Climate damage to Pakistan's cotton crop ripples through economy
By Reuters
Published: December 18, 2019
ISLAMABAD: Mahboob Ahmad
was so sure he would have a bumper crop of cotton last season that he was
planning to finally fix the date of his eldest son’s wedding.
Then
unusually heavy rains pelted Khanewal district in eastern Pakistan’s Punjab
province, destroying the cotton plants just as they were fruiting.
“All my
dreams and plans were shattered,” said Ahmad. “I am so disappointed with this
year’s loss that I may quit cotton cultivation from next year.”
Another
season of erratic weather has crippled Pakistan’s already ailing cotton sector,
resulting in lost revenue and jobs that could cost the economy more than $3
billion by the end of the fiscal year in June 2020, industry experts have
warned.
Heavy rains
and high temperatures during the whole of the cotton-growing season from April
to September severely damaged the crop, said Khalid Abdullah, cotton
commissioner and vice president of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee.
That has put
a strain on the entire textile industry, he told the Thomson Reuters
Foundation.
Most of
Pakistan’s cotton is grown in the southern part of Punjab province which
experienced unexpectedly high temperatures in August and September, even at
night, Abdullah explained.
The rest is
mainly cultivated in Sindh province in the southeast.
Together, the
heavy rains and dry spells destroyed over a third of the country’s expected
cotton harvest, according to the state-run Central Cotton Research Institute
(CCRI) in Multan, southern Punjab.
Yet again,
Pakistan’s cotton farmers have seen their cash crop devastated by unpredictable
climate extremes, said Abdullah.
“The farmers
are continuously hit by changing weather conditions,” he said.
Last year the
culprit was unusual heat which parched crops and dried up rivers in the two
regions.
Cotton is a
major driver of the economy, contributing almost 1% of GDP, according to the
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
But this
fiscal year, cotton farmers will fall drastically short of the government’s
target of 15 million bales.
To meet the
demands of its textile industry, Pakistan regularly imports cotton – mainly
from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the United States, according to the CCRI.
By June, the
country will have to bring in at least 6 million bales – almost double what it
imported last financial year, said Shahid Sattar, executive director of the All
Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).
Importing
cotton is expensive, which pushes up the overall cost of textile production, he
explained.
Figures from
the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) show that cotton, the main
raw material for the textile industry, accounts for about 70% of the basic cost
of the final garment.
“Failure of
the cotton crop translates into damage to the country’s economy,” Sattar said.
Better
forecasts
To help
farmers cope with the increasingly extreme weather, Abdullah said the Pakistan
Central Cotton Committee has directed its national seed-breeding program to
come up with new climate-resilient varieties to hand out to farmers.
Another major
problem is that most rural growers lack access to weather forecasts from the
meteorological department, he added.
And that
information is only delivered in five languages, including English and Urdu,
which is a problem for many farmers in a country where more than 70 languages
are spoken.
In a bid to
tackle the issue, in 2016 the cotton committee launched TeleCotton, a text
message service that delivers simple, clear weather information and advice to
farmers in their local language, Abdullah said.
So far, only
about 25,000 farmers have signed up, but the committee is working on
registering more users and increasing the frequency of the messages, he added.
Ahmad, the
farmer in Khanewal, said the government needed to do more to make it possible
for him to keep growing cotton – otherwise, he might have to abandon the crop
for rice.
He told the
Thomson Reuters Foundation he would like to see the government set up testing
stations in every village.
If farmers
can check the quality of their seeds and pesticides before using them, that
would go a long way to improving cotton production, he said.
“Cotton is
not only our lifeline but the lifeline of the country’s economy too,” he said.
“It needs the policymakers’ attention.”
President Akufo-Addo commended for directive on Ghana
rice
Thursday 19th
December, 2019
By Hafsa Obeng, GNA
Accra, Dec. 19, GNA – The John A. Kufuor Foundation has applauded
the directive of the President for all state institutions to procure Ghana rice
beginning next year.
It said the commendation comes at the time the advocacy to eat
Ghana rice was not new, and yet as a country there was no courage to take the
bold step in ensuring that we all begin to purchase the Ghana rice.
The Foundation in partnership with Value Chain Institutions such as
the Ghana Rice lnter-Professional Body (GRIB), the Miller’s Association of
Ghana and Hopeline Institute, have been working tirelessly in different
capacities to promote the adoption of Ghana Rice to reduce the country's
dependence on imported rice.
At a News conference in Accra, Professor Baffour Agyemang Duah,
Chief Executive Officer of the John A. Foundation said the president's
directive was appropriate, especially when local producers, together with
government and importers were working out modalities for import substitution in
the rice sector.
He said over the years, past Presidents issued lots of directives
which somehow were not respected or implemented by those responsible.
He said after years of collaborating in diverse ways mainly through
policy and advocacy for reforms in the rice sector, they found it important
that the bold step would be undertaken by government.
He said the directive would go a long way to revitalise the local
industry which declined, and help the country to become self-sufficient in rice
Prof, Ayemang Duah said the Foundation and its partners would work
out strategies for improving service delivery by developing a monitoring
mechanism to ensure that public institutions adhered to the directive of the
President.
“We shall also, in collaboration with other partners, evolve
effective and institutionalised monitoring and evaluation frameworks or
strategies for monitoring and, or evaluating the compliance with the
president’s directive.”
He also noted that the Foundation would engage further with other
state institutions to develop measures that would encourage nationwide adoption
of Ghana rice, and support the value chain actors to forge closer ties to
address the challenges of the rice sector and to create the most conducive
environment.
Prof. Agyemang Duah reiterated their commitment to create a viable
local rice sector for Ghana to become self-sufficient, as they believed that
the government’s target of achieving self-sufficiency in rice production by
2023 was achievable.
Nana Adjei Aryee II, President, Ghana Rice Inter-Professional said
the pronouncement of the president was welcoming news, which was long overdue
and gave the assurance that it would be implemented.
“We want to encourage our farmers and the financial institution to
come up with a plan to support the government’s initiative.”
GNA
https://ghananewsagency.org/social/president-akufo-addo-commended-for-directive-on-ghana-rice-161510
Rice imports to drop as inventory
stabilizes
By: Leila B. Salaverria - Reporter / @LeilasINQ
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:54 AM December 18,
2019
MANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Tuesday said rice
imports could go down next year as the country’s inventory stabilizes, and that
farmers could become more productive as the programs supported by the rice
competitiveness enhancement fund (RCEF) gather steam.
Dar made the
statement as the Commission on Appointments endorsed and eventually confirmed
his appointment to the Department of Agriculture.
Rice imports
in the country reached 3 million metric tons this year, when the Philippines
began implementing the rice tariffication law that removed quantitative
restrictions on rice.
The influx
of imports sent rice farmers reeling as the farmgate prices of palay dropped.
But Dar said
rice importation might not reach 3 million tons next year.
“If 3
million tons are here and your inventory is good for 100 days, you will need
fewer imports,” he told reporters.
During his
confirmation hearing, he also said the programs funded by the P10 billion RCEF
have started being rolled out and he expects this to lead to better rice
production.
The programs
under the RCEF consist of mechanization, distribution of high-yield seeds,
credit support, and agricultural extension.
Asked about
the lamentation of many farmers who have been abandoning their lands because of
the flood of rice imports, he said the lifting of quantitative restrictions was
a major structural reform undertaken by the country.
The rice
tariffication law provided for the RCEF which is intended to help farmers in
rice producing provinces to become not just more productive but also
competitive, he said.
But for
areas not conducive to producing rice, the alternative is to turn them to other
endeavors, such as crop diversification, he said.
“We will do
our best to really implement the law and assist now those farmers that are
badly affected,” he added.
Pressed for
concrete action by Rep. Josephine Sato of Occidental Mindoro, a rice producing
province, Dar said the P3.6 billon of the RCEF had been obligated and P5
billion for mechanization is now under proce
Rice Prices
as on :
19-12-2019 07:03:17 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in
Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
Rice
|
||||||
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
3114.00
|
3.01
|
175813.00
|
2350
|
2795
|
-
|
Bangalore(Kar)
|
2407.00
|
10.31
|
150220.00
|
4550
|
4550
|
5.81
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
350.00
|
-12.5
|
94512.50
|
2550
|
2560
|
12.33
|
Bangarpet(Kar)
|
307.00
|
43.46
|
2238.00
|
1850
|
2050
|
1.65
|
Roorkee(Utr)
|
276.00
|
10.4
|
3721.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
-
|
Siliguri(WB)
|
265.00
|
1.15
|
10328.00
|
5400
|
5400
|
-
|
Bazpur(Utr)
|
264.00
|
120.55
|
5465.50
|
2350
|
2200
|
NC
|
Kanpur(Grain)(UP)
|
250.00
|
42.86
|
8130.00
|
2280
|
2290
|
7.04
|
Hardoi(UP)
|
250.00
|
19.05
|
11740.00
|
2460
|
2420
|
10.31
|
Bindki(UP)
|
200.00
|
81.82
|
9018.00
|
2380
|
2380
|
5.31
|
Gondal(UP)
|
184.00
|
19.48
|
8818.50
|
2435
|
2435
|
-2.60
|
Bharthna(UP)
|
150.00
|
-25
|
6421.00
|
2560
|
2580
|
4.49
|
Raibareilly(UP)
|
143.00
|
-1.38
|
1335.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
15.76
|
Lucknow(UP)
|
109.00
|
-11.02
|
5233.50
|
2565
|
2575
|
10.32
|
Madhoganj(UP)
|
105.00
|
-12.5
|
4908.50
|
2280
|
2280
|
7.04
|
Ballia(UP)
|
100.00
|
100
|
3265.00
|
2340
|
2325
|
-2.90
|
Agra(UP)
|
97.00
|
2.11
|
5703.00
|
2550
|
2560
|
0.39
|
Choubepur(UP)
|
97.00
|
-1.52
|
2093.80
|
2360
|
2350
|
0.43
|
Gorakhpur(UP)
|
96.00
|
16.79
|
356.40
|
2540
|
2470
|
13.39
|
Katwa(WB)
|
87.80
|
-0.79
|
1616.37
|
2400
|
2400
|
-
|
Allahabad(UP)
|
80.00
|
NC
|
2376.50
|
2550
|
2500
|
8.51
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
|
80.00
|
-11.11
|
5874.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
-0.37
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
80.00
|
-2.44
|
3730.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
-
|
Mainpuri(UP)
|
78.00
|
-2.5
|
5124.00
|
2535
|
2530
|
-7.82
|
Naugarh(UP)
|
77.50
|
-12.43
|
5693.50
|
2550
|
2545
|
14.09
|
Guskara(Burdwan)(WB)
|
76.50
|
-7.83
|
1889.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
NC
|
Thodupuzha(Ker)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
3570.00
|
2900
|
2900
|
-7.94
|
Mathura(UP)
|
65.00
|
4.84
|
2541.50
|
2580
|
2560
|
-4.44
|
Chintamani(Kar)
|
61.00
|
32.61
|
1685.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
21.05
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
59.00
|
7.27
|
2536.50
|
2680
|
2680
|
-1.29
|
Pandua(WB)
|
55.00
|
5.77
|
3042.00
|
3100
|
3100
|
NC
|
Sindhanur(Kar)
|
50.00
|
-50
|
394.00
|
1700
|
1700
|
19.30
|
Ghaziabad(UP)
|
50.00
|
25
|
2660.00
|
2860
|
2850
|
4.95
|
Karimpur(WB)
|
45.00
|
NC
|
1730.00
|
3550
|
3450
|
16.39
|
Kicchha(Utr)
|
43.00
|
-21.82
|
887.00
|
2325
|
2250
|
5.68
|
Bahraich(UP)
|
42.70
|
35.56
|
2615.50
|
2450
|
2445
|
2.08
|
Basti(UP)
|
40.00
|
73.91
|
1538.50
|
2460
|
2475
|
11.31
|
Khalilabad(UP)
|
40.00
|
-20
|
1245.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
9.87
|
Kasganj(UP)
|
37.00
|
428.57
|
453.00
|
2590
|
2580
|
3.19
|
Bareilly(UP)
|
36.00
|
5.88
|
2439.50
|
2575
|
2560
|
13.19
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
35.00
|
16.67
|
1218.40
|
2570
|
2580
|
11.74
|
Dahod(Guj)
|
32.40
|
620
|
905.90
|
4000
|
4000
|
-4.76
|
Partaval(UP)
|
31.50
|
26
|
623.50
|
2400
|
2400
|
5.73
|
Atarra(UP)
|
30.00
|
-14.29
|
768.00
|
2225
|
2225
|
1.14
|
Bankura Sadar(WB)
|
30.00
|
-6.25
|
1663.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
NC
|
Puranpur(UP)
|
29.50
|
-4.84
|
4850.00
|
2505
|
2510
|
10.11
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
28.00
|
19.15
|
406.20
|
2650
|
2570
|
-
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
28.00
|
-6.67
|
2531.00
|
2410
|
2400
|
6.64
|
Bhivandi(Mah)
|
27.00
|
800
|
1371.00
|
2300
|
2400
|
-0.86
|
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
|
25.50
|
1.19
|
966.00
|
4000
|
4000
|
33.33
|
Pratapgarh(UP)
|
25.00
|
8.7
|
371.00
|
2410
|
2385
|
7.59
|
Dadri(UP)
|
25.00
|
NC
|
1763.00
|
2860
|
2880
|
7.92
|
Chorichora(UP)
|
25.00
|
13.64
|
548.00
|
2545
|
2560
|
13.62
|
Jangipura(UP)
|
25.00
|
8.7
|
1298.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
1.32
|
Lalitpur(UP)
|
23.50
|
-30.88
|
1955.00
|
2375
|
2350
|
-14.72
|
Mangalore(Kar)
|
23.00
|
-14.81
|
238.00
|
3700
|
3665
|
2.78
|
Sitapur(UP)
|
22.50
|
4.65
|
1226.00
|
2455
|
2460
|
9.60
|
Jayas(UP)
|
22.10
|
57.86
|
1467.40
|
1980
|
1980
|
2.86
|
Pukhrayan(UP)
|
22.00
|
-37.14
|
838.00
|
2200
|
2180
|
1.85
|
Badayoun(UP)
|
21.00
|
-4.55
|
1133.50
|
2600
|
2610
|
14.29
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
3860.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
NC
|
Jaunpur(UP)
|
20.00
|
-28.57
|
1329.20
|
2330
|
2340
|
0.43
|
Mohamadabad(UP)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
471.00
|
2680
|
2680
|
-
|
Falakata(WB)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
1280.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
-1.89
|
Jafarganj(UP)
|
19.00
|
5.56
|
1244.00
|
2460
|
2520
|
0.41
|
Asansol(WB)
|
18.90
|
2.16
|
2368.48
|
2900
|
2900
|
-3.33
|
Durgapur(WB)
|
18.60
|
1.09
|
1741.30
|
2700
|
2700
|
-5.26
|
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
|
18.00
|
-10
|
2427.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
NC
|
Saidpurhat (UP)
|
17.00
|
NC
|
426.00
|
3140
|
3200
|
8.28
|
Banda(UP)
|
16.00
|
33.33
|
364.50
|
2250
|
2275
|
3.69
|
Farukhabad(UP)
|
16.00
|
-5.88
|
1216.50
|
2750
|
2750
|
3.38
|
Akbarpur(UP)
|
15.20
|
-27.62
|
1096.60
|
2360
|
2360
|
6.31
|
Safdarganj(UP)
|
15.00
|
50
|
903.00
|
2480
|
2480
|
8.77
|
Ghatal(WB)
|
15.00
|
20
|
591.50
|
2650
|
2650
|
6.00
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
15.00
|
25
|
827.00
|
3150
|
3150
|
5.00
|
Sirsaganj(UP)
|
14.50
|
-3.33
|
773.00
|
2620
|
2610
|
-4.73
|
Kannauj(UP)
|
12.00
|
-4
|
609.50
|
2700
|
2700
|
10.20
|
Lalganj(UP)
|
11.00
|
41.03
|
524.60
|
2000
|
2000
|
18.34
|
Chikkamagalore(Kar)
|
10.00
|
-
|
20.00
|
2340
|
-
|
17.00
|
Vilthararoad(UP)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
1041.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
NC
|
Vishalpur(UP)
|
10.00
|
53.85
|
819.80
|
2610
|
2595
|
13.48
|
Jhijhank(UP)
|
10.00
|
25
|
90.00
|
2250
|
2260
|
-
|
Purulia(WB)
|
10.00
|
-37.5
|
322.00
|
2620
|
2620
|
NC
|
Shamli(UP)
|
9.50
|
-52.5
|
386.00
|
2700
|
2675
|
-3.57
|
Auraiya(UP)
|
9.00
|
350
|
485.60
|
2560
|
2550
|
21.90
|
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
|
8.50
|
-54.05
|
158.80
|
3000
|
3000
|
NC
|
Tamkuhi Road(UP)
|
8.40
|
-5.62
|
754.60
|
2150
|
2150
|
NC
|
Karjat(Mah)
|
8.00
|
-
|
16.00
|
4500
|
-
|
28.57
|
Etah(UP)
|
8.00
|
33.33
|
379.50
|
2560
|
2570
|
1.59
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
7.50
|
-6.25
|
449.50
|
2430
|
2435
|
5.65
|
Hailakandi(ASM)
|
7.00
|
16.67
|
182.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
2.08
|
Etawah(UP)
|
7.00
|
-92.63
|
3716.00
|
2500
|
2570
|
4.17
|
Raath(UP)
|
7.00
|
-36.36
|
50.00
|
2000
|
2000
|
NC
|
Bijnaur(UP)
|
6.50
|
-23.53
|
163.10
|
2585
|
2575
|
12.39
|
Jhansi(UP)
|
6.00
|
50
|
191.10
|
2345
|
2350
|
-1.88
|
Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB)
|
6.00
|
-20
|
614.60
|
2600
|
2600
|
-1.89
|
Baberu(UP)
|
5.80
|
28.89
|
99.10
|
2300
|
2290
|
6.48
|
Risia(UP)
|
5.50
|
NC
|
32.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
Shikohabad(UP)
|
5.00
|
-50
|
359.50
|
2400
|
2450
|
-12.73
|
Tundla(UP)
|
5.00
|
-9.09
|
330.70
|
2560
|
2560
|
1.19
|
Gadaura(UP)
|
4.50
|
28.57
|
645.10
|
2400
|
2400
|
14.29
|
Kosikalan(UP)
|
4.20
|
-2.33
|
300.70
|
2545
|
2540
|
-1.36
|
Mahoba(UP)
|
4.20
|
-19.23
|
369.50
|
2325
|
2315
|
-
|
Mangaon(Mah)
|
4.00
|
33.33
|
134.00
|
3500
|
3500
|
25.00
|
Achalda(UP)
|
4.00
|
-33.33
|
145.30
|
2550
|
2560
|
34.21
|
Buland Shahr(UP)
|
4.00
|
NC
|
238.80
|
2655
|
2650
|
1.34
|
Tulsipur(UP)
|
4.00
|
100
|
116.40
|
2430
|
2430
|
-
|
Khatra(WB)
|
4.00
|
NC
|
637.00
|
2650
|
2650
|
NC
|
Nadia(WB)
|
4.00
|
-33.33
|
574.00
|
3750
|
3750
|
-1.32
|
Jahangirabad(UP)
|
3.00
|
-25
|
253.50
|
2525
|
2525
|
-1.94
|
Anandnagar(UP)
|
2.60
|
18.18
|
283.40
|
2530
|
2535
|
12.44
|
Charra(UP)
|
2.30
|
-11.54
|
90.00
|
2545
|
2540
|
0.79
|
Panichowki(Kumarghat)(Tri)
|
1.80
|
NC
|
15.40
|
2980
|
2950
|
1.36
|
Muskara(UP)
|
1.50
|
7.14
|
57.40
|
2300
|
2260
|
2.22
|
Nandyal(AP)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
66.00
|
4250
|
3900
|
-
|
Jambusar(Kaavi)(Guj)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
129.00
|
3200
|
3200
|
3.23
|
Moodigere(Kar)
|
1.00
|
-
|
2.00
|
3000
|
-
|
-
|
Penugonda(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
44.00
|
4090
|
4090
|
0.25
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
142.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
86.67
|
Murud(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
143.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
86.67
|
Mawana(UP)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
44.00
|
2730
|
2710
|
-
|
Gurusarai(UP)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
20.60
|
2500
|
2500
|
11.11
|
Wazirganj(UP)
|
1.00
|
-16.67
|
26.60
|
2580
|
2570
|
-
|
Ujhani(UP)
|
0.80
|
-20
|
46.40
|
2570
|
2560
|
13.22
|
Published
on December
19, 2019
Broken rice export fetches over $ 48 m in two months
PUBLISHED 18 DECEMBER 2019
From October 1 to November 29 in 2019-20 FY, Myanmar earned 48.413
million US dollars from exports of 0.1866 million tons of broken rice to 38
countries, according to the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).
During this period, Myanmar earned over 17 million US dollars from
exports of 64,900 tons of broken rice to Indonesia.
In addition, Myanmar exported 27,500 tons of broken rice worth
seven million US dollars to Belgium, 5,000 tons of broken rice worth more than
one million USD to Mali and around 5,000 tons worth over one million USD to
Thailand.
Myanmar exports rice and broken rice to the EU and African markets
via marine route and to China via Muse border gate.
In 2018-19 FY, Myanmar earned 709.693 million US dollars from
exports of 2.355 million tons of rice and broken rice, according to the
MRF.
In 2017-18 FY, Myanmar’s rice and broken rice export hit a record
high of nearly 3.6 million tons during over 50 years.
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices Open- December 18, 2019
DECEMBER 18, 2019 / 5:18 PM
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-December 18, 2018
Nagpur, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Gram prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture
Produce and Marketing Company (APMC) here on good demand from local millers
amid tight supply from producing regions. Notable rise in Madhya Pradesh gram
prices and repeated enquireis from South-based millers also helped to push up
prices. About 100 bags of gram reported for auction, according to sources.
GRAM
* Desi gram reported higher in open market on increased demand from
local traders.
TUAR * Tuar Karnataka reported down in open market here in absence
of buyers.
* Lakhodi dal recovered strongly in open market here on good demand
from local
traders amid tight supply from producing region.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,100-5,300, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,000-8,200,
Udid Mogar (clean)
– 9,500-10,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,300-9,200, Gram –
4,000-4,100, Gram Super best
– 5,500-5,700 * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a
narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading
activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100
kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,650-3,950 3,600-4,050
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 4,800-5,265
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500
Wheat Lokwan Auction 2,000-2,125 2,000-2,116
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 5,700-5,900 5,700-5,900
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,250-4,350 4,250-4,350
Desi gram Raw 4,250-4,350 4,300-4,350
Gram Kabuli 8,500-10,000 8,500-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,300-8,500 8,300-8,500
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 7,900-8,100 7,900-8,100
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,400-7,700 7,400-7,700
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 6,800-7,300 6,800-7,300
Tuar Gavarani New 5,250-5,350 5,250-5,350
Tuar Karnataka 5,750-5,850 5,800-5,900
Masoor dal best 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Masoor dal medium 5,300-5,400 5,300-5,400
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 9,000-9,700 9,000-10,000
Moong Mogar Medium 8,000-8,500 8,000-8,800
Moong dal Chilka New 7,500-8,200 7,700-8,500
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 10,000-11,000 10,000-11,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 7,200-7,700 7,200-7,700
Mot (100 INR/KG) 6,700-7,500 6,700-7,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,900-5,100 4,850-5,050
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,650-5,850 5,650-5,850
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 9,000-9,200 9,000-9,200
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,450 2,350-2,450
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,150-2,250 2,150-2,250
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,800 2,700-2,800
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700 2,600-2,700
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,200 3,600-4,200
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice BPT best new (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600
Rice BPT medium new(100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,100 3,000-3,100
Rice Swarna best new (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800
Rice Swarna medium new (100 INR/KG)2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice HMT best new (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,200 4,000-4,200
Rice HMT medium new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,800-4,000
Rice Shriram best new(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Rice Shriram med new (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best new 100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,500 5,300-5,500
Rice Chinnor medium new(100 INR/KG)5,000-5,200 5,000-5,200
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 27.7 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 13.1 degree Celsius Rainfall :
Nil FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be
around 28 degree Celsius and 13 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not
available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices,
but included in market prices)
Cambodia exports up 6.4 pct in 10
months
Xinhua, December 18, 2019
PHNOM PENH, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) --
Cambodia exported products worth 10.8 billion U.S. dollars under the
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) during the first 10 months of 2019, up
6.4 percent over the same period last year, said a Commerce Ministry's report
on Wednesday.
In its status as a Least Developed
Country, Cambodia has received GSP from many countries, which allow its
products to be exported to their markets with reduced tariffs or duty-free.
Speaking at the Commerce Ministry's
annual conference, Lay Soksaokunthea, head of the Commerce Ministry's General
Department of Administration and Finance, said garment, textile and footwear
products accounted for 68 percent, or 7.35 billion dollars, of the exported
products under the GSP.
Rice attributed 2.6 percent, or 286
million dollars, to the exported goods, he added.
Cambodian products, mostly garment,
textile and footwear, have been shipped to Europe, the United States, Canada,
and some Asian countries including China, Japan, and South Korea.
Cambodia's Commerce Minister Pan
Sorasak said, overall, Cambodia's export in 2019 was good, though earlier this
year the European Union imposed duties on rice importing from the country.
"The growth of our exports to
major markets such as the United States, Canada, and China this year is similar
to that of last year," he said at the conference. "We are expanding
our markets to some countries in Eastern Europe and are trying to export more
products to potential markets such as China, Japan and South Korea."
Enditem
PH rice inventory up 30% in Nov
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:06 AM December 18,
2019
The country’s rice inventory in November rose by 30 percent from month-ago
level as imports continue to come into the country, government data showed.
The
Philippine Statistics Authority reported in its monthly rice and corn inventory
that rice stocks reached 2.96 million metric tons during the month. This was,
however, lower by 1.3 percent than the year-ago level.
Economic
managers said that last year was an abnormal year for the rice sector
considering the artificial shortage caused by the National Food Authority
(NFA), which led to rising rice prices. Rice supply rose significantly after a
series of importation.
Relative to
the inventory level a year ago, rice stored in households and commercial
warehouses declined by 2 percent and 26.7 percent, respectively. However, a
surge of 334.8 percent was recorded in NFA depositories.
This sudden
uptick was due to President Duterte’s directive to the grains agency to beef up
its stocks with local palay through aggressive procurement as a means to help
Filipino farmers cope with tightening competition in the market due to rice
importation.
In the
meantime, the Department of Agriculture is set to distribute P5,000 worth of
cash aid to each of the 600,000 small-scale farmers who were most affected by
the initial impact of the rice liberalization law.
Of the total
rice stocks during the month, 51.5 percent were held by households; 33.1
percent in commercial warehouses, and 15.3 percent in NFA warehouses. INQ
Civil supplies wing told
to explore green alternatives
VIJAYAWADA, DECEMBER 19, 2019 08:39 IST
Packaging
materials made of cloth, paper fit the bill: GoM panel
The Andhra Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation
Limited has been asked to take the green route and explore the use of
environmentally-friendly biodegradable packaging materials like paper and cloth
for financial and operational feasibility.
The Group of Ministers’ Committee
constituted to suggest ways for supply of quality rice in packed form under the
Public Distribution System (PDS), has asked the department to shift to the
alternatives for packaging material.
The committee also wants the
department to re-collect the poly propylene (PP) bags from the beneficiaries
and arrange for reverse logistics of these bags for recycling as a measure to
curtail environmental damage.
Quality rice
At its first meeting on August
20, the committee discussed supply of rice with improved quality at the
doorstep of the beneficiaries in tamper-proof packets through village or ward
volunteers.
It has been decided that for
every 100 kg of rice supplied by the department to the rice millers, the latter
will provide 92.5 kg of rice in the packet sizes of 5 kg, 10 kg, 15 kg and 20
kg bags.
The Civil Supplies Corporation
will supply the packaging material and will bear the transportation charges
from the godown to the rice mill and from the rice mill to the mandal or
village level stock points.
The miller will be allowed to
retain the by-product to cover its charges of grading, packaging, loading and unloading
but they will have to return the gunny bags to the corporation.
It has been made clear to the
rice millers that they will have to deliver only Swarna and equivalent variety
of rice to the corporation without mixing other varieties under custom-milled
rice.
Incentives
The Group of Ministers, at their
meetings, focussed on key issues such as negotiations with the rice millers on
charges/incentives to be paid to them for supplying improved quality or
product, to finalise the packaging machinery and the material to be used for
bags.
The incentives will be paid also
to recommend appropriate measures to encourage small and medium rice mills to
install sorting machines that can sort rice according to the colour differences
of granular materials in raw rice like stone, bad rice, half-husked rice, etc,
and participate in the government’s new programme.
Duterte tries to tame
hunger through rice imports
Analysis
By Vincent Mariel P. Galang
Reporter
Reporter
NILO BINALANGBANG, 61, has been
tilling two hectares of land in Occidental Mindoro — one of the rice-producing
provinces south of the Philippine capital — for about 20 years now.
He is one of about 10 million
rice farmers affected by falling palay prices after a new law allowed cheap
imported rice to enter the country. Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice
Tariffication Law, also freed the National Food Authority of its mandate to
import the grain after it was given a P7-billion budget to obtain it locally.
“The government failed to solve
the issue of tariff,” Mr. Binalangbang said in an interview. “We never felt the
support of the government. It never came.”
The Rice Tariffication Law seeks
to make rice — a highly political commodity in the Philippines given its
importance as a staple food and a major source of employment for millions of
Filipinos — affordable to consumers, while raising the income of farmers. The
law’s main goal is to ensure food security.
But critics noted that since the
law took effect in March, rice consumer prices have indeed gone down, but not
low enough as originally expected. The buying prices for farmers’ palay, on the
other hand, have continued to go down.
As of last month, average retail
prices of regular milled and well-milled rice had fallen to P36.70 and P41.53 a
kilo respectively, according to Philippine Statistics Authority data. These
fell short of economic managers’ P25 a kilo projection for the staple. The
average palay price fell 22.6% from a year earlier to P15.52 a kilo.
A total of 3.72 million metric
tons (MT) of imported rice is expected to arrive by yearend, which represents
26% of the country’s annual requirement, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar
said last month. This would make the Philippines the world’s biggest importer
of rice this year, beating China.
Palay production for 2019 is
expected to reach 18.49 million MT, which is 15% short of the country’s annual
need.
The Philippines produced 19.07
million MT of palay in 2018, 1.1% lower than a year earlier as harvested areas
and yield declined 0.2% and 0.9%, respectively, according to the statistics
agency.
Some rice farmers have opted to
sell their land or shift to planting a different crop as farmgate prices
continue to fall. Some farmers now sell their harvest for P14 a kilo — a level
set by local buyers — to be able to earn, lower than the P19 a kilo of the
NFA’s buying price.
Prices so far dissuaded farmers
from planting.
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte now relies on the liberalization of rice imports for food security, after pushing self-sufficiency for years.
The government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte now relies on the liberalization of rice imports for food security, after pushing self-sufficiency for years.
The current policy begs the
question: is rice self-sufficiency no longer needed?
Rosario Bella Guzman, and
economist and executive editor at IBON Foundation, argued that the Rice
Tariffication Law jeopardizes food security. “The Philippines has now embarked
on import liberalization of its staple, a dangerous path not just for the
country’s food security, but more importantly, for that elusive economic
development,” Ms. Guzman wrote on the Web site of the Philippine Institute for
Development Studies state think-tank a month after the measure took effect.
She cited the “narrow” global
rice market, with only 9.7% of global production ending up in the global market
in 2018. “Contrary to what President Duterte and his economic managers are
saying that Filipinos should no longer aspire for self-sufficiency, the
rice-producing world is consuming more than 90% of the rice produced where it
is produced,” Ms. Guzman said.
“Even the country’s
self-sufficiency ratio in 2017 was 93%. It is inconceivable therefore that the
government is declaring that rice-producing Philippines, whose average
self-sufficiency ratio in the last 30 years is 91%, should now simply rely on
importation,” she said.
Ms. Guzman said economic managers
pushing for import reliance contest the capacity of local farmers to feed the
nation.
But she also noted that government
statistics on average rice consumption is inaccurate and outdated.
“Despite lack of wisdom, the
Duterte government has painted a picture that the country can never be rice
self-sufficient.”
But Roehlano M. Briones, a PIDS
research fellow, said rice self-sufficiency in the Philippines is impractical
given the big budget needed to subsidize farmers. “You provide huge subsidies
or production support in the order of tens of billions of pesos. But obviously,
nobody wants to pay that price, so it’s not a practical policy.”
Rolando T. Dy, executive director
of the Center for Food and Agri Business of the University of Asia and the
Pacific, said the state should focus instead on increasing farmers’ income and
production. “If the farmers are productive and profitable, we may be able to
reduce imports, and if they are productive, who knows?” Mr. Dy said. “But on
the other hand, we have only so much money to address agriculture-related
poverty.”
Rice shortage, price hike loom – FEF
Due To Rice
Import Suspension
MANILA, Philippines – The
Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) is warning of “significant shortages” and
“increased rice prices” in the country following President Duterte’s recent
order to suspend rice importation.
In a statement issued yesterday,
the FEF called on President Duterte to reverse his decision to stop all rice
importation as the group cited its adverse effects on the country.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel
Piñol last week said Duterte ordered him to stop the importation of rice to
protect the country’s farmers.
“Stopping all rice importation is
a dangerous policy that could lead to significant shortages and increased rice
prices. The country is not self-sufficient in rice production. Stopping rice
imports even during rice harvest season will put upward pressure on rice prices
and lead to significant hikes, worsening hunger and poverty in the country,”
the FEF said.
Rice self-sufficiency, the group
said, is neither a desirable, nor a practical objective for the Philippines
given its archipelagic nature and because it does not have vast lands and giant
river systems like Vietnam and Thailand which enable them to plant and harvest
rice several times a year.
“Instead, the Philippines should
rely on international trade to guarantee food security, just as Malaysia and
Singapore have done. Furthermore, the country can forge a rice security pact
with fellow ASEAN members, such as Vietnam and Thailand, to guarantee rice
supply in the Philippines in case of global shortage,” the FEF said.
The group pointed out that
allowing only the National Food Authority (NFA) to import rice is the wrong
policy, saying the “government is a poor judge of the timing of rice imports.”
“We believe that neither allowing
the NFA to solely import rice, nor stopping all rice imports, is good for the
Filipino consumer or the Filipino rice farmer,” the FEF said.
“Typhoons can hit the country at
anytime and destroy rice crops. Neither is the government equipped to respond
quickly to a rice shortage given its bureaucratic procedures. A delay in
importing rice will lead to considerable spikes in rice prices and make rice
more unaffordable to the poor,” the group said.
Instead of having the NFA
maintain its monopoly on rice importation, the FEF urges the government to
liberalize rice imports.
By doing so, the group said the
government would not incur debt to finance the importation.
The FEF said decisions to import
are best left to the market since it is in the interest of suppliers to import
at the lowest possible price and in an amount that would not lead to an
oversupply.
“We, thus, call on the Duterte
administration to remove the NFA monopoly on rice importation and liberalize
the rice trade. We support the tariffication of rice imports and the use of
tariff revenues to help rice farmers to either shift production to higher-value
crops or increase productivity,” the FEF said.
“We believe that rice import
liberalization will lead to lower rice prices, lower consumer inflation, and
higher disposable income for the working class. It will make manufacturing more
competitive since rice, which is the single biggest source of calories for
workers, will become more affordable,” it added.
The FEF, an advocacy organization
for free market reforms, well-defined and secure property rights, consumer welfare
and good governance, counts among its members former and present cabinet
secretaries and undersecretaries, as well as those from the business and
finance community.
We're Ready To Produce Quality Local Rice -
Sucryza Distributors
By News Desk
Sucryza Distributors Limited, an
importer of rice and sugar in Ghana says it is ready to venture into the
production and sale of local rice.
According to the company, a team from Vietnam is in the country
to assist with the process.
The campaign for Ghanaians to consume local produce, especially
rice, took on a new turn when former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John
Agyekum Kufuor and John Mahama, joined President Akufo-Addo to urge Ghanaians
to patronise the product and support the local economy.
President Akufo-Addo during his recently held media encounter
also directed all public and government institutions to start using local rice
for all public programmes and activities.
After a meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture and some
major rice importers, the government further announced plans to ban rice
importation by 2022.
Speaking on the development, Country Director of Sucryza
Distributors Limited , Nabin Pandey said, the decision to venture into the
production of local rice is not only to support the campaign but to position
the company for the future.
According to him, the Happy Family Ghana Rice, as their brand
will be named, is going to be launched in the last week of December 2019.
“All the artworks and everything have been processed and we have
done a lot of hard work on this. We really appreciate a lot of the advocacy
ongoing about Ghana Rice; we have always been at the forefront for the
promotion of Ghana Rice.
“We also know there is a big gap between imported rice and Ghana
Rice. There’s a huge difference but the difference is going to be minimised
because our management team from Vietnam has been in the country since the last
week of November,” he added.
The President is firm on the enforcement of Maximum Retail Price
on rice and other gazetted essential items
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has
directed Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) that immediate steps be taken to
enforce the declared Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) and ensure uninterrupted
market supply of essential goods during this festive season which times
consumers are vulnerable to market manipulation. Recently, the Authority has
gazetted a MRP on rice at Rs. 98/kg. This decision was arrived at by the
Cabinet of Ministers having consulted the major suppliers and verified stock
positions in the country.
Major millers agreed that they
will mark this price at their rice packets and ensure their retail distribution
network will sell such rice at this price. However, there are complaints that
this is not complied with in several places. Therefore, the CAA is instructed
to check the market supply situation to deploy a team to check the stock and
daily releases at rice milling supply stations. The CAA should also initiate
immediate actions to check the rice suppliers at Pettah and other major
markets.
Further, rice millers and traders
should appreciate that the government is making its best endeavors to develop
the rice industry and it is the responsibility of the millers and traders to
ensure supply conditions in the market without compelling undue import of rice
or other form of government interventions to the market operations. Since
2019-2020 Maha cultivation Season has begun and the harvest is expected from
late January 2020, the farmers must be given maximum comfort to expand their
cultivation while consumers are given the opportunity to have affordable prices
at this festive season. There is no reason to fear supply shortages.
The government has also relaxed
the restriction on import of wheat flour with a view to promote market
competition and availability of wheat flour at affordable prices particularly
in support of urban and plantation working community during this season.
The government has already
reduced VAT rate from 15 percent to 8 percent, removed 2 percent NBT and
several other indirect taxes with a view to reduce the high cost-of-living on
the one hand and to create business friendly environment to promote supply
activities in the country on the other. Rice millers and traders will also
benefit from the removal of Economic Service Charge (ESC) and concessions
announced by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
However, observations have been
made that prices of some commodities have not come down satisfactorily. Prices
of all food items, cosmetics, building materials and many other items must
reflect corresponding price reduction. Therefore, CAA have been instructed to
summon all sector groups involving supplying such commodities and request them
to pass down this benefit to the consumers and also to communicate to the
market effectively on a regular basis.
Customs seizes 2,540 bags of rice
• N34.6b generated
Agency
Reporter
Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service seized 2,540
bags of 50kg foreign rice during the partial closure of the border, Comptroller
Abdullahi Zulkifli has said.
He added that the command generated N34.6 billion between
January and November.
Zulkifli spoke on Wednesday in Ibadan at the command’s end of year
news briefing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other items seized
include 12 used cars, 15 bags of sugar, 500 pieces of tyres, 40 bales of used
clothes, 25 means of conveyance and 101 bags of Indian hemp.
Zulkifli said the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) on the seized
items stood at N142,896,113.
He said the border drill exercise had assisted in promoting
national security, curbing illegal migration, encouraging local farmers and
increasing revenue generation, among others.
The comptroller, however, said that some recalcitrant smugglers
still devised other means of smuggling goods despite the partial border
closure.
He said most of the goods were concealed in trucks and vehicles
meant for carrying out legitimate businesses and conveyance of commuters.
Zulkifli said: “The command has been doing well in the area of
revenue generation, having generated N34,686,875,967 from January to November,
as against N21,954,286,381 generated in 2018.”
He said the command made 313 seizures and arrested 24 suspects
within the period under review.
Zulkifli said 21 of the suspects were on administrative bail,
adding that two had been convicted and one still in court.
He hailed the officers and men of the command for working to
achieve set goals.
NAN reports that awards were given to three officers for
performing well.
The awardees are AC Amusan John, Officer in-charge of Igbeti
outstation, CSC Adewole Moses, Officer in-charge of Operations and ASC Idowu
Gafar, Officer-in-charge of Anti-fly patrol.
Climate change is hurting
farmers – even seeds are under threat
Professor of Crop Production, University of Reading
Disclosure
statement
Richard Ellis works for The
University of Reading and receives funding from a range of sponsors including
DEFRA, the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, and the Crop Trust (via ILRI). He
is Principal Investigator of the National Fruit Collection, a Trustee of the
National Fruit Collections Trust, and a Director of the World Vegetable Center.
But climate change can also have a knock-on impact on farming by
affecting the quality of seeds, making it harder to establish seedlings that
then grow into mature, food-producing plants. My research group has recently
published a study showing that even brief periods of high
temperature or drought can reduce seed quality in rice, depending on exactly
when they occur in the seed’s development.
Nonetheless, it is possible to breed improved varieties to help
crops adapt to the changing climate. And the resources needed to do this are
being collected and conserved in “genebanks”, libraries of seeds conserving
crop plant diversity for future use.
In much of the developing world in particular, the supply of
affordable, good-quality seed limits farmers’ ability to establish crops. Seeds
need to be stored between harvest and later sowing and poor-quality seeds don’t
survive very long in storage. Once planted, low-quality
seeds are less likely to emerge as seedlings and more likely to
fail later on, producing a lower plant density in the field and a lower crop
yield as a result.
For this reason, investigating seed quality is an important way
of assessing such effects of climate on cereal crop production. We already know
that climate change can reduce the quality of cereal seeds used for food, food
ingredients and for planting future crops.
The main factor that affects seed quality in this way tends
to be temperature, but the amount and timing of rainfall is also important. This impact can come from
changes in average weather patterns, but short periods of extreme temperature
or rainfall are just as important when they coincide with
sensitive stages in crop development. For example, research in the
1990s revealed that brief high temperature periods during and
immediately before a crop flowers reduces the number of seeds produced and
therefore the resulting grain yield in many cereal crops.
Our research has now confirmed that seed
quality in rice is damaged most when brief hot spells coincide with early seed
development. It also revealed that drought during the early development of the
seeds also reduces their quality at maturity. And, unsurprisingly, the damage
is even greater when both these things happen together.
In contrast, warmer temperatures later in the maturation process can
benefit rice seed quality as the seeds dry out. But flooding
that submerges the seed can also cause damage, which gets
worse the later it occurs during maturation. This shows why we
have to include the effects of changing rainfall as well as temperature and the
precise timing of extreme weather when looking at how seed quality is affected.
Future seeds
Our research has also shown that different seed varieties have
different levels of resilience to these environmental stresses. This means that
farming in the future will depend on selecting and breeding the right varieties
to respond to the changing climate.
The world now has a global network of genebanks storing seeds
from a wide variety of plants, which helps safeguard their genetic diversity.
For example, the International Rice Genebank maintains
more than 130,000 samples of cultivated species of rice, its wild relatives and
closely-related species, while the AfricaRice
genebank maintains 20,000 samples.
Our finding mean that, when scientists breed new crop varieties
using genebank samples as “parents”, they should include the ability to produce
high-quality seed in stressful environments in the variety’s selected traits.
In this way, we should be able to produce new varieties of seeds that can
withstand the increasingly extreme pressures of climate change.