Can Cambodia’s fragmented agriculture sector
save the economy?
Sangeetha Amarthalingam |
Publication date 13 August 2020 | 21:11 ICT
No rest for the wicked . . . Rice farmers
in Kampot province’s southeastern Kampong Trach district begin the rainy season
rice cultivation in August in the hope that it will yield a good harvest in
December. Post staff
Ever since the pandemic razed the world, most sectors in the
Kingdom were wrecked but there is hope in agriculture, only if the government
takes stock of some system failures
Reminiscing
the heydays of rice farming is a painful process for 60-year-old Chak En, a
paddy farmer in Kampong Trach, Kampot, for most of her life.
“My family
used to harvest 40 bags of rice from just 1ha. These days, we cannot even
sustain that amount from 3ha,” said En, who despite the setback and her
children’s plea to retire, stubbornly carries on in a bid to champion her
birthright.
For the
mother of eight and grandmother of eleven, farming is rooted in her ancestry,
the same as millions of Cambodians whose families own farmlands, big or small,
across the Kingdom.
“I cannot
give up farming. It has fed my family throughout our lives. This is our
lifeline,” she said.
Rice
farming and agriculture, on a wider scope, has been the grounding force of
Cambodia’s economy for many centuries.
So, when
Prime Minister Hun Sen asked Cambodians to return to the humble sector to self-sustain
and help the economy, it seemed like a viable solution for hundreds of
thousands of workers in the garment, tourism and other service sectors who were
made redundant or forced to take lower salaries.
But many
went back dispirited, assuring themselves that it is only temporary until the
pandemic tapers and industries re-open.
They did
so because they know the industry is full of hardship as it is deeply
entrenched with problems that stem from structural weaknesses.
They range
from water management, lack of measures on climate change, high operating costs
such as electricity tariffs, logistics and raw materials, loss of land to
corporations, to dubious middlemen and market norms dictated by an
oligopolistic market.
These are
the very reasons which drove many out to seek alternative jobs that offered a
higher and steadier income.
On
average, Cambodian households own 0.5ha of paddy land for subsistence farming.
Overall,
the sector is spread over four million hectares where three million of that is
for rice planting, 170,000ha for multi-crop production and 30,000ha for
vegetables.
Nearly
three million people are employed in the sector which also acts as a barometer
for poverty and economic vulnerability.
Some
smallholders cultivate one crop per year on less than 5ha – usually rice for
food security and export – based on the availability of water for agriculture.
To date,
there is a surplus of about four million tonnes of milled rice a year for
domestic consumption, said Council of Ministers spokesman Ek Tha last month.
Rice
production grew to 7.9 million tonnes in 2019 from 7.4 million tonnes in 2018
with an average yield of 3.1 tonnes per hectare.
Similarly,
exports from January to July 2020 rose 38.3 per cent to 426,073 tonnes, valued
at $285 million, from 308,108 tonnes in the corresponding period in 2019
because of Covid-19 food security, lower rice tariff in the EU, and market
diversification.
Rice
exports are expected to climb to 800,000 tonnes this year, Cambodia Rice
Federation (CRF) said.
As for total
agricultural exports comprising 61 products to 59 countries, the figure inched
up to $1.5 billion last year from $1 billion in 2013.
Buoyant as
it may seem, the total agriculture share of the economy has unfortunately
decreased over the years. Last year, it fell to 16.7 per cent of gross domestic
product (GDP) from 28 per cent in 2009.
This year,
the government thinks it will hit 32 per cent of GDP because of the expanded
workforce by 40 per cent, underpinned by the loss of jobs due to the pandemic.
And with
that, agricultural labour productivity (annual output per agricultural worker)
could be on track to meet the target of $4,625 by 2030 from $1,839 in 2019.
All these
are yet to be seen.
Overspending or underspending?
The issue
remains that this economic pillar does not receive equal attention as the other
three pillars (manufacturing, real estate and construction, and tourism),
indicated by the paltry three to five per cent allocation from the annual
national budget.
This is
damning because the sector is susceptible to external factors, such as the
imposition of a regressive rice tax by the EU and competitive pricing, which in
the past has seen rice farmers dump their harvest out of fury when global
prices collapsed.
According
to the central bank’s Financial Stability Review 2019, extreme weather – floods
and droughts – and the drop in prices of agriculture commodities, moderated its
output growth to one per cent between 2014 and 2018 compared to 3.7 per cent
(2009-2013).
Rice Federation upbeat about
Cambodia-Korea FTA
The meeting to
deliberate on rice exports to Korea and benefits which can be drawn from
it. AKP
The Cambodia-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will expand
Cambodia’s rice export potential, according to the Cambodia Rice Federation
(CRF).
The optimism was floated in a consultation meeting with
concerned private sector chaired by Sim Sokkheng, Secretary of State of
the Ministry of Commerce, here at the ministry on Tuesday.
Market expansion, added the federation, would also mean
the reputation of Cambodia’s milled rice, especially the organic and brown rice
will be better recognised.
The consultation aims to mobilise inputs from the private
sector to build the foundation for the Cambodia-Korea Free Trade Agreement
negotiations.
From his end, Mr Sokkheng highly appreciated the
commercial and legal inputs from the private sector especially the Cambodia
Rice Federation for his team to work on the FTA negotiation. Phal
Sophanith – AKP
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50754722/rice-federation-upbeat-about-cambodia-korea-fta/
Asia
Rice-Supply squeeze lifts Vietnam rates to more than 8-year high
AUGUST 13,
2020 / 5:54 PM /
·
·
* No new export deals due to high rates-Vietnamese traders
* Thai rates jump to $465-$500 per tonne
* Indian mills operating at low capacity due to lack of workers
* Bangladesh to review flood’s impact on paddy- minister
By K. Sathya Narayanan
BENGALURU, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Vietnamese rice export prices
climbed to their highest level since end-2011 this week, as supplies remained
constrained due to coronavirus restrictions in top hubs including India and
Thailand.
Vietnam’s 5% broken rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 rates on Thursday jumped
to $480-$490 a tonne from $470 last week.
“The summer-autumn harvest has ended, and traders haven’t been
able to buy paddy from Cambodia recently as many of the borders with Cambodia
remain shut,” said a trader based in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of An
Giang.
“Local traders used to buy around 1,000 tonnes of rice from
Cambodia a day in the past.”
Preliminary shipping data showed 161,050 tonnes of rice is to be
loaded at Ho Chi Minh City port in August, with most of the rice heading to
Africa and Cuba.
However, no new export contracts have been signed recently
because Vietnamese pieces now expensive compared with competitors, other
traders said.
Top exporter India’s 5% broken parboiled variety RI-INBKN5-P1
was quoted at $382-$387 per tonne this week, up from last week’s $380-$385.
“Most rice mills are operating at lower capacity due to a
scarcity of workers. Since supplies are limited for the exports, traders are
raising prices,” said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of
Andhra Pradesh.
In Thailand, benchmark 5% broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 prices
increased to $465-$500 from $463-$485 last week, on a strengthening baht.
“Supply concern has kept prices higher as we are still not
seeing much new supply entering the market from the off-season crop,” a Thai
rice trader said.
Bangladesh will review the impact of floods on paddy before
deciding on importing rice, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said.
“Currently, there’s no fear of food shortage in the country... A
decision to import rice will be taken if the yield of rice is not good and the
floods are prolonged.”
SunRice
boss tips 250,000t rice crop as cotton competition loses ground
Andrew Marshall@BurrenAndrew13
Aug 2020, 5:30 p.m.
Dam filling rain in southern NSW, the tumbling wool market and
uneasy expectations about cotton prices have combined to recharge the fortunes
of Australia's drought-whacked rice sector.
Chances are the national crop will bounce back from just 44,000
tonnes this year to well above 250,000t of paddy in 2021 if current dam levels
and grower planting intentions are any indicator.
"The indications we're hearing from rice growers who may also
produce wool, or grow cotton, are that they'll be pushing the needle towards
rice this season," said SunRice chairman Laurie Arthur.
"We're particularly positive about the growing season and
water allocations in the Riverina given inflows into Burrinjuck Dam are now
looking quite promising."
Water levels rising
Burrinjuck, in the Upper Murrumbidgee Valley, has enjoyed a 25 per
cent increase in capacity to about 70pc in the past week.
The rebound cannot come fast enough for SunRice, which for the
first time ever is likely to run out of Australian grown rice to supply
domestic demand by early 2021.
The national processor and international marketer is currently
operating its two southern NSW rice mills at a measly 5pc of capacity after
irrigation water shortages and stiff competition for water from the cotton and
almond sectors squeezed the past two seasons' production to the second and
third smallest yielding crops in the company's history (54,000t and 45,000t).
In a more typical season SunRice anticipates a harvest of about
800,000t, but supplies a total global market of more than 1 million tonnes a
year, with help from its overseas mills and other traders.
We're generally getting strong interest
in next season's crop for a variety of reasons, not just water availability
Mr Arthur said despite rainfall and water storages in the Murray
Valley being less exciting than the Murrumbidgee, his "gut feeling"
anticipated a 250,000t-plus harvest next autumn.
To lock in an initial commitment from growers, SunRice has offered
forward price contracts of between $475/t and $625/t, ensuring it had a base
reserve of key varieties to promise customers next season.
The fixed price contracts, for a total volume commitment above a
similar offer made last year, were quickly snapped up by growers last month.
RELATED READING
- SunRice offers fixed price
contracts to supply hungry markets
- ACCC says Murray Darling
water market badly ruled
"We're generally getting strong interest in next season's
crop for a variety of reasons, not just water availability," Mr Arthur
said.
As the world grappled with the coronavirus pandemic and the
related economic downturn, farmers and agribusiness marketers felt food
commodities were likely to be a safer prospect than relying on diminishing
demand from fibre and fashion markets.
With Australian cotton spot values for 2020 crop down from $630 a
bale in February to about 485/bale this month, and wool down from 1700 cents a
kilogram to below 1200c/kg in the same period, the southern Murray Darling
Basin's historic reliance on rice in mixed farming operations was returning to
the fore.
Irrigators rattled
The July
collapse of Chinese-owned cotton merchant Weilin Trade, based at Coleambally,
had also "rattled" southern NSW irrigators after leaving many growers
out of pocket for cotton contracts which never paid up and other creditors also
owed money.
Weilin Trade's receivers have suggested creditors across NSW and
Queensland will likely only receive about 20 cents for every dollar they were
owed.
"One of the reasons we're so confident about rice remaining a
permanent fixture in the agricultural landscape here - if we get water
management policies right - is because it's so very compatible with other ag
sectors in the southern basin," he said.
"You can harvest an 11t/hectare crop in May and follow-up
with oats or wheat planted into the residual moisture which will yield maybe
six tonnes, and provide grazing for prime lambs.
"Farmers understand the market advantages of a diverse
production base and that's being reflected in current levels of interest while
wool and cotton signals aren't so strong."
Efficiency pays
Australia's irrigated rice sector also used less water for every
tonne produced than any other rice industry in the world, averaging above
10t/ha.
That was at least a tonne better than nearest rivals the US or
Egypt and was the foundation for a major regional value adding industry, which
included world-leading rice milling efficiency.
"Obviously
running at 5pc milling capacity won't work for long so we certainly need a good
planting result this year, but we've still managed to stay profitable despite everything thrown at
us in the past year or so," he said.
"There wouldn't be many companies making profit running at
just 5pc throughput."
PHL rice supply
‘sufficient’ even with return to stricter lockdown
August 13, 2020 | 8:01 pm
THE rice supply was deemed sufficient for the
rest of the year despite the return of Metro Manila and nearby provinces to a
stricter form of lockdown, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said that
as of August, the rice inventory was good for about 53 days’ consumption, with
more on the way from the late-September harvest.
Mr. Dar discounted potential disruptive
factors like the Chinese floods, which could put pressure on international
supply.
“Our second quarter palay production of 4.125
million metric tons (MT) is a testament that reforms being instituted under the
Rice Tariffication Law are starting to bear fruit,” Mr. Dar said.
“Barring adverse typhoons and natural
disasters in the remaining months of the year, we expect a record palay output
this year of 20.34 million MT, which is 8% higher than the 2019 production,” he
added.
Mr. Dar said that the DA evaluated various
supply scenarios to arrive at its estimate for the rice inventory at year’s
end.
“All scenarios show comfortable levels of rice
supply by the end of the year, which at best would be good for 98 days, and at
worst, 90 days,” Mr. Dar said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
https://www.bworldonline.com/phl-rice-supply-sufficient-even-with-return-to-stricter-lockdown/
PH rice imports seen to
decline in 2021 – USDA
Published Aug 13, 2020 5:45:48 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13) — The United States Department of Agriculture has projected
that the Philippines' rice imports will decline by 9 percent in 2021 due to
lower production from its top suppliers.
In its Grain: World Markets and Trade report,
USDA said rice imports of the Philippines could decline to 3 million metric
tons compared to its previous projection of 3.3 million MT due to lower
supplies from Thailand and Vietnam, two of the country’s top sources for the
commodity.
“Global trade is expected to contract with
reduced imports by the Philippines, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire as major
exporters Thailand, China, and Vietnam face tighter supplies,” it said.
USDA said global production next year is
projected to decline 0.5 percent to 500.049 million MT linked to smaller
harvests from Thailand (down 1.9 percent), China (down 1.3 percent), and
Vietnam (down 0.7 percent).
However, the latest projection is still higher
than its 2020 rice imports estimates at 2.6 million MT, which led to the
Philippines replacing China as the world’s top importer with 2.3 million MT for
this year, and 2.2 million MT for next year.
The agency also projected that the
Philippines’ rice production this year will be at 11.91 million MT, up 1.5
percent from the previous year.
Government data showed that rice imports as of end-July has reached 1.457 million MT, slightly lower than the
1.491 million MT reported in the same period last year, which includes those
that arrived prior to the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law in
March.
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/business/2020/8/13/usda-2021-ph-rice-imports.html
Philippines to remain as world’s biggest
rice importer
Louise
Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star
) - August 14, 2020 - 12:00am
MANILA,
Philippines — The Philippines will still emerge as the world’s largest rice
importer until 2021 with the expected decline in local production.
Based on the
latest report of the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign
Agricultural Service, imports will slightly decline this year but will pick up
next year.
This year’s
rice imports are seen to reach 2.6 million metric tons, down 10 percent from a
year ago.
For 2021,
imports are expected to increase by 15 percent to three million MT. The USDA
has already lowered the import projection for the Philippines from the earlier
3.3 million MT.
“Global trade
is expected to contract with reduced imports by the Philippines, Nigeria and
Cote d’Ivoire as major exporters Thailand, China and Vietnam face tighter
supplies,” USDA said.
Next year,
however, the Philippines will still be the top importer as China is expected to
buy only 2.2 million MT.
The Rice
Tariffication Law enacted last year has made imports more available in the
market, depressing overall milled rice prices.
According to
the USDA, farmers are likely to shift to other crops while others continue the
trend of converting lands into other commercial purposes.
A year into
rice tariffication, rice farmers are still struggling to compete with
affordable imports from Southeast Asia although farm gate prices are now slowly
recovering.
Milled rice
production is forecast to improve to 11.9 million MT from last year’s 11.7
million MT as the government ramps up its Plant Plant Plant program amid the
pandemic.
Rice area and
yield are also expected to decline this year and in 2021 as some farmers decide
to diversify their crops or convert lands to non-agricultural uses.
Good progress of monsoon in August raises
hopes of bumper kharif harvest
SECTIONS
Good
progress of monsoon in August raises hopes of bumper kharif harvest
By
, ET BureauLast Updated: Aug 13, 2020,
10:37 AM IST
According to the data compiled and updated till August 7 by
the agriculture ministry, the area sown under rice increased 17% year-on-year
while that under oilseeds went up more than 15%.
AgenciesThe
condition of rice crop, which occupies the largest area among kharif crops, is
reported to be healthy while the pulses sector is also satisfied with the
progress of the monsoon.
With rainfall intensifying in August after some deficit in
July, India is likely to harvest a record kharif crop
if the rest of the monsoon
season goes well. Till August 7, the overall area under kharif crops was 10%
higher year-on-year, driven by factors such as early onset of monsoon, reverse
migration of labour and higher minimum support price for some crops. Good
temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall aided crop growth.
According to the data compiled and updated till August 7 by the agriculture
ministry, the area sown under rice
increased 17% year-on-year while that under oilseeds
went up more than 15% and area under groundnut shot up 44%. Area under pulses,
coarse cereals and cotton increased 4.20%, 3.70% and 4.10% respectively.
The country received normal cumulative rainfall till August 11. The timely
rains and spread of the rainfall satisfied the agrarian community.
“If the rest of the monsoon season goes well, we can expect a record kharif
crop. The quantum and spread of monsoon rainfall has been good so far,” said
Hanish Kumar Sinha, head of research and development at National Bulk Handling
Corporation, which plays a major role in storage of the kharif and rabi harvest.
“There is some stress in parts of Uttar Pradesh, north Madhya Pradesh and parts
of Gujarat and Rajasthan. However, there will be no major impact as Uttar
Pradesh has a good network of irrigation, while elsewhere, either it is some
minor crops or the rainfall is expected to revive.”
Prerana Desai, head of agri commodity research at Edelweiss Agri Value Chain,
said: “This year the kharif sowing was dramatically faster. At most places, the
weather is favourable. Though there are reports about pink boll worm and locust
attack, I have yet to hear about any adverse impact on the crop.”
There were concerns about the condition of the oilseed crops in the second half
of July. However, now the situation looks comfortable as the crop has received
the required amount of rainfall when it was most needed, said industry
veterans. “The crop condition looks good so far, though there is a need for a
spell of rainfall around August 15, followed by some rains every fortnight till
the crop is harvested,” said BV Mehta, executive director, Solvent Extractors’
Association.
The condition of rice crop, which occupies the largest area among kharif crops,
is reported to be healthy while the pulses sector is also satisfied with the
progress of the monsoon. “We just hope there is no excess rainfall at the
harvest time like previous year, which had caused huge losses,” said Bimal
Kothari, vice president, Indian Pulses
and Grains Association.
Costly inputs to affect Punjab’s rice crop
The Newspaper's Staff Reporter
Updated 13 Aug 2020
Overall, 52.2pc of the farmers reported an increase in
the cost of farm inputs due to Covid-19. — APP/File
ISLAMABAD:
Farmers in Punjab have lost earnings during the pandemic and may not be able to
buy inputs for rice production due to higher prices, according to survey
carried out by the Asian Development Bank on ‘Covid-19 Impact on Farm
Households in Punjab’.
Rice is
a major staple crop and an important export product, and increased input prices
may cause significant problems for the country’s economy.
ADB
conducted a computer-assisted telephonic survey of 668 farmers across 10
districts of Punjab and interviewed over 400 farmers. About 62 per cent of
total respondents reported financial difficulties in recent months because of
the Covid-19. Nearly 89pc of respondents who did so indicated the purchase of
inputs as their primary concern, while a minority cited liabilities, including
loans from banks and non-bank lenders.
Moreover,
33pc of respondents indicated that their households experienced losses in wages
and non-farm earnings because of Covid-19, and 22pc reported that at least one
family member had returned home from urban and other areas.
Farm
households are burdened by increase in the number of household members and
reduced cash income, which resulted in reduced non-food expenditures (11pc) and
lower food consumption (9.8pc).
Overall,
52.2pc of the farmers reported an increase in the cost of farm inputs due to
Covid-19. Majority stated that the cost of seed had increased, while a sizable
share noted higher prices for fertilisers and pesticides.
Regarding
labour availability, most responding farmers stated they did not have problems
in finding workers for the next crop cycle. Most reported not having any
trouble finding machines for preparing land or sowing crops.
Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2020
https://www.dawn.com/news/1574131
Kenya records
high wheat and rice imports in July
Country had deficit across all major grain
commodities, with increased imports recorded for maize, sorghum and wheat.
In Summary
• Food trade in East Africa in July was
characterised by deficits across major commodities with a few countries
recording exports.
• Import
dependency was high in wheat and rice, where imports
accounted for more than 80 per cent of total supplies.
IMPORTS: Workers
arrange bags of wheat in a godown at the Mombasa port
FILE
Wheat and
rice imports were high in July, according to a food security monitoring report.
The Alliance
for a Green Revolution's July Food Security Monitoring report indicates that
many countries in East Africa imported more than they exported.
The report
released on Wednesday showed that Kenya had a trade deficit across all major
grain commodities, with increased imports recorded for maize, sorghum and
wheat.
“The country
had a high import dependency recorded for rice and wheat with imports
accounting for 81 per cent and 80 per cent of the country’s total supplies
respectively,” the report states.
Neighbouring
countries like Tanzania and Uganda also experienced trade deficit across all
major commodities with exports recorded for maize, rice, sorghum, wheat and
soybean.
Import
dependency was high for wheat as imports accounted for 86 per cent and 85 per
cent of the total supplies for Tanzania and Uganda.
Ethiopia had
a trade deficit across most commodities except soybean. Exports were recorded
for sorghum and soybean with high import dependency recorded for rice, where
imports accounted for 86 per cent of the country’s total supplies.
Rwanda had a
trade deficit across all the commodities, but with exports recorded only for
maize. The country had a high wheat import dependency with imports accounting
for 58 per cent of the country’s total supplies.
South Sudan
recorded a negative trade balance across major grain commodities but with no
exports recorded during the month.
The report
reveals that as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to worsen, the impact on economies
persists. This has seen governments implementing response measures which seek
to minimise the spread of the pandemic while also minimising its impact on
economic performance.
The food
trade trends showed the commitment by governments to facilitate trade by
implementing open trade policies, which are having varying impacts on food
trade and food security.
The report
says Kenya has maintained its dairy protectionist policy which restricts
imports from Uganda.
“To this
end, the Kenya Dairy Board continues to decline issuing permits to Ugandan milk
producers and exporters. On the 29th of July, Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament
Rebecca Kadaga stated publicly that producers of milk and other dairy products
remain concerned about the continued imposition of non-tariff barriers
affecting trade in the region," the report says.
"This
dispute has resulted in a significant decline in milk exports between the two
countries impacting various actors along the milk value chain.”
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2020-08-12-kenya-records-high-wheat-and-rice-imports-in-july/
Kenya records high wheat and rice imports in July
Country had deficit across all major grain
commodities, with increased imports recorded for maize, sorghum and wheat.
In Summary
• Food trade in East Africa in July was
characterised by deficits across major commodities with a few countries
recording exports.
• Import
dependency was high in wheat and rice, where imports
accounted for more than 80 per cent of total supplies.
IMPORTS: Workers
arrange bags of wheat in a godown at the Mombasa port
FILE
Wheat and
rice imports were high in July, according to a food security monitoring report.
The Alliance
for a Green Revolution's July Food Security Monitoring report indicates that
many countries in East Africa imported more than they exported.
The report
released on Wednesday showed that Kenya had a trade deficit across all major
grain commodities, with increased imports recorded for maize, sorghum and
wheat.
“The country
had a high import dependency recorded for rice and wheat with imports
accounting for 81 per cent and 80 per cent of the country’s total supplies
respectively,” the report states.
Neighbouring
countries like Tanzania and Uganda also experienced trade deficit across all
major commodities with exports recorded for maize, rice, sorghum, wheat and
soybean.
Import
dependency was high for wheat as imports accounted for 86 per cent and 85 per
cent of the total supplies for Tanzania and Uganda.
Ethiopia had
a trade deficit across most commodities except soybean. Exports were recorded
for sorghum and soybean with high import dependency recorded for rice, where
imports accounted for 86 per cent of the country’s total supplies.
Rwanda had a
trade deficit across all the commodities, but with exports recorded only for
maize. The country had a high wheat import dependency with imports accounting
for 58 per cent of the country’s total supplies.
South Sudan
recorded a negative trade balance across major grain commodities but with no
exports recorded during the month.
The report
reveals that as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to worsen, the impact on
economies persists. This has seen governments implementing response measures
which seek to minimise the spread of the pandemic while also minimising its
impact on economic performance.
The food
trade trends showed the commitment by governments to facilitate trade by
implementing open trade policies, which are having varying impacts on food
trade and food security.
The report
says Kenya has maintained its dairy protectionist policy which restricts
imports from Uganda.
“To this
end, the Kenya Dairy Board continues to decline issuing permits to Ugandan milk
producers and exporters. On the 29th of July, Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament
Rebecca Kadaga stated publicly that producers of milk and other dairy products
remain concerned about the continued imposition of non-tariff barriers
affecting trade in the region," the report says.
"This
dispute has resulted in a significant decline in milk exports between the two
countries impacting various actors along the milk value chain.”
Edited by Henry Makori
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2020-08-12-kenya-records-high-wheat-and-rice-imports-in-july/
