Customs police bust
traffickers of rice, other grains
Xinhua, December 2, 2016
Chinese customs authorities said Thursday they
had solved 57 grain trafficking cases in the first ten months of the year,
involving rice and other grains worth 1.086 billion yuan (157.8 million U.S.
dollars).The smuggled grain, with rice taking the lion's share, weighed 218,500
tonnes, said the General Administration of Customs.In August and October this
year, customs police in central China's Wuhan City seized 28,700 tonnes of smuggled
rice worth 168 million yuan in six cases, detaining 18 suspects.
In October, customs police in the southern city
of Nanning seized 1,300 tonnes of smuggled rice, detaining seven suspects.In
November, customs police in southwest China's Kunming detained 19 suspects who
had smuggled 32,500 tonnes of rice worth 133 million yuan.Smuggling of rice and
other agricultural produce not only affects China's domestic prices, but also
poses threats to food safety as illicit grains escape quality inspection, the
authorities said.
http://www.china.org.cn/china/2016-12/02/content_39833337.htm
Storm damage delays rice harvest in Panay
Philippine
Daily Inquirer / 01:10 AM December 02, 2016
ILOILO
CITY—The destruction wrought by Typhoon “Marce” on rice lands on Panay Island could
delay harvest in three provinces where crop losses were pegged at P104 million,
government agriculturists and disaster response officials said.Heavy rain
dumped by Marce on the island destroyed P69.74 million in Aklan province, P27.3
million in Iloilo province and P7.58 million in Capiz province, initial reports
from these provinces’ Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices
(PDRRMO) showed.In Iloilo, the typhoon destroyed or damaged 7,332 hectares of rice lands, 310 ha of corn and 5,553 ha planted with other crops.The flooding prompted the municipal governments of Zarraga and San Enrique to declare a state of calamity to enable the release of funds to assist typhoon victims.
Marce also destroyed or damaged roads and other government infrastructure in the province worth at least P33.9 million.Some 15,028 families or 54,801 people were dislocated by the typhoon, which also destroyed 18 houses and damaged 319 others.Strong winds and huge waves destroyed 73 fishing boats and damaged 97 others, according to a PDRRMO-Iloilo report.In Capiz, agriculturists said seedlings and crops in the vegetative stage were destroyed by floods.
“Many farmers need to replant their crops because of the damage. There are still farms that are submerged,” provincial agriculturist Sylvia dela Cruz told the Inquirer.She said 704.9 ha of rice lands were destroyed while 9,361.47 ha were damaged.
Dela Cruz said replanting in areas affected by typhoon could delay harvest, especially of palay.
Government suggested to extend assistance measures
for rice farmers
ByNNT
December 2, 2016
BANGKOK – The Office of Agricultural Economics
has suggested the government extend its measures to assist farmers and maintain
the stability of rice until August, saying the extended measures will help
increase the domestic rice price to 9,500 baht/ton. Director of the
Agricultural Economics Operation Center Phumsak Rasri said the measures, which
would expire on 28 February 2017, were only short term and most of the farmers
entitled to the measures had sufficient rice for sale.
He added that the measures did not help raise
the rice price because they were too short.Regarding rice price in the future,
the director said it would be similar to the present price but it would likely
increase if the measures were extended. The price of jasmine rice would be 8,800
baht/ton and the price of unhusked rice 6,700-7,200 baht/ton, said Mr. Phumsak.
He further suggested the government process rice and invest in infrastructure
to increase logistics and marketing channels for farmers.
Rabi sowing picking up pace despite
demonetisation woes
New Delhi, December 2:
Despite
demonetisation leading to a cash crunch in the economy, the sowing of Rabi
crops in the season so far, at 415.53 lakh hectares, was 8.5 per cent greater
than the 382.84 lakh hectares sown in the same period last year.While acreage
under wheat, pulses and oilseeds increased compared to the same period last
year, rice and coarse cereals acreage declined.
Total
sowing in the period, however, remained marginally below the normal five-year
average of 416.66 lakh hectares for the same time-frame. “Last year was a
drought year, so acreage was low.
Sowing this year
Comparing
this year’s sowing to last the five years’ average gives a better picture.
“Sowing has been only slightly lower than the previous five years’ average,
which shows that demonetisation has had a limited impact so far,” an
agriculture expert from a Delhi-based think tank said.
Sowing
of wheat, over 173.93 lakh hectares till December 2, was higher than the 152.56
lakh hectares covered in the same period last year, but lower than the last
five years’ average of 189.58 lakh hectares.
Higher
coverage has been reported from Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab,
Uttarakhand and Haryana while there has been lower coverage in Uttar Pradesh,
Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and
West Bengal.
The area
under pulses, at 112.95 lakh hectares, is higher than both last year’s acreage
of 99.83 lakh hectare as well as the last five years’ average of 103.94 lakh
hectares.
Higher
acreage has been reported from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West
Bengal, among others, while lower acreage has been reported from Karnataka,
Chhattisgarh and Haryana.
Oilseeds
acreage till December 2 was at 70.70 lakh hectare, which was higher than the
acreage of 64.21 lakh hectares in the same period last year and the last five
years’ average of 69.32 lakh hectares.
Higher
acreage was recorded in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Assam while
lower acreage has been reported in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
Rice
acreage till December 2, at 13.37 lakh hectares, was lower than last year’s
acreage of 14.84 lakh hectares in the same period but higher than the last five
years’ average of 9.44 lakh hectares. Higher coverage has been reported from
Tamil Nadu and Odisha, while there was lower coverage in Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka and Kerala.The area under coarse cereals, at 44.59 lakh hectares till
December 2, was lower than last year’s coverage of 51.40 lakh hectares but
marginally higher than the last five years’ average of 44.38 lakh hectares. A
larger area has been covered in States such as Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh, while acreage has gone down in Madhya
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Rabi
sowing generally starts in October and goes on till January.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rabi-sowing-picking-up-pace-despite-demonetisation-woes/article9407465.ece
Rice Prices
as on :
02-12-2016 08:10:26 PMArrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
280.00
|
-6.67
|
176117.50
|
2235
|
2240
|
2.05
|
|
Allahabad(UP)
|
220.00
|
10
|
6810.00
|
2240
|
2240
|
-1.97
|
|
Guskara(Burdwan)(WB)
|
190.00
|
5.56
|
5832.00
|
2250
|
2300
|
9.22
|
|
English Bazar(WB)
|
164.00
|
NC
|
2239.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
15.79
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
162.40
|
-16.72
|
50475.80
|
2320
|
2350
|
7.91
|
|
Gondal(UP)
|
146.00
|
-21.51
|
15120.50
|
2130
|
2130
|
1.43
|
|
Bahraich(UP)
|
112.00
|
5.66
|
6581.50
|
2210
|
2220
|
6.25
|
|
Kalna(WB)
|
95.00
|
-1.04
|
1144.00
|
2940
|
2940
|
-
|
|
Devariya(UP)
|
90.00
|
12.5
|
2999.00
|
2080
|
2160
|
2.97
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
90.00
|
-90.22
|
11133.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
20.00
|
|
Siliguri(WB)
|
86.00
|
-10.42
|
9426.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
-
|
|
Aligarh(UP)
|
80.00
|
-5.88
|
7830.00
|
2550
|
2560
|
21.43
|
|
Ghaziabad(UP)
|
80.00
|
33.33
|
3705.00
|
2250
|
2240
|
8.96
|
|
Basti(UP)
|
75.00
|
-31.82
|
5744.50
|
2115
|
2125
|
2.17
|
|
Chintamani(Kar)
|
74.00
|
221.74
|
1183.00
|
2050
|
2050
|
10.81
|
|
Egra/contai(WB)
|
54.50
|
-2.68
|
754.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
33.33
|
|
Gazipur(UP)
|
52.00
|
15.56
|
4026.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
8.64
|
|
Dadri(UP)
|
50.00
|
-3.85
|
2992.00
|
2260
|
2250
|
10.24
|
|
Nadia(WB)
|
50.00
|
NC
|
1820.00
|
3400
|
3400
|
15.25
|
|
Kasimbazar(WB)
|
42.00
|
NC
|
3667.00
|
2460
|
2460
|
9.33
|
|
Dhilwan(Pun)
|
39.00
|
-
|
78.00
|
2550
|
-
|
-3.77
|
|
Balrampur(UP)
|
36.50
|
21.67
|
1721.50
|
2190
|
2185
|
4.78
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
32.00
|
60
|
7313.00
|
2275
|
2270
|
12.62
|
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
30.00
|
-90.62
|
199820.00
|
2756
|
1780
|
31.05
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
30.00
|
3.45
|
1475.00
|
2575
|
2600
|
-6.36
|
|
Katwa(WB)
|
28.60
|
4
|
112.20
|
2250
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
25.00
|
25
|
1525.00
|
2550
|
2600
|
-5.56
|
|
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
|
25.00
|
-16.67
|
706.00
|
2550
|
2650
|
-8.93
|
|
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
|
22.80
|
14
|
1629.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
4.17
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
22.00
|
1000
|
547.95
|
2160
|
2150
|
0.70
|
|
Ghatal(WB)
|
20.00
|
-9.09
|
242.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
9.81
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
20.00
|
33.33
|
828.90
|
2300
|
2350
|
6.98
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
20.00
|
-16.67
|
2370.00
|
2460
|
2480
|
15.49
|
|
Alipurduar(WB)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
824.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
6.82
|
|
Dinhata(WB)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
445.50
|
2250
|
2250
|
12.50
|
|
T. Narasipura(Kar)
|
16.00
|
433.33
|
89.00
|
1725
|
1500
|
15.00
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
16.00
|
14.29
|
1401.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
14.29
|
|
Haldibari(WB)
|
15.00
|
NC
|
652.00
|
2250
|
2250
|
-2.17
|
|
Bankura Sadar(WB)
|
12.00
|
20
|
364.00
|
2250
|
2330
|
-
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
11.00
|
NC
|
2600.00
|
3000
|
3000
|
-14.29
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
698.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
NC
|
|
Deogarh(Ori)
|
9.00
|
NC
|
712.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
NC
|
|
Farukhabad(UP)
|
9.00
|
50
|
166.90
|
2230
|
2280
|
0.68
|
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
9.00
|
28.57
|
679.10
|
2510
|
2520
|
17.29
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
8.10
|
39.66
|
2411.30
|
1900
|
1900
|
NC
|
|
Banda(UP)
|
8.00
|
-33.33
|
666.00
|
2250
|
2230
|
3.21
|
|
Sheoraphuly(WB)
|
8.00
|
6.67
|
580.15
|
2900
|
2900
|
16.00
|
|
Bolangir(Ori)
|
7.50
|
-6.25
|
487.40
|
2300
|
2400
|
4.55
|
|
Chandoli(UP)
|
7.50
|
7.14
|
376.50
|
2115
|
2120
|
12.50
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
7.50
|
7.14
|
1945.10
|
2130
|
2135
|
6.50
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
7.00
|
-46.15
|
411.60
|
2250
|
2250
|
-
|
|
Tusura(Ori)
|
7.00
|
7.69
|
462.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
4.55
|
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
7.00
|
-30
|
662.70
|
2320
|
2310
|
4.04
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
6.50
|
8.33
|
719.00
|
2300
|
2400
|
-8.00
|
|
Karanjia(Ori)
|
5.00
|
-9.09
|
515.60
|
2800
|
2800
|
-3.45
|
|
Melaghar(Tri)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
148.00
|
2650
|
2650
|
10.42
|
|
Balarampur(WB)
|
2.50
|
NC
|
145.20
|
2520
|
2520
|
17.76
|
|
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
|
2.40
|
-65.71
|
247.30
|
2700
|
2700
|
17.39
|
|
Kalimpong(WB)
|
1.10
|
22.22
|
67.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
10.64
|
|
Lamlong Bazaar(Man)
|
1.00
|
-16.67
|
67.80
|
3000
|
3000
|
3.45
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
0.80
|
-20
|
99.40
|
3600
|
3500
|
2.86
|
|
Kasipur(WB)
|
0.70
|
-36.36
|
53.60
|
2350
|
2300
|
4.91
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9406596.ece
Rice
exports tipped to beat state target
India likely to retain top spot in shipments
- 2 Dec 2016 at 08:41 3,438
- NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS | WRITER: PHUSADEE ARUNMAS
Rice shipments out of Thailand are expected to
fare better than the government's target of 10 million tonnes because of price
competitiveness and recovering exports of hom mali fragrant rice, shippers say.Even
so, that amount would be insufficient to retake the title of world's leading
rice exporter from India, leaving Thailand in the No.2 spot for a second
straight year in 2016.
Charoen
Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said India has
so far shipped 700,000 tonnes more than Thailand and at year-end its rice
shipments are likely to reach at least 10.5 million.In a July 28 report, the US Agriculture Department's Foreign Agricultural Service said India's rice production was forecast at 105 million tonnes harvested from 44 million hectares. This compares with 103.5 million tonnes harvested from 43.5 million hectares in the 2015-16 market year.India's market year 2015-16 ending stocks are estimated to be 18.5 million tonnes (16.2 million government rice and 2.3 million private) on higher government rice stocks due to higher procurement and relatively weak offtake, according to the US report.
Market year 2016-17 ending stocks are also forecast higher at 16.4 million tonnes on normal procurement and government offtake.Indian rice exports have steadied since the beginning of calendar year 2016 on recovery in export demand for Basmati rice and non-Basmati rice. There has been recovery in export demand for Basmati rice largely due to competitive prices and revival of demand for non-Basmati rice in African countries, the US report said.Mr Charoen said Thailand shipped 9.2 million tonnes of milled rice in the first 11 months, with the shipment figures in November alone reaching nearly one million tonnes led by hom mali fragrant rice.
In November, hom mali rice shipments surged 20% year-on-year to 120,000 tonnes, as buyers accelerated purchases to capitalise on the affordable prices.Last year, Thailand shipped 9.79 million tonnes, fetching $155.9 billion baht. Of the shipment volumes, hom mali rice accounted for 1.98 million tonnes.The Commerce Ministry has set a target for rice exports to reach 9.5 million tonnes this year.Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of Thai Rice Exporters Association, said Thailand is expected to ship more than 800,000 tonnes of rice in December.
Rabi planting increases 27% in a week
By ET Bureau | Updated: Dec 02, 2016, 08.33 PM
IST
NEW DELHI: Planting of crops in the current
rabi season is at full throttle, with the acreage increasing 27% since last
week and being 9% more compared with this time a year earlier, data from the agriculture ministry
showed. The figures suggest that scrapping of high-denomination currency notes
hasn’t affected sowing as some had feared. Planting is expected to continue,
with the weather remaining favourable and the support prices for various crops
being attractive.
Winter crops were planted on 415.53 lakh hectares as of Friday, compared with 327.62 lakh hectares a week earlier, according to data from the agriculture ministry. A year ago, the acreage was 382.84 lakh hectares. The government’s target for this year is to plant rabi crops on 638.37 lakh hectares. The area under pulses, oilseeds and wheat increased from a year earlier, that with coarse cereals and rice fell. Water levels in key reservoirs were also higher than last year, according to the Central Water Commission that monitors 91 major reservoirs in the country. The reservoirs held 102.841 billion cubic metres of water, 26% more than at the same time last year, suggesting better availability for winter crops. However, the level was 2% less than the 10-year average.
Winter crops were planted on 415.53 lakh hectares as of Friday, compared with 327.62 lakh hectares a week earlier, according to data from the agriculture ministry. A year ago, the acreage was 382.84 lakh hectares. The government’s target for this year is to plant rabi crops on 638.37 lakh hectares. The area under pulses, oilseeds and wheat increased from a year earlier, that with coarse cereals and rice fell. Water levels in key reservoirs were also higher than last year, according to the Central Water Commission that monitors 91 major reservoirs in the country. The reservoirs held 102.841 billion cubic metres of water, 26% more than at the same time last year, suggesting better availability for winter crops. However, the level was 2% less than the 10-year average.
Paddy
procurement in full swing in Punjab, Haryana
By Prashant
Krar, ET Bureau | Updated: Dec 02, 2016, 12.55 PM IST
Undeterred by the currency demonetisation, an
all-time high procurement of paddy for National Food Mission is on the cards in Punjab and Haryana.
The procurement in the current marketing season is expected to increase 20% compared to last year's in the two states that provide 65-70% of rice for the national food grain pool. The pro cess of paddy procurement remained unaffected by the demonetisation move as targets fixed for paddy in the two states were surpassed by November 8 when the demonetisation came into effect. “It seems the government had kept the procurement in view before the currency ban was announced,“ said a senior executive at Food Corporation of India (FCI).“Though procurement of paddy is scheduled till December 15, it has already surpassed the targets in Punjab and Haryana.“
FCI and government agencies in states have already procured 164 lakh tonnes of paddy in Punjab and 53 lakh tonnes in Haryana. Last year, Punjab provided 139.54 lakh tonnes of paddy and Har yana 42.6 lakh tonnes. The two states had contributed 64% to the central kitty of 283 lakh tonnes of paddy in the last season.
“Procurement is high this year as yield is better and acreage under parmal vari eties (non basmati) had in creased over the last year,“ said Jasbir Singh Bains, director-agriculture in Punjab.
The procurement in the current marketing season is expected to increase 20% compared to last year's in the two states that provide 65-70% of rice for the national food grain pool. The pro cess of paddy procurement remained unaffected by the demonetisation move as targets fixed for paddy in the two states were surpassed by November 8 when the demonetisation came into effect. “It seems the government had kept the procurement in view before the currency ban was announced,“ said a senior executive at Food Corporation of India (FCI).“Though procurement of paddy is scheduled till December 15, it has already surpassed the targets in Punjab and Haryana.“
FCI and government agencies in states have already procured 164 lakh tonnes of paddy in Punjab and 53 lakh tonnes in Haryana. Last year, Punjab provided 139.54 lakh tonnes of paddy and Har yana 42.6 lakh tonnes. The two states had contributed 64% to the central kitty of 283 lakh tonnes of paddy in the last season.
“Procurement is high this year as yield is better and acreage under parmal vari eties (non basmati) had in creased over the last year,“ said Jasbir Singh Bains, director-agriculture in Punjab.
Wheat planting has fallen in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, but increased in Rajasthan and Bihar, the ministry said.
Planting increased largely in gram (chana), lentil (masoor) and field pea (lobia) pulses, while that in kulthi, urad bean and moong bean fell. Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Haryana have reported a fall in area under pulses.
We ‘ll start rice export by
2017, says CBN
Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie on:
December 02, 2016
Okoroafor said: “We started a pilot programme in Kebbi State with 78,000 farmers, cultivating an average of one hectare and that was when President Muhammadu Buhari launched the programme in March, last year. The programme was to enable farmers plant three times in a year – two dry seasons cropping and one rainy season cropping. I am telling you now that Kebbi State has exceeded one million tonnes of rice.“Not only Kebbi, Ebonyi state has keyed into it. We were there last week and Ebonyi is to give us over 1.2million tonnes of rice in one year. They are harvesting now, they are bagging and they are milling. Nigerians are booking their Christmas rice in Abakaliki.
“Abia State has ordered rice from Ebonyi State Government. Others are keying in. In Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Cross River, rice is coming up. Nigerians are planting rice, producing rice. You need to taste Nigerian rice, it is fresh. Not the nine year-old rice from Vietnam, Thailand and India. Let us feed ourselves. Our rice is healthier, it is not preserved with chemicals.
“We have been to Anambra, Niger, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Cross River and Ebonyi just to ensure that this is not another talk show. We have seen harvest of rice which brought me to say that the harvest in rice for this year has so far outstripped our projections
Innovation Stage Debuts at 2016 Outlook Conference
ARLINGTON, VA --
An exciting new addition to this year's USA Rice Outlook Conference in Memphis
next week is the "USA Rice Innovation Stage," centrally-located in
the conference Exhibit Hall. Find the USA Rice booth and the Innovation
Stage will be right behind it. The Outlook Conference is the largest
conference in North America dedicated specifically to rice, and the Innovation
Stage is where the crowd can go to hear about the latest and greatest
technology and services on offer for the industry. The Innovation Stage program will start each
morning at 7:45 a.m. and be moderated by Forrest Laws, the director of
content for Farm Press."Farmers are always looking for the next new idea
that will help make their job easier or improve their bottom lines," said
Laws. "We're going to see a lot of exciting technology and services
at the Innovation Stage this year and those sessions will be 'must-attends' for
growers looking for a better way."The full schedule will be posted in the
Outlook Conference Exhibit Hall, but attendees won't want to miss presentations on Thursday with Central Life Sciences, Food Protection
Services, FMC, CASEIH, Relevant Solutions, Arkansas Rice Research &
Extension Center, BASF, Dow AgroSciences, and Creed Rice Company.
Friday's schedule includes presenters from Gowan USA, John Deere Company, Horizon Ag, ICL Specialty Fertilizers, Firstgrain, Valent USA Corporation, Thiele Technologies, Propane Education & Research Council, and Premier Grain Cleaner Company.
Friday's schedule includes presenters from Gowan USA, John Deere Company, Horizon Ag, ICL Specialty Fertilizers, Firstgrain, Valent USA Corporation, Thiele Technologies, Propane Education & Research Council, and Premier Grain Cleaner Company.
Special COPE Report to House after
AG’s full report
Saturday, December 3, 2016 -
01:00
The Committee on Public Enterprises
(COPE) will present a special report to Parliament after obtaining a full
report from the Auditor General on the massive scam related to rice importation
in 2014/2015, COPE Chairman and JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said.He made this
observation participating in the Committee Stage debate of ‘Budget 2017’ when
the Financial Head of Industry and Commerce Ministry was taken up in Parliament
yesterday.He said Lanka Sathosa purchased only 46,698 MT of locally produced
rice in 2014 and 2015,but it had purchased 275,693 MT of rice from foreign
market.He said a staggering amount of Rs.18,597 million had been spent on
importing these rice stocks. This figure includes the amount spent on imported
rice, demurrage charges at the Port, state and private warehouse charges,
insurance cost and legal expenses.
“What was the necessity to import
rice in large quantities to the country like this? Was there any rice shortage?
The farmers were protesting on streets that they cannot sell their harvest. The
Government at that time was boasting about being self-sufficient from rice and
that it had stopped rice importation. The local farmers’ paddy was not
purchased saying the warehouses were full. The former ruler boasted that he
hailed from a farming family and that he recognizes the farmers’ smell,”
Handunnetti commented.
He said the loss the Government had
incurred by selling these imported rice stocks at cheaper rates amounts to
Rs.2,359 million. “The financial loss of this scam is no less than that of the
much talked-of Central Bank Bond sales,” he said.
Handunnetti revealing full details
of the rice importation scam said, Cabinet approval was obtained on July 31,
2014 to import 50,000 MT of rice in several stocks each with 5,000 MT. However,
the entire stock was ordered at once on September 14,2014 from Indian United
Foods Company spending Rs.2,843 million using a Letter of Credit issued by the
People’s Bank, he said.“Then another stock of 100,000 MT costing Rs.5,913 was
ordered from an Indian company ‘ACP Industries’ on October 17. We would like to
question the connection of former Economic Affairs Minister Basil Rajapaksa
with this company. This is a chemical manufacturing company. This purchase did
not have Cabinet approval. The Tender procedure had not been followed.
Lanka Sathosa was informed of the
move only after the order was made. Fifty four container stocks of rice
imported by this company are still there at the warehouses,” Handunnetti
revealed.Handunnetti said former Minister Johnston Fernando imported another
stock of 60,000 MT of rice costing Rs 3,714 million without Cabinet approval on
November 28, 2014 when the Presidential Election was nearby. Yet another stock
of 25,000 MT was imported from Bangladesh under an exchange programme between
the two countries” he said.“These stocks of rice were imported using Letter of
Credits issued by the People’s Bank and BoC. This is also public money.Some of
these loans are not settled even as of now,” he said
http://dailynews.lk/2016/12/03/political/100995
Malaysian-grown fragrant rice to
help reduce imports
SERDANG, 3 Dec 2016:
Mardi Wangi 88 rice – a new type of padi variety that will
be marketed in six months’ time – is expected to reduce the import
of fragrant rice from neighbouring countries.Chief Secretary to the
Government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa said the country now imported 250,000 metric
tonnes of rice annually from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.“Efforts will
be made through the commercialisation of padi seeds cultivated on a large scale
nationwide, especially within and outside the rice bowl areas.
“This rice is a premium product that will be used in the country
first. Malaysia imports too much fragrant rice from neighbouring countries
and with our own fragrant rice, we hope to reduce imports.”The Malaysian
Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) has produced five
tonnes of padi per hectare but it is still at the pilot stage, he said.
Ali said Mardi Wangi 88 rice was the result of Mardi’s 45th
research and the third fragrant rice variety in the production of new rice
to back up the country’s fragrant rice industry.However the price of this new
fragrant rice – which was first developed in 2003 – has yet to be
determined, he said, adding that the plant was more resistant to diseases
and pests.
He also visited Mardi Wangi 88 padi site and was impressed with
the use of technology in the padi industry – such as the use of drone in
the spraying of insecticides.“With modern technology, I hope it inspires young
people to venture into agriculture, especially rice production as the results
are very encouraging.
http://www.therakyatpost.com/business/2016/12/03/malaysian-grown-fragrant-rice-to-help-reduce-imports/
NFA cranks up
rice milling work to create buffer
CALAMBA CITY—The National Food
Authority-Laguna Provincial Office has commenced its regular milling activity
to augment the rice inventory for buffer stocking, and as a reserve to
safeguard against unforeseen shortages or demands.Among the Laguna rice mill
contractors who were given notices to proceed were Irish Rice Mill in Biñan
City, Villmill Rice Mill in Calauan and Bay, Aglahi Rice Mill in Sta. Cruz, and
Victoria Rice Mill in Calauan.The millers were given a schedule to issue and
withdraw their lots and are expected to finish their tasks this month.
Provincial Standard and Quality
Assurance Officer Malvarosa Bundalian also deployed milling supervisors to
their respective mill assignments to check their operations.The 114,600 bags of
palay stocks transferred from NFA Mamburao and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro
that are set for milling are expected to recover 74,490 bags of rice, in
addition to the existing rice inventory of 59,895 for a total of 134,385
bags. The buffer-stock scheme is in consonance with the agency’s mandate
of food security and goal of rice sufficiency in the province of Laguna
http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-provinces/223058/nfa-cranks-up-rice-milling-work-to-create-buffer.html
Encourage cashless transactions in
District
By Our Bureau | THE HANS INDIA | Dec 03,2016 , 03:58 AM
IST
Karimnagar: ‘Take necessary steps for digital
payments in the district,’ District Collector Sarfaraz Ahmed directed the
officials. He held a meeting with chairmen of Market Committees, rice millers,
bankers and representatives of farming community at the collectorate conference
hall here on Friday.Addressing the participants, the Collector told the
chairmen of Jammikunta and Karimnagar market committees to take measures for
implementing 100 per cent cashless transactions in agricultural markets to
avoid problems due to demonetisation.There are many ways to make cashless
transactions such as prepaid cards, debit / credit cards, mobile banking,
transactions through Aadhar cards, micro ATMs, e-wallets and Point of sale
(POS), the Collector explained through LCD projector to the members.
He urged the people to open bank accounts by
enrolling Aadhar card and mobile numbers. He suggested them to take debit
cards, So that they can receive messages on their mobiles during the process of
carrying out digital transactions.Awareness programmes will be organised from
December 5 on digital transactions. ‘People must cooperate and get habituated
for casgless transactions from now onwards’.Andhra Bank General Manager
Sheshagiri Rao, Deputy Director of Marketing Department Padmavathi, Karimnagar
Market Committee Chairman G Narasimha Reddy, Jammikunta Market Committee
Chairman P Ramesh and General Secretary of Rice Millers Association Narasinga
Rao were present along with the bank officials
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2016-12-03/Encourage-cashless-transactions-in-District/266869
Amira Nature Foods Ltd One of the
Select Few Rice Companies Approved from India to Sell Rice into China
Business WireDec 2, 2016, 6:47 PM
DUBAI, United
Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Amira Nature
Foods Ltd (ANFI)
(the “Company,” “Amira”), a leading global provider of branded, packaged Indian
specialty rice, announced today that it has been granted approval to export its
basmati rice to China. Amira is part of a select group of Indian companies now
with the opportunity to enter China, which is both the world’s largest producer
and the largest importer of rice – importing nearly $2 billion of rice over the
last twelve months. Historically, China had not permitted imports of Indian
basmati rice into the country.
“International
expansion has been a strong pillar of our growth, and we are very excited to
have this tremendous opportunity to further increase our international
distribution footprint with Amira's entrance into the China market,”
said Karan A Chanana, Chairman of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. “We are truly honored
to be granted approval into China with our premium, Amira [branded]
basmati rice as we continue to execute on our strategic global growth
initiatives.”
About Amira
Nature Foods Ltd
Founded in
1915, Amira has evolved into a leading global provider of branded packaged specialty
rice, including Basmati and other food products, with sales across five
continents around the world. The Company primarily sells Basmati rice, which is
a premium long-grain rice grown only in the geographically indicated region of
the Indian sub-continent, under its flagship Amira brand as well as under other
third party brands. Amira sells its products through a broad distribution
network in both the developed and emerging markets. The Company’s global
headquarters are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and it also has offices in
India, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Amira Nature Foods Ltd is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under
the ticker symbol “ANFI.”
For more
information, please visit www.amira.net.
Safe Harbor
for Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “except,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “future” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. There is no assurance that our current expectations and projections are accurate. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “except,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “future” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. There is no assurance that our current expectations and projections are accurate. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:
·
our goals and strategies;
·
our operations and expansion
plans;
·
our future business development,
results of operations, financial condition and financial statements;
·
our ability to protect our
intellectual property rights;
·
projected revenue, EBITDA,
adjusted EBITDA, profits, adjusted profits, earnings, adjusted earnings and
other estimated financial information;
·
our ability to maintain strong
relationships with our customers and suppliers;
·
governmental policies regarding
our industry; and
·
the impact of legal proceedings.
You should
not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and you should read
these statements in conjunction with the risk factors disclosed in “Risk
Factors” appearing in Amira’s Annual Reports found on the SEC’s website located
at www.sec.gov. Those risks
are not exhaustive. We operate in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk
factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for our management to
predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our
business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may
cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking
statements except as required under applicable law.
View source
version on businesswire.com:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161202005388/en/
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/amira-nature-foods-ltd-one-134700585.html
Farmers can make more profit by cultivating
aromatic rice: experts
"The main objective of the experimental
study is to explore yielding ability of aromatic rice cultivars for selecting
the high yielding varieties with strong aroma for popularising and promotion of
their cultivation in northwestern Bangladesh," he said. Rangpur Regional
Acting Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) SM
Ashraf Ali attended the discussion as the chief guest. Head of Rangpur Regional
Station of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Dr Shahidul Islam presided
over the function.
Regional Agriculture Farm Broadcasting Officer
Agriculturist Abu Sayem, Taraganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Rezaul Karim and
Agricultural Research and Development Officer of HarvestPlus Bangladesh Ruhul
Amin Mandal addressed as special guests. 30 aromatic rice trial farmers,
agricultural scientists and extension workers from different districts under
Rangpur division participated in the discussion. – IH
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/12/02/55067/Farmers-can-make-more-profit-by-cultivating-aromatic-rice:-experts
FOOD TRADE FARING WELL IN GLOBAL TRADE
Friday, 02 December 2016 15:09
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's
food exports are faring well in the global food trade, when compared with the
overall share of Pakistani exports in the global trade. The size of
global food export in 2014 was US$ 1486 billion whereas the Pakistan's
exports of food items in 2015-16 stood US$ 3.4 billion. "Pakistan's
share in the global market of food products was 0.22%, which is better than Pakistan's
share in overall global trade i.e. 0.14%," official source said. The
major sub-sectors in food sector are rice, fish and its products, fruits and
vegetables, spices, animal feeds, seeds, molasses, guar and guar products,
tobacco, wheat etc. However, the food exports from the country could be
enhanced manifold provided a focus is shifted to resolve the issues faced by
this particular sector. The challenges include low productivity,
post harvest losses, high cost of doing business, shortage of gas and
electricity, use of old techniques of production as well as lack of food
sector-specific initiatives.
The government has
already introduced Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF 2015-18) to boost the
share of Pakistani food exports in the international trade. Under the
framework, the government provided 50% support on the cost of imported new
plant and machinery for agro processing SMEs in specified under-developed
regions. It provided 100% mark-up support on the cost of imported new plant and
machinery on all Pakistan basis. The
support for import of parboiling machinery has been included in the Technology
Up-gradation Support envisaged in the STPF (2015-18) to enhance the export of
parboiled basmati rice. In addition, the government also introduced many
general initiatives related to overall export enhancement envisaged in the
framework including exploration of new markets for diversification of exports
especially in Africa, Latin
America and Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS). A three-pronged strategy of trade diplomacy in
the multilateral, regional and bilateral arenas for increasing market access
has also been introduced.
An inter-ministerial
working group comprising Ministries of Science and Technology, Commerce and
National Food Security and Research will be constituted to work on quality
standardization and harmonization of Pakistan standards,
the sources added. A matching grant would be provided to SME in export
sectors under Brand and Certification Development Support, he said. The
Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) also organized participation in
19th international exhibitions related to food sector during the fiscal year
2015-16 besides arranging visits of trade delegations during the year to
promote exports of agro food products from Pakistan in
the world market, official sources said
http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/356375015/vtWqVn31hFdF
Going Against the Grain
With the Green Revolution failing, Cornell professor Norman
Uphoff is offering a better way to feed the world
December 2, 2016 AT 5:51 AM
Last Updated: December 2, 2016 12:04 pm
Cornell professor Norman Uphoff, who has been
helping farmers around the world by teaching them a new way to grow rice, at
this home in Ithaca, N.Y., on Nov. 21. (ENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES)
Rice is a staple for nearly half
of the world’s population, and demand for the nourishing carbohydrate is only
rising. (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)
While working to protect the rainforest in Madagascar’s Ranomafana
National Park, Uphoff realized that farmers would slash and burn the forests if
they did not have a way to improve the productivity of their rice fields and
thus feed theirfamilies.The usual approach would
have been to source hybrid seeds and fertilizers, and a prescription of
pesticide and herbicide management for the farmers. This is what the Green
Revolution of the 1960s and 70s brought as a solution, and despite its
failings, it is still the dominant approach.It must have been serendipity then
that took Uphoff to a Malagasy NGO founded by Jesuit priest and agronomist
Father Henri de Laulanié.
*
The NGO was promoting the System of Rice Intensification (SRI),
a farming method that did not need any expensive inputs, such as new seed varieties,
fertilizers, or added irrigation. And it had an incredible track record of
increasing yields—more than 50 percent on average—with 30–50 percent less
water, and up to 90 percent fewer seeds.
Uphoff would eventually learn it, document it, and champion its
spread around the world. Yet despite SRI’s success with farmers, Uphoff has
been dismissed by researchers, would-be funders, and international institutions
that claim these benefits cannot be verified by science.
Discovery
Uphoff’s journey started in 1994, when workers at the Malagasy NGO
told him they could quadruple farmers’ yields by changing how the soil is
managed, how the fields are planted, and how the plants are cared for.
They would plant tiny, single rice seedlings on a grid pattern,
instead of clumps of older seedlings in a haphazard pattern. They would fortify
the soil with compost to provide nutrients and improve soil structure, and they
would refrain from continuously flooding fields (which has been the norm for
hundreds of years), instead alternating between wetting and drying to give the
roots a chance to breath and assimilate nutrients.
All of this was completely unintuitive, Uphoff explained in a
recent interview. Before treatment, Malagasy soils were some of worst,
according to his tests.
He had told the NGO: “Let’s not talk about numbers too high.
Nobody is going to believe that.”
It took three years of successful crop yields before the social scientist was convinced he had verified SRI’s miraculous results—”piece by
piece by piece, we put the puzzle together,” he said—and he set off to tell
others what he had learned.
A mechanized SRI weeder in
Liberia Guanacaste, Costa Rica, in July 2013 (Courtesy Didier Alberto Moreira
Mendoza)
Criticism and Downright Hostility
To Uphoff’s surprise, the scientific community reacted to SRI’s
success with “a lack of enthusiasm and interest, or even downright hostility,”
especially at the beginning. The incredible productivity gains were met with
open skepticism.
Over the years, Uphoff has consulted for or met with organizations
including the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) about SRI, and has been frustrated
by the lack of inclusion and follow-up by those in positions to push SRI
forward.
Our views are considered heterodox.
“They all tiptoe lightly because they all want to be scientific.
Our views are considered heterodox,” said Uphoff.Uphoff and his wife have
donated about $1 million of their own money to support SRI at Cornell, and the
75-year-old has been wondering for some time what will happen when he can no
longer do the work.
Hundreds of scientific papers have been published about SRI’s
efficacy over the last two decades, but it has been difficult for advocates to
attract donors and institutional support, such as from the United Nations
System, USAID, or the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
IRRI is the largest global player in the advancement of rice
research. Its $100 million budget is funded by diverse donors, including
national governments, international organizations, universities, private sector
interests, and philanthropic foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation.The global rice research consortium’s mandate is far-reaching, and
it has taken a two-fold approach to improving productivity: genetic improvement
of rice seed varieties, and agroecological farming approaches.
Agroecology is an alternative approach to farming that focuses on
how to improve soil health and best strengthen nature’s own defenses against
pests and disease.SRI is an agroecological approach, but IRRI does not support
it.
Bas Bouman, IRRI’s director of the Global Rice Science Partnership
(GRiSP), does not recommend SRI to farmers, because he says his organization
has tested it against current best practices, and “it isn’t actually
agronomically anything superior.”Bouman also said he has observed that SRI means
different things in different parts of the world. Since there is no set
definition of the method, it is difficult to scientifically evaluate it, he
said. He dismisses the results of the research papers for the same reasons.
The Big Rice Slowdown
A farmer in his rice field,
planted using the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method, in Rio Grande do
Sul State, Brazil, in July 2008. (Courtesy of Andre Goncalves)
Rice is a staple for nearly half of the world’s people, according
to IRRI, and demand for the nourishing carbohydrate is rising with population
growth, particularly in the rice-producing regions of Asia and, to a lesser
extent, Africa.
IRRI estimates that an increase of 63 million tons (13 percent)
over the current total production of 480 million tons of milled rice will be
needed by 2030 to meet growing demand.
There is concern that … breeders have largely exploited the
yield potential of major Green Revolution crops.
However, there is a serious obstacle to meeting this projection. Rice
yield growth—which had been steady at 1.74 percent from 1961 to 2010—has now
slowed, and in some areas it has even declined.It has also been observed that
higher amounts of chemical inputs are now needed to obtain the same yields,according to Ricepedia, an online publication by the IRRI-affiliated GRiSP.
“There is also concern that pest and disease resistance to modern
pesticides now slows yield growth, and that breeders have largely exploited the
yield potential of major Green Revolution crops,” states Ricepedia’s website.
Global research scientists and policymakers also understand that
we need to reduce land use, water use, and the environmental footprint of rice
growing if we are going to meet the food security challenges of the 21st
century.“The real threat from our ability to feed populations is not low
productivity; the real issue is how to do this without destroying the natural
resource base that we depend on,” said Olivier De Shutter, former U.N. special
rapporteur on the right to food, who supports agroecological solutions like
SRI.
Excessive chemical use over the last 50 years of industrial
agriculture has polluted waterways and killed beneficial insects. Poor
irrigation practices have led to dangerous levels of acidic salt buildup in
some areas.
Rice production in particular accounts for 24 to 30 percent of the
world’s total freshwater use, and the anaerobic conditions in flooded rice
fields are a major contributor of methane greenhouse gases.Going forward, if we
fail to take into account the environmental and sustainability impact of
farming, experts predict that food shortages and subsequent price increases
could not only lead to hunger, but to destabilized global economies, igniting
civil unrest and new wars.
Bring People Along
Fortunately, SRI is so effective, and the impetus to make food
security work is so strong, that the system has prevailed over all sorts of
objections during its spread to village after village around the globe.It is
mainly farmers on the ground, local researchers, and local and state
governments that have provided the support. In rare cases, SRI has had a
powerful backer.
Simeon Ehui, manager of the
World Bank Agriculture Global Practice, has supported institutional funding for
a 13-country West Africa project to teach and promote SRI. The project is one of just two
institutionally supported SRI projects.
While the effectiveness of SRI is hotly debated, we are taking a
pragmatic approach.
Ehui’s support shows he is willing to see past criticisms like
Bouman’s, if the methods can help farmers and the environment. And he said his
client countries do want help with such approaches.
“While the effectiveness of SRI is hotly debated, we are taking a
pragmatic approach, and will support the scaling-up of technologies that are
proven on the ground and help meet poverty-reduction targets,” Ehui said in an
email.
Erika Styger is the associate director of Cornell’s SRI-Rice, a center devoted to advancing the use of SRI, and is the Cornell
coordinator of the West Africa project.In an interview, Styger describes the
types of challenges she has faced gaining acceptance on the ground for SRI in
West Africa.One day, she visited the man in charge of rice in Liberia to see how
his SRI trials were going. He told her that initially the researchers did not
want to run the trials because SRI was controversial and some other donor was
helping them.
Fortunately, the man still allowed field technicians to run the
trials. When Styger met them at the test paddies tucked away in a corner of the
fields, the technicians were “proud and happy with the results” and told her,
“No matter what anybody says, we will go ahead.”Styger said there are many
financial incentives involved with industrial agriculture that SRI does not
offer, but “once you have the proof in the field, and you bring along the
people who make the decisions, it will happen.”
Resisting the Easy Fix
A farmer in a rice field in
Manipur, India, in August 2013. (Courtesy of Mr. Tomba)
U.N. Special Rapporteur De Shutter said agroecological approaches
are often misunderstood, dismissed, and considered to be not up to the
challenge of feeding the world.
He said the second Green Revolution some people talk about, which
is based on genetic modification and engineered seeds, paired with chemical
fertilizers and enhanced irrigation, would be an “easy fix,” pushed by the fear
that agroecology could not produce enough food.
De Shutter explains that the industrial system assigns value only
to the commodity crop and ignores everything else. Using this logic,
agroecology tends to be viewed as ineffective or difficult to measure.
Farmers who have succeeded in diversifying have tripled their
incomes.
It is by deliberate design that agroecology involves a diverse
systems approach and creative thinking.
Each item—crop, organic matter, microbe, or animal—that is
produced adds value to the system. An item can be edible, or it can be used to
further the productivity and health of the system. With SRI, for example, rice
stalks can be recycled as compost to improve soil quality.
In a report, IRRI acknowledges that
measuring the results of its own agroecological approaches is a challenge.
It states that measuring a system is “far more complicated than
estimating impacts of improved germplasm [new seeds].”
The work of the nonprofit Community Economic Development
Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) in the major rice-producing country of Cambodia
gives an idea of what SRI can achieve. CEDAC has been working with local farms
to leverage the benefits of SRI rice so they can expand into multipurpose farms
that incorporate multiple agroecological practices.
CEDAC’s goal was to give farmers multiple food and revenue
options.
Farmers who have succeeded in diversifying have tripled their
incomes, according to CEDAC’s analysis.
Since SRI rice fields are so much more productive, the farmers are
able to reduce the land area dedicated to them.
The rest of the area was then used to build ponds and irrigation
canals that could be filled with fish, frogs, ducks, and eels. There was also
space for diverse vegetable crops, such as squash, long beans, bitter gourd,
eggplant, tomato, and lemongrass, and for animals, such as chickens, pigs,
goats, and so on. A ring of trees was planted around the perimeter to provide
shade, protection, firewood, and fruit.
Building a farm takes a $300 equivalent investment, which can be
recovered by the farmer within 2 to 3 years, according to CEDAC’s data. It is a
lot of work to set up, but once it’s done, the farmer is set for year-round
production.
A New Paradigm?
The World Bank views SRI and other agroecological practices as
climate-smart agriculture (CMA), and it is encouraging “widespread adoption of
CMA” to achieve a “triple win of higher productivity, increased resistance to
climate change, and lower greenhouse gas emissions,” according to Ehui.
Referring to CMA as a new paradigm, Ehui said the international
community could help by promoting this vision.
Scaling agroecology will require a lot more support, but the return on investments is attractive.
Uphoff estimates the increased productivity from SRI is benefiting
farmers to the tune of $1 billion a year, with just a fraction of that invested
by SRI-Rice.
SRI’s productivity gains can be a stepping stone to further
experimentation and success for farmers.
Another benefit is that farmers are being empowered to experiment
in their fields with traditional crops and seeds, and find more productive uses
for the plants and animals in their region. SRI also provides for a better way
to save seeds, which is still a challenge for many farmers who rely on it.
Styger illustrates the true power of SRI with a story about
visiting villages in West Africa to introduce it.
“What are you bringing us?” the farmers regularly ask.
“I bring you nothing. I bring you knowledge,” Styger says.
In total, over 60,000 West African farmers agreed to apply their
new knowledge, and the result was an average yield increase of over 65 percent
for the project, according to the World Bank.
Sky’s the Limit
An SRI hybrid rice field in
Yunnan province, China, in 2004 (Courtesy Zhu Defeng)
Both Styger and Uphoff agree that SRI’s productivity gains can be
a stepping stone to further experimentation and success for farmers.
The Cornell researchers have already seen and documented how
farmers and researchers in different countries have started experimenting with
SRI principles on other crops—such as wheat, barley, millet, teff, and
sugarcane—and it is working just as well as if not better than rice, in some
cases.
It has also been proven to work on large farms.
Uphoff tells the story of a landowner-farmer’s son in the Punjab
region of Pakistan.
Punjab was an area of focus for the Green Revolution in rice and
wheat.
But by the time the son, Asif Sharif, inherited the land, he no
longer saw a future in farming due to the dead soils, so he made his business
importing farming equipment instead, Uphoff said.
When Sharif learned about SRI, he decided to give it a try on a
20-acre test plot, while adding new innovations such as raised beds and
precision applications of compost and fertilizers.
Encouraged by the results, Sharif designed new machines and fully
mechanized his operations.
Since then, he has helped other farmers adopt his innovations.
It is because of farmers like Sharif, and countless others who
have the heart to share with their neighbors something that works, that
Cornell’s SRI advocates know nothing can stop SRI’s continual spread.
Styger, speaking of SRI use in the African context, said, “If you
let the Africans be the owners, and let the people who practice it take the
ownership, then nobody can stop it.”
Norman Uphoff, senior adviser for
SRI International Network and Resources Center at Cornell University, near his
home in Ithaca, N.Y., on Nov. 21. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)
We are going to succeed, because we have so much productivity to
offer, and that is what counts.
