Odisha govt
brings in new control order on paddy procurement
PTI
| Apr 19, 2016, 10.40 PM IST
Bhubaneswar, Apr 19 () In a bid
to maintain discipline in paddy procurement and regulate the custom mills, the
state government today decided to bring the Odisha Rice and Paddy Procurement
and Custom Milling of Rice Order, 2016.A proposal in this regard by the food
supplies and consumer welfare department was approved at a cabinet meeting
presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here."This control order
has several safeguards with respect to procurement of paddy, delivery of paddy
for custom mills, direction for milling of paddy into rice, ensuring milling of
paddy within the Kharif marketing season," Chief Secretary A P Padhi told
reporters.Stating that Odisha was a
decentralised procurement state since Kharif marketing season 2003-04, Padhi
said the state procures paddy through agencies from farmers and pay minimum
support price for fair average quality of paddy.The agencies mill paddy through
private millers and deliver the rice either to the state government or to FCI
for meeting the needs of the public distribution system, he said.Earlier, the
Odisha Rice and Paddy Procurement (Levy) and Restriction on Sale and Movement
Order, 2013 provided legal framework to regulate the custom millers in the
state.However, that order was rescinded from October 1, 2015, thus creating a
vacuum of any regulatory mechanism for custom milling by millers, the Chief
Secretary pointed out justifying requirement of the new order.
He, however, said the new order
was brought as per the suggestion of the Centre to regulate paddy procurement
and custom of milling of rice in December 2015.As per the new order, no state
agency would be allowed to procure FAQ (Fair Average Quality) paddy at a price
below Minimum Support Price as notified by the Centre and the state would have
powers to direct the custom millers to convert paddy delivered by the state
agency into rice within such time and terms as decided.This apart, the new
order would ensure that millers were obliged to mill paddy and deliver FAQ as
per out turn ratio fixed by the Centre, custom millers cannot dispose of paddy
in shape of paddy and would maintain accounts of all transactions with the
state agencies and others, separately.
"The enforcement officers, as per the new order, will have
powers of entry, search and seizure in respect of custom rice mills,"
Padhi said.A total of eight proposals today got the cabinet's nod, the Chief
Secretary said. AAM DKB MKJ
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Odisha-govt-brings-in-new-control-order-on-paddy-procurement/articleshow/51899717.cms
Missing foodgrain
row: Millers owe Rs1300 crore: CAG
The auditor report says agencies ignoring custom milling norms.
Chandigarh: At a time when RBI has warned banks against lending
to the Punjab government in the wake of the missing foodgrains, the Comptroller
and Auditor General's (CAG) report has revealed that the government is yet to
recover Rs 1,300 crore from rice millers. The millers belong to Jalandhar,
Sangrur, Ludhiana, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib among others.CAG has listed a
number of reasons for the gap between the stock of foodgrains and the cash
credit limit (CCL) given by banks. These include undue favour given to rice
millers, payment made against non-delivery, not delivering the requisite quantity
and abnormal variation in transportation rates, among others.
TOI had on Tuesday reported that a part of the CCL was also being diverted to
"finance non-operational expenditure and losses" of the state's four
procurement agencies - Pungrain, PAFC, PSWC and Punsup. According to the
report, huge quantities of rice were misappropriated by these agencies,
violating the custom milling procedures (CMP) amid other irregularities.The
report said that state agencies like PAFC and the millers were joint custodians
of the paddy and both were responsible for quality and quantity. However, it
added that the agencies "failed to conduct timely physical verification of
paddy stocks in accordance with the CMP during the years when paddy was
stored".
"We observed that 1.36 lakh MT of paddy of crop years 2010-11 to 2013-14
was stored with 20 millers in eight districts. Of this millers short
delivered/misappropriated 0.48 lakh MT of rice valued at Rs 120.82 crore during
the crop years. The other recoveries after adjustment of amount deposited by
millers was to the extent of Rs 143.11 crore," it said.
It
also said that the millers who had not delivered the requisite quantity of rice
of previous crop years were not to be considered for allotment of paddy yet the
agencies allotted 0.25 lakh MT of paddy to four such millers who had delivered
rice worth Rs 31.43 crore. Twelve similar millers did not deliver 0.38 lakh MT
paddy where government itself had stored it.It said that though the government
was pursuing 37 arbitration cases involving Rs 190.11 crore on account of
shortage of paddy, these "proceedings were initiated with delays of up to
32 months from the extended date of milling".
The
CAG report also found that there was abnormal transportation rates were found
per quintal per kilometre from Rs 0.51 to Rs 5.11 between 2010-14."Also,
the Government of India did not fix any separate rates of transportation
charges within 8 kilometres and these were already included in the milling
charges. Audit of 7 selected district offices of Punjab revealed that for
transportation of paddy from purchase centres to rice mills within 8 kms,
expenditure of Rs 20.71 crore was incurred for crop years 2010-14 and not
recovered from millers.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Missing-foodgrain-row-Millers-owe-Rs1300-crore-CAG/articleshow/51901850.cms
Malaysia studying PHL hybrid rice
seed imports for commercial planting
MALAYSIAN customers are
considering placing an order with SL Agritech Corporation (SLAC) for some
20,000 kilos of hybrid rice seed for planting on 1,000 hectares of land.
In
an interview with reporters, Dr. Frisco M. Malabanan, a senior SLAC consultant,
said Titijaya Land Bhd and the state-run Malaysian Agricultural Research and
Development Institute have expressed interest in importing seed from the
Philippines.The seed will be used for commercial planting if hybrid tests yield
positive results.The initial pilot testing will be conducted in the states of
Penang and Kedah.“I’m just waiting for the import permit coming from the
Malaysian government because I’m supposed to start the varietal trial this
coming wet season,” Mr. Malabanan said, referring to 100 kilos of hybrid rice
seed to be used in the pilot testing.
Hybrid
rice combines the best qualities of its parent varieties. One of its
applications is in tropical areas subject to disruptive climate conditions like
El Niño.Previous pilot tests in Sarawak have been successful, the company said,
yielding 9 to 10 metric tons per hectare, which is “significantly higher than
the national average rice yield... in Malaysia.”However, the policy of
Malaysia’s government limits the commercial application of the Sarawak
tests.Aside from hybrid rice, SLAC said Malaysian firms have expressed interest
in importing its Doña Maria premium rice.
Malaysia currently imports around 35% of its rice supply largely from Thailand.
-- Janina C. Lim
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=malaysia-studying-phl-hybrid-rice-seed-imports-for-commercial-planting&id=126227
Sac Valley rice growers have water,
but markets have turned for the worse
A harvester works a
field of short grain rice at Gorrill Ranch in Durham September 2014. Wit the
price of rice going down, farmers face the dilemma of how much to plant. Bill Husa — Enterprise-Record file photo
POSTED: 04/17/16, 9:10 PM PDT |
Rice harvest gets underway at Gorrill Ranch in Durham, September
2014.Bill Husa —
Enterprise-Record file photo
Surface water supplies have returned to normal
for most rice growers in the Sacramento Valley. That’s great news, especially
compared to other parts of the state where the water supply is still in a more
severe version of drought mode.However, now that farmers are ready to fire up
their tractors to plant rice, commodity prices have taken a nose-dive.This
might also be the first year that new Farm Bill rules are triggered to provide
price support payments to local growers.
The dollar is trading strong compared to other
world currency, which makes U.S. exports more expensive to international
buyers, explained Mark Kimmelshue, who trades rice for ARMCO, Associated Rice
Marketing Co-op in Richvale.
Rice isn’t alone in the world of lower
commodity prices. Almonds and walnuts, the other two main crops grown in Butte
and Glenn counties, are down in value by about a third compared to last year.
Read more about the drop in walnut prices at
http://tinyurl.com/z86dalh
Other commodities, including metals, cattle and
oil are also trading lower, he noted.If a rice grower received $20-$21 last
year for a 100-pound sack of rice, he might received $14.75-$15 today (which includes
what growers refer to as “price over loan”).The big year for growers was
2008-2009 when a hundred pounds of rice fetched $29-$30, he noted.Being a
farmer has its highs and lows. Those good and lean years balance out. Last
year, about 1/4 of the rice land in California was not planted, due to lack of
water or the sale of water.
If the price for rice is expected to be low,
one might think it would be in a growers’ financial favor to sell water instead
of growing rice. Other parts of California do not have plentiful supplies of
water this year.
However, due to environmental restraints on
pumping, and the capacity of water delivery canals, there isn’t room in the
canals for transfers. Read details on this issue at
http://tinyurl.com/hmnjp3g.Sometimes farmers will
grow another crop, to try to produce food that will fetch a better price.
However, rice land is quite specialized. The soil is hard and retains water –
perfect for growing rice but not great for other crops that need drainage.
If rice
sold for $14-$15 over loan, Kimmelshue said farmers who own their own land and
don’t have lease payments or debt should break even with rice at these prices.
However, those who have more overhead costs could be losing money. He’s a rice
trader and isn’t certain if prices will remain the same or dip even lower.
Kimmelshue
said there are many moving parts that impact the return growers will receive
for rice this year. Australia is running into another dry spell, which will cut
back on the amount of rice in the world market. Turkey has not been importing
rice, but is likely near the end of its supply. Last year, growers in the south
part of the United States grew a lot of medium-grain rice, and 90 percent of
the rice grown in the Sacramento Valley is medium grain, Kimmelshue said. This
year, southern growers are expected to grow only half as much medium-grain
rice, and focus on long-grain rice.
It may
be 8-9 months before Kimmelshue and farmers learn where prices will settle.
However,
rice needs to be planted this spring.
FARMERS
TEND TO GROW
Water
manager Ted Trimble, of Western Canal Water District based in Nelson, said
there are some tough decisions being made.
“I
suspect that most everything is going to get planted,” Trimble said. “You kind
of have to. You have the equipment. You have payments.”
The big
quandary is what if the price of rice plummets, he stated, then growers are
losing money.
“These
guys are really nervous. Down at the (Richvale) cafe, I see it in their faces,”
the water manager said.
END OF
FARM SUBSIDIES
If
prices do drop low enough for rice, new rules under the new Farm Bill would go
into effect.
In the
past, growers of certain commodities received payments from the government
based on previous farming acreage. A big criticism of the program was that
farmers of corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and rice received payments even if
crops were not grown in a given year.
Those
guaranteed farm subsidies ended in 2013.John Smythe, agricultural consultant,
explained that as of 2014, growers might receive government payments if
commodity prices for those program crops drops below a certain point.In 2014,
growers needed to make a choice between choosing either “price loss coverage,”
known as PLC, or a program based on average production within their county.
The PLC
establishes a floor for prices, based on average national market prices over
the year. If the price for rice falls below $15.10, the federal government
provides a payment to the grower to bring the return up to $15.10 per
100-pounds of rice. Those prices hold until 2018 when the Farm Bill will be up
for another vote before Congress.The other price protection program is based on
average county yields. Based on yield and price averages for the past five years,
an average per/acre revenue is calculated.
Growers
who choose this option are offered a guarantee that the rice grown will fetch
at least 86 percent of that five-year average in the county, Smythe
explained.Of the rice growers he has worked with, the choice was about evenly
split between the two options, he said.
ON THE
INTERNET
For examples of local commodity prices, the
Merlo Farming Group in Oroville provides charts on almonds, rice and walnut
prices to show general trends: www.merlofarminggroup.com.Rocque Merlo said its
been fairly quiet in the markets these past few weeks. Prices are down and both
buyers and sellers are watching to see what will happen next. Some of the
factors to unfold have been water supply for rice farmers, for example.Kimmelshue,
the rice marketer, said many rice growers offer their harvest to a marketing
pool, with the commodity sold over time. Growers who have not yet sold their
rice may be watching prices decline, and getting very nervous.
Contact reporter Heather Hacking at 896-7758.
http://www.chicoer.com/article/NA/20160417/NEWS/160419794
Cuba trade, the TPP, rice and
legislature expectations
Mid-South Ag & Environmental Law Conference in Memphis set for
April 22
- Where does
state stand with regard to Cuba trade?
- Will state
legislature, now in fiscal session, tackle anything ag-related?
U.S.
agriculture is set to be a major beneficiary of the softening Cuban/U.S. trade
barriers. Perhaps no state is as keen to get deals finalized as Arkansas.On
April 8, Delta
Farm Press spoke with Wes Ward, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture,
about Cuba and other issues facing the state’s farmers. Ward is set to speak at
the third annual Mid-South Ag & Environmental Law Conference in Memphis on
April 22. Among his comments:
On Cuba…
“Cuba is
certainly at the front of many folks’ minds. Look at Arkansas agriculture as a
whole and about 30 percent of our production is exported. That means the global
marketplace is very important as is having solid relationships with other
countries.“Looking at how close Cuba is to the Mid-South, it makes a lot of
sense for us to have a strong trade relationship with them. A few sectors in
particular – certainly poultry and rice, soybeans and a few others – are poised
to benefit from more trade with Cuba.
“Arkansas
Gov. (Asa) Hutchinson was kind of visionary when the relationships between the
two countries began to normalize and he realized what impact it could have on
Arkansas. As a result, he quickly began putting together a trip to Cuba with
the Arkansas World Trade Center and a group of business leaders from within the
state. He was the first U.S. governor to visit once the U.S. embassy opened
there. So, driven largely by agriculture interests, Arkansas – helped by our
Congressional delegation and our Governor -- has been on the forefront of
efforts in regards to Cuba.“It’s been an interesting thing to watch unfold.
It’s one thing if I or an individual producer goes down to Cuba and tries to
make trade inroads. But when the Governor personally travels there it takes it
to a much higher level and opens up a lot of doors.”
On the
efforts of Engage Cuba…
“The
Cuba Consortium and the Engage Cuba Coalition are two similar efforts to
further the dialogue about Cuba.“The Cuba Consortium held an Agriculture and
Food industry roundtable in Arkansas last month which included remarks from
Gov. Hutchinson as well as sessions with Sen. Boozman and Rep. Crawford.“The Engage
Cuba Coalition is another effort to show the benefits of normalizing trade
relationships with Cuba. Arkansas recently established an Engage Cuba State
Council which includes 37 members that are committed to engaging Cuba through
diplomacy and trade.”
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/cuba-trade-tpp-rice-and-legislature-expectations
Vietnamese Gov’t
outlines anti-drought action
All forces
should be mobilised to cope with severe drought and saline intrusion in order
to ensure food and fresh water for daily usage, Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said at a meeting yesterday.
A resevoir is exhausted in Ea H’leo, Centrak
Highland Province of Dak Lak. Agriculture minister said that all forces should
be mobilised to cope with severe drought and saline intrusion in order to
ensure food and fresh water for daily usage. Topics
addressed by the Central Steering Committee for Natural Calamities Preparedness
and Control included measures to confront drought and saline intrusion in the
Central Highlands, southern central and Mekong Delta regions.Phat asked
localities to closely watch weather and saline intrusion developments and water
resources to adequately promote effective measures that would minimise
production losses and stabilise incomes.The committee pledged to mobilise all
forces to cope with the situation and avoid hunger and possible epidemic to
drought-affected people.
The Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment was assigned to closely supervise and issue
reports on drought and saline intrusion for specific areas and localities. This
helps local authorities set up effective plans for drought and saline intrusion
control.The Ministry of Industry and Commerce asked the management agencies of
hydropower reservoirs to supply fresh water to drought-prone areas as a
priority task.The local authorities should co-operate with the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development to adjust production timetables to reduce
losses caused by drought and saline intrusion.This year’s drought was the most
severe one in 100 years, and saline intrusion was worsened by the El Nino
phenomenon in the Central Highlands, southern central and Mekong Delta regions.
So far, the
droughts and saline intrusion have caused fresh water shortages in 390,000
households and damaged nearly 240,000ha of rice and more than 4,000ha of
aquaculture production.The total loss was estimated to be VNĐ5,200 billion
(US$236 million).According to the weather forecast agency, drought and saline
intrusion are expected to expand to other regions in upcoming months.Thus,
preparedness measures should focus on supplying fresh water to people and
livestock.Colonel Truong Duc Nghia from the National Comittee for Search and
Rescue said the committee has asked the Government to provide funds for
purchasing water tankers and ships to transport fresh water to affected
areas.“The army would play a major role in supplying fresh water to save people
and production,” the colonel said.
Localities
continue to take measures against drought
The Central
Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control must continuously
direct ministries, sectors and localities to implement measures to cope with
and address the consequences of drought and saltwater intrusion in the Central
Highlands, south central region, and the Mekong Delta.Speaking at a conference
in Hanoi on April 15, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc
Phat, also head of the committee, recommended closely monitoring the
developments of drought and salinity and reporting back to the Government for
proper revision and adjustment of policies to support the drought-hit
regions.The ministry will direct relevant agencies to forecast the impacts of
saltwater encroachment in the Mekong Delta and evaluate water resources at hydropower
reservoirs and river basins and help farmers shift to growing drought-resistant
plants, especially for the 2016 summer-autumn crop.
It will also
disseminate advanced irrigation and water-saving techniques to each locality,
business and local, the Minister said, adding that the provision of water
storage equipment for locals will continue with the foreseeable goal of
ensuring sufficient food and fresh water for local daily activities.Localities
and relevant agencies need to keep reviewing water resources and anticipating
the weather conditions to help people proactively cope with the possibly
prolonged and extensive drought, and also take precautions against wildfires,
he noted.According to the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster
Prevention and Control, the rainfall in the Central Highlands and south central
region from late 2015 to the present is very low, with hydropower reservoirs
containing much less water than their designed capacity, and some small
reservoirs even being dried out.The drought has effected some 70 percent of the
cultivation areas in these regions, with Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Ninh Thuan
and Binh Thuan being the hardest hit.Saltwater has intruded as far as 90km
inland in the Mekong Delta, about 10-25km farther than usual.Up to 11 out of
the 13 cities and provinces in the delta were affected by salinity which caused
serious water shortages and damaged agriculture production.
As of April 13, 2016, more than 390,000
households in the Central Highlands , Mekong Delta, and south central region
were faced with water shortages. Drought and saltwater intrusion damaged over
232,000 ha of rice, 61,992 ha of fruits, and 4,052 ha of seafood. The total
economic loss was estimated at over 5.1 trillion VND (229.5 million USD).Head of
the Department of Search and Rescue under the Ministry of National Defence
Truong Duc Nghia said military units have raised over 30 billion VND (1.35
million USD) to support locals in the drought-stricken regions. The units have
transported 34,246 cubic metres of fresh water to residential areas in Ninh
Thuan, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Ben Tre, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Tien Giang, and
helped locals drill 59 wells and dredge 35 lakes and 10.5 km of canals.The
Governmetn and localities nationwide have also provided over 1 trillion VND and
5,220 tonnes of rice in aid to the regions.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/155167/vietnamese-gov-t-outlines-anti-drought-action.html
Drought
Killing Vietnam Rice Crops Compounds Mekong Water Crisis
April 19, 2016 — 4:00 AM PKTUpdated on April 19, 2016 — 9:53 PM PKT
River is lowest in a century after worst dry spell in
90 years
Millions
of farmers at risk from dams on 3,000-mile waterway
The nine acres in southern Vietnam that double as rice paddy and
shrimp pond for farmer Nguyen Thi Tam have become a wasteland. After the worst
drought in 90 years, almost nothing grows.Tam’s family had no income for
two harvests because the rice crop failed and the shrimp died. They ran up
$8,000 in debt -- more than twice her earnings in a typical year. To make ends
meet, Tam plans to leave her village to work at a factory hundreds of miles
away. Many others in the area already have fled, she said, including her
daughter-in-law, who couldn’t endure the poverty.
“I am worried about everything,” Tam, 55, said inside the
thatched house in Kien Giang province she shares with her husband, three grown
children and two grandchildren. “I cannot sleep.”
The dry spell in the once-fertile Mekong Delta is devastating
food supplies in southern Vietnam and threatening to reduce global exports of
rice, seafood and coffee. It is also compounding a Southeast Asia water
shortage along a 3,000-mile river that runs from Tibet to Thailand to the South
China Sea, as climate change and too many dams erode livelihoods for millions
of farmers.Waters in the Mekong Delta, a network of channels that cut
across vast flatlands in southern Vietnam, are at the lowest in almost a
century, which may mean shortages for as much as 50 percent of the region this year, according to a United Nations
report. That means less for irrigating crops and an increase in salt levels as
more seawater seeps into the delta, causing more damage.
Parched
rice field in Long Phu district, Vietnam.
Photographer:
AFP via Getty Images
The Mekong River countries of Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia
and Myanmar produce about 62 million metric tons of rice, or 13 percent of
global output, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. The river accounts for
as much as 25 percent of the global freshwater catch and provides livelihoods for at least 60
million people, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Vietnam exported about $3
billion of shrimp last year. Almost half of Vietnam’s population of 91 million
works in agriculture, which accounts for about 13 percent of the
economy.“People in Indonesia and the Philippines will go hungry if the Thais
and Vietnamese don’t produce enough rice,” said Richard Cronin, director
of the Southeast Asia Program at the Stimson Center in Washington. “This
is a preview of the longer-term effect of development and climate change to the
Mekong Delta.”
More Dams
Rice exports from Vietnam, the world’s third-largest shipper,
probably will drop 10 percent this year because of lower production, said Do Ha
Nam, the chief executive officer of Intimex Group, a major Vietnam exporter of
agricultural products. Rice output from the Mekong Delta fell 6.2 percent in
the first quarter from a year earlier, reducing the country’s total
agricultural production by 2.7 percent, according to Nguyen Bich Lam, head of
the General Statistics Office.Water from the Mekong was already under pressure
before the drought, which the UN attributed to a stronger-than-normal El Nino
weather pattern. China has completed six of seven major dams on the river in
southern Yunnan Province, Cronin said. Vietnam has built dozens in the Central
Highlands, which, like the Chinese and Laotian dams, deprive the Delta region
of the critical sediments needed to replenish eroded soil, he said.
Agriculture Losses
Eleven more dams planned in Thailand, Laos and
Cambodia could result in fish and farming losses of $750 million in
Vietnam and $450 million in Cambodia, with extinctions for as much as 10
percent of fish species in the region, according a study submitted to the
Mekong River Commission, a group created to mediate water disputes.
Vietnam’s government, which relied on rice farming to feed its
population during years of dire poverty after its war with the U.S., needs to
encourage Mekong Delta farmers to switch to more profitable crops, such as
fruit trees that require less water, and raise higher-value shrimp in coastal
areas, said Vo-Tong Xuan, a professor of agronomy and rector of Nam Can Tho
University.
Costly Change
It’s not that easy to switch, said Nguyen Trung Kien, vice
chairman of the Vietnam Food Association. Fruit trees can take years before the
first harvest, he said.
The drought is changing the landscape in the Mekong
Delta. Along National Road 63 in coastal Kien Giang province, the soil is
parched and cracked on land once soaked with water for rice paddies tended by
Vietnamese in conical hats. Sugar-cane trees that should be green have
yellowed.
Nguyen
Van Nhin pumps well water inside his home.
Photographer:
John Boudreau/Bloomberg
“This is the first time in my 22 years of rice farming I could
not grow rice,” said Nguyen Van Nhin, 36, who tends nine acres in Kien Giang
province behind his thatched-roof hut with wood-plank beds and mosquito nets.In
Kinh 5, Nhin’s village, 70 percent of the 281 farms produced no rice this
season, said Danh Nhac, the local vice chief of the Communist Party. “The
majority of the people left in the hamlet are children and people older than 45
or 50.”For those who remain, it means looking for alternatives to commercial
farming. Nhin is trying to grow vegetables for food and looking for work as a
manual laborer.“I am just waiting for the rain to return so I can grow rice
again,” he said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-18/drought-killing-vietnam-rice-crops-compounds-mekong-water-crisis
Why India needs IMD to be right about a good monsoon
Why-India-needs-IMD-to-be-right-about-a-good-monsoon
Mumbai: The
announcement of plentiful rains this year is likely to spell relief for those
forced to migrate because of failing monsoons. A slowdown in the construction
industry which employs most migrant labourers would likely have strained their
ability to deal with another deficient year after rains fell short in 2014 and
2015.A Mint analysis looked at India Meteorological Department (IMD)
data on rainfall and compared it with seasonal migration patterns across
rainfall sub-divisions based on Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS)
data.Chart 1 shows that there is a negative co-relation between the amount of
rain that regions receive and the proportion of the population that sees
seasonal migration. The survey asks if people have migrated over the previous
five years (2007-12). Simply put, the lower the average rainfall in a region
over the period, the higher is the seasonal migration. This analysis is
restricted to rural males in the age group of 15-64 years (working age
population).
The
result can simply be explained by the fact that agriculture is still the
biggest employer of people, and irrigation is yet to reach around half of the
country’s farms. Because of this, India has a fairly significant population
which migrates for temporary employment.According to IHDS data, an estimated
6.5 million (or 7%) out of the total 94 million agricultural labourers
identified themselves as short-term migrants, defined as those who temporarily
migrated to other villages/towns for work. Similarly, an estimated 7.5 million
(or 9%) of 84 million construction workers identified themselves as short-term
migrants. This is liable to be an under-estimation of the actual size of the
migrant labour force in the construction sector, because much of the migration
to the construction sector is of a more permanent nature. For example, this
UNDP study pegs the migrant
construction labour estimate at 40 million, which would amount to almost 50% of
total construction workers (assuming the total number of construction workers
is around 84 million, as suggested by IHDS).
“Short-term
out-migrants have been estimated to number 12.6 million but recent
micro-studies documenting large and increasing numbers of internal migrants
suggest that the true figure is 30 million and rising,” says a 2007 study,
Circular Migration in India, authored by Kate Bird and Priya Deshingkar
Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a think tank.Poor rains act as an impetus
for this seasonal search for employment.A 2014 paper, titled ‘Rainfall
variability, food security and human mobility in the Janjgir-Champa district of
Chhattisgarh state, India’, examined the issue. There was a single annual rice
harvest in the research site which, if affected by erratic rainfall patterns,
leaves marginal farmers and labourers with very few options. Authors Janakaraj
Murali and Tamer Afifi noted that some looked to help from relatives or friends
and the government to help deal with the situation.“However, seasonal and
permanent migrations are the most opted-for coping strategies in the study
area,” it said.
India
suffered back-to-back deficient monsoons in 2014 and 2015. The relationship
between poor rains and migration would indicate a significant undocumented
spike in migration over the last two years.But there is a problem here.Most of
the seasonal migrants find work in the construction sector. It accounts for the
largest single-sector source of employment for such labour. And construction has
been going through a rough patch.Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy shows that stalling levels in the construction sector have been
climbing higher ever since the financial crisis of 2008. While it is not at its
peak, it is far off its trough. The latest figures show that stalled
construction and real estate projects are at 7.84% of the projects under
implementation compared to 1.19% in March 2009 at the time of the global
financial crisis.The IMD’s forecast is thus a welcome relief.
GP has rice, corn planting streak
Last year’s anomalous growing
season made a mess of agricultural predictions, with a cool wet spring followed
by pockets of outright flooding in the summer. Planting throughout much of the
state was delayed well past the date that any agronomist thought could produce
near-optimum yields.
By Ryan McGeeney
UofA Division of Ag
Posted Apr. 18, 2016 at 1:16 PM
LITTLE ROCK —
For a brief moment a few weeks ago, it looked as
though Arkansas rice growers might be looking at 2015, all over again.Last
year’s anomalous growing season made a mess of agricultural predictions, with a
cool wet spring followed by pockets of outright flooding in the summer.
Planting throughout much of the state was delayed well past the date that any
agronomist thought could produce near-optimum yields.
For a number of rice growers in central and northern
Arkansas, 2016 planting began in mid-March under cool, clear conditions. But
then, around April 4, a miraculous thing happened: The clouds broke; the sun
appeared. In the space of one week, the amount of rice planted in the state
rocketed from 11 percent of the 1.6 million acres predicted for planting in
2016 to 33 percent — exceeding not just the abysmal amount planted during the
same period in 2015, but beating the 5-year average by 10 percentage points as
well, according to the weekly Arkansas Crop Progress and Condition Report from
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics
Service.Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas
System Division of Agriculture, said that the period of April 4-10 “really
represented the first time that the entire eastern half of the state was able
to make planting progress.
”Hardke said that much of the rice planted in March
through the first week of April was planted on larger farms and on high ground.
He said many smaller growers tend to delay their rice planting somewhat because
they may not have the resources to replant if heavy rains or other weather
factors ruin initial plantings.“In rice, the early season issues we’re most
concerned with are erratic soil temperatures leading to uneven emergence, or
lack of germination and emergence,” Hardke said. “Seedling disease leading to
stand loss, and soil crusting — which is something we’re concerned with at the
moment.Much of the rice planting and growing season is something of a tightrope
between too much and not enough rain. Thursday evening of this week, Hardke
tweeted photos of emerging rice in Stuttgart, with the message, “Need some heat
this week and) rain to prevent crusting.
”“Seeds only have so much pushing power to make it
out of the ground,” he said. “And some of our soils, when they dry out, have a
tendency to form a crust that’s nearly impenetrable. If the plant can’t make it
out, it will eventually turn down and lose the ability to emerge.”
Corn also saw substantial gains during the week of
mild weather, as growers planted an additional 30 percent of an estimated
790,000 acres, bringing the state to about 61 percent complete for corn
planting.
http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/article/20160418/NEWS/160419736
Creating tech savvy young rice
entrepreneurs
Bolstering rural economies, Africa Rice Centre Nigeria believes is
not just a matter of helping existing agro businesses, but also encouraging new
ones. This is what it is seeking to achieve by raising a new generation of rice
entrepreneurs that are technology savvy and making money, DANIEL ESSIET
reports.
Young agro entrepreneurs will soon pad their mobile
wallets with more than just mobile money, they’ll get on-demand farming advice,
too. Driving this is a campaign to boost rice business in
Nigeria which experts believe has a big potential
to contribute to food security and even generate
foreign currency from its export. Though rice is one of
the nation’s staple foods, most farmers produce less than they consume, and
most don’t have access to mobile farm advice. Consequently, productivity is
very low and improving it is one of the most pressing issues.
To this end, Africa Rice Centre, a
leading Pan-African rice research organisation committed to improving
livelihoods throughout the continent, is partnering government
agencies to boost rice production and improve farmers’ incomes. This
time, the centre is training agro-entrepreneurs that will deploy
the speed of information and communications technology (ICT) to put information
into the hands of farmers who want to get information about
good rice farming practices to increase yields.Since communications technology
has become one of the most effective ways of reaching remote farmers, the
centre is raising a new group of tech savvy rice entrepreneurs in major
countries in Africa.According to the Centre Rice Commodity Specialist in
Nigeria, Dr Philip Idinoba, the emergence of mobile
technology in agricultural practices has made the sector more attractive to the
younger generation.
Idinoba said the centre wants to
engage young people in farming as a business and to provide a sustainable
livelihood. To achieve this, he said
the centre plans to train young
Nigerians to become rice
entrepreneurs who can use mobile technology to bring many
benefits to farmers and their families, including raising
productivity and helping to lift smallholder farmers out of poverty
and contribute to economic development.
For a start, the centre wants to demonstrate this in Nigeria and
Mali. In Nigeria, the training is scheduled
for six states.The states include
Nassarawa, Niger,Jigawa,Kogi,Kebbi and Kano states. The emphasis of the project
is acquisition of skills along the rain value chains and the transition of the
trainees into business in the sector. Idinoba believes technology is going to
excite young people to join agriculture, promote economic development, and
drive sustainable livelihoods for their communities.To this end, Africa Rice
has developed RiceAdvice, an Android based
decision support tool. According to him, solutions provided by the software are
location-specific and can help rice
farmers produce sufficient food with
higher profitability.
The internet-based tool,he added,
provides rice farmers with advice on the optimal timing, amount, and
type of fertiliser to apply to their crop to maximise production and profit and
reduce waste. The young entrepreneurs will be trained to offer a tailored suite
of services available via mobile phone. Young entrepreneurs will be engaged to
collect information from a farmer through easy-to-answer questions about
cultivation conditions.The answers are transmitted to an online database to
develop a fertiliser recommendation matching the specific needs and
rice-growing conditions of that farmer. He expects the young entrepreneurs to
provide this service for a fee.
Expected users also include extension workers, private rice
sectors, development agencies who are interested in advice for rice
production.The Head Farming Systems, Rice Sector Development Hub, the National
Cereals Research Institute (NCRI),Badeggi,Niger State, Dr. Samuel Bakare, said
young agricultural entrepreneurs can tap into opportunities all along
the value chain: from supplying fertiliser and seed, to processing,
transporting and marketing of food. Once
tapped into, he believes such opportunities can turn young, jobless Nigerians
into success stories.The rice entrepreneurs, according to him, will be taught
how to make money using rice threshers or help farmers thresh their rice farmers for
a fee. The rice thresher, he
explained, enables smallholder farmers
to thresh their own rice without having to hire extra labour.
To increase the supply of improved
seed—especially in rural areas,he said
Africa Rice will be working with NCRI
to train young and other farmers
on good agricultural practices and facilitate their certification as rice seed producers. He said if young Nigerians can be trained to
produce and market seeds , it could be
the starting point of a viable seed enterprise. They will be trained on the production of quality seed,
seed selection and entrepreneurship. In addition, they will be trained to
function as freelance extension agents.Speaking
further on Rice Advice software,
the Principal Scientist , Africa Rice Center and lead innovator of the
application, Dr. Kazuki Saito, explained
that it
is an online platform that engages young people who are interested,
inspiring and using agriculture to generate income and employment.
He said though RiceAdvice can be
largely used without an internet connection, an active connection is required
from time to time to synchronise information with the database server.
According to him, the young agro entrepreneurs, who will provide services as
freelance extension agents will be trained to use their phones to generate tailored recommendations they
give to individual farmers for a fee.
With the app, he explained that
rice farmers will be able to use their resources efficiently by choosing a
suitable variety, avoiding a failure in crop establishment, and using an
efficient fertiliser application. This, according to him, could help reduce
their risks and make rice farming better and more stable.
He said the automated rice
fertiliser and input recommendation tool that has been tested over the past two
years can successfully increase farmer’s income per hectare by one ton.By
providing farmers with accurate information, he said farmers can enjoy better
harvests, which can translate into
higher earnings and more reliable profitability. Thus, he said RiceAdvice makes
rice farming attractive to young people by changing the perception that rainfed
agriculture is an all-or-nothing occupation.With Rice Advice, he said, the
young entrepreneurs serving as freelance extensive service providers identify challenges confronting rice farmers
and collect data which will be transferred
online. The use of the tool,
according to him, improves business efficiency and profitability for young ICT
saavy farmers.He said positive feedbacks are coming from farmers on RiceAdvice.Regional Representative, Africa
Rice Nigeria, Dr Francis sees youth entrepreneurship as the way to tackle
unemployment across the continent. Nwilene said the centre intends to promote local production and
create job opportunities for youths.
Director-General,Africa Rice, Dr
Harold Roy-Macauley said the centre is
determined to work with the African Development Bank, to develop young
entrepreneurs, Nagropreneurs, in agriculture. This is because African countries
face the challenge of providing employment to the young.
For sustainable economic growth to
become a defining reality across the region, he noted that young people must be
empowered to transform agriculture.According to him, a system of mentorship,
handholding, and bridging support will be provided to launch youths into
higher-value crop production using modern agriculture and agribusiness
methods. According to him,
young farmers need to aspire to
be successful business people and even those who do not see themselves like
that at all could learn to become more entrepreneurial
http://thenationonlineng.net/creating-tech-savvy-young-rice-entrepreneurs/
Cuba’s Construction and Agricultural Machinery Sectors
In
the event that U.S. restrictions on trade with Cuba are lifted, Cuban demand
for construction and agricultural machinery is likely to provide U.S. producers
of such machinery with significant export opportunities in the near term.Cuba
is currently upgrading its infrastructure in most areas and is working to
increase the country’s agricultural productivity. Cuban demand for construction
machinery is expected to be strong because of Cuba’s plans to expand its
tourism industry and revitalize urban core areas, which will require
significant construction of buildings and underlying infrastructure, as well as
conservation of historic structures and neighborhoods.
Further, aged
roads and airports will require upgrading. Cuban demand for agricultural
machinery will be driven by Cuba’s desire to reduce its dependence on imported
food and to boost export crops as a source of foreign exchange. Moreover, Cuba
is in need of modern equipment to replace its antiquated fleet.
Construction
Machinery – Cuba
In
2014, U.S. exports of construction machinery to the Dominican Republic totaled
$28.9 million, down from a peak of $84.5 million in 2008. There were no U.S.
exports of construction machinery to Cuba during 2005–14.932 In 2015, U.S.
exports to Cuba totaled $222,250 and consisted of one bulldozer and one
front-end shovel loader.Cuba has no commercial production of construction
machinery, and the current fleet of construction machines in Cuba is reportedly
obsolete. However, there may be limited production of components and parts for
such machinery. During 2005–14, Cuba exported construction machinery valued at
$9.6 million, of which $5.3 million was exported to Mexico in 2006 and $2.3
million to Venezuela during 2010–11. These were likely exports of used
construction equipment.
With no
domestic industry, Cuba relies on imports for its construction machinery needs.
Cuban demand stems from the country’s need to upgrade as well as construct new
infrastructure. This ranges from improving Cuba’s airports and seaports to
constructing tourist facilities, as well as renovating its city cores and
improving its road system. In addition, certain construction equipment may be
used for mining—for example, for use in Cuba’s nickel industry. Cuban
construction activity has increased in recent years, and housing shortages,
decades of underinvestment in infrastructure, the government’s push for foreign
direct investment (FDI), and the priority placed on developing tourism suggest
that such activity will continue to grow.
Cuba: Value of
construction by economic activity, 2012–14 (million dollars)
Cuban imports
of construction machinery rose from $37.3 million in 2005 to a high of $118.7
million in 2008, before falling to $53.8 million in 2014. Over one-half of
total imports during the period were comprised of parts for construction
machinery (18%), machines with a 360-degree revolving superstructure (13%),
bulldozers (12%), and front-end shovels (11%). Off-highway dumpers, mobile
cranes and drilling derricks, backhoes and trenchers, and miscellaneous other
machinery made up the remainder of Cuban imports during 2005–14.
During 2005–13,
the EU was the principal source of Cuba’s imports of construction machinery,
being surpassed in 2014 by China. In 2014, Cuba’s imports of these goods from
China totaled $27.9 million (52%), compared with imports from the EU, valued at
$22.8 million (42%). Spain has generally been the leading supplier of EU
machinery to Cuba; in 2014, Spain accounted for 19% ($10.4 million) of Cuba’s
imports of construction machinery and 46% of all construction equipment
supplied to Cuba by the EU. However, in certain years during the 2005–14
period, Italy, the Netherlands, or Germany surpassed Spain as the top-ranked EU
supplier.
Cuba:
Construction machinery, imports by major supplier and the United States,
2005–14 (million dollars)
The variability
of Cuban imports of construction equipment during the period reflects both the
specific construction projects undertaken in Cuba at any particular time and
government-to-government agreements that often involve financing for Cuba’s
purchases of such machinery. For example, in 2013 and 2014, some Cuban imports
of construction machinery were the result of a contract with a Chinese
equipment producer that was partially financed by the Export-Import Bank of
China. Cuba’s imports from Brazil in 2010 and 2011 correspond to Brazil’s
involvement in constructing the Mariel Special Economic Development Zone (ZED
Mariel), a project into which Brazil injected significant funding. Cuba’s
imports from Russia totaled $61.6 million during 2009–13, with Russia and Cuba
signing agreements for Russia to provide $150 million in grants for Cuba to
purchase construction and agricultural machinery. Such agreements complicate
the landscape for U.S. suppliers, as Cuba reportedly prefers to deal with
government-owned companies and do business under bilateral relationships,
including barter deals with countries sharing Cuba’s socialist-communist
values.
Source:
Victoria Friends of Cuba, “Cuba Modernizes Its Agricultural Mechanization
System,” August 5,2013.
Agricultural
Machinery – Cuba
Cuba has a
small agricultural machinery industry focused on equipment and tools for
cultivation, agricultural trailers, tillage tools, and plows. Cuba’s Grupo
Industrial Maquinaria Agrícola y Construcción (GIMAC) is likely responsible for
most production of agricultural machinery. Cuba’s exports of agricultural
machinery totaled $2.6 million in 2014, down from a peak of $3.6 million in
2011, but up significantly from $423,885 in 2005.949 During 2005–14, 93% of
Cuba’s exports of these goods went to Venezuela.
As with
construction equipment, Cuba imports most of its agricultural machinery and is
in need of high-quality, consistent machinery and spare parts. Cuban imports of
agricultural machinery rose from $11.4 million in 2005 to a peak of $92.8
million in 2013 before falling to $57.5 million in 2014. In 2014, Brazil was
the leading supplier of agricultural machinery to Cuba, followed by the EU
(largely Spain and Italy).The Cuban drivers for increased imports of
agricultural machinery have been the need to improve agricultural performance
and reduce reliance on imported agricultural products. Nonetheless, any
attempts by Cuba’s agricultural sector to replace its old and obsolete
agricultural machinery are making slow progress. In 2013, approximately 1% of
Cuba’s 66,128 tractors were less than five years old, nearly 12 percent were
between 6 and 30 years old, and 87% were more than three decades old.
Cuba:
Agricultural machinery, imports by major supplier and the United States,
2005–14 (million dollars)
Like
imports of construction equipment, import trends for these goods tend to be
driven by the specific needs of Cuba’s agricultural sector for machinery suited
to particular crops, irrigation, or pesticide and fertilizer application, as
well as by favorable financing terms and bilateral agreements.One example is
Cuban imports of irrigation machinery. Imports of sprayers, dusters, and
irrigation machinery accounted for 34% of total imports of agricultural
machinery during 2005–14. These imports followed implementation in mid-2003 of
the government’s 10-year plan to electrify the Cuban irrigation system, a
project co-funded with a $10 million loan from the OPEC Fund for International
Development.
Another example
is the recent growth in Cuban imports from Brazil. These reflect both Brazilian
investment in Cuba’s sugar industry and Brazil’s position as one of the few
global suppliers of sugarcane harvesting machinery – which Cuba needed in order
to modernize the sugar sector. Brazil also granted Cuba credits to purchase
agricultural equipment and other inputs. In fact, Cuba has completed a number
of deals in this sector with other countries, involving either attractive
financing or non-traditional, quid pro quo transactions.
Effects
of the Removal of U.S. Restrictions
U.S.
manufacturers view Cuba as a potential market for U.S.-made construction and
agricultural equipment, and Cuban government officials report that U.S.
machinery is likely to be well received in Cuba if U.S. export restrictions are
lifted. Industry representatives indicate that the desire for U.S.-branded
equipment, the size of the Cuban market, and the robustness of the sector
suggest that there could be immediate business and excellent export potential
for U.S. machinery producers.Credit, however, may be an important factor in
realizing this potential. Cuban government officials indicate that access to
credit will be necessary for them to be able to purchase U.S. machinery.
Therefore, growth of U.S. exports could be affected by U.S. exporters’
willingness to offer favorable financing and credit terms to Cuban purchasers.
This is because suppliers such as Brazil and China typically provide government
financial support and easy credit terms. Further, producers from Brazil, China,
and the EU have developed business relationships with Cuban purchasers, and
competing against suppliers with entrenched relationships may prove
challenging. At the same time, many U.S. manufacturers, particularly larger
firms that have their own financial arms, are reportedly in a position to
provide good financing terms for equipment and machinery sales to Cuba.
If U.S.
restrictions are lifted, Cuban government officials have indicated that they
would likely import agricultural machinery, including rice harvesting machinery
and irrigation equipment, noting the quality of U.S. machinery. One U.S. source
familiar with Cuban agriculture states that Cuba’s large sugar farms could use
large U.S.-built tractors and sugar harvesting machinery.
Likewise,
Cuba’s citrus groves, in spite of the decline in numbers resulting from citrus
greening disease, are large enough that they would benefit from using
U.S.-built agricultural machinery. Regarding prospects for U.S. exports of
construction machinery, a representative of Caterpillar, Inc., stated that Cuba
needs and would like to buy many of the types of products that the company
produces. The company will likely begin by marketing diesel generator sets,
which provide continuous or backup electrical power, and will follow that up
with marketing mining machinery and then construction machinery.
Recent
developments between the United States and Cuba in this sector could lay the
groundwork for U.S. exports of construction equipment parts in the very near
term. In anticipation of the lifting of U.S. restrictions on Cuba, an Alabama
startup company, Cleber LLC, is working to establish an agricultural tractor
assembly operation in ZED Mariel. This facility would initially use U.S.-made
parts (fabricated in Alabama and shipped to Cuba), with the eventual goal of
transferring production to the proposed Mariel facility.
Rice and easy: how to boost your pub menu
margins with risotto
19-Apr-20162016-04-19T00:00:00Z
Prawn and
chorizo risotto
Risotto may not be at the top of chefs’ agendas but,
when it is available on pub menus, there are many reasons for it to sell well,
including its gluten-free and healthy qualities, and the potential for big
profits. Nicholas Robinson reports
Risotto is a dish that ticks all of the current food
trend boxes that need to be checked by busy pub chefs these days, such as
vegetarian, vegan and free-from allergens, while also providing generous
margins. So far, though, it appears to be a dish that’s under the radar for
many in the trade.Despite its ability to hit the magic words for customers,
risotto sales in pubs have remained fairly flat in recent years, according to
Peter Linden, senior analyst at the Publican’s Morning Advertiser’s sister
brand MCA.
The great risotto myth:
Gallo UK managing director
Jason Morrison says: “It really is a myth that it’s difficult to make. The key
to a good risotto is good ingredients and timing.
“There are two ways to cook a risotto: the pilaf method and the par-boiled
method. The most frequent method is the pilaf method, which consists of
pre-cooking the rice in the morning and finishing the dish during service.
“The par-boiled method is using rice that’s steam-processed and is dried before
it reaches the kitchen. It is then cooked in less time than non-processed
rice.”
In pubs, he says, 1.6% of all lunch dishes were either
risotto or pasta in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2015, down from 2% for Q4 in
2014. On a more positive note, the number of risotto and pasta dishes eaten in
pubs at dinner rose slightly for the same period to 3.4% in 2015, compared with
3.2% in 2014. Showing it is an option customers will try when it’s on the
menu.For the total eating-out market, risotto/pasta dishes accounted for 2.1%
of meals ordered for lunch in Q4 of 2014 and 2.2% in 2015. For dinner, that
dropped from 4.3% for the same period in 2014 to 3.9% last year — so a reverse
in the trend when compared with pubs alone.
Risotto’s slight dinner-time growth in pubs may be as
a result of its appearance on the menus of bigger chains, as Linden points out:
“A number of leading pub brands offer risotto dishes positioned as healthier
options. Pub restaurant chains Table Table and Browns serve asparagus risottos,
while Chef & Brewer and Harvester offer lighter seafood and vegetarian
risottos.”
Rice dishes as a whole are
also appearing on more pub menus in one form or another, with leading operators
including dishes such as jambalaya, he adds. The rise in rice dishes could be
attributed to the increased popularity of gluten-free foods because the grain
is naturally void of the nutrient.
Its versatility when it comes
to meat and dairy-free options is also a plus. The latest figures from MCA’s
Food-service New Menu Item Analysis claimed vegetarian dishes accounted for 31%
of all new menu items in 2015, compared with just 18% in the previous
year.While rice dishes appear to be slowly becoming more of a feature on pub
menus overall, recent research by Premier Foods shows 45% of the consumers it
asked wanted to see more Italian or Mediterranean dishes on menus, making
risotto a prime dish to fit with this demand and the rising interest in gluten
and other free-from dishes, such as vegetarian and vegan.
A rise in customer interest
and demand for Italian dishes on pub menus can be attributed to the current
domination of the high street by Italian food chains, claims Patrick Hames,
head chef at the Enterprise Inns lease the Farmhouse in Horley, Surrey.
Risotto on pub menus
As
recently as five years ago, he says, a risotto on a pub menu may not have been
considered with the same sincerity by pubgoers as it would be now, but the
increased access to Italian food on the high street has made customers more
open to trying dishes not traditionally associated with pubs. “It’s pretty popular when
it’s on the menu here,” explains Hames, who recently took over the Farmhouse’s
kitchen. “It’s not for everybody, because some people still want to see the
more traditional dishes, but I think the casual-dining trend has probably made
it a lot more popular for pubs.
“Pubs had lost a lot of their food trade to the likes
of high-street chains such as Strada and Prezzo, but on the positive side,
their popularity has put dishes like risotto more in the consciousness of
customers.”As well as it being a popular dish on the Farmhouse’s menu — whether
it’s asparagus risotto or a prawn and chorizo one — it is also a quick, easy
and tasty dish you can pull out to cater for customers who are more demanding,
he claims.
“Chefs don’t always look to risotto when they need a
dish that’s vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free. But it’s the ideal dish to meet
those needs —maybe they’re put off because they think it’s harder to make than
it is.”
Ernst van Zyl, chef and co-owner of the Kerridge-based
pub the Lord Clyde, in Cheshire, understands why some chefs view the dish with
apprehension, but says they shouldn’t because it’s a simple dish to make.The
menu at the Lord Clyde, which came in as a new entry at number 50 on the Estrella Damm Top
50 Gastropubs list this year, changes weekly, he explains. Risotto,
in its simplest form — a bianco, which is just onion, garlic, celery, stock,
rice, butter and cheese — can take on an unlimited amount of flavours, which
makes it the perfect dish, he explains.
“One day it could be as simple as wild garlic, which
is in season now, or pancetta or serrano ham. But, if you cook your risotto
well then whatever other ingredients you use, it will work.”
His biggest tips are: ensure all of your preparation
is done before you start cooking the risotto and to use really good stock,
which should always be kept hot while the dish is being cooked.
“It’s an easy and worthwhile dish to put on in a pub.
You can pre-cook your rice in the stock to about 70% done and then cool it
really quickly. Then just finish the dish in the pan when the check comes
on.“Depending on the ingredients you use to flavour the risotto, your GP will
be good too. One box of rice can feed about 10 to 12 people, so it does go
quite far.”
GP from risotto dishes
GP, at the end of the day, can be the make or break of
a dish making the menu, points out Jason Morrison, managing director of Italian
rice specialist Gallo UK. “The margin that chefs could make from each dish
depends mainly on the cost of ingredients, which also comes down to the quality
the pub chef wants to achieve,” he explains.
Top Italian rices:
·
Arborio: The most popular risotto rice, with large plump,
full-bodies grains. Arborio has a high-starch content that that gives it the
perfect balance of creaminess and bite for a very traditional risotto.
·
Carnaroli: Premium risotto rice that is known for its ability to
absorb flavours and retain a perfectly-cooked al dente texture.
·
Venere: A natural black which originally comes from China,
but is grown in the Po Valley, Italy. Venere cooks in just 18 minutes and has a
distinctively nutty aroma and can be eaten hot or cold.
“Usually, we consider a portion of risotto to be
80g-90g, so buying 1kg of rice could obtain 12 portions. In commercial terms,
the cost of a portion of rice is based on the maximum 100g raw weight and would
be 25p, therefore a vegetarian risotto would cost under £1 to make and, with
protein, about £1.50 a portion.
This supports the point that high margins are to be
had — probably the highest on a gastropub’s main-course menu.”
Importantly, says Italian Embassy head chef Danilo Cortellini,
the dish is actually easier than most think. “It’s not that ‘cheffy’, really,”
he explains. “It’s a pretty straightforward process. If you learn to do it
properly then everybody can do it.”
Ingredient quality is the biggest challenge, he warns.
The rice has to be the best and it has to be a risotto rice (see boxout) and
not something like a long-grain basmati rice, because that won’t give you a
risotto. Grains such as arborio or carnaroli release the starches needed to
achieve a creamy risotto. They also maintain their shape during cooking.
The quality of the grain is important, he affirms. The
grains have to be unbroken so the right amount of starch can be released and so
it stays whole and ends up on the plate al dente.
Yet, risotto rice is also diverse in its use beyond
offering a tasty free-from and high-GP option, points out Felicia Troia, owner
of the foodservice supplier the Sicilian Kitchen. The firm specialises in
arancini — small balls of risotto rice breaded and fried — that are ideal bar snacks,
starters or even a main-course option.
“They can be a fantastic extra in-come stream and also
quite an unusual addition to a bar snack menu, especially for those who might
not want to eat the likes of a Scotch egg or pork pie,” Troia says. “You could
make 100% gross profit from ours, which come frozen and vacuum-packed. You just
have to reheat them and, to add value to them, you could serve them with a
simple sauce.”
They can quite easily be a vegetarian bar snack option
that’s not boring, she adds. “If you use vegetable stock and no meat in the
rest of the recipe then they’re ideal for vegetarians and they can be vegan if
you don’t add cheese. Rice is naturally gluten-free, so they’ve got that going
for them too.”So, with that in mind, risotto’s flexibility could see the dish,
understandably, become more of a star on pub menus as chefs become ever more
reactive to the rise in demand for free-from options. Plus, its potential to
offer kitchens a high GP for relatively little input is a real bonus.
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Risotto may not be at the
top of chefs’ agendas but, when it is available on pub menus, there are many
reasons for it to sell well, including its gluten-free and healthy qualities,
and the potential for big profits. Nicholas Robinson reports
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Pub-Food/Menu-Ideas/Risotto-margins-on-pub-menus
USA Rice Sponsors
Event Launching Trade Mission for Cubans
WASHINGTON, DC -- Last night, USA Rice
co-sponsored an event launching a week-long trade mission for Alimport, the
Cuban food and agricultural trade agency. Delegates will visit Maryland,
Missouri, and Louisiana during the trip to tour important areas of U.S.
agricultural production and transportation. Their itinerary also includes
a stop in New Orleans for a lunch hosted by Russell Marine Group that many key
U.S. rice exporters will attend.
USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward gave
remarks at the event welcoming the delegation and highlighted USA Rice's top
legislative priority: lifting the embargo against Cuba. Juan Leon,
Official Ambassador of the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture, also spoke during the
reception. "The U.S. has great quality food, for instance, great
quality long grain rice," Leon commented, "and we think U.S. imports
to Cuba will pick up again very soon."
Terry Harris of Riceland Foods, Inc., who
attended the event, agreed. "The U.S. rice purchased by Cuba since
2001 has been the best into the country in decades, with a competitive price
and with much quicker shipment and delivery," he said. Cuba last
imported U.S. rice in 2008.
Harris added, "Alimport's visit this week is
a great opportunity to exchange information and lay the groundwork for
cooperation when we overcome the partisan obstacles to exporting U.S. rice to
Cuba again."
Opponents of lifting the embargo often point to
the political regime in Cuba as one of those obstacles. However,
President Raúl Castro recently announced he will step down in two years, welcoming new - and younger - leadership there.
During a speech to the Cuban Communist Party Congress over the weekend, Castro
acknowledged "concrete results in the dialogue and cooperation between the
United States and Cuba."
Coincidentally, yesterday the United States
International Trade Commission (USITC) released a report titled Overview
of Cuban Imports of Goods and Services and Effects of U.S. Restrictions that
suggested "U.S. exports to Cuba could see significant gains from the
removal of U.S. restrictions, particularly those related to credit financing.
U.S. producers can offer a wide variety of high-quality goods, competitive
prices, smaller shipments, lower transportation costs, and faster delivery
times."
Ward concluded, "We see Alimport's trade
mission this week as a continuation of dialogue and cooperation. In light
of the USITC report findings, the Castro announcement and Alimport's visit are
positive steps in U.S.-Cuba relations, and these developments bode well for
future trade, travel, and diplomatic relations.
04/19/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice
|
High
|
Low
|
|
Long
Grain Cash Bids
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
Long
Grain New Crop
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
|
|
Futures:
|
|
|
ROUGH RICE
|
|
|
High
|
Low
|
Last
|
Change
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May '16
|
1037.5
|
1020.0
|
1036.0
|
+10.0
|
|
Jul '16
|
1064.5
|
1047.0
|
1063.0
|
+11.0
|
|
Sep '16
|
1083.0
|
1066.5
|
1082.5
|
+10.5
|
|
Nov '16
|
1084.0
|
1084.0
|
1095.5
|
+10.0
|
|
Jan '17
|
|
|
1113.5
|
+9.5
|
|
Mar '17
|
|
|
1135.0
|
+9.5
|
|
May '17
|
|
|
1137.5
|
+10.0
|
|
|
Rice Comment
Rice futures recovered somewhat after
yesterday’s big losses, which were attributed to profit taking. The market
will be watching crop progress closely. If farmers plant what they reported to
USDA in the survey, the large crop will limit the upside potential. Currently,
USDA says 48% of the crop in the ground and 19% emerged. In Arkansas, the
totals are 55% planted and 11% emerged. Demand is also a key factor. Last week’s sale to Iraq gave the market a
much needed boost, but won’t sustain a rally long-term without better
demand across the board. May has resistance at Friday’s high of $10.46, when the market
failed to challenge the 38% retracement level, which is $10.50.
Rice Prices
as on : 19-04-2016 08:10:28 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in
domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|
Current
|
%
change
|
Season
cumulative
|
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal
|
Prev.Yr
%change
|
|
Rice
|
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
3086.00
|
33.88
|
102378.00
|
2945
|
2237
|
65.92
|
|
Burdwan(WB)
|
390.00
|
-1.76
|
4629.00
|
1700
|
1700
|
-5.56
|
|
Sainthia(WB)
|
183.00
|
3.39
|
1382.20
|
1770
|
1765
|
-
|
|
Birbhum(WB)
|
152.50
|
0.99
|
2332.50
|
1785
|
1770
|
-7.03
|
|
Memari(WB)
|
147.00
|
-0.68
|
2893.00
|
1700
|
1700
|
-5.56
|
|
Guskara(Burdwan)(WB)
|
147.00
|
-3.29
|
2913.00
|
2200
|
2180
|
2.33
|
|
Sealdah
Koley Market(WB)
|
75.00
|
-6.25
|
553.40
|
2950
|
2400
|
18.00
|
|
Dhing(ASM)
|
68.00
|
-21.84
|
2859.20
|
1800
|
1800
|
-16.28
|
|
Barasat(WB)
|
65.00
|
8.33
|
2285.00
|
2200
|
2250
|
-4.35
|
|
Dahod(Guj)
|
56.20
|
-8.91
|
1217.70
|
2150
|
3900
|
-48.81
|
|
Pandua(WB)
|
52.00
|
4
|
1671.00
|
2650
|
2600
|
-1.85
|
|
Kasimbazar(WB)
|
42.50
|
-1.16
|
1668.00
|
2275
|
2275
|
-9.00
|
|
Lanka(ASM)
|
40.00
|
33.33
|
2030.00
|
1750
|
1750
|
-1.41
|
|
Khatra(WB)
|
38.00
|
2.7
|
762.00
|
2200
|
2100
|
-12.00
|
|
Garbeta(Medinipur)(WB)
|
32.00
|
28
|
403.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
4.35
|
|
Balugaon(Ori)
|
30.00
|
50
|
309.00
|
3200
|
3200
|
10.34
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
30.00
|
-16.67
|
1717.00
|
2180
|
2120
|
-9.17
|
|
Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB)
|
30.00
|
-25
|
1630.00
|
1900
|
1950
|
-11.63
|
|
Alipurduar(WB)
|
19.00
|
NC
|
422.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
NC
|
|
Kolaghat(WB)
|
18.00
|
NC
|
510.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-8.00
|
|
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
|
17.90
|
-26.94
|
993.70
|
2400
|
2300
|
-7.69
|
|
Gauripur(ASM)
|
16.00
|
-55.56
|
2442.00
|
4500
|
4500
|
-2.17
|
|
Medinipur(West)(WB)
|
14.00
|
NC
|
519.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
2.13
|
|
Bohorihat(ASM)
|
12.50
|
92.31
|
250.40
|
2050
|
2100
|
-12.77
|
|
Uluberia(WB)
|
11.80
|
-29.34
|
162.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
-4.35
|
|
Deogarh(Ori)
|
9.50
|
NC
|
352.50
|
2500
|
2500
|
NC
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
8.10
|
80
|
1026.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Chalakudy(Ker)
|
8.00
|
NC
|
108.00
|
2500
|
2580
|
3.09
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
7.00
|
NC
|
381.00
|
2300
|
2400
|
NC
|
|
Tusura(Ori)
|
6.50
|
8.33
|
201.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
-8.33
|
|
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
|
6.50
|
30
|
89.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
-
|
|
Imphal(Man)
|
4.10
|
24.24
|
175.70
|
2900
|
2900
|
NC
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
3.20
|
45.45
|
246.70
|
2150
|
2150
|
-
|
|
Tileibani(Ori)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
19.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
NC
|
|
Melaghar(Tri)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
107.80
|
2250
|
2250
|
-4.26
|
|
Karimpur(WB)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
46.00
|
3150
|
3150
|
NC
|
|
Rahama(Ori)
|
2.95
|
18
|
34.71
|
2450
|
2500
|
22.50
|
|
Jharsuguda(Ori)
|
2.20
|
-12
|
11.10
|
2400
|
2500
|
-7.69
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
1.20
|
50
|
45.60
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
|
Punalur(Ker)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
15.50
|
1600
|
1600
|
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article8494203.ece
