California rice
plantings down 32 percent - 375,000 acres
Estimate based on seed sales
Jun 13, 2015 | Western
Farm Press
California rice
plantings down 32 percent - 375,000 acres
Planted California rice acreage estimate based on seed sales
Additional water curtailments could impact harvested acres
more than first suspected
Impacts of reduced rice water will be seen in local economies
and to wildlife
Rice fields like this one just north of Sacramento, Calif. support
a host of jobs an economic activities, including Farm AIr Flying Service just
across the canal from this rice field.
The California Rice Commission
(CRC) expects crop plantings at 375,000 acres this year, down from the
annual 550,000 average - or a 32-percent reduction, largely tied to the
ongoing extreme drought.
The CRC prediction came just days before the State Water
Resources Control Board began another round of closing irrigation taps to
farmers. Actual harvested acreage could be vastly different with water
curtailments now extending to senior water rights holders. Many have already
made planting decisions that could require them to walk away from crops leading
to dead plants.The planted rice estimate is solely based on seed sales,
according to Tim Johnson, CRC president.Mike Daddow, a grower of rice in the
Sacramento, Natomas and Nicolaus areas, hopes to plant 450 acres of rice this
season. He typically plants about 600 acres of medium grain, short grain and
sweet rice.The loss of water has also impacted the custom farming that he does.
He expects to be down about 300 acres in custom farming work this year.The loss
of rice land not only impacts whole economies in the northern San Joaquin and
southern Sacramento valleys of California. It also means lost habitat for
millions of birds and other wildlife.“We’re managing water for a lot of
purposes here,” says David Guy, president of the Northern California Water
Association, an organization whose mission is to “advance the economic, social
and environmental sustainability of the Sacramento Valley by enhancing and
preserving its water rights, supplies and water quality.”
http://westernfarmpress.com/rice/california-rice-plantings-down-32-percent-375000-acres
NFA wants private
sector to participate in rice importation
By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) | Updated June 14, 2015 -
12:00am
MANILA,
Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) is inviting the private sector
to participate in the importation of an aggregate volume of 805,200 metric tons
(MT) of rice under the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for this year.The total
importation volume comprises 755, 200 MT of country-specific quota (CSQ) and
50,000 MT of omnibus origin volume.The CSQ is broken down as follows: China,
50,000 MT; India, 50,000 MT; Pakistan, 50,000 MT; Australia 15,000 MT; El
Salvador 4,000 MT; Thailand 293,100 MT; and Vietnam 293,100 MT.In its bid
invitation published in The STAR on Friday, NFA stated that each application
for importation under the 2015 MAV shall cover a volume of not more than 20,000
MT.
All rice
imported under the 2015 MAV rice importation program shall be levied with a
tariff of 35 percent to be paid in advance to the Land Bank of the Philippines,
with the Bureau of Customs making the final assessment and valuation.Importers
are allowed to import well-milled rice with quality not lower than 25 percent
brokens or other special rice varieties. The NFA shall accept applications for
importation under the 2015 MAV 15 days from publication of the notice beginning
yesterday. Interested parties should submit pertinent documents to the Grains
Marketing Operations Department at the NFA central office in Quezon City and
pay a non-refundable processing fee of P50,000.Corporations, partnerships, sole
proprietorship, farmers’ cooperatives and joint ventures can apply under the
program. Importers should be able to deliver the imported rice on or before
Nov. 30, 2015.The Philippines agreed last year to increase the volume of rice
imports at a reduced tariff of 35 percent to 805,200 MT from 350,000 MT in
exchange for the extension of its special tax treatment on rice by the World
Trade Organization (WTO).
Within the MAV
scheme, rice importers enjoy a lower tariff beginning this year until 2017.As
Southeast Asian economies attain full integration this year, Filipino rice
farmers would be pitted against agricultural powerhouses like Thailand and
Vietnam, which can easily bring in rice to the Philippines at low tariff.Thus,
the government is grooming rice growers to increase production and improve the
quality of produce to maximize the benefits of free trade within the region.
The opening of
the 2015 MAV rice importation program sees the Philippines importing nearly two
million MT of rice this year as the prevailing dry spell is expected to reduce
rice production this year.In February, NFA awarded the supply contract for a
total of 500,000 MT of rice to Vietnam and Thailand, which delivered in March
and April.The agency also approved the importation of 250,000 MT for arrivals
between July to August and the importation of a standby supply of 250,000
MT.Earlier, the Department of Agriculture revised this year’s palay production
target to 19.02 million MT from the original target of 20 million MT as the
prevailing dry spell is expected to cause delays in planting
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/06/14/1465664/nfa-wants-private-sector-participate-rice-importation
PHL reissues tender
for 100,000-MT rice imports
THE NATIONAL Food Authority (NFA) said yesterday it has reissued a tender to import an additional 100,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as it seeks to boost its buffer stock ahead of the lean harvest season in the country beginning July.
The
tender is again open only to the governments of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia,
with sealed bids to be opened on June 16, the NFA said in a statement.It comes
after June 5 bidding that saw the NFA agreeing to buy 150,000 MT of rice, with
Vietnam winning the deal against Thailand. Cambodia did not submit a bid. The
NFA had planned to import as much as 250,000 MT of 25% broken white rice via
the June 5 tender, but the initial price offers were higher than its budget.
Vietnam had agreed to revise its bid but for
only 150,000 MT while Thailand had backed out in the second round of
bidding.Vietnam, the Philippines’ traditional main supplier, last week cut its
export price floor for 25% broken rice by 2.9% to $340/MT amid a lack of fresh
buying demand.Dry weather brought by the current El Niño weather episode has
prompted the Philippines, one of the world’s top rice importers, to further cut
its estimated output of the staple grain in the second quarter. The NFA already
has government approval to buy another 250,000 MT later this year if drought
brought on by El Niño hurts its harvest. -- Reuters
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=TopStory&title=phl-reissues-tender-for-100000-mt-rice-imports&id=109660
Gov't to try to
import rice again
ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted
at 06/15/2015 1:03 PM
MANILA - Government is taking a second shot at importing rice
ahead of the lean season that starts next month after failing to buy as much as
it wanted two weeks ago.A report from Reuters said the Philippines will invite
bids for 100,000 tons of rice from Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.Government
bought 150,000 tons from Vietnam earlier this month when it wanted to buy
250,000 from any or all of the three countries.The Philippines needs to import
rice as dry weather from El Nino cuts local production, raising the possibility
of shortages.A failure to import last year resulted in a spike in rice prices
and general inflation. – ANC
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/06/15/15/govt-try-import-rice-again
Mekong Delta farmers well
profit from summer autumn rice
Farmers earn a profit of VND10-15 million (US$459-688) per hectare
of summer autumn rice crop which is amid peak harvest time in the Mekong Delta.
On Sunday, traders paid VND4,100-4,200 a kilogram of fresh normal
rice and VND4,400-4,600 a kilogram of fresh long grain variety in Dong Thap,
Hau Giang and Vinh Long provinces and Can Tho city.Farmer Vo Van Rot from Can
Tho said that he had reaped one hectare of summer autumn rice and sold them out
at VND4,500 a kilogram to pocket VND14 million.According to departments of
agriculture and rural development in the delta, the rice price is not high but
farmers still profit from bumper crop and high productivity.The Vietnam Food
Association reported that businesses have exported over 2.1 million tons of
rice worth US$874.9 million in the first five months this year.
On Sunday, traders paid VND4,100-4,200 a kilogram of fresh normal
rice and VND4,400-4,600 a kilogram of fresh long grain variety in Dong Thap,
Hau Giang and Vinh Long provinces and Can Tho city.Farmer Vo Van Rot from Can
Tho said that he had reaped one hectare of summer autumn rice and sold them out
at VND4,500 a kilogram to pocket VND14 million.According to departments of
agriculture and rural development in the delta, the rice price is not high but
farmers still profit from bumper crop and high productivity.The Vietnam Food
Association reported that businesses have exported over 2.1 million tons of
rice worth US$874.9 million in the first five months this year.
Farmers harvest rice in Thoi Lai district, Can Tho (Photo: SGGP)
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/2015/6/114132/
Pakistani rice exporters
seek enhanced trade
GROUP PHOTO: Members of the REAP delegation led by Rafique
Suleman, third from right, with Ambassador of Pakistan to Qatar Shahzad Ahmad,
centre, front row. Photo: Umer Nangiana
By Umer Nangiana
By Umer Nangiana
Pakistan being an agro-based economy has natural abundance of all agricultural products including food items. Rice is the third largest crop after wheat and cotton.Grown over 10% of the total cropped area, rice is highly valued cash crop and is also major export item. It accounts for 6.7% in value-added agriculture and 1.6% in GDP. Pakistan grows enough high quality rice to meet both domestic demand and allow for exports of around one million ton per annum.The country has been consistently exporting its high quality rice to Qatar for many years. In 2011-12, Pakistan exported over 50,000 metric ton of Basmati rice for over US$50 million besides more than 36,000 metric ton of non-Basmati rice worth more than US$21 million.
However, the trend in exports went downwards from there on and
only 15,000 metric ton of Basmati rice was exported to Qatar from Pakistan
between July 2014 and May 2015.A delegation comprising leading rice exporters
from Pakistan — members of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) — is
in town, seeking enhanced export of Pakistani rice to Qatar. Led by Rafique
Suleman, the Chairman of REAP, the delegation was invited to Qatar by the
Ambassador of Pakistan to Qatar Shahzad Ahmad.During the two-day visit, the delegation met with representatives of leading rice importing companies in Qatar and officials of the Government of Qatar, facilitated by the Embassy of Pakistan.“Trade in rice with Qatar has been really good till 2010 but then it dropped for some reasons,” Suleman told Community at a dinner reception hosted by the Ambassador of Pakistan at his residence here recently.“We are here to determine the reasons for that drop and would try get the problems fixed in order to bring the rice import to Qatar from Pakistan back to its high once again,” the delegation leader added.
He praised the efforts of the ambassador and urged him to
provide continued support to the Pakistani exporters, assuring him that
Pakistan has the potential to export large quantity of good quality rice to
Qatar.“We have all latest laboratories available in Pakistan to test rice for
any standards applicable in the world at present. We export almost 4 million
ton of rice to different parts of the world and are 4th largest exporters in
the world,” said Suleman.He said they just needed a bit of support from the
Qatari government and the exporters of rice in Pakistan are capable of
enhancing the current rate of rice export to Qatar from Pakistan to almost
US$100 million.
He hoped to hold a meeting with the officials of Central Tenders
Committee (CTC) in Qatar that floats the tenders for import of rice for local
companies in Qatar. The delegation leader said they would urge the CTC to
include Pakistan’s name in the list of countries as ‘Pakistan origin,’ to
facilitate the import of rice by local companies directly from Pakistan.“Our
Basmati rice is considered as best in the world. It sells at top price in
United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and many other countries.
We know that the market in Qatar is almost 100,000 ton of rice and we can
deliver this quantity,” said the delegation leader.He said the REAP delegation
went to Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines before arriving in Qatar. From
there, they would head to Bahrain before proceeding to China and Britain.
“We have more than 30 qualities of rice in Pakistan and the
non-Basmati variety is our biggest export. The delegation’s mission is to gain
contracts directly from countries’ governments so that the exports of top-quality
Pakistani rice can be increased manifold to [its full potential].”The REAP
delegation includes prominent exporters of rice and other agriculture products
from all over Pakistan.In 1988-89, REAP came into existence and started
interacting with the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Food, Agriculture and
Livestock and also the Planning Division of the Government of Pakistan.
It is, Suleman said, the second largest export trade body registered with
the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of Pakistan. It has an active
membership of 1,500 throughout the country.
http://www.gulf-times.com/culture/238/details/443247/pakistani-rice-exporters-seek-enhanced-trade
650,000 tons of stockpiled
Thai rice declared rotten, to be used as fuel
BY EDITOR ON 2015-06-15
THAILAND
PWO: 650,000 tons of stockpiled rice declared rotten, to be used as
fuel
BANGKOK, 15 June 2015, (NNT) – The Public Warehouse Organization
(PWO) is working with police regarding the inferior rice in its stock, which
totals one million tons.Of this amount, 650,000 tons are unfit for both human
and animal consumption, as well as ethanol production. They can however used as
fuel in electricity generation.300,000 tons are an 80:20 mix of good quality
rice and Grade C rice, and the remaining 54,000 tons are white rice mislabeled
as jasmine and sticky rice.PWO Chairman Jintana Chaiyawonnagal estimated the
police investigation would be completed within this month, after which the
organization can sell its stock for various purposes.
Paddy farmers’ dues
to be paid in 15 days
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Paddy farmers will be paid their
dues within 15 days, Minister for Civil Supplies Anoop Jacob said here on
Saturday.He was cited in a press release from the Public Relations Department
as saying that Rs. 275 crore was due to the farmers for the paddy procured last
season. The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation will avail a loan of Rs.
225 crore to meet the outgo. The remaining portion of the dues, Rs. 50 crore,
would be provided by the State government, the press release added. Supplyco
has already completed payment to paddy farmers in six districts in the State.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/paddy-farmers-dues-to-be-paid-in-15-days/article7314491.ece
Thailand asks rice
farmers to delay wet season planting
BANGKOK, JUNE 15
Thailand has asked rice farmers to delay planting their main
crop in the fertile Chao Phraya River Basin area as the country battles drought
in dozens of provinces, the agriculture ministry said on Monday.Thailand is one
of the world's top rice exporters, and despite the drought the U.S. Department
of Agriculture expects output to nudge up in 2015-2016 from the previous year.
The wet or monsoon season has begun but 22 out of 76 provinces
are still contending with drought conditions, affecting around 7.45 million
hectares of rice farm land, said Agriculture Minister Petipong Pungbun Na
Ayudhya.That's around 80 percent of the land dedicated to rice farming during
the wet season, according to Reuters calculations."The agriculture
ministry and irrigation department have requested that farmers delay rice
planting in the Chao Phraya area because the Chao Phraya area is a large rice
growing area... and we need to organise the water that is being used,"
Petipong told reporters in Bangkok.Farmers had begun planting rice in May over
3.44 million hectares of land.
The government has urged
farmers to suspend planting in the remaining 4 million hectares, he
said.Reservoirs in some areas remain low.The Chao Phraya, Thailand's main
river, flows south through the central rice-growing region and on to
Bangkok.The basin is the most important in Thailand, covers 30 percent of the
country's land area and is home to 40 percent of its population, according to
the United Nations.Deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said there
was a prospect of drought conditions worsening."It is expected that the
drought this year may be worse than last year so we ask all parties not to be
complacent and for our farmer brothers to delay planting their crops," he
said.Thailand's military government has said it plans to invest $7.5 billion in
urgent water management projects over the next two years.The projects are part
of a 10-year water management plan across the country after the military
government scrapped a 350-billion baht ($10.4 billion) water plan initiated by
the previous government.The USDA expects Thailand to produce around 19.8
million tonnes of milled rice in the 2015-2016 crop year, up from 18.8 million
in 2014-2015 as farmers improve yields. ($1 = 33.7100 baht) (Reporting by
Pracha Hariraksapitak; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Simon Webb and Ed Davies)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/15/thailand-rice-drought-idUSL3N0Z12HX20150615
Paddy sowing begins in
Punjab, Haryana
Chandigarh, June 15
IANS
Paddy transplantation has started in food grain states Punjab and
Haryana, agriculture department officials in both states said on Monday.The
transplantation is likely to continue for the next 15-20 days.Both state
governments had issued a ban on farmers from sowing paddy before June 15.Punjab
Agriculture Minister Tota Singh reviewed arrangements for the crop sowing on
Monday and issued instructions to power department officials to ensure
eight-hour power supply to farmers in the state."The state government is
fully prepared to meet the challenge of deficit monsoon and the irrigation
department has been directed to run all canals to the full capacity so that
farmers at tail end could get full water supply for their crop," the
minister said here.
The paddy crop requires constant watering of agricultural fields
for the first few weeks.The Punjab government has been urging farmers to shift
from the wheat-paddy crop cycle. Farmers are being offered schemes to diversify
especially from cultivating paddy since the crop requires lot of watering and
power supply.Under its agriculture diversification mission to conserve
depleting ground water, the Punjab government has announced that area under
water-gulping paddy cultivation will be cut from the present 26.50 lakh hectare
to 14.50 lakh hectare.The reduced area of 12 lakh hectare is being shifted to
alternative crops like maize, sugarcane, cotton, pulses, fruits and vegetables,
besides agro-forestry in next five years, said an official spokesperson of the
agriculture department.
http://www.newkerala.com/news/2015/fullnews-73872.html
CORRECTED-Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices Open- Jun 15
(CORRECTED-Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Jun 15)
Nagpur, June 15 Gram and tuar prices recovered in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) here on increased demand from local millers amid thin supply from
producing regions. Notable rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses and fresh enquiries from South-based
millers also jacked up prices, according to sources.
* * * *
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties moved down in open market here on lack of demand from local traders
amid release of stock from stockists.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here matching the demand and supply
position.
* Moong varieties declined sharply in open market here on poor demand from local
traders amid good supply from producing regions. Government decision to import
pulses also affected prices.
* In Akola, Tuar - 7,300-7,700, Tuar dal - 10,100-10,500, Udid at 9,100-9,600,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 10,700-11,100, Moong - 9,000-9,200, Moong Mogar
(clean) 10,700-11,100, Gram - 4,200-4,500, Gram Super best bold - 6,100-6,300
for 100 kg.
* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in poor trading
activity, according to sources.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,560-4,560 3,500-4,490
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 6,500-7,210 6,500-7,150
Moong Auction n.a. 6,000-6,300
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 5,800-6,000 6,000-6,200
Gram Super Best n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,500-5,600 5,500-5,900
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality 5,200-5,400 5,500-5,650
Desi gram Raw 4,400-4,450 4,500-4,550
Gram Filter new 5,600-5,800 5,800-6,000
Gram Kabuli 5,500-7,000 5,500-5,700
Gram Pink 6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600
Tuar Fataka Best 10,500-10,800 10,500-10,800
Tuar Fataka Medium 9,900-10,300 9,900-10,300
Tuar Dal Best Phod 9,500-9,700 9,500-9,700
Tuar Dal Medium phod 8,800-9,300 8,800-9,300
Tuar Gavarani New 7,400-7,500 7,400-7,500
Tuar Karnataka 8,000-8,100 8,000-8,100
Tuar Black 11,000-11,300 11,000-11,300
Masoor dal best 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200
Masoor dal medium 7,500-7,900 7,500-7,900
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 10,500-10,800 10,800-11,000
Moong Mogar Medium best 9,800-10,300 10,000-10,500
Moong dal Chilka 9,200-9,600 9,400-9,700
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 9,600-9,900 9,600-9,900
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 11,500-11,750 11,500-11,750
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 10,600-10,800 10,600-10,800
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 8,900-9,200 8,900-9,200
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,400 4,200-4,400
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,300-3,350 3,300-3,350
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,500 3,400-3,500
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,150 3,100-3,150
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,500 3,600-4,500
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,550-1,650 1,550-1,650
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,900 2,700-2,900
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,500 1,400-1,500
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800
Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,100 2,900-3,100
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,500-1,750 1,500-1,750
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,700 2,400-2,700
Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600
Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,100 3,700-4,100
Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500
Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,900 4,400-4,900
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,200-10,200 8,200-10,200
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,200 6,000-7,200
Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 4,600-4,800 4,700-4,900
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,900 5,500-6,000
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,450 2,200-2,450
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 34.7 degree Celsius (94.5 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
23.8 degree Celsius (74.8 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : 5.2 mm
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Rains or thunder-showers likely towards evening or night. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 36 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/06/15/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL3N0Z138I20150615
RDA
seeks rice board’s revival
June
15, 2015
HAFIZABAD
The Rice Dealers Association (RDA) has called upon the Federal government to revive Rice Board to steer out rice trade from crisis and earn precious foreign exchange for the country.
Addressing a press conference, Rice Dealers Association (RDA) Punjab president Haji Sheikh Muhammad Ishaq said that superior-quality rice of Pakistan used to export and earn billion of rupees as foreign exchange every year in the past. But due to abolition of Rice Board and unrealistic policies, the rice stock of last two years has been rotting in warehouses owing to which rice rates in the current season has plummet to the prices of paddy. This scenario has caused multiple problems for all the stakeholders and inflicted huge financial losses on cultivators, rice dealers, millers and exporters alike, he regretted.
The Rice Dealers Association (RDA) has called upon the Federal government to revive Rice Board to steer out rice trade from crisis and earn precious foreign exchange for the country.
Addressing a press conference, Rice Dealers Association (RDA) Punjab president Haji Sheikh Muhammad Ishaq said that superior-quality rice of Pakistan used to export and earn billion of rupees as foreign exchange every year in the past. But due to abolition of Rice Board and unrealistic policies, the rice stock of last two years has been rotting in warehouses owing to which rice rates in the current season has plummet to the prices of paddy. This scenario has caused multiple problems for all the stakeholders and inflicted huge financial losses on cultivators, rice dealers, millers and exporters alike, he regretted.
He urged the government to ensure export of
coarse rice to China and Super Basmati to Iran. He further said that rice millers were unable
to even pay mark-up to banks. He called upon the government to take appropriate
steps for the export of rice to save dealers/millers/exporters from further
losses. He also demanded prompt support prices for different verities of paddy
so as to provide incentives to the paddy growers. CITIZENS OPPOSE BAZAAR: The TMA and District
Administration have decided to arrange Ramazan Bazaar in front of TMA Office
near Fawara Chowk. Scores of local, political, social and commercial
organisations have disapproved the decision to arrange Ramazan Bazaar in one of
the busiest roads near Fawara Chowk and have called upon the authorities to
review its decision for smooth flow of traffic on this busiest road. They suggested to arrange the Ramazan Bazar in
old Sabzi Mandi which were lying deserted and is a safe place for the proposed
bazaar.
http://nation.com.pk/national/15-Jun-2015/rda-seeks-rice-board-s-revival
Rice
mills owners to initiate nationwide protest
June
14, 2015
ISLAMABAD
The
Pakistan Rice Mills Association has announced nationwide protest to draw
attention of the authorities to the plight of collapsing sector linked to
thousands of jobs and two billion dollars of annual exports.Rice millers have
decided to stop purchasing paddy from growers and lock the mills putting
thousands of jobs and billions of bank loans in jeopardy.President Pakistan
Rice Mills Association Mukhtar Ahmed Khan Baloch said this while talking to Dr.
Murtaza Mughal, President Pakistan Economy Watch.
He said
that an emergency meeting of three thousand owners of rice mills has been
summoned at Kamonki where plan for sit-in in front of the Parliament and other
details would be finalised.Baloch said that authorities have turned a deaf ear
to the plight of this sector as they are focused on welfare of exporters only
putting interests of planters and growers on the back burner.Government needs
to bail out sinking rice sector responsible for over two billion dollars of
exports, largest outside textiles, otherwise country may lose export market to
neighbouring country.He said that Pakistan is fourth largest exporter of rice
and millions of jobs are linked to that critical sector which merits full
attention of the policy makers.
Baloch said that situation is turning against
Pakistan and in favour of India which has introduced its own brand lacking
aroma but increased in length. Indian rice is cheaper due to hidden subsidies
which has resulting in lost Iranian and Middle Eastern markets.He said that
some 3000 rice mills are facing problems while those 1000 are on the brink that
have failed to sell rice in last two years.At the occasion, Dr. Murtaza Mughal
said that exporters are not cooperating with millers to cope with the problem
while government is ignoring the critical issue.He said that the steps taken
for rice sector in the budget are insufficient, adding that TCP should buy rice
from millers for export, their mark-up should be waived and rice mills should
be declared sick industry.
http://nation.com.pk/business/14-Jun-2015/rice-mills-owners-to-initiate-nationwide-protest
Main rice
crop delay ordered as water dries up
15 Jun 2015 at 16:24
WRITER: POST REPORTERS
The flow of water into the Chao Phraya dam in
Chai Nat province keeps falling and authorities are instructing rice farmers to
delay planting their main crop until next month. (Photo by Chudate Seehawong)
Rice growers who have not started
their main crop are being instructed to delay planting until next month, or see
their crops shrivel in the fields as they fight over the increasingly scarce
water supply.Deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Monday
that farmers should postpone planting crops that require excessive amounts of
water.Farmers who did not follow the instruction would see their crops wither
as the water supply dried up.He asked for cooperation in conserving water not
only from farmers but also households, which were asked to cease activities
that consume a lot of water, such as operating home swimming pools."The
government asks the governors of all provinces to persuade people to save water
to protect their own living and to keep water in the reservoirs so that the
Royal Irrigation Department can supply
farmland and the Chao Phraya river basin as planned."I believe that
if all Thai people cooperate, we can get through the water shortage
crisis," Maj Gen Sansern said.
"The water shortage this year may
be more severe than that of late last year. So everyone should cooperate and
must not be careless," he said.The Royal Irrigation Department reported
that as of Monday medium and large reservoirs held 34.495 billion cubic metres of water, or 46% of
their total capacity, but only 10.692 billion cubic metres could be
used.Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya said
farmers who had not planted their main crop rice should postpone doing so until
the end of July."The government does not want to see people fighting for
water.
The main crop of rice is grown on 3.44
million rai in irrigated areas... To prevent damage, farmers who have not yet
planted their main crop are asked to delay it," Mr Pitipong said.Lertviroj
Kowattana, director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, admitted on
Monday that it was difficult to manage the water supply at this time.Suchart
Charoensri, irrigation director in Manorom district of Chai Nat province, said
that unless those farmers who had not yet started their main crop delay
planting, then both previously and freshly sown paddy fields would all be
damaged. He supervises irrigation in the eastern side of the Chao Phraya
River.Ekasit Sakdeethanaporn, director of the Chao Phraya dam, said the flow of
water into the dam was declining because farmers upstream were actively pumping
water directly into their paddy fields. Under these circumstances the remaining
water would be enough for only 36 days of consumption.About 1.2 million rai of
paddy fields had not been planted this main crop season yet, he said.Get full
Bangkok Post printed newspaper experience on your digital devices with Bangkok
Post e-newspaper. Try it out, it's totally free for 7 days.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/592997/main-rice-crop-delay-ordered-as-water-dries-up
APEDA (NEWS) India
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Preempting Indian GI move
A
SENIOR vice-president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and
Industry has sought the commerce minister’s intervention in preventing India
from getting its basmati rice registered as Geographical Indication (GI) in the
subcontinent in the name, style and title of ‘basmati’.If India succeeds in its
intent, Abdul Rahim Janoo says, it may deprive Pakistan of using the title of
basmati for its basmati rice which, in terms of value, happens to be the second
highest export commodity after textiles. It is time, he says, the ministry
preempted Indian move in order to protect interests of Pakistani farmers who
had been growing ‘the long-grained aromatic rice’ for centuries.
There is no denying the fact that India is currently in a hurry
to get its basmati registered as a GI. A. K. Gupta, director of the state-run
Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Agency (Apeda), a
wing of the commerce ministry, says “We must have the GI for basmati before
others start claiming.The GI registration should be seen from a ‘national
interest’ perspective, as Pakistan is also claiming rights over basmati.” His
attitude shows that the idea of a joint registration of basmati as a
Geographical Indication is no more on table.However, it is Apeda’s legal
battles with Madhya Pradesh which is delaying the process. The two have been
locked in a dispute on whether the basmati grown in parts of the state has the
characteristics of original basmati, claimed for inclusion in GI registry.
Apeda is defending the GI status of basmati grown in two
districts of Jammu and Kashmir, undivided Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. If Apeda includes MP, other states will claim
it, too. Three years ago, it was proposed that both India and Pakistan apply
for a joint GI but for various political and legal reasons, the plan was
dropped.One may note that the problem doesn’t arise from any non-recognition by
India of GI rights of basmati being grown in areas of Pakistani Punjab such as
Gujarat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, etc. The problem arises from lack of
serious efforts on the part of bureaucracy to resolve a serious issue. One can
witness an indifferent attitude and a half-hearted approach in pursuing
negotiations with the Indians whenever the occasion came.To begin with, an
obvious deficiency Pakistan suffers from is the absence of GI registry in the
country, nor is one planned in the near future.
The argument advanced is that the GI-related work in Pakistan is
too little, hence no need for registry.Instead, trademark is seen a good substitute
for GI and a trademark for basmati has been granted to the Basmati Growers
Association (BGA), investing it with exclusive ownership of the commodity. But
this has not been accepted by the European Union and some other
countries.Earlier it was in 2006 that talks on joint GI registration were
initiated. Following detailed discussions between the commerce secretaries of
India and Pakistan, the two nations had agreed to form a joint study group to
explore the possibility of a joint registration of basmati as a geographical
indication.
The move also had the support of the All India Rice Exporters
Association and the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan.Under WTO rules two
countries can apply together for registering a product or good as a GI under
the ‘homonymous’ provision.A year later a senior official in Indian High
Commission at Islamabad, told reporters that Indian Commerce Minister Kamal
Nath too had taken up the proposal of a joint GI registration of basmati with
his Pakistani counterpart Mr Humayun Akhtar but nothing came off.This ‘
non-response’ from Pakistan side forced India to go ahead to claim intellectual
property rights for ‘super basmati’ which Pakistan had been exporting to the EU
and enjoying a good market position.
In May 2010, Apeda, which like BGA in Pakistan, is also invested
with exclusive ownership of basmati until the commodity is granted GI status,
filed an application for registering the basmati growing regions for grant of
GI tag under the GI Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999. On October
25, 2010, BGA served a notice to oppose Apeda’s move.In fact, the Lahore-based
BGA also opposed the grant of GI tag ‘basmati’ to India ‘in totality’. It said
in its appeal, “Any registration of basmati as GI under Indian statutes would
be in clear violation of BGA’s rights as only the parties concerned in Pakistan
are rightfully entitled to GI basmati.”Four months later, Apeda filed its
counter statement.
Despite providing two extensions, BGA failed to provide evidence
in support of its claims within the stipulated period, according to India
media. Apeda then moved an interlocutory petition seeking directions to quash
the opposition petition.The GI registry on December 31, 2013, set aside BGA’s
petition. Meanwhile, the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board on
March 30 this year allowed the appeal of Basmati Growers Association to contest
the award of GI tag for basmati rice to Madhya Pradesh to be heard sometime
this month.
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, June 15th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188190/preempting-indian-gi-move
Southern parts of Pakistan to experience harsher droughts’
THIS map, released by the SASCOF, shows that except the northern
parts of the country, most of Pakistan will see below normal rainfall this
year. International weather experts predict that Pakistan may face harsher
drought conditions than last year. -Photo courtesy of Al Mustafa Welfare Trust
ISLAMABAD: International weather
experts predict that Pakistan may face harsher drought conditions than last
year.Their prediction, reported by the South Asian Climate Forum (SASCOF) after
its yearly study of the altering climate in the region, has experts at home
worrying.“We expect lesser rains in the southern half of the country, which is
already in the grip of drought-like conditions,” chief of the Pakistan Meteorological
Department, Dr Ghulam Rasul, told Dawn.“The situation in Cholistan, Tharparkar
and parts of Balochistan is likely to worsen,” he said, partly agreeing with
the study.
A sub-regional arm of the World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO), the SASCOF is dedicated to monsoon-specific predictions and monitoring
the climate outlook needs of South Asian countries. It has warned that the
deficient summer monsoon could affect agriculture-based economies in the
region.“Below normal rainfall is likely over broad areas of western, central
and southwestern parts of South Asia,” said the seasonal outlook sketched by
the climate experts, drought managers and flood forecasters of the forum
members who met in April.“We, in Pakistan, are looking at very less rain - about
20 to 25mm.
That may sound relief in severe
drought conditions but the relief will not be sustainable due to the high
evaporation rate of 10mm per day,” said the Met chief.Though the study suggests
“normal” showers in the northern parts of the country, it brings no relief to
the worrying environmentalists. They say heavy precipitation in Kashmir and
upper Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are likely to cause flash flooding as
experienced last year.Hopes, in fact, lay in flawed forecasts.“It is not
possible to make 100 percent seasonal predictions. It is still a very big
challenge, made more so by the fast changing climate patterns around the
world,” said one expert.“Which is why the amounts of precipitation might look
different later in the season. Only medium range forecast of seven to ten days
has attained sufficient accuracy,” the expert added.
Indeed, Dr Rasul recalled that last year the month of September
saw heavier than normal rains, although the forum had predicted drier
spells.Nonetheless, the Met chief sent out a warning to the farming community,
especially to rice growers.Experts would soon meet to analyse data collected
from the eight weather centres around the country “to finalise” seasonal
forecast for Pakistan.“Meanwhile, we are also concerned about rice zones such
as Sheikhupura, Gujranwala and Sialkot because these areas will receive less
rain. Farmers will have to irrigate their fields, a challenging task,” said Dr
Rasul.Pakistan saw 30 to 60 percent less monsoon rains last year, and has
experienced 11 such episodes in the past.A deficient monsoon this year could
significantly impact agriculture and life pattern, particularly in Sindh which
is also deficient in irrigation system.Some of the worst drought events
recorded by the Pakistan Meteorological Department occurred in 1969 and 2002
when rainfalls decreased more than 90 percent. In 1987 and 1991, 75 percent
less rain fell.
Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2015
Trade Mission Bolsters
Export Opportunities
Preparing for an increased flow of U.S. rice
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA -- USA Rice participated in USDA Under
Secretary Michael Scuse's Agricultural Trade Mission to the Dominican Republic
and Panama from May 31 to June 5. Nearly
20 U.S. agribusinesses/organizations and six state agriculture departments
participated in order to expand export opportunities for U.S. food and
agricultural products in the region.
"Since the United States implemented trade agreements with the
Dominican Republic and Panama, trade has flourished," Scuse said.
"U.S. market share in this region averages more than 40 percent, the
highest outside of Canada and Mexico." USA Rice met with almost a dozen
companies that either currently import U.S. rice or are interested in doing so
soon. Both countries have tariff rate quotes (TRQs) which limit the amount of
U.S. rice that can enter duty free.
Those quotas will increase each year for the next ten years, when
they are ultimately eliminated. Last year, both Panama and the Dominican
Republic imported U.S. rice above and beyond the TRQ levels, indicating great
interest in U.S. rice. "A strong preference for American goods and a
quality image of U.S. rice are prevalent in these two countries, indicating
strong potential growth markets particularly once rice is duty free," said
Brian King, chairman of USA Rice's Western Hemisphere Promotion Subcommittee.
"In the meantime, USA Rice continues trade servicing efforts in Central
America to develop and strengthen relationships with rice importers and
retailers."
Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457 USA Rice Millers'
Association Announces New Chairman, Vice Chairman
USA Rice Millers'
Association Announces New Chairman, Vice Chairman
Happy to serve: Alex Balafoutis (l) and Robert Trahan
WAILEA, HAWAII - Last week, the USA Rice Millers' Association (RMA)
announced the election of Robert Trahan of Falcon Rice Mill in Crowley,
Louisiana, and Alex Balafoutis, Vice President of Sales for the Rice Business
Unit at PGP International in Woodland, California, as chairman and vice
chairman, respectively. Each will serve a two-year term that begins August 1,
2015.
Chairman-elect Trahan presented outgoing RMA Chairman Chris
Crutchfield with a plaque to commemorate his tenure. Trahan thanked Crutchfield
for his outstanding service and dedication to the organization. In accepting
the plaque, Crutchfield said, "The RMA is more than a trade association -
it is a family. Our connections are strong and deep and long-standing. Outside
of being a father and a husband, the ability over the last two years to
represent an industry full of people I respect and admire has been the most
rewarding and humbling experience of my life."
Contact: Deborah Willenborg
(703) 236-1444
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
|
Basmati exports to Iran
will pick up after October
TOMOJIT BASU
A view of Basmati rice field.
Teheran policy requiring Indian mills, exporters to register
causing delay in shipments
NEW DELHI, JUNE 12:
First quarter numbers for basmati rice exports to Iran – the
biggest buyer, accounting for a fourth of sales overseas – are yet to be
released, but industry sources say that volumes are likely to pick up only
after October even if issuance of import permits may be undertaken from July.
Policy hassles
The current delays are due to the
Iranian government’s policy of Indian units and exporters being required to be
registered with the Teheran’s Health and Medical Education Ministry. The
process can only be initiated by an Iranian importer, who has to furnish a list
of intended exporters.“The main factor is the initiation of a new process which
requires Indian mills to be assessed for good manufacturing practices. They
will be eligible to export to Iran and it’s a slow process, since few units
have got themselves registered so far,” said R Sundaresan, Executive Director,
All India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA).
“Exports to Iran are on, but not
at the same quantity or speed as the same time last year. We expect sales to
pick up after October, since their own produce is available currently,” he
added.While there is no guarantee of basmati sales gathering pace, the issuing
of import licenses should begin next month.“A resumption of issuing import
permits will take place after Ramadan, which is in July,” said AK Gupta, Director,
Basmati Export Development Foundation, APEDA.Iran stopped issuing
authorisations last October which saw India’s basmati rice exports slide from
$1.4 billion in 2013-14 to $600 million last fiscal.By volume, exports fell
from 1.44 million tonnes (mt) to 0.94 mt over the same period.
Importer cartel
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan
Singh met with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Hojjati on the sidelines of the
UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation conference in Rome earlier this week to
enhance agri-cooperation and increase farm trade.Some domestic millers alleged
that political intervention in granting these import permits is partly
responsible for dragging basmati prices down to around $1,000/tonne from
$1,400-1,500/tonne during the same period a year ago.“A syndicate has been
created in Iran on the pretext that it’s easier to monitor quality of Indian
basmati.
There are 5-10 importers who work
with a few exporters from here. It’s skewing the market in favour of the buyer
and driving prices down,” said Vijay Setia, Executive Director, Maharani Rice,
toldBusinessLine.The process of selling basmati on a loan-basis under a
clean direct-advance (DA) system needed to be corrected as well, he said. “It’s
a matter of judgment, once you have a system of import permits, how many people
will get them and the number issued is up to the Iran government since it’s
their system,” said Gupta.
Prices dip
With the acreage under Basmati
expected to rise 5 per cent this year in the counrty against 2.1 million
hectares coverage last year, prices could come under further pressure.“The
association has no confirmed reports of a cartel operating in Iran. Prices are
lower mainly due to huge production of 8.1 mt last year, up from 6 mt the year
before and there’s a lot available at the moment,” said Sundaresan.
http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/270524395/sR3UGjsy_p3CgxUd
Search for best rice
campaign on
Public and private sectors are preparing for the search for
RICEponsible champions, an initiative that encourages the national and local
sectors to promote non-wastage of rice and consumption of healthier forms of
rice in their communities.With about P10M at stake, the search is open to
government offices, local government units, and learning institutions.“We
intend to join in this competition not just for the prize, but because we
believe in the campaign messages. We are responding to the call of achieving
rice self-sufficiency by conserving rice, eating brown rice and other rice
staples such as corn, and encouraging farmers to adopt new rice farming
technologies,” Cecille Palisoc, an elementary school teacher in Metro Manila
said.Hazel V. Antonio, director of the Be RICEponsible campaign, said the
contest banks on the effectivity of local campaigns.“We are encouraging our local
stakeholders to participate because they know better how to gain support in
their respective areas,” said Antonio.
Details about this contest are available at the Be RICEponsible
website: http://www.bericeponsible.com/downloads.
Deadline of submission of entries is on 30 June 2015. Campaign starts on 1
August 2015 and will run for a year.Antonio said the participants will be
provided with basic campaign material designs, which can be downloaded from the
Be RICEponsible website.“Participants can use the materials available or
custom-fit the messages and designs to their audience to instill behavior
change more effectively,” she said.Taking off from the National Year of Rice
2013, the Be RICEponsible campaign engages all Filipinos to do their part in
achieving rice self-sufficiency in the country.
Phil Rice News
New tech for rice nutrient status explored
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – Researchers from PhilRice are
exploring a new way of analyzing rice leaf nitrogen. A study titled Rapid estimation of rice leaf nitrogen
contents using low-cost visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) Spectroscopy, aims
to develop and evaluate the performance of a visible-NIR spectroscopy
technology to estimate the leaf nitrogen contents of some Philippine irrigated
lowland rice cultivars. Spectroscopic analysis is being used in the United
States and Australia to analyze nutrients in plants.The Vis-NIR spectroscopy,
with its immediate transmittal of recommendations, could bring down the costs
of analysis for more accurate and timely fertilizer development.
The technology also has potential for soil, chemical and grain
quality analyses. These instruments are versatile to simultaneously analyze
data in less than 1 minute.“I was intrigued if this kind of technology could
work in our country. It exists but I don’t think we are taking advantage of its
full capacity,” said Jasper G. Tallada, lead researcher.There are existing
tools in the country to guide farmers with application rates of fertilizers and
minimize environmental pollution such as the Soil Test Kit and Leaf Color
Chart.“There are limitations in using these tools. The more technical approach
is to determine the nutrient status from tissue analysis of the plants at
different growth stages to quantify the nutrient demand and correspondingly
apply the needed fertilizers,” Tallada said.One main hesitation for the use of
NIR spectroscopy is the high initial costs in acquiring the instrument due to
the high manufacturing costs, significant tariff, and custom duties.Currently,
commercial NIR instruments in the Philippines cost about P4 to 5
million.Tallada and co-researcher Maricel A. Ramos suggest that the instrument
can be developed locally. The LR1-based instrument system can be produced
somewhere between P 100,000 to 150,000.
Cheaper land
prep possible—PhilRice
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – Comprising about 19% of the
total labor cost in rice production, there, indeed, is a pressing need to look
for new ways of doing land preparation.
The Reduced Tillage Technology (RTT) is an alternative system of
land preparation for irrigated areas where plowing is not applied.Rice
stubbles, weeds, and the scattered rice straws are pressed two to three times
using the hand tractor’s paddy wheels attached with riding-type leveler or by
drop down-spiked tooth harrow. The pressing is done at a 5 to7-day interval.
After the final leveling, crop establishment is done either by
transplanting, direct seeding using the drumseeder, or by manual
broadcasting.RTT was piloted in 2012 in Talavera and Science City of Muñoz,
Nueva Ecija. After the success of its initial implementation, 14 more towns in
Pangasinan, Pampanga, and Ilocos Sur were added as demonstration sites .“Yield
increase relative to using the conventional tillage method and savings
generated on land preparation were the parameters used in measuring the success
of the study,” said Ruben Miranda, study lead.
He explained that for 3 consecutive seasons, the average yield of
the demonstration sites were relatively higher at 5.35 t/ha, 4.92 tons/ha for
conventional tillage. In addition, farmers saved P3, 380.00/ha per
season.“Savings can be attributed to the faster operation time and lesser fuel
consumption. In RTT, farmers can save more than 5 hours per ha in their farming
operations. Savings on fuel is up to 50% or 14 l/ha lesser than in conventional
tillage,” Miranda explained.
Aside from the savings and ease of land preparation, RTT also
mitigates impacts of climate change.
The reduced diesel consumption and scattering of rice straws, which
are usually burned by farmers, result in lesser methane and carbon dioxide
emissions in the atmosphere.Celia Abadilla, Julian Macadamia, Mark Angelo
Abando, Melvin Ruiz, Laarnie Mandia, and Marvin Manalang are the study team
members.RTT is a collaborative project of PhilRice, Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR), DA-Regional Field Office in Central Luzon, and participating
local government units.
Texting OK in
ag ex – PhilRice researcher
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – Access to farming information
is now taking a new trend as modern technology plays pivotal roles in reaching
Filipino farmers. According to Dr. Ronan G. Zagado, development communicator at
PhilRice, use of short message service (SMS) allows an alternate and easier
route for farmers in obtaining agricultural information.Zagado explained that
aside from being a social communication medium, SMS is also used massively in
agriculture.“The PhilRice Text Center (PTC) is a good example of this. From
merely 11 text messages in 2006 to more than 100,000 SMS queries in 2010,” he
said.PTC provides information in the form of farm advisories, technology
updates, market information, how-to’s, and other farm insights. Texters,
predominantly farmers, consult to PTC in every cropping season and even during
fallow period.Furthermore, the information provided by PTC translates into
additional income for farmers. In a study conducted by PhilRice development
communicator Hazel V. Antonio in 2011, the use of SMS in getting agricultural
information could give up to P39,730 additional income.
A different
view of agri-extension
In a study titled Texting as
a discursive approach for the production of agricultural solutions by
Zagado and Michael Wilmore of the University of Adelaide, the meaning of
agricultural knowledge varies and depends on its use to the user or client.An
example of this is the meaning of rice variety. As reported, ‘which rice
variety to grow’ was the most frequently asked topic received by the
PTC.“Varietal recommendations will vary depending on farmers’ requirements
relating to yield potential, pest resistance, varietal maturity, location, and
eating quality,” Zagado said.
Zagado said SMS now provides an entirely different view and process
of agricultural extension particularly in the production and distribution of
agricultural knowledge.Several factors play vital role in this process such as
content, clarity, length, timing and cultural factors.Queries received within
working days from 8am to 5pm get speedy response. As for the content of the
message, it is preferred if it is shorter and easier messages receive faster
reply.It is advised to make queries concise and direct to the point, and send
it during office hours to receive faster response. Longer messages or difficult
queries may take longer time for the operator of the PTC to respond.While
texting has indeed provided an alternate route in getting agricultural
knowledge, Zagado stressed, improvements can still be made to make it more
effective.Capacity enhancement for extension workers on how to optimize SMS-ing
in their work is in the right direction, he said.Zagado’s thesis on “Human Agency, Power and Discourse:
Accomplishing Farm Work through Short Messaging Service (SMS) in the
Philippines” received the Thesis Excellence Award at the University of
Adelaide.
Smarter,
cleaner heat
If the searing heat wasn’t enough, the thick, dark smoke that
engulfed the area surrounding the furnace made the workers want to give up. The
smoke wasn’t confined only to the immediate vicinity, but it affected
neighboring areas as well. This “smoke machine” was the inclined-grate design
of a rice hull furnace used to provide heat to a flatbed dryer that is used to
dry rice.“The workers couldn’t stay long near the furnace because it was too
hot,” says Jose Gagelonia, a flatbed dryer operator in the province of Nueva
Ecija, Philippines, about the old furnace of his dryer.
“The smoke and ash coming from it irritated our neighbors, who
said that they ended up smelling like smoked fish.”The furnace, a key component
in flatbed dryers, greatly affects the quality of the seeds and grains dried in
it. Rice farmers and seed producers who came to Mr. Gagelonia to have their
produce dried often ended up with grains that were unevenly dried and reeked of
smoke. Because of this, they opted to have their grains sun dried.
Cleaner heat
Now, thanks to the new semi-automated downdraft rice furnace
(dRHF) designed by experts at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),
farmers and seed producers have a better choice.
In the old updraft furnaces, ashes were sucked from the top of
the burning husk, especially when the grill bed was stirred or fed with rice
hull. The new dRHF allows hot air to go down into the chamber and blower
(“downdraft”) instead of being blown upward and outward. This produces clean
hot air because the burning husk on the combustion grill filters the ashes.
The dRHF has an automatic feeding mechanism that controls the
amount and frequency of the rice hulls fed into the combustion grill using a
programmable electronic timer connected to a motor. This produces a clean and
steady combustion, resulting in a constant drying air temperature.The cleaner
combustion greatly reduces machine operators’ exposure to heat and smoke
because they need to check on the new furnace only every half hour (instead of
the old practice of every 5 minutes) during an 8-hour operation.
Perseverance and perfection
The dRHF was first developed through collaboration between IRRI
and Hohenheim
University in Germany,
in the 1990s. It was intended to be used for drying systems with small energy
requirements. However, the concept was not successfully introduced to its
target market in Southeast Asia, setting back the testing of the furnace’s
design.Fortunately, Nong Lam University in
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, an IRRI collaborator, continued working on the
design of the dRHF.
Its improved design was tested for commercial use in three
4-ton-capacity flatbed dryers in Vietnam before IRRI adapted it for further
testing at Philippine pilot sites.Although the development of the dRHF was
partly supported by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium— through the IRRI
Postharvest Unit—a lack of funds and ideal test sites for adaptive research in
the Philippines proved to be a challenge. The solution arrived in 2010 when
Generoso Bautista, an agricultural engineer by education and a commercial
airline pilot by profession who had just acquired a rice farm in the province
of Batangas, became interested in flatbed dryers.“I wanted to build a more
efficient flatbed dryer for my own rice farm,” explains Capt. Bautista.
“Then I came across an online Rice Today article, Machines of progress, which featured IRRI’s
postharvest technology package and its impact on the lives of farmers. He
contacted Martin Gummert, head of IRRI’s Postharvest Unit, who
referred him to Pat Borlagdan, the engineer in charge of the testing of the
dRHF in the Philippines.On his farm in Batangas, Capt. Bautista and Engr.
Borlagdan spent hours going over the design and discussing the parts that
needed tweaking. “I financed the construction of the furnace, while Pat
provided technical assistance,” says Capt. Bautista.After 2 years of hard work,
Capt. Bautista is now the proud owner of a rice hull furnace with aerodynamic
fan blades.“We could safely work around the new furnace without worrying about
the heat and smoke,” says farm manager Luis Soliban, Jr.
Other beneficiaries
In Kidapawan, North Cotabato, the National Food Authority, one
of the first recipients of the dRHF, suffered from high costs of drying and
grain quality losses until the new furnace was installed in its warehouse.In
Peñablanca, Cagayan Valley, Don Lister, an entrepreneur, wanted to learn more
about rice postharvest losses. While searching the Internet, he read a story
about mechanical dryers using rice husk furnaces. He wasted no time in
contacting Engr. Borlagdan, who sent him diagrams of the flatbed dryer, blower,
and dRHF. After months of coordination, the 6-ton-capacity flatbed dryer with
the dRHF was finally launched in March 2012.“If the family can harvest rice,
that’s good,” says Mr. Lister. “But, if we can help other farmers save their
harvest, that’s even better.”Interest in the furnace has continued to spread.
Early technology adopters believe that the dRHF is a simple technology that the
government should support and disseminate.
Marketable technology
Mr. Gagelonia runs a semi-automated dRHF and he manufactures
made-to-order furnaces after he and 19 others attended training provided by
IRRI on rice husk furnace manufacturing.All materials used for fabrication are
sourced locally, making them more affordable. He has already sold 12 rice hull
furnaces to farmer groups and seed growers from all over the Philippines. He
has also made smaller furnaces to fit dryers with lower capacity.Capt.
Bautista, on the other hand, still wants to continue improving the machine and
he is now in the process of developing another type of furnace. In fact, an
all-steel furnace sits in a shed on his farm, waiting to be taken to another
farm for further testing.Other training participants have also started making
and marketing their own machines. Mr. Eugene Manalo from Laguna and Mr. Antonio
Caspillo from North Cotabato have manufactured and sold the dRHF in their
respective provinces.
Partnership forged in heat
Engr. Borlagdan, though no longer with IRRI, still provides
technical assistance and shares his experiences to help improve the operation
and maintenance of the furnace. He credits the public-private partnerships that
had been formed for the successful adoption of the dRHF technology.“Partnering
with the private sector during the early testing stages became a valuable
reference point when technological trials by government agencies failed,” Engr.
Borlagdan explains. “It was easier to show that the dRHF works, and is
actually being used by the private sector.” The IRRI postharvest team, in
collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, has now taken steps to transfer
the dRHF technology to other countries such as Cambodia and Indonesia.“Farmers
should be aware that the technology is available to them,” adds Capt. Bautista.
“With support from both the private and public sector, technologies such as the
dRHF could go a long way in improving the quality of rice— and life—of
farmers.”
http://irri.org/rice-today/smarter-cleaner-heat?utm_source=IRRI+email+subscriptions&utm_campaign=228bbade96-RiceToday_Weekly6_01_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c803adc7cf-228bbade96-40925885
Green fuel from rice
Farmers typically grow two or three crops a year. Since they
don’t have enough turnaround time before beginning the next planting season,
they resort to the quickest and easiest solution to get rid of the rice
“waste,” that is, the residue—by burning. This releases methane, a greenhouse
gas that remains in the atmosphere for 9–15 years and contributes to global
warming. On top of this, exposure to smoke and soot causes respiratory problems
among farmers and townspeople alike.
Waste not, want not
“Rice straw and husks offer an immense potential to create
bioenergy, an alternative renewable source of power,” said Dr. Stephan Stephan
Haefele, senior researcher at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
He and his scientific team have been exploring ways to turn rice residues into
useful and valuable by-products to support more efficient, productive,
profitable, and sustainable rice farms.“Rice residues can produce bioenergy and
at the same time reduce the negative effects of rice production systems on the
environment; they could also be a source of extra income for farmers,” said Dr.
Haefele.
Moreover, rice residues and production systems have several
decisive advantages over many other bioenergy crops, he explained. Unlike crops
grown exclusively for biofuels, using rice residues to generate energy would
not divert land use away from food production. It has also been shown that,
even if all rice residues are removed, the quality of rice soils is unaffected.
Residue removal for energy production directly reduces the emissions of
greenhouse gases caused by field burning or by residue incorporation into the
soil. Also, the high cropping intensity in irrigated rice systems ensures a
constant residue supply and keeps transportation time to processing centers
short.
Backyard fuel
In 2011, Dr. Haefele and his collaborators analyzed the energy
and carbon life-cycle of existing gasifiers that turn rice residues, without
burning them, into gases that can be used as an energy source. Such gasifiers
are increasingly common in Cambodia, where rice millers want to make use of the
husks that pile up in their backyards.Each ton of husk gasified can save about
1 ton of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) compared to current uses. The energy
needed to build and operate a gasifier was produced by the gasifier within 245
days of operation. And, it took only 109 days of gasifier operation to save as
much carbon as was emitted to build and establish it. Looking at the rice
production system, a 1-hectare irrigated rice field can produce 12 tons of husk
and straw per year, which can be converted to clean energy in a medium-sized
gasifier equivalent to about 1,800 liters of diesel.
More power to farmers
“These results show the potential of residues as an energy
source, and as an option to make rice cultivation even more sustainable,” said
Dr. Haefele.“We now intend to investigate rice straw. Quite a lot of research
has been done on rice husks but little is known about the use of rice straw. We
will try to answer how best to collect straw, how to store it, and whether
pretreatments, such as leaching, drying, and/or briquetting, are necessary.“For
the most promising systems, we plan to conduct a life-cycle analysis and to
develop complete business models,” he added. “We are also testing what effects
biochar—a by-product from straw and husk burning—has on soil quality in various
rice production systems, and determine its optimal uses and look at how to
participate in emerging carbon markets.”
http://irri.org/rice-today/green-fuel-from-rice?utm_source=IRRI+email+subscriptions&utm_campaign=228bbade96-RiceToday_Weekly6_01_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c803adc7cf-228bbade96-40925885
Laser-guided dreams
With her tiny frame, blunt-cut bangs, and trendy outfits,
28-year-old Truong Thi Thanh Nhan looks more like a school girl than a farmer.
Nhan earned her degree in software programming from the University of Science
in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2010. But, after graduation, she agreed to her
parents’ wishes to oversee their family farm in Dak Lak Province in Vietnam’s
Central Highlands. In December 2011, Nhan started the daunting task of managing
their almost 70 hectares of land. She started planting rice twice a year on 20
hectares of their farm. Once a year, Nhan also grows maize and pumpkin on 10
hectares each. Although her family’s farm is located on a steep slope, bringing
water into the field was easy because the field was next to a water canal. It
was managing the water—making sure that higher areas were reached—that was the
problem. Most of the rice plants in higher areas die because they lacked
sufficient water. She had no choice but to hire many laborers to replant the
field.
A flair for laser
In early 2012, Nhan chanced upon a show on a Vietnamese TV
channel that featured rice farmer Nguyen Loi Duc from Tri Ton District, An
Giang Province. She found herself glued to the channel as Nguyen was sharing
his experiences and the benefits from laser leveling his 150-hectare field.
With her interest piqued, she searched the Internet to learn more about the
technology.With laser leveling, a transmitter placed at the side of the field
sends a laser beam to a receiver, which is attached to a leveling bucket drawn
by a tractor. Then, a control panel mounted on a tractor interprets the signal
from the receiver and opens or closes a hydraulic valve, which in turn raises
or lowers the bucket. The bucket then drags and drops soil across the field to
make it even.
Nhan, together with her family, visited Nong Lam University
(NLU) in Ho Chi Minh City. They were briefed on the technology by NLU staff
member Tran Van Khanh, a principal lecturer on agricultural machinery, and
Phung Anh Vinh Truong, a researcher who became Nhan’s husband in 2013 and now
helps her manage the farm.Engr. Khanh emphasized the benefits of the technology
and assured Nhan’s family that the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
also provides technical support. Nhan’s family was convinced and decided to buy
laser-leveling equipment and a drag bucket from a Saigon-based distributor,
Ideal Farming Corporation.
Loads of
benefits
They began using laser leveling in their rice-growing area. “Now
that 9 hectares of our rice field have been laser-leveled, the benefits have
been tremendous,” Nanh says. “We save on water because we don’t need to pump
more water to reach the once-high areas. With even water coverage, the crops
are healthy and thriving—and we don’t need to hire laborers for replanting.”Laser
leveling their land had other benefits too. Fertilizer is now spread evenly
among the crop, saving as much as 77 kilograms per hectare. Pests, which used
to hide in uneven spots, can no longer do so, resulting in less pesticide
applied. Weed control is also easier. Herbicide spraying has been reduced to
one, before the emergence of rice, unlike before when they sprayed herbicide
twice during the season. The yield from the laser-leveled field during the dry
season, from January to May 2013, was higher at 6.7 tons per hectare compared
with 4.5 tons per hectare for the unleveled field.
The laser-leveling equipment, however, is subject to wear and
tear. Nhan’s husband, Truong, shares that the usual challenges they face with
laser leveling have more to do with fixing the equipment when it breaks down.
It usually takes a week to repair the system, and Truong, being an agricultural
engineer by profession, does it on his own in their workshop. However, since
they live in a rural area where power shortages are common, repairing broken
equipment takes more time and effort.
Spreading the word
But, overall, Nahn’s decision to purchase the equipment is
proving to be a very wise one. As the neighboring farmers witnessed the
improvements on Nhan’s rice farm, it wasn’t long before they sought her help.
She already provided laser-leveling services to one farmer’s 2.7-hectare rice
field in December 2012 and she has plans to do more.“After I finish leveling
our 20 hectares of rice farm and our maize farm, we plan to rent out our
equipment to other farmers, not only for rice but for other crops as well,”
says Nhan.Nhan is now also on a mission. An advocate of laser-leveling
technology, she shares her experiences in adopting laser leveling with
representatives from both the public and private sector during meetings and
seminars on postharvest technologies organized by the Asian Development
Bank-IRRI Postharvest Project.
A role model
Although Nhan is not a typical Vietnamese farmer, she has
managed to turn their farm into a productive and efficient business. But, many
people are surprised by Nanh’s decision to be a farmer. They do not understand
why a young lady like her, with a background in software programming from a
prestigious university, would want to go back to agriculture.For Nhan, it was
no surprise. Her parents both grew up on farms, and agriculture was part of their
family tradition. Going back to her roots made her happy and she is optimistic
about her future. She hopes that, with a new generation of farmers like her, it
will be possible to change the general perception of farming.
“Nowadays, young people think that farmers are old-fashioned,
poor, and lack social standing, and that returning to the farm is a last
option,” says Nhan. “I am a smart, young, dynamic person, and even though I am
a farmer living in an area without many comforts and I face difficulties with
finances and managing people, I know that I am on the right path toward a
stable income and a sustainable future.“I am contributing to food
sustainability for my region and country, which young people now rarely do.
And, I have my family to thank for helping me be the farmer that I am now.”
http://irri.org/rice-today/laser-guided-dreams?utm_source=IRRI+email+subscriptions&utm_campaign=228bbade96-RiceToday_Weekly6_01_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c803adc7cf-228bbade96-40925885
PetroCaribe money was never
spent in the Region Two rice areas
Dear Editor,
From
the inception of the PetroCaribe deal I know that something was amiss, and that
farmers and millers would have to bear the brunt of the Jagdeo-Hugo Chávez
agreement. The polished rice and paddy sold to Venezuela was going to pay for
oil; the remaining money was for the payment of farmers’ paddy and millers’
rice. The previous government was using this fund for other projects outside of
the rice industry rather than paying the millers for their rice and paddy so
they in turn could not pay the farmers for their produce.
PetroCaribe
had to run into bankruptcy; the previous government was receiving US$130M for
every 200,000 tonnes of rice and paddy. How could it divert Region Two
PetroCaribe funds to the Hope canal when Essequibians wouldn’t benefit from
this project? Last year’s production exceeded a whopping 635,000 tonnes.
501,000 tonnes were exported according to the GRDB. I can only speak for Region
Two since I worked as an extension rice officer in the rice industry there.
This region is cultivating 31,500 acres of rice with a yield of some 3 million
bags of paddy.
Not
a cent of this PetroCaribe fund was ever spent here to develop this region’s
rice industry, and still millions of dollars are owed to rice farmers in the
region. No wonder the previous government claimed that they were bailing out
rice millers; they were not bailing them out, since they were the ones who owed
these millers for their rice and paddy. The former administration should tell
the millers and farmers what they did with the money they received from the
PetroCaribe fund. They used some of it to buy standby generator sets for GPL
which was totally wrong; none of these sets was ever placed in the rice growing
region to cushion the effects of blackouts.
GRDB
was misleading the farmers and people of Guyana when they said they had other
markets outside Venezuela. No wonder the millers still have a surplus of rice
and paddy in their warehouses crop after crop; they were only depending on the
Venezuelan market and never sought other international markets. Guyana’s rice
farmers have been expanding rice production on the assurance of receiving
higher prices for the rice and paddy sold in the Venezuelan market according to
the agreement. However, recent changes in the agreement have sharply reduced
the price for rice and paddy.
There
has been a general decline in rice and paddy prices from $4000 to $3000 for
Ex-A Grade paddy since the agreement was signed in 2005.This trend of $2000 a
bag for this coming crop paddy is non-uniform, and will have more serious
consequences for rice farmers. Government should move to protect the interests
of our rice producers and millers.This could be expedited by finding new
markets for Guyana’s rice and paddy on the international market. Further the
new government should seek to tap into the EU market.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/opinion/letters/06/15/petrocaribe-money-was-never-spent-in-the-region-two-rice-areas/
Arsenic shield for
rice
Clumps of bacteria (soil microbe EA106) and iron plaque begin
forming on the roots of a rice plant. This "iron shield" blunts the
uptake of arsenic. Image by Venkatachalam Lakshmanan and Deepak Shantharaj
taken with the scanning electron microscope (SEM), UD Bioimaging Center.
11:03 a.m., June 15, 2015--University of Delaware researchers
have discovered a soil microbe that mobilizes an “iron shield” to block the
uptake of toxic arsenic in rice. Arsenic occurs naturally in rocks and
soils, air and water, plants and animals. It’s used in a variety of industrial
products and practices, from wood preservatives, pesticides and fertilizers, to
copper smelting. Chronic exposure to arsenic has been linked to cancer, heart
disease and diabetes.The UD finding gives hope that a natural, low-cost
solution — a probiotic for rice plants — may be in sight to protect this global
food source from accumulating harmful levels of one of the deadliest poisons on
the planet. Rice currently is a staple in the diet of more than half the
world’s population.
Harsh Bais, associate professor of plant and soil sciences, led
the UD team that conducted the study, which is reported in the international
journal Planta. The work was supported by the National
Science Foundation. His co-authors include professors Angelia Seyfferth and
Janine Sherrier and postdoctoral researchers Venkatachalam Lakshmanan, Gang Li
and Deepak Shantharaj, all in the Department of Plant and Soil
Sciences.The soil microbe the team identified is named “EA106” for
UD alumna Emily Alff, who isolated the strain when she was a graduate student
in Bais’ lab.
The microbe was found among the roots of a North American
variety of rice grown commercially in California. It belongs to a group of
gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria called the Pantoea, which form yellowish mucus-like
colonies. Because rice is grown underwater — often in water
contaminated with arsenic in such hot spots as Bangladesh, India and China — it
takes in 10 times more arsenic than do other cereal grains, such as wheat and
oats. As rice plants absorb phosphate, a nutrient needed for growth, they
also take up arsenic, which has a similar chemical structure.
“This particular microbe, EA106, is good at mobilizing iron,
which competes with the arsenic, effectively blocking arsenic’s pathway,” Bais
explains. “An iron plaque forms on the surface of the roots that does not allow
arsenic to go up into the rice plant.” The researchers conducted the study
with hundreds of rice plants — some grown in soil, others grown hydroponically
— in UD’s Fischer Greenhouse. Inoculations with EA106 improved the uptake of
iron at the plant roots, while reducing the accumulation of toxic arsenic in
the plant shoots.While the results are promising, Bais says the next steps in
the research will determine if a natural solution to this serious issue is at
hand.
“We’re not all the way to the grain level yet. We are working on
that now, to see if EA106 prevents arsenic accumulation in the grain. That is
the ultimate test,” Bais says.If the next phase of the research shows success,
Bais says inexpensive technologies (think even a cement mixer) exist for
coating rice seeds with beneficial bacteria. He also sees an added plus —
fortifying rice plants with iron would not only reduce arsenic, but also
increase the grain’s iron content as a nutritional benefit. “I grew up
very near to a rice field in India, so I have a different interest in this
problem,” Bais says. “Basically, these small farmers don’t have much to feed
their families. They grow rice on small plots of land with soil and water
contaminated with arsenic, a poison.
The work we are doing is important for them, and to the global
security of rice.” In related research, Bais wants to assess the performance
of plants inoculated with EA106 when they face multiple stresses, from both
arsenic and from rice blast, a fungus that kills an estimated 30 percent of the
world’s rice crop each year. Bais’ group previously isolated a natural
bacterium from rice paddy soil that blunts the rice blast fungus. His group is evaluating
how a natural alliance between benign microbes and rice can strengthen the
plant’s disease resistance. Both plant threats face rice farmers near his
parents’ home in India. Bais plans to start field tests there when he visits
with family this summer. “The whole world is waking up to biologicals,”
Bais says. “It’s an exciting time for researchers in this area.”
Article by Tracey Bryant
Photo of researchers by Lindsay Yeager
http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2015/jun/soil-microbe-rice-061515.html
Rainfall 11% higher
than normal till now
East and
North-east receive 20% more rainfall during June1-14
Widespread rainfall witnessed on Sunday across the country has
pushed overall rains received so far in the current monsoon season to 11%
higher than the normal and is expected to boost kharif sowing activities.The
quantum of rainfall during June 1-14 (61.6 millimetres) is above the normal
benchmark of 55.7 mm for the period arrived on the basis of a 50-year average
shower. This is despite south-west monsoon entering Kerala coast on June 5,
instead of usual June 1. Even before the monsoon reached the Indian shores,
there had been pre-monsoon showers in various regions, particularly in southern
and north-eastern parts.According to India Meteorological Department
data, during June1-14 period, the regions such as North-east, central India and
southern peninsula have received 20%, 12% and 1% more rainfall, respectively
compared to normal benchmark while north-west region got 6% less volume of
rainfall.
According to a senior official with the agriculture ministry,
most of the regions which are vital for agricultural sector such as Punjab,
Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Marathwada, Vidarbha,
Saurahstra, Kutch, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalseema have
received more than normal rainfall so far.“Paddy sowing have commenced in key
growing regions, but the monsoon rainfall during next two months would be crucial
for kharif output,” Trilochan Mohapatra, director, Central Rice Research
Institute (CRRI), a Cuttack-based institute under ministry of agriculture, told
FE.As per the latest agriculture ministry data, rice has been sown in only 4.7
lakh hectare till now which is marginally higher than last year.
The agriculture ministry official said that rice is usually sown
in close to 36 million hectare in kharif season and the farmers in majority of
rice growing areas have been preparing their field taking the help of monsoon
rains in the last few days.Sowing of other kharif crops — pulses, oilseeds,
coarse cereals, sugarcane and cotton — has just commenced.Meanwhile, private
weather forecaster Skymet on Monday said “third week of June is expected to get
good amount of rain in most parts of the country”.It stated that “the first
monsoon system that is being formed in the Bay of Bengal. When it crosses
coast, it will trigger monsoon activity across most parts of North-east,
Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, along with parts of central
India, including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra”.
While moderate to heavy rainfall has been witnessed in central
and eastern regions, Skymet has stated that south-west monsoon is likely to
reach Jharkhand and West Bengal anytime soon and cover some more parts of
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. North-eastern states continue to
record moderate to heavy rainfall.The IMD earlier this month had revised
downward its forecast of seasonal rainfall (June-September) for this year to
88% of a long-period average (LPA), from 93% reported last month. However,
Skymet has predicted a normal monsoon, with showers at 102% of the LPA.LPA is
calculated on the basis of the average annual rainfall recorded between
1951 and 2000.m for the four-month period from June to September.Monsoon rains
are crucial for agriculture as about 40% of the cultivable area is under
irrigation and around 55% of the foodgrains production mainly paddy and coarse
grains is contributed by kharif or summer crop.
First Published on June 16, 2015 12:10 am© The Indian Express
Online Media Pvt Ltd
Farmers getting older, study shows
June 15, 2015 10:05 pm
OLDER FARMERS
Ilocano farmers from Candon City, Ilocos Sur are harvesting the palay in their fields. A study by the Philippine center for Post-harvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) showed that more rice farmers are between 40 and 50 years old but there are plans to attract young people to be involved in agribusiness. PHOTO BY THOM F. PICAÑA
Ilocano farmers from Candon City, Ilocos Sur are harvesting the palay in their fields. A study by the Philippine center for Post-harvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) showed that more rice farmers are between 40 and 50 years old but there are plans to attract young people to be involved in agribusiness. PHOTO BY THOM F. PICAÑA
MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija: A study conducted by the Philippine Center for Post-harvest
Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) showed
that most of the country’s farmers are getting older and warned of an eventual
shortage of farm workers.But efforts are afoot and are focused on getting the
youth sector’s involvement in agri-business through equipment modernization and
developing agribusiness.In collaboration with the University of the Philippines
Los Baños-Agricultural Mechanization Development Program (UPLB-AMDP),
PhilMech’s study in 2014 reveals that farmers are above 40 years old.“Most rice
farmers were within [the] 40-59 age bracket although a high percentage of
farmers aged 60 and above was noted in Camarines Sur and Iloilo,” the study
said.
The PhilMech and UPLB-AMDP study
covered 13 provinces where rice is grown showing that many old farmers are no
longer doing actual farm work and warned that “there would be a shortage of
farm labor in the future if the agriculture sector does not get new young
farmers.”Last year, two studies, one done by PhilMech and UPLB-AMDP and another
by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) entitled, “Benchmarking Philippine Rice Economy Relative
to Major Rice-Producing Countries in Asia” also showed that Filipino rice
farmers are among the oldest in Asia.For the 2014 study, PhilMech is optimistic
that more young people will be more interested in agriculture as more
post-harvest and mechanization technologies are now available.
Rex Bingabing, PhilMech Executive Director, said the agency has
developed new technologies for the country’s agriculture sector.For example, he
said, there are technologies for rice mechanization that would ease the drudgery
that goes with rice farming by developing a tractor-mounted rice transplanter
and mini-combine harvester.He said PhilMech has also produced other
technologies in which the youth can be involved as entrepreneurs in agriculture
such as the coco water extraction-pasteurization system that can transform
mature coconut water into refreshing energy drink.He said the young farmers can
also invest in cacao, cashew, soybean and coffee processing system or a
multi-commodity solar tunnel dryer-based business enterprise.“These
agribusiness enterprises are good start-up for young agribusiness entrepreneurs
as they require low level of investment,” Bingabing said.
APEDA India (News)
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