Rafique
Suleman, acting chairman, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Monday
asked the Kenyan government for preferential duty structure for Pakistani rice
to create a balance of trade between the two countries. Chairing a meeting of
the managing committee and rice exporters of Kenya at REAP House, Karachi, Rafique
Suleman said presently Kenya is getting some $200 per metric ton or 75 percent
(whichever is higher) on the import of rice from Pakistan, despite the fact
that Pakistan is a major importer of Kenyan tea.
The higher tea import and lower rice exports due to higher duty structure is directly hurting the trade balance, which is largely in favor of Kenya. Trade between Pakistan and Kenya is enjoying a very good trend, however higher duties are major hurdles in improved rice exports to Kenya, he added. "Pakistan is the largest buyer of Kenyan tea, therefore, we request the Kenya government to grant preferential tariff/duty structure for Pakistani rice to create balance of trade," he maintained.
Suleman briefed the meeting that presently, rice exports to Kenya are witnessing a declining trend as Pakistan exported 465,425 metric tons of rice amounting to $ 169 million during last fiscal year 2016-17 (FY17), whereas previously Pakistan had exported approx 0.5 million metric tons of rice amounting to $ 188 million in FY16. He said that with the collective efforts of stakeholders, the declining rice exports to Kenya could be halted.
He said recently Professor Julius K Bitok, High Commissioner of Kenya in Islamabad, along with Hanif Janoo, Hon Consul of Kenya in Karachi, had paid a visit to REAP House and discussed various matters of mutual interests during the meeting.
Pakistani rice exporters had discussed several problems with High Commissioner of Kenya, particularly the issue of theft of their rice cargo during the transit from Kenyan ports to buyers' warehouses, he added.
"We don't have any support from the government of Kenya in this regard, therefore Pakistani rice exporters themselves get cargo insured from certain insurance companies, but unfortunately often don't have their claim refunded. Claims worth thousands of dollars are pending with insurance companies," Suleman said.
Pakistani rice exporters are also facing problems regarding the valuation of rice imported into Kenya by Kenyan authorities and need to address this issue as well.
Moreover, it was also decided that a high-level trade delegation of rice exporters will visit Kenya along with Hanif Janoo for meetings with the Kenyan authorities as well as their counterparts. The meeting was also attended by members managing committee - Safdar Mehkari, former REAP chairman Mahmood Moulvi and others
The higher tea import and lower rice exports due to higher duty structure is directly hurting the trade balance, which is largely in favor of Kenya. Trade between Pakistan and Kenya is enjoying a very good trend, however higher duties are major hurdles in improved rice exports to Kenya, he added. "Pakistan is the largest buyer of Kenyan tea, therefore, we request the Kenya government to grant preferential tariff/duty structure for Pakistani rice to create balance of trade," he maintained.
Suleman briefed the meeting that presently, rice exports to Kenya are witnessing a declining trend as Pakistan exported 465,425 metric tons of rice amounting to $ 169 million during last fiscal year 2016-17 (FY17), whereas previously Pakistan had exported approx 0.5 million metric tons of rice amounting to $ 188 million in FY16. He said that with the collective efforts of stakeholders, the declining rice exports to Kenya could be halted.
He said recently Professor Julius K Bitok, High Commissioner of Kenya in Islamabad, along with Hanif Janoo, Hon Consul of Kenya in Karachi, had paid a visit to REAP House and discussed various matters of mutual interests during the meeting.
Pakistani rice exporters had discussed several problems with High Commissioner of Kenya, particularly the issue of theft of their rice cargo during the transit from Kenyan ports to buyers' warehouses, he added.
"We don't have any support from the government of Kenya in this regard, therefore Pakistani rice exporters themselves get cargo insured from certain insurance companies, but unfortunately often don't have their claim refunded. Claims worth thousands of dollars are pending with insurance companies," Suleman said.
Pakistani rice exporters are also facing problems regarding the valuation of rice imported into Kenya by Kenyan authorities and need to address this issue as well.
Moreover, it was also decided that a high-level trade delegation of rice exporters will visit Kenya along with Hanif Janoo for meetings with the Kenyan authorities as well as their counterparts. The meeting was also attended by members managing committee - Safdar Mehkari, former REAP chairman Mahmood Moulvi and others
http://fp.brecorder.com/2017/10/20171010224904/
Rice scientists moving Golden Rice
forward to the market
Domoguen: Rice scientists moving Golden Rice
forward to the market Tuesday, October 10, 2017 By ROBERT DOMOGUEN MOUNTAIN
LIGHT IN THE first series of this article entitled “The Golden Rice Project in
the Philippines,” we noted that Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is mainly a
third-world problem.
VAD is more common in developing countries,
where it is often very severe and can cause loss of vision, other health
problems, and even death. Those opposing the Golden Rice Project have their
followers mostly based in the third world. They propose that promoting a
“diversity of diets” can work wonders for the poor. However, they also claim
that the traditional sources of vitamin A have declined or disappeared in their
countries, if not, unavailable due to high cost and limitations of production.
In India and elsewhere in Asia, lakes, and wetlands which used to be sources of
fish, shrimp, frogs and aquatic weeds rich in Vitamin A have either dried up or
were long poisoned by industrial and residential wastes.
In the
Philippines, "diversity of diet" could hardly work for the middle
class, what more to the poor and the very poor who cannot afford to buy
vegetables or fruits regularly. Still, an oppositionist advocates “effective
education and empowering” the “vulnerable sectors of the population as a more
sensible approach to addressing VAD than adding yet another source of vitamin A
which most likely will not be equitably distributed anyway.” The meaning of the
rhetoric particularly “effective education and empowerment” has yet to be
demonstrated in practice especially in areas abundant with varieties of fruits,
vegetables, fishes, and livestock but continue to suffer from persistent VAD.
Vitamin A is important for healthy eyes, healthy skin and for fighting
infections. Foods that contain vitamin A include liver, milk, eggs and
fish-liver oils.
The other sources are green, orange, and
yellow vegetables and fruits which are good sources of a substance called
beta-carotene that can be converted into vitamin A by the human body. A regular
intake of these foods is recommended to supply the daily requirements of a
person of Vitamin A. Mild forms of vitamin A deficiency can usually be treated
without any long-term problems. Nationwide, results of a food and nutrition
survey among pre-school children revealed VAD increased from 15.2 percent in
2008 to 20.4 percent in 2013. These figures translate to about 2.1 million
Filipino children who are at very high risk of becoming blind or even dying due
to preventable infections.
VAD increases vulnerability to illnesses
including measles, respiratory infections, and diarrhea, which are the leading
causes of death among children in developing countries. Scientists involved in
the development of golden rice (GR) say that complete balanced diets are the
best solution to VAD. But in areas where balance diets are also a problem, GR
“provides an excellent complement to fruits, vegetables, and animal products in
the diet, and to fortified foods and vitamin supplements.” In third world
countries, it is the poor families who hardly eat three square meals a day and
are dependent on cheap staples that need VAD fortified rice. Among poor
farmers, the problem is especially felt during occurrences of drought or when
not in season, fruits and vegetables are hardly available, are expensive and
beyond their means.
Vitamin A fortification and supplementation
programs are part of the solution but nothing beats GR being made available to
poor farmers to grow on their farms and harvest as a regular part of their
diet. A product of the public sector “with the realistic hope of saving the
lives and sight of millions of children in the developing world, GR is like any
natural rice, according to rice scientists at Philrice. Through its
development, all possible risks in its propagation are being resolved in the
laboratory before it is released to the farmers for them to grow on their
farms.
Since the time GR research was started in the
Philippines, rice scientists at Philrice and IRRI never stopped working to make
it available to local farmers and ultimately consumers, according to Dr. Roel
Suralta, GR Project team leader at Philrice. From the beginning, it was their
commitment and ardent desire to ascertain if GR can really be an effective
solution and remedy to the VAD problem. This is the main reason why they have
been sensitive to the public and their peers’ opinions of their activities,
according to Dr. Suralta. “We are committed to doing the science right and
making sure we comply with regulations along the way,” he wrote in response to
an email I sent to him. Their good work is being appreciated and rewarded in
spite of the challenges.
After militant activist destroyed their
experiment in Pili, Camarines Sur in 2013, the Golden Rice Project got more
support from Filipino farmers and local government units, Dr. Suralta said.
“Over the years and at each stage of the project, we kept key stakeholders
informed of our GR research activities. In the conduct of our multi-location
field trials, we are supported by local government unit officials and community
leaders who are well informed of the ultimate goal of our research – to develop
GR varieties with good levels of beta-carotene.
Dr. Suralta said that as partners, the
farmers and LGUs are a great help in ensuring GR could be evaluated as a
potential way to reduce vitamin A deficiency. We are working together to
develop this rice in a manner that complies with national policies at every
step of the way, he explained. “We are pleased that for each of our five field
research sites, the barangay (village), municipal (city) and provincial
governments adopted resolutions in favor of our Golden Rice research
activities, especially the conduct of the field trials.
These local leaders have remained actively
interested in and are supportive of our work ever since, participating along
with members of our locally-based Institutional Biosafety Committees and the
media in regular seminars about biotechnology, healthier rice, and Golden
Rice,” Dr. Suralta said. – To be continued. Ads by Kiosked Tags: RICEGOLDEN RICE Published in the SunStar
Baguio newspaper on October 10, 2017. Latest issues of SunStar Baguio 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.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/opinion/2017/10/10/domoguen-rice-scientists-moving-golden-rice-forward-market-568634
Customs
Seize 497,279 Bags Of Rice In 2 Years
October
9, 2017
Bags of rice
The
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has seized 497,279 bags of imported rice
between 2015 and August, 2017 with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.8 billion.The
Comptroller-General of the service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, disclosed this in
a document obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.Ali said
that 90,073 bags of rice were seized in 2015 with DPV of N693 million while
280,109 bags of rice were impounded in 2016 with DPV of N2.156 billion.He added
that between January and August 2017, no fewer than 127,097 bags of rice were
seized with DPV of N978 million.“From January to March this year, about four
enterprises registered with Tinapa Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Calabar in Cross River
State syndicated the importation of 533 containers of rice.He said the
containers loaded with 299,564 bags of rice were brought into the free zone
through Onne Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
“Certainly, this rice cannot be consumed
within Tinapa and there is no value added through further processing as to
bring it to Nigerian territory.
“It
took the Nigeria Customs Service a big battle with the importers and Tinapa
authorities to compel them to re-export it out of Nigeria.“As at Sept. 19, this
year, 299 containers were re-exported.“If this is to be allowed, it has the
potential of undermining the food security policy of the Federal Government.
“With
the attendant consequence of driving all the industries in the chain of
production out of business, primarily the local farmers and rice millers,” Ali
said.He said that in the past, the Federal Government had introduced policies
like Operation Feed the Nation and Green Revolution to ensure food sufficiency.
He
added that the major cause of failure of these policies was smuggling.According
to him, it is the realisation of this that made the Federal Government to ban
the importation of rice through the land borders.“The ban of rice importation
through the land borders has made the task of fighting smuggling by the NCS
more challenging.“Because major rice importers in the country have decided to
shun the use of Nigerian ports and now divert their cargo to Cotonou where they
bring it into Nigeria in trickles,” he said.
https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/10/09/customs-seize-497279-bags-rice-2-years/
African farmers may soon be adopting PH knowledge, expertise in
rice production
October 10, 2017, 12:17 PM
By Roy Mabasa
Farmers from Africa may soon be
adopting Philippines’ knowledge and expertise in rice production to support
food security, boost rural development and alleviate poverty in that region.This
developed as 30 agricultural specialists from Africa graduated recently from
training programs on quality rice seed production and extension under the
three-year development cooperation (2016-2019) of the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
(Photo by Juan Carlo de Vela / MANILA BULLETIN)
In a statement, JICA senior
representative Yuko Tanaka said they want to help create opportunities for
partner countries like the Philippines to also share with other countries the
knowledge and expertise they learned from Japan.“Under this model of cooperation,
together we can contribute to poverty alleviation and food security,” Tanaka
said.
Both IRRI and PhilRice were
beneficiaries of JICA’s development assistance.The eight-week course at
PhilRice has enhanced the participants’ knowledge and skills in rice production
with emphasis on the production of quality rice seeds through hands-on
activities and laboratory and field exercises. They were likewise exposed to
the different extension methods that can be applied in the promotion and use of
quality rice seeds among farmers.
Participants in this course were
agriculture extension workers from Africa, Afghanistan and the Philippines.The
activity complements the ongoing rice value chain initiatives of different
members of the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD). IRRI, PhilRice
and other global partners are actively supporting CARD’s agenda of helping
double rice production in Africa by 2018.
PhilRice, a government corporate
entity that promotes high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies in rice
production, has received a Japanese grant aid in the 1980s to upgrade its
facilities and research laboratories with Japanese scientists.
JICA noted in its statement that
Sub-Saharan Africa has suffered from increasing rice demand since the 1990s.
Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) data showed that Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of
undernourishment in the world at 23.2 percent or one in every four people
making agriculture productivity an urgent concern.
Tags: African farmers may soon be adopting PH knowledge
expertise in rice production, food
security, IRRI, Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, Philippine Rice Research Institute, PhilRice, rice
production, rural
development
An
addition to the list of trade agreements that Pakistan is in the process of
negotiating is Pakistan Vietnam PTA which is intended to lead to an FTA.
Keeping the lack of efficacy of Pakistan’s trade agreements aside, the
potential trade agreement of Vietnam is just another example of the lack of
direction and sense in our trade policy.
Vietnam
is Pakistan’s competitor in the world textile market and hence is unlikely to
import from Pakistan. Its rice needs are met by domestic production and
neighbouring ASEAN countries. Hence it is highly dubious that demand will be
generated for Pakistan’s top exports through the trade agreement. In the
defence of policy makers Vietnam’s imports in 2016 were nearly $200 billion of
which Pakistan’s share was a measly $239 million. Trade with Vietnam as a
percentage of trade with the ASEAN bloc, that has a combined population of 625
million, combined GDP of $2.6 trillion and combined imports of $1.1 trillion,
is an insignificant figure. While the demand for Pakistan’s textile products
will be limited, there is potential to export cotton, cotton yarn and fabrics.
However,
the potential to import from Vietnam is far greater, especially with 2016’s
auto policy in place. The ASEAN countries have a strong auto sector. Under the
auto policy, new investors can import non-localised parts at a duty 10 percent
lower than before. Localized parts can be imported at half the previous duty
than before by new entrants. Duty for CBU has been reduced by 10 percent as
well. The purpose of the auto policy is to increase competition in the local
market and push existing players to improve their quality and product. However,
it can also have the impact of increasing the import bill as foreign auto parts
become cheaper.
It
seems unlikely that potential gains in cotton exports can offset imports of
auto parts and similar goods. The trade agreement with Vietnam can very easily
head in a direction similar to our trade agreements with other countries;
imports of expensive value added products and exports of cheap resource-based
goods.
http://www.brecorder.com/2017/10/09/373731/another-misguided-trade-agreement/
Young entrepreneurs vow to serve Pakistan
KARACHI: Success stories of young
entrepreneurs emanate in letter and spirit that there is no country in the
world except Pakistan that offer glorious opportunities for business and
investment and that it is a land of promise and potential for positive thinkers
and doers.
Many a young Pakistani have such an
inherent creative glimmer that continues to enable them in utilizing their
promise and potential towards life and career excellence and for a better and
brighter Pakistan. “National Mission – Global Vision: Young Entrepreneurs of
Pakistan”, was beyond a classroom project turned mega event assigned by
faculty, Mr. Parvez Jamil to his students of Public Relations and Event
Management at the Institute of Business Management (IoBM), Karachi. Gracing
this occasion with their inspiring presence were IoBM’s Mr. Talib Syed Karim,
President, Ms. Sabina Mohsin Executive Director and Dr. Muhammad Mahmud,
distinguished, caring and sharing faculty. This program was largely-attended by
young and prominent entrepreneurs and well-placed IoBM alumniamid
packed-to-capacity, highly-disciplined and inquisitive IoBM students with their
respective faculty. Mr. Talib Syed Karim has always been emphasizing the need
for IoBM students to pursue entrepreneurial projects to become job creators and
not job seekers.
He shared with the audience the
importance IoBM attaches to entrepreneurship education and training. Meanwhile,
Mr. Parvez Jamil, highlighted the need for the youth with business ideas to
attune themselves to creative economizing rather than merely seeking sponsors.
He added that young entrepreneurs with creativity, passion and positive
thinking are national assets.
Invited to this occasion were such
young entrepreneurs of Pakistan, IoBM alumni and multinational CEOs and COOs
including Mr. Arsalan Hashmani, CEO, Hashmanis Group of Hospitals; Mr. Saad
Jangda, CEO and Founder of Symbios.pk; Mr. Kazi Sajjad, Editor-in-Chief,
“Regional Times” and CEO, Solutions 1; Mr. Moazzam Husain, distinguished
faculty of IoBM; Mr. Tanveer Farooq, Proprietor and Director Operations at
Globex International Travels and Tourism Services (Pvt.) Ltd.; Mr. Faisal
Imtiaz, HR Specialist, Talent and Employer Wellbeing, Coca-Cola Beverages
Pakistan Limited; Mr. Syed Amir Abbas, Managing Director, Intellexal Solutions;
Dr. Tasmia Billo, Director and Head of Sind Medical Stores; Ms. Arshi Mirza,
Founder, Sugar Coated (cake business); Mr. Jatin Kewlani, Director Promotions
at K.K. Rice Mills (Pvt) Ltd.; Mr. and Mrs. couple in Yasir Longi, a young food
catering par excellence; Ms. Samia Ansari, corporate trainer; Mr. Bilal Iqbal,
running a real estate business and many others. Also invited to sing some
Pakistani melodies were Salman Ahmed, Talha Hussain and Bilal Abdul
Wahab.
Young entrepreneurs invited to the
event have blended their hard work with pertinent learning they received in
universities and are implementing it in practical lives to become symbols of
success in business. Guests humbly shared with the audience how they continue
to add value to their respective industries and serve Pakistan through
businesses by adhering to their values, vision, resources and ideas. Revealing
speeches and success stories of young entrepreneurs at this event emanated in
letter and spirit that there is no country in the world except Pakistan that
offer glorious opportunities for business and investment and that it is a land
of promise and potential for positive thinkers and doers.
While Omar Iftikhar coordinated and
Basit Chawla assisted Mr. Parvez Jamil, HoD Public Affairs to organize this
program, students who were motivated in arranging this event by the faculty
especially included Misha Agha, Sufyan Abdul Sattar, Yusra Zaffar, Bilal Iqbal,
Fatima Marvi, Salman Ahmed, Muhammad Sarib Badi, Sagar, Mahan Singh, Muhammad
Bilal Anwer and Arusa Fatima Jamil.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/235583-Young-entrepreneurs-vow-to-serve-Pakistan
Hardly any
progress in bilateral relations with Iran
October 09, 2017
Pakistan and Iran have decided to strike a deal on trade despite
slow or no progress regarding the implementation of a payment mechanism and
the Iran-Pakistan pipeline project.Both sides have decided to finalise the
proposed free trade agreement (FTA) before November 2017.
The trade negotiating committee of the two countries has already
held two rounds of discussions on the FTA and is scheduled to meet by November
to put the final touches to the agreement. It is projected that the agreement
will increase 2016’s $300 million bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2021.
The non-availability of a payment mechanism casts a
shadow on the viability of the much-awaited trade agreement
“We have almost finalised the draft of FTA,” a trade officer of
the commerce ministry said, adding that the next meeting is expected to reach
an understanding on the remaining issues.
The non-availability of a payment mechanism casts a shadow on the
viability of the much-awaited agreement.
In April 2017, SBP’s deputy governor visited Iran and signed a
banking payment agreement. Under this agreement, the central banks of the two
countries will have to authorise banks for undertaking trade transactions.
On the Pakistani side, the SBP has already issued a circular in
this regard but not a single bank so far has showed interest in opening a
branch in Iran; the plausible reason being a fear of US sanctions on the
country. Not a single bank has applied so far to the SBP to open its branch in
Iran, an official source in the central bank said.
The Iran-Pakistan PTA was signed on March 4, 2004. The agreement
came into force on Sept 1, 2006 and has been operational since then.
Under the existing PTA, Pakistan utilised concessions on 17 tariff
lines out of 334 tariff lines in 2016. Due to this poor utilisation, Pakistan
has provided a wish list of 153 tariff lines to Iran and requested deepening
the margin of preferences (MoP) on 22 items which are already in the PTA.
To reciprocate, Iranian also provided a wish list of 80 items
seeking a MoP from Pakistan.
Looking at Pakistan’s exports to Iran, rice has the highest trade
potential. In 2009, rice exports comprised 80 per cent of Pakistan’s total
exports to the country. But in 2016, these exports fell substantially owing to
international sanctions.
Iran’s rice imports from the world are $517m, 97pc of which are
coming from India, since India circumvented the sanctions by using a barter
trade model.
Other products with a high trade potential are medical
instruments, cotton fabric and woven fabric of cotton. Iran imports these
products from other countries while Pakistan’s exports of these products are
non-existent.
There is also discrepancy in the bilateral trade data of the two
countries. The data compiled by Pakistan showed exports worth $36m and imports
of $284m. Contrary to this, the data compiled by Iranian customs showed
Pakistani export in the range of $300m-$350m while imports worth $600m-$700m
from Iran.
The only justification that came from the ministry of commerce was
that it could be on account of indirect trade via Dubai, smuggling,
unregistered trade from border areas via a land route.
Currently, hundi and hawala are the most popular mode of payment
used for trade between the two countries.
Until the regular banking channel is established for mode of
payment, the target to increase trade to $5bn in the next four years will
remain only on paper, a senior officer of the commerce ministry said. “If there
is no payment mechanism, then there is no importance of such an agreement.
Both sides under the strategic plan agreed to try to open two more
crossing points on the Pak-Iran border, preferably by the end of 2016. Two
potential crossing points are at Gabd (Pakistan)–Reemdan (Iran) and Mand
(Pakistan)–Pishin (Iran).
No tangible progress was seen on this account as well. Both sides
also agreed to ensure international standard border compliance for trucks i.e.
standard shield, tent, seal and fuel tanks; along with exchange of customs
related information and electronic trade data sharing.
An official of the energy division said that no progress was seen
on the issues of the Iran Pakistan Pipeline project. He listed several
bottlenecks including a disagreement on price.
However, there has also been no commitment on the part of the
government to seriously negotiate the issue, apparently due to the imposition
of American sanctions.
Another issue is the huge investment on the LNG terminal at Port
Qasim to meet the growing energy demand through import of the fuel from Qatar.
“You cannot rule out the Qatar factor in delay of finalisation of the pipeline
project with Iran”, the official said.
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, October 9th,
2017
https://www.dawn.com/news/1362588
Bicolano farmers pledge P20-M rice as Christmas gift to Duterte
October 8, 2017, 10:01 PM
By Ruel Saldico
Naga City, Camarines Sur —
Bicolano farmers in support of President Duterte’s administration could not
have expressed their sentiments better than pledging to give him R20 million
worth of rice as a Christmas gift.
Silvestre Bonto, president of the
National Confederation of Irrigators Association (NCIA), said the idea of
giving the President the gift came up during the recent NCIA conference held
here last month.
Bonto said the gift of rice is a
gesture of thanks and support for the President who promised free irrigation to
farmers in the Bicol Region.At present, the NCIA has already started collecting
rice from the irrigators association in the Bicol Region and before their
general assembly the millions worth of rice will be handed over to the
President, he said.
Bonto said it will be up to the
President what he pleases to do with the R20 million worth of rice and may opt
to redistribute it as assistance to the needy.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/08/bicolano-farmers-pledge-p20-m-rice-as-christmas-gift-to-duterte/
Rice millers get loans to lift
storage
Chea Vannak / Khmer Times Share:
Three rice millers were recently
selected to become recipients of short-term emergency loans disbursed by the
Rural Development Bank (RBD), an initiative that aims to boost their storage
capacity during harvest season as well as bolster paddy prices for farmers.The
loans will be used to build storage facilities such as depots and silos.
Amru Rice Cambodia was awarded
one of the loans and will be building silos in Kampong Thom province.Another
recipient for a loan, Khmer Food Group, was chosen to build silos in the
provinces of Prey Veng and Takeo, according to a statement from the RDB.
More than 10 companies filed
applications to gain access to the loans. The deadline for applications closed
on September 22.
Through similar schemes, the
government has disbursed more than $30 million in loans that have enabled rice
millers to build silos and storage depots throughout the country. Loans are
repaid at a five percent interest rate over a period of 10 years.
The first $15 million loan was
awarded in April to the Cambodia Rice Bank and will be employed to build
storage facilities in Battambang province.
The Cambodia Rice Bank is the
kingdom’s first private large-scale rice storage facility aimed at centralising
rice paddy harvested in Battambang province.
Song Saran, the CEO of Amru Rice
Cambodia, told Khmer Times earlier in the year that through this loan scheme
the RDB is helping support the creation of the Cambodian Agriculture
Cooperative Cooperation (CCAC) in Kampong Thom province, an organisation that
will be used to store, process and export rice.
The CCAC), which is set to be
completed in Kampong Thom province by the end of the year, will be the first
large-scale farm cooperative venture in Cambodia.“Products from Preah Vihear
and Siem Reap will benefit from this centre,” Mr Saran said.Hun Lak, the
vice-president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), told Khmer Times that
some rice millers require more funds than what the RDB offers, forcing many of
them to seek financial support from foreign investors.
From January to September this
year, Cambodia exported about 420,000 tonnes of milled rice to 60 international
markets, an increase of 16 percent compared with the same period last year.The
main markets are China, France and Poland, according to government reports.
Behind breeding scams in Terai: fund flow, realty boom
Flow of development funds and
real estate boom spawned scams in the Terai region, comprising mostly the
agriculturally rich Udham Singh Nagar, social activists said
Oct
09, 2017 19:43 IST
Abhinav
Madhwal
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
The Rs 600-crore NH 74 scam, Rs 600-crore rice
scam, irregularities in the Terai Seeds and Development Corporation, and a
scholarship scam, running into hundreds of crores, surfaced in the Terai
region.(HT File)
Flow of development funds and real estate boom
spawned scams in the Terai region, comprising mostly the agriculturally rich
Udham Singh Nagar, social activists said.The Rs 600-crore NH 74 scam, Rs
600-crore rice scam, irregularities in the Terai Seeds and Development
Corporation, and a scholarship scam, running into hundreds of crores, surfaced
in the Terai region.The NH 74 scam came to light in 2016 after the then Kumon
commissioner, D Senthil Pandiyan, ordered an inquiry into the alleged
irregularities in the compensation given to farmers. The probe revealed that
farmers showed their agricultural land as commercial property and got huge
compensations. Rudrapur special land ceiling officer was suspended.The social
welfare department released scholarships in the name of fake students in the
Terai region and Haridwar.
Investigations are on into the multilayered
rice scam. Investigators found government officials in collusion with rice mill
owners allegedly did not follow the rules set for paddy purchase, forcing
farmers to sell their produce at rates lower than the minimum support price.The
millers then sold the rice to the government at minimum support price, making a
profit of Rs 400 per quintal. The vehicles used for transporting the rice from
mills to Food Corporation of India godowns did not carry the registration
number in challans.
Linking the scams to regional imbalance, social
activist Chandrahsekhar Kargeti said, “Plain areas have been the focus of
development; hill regions have been neglected, but Terai has witnessed
development and concentration of funds. Real estate boom has also led to
corruption.”Kargeti, a lawyer at the Uttarakhand high court, said a system of
checks and balances did not exist in the functioning of officials in the
region. “There is a nexus among officials here and there is a mindset against
transparency, which has spawned the scams.”
Postings in the Terai area have been lucrative
for officials because of the funds available, social activist Beena Joshi said.
“The government must focus on all areas for development so that such scams do
not occur in future,” she said.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/dehradun/behind-breeding-scams-in-terai-fund-flow-realty-boom/story-0gmCKfSv3GtnDBxzvUzvGJ.html
CO2-induced Grain Yield Enhancements
in Three Rice Genotypes
Paper Reviewed
Nakano, H., Yoshinaga, S., Takai,
T., Arai-Sanoh, Y., Kondo, K., Yamamoto, T., Sakai, H., Tokida, T., Usui, Y.,
Nakamura, H., Hasegawa, T. and Kondo, M. 2017. Quantitative trait loci for
large sink capacity enhance rice grain yield under free-air CO2 enrichment
conditions. Scientific Reports 7: 1827, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01690-8.
Introducing the rationale for their
study, Nakano et al. (2017) reference the globalfood security dilemma, where
there is an urgent need to increase global food production to feed the
ever-increasing population of the planet. And in this regard, they note the
importance of increasing crop yields per unit area given present limits to
arable land.
One way to accomplish the objective
of increasing food production per unit area is, in the words of Nakano et al.,
to formulate "a strategy that can be used to develop high-yielding [crop]
varieties under increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations, such as those predicted
in the near future." Clearly, as numerous studies have shown (see our
Plant Growth Data section of our website), plant growth and yield do indeed
respond positively to the aerial fertilization effect of atmospheric CO2. Thus,
it is important for scientists to identify which genotypes of a given crop
species will respond with the greatest yield increases for a given increment
increase in CO2.
Such was the ultimate goal of Nakano
et al., who grew three rice genotypes under ambient (383 ppm) and elevated (577)
ppm CO2 in an outdoor Free-Air CO2Enrichment (FACE) study located in
Tsukubamirai, Japan, over two growing seasons (2012 and 2013). The three rice
genotypes included (a) Koshihikari, a conventional variety in Japan, (b) a
chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL) containing quantitative trait loci
GN1a, which favors the production of more spikelets per panicle of rice, and
(c) a near-isogenic line (NIL) with allele APO1, which also produces a higher
number of spikelets per panicle.
So which genotype performed the best
under elevated CO2?
Using grain yield as the measure of
interest, CSSL had the highest yield, experiencing a 21 percent increase at the
elevated levels of CO2, followed by NIL at 19 percent and Koshihikari at eight
percent. According to the authors, the improved yields at the higher CO2
concentration in the CSSL and NIL genotypes occurred because of their higher
number of spikelets per panicle, their increased capability to translocate
carbohydrates into the panicle, and their ability to enhance the sink capacity
of the grains. Given such findings, Nakano et al. say that, "consequently,
to develop varieties which can contribute a stable and high production of rice
under increased atmosphericCO2 concentrations in the near future, introducing
alleles to conventional varieties that enhance sink capacity represents a
useful strategy." And that seems like a winning strategy to us!
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V20/oct/a5.php
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices Open- October 09, 2017
Reuters
Staff
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices –
APMC/Open Market-October 9
Nagpur, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Gram
prices showed weak tendency in Nagpur Agriculture Produce andMarketing
Committee (APMC) here on poor demand from local millers. Fresh fall on NCDEX,
weaktrend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and high moisture content arrival also
affected prices.
About 200 of gram bags and 150
bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Desi varieties reported down in open market in absence of buyers amid
good supply
from producing regions.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties quoted weak in open market on lack of demand from local
traders amid
profit-taking selling by stockists at
higher level.
* Moong and Udid varieties recovered sharply in open market on good
festival season
demand from local traders.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,000-4,050, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,900-6,200, Udid
Mogar (clean)
– 7,800-8,500, Moong Mogar (clean)
6,900-7,200, Gram – 5,100-5,200, Gram Super best
– 7,800-8,300
* Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels
in weak deals.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 4,400-4,925 4,400-5,000
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 3,400-3,752
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 1,590-1,675 1,590-1,675
Gram Super Best Bold 8,000-8,500 8,100-8,600
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 7,000-7,500 7,200-7,600
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 5,200-5,400 5,600-5,700
Desi gram Raw 5,100-5,200 5,300-5,400
Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,200 12,500-13,200
Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,100-6,300 6,100-6,400
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,700-6,000 5,800-6,000
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,600-5,800 5,700-6,000
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,500
Tuar Gavarani New 3,900-4,000 3,900-4,100
Tuar Karnataka 4,300-4,600 4,300-4,700
Masoor dal best 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,400
Masoor dal medium 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,000-7,500 6,800-7,400
Moong Mogar Medium 6,200-6,800 6,100-6,600
Moong dal Chilka 5,500-6,100 5,400-6,100
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,000-7,500 6,900-7,300
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New)
8,000-8,700 7,900-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,500 6,200-7,300
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,600-6,600 5,400-6,400
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,850
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,400 3,000-3,400
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,900 2,700-2,900
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,650-4,050 3,650-4,050
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,600 3,300-3,600
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,600-4,800 4,600-4,800
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,400 4,200-4,400
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-13,500 9,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,900 4,500-4,900
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,400 4,200-4,400
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-2,000 1,700-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 31.7 degree
Celsius, minimum temp. 24.7 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky
with one or two spells of rains or thundershowers. Maximum and
minimum temperature would be
around and 31 and 23 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are
excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)
FCI foodgrain stock at 46 mt, 53%
higher than buffer norm
NEW DELHI, OCT
9:
State-run Food Corporation of
India (FCI) held foodgrain stock of 46 million tonnes as on October 1, which is
53 per cent higher than the buffer norm.According to the buffer norm, the FCI
was required to keep a stock of 30.77 mt of foodgrain.
FCI’s latest data shows the
corporation held 27.86 mt wheat and 18.18 mt rice, taking the total grain stock
to about 46 mt as on October 1 of this year.The stock, however, is higher than
the year-ago period and also the actual buffer requirement for running the
Public Distribution System (PDS), welfare schemes and other exigencies.The
corporation also sells surplus stock in the open market in times of a price
rise or tight supply situation.The FCI purchases the grain at the minimum
support price directly from farmers.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/fci-foodgrain-stock/article9894576.ece
Cambodia
exports over 400,000 tonnes of rice in nine months
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia exported some 421,000 tonnes of rice in the first nine months of this year, up 16.7 percent compared to the same period last year.
Deputy Director General of the General Department of Agriculture under Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture Hean Vanhorn said that with this slight growth, the country is not likely to meet its target of shipping abroad 1 million tonnes of rice this year.
He predicted that Cambodia may export over 600,000 tonnes in the whole year.
Hean Vanhorn also said that while Cambodia has a 200,000-tonne rice export quota to China in 2017, and the figure may reach 300,000 tonnes in 2018, local firms need to diversify markets to minimise risks.
Vice Chairman of the Cambodia Rice Exporters’ Association Hun Lak said that in the coming time, Cambodian exporters should upgrade their storage and drying system, thus improving the country’s rice quality. He also called on the government to apply support policies for exporters through capital assistance and tax cut.
In the first nine months of this year, China was the biggest market for Cambodia’s rice by importing over 120,000 tonnes, followed by France with over 50,000 tonnes and Poland with over 35,000 tonnes.
Last year, Cambodia shipped more than 540,000 tonnes of milled rice to 65 countries around the world, up 0.7 percent over a year earlier.-VNA
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/cambodia-exports-over-400000-tonnes-of-rice-in-nine-months/119132.vnp
10/7/2017 11:57:09 AM
(MENAFN)
421,966 tons of rice were exported from Cambodia up until September, with an increase of 17% in comparison with the same stage in 2016. 60 countries were reported to have
imported the rice, with China being the main customer, followed by France and
Poland.
124,760 tons were the total exports to China, which is 29.5% of the entire exports.
Cambodia produces up to 9m tons of rice per year, which makes it capable of exporting 3m tons a year.
124,760 tons were the total exports to China, which is 29.5% of the entire exports.
Cambodia produces up to 9m tons of rice per year, which makes it capable of exporting 3m tons a year.
Economists say Vietnam
focuses too much on rice exporting
16:00
| 08/10/2017
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam is still
gathering strength on rice production, taking pride as the biggest rice exporter in the world.
Hoang Ngoc Phong, deputy director of the Economic Development Consultancy Center, said the Mekong Delta makes up 18 percent of GDP with 90 percent of rice exports, 60 percent of seafood and 70 percent of fruit exports. However, the delta now has to pay the penalty for massive exploitation and poor development plans.
|
Vietnam is still
gathering strength on rice production, taking pride as the biggest rice exporter in the world.
|
Phong
stressed that it is necessary to find a new direction for the delta development
by changing the agricultural production model. “Why do we still grow rice
though rice cannot help farmers get rich?” he said.He believes that Mekong
Delta needs fresh water for 1 million hectares of rice growing areas.“Agriculture
doesn’t always mean rice cultivation. It would be better to reduce the rice
growing area to a reasonable level. We don’t strive to grow rice to export rice
products at low prices, because farmers cannot make profits, while the state
has to make heavy investments,” he said.
Phong went on to say that instead of trying to prevent saline intrusion, Mekong Delta should adapt to it.In fact, in many localities, people have adapted to the saltwater intrusion when changing the crop structure. They have one rice crop and one shrimp/fish crop instead of two rice crops a year.Vo Tong Xuan, a renowned agriculture expert, also thinks that it would be better to focus on growing the crops which don’t need too much water.
“Vietnam needs about 18 million tons of rice only. Therefore, growing rice should no longer be a top priority. The rice output should be high enough to eat and store 2 million tons,” Xuan said.He expressed his concern about the serious subsidence Mekong Delta, which is caused by overexploitation of underground water. In coastal provinces, underground water is used to irrigate rice fields. Every ton of farm produce needs 4,500 liters of water.
According to Xuan, to ensure food security, Mekong Delta only needs to grow 1.5 million hectares of rice and have two instead of three crops."The more rice we grow, the more rice is in excess. The oversupply leads to price reductions and farmers cannot make a profit," Xuan said.According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Vietnam exported 466,000 tons of rice in September, worth $210 million, raising the total export volume to 4.57 million tons in the first nine months and the export turnover to $2.02 billion.
VFA predicted that the export volume in 2017 may reach 5.6 million tons
Phong went on to say that instead of trying to prevent saline intrusion, Mekong Delta should adapt to it.In fact, in many localities, people have adapted to the saltwater intrusion when changing the crop structure. They have one rice crop and one shrimp/fish crop instead of two rice crops a year.Vo Tong Xuan, a renowned agriculture expert, also thinks that it would be better to focus on growing the crops which don’t need too much water.
“Vietnam needs about 18 million tons of rice only. Therefore, growing rice should no longer be a top priority. The rice output should be high enough to eat and store 2 million tons,” Xuan said.He expressed his concern about the serious subsidence Mekong Delta, which is caused by overexploitation of underground water. In coastal provinces, underground water is used to irrigate rice fields. Every ton of farm produce needs 4,500 liters of water.
According to Xuan, to ensure food security, Mekong Delta only needs to grow 1.5 million hectares of rice and have two instead of three crops."The more rice we grow, the more rice is in excess. The oversupply leads to price reductions and farmers cannot make a profit," Xuan said.According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Vietnam exported 466,000 tons of rice in September, worth $210 million, raising the total export volume to 4.57 million tons in the first nine months and the export turnover to $2.02 billion.
VFA predicted that the export volume in 2017 may reach 5.6 million tons
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/187578/economists-say-vietnam-focuses-too-much-on-rice-exporting.html
Gambia: Rice Self-Sufficiency targeted In Two Years
- by Max Ndianaefo
- in Agriculture
Gambia’s
Minister of Agriculture Omar A. Jallow has set a two-year time frame for the
country to be rice self-sufficient. “With the present intervention in the rice
sector, we hope that we can be self-sufficient in the next two years,” he told
journalists during a press conference held at his office in Banjul.
The
Gambia’s Minister of Agriculture Omar A. Jallow
Gambia has of one the highest per caput
consumption rates (117 kg) in the world and the country continues to import
tens of thousands of rice every year. Rice productivity is expected to surge
this year as a lot of efforts have been injected by the government and the
private sector.
During a recent regional meeting held recently in Banjul, the
country’s Agriculture Minister reminded the gathering that Gambia government
has identified rice as a major food security crop, a national rice development
strategy (NRDS) for 2015-2024 has been set up with the objective of creating a
competitive rice industry.
The Gambia has 216,121 ha of lowland ecologies suitable for
rice production.Thus the NRDS is founded on a vision of ‘’self–sufficiency in
rice production’’ by the year 2024. The overall goal of the NRDS purpose is to
enhance the enabling environment for systematic exploitation of the vast
natural resource potentials, mitigation of the priority constraints in the
resource base, provision of production oriented technologies suitable for
broad-based participation and adoption by the majority of rice farmers for
efficient rice production.
Female Gambian Rice harvesters
The over-arching objective of the NRDS
(2015-2024) is the creation of a market-led, commercialized, efficient,
competitive and dynamic rice industry which maximizes enhancement of food
security and poverty reduction. Thus, based on the equal emphasis on intensification
in both upland and lowland production systems and expansion of lowland
production systems the NRDS is projected to achieve a production scope and
target of 322,600 tonnes of milled rice in 2024 with sustained commitment of
scientific and technical personnel and financial and human resource provision
by the government.
Bangladesh to buy rice from Thailand, India
- 9 Oct 2017 at 18:06 3,234 viewed1 comments
- WRITER: REUTERS
- +
DHAKA: Bangladesh is set to
import a total of 250,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand and India in
intergovernmental deals to shore up depleted stocks of the staple, head of the
state grain buyer said on Monday.
Bangladesh, normally the world’s fourth-biggest rice
producer, has emerged as a major importer of the grain this year after floods
damaged its crops and sent domestic prices of the staple to record highs.“We will buy 150,000 tonnes of parboiled rice from Thailand at $465 a tonne and another 100,000 tonnes from India’s PEC at $455 a tonne,” Badrul Hasan of the Directorate General of Food, Bangladesh’s procurement agency, told Reuters.
The prices agreed include shipping, insurance and discharge costs.
“We have almost finalised all the deals to fulfil our target,” said Mr Hasan, adding that the state grains buyer aims to import 1.5 million tonnes of rice in the year to June 2018.
The latest purchases from Thailand and India followed a government buy of 100,000 tonnes of white rice from Myanmar, a deal that put aside the worsening relations between Dhaka and Naypyidaw over the Rohingya refugee crisis.
The deals with Thailand and India were finalised after a second round of talks with the two top rice exporting countries after Bangladesh’s initial efforts suffered a setback due to high prices.
High demand from Bangladesh helped push Asian rice prices to multi-year highs in June.
Bangladesh also struck a deal to buy 250,000 tonnes of white rice at $453 a tonne from Cambodia, after earlier making a cheaper deal with Vietnam.
Rice is a staple food for Bangladesh’s 160 million people and high prices pose a problem for the government, which faces a national election next year.
In August, Bangladesh cut a duty on rice imports for the second time in two months. The lower import duty has prompted purchases by private dealers, with most of the deals being struck with neighbouring India.
The state grains buyer also issued a series of tenders to import rice. Mr Hasan, however, said: “No more tenders for rice will be issued.”
A team from India’s National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) is to visit Dhaka next week to hold talks to sell rice to Bangladesh, a food ministry official said.
“But there is no room for any more deals unless they come up with a very lucrative offer,” Mr Hasan said.
Bangladesh produces around 34 million tonnes of rice annually but uses almost all its production to feed its population. It often requires imports to cope with shortages caused by floods or droughts.
