5th July,2017 daily global,regional and local

 

Importing an export problem: India is becoming a high cost economy in agro-related items

 

There is a rise of 30% in value of imports of three essential agro items, namely wheat, pulses, vegetable/edible oils—indicative of substantive demand pull in the country.Data analysis of India’s seven select but vital agro-related items of exports reveals that there is a sharp slump—40% in their overall value—during last four years.

There is a rise of 30% in value of imports of three essential agro items, namely wheat, pulses, vegetable/edible oils—indicative of substantive demand pull in the country (see accompanying graph). Data analysis of India’s seven select but vital agro-related items of exports reveals that there is a sharp slump—40% in their overall value—during last four years. Commodities are wheat, rice, sugar, cotton, soy meal, guar gum and beef+fish. Exports falter when goods are not competitive or if there is a lack of local production and/or poor demand overseas. Edible items are of daily use.

Thus, with rising population, the probability of lower demand abroad is not logical. Two successive draughts in 2014-15 and 2015-16 may justify the drop in production, but the lack of adoption of new technologies and efficient farm practices is the root cause. Imports Import of pulses jumped from $2.3 billion in 2013-14 to $4 billion—an increase of 74%. Out of 5.4 million tonnes (mt) of pulses shipped to India, 50% or about 2.7 mt are peas/yellow peas from Canada/USA. Kharif acreage of pulses is down by 33% which points to lower output, compelling higher imports of Tur, Urad Moong.

News of possible decline in production will make imports costlier. The government has been fronting state agencies for import through bulk tendering. PSUs tenders escalate world prices, thereby pushing up values for private import as well. When state agencies dispose pulses in the domestic market at subsidised prices—that is at a loss—it disturbs the parity of private imports because they cannot discount their costs. This may discourage import, thereby creating more scarcity in the country.

Wheat From exporter of wheat of about 14 million tonnes (approx $4 billion in 2012-13 to 2014-15), India has turned into a structural importer of $1.5 billion of grain in the last three years. Spike in wheat import in 2016-17 over the previous year is 840% by value. In 2014-15 and 2015-16, market estimates of production each year varied 84-87 million tonnes (though Government claimed 93-95 mt). FCI stocks depleted to 8 mt (buffer norm is 7.5mt) on April 1, 2017, and imports ballooned to about 4 mt in 2016-17, thus validating the market’s view.

Wheat procurement pf 30 mt this year vs targets of 33 mt implies that OMSS supply to flour millers will be restricted. This necessitates private imports of 5-6 mt in 2017-18.Already importers are looking for cargos from September 2017 onwards from Australia and Black sea at landed values of $240 and $205 respectively which will be cheaper than domestic wheat after 10% duty paid The government has rightly stayed away from importing wheat directly for FCI and let privates fill the gap.

This prudence has kept world wheat prices range bound and non-inflationary, because traders import in economical lots with the spread of time, instead of bulk tendering by the public sector undertakings (PSUs), which often results in inflated import values. Vegetable oils Import of palm/soy/sunflower oils has remained steady—value wise between $8-9 billion per annum. There are strong pressures from oilseed crushing industry to raise import tariff to create a disparity by having high landed cost of overseas products so that locally produced oil could be cheaper.

 The government has done well in levying moderate duties on oil to protect consumers—60% of which are based in rural areas including farmers and not to promote inefficient production and processing. Unless high yielding oilseed varieties are available in the country—the value and volume of vegetable oils import are bound to ascend. Exports In 2014-15, basmati/ non-basmati rice exports were $7.8 billion, this has slipped to $5.8 billion in 2016-17, but still, India remains world’s largest exporter of rice at 10 mt. Poor demand in Africa, especially in Nigeria, of non-basmati rice, and slow down of basmati shipments to Iran and Saudi Arabia could be possible reasons.

Iran shipments declined over 50% from 1.44 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 0.7 million tonnes in 2016-17. The outlook for non-basmati rice for 2017-18 appears positive as strong demand from Nigeria via neighbouring Benin is supportive; Bangladesh requires more than one million tonnes of rice desperately and trade is focused on this demand. Indian non-Basmati rice prices are lower than the competition from Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan.

The success of rice export business is attributed to minimal interference by the government, diversity of paddy varieties, superior capability for par-boiled rice, logistical advantages for Africa, botched-up past policies of the Thai government in paddy pricing and poor performance of Pakistan. Indian rice export is negligible to South-east Asia and China. Cotton Cotton exports tapered down from $3.8 billion to $1.4 billion during 2013-14 and 2016-17—lower by 63%.

Exports to China and Pakistan suffered, while Bangladesh remained a consistent market. India’s share of exports to China has dropped from almost 80% in 2011 to 10% in 2015. Indian trade is diversifying to newer markets of Indonesia, Taiwan, Turkey and Thailand to gain the momentum. Soymeal/Guar gum/Beef and fish There has been a drastic fall (86%) in soy meal exports from $2.8 billion to $0.38 billion; likewise, guargum exports have been 75% lower and beef and fish have witnessed a 48% decline in 2016-17 from their peak performance of $10 billion in 2014-15.

Beef exports are not likely to pick up because of current confusion. GST complexities is another factor that is bound to affect trade. We are becoming a high-cost economy in agro-related items. If we continue to dither in our export earnings by the lack of quality/procedures/poor yields/price parities, resultant suffering will be transmitted via trade to the farmers and another undesirable cycle of joblessness and loan waivers will commence.

http://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/importing-an-export-problem-india-is-becoming-a-high-cost-economy-in-agro-related-items/749496/

 

US dollar climbs to Rs108 in interbank market

 

KARACHI: The US dollar surged to its 2.5-year-high against the Pakistan Rupee in the interbank market on Wednesday, touching Rs108. After closing at Rs104.90 on Tuesday, the dollar gained Rs3.12 to hit Rs108 today. In the curb market NBP exchange quote was Rs105.90/106.40, lower than the interbank rate.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/148159-us-dollar-climbs-to-rs108-in-interbank-market

FAO Rice Price Update – July | 2017

The FAO All Rice Price Index (2002-04=100) rose for the seventh consecutive month in June 2017 to reach 209 points, up 7.3 points (4 percent) from its value a month earlier. Price increases were most pronounced in the long-grain segment last month, with brisk demand lifting the value of the Higher and Lower Quality Indica Indices by 12 points, each. Japonica prices also continued to regain ground, amid deteriorating crop prospects in California. Instead, the Aromatic Index eased by 1 percent month-on-month, as demand for Basmati rice tended to slow.

 Export prices made further inroads in all the major Asian origins during June, as suppliers remained busy meeting the rush in orders placed by countries such as Iraq, Iran and Bangladesh in recent weeks. Expectations of additional purchases by the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh tended to accentuate gains. It was only towards the latter part of the month that prices subsided somewhat, amid easing pressure to secure supplies and a lack of fresh interest. In the Americas, a sale to Iraq provided a further boost to long-grain quotations in the United States, which had already found support on continued concerns over flood-losses and a good pace of shipments. An upbeat pace of sales also underpinned quotations in Argentina and Uruguay, while prices took a downturn in Brazil, amid limited buying interest and currency movements.

 According to the FAO All Rice Price Index, international prices in the first half of 2017 were on average 0.6 percent above their level in the first semester of 2016. The relative stability masks contrasting trends across the major origins, with quotations up in India and Pakistan, remaining steady to lower in Thailand and Viet Nam, but noticeably weak in the United States.

http://ricenewstoday.com/?p=117468

 

Furniture exhibitions to help attract foreign investment

 PARVEZ JABRI

 JUL 3RD, 2017 17:32

LAHORE: President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Zubair Tufail said on Monday that furniture exhibitions would play a significant role in attracting foreign investors and boosting local hand-made furniture industry. Talking to a delegation of Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC), headed by its Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq here, he appreciated holding of successful exhibitions on self-help basis in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore.
He said that the forthcoming 8th 3-day mega "Interiors Pakistan" expo, starting from July 7 in Karachi, would attract a good number of foreign investors and local buyers as the world best hand-made wood furniture products would be displayed there.
Zubair Tufail said that there was an urgent need to explore international market for boosting our exports as there was a lot of potential for increasing Pakistani furniture exports. He said that currently the volume of furniture export was very low, but a beginning had been made, and with an aggressive marketing strategy, it could be doubled in a short span of time.
He said that currently the textile sector was the country's largest industry in terms of exports, exporting $14 billion worth of goods annually. The second largest sector is rice, which generates $2 billion through exports, but Pakistan's furniture exports stand at a meager $51 million. He said that if the government extends support to the furniture companies, the volume of export could touch the figure of $5 billion during the next five years.
PFC Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq, on this occasion, apprised the FPCCI president of successful exhibitions of Interiors Pakistan. He said more than 100 leading companies and interior designers would display their products at the 8th mega exhibition and over 250,000 people are expected to visit the event.
He said the Pakistan furniture industry had a great potential and he predicted that the increased exposure through Interiors Pakistan would highlight the skill and talent in the country

http://www.brecorder.com/2017/07/03/356888/furniture-exhibitions-to-help-attract-foreign-investment/

Pak Agri scientists praised

Agricultural scientists of Pakistan deserve appreciation for inventing new technology to grow rice without using water. Secretary Agriculture Punjab Muhammad Mehmood said this while talking to APP here Monday.
He said the said technology would have far reaching benefit for the agriculture sector and farming community of Pakistan and other countries. “Our agri-scientists have proved that they are second to none in the world and they are working hard to serve the mankind,” he said and added that Pakistan’s scientists were best in the world.—APP

https://pakobserver.net/pak-agri-scientists-praised-2/

Dynamite fishing, drugs, threaten Myanmar’s ‘sea gypsies’

With a swift breath the teenage boy dives into the turquoise waters of southern Myanmar, a spear clutched in his hand, but below him lies nothing but a graveyard of broken, grey coral.He is one of the Moken, a nomadic seafaring tribe who have perfected this freedive fishing technique over hundreds of years among the 800 islands that dot the Myeik archipelago and neighbouring southern Thailand.

Until recently the sea provided them with everything they needed: a base for boats they lived in, fish and seafood to eat and bounty such as pearls to trade with islanders for fuel and rice.With a swift breath the teenage boy dives into the turquoise waters of southern Myanmar, a spear clutched in his hand, but below him lies nothing but a graveyard of broken, grey coral.

He is one of the Moken, a nomadic seafaring tribe who have perfected this freedive fishing technique over hundreds of years among the 800 islands that dot the Myeik archipelago and neighbouring southern Thailand.Until recently the sea provided them with everything they needed: a base for boats they lived in, fish and seafood to eat and bounty such as pearls to trade with islanders for fuel and rice.

But the waters have been devastated by the commercial fishing industry that has eaten away the area’s once abundant marine life.The destruction has been wrought by fishing boats, many believed to be from neighbouring Thailand, who use dynamite and trawlers to sweep the seabed.In a cruel chain reaction, some Moken youths have ended up working for the fishing fleets that are destroying the ecosystem that supported them through the generations.“When we were young, a husband could easily support his family,” Kar Shar, the Moken leader in Makyone Galet village, recalled as he smoked his pipe outside his stilted, corrugated-iron house.

“Now the whole family has to work to survive, and sometimes even that is not enough.”

In a cruel chain reaction, some Moken youths have ended up working for the fishing fleets that are destroying the ecosystem that supported them through the generations.

“When we were young, a husband could easily support his family,” Kar Shar, the Moken leader in Makyone Galet village, recalled as he smoked his pipe outside his stilted, corrugated-iron house.

“Now the whole family has to work to survive, and sometimes even that is not enough.”

Many islanders, including local Karen and Burmese as well as the Moken — known as Salon in Myanmar or “Sea Gypsies” in the West — have been caught up in the trade.

Impoverished, stateless and with restricted working rights, some Moken began diving for fishing crews in the early 90s and continued after the former military government forced many to live on the islands.

“There is a lot of dynamite fishing,” said Jacques Ivanoff, an expert at France’s CNRS and the Musee de l’Homme who has spent decades working with the Moken.“Left alone… (they) have no other choice to make a living.”

It’s risky, illegal work. The fishermen travel to the deserted outer islands where they are less likely to be caught.

There the divers search for the best spot, before throwing in the dynamite and quickly reversing away.Some breathe through thin plastic tubes hooked up to compressors, while others use no equipment. Many suffer decompression sickness, which can leave them crippled and unable to walk.

Others die as they swim up to the surface, or never surface at all — a terrible price to pay for a business whose profits largely slip overseas.“People say the boats are from Thailand,” said 54-year-old Moken man Ko Matt.For many the potential profits make the dangers worth it. Divers can earn more than $100 in a night, compared to an average wage of $3 a day on the islands.

Some Moken have turned to drugs to cope with the strain of the work.Win Myat was a teenager when his uncle died, lost to the caffeine-laced methamphetamine pills known as ‘yaba’ that have flooded the area.

“He would spend all his money on drugs,” the 20-year-old told foreign media agencies on Nyaung Wee island.

“In the end he was very weak and always became angry if he did not have the pills,” he added, requesting his name be changed.“He made a lot of trouble for our family. Then he died.”

Rights activist Khin Maung Htwe estimates around 40 percent of Moken men on the islands use narcotics, either yaba or heroin from Myanmar’s drug-producing borderlands.Most are young men, leaving the Moken women to marry the local ethnic Karen and Burmese and settle further into a more land-based culture.

“Now there are not as many Moken men as women left,” said Tun Aung Soe, 20, whose mother is Moken and his father ethnic Burmese.Experts say the Moken’s population in Myanmar has fallen from around 5,000 — over 10,000 if you include other sea nomads the Moklen and Urak Lawoi — to 2,000-3,000 today.

The collapse of fish stocks has been a disaster for the Moken.A Norwegian fisheries research vessel which surveyed the Myeik archipelago in 1980 and again in 2013 found rampant overfishing had led to a 90 percent fall in the biomass of open ocean species of fish.

Robert Howard, marine programme advisor for environmental NGO Flora & Fauna International, said there are an estimated 8,000 smaller boats and many other large trawlers operating in the area.

“If that keeps going the fishery will eventually collapse,” he warned.A Norwegian fisheries research vessel which surveyed the Myeik archipelago in 1980 and again in 2013 found rampant overfishing had led to a 90 percent fall in the biomass of open ocean species of fish.

Robert Howard, marine programme advisor for environmental NGO Flora & Fauna International, said there are an estimated 8,000 smaller boats and many other large trawlers operating in the area.

“If that keeps going the fishery will eventually collapse,” he warned.Many of the Moken say fishing is no longer enough to sustain them.

Today less than half of those living on the Myeik archipelago lead the seafaring life of their ancestors, and that number is declining.No one has made a kabang, the traditional wooden boat in which people used to spend most of their lives, for a decade.Kar Shar, the Moken leader in Makyone Galet village, longs for those days again.

“When we lived on the boats we could move to other places if the current place was not good, but now we cannot,” he said.“Life was better on the boats.”

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/07/03/dynamite-fishing-drugs-threaten-myanmars-sea-gypsies/

Expos play significant role in attracting foreign investors: FPCCI chief

  

Salim Ahmed

Lahore

Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Zubair Tufail said furniture exhibitions will play significant role to attract foreign investors besides boosting local hand-made furniture industry, in addition to enhancing its exports.Talking to a delegation of Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) headed by its Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq here on Monday, the FPCCI Chief appreciated the PFC for holding successful series of Interiors Pakistan exhibitions on self help basis in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore.

He said that the forthcoming 8th 3-days mega “Interiors Pakistan” expo starting from July 7 in Karachi is poised to attract sizeable foreign investors and local buyers as the world best hand made wood furniture products will b e displayed ,a centre of attraction.Zubair Tufail said there is an urgent need to explore international market for boosting our exports as there is a lot of potential for increasing Pakistani furniture export, adding he said the value of furniture export was very nominal but the beginning had been made, and with aggressive marketing strategy the value of exports could be doubled in a short span.
He said currently, the textile sector was the country’s largest industry in terms of exports, exporting $14 billion worth of goods annually. The second largest segment is rice, which generates $2 billion through exports, but Pakistan’s furniture exports stand at a meager $51 million. He said if the government extends its support to furniture companies, the volume of export could touch the figure of $ 5 billions for the next five years.He suggested that a programme for developing and promoting the furniture sector both in rural and urban areas could be feasible, and also stressed upon urgent need for implementing modern techniques which not only enhance productivity, develop skills of labourers and meet requirements of local and global markets.

PFC Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq, on this occasion, apprising him of successful exhibitions of Interiors Pakistan said more than nearly 100 leading companies and interior designers will display their products in 8th mega exhibition while as many as 250,000 visitors are expected to..He said the Pakistan furniture industry had a great potential in future and he predicted that the increased exposure through Interiors Pakistan would highlight the skill and talent in the country.

https://pakobserver.net/expos-play-significant-role-attracting-foreign-investors-fpcci-chief/

First Global Sustainable Rice Conference & Exhibition

Date: 4-5 October,2017

Venue:Conventtion Centre Bangkok Thailand

The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) is a multi-stakeholder partnership to promote resource efficiency and sustainability both on-farm and throughout the rice value chain. SRP was co-convened by the UN Environment and the International Rice Research Institute in December 2011, and works in collaboration with partners in the public and private sectors as well as the NGO community.

Each year, the SRP brings together its members and dialogue partners to discuss collaborative approaches and innovative solutions to critical sustainability challenges facing the rice sector.

Conference Tracks:

• Track 1: Drivers of Global Rice Sector Transformation
• Track 2: Global Rice Markets and Food Security
• Track 3: Technology Convergence and innovation: Tools for Climate-smart Agriculture
• Track 4: Assurance and Smallholder Finance
• Track 5: Crop Protection, Nutrient and Water Management
• Track 6: Incentives for Sustainability

Registration:http://www.sustainablericeconference.org/pricing

http://www.sustainablericeconference.org/

Importing an export problem: India is becoming a high cost economy in agro-related items

There is a rise of 30% in value of imports of three essential agro items, namely wheat, pulses, vegetable/edible oils—indicative of substantive demand pull in the country.

Data analysis of India’s seven select but vital agro-related items of exports reveals that there is a sharp slump—40% in their overall value—during last four years.There is a rise of 30% in value of imports of three essential agro items, namely wheat, pulses, vegetable/edible oils—indicative of substantive demand pull in the country (see accompanying graph). Data analysis of India’s seven select but vital agro-related items of exports reveals that there is a sharp slump—40% in their overall value—during last four years. Commodities are wheat, rice, sugar, cotton, soy meal, guar gum and beef+fish.

Exports falter when goods are not competitive or if there is a lack of local production and/or poor demand overseas. Edible items are of daily use. Thus, with rising population, the probability of lower demand abroad is not logical. Two successive draughts in 2014-15 and 2015-16 may justify the drop in production, but the lack of adoption of new technologies and efficient farm practices is the root cause.

Imports

Import of pulses jumped from $2.3 billion in 2013-14 to $4 billion—an increase of 74%. Out of 5.4 million tonnes (mt) of pulses shipped to India, 50% or about 2.7 mt are peas/yellow peas from Canada/USA. Kharif acreage of pulses is down by 33% which points to lower output, compelling higher imports of Tur, Urad Moong. News of possible decline in production will make imports costlier.

The government has been fronting state agencies for import through bulk tendering. PSUs tenders escalate world prices, thereby pushing up values for private import as well. When state agencies dispose pulses in the domestic market at subsidised prices—that is at a loss—it disturbs the parity of private imports because they cannot discount their costs. This may discourage import, thereby creating more scarcity in the country.

Wheat

From exporter of wheat of about 14 million tonnes (approx $4 billion in 2012-13 to 2014-15), India has turned into a structural importer of $1.5 billion of grain in the last three years. Spike in wheat import in 2016-17 over the previous year is 840% by value.

In 2014-15 and 2015-16, market estimates of production each year varied 84-87 million tonnes (though Government claimed 93-95 mt). FCI stocks depleted to 8 mt (buffer norm is 7.5mt) on April 1, 2017, and imports ballooned to about 4 mt in 2016-17, thus validating the market’s view.

Wheat procurement pf 30 mt this year vs targets of 33 mt implies that OMSS supply to flour millers will be restricted. This necessitates private imports of 5-6 mt in 2017-18.Already importers are looking for cargos from September 2017 onwards from Australia and Black sea at landed values of $240 and $205 respectively which will be cheaper than domestic wheat after 10% duty paid

The government has rightly stayed away from importing wheat directly for FCI and let privates fill the gap. This prudence has kept world wheat prices range bound and non-inflationary, because traders import in economical lots with the spread of time, instead of bulk tendering by the public sector undertakings (PSUs), which often results in inflated import values.

Vegetable oils

Import of palm/soy/sunflower oils has remained steady—value wise between $8-9 billion per annum. There are strong pressures from oilseed crushing industry to raise import tariff to create a disparity by having high landed cost of overseas products so that locally produced oil could be cheaper. The government has done well in levying moderate duties on oil to protect consumers—60% of which are based in rural areas including farmers and not to promote inefficient production and processing.

Unless high yielding oilseed varieties are available in the country—the value and volume of vegetable oils import are bound to ascend.

Exports

In 2014-15, basmati/ non-basmati rice exports were $7.8 billion, this has slipped to $5.8 billion in 2016-17, but still, India remains world’s largest exporter of rice at 10 mt. Poor demand in Africa, especially in Nigeria, of non-basmati rice, and slow down of basmati shipments to Iran and Saudi Arabia could be possible reasons. Iran shipments declined over 50% from 1.44 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 0.7 million tonnes in 2016-17.

The outlook for non-basmati rice for 2017-18 appears positive as strong demand from Nigeria via neighbouring Benin is supportive; Bangladesh requires more than one million tonnes of rice desperately and trade is focused on this demand. Indian non-Basmati rice prices are lower than the competition from Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan.

The success of rice export business is attributed to minimal interference by the government, diversity of paddy varieties, superior capability for par-boiled rice, logistical advantages for Africa, botched-up past policies of the Thai government in paddy pricing and poor performance of Pakistan. Indian rice export is negligible to South-east Asia and China.

Cotton

Cotton exports tapered down from $3.8 billion to $1.4 billion during 2013-14 and 2016-17—lower by 63%. Exports to China and Pakistan suffered, while Bangladesh remained a consistent market. India’s share of exports to China has dropped from almost 80% in 2011 to 10% in 2015. Indian trade is diversifying to newer markets of Indonesia, Taiwan, Turkey and Thailand to gain the momentum.

Soymeal/Guar gum/Beef and fish

There has been a drastic fall (86%) in soy meal exports from $2.8 billion to $0.38 billion; likewise, guargum exports have been 75% lower and beef and fish have witnessed a 48% decline in 2016-17 from their peak performance of $10 billion in 2014-15. Beef exports are not likely to pick up because of current confusion. GST complexities is another factor that is bound to affect trade.

We are becoming a high-cost economy in agro-related items. If we continue to dither in our export earnings by the lack of quality/procedures/poor yields/price parities, resultant suffering will be transmitted via trade to the farmers and another undesirable cycle of joblessness and loan waivers will commence

http://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/importing-an-export-problem-india-is-becoming-a-high-cost-economy-in-agro-related-items/749496/

The crisis that could have been avoided

Abu Siddique

Published at 12:48 AM July 05, 2017

Last updated at 01:54 PM July 05, 2017

Photo:Syed Zakir Hossain

The current retail price of coarse rice is Tk48 – which is Tk18 higher than what the price was this time last year

Bangladesh is seeing a record hike in rice prices this year, even after the harvest season, as the government reserve of rice has hit a record low in at least a decade.Rice traders and farmers say the government’s persistent stance against increasing its reserve by importing rice, keeping the import duty at 28% to restrict import by private traders, damage to boro paddy due to a recent flash flood in Haor areas, and a lack of monitoring over the private sector are the major reasons behind the crisis.

According to the Ministry of Food, the current retail price of coarse rice is Tk48 – which is Tk18 higher than what the price was this time last year.

Furthermore, on June 21, the government rice reserve stood at 173,000 tonnes – a whopping  445,000 tonnes less than the 618,000-tonne reserve on the same day last year.

This situation did not arise overnight, but has been happening over the last six months, said market insiders, who blamed the government for overlooking the rapidly depleting government stock and not initiating the import of rice sooner.

“The government is too late. It should have approached the international market for importing rice much sooner than it did when it noticed the depleting reserve,” said Quazi Shahabuddin, agricultural economist and former director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).

However, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said at parliament that the country was currently not facing a crisis of its staple food.She said as of June 28, the government reserve stood at 188,000 tonnes of rice, whereas the government-approved rice mills had around 5.4 million tonnes in stock and the retail-wholesale markets had a further 5 million tonnes.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh lost around two million tonnes of paddy during the boro season in April-May – the highest yielding season of paddy in a year – due to the flash flood in Haor basin and a blast disease epidemic in different regions Syed Zakir Hossain

Where did the paddy go?

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh lost around two million tonnes of paddy during the boro season in April-May – the highest yielding season of paddy in a year – due to the flash flood in Haor basin and a blast disease epidemic in different regions.

Ministry data shows the boro yield last year was 19 million tonnes. Taking that into account, right now the country should have roughly around 17 million tonnes of paddy.

Like every year, the government has been procuring boro rice and paddy for its own reserve since May 2, with the target of procuring 800,000 tonnes of rice and 700,000 tonnes of paddy by August 1, mostly to run its social safety net programme and emergency disaster relief.

But as of now, the government has managed to procure only 49,159 tonnes of rice – a measly amount compared to last year’s procurement of around 1 million tonnes.

Owners of rice mills, from whom the government is procuring the rice this year, claim that there is not enough paddy in the local market, which is why they are unable to supply the rice to the government.

“This year, we do not have enough stock to run our business for long,” said Nirod Boron Saha, president of Naogaon Rice Wholesalers’ Association.

Asked where all the paddy has gone just two months after harvest, Nirod said: “Some unscrupulous traders and farmers may have hoarded the paddy as the price was good during the harvest period.”

Millers irked by govt procurement rate

Another reason why the rice mill owners have backtracked from supplying rice to the government reserve is the procurement rate set by the government, said Nirod.

For this boro season, the government has fixed the procurement price as Tk24 per kg of paddy and Tk34 per kg of rice.

These rates contradict with the “paddy-to-rice conversion” method and will cause losses to the millers, he added.

“A maund (around 37.32kg) of rice is produced from around a maund and a half of paddy. If the price of paddy is Tk24 per kg, naturally the price of rice will be Tk36,” he explained. “If the government rates are to be followed, millers will have to count a Tk2 loss per kg of rice that they supply to the government reserve.”

Because of these “ridiculous” rates, the government would not get rice from the millers this season, Nirod told the Dhaka Tribune.

Import is the solution

To overcome the current situation, the government has already initiated import of rice from different countries, including Vietnam and India.

An agreement to this end has been signed with Vietnam, while the authorities concerned are looking into the Indian market.

In addition, the government has cut down the import duty on rice to 10% from 28% so the private sector can immediately start importing rice.

However, this year rice price is higher in the international market as well.

A tonne of rice is priced at around $410-450 in India, Vietnam, Pakistan and Thailand, which means the price of imported rice in the local market would be around Tk36-42 per kg, according to the Ministry of Food.

Market insiders believe the upward trend of rice price will continue, or at least the current situation will remain as it is, if the government fails to control the market by importing enough amount of rice.

Agricultural economist Quazi Shahabuddin said importing rice is the only option for the government to tackle the situation at the moment.

He advised the government to reduce the import duty down to zero so private sector importers could make some profit, seeing as rice prices are high in the global market as well.

Nirod Boron Saha agreed. “The government should also increase the number of beneficiaries in and the amount of rice allotted to its social safety net programme to reduce the demand in the local market,” he added.

www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/07/05/the-crisis-that-could-have-been-avoided/

Punjab Ahrtiyas honour Capt Amarinder Singh with Fakhar-E-Qaum title

July 04, 2017 07:17 PM

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Punjab News Express/Satinder Bains

CHANDIGARH: A day after Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh made an appeal to Ahrtiyas(Commissionagents) to charge low interest rates from debt riddeen farmers, the Punjab Ahrtiya Association honoured Chief Minister here with title of Fakhar-E-Qaum.An official spokesman said that Capt Amarinder Singh was honoured in recognition of his outstanding contribution to ensuring hassle free and smooth procurement of wheat.

The Chief Minister was honoured with a plaque, with inscription of title 'Fakhar-e-Qaum', at a mega felicitation function organized by the federation here at Kisan Bhawan.Thanking the aartiyas for the honour bestowed on him, the Chief Minister said a sincere beginning had been made by his government to safeguard the interests of the farmers. He cited the landmark decisions taken by the government, including abolition of Kurki and debt waiver to 10.25 lac farmers in the state. He also referred to the government’s decision to abolish the truck unions, which he said were arm twisting the aartiyas and industrialists, thus jeopardizing the procurement operations and transportation of industrial goods.

The Chief Minister urged the aartiyas to extend full support and cooperation to the state government to bail out the distressed peasantry from the current agrarian crisis. He appreciated the age-old ties of farmers with aartiya community and hoped that these bonds would be strengthened further to win over the confidence of the beleaguered farmers.Captain Amarinder said his government was committed to provide a level playing field to all the stakeholders, including aartiyas, farmers and officials of the procurement agencies, to resolve their problems amicably. He also asked the Chairman Mandi Board to have a joint meeting of aartiyas and rice millers to settle all their pending issues to the satisfaction of both the parties.

Chairman Mandi Board Lal Singh said the Chief Minister did not possess a magic wand, rather it was his administrative capability and firm commitment to protect the rights of the farming community which resulted in smooth procurement operations and timely payment to the farmers. Lal Singh lambasted the Akalis for ruining the farmers and bringing economic ruin to the state. They also deliberately obstructed any discussion on the government’s white paper as that would have completely exposed their financial misdeeds, he added.

Earlier, in his welcome address, President Emeritus of the Federation Bal Krishan Singla said that the gigantic procurement operation of wheat undertaken recently under the Captain Amarinder regime resulted in timely payment of Rs.14,000 crore to the farmers besides procurement of 20 crore bags. He recalled that Captain Amarinder was credited with ensuring ten flawless procurements of Wheat and Paddy during his last regime as Chief Minister from 2002-2007, which not only reinforced the confidence of the state peasantry in his government's farmer friendly policies but also helped in forging better and congenial ties between them and aartiyas. He assured the Chief Minister on behalf of the federation that the aartiyas would not charge more than the fixed monthly interest rate of 1.5% from the farmers.

Earlier, federation president Vijay Kalra welcomed the Chief Minister and expressed gratitude to him for smooth and hassle free procurement of Wheat during Rabi 2017 immediately after taking the reins. He lauded Captain Amarinder Singh for announcing a debt waiver for small and marginal farmers through a budgetary provision of Rs.1500 crore despite acute financial crunch in the state.

Among those who attended the function were Senior Advisor to Chief Minister Lieutenant General (Retd.) T.S. Shergill, Media Advisor to Chief Minister Raveen Thukral, Advisor to Chief Minister BIS Chahal, Secretary Mandi Board Amit Dhaka and Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amrit Kaur Gill.

http://punjabnewsexpress.com/punjab/news/punjab-ahrtiyas-honour-capt-amarinder-singh-with-fakhar-e-qaum-title-62778.aspx

Sowing seeds for growth

A farmer ploughs his field on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. KT/Chor Sokunthea

 The government is to set a long-term plan for agriculture to make it more competitive, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.The Agricultural Master Plan 2030 – a strategic framework for agricultural sector development – aims to provide high-quality services with a sound scientific, technological and legislative base.

Srey Vuthy, director of the department of planning and statistics at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the plan was to enhance inclusive agricultural growth by increasing productivity, diversification, competitiveness and agricultural commercialisation.It also promotes sustainable agriculture land use, forestry and fisheries resources management and development.

 “The overall policy goal is to increase agricultural growth by around five percent per annum and expand agricultural exports with high quality and safety through enhancing agricultural productivity, value adding and enabling competition, taking into account the sustainable use of land and ensuring sustainable and forestry resource management,” Mr Vuthy said.

Speaking at a consultation workshop on “The new path of Cambodia’s agriculture growth” yesterday at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Vongsey Vissoth, secretary of state of economy and finance, told more than 100 participants it was time to think about the long-term strategic framework in agriculture, avoiding short-term measures which solve current issues but not the root problem.

“Currently, the agriculture sector is facing complicated issues and these have become hot issues in the whole country from production to the market,” Mr Vissoth said.“The big issue is coming from the big transformation of the structure of the economy as a whole and in agriculture as a part with the effort of government,” he said.But he said Cambodia lacked management and preparation to support of the transformation.

“The share of the agriculture sector in the country’s GDP was more than 40 percent in 1990,” Mr. Vissoth said.“It is 29 percent this year but the volume and value is big, so we have to think what we are going to do in the next five or ten years.“We have to re-evaluate which way to go, what the prioritised products are and what we do to support the complicated change.”

Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon told yesterday’s forum that it was an opportunity to check, evaluate and seek deep understanding on the issue of the draft policy on the agriculture development for the medium and long term to achieve agricultural production chain goals as well as maintaining natural resources sustainability.

“Agricultural produces have increased remarkably which means there is a need to solve issues including market access,” Mr Sakhon said. “Thus, in order to modernise and boost production, diversification, and commercialisation in agriculture to help solve issues facing farmers, especially smallholder farmers, we will continue taking measures for effective and efficient renovation of infrastructure in the production chain and competition in the market,” Mr Sakhon said.

Phou Puy, CEO of the Cambodia Rice Bank, suggested that government and stakeholders solve urgent issues first without waiting for the master plan.He suggested having a working group to solve current issues in agriculture.“We want an exact community market for farmers to bring their products to purchasers or rice millers in one place,” Mr Puy said.

 “Farmers want exact purchasers and exact prices. Famers want more convenient roads for transporting agriculture products and for the government to negotiate with Thailand to allow easy access for Cambodian agriculture products.”Mr Vissoth said Cambodia should have a medium and long-term master plan to keep Cambodia agriculture sector sustainable and avoid problems.

He said the government would also think about a short-term plan to help farmers and the agriculture sector. Chan Sophal, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, said there were two issues in agriculture, output and input.He said that for output, the government should have proper irrigation systems and lower logistic costs from the rice field to the market.

“For input in agriculture, there are also issues including regulation of imported fertiliser and pesticide which lack  effectiveness and which cost a lot for the private sector.

The quality of checking imported agriculture pesticide was not clear, so the government must strengthen regulations,” Mr Sophal said.Economy and finance secretary of state Vongsey Vissoth said agriculture was the backbone of the economy.One part was pushing growth and reducing poverty, and the other part was maintaining the environment by managing water and fertilisers.

“We have to boost productivity, diversification and commercialisation, human resources training to build capacity and market share while agro-business or agro-processing are key to solving issues,” Mr. Vissoth said.Mr Vissoth identified the  three priority areas next year would be production, processing and market share.

He said that government would consider subsidising seedlings for farmers, checking the regulation on the quality and standard of fertiliser, animal feeds, pesticide imports, checking fertiliser, animal and pesticide imports and animal house slaughter, reviewing import tax, checking the cost of transport and distribution, and reviewing the electricity tariff.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/39985/sowing-seeds-for-growth/http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/39985/sowing-seeds-for-growth/

Govt sets up GST Facilitation Cell for MSMEs

Source: The Hitavada     

Date: 05 Jul 2017 09:42:09

Business Bureau,

MSME-DI Nagpur recently organised awareness programme on implementation of GST Nagpur for the members of Rice Mill Cluster, Ramtek, Dal Mill Cluster Nagpur and Orange City Garment Cluster, Nagpur. The programme received overwhelming response as 150 members of clusters participated in the programme.Prashant Warker, Superintendent of Central Excise and Customs, Nagpur, CA Anand Daga, Sunil R. Khujnare, Assistant Director, and Rahulkumar Mishra, Assistant Director of MSME-DI Nagpur, Manohar Bhojwani from Dal Mill Cluster, Vipul Panchmatia from Orange City Garment Cluster, and Prakash Chok from Rice Millers and Packers Cluster Ramtek were present on the dais.

In his welcome address, Sunil Khujnare, Assistant Director of MSME-DI, Nagpur spoke on what is GST and the need for GST Bill. He said, GST Facilitation Cell for MSMEs throughout India has been set up at DC (MSME), New Delhi and MSME-DIs. He also welcomed and appreciated the co-operation and participation of cluster members.

CA Anand Daga said that GST has subsumed all the indirect taxes and brought all of them under a single umbrella. The Bill aims to eliminate the cascading effect of taxes on production and distribution prices on goods and services. He also gave power point presentation on GST. His presentation was cluster specific and covered all the aspects related to Rice Mill Cluster, Ramtek, Dal mill Cluster Nagpur and Orange City Garment Cluster, Nagpur.

Prashant Warkar said, GST bill is India’s biggest tax reform which will simplify the current system of taxation. The Bill converts the country into a unified market by replacing all indirect taxes with one tax. He also gave power point presentation on implementation of GST. Panel discussion was also organised wherein all the experts replied to the queries of the participants. The programme was co-ordinated by Sunil R. Khujnare and Rahulkumar Mishra proposed the vote of thanks.

http://thehitavada.com/Encyc/2017/7/5/Govt-sets-up-GST-Facilitation-Cell-for-MSMEs.aspx

Government not ruling out rise in price of imported rice

A file picture or Ahmad Shabery taken on April 12, 2017- Bernama

 SITIAWAN: The Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry has not dismissed the possibility that the price of imported rice may rise in the future as it is not a controlled item.Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek (pic) said several factors could contribute to the rise in price, including the higher global price of rice and the depreciation of the ringgit.

"However, this is mere speculation. The ceiling price of imported rice is not controlled but according to regulations, it cannot be sold at a lower price than local rice to protect the national rice industry.

"Maybe, what the Rice Wholesalers' Association said is correct since there are signs that the global price of rice has risen.

"One tonne of imported rice used to be between US$340 (RM1,461) and US$350 (RM1,504), but now there are signs that it can reach US$400 (RM1,719) per tonne," he told a press conference after attending the launch of the Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Fisheries College at Kampung Acheh Fisheries Complex by the Perak's Sultan Nazrin Shah on Tuesday.

Ahmad Shabery also said that rise of global oil prices could affect the price of imported rice, while natural disasters like the one in Bangladesh recently resulted in a rise in demand for the commodity.Earlier, Malaysian Rice Wholesalers Association president Wu Zi Lian predicted that the price of imported rice could rise by 10% by the end of the year. – Bernama

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/07/04/government-not-ruling-out-rise-in-price-of-imported-rice/#YpIO15EJZ5YvEes7.99

House probe on state of PH rice inventory sought

•           July 2, 2017

•           Written by Ryan Ponce Pacpaco

•           Published in Nation

A HOUSE leader has urged the House of Representatives to pursue its inquiry into the “true state” of the country’s rice inventory amid the scheduled arrival of the first tranche of imports of the grain this July and the lower rice inventory ahead of the traditional post-summer lean months.Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte,vice chairman of the House committee on appropriations, reiterated his call for a congressional inquiry following the latest report by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that the country’s rice stocks as of May 1 dropped by 13 percent to 3.21 million metric tons (MT) from 3.69 million MT a year ago.

  “We should ensure that we have sufficient rice stocks in the coming weeks and months as the lean season kicks in, which is why I am calling for a congressional probe to find out the actual volume of stocks in store in our commercial warehouses, the NFA (National Food Authority) and our households,” said Villafuerte.   

The first batch of some 250,000 MT of imported rice is expected to arrive by end-July to augment existing stocks, according to the NFA. In House Resolution (HR) No. 993, Villafuerte called on the appropriate committee of the House of Representatives to “conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the true state of rice inventory in the Philippines to ensure adequate and affordable rice supply during the traditional lean months.”

    Through such an inquiry, Villafuerte said Congress could immediately determine “the true state of the country’s rice inventory that is crucial to the timely drawing of proposals for the government to ensure ample and affordable rice supply” for the remainder of the year and onwards.Villafuerte cited an earlier report to him by NFA CamarinEs Sur provincial manager Dr. Yolanda Navarro that the province’s buffer stock only totaled 42,293 cavans (or 50-kilo bags) as of April 30, or equivalent to only three days’ consumption at CamSur’s daily rice requirement of 13,840 cavans.

   Navarro informed Villafuerte in her letter that the Legislative-Executive Department Advisory Council (LEDAC) had prescribed for the NFA a buffer stock level equivalent to 30 days’ consumption at the onset of the July-September lean months.http://www.journal.com.ph/news/nation/house-probe-on-state-of-ph-rice-inventory-sought

http://www.journal.com.ph/news/nation/house-probe-on-state-of-ph-rice-inventory-sought

Proposed rice storage facility to boost capacity

Mon, 3 July 2017

Cheng Sokhorng

A proposal for a massive warehouse and silo that has attracted two Chinese investors aims to fill the Kingdom’s conspicuous gap in paddy rice storage capacity, which still falls 60 percent short of the level needed for the country to achieve its goal of 1 million tonnes of annual rice exports.

Private Chinese firms Jilin Province Investment Group Co Ltd and Jilin Tianzhong Agriculture Development Co Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with local conglomerate Soma Group to build a “huge” storage facility to serve Cambodia’s rice producers.

According to Hun Lak, vice president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, the companies will conduct a feasibility study to determine the location and investment size of the initial storage complex, with Battambang and Takeo provinces favoured. Additional storage facilities could be developed in other areas, he said.Lak said the Chinese investment would be substantial and would help fill the rice sector’s gap in storage capacity.

“It will help to narrow down the rice industry’s gap in storage facilities, which is necessary if it is to reach the goal of 1 million tonnes of rice exports,” he said yesterday, estimating that the country has just 40 percent of the storage capacity needed to realise Prime Minister Hun Sen’s export target of 1 million tonnes of milled rice a year.“Even now that we have some huge rice storage warehouses and silos we still need more investment in these facilities to fill the gap,” he said.

Cambodia exported 530,000 tonnes of milled rice last year, with mills running production for about six months of the year before using up their stores.Phou Puy, CEO of Thaneakea Srov (Kampuchea) Plc, which operates the country’s first large-scale “rice bank” storage facility, said the new Chinese investment could allow local millers to operate year-round.“We welcome any new investment in rice storage warehouses and silos as our rice industry still need more capacity in order for mills to run full production for the entire year,” he said.

Thaneakea Srov’s storage warehouse in Battambang province has a storage capacity of around 40,000 tonnes, while the company is building a 200,000 tonne facility due for completion next year. Yet, even this will still fall short of the country’s needs.“Currently, our capacity can only handle the [paddy rice of] western Cambodian producers,” he said.“We will need more warehouses and silos to handle the rest of the country’s production.Farmers prepare to plant rice seedlings in Kampot province in 2015. Pha Lina

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/proposed-rice-storage-facility-boost-capacity

China remains Vietnam's top rice importer

China is importing 46.5% of Vietnam's rice, a huge increase from the previous 35-36% seen in previous years.

    Worker looks over the rice

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam exported 2.8 million tonnes of rice valued USD1.2bn in the first six months of 2017. Both the volume and value increased by 6.3% and 4.9% respectively compared to last year. However, average prices in the first five months decreased by 0.9% to USD445.5 per tonne compared to last year.China continues to be Vietnam's top importer. In the first five months, Vietnam exported 1.1 million tonnes of rice to China for USD488m as demands from China is huge. Chinese traders often buy rice directly from the firms' storage and then imported into China via border gates or commissioned another importer. They also re-export the rice to other countries.

Pham Thai Binh, director of Trung An Hi-tech Farming JSC, said requirements from Chinese traders were getting tighter, similar to other markets like the US and Japan. Not only the rice must be safe but their origin could also be tracked. Currently, only 22 out of 150 Vietnamese firms were able to export to China. Despite exporting huge volumes of rice to China, Vietnam is still unable to build a recognisable brand name there as most of the rice is repackaged by Chinese traders.Loc Troi Group is the only firm that have a contract with Hunan Leading Science and Technology Development Co Ltd to officially distribute rice and other agriculture products in an attempt to build a Vietnamese rice brand in China.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/181306/china-remains-vietnam-s-top-rice-importer.html

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JUL 04, 2017

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-July 4

Nagpur, July 4 (Reuters) – Gram and Tuar prices reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture Produce

and Marketing Committee (APMC) auction on good buying support from local millers amid thin

supply from producing region because of rains in parts of Vidarbha. Notable rise in Madhya

Pradesh pulses and repeated enquireis from South-based millers also boosted prices. About 1,100 of gram and 700 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.

    FOODGRAINS & PULSES

    

   GRAM

   * Gram yellow firmed up in open market on renewed demand from local traders amid weak

     supply from producing regions.

  

   TUAR

     

   * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.

   * Moong Chamki recovered in open market on good marriage season demand from local

     traders.

                                              

   * In Akola, Tuar New – 3,900-4,100, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,700-5,800, Udid Mogar (clean)

    – 8,200-9,200, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,800-7,200, Gram – 5,600-5,800, Gram Super best

    – 7,800-8,500

   * Wheat, rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in

     scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.

      

 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

   

     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close  

     Gram Auction                  4,400-5,082         4,400-4,900

     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600

     Tuar Auction                3,500-3,770         3,470-3,700

     Moong Auction                n.a.                3,900-4,200

     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500

     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800

     Wheat Mill quality Auction        1,550-1,644        1,550-1,661

     Gram Super Best Bold            7,500-8,000        7,500-8,000

     Gram Super Best            n.a.            n.a.

     Gram Medium Best            6,600-7,000        6,600-7,000

     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a

     Gram Mill Quality            5,100-5,200        5,100-5,200

     Desi gram Raw                5,400-5,500         5,400-5,500

     Gram Yellow                 7,100-8,100        7,000-8,000

     Gram Kabuli                12,300-13,400        12,300-13,400

     Tuar Fataka Best-New             5,800-6,000        5,800-6,000

     Tuar Fataka Medium-New        5,400-5,600        5,400-5,600

     Tuar Dal Best Phod-New        5,200-5,400        5,200-5,400

     Tuar Dal Medium phod-New        4,800-5,000        4,800-5,000

     Tuar Gavarani New             3,500-3,700        3,500-3,700

     Tuar Karnataka             3,900-4,100        3,900-4,100

     Masoor dal best            5,000-5,200        5,000-5,200

     Masoor dal medium            4,600-4,900        4,700-4,900

     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.

     Moong Mogar bold (New)        7,000-7,500         7,000-7,500

     Moong Mogar Medium            6,300-6,600        6,300-6,600

     Moong dal Chilka            5,200-6,000        5,200-6,000

     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.

     Moong Chamki best            6,600-7,600        6,500-7,500

     Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,000-9,000       8,000-9,000

     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    7,000-7,500        7,000-7,500    

     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        4,900-5,200        4,900-5,200    

     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        5,100-5,500        5,100-5,500

     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)          2,950-3,150         2,950-3,150

     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)            2,900-3,000        2,900-3,000

     Watana White (100 INR/KG)           3,500-3,700           3,500-3,700

     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    4,100-4,600        4,100-4,600  

     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,950-2,050        1,950-2,050

     Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)    1,850-1,950        1,850-1,950  

     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)         2,150-2,350           2,150-2,350        

     Wheat Lokwan new (100 INR/KG)    1,800-2,000        1,800-2,000

     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,100-2,300        2,100-2,300   

     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)   1,800-2,000        1,800-2,000

     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.

     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,000-3,500        3,100-3,500   

     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,200-2,800        2,300-2,800          

     Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG)        2,800-3,200        2,800-3,200

     Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)        3,500-4,000        3,500-4,000   

     Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,200        3,000-3,200   

     Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)         2,500-2,800        2,500-2,800

     Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)       2,200-2,400        2,200-2,400  

     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,600-2,800        2,600-2,800  

     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500  

     Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG)        3,600-4,000        3,600-4,000

     Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)           4,500-5,000        4,500-5,000   

     Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)        4,100-4,300        4,100-4,300   

     Rice Shriram New(100 INR/KG)           4,800-5,200        4,800-5,200

     Rice Shriram best 100 INR/KG)    6,500-6,800        6,500-6,800

     Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)    5,800-6,200        5,800-6,200  

     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    10,000-14,000        10,000-14,000    

     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    6,000-8,000        6,000-8,000   

     Rice Chinnor New(100 INR/KG)        4,600-4,800        4,600-4,800

     Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)    5,800-6,000        5,800-6,000   

     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    5,400-5,600        5,400-5,600  

     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        1,900-2,200        1,900-2,200   

     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)         1,800-1,900        1,800-1,900

WEATHER (NAGPUR) 

Maximum temp. 31.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 25.7 degree Celsius

Rainfall : Nil

FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with One or two spells of rains or thunder-showers likely.

Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 33 and 25 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available

(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices)

ATTN : Soyabean mandi, wholesale foodgrain market of Nagpur APMC and oil market in Vidarbha will

be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, on the occasion of Ashadi Ekadash

http://in.reuters.com/article/badminton-india-gopichand-idINKBN19Q0Z6

Grains: Prices of rice basmati and wheat fell at the

Sat, 1 Jul 2017-01:31pm , PTI

wholesale grains market during the week due to reduced offtake against adequate stocks position.

A few other bold grains also eased amid subdued demand from consuming industries.

Traders said ample stocks position against fall in demand from stockists and retailers mainly pulled down rice basmati prices.

Reduced offtake by flour mills put pressure on wheat prices, they said.In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa- 1121 variety eased to Rs 6,400-6,700 and R 5,400-5,500 against last close of Rs 6,700-7,000 and Rs 5,700-5,800 per quintal respectively.

Wheat dara (for mills) also slipped by Rs 15 to Rs 1,725-1,730 per quintal. Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded lower by similar margin to Rs 1,730-1,735 per 90 kg.

Other bold grains, bajra fell by Rs 100 to Rs 1,100- 1,110 per quintal. Barley and maize also declined by Rs 50 and Rs 15 to Rs 1,400-1,420 and Rs 1,275-1,285 per quintal respectively.(MORE)

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

http://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-grains-prices-of-rice-basmati-and-wheat-fell-at-the-2489417

Climate change to significantly hurt wheat, rice crop yields

  

Islamabad

Steady growing temperatures pose a serious risk to Pakistan’s efforts for achieving sustainable food security and meet food consumption needs of the spiking population, according to studies based on various projections of climate change impacts on the country’s agriculture and water resources. “The global warming-induced by rising global temperatures can badly affect the country’s food production system in shape of crop yield losses and reduced growing cycles in the various climatic zones of the country,” said Mohammad Saleem, the climate change ministry media spokesperson and climate change communication specialist.
In a special talk with a group of media persons he said that like the most developing countries, Pakistan is staring at the radar of food insecurity, with its food production out of sync with population growth. The food availability scenario is further aggravated by shifting weather patterns with recurring severe droughts and floods that affect the country’s overall crop production, the media spokesperson added.
He explained that studies carried out by the Global Change Impact Study Centre (GCISC), a Ministry’s research wing, pointed out that average temperature over Pakistan would increase in the coming decades at a pace faster than that of the average global temperature increase. “The temperature rise in Pakistan may exceed by about one degree Celsius by the end of this century,” Mr. Saleem cautioned quoting the GCISC studies.
He said that based on crop simulation models of the GCISC show that wheat crop yield will be reduced by 3.4 to 12.5 percent in semi-arid irrigated areas including Faisalabad, Sheikhupura and 3.8 to 14.5 percent in arid areas including Hyderabad, Badin, Bahawalpur and Multan. Around 16 percent decline in overall wheat producity in rain-dependent areas has been forecast in various areas of the Potohar region including Chakwal district under different climate change senarios towards the end of ongoing century. Graver impacts of the global warming on the country’s rice crop have also been predicted.
“The rice crop yields are likely to register fall by 12 to 22 percent in almost all rice growing areas of the country by end of this century because of the rising global temperatures,” he estimated quoting findings of the GCISC’s crop simulation models. The ministry’s media spokesperson said that these simulationmodels further indicate that length of cultivation periods of these important crops would shorten, which would lead to pronounced plunges in yields of not only rice and wheat but also other crops such as maize and vegetables.—APP

https://pakobserver.net/climate-change-significantly-hurt-wheat-rice-crop-yields/

Ministry of Commerce Tests Perceived Plastic Rice on Liberian Market

Monrovia – A brand of rice on the Liberian market – Butter Brand – perceived by the public to be artificial (made of plastic) and imported from China has been proven to real rice by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Ministry conducted the quality test on the rice at its National Standard Laboratory located on the premises of the Ministry of Public Works in the presence of FrontPageAfrica staff.

This was after this paper had confronted the ministry with complaints from consumers of the rice. The Butter Brand rice is imported in the country by Supplying West Africa Trading Inc. located in Sayon Town. It has very high carbohydrate content (very starchy) and often gets very hard after it becomes cold. It is mostly preferred by low-income families because of its ability to swell. Over the weekend, two aggrieved consumers of the rice walked into the offices of FrontPageAfrica with sample of the rice complaining, “We’ve come here to report this case. It is a very serious issue.

We bought this rice from the Fula store, but my brother this is plastic rice,” he alleged. He continued, “As soon as this rice gets cold, it becomes hard. We mold it in your hands and bounce it; it will bounce back like ‘ganger ball’. We threw it on the wall, it bounce back to us. “We came here to complain because government cannot allow such rice on the market. This is not good for the citizens. These are some of the foods we eat then we start getting sick, we go to the hospital, they can’t see anything in our system.

” According to him, he went back to the store from which he bought the rice in Larkpazee and fortunately met the supplier of the rice offloading supplies so he immediately called some police officers from Salem Police Depot in Airfield Community to the store in Larkpazee. However, to his dismay, after some tussle with the supplier, a Lebanese national, the police received a call after which they informed him that they had been asked to back off. This, according to him, prompted him to report the incident to FrontPageAfrica. Upon being confronted by this paper, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) dispatched a team to SWAT – the supplier on Tuesday morning to collect a sample of the rice for testing.

Three quality tests were conducted in the presence of FrontPageAfrica to ascertain the whether the product was indeed rice or another substance. The rice passed the combustion, floating in hot oil and sinking in water tests. With the combustion test, sample of the butter brand rice was placed in a special microwave at a temperature of 550 degrees Celsius. Rice, would burn and turn to ashes during this test while plastic would melt and become compact. During the oil floating method, sample of the butter brand rice was placed in oil heated at a temperature of 200 degree Celsius with the expectation that it would sink and float on the oil which it did to show it is actual rice. Plastic would have melted on top of the oil without sinking.

The rice is made in China and has a validity period of five years of five years. Rice is the staple food in Liberia with an annual import of 1.3 metric tons. Speaking to FrontPageAfrica, MOCI Minister said, “China is the largest producer of white rice or sticky rice, but we don’t eat it in Liberia much because it’s perfect when it’s hot but gets hard when it’s cold.” In 2016, Nigerian Police impounded a consignment of 102 bags of 50kg of fake rice believed to be plastic rice. They are suspected to have been smuggled or illegally shipped in from China through Lagos port, a senior customs official in Nigeria’s commercial hub told AFP. The rice was branded “Best Tomato Rice”.

The poor quality of facilities like warehouses in which the rice and other food products are stored is a major contributing factor to making some food stuffs unwholesome for consumption, a food analyst at the laboratory told FPA. “Some of these warehouses don’t have good ventilation and even the method through which they transport some of these food stuffs cause the food to drop in quality. For example, rice is not supposed to be transported in an open air truck. Even tarpaulin is not adequate enough to cover the rice. Worst of all, you see some people lying on the rice or water while transporting. This alone can spoil the rice. Their sweat can diffuse into the rice,” the analyst said.

http://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/business/4664-ministry-of-commerce-tests-perceived-plastic-rice-on-liberian-market