Pakistan ideal
destination for Chinese investment
SHANGHAI - Pakistan can achieve objective
of economic development and become a major industrial zone by attracting
Chinese investment and surplus production because of its low labour cost and
big consumer market.
"China is a huge economic power and looking
forward to new markets for its surplus production and Pakistan could become an
ideal destination for Chinese investment and goods because of vibrant middle
class and hardworking workforce," Pakistan Counsel General Dr Naeem Khan
said.
He opined that with huge consumers market and
skilled, hardworking and low cost labour, Pakistan can attract the Chinese
investors and traders and make Pakistan a major industrial zone. He said that
China is committed to invest more than $60 billion under China Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative in energy and
infrastructure sectors in Pakistan.
"China is helping us in construction of
roads, telecommunication network, Gawadar port and airports and all this will
play a key role in handling future production capacity," he said. Naeem
said the China considering Pakistan a strategic partner has been encouraging
its investors and traders to go Pakistan to take part in investment and trade
activities.
"We can achieve our goal of economic
prosperity by utilising this opportunity in an appropriate manner by enhancing
our economic base and overcoming challenges," he added. Terming the CPEC a
cornerstone for the economic development of Pakistan, he said, "At present
the trade volume between Pakistan and China is around $20 billion and if we
want to enhance our trade with China, we will have to enhance our capability by
improving the infrastructure, ports, roads and telecommunications to handle
this increase."
With enhanced energy production and top of line
infrastructure, Pakistan would be able to fulfil demand of industrial
production in future. Terming the skilled workers as one of the best workforce
in the world, he said Pakistani engineers, technicians and labourers would play
a pivotal role to make the CPEC a success. "Our quality workforce was the
key force behind development in Middle East while Pakistani doctors are serving
in the US and UK," he added.
On the role the consulate to attract and
promote investment in Pakistan, he said, "We have been introducing
Pakistani products in the trade fairs besides maintaining a close liaison with
political and economic leadership as well as the chambers of commerce for this
purpose."
On issues being faced by Pakistani community
living in and around the Shanghai, the counsel general said he is aware of
these issues which mostly relates to the local Chinese government. "We
also take up these issues with local officials and take steps for the welfare
of Pakistani community," he added.
Chinese agricultural group keen to enhance
business in Pakistan
INP from Beijing: Tianjin Tianlong Agricultural
Science and Technology – China’s well-known company in the field of hybrid rice
production - has shown keen interest to enhance their bilateral cooperation
with Pakistan, learned a delegation of journalists from South Asian and South
East Asian countries.
The delegation was briefed that the company was
engaged in new crop breed research and its industrialisation, deep process
technology for agricultural products and forage biotechnology research and
industrialisation, crop seeds production and distribution. It was told that
production of rice was on rise in Pakistan and taste was also well-known all
over the world. The company was having a good export of its hybrid rice to
Pakistan as China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has provided enormous
opportunities to cooperate more.
The company was established in early 2003
and through years rapidly growing Tianlong Agriculture started from one
researching basis lab, developed at now, several fully invested subsidiary
companies over China and also had trading partners or customers from South
Asia, East Asia, Europe, Africa.
Tianlong not only focused on seeds research, it
has already expanded the business
http://nation.com.pk/business/19-Aug-2017/pakistan-ideal-destination-for-chinese-investment
50% Pakistanis are attached with agricultural sector
Islamabad: Pakistan is an
agricultural country; as 50 per cent of its population attached with this
sector there is need to induct new technologies to more from this sector said
Dr. Imtiaz Muhammad, AIP project leader/ country representative, CIMMYT,
Pakistan.
While talking to ‘The News’ Dr
Imtiaz Muhammad said that at least 50 per cent of Pakistan’s population derives
most of its income from farming, processing and or marketing of agricultural
products. Yet agriculture contributes just 21 per cent of the country’s GDP and
is growing at 1.5 per cent, compared to 5.8 per cent growth in the overall
economy.
Talking about the Agricultural
Innovation Programme he said AIP is led by the International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), funded by the US Agency for International
Development (USAID), and features active collaborations with the International
Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC), the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the University of California –
Davis and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
He said Agricultural research for
development (AR4D); principles are being used to foster a demand-driven,
results-oriented science research community to ultimately increase the
contribution of agriculture to Pakistan’s GDP, thereby aiding overall economic
growth and poverty alleviation within the country.
Dr Imtiaz Muhammad said that the
long term goals of the project are food security, environmental protection,
gender sensitisation and poverty reduction through the adoption of sustainable
technologies, resource management practices, advance agricultural models and
improved systems.
He told that AIP is focusing on the
changes in immediate and intermediate outcomes through the alteration of
knowledge, behaviour and organisational strength of key agricultural sector
players which are smallholder farmers, input suppliers, researchers,
scientists, with particular concentration on women and youth.
He said in order to achieve
sustainability and efficiency in production and delivery of products and
services, the project has adopted collaborative mechanisms in which public
organisations and private entities share resources, knowledge, and risks
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/224445-50-Pakistanis-are-attached-with-agricultural-sector
Rice
export target set at 5.2 million tonnes in 2017
HCM City (VNA) – The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) aims to ship 2 million tonnes of rice to foreign countries in the last five months of the year, increasing total rice export for the whole year to 5.2 million tonnes, up 6 percent year-on-year.
Vietnam exported an estimated 3.24 million tonnes of rice at FOB value of 1.4 billion USD in the past seven months, representing an increase of 11 percent in volume and 11.4 percent in value over the same period last year.
July alone saw 584,000 tonnes of rice sold abroad for more than 240 million USD, which was the highest monthly volume so far this year, with most of the rice shipped to China, Bangladesh and Africa.
China remains Vietnam’s top rice importer, accounting for 40.65 percent of the total rice export, followed by the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. Shipments to Africa experienced a slight rise, making up 15.3 percent of the market share.
The VFA forecast that the global rice market will be led by high demand from Malaysia, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. However, large rice exporters like Thailand, India and Pakistan are entering their main crop harvest, which will affect the rice market in the coming time.-VNA
Courting disaster
August 18, 2017
The
writer is pursuing a PhD in the economics of rural infrastructure.
SIXTEEN million people in Pakistan lack access to safe water.
Scarcity of clean water and poor sanitation claim 19,000 children under five
years of age in Pakistan annually, according to WaterAid. Per FAO/World Bank
data, Pakistan’s internal renewable freshwater per capita is less than that in
Syria, whose civil war has in part been attributed to water scarcity.
The Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources forecasts
worsening scarcity. The way in which new hydroelectric plants on the Chenab and
upstream Jhelum are operated by India could further exacerbate shortages.
Besides taking the legal action that the government is against
India, Pakistan needs to reduce water wastage to prevent worsening scarcity; it
must also widen access to potable water. Agriculture accounts for 97 per cent
of Pakistan’s water consumption, making it the natural place to look first for
waste reduction.
Waste reduction and technology could help limit water
scarcity.
To start, the government can minimise distribution losses along irrigation
canals. Samplings by researchers at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad,
suggest losses as high as two-thirds among unlined watercourses; lining seems
to reduce losses by a fifth. Maintenance can also reduce residual losses.
Despite being categorised as water scarce in 2005, rice-growers over-irrigate
their fields, limiting productivity. Pakistan exports almost a quarter of its
extracted groundwater through rice exports, which account for 7pc of the
country’s exports monetarily.
Unless the government starts taking steps to curb the over-tapping
of groundwater for water-intensive crops such as rice, sugarcane and wheat,
farmers will eventually be forced by a low water table and increased costs of
extraction to find more sustainable ways of farming.
Given the right balance, strands of rice would not draw so heavily
from groundwater. Our ancestors along the Indus had reason to farm it 4,500
years ago: it is resistant to monsoon floods. Poly-cropped in the summer
alongside drought-resistant millet as well as protein-filled beans, rice
strengthened the flood resistance of millet, now largely perceived as birdseed,
but a cereal worth the government’s time to market for human consumption once
again. As a cover-crop, it increases rainfall infiltration and retention.
Waste reduction alone, however, will not increase access to
potable water to those currently without. This is where technological
innovation should play a role.
Farmers in the dry hills above Lima, Peru, harvest their morning
fog using nets. Nets stretched vertically between poles catch 200 to 400 litres
of non-precipitating droplets per day, which are then carried by gutters to
storage containers. As in the case of Lima, Karachi, which is home to perhaps a
tenth of the total population of the country, sits on the coast and is humid
year-round, but the bulk of precipitation is confined to just three months. The
water is not potable, but given the low cost of erecting nets in open spaces
and on rooftops, it is worth seeing whether yields would be sufficient to wash
and cook with.
Desalinisation plants can cater to household demand for water in
coastal Karachi and Gwadar. There are challenges. For instance, the fault,
given the unhappy experience in Gwadar, probably lies with the public administration
and concerns technical assets, because a private plant has been selling water
to the government using a desalinisation plant.
Atmospheric water generators can provide cost-effective drinking
water to isolated communities in humid climates. The devices condense water
from the air by one of three methods: cooling the air below its dew point,
exposing it to desiccants, or pressurising it. The condensed water can be
disinfected by oxidisation and exposure to ultraviolet light, and rendered
potable by adding minerals.
Commercial units that cost $55,000 produce up to 40 litres an hour
of drinking water in ideal conditions. Consuming 8-12kW of power per hour, the
units could be solar powered, which would make them suitable for catering to
rural communities without electricity, but would also add considerably to
capital costs. Until the Pakistani market sees proof of atmospheric water
generators’ commercial viability, Wapda would do well to demonstrate it.
Recent findings by paleoclimatologists have identified the same
beginning of the end for the Indus Valley Civilisation as Bronze Age
civilisations in Egypt, Greece and Mesopotamia: drought. The government must
coordinate a response to prevent this. It must maintain its own water
distribution channels and penalise heavily private parties who do not maintain
theirs, regulate groundwater use and look to the sea and skies. Water is in the
air. It offers more than a drop to drink.
The writer is pursuing a PhD in the economics of rural
infrastructure.
Twitter: @ImadAhmed
Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2017
Wheat eases on reduced
offtake by flour mills
17 August 2017 Last Updated at 3:26 pm
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs
10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common
new Rs 6,400-6,500, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 5,150-5,200, Permal raw Rs 2,150-2,175,
Permal wand Rs 2,200-2,225, Sela Rs 2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,825-1,850,
Bajra Rs 1,225-1,230, Jowar yellow Rs 1,400-1,450, white Rs 2,800-2,900, Maize
Rs 1,330-1,335, Barley Rs 1,490-1,500
New Delhi,
Aug 17 In restricted activity, wheat prices softened by Rs 10 per quintal at
the wholesale grains market today due to reduced offtake by flour mills against
ample stocks position.However, other grains including rice basmati held steady in thin trade.
Traders said easing demand from flour mills against adequate stocks position, mainly weighed on wheat prices.
In the national capital, wheat dara (for mills) declined by Rs 10 to Rs 1,770-1,775 per quintal. Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded lower by a similar margin to Rs 1,775-1,780 per 90 kg.
Atta flour mills and maida also eased to Rs 965-970 and Rs 990-1,000 against last close of Rs 970-980 and Rs 1,010- 1,020 per 50 kg, respectively.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,100-2,350, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,770-1,775, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,775-1,780, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 965-970 (50 kg), Maida Rs 990-1,000 (50 kg)and Sooji Rs 1,040-1,045 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 6,400-6,500, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 5,150-5,200, Permal raw Rs 2,150-2,175, Permal wand Rs 2,200-2,225, Sela Rs 2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,825-1,850, Bajra Rs 1,225-1,230, Jowar yellow Rs 1,400-1,450, white Rs 2,800-2,900, Maize Rs 1,330-1,335, Barley Rs 1,490-1,500.
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/wheat-eases-on-reduced-offtake-by-flour-mills/1125633
New technology finds
procedure to identify grain for sushi and breakfast cereals
18 Aug 2017, 11 a.m.
AS THE world continues to move
forward with technological advances, it's no different when it comes to rice.An
innovative image analysis system developed by NSW Department of Primary
Industries (DPI) scientists has given the rice industry an accurate and
time-saving procedure to identify grain suitable for sushi and popular puffed
rice products, including breakfast cereals.
NSW DPI researcher Mark Talbot
said the automated system detected the potential of rice to crack during
cooking, speeding up the process and saving labour to deliver high quality
grain.
“Heavily cracked rice will turn
into mush during the cooking process for sushi and puffed rice, so it’s very
important the industry identifies the potential for rice to crack before grain
goes to market,” Dr Talbot said.
“Now in use at SunRice, the
technology has replaced manual assessment to help to keep consumers happy and
protect premiums for growers.
“Rice which cracks during the
milling process is downgraded, with producers receiving higher payments for
grain with low cracking percentages.
“In the past, cracked grain was
assessed by eye - clearly a painstaking and subjective test for thousands of
rice grains.
“Automated image analysis allows
thousands of grains to be analysed in minutes, instead of hours by eye,
reducing human error and labour and a boon for industry and consumers.”
Measuring cracks in soaked rice was
recently identified as a good indicator of cooking quality.
Known as the Hanasaki test, rice
is soaked for 60 minutes before processing through the automated crack
detection and counting system to determine cracking percentages.
DPI scientists at the Yanco
Agricultural Institute are working closely with SunRice to fine-tune the system
as a quality test for the rice industry
06:25
PM, August 18, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 09:29 PM, August 18, 2017
4,000 tonnes of rice delivered at
Benapole
Importers
deliver 4,000 tonnes of Indian rice at Benapole land port on August 17, 2017.
Star file photo
Star Online Report
Importers delivered 4,000 tonnes of Indian rice at Benapole land
port so far, a day after the import duty on the prime staple was drastically
slashed.
Nearly 800 trucks carrying about 5,000 tonnes of rice were
stranded at the port in expectation of the reduction in import duty, our
Benapole correspondent reports.
Rezaul Islam, deputy director of Benapole Land Port, said the
delivery of rice imported from India is underway in full swing and that 4,000
tonnes were already delivered.It follows yesterday’s gazette notification,
where the National Board of Revenue declared of reducing the import duty on
rice from 10 percent to two percent.
Shawkat Hossian, commissioner of Benapole Customs House said:
“We’ve received a letter from the authorities on Thursday afternoon on the duty
cut of the imported rice.”
http://www.thedailystar.net/country/4000-tonnes-rice-delivered-benapole-1450594
Agriculture
minister urges farmers to cultivate forgotten varieties of rice
Team MP | 18 Aug 2017 10:49
PM
. He hailed Chaitanya Chandradaya Agricultural Trust (CCAT) and
felt that this will set an example in Bengal and hoped that more farmers will
come forward and accept this method of farming. Read This - Madan Tamang case:
AIGL to challenge Sessions Court's order He participated in a day-long
awareness programme on folk rice production and conservation at Mayapur on
Friday morning. It was organised by CCAT. For the past few of month, CCAT has
been trying to revive forgotten varieties of aromatic rice like Radha Tilak,
Kala Bhat, Dudheshwar, Hamai, Jhumpuri, Khara and Balam to name a few. The
technical support was provided by Agricultural Training Centre (ATC), Fulia.
Read This - Body of homemaker found hanging After examining the
varieties, agricultural scientists opined that the weather and soil are
conducive for the production of these types of rice. The cultivation is carried
out without any artificial chemicals and these rice varieties are free from
health hazards. A team of ATC led by Anupam Paul interacted with local farmers
at the ISKON Mayapur campus. Paul said that the initiative was launched to
bring back traditional aromatic varieties of rice by using natural methods,
without using any chemicals. He urged the farmers not to use chemicals to
enhance production because in the long run, it will badly affect the
environment. The farmers showed great enthusiasm and inquired about the extinct
varieties and the method of production
With
production of 300 tons a year, Cameroonian brand, "Logone rice"
attempts breakthrough on local and Chadian markets
Friday, 18 August 2017 08:30
(Business in Cameroon) - Next to
Ndop rice grown in the area with the same name in the North-West region, that
of Tonga, in the West region, and above all the brand Semry, whose production
often reaches 100,000 tons a year; we now have to count "Logone rice"
among the Cameroonian brands.
Launched by the cooperative TPA,
which set up a fresh paddy rice hulling unit in the town of Yagoua, in the Far
North region, "Logone rice" is now available in markets of the three
northern regions of Cameroon, then the Chadian towns of Bongor and Fianga,
confides Ahmadou Wadiri, CEO of the cooperative TPA.
According to this director of TPA,
the rush of consumers towards this local rice, which has the particularity of
being directly hulled after its harvest in the rice fields (paddy does not pass
through storage warehouses) is such that the cooperative intends to pass from
annual production of 300 tons to 1200 tons, from the year 2018. As a reminder,
demand for rice in Cameroon lies around 300,000 tons a year. In order to cover
the shortfall in local production, operators in the sector have, for example,
mobilised FCfa 212 billion for imports (819,800 tons) in 2013, according to the
statistics of the National Balance of Payments Technical Committee.
Selon divers rapports
gouvernementaux, une bonne partie de ces importations camerounaises est souvent
frauduleusement réexportée vers les pays voisins tels que le Nigeria, dont les
autorités ont fortement relevé la taxation du riz importé, dans l’optique
d’encourager la production locale.
According to various government
reports, a good part of these Cameroonian imports are often fraudulently
re-exported to neighbouring countries such as Nigeria, whose authorities have
substantially raised taxes of imported rice, in order to encourage local
production.
Brice R. Mbodiam
Agriculture research policy conference
prioritize investment
Aug 18, 2017
The U.S. government’s Feed
Initiative has hosted Agriculture research policy summit to share findings on
evidenced-based policy recommendations with Ghana’s Ministry of Food and
Agricultuare, state agencies, development partners, research institutions and
the private sector.
The summit explored how
government could adopt proposed policies recommendations by researchers in
formulating policies that would help eliminate constraints facing the private
sector.
Adoption of the policies and
recommendations is expected to help government create the enabling environment
for increased investments in Ghana’s agriculture sector to ensure long-term
growth.
Mr William Quitoo, Deputy
Minister of Agriculture, said at the opening session on Tuesday that “research
is a public good” that uses public funds to bring out the results and should
not be allowed to go waste.
He said government would study
the findings and recommendations and make the necessary stakeholder
consultations to guide it to implement robust policies that would move the
country from food dependency to self-sustainability.
“Research is a public good,
taxpayers money are used to fund it, so there is no reason to allow research
results to go waste, !” he said.
Mr Quitoo expressed worry that
Ghana was once an exporter of food imported $600 million worth of rice in
2015/2016, describing the situation as “unacceptable and dangerous” for the
country.
The Summit was held under the
theme: “Supporting effective and efficient Agriculture policies through
research” to strengthen Ghana’s agricultural policymaking process.
USAID/Ghana Acting Mission
Director, Steven E. Hendrix highlighted the importance of using research and
data to inform policy making and expressed the agency’s readiness to continue
helping Ghana’s Agriculture Ministry.
“USAID supports the Ministry of
Food and Agriculture with research and policy analysis, and builds the capacity
of public and private organizers to closely monitor and evaluate agriculture
programmes,” he said.
“Where policymaking is concerned,
we believe research is a critical component to creating the most effective
agriculture policies,’’ he added.
The conference organised sought
to boost agricultural research and support policies based on relevant and
quality data to foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Walter Nunez-Rodriguez, Chief of
Part, APSP, said the research addressed four concerns in agriculture areas
which were fundamental to the government and added that the research was in
response to a holistic policy.
The researched areas included –
production, productivity and food security; agricultural extension and
knowledge sharing; agriculture marketing; and sustainable land management.
Source: GNA/Newsghana.com.gh
https://www.newsghana.com.gh/agriculture-research-policy-conference-prioritize-investment/
After Reaching Milestone, Is
Ricebran Tech (NASDAQ:RIBT)’s Short Interest Revealing Something?
August 15, 2017 - By Darrin
Black
Investors sentiment increased to 2
in Q4 2016. Its up 1.29, from 0.71 in 2016Q3. It improved, as 1 investors sold
RiceBran Technologies shares while 3 reduced holdings. 2 funds opened positions
while 6 raised stakes. 1.16 million shares or 4.56% more from 1.11 million
shares in 2016Q3 were reported.
Royal Financial Bank Of Canada has invested 0% in RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT). Morgan Stanley has 0% invested in RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT). Blackrock Fund Advsr holds 2,319 shares. Financial Architects reported 0% stake. Financial Bank Of America Corporation De has 806 shares. Goldman Sachs Gru invested in 0% or 38,121 shares. Creative Planning owns 18 shares. Bard Assoc holds 0.03% or 59,975 shares in its portfolio. 90 are owned by Pnc Finance Gp. Us Natl Bank De holds 40 shares or 0% of its portfolio. Kcg Holdg Inc holds 0% or 28,494 shares in its portfolio. Sabby Mngmt Lc accumulated 875,286 shares. Renaissance Technologies Lc holds 37,200 shares. Blackrock Institutional Trust Na holds 0% of its portfolio in RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT) for 8,345 shares. 49,467 were reported by Vanguard Grp Inc Incorporated. The stock of Ricebran Tech (NASDAQ:RIBT) registered an increase of 22.84% in short interest. RIBT’s total short interest was 75,300 shares in August as published by FINRA. Its up 22.84% from 61,300 shares, reported previously. With 23,400 shares average volume, it will take short sellers 3 days to cover their RIBT’s short positions. The short interest to Ricebran Tech’s float is 1.2%.
Royal Financial Bank Of Canada has invested 0% in RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT). Morgan Stanley has 0% invested in RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT). Blackrock Fund Advsr holds 2,319 shares. Financial Architects reported 0% stake. Financial Bank Of America Corporation De has 806 shares. Goldman Sachs Gru invested in 0% or 38,121 shares. Creative Planning owns 18 shares. Bard Assoc holds 0.03% or 59,975 shares in its portfolio. 90 are owned by Pnc Finance Gp. Us Natl Bank De holds 40 shares or 0% of its portfolio. Kcg Holdg Inc holds 0% or 28,494 shares in its portfolio. Sabby Mngmt Lc accumulated 875,286 shares. Renaissance Technologies Lc holds 37,200 shares. Blackrock Institutional Trust Na holds 0% of its portfolio in RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT) for 8,345 shares. 49,467 were reported by Vanguard Grp Inc Incorporated. The stock of Ricebran Tech (NASDAQ:RIBT) registered an increase of 22.84% in short interest. RIBT’s total short interest was 75,300 shares in August as published by FINRA. Its up 22.84% from 61,300 shares, reported previously. With 23,400 shares average volume, it will take short sellers 3 days to cover their RIBT’s short positions. The short interest to Ricebran Tech’s float is 1.2%.
About 9,565 shares traded. RiceBran
Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT) has declined 39.04% since August 15, 2016 and is
downtrending. It has underperformed by 55.74% the S&P500.
RiceBran Technologies is a human
food ingredient, functional food ingredient, packaged functional food and
animal nutrition company. The company has market cap of $11.92 million. The
Firm is focused on processing and marketing of nutrient dense products derived
from raw rice, an underutilized by-product of the rice milling industry. It
currently has negative earnings. The Firm has two operating divisions.
More notable recent RiceBran
Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT) news were published by: Prnewswire.com which
released: “RiceBran Technologies Receives Extension on Senior Secured Term Loan
and …” on December 30, 2016, also Seekingalpha.com with their article:
“RiceBran Technologies’ (RIBT) CEO Robert Smith on Q4 2016 Results – Earnings
…” published on March 23, 2017, Prnewswire.com published: “RiceBran
Technologies Completes Acquisition of H&N Distribution” on January 07,
2014. More interesting news about RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT) were
released by: Seekingalpha.com and their article: “RiceBran Technologies: Profit
From The Turnaround” published on August 16, 2016 as well as Prnewswire.com‘s
news article titled: “RiceBran Technologies to Host Q2 2017 Financial Results
Conference Call on …” with publication date: August 07, 2017
http://bzweekly.com/after-reaching-milestone-is-ricebran-tech-nasdaqribts-short-interest-revealing-something/
Basmati rice prices surge on
increased offtake
Basmati rice prices rose
by up to Rs150 per quintal at the wholesale grains market on today due to
increased offtake by stockists following upsurge in demand
Traders
said increased offtake by stockists following upsurge in demand against tight
stocks position on fall in supplies from producing belts, mainly helped rice
basmati prices to trade higher. Photo: Hemant Mishra/Mint
New Delhi: Rice basmati prices rose by up to Rs150 per quintal at the
wholesale grains market on Friday due to increased offtake by stockists following
upsurge in demand. However, other grains held steady in thin trade.
Traders said increased offtake by
stockists following upsurge in demand against tight stocks position on fall in
supplies from producing belts, mainly helped rice basmati prices to trade
higher. In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa- 1121 variety
settled higher at Rs6,500-6,600 and Rs5,250- 5,350 from previous levels of
Rs6,400-6,500 and Rs5,150- 5,200 per quintal, respectively.
Following are Friday’s quotations
(in Rs per quintal): Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,100-2,350, Wheat dara (for mills)
Rs1,770-1,775, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs1,775-1,780, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg)
Rs260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs255-290, Roller flour mill Rs965-970 (50 kg),
Maida Rs990-1,000 (50 kg)and Sooji Rs1,040-1,045 (50 kg). Basmati rice (Lal
Quila) Rs10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs9,800, Basmati
common new Rs6,500-6,600, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs5,250-5,350, Permal raw
Rs2,150-2,175, Permal wand Rs2,200-2,225, Sela Rs2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8
Rs1,825-1,850, Bajra Rs1,225-1,230, Jowar yellow Rs1,400-1,450, white
Rs2,800-2,900, Maize Rs1,330-1,335, Barley Rs1,490-1,500
http://www.livemint.com/Money/ITWIZcbc0DM19v7QE0DvTJ/Basmati-rice-prices-surge-on-increased-offtake.html
Colombia Lifts Import Restrictions on U.S. Rough Rice
By Sarah
Moran
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA --
Yesterday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade
Representative Robert Lighthizer formally announced the lifting of all
remaining import restrictions in Colombia for U.S. rough rice. Two days
ago, the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) released the phytosanitary
certificate for rough rice which outlines required fumigation measures.
This follows on the heels of Colombia rescinding restrictions on U.S. paddy
rice and permitting its entrance into all maritime ports (see USA Rice Daily, June 22, 2017).
"USA Rice has worked for years to mitigate Colombia's import restrictions on U.S. paddy and yesterday's announcement caps this effort," said Dick Ottis, chairman of the USA Rice Merchants' Association. "We can now ship paddy rice to any port in response to market demand and under commercially viable fumigation requirements."
Thanks to the U.S. - Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, Colombia went from being the 51st largest export market for U.S. rice in 2011 to our 11th largest export market in 2012. Exports have remained high each year including last year where the U.S. exported over 140,000 MT of rice to Colombia, 41 percent of which was rough rice. Even though Colombia has been a strong market for U.S. rice for the past five years, fairly onerous restrictions have hindered additional exports of paddy rice. The elimination of these restrictions are welcome news to the rice industry.
"I welcome this new agreement and the expanded market access and opportunity it will afford to U.S. exporters of paddy rice," said Ambassador Lighthizer. "This outcome is a result of the Administration's efforts to enforce international trade commitments on behalf of the American people, and to deepen our bilateral ties with key trading partners, particularly allies like Colombia."
"USA Rice would like to thank Secretary Perdue, Ambassador Lighthizer, and our strong partners at the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for their persistent work in ensuring U.S. rice is given the ability to compete freely and fairly in our export markets," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward.
"USA Rice has worked for years to mitigate Colombia's import restrictions on U.S. paddy and yesterday's announcement caps this effort," said Dick Ottis, chairman of the USA Rice Merchants' Association. "We can now ship paddy rice to any port in response to market demand and under commercially viable fumigation requirements."
Thanks to the U.S. - Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, Colombia went from being the 51st largest export market for U.S. rice in 2011 to our 11th largest export market in 2012. Exports have remained high each year including last year where the U.S. exported over 140,000 MT of rice to Colombia, 41 percent of which was rough rice. Even though Colombia has been a strong market for U.S. rice for the past five years, fairly onerous restrictions have hindered additional exports of paddy rice. The elimination of these restrictions are welcome news to the rice industry.
"I welcome this new agreement and the expanded market access and opportunity it will afford to U.S. exporters of paddy rice," said Ambassador Lighthizer. "This outcome is a result of the Administration's efforts to enforce international trade commitments on behalf of the American people, and to deepen our bilateral ties with key trading partners, particularly allies like Colombia."
"USA Rice would like to thank Secretary Perdue, Ambassador Lighthizer, and our strong partners at the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for their persistent work in ensuring U.S. rice is given the ability to compete freely and fairly in our export markets," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward.
Provisia rice to be companion technology for Clearfield
Rice producers should avoid planting Provisia rice right behind
Clearfield, experts say.
its introduction in 2002, when
the non-GMO rice developed by researchers at the LSU AgCenter revolutionized
rice weed control.
It wasn’t supposed to be that
way; it just happened, according to Sunny Bottoms, technical service manager
for Horizon Ag, speaking at the company's annual Arkansas field day in
Jonesboro, Ark.
The new Provisia Rice System,
which was developed by the LSU AgCenter and BASF, is designed to be a companion
technology and to help extend the life of Clearfield rice. Dr. Bottoms
explained why that is and how Horizon Ag and BASF hope to make that work in a
presentation at the Field Day on the Mark Wimpy Farm near Jonesboro, Ark.
For more on Provisia rice, click
on http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/stewardship-will-be-critical-preserving-provisia-rice.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/provisia-rice-be-companion-technology-clearfield
USDA, USTR Announce Expanded Access for U.S.
Rice Exports to Colombia
August 17, 2017
News Releases
USDA 0084.17
Topics
Commodities
Locations
Contact: USDA Press
Phone: (202) 720-4623
Email: press@oc.usda.gov
Email: press@oc.usda.gov
A previous agreement in 2012 between both countries enabled exports of U.S. paddy rice to Colombia, but under strict and costly requirements related to phytosanitary concerns. The new agreement lifts these requirements and expands access beyond the single port of Barranquilla, which was the only port previously open to U.S. exporters.
The new agreement reflects the close trade ties between the United States and Colombia, and the high quality and safe rice produced by the U.S. rice industry. The agreement, combined with preferential access under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA), will further accelerate increased U.S. exports of food and agriculture to Colombia.
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said:
“Today’s announcement is another great testament of our determination to expand export opportunities for America’s farmers and ranchers and to ensure fair trade with our international partners. This agreement expands opportunities for U.S. rice producers in the important Colombian market. It also underscores the value of improved relationships to solve problems, based on a solid trade agreement that benefits both parties and on a commitment to science-based rule-making.”
U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, said:
“I welcome this new agreement and the expanded market access and opportunity it will afford to U.S. exporters of paddy rice.
“This outcome is a result of the Administration’s efforts to enforce international trade commitments on behalf of the American people, and to deepen our bilateral ties with key trading partners, particularly allies like Colombia.”
Background:
Colombia is the United States’ 12th-largest export market for food and agricultural products, with exports valued at over $2.4 billion in 2016 – a sharp increase over exports prior to completion of the CTPA, when Colombia ranked as the 26th market for U.S. food and agricultural exports in 2011, with an associated value of $1.12 billion. Exports of milled rice to Colombia have increased dramatically since entry into force of the CTPA in 2012, averaging $79 million per year compared to $3 million in 2011.
Exports of paddy rice since 2012, when the CTPA entered into force and the letter exchange provided for market access, have constituted a small but growing share of total U.S. rice exports to Colombia, reaching $15 million in 2016. Under the new agreement on paddy rice, costly and unnecessary fumigation and processing requirements are rescinded, and access expanded to all ports of entry in Colombia.
Paddy rice, also known as “rough rice,” is the whole rice grain, along with its hulls. It is harvested directly from rice fields or paddies and transported or exported to processing facilities. As part of the processing, the protective hull is removed, leaving only the actual rice kernel for consumption. By leaving the sturdy hull on, it is possible to store the kernels for several months without incurring product losses due to spoiling or infestation.
https://www.fas.usda.gov/newsroom/usda-ustr-announce-expanded-access-us-rice-exports-colombia
US
Expands Market Access for Rice Exports to Columbia
© Wikipedia/ International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
02:30 18.08.2017
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The
new agreement lifts strict requirements related to phytosanitary concerns,
the release added.
"US Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue
and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today announced an agreement
reached with the government of Colombia to allow
for expanded market access for US exports of paddy rice,"
the release said on Thursday.
Columbia is the United States’
12th biggest export market for food and agricultural items, the release
stated. The US exports were valued at more than $2.4 billion in 2016,
according to the release.
https://sputniknews.com/world/201708181056561718-us-columbia-rice-exports/
12:00
AM, August 18, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:42 AM, August 18, 2017
Imported rice brought in after duty
cut
Price drops by Tk 2.50 per kg at import level
Around
600 trucks carrying 18,000 tonnes of rice began unloading in Hili land port
area of Hakimpur upazila in Dinajpur yesterday. The trucks had been waiting for
more than a week as rice traders expected a duty cut. As the government finally
moved to slash duty on imported rice by 8 percent, the trucks began to unload.
Photo: Collected
The price of rice at importer level came down by Tk 2.50 per kg as
the latest duty cut became effective yesterday following issuance of a circular
by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
According to the circular, the rice import tariff was lowered from
10 percent to two percent. The move came a day after a cabinet committee
meeting decided to cut the import duty to keep the rice price stable.
Chitta Majumder, a rice importer, said their cost of rice import
from India would come down to Tk 35.50 to Tk 36 from Tk 38 to Tk 38.50 a kg
under the new tax rate.
Prices of coarse rice would come down below Tk 40 per kg within
two to three days due to a cascading effect of the tax cut, Chitta, proprietor
of Majumder Traders, told The Daily Star yesterday.
The retail prices of coarse rice shot up to Tk 47-48 in June-July,
a 47 percent increase from last year's price band of Tk 30-34. However, the
prices later stabilised at Tk 43-45, according to data of Trading Corporation
of Bangladesh.
The importer said they had been waiting for over a week on the
announcement of the tax cut. He hoped rice prices would ease as about 20,000 to
25,000 tonnes of rice would be imported in the next four or five days.
Flashfloods in six northeastern haor districts and fungal attacks
(rice blast) in 19 others during the Boro season damaged about 20 lakh tonnes
of rice crop earlier this year.
At least 20 northern districts and some others elsewhere in the
country have been hit by flood in the last few days.
Against this backdrop, the cabinet committee meeting at the
secretariat on Wednesday approved the government's decision to import 20 lakh
tonnes of food grains -- 15 lakh tonnes of rice and 5 lakh tonnes of wheat --
in the current fiscal year. The revised import target is 11 lakh tonnes more
than the government's earlier projected food import volume of 9 lakh
tonnes. Yesterday's duty cut was the second this year after the
government in June had slashed the rice import duty to 10 percent from 28
percent.
Under the new duty structure, importers will have to pay only Tk
1.56 crore instead of Tk 7.82 crore in tariff for releasing 24,000 tonnes of
rice stuck at several ports.
Chitta Majumder said 15 lakh tonnes of rice was being imported by
the government. Local importers could bring the rice into Darshana, Khulna at
quickest time, he told this correspondent.
The government has so far floated international tenders seeking to
buy 3.5 tonnes of rice.
Local importers, said Chitta, had supplied rice to the government
in 2009 promptly. If the government floated local tenders, the importers would
have been able to import rice from India and reach it to government granaries,
he added.
DELIVERY OF RICE
BEGINS
Rice importers started clearing customs at Hili Land Port in
Dinajpur's Hakimpur upazila yesterday. They also started unloading rice,
imported from India, from trucks that reached the port 12 days ago.
Around 600 trucks carrying 18,000 tonnes of rice had been stranded
at the port since August 5 when the importers stopped clearing customs in
anticipation of a duty cut.
Rice was unloaded from 400 trucks yesterday, said Moshiur Rahman
Mondal, assistant commissioner of customs at the port
http://www.thedailystar.net:8080/backpage/imported-rice-brought-after-duty-cut-1450282
Rice acreage up slightly, pulses
sowing area drops 3.5%
Fri,
18 Aug 2017-06:07pm , PTI
Paddy,
tur, moong, urad, soyabean, sunflower seed and cotton are the main crops grown
during this season.
Sowing
area of rice is marginally up at 341.58 lakh hectares while pulses acreage has
declined by 3.5 per cent to 130.68 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing kharif
season.
Sowing
operation in the kharif season begins normally with the onset of the south-west
monsoon and picks up pace from July. Paddy, tur, moong, urad, soyabean,
sunflower seed and cotton are the main crops grown during this season.
"The
total sown area as on August 18, as per reports received from states, stands at
976.34 lakh hectares compared to 984.57 lakh hectares at this time last
year," an official statement said.
Rice
has been sown in 341.58 lakh hectares so far this kharif season as against
340.14 lakh hectares in the same period last year.
Pulses
acreage has fallen to 130.68 lakh hectares, from the earlier 135.42 lakh
hectares.
Area
under coverage for coarse cereals stood at 171.75 lakh hectares as against
179.17 lakh hectares. Oilseeds area is down at 157.36 lakh hectares, from
175.10 lakh hectares.
In
the case of cash crops, sugarcane has been sown in 49.78 lakh hectares so far
this season against 45.64 lakh hectares in the year-earlier period while that
of cotton stands at 118.14 lakh hectares as against 101.54 lakh hectares.
Jute
and mesta area is down to 7.05 lakh hectares, from 7.56 lakh hectares.
With
monsoon rains expected to be normal this year, the government is targeting yet
another bumper foodgrain and horticulture production in the new crop year
2017-18.
(This article has not been edited
by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
http://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-rice-acreage-up-slightly-pulses-sowing-area-drops-35-2534215
All set for revival of monsoon as
low-pressure area develops in Bay
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUGUST
18:
'BREAK' PHASE TO END
The 'low,' which the India Met
Department (IMD) expects will show up over the next 36 hours, would officially
end the 'break' phase, and bring back rain to other parts of the country.
The IMD's hopes are best phrased
in this morning's bulletin, wherein it has said the axis of the monsoon trough
over North India would start shifting to its original position.
The western end of the trough,
which currently straddles across the foothills, where it has been raining
heavily, will shift to the normal North-West Rajasthan-Bay of Bengal alignment.
The brewing 'low' would help this
transition after it gets anchored over North-West Bay of Bengal, and forces the
shift of the other end of the monsoon trough to move south towards its
original.
The monsoon is best served by an
alignment in which the western end lies over Rajasthan and the eastern end dips
in the Bay of Bengal.
HEAVY CLOUD BUILD-UP
The trough allows the orderly
progression of the eastern monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal and associated
rain belt to move across Central and North-West India.
Meanwhile, the 'low' is forecast
to pop up over North Bay of Bengal, but the eastern end of the displaced trough
now ends up a little south-west over the North-West Bay.
Early indications are that the
'low' would slowly move south-west towards the Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh
coast and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast, though the actual movement needs to
be watched.
The heavy build-up of clouds in
the Bay continued overnight, and was concentrated this morning off the coast of
North Coastal Andhra Pradesh and South Coastal Tamil Nadu.
Satellite maps showed clouds
hanging over Visakhapatnam-Peddipalem-Vizianagaram-Srikakulam into
Jeypur-Jagdalpur-Dantewada-Bijapur-Kondagaon-Bijapur across Andhra Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh.
HEAVY RAIN FORECAST
To the South, heavy clouds are
located across Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and adjoining South Tamil Nadu and
just off Puducherry and Kumbakonam along the Tamil Nadu coast.
The IMD has for today forecast
heavy to very rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall for
rain-deficient Telangana; heavy to very heavy rain at a few places over Odisha;
heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Vidarbha, Chhattisgardh, and
coastal Andhra Pradesh; and heavy showers over East Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya
Pradesh and Jharkhand; and Madhya Maharashtra, Konkan & Goa, Coastal
Karnataka, South Interior Karnataka and Lakshadweep in the South Peninsula.
The clouds are heavier still
little farther from the coast, towards the East-Central and adjoining Central
Bay of Bengal, before they appear to head towards the Andhra Pradesh coast
where they converge.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/weather-report-all-set-for-monsoon-revival/article9822358.ece
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- August
18, 2017
Reuters | Aug 18, 2017, 01:59 PM IST
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices - APMC/Open Market-August 18 Nagpur, August 18 (Reuters) -
Gram and tuar prices reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good seasonal demand from local millers amid
weak supply from producing belts. Healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses and
enquiries from South-based millers also pushed up prices. Poor monsoon reports
in all over the region also activated stockists. About 650 of gram and 800 bags
of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources. FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM * Desi gram recovered in open market here on good buying support from
local traders amid thin arrival from producing regions.
TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open
market here but demand was poor. * Rice varieties firmed up in open market on
increased seasonal demand from local traders amid tight supply from producing
regions like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. * In Akola, Tuar New -
5,100-5,400, Tuar dal (clean) - 6,500-6,700, Udid Mogar (clean) - 8,800-9,300,
Moong Mogar (clean) 6,800-7,400, Gram - 5,500-5,800, Gram Super best -
8,600-9,000 * Wheat and other commodities moved in a narrow range in scattered
deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity. Nagpur foodgrains
APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available
prices Previous close Gram Auction 4,500-5,610 4,600-5,500 Gram Pink Auction
n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 4,100-4,510 4,000-4,500 Moong Auction n.a.
3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Wheat
Mill quality Auction 1,600-1,710 1,550-1,715 Gram Super Best Bold 9,000-9,400
9,000-9,400 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a. Gram Medium Best 8,000-8,400 8,000-8,400
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600 Desi gram
Raw 5,750-5,950 5,700-5,900 Gram Kabuli 12,700-13,800 12,700-13,800 Tuar Fataka
Best-New 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 6,200-6,500 6,200-6,500
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New
5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000 Tuar Gavarani New 5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700 Tuar
Karnataka 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200 Masoor dal best 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500
Masoor dal medium 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold
(New) 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500 Moong Mogar Medium 6,500-6,800 6,500-6,800 Moong
dal Chilka 5,500-6,000 5,500-6,000 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki
best 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 9,000-10,000
9,000-10,000 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,600-7,500 6,600-7,500 Udid Dal
Black (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,500 5,100-5,500 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,900-6,100
5,900-6,100 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,900-3,200 2,900-3,200 Watana Dal (100
INR/KG) 2,900-3,100 2,900-3,100 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,700
3,500-3,700 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,800 3,600-4,800 Wheat 308
(100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)
1,800-1,900 1,800-1,900 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300 Wheat
Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,400 2,100-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100
INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP
Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100
INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,600
3,300-3,500 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,100 Rice Luchai
(100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,800 2,500-2,800 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700
2,500-2,650 Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,300-2,400 Rice HMT
best (100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,000 3,600-4,000 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,300
4,000-4,200 Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,600-4,800 Rice Shriram
med (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,200-4,400 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)
10,000-13,500 10,000-13,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500
5,000-7,500 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,700-4,900 Rice Chinnor
medium (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,200-4,400 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)
2,000-2,200 2,000-2,200 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000 WEATHER
(NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 33.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 25.1 degree Celsius
Rainfall : 2.5 mm FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells or rains
or thunder-showers likely. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and
31 and 25 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils,
transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market
prices)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-august-18-2017/articleshow/60116864.cms
Kebbi to export rice, livestock
On: August 18, 2017
Kebbi State Govenor Atiku Bagudu has
said the state will produce rice and livestock in commercial quantities for
export to earn foreign exchange.Bagudu stated this yesterday when he received a
team of agricultural experts from the International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to him, the state recorded
a 300 per cent increase in rice and wheat production. It is second to Yobe in livestock
production.
Bagudu called on international
research organisations to make a critical assessment of the agricultural policy
of his administration, which is aimed at developing the state’s agricultural
potential.
The governor also appealed to IITA to
provide research outlets in the state to boost farmers’ capability in grains
production and processing. He said the state also had great potential in the
production of groundnut, soya beans, cowpeas, sesame seeds, banana, cocoyam,
yam, millet, bambara nut, sugarcane, guinea-corn, cassava and ginger.Leader of
the IITA team Dr Kenton Dashiell said the institute was recognised globally as
a centre of excellence for agricultural research and resources.
According to him, the team was on a
research mission to the state to learn about its agricultural potential,
especially in soya beans, since the state is a specialist in soya bean
cultivation.State Chairman of Rice Farmers Association (AFAN) Sahabi Augie said
the association would partner IITA to boost rice production.
He appealed to the institute to
assist farmers by supplying them with improved rice seedlings
http://thenationonlineng.net/kebbi-export-rice-livestock/
Outlook of
Report on Organic Rice Protein Market to 2022: (Industry Insights, Company
Overview, and Investment Analysis Business Overview)
By Amit
Pawar
August 18, 2017
The Organic Rice Protein market analysis of an
industry is a crucial thing for various stakeholders like investors, CEOs,
traders, suppliers and others. The Organic Rice Protein industry research
report is a resource, which provides current as well as upcoming technical and
financial details of the industry.
Organic Rice Protein market research report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of this market.
Organic Rice Protein market research report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of this market.
Major Manufacturers analysed in
Organic Rice Protein Market: Axiom Foods, AIDP, Ricebran
Technologies, Shaanxi Fuheng (FH) Biotechnology, Shafi Gluco-Chem, Bioway
(Xi’an) Organic Ingredients, Golden Grain Group, Ribus, The Green Labs, Top Health
Ingredients and Others.
Next part of the Organic Rice
Protein Market analysis report speaks about the manufacturing process. The
process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and
equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs and the actual
process.
Organic Rice Protein Market
Research study focus on these types: Rice Protein Concentrates, Rice Protein Isolates, Others, and
applications: Sports & Energy Nutrition, Beverages,
Bakery & Confectionery, Meat Analogs & Extenders, Dairy Alternatives,
Others.
After the basic information, the
report sheds light on the production. Production plants, their capacities,
production and revenue are studied. Also, the Organic Rice Protein market
growth in various regions and R&D status are also covered.
Organic Rice Protein in Global
market especially covers United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top
players in these regions.
Further in the report, the
Organic Rice Protein market is examined for price, cost and gross. These three
points are analysed for types, companies and regions. In continuation with this
data sale price is for various types, applications and region is also included.
The Organic Rice Protein industry consumption for major regions is given. Additionally,
type wise and application wise consumption figures are also given.
Following are major Table of
Content of Organic Rice Protein Industry: Organic Rice Protein Market Competition by Manufacturers,
Organic Rice Protein Production, Revenue (Value) by Region, Organic Rice
Protein Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions, Organic
Rice Protein Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type, Organic Rice
Protein Market Analysis by Application.
In this Organic Rice Protein
market analysis, traders and distributors analysis is given along with contact
details. For material and equipment suppliers also, contact details are given.
New investment feasibility analysis is included in the report
http://newshawktime.com/outlook-of-report-on-organic-rice-protein-market-to-2022-industry-insights-company-overview-and-investment-analysis-business-overview/
Global Rice Cooker market 2017
AUGUST 18, 2017
The Report describe Rice Cooker Introduction, product scope, market
overview, opportunities, risk, driving force also to analyze the top
manufacturers, with sales, revenue, and price, market type and application,
with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2017 to 2022
The research report titled Global Rice Cooker Industry 2017
presents an analytical study of the global Rice Cooker market, including a
detailed analysis of the present and historical performances of the Rice Cooker
market in globally. The competitive landscape of the Rice Cooker industry is
also evaluated in this research study.
Download Free Sample Report @
https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/87595/request-sample
The report classifies the Rice Cooker market in the global into
various segments on the basis of several industry verticals. It also
categorizes the market based on the geographical distribution of the Rice
Cooker market. Each market segment is then analyzed considering its
contribution in terms of volume produced (in kilo tons) and the revenue it
generates (in US$).
Various aspects of the Rice Cooker industry such as the value chain
and major policies that influence the market are explained at length and the
growth drivers, restraints, and future prospects of the market are extensively
evaluated in this report.
Further, the report talks about the products available in the
market along with their pricing structure, production volume, the dynamics of
demand and supply, and their contribution in terms of revenue in the global
market for Rice Cooker, covering the statistical data pertaining to import and
export in the market.
Access Full Report @
http://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-rice-cooker-market-research-report-2017-87595.html
The report makes use of several analytical tools such as investment
feasibility, investment return, and market attractiveness analysis to provide a
complete picture of the development of the global Rice Cooker market,
determining significant market strategies likely to pay off in the long run.
Lastly, the report profiles the major players operating in the Rice
Cooker market in the world in order to analyze the competitive hierarchy of the
market.
https://techannouncer.com/global-rice-cooker-market-2017-panasonic-joyoung-midea-philips-supor/
Sentinel-1 speeds up crop insurance payouts
August 18, 2017
Using radar data from
the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, areas where rice is grown in the southern
Indian state of Tamil Nadu can be assessed. Light blue to magenta colours
represent cultivated fields and light to dark green represents forests. Credit:
contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2016), processed by RIICE/TNAU
For the first time in India, a
state government is using satellites to assess lost crops so that farmers can
benefit from speedy insurance payouts.
The southern Indian state of Tamil
Nadu is home to around 68 million people, of which almost a million are rice
farmers. However, Tamil Nadu is facing the worst drought in 140 years, leading
to the land being too dry for paddy fields, lost yield, widespread misery and
unrest.
The Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar
mission has been used to alleviate a little of the suffering by providing
evidence of damaged land and failed crops so that the Agricultural Insurance
Company of India can compensate farmers as quickly as possible. So far, more
than 200 000 farmers have received payouts.
Malay Kumar Poddar, the company's
general manager, said, "Assessing damages based on remote-sensing
technology is introducing much objectivity into the crop insurance programme.
"Beyond the area loss
assessment, we are also keen to apply the technology to assess actual yields at
the end of the season."
Satellites carrying optical cameras
can provide images of Earth's surface only in daylight and in the absence of
cloud, but the Sentinel-1 satellites carry radar which works regardless.
As an advanced
radar mission, Sentinel-1 can image the surface of Earth through cloud and rain
and regardless of whether it is day or night. This makes it an ideal mission,
for example, for monitoring the polar regions, which are in darkness during the
winter months and for monitoring tropical forests, which are typically shrouded
by cloud. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
This makes it an ideal mission to
use in tropical and subtropical regions, which are often cloudy.
Sentinel-1 radar imagery combined
with rice-yield modelling is at the heart of the German–Swiss Remote-Sensing
based Information and Insurance for Crops in Emerging Economies initiative
(RIICE).Francesco Holecz, from sarmap, set up the service in collaboration with
the International Rice Research Institute, RIICE partners, Indian authorities
and universities.
He said, "The reliable
repetitiveness of the Sentinels, their short revisit intervals, the free, quick
and easy access to the products and the high quality of the data have
contributed a lot to the practicability of satellite-based rice monitoring
systems."
Gagandeep Singh Bedi, agricultural
production commissioner and principle secretary to the government in Tamil Nadu
added, "RIICE remote-sensing technology allows us to assess crop loss and
damages in a more transparent and timely manner.
Using radar data from the Copernicus
Sentinel-1 mission, areas where rice is grown in the southern Indian state of
Tamil Nadu can be assessed. This is playing an important role in compensating
farmers for lost crops during periods of severe drought. The different colours
indicate the start of the rice cropping season in east-central Tamil Nadu,
India, in 2016. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2016),
processed by RIICE/TNAU
"It was particularly useful
during the last cropping season to identify villages that had been hit by
drought, and farmers benefited from the technology by getting claims in a
record time."
The research network is also
working with partners in other countries to develop the method further.
For example, the Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University and the International Rice Research Institute in the
Philippines are looking to use it to assess yields at the end of the season.
Sellaperumal Pazhanivelan, from the
university, said, "We believe that this technology can help the state
governments to obtain objective and transparent data on actual rice yields so
that farmers affected by natural hazards can be identified quickly."
https://phys.org/news/2017-08-sentinel-crop-payouts.html
Benue, Chinese company to partner
on improved seedlings
August 18, 2017
Daily Post
Benue State Government says it has plans to partner with a Chinese
Seed company, Yuan’s Seed Company, for the provision of improved seedlings for
farmers in the state.The Special Adviser to Gov. Samuel Ortom on Media and ICT,
Mr Tahav Agerzua, said in a statement on Friday in Makurdi.He quoted Ortom as having given the readiness of the state government to partner with the company in China, after he visited a demonstration farm in China.The governor’s aide said the company had developed improved seedlings that could quadruple crop production, especially melon, rice and other legumes.Agerzua was among the governor’s entourage to China to inspect machinery for a cement company in the state.
He said the governor was excited over the prospects of boosting
farmers’ crop production in the state with improved seedlings.The company,
located in Changsha, Hunan Province of China, is into massive rice production
in Kano and Jigawa states and Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Kenya and Mozambique.
The governor’s aide said the Vice-President of the farm, Mr Yao
Zhenqui, Ortom educated the governor and his entourage on the viability of the
rice seedlings.Zhenqui said improved seedlings were capable of producing as
much as 130 bags or 13 tonnes of rice per hectare as against 20 bags currently
harvestable per hectare.
“He was told that it took between 120 and130 days to be harvested;
after the initial harvest, the plants can sprout again and mature for harvest
in another sixty days,’’ he said.He further quoted Zhenqui as saying that
improved hybrid seedlings would tackle the low production of crops like rice,
melon, corn, pepper, tomato, soybeans, and beniseed.
Agerzua said the governor requested for a detailed proposal from
the company on how to achieve the partnership.He said governor expressed
optimism that the partnership would impact positively on the “entire
agricultural value chain’’ in the state, particularly provision of improved
quality rice seedlings.
The governor’s aide Ortom said the state would also gain a lot
from the partnership in terms of machinery, training and processing of farm
produce for the farmers in the state
Doubling the farmers’ income
THE HANS INDIA | Aug 18,2017 , 08:59 PM IST
Doubling the farmers’ income
The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and
the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the
Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make
India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India.
Famines in India, once
accepted as inevitable, have not returned since the introduction of Green
Revolution crops. Continuing Critical Role of Agriculture in India Agriculture
is the principal source of livelihood for about 48 per cent of the population
of the country.
It caters to the food security of the nation besides generating
exportable surpluses. It provides the bulk of wage goods required in
non-agriculture sector and most of the raw materials for the industrial sector.
Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is unquestionably the largest livelihood
provider in India, more so, in the vast rural geographies.
It contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDPJ1
of the nation's overall economy, though in terms of percentage, it has been
declining. This also highlights the need for increasing the size of agri-GDP
(agri-GVA since 2012-13)2, so that per capita share of the farmers dependent on
the sector improves.
As per 2011 Agriculture Census, number agricultural workers in the
country were 26.3 crore comprising 11.87 crore of cultivators and 14,43 crore
of agricultural labourers. This in terms of percentage of the total number of
agricultural workers accounted for 45.1 per cent and 54.9 per cent
respectively.
In comparison, the
corresponding figures for the year 1951 were 9.72 crore of total number of
agricultural workers, consisting of 6.99 crore of cultivators (71.9 per cent)
and 2.73 crore of agricultural labourers (28.1 per cent). It is clear, that not
only has there been an increase in the total number of agricultural workers,
but also relative to the total number of cultivators, the numbers of
agricultural labourers have increased.
It is also important to learn from these statistics, that while the
percentage of people depending on agriculture has reduced to 48 from the high
of 80 in 1951, in terms of absolute figures, the dependency on agriculture
sector for employment, income and livelihood has increased. The term “Green
Revolution” is a general one that is applied to successful agricultural
experiments in many Third World countries. It is not specific to India. But it
was most successful in India.
Punjab was selected by the Indian government to be the first site
to try the new crops of Wheat from International Maize and Wheat Improvement
Centre (CIMMYT), Mexico because of its reliable water supply and a history of
agricultural success.
India soon adopted IR8 – a
semi-dwarf rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI), Philippines that could produce more grains of rice per plant when grown
with certain fertilizers and irrigation.
As India marks 50 years of the Green Revolution this year, the
architect of the movement,M.S.Swaminathan, says sustainability is the greatest
challenge facing Indian agriculture.
What is the greatest challenge of Indian agriculture today?
There are two major challenges before Indian agriculture today
Ecological
• The conservation of our
basic agricultural assets such as land, water, and biodiversity is a major
challenge.
• How to make agriculture
sustainable is the challenge.
• Increasing productivity in
perpetuity without ecological harm is the need of the hour.
• In Punjab, and in other
Green Revolution States, the water table has gone down and become saline.
• The growing population
pressure
Economical
• Need to devise ways to
lower the cost of production and reduce the risks involved in agriculture such
as pests, pathogens, and weeds.
• The expected return in
agriculture is adverse to farmers. That’s why they are unable to repay loans.
• Addressing the ecological
challenge requires more technology while the economics requires more public
policy interventions.
• Raise the current MSP
What are the ways to improve the incomes of farmers?
Existing issue
All kinds of excuses have been given by governments for not
implementing these recommendations like food price inflation.Farm loan waivers
are posing a bigger burden on the government exchequer compared to what higher
pay for farm produce will incur. At the same time Government has a goal of
doubling the farmers income by 2022.
Implementation of Swaminathan Commission Report is important to
achieve to improve farmers income.
Recommendation of MS
Swaminathan’s Report
1. Irrigation
Enables farmers to have
sustained and equitable access to water
Increase water supply through rainwater harvesting and recharge of
the aquifer. (“Million Wells Recharge”
programme)
2. Agricultural productivity
Substantial increase in public investment in agriculture related
infrastructure particularly in irrigation, drainage, land development, water
conservation, research development and road connectivity.
A national network of advanced soil testing laboratories with
facilities for detection of micronutrient deficiencies.
3. Credit and insurance
Expand the outreach of the formal credit system to reach the really
poor and needy.
Issue Kisan Credit Cards to women farmers, with joint pattas as
collateral
Expand crop insurance cover to cover the entire country and all
crops, with reduced premiums
Competitiveness of Farmers
Improvement in implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Arrangements for MSP need to be put in place for crops other than paddy and
wheat. Also, millets and other nutritious cereals should be permanently
included in the PDS.
MSP should be at least 50% more than the weighted average cost of
production.
Why double farmers’ income?
• Past strategy for
development of the agriculture sector in India has focused primarily on raising
agricultural output and improving food security.
• The net result has been a
45 per cent increase in per person food production, which has made India not
only food self-sufficient at aggregate level, but also a net food exporting
country.
• The strategy did not
explicitly recognise the need to raise farmers’ income and did not mention any
direct measure to promote farmers welfare.
• The net result has been
that farmers income remained low, which is evident from the incidence of
poverty among farm households.
• Doubling real income of
farmers till 2022-23 over the base year of 2015-16, requires annual growth of
10.41 per cent in farmer’s income. This implies that the on-going and
previously achieved rate of growth in farm income has to be sharply
accelerated. Therefore, strong measures will be needed to harness all possible
sources of growth in farmers’ income within as well as outside agriculture
sector.
The major sources of growth operating within agriculture sector are
• Improvement in
productivity
• Resource use efficiency or
saving in cost of production
• Increase in cropping
intensity
• Diversification towards
high value crops
The sources outside agriculture include
• Shifting cultivators from
farm to non-farm occupations, and
• Improvement in terms of
trade for farmers or real prices received by farmers.
Niti Ayog agricultural marketing and farmer friendly reforms index
• The index ranks states
based on their initiatives taken in implementing provision of seven farm sector
reforms.
• These reforms have been
proposed under model APMC Act, joining e-NAM initiative, special treatment to
fruits and vegetables for marketing and level of taxes in mandis.
• States are ranked based on
score on the scale ranging from 0 to 100. The minimum score of 0 implies no
reforms at all and score of 100 means state is friendliest to farmers.
The index identifies three major parameters. They are:
• Reforms in agricultural
marketing
• Land lease
• Forestry on private land.
Major government initiatives in India's agriculture sector
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana
The primary objectives of PMKSY are
• To increase the area of
agricultural lands covered by irrigation and reduce dependency on monsoon.
• To improve on farm water
use efficiency by adopting water management techniques adoption of
precision-irrigation and other water-saving technologies to reduce wastage of
water.
• Enhancing recharge of
aquifers and introducing sustainable water conservation practices.
National Agriculture Market
The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation formulated
a Central Sector scheme for Promotion of National Agriculture
Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) through provision of the
common e-platform.
Implications / Benefits for various stakeholders
Farmers
• They can sell produce
without the interference of any brokers or middlemen thereby making competitive
returns out of their investment.
Traders
• Traders will be able to do
secondary trading from one APMC to another one anywhere in India. Local traders
can get access to larger national market for secondary trading.
Buyers, processers & exporters
• Buyers like large
retailers, processors or exporters will be able to source commodities from any
mandi in India thereby reducing the inter-mediation cost. Their physical
presence and dependence on intermediaries will not be needed.
Consumers
• NAM will increase the
number of traders and the competition among them increases. This translates
into stable prices and availability to the consumers.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas
Yojana is an elaborated component of Soil Health Management (SHM) of major
project National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). Under PKVY Organic
farming is promoted through adoption of organic village by cluster approach and
PGS certification.
The scheme envisages
• Promotion of commercial
organic production through certified organic farming.
• The produce will be
pesticide residue free and will contribute to improve the health of consumer.
• It will raise farmer’s
income and create potential market for traders.
• It will motivate the
farmers for natural resource mobilization for input production.
Pradhan Manthri Fasal Bima Yojana
• The new Crop Insurance
Scheme is in line with One Nation – One Scheme theme. It incorporates the best features of all
previous schemes and at the same time, all previous shortcomings / weaknesses
have been removed.
Objectives
• To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the
farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crop as a result of
natural calamities, pests & diseases.
• To stabilise the income of
farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.
• To encourage farmers to
adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.
• To ensure flow of credit
to the agriculture sector.
Mechanisation
• Mechanisation has the
potential to change many agricultural output challenges as it will lead to
higher productivity and economic contribution. Yet, it has been inaccessible to
farmers for long largely due to economic reasons.
• With small land ownership
and constant fragmentation, small and marginal farmers find it almost
impossible to own a tractor. To make agriculture economically viable ICAR
started many initiatives.
• It is working towards
developing need-based and region specific engineering technologies and is
engaged in planning, co-ordination and monitoring of R&D programmes in a
national and international level.
• It has developed many
improved machinery such as laser and leveller, self-propelled sprayers,
precision seeders and planters, harvesters for cereals and sugarcane etc.
• It has introduced gender
friendly tools for reduction in the drudgery for women farm workers.
• Lab to Land programme
recently set up of modern mechanised farm units.
Infrastructure interventions
Mega food park scheme
• The Scheme of Mega Food
Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the
market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure
maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers’ income and
creating employment opportunities particularly in rural sector.
• The Mega Food Park Scheme
is based on “Cluster” approach and envisages a well-defined agree/
horticultural-processing zone containing state-of-the art processing facilities
with support infrastructure and well-established supply chain.
• 9 Mega Food Parks namely
Patanjali Food and Herbal Park, Haridwar, Srini Food Park, Chittoor, North East
Mega Food Park, Nalbari, International Mega Food Park, Fazilka, Integrated Food
Park, Tumkur, Jharkhand Mega Food Park, Ranchi, Indus Mega Food Park, Khargoan,
Jangipur Bengal Mega Food Park, Murshidabad and MITS Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd,
Rayagada are functional as on 30.06.2017.
Cold storage
• India is the largest
producer of fruits and second largest producer of vegetables in the world.
• In spite of that per
capita availability of fruits and vegetables is quite low because of
post-harvest losses which account for about 25% to 30% of production.
• The Task Force on cold-chain development in India had suggested
in its report to establish a National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD)
in India as an autonomous centre for excellence to be established as a
registered society to work in close collaboration with industry and other stake
holders to promote and develop integrated cold-chain in India for perishable
F&V and other perishable allied agri – commodities to reduce wastages and
improve the gains to farmers and consumers substantially.
Food processing and safety
• Food processing levels are
quite low in India at 3% when compared to 30-70% in developed countries and
wastage of agriculture produce is as high as 40%.
• National Food Processing
Mission was launched to address these problems and create potential for higher
revenues. The objectives of the program are:
• Promote Primary processing
centres close to the farms and link them with Clusters through hub and spoke
models.
• Facilitate exports of high
value products like Cheese, Peanut butter etc. and encourage such facilities
through subsidies.
• Develop food processing
clusters, Food parks and Agriculture SEZs; Contract farming, Warehouses (Cold
chains) development was also given an important role by providing tax rebates.
This scheme has resulted in some positive outcomes like
• Exports from Agriculture
SEZs have increased over the years.
• Exports of Meat, Marine
products have improved.
• But the performance of
this scheme on the whole has left us much to be desired with warehouses,
processing facilities have not been developed.
• In the absence of APMC
reforms, contract farming and private procurement is virtually absent.
Crop pattern
• Record productions of
sugarcane, ground nuts, and vegetables were seen but wastage was higher as
export opportunities shrunk.
• Indian farming suffers
from excess cropping of water-intensive crops like sugarcanes in dry areas.
This is one of reason for agricultural and farm distress. The high dependency
on Monsoon adds to worry.
• The recent initiative from
government which has emphasized the crop diversification and
climate-appropriate agriculture and cropping are helping the shift from switch
to value added and less water intensive crops.
Model land leasing law
• Taking note of increasing
incidents of leasing in and out of land and suboptimal use of land with lesser
number of cultivators, NITI Aayog has formulated a Model Agricultural Land
Leasing Act, 2016 to both recognize the rights of the tenant and safeguard
interest of landowners. A dedicated cell for land reforms was also set up in
NITI.
Soil health card
• The campaign to provide
soil health card with nutrient information of soil would help the farmers to
educate about most viable and appropriate cropping pattern suiting the climatic
conditions in region.
• Shortage of infrastructure
like soil testing labs is hindrances but it‘s a move in right direction.
Higher MSP increase in pulses and oil seeds
• From last two years, the
MSP has tried to address the issues of higher MSP in cereal and lower in Pulses
and oil seed. The recent move to increase pulses MSP by 7% in move towards the
Crop-neutral MSP regime.
What needs to be done to address the crisis of farmer’s suicides?
• In the last few years, a
large number of farmers have committed suicide.
Cases of suicides have been reported from states such as Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.
• The National Commission on
Farmers has underlined the need to address the farmer suicide problem on a
priority basis.
Some of measures suggested include
• Provide affordable health
insurance and revitalize primary healthcare centres. The National Rural Health
Mission should be extended to suicide hotspot locations on priority basis.
• Set up State level
Farmers’ Commission with representation of farmers for ensuring dynamic
government response to farmers’ problems.
• Restructure microfinance
policies to serve as Livelihood Finance, i.e. credit coupled with support
services in the areas of technology, management and markets.
• Cover all crops by crop
insurance with the village and not block as the unit for assessment.
• Provide for a Social
Security net with provision for old age support and health insurance.
• Promote aquifer recharge
and rain water conservation. Decentralise water use planning and every village
should aim at Jal Swaraj with Gram Sabhas serving as Pani Panchayats.
• Ensure availability of quality seed and other inputs at
affordable costs and at the right time and place.
• Recommend low risk and low
cost technologies which can help to provide maximum income to
• Need for focused Market
Intervention Schemes (MIS) in the case of life-saving crops such as cumin in
arid areas. Have a Price Stabilisation Fund in place to protect the farmers
from price fluctuations.
• Need swift action on
import duties to protect farmers from international price.
• Set up Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs) or Gyan Chaupals in the
farmers’ distress hotspots. These can provide dynamic and demand driven
information on all aspects of agricultural and non-farm livelihoods and also
serve as guidance centres.
• Public awareness campaigns
to make people identify early signs of suicidal behavior.
How do we cope with these adverse effects of environmental
degradation and loss of biodiversity?
Evergreen Revolution to increase in farm productivity but without
ecological harm.
This will also include
• Integrated pest management
• Integrated nutrient supply
• Scientific water
management to avoid the kind of environmental damage witnessed during the Green
Revolution
• Mandatory rainwater
harvesting
• Introduction of fodder and
grain legumes as rotation crops to be adopted by wheat farmers in States like
Punjab to ensure sustainability of farming.
• Government may declare
fertile zones capable of sustaining two to three crops as Special Agricultural
Zones
• Provide unique facilities to farmers here to ensure food security
• Soil health managers
should be appointed to monitor and ameliorate the soil conditions in degraded
zones and rectify defects like salinity, alkalinity, water logging.
• The idea of more crops per
drop has been implemented well in Israel. We should adopt those practices here.
• Post-harvest technologies like threshing, storage, etc. will have
to be given greater attention
Can GM technology help address food security challenges?
There are many methods of plant breeding, of which molecular
breeding is one. Genetic modification has both advantages and disadvantages.
One has to measure the risks and benefits before arriving at a conclusion.
• First, we need an
efficient regulatory mechanism for GM in India.
• We need an all-India
coordinated research project on GMOs with a bio-safety coordinator.
• We need to devise a way to
get the technology’s benefit without its associated risks.
• Barring the U.S., most
countries have reservations about adopting GM technology. Europe has banned it
on grounds of health and environmental safety. Normal Mendelian breeding itself
is sufficient in most cases.Parliament has already suggested a law based on the
Norwegian model where there are considerable restrictions on GMOs.
What is the scope for organic farming when it comes to addressing
food security?
• Organic farming can have a
good scope only under following conditions.
• Farmers must possess
animals for organic manure.
• Farmers must have the
capacity to control pests and diseases.
• Farmers should adopt
agronomical methods of sowing such as rotation of crops. Even genetic
resistance to pests and diseases can help organic farmers. Adoption of the
requisite crop-livestock integration by Sri Arobindo Ashram in Puducherry
is a good model to follow.
How do we address the challenges of climate change on Indian
agriculture?
• Both less rainfall and a
higher mean temperature affect farming adversely. Currently we are witnessing
drought, excess rainfall, sea-level rise.
• There are both adaptation
and mitigation measures to follow in this regard. Some of the recommendations
include
• Setting up a
multi-disciplinary monsoon management centre in each drought-affected district,
to provide timely information to rural families on the methods of mitigating
the effects of drought, and maximising the benefits of good growing conditions
whenever the season is normal.
• Animal husbandry camps
could be set up to make arrangements for saving cattle and other farm animals
because usually animals tend to be neglected during such crises.
• Special provisions could
also be made to enable women to manage household food security under conditions
of agrarian distress.
• kShould start breeding
varieties characterised by high per day productivity than just per crop
productivity. These will be able to provide higher yields in a shorter
duration.
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Hans/2017-08-18/Doubling-the-farmers-income/320054
More U.S. rice to head south after Colombia
trade agreement
By AGDAILY
ReportersPublished: August 18, 2017
Simone Bosotti, Flickr
Follow AGDAILY
U.S. rice will have more market access to the fourth largest
country in South America now after a new agreement with the government of
Colombia.A previous agreement in 2012 between both countries enabled exports of U.S. paddy rice to Colombia, but under strict and costly requirements related to phytosanitary concerns. The new agreement lifts these requirements and expands access beyond the single port of Barranquilla, which was the only port previously open to U.S. exporters.
The new agreement reflects the close trade ties between the United States and Colombia, and the high quality and safe rice produced by the U.S. rice industry. The agreement, combined with preferential access under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA), will further accelerate increased U.S. exports of food and agriculture to Colombia.
“Today’s announcement is another great testament of our determination to expand export opportunities for America’s farmers and ranchers and to ensure fair trade with our international partners. This agreement expands opportunities for U.S. rice producers in the important Colombian market,” USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said. “It also underscores the value of improved relationships to solve problems, based on a solid trade agreement that benefits both parties and on a commitment to science-based rule-making.”
“I welcome this new agreement and the expanded market access and opportunity it will afford to U.S. exporters of paddy rice,” U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, said. “This outcome is a result of the Administration’s efforts to enforce international trade commitments on behalf of the American people, and to deepen our bilateral ties with key trading partners, particularly allies like Colombia.”
Colombia is the United States’ 12th largest export market for food and agricultural products, with exports valued at over $2.4 billion in 2016 – a sharp increase over exports prior to completion of the CTPA, when Colombia ranked as the 26th market for U.S. food and agricultural exports in 2011, with an associated value of $1.12 billion. Exports of milled rice to Colombia have increased dramatically since entry into force of the CTPA in 2012, averaging $79 million per year compared to $3 million in 2011.
Exports of paddy rice since 2012, when the CTPA entered into force and the letter exchange provided for market access, have constituted a small but growing share of total U.S. rice exports to Colombia, reaching $15 million in 2016. Under the new agreement on paddy rice, costly and unnecessary fumigation and processing requirements are rescinded, and access expanded to all ports of entry in Colombia.
Paddy rice, also known as “rough rice,” is the whole rice grain, along with its hulls. It is harvested directly from rice fields or paddies and transported or exported to processing facilities. As part of the processing, the protective hull is removed, leaving only the actual rice kernel for consumption. By leaving the sturdy hull on, it is possible to store the kernels for several months without incurring product losses due to spoiling or infestation
Rice,
rice everywhere thanks to Kebbi deal
Ismail
Adebayo, Birnin Kebbi |
Publish
Date: Aug 19 2017 2:00AM
WACOT Rice Limited
The food sufficiency goal of the
federal government is set to receive a major boost through collaboration
between WACOT Rice Limited and the Kebbi State government.The food sufficiency
journey started sometime in June 2016 when President Muhammadu Buhari announced
in a Ramadan meeting with members of the business community that his
administration would make the country self-sufficient in rice production within
18 months.The president was obviously not satisfied with the fact that the
country was still importing food in the face of a foreign exchange crisis and
Nigeria, being Africa’s largest consumer of rice, devours about six million
metric tonnes of rice annually mostly imported from India, Thailand and Brazil.
The president submitted that Nigeria
should be able to produce what it eats and export its excess. 14 months after
the declaration, the president’s dream is gradually becoming a reality through
the establishment of the West African Cotton Rice Mill (WACOT) in Argungu,
Kebbi State which is expected to produce 120,000 metric tons annually and 400
metric tons of rice daily.The multi-billion naira rice mill is said to be the
largest of its kind in Africa. It was commissioned by the Acting President,
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on August 1, 2017.
It has about 10 silos with the
capacity to store 18,000 tons of rice paddy and warehouses for storing an
additional 12,000 tons of rice paddy. The mill is stocked with machines from
world renowned machinery suppliers like Buhler, Petkus, SKF, Thermax and Silos
Cordoba and includes a fully equipped laboratory to test all parametres for
ensuring consistent quality of the product.
Built with the economics of the
environment in mind, it is expected to generate electricity from husk (the hard
protecting coverings of grains of rice), thereby ensuring that all by-products
from the processing are well-utilized. It will generate 1 megawatt of
electricity via turbines to reduce dependence on the national grid. It also has
a fully equipped water treatment plant that takes care of its liquid waste
before being discharged into the community, where safely used for irrigation.
WACOT Limited is the first company
to do an Out Growers Model and Farmers Assistance Scheme. The company is now
extending its expertise to increase yields among rice farmers in Argungu and
beyond, since more farmers need to increase their yields if the country is to
meet its self-sufficiency target. Although the building of the mill only
started in February 2016, since 2013, WACOT has been engaging with farmers
through two training schemes- the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the
Yield Enhancement Techniques (YET). The company has worked with over 4,000
farmers and distributed inputs - high quality seeds, fertilizers and
agro-chemicals worth N144m.
Argungu is already beginning to
witness economic transformation as a result of the establishment of the rice
mill-more jobs are coming with over 3,500 people engaged as well as new
businesses built around the mill.
Speaking at the commissioning of the
mill, Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said: “It is the policy of the
federal government that it is the private sector that must be the engine of
development. But the private sector being the engine of development is not just
the private sector leading growth. The growth must be growth with jobs, it
cannot be jobless growth.
“We have seen a lot of jobless
growth, especially around the oil economy with a lot of revenue coming but a
very few jobs. One of the critical things that we are seeing today, especially
the development of agriculture, is that this is growth with jobs. Several
thousands of our people are farmers and are engaged in farming”.
He said the commissioning of the
mill was a landmark achievement for the country in diversifying its economy and
a signal to other countries that Nigeria is not just open for business but set
for development. Osinbajo said the N10bn investment that was put together
within 12 months shows that Nigeria is moving in the right direction.
The story of the mill is not without the
support of the Kebbi State government under Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.Bagudu
recently disclosed that on assuming office and discovering the huge rice
potentialities in his state, he immediately partnered with the Bank of Industry
and the Central Bank of Nigeria and to show his commitment, he put down N4
billion to assist rice farmers in the state to go into commercial farming. He
pointed out that with the capital outlay and agreement it entered into the with
the BOI, his administration also designed a template where each farmer agrees
to produce at least six tons of rice per hectare of land after being given a
minimum of N210,000 per hectare to cover farm inputs and seedlings.
According to the Managing Director,
Mr. Ujwalkanta Senapati, WACOT has completed several humanitarian projects in
the community.“We have renovated a school and a hospital and have organized
health camps with free consultation and medicines to over 1,000 farmers. We’ve
always had the aspiration to implement positive change,” he said.The General
Manger, Mr. Amit Gupta, expressed optimism on his company’s role in the effort to boost rice production in the
country.He said WACOT can produce rice that can be compared with those produced
in Thailand and India because it has the required machines, boilers and other
equipment.
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/rice-rice-everywhere-thanks-to-kebbi-deal/210666.html
Rice export
target set at 5.2 million tonnes in 2017
The Vietnam Food Association aims to ship 2 million tonnes of rice
to foreign countries in the last five months of the year, increasing total rice
export for the whole year to 5.2 million tonnes. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) aims to ship 2
million tonnes of rice to foreign countries in the last five months of the
year, increasing total rice export for the whole year to 5.2 million tonnes, up
6 percent year-on-year. Vietnam exported an estimated 3.24 million tonnes of
rice at FOB value of 1.4 billion USD in the past seven months, representing an
increase of 11 percent in volume and 11.4 percent in value over the same period
last year. July alone saw 584,000 tonnes of rice sold abroad for more than 240
million USD, which was the highest monthly volume so far this year, with most
of the rice shipped to China, Bangladesh and Africa. China remains Vietnam’s
top rice importer, accounting for 40.65 percent of the total rice export,
followed by the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. Shipments to Africa
experienced a slight rise, making up 15.3 percent of the market share. The VFA
forecast that the global rice market will be led by high demand from Malaysia,
Bangladesh, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. However, large rice exporters like
Thailand, India and Pakistan are entering their main crop harvest, which will
affect the rice market in the coming time.-VNA
Rice basmati goes up on increased
offtake
New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) Rice
basmati prices rose by up to Rs 150 per quintal at the wholesale grains market
today due to increased offtake by stockists following upsurge in demand.New
Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) Rice basmati prices rose by up to Rs 150 per quintal at the
wholesale grains market today due to increased offtake by stockists following
upsurge in demand.
However, other grains held steady in thin trade. Traders said increased
offtake by stockists following upsurge in demand against tight stocks position
on fall in supplies from producing belts, mainly helped rice basmati prices to
trade higher. In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa- 1121
variety settled higher at Rs 6,500-6,600 and Rs 5,250- 5,350 from previous
levels of Rs 6,400-6,500 and Rs 5,150- 5,200 per quintal, respectively.
Following are today’s quotations (in Rs per quintal): Wheat MP (desi) Rs
2,100-2,350, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,770-1,775, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs
1,775-1,780, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290,
Roller flour mill Rs 965-970 (50 kg), Maida Rs 990-1,000 (50 kg)and Sooji Rs
1,040-1,045 (50 kg). Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300,
Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 6,500-6,600, Rice Pusa
(1121) Rs 5,250-5,350, Permal raw Rs 2,150-2,175, Permal wand Rs 2,200-2,225,
Sela Rs 2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,825-1,850, Bajra Rs 1,225-1,230, Jowar
yellow Rs 1,400-1,450, white Rs 2,800-2,900, Maize Rs 1,330-1,335, Barley Rs
1,490-1,500.
http://www.india.com/news/agencies/rice-basmati-goes-up-on-increased-offtake-2410492/
