Effects of GM foods on Pakistan’s
food security
FEBRUARY 21, 2019
GMOs undergo gene modification through a complex, scientific
process known as genetic engineering responsible for altering the nutritional
content of organic foods through technology. A number of selected traits are
either added or removed from one organism to another. Although GMOs are
beneficial to humans today, a controversial debate surrounding the subject
matter has been ongoing for decades. They promote a healthy lifestyle, increase
crop yields, generate employment, provide better opportunities for rising
scientists and produce vaccines and drugs for effective use.
In contrast, religious groups, researchers, nutritionists,
political parties and media personalities have opposed GMOs. The rise of
engineered foods in the twenty first century has raised questions regarding the
exploitation of nature using technology. They likely cause allergies,
carcinogenicity and new viruses. In the context of Pakistan, GM foods are
widely grown by farmers through questionable technology. Since our economy
profoundly relies on agriculture, native farmers employ alternative means of
producing organic foods using biotechnology, a field not so prominent in
Pakistan. Considering the evidence, we are not a technologically advanced
state.
GM foods have become an integral part of Pakistan’s food
industry. Take for instance the milk cartons sold in supermarkets. They
comprise of ‘alien’ components that improve shelf life. Similarly, many
processed foods are products of GMOs. One such example is chicken meat.
Chickens are treated with vaccines to increase their body mass and feed large
communities. According to a research study by Waris Ali Gobal, Aleem Ahmad and
Hadi Bux, the most common GM crop in Pakistan is BT cotton manufactured in
Southern Punjab.
The National Nutrition Survey
conducted in 2011 reported that 62 percent of Pakistan’s population is food
insecure while the Global Health Index concluded that Pakistan is one of the
most food insecure countries in Asia
In a research paper published in April 2016, Jazib Ali proposed
ethical concerns pertaining to GMOs in Pakistan. BT rice is grown nationwide and
consumers have no idea what their food contains. Similarly, a Dawn report
highlighted the senate committees’ decision to import commercialised GM crops.
Federal Secretary Food Security and Research, Seerat Asghar reinstated that the
bill “ensures checks and balances and lays down a strict procedure to check
these kinds of crops.” While plants undergo gene modification, an increased
level of toxins leak out during the process that may cause harm to humans and
crops. Perhaps the most important factor is the alteration in nutritional
quality of foods. Scientists can purposely increase or decrease nutritional
value in different food items. This may harm the crops and pose a threat to
food security. The National Nutrition Survey conducted in 2011 reported that 62
percent of Pakistan’s population is food insecure while the Global Health Index
(GHI) concluded that Pakistan is one of the most food insecure countries in
Asia.
GMOs can also lead to certain allergic reactions in humans, as
some components of microorganisms are untested for use. Food Security expert
and environmentalist Dr. Azra Sayeed stated that GM foods are “fresh onslaught
of imperialist corporations” and the government’s “unquenchable thirst for
profits.” Dr. Abid Mahmood of the Ayub Agriculture Research Institute held that
almost 99 percent of cotton grown in Pakistan is genetically engineered.
Pakistan’s Agriculture Research Council (ARC) added that long trial periods are
necessary to rule out health and environmental risks associated with genetically
engineered crops.
In light of the evidence, technology and nature are immiscible.
Although genetic engineering is an integral part of technology and science, GM
foods can impair humans in the long run unless we opt for effective checks and
balances to sustain the problem. Scientists rely heavily on their systematic
procedures and often overlook animal and human rights. They avoid retesting
vaccines, foods and drugs. It is mandatory to monitor the harmful effects of
GMOs and come up with alternatives to produce better and healthier foods that
are not mere products of technology.
The writer is a model and an actor
Published in Daily Times, February 21st 2019.
Government to settle for 93% rice
self-sufficiency rate
Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
Published 4:55 PM, February 21, 2019
Updated 4:55 PM, February 21, 2019
RICE INDUSTRY. A farmer plants
rice in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. File photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The
government will have to settle for its current rice self-sufficiency rate to
accommodate the incoming unimpeded entry of rice
imports into the country.
In a press conference on
Thursday, February 21, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said they will have
to settle for a 93% self-sufficiency rate for rice. (READ: Rice self-sufficiency: the
dangerous dream)
"We will
maintain 93% production right now. We cannot reduce our production targets," he added.
This goes against the earlier promise of
the Duterte administration to achieve 100% rice self-sufficiency to wean off
the country's dependence on importing rice to fill up the remaining demand.
For 2019, the Department of
Agriculture (DA) has set a target production of 20 million metric tons. (Piñol
said the DA is expecting good harvest for the 1st and 2nd quarters of the year
given the absence of heavy rains.
Unexpectedly, Piñol said they are
not too concerned about the looming El Niño.
"[We are] thankful that El
Niño will hit us just as the harvest season is over. The National Irrigation
Administration can use this time to repair their systems [so] we are not too
worried," he added.
Should there be an excess in
production, Piñol said it could also be easily dealt with by exporting the rice
to avoid plummeting prices of the staple in the market.
"[Y]ou have not taken into
account the other provision of the liberalization law. Farmers can also export
rice. It sounds ridiculous, but we're already doing it," he added,
referring to homegrown hybrid rice producer and grower SL Agritech Corporation.
Government to settle for 93%
rice self-sufficiency rate
To ensure that locally produced
rice is of export quality, the DA is moving to have farmers shift to planting
high-value rice seeds.
"By making our farmers plant
better-quality rice, we can open a new market: organic rice market, Class A
rice market, which could be our outlet for excess rice," Piñol said.
NFA woes
As the National Food Authority
(NFA) Council chairman, Piñol also tackled other concerns over the rice
tariffication law, which limited the powers of the state grains agency.
He said they cannot assure
the job security of
about 1,000 NFA employees.
"I am appealing to the
members of the NFA union to accept this. There's nothing we can do about it.
You cannot reverse the decision anymore. It's already a law," Piñol said.
"Working for the government
is not a right, it’s a privilege. Let's perform the new role given to the NFA
by this law."
In the meantime, Piñol said they
will be strengthening the NFA's remaining function to serve as the "shock
absorber" if palay prices drop.
This would mean that the NFA will
still continue to sell lower-priced rice in the market despite the removal of
the suggested retail prices.
"The NFA will not be
allowed to import rice, [but] the fact remains that the NFA will still be
procuring locally produced rice," Piñol said.
"If you're buying palay, you
have to mill it. The NFA will really still have to release it to the market.
What if there's no calamity?"
Despite the rice tariffication
law removing the NFA's power to conduct government-to-government importation,
as well as regulate the importation of other traders, Piñol said private
traders cannot import rice until the implementing rules and regulations (IRR)
are finalized.
The DA will be holding
information and consultation activities nationwide to include the inputs of private
stakeholders in the IRR. These will be presented at the NFA Council meeting on
March 5.
To avoid too much rice in the
market, Piñol explained that President Rodrigo Duterte can impose bans by
adjusting tariffs up to 180%. However, this can only work if Congress is on
break. – Rappler.com
NegOcc prepares
farmers for rice tariffication
By Panay
News
Thursday, February 21, 2019
For
those relying on rain-fed farming in Sipalay, Negros Occidental, the rainy
season means one thing –planting has begun. Rice farmers can be seen in the
fields with other members of the family helping out. PHOTO BY ICRC/VON GUSTILO
BACOLOD City – The Office of the
Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) of Negros Occidental underscored the need to
prepare rice farmers for coping with challenges brought by the tariffication
measure.
“Our farmers really need the help
of the government mainly in terms of lowering down production cost and
increasing productivity,” Provincial agriculturist Japhet Masculino said on
Sunday, two days after President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the measure
lifting restrictions on rice importation.
Masculino noted that one major
effect would be cheaper price of imported than locally-produced rice.
Necessary interventions should be
done immediately given the little time to prepare as the implementing rules and
regulations may be out soon, he added.
Negros Occidental is known as the
country’s top sugar-producing province, but it has also become one of the top
10 rice producers in the past years in its bid to become 100 percent rice-sufficient.
Masculino said one measure to
reduce production cost of Negrense rice farmers is mechanization, which the
provincial government has already been implementing since last year.
He added that if the government
can seriously implement mechanization by providing funds for the purchase of
machineries, it would be a big help because labor comprises more than 50
percent of the total production cost.
“Our mechanization
accomplishment, especially in the planting and harvesting stages, is still
minimal. If we can just fully mechanize at least our irrigated areas of 40
hectares, it would already be a big thing,” Masculino said.
Duterte certified the rice
tariffication bill as urgent in October 2018 “to address the urgent need to
improve availability of rice in the country, to prevent artificial rice
shortage, reduce the prices of rice in the market, and curtail the prevalence
of corruption and cartel domination in the rice industry.”
A month after the President
certified the measure as urgent, a report on the bill was ratified by the
bicameral conference committee.
Under the rice tariffication
bill, quantitative restrictions on rice importation are lifted and private
traders are allowed to import the commodity from countries of their choice.
The bill imposes a 25-percent
duty on rice imports from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
member-states and a 50-percent rate on imports from non-members of the regional
bloc. (PNA)
https://www.panaynews.net/negocc-prepares-farmers-for-rice-tariffication/12:00
AM, February 22, 2019 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:06 AM, February 22, 2019
Wheat imports drop for higher rice
harvests
Wheat imports slumped 17.8 percent
year-on-year to 34.20 lakh tonnes in the first seven months of the fiscal year
owing to its escalating price in the international market and the relatively
lower prices of its substitute rice locally.
The import of the grain soared last
fiscal year following losses for recurrent floods, according to two private
importers.
Since then farmers have bagged good
harvests of rice, reducing the appetite for wheat among a section of consumers.
“Rice prices are competitive this
year while the prices of wheat have increased in the international market this
year,” said Abul Bashar Chowdhury, chairman of BSM Group, a major commodity
importer from Chattogram.
The low-protein wheat's price
soared to $240-$270 a tonne in recent months from $190-$230 a year ago, he
said.
In addition, higher domestic production
of rice has also dampened the prices of the staple in the domestic market.
Retail prices of coarse rice,
consumed mostly by the low-income people, fell 10 percent year-on-year to Tk
38-42 a kilogram yesterday in Dhaka city, according to market data by the
state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
Wheat flour prices remained
unchanged.
“There is a section of people who
switch to wheat if the prices of rice are higher. They return to rice if the
prices of the staple remain relatively low,” Chowdhury said.
This is the first time since fiscal
2011-12 that wheat imports dropped. Over the last seven years, spiralling
domestic demand trebled wheat import as local production fell short.
Total import by the public and
private sector rose to 4.8 percent year-on-year to 58.80 lakh tonnes in fiscal
2017-18, according to food ministry data.
As of January 31, public sector
imported 1.97 lakh tonnes and private sector imported 32.22 lakh tonnes,
according to Fortnightly Foodgrain Outlook by the food planning and monitoring
unit under the food ministry.
“We see a kind of negative growth
this time. Total wheat import is likely to fall if the international prices
continue to remain up and farmers harvest bumper rice in the next season,”
Chowdhury added.
Abdus Shukur, head of supply chain
(food and energy) of Bashundhara Group, one of the leading importers and
processors of wheat, however, expects wheat imports to not fall come the end of
the fiscal year.
“Imports picked up in January,” he
said, adding that the total imports this fiscal year would be 60 lakh tonnes.
Domestically, wheat area has
contracted further to 3.29 lakh hectares during the current season as many
growers have switched to maize and other crops to cash in on higher gains,
according to the Department of Agricultural Extension.
Farmers grew the grain on 3.50 lakh
hectares and harvested 10.98 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2017-18, according to the
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Finally moving?
DEMAND AND SUPPLY - Boo Chanco (The Philippine Star) -
February 22, 2019 - 12:00am
Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo delivered on President Duterte’s
priorities as far as the House is concerned. No one could have expected the
former Speaker, even if he is also from Davao, to deliver what Speaker Arroyo
did.
On top of the list is the landmark reform of our rice industry.
President Duterte deserves congratulations for showing real political will to
embrace long needed change that will benefit rice farmers as well as rice
consumers.
Despite resistance from his own agriculture secretary, the
President signed the rice tariffication bill into law. He could have just
allowed it to lapse and then pin responsibility on his economic managers and
Congress. But he signed it to deliver a strong point that he wants a new
system.
Starting March, NFA will no longer control rice importations.
Instead, rice imports will be covered by new tariffs: 35 percent for rice
imports sourced from ASEAN members; 40 percent for imports within the 350,000
metric ton minimum access volume (MAV) regardless of source country; and 180
percent for above-MAV imports from non-ASEAN country.
The tariffs are expected to raise between P7 billion to P11
billion in additional government revenues in its first year of implementation.
Economic managers are also expecting a P7 per kilo drop in rice prices with the
influx of imported rice and with it, result in a lower inflation rate.
Government will pass on the 35 percent tariff on imported rice
to farmers to help them become more competitive. Under NFA trading
restrictions, only 23 percent of the potential protection was passed on to
farmers in 2017.
UP economist Ramon Clarete estimates that rice consumers in
Metro Manila in 2017 paid on average 41 percent more than the landed price of
rice imported freely from Vietnam or Thailand. But our rice farmers sold their
rice at only nine percent above this free trade price. The difference, or 32
percent went to rice traders, millers, or were simply lost to market inefficiencies
in the rice value chain.
By signing the rice tariffication bill into law, President
Duterte kicks off the process of substantially reducing the inefficiencies and
collusion in the rice market system. Clarete explained this old system made
rice farmers poor over the last half century. Farmers will be better off as
they capture more of the intended trade protection of the law from rice traders
in collusion with corrupt NFA agents.
Indeed, Clarete pointed out, most of the rice farmers are also
rice consumers during most part of the year. The new law benefits them, along
with non-rice farmers in rural areas, fisherfolk, workers, and residents in
urban areas.
The new law also opens the market to conglomerates like San
Miguel whose experience and resources can provide the efficiencies that can
bring down further the retail price of rice. It will also be easier to track
import volumes and tax liabilities with San Miguel than it would be with
Divisoria rice traders.
President Duterte also signed into law the Mobile Number
Portability Act that allows cell phone users to switch networks without
changing their numbers. This is in line with the President’s desire to have
more competitiveness in the telco industry.
As the law itself pointed out in Section 3 (a), it wants “to
promote consumer welfare as it fosters the freedom to choose and to respond to
quality, price and other relevant considerations without the consumers having
to change their mobile numbers whenever they change mobile service providers or
subscription plans.”
Mobile number portability is the ability of a mobile postpaid or
prepaid subscriber to retain an existing mobile number despite having moved
from one mobile service provider to another, or to change subscription mode
from postpaid to prepaid or vice versa. Under this law, telcos must act within
24 hours from the time a subscriber submits application.
I like this new law. NTC could have ordered this, but it had
always been too scared or too much of a captive regulator of the telco industry
to do so.
But then, we still have just two telcos to choose from. Many of
us already have accounts in both, just to make sure. We still need the third,
fourth, and possibly fifth telco to fully benefit from the law.
Still, it is a good start and the intentions of the Duterte
administration in having this law is laudable.
But there could have been more laws delivered to promote our
welfare as telecoms consumers… the Open Access bill for instance.
It is amazing how a single senator stood in the way of passing legislation
that will speed up internet speed by introducing more competition through open
access. That could have had more immediate effect on our lives than the third
telco.
Then there is the law creating the Department of Human
Settlements and Urban Development. It consolidates the Housing and Urban
Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the Housing and Land Use
Regulatory Board (HLURB). Hopefully, this will give us a more comprehensive way
of addressing the housing needs of people.
Good intentions, but with the same bureaucracy, we cannot expect
much unless Duterte appoints a really good secretary. Will this mean we will
have better planning and land use policies? I have my doubts, but hopeful.
Given the high rate of growth of our urban areas, we need better
regulation and better regulators. The areas around Clark are booming and it
will be a pity if the nearby towns end up like Metro Manila did.
Problems like congestion due to lack of planning and appropriate
regulations can be observed in Angeles, Mabalacat, and San Fernando. Ayala is
starting to develop virgin fields in Porac of 1,800 hectares and only 22
percent open space instead of the minimum 30 percent required by PD957. So much
work to do for this new department.
There are many other new laws signed by the President in recent
days. On the whole it is good to see some progress with these new laws.
Interesting to see how the implementation side works out.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/02/22/1895625/finally-moving
Millennials, Gen Z and rice tariffs
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:08 AM February 22,
2019
ICYMI: While
we were busy with our dates and Instagram posts on Feb. 14, the Rice
Tariffication Act became law. The government’s economic managers say it can
bring down rice prices and ease inflation, but farmers and other agricultural
bodies are mourning the “death of the rice industry.” In the middle of all
this—though we may not immediately realize it—we, millennials and Gen Z-ers,
have a role to play.
In brief,
Republic Act No. 11203 lifts the restriction on rice imports, allowing private
traders in the country to import rice more freely. In turn, rice imports will
be slapped with a tariff. The law also removes the commercial and regulatory
powers of the National Food Authority (NFA) , which was previously tasked with
the regulation, licensing and monitoring of rice traders.
After the
law takes effect on March 5, we are expected to get an influx of imported rice,
especially from our neighbors like Thailand and Vietnam whose rice prices are
much lower. Even with the tariff, the prevailing prediction is that the entry
of cheap rice can drive down prices by as much as P7 per kilo.
While the
law sounds like a godsend for consumers, farmers’ groups fear that our local
farms will not stand a chance against massive and cheap rice imports. It’s no
secret that our rice industry is far from competitive in relation to our
neighbors; production costs alone push our farmers to debt, compounded by low
yields and environmental vulnerability. Some expect that with the flood of
low-priced competition, many Filipino rice farms will not survive.
The law does
provide that revenue from the tariffs will go to the Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund, which is intended to boost our local farmers. However, this
has been met with skepticism, given the government’s record of failed promises
in agriculture and officials’ past misuse of people’s funds.
On top of
all these are concerns that import liberalization will greatly hurt our food
security, and that deregulation will cost the jobs of about 1,000 NFA workers.
It’s a
policy change with wide-reaching ripples. As a 20-something looking at it
through the lens of youth and zero political experience, it’s easy to get lost
and feel helpless in the sidelines. But the reality must hit us: Our farmers
will experience the brunt in their livelihood. And with this, young people have
a greater opportunity—and a higher calling—to contribute their skills to
agriculture.
The
Department of Agriculture reported that the average age of Filipino farmers is
57 years old, indicating the youth’s declining involvement in farming. This is
despite the many scholarships and free tuition programs for Aggie students.
Members of the academe have expressed dismay over the low number of enrollees
in agriculture courses, as well as the inclination of agriculture graduates to
pursue jobs abroad.
We can’t
deny that the state of agriculture in the Philippines isn’t attractive to young
workers and professionals. But that’s exactly why we are needed here.
If we’re not
keen on farming itself, there are various areas of agriculture where young
talent is valuable: agricultural research (especially as the Philippines is
home to the International Rice Research Institute), agricultural engineering,
development communication, agricultural economics.
Now is a
time when our rice farmers may need to either upgrade their farming practices
or move to a more viable crop than rice. It is then vital to get more
professionals with fresh ideas involved in developing better farm input and methods,
as well as in communicating and transferring these new technologies to farmers.
Likewise, our farmers could benefit from the service of passionate new
economists who could influence government policies with real-world data and
bottom-up solutions.
Or, we can
contribute proficiency in what we are already good at: technology and the
internet. An award-winning study from the Philippine Rice Research Institute
suggested that in the immediate term, the youth can be mobilized as
“infomediaries,” to aid farmers access the wealth of information available
through information and communications technology that would be useful in
improving yield and reducing operational costs.
For us
millennials and Gen Z-ers, “rice tariffication” may not be a sexy concept to talk
about in our daily lives or post excitedly about on social media. But it
signals a greater concern that we should be part of—a dire need for bright new
thinkers and movers in Philippine agriculture. And that’s us, if we dare to be.
Ana Marie Pamintuan (The Philippine Star)
- February 22, 2019 - 12:00am
Buying rice from my suki wholesale supplier recently, I noticed
two things. One is that all the types of rice are now classified as either
regular or well milled, but the product tags still bear the names of the
varieties or brands, with corresponding price differences.
The second noteworthy development is that the wholesaler now
sells imported well-milled rice from Thailand, at a significantly lower price
than a comparable local variety.
Out of loyalty to our very own, I bought the local one. But I’m
sure the price difference will be a decisive factor for other consumers,
especially commercial establishments.
Local producers are projecting a harvest of 19 million metric
tons of rice this year – enough, they say, to meet about 95 percent of national
demand. But they will have to bring down prices if they want to compete with a
flood of cheaper imports. With profit margins shrinking as a result, we could
see more people leaving rice farming.
As it is, younger generations of Filipinos no longer want to go
into rice farming because of the poor returns. The Ifugao Rice Terraces are
suffering more from neglect than from the giant worms eroding the paddies.
What will happen to our rice farmers with the enactment of the
law that opens the doors to “unli” rice importation?
Local rice producers are warning that the new law spells the
death of their industry. Some groups have warned that the New People’s Army is
stepping up its recruitment among farmers who will be adversely affected by
Republic Act 11203. It would be dangerous to dismiss this story as hype.
*
* *
We want cheap rice, but we’re an agricultural country and we
also don’t want to kill our local rice producers, especially the marginalized
farmers.
So the debates continue over “unli” rice importation. Tariffs
are being slapped on the imports, of which about P10 billion a year will go to
a fund meant to enhance the competitiveness of local rice farmers.
Farmer Cathy Estavillo, Bantay Bigas spokesperson, says that in
reality, only about P5 billion of that amount will go directly to farmers,
mostly for agricultural machinery, with only P1 billion for financial support.
With 2.7 million farmers nationwide, that amounts to only P370 each. Really,
says Estavillo, how much farming competitiveness can that enhance? She says
farmers need P50,000 per hectare for planting rice, and the enhancement fund is
rather “too late the hero.”
Estavillo faced The Chiefs last Wednesday on Cignal TV’s One
News together with Rosendo So, president of Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura
or SINAG and Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon of the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA).
The SINAG head is upbeat about the new law, pointing out that
about half of the actual total rice imports last year escaped the payment of
tariffs. The rice enhancement fund is also earmarked for specific purposes, he
and Edillon said, to prevent diversion or misuse.
Under the new law, rice pricing and supply will be left largely
to market forces. Edillon reassures the public that there are still laws on
fair trade and competitiveness to prevent overpricing and cartels.
She says NEDA studies have shown that 46 provinces, including
Nueva Ecija and Kalinga, are ready for tariffication and can compete with any
flood of imported rice.
Edillon explained that the bulk of the enhancement is going to
machinery support because studies indicate that mechanized farming helped top
rice producers Thailand and Vietnam keep their rice prices low.
While Estavillo says 10 million families depend on subsidized
National Food Authority rice, which will no longer be available under the new
law, Edillon says the NEDA found that 69 percent of regular NFA rice consumers
are not classified as poor. We didn’t get to ask how this was determined.
Only time will tell if the rice fund will go the way of the
corruption-tainted fertilizer fund. For now, the short-term impact of the new
law is to bring down rice prices, even as local farmers bemoan the threat to
their livelihood and the damage to local production. About 1,000 NFA employees
also stand to lose their jobs.
*
* *
Ramon Sanchez, secretary-general of the NFA employees’
association, told The Chiefs that tariffication is “a band-aid solution” and
the country is 94 percent self-sufficient in its staple so there is no reason
for “unli” importation. The NFA employees are banding together with local
farmers and other stakeholders to challenge the constitutionality of the new
law before the Supreme Court.
Estavillo shares those views and is calling for long-term
solutions, such as easier access to micro credit. Farmers apparently are still
seen as high-risk debtors and credit access is still difficult in banks.
Edillon and Estavillo agree on one issue: the need for a Land
Use Act, to identify specific zones for food production and stop the continuing
conversion of agricultural lands into mixed-use developments.
Estavillo, however, lamented that the first executive order
signed this year by President Duterte was the fast-tracking of such land
conversions, from the average of two years to just one month. Edillon clarified
that the EO merely aims to cut red tape in the process, and the one month
refers only to the period after all the requirements have been submitted.
Edillon also stressed the need for more investments in R&D,
especially in adaptive research, to boost rice yields, quality and
competitiveness of local varieties even for the export market.
*
* *
This is one area that is being overlooked in the debate: the new
law also reverses a ban and allows the export of local rice.
Now that exportation is allowed, Edillon says the country can
boost production of special rice varieties that fetch top prices in the global
market.
The deteriorating rice terraces in Banaue and Bontoc might
actually enjoy a revival if their tasty highland rice can be exported as
heirloom varieties. We also have brown, black and red rice as well as the
genuinely blue-violet pirurutong, the variety that is used for authentic puto
bumbong, although many cheat these days and simply use food color to make the
popular rice cake. Have the rice certified as organic and the price goes even
higher.
Flavors are now being genetically engineered into rice, so we
should also be able to produce the more expensive varieties of pandan and
jasmine rice, like Thailand.
Perhaps one day the new law will be struck down. For now,
however, a new rice regime is being put in place. Ready or not, the local rice
industry will have to adapt or perish.
Vietnam to export 6-7 mln tons of rice in 2019
Vietnam plans to export 6-7 million tons of rice this year,
compared with roughly 6.1 million tons worth nearly 3.1 billion US dollars last
year, according to its Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
on Wednesday. The country will intensify application of advanced
technologies in growing paddy rice so that it can churn out 43.5 million tons
of rice from 7.5 million hectares of paddy rice-growing area in 2019, said the
ministry's Department of Crop Production. Vietnam exported 400,000 tons
of rice worth 180 million US dollars in January, seeing respective year-on-year
declines of 18.5 percent and 24.8 percent. Vietnamese Prime Minister
Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to seek bigger and
longer-term export markets for Vietnamese rice, the agriculture ministry said,
noting that Vietnam's rice export turnovers surged in such markets as
Indonesia, Iraq, China's Hong Kong and the Philippines last year.
Rice shortage looms as rivers dry
up in Mwea
THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY 21, 2019 22:00 
A rice farmer
at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme. FILE PHOTO | NMG
A rice farmer
at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme. FILE PHOTO | NMG
An acute shortage of rice is
looming in the country as low water levels hit the giant Mwea Irrigation Scheme
in Kirinyaga County.
Rivers which supply water to the
scheme which is Kenya's rice granary are drying up, raising fears that rice
production may be low this season.
Water levels in Nyamindi and
Thiba rivers which are the main sources of irrigation water have gone down
drastically following a prolonged dry spell.
According to the chairman of the
scheme's Water Users Association, Mr Maurice Mutugi, the water level is 1.4
cubic metres, down from 11.3 cubic metres.
"Water flowing currently
cannot support farming in the 26,000 acre scheme and the situation is
dire," said Mr Mutugi.
Efforts to ration water is even
becoming difficult because the commodity is little and cannot be enough for all
the farmers.
Mr Mutugi said the crisis had
been aggravated by the licencing of 35 illegal intakes in the upper zone.
"The government authorised
the intakes to allow horticultural farmers irrigate their crops, worsening
water scarcity at the scheme," said Mr Mutugi.
He noted that farmers might incur
heavy losses adding that the entire country could be hit by rice shortage if
the rains do not start in March.
He called on the national
government to hasten the construction of the Sh20 billion Thiba dam at Rukenya
village in Gichugu to mitigate water shortage in the scheme which is the
largest in East and Central Africa.
"If this dam is completed
water problem will be history while rice production will double," said Mr
Mutugi.
When the weather is favourable,
the 7,000 farmers produce one million bags of rice, each weighing 90
kilogrammes. Farmers complained that their crop had started wilting due to
water shortage.
"This season we shall
harvest little rice or nothing if the dry weather persists," said Ms Mary
Wanjiku.
The hardest-hit areas are Wamumu,
Karaba, Kiandegwa, Mutithi and Nguka where rice is grown in large scale.
Days to rescheduled polls, Katsina
rice farmers pledge, drum support for Buhari
by
Onyirioha Nnamdi - Ahead of the rescheduled elections, the Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Katsina has pledged its support for President
Muhammadu Buhari - The RIFAN said that it is throwing its weight behind
President Buhari because he has transformed the lives of indigenes in the state
through agricultural development - The association said that it needs Buhari in
power so that he can consolidate on the gains of his administration The Rice
Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Katsina state chapter, has directed its
members to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Masari in the
rescheduled elections. Alhaji Shuaibu Wakili, the chairman of the chapter, said
this in a statement in Daura on Thursday, February 21. He said the chapter
issued the directive at the end of its general meeting in Katsina on Wednesday,
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to
Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Wakili said that
the directive became imperative for the association to throw its weight behind
Buhari and Masari considering their individual efforts at transforming the
agricultural sector since 2015. “We must vote for APC wisely and massively,
according to our conscience,” the chairman said. He said that the Buhari
led-administration had through its anchor borrower’s programme and other
agricultural schemes, created millions of jobs, enhanced self-reliance and
boosted food security. The chairman noted that Nigeria had substituted rice
importation with export of the commodity. RIFAN also lauded the federal
government on the provision of agricultural inputs to farmers through the
anchor borrower’s programme. According to the association,over 250,000 farmers
have benefitted from the programme across the 34 local government areas of the
state .
He said the anchor borrower’s programme had
also created “thousands of millionaires“ stressing that farmers were provided
with fertiliser, seedlings, water pumping machines, insecticides, sprayers and
herbicides through revolving loan. He emphasised that the association found it
expedient to galvanise support toward Buhari’s re-election, to enable him
consolidate on the gains of his administration so far recorded. PAY ATTENTION:
Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Wakili
said: “The rice farmers and their families in Katsina state will ensure block
votes for Buhari and Masari.
” Earlier, Legit.ng reported that
RIFAN had drummed support for President Buhari’s re-election bid, ahead of the
presidential election. This was the resolution of the national executives and
state chairmen of the association in the 36 states and FCT on Tuesday, February
19, in Abuja. RIFAN's president, Aminu Goroyo, said that each of the 12.2
million members of the association had pledged their support for President
Buhari. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for
better service!
Paddy prices start
to go up in Mekong Delta provinces
Friday, February 22, 2019 10:44
Rice prices have started going up in the Mekong Delta for the past
two days after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered firms to buy rice for
temporary storage.
On February 21, the price of paddy bought at the field was at VND4,400-5,500
per kilogram, depending on varieties, up VND100-150 per kilogram compared to
previous days.
Mr. Tran Chi Hung, director of the Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development of Hau Giang Province, said that at a meeting with the
provincial government recently, six local firms agreed to sign contracts to buy
paddy for 22,000 hectares out of 78,000 hectares of winter-spring rice crop.
These firms also pledged to buy paddy that does not include in the contract
upon the market price.
Firms have been focusing on buying commodity paddy of the
winter-spring rice crop. They feel encouraged when the ministries of
Agriculture and Rural Development and Industry and Trade and banks had a
meeting to discuss thoroughly consumption solutions for winter-spring rice
crop in Mekong Delta provinces, said Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, chairman of
Gentraco.
According to some firms, farmers should not rush into selling
winter-spring paddy so as to prevent firms from buying paddy at low prices,
dragging down export prices, causing losses to both farmers and firms.
VietNam Southern Food Corporation (VINAFOOD 2) is sending its
twelve subsidiaries to purchase winter-spring paddy at 34 places in the Mekong
Delta. Rice exporters in the Vietnam Food Association have also proposed financial
aid for purchase of paddy.
It is forecast that the demand for rice of the Philippines and
Indonesia will increase in the first quarter of this year. Therefore, it is
essential for Vietnamese rice exporters and farmers to temporarily stockpile
paddy at this moment and wait for rice prices to increase.
Government seeks
to boost rice exports
Cheng Sokhorng | Publication date 21 February 2019
| 10:25 ICT
A farmer loads sacks of rice onto a truck in Moung Russey
district’s Russey Kraing commune in Battambang province on January 17,
2016. Hong Menea
Prime Minister Hun Sen said the
government will take more action to raise the Kingdom’s rice exports, including
reducing production costs and boosting market competitiveness.
Speaking at a meeting with
garment workers in Kandal province on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said
Cambodia’s rice exports could not reach one million tonnes per annum due to
strong international market competition.
However, he said the Kingdom has
already reached one of the government’s policies as it is now a country of
surplus rice production, as it is set to reach six million tonnes this year.
“We have transformed from a
country of milled rice shortages to a Kingdom of rice production, but we cannot
reach our goal yet [exporting one million tonnes of rice annually] because
competition among our partners – such as Thailand and Vietnam – is very
strong,” he said.
Fierce competition
Hun Sen said Thailand and Vietnam
are able to export six and five million tonnes of milled rice respectively each
year, due to their capacity to buy storage and drying facilities, as well as
meet phytosanitary and sanitary measures. Production costs are also cheaper
than in Cambodia.
“We will set up a new policy to
reduce production cost such as connecting electricity supply to regions with
water access, by replacing diesel machines with electric ones,” he said.
Hun Sen also encouraged studying
domestic fertiliser production to produce cheaper options for the rice industry
and reduce production costs.
Relevant ministers, including
those leading the Commerce and Agriculture, and Forestry and Fisheries
departments, need to expand and seek new markets as Cambodia has world-famous,
high-quality rice, he said.
Cambodia Rice Federation
vice-president Vong Bun Heng welcomed the move and believed that the Kingdom
will reach the one-million-tonne target if the new policy on production costs
is well implemented.
“Our issue is production costs.
If the government takes more action to remedy production costs, I believe our
rice exports will reach the government’s objective."
“We already have quality rice. If
the [issue] is truly resolved, we will be able to compete with Vietnam and
reach new markets,” he said.
Elementary Schools Host Think Rice
Day
By Deborah Willenborg
ARLINGTON, VA -- Last month, more
than 15,000 elementary students in the New York Tri-state area took part in
Think Rice Day. Over multiple lunch
periods, students learned about U.S.-grown rice, consumed new rice dishes, and
received Think Rice giveaways. Each participating school received large
cafeteria posters on the different varieties of U.S.-grown rice, multiple
classroom posters covering where rice is grown and health benefits, and a
combination of Think Rice promotional items that included branded pencils,
pens, stickers, and coloring books.
"These school promotions are a
great opportunity for USA Rice to teach students and faculty the importance of
U.S. rice in a fun and casual environment, while initiating important
relationships with school foodservice decision-makers," said Cameron
Jacobs, USA Rice domestic promotion manager.
"To reach 15,000 students with one event on one day is
phenomenal! We plan to host similar
events in four schools in Pennsylvania in early March that will reach 2,000
more elementary students."
School Operation Services Group's
Food Service Supervisor Kendall Stokes reached out to USA Rice and helped
coordinate the event in conjunction with the Institutional Commodity Service
(ICS) organization which supplies schools and institutions in the New York
Tri-state area.
"Our schools were very excited
to take part in the Think Rice promotion," said Christopher Harris, Food
Service Operations Manager of NY ICS.
"Our student demographic has strong roots in the Afro-Caribbean
culture, and we paired the brown rice with one of our popular meals of oven
roasted chicken pieces, steamed carrots, and rice and beans with a
Afro-Caribbean twist. The staff
supervisors passed out the pens, pencils, and stickers during the lunch periods
as students learned about the U.S. rice industry. It was a great success and we really
appreciate it."
USA Rice Daily
Executive decision
New WOTUS Rule Available for Comment
By Lydia Holmes
WASHINGTON, DC -- A new rule was
published last Wednesday, February 13, to revise the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers definition of what is considered a
Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The new rule was announced on December 11,
2018, but due to the government shutdown, was not published in the Federal
Register until last week.
The 2015 rule was fraught with legal
challenges and this action is part of a two-step process to repeal and replace
the 2015 WOTUS rule initiated by President Trump's Executive Order 13777
"Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing
the 'Waters of the United States' Rule."
The executive order required EPA to review the 2015 rule and rescind or
revise it based on consistency with the Scalia opinion in Rapanos v. United
States.
USA Rice will provide substantive
comments for the industry and encourages our members to provide individual
comments of their own. The 60-day
comment period closes April 15 but has the potential to be extended based on
calls from environmental groups to allow for a 120-day comment period.
USA Rice Daily
Amira Nature
Foods Ltd to Exhibit at June Summer Fancy Food Show in NYC
February 21, 2019 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amira
Nature Foods Ltd (the "Company") (NYSE:ANFI), a global provider of
packaged specialty rice, today announced that they will be exhibiting for the
sixth year in a row at the Summer Fancy Food Show, the largest specialty food
trade event in North America. The event, taking place at the Jacob Javits
Center in NYC from June 23rd through June 25th, will draw both trade
manufacturers and buyers alike, as food industry innovators host Thought Leader
discussions to examine trade trends and best practices.
2,500 exhibitors will be in
attendance and combined will have more than 180,000 specialty food products on
display.
Be sure to stop by the Company’s
booth to learn more about Amira’s products. Amira will be sampling some of
their most popular products in their line-up at the show as well.
The Summer Fancy Food Show is
open to the public. For admission pricing and more information on this annual
event, please visit their website at: https://www.specialtyfood.com/shows-events/summer-fancy-food-show/
About Amira Nature Foods
Founded in 1915, Amira has
evolved into a global provider of packaged specialty rice, with sales in over
40 countries today. Amira sells Basmati rice, premium long-grain rice grown
only in certain regions of the Indian sub-continent, under their flagship Amira
brand as well as under other third party brands. Amira sells its products
primarily in emerging markets through a broad distribution network. Amira’s
headquarters are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and it also has offices in
India, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Cautionary Note on
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. These
forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases that we or
our members of management use such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,”
“foresee,” “forecast,” “estimate” or other words or phrases of similar import.
Specifically, these statements include, among other things, statements that
describe our expectations for the global rice market, the financial impact of
new sales contracts on our revenue, our expectations regarding the successful
efforts of our distribution partners, and other statements of management’s
beliefs, intentions or goals. It is uncertain whether any of the events
anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if
any of them do, what impact they will have on our results of operations,
financial condition, or the price of our ordinary shares. These forward-looking
statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to our ability to perform our agreements
with customers; our ability to recognize revenue from our contracts as planned;
continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; our reliance on a few
customers and distribution partners for a substantial part of our revenue; our
ability to implement our plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect
to our business and realize additional opportunities for growth; and the other
risks and important considerations contained and identified in our filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements
attributable to us or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified
in their entirety by these risk factors. Other than as required under the
securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking or
other statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise.
Contacts
Wendy Eguez
The Amira Group
+447340071854
wendy.eguez@theamiragroup.com
The Amira Group
+447340071854
wendy.eguez@theamiragroup.com
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190221005109/en/Amira-Nature-Foods-Exhibit-June-Summer-Fancy
UPDATED 20 HOURS AGO
Asia Rice: Top export hubs grapple with waning demand as supplies
mount
· FEBRUARY 21, 2019 / 6:41 PM
/
·
(Reuters) - Rice export markets
in India and Thailand were pressured this week by slack demand as harvests
poured in, continuing a slow trend in top Asian hubs this year, while Vietnam
struggled with a growing stockpile exacerbated by Chinese import restrictions.
Labourers remove dried grass from a rice field on the outskirts of
Ahmedabad, India, August 30, 2016. Picture taken August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Amit
Dave
In top exporter India, prices for
the benchmark 5 percent broken parboiled variety were unchanged from last week
at $380-$385 a tonne due to dwindling interest from Africa.
“For the last few weeks, export
demand has been weak. African buyers are not active in the market,” said an
exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. India’s
rice exports between April and December dropped 10.2 percent from a year earlier
to 8.46 million tonnes, a government body said earlier this week.
The second largest exporter
Thailand saw prices for its 5 percent broken rice variety rising to $383-$405 a
tonne, free on board Bangkok, from $382-$398 last week even as demand was muted.The
slight rise in prices was dictated by a stronger baht, while fresh supply
entered the market, a trader in Bangkok said.
Thailand continued to look to the
Philippines for a possible deal, but the domestic currency’s strength versus
the dollar has impeded sales, traders said.
The baht has gained more than
four percent this year, translating into higher export prices in U.S. dollars.
Also, Vietnamese rice was more
competitively priced, another trader said.Prices of Vietnam’s 5 percent broken
rice were flat at $340, with a sizeable harvest and trade curbs from China
causing growing stockpiles of fragrant rice in the country, reducing domestic
prices.
“Domestic paddy prices have also
fallen sharply recently amid a large harvest that will peak at the end of this
month,” a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader said.
However, the government’s
decision to buy 200,000 tonnes of rice from local farmers has provided a firm
base against a further fall in prices.
Elsewhere, the Bangladeshi
government is contemplating introducing newer rice varieties and technology in
an effort to boost domestic production and ensure food security, agriculture
ministry officials said.Bangladesh, the world’s fourth largest producer with
annual production of nearly 35 million tonnes, saw imports surge in 2017 after
floods wrought havoc on local crops, prompting the country to take measures to
shore up domestic reserves
Agriculture dept to host
consultations on rice tariffs law
ABS-CBN News
MANILA -- The Department of Agriculture said Thursday it would
host consultations with stakeholders as government prepared to implement a law
that puts tariffs on rice in place of import quotas.
The Rice Tariffication Law signed last week is among measures
aimed at bringing down prices of the staple grain to tame inflation. Its
implementing rules and regulations or IRR are still pending
Agriculture Sec. Manny Pinol told DZMM he initially feared that
rice prices could not be controlled under the new liberalized regime.
He said he received assurances from the law's author, Sen.
Cynthia Villar, that P10 billion would be allocated to the farm sector.
While the waiting for the government to fund the P10 billion
allocation, Pinol said the DA was using for the meantime a P5 billion release
from the Department of Budget and Management last December.
Agri dep’t steering farmers to plant high-end rice
February 21, 2019 | 9:54 pm
PHILSTAR/MICHAEL VARVCAS
THE Department of Agriculture
(DA) said it is now encouraging farmers to plant special rice to fill a
developing niche for “good eating quality” and “aromatic” varieties whose
prices are not controlled, in the face of more liberal imports of rice intended
for low-cost markets.
“The strategy now is to encourage
farmers to plant special rice RC 160, RC 218, RC 300, of good eating quality
and even aromatic.” Mr. Piñol said in a briefing in Quezon City.
“It is a lot higher [in price]
than the ordinary palay bought now at P14 to P15 per kilo,”
according to Mr. Piñol, noting that RC 160 rice can command P22 to P25 per kilo
at farmgate level.
The Rice Tariffication Law will
come into force in early March, and will allow private entities to import the
staple more freely from more efficient producers outside the Philippines.
Southeast Asian rice will be charged tariffs of 35% according to regional trade
agreements. The measure is expected to make rice affordable for the poor,
control inflation, and generate revenue from the tariffs. However, the industry
has also warned that domestic farmers might be forced out of the market by
cheap imports.
Its enactment has led the DA to
abandon its long-held goal of 100% rice self-sufficiency and set a target of
around 93%, which is the current share of domestic rice as against imports.
“We may be contented with just
the 93% that we have right now. The influx of imported rice may affect the
prices of rice in the market and further dampen the buying price of palay,”
Mr. Piñol said.
Mr. Piñol added that the DA is
hoping to develop a market for organic rice which can be exported.
“We are going to open a new
market and this could be the organic rice market… which could be our outlet for
excess production,” Mr. Piñol said.
The new law also calls for the
establishment of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) which will be
endowed with P10 billion a year for six years to improve mechanization, access
to seed and access to financing in the industry.
The industry has raised fears
that corrupt politicians might gain control of the fund, while Mr. Piñol
suggested that the funding might not suffice for farmes’ seed needs.
“We agreed that greater support
will be given to Filipino rice farmers. This will come in the form of rice
seeds and fertilizers as ordered by the President. When we computed the amount
of money allocated for rice seeds, we discovered that it will not be enough to
cover the rice farmers,” Mr. Piñol said.
He also lobbied for RCEP funding
to be available before the next planting.
“We need to provide interventions
to the farmers in the next planting season but I think we won’t be able to do
it because we have no money yet,” Mr. Piñol said.
The rice tariffication law is
scheduled to take effect by March 5 and the National Food Authority (NFA),
which will lose its importing role under the law, is set to finalize the
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) within 30 days.
According to Mr. Piñol,
consultations will be held with stakeholders starting Feb 26 for the Northern
Luzon cluster covering the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Regions
1, 2 and 3.
Discussions among stakeholders in
Southern Luzon covering Region 4A, Region 4B, Region 5, are scheduled for Feb.
28, while consultations with stakeholders in the Visayas are set for March 1.
“On March 2, the policy planning
office of the DA will work to complete a collated report on the results of the
consultation and DA will submit and present this during the NFA Council meeting
on March 5,” Mr. Piñol said. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
Rice
self-sufficiency not achievable
THE Philippines stands to miss
its goal of achieving 100-percent rice self-sufficiency given the
liberalization of imports, a Cabinet official warned on Thursday.
Breaking from the official line,
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol told reporters that the Rice Tarrification
Act, which replaces quantitative restrictions on imports of the staple, would
discourage farmers from growing rice and thus lead to lower output.
Workers
arrange sacks of rice at the NFA warehouse in Quezon City. PHOTO BY ROGER
RAÑADA
“You have to understand that huge
volumes of imported rice would be coming in. It would be foolish for us to
target a 100-percent sufficiency when we know that cheaper imported rice would
be coming in,” he said in a press conference.
“[I]t would be foolish for us to
still encourage our farmers to target 100-percent. Where do we sell our excess
rice when we can’t compete pricing against imported rice?”.
Piñol, who had set a 2018 target
to achieve rice self-sufficiency, said “we may have to be contented with just
93-percent where we are right not because the inflow of imported rice may
affect the prices of rice in the market and further dampen the buying price of
palay.”
At current production levels, the
country still needs to import about 600,000 to 800,000 metric tons (MT) of rice
to satisfy domestic needs.
The Rice Tariffication Act, which
will take effect March 5, will allow private traders to apply for unlimited
importations of the grain as long as they secure the necessary permits and pay
the proper duties, set at 35 percent for rice sourced from Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) neighbors.
A 40-percent tariff will be
levied on shipments sourced from non-Asean countries within the minimum access
volume of 350,000 MT, going up to 180 percent for out-quota imports.
The government has said that rice
tariffication would bring down prices of the staple and Budget Secretary
Benjamin Diokno has even proposed that the country import all of its rice needs
and that rice farmers shift to growing high-value crops.
Rice imports
always contentious
·
Editorial Board
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta / Thu, February 21, 2019 / 08:44 am
Stevedores unload bags of rice from a truck at
Cipinang Market in East Jakarta in this file photo. (The Jakarta Post/Ben
Latuihamallo)
The rationale behind the
government’s policy on rice stockpiling, partly from imports, which President
Joko “Jokowi” Widodo explained during the second round of the presidential
debates on Sunday, makes sense. Particularly so in view of the vulnerability of
rice crops to bad weather and pest attacks.
There are several other factors
that require the government to build up a contingency stock that can be
transported to anywhere across the archipelago to meet unexpected needs: the
country is prone to natural disasters, most of the national rice production is
in Java, subsidized rice is a component of the social assistance program and
only a few countries in the world export rice.
The government has since the early
1970s stockpiled rice through the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) with a view
to shielding consumers from food price spikes and ensuring stable prices for
both consumers and farmers.
Because rice is the main staple for
the majority of the people and most rural households are net rice consumers and
rice weighs heavily in the consumer price index (inflation), the government
does not want to take even the smallest risk of being caught unprepared when
demand rises sharply as a result of one of the factors cited above.
Waiting to import rice only after a
major shortage arises would be calamitous because what starts as an isolated
shortage can quickly escalate into a crisis during the time lag between
ordering the imports and the arrival of the shipments.
Certainly, the efficiency and
effectiveness of the management of the stocks depends on the accuracy of
domestic production and consumption so that the volume of reserves is not
excessive but simply adequate to protect the country from volatile world prices
or low production.
The present policy of controlling
rice prices within an annually reviewed range of minimum and maximum prices to
ensure fairness for both consumers and producers and importing rice only as a
contingency measure has been implemented over the past 45 years.
The perpetual subject of contention
has always been the reliability and accuracy of the data on production and
consumption which, the government itself has admitted, vary widely from one
ministry to another.
So when Jokowi said during the
debates that Indonesia produced 33 million tons last year while consumption was
estimated at only 29 million tons, Prabowo Subianto questioned why the
government still imported rice last year at the expense of domestic farmers.
We should not get lost in endless
debate as to whether Indonesia needs rice imports or not. We should instead
focus on empowering the farmers who produce that staple, providing them with
extension services, good production inputs and high-yield varieties.
Rice imports are necessary from
time to time depending on the need for stockpiling. But the fact is that
imports so far have never exceeded 10 percent of the national demand and
imported rice has never been released onto the market below the fixed minimum
price for local rice.
Laos urges China to increase rice import quota to 50,000
tonnes | #AsiaNewsNetwork
PUBLISHED 21 FEBRUARY 2019
Vientiane (Vientiane Times) - The
Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce this week requested China to consider a
rice im-port quota of 50,000 tonnes along with accepting other industrial goods
as part of efforts to bol-ster bilateral trade.
The call was made by Minister of
Industry and Commerce, Ms Khemmani Pholsena on Tuesday during a meeting in
Vientiane with a Chinese delegation led by Vice Chairman of the People’s
Republic of China National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Mr Ning
Jizhe.
The minister took the opportunity to ask for the Chinese side to consider more quotas for Lao products to Chinese markets this year, especially rice, rubber and other industrial and agricultural goods.
The call for the increased rice quota comes after 20,000 tonnes were shipped to the northern neighbour in 2017 by China’s Xuanye (Lao) Co., Ltd following approval from China’s NDRC.
Ms Khemmani also called for the visiting Chinese delegation to convey the request by the Lao side to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce for further consideration specifically more import quotas for Lao rice, rubber, Phongsaly-grown tobacco and other industrial products.
The Chinese delegation’s official working visit to Laos is in response to an invitation from the Lao side as part of efforts to boost bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
Mr Ning also informed Minister Khemmani that the Chinese delegation’s working visit to Laos was to encourage the implementation of various signed project agreements between Laos and China.
“Most importantly, we aim to push forward the ongoing construction of the Laos-China Rail-way project and the Laos-China economic corridor development project,” he said.
He also called for the industry and commerce minister to help in coordinating with other ministers concerned to shorten the process for importing machinery and other construction equipment for the rail project.
Ms Khemmani, who is Chairman of the Laos-China Cooperation Commission, said her ministry would try hard to push the domestic coordination to ensure the implementation framework of the two nations is on the move as planned. “Additionally, the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment and NDRC will also need to work on the framework of the Laos-China economic corridor development project and improve the list of projects signed by the two sides,” she said. According to Ms Khemmani, Laos also exported over 55,000 tonnes of sugar to the Chinese market last year, while this year it is projected to export another 100,000 tonnes to China. Laos is expected to produce about 5 million tonnes of rice by 2020 to ensure food security in the country.
https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/laos-urges-china-to-increase-rice-import-quota-to-50000-tonnes-asianewsnetwork
The minister took the opportunity to ask for the Chinese side to consider more quotas for Lao products to Chinese markets this year, especially rice, rubber and other industrial and agricultural goods.
The call for the increased rice quota comes after 20,000 tonnes were shipped to the northern neighbour in 2017 by China’s Xuanye (Lao) Co., Ltd following approval from China’s NDRC.
Ms Khemmani also called for the visiting Chinese delegation to convey the request by the Lao side to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce for further consideration specifically more import quotas for Lao rice, rubber, Phongsaly-grown tobacco and other industrial products.
The Chinese delegation’s official working visit to Laos is in response to an invitation from the Lao side as part of efforts to boost bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
Mr Ning also informed Minister Khemmani that the Chinese delegation’s working visit to Laos was to encourage the implementation of various signed project agreements between Laos and China.
“Most importantly, we aim to push forward the ongoing construction of the Laos-China Rail-way project and the Laos-China economic corridor development project,” he said.
He also called for the industry and commerce minister to help in coordinating with other ministers concerned to shorten the process for importing machinery and other construction equipment for the rail project.
Ms Khemmani, who is Chairman of the Laos-China Cooperation Commission, said her ministry would try hard to push the domestic coordination to ensure the implementation framework of the two nations is on the move as planned. “Additionally, the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment and NDRC will also need to work on the framework of the Laos-China economic corridor development project and improve the list of projects signed by the two sides,” she said. According to Ms Khemmani, Laos also exported over 55,000 tonnes of sugar to the Chinese market last year, while this year it is projected to export another 100,000 tonnes to China. Laos is expected to produce about 5 million tonnes of rice by 2020 to ensure food security in the country.
https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/laos-urges-china-to-increase-rice-import-quota-to-50000-tonnes-asianewsnetwork
Government
seeks to boost rice exports
Cheng Sokhorng | Publication date 21 February 2019
| 10:25 ICT
A farmer loads sacks of rice onto a truck in Moung Russey
district’s Russey Kraing commune in Battambang province on January 17,
2016. Hong Menea
Prime Minister Hun Sen said the
government will take more action to raise the Kingdom’s rice exports, including
reducing production costs and boosting market competitiveness.
Speaking at a meeting with
garment workers in Kandal province on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said
Cambodia’s rice exports could not reach one million tonnes per annum due to
strong international market competition.
However, he said the Kingdom has
already reached one of the government’s policies as it is now a country of
surplus rice production, as it is set to reach six million tonnes this year.
“We have transformed from a
country of milled rice shortages to a Kingdom of rice production, but we cannot
reach our goal yet [exporting one million tonnes of rice annually] because
competition among our partners – such as Thailand and Vietnam – is very strong,”
he said.
Fierce competition
Hun Sen said Thailand and Vietnam
are able to export six and five million tonnes of milled rice respectively each
year, due to their capacity to buy storage and drying facilities, as well as
meet phytosanitary and sanitary measures. Production costs are also cheaper
than in Cambodia.
“We will set up a new policy to
reduce production cost such as connecting electricity supply to regions with
water access, by replacing diesel machines with electric ones,” he said.
Hun Sen also encouraged studying
domestic fertiliser production to produce cheaper options for the rice industry
and reduce production costs.
Relevant ministers, including
those leading the Commerce and Agriculture, and Forestry and Fisheries
departments, need to expand and seek new markets as Cambodia has world-famous,
high-quality rice, he said.
Cambodia Rice Federation
vice-president Vong Bun Heng welcomed the move and believed that the Kingdom
will reach the one-million-tonne target if the new policy on production costs
is well implemented.
“Our issue is production costs.
If the government takes more action to remedy production costs, I believe our
rice exports will reach the government’s objective."
“We already have quality rice. If
the [issue] is truly resolved, we will be able to compete with Vietnam and
reach new markets,” he said.
Rice yields to increase
with newly-introduced varieties
February 22, 2019 00:26 am +08
YAN (Feb 21): Rice yields for
farmers are expected to increase up to eight tonnes per hectare with the
introduction of new varieties — UKMRC-2 and UKMRC-8 — by the research team from
the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Agriculture and Agro-based
Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub said for the initial stage, the UKMRC-2
and UKMRC-8 seedlings would be available for farmers at the Muda Agricultural
Development Authority (MADA)’s Area Farmers’ Organisation (PPK) starting this March.
He said the supply of the seeds
of new varieties, produced from joint research between UKM and the Malaysian
Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi), would be expanded in
stages, nationwide.
“For the initial stage, the seeds
offered are just enough for an area of up to 8,000 hectares of padi fields for
next harvest season.
“We have planted the new
varieties at several padi planting areas across the country and succeeded in
increasing the yields of up to eight tonnes per hectare,” he told reporters
after launching the UKMRC-2 and UKMRC-8 at PPK MADA in Guar Chempedak here,
today.
He said UKMRC-2 and UKMRC-8 were
cross bred between high-quality local rice varieties and wild rice varieties
that have high resistance levels as well as high yields.
The new varieties were also
durable and could survive well even when they are submerged in water for up to
14 days, he said.
Cameroon: Rice
production failed to reach expectation in 2018 (600,000t)
(Business in Cameroon) - In 2018,
rice production failed to reach the volume projected by the Irrigated and
Rainfed Rice Development Project (Proderip) implemented in Cameroon with the
support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
Figures provided by Proderip
showed that the maximum output is still 300,000 tons per year, while national
demand is 600,000 tons. In need to offset this gap, the country spends about
XAF120 billion to import rice per annum. However, Proderip keeps reassuring the
government is still committed to increasing Cameroon's rice production to
750,000 tons by 2020. Once achieved, this will double the production in a
year's time.
Since 2011, when the project was
launched, Jica claimed it has contributed to the training of nearly 10,000
farmers and the distribution of nearly 75,000 tons of seeds. Let’s note that
the second phase of Proderip, currently underway, aims to train nearly 4,000
new farmers.
S.A.
https://www.businessincameroon.com/agriculture/2102-8871-cameroon-rice-production-failed-to-reach-expectation-in-2018-600-000t
