FTAS
ARE HARMING LOCAL INDUSTRY: APBF
Salim Ahmed
Saturday, February 28, 2015 - Lahore—The All Pakistan Business Forum Executive Committee, which
met Friday with its President Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi in the chair, raising serious concern,
observed that the FTAs signed with Malaysia, Sri Lanka and China without taking
the real stakeholders onboard is damaging the local industry. As the country’s
economic managers are engaged in fresh rounds of talks with a number of countries on Free Trade Agreements, the APBF
Executive Committee cautioned the government to take business community onboard
while finalizing trade deals with other countries.
APBF President Ibrahim Qureshi, addressing the
meeting, said the
business community is the real stakeholders which should be consulted in preparing
policies to enhance exports so that fast widening trade deficit could be
diminished, which is prerequisite for economic growth. The APBF has been
receiving complaints from its members about the dumping of Chinese products.
Ibrahim Qureshi remarked that dumping is the main concern of local industries,
particularly of steel products, polyester staple fiber and many other products,
he said.At present, the balance of trade is in favour of China as against
exports of $2.5 billion, Pakistan imported products of $7.5 billion from China.
He added that Pakistan had been continuously suffering a loss of Rs.22 billion
on account of tax exemptions granted to imports
from China. Free trade access to China could not be fully
utilized in favor of Pakistan, because Beijing did not reduce duties on
products where Pakistani sectors enjoyed a competitive advantage.
Moreover,
the margin of preference over other countries that Pakistan should have enjoyed
effectively turned to be fruitless when China inked similar free trade accords with other countries,
particularly with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).An
executive committee member pointed out that the leather industry is still
paying around 9% import duty on its export goods to China owing to
non-implementation of zero-duty under FTA regime. He said that in second phase
of FTA 9% duty was to be reduced to zero, which is not being implemented so far
because Pakistani government is not supporting its industry to pursue the case
for the last two years, he complained. APBF President also criticized Free Trade Agreement with Malaysia, failing to
provide a level-playing field as trade
balance remained in Favour of
Malaysia from day one. During first quarter of last fiscal, Pakistan’s exports
stood at mere $0.2 billion against imports of $1.75 billion, implying that trade balance was $1.55 billion in favor of
Malaysia. Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi,
quoting statistics said that in April 2014, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) announced tariff concessions on the
import of 993 items from Sri Lanka under a Free
Trade Agreement (FTA).
Pakistan’s
exports to Sri Lanka dropped from $347.7 million to $300 million during last
couple of years. Sri Lanka allocated Pakistan a duty-free quota of 6,000 metric
ton of basmati rice and 1, 000 metric tons potatoes per annum. However, Sri Lanka continued to create
hurdles on our exports on the excuse of low quality of Pakistani basmati rice.
Pakistan’s major exports to Sri Lanka include woven cotton fabrics, cement,
sugar, wheat, medicament mixtures, tubes and pipes of iron and steel, potatoes,
rice, cotton yarn, and onions etc. The APBF Executive body agreed that
international image building is the need of the hour with complete overhauling
of TDAP, besides formation of new trade specific export promotion agencies
having independent budgets and policies.
State Bank allows
export refinance for broken rice
February 28, 2015
In order to facilitate rice
trade, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has allowed Export Refinance Facility
for broken rice and withdrew Letter of Credit (LC) condition for financing of
brown rice. Sources said on the request of rice exporters, the SBP has relaxed
Export Refinance Scheme (ERS) requirements for rice - one of the largest
exported commodity, which is generating over $1 billion foreign exchange
annually for the country. The
State Bank, through its IH&SMEFD Circular Letter No 02 of 2015, issued on
February 26, 2015 has made some changes in the negative list of EFS.
Previously, export refinance facility was allowed for packeted Irri, Basmati,
Parboiled, White and Brown rice in retail packets of 1-50 kgs. Broken rice was
not eligible for the said facility. However, now the SBP has excluded broken
rice from the negative list of EFS, after which exporters can also avail export
refinance facility for broken rice in retail packets of 1-50 kgs.
Moreover, as per amendment, traders/exporters can get cheap
financing for the export of Brown rice without Letter of Credit. Earlier,
refinance facility for the export of Brown rice in bulk or lose was only for
European Countries under EFS Part-I against Letter of Credit (LC). However, now
banks have been asked to provide such facility for Brown Rice without LC
condition and limitation of countries. A
para: (Excluding Packeted Irri/Basmati/Parboiled/White/Brown Rice in retail
packets of 1-50 kgs. Moreover, the export of brown rice in bulk/loose is
eligible to European countries under EFS Part-I against LCs only) for
description of point No 8 of negative list for ERS has been replaced with:
"Excluding Packeted Irri/Basmati/Parboiled/ White/Broken Rice in retail
packets of 1-50 Kgs.
Moreover, the export of
Brown Rice in bulk/loose packing is also eligible under EFS." Meanwhile, Rafique Suleman, Chairman
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has appreciated the SBP's
decision saying this move will help enhance the country's rice export. "We
are expecting some 20-25 percent increase in rice exports during next fiscal
year as LC requirement was a major hurdle in getting EFS for brown rice,"
he said. Presently, Pakistan's total rice exports stood at 3.8 million tons
including 0.3 million tons of broken rice and some 0.1 million tons of brown
rice, he added.
UN official says
questions remain on GMO health impact, business practices
A UNITED Nations (UN)
representative undertaking a weeklong visit to the Philippines expressed her
opposition to the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as she concluded
her mission to evaluate the country’s food problems.
At
a news conference at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Makati, UN Special
Rapporteur on the Right to Food Hilal Elver said a number of questions remain
unanswered about the GMO approach, including long-term health effects and the
business models practiced by multinational seed companies.“GMOs are a huge
thing and there is a huge discussion on it. I am against GMOs for several
reasons… We don’t know the health impacts of GMO in the long term,” Ms. Elver
told reporters.She added that the aggressive defense of seed patents by
multinationals has led to small farmers being accused of infringing on their
intellectual property.“They take away the farmers’ seeds from them and the
corporations make a business from it,” she said.For these reasons, “the use of
GMOs should be carefully studied, and, I’m not sure if it should be accepted,”
she said.
The
UN representative, who is part of the largest body of independent experts in
the UN Human Rights system, launched her visit on Feb. 20. The final report of
her findings, Ms. Elver said, will be sent to the UN Human Rights Council in
March 2016.The UN representative’s remarks come as the Philippines struggles to
achieve self-sufficiency in rice, and triggered a response from stakeholders
who defended genetic modification methods.The International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI), the Los Baños-based non-profit research body, said that some
crops -- particularly rice -- do not have sufficient nutritional value in their
unmodified form, making it necessary to fortify these staples.“The unique
advantage of genetic modification lies in its ability to incorporate novel
genes with useful traits into new rice varieties.
These
include genes from plants and organisms unrelated to rice that could not be
transferred using other breeding methods,” the IRRI said in a statement emailed
to BusinessWorld by its Head of Communication, Antonio
G. Lambino II.For his part, Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines
(BCP)Executive Secretary Abraham J. Manalo said that GMO technology has been
certified as safe reputable global and national institutions. “All internationally-recognized
science organizations have declared that food from modern biotechnology is as
safe as their non-biotech or traditional counterparts,” he said.
These include the World Health Organization,
the Food and Agriculture Organization, the American Medical Association, the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, the U.S. National Academy
of Science, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand, the French Academy of
Science, the UK Royal Society of Medicine, the Union of German Academics of
Sciences and Humanities, and our very own (Philippine) National Academy of
Science and Technology (NAST) and (Philippine) Food and Drugs Administration,”
Mr. Manalo said in a statement emailed toBusinessWorld.“It is important
that farmers be given the choice as to the seed type and variety they want to
plant and harvest. In the Philippines, more than 300 thousand corn farmers have
decided to use biotech seeds for their corn fields,” he added.
APEDA NEWS
|
Today's Leads
|
|
|
|
Market Watch
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Imported rice dampens African output
LOW PRODUCTION: Experts say
rice-cropping systems suffer from significant production losses due to low
levels of production technologies, disease outbreaks, prolonged dry spells due
to climate change.
KAMPALA, Uganda - Reliance on imported rice and limited efforts
in increasing domestic production is costing sub-Saharan Africa $5 billion
annually, Dr. Harold Roy-Macauley said recently.
“Africa is losing about five billion dollars in the consumption
of imported rice due to the high demand for the produce. However, even with the
limited supply regionally, there are high chances for African countries to
close that gap if the crop is given a lot of priority by the governments and
scientists who play big roles in developing solutions for the challenges hindering
massive rice production in Africa.”Newly appointed to the position of Director
General of the Africa Rice Centre, Dr. Roy-Macauley said Africa’s rice
growing countries must invest more resources to support more production of the
cereal crop.
The regional contributions to
rice production are: West Africa (42 per cent), North Africa (32 per cent);
East Africa (23.8 per cent), Central Africa (1.2 per cent); and Southern Africa
(1 per cent).He told representatives from 25 countries who are members of the African
Rice Centre that if production is increased, billions of dollars being spent on
imported rice will be saved by the consuming countries.He said this will also a
have positive impact on fighting food insecurity and poverty especially among
the rural women. Africa produces an average of 14.6 million tonnes of rice
per year on 7.3 million hectares, which is equivalent to 2.6 and 4.6 per cent
of the world’s total production and area under rice, respectively. West Africa
has the largest area planted with rice in Africa (56.5 per cent) that is about
3.7 million hectares.
The Africa Rice Centre has 25
members, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Central African Republic,
Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Madagascar, Mali and Mauritania.Others are: Senegal, Togo, Nigeria, Liberia,
Ghana, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Rwanda and Uganda.The outgoing Director General at
the African Rice center Dr. Papa Seck called for more investment in new
technologies that can support improved production. He said growing
rice locally will not yield any positive results because the continent is
currently facing many challenges such as outbreaks of disease, prolonged dry
spells due to climate change and high population rates in rice growing
countries.
“When scientists are
supported to engage in research, it will help them to come up with new rice
varieties that are resistant to challenges related to drought conditions, pests
and diseases out brake,” he told the Council of Minister from the rice growing
countries in Africa. As a way of improving rice production in fragile
climatic conditions cereal crop scientist have been compelled to develop hybrid
rice varieties that are both resistant to drought conditions and also resistant
to various pests and disease. Uganda is among those countries that are
embracing the new technologies in rice production is Uganda
According to the Acting Director
General of National Agriculture research organization (NARO) Dr. Ambrose Agona,
NARO through its National Crops Resources Research Institute (NACRRI) the
institute under the Cereals Research program has managed to develop more than
five new varieties of rice that are resistant to droughts, pests and diseases.
These varieties also mature in a short time period. Some of the varieties
that have been developed at the center include NERICA-6, Agora and Komboka
WITA9, among other varieties. According to Dr. Jimmy Lamo the principal
rice breeder at NACCRI some of the varieties were developed as a result of
partnerships with Africa Rice center and the International Rice Research Institute.
According to Dr. Lamo, Nerica6 is
highly tolerant to the yellow mottle virus. It was developed as an upland
variety but it also does well in lowland areas because one of its parents is a
lowland variety. WITA9 Performs well in most lowland area’s and agoro is high
yielding and early maturing while the Okile rice variety on the other hand is
high yielding and also has good grain characteristics.Dr. Lamo is also
optimistic that if farmers get access to seeds of the improved varieties from
seed producing companies rice production will be spurred in the country.The
average grain yield (2.1 kilogrammes per hectare) is 49 per cent below the
world average (of 3.4 kilogrammes per hectare).
This low grain yield is caused by
several factors, including the low levels of production technologies and the
dominance of the upland ecology in Africa. Only 11 per cent of the rice
area is irrigated compared with 53 per cent worldwide. The average grain yield
in Africa shows very little improvement over time.Uganda’s minister for
Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries Tracy Buchanayandi is optimistic that
rice production in Uganda is weel on course although the crop is facing
challenges such as low technological adaptation by rice farmers, prolonged
drought and disease outbreaks.“In Uganda we are not doing badly in rice
production and our figures indicate an upward production and this started in
2001 when the country was producing about 1,100 metric tons.
We have witnessing the production
level moving upwards amd that is why prices for rice on the market has not sky
rocked like other crops because the volume of imported rice into the country
has gone down,” the minister explained. According to reports from the
Directorate of crop resources at Uganda’s agriculture ministry, the country’s
rice production has gone up by 9% in the financial year 2013/2014. The
reports indicate that in the year of review the country produced 250,000
metric tons of rice in 2013/2014 as compare to the 230,000 metric tone’s
produced in 2012/2013.
By Samuel Nabwiiso, Sunday, March
01st, 2015
The commodity pile-up
Rice Exporters Association of
Pakistan (REAP) has warned the government against involving itself in rice
business in future as procuring the commodity from farmers at a high rate tends
to destabilise the rice market. — Reuters/file
The Pakistan Agriculture Storage
and Services Corporation still finds itself trapped in a Catch-22 situation
over the disposal of piled-up rice stock it procured seven years ago to
stabilise the market.Despite repeated issue of the tender, the latest being the
fourth, no one is coming forward to buy the commodity. The corporation is
desperate to wriggle out of this predicament and is now willing to sell the
stock at a lower price, having purchased it at Rs75 per kg.In November Passco
was approached by a traders group with an offer to lift the stock at the rate
of Rs50 per kg but with a condition to take delivery spread over a six-month
period.
The bid was rejected by the
corporation, which then thought of offering the leftover rice to its own
employees at the reduced rate. But they also showed reluctance to avail the
offer.The Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) had
procured 200,000 tonnes of rice in 2008 on the directive of the federal
government to help maintain the support price of paddy crop in the open market
and protect the farmers from losses.About half of the stock was sold in 2009-10
at the rate of Rs75 per kg.
In the past seven years, the losses the
corporation suffered reportedly come to Rs24bn. The tenders being issued these
days relate to disposal of 1,648.75 tonnes of rice. The unsold stock is stored
at a rice mill.It was in the context of this episode that the Rice Exporters
Association of Pakistan (REAP) has warned the government against involving
itself in rice business in future as procuring the commodity from farmers at a
high rate tends to destabilise the rice market. If the government intends to
help or support the farmers, it should give them direct subsidy. The private
sector, it asserted, has invested billions of rupees in building an
infrastructure and it should not be tampered with by the government.
The falling
trend of commodity prices in the global market has created difficulties for
Pakistani exporters
Once again, there is a glut of
major commodities such as wheat, rice and sugar in the country. On the one
hand, lower international prices are discouraging their exports and, on the
other, there has been no disposal of stock of the previous crop while the new
crop is about to arrive. In case of sugar cane crop, it is more than three
months that the ‘formal’ cane crushing has yet begun owing to dispute over cane
price.The downward trend in rates of most of the rice varieties has, meanwhile,
caused a rift among exporters in Sindh.
The office-bearers of Sindh
Balochistan Rice Millers and Traders Association have suspended members
belonging to Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) for ‘creating
hindrances in the export of rice’. Similarly the latter group has expelled the
members of the former group for damaging the Reap’s cause.As the infighting
rages, huge stocks of Irri-6 lying unprotected at many rice mills in lower
Sindh carry the risk of becoming unusable if not exported on time. The Irri-6
rate had come down from Rs3,400 to Rs2,700 per 100kg in the global markets. The
basmati variety is currently being traded at around Rs3,000 per maund, against
Rs4,500 last year. The exporters have been given at least least $50 per tonne
subsidy on rice export.
The current glut of basmati rice
is believed to be about 1m tonnes. Normally, the country produces about 2m
tonnes of basmati rice. Of this, half amount caters to the domestic market
while the remaining half is exported. But since 2011, the exports are in decline.The
Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has allowed Punjab and
Sindh to export 800,000 and 400,000 tonnes of wheat respectively.
Since domestic prices are higher than the ones
in international market, the federal government has also announced a rebate of
$55 per tonne for Punjab and $45 per tonne for Sindh. Similarly, the ECC has
allowed export of 650,000 tonnes of sugar but not later than May 15, 2015.
There will be a 20pc regulatory duty on the import of raw and beet sugar.The exporters
will get an inland freight subsidy of Rs2 per kg and cash subsidy of Rs8 per
kg. The total cost of the subsidy which comes to Rs6.5bn is to be borne by both
the federal and provincial governments on equal basis.
But it is worrisome that despite
rebate incentives, the wheat export policy has failed yet to attract the
exporters. So far, only one deal has been signed for a quantity of 3,000
tonnes, although Punjab and Sindh food departments have received a number of
queries regarding purchase of wheat for export purposes. The falling trend of
commodity prices in the global market has created difficulties for Pakistani
exporters.
Published in Dawn, Economic &
Business, March 2nd , 2015
Should The World Welcome GMOs?
March 1, 2015
Many people are
concerned about GMOs. The fact of the matter is that they should be, but that’s
not the whole story. GMOs have been around for a very long time and, in many
cases, they can be quite beneficial. While studies might suggest that they can
have potential long term risks, they can also have immense short term
benefits.Reducing the cost of a large crop which could feed an entire third
world village is a noble desire. Does the risk benefit ratio matter so much
when the people consuming the food might die of starvation, dehydration, or
disease tomorrow?
But, I digress, some concerns about GMOs actually have nothing to
do with food. For example, aggressive defense of seed patents from by
multinational organizations has resulted in small farmers being accused of
infringing on intellectual property.They barely even own any physical property
to grow their few acres of food or livestock and here they are accused of
stealing millions of dollars-worth of someone else’s idea?
So why should anyone support GMOs, then?
“The unique advantage of genetic modification lies in its ability
to incorporate novel genes with useful traits into new rice varieties. These
include genes from plants and organisms unrelated to rice that could not be
transferred using other breeding methods,” study researchers from the
International Rice Research Institute in a statement.Biotechnology Coalition of
the Philippines (BCP)Executive Secretary Abraham J. Manalo also reminds that
GMO technology has been certified as safe by [some] reputable global and
national institutions.
He contends, “All internationally-recognized science organizations
have declared that food from modern biotechnology is as safe as their
non-biotech or traditional counterparts,” citing several organizations: The
World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the U.S. National
Academy of Science, the UK Royal Society of Medicine,the Food and Agriculture
Organization, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and
more.
Banglamoti paddy cultivation
There was a news item in the media in 2008 which stated that BRRI
had developed a variety of rice called Banglamoti --one that is similar to
Bashmoti rice of Pakistan and India -- but its yield per hector is likely to be
double. Banglamoti rice was cultivated in different regions in Bangladesh
experimentally and the result was very encouraging. It was mentioned in the
news item that Banglamoti could be produced in both Aman and Aush seasons. It
was further stated that within ten years, half of the land dedicated to rice
production in Bangladesh would be brought under Banglamoti cultivation. By now,
12 seasons have passed but the Banglamoti rice is not seen in the wholesale
market in Dhaka.
A consumer intending to have Bashmoti rice has to buy the same from
the market. Most people cannot have the taste of Bashmoti rice as it is costly.
We hoped that as the Banglamoti yield is expected to be double that of
Bashmoti, the price of locally produced Banglamoti will be within the reach of
the common people in Bangladesh.It is learnt that the long Banglamoti paddy
could not be husked in the existing rice mills in the country now. Only a few
mills in Gazipur can do that. Farmers are not interested to cultivate
Banglamoti paddy mainly due to husking problem.
The government can provide necessary administrative and financial
support to the private millers to set up suitable rice mills needed for husking
the Banglamoti paddy. Machinery can be imported from India for the purpose.I
would like to urge upon the government to take appropriate steps to popularise
the cultivation of Banglamoti rice among farmers of every upazilla of the
country. An awareness development project can be launched to encourage them and
the financial institutions may be advised to extend financial assistance to the
intending entrepreneurs to set up husking mills for Banglamoti paddy.
Md. Ashraf Hossain
120, Central Bashaboo
Dhaka-1214
Levy rice’
system to go from October
NEW DELHI: In its bid to push state governments to set up
procurement mechanism for paddy and to ensure farmers get the minimum support
price (MSP), the Centre has stopped the decades-old practice of "levy
rice" from October this year. Levy
rice is a mandatory system under which millers also undertake rice procurement
for the public distribution system (PDS) by buying paddy directly from farmers
like Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state government agencies. At present,
in different states, it's compulsory for millers to supply up to 25% of their
annual produce for public distribution system at a rate fixed by the government.
Sources said there were two reasons for doing away with this
practice. First, there is no effective system in place to supervise whether
millers are paying MSP to farmers while buying paddy and, two, there are
chances of millers diverting better quality rice to the open market. They added that the millers in many
cases supplied inferior quality rice for the public distribution system. "With a view to ensure payment of
remunerative prices to farmers at MSP or above and to improve outreach of
procurement system to the farmgate for their better coverage, it has been
decided now that state governments should not impose any levy on rice from
millers from October 1," a recent notification issued by the food ministry
said.
Punjab and
Haryana are among the major rice-producing states that have already abolished
the levy rice system. However, it is still prevalent in Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and West Bengal. Since the NDA government came to
power, there has been greater focus on expanding the government system for
procurement of both paddy and wheat in states where such mechanism is either
missing or inadequate. Recently,
the PM-appointed high level committee on restructuring FCI had recommended that
the agency should outsource all procurement operations to states that have
gained sufficient experience such as Punjab and Haryana. It had urged FCI to
move to other states where farmers may be resorting to distress sales, such as
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.Stay updated on the go with
Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.
State alone to carry
the gun: PM
Says Karachi operation to reach
KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that Karachi will be
made a haven of peace by the year 2018 when the ongoing targeted operation
against criminals will reach its logical conclusion.
The prime minister stated this on
Thursday speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the 9th Expo
Pakistan 2015 - the country’s largest trade fair being organised by the Trade
Development Authority of Pakistan at the Expo Centre, Karachi.
The PM said the country had no room for organisations spreading
discord in the society and committing terrorism. He said the government would
not tolerate possession of illegal arms by any one and from now onwards arms
would only be possessed by law-enforcement agencies.
He said the government had the longstanding dream of making
Pakistan peaceful and progressing as the government had been striving to
achieve this desire. The PM said that Karachi had remained a peaceful city but
its peace had become a victim of someone’s ill-wills. He said the city should
not witness crimes and kidnappings for ransom.He said efforts should have been
taken five years earlier for restoration of peace in Karachi but his government
on assuming power launched the operation for improvement of law and order
situation in the city.He said that it was the vision of his government to make
Karachi a peaceful city as economy would flourish with persistence of peace.
He said Karachi bore the prime importance due to value of the
metropolis in business matters.Nawaz Sharif said that economic situation in the
country had been improving due to right policies of the government. The prime
minister said that he would assure international investors to invest in
different sectors as Pakistan had been offering best possible facilities of
foreign investment. He said his government would provide maximum assistance and
protection for prospective investors coming to the country.He said attendance
of large number of prospective foreign investors in Expo Pakistan had proved
well that the latest trade fair had become more successful than any of such
previous business fairs. He said it also proved that foreign investors had
interest to invest in different business sectors of the country.
He said the present government, instead of relying on aid, had
been furthering the policy of increasing volume of international trade as
Pakistan-made products should get access to international markets.He said that
his government had attached the foremost priority to peace and economy. Nawaz
said another priority of his government would be to resolve persisting energy
crisis as several major steps were being taken to overcome energy shortfall.He
said that holding Expo Pakistan would be highly helpful in winning a place for
Pakistani products in international market as volume of exports from Pakistan
would be increased to $50 billion in next three years.Nawaz said his government
had devised a new policy for promotion of exports of textile products for which
a target of $39 billion had been set to chase till 2019.
He said implementation was in progress on South Asia Free Trade
Agreement while awards of GPS-Plus (Generalised System of Preferences-Plus)
status on Pakistan by European Union (EU) had become a very suitable move for
Pakistani exports.He said Pakistani rice, textile, and other products had great
international demand and value. Nawaz appealed to business and industrial
community to make investment for increasing volume of products being
manufactured in Pakistan.The prime minister broke good news for business
community that process of payment of taxes by businessmen was being simplified
so that business people should not face any hardship in paying their taxes.
He greeted the Ministry of Commerce and Trade Development
Authority for successfully organising the Expo Pakistan.Federal Commerce
Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said successful holding of Expo Pakistan would
convey the message to global audiences that Pakistan was the most successful
country in terms of trade with vibrant opportunities of investment.The commerce
minister said the government had the intention to introduce maximum number of
Pakistani products in international market as it would give way to installation
of new industries and opportunities of employment.Also present on the occasion
were Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah,
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, TDAP chief SM Muneer.
The Expo Pakistan, which would continue till March 01, is being
attended by some 1,000 delegates of over 65 countries while the expo has the
active participation from 17 countries including India. In six halls of Expo
Centre, a total of 525 stalls have been set up for the trade fair.Later, Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif accompanied by Sindh governor and chief minister, visited
the Clifton residence of late Justice (R) Rana Bhagwandas, who passed away on
February 23, and condoled with the bereaved family members. The PM on the
occasion praised the services of the late former acting chief justice of
Supreme Court for ensuring rule of law and provision of justice to deprived
Pakistanis.
Rice Leadership
Program Class of 2013-15 graduates
The class is made up of five
rice producers: John Compton, Jennings, Louisiana; Seth Fiack, Glenn, California;
Mark Isbell, North Little Rock, North Carolina; Steven Schuler, Woodland,
California; and Joel Stevens, Monticello; and two industry representatives:
Robb Dedman with Pro Ag Consulting, Rison; and Wes Long with RiceTec, Benton.
By USA Rice Federation
Posted Feb. 28, 2015 at 4:00 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
The Rice
Leadership Development Program's Class of 2013-2015 graduated from the
prestigious program during a special ceremony at the USA Rice Federation's 2015
Government Affairs Conference this week. Rice Foundation Chairman Todd Burich
and USA Rice Chairman Dow Brantley presided over the ceremony, congratulating
the graduates and thanking program sponsors, John Deere, RiceTec Inc. and
American Commodity Company.The class is made up of five rice producers: John
Compton, Jennings, Louisiana; Seth Fiack, Glenn, California; Mark Isbell, North
Little Rock, North Carolina; Steven Schuler, Woodland, California; and Joel
Stevens, Monticello; and two industry representatives: Robb Dedman with Pro Ag
Consulting, Rison; and Wes Long with RiceTec, Benton.
The class was
immediately put to work representing the rice industry during the conference,
participating in multiple meetings with members of Congress, staff from key
Congressional Committees and agency representatives. A highlight of the
Washington session was the tour of the USDA's satellite weather center.The
group also met with Deputy Chief of the Cuban Interest Section Juan Lamiguerio
and his staff to discuss the potential for rice trade between the two
countries.
Climate
factor causes rice price hikes: Observer
Minggu, 1 Maret 2015 00:19 WIB |
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Agriculture observer Khudori
said recent hikes in rice prices were mostly triggered by climate changes that
caused a delay in harvesting."We should have experienced grand harvests
beginning this February until next May. However, because of the late arrival of
the rainy season, rice planting and harvesting were delayed by about 1.5
months. This has resulted in a longer period of rice scarcity," Khudori
told a press conference here on Saturday.He noted that as a result of rice scarcity
caused by delayed harvest season, the price of the commodity has inevitably
increased.
"What is regrettable is the governments slow action. It has not taken anticipatory steps to avoid price rise," he remarked.Following monitoring, it was known that the volume of rice entering Jakartas Cipinang wholesale rice market was only 1,500 tons per day; the normal volume was 3,000 tons per day."The decline in the production is extraordinary. So, based the principle of supply and demand, the rice price automatically increases," he noted.Furthermore, the governments statement on the replacement of the rice for poor (Raskin) program with an e-money scheme will also have an impact on rice prices.
"The Raskin program supports some 15.5 million
poor people. If the program is no longer available, they will look for rice in
markets. This will lead to an escalation in rice prices," Khudori
noted.Earlier, Herman Khaeron, the deputy chairman of Commission IV on
agriculture affairs of the House of Representatives said the plan to drop the
rice for poor (Raskin) program will affect rice price
stability."Withdrawing the Raskin incentive will have negative impacts
because rice is a sensitive commodity in Indonesia," he remarked.
Khaeron pointed out that in response to the governments
statement on its plan to drop the Raskin program, businesses will withhold
their rice stocks until Raskin rice, which is relatively cheaper, completely
disappears from the market. Businesses will then release their stocks for
higher prices. Therefore, the
legislator advised, the government should make public this policy matter
because it will have implications on many sectors. And it will be the people
who will mostly bear its effects.(*)
We will pay more attention to rice value chain" – Minister
Government would pay more attention to the development of the rice
value chain for mass production of rice to reduce its imports, according to Mr.
Fiifi Kwetey, Minister of Food and Agriculture.He said the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture was fully behind initiatives that aimed at developing the rice
value chain and assured that all investors and communities involved in
developing rice fields, especially the Nasia-Nabogo valley, would be given a
fair deal.Mr Kwetey said this in a speech read on his behalf during the Ghana
Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP) Investor Conference in Tamale.
The
Investor Conference organized by the GCAP was meant to introduce to
participants, the Nasia-Nabogo valley rain-fed rice production and
opportunities available to whet investor interest in the project.The government
of Ghana secured a $100 million credit from the World Bank and a grant of $45
million from the USAID to implement the GCAP projects mainly in the Accra
Plains and the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) zones for crop
production scheduled to be completed over a five-year period.Mr Kwetey said the
investor conference marked a milestone in the work of GCAP, which had the
opportunity to outdoor an innovative approach by establishing an Agricultural Growth
Pole (AGP) in the SADA zone.He said adoption of the growth pole strategy had
the potential for accelerating economic growth and support social progress
through efficient utilization of natural and agricultural resources in line
with the potentials of SADA.
He
said now that GCAP had selected one of the agricultural growth poles for
attention there was the need for government to support to ensure that it served
as development corridor that remained focused for developing the rice value
chain.Mr Alabi Bortey, the Project Co-ordinator of GCAP said, GCAP was
currently seeking investors to invest in commercial agriculture business in
rice production on the 10,000 hectare arable land at the Nasia-Nabogo valley in
the Savelugu/Nanton Municipality of the Northern Region.He said strong emphasis
would be on the involvement of farmers from neighbouring communities within the
Nasia-Nabogo valley and assured investors who wish to cultivate rice within the
GCAP demarcated area in the Nasia-Nabogo valley area of support through a
matching grant scheme based on eligibility criteria.
Mr
Bortey said GCAP would support investors with the construction of water
retention structures to ensure availability of water throughout the cropping
season and that the investors would be expected to integrate smallholder
farmers into the inputs, outputs and farm equipment services on a continual
basis for at least five years.He announced that the project was also inviting
contractors wishing to bid for the design and construction of the irrigation
infrastructure to be constructed and called on all to support the project to
succeed, saying, “Let us together create an environment that would increase
rice production and productivity”.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/artikel.php?ID=348574
Indian rice exports to plunge as Thailand offloads stocks
Mon Mar 2, 2015 6:35am GMT
* India 2015 rice exports could drop a fifth to 8 mln T –industry
* Non-basmati shipments could fall a quarter to 5 mln T
* India, Thailand competition is good news for African buyers
By Rajendra Jadhav and Kaweewit Kaewjinda
MUMBAI/BANGKOK, March 2 (Reuters) - India's
rice exports will struggle to compete with cheaper cargoes from No.1 seller
Thailand in 2015 as Bangkok looks to offload grain from its huge state
stockpiles, industry officials and traders said.B.V. Krishna Rao, managing
director of leading Indian rice shipper Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt Ltd, said the
country's exports could plunge by a fifth this year to 8 million tonnes, with
some other industry officials in the country making similar warnings.Lower
exports will leave more rice in Indian hands, piling pressure on
already-bulging storage and raising the spectre of grain getting damaged in
temporary silos.But competition among the world's top two exporters will drag
further on prices that have fallen 5 percent since the start of October.
That's good news for African nations like
Nigeria and Senegal that are typically major buyers of Asian rice."The
Thai government's efforts to sell rice from its own warehouses has been putting
pressure on global prices and limiting Indian exports," said Rao.Thailand
will open a tender to sell around 1 million tonnes of rice in March, as it
tries to shift over 17 million tonnes of rice built up under a controversial subsidy
scheme. It aims to sell 10 million tonnes in 2015 and 7 million next
year.Indian exporters can compete with private Thai traders, but not with the
government as it can cut prices to generate demand for old stock, said M.
Adishankar, executive director at Sri Lalitha, a major rice exporter in
southern India.In the latest tender, Thailand sold 5-percent broken rice from
old stocks for $236 to $378 per tonne, although the market price for new crops
was around $415.
India has recently offered the same grade at
around $400."The government's rice is old and has been stored for a long
time so its value depreciates accordingly ... there is always a price gap
between new rice and old rice," said an official at the Thai Rice
Exporters Association, who declined to be identified.India, which lost the top
rice exporter spot in 2014, could see its shipments of non-basmati or common
grade rice fall by nearly a quarter to 5 million tonnes in 2015, while exports
of aromatic basmati could drop over 14 percent to 3 million tonnes, Rao
said.Basmati sales have also been hit after top buyer Iran suspended imports
late last year to support local farmers, although one exporter expected
shipments to restart in April.Rice inventories at India's state-run agencies
had jumped to around 25 million tonnes by Feb. 1, nearly double the targeted
level, government data shows.
Thomson Reuters
Decision for Zarb-e-Azb should have
taken much earlier: Nawaz Sharif
27 February, 2015
KARACHI: The prime minister said that Zarb-e-Azb operation being
successfully carried out in North Waziristan, and said the decision for this
operation should have been taken much earlier.Addressing the inauguration
ceremony of Ninth Expo Pakistan here, the prime minister said that the peace in
the country would guarantee economic revival and prosperity. To the foreign
investors attending the Expo Pakistan, Sharif said Pakistan was successfully
encountering the spillover security challenges. Pakistan is swiftly been
brought back to normalcy,” Sharif said and urged the businessmen to set up
industrial units in Pakistan and benefit from the investment-friendly
environment.
The
Prime Minister said Pakistan would overcome its energy crisis by the end of
2017.Prime Minister further said on Thursday 26,February,2015 that armed
militias in Karachi are not acceptable.He said the ongoing operation in the
port city would not be left half way and would continue till its logical
end. the government was firm in
eradicating militancy and had decided to take solid steps to ensure peace in
the country. The prime minister said the decisive moment had come to bring
Karachi’s peace back and make the city free from the hold of militants. “We are
determined that the power of gun would rest with the government, not with the militants,”
he said. He vowed that Karachi would soon be rid of major crimes including
kidnapping for ransom.
Nawaz
Sharif Thursday said his government was committed to make Pakistan the
preferred destination for business and hoped in next three years the country’s
exports would rise to US 50 billion. Addressing the launch of Expo Pakistan,
country’s biggest trade fair, showcasing largest collection of Pakistan’s
export merchandise and services, he said that Pakistan was a land of business
opportunities. “We offer our foreign buyers a very competitive sourcing option.
The captains of our industry have carved out their niche in the world market
due to their production efficiencies and business ethics.
”The
Prime Minister said his government was dedicated and committed to economic
development of Pakistan. “I and my team are actively engaged to bring in long
term reforms in socio-economic sectors of Pakistan. We are well aware of the
aspirations of the people of Pakistan and will do our utmost to vindicate the trust
reposed in us,” the Prime Minister said. He said owing to consistent efforts,
his government has succeeded in enhancing Pakistan’s exports to its highest
ever turnover of over US $ 25 billion during the fiscal year 2013-14.
“I am sure our entrepreneurs will maintain and
further accelerate this growth momentum to achieve export level of US$ 50
billion within three years,” the Prime Minister said.The Prime Minister said
that the government recently approved its Textile Policy, aimed at doubling
exports of textiles and clothing sector from existing US$ 13 billion to US$ 26
billion by the year 2019. He said that Asia was gradually emerging as the new
global economic hub and Pakistan was fortunate to be located in the high
economic growth neighbourhood. He said that Pakistan was currently not part of
this highly competitive economic growth activity but was fully resolved to
achieve a similar target.
The
prime minister particularly highlighted the performance of Pakistani textile
and apparel industry and said it was considered amongst the world’s leaders.The
bed sheets, quilt covers, T-shirts and jeans produced in Pakistan were sold at
international leading chain stores from discounters to upscale outlets and
under leading brand names. Prime Minister said that Pakistan has modern rice
milling and processing industry and its exotic Basmati rice has made its mark
in the world market. All these production advantages offer “unlimited business
opportunities” that has been aptly chosen as the slogan of EXPO Pakistan.
He said as an incentive to adding
profitability to business ventures, Pakistan has effectively negotiated the
bilateral, multilateral and pluri-lateral trading arrangements with many
regions and countries in the world enabling its products to enter the foreign
markets at lower tariffs. In this regard he mentioned the South Asian Free
Trade Agreement (SAFTA) that was in operation and aimed at liberalizing trade
with its South Asian neighbours.
Courstesy:PakTribune
World's Fair' takes North Plainfield
students around the planet
Agnes
Arakelian talks to students inside of an igloo as they visit the Artic during
the school's event. The Sundance School's 'The World's Fair' takes students on
an amazing journey around the world as part of the schools multi-cultural
lessons being taught to students over the course of the year. The theme for
this year, 'It's a Small World' teaches students about world literature and
geography, multicultural music, arts world languages, governments and more.
NORTH
PLAINFIELD — The auditorium at the Sundance School in North Plainfield has been
transformed into an interactive, multi-sensory, wonderland for all students,
preschool through 5th grade. This week 175 students took a trip around the
world as they participated in "The World's Fair" one of four annual
themes the school incorporates into interactive learning.The two-week events
called "happenings" have been held at the private school for over 30
years. The school is closed for one week as a crew of volunteers, both parents and
teachers decorate the displays and create exhibits. The following week students
visit the various exhibits which represent different countries.
There
are 12 exhibits in this year's "World's Fair," India, China, Kenya,
Brazil, England, France, Mexico and several other locations. At each exhibit,
students learn about the traditions and customs of various countries, including
language, literature, food, clothing, art, music and folk dances.The happenings
foster a love of learning and knowledge, and a sense of wonder, and
joy."In the India exhibit, the children enjoyed dressing in traditional
clothing and then joining in a group dance.
They
were also served basmati rice.Other exhibits include a trek through South
America, a safari in the African Serengeti, a ride through the Arctic region,
and other fun-filled destinations.These events serve as the springboard for
monthly and weekly themes throughout the year, according to Sundance director,
Laura Romito. Two of the annual themes are geared to broad social studies
topics, Westward Ho and the World's Fair and two others are science oriented,
Science City and The Earth is Good to Me. "To see the wonder in the eyes
of the children as they hear, smell, feel, and even taste a new world come to
life through their imaginations is truly rewarding for all concerned."
Romito said. "The happenings foster a love of learning and knowledge, and
a sense of wonder, and joy."The Sundance School is located in the back of
the Trinity Reformed Church. "The World's Fair" will continue until
Tuesday, March 3rd,2015.
Amira Nature Foods Ltd (ANFI) Showcases New Organic Range at Natural
Products Expo West
* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press
release.
Amira Nature Foods Ltd (ANFI) Showcases New
Organic Range at Natural Products Expo West
Amira Nature Foods Ltd will participate in the
largest tradeshow and conference for the natural, organic and healthy lifestyle
marketplace; more than 60,000 are expected to attend
Amira Nature Foods Ltd (NYSE: ANFI), a leading
global provider of branded packaged Indian specialty rice, will be showcasing a
new organic range of rice at the Natural Products Expo West on March 6-8th in the United States, presented
alongside a variety of flagship Amira products.Amira will have their new
organic and natural dry rice range products on display at booth #5005 in Hall E
of the Anaheim Convention Center. Amira will also have a variety of rice dishes
to sample, as well as celebrity chef guest appearances at their booth to create
an authentic Amira experience.Celebrity Chef Daniel Shemtob, founder of the
Lime Truck and winner of the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race, will
make guest appearances at Amira’s booth to share his tricks of the trade and
culinary advice on creating inventive ready-to-eat dishes using Amira products.
About Amira Nature Foods Ltd
Founded in 1915, Amira has evolved into a leading
global provider of branded packaged Indian specialty rice and other products,
with sales in over 60 countries today. The Company primarily sells Basmati
rice, which is a premium long-grain rice grown only in certain regions of the
Indian sub-continent, under its flagship Amira brand as well as under other
third party brands. Amira sells its products through a broad distribution
network in both the developed and emerging markets. The Company’s global
headquarters are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and it also has offices in
India, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Amira Nature Foods Ltd is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under
the ticker symbol “ANFI.”
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements of a
forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor”
provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You
can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as
“may,” “will,” “except,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,”
“believe,” “is/are likely to,” “future” or other similar expressions.
We have
based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and
projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect
our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial
needs. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: our
goals and strategies; our expansion plans; and our future business development.
We would like to caution you not to place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements and you should read these statements in
conjunction with the risk factors disclosed in “Risk Factors” appearing in our
Annual Report on Form 20-F as well as other public filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
Those risks are not exhaustive and reflect our
expectations as of the date of this press release. We operate in a rapidly
evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is
impossible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess
the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or
combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained
in any forward-looking statement. We do not undertake any obligation to update
or revise the forward-looking statements except as required under applicable
law.
For Investor
Inquiries:
Amira Nature Foods Ltd
Bruce Wacha, 201-960-0745
Chief Financial Officer
bruce.wacha@theamiragroup.com
or
For Press Inquiries:
Curzon PR
Angela Petersen, 631-830-3305
angela@curzonpr.com
Amira Nature Foods Ltd
Bruce Wacha, 201-960-0745
Chief Financial Officer
bruce.wacha@theamiragroup.com
or
For Press Inquiries:
Curzon PR
Angela Petersen, 631-830-3305
angela@curzonpr.com
Download/View
On-Line the above News in pdf format,just click the following link
