چاولوں میں ایسی چیز کی ملاوٹ
ہونے لگی کہ آپ اگلی بار بازار سے چاول خریدتے ہوئے انہیں بار بار دیکھیں گے
22 دسمبر 2016 (21:14)
برطانوی نشریاتی ادارے بی بی سی کی رپورٹ کے مطابق لاگوس شہر کے کسٹمز حکام کا کہنا ہے کہ بیرون ملک سے درآمد کئے جانے والے اڑھائی ٹن نقلی چاول پکڑے گئے ہیں، جو پلاسٹک اور دیگر مصنوعی اشیاءسے تیار کئے گئے ہیں۔ کسٹمز چیف ہارونا ممیدو نے میڈیا سے بات کرتے ہوئے بتایا کہ یہ چاول دیکھنے میں 100 فیصد اصلی نظر آتے ہیں اور انہیں چھو کر بھی فرق بتانا مشکل ہے۔ کسٹمز اہلکاروں نے جب کچھ چاول ابال کر دیکھے تو یہ غیر معمولی طور پر لیسلے اور قدرے سخت تھے البتہ اب بھی دیکھنے میں اصلی چاولوں جیسے ہی نظر آتے تھے۔ بی بی سی کے نمائندے نے بھی چاولوں کا معائنہ کرنے کے بعد حیرت کا اظہار کیا کہ یہ بظاہر بالکل اصلی نظر آتے ہیں لیکن انہیں سونگھنے سے کیمیکل کی ہلکی سی بو محسوس ہوتی ہے۔
خدشہ ظاہر کیا گیا ہے کہ ان چاولوں کو پلاسٹک اور کاغذ کا گودا ملا کر تیار کیا جاتا ہے، اور انہیں بھاری مقدار میں اصلی چاولوں کے ساتھ مکس کر کے متعدد ممالک میں بیچا جا رہا ہے۔ آپ بھی احتیاط سے کام لیں۔ چاولوں کو خریدتے وقت سونگھ کر دیکھیں، اگر ان کی خوشبو میں کوئی گڑبڑ محسوس ہو تو ہرگز نہ خریدیں۔ اگر خریدتے وقت مطلوبہ احتیاط نہیں کی گئی تو کم از کم پکانے سے قبل ضرور سونگھ کر چیک کریں۔ اصلی چاولوں کی مہک قدرتی، تازہ اور کیمیکل کی بو سے پاک ہونی چاہئیے
PAK-QATAR AGREE TO COOPERATE IN DIVERSE FIELDS
Thursday, 22 December 2016 22:52
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial
Commission Thursday agreed to cooperate in diverse fields including
infrastructure, agriculture, ports and shipping, oil and gas exploration,
banking, defence production and information technology.The fourth session of
the commission was held here which was co-chaired by Minister for Petroleum and
Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Minister for Energy and Industry
Qatar, Dr Muhammad Bin Saleh Al-Sada.
Addressing the press briefing, Dr Muhammad Bin
Saleh Al-Sada said the bilateral relations between the two countries were
strengthening with every passing day.He said Qatar government was committed to
continue to become a reliable supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to
Pakistan to meet the country's growing energy needs.
"We feel proud to be a part of Pakistan's
energy security", he added.He informed that the fifth session of the
commission would be held in Doha and the date would be finalized soon.He said
Qatar side agreed to invest in infrastructure projects in Pakistan as well as
projects in agriculture sector.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said during the session,
the two sides discussed the modalities for early implementation of recruitment
of 100,000 additional workers as per announcement made by Emir of Qatar during
the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.He said the two sides reviewed the
progress of the LNG supplies from Qatar and decided to accelerate efforts for
implementation of the project.He said the two sides also decided to cooperate
mutually for oil and gas exploration including offshore exploration and
development of the CNG infrastructure in the state of Qatar.The minister said
Pakistani side requested Qatar authorities to include Pakistani rice in tender
floating by Qatar Central Tender Committee and Qatar agreed to review the
proposal.The parties, he said also agreed to hold inaugural meeting of
Pak-Qatar Joint Business Council at the earliest
http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/pakistan/332904-pak-qatar-agree-to-cooperate-in-diverse-fields.html
Pakistan vs. India Water Row Is About To Explode
By Polina
Tikhonova on December 22,
2016 7:07 am in Politics Pakistan and India seem unable to resolve the Indus Water Treaty
dispute bilaterally. Tensions between the two nuclear neighbors regarding the
water conflict pose a global threat and could bring dramatic consequences.
While the World Bank is urging Pakistan and India to resolve the dispute on
their own, the water conflict is slowly turning into a global disaster.
source: Wikimedia Commons
Last week, Pakistan declared that it won’t
accept any modifications to the treaty after India said it was ready to resolve
its differences with its neighbor. Islamabad accuses New Delhi of just trying
to buy time and says its nuclear-powered neighbor is trying to change the
treaty, which was signed in 1960, to suit its domestic political agenda.The
Indus Water Treaty allows India to control the three eastern rivers of the
Indus Basin, while Pakistan controls the three western rivers, including the
Indus River.
Will Pakistan and India go to war over water?
Despite the World Bank’s call to resolve the
issue bilaterally, Pakistan and India continue to escalate the conflict. The
international community, meanwhile, shows little to no interest in the water
conflict between the two nuclear neighbors. That’s a huge mistake because the
India vs. Pakistan water conflict poses a global threat. New Delhi and
Islamabad continue to stick to their guns, which could eventually lead to the
use of real guns and unleashing a war.Last Friday, Special Assistant to the
Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi told Dawn, “Pakistan will not accept any
modifications or changes to the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. Our
position is based on the principles enshrined in the treaty. And the treaty
must be honored in…letter and spirit.”
Indian officials believe the World
Bank-brokered treaty shouldn’t have been signed in the first place because
Pakistan controls more water than India as a result of the 1960 treaty.
Islamabad has long feared that its nuclear-powered neighbor is trying to revoke
the treaty to suit its domestic political agenda. Revoking it would present
dangerous consequences for the region and the world as a whole.
Pakistan strongly opposes India’s plans to
build dams
In the latest wave of escalating tensions, the
two nations can’t agree on India’s plans to construct two hydropower dams.
Islamabad thinks its neighbor’s plans to build the 850-megawatt Ratle and the
330-megawatt Kishanganga hydropower dams on India’s Chenab River would
negatively affect the flow of rivers on Pakistan’s side.New Delhi and Islamabad
recently launched two separate, conflicting processes under the treaty to
resolve the dispute of building the two hydroelectric power plants. But earlier
this month, the World Bank appointed a neutral expert, fearing that the two
processes could lead to destructive consequences.
“Both processes initiated by the respective
countries were advancing at the same time, creating a risk of contradictory
outcomes that could potentially endanger the Treaty,” the bank said in a
statement.The World Bank also announced a pause in the two processes with an
aim of protecting the Indus Waters Treaty.
“This is an opportunity for the two countries
to begin to resolve the issue in an amicable manner and in line with the spirit
of the treaty rather than pursuing concurrent processes that could make the
treaty unworkable over time,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said in a
statement before adding that he hopes the two neighbors will resolve the
dispute by the end of January.
Trust deficit between Islamabad and New Delhi
The root of all disputes and issues between
Pakistan and India is the trust deficit. When India asks for “adequate time” to
resolve the disputes regarding the 1960 treaty, Pakistani officials interpret
it as “time buying” tactics. By calling for more time, India could be planning
to complete its two dam projects during the consultation phase, thinks Rabia
Sultan, an expert based in Pakistan. Sultan told the Anadolu Agency that the
two dam projects could create food and water shortages in Pakistan.
“The construction of a gated structure on the
upstream will give India an edge to manipulate and control the [Chenab] river,
which may turn out to be very dangerous especially when the two sides are
hostile to each other,” Sultan said.The expert added that the proposed
hydropower dams could also damage Pakistan’s rice crops because the Chenab
River serves as a key source of irrigation water for the area where Pakistanis
grow rice.
“The construction of the two dams may cause
water shortage in the area, particularly in low water season,” Sultan warns.Pakistanis
are famous for their production of Basmati rice, which is a major export item
that boosts the nation’s economy.
India vs. Pakistan water conflict poses global
threat
ValueWalk reported last month that there’s a
high risk of war between Pakistan and India amid the water conflict. Ever-growing
tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi, climate change, global warming and
depletion of natural resources could lead to a military confrontation between
the nuclear neighbors in the near future, warn experts at the UN. And since the
two countries have nuclear weapons, any military confrontation between them can
result in catastrophic consequences for the world.
Last month, the UN University’s Institute for
Water, Environment and Health warned that the Indus River and all other rivers
in South Asia are the worst-affected by climate change. The UN experts warned
that South Asian nations, including the rival Pakistan and India, will be the
first to feel the catastrophic damage of droughts and chronic water scarcity,
two direct indicators of climate change. They also warned that a lack of access
to drinking water from the Indus River, which belongs to Pakistan under the
Indus Water Treaty, could lead to a military confrontation between New Delhi
and Islamabad over water.
In September, Pakistani leaders warned their
Indian counterparts that any attempts to revoke or change the Indus Water
Treaty would be deemed an act of war. Many experts link long-standing
hostilities between Islamabad and New Delhi to rising water demands and the
depletion of water resources in the Indus River, which keeps at least 300
million people alive, according to the UNhttp://www.valuewalk.com/2016/12/pakistan-vs-india-water-conflict/
'Plastic' or not? Over 100 bags
of fake rice seized in Nigeria
Updated 0428 GMT (1228 HKT) December 24, 2016
Story highlights
·
Investigation continues into where shipment originated
·
Rice is a major staple food in Nigeria, often prepared as jollof
rice
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)Nigerian authorities have seized 2.5 metric tons of reportedly
fake rice during the holiday season.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian
Custom Service said it intercepted 102 bags of a brand called Best Tomato
Rice after the recipient of a gift of rice alerted authorities. The health
ministry released a statement on Friday urging Nigerians to remain calm after
preliminary findings found no evidence that the rice was plastic or consisted
of toxic chemical substances. Yet, the country's National Agency for Food Drug
Administration Control has not released their investigative report.
The health minister's statement contradicts earlier reports from
customs officials.
Mamudu Haruna, comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit,
called it "plastic" rice at a press briefing in Lagos Thursday.
"We have done the preliminary analysis on the plastic rice. After boiling,
it was sticky and only God knows what would have happened if people consumed
it."
Haruna described the importers of the fake rice as "economy
saboteurs" seeking to capitalize off of Nigerians looking for bargains
during the Christmas and New Year holiday season.
It is unclear where the shipment of rice originated. "A
consultant said he was given 221 bags to distribute," Jerry Attah, the
public relations officer for the assistant superintendent of customs, told CNN.
One customer who avoided a potential mishap was Kikelomo
Adediti. She said she bought 10 cups of the product (about 2 kg) from a small
retailer in the Ikeja area of Lagos, in November.
"It looked perfectly normal and cost less [than regular
rice] so I thought I got a great deal. Normally it would take about 20 minutes
[to cook] but after 30 minutes it was still hard. I added more water and the
aroma was chemical in nature so I decided to discard it thinking it had
expired," she told CNN. Adediti didn't formally report the incident.
In another case, a woman who received rice as a gift noticed
something was wrong after cooking it. Her husband then called customs
officials.
Plastic, resin or none of the above
Yet, it's still unclear what the rice is made of."If you
look at it it's rice. If you look at the pictures it's rice. If you cook it and
eat it it's rice. It's only when you touch it you'll feel it that you realize
it's not," Attah told CNN."That's why I call it fake rice, not
plastic rice. To me it's more like flour coated in maybe rubber... I don't know
the kind of formulations or chemicals they use," he said.Attah said that a
total of 221 bags -- each weighing 25 kilos -- came into Nigeria, but only 102
were recovered, which means 119 have already been distributed.
Nigerians' love for rice
Rice is a major staple food in Nigeria and a favorite holiday
meal, often prepared as jollof rice.
It is estimated that Nigerians consume 6 million metric tons of rice per year; in 2013, former
minister of agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said the country spends more
than $1 billion annually to import rice.
"Though rice contribute a significant proportion of the
food requirements of the [Nigerian] population, production capacity is far
below the national requirements. In order to meet the increasing demand,
Nigeria has had to resort to importation of milled rice to bridge the gap
between domestic demand and supply," according to Professor Tunji Akande,
author of An overview of the Nigerian Rice Economy.With
imports adversely affected by the country's foreign exchange woes and the continued rise of the dollar against
Nigeria's currency the Naira, the cost of rice has more than doubled.
Bags of rice were on sale for NGN22,000 in Bodija market Ibadan
and other major Nigerian markets on Thursday, compared with about NGN10,000 a
year ago.The desire for cheaper rice makes Nigerians vulnerable to counterfeit
foods industry: "Rice is very expensive and people are looking for where
to get it at cheaper rates. If a regular bag costs NGN17,000 but the plastic
one is being sold for 9,000, many Nigerian families will buy it," said
economics expert Lanre Adigun.
"This is further aided by the porous nature of Nigeria's
borders. Since the Nigerian government had already banned rice importation into the country
through the land borders, the commodity is still being smuggled into the
country through the border with Benin Republic. You can go to any market and
you will see all sorts of rice imported through the land borders," said
Feyikemi Oladokun, a nutrition expert who works with the agriculture ministry
in Kwara state.
Not just Nigeria
In 2011, a Korean news report revealed some fake rice is produced
from potatoes that are shaped as rice with the addition of industrial resin.
Even when cooked, the report said the rice remained hard.
Meet Nigerian 6-year-old comedienne 01:08
Dr. Victoria Feyikemi of Babcock University Hospital Ogun state,
Nigeria, said the medical consequences of consuming such products can be severe
because the fake rice has synthetic resin that is harmful to the body.
"When you eat three bowls of this rice, you are basically
ingesting one vinyl bag and the toxicity and associated pathologies are
numerous. We cannot afford to add plastic rice-associated medical emergencies
to our numerous health challenges in Nigeria, remember we are still struggling
with Lassa fever," she said
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/23/africa/nigeria-fake-plastic-rice/
Price of rice
could increase suddenly in 2017, Informa’s Agribusiness Intelligence vertical
predicts
Informa’s Agribusiness
Intelligence vertical is predicting improved weather conditions will lead to
increased production of rice worldwide in 2017, but consumption will slightly
outstrip supplies and potentially lead to increased wholesale prices. Strong
production in the US and Russia will mean wheat output will increase by 4
million tonnes in 2017 to match increased demand, but wheat will be replaced by
cheaper foodstuffs in the animal feed market. Informa’s Agribusiness
Intelligence vertical also predicts soybeans will recover from drought to
see strong growth in 2017, leading the charge for growth in the wider oilseed
category.
Informa’s Agribusiness
Intelligence vertical, the leading provider of news, data, analysis and
forecasts across the agricultural and commodities value chain, has outlined its
predictions for the grains and oilseeds commodities market alongside others in
its Agribusiness Annual 2017 report due to be published in January 2017. The
Annual shows global commodities will paint a varied picture in 2017. This will
be largely determined by weather, geopolitical changes in the US, EU and
Southeast Asia while changing consumer demands and the need to supply a growing
meat industry will continue to affect global commodities.
Key findings include:
§ Rice – Global rice production will exceed 2016 by 9 million tonnes in
2017 and good weather conditions means supplies are marginally larger going
into 2017 than at the beginning of 2016. Growth in consumption is expected to
outpace the increase in supplies, which could lead to price increases
§ Wheat – Global wheat output likely will increase by about 3 million
tonnes in the 2016/17 marketing year driven by increased production from the US
and Russia, while total usage is expected to increase by about 20 million
tonnes. Total production and consumption will even out at around 720 million
tonnes respectively. Global stocks for 2017 will be 4 million tonnes larger
than in the prior year and ending stocks are expected to rise again by the end
of the marketing year
§ Oilseeds – Recovery from drought in South America and a record year for
output in the US means global soybean output is forecast to rise by about 8% to
just over 330 million tonnes by the end of the 2016/17 global marketing year.
Total world oilseed production (including palm, rapeseed and peanuts) is
expected to rebound by about 6% by the end of 2016/17
§ Coarse grains / Animal feed – Greater consumption of meat worldwide is driving feed demand.
While wheat will still form a large part of the coarse grain market, there will
be heavy competition from other low-priced feedstuffs in 2017. Corn is expected
to have a healthy rebound in production in 2017 in countries like Argentina
following unsettled weather and export taxes in 2016
Don Riffe, senior vice president
for Informa Economics IEG, concludes: “Across the globe production of grains and
oilseeds are on the rise, but market segmentation and quality issues in
specific regions is creating an uncertain outlook for producers and traders
worldwide. It also remains unclear how the election of Trump will affect the
import and export of commodities in the US market, while the potential for a
hard or soft Brexit has introduced more speculation in the European market. The
agricultural industry should prepare for moderate growth in grains and
oilseeds, but stakeholders should arm themselves with up to the hour
information to better handle sudden geopolitical changes, weather events or
other market factors outside of their control.”
http://www.retailtimes.co.uk/price-rice-increase-suddenly-2017-informas-agribusiness-intelligence-vertical-predicts/
Govt rules out importing wheat
PTI |
New Delhi
December 23, 2016 | 03:11 PM
Amid tight supply of wheat in the domestic
market, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday ruled out possibility of
import of the grain on government account saying there is adequate buffer stock
to meet the requirement under the Public Distribution System (PDS).The
government has recently scrapped import duty on wheat to boost domestic
supplies and curb price rise. The private players has imported more than 1.7
million tonnes of wheat so far and more shipments are expected at zero Customs
duty.Asked if the government would undertake wheat imports, Paswan said:
"That situation may not arise as we have adequate stock in the central
pool to meet the PDS requirement."
As on December 1, state-owned Food Corporation
of India had 27.55 milion tonnes of foodgrains, of which wheat was 16.4 million
tonnes and rice was 11 million tonnes, he told media while briefing about his
ministry's achievement in 2016.Although there is tight supply situation, the
Agriculture Ministry has been maintaining wheat output to be higher at 93.55
million tonnes for the 2015-16 crop year (July-June), which the industry has
countered and said the output has lowered to 86-88 million tonnes.
Explaining the reasons behind removal of import
duty, Paswan said, "It was done purely to control prices. We have enough
stock for PDS requirement but in the open market there is tight position. The
zero import duty will not be permanent." Asked if the Food Ministry
believes the Agriculture Ministry's wheat estimate for 2015-16, the Minister
said, "In every meeting, we have asked for accurate and realistic data.They
say the data is right. So,there is no question of not believing in the data of
the other ministry."
Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande said,
"We did not take decision based only on the figures of the Agriculture
Ministry. We have also taken into consideration that there is some issue with
production. We took decision taking into account both Agriculture Ministry's
estimate of around 94 million tonnes and industry's figure of 88 million
tonnes."
While there are doubts about last year's wheat
output data, there are concerns about this year's wheat crop as the Met
Department has projected warmer winter. Although the acreage so far is higher,
but experts said any rise in temperature during February-March may affect crop
yields.The Agriculture Ministry is targeting a record 96.50 million tonnes of
wheat output for 2016-17.
http://www.thestatesman.com/business/govt-rules-out-importing-wheat-1482486016.html
Pulses, wheat, oilseeds sowing
surpasses 5 years’ average
·
Rabi acreage at 554 lakh hectares
so far, up 6% year-on- year
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 23:
Pulses, wheat and oilseeds sowing
in the on-going rabi season have picked up pace and out-stripped average
acreage of the previous five years, as per the Agriculture Ministry’s latest
sowing data (till December 23) circulated on Friday.
Sowing of rice and coarse
cereals, however, remain lower than the average acreage in the previous five
years (normal of the corresponding week).
Total sowing of all the five rabi
crops so far at 554.91 lakh hectares (lh) is about 1.65 per cent higher than
the normal average of the corresponding week at 545.87 lh, but 6 per cent
higher than the total acreage in the same period of the previous drought year
which was at 523.4 lh.
About 278.62 lh area coverage
under wheat has been reported compared to the normal area of corresponding week
of 274.66 lh. Higher acreage of wheat so far has been reported from Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Bihar among others.
Pulses have been sown over an
area of 138.22 lh so far — higher than sowing in the normal area of the
corresponding week at 128.87 lh. States where sowing increased include
Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand while those where it has
gone down include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Oilseeds acreage at 78.08 lh so
far is higher than the normal average of the corresponding week at 76.53 lh.
Acreage under rice at 9.33 lh so far is much lower than the normal of
corresponding week at 13.41 lh. Coverage under coarse cereals has also gone
down to 50.63 lh (52.39 lh)
North Korean crop
production up by 7%
Despite troubling floods that hit the
northeastern part of North Korea in August and September, North Korea's crop
production in 2016 has seen a seven percent rise according to Seoul. Total
production in the country totalled around 4.8 million tons a report from the
government’s Rural Development Administration (RDA) said, roughly 310 thousand
tons more than last year.
“Out of 4.81 million tons of this year’s production, rice was 2.22 million; corn was 1.7 million, potatoes 550 thousand, cereals 170 thousand, and 170 thousand tons of beans and mixed grains,” they estimate.
The report covers each individual crop and its corresponding growth in the country over the previous year. According to the report corn enjoyed a four percent growth up by 60 thousand tons, and potatoes a ten percent rise up by 50 thousand tons after favorable rainfall and weather.
Despite this growth, the report said, production is still short of the 690 thousand tons that the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program say would be adequate to meet the needs of the North Korean population.
source: nknews.org
“Out of 4.81 million tons of this year’s production, rice was 2.22 million; corn was 1.7 million, potatoes 550 thousand, cereals 170 thousand, and 170 thousand tons of beans and mixed grains,” they estimate.
The report covers each individual crop and its corresponding growth in the country over the previous year. According to the report corn enjoyed a four percent growth up by 60 thousand tons, and potatoes a ten percent rise up by 50 thousand tons after favorable rainfall and weather.
Despite this growth, the report said, production is still short of the 690 thousand tons that the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program say would be adequate to meet the needs of the North Korean population.
source: nknews.org
Publication date: 12/23/2016
Seeds because you might give us something not
good for our soil.”
Cosino was one of the first ones to use hybrid
in Agusan del Sur seven years ago, and has gained experience on what variety
works best.
“Before I was using SL-8, but now I like SL-18
better. It has longer tiller. SL-18 can give 15 to 20 more cavans than SL-8. We
capitalized on it—it’s good really. Maybe it’s better for our climate where
it’s always raining. With another kind of seed, I did not get 100 cavans so I
didn’t get it again,” she said.
Cosino reaped 330 cavans at a hefty 65 kilos
per cavan from her three hectares in the last dry season. This equivalent to
7.15 MT per hectare based on the usual 50-kilo per cavan.
Rice Prices
as on :
23-12-2016 08:10:35 PMArrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
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Price
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|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
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Rice
|
||||||
|
Akbarpur(UP)
|
122.50
|
6.52
|
1375.00
|
2160
|
2170
|
8.00
|
|
Vikasnagar(Utr)
|
105.00
|
62.79
|
287.50
|
2240
|
1840
|
-50.22
|
|
Siliguri(WB)
|
97.00
|
3.19
|
9808.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
3.85
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
82.00
|
-8.89
|
11789.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
11.63
|
|
Lanka(ASM)
|
60.00
|
NC
|
4840.00
|
2000
|
2000
|
15.94
|
|
Kasimbazar(WB)
|
48.00
|
2.13
|
4039.00
|
2420
|
2450
|
7.56
|
|
Gauripur(ASM)
|
45.00
|
21.62
|
3636.80
|
4500
|
4500
|
NC
|
|
Taliamura(Tri)
|
42.00
|
90.91
|
712.00
|
2700
|
2800
|
NC
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
24.00
|
NC
|
2538.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
6.19
|
|
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
|
24.00
|
9.09
|
1467.50
|
2000
|
2350
|
8.11
|
|
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
|
23.00
|
-4.17
|
800.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
-8.11
|
|
Karimganj(ASM)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
160.00
|
3100
|
3100
|
6.90
|
|
Jaunpur(UP)
|
20.00
|
-91.3
|
7666.00
|
2150
|
2130
|
9.41
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
20.00
|
33.33
|
938.90
|
2200
|
2200
|
2.33
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
1645.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
-1.96
|
|
Dinhata(WB)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
605.50
|
2250
|
2200
|
9.76
|
|
Medinipur(West)(WB)
|
20.00
|
33.33
|
416.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
-
|
|
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
|
16.00
|
77.78
|
1725.10
|
2300
|
2300
|
16.16
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
16.00
|
NC
|
1525.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
16.67
|
|
Giridih(Jha)
|
15.46
|
-2.64
|
693.46
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
|
Haldibari(WB)
|
15.00
|
NC
|
120.00
|
2250
|
2250
|
-
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
14.00
|
-26.32
|
2788.00
|
3000
|
3000
|
NC
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
12.00
|
20
|
722.00
|
2400
|
2300
|
4.35
|
|
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
|
11.80
|
-46.36
|
1742.60
|
2500
|
2500
|
8.70
|
|
Baruipur(Canning)(WB)
|
8.50
|
21.43
|
199.90
|
2600
|
2600
|
-7.14
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
8.00
|
142.42
|
446.10
|
4200
|
4100
|
NC
|
|
Tusura(Ori)
|
8.00
|
23.08
|
503.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
9.09
|
|
Bethuadahari(WB)
|
8.00
|
-20
|
225.80
|
2300
|
2300
|
-22.03
|
|
Ranaghat(WB)
|
8.00
|
-33.33
|
231.00
|
2300
|
2200
|
6.98
|
|
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
|
8.00
|
NC
|
1412.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
8.70
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
7.80
|
-11.36
|
2553.90
|
1900
|
1900
|
NC
|
|
Kolaghat(WB)
|
7.00
|
NC
|
1443.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
8.70
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
6.50
|
NC
|
781.00
|
2400
|
2500
|
-4.00
|
|
Bolangir(Ori)
|
6.50
|
-7.14
|
529.40
|
2400
|
2400
|
9.09
|
|
Uluberia(WB)
|
6.20
|
10.71
|
377.20
|
2450
|
2450
|
-2.00
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
6.00
|
-53.85
|
516.60
|
2250
|
2250
|
-
|
|
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
|
5.70
|
137.5
|
258.70
|
2700
|
2700
|
3.85
|
|
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
|
4.80
|
-20
|
424.90
|
4100
|
4100
|
26.15
|
|
Hailakandi(ASM)
|
4.00
|
NC
|
206.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-18.52
|
|
Bohorihat(ASM)
|
3.00
|
-71.43
|
342.90
|
2600
|
2700
|
23.81
|
|
Melaghar(Tri)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
160.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
2.08
|
|
Darjeeling(WB)
|
2.80
|
-12.5
|
230.90
|
2950
|
2950
|
5.36
|
|
Rahama(Ori)
|
1.60
|
13.48
|
63.04
|
2500
|
2500
|
8.70
|
|
Kalimpong(WB)
|
1.30
|
-7.14
|
77.60
|
2600
|
2600
|
10.64
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
0.80
|
-20
|
104.20
|
3700
|
3700
|
5.71
|
|
Ernakulam(Ker)
|
0.56
|
NC
|
18.72
|
3500
|
3500
|
6.06
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9441764.ece
http://www.manilatimes.net/rice-farmers-seek-choice-govt-seed-program/303294/
Stick
with stocks of enduring brands for handsome returns through thick & thin
By Rahul
Oberoi, ETMarkets.com | Updated: Dec 23, 2016, 01.12 PM IST
We should not underestimate the significance of large, enduring
firms
— Marcus Wallenberg, ex-Chairman, SEB, North European financial group
Wallenberg’s statement underlines one key thing —companies with enduring products can better cope with the ups and down of the stock market than those without them. Companies with enduring brands generally have a diversified portfolio, sell their products worldwide and generate consistent revenue and operating profit margins. Market experts often term such stocks as defensive, and say one can consider them to protect their portfolios to ride occasional headwinds.
When you think of Nestle, the first thing that comes to mind are noodles; a certain name like Colgate-Palmolive makes you think of a toothpaste. They are the ones called enduring brands. Nestle India’s brands such as Maggi noodles and Nescafe coffee are consumed across the world. Even after the fiasco over lead content in Maggi, the product saw robust response from consumers when it returned to stores.
In fact, some e-commerce websites sold their stock of Maggi noodles within minutes of the re-launch when the dispute ended. A consumer does not think twice while purchasing such products. Despite the trouble, shares of the company managed to beat market return and advanced nearly 2.50 per cent since the beginning of 2016 till date. For the quarter ended September 30, 2016, Nestle reported over two-fold growth in net profit at Rs 269.39 crore compared with Rs 124.20 crore reported for the corresponding quarter last year.
Jay Prakash Gupta, Director and CEO, MDirect, said: “Companies with enduring brands or products are generally defensive in nature and are consistent performers in terms of stock returns. These companies generally report healthy operating profit growth on a year-on-year basis.” Gupta said these stocks are good options to think of in difficult times. “I believe companies like Gillette India and Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Healthcare (P&G) are among the safest bets that one consider for protecting a portfolio from contingencies,” he said.
The share price of Gillette India has declined 8 per cent this year till date, while that of P&G has surged over 20 per cent in the same period. Market experts said one should look at the company’s past track record of management, corporate governance and the number of countries it serves.
In the smallcap space, L&T Food’s Daawat Basmati rice has emerged as an enduring brand. With Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador, the product is available in over 50 countries.
Shares of the company have outperformed the benchmark Sensex in 2016. The scrip has surged nearly 5 per cent to Rs 279 as of December 20 from Rs 267 on January 1, 2016.
Ambareesh Baliga, independent market analyst, said: “Enduring brands mostly help companies to sail through difficult times, like we saw in the case of Nestle India. These companies are extremely safe from an investment point of view. Chances of a sharp bounceback in such stocks are strong in case of severe correction. One should look at the global brand value of such companies before investing. One can also consider Bata India, Asian Paints, Pidilite, P&G and HUL as their products are available in markets for ages.”
— Marcus Wallenberg, ex-Chairman, SEB, North European financial group
Wallenberg’s statement underlines one key thing —companies with enduring products can better cope with the ups and down of the stock market than those without them. Companies with enduring brands generally have a diversified portfolio, sell their products worldwide and generate consistent revenue and operating profit margins. Market experts often term such stocks as defensive, and say one can consider them to protect their portfolios to ride occasional headwinds.
When you think of Nestle, the first thing that comes to mind are noodles; a certain name like Colgate-Palmolive makes you think of a toothpaste. They are the ones called enduring brands. Nestle India’s brands such as Maggi noodles and Nescafe coffee are consumed across the world. Even after the fiasco over lead content in Maggi, the product saw robust response from consumers when it returned to stores.
In fact, some e-commerce websites sold their stock of Maggi noodles within minutes of the re-launch when the dispute ended. A consumer does not think twice while purchasing such products. Despite the trouble, shares of the company managed to beat market return and advanced nearly 2.50 per cent since the beginning of 2016 till date. For the quarter ended September 30, 2016, Nestle reported over two-fold growth in net profit at Rs 269.39 crore compared with Rs 124.20 crore reported for the corresponding quarter last year.
Jay Prakash Gupta, Director and CEO, MDirect, said: “Companies with enduring brands or products are generally defensive in nature and are consistent performers in terms of stock returns. These companies generally report healthy operating profit growth on a year-on-year basis.” Gupta said these stocks are good options to think of in difficult times. “I believe companies like Gillette India and Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Healthcare (P&G) are among the safest bets that one consider for protecting a portfolio from contingencies,” he said.
The share price of Gillette India has declined 8 per cent this year till date, while that of P&G has surged over 20 per cent in the same period. Market experts said one should look at the company’s past track record of management, corporate governance and the number of countries it serves.
In the smallcap space, L&T Food’s Daawat Basmati rice has emerged as an enduring brand. With Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador, the product is available in over 50 countries.
Shares of the company have outperformed the benchmark Sensex in 2016. The scrip has surged nearly 5 per cent to Rs 279 as of December 20 from Rs 267 on January 1, 2016.
Ambareesh Baliga, independent market analyst, said: “Enduring brands mostly help companies to sail through difficult times, like we saw in the case of Nestle India. These companies are extremely safe from an investment point of view. Chances of a sharp bounceback in such stocks are strong in case of severe correction. One should look at the global brand value of such companies before investing. One can also consider Bata India, Asian Paints, Pidilite, P&G and HUL as their products are available in markets for ages.”
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/stick-with-stocks-of-enduring-brands-for-handsome-returns-through-thick-thin/articleshow/56135966.cms
Rice
farmers seek choice in govt seed program
By BEN KRITZ, TMT on Agribusiness
Rice
farmers have asked government to adopt a procurement system that gives them
“freedom of choice” in the use of hybrid seeds suitable to their local climates
instead of being limited to the lowest-cost seeds, urging government to
prioritize quality over economy.Ricardo Buenaventura, president of Nagkakaisang
Magsasaka Agricultural Primary Multi Purpose Cooperative (NMAP-MPC) in
Tabacalera, Nueva Ecija, said the Department of Agriculture (DA) should adopt a
better system that will distribute quality hybrid seeds to farmers, not just
the lowest-priced ones.
“What if the free hybrid seed does
not fit their soil? What if the farmer doesn’t want it? It will be a waste of
government money. It should be farmers’ choice,” he said in an interview.Buenaventura
is one of Philippines’ most successful rice farmers, routinely harvesting at
least 10 metric tons (MT) of rice per hectare during the dry season, according
to his cooperative’s records.
He explained he was able to achieve
his high yield by maximizing seed subsidy benefits introduced during the Arroyo
Administration.Buenaventura attributed NMAP-MPC’s success to the use of the
popular SL-8H hybrid rice by the cooperative’s member-farmers.
Tech assistance also needed
Buenaventura also urged government
not only to encourage more hybrid seed production but also to assess hybrid
seed producers’ after-sales service to farmers.“They should look at presence of
technicians to help farmers on how to use seeds. Not all seeds have technicians
to help you,” he said. “We have seen many types of hybrid seeds that had come
out in the market, but not all have sustained supply. They come and go,” he
said.
He said that the hybrid seed SL-8H,
which is produced by SL Agritech Corp.(SLAC), had helped many Nueva Ecija
farmers improve their incomes.“Here 95 percent of our farmers plant SL-8 in the
dry season. Only 5 percent use other hybrids. We’ve tested it many times over.
And they have technicians to help us immediately when there is any problem,”
said Buenaventura.Quality in hybrid seeds is judged on yield, compared with
inbreds that typically produce only three to five MT per hectare.
The benchmark for hybrid yield is
50 percent higher than the yield for inbred varieties, although SL Agritech said
that experienced farmers often harvest 10 MT or more per hectare in the dry
season.And with tough, long grains, SL-8H has high milling recovery rate of 65
to 67 percent, Buenaventura added.
Better to buy own seeds
Farmer Dennis Tejada of Esperanza,
Agusan del Sur, agreed the DA’s rice sufficiency program anchored on subsidized
seeds is useless without giving farmers the choice of hybrid.
“It will be a problem if the
government buys seeds for farmers based on the lowest offer,” said Tejada in
Filipino.
“One time they were giving us free seeds. But we rather just bought our own seeds. It’s better if it’s farmers that will choose because we’re the ones planting. We know what’s good, we know what can adapt to our climate– in a place where there’s so much rain,” he explained
“One time they were giving us free seeds. But we rather just bought our own seeds. It’s better if it’s farmers that will choose because we’re the ones planting. We know what’s good, we know what can adapt to our climate– in a place where there’s so much rain,” he explained
Tejada said he prefers the SL-18H
hybrid that yields about eight MT per hectare. SL-18H is what he has just
planted for the upcoming dry harvest, at his own expense even though the
government subsidy is available.
Tejada said his previous yield had given him sufficient income to choose his own seed for the next season.
Tejada said his previous yield had given him sufficient income to choose his own seed for the next season.
Choosing a hybrid seed based on
quality, rather than just low price, is also in compliance with earlier
pronouncements of President Rodrigo R. Duterte that government will improve
procurement system by choosing quality, not only low price in government
purchases, Tejada pointed out.
“President Duterte in his program
hasn’t yet given free seeds. So what farmers here did was they bought each one
for himself. We bought SL-18. It has good taste. It is tender. It has a good
aroma. It’s long grain. And it’s tolerant to BLB (bacterial leaf blight),” he
said.
“It’s unfortunate some farmers just
don’t have the cash to pay for seeds upfront, but it’s well worth the return
when you get it back upon harvest,” Tejada added.
Different seeds for different
conditions
Glazeline E. Cosino, of Poblacion
Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, said she found SL-18H even better for her climate.
“We told our MAO (municipal
agriculture officer) when she met with us about 20 hybrid users that we should
be able to choose our seed. Before, they gave us free seeds. Yield was
acceptable, but the eating quality is not so good. Its grain has not been fully
filled even if we had a full 120-day term which is why I didn’t buy it again,”
she said.
“They wanted us to convince our
neighbors to go into hybrid, but we told our MAO if you will give us seeds, you
might as well give us what we know and what we have already proven to be good
seeds because you might give us something not good for our soil.”
Cosino was one of the first ones to
use hybrid in Agusan del Sur seven years ago, and has gained experience on what
variety works best.
“Before I was using SL-8, but now I
like SL-18 better. It has longer tiller. SL-18 can give 15 to 20 more cavans
than SL-8. We capitalized on it—it’s good really. Maybe it’s better for our
climate where it’s always raining. With another kind of seed, I did not get 100
cavans so I didn’t get it again,” she said.
Cosino reaped 330 cavans at a hefty
65 kilos per cavan from her three hectares in the last dry season. This
equivalent to 7.15 MT per hectare based on the usual 50-kilo per cavan.
