Thailand occupies more than 60% of rice market in Hong Kong
[google-translator]
Thailand occupies more than 60%
of rice market in Hong Kong
BANGKOK, 4 May 2015 (NNT) – The
Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department imported 49,900 tons of rice from
Thailand in the first quarter 2015, a 48.9% increase compared to the same
period last year. The higher rice exports to Hong Kong brought Thailand’s rice
exports to all markets to 62.2% in the first quarter 2015.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce Duangkamon Chiambut said
the Hong Kong Trade and Industry imported 80,400 tons of rice during the first
three months this year, increasing by 0.75%. Drop in Thai Hom Mali rice price
and importers’ higher confidence in Thai rice were important factors which led
to the first quarter growth, the spokesperson added. The strengthening of
relations between the Thai government and Hong Kong rice importers also helped
Thai rice exports achieved a growth target of higher than 60%, she said.In
2013, Thailand exported 6.6 million tons of rice, worth 4.42 billion USD,
worldwide. In 2014, Thai rice exports were 10.9 million tons or 5.34 billion
USD
PM calls for a
halt to collusion
Prime Minister Hun Sen urged provincial governors yesterday to
stop government officials from colluding with traders to fix agricultural
commodity prices, giving farmers no choice but to sell their products at
below-market rates. The PM’s call comes a day after the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries released an announcement stating that an investigation
would be launched into the possible scheme.“Please look into the issue. Do not
only wait for the Ministry of Commerce or the Agriculture Ministry [to take
action],” he said speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of National Road 55
in Pursat province.“This is a serious case. If found to be the case, officials
who are found plotting with traders will be punished,” he added.
The premier went on to say that prices for agricultural products
should be determined by “free market mechanisms”.“Those who offer the highest
price will get the products. Let the price be set by the free market,” he
said.Chan Sophal, the governor of Battambang province, said there were no such
cases of official involvement in price rigging schemes in his province.He said,
however, that he would encourage rice millers to trade directly with farmers
instead of having to go through traders.“Now I have talked to rice millers to
be more open to buying paddy from farmers and giving them a good price instead
of buying from traders.
”Big traders often block smaller brokers from competing with
them, said Kan Vesna, a rice farmers’ representative in Battambang province,
leaving fewer options to farmers who are often under pressure to sell because
of outstanding loans.“It is good that the government is now trying to
strengthen the local authorities’ capacity to tackle this issue, but we still
need to wait and see how effective the implementation will be,” he said.“So
far, there is not much action. It would be more effective if there was a
hotline so farmers could report any irregularities to officials.”Middlemen
dealing Cambodian agricultural commodities are mainly traders from neighbouring
countries who round up goods from farmers to sell to buyers across the border,
said David Van, senior adviser to the Cambodia Rice Federation.
“In this instance the middlemen are rich and even lend money to
farmers to buy seeds and fertilisers to use, and in return buy back the crops
from farmers at harvest time,” he said in an email yesterday.“The government
has not been able to provide any assistance to alleviate the burden of access
to loans or working capital for millers/exporters despite repeated pleas over
the last few years.”Van added that provincial departments of ministries like
the Ministry of Commerce should provide weekly updates on global market prices
to farmers and traders so they do not fall prey to manipulation
A girl adds rice to a stockpile in the middle of a rice paddy in
Battambang province earlier this year. Heng Chivoan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/pm-calls-halt-collusion
FG Rice Policy:
Adesina Lacks Power To Waive Import Duty – Reps
—
May 5, 2015 4:42 am
The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Rice Imports
Quota and Duty Payments has said that the minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has no power to grant duty waivers to rice
importers under the current rice policy of the federal government.The committee
chairman and deputy leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor, made the disclosure
yesterday during on-going investigative public hearing being conducted by the
Ad-hoc Committee on alleged fraud, abuses and non-payment of import duties by
some rice importers and investors in the country.
The lawmakers also resolved to invite Adesina to appear before
the public hearing to tell the committee what he knows about the flagrant
violations of rice import quota and illegal waivers granted to some importers,
who refused to pay import duties on their excess importations.The committee
therefore questioned the powers of the minister to grant such waivers on the
basis of encouraging investment and job creation when in actual sense, the practice
is discouraging local investors who don’t even have the capacity to utilise
their allotted quotas.“The minister lacks this power, he shouldn’t even deceive
himself. He need to come and explain to us, Nigerians want to hear and rice
millers want to hear,” Ogo said.
Earlier in his welcome address to declare the session open, Ogor
stated that the public hearing was sequel to a resolution of the House.
mandating the Ad-hoc Committee to investigate alleged fraud abuses, evasion of
import duties by rice importers in the country.“The aim is to uncover fraud and
expose the endemic corruption in the importation of rice with a view to
stemming the tide and boost employment generation as well as strengthen the
nation’s depleting foreign reserve.“The minister has no reason not to be here
because the Ministry was duly served the invitation. I see no reason why people
would be invited to a hearing that’s for the benefit of the people and will not
turn up.
“You are a servant of the people just like we all are. What we
are doing here is for the benefit of our nation’s economy. So, before the end
of the hearing, we are hoping to see people from the Ministry come in,
otherwise we might be forced to make some very strong pronouncements,” he
declared.One of the concerned importers, Olams Nigeria Ltd, who has failed to
pay duty accruals for exceeded importation quota to the tune of over
N3.5billion, the company’s representative, Mr. Anil Nair, told the committee
that as the largest farm owner on the African continent, it couldn’t have grown
its business by disobeying the rules, insisting that there was no directive
asking the company to pay import duties for exceeding its quota.
According to Nair, Olams will gladly pay what is due to it as
import duty or levy if the government require it to do so, a development which
confirmed that the minister actually waived such duties without due
diligence.“Olams farm is the single largest farm on the continent of Africa
with the capacity to import 243,747 tons of rice on 10% levi and 20% duty. If
you look at all the rice value chain, we have made up to date payment of duties
and levies as applicable for which we made presentation previously.“If we are
asked to pay for the excess in importation, we will oblige and pay without any
hesitation,”, Nair said.
The Customs delegation led by ACG Adeoye Ajade had told the
Committee in a position paper that import duty defaulters were communicated to
after the rice policy was reviewed in July, 2014.“Olam import was over 245.000
metric tons with excess quota amounting to over N3.5billion which is the duty
liability arising from that importation.“Given the review of the policy, rice
millers tried to make false declaration of duty values by under-declaring their
actual import volume. So the policy review now came with dual rate of 10per
cent duty raise and 20 per cent levy,” Ajade said.
http://leadership.ng/news/430982/fg-rice-policy-adesina-lacks-power-to-waive-import-duty-reps
No relief to rice consumers
The consumers of rice, the staple food of people in
Telangana, are facing a paradoxical situation with no signs of any letup in its
increasing price in the open market on one hand and the millers claiming that
the wholesale prices in the international markets are heading southwards
on the other.Against the claims of the Rice Millers’ Association of Telangana
that the wholesale price of superfine quality rice in the State had been
hovering around Rs. 30 per kg for the last seven years, its price in the open market
witnessed a constant rise during the period.In the upward supermarkets the
retail price of quality superfine variety rice is ranging from Rs. 47 to Rs. 52
per kg.
“The wholesale price of preferred varieties of rice
is constantly ranging between Rs. 30 and Rs. 35. The fact that we have supplied
44,873 tonnes of superfine-old rice at Rs. 36 per kg and superfine-new rice of
1.29 lakh tonnes at Rs. 32.5 per kg to the State government so far for the
purpose of welfare hostels and mid-day meal scheme buttresses our claims”, says
president of the association G. Nagendra.
Govt. green signal
Behind the variation
Asked why there was so much
variation in the price of preferred varieties of rice in the retail market in
spite of lesser prices in the international market and availability of more
than sufficient stocks in the State,Mr. Nagendra explained that it would depend
on overhead costs involved, type of retailer and quality within the preferred
varieties.“Superfine rice is available at the prices being quoted by me with
the wholesale rice stores even in the cities like Hyderabad”, he argued.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/no-relief-to-rice-consumers/article7172034.ece
Pakistan sets up Nepal earthquake relief fund at home and
missions abroad
(PTI) / 3 May 2015
The Foreign Secretary said the Prime Minister has established an exclusive Relief Fund for Nepal.
(PTI) / 3 May 2015
The Foreign Secretary said the Prime Minister has established an exclusive Relief Fund for Nepal.
“In response to
the Nepal government’s request, (Pakistan) Prime Minister has further approved
provision of 20,000 tents and 20 tons rice. The part consignment was delivered
yesterday (Saturday) by two C-130 aircrafts,” he said.He said Pakistan’S Prime
Minister, who was on an official visit to the UK when the Earthquake struck
Nepal spoke with his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala to offer all out
assistance.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/international/2015/May/international_May101.xml§ion=international
PARC introduces 11
new high-yielding rice varieties
BY INP
The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) approved 11 new
high-yielding rice varieties including seven hybrid and four open-pollinated
seed for cultivation in various ecologies.The Variety Evaluation Committee
(VEC) on Rice was held here at PARC headquarters under the Chairmanship of
Member Plant Sciences Division Dr Muhammad Shahid Masood.In total, 19 rice
varieties were presented before the VEC including 14 hybrid and five OP
varieties, out of which 11 were approved and eight were rejected due to Bacterial-Leaf-Blight
(BLB) disease susceptibility and poor grain quality performance. The approved
varieties have been recommended to the National Seed Council.
Details show that the hybrid varieties approved by the VEC have
yield potential up to 92 mound per acre whereas the OP rice varieties have
potential to produce much yield than the existing IRRI-6 and KSK-133
varieties.The OP varieties have been developed from the Green Super Rice (GSR)
germ-plasm provided by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
Philippines to PARC and National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic
Engineering (NIBGE).These OP varieties have high yield potential and also
submergence, salinity and water stress tolerance characters.“With the addition
of new recommended hybrids of rice in the national system of the country, it is
expected that there will be a significant improvement in rice production in
Pakistan,” VET Chairman Dr M Shahid Masood said.
He appreciated the role of stakeholders for taking interest in
rice research and development and working in close collaboration with the
public sector.The VEC meeting, among others, was attended by 20 technical
members of the committee from National Agriculture Research System (NARS) of
the country including rice breeders, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists,
seed experts, policy-makers, private seed companies’ representatives and
provincial seed cooperation representatives.
It is pertinent to mention here that the VEC on wheat
recently released four new rust resistant wheat varieties including a
bio-fortified variety having 50 percent Zinc (Zn) contents. The bio-fortified
variety is the first-ever such introduction in the list of recommended
varieties for farmers’ choice in any agro-ecology.Meanwhile, Chairman PARC Dr Iftikhar
Ahmad lauded the efforts of the scientists and other stakeholders for
introducing new rice varieties.“I expect that the introduction of new rice
varieties would not only produce promising crop yield but would also help
farmers to raise their incomes to improve their livelihood and ultimately play
role in building of overall economy of the country,” he remarked.
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/05/03/business/parc-introduces-11-new-high-yielding-rice-varieties/
MyPlate Video Search is a Success
Get healthy with Hamilton
"We challenged kids to
submit a video about how they eat healthy using MyPlate and get moving with
their favorite physical activity,"
said Katie Maher, USA Rice's manager of domestic promotion. "This
was the first time we hosted a promotion like this and we are very impressed
with the engagement we received as well as the quality and creativity of the
videos."
This month, all of the entries will be reviewed and judged by
MyPlate and Let's Move! There will be
one Grand Prize winner ($1,000) and one Runner-Up ($300) for each age category:
2 - 10, 11 - 13, and 14 - 18. Winners
will be announced in early June.If you're looking for a good laugh or something
to brighten your day, take a look at some of the video entries here.
Contact: Deborah Willenborg
(703) 236-1444
USA
Rice Fuels a Local Charity Race
Rice wins every time!
FALLS CHURCH, VA -- USA Rice participated in a charity race at a
local high school here to help support the school's athletic program. More than
400 adults and children took part in the annual "Raider 5K Run" that raised
an estimated $10,000 for the community.
USA Rice used the new Think
Rice logo on t-shirts all the runners received. In addition, staff was on-hand
to pass out Think Rice-branded rice marshmallow treats to the finishers.
"Not only was this a fun event on a beautiful spring day, but we literally
reminded runners that they should 'Think Rice' -- it's a complex carbohydrate
that helps fuel the body and is a great food for athletes," said Katie
Maher, USA Rice's manager of domestic promotion who also ran the race.
Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
Crop
Progress: 2015 Crop 61 Percent Planted
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WASHINGTON, DC -- Sixty-one percent of the nation's 2015 rice
acreage is planted, according to today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report.
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CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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Weighing in on the farm bill safety
net: Part 2
Greg Cole makes no secret of the
fact he believes farmers, particularly those in the Mid-South, would have been
better off from a safety net point of view if Congress had kept direct payments
in the Agricultural Act of 2014.Cole, president and CEO of AgHeritage Farm
Credit Services, has told several audiences “the loss of direct payments in the
new farm bill will have a greater impact on farmers in the Mid-South than in
any other part of the country,” a comment he repeated at the Mid-South
Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference in Memphis, Tenn.“You only get
help when things are not so good,” said Cole, who spoke on his impressions of
the signup for the new farm bill. “So if you trigger a payment, more than
likely you’re already losing money on an overall basis. So that’s a fundamental
shift.
”The new law ended direct
payments, which Cole said creates a different dynamic in farm country.
“Obviously, we liked direct payments. Producers liked them. They were easy to
quantify; you knew how much they were. “You knew when you were going to get
them. And for lenders, it was easy to make that link.” Cole says it appears
most farmers in the area served by AgHeritage selected the Agricultural Risk
Coverage or ARC program for corn and soybeans. Most rice producers chose Price
Loss Coverage or the PLC program for their crop.“With the rapid decline in rice
prices, it looks like if they did get signed up, there will be a pretty good
payment for the 2014 crop,” said Cole. “Obviously, we want receive that until
later at the end of the fall.Those who follow rice know it has joined other
markets as a crop with an excess of supply and a rapid decline in price to
about $4.50 per bushel after selling for $6 to $7 per bushel during the 2013-14
marketing year.
The new farm bill, on the other
hand, offers a $6.30 per bushel reference price for PLC calculations for rice
(minus any discounts and multiplying it by 85 percent of a grower’s base acres.
But some observers may not have considered all the dynamics of the
situation.“You may think that if I sell my rice for $4.50 per bushel, I’m going
to get $6.30 because of the reference price,” says Cole. “But if the price of
rice rises for the remainder of the year, you may not get a payment. So you
basically just sold your rice for $4.50.” He suggested growers try to hedge
against such developments by using co-op pools.Cole said he was somewhat
surprised to see that sales of federal crop insurance coverage, which was
supposed to be the underpinning of the new farm programs, did not increase in
the Mid-South for the 2015 crop year.“In the Mid-South, we haven’t used crop
insurance to the same level they have in the Midwest,” he said. “But I thought
we have a lot more producers buying crop insurance. But in our area, in our
part of the Mississippi Delta we haven’t seen that. Actually the sales are flat
or down where I thought they would skyrocket.”
To read more about the
Agricultural Act of 2014, visithttp://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=farmbill
What Latin
America’s rice sector offers the world
There is one occasion that Brazilian farmer Geovano Parcianello never misses. Every year, he travels 503 kilometers from his farm in the municipality of Alegrete to the city of Cachoeirinha, where the most important rice experiment station in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is located. Being there with a thousand other rice growers gives Mr. Parcianello an opportunity to find out about new varieties, disease control measures, and options for crop rotation—knowledge he can apply on his own 900 hectares of rice.
An
international technology festival
This year, the “technology festival” organized by the Rice
Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (IRGA) had an extra dimension. Not only did
participants come from places such as Alegrete, Santiago, San Antonio, and
Itaqui but they also came from 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean
(LAC), Europe, and Asia, making the field day international. The foreign guests
were among 460 participants at the XII International Conference on Rice in Latin America and the
Caribbean, which took place in Porto
Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, on 23-26 February 2015.
“Listening to presentations on topics such as genetics, crop
improvement, agronomy, and climate change, and visiting the field plots opened
our minds to what’s happening in the rice sector, not only in the region but in
the whole world,” said Eliécer Araya, president of Costa Rica’s National Rice
Corporation (Conarroz, its acronym in Spanish). “This also gave us an
opportunity to further reinforce the knowledge network that strengthens us
all.”
Taking LAC’s rice sector to new “horizons of
competitiveness”—the slogan of the conference—is a central aim for
organizations such as the Latin American Fund for Irrigated
Rice (FLAR) and its 35 members, the International Center for Tropical
Agriculture (CIAT), IRGA, and the Brazilian Agricultural Research
Corporation (Embrapa). The regional alliance draws as well on support from
the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), CGIAR’s lead center for the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP)—which believes in the important role of this region in
the coming decades to meet the rising global demand for rice.
A world-stage
performance
High productivity (with some countries obtaining yield as high
as 16 tons per hectare), extensive mechanization, the use of direct seeding,
and excellent grain quality are among the key features of LAC’s production that
are attracting world attention.“Latin America has enormous land resources and
abundant water, and its rice production is technically advanced,” said Robert Zeigler, IRRI director general. “The challenge for this region is to
analyze global markets carefully and design strategies that will enable
production to meet demand.”
Joe Tohme, director of CIAT’s
Agrobiodiversity Research Area, stressed the importance of regional integration
through networks such as FLAR and the Consortium on Hybrid Rice for
Latin America (HIAAL). “CIAT’s Rice Program
helps countries across the region to strengthen their capacity and make
production more competitive by using the genetic materials and agronomic
practices that we and FLAR are developing,” Dr. Tohme said.“Strategic alliances
are what can make us strong as a region,” said Flavio Breseghello, director
general of Embrapa Rice and Beans. “The presence of Asian
scientists in Latin America, thanks to GRiSP, makes them more aware of our
strengths and us more aware of theirs. The good practices of each continent
complement one another.”
National governments have a key role to play in building
strategic alliances, explained Bas Bouman, GRiSP director. “The way forward is
to strengthen national capacity, working side by side with governments and
their programs, and devise strategies that enable countries in LAC to compete
with the biggest rice producers in the world.”
Ingredients of
a production miracle
“There’s little point in doing research without extension. The
most important thing is transferring knowledge to producers—that’s the key,”
said Carlos Pereira, former president of IRGA, who now works as an agronomist
with the state’s Agricultural Secretariat.
IRGA, with its 75-year history, offers a good example of how the
rice production chain can be strengthened. In 10 years, growers in Rio Grande
do Sul managed to raise average rice yield by 50%. This production miracle
resulted mostly from a training program created for 100 IRGA technicians and
extension agents from private companies and farmer cooperatives.
“We reviewed the latest knowledge from different research
centers—CIAT, IRGA, IRRI, and universities—and took it to the field by means of
the technicians,” said Sergio Gindri, an IRGA researcher. “It was important to
develop consistent messages on basic concepts, such as early weed control and
the use of high-quality seed of improved varieties. But the route by which the
Latin America and the Caribbean region reaches its goal of serving as a food
basket for the world won’t be easy.”
“To position ourselves in international markets, we have to
tackle basic issues such as seed quality, improved infrastructure for exports,
and lower operating costs, with the aim of offering a higher quality product at
a lower price,” said Eduardo Graterol, FLAR’s executive director. “The goal is
to place surplus production in international markets, while ensuring that each
country can supply enough rice for its own population.”
The sun-drenched international field day ended with a banquet
for Mr. Parcianello and the rest of the 1,500 guests, who feasted on carreteiro, a typical dish of Rio Grande do Sul, in which rice, of course,
is the main ingredient—just as it is in the daily diets of more than half of
the global population.
_________________________________________
Ms. Varón Molina is communications coordinator for Latin America
and the Caribbean at CIAT
http://irri.org/rice-today/what-latin-america-s-rice-sector-offers-the-world?utm_source=IRRI+email+subscriptions&utm_campaign=ee469805c6-RiceToday_Weekly5_05_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c803adc7cf-ee469805c6-40925885
Yield rises with WeRise
Written
by Keiichi Hayashi, Anita Boling, and Tsutomu Ishimaru.
Unreliable weather can make or break rice farmers that rely on
rainfall for water. Climate change makes it even harder to predict weather
conditions, thus lowering the chances of recovering farmers’ investments in
mitigating the impact of erratic rainfall patterns on their crops. To help
solve this problem, a prototype weather rice-nutrient integrated decision
support system (WeRise) came about. WeRise is a web application tool that
integrates rice nutrients with weather data to provide farmers with weather and
crop advisories.
Rice roulette
Growing rice in rainfed environments is like gambling. It is
difficult for farmers to decide when to sow or transplant rice because they
cannot predict the arrival of the monsoon. They also cannot foresee whether the season’s rainfall will be
enough to sustain their crops. Even with sufficient rainfall at the beginning
of the season, they have no guarantee the rain will continue. Obviously, too
much or too little rainfall can lead to a poor harvest. The weather can also
inflict damage during harvest time. If harvesting coincides with rains, farmers
need plastic sheets to keep grains dry. The bottom line is that no one can tell
how much of their investment can be recovered after a cropping season.
Optimal production can be achieved through good agricultural
practices, which can be designed to fit the different types of rainy season.
For example, a long-cycle rice variety should be chosen for long rainy seasons
with sufficient rainfall. In areas where the rainy season is short, a
short-cycle variety is suitable for coping when water is scarce. If the rainy
season is long enough but rainfall is insufficient, a droughttolerant rice
variety can be a good candidate.
When drought occurs, a short-cycle variety should be used to
avoid water shortage at the critical stages of plant growth. However, these
decisions are made at the start of the planting season. Farmers cannot change
the variety of their choice after they have planted it.
Tailor-made
weather and yield reports
WeRise is a product of collaboration between the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Japan on the project Climate Change Adaptation in
Rainfed Rice Areas (CCARA). WeRise aims to improve the chances of farmers of having
good rice yields even with unpredictable weather patterns. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries funds CCARA.
WeRise provides crucial weather and grain yield advisories in
the form of a narrative summary. This includes the start and end of the rainy
season, the expected rainfall distribution and flooding or drought that might
occur during the season, when to sow and transplant the crop, what variety is
appropriate, and how to apply fertilizer efficiently. It also contains
graphical outputs of rainfall, minimum and maximum temperatures, wind speed,
vapor pressure, and solar radiation.
These sets of information are location-specific to subdistrict
levels of countries in Southeast Asia. The seasonal weather predictions are
based on the localized outputs of the Scale Interaction Experiment-Frontier
(SINTEX-F) Research Center for Global Change developed byJapan’s Agency for Marine-Earth
Science and Technology. SINTEX-F is designed to predict
when the El Niño Southern Oscillation will occur, 1 to 24 months in advance.
Thus, WeRise can provide farmers with predicted weather and yield information
with enough lead time for them to prepare and decide what and when to plant.
WeRise can also predict yield based on recommended sowing and
fertilizer application timings using the ORYZA crop modeling tool, which simulates the growth and development of rice as well as
water under different conditions, including local weather. The grain yield
advisory is also location-specific so that end-users can choose a subdistrict
for this advisory.
From theory to
field reality
In rainfed rice farming, the timing of sowing is crucial because
good yield is linked to a sufficient water supply and good crop growth. Some
farmers plant early while others are more cautious and start sowing late in the
monsoon. Relying mostly on guesswork, farmers can have high or low yields as a
result of coincidence; thus, they cannot obtain the same result in the
following year.
In 2014, WeRise was tested in Indonesia to see whether it could
minimize the effect of poor timing. Although many farmers started sowing rice
after a downpour at the beginning of the rainy season, the WeRise team,
following its weather prediction, planted rice much later.
A few weeks after the farmers planted, rainfall stopped. The
young rice seedlings planted by the farmers suffered from water scarcity and
some plants did not survive. The WeRise team, on the other hand, obtained
significantly higher yield than the farmers who did not receive any weather
advisory and relied on their instincts.
A
user-friendly tool
WeRise is designed for agricultural extension agents and farmers
who can access the Internet through smartphones or computers. Local millers and
retailers of agricultural inputs are potential users who can be sources of
information for farmers with no Internet access. WeRise is now available in
English, Bahasa, and Lao, making information dissemination even simpler for
small-scale rice farmers who are not tech-savvy.
The feedback from 53 research and extension workers in
Indonesia, Lao PDR, and the Philippines has been positive. They found WeRise
easy to use and understand. They also said that explaining the advisory to
farmers was easy.“The information is more complete and it has graphs,” said
Beby Noviani, an extension worker from Indonesia.Muhammad Jono, another
Indonesian extension worker, summed up his experience with WeRise in one word:
“simple.”
Raising
farmers’ odds
With WeRise, rice farmers will be able to use their resources
efficiently by choosing a suitable variety, avoiding a failure in crop
establishment, and using an efficient fertilizer application. This can help
reduce their risks and make rainfed rice farming better and more stable. By
providing farmers with timely, accurate information, farmers can enjoy better
harvests, which translate into higher earnings and more reliable profitability.
Thus, WeRise could make rainfed rice farming attractive to young people by changing
the perception that rainfed agriculture is an all-or-nothing occupation.
_________________________________________
Drs. Hayashi and Ishimaru are seconded scientists from the
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
working on the CCARA project. Dr. Hayashi is the project coordinator who leads
the agronomy and soil science component. Dr. Ishimaru is a plant breeder who leads the genetics and breeding
component. Dr. Boling is a former postdoctoral fellow of CCARA.
http://irri.org/rice-today/yield-rises-with-werise?utm_source=IRRI+email+subscriptions&utm_campaign=ee469805c6-RiceToday_Weekly5_05_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c803adc7cf-ee469805c6-40925885
Thailand
looks to export rice to China, ASEAN countries
English.news.cn 2014-07-28
16:11:54
BANGKOK, July 28 (Xinhua) --
Thailand is looking to release millions of tons of rice to China and a few
Southeast Asian nations throughout the latter part of this year.According to
Duangporn Rodphayathi, Thai Foreign Trade Department director general, a quantity
of 900,000 tons of rice is yet to be delivered to China under a
government-to-government dealing by which China had earlier agreed to buy a
total of one million tons of Thai rice.However, a single volume of 100,000 tons
has been delivered to China so far while the relatively huge volume of 900,000
tons is yet to follow under the bilateral rice dealing, the department chief
said.A delegation of the department is scheduled to visit China on Thursday to
negotiate the balance of the rice supply with COFCO Limited, a Chinese state
firm, she added.
Meanwhile, Thailand will seek an
increase in purchase volumes for Thai rice in neighboring Malaysia preferrably
under government- to-government dealings while private Thai rice exporters will
look to expand markets in the Philippines and Indonesia.In addition to the
Foreign Trade Department's rice export plans, the private sector will play a
stepped-up role in the expanding of Thai rice markets throughout the rest of
this year, according to the department chief.Top Thai ruler Gen. Prayuth
Chan-ocha earlier instructed Thai authorities to look for ways and means to
release quantities of rice currently stored up at rented warehouses under a
rice subsidy program earlier implemented by a previous Yingluck Shinawatra government.He
chaired a meeting of the Rice Administrative Policy Committee on Monday in a
bid to streamline a substantial release of the rice to the world markets.
An average of 500 U.S. dollars had
been offered for a ton of rice to farmers nationwide under the populist rice
program only to see millions of tons stored up at warehouses without signs of
being released in substantial volume.The previous government had rented more
than 1,700 privately- owned warehouses in all parts of the country for the rice
purchased from farmers since last year's harvest season.Former ministers under
the Yingluck cabinet had earlier maintained that the Thai rice would have sold
at a high price had it been stored in the warehouses for a period of time,
waiting to be released to the world markets.
But a large quantity of the
government's rice had been found rotten or stolen from the rented warehouses
over the past several months, apparently prompting the ruling military to begin
to release much of it from now.Gen. Prayuth earlier commented that such rice
subsidy programs will no longer be implemented because it has been allegedly
prone to corruption and incurred immense financial losses.Instead, the
authorities will look to cut the costs of farmers' rice production, including
those for fertilizers and pesticides, provide more financial aid for them and
expand current rice markets and find new ones worldwide.Compared to the 500
U.S. dollars for a ton of rice purchased from farmers by the previous
government, only about 283 U.S. dollars a ton will be offered by an upcoming
interim government, according to an official of the Commerce Ministry.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2014-07/28/c_133515762.htm
The
government claims success in new rice production policy
Saturday, 02 May 2015
By
NNT
BANGKOK,
1 May 2015 -The Thai government has successfully helped rice farmers produce
more grains at a lower cost via a new program designed to improve rice growing
efficiency.The government has claimed its new program provides full-cycle supervision
to every stage of rice farming starting from production to grain quality
control and market opportunities.Under the program, white rice farmers are able
to increase the productivity per rai from 729 kilograms previously to 870
kilograms nowadays.
Their
production costs have declined by around 3,000 baht per ton since the program
was introduced.Jasmine rice growers have also seen their productivity increase
with around 100 kilograms more of rice produced per rai and were able to save
as much as 3,000 baht per ton in production capital.Farmers participating in
the program have found that they can sell their grains at 30% higher than the
market prices as many silo owners and buyers are joining in the program.
http://www.pattayamail.com/news/the-government-claims-success-in-new-rice-production-policy-46774#sthash.ZZ4ZBuDk.dpuf
Nigeria: N21 Billion Rice Importation
Tax Evasion - Reps Summon Okonjo-Iweala, Adesina
By Emman Ovuakporie
Abuja — MEMBERS of the House of Representatives have summoned
the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Agriculture, Dr
Akinwumi Adeshina and others over alleged N21billion rice importation tax
evasion scam.Vanguard reliably gathered that the ministers and 25 rice
importers are expected to explain to the lawmakers how over N21bn tax was
evaded despite the provision of subsidy by the Federal Government to the
importers.A source privy to this development who spoke to Vanguard in confidence
said "the whole exercise was grossly abused by the importers and laced
with fraud"."We'll unravel those government officials who aided these
economic saboteurs and ensure that all the tax they cornered is returned to
government coffers".
"The adhoc committee set up by the House will also ensure
that they are speedily prosecuted".Asked whether the Nigeria Customs
Service,NCS, was also summoned, the source said "yes they are the people
that will as a matter of law make available all the necessary statistics at the
hearing tomorrow.""We've also discovered that those who got subsidy
were the ones that even evaded tax more than those that did not get a dime from
government".Also asked how the N21bn was arrived at, he said "that
was a simple, it was from all the import duty transactions carried out by the
importers".
http://allafrica.com/stories/201505040280.html
Vietnam rice boom puts pressure on farmers
AAP – Mon, May 4, 2015 1:01 PM AEST
Rice farmer Nguyen Hien Thien is so busy growing his crops that he
has never even visited Can Tho, a town only a few kilometres from his farm in
the southern Mekong Delta."When I was a child, we grew one crop of rice
per year -- now it's three. It's a lot of work," 60-year-old Thien, who's
been farming since childhood, told AFP.Experts say Vietnam's drive to become
one of the world's leading rice exporters is pushing farmers in the fertile
delta region to the brink, with mounting costs to the environment.The communist
country is already the world's second largest exporter of the staple grain. But
intensive rice cultivation, particularly the shift to producing three crops a
year, is taking its toll on farmers and the ecosystem."Politicians want to
be the world's number one or two rice exporter.
As a scientist, I want to see more being done to protect farmers
and the environment," said Vietnamese rice expert Vo Tong Xuan.A major
famine in 1945 and food shortages in the post-war years led to the government
adopting a "rice first" policy.This now generates far more of the
crop than needed to feed Vietnam's 90 million population and has spawned a
thriving export industry.Rice yields have nearly quadrupled since the 1970s,
official figures show, thanks to high-yield strains and the construction of a
network of dykes that today allow farmers to grow up to three crops per year.
The amount of land under cultivation in the Mekong Delta has also
expanded and quotas are in place to prevent farmers from switching to other
crops.But experts question who really benefits.According to Xuan, farmers don't
reap the rewards of the three crop system -- the rice is low quality and they
spend more on pesticides and fertilisers, which become less effective year by
year.He argues the delta would be better off if farmers cultivated a more
diverse range of crops, from coconuts to prawns, with just the most suitable
land used to grow rice.The country should consider abandoning the third crop
and focus on improving quality and branding to sell Vietnamese rice at higher
prices, he said.
Currently, the bulk of Vietnam's rice is exported at cut-price
costs on government-to-government contracts through large state-owned
enterprises (SOEs) like the Southern Food Corporation, known as Vinafood
2."Over the last five years, the trend is towards lower-quality
rice," admitted Le Huu Trang, deputy office manager at the firm.Some argue
that such SOEs have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo as they
earn lucrative kickbacks from the huge contracts.But even as salt water
intrusion, drought and flooding increase in the delta -- to say nothing of
agricultural chemical pollution -- it is also hard to convince farmers to
change."The prevailing mindset is to grow three crops... we have to
explain two crops is better," said Nguyen Tuan Hiep from the Co Do
Agriculture company.
Over the last 20 years, Co Do -- which is state-run but a flagship
model of how the industry could evolve -- has identified the best rice-growing
land in the delta and helped farmers expand their farms.They now work with
2,500 families on 5,900 hectares of land, enough for each family to make a
living -- typically the average rice farm in the delta spans less than one
hectare.The firm invests heavily in high-quality seeds and improving
irrigation, while also advising farmers on the best chemicals to use."Two
crops is more sustainable long term -- the soil is not degraded, the
environment isn't polluted, and value of the rice increases," Hiep said.
Climate change is another factor threatening the delta, according
to the World Bank Group's vice president and special envoy for climate change
Rachel Kyte."This is really ground zero for some of the most difficult
adaptation, planning challenges that any country in the world has," she
said.Ultimately, Vietnam has tough choices to make, including whether to help
people transition from a rice-based economy to aquaculture or other crops, Kyte
added.The environmental costs of maintaining Vietnam's current level of rice
production are also rising.The system of dykes, which blocks flood water, is
preventing soil nutrients from flowing freely and over time "soil
fertility will fade", said Tran Ngoc Thac, deputy director of Vietnam's
Rice Research Institute.Scientists there are busy trying to breed new strains of
rice that require fewer fertilisers and can survive in extreme weather."If
farmers don't change, if we can't find a suitable new rice strain, pollution
will continue and incomes will drop," Thac said, adding these measures
were essential to save the delta.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/vietnam-rice-boom-puts-pressure-030106442.html
Rice Importers Take on Customs over
N20bn Import Duty Payment
04 May 2015
By John Iwori

Rice importers have taken on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
over its resolve to collect the N20 billion import duty they allegedly evaded
paying into the coffers of the federal government.Following the reluctance of
the rice importers to pay the import duty, the Customs High Command had issued
a public notice in selected national newspapers giving the importers or their
agents an ultimatum to pay on or before April 14, 2015.Apparently seeing the
ultimatum as an empty threat, the rice importers treated the public notice with
levity.Two weeks after the expiration of the ultimatum as contained in the
public notice, the importers did not pay the import duty and they were not
arrested by NCS or any other security agency.
THISDAY checks revealed that the importers resolve to ignore the
ultimatum to pay the import duty, even as they dared NCS based on superior
advice from those backing them.Impeccable sources close to the importers and
their agents said they took the decision to ignore the public notice due to the
fact that the Customs High Command presently lacked what it takes to sanction
them.“As far as rice importers are concerned, they regard NCS as a toothless
bull dog. This is because most of them know their way in the system from the
presidency to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and
Investments, and Agriculture. In fact, as we speak, they are pushing for the
procurement of a waiver. Once they get the waiver, it will make nonsense of the
N20 billion import duty NCS has been demanding from them all these while,” the
source said.
According to the source who preferred anonymity, the rice
importers are adopting a multi-layered approach to ensure that they obtain the
waiver. They strongly believe the Ministry of Agriculture lacked the statutory
powers to grant such waivers. That is why they are not restricting their
pursuit of the waiver to that ministry alone. Besides, the importers are
banking on the fact of the imminent change in government, as they strongly
believe that the out-going administration of President Goodluck Jonathan may
not be keen in pursuing them to recover the money. It was gathered
that while some of the rice importers may be willing to pay the N20 billion
import duty, they want to buy time with the belief that the in-coming
government of Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) give them opportunity to re-negotiate the
amount and the payment terms after it takes the reins of power on May 29, 2015.
“We are still working at raising the money. We have invested
heavily and the commodity is not even selling as much as we had expected. So,
what is the rush, in paying the excess duty? Look, we will pay. But I do not
envisage my company paying everything. Is this not Nigeria?” one of the
affected importers said.While no one was willing to speak publicly on the
matter, a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Abuja
confirmed that some rice importers were granted waivers not long ago just as
some others are still being processed.One of those granted waiver by the
ministry is a seasoned rice grower and importer, Olam Nigeria Limited.According
to documents obtained by THISDAY, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi
Adesina, in the waiver dated April 13, 2015, said he was glad that domestic
rice production was already on the increase, thereby resulting in a
reduction of rice import requirements of the country.
Given, Olam Nigeria’s massive rice production and milling
investment in Nigeria, being the largest single existing investor in the
sub-sector over the last two years with existing investments over $120,000,000,
the ministry is willing to reduce the amount owed by 50 per cent to 54,000 MT
to be applied to 2015 allocations.In response to inquiries, Public Relations
Officer (PRO), NCS Headquarters, Abuja, Alhaji Adewale Adeniyi, said the
position of NCS on import duty collection had not changed.
Adewale, a Deputy Comptroller (DC), maintained that NCS would
not fail to apply severe sanctions if the importers failed to pay the statutory
fees.According to him, “We are committed to a total recovery of the duty
payable on excess importation of rice. We have the government backing on this.
The President (Jonathan) has given us the mandate to recover fully, the duty on
excess importation on rice and management has no reason whatsoever to shirk its
responsibility in this regard. It is revenue that is due, from any excess
importation; and we have President Jonathan’s backing to make this recovery.So,
despite their foot dragging, they cannot escape paying it. I can assure on
that.”
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/rice-importers-take-on-customs-over-n20bn-import-duty-payment/208438/
Organic rice from Thailand targets
Mideast markets
Sittichai: Seeking to meet growing
demand from the Middle East for healthy rice with halal certification. PICTURE:
Arno Maierbrugger
By Arno Maierbrugger
Gulf Times Correspondent ,Bangkok
In a bid to diversify away from mass rice production and get better access to the lucrative market for organic food products, Thailand has set up a six-year strategy for organic agricultural production that includes penetration of international markets including the Middle East. Especially smaller and family farms are encouraged to grow and sell organic rice, as well as vegetables and fruits on their own and seek new market channels for it.Acknowledging that demand for organic rice is especially growing in Muslim countries – where it is appreciated as healthy food with low sugar content that goes nice with Arab dishes – organic farmers are increasingly seeking halal certification for their rice to get access to those markets.
One of these farmers is Sittichai Ruenpakdan, who runs the
Family Hydro Farm in Thailand’s central Chai Nat province, an area where 90% of
locals are engaged in agriculture and, in the past, the widespread and heavy
use of chemical fertilisers in mass rice production has led to environmental
and health problems. Sittichai, who lost his job as a human relations manager
at a Thai company as it was closed down when the disastrous floods hit the
country in 2011, has since built up a small but profitable family business and
produces around 40 tonnes of organic rice a year which sells for a multiple of
normal rice.“We are selling the rice through organic shops in Thailand, but we
will also sell it to Saudi Arabia soon after we get the halal certification,”
Sittichai told Gulf Times.
“Our target is to sell more of the organic rice to the Middle
East, as well as to the Muslim South of Thailand,” he added.According to Anupa
Panyadilok, head of the Learning and Development Center for the New Generation
of Farmers in Chai Nat, around 60% of farmers in the area have already turned
to organic farming.“This province has the aim to become Thailand’s largest
organic rice-producing area,” she said. Organic rice in Thailand is grown and
processed without the use of any synthetic chemicals as found, for example, in
fertilisers, insecticides, preservatives, seed treatment or hormones. Currently, only specially selected
high-quality jasmine rice is planted organically although other types of rice
are also looked at as the number of health-conscious consumers is growing
rapidly.
To that end, the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
has worked out the National Organic Agriculture Strategies 2015-2021 to make
Thai organic agriculture products better known in both local and international
markets. The strategies aim at spreading knowledge and innovation in organic
agriculture, developing organic agricultural production throughout the supply
chain, expanding marketing and improving the standards of Thai agricultural
products. Sales partnerships are also welcomed and could include foreign
partners, namely for the Middle East markets.Such sales partnerships will be
essential for the success of Thai organic rice as most farmers are struggling
to find channels to sell the rice. In Sittichai’s case, he is relying on social
networks, but will have to forge a sales partnership for the Middle East
market.
In fact, organic agriculture has become a major policy theme in
Thailand since 2001 when the administration of former Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra started agricultural development programmes to improve living
conditions for the rural population. Organic farming was enlisted as an
“important national agenda” to promote safe food and boost national export.
Many government authorities have since initiated projects and activities
centred around organic farming. In addition, farmers have joined hands in
setting up organic agricultural learning centres and developing agro-tourism
sites for visitors.
http://www.gulf-times.com/eco.-bus.%20news/256/details/437570/organic-rice-from-thailand-targets-mideast-markets
Gov't to purchase 77,000 tons of rice
2015/05/03 14:09
SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- The
South Korean government said Sunday it will buy 77,000 tons of locally produced
rice to help stabilize local prices.With the latest purchase plan, the amount
of fresh crop acquired by the government will reach 240,000 tons, equivalent to
last year's excess rice harvests compared with demand, according to the
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The government decided to
liberalize the rice market for the first time in its history in 2014.Apart from
preventing an inflow of cheap rice imports, keeping the price of locally
produced grain from falling has been a part of government efforts to protect
local farmers.Last year, the government purchased 370,000 tons of the grain,
with plans to buy 30,000 tons more, as part of plans to control prices.
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