Asian importers out to
sabotage local rice production –Agric Minister
By DORIS OBINNA
“As at December 3, 2014, Popular Farms and Mills had exceeded
their approved quota by 300, 204.53MT and Olam by 110, 163.63MT, a combined
total of 410, 368.16MT,” he said.Owing to the excess importation without
government’s approval, he said the two companies were to pay the Federal
Government N28. 299 billion.“Popular Farms and Mills owes the treasury N19.379
billion in unpaid levies, while Olam owes the treasury N9.02
billion. Together these two Asian companies owe the Federal Government
N28.399 billion.”He lamented that rather than pay the levies, “the two Asian
companies wrote letters to the minister asking for a revision of their rice
import quotas. Olam asked for 400, 000MT rice import quota to cover the
quantities of rice that they had gone ahead to import (or still desire to
import) without any approved quotas or DRPP as required, but a mere agreement
with Nigeria Customs that they would pay the duties due once the quota
allocations are out. They pleaded with the minister of agriculture to no avail
as he insisted everyone must follow the transparent and rigorous methodology on
issuance of quotas.”
Vowing that the Asian companies must pay the money owed the
Federal Government, Adesina said: “Every company must follow the rules and
there are no sacred cows. The days are gone when they can bribe to get what
they want. I will not allow them to scuttle our self-sufficiency drive in rice
production. I cannot be bought or bribed. These two companies, Olam and Popular
Farms and Mills, owe N28.399 billion and they must pay for the excess rice they
imported above their allowed quotas at preferential rate.”The minister also
revealed that other Asian companies importing rice into the country exceeded
their allocated quotas and, therefore, owed the Federal Government.
“Three other companies, Conti-Agro, Central Trading and Export,
and African Farms with no domestic rice production plan, have imported 98,
285MT of rice without approved quotas and owe the treasury N8.16
billion. All these five companies owe the Nigerian government a
total of N36.56 billion,” he said, insisting that every company must pay “what
is due for excess volume they were allotted to import or for rice imported
without a quota.”On his resolved to ensure that the right thing was done, the
minister said: “I will not be intimidated. I will not be bought or corrupted. I
will not sell my country to any foreign company. The president has given us a
clear marching order to make Nigerian self sufficient in rice and we will fully
achieve this.
Thai Rice To Be Promoted
In Hong Kong
BANGKOK, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- Commerce Minister General
Chatchai Sarikulya will visit Hong Kong from Jan 16-17 to promote Thai rice, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.The
ministry's Department of Foreign Trade reported on Tuesday that the minister
will lead a delegation of Thai rice exporters to meet Hong Kong's secretary for
commerce and economic development to discuss trade relations, especially those
concerning rice.The official report said the Thai delegation will also meet
chairs of Hong Kong's three rice importers' associations which have played
important roles in importing and distributing Thai rice to local restaurants
and households.
The report noted that the Thai commerce minister will
also witness the signing of a letter of intent (LOI) on bilateral cooperation
to promote Thai rice and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Thai rice
exporters and Hong Kong's rice importers.According to the official report, both
pacts should involve the trade of 100,000 tonnes of rice and should be a good
sign for an increase in market share for Thai rice in Hong Kong.The Ministry of
Commerce will also present the Best Friend of Thai Rice Award to seven key
importers of Thai rice in Hong Kong.
BERNAMA
BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=1100452
Texas rice producers to gather for production planning
President Obama's planned initiative to ease embargo
restrictions on Cuba is some of the best news rice producers have heard in 40
years.
In spite of multiple and consecutive years of major setbacks for
Texas rice producers, the century-old tradition of growing long grain rice in
the state remains an important and viable industry to the individuals and
communities it serves.While a shortage of water for irrigation, persistent pest
management challenges and competition from foreign rice producers, among other
issues, continue to hamper Texas and Western rice belt producers, not all news
is bad.
Dwight Roberts, CEO of the US Rice Producers Federation in
Houston, said President Obama's planned initiative to ease embargo restrictions
on Cuba is some of the best news rice producers have heard in 40 years."I
had the excitement of a 5year old on Christmas," Roberts said to
Federation members last month through the group's newsletter. "This is
more than just about rice. A new relationship initiative sends such an important
message throughout Latin America and will bring much needed respect for the USA
from throughout the region.
"While the release of the five Cuban prisoners arrested in
Miami in 1998 was the administration’s first step toward normalizing relations
with the island nation, a great deal of opposition to lifting the embargo
remains.Conservative lawmakers have threatened to take legal action if
President Obama goes forward with his plan without approval from Congress. But
Roberts believes the usefulness of the embargo is long past and says lost
business opportunities as a result of the embargo amount to about $1.2 billion
per year.
Even many conservative-leaning business and industry leaders say
the U.S. economy could profit from normalized relations, and most grain
producers favor the Cuba initiative.Roberts says the news about Cuba is not the
only positive development for rice producers. In addition to the possibility of
opening new rice markets in the Caribbean, recent news that Mexico is imposing
a 20 percent import tax for rice of Asian origin strengthens the U.S. rice
industry's ties with its largest customer and clears the way for additional
exports.
http://southwestfarmpress.com/grains/texas-rice-producers-gather-production-planning
Stocking up for the low season
Tue, 13 January 2015
“Our operation is going
on well. We predict that for 2015-2016 harvest season, our stock capacity will
be triple the size of what it is now,” Puy said.The CRB is a private sector
initiative established by local millers aiming to better manage market
fluctuations in Cambodia’s rice industry.The bank is attempting to stem the flow
of informal, or over-the-border, paddy trade during the harvest season when
paddy supply peaks and it aims to have rice on hand for millers to access
during the low season when supply is low.“Every year, millers always find it
difficult to buy paddy during April to June and I think at that period, we can
sell all our stock pile,” Puy added.
”David Van, senior adviser of the Cambodia Rice Federation, said
despite some hold ups from individual investors, the private sector has been
able to venture into territory where the government and donors had failed. “At
least the private sector gets things moving with its own limited resources,” he
said. “Most countries have their agricultural sector fully subsidised by their
governments but not in Cambodia and thus the private sector must fend for
itself first.”Van also called on the government and donors to work more closely
with the private sector in development of their proposed “warehousing receipt”
concept that uses paddy stock as collateral for loans.
Contact author: Hor
Kimsay
Meetings
highlight rice prices, new varieties
Nikki Henderson
01/13/2015 10:51 AM
01/13/2015 10:57 AM
A meeting for north Louisiana farmers will be held
between 9 a.m. and noon Feb. 12 at the Delhi Civic Center, 232 Denver St., in
Delhi.Farmers could start planting their crop in early March.At the sessions,
LSU AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell said fertilizer applications have a
direct effect on yields.Harrell said Agronomy studies at the LSU AgCenter Rice
Research Station near Crowley have shown that the best results are obtained
from applying fertilizer on dry ground along with a urease inhibitor, like
Agrotain, that prevents nitrogen from decomposing rapidly.Two-thirds of a
crop’s nitrogen fertilizer should be applied preflood, with the remainder at
midseason, he said. Applying phosphorus fertilizer when the crop
needs it is also important, and waiting until the pre-flood stage to apply
phosphorus fertilizer can reduce yields by 12 percent.
AgCenter rice breeder Steve Linscombe said two new
long-grain Clearfield lines are being grown now in Puerto Rico and will be
grown as foundation seed in 2015 at the Rice Research Station. He said
both lines have good yields with improved blast resistance and lower
chalk than CL151.A new Clearfield medium-grain line being grown in Puerto Rico
has improved yield, grain appearance and lodging resistance over
CL271.Linscombe said checkoff money provided by farmers is essential to funding
the winter nursery in Puerto Rico. Linscombe said, “If we didn’t have the
checkoff funds, we wouldn’t have Puerto Rico.”
At the Acadia Parish meeting, Jerry Leonards, a farmer and chairman of the Acadia Parish Rice Growers sociation, said studies done at the Rice Research Station are critical to rice farmers.
At the Acadia Parish meeting, Jerry Leonards, a farmer and chairman of the Acadia Parish Rice Growers sociation, said studies done at the Rice Research Station are critical to rice farmers.
Linscombe said, “If it weren’t for these people, we’d
probably be out of business by now."Linscombe said work on hybrids
continues, with the possibility of a seed increase for a hybrid line in the
next year or two.The work on the new Provisia herbicide-resistant rice is
making progress with yield testing being conducted in Argentina on 13 lines. Linscombe said, “We are looking at
getting one of these lines out as quickly as possible." AgCenter weed scientist Eric Webster
said the Provisia herbicide will extend the life of the Clearfield system by
offering an alternative technology to control red rice.Webster said
farmers should be starting their burndown of weeds in preparation for planting.
He urged
farmers to be aggressive early against small weeds and use the full rate
of herbicides.Nealley’s sprangletop weed is becoming more of a problem for
farmers after midseason. Webster said, “It grows about an inch a day. RiceStar
is effective against the weed."Farmers who know they have weeds resistant
to herbicides should use alternative chemistry to control the problem.AgCenter
plant pathologist Don Groth said farmers should consider whether they need to
use a fungicide. Groth said, “If
you don’t have disease, you’re not going to get any benefit from using a
fungicide.
"Groth cautioned farmers against using excessive
amounts of fertilizer that could result in increased diseases problems of
bacterial panicle blight and smut.AgCenter entomologist Mike Stout said
the Mexican rice borer continues its spread eastward after it was found in
Calcasieu Parish in 2008.Seed treatments offer the best control for rice
water weevils, and the Dermacor option provides some control against armyworms
and stem borers.
He said using Cruiser and Nipsit seed treatments help early planted rice deal with cold stress.AgCenter reproductive physiologist Glen Gentry said research on controlling wild pigs is being conducted at the Dean Lee and Idlewild research stations. One system involves the use of sodium nitrite mixed with a bait, but it’s unknown if the chemical will threaten the Louisiana black bear.AgCenter soybean specialist Ron Levy said Louisiana farmers have shown in the past few years that Louisiana can produce soybean yields comparable with those grown in the Midwest. He said a new fungicide will be released this year to control aerial blight disease.
AgCenter economist Mike Salassi said long-grain rice
prices are low because of a 12 percent increase in the amount of rice on
the market. He said much of that can be attributed to the 400,000 -acre
increase in Arkansas last year for a total of 1.4 million acres that
produced roughly half of the rice grown in the U.S.Salassi said long-range
projections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture don’t offer much hope for a
price increase in the coming months.John Morgan, of the Louisiana Rice
Mill, told farmers at the Vermilion Parish meeting that international buyers
are demanding better quality.
He said
Central American buyers who once preferred American rice are turning to Uruguay
for long-grain rice because they are not pleased with the quality of some
of the rice they are getting from the U.S.Morgan said, “They are paying more
for South American rice than our rice."He said the large number of
varieties being grown now has resulted in inconsistent quality, and Central
American buyers have complained about large amounts of chalky rice.The
quality problem appears to originate from the Arkansas rice industry. Morgran
said, “I think our guys do a pretty good job of growing for demand and
segregating their rice.
"He said the quality issue may even be a reason
why more U.S. rice isn’t being purchased by Iraq.Louisiana Rice Mill has
started separating rice varieties in its storage system to make it easier to
meet customer demand. Morgan said higher-quality rice sold to the mill
last year brought 75 cents more per barrel.
Vietnam aims to increase
rice exports
Business Desk
Viet Nam News
Publication Date : 13-01-2015
Vietnam will focus on Africa, West and South Asian markets to
boost rice exports amidst harsh competition anticipated this year, according to
the ministry of industry and trade.Those markets saw rising demands for rice,
the ministry's Department of Africa, Western and Southern Asia Markets said.The
department cited statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the
United Nations, which stated that rice consumption in Africa, with a population
of more than 1 billion, was estimated at some 24 million tonnes per year and
rising.Since 2009, Africa has imported 8-10 million tonnes of rice annually,
worth between US$3.5 - 5 billion.
The department pointed out that import demands for
rice in West and Southern Asia were also high. However, currently many countries,
such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bangladesh, mainly imported rice from Thailand
or India.Statistics from the Vietnam General Department of Customs showed that,
as of November 2014, Vietnamese rice was exported to 46 of 78 markets in
Africa, Western and Southern Asia markets, with a total turnover of about
US$410 million.Rice exports to major markets, including Ivory Coast, Angola,
and Cameroon, however, declined sharply last year due to price competition from
Thailand, India and Pakistan.The decline was also attributed to the impact from
the Ebola epidemic, which struck several West Africa countries.The ministry
believes there are significant potentials for Vietnam to expand rice exports
into these markets this year.
Among measures being undertaken to boost rice
exports, the ministry said, included negotiating memoranda of understanding
(MoU) to sell rice to the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Angola, Mozambique and
Madagascar.Also, marketing and promotional efforts would be strengthened, while
co-ordination with other governmental agencies involved in
agro-forestry-fisheries exports would be improved.Support to provide market
information and opportunities, along with the establishment of warehouses in
major markets, such as Cameroon, Angola, and Mozambique, would also be provided
to make it easier for Vietnamese exporters to expand into those markets.
2014 was a difficult year for rice exports from
Vietnam due to the impact of oversupply, high inventories and significant
pressure from the competition, besides the impact from El Nino, Ebola and
political unrest in several regions.Statistics showed that as of November, rice
export from Vietnam reached 6.062 million tonnes, valued at US$2.8 billion,
down 2.3 per cent in volume, while up 2.6 per cent in value. Rice exports for
the full year were expected to be 6.5 million tonnes.As difficulties for rice
exports were expected to continue this year, the ministry urged keeping a close
watch on market fluctuations and expanding exports to new and potential market,
while enhancing the quality of Vietnamese rice.
Mexico imposes 20 per cent tax on rice imports.
Beginning January 9, Vietnamese rice included a tax rate of 20 per cent when
imported to Mexico and a rate of 9 per cent was applied on paddy-raised
rice.The tax increase seeks to protect Mexico's rice production, after Mexican
rice cultivation declined by nearly 88 per cent after the country's free trade
policies in rice imports came into force.The Vietnam Food Association noted
that Mexico was a new potential customer for rice exports from Vietnam.
Palay price in South Cotabato sinks to P13.50 per kilo
January 13, 2015
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KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Jan. 13 (PIA)
-- The peaking of the harvest
season has farmers of South Cotabato concerned. This, according
to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG), is because the expected harvest has also
brought steep drop in buying prices this week, which could persist for several weeks more.“Based on our
monitoring the buying price of palay in
South Cotabato at present ranges
from P13.50 per kilo
to P15.00 per kilo,” Justina Navarrete,
OIC provincial
agriculturist, confirmed in
an interview. “In the past few weeks,
commercial traders in the area bought
palay at prices ranging from P18 per kilo to P19 per kilo.”
Citing the principle of supply and demand, the agriculture official attributed the decrease in the buying price to the peaking
of the harvest season in the area.“Some
10,800 hectares of
rice are set
for harvest in January, which we
believe has led price
speculators and local
traders to offer lower prices.”“Farmers are
really worried, so I called up
a meeting with the
National Food Authority and
the Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Council to provide
solutions to this problem,” Navarrete
said.
During the discussion,
officials of NFA South Cotabato assured that they have
sufficient existing funds
for the procurement of palay and
that they could request for replenishment
in case more
funds are needed.“Rice
growers have the option to sell their
produce to the NFA
where they could get
better price for their
palay,” she said.
NFA’s subsidized buying
price remains at P17 per
kilo.
It also provides additional
incentives such as 40 centavos
for individual farmers
for delivery and
drying fees and up
to 70
centavos for cooperatives,
organizations and associations for
delivery and drying
fees and cooperative development
incentive fund. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)
Thai govt aims to sell 17 mln tonnes of stockpiled rice over 2 years
BANGKOK
Jan 13 (Reuters) - Thailand's government plans to
sell around 17 million tonnes of rice over the next two years from stockpiles
built up under the previous administration's failed buying programme, the
commerce ministry said on Tuesday, announcing a new series of tenders.Thailand
was the world's top rice exporter for decades until its grain became
uncompetitive under the buying scheme brought in by ousted former Prime
Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after she won election in 2011.The scheme paid
farmers well above market rates for their crops and the Finance Ministry, in
its most recent estimate, said it caused losses of more than $15 billion to the
state, although that would be reduced if grain is sold.
"We have set up a plan to sell 17.8 million
tonnes of rice within a two-year timeframe," Chutima Bunyapraphasara,
permanent secretary at the ministry, told reporters.The aim is to sell 10
million tonnes this year and 7 million in 2016, she added.Terms of reference
for a tender for 1 million tonnes would be announced on Jan. 20, she said,
adding that the ministry would hold two or three tenders from January to
March.The authorities have held four, smaller tenders since the military seized
power last May and have sold 681,740 tonnes for around 6.36 billion baht ($194
million), Chutima said.
Government-to-government deals have been done for
larger amounts, of which 570,000 tonnes had so far been shipped or was about to
be shipped this month, she added.An audit conducted after the military seized
power in May suggested that only 10 percent of the grain in the stockpiles was
of standard export quality. The buying scheme effectively lapsed in early 2014
when political turmoil meant Yingluck's government was unable to pay farmers
for their grain.Thailand's parliament began an impeachment hearing against
Yingluck on Friday over her role in the subsidy programme.
Critics denounced it as a wasteful handout to
supporters of Yingluck and her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, another former
premier ousted by the military.The country exported around 10.8 million tonnes
of rice in 2014, a record high, according to the commerce ministry.Its previous
record of 10.4 million tonnes was reported in 2011, after which India took over
as top exporter.
Thailand is experiencing drought in eight
provinces, which will cut its 2015 off-season crop output by more than 30
percent, according to the latest report from the Office of Agricultural
Economics.The smaller harvest is unlikely to have a big impact on global
prices, which are still under pressure from Thailand's stockpiles and bumper
output in rival exporters India and Vietnam. ($1 = 32.8400 baht) (Reporting by
Kaweewit Kaewjinda; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Alan Raybould)
Legal actions taken against more than
100 partners of contract in rice pledging scheme
Date : 12 มกราคม 2558
BANGKOK, 12 January 2015 (NNT) - The National Rice Policy and
Management Committee presses charges against partners of contract in the rice
pledging scheme operated by the previous administration. Permanent Secretary
for Commerce Chutima Boonyapraphatson on Monday traveled to meet police
officers to sue partners of contract in the rice pledging scheme on grounds of
theft, embezzlement and fraudulent. Relevant documents were submitted to the
investigators to be used as evidence.
There are more than 100 partners of contract who face the charges.
Most of them were allegedly involved in selling substandard rice to the
program. Ms. Chutima said civil servants who were aware of or had taken part in
the wrongdoing would face both disciplinary and criminal actions. Their cases
would be forwarded to investigators and the National Anti-Corruption Commission
for further investigations, she said.
Nigeria: Rice Importers Owe FG N36.5 Billion in Unpaid Duties, Says
Agric Minister
"There is N36.56 billion owed to Government by foreign importers
of rice (and a few local ones) who wish to run their own rice policy,"
says Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.Adesina
told media executives in Lagos on Tuesday that contrary to speculations in a
section of the media, "there is no N40 billion missing, rather, there is
N36.56 billion owed to Government... ".He said that the Federal
Government's policy of encouraging local production of rice, with a view to
attaining self-sufficiency in the sector, was giving sleepless nights to those
determined to undermine the policy.
Adesina noted that now that Nigerians have become major investors
in the local rice sector, "the fear of competition... .and their
unwillingness to pay to the treasury billions of Naira is what is driving a
devious media campaign against the rice quota allocation".He said that to
encourage investment in local rice production and milling, the Presidency
approved an import duty differential on rice (brown or polished)imported by
rice investors, compared to rice traders."Investors that have milling
capacity with verified Domestic Rice Production Plans (DRPP) enjoy an import
duty of 10 per cent and levy 20 per cent, while traders will pay an import duty
of 10 per cent and levy 60 per cent.
"The new rice policy also stated that importation of brown or
polished rice should be limited to the national supply gap for import-grade
rice to be determined by an inter-ministerial committee."Without waiting
for the determination of supply gap by the inter-ministerial committees or
issuance of quotas, two Asian companies--Popular Farms and Mills, owned by
Stallion Group; and Olam, had imported 390,145.53MT and 244,126.63MT
respectively, of polished rice as at December 3, 2014, at the preferential duty
of 10 per cent and levy 20 per cent" .
According to the minister, Popular Farm and Mills imported
390,143MT, instead of the 89,939 approved quota and hence, liable to pay N2.2
billion as tariff on approved quota, and N17.2 billion as tariff on excess
import, bringing its total indebtedness to Nigeria to N19.37 billion.He said
that on the other hand, Olam imported 244,126MT as against the 133,963 approved
for it, thereby owing Nigeria N9.03 million as duty payable on both approved
quota and excess import.
Adesina said that three other importers would also have to pay
about N8 billion to the Federal Government on the same issues, bringing the
total to N36.56 billion.The minister said, "The national supply gap of
import grade rice is expected to decline to one million MT in 2015, 0.3MT in
2016 and to zero in 2017 when the country is expected to become self-reliant in
rice production."
According to the minister, it has been discovered that some of the
rice importers are bagging rice produced in Nigeria, passing them as foreign,
because the nation has succeeded in bridging the quality gap with good quality
seedlings and adequate processing plants.Adesina said that the government's
effort in making rice and other food stuffs available locally had prevented the
country from experiencing high inflation, and that the move was being applauded
by foreign governments and international organisations.
(NAN)
Ministries discuss rice production structure
Date : 13 มกราคม 2558
This meeting took into
consideration the information from the MOAC on the different strains of rice
and the targeted rice grains production plan with the in-stock rice, export
figures, domestic consumption, and rice market information form the MOC. The
adjustment of the rice production structure is expected to balance the demand
and the supply of rice in the market by the year 2019. This meeting concluded
that relevant information on rice production structure, both supply and demand,
must be made clear by 23 January 2015 and be submitted to the National Rice
Policy Committee’s consideration by the end of January.
Coming
soon: gluten-free Coors
"Our brewers have
developed a proprietary brewing process that is specifically designed to
deliver a 100% gluten free beer worthy of the Coors name."Big food brands
have increasingly added gluten-free offerings to their portfolios in recent
years. But until now mainstream beer brands have largely stayed on the
sidelines. Anheuser-Busch in 2006 launched a gluten-free brand called Redbridge
that is made with sorghum and is available nationally. But it has remained a
relatively niche brand.MillerCoors plans to give some local marketing support
to Peak in Seattle and Portland. But the brewer is not eyeing national
distribution at the moment. "Given production limitations, there are
currently no plans to expand beyond [Seattle and Portland]," the brewer
stated in the distributor memo.
A BARLEY SUBSTITUTE
To make the beer gluten-free, Coors will replace barley with
brown rice, malted brown rice and protein from peas, a spokesman said. The beer
also must also be made separately from beers that contain gluten in order to
comply with gluten-free certification rules.In an email, MillerCoors described
Coors Peak as a "light to medium-bodied crisp copper lager" with a
"malty, slight caramel profile offset by subtly spicy hops and the finish
is slightly bitter, crisp and perfectly balanced." The beer contains 170
calories per 12-ounce serving. While big brewers have cautiously crept into the
gluten-free beer segment, they have capitalized on the trend via their hard
cider brands, which are naturally gluten free.
Nigeria: Rice Importation - Olam, Popular Farm, Others Owe
FG N36 Billion - Minister
By Olushola Bello
Olam Central Trading and Export, a popular farm and mills
enterprise, and three other companies owe the Nigerian government N36.56
billion for rice import above their quota allocation, the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has stated.The ministry, in a press
statement, also denied the allegation by a group, Stakeholders in the Rice
Industry, that it granted waivers and rice import quotas indiscriminately to
investors who had no verifiable investment in the industry, causing a N40 billion
loss in government revenue.
According to the ministry, Nigerians need to be aware that there is
no N40 billion missing; rather, there is N36.56 billion owed to government by
some foreign importers of rice.According to the data obtained from the Nigerian
Customs Service by the ministry, one of the firms, Popular Farm, imported
300,204.53 million metric tonnes (MT) in excess of its quota and is owing the
government N19.38 billion, while Olam imported 244,126.63 MT in excess of its
quota and is owing N9.03 billion. Others are Conti-Agro, Central Trading and
Export and African Farms which imported 98,285MT of rice without approved
quotas and are indebted to the tune of N8.16 billion.Also, from July 1, 2014 to
December 3, 2014, a total volume of rice import of 1.12 billion MT, valued at
N73.45 billion, was imported by 48 rice importers.
The minister of agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said that every
company must pay the government what is due it for the excess volume of they
were allocated to import or for rice imported without a quota."All who owe
the federal government must pay what they owe and Nigeria must lose no single
naira. No amount of malicious misrepresentation will derail the new rice
policy," he said.He pointed out that with the devaluation of the naira,
all hands must be on deck to ensure that all leakages are blocked, and that the
president had given its officers the marching orders to make Nigerian
self-sufficient in rice, a task the ministry is keen to achieve.
LEADERSHIP recalls that in May 2014, a new rice policy was approved
by President Goodluck Jonathan to encourage investment in local rice production
and milling through the introduction of an import duty differential on
imported.One of the conditions precedent to import quota allocation includes
investors that have milling capacity with verified Domestic Rice Production
Plans (DRPP). They are to enjoy an import duty of 10 percent and levy of 20
percent while traders will pay an import duty of 10 percent and levy 60
percent.The ministry noted that the matter at hand was not the first time that
foreign importers had tried to derail government rice self-sufficiency policy.
"They have always sabotaged every rice policy of the federal
government, even the efforts of the presidential initiatives on rice put in
place between 2001 and 2003 by the government."Nigerian farmers have shown
an impressive performance in response to government's new rice policy that
favours local rice production and milling. Nigeria has grown in paddy
production from 4.5 million MT in 2012 to 10.7 million MT in 2014," the
statement noted.At stakeholders' meetings and consultations with members of the
Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN) and Rice Importers and Distributors
Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN), a national supply gap of 1.5million MT was
determined.
The national supply gap of import grade rice is expected to decline
to 1.0 million MT in 2016 and to zero in 2017, when the country is expected to
become self-reliant in rice production, when new rice mill being purchased by
investors, such as Dangote Group, Honeywell, Wacot, to mention few, come on
board.Following, a transparent exercise was conducted by FMARD to allocate 1.3
million MT of rice quotas, out of the 1.5 million MT national supply gap of
import-grade rice, to deserving companies.
Asia’s Invisible Women Farmers
women, who provide more than half of the agricultural labor input
in Asia. Science and Development Network | January 13, 2015 | Editorials
AsianScientist (Jan. 13, 2015) - By Crispin Maslog - Women hold up half the
sky, so goes the Chinese saying. Yet in the developing countries of Asia, they
do not get half the credit for it. In the field of agriculture, women have been
especially invisible to scientists.
“The work women do, no matter where it is, doesn’t count. If the
work goes unpaid, it is ‘housework’, and if it is paid, it is simply ‘farm
labor’. Neither term recognizes the true value of the contributions women make
to the food-producing capacity of Asia,” say social scientists Michael
Collinson and Hilary Sims Feldstein, who produced a gender study on rice
farming systems for the Consortium of International Agricultural Research
Centers (CGIAR). Yet, both stress: “Women are major participants in the rice
growing regions of Asia. In Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, women
provide up to half the labor input in rice production.
” In India and Bangladesh, women do as much as 80 percent of the
work. Invisible role of women in farms Other scientists have also pointed out
that women are often the most important decision makers in the household. They
manage the household budget, decide the amount of rice to be kept for
consumption and for sale, and buy farm inputs like pesticides when they go to
the town market. The role of women in Asian rural life is growing with
urbanisation. As men are drawn to the cities to find jobs, the women are left
behind to manage families and make decisions on the farms. But Asian
agricultural scientists were slow to recognize this, and in the isolation of
their labs, continued to develop technologies for men on Asian farms. These
scientists could not see that technology is not necessarily gender neutral,
Thelma Paris, a gender specialist at the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI), tells SciDev.Net.
Consequently, “women farmers are excluded in technology design,
testing and dissemination, and agricultural extension services. This has left
untapped the potential capabilities of women as farmers and as leaders in
agricultural development.” Paris adds that she had a hard time convincing
engineers at IRRI to develop machinery that would help ease the work of women
as this was not considered a research priority. But after years of persuasion,
IRRI engineers finally designed an ultra-light transplanter in pink colour to help
women with the backbreaking task of transplanting rice seedlings, Paris
recalls. The same narrow focus characterises agricultural extension workers.
Typically, their advisory services on improved crop establishment techniques
involve only men, although in most rice communities, women take care of seed
nurseries as well as uprooting/pulling seedlings.
Even social scientists have fallen into this trap. When doing
surveys on rural poverty, they interview only the men as heads of household.
The wife’s occupation is automatically recorded as housewife although she
provides unpaid labor in almost all agriculture-related activities (crop
production, postharvest and livestock management activities). Women’s
contributions to household income, although small, are also often unrecorded.
Broadening gender perspectives Thankfully this narrow-mindedness on the part of
agricultural science research is changing. Since the mid-1980s, Paris notes,
“social scientists led by IRRI have started making Asian women in farms visible
in agricultural statistics by quantifying their labour inputs in rice
production per hectare and by disaggregating unpaid family and paid hired
labour of male and female workers.
” These data, she says, have provided evidence that although
women’s contributions vary across countries, their contributions total to about
half in Cambodia and Indonesia, up to half in Thailand, and more than half in
Vietnam and Laos. In the Philippines, women participation in rice production is
about a quarter but their participation in farm management decisions about
inputs and hiring of labor is higher than the women in other countries of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Programmes like Women in Rice Farming Systems (WIRFS) have worked
to address gender issues in agriculture, enhance gender analysis in research
for technology development, recruit and train more women scientists and
professionals, and develop and disseminate teaching and communication materials
to promote understanding of gender analysis in research. WIRFS launched a model
project in a Philippine village in 1986 to demonstrate how a gender-sensitive
approach to science and development could work. Among the outcomes of that
project was the design of a micro rice mill powered by a small motor—the first
technology intentionally designed for women.
The micro rice mill meant the women did not have to pound the
unhusked rice to process the rice for cooking, reducing the drudgery of women’s
work on the farm. In Thailand, the WIRFS project on integrated pest management
primarily involved women. IRRI entomologist Kong Luen Heong narrated how they
were surprised when visiting farming villages to find only women farmers since
the men had all gone to the cities to work. But they found out in a survey that
the women did not know how to properly use agro-chemicals on their rice crops.
Only the men had attended government training programs on pest management.
Heong, however, noted that women farmers tend to be more receptive to new ideas
while men tend to be more dogmatic. Women are more sensitive to the health
effects of spraying.
This realisztion led to the inclusion of women in pest management
training programs and projects. The pioneering work of the WIRFS program since
its inception 30 years ago should be a model for others. It has raised
awareness about the role of women in rural Asia and made people realize that
Asian women, hitherto invisible, may even be holding up more than their half of
the sky. Crispin Maslog is a Manila-based consultant for the Asian Institute of
Journalism and Communication. A former journalist, professor and environmental
activist, he worked for the Press Foundation of Asia and the International Rice
Research Institute. ------- Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at:
FG’s new rice policy raises hope for robust business
activities at port
The Federal Government’s new policy
on rice, which has reversed the duty paid on imported rice from 110 percent
(100 percent levy and 10 percent duty) to 30 percent (20 percent levy plus 10
percent duty) for rice millers and 70 percent (60 percent levy plus 10 percent
duty) for other importers, has created fresh hope for increased importation of
rice through the nation’s seaports this year.
Industry close watchers believe that the new policy, which
allocates import quotas at 30 percent duty to people who have invested in rice
production and existing millers, will not only help in bridging the gap created
by insufficient local production but also reduce the alarming revenue loss due
to drop in the volume of imported rice.Statistics from Federal Ministry of
Agriculture show that Nigerians consume about 5 million metric tonnes of rice
annually, which sums to about 100 million 50kg bags of rice, putting the total
consumption of rice in excess of N1 trillion annually at a minimum price of
N10,000 per 50kg of bag.
Also, about 2.9 million metric tonnes, which amounts to 58 million
50kg bags of rice, is the estimated quantity of rice that is produced locally
while the remaining 2.1 million metric tonnes used to be imported into the
country through the seaports.Going down memory lane, however, it would be recalled that the
volume of imported rice recorded a drastic drop in 2013 when the Federal
Government commenced the implementation of 110 percent duty on rice such that
over N110 billion revenue loss was also recorded.At that time, rice cargo, which
used to be the mainstay of Apapa port, dropped as a break bulk handling port
stopped coming into the Apapa port, and this affected the revenue collection of
Customs, affirmed Charles Edike, Customs area controller of Apapa
command.
BusinessDay check reveals that rice is a commodity which Nigeria
in the past two years (during the implementation of 110 percent) lost to ports
of neighbouring countries of Cameroun, Ghana and Benin Republic most
especially. As a result, break bulk terminals like ENL Consortium Limited and
Josep Dam also counted their losses as there were little or no business
activities due to drop in the volume of imported rice.Given the 110 percent
duty, the landing cost of rice became very high for importers to pay, and this
resulted to importers preferring Benin port where the landing cost was cheaper,
said Vicky Haastrup, executive vice chairman of ENL Consortium Limited.
Haastrup, who made it clear that smuggling of rice into the
country from Benin Republic was the order of the day, and that was why the
country never recorded scarcity of foreign or imported parboiled rice in
Nigerian market, also noted that Nigeria is not self-sufficient in the
production of rice because local production could not satisfy the local demand
for 170 million population.To implement the new policy,
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is to facilitate the importation process for the
beneficiaries of the preferential levy and duty rates, while enforcing the
limit on the quantities imported in line with the approval of the
Inter-Ministerial Committee.
Nigeria Customs in a recent public notice signed by Wale Adeniyi,
public relations officer, re-assured all stakeholders of its readiness to
collaborate with other government agencies in enforcing the import quotas, including
other measures to achieve national self-sufficiency in rice production.With the
new policy, analysts see a situation where importers will start bringing back
loss rice cargo from the neighbouring ports to Nigerian port. This, they say,
will create businesses, revenue and jobs for the operators of Nigerian bulk
terminals as well as the Federal Government through Customs pending when
Nigeria becomes sufficient in rice production.
Uzoamaka Anagor
Govt threatens rice importers
over unpaid N36.56b duty
Firms
fault policy
The
companies are: Popular Farm and Mills; Olam, Central Trading and Export;
Conti-Agro and African Farms.Akinwunmi, who at a session with journalists, accused
rice importers of sabotaging the government’s policy.
But Olam
Nigeria Limited said: “there is clearly a misconception and mistake in
the policy. These rice millers are sorting this misconception and
mistake.”Three other operators also spoke in the same vein.He said the
companies imported 508,653.55 metric tons of rice in excess of the 223,902
metric tons approved by the government.
The
minister said the firms resorted to attacking the policy on rice and blackmail
rather than respect the gentleman’s agreement they reached with the Nigerian
Customs Service when they brought in their consignments.His words: “Without
waiting for determination of supply gap by the inter-ministerial committees or
issuance of quotas, two Asian companies – Popular Farms and Mills, owned by
Stallion Group and Ola -, had each imported 390,145.53 MT and 244,126.63MT
respectively of polished rice as at December 3rdat the preferential duty of 10%
and 20% levy, according to data from Nigerians Customs.
“These
two companies together imported a total of 634,270.16MT of finished rice or 56%
of the total imported finished rice under the new policy as at December 3rd, 2014.“According
to Customs, the importers agreed to pay any duty andn levy differential if
their eventual quota allocation turned out to be lower than what they have
imported.”Akinwunmi said the government will not fold its arms and watch some
foreign firms undermine its policy, which, according to him, has been designed
to encourage local rice production and discourage importation.The minister
said: “Every company must follow the rules and there are no sacred cows. I will
not allow them to scuttle our self-sufficiency drive in rice production.
These
two companies – Olam and Popular Farms and Mills – owe N28.399 billion and they
must pay for the excess rice they imported above their allowed quota at
preferential rate.“This is not the first time that foreign importers have tried
to derail government rice self-sufficiency policy. They have always sabotaged
every rice policy of the Federal Government; even the efforts of the the
Presidential Initiative on Rice put in place in 2001 and 2003 by the Federal
Government.”The minister insisted that the government policy on rice was
yielding the desired dividends as domestic rice production has increased and
the number of modern rice mills grown.He listed Dangote Group, Elephant Group,
Flour Mill and Honeywell as some of the local firms that have been enticed by
the policy to go into rice production on a large scale.
Adesina
said: “The goal is to turn importers into local producers. And that is being
achieved. For example, Dangote Group, a major importer of food in the country,
is developing 150,000 hectares of rice fields in Edo, Kebbi, Jigawa, Niger and
Kogi states that will produce one million MT of rice paddy per annum within
four years.“Elephant Group, another major rice importer, is investing $300
million on a 76,000MT/annum mill and a 10,000Ha farm in Oyo State. These are
all investments that have been publicly announced.”“The Asians are getting good
competitors in our local firms and they are not happy. Dangote Group is
investing $1 billion; Flour Mill ($218 million); Elephant Group ($300 million);
and Honeywell ($213 million)
He said:
“Nigerian entrepreneurs have also seen the opportunity created by the increased
paddy production; rice mills have risen from just one integrated rice mill in
2010 to twenty rice mills today, with a combined capacity of 700,000MT
annum.“The use of certified improved seeds by farmers led to high quality
uniform paddy which greatly increased the marketability of rice from out local
integrated millers comparable with import-grade, high quality rice. According
to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), price of local rice has
consistently been lower than that of imported rice; no wonder some unscrupulous
importers bag local rice and sell it as imported rice.”
Registered Dietitians' Nutrition
Forecast Bodes Well for U.S. Rice
On trend with RDs and consumers:
"Think Rice!"
ARLINGTON, VA -- A survey of more than 500 registered dietitians
(RD) reveals the food trends that will dictate consumer choices in 2015, many
of which are good news for rice. The
"What's Trending in Nutrition" survey, conducted by Pollock
Communications and Today's Dietitian, show top trends include: a continuing
interest in gluten-free eating; a desire for non-GMO, locally sourced,
eco-friendly foods; and an increased awareness of "clean eating"
diets.
"U.S.-grown rice hits all of the points mentioned in this
research - we're gluten-free, GMO-free, locally-grown, and can help people eat
healthy diets," says Fred Zaunbrecher, a Louisiana rice farmer and
chairman of the USA Rice Federation's Domestic Promotion Committee. "Additionally, we also have a great
environmental story to tell, so I think rice will be well-positioned with this
important audience."
According to the survey, RDs' top recommendation for Americans to
achieve an overall healthy diet is to eat high quality, nutrient-rich
foods. In addition, nearly 73 percent of
respondents reported using MyPlate as a tool in nutrition education with patients.USA
Rice is a USDA MyPlate National Strategic Partner and the Meeting Your MyPlate
Goals on a Budget Toolkit, that heavily features rice, remains the most popular
tool on the MyPlate website.
"It's important to be aware of the advice nutrition experts are
giving to consumers since they have the ability to impact purchasing
decisions," said Zaunbrecher.
"We promote U.S.-grown rice as a nutrient-rich food that fits the
MyPlate healthy eating guidelines, so it's good to know that our efforts are in
the right place since RDs are stressing the same message."
Contact: Katie Maher (703)
236-1453
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice
Futures
CME Group (Preliminary):
Closing Rough Rice Futures for January 13
|
Month
|
Price
|
Net Change
|
|
January 2015
|
$11.240
|
- $0.005
|
|
March 2015
|
$11.445
|
- $0.015
|
|
May 2015
|
$11.685
|
- $0.015
|
|
July 2015
|
$11.910
|
- $0.015
|
|
September 2015
|
$11.485
|
- $0.015
|
|
November 2015
|
$11.360
|
- $0.015
|
|
January 2016
|
$11.630
|
- $0.010
|
Japan Announces 10th Ordinary Import
Tender in FY 2014
|
Announcement: 13
January 2015
Tender: 16
January 2015
Offer
details: 61,000
mt
Shipping
period: U.S.A. From 20
April 2015 to 20 May 2015
From 10
May 2015 to 10 June 2015
From 1
June 2015 to 30 June 2015
G.T. From 20
April 2015 to 31 May 2015
|
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