News
Headlines....
Declining prices: governments weigh up option to protect agriculture
sector
U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for September 2: National Rice Month
Rice-pledging civil lawsuits on schedule, Wissanu says
Attaches tour rice, poultry, wine sites
Prime minister urges support to agriculture sector
Nigeria: Agric Ministry VS Stallion Group - Who Is Telling the Truth?
Antique’s rice stocks sufficient, NFA’s palay procurement on
Wet weekend predicted for South; rain deficit grows in North
Government to purchase the highest amount of paddy in Yala season
Rice output hits all-time high
DA urges farmers to plant crops for El Niño
Fortified Rice is Integral Part of Solution to Global Hunger
CAMBODIA PRESS-Rice millers request exemption from VAT
Food security a top priority for ASEAN ministers and senior officials
Weaker yuan presses Vietnam’s rice price down
There should be no irrational resistance to GM crops: Principal Scientific
Advisor
Govt advisor cautions against irrational resistance to GM crops
In Bengal, a rice economy rots away on food habits, subsidy
Restaurant Spy visits the Radcliffe Arms, Hitchin
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice
Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported
Himalayan Dine Inn's herbs and lentils could start a knife fight
Restaurant Spy visits the Radcliffe Arms, Hitchin
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported
News detail…
Declining
prices: governments weigh up option to protect agriculture sector
September 03, 2015
The federal government and provinces on Wednesday weighed various
options to protect the agriculture sector from declining prices of agriculture
products in the international market. An official said that a consultative
meeting on agriculture products and Basmati rice was held on Wednesday with
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the chair and various options were discussed
during the meeting. The official
said the issue of high costs of agricultural inputs was discussed. He said the
Prime Minister directed to devise proposals to bring down the cost of inputs to
improve per acre yield and profitability after he was given a detailed presentation
on the present situation as well as on future scenarios. Secretary Food
Department of Sindh government told Business
Recorder that the meeting was
a follow-up of a meeting held in August.
He said the meeting has not taken any decision and decided to hold
another meeting in this regard to further discuss the proposals. He said the decline in agriculture
products prices in the international market has created problems of exports. He
said that farmers are suffering due to high input prices at home and low output
prices. Secretary Agriculture Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said a committee
was constituted by the Prime Minister to suggest as to how to support small
farmers. The meeting discussed implications of the government interventions to
manage the price fluctuations while keeping in view the interests of both
producers and consumers. A
statement issued by the Prime Minister''s office after the meeting says that
the surplus stocks of agricultural products in international and domestic
markets have put pressure on the support price mechanism and profitability of
the agricultural production has been affected.
The Ministry of National Food Security and Research informed the
meeting that in Pakistan agriculture is mainly a small farmers'' business, living
in rural areas and any price shock has damaging effects on millions of small
farmers earning their livelihood from agriculture sector. The meeting agreed
that the Pakistani agriculture is suffering from global phenomenon and a
strategy is required to come out of this economic situation. The Planning Commission organised a
forum on agriculture pricing trends and its possible implications on rural
economy in August 2015. The forum presented a set of recommendations for
consideration by the government on Wednesday''s meeting. The meeting
deliberated in detail on the recommendations of the forum regarding problems
faced by the producers of major crops like rice, sugarcane, cotton, wheat and
vegetables. The Prime Minister directed that the Ministry of National Food
Security may initiate measures to attract investment in high-tech seed industry
and asked if any legislation is required to do that. The Prime Minister also
directed to develop standards for use of agricultural machinery to improve its
efficiency.
Provincial governments were
directed to initiate a process for implementation of the recommendations for
the agriculture forum. The
meeting was attended by Engineer Khurram Dastgir, Minister of Commerce,
Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Finance, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister for
IPC; Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Minister for National Food Security; Ahsan Iqbal,
Minister for Planning and Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the PM, federal secretary
National Food security, Secretary agriculture from Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Balochistan.
www.businessrecorder.com
U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for September 2: National Rice Month
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2,
2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the
daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
NATIONAL RICE MONTH
Profile America — Wednesday, September 2nd. To highlight its importance,
both as a crop and as part of the changing U.S. diet, this is National Rice
Month. Globally, rice is the world's most important cereal grain. Reflecting
both our increasing cultural diversity and awareness of good nutrition,
Americans have increased their annual consumption of rice from 1980's 9½ pounds
to today's 31 pounds each. Rice has been grown in America since the late 17th
century and is currently a $3 billion a year crop. While raising only 2 percent of the world's rice,
the U.S. is the leading non-Asian exporter, sending nearly $2.1 billion worth annually to overseas
markets. The grain is raised by farmers in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. You can find more facts about
America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.
Sources:
Rice month: http://usarice.com/all-about-rice/national-rice-month
Value of rice: http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/grains__oilseeds/rice-profile/
1990 per capita consumption: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0217.pdf
2014 U.S. per capita consumption: http://www.uark.edu/ua/ricersch/pdfs/per_capita_rice_consumption_of_selected_countries.pdf
Rice exports: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/product/enduse/exports/c0000.html
Percentage of world volume: http://www.usarice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=671&Itemid=386
Leading states: http://www.ers.usda.gov/datafiles/Rice_Yearbook/table08.xls
Rice month: http://usarice.com/all-about-rice/national-rice-month
Value of rice: http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/grains__oilseeds/rice-profile/
1990 per capita consumption: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0217.pdf
2014 U.S. per capita consumption: http://www.uark.edu/ua/ricersch/pdfs/per_capita_rice_consumption_of_selected_countries.pdf
Rice exports: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/product/enduse/exports/c0000.html
Percentage of world volume: http://www.usarice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=671&Itemid=386
Leading states: http://www.ers.usda.gov/datafiles/Rice_Yearbook/table08.xls
Profile America is produced by the Center for New
Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are
available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the
"Newsroom" button).
SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
Rice-pledging
civil lawsuits on schedule, Wissanu says
Civil lawsuits against former prime minister
Yingluck Shinawatra and others to seek compensation for her government’s
loss-ridden rice-pledging programme will be filed before the statute of
limitations expires, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam confirmed
Thursday.Mr Wissanu told the National Legislative Assembly today that civil
lawsuits against Ms Yingluck and other government officials could be filed late
this year or in early 2016 at the latest, far before the statute of limitations
expired in February 2017.Two government committees are handling the process.
One is fact-finding while the other is tasked
with identifying those liable for compensation and setting the compensation
amount, he said.Apart from Ms Yingluck, six government officials were possible
targets for compensation demands, Mr Wissanu said.Civil lawsuits against
private companies held liable in the rice scheme would need to be filed within
one year, Mr Wissanu said. But the process against them can move faster because
inquiry committees don't need to be established, he said.The state's losses in
the rice-pledging scheme during Ms Yingluck's tenure from 2011-2014 were
estimated at more than 530 billion baht. Her government bought rice from
farmers at above-market prices that impeded resale. The government also had
problems with quality rice storage.
The Bangkok Post
Attaches tour rice,
poultry, wine sites
This article was published today
at 2:06 a.m.
STUTTGART -- Vangile Titi-Msumza, a South African agricultural
attache based in Washington, D.C., liked what she saw at a poultry farm in
Farmington. Her counterpart from New Zealand was excited to see rice and cotton
production for the first time.Twenty-eight agricultural attaches from 26
countries wrapped up a tour of farm and food processing operations in Arkansas
on Wednesday before moving on to visit similar facilities in Louisiana. The
tour, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was designed to create
export opportunities for Arkansas farmers."It's developing relationships
and creating opportunities and introducing the attaches to Arkansas
agriculture," Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward said. "That can
open up doors down the road."Ward spoke at the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture Rice Research Station in Stuttgart, where the group
stopped for lunch and a presentation on rice production in Arkansas.
The tour began with meetings Monday in Northwest Arkansas with
representatives of Tyson Foods Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores. Inc., and included
visits to Post Winery and Vineyard in Altus and Keo Fish Farms, and dinners
hosted by agriculture trade groups.Titi-Msumza said she was particularly
interested to see how chickens were grown in Arkansas. She was pleased that
they were not densely packed into cages, which can increase the risk of
disease."I was actually very impressed," she said. "The United
States is a very big country, so we need to appreciate differences in
approaches to agriculture among the states.
"Janine Collier, first secretary of trade and agriculture
at the New Zealand Embassy, was impressed by the rice and cotton operations she
visited. New Zealand is a leading exporter of dairy products, and she was
interested in similarities between the way dairy and rice trade on the global
market.Yvette
Wedderburn Bomershein, a director in the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service,
which organized the tour, said a stop at American Vegetable Soybean and Edamame
Inc. in Mulberry was a good example of how the tour can be educational for even
well-traveled agricultural officials."There were people on the tour that
didn't know what edamame was," she said. "One person thought it was
cheese."Raymond Chung, president of American Vegetable Soybean and
Edamame, was pleased to make a pitch for his product. His company already
exports processed edamame to Asia, he said, and several tour participants told
him edamame is popular in Europe.
"Looking forward, I'm optimistic about the
opportunity to export our product to places like Europe," he said in a
telephone interview.This year's tour marks the second time the service has
brought its annual orientation tour to Arkansas. Participants included
delegates from the European Union, individual European countries, Latin
America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.Ward plans to travel
with Gov. Asa Hutchinson to Cuba later this month when the governor leads a
state delegation there to look for ways to develop trade ties as relations
between the two countries improve. A partial trade embargo is still in place,
but Ward said Cuba could constitute a $35 million market for Arkansas
agricultural products if the embargo is lifted. It's important to build
relationships with Cuban officials now so that the state can capitalize if the
embargo is ultimately lifted.
Business on 09/03/2015
Prime minister urges support to
agriculture sector
Published: September 3, 2015
PM also directed the concerned
department to develop particular standards for use of agricultural machinery to
improve efficiency. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday has directed concerned ministries to devise a
strategy to bring down the cost of inputs, aimed at improving per-acre yield
and profitability of the agriculture sector.
The prime
minister further asked the Ministry of National Food Security to initiate
measures to attract investment in high-tech seed industry and asked if there is
any legislation required to do that.He was chairing a high level meeting in the
PM Secretariat to deliberate over issues and problems being faced by the
agriculture sector in the wake of downward trends in the international
markets.He also directed the concerned department to develop particular
standards for use of agricultural machinery to improve efficiency.
Additionally, provincial governments were directed to initiate a thorough
process for implementation of the recommendations made by the agricultural
forum.Surplus stocks of agricultural products in international and domestic
markets have put pressure on the support price mechanism and profitability of
the agricultural production has been affected.
The meeting
was informed that agriculture is mainly a small farmer’s business in Pakistan.
Therefore, any price shock has damaging effects on millions of small farmers
earning their livelihood from the agriculture sector.The meeting agreed that
the Pakistani farming community is suffering from a global phenomenon and a
strategy is required to come out of this economic conundrum.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd,
2015.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join
in the conversation.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/949649/prime-minister-urges-support-to-agriculture-sector/
Nigeria:
Agric Ministry VS Stallion Group - Who Is Telling the Truth?
By Vincent A. Yusuf
The media, recently, have been agog with the war of words
between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Stallion Group over N17
billion rice import duties and levies.The ministry, last week, in a publication
pointed out that Stallion Group-one of the nation's rice importers, did not
tell the truth on the capacity of its rice mill in order to get more quotas on
rice imports.According to the ministry, the claim made by Stallion Group of
installed 430,000 metric tonnes capacity rice mill as against the 110,000
metric tonnes, was an attempt to evade tax duties and levies accruing to N17
billion.But Stallion Group, in a media statement, denied the allegation,
insisting that the 430,000 MT represented a combined capacity for both Popular
Farms and Masco Allied Industries, its subsidiaries.In another allegation, the
ministry said that while the Popular Farms was given approval to import 89,939
MT of rice in 2014, Masco Agro Allied Industries did not get any allocation to
import the product.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201509030716.html
Antique’s rice stocks sufficient, NFA’s palay
procurement on
September 03, 2015
Pilar S. Mabaquiao
SAN
JOSE, Antique (PIA) - - The National Food
Authority declared that Antique has sufficient supply of rice with the latest
inventory of 198,491 bags to last for 42 days.NFA Provincial Manager Marianito
Bejemino said the total inventory was derived from the combined stocks of
commercial rice dealers, households and NFA.Bejemino likewise said that palay
procurement is ongoing at NFA warehouses in San Jose and Culasi at the price of
P17 per kilo for clean and dry palay.
Incentives are also given to farmers organizations.For palay which do
not pass the required moisture content, NFA has seven mechanical dryers with
biomass furnace. It charges a minimal amount of P12 per sack (of 50 kilos)
depending on the moisture content of palay when it was brought to the NFA
warehouse.
Since
last week of August, palay procurement increased said NFA Information Officer
Elizabeth Salazar.She said some farmers have taken advantage of the change in
climate by planting early thus, harvest time started early as well.Salazar
encouraged farmers to sell their palay to NFA not just because of the higher
price but also to help government procure enough buffer stocks.Walk-in farmers
will be paid in cash up to P200,000 immediately after the transaction is
completed or they will be given a ceiling of 200 bags of palay per farmer per
day for cash payment.For subsequent delivery, farmers should get a passbook at
NFA office free of charge. (JCM/PSM/PIA6Antique)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/981441249644/antique-s-rice-stocks-sufficient-nfa-s-palay-procurement-on
Wet
weekend predicted for South; rain deficit grows in North
VINSON KURIAN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
SEPTEMBER 2:
Trough breaks up
It has broken up into two, which
speaks of the severity of the situation with rising surface temperature in
Northwest India.The parent trough lies nestled along the foothills while the
breakaway half is left stranded in the East of the country, its southern end
dipping into East-central Bay of Bengal.
Now, the tip of a trough dipping
into the warm waters of the Bay is always a potential area of ‘cyclogenesis’
(formation of low-pressure area) and will be watched with interest.The European
Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts initially saw possibility of a ‘low’
developing under the benign influence of a building typhoon racing in from the
Pacific.
Poor confidence
But it is less confident of the
scenario where it would need to be wary of a ‘minefield’ developing to the east
of the Philippines with explosive activity.The European Centre saw a virtual
line of fire evolving here with at least two fresh typhoons developing even as
the predecessor speeds away back towards the West-central Pacific.This
east-northeast direction of the typhoon away from Asia could snuff out hopes of
the ‘low’ in the Bay evolving to any significant strength.In the absence of
south-easterly winds from such a ‘low,’ the way would get cleared up further
for the dry air to fill and penetrate towards Central and adjoining East
India.Meanwhile, the India Met Department has refrained from announcing the
withdrawal of the monsoon from Northwest India, which is getting increasingly
dry by the day.
Southern comfort
A western disturbance with its
comparatively cooler air is seen delaying the process, though it will not take
much longer for the announcement to come.In the south, a fresh rain-driving
trough has materialised along the East Coast from Rayalaseema to Gulf of Mannar
(off Sri Lanka) across Tamil Nadu.Moisture-laden winds are blowing into the
trough from around Sri Lanka into the trough which is already bringing rainfall
into parts of the peninsula.Most parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, south
interior Karnataka and Kerala are forecast to receive rainfall during the
weekend.The US Climate Prediction Centre says above normal rainfall would be
the theme here during the period right until the middle of September.
(This article was published on September 2, 2015)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/wet-weekend-predicted-for-south-rain-deficit-grows-in-north/article7608067.ece
Government to purchase the highest amount of paddy in Yala season
The Government has allocated highest amount of funds for
purchasing 120,000 metric tons of Paddy in Yala season and 80,406 metric tons
have already been purchased by yesterday,said PM Ranil Wickramasinghe.It is the
highest amount of Paddy which has been purchased by any government so far.He
exposed this while answering a question arose at the parliament today(03).An
amount of Rs.50.00 will be paid per one Kilo of paddy and the extent of the
purchasing paddy from each one will be limited for 2000 Kilo grams with the
sole purpose of extending this benefit to many more farmers.And further he said
National Agricultural Authority with full powers will be established and
warehouses facilities also will be developed.The problem is expected to discuss
with the leaders of all political parties under the President's direction, he
said.
http://www.news.lk/news/politics/item/9540-government-to-purchase-the-highest-amount-of-paddy-in-yala-season
Rice
output hits all-time high
Yasir Wardad
Rice output in the country reached an all-time
high of 34.708 million tonnes in the last fiscal year (FY'15), registering some
0.3 million tonnes increase over FY'14, the latest data revealed. Rice production achieved a 0.9 per cent
growth in the year compared to that of FY '14 when overall production was 34.41
million tonnes.Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) provisional data, released
on Wednesday, showed that in the line of success of Aman and Aus, Boro
production also reached an all-time high of 19.19 million tonnes in FY '15,
increasing slightly by 0.63 per cent over that of FY'14 when production was
19.07 million tonnes, the then record.
Joint
Director (agriculture wing) at BBS Bidhan Baral told the FE that overall
acreage has been estimated at 4.84 million hectares in FY'15 in Boro season
which was 1.03 per cent higher over that of FY'14 when 4.79 million hectares
came under Boro farming."But per hectare yield declined negligibly this
year in Boro season as it was recorded at 3.987 tonnes/ha in FY'15 which was
3.99 tonnes/ha in FY'14", he said.However, BBS data showed that rice
production in Aman and Aus seasons were 13.19 million tonnes and 2.328 million
tonnes respectively in FY'15, which were also records."A total of 11.415
million hectares of land come under rice farming in FY'15 which was 11.373
million hectares in FY '14 as per the estimation of Bangladesh Space Research
& Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARSO)," Bidhan Boral said.
The
data of the state-run statistics provider showed that Aman output rose by 1.28
per cent and Aus production also showed a slight rise by 0.08 per cent in FY
'15 compared to those of FY '14.The official said BBS jointly with the
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) conducted rice yield survey adopting
the new crop cutting design.DAE Director General Md Hamidur Rahman said
favourable weather condition and supply of quality inputs in time were the keys
to the growth.
Three
kinds of rice -- Boro, Aman and Aus -- grow in different seasons in Bangladesh.
The seasons contributed 56 per cent, 38 per cent and 6.0 per cent to the total
output, according to BBS.Demand for rice in the country now stands at 31.0
million tonnes, Directorate General of Food data showed.Despite the record
output, private sector in the country imported a record 1.45 million tonnes of
rice in FY'15, according to the ministry of food.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
DA urges
farmers to plant crops for El Niño
Thursday, September 03, 2015
FARMERS are encouraged to plant
cash crops such as cassava, camote and corn, which do not need much water in
order to mitigate the effects of the strongest and longest El Niño
phenomenon.Engr. Leo Retamar, of the Bureau of Soils Management of the
Department of Agriculture, urged the public to plant such crops in the last
quarter of this year until the second quarter of next year to prepare for El
Niño.Retamar, who was in Iloilo City to attend the regional extension workers
conference, said that 2015 is the International Year of the Soil.The farmers
need not avoid rice planting totally but have to plant cash crops to augment
their income due to late production next year, Retamar said, adding that El
Nino was forecast to start by October 2015 until end of June 2016.
Western Visayas has 320,000 hectares
devoted to rice lands, with 33 percent devoted to rain-fed and upland
production, he said.Cloud seeding has been planned to induce rains especially
in the coming summer season.While there are still rains and sunshine in Western
Visayas to induce planting, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon are currently
suffering from floods spawned by heavy rains and typhoons. This is El Nino, the
extreme for dry and dry seasons, Retamar said.Meanwhile, the agriculture
department is allocating P187 million as El Nino mitigation fund for Western
Visayas and P94.5 million was already released while the balance needs approval
from the Department of Budget and Management.The region has sufficient rice
stock, although production might be delayed. Rice farmers must not stick to one
crop when there is no rain coming, the DA official said. (LCP/Sunnex)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2015/09/03/da-urges-farmers-plant-crops-el-nino-428220
Fortified Rice is Integral Part of Solution to Global
Hunger
Conference attendees
With fortified rice being more readily
recognized as an important tool in the fight against global malnutrition, the
primary area of focus is resolving outstanding logistics issues in the
complicated production chain in the U.S.
This requires ongoing close coordination and communication between the
purchasing agencies, fortification entities, and the rice millers.
Jamie Warshaw, a Louisiana rice miller and
chairman of the USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee, attended the conference and
said, "While the opportunities are enormous for the U.S. rice industry,
obstacles to increased use of fortified rice remain, including, for instance,
customer acceptance. The KSU event was an important first step in
bringing the major stakeholders together and coordinating a plan
forward."
USA Rice is planning an informational
session in Washington, DC next month to clarify some of the remaining questions
about fortified rice and facilitate its use. While the USA Rice session
will include many important stakeholders, the target audience will be the end
users - the humanitarian organizations who will work with U.S. government
agencies to program increasingly greater amounts of fortified rice in new and
ongoing feeding initiatives.
CAMBODIA PRESS-Rice millers request
exemption from VAT - Phnom Penh Post
As Cambodia continues to struggle with its cost competitiveness in
the rice sector, rice millers and exporters met the General Department of
Taxation on Wednesday asking for an exemption from paying the 10 percent value
added tax (VAT), the Phnom Penh Post reported.The exemption will help ease
prices in the sector, the newspaper reported, citing Kim Savuth, vice president
of the Cambodia Rice Federation. (http://bit.ly/1OfjiJf)
----
NOTE: Reuters has not verified this
story and does not vouch for its accuracy. (Phnom Penh Newsroom; Editing by
Anand Basu)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3221957/CAMBODIA-PRESS-Rice-millers-request-exemption-VAT--Phnom-Penh-Post.html
Food security a top priority for ASEAN ministers and
senior officials
"It
is high time for ASEAN member countries, which are in the largest rice-growing
regions of the world to support the scientific research necessary for the
sustainability of their rice sectors," said Bruce Tolentino, deputy
director general for communication and partnerships of the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI), on ensuring food security and strengthening
cooperation in agriculture across the region.Sixteen ministers are scheduled to
visit IRRI on 12 September as part of the 37th meeting of the ASEAN Ministers
on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), in addition to the 15th AMAF Plus Three
Meetings with China, Japan, and South Korea hosted by the Philippines this
year.
Myanmar
is on its way to regaining its agricultural competitiveness. In the 1950s
Myanmar led the ASEAN countries in rice exports.Brunei and Singapore, on the
other hand, do import rice, and only the best quality rice. Moreover, Singapore
is making investments to become the ASEAN center for biotechnology."So,
each of these countries has differing approaches to achieving their food
security goals. But all of these countries are bound together because there is
a common ASEAN-wide framework for food security," Tolentino explained.That
framework, according to him, which also includes a strategic action plan on
food security, does not simply focus on strengthening the national capacity of
each of the ASEAN member countries to produce any agricultural commodity, but
also facilitation of trade.
The
strategic action plan was conceptualized as part of the ASEAN member states’
need for a long-term agricultural development plan that focuses on sustainable
food production and trade, especially in the context of problems brought about
by the food price crisis in 2007–2008.The ASEAN Integrated Food Security
Framework, along with the Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security in the
ASEAN Region, enables sharing of any agricultural commodity. A close inspection
of various countries reveals variation in natural resources for rice
production. This is also the case for other crops and agricultural commodities.
"In
effect, there will be a country agenda and there will be a regional agenda,
tied together by trade. ASEAN countries could look at exporting high-quality
rice to, say, Europe, for example. And Africa is a major growth area because of
its rising demand for rice. All these topics, including IRRI’s support to the
Philippine Department of Agriculture’s Food Staples Sufficiency Program will be
part of the discussions during the ASEAN event next week," he noted.
http://irri-news.blogspot.com/2015/09/food-security-top-priority-for-asean.html
Weaker yuan presses Vietnam’s rice price
down
VietNamNet Bridge - As predicted, importers have tried to lower
Vietnam’s rice price after the Chinese government’s devaluation of the
yuan.
VnExpress quoted the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) as
reporting that the rice price and sales may fall significantly because of the
yuan depreciation.Chinese enterprises, which have to pay 4 percent more for
rice import contracts with the payments in US dollars, are trying to force the
price down to offset the loss they incur due to yuan depreciation.This
coincides with Reuters’ prediction made in mid-August that Vietnam’s rice
export price would decrease on the yuan and dong devaluation and the abundant supply.VFA
then announced the lower floor export price of $330 per ton, a 2.9 percent
decrease, for 25 percent broken rice. The decision was released in the
context of the sharp fall of 8.8 percent decrease in exports in the first seven
months of the year.Le Thanh Danh from Vinafood 1 confirmed that Chinese have
asked to renegotiate the prices, reasoning the yuan devaluation, which has made
Vietnamese exporters suffer.
Danh said on Nong Nghiep that Vietnam now bears
pressure as India and Pakistan are offering rice at relatively low
prices.Therefore, Vietnam’s exports to China have seen the price decrease
significantly to $340 per ton of 5 percent broken rice and $330 per ton of 15
percent broken rice. The price levels represent a $7-8 per ton decrease compared
with some months ago. The price of rice exported through unofficial
channels – across the border gates – has also fallen. Every kilo of rice sold
across the northern border has seen the price fall by VND300.Some businesses in
the Mekong River Delta estimated that over 1 million tons of rice have been
exported to China this year across the border.
Nguyen Van Don, director of Viet Hung Rice Export
Company, warned that Chinese importers may cut the volume of rice to buy from
Vietnam and buy from Thailand and Myanmar instead.As the export price
decreases, the rice price in the domestic market has also gone down. VFA said
the price of 5 percent broken rice in Mekong River Delta has decreased by
VND100 per kilo over the week before.Analysts warned that not only rice but
other farm produce will also suffer from the weaker yuan, because China is a
big consumer of Vietnamese produce. China alone consumed 38.1 percent of
Vietnam’s 3.72 million tons of rice exports so far. It consumes 25 percent
of Vietnam’s rubber and 13 percent of Vietnam’s cashew nut output. The country
consumed 90 percent of 2.89 million tons of cassava sold in the last seven
months of the year.
Kim Chi
Kim Chi
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/140328/weaker-yuan-presses-vietnam-s-rice-price-down.html
The Prime Minister says in parliament that the government considers it
as its responsibility to safeguard both the paddy farmer and the consumer
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe delivering
a special statement in parliament today said that the government considers it
as its responsibility to safeguard and provide maximum benefits to the paddy
farmers as well as the consumers. The highest ever paddy harvest in the
Yala Maha season in Sri
Lanka's history has been recorded this year. The government has set aside
funds to purchase 120 thousand metric tons of paddy of the Yala season.
More than 90 thousand 400 metric tons have been purchased by yesterday. A
kilo of Kirisamba and Samba is being purchased for 50 rupees and a kilo of Nadu
for 45 rupees.
The Prime Minister added that in order to
hand over the benefits to a larger number of farmers, the paddy purchasing from
a single farmer has been restricted to 2000 kilos. Farmers are receiving
a stable price for their produce at 180 purchasing centers. A congestion
has occurred due to the rush to sell paddy stocks. The Prime Minister
further said that in order to resolve the problem, the government was compelled
to utilize the services of civil defence task force and to hold mobile
services.
In a massive operation of this nature,
shortcomings may be a common occurrence of shortcomings. The Prime
Minister also said that any criticism should be leveled to rectify the mistake
and not to gain political advantages. He added that a more methodical procedure
should be implemented to purchase the paddy harvest in the coming Maha season.
A national agricultural authority with
full powers will be established to purchase agricultural produce. More
storage facilities are to be provided especially to stock paddy. The
Prime Minister also said that the purchase paddy stocks will be dispatched
to small and medium scale paddy mills through tender procedures.
The aim is to stabilize the rice market. Long term solutions will
be found through discussion with political party leaders under the initiative
of the President. The paddy marketing board activities will be carried
out without causing any injustice to the farmer and the consumer.
http://www.slbc.lk/index.php/en/tamil-news-update/1740-the-prime-minister-says-in-parliament-that-the-government-considers-it-as-its-responsibility-to-safeguard-both-the-paddy-farmer-and-the-consumer.html
There should be no irrational resistance to GM crops:
Principal Scientific Advisor
Principal
Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Dr R. Chidambaram, while
speaking at an event organised by industry body, Assocham in New Delhi said
that there should be no irrational resistance to GM crops, after the completion
of careful research, field trials and approval of Genetic Engineering Appraisal
Committee (GEAC).Whilestressing on the need for climate resilient agriculture
he said that mitigation and adaptation strategies must include soil health
restoration and development of new crop varieties including genetically
modified (GM) crops.
In Focus
Hestressed on the need for more widespread techniques to improve
irrigation facilities in India. While saying highlighting that farmers in India
consume about 80 per cent of state water supply, he said there was a need to
make a saving there. On the need for
developing high-yielding basmati rice varieties, R. Chidambaram said that he
would love to have a Grid for basmati rice research.While inaugurating the '4th
Bio-Nano Agri Summit' the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government,
according to a press release by the Assocham,also pitched for using
'agricultural drone with appropriate sensors' while citing an example of NETRA,
an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) that was used to track damage and marooned people.
He said that nanoscience based viable advanced technologies (that
are both economic and scientific) must be developed to counter negative effects
of declining landholdings, increasing number of marginal farmers and land
degradation."Agriculture contributes less than 20 per cent of India's GDP,
accounts for over 10 per cent of India's exports and employs over half of our
workforce, the latter number is three per cent for the USA," said R.
Chidambaram.
http://www.merinews.com/article/there-should-be-no-irrational-resistance-to-gm-crops-principal-scientific-advisor/15909323.shtml&cp
Govt
advisor cautions against irrational resistance to GM crops
NEW DELHI, SEPT
3:
A senior Government advisor on Tuesday pitched for “no
irrational resistance” to genetically-modified (GM) crops and believed that
nanotechnology could help Indian agriculture overcome problems of declining
landholdings, increasing numbers of marginal cultivators and land
degradation.“There should be no irrational resistance to GM crops once careful
research has been done, field trials have been completed, and Genetic
Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) approval has been obtained,” said R
Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Indian Government, said at the
‘4th Bio-Nano Agri Summit’ hosted by Assocham here on Thursday.Chidambaram was
talking about the need for climate resilient agriculture and mitigation and
adaptation strategies had to include development of new crop varieties,
including GM crops, alongside soil health restoration.
(This article was published on September 3, 2015)
Business Line
In Bengal,
a rice economy rots away on food habits, subsidy
Mill closures
swell bank NPAs
Namrata Acharya | Kolkata September
1, 2015 Last Updated at 22:35 IST
Each
public sector bank can pick a niche area: R GandhiPublic sector banks: The market
may be jumping the gunLetters: Better bankingPotato prices firm on fresh
loading in cold storages.The closure of 500 of 1,200 rice mills in West Bengal
over two years is weighing heavy on the non-performing loans of banks. Changing
food habits, rising food subsidy and falling exports have brought the rice
economy in Bengal, the highest rice producing state in the country, to the
verge of a crisis. With
the size of loans of rice mills between Rs 4 crore and Rs 15 crore, and around
200-250 accounts turning into NPAs in the past few months, the amount of NPA
addition could be between Rs 800 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, according to DN
Mondol, president of the Bengal Rice Mills Association.
“The
market for rice in West Bengal is shrinking, and there is no upgradation in
technology. The parboiled rice produced in Bengal was in high demand in eastern
India, Bangladesh and Africa. However, Bangladesh has attained self-sufficiency
in rice, leading to a shrinkage of exports. Due to lifestyle changes, the
consumption of rice is also going down. The mills have also complained about
delays in payment for levy rice,” said the manager of apublic sector bank in
Burdwan district.
West
Bengal produces 15 million tonnes of rice every year, mostly rice that has been
partially boiled in the husk. Of this, the state government procures 2.2
million tonnes through the levy mechanism. Ever since the Trinamool Congress
government came to power, the procurement has more than doubled from around one
million tonnes. Much of this owes to the state government’s scheme for
providing 35 kg of rice per month at Rs 2 a kg in the Naxal-affected blocks of
the state.Under the levy mechanism, mills last year procured paddy at around Rs
1,310 a quintal, while the government bought rice from the mills at Rs 2,060 a
quintal. The effective cost for mills for buying a quintal of rice works out to
Rs 2,046 because a quintal of paddy yields 64 kg of rice.
However,
the profit of Rs 14 per quintal turns into a loss of over Rs 50, when the cost
of milling and transport is added. According to mill owners, against the Rs 80
per quintal cost of milling, the government provides only Rs 25 per quintal.The
market price of paddy, on the other hand, is lower than the government
procurement price. At present the market price of rice is Rs 1,700-1,800 per
quintal. Moreover, earlier, around three million tonnes of rice from West
Bengal was exported annually to Bangladesh. This has come down to nearly
700,000 tonnes.
The
demand for parboiled rice has also declined substantially as rising income has
led the demand shift to better quality rice. In the rural market, the key
market for parboiled rice, demand for non-PDS rice has shrunk because of
government subsidy schemes.Data from the NSSO survey on household consumption
suggests between 2004-05 and 2011-12, the monthly per capita consumption of
rice in urban areas declined from 6.77 kg to 6.24 kg. The monthly per capita
consumption of PDS rice in rural areas increased from 0.61 kg in 2004-05 to
0.95 kg in 2011-12. But the monthly per capita demand for rice from non-PDS
sources in rural areas decreased from 9.08 kg to 8.97 kg.
The
trend is not restricted to West Bengal, as per capita monthly rice consumption
in rural India declined to 5.98 kg in 2011-12 from 6.38 kg in 2004-05. In urban
India, the fall in rice consumption was 0.2 kg per person per month. Per capita
consumption of PDS rice has, however, doubled in rural India and risen by 66
per cent in urban India since 2004-05, implying the share of PDS purchases in
rice consumption has risen substantially, according to the NSSO
Himalayan Dine Inn's
herbs and lentils could start a knife fight
This food should
be a spread for a crowd to share, fight over
"My name
is Bhim. The name means ‘bravery.’”Bhim’s as tall standing as I am sitting, but
he’s stocky, fit-looking, and confident. He’s wearing a Nepalese-style cap,
with a little replica of two crossed knives on the front. Oh, right.
The
meal: pakoras, dhal soup, samosas, papadum, and paneer pakauda, all for about
$15
Ghurka.
Ghurkas are the
famed fighting men of Nepal who have fought with the British Army for the last
couple of hundred years.“Ghurkas? Fierce,” my cousin Bob told me once. He had
worked alongside them once when he was in the army, doing field exercises with
the Brits. “I was so glad we were on the same side.”The one thing they always
carried was their khukuri,
their fighting knife, a scary-looking bent blade halfway between a knife and a
scythe.Bhim points to one hanging on the wall. “We do everything with it, from
harvesting to fighting enemies,” he says.This is happening inside a new place
that used to be a Pakistani eatery named “Maizbaan.” It’s called “Himalayan
Dine Inn” now, and looks kinda similar. Big old cavern on Broadway.
Bhim
Oh, dang. Too
late for their lunch special, basically a chicken or vegetable curry with rice,
which goes for $6.95.Natch, the menu starts off with chicken tikka masala,
tandoori chicken breast cooked in a creamy tomato sauce with “Himalayan herbs.”Aha.
Himalayan herbs? I remember hearing about these. It’s what distinguishes
Nepalese cooking from Indian cooking. Seems an herb called jimbu is one of the scarce plants that can
handle the great heights and the cold of the most fantastic mountains on Earth.
It grows all over them, basically holds them together when the snows melt.
Tastes like onion and chives, helps sharpen up any dish. Good for you, too,
for, like, flu and stomach pains. Also the timur berry. Puts some pepper heat in your
mouth.
Five-lentil
soup
Whatever.
Chicken tikka masala is by far the most popular Indian-style dish for
Westerners, Bhim says.Then there’s the new kid on the block: momo. Basically, Tibetan street
food that came over to Nepal with the Tibetan exodus after the Chinese
took over. Momos are more Chinese than Indian.
Steamed dumplings. Here, a plate of ten chicken momos, stuffed with ground
chicken, cabbage, cilantro, and onions and served with chutney, goes for $8.95.
They have a vegetarian version for $7.95.And, yeah, if you’re vegetarian,
Indian/Pakistani/Nepalese food is maybe the most interesting food you can get.
Because these guys have been into it forever. One of the easiest ones to order
is the vegetable biryani, which is basically a mess of flash-cooked veggies
mixed into basmati rice, plus raisins and nuts and those Himalayan spices
($8.99).
Onion and
cabbage pakauda
Paneer
pakauda
First, though,
Bhim brings up a bowl of Five Lentil (dahl) Soup with masala (“They areghana
dahl, urad dahl, mung dahl, massor dahl, urad dahl,” says Bhim.
They taste good. Basically, you think lentils. And you kind of need the liquid
because the dishes, when they arrive, are all deep-fried and sauced up with
chutneys.
Samosas and
papadum
So, those
dishes? The paneer pakauda is the least interesting, a fairly tasteless bunch
of yellow cakes that depend on the sauces to give them meaning. But the veg
pakaud onions are a lot of fun, especially with the mint sauce they have with
them.But, once again, the samosas win. They’re just
tasty and filling enough to make you want more. But even though I’m already
full, I sort of wish I’d gone for one of the curries, because they are a whole
world of taste in themselves. But, hey, Nepalese Cooking 101. We’ve started the
adventure. Next time, the $6.95 lunch special. Then bring 20 of my best
friends. Because this food should be a spread for a crowd to share, fight over.
Hopefully not
with khukuris.
Prices: Two samosas (stuffed with potato, veggies), $4.95; paneer pakauda
(deep-fried cheese, cabbage, potatoes), $4.95; veg pakaud (deep-fried onions,
sauce), $4.95; 10 chicken momos (dumplings stuffed with ground chicken,
cabbage, onions, with chutney) $8.95; veggie momos, $7.95; vegetable biryani
(with basmati rice, raisins, nuts), $8.99; Himalaytan tarkari mixed (tandoori
baked chicken breast, lamb cubes, shrimp, veggies in Himalayan sauce) $12.99;
lamb vindaloo, $12.99; aloo bhanta (curry of eggplant and potatoes), $9.95
Hours: 10:00 a.m –10:15 p.m. daily (till 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday)
Buses: All downtown
Nearest bus stop: Broadway and Ninth
Trolleys: Orange and Blue Lines
Nearest trolley stop: City College
San Diego Reader
Restaurant
Spy visits the Radcliffe Arms, Hitchin
Lobster bisque
I expected trouble. And I was
right.
The delightful Radcliffe Arms, in
Hitchin, does not have a solitary burger of any description on its dinner
menu.Not that I would have expected one. This is a wonderful gastropub, with a
small, but perfectly formed, menu which had me salivating from the first
glance.But, my dining companion, as we have learned, is a burger freak. Never one to step outside her
comfort zone, she hones in on a menu looking for anything that comes sandwiched
between two pieces of bread.But the Radcliffe Arms had nothing even vaguely
resembling a burger. She even called for the bar menu to see if one was hidden
away from the fine diners. But nothing.
Fearing I was going to have a
toddler-type tantrum on my hands, I went through the menu with her, trying to
highlight the things she might be tempted to try.There was lamb and duck and
steak . . . I even pointed out that a steak was like having a burger but
without the bread. But she was having none of it.I decided to adopt the policy
that works for parents dealing with the terrible twos and simply ignore her.I
had already made my choice – although I admit it wasn't easy. This is a
gastropub that caters for all my needs and food loves.
I would happily have had any
combination of dishes, but in the end I went for a lobster bisque for
starters.Apparently, the Radcliffe had had a lobster event the previous night
and had used the extra lobsters to add to the specials board.My only previous
experience with lobster had involved racing them across a deck in a Long Island
yard before plunging them, screaming, into hot water. It had been an emotional
time.But as I hadn't had the opportunity of bonding with my lobster this time,
I was able to sit back and enjoy it.Meanwhile, my dinner guest had made a
decision. Duck – with chips!The confit of duck leg and a spring roll of braised
duck was supposed to be accompanied by sweet potato mash, but chips go with everything,
right?
And after all her moaning and
foot-stamping, not only did she enjoy it, but she kept talking about it for
days afterwards, to anyone who would listen.I'd decided on the fillet of sea
bass steamed en papillote. It was the first time I had eaten anything cooked in
paper and I wasn't sure what the correct dining etiquette was. Are you supposed
to remove the paper? I decided to just unwrap the fish and tip in my braised
basmati rice, peas, shrimps and baby carrots – which I guess was a posh version
of eating fish from a newspaper.The Radcliffe is very popular and it isn't
difficult to see why.
Relaxing before dessert, I realised that it
felt like I was sitting in someone's living room. The decor – the flamingo
wallpaper is amazing – is very similar to what you'd see in someone's house and
the dining room felt very laid-back.There's also a conservatory area and I'm
guessing that is even more relaxed.When it came to dessert, I'd left the best
until last – and that was saying something as every mouthful I'd had had been
divine.Strawberry and balsamic crème brulee with a black pepper tuile ticked
all the boxes, especially when it came to that satisfying crunch of caramel on
the top.There was no stopping my dining companion now as she enjoyed a peach and
apricot cheesecake.I think it's fair to say the Radcliffe had been forgiven!
www.mercury.com
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice
Futures
|
Weekly
Rice Sales, Exports Reported
WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 66,000 MT for 2015/2016, up 97
percent from the previous week, were reported for Venezuela (29,500 MT), Mexico
(19,600 MT), unknown destinations (7,200 MT), and Panama (3,000 MT), according
to today's Export Sales Highlights report. Decreases were reported for
Guatemala (1,300 MT), Costa Rica (200 MT), and Russia (100 MT). Exports of
156,400 MT, up 74 percent from the previous week, reported to Venezuela (59,500
MT), Iraq (31,500 MT), Mexico (24,800 MT), Japan (12,000 MT), and Costa Rica
(6,800 MT). This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period
August 21-27, 2015.
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