of the rice weed science research plots.
Registration is $70 and $30 for students, http://tinyurl.com/jrl7jzs.
The course qualifies for continuing education for crop advisers and others.
Contact reporter Heather Hacking at 896-7758
http://www.orovillemr.com/article/NB/20160831/NEWS/160839954
Rice dealer predicts imminent price fall of rice
Chief
Anthony Ndubuka, a major rice dealer in Umuahia, has expressed optimism that
the price of rice would soon fall in Nigeria.Ndubuka expressed the optimism in
an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Thursday while
speaking on the high price of the grains in the country.
He said
that the grains would become affordable as soon as farmers began to harvest the
grains in the next few months.“I am confident that there will be a bumper
harvest this year. So, by November, the price of the commodity will definitely
come down,” he said.Ndubuka expressed concern that the astronomical price of
rice had made it unaffordable in many homes.
“Rice is
a staple food in many families in Nigeria.“It is children’s favourite, but the
commodity has become unaffordable because of its astronomical price,” he
said.He traced the scarcity of rice to the ban on importation of the grains by
the Federal Government.The rice dealer said that the inability of the local
rice producers to fill the gap, caused by the ban, compounded the
situation.“This explains why the price of rice in the country has gone beyond
the reach of the common man,” he said.Ndubuka also said that the scarcity posed
serious challenges to rice farmers and manufacturers in the country.“Luckily,
many farmers have braced the challenge, so there will be plenty of rice this
year,” he said.
He said
that the scarcity of foreign rice, after the government’s ban, led to increased
demand for local substitutes.
The rice
farmer said that although the ban on importation was expected to boost local
production and demand, government should have taken measures to bridge the
gap.Ndubuka said that the grains were still being smuggled into the country in
spite the ban.“The smuggled rice are re-bagged at the borders by smugglers to
evade arrest,’’ he said.He urged the Federal Government to give incentives to
rice farmers to boost output and quality of the grains and make them
affordable.
NAN
reports that in Umuahia, a bag of local rice now sells for between N18, 500 and
N20, 000 as against previous price of N5, 000 and N6, 000.The imported
substitutes cost between N23, 500 and N25, 000 against the previous N8,000 and
N10,000
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/rice-dealer-predicts-imminent-price-fall-rice/
Ministry adopts new strategy in drive to double rice production (Kenya)
The Agriculture ministry has adopted a
three-pronged strategy to double rice production in Mwea Irrigation Scheme
which provides 80 per cent of the grain consumed in Kenya.It has come up with
new rice varieties, new seed varieties that are resilient to climate change,
and strives to change farming systems.The ministry, in partnership with Japan
International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and South Korea, has introduced
machinery in rice production unlike in the past when farmers depended mainly on
manual labour.At the same time the partners are constructing the Sh19 billion
Thiba Dam to expand the scheme.
The new rice varieties will not only address
the issue of higher production, but also food security, poverty alleviation and
greatly benefit livestock farmers.The government aims to double rice production
before 2018.
John Kimani, the Kenya Agricultural and
Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) Mwea Director, said they have realised
the need to meet demand for livestock feeds too.“The crop-livestock interface
has turned out to be a very vital aspect for us and now we are looking at all
possible ways to see each sector supports the other,” he said.Dr Kimani said
the varieties that they are developing have the ‘‘stay-green trait’’ (the
leaves and stems remain green and palatable to animals and are of high protein
content).
“We have been able to get germplasm from our
development partners, especially from South Korea, which had developed dual
purpose rice.‘‘This is a type of rice that meets demand for both the grain for human
consumption and culms for livestock,” he said.However, this new rice species
are yet to be named since they are still in the breeding process and will only
be named after being approved and released to farmers for planting.After
harvest farmers preserve rice straws as hay which is normally fed to their
livestock during dry spells.Jackline Wangeci, a rice farmer at the scheme,
confirmed that after harvest she packs straws into bales as hay for her three
dairy cows and sells the rest at Sh250 each to other dairy farmers.
“We can’t wait to plant this new variety since
we will double our harvest as well as earnings,” she noted.
The new variety, according to Dr Kimani, is a
high yielder of animal fodder and will help double yields when released to
farmers in six years to come.Currently, he said, they are carrying out tests
and will only release the variety when their partner, South Korea, gives them
the green-light.‘‘We cannot release it without their authority, we will be
slapped with harsh penalties,’’ he added. The rice research project was
launched in 2013 and is expected to yield results by May 2018. After conducting
an analysis in 2008 on food crops that are consumed in the country, they
realised that rice was the third most important cereal and its consumption was
growing fast.
Rice consumption in the country is growing at a
rate of 12 per cent annually compared with four per cent for wheat and one per
cent for maize.This compelled the government to embark on raising rice
production.
The changing eating habit is mostly among the
younger generation, Dr Kimani said.Kenya produces 149,000 tonnes of rice per
year while consumption stands at 540,000 tonnes.
Resilient Varieties
According to Dr Kimani, also a rice breeder,
the country is forced to import 70 per cent of rice to meet demand.
It is in this regard that Kalro is developing
more rice varieties that are resilient to climate change and have higher
yields.“We are trying to develop varieties that can perform better than what
farmers have in a bid to close the demand gap through bilateral projects with
rice growing countries,” he said.Through research conducted in May 2013 Kalro
found major constraints to rice farming. Poor seeds topped the list.Others were
the need for drought resistant and water saving varieties, the need to deal
with diseases especially Blast, need for cold weather resistant varieties and
those that thrive in low soil fertility and salinity.Bibiana Walela, the
Assistant Director Rice Promotion at Kalro Mwea, said that farmers used to exchange
seeds since there were no certified varieties and procurement structures in
place.
However,
Kalro and partners have reversed this trend, she said.This has led to increased
rice production, up to three tonnes per hectare. They target to increase this
to seven tonnes, she said. “In Japan the average is seven tonnes of milled rice
per hectare while in Kenya it is 2.4 tonnes. We are working out to raise
production in country through our partnership,” she said.To this end, Ms Walela
said, Kalro was undertaking three projects. These include the New Rice for
Africa (Nerica) programme, which researches on the upland rain-fed varieties in
semi-arid lands of Kenya.
Mechanising Production
The country has potential of farming one
million hectares in the upland ecology and 540,000 hectares under irrigation
and can expand production to 1.3 hectares with use of underground water, she
said.
“We are working on exploiting these potentials
and if we get enough resources we should be able to produce enough rice for
this country,” Ms Walela said.At the same time, she said, Kalro was addressing
the challenge of mechanising rice production on a smaller scale by introducing
hand-driven machinery to farmers through field days.
Through Japan based firm Toyota Tuso, Ms Walela said, they were testing two tractor models for use in the entire country.
Through Japan based firm Toyota Tuso, Ms Walela said, they were testing two tractor models for use in the entire country.
‘‘If they adapt to local conditions we will
order for more and sell to farmers at a subsidised price,’’ she said.With 40
million people, an annual population growth rate of 2.7 per cent and recent
rainfall deficits threatening food security, Kenya should engage in crop
diversification with focus on staples such as rice.“Such enhanced production
could play a key role in ensuring that food production gaps are sealed,
improving overall national food security,” Ms Walela said. The 80,000-hectare
Mwea Irrigation Scheme used to be a haven for diseases, according to Dr Kimani.
It was not until 2007 that Blast was discovered
in the region, a disease he said was devastating rice farming. The other
challenges are cold brought about by climate change.
“Rice is a very unique plant which requires a
lot of sunlight. If temperatures go down below 17 degrees Celsius, especially
at night and more so during pollen formation, the pollen becomes sterile. We
are developing varieties that are cold resilient to address climate change,” he
said.Mwea farmers are unable to plant two crops per year because of the cold
season in June-July.With enough water from Thiba dam, Kalro is looking at how
the crop can be grown twice per year to increase yields.
Kalro officials said the organisation had
developed a water-saving rice variety.“When we started the water supply project
it was overtaken because so many outgrowers were utilising the same water and
therefore they didn’t have enough, forcing farmers to grow rice in phases,”
said Dr Kimani.Because of overdependence on rice farming, soils fertility has
declined.This has compelled Kalro to come up with rice varieties which do well
in poor soils.Already, said Dr Kimani, Kalro has started distributing the
varieties to farmers.‘‘Although we still have a lot of challenges to address,
which we are working on together with stakeholders, we want to make sure that
this country is self-sufficient in rice production,’’ concluded Dr Kimani.
https://asokoinsight.com/news/ministry-adopts-new-strategy-in-drive-to-double-rice-production-kenya
Govt. agencies on agri, food security bare plans and pograms
- September 01, 2016
- Rosalita B. Manlangit
Among these agencies were the National Food Authority (NFA) and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) on pro-poor programs, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on free irrigation fees, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on review order of land conversion, exclusion and exemption, and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) on identifying additional area for rice production relayed by the Department of Agriculture (DA).NFA Camarines Norte provincial manager Chona E. Brijuega said that her office and eleven other agencies are tasked for the pro-poor programs under the Office of the Special Assistant to the President.
She said that NFA will help ensure ample supply of rice thus engrossed with the renewal of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the local government units due to the change in the administration for the towns to have rice allocations during calamities. She said that the province has enough rice supply with the total industry inventory of 277,189 bags of rice of which 67,050 in NFA inventory, 150,437 household stocks and 59,702 commercial stocks to last in 75 days.
PCA agriculturist Elmer M. Madulid said that his office are now implementing fertilization program, coconut planting in the town of Mercedes and he assured that cocolisap in some barangay were already controlled. On the other hand Senior Institutional Development Officer Wilson B. Narvasa of the NIA said that the President announced earlier that irrigation fees should be free. He said that this is not yet implemented because it needs to be approved by the Congress and Senate because of an existing law.
Narvasa added that his office has an approved budget this year of P130 million for the modernization and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities in the province.Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Camilo A. Del Monte said that DAR is tasked by Secretary Rafael Mariano to review order of land conversion, exclusion and exemption of the past administration.He said that DAR now is reviewing the land acquisition, distribution and balance per province aside from their regular mandate.
Meanwhile Provincial Agriculturist Engineer Almirante A. Abad said as devolved office they were tasked by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to identify additional land for rice production to adhere to the 1 million hectares target of the agency in the country.
He said that the DA will conduct consultation with the Municipal Agriculturists, NIA and other stakeholders for the said identification of land area for rice production to contribute to the national target. (MAL/RBM-PIA5/Camarines Norte)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/871472708159/govt-agencies-on-agri-food-security-bare-plans-and-pograms#sthash.Jwl1pEfm.dpuf
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/871472708159/govt-agencies-on-agri-food-security-bare-plans-and-pograms
Daily Commodity Report
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Rice Comment
Rice futures ended mixed. Nationwide, 13% of
the crop is now rated poor to very poor, and another 27% is in fair condition.
Excessive rains have resulted in rice that has lodged and some has sprouted in
the field. This will all result in poorer quality rice and less than ideal
yields. However, abundant world supplies and declining prices in Asia continue
to loom large over the market. India is expecting a large crop following a
beneficial monsoon season. Technically, November charted a bearish outside day,
signaling that further losses are possible
PhilRice urges more brown rice consumption
BOTH the income of farmers and the well-being
of Filipinos could be greatly improved if consumers reduced their reliance on
white rice and turned to the healthy alternative of brown rice, researchers at
the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said.Countries like the
Philippines prefer the commercially milled or white rice while the traditional
brown rice remains unpopular. Ricepedia revealed factors such as lesser cooking
time, longer shelf life and palatability contribute to this trend. Filipinos
also consider the same reasons, thus reducing the demand for brown rice and
increasing its price. However, the PhilRice believes brown rice consumption is
more beneficial.
PhilRice Senior Science Research Specialist
Hazel Antonio said brown rice even results in better health for consumers and
to more income for farmers.Brown rice, or “Pinawa” among Tagalogs, is simply
unpolished white rice. Though unpolished, Pinawa has more protein, fiber, good
fats, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B9 and E, antioxidants and minerals than white rice.
This can help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases,
according to PhilRice.Clinical studies prove that as an effective laxative,
brown rice promotes regular bowel movement. Consuming it also prevents kidney
stone build-up as it decreases urinary calcium.Brown rice also encourages
balanced eating. “Based on testimonial evidence, people consume less rice when
they eat brown rice,” PhilRice Consultant Dr. Cezar Mamaril said in an
interview published by the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Brown grains weigh heavier so people consume less.
Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Brown grains weigh heavier so people consume less.
Production of brown rice also entails higher
milling recovery, which means that with every 10 kilograms of paddy or
unpolished rice, a farmer can recover up to 7.5 kg of brown rice compared to
6.5 kg of white rice. Antonio believes increased brown rice consumption “can
contribute to rice self-sufficiency.”With the many benefits of brown rice,
especially its higher million recovery compared to white rice, PhilRice is
launching a campaign to increase Pinawa consumption called BROWN4Good.Since the
proclamation of the National Year of Rice (NYR) in 2013, the National Rice
Awareness Month is celebrated every November. This endeavor targets to enforce
rice-self-sufficiency through partnerships from the public and private sector.
Among the advocacies of National Rice Awareness Month is increasing brown rice
consumption.
Brown for good
On August 28, PhilRice launched a social media
campaign called Brown4good Challenge that aims to promote the virtues of brown
rice.“We have been focusing before on rice wastage [since NYR was launched in
2013]. We’ve moved to another message which is the consumption of brown rice,”
Antonio said. She is also the campaign director of the Brown4good
Challenge.Part of the campaign covers social media, where netizens are
encouraged to post photos of their Pinawa meal, caption it with #BROWN4good,
and then challenge their friends to do the same.PhilRice believes the social
media component will help increase brown rice consumption that will benefit both
consumers and farmers.
“First they will have a better health;
[second]it’s good for the farmers because these farmers directly sell their
products to food establishments and retailers at a very affordable price.
Third, it’s good for the country because brown rice has 10-percent higher
milling recovery,” Antonio said.
“And lastly, for every hashtag, the Department
of Agriculture will donate one cup of brown rice to less fortunate Filipinos
for charity, so they can see the goodness in their health, to the farmers, to
their country, and they can see that they are able to feed one person,” she
added.Antonio revealed the #BROWN4good concept was inspired by Thailand’s
campaign also for increased brown rice consumption in which King Bhumibol
Adulyadej actually suggested it to people because it is no longer a poor man’s
food. The King claims he consumes it three times a day.
More energy efficient
PhilRice also said brown rice production is
more energy-efficient. Since brown rice is only milled once, this can result to
50- to 60-percent savings on fuel and energy. This leads to lesser carbon
emissions.
Despite the benefits, brown rice remains unpopular in the Philippines. It can be more costly since brown rice only undergoes dehulling it requires a premium rice variety. Also, because of its shorter shelf life, low demand contributes to higher prices. Traders also tend to be abusive with pricing since the health benefits of Pinawa are known.Antonio also said there is a need to improve “the marketing capacity of our farmers” so they can sell directly to consumers or establishments.
Despite the benefits, brown rice remains unpopular in the Philippines. It can be more costly since brown rice only undergoes dehulling it requires a premium rice variety. Also, because of its shorter shelf life, low demand contributes to higher prices. Traders also tend to be abusive with pricing since the health benefits of Pinawa are known.Antonio also said there is a need to improve “the marketing capacity of our farmers” so they can sell directly to consumers or establishments.
But the virtues of brown rice can no longer be
overlooked and it may be one of the keys to helping the country achieve rice
self-sufficiency.
Clarissa Botecario, Special to The Times
Philippines closes new rice supply deal at $424.85/MT
September 02, 2016
THE GOVERNMENT has accepted the bids of Vietnam and Thailand in a tender that closed on Wednesday for a combined 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice imports for shipment later this month and the next.
In a statement released on Thursday, state
grains agency National Food Authority (NFA) said the award was given after the
two rice exporters -- the Philippines’ top rice suppliers too -- offered to
close the government-to-government deal at $424.85 per MT. That price was $0.15
lower than the reference price of $425/MT set by the Philippines.“The National
Food Authority Council approved in a special meeting on August 31, 2016, the
awarding of contract for the supply of 250,000 MT [metric tons] imported rice,
25% brokens, well milled at $424.85/MT to the Kingdom of Thailand and the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam under a Government-to-Government (G-to-G)
Procurement Scheme held on the same day,” the NFA statement read.
The accepted price would translate to a total of $106.21 million for the purchase of the 250,000 MT.Of the 250,000 MT, Thailand through its Department of Foreign Trade will supply 100,000 MT, while Vietnam’s Vina Foods II, the rest.Forty percent of that volume is for delivery end of September while the remaining 60%, by end-October, the NFA said.
The grains agency initially rejected higher bids from both countries and asked them to submit revised offers citing a government-to-government procurement scheme, where the offer should be equal to or lower than the reference price. The scheme is covered by a memorandum of agreement between the Philippines and the two rice-exporting countries.
The 250,000 MT will be the first shipment of the 500,000 MT standby authority earlier approved by the NFA Council “for buffer stocking of the government to fill-in the gap estimated at 5% of national production caused by the El Niño phenomenon that hit the country in the last quarter of 2015 until the second quarter of this year.”
NFA is mandated to maintain a 30-day inventory level during the lean months of July to September and a 15-day stock at any given time.
“This will give NFA sufficient lead time to preposition the stocks nationwide in time for the season of tropical storms and typhoons which usually occur during the end of the third quarter until the fourth quarter,” read the NFA statement.
Earlier, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said that the country had sufficient rice stocks “for the rest of the year” but the country is poised to take advantage of the prevailing low global prices of rice to cover portions of 2017 demand.
Hence, the government plans to import a total of 1 million MT, of which 750,000 MT will be through government-to-government deals and the balance of 250,000 will be brought in by private traders.
“The shipment will be delivered door-to-door to NFA designated warehouses under the cost insurance freight-delivered at place terms,” according to the statement.
The accepted price would translate to a total of $106.21 million for the purchase of the 250,000 MT.Of the 250,000 MT, Thailand through its Department of Foreign Trade will supply 100,000 MT, while Vietnam’s Vina Foods II, the rest.Forty percent of that volume is for delivery end of September while the remaining 60%, by end-October, the NFA said.
The grains agency initially rejected higher bids from both countries and asked them to submit revised offers citing a government-to-government procurement scheme, where the offer should be equal to or lower than the reference price. The scheme is covered by a memorandum of agreement between the Philippines and the two rice-exporting countries.
The 250,000 MT will be the first shipment of the 500,000 MT standby authority earlier approved by the NFA Council “for buffer stocking of the government to fill-in the gap estimated at 5% of national production caused by the El Niño phenomenon that hit the country in the last quarter of 2015 until the second quarter of this year.”
NFA is mandated to maintain a 30-day inventory level during the lean months of July to September and a 15-day stock at any given time.
“This will give NFA sufficient lead time to preposition the stocks nationwide in time for the season of tropical storms and typhoons which usually occur during the end of the third quarter until the fourth quarter,” read the NFA statement.
Earlier, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said that the country had sufficient rice stocks “for the rest of the year” but the country is poised to take advantage of the prevailing low global prices of rice to cover portions of 2017 demand.
Hence, the government plans to import a total of 1 million MT, of which 750,000 MT will be through government-to-government deals and the balance of 250,000 will be brought in by private traders.
“The shipment will be delivered door-to-door to NFA designated warehouses under the cost insurance freight-delivered at place terms,” according to the statement.
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=philippines-closes-new-rice-supply-deal-at-424.85mt&id=132864
Man arrested for smuggling rice as dead bodies
Posted on Sep 2, 2016
By Isaac Anumihe
The ban on rice importation and biting economic
conditions are forcing daring smugglers to freight bags of rice as coffins
carried in ambulances.This unprecedented antic of moving rice in an ambulance
under the guise of corpses from Benin Republic into Nigeria was uncovered
yesterday at the Seme Border by the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS) who promptly arrested the vendor.According to Customs officials at Seme
Border, the suspected smuggler, Moses Degbogbahun, arranged 11 50kg bags of rice in place of a corpse in his
Volvo ambulance with Lagos registration number DV 74EKY. Luck, however, ran out
on him when he was subjected to a rigorous search by an officer who had
observed him move “corpses” across the border regularly without being searched.
His frequent movement across the border made
the officers at Aradagun area of Badagry to suspect foul play prompting them to
insist on seeing the “corpse”. But they were, however, amazed to see that they
had allowed so many “corpses” across the border without knowing the identities
of the dead (rice).The Customs mobile patrol team leader stated that the
frequency of the said ambulance patronising the international route with
the “dead bodies” had become alarming making it necessary to
ascertain the identity of the dead.Rice smuggling across Seme Border became a
lucrative trade to warrant such antic when the Federal Government banned rice
importation into the country in its attempt to boost local capacity.
Meanwhile, over 50 million bags of imported
rice, worth over N1 billion, are currently trapped in various warehouses in
Cotonou, Benin Republic, following the ban on foreign rice import into
Nigeria.Many importers who violated the import restrictions by government are
now regretting because they can no longer push the imported commodities into
Nigerian markets.One of the importers told Daily Sun that many of them have
lost their collaterals to banks because they cannot service their loans.“We have lost a lot. The
banks are not giving us breathing space. They have confiscated all our belongings,” he said.Daily Sun’s checks
revealed that the new Controller General of Customs (CGC), Colonel Hameed Ali,
had threatened to discipline the Customs
Area Controller in charge of Seme Border, Victor Dimka, if any grain of imported rice finds
its way into the Nigerian market.
To demonstrate his seriousness, Ali, three
weeks ago, signed an agreement with the Beninoise government to the effect that
any ship from Benin ports must be escorted by the Benin Customs and handed over
to Nigerian Customs. He threatened to stop trade relations with Benin Republic
if the government continues to allow contraband goods into Nigerian
markets.This tough stance by the Nigerian government had pitted the importers
against their bankers because most of them borrowed to import the goods. They had targeted the
‘ember’ months – the Eid-del Kabir and Christmas festivities – to flood
Nigerian markets with imported rice.
These bags, it was discovered, have been warehoused for over six months under
an unwholesome condition
http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2016/09/man-arrested-for-smuggling-rice-as-dead-bodies/
Bags of
rice smuggled as corpses in ambulance
On September 2, 201612:48 amIn News0 Comments
By Godwin Oritse LAGOS—Smugglers operating at the Badagry-Seme border tried a
fast one on operatives of the Nigeria Customs by packaging smuggled rice as
dead bodies. The ambulance, 'corpses,' and 'attendant.' The ambulance,
‘corpses,’ and ‘attendant.’ The mobile patrol team leader, Chief Superintendent
of Customs, Mr. Ozah M., said the team noticed the frequency with which the said
ambulance was patronising the international route with the ‘dead body,’ a
development they thought was becoming alarming. They stopped the ambulance, a
Volvo with number plates DV 74 EKY, for proper examination. The ambulance was
discovered to be carrying eleven bags of imported rice that was carefully
arranged and wrapped as corpses, leading to the arrest of a suspected smuggler,
Mr. Moses Degbogbahun, who brought in the commodity.
The
management of Seme Command, however, warned that no amount of smuggling antics
along Seme border route will go undetected by the eagle eyes of officers and
men of the Command. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Taupyen
Selchang, said the suspect was still undergoing investigation for possible
prosecution.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/bags-rice-smuggled-corpses-ambulance/
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/bags-rice-smuggled-corpses-ambulance/
Rice paddy bank short of funds
Fri, 2 September 2016
The warehouse of Cambodia’s first large-scale
rice paddy bank in Battambang is seen in this January 2015 photo. Photo
supplied
Two years since the opening of Cambodia’s first large-scale rice paddy bank, the private sector company behind the project is seeking additional capital to carry it through the next five years.Thaneakea Srov (Kampuchea) Plc launched services in late August 2014 with its sprawling facility in Battambang city acting as a massive centralised storage facility for the province’s harvested rice paddy.
The company disburses loans to farmers in exchange for the paddy they put up as collateral, while its paddy stockpiles ensure sufficient stock for Cambodian rice millers and traders.
The project aimed at addressing the lack of storage capacity and finance channels that had led many farmers in the province to sell their paddy to Thai and Vietnamese traders instead of local millers.
Phou Puy, CEO of Thaneakea Srov, said the rice paddy bank began in 2014 with $7 million working capital and received 20,000 tonnes of paddy rice during its first year. The following year, working with $13 million capital, the bank was able to collect 37,000 tonnes of rice.
Puy said the project would need $70 million over the next five years to satisfy the demand of Cambodian millers and traders.
“Most of our customers have come asking for more loans, but our capital is limited,” he said.
“We need more capital and storage capacity to meet the demand of rice millers [for paddy rice].”
According to Puy, loans are offered to rice farmers for a period of 10 months at a monthly interest rate of 1 per cent.
“We receive the paddy rice as collateral in return for disbursing loans amounting to 80 per cent of its market price,” he explained, adding that the hocked rice is only sold if the loan is not paid back in time.
Hun Lak, vice president of the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF), said the rice bank was playing an important role in the industry and if it would put forward a strong and detailed impact and risk assessment, the Rural Development Bank (RDB) would put up the required funds for it to continue operations.
“Thaneakea Srov is playing an important role in the rice industry, but currently it is helping only one part of the industry,” he said.
“If it needs a bigger budget to expand, then they should come and put all the issues on the table at the CRF in order to develop the project and request financial assistance from the RDB.”
Khim Sophanna, senior advisor of the agricultural NGO CEDAC, said the rice paddy bank was essential to helping farmers who had run short of capital.
“The rice paddy bank is a place where farmers can use their paddy rice in exchange for money whenever they run into financial troubles, which is better than selling the paddy at a cheap price,” he said.
“The bank also gives farmers a chance to recover the paddy they used as collateral if the price of rice increases.”
Most importantly, he said, the rice paddy bank ensures that the profits of rice farming remain in the local community.
Contact author: Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-paddy-bank-short-funds
Rice procurement programme lags behind for shortage of supply
Our Correspondent
SYLHET, Sept 1: The rice procurement programme
couldn't be successful as yet due to short supply of both boiled and Atap
(non-boiled) varieties from the millers of Sylhet division. However, the
authority has extended 15 days for the procurement till September 15, official
sources informed yesterday.According to a report, prepared by the Food
Department on August 31, 11,279 tonnes of rice were collected against the target
of 38,547 tonnes through the millers of
4 districts.It is about to be failed due to short supply after repeated flash
floods, lack of initiatives by the rice mill owners, absence of marketable
surplus of rice or paddy etc. However, the target was also the ever highest for
the division this year, official sources informed.
The food department has collected a total of
6,804.550 tonnes of boiled rice against the target of 18,953 tonnes while
13,036 tonnes of Atap rice were collected out of the targeted 19,954 tonnes.The
last year's rice collection was 15,000 tonnes, the sources informed further.Contacted,
Regional Controller of Food, Sylhet Division Md. Anisuzzaman told this
correspondent yesterday, although the target couldn't be achieved, we have procured
the ever highest quantity of rice this year amid different problems. There are
43 husking mills for boiled rice in the four districts and 367 husking mills
including nine automatic ones for Atap rice.
The official said further, although we are fully
dependent on the private millers for rice procurement, most of the mills in the
region are of old technology and the owners were not intrested in modernising
their units for reasons. This is why a good quantity of the paddy produced in
the division is transported to other places, having modern husking mills, he
added.
If they don't come forward with modernising the
units it would be hard to get rice from such millers in future too, the
official added.Of the total, 1489 tonnes of boiled rice and 3147 tonnes of Atap
rice were collected in Sylhet district against a target of 3648 tonnes and 4830
tonnes respectively.In Moulvibazar, 1874 tonnes of boiled and 1434 tonnes of
Atap rice were procured against the target of 3680 and 1854 tonnes
respectively.
In Habiganj district 2154.550 tonnes of boiled
and 1466 tonnes of Atap rice were collected although the target was at 5216 and
2612 tonnes respectively while procurement in Sunamganj district stood 1287 and
6989.950 metric tonnes against the targeted 6409 and 10298 metric tonnes
respectively.
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/09/01/44281/Rice-procurement-programme-lags-behind-for-shortage-of-supply
The battle over basmati: Is Madhya Pradesh's long-grained aromatic rice not entitled to the name?
It needs the crucial Geographical Indicator certification, which authenticates a product as having originated in a certain location – like Darjeeling for tea.
Aug 31, 2016 · 05:30 pm Updated Aug 31,
2016 · 06:09 pm
Mridula Chari
What is
basmati? Can it be grown only on the slopes of the Himalayas? Or can
long-grained aromatic rice grown in Madhya Pradesh also be called basmati? These are questions the Madras High Court has been grappling with since February. Its answer to all these questions was to delay answering them. On August 16, it granted relief to Madhya Pradesh in its legal battle with the Geographical Indicator Registry and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority to be included as one of India's basmati-growing regions. The court ordered the state to submit a fresh application for a Geographical Indication or GI certificate.
The GI tag is a crucial trademark certificate that authenticates a product as having originated in a certain location. The Intellectual Property Appellate Board had in February directed the GI Registry to approve the basmati claims of seven states – Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, West Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Jammu & Kashmir.Madhya Pradesh challenged this in the court, arguing that its traditional basmati cultivating areas had been arbitrarily left out without any rational reasons.
Location askew
But can Madhya Pradesh, hundreds of kilometres away from the Himalayas, apply for a tag that is based on geography?Suman Sahai of the Gene Campaign, a non-governmental organisation working in the area of biological resources and intellectual property rights, believes that it cannot.“Madhya Pradesh simply does not figure as a basmati growing state because GI tags are not about where it is cultivated, but where it has originated,” Sahai said. “Madhya Pradesh can and has laid claim to Chanderi saris, but even if it is cultivating good quality basmati, it cannot qualify for the GI tag.”Sahai gave the example of scotch, which refers to whiskey brewed in Scotland. Others might brew whiskies better than the original, but they cannot call it scotch.
“The idea of GI is very specific,” Sahai said. “We should not fool around with it because it dilutes the case for that GI.”
Legal entanglements
Basmati is traditionally grown in the region of Greater Punjab, which spans the political territories of modern day India and Pakistan. There are also great profits in its exports.The countries were alerted to the potential intellectual property rights value when a company called Rice Tech in the United States of America applied for a patent for a variety of basmati rice that it grew there. Both challenged the patent status and began negotiations with each other to jointly apply for a GI tag internationally, which would have given growers in both countries the protection of intellectual property laws.The government had at that time consulted with Gene Campaign on how to fight the patent. Sahai said she had recommended consulting Pakistan, but that was not done.Any negotiations that were there were scuppered after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, India passed a law to allow APEDA to stake a claim to basmati internationally without referring to Pakistan. Pakistan responded by granting an exclusive trademark over basmati to the Basmati Growers’ Association.
The legal arguments within and between the two
countries have only grown since.The tussle between Madhya Pradesh and the
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority , for
instance, began in December 2013, when the GI Registry with its headquarters in
Chennai included parts of Madhya Pradesh in the areas that can be considered to
grow basmati. The authority argued that as Madhya Pradesh was nowhere near the
Himalayas, allowing rice grown there to bear the basmati tag would mean any
long-grained aromatic rice could also be called basmati.
The Basmati Growers Association, with its
headquarters in Pakistan, also challenged this decision in the Madras High
Court, saying that India had “gravely erred” in giving the basmati label to
rice produced in Madhya Pradesh, “or for that matter any part of India”. The
High Court dismissed that case for having “miserably failed” to comply with the
rules.
Another legal scuffle continues in Pakistan’s
courts, where the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan has been lobbying to
include Sindh in the list of regions that grows basmati. Like Madhya Pradesh,
Sindh is nowhere near the Himalayas. The Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority has challenged this in the Karachi High
Court. This case continues to be stuck in court.
Government overreach?
Basmati is a particularly litigious example of
the process of applying for GI certificates. There are deeper issues. For one,
that government institutions are applying for the tag in the first place.T
Prashant Reddy, a lawyer specialising in intellectual property and a blogger at
website SpicyIP, has just written a chapter in a yet-to-be published book on
the case of basmati. Reddy believes that no government should hold ownership
over regional trademarks.
“In India, government agencies have taken full
ownership over such products and in the process disenfranchise the farmers and
traders who have built the brand,” Reddy said.In cases like champagne in
France, for instance, it is associations that defend GI rights internationally,
and not the government, Reddy argued. That should be the case here as well.Sahai,
however, disagreed. “It is not a bad idea for the government to hold the tag
because you need to be able to defend this,” she said. “In the case of basmati,
which other organisation will hold it?”
GI certificates are valid only for 10 years at
a time, which requires organisations to be vigilant against allowing them to
lapse. In relatively unorganised sectors, such as that of basmati growers, this
could become an issue.
Money, money, money
At the end, what it comes down to is money.“This
is not just a scientific tag,” Reddy explained. “There is also an element of
reputation and money involved.”As a form of a trademark, a GI tag is
automatically believed to enhance the market value of products that have it.
With basmati being a lucrative export product, the organisation that controls
its GI certificate could then control the profits from it.But even when the
government is not solely involved, GI certifications tend to reflect the local
political and social hierarchies.
The case of feni shows this. Dwijen Rangnekar,
an intellectual property rights lawyer and activist closely studied the
campaign to certify Goa’s feni as a geographically specific product.In a paper
on the social remaking that occurred around feni, Rangnekar, now deceased,
hailed GIs as offering “opportunities to retrieve history, inscribe locality,
and facilitate resistance against global agrifood”.At the same time, he pointed
out that when the Goa government was drafting its application, it aligned with
the Feni Association – an organisation dominated by bottlers.
We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in.
http://scroll.in/article/814915/the-battle-over-basmati-is-madhya-pradeshs-long-grained-aromatic-rice-not-entitled-to-the-name
Price of rice to crash soon, says dealer
September 1, 2016
Chief Anthony Ndubuka, a major rice dealer in
Umuahia, has expressed optimism that the price of rice would soon fall in
Nigeria.Ndubuka expressed the optimism in Umuahia on Thursday while speaking on
the high price of the grains in the country.He said that the grains would
become affordable as soon as farmers began to harvest the grains in the next
few months.He said, “I am confident that there will be a bumper harvest this
year. So, by November, the price of the commodity will definitely come down.”
Ndubuka expressed concern that the astronomical
price of rice had made it unaffordable in many homes.He said, “Rice is a staple
food in many families in Nigeria.“It is children’s favourite, but the commodity
has become unaffordable because of its astronomical price.”He traced the
scarcity of rice to the ban on importation of the grains by the Federal
Government.The rice dealer said that the inability of the local rice producers
to fill the gap, caused by the ban, compounded the situation.He said, “This
explains why the price of rice in the country has gone beyond the reach of the
common man.”
Ndubuka also said that the scarcity posed
serious challenges to rice farmers and manufacturers in the country.
“Luckily, many farmers have braced the
challenge, so there will be plenty of rice this year,” he said.He said that the
scarcity of foreign rice, after the government’s ban, led to increased demand
for local substitutes.The rice farmer said that although the ban on importation
was expected to boost local production and demand, government should have taken
measures to bridge the gap.Ndubuka said that the grains were still being
smuggled into the country in spite the ban.
“The smuggled rice are re-bagged at the borders
by smugglers to evade arrest,’’ he said.He urged the Federal Government to give
incentives to rice farmers to boost output and quality of the grains and make
them affordable.In Umuahia, a bag of local rice now sells for between N18, 500
and N20, 000 as against previous price of N5, 000 and N6, 000.The imported
substitutes cost between N23, 500 and N25, 000 against the previous N8,000 and
N10,000
http://punchng.com/price-rice-crash-soon-says-dealer/
Missouri Rice Harvest Underway
HORNERSVILLE, MO -- Combines roared
to life here this week as rice farmers took advantage of favorable weather to
get harvest underway just as National Rice Month kicked off. On
Monday, USA Rice attended fundraisers in Kennett, Missouri hosted by the
local rice and cotton industries in support of U.S. Representative Jason Smith
(R-MO) and U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO). Both Missouri legislators were
vocal in their opposition to federal regulatory overreach against agriculture
and private landowners, and pledged to continue supporting the Bootheel's
farmers if reelected in November.
On Tuesday, USA Rice staff toured the Martin Rice Co, a family-owned rice
mill in Bernie that joined the Rice Millers' Association this summer.
Owner and operator Mike Martin told USA Rice he is excited to become more
involved in the organization, and has prioritized helping the industry lift the
embargo with Cuba.Blake Gerard, chairman of USA Rice Farmers, gave USA Rice
staff a tour of his seed rice operation just over the Illinois border.
Gerard anticipates beginning harvest next week, so is busily making field and
machinery preparations, and hoping for dry weather.
On Wednesday, Hornersville's Rance Daniels began his operation's rice harvest
and shared his optimism for the 2016 crop, "We began a little earlier than
usual this year but we have been blessed with cooperative weather and as every
farmer has probably learned at some point, you've got to take advantage of
that."
Daniels added, "Like most
communities in the Bootheel, Hornersville is very agriculture-dependent and so
it's kind of a special time of year for my neighbors and me to begin putting
rice in the bins again. And like most farms, harvest is something my
whole family gets excited about and there's really a job for all three
generations of my family. My son can't hardly wait to get home from
school to chip in where he can and I think that says a lot."
USA Rice is participating in other
University of Missouri events this week sponsored by the Delta Fisher Research
Center in Portageville, including the annual Skeet Shoot, Fish Fry, and Delta Dinner
with state and local politicians, and agriculture industry
representatives. USA Rice also will host a booth at the annual Field Day
showcasing rice and other crop research held at the Research Center tomorrow.
Louisiana Rice Mills Join Efforts
to Feed Flood Victims
ZACHARY, LA -- Louisiana rice
millers are once again stepping up to provide much needed rice to feed citizens
who had to evacuate their homes due to last month's weather disaster.
Many people displaced by the recent floods are having basic needs met by
thousands of individuals through volunteer and nonprofit organizations.
One example is members of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church partnering with members
of First Baptist Church, both of Zachary, Louisiana, to feed displaced area
residents.
Their effort was initiated within
days of record-breaking rains that inundated much of south Louisiana, and the
feeding continues today. Falcon Rice Mill and Louisiana Rice Mill have
provided 800 pounds of rice to the churches for their feeding programs.
Dr. Dearl Sanders, LSU AgCenter
emeritus professor and feeding program volunteer, said, "Many of the
affected residents of Zachary have returned to their homes under FEMA's Shelter
in Place program. However, with homes gutted and all contents,
including stoves, destroyed, they have no means to prepare meals. So our
churches have partnered to prepare approximately 200 meals twice daily, seven
day a week."Sanders continued, "Everybody in Louisiana eats rice and
you can feed a lot of people with 800 pounds. I want to thank Falcon Rice
Mill and Louisiana Rice Mill for their generous donation."
Rice growers urged to use pesticides wisely to avoid resistance
Capital PressPublished on September 1, 2016 4:10PM
Tim Hearden/Capital Press
Plant breeder Stanley Omar P.B. Samonte points
out different rice varieties he’s growing during a field day Aug. 31 at the
California Rice Research Board’s Rice Experiment Station near Oroville, Calif.
Researchers are breeding plants for such traits as disease resistance and
yields.
BIGGS, Calif. — Insecticides used by rice
growers to combat armyworms and other pests should be used wisely, a University
of California entomologist advises.
Registered
insecticides such as Intrepid, which was given an emergency exemption by
regulators, need to be managed carefully so they will be available and
effective in the future, extension entomologist Larry Godfrey told about 350
growers at an Aug. 31 field day here.The reasons, he said, are the potential
development of pest resistance as well as increased regulatory controls on the
chemicals. Further, the consolidation of pesticide companies may lead to slower
development of new materials to respond to pests’ resistance to the old ones,
he said.“The products we have now we’ll have to ride into the future,” Godfrey
said. “Be careful how you use these products so we can keep them around.”Growers
can minimize instances of pests becoming tolerant to the materials they’re
using by limiting applications, which can be done by using biological controls
and adjusting cultural practices, Godfrey advises. For instance, since rice
water weevil and armyworm infestations tend to be the most concentrated in the
outer reaches of a field, growers could limit treatment to within 50 or 75 feet
of levees, he suggests.
Another
way to minimize resistance is to rotate types of registered pesticides used
from year to year -- for example, using a pyrethroid like Mustang or Warrior
one year, then a neonicotinoid like Belay the next and an insect growth
regulator such as Dimilin in the third, he said.The advice comes as some pest control advisers have reported that pyrethroids, which have been used intensively over the last 15 years, don’t appear to control rice water weevil as well as they once did, although this has not been quantified scientifically, Godfrey noted.Moreover, armyworms have a naturally occurring level of tolerance to insecticides, and in 2015 no registered insecticide was effective in controlling large populations of armyworms in the heavy rice canopy, Godfrey explained.
Godfrey was one of nearly a dozen scientists who spoke to rotating groups of growers during the field day at the California Rice Experiment Station, which is mainly funded by the industry-supported California Rice Research Board. Other topics included weed control and the station’s efforts to develop new rice varieties.
The more than century-old research facility in the middle Sacramento Valley has long been involved in breeding projects and more recently has intensified breeding for improved overall grain quality, specialty rice and disease resistance, according to its website.
In one project, plant breeder Farman Jodari and others are developing long-grain rice, which is best grown in tropical climates, for production in the more temperate California weather. The scientists are working to maximize superior cooking quality, yield potential and resistance to cold and diseases.
“I was excited the day I got here and I continue to be excited about the future of long-grains in California with its moderate climate,” Jodari said.
Medium-grain varieties take up the lion’s share of rice acreage in California — 390,000 of this year’s anticipated 427,000 total acres, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.The annual field day is sponsored by the UC and the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation
http://www.capitalpress.com/California/20160901/rice-growers-urged-to-use-pesticides-wisely-to-avoid-resistance
KenChaux launches organic rice products in Mer Rouge
Buy
Ken
Chaux brand organic brown and white rice already dots store shelves across
Louisiana and after a formal product launch Wednesday night in Mer Rouge,
KenRice Pac LLC founders expect the product to appear in even more stores in
the near future.Meryl Kennedy Farr and her three sisters, Patchez Fox, Felicity
Kemmerly and Chantel Dixon, launched the company in response to consumer demand
for organic and natural products and increased requests for such a product from
Kennedy Rice customers.“We have seen the growth of organic and natural products
over the past few years," Farr said, "and we know there is a
significant opportunity to supply high quality U.S. grown rice to retailers and
consumers. We are excited to share the news of our new product line under the
KenChaux brand."In conjunction with the product launch, KenRice Pac partnered with the Food Bank of NELA and United Way of NELA to prepare over 15,000 meal kits that will be distributed to families in need throughout northeast Louisiana through the Food Bank.Jean Toth, food bank director, said each meal would feed up to six people and would be easy for a family to prepare and serve.“Part of our vision at KenRice Pac is supporting sustainable farming practices and giving back to the communities that support us," Farr said.United Way and Food Bank volunteers and KenChaux workers exceeded the 15,000 meal goal on Wednesday by over 200 meals.
http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/local/2016/08/31/kenchaux-launches-organic-rice-products-mer-rouge/89678894/
Myanmar looks to new rice agreement with
Jakarta
1 Sep 2016 at 14:52
WRITER: MYANMAR TIMES
A farmer walks along a dyke in a rice field in
Thailand. (Bangkok Post file photo)
YANGON, Myanmar - The governments of Indonesia
and Myanmar will sign a memorandum of understanding next month on continued
rice exports, but the two commerce ministers then face an unresolved issue over
payment for a previous shipment that failed to comply with Indonesian
regulations.Commerce Minister U Than Myint will travel to Indonesia on
September 13 for an MoU signing ceremony, after which he and his Indonesian
counterpart will discuss the terms of a new export agreement, the ministry has
confirmed.The new contract for rice exports will involve private sector
exporters and buyers, thus officials from the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) and
MAPCO will be involved in discussion about exactly how much rice Myanmar will
export and at what price.The original government-to-government agreement with
Indonesia was signed by Myanmar’s previous government in April 2013. But
Indonesia only approached Myanmar for rice imports in 2015.
Under the terms of the old agreement Myanmar
could have exported 100,000 tonnes in the 2015-16 fiscal year, but due to
widespread flooding it managed only 20,000, according to U Nay Lin Zin, joint
secretary of the MRF.
The MRF expects the new MoU to allow Myanmar to
export 300,000 tonnes of rice to Indonesia each fiscal year – more than 20% of
the total rice exports in 2015-16. Myanmar exported 1.3 million tonnes of rice
that year, down from 1.5 million in 2014-15, according to the MRF.U Nay Lin Zin
said extending the agreement with Indonesia was a positive move for the local
industry.
“The Philipinnes also wants to sign an MoU with
Myanmar for rice exports, but price negotiations are still ongoing,” he said.
Myanmar has been too reliant on exporting rice to China, and it was time for
the country to broaden its trade relations to new markets, he added.But the
commerce ministers will have to help settle a months-long dispute over payment
for a shipment that MAPCO made to Indonesia in March, which a Myanmar
delegation to Indonesia in June failed to resolve.MAPCO sent almost 14,000
tonnes of rice to the port of Surabaya, which failed to meet new Indonesian
food safety regulations. The imported rice was not tested at an
Indonesian-government approved laboratory, because MAPCO was unaware of the new
rules.As a result it sat unloaded at the port for months, racking up a
demurrage charge of around $1.8 million.
“Despite two months of delays at the port,
Myanmar’s rice quality is still good and perhaps good enough to satisfy
Indonesia. That’s why we are planning to renew the contract,” said U Khin Maung
Lwin, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Commerce.MAPCO’s executive
director U Thaung Win said Myanmar has prepared a system of laboratory
certification and so similar difficulties in the future are unlikely. But
Indonesia’s state-run Bureau of Logistics, known as Bulog, has paid MAPCO for
less than half of the $5.3 million shipment, and MAPCO has still not paid the
demurrage charge.
MAPCO is seeking a 70% discount on the charge,
but as of mid-August Bulog had offered just 15% to 20%. The deadline for Bulog
to pay was extended from July 31 to August 31, and has now been extended to
mid-September with the commerce ministers scheduled to debate the matter after
the signing ceremony, said U Ye Min Aung, MAPCO’s managing director and the general
secretary of the MRF, told The Myanmar Times.
Once the discounted demurrage charge is paid,
Bulog is expected to pay for the rest of the shipment, he said.The Bangkok Post
Rice Prices
as on : 01-09-2016 08:10:34 PMArrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bangalore(Kar)
|
2408.00
|
1.22
|
175842.00
|
3800
|
3800
|
-11.63
|
|
Bhivandi(Mah)
|
1700.00
|
-73.81
|
69899.00
|
2580
|
2550
|
17.27
|
|
Varanasi(Grain)(UP)
|
200.00
|
-28.57
|
510.00
|
2150
|
2140
|
-
|
|
Wansi(UP)
|
200.00
|
1011.11
|
307.50
|
2100
|
2110
|
7.69
|
|
Gondal(UP)
|
175.00
|
-45.99
|
15125.10
|
2010
|
2085
|
1.26
|
|
Asansol(WB)
|
133.00
|
0.76
|
3167.50
|
2600
|
2600
|
10.64
|
|
Bahraich(UP)
|
114.00
|
1.79
|
5163.00
|
2195
|
2190
|
6.30
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
100.00
|
-13.79
|
21053.50
|
2240
|
2245
|
2.52
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
90.00
|
-5.26
|
7619.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
20.51
|
|
Siliguri(WB)
|
85.00
|
-8.6
|
6956.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
-
|
|
Aligarh(UP)
|
80.00
|
-5.88
|
5425.00
|
2420
|
2400
|
14.15
|
|
Devariya(UP)
|
80.00
|
NC
|
160.00
|
2270
|
2250
|
-
|
|
Mathabhanga(WB)
|
80.00
|
-11.11
|
5720.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
25.64
|
|
Sindhanur(Kar)
|
70.00
|
288.89
|
88.00
|
2100
|
2500
|
-
|
|
Thodupuzha(Ker)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
4060.00
|
2900
|
2600
|
16.00
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
63.00
|
12.5
|
6376.00
|
2320
|
2420
|
7.41
|
|
Ballia(UP)
|
60.00
|
20
|
7910.00
|
2070
|
2060
|
3.50
|
|
Beldanga(WB)
|
55.00
|
22.22
|
2888.00
|
2450
|
2500
|
4.26
|
|
Kolar(Kar)
|
52.00
|
4
|
314.00
|
1866
|
1700
|
16.63
|
|
Srirampur(ASM)
|
50.00
|
-79.17
|
4825.00
|
3000
|
2700
|
17.65
|
|
Achalda(UP)
|
37.00
|
32.14
|
4265.50
|
2240
|
2245
|
0.45
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
33.00
|
275
|
1880.50
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Bareilly(UP)
|
30.10
|
-35.27
|
8206.70
|
2375
|
2400
|
7.95
|
|
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
|
27.00
|
8
|
941.00
|
2650
|
2650
|
-11.67
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
24.00
|
-33.33
|
2514.00
|
2420
|
2380
|
3.42
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
22.00
|
-12
|
44861.70
|
2250
|
2250
|
11.11
|
|
Ulhasnagar(Mah)
|
20.00
|
11.11
|
335.00
|
3000
|
3500
|
-
|
|
Rampur(UP)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
1049.50
|
2450
|
2440
|
12.90
|
|
Bethuadahari(WB)
|
17.00
|
6.25
|
89.00
|
3300
|
3250
|
4.76
|
|
Giridih(Jha)
|
15.36
|
-0.07
|
328.85
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
|
Shikohabad(UP)
|
15.00
|
-66.67
|
575.50
|
2100
|
1610
|
12.90
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
15.00
|
-25
|
1023.00
|
2650
|
2650
|
6.00
|
|
Dinhata(WB)
|
15.00
|
-28.57
|
118.50
|
2250
|
2050
|
11.11
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
14.00
|
16.67
|
640.50
|
2400
|
2410
|
11.63
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
14.00
|
16.67
|
1173.00
|
2650
|
2650
|
3.92
|
|
Naugarh(UP)
|
12.50
|
NC
|
940.50
|
2100
|
2110
|
8.81
|
|
Robertsganj(UP)
|
12.50
|
NC
|
753.50
|
1940
|
1945
|
4.30
|
|
Mekhliganj(WB)
|
12.50
|
-16.67
|
891.50
|
2350
|
2350
|
23.68
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
12.00
|
NC
|
2161.00
|
3600
|
3600
|
-
|
|
Pukhrayan(UP)
|
12.00
|
9.09
|
311.50
|
2200
|
2215
|
2.33
|
|
Meerut(UP)
|
12.00
|
-53.85
|
757.50
|
2350
|
2320
|
7.31
|
|
Atarra(UP)
|
11.00
|
-12
|
118.50
|
2150
|
2200
|
10.26
|
|
Alappuzha(Ker)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
210.00
|
4600
|
4150
|
22.67
|
|
Banda(UP)
|
10.00
|
-16.67
|
523.50
|
2275
|
2240
|
-
|
|
Khair(UP)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
216.00
|
2400
|
2360
|
24.35
|
|
Sheoraphuly(WB)
|
10.00
|
42.86
|
532.65
|
2750
|
2850
|
3.77
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
9.50
|
-5
|
1609.60
|
1985
|
1980
|
0.76
|
|
Divai(UP)
|
9.00
|
-18.18
|
336.00
|
2330
|
2200
|
13.11
|
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
8.00
|
33.33
|
761.10
|
2260
|
2280
|
10.78
|
|
Ranaghat(WB)
|
8.00
|
14.29
|
106.00
|
2200
|
2300
|
-6.38
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
7.70
|
-10.47
|
1490.70
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
7.00
|
75
|
717.50
|
2400
|
2300
|
-2.04
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
7.00
|
-6.67
|
1062.50
|
2700
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
Karanjia(Ori)
|
6.50
|
NC
|
402.30
|
2600
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
Jahanabad(UP)
|
6.00
|
NC
|
340.30
|
2200
|
2340
|
3.77
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
6.00
|
33.33
|
365.50
|
2400
|
2400
|
9.09
|
|
Arakalgud(Kar)
|
5.00
|
-16.67
|
11.00
|
1500
|
1350
|
-
|
|
Uluberia(WB)
|
5.00
|
-15.25
|
252.50
|
2400
|
2400
|
NC
|
|
Rura(UP)
|
4.50
|
-10
|
174.20
|
2150
|
2170
|
-4.66
|
|
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
|
4.40
|
29.41
|
157.60
|
4100
|
4200
|
NC
|
|
Haldibari(WB)
|
4.00
|
33.33
|
694.50
|
2300
|
2300
|
-13.21
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
3.40
|
-56.41
|
168.60
|
4100
|
5000
|
26.15
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
165.00
|
4000
|
4000
|
21.21
|
|
Achnera(UP)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
36.00
|
2140
|
2100
|
5.42
|
|
Jagnair(UP)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
66.00
|
2140
|
2120
|
5.42
|
|
Kalyanpur(Tri)
|
2.50
|
-
|
2.50
|
2700
|
-
|
8.00
|
|
Buland Shahr(UP)
|
2.00
|
-33.33
|
475.50
|
2240
|
2235
|
10.34
|
|
Dankaur(UP)
|
2.00
|
-60
|
7.00
|
2280
|
2050
|
-
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
71.00
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9059968.ece
Eat brown rice, give to charity -- DA 12
- September 02, 2016
Nelly Escote-Ylanan, chief of the Regional Agriculture and Fishery Information Section (RAFIS) of DA 12, emphasized that brown rice is a better alternative to the popular well-milled rice.
Brown rice is produced in a manner where during the process of milling only the hull, the outermost layer of the grain, is removed which leaves the distinct brown or tanned color. "Compared to well-milled rice, brown rice has more nutrients like protein, vitamins, fiber, mineral and antioxidants," Ylanan said.
Citing data from researches, Ylanan pointed out that polishing of rice removes 15% of its protein content, 85% of fats, 80% of thiamine, 75% of riboflavin, 68% of niacin, 90% of calcium, 75% of phosphorus, and 60% of other minerals.
To gather popular support to this advocacy, DA, in partnership with the Agricultural Training Institute and International Rice Research Institute, is taking the campaign in social media platforms with an added come-on: a chance to feed less fortunate people.
Through its #BROWN4good challenge, the DA and its partners are urging the public to order or cook brown rice; take a photo of the meal with brown rice; and post the photo on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with the hashtags #BROWN4good and #(region) -- example, #Region12 for SOCCSKSARGEN Region.
"For every #BROWN4good hashtag received, DA will donate 1 cup of brown rice to a less fortunate Filiipino," she said.Nationwide, DA seeks to gain 1 million #BROWN4good hashtags, which could mean around Php3.5 million worth of brown rice to be given to selected charitable organizations. DA 12 has a target of 50,000 #BROWN4good hashtags, which will be counted via the hashtag #Region12
Apart from the social media campaign, Ylanan revealed that DA is also encouraging farmers to practice organic rice farming for brown rice production and food establishments to include brown rice in their menu. DA is also looking for ways to bring down the cost of brown rice in markets, she added.
At present, a kilogram of brown rice in Koronadal City costs as much as Ph75 per kilo. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1611472796921/eat-brown-rice-give-to-charity----da-12#sthash.sW6SUiYI.dpuf
