Sustenance in the midst of lockdown
Afshan SubohiUpdated April 20, 2020
Currently,
the country has sufficient stocks of wheat, rice, sugar, pulses, edible oil,
onions, tomatoes, potatoes and greens besides cattle stocks. — Reuters/File
THE
future depends on the Covid-19 trajectory, but the good news is that Pakistan
will not run out of food anytime soon. Thanks to the nature and the farming
community, Pakistan is food secure for now.
Experts
believe that if the health crisis exacerbates, the risk to food security can
only be mitigated by radical plans to divert the requisite resources to support
the rural economy.
Currently,
the country has sufficient stocks of wheat, rice, sugar, pulses, edible oil,
onions, tomatoes, potatoes and greens besides cattle stocks. The government has
banned the export of wheat and wheat products, pulses and onions for a year.
This will also serve to ensure the price stability in Ramazan when food demand
spikes.
According
to dependable sources in the Ministry of Food Security and Research, the wheat
harvest is good and should be sufficient for a year. Stocks of imported cooking
oil can last for seven months. Stocks of pulses will give a cover of over a
month. Supplies of fruits and vegetables are normal with no sign of stress so
far.
Some
progressive farmers from Sindh and Punjab noted a dip in demand for fruits and
vegetables in cities. The lockdown, they said over the phone, has affected
perishable horticulture products the most. They called for enhanced trading
through smartphones and a settlement through e-payments so that only truckers
would need to travel. “The government needs to guarantee the availability of
agricultural inputs at affordable rates to skirt disruptions in food supplies,”
a Sindh farmer said.
‘The
government must ensure the availability of agricultural inputs at affordable
rates to skirt disruptions in food supplies’
Agriculture
experts are worried about mid-sized farmers who are said to be bearing the
brunt of the lockdown. They are facing difficulties in acquiring farm inputs
and selling their produce. Experts urged policymakers to ensure the well-being
of the farming community for steady grains and greens supplies. “Much will
depend on access to quality seeds and affordable fertiliser and pesticides,” a
retired agriculturist noted.
With
the textile industry in trouble, demand prospects for cotton are not bright.
Besides, a greater interest from the government in food crops can nudge farmers
in the cotton belt to switch to food crops in the Kharif season for which
sowing has started and will continue till June. Rice, sugar cane, cotton,
maize, moong, mash, bajra and jowar are key Kharif crops.
In
the absence of the geographical mapping of food stocks, the extent of
coordination among the provinces is important. When contacted, the Ministry of
Inter-Provincial Coordination appeared to be dormant. Its minister, Dr Fahmida
Mirza, attributed the state of inactivity to the reluctance of the provinces.
She said the provinces are opting for independent positioning instead of
complementing the federal policies in the current difficult phase.
“A
holistic approach is required for food security. The provinces should bring to
table all the relevant data and draft proposals to ensure the sufficient stocks
of essentials to feed the population of the entire country. Collectively, they
can streamline mechanisms and pen policy advice for the federal government.
“Unfortunately,
the provinces have pushed their independence post-18th Amendment a bit too far
and the value of consultation is lost on them,” she told Dawn.
The
reports about mob attacks on grain depots in some parts of the country were
brushed aside as isolated incidents by government functionaries in Islamabad.
“The issue, as far as we know, was that of affordability. The high anxiety
level amongst people who lost livelihoods to the lockdown caused commotions at
some places,” said a close watcher of the commodity market in Punjab.
Fakhar
Imam, who assumed the charge of federal food minister in place of Khusro
Bakhtiar in a cabinet reshuffle early this month, was too busy to make time to
share his views. But the hierarchy of his ministry was hopeful that Pakistan
would ride out the challenge of feeding its population despite economic
distress.
Dr
Javed Humayun, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Food Security and
Research, told Dawn that the ministry is closely tracking, monitoring and
reporting the updates on food supplies to the command and control operation
centre on a daily basis.
“It
is our primary mandate to keep an eye on all the four components of food
security — availability of stocks, accessibility through transportation from
farm gates to the market, utilisation based on ensuring minimum quality
standards and stability in the market based on affordable prices. We are at it
to the best of our capacity beating all odds.”
“Based
on the assumption of 115-kilogram requirement of wheat per person annually, the
average yearly requirement is about 27m tonnes, about the same as the country’s
production. To provide a buffer in emergencies/shocks and check market
manipulation, the federal and provincial governments maintain their own buffer
stocks of the staple grain besides the Pakistan Agriculture Storage and
Services Corporation Ltd (Passco) operations.
As
the harvesting of wheat started last month, the Economic Coordination Committee
decided to acquire 8.25m tonnes of wheat collectively. Punjab has been asked to
buy 4.5m, Sindh 1.4m, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.45m, Balochistan 0.1m and Passco
1.8m tonnes,” he told Dawn by phone from Islamabad.
“With
the threat of Covid-19 spreading to rural Pakistan still lingering, the
government can’t afford to be complacent,” said a member of the economic team.
Published
in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, April 20th, 2020
Boro harvest a big challenge
Md Owasim Uddin Bhuyan | Published at 11:56pm on April 19, 2020
Timely boro harvests in the haor belt and other parts of the
country have emerged as a big challenge for the farmers amid spread of
coronavirus across the country, according to experts and Department of
Agricultural Extension.
The department officials and agricultural experts said that
growers were currently facing severe shortage of farm labourers to harvest
their standing boro, the largest cereal crop of Bangladesh, amid ongoing
lockdown imposed by the government to stop spread of coronavirus.
The department director general Abdul Mueed told New Age on
Friday that the government was working desperately to complete harvest of boro
in the haor belt and other districts to ensure cereal production uninterrupted
amid coronavirus pandemic.
‘At this moment, boro harvest becomes a big challenge for us,’
he said, adding that about 7 per cent of boro rice has been cut so far in the
haor areas and 50 per cent of harvest was expected to be completed by the end
of April.
He said that government had already provided the farmers with
subsidies to get at least 180 combined harvesters and 137 reapers to harvest
their boro quickly amid shortage of farm labourers.
Local administration has been instructed to ensure hassle-free
movement of farm workers travelling from one district to another, the DAE chief
said.
Abdul Hamid, a farmer in Austagram of Kishoreganj, said that his
three acres of boro cropland got matured as he grew early variety of rice.
He said that he was facing difficulties to start harvest the
matured rice mainly for lack of farm workers in the area.
Hamid said that farmers in his area were facing similar
challenge as the Met Office forecast heavy rainfall this week.
After boro season, Mueed, also an agriculturist, said that the
government would provide more incentives to promote cultivation of Aus and Aman
after boro.
Agronomists and agricultural experts said that coronavirus
pandemic already started affecting agriculture in Bangladesh and it would
seriously hamper the crop productions in the coming days.
Bangladesh, a heavily dependent on seeds imports for growing its
vegetables and other cereal crops, would have to face serious crisis of seeds
for crop production in next seasons due to the pandemic, they said.
Almost all seeds of vegetables, hybrid crops and high yield
varieties are imported from India, China, Italy and other countries which have
been badly affected by the pandemic, they said.
About possible seed crises, Abdul Mueed said that the government
was currently focused on smooth harvest of boro rice to escape natural
calamities.
In the long run, the government would ensure smooth supply of
seeds by providing supports to farmers and private sectors, he
said.
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University’s agronomy professor
Abdullahil Baque told New Age that the government should immediately ensure the
farmers’ access to mechanised equipment for the harvest of their boro crop.
He suggested the government to provide immediate financial
supports and incentives to the farmers to keep up agricultural production amid
the outbreak.
Professor Baque asked the government to extend financial
supports to local seed breeders and other private companies to boost seed
productions to meet local demands.
‘If agriculture production gets hampered, the countrymen will
face serious food crisis after the pandemic,’ he said.
The agriculture ministry asked the DAE field officials to ensure
the government’s instructions about guidelines on COVID-19 to be followed by
the farmers about during boro harvest.
DAE set target to produce 2.04 crore tonnes of boro rice across
the country this year.
The haor region comprises parts of seven districts, including
Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Habiganj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar and
Brahmanbaria. It provides about 20 per cent of the total boro rice output of
the country.
The haor farmers largely depend on migratory labourers who come
from Rangpur, Mymensingh and Faridpur divisions to complete harvesting crops
quickly.
These farm workers could not move due to the countrywide
shutdown since March 26.
Rare good news amid Covid-19 crisis: Telangana
witnesses bumper paddy harvest
. Updated: 19 Apr 2020, 05:06
PM ISTIANS
·
Thanks to completion of some key
irrigation projects, India's youngest state is on the way to emerge as the new
rice bowl of India
·
With record cultivation of paddy
on nearly 40 lakh acres during the ongoing Rabi season, the state expects a
yield of more than one crore tonnes
Hyderabad: A bumper harvest of paddy has
brought cheers to Telangana in the otherwise gloomy environment due to
coronavirus-induced lockdown, resulting in the state's revenues coming to
almost nil.
Thanks
to completion of some key irrigation projects, including prestigious Kaleswaram
and 24X7 electricity supply, India's youngest state, once described as most
backward and parched, is on the way to emerge as the new rice bowl of India.
With
record cultivation of paddy on nearly 40 lakh acres during the ongoing Rabi
season, the state expects a yield of more than one crore tonnes, the highest
for the season since creation of the state six years ago.
While
opening nearly 7,000 centres in villages to procure paddy directly from
farmers, Telangana is also catering to requirements of other states with the
supply of rice from the warehouses of Food Corporation of India (FCI).
About
2.52 lakh tonnes of rice has been supplied to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
FCI officials are also working to meet the requirement from West Bengal.
Telangana
also distributed 3 lakh tonnes of free rice among people living below poverty
line as part of its aid for the lockdown period.
These
developments have brought into focus how Telangana turned around its story. In
fact, the jump in paddy production is the second biggest achievement by the
state since it was carved out of unified Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
Overcoming
electricity shortage was the first major achievement. It was remarkable
considering the apprehensions voiced by some people before bifurcation that the
new state would plunge into darkness.
The
government says Telangana is the only state in the country offering 24x7 power
supply to agriculture serving 24.16 lakh farmers. This enabled farmers to
irrigate their farms at their desired timing.
Construction
of major projects like Kaleswaram, completion of the on-going projects, revival
of tanks under Mission Kakatiya besides round-the-clock free power to farmers
have all resulted in farmers are getting water in abundance, says Chief
Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.
The
area under paddy cultivation was 18.35 lakh acres in Rabi season of 2018-19 and
it has more than doubled to 39.12 lakh acres now. This was only 12.23 lakh
acres in 2014-15.
The
state expects paddy cultivation in 55 to 60 lakh acres during Kharif season
which begins with monsoon. It was 40.7 lakh acres last year and a mere 22.7
lakh acres in 2014-15. This is expected to go up to at least 70 lakh acres next
year.
KCR,
as Rao is popularly known, is confident of Telangana cultivating 2.25 crore
tonnes paddy every year. This means the yield will be over one crore tonnes in
each season.
Agriculture
Minister S Niranjan Reddy believes that the state will emerge as the rice bowl
of India in three years.
According
to him, the completion of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) contributed
mainly to the extent of paddy cultivation doubling in just one year.
Ever
since forming the first government after achieving the goal of statehood to
Telangana, KCR accorded top priority to building irrigation projects with the
slogan of 'Bangaru (golden) Telangana' with an aim to irrigate one crore acre.
The target was achieved last year.
This
coupled with the uninterrupted power supply, financial assistance towards farm
inputs and other support systems encouraged more and more farmers to take to
paddy cultivation.
In
normal days Telangana would have celebrated the occasion. As KCR himself said
people would have danced to celebrate it, but outbreak of coronavirus and
subsequent lockdown created a challenge both for the state and the farmers.
Though
the government exempted agriculture operations the unavailability of labourers
due to coronavirus scare and shortage of harvesting machines affected the operations.
The
agriculture market yards in towns were shut to avoid large gatherings. As the
situation had the potential to cause large-scale distress among farmers, KCR
assured them that the government will buy the entire paddy and corn, together
cultivated over 50 lakh acres during the current season by opening procurement
centres in villages.
"The
government is ready to buy every single morsel from farmers and hence the
farmers need get panic," KCR said.
He
said the government gave bank guarantee for ₹30,000
crore to buy the entire paddy and corn directly from farmers. "No other
state government ever purchased the entire paddy and corn grown in a season.
Telangana is the first state which is doing this."
Another
problem faced in the procurement is that the labourers from Bihar who
constitute 90 per cent of the workforce in rice mills are stuck in their home
state. They had gone home to celebrate Holi, but got stranded due to lockdown.
The
chief minister has requested Bihar government to send back the workers as
loading of procured paddy from farmers on the truck and their unloading at
godowns and rice can't be done without them. The chief minister had said he
would even request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrange special trains to
bring back the workers from Bihar.
Central govt. offers additional rice at ₹22 per kg to non-priority households
CHENNAI, APRIL 19, 2020 23:20 IST
Priority household cardholders
are getting it free-of-cost for three months
The
Central government is offering to provide an additional 5 kg rice per person
per month for the next three months to non-priority household (NPHH)
cardholders in States and Union Territories.
But
the offer carries a cost. For NPHH cardholders, the rice will be provided at ₹22 per kg, whereas for priority
household (PHH) cardholders, the Centre is providing 5 kg rice per person per
month, free of cost, for three months — April, May and June — under the Pradhan
Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY).
The
offer has been made to Tamil Nadu as well, and the State is considering the
proposal. There is a view within the State government that the cost is on the
higher side. Food Minister R. Kamaraj, at a video-conference session last week
with Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, reminded the latter of the Chief
Minister’s request to the Centre for the provision of free rice to around 85.99
lakh NPHH cardholders (covering a population of around 3.07 crore).
As
for the availability of rice in T.N., the Food Corporation of India’s godowns
have a stock of 13.5 lakh tonnes, which can cater to the State’s requirements
for four-and-a-half months, at the pre-COVID-19 level of three lakh tonnes a
month. Since the imposition of the lockdown, T.N. has received around 2.6 lakh
tonnes of grains by train from various States, including Telangana, Andhra
Pradesh and Odisha. Besides, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation has its
own stock.
Free rice component
Pointing
out that the State government had lifted about 2.2 lakh tonnes of rice so far
this month, R.D. Nazeem, Executive Director (South), Food Corporation of India,
said the free rice component under the PMGKAY entailed around 1.78 lakh tonnes
a month for Tamil Nadu. As for the latest offer, the State can get around 1.5
lakh tonnes.
The
Union government has also launched a scheme of supplying rice or wheat to
registered charitable institutions or non-governmental organisations that are
engaged in relief operations like providing cooked meals to the needy,
including migrant labourers and other vulnerable groups. The cost of rice will
be ₹22 per kg and wheat, ₹21 per kg.
Surplus rice produced will be
used to manufacture sanitisers’: Govt amid lockdown
However, the move comes amid the
lockdown which has left millions of migrant labourers and daily wage labourers
with no job and food to survive.
SNS Web | New Delhi | April 20, 2020
8:48 pm
(Representational image: iStock)
The Central government on Sunday
said the excess rice produced in the country will be used to manufacture
ethanol to keep up the supply of hand sanitisers.
“A meeting of NBCC was held today
under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri
Dharmendra Pradhan, wherein it was approved that the surplus rice available
with Food Corporation of India (FCI) may be converted to ethanol for
utilization in making alcohol-based hand-sanitizers and in blending for Ethanol
Blended Petrol (EBP) programme,” Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on
Monday.
However, the move comes amid the
lockdown which has left millions of migrant labourers and daily wage labourers
with no job and food to survive.
There were reports that the poor
were going hungry in the aftermath of the nationwide lockdown, even though the
godowns of Food Corporation of India have been full.
In the press note, the
government-supported its decision by quoting the National Policy on Biofuels,
2018, which allows conversion of surplus foodgrain to ethanol.
As per the National Policy on
Biofuels, “During an agriculture crop year when there is projected oversupply
of food grains as anticipated by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare, the policy will allow conversion of these surplus quantities of food
grains to ethanol, based on the approval of National Biofuel Coordination
Committee.”
Egypt has enough rice stocks to last until November 2021
-state news agency
An Egyptian seller shows consumer goods as rice, at a vegetable
market in Cairo, Egypt January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El
Ghany
CAIRO- Egypt has enough rice for the local
market to last until November 2021, the head of the rice division at Egypt's
grain industry chamber said on Sunday.
The country also expects to receive nearly 3
million tonnes of white rice during the new harvest season, which starts next
September, the state news agency MENA quoted Ragab Shehata as saying. The new
harvest would help boost the country's strategic stocks of rice for long
periods, he added.
Iranian farmers produce 2.9 million tons of
rice in one year
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 03:43 GMT 
4/20/2020 10:37:26 AM
(MENAFN) As said by the
Director-General of the Agriculture Ministry's Grains and Essential Goods
Department Faramak Aziz-Karimi, during the past Iranian calendar year of 1398,
Iranian farmers produced 2.9 million tons of rice.
Faramak Aziz-Karimi said that, the rise in the production came after the important rise in the rainfalls across Iran in the past spring.
The official added, "The average area under rice cultivation in Iran in the past three years was about 605,000 hectares, of which 70 percent is concentrated in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces".
Back in September last year, the Secretary of Iran Rice Association Jamil Alizadeh Shayeq had placed Iran's rice output at 2.6 million tons.
Faramak Aziz-Karimi said that, the rise in the production came after the important rise in the rainfalls across Iran in the past spring.
The official added, "The average area under rice cultivation in Iran in the past three years was about 605,000 hectares, of which 70 percent is concentrated in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces".
Back in September last year, the Secretary of Iran Rice Association Jamil Alizadeh Shayeq had placed Iran's rice output at 2.6 million tons.
MENAFN2004202000450000ID1100051380
Rice production stands at 2.9m
tons in a year
April
19, 2020 - 14:59
TEHRAN - Iranian farmers produced 2.9 million tons of rice
during the past Iranian calendar year of 1398 (ended on March 19), according to
Director-General of the Agriculture Ministry's Grains and Essential Goods
Department Faramak Aziz-Karimi.
As
the official told IRNA, the rise in the production came after the significant
increases in the rainfalls across the country in the past spring.
“The
average area under rice cultivation in the country in the past three years was
about 605,000 hectares, of which 70 percent is concentrated in Gilan and
Mazandaran provinces (about 427,000 hectares),” the official said.
Back
in September 2019, the Secretary of Iran Rice Association Jamil Alizadeh Shayeq
had put the country’s rice output at 2.6 million tons.
According
to Shayeq, the country’s rice production stood between 2.2 and 2.3 million tons
in the Iranian calendar year of 1397 (March 2018-March 2019).
In
October 2019, Deputy Agriculture Minister Abdolmehdi Bakhshandeh announced that
Iran has become completely self-sufficient in rice production as it plans to
cut up to two million tons of imports a year.
The
Statistical Center of Iran estimates that Iranians consume approximately 35
kilograms of rice per person each year. That would mean a domestic demand of nearly
three million tons for a country of 83 million people.
Bakhshandeh
said rice self-sufficiency would save Iran more than $1.1 billion in imports,
adding that it would also be a major success amid efforts to minimize the
impacts of the American sanctions on food security in the country.
Iran rice
output surge by 45% to feed domestic demand
Sunday, 19 April 2020 6:32 AM [ Last
Update: Sunday, 19 April 2020 9:03 AM ]
Rice harvesting in Iran’s Mazandaran Province (Photo
via tasnimnews)
Iranian agriculture authorities
say output and cultivation area for rice both increased significantly over the
last calendar year to satisfy a growing domestic demand for the staple.
A senior official at the Iranian
agriculture ministry (MAJ) said on Saturday that the total harvest of rice
plant across Iran in the year ending late March increased by over 46 percent
compared to the previous year to reach 4.518 million metric tons.
Faramak Aziz Karimi, who heads
the MAJ’s department for grains and staples, said that total output for white
rice, the grain left from processing rice plant, topped 2.9 million tons at the
end of last calendar year, an increase of 45 percent compared to the previous
yearly period.
Karimi said the figure is exactly
equivalent to the amount of white rice consumed inside Iran which is 35
kilograms a year per person based on official government estimates.
He said growing rice production
in Iran last year was mainly due to an increase in cultivation area for the
crop and better precipitation.
The official said lands used for
rice farming expanded by 230,000 hectares or 38 percent across Iran to reach an
unprecedented figure of 834,000 hectares.
Karimi said rice farming area
almost doubled in Golestan and Khuzestan, two provinces in northeast in
southwest of Iran respectively which saw much of the flooding and heavy
rainfall in March-April 2019.
Iranian authorities announced in
October that the country no longer needed to import rice in heavy volumes from
countries like India.
They said self-sufficiency in
rice production could help the country cut around two million tons of imports
each year.
Surplus Rice Can be Used For Making Ethanol to Keep Up
Supply of Hand Sanitizers, Says Government Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Petroleum
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan holding a meeting (Photo Credits: IANS)
New Delhi, April 20: The central government on Monday
allowed use of the surplus rice for manufacturing ethanol to keep up the supply
of hand sanitisers amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The Centre's
move can trigger a political storm as millions of migrant workers in the
country have been pushed to the brink of starvation following the countrywide
lockdown that started in March to contain the spread of coronavirus
(COVID-19). Coronavirus Tracker Live.
According to the government, the
decision was taken at a meeting of NBCC (National Biofuel Coordination
Committee) chaired by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "It was
approved that the surplus rice available with Food Corporation of India may be
converted to ethanol for utilization in making alcohol-based hand-sanitizers
and in blending for Ethanol Blended Petrol programme," read the statement
by the government. Coronavirus Precautions: Hand
Sanitizer vs Hand Washing, Which Is a Better Option to Protect Against
COVID-19?
The
government cited the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, which says:
"During an agriculture crop year when there is projected over supply of
food grains as anticipated by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare, the policy will allow conversion of these surplus quantities of food
grains to ethanol, based on the approval of National Biofuel Coordination
Committee."
Surplus Rice Can be Used For Making Ethanol to Keep Up
Supply of Hand Sanitizers, Says Government Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
New Delhi, April 20: The central government on Monday
allowed use of the surplus rice for manufacturing ethanol to keep up the supply
of hand sanitisers amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The Centre's
move can trigger a political storm as millions of migrant workers in the
country have been pushed to the brink of starvation following the countrywide
lockdown that started in March to contain the spread of coronavirus
(COVID-19). Coronavirus Tracker Live.
According to the government, the
decision was taken at a meeting of NBCC (National Biofuel Coordination
Committee) chaired by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "It was
approved that the surplus rice available with Food Corporation of India may be
converted to ethanol for utilization in making alcohol-based hand-sanitizers
and in blending for Ethanol Blended Petrol programme," read the statement
by the government. Coronavirus Precautions: Hand
Sanitizer vs Hand Washing, Which Is a Better Option to Protect Against
COVID-19?
The
government cited the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, which says:
"During an agriculture crop year when there is projected over supply of
food grains as anticipated by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare, the policy will allow conversion of these surplus quantities of food
grains to ethanol, based on the approval of National Biofuel Coordination
Committee."
Arkansas planned rice acreage increases
·
By Ryan McGeeney, U of A System
Division of Agriculture
Apr 20, 2020
Arkansas
growers intend to plant about 1.39 million acres of rice in 2020, according to
a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Tuesday. The acreage is a
rebound from 2019’s 1.15 million acres, but still shy of 2018’s 1.44 million
acres. The modest increase surprised some analysts, who expected acreage as
high as 1.5 million acres, given prevailing market conditions.
Scott
Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of
Agriculture, said the relatively small bump in the state’s rice acreage was the
most notable detail in an otherwise unsurprising report.
“The
comparative returns across all crops have favored rice this spring,” Stiles
said. “Everything has pointed toward a huge expansion in rice this
year—except weather.
“Diesel
prices have dropped a dollar per gallon, year to date,” he
said. “Fertilizer and seed costs have gone nowhere over the past year. In
fact, fertilizer costs are lower than last year. These are
facts. Weather permitting, my bias leans toward a higher rice acreage
number come June 30,” when the USDA is expected to release a revised acreage
report based on actual planting.
“Surprised
would be my immediate reaction,” Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for
the Division of Agriculture, said.
“My
expectation at this point, weather permitting, is north of 1.5 million acres of
rice,” he said. “That has been my expected target for some time, with recent
events pointing the needle even further up. We still have all of April and
May to get it planted, and history has shown that in just a few weeks’ time we
can plant a lot of acres.
“We
just need the window,” he said.
Corn
and soybean see modest growth
Corn
acreage grew a modest 4 percent over 2019 planting, from 770,000 to 800,000
acres. If growers follow through successfully, this would be the highest
Arkansas corn acreage since 2013, when growers planted 880,000 acres.
Soybean,
the state’s No. 1 crop, enjoyed a mild rebound from 2019 as well, growing 9
percent from about 2.65 million to 2.9 million acres, still well short of the
3.27 million acres seen as recently as 2018. At least three major factors have
conspired to discourage soybean acreage—the ongoing trade dispute with China,
more than a year’s worth of unfavorable weather and generally depressed
commodity prices.
“At
current price levels it’s difficult to imagine soybean acreage
increasing,” Stiles said. “Today’s report didn’t reflect a huge change
from last year. I guess you have to consider the whole picture: One side
of the picture hangs over 2019 and all the prevented planting acres. Another
side of the picture hangs over the rest of 2020 and hope that China comes
through and buys our commodities.”
Jeremy
Ross, extension soybean agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said that
while the acreage may be disappointing from a numbers perspective, he still has
high hopes for the overall crop.
“I
was hoping for a few more acres of soybean, but with the decline in price, the
soybean acreage projections don’t surprise me,” Ross said. “We just need some
dry weather so we can get started.
“The
soybean field in Prairie County planted the first week of March has a good
stand,” he said. “They look a little yellow, but that’s not surprising with the
cool, wet conditions they have had since planting.”
Cotton
falls slightly
Cotton
acreage fell from 2019 plantings by about 5 percent, from 620,000 acres to
590,000 acres. Stiles said that previous surveys, conducted by the National
Cotton Council in December and January, suggested that overall cotton acreage
would be down. During the period that the USDA’s National Agricultural
Statistics Service conducted its grower surveys for Tuesday’s report—the first
two weeks of March—cotton prices were “tanking,” Stiles said.
“It
shouldn’t be a surprise at all to see cotton acreage decline 5 percent,” he
said. “Some would argue for a larger reduction with December 2020 futures
trading around 53 cents today.”
Overall
market forces sending confusing signals
Stiles
said that even before the market fluctuations associated with the global COVID-19
pandemic began to send shockwaves through various agricultural markets (See:
“Cattle industry feels effects of COVID-19 pandemic” https://bit.ly/2R0e5Pw), a variety of issues had been
complicating planting decisions for some time.
“At
current prices, there's not any incentive to switch from cotton to corn or
soybeans,” Stiles said. “None of those are at profitable levels right
now. Arkansas’ cotton acres had increased 4 straight years—it looks
like the streak ends here.
“The
past two years, growers have become accustomed to ad hoc assistance from things
like the Market Facilitation Program,” he said. “Our perception of how things
‘have’ worked in the past probably influences planting decisions to some
extent. That’s another issue at play in today’s numbers: growers may
believe that under the current circumstance there’s a strong possibility for
another round of ad hoc subsidies, and they’ll need to plant something in order
to receive those potential payments.”
Pakistan Market Monitor Report - April 2020
Source
Posted
20 Apr 2020
Originally published
20 Apr 2020
Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
· In March 2020, the average retail prices of wheat and
wheat flour slightly decreased by 2.8% and 1.1%, respectively, from February
2020; the price of rice Irri-6 slightly increased by1.6% while rice Basmati
negligibly increased by 0.6% in March 2020 when compared to the previous month;
· Headline inflation based on the Consumer Price Index
(CPI) increased in March 2020 by 0.04% over February 2020 and increased by
10.24% over March 2019;
· The prices of staple cereals and non-cereal food
commodities in March 2020 experienced negligible to slight fluctuations when
compared to the previous month’s prices;
· In March 2020, the average ToT slightly increased by 1.6%
from the previous month;
· In April 2020, the total global wheat production for
2019/20 is projected at 764.46 million MT, indicating a decrease of 0.03
million MT compared to the projection made in March 2020.
Rains to worsen locust outbreak,
harm wheat crop
Amin AhmedUpdated April 19,
2020Facebook Count
ISLAMABAD: Raising concerns over
unseasonal rains in March and Arpil in the country, the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) in its report said desert locust outbreak will worsen and
eventually harm wheat crop in Pakistan.
The country has been facing locust
infestation since the beginning of 2019.
Abundant rains during March and
April has improved vegetation conditions which along with warm temperatures in
April could support locust breeding. An increase in locust numbers may damage
late-planted wheat crops still to be harvested, the report said.
Overall, 2020 wheat production is
expected to remain close to the five-year average, but below previous
expectations of a bumper output, FAO said in an analysis report on Pakistan.
Harvesting of the 2020 Rabi wheat
crop started in March in Sindh, with the bulk to be gathered between April and
mid-June. The 2020 wheat crop season started on time last October and
progressed well until February.
During this period, favourable weather
conditions, ample irrigation water supplies and adequate availability of
agricultural inputs, such as fertilisers, chemicals and labour, allowed farmers
to plan an above-average area and fostered expectations for bumper yields.
In March and April, unseasonal heavy
rains and localised hail over areas of the main wheat-producing province of
Punjab, delayed harvesting operations and caused localised damage to standing
crops, the report said.
The 2019 cropping season was
finalised in November last year. The aggregate cereal output, including wheat,
paddy rice and maize is estimated at a record level of 43.6 million tonnes.
Cereal exports consist mostly of rice and wheat. In calendar year 2020, rice
exports forecast is at 4.8m tonnes, almost 20 per cent above the five-year
average, reflecting adequate availabilities from the 2019 record output.
The risk posed by the Covid-19
pandemic, both through the negative impacts associated with a reduction in
economic activities and the potential adverse effects on the food supply chain
is an additional concern for food security in the country, the FAO notes.
Recent price increases of wheat
grain and flour as well as other important food items, such as chicken meat,
milk and onions, are affecting households’ access to food.
According to the report, overall,
food security conditions in the country are generally stable reflecting
adequate cereal supplies from the record 2019 production. However, concerns
about food insecurity persist in some parts of the country, particularly in
western and southwestern areas of Balochistan province, in the arid
southeastern and western areas of Sindh and newly merged areas of
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2020
Trostle
named statewide AgriLife Extension hemp specialist
By
Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M
Apr
20, 2020
Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., Texas
A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist, Lubbock, has recently been named
the statewide hemp specialist for the agency.
“We’ve had a lot of excellent
work being done by our AgriLife Extension Industrial Hemp Initiative team to
prepare Texas for the production of industrial hemp,” said Dan Hale, Ph.D.,
AgriLife Extension associate director — agriculture and natural resources,
College Station, in announcing the new position.
“Dr. Trostle has worked
tirelessly in this area and has already been serving in a lead specialist
capacity. He will do an excellent job in helping lead our Initiative team’s and
agency-wide Extension and research activities.”
Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., on a hemp
tour in Colorado. (AgriLife Extension photo by Kay Ledbetter)
AgriLife Extension formed
an Industrial Hemp Education Initiative
Team to
provide information concerning industrial hemp production in Texas after House
Bill 1325 was signed into law by the Governor last June.
While the U.S. Department of
Agriculture was finalizing federal regulations and guidelines, along with the
Texas Department of Agriculture writing of state regulations and guidelines and
getting them approved by the USDA, Trostle was already at work.
The industrial hemp education
team helped develop resources for agents and specialists to utilize across the
state in producer and public education programs. Trostle led or participated in
about 20 educational hemp seminars from Dumas to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
He also made trips to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Colorado, where hemp is already
legal to grow, in order to learn more about the crop.
Industrial hemp hasn’t been grown
in Texas since the 1930s, when there was some hemp production in South Texas.
So, there’s no track record of what varieties might work in Texas, and only
this year will there be any research on industrial hemp, Trostle said.
Trostle said initial hemp field
efforts will begin with implementing the Texas A&M AgriLife variety testing
program for hemp. These hemp cannabinoid, fiber and grain trials are planned
for Plainview, Commerce, San Angelo and College Station.
“We won’t be able to implement
meaningful planting date studies until 2021,” he said. “Procuring funding for
any field work will be key in how quickly we can address research questions.”
Another of Trostle’s initial
objectives for Texas hemp is investigating and encouraging improved hemp seed
quality.
“Apart from business issues, poor
seed has been the No. 1 production issue in most states already growing hemp,”
he said.
Trostle grew up on a farm and
ranch in eastern Kansas. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from
Kansas State University, his master’s in soil chemistry from Texas A&M
University and his doctorate in soil science from the University of Minnesota.
He joined AgriLife Extension at Lubbock in 1999 after three summers in rice research
at the Texas A&M AgriLife center in Beaumont.
The new title of statewide hemp
specialist fits in with how has been known in West Texas – as the “alternative
crops guy.” After serving in Lubbock for two years and learning more
about the region’s farming, Trostle said he chose to pursue a broad working
knowledge on many different crops rather than focus heavily on just one or two.
“I believe I made the right
decision,” he said. “That approach has positioned me better to start from
scratch with learning about hemp.”
He also is currently the state
specialist for sunflowers, as well as provides education and applied research
support in the South Plains region and across Texas for grain sorghum,
sunflowers, peanuts, wheat/small grains, guar, alfalfa, winter canola, summer
annual forages and sesame.
Trostle said while he knows this
first year or two of hemp work will keep him busy, he will maintain his
educational programs on all the crops he’s working with.
“I want farmers of grain sorghum,
wheat, alfalfa, peanuts, guar and other crops to know that I remain fully
committed to maintaining my Extension support to their cropping needs. I
will have to reduce my field work in these crops, but the 21+ years of
experience I have gained isn’t going anywhere.”
Trostle can be reached at
806-746-6101 or ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu. He has written a monthly hemp
newsletter since November and has initiated an AgriLife Twitter account
@TXAgriLifeHemp. Trostle also contributed to the AgriLife
Extension hemp resources page, along with members of the hemp team.
|
Exclusive
Video Pitch Helps Promote U.S. Rice to Chinese Market
BEIJING, CHINA -- As
China continues implementation of the U.S.-China Phase One agreement, signed
in January of this year, rice purchases continue to be noticeably
absent. The U.S. and China approved a phytosanitary protocol which
officially permitted imports of U.S. milled rice in 2017 and U.S. export
facilities were approved in late 2018, yet imports have not occurred to date.
 To encourage importers in China to purchase American-grown rice, U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and his staff created a short video featuring the Ambassador touting safe, nutritious U.S. rice and looking to strengthen the relationship with our rice importing partners. Branstad authorized the use of the video for U.S. rice marketing efforts in China. So far, USA Rice has featured the video on the social media platform, Weibo, as well as sending the video directly to private rice importers using both email and wechat. To date, the video is not available outside China. USA Rice has spent years developing a partnership with our Chinese counterparts and building relationships with the private rice importers and state trading enterprises (STEs) here. "Private importers continue to express strong interest in bringing in U.S. rice; however, they appear to be reluctant to commit to buying until a purchase is first made by an STE, especially the largest such organization, COFCO, China's state-owned food trader, manufacturer, and processor, " said Sarah Moran USA Rice vice president international. "Such a purchase would likely send the signal to private companies that timing is right to import U.S. rice. Given the outstanding obligations from Phase One, there is sufficient opportunity to purchase U.S. rice." In January 2020, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that purchases of U.S.-grown rice would be part of the U.S.-China Phase One agreement. Additionally, China agreed to come into compliance with World Trade Organization commitments regarding domestic support for rice producers and tariff rate quota administration for imported rice. |
Import of several commodities
temporarily restricted
April 20, 2020 06:27
pm
The government has decided to restrict imports of identified
commodities to reduce the pressure on the exchange rate and the financial
market with the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.The Controller General of Imports and Exports has issued a gazette notification with a list of imported items that have been imposed restrictions upon.
Accordingly, the import of agricultural products such as peanuts – except basmati rice -, locally manufactured goods, plastic products, and other non-essential items has been temporarily suspended.
In addition, the import of building materials, electrical and electronic components, wheat flour and other identified items is permitted only on a credit basis.
Comments
What to Eat in Iran: 10 Essential Persian
Dishes
By
-
April 19, 2020 - 05:35
The well-known food website Food Republic has introduced 10
Iranian dishes and invited its users to try them during their visits to the
country.
Iran’s Tourism Newspaper has covered
the report by Food Republic about best
Iranian foods to try. Here is the article written by Louisa Shafia:
A visit to Iran yields a stunning variety of culinary delights.
Between the familiar kebab and the decidedly outré grilled lamb’s testicles,
there’s a vast spectrum of foods: caviar, pickle, and smoked fish in the north;
samosas, falafel and hot and sour shrimp in the
south; noodles, flatbread and rosewater-scented ice cream across the country.
Take a look at Iran’s place on the map and it’s easy to
understand why the scope of native foods is so wide. Once the centre of the
Persian Empire, Iran neighbours the former Soviet Union countries, as well as
Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Arab states and Turkey. Although Iran is part of the
Middle East, it has close ties to Europe, the Far East and Africa, owing to its
central place on the Silk Road trade route.
What’s more, the ancient warrior-king of Greece, Alexander the
Great, conquered the Persian Empire back in the 4th century, and later it was
invaded by Arabs, Turks, Mongols and Uzbeks. While Iranians already had a
well-developed food identity before these invasions, they assimilated what the
outsiders brought in. Think Russian-style borscht with cumin and cilantro and
Chinese noodles in a soup of beans, herbs and sour fermented whey.
Many coveted ingredients are native to Iran, including
pistachios, almonds, walnuts, saffron, mint, oranges, pomegranates and grapes. Iran has a variable
climate with four distinct seasons, and unlike other parts of the Middle East,
where the dry terrain limited what food could be grown, the ancient Persians
transformed vast stretches of arid land into fertile oases via underground
aquifers that drew melted snow water into the desert. A bright, sensuous,
fruit-and-herb filled cuisine was born.
A core curriculum of classic Persian favourite dishes can be
found on most Persian-American restaurant menus. Here are 10 to try. Noosh-e
jan! (Yes, that’s Farsi for “bon appétit.”)
Fesenjan (Pomegranate Walnut Stew)
This iconic stew, an essential part of every Persian wedding
menu, pairs tart pomegranate with chicken or duck. Ground walnuts, pomegranate paste and onions are slowly simmered to make a thick sauce.
Sometimes saffron and cinnamon are added, and maybe a pinch of sugar to balance
the acid.
Fesenjan has a long pedigree. At the ruins of Persepolis, the
ancient ritual capital of the Persian Empire, archaeologists found inscribed
stone tablets from as far back as 515 B.C., which listed pantry staples of the
early Iranians. They included walnuts, poultry and pomegranate preserves, the
key ingredients in fesenjan.
Khoresht Bademjan (Eggplant and Tomato Stew)
This stew has the shimmering red-gold colour of tomatoes cooked
with turmeric, with a sheen of oil on top, a prized characteristic in Persian
cooking that shows a stew has been cooked long enough for the oils to rise up.
Slightly tart, with the tang of tomatoes, lemon juice, and sometimes the juice
of unripe grapes, its tanginess is kept in check by the eggplant, which is first
fried on its own until golden-brown, then cooked with onions, lamb and the
tomatoes and seasoning. Like all Persian stews, bademjan is
thick and meant to be eaten over rice with a fork.
Persian Eggplant Stew
Baghali Polo (Rice with Dill and Fava Beans)
In Iranian cooking, rice can be prepared simply with butter and
saffron, known as chelo. But just as often, it’s
cooked with other ingredients and called polo. Polo can be made with herbs,
vegetables, beans, nuts, dried fruit, meat and even noodles, and acts as the
centrepiece of the meal. This polo is particularly good in the spring, when
fava beans are young and tender and dill is in season. This Persian dish is
flecked with green dill and favas, and is often cooked with very tender chunks
of lamb. Alternately, it may be served alongside lamb on the bone. The rice
should have a mild saffron flavour, with the saffron mixed into the rice just
before serving.
Baghali polo, luxury Persian dish. Click here for
the recipe!
Zereshk Polo (Barberry Rice)
Iranians love sour flavours. Like cranberries, barberries have a vibrant red color, but
they’re even sourer. This classic rice dish is studded with the red berries,
which are dried and then rehydrated before cooking. The rice is cooked with
plenty of butter, which helps to soften the intensity of the berries. Quince,
rhubarb, green plums, sour oranges, lemons, limes, dried limes, sour cherries,
tamarind, sumac and pomegranate are all used in Persian cooking to make food
tarter.
Iranian Barberry Rice
Ghormeh Sabzi (Green Herb Stew)
Made from herbs, kidney beans and lamb, deep green ghormeh
sabzi satisfies two Persian flavour obsessions: it’s sour and
full of herbs. The stew is seasoned with dried limes, limoo Amani in Farsi. These limes are extra intense
and sour, with a bittersweet taste that gives the stew a unique flavour. The
other constant in ghormeh sabzi is fenugreek
leaves, a taste unfamiliar to most westerners. Other herbs include parsley,
coriander and scallions.
Ash e Reshteh (Noodle and Bean Soup)
A richly textured soup full of noodles, beans, herbs and leafy
greens like spinach and beet leaves. It’s topped with mint oil, crunchy fried
onions and sour kashk, a fermented whey product
eaten in the Middle East that tastes akin to sour yogurt. The noodles, which
made their way to Iran from China, are thought to represent the many paths of
life, and this soup is traditionally served when someone sets off on a long
journey. Because of its auspicious ingredients, it’s also part of the menu
for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which occurs at the
spring equinox in March.
Ash e Reshteh, traditional Iranian soup
Tahdig (Crunchy Fried Rice)
Tahdig is the soul food of Persian
cooking. It’s the crisp, golden layer of fried rice at the bottom of the rice
pot, and it tastes like a combination of popcorn and potato chips, but with the
delicate flavour of basmati rice. (Tahdig is usually not printed
on the menu, so you may have to ask for it.) At Iranian family gatherings,
there are always plenty of leftovers, but the one dish that disappears
completely is tahdig. It’s eaten as a side dish,
and it’s forgivable to pick it up and eat it with your fingers.
Jewelled Rice (Rice with Nuts and Dried
Fruit)
Dotted with brightly coloured dried fruit and nuts, like little
jewels, this is a sweet-and-savoury dish that shows off some of the native
ingredients of Iran, including pistachios, almonds, candied orange peel,
barberries, carrots and saffron. This Persian dish is cooked with a little
sugar to balance the sourness of the barberries. Jewelled rice is served for
special occasions, particularly at weddings, because the sweet elements
symbolize a sweet life. It’s traditionally served with chicken, which contrasts
nicely with the sweetness.
Jewelled Rice, colourful Persian dish
Kebab (Lamb, Chicken, Lamb Liver, Ground
Meat)
Kebabs have more variety than you might think. First, there’s koobideh, ground meat seasoned with
minced onion, salt and pepper. It sounds simple, but the taste is sublime.
There is kebab-e barg, thinly sliced lamb or
beef, flavoured with lemon juice and onion and basted with saffron and butter.
Chicken kebab, known as joojeh, is traditionally made from
a whole chicken, bones and all, for more flavour (although in American
restaurants it’s often made from skinless chicken breast), marinated in lemon
and onion, and basted with saffron and butter. If you’re lucky, you’ll
find jegar,
lamb liver kebab, garnished with fresh basil leaves and a wedge of lemon.
Iranians eat varied types of kebab
Sabzi Khordan (Herb and Cheese Plate)
No Persian meal is complete without a dish of sabzi
khordan, or edible herbs. The plate can include mint, tarragon,
basil and cilantro, alongside scallions, radishes, walnuts, feta cheese
and Iranian nan (flatbread). Simply tear off a piece of flatbread, tuck a
bit of the herbs and cheese and other garnishes inside, and fold it up like a
rustic sandwich. The plate stays on the table throughout the meal, and the
herbs are a crunchy palate cleanser between bites of stew and rice. Fresh and
dried green herbs are eaten daily in Iran. The Zoroastrian New Year Nowruz celebrates
rebirth and renewal, and the Nowruz menu includes several dishes made with
green herbs representing new life, including rice with herbs, an herb omelette
and the herb platter.
Iranians eat fresh herbs beside their meal
The
IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers,
and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors
specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is
responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website,
and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial
Staff" section.
Read more
PSA: Farm-gate
price of rice continues to rise
By
-
April 20, 2020
The average farm-gate price of
unhusked rice went up for the sixth consecutive week and reached P16.69 per
kilogram in the fourth week of March, data from the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) showed.
In its latest price monitoring
report, the PSA said the average farm-gate price of rice during the period was
1.71 percent higher than the previous week’s P16.41 per kg.
However, the latest quotation was
still 11.22 percent lower than the average price of P18.80 per kg recorded in
the same period of last year, PSA data showed.
Nonetheless, the current average
quotation for dry palay is the highest in seven months, or since August 2019,
when it reached P16.68 per kg, according to historical data from the PSA.
The highest buying price for dry
palay was recorded in Davao del Sur at P20.50 per kg while the lowest was
observed in Surigao del Sur at P9 per kg, PSA data showed.
However, a farmers group warned
that the increase in farm-gate prices may be short-lived and that it could fall
again during the main harvest season due to higher rice imports.
The Federation of Free Farmers
(FFF) decried the ”pro-import stance” of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and
the National Food Authority (NFA) and ”warned that excessive imports will again
end up discouraging farmers from planting and make the country even more
dependent on foreign suppliers for its food requirements.”
In particular, FFF questioned the
need for the 300,000 metric tons (MT) of rice that the Philippines will import
via the government-to-government given that the country’s projected stockpile
by end-June would reach a ”comfortable” level of 84 days.
FFF argued that private-sector
importation and the government’s purchases would lead to a ”supply glut that
will again lead to a fall in palay farm-gate prices during the main harvest
season in September to November.”
”On the one hand, it is
encouraging farmers to expand their production and enticing them with loans,
subsidies and other incentives. On the other hand, it is leaving the room
open for private importers to bring in unlimited volumes of rice from abroad,”
FFF National Manager Raul Montemayor said in a recent statement.
”The DA was even the one who
proposed that government import another 300,000 MT. It appears that the DA just
wants to flood the market with rice and is not really concerned about what
happens to farmers in the process,” Montemayor added.
Salceda warns of rice price crisis as drought hits
Asian nations
·
·
·
·
A
congressman warned of a possible rice price crisis in the weeks to come as
drought continues to pummel staple grains sources like Thailand and Vietnam,
aggravating the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on rice
importing countries such as the Philippines.
Albay
2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda, who chairs the House ways and means committee
and serves as co-chairman of the House stimulus cluster, said a rice price
crisis would make the country’s response more costly, as world stocks are being
kept out of trade by export bans.
He
said the Agriculture and Trade Departments should anticipate apparent
challenges in supply pointing to “warning signs” of upcoming issues on rice
price and accessibility in the coming weeks.
“I
was shocked when I started buying rice from the NFA [National Food Authority]
for my relief donations, then at P1,250 per bag only. When the NFA stock ran
out, we purchased from commercial stores and the prices progressively shot up
and recently hit P1,850 per bag. What happened? I thought there was a rice
price freeze,” he said.
Data
showed that as of March 1, the country’s total rice stock inventory stood at
2,178.64 million metric tons, 1.9 percent lower year-on-year and 8.3 percent
lower month-on-month. The harvest season was not expected to start until May.
Salceda
said China’s withholding from Mekong and temptations towards export ban were
posing risk to supply. “The current COVID-19 crisis should remind policy makers
that food security and health goods security are two vital national concerns,”
he said.
Salceda
also cautioned DA and DTI about possible manipulations from rice cartels to
take advantage of the emergency and derail government’s urgent efforts to
deliver foodstuffs on time to communities under the enhanced community
quarantine.
“How
prices actually are in public markets and other retail outlets depend on
transport, logistics and demand situations in these areas. While bulk purchases
by government and provision of rice as relief goods for lower income families
are expected to dampen price increases in the aggregate, issues in transport,
logistics, and the presence of local cartels may push prices upwards,” he said.
The
lawmaker urged DA and DTI to “unchain the whole supply chain” for smooth
delivery of food requirements to communities through government checkpoints
most of which, he said, seem confused by regulations and thus, in most
instances, unduly stall the vital food supply delivery.
“Historically,
we’ve had challenges with rice price and supply in economic and social crises,
but those challenges were rarely about having enough rice for everyone. The
issues have always been about getting the national supply of rice into the
communities needing the staple. These challenges are made starker now by delays
in ECQ checkpoints,” Salceda said.
He
said there were existing export bans in Vietnam and Cambodia due to drought and
low water supply from the Mekong river. He also cited global data showing rice
prices in the world market went up by as much as 12 percent weekly since the
first week of April.
“Hence,
the need to be prepared. Our monitoring will have to span the whole chain, from
farm to points of retail sale. Harvest season doesn’t come until May. So, we
have to be better prepared,” he said.
Salceda
said ensuring the adequate supply of rice and other prime commodities is
essential to effective enforcement of ECQ and other non-pharmaceutical
interventions.
“The
surer the supply, the less likely people will violate stay-at-home and
quarantine rules. If they’re not sure they can buy rice at fair prices, our
people will break the rules,” he said.
The
Albay lawmaker also bewailed persisting issues about checkpoints. “Just
recently, the National Food Authority reported that some drivers of 14 trucks
carrying 14,000 sacks of rice from Regions 1, 2 and 3 failed to meet at their
Malolos warehouse and haul rice to Valenzuela and Cavite. Only 8 trucks reached
the Malolos warehouse because the other six were allegedly held at quarantine
checkpoints,” he said.
In
a paper titled “Potential Issues in Rice Supply in the Philippines during the
ECQ”, Salceda recommended the several measures to ensure adequate supply in all
areas.
The
said DA and DTI should monitor the strict implementation of their respective
issuances on the flow of rice and other essential commodities as well as the
necessary inputs to produce and process these commodities, such as fertilizers
and pesticides.
He
said to burst artificially inflated prices in local areas, DA and the DTI may
open mobile stores and other similar schemes that sell rice and other
commodities at fair prices.
Salceda
cited the need to facilitate matching of rice producers and markets to keep
middleman costs at a minimum and Develop an online, citizen-based monitoring of
the prevailing prices of rice and other prime commodities.
He
said in localities with anomalously higher prices compared to baseline or
expected prices, DTI and DA should use appropriate interventions such as
stricter monitoring and enforcement of retail price measures.
The
system will also allow consumers to compare prices in nearby areas, making
local cartel practices easier to spot and prevent.
He
also cited the need to secure commitments for adequate supply from supplier countries
such as Vietnam and Thailand, while also sustaining support for local
production through programs such as the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
and the National Rice Program.
His
other recommendations include relaxing rules on rice importation and
consolidating small import orders through the Philippine International Trading
Corporation and ensuring that the labor force across the rice supply chain
(from farmers, to mill workers and transport drivers) are able to work and are
conferred the privileges granted to those who work in essential services.
|
Bidding
for rice supplies to be re-organized
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Rice seed distribution continues amidst COVID-19 crisis
A farmer from Agusan del Norte
happily received high-quality seeds through the continuous seed distribution
under RCEF.
Despite the challenges caused by global COVID-19
pandemic, DA- Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) continues to serve
the Filipino rice farmers by providing easy access to high-quality seeds in
their communities through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Seed
Program.
“We have to ensure that the supply of rice, being our
staple food, is sufficient for every Filipino family,” said Dr. Flordeliza
Bordey, PhilRice Deputy Executive Director.
As of April 12, 10,310 bags of certified seeds were
delivered to 14 cities and municipal local government units (LGUs), and are
soon ready for distribution to farmers through a special protocol. PhilRice
started delivering seeds to early-planting cities and municipalities across the
country for 2020 wet season since March 16.
Rice farmers in North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan
Kudarat, Antique, Iloilo, Leyte, Pampanga, Bataan, Zamboanga Sibugay, and
Zamboanga del Sur are expected to receive their high-quality seeds until end of
the month. Schedule of seed deliveries is based on planting calendar of the
rice areas.
Bordey encouraged farmer-recipients to coordinate with
their LGUs through the city/municipal agriculture office for the process and
final schedule.
In claiming the provision from RCEF program, farmers
are required to wear face mask, monitor body temperature, use hand sanitizers,
and practice physical distancing to ensure the health and safety of the farmers
and involved staff and stakeholders.
DA-PhilRice, together with its partners from the
DA-Regional Field Offices, and LGUs target to distribute 2.5 million bags of
certified inbred seeds (at 20kg/bag) to over 1.2 million farmers this season.
DA ramps up food security
programs amid health crisis
By Lade Jean Kabagani, Philippine News Agency on April 19, 2020
FILE: Agriculture Secretary William Dar at Agricultural Training
Institute-Rural Development Education Center (ATI-RDEC) building along
Elliptical Road, Quezon City on Thursday (Dec. 19, 2019). (PNA photo by Ben
Briones).
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) targets to boost the
country’s food sufficiency level amid the implementation of the enhanced
community quarantine brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)
pandemic. 
Agriculture Secretary William Dar
said DA has rolled out urban agriculture under the “Plant, Plant, Plant”
program or “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Laban sa Covid-19″ which sought
to advance planting and harvesting activities.
“The objective of the (‘Plant,
Plant, Plant’) program is to boost the food sufficiency level of the
agriculture commodities starting from rice, corn, fisheries, vegetable and many
other commodities that are essential in the country’s food security,” Dar said
in a Laging Handa interview on Saturday.
He noted the importance of the
food value chain amid the crisis.
There is a need to ensure that
every household has enough food and vegetable supplies with them.
He said, for instance, that
although there are enough vegetable imports from nearby areas of Metro Manila,
“it is more efficient for the Metro Manila residents to encourage them to plant
vegetables at their backyards and harvest on their own.”
He said there are new
technologies that can be used to pursue planting in our own backyards.
The DA, he said, is helping by
distributing vegetable seedlings for small-time farming.
“We are initially distributing
vegetable seedlings that can be harvested within one to two months’ time, to
augment the food provision to every Filipinos,” he said.
The DA pushes backyard gardening
to Metro Manila residents, he said, as part of ensuring food security for every
Filipino household.
He said the department has
already rolled out the urban agriculture program in other areas outside Luzon.
“We are now prepositioning those
needed materials, inputs and seeds,” he added.
He urged urban residents to plant
agricultural products while the ECQ is still in effect.
Rice resiliency project
Dar added that the DA will pursue
the PHP8.5-billion ‘Rice Resiliency Project’ which targets to increase the
country’s rice production, providing an additional 6-percent increase from the
rice sufficiency level from 87 percent to 93 percent by the end of 2020.
The project covers 2.7 million
hectares, he said.
The target, he said, is to boost
palay production to reach 22.12 million metric tons (MMT) by end of December
2020, equivalent to 13.51 MMT of rice or 93 percent of the country’s total
demand at 14.46 MMT.
The DA will provide quality
seeds, fertilizers, and appropriate technical assistance, to ensure enough food
security in the country, especially during the quarantine period.
Inspection team set up to check rice volume stuck at ports
Update: April,
20/2020 - 08:00
Rice loaded for export. An
interdisciplinary inspection team was set up to check how much rice is stuck at
ports. — VNA/VNS Photo
HCM CITY
— An interdisciplinary inspection team led by the Ministry of Industry and
Trade has been established to work with agencies to determine how much rice is
stuck at ports so that the ministry can come up with an appropriate rice export
plan.The inspection team is led by Deputy Minister Trần Quốc Khánh, and the team’s deputy heads includes the director and deputy director of the Import and Export Department.
The team includes the leaders of the Agricultural Products Processing and Market Development Department and Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agricultural and Rural development), General Department of Customs (Ministry of Finance), Department of Economic Security (Ministry of Public Security), and the Việt Nam Food Association.
The mission of the team is to work with customs authorities and a number of agencies to determine the actual amount of rice volume at ports. The team will then write a report on the rice export situation in April and recommend measures to regulate rice exports in May. This will be submitted to Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.
The team’s working time is expected to be from April 20 to April 24 and will dissolve upon completion of the task.
The establishment of the inspection team arose after chaotic developments occurred when the General Department of Customs began accepting online customs declarations from rice exporters on April 12 after the Government approved the resumption of rice exports but capped them at around 400,000 tonnes for April.
Many rice exporters were left disappointed since the quota of 400,000 tonnes was reached within only three hours. And many firms with rice consignments stuck at ports were unable to submit declarations.
In recent days, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has received many documents from rice exporters saying that the opening of the e-customs declaration software system has not been transparent since many firms have not received prior notice.
Some said that they could not access the system due to system error. In addition, some companies said that they had successfully submitted declaration forms, but the forms then disappeared on the e-customs system. — VNS
Mekong Delta farmers
increase income by switching crops
Saturday,
April 18, 2020 14:41
Amid the
context that climate change, saltwater intrusion, and drought-affected
negatively the production of rice, many farmers in Hau Giang, Tra Vinh, An
Giang, and Dong Thap provinces have actively reduced the rice-growing areas for
the cultivation of vegetables and fruit trees, or aquaculture, bringing in high
efficiency.
Farmers in Tra Vinh Province grow
corn on rice-growing land. (Photo: SGGP)
Mr. Thach Sach, a farmer in Thong Hoa Commune in Cau Ke District
in Tra Vinh Province, said that his 6,000-square-meter cornfield has been sowed
for more than one month, by taking the initiative in the source of fresh water,
despite the severe drought, his cornfield is not affected. Currently, the price
of corn fluctuates from VND25,000 to VND30,000 per 14 items, after deducting
costs, farmers earn a profit of nearly VND5 million per 1,000 square meters,
much higher than growing rice, and the cultivation duration is also shortened
to 70 days per crop.
Also reducing the rice-growing area to switch to grow vegetables, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Khoi, a farmer in Thien My Commune in Tra On District in Vinh Long Province, pointed at his lush green 3,000 square meters of cucumbers, saying that the advantage of growing cucumbers is short cultivation duration. Cucumbers are ready for harvest within just 32 days and a crop takes only 60 days. The cucumber yield is around 3-4 tons per 1,000 square meters, with a price of VND5,000 per kilogram upwards, farmers will definitely have profits.
According to the People’s Committee of An Giang Province, in recent years, the province has encouraged reducing the rice-growing area. In 2013, the province grew more than 641,340 hectares of rice, the figure now has dropped to below 620,000 hectares. Most of the altered areas were prioritized for the cultivation of fruit trees and vegetables, of which, some centralized vegetables areas were established, including nearly 700 hectares in Cho Moi District, and 3,200 hectares in Tri Ton District. Currently, the province continues to develop specialized farming areas for baby corn with 2,000-2,500 hectares, hybrid corn with 4,100 hectares, soybean with 450 hectares, and Japanese okra with 500 hectares. Reasonable crop alteration has helped the provincial total agricultural production value to reach VND183 million per hectare, higher than the level of VND120 million per hectare in 2015.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said that reducing rice-growing areas is encouraged in order to increase the income of farmers. Accordingly, the altered rice-growing area in the winter-spring rice crop in the Mekong Delta was more than 41,230 hectares. The most grown vegetables included corn, peanut, soybean, sesame, and vegetables. Meanwhile, the area of fruit trees, including orange, pomelo, tangerine, dragon fruit, and longan, tended to increase because of high economic efficiency.
Mr. Le Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production, said that vegetables grown on the rice-growing area gained revenue of around VND178 million per hectare and a profit of VND113 million per hectare; fruit trees earned an estimated revenue of VND607 million per hectare, and a profit of VND207 million per hectare. All these crops are more efficient than rice. Shortly, the department will continue to collaborate with provinces to alter inefficient rice-growing areas and saltwater intrusion affected areas to grow other crops that are suitable for each place to help farmers to raise their income and ensure the sustainable development goals.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that last summer-autumn crop, farmers grew vegetables on rice land, collecting a revenue of VND143 million per hectare and a profit of VND88 million per hectare; watermelon cultivation brought revenue of VND169 million per hectare and a profit of VND70 million per hectare. Based on these results, this summer-autumn crop, the province has encouraged farmers to continue to switch crops to increase the production value.
In Dong Thap Province, last summer-autumn crop, farmers replaced rice by purple sweet potato, raking a revenue of VND200 million per hectare and a profit of VND95 million per hectare; chili cultivation gave a revenue of up to VND418 million per hectare and a profit of more than VND243 million per hectare, much higher than growing rice. Many farmers in the Mekong Delta have also applied cultivation models following the VietGAP standards, high-tech farming, or the models of growing orchids, decorating flowers, and ornamental plants that bring high income.
The MARD recognized that most provinces in the Mekong Delta got high efficiency by switching crops, improving the income for farmers, saving water, especially when the situation of drought and saltwater intrusion is more intense. Crop switching also helps to improve the soil and reduce pests and diseases. However, the current shortcomings are that irrigation has not been appropriate; some altered crops have weak competitiveness due to small-scale production, difficult mechanization, increased input materials, and high-cost prices. Especially, consumption has not been stable because of a lack of connection between farmers and enterprises. Policies to encourage crop switching on rice-growing land have also not been strong enough.
These are shortcomings that need to be resolved timely to help farmers to bravely change crops to increase the production value in the future.
Also reducing the rice-growing area to switch to grow vegetables, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Khoi, a farmer in Thien My Commune in Tra On District in Vinh Long Province, pointed at his lush green 3,000 square meters of cucumbers, saying that the advantage of growing cucumbers is short cultivation duration. Cucumbers are ready for harvest within just 32 days and a crop takes only 60 days. The cucumber yield is around 3-4 tons per 1,000 square meters, with a price of VND5,000 per kilogram upwards, farmers will definitely have profits.
According to the People’s Committee of An Giang Province, in recent years, the province has encouraged reducing the rice-growing area. In 2013, the province grew more than 641,340 hectares of rice, the figure now has dropped to below 620,000 hectares. Most of the altered areas were prioritized for the cultivation of fruit trees and vegetables, of which, some centralized vegetables areas were established, including nearly 700 hectares in Cho Moi District, and 3,200 hectares in Tri Ton District. Currently, the province continues to develop specialized farming areas for baby corn with 2,000-2,500 hectares, hybrid corn with 4,100 hectares, soybean with 450 hectares, and Japanese okra with 500 hectares. Reasonable crop alteration has helped the provincial total agricultural production value to reach VND183 million per hectare, higher than the level of VND120 million per hectare in 2015.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said that reducing rice-growing areas is encouraged in order to increase the income of farmers. Accordingly, the altered rice-growing area in the winter-spring rice crop in the Mekong Delta was more than 41,230 hectares. The most grown vegetables included corn, peanut, soybean, sesame, and vegetables. Meanwhile, the area of fruit trees, including orange, pomelo, tangerine, dragon fruit, and longan, tended to increase because of high economic efficiency.
Mr. Le Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production, said that vegetables grown on the rice-growing area gained revenue of around VND178 million per hectare and a profit of VND113 million per hectare; fruit trees earned an estimated revenue of VND607 million per hectare, and a profit of VND207 million per hectare. All these crops are more efficient than rice. Shortly, the department will continue to collaborate with provinces to alter inefficient rice-growing areas and saltwater intrusion affected areas to grow other crops that are suitable for each place to help farmers to raise their income and ensure the sustainable development goals.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that last summer-autumn crop, farmers grew vegetables on rice land, collecting a revenue of VND143 million per hectare and a profit of VND88 million per hectare; watermelon cultivation brought revenue of VND169 million per hectare and a profit of VND70 million per hectare. Based on these results, this summer-autumn crop, the province has encouraged farmers to continue to switch crops to increase the production value.
In Dong Thap Province, last summer-autumn crop, farmers replaced rice by purple sweet potato, raking a revenue of VND200 million per hectare and a profit of VND95 million per hectare; chili cultivation gave a revenue of up to VND418 million per hectare and a profit of more than VND243 million per hectare, much higher than growing rice. Many farmers in the Mekong Delta have also applied cultivation models following the VietGAP standards, high-tech farming, or the models of growing orchids, decorating flowers, and ornamental plants that bring high income.
The MARD recognized that most provinces in the Mekong Delta got high efficiency by switching crops, improving the income for farmers, saving water, especially when the situation of drought and saltwater intrusion is more intense. Crop switching also helps to improve the soil and reduce pests and diseases. However, the current shortcomings are that irrigation has not been appropriate; some altered crops have weak competitiveness due to small-scale production, difficult mechanization, increased input materials, and high-cost prices. Especially, consumption has not been stable because of a lack of connection between farmers and enterprises. Policies to encourage crop switching on rice-growing land have also not been strong enough.
These are shortcomings that need to be resolved timely to help farmers to bravely change crops to increase the production value in the future.
Farmers in Binh
Dinh plant rice early to avoid drought
The harvest of the winter-spring rice crop in the
south-central region is now upon us. Having learned from previous crops, local
farmers now plant rice for the next crop immediately after this harvest, to
avoid any upcoming drought.
Monday, April 20, 2020 09:09
RELATED
NEWS
Rice farmers told to follow sowing schedules
amid saline intrusion, drought
Saturday, April 18, 2020 10:42
INFOGRAPHICMekong Delta locals respond to drought and
saltwater intrusion
Friday, April 17, 2020 12:33
Ministry proposes over 515 billion VND to
deal with salinity, drought
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 10:42
After harvesting the
winter-spring rice crop, farmers in Hoai Nhon, Phu Cat, Tuy Phuoc districts in Binh Dinh province will immediately sow
seeds for the summer-fall crop, which is much earlier than previous crops. Rice
varieties with shorter growth cycles have also been selected, to avoid any
upcoming drought.
Farmers are now planting rice on
a rolling basis. Sowing and harvesting are carried out simultaneously. Planting
rice this way puts the next crop two weeks ahead of schedule compared to
previous years, which is expected to save a considerable volume of irrigation
water.
Water levels for irrigation in
Binh Dinh province are estimated to adequately supply 43,000 ha of the
summer-fall rice crop, meaning that 2,000 ha are likely to be damaged by
drought if planting and harvesting are not conducted ahead of the usual
schedule./.
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Cambodia could export rice to East
Timor ‘as soon as May’
Thou Vireak | Publication date 19 April
2020 | 21:52 ICT
Share
Cambodia
exported 230,948 tonnes of rice worth $161 million in the first three months of
this year, up 35.20 per cent from the same period last year. HENG CHIVOAN
Cambodia could export rice to East
Timor ‘as soon as May’
Sun,
19 April 2020
Cambodia
plans to export rice to East Timor next month to meet the country’s growing
demand amid the Covid-19 outbreak, making it the newest market for the
Kingdom’s rice, Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) chairman and former
vice-president Hun Lak told The Post on Sunday.
East
Timor on Friday expressed its interest in importing the crop at a meeting
between state-owned Green Trade Company, the Ministry of Commerce and the CRF
with newly-appointed Ambassador of East Timor to Cambodia Ermenegildo ‘Kupa’
Lopes, he said.
“We
could export rice to East Timor as soon as May. I believe that we can initially
export some $10 million worth of rice to the country,” said Lak.
He
said the East Timor side will soon send an official letter to the Kingdom’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation outlining the timing,
quantity, types of rice, shipping and other conditions of the trade.
He
added that Vietnam’s tightening restrictions on rice exports to curb food
shortages during the pandemic had led East Timor to strike a deal with the
Kingdom instead.
The
move comes as the government and the CRF strive to find new markets for the
Kingdom’s rice to deliver a quarter-on-quarter rise in exports in the second
quarter.
“We
hope that this year’s rice exports will be higher than last year, while the
rice is better than the previous year and the price of rice from farmers is
also reasonably high,” said Lak.
Cambodia
exported 230,948 tonnes of rice worth $161 million in the first three months of
this year, up 35.20 per cent from the same period last year, said a Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries report.
Figures
show that during the period, the Kingdom exported 101,345 tonnes of rice to
China, up 34.88 per cent year-on-year; 70,040 tonnes to Europe, up 30.33 per
cent year-on-year; 28,799 tonnes to Asean, up 12.47 per cent year-on-year; and
30,764 tonnes to other markets, up 13.32 per cent year-on-year.
Meanwhile,
East Timor imported 6,800 tonnes of rice in the first two months of this year,
around 5,000 tonnes less than the year-ago period, data from the Port Authority
of Timor-Leste (Aportil) shows.
Cambodia
exported 620,106 tonnes of milled rice last year, down 0.97 per cent from 2018,
ministry data shows.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/cambodia-could-export-rice-east-timor-soon-may
Rice millers
face price squeeze by importers, says council
-
April 19, 2020 9:40 PM
The
Malay Economic Action Council has called for a government review of the rice
import monopoly and the padi and rice industry. (Reuters pic)
PETALING JAYA: Rice millers and
wholesalers are complaining of being squeezed by a “rice import cartel” which
has twice raised prices although retail prices are controlled, according to the
Malay Economic Action Council.
The council, better known as
MTEM, said the complaints had come from the Malay Rice Millers Association
Malaysia and members involved in the wholesaling of rice.
MTEM chief executive director
Ahmad Yazid Othman said rice imports were controlled by the agriculture and
food industry ministry and PadiBeras Nasional Berhad (Bernas).
“The wholesale price of rice that
is resold by these cartels was increased by RM0.20 and now increased yet again
by RM0.40,” he said.
However retailers could not
increase market prices and are forced to bear a small profit margin.
MTEM called for an official
explanation on whether rice is being imported every week to meet domestic
demand, and whether Bernas had received a subsidy on rice imports as was the
case in 2008.
Bernas, formed in 1996 when the
National Padi and Rice Board was privatised, has sole rights to import rice
until 2021.
Yazid urged the government to be
fair in distributing rice to all wholesalers at a reasonable price. Large
companies who have been enjoying a lot of privileges while making millions in
profit before should not be taking advantage of other businesses.
“The rice industry must be
managed and operated more transparently to ensure sustainability of the
country’s food security, the country’s food sovereignty and also the economic
safety of Bumiputera industry players,” he said.
“The time has come for the new
government to review the paddy and rice industry,” he said. The monopolies only
benefited one party and were no help for the rice supply chain from the
farmers, millers, wholesalers and retailers.
“The Covid-19 crisis should not
be manipulated to profit one party’s monopoly, but should be a lesson by the
government to develop the full capacity of the country’s food security, and to
equally develop all of the players in the industry, especially the farmers and
small and medium enterprises,” he added.
Rice exports to East Timor agreed
in principle
Chea Vannak / Khmer Times :
Cambodia and East Timor have
moved closer to sealing a rice-export deal following a meeting between
officials.
Initial conversations between the
country’s two governments about trading the commodity, along with other
agricultural products including palm sugar, began in 2016.
However, the talks resumed in
earnest last week as East Timor seeks to increase its food stockpiles in a
precautionary measure against the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. The
island nation, which lies in the Indonesian archipelago, has not reported any
fatalities but closed its borders with Indonesia and declared a state of
emergency last month.
Speaking after the meeting,
attended by Ermenegildo Kupalopes, East Timor’s ambassador to Cambodia, fellow
attendee Lun Yeng, secretary-general of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CFR) said
that while no official agreement had been made, a follow-up letter is expected
to cement the deal.
“We are now waiting for East
Timor to send an official letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation. Based on the official letter, we will find out what
variety of rice and the volumes they wish to import and put the wheels in
motion,” Yeng said.
The Cambodian government has
temporarily banned exports of white rice to the international market in efforts
to ensure domestic food security. Exports of fragrant rice are permitted. In
the first quarter of this year, Cambodia exported rice in a total of 230,948
tonnes to foreign markets, a 35 percent increase compared with the same period
in 2019
