November
06, 2017
: All Pakhtunkhwa and Fata
Commercial Exporters Association on Sunday demanded immediate withdrawal of the
levy of 1.5 per cent withholding tax (WHT) on purchasing profit margin in order
to promote the export of rice to Afghanistan.
Talking to mediapersons here on
Sunday, the association’s president Abdul Rauf Shah claimed that imposition of
the tax had resulted in decline of rice export to the tune of $1 billion,
demanding it should be withdrawn forthwith.
He said that the rising import of
rice by Afghanistan from Tajikistan and India via Chahbahar and Bandar Abbas
ports was an ample proof of the negative effect of the levy of the tax.
The association’s chief said that
due to non-recovery of the said tax, the Federal Board of Revenue had issued
notices to over 30 exporters and their bank accounts had also been frozen.
He said that if the government
wanted increase in export of rice, it should provide one-window facility to the
exporters. He said that exporters could not provide the purchase letter, adding
they could not meet those things which were not mentioned in the goods
declaration.
Mr Shah said that they were ready
for the clearance of their export consignments through We BOC system, but added
that provision of facilities, including DSL service and electricity, was the
responsibility of the government. He said that these problems existed only at
the Torkham and Kharlachi crossing points.
He said that the Constitution gave
special preference to trade with Afghanistan and keeping it in view the government
should simplify procedures of bilateral trade to promote employment
opportunities in the area. He said that blocked bank accounts of the exporters
should be unfrozen with immediate effect.
Mr Shah made it clear that any tax,
which was not collected during the consignment, would not be paid. He said that
despite zero-rated tax they were paying one per cent income tax and 0.25 per
cent Federal Development Surcharge.
Published in Dawn, November 6th,
2017
https://www.dawn.com/news/1368701/rice-exporters-want-withholding-tax-withdrawn
Republic of Korea supports Ghana
with $9m to develop rice industry
An official of the GRIB explaining the Ghana Rice Business
Centre Model to Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto
The Republic of Korea has offered Ghana $9 million to develop a
rice industry in the Central Region.The choice of the region for the project
followed a recommendation by some Korean rice experts that it had the potential
to produce enough rice to feed the country and also for export.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who made this known when he opened the fourth Ghana National Rice Festival in Accra yesterday, said the experts had assessed the rice production potential in all the 10 regions of Ghana.
The two-day festival is on the theme: “Ghana Rice for food! Ghana Rice for Jobs!
According to the minister, the experts established that even though all the regions had the potential to produce rice on a large scale, the Central Region was more endowed.
Importation
Between 2007 and 2015, Dr Akoto said, the value of rice imports escalated eight-fold from $152 million in 2007 to a peak of $1.2 billion in 2014 and 2015.
“In the same period, the volume of rice imports climbed from 441,000 metric tonnes to 630,000 metric tonnes”, he added.
The minister said the statistics implied that pressure was not only being put on the nation’s trade balance but also made the country vulnerable to global price increases and supply shortages in the rice market.
Dr Akoto said in the past few months, innovative efforts had been made to transform the entire agricultural sector into a vibrant and high-yielding sector to save the country from unnecessary importation and huge import bills.
He explained that the overall objective of the “Planting for Food and Jobs” by the government was to provide enough food to ensure “food and nutrition security in the country.”
According to him, about 750,000 jobs in both direct and indirect employment would be created during the first year of its implementation.
Appeal
The President of Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB), Mr Imoro Amoro, appealed to the government to support the body to expand and establish Ghana Rice Business Centres to help create more employment in the country.
He said the Ghana National Rice Festival had come to stay to help create awareness and promote local rice brands to create jobs, food security and wealth in the country.
“I also urge the companies importing rice into the country to come and invest in Ghana rice production to promote industrialisation in the country,” the president added.
For her part, the Policy Advisor of the John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation, Nana Ama Oppong-Duah, said the festival would encourage rice farmers to work hard and produce sufficient rice for both the local and international markets, adding that, it would also help promote sustainable food systems in Africa.
“I would, therefore, encourage value chain members to include nutritious crops in their farming systems to ensure not only self-sufficiency in rice but also the production of nutritious food,” she stated.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who made this known when he opened the fourth Ghana National Rice Festival in Accra yesterday, said the experts had assessed the rice production potential in all the 10 regions of Ghana.
The two-day festival is on the theme: “Ghana Rice for food! Ghana Rice for Jobs!
According to the minister, the experts established that even though all the regions had the potential to produce rice on a large scale, the Central Region was more endowed.
Importation
Between 2007 and 2015, Dr Akoto said, the value of rice imports escalated eight-fold from $152 million in 2007 to a peak of $1.2 billion in 2014 and 2015.
“In the same period, the volume of rice imports climbed from 441,000 metric tonnes to 630,000 metric tonnes”, he added.
The minister said the statistics implied that pressure was not only being put on the nation’s trade balance but also made the country vulnerable to global price increases and supply shortages in the rice market.
Dr Akoto said in the past few months, innovative efforts had been made to transform the entire agricultural sector into a vibrant and high-yielding sector to save the country from unnecessary importation and huge import bills.
He explained that the overall objective of the “Planting for Food and Jobs” by the government was to provide enough food to ensure “food and nutrition security in the country.”
According to him, about 750,000 jobs in both direct and indirect employment would be created during the first year of its implementation.
Appeal
The President of Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB), Mr Imoro Amoro, appealed to the government to support the body to expand and establish Ghana Rice Business Centres to help create more employment in the country.
He said the Ghana National Rice Festival had come to stay to help create awareness and promote local rice brands to create jobs, food security and wealth in the country.
“I also urge the companies importing rice into the country to come and invest in Ghana rice production to promote industrialisation in the country,” the president added.
For her part, the Policy Advisor of the John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation, Nana Ama Oppong-Duah, said the festival would encourage rice farmers to work hard and produce sufficient rice for both the local and international markets, adding that, it would also help promote sustainable food systems in Africa.
“I would, therefore, encourage value chain members to include nutritious crops in their farming systems to ensure not only self-sufficiency in rice but also the production of nutritious food,” she stated.
Rice
Exporters of Pakistan wants zero-rated sales tax status
By Yasir Zeb
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has requested
the government to recognize the second largest export industry of Pakistan and
give it a status of Zero-rated sales tax. Exporters in the rice industry are
facing liquidity issues due to large amounts of pending tax refunds.
Chaudhry Samiullah, central chairman REAP told The Nation,
besides textile industry, rice exports are the largest among four
export-oriented sectors. He feared that ignoring rice exports would negatively
impact the rice exports, as well as overall exports of the country and rice
exporters, would lose their traditional markets.
The chairman said, “The government should treat rice as a
separate industry and put under the umbrella of zero-rated sales tax category
along with five major export sectors.”
The government restored the zero-rated tax on five major export
sectors in Pakistan last January including Textiles, Leather, Sports Goods,
Carpets and surgical equipment. The Chairman REAP said it was a very good
decision by the government to restore the zero-tax regime for the biggest
exporters but keeping rice out of the regime is questionable, rice exports are
the second largest sector in Pakistan, ignoring the sector could lead to a high
trade deficit.
He also said that the association REAP has written several
letters to the ministry of commerce and ministry of finance pushing them to
include rice in zero-rated tax category, the rice industry is earning $2
billion annually but exporters in this sector are not facilitated like other
export sectors.
The Chairman said the government should adopt the policy of “no
payment no tax” in order to ensure the corruption free export trade. It wastes
exporters time to first pay the taxes and get them refunded later, it hinders
the cash flow and creates liquidity issues which the sector cannot afford at
this time. As the funds in tax refunds are held by FBR, exporters have to
borrow money from banks and pay extra on interest to keep their money supply up
running.
India rice starts moving in Sri
Lanka, shortages over
The first batch of low priced rice out of the huge 100000 MT Indian rice
tranche has been offloaded and is now moving within Sri Lankan retail market,
ending any supply fears.Meanwhile, the open international tender call for
200,000 MT rice in three varieties, also successfully closed in Colombo last
week.
By the weekend of October 4-5, a total of 20,000 MT tranche of
parboiled ‘nadu’ rice sent by an Indian private sector supplier to the
Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) of Sri Lanka have been offloaded at
Port of Colombo and been distributed to CWE warehouses. The value of the
received 20000 MT rice stock is US $ 8.9 Mn (SL Rs 1.36 Bn). This rice stock is
now being re-distributed from CWE warehouses to Lanka Sathosa outlets to be
sold at only Rs 74 per kilo. Any consumer purchasing more than 25 kilos of this
rice from Lanka Sathosa can buy them even lower-only Rs 73 per kilo.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen addressing a
press briefing on 1 November in Colombo, highlighting his efforts to end rice
supply shortages through yet another global tender call, said: “Our
international tender to import 200,000 MT rice closed yesterday 31 October.
Rice samples submitted with tender bids are being forwarded to ITI for lab
tests.”
The latest tender is, unlike previous “Government to Government”
(G2G) tenders, a “Sri Lanka government to local and international private
sector” call. A total of 34 local and international private sector suppliers
have quoted for the 200,000 MT tender, that closed on 31 October and announced
initially on 19 October. The Ministry has forwarded all the submitted quotes to
the Cabinet Appointed High Powered Tender Board which will compare prices of
these international and local private sector suppliers with “government to
government” prices quoted in previous G2G tender calls, before making final
selections.
The international tender was floated by the Ministry of Industry
and Commerce of Sri Lanka on the directions of government’s Cost of Living
Committee.
The Cabinet Appointed High Powered Tender Board is expected to
pick the qualifying suppliers for this 200,000 MT international tender by this
Friday 10 October. Private sector suppliers from Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand,
India, and Vietnam quoted. Several Sri Lankan suppliers too submitted their
bids in this 200,000 MT total which consists of three varieties-90000 MT
Parboiled Nadu rice, 60000 MT Samba (Parboiled) rice and 50000 MT White Raw
rice.
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/india-rice-starts-moving-in-sri-lanka-shortages-over
/Higher rice
demand increases price
Submitted by Eleven on
Sat, 11/04/2017 - 16:55
Writer: Nilar Soe (Pathein)
A paddy field (Photo-Nilar Soe)
Pathein- It is harvest time for the monsoon paddy in
Ayeyawaddy Region but the price of rice and paddy is higher than usual as there
is higher demand in the market.Delays in the last months of the paddy growing
season caused harvesting delays resulting in reduced volumes of warehoused
paddy.Those reduced volumes, combined with increased demand from China and
Bangladesh, has increased prices of rice and paddy, according to the Myanmar
Rice Federation.“The prices of rice in Thailand and Vietnam have increased and
so merchants tend to buy rice
from Myanmar,” said Win Myint Hlaing, chairman of the
Ayeyawaddy Region chamber of commerce and industry.
“The large-scale rice merchants have already sold
rice to their customers, although they had nothing at hand [to deliver]. When
the ships docked for exporting, they rushed to buy rice at higher prices. The
main thing is the price of broken rice has increased and so the [overall] rice
price also increased,” said Win Myint Hlaing.
Myanmar’s rice market had to rely only on sales to
China and African countries in the past, but now there is increased demand from
the Philippines and Bangladesh. Contract language guaranteeing control of the
rice quality has been key to winning the new markets.
“Medium-scale rice merchants have to stop their
business as there is a sudden increase in the rice price. As there is
instability in the rice market, there are large losses. Government should
stabilise the rice price,” said medium-scale rice merchant Thaung Htay from
Pathein.
The Monsoon paddy is now being harvested, with the
Kaugyi paddy harvest coming in December. The prices in the last week of October
were: low-quality rice at Ks21,000 to K.23,000 per rice bag, Shwe Thwe paddy at
Ks31,000 to Ks36,000 per rice bag, and Ayeyawaddy Pawsan at Ks43,000 to
Ks50,000 per a bag, according to retail and wholesale rice dealers.
http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/local/12295NOVEMBER 6, 2017 / 1:02 PM /
A DAY AGO
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- November 06, 2017
Nagpur, Nov 6 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce
Marketing Committee (APMC) on good seasonal demand from local millers amid weak supply fromproducing belts. Notable hike in Maadhya Pradesh gram prices and repeated enquiries from
South-based millers also boosted sentiment , according to sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties reported higher in open market on renewed demand from local traders
amid tight supply from producing belts.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties recovered in open market here on increased buying support from local
traders.
* Masoor and Moong varieties jacked up in open market here on good buying support from
local traders and thin arrival from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 3,950-4,050, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,900-6,100, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 7,700-8,300, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,000-7,300, Gram – 4,700-4,800, Gram Super best
– 7,300-7,500
* Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,700-5,000 3,500-4,800
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 3,550-4,110 3,500-3,950
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 1,600-1,690 1,600-1,710
Gram Super Best Bold 7,500-8,000 7,500-7,800
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 6,600-7,000 6,300-7,000
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 3,800-3,900 3,700-3,800
Desi gram Raw 4,800-4,900 4,700-4,800
Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,200 12,500-13,200
Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,200-6,400 6,000-6,300
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,800-6,000 5,700-6,000
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,600-5,800 5,300-5,600
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,000-5,300 4,800-5,200
Tuar Gavarani New 4,000-4,150 3,800-3,900
Tuar Karnataka 4,300-4,600 4,100-4,400
Masoor dal best 5,100-5,400 4,900-5,400
Masoor dal medium 4,700-4,900 4,500-4,800
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,000-7,500 6,800-7,400
Moong Mogar Medium 6,300-6,600 6,300-6,500
Moong dal Chilka 5,600-6,200 5,600-6,100
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,000-8,500 8,000-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,100-7,100 6,100-7,100
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,200-6,200 5,200-6,100
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,300 5,000-5,300
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) 3,400-3,800 3,400-3,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,900 1,750-1,90
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,450 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,150 1,900-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-2,900 2,800-2,900
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) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,600 3,250-3,600
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,300-4,400
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,000-14,000 10,000-14,000
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,700-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 30.8 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 15.0 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 31 and 15 degree
Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)
https://in.reuters.com/article/cipla-results/cipla-second-quarter-profit-up-19-percent-on-higher-domestic-sales-idINKBN1D70V7*
Rice shortage over with the arrival
of 100000 MT rice shipment
Mon, Nov 6, 2017, 08:40 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mon, Nov 6, 2017, 08:40 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 06, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Ministry of Industry and Commerce
announced today that the first batch of low priced rice out of the huge 100,000
MT Indian rice tranche has been offloaded and is now moving within Sri Lankan
retail market, ending any supply fears.According to the press release issued by
the Ministry during the November 4-5 weekend, a total of 20,000 MT tranche of
parboiled 'nadu' rice sent by an Indian supplier to the Cooperative Wholesale
Establishment (CWE) of Sri Lanka have been offloaded at Port of Colombo and
been distributed to CWE warehouses.
The value of the received 20, 000
MT rice stock is USD 8.9 million (Rs 1.36 billion). This rice stock is now
being re-distributed from CWE warehouses to Lanka Sathosa outlets to be sold at
only Rs 74 per kilo. Any consumer purchasing more than 25 kilos of this rice
from Lanka Sathosa can buy them even lower-only Rs 73 per kilo.Meanwhile, the
open international tender call for 200,000 MT rice in three varieties, also
successfully closed in Colombo last week.
The Cabinet Appointed High
Powered Tender Board is expected to pick the qualifying suppliers for this
200,000 MT international tender by this Friday 10 November. Private sector
suppliers from Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, India, and Vietnam quoted. Several
Sri Lankan suppliers too submitted their bids in this 200,000 MT total which
consists of three varieties-90,000 MT Parboiled Nadu rice, 60,000 MT Samba
(Parboiled) rice and 50,000 MT White Raw rice.
Of the 200,000 MT rice called
for, Sri Lanka expect 100,000 MT to arrive in Colombo by end November 2017 and
the other 100,000 MT to arrive by end of December 2017.
According to Minister of Industry
and Commerce Bathiudeen, domestic Lankan rice market has faced supply pressures
as three consecutive harvesting seasons (2016 & 2016/'17) failed to produce
usual paddy volumes resulting in a 50% fall in domestic rice supply this year,
thereby necessitating imports to the country to sustain the market.
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17B/Nov06_1509981007CH.php
Brazil Agrobusiness Group to increase rice production
By
A. B. Kafui Kanyi, GNA
Dabala, (VR), Nov. 03, GNA - The Brazil Agrobusiness
Group, a company focused exclusively on rice cultivation at Kpenu, near Dabala
in the South Tongu District is to double production by 2020.The
Company’s rice harvest currently corresponds to 2,220 hectares annually with
the potential to produce up to 155,400 tons of rice, Ms Lidiane Jaconi,
Managing Director of the Company, said on Thursday.
She was interacting with some executive members of the
Association of Ghana Industries (AGI)-Volta/Eastern chapter, who were on a tour
of industries in the southern part of the Volta Region.
Ms Jaconi said the Company was opening up 60 hectares
monthly to meet demands of the local market and to help “develop and stimulate
agriculture” and create jobs in the country.
She described the Kpenu area as good for rice
cultivation with the “right climate conditions, soil and humidity, which are
primordial bases for farm development”.
Ms Jaconi said those factors and their “cultivation
methods” were raising the quality of grains produced high and changing the view
of the quality of rice produced in the country.She said the Company was
enjoying good relationship with the local communities and hinted of plans to
acquire more lands.
At the Diamond Salt Factory, Mr Manthiramurthy
Ramaligam, Manager, Salt Works, of the Company, said taxes and challenges in
acquiring land were affecting the Company’s expansion plans.
Mr Dela Gadzanku, President, AGI, Volta/Eastern
commended the industries for setting up in the Volta Region and urged them to
take advantage of government’s “one district, one factory” initiative to expand
and grow the local economy.The team also visited some hospitality
industries.
http://www.ghananewsagency.org/economics/brazil-agrobusiness-group-to-increase-rice-production-124470
Rice drives India's agri exports
EU stockists
build inventory ahead of tighter quality norms
Dilip Kumar Jha
| Mumbai Last
Updated at November 5, 2017 00:41 IST
Farm exports, led by rice, jumped by 13 per cent during April-September as
dealers overseas built up stocks amid fears of a ban by the EU, which
strengthened quality norms.According to the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda),
exports of agricultural products registered with it jumped to $8.73 billion in April-September from
$7.69 billion in the corresponding period a year ago. In rupee terms,
Apeda-registered exports jumped by 8.64 per cent to Rs 56,183 crore from Rs
51,499 crore.
The rise in farm exports was primarily driven by rice, both basmati
and non-basmati, which contribute nearly 44 per cent to the country’s annual
farm shipments. Exports of rice rose
by over 30 per cent in dollar terms and 25 per cent in rupee terms during April-September as
European buyers built inventories in anticipation of tighter quality tests
effective November 1.
“European buyers built their inventories on fears a smaller
quantity of rice would
pass the quality tests. Iran, too, purchased a huge quantity of rice, resulting
in an increase in overall exports,” said Gurnam Arora, joint managing director,
Kohinoor Foods.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in a communication to
Apeda, said basmati rice from
India needed to pass through a pre-shipment residue test for 22 pesticides from
November 1. Apeda clarified
that the minimum residue limit for propiconazole was under review.
The value of basmati rice exports
jumped to $2.13 billion in April-September from
$1.63 billion in the same period a year ago. Exporters’ realisation rose to
$997 a tonne from $789 a tonne last year. Rice exports
were 2.13 million tonnes in April- September, up from 2.07 million tonnes in
the same period of 2016.
Guar gum also witnessed a sharp rise in exports from 163,958
tonnes ($180 million) in April-September 2016
to 252,568 tonnes ($317 million) in the comparable period this year. Increasing
demand from shell gas companies for oil drills yielded 14 per cent higher
realisation this year at $1,255 a tonne.
Ninth
Annual Yellow Rails & Rice Festival Celebrates Louisiana's Working
Wetlands
By Lesley Dixon
THORNWELL, LA -- Every year around early November, birders,
researchers, and wildlife conservationists from around the world converge on
rice fields near here to witness the migration of a very special bird:
the yellow rail. A small, inconspicuous marsh bird, the yellow rail is at
the top of bird-watching lists due to its shy nature. It lives in the
underbrush of marshy fields, feeding on insects, snails, and vegetation.
It is so elusive that even scientists at the Louisiana State University Museum
of Natural Science, who know the species better than anyone, aren't sure where
it winters. Ornithologists believe the yellow rail spends the cold months
somewhere further south, in the brackish salt marshes of coastal Texas.
Rice farmer Kevin Berken can tell you where they spend Halloween, though: his rice fields.
Thornwell is known as the Yellow Rail Capitol of the World and for good reason. Rice fields like Berken's are an essential pit stop for migratory birds, and yellow rails in particular seem to love the straw leftover between the first and second harvests.
Berken founded the Yellow Rails and Rice Festival nine years ago so that bird enthusiasts could check this rare species off their lists, and in the meantime learn about how rice fields provide invaluable habitat to many coastal animals. For species threatened by coastal erosion and urban development, southwest Louisiana rice fields are a sanctuary.
"For things like the yellow rail, they're critical," says Michael Seymour, avian biologist for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. "The brushy borders of rice fields and all those fence rows are very important for migratory birds."
According to Seymour, wildlife conservationists are especially worried about rice fields being replaced with other crops. "I think the rice fields do a whole lot for these birds."
The festival kicks off with Berken conducting an orientation session or "Rice Farming 101" for the birders. He explains not just what they'll directly see in the fields, but things they might not see - like his conservation practices. He also explains the rice industry - the varieties grown in the six major rice producing states - and the challenges the industry faces - specifically from imported rice.
But the real fun gets underway when Berken takes bird-watchers out on his combine, the rails take flight or scurry into a net, where wildlife experts give a hands-on demonstration of how to band the rail's leg.
This year 120 participants, representing 30 U.S. states and four countries, attended. "No one has left one of our festivals without seeing a yellow rail, but this year was a challenge," said Berken. That's because it poured rain intermittently all day on Wednesday, the festival's first day, and according to Berken, these birds "don't like wet feet." Yellow rails are almost impossible to spot in the rain because farmers need better conditions to run the equipment that flushes the birds out.
Festival attendees didn't seem worried, however. The sun was out on Thursday, and by that afternoon, everyone had seen a yellow rail taking flight from Berken's rice field. Festival attendees then moved on to Myers Landing for a jambalaya supper, with music provided by a local Cajun band. Friday and Saturday continued with improving, dryer weather conditions and tours of various bird habitat regions including Kisatchie National Forest and the Cameron Coast, and more yellow rail spotting from the combines in Thornwell.
Berken is widely praised for his efforts with the festival that shows another side of farming and creates allies in the naturalist community.
"A lot of people have a negative view of production agriculture, but the beauty of this kind of event is that when they come out here and see farmers taking care of the land, producing high quality food in a sustainable fashion, conserving water and reducing inputs, and then they get to see the wildlife - yellow rails actually utilizing the fields - it provides a better connection to how production agriculture is contributing to the overall health of the environment," said Kevin Norton, state conservationist for the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) in Louisiana.
Or as Berken said to the throngs of birders gathered at his farm: "Rice farms provide more wildlife habitat than any other crop. Save a bird - buy rice."
Rice farmer Kevin Berken can tell you where they spend Halloween, though: his rice fields.
Thornwell is known as the Yellow Rail Capitol of the World and for good reason. Rice fields like Berken's are an essential pit stop for migratory birds, and yellow rails in particular seem to love the straw leftover between the first and second harvests.
Berken founded the Yellow Rails and Rice Festival nine years ago so that bird enthusiasts could check this rare species off their lists, and in the meantime learn about how rice fields provide invaluable habitat to many coastal animals. For species threatened by coastal erosion and urban development, southwest Louisiana rice fields are a sanctuary.
"For things like the yellow rail, they're critical," says Michael Seymour, avian biologist for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. "The brushy borders of rice fields and all those fence rows are very important for migratory birds."
According to Seymour, wildlife conservationists are especially worried about rice fields being replaced with other crops. "I think the rice fields do a whole lot for these birds."
The festival kicks off with Berken conducting an orientation session or "Rice Farming 101" for the birders. He explains not just what they'll directly see in the fields, but things they might not see - like his conservation practices. He also explains the rice industry - the varieties grown in the six major rice producing states - and the challenges the industry faces - specifically from imported rice.
But the real fun gets underway when Berken takes bird-watchers out on his combine, the rails take flight or scurry into a net, where wildlife experts give a hands-on demonstration of how to band the rail's leg.
This year 120 participants, representing 30 U.S. states and four countries, attended. "No one has left one of our festivals without seeing a yellow rail, but this year was a challenge," said Berken. That's because it poured rain intermittently all day on Wednesday, the festival's first day, and according to Berken, these birds "don't like wet feet." Yellow rails are almost impossible to spot in the rain because farmers need better conditions to run the equipment that flushes the birds out.
Festival attendees didn't seem worried, however. The sun was out on Thursday, and by that afternoon, everyone had seen a yellow rail taking flight from Berken's rice field. Festival attendees then moved on to Myers Landing for a jambalaya supper, with music provided by a local Cajun band. Friday and Saturday continued with improving, dryer weather conditions and tours of various bird habitat regions including Kisatchie National Forest and the Cameron Coast, and more yellow rail spotting from the combines in Thornwell.
Berken is widely praised for his efforts with the festival that shows another side of farming and creates allies in the naturalist community.
"A lot of people have a negative view of production agriculture, but the beauty of this kind of event is that when they come out here and see farmers taking care of the land, producing high quality food in a sustainable fashion, conserving water and reducing inputs, and then they get to see the wildlife - yellow rails actually utilizing the fields - it provides a better connection to how production agriculture is contributing to the overall health of the environment," said Kevin Norton, state conservationist for the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) in Louisiana.
Or as Berken said to the throngs of birders gathered at his farm: "Rice farms provide more wildlife habitat than any other crop. Save a bird - buy rice."
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Host Kevin Berken promises
"a festival like no other!"
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Boost for local farmers as
State cancels import of maize, rice
MONDAY
NOVEMBER 6 2017
Maize harvesting in Moiben. file
photo | nmg
The Agriculture ministry has
cancelled an international tender for supply of 550,000 bags of maize and
20,000 bags of rice that had been advertised by the National Cereals and
Produce Board (NCPB) in favour of the local purchase.
NCPB managing director Newton
Terer said the decision was reached after the ministry advised for a freeze of
the tender as they monitor purchases from local harvests.
The tender also saw the
cancellation of plans to buy one million bags for the grain storage.
“The ministry requested us to
cancel the tender because of the ongoing purchases. It is monitoring the
process before the decision on imports is reached,” said Mr Terer.
The cancellation comes hardly a
week since the State-owned grain handler called for bids from interested
bidders to supply grains as the firm wanted to resume commercial trading of
maize to supplement the funds that it gets from the exchequer.
Mr Terer also pointed out that
the ministry would be the sole entity that will handle the imports of grain and
no other State agencies such as the NCPB for control of cross-border trader
using taxpayers’ cash from a central point.
Group laments
increase in rice smuggling
The Rice Millers, Importers,
Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN) has again expressed concern over
the continuous smuggling of rice through the land borders in spite of the
existing ban on the commodity through the border.It was gathered that even at
the nation’s seaport where shippers can import the commodity, the federal
government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had in the last three
years restricted issuance of Form ‘M’ to rice importers, an indication that
majority of the rice at the Nigerian market are smuggled rice.
The festive season is usually the
peak of the business with various markets including Sango, Daleko and others along
the Badagry Expressway, Seme stocked the commodity as many Nigerians depends
more on the consumption of rice.
Secretary of the association,
Shuiab Muhammmed who spoke in a chat with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY, laments
that business of rice smuggling is still growing and appearing increasingly
unabated at the land border despite the effort of farmers to increase local
rice production.
He said the situation is worse-
off as according to him, foreign rice accounts for over 60 percent of rice in
the markets adding that the benefit to smuggling is even higher because Nigeria
is no more legally importing rice.
“All the foreign rice in the
markets is smuggled rice except for the local ones. Nigerian rice in the market
is just about 40 percent.
“If CBN has not issued form ‘M’
in the last three years, it means that nobody has been able to import rice
legally because for you to do that you must have a Form ‘M’. It then means that
no foreign rice should be in the Nigerian market today.
“So it is smuggled rice that has
taken over. It is so bad that some importers, even well know companies in
Nigeria went to Benin Republic, import rice through Benin and smuggle it
through Nigeria.
“The CG of customs said their
hands are tight because they cannot go to the market and arrest people with 20
bags and that is what the smugglers have taken advantage of. Smuggled rice
doesn’t come in huge quantity of trailer load but it comes in small batches of
just 20 bags. If you move around Isolo, you will see all of them from Idiroko
heading through Daleko to offload.
“They are so well known that
police and other security agencies know them and as they go in convoy nobody
stops them. By the time you have a thousand of such small vehicles, and do two
trips a day, that is more than a ship load,” he said.
Muhammed added that the
difference in the price of local rice which currently sells for N15, 000 per 50
kg bag while foreign rice sells for N13, 000 per bag has also given added
impetus to the smuggling of the staple food.
“When the benefit for rice
smuggling goes high, then smuggling goes up as well. Right now the benefit to
smuggle is high because Nigeria is no more legally importing rice .Nigeria
demand on rice is about 7million tonnes and the local production stands between
4million to 5 million tonnes. So there is a two million tonnes supply gap and
that is what the Nigerian farmers should be striving to catch up with to
produce more but this what the smugglers are also taking advantage of to
smuggle at a reduced price.
“The differential in price is
close to N2000 unlike before when the difference will be just N500. But now
with a difference of N2000, the urge to smuggle will be higher.
“It is really affecting rice
farmers and we have made lots of people invest in rice farming and get a lot of
people interested in farming but right now, people are not encouraged anymore
because of the price the smuggled rice are sold for,” he said.
He said while the restriction of
rice through the land border is laudable, the government should do more to
address rice smuggling by engaging the government of the countries through
which the commodity is being smuggled in to the country through diplomatic
means.
“The ban is beautiful because we
have to grow our farms. As we speak about three mills in Thailand have shut
down because Nigerian are not coming to buy rice from them which means we are
creating jobs in the country.
“We have the resources and all it
takes to produce the rice and safe foreign exchange and get employment but
government should do more by taking on the countries where the rice comes in
through Nigeria diplomatically,” he said.
Traders’ cartel
offers lower prices, growers start stocking basmati
Basmati growers here are up in arms as the popular 1121 aromatic
variety is fetching a lower price in the Fazilka market compared to other
markets due to a cartel raised by the private traders.Traders, including
exporters and rice millers, are the bulk buyers of the variety.As farmers are
being offered lower price, they have started stocking the paddy. Sources said
traders have been purchasing paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal compared to Rs
3,300-3,400 per quintal in nearby districts for the past five days.“Private
traders and exporters have connived to keep prices low. The farmers are left
with no other alternative but sell it to private traders in the absence of
minimum support price and government policy,” alleged Des Raj of Balluana
village who has been waiting to sell his produce at Fazilka.“Farmers switched
over to the less water-consuming variety on the persuasion of the government
which has now let them down,” said another farmer Angrej Singh.Basmati growers
of Theh Qalandar village said villagers have decided not to sell their produce
at lower rate.They claimed that about 20,000 bags (each weighing 35 kg) of
basmati have been produced in the village so far. Out of those, only 3,000 bags
have been sold by farmers. The rest has been stored in the hope of getting a
better price after the dismantling of the cartel.Official sources said the
arrival of 1,46,567 tonnes of paddy had been recorded in the district so far.
“I have directed the market committee authorities to look into the matter and
take action,” said DCIsha Kalia.
Author Name:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/traders-cartel-offers-lower-prices-growers-start-stocking-basmati/493027.html
Date: 05-Nov-2017
Thailand Join Forces With Alibaba
In Selling Thai Rice Online
BANGKOK, Nov 6 -- The Thai
Agriculture Ministry has joined hands with Alibaba to promote Thai jasmine rice
to Chinese consumers through the online channel, Thai News Agency (TNA)
reported. Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chutima Bunyapraphasara
said after attending "TMALL 11.11 Thai Hom Mali Rice Promotion" in
Hangzhou, the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang Province that the
11.11 shopping festival, held by Alibaba Group will help promote Thai jasmine
rice to Chinese consumers. Thai jasmine rice is only popular among China’s
coastal cities, but the distribution of Thai rice through Alibaba’s online
channel could support Thai high-quality rice to be more accessible to Chinese
consumers. The online platform will help Thai farmers to sell rice at good
prices and Chinese consumers will in return receive high quality rice at
reasonable prices, she said. -- BERNAMA
Date: 06-Nov-2017
India rice starts moving in Sri Lanka, shortages over
The first batch of low priced rice
out of the huge 100000 MT Indian rice tranche has been offloaded and is now
moving within Sri Lankan retail market, ending any supply fears. Meanwhile, the
open international tender call for 200,000 MT rice in three varieties, also
successfully closed in Colombo last week. By the weekend of October 4-5, a
total of 20,000 MT tranche of parboiled ‘nadu’ rice sent by an Indian private
sector supplier to the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) of Sri Lanka
have been offloaded at Port of Colombo and been distributed to CWE warehouses.
The value of the received 20000 MT rice stock is US $ 8.9 Mn (SL Rs 1.36 Bn).
This rice stock is now being
re-distributed from CWE warehouses to Lanka Sathosa outlets to be sold at only
Rs 74 per kilo. Any consumer purchasing more than 25 kilos of this rice from
Lanka Sathosa can buy them even lower-only Rs 73 per kilo. Minister of Industry
and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen addressing a press briefing on 1 November in
Colombo, highlighting his efforts to end rice supply shortages through yet
another global tender call, said: “Our international tender to import 200,000
MT rice closed yesterday 31 October. Rice samples submitted with tender bids
are being forwarded to ITI for lab tests.”
The latest tender is, unlike previous
“Government to Government” (G2G) tenders, a “Sri Lanka government to local and
international private sector” call. A total of 34 local and international
private sector suppliers have quoted for the 200,000 MT tender, that closed on
31 October and announced initially on 19 October. The Ministry has forwarded
all the submitted quotes to the Cabinet Appointed High Powered Tender Board
which will compare prices of these international and local private sector
suppliers with “government to government” prices quoted in previous G2G tender
calls, before making final selections. The international tender was floated by
the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka on the directions of
government’s Cost of Living Committee.
The Cabinet Appointed High Powered Tender
Board is expected to pick the qualifying suppliers for this 200,000 MT
international tender by this Friday 10 October. Private sector suppliers from
Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, India, and Vietnam quoted. Several Sri Lankan
suppliers too submitted their bids in this 200,000 MT total which consists of
three varieties-90000 MT Parboiled Nadu rice, 60000 MT Samba (Parboiled) rice
and 50000 MT White Raw rice.
Date: 06-Nov-2017
Govt should fix MSP for basmati, say
farmers
Buoyed by the steep increase in the prices of 1121 Basmati rice
this season in comparison to last year, farmers of Punjab have demanded that
the Centre should announce the minimum support price (MSP) for basmati rice to
help the farmers to come out of financial mess.The 1509 basmati rice fetched Rs
2,500 as compared to Rs 1,600 last year, while the 1121 basmati rice fetched Rs
3,500 to Rs 4,000 this year as compared to Rs 2,500 last year. The price of
superior basmati rice variety of 1121 has witnessed 25 per cent jump in the
wholesale market as the rice which was available for Rs 8,000 per quintal was
now being sold for Rs 10,000.Interestingly, in view of the 1121 basmati rice
fetching higher price in the Nabha grain market, farmers from Sangrur district
were also bringing their produce to the local grain market.Basmati traders
Rakesh Gupta and Deepak Gupta, while confirming the steep increase in the
prices of basmati this year, said the main reason behind the increase was
lesser farmers going in for Basmati rice which had witnessed slump last year.
They said this year, the arrival of basmati had witnessed steep
decrease and hardly any farmer brought their produce to the grain
market.Another wholesale Basmati trader Ashok Arora said even though the new
crop was yet to arrive, the prices of basmati had started touching new heights.
He said the prices were likely to go up further as the production was very low
this year with fewer farmers sowing the 1121 paddy variety this year.Onkar
Singh Aghol, general secretary, Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal), said like normal
rice, the Centre should also fix the MSP for Basmati rice so that more and more
farmers could sow the crop to get better remuneration. He said this would also
help the farmers to come out of the financial mess.
Author Name:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/govt-should-fix-msp-for-basmati-say-farmers/493100.html
‘Find right markets’ before hiking organic rice
THE GOVERNMENT has to find the
right market for organic rice before it encourages farmers to increase the area
producing the crop from 300,000 rai (48,000 hectares) this year to 1 million
rai in 2019, Thai Rice Exporters Association president Pol Lieute-nant Charoen
Leothamatas said.
He
added that when farmers grow organic rice for export, they need a certificate
to prove it matches global standards, and that was both difficult and expensive
to achieve. If the government wants to promote the country as an organic rice
producer, it has to help farmers to apply for global organic rice
certification, help develop rice seed and find a market with the right demand
for the product, Charoen said recently. Currently, the export of organic rice
from Thailand accounts for only 5,000 tonnes of a total of 11 million tonnes
exported per year. However, there is a potential market for rice farmers if
they can control the quality of their crop and develop rice seed to match the
niche demand, he added. Montri Gosalawat, the secretary-general of the
Progressive Farmer Association who has grown organic rice since 1995, said that
although organic rice was still a niche product, the demand has led to
double-digit growth each year since 2009. It is especially popular in quality
markets such as the United States and Europe.
The
global demand for organic rice average 10,000 tonnes a year, of which Thailand
exports half. With the market growing at an average 20 per cent a year,
Thailand has great potential to develop and export organic rice if the
government supports knowhow, applications for certification, development of
seed and market sourcing, Montri said. Production costs for organic rice are
normally cheaper than on chemical rice farms. However, the organic rice price
is higher because growing time is longer – meaning there is just one crop a
year -– and demand is higher both in the domestic market and overseas.
The government target is to have 3 million framers harvesting organic
rice from 10 million rai by the year 2021. That would boost the supply of
organic rice in the market by more than 200 per cent, but it will also reduce
the price of organic rice, and mean that new markets have to be found. Man
Samsri, head of organic rice farming at Naso district in Yasothorn province,
said the global price was not a factor when his area changed to growing organic
10 years ago. “We changed our ways to grow organic rice because we need
to improve our quality of life [that has suffered from farming with chemicals],
and also to produce quality rice for our families to consume,” Man said. The
group has a total of 2,131 farmers who have combined their land to produce
organic rice on 42,694 rais. Their rice now fetches a higher price in the
market, Man said. Currently, the group produces about 300 tonnes of organic
rice a year. It has global “Hom Mali” certification, and 90 per cent of
production is exported to Europe and the United States. The remaining 10 per
cent is sold in the domestic market at an average price of Bt80 per kilogram –
higher than the regular Hom Mali price of about Bt45 per kilogram. “The high price
is the final reason why we produce a high quality of organic rice, but our main
benefit of producing organic rice is our strong health from consuming it,” Man
said. “This is the way to be sustainable farmers for the long term. If we have
quality products, we can find the market that has the purchasing power to pay
for quality products.”
