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Ishemunyoro Chingwere Business ReporterZIMBABWE’s biggest crop seed producer, Seed Co, says it invested $22,16 million in research from 2010 to 2016, as the listed company sought to stay abreast with modern trends in the seed industry as well as ensure food security and high yield varieties.
This was said by Seed Co managing director, Denias Zaranyika, at a field day at the seed firm’s research station at Rattray Anorld in Kwekwe.
The event was attended by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement led by Gokwe Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena.
Continued investment in research, Mr Zaranyika said, showed that Seed Co was serious about maintaining growth in crop yields.
“These figures show that as a company, despite our market leadership status, we still take research very seriously,” said Mr Zaranyika.
“It is also through our research that has seen our farmers growing their yields . . . with some managing as high as 22 tonnes per hectare,” he said.
The parliamentary portfolio committee was also shown samples of rice varieties which the company is breeding and are expected be on the market in the next two years.
Rice is generally cultivated in high rainfall areas, which can cause waterlogging fields, but Seed Co is developing varieties that can grow successfully in fields with no standing waters as well as thrive without irrigation.
Some of the rice varieties the company is developing have potential yields of up to 7,4 tonnes per hectare, but work is already underway to infuse them with Asian varieties that can yield to 22 tonnes per hectare before releasing the breeds to the market.
“This is our second year of evaluation for adaptation of these rice varieties,” a senior Seed Co agronomist told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement.
“Africa is generally a net importer of rice and the worrying factor is our consumption rate is actually on the increase.
“So we are confident that this product will be a hit, but before we go there we have to make sure we release the best possible product for the market.
“The farmer will always have the option to grow the traditional crops like maize so for us to encourage uptake the inputs should be kept manageable.
“So next season we will take the product for on-farm testing after which I am sure we will launch on the market,” he said.
Chairman of the Portfolio Committee Mr Mayor Wadyajena then queried why the company had not sought Government buy-in in this “noble idea” to which Mr Zaranyika replied it was a company initiative.
He also added that Government, through Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Minister Chief Air Marshal (Retired) Perrance Shiri, had expressed enthusiasm on the project and had inquired on where Government could come in and assist.
Currently, a 16-member delegation
of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) is visiting Iran to enhance
rice export opportunities. Iran’s rice market of over $2 billion is mostly
supplied by India since the imposition of US sanctions in 2010.Prior to the
sanctions, at its peak Pak Iran trade was at $1.2 billion in FY10, mostly
comprising of oil imports from Iran. 80 percent of Pakistan’s $204 million
exports to Iran comprised of rice. In FY17, exports had dwindled to $30 million
of which rice exports were about $5 million.
To say that REAP is trying to recapture its lost market is somewhat inaccurate
since Pakistan had only a small share of the pie in the first place. However,
there is a huge untapped market next door that could give exports a much needed
boost.
The hurdle remains the same as it
has been since sanctions, which is the unavailability of banking channels. The
current hope held out by the REAP team is to try and convince GTC, an Iranian
government owned company specialising in the import and distribution of
essential foodstuff, to announce tenders for basmati and other types of rice so
that exporters here could book export orders to Iran.
Government tenders may be one way
to circumvent the lack of banking channels. Currently trade between the two
countries is limited to cash and barter. The Banking and Payment Arrangement
(BPA) signed by the central banks of Iran and Pakistan last year lies at the
wayside as local banks did not take up the option.
This week the US has welcomed a
push by some EU states to impose new sanctions on Iran and warned firms away
from doing business with the country. Given Trump’s hardline stance, it is
unlikely that banks would want to take on such high risks for dubious returns.
It remains to be seen that whether REAP can convince Iran for government
tenders to increase access to its rice market
Global Basmati Rice Market 2018 Industry Trends, Sales, Supply,
Demand, Analysis & Forecast To 2023
PUNE, INDIA, April 12, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/
-- Global Basmati Rice Industry
In the Global Basmati Rice Industry
Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023, the revenue is valued at USD XX
million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2023,
growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023. The production is estimated at
XX million in 2017 and is forecasted to reach XX million by the end of 2023,
growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023.
It covers Regional Segment Analysis, Type, Appliction, Major Manufactures,
Industry Chain Analysis, Competitive Insights and Macroeconomic Analysis.
The Major players reported in the
market include:
McCormick & Co. Inc.
LT Foods Ltd.
The Hain Celestial Group Inc.
Estraco Kft.
East End Foods
The Rice 'n Spice Int. Ltd.
KRBL Ltd.
Amira Nature Foods Ltd.
Mars Inc.
Global Basmati Rice Market: Regional Segment Analysis
North America
Europe
China
Japan
Southeast Asia
India
Global Basmati Rice Market: Product
Segment Analysis
Raw
Parboiled
Steamed
Global Basmati Rice Market:
Application Segment Analysis
Direct Edible
Deep Processing
Application 3
Reasons for Buying this
Report
This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics
It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or
restraining market growth
It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is
predicted to grow
It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future
It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you
ahead of competitors
It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of
market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments
Global Basmati Rice Industry Market
Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023
Chapter 1 Basmati Rice Market
Overview
1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Basmati Rice
1.2 Basmati Rice Market Segmentation by Type in
2016
1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of
Basmati Rice by Type in 2016
1.2.1 Raw
1.2.2 Parboiled
1.2.3 Steamed
1.3 Basmati Rice Market Segmentation by Application in
2016
1.3.1 Basmati Rice Consumption Market Share
by Application in 2016
1.3.2 Direct Edible
1.3.3 Deep Processing
1.3.4 Application 3
1.4 Basmati Rice Market Segmentation by Regions
1.4.1 North America
1.4.2 China
1.4.3 Europe
1.4.4 Southeast Asia
1.4.5 Japan
1.4.6 India
1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Basmati Rice
(2013-2023)
1.5.1 Global Product Sales and Growth Rate
(2013-2023)
1.5.2 Global Product Revenue and Growth
Rate (2013-2023)
Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Basmati Rice Industry
2.1 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis
2.1.1 Global Macroeconomic Analysis
2.1.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment
Development Trend
2.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis by
Regions
………
Chapter 8 Global Basmati Rice
Manufacturers Analysis
8.1 McCormick & Co. Inc.
8.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing
Base and Competitors
8.1.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.1.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.1.4 Business Overview
8.2 LT Foods Ltd.
8.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing
Base and Competitors
8.2.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.2.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.2.4 Business Overview
8.3 The Hain Celestial Group Inc.
8.3.1 Company Basic Information,
Manufacturing Base and Competitors
8.3.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.3.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.3.4 Business Overview
8.4 Estraco Kft.
8.4.1 Company Basic Information,
Manufacturing Base and Competitors
8.4.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.4.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.4.4 Business Overview
8.5 East End Foods
8.5.1 Company Basic Information,
Manufacturing Base and Competitors
8.5.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.5.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.5.4 Business Overview
8.6 The Rice 'n Spice Int. Ltd.
8.6.1 Company Basic Information,
Manufacturing Base and Competitors
8.6.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.6.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.6.4 Business Overview
8.7 KRBL Ltd.
8.7.1 Company Basic Information,
Manufacturing Base and Competitors
8.7.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.7.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.7.4 Business Overview
8.8 Amira Nature Foods Ltd.
8.8.1 Company Basic Information,
Manufacturing Base and Competitors
8.8.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.8.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.8.4 Business Overview
8.9 Mars Inc.
8.9.1 Company Basic Information,
Manufacturing Base and Competitors
8.9.2 Product Type, Application and
Specification
8.9.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross
Margin (2013-2018)
8.9.4 Business Overview
The Narendra Modi government may find itself in a tricky situation over
the issue of extending geographical indication (GI) certification for basmati
paddy grown in Madhya Pradesh (MP).
Written
by Harish
Damodaran | New Delhi | Updated:
April 13, 2018 3:48:59 am
Currently,
around 80,000 farmers are growing basmati on nearly 75,000 hectares in 13
districts. (Express Photo)
The Narendra Modi government may find itself in a
tricky situation over the issue of extending geographical indication (GI)
certification for basmati paddy grown in Madhya Pradesh (MP).
The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR) are both vociferously opposed to MP’s inclusion as a basmati-growing
state.
The APEDA, which had originally filed the application to
register “basmati” as a GI, has included only 77 districts in the Indo-Gangetic
Plain along the foothills of the Himalayas — covering the states of Punjab,
Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu
& Kashmir — where this premium rice can be legally cultivation.
MP, which is scheduled to go to the polls later this year, has
opposed APEDA’s application, while demanding that 13 of its districts — Morena,
Bhind, Sheopur, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore,
Hoshangabad, Narsinghpur and Jabalpur — also be given the GI tag. That would
allow farmers there to continue cultivating this paddy and selling it as
basmati.
Currently, there are around 80,000 farmers growing basmati on
nearly 75,000 hectares in these 13 districts. MP’s estimated annual milled
basmati rice production is about 3 lakh tonnes (lt), of which roughly 70% is
exported and the balance sold within the country.
The above numbers are a fraction of the all-India basmati area
of over 16 lakh hectares (lh): 7 lh in Haryana, six lh in Punjab, 2.6 lh in UP,
0.6 lh in J&K, 0.15 lh in Uttaranchal and 0.07 lh in HP.
India’s total basmati rice output is roughly 60 lt, 40 lt of which is exported
and valued at Rs 25,000 crore. The rest 20 lt is sold domestically and worth
another Rs 10,000 crore. Half of this 20 lt comprises branded basmati rice and
the remaining sold in loose form. The top brands include India Gate, Daawat,
Fortune, Kohinoor, Patanjali and Lal Qilla.
“Politically speaking, it is difficult to ignore MP’s claim,
more so with Assembly elections likely in November. Also, while 80,000 farmers
may not be large compared to the two million growers in the main basmati
states, they aren’t small either,” an industry source pointed out.
Besides, there is the commercial side. Many exporters — such as
LT Foods, SSA International and Narmada Cereal Pvt. Ltd. — have established
modern rice mills near Bhopal, sourcing the raw material at a relatively cheaper
rate.
“In the 2017-18 season, Pusa Basmati-1 paddy prices in Punjab
and Haryana mandis started at Rs 3,000 per quintal in late-October and rose to
Rs 3,350 towards January. The average cost was roughly Rs 3,100. But in MP,
prices ranged from Rs 2,600 to Rs 3,000, while averaging Rs 2,800 per quintal.
The Rs 300/quintal difference translates into a cost advantage of Rs 4.5-5 per
kg of rice (milled rice accounts for 64-65% of paddy grains),” noted a leading
Delhi-based exporter.
Scientists at the ICAR’s Indian Agricultural Research Institute
(IARI) are clear that the grain quality of basmati grown in MP — including the
improved high-yielding and less photoperiod-sensitive “Pusa” varieties — cannot
match that of the crop farmed in the Indo-Gangetic plains. Basmati rice’s most
distinctive trait is its aroma, which derives from a compound called
2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline. The accumulation of this highly volatile compound in the
grain is largely a function of environmental conditions.
“The aroma retention is best when the plant’s flowering and
grain-filling stages coincide with a cool climate, with temperatures below 30
degree Celsius during daytime and just over 20 degrees at night. You get these
conditions from end-September through October only in the traditional basmati
belt,” explained an IARI scientist, involved in the breeding of the blockbuster
Pusa-1121 and Pusa-1509 basmati varieties.
Higher temperatures during the roughly one-month period from
flowering to maturity can, moreover, impact the grain’s texture and milling
quality. “When temperatures are high at the time of grain-filling, the packing
of the starch granules in the rice tends to be loose. You, then, get grains
with more chalkiness (opaque areas caused by incomplete filling) and leading to
higher percentage of broken rice during milling,” added the scientist.
Scientific opinion may not, of course, matter as much in a case
where politics and other interests also count. “This is a premium paddy that
last season fetched Rs 2,800 per quintal, when the minimum support price for
common non-basmati varieties was Rs 1,550. How can you deny farmers, especially
in a less agriculturally-prosperous state, the opportunity to grow basmati?,”
said the earlier-quoted industry source.
Therein lies the dilemma. The idea behind GI is to certify
premium character to a product attributable to its geographical origin. APEDA’s
GI application for basmati rested on its supposed uniqueness as a rice grown in
a specific region of the Indo-Gangetic plain, “situated below the foothills of
the Himalayas”. MP, according to it, did not fall within this specified
geography, being situated far away from the Himalayan foothills
The GI Registry under the Office of the Controller General of
Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, in an order dated March 15, rejected MP’s
claim for inclusion as a basmati-growing state. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led
BJP government in the state has filed a petition in the Madras High Court
challenging the order.
“Today, we have a Rs 35,000-crore industry built primarily on
the premium value of this rice. The danger is of it getting diluted, with more
and more states staking claim for the GI tag,” warned the source.
India's non-basmati exports rise 34% on
Africa's import demand
Indian variety
becomes popular after Thai currency appreciates
Dilip Kumar Jha | MumbaiLast
Updated at April 12, 2018 23:54 IST
7
non-basmati rice export jumped 34
per cent over a year before in the period between April 2017 (start of the
earlier financial year) and January 2018.The prime reason given is that
Africa’s import demand shifted to here from Thailand, on cost competitiveness.
Basmati export, however, remained stable.
Data from the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (Apeda) showed non-basmati export at 7.01 million tonnes
worth nearly $2.89 billion for these 10 months, compared to 5.25 mt valued at
$1.97 billion in the same period a year before.
Apart from geographical advantage, currency movement is a major
determinant for rice export, in comparing Thailand and India. Till a few months
earlier, however, Thailand was the preferred choice for
African rice importers. However, a rising Thai currency (the baht) pushed them to
look for alternative suppliers.
“India has got a little extra share in world rice markets due to lower stock and shipment
from Thailand. Non-basmati export from India would continue
to surge for the next couple of months,” said A K Gupta, director, Apeda.
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations has
estimated 33.7 mt of rice output in Thailand for calendar year 2017, a three
per cent increase from 32.6 mt a year before. Production in Thailand jumped 19 per cent in 2016 from
27.4 mt in 2015.
The baht rose 9.6 per cent, from 34.35 to 31.34 against a dollar,
between April 2017 and January 2018. Against that, the rupee rose two per cent,
to 63.59 a dollar from 64.85 in the period.
In fact, the Thai government has forecast an 18 per
cent decline in the country’s rice export to 9.5 mt in calendar 2018, from 11.6
mt the previous year.
“India and Thailand compete with each other in non-basmati export to African countries.
Historically, orders shift to the former in case rice import in African
countries become uncompetitive from the latter. African countries share 80 per
cent of India’s non-basmati export. The appreciating baht has
clearly given advantages to India over Thailand for non-basmati export,” said V
K Chaturvedi, managing director at Usher Agro, a rice exporter.
In contrast, India’s basmati rice export stayed at 3.27 mt in
those 10 months, on lower sales to the European Union, which consumes nearly
300,000 tonnes annually.
“Basmati is a high value product. We are expecting a five per cent
increase in its export for FY18,” said Gupta. The export in 2016-17 was 3.98 mt
(valued at $3.22 bn), a marginal decline from 4.05 mt (worth $3.48 bn) the
previous financial year.
Rajan Sundareshan, executive director, All India Rice Exporters’
Association, says he expects India’s basmati export to see another 0.6-0.65 mt
in February and March, the final two months of financial year 2017-18.
The government is asking for more exploration of basmati markets in Latin American countries.
It has offered incentives to exporters willing to participate in
trade fairs in the latter
HAMBURG: Indonesia’s state food procurement agency Bulog is
seeking offers from sellers in Pakistan to buy about 50,000 tonnes of rice,
European traders said on Wednesday.Offers should be submitted on Friday, April
13.The agency is seeking rice of both 5 per cent broken grade and 15 percent
broken grade, traders said.
Bulog said on March 20 it planned to import a total 500,000 tonnes
of rice up to the end of June to improve local supplies and cool domestic
prices.
“It looks like the requirement may be well over 500,000 tonnes,”
one European trader said.Bulog
bought about 500,000 tonnes of rice to be sourced from Vietnam and Thailand,
traders said on March 29.Bulog also bought about 50,000 tonnes of rice from
Pakistan on March 21 for shipment up to May 31.
Pakistani rice exports have
registered a sizeable growth of overall 29 percent in terms of value and 16
percent in quantity during first nine months of current fiscal year 2017-18.
This was stated by the Senior Vice Chairman, Rice Exporters Association of
Pakistan (REAP), Rafique Suleman while talking to newsmen here.
He further shared the figures of rice exports during the period of July to
March 2018, rice exports during fiscal year 2017-18 (July to March 2018) a 29
percent of significant growth has been registered as compared to same period of
last fiscal year 2016-17.
This year, he said we exported a total of 2.95 million metric tons of rice
amounting to $1.412 billion, whereas last fiscal year in the same period we had
exported 2.53 million metric tons of rice at $1.09 billion, which registered an
overall of growth of 29 percent in terms values and 16 percent in terms of
quantity.
He informed that the rice sector has refloated and come out of the crisis after
a lapse of three years. With the coordination of REAP, Trade Development
Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Customs, value of rice export trade is showing
improvement which is a positive sign for the country’s economy. The REAP
members are putting their untiring efforts and aggressive marketing to increase
the rice exports and to earn valuable foreign exchange for our beloved country
Pakistan.
He said that the REAP’s trade delegations visited various countries for an
aggressive marketing of Pakistani rice.
In this regard, a delegation is currently on a visit to Iran, which is a very
lucrative and potential market for Basmati Rice, he said, adding, few years
back Pakistan was exporting huge quantity of rice to Iran, however, since last
year, we can only export up to 100,000 metric tons of rice.
Kenya is the largest buyer of Pakistani Non-Basmati Rice and during nine months
of current fiscal year (July to Mar 2018), he said, we have exported 342,000
Metric Tons of rice amounting to $ 122 million. China is the second largest
destination for Pakistani Non-Basmati Rice. At the end of March 2018, we have
exported 270,000 metric tons of rice valuing $99 million, he revealed.
Currently, the demand of rice in the international market has been increased
and during the current fiscal year, we had a very good crop in terms of quality
and quantity, Suleman said, adding, prices of Pakistani rice are comparatively
cheaper than our competitors, Thailand, Vietnam etc., which is also in our
favour.
Pakistani rice exporters working hard for the growth of economy and making huge
investment for installing world’s latest rice machinery and most modern
technology for rice value addition, he added.
Recently, Indonesian state own body, BULOG has floated a tender for the
procurement of rice and (8) Pakistani rice exporters were successful to supply
50,000 metric tons and resultantly, we will be able to export $22.625 million
value of rice from the country, he added.
He further informed that Indian rice is being banned by European Union due to
the excess limit of pesticide residue and the Pakistani rice exporters are
taking advantage of this vacuum. He hoped that the export of Pakistani Brown
Rice will be increased phenomenally
ARLINGTON, VA --
While news on U.S.-China trade relations has been tense of late, USA Rice
continues to press for market access. A leadership delegation with
representatives from Arkansas, Louisiana, and California leaves for China this
weekend to meet with U.S. embassy and Chinese government officials and members
of China's rice trade to continue to make the case for U.S. rice.
"This is a very unsettled time for trade
relations between our two countries, but U.S.-grown rice can be part of the
solution for both countries," said USA Rice Chairman and delegation head
Brian King. "China would be a new market for our rice, and sales
would contribute to the overall U.S. export balance. China committed to
opening its rice market nearly 20 years ago, and although consumer interest is
quite high, we are still waiting for the green light. The process of
dealing with the Chinese government has been difficult."
For more than a decade government and industry
officials worked on a phytosanitary agreement to clear the way for U.S. to
China trade. That agreement was signed last summer, but U.S. exporters
then had to fill out a detailed questionnaire from the Chinese government if
they intended to export rice to China.
"The questionnaire was unprecedented as it
relates to phytosanitary protocols because none of it dealt with plant health
or safety," said Chris Crutchfield, chairman of the USA Rice Millers'
Association Phytosanitary Task Force and member of next week's
delegation. "Rather, it was an exercise in food and worker safety,
as well as a request for proprietary and confidential information - some of
which could not be legally answered under U.S. privacy laws. Our efforts
to provide a response centered around a systematic approach explaining the
Federal and state laws governing food production of our members."
Crutchfield said about 30 facilities came
together and worked with U.S. government regulatory agencies to compile answers
to the questionnaire that he believes will satisfy Chinese officials and does
not violate any U.S. laws.
"USA Rice has sent our responses to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture who will send them on to AQSIQ, the Chinese
agency overseeing plant health and food safety," he said. "This
whole process and our responses clearly reflect the commitment to food safety
and quality of the rice industry in the United States."
"During our meetings next week, we will be
discussing the next step in the process - scheduling a Chinese inspection visit
of U.S. facilities," said King. "We need to do everything we
can to complete this approval process and start shipping U.S. rice to
China."
Ukraine increased rice imports by 71% in
the 2017/18 season
Despite stable production, growth in inventories and a drop in
consumption, rice imports to Ukraine are higher this marketing year than in the
previous seasons. Their pace was the fastest in August-January 2017/18,
reports UkrAgroConsult.In
total, 53.7 KMT of rice was brought to Ukraine during the first eight months of
MY 2017/18 (July-February). This is up 71% year-on-year (31.43 KMT in
July-February 2016/17) and 19% more than at the same time in MY 2015/16 (45.0
KMT).
The largest rice suppliers to Ukraine are Pakistan and India,
which account for a combined over 60% of imports. Kazakhstan (18%) is on the
top three list for a second season in a row, having taken over the third place
from Vietnam, another major player in the Ukrainian rice market. Traditionally,
Thailand and Russia are actively present in the Ukrainian market.
As a reminder, Ukraine harvested 63.9 KMT of rice in 2017
against 64.7 KMT in 2016. As of March 1, rice inventories in the country were
up 36% year-on-year at over 1.2 KMT.
The colorful rice paddies found
throughout Asia are commonly laid out in rectangular plots, or sometimes as
stepped terraces, adding to their natural beauty. On the island of Flores,
however, the rice fields form a delightfully unique shape, one that looks like
a giant spider web.
This wonderful insect resemblance was not intentional, but
rather the result of the traditional communal agriculture of the
indigenous Manggarai people. Centuries ago, the cultivated land, known
as lingko, was
shared by the entire village. The communal fields were circular, with the lodok at
the center, where ceremonial rituals were held around the harvest.
Each family was allocated a segment of the rice field, radiating
from the center outward. (Each was inaugurated by the sacrifice of a water
buffalo.) The more resources a family had, the larger their slice of the pie;
at the time, the rice fields were shaped like pie charts. Later, the paddies
were further subdivided by the decedents of the original owners, leading to the
striking, web-like shape of the lingko today.
Know Before You Go
The best examples of spider web fields can be seen in Cancar
village, just west of Ruteng. Bemos and cars can be chartered from Ruteng.
The drivers will know the best viewpoints for the fields
Early pioneers overcame obstacles
to grow rice in Arkansas
Richard Morris, right, talks with Coleman Middleton, left, with
EnviroSolutions, Clarksdale, Miss., at the Arkansas Soil and Water Education
Conference. With Morris is his son, Matthew, and Matthew’s wife, Erica.
John
Morris and William Fuller decided to try to grow rice in Arkansas early in the
20th century.
Richard Morris says it’s
difficult to imagine the Grand Prairie of Arkansas without rice fields. But
it’s even more difficult to imagine it without irrigation wells, says Morris, a
fourth-generation rice farmer from Carlisle, Ark.
Morris can imagine the region
without either more clearly because he’s read about it in journals left by his
great-grandfather, John Morris, and his great-grandmother, Emma Morris, who
were among the first farmers to grow rice in Arkansas.
John Morris and his
brother-in-law, William Fuller, farmed together — across the road from each
other — near Carlisle at the beginning of the 20th century. The pair of young
farmers decided to try to grow rice in Arkansas after learning about rice
production on their duck-hunting trips to Louisiana in the late 1890s.
“They saw rice growing in
Louisiana; they noticed the way the land was similar to theirs; the soil
structure was similar to theirs,” said Morris, a speaker at the Arkansas Soil
and Water Education Conference at Arkansas State University Jan. 31. “So they
decided they would try to raise rice in Arkansas.”
John Morris and William Fuller,
and later Emma Morris encountered obstacles that might have stopped many
growers, according to Richard Morris, who farms 1,350 acres of rice, corn and
soybeans with his son, Matthew, on the same land farmed by his ancestors more
than a century ago.
Irrigation wells
The first obstacle involved
irrigation wells, which were relatively unknown in Arkansas in those days.
“Mr. Fuller made his first
attempt in 1896,” said Morris. “He didn’t have a well, and he had to figure out
how to have a well big enough for irrigation. He put down two 4-inch wells,
side-by-side, as close as he could get them.
“He devised a pump that had what
he called a ‘double-cranked drum,’ according to his own journal, so he was able
to pump both of those wells at the same time with one engine,” said Morris.
“And, by the way, that engine was a steam engine.”
Morris said he’s often thought
about what it must have been like to operate that engine on a hot summer day in
Arkansas, putting firewood beneath a boiler. “That’s why he didn’t have but 10
acres of rice,” Morris said to laughter in the Arkansas State University First
National Bank Center.
Unfortunately, Fuller’s well
didn’t hold up. “He pulled his pump in two,” said Morris, “and his crop died
for lack of moisture. His first attempt was a failure, and Mr. Fuller decided
to move to Louisiana to study rice production a little bit closer.”
John Morris made his first
attempt to grow rice in 1901. He had been studying how to irrigate rice and had
a hole dug for a 10-inch well on his farm. He invented a screen for a well that
he thought would be an improvement, one of many that were needed to make such
wells more efficient in those days. Morris received a patent for his well
screen in 1901.
“John Morris ordered his seed
from Louisiana and planted his rice,” said Richard Morris. “But he ran into an
obstacle with his rice irrigation because his pumping equipment did not arrive
in time. He had a hole in the ground; he had a crop planted; but he had no way
to get water out of the ground.
Murphy’s law
“You know how Murphy’s law
applies. There was a severe drought that summer, and by the time his pumping
equipment arrived, his crop had withered away, and it was too late for
irrigation. His first attempt in 1901 was a failure.”
In 1902, John Morris decided to
try again. He had his well and his pumping equipment and he had plans for about
15 acres of rice. But his seed didn’t arrive in time.
“It was on a train from
Louisiana,” Morris said. “It finally arrived in time for him to plant in early
July. And he decided not to risk the whole 15 acres and planted about half of
those to rice. There was a cool ripening season, but he was able to harvest 60
bushels an acre.”
In 1903, John Morris planned to
grow rice again. He traveled to Louisiana to try to market his well screen and
to try to learn more about rice production.
“Unfortunately, he suffered a
heart attack in March of 1903 and died at the age of 47,” said Morris. “But his
wife, my great-grandmother Emma Morris, shared the same vision he had and that
was to see rice growing on her farm in the Grand Prairie of Arkansas.”
Mrs. Morris became the first
woman rice farmer in Arkansas. “She was grief-stricken over the loss of her
husband and trying to raise six children, the oldest being 18. She planted
about 15 acres of rice, most of it the variety Honduras.”
She also had an obstacle to
overcome — grass control in rice. “Being new to rice, she didn’t maintain a
proper flood on all of her rice,” said Morris. “But she was able to harvest
about 10 acres where the rice wasn’t choked out by the grass. She had adequate
water depth on those, and it kept the grass down. Those 10 acres made a
whopping 90 bushels to the acre.”
Second attempt with a twist
Fuller came back to Arkansas in
1904 to make his second attempt at growing rice, but it came with a twist.
(Emma Morris planted 50 acres of rice in 1904.) “The citizens of Hazen and
Carlisle came together and offered Mr. Fuller $1,000 if he could grow a field
containing at least 70 acres of rice and harvest at least 35 bushels an acre,”
Morris said.
“If he could meet the challenge
and prove that rice could be grown commercially on their land, he would have
$1,000. And he did it. He grew 70 acres of rice and harvested 75 bushels an acre.
And he didn’t use a steam engine. He had an oil burning pump. We have the base
of the engine pulled off to the side for historical purposes.”
Richard Morris said that when he
began farming with his father on that same land in 1971, most of the Grand Prairie
had ample irrigation water for rice. But that began to change during the decade
of the 1970s, culminating with the severe drought that occurred in the
Mid-South in 1980.
Wells that had been supplying
water for rice on the farm for decades stopped producing. Richard Morris put
down a well that produced 1,000 gallons of water per minute in the mid-1970s,
but two years later it wasn’t producing enough water.
“Here it was 1979, and we were
critically short of water,” said Morris. “I knew that if I was going to raise
rice, I was going to have to do something much different from what I was doing.
I was thinking about reservoirs because I’d seen some built around Stuttgart.”
In 1981, Morris built his first
reservoir with engineering help from what was then called the Soil Conservation
Service. There were no cost-sharing funds for such construction in those days.
“It was a lick,” he said. “But it paid for itself and was able to keep us in
business.”
Since then, Morris has built
another reservoir. He also uses the Pipe Planner software program developed by
Delta Plastics; he’s adopted multiple inlet rice irrigation; and he’s also
using alternate wetting and drying, a technique in which farmers don’t maintain
a full flood on their rice fields.
Rainfall records
Morris said 32 years of rainfall
records show he receives an average of 45.73 inches of rain on his farm
annually. Only 28 percent on average of that occurs during the growing season.
“So it just seems logical that we
need to build structures that not only capture this rain water but store it.
That became my long-term goal — to get away from irrigation wells and
groundwater and be all surface water, which we are now.
“It’s been a long haul,” he said. “Over the years we’ve dug two
reservoirs, we’ve built miles of tail-water ditches, we’ve done precision
leveling — everything you think of in the way of engineering with the
USDA-NRCS. Fortunately, the last few years the farm bill has had some
assistance to do these projects through cost-sharing.”
The Federal Government’s economic
diversification efforts and agricultural promotion programme are largely
directed at increasing rice production in the country.
The reason is not farfetched; rice is about
the most consumed staple in Nigeria. Almost every household of the 198 million
Nigerians consumes rice, with some taking it as a three-square meal.
This consumption pattern is said to
constitute a huge drain on the country’s foreign reserves because Nigeria only
produces half of the annual rice demand of five million metric tonnes.
At the height of it, rice import alone had
hit three million metric tonnes, the figure only recently reducing to two
million MT, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture.
As of the end of 2016, the Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, confirmed that Nigeria’s annual
import bill on four top commodities consumed in the country including rice and
wheat had hit N1tn.
The battle for the soul of local rice
started in 2015 with the CBN setting aside some money from the N220bn Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprise Development fund to drive its Anchor Borrowers
Programme aimed at providing funding and farm inputs to farmers across the
major rice production belts in the country.
Farmers were allowed to access the fund at
nine per cent single-digit interest rate.
The programme at inception accommodated over
219,837 farmers in 17 states and made possible the cultivation of 246,837
hectares of rice farmland.
Under the programme, more than 120,000 rice
and wheat farmers were linked with reputable millers.
President Muhammadu Buhari also made
provision for dry season rice farming, which required adequate irrigation to
accommodate the crop during the dry season under the programme.
Needless to say the programme recorded huge
success in the rice sector. By January, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, announced that local paddy rice production had
increased to 12 million metric tonnes.
The country, according to the agriculture
ministry, has achieved self-sufficiency in paddy rice production.
The USDA indicated that the current area of
rice cultivation and harvest had increased from 2.5 million hectares in 2017 to
2.6 million hectares.
This paddy rice success story is
overshadowed however by low milling capacity.
Spurred on by the government’s backward
integration campaign, private investment in rice milling has increased and
private rice milling capacity is currently put at 1.2 million MT.
Milled production, according to the USDA, is
projected at 2.8 million tonnes, increasing by four per cent compared to 2.7
million tonnes in 2017.
The milling capacity is still a far cry from
meeting local demand, which is 4.8 million MT and the quality of the milled
rice is said to leave much to be desired.
“The local rice I ate is full of stones,” a
housewife, Mrs. Funmi Salako lamented.
Although the local rice is cheaper than
imported rice by at least N5,000, consumers are forced to choose the more
expensive option.
In a similar vein, a state commissioner
recently apologised over the hard nature of the state’s rice as it took more
time to cook than the normal parboiled rice.
“The rice takes longer to cook than
the foreign parboiled rice, but you cannot deny the fact that it is more
nutritious,” he said
Although Ogbeh said there were about 21 rice
mills in Nigeria, 80 per cent of them are reportedly running at 25 per cent
capacity.
A combination of insufficient supply and
poor quality has driven consumers to increase their appetite for foreign
parboiled rice which is mostly smuggled after the government imposed a blanket
ban on its importation through the land borders.
As a result, local demand for rice has
overwhelmed the supply, leading to a spike in smuggling.
The USDA reported that smuggling of rice
across the land borders had increased by 50 per cent in the last six months.
The Chief Executive Officer, JMSF, Richard
Akindele, said there were 1,114 entry points into Nigeria aiding smuggling of
rice and other commodities.
The quality challenge with local rice is
seen mostly in products from small-holder farmers who try to meet the demand
without the luxury of integrated mills.
They are reportedly more in number than the
integrated rice millers. “The dominant small-holder farmers are mostly planting
traditional low-yielding and the adulterated rice seeds,’ the USDA said in its
report.
It added, “Nigeria’s rice sector is still
driven by small/cottage mills operating outdated mills and applying mostly
traditional methods. Millers prefer to sell to government and humanitarian
buyers due to consistent purchases at favourable prices.”
According to the report, sources have
confirmed that Nigeria’s paddy price is currently selling at 250,000 per tonne
while the market price for milled rice is given as 260,000 per tonne.
Integrated mills complained that the
difference was insufficient to cover milling and marketing costs, the agency
noted.
“To attain self-sufficiency in rice,
stakeholders note that it will take several years of effective policy
implementation, funding in seed development and paddy production, and
infrastructure investment. According to rural farmers, many investors in
integrated rice farming/processing also serve as major rice importers in the
region,” the report added.
A stakeholder and President, Ogun Chamber of
Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture, Mrs. Adeshina Adebutu, advised rice
producers to learn the technical know-how and secrets that made foreign rice
better and preferable among consumers
Despite being banned, rice smuggling keeps rising. Over two
million metric tons of parboiled rice from Thailand and India were smuggled
into the country last year, making it impossible for the government to meet its
self-sufficiency target in the commodity’s production. Although a new target
has been set for 2020, there are fears that it may also not be met, unless the
government musters the political will to halt smuggling. Assistant Editor
CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.
The Federal Government appears
caught between the rock and the hard place in achieving its target for
self-sufficiency in rice production.
Despite inching closer to
achieving the feat, rice smugglers through the numerous borders have continued
to throw spanner in the works.
For instance, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Federal Government’s
rice revolution had paid off, as 60 per cent of rice consumed in the country
is now produced locally.
Quoting the Rice Millers,
Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN), the Minister said
over two million metric tons of parboiled rice were smuggled into Nigeria last
year. According to him, the smuggled rice came in through the borders with
Benin, Niger and Cameroon.
He said, for instance, in Benin
Republic, the demand for white rice, which is consumed in Benin, against
parboiled rice in Nigeria, is 400, 000 mt. Yet, the country, with a population
of about 11 million, imports between one million and 1.2 million mt of rice
annually.
“Who are they importing for?
Nigerians of course. In fact, as Nigeria’s rice import falls, Benin’s rice
import increases. Most of the parboiled rice imported by Benin eventually lands
in Nigeria through smuggling,’’ Mohammed said. He said smuggling was the
biggest challenge facing rice production in Nigeria.
It is easy to see why this is so.
For one, the difference in the price of the local and foreign rice as a result
of influx of smuggled rice has been a major discouraging factor for rice
farmers. This makes people prefer the foreign rice because of the price
difference.
He gave an insight on this
disincentive when he said smuggled rice costs between N11, 000 and N13, 000 per
50kg bag, while Nigerian processed rice sells for between N14,500 and N15, 000
per 50kg bag.
He said the price of local rice
was higher because Cameroon and Benin Republic lowered their tariffs on rice to
between zero and five per cent to encourage importation and subsequent
smuggling into Nigeria.
Mohammed added that Thailand and
India give high subsidies to rice farmers and rice processors, adding, however,
that local rice producers had made some representations to the government on
how rice could compete favourably, in terms of pricing, with the
heavily-subsidised imported rice.
Perhaps, more importantly, the
upsurge in rice smuggling is hurting the Federal Government’s revenue
generation efforts. The smugglers, who are seen as the greatest saboteurs, have
been ravaging the economy and denying the government huge sums of legitimate
revenue.
For instance, a recent World Bank
report on smuggling in Nigeria stated that an astonishing $5 billion (about
N1.45 trillion) worth of different goods, including rice, are smuggled into
Nigeria yearly through Benin Republic alone.
The report further noted that
over 25 per cent of the total annual revenue collected by the Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS) was lost to smugglers each year. Going by the Customs’ projected
revenue for last year, which is approximately N600 billion, it means that the
Service may have lost N200 billion in revenue last year alone.
Smuggled rice also poses serious
health challenges to consumers. The minister, at a briefing, raised the alarm
over the unhealthy status of smuggled imported rice being dumped in the
country. He urged Nigerians to reject the rice. He said the government could
not guarantee the healthy status of the rice, having spent months on the high
seas and warehouses.
The minister appealed to
Nigerians to complement the government’s efforts by consuming only
locally-grown and processed rice, which, according to him, “is fresher, tastier
and healthier.”
“We don’t know where or how
imported rice is made or how old it is. It is reported that most of the rice
dumped on us are old and probably rejected.
“The citizens of those countries
do not eat this rice. The citizens of Benin also do not eat it. But they send
it to us. Unhealthy foods are dangerous to health. So let’s eat what we can
vouch for,’’ he said, a fortnight ago while reeling out figures, which
indicated that local rice production was growing exponentially.
Mohammed said for instance,
within two years (September 2015-September 2017), rice importation from
Thailand fell from 644,131 MT to 20, 000 MT, representing over 90 per cent
drop.
While putting Nigeria’s current
rice consumption at about six million MT of milled rice, he said the country
produced 2.5million MT of milled rice
in 2015. By 2017, it rose to 4million MT, leaving a gap of 2million MT. “Our
target is to fill that gap by 2020,’’ he said.
The minister added that from only
13 integrated rice mills in the country in 2015, the number rose to 21 by 2017.
Quoting the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), he said from five
million rice farmers in 2015, the number has also gone up to 11 million.
The administration’s rice
revolution has also not done badly from investment perspective. Alhaji
Mohammed put RIPAN’s total investment in the economy at over N300 billion,
while upcoming investments would amount to N250 billion.
He projected that the new
investments will add 5, 000 jobs and additional 1,775,000 MT of integrated rice
milling capacity, while saving $300 million foreign exchange from import
substitution through local processing.
The minister noted that the new
investments were made when Nigeria was in recession, indicating investors’
confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian economy.
“The investments have not stopped
as 15 more mills are about to take off, including the Dangote Rice Mills to be
established in six states with a total capacity of about one million MT,’’ he
said.
The minister said with the
significant increased production in rice paddy, Nigeria’s rice import bill,
which hitherto stood at $1.65 billion yearly, dipped by over 90 per cent.
He attributed the exponential
growth in local rice production, which moved Nigeria closer to ending rice
importation, to the sustained implementation of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme
launched on November 17, 2015.
Buhari had in line with his
administration’s economic diversification agenda through the agric sector, launched
the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) to support farmers through input
distribution and loans to boost rice production across the country.
The programme, which is being
managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was also aimed at stabilising
input supply to agro processors and addressing the country’s negative balance
of payments on food items.
Presidential fertiliser initiative to the rescue
Apart from benefiting from the
ABP, the ongoing rice revolution, The Nation learnt, also drew
strength from the setting up of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) in
December 2016 by Buhari.
Set up to deliver commercially
significant quantities of affordable and high quality fertiliser at the right
time to over 500,000 farmers across the country, the initiative has helped push
up fertiliser production capacity to 2.22 million MT.
To date, the programme, according
to the Managing Director, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr.
Uche Orji, has contributed to the resuscitation of 14 moribund blending plants,
which represent 55 per cent of total installed capacity in the country.
Also, more than six million bags
of 50kg NPK 20:10:10 fertiliser have been produced locally and distributed to
farmers. Orji stated that after one year of running the programme, the import
of finished fertiliser had reduced drastically.
“For the 2017 wet season, it was
estimated that about N60 billion from the 2017 budgetary provisions for
fertiliser was saved, while another saving of $150 million was conserved from
foreign exchange window,” he said.
Orji added that the success of
the PFI was evidence that Nigeria can sustainably produce fertilisers locally
at a reasonable price without subsidy.
Encouraged by the 2.22 million
metric tons made-in-Nigeria fertiliser production capacity, the Federal
Government has announced plans to revive 12 moribund fertiliser blending plants
to bring to 23 the total number of plants that will partake in this year’s PFI.
Doubts over self-suffiency target
Although, some of these
significant milestones must have galvanised government to declare that the
country will achieve self-sufficiency in rice production by year 2020, the
excitement and optimism generated by the declaration were however, tinged with
fear.
The thinking, and rightly so, is
that without first articulating workable strategies to rein in rice smugglers,
government’s latest rice self-sufficiency target may go the way of previous
targets that were never realised.
Recall that Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had earlier assured that
Nigeria will be self-sufficient in rice production by the end of last year.
Ogbeh had given the assurance at
the First International Cocoa Summit, organised by the Federal Ministry of
Trade and Investment in collaboration with Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria
(CAN) in Abuja, last year.
Although Chief Ogbeh said then
that rice production had improved tremendously across the country as a result
of the CBN’s ABP, government failed to meet the target, due largely to rice
smuggling.
Again, sometime this year, Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo said Nigeria will stop rice importation by the end of
the year. But as it turned out, the pronouncement was made without recourse to
the realities on ground.
RIMIDAN faulted Osinbajo’s statement.
Its Secretary, Shaibu Mohammed, said it was impossible for the country to
achieve self-sufficiency in rice production by the end of the year because of
the influx of smuggled rice through the land border.
According to Shaibu, smuggling of
the product was frustrating efforts so far put in place by rice farmers towards
rice production in the country. The frustration, he stated, stemmed from the
difference in the price of the local and foreign rice, as people prefer to buy
the foreign rice, which is cheaper.
Will government summon the
political will to halt rice smuggling and address other issues around price
instability, quality and harvesting/processing? Answers to these will determine
the success or otherwise of the new year 20202 target for rice self-sufficiency.
Aerial photo shows the Dongyang relic site in Weinan City,
northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Chinese paleontologists believe rice
cultivation arrived in northern China from the south during the Neolithic age.
Researchers with the Chinese Academy of Sciences institute of vertebrate
paleontology and paleoanthropology base their view on study of items found in
the Dongyang site. Phytolith analysis of residue found at the Dongyang site
shows rice was grown there 5,800 years ago. (Xinhua)
The
ADB’s Asian Development Outlook 2018 report, released April 11, 2018, projects
6.8 percent gross domestic product growth for 2018, faster than the 6.7 percent
rate in 2017. The economy will grow further, by 6.9 percent, in 2019.Strengthening
domestic demand will underpin growth in 2018 and 2019. Investment will be
supported by large public infrastructure projects such as national and
provincial roads, railways, airports, and the Philippines’ first mass transit
subway.
Export growth will likely
moderate from last year’s rebound. Low unemployment and steady remittances will
continue to support private consumption, says the Manila-based ADB.
“Along with domestic demand, the
government’s infrastructure investments will fuel the country’s growth in the
next few years, supported by a sound economic policy setting. We expect this
growth to further lift wage employment numbers, add to household incomes, and
benefit more poor families across the archipelago,” said Kelly Bird, ADB’s new
country director for the Philippines.
Bird gushed the Philippines was
now on its “golden age” as economic growth has been achieved for more than 50
years.
He said, economic expansion would
be sustained in 2018 and 2019 as “reforms are in place to support the
government’s infrastructure plan,” referring to the massive “Build, Build,
Build” program. Here is ADB’s outlook report on PH:
An accommodative fiscal policy is
likely to continue this year and next. The 2018 budget raises expenditure by
12.4 percent over last year, with two-thirds allocated to regions outside of
Metro Manila.
Allocations for the provinces are
25 percent higher than in 2017 and are earmarked for rural development and job
creation toward improving rural incomes. The budget for infrastructure is a
quarter higher, equal to 6.1 percent of GDP, up from 5.4 percent in 2017.
The government recently approved
free tuition in all state universities and colleges under the Universal Access
to Quality Tertiary Education Act, 2017 and free irrigation for smallholder
farmers under the Free Irrigation Service Act, 2018.
The government is mobilizing more
revenue to allow for higher investment in infrastructure and social services
while keeping the fiscal deficit within 3 percent of GDP in the medium term. It
thus targets the ratio of revenue to GDP in the 2018 budget to rise to 16.3
percent from 15.7 percent last year.
Early progress toward achieving
the revenue target was made in December 2017 with the approval of the Tax
Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, the first phase of government’s
comprehensive tax reform program.
The law is projected to yield P90
billion in additional revenue in 2018 and P144 billion in 2019. Further augmentation
of tax revenue is anticipated as the government pursues succeeding phases of
comprehensive tax reform.
Strong household consumption is
seen continuing this year and next. Remittances from overseas Filipinos are
expected to continue to support household consumption. From the fiscal side, a
cut in the personal income tax should boost disposable income and consumption
among taxpayers, but an increase in excise taxes on petroleum products and a
few other commodities could be a counterweight restraining household
consumption.
Several signs point to
strengthening private investment. Imports of capital goods rose by 16.9 percent
year on year in January 2018, while bank credit to businesses increased by 18.1
percent in the same month.
The government is improving the
investment climate by streamlining procedures for doing business in national
and local agencies alike, including for business registration and applications
for permits.
In December 2017, Fitch Ratings
upgraded the Philippine rating for long-term foreign currency credit to BBB
from BBB–,which should reinforce market confidence.
A business outlook survey
conducted by the central bank in first quarter of 2018 found sentiment upbeat
in response to strong domestic demand and the expected increase in public
infrastructure spending.
By sector, services will continue
to provide much of GDP growth as broad expansion continues. The purchasing
managers’ index in January 2018 reached its highest since May 2016 with
improving readings for services, trade, and manufacturing.
Manufacturing will continue to
expand on robust domestic demand and exports. The manufacturing production
index rose by 21.9 percent year on year in January 2018 on strong growth in
food and beverages, construction materials, and some export-oriented products.
Construction will benefit largely
from public infrastructure projects, but it is notable that building permits
for privately constructed commercial and office buildings expanded by 23.2
percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2017.
As growth strengthens, inflation
is projected to pick up to 4 percent in 2018, using a consumer price index
series based on 2006. Inflation in the first two months of this year
accelerated to 4.2 percent using that series but slowed to 3.7 percent using a new
series rebased on 2012.
Inflation largely reflected a
rise in global oil and food prices and peso depreciation. Higher excises on
fuel, sugar-sweetened beverages, and cigarettes since January 2018 could
contribute to inflation, but mitigation measures are under way.
The government is moving away
from restrictions on the volume of rice imports toward tariffs on rice imports
to help augment domestic supply and contain domestic rice prices. Inflation is
forecast at 3.9 percent in 2019, with upward adjustment to monetary policy
rates anticipated in line with tightening monetary policy globally.
Import growth is expected to
outpace export growth in light of robust domestic demand.
The expected widening of the
merchandise trade deficit this year and next should mean a wider but still
modest current account deficit, contained by a further rise in remittances and
service exports, notably in business process outsourcing and tourism.
Improving business sentiment
points to a continued uptrend in foreign direct investment.
External risks to the outlook
would be heightened volatility in international financial markets or a revival
of protectionist trade policies around the world.
However, a strong external
payments position appears to make the Philippines resilient under any
foreseeable external shock.
External debt trended down to the
equivalent of 23.3 percent of GDP in 2017. National government debt has
moderated to 42.1 percent of GDP and is denominated mostly in local currency.
The Philippine government has
embarked on a massive infrastructure program worth $160 billion–$180 billion
from 2017 to 2022, called “Build, Build, Build.”
Researchers from five universities share details of their
collaboration on a novel biological sensor that could enable a new class of
wearable devices for health care.
Current methods for cellular-level analysis require
invasivetesting that severely limits the ability to adequately monitor
conditions ranging from cardiovascular diseases to cancer. Even worse, the
complexity and cost of many invasive measurements puts them out of reach for
many patients.
There are a host of non-invasivetechniques (X-ray, MRI, PET,
etc.), but only light-based systems that use wavelengths between 400nm (blue)
and 1100nm (thermal infrared) are non-ionizing, high-resolution and portable.
Unfortunately, while a large amount of light can pass through human tissue at
significant depths, nearly all photons are scattered, confounding subsequent
analysis.
The current generation of cameras and algorithms cannot solve
de-scatter the light because the number of scattering events is simply too
vast. The only feasible approach is likely a combination of joint
advances across optical, analog and digital domains, combined with
complementary algorithmic advances in image processing and machine learning.
The first key design opportunity stems from recent advances in
both programmable on-chip illumination and sensing. Engineers can mitigate the
effects of scattering by combining programmable on-chip coded illumination with
new image sensors that can capture multiple aspects of photons--including
polarization, phase, time-of-flight, angle and wavelength.
By controlling illumination in space, angle, spectrum and
polarization, one can selectively sample paths through the tissue with lower
scattering events. New arrays of single-photon avalanche diodes can
capture angle-sensitive information of each photon, providing additional
information about received photons--information that that allows us to
selectively filter photons accepting only those that underwent few scattering
events.
The second major design opportunity will come from our ability
to extract relevant information in the presence of thousands of nuisance
parameters that are caused by a combination of motion, variation in illumination
and camera noise. Instead of a brute force approach to reject nuisance noise, a
strong possibility is to learn the noise patterns by virtually repeating the
experiment millions of times using only a small amount of measured data. This
relies on recent advances in machine learning, particularly deep learning.
As part of the newly awarded NSF Expeditions in Computing
initiative, our team of twelve researchers from Rice, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell,
MIT and Harvard will develop platform technologies for novel computational
cameras that will be able to see, safely and privately, below the skin with
unprecedented spatial resolution.
Many patients with a wide range of health conditions could
benefit from this new non-invasive cellular imaging. For example, chemotherapy
patients could benefit from a non-invasive wearable or easy-to-use device that
can monitor white blood count at home, which in turn could be used to generate
early signs of a problem due to low white blood counts.
Ashutosh Sabharwal and Ashok Veeraraghavan are with the
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. Srinivas
Narasimhan and Ioannis Gkioulekas are with the Robotics Institute at Carnegie
Mellon University.
The Global Brown Rice Market
Report begins with an all-inclusive introduction to the industry followed by
deeply drilling in to certain scenario that is segmented on the basis of
applications, manufacturers, regional market, policy analysis, value chain
structure, end user, and emerging trend. In order to find the growth
opportunities, latest development trends and growth restraining factors, the
report provides segmentation obtained from a deep analysis of Brown Rice
Industry.
Additionally the Brown Rice
report also offers a pragmatic picture of the condition of emanating and
traditional markets. The pros and cons of investing these markets are argued at
length in the Brown Rice market report. Organizations in the Brown Rice market
have discerned that transformation is of absolute importance for encouraged
growth. Maintaining with this urgent requirement for innovation the report
traces contemporary advancements and researchers have devoted sufficient
endeavors towards perceiving new business opportunities.
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the report.
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Workers unload bags of rice on January 19, 2011 at
the Port of Abidjan where 80% of Ivory Coast's exports transit. EU-registered
ships have been barred from dealing with Ivory Coast's main cocoa ports in line
with sanctions over the nation's controversial November presidential poll. The
European Union last weekend slapped sanctions on outcast incumbent leader
Laurent Gbagbo and 84 of his associates, as well as 11 economic entities in the
world's top cocoa producer. AFP PHOTO/ ISSOUF SANOGO (Photo credit should read
ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images)
Following plans to establish additional 14 rice mills in
the country, investors have committed additional N250billion into Nigeria’s
rice production. This is in addition to the current N300billion invested by
processors
The Minister of Agriculture Audi Ogbeh, who disclosed this
during a Rice Conference organised by Agro Nigeria in Abuja, said the country
would save $300million from import substitution through local processing.He
disclosed that there are presently 21 large integrated rice mills with a total
processing capacity of 1.22 million metric tonnes yearly spreading across the
country, including Kano, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Anambra, Edo, Nasarawa, Benue,
Kwara, Jigawa, Niger, and Kogi states.
He said: “Today, many integrated local mills have their milled
rice in the Nigerian market, and consumer demand and preference for local rice
has risen due to better quality and taste compared to imported rice. Home-grown
international grade rice can be found across Nigerian markets, and a total of
14 mills will soon come on board.”
Ogbeh noted that members of the Rice Producers Association of
Nigeria (RIFAN), currently have a direct workforce of 5,000 skilled Nigerians
including women as off-takers of rice paddy, and have created jobs for over
five million rice farmers out of the existing 11 million rice farmers in
Nigeria.
He said the integrated rice mills have also employed about two
million unskilled workers, while Nigeria’s rice import bill has dropped
appreciably by over 90 per cent.
The minister observed that in the past three years, paddy
production had seen exponential growth, reaching 6.9 million MT in 2016, or
4.14 million MT of milled rice, and 8.019 million MT, or 4.81 million MT of
milled rice in 2017.
According to him, Nigeria is moving towards self sufficiency in
rice production, and is on track to achieving this by the year 2020.
He recalled that in 2009, Nigeria could boast of only one integrated rice mill,
and by 2017, the country had over 17 integrated rice processing mills with a
milling capacity of 600,000MT a year.
“Presently, we have 21 large scale mills with a capacity of 1.2
million MT, while additional mills are springing up,” Ogbeh told participants
at the inaugural Agro Nigeria rice event.
He said: “Estimated crop area of rice in 2017 was 3.9 million
hectares, which represent an increase of about 6.9 per cent over the 3.17
million hectares cultivated in 2016. All the states of the federation recorded
an increase in rice production, with Kebbi and Lagos having the highest
increase. Over the last three years, we’ve recorded increase in production from
an average of 2.5 tonnes to five tonnes per hectare.”
The minister said based on per capita consumption, Nigeria’s
demand for rice stands at 9.5 million MT of paddy, representing 6.8 million MT
of milled rice, adding that the deficit, which used to stand at between three
to four million MT had been reduced to 1.99 million MT.
To sustain the momentum of the present growth, Ogbeh said:
“Government would continue to provide conducive environment to rice farmers and
millers in the area of ensuring adequate agro-chemicals, fertilisers, land
development and irrigation facilities, mechanisation, modern extension
services, power supply, access to good roads, farmlands and favourable pricing.
Essentially, forestalling the illegal activities of smugglers across Nigeria’s
borders remain a priority.”
The Governor of Kebbi State, who doubles as Chairman,
Presidential Initiative on Rice, Abubakar Bagudu, said operators in the rice
value chain “must appreciate the fact that the cost of production in countries
we are competing with is cheaper than the production cost for the same
commodity in Nigeria. This needs to be addressed in order to ensure
sustainability.”
Despite being banned, rice smuggling keeps rising. Over two
million metric tons of parboiled rice from Thailand and India were smuggled
into the country last year, making it impossible for the government to meet its
self-sufficiency target in the commodity’s production. Although a new target
has been set for 2020, there are fears that it may also not be met, unless the
government musters the political will to halt smuggling. Assistant Editor
CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.
The Federal Government appears
caught between the rock and the hard place in achieving its target for
self-sufficiency in rice production.
Despite inching closer to
achieving the feat, rice smugglers through the numerous borders have continued
to throw spanner in the works.
For instance, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Federal Government’s
rice revolution had paid off, as 60 per cent of rice consumed in the country
is now produced locally.
Quoting the Rice Millers,
Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN), the Minister said
over two million metric tons of parboiled rice were smuggled into Nigeria last
year. According to him, the smuggled rice came in through the borders with
Benin, Niger and Cameroon.
He said, for instance, in Benin
Republic, the demand for white rice, which is consumed in Benin, against
parboiled rice in Nigeria, is 400, 000 mt. Yet, the country, with a population
of about 11 million, imports between one million and 1.2 million mt of rice
annually.
“Who are they importing for?
Nigerians of course. In fact, as Nigeria’s rice import falls, Benin’s rice
import increases. Most of the parboiled rice imported by Benin eventually lands
in Nigeria through smuggling,’’ Mohammed said. He said smuggling was the
biggest challenge facing rice production in Nigeria.
It is easy to see why this is so.
For one, the difference in the price of the local and foreign rice as a result
of influx of smuggled rice has been a major discouraging factor for rice
farmers. This makes people prefer the foreign rice because of the price
difference.
He gave an insight on this
disincentive when he said smuggled rice costs between N11, 000 and N13, 000 per
50kg bag, while Nigerian processed rice sells for between N14,500 and N15, 000
per 50kg bag.
He said the price of local rice
was higher because Cameroon and Benin Republic lowered their tariffs on rice to
between zero and five per cent to encourage importation and subsequent
smuggling into Nigeria.
Mohammed added that Thailand and
India give high subsidies to rice farmers and rice processors, adding, however,
that local rice producers had made some representations to the government on
how rice could compete favourably, in terms of pricing, with the
heavily-subsidised imported rice.
Perhaps, more importantly, the
upsurge in rice smuggling is hurting the Federal Government’s revenue
generation efforts. The smugglers, who are seen as the greatest saboteurs, have
been ravaging the economy and denying the government huge sums of legitimate
revenue.
For instance, a recent World Bank
report on smuggling in Nigeria stated that an astonishing $5 billion (about
N1.45 trillion) worth of different goods, including rice, are smuggled into
Nigeria yearly through Benin Republic alone.
The report further noted that
over 25 per cent of the total annual revenue collected by the Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS) was lost to smugglers each year. Going by the Customs’ projected
revenue for last year, which is approximately N600 billion, it means that the
Service may have lost N200 billion in revenue last year alone.
Smuggled rice also poses serious
health challenges to consumers. The minister, at a briefing, raised the alarm
over the unhealthy status of smuggled imported rice being dumped in the
country. He urged Nigerians to reject the rice. He said the government could
not guarantee the healthy status of the rice, having spent months on the high
seas and warehouses.
The minister appealed to
Nigerians to complement the government’s efforts by consuming only
locally-grown and processed rice, which, according to him, “is fresher, tastier
and healthier.”
“We don’t know where or how
imported rice is made or how old it is. It is reported that most of the rice
dumped on us are old and probably rejected.
“The citizens of those countries
do not eat this rice. The citizens of Benin also do not eat it. But they send
it to us. Unhealthy foods are dangerous to health. So let’s eat what we can
vouch for,’’ he said, a fortnight ago while reeling out figures, which
indicated that local rice production was growing exponentially.
Mohammed said for instance,
within two years (September 2015-September 2017), rice importation from
Thailand fell from 644,131 MT to 20, 000 MT, representing over 90 per cent
drop.
While putting Nigeria’s current
rice consumption at about six million MT of milled rice, he said the country
produced 2.5million MT of milled rice
in 2015. By 2017, it rose to 4million MT, leaving a gap of 2million MT. “Our
target is to fill that gap by 2020,’’ he said.
The minister added that from only
13 integrated rice mills in the country in 2015, the number rose to 21 by 2017.
Quoting the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), he said from five
million rice farmers in 2015, the number has also gone up to 11 million.
The administration’s rice
revolution has also not done badly from investment perspective. Alhaji
Mohammed put RIPAN’s total investment in the economy at over N300 billion,
while upcoming investments would amount to N250 billion.
He projected that the new
investments will add 5, 000 jobs and additional 1,775,000 MT of integrated rice
milling capacity, while saving $300 million foreign exchange from import
substitution through local processing.
The minister noted that the new
investments were made when Nigeria was in recession, indicating investors’
confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian economy.
“The investments have not stopped
as 15 more mills are about to take off, including the Dangote Rice Mills to be
established in six states with a total capacity of about one million MT,’’ he
said.
The minister said with the
significant increased production in rice paddy, Nigeria’s rice import bill,
which hitherto stood at $1.65 billion yearly, dipped by over 90 per cent.
He attributed the exponential
growth in local rice production, which moved Nigeria closer to ending rice
importation, to the sustained implementation of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme
launched on November 17, 2015.
Buhari had in line with his
administration’s economic diversification agenda through the agric sector,
launched the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) to support farmers through input
distribution and loans to boost rice production across the country.
The programme, which is being
managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was also aimed at stabilising
input supply to agro processors and addressing the country’s negative balance
of payments on food items.
Apart from benefiting from the
ABP, the ongoing rice revolution, The Nation learnt, also drew
strength from the setting up of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) in
December 2016 by Buhari.
Set up to deliver commercially
significant quantities of affordable and high quality fertiliser at the right
time to over 500,000 farmers across the country, the initiative has helped push
up fertiliser production capacity to 2.22 million MT.
To date, the programme, according
to the Managing Director, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr.
Uche Orji, has contributed to the resuscitation of 14 moribund blending plants,
which represent 55 per cent of total installed capacity in the country.
Also, more than six million bags
of 50kg NPK 20:10:10 fertiliser have been produced locally and distributed to
farmers. Orji stated that after one year of running the programme, the import
of finished fertiliser had reduced drastically.
“For the 2017 wet season, it was
estimated that about N60 billion from the 2017 budgetary provisions for
fertiliser was saved, while another saving of $150 million was conserved from
foreign exchange window,” he said.
Orji added that the success of
the PFI was evidence that Nigeria can sustainably produce fertilisers locally
at a reasonable price without subsidy.
Encouraged by the 2.22 million
metric tons made-in-Nigeria fertiliser production capacity, the Federal
Government has announced plans to revive 12 moribund fertiliser blending plants
to bring to 23 the total number of plants that will partake in this year’s PFI.
Doubts
over self-suffiency target
Although, some of these
significant milestones must have galvanised government to declare that the
country will achieve self-sufficiency in rice production by year 2020, the
excitement and optimism generated by the declaration were however, tinged with
fear.
The thinking, and rightly so, is
that without first articulating workable strategies to rein in rice smugglers,
government’s latest rice self-sufficiency target may go the way of previous
targets that were never realised.
Recall that Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had earlier assured that
Nigeria will be self-sufficient in rice production by the end of last year.
Ogbeh had given the assurance at
the First International Cocoa Summit, organised by the Federal Ministry of
Trade and Investment in collaboration with Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria
(CAN) in Abuja, last year.
Although Chief Ogbeh said then
that rice production had improved tremendously across the country as a result
of the CBN’s ABP, government failed to meet the target, due largely to rice
smuggling.
Again, sometime this year, Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo said Nigeria will stop rice importation by the end of
the year. But as it turned out, the pronouncement was made without recourse to
the realities on ground.
RIMIDAN faulted Osinbajo’s
statement. Its Secretary, Shaibu Mohammed, said it was impossible for the country
to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production by the end of the year because
of the influx of smuggled rice through the land border.
According to Shaibu, smuggling of
the product was frustrating efforts so far put in place by rice farmers towards
rice production in the country. The frustration, he stated, stemmed from the
difference in the price of the local and foreign rice, as people prefer to buy
the foreign rice, which is cheaper.
Will government summon the
political will to halt rice smuggling and address other issues around price
instability, quality and harvesting/processing? Answers to these will determine
the success or otherwise of the new year 20202 target for rice self-sufficiency
Nigeria’s rice sub-sector to attract
N250bn investment
ON APRIL 11, 20187:04 PM
IN
AGRICCOMMENTS …to save $300m from import substitution, local processing. By
Gabriel Ewepu ABUJA- FOLLOWING efforts to boost food security by the Federal
Government, the nation’s rice sub-sector will attract N250 billion investment
based high paddy rice production and increased milling capacity. rice farmers
This was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, during a
Rice Conference organised by AgroNigeria, Wednesday, in Abuja. Ogbeh who was
represented by the Director, Agribusiness, Processing and Marketing, Muyiwa
Azeez, also stated that home-grown international grade rice can be found across
Nigerian markets and a total of 14 mills will soon come on board.
According to him there are presently 21 large integrated rice mills
with a total processing capacity of 1.22 million metric tonnes annually, which
spread across the country including Kano, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Anambra, Edo,
Nasarawa, Benue, Kwara, Jigawa, Niger and Kogi States, which the integrated
rice mills have also employed about 2 million unskilled workers. He said:
“Today, several integrated local rice mills have their milled rice in the
Nigerian market and consumer demand and preference for local rice has risen due
to better quality and taste compared to imported rice. Home-grown international
grade rice can be found across Nigerian markets and a total of 14 mills will
soon come on board. “Members of Rice Producers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN,
currently have a direct workforce of 5,000 skilled Nigerians including women as
off-takers of rice paddy, and as created jobs for over 5 million rice farmers
out of the existing 11 million rice farmers in Nigeria.
“The integrated rice mills
have also employed about two million unskilled workers. Nigeria’s rice import
bill has dropped appreciably by over 90 per cent. Presently we have 21
large-scale mills with a capacity with a capacity of 1.2 million MT, while
additional mills are springing up.” In his assertion, he said in the past three
years, paddy production had experienced exponential growth, recording 6.9
million metric tonnes in 2016, which represented 4.14 million metric tonnes of
milled rice, while 8.019 million metric tonnes, representing 4.81 million
metric tonnes of milled rice in 2017. “Estimated crop area of rice in 2017 was 3.9
million hectares, which represent an increase of about 6.9 per cent over the
3.17 million hectares cultivated in 2016. All the states of the federation
recorded an increase in rice production, with Kebbi and Lagos having the
highest increase.
Over the last three years,
we have recorded increase in production from an average of 2.5 tonnes to five
tonnes per hectare”, he said. According to the Minister on per capita
consumption, Nigeria’s demand for rice stands at 9.5 million million tonnes of
rice paddy, representing 6.8 million metric tonnes of milled rice, which the
deficit which used to stand at between three to four million metric tonnes had
been reduced to 1.99 million metric tonnes He said to sustain the tempo of the
current growth in the subsector government would continue to ensure that investors
were given the enabling environment to operate. “Government would continue to
provide conducive environment to rice farmers and millers in the area of
ensuring adequate agro-chemicals, fertilisers, land development and irrigation
facilities, mechanisation, modern extension services, power supply, access to
good roads, farmlands and favourable pricing.
Essentially, forestalling the illegal activities of smugglers
across Nigeria’s borders remain a priority”, he stated. In his earlier remarks,
the Governor of Kebbi State, who also doubles as Chairman, Presidential
Initiative on Rice, Abubakar Bagudu, said operators in the rice value chain
cost of rice production in countries Nigeria competes with remains cheaper.
“Operators in the rice value chain must appreciate the fact that the cost of
production in countries we are competing with is cheaper than the production
cost for the same commodity in Nigeria. This needs to be addressed in order to
ensure sustainability”, Bagudu said.
Investors to stake fresh N250bn in Nigeria rice production
By Joke
Falaju, Abuja
12 April 2018 |
4:26 am
Following plans to establish additional 14
rice mills in the country, investors have committed additional N250billion into
Nigeria’s rice production. This is in addition to the current N300billion
invested by processors
The
Minister of Agriculture Audi Ogbeh, who disclosed this during a Rice Conference
organised by Agro Nigeria in Abuja, said the country would save $300million
from import substitution through local processing.
He
disclosed that there are presently 21 large integrated rice mills with a total
processing capacity of 1.22 million metric tonnes yearly spreading across the
country, including Kano, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Anambra, Edo, Nasarawa, Benue,
Kwara, Jigawa, Niger, and Kogi states.
He said:
“Today, many integrated local mills have their milled rice in the Nigerian
market, and consumer demand and preference for local rice has risen due to
better quality and taste compared to imported rice. Home-grown international
grade rice can be found across Nigerian markets, and a total of 14 mills will
soon come on board.”
Ogbeh
noted that members of the Rice Producers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN),
currently have a direct workforce of 5,000 skilled Nigerians including women as
off-takers of rice paddy, and have created jobs for over five million rice
farmers out of the existing 11 million rice farmers in Nigeria.
He said
the integrated rice mills have also employed about two million unskilled
workers, while Nigeria’s rice import bill has dropped appreciably by over 90
per cent.
The
minister observed that in the past three years, paddy production had seen
exponential growth, reaching 6.9 million MT in 2016, or 4.14 million MT of
milled rice, and 8.019 million MT, or 4.81 million MT of milled rice in 2017.
According
to him, Nigeria is moving towards self sufficiency in rice production, and is
on track to achieving this by the year 2020.
He recalled that in 2009, Nigeria could boast of only one integrated rice mill,
and by 2017, the country had over 17 integrated rice processing mills with a
milling capacity of 600,000MT a year.
“Presently,
we have 21 large scale mills with a capacity of 1.2 million MT, while
additional mills are springing up,” Ogbeh told participants at the inaugural
Agro Nigeria rice event.
He said:
“Estimated crop area of rice in 2017 was 3.9 million hectares, which represent
an increase of about 6.9 per cent over the 3.17 million hectares cultivated in
2016. All the states of the federation recorded an increase in rice production,
with Kebbi and Lagos having the highest increase. Over the last three years,
we’ve recorded increase in production from an average of 2.5 tonnes to five
tonnes per hectare.”
The
minister said based on per capita consumption, Nigeria’s demand for rice stands
at 9.5 million MT of paddy, representing 6.8 million MT of milled rice, adding
that the deficit, which used to stand at between three to four million MT had
been reduced to 1.99 million MT.
To
sustain the momentum of the present growth, Ogbeh said: “Government would
continue to provide conducive environment to rice farmers and millers in the
area of ensuring adequate agro-chemicals, fertilisers, land development and
irrigation facilities, mechanisation, modern extension services, power supply,
access to good roads, farmlands and favourable pricing. Essentially,
forestalling the illegal activities of smugglers across Nigeria’s borders
remain a priority.”
The
Governor of Kebbi State, who doubles as Chairman, Presidential Initiative on
Rice, Abubakar Bagudu, said operators in the rice value chain “must appreciate
the fact that the cost of production in countries we are competing with is
cheaper than the production cost for the same commodity in Nigeria. This needs
to be addressed in order to ensure sustainability.”
Rice doesn't have to be bland. Here are 13 ways to spice things
up
BERNIE MASON For Lee Montana Newspapers
Apr 11, 2018
Rice is a mainstay of the diet for
over half of the world’s population, and for some it is the only source of
protein. Most of the nutrients in rice are in the bran layer that surrounds
each kernel. Unfortunately it is eaten too frequently in a highly refined,
less-nourishing state.
Rice is easily digested, contains
very little fat or sodium and, since it has no gluten, it is ideal for those on
a gluten-free diet. When it is eaten in its less-refined forms, it is also a
good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, which makes brown rice the most
nutritious form to select. Brown rice will also have the most flavor.
It is helpful to know some of the
basics of cooking with rice.
The varieties of rice can be
divided into long-, medium-, and short-grain. The primary difference between
these three types is in how they behave when they are cooked.
Long-grain rice: When
cooked, the grains are fairly dry and fluffy and separate well from one
another. Therefore it is best when used in soups, pilafs, or salads,
whenever you want the grains to be distinct.
Short-grain rice: When
cooked will stick together, making it a good choice for dishes to be eaten
with chopsticks and is often used for sushi.
Medium-grain rice: This
rice is more tender than long-grain and shares some of the sticky
qualities of short-grain. It is often used when a creamy consistency is
desired, such as for puddings and custards.
Within those categories of rice
there are many varieties.
Basmati rice: This
long-grain rice is grown mainly in parts of India and Pakistan and has a
somewhat sweet flavor and aroma.
Texmati rice: This
rice, which is grown in Texas, is a cross between a domestic North
American long-grain rice and basmati rice.
Arborio rice: This
is a pearly short-grain Italian rice that has a creamy texture when
cooked.
Wild rice: This
is not a true rice but rather the seeds of a North American aquatic grass.
Because it is rather difficult to grow and harvest, it tends to be
expensive. Wild rice is very good for you since it is never refined.
When choosing the type of rice to
be used in a dish, consider what characteristics the finished dish should have.
When preparing the rice, follow the cooking directions on the package, since
the amount of water used and the cooking time will vary with the type of rice
used. To save time when cooking time is short, rice can be cooked in advance
and kept in the freezer.
New Orleans
Stroganoff
Stroganoff doesn’t have to be
made using beef with mushrooms and served over noodles. This recipe is a
different take on the traditional dish and is made with pork chops seasoned
with a Creole seasoning and combined with rice rather than noodles.
Prepare the rice with chicken
broth rather than water for additional flavor.
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless pork loin chops,
cut into ¼-inch strips
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun
seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup sour cream
3 cups cooked rice
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over
medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle Creole seasoning over pork. Add pork to
skillet. Cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until pork begins to brown. Remove pork
from skillet.
Add onions; cook and stir until
onions begin to soften and brown.
Return pork to skillet along with
broth. Simmer 2-3 minutes, or until liquid is slightly reduced. Reduce heat to
low, and stir in sour cream until blended. Add rice, and cook 2-3 minutes or
until thoroughly heated. Garnish with parsley.
Source: “Quick Tips,” USA Rice Federation Brochure.
Quick Skillet
Supper
You can have dinner on the table
in no time with this hearty steak and rice dish made using a rice mix. Begin
cooking the rice before starting the steak, since it will take longer to cook.
Cook the rice in beef broth for
additional flavor.
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 pound top round or sirloin
steak, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup chopped green onions
1 package (4.3 to 6.25 oz.) long
grain and wild rice mix, prepared to package directions
1 (7 oz.) can whole kernel corn
1 (16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes,
undrained
Directions:
Brown beef in oil in large
skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook one minute longer. Add rice,
corn, and tomatoes. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 2-3 minutes.
Source: “Rice ‘N Ready”, USA Rice Federation Brochure.
Summer Garden
Rice Salad
Spring is coming, and along with
it fresh garden produce. Toss fresh garden vegetables in with cooked rice and
enjoy this lovely main-course dish this summer. It is best tossed together just
before serving. Vary the ingredients as desired. Add cooked chicken or seafood
if you wish.
Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish.
For the salad:
2 cups cooked rice, preferably
brown
1 small zucchini, diced
attractively
1 small yellow summer squash,
diced attractively
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1 cup string beans, steamed
briefly and cut in ½-inch pieces
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
briefly if desired
1 small red bell pepper, cored
and diced
Kernels from 1 steamed ear of
sweet corn
Several fresh basil leaves
2 ripe tomatoes, diced, or 10 cherry
tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper,
to taste
Assorted salad greens to line
serving plate
½ cup black olives
¼ pound mozzarella cheese, cut
into small chunks
For the dressing:
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon
mustard
2 tablespoons herb vinegar, preferably
basil or thyme
4 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients
listed from the rice through the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
Mix the dressing by dissolving
the mustard in the vinegar, and then adding the olive oil. Add to the rice
mixture to taste; season with salt and pepper.
Make a bed of salad greens on a
large platter and arrange the rice mixture on it. Garnish with the olives and
mozzarella.
Source: “Grains and Pasta, Food Essentials” by Carol Spier.
Stir-ins for
rice
If you enjoy creating your own
recipes, try any of the following suggested stir-ins to the hot cooked rice as
idea starters for creating your own flavorful dishes.
Butter and Parmesan cheese
Peas and freshly chopped mint
Crushed pineapple and green bell pepper
slices
Garbanzo beans, shredded carrots, ripe
olives, parsley, and ricotta cheese
Black beans, minced red onion, chopped
bell pepper, chopped cilantro, and vinaigrette
Sauteed mushrooms, snow peas, and sliced
water chestnuts
Fresh avocado, tomato chunks, fresh
cilantro, and lemon juice
Scrambled eggs, sausage, and green onions
Yogurt and fresh fruit
Sliced apples, cinnamon, brown sugar,
chopped nuts, and vanilla yogurt
Source: “Rice 101 Everything you Need to Know about Cooking with
Rice.” USA Rice Federation Brochure.
