19th July,2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

قطر نے پاکستانیوں کو خوشخبری سنادی، بڑی پابندی اٹھا لی

 Jul 19, 2019 | 13:45:PM 

  کراچی(اکنامک رپورٹر) قطر نے پاکستانی چاول پرعائد پابندی ختم کرکے درآمدات کی اجازت دے دی۔چاول کی دراّمدات پر عائد پابندی ختم ہونے کے بعد دونوں ممالک کے درمیان پہلا معاہدہ بھی طے پا گیا ہے۔اس ضمن میں گفتگو کرتے ہوئے پیٹرن ان چیف رائیس ایکسپورٹرز عبدالرحیم جانو نے کہا کہ پاکستان پہلے مرحلے میں 50 ہزار ٹن چاول قطر کو برآمد کرے گا۔انہوں نے کہا کہ اگلے پانچ سال تک چاول کی براّمدات کو دو سے پانچ ارب ڈالر تک بڑھایا جائیگا۔عبدالرحیم نے کہا کہ پاکستان قطر کو پانچ لاکھ ٹن چاول برآمد کرتا تھا کوشش کریں گے دوبارہ مارکیٹ بنائیں۔ان کا کہنا تھا کہ گزشتہ پانچ سالوں سے قطر نے پاکستانی چاول پر پابندی عائد کردی تھی۔یاد رہے گزشتہ ہفتے مشیر تجارت عبد الرزاق داو¿د سے رائس ایکسپورٹرز ایسوسی ایشن کے وفد نے ملاقات کی۔اس موقع پر مشیر تجارت نے کہا کہ قطر کی منڈیوں میں چاول کی براّمدات سے فائدہ اٹھا کر اگلے پانچ سال تک چاول کی براّمدات کا حجم دو سے پانچ ارب ڈالر تک بڑھایا جائے۔انہوں نے کہا کہ چین اور انڈونیشیا میں اضافی مارکیٹ رسائی سے چاول کی براّمدات میں اضافہ ہوا ہے جبکہ چاول کی براّمدات کو پانچ ارب ڈالر تک لے جانے کے لیے جامع حکمت عملی بنائیں گے

https://dailypakistan.com.pk/19-Jul-2019/995837

China-Africa rice cooperation project: Joining hands to eliminate hunger

By Zhang Liying

China.org.cn, July 19, 2019

A seminar themed "Tapping into the Potential of China-Africa Rice Cooperation" being held in Beijing on July 17, 2019. [Photo by Zhang Liying/China.org.cn]

China and Africa are strengthening agricultural exchanges and cooperation to jointly achieve 'zero hunger', which is one of the 17 global goals that make up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The latest effort was an initiative launched at the end of last month, which recognizes the potential of China-Africa cooperation in the rice value chain. It also offers proposals for promoting cooperation by leveraging the comparative advantages of the different parties.

Rice is either a staple or an alternative food crop in much of Africa, but many African countries face serious gaps between rice production and consumption and rely heavily on imports. These were the findings of the initiative, which was released at the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo on June 27 in Changsha, the capital city of central China's Hunan province.

With a large amount of suitable land for rice cultivation, these countries have the resources to expand rice production. However, according to the initiative, they need to introduce high-yield varieties, improve production and processing technologies, and boost investment in their own rice industries including their related supply chains.

For example, Mozambique in Southeast Africa has about 36 million hectares of arable land and a long history of rice cultivation, but faces challenges in various areas, including technology, financing, infrastructure and market access, according to Dr. Pedro Dzucula, director of the country's National Directorate of Agriculture and Silviculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Speaking at a seminar held in Beijing on Wednesday, Dr. Dzucula said Mozambique needs to enhance the genetic diversity of its rice, increase the quality of agricultural services, and invest in the operationalization and rational use of irrigation schemes based on public-private partnerships.

Over the past decades, China has made remarkable progress in its rice industry, and accrued valuable experience in terms of improved seed varieties, technology and machinery, demonstration and promotion, as well as industrial investment and marketing, the initiative noted.

It proposed solving key bottlenecks in Africa's rice industry to promote value chain upgrading and agricultural transformation by combining China's experience and the local demands of African countries.

This initiative aims to develop broader and deeper South-South and triangular cooperation arrangements in the rice value chain. It was signed by seven organizations, namely the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE), China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center, African Union, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, United Nations for Food Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

Zhang Ning, director of the South-South Fund Program at the CICETE under the Ministry of Commerce, said the initiative, which has wide participation, has charted the overall course and introduced specific mechanisms for China-Africa cooperation to improve the rice value chain.

"In particular, we need to make good use of China-aided agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa to facilitate technology transfers and broader agricultural cooperation among different parties," Zhang said.

"I believe that with the help of effective mechanisms, we can push forward our cooperation and achieve our common goal of benefiting small farmers in Africa," he added.

A report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization on July 15 showed that a little over 820 million people, which corresponds to about one in every nine people in the world, suffer from hunger. 

The situation is most alarming in Africa, where since 2015 the prevalence of undernourishment (PoU), the main indicator for monitoring progress on the eradication of hunger in the world, shows slight but steady increases in almost all subregions, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 report.

http://www.china.org.cn/world/2019-07/19/content_75010385.htm

China Focus: A grain of rice that matters

Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-18 20:28:49|Editor: Liangyu

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China's success in feeding the world's largest population with its limited farmland is illuminating for African countries' approach to food security, said attendees to a workshop on China-Africa rice cooperation.

African countries expect innovation based on China's experience to transform smallholder agriculture into farming as a burgeoning business, said Thomas Arokoyo, country manager for Nigeria of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), at the workshop held in Beijing Wednesday.

Rice is either a staple or alternative food crop in many African countries. However, due to the lack of technology and funding, rice production potential is far from being tapped, leaving many of the countries heavily reliant on import to feed the large population.

Although Mozambique has good natural conditions to grow rice, its domestic output remains limited, said Pedro Dzucula, national director for Agriculture and Silviculture under Mozambique's Ministry of Agriculture, on the same occasion, adding that the country has imported an average over 365,000 tons of rice annually from Asian rice producers since 2000.

"There is obvious complementarity and potential in China-Africa agricultural cooperation, especially in the rice value chain," said Zhang Ning, director for the South-South Fund Program of the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE) under the Ministry of Commerce, also at the workshop.

At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2018, China said it would work with African countries to make plans on agricultural cooperation and assist the continent in achieving general food security by 2030.

Cooperation in the rice industry is key to the China-Africa cooperation, and the development of the rice industry is the foundation of a prosperous and stable Africa, Zhang said.

In a joint initiative reached late June during the first China-Africa Trade Expo in Changsha, Hunan Province, the CICETE, African Union, AGRA and other contributing parties pledged to leverage their comparative advantages to advance China-Africa rice value chain cooperation through bolstering agricultural business, adapting and investing in suitable rice technologies.

The initiative represented a roadmap for future cooperation, Zhang said, adding that an agricultural technology demonstration center started in Mozambique immediately after its release.

Mozambique has a population of 28 million and arable land of 36 million hectares, only around one-tenth of which is cultivated.

Mozambique faces bottlenecks like high-cost machinery, low degree of agro-processing and limited market access of final products, said Dzucula, calling on Chinese businesses, especially those from the private sector, to invest in these sectors.

Noting similar challenges in Nigeria, Matthew Olusegun Owolabi, an official with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, suggested that Chinese agriculture demonstration centers should play a bigger role in training agricultural machinery mechanics and operators.

The meeting, themed "Tapping into the Potential of China-Africa Rice Cooperation," was sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Beijing Office, an active advocator for triangular cooperation in advancing development and health agendas in Africa.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/18/c_138237884.htm

Has Your Doctor Asked You About Climate Change?

By Martha Bebinger, WBUR JULY 19, 2019

Dr. Mary Rice walks with Michael Howard at a Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare clinic in Chelsea, Mass, as they test his oxygen levels with the addition of oxygen from a portable tank. He has COPD, a progressive lung disease that can be exacerbated by heat and humidity. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

This story is part of a partnership that includes WBUR, NPR and Kaiser Health News.

This story can be republished for free (details).

When Michael Howard arrived for a checkup with his lung specialist, he was worried about how his body would cope with the heat and humidity of a Boston summer.

“I lived in Florida for 14 years, and I moved back because the humidity was just too much,” Howard told pulmonologist Dr. Mary Rice as he settled into an exam room chair at a Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare clinic.

Howard, 57, has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive lung disease that can be exacerbated by heat and humidity. Even inside a comfortable, climate-controlled room, his oxygen levels worried Rice.

Howard reluctantly agreed to try using portable oxygen, resigned to wearing the clear plastic tubes looped over his ears and inserted into his nostrils. He assured Rice he has an air conditioner and will stay inside on extremely hot days. The doctor and patient agreed that Howard should take his walks in the evenings to be sure he gets enough exercise without overheating.

Then Howard turned to Rice with a question she didn’t encounter in medical school: “Can I ask you: Last summer, why was it so hot?”

Rice, who studies air pollution, was ready.

“The overall trend of the hotter summers that we’re seeing [is] due to climate change,” Rice said.

For Rice, connecting climate-change consequences — heat waves, more pollen, longer allergy seasons — to her patients’ health is becoming routine. She is among a small but growing number of doctors and nurses who discuss those connections with patients.

In June, the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and American Heart Association were among a long list of medical and public health groups that issued a call to action asking the U.S. government, business and leaders to recognize climate change as a health emergency.

The World Health Organization calls climate change “the greatest health challenge of the 21st century,” and a dozen U.S. medical societies urge action to limit global warming.

Some medical societies provide patients with information that explains the related health risks. But none have guidelines on how providers should talk to patients about climate change.

There is no concrete list of “do’s” — as in wear a seat belt, use sunscreen and get exercise — or “don’ts” — as in don’t smoke, don’t drink too much and don’t text while driving ― that doctors can talk about with patients.

Climate change is different, said Rice, because an individual patient can’t prevent it. So Rice focuses on steps her patients can take to cope with the consequences of heat waves, such as more potent pollen and a longer allergy season.

That was Mary Heafy’s main complaint. The 64-year-old has asthma that is worse during the allergy season. During her appointment with Rice, Heafy wanted to know why her eyes and nose were running and her chest feels tight for longer periods every year.

“It feels like once [the allergy season] starts in the springtime, it doesn’t end until there’s a killing frost,” Heafy told Rice.

“Yes,” Rice nodded, “because of global warming, the plants are flowering earlier in the spring. After hot summers, the trees are releasing more pollen the following season.”

Rice checks Mary Heafy's breathing during a checkup for her asthma at the Beth Israel Deaconess clinic. Climate change does seem to be extending the Boston region's ragweed season, Rice tells Heafy.(JESSE COSTA/WBUR)

Rice, who studies the health effects of air pollution, talks with Howard about his increased breathing problems and their possible link to the heat waves, increased pollen and longer allergy seasons associated with climate change.(JESSE COSTA/WBUR)

So Heafy may need stronger medicines and more air filters, her doctor said, and may spend more days wearing a mask — although the effort of breathing through a mask is hard on her lungs as well.

As she and the doctor finalized a prescription plan, Heafy observed that “physicians talk about things like smoking, but I don’t know that every physician talks about the environmental impact.”

Why do so few doctors talk about the impact of the environment on health? Besides a lack of guidelines, doctors say, they don’t have time during a 15- to 20-minute visit to broach something as complicated as climate change.

And the topic can be controversial: While a recent Pew Research Center pollfound that 59% of Americans think climate change affects their local community “a great deal or some,” only 31% say it affects them personally, and views vary widely by political party.

We contacted energy-industry trade groups to ask what role — if any — medical providers should have in the climate change conversation, but neither the American Petroleum Institute nor the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers returned calls or email requests for comment.

Some doctors say they worry about challenging a patient’s beliefs on the sometimes fraught topic, according to Dr. Nitin Damle, a past president of the American College of Physicians.

“It’s a difficult conversation to have,” said Damle, who practices internal medicine in Wakefield, R.I.

Damle said he “takes the temperature” of patients, with some general questions about the environment or the weather, before deciding if he’ll suggest that climate change is affecting their health.

Dr. Gaurab Basu, a primary care physician at Cambridge Health Alliance, said he’s ready if patients want to talk about climate change, but he doesn’t bring it up. He first must make sure patients feel safe in the exam room, he said, and raising a controversial political issue might erode that feeling.

“I have to be honest about the science and the threat that is there, and it is quite alarming,” Basu said.So alarming, Basu said, that he often refers patients to counseling. Psychiatrists concerned about the effects of climate change on mental healthsay there are no standards of care in their profession yet, but some common responses are emerging.

One environmental group isn’t waiting for doctors and nurses to figure out how to talk to patients about climate change.

Molly Rauch, the public health policy director with Moms Clean Air Force, a project of the Environmental Defense Fund, urges the group’s more than 1 million members to ask doctors and nurses for guidance. For example: When should parents keep children indoors because the outdoor air is too dirty?

“This isn’t too scary for us to hear about,” Rauch said. “We are hungry for information about this. We want to know.”

This story is part of a partnership that includes WBUR, NPR and Kaiser Health News.

Martha Bebinger, WBUR: marthab@wbur.org, @mbebinger

AWD irrigation tech increases 15% rice yield

July 19th, 2019

File photo of a farmer in a rice paddy UNB

'Some 882 farmers got excellent results irrigating Boro rice fields adopting AWD technology with RDRS Bangladesh assistance on 337 acres of land using 50 shallow tube wells in six northern districts during the just-ended Rabi season'

Agriculturists at a meeting have said adoption of Alternate Drying and Wetting (AWD) irrigation technology in farming Boro rice increases up to 15% rice yield saving up to 30% underground water.

They said this at a “Result Sharing Meetin on AWD Technology with Upazila Irrigation Committee (UIC)” held at Upazila Parishad auditorium in Kishoreganj, Nilphamari on Wednesday, a press release said on Thursday.

With assistance of upazila administration and Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), RDRS Bangladesh and Northwest Focal Area Network organized the meeting with funding of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

The UIC Chairman and Kishoreganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abul Kalam Azad attended the program as the chief guest while Assistant Engineer of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation Mushfiqur Rahman chaired the event.

Filed Supervisor of IRRI-AWD project of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Md. Abdul Mazed Mian discussed benefits of climate resilient AWD irrigation technology in farming Boro rice.

“Some 882 farmers got excellent results irrigating Boro rice fields adopting AWD technology with RDRS Bangladesh assistance on 337 acres of land using 50 shallow tube wells in six northern districts during the just-ended Rabi season,” Mian said.

Kishoreganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Md. Habibur Rahman expressed satisfaction over field level results of adoption of AWD technology in Boro rice farming in the upazila.

Research Associate of ‘Farmers behaviuoral insight project’ of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Ashish Kumar Majumder said AWD technology saved huge water, diesel and electricity for irrigation and produced 500 kg more Boro rice per hectare.

Agriculture Officer of RDRS Bangladesh for Nilphamari Agriculturist Atikur Rahman said farmers are happy getting additional rice yield adopting the irrigation technology in farming Boro rice this year.

The chief guest called for expanding AWD irrigation technology in farming Boro rice to get more rice yield at reduced costs reducing huge pressure on underground water and improving environment and ecosystem.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2019/07/19/awd-irrigation-tech-increases-15-rice-yield

 

How is Nestle Pakistan Empowering Dairy Farmers?

Nestle Pakistan has pledged to improve the livelihood of Pakistan's agriculture and dairy farmers through its Agricultural Services for the purpose of farmers capacity building, farm mechanization and transformation of farms in accordance to modern techniques. The company is also committed to build sustainable farm practices and Agripreneurship for female dairy farmers of the country.

July 17, 2019

News Desk |

Nestle Pakistan, in commitment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), is working to transform the livelihood of the dairy farmers through its Agricultural Services. The company’s ambition towards Creating Shared Values (CSV) is the main driving force behind its contribution towards strengthening the community of farmers.

Other than its global and local obligations, the company believes that its health is closely linked to the resilience of the communities it operates in.

Pakistan, a natural resource rich country, has a strong agriculture sector that accounts for 20.9 percent of its GDP. Being a developing country, more than 60 percent of its population resides in rural areas which, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, amount to 113 million people. Moreover, statistics show that 45 percent of Pakistan’s labor class constitutes of agricultural farmers out of which 36.2 percent are men and 75.4 percent are women.

The objective of the initiative is to develop profitability of the farms and to enhance sustainable operations. Through this project, Nestle aims to improve efficiency and quality of milk production. 

21.2 million hectares of Pakistan’s land is cultivated and agriculture-friendly of the total 79.6 million hectares of land. Almost 80 percent of the cultivated land is also irrigated with the world’s largest intricate irrigation system.

Pakistan is among the top ten global producers of wheat, cotton, oranges, sugarcane, mango and dates. It is also the 13th largest producer of rice in the world. The major crops produced in the country accounts for 6.5 percent of the GDP. Another 11 per cent of the country’s GDP is contributed by the livestock sector which employs approximately 35 million people; hence contributing significantly to the economy of the country.

Nestle Pakistan’s Agriculture Services

The Agricultural Services of the company are focused on improving the socio-economic conditions of the farmers. The services provide farmers with comprehensive and modern solutions on dairy and agriculture for efficient production. These solutions are provided by a specialized team with expertise in agriculture and dairy farming.

The services provided by Nestle Pakistan are focused on various aspects of farming and agriculture including the development of farms, training of farmers, entrepreneurship ventures, importing efficient livestock and other significant areas.

Dairy Farms’ Transformation is one such initiative provided under Nestlé’s Agricultural Services. The objective of the initiative is to develop profitability of the farms and to enhance sustainable operations. Through this project, Nestle aims to improve efficiency and quality of milk production.

Moreover, the Agriculture Services of the company are also focusing to enhance the quality of raw milk via import of superior cows and setting up on-farm chilling facilities. Reportedly, Nestle has successfully inducted 9,000 cows with superior genetic potential that has significantly contributed in farm milk production growth and improved milk quality.

Nestlé’s Agricultural Services is also focused largely on the Capacity Building of Farmers through its drive to transform and polishing skills of dairy farmers to become professional farmers. Through its comprehensive dairy farming extension programs the company aims to implement advanced farming practices. So far the company in collaboration with International Finance Corporation (IFC) has conducted on farm trainings by local and international agricultural trainers and jointly published a comprehensive guide on dairy farming.

Nestlé Agriculture team also helped their farmers to improve managerial and entrepreneurial skills, resulting in better farm operational efficiency. Based on the success of modernized pilot farms which served as lighthouses of dairy farming, the model was replicated in other dairy farms which not only enhanced the entrepreneurial skills of dairy farmers but also improved profitability of their farms.

Nestlé Pakistan has partnered with the Government of Punjab’s Agriculture Department to support local farmers to take up drip irrigation to protect the country’s water resources.

Agricultural Services of the company have greatly contributed towards Farm Mechanization that focuses on inculcating modern technological techniques in farming. The company has installed digital heat detection & health management systems for cows at Nestlé training farm with the purpose to educate progressive farmers on the importance and benefits of technology in farming.

Nestlé’s Collaboration with Commercial Lenders for Farm Development Schemes

In order to implement its Agricultural Services Nestle had collaborated with seven commercial banks in 2018 with an objective to finance farmers. The Services including Farm Infrastructure Improvement, Cow Purchase and Farm Mechanization were at the core of this financial lending. According to a report published in 2018 by Nestle, Rs 634 million had been disbursed through this collaboration alone.Farmers in Pakistan require hefty financial assistance due to the lack of government support, however, farmers at Nestle are provided with reliable financial assistance to fulfill their needs. Reportedly, farmers at Nestle Farms have availed Rs 634 million out of which Rs 127 million was spent on farm infrastructure and Rs 507 was spent on cow financing.

Women Agripreneurship- Nestlé Pakistan’s Initiative for Female Farmers

Female farmers in Pakistan constitute a larger number than male farmers; out of the total farming labor class in Pakistan 75.4 percent of them are female farmers. Nestle acknowledges the major role women play in the rural agriculture/dairy sector of Pakistan and hence is working to facilitate female farmers to the maximum.

Through its Agripreneurship initiative for women, Nestle has successfully trained 3000 rural on Best Farm Practices in 2018. The program aims to strengthen capacity building and develop support for women entrepreneurs to start and help grow their business ideas. So far 11 rural women have benefited from the entrepreneur funding provided by Nestle’s Agricultural Services. Moreover, 300 female milk suppliers were also made a part of Nestlé’s milk collection value chain.

Nestle has also setup a cellular network based SMS advisory service to provide information pertinent to weather changes, disease outbreaks with additional farming related messages to farmers. Thousands of farmers have been enrolled in the cellular advisory services to access dairy-based knowledge to advance their farming skills and techniques that help them improve productivity, reduce costs, and increase income while also getting maximum benefits from mobile phone usage.

Nestlé Pakistan’s Sustainable Agriculture Initiative

Nestlé Pakistan’s commitment to UNSDGs has been playing a pivotal role in contributing to agricultural economy through dairy development. In line with its sustainable-world ambition, Nestlé Pakistan aims to further contribute to agriculture economy through developing professional suppliers for other agricultural raw materials such as fruits, cereals and vegetables.

Nestlé Pakistan has partnered with the Government of Punjab’s Agriculture Department to support local farmers to take up drip irrigation to protect the country’s water resources. At present, the yearly capita availability of water in Pakistan is estimated at about 1,100 cubic meters; below 1,000 cubic meters, countries begin experiencing chronic water stress according to Population Action International. Vast majority of the country’s water resources – some 90 percent – is used for agriculture, while the remaining share is split equally between the industry and domestic use.

The company has so far installed water drips on 107 acres as of 2018 that has saved 301 liters of water annually; these farms are located in various parts of Punjab. Nestle Pakistan has pledged to increase the drip average from 107 to 143 acres to save 400 liters this year.

https://www.globalvillagespace.com/how-is-nestle-pakistan-empowering-dairy-farmers/

Amira Nature Foods Ltd Announces $18 Million Contract with New Customer

July 18, 2019 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amira Nature Foods Ltd (the "Company") ANFI, a global provider of packaged Indian specialty rice, today announced that it entered into a contract to supply approximately $18 million of third party branded rice to a new customer in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (“EMEA”) region. The Company expects to recognize the benefit of this contract in the fiscal 2020 year ending March 31, 2020.

“We are extremely pleased to expand our customer base in the EMEA region”

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“We are extremely pleased to expand our customer base in the EMEA region,” stated Karan A. Chanana, Amira’s Chairman.

Further information on the Company, including an updated investor presentation and other information, can be found on the Company’s website at www.amira.net.

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

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190718005093/en/Amira-Nature-Foods-Announces-18-Million-Contract

Rice farmers in for more bountiful harvests with DOST-formulated growth promoter

July 19, 2019, 3:44 PM

By Dhel Nazario 

Greater harvests are forthcoming for Filipino farmers with the availability of the radiation-processed Carrageenan Plant Growth Promoter (PGP) formulated by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

According to Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Scientist Dr. Lucille Abad, the formula has been proven to increase rice yields by as much as 30 percent versus the yield from average farmer practices, while also making the crops more resistant to blight and infestation caused by tungro virus, and strengthening the crops’ extensive root systems, which can better withstand the effects of lodging during typhoons.

The PGP also had the effect of driving away harmful pests without harming insects and arthropods which are naturally beneficial to crops.

The Carrageenan PGP is already being launched nationwide by various technology adopters, distributing it through various dealers, cooperatives and other possible arrangements. For an optimal amount of 9 liters per hectare, farmers could use the PGP along with conventional fertilizers.

Not only will the PGP increase the number of cavans, but it will also make each cavan heavier and fully-laden with rice. With the PGP, farmers could earn up to an additional P16,000, or more than $300 – an increase in income of over 19 percent.

Scientists from the DOST-PNRI developed the PGP from carrageenan, a natural polymer extracted from red seaweed. Using the fabricated liquid handling system at PNRI’s Electron Beam Irradiation Facility, the carrageenan solution is processed using electron beams into a foliar fertilizer sprayed at certain stages in the plant’s life.

The PGP was funded by the DOST – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) and tested in cooperation with the University of the Philippines – Los Baños National Crop Protection Center (UPLB-NCPC).

The formula was set for field trials by the Department of Agriculture (DA) from 2015 to 2019 to cover several provinces in Luzon, Panay Island, Zamboanga and Davao, for a total of around 35,000 hectares of farmland. Farmers can maximize the potential yield of their crops when using PGP in conjunction with more efficient farming methods and proper timing.

Other food crops such as mungbean, peanut, leafy vegetables, corn, sugarcane, and banana are also being subjected to PGP field tests, where results showed an increase in yield by around 35 percent for mungbean and around 40 percent for peanut.

More than just improving the yield and agronomic traits, scientists are also pushing the limits of the PGP’s beneficial effects, particularly whether it can help crops survive in adverse conditions, which become increasingly likely due to climate change as well as natural disasters.

The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) has certified the PGP for commercialization in rice, with plans to widen its coverage to include other crops in the near future.

The Carrageenan PGP exhibit, along with other marvels of nuclear science and technology, are being showcased during the 2019 National Science and Technology Week celebration from July 17 to 21 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/07/19/rice-farmers-in-for-more-bountiful-harvests-with-dost-formulated-growth-promoter/

Scientists create single-use edible dishware made from apples

by Samara State Technical University

Edible glasses made of apples Credit: Samara Polytech

A few years ago, biotechnologists from Samara State Technical University took up the development of edible food film, which, according to scientists, could reduce the amount of waste from traditional plastic packaging. The product obtained by Samara scientists is made exclusively from natural ingredients, with no dyes or preservatives. Chemical processes that entail deep chemical changes are not required for production. The technology uses standard processes of the food industry (mixing, concentration, formation of layers of raw materials). First, scientists use fruit or vegetable puree to form a mass and add a plasticizer—a special natural adhesive substance whose composition is kept secret. After that, the finished layer is dried at a temperature not higher than 60 degrees C.

In 2018, the technology for creating edible packaging received three Russian patents and formed the basis of another ambitious project—edible dishware. The experiment began with glasses, since it is the most common type of disposable plastic dishware in the world.

Of course, there are already edible packaging and dishware products made from rice, coffee, avocado seeds, etc. but these products are only conditionally edible, since they contain artificial additives that are not completely absorbed by the human body. An adhesive substance used in the edible film and edible dishware is completely safe and made exclusively from natural plant materials. It is not obtained by chemical synthesis, it does not contain harmful impurities, it is widely used for the production of a number of food products.

In developing food film formulations, scientists experimented with raw materials from various fruits, berries and vegetables, including apples and carrots, currants and chokeberries, plums and strawberries, green beans, pumpkins and blueberries. However the scientists found that apple is more suitable for edible dishware, since it has the best taste and viscoplastic properties. For example, an apple-based cup could withstand boiling water poured into it, and holds liquid for two to three hours.

In the near future, Samara Polytech scientists are planning to bring apple dishware to the market, this they need to automate the process of its manufacture.

Edible glasses made of apples Credit: Samara Polytech

"Initially we aimed to create a packaging in which it will be possible to store, to warm up foodstuffs, and then eat it with food. Other packaging in space is inconvenient: it is difficult to dispose it," says project manager Nadezhda Makarova. "Edible dishware made from apples can be useful for those who work in the Arctic or on offshore oil platforms, or make long journeys with a rucksack."

The benefit of using edible packaging and dishware for the environment is obvious.

"Waste plastic dishware is hard to dispose of. For example, not all of them can be used as secondary raw materials,"—explains Dmitrii Bykov, the rector of Samara State Technical University, professor of chemical engineering and industrial ecology. "Nowadays, they make compostable plastics, but I think they are even worse. Plastic turns into dust, and small pieces are dispersed in the environment. It takes a long time to complete their combustion. In addition, particles of plastic fall into the tissues of flora and fauna, including those that are in food chains. Our glasses are made of real biomaterial, therefore they are absolutely non-toxic."

At the end of March, the European Parliament approved a bill aimed at reducing plastic waste. From 2021, it will be forbidden to sell plastic dishware, cotton sticks and drinking straws in the European Union.

https://phys.org/news/2019-07-scientists-single-use-edible-dishware-apples.html

Biodiversity conservation emphasised

Islamabad :Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood emphasized the importance of conserving biodiversity in the face of global climate change, and lauded the development of a big health data repository under the Biodiversity and Big Health Data Alliance (BHBD) initiated by the Beijing Institute of Genomics, China.

The Minister was addressing as the chief guest the opening session of the International Symposium on Global Biodiversity and the 2nd Annual Meeting of the BHBD Alliance Meeting at the Secretariat on Thursday.

The event has been organized by the National Centre for Bioinformatics, Quaid-i-Azam University in collaboration with COMSTECH and Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences.The Minister expressed Pakistan’s appreciation of this scientific alliance formed in 2018 that has institutions from China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Thailand.as founding members.

Dr. S. Khurshid Hasanain, Advisor COMSTECH (OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) identified the role of COMSTECH as advancing S&T in OIC member states through cooperation, collaborations and support for scientific initiatives.Considering the crucial importance of this alliance in providing its members access to a vast data base of biodiversity and its genomic sequencing, COMSTECH was very keen to see other OIC member States becoming a part of this alliance.

He offered COMSTECH collaboration with BHBD Alliance, under the Ten Year Science and Technology Agenda of the OIC.While addressing the inaugural session Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali, Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University lauded the efforts of the organizers and Chinese support for Pakistan in a variety of fields.

He urged Pakistani scientists to derive maximum benefits from this initiative by forming research collaborations and usage of the scientific facilities offered by the alliance.

Earlier Dr. Amir Ali Abbasi, Chairperson, National Centre for Bioinformatics, QAU and Focal person of the Big Health Data Alliance (BHBD) briefed the audience regarding objectives and expected outcomes of the project.

Experts from China, Thailand, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and Malaysia participated as the keynote speakers in the symposium.

Genomics, environment, genetics, biodiversity, health big data alliance, rice biodiversity research and fellowship initiative of CAS president were the topics covered in the presentations of the experts.

More than 115 researchers, students and faculty members from universities and research institutions of Pakistan participated in the event. In the afternoon session the BHBD Alliance held its Second Annual Meeting and deliberated on planning for the coming year and other technical issues.

funds shortage: COMSATS University Islamabad Rector Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar has complained that the shortage of development funds had stented the growth of the university over several years."The budgetary cuts have resulted in the stoppage of the Prime Minister’s Scheme for Fee Reimbursement, which is impacting middle class parents from deprived areas from being able to access higher education for their children," the rector told Minister of State for States and Frontier Regions and Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi during a meeting.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/500461-biodiversity-conservation-emphasised

Gov’t cuts inflation outlook for 2019, expects wider budget deficit towards 2022

Published July 18, 2019 7:59pm 

By TED CORDERO, GMA News

The inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on Thursday slashed its inflation rate assumption for 2019 amid stabilizing commodity prices.

At a press conference in Manila, the DBCC said it has revised downward the inflation rate forecast for this year to the range of 2.7 to 3.5% from its earlier assumption of 3% to 4%.

The lower inflation outlook is "due to the government's decisive steps to stabilize the general price level," Budget Acting Secretary Janet Abuel told reporters.

"These include the full implementation of the presidential directives issued last year to increase the food supply and the passage of the Rice Liberalization Act, which opened up the rice sector and helped bring prices down," Abuel said.

In September 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Administrative Order (AO) 13, which removed the constraints and non-tariff barriers on meat, fish and rice importation to address unabated price increases in basic commodities that pushed inflation to a nine-year high of 6.7 percent in October and September.

In February, Duterte signed into law the Rice Tariffication Act, which removed the quantitative restrictions on rice and imposed a 35-percent tariff on imports from the country's neighbors in Southeast Asia.

In June, the inflation rate slowed to its slowest in 21 months at 2.7%.

Budget deficit

The DBCC also increased its budget deficit target at 3.2% of gross domestic product (GDP) from 2020 to 2022 from an earlier fiscal program goal of 3% of GDP for the said period.

It maintained the deficit ceiling at 3.2% for 2019.

This is to "sustain the government's investments on infrastructure and human capital development," Abuel said.

For her part, Finance Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresa Habitan said that the wider deficit target for 2020 to 2022 is in part due to a change in the estimates in the revenue and disbursement program adopted by the DBCC.

For 2019, revenue collections are projected to reach P3.15 trillion, while disbursements are expected to hit P3.77 trillion.

"For 2020, revenues are seen to increase to P3.54 trillion, equivalent to 16.7% of GDP, while disbursements are programmed at P4.21 trillion or 19.9% of GDP," Abuel said.

Revenue and disbursement projections are estimated to rise to P4.42 trillion or 17.2% of GDP and P5.24 trillion or 20.4% of GDP, respectively, by 2022.

"The comprehensive tax reform program can help ensure a reliable revenue base and, more importantly, enhance the modernization of our economy. Completing the passage of the remaining tranches of the tax reform will ensure a steady revenue flow and equitable sharing of contributions for the government’s social and infrastructure programs while securing fiscal stability long into the future," Abuel said.

GDP target

The DBCC maintained the GDP growth target at 6% to 7% in 2019; 6.5% to 7.5% in 2020; and 7.0% to 8.0% in 2021 and 2022.

Dubai crude

"The assumption for the USD price of Dubai crude oil per barrel for 2019 to 2022 is retained between USD 60-75 per barrel," Abuel said.

Foreign exchange

The DBCC assumption for the Philippine peso-US dollar exchange rate is adjusted P51-P53:$1 for 2019 and calibrated at P51-P55:$1 from 2020 to 2022, "projecting the possible appreciation of the peso with easing inflation pressures and positive market sentiment with the recent sovereign credit rating upgrade of the Philippines."

Trade

In terms of external trade, the DBCC's assumptions in goods exports growth were set at 2% in 2019, due to slower global growth, and maintained at 6% from 2020 to 2022.

Goods imports growth projections were lowered to 7% in 2019, and maintained at 8% from 2020 to 2022.

Services exports growth assumptions were set at 9% from 2019 to 2022, while services imports growth were fixed at 3% in 2019, 4% in 2020, and 5% in 2021 and 2022.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to build a more dynamic and competitive economy, one that will provide jobs to our workers, improve the living conditions of the poor, and create more opportunities for all law-abiding Filipinos," Abuel said.

The DBCC—comprised of the Department of Finance, the Department of Budget and Management, and the National Economic and Development Authority—held its meeting ahead of Duterte's fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, Monday.

The meeting is done to "revisit the government’s macroeconomic assumptions, medium-term fiscal program, and growth targets in time for the submission of the 2020 President’s Budget."

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/701549/gov-rsquo-t-cuts-inflation-outlook-for-2019-expects-wider-budget-deficit-towards-2022/story/

China Denounces Trump Meeting With Religious Exiles as Meddling

By Iain Marlow

July 18, 2019, 11:54 AM GMT+5 Updated on July 18, 2019, 2:15 PM GMT+5

Kashgar, in China’s Xinjiang region. Photographer: Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

China criticized a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese religious exiles as an unacceptable interference in its affairs, as Beijing faced new criticism over its mass detention of ethnic Muslim minorities.

China’s foreign ministry made the remarks Thursday after Trump hosted 27 representatives of what the White House said were persecuted religious groups in the Oval Office, including four Chinese. Among the invitees was Jewher Ilham, whose father, Uighur economist Ilham Tohti, is serving a life sentence in China on separatism charges..

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-18/china-defends-crackdown-in-muslim-region-amid-u-s-criticism

Cooking Class: Indian

By BONJ_Admin

July 18, 2019

Location: Maricel’s Kitchen

Address: 165 Amboy Road, Morganville, 07751

Event Date: 07/18/2019

Event Time: 6:30 pm - 11:30 pm

Event Description:

Join Maricel for an Introduction to cooking Indian food.  India has exported its cuisine around the world and is loved by everyone. Indian food infuses a long and diverse history of different ethnic groups, regions, tastes, and cultures. Starting with a few staple dishes Maricel will take you on an Indian Food Adventure. In this class you will make: Chicken Korma – a southern asian dish consisting of meat or vegetables braised with yogurt or cream Jeera Rice – also know as Zeera rice is an Indian dish consisting of rice and cumin seeds. It is a popular dish in North India and Pakistan as an everyday rice dish. Dal –  an Indian dish of dried, split legumes (Lentils). Roti – is a round flatbread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta, and water that is combined into a dough. Roti is consumed in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia and India.    Maricel loves to cook and shares her passion with her students. Maricel's Kitchen classes are perfect events for a girls night out, a get together with friends, or to enhance your skills and understanding of food.  Maricel's Classes are perfect for cooks of all skill levels. Whether you are just setting out or a seasoned professional, Maricel will help you learn the flavors and techniques that make Asian foods so exciting. Classes are hands on and interactive. Participants will receive their very own Maricel's Kitchen Apron and a packet of recipes for the dishes they created. Maricel ends all her classes with everyone sitting down to enjoy the meal they just created. It is a perfect end to the event and gives everyone a chance to socialize and enjoy the fruits of their labor.   Classes start promptly and we ask that all participants arrive about fifteen minutes early to check in and get settled. Due to limited space and the upfront costs of food, our classes and events are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, you are more than welcome to transfer your seat to someone else; however, all sales are final and cannot be refunded. Thank you. All classes subject to our Terms & Conditions: http://maricelskitchen.com/cooking-class-terms-conditions/ *Tickets are non-refundable. 

https://bestofnj.com/events/cooking-class-indian/

U.S. Rice in the UK - Ready to Heat and Eat   

By Eszter Somogyi

 LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- Last month Tilda, a local U.S. rice importer here, launched a brand new ready-to-heat (RTH) pouch rice product featuring identified U.S. long grain rice.   

"The launch of Tilda's RTH pouch rice is an exciting new development as this is an entirely new category for U.S. rice sales in the UK," said USA Rice Vice President International Sarah Moran.  "Pouch rice made up more than 56 percent of the value of mainstream retail UK rice sales in 2018, a growth of +8 percent on the year."  

The Tilda RTH product is available on the shelves in Waitrose, a British supermarket chain, as well as online, and is seeing increasing demand by busy consumers, particularly from the growing number of single-person households who appreciate the product for its convenience.

"Research showed that more than 40 percent of the spending in the pouch rice category is on products backed by promotions, so USA Rice joined forces with Tilda to support the launch of this product," said Moran.  "The campaign included online marketing and consumer magazine advertising funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded to USA Rice to mitigate the damage as a result of trade tensions between the U.S. and other countries."

In June 2018, the EU introduced an additional 25 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. milled rice which has led to a 46 percent reduction in U.S. rice exports to the UK over the past year.

USA Rice Daily

Floods hit Bangladesh rice farmers; top hubs fear scant rainfall

By Arpan Varghese

ReutersJuly 18, 2019

Bangladeshi workers dry rice at a rice-processing mill in Muktarpur

More

By Arpan Varghese

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice farmers in Bangladesh grappled with a double whammy of floods and low demand for their produce this week, while export prices for the grain's Vietnamese variety rose on fresh interest from Philippines and Africa.

Meanwhile, rice export prices from India and Thailand were little changed, amid concerns scant rainfall could hurt crops.

Bangladesh, which has historically relied on imports to meet shortages, could be faced with a huge loss of paddy as vast swathes of land have been submerged by floods, agriculture ministry officials said, who did not want to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

Flooding has killed at least 153 people in India, Nepal and Bangladesh and affected millions this year.

Bangladesh has also been unable to clinch deals since a ban on rice exports was lifted in May.

The country's food ministry ordered district administrators to ensure procurement of paddy directly from farmers to meet a government target of 400,000 tonnes.

Market insiders, however, said the move would not benefit most growers in dire need of cash, since they were compelled to sell their crop to millers or middlemen at much cheaper rates.

In 2017, the country was forced to massively increase imports to shore up reserves after floods destroyed crops and pushed local prices to records, but domestic stocks have since greatly improved.

In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice rose to $350 a tonne on Thursday from $335-$340 last week.

"Exporters are increasing purchases from local farmers for deals signed earlier, mostly with customers in the Philippines and Africa," a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader said.

Also, with the summer-autumn harvest in the Mekong Delta ending soon, there are concerns of lower supply, another trader said.

Vietnam's rice exports in the first half of 2019 fell 3.6% from a year earlier to 3.36 million tonnes, as per customs data.  

Meanwhile, prices for the 5% broken parboiled variety from top exporter India were unchanged around $374-$377 per tonne, amid modest demand from buyers in Africa.

Many rice-growing states have received lower-than normal rainfall and it could hurt the summer-sown crop yield, said an exporter based at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.

India's monsoon rains were 20% below average in the week ending Wednesday, raising concerns over output.

Second biggest exporter Thailand saw its benchmark 5% broken white rice quoted around $401-$402 a tonne on Thursday, free-on-board Bangkok (FOB), narrowing from $390-$404 last week.

Demand was slow, amid worries that scant rainfall will hamper crops going into the upcoming off-season harvest, traders said.

Thai rice exports have also been hit by a strong baht this year, falling 12% in the first half of 2019.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok; additional reporting by Anjishnu Mondal in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/floods-hit-bangladesh-rice-farmers-113825315.html

RPT-ASIA RICE-FLOODS HIT BANGLADESH FARMERS; TOP HUBS FEAR SCANT RAINFALL

7/18/2019

(Repeats with no changes to text)

* Prices for Vietnamese variety rise to $350 a tonne

* Thai prices narrow, India rates little changed

* Modest demand from buyers in Africa for Indian variety

By Arpan Varghese

BENGALURU, July 19 (Reuters) - Rice farmers in Bangladesh grappled with a double whammy of floods and low demand for their produce this week, while export prices for the grain's Vietnamese variety rose on fresh interest from Philippines and Africa.

Meanwhile, rice export prices from India and Thailand were little changed, amid concerns scant rainfall could hurt crops.

Bangladesh, which has historically relied on imports to meet shortages, could be faced with a huge loss of paddy as vast swathes of land have been submerged by floods, agriculture ministry officials said, who did not want to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

Flooding has killed at least 153 people in India, Nepal and Bangladesh and affected millions this year.

Bangladesh has also been unable to clinch deals since a ban on rice exports was lifted in May.

The country's food ministry ordered district administrators to ensure procurement of paddy directly from farmers to meet a government target of 400,000 tonnes.

Market insiders, however, said the move would not benefit most growers in dire need of cash, since they were compelled to sell their crop to millers or middlemen at much cheaper rates.

In 2017, the country was forced to massively increase imports to shore up reserves after floods destroyed crops and pushed local prices to records, but domestic stocks have since greatly improved.

In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> rose to $350 a tonne on Thursday from $335-$340 last week.

"Exporters are increasing purchases from local farmers for deals signed earlier, mostly with customers in the Philippines and Africa," a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader said.

Also, with the summer-autumn harvest in the Mekong Delta ending soon, there are concerns of lower supply, another trader said.

Vietnam's rice exports in the first half of 2019 fell 3.6% from a year earlier to 3.36 million tonnes, as per customs data.

Meanwhile, prices for the 5% broken parboiled variety <RI-INBKN5-P1> from top exporter India were unchanged around $374-$377 per tonne, amid modest demand from buyers in Africa.

Many rice-growing states have received lower-than normal rainfall and it could hurt the summer-sown crop yield, said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

India's monsoon rains were 20% below average in the week ending Wednesday, raising concerns over output.

Second biggest exporter Thailand saw its benchmark 5% broken white rice <RI-THBKN5-P1> quoted around $401-$402 a tonne on Thursday, free-on-board Bangkok (FOB), narrowing from $390-$404 last week.

Demand was slow, amid worries that scant rainfall will hamper crops going into the upcoming off-season harvest, traders said.

Thai rice exports have also been hit by a strong baht this year, falling 12% in the first half of 2019. (Reporting by Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok; additional reporting by Anjishnu Mondal in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

https://www.agriculture.com/markets/newswire/rpt-asia-rice-floods-hit-bangladesh-farmers-top-hubs-fear-scant-rainfall

Dominguez: No to review of rice tariff law

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:26 AM July 19, 2019

The head of the Duterte administration’s economic team on Thursday dismissed calls for a review of the rice tariffication law for its alleged failure to drastically bring down prices of the Filipino staple food.

“No” was Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III’s reply when asked about outgoing Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol’s social media post relaying such request from farmers and cooperatives.

“We should let the rice liberalization law, which is three decades late, do its work and give the economy time to adjust for the further easing of rice prices for more than 100 million Filipinos. We must also implement the rice fund efficiently and effectively for our two to three million rice farmers,” Dominguez said.

Citing a report from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila Jr., he said prices of well-milled rice already declined to P42.92 a kilo as of June from P45.09 in January and P49.06 in September last year.

As for regular milled rice, prices dropped to P38.56 a kilo in June from P41.41 in January and P45.75 in September 2018, the report showed.

During the 2019 Pre-State of the Nation Address (Sona) Economic and Infrastructure Forum held earlier, Dominguez described Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice Liberalization Act, that instituted rice tariffication as “among the monumental legislative achievements of this administration.”

“The liberalization of rice trading was finally achieved after more than thirty years of failed attempts under various administrations. This law has made quality rice more affordable and accessible to Filipino consumers, thereby bringing down inflation. In fact, rice retail prices are now cheaper by P5-10 a kilo compared to last year,” Dominguez said.

“Unlike in the past when quantitative restrictions were abused by a select few, the new law ensures that farmers benefit directly from import tariffs by providing at least P10 billion each year for mechanization, high-quality seeds, access to credit, and training,” he said.

The collection of tariffs on all rice imports under the liberalized trade scheme generated P5.9 billion in additional revenue for the government to date since it was implemented in March, data from the Department of Finance showed.

Under RA 11203, the following tariff rates apply: 35 percent if rice was imported from Asean; 40 percent if within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350,000 metric tons, from countries outside Asean,  and 180 percent if above the MAV and coming from a non-Asean country.—BEN O. DE VERA

https://business.inquirer.net/274975/dominguez-no-to-review-of-rice-tariff-law#ixzz5u7DTuQiE
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Government to set SRP on rice

By Panay News

Friday, July 19, 2019

Farmgate price of palay continues to plunge in many parts of the country. The prevailing farmgate prices showed a steep drop from an average of P20 per kilo of fresh palay earlier this year which would result in an estimated P114-billion in losses to Filipino rice farmers. IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN

MANILA – As the farmgate price of palay continues to plunge in many parts of the country, the government is getting set to arrest this freefall by coming up with a Suggested Retail Price (SRP) on rice.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol said, the need to set SRP became apparent during a meeting held on July 16 between the rice industry stakeholders, the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which were called to determine the cause of the drop in the palay prices.

“During the meeting, a lot of inputs were contributed and we saw that there are loopholes in the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) that needs to be addressed,” he said.

“Masyadong ganadong mag-import yung mga traders right now kasi feeling nila wala ng magko-control sa presyo ng bentahan ng bigas sa palengke. So, napakalaki ng margin ng profit nila,” he noted.

Piñol said the landed cost of rice from Thailand is about P23/kilo, Vietnam is PHP25, and Myanmar is about PHP18. “Pero ang bentahan sa palengke and this was what surprised us mataas pa rin– nasa P40, P50.”

“This alarmed us because this was not the intent of the Rice Tariffication Law. The intent of the RTL was to open the market to lower the price of rice and make it affordable to the consumers,” he stressed.

Piñol added that the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law will result in a switch from the previous quota system in importing rice to a tariff system, where rice can be imported more freely.

The law allows unlimited rice importation, but investors must first secure a phytosanitary permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry and pay the 35-percent tariff for shipments of Southeast Asia.

This is expected to result in a decline of as much as PHP7 per kilogram in the domestic retail price of rice.

However, farmer leaders and rice industry stakeholders are now complaining as farm gate prices of paddy rice dropped to a record low of P12 to P14 per kilo in many parts of the country.

The prevailing farm gate prices showed a steep drop from an average of P20 per kilo of fresh palay earlier this year which would result in an estimated P114-billion in losses to Filipino rice farmers for the whole year.

In contrast, the market prices of rice, expected to drop by P7 per kilo with the RTL, have remained almost constant with some areas reporting a drop of only P1 to P2 per kilo, even with the deluge of imported rice, the rice industry stakeholders said.

As of March 5, the total number of registered rice importers was 480, and the total number of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance issued was 1,607,398.054 metric tons (MT).

As of July 12, the total volume of imported rice that arrived was 822,074.008 MT.

Under the RTL, a special safeguard duty on rice was put in place to protect the rice industry from sudden or extreme price fluctuations.

A safeguard duty is a temporary increase in import duty of an agricultural product to deal with import surges or price falls, under the World Trade Agreement on agriculture.

In a consultation Wednesday which was attended by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Finance (DOF), and DA, Piñol said they came up with a solution to use the Price Act as the basis in addressing the “uncontrolled” pricing of rice in the market with the purpose of coming up with an SRP.

“We are now drafting a Joint Memorandum Circular with DTI for the implementation of the Price Act,” he said.

Under the provision of the law, the DA chief said, they can deputize or enlist the assistance of any government agency in the implementation of the provisions of the Price Act.

“The DA will also issue a Department Order setting the guidelines for the SRP. The intention of this move is to really make the consumers feel the effect of the Rice Tariffication Law,” he said.

“We will set the SRP based on the landed cost of rice. DTI, NEDA and DOF will come up with the computation,” he added.Piñol said the SRP for rice might be between P35 to P38 per kilo for premium or 5 percent broken. (PNA)

https://www.panaynews.net/government-to-set-srp-on-rice/

NoCot guv asks consumers to buy local

By Edwin Fernandez  July 19, 2019, 10:36 am

LOCAL FARM PRODUCTS. Various fruit products and the famous black rice variety (inset) of North Cotabato province being sold at local public markets. North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco has initiated the “Buy North Cotabato Made Products” campaign to help resident farmers sell their products in the market amid the influx of imported rice, among others, in the province. (Photo courtesy of NDBC Kidapawan)

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco on Thursday vowed to rally behind rice farmers by initiating the “Buy North Cotabato Made Products” campaign in an effort to encourage consumers to buy locally-milled rice and other products.

Catamco issued the statement in the wake of the influx of imported rice in the local market that has been affecting the rice industry in North Cotabato province.

“There is a law that opened our local market to rice imports, but my (provincial) administration will encourage our constituents to patronize locally-milled rice,” she said. "It is my moral responsibility to protect our rice farmers.”

Catamco said encouraging consumers to patronize locally-milled rice would spur local economic activity.

“Once we buy imported rice, it is only the retailers and importers who will make money,” she pointed out.

Catamco said she received reports that some rice mills in North Cotabato have ceased milling palay since it was no longer viable with the presence of imported cheap rice in the market.

She noted, however, that North Cotabato remains the number one rice-producing province in Region 12.

The governor said she will push for the passage of a provincial ordinance that will require wet markets and department stores in the province to allot spaces for locally-made products.

The “Buy North Cotabato-Made Products” advocacy program, she said, seeks to educate "our consumers to buy locally-made products like rice, then our farmers will be assured of income.” (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1075334

Rice versus wheat

By BusinessMirror Editorial

July 19, 2019

The United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service recently reported that wheat imports by the Philippines increased 25 percent over 2018. This was attributed in part to reduced local production of both rice and corn.

However, the key statistic is that the Philippines’s wheat imports have more than doubled over the last decade. The Philippines sources 95 percent of its wheat from the US.

Wheat is an important commodity for both human and animal consumption. The data shows that half of the milled wheat we produce from this import is used for bakery products like bread and the popular pan de sal. The remaining 50 percent is for noodles and pasta, and we love our ramen and spaghetti.

It is considered a fact that Northern Chinese are generally taller than their southern counterparts partially due to genetics. Their ancestry from the more-or-less indigenous “Han” people was “complimented” by the numerous invaders from all around central Asia.

However, there is a dietary factor for the increased height. Milled wheat, the staple in North China, has higher protein content than milled rice, which is the staple of the South. Remember from elementary school: “Go, Grow and Glow foods”. Protein from whatever source is the Go component.

Recognizing that nutritionists strongly recommend whole-grain wheat products and brown rice as more healthy, there is a difference in nutritional value of well-milled rice and white flour.

The fiber content is much higher for wheat, although rice is easier to digest. While both have the same amount of iron, wheat contains calcium, which rice does not, and is much higher in magnesium, phosphorus, iron and potassium. And we are talking about wheat containing double to 10 times as much of these nutrients. But the key nutritional difference is the protein content.

Comparing 300 grams of rice and wheat, wheat offers 14 grams of protein and rice only 3 grams. The 300 grams of wheat provide 82 percent of the recommended daily requirement of protein versus only 16 percent from rice. The cost of rice is cheaper. However—and you know this if you eat brown rice—wheat is more “filling” and you need to eat more rice than wheat to get the same nutritional value.

Filipinos are not going to give up their daily rice nor should they. But newly elected Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno said he wants to institutionalize the Marcos-era Nutribun program, and that may be an excellent idea to address our problems with childhood nutrition.

The original Nutribun was developed by the US nutritionists in 1970 and was made from a blend of white and whole-wheat flour mixed with a nonfat dried milk powder. It was then fortified with soy flour, which has both protein and micronutrients. Further, it can easily be locally produced.

The national government would do well to watch and learn if Mayor Moreno puts this program in place. Young Filipinos need this

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/07/19/rice-versus-wheat/

Customs make N1.7bn, seize 589 bags of rice in Niger

Published July 19, 2019

Enyioha Opara, Minna

The Niger State Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has said it has generated N1.7bn as revenue from January to June this year.

The Area Controller in charge of the command, Abba-Kassin Yusuf, said this in an interview with newsmen in Minna on Thursday.

He also said the command seized 589 bags of smuggled rice with duty paid value of N10.013m since the beginning of this month.

Yusuf explained that the command, which covers Niger, Kogi and Kwara states, would meet its 2019 revenue target of N3.5bn by the end of the year.

He gave a breakdown of the seizures made in different locations within the command’s area of operation for the month of July.

These include 189 bags of rice with duty paid value of N3,213,000; a six-tyre truck with number plate, MNA 691 XV, conveying 300 bags of rice with duty paid value of N5,100,000; and a Mitsubishi Canter mini truck conveying 100 bags of rice with duty paid value of N1,700,000.

The customs boss said personnel of the service would intensify surveillance and adopt measures to make smuggling less attractive.

“The command has deployed competent officers to man all identified illegal routes used by smugglers to bring in unwholesome goods into the country,” he stated.

Yusuf solicited the support of community leaders in the three states by supplying customs field officers with vital information on the movement of smugglers

https://punchng.com/customs-make-n1-7bn-seize-589-bags-of-rice-in-niger/

Customs intercepts 2,919 bags of rice, 29 vehicles, 22 bales of clothes

 Jul 19, 2019  National  169  By Afam Jude Offor

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Niger/Kwara and Kogi states Command, on Thursday revealed that it intercepted no fewer than two thousand, nine hundred and nineteen (2,919) bags of rice that were illegally imported into the country in six months.
        Customs Area Controller for Niger/Kwara/Kogi states, Controller Yusuf Abba-Kassim made this disclosure while addressing journalists at the command’s bi-annual

press briefing in Minna, Niger state capital. Abba-Kassim added that the command made 42 seizures of rice, totalling two thousand nine hundred and nineteen (2,919) bags with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Fifty Four Million Two Hundred and Seventy Nine Thousand Three Hundred Naira (N 54, 279, 300). Other intercepted items seized by the command from January to June are 29 used vehicles with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Twenty Three Million Seven Hundred and Eighty Thousand Three Hundred Naira (N 23, 780, 300). The rest are (22) bales of second hand clothing with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Seven Hundred and Ninety two Thousand Naira, Sugar, used Tyres, Vegetable Oil, foot wears, with duty paid value of Two hundred and Eight One thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty naira (N281,320,000). Abba-Kassim also disclosed that the command generated One Billion Seven Hundred and Nine Million Six Hundred and Sixty three Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty Eight Naira Eight Kobo (N1,709,663,828.08) between January and June, which represent 56% of the annual target
        This year 2019, the Command target is put at Three Billion Fifty One Million Six Hundred and Ninety Nine Thousand Seven Hundred and Four Naira Fifty One Kobo (N 3, 051,699,704.51) out of which we had so far generated One Billion Seven Hundred and Nine Million Six Hundred and Sixty three Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty Eight Naira Eight Kobo (N1,709,663,828.08) which represent 56% of the annual target. The Command generated Two Hundred and Seventy Seven Million Nine Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand Sixty Three Naira Ninety One Kobo (N277,994,063.91) in the month of June 2019 out of Two Hundred and Forty Five Million Three Hundred and Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Eight Naira Seventy one Kobo (N 245,308,308.71) of the Monthly target. This is quite a remarkable performance because the Command surpassed the revenue generated in June 2018 with N 106,683,365.68. In June alone, this year, the Command has recorded Three (3) difference seizures of Rice totaling One Hundred and Eighty Nine (189) Bags with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Three Million Two Hundred and Thirteen Thousand Naira N3,213,000.
        A Six (6) tyres truck with REG. NO MNA 691 XV Suspected to be carrying Three Hundred (300) Bags of Rice was intercepted with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Five Million One Hundred Thousand Naira (5,100,000) and that “also a Mitsubishi Canter with REG NO XC 112 BDU suspecting to be conveying One Hundred (100) Bags of Rice with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of One Million Seven Hundred Naira (1,700,000) was also arrested within this month. Command is not relenting on its efforts to surpass its recorded successes last year, since my assumption “, saying, “like any other month, the Command was able to surpass the monthly target with Thirty Two Million Six Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Five Naira Two Kobo (N 32,685,755.2). After the 2019 general election, the Command has been consistent in revenue generation. In March we were able to surpass our monthly target with N 345,672,879.32 which outshine that of March last year 2018 with N 475, 192,799. 89. In April with N 69,046,333.72 which beat that of April 2018 with N 175,613,157.93. In May 2019 we again surpassed our Monthly target with N39, 251,249.17 which is also better than that of May last year with N145, 992,344.14,” he disclosed.

                                         

http://news.obiaks.com/190719072847/customs-intercepts-2919-bags-of-rice-29-vehicles-22-bales-of-clothes

Rice providing more conservation help to rice producers

USA Rice spent two years putting together a website that will help rice growers pursue conservation programs.

Forrest Laws | Jul 18, 2019

Navigating the federal and state conservation program waters can be challenging, to say the least. Farmers can spend hours trying to figure out how to participate in a program only to find it’s not available in their state, says Josh Hankins.

“There are a lot of federal agencies offering programs, and there are state programs,” says Hankins, director of grower relations and the Rice Stewardship Partnership for USA Rice. “It’s all acronyms and keeping everything clear is extremely difficult to do.”

That’s why USA Rice spent two years putting together a website that will help rice growers pursue those programs. Hankins talked about the tool — the Conservation Program Search feature — and other conservation program information during a University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Food and Agribusiness Webinar. (Click on https://bit.ly/2J6pwQU.)

Hankins, who is based in Arkansas, says the USA Rice Federation and its four member organizations have become more aggressive in seeking waysto help rice producers improve conservation efforts on their farms.

In 2013, USA Rice formed a working partnership with Ducks Unlimited. “One of the first things we did was put a study together that showed the cost of replacing all of our existing rice habitat with managed natural wetlands would exceed $3.5 billion,” he said.

“Over half of our North American dabbling ducks winter in one of our rice-growing regions. It shows you how important it is to keep rice healthy, efficient and economically viable, not only for the economies of the states they’re in but also for our migratory birds. Essentially, what's good for rice is good for ducks.”

2014 farm bill

The 2014 farm bill created a program called the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which “took a small sliver” out of the current conservation budget, put it in a pot and made it a competitive program where farmers could apply for those dollars.

USA Rice put together the applications — and the necessary private funds to match the federal dollars — for a list of eight successful partnerships that Hankins displayed during the webinar presentation.

“In 2015, we landed a $10 million project spread across all six of the major rice growing states, which was led by Ducks Unlimited and USA Rice,” he noted. “Since then we've grown that program into eight across all of our rice regions. After all these have been delivered, this will bring over $80 million to working rice lands for voluntary conservation practices.

“These dollars would be going to other parts of the country had we not successfully advocated for them.”

The CSP is designed for farmers and for working lands. It can build on existing conservation efforts while strengthening operations.

In the new farm bill, the Agricultural Act of 2018, the Conservation Stewardship Program was converted from an acre program to a dollar program, Hankins noted. “Because of that conversion, some of the funding was significantly dropped. The only way to qualify for our CSP is if you grow rice. If that is not the case, you cannot apply.

Competitive programs

“As most of you know, NRCS programs are competitive. This does decrease some of the competition, and the likelihood of getting funded could be significantly higher. Once again, we have people who can help. We work hard for these dollars so you can participate in these programs.

The Conservation Program Search website feature can be reached by clicking the Conservation Search button on the https://www.usarice.com/website.

“I think you will find it of interest and a good tool for your farm, your business, your consultant or whoever helps you determine what conservation programs work for you in your geographic location and on your farm,” he noted.

“This was designed for rice and only for the programs available in our six rice states. We won't put something on here that a rice grower won't find helpful. It's designed for you. Please take time to explore what we put together and offer some feedback. We want to help you be more efficient and possibly find programs you didn't know about that could be of benefit to you.”

For more on the University of Arkansas Food and Agribusiness Webinar Series, visit https://bit.ly/2E2BEla.

https://www.farmprogress.com/rice/usa-rice-providing-more-conservation-help-rice-producers

State govt to challenge order quashing FIR against miller

Jul 19, 2019, 7:01 AM; last updated: Jul 19, 2019, 7:01 AM (IST)

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 18

Even as the Patiala police have registered an FIR of cheating and fraud against 17 officials of Pungrain and Punjab Agro Foodgrain Corporation, the state government is all set to file an appeal against the lower court order of quashing the FIR registered against Nabha-based rice miller Manpreet Singh Dhillon.

Officials in the Food and Civil Supplies Department alleged that the FIR against the officials was registered without the department being intimated by the police. “It is strange that the FIR is registered based on an inquiry demanded by the accused six years ago,” said a top official.

They allege that the Nabha court had ordered quashing of FIR registered against the miller, but it did not seek a case against the department.

Denying that there was any lapse on part of the officers for procuring Paddy 201 variety, the officials said the variety itself was found to be not up to mark. “This was brought to the notice of the Centre and they even allowed for an upgrade charge of Rs 200 per quintal to be given to the rice mills. Despite this, Pungrain and PAFC found that the stock of both paddy and rice with these rice mills was much less. It is for this shortfall that cases were registered against the mill owners,” said a senior Pungrain official.

The Food department has come up with an extensive policy to stop the pilferage of paddy. Anandita Mitra, Director, Food and Supplies, and Managing Director of Pungrain, said they had made it mandatory for all millers to install CCTV cameras; and fire extinguishers to ensure minimal damage in case of fire. “We have even introduced bank guarantees for any mill getting over 5,000 quintals of paddy for milling. It has also been decided that each mill will get paddy from only one state procurement agency. When mills were getting paddy from two agencies, they would pilfer the paddy and show one agency’s stock to the other agency’s inspectors,” she said.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/state-govt-to-challenge-order-quashing-fir-against-miller/804084.html

KBP to launch drive against corruption

·      RECORDER REPORT

·      JUL 19TH, 2019

·      LAHORE

The Kissan Board Pakistan (KBP) will soon announce a movement against corruption after consultation between office-bearers of all the four provincial organizations of the Board. The Board also announced to fully participate in "Corruption Free Pakistan" campaign of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.

KBP central president Chaudhry Nisar Ahmad and Secretary General Chaudhry Shaukat Ali Chaddhar disclosed this while talking to media persons in Mansoora auditorium here on Thursday after a meeting of the General Council members of the Board from all over Pakistan. Some new office-bearers of the Board took oath of their offices on this occasion.

KBP leaders accused the sugar millers, cotton millers and rice millers of exploiting the growers. They said that growers of sugarcane, paddy, cotton, tobacco and vegetables were given throw-away prices of their commodities while other regularities such as weighing less were also committed.

They appealed the politicians who own sugar mills to play their role for stopping exploitation of growers. They also asked Imran Khan to play his role for ending corruption by different departments.

Secretary Information Haji Muhammad Ramzan on this occasion said that the Board declared next year as the year for expansion and re-organization of the board. He said that new office-bearers have been assigned the task for organizing the board in 25 union councils and villages of the province.

https://fp.brecorder.com/2019/07/20190719498720/

Farmers hit hard again by Barry

NEWS

Posted: Jul 17, 2019 / 06:28 PM UTC / Updated: Jul 17, 2019 / 06:28 PM UTC

POINSETT COUNTY, Ark.- Barry’s impacts are still being felt in Arkansas.

Farmers in northeast Arkansas say the extra rainfall has taken a toll on their crops.

One farmer in Poinsett County got around 4.5 inches of rain.

Scott Matthews said luckily, a portion of his farm only got hit with 2 inches of rain, but what he’s concerned about is his rice crop with the 4 inches of water on it.

“Our weather has actually affected us all season here,” says Matthews. “It’s delayed us for the most part. Everyone welcomes a rain in July, but a five-day weather event like Barry, it’s hurt our timing, and timing is very crucial at this stage of our rice production.”

Matthews says the rain is affecting the fungicide and nitrogen levels to his crop, which makes a big difference in his crop yield.

https://www.kark.com/news/farmers-hit-hard-again-by-barry/.

S. Korea, WFP Seeking US Sanctions Exemptions to Send Rice to N. Korea

Write: 2019-07-18 15:29:16/Update: 2019-07-18 15:30:50

Photo : KBS News

Discussions are currently underway with the U.S. to get sanctions exemptions for South Korean food aid to North Korea.

A government source said Thursday that South Korea and the World Food Program(WFP) are seeking the exemptions for ships and other equipment to deliver 50-thousand tons of South Korean-produced rice amid severe food shortages in the North.

The United Nations agency, which will handle the delivery, is reportedly considering directly  transporting the aid from the South to the North to save costs and time.

In 2017, the U.S. imposed additional sanctions on Pyongyang under which any airplane or ship making a trip to the country is banned from entering American territory for 180 days.

South Korea and the WFP signed an official contract regarding the food aid on July eleventh.

http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=146754

Monsoon rain destroys P4.15 million worth of rice in Negros Occidental

Some 433 farmers were affected by rain from the southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm Falcon (Danas), says the Department of Agriculture

Rappler.com

Published 8:15 PM, July 18, 2019

Updated 8:15 PM, July 18, 2019

MANILA, Philippines – Heavy rain from the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat enhanced by Tropical Storm Falcon (Danas) destroyed 664 hectares of rice fields in Negros Occidental valued at P4.15 million.In a Facebook post on Thursday, July 18, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the affected rice fields are in the municipalities of Valladolid and San Enrique.

Some 433 farmers in the two municipalities have been affected as of 11 am on Thursday.

The DA's Western Visayas field office is still assessing and validating the extent of damage in Negros Occidental.

The southwest monsoon is expected to weaken in the coming days, as Falcon already left the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 2 pm on Thursday. – Rappler.com

https://www.rappler.com/business/235708-monsoon-rain-destroys-rice-negros-occidental-july-2019

Review law allowing rice imports? No!, says Dominguez

By: Ben O. de Vera - Reporter / @bendeveraINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 03:22 PM July 18, 2019

An emphatic “No.”

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III gave this reply when reporters asked him what he thought about a social media post by outgoing Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol relaying appeals made by farmers and farm cooperatives for the government to review the Rice Tariffication Act, which allowed the unrestricted importation of rice provided duties were paid in a move taken to ease rising prices.

The appeals for a review came supposedly after the measure failed to result in drastic declines in prices of the Filipino staple food.

Citing a report from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila Jr., prices of well-milled rice already declined to P42.92 per kilogram as of June 2019 from P45.09 per kg in January of the same year and P49.06 per kg in September 2018.

The report also showed that regular milled rice prices dropped to P38.56 per kg in June 2019 from P41.41 per kg in January 2019 and P45.75 per kg in September 2018.

At the 2019 Pre-State of the Nation Address (Sona) Economic and Infrastructure Forum held early this month, Dominguez described Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Liberalization Act as “among the monumental legislative achievements of this administration.”

“The liberalization of rice trading was finally achieved after more than thirty years of failed attempts under various administrations,” Dominguez said at that forum.“This law has made quality rice more affordable and accessible to Filipino consumers, thereby bringing down inflation. In fact, rice retail prices are now cheaper by P5-10 per kilo compared to last year,” Dominguez added.

He said quantitative restrictions, or QR, which limited the volume of rice that are allowed to be imported to the Philippines, had been “abused by a select few.”

“The new law ensures that farmers benefit directly from import tariffs by providing at least P10 billion each year for mechanization, high quality seeds, access to credit and training,” Dominguez said.

The collection of tariff after import restrictions were eased had generated P5.9 billion in additional government revenue since March, data from the Department of Finance showed.

The new law sets a 35 percent tariff for rice imported from the Asean region, 40 percent for imported rice that don’t exceed the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350,000 metric tons from countries outside Asean and 180 percent if above the MAV and coming from non-Asean sources.

Opening up the importation of rice was President Rodrigo Duterte’s reaction to a period of shortage of affordable rice from the National Food Authority which led to a spike in prices./TSB

https://business.inquirer.net/274908/review-law-allowing-rice-imports-no-says-dominguez#ixzz5u7H0sVZV 

Some farms still flooded days after Barry

Posted: 10:01 PM, Jul 17, 2019

Updated: 8:22 AM, Jul 18, 2019

By: Jordan Lippincott

WHITEVILLE — Farmers in St. Landry Parish are calling for drainage improvements after they flooded during Hurricane Barry."The farm is completely inundated right now. We have mature rice that is headed out that would probably be ready for harvest in five to six weeks," said soybean and rice farmer Curt Richard.

Richard's farm is located in the northern part of the parish.After Hurricane Barry, the rice to which Richard is referring is now under water.

"The water doesn't drain like it should, you know? It should leave our farms faster than it does," said Richard.

A large portion along Hwy. 29 is farmland, but right now, some parts look like a lake with water covering the crops.

Farmers say it's a complete loss of business.

"Each change brought a lot more water to this area than historically they would receive," said Sierra Club chairman Harold Schoeffler.

According to Schoeffler, the flooding is caused by infrastructure changes over the last 40 years.

He has a few possible solutions."Get rid of the Keystone Dam. Put a significant gate in the Bayou Ami levee. Increase the capacity into Henderson, and open the Bayou des Glaises," said Schoeffler.

https://www.katc.com/news/st-landry-parish/some-farms-still-flooded-days-after-barry

The Mekong Delta: Land Subsidence Threatens Vietnam’s “Food Basket”

18 JULY 2019 Mervyn Piesse, Research Manager, Global Food and Water Crises Research Programme Download PDF

·       The Mekong Delta is the most agriculturally productive region of Vietnam. Most of the country’s rice, aquaculture and fruit production is located there.

·       Vietnam is the second-largest rice exporter in the world. The Mekong Delta produces enough food for almost 200 million people and any significant reduction in agricultural output would have consequences for global food security.

·       Unsustainable agricultural practices, rising sea levels, land subsidence, the construction of dams on the Mekong River and increased soil and water salinisation threaten to reduce the productivity of the region’s agricultural sector.

·       The causes of most of those challenges are beyond Vietnam’s control. Reducing the use of groundwater in the delta is the best option available to it.

Summary

The Mekong Delta, which is located in southern Vietnam, is one of the most important food-producing regions in South-East Asia. It is under growing threat from a combination of: rising water demand from other sectors of the economy; land subsidence; sea level rise; and rising levels of salinity. As the delta produces enough food for almost 200 million people, any significant reduction in agricultural production would reduce global food security.

Analysis

Over the past two decades, Vietnam has transitioned from a low- to middle-income country. Its gross domestic product has increased by an average rate of 6.4% over that time. Abundant water resources have helped to fuel that economic development – water diverted from rivers irrigates more than four million hectares of farmland and hydropower plants provide almost 40 per cent of its electricity. Vietnam has ambitions to become a high-income country by 2035, but that goal will be difficult to achieve unless it becomes more resource efficient and adapts to the changes that are expected to occur in the Mekong River.

The Mekong Delta is expected to continue to play an important role in that economic development. Despite it comprising only 12 per cent of the country’s land mass, and about 20 per cent of its population, it is the most productive agricultural region of Vietnam. About half of the country’s rice, 65 per cent of its aquaculture and 70 per cent of its fruit are grown there. Most of those products are exported and in 2017 agricultural exports earned Vietnam US$37 billion ($52.8 billion), almost 20 per cent of its GDP. As Vietnam is the world’s second-largest rice exporter, it is one of the most important food-growing regions in South-East Asia. The delta faces four main challenges, however, that threaten to weaken its agricultural sector: unsustainable agricultural practices; rising sea levels and land subsidence; the construction of dams on the Mekong; and increased soil and water salinisation.

Some of those challenges are more immediate than others. Salinisation and unsustainable farming practices, for instance, are beginning to have observable effects on the region. Rising sea levels and a reduction in water and sediment flow – which are most likely to be caused by the construction of dams and sand mining upriver – are more likely to occur at a gradual rate.

Vietnam has long practiced a “rice first” agricultural policy in the Mekong Delta, which has helped it to transform the delta into the country’s main rice cultivation region. Farmers grow three rice crops a year, instead of the traditional one or two. Paddy fields in the delta consistently produce about 25 million tonnes of rice, with at least half of that exported. Exports from the region account for about 15 per cent of the rice that is traded globally. That fixation on rice production, however, increases the risk of pests and disease, depletes the soil of nutrients and increases the indirect export of water (“virtual water”). The nutrients that are taken from the soil are increasingly being replaced with fertilisers and other soil amendments, but that is likely to only be a temporary fix. Vietnamese farmers use almost twice as much fertiliser as comparable countries in South-East Asia. According to some projections, it is thought that if rice cultivation continues at current levels, and with the same application of fertilisers, severe land degradation could occur within the next 20-25 years. That would likely result in rising costs for rice producers and possibly a decline in production.

Water demand is also increasing across the country. It is projected that if nothing changes, all but five of the 16 Vietnamese river basins are likely to experience water stress during the dry season by 2030. The agricultural sector will need to adopt water conservation measures to ensure that it can guard against increased water demand from the industrial and municipal sectors. There are plenty of opportunities to achieve those water savings, as the country’s water productivity is low compared to the global average. Vietnam generates only US$2.37 ($3.38) of GDP from every 1,000 litres that it uses, compared to a global average of US$19.42 ($27.70).

Sea level rise could pose another problem to rice production in the region, but it is doubtful that it will cause significant reductions in the near term. The sea is rising by less than a centimetre each year (it should be noted, however, that most of the delta is one to two metres above sea level). That rate is expected to increase over time, however, and it is likely that the deposition of sediment will also continue to decline. If that were to happen, it is conceivable that a 30 centimetre rise in sea levels could occur by mid-century. That is likely to result in the loss of almost 200,000 hectares of land used for rice cultivation. As Vietnam produces rice on eight million hectares of land, with 2.5 million hectares located in the delta region, such a loss might be considered inconsequential. Those 200,000 hectares are highly fertile, however, and are more productive than other parts of the country. It would be a mistake to think that their loss would only affect the food security of individual families or communities. Almost 40 per cent of the delta is at risk of being underwater by the end of this century. If that were to occur, tens of millions of people would have to be relocated and the loss of agricultural land will have far reaching implications that extend to the countries that rely on Vietnamese rice exports.

About two-thirds of the water that flows into Vietnam originates from outside its borders. Most of that water is therefore beyond the country’s direct management and is vulnerable to the actions of upstream states. China has built 11 hydropower dams on its section of the Mekong, and has plans to build another nine by 2030. Two have been built in Laos, and China is financing another nine with plans to purchase most of the electricity that they produce. At least 160 dams have either been built, are under construction or are planned on the tributaries of the river. Together those dams, if they are built, will damage fisheries and block sediment from flowing downstream. It is expected that by 2040 as much as 97 per cent of the sediment that would normally flow along the length of the river could be trapped behind dam walls. An official report into the potential effects of upstream dam construction on Vietnamese agriculture argued that if all of the planned dams were constructed, it is conservatively estimated that annual losses to the Vietnamese fishing and agricultural sector would exceed US$760 million per year.

The Mekong Delta lost more than 500 hectares of coastal land between 2003 and 2012. The rate of erosion has since increased, and the region reportedly loses 300 hectares of land each year. Dams and reservoirs built along the course of the river prevent sediment from flowing downstream, while the extraction of sand from the riverbed for construction purposes also reduces the sediment load. Sediment consolidates the delta by replacing the material that is eroded during periods of high water flow and replenishes the soil nutrients that are used in rice production. The continuous delivery of sediment is vital to protect against coastal erosion and supports the region’s agricultural production. 

Under normal conditions, mangroves mitigate the effects of sea-level rise by trapping the sediment that flows out to sea. Large tracts of mangroves have been removed from the Mekong Delta since the 1970s to provide timber for charcoal and the construction industry; some were also cleared to make space for shrimp farms and aquaculture. Mangroves help to reduce coastal erosion caused by waves and floods, but due to the reduction in the flow of sediment it is doubtful that the re-establishment of mangroves will help to offset the loss of coastal land.

Severe droughts in 1998, 2010 and 2015 reduced water flows in the Mekong River. The reduction in water availability drives regional water users to withdraw greater amounts of water from the river than usual. That, in turn, reduces the volume of water flowing to the mouth of the river and causes seawater to intrude further inland (during the most recent drought it intruded up to 90 kilometres inland). The salinisation of the delta’s water is reportedly occurring to such an extent – even during years with relatively normal water availability – that some farmers now speak of a “salty season”. The construction and operation of a series of dams upriver could eventually come to create similar conditions.

The causal factors of land subsidence are not clear, but it is probably due to the increased use of groundwater in the Mekong Delta over the last 25 years. Over the past 20 years groundwater extraction has increased four-fold. That rate of extraction has caused the water table to fall by up to 20 metres in some places, leading to the land sinking by up to 18cm. The ground continues to sink across the delta at a rate of one to three centimetres per year. The increased use of groundwater is, in turn, partly due to lower surface water availability and saltwater intrusion.

 As the decline in sediment is most likely caused by the construction of dams in the upper reaches of the Mekong, in China and Laos, there is little that Vietnam can do to restore those flows. Most of the dams close to the source of the river are designed to impound sediment and prevent it from accumulating in dams further downstream. Reducing the use of groundwater, to slow the rate at which the delta sinks, would address the most pressing threat to it and its agricultural production.

Any opinions or views expressed in this paper are those of the individual author, unless stated to be those of Future Directions International.

Published by Future Directions International Pty Ltd.

Suite 5, 202 Hampden Road, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia.

Tel:+61 8 6389 0211

Web: www.futuredirections.org.au

http://www.futuredirections.org.au/publication/the-mekong-delta-land-subsidence-threatens-vietnams-food-basket/

Govt speeding up drought relief work

REPORT

from Bangkok Post

Published on 18 Jul 2019 —View Original

The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) is speeding up efforts to mitigate the impacts of the looming drought after water levels in several major reservoirs fell below the levels of last year.

Eighteen major reservoirs are holding less than 30% of their storage capacity including Pasak Jolasid (Lop Buri province), Chulabhorn (Chaiyaphum) and Nam Pung (Sakon Nakhon).

RID director-general Thongplew Kongjun said several provinces are experiencing drought due to a prolonged absence of rain, so the department has rolled out relief measures to make sure there are adequate supplies of water for household consumption.

The department has asked its irrigation offices and hydro-power facilities to strictly follow their water management plans and has instructed authorities to deploy standby machines, water pumps and water trucks to deliver water to the drought-stricken areas.

The amount of land designated for farming of annual rice crops in irrigated areas across the country is set at 16.68 million rai, and farming has already started on rice farms covering 10.77 million rai, or 64.55% of the allotted land.

In the Chao Phraya River basin, 7.71 million rai are expected to be used to cultivate annual rice crops, and farming has already started on 6.09 million rai.

"The most important measure that every irrigation office must take is to make sure all parties understand the pressing situation and are making the most efficient use of water to protect reserves," said Mr Thongplew.

Attaporn Panyachom, director of the 10th Irrigation Office, said the storage level in Pasak Jolasid dam is dire because there has been no inflow over the past two months, while the dam has been releasing water at 8 cubic metres per second.

He said the dam's management needs to discharge water to maintain the ecosystem and the water level in the Pasak River.

Without rainfall, however, the reservoir will dry up within 30 days.

"If there is still no rain or inflow into the dam, it will be a critical time for the reservoir. And those living downstream will face water shortages," he said.

The amount of water in the Pasak Jolasid dam stands at 50.52 million cubic metres, or 5.26% of its storage capacity of 960 million cubic metres.

Thanakhom Jongjira, Lop Buri governor, has expressed concerns about tap water production which relies on the water supply from the Chai Nat-Pasak canal.

Even though 700,000 cubic metres of water are being pumped into the canal -- diverted from the Chao Phraya River and released through the Manorom water regulator -- half of the water is siphoned by farmers along the canal, he said.

More water pumps will be installed to divert more water to the Chai Nat-Pasak canal to ensure adequate raw water for tap water production.The situation is expected to improve around the end of the month as rain is being forecasted.In the Northeast, the water situation also looks bleak, with the water level in the Mekong River dropping rapidly and affecting adjacent rivers in the country.

The Mekong's water level at Nong Khai's hydrological station stood at just 0.80 metres on Wednesday -- the lowest in 50 years.

https://reliefweb.int/report/thailand/govt-speeding-drought-relief-work

Floods hit Bangladesh rice farmers; top hubs fear scant rainfall
Arpan Varghese
JULY 18, 2019
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice farmers in Bangladesh grappled with a double whammy of floods and low demand for their produce this week, while export prices for the grain’s Vietnamese variety rose on fresh interest from Philippines and Africa.Bangladeshi workers dry rice at a rice-processing mill in Muktarpur, on the outskirt of Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 29, 2016. REUTERS/ Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Files
Meanwhile, rice export prices from India and Thailand were little changed, amid concerns scant rainfall could hurt crops.Bangladesh, which has historically relied on imports to meet shortages, could be faced with a huge loss of paddy as vast swathes of land have been submerged by floods, agriculture ministry officials said, who did not want to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media.
Flooding has killed at least 153 people in India, Nepal and Bangladesh and affected millions this year.Bangladesh has also been unable to clinch deals since a ban on rice exports was lifted in May.The country’s food ministry ordered district administrators to ensure procurement of paddy directly from farmers to meet a government target of 400,000 tonnes.

Market insiders, however, said the move would not benefit most growers in dire need of cash, since they were compelled to sell their crop to millers or middlemen at much cheaper rates.
In 2017, the country was forced to massively increase imports to shore up reserves after floods destroyed crops and pushed local prices to records, but domestic stocks have since greatly improved.In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice rose to $350 a tonne on Thursday from $335-$340 last week.“Exporters are increasing purchases from local farmers for deals signed earlier, mostly with customers in the Philippines and Africa,” a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader said.
Also, with the summer-autumn harvest in the Mekong Delta ending soon, there are concerns of lower supply, another trader said.ietnam’s rice exports in the first half of 2019 fell 3.6% from a year earlier to 3.36 million tonnes, as per customs data. 

Meanwhile, prices for the 5% broken parboiled variety from top exporter India were unchanged around $374-$377 per tonne, amid modest demand from buyers in Africa.Many rice-growing states have received lower-than normal rainfall and it could hurt the summer-sown crop yield, said an exporter based at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.India’s monsoon rains were 20% below average in the week ending Wednesday, raising concerns over output.

Second biggest exporter Thailand saw its benchmark 5% broken white rice quoted around $401-$402 a tonne on Thursday, free-on-board Bangkok (FOB), narrowing from $390-$404 last week.
Demand was slow, amid worries that scant rainfall will hamper crops going into the upcoming off-season harvest, traders said.Thai rice exports have also been hit by a strong baht this year, falling 12% in the first half of 2019.
Reporting by Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok; additional reporting by Anjishnu Mondal in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

https://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice/floods-hit-bangladesh-rice-farmers-top-hubs-fear-scant-rainfall-idINKCN1UD1J0

India's monsoon rains below average in past week, raising crop worries
Rajendra Jadhav, Mayank Bhardwaj
JULY 18, 2019 / 8:54 AM
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India’s monsoon rains were 20% below average in the week ending on Wednesday, the weather office said, as summer showers turned patchy over the central, western and southern parts of the country, raising concerns over the progress of crop plantings.
FILE PHOTO: A woman takes photographs with her mobile phone against the backdrop of monsoon clouds at a beach in Kochi, India June 8, 2019. REUTERS/Sivaram V/File Photo
Overall, India has received 16% below average rain since the monsoon season began on June 1.
Monsoon rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth in India, where about 55% of all arable land is reliant on rainfall and the farm sector employs nearly half of the country’s 1.3 billion people.India typically receives 75 percent of its annual rain from the June-September monsoon as moisture-laden winds sweep in from the southwest of the peninsula.In the week to July 17, soybean and cotton areas in the central parts of the country received 68% less than average rainfall, while rubber and tea areas in southern India got 71% lower rains, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed.

Key sugarcane and groundnut producing areas in western India also received below average rains, the IMD data showed.
The IMD defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96 percent and 104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 centimeters for the entire four-month season beginning June.
Indian farmers plant rice, cane, corn, cotton, soybean and groundnut — the main winter oilseeds — in the rainy months of June and July, with harvests from October.
Patchy rains have led to some anxious sky-watching, even as floods in eastern and northeastern India have displaced and killed people.
At least 5.8 million people have been displaced and some 30 have died in the past two weeks in the tea-growing state of Assam due to the monsoon rains.
Assam and Bihar states have been the worst-affected parts of India, and floods have also hit neighboring Nepal and Bangladesh.
At least 153 people have been killed in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Parts of Pakistan have also seen flooding.


Although India is sitting on massive mounds of staples such as rice, wheat and sugar, any drop in oilseed production will push up imports of expensive vegetable oils.

India imports about 60% of its vegetable oil needs at an annual cost of up to $10 billion – its third-biggest import item after crude oil and gold.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-monsoon/indias-monsoon-rains-below-average-in-past-week-raising-crop-worries-idUSKCN1UD09T

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JULY 19, 2019
JULY 19, 2019 / 1:50 PM

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-July 19, 2019 Nagpur, July 19 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased demand from local millers amid tight supply from producing belts. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and reported demand from South-based millers also boosted prices. About 600 bags of gram and 350 bags of tuar reported for auction, according to sources.

GRAM

* Desi gram prices recovered in open market here on good festival season demand from

local traders.

TUAR

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

* Watana dal prices firmed up again in open market here on good demand from

local traders amid thin supply from producing belts.

* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,600-6,000, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,300-8,500, Udid Mogar (clean)

– 6,800-7,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,300-8,300, Gram – 4,400-4,500, Gram Super best

– 6,200-6,400 * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in

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

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

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close

Gram Auction 3,800-4,240 3,800-4,170

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

Tuar Auction 5,000-5,850 5,000-5,800

Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200

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

Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500

Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,930-2,030 1,900-2,030

Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000

Gram Super Best Bold 6,200-6,500 6,200-6,500

Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.

Gram Medium Best 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000

Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a

Gram Mill Quality 4,400-4,500 4,400-4,500

Desi gram Raw 4,350-4,450 4,300-4,400

Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000

Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,500-8,600 8,500-8,600

Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,200-8,300 8,200-8,300

Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,600-7,900 7,600-7,900

Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500

Tuar Gavarani New 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000

Tuar Karnataka 6,150-6,350 6,150-6,350

Masoor dal best 5,500-5,600 5,400-5,500

Masoor dal medium 5,200-5,400 5,100-5,300

Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,200-9,000 7,900-8,800

Moong Mogar Medium 5,700-6,700 5,800-6,500

Moong dal Chilka New 7,200-8,000 6,800-7,800

Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 8,200-8,700 8,000-8,500

Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,000-7,800 7,000-7,800

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,500 5,500-6,500

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400

Mot (100 INR/KG) 5,200-6,500 5,200-6,500

Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,800-4,900 4,800-4,900

Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,550-5,650 5,500-5,600

Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000

Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200

Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100

Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600

Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600

Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300

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

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,800 3,200-3,800

MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000

Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300

Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,500

Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-3,000 2,500-3,000

Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000

Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,750 2,600-2,750

Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,500 2,200-2,500

Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400

Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,600 3,400-3,600

Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800

Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800

Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500

Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,000 5,000-7,000

Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,200 6,500-7,200

Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400

Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550

Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 38.4 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 23.3 degree Celsius Rainfall : 3.00 mm FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 36 degree Celsius and 23 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)

https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-july-19-2019-idINL4N24K23B

Government Set impose SRP imported Rice

The Philippine Star) - July 18, 2019 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The government will impose a suggested retail price (SRP) for imported rice as farmers sought intervention amid the continued decline in farm gate prices due to the liberalization of the industry.

In an interagency meeting yesterday, the Departments of Agriculture, Trade and Finance, and the National Economic and Development Authority agreed to set the SRP on commercial rice at P35 to P38 per kilogram effective this month.

“We came up with the solution.We will now be using the Price Act as basis in addressing the uncontrollable prices in the market. We are now drafting a joint MOA (memorandum of agreement) to implement this,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a briefing.

“The SRP of imported commercial rice we will set will be based on the landed cost. We will come up with a formulation to check the accepted profit for consumers to really feel the benefits of the tariffication law,” he said.

Farmers have been complaining of the plunge in palay farmgate prices to a low of P12 per kilo in some areas from the P20 per kilo before the law took effect four months ago.

However, retail prices of rice have only dropped by up to P2 per kilo even with the deluge of imported rice. The economic team earlier promised that prices would decline by as much as P7 a kilo.

“We saw the loopholes of the law, traders are so into importing right now because they feel like no one is controlling the prices, their margin of profit is too big. And that is not the intent of the law because the intent is to make affordable rice available to consumers,” Piñol said.

“Because of the good profit, everybody would like to import to the detriment of the Filipino farmers, no one wants to buy local anymore,” he said.

The National Food Authority used to control the volume and pricing of rice, but with the open market, the grains agency has been stripped of its supervisory and regulatory powers over the rice industry.

“The Price Act is the only remaining instrument of government to rationalize the pricing of agricultural products in the market. The President has the right to protect the farmers,” Piñol said.

“We are not talking about the volume here, they can bring in as much as they want, we don’t care, but in terms of prices, that is something that we can actually control,” he added.

“The intention of the move is to allow consumers to feel the tariffication law. Palay prices have dropped but it remains the same in the retail market. This will also address the undervaluation in tariffs,” he said.

https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/07/18/1935534/government-set-impose-srp-imported-rice#0KHoLsbwh2WcrGox.99