https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1756454/philippines-mulls-safeguard-duty-on-rice-as-import-surge-hurts-farmers
Misguided reversal
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:06 AM September 24,
2019
Would
imposing “safeguard measures” and doubling tariffs on rice imports be a good
solution to current difficulties in our rice sector as it adjusts to the more
open trade regime established by the Rice Tariffication Act (RTA)? Appealing as
it may sound to many, it is not. It goes against the interests of the wider
majority of Filipinos, is unlikely to help the intended beneficiaries of such a
move, and to top it all, would reward the very people in the rice business who
are instrumental to the current difficulties.
World Trade
Organization (WTO) rules permit members to impose temporary emergency
restrictions on imports such as higher tariffs to deal with a surge in imports
that causes injury to domestic producers. The rules provide that safeguard
measures may be applied only after an investigation conducted by competent
authorities according to established procedures. Among the topics on which
affected parties’ views are required to be sought is whether or not a safeguard
measure would be in the public interest.
This is
really the crux of the issue: Whether or not the rules allow us to do it, would
imposing high import tariffs now, to the point of making them prohibitive (that
is, stop imports altogether), actually be in the public interest? This would be
tantamount to a complete reversal, albeit temporarily, of the RTA and what it
seeks to achieve. Temporary or not, and whether or not WTO rules allow it, this
would be an outright violation of the recently enacted law, hence cannot be
done without an act of Congress. Let’s face it: Those who are pushing for the
so-called safeguard measures are actually still hoping to reverse the law
altogether.
As I have
constantly argued, it would only mean a return to helping our rice farmers in a
glaringly wrong way, via a perverse “shotgun” policy that imposes collateral
damage of high rice prices on 104 million rice consumers, in order to help some
2 million rice farmers and their families—even as many of them could actually
be competitive and thrive under a more open trading regime. Yet we could give
them much more meaningful help in a more focused way. Taking rice trade out of
government control was a move that had been overdue for decades, because it
would bring domestic rice prices down and induce our rice industry into greater
competitiveness. Meanwhile, we penalized our 22 million poor with expensive
rice, leaving them little money left to buy other nutrient-rich foods.
It’s no
surprise, then, that the incidence of severe malnutrition, especially among our
young children, has been unduly higher than in most of our neighbors enjoying
lower-priced rice. The result has been impaired brain and physical development
in a large segment of our population, condemning them to low productivity and
persistent poverty.
What we have
long needed, and what RTA should be spurring us to do now, is to use a
“rifle”-focused approach to helping our rice farmers. Right now, the rifle
solution urgently needed is to give emergency cash support to the farmers badly
affected by lower rice farmgate prices. The need for this had always been
anticipated, yet we somehow failed to plan ahead for it. Even so, if there’s a
will, there ought to be a way.
Moving
forward, government must get its act together in helping rice farmers right, to
raise productivity and lower their production costs where feasible, or to shift
to other lucrative crops where not. There’s tremendous opportunity for this
from the large tariff revenues already being collected for rice imports, but we
must make sure that our past history of massive agriculture funds finding their
way into the wrong pockets will not be repeated. We must also organize
government’s technical support for farmers better, by enabling and empowering our
provincial governments to coordinate farm support services within their
jurisdictions, under close tutelage and supervision by the Department of
Agriculture.
Restricting
rice trade anew would be ill-advised. Rather than stop the hoarders who have so
far arrested the fall in rice retail prices, we would only play into their
hands and make them, once again, the big winners in this long mismanaged
sector.
cielito.habito@gmail.com
https://opinion.inquirer.net/124163/misguided-reversal#ixzz60RJJ80wm
New study
points the way to rice straw soaps
Make something
out of nothing. Failing that, make soap out of straw.
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth have developed a
novel way to make soaps — out of rice straw.
Rice straw is one of the most
abundant, readily available, cheap, and underused resources. Now, an innovative
research effort from the University of Portsmouth has shown that bails of rice
straw could create a ‘biosurfacant’ (surfactants are basically soaps). The findings point the way towards non-toxic
alternatives for petroleum-based materials used in a wide range of products.
Straw-scented soap
“Surfactants are everywhere,
including detergent, fabric softener, glue, insecticides, shampoo, toothpaste,
paint, laxatives and makeup,” explains Dr. Pattanathu Rahman, microbial
biotechnologist from the University of Portsmouth and study co-author. “Imagine
if we could make and manufacture biosurfacants in sufficient quantities to use
instead of surfactants, taking the manmade chemical bonds out of these
products.”
“This research shows that with the use of agricultural waste such as rice straws, which is in plentiful supply, we are a step closer.”
“This research shows that with the use of agricultural waste such as rice straws, which is in plentiful supply, we are a step closer.”
The team embarked on the project in an effort to find ways of
reducing the need for artificial chemical compounds used in industry and daily
life applications. They were aided in their research by members from the
University of Portsmouth’s Centre for Enzyme Innovation, the Amity University
in India, and the Indian Institute of Technology.
Their research focused on alternatives for chemical surfactants
from day one, as this is a key chemical class in use today. Surfactants are the
main active ingredient in the production of cleaning products, medicine,
sunscreen, makeup, and insecticides. They’re so important because they can tie
oil and water molecules together and lower the surface tension of liquids —
i.e., they make it possible for us to wash oil and fats with water.
Dr. Rahman’s (who is also the
Director of TeeGene Biotech Ltd in the UK) team sought to create a biosurfacant
by brewing rice straw with enzymes. Rice straw was selected
as it’s readily available waste produced in huge quantities every year. The
team was also confident that the straw-based method could produce the kind of
high-quality materials that manufacturing industries keep an eye out for. The
method also has a number of positive ecological effects:
§
Rice
straw is a natural byproduct of the rice harvest, with millions of tons created
worldwide every year; the method would help put that waste material to
productive use.
§
Tied
to the previous point, farmers make a habit of burning rice straws to get rid
of it. Finding an economic use for this material could help reduce emissions
and potentially give farmers an extra source of income.
§
A
biosurfactant would help appease concerns about the impact of chemical
surfactants used in household products, most of which end up in the oceans.
“The levels of purity needed for biosurfactants in the
industries in which they’re used is extremely high,” Dr. Rahman explains.
“Because of this, they can be very expensive.”
“However, the methods we have of
producing them make it much more economical and cost efficient. It’s a very
exciting technology with tremendous potential for applications in a range of
industries.”
The study reports that biosurfactants could be a viable
alternative to synthetic ones, with a possible market value of $US2.8 billion
by 2023. Among their comparative advantages, the study lists their low
toxicity, biodegradable nature, and specificity — the last point would help
them meet the European Surfactant Directive.
“Most people consider soap to be an effective means of removing
bacteria from their skin. However, we have flipped this concept on its head by
discovering a way to create soap from bacteria,” Dr. Rahman concludes.
“They have antimicrobial
properties suitable for cosmetic products and biotherapeutics. This approach
will channelise the majority of the waste management solutions and could create
new job opportunities.”
The paper “Statistical and
sequential (fill-and-draw) approach to enhance rhamnolipid production using
industrial lignocellulosic hydrolysate C6 stream from Achromobacter sp. (PS1)”
has been published in the journal Bioresource
Technology.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/soap-straw-934521423/
Gov’t to raise tariff on imported rice
Move to address oversupply, plummeting prices
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:09 AM September 24,
2019
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
The
Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking at raising tariffs on imported rice
as early as mid-October to address an oversupply of the staple grain due to
excessive importation.
Agriculture
Secretary William Dar yesterday told reporters this would be done through the
implementation of a general safeguard duty on imported goods, which was
provided for in the rice tariffication law.
“We believe
we have imported enough (rice) and additional imports should be looked at
differently,” Dar said. “We have too much supply as we have already imported
2.4 million tons since March.”
The
agriculture chief added that, considering that the Philippines was 93-percent
self-sufficient in rice production, the country needed to import only 7 percent
of its supply needs.
“This means
that we need to import only 1.5 million to 2 million tons,” Dar said.
He said the
DA was still determining how much to increase rice tariffs, but that this would
be decided in early October.
“Doubling
the rice tariff (to 70 percent as suggested by some economists) still is just a
scenario,” Dar said. “There may be a slight delay, but the safeguard duty will
be implemented on a probational basis for 200 days as the law allows, starting
mid or late October.”
In a
statement, the DA said the imposition of a safeguard duty on rice imports was
one of the measures that the DA was banking on to stabilize the supply and
price of rice.
The measure
is in line with Republic Act 8752 (Anti-Dumping Act of 1999) wherein the
government can impose antidumping duties on imports of any product, including
rice and other basic food items, that are priced way below the current fair
market value.
Another
option is to impose more stringent sanitary and pythosanitary and inspection
measures as requirements for rice importation.
“We will
protect our small farmers by not allowing additional imports especially
(during) this main harvest season,” Dar said. “We want them to benefit from the
respectable farm-gate prices of palay set by the government through the
National Food Authority (NFA).”
According to
the NFA, it has never stopped buying palay from farmers even if it still has
four million bags of imported rice in its warehouses as of August.
“The NFA’s
procurement operations is a year-round activity. Our field personnel are always
ready to receive palay deliveries from farmers through our more than 300 buying
stations strategically located across the country,” NFA Administrator Judy
Carol Dansal said.
For this
year, as of Aug. 22, the NFA has bought 5.9 million bags of palay, which were
11 percent more than its target of 5.3 million bags for that period.
“(As early
as August), NFA is already preparing for aggressive palay-buying starting
October, although we continue to entertain farmers selling their stocks from
sporadic harvests in between the summer and main cropping seasons,” Dansal
said.
https://business.inquirer.net/279613/govt-to-raise-tariff-on-imported-rice
Telangana targets 50 lakh tonnes of paddy in
kharif season
Our Bureau Hyderabad | Updated
on September 24, 2019 Published
on September 24, 2019
the State saw a record area of 12.57 lakh hectares in paddy
sowing as against 10.31 lakh hectares in the same period of the previous year
Despite late rains delaying the
kharif season, the Telangana Government has targeted procuring 50 lakh tonnes
of paddy in the kharif season. This is 10 lakh tonnes more than what it
achieved in the last kharif season. The Civil Supplies Department, which takes
care of paddy procurement, said that overall paddy procurement for the whole
year would be more than last year.
Though it started on a dull note,
the State saw a record area of 12.57 lakh hectares in paddy sowing as against
10.31 lakh hectares in the same period of the previous year. On an average, the
State grows paddy on 9.64 lakh hectares.
In the 2018-19 season, the
department procured 77 lakh tonnes of paddy from the kharif and rabi seasons,
said Mareddy Srinivas Reddy, Chairman of the Civil Supplies Corporation.
He asked rice millers to help the
State government in achieving the target by marshalling resources during the
crucial procurement season.
Increasing
Rice Yield through Japan’s GGP in Nasarawa
September 24, 2019 5:06 am
Igbawase Ukumba writes that
Nasarawa State government recently entered into partnership with the Japanese
government to supply 25 per cent of total rice production in Nigeria
Rice is one of the staple crops
grown in Nasarawa State. This is plus given that the state has about 140,000
hectres of land that is suitable for rice cultivation. The state also has the
capacity to produce over 350,000 metric tones of rice, which was one of the
reasons that prompted the government to go into collaboration with the Japanese
government to improve the quality of rice and perhaps enable it supply 25 per
cent of the total rice production in Nigeria.
The partnership between the
Nasarawa State government and the Japanese government dates back to the year
2011 when the rice post harvest and marketing pilot project was conceived.
Through this project, 442 rice farmers were empowered and built to improve the
rice production technology of parboiling, milling, marketing and business
management. Similarly, 35 frontline extension agents have been trained on good
agricultural practices for dissemination to other farmers.
In addition, 11 extension agents
were trained in Japan on improved rice cultivation technology and research
method. It is in this connection that the collaboration had resulted to the
establishment of the 1.5 tones per hour capacity rice incubation plant for the
production and marketing of improved quality rice that could compete with
imported rice in Nasarawa State. The plant is currently leased out to rice
millers and dealers who are producing good quality rice called ‘Mama’s Pride’ .
In the same vein, 27 destoners were also given to the rice millers in Lafia for
the improvement of quality rice which they produce.
Grassroots Scheme
It was against that backdrop that
the Japanese government, under its Grant Assistant for Grassroots Human
Security Project (GGP) scheme, recently donated 20 units each of reapers and
threshers to some farming communities of Awe, Obi and Keana Local Government
Areas of the state.
Flagging off distribution of the
machines at Azara, in Awe Local Government area of the state, Governor
Abdullahi Sule; in company of the Japanese ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Yutaka
Kikuta said the occasion was yet another milestone in his determination to
further strengthen the collaboration and partnership with the government of
Japan towards achieving the desired import substitution of backward integration
of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The governor had therefore hoped
that the partnership between the Nasarawa state government and Japan government
will be sustained because the state is indeed an agricultural state, hence he
commended the government of Japan for the choice of Nasarawa state farmers to
benefit from the worthy collaboration considering the comparative advantage the
state has in the rice value chain.
“Let me assure Your Excellency,
the ambassador of Japan, that Nasarawa State government will continue to seek
areas of further collaboration with the government and good people of Japan in
various sectors including health and education geared towards improving the
economy and livelihood of our people. I want to state that this intervention is
in tandem with the vision and development objectives of this administration
aimed at giving agriculture its right place as the major mover of our state
economy.”
Frontline Rice Production
Sule continued that it was in
furtherance of his administration’s commitment that he recently signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IFAD/FGN for participation in the Value
Chain Development Programme (VCDP) additional financing which he said that he
has already approved the release of N88 million, which is the counterpart by
the state contribution to that effect.
Similarly, the governor told the
ambassador of Japan that Olam Group was currently having over 10,000 hectres of
land in Rukubi village of Doma Local Government Area for the rice value chain
development, especially with the out growers scheme beneficiaries.
Sule who was vividly convinced
with the Olam Group’s development said: “The manager of the out growers scheme
told me that he has over 4,000 out growers at the moment, and that to me, is
really a huge achievement especially with their target of between 10,000 to
12,000 out growers in this area. So I commend Olam for this and call on all the
other commercial farmers who are coming to Nasarawa State to copy from Olam so
that we can continue to empower our farmers in the state.”
“You will recall that some weeks
ago, my administration also signed an MoU with Azman Group for cultivation and
processing of 12,400 hectres of land for rice in Toto Local Government Area.
This endeavour is aimed at placing Nasarawa state on a global map as a
frontline rice producing state. In addition, we are also in negotiations with
the Dangote Group to acquire 50,000 hectres of land; both in Doma and Nasarawa
Local Government Areas, for further cultivation of rice. By the time we finish
that, Nasarawa State should be producing at least 25 per cent of the total rice
production in Nigeria.”
Japan’s Goodwill
It is pertinent to note that the
Japan’s government development of Africa’s agricultural sector is in line with
the goals of the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development
which was concluded in Yokohama, Japan recently. The Japanese ambassador to
Nigeria, Mr. Yutaka Kikuta, attested to this fact at the handing over ceremony
of the reapers and thresher to the Nasarawa rice farming communities at Azara.
Kikuta added that at the TICAD7conference, the government of Japan pledged to
further support the economic transformation in Africa, particularly in
agriculture to the promotion of Japan’s private sector’s investment in Africa.
Kikuta affirmed that: “The
project we are commissioning today in Azara is one of the embodiments of the
Tichan 7 commitment. Let me start by thanking Governor Sule for sparing his
time to attend these important events for the commissioning and handover
ceremony for the provision of rice reapers and threshers machines to farmers in
Obi, Awe and Keana LGAs of the state. I wish to congratulate all the people of
the communities and appreciate all the stakeholders for their unflinching
support towards the process.
”Under the scheme of Grant
Assistant for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP), the embassy of Japan has
so far in the course of the two decades, executed 170 projects in various
regions and areas in Nigeria worth over S12 million. The project of provision
of rice reapers and threshers falls under the GGP scheme and it is designed to
provide mechanised rice farming equipment to help rice farmers for their work
thereby fostering the social and economic development of the communities.
“In your communities, local rice
farmers spend long time harvesting the rice incurring additional costs with
carrying their manual labour in losing up to 20 per cent harvest rice due to
damage in operation process. Manual operation is hard work, especially for
women. With the introduction of 20 rice reapers and 20 threshers, it is our
expectation that this project will reduce time and loss of rice from reaping
and threshing which will increase income for155 farmers and their families. It
is expected that the income increase will provide the opportunity to invest
more for rice yield so that socio-economic wellbeing of the benefiting
communities will be further enhanced,” the ambassador maintained.
It is worthy to state that the
gesture from the Japanese government will, no doubt, let the benefiting
communities have mechanised rice reapers and threshers that will reduce the
burden of the farmers. The mechanisation of the rice production will change the
communities significantly like change in quality and productivity.
These envisaged benefits
derivable from the introduction of mechanised rice production into the selected
Nasarawa communities consequently gladdened the heart of Ambassador Kikuta as
he disclosed to the mammoth crowd that came out from the selected communities
of the three local governments m to witness the memorable even saying that, “I
am equally pleased to let you know that this is a Public, Private Partnership
Project that the Olam Nigeria Limited which will closely monitor the
communities by offering technical assistance. As you may know, Olam Nigeria
Limited is a company that the Japanese company; Mitsubishi which has a strong
presence and working relation with local farmers in Nigeria, is one of the main
shareholders.”
Kikuta maintained that the
machines were symbols and goodwill from the people of Japan to the people of
Nasarawa State, hence the project will contribute to the better future of
Nasarawa State and further strengthen the relationship between Japan and
Nasarawa.
Suffice to acknowledge that the
collaboration between the Nasarawa State government and the government of Japan
in the area of agricultural development dates back to the year 2011 with the
implementation of rice post harvest processing and marketing pilot project that
promoted adoption of improved rice technology along all the value chain, the
Permanent Secretary in the Nasarawa State ministry of agriculture, Naphtali
Dachor, revealed during the commissioning of the Japanese donated machines at
Azara.
According to Dachor, “the
collaboration is aimed at improving the quality of domestic rice and the
state’s yearn for import substitution. The collaboration had led to the
establishment of 1.5 tonnes per hour capacity rice incubation plant in Lafia
that has already been leased out to the Lafia Rice Millers and Dealers
Association. This was then followed by the donation of 27 rice detoners for the
improvement of rice quality. Today we are witnessing another milestone in our
collaboration with the government of Japan through the grant of 20 threshers
and 20 rice reapers to Olam Rice out growers in Awe, Obi and Keana Local
Government Areas.
Nevertheless, the management of
Olam Farm could be the most excited participant because the farmers who had
gathered to celebrate the epoch making event at Azara happened to be members of
Olam Farm out growers programme. This was attested by the vice president of the
Olam Farm, Raji George, during the commissioning of the Japanese donated
machines by Governor Sule, as he said that, “it was a short journey that has
grown into a very big one. We are very excited and want to seize this
opportunity to thank the government and the good people of Nasarawa State for
the peace and the enabling environment we have enjoyed so far, and we urge the
government not to relent”.
With profound gratitude, George
thanked sincerely the good people of Japan for the kind gesture through their
GGP programme which has really touched the lives of rural people positively. He
continued that it wouldn’t have come at a better time when research has proven
that rice farmers are currently losing 25 per cent of their produce during
harvest and post harvest activities as a result of manual harvesting. He
expressed optimism that with those equipment donated by the Japanese
government, that gap will be significantly narrowed.
“To the farmers, to whom much is
given, much is expected. We hope and believe that you will not let us down.
Continue to do the good work and more is yet to come. Just to support you, Olam
Farm, in collaboration with NADP and GIZ green revolution centre, has packaged
a training that will speak to the need of the farmer groups on the uses,
repairs and maintenances of these equipment. Already we have kicked started the
process of selecting 34 young farmers from these groups who will be specially
trained on the operation and management of these equipment,” the Olam vice
president said.
The traditional rulers of the
communities selected as beneficiaries of the Japanese benevolence could not
hide their joy as they told the Japanese ambassador that they were very
grateful for the reapers and threshers offered to Obi, Keana and Awe Local
Government Areas in collaboration with the Nasarawa State government. They
assured them that their subjects who are beneficiaries of the gesture were
going to make use of those implements judiciously.
The words of appreciations from
the royal fathers were conveyed by the Sarkin Azara, Dr. Kabiru, who told the
ambassador that the choice of his community (Azara) to flag off the programme
was not by mistake. “In Azara alone, we roll out not less than 250 trucks of
rice yearly. And each truck is about 30 bags, multiply by 250 will give the
numbers of bags turned out annually from this community. We are very grateful
because with manual harvest, we lose a lot of the rice before it gets to the
point of consumption. However, with your intervention with the mechanised
implement, there will be increase in the yield of the commodity,” the paramount
ruler said.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/09/24/increasing-rice-yield-through-japans-ggp-in-nasarawa/
Telangana to procure 50 lakh tonnes of paddy
HYDERABAD, SEPTEMBER
24, 2019 00:03 IST
Poor quality of rice noticed during surprise checks in welfare
hostels, says M. Srinivas Reddy
Telangana State Civil Supplies
Corporation (TSCSC) has decided to procure 50 lakh tonnes of paddy this kharif
season against 40.41 lakh tonnes procured in the last kharif.
The decision was taken at a
meeting of the corporation with rice millers attended by Chairman M. Srinivas
Reddy and Civil Supplies Commissioner Dr. Akun Sabharwal here on Monday.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr.
Reddy said the production of paddy is increasing constantly following several
farmer welfare and development measures initiated by Chief Minister K.
Chandrasekhar Rao.
Implementation of investment
support scheme (Rythu Bandhu), execution of irrigation projects, restoration of
minor irrigation tanks, free supply of 24x7 power to agriculture and other
steps are helping in increase of paddy cultivation, Mr. Reddy said. He noted that
the TSCSC had procured 77 lakh tonnes of paddy during the kharif and rabi
seasons last year and was behind only Punjab now.
Paddy has been cultivated in
about 12.58 lakh hectares so far this kharif season in Telangana against 10.33
lakh hectares cultivated during the last kharif. Speaking to the rice millers,
he sought their cooperation during the procurement season. He told them that
the government will not compromise on the quality of superfine rice being
procured from the millers for supplying it to welfare hostels and mid-day meal
scheme. About 1.2 lakh tonnes of superfine rice is being procured from the
millers for the purpose, he stated. He said that poor quality of rice has come
to the government notice during the surprise checks conducted by the quality
control and vigilance teams. Even the students and headmasters also complained
about the quality of rice being supplied at some places, he noted, and said the
district civil supplies officers and district managers of TSCSC were told to
examine the quality of cooked rice frequently.
Problem of gunny bags
Commissioner Dr. Sabharwal said
12 crore gunny bags are required for procurement of 50 lakh paddy this season.
He asked the rice millers to return the gunny bags in which paddy was supplied
to them during the last procurement season.
Further, he stated that TSCSC has
rice stocks required for public distribution scheme till 2020 and the
corporation would take only 12 lakh tonnes of rice from the millers this kharif
season. They had to supply the remaining rice to the Food Corporation of India
as boiled and customed milled rice, he stated.
Transparency would be ensured in
allocation of paddy to millers this season based on their performance last
year, Dr. Sabharwal said.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/state-to-procure-50-lakh-tonnes-of-paddy/article29493734.ece
Crop yields at risk from rising temperature
Published: September 23, 2019
A Reuters file photo of an
agricultural field.
ISLAMABAD: The agricultural scientists have said
Pakistan’s average annual temperature will rise between 1.5-2 degrees Celsius
by the end of this century, which will drastically affect crop yields of wheat,
rice, and cotton.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on
Climate Change presided over by Chairperson Munaza Hassan, the scientists said
that rice-growing plains of Punjab will see the mercury rise up to 2.8 degrees
Celsius between the years 2040 and 2060 following which monsoon rains will be
cut by 25 per cent while winter rains will be cut by 12 per cent.
Consequently, they added wheat production
would decrease between by six-10 per cent while rice yield will shrink by
15.2-17.2 per cent, which will be equal to 1.16 million tons of production
amounting to Rs2.9 billion in losses.
The agro scientists suggested that the
country needed to add up nitrogen content in the cultivation of rice and wheat
by 15 and 25 per cent respectively to avert the negative impacts of climate
change. They also suggested that irrigation water to the above-mentioned crops
should also be cut in similar proportions to maintain the production.
Rice crop nursery should be shifted five
days earlier and wheat must be sowed 15 days earlier than the existing time
periods. The experts also stressed upon the role of agricultural scientists and
university research to combat the probable decrease in crops.
On this, chairperson Hassan said: “Decrement
of crops is dangerous for us. To fight this, we have to work with
agro-scientists and agro-universities and come up with solid measures and
ensure its full implementation.”
Presenting a briefing over the 10-billion
tree project, Ministry of Climate Change Secretary Hasan Zafar Jami said the
ministry intended to plant 3.29 trees during the next four years. He added the
project has recently been approved by National Economic Council’s executive
committee and “we have received first funding for the programme”.
Sindh’s forest secretary expressed his fear
over the tree plantation campaign in the province, saying that funds have not
been issued so far. “It is not feasible to carry out plantation drive during
summers,” he the secretary added. In Sindh, “we have surpassed the target for
mangrove plantation”.
It was highlighted that committee members must
also extend their support to the provincial administration through the
afforestation drive.
Zafar also briefed the committee over the
collection and preparation of information pertaining to air pollution in
Islamabad. He said the authorities information form round-the-clock monitoring
of air pollution would be highlighted and shared on social media.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2062825/1-crop-yields-risk-rising-temperature/
Celebration is Theme of Latest Issue of Whole Grain
ARLINGTON, VA -- September
National Rice Month is a time for celebration! Harvest is here and so is
the latest issue of the Whole Grain, USA Rice's newspaper, on its way to more
than 24,000 readers throughout the six rice producing states and Washington,
DC, chock-full of news about our greatest of grains.
The cover story is all about the creation of the
USA Rice Federation and the long-term vision of the organization's
"founding fathers," who 25 years ago forged a unified front
capitalizing on the strength and resilience of each sector of the U.S. rice
industry. "To plot the path forward, it really helps to know exactly
where we've been," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward.
"In this Whole Grain, you can see pretty clearly the power of industry
cooperation in every aspect of USA Rice, from membership, to governance, to
promotion, to leadership development. We've stayed strong because we've
stayed together."
You can read about another milestone worthy of
celebration - the first sale of U.S. rice to China! There's also news
about the powerful impact of check-off programs, innovative promotion activities,
and how you can get involved with USA Rice through our new Enterprise Partner
membership category or by flying your own Think Rice flag. And, there's
more!
USA Rice appreciates all the advertisers in the
Whole Grain past and present, and with one more issue this calendar year, urges
advertisers to lock in 2019 rates for that issue and all of 2020 - because a
rate hike is coming in January! To inquire about advertising or receive
additional copies of the Whole Grain, contact Deborah Willenborg.
USA Rice Daily
Soap from straw: Scientists develop eco friendly ingredient from
agricultural waste
Date:September
23, 2019
Source:University of Portsmouth
Summary:A scientist has discovered a way of using one of the world's
most abundant natural resources as a replacement for humanmade chemicals in
soaps and thousands of other household products.
Share:
FULL STORY
A scientist has discovered a way
of using one of the world's most abundant natural resources as a replacement
for humanmade chemicals in soaps and thousands of other household products.
An innovative research project,
published this month and led by the University of Portsmouth, has demonstrated
that bails of rice straw could create a 'biosurfacant', providing an
alternative non-toxic ingredient in the production of a vast variety of
products that normally include synthetic materials which are often petroleum
based.
The biotechnology project set out
to solve one of the planet's most pressing environmental problems, looking for
a way of reducing the amount of humanmade chemicals in everyday life. It has
been co-supervised by the University of Portsmouth's Centre for Enzyme
Innovation, working in conjunction with Amity University in India and the Indian
Institute of Technology.
The study was looking for a
natural replacement for chemical surfactants, a main active ingredient in the
production of cleaning products, medicine, suncream, make-up and insecticides.
The surfactant holds oil and water together, helping to lower the surface
tension of a liquid, aiding the cleaning power and penetration of the product.
Dr Pattanathu Rahman, microbial
biotechnologist from the University of Portsmouth and Director of TeeGene,
worked with academics and PhD Scholar Mr Sam Joy from 2015 to create a
biosurfacant by brewing rice straw with enzymes. The scientists believe this
environmentally friendly method results in a high quality ingredient that
manufacturing industries are crying out for.
Dr Rahman said: "Surfactants
are everywhere, including detergent, fabric softener, glue insecticides,
shampoo, toothpaste, paint, laxatives and make up. Imagine if we could make and
manufacture biosurfacants in sufficient quantities to use instead of
surfactants, taking the humanmade chemical bonds out of these products. This
research shows that with the use of agricultural waste such as rice straws,
which is in plentiful supply, we are a step closer."
Scientists behind the research
believe the use of biosurfactants created from rice straw or other agricultural
waste could have a positive ecological effect in a number of ways:
- There is significant concern about the
impact of the chemical surfactants used in household products, most of
which ends up in the oceans.
- Rice straw is a natural by-product of the
rice harvest, with millions of tonnes created worldwide every year.
- Farmers often burn the waste producing
harmful environmental emissions. Using it to create another product could
be an efficient and beneficial recycling process.
- There could also be an economic advantage
to using biosurfacants produced from agricultural waste.
Dr Rahman explains: "The
levels of purity needed for biosurfactants in the industries in which they're
used is extremely high. Because of this, they can be very expensive. However,
the methods we have of producing them make it much more economical and cost
efficient. It's a very exciting technology with tremendous potential for
applications in a range of industries."
The study shows that
biosurfactants could be a potential alternative for the synthetic surfactant
molecules, with a market value of $US2.8 billion in 2023. The considerable
interest in biosurfactants in recent years is also due to their low toxicity,
biodegradable nature and specificity, which would help them meet the European
Surfactant Directive.
Dr Rahman says the process of
producing biosurfacants calls for new attitudes to soap and cleaning products.
He explains: "Most people
consider soap to be an effective means of removing bacteria from their skin.
However, we have flipped this concept on its head by discovering a way to
create soap from bacteria. They have anti-microbial properties suitable for
cosmetic products and biotherapeutics. This approach will channelise the
majority of the waste management solutions and could create new job
opportunities."
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Portsmouth. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
1.
Sam
Joy, Pattanathu K.S.M. Rahman, Sunil K Khare, S.R. Soni, Shashi Sharma. Statistical
and sequential (fill-and-draw) approach to enhance rhamnolipid production using
industrial lignocellulosic hydrolysate C6 stream from Achromobacter sp. (PS1). Bioresource
Technology, 2019; 288: 121494 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121494
St. Louis
Chapter of Graduate Women in Science hosts presentation on gender bias in STEM
Last week, the Graduate Women in
Science hosted a viewing of Professor Meg Urry’s talk, “Women in Science – Why
So Few?” The viewing was followed by a discussion about the talk and bias in
STEM fields. (Photos by Burk Krohe)
When scientists are presented
with a problem, their natural reaction is to dig into the data and study it.
That’s how Meg Urry, Israel Munson professor of physics and
astronomy at Yale University, came to investigate gender bias in STEM fields.
In 2011, Urry presented her work in a talk titled, “Women in
Science – Why So Few?”
Monday, the St. Louis chapter
of Graduate
Women in Science hosted a viewing of her talk followed by a
discussion at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. It was attended by students
from UMSL and other local universities. Sandra Langeslag,
assistant professor of behavioral neuroscience at
UMSL and GWIS member, coordinated the event.
Langeslag attended Urry’s
presentation in 2011 and thought she effectively addressed the gender biases
that persist in fields such as computer science, engineering and mathematics.
“I really love the presentation,”
Langeslag said. “I think she really explains very clearly what the problem is
and what potential solutions are to increase diversity in STEM fields. I really
wanted to share this presentation with as many people as possible, and Graduate
Woman in Science is the perfect platform to do that.”
Assistant Professor Sandra
Langeslag addresses attendees at the viewing. (Photos by Burk Krohe)
Urry started her talk by
recounting early experiences in her career. At the time, she didn’t think there
was any discrimination in the sciences.
“It took me a long time to figure
out that what I was seeing was a kind of subtle discrimination,” Urry said.
“The light bulb went off for me in the early ’90s when I started reading social
science literature. It turns out that we scientists are a species of great
interest to them, and they understand very well why there are so few women.”
Urry included statistics
illustrating the disparities in the presentation. Eight years later, there is
some improvement. However, data from the National Science Foundation’s benchmark reports tells
largely the same story:
- Women received 59 percent of bachelor’s
degrees in biological and agricultural sciences and 77 percent of
bachelor’s degrees in psychology in 2015 but only 20 percent of bachelor’s
degrees in engineering, 18 percent in computer science and 43 percent in
mathematics and statistics.
- From 2000 to 2015, the share of women
receiving bachelor’s degrees in computer science dropped from 28 percent
to 18 percent.
- Minority women received 13 percent of
bachelor’s degrees, 8 percent of master’s degrees and 5 percent of
doctoral degrees in science and engineering in 2015.
- Women only account for 28 percent of the
science and engineering workforce despite making up about half of the U.S.
college-educated workforce.
Urry doesn’t believe the
discrimination is intentional, rather it’s unconscious bias. She subscribes to
the theory of “gender schemas.”
Gender schemas are expectations
of others people develop unconsciously based on their own experiences. Urry
noted they are natural and something all people do – not just men. They’re not
necessarily malicious but can lead to stereotyping instead of objective
assessments.
“Gender schemas aren’t wrong,”
Urry said. “It’s wrong when they affect how we evaluate people.”
Langeslag agreed with her
assessment.
“Both men and women have those
stereotypes, so this is a society-wide problem,” she said. “We need to not let
stereotypes influence our judgements so that everyone can be the best version
of what they want to be.”
There isn’t one catchall
solution, but Urry believes there a number of things that can help.
She suggests women in STEM mentor
other women and network. Additionally, they should “own their ambition,”
prepare an elevator pitch about themselves and their research and insist on
being credentialed properly in professional settings. STEM leaders should also
work to learn about bias and to validate female colleagues and peers.
Alyssa Specht and Jazlen Rice,
both juniors majoring in psychology, enjoyed the event. Rice was motivated to
attend because Langeslag is her advisor.
“I just think she’s an awesome
scientist,” she said. “She’s really inspiring to me.”
Rice found it informative and
said she would be interested in attending another presentation on the subject.
She also stressed that these discussions are beneficial for STEM fields as a
whole.
“Even though this is called Women
in Science, it’s actually inclusive of men and minorities as well,” she said.
“It’s to help us all change as a culture.”
Specht said she was previously
aware of the issues Urry addressed but believes it’s an important topic that
should be talked about more. She also said she would take away one of Urry’s
suggestions – practicing positive daily affirmations about her work to be more
confident in the future.
“That’s just a little thing that
you don’t really think about that much,” she said.
Langeslag has seen things change
during her career in STEM but a lot of work still needs to be done.
“It’s just that the change is too
slow,” she said. “At this rate, the question is, ‘Is this ever going to be
resolved?’ Times are definitely changing and a lot of stuff is getting better.
But we’re not there yet.”
Consumer Reports: Snack bars for kids
Monday, September 23rd 2019
CRTV Snack Bars for Kids
You’re seeing lots of snack bars
for kids. They’re usually smaller and have more chocolate options than the bars
you might grab on the go. The marketing makes it look like they’re healthy. But
are they a good choice for your child? Consumer Reports’ nutritionists checked
them out for you.
CR’s nutritional experts
evaluated the ingredients and nutritional information for 12 different snack
bars for kids. They looked for natural vs. added sugars, whole vs. refined
grains, and natural protein sources, such as nuts and seeds or whole grains,
rather than processed sources like isolated soy protein.
Ideally, snack bars should
consist mainly of whole foods and less-processed ingredients.
What’s the difference between
snack bars for grown-ups and ones for kids? The kids’ versions are smaller, and
that’s about it. They have pretty much the same ingredients, and they’re not
necessarily healthier.
One concern is that many of the
bars contain rice ingredients, like brown rice flour or syrup. Rice can contain
arsenic and should be limited in a child’s diet.
Consumer Reports’ two top picks
don’t contain rice products and are rated Very Good. The Kids Chocolate Chip
Protein Bar from RX Bar topped the list. It has no added sugars and no rice
ingredients, inulin, or protein isolates. The sugars, protein, and fiber come
from whole ingredients, like dates and nuts. It cost about $1.30 per bar.
Consumer Reports also recommends
chocolate-flavored Quaker Kids Organic Whole Grain Bars. This snack bar has all
organic ingredients: whole-grain oats along with dates and chocolate chips. The
Quaker bar has just 3 grams of added sugars and come in boxes of five that cost
$5.
CR’s take on how to pick the
right one? Take a minute to check out the label to give your kids something
you’ll BOTH like.
Consumer Reports says that when
it comes to kids’ snacks, think outside the bar, too. Easy options include
whole fruit, dried fruit, nuts, popcorn, carrot sticks, and bell pepper slices.
Without
physical exertion, the human heart becomes a monkey’s rice
September 23, 2019
Some adaptations help the endurance
of the human body, and one of the keys is the unique structure of the heart.
Thus, scientists at the University of British Columbia compared the shape and
performance of hearts in gorillas, chimpanzees, as well as representatives of
four groups of people: long-distance runners; athletes playing American
football; peasants engaged in the economy, and ordinary citizens who lead an
inactive lifestyle.
The authors note that gorillas
and chimpanzees, in general, are not too mobile and sleep a lot, although they
are capable of incredible bursts of activity and power for us. Their hearts are
adapted to such loads: they have thick muscular walls and a rounded shape. The
human heart is more elongated – primarily by enlarging the left ventricle,
which pumps oxygenated blood to the body.
Also, with each stroke, the human
heart twists slightly, allowing you to pump more blood with each contraction,
as well as more to enter it in the ventricle while relaxing between them.
According to scientists, the hearts of monkeys are so incapable, as a result of
their ability to pump blood is quite limited. But they are better adapted to
sudden bursts of activity and work at high blood pressure.
The hearts of people who are not
accustomed to physical activity, gradually lose many “human traits” become more
rounded and twist while working not as noticeable as in chimpanzees. Moreover,
such effects have also been found in football players who have been training
for explosive power performance for years: the muscular walls of their heart
become thicker, but the adaptations associated with endurance appear weaker.
Dar
assures safeguards in place on rice imports
By Panay
News
-
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
MANILA – Agriculture secretary
William Dar on Monday assured that safeguards are in place, such as increasing
tariff on imports, against over importation of rice as one of the
measures to stabilize the supply and price of the commodity.
This, as the Department of
Agriculture (DA) has started the investigation on the excessive importation of
rice particularly with the forthcoming main harvest season.
“We have started investigations
and we expect to complete them by end of September or early October,” Dar said
in a statement.
Currently, the Philippines could
only produce 93 percent of its total national rice requirements, while the
remaining seven percent is imported.
“We have to holistically and
systematically protect the consuming public and much more, our small farmers,”
Dar said.
“So, I have taken the necessary
steps and the direction where we will enforce legal measures during these times
when we have greatly exceeded the volume needed to fill up the slack in
national rice supply, most particularly in Metro Manila and major urban rice
consumption centers,” he added.
This measure is in line with
Republic Act 8752 or Anti-Dumping Act of 1999, where government can impose
anti-dumping duties on imports of any product, including rice and other basic
food items that are priced way below the current fair market value.
Another option is to impose
stringent sanitary and phytosanitary and inspection measures of rice imports.
Dar said that to date, some 2.4
million metric tons of rice has already been imported, which has gone beyond
what is needed by the country.
“We will protect our small
farmers by not allowing additional imports especially this main harvest season.
We want them to benefit from the respectable farmgate prices of palay set by the government
through the National Food Authority,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dar assured farmers
the delivery of high-quality equipment and machinery as part of the rice
tariffication law.
“I am now directing the regional
directors and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization to see to it that the equipment, facilities, and machinery that
we give as grants must be of high-quality standards,” he said.
“We have to be stricter on the
standards and quality of the equipment that we are giving,” he noted.
Dar warned employees and
officials of the DA that they would be dismissed if found guilty of corruption.
He also encouraged the
agriculture stakeholders to report any incident of corruption.
“Write to us, so we can formally
investigate this,” he said.(PNA)
ARBOs in Pangasinan receives P5 million worth of farm machinery,
equipment
September 23, 2019, 10:55 PM
By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
Agrarian reform beneficiaries’
organizations (ARBOs) in Pangasinan have received ₱5-million worth of farm
machinery and equipment to help improve farmer’s efficiency and maximize their
yield.
(Photo by Juan Carlo de Vela / MANILA BULLETIN)
Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR)-Region 1 Regional Director Leandro Caymo hopes to modernize farming in
the province through the grant, which includes a four-wheel-drive tractor, five
rice transplanters, five cultivators/tillers, and 14 irrigation water pumps.
Roberto Gavina, head of the
Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) program, said because the
machines are mechanized, it would make farming easier and faster for the
farmers.
For her part, Provincial Agrarian
Reform Program Officer Maria Ana Francisco said these farm implements will
service more than 2,535 farmers in Pangasinan
She explained that the
department, through its support services division, gives out machinery under
the CRFPS program and the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic
Support Services project to improve farm productivity and increase the income
of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in a sustainable manner through their
organizations.
She encouraged the members of the
cooperatives to be diligent in convincing farmers, especially ARBs, to become
members of farm cooperatives.
“The DAR can only provide
additional support services to an organization if there is a growing ARB
membership that will justify the need to deliver more farm machinery and
equipment,” Francisco said.
The tractor was handed over to
Basing Farmers Irrigators and Livestock Raisers Association, Inc. from Brgy.
Basing, Lingayen.
Meanwhile, the irrigation water
pumps were distributed to seven ARBOs namely, Southern Binmaley Multipurpose
Cooperative (MPC) in Binmaley, Casapigarean Farmers Association in Urbiztondo,
Basing Farmers Irrigators and Livestock Raisers Association, Inc. in Lingayen,
Sanlibo Farmers Association, Inc. in Bayambang, Home Along Coliling Farmers
Association in San Carlos, Aliguas Dumaralos na Buenlag Association, Inc. in
Calasiao, and Alitaya Mangin Irrigators Association, Inc. in Mangaldan.
The cultivators/tillers were
given to Rang-Ay Upland Integrated Farmers Association in Bani, Sitio Mapita
HVC Growers Association in Aguilar, Catablan ARC Credit Cooperative in Urdaneta
City, Artacho Farmers Association in Bautista, and Bantog Samahang Nayon MPC in
Asingan.
Five rice transplanters were
given to Mangatarem MPC in Mangatarem, Women’s Unity for Progress and Farmers
PMC in Mapandan, Alitaya Mangin Irrigators Association, Inc. in Mangaldan, Sto.
Domingo MPC in San Miguel.
After the turnover of farm
equipment, training sessions on using and maintaining them were conducted for
the farmer-beneficiaries.
Two Weeks to Go for Sustainability Award Nominations
By Lydia
Holmes
ARLINGTON, VA -- Only two weeks remain to nominate yourself or someone you know for the third annual USA Rice Sustainability Award.
The award is open to individuals or entities with significant involvement in the U.S. rice industry and with a history of promoting and advancing sustainability through innovative practices and demonstrated leadership in the sustainability community.
"Putting sustainable practices into your operation is important, but just as important is telling people you are doing it," said Jennifer James, an Arkansas rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Sustainability Committee that created the new award. "This is about communicating to the public and our customers that we are being responsible and we are doing right by the environment. If we don't show them that we are the good guys, how will they know?"
The application form can be found here.
USA Rice Daily
USA Rice Sustainability Award
The USA Rice Sustainability Award
is open to individuals or entities with significant involvement in the U.S.
rice industry and with a history of promoting and advancing sustainability
through innovative practices and demonstrated leadership in the sustainability
community.
Last year’s USA Rice
Sustainability award went to American Commodity Company, a California rice mill
that has incorporated sustainability at virtually all levels of their
operations. This includes how they use and generate power using solar
installations at their milling facility in Williams. They have also made major
strides in the areas of water quality, waste reduction and recycling at their
facilities.
The award committee is now accepting nominations through October
25, 2019 and the award will be presented at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in
Little Rock, Arkansas on December 09, 2019.
Previous nominations can be re-submitted for consideration and individuals may self-nominate.
Previous nominations can be re-submitted for consideration and individuals may self-nominate.
Milled-to-Order Rice Has Arrived in New York
Scarsdale store offers variety of brands imported from Japan and
polishes the grain based on a customer’s preference
By Charles Passy
Sept. 19, 2019 6:09 pm ET
New Yorkers may need little in
the way of introduction to sushi or other facets of Japanese food. But a local
business now aims to bring newfound attention to what is arguably the building
block of the cuisine.
Namely, rice.
The Rice Factory, a 10-year-old
global chain of stores devoted to the grain, opened a location last month in Scarsdale,...
TO READ THE FULL STORY
Japanese Rice
Production To Increase In MY 2019/20
Japanese
Rice Production To Increase In MY 2019/20
September 23, 2019 8:39 IST | capital market
As per the latest update from United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), the MY2019/2020 total planted area for rice
for Japan is estimated to decrease slightly to 1.545 million ha, but total
production is expected to increase to 7.8 million metric tons (MT) based on a
projected yield improvement from last years crop. MY2019/20 production is
expected to be similar to a normal year based on the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)s August 15 crop progress report. A lack of
sunshine and low temperatures in July delayed rice ear emergence, but improved
weather conditions in August accelerated growth and improved the yield outlook.
MAFF expects a slightly better or a normal yield for the major rice producing
regions of Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Hokuriku as high temperatures and abundant
sunshine in May contributed to the increase in the number of rice ears.
Extremely high temperatures in Kanto in August and September may negatively
affect quality and result in high ratios of immature smaller kernels, similar
to MY2018/19.
Powered by Commodity Insights
Govt losing the game of rice
GOVT LOSING THE GAME OF RICE
BEN KRITZ
The situation at the moment is
this: Average retail prices of rice, despite the implementation of Republic Act
11203, or the “Rice Tariffication Act,” in early March, have hardly budged
despite expectations that they would be reduced by P2 to P7 per kilo as a
result of increased supplies of imported rice. As of the end of last month, the
average retail price was between P38.38 and P42.71 per kilo; that was 7 to 9 percent
(depending on the type of rice) lower than the average retail price
year-on-year, but relatively unchanged from prices just prior to the start of
import liberalization.
Meanwhile, palay (unmilled rice)
prices from domestic farms have gone into a tailspin, and now average about
P17.60 per kilo nationwide, with prices in some areas falling to as low as P7
to P8 per kilo, against an average production cost of P12 per kilo. For the six
months ending August, the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc.
(PCAFI) estimated that Filipino rice farmers have incurred P95 billion in
financial losses as a result of falling prices, which the PCAFI attributes
entirely to the new tariff scheme.
To try to counter the divergent
yet simultaneous effects of crashing wholesale prices and stagnant retail
prices, the Department of Agriculture, through the National Food Authority
(NFA), has taken two steps. To address the low farmgate prices, it has boosted
its buying price for palay to P19 per kilo, and to address elevated retail
prices has ordered the release of 3.6 million bags of rice (180,000 metric
tons) from the NFA’s imported stockpile at P25 per kilo, to be sold at a retail
price of P27 per kilo.
The apparent reason for the high
retail price and low domestic farmgate price of rice is the stockpiling of
imported rice by large-scale traders — an estimated 2.5 million bags, or about
125,000 metric tons. What importers have evidently done is bought rice from
export suppliers, primarily Thailand and Vietnam, at a time when supplies are
at their highest in those places and wholesale prices are consequently lower.
Those peaks of supply (periods immediately after harvests) roughly correspond
to elevated supply in the Philippines, the climates of the countries being
similar, and so the traders kept their stocks for release at a time when
supplies are at their lowest here, which typically occurs toward the end of the
year, when wet-season supplies are exhausted and the next dry-season crop is
still in the fields.
If that rice had been released to
the retail market as it arrived, which is what the post-tariffication price
projections of the Department of Finance assumed, it would have lowered retail
prices, but that would have made it unprofitable to the importing traders. By holding
it back until domestic supply drops, they can be assured of earning a
reasonable profit; from the consumer point of view, rice prices would appear to
be relatively steady. Domestic farmers, however, lose out; their harvest, which
would normally be bought by those traders to build up their inventories ahead
of the low season, is now largely unneeded, and so the traders are only buying
it at a discount.
Buy low, sell high: That’s the
free market at work, and while “rice hoarders” and “middlemen” are regarded as
demons, they are actually doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing,
since their only mandate is to run their own businesses as efficiently and
profitably as they can. The government, on the other hand, can only satisfy its
mandate to support both suppliers and consumers by doing the impossible,
working in the complete opposite direction — buy high, sell low.
Trying to operate in a hybrid
space between a free market and a controlled one is obviously not working, and
so the government ought to make a firm choice one way or the other: Either let
the free market determine price and supply, or take full control of the rice
market and manage both price and supply according to social, rather than
economic, requirements.
Historically, the latter approach
has never worked well or for very long, because it discourages production
efficiency, and the result is either shortages or increasing poverty. On the
other hand, a completely laissez faire approach risks abusive behaviors; the
accusations of “hoarding,” which are misplaced now, might become
self-fulfilling prophecies.
There is no easy answer, and
there probably won’t be as long as rice is such a critical commodity. The
difficulty the government has in managing it now, however, may have a positive
effect: If rice continues to be such a headache to suppliers and consumers
alike, it could encourage the diversification of crops and diets, which would
alleviate many of the present difficulties. That is not, however, something
anyone should expect to happen overnight, or even within a generation, unless
the country collectively decides to take drastic action. Unfortunately,
Filipinos, to their own detriment much of the time, have demonstrated they can
absorb a lot of punishment before anything resembling drastic action to make it
stop is even considered.
ben.kritz@manilatimes.net
Relaxed requirements prompt more
firms to enter rice industry
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Rice production surpasses 2.6m tons
September 22, 2019
TEHRAN- Iranian farmers have managed to produce 2.6 million tons
of rice during the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 21), the
Secretary of Iran Rice Association Jamil Alizadeh Shayeq announced.
As
the official told IRNA, the country’s rice production stood between 2.2 and 2.3
million tons in the past Iranian calendar year (March 2018-March 2019) and the
increase in the production could consequently decrease the imports of the
commodity.
Iran’s
annual rice consumption stands at about three million tons. That means nearly
400,000 tons of the product is required to be imported into the country,
according to Shayeq.
However,
customs data show that nearly 700,000 tons of rice was imported into the
country in the first quarter of this year (March 21-June 21), and considering
the previous year’s statistics, it can be concluded that there is no shortage
of rice in the country for the current year.
The
official noted that the rice production was estimated to reach 2.5 million tons
this year and the production has exceeded the expectations.
According
to Shayegh, more than 90 percent of the country's rice is produced in the
provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran in northern Iran, and less than 10 percent of
the commodity is produced in the provinces of Isfahan, Ilam, Kurdistan,
Khuzestan and so on.
Based
on official statistics, over 620,000 hectares of the country’s agricultural
lands are under rice cultivation, of which 520,000 hectares are in Mazandaran,
Gilan and Golestan provinces.
Non-availability of local rice threatens
FG’s programme
Local rice traders, especially in Lagos and its environs, are
lamenting the non availability of local rice as demand and price for the
product increases due to the shutting down of land borders in order to curtail
the influx of smuggled rice, which was already threatening the survival of the
budding Nigerian rice industry.
The traders are warning that the continuous scarcity of the
product will greatly undermine government’s efforts to groom Nigerians off
imported foreign rice to our locally cultivated rice. Consumers most especially
affected by the border closure are those in border towns who have for many
years depended on the foreign par boiled long grain rice.
However, with the border closed and no more rice smuggled in,
those consumers who hitherto consumed such rice have no option other than to
turn to our very nutritious organic rice. But the problem is that we do not
seem to have enough to go round everybody. The population of Lagos State alone
according to the National Population Commission of Nigeria as at 2016 is over
21million.
Market survey in major rice markets in Lagos, like Daleko Mushin
market, Iddo Terminus and G CAPPA Iddo, revealed the numerous rice brands in
Nigeria. What more, no foreign rice was on display except what the traders
dubiously refer to as the ‘Nigerian foreign rice’, whereby local rice is
deceptively bagged in foreign branded rice bags like, Royal Umbrella, Caprice
and for those consumers who still insist on buying foreign rice, the traders
direct you to such bags. They sell for about N18,000 per 50kg bag while local
rice branded Nigeria sells for between N14,500-N17,000. Though if they see you
are ready to pay any high amount for the real foreign rice, they retreat inside
the market and produce it for between N20,000-N23,000.
However, all the traders are complaining of lack of rice to sell
to consumers. As at last week Tuesday and Wednesday when the reporter visited
the markets, the traders disclosed that things have generated to the level that
even rice manufacturers have stopped receiving money to supply rice to the
traders.
In an interview with one of the big rice dealers at No. 1,
Taylor Rd. G-CAPPA rice market, Idowu Omogbemi, he said manufacturers like
Olam, Stallion, Big Bull, Umza, Famous, Tomato King, amongst others, declined
to take money from traders explaining they had run short of rice.
“A majority of rice dealers who paid for truck load of rice
since the last two weeks have not received their order. If you pay for 11
trucks, you get just one truck in order to make room for other traders. In fact
at the moment, manufacturers are rationing the rice,” regretted the rice
dealer.
“Rice manufacturers are overwhelmed by the demand. They cannot
meet up. Labana, Three Brothers, Super Champion, Al-Hamsad, etcetera are no
longer taking money from traders. I tried to pay them today for consignment of
rice but they refused to accept money,” lamented Mrs. Nky Okoro at the Iddo
Terminus rice market.
At Daleko market in Mushin, many traders were complaining
bitterly that they could not find rice to buy. They complained that the major
distributor of the product, Madam Jumilar, was not giving them enough to buy.
She is rationing 10 bags to each trader daily through her agent, Tokunbo. If
Tokunbo does not like your face, he will not sell to you. Those he does not
sell to, patronise the traders he sells to at a higher price, resulting to
un-uniformed rice price in the market. Besides, what is 10 bags of rice? One
customer alone can buy them all and your shop becomes empty,” cried Mrs. Ethel
of shop 409/416.
The same tales of demand and the same tales of scarcity were
everywhere. Of course, this has greatly affected the price. Virtually all the
local rice brands sell between N14,500-N17,000 per 50kg bag. “The price keeps
escalating,” lamented Mrs Effiong Orji.
Acknowledging the scarcity and attributing the increasing price
of rice to rice farmers who increased the price of Rice Paddy, President,
Association of Rice Distributors in Nigeria, Mrs. Esther Akinsoye, said that
government needs to stop owners of Paddy from hoarding the product and
increasing the price.
“Rice millers are complaining that farmers are increasing the
price of Paddy because of high demand and as such forcing the millers to also
increase their price, resulting in further increase by the manufacturer,”
regretted Mrs. Akinsoye. “They should make the Paddy or rough rice to be
surplus for the manufacturers and millers.”
Reacting to the development, Nigeria’s leading rice merchant,
the Iya Loja of Daleko Market, Chief Mrs. Ibilola Solaja popularly called Madam
Jumlar, appealed to Nigerians to be patient. “Rome was not built in a
day. There is bound to be teething problems as we are just starting. In a few
years time, we shall have more than enough rice to eat and export.”
Admitting the scarcity, she said it will soon be over as many
farmers have gone back to farms and millers have also gone back to their
business due to the demand for local rice now. “I encourage the consumption of
local rice so that we can grow our economy. I give to traders on credit and
they remit money back to me when they sell,” said the delectable lady.
However, in a telephone interview with the National President,
Rice Millers Association, Arc Kabir, though he admitted that he heard of
shortage of rice in some parts of the country, he said they were not
experiencing much shortage in the north.
In Enugu State, another big player in the rice industry,
Ogbonnaya, regretted that the price of local rice has gone slightly up since
the closure of the border but added that consumers in the eastern part of the
country were not feeling it. “People here prefer nutritious local rice to
foreign rice. Price went up because there is increased demand from places like
Lagos State.”
Another analyst, however, pointed out that majority of rice
mills in the country are located within eastern and northern states. “It is
only Olam that has a mill in Lagos State because consumers here preferred
foreign rice. Rice farmers in the west send their rice Paddy to east and
northern mills. Even Lagos State Lake rice is milled in Kebbi State. However,
with the promise of Lagos State to open a mill in the state come March 2020,
maybe we shall have enough rice for the residents.”
To ease the immediate problem of scarcity in major states,
stakeholders should find cheaper ways to transport rice from the hither lands
to the metropolis. Investigations revealed that a truck load of rice from Kano
town to Lagos is about N350,000 and this price is deterring some people. All
hands should please be on deck to make this government’s noble project to
succeed.
TEHRAN- Iranian farmers have managed to produce 2.6 million tons
of rice during the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 21), the
Secretary of Iran Rice Association Jamil Alizadeh Shayeq announced.
As the official told IRNA, the
country’s rice production stood between 2.2 and 2.3 million tons in the past
Iranian calendar year (March 2018-March 2019) and the increase in the
production could consequently decrease the imports of the commodity.
Iran’s annual rice consumption
stands at about three million tons. That means nearly 400,000 tons of the
product is required to be imported into the country, according to Shayeq.
However, customs data show that
nearly 700,000 tons of rice was imported into the country in the first quarter
of this year (March 21-June 21), and considering the previous year’s
statistics, it can be concluded that there is no shortage of rice in the
country for the current year.
The official noted that the rice
production was estimated to reach 2.5 million tons this year and the production
has exceeded the expectations.
According to Shayegh, more than
90 percent of the country's rice is produced in the provinces of Gilan and
Mazandaran in northern Iran, and less than 10 percent of the commodity is
produced in the provinces of Isfahan, Ilam, Kurdistan, Khuzestan and so on.
Based on official statistics,
over 620,000 hectares of the country’s agricultural lands are under rice
cultivation, of which 520,000 hectares are in Mazandaran, Gilan and Golestan
provinces.
EF/MA
Strong
baht battering rice shipments
published : 23 Sep 2019 at
06:44
newspaper section: Business
writer: Phusadee Arunmas
Thai rice exports are likely to stay below targets as the strong
baht weakens competitiveness in the world market.Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary
president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said Thai rice shipments may
slip to as low as 8 million tonnes this year, led by a sharp drop in white rice
exports.
He predicts that the continued strong baht -- which makes Thai
rice more expensive than grains from other countries -- will lower white rice
shipments by up to 35% from 5.49 million tonnes last year.
"Thai rice purchase orders look inactive now," Mr
Chookiat said. "Exports totalled only 6 million tonnes at the end of
September."
The free-on-board prices of Thai 5% white rice are quoted at
US$400 a tonne, while those of Vietnamese rice are quoted at $320 a tonne.
Prices for paddy rice in Vietnam are also much lower at 5,600
baht a tonne, while Thai paddy rice prices are quoted at 7,500-7,800 baht a
tonne.
Mr Chookiat said the Vietnamese currency has been quite stable
since last year. "Given the strong baht, we expect buyers like the
Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia to switch to buying rice from Vietnam
instead of Thailand," he said.
Normally Thailand's rice exports average 10 million tonnes a
year, with white rice making up half the amount.
Mr Chookiat said white rice shipments may reach just 3 million
tonnes this year.
In July, the association cut its target for annual rice exports
from 9.5 million tonnes to 9 million. Of the total, white rice will account for
3.9 million tonnes, followed by parboiled rice at 2.8 million tonnes, hom mali rice at 1.3 million tonnes, aromatic rice at
600,000 tonnes and glutinous rice at 400,000 tonnes.
Key threats to Thai rice exports include the strong baht and
lower purchase demand from China, which holds hefty rice stocks.
Major rice-importing countries have also changed their
rice-buying policies.
For instance, the Philippines has allowed its private sector to
play a greater role in rice imports, stiffening competition in the domestic
market.
The drought will cut the country's overall rice production and
may result in higher rice prices, according to the association.
"Given the strong baht, exporters themselves have yet to
see a light at the end of the tunnel to raise export volume," Mr Chookiat
said. "The stronger currency is killing us."
According to the latest report by the Commerce Ministry,
Thailand's rice exports in the first eight months fell by 26.3% to 5.3 million
tonnes. Export value slid 22% to $2.87 billion.
In a move to boost rice exports, the Trade Policy and Strategy
Office will ask the commerce minister to pay a visit soon to Asian buyers like
the Philippines and China.
