Today Rice News Headlines...
·
CRF kicks off annual forum
with rice competition
·
$10-M IRRI seed lab to
study climate change effect on rice
·
Price Controls Re-emerge in
Cuba’s 2016 Economy
·
Cagayan farmers get
drought-resistant rice variety
·
Latest rice seed market
research for agriculture sector released with historic and forecasts data
·
Sanctions removal: Rice
export to Iran ineffective sans detailed mechanism
·
Why is rice-based farming
good for farmers and consumers?
·
How Jonathan govt. issued
multi billion naira rice import quotas last day in office
·
15,000 tons of rice gifted
to Cuba
·
Stakeholders canvass
research to improve agriculture
·
Jonathan Signed
Multi-Billion Naira Rice Deal Before Handover
·
Airlift The Rice To
Monrovia, Please!
·
Taste Takes Center Stage at
Cambodia Rice Festival
·
Kuwaiti farms yield rare
produce for the first time in Mideast history
·
Recipes from Mughlai and
Awadhi kitchen
·
APEDA Rice Commodity News
News Detail...
CRF kicks off annual forum with rice
competition
The Cambodia Rice Federation opened its annual rice festival
yesterday with a competition to find the country’s best rice, with Prime
Minister Hun Sen scheduled to address the forum today. The three-day festival,
the fifth time it is being organised by the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF),
gave out three awards in different categories, with the announcement of two other
awards to be made by Hun Sen today. The competition was a way to push farmers
and millers to increase the quality of rice produced in the Kingdom, said Sok
Puthyvuth, president of the CRF.“Based on this competition, the federation will
know where the best rice is grown and farmers and associations can study and
learn more about the technique used across the country,” Puthyvuth said.
The prize will encourage us to strengthen the
quality going forward,” he added. Cambodia’s biggest rice exporter, Amru Rice,
was awarded for having the best quality long grain white rice, while the
remaining two awards will be for fragrant and jasmine rice. Over the next two
days, the meeting will conduct sessions with technical experts looking to
improve productivity and access to finance, as well has have panel discussions
with government officials and the private sector.
Judges
inspect rice yesterday at the Sokha Hotel in Phnom Penh during the Cambodian
Rice Federation's annual rice festival. Pha Lina
$10-M IRRI seed
lab to study climate change effect on rice
By: Maricar Cinco
03:42 AM
January 25th, 2016
LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—Imagine giant refrigerators and
microwave ovens.A $10-million (approximately P480 million) plant-growth
facility, meant for the studies of the impact of climate change on rice
production, has started operating at the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) compound here.Sprawled across a 3,000-square meter area, the
Australian-funded facility has eight controlled environment glasshouses and
large sets of plant and seed laboratories that can simulate weather conditions
such as drought, flood and heat.
It allows researchers to
“precisely control” temperature, humidity, light
intensity, atmospheric gases and water management systems, an IRRI statement
said.
“Fundamentally, (the facility
will) enable scientists to simulate the effects of climate change,” said Bruce
Tolentino, IRRI deputy director general for communication and partnerships, in
an interview at the opening of the facility last week.“We will know exactly how
the plants react to the effects of climate change and ensure how [they] will
continue to grow and be productive [under these conditions],” he said.Tolentino described the chambers
as something like “giant
refrigerators, microwaves or incubators that simulate climate conditions
experienced in different countries such as the Philippines, Africa, Thailand
and Vietnam.
”The facility was named after
Lloyd T. Evans, the late Australian plant physiologist and a member of the IRRI
board of trustees from 1984 to 1989. It was funded by the Australian government
through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.Tolentino
said about three to four dozen scientists from around the globe would be working at the
new plant facility.He said similar research facilities were being built by the
Philippine government on the University of the Philippines Diliman and Los
Baños campuses, but IRRI remains to be the leading institution in science work.
https://www.whatech.com/market-research/agriculture/124820-latest-rice-seed-market-research-for-agriculture-sector-released-with-historic-and-forecasts-data
Price Controls Re-emerge in Cuba’s
2016 Economy
An
experiment started a few days after the meeting of Cuba’s 2016 National
Assembly meeting. The issue is food prices, and the solution – or the
experiment – is price controls, which are officially called, “variable.”The
National Assembly of People’s Power, held at the Havana Convention Center on
December 29, 2015, was called, “Year 57 of the Revolution”. Although
not mentioned directly in his address, Raul Castro said that measures would be
taken to bring prices in line with wages in response to complaints about food
prices.According to the US Department of Agriculture, Cuba has the highest per
capita rice consumption of any country in the Western Hemisphere.
In
another development, a Pakistani ship set several days ago sail carrying around
15,000 tons rice to Cuba.Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, said
that Pakistan would extend all possible assistance to help Cuba by reciprocating
in the same spirit as Cuba had done by sending teams of doctors following the
aftermath of the country’s magnitude 7.6 earthquake that took the lives of more
than 100,000 Pakistanis in 2005.
Cagayan farmers get drought-resistant rice variety
January
24, 2016 8:06 pm
TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan: Farmers in Cagayan Valley are adopting a drought-resistant rice
variety recommended to them by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to combat the
effects of the long dry spell that has resulted in the loss of more than P2
billion worth of crops in the region.Ernesto Guzman, DA-Region 2 chief of
operations, said they are introducing the rice variety called “green super
rice” (GSR) to help farmers’ cope with the effects of the prolonged El Niño
phenomenon.He said farmers in the towns of Amulung and Lallo in Cagayan;
Cauayan City in Isabela; and Mad¬dela town in Quirino–areas in Caga¬yan Valley
that suffered the most from natural calamities–were the first recipients of the
said variety.Guzman explained the GSR variety is a product of research on
drought resistant crops and this suits the environment in Cagayan Valley.
Region 2 is vulnerable to a prolonged dry spell weather condition during summer
up to the third quarter of this year.
“GSR variety could survive during dry season and could produce
yields even without pesticides and less fertilizer inputs. Based on our
thorough research, the green super rice variety has a better yield and higher
production compared to the usual varieties planted by farmers,” he added.The DA
office in Region 2 has initially allocated more than 3,000 sacks of GSR for
distribution to farmers in the areas most affected by the long dry spell and
those recently hit by the onslaught of typhoons and floodings.“Our policy is to
provide one sack of green super rice variety per family to give chance to
others to avail of the said variety,” Guzman said.
Meanwhile, DA officials said research expansion is being
conducted in the towns of Iguig and Gonzaga in Cagayan; and towns of of Alicia
and Burgos and Santiago City in Isabela to boost production of GSR seeds to be
distributed to more farmers in the region.“We would like to assure our farmers
in Cagayan Valley of the GSR variety’s good quality as staple food which will
surely be patronized by consumers,” Guzman added
http://www.manilatimes.net/cagayan-farmers-get-drought-resistant-rice-variety/241152/
Latest rice seed market research for agriculture sector
released with historic and forecasts data
Published on Monday, 25 January 2016 19:08
Rice Seed Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a
professional and in-depth study on the current market state of rice seeds
providing a basic overview of the industry including definitions,
classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Rice Seed market analysis is provided for the
international market including development history, competitive landscape
analysis, and major regions’ development status. Development policies and plans
are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.This
report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as
cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and
Japan), and other regions can be added.
This research on rice seed market helps focus on
global major leading industry players with information such as company
profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost,
revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and
downstream consumers analysis is also carried out.What’s more, the Rice Seed
industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.
Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects
is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered. Companies profiled
in this rice seed market report include Dupont Pioneer (USA), Bayer (Germany),
Nuziveedu (India), Kaveri (India), Mahyco (India), RiceTec (USA), Krishidhan
(India), Rasi Seeds (India), JK Seeds (India), Syngenta (Switzerland), Longping
(China), China Seed (China), Grand Agriseeds (China)¸ DBN (China)¸ Hefei Fengle
(China), Win-all Hi-tech (China), Gansu Dunhuang (China)¸ Dongya Seed (China),
KeepLong Seeds (China), Hengmao (China)¸ OPULENT Technology (China)¸
Zhongnongfa (China)¸ Anhui Nongken (China), Beijing Doneed (China), Origin Seed
(China)¸ Hefei Fengbao (China) and CHENGDU JINZHUO (China).
https://www.whatech.com/market-research/agriculture/124820-latest-rice-seed-market-research-for-agriculture-sector-released-with-historic-and-forecasts-data
Sanctions removal:
Rice export to Iran ineffective sans detailed mechanism
| REAP
chairman wants Pak, Iranian banking sectors to establish active linkages to
facilitate traders
January
24, 2016
Salman
Abduhu
He appreciated the lifting of sanctions on Iran, as it will provide Pakistan with a historic opportunity to raise mutual trade and investment. REAP chairman demanded that the banking sectors of the two countries should also establish active linkages within weeks to facilitate traders to channel their payments. “In the past few years, lack of recognised and trustable payment mechanism through banks proved to be the single largest factor hindering bilateral trade,” he added. Bilateral trade with Iran fell drastically as a result of sanctions and the unwillingness of banks to finance trade. “The last hurdle in resuming smooth trade relations between the two countries has been removed, providing an opportunity to implement the projects which have been in limbo for the last few years,” REAP chairman opined.
Pakistan
once was the largest exporter of rice to Iran before imposition of sanctions on
Iran, but now almost 80 per cent of rice is going to Iran from India though
import from Pakistan is more economical, he said.The REAP chairman also
appreciated the move of government to initiate a free trade agreement (FTA)
with Iran in the wake of lifting of sanctions on Tehran, as Commerce Minister Khurram
Dasatgir Khan a few days back had stated that Pakistan was interested in
negotiating an agreement with Iran. Ch
Shafique also welcomed the Pakistani plan to construct three border posts along
the Iran border on modern lines to facilitate the land trade. The next logical
step after a preferential trade agreement is an FTA and Pakistan couldn’t find
a better time to initiate negotiations on a new trade agreement, he opined.
“New
circumstances merit new agreements and enhanced cooperation for the mutual
benefit of the two neighbours,” he added. “Pakistan wants more predictability in tariffs
on agricultural produce and products from Iran. Iranian duties on agriculture
fluctuate widely depending upon the time of harvest ranging from on-seasonal
highs to off-seasonal lows. The two sides need to agree on sanitary and
phyto-sanitary standards as this proves an unwanted barrier in bilateral
trade,” he said. Ch
Shafique hoped the conclusion of an FTA between Pakistan and Iran and inclusion
of Iran back into the world trading system would bring more predictability and
clarity and the seasonal shifts in duties and trading pattern would give way to
surer trading regime
http://nation.com.pk/business/24-Jan-2016/sanctions-removal-rice-export-to-iran-ineffective-sans-detailed-mechanism
Why is rice-based
farming good for farmers and consumers?
The rice-based farming framework
promoted by the Philippine Rice Research Institute. Source: RTM/PhilRice
Rice-based
farming will increase farmers’ income and consumers will have healthier options
according to Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco Jr., of the National Academy for Science and
Technology (NAST) and a former executive director of PhilRice.The said approach
requires diversification, integration, and intensification of farming practices.
“Instead
of rice mono-cropping, farmers should also grow other crops, and livestock
alongside rice. With the use of existing models like vermiculture, mushroom
production, mungbean, corn, garlic, duck, and fish that can be grown and
maintained alongside with rice, farmers will have reduced dependence on rice as
the main source of income,” said Rasco during a seminar at PhilRice, 13
January.
Rasco
highlighted the significance of Palayamanayon,
a PhilRice advocacy that aims to transform a community of farmers into
agri-preneurs. Its scope is not limited to crops and livestock but also covers
fishes and vermiculture. Its scale is not just for household food security but
also covers the national food security as well.In Palayamanayon, everything a farmer places in his farm serves a
purpose. With rice as the main crop, vegetables and livestock are also
integrated to optimize the overall farm system. Ducks and fish may be integrated
for pest control and added income; or azolla may be planted as source of
organic inputs. Nothing is wasted in the close-loop method.
With
rice-based farming, consumers may also try other staples. Kamote, cassava, white corn, brown rice, and parboiled rice are
among them. Raco also emphasized the consumption of brown rice in-line with the
Brown4Good
campaign of the Institute. It is also rich with dietary fibers, magnesium,
selenium and other vitamins that help reduce the risk of colon cancer.
PhilRice has
new deputies
Dr.
Calixto M. Protacio, executive director of PhilRice, designated three acting
deputy executive directors (DED), effective January to December 2016.Roger F.
Barroga has been designated as acting DED for administration. Drs. Eduardo
Jimmy P. Quilang and Flordeliza H. Bordey have been designated as acting
deputies for research and for development, respectively.
Barroga
currently leads FutureRice, a program that explores ways to increase current
rice output using 21st century and practical cutting edge technologies. He was
the former director of the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture (OpAPA), a
consortium of agriculture stakeholders that enabled the Philippine agriculture
benefit from modernized ICT. OpAPA was the recipient of the 2010 International
Prize for Pioneering Human Development Projects awarded by the the Arab Gulf
Programme for Development (AGFUND).
Barroga
holds Master’s degree in Development Communication from the University of the
Philippines Los Baños. Quilang was PhilRice’s DED for Development from 2011to
2015. Under his watch, several campaigns and special projects were launched
such as the Palayabangan: The 10-5
Challenge, PalaYamaNayon: The Rural
Transformation Movement, Be Riceponsible Campaign, Gusto Namin Milyonaryo Kayo Campaign, Best Station Contest, and
Rice Science Museum. The new DED for Research holds a PhD in Agricultural
Sciences specializing in Bioproduction Environmental Science from Kyushu
University in Japan under the Monbukagakusho Scholarship.
Meanwhile,
Bordey, an economist, was former head of PhilRice’s Socioeconomics Division.
She leads the DA-FSSP-funded project titled Benchmarking
the Philippine Rice Economy Relative to Major Rice-Producing Countries in Asia.
In 2010, she was the program lead of the Impact evaluation, policy research and advocacy program of the Institute. She obtained her PhD
in Agricultural Economics at the University of Illinois in 2010 under the
Fulbright – Philippine Agriculture Scholarship Program. Bordey has been with
PhilRice for more than 15 years and published papers on food policy, trade
liberalization, production economics, impact assessment, and climate
change. The new DEDs are expected to oversee
the preparation and implementation of various transdisciplinary R&D
programs of the Institute.
How Jonathan govt. issued multi billion naira rice import quotas
last day in office
Former President Goodluck Jonathan
A few hours to the expiration of President Goodluck Jonathan’s
tenure, papers for a huge rice import quota worth billions of Naira were rushed
in for the president’s accent, ostensibly as parting gifts to cronies and
businessmen close to the power corridor.A state House memo dated May 27, 2015
and obtained by PREMIUM TIMES conveyed the President’s approval of another memo
forwarded to him only a day earlier by his Vice President, Namadi Sambo.In the
earlier memo dated May 26, 2016, the then Vice President had sought a subsidy
approval for select rice importers to bring in a total of 782,000 metric tonnes
under what was termed ‘2015 Rice Quota Allocations’.The then President signed
the largesse deal on his last day in Aso Rock. But the allocation was rejected,
and cancelled by the succeeding Muhammadu Buhari administration.
PREMIUM TIMES had on December 21, 2015, published an investigation detailing the
corruption that plagued the 2014 Rice Quota Allocations and how some of the privileged
beneficiaries of the rice subsidy colluded with smugglers to subvert the
national rice development policy.The report exposed the ingenious ways employed
by the beneficiaries to sell their quotas to pure businessmen, helping them to
dodge the payment of 40 percent tariff to government.The same ingenuity was
deployed to divert cargoes originally meant for Cotonou, a notorious seaport
that thrives on welcoming any vessel carrying items on Nigeria’s import
prohibition list.
The May 27, 2015 quota was not the first to be released for the
year 2015.A botched attempt was earlier made on April 13, 2015 when a list of
22 beneficiary companies was released by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
after what was supposed to have been a laborious due process.However the joy of
the new beneficiaries were short-lived when nine days later, on April 22, the
same Agric Ministry reversed itself and cancelled and withdrew all allocations.Before
the then Agriculture Minister, Akinwunmi Adesina, departed for the African
Development Bank as its president, he had in a memo titled ‘Approved List of
Companies Allocated Rice Import Quota for April 2015 – March 2016 Period’ and
sent to his Finance Ministry counterpart, mentioned that his ministry had
identified a domestic rice supply gap of 1.3 million metric tonnes for the year
2015.He said he had, therefore, issued import quota allocations to 22 approved
companies to import 961,000 metric tonnes of rice at 10 percent duty and 20
percent levy.
However, in announcing the cancellation of Mr. Adewunmi’s quota
list, Permanent Secretary Of the ministry, S. T Echono, talked about a new
information reaching the ministry to the effect that some Nigerian rice farmers
were unable to sell their paddy to local rice millers due to a flooding of the
market with imported rice.Industry watchers blamed the flooding on influx of
smuggled rice from Cotonou and Niger Republic.To keen observers, the discordant
tunes coming from the same Ministry belied high-powered politics in the
scramble for a chunk of a new national cake.The second quota announced by Mr.
Adewunmi had new beneficiaries such as Arewa Livestock Farms, African Farms,
Olea Nigeria Ltd, Dependable Foods & Confectionary, Blue Line Investments
Nigeria Ltd, Quarra Rice, Hammond Wright Nigeria Ltd and Blaine & Wilkes
Nigeria Ltd.All of them were however thrown out of the list of the third quota
beneficiaries supervised by Vice President Sambo.
The Sambo committee reviewed downward the national supply gap
from 1.3 million MT to 782,000 MT just as it pruned beneficiaries from 22 to
20. But even the third quota allocation is not recognised by the Customs
service, and is treated as though it never happened.The gulf in the two figures
bandied as national supply gap is seen by concerned stakeholders as indicator
of how sentiment and cronyism are robbing government of much-needed revenue in
the face of dwindling oil fortunes.A policy analyst, Evelyn Beredugoh, blamed
the discrepancy on phantom local capacities as claimed by many of the local
rice investors.She said, “For you to qualify for import quota you must have a
rice farm or rice mill the size of which determines the size of your
allocations. Some people call themselves investors even when they have no
verifiable business down the rice value chain.
“Some of the investors quote local capacities that are only a
figment of their imagination. Because there is no serious verification
exercise, these phantom figures are added up as national rice production
capacity. The higher the local capacity, the lower the national supply gap.“In
the end, you find that the actual supply gap might be higher than the 1.5
million metric tonnes quoted in 2014. The real beneficiaries remain the
smugglers while the real investors face hard times in boosting local production
which is the only objective of the rice policy.”
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/197242-how-jonathan-govt-issued-multi-billion-naira-rice-import-quotas-last-day-in-office.html
15,000 tons of rice gifted to Cuba
January 23, 2016
Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) dispatched some 15,000
tons rice to Cuba as a gift from people of Pakistan. Sources told Business Recorder on Friday that it was after a long
gap that the state-run grain trader has made a export shipment of rice,
procured from domestic exporters/traders amounting to around Rs 689 million,
while another rice export consignment is likely to be sent next month for
Benin. They said that some three
domestic exporters/traders have supplied the commodity for the export/gift
purpose and a ship `Mv Moleson' carrying 15,000 tons rice, including long grain
white rice (IRRT-6) and super Basmati rice, has sailed to Cuba. Following the
directives of the federal government in December last year, the TCP initiated
procurement of some 15,000 tons of rice for sending it to Cuba as a `gift'.
The TCP invited separate bids for procurement of 10,000 metric
tons IRRT-6 and 5,000 metric tons super Basmati rice on Free on Board (FOB)
basis. Some 10 exporters/traders
submitted bids for supplying IRRT-6. The tender award committee found that the
lowest bid of Rs 34,490 per metric tons (exclusive of taxes) on COST & FOB
(transit between seller's warehouses and loading on board/vessel) basis for a
quantity of 5,000 metric tons IRRI-6 was quoted by M/s KAFI Commodities (Pvt)
Limited. As the lowest bid was responsive and competitive, TCP declared M/s
KAFI Commodities as successful bidder and issued the award letter for supply
5,000 metric tons to the firm. As
the total required quantity was 10,000 metric tons, the tender awarding
committee cognisant of the fact that a single vessel has been hired through
PNSC for dispatching the cargo and in view of urgency of the matter offered the
second lowest bidder - M/s Noor Rice Mills - for price matching of first lowest
bidder.
Claiming that the price matching request was justified in terms
of Rule 42(v) (d) of the Public Procurement Rules, 2004, the sources said that
M/s Noor Rice Mills accepted the offer and was issued letter for award for
supplying remaining quantity of 5,000 metric tons IRRI-6 at a price of Rs
34,490 per metric ton COST & FOB. M/s Noor Rice Mills had earlier submitted
bid for 5,000 metric tons of IRRI-6 at a price of Rs 34,987 per metric tons,
the sources added.. With regard
to procurement of 5,000 metric tons of super Basmati rice, sources said that
some six exporters/traders submitted their bids and the tender award committee
declared M/s Chappal Traders as the successful bidder as it offered 5,000
metric tons super Basmati rice at the rate of Rs 68,920 per metric ton,
excluding taxes on COST & FOB (transit between seller's warehouses and
loading on board/vessel) basis
http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/9209/
Stakeholders canvass research to
improve agriculture
January 24, 2016
Anna Okon
Stakeholders
in the agriculture sector have emphasised the need for research development to
improve the agricultural sector.According to the Group Executive Director,
Elephant Group, Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi, since the the focal point of the current
administration was to boost agriculture to diversify the economy, there is an
urgent need to adopt technology and research in identifying products in which
the country has comparative advantage.Ogunbiyi, in a recent interview, advised
the the nation to look at research development in the sector and boost
agriculture extension programmes.
Also,
the President, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr.
Abdul Bello, in an interview with our correspondent, emphasised the need for
research in the sector, lamenting that Nigeria had continued to record poor
crop yields, while there were soil testing laboratories lying waste.He also
stressed the need for the sector to embrace technology, adding, “We must learn
to work with Information and Communications Technology. Rwanda has adopted ICT
in every sector of its economy and everything in that country is currently
working. Nigeria should do the same.”Bello made a case for the decentralisation
of the agriculture ministry, adding that little could be achieved by
concentrating everything at the centre.
The
Chairman, Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria, Mr.
Tunji Owoeye, on his part, decried the effect of policy inconsistency on the
development of large-scale farming and backward integration.He urged the
government to encourage large-scale farming through consistent and stable
policies, adding that Nigeria had become one of the largest producers of
cassava today because of past government policies that encouraged cultivation
of cassava.“If Nigeria can be the largest producer of cassava in the world,
with the right political will and consistent policies, we can also be the
largest producers of other commodities including rice,” he said.
He
advised that government policies targeted at the growth of agriculture such as
the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending should
be maintained.He also said government should increase access to credit for the
value-chain operators, improve the capacity of NISRAL to take on insurance and
risks more to support the teeming value-chain operators across all the products.To
make Nigeria succeed as a net producer and exporter of rice, Owoeye suggested
that the 10 rice mills approved by the Federal Executive Council of the
previous administration should be made to come on stream.“If we put those 10 on
stream, with the capacity of 35,000 metric tonnes per mill, that is about
350,000 metric tonnes added to the nation’s paddy processing. This would
encourage our farmers, create employment and bring down pressure on the foreign
exchange,” he said.He added that agribusiness must be technologically driven as
it is done in the western world.
Contact:
editor@punchng.com
http://www.punchng.com/stakeholders-canvass-research-to-improve-agriculture/
Jonathan Signed Multi-Billion Naira
Rice Deal Before Handover
·
·
Details have emerged of how the former president, Goodluck
Jonathan signed a multi-billion Naira rice import quota deal a few hours to the
expiration of his tenure, Premium Times Reports.
A state house memo dated May 27, 2015 showed that Jonathan
signed the approval of another memo forwarded to him by Namadi Sambo, the then
vice president a day earlier.In the memo, Sambo had sought a subsidy approval
for select rice importers to bring in a total of 782,000 metric tonnes under
what was termed ‘2015 Rice Quota Allocations’.Jonathan had signed the deal on
his last day in office but the allocation was subsequently rejected and
cancelled by the incoming president, Muhammadu Buhari.
The beneficiaries of the rice subsidy had been colluding with
smugglers to subvert the national rice development policy and dodge the payment
of 40 percent tariff to government.It was reported that effort had earlier been
made in April 13, 2015 when the Ministry of Agriculture released a list of 22
beneficiary companies for the rice quota but the list was withdrawn a few days
later by the ministry.Akinwunmi Adesina, he then minister of agriculture had in
a memo titled ‘Approved List of Companies Allocated Rice Import Quota for April
2015 – March 2016 Period’ and sent to the Ministry of Finance mentioned that
his ministry had identified a domestic rice supply gap of 1.3 million metric
tonnes for the year 2015 and so issued import quota allocations to 22 approved
companies to import 961,000 metric tonnes of rice.
However, Sonny Echono, the permanent secretary in the Ministry
of Agriculture cancelled the quota list on the ground that information reaching
him showed that Nigerian rice farmers were unable to sell their paddy to local
rice millers due to a flooding of the market with imported rice.A new quota was
released and contained new beneficiaries such as Arewa Livestock Farms, African
Farms, Olea Nigeria Ltd, Dependable Foods & Confectionary, Blue Line
Investments Nigeria Ltd, Quarra Rice, Hammond Wright Nigeria Ltd and Blaine
& Wilkes Nigeria Ltd but all of them were thrown out in the quota
supervised by the vice president. The Sambo quota made changes by cutting the
beneficiaries from 22 to 20 but the customs serviced refused to honour it.Evelyn
Beredugoh, a policy analyst said some people parade themselves as investors
even when they had no business in the rice chain.
“For you to qualify for import quota you must have a rice farm
or rice mill the size of which determines the size of your allocations. Some
people call themselves investors even when they have no verifiable business
down the rice value chain.
“Some of the investors
quote local capacities that are only a figment of their imagination. Because
there is no serious verification exercise, these phantom figures are added up
as national rice production capacity. The higher the local capacity, the lower
the national supply gap.
“In the end, you find that the actual supply gap might be higher
than the 1.5 million metric tonnes quoted in 2014. The real beneficiaries
remain the smugglers while the real investors face hard times in boosting local
production which is the only objective of the rice policy.”
https://www.naij.com/706238-revelation-jonathan-signed-multi-billion-naira-deal-hours-tenure-expiration.html
Airlift The Rice To Monrovia,
Please!
Mon, 01/25/2016 - 00:22 admin
In the Observer’s end-of-year
edition, we made Lofa County farmer John Selma Person of the Year. The choice
for us was clear. Here was a man who, after all of the noise the international
community had made over food sustainability, galvanized a group of Lofa farmers
and decided they would produce enough rice to feed the country. The Liberian
government has long paid lip service to agriculture, and these patriotic,
hardworking Liberians had decided that that notwithstanding, they would grow
enough food to feed their country—at their own expense.The farmers borrowed
money from a village loan and savings scheme, expanded their farms and yielded
an abundant harvest. They were overjoyed—until they found out that there was no
way of getting their produce to market and their government was wasting time in
helping them.
Then last week, we found out that
the farmers were in trouble—that they could face legal action if they were not
able to pay back the money they borrowed to expand their farms.The Observer
contacted the Ministry of Agriculture to ask whether the government could
mandate that rice importers purchase rice from local farmers before being
allowed to import it from India and China. The Ministry of Agriculture said
that was the Commerce Ministry’s job. When the
Observer contacted the Commerce Ministry, they said they were waiting for the Ministry of Agriculture to take the lead in mandating that foreign rice importers buy from Liberian farmers first before being allowed to import.
Observer contacted the Commerce Ministry, they said they were waiting for the Ministry of Agriculture to take the lead in mandating that foreign rice importers buy from Liberian farmers first before being allowed to import.
Economically and logically
speaking, food produced in-country should be much less expensive than imported
food. But the price of locally grown rice (affectionately known as ‘country
rice’) is on par with the price of imported rice on the Liberian market mainly
because of the cost of transporting it to Monrovia on very bad roads.So the
farmers have done their part. Whose job is it now to ensure that they are able
to sell their rice at a profit so that their families are fed and their
children go to school? So that in such a tough economy, as Varney Sherman has
already warned us, there is an affordable and sustainable alternative on the
market as far as the supply of our staple food is concerned? So that more and
more Liberians are encouraged to go back to the soil in a country so rich in
vegetation? So that we do not wake up one day to find this country embroiled in
another April 14?
We can answer most unequivocally
that it is the government of Liberia’s (GOL) job. Whom do they expect to build
farm-to-market roads? These farmers are not asking for a handout; nor did they
drink and party away the money they borrowed. They have the evidence to show
that they did what they were supposed to with the money. They were responsible
and even united. And must they now be punished for such a patriotic initiative?
The government of Liberia is
creating around this issue an air of impossibility, as if fixing the roads
would be the only way to get the rice to markets. Why has the government of
Liberia not contracted cargo planes from Ghana, Nigeria or even asked the
United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to make the rice available on the
market? Surely rice milling machines can be made available to the farmers (we
understand they are made in Ganta).
And so, as we understand it,
there is absolutely no other reason why Liberian ‘country rice’ is not being
sold on the market at a competitive price other than a lack of commitment on
the part of the GOL. So what really is the problem that causes the GOL
consistently to give foreigners preference over Liberians in their own country?
It seems the determined and unconscionable propensity (inclination) of this
government to want to outsource EVERYTHING—why? Has the government lost
confidence in its own people, and in itself?
We recently learned that the GOL
has its eye on the privatization of education in this country—“Public-private
partnerships” as they are called. Whose curriculum will these foreign-run
schools be using? Will education be contextualized to our culture and
environment or will our children see things they cannot relate to in their text
books?
Today President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
is scheduled to deliver her Annual Message to the Legislature. We suggest that
one of the first things she should tell them is that GOL will airlift the rice
produced by Lofa and other farmers around the country to Monrovia, have it
milled and sold without delay so that none of this momentous (historic,
extraordinary) harvest is lost and the patriotic initiative of these
hardworking farmers does not go in vain. GOL cannot afford to let the Lofa
farmers down and run the risk of totally discouraging farming in Liberia.
The President should also outline
and activate every resource needed to implement a serious agenda for
agricultural transformation in Liberia, focusing most especially on four crops:
cocoa, coffee, rice and vegetables. Financing agriculture and good roads are
the other legs of this important stool of our national economy.She cannot help
but deliver to the Legislators a litany of economic woes. The agenda for the
transformation of agriculture, focusing particularly on these four crops and speeding
up road building and maintenance would spell the answer to the economic crisis.If
the Sirleaf-led administration fails this country at a time such as this, if
they sit back and watch the farmers drown with their hands extended for help,
history will judge Ellen Johnson Sirleaf most harshly.
http://www.liberianobserver.com/editorials/airlift-rice-monrovia-please
Taste Takes
Center Stage at Cambodia Rice Festival
Khmer Times / Chea
Vannak
Sunday,
24 January 2016
The
third annual Cambodia Rice Festival is aiming to continue to raise the brand
profile of Cambodia’s “white gold” by adding a cooked-rice competition this
year that will allow visitors to taste the best rice the Kingdom has to offer
as well as help select the top rice millers in the country, according to
members of the Cambodia Rice Federation. The festival began
yesterday and runs until tomorrow at Sokha Hotel. Federation members said
that although Cambodia fell far short of the government’s rice-export target of
1 million tons last year, exports surged by almost 40 percent to 538,396 tons,
and have been rising steadily from the about 100,000 tons exported in 2010. The
introduction of a cooked-rice competition is intended to give visitors to the
festival the chance to taste dozens of varieties from dozens of millers,
federation members said.
The festival draws producers, millers and exporters to identify
solutions that will continue to reduce the bottlenecks and barriers preventing
exports from rising, festival organizers say.Through the competition, visitors,
both Cambodian and foreign nationals, will have a chance to test the cooked
rice, federation president Sok Puthivuth said. “Our [members] clearly know what
the best quality rice is,” he added. Mr. Puthivuth said that promoting the
quality of Cambodian rice was one way of increasing its export.The competition
will also aim to identify the rice millers who produce the highest quality
rice, Mr. Puthivuth said. Pov Bunnarith, director of marketing and
promotion at the federation, told Khmer Times that 37 samples of rice had been
submitted to the competition by millers and export firms, and these include
romdul fragrant rice, which has been named the best rice in the world for three
consecutive years.
The rice samples submitted have been divided into four groups,
and one from each group will win top prize, Mr. Bunnarith said. Despite
being named the best rice in the world, exports of Cambodia’s romdul fragrant
rice continue to be dwarfed by exports from other countries in the region,
including Thailand and Vietnam, federation members say. Te Taing Por,
president of the Federation of Associations for Small and Medium Enterprises of
Cambodia, said Cambodian rice is gradually gaining recognition globally. “We
can see the amount of milled rice shipments has sharply increased annually over
the last five year,” he said, noting that they rose more than fivefold from 2010
to last year.
Many companies attending the festival are displaying
agricultural products and machinery, signaling a shift from traditional to more
advanced rice-growing techniques, federation members pointed out. Executives
representing the entire value chain are networking to find partners and
increase productivity, federation members said. The festival is a platform for
the private sector to brainstorm on how to improve the sector, they said.
Kuwaiti farms yield rare produce for the first time in Mideast
history
24/01/2016 | LOC17:55
KUWAIT,
Jan 24 (KUNA) -- Kuwait possesses diverse agricultural profits that are
adequate to cover the country's nutritional needs, thanks in part to national
farmers who have always sought to add variety to their produce.Farming in
Kuwait had begun in earnest several years ago, only to morph into a pillar of
the country's economy as a result of persistent government support and farmers'
steadfast efforts, all to ensure nutrition security.Kuwaiti farmer Yousef
Al-Kirabani has always aimed to diversify his produce, as he was able to
cultivate rare produce made locally, for the first time in the history of the
country.In comments to KUNA, Al-Kirabani said that the agricultural sector in
Kuwait has experienced exponential growth over the last few years, having
witnessed "unprecedented produce that has been introduced to the Middle
East for the first time." Moreover, Al-Kirabani pinpointed Al-Wafra farms
as hotbeds of rare produce such as black tomatoes, white strawberries, saffron
and Basmati rice.
The
cultivation of rare produce has become a cornerstone of the agricultural world,
Al-Kirabani noted, pointing to the numerous nutritional benefits that such
produce contain.Black tomatoes have been proven to be a rich source of
antioxidants that help combat cancer and diabetes, he added."We aim to
debunk common perception that Kuwaiti lands are not fertile through cultivating
rare produce," Al-Kirbani said."We have proven to everybody that we
are capable of producing special products on our own through experimenting with
various methods, and are now able to cultivate staple products such as Basmati
rice," he added.The Kuwaiti farmer also revealed plans to "maximize
production and sell the produce locally to a number of firms including hotels
and restaurants." "The unthinkable has become reality as Kuwait has
proven that it is fully capable of yielding the most superior of products,
eclipsing many countries in the Middle East." (end) tab.nam
Recipes from Mughlai and Awadhi kitchen
DECCAN CHRONICLE
PublishedJan
22, 2016, 12:12 am IST
UpdatedJan
22, 2016, 12:09 pm IST
Explore the authentic flavours of Mughlai and Awadhi
cuisine from the North-West Frontier with these delectable hand-picked recipes.
Galouti kebab
Galouti
kebab
Ingredients
500
gm mutton mince
100 gm raw papaya
10 gm salt
3 tsp red chilli and garam masala powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
100 gm fried onion
50 gm roasted channa powder
50 gm cashewnuts
50 ml kewda water
100 ml ghee
5 cloves
100 gm raw papaya
10 gm salt
3 tsp red chilli and garam masala powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
100 gm fried onion
50 gm roasted channa powder
50 gm cashewnuts
50 ml kewda water
100 ml ghee
5 cloves
Method
Clean the papaya, peel cut into cubes and make a fine paste, add salt.
Make a paste of fried onion & cashewnut, keep separate.
Mix all the spices & above paste with mutton mince.
Smoke the mixer with ghee and clove to infuse the aroma.
Make small round cakes & grill it on hot plate.
Cook both sides and serve hot.
Clean the papaya, peel cut into cubes and make a fine paste, add salt.
Make a paste of fried onion & cashewnut, keep separate.
Mix all the spices & above paste with mutton mince.
Smoke the mixer with ghee and clove to infuse the aroma.
Make small round cakes & grill it on hot plate.
Cook both sides and serve hot.
Aloo
ka bharta
Ingredients
500 gm diced potato
100 gm diced onion and tomato
5 gm chopped garlic, a little methi seeds
1 tsp each of salt, red chilli, turmeric, chat masala
50 gm freshly chopped coriander
1 tbs ghee
10 gms garlic leaf
500 gm diced potato
100 gm diced onion and tomato
5 gm chopped garlic, a little methi seeds
1 tsp each of salt, red chilli, turmeric, chat masala
50 gm freshly chopped coriander
1 tbs ghee
10 gms garlic leaf
Method
Roast or boil the potato well.
Roast or boil the potato well.
Then,
crush the potato in chunks and mix with all the masalas, raw onion and tomato.
Heat oil in a pan; temper whole methi seeds till brown. Add turmeric powder and potato mixture. Cook for five minutes.
Finish with ghee, garlic leaves and chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot.
Heat oil in a pan; temper whole methi seeds till brown. Add turmeric powder and potato mixture. Cook for five minutes.
Finish with ghee, garlic leaves and chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot.
Aloo
ka Bharta
Pineapple
Ka Muzafar
Ingredients
1 kg (each) of pineapple, basmati rice and sugar
1 kg (each) of pineapple, basmati rice and sugar
50
ml Kewda
1
gm saffron
15
green cardamoms
10
cloves
250
gm khoya
2
tsp food colour (orange)
250
ml ghee
20
gms pista
20
gm almond
Method
Peel pineapple and cut into small strips.
Peel pineapple and cut into small strips.
Soak
rice for 40 minutes
In
a pan add a glass of water, sugar and make syrup. Later on add pineapple with
dry fruit cook it for a minute.
Strain
the rice and cook the rest in sugar syrup till it gets reduced. Finish with
khoya and ghee.
—
Recipes courtesy Chef Anwar Ali Ansari in the guidance of Chef Satya Kedarnath
(aka Chef Sunny), Terracotta’s kitchen,,Vivanta by Taj
APEDA Rice Commodity News
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