News Detail…
Footprints: Basmati battle
Nasir JamalUpdated 04 Oct 2020
At present, India has 65 per cent and Pakistan
35pc share in the world basmati rice trade. — File photo
ABAD Khan
stands on the edge of his fields in Nowshera Virkan, a town known for its
aromatic, long-grain basmati rice to the west of Gujranwala, looking over his
new crop on a September afternoon. The overall average temperatures have
dropped but the day feels quite warm — something the basmati growers like Khan
should be worried about. To them a warmer weather means early flowering of
their rice plants and seed fertility issues.
Some parts of
the basmati belt along the Chenab are already under pest attack. The attack,
according to him, has so far been observed only in small patches along the basmati
belt — Narowal, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Sheikhupura. But he feels it
could spread because the pest is resisting the insecticides like anything and
multiple sprays in some areas have failed to kill the insect.
However,
climate change and pest attacks are not the only worries for him. India has
applied for exclusive GI (Geographical Indications) tag for its basmati rice at
the European Union’s official registry, the Council on Quality Schemes for
Agricultural Products and Food Stuffs. The EU subsequently published the
application of India in its official journal on September 11, showing basmati
rice as an India-origin product despite the fact that similar rice is widely
produced in Pakistan. To protect its own brand of basmati, Pakistan has a few
weeks before December 10 to challenge the Indian claim.
“If the Indians
managed to secure GI tag from the EU for their basmati crop, it will be
devastating for our growers and exporters,” Khan asserts, elaborating that the
drop in the basmati rice exports will result in lower prices for the farmers.
“Once India gets the exclusive GI tag, we will not be able to market our rice
in the international market as basmati; we would be wholly dependent on the
Indian firms and brands to sell our product in the global markets.”
At present,
India has 65 per cent and Pakistan 35pc share in the world basmati rice trade.
A GI is a sign
used on agricultural products that have specific geographical origin and
possess qualities or reputation that are due to that origin. Geographical
Indications are part of the intellectual property rights (IPRs). GI tags help
boost sales and exports as the geographical limitation on production and
official recognition of historical and cultural significance increase the
demand and create a legacy.
The news of
India staking an exclusive claim to basmati rice has also shocked Pakistan’s
rice exporters as basmati rice exports fetch between $800 million and $1
billion a year. “Pakistan exports basmati rice to many countries. A chunk of
our basmati exports is shipped to the EU countries. Should India secure the GI
tag for its basmati rice, the consumers will start preferring the [recognised]
Indian product. It will drastically harm our market share in EU. Hence, the
issue is of crucial importance for us,” says Sameeullah, a rice exporter from
Lahore.
“India cannot
have exclusive right on the basmati trademark when it is a joint heritage. A GI
tag is granted on the basis of geographical origin of an agricultural product
and qualities associated with the soil of that region or territory,” he
asserts, contending that Pakistan’s rice is way better than India’s in every
respect.
Khan says
India’s move has come as a surprise to him. “Pakistan had an understanding with
India that the two countries would jointly apply for the exclusive GI tag
because basmati rice is our shared heritage since it is grown for centuries by
both of them in areas along the Chenab. GI has more to do with soil than
history, on the basis of which India has applied for exclusive tag from the EU.
Our case for exclusive GI tag for our basmati rice is much stronger than
India’s.”
Both India and
Pakistan had fought jointly in the late 1990s and the early 2000s to foil the
attempt by a Texas-based company, RiceTec, to patent basmati rice in the US.
After losing the battle, the company named its rice brand as Texmati.
Khan is
critical of the government’s indifference towards growers’ plight. “It is
unfortunate that our government has never shown interest in protecting our
heritage. When India tried to make a case for GI tagging for its super basmati
rice some years back, our farmers took the initiative under the banner of the
Basmati Growers Association and challenged the move in Indian courts in Chennai
and New Delhi. Our government never supported us financially or technically nor
did it provide us legal support. Resultantly, we lost our case in the Chennai
court. We are unable to pursue the other case in New Delhi because we do not
have resources to pay for the lawyers’ fee and other expenses. You cannot fight
such issues alone; you always need government’s help in every possible way.”
Sameeullah is
also not happy with the government. “It is not that the government was unaware
of the New Delhi’s plans. India had been working on it for many years and
already declared Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and (some districts
of) Jammu and Kashmir as part of its basmati belt. We had our Geographical
Indications (Registration and Protection) Act 2020 passed from the parliament
in March this year to claim our right to the geographical origin for our
products. But since then no movement has so far been made to operationalise the
law. Even our trade representative in Brussels has not done anything so far.”
With less than 70 days left to challenge and
prepare Pakistan’s case, we may soon be gifting Pakistan’s basmati rice to the
Indian firms if the government doesn’t change its behaviour and take immediate
action to file objections to India’s claim for exclusive GI tag
https://www.dawn.com/news/1583144
Land sale called vital in
rice-site plan
by Stephen Steed | October 3, 2020 at 2:00 a.m.
The University of Arkansas System's Agriculture
Division says it will have "extremely limited options" for helping
pay for a new rice research center near Jonesboro if the pending sale to a
private entity of 6,300 acres from another research station collapses.
The Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board
has voted to provide $21.4 million for the future Northeast Rice Research and
Extension Center, including an initial $4 million grant to buy the 614-acre
site in Poinsett County, about 5 miles south of Jonesboro on Arkansas 1.
The board, a quasi-public entity whose nine
members are appointed by the governor but receives no general funding from the
state, also has established a $5 million endowment for the operations of the
center, the UA System's first since 1957.
The UA Agriculture Division said the sale of
the 6,300 acres from its Pine Tree Research Station in St. Francis County is
central to matching the rice board's $5 million endowment.
"Progress and scope of the project will be
directly impacted by the sale of Pine Tree," Mary Hightower, a division
spokeswoman, said this week in response to a series of questions related to
both projects. "If the sale does not proceed with the current executed
contract ... we have extremely limited options."
As for other costs associated with the center's
construction and operations, the division will seek grants and endowments from
private entities and state funds through the Arkansas General Assembly.
"We are also pursuing noncash gifts to
equip our research," Hightower said. "Through our development work,
we would need to raise $4 million to $6 million, in addition to the endowment;
hence the significance of the Pine Tree sale."
Selling 6,300 wet and heavily forested acres of
the Pine Tree station was "the most viable option" to help pay for
the new research center, Hightower said, because the acreage isn't conducive to
the row-crop research conducted elsewhere at the station.
While the sale was approved March 11 by the UA
System board of trustees, it also is contingent on the approval of Congress.
That's because UA in 1960 had obtained some 11,800 acres from the U.S. Forest
Service for what would become the Pine Tree station. UA paid $560,600, making
the final payment in 1978. The deed specified that the acreage be returned to
the Forest Service should it ever cease being public land -- a stipulation that
requires the congressional waiver, according to the Agriculture Division.
Lobo Farms LLC of the Fisher community in
Poinsett County made the only offer for the 6,300 acres. The sale price was
$17.6 million, plus a $1 million gift to a wetlands and waterfowl conservation
endowment.
PUBLIC ATTRACTION
The proposed sale to a private entity caught
the attention -- and opposition on social media -- of hunters and anglers
who've used the 6,300 acres for decades under a cooperative agreement between
the Agriculture Division and the state Game and Fish Commission.
While that agreement expired in 2005, the land
has remained open for hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities (but not
camping), and the Game and Fish Commission continues to manage the property as
a wildlife demonstration area.
The Agriculture Division said efforts to sell
the land to state agencies, including the Game and Fish Commission, and
conservation groups failed. Some state lawmakers have said the General Assembly
could pass legislation next year to buy the land and keep it in public hands.
"We have full faith and confidence in the
University of Arkansas coming up with the match," Roger Pohlner, chairman
of the rice promotion board, said Friday.
Pohlner said he believed the Agriculture
Division did everything it could to keep the Pine Tree acreage in public hands.
"I know the university explored a lot of options but just kept coming up
empty," Pohlner said. "The sale, if it goes through, helps not just
this [Jonesboro] station but all the other farms and stations where the
university is researching row crops, vegetables, cattle and forests."
Pohlner said the division went several years
without an increase in state general funding. "It's funny, now that the
agriculture people have found a way to get new funding, some lawmakers are
telling them to go back to the drawing board," he said.
Tying the acreage at the Pine Tree station to
paying for the new research station was a response to a board of trustees'
directive to inventory underutilized properties for possible sale or link to
other "public-private partnerships," the Agriculture Division has
said.
"At a time when funding is hard to come by
and the research and education needs of our organization are constant, the
proceeds from this sale are vitally important," the division said.
There apparently is no timeline for such a vote
in Congress. The contract with Lobo Farms expires at the end of the year but
can be renewed by mutual agreement, the Agriculture Division has said.
The registered agent for Lobo Farms is Mark
"Field" Norris Jr., a financial adviser with Raymond James &
Associates in Memphis. Norris, the son of a federal judge in Tennessee
appointed two years ago by President Donald Trump, has declined through an
attorney for the group to identify other investors in Lobo Farms. No law
requires such identification.
After questions were raised by outdoors groups,
media outlets and some legislators, Norris wrote the UA division on July 31 to
say no members of the buying group are current or past members of the General
Assembly or the UA System trustees or hold "any elected position."
RICE RESEARCH
Arkansas is the largest U.S. rice producer,
supplying about half of the nation's annual harvest. Arkansas rice growers last
year harvested more than 185 million bushels from 1.1 million acres. About
eight northeast Arkansas counties now grow most of the rice in the state,
eclipsing production in the Grand Prairie region, the birthplace of commercial
rice production, several years ago.
The Agriculture Division now conducts research
on rice production in Stuttgart at the Rice Research and Extension Center and
at the Northeast Research and Extension Center in Keiser.
"The soils at ... Stuttgart are not the
same as the mixed soils north of I-40 and west of Crowley's Ridge; nor are they
the same as the heavier clay soils closer to the Mississippi River on which we
grow rice at ... Keiser," Mark Cochran, the UA System's vice president for
agriculture, has said.
Some $5 million of the proceeds of the Pine
Tree sale would go toward the new station, the Agriculture Division has said.
Another $6 million could be invested in research into smart farming and
precision agriculture. Research into wetlands and waterfowl conservation and
timber and wildlife also would benefit, the division said.
Work at the Poinsett County site has proceeded
during the uncertainty surrounding the state portion of its funding.
Hightower said the land has been leveled and
irrigation improvements are being made. Ground has been broken for equipment
storage. Construction of a shop will begin this year "to accommodate the
initial research activities that will take place in 2021," she said.
Those "phase one" activities were
funded by the rice promotion board's initial contribution of up to $4 million
to buy the 614 acres and $496,500 for construction of irrigation systems and
wells.
Some $3.6 million was used for the purchase of
two contiguous tracts -- 591.53 acres, for $3.5 million, from R.B. Spencer
Farms of Jonesboro, and 22.47 acres, for $150,000, from Rusty Cartillar of
Wynne. The UA trustees approved the purchase in November 2017.
The rice board also has pledged $10 million for
the new station's headquarters; $1.4 million for construction of a shop and
equipment yard, and $529,000 to pay a multiyear portion of the salary and
benefits of Tim Burcham, hired last year as the Jonesboro center's director.
Burcham previously was dean of the Arkansas
State University College of Agriculture. While ASU has been cited as a partner
in research at the Jonesboro center, ASU isn't contributing any money toward
its operations, Hightower said.
The budget for a second phase is $3.2 million
for early construction and equipment, Hightower said.
"Initial annual operating costs are
roughly $200,000, including a farm supervisor and an employee," she said.
"Once we reach full operation, we anticipate costs for the research
portion of the center to be approximately $800,000 annually."
Construction of the headquarters is projected
to cost $12 million to $14 million, Hightower said.
Pohlner, the rice board chairman, said he wants
to see a headquarters "with state of the art programs that we don't have
going on at any of the other research centers, one that's open to the public,
open to teachers who can load their kids onto buses for a day of education on
rice and agriculture that's so important to the state."
"Those are the kinds of things that will
be curtailed if we can't get fully funded," he said.
Pohlner said the rice promotion board will
offer other contributions as needed but also will help raise money from private
entities.
Since its creation in 1985, the rice promotion
board has been funded by assessments charged to rice growers and buyers, but
the $21.4 million contribution to the Jonesboro center comes entirely from
tariffs collected on rice imported by Colombia.
Every rice-producing state receives the tariff
funds, part of a 2012 trade promotion agreement between the U.S. and Colombia
that, by phases, will end in about 2032, when free trade fully opens between
the two countries.
The Arkansas board has received about $40
million since the program began, said Brandy Carroll, the board's
administrator. She said the Arkansas board, prior to the Jonesboro
contributions, had contributed about $10 million of tariff funds to various
large-scale rice research programs in the state.
The board, she said, has voted to require that
every dollar collected through both the tariffs program and the grower-buyer
assessments be spent on research.
In a preface to answering questions this week
about the proposed center and the sale of the Pine Tree acreage, the
Agriculture Division said in a statement, "We continue to be disappointed
and frustrated that opposition to the sale of the land at Pine Tree has
devolved into attacks on our reputation and our research, and in particular our
plans for the new rice station. This center was requested by the rice farmers
in northeastern Arkansas, whose need for our research is great and we need to
support them."
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/oct/03/land-sale-called-vital-in-rice-site-plan/
Tirap KVK conducts pest infestation awareness prog
October
4, 2020
KHONSA, Oct 3: The
Tirap KVK on Saturday organized a ‘training-cum-awareness programme on pest
management of sali rice’ in Sipini village.
KVK Head Dr DS Chhonkar advised the farmers to
be hard working and be role models for other farmers and unemployed youths.
Plant protection scientist Pura Hano spoke on
the basic management system of rice pest.
“Any chemical pesticide should be used when it
is needed by strictly considering the economic threshold level of the pest
population,” he said.
The KVK scientists also interacted with the 33
farmer participants regarding the pest infestation problem and its management.
Two knapsack sprayers and insecticides for rice
leaf folder and caseworm were divided among the farmers, according to the
severity of infestation in their fields.
https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2020/10/04/tirap-kvk-conducts-pest-infestation-awareness-prog/
Palay prices in top-producing areas reach P19 per kilo
QUEZON CITY, Oct. 4 -- Buying prices for dry
palay (paddy rice) in the country’s top-producing areas reach P19 per kilo, at
par with the maximum buying price set by the National Food Authority (NFA).
The quick palay price survey report made by the Philippine Rice Information
System (PRiSM), from September 16-30, 2020, showed that prices of palay
averaged P18 per kilo (/kg) in Central Luzon and P19/kg in Cagayan Valley.
The two regions are the country’s top rice producers, accounting for roughly 19
percent (%) and 12.5%, respectively, of total national harvest in 2019, at 18.8
million metric tons (MMT).
In the same report, PRiSM said the price for freshly-harvested palay in the two
regions averaged at P14/kg.
In a virtual press conference on October 1, Agriculture Secretary William Dar
said prevailing palay prices in the Philippines towards the end of the second
semester 2020 were actually higher than in previous years.
Grains traders and middlemen usually buy wet or freshly-harvested palay, with
high moisture content or MC, at 35% to 40% lower than dried grains at 14% MC,
as they shoulder the costs of hauling, transportation, and drying.
The NFA, an attached corporation of the Department of Agriculture, buys dry
palay with 14% MC at P19/kg nationwide. It also buys wet palay on a pro-rata
basis, and offers free transport at designated barangays, said DA-NFA
Administrator Judy Carol Dansal.
The PRiSM project is an online system that consolidates and presents accurate,
timely, and location-specific information on the status of rice crops, that
includes: rice area estimates, planting dates, yield estimates, and crop health
assessments.
Thus, it provides the DA management vital information to support its strategic
and policy decision-making on the country’s rice industry and food value chain.
PRiSM is jointly undertaken by the DA’s Philippine Rice Research Institute
(PhilRice), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and Sarmap, a Swiss
technology firm.
“Hence, we base our analysis and decisions using more reliable data. Bumababa
tayo sa mga communities to monitor and ensure that our interventions are in
place and benefit our farmers,” the DA chief said.
A separate survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) during
the last two weeks of September showed that farmgate prices of palay were at
P17.12/kg, 5.8% higher than P16.18/kg in 2019, for the same period.
“Our PRiSM data, therefore, debunks the disinformation waged by interest groups
against the rice tariffication law (RTL), blaming it for the decline in prices
of palay,” said secretary Dar.
“The interest groups, along with former DA officials, have exaggerated data on
palay to push for the amendment or repeal of the RTL. They are resurrecting old
arguments against RTL,” he added.
Interest groups, led by the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), call for the
review and repeal of the RTL as palay prices continue to drop and rice
importation remains unregulated by the government.
The PRiSM survey was conducted in 16 regions, among 219 respondents, composed
of farmers, traders, and millers. It also considered palay price monitoring
reports from DA-regional field offices and provincial and municipal local
government units.
“Makikita dito na hindi nagkakalayo ang data na ginagamit ng gobyerno, and
definitely the reality is, hindi kasing baba ang presyo ng palay as interest
groups claim on social media,” Secretary Dar said. (DA)
https://pia.gov.ph/press-releases/releases/1055078
Lawmaker wants
excess rice tax as cash aid
Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star
) - October 4,
2020 - 12:00am
MANILA,
Philippines — Sen. Francis Pangilinan is calling on the government to release
as cash aid the excess in revenues from the Rice Tariffication Law as prices of
palay (unhusked rice) continue to slide.
Pangilinan said
farmers are currently in an emergency situation needing urgent assistance from
the government to stay afloat.
“The
life-saving measure is direct cash assistance especially to the small farmers
now suffering from the plunge in the prices of palay and from the lack of other
livelihood opportunities due to the pandemic,” he said.
Palay prices
have reportedly dipped to as low as P11 per kilogram in some areas, way below
their production cost.
The government
has so far collected P10.728 billion in taxes from rice imports as of end-July,
already meeting the P10 billion allocation for the Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
Taxes collected
in excess of the P10 billion may be allocated as cash assistance to farmers.
“We have an
excess collection of P728 million as of July and this should directly benefit
the farmers especially in these hard times,” Pangilinan said.
“We need to get
the cash in their hands so they can continue to plant and put food on every
Filipino’s table,” he said.
The lawmaker
urged the Department of Agriculture to immediately address the situation, which
he said is expected to happen regularly after the RTL was enacted last year.
The law opened
the Philippine market to unlimited rice imports at higher tax rates. In
November last year, the Philippines became the world’s top importer of rice
overtaking China.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2020/10/04/2046943/lawmaker-wants-excess-rice-tax-cash-aid
Fresh floods spell disaster for Aman crops
12:00 AM, October 05, 2020
05:45 PM, October 05, 2020
Retail prices of coarse rice soar 31pc in September
Aman is the second-largest rice crop accounting
for roughly 38 per cent of the country's annual rice production. The ongoing
deluge is likely to affect the overall production of the crop.
"It is really unfortunate. The crop looked
good and was growing well," said Md Abdul Muyeed, director-general of the
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
"Even though 100,000 hectares of Aman crop
were inundated, I think we will be able to reach close to the production target
as the crop condition in other parts of the country is very good. We have seen
enough rains and plants have received water this year."
The DAE is yet to prepare an estimate on the
extent of crops damaged by the flood.
"Crop on half of the inundated areas may
be recovered," he said.
Twenty-five districts have been affected by the
flood, with Kurigram and Rangpur the worst. Part of Naogaon has also been
inundated, said Muyeed, who was visiting the northern region yesterday.
Farmers have started harvesting the early
varieties of the paddy, he said.
A former scientist of the Bangladesh Rice
Research Institute said there was little hope of recovery of a large portion of
Aman plantings submerged by the latest floods.
Farmers transplanted Aman paddy on 55.12 lakh
hectares this season, down from 55.71 lakh hectares the previous year. The
areas for sown or broadcasted also declined, data from the agriculture ministry
showed.
This is yet another round of flood that began
to hit farmers and localities repeatedly from the end of June this year,
fuelling prices of the staple grain amid speculation among rice traders and
millers that the overall output will drop during the Aman season because of
crop losses and late cultivation.
Floodwaters started to recede at the end of
August and the agriculture ministry had said the previous floods damaged Aush
and Aman crops on 111,000 hectares of area.
In September, retail prices of coarse rice were
31 per cent up year-on-year at Tk 44 a kilogramme in Dhaka, the Food and
Agriculture Organization data showed.
Against the backdrop of the soaring prices, the
food ministry, at a meeting with millers and traders last week, fixed the mill
gate prices of the grain. The gap between the government-fixed mill gate prices
and the retail market has remained high.
Food Secretary Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum said
prices would not increase further.
"The government's drive against hoarding
of rice will continue. During drives, we still find paddy that has been stocked
by people. As we had enough production, we want to explore. Some people must
have stocks."
"There is a good stock of food-grains at
public warehouses. So, we are not worried," she said.
Bangladesh will have to import to build
adequate public stock if Aman production is hampered and the country can't
attain the procurement target, Khanum said.
"But, right now, we are not going to
import," she said.
Two economists, however, said the drives
against hoarding would not be helpful in containing the volatility in the rice
market.
Instead, the government should focus on
increasing supply either through the higher distribution of rice using the
social safety net programmes or through imports.
"The new spell of the flood will create speculation
and will have an impact in the rice market," said Khan Ahmed Sayeed
Murshid, the director-general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development
Studies.
He said drives against hoarding to curb
volatility in the market did not work in the past.
"Supply has to be increased in the market
to control speculation," he said.
The government distributed four lakh tonnes of
grains in the October to November period from public stocks of 10 lakh tonnes
of rice.
At the same time, the government should
initiate the process for imports. The purchase from the external sources should
not be done during the harvesting season as it will hurt farmers, Murshid said.
Prof Shamsul Alam, a member of the General
Economics Division of the planning commission, said Aman crop would not be
affected if the water recedes fast.
"The price spiral of rice is not good news
for consumers. As the rice market is highly competitive, putting pressures on
traders and millers will bring little benefit. Steps should be taken to
facilitate imports," said Alam, an agricultural economist.
Wais Kabir, a former executive chairman of
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, said a portion of Aman crop in the
Teesta-Dhara basin would be affected for the inundation.
As an alternative, crops such as mustard and
maize can be considered and the government can take steps to support affected
farmers so that they can intensify the cultivation of early winter crop, he
said.
Muyeed said the DAE would take initiatives to
provide seeds of mustard, maize and wheat to rehabilitate farmers.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/fresh-floods-spell-disaster-aman-crops-1972729
Rice
exports top $300M in first nine months of year
Publication
date 04 October 2020 | 22:41 ICT
Cambodia
exported a total of 488,785 tonnes of rice, an increase of 22.62 per cent
year-on-year. Post staff
Cambodia rice exports in the first nine months
of the year topped $300 million, an increase of more than 10 per cent,
according to a report by the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF).
The data shows that from January to September,
Cambodia brought in more than $328 million from rice exports, up from $297
million in the same period last year.
Cambodia exported a total of 488,785 tonnes of
rice, an increase of 22.62 per cent year-on-year, which was 398,586 tonnes,
said the data.
China remains the largest export market and
buys 35 per cent or 171,896 tonnes of rice.
The European Union (including the UK) is second
with 33 a per cent market share (161,614 tonnes), of which France has the
largest market share at 13 per cent.
ASEAN member markets accounted for 67,433
tonnes of exports, while other markets accounted for 87,832 tonnes, up 69 per
cent from the same period last year. Of that, Africa’s Gabon increased imports
by 81 per cent and Australia by 62 per cent.
Cambodia exported more than 78 per cent of its
fragrant rice to international markets during this period.
Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF)
secretary-general Lun Yeng told The Post on Sunday that Cambodia’s rice exports
to the Chinese market had maintained good growth with demand for fragrant and glutinous
rice.
He said Cambodia had exported nearly 140,000
tonnes of glutinous rice to the Chinese market in the period, a record high.
“We see that there is a good market for
glutinous rice in China, which is being used in the confectionery industry, and
we will encourage our farmers to grow more glutinous paddy rice next year,” he
said.
Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development
Institute (CARDI) Director Dr Ouk Makara said he met with Cambodian Rice
Federation President Song Saran recently to highlight the growing demand for
glutinous rice in the Chinese market and promised to encourage farmers to grow
local glutinous paddy rice.
He said CARDI-released Damnoeb Sbai Mongkul
glutinous seedlings have not been widely cultivated since 2013 and only some
farmers in Battambang and other provinces are cultivating them.
Makara said: “I told him to encourage farmers
to grow Damnoeb Sbai Mongkul glutinous rice because it is top quality and could
meet the market demand”.
China is expected to import a total of 5.32
million tonnes of all types of rice by 2020. China has allowed 12 countries to
sell rice, including Cambodia.
Chan Pich, general manager of Signature of
Asia, Cambodia’s leading rice exporter, told The Post that Cambodia’s continued
increase in rice exports reflects government and private sector efforts to
diversify the market.
“I think our continued increase in rice exports
is a positive sign towards the government and the rice federation’s target of
one million tonnes by 2023,” he said.
He said Signature of Asia needs between $2
million and $3 million in working capital to buy about 25,000 tonnes of paddy
rice for storage during the rice harvest season by the end of 2020.
Cambodia’s rice exports amounted to 620,106
tonnes in 2019, down 0.97 per cent from 626,225 tonnes in 2018. Revenue from
rice exports was $501 million, down 4.3 per cent from 2018’s $ 524 million,
according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-exports-top-300m-first-nine-months-year
Thailand sees opportunities
to boost rice exports to EU
Thailand’s
premium rice products are having better chances for export to the EU after the
bloc allowed zero-tariff rice imports of 24,883 tonnes for October.
Monday,
October 05, 2020 09:29
Bangkok
(VNA) – Thailand’s premium rice products
are having better chances for export to the EU after the bloc allowed zero-tariff rice imports of
24,883 tonnes for October.
According to Keerati Rushchano,
director-general of Thailand’s Foreign Trade Department, the European
Commission has recently announced that the remaining annual quota for rice
(white rice, Thai hom mali rice, Thai fragrant rice and 100 percent parboiled
rice) would have zero tariffs this month for up to 24,883 tonnes.
The EU has set annual rice import quota for 2020 at 630,000 tonnes.
The zero import tariff is a good opportunity for Thai rice exporters to raise
their exports to the market, said Keerati. The EU normally collects an import
tariff of 145 EUR per tonne.
The bloc has required importers to apply for import licences within the first
10 working days of October.
In the first eight months of 2020, Thailand exported 146,362 tonnes of rice
worth 140 million USD to the EU.
Charoen Laothammatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said
local rice exports to the EU are likely to drop from 2019 because of the
COVID-19 impact, which weakened rice demand at restaurants and hotels./.
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/thailand-sees-opportunities-to-boost-rice-exports-to-eu/188049.vnp
Cotabato governor calls on Congress to amend rice
importation law
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:16 AM October 05,
2020
COTABATO CITY,
Maguindanao, Philippines — Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco has called on Congress
to review and amend the rice tariffication law, or Republic Act No. 11203,
blaming it for the steep drop in palay prices in her province, one of the
leading rice producers in Mindanao.
Catamco, a former member
of the House of Representatives, said local rice farmers had been complaining
of the “very, very low farm-gate prices [of palay, or unmilled rice]” and they
desperately needed support from national legislators “to correct a flawed
legislation, which allows the unhampered entry of imported rice” into the
country.
The rice tariffication law
was implemented beginning March last year, doing away with quantitative limits to
imports of the staple crop while setting higher tariffs, the proceeds of which
go into the rice competitiveness enhancement fund to support the local rice
industry.
But instead of helping the
local rice industry, farmers “are suffering from the adverse effects of
unlimited importation of rice,” said Catamco, who faced farmer leaders in a
dialogue on Friday after a peaceful protest rally in Mlang town.
She said that in abiding
by the country’s commitments to the World Trade Organization, the government “must
not jeopardize the welfare of the millions of Filipino rice farmers who depend
on the industry.”
Difficult
life
Farmer Gualberto Sison
lamented how life has become so difficult for his family when imported rice
displaced them from the market.
“The prices of face masks
is higher compared to the price of palay,” said Sison, who works in a 2-hectare
rice farm. Private traders buy palay at P9.50 to P11 per kilo, and a face mask
sells for P20 apiece.
While the National Food
Authority (NFA) buys palay at P17 to P19 per kilo, another farmer, Solima Lim,
said many of them could not avail themselves of government procurement and were
forced to sell to traders who gave them loans for farm inputs.
Buying
stations
Mindanao has about 1.2
million hectares of rice farms, generating more than 350,000 jobs with annual
wages valued at P42 billion.
In Albay, another
rice-producing province, palay buying stations have been set up in two towns
where farmers can sell their produce for P19 per kilo.
Rep. Fernando Cabredo said
he was assured by the NFA in Albay that it had the funds to buy palay at P19
per kilo at its stations in Libon town and Ligao City.
“The absence of rice
buying stations [in other areas] compels farmers to sell their palay to rice
traders who in turn take advantage of the situation by manipulating and
dictating the buying price of palay,” he said.
Farmers have wanted to
sell their produce directly to the NFA but they are discouraged because the
agency requires palay to be clean and dry, and doing so would mean additional
cost for them.
Cabredo, quoting a report
from the NFA, said the agency could still accept palay that were still wet and
unclean because of the absence of warehouses and drying facilities in Bicol.
He said he had also asked
the Department of Agriculture to provide more postharvest facilities like rice
processing centers, dryers and multipurpose drying pavement to rice farmers,
more farm-to-market roads and transportation assistance.
Fishermen
buck tilapia, galunggong importation
Published October 5, 2020, 11:08 AM
Fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya
ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) is asking the government to look for other solutions
to the expected shortage of tilapia and galunggong, stressing importation in
not the answer as this will be detrimental to small fishermen.
PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson Fernando Hicap said the
Department of Agriculture (DA) should have already come up with a more
sustainable solution to the expected shortage by now since this has already
been an annual occurrence.
“When will the DA ever learn that resorting to
importation every time there is a fish shortage will never address this yearly
cycle of a fisheries crisis?” Hicap asked.
“While we recognize that there may be an actual shortage in fisheries
production brought about by the pandemic, the common-sense solution is to
fortify government intervention and adequately support the local production,”
he added.
“Opening our floodgates for imports would do more harm
than good, especially to the small fishers who will be left at a disadvantage”.
Last week, the DA revealed its current food supply
outlook, which shows that that by the end of the year, there will be a deficit
in the country’s fishery supply of about 42 days’ worth of consumption.
To fill this in, the DA is contemplating importing
additional supply, or about 400,000 metric tons (MT) supplemental fish imports.
Without imports, the agency’s outlook indicated that the
supply is estimated to be at 2.9 million MT, which is lower than the demand of
3.3 million MT.
For round scad or galunggong, the country’s supply is
estimated to be at 53,925 MT by the end of the year, which is lower than the
demand of 105,690 MT. This shows a deficit of 51,765 MT.
For tilapia, on the other hand, the supply stood only at
102,624 MT versus a demand of 114,660 MT, showing a deficit of 12,036 MT.
However, Hicap said imported fishery and marine products
“outcompetes and further pulls down farmgate prices of fresh and locally-caught
fish”.
At present, farmgate prices of galunggong and tilapia are
at P60 per kilogram (/kg) to P70/kg and P30/kg to P40/kg, respectively.
“Flooding our local market with imported fish will
further downgrade the value of our local fishery products, leaving our small
fishers at the losing end,” Hicap said.
“Imported fish which are frozen and inferior in quality
are relatively cheaper than our local fish products. This trend is akin to how
local rice farmers are being lambasted by the impacts of imported rice
facilitated by the Rice Liberalization Law. This is how liberalization of
agriculture and fisheries sabotages the livelihood of Filipino fishers and
farmers across the country,” he further said.
He then suggested that DA should just manage the
country’s fish supply and make other fishery products more accessible and
affordable to consumers.
“There are plenty of fish in the Philippine seas, why not
make them more accessible and affordable to poor consumers instead of importing
deficient varieties?” Hicap said.
Right now, if there’s a shortage in tilapia and
galunggong, considered as the “poor man’s fish” for its affordability, there is
now an abundance in the local supply of some high-value fishery products like
tuna and crabs.
These products — considered high-value fisheries products
for their prices — are supposed to be exported to other countries but couldn’t
go anywhere because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. They are also normally
served in restaurants.
Because of this, Asis Perez, former director of Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), advised Filipinos to tweak their fish
consumption a bit and lean more on these high-value fishery products to make up
for the lost export revenues.
He then said the government should help local exporters identify the domestic
markets where they can divert their products, especially now that it’s hard to
export them to other countries.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/10/05/fishermen-buck-tilapia-galunggong-importation/
Coarse
grains, millets must for balanced diet
Renowned
cooking expert Sanjeev Kapoor, who is always vocal for local food,
says coarse grains like kodo, ragi, jowar are more beneficial
for health than polished grains so the menu at five-star hotels also includes
millets.
Published
on: October 05, 2020 6:27 IST
Coarse
grains, millets must for balanced diet
Kodo is more beneficial for health than
polished rice sold in the market. Kodo is a type of coarse grain and coarse
cereals are rich in micronutrients as well as fibre so it is necessary to
include coarse grains in your food intake for boosting fitness.
Renowned
cooking expert Sanjeev Kapoor, who is always vocal for local food, says coarse
grains like kodo, ragi, jowar are more beneficial for health than polished
grains so the menu at five-star hotels also includes millets.
Kapoor,
who is also the Onboard Chef at Tata Sampann, told IANS that local food is not
only beneficial for health but is also delicious so the menu of five-star
hotels includes area-specific local foods which are in demand. He said,"We
launched a khichdi with Tata Sampann in which we included a lot of millets and
spices along with lentil rice and there is a lot of demand for it."
Kapoor,
who considers homemade food important, said it would be a better prospect if
pizzas, burgers and other continental foods were prepared at home.
People's
increasing interest in foods containing coarse grains is undoubtedly beneficial
for health as scientists have found they contain lot of rich micronutrients.
However,
scientists from the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) under the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) say that a limited amount of coarse grains
should be included in the diet.
Dr Subba
Rao M. Gavaravarapu, scientist at NIN, Hyderabad and Chief of Nutrition
Information and Communication division, said at present, the market offers only
coarse grains except all other grains which is not good because maintaining
diversity in food is important.
"NIN
says that a person must have food which provides 2,000 calories a day, which
includes nearly 270 grams of grains in it. It is good to take 40 to 50 per cent
or 120 to 130 gram coarse grains. The rest of the grains we have been eating
since childhood must be included in the diet," Dr Subba Rao added.
Micronutrients
and fibre, he said, are found in coarse grains so it is beneficial to include
them in food for daily intake but eating only coarse grains is not recommended.
September
was celebrated as the 'Nutrition Month'. A special programme "Local Diet
With Proper Nutrition" highlighted the importance of local food. Food
experts described the consumption of seasonal crops grown in different parts of
the country as more beneficial. In this event organised by NIN and Tata
Sampann, Director of the National Institute of Nutrition Dr R. Hemlata said
there is need to talk openly about the local food items.
https://www.indiatvnews.com/lifestyle/food-coarse-grains-millets-must-for-balanced-diet-654358
Before The Land Borders Are
Re-opened
in EDITORIAL
There are indications that the
federal government may soon are-open the country’s land borders which it closed
in August last year.
The government decided initially to
shut the land borders to stop smuggling activities and illicit export of
locally subsidised petrol to neighbouring countries while boosting local
production. Also, the action was also to combat the smuggling of arms and
ammunition, as well as hard drugs into the country. The COVID-19 pandemic added
impetus to that decision.
The government said that the borders
would remain closed until neighbouring countries duly comply with the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS)protocols on transit of goods.
Since the closure, different
commentators and analysts have tried to condemn the action of the government on
the ground that it is hurting the economy. That of course is true, but then
there comes a time when the nation needs to endure a little sacrifice to build
a better tomorrow.
That was exactly the reason behind
the border closure. For too long, Nigeria was turned into a dumping ground for
all sorts of commodities including frozen foods, foreign rice, textile
materials among others, smuggled through the borders. The unfortunate thing is
that most of these commodities are sub standard and fake or are prohibited in
the country.
Benin Republic became one of the
world’s top importers of rice because of its Nigerian market. Almost all of the
rice it imported from Thailand, Indonesia etc found its way to Nigeria through
the Seme border.
The government had at various times
tried to stop the influx of these commodities through diplomatic means,
engaging the customs of the different countries to build a joint patrol. But
that achieved very little. In fact it is clear that that country and other neighbouring
African countries are taking Nigeria for a smuggling destination.
Recently when President Muhammadu
Buhari met with the President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon, on the
sidelines of the seventh Tokyo International Conference for African Development
(TICAD7), in Yokohama, Japan, one of the things he told him was that Nigeria
had had enough of the smuggling from the Benin end of the border.
The president was right. Of course,
while this newspaper agrees that no nation can afford to close its borders
forever because the world has become a global village, no nation also throws
its borders open to all manner of goods without control. It is also true that
Nigeria cannot continue to keep its borders shut since it has appended its
signature to the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). However,
the fact remains that Nigeria, as a
sovereign nation, cannot sit and watch other countries batter its economy
unchecked.
Given the outcry from our West
African next door neighbours such as Benin, Togo and Ghana, it is clear that
these countries actually depend on Nigeria for their survival. There is nothing
wrong with that, but it has to be a symbiotic relationship.
While it is obvious that the closure
came with its pains, there is no denying the fact that some gains have also
been made. For instance, it was reported that most ofthe cargoes that used to
be shipped to Benin Republic, and then discharged and smuggled into Nigeria,
with the closure of the borders, the importers have been forced to bring their
goods to either Apapa or Tin Can Island and pay the necessary duties to
government.
Within this period, customs reported
that it has been making between N4.7 billion to N5.8 billion daily–more than
the agency used to generate before the closure.
While we applaud the government for
the bold step it took to protect its territorial integrity, and better develop
its own domestic rice production capacity, it is obvious that the customs,
immigration and other security agencies have broadly failed to stop the problem
of illegal importation of rice from Benin.
With tariffs on imports of rice into
Benin markedly lower than the tariffs on imports of rice into Nigeria, Benin
has become a major importer of rice from India, Thailand and other sources.
That explains why importers prefer to go through Benin and then smuggle the
goods into Nigeria.
As the government is making
arrangements to reopen the borders, it is imperative that it should look back
to check if the objectives for which the borders were closed in the first place
have been achieved.
The President once said that the
closure of the country’s borders was effected to allow Nigeria’s security
forces develop a strategy to curb smuggling from Benin.Thirteen months after
the border closure how far have the security agencies gone with the new
strategies to man the borders?
It is also important to ask how far
has the neighbouringcountries agreed to comply with the ECOWAS protocol on
movement of goods?
If we cannot answer these questions
in the affirmative, the whole essence of the border closure would have been a
waste and the people have been made to suffer unduly
https://leadership.ng/2020/10/05/before-the-land-borders-are-re-opened/
Glitch in e-kharid portal slows down paddy
procurement in Haryana
The tardy lifting has caused glut in the mandis as the farmers are not
getting enough space to unload their produce in the overflowing grain markets.
CITIES Updated: Oct 04, 2020 20:16 IST
Farmers in Haryana are a worried lot after a
technical snag in the e-kharid portal has led to slow procurement of paddy in
the mandis of the state.
The tardy lifting has caused glut in the mandis
as the farmers are not getting enough space to unload their produce in the
overflowing grain markets. The harvesting of both parmal and basmati varieties
is on peak in the state.
Aimed at empowering farmers and extending ease
of doing business to traders, the e-kharid system was launched for Haryana in
September 2016. Under this system, direct payment is made into the accounts of
the farmers for their produce.
On Sunday, the ahrtias complained that the
farmers were unable to sell their produce due to the technical problem on the
e-kharid portal for several hours and therefore the rice millers have been purchasing
it without any formalities.
“I reached the mandi with the produce at 3.30am
on Sunday. I had to wait for about five hours in the queue outside the mandi as
there was no space to unload the produce. I have not been able to sell my
produce yet and will have to wait till Monday as there was no procurement,”
said Ramesh Kumar, a farmer, who was present in Ladwa grain market of
Kurukshetra district.
A commission agent in Kurukshetra, Naresh
Kumar, said, “There were problems with the e-portal and it has affected the
procurement for several hours causing inconvenience to the farmers who had
brought their produce in the mandi as per the schedule.”
A senior officer of the state agriculture
marketing board said there was some technical problem with the e-portal but it
has been fixed. “The procurement will improve from Monday,” he added. The
official said to ease the lifting, the state government is taking help of rice
millers as they have enough arrangements for the procurement.
Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal, who was
in Karnal on Sunday, said the government has made all arrangements for the
procurement and every single grain of the farmers will be procured on MSP.
BKU: Moisture within limit,
yet millers deducting money
Farmers’ union threatens stir if deduction
isn’t stopped
Posted: Oct 05, 2020 07:16
AM (IST)
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam
Singh Charuni has accused rice millers of deducting Rs 100 per quintal for 17
per cent moisture content, which is permissible, in paddy. He has threatened to
launch a stir if the deduction is not stopped.
Tribune News Service
Kurukshetra, October 4
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam
Singh Charuni has accused rice millers of deducting Rs 100 per quintal for 17
per cent moisture content, which is permissible, in paddy. He has threatened to
launch a stir if the deduction is not stopped.
Gurnam Singh said, “We have received complaints
from different grain markets that the rice millers have been deducting Rs 100
per quintal for 17 per cent moisture content, especially in PR26 variety. The
farmers are ready for moisture cut if the moisture is over 17 per cent but the
cut at 17 per cent is not acceptable.
“The commission agents also follow the
directions of rice millers as they have no other option. The government should
take a stand and take strict action against the rice millers. Otherwise, the
farmers will be forced to launch another stir,” he said.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the
procurement process and asked the farmers to lock the offices of market
secretaries till all gate passes are not issued.
Gurnam Singh Charuni said, “The gate passes are
not being issued and the procurement is also not going on smoothly. Huge stocks
are lying in the grain markets. We have asked the farmers to hold protests as
per their capacity and lock the offices of market secretaries till gate passes
are not issued.”
On the other hand, Jewel Singla, chairman, Rice
Millers and Dealers Association said, “The farmers should give the names of the
millers to the administration and the association for appropriate action if any
miller is deducting money wrongly. The government should install dryers in the
grain markets so that there are no complaints regarding the moisture.”
Opposition,
farmers and other groups announce agri protests in Haryana; BJP launches damage
control exercise
BKU’s leader Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, who is spearheading farmers’
ongoing agitation against the three farm laws in Haryana, on Saturday announced
another protest rally at Sirsa on October 6.
By: Express News Service | Chandigarh
| Updated: October 3, 2020 8:46:37 pm
Various
farmer organisations and Opposition have decided to gherao senior BJP-JJP
leaders' residences on October 5 and 6 across Haryana. (Express photo by
Harmeet Sodhi)
Not only
the Congress, but various political parties and farmers’ organisations have
also announced protests against three farm laws across Haryana in the coming
three days. The growing resentment has forced the ruling BJP into
launching a damage control exercise. Various senior leaders, led by Chief
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and BJP state chief Om Prakash Dhankar, began
back-to-back meetings with party workers, farmers, arhtiyas and rice miller
associations. Various farmer organisations and Opposition have decided to
gherao senior BJP-JJP leaders’ residences on October 5 and 6 across Haryana.
BKU’s
leader Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, who is spearheading farmers’ ongoing agitation
against the three farm laws in Haryana, on Saturday announced another protest
rally at Sirsa on October 6. INLD’s Abhay Chautala had already invited various
farmers’ organisations to join hands and hold a massive protest against the
three farm laws and state government on October 6.
Swaraj
India’s senior leader Yogendra Yadav has also announced a farmers’ protest at
Shambhu Barrier, Ambala, on October 4. Yadav has also invited all the farmer
organisations to join hands against the three farm laws calling it “RSS-BJP’s
pro-corporate model”. “Farmers will sit outside Dushyant Chautala’s residence and then everybody
will see how this ongoing agitation intensifies. All these Chautalas, Hoodas, Badals
will fall in line if the farmers join hands and decide to ensure government
procures crops on MSP,” Yogendra Yadav said.
He
added, “Last week I was in Karnataka. All farmer organisations have joined
hands. Farmer organisations are protesting across the country. It is not that
the farmers are only protesting in Punjab or Haryana. Although epicentre of
this protest is in Punjab, this fire is spreading fast across the country.
Government will have to bow because farmer is king of this country. This may be
a long struggle, but farmers will surely get justice.”
Yadav
said, “All the farmers want is that government must give it in writing that
their crop will be procured on MSP. Although right from Prime Minister to
various state governments, all politicians of BJP are saying that crop
procurement shall be on MSP. Then what stops them from giving it in writing?
Once the government gives it in writing, all the farmers shall go back to their
fields and end this ongoing protest.”
Yadav
announced that on October 6, various farmer organisations will reach Sirsa and
camp outside Dushyant Chautala’s residence.
Sensing
growing resentment across the state, the BJP has scrambled its MLAs, MPs asking
them to go to their constituencies and pacify the agitated stakeholders.
BJP’s MP
from Sirsa, Sunita Duggal, who was shown black flags by a large number of
agitated farmers at Sirsa, on Saturday held series of meetings with farmer
associations and trader organisations at Sirsa in an attempt to make them aware
of the benefits of the three farm laws. She also termed “opposition’s
conspiracy” the ongoing protests and those to follow.
For the
last three days, CM Khattar had been regularly holding meetings with the
officials and stakeholders concerned and monitoring the procurement situation
across Haryana.
Haryana
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Animal Husbandry Minister J P Dalal said,
“Protecting interest of farmers has always been state government’s priority.
Besides the Central government, Haryana government has also implemented several
schemes to make agriculture and farmer sector self-reliant. As a result of
declaring the minimum support price of crop every year before the sowing
season, the area under crop cultivation has been steadily increasing in the
country.” Dalal said this while presiding over a meeting of officials of power
utilities to review status of pending agriculture tubewell connections.
“In the
wake of the sowing season of rabi crops, directions were issued to officers to
ensure a special programme and issue at least 200 connections each week and
complete the entire backlog of pending applications by October 31.
Also,
new transformers would be installed with immediate effect wherever needed,”
Dalal said.
Dalal is
currently touring various mandis across the state and holding meetings with the
stakeholders. Besides Bhiwani, Dalal also visited Kosli and interacted with
farmers, arhtiyas and market associations. “Government is ensuring that entire
procurement of all the crops is done with utter transparency. All the
suggestions submitted by farmers, arhtiyas, shopkeepers and millers have been
taken into consideration and the procurement is going on smoothly,” Dalal said.
Talking
about the ongoing procurement’s status in the state, Haryana’s ACS (food and
supplies department) P K Das said, “Procurement has begun. Chief Minister has
held a meeting through video conference with all the Deputy Commissioners of
the districts where procurement is going on. Rice millers’ association has not
yet begun their operations due to certain demands. Arhtiyas have also not
started operations due to certain pending demands. Both the groups had met
Chief Minister individually and submitted their concerns. All their legitimate
demands were met and clarifications that were sought by them were also given.
On the night of October 1, rice millers’ association and arhtiyas had decided
to start their operations. There was a common demand that, like previous years,
millers should be allowed to take care of the transportation of paddy from mandis
to the mills. But considering the irregularities detected in this operation in
previous years, government decided that it will take care of the transportation
of paddy from mandis to mills by government-approved contractors. Certain
apprehensions were raised that it may cause delays. But to ensure that
transportation is done within 24 hours, I held a preparatory meeting with the
officials and transport contractors concerned. Detailed guidelines were issued
and government’s priorities were explained.”
Regarding
delayed procurement, Das said, “Certain farmers from other states have come
with their produce. But they would also have to first register themselves on
Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal. From Sunday, they can register themselves.
Moisture content is also an issue. Yet, we are doing procurement in major
mandis. Since Friday, paddy has started being lifted form mandis.”
Regarding
payment to the farmers for their produce, Das added, “Government has decided
that within three days of I-form approval, payment shall be made for the MSP.
We shall procure four crops this time, paddy, bajra, moong and maize. Bajra,
moong and maize payments will go straight to farmers’ account. In case of
paddy, where farmers want that they should be paid through arhtiyas, it will be
done accordingly. For the rest of the farmers, the payment will be directly
made to them in their bank accounts.”
Rice,
other essential commodity prices remain high
·
Published at 09:03 pm October 3rd, 2020
A rice wholesaler blamed high prices in the capital due to
supply scarcity Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune
Green chilli prices heat up
volatile kitchen market
Prices of rice and other
essential ingredients remained high across the capital over the week, but onion
prices slightly reduced due to government initiatives.
Green chilli prices also
increased from last week by Tk10-20 per kg, selling from Tk190-220 per kg over
the week, compared to Tk170-210 per kg from the week before.
Retailers said that they
sold a kilogram of BR-28 rice at Tk52-55, miniket at Tk56-65 per kg, coarse
variety of Najirshail at Tk45-50 a kg and fine variety at Tk60-65.
These varieties sold at
Tk40-60 per kg a week ago.
Md Ripon, a rice wholesaler
at Malibagh kitchen market, blamed the high prices of supply scarcity.
“We, the middle-income
people, are struggling to make ends meet and cover our household expenses as
incomes have reduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If the government takes
stern actions then these traders would never dare destabilize the
market,” said Shammi Akter, a teacher from Banasree.
The Ministry of Food, after
a meeting with traders and stakeholders, on September 29, fixed the prices of
rice for the millers for the first time ever, aiming to keep the most
essential item market stable.
Food Minister Sadhan
Chandra Majumder said that prices of rice had increased a lot in a
week which was totally unexpected. "It is a bad sign," he added.
"In the market, we
found that a group of unscrupulous traders had kept a lot of paddy and rice
stored in about 50 closed mills," he said. No one had informed the
authorities about the issue earlier, though many of the millers knew that.
Visiting several kitchen
markets in the capital including Malibagh, Mogbazar, Rampura and Karwanbazar on
Saturday, this correspondent found that onion prices had slightly reduced by
Tk5-10 per kilogram from last week.
Local onions sold for
Tk80-90 a kg and imported onions for Tk65-80 a kg, compared to Tk85-100 a kg
and Tk75-85 per kg respectively from last week.
They were selling at
wholesale markets at Tk75-80 per kg for local ones and Tk60-70 per kg for
imported ones.
In the middle of September
this year onion prices shot up by Tk30-50 per kg after the export ban was
announced in India on September 14. Local onions immediately sold for as high
as Tk120 per kg, even though it retailed below Tk35 per kg even in August. Last
year the price also increased as high as Tk 300 per kg after the ban of onion
export in India.
However, in an attempt to
curb the onion price hike, the government took several initiatives, such as
selling the item in open market sale (OMS) across the country at Tk30 per kg,
selling them online through selective e-commerce platforms at Tk36 per kg,
withdrawing the 5% import duty on the bulb, intensifying market monitoring to
prevent its price manipulation and import onions from other countries such as
Egypt and Turkey.
Meanwhile, ginger and
garlic prices remained high, as imported ginger was retailing for Tk220-250 a
kg and local ginger at Tk160-190 a kg.
Local garlic was retailing
at Tk100-120 a kg and imported garlic at Tk90-100 a kg.
In the wholesale markets,
the four items were selling for less by Tk5-10 per kg.
Unpacked soybean oil was
retailing at Tk90-95 per litre, bottled soybean oil at Tk108-110 per litre and
palm oil at Tk85-86 a litre.
Among vegetables,
aubergines were selling for Tk70-80 a kg, tomatoes for Tk120-140 a kg, papayas
for Tk40-45 a kg, beans for Tk80-85 a kg, and cucumbers for Tk40-45 a kg.
Green chillies were sold
for Tk190-220 a kg in retail markets.
Rice market needs monitoring to keep prices in
control
Editorial
Desk
Published: 3 October 2020, 12:45
A stitch in time saves nine. Instability
prevails in the rice market as timely steps were not taken to keep things in
control. The first mistake of the government was not being able to meet the
target of paddy and rice collection despite good yield of the boro rice crop.
The second mistake was not to have accurate data on how much rice lies with the
farmers, wholesalers, and the rice mills. The government has been advancing
rather blindly in this regard.
A meeting between food minister Sadhan Chandra
Majumder and rice mill owners on Tuesday set the mill gate prices of rice.
According to the new price, miniket rice will be sold at Tk 51.50 per kg and
50kg sack of rice at Tk 2,575. Medium quality rice will have to be sold at Tk
45 per kg and 50kg sack at Tk 2,250. Earlier, the millers used to sell the rice
at a higher price than this.
In a free market economy, there are doubts as
to whether the rice market can be kept stable by fixing prices this way. The
meeting also decided that the millers across the country would have to sell
rice at the fixed prices from Wednesday. The news received from various places
is not promising. Rice was not sold at the government fixed prices at all the
mills. Sales and supply were much less at the mills where rice was sold at
fixed rates. According to the millers, it is not possible to supply the grain
at the fixed price as they are buying it at higher prices from the farmers and
wholesalers. They say if they can buy paddy at a lower price, they will also be
able to supply rice at a lower rate.
According to Prothom Alo, an average of 150
trucks daily delivers rice from Khwazanagar of Kushtia, the second-largest rice
hub of the country. But only 50 trucks delivered rice on Thursday. If the
supply of rice is low from mill, the market may become more unsteady.
The decision to sell rice at the fixed rate did
not have any impact on the market. According to the Trading Corporation of
Bangladesh (TCB), fine rice was sold at Tk 52 to 60 per kg while medium quality
rice was sold at Tk 45 to 50 per kg in the capital. The traders sold coarse
rice at Tk 42 to 48. The price of coarse rice increased by 6 per cent over the
last one month. The prices of fine and medium quality rice are also on the
rise.
Though the boro rice harvest was good this
year, aman rice was damaged due to floods and cyclone Amphan. Aman rice would
be harvested in November. The government must increase the sale of rice in the
open market in order to keep the market stable till that time. Rice can be
imported from abroad if necessary. This will be more effective to control the
market rather than any advice or price fixing. Corona has reduced the income of
the common people. On top of this, the increase of rice prices has put
additional pressure on them.
The food minister has said that he would not
tolerate any manipulation over rice. Whether the rice market will be stable or
not depends on how far the concerned persons and institutions heed his warning.
The millers and wholesalers are blaming each other for the rise in rice prices.
It is the responsibility of the government to determine the actual culprits and
to address the instability in the market. This requires continuous supervision
https://en.prothomalo.com/opinion/editorial/rice-market-needs-monitoring-to-keep-prices-in-control
PDS rice from Andhra
Pradesh worth crores exported to Africa, Malaysia
Ujwal Bommakanti
| TNN | Oct 4, 2020, 07:24 IST
TimesPoints
VIJAYAWADA: It is well-known that rice and other essentials from the
Public Distribution System (PDS) often get smuggled out into the
open market in India and sold for profit. But in Andhra Pradesh, a gang of
international smugglers has managed to illegally export PDS rice worth crores
to Africa, Malaysia, Bangladesh
and other countries.
The police busted one such gang recently. Investigators first detected that the
rice, meant exclusively for those holding white ration cards, had been
illegally exported from Prakasam
district. Officials now say this may just be the tip of the iceberg
as they have found that rice worth Rs 38 crore was smuggled to Africa in the
last two years. This does not include the produce caught at ports before being
illegally exported. If this is taken into account, the racket runs into at
least Rs 150 crore.
Police officials told TOI smuggling of PDS rice has become a lucrative
business for the smugglers as the profit margin is quite high.
“We have seized over one lakh kg of PDS rice. Further audit suggests that in
the last two years, PDS gangs smuggled around 4.5 lakh kg (450 metric tonnes)
of PDS rice to different countries worth Rs 38 crore,” said Siddharth
Kaushal, superintendent of police, Prakasam district.
We have seized over one lakh kg of PDS rice. Further audit suggests that in
the last two years, PDS gangs smuggled around 4.5 lakh kg (450 metric tonnes)
of PDS rice to different countries worth Rs 38 crore,” said Siddharth
Kaushal, superintendent of police, Prakasam district.
Congress
'injuring' farmers' interests with 'dagger of deceit': Naqvi on farm bills
protest
https://www.newonnews.com/pds-rice-from-andhra-pradesh-worth-crores-exported-to-africa-malaysia/
FIR
registered against Bhim Army Chief after Hathras visit
So far, 32 persons were arrested for smuggling. They are believed to be
part of a much larger nexus of rice mill owners, PDS brokers, transporters, and
exporters.
The smugglers first procure the rice from rice millers. The produce is then
polished, packed and labelled and taken to Panvel, Chennai, Kakinada and Krishnapatnam
ports for export. Kaushal said that export companies across Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Madhya
Pradesh are involved in the smuggling racket.
