Year 2016 ends
posing new challenges
The consumption has pushed the
Pakistan’s growth up in fiscal 2016, however, the investment remained low
whereas exports continued witnessing a free fall with soft global demand, the
State Bank data revealed.The data showed that Pakistan exacerbated the effects
for long-term decline in competitiveness. However, on the other hand, the
government could not show its efforts for structural reform agenda delivery in
fiscal 2016 and much remained to be done, considering that the government
wanted to maintain a sustained growth after achieving macroeconomic stability.
The data showed that the
investment in health delivery, education and nutrition remained a great
challenge for the government throughout the year despite Pakistan’s staggering
fall in poverty over the last 14 years, has not been accompanied by a similar
improvement in human wellbeing of the country.
The exports continued to shrink
during the year, registering a decline of 8.8 per cent as compared to 3.9 per
cent fall in fiscal 2015. Imports also contracted by 2.3 per cent primarily
following the lower international oil and commodity prices. This resulted in
widening trade deficit as a percentage of GDP from 6.3 per cent as compared to
fiscal 2015 to 6.5 per cent in 2016.
Additionally, the higher
repatriation of profits led to an increase in primary income deficit, which
resulted in an overall current account deficit of $3.3 billion – about $0.6
billion higher than fiscal 2015.
The experts attributed Pakistan’s
exports declined as weak global demand exacerbated the effects long-term
decline in export competitiveness. Food and textiles are key contributors to
Pakistan’s exports and continue to suffer from a decline in international
prices and demand. Giving an example, the experts remarked that although
Pakistan exported more rice in fiscal 2016 than in FY15, the value of rice
exports fell due to a decline in international prices. The textiles sector,
which accounted for 60 per cent of total
The exports, during fiscal 2016,
saw a contraction of 5.6 per cent compared to fiscal 2015. “This decline was
broad-based and affected both high and low-value textile exports”, the experts
pointed out.
The only exceptions were knitwear
and cotton carded, both of which grew due to higher global prices in these
sub-categories. Although ‘Brexit’ has not yet affected exports, the EU accounts
for 23.4 per cent of Pakistan’s exports and the UK 7.4 per cent, suggesting
that potential future impacts could be significant.
Continuation of a long-term
decline in Pakistan’s share of global trade witnessed in outgoing year, which
has been driven by poor trade facilitation, infrastructure gaps, inefficient
logistics and a poor investment climate. Pakistan has also lagged behind its
competitors in trade openness, reducing its prospects of regaining momentum in
export growth.
Accelerating progress in human
development, including nutrition, remains a key challenge for sustained
economic gains in Pakistan where public spending on education and health was
one of the lowest in South Asia and allocations to nutrition were modest. Historically,
nutrition — as well as early childhood education and development — have
received little attention in Pakistan. The attention nutrition approach has
been lacking cohesive planning and mainly funded by international donors and
implemented by NGOs.
The year 2016 ended with the
positive note for the government as it continued in making progress on fiscal
consolidation, reducing the consolidated fiscal deficit from 5.3 per cent of
GDP as compare to fiscal 2015 to 4.6 per cent in fiscal 2016. Revenue growth
was underpinning the falling deficit, driven in outgoing year by a 20 per cent
increase in the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) collection. Some of this
collection may, however, affect the progress of other reform efforts; the
experts said adding that was in contrast with efforts to reduce Pakistan’s
trade tariffs,
Increase in customs duties
collection of 32.7 per cent has also been registered in 2016 as a result of
FBR’s attempts to meet revenue targets. Similarly, the recently-introduced
withholding tax on financial deposits may have driven customers to circumvent
formal banking channels, as the currency deposit ratio has increased from 0.29
to 0.35 in just one year. A series of new tax measures in the fiscal 2017
budget will broaden the tax base and are expected to contribute to another
significant increase in FBR revenues.
On the expenditure side, the
development budget has grown faster than the recurrent budget. In the fiscal
2017 budget, an expected reduction in state-owned enterprise subsidies and interest
payments has created space for an increase in infrastructure spending,
including on CPEC projects.
ICRA : Increase in export orders for Basmati rice to give a
boost to industry
12/31/2016 | 06:54am EST
Jotwani said that the government's recent demonetisation move has also resulted in a cash crunch in the system, thereby leading to deferment of paddy procurement by some millers/traders. Theexport demand for Basmati rice, which was subdued for the last two years, is expected to witness a pickup in the coming months when a majority of the export orders are received. Subsequently, the Basmati rice industry is expected towitness a a reboundin H2 FY2017 and FY2018. This is expected to push up the realisations in H2 FY2017 and FY2018.
Most of the large exporters, who are holding relatively lower priced inventory, are expected to benefit from this. While paddy prices have inched up in the current procurement season, this would be comfortably covered by growth in realisations.
Jotwani said that the government's recent demonetisation move has also resulted in a cash crunch in the system, thereby leading to deferment of paddy procurement by some millers/traders. Further, given that a large part of the rice industry is unorganised, many buyers may witness reduction in their buying capacity. However, this is expected to be a short-term impact and the steady demand would lead to restoration of buying in Q4 FY2017.
In the past two years, the Basmati rice industry has been under financial stress on account of excess paddy supply and weak international demand, leading to a sharp decline in realisations. The average export realisations declined from
Paddy production is expected to be lower in FY2017 by 15-20%. Thus, paddy prices have opened higher by around 20% in the current procurement season starting
(c) 2016India Infoline Ltd. All rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info)., source
http://www.4-traders.com/ICRA-LIMITED-9743626/news/ICRA-Increase-in-export-orders-for-Basmati-rice-to-give-a-boost-to-industry-23631077/
Basmati rice industry is expecting a rebound in
2017-18
By Jayashree Bhosale, ET Bureau | Updated: Dec 30, 2016, 03.56
PM IST
In the past two years, the Basmati rice
industry has been under financial stress on account of excess paddy supply and
weak international demand.PUNE: Basmati
rice industry is expecting a rebound in 2017-18 with demand driven
improvement in realisation and low inventory prices. Basmati rice has witnessed
growing demand in the domestic market for the last few years. According to Deepak Jotwani,
assistant vice president, ICRA, “The export demand,
which has remained subdued for the last two years, is expected to witness a
pickup in the coming months when a majority of the export orders are received.
This is expected to push up the realisations in H2 FY2017 and FY2018. Most of
the large exporters,
who are holding relatively lower priced inventory, are expected to benefit from
this. While paddy prices have inched up in the current procurement season, this
would be comfortably covered by growth in realisations. ” In the past two years, the Basmati rice industry has been under financial stress on account of excess paddy supply and weak international demand, leading to a sharp decline in realisations. The average export realisations declined from Rs. 77,988/tonne in FY2014 to Rs. 56,149/tone in FY2016. However, there has been some improvement in demand in Q1 FY2017 also reflected by the increase in export realisations to Rs. 59,247/MT.
For the remaining period, the export demand is expected to improve further, with Iran also expected to join the order booking. Further, steady domestic demand growth would add to the overall improvement in realisations for the industry. Paddy production is expected to be lower in FY2017 by 15-20%.
Thus, paddy prices have opened higher by around 20% in the current procurement season starting October 2016 and are expected to remain firm. Nevertheless, this is expected to be outweighed by the growth in realisations in H2 FY2017 and FY2018.
Jotwani said, “ICRA expects the export volumes in FY2017 to be around 3.99 million MT (almost similar to the volumes in FY2016). However, the improvement in realisations is expected to push the values of exports to around Rs. 23,000 crore in FY2017 as against Rs. 22,718 crore in FY2016. For FY2018, ICRA estimates the volume and value of exports to be around 4.03 million MT and Rs. 25,800 crore respectively.”
The Government of India’s (GoI) recent demonetisation move has also resulted in a cash crunch in the system, thereby leading to deferment of paddy procurement by some millers/traders. Further, given that a large part of the rice industry is unorganised; many buyers may witness reduction in their buying capacity. However, acording to ICRA, this is expected to be a short-term impact and the steady demand would lead to restoration of buying in Q4 FY2017.
WWW.economictimes.indiatimes.com
Basmati rice industry likely to rebound in H2
FY17,
Dec 31, 2016, 01.17 PM |
FY18: ICRA Basmati rice industry is expecting a rebound in H2
FY2017 and FY2018 with demand driven improvement in realisation and low
inventory prices, ICRA said in its report here. | 1 Comments Lower production
volume and stable global demand is expected to push up realisations of basmati
rice in FY2017 and FY2018, despite short-term impact of demonetisation, a
report said. Basmati rice industry is expecting a rebound in H2 FY2017 and
FY2018 with demand driven improvement in realisation and low inventory prices,
ICRA said in its report here. "Basmati rice has witnessed growing demand
in domestic market for last few years.
The export demand, which has remained subdued for last two
years, is expected to witness a pickup in the coming months when a majority of
export orders are received. This is expected to push up the realisations in H2
FY2017 and FY2018," ICRA Assistant Vice President Deepak Jotwani said.
Most of the large exporters, who are holding relatively lower priced inventory,
are expected to benefit from this. While paddy prices have inched up in the
current procurement season, this would be comfortably covered by growth in
realisations, Jotwani said. In the past two years, the basmati rice industry
has been under financial stress on account of excess paddy supply and weak
international demand, leading to a sharp decline in realisations.
The average export realisations declined from Rs 77,988/MT in
FY2014 to Rs 56,149/MT in FY2016. However, there has been some improvement in
demand in Q1 FY2017 also reflected by the increase in export realisations to Rs
59,247/MT. For the remaining period, the export demand is expected to improve
further, with Iran also expected to join the order booking. Further, steady
domestic demand growth would add to the overall improvement in realisations for
the industry. Paddy production is expected to be lower in FY2017 by 15-20 per
cent.
Thus, paddy prices have opened higher by around 20 per cent in
the current procurement season starting October 2016 and are expected to remain
firm, said the report. Nevertheless, this is expected to be outweighed by the
growth in realisations in H2 FY2017 and FY2018. Jotwani said "ICRA expects
the export volumes in FY2017 to be around 3.99 million MT (almost similar to
the volumes in FY2016). However, the improvement in realisations is expected to
push the values of exports to around Rs 23,000 crore in FY2017 as against Rs
22,718 crore in FY2016. For FY2018, ICRA estimates the volume and value of
exports to be around 4.03 million MT and Rs 25,800 crore respectively.
Photo: Kevin Quinn/University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center: Focus on real-world
challenges
As the nation’s number-one rice producer, the economy of
Arkansas places a premium on every aspect of the crop’s production, from the
the availability of unique and hardy varieties, to the financial success of our
producers in the field, to the impeccable quality of the finished product.
As the nation’s number-one rice producer, the economy of Arkansas places a
premium on every aspect of the crop’s production, from the the availability of
unique and hardy varieties, to the financial success of our producers in the
field, to the impeccable quality of the finished product.As the primary
institution of higher education in support of agriculture in the state, the
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture spends a significant portion
of its resources and efforts working to make sure rice, and the people behind
it, succeed.
Nathan McKinney, interim director of the Rice Research and
Extension Center (RREC), came to the research station in the summer of 2016,
after serving various roles in the Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative
Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Station.McKinney said he
encourages his researchers — there are about a dozen scientists attached to the
RREC — to take a “portfolio” approach to their research. Solving problems that
rice growers face today is the highest priority.
“That’s what I call ‘applied’ research,” McKinney said. “Most of
our effort is targeted towards answering present-day questions or applying a
new approach, a new variety or technology to solve a problem.“However, part of
that research portfolio is also forecasting what problems producers may see 10
years from now,” he said.
“Some of our far-reaching, basic research is trying to answer
the question, ‘what happens when rice is exposed to high nighttime
temperatures?’” McKinney said. “And what causes the physiological stress in
rice under various climate conditions? What physiological pathways can we
exploit to overcome heat stress? We have fundamental questions that we
currently have no answers for — we have some blank spots in our knowledge of the
physiology of rice.”
Focus on rice
Although researchers at the RREC conduct studies on other crops
essential to Arkansas and the region including corn, soybeans and wheat, the
focus is on rice.Jarrod Hardke, Extension rice agronomist for the Division of
Agriculture, has been with the RREC since 2012. He described his applied
agronomic work at the research center as research aimed at affecting
production-based recommendations.
“We look at every variety of rice available to us, from both
commercial seed companies and those varieties we breed ourselves, to see what
works best under a range of conditions,” Hardke said. “One of the biggest
points of emphasis is on-farm cultivar trials — actually comparing the
different varieties and hybrids a grower has to choose from to observe their
relative differences on various farms under different production systems.”
Over the course of multiple years and weather cycles, Hardke
said, the Division of Agriculture is able to synthesize data that gives growers
the best shot at success, from choosing the best cultivar for their soil to
dealing with pests and environmental pressures as they arise.
Hardke said that over the long term, rice research in the state
evolves through the extension and feedback process, as agronomic data is pushed
out to growers through Cooperative Extension Service agents, and agents deliver
feedback back to researchers.
McKinney said the research has also been guided by challenges
specific to Arkansas and the region, such as a potential scarcity of
groundwater in the near future.“Our irrigation engineer, Chris Henry, has
introduced a wealth of ideas new to Arkansas farming, and various water
conservation measures for rice production,” McKinney said. “So that’s broadened
the scope of the station’s research.
“We’ve also had a rice breeding program here for 60 years or so,
but we’ve recently added a hybrid breeding emphasis. A new hybrid breeder
joined us in November of 2015,” he said. “Hybrid seed production in rice is
relatively new, and it has broadened the scope of our breeding program.”
Research umbrella
McKinney said all the researchers working under the RREC’s
umbrella are to some degree involved in evaluating constant and increasing
environmental stresses, and taking measures to help growers overcome those
challenges.
“For example, this year and in some recent years, it’s turned
out that high nighttime temperatures created a lot of yield and grain quality
problems for rice producers,” McKinney said. “It’s robbed us of millions and
millions of dollars. And we’re attempting to solve that problem. Some of the
pieces of the puzzle are falling in place, but there are still other pieces
we’re trying to discover.
“Everybody on this station is involved with that, either
directly or indirectly. All of our scientists have their hands in it,” he said.
Researchers and staff at the RREC also work closely with U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Dale Bumpers researchers at the nearby Dale Bumpers
National Rice Research Center, also located in Stuttgart, as well as other
entities, including the Mid-South Breeding Consortium.
“We’re bringing in the best resources to collaborate with, and
to give us ideas and input,” McKinney said.
Hardke said the facility is unique in that it remains the only
fully faculty-staffed research Extension center in the state.“We house all
relevant disciplines in the faculty here at the station, permitting us to be
housed right in the heart of the rice-growing region of the state, performing
our work,” Hardke said. “We’re here, we’re accessible. Our full-time job is
rice, the rice industry and its improvement. That’s how all our time is spent —
that’s unique to this location
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/arkansas-rice-research-and-extension-center-focus-real-world-challenges
Philab poised for more breakthroughs
By: Tina Arceo-Dumlao -
Business Features Editor / @tinaarceodumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 01:02 AM January 01, 2017
Philab’s warehouse is a beehive of
activity, with workers preparing to send kits to schools all over the country.
It is never too late to make a fresh start.
For Hector Thomas A. Navasero, his new
course was charted in 2011, when he was informed that his mother was battling
stage 2 breast cancer.
Alarmed and shook by the prospect that she
did not have much time left, Navasero, who was chief investment officer of a
listed main board Singapore company, decided to pack up his bags
and go back home to the Philippines to take care of her.As fate would
have it, she won the bout with cancer.
But just when the former Director of Hong
Bao Media, Pte. Ltd., Sumida Corp. and Express Telecom Asia Pacific thought he
could pick up where he left off in Singapore, his father died, leaving him with
the responsibility to take over the family business, which has been in the
Philippines’ sciences sector since 1959.
Navasero officially took over as president
and CEO of Philab Industries Inc., the oldest business institution servicing
the fields of medical and scientific research in the Philippines, in 2013 and
has not looked back since.
And similar to how he grew other businesses
abroad, Navasero is grooming Philab to become a force to reckon with in the
global biosciences sector.
Philab was established in 1959 and built
its business around designing and building scientific laboratories.
Its respected name is on the state-of-the
art laboratories of UP Diliman, UP Los Baños and the International Rice
Research Institute, which is at the forefront of rice research.
It also has a presence in the laboratories
of as much as 90 percent of local colleges and universities, where research is
being undertaken.
Philab is likewise into basic education,
providing schools with the tools to learn more about science such as bunsen
burners and anatomy kits, which are sourced mainly from China, where it
established partnerships as early as the 1990s.
As of the first quarter of 2016, Philab was
awarded an initial P3.19 billion in new contracts from the Department of
Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Institutes
of Health UP Manila (NIH) through to 2018.
DepEd has entrusted Philab to supply math
and science teaching kits for over 34,000 schools across the archipelago.
Basic science is a P2 billion to P3 billion
annual business that Philab intends to maintain going forward.
But what has gotten the company excited are
the prospects of sophisticated scientific research. Thus from just providing
the research facilities, it plans to unleash the full potential of the research
itself, specifically in the field of healthcare.
It started building its foundation early.
In 1988, Philab promoted HIV testing in the
country by providing test kits. These were deployed across the country by the
government through the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. From there, it
developed its latest diagnostics innovation called LabIT (Laboratory Instant
Testing)—a line of rapid self-test diagnostic kits.
Among the first LabIT products rolled out
in the market is the test kit specifically for dengue, one of the leading
causes of hospitalization in the Philippines, especially among the youth.
Like the pregnancy test kit that can be
done in the privacy of one’s home, the dengue test kit can determine in seconds
if the fever is being caused by dengue—which can be fatal—or is the more benign
variety that will naturally run its course.
This simple diagnostic tool spares patients
and their families from useless anxiety as well as pesos that would have
otherwise gone to more extensive laboratory tests.
“Our claim to fame today is that we are the
biggest dengue test provider in the world,” says the Cornell and
Stanford-educated Navasero.
Today, these kits are distributed through
the local health units with funding from the government. But the plan is to
eventually make it available to all.
Philab is likewise developing 17 new rapid
diagnostic self-test kits to meet the requirements of the DOH, with plans to
enter the global consumer market.
“Thus our market is not just the
Philippines but the world,” Navasero declares.
Today, the healthcare and scientific
research portion of Philab’s operations accounts for just 20 to 30 percent of
the total business with the traditional science kits and laboratories still
accounting for the biggest share.
Navasero plans, however, to bring the share
of the healthcare business, particularly genomics, a branch of biotechnology
that deals with genetic mapping and DNA sequencing, to at least 40 percent of
the topline by 2017, with the balance to still come from the traditional
business.
The genomics programs are implemented
through the Genomics Institute of Asia (Gina), the first institution in Asia to
conduct next generation genomic sequencing.
It will push for the widespread adoption of
genetic screening and molecular diagnostics and genomic sequencing services for
medical and scientific cases.
Navasero’s mother, whom he still consults
on the business, knows the value of genomics, as the research on her genetics
allowed her to get the right treatment regimen to address her health concerns.
Gene mapping equals better diagnostics,
explains Navasero, and allows a person to take greater control of his health
and perhaps stave off the effects of genetics.
“She started my genetics interest. I saw
firsthand that it does make a difference,” the 55-year-old says, “Because they
sequenced her, she was saved. She is now 82 years old and still goes to work
every day.”
“If you know what you are going to get,
like knowing the probability of getting Alzheimer’s or bone diseases, then you
will be able to live in the know and live a longer, better life,” adds
Navasero, “Knowing your whole DNA will tell us what is the best way to eat, how
you should exercise and the best food type for you.”
Navasero, who in the 1980s was involved in
the design of the now ubiquitous memory stick, feels that genomics will be the
wave of the future, such that the company became one of the first in the
Philippines to own and operate a genomic sequencing facility offering full
genome sequencing and molecular diagnostics for research and medical purposes.
Philab data show that Gina successfully
conducted full genome sequencing of different rice varieties for IRRI and the
Philippine Rice Institute. In 2013, Gina also launched the first domestic
testing of breast cancer mutations, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, prevalent among Filipino
women.
Navasero says there are plans to locate a
genomics BPO facility in Clark, Pampanga, and then hire molecular biologists
who can help sequence the DNA of anyone who wants to know their profile, not
just Filipinos.
“The goal is to establish a biotech hub,
where there is manufacturing and research and an incubator for startups. We
want to encourage scientists to create and innovate,” he says.
The public can invest in that bright future
following the Navasero group’s deal to acquire a majority stake in listed
Alterra Capital Partners Inc.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock
Exchange, Alterra said the purchase of 208.62 million shares of Alterra by
Genomics Inc. and Navasero was executed via special block sale on Oct. 11,
2016.
The shares in Alterra were bought from
shareholders Conrado Rafael Alcantara, Alfonso Anggala and Star Alliance
Securities Corp.
Philab had planned to list on the Singapore
Stock Exchange but the opportunity to acquire a clean shell company came
about. With Genomics, one of his companies, Navasero bought 67
percent of Alterra for P362.32 million.
The corporate name will be changed to
Philab Holdings Corp., signifying the infusion of the biotechnology business
into the listed firm.
In 2015, Philab recorded an income of P147
million and expects to have ended 2016 with an income of P600 milion.
Revenues and income are seen increasing
even more as Philab moves to get a bigger slice of the estimated P688 billion
that the country spends every year on healthcare.
All these moves are part of Navasero’s
efforts to establish his own legacy for the company founded by his parents,
that over the next few years, Philab, named by the Asian Institute of
Management as “one of the local companies to watch out for in Asia,” will be
known for not just the education kits but also by being at the forefront of a
new frontier in healthcare and science.
“This is my final hurrah, my legacy, to
make Philab survive for at least a hundred years,” says Navasero
https://business.inquirer.net/222326/philab-poised-breakthroughs
Governor of the year Bagudu: The
Nigerian rice flag-bearer
By Gistmaster On January 1, 2017 In Latest, Politics Tagged Ambode, Governor Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, Kebbi
State, Latest News
BY OCHEREOME NNANNA, Chairman, Editorial Board
On Wednesday, 21st December, 2016, Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos and his Kebbi State counterpart, Governor Atiku
Abubakar Bagudu (whom Ambode humorously referred to as “my business partner”),
carried out an inspiring assignment together at the Conference Chamber of the
Government House of Lagos State: they launched the “Lake Rice” brand for consumption
in Lagos, nationwide and (with time) the world at large. Lagos offered to sell
the 50 kilogramme of the product at the subsidised price of N12,000.
It was unprecedented because, for a change,
Nigerians from different geopolitical divides were not bickering over divisive
issues like Fulani herdsmen/indigenous communities clashes, religion, share of
the national cake, ethnicity or cultural differences.
Rather, Lagos State, with the largest
metropolitan population in the country (estimated at about 20 million people),
and Kebbi, one of the foremost rice-producing states, were combining their
comparative advantages to introduce the Lake Rice to the world (LAKE being a
combination the LA in La-gos and KE in Ke-bbi).
These two governors have sworn to break the
long-established monopolistic distribution chains with which foreign-owned
companies, dominated by Indians, have long colonised the Nigerian rice market.
They would be replaced by Nigerian merchants,
companies and cooperatives to ensure that never again are inferior foreign
brands used to undercut local farmers, flood our markets with inferior and
toxic products and sabotage the country’s national interest.
The market women and cooperatives are now going
to be shareholders in the soon-to-be-indigenised distribution chain. Each of
the local companies can now package and sell the rice in their own brand names.
Gov Bagudu
This innovative venture to link up one of the
foremost theatres of rice production with the biggest market in the country was
hatched sometime in August 2015, when it became obvious to anyone with
commonsense that the days of crude oil-fed dependence on imported rice and
other products that can be produce in Nigeria, were over.
When Bagudu was elected as Governor of Kebbi
State last year, he decided to put his knowledge and experience as an economist
and former employee of the World Bank, to work. He discovered that all that
Nigerian farmers needed was assistance to provide cheaper and more nutritious
rice than the stuff being importing.
He went into a joint venture with the Bank of
Agriculture, BoA, which was recently made more effective by Godwin Emefiele’s
CBN, and invested N4billion to get them plug the farmers of Kebbi State into a
financial lifeline for improved productivity. Together, they estimated it would
cost N210, 000 per hectare to produce up to six tonnes of rice in the dry
season and another five tonnes in the rainy season. Some farmers now even
produce two rounds of rice and one crop of wheat on the same land every year.
“They have already planted their wheat and will
start harvesting in February. After that, they will plant rice, harvest it in
late May and plant another rice for the wet season”, Governor Bagudu told
Vanguard at his private residence in Asokoro, Abuja, recently.
Altogether, there are 78,000 registered rice
farmers participating in the rice revolution in Kebbi State, and all are
verified with the Bank Verification Number, BVN, to avoid corruption. Over
100,000 hectares of land is under rice cultivation. Other companies are now
setting up in the state, thus increasing the number of farmers involved. They
are also participating in CBN’s Anchor Borrowers programme.
All farmers involved in the scheme are trained
before they can qualify to participate, and this has increased the average
yield per farmer from 2.5 tonnes to an average of five tonnes and even more per
hectare per crop. Kebbi State recorded at least 1.4 million tonnes of rice in
2016 alone.
According to Governor Bagudu, another wonderful
discovery from this rice experiment is that the rice mills can get 100 per cent
of their power needs from the rice husks. The husks can provide the clean and
environmentally friendly electricity needed to power the mills. The leftover
husks can be converted to coal briquettes and sold to households for cooking.
“It is not a fairy tale”, Bagudu explained, “go
and see it. It is in Ebonyi, in Kano, in Kebbi. Even in Lagos where we send
some of our paddy for milling, they have seen that the husks can generate
electricity. It is a wonderful value chain element of rice production”.
Governor Bagudu firmly believes that getting
Nigeria to reclaim her place as an agricultural export giant is neither magic
nor rocket science.
“Why did we become dependent in oil? It is
because we invested in petroleum and neglected agriculture. The total bank loan
to agriculture in Nigeria is less than five per cent of the bank loans. How can
we treat agriculture that way? If we want to make the farmer wealthy so that he
can feed well, send his children to school, be able to afford quality
healthcare and stop being poor, we must invest heavily in agriculture.
And that is what we have done”.
Abubakar Bagudu has been a part and parcel of
the political process since the return of our democracy in 1999. After
graduating in Economics in from the Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, he
obtained his Masters from the University of Jos and later went to the USA to
read International Affairs at the Columbia University, New York.
In 1999 he joined the All People’s Party, APP,
as a loyalist of the late Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi group, along with others such
as Attahiru Bafarawa, Saminu Turaki, Adamu Aliero, Ahmed Yerima and Ogbonnaya
Onu.
While Onu was elected a presidential candidate
of the APP as Shinkafi’s proxy, the others except Bagudu, went on to become
governors.
Bagudu had to patiently play in the shadow of
Aliero who was from his constituency. He bided his time till Aliero, who was
elected into the Senate in 2007, was appointed by the late President Umaru Yar’
Adua as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, then he contested for
the vacant Kebbi Central Senatorial District seat and won. He was re-elected in
2011.
While at the Senate he served in various
committees, such as Education, Interior, Foreign Affairs among others.
As the 2015 general elections drew near, he and
the Aliero group decamped from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and joined
the All Progressives Congress, APC, on which platform he contested for the seat
of governor and won.Atiku Abubakar Bagudu is one of the few governors who have
used his exalted position as governor to put no less than 600,000 people to
gainful employment through farming and related value-chain offshoots in just 18
months. He is a great evangelist for the Nigerian rice, not just Kebbi or Lake
Rice. This governor has become the foremost symbol of Nigeria’s march towards
an era of ‘Rice Pyramids’.
The impact of his innovative governance
reverberates nationwide, and the editors of Vanguard had no problem in
unanimously voting him as one of our Governors of the Year 2016
http://www.niyitabiti.net/2017/01/governor-of-the-year-bagudu-the-nigerian-rice-flag-bearer/
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-to-nudge-iran-to-resume-basmati-imports/articleshow/56282021.cms
Paddy purchase
picks pace amid technical hurdles
By Express News Service |
Published: 02nd January 2017 05:08 AM |
Last
Updated: 02nd
January 2017 05:08 AM
ROURKELA: Amid impact of demonetisation, opening
of bank accounts of farmers linked to cooperative bodies is underway and paddy
procurement has picked up momentum but problems for the farmers are far from
over.
The
procurement began on December 15 and so far, 25,000 tonnes of paddy have been
procured against the target of 89,000 tonnes.
But, it is
feared that the procurement process may be disrupted due to technical reasons.
The rice mills in the district are allowed to procure paddy in strict
accordance to online generated Miller Authority Slips and Society Authority
Slips and once the security deposits of the rice mills get exhausted, they
would be required to deposit extra security money.
But, majority
of 14 authorised rice mills in the district are unwilling to deposit extra
security money due to cash crunch and in such a situation, procurement may be
disrupted in next five to six days.
Moreover,
procurement authorities are facing problems in transferring sale proceeds to
farmers’ bank accounts in some areas after total digitisation of the process.
They informed
that failure to update the database of farmers in time, disruption in Internet
connectivity and frequent power disruptions are delaying online payments to
farmers in remote pockets of Koida, Gurundia and Hemgir blocks. The procurement
authorities also face the trouble in integrating Bhulek database of about 8,500
farmers, whose land records were mismatching and efforts were taken to remove
anomalies.
Civil Supplies
Officer A Pradhan said procurement is going on smoothly and asserted to sort
out the security amount issue of rice millers in consultation with the district
administration.
Meanwhile,
Sundargarh District Cooperative Bank Ltd (SDCCBL) through its 16 rural branches
has intensified opening of bank accounts of farmers linked to 44 Large and
Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPSs) in the district. Subsequent to
demonetisation, LAMPSs were restricted from rendering banking services to
member farmers.
SDCCBL Chief
Executive Officer AN Mohanty informed that from December 19, about 7,000 bank
accounts were opened with about 800 farmers getting new SDCCBL accounts daily.
There is no complaint regarding paddy procurement, he added.
The
procurement would continue till March through 112 Paddy Purchase Centres
(PPCs), including 44 LAMPSs, and about 25,600 farmers have availed online
registrations
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2017/jan/02/paddy-purchase-picks-pace-amid-technical-hurdles-1555247.html
Arkansas Rice Research and
Extension Center: Focus on real-world challenges
As the nation’s number-one rice producer, the economy of
Arkansas places a premium on every aspect of the crop’s production, from the
the availability of unique and hardy varieties, to the financial success of our
producers in the field, to the impeccable quality of the finished product.
As the nation’s number-one rice producer, the economy of Arkansas places a
premium on every aspect of the crop’s production, from the the availability of
unique and hardy varieties, to the financial success of our producers in the
field, to the impeccable quality of the finished product.
As the primary institution of
higher education in support of agriculture in the state, the University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture spends a significant portion of its
resources and efforts working to make sure rice, and the people behind it,
succeed.
Nathan McKinney, interim director
of the Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC), came to the research station
in the summer of 2016, after serving various roles in the Division of Agriculture’s
Cooperative Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Station.
McKinney said he encourages his
researchers — there are about a dozen scientists attached to the RREC — to take
a “portfolio” approach to their research. Solving problems that rice growers
face today is the highest priority.
“That’s what I call ‘applied’
research,” McKinney said. “Most of our effort is targeted towards answering
present-day questions or applying a new approach, a new variety or technology
to solve a problem.
“However, part of that research portfolio is
also forecasting what problems producers may see 10 years from now,” he said.
“Some of our far-reaching, basic
research is trying to answer the question, ‘what happens when rice is exposed
to high nighttime temperatures?’” McKinney said. “And what causes the
physiological stress in rice under various climate conditions? What
physiological pathways can we exploit to overcome heat stress? We have
fundamental questions that we currently have no answers for — we have some
blank spots in our knowledge of the physiology of rice.”
Focus on rice
Although researchers at the RREC
conduct studies on other crops essential to Arkansas and the region including
corn, soybeans and wheat, the focus is on rice.
Jarrod Hardke, Extension rice
agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, has been with the RREC since 2012.
He described his applied agronomic work at the research center as research
aimed at affecting production-based recommendations.
“We look at every variety of rice
available to us, from both commercial seed companies and those varieties we
breed ourselves, to see what works best under a range of conditions,” Hardke
said. “One of the biggest points of emphasis is on-farm cultivar trials —
actually comparing the different varieties and hybrids a grower has to choose
from to observe their relative differences on various farms under different
production systems.”
Over the course of multiple years
and weather cycles, Hardke said, the Division of Agriculture is able to
synthesize data that gives growers the best shot at success, from choosing the
best cultivar for their soil to dealing with pests and environmental pressures
as they arise.
Hardke said that over the long
term, rice research in the state evolves through the extension and feedback
process, as agronomic data is pushed out to growers through Cooperative
Extension Service agents, and agents deliver feedback back to researchers.
McKinney said the research has
also been guided by challenges specific to Arkansas and the region, such as a
potential scarcity of groundwater in the near future.
“Our irrigation engineer, Chris
Henry, has introduced a wealth of ideas new to Arkansas farming, and
various water conservation measures for rice production,” McKinney said. “So
that’s broadened the scope of the station’s research.
“We’ve also had a rice breeding program
here for 60 years or so, but we’ve recently added a hybrid breeding emphasis. A
new hybrid breeder joined us in November of 2015,” he said. “Hybrid seed
production in rice is relatively new, and it has broadened the scope of our
breeding program.”
Research umbrella
McKinney said all the researchers
working under the RREC’s umbrella are to some degree involved in evaluating
constant and increasing environmental stresses, and taking measures to help
growers overcome those challenges.
“For example, this year and in
some recent years, it’s turned out that high nighttime temperatures created a
lot of yield and grain quality problems for rice producers,” McKinney said.
“It’s robbed us of millions and millions of dollars. And we’re attempting to
solve that problem. Some of the pieces of the puzzle are falling in place, but
there are still other pieces we’re trying to discover.
“Everybody on this station is
involved with that, either directly or indirectly. All of our scientists have
their hands in it,” he said.
Researchers and staff at the RREC
also work closely with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dale Bumpers
researchers at the nearby Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, also
located in Stuttgart, as well as other entities, including the Mid-South Breeding
Consortium.
“We’re bringing in the best
resources to collaborate with, and to give us ideas and input,” McKinney said.
Hardke said the facility is
unique in that it remains the only fully faculty-staffed research Extension
center in the state.
“We house all relevant
disciplines in the faculty here at the station, permitting us to be housed
right in the heart of the rice-growing region of the state, performing our
work,” Hardke said. “We’re here, we’re accessible. Our full-time job is rice,
the rice industry and its improvement. That’s how all our time is spent —
that’s unique to this location.”
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/arkansas-rice-research-and-extension-center-focus-real-world-challenges
Fact Check: Dear Godwin Emefiele,
Nigeria doesn’t spend N1trillion on rice and wheat imports annually
by Ezinne Ajoku
It was reported that Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central
Bank of Nigeria, speaking last Thursday at the launch of CBN Anchor Borrowers
Programme and 2016/2017 Dry Season Farming in Jibia, Katsina state said,
“Nigeria’s import bill is exceptionally high; top four import commodities which
include rice and wheat, consume over N1 trillion in foreign exchange annually.”
Agri dept. targets to increase rice prod next
year
Saturday,
December 31, 2016 By JENNIE P. ARADO THE Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao
region targets to increase rice production for 2017 by enhancing rice
mechanization. During a weekly press conference at Abreeza Mall, DA-Davao
Regional Director Ricardo Oñate, Jr. said that one of the ways to increase rice
yield in the region is through the enhancement of mechanization in rice
production. The nationwide average yield is at 3.9 metric tons per hectare, which
Davao Region had surpassed with its 4.6 metric tons per hectare average rice
yield. However, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol wanted to increase
nationwide average yield to six metric tons per hectare which makes the need
for rice production in Davao region to still be increased despite the current
sufficiency.
Oñate also
said that with today’s generation, less and less young people are going into
farming. He thinks that with proper education and campaign for mechanization,
particularly of rice production, the youth will recognize that technology made
it less difficult. He is hoping that mechanization will encourage more young
people to go back to farming. As for other farmers who are hesitant to use
modern technology, Oñate said that trainings and seminars had been conducted to
introduce the benefits of the equipment to them.
He also added
that by 2017, a thorough campaign drive will also be conducted. Combined
harvester is a machine that aids with the harvesting of grain crops. Compostela
Valley had already started using this technology. According to Oñate, Combined
Harvester is a great help for rice farmers as it does not only aid with the
harvesting but also with threshing. It serves two operations in a single
machine. It lessens the time consumed in processing. Oñate added that not only
is the region equipped with harvesting facility.
The Rice
Processing Complex (RPC) is a post-harvest machine that aids with rice milling.
RPC provides better production with 65 percent rate of recovery for the rice
produce in comparison with the 50 percent rate by small rice millers. The
machine also provides efficient rice production, milling, and even drying and
storage. An RPC in the region is located at Matanao, Davao del Sur. Increased
rice yield will not be a problem of overstock as President Rodrigo Roa-Duterte
already expressed plan to provide 20 kilos of rice per month to Filipinos under
the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program care of the Department of Social
Welfare and Development. Ads by Kiosked Tags:
DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURERICE PRODUCTIONMECHANIZATIONTECHNOLOGY Published in the Sun.Star
Davao newspaper on January 01, 2017. Latest issues of Sun.Star Davao also
available on your mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Subscribe to our digital
editions at epaper.sunstar.com.ph and get a free seven-day trial.
