Today Rice News Headlines...
·
Four-year rice deal with Indonesia will bail
out troubled sector
·
Ukraine. In the first half of 2015/16 MY, PJSC
SFGCU exported 1.5 mln tonnes of grains
·
Philippines to pioneer hybrid rice farming in
Malaysia
·
Rice firms told to develop domestic market
·
Rice farmers too dependent on China: report
·
Basmati rice gets GI tag in 7 Indian states:
Geographical indicators in India
·
Pak loses Geographical Indication bid for
Basmati rice before Chennai appellate
·
EXPORT DEAL WITH INDONESIA TO REVIVE SINKING
RICE SECTOR’
·
Philippines to pioneer hybrid rice farming in
Malaysia
·
Rice Prices Under Pressure
·
Make Plans Now to Attend This Year's Mid-South
Farm & Gin Show
·
Research at universities
·
Pulse rate: collateral benefit
·
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Feb 08
·
02/08/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
News Detail...
Four-year
rice deal with Indonesia will bail out troubled sector
Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Patron Shahid Rasheed Butt on
Sunday said the four-year rice export deal with Indonesia would bail out the
troubled sector and stabilise prices at home.He demanded more long and short
term agreements with other countries to boost rice exports as the sector has
been facing problems for the last few years.Butt said in his statement that
export of rice to Indonesia would boost overall exports to 4.6 million tonnes
which would be a record and for which the government deserved credit.Pakistan’s
export forecast had recently been raised by 0.1 million tonnes in the wake of a
deal with Indonesia, he added.
The business leader said that Iran was another promising market
where Pakistani rice was in great demand but the payment mechanism continued to
discourage the exporters.India would be a major competitor to Pakistan in the
Iranian market for which exporters and the government need to make an effective
strategy, he added.
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/02/08/business/four-year-rice-deal-with-indonesia-will-bail-out-troubled-sector/
Ukraine. In the first half of 2015/16 MY, PJSC
SFGCU exported 1.5 mln tonnes of grains
08.02.2016
In the first half of 2015/16 MY, PJSC State Food and Grain
Corporation of Ukraine (SFGCU) exported nearly 1.5 mln tonnes of grains,
declared the press-service of the company on February 5.According to the Head
of logistics department at SFGCU, Dmitry Shmokarev, the company reached such
results due to centralized operation of the department of foreign economic
activity and the purchasing and logistics department, as well as establishment
of innovations.
The list of key changes in the logistics activity includes
launching of the department of freight-forwarding support, which allows
shipping cargoes on its own, and providing services to the bailor.During the
period since November 1, 2015, SFGCU has already shipped over 100 thsd tonnes
of grains in such way, said the Head of department.In addition, SFGCU launched
the system of electronic document management with digital signature with
counterparties, and the system of electronic tenders to specify the freight
rates for grain shipping by rail.
Philippines to pioneer hybrid rice farming in Malaysia
(The Philippine Star) | Updated February 8, 2016 - 12:00am
Local
hybrid rice and seeds producer SL Agritech Corp. will ship out a minimum of 100
kilos of seeds for an initial pilot testing where quarantine processes are
already being arranged. STAR/File
photo
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is set to pioneer hybrid
rice farming in Malaysia in April as the country’s ASEAN neighbor seeks to
raise self-sufficiency in rice production amid its limited rice area.Local
hybrid rice and seeds producer SL Agritech Corp. will ship out a minimum of 100
kilos of seeds for an initial pilot testing where quarantine processes are
already being arranged.“Given this potential commercial planting, the
Philippines can be the first to introduce a highly suitable hybrid rice in Malaysia.
Our hybrid rice was developed for tropical climate. Malaysia has a climate much
similar to our climate in Mindanao,” SL Agritech chairman Henry Lim Bon Liong
said.
The pilot testing will be spearheaded by a private Malaysian
company, Titijaya Land Berhad (TLB), in partnership with the Malaysian
government through agricultural state research agency Malaysian Agricultural
Research and Development Institute (MARDI).TLB has also expressed interest to
start the importation of seeds from the Philippines to commence commercial
planting of the hybrid rice, but tests have to be carried out under federal
rules.Previous pilot tests in Sarawak state have been successful, giving a
yield of 10 metric tons (MT) per hectare which is significantly higher from the
national average rice yield of inbred in Malaysia.
“We can’t just use the
results of the test in Sarawak to right away do commercial planting in Penang
because of Malaysia’s government policies,” SL Agritech hybrid rice specialist
Frisco Malabanan said.The initial pilot testing in the states of Penang and
Kedah is foreseen to be succeeded by commercial planting on around 1,000
hectares.
Furthermore, other Malaysian private firms have expressed
intention to import SL Agritech’s Dona Maria premium rice.“This will
demonstrate to the Malaysian market the good quality of Philippines’ hybrid
rice. We have an advantage because ours is hybrid which has a higher yield,”
Malabanan said.Malaysia imports around 35 percent of its rice supply from
Thailand while its own production continues to be dominated by inbreds despite
introduction of hybrid rice by Chinese producers.
http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/02/08/1550691/philippines-pioneer-hybrid-rice-farming-malaysia
Rice firms told to
develop domestic market
Viet
Nam News
Vietnam produces 20 to 21 million tonnes of rice each year. Of this rice, 8 to 9 million tonnes are annually exported, based upon signed contracts. The remaining rice is purchased by domestic consumers, according to the Vietnam Food Association.However, rice enterprises have not paid attention to domestic rice markets, where there is a high demand, choosing instead to focus on exports.n 2008, two centres for distributing rice for local consumption were built in HCM City and Can Tho City to stabilise domestic rice prices. Also, several retail shops selling rice were opened for local consumers.
But these shops faced many difficulties in selling rice and even had losses, the association said, because enterprises trading rice on the domestic market must pay a 5 per cent value added tax (VAT), resulting in the prices for their rice being higher than rice sold by household businesses that do not pay VAT.Therefore, to assure there being profits in selling rice on the local market, rice firms have had to sell high-grade rice at higher prices to those consumers with larger incomes.
In addition, firms must compete with household businesses in services involved in selling rice, the association said. The household businesses have had flexibility in distributing rice and provided a high level of services, even to rural and remote areas, while firms have distribution systems in both cities and towns.Truong Thanh Phong, former chairman of the association, said the association has repeatedly proposed to the Government that they abolish the VAT paid by rice firms. But the Ministry of Finance has objected, causing rice firms to ignore local rice markets.Meanwhile, in rural areas, people continue to hold back rice for their own consumption after harvesting, while selling the remaining rice to enterprises, he said.He hopes that in the coming 5 to 10 years, living standards in rural areas will have improved and small rice mills will be closed. The people in rural areas might then sell all their rice after harvesting, and then purchase rice for daily use. If this occurs, local rice markets will have more opportunities to further develop, he said.For the development of local rice markets, the VAT must be abolished and convenient and flexible distribution systems from rice enterprises must be put in place, he said.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/Rice-firms-told-to-develop-domestic-market-30278798.html
Rice farmers too dependent on China: report
Rice being loaded at Pakokku jetty, Magway Region. (Photo-Thet
Htein Win)
Rice farmers are over reliant on
the Chinese market, Myanmar Rice Federation heard at its annual general meeting
at the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
The northern giant takes 93 per
cent of Myanmar’s rice.
The Customs Department said by
January 28 this financial year, maritime exports reached 66,400 tonnes (7.3 per
cent) and 840,800 tonnes left across its borders. Efforts to diversify to other
markets, including the European Union, were making slow progress, according to
a study by Aung Than Oo, chairperson of Myanmar Rice Merchants’
Association.Exports to China were always vulnerable to Beijing’s crackdowns, it
said.The meeting criticised China for asking for rice to be held in warehouses
along the border and requiring third-party certificates.
http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business/rice-farmers-too-dependent-china-report
The purchasing of the paddy harvest of the Maha
season is scheduled to commence in next week
Minister
P. Harrison says that Paddy purchasing and Marketing is being carried out in a
more transparent manner. The decisions relating to this issue is being taken by
a ministerial sub committee and a cost of living ministerial sub committee
headed by the Prime Minister. Minister Harrison addressing a media briefing in
Colombo today said that the government has purchased 335,000 metric tons of
paddy during the previous Yala and Maha seasons. This is the largest quantity
of paddy ever purchased in the history of Sri Lanka. The PMB has paid 15.43
billion rupees to the farmers in this regard.
A kilo
of samba rice was purchased for 50 rupees and a kilo of Nadu rice for 45
rupees. Due to the government's practice of providing the highest price for
paddy to the farmers, it has been possible to maintain the purchasing prices
for paddy in the private sector also at the highest level. The minister added
that 200,000 metric tons of this harvest have not yet been sold. The majority
of the stocks are of the Nadu paddy variety. The government hopes to sell a
kilo of nadu paddy for 32 rupees and 50 cents. Around 80 paddy mills have come
forward to purchase the stocks. Minister Harrison added that meanwhile,
measures are also underway to convert the paddy into rice and distribute among
Samurdhi beneficiaries.
Attention
has also been focused to handover rice stocks to government institutions and
hospitals as well.Commencement of the purchasing of the Paddy harvest of the
Maha season is scheduled to commence next week. The paddy buying process is
expected to commence in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts.
http://www.slbc.lk/index.php/en/tamil-news-update/3359-the-purchasing-of-the-paddy-harvest-of-the-maha-season-is-scheduled-to-commence-in-next-week.html
Basmati rice gets GI tag in 7 Indian states: Geographical indicators
in India
Geographical
indicators in India
India has 236 GI products registered so far and over 270 more products have applied for the label. Let's take a look at 10 such geographical indicators in India:
Darjeeling Tea
Darjeeling Tea was the first Indian product to get the geographical indication tag. In 2004, the famous beverage got the recognition. It is one of the top exported food products of the country.
Mysore Silk
The famous fabric of Karnataka got included into the GI family in 2005. The state, specifically Mysore, produces around 9,000 metric tonnes of Mysore Silk every year.
Odisha Pattachitra
Pattachitra is a form of art that originated in Odisha. It is a pictorial narrative painted on a cloth-based scroll. Generally, the scrolls depict the tales of Hindu gods and goddesses.
Blue Pottery
One of them famous traditional crafts of Rajasthan is the Blue Pottery made in Jaipur and its surrounding areas. Besides its striking blue colour, the handicraft product is also unique because of its material. It is not made of clay but by mixing quartz stone powder, powdered glass, Multani Mitti (Fuller's Earth), borax, gum, soda bicarbonate and water.
Kashmir Pashmina
In Persian, pasmina means made of wool and in Kashmiri, it means soft gold. The Kashmir Pashmina is native to the region because it can only be made from the wool of three breeds of goats - Changthangi, Chegu and Chyangara - that can only be found in Kashmir and some parts of Nepal.
Phulkari, Punjab
Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have many things in common, among which one is the colourful designs of Phulkari. It is an embroidery technique using beautiful designs of flowers on shawls, scarves, saris etc. It is said that earlier, real flowers were used in the process.
Nagpur Orange
Nagpur is also known as the Orange City. This shows the deep relation the place shares with its pulpy oranges. The Nagpur Oranges were registered as a GI in April 2014.
Mizo Chilli
Lucknow Chikan Craft
Chikan craft is famous all over the world. The Lucknow specialty was given the GI status in December 2008. The textile design is said to be introduced by Nur Jehan, wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir.
Hyderabad Haleem
The Hyderabad Haleem is perhaps the only Indian dish to have got a GI status. It is a stew prepared from meat, lentils and pounded wheat. The item is mostly eaten at iftar during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The mouthwatering delicacy received the GI tag in 2010.
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Pak loses Geographical Indication bid for Basmati
rice before Chennai appellate
Manish Raj | TNN | Feb 6, 2016, 02.11 PM
IST
CHENNAI: Pakistan has lost ts battle to obtain the
prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag for basmati rice, owing to its
failure to play by mandatory rules.
Lahore-based Basmati Growers Association (BGA) had moved Intellectual Property Appellate Board here, challenging the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority's (APEDA) application seeking GI tag for basmati rice cultivated in seven states — Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Utarakhand, Haryana, Pun ab and J&K — in India.
More importantly, BGA opposed grant of GI tag basmati to India "in totality". It argued that the assistant registrar of GI in Chennai had "gravely erred that rice produced in arearegion of Madhya Pradesh, or for that matter any part of India can bear the basmati tag", the appeal added. On Friday , however, IPAB rejected the arguments saying BGA had "miserably failed" to comply with the rules.
Lahore-based Basmati Growers Association (BGA) had moved Intellectual Property Appellate Board here, challenging the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority's (APEDA) application seeking GI tag for basmati rice cultivated in seven states — Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Utarakhand, Haryana, Pun ab and J&K — in India.
More importantly, BGA opposed grant of GI tag basmati to India "in totality". It argued that the assistant registrar of GI in Chennai had "gravely erred that rice produced in arearegion of Madhya Pradesh, or for that matter any part of India can bear the basmati tag", the appeal added. On Friday , however, IPAB rejected the arguments saying BGA had "miserably failed" to comply with the rules.
BGA moved IPAB, challenging the registry's order BGA's counsel said the asso ciation filed its evidence "diligently" and it was APEDA that countered with missing documents.
Underlining the require ment for strict compliance of rules, APEDA's counse said BGA's "explanation was an afterthought and an excuse to cover up gross neg ligence." A bench of chair man Justice K N Basha and technical member (trade marks) Sanjeev Kumar Chaswal said there was no explanation to justify the de lay for filing its evidence.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Pak-loses-Geographical-Indication-bid-for-Basmati-rice-before-Chennai-appellate/articleshow/50877704.cms
EXPORT DEAL WITH INDONESIA TO REVIVE SINKING RICE
SECTOR’
Monday, February
08, 2016 - Islamabad—Patron Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Shahid
Rasheed Butt on Sunday lauded the government for 4-year rice export deal with
Indonesia which will bailout the troubled sector and stabilise prices at
home.He demanded more long and short term agreements with other countries to boost the rice sector
which is facing problems since some tears. Shahid
Rasheed Butt said that export of rice to Indonesia will boost overall exports
to 4.6 million tonnes which will be a record for which credit goes to the
government. Pakistan’s export
forecast has recently been raised by 0.1m tonnes in the wake of a deal with
Indonesia.
He said that reasons behind crisis in rice sector include high production cost, too much focus of exporters on profit and availability of Indian rice on low rates. Local exporters want to sell rice at 950 to 1100 dollars per tonne while Indians offer prices as low as 720 to 850 per tonne because of the low production cost and hidden subsidies. India’s move to sell basmati at lower prices had taken a toll on Pakistan’s exports but our exporters remained unwilling to bring down their prices, said Butt. The veteran business leader said that Iran is another promising market where Pakistani rice is in great demand but payment mechanism continue to discourage exporters. He said that India will be a major competitor to Pakistan in the Iranian market for which exporters and government needs to make an effective strategy.—NNI
He said that reasons behind crisis in rice sector include high production cost, too much focus of exporters on profit and availability of Indian rice on low rates. Local exporters want to sell rice at 950 to 1100 dollars per tonne while Indians offer prices as low as 720 to 850 per tonne because of the low production cost and hidden subsidies. India’s move to sell basmati at lower prices had taken a toll on Pakistan’s exports but our exporters remained unwilling to bring down their prices, said Butt. The veteran business leader said that Iran is another promising market where Pakistani rice is in great demand but payment mechanism continue to discourage exporters. He said that India will be a major competitor to Pakistan in the Iranian market for which exporters and government needs to make an effective strategy.—NNI
Envoy: Iran to grow rice, wheat in Africa
Sun Feb 7, 2016 9:16AM
Acacia trees on a big wheat field in Africa
Iran is reportedly looking to lease land in
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for large-scale food production to serve local and
export markets. More than 10 Iranian companies
have expressed interest in growing and processing rice, corn and wheat in East
Africa, Iranian Ambassador to Kenya Hadi Farajvand has said.He said Iran is
supporting mechanized agriculture beyond its borders, with companies leasing
huge chunks of land and applying modern agricultural methods to grow food for
export to Iran.The companies are willing to establish manufacturing plants in
the region to cater to the local market and to export to Iran, Farajvand
said.The move is also aimed at narrowing trade deficit with the Horn of Africa
countries, which is in Iran’s favor, he added.
The East African Community (EAC) mainly exports unprocessed
agricultural products like tea, coffee and meat to Iran. It imports oil
products, machinery and telecommunication equipment from the Middle Eastern
country.Local trade experts said the region should strive to export more
processed goods to Iran, beginning this year.“The lifting of sanctions on Iran
will pave the way for EAC member states to forge closer ties with Iran, but we
need to export value-added products if we are to tilt the balance of trade in
our favor,” Peter Kiguta, director-general of Customs and Trade at the EAC,
told the Geeska Afrika news agency.The East African Tea Trade Association
(EATTA) expects exports to Iran to grow five-fold in one year with the opening
of the market, it said.Farajvand said the biggest challenge in fostering
stronger trade ties between Iran and the EAC countries is the lack of political
will in the region and limited information on the available opportunities in
Iran.
He said many products from Iran are imported into the region
through other countries, making the final product expensive. These imports
include oil products, bitumen, ceramics and electricity equipment.Iran’s
Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati has said the government had envisioned
investment on 500,000 hectares of farmland in a number of countries to produce
food.
Last August, Agriculture Ministry’s Mohammad Reza Shafeinia said
Iran had launched agricultural cultivation in Kazakhstan, marking its
first farmland investment overseas.Water-intensive rice and corn crops as well
as oilseeds and livestock inputs have been cited by Agriculture Ministry
officials as the target products which Iran seeks to grow on farmlands
overseas.Iran is pushing for development of 60,000 hectares of land to
cultivate agricultural products in Brazil, Hojjati has said.
Food prices are a key driver of Iran’s double-digit inflation
which shot over 40% under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Food
security is a serious matter for Iran, given the size of its population which
has grown over 80 million and seen its food basket grow smaller.“Between 38-40%
of the Iranian families’ economy is related to food which requires us to build
a base for reducing prices of nutritional products and providing for facile
access to them,” Shafeinia said.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/02/07/449065/Iran-agriculture-food-security-Africa
Philippines to pioneer hybrid rice farming in Malaysia
(The Philippine Star) | Updated February 8, 2016 - 12:00am
Local
hybrid rice and seeds producer SL Agritech Corp. will ship out a minimum of 100
kilos of seeds for an initial pilot testing where quarantine processes are
already being arranged. STAR/File
photo
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is set to pioneer hybrid
rice farming in Malaysia in April as the country’s ASEAN neighbor seeks to
raise self-sufficiency in rice production amid its limited rice area.Local
hybrid rice and seeds producer SL Agritech Corp. will ship out a minimum of 100
kilos of seeds for an initial pilot testing where quarantine processes are
already being arranged.“Given this potential commercial planting, the
Philippines can be the first to introduce a highly suitable hybrid rice in
Malaysia. Our hybrid rice was developed for tropical climate. Malaysia has a
climate much similar to our climate in Mindanao,” SL Agritech chairman Henry
Lim Bon Liong said.
The pilot testing will be spearheaded by a private Malaysian
company, Titijaya Land Berhad (TLB), in partnership with the Malaysian
government through agricultural state research agency Malaysian Agricultural
Research and Development Institute (MARDI).TLB has also expressed interest to
start the importation of seeds from the Philippines to commence commercial
planting of the hybrid rice, but tests have to be carried out under federal
rules.Previous pilot tests in Sarawak state have been successful, giving a
yield of 10 metric tons (MT) per hectare which is significantly higher from the
national average rice yield of inbred in Malaysia.
“We can’t just use the results of the test in Sarawak to right
away do commercial planting in Penang because of Malaysia’s government
policies,” SL Agritech hybrid rice specialist Frisco Malabanan said.The initial
pilot testing in the states of Penang and Kedah is foreseen to be succeeded by
commercial planting on around 1,000 hectares.Furthermore, other Malaysian
private firms have expressed intention to import SL Agritech’s Dona Maria
premium rice.“This will demonstrate to the Malaysian market the good quality of
Philippines’ hybrid rice. We have an advantage because ours is hybrid which has
a higher yield,” Malabanan said.Malaysia imports around 35 percent of its rice
supply from Thailand while its own production continues to be dominated by
inbreds despite introduction of hybrid rice by Chinese producers.
http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/02/08/1550691/philippines-pioneer-hybrid-rice-farming-malaysia
Rice Prices Under Pressure
By IFC
MarketsCommoditiesFeb 08, 2016 07:37AM ET
Lately, rice prices have been under pressure. The
Thai officials are planning to sell 11mln tonnes of rice from the state
reserves which is to be discussed on February 29. Thailand released 9.8mln
tonnes of rice in global markets in 2015 which is 10.9% below the 11mln tonnes
in 2014. Another negative factor is plans of Indonesia to enhance its rice
output and to renounce rice imports. The positive is the increased demand on
rice from Iran, Syria and other Middle-East states, as well as from Philippines
and Nigeria. The major world producers are India, Thailand and Vietnam whose
crops may suffer from El Nino.
In the its previous
report USDA forecasted the global rice production will amount to 470.1mln
tonnes in 2015/16. This is 2% below the level of the previous season.
Meanwhile, the global rice consumption will surpass its production already for
the 3rd straight season. This may cut the global rice reserves by 14% compared
to the previous year to 89.7mln tonnes. USDA expected the volume of global rice
trading to total 42.1mln tonnes which is 2% below the last year’s level. The
rice crops in the US are at 192.3mln hundred weights (cwt), according to the
previous report. In our opinion, the rice prices may depend on the USDA
forecasts highlighted in its new report on February 11.
Rice Daily Chart
On the daily chart Rice:D1 is
in downtrend and has verged its resistance. The Parabolic indicator and MACD
give buy signals. RSI is neutral and below 50 but has formed the positive
divergence. The Bollinger bands® are slightly contracting which may mean lower
volatility. The bullish momentum may develop when the price surpasses the last
fractal high and the 200-day moving average at 11.56, or in case of the fall
below the second fractal low, Parabolic signal and Bollinger band at 10.68. The
market will choose the direction itself.
Two or more positions may be placed symmetrically: having opened
one of the orders, the second may be deleted as the market has chosen the
direction. Having opened the pending order we shall move the stop to the next
fractal high (short position) or fractal low (long position) following the
Parabolic signal every 4 hours. The most risk-averse traders may switch to the
4-hour chart after the trade and place there a stop-loss moving it in the
direction of the trade. Thus, we are changing the probable profit/loss ratio to
the breakeven point. If the price meets the stop-loss level without reaching
the order, we recommend cancelling the position: the market sustains internal
changes which were not taken into account.
Position Sell Sell stop below
10,68 Stop loss above 11,56
http://www.investing.com/analysis/technical-analysis-c-rice-:-2016-02-08-383686
Make Plans Now to Attend This Year's Mid-South Farm
& Gin Show
MEMPHIS, TN -- The Mid-South Farm & Gin Show
returns to the Cook Convention Center here, February 26-27. One of the largest farm shows in the
region, this event always draws a big crowd from all of the surrounding states
in the Mid-South and Southeast who come to check out the latest equipment and
machinery available to farmers in the region. Also on the schedule are
educational seminars from industry experts on commodity market updates, crop
marketing strategies, and best management practices for environmental purposes
and reducing operation costs.
While exploring the three floors full of more than 400
exhibitors, be sure and stop by the USA Rice booth, located at Space #2080 in
the Show Hall, to talk one-on-one with USA Rice staff about what's new in the
U.S. rice industry and get all the specifics on USA Rice activities and
promotions. "USA Rice's presence at the show gives us the perfect
opportunity to meet with rice producers as well as educate the general public
about rice. We talk with more than 1,000 individuals and families each
year and always enjoy making connections," said Randy Jemison, USA Rice
director of field services in Louisiana.Registration is available online and
anyone who registers by February 14 will be eligible to win a $1,000 cash
prize.
Research at universities
Among other important suggestions President Abdul Hamid
made at the convocation of a private university last Saturday, one concerns
greater attention to research at the tertiary level - no matter if the facility
is in public or private sector. Indeed, here is a neglected area the president
has felt prompted to shed light on. Admittedly, the country's scientific
research base is weak and inadequate except perhaps in the Bangladesh Rice
Research Institute at Gazipur and at Mymensingh Agriculture University where
its germ plasma centre is doing excellent work.
Facilities
for both fundamental and applied research at the reputed public universities
are poor and inadequate because of shortage of fund. Government allocation for
this purpose is unimaginably meagre. The fact is, in developed countries the
highest seats of learning receive large investments from giant industries and
companies and their collaborative ventures have come up with most of the
scientific breakthroughs and inventions.
In a country like Bangladesh, this did not happen in
the past because such business houses and industries were non-existent. Now
quite a few have grown into large sizes and if they wish they can surely make
considerable amounts of fund available for research at university or other
laboratories under collaborative agreements.
There
is no reason to underestimate the talent of local scientists and researchers.
Professor Satyendra Nath Bose did his research at Dhaka University. Given the
right kind of facilities and leadership, what they can produce has been amply
proved by the jute genome sequencing under late world-renowned geneticist
Maqsudul Alam. Happily, opinions and recommendations from the Bangladesh
University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) are sought for preparing
guidelines of infrastructure, vehicles and vessels and even for geographic
planning. But this could be at a higher level if more opportunities for
research were created in its respective departments.
The
president's emphasis on establishing research facilities both in private and
public universities should not fall on deaf ears. For a nation this is most
essential if it has to develop its own special mechanism of warding off gadgets
that are not quite suitable for local conditions. Research allows students to
be familiar with things they learn theoretically only and apply their own
talent in order to innovate. Most private universities are reluctant to invest
in improving the quality of education let alone pour money for research
facilities. This practice should be replaced by a culture where private
universities too can take up challenges of research and innovation.
The
good thing is that today a young crop of geniuses are ready to challenge the
world. Already a number of teams have participated in international
competitions with sterling success. Their ideas and innovations have been
widely appreciated by their peers and the panels of judges. This raises the
hope that pouring money in projects they advance will not go waste. This
positive development certainly has to be encouraged by both the government and
the private sector. Increasing collaborative ventures will prompt a culture so
essential for national progress.
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/02/08/14678
Pulse
rate: collateral benefit
08 February 2016
The process of coping with scarcities can be
quite trying for a bureaucrat, says Vivek K Agnihotri, former secretary
general, Rajya Sabha
It has reportedly resulted in a huge haul of
more than 130,000 metric tonnes of lentils across the country - over ten times
the quantity imported as well as proposed to be imported by the government, and
practically at no cost; it is yours for the taking.
However, according to one estimate, it is still
only about one-tenth of the likely demand for it in the country till the next
harvest.These operations remind me of a couple of anti-hoarding and
anti-smuggling drives, of which I was part of during the early part of my
career
Actually, that is the carefree phase in the
calling of most of the civil servants, when they hoof it, where angels would be
wary of treading.The year was 1972, when I had just about completed my first
year of my first posting as Sub- (called Sub Collector) in the then State of
Andhra Pradesh. The culprit on that
occasion was not dal but fertilizers, a more precious and politically charged
commodity in the so-called rice bowl of the country. Our informant told us that
in a local godown there was a stock of fertilizer, which had been diverted from
its legitimate destination and hoarded for black marketing. I, along with my entourage of local
Tahsildar, Block Development Officer (BDO), some village functionaries and a
modicum of constabulary, reached the place unannounced.
I had not informed any member of the retinue
the exact purpose of our getting together.
It was around 12 noon on a working day, but the godown, which belonged
to a cooperative society of which the local MLA was the president, was locked,
with no caretaker in sight. I ordered the locks to be broken, following the
prescribed procedure, known as panchnama.
The Tahsildar and the BDO were apprehensive and advised me against
it. The president of the cooperative
society happened to be a minister of the state government. In the first flush of youth and idealism, I
directed them to do what I had told them.
The locks were broken and, sure enough, a huge
unauthorised stock of fertilizers was unearthed, along with some innocuous
material. An inventory was taken and the
godown was sealed following the prescribed procedures. I returned to my office,
prepared a report under the Essential Commodities Act and sent it, along with
the concerned documents, to the collector of the district for further action. My job was over and I proceeded to undertake
other similar misadventures.
Those were days of scarcities. Everything was scare and, therefore, under
the 'command and control' regime (direct regulation of an industry or activity
by legislation that states what is permitted and what is illegal) to a great
extent. It was applicable not only to
food grains and fertilizers, but also to cars, of all things. For example, if I
wanted to buy a new Fiat car (one of the two or at most three options at that
time, and the most popular for private
use), the waiting time was about 18 months, even if I had the money. Its 'controlled' price at that time was about
Rs14,000 (a big sum in terms of purchase power, though). It was approximately 28 times my monthly take
home salary; today the price of a decent car is only 6 times my take home
pension and is available off the shelf!.
Coming back to my misadventure, having done my
job, I forgot about it till I was told by my Tahsildar that the Collector had
released the seized stock of fertilizers.
I forgot about that too, till I came to know through the grapevine that
the collector had been made an out-of-turn allotment of a Fiat car. The minister concerned was the minister for
transport.A few years later, I was posted as joint collector (additional district
magistrate) in a district, which was facing foodgrain scarcity (particularly of
rice), but was surrounded by the legendary 'rice bowl'. It had little rice production, but was
blessed with a slew of rice mills, some of them conveniently located at the district
borders.
In order to ensure that the rice millers
delivered the 'levy' quantity of rice to the administration, there were
restrictions on inter-district movement of paddy (un-milled rice). No paddy from other districts could enter my
district for milling, without a certificate from my counterpart that the levy
on it had been delivered or deposited. Since most clandestine operations take
place during the night, it was the duty of my team to patrol the borders and
catch trucks entering our district without the necessary certificate and vice
versa. Occasionally, I accompanied my
team on these nocturnal sojourns.
It was perhaps a festival holiday, and
expecting a huge haul, we went on patrol to porous border points with a large
team. At the dead of night, we accosted
a caravan of trucks; stopped and seized them for want of necessary
certificates.The trucks were brought to the district headquarters and parked in
the collectorate compound, with ample security arrangements. Next day, as expected, my subordinate staff
started receiving desperate calls from local big-wigs, including the rice
millers, for release of the trucks.The officers came to me for instructions; I
told them to proceed as per law and get the rice milled for realisation of levy
and sale of the rest in the open market.A couple of days later, one of the
senior officers came to me and said, ''Sir, there is great pressure. What should I do?''
I told him that we were in the chief minister's
district and if he was not bothered, why should he? And that put all doubts to rest.
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http://www.domain-b.com/economy/Govt/20160208_pulse_rate.html#sthash.xEWithu9.dpuf
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices Open-Feb 08
Nagpur, Feb 8 Gram and tuar prices zoomed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) here on increased demand from local millers amid tight supply fromproducing regions. Sharp hike in gram on NCDEX, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh pulses, weak overseas supply and reported demand from South-based millers also boosted prices, according to sources.
* * * *
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties firmed up in open market here on renewed seasonal demand from local
traders amid tight supply from producing belts. Weak production estimate in this
season also activated stockists.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties reported down in open market here on subdued demand from local
traders amid good supply from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar New - 8,000-8,200, Tuar dal New - 12,500-13,700, Udid -
12,600-13,600, Udid Mogar (clean) - 14,900-16,700, Moong -
8,400-8,600, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,400-9,700, Gram - 4,100-4,200,
Gram Super best bold - 5,300-5,700 for 100 kg.
* Wheat, other varieties of rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals, settled at last levels.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,900-4,225 3,800-4,200
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 7,200-8,100 7,000-7,980
Moong Auction n.a. 6,400-6,600
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 5,900-6,100 5,800-6,000
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,500-5,700 5,400-5,600
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,500-4,600 4,400-4,500
Desi gram Raw 4,400-4,450 4,300-4,400
Gram Filter new 4,600-4,900 4,500-4,900
Gram Kabuli 6,000-8,000 6,000-8,000
Gram Pink 6,500-7,300 6,500-7,300
Tuar Fataka Best-New 12,500-13,000 12,800-13,500
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 11,800-12,300 12,000-12,500
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 11,500-12,000 11,700-12,250
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 10,500-11,000 10,800-11,300
Tuar Gavarani New 7,500-8,000 7,700-8,200
Tuar Karnataka 8,200-8,500 8,300-8,600
Tuar Black 12,500-13,000 12,500-13,000
Masoor dal best 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Masoor dal medium 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 9,600-10,000 9,600-10,000
Moong Mogar Med 8,900-9,300 8,900-9,300
Moong dal Chilka 7,800-8,800 7,800-8,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,600-8,800 8,600-8,800
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 16,000-17,000 16,000-17,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 13,400-14,500 13,400-14,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,600-9,900 9,600-9,900
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,550-5,900 5,550-5,900
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,400 3,250-3,400
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,850 1,650-1,850
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,500 2,100-2,500
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 1,950-2,250
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,600 3,200-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-3,000 1,500-3,000
Rice BPT best New(100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,250 2,000-2,200
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,450 2,100-2,450
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000
Rice HMT best New (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,800 2,400-2,800
Rice Shriram best New(100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,400 4,100-4,400
Rice Shriram med New(100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,100 3,700-4,100
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,700-11,600 9,700-11,600
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,700-8,000 7,700-8,000
Rice Chinnor best New(100 INR/KG) 4,700-4,800 4,700-4,800
Rice Chinnor med. New (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,400 4,200-4,400
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,100 1,800-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 32.8 degree Celsius (91.0 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
17.7 degree Celsius (62.8.0 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : n.a.
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 33 and 16 degreeCelsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices.)
02/08/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice
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High
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Low
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Long Grain Cash Bids
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- - -
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- - -
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Long Grain New Crop
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- - -
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- - -
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Futures:
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Rice Comment
Rice futures were lower across the
board. March has been working lower after failing at resistance at $11.50.
Support is at $10.86 ½ and the recent low of $10.65. Weekly exports were
improved over the previous week at 40,200 metric tons, but not enough to
generate any upside momentum.
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