Riceplus Magazien is a quarterly magazine that publishes research articles including industry realted for the rice sector.It shares global and regional articles on rice.Riceplus Magazine also publishes two digital magazines on daily basis namely Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter & Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter for entire global agriculture community.For more information visit on www.ricepluss.com
Elaine Howard Ecklund. Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University
Muslim and Protestant scientists are more likely than other U.S. scientists to experience religious discrimination, according to new research from Rice University and West Virginia University (WVU). The study also shows that for some scientists, religious identity may fuel perceptions of discrimination.
"Perceptions of Religious Discrimination Among U.S. Scientists" will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. The study examined a survey of 879 biologists and 903 physicists at schools classified as U.S. research institutions by the National Research Council. The survey was conducted for a research project known as Religion Among Scientists in International Context.
Authors Christopher Scheitle, an assistant professor of sociology at WVU, and Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, director of the Religion and Public Life Program at Rice and principal investigator for the larger project that produced the survey, found that 15 percent of scientists reported experiencing religious discrimination in their work.
The researchers also found that Muslim scientists were the most likely to experience religious discrimination, with 63.6 percent of those surveyed reporting at least a perception of discrimination on the job. Protestant scientists reported the second-highest percentage of perceived religious discrimination at 40.4 percent.
"Sociologists have evidence that U.S. Muslims are experiencing discrimination more broadly in U.S. society, but some of the dynamics our study picked up may be unique to the academy, such as the higher perception of discrimination among Protestant scientists," Scheitle said.
The researchers were also interested in knowing more about the predictors of discrimination perception. "We wanted to understand whether or not an individual's religious practice and identity as a religious person explained their perception of discrimination," Ecklund said.
After documenting self-reported religious discrimination among biologists and physicists, the researchers statistically controlled for religious practice (attending religious services, praying, etc.) among these individuals. After adjusting for religious practices, beliefs and demographics, there were no differences in perceived religious discrimination between religious and nonreligious physicists.
However, even after controlling for those other factors, the odds of Protestant biologists perceiving discrimination were almost five times greater than nonreligious biologists, the odds of Jewish biologists perceiving discrimination were seven times greater than nonreligious biologists and the odds of Muslim biologists perceiving discrimination were 30 times greater than nonreligious biologists.
Although the researchers could not find an explanation for the perception of religious discrimination among biologists, they think it may have something to do with biologists' religious identity.
"Tensions around religion and science are more concentrated in biology, with discussions of stem cells, evolution and similar issues," Scheitle said. "This profession may be one where people are very self-conscious of being religious, and we believe an individual's self-identification as a religious biologist might actually fuel their perceptions of discrimination regardless of how much they are practicing that religion."
Ecklund and Scheitle hope the research will help scientists become more self-aware about the potential dynamics of perceived discrimination.
"There is often an assumption among scientists that everyone is irreligious," Scheitle said. "While it is true that academic scientists are, on average, less religious than the general public, religious scientists do exist and they are working in an environment where they might be seen as or at least feel like outsiders."
The research was part of Religion Among Scientists in International Context, a multi-nation study aimed at understanding how scientists view religion, ethics and gender. Data collection was funded by a major grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, as well as smaller grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Rice's Religion and Public Life Program.
The researchers plan to continue to examine issues of religious discrimination and violence. They have recently received an NSF grant that will support a national survey to measure the general public's experiences with and perceptions of religious discrimination and victimization.
More information: Christopher P. Scheitle et al, Perceptions of Religious Discrimination Among U.S. Scientists, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (2018). DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12503
State-run National Food Authority (NFA) is pushing for the earlier
importation of rice to boost the country’s buffer stocks and avoid shipping and
distribution delays that may be caused by unfavorable weather.“Right now, the
typhoons are lining up like people buying NFA rice,” spokesperson Rex Estoperez
said in a telephone interview.
“If we want to avoid similar delays, we must import now,” he
added.The NFA has so far secured approvals to import 500,000 metric tons (MT)
of rice — 250,000 MT from Vietnam and Thailand through government-to-government
deal and another 250,000 via the private sector.Delivery of the first tranche
was supposed to be completed in June and the rest is expected to be brought in
by the end of August. However, inclement weather hampered the arrivals and
distribution, which was meant to stabilize prices of rice in the retail market.
“Right now, we are distributing rice as they arrive… unlike before
that we had the inventory and the distribution volume,” Estoperez said.
Last month, NFA Administrator Jason Aquino said he was proposing
another 500,000-MT shipment, to be delivered by October, to prevent a repeat of
an inventory depletion that saw the agency’s stocks reduced to just two and a
half day’s worth of consumption.By law, the NFA is mandated to have at least 15
days worth of consumption at any given time and 30-day buffer during the lean
season that starts in July and ends in September.
The new imports still have to be approved by the NFA Council.
Estoperez said a decision could be made by next month.Government-subsidized NFA
rice is sold at P27 and P32 per kilogram, much cheaper than commercial rice
that is typically sold at P38 to P40 and above.
KIDAPAWAN CITY (July 31) –
North Cotabato third district Board Member Socrates Pinol has proposed the use
of bar code to protect Filipino farmers’ agricultural products from smuggled
goods.
(Credits: Juan Carlo De Vela|Manila Bulletin)
Pinol said most of the smuggled
goods were shipped using the southern backdoor or through the Zamboanga
peninsula in West Mindanao.During the regular session of the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan ng Cotabato on Tuesday, the board member has moved to pass a
resolution addressed to National Food Administration (NFA) administrator Jason
Aquino to look at the bar coding system to counter so-called illegally-traded
rice and combat smuggling of staple food in the country.He proposed that to
prevent smuggled rice or illegally-imported rice from getting into the local
markets, the NFA should require all importers, rice millers, wholesalers, and
retailers to place bar codes to all the rice sacks and rice packs for easy
monitoring of the origin of such rice.
Pinol submitted his proposal to
the Sanggunian days after President Duterte issued a stern warning against rice
smugglers saying harsh punishments would be imposed against them for hurting
the livelihood of poor farmers, especially in the countryside.“Large-scale
agricultural smuggling is considered clear economic sabotage based on the
provisions cited under Republic Act 10845 or the Anti-Smuggling Act, a law
passed several years ago,” said the legislator.
Despite the efforts or measures
the government has undertaken to reduce rice smuggling in the country, still,
the influx of imported rice transported through southern backdoor is
“inevitable”, said Pinol.“Who is at a losing end here? It’s the government
because we spent our money in buying imported rice. And of course, our own
farmers… this is the reason why we must patronize our own products. But because
of smuggled rice, we lose. How do we combat this? We must place bar codes to
all rice sacks and rice packs so we would know their origin,” said Pinol.
Rice millers in need
of capital can now apply for government emergency loans, according to the Rural
Development Bank (RBD), the institution in charge of disbursing the loans.
In a statement yesterday, RBD
called on rice millers interested in accessing extra credit for the upcoming
harvest season to apply as soon as possible, as demand for emergency loans this
year is expected to increase following the construction of several rice storage
facilities in the past few months.
“This season we have new silos
and warehouses which means storage capacity is much higher,” said Kao Thach,
RBD’s director.
The loans are part of a lending
mechanism initiated by the government in 2016 to help millers who are short on
cash buy paddy rice from farmers and keep the price of the commodity stable.
Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice, a
firm that received a $5-million loan last year to build a silo and a warehouse
in Kampong Thom province, said they will apply for a new loan this year to buy
100,000 tonnes of paddy rice.
He said the emergency loan
programme has proven to be a very useful scheme for millers around the country.
In the past year, several rice
storage facilities have been built in the country’s main rice-producing
provinces by private companies that used emergency loans, with the government
making available $15 million to fund the construction of storage facilities.
In 2016, the first year that the
emergency fund was made available, $27 million were disbursed. Last year, the
fund was expanded to $50 million, but only $36 million were dispensed.
Maritime
trade volumes in Myanmar are rising. Aung Myin Ye Zaw/The Myanmar Times
While maritime trade volumes are up by US$1 billion this year so
far compared to the same period last year, exports of commodities like rice,
has fallen by 55000 tonnes, U Khin Maung Lwin, assistant secretary of Ministry
of Commerce (MOC), told The Myanmar Times.
Maritime trade volumes, up until the third week of July, amounted to
US$ 8.4 billion which exceeds last year’s trade volumes by $ 1.2 billion over
the same period, according to MOC. During the period exports amounted to US$3.2
billion while imports totalled US$ 5.1 billion.
According to the data up to July 20, US$109 million was earned
from exporting 328,706 tonnes of rice. Last year in the same period, Myanmar
earned US$106 million from exporting 383,919 tonnes of rice.
Why are rice exports falling? U Soe Tun, vice chair of Myanmar
Rice Federation said “domestic rice prices are rising but world rice prices are
falling. As such, exporters do not get much profit. As it becomes harder to
export, volumes also decrease. Exporters will suffer losses if they buy rice
locally for export purposes.”
Another reason is the weather; as it is rainy season, there are
difficulties in exporting. “In maritime exports, some items increased in
volume. For rice, the volume decreased. It is mainly due to the weather because
it is the rainy season. Rice exports always drops during the rainy season.” U
Khin Maung Lwin said.
“The major exports via the maritime route are ready-made
garments,” he said.
Up until the third week of July, garment exports generated US$
1.2 billion, almost double the value compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, US$ 400 million in raw materials and capital goods
were imported this year, U Khin Maung Lwin said. “Raw materials are essential
in manufacturing, while capital goods like machinery represent investments made
to grow other businesses in the country,” he said.
THE Philippine National Police
(PNP) will join the government’s campaign against rice smugglers and other
illegal traders tagged as criminal manipulators of prices of basic commodities
in the market. PNP chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde said police
operations are being mapped out with the guidance provided by President Duterte
in his State of the Nation Address.
“We will aggressively support
concerned government agencies in waging war against unscrupulous traders who
willfully manipulate market forces for their own selfish gain that result in
higher prices of basic and essential commodities, particularly rice and food
products,” Albayalde said.
“These acts go beyond the
economic issue of fair trade. This is a matter of food security that the state
is duty-bound to protect and defend,” he added during a news briefing on
Monday.
In ordering the police to go
after illegal businessmen, the PNP chief also directed the PNP Directorate for
Operations to review all of its existing operational plans, directives and
issuances, including existing memoranda of agreement with the Department of
Agriculture and National Food Authority (NFA).
The review is being taken in
order to identify possible areas or room for improvement for the strengthened
law-enforcement operations against “rice smuggling, hoarding, pilferage,
profiteering and illegal trade practices involving rice and basic commodities.”
Last week Sen. Cynthia A. Villar
called on the government to arrest and prosecute at least one illegal rice
trader in order to show that it is serious in dealing with rice smuggling.
Albayalde said a “whole of
government approach” is needed in order to decisively address the “chronic
economic sabotage” that is being waged and sustained by “wealthy criminals
whose protectors might be in the high places.”
Aside from revisiting its
agreements with the agriculture department and with the NFA on its
law-enforcement operations, Albayalde also ordered the PNP to closely
coordinate and work with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department
of Justice and the Philippine Competition Commission in the concerted effort to
bring down illegal rice traders and market manipulators.
A team of researchers from Spain,
the U.S. and the U.K. has genetically modified a strain of rice to produce
HIV-neutralizing proteins. In their paper published in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes the technique by
which they modified the rice and how it might be used to prevent HIV
infections.
Medical scientists have made great
strides in treating people infected with HIV—death rates from infections have
plummeted, especially in the developed parts of the world. Scientists have also
put in a lot of time and effort to develop a vaccine against the virus, but
thus far, have come up empty. In the meantime, oral medications have been
developed that can stave off an infection for a short period of time. But as
the researchers with this new effort note, such medications are not generally
available in third world countries. To help those at risk, they have been hard
at work developing a strain of ricethat has the same HIV-neutralizing proteins as
the oral medications. Once grown, the rice produces seeds that can be processed
on-site to make a topical cream containing the proteins—the cream can then be
applied to the skin to allow the proteins to enter the body.
The rice developed by the team
produces one type of antibody and two kinds of proteins that bind directly to
the HIV virus, preventing them from interacting with human cells. The
researchers note that production costs of making the cream are
nominal once the rice has been grown—people living in infection areas
can grow as much of the rice as they need, then make the paste and apply it
themselves. They note that further testing will need to be done to ensure the
genetic engineering process does not introduce other unknown chemicals that
might be harmful to humans. They also acknowledge that some might be resistant
to the idea of using such rice due to the negative press GM crops have been
getting in recent years. There will also be regulatory hurdles to overcome in
each part of the world where the rice might be grown and used.
More information: Evangelia Vamvaka et al. Unexpected synergistic HIV
neutralization by a triple microbicide produced in rice endosperm, Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences (2018). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1806022115
Abstract
The transmission of HIV can be prevented by the application of neutralizing
monoclonal antibodies and lectins. Traditional recombinant protein
manufacturing platforms lack sufficient capacity and are too expensive for
developing countries, which suffer the greatest disease burden. Plants offer an
inexpensive and scalable alternative manufacturing platform that can produce
multiple components in a single plant, which is important because multiple
components are required to avoid the rapid emergence of HIV-1 strains resistant
to single microbicides. Furthermore, crude extracts can be used directly for
prophylaxis to avoid the massive costs of downstream processing and
purification. We investigated whether rice could simultaneously produce three
functional HIV-neutralizing proteins (the monoclonal antibody 2G12, and the lectins
griffithsin and cyanovirin-N). Preliminary in vitro tests showed that the
cocktail of three proteins bound to gp120 and achieved HIV-1 neutralization.
Remarkably, when we mixed the components with crude extracts of wild-type rice
endosperm, we observed enhanced binding to gp120 in vitro and synergistic
neutralization when all three components were present. Extracts of transgenic
plants expressing all three proteins also showed enhanced in vitro binding to
gp120 and synergistic HIV-1 neutralization. Fractionation of the rice extracts
suggested that the enhanced gp120 binding was dependent on rice proteins,
primarily the globulin fraction. Therefore, the production of HIV-1
microbicides in rice may not only reduce costs compared to traditional platforms
but may also provide functional benefits in terms of microbicidal potency.
After a brief welcome at the Capps Center, trailers will depart
for the field tour. Social hour at the Delta Council's conference room and back
deck immediately following field day.
August 2 - Horizon Ag Field Day
9:00 a.m.
Mark Wimpy Farms, 264 CR 419, near Jonesboro AR
August 3 - University of Arkansas Rice
Field Day
7:15 a.m.
Rice Research and Extension Center, Stuttgart AR
Event includes a general session and lunch.
August 6 - Mississippi County Water
Management Field Day
9:00 a.m.
Osceola Community Center, 312 N Country Club Rd, Osceola AR
Field tours start at 4:30 p.m. with
dinner and program following at 6:30 p.m.
USA Rice Daily
Rice Webinar: Thursday August 2
Tune
in Thursday, August 2 at 3:00 p.m. Central
Time, for a new rice webinar hosted by Dr. Bobby Coats, with the
Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of
Arkansas. Dr. Patrick Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy
Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri-Columbia and a
professor in the MU Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, will try
to make sense of this quickly-changing political situation for ag and discuss
possible implications for agricultural markets and farm program payments.
In Photo: Corazon, a farmworker in Laguna, winnows
freshly harvested palay. Policy-makers and lawmakers are gearing up for the
impending conversion of quantitative restrictions on rice to a tariff system,
but industry stakeholders say the government should aim for the maximum bound
tariff allowed under the WTO, to give it more elbow room to protect local
farmers during cases when there’s so much cheap foreign rice around.
RICE industry stakeholders are
pushing for a 180-percent bound tariff on rice imports once the quantitative
restriction (QR) on the staple is scrapped, in order to give the government
enough elbow room to impose duties that would protect farmers vulnerable from
“cheap” foreign rice.
In a position paper,
representatives of farmer organizations and cause-oriented groups said they
“firmly believe” that Manila must aim for the maximum allowable bound tariff
rate it could impose, as stipulated by agreements under the World Trade
Organization (WTO).
“We firmly believe that the bound
tariff rate for rice imports should be set at the maximum possible rate allowed
by GATT-UR [General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade-Uruguay Round] regulations,
which we affirmed when we joined the World Trade Organization [WTO]. In this
regard, we support the 180-percent bound tariff rate being proposed by the
House legislative version and the Department of Agriculture,” read the
five-page position paper, a copy of which was obtained by the
BusinessMirror on Tuesday.
“A high bound rate will allow the
government to more freely adjust actual or applied tariff rates depending on market
and other conditions. It could be adjusted to a much lower rate if import
prices are very high, or increased to a level not exceeding 180 percent when
import prices are very low,” the paper added.
The rice industry stakeholders
said setting a “very low” bound rate, such as 40 percent—as proposed by the
economic managers—would limit the government’s policy space in protecting local
farmers from “cheap” imports.“If the bound rate is set to a very low level,
such as 40 percent as proposed by some of our economic managers, the government
will not be able to impose a tariff higher than 40 percent even if the
situation warrants it,” the paper said.
“Further, if and when the WTO
members eventually agree to further reduce tariff rates, we will be forced to
start our reduction from a relatively low tariff level. This will
increasingly restrict our ability to protect our local farmers from cheap
imports,” it added.
The groups said the government
has “nothing to lose” by setting the bound tariff at 180 percent. “We therefore
urge the government and legislators to adopt a prudent and judicious strategy
of employing the highest possible bound rate so that it can preserve its policy
space to react effectively to future and emerging marketing conditions.”
Furthermore, the groups urged the
government to review its committed 35-percent tariff rate on rice imports under
the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement in order to have a higher protection level
for farmers. The groups noted the majority of the country’s rice imports come
from Asean member-countries, particularly Thailand and Vietnam.
“We urge the government to review
this commitment and, if deemed necessary, negotiate for an adjustment in our
tariff on rice imports,” the paper read. “It is worth noting that countries like
Japan and South Korea, which are much more economically advanced than the
Philippines, have set their rice tariffs to very high levels of 778 percent and
513 percent, respectively,” the paper added.
The groups are also pushing for
the implementation of an “effective” trade remedy system that would allow the
country to impose additional measures when rice imports are deemed unfair and
too detrimental to the local sector.
“We also support moves to
designate rice as a special safeguard [SSG] product in the WTO so that we will
have the option to impose additional remedial tariffs on rice imports in the
event of an abnormal surge in imports or a major depression in import prices,”
it said.“We further urge the government to put in place an effective trade remedy
system that will allow us to impose countervailing duties on subsidized imports
or antidumping duties on exports of foreign companies that sell rice below the
price they normally charge in their home market,” it added.
SSG is a trade measure that
allows countries to impose additional tariffs when the value of an imported
product is below the trigger price.
The groups said they “fully
support” the establishment of a rice competitiveness enhancement fund (RCEF),
made up of the tariffs collected from rice imports.The RCEF would provide the
DA with additional resources “to expand and intensify their programs to improve
the competitiveness and profitability of rice farmers as the rice market is
liberalized,” according to them.
Furthermore, the groups said the
RCEF could be used “to provide farmers with safety nets in the event of natural
calamities, market disruptions and personal emergencies.”The groups proposed
that 80 percent of RCEF be pre-allocated to fund key programs for the rice
sector, while the remaining 20 percent could be used to augment program budgets
“when deemed necessary.”
“We are well aware of the
problems that continue to hound the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement
Fund, and we understand the reasons why some legislators have opted to
pre-allocate specific percentages of RCEF for specified support activities, or
limit the amounts that can be accessed by individual farmers or farmer
organizations,” they said.“On the other hand, we also feel that sufficient
flexibility should be allowed for RCEF usage so that the fund can adequately
fill up budgetary gaps or respond to changing priorities as they emerge,” they
added.
The groups said they support the
proposals to use the RCEF to fund credit programs, farm mechanization,
postharvest facilities, and research and development and extension. The groups
further proposed that the RCEF be used for: 1) common service facilities;
2) social protection programs; 3) subsidized crop insurance and loan
guarantees; and 4) crop
diversification programs.“We believe that the RCEP, together with the
earmarking of rice import tariffs, should be retained for as long as necessary
and until such time that local rice farmers can compete with imports on a
sustainable basis,” it said.
“An initial 10-year life span for
RCEP could be adopted, with the understanding that a thorough review will be
conducted before its expiry, and with the option to extend its life span if
deemed necessary after the review,” it added
The groups also support the idea
of entrusting the RCEF with the DA, through the agriculture chief, “who shall
formulate the guidelines and policies for the usage of the fund in consultation
with the private stakeholders through the Philippine Council for Agriculture
and Fisheries.” They proposed to create a special PCAF committee that would
oversee the utilization of RCEF.
“We support proposals to
immediately augment the budget of the DA to fast-track important
competitiveness-enhancing programs while the RCEP is still being set up and
tariff collections have yet to be accumulated,” they said.
There is no reason, the groups
said, “the government should wait for QRs to be lifted before acting on the
threats that farmers face from cheaper imports.” The position paper was signed
by representatives of the Federation of Free Farmers, Centro Saka, Alyansa
Agrikultura, Rice Watch Action Network, Paragos-Pilipinas, National Union of
Rural Based Organizations, Pambansang Katipunan ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan, Ka
Tribu Ug and Lasang Foundation, and Cacao/Coffee Alliance.
THE Duterte administration’s rice
tariffication bill is now moving closer to getting approval at the House of
Representatives.
This, after House Committee on
Agriculture Chairman Jose T. Panganiban Jr. of Anac-IP delivered his
sponsorship speech on Tuesday and called for the immediate passage of House
Bill 7735, or the proposed “Revised Agricultural Tariffication Act.”
Government officials earlier
disclosed that they are eyeing to present the rice tariffication law to the
World Trade Organization in September.
“We will approve
this tomorrow [Wednesday] on second reading. . . We can no longer
postpone [the passage of] the rice tariffication bill,” Panganiban told
the BusinessMirror.
“The bill seeks to put in place
the safety nets for Filipinos rice producers and rice consumers by imposing
tariffs in lieu of quantitative restrictions on rice imports,” he added. The
lower house has set the bound tariff rate for rice imports outside the minimum
access volume (MAV) at 180 percent.
Under the bill, the Philippines
will impose a bound tariff rate of 35 percent for rice originating from the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations region, regardless of volume. Manila
would also impose a 40-percent bound tariff most-favored nation rate for
in-quota rice imports from countries that do not belong to the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Once the bill is enacted into
law, the country’s MAV for rice shall revert to its 2012 level of 350,000
metric tons, from the current 805,000 MT.
The bill mandates the National
Food Authority (NFA) as the sole authority to undertake the direct importation
of rice, only for the purpose of ensuring food security and maintaining
sufficient national buffer stocks.
The measure defines buffer stock
in the NFA rice inventory as reserve equivalent to 15 days’ national
consumption requirement and maintained by the NFA at any given time to address
calamities, and most important, for price stabilization.
It also authorizes the NFA to
allocate import permits among certified and licensed importers for importation
other than maintaining buffer stocks, while mandating the NFA to issue
guidelines for the exportation of rice and corn by certified and licensed
exporters.
It also provides for the
composition of the NFA Council, to be chaired by the secretary of Department of
Agriculture, cochaired by the NFA administrator with these members: Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas governor, secretaries of Department of Finance, Department
of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department
of the Interior and Local Government, chairman of National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council, executive secretary of Office of the
President and two farmers’ representatives.
The bill also empowers the
President, when necessary, to adjust the applied rate; regulate rice exports,
impose temporary regulations or restrictions on the volume of imports of rice,
and enter into trade negotiations or renegotiations relating to the bound or
maximum rates committed to or to be committed by the Philippine in relation to
rice.
A man swims with matress in flooded village
in Sanamxay district, Attapeu province, Laos Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Authorities and the builder are investigating why a dam in southeastern Laos
collapsed earlier this week, killing at least two dozen people and leaving over
a hundred missing. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh).
VIENTIANE — Laos may not be able to meet
its rainy season rice harvest targets this year as widespread flooding affects
many parts of the country, according to authorities.
Last year, the country lost 30,000 hectares
or around 130,000 tonnes of rice from flooding, drought and yellow-spined
bamboo locust outbreaks, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.Last
year, a total 330 villages in 24 districts of five provinces were affected by
these issues, the ministry reported.
The government planned to encourage farmers
to produce 4.3 million tonnes of rice but they were only able to produce around
4.1 million tonnes or 95 percent of the plan.
This year, the ministry had targeted about
4.2 million tonnes of rainy season rice on 817,800 hectares along with 100,000
hectares of upland rice. Farmers around the country planted more than 625,000
hectares or 77 percent of the plan, the ministry announced at the end of last
month.According to estimates, thousands of hectares of rice crop in northern
provinces have been damaged as a result of recent flooding but authorities have
yet not issued any official reports.
However, the government is actively
encouraging farmers to produce rice on a commercial basis with the plan to
export 300,000-400,000 tonnes with some bound for the European Union. The focus
will be on black rice, kaynoi rice, and Hom rice, while new improved varieties
such as Thadokkham, Tasano, Phonngam and Hom are also in demand.
To achieve the target, the ministry will
try to increase rice yields and improve quality in line with internationally
accepted standards.Many businesses have exported their rice products to foreign
countries such as China, Vietnam, Mongolia and European countries.The value of
rice exports from Laos in 2015 reached US$23.5 million and increased to more
than US$33.6 million in 2016, while in the first nine months of last year earned
US$31.14 million, according to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Rice is the main commercial crop for the
Lao domestic market and export along with coffee, banana, rubber, maize, tea,
sugarcane, cassava, Job’s tear, and beans.
Laos plans to produce about 5 million
tonnes of rice with the hope to export 1 million tonnes by 2020 to ensure food
security and commercial sustainability.
A file photo of a sticky rice field. The local sticky rice
market has witnessed a slump in exports as major importer China imposed
new tariffs of up to 50% on this type of grain, starting July 1 - PHOTO:
TRUNG CHANH
CAN THO – The sticky rice market
in the Mekong Delta is witnessing a slump in exports as China, the largest
importer of Vietnamese rice, imposed new import tariffs of up to 50% on
glutinous rice, starting July 1, raising the rate by an additional 45
percentage points compared with previous tariffs.
According to Tran Quoc Tuan, a
rice trader for exporters in the Mekong Delta region, business in the sticky
rice market has come to a halt as the exporters cannot send their rice to
the neighboring country.
The prices of fresh unhusked
sticky rice, which is harvested by combine harvesters, have dipped sharply
to VND4,400-VND4,500 per kilogram from VND6,100-VND6,200 per kilogram this
year, while the prices of sticky rice have also nosedived from
VND11,800-VND12,000 per kilogram to VND8,200-VND8,300 per kilogram, Tuan
said.
He stressed that some traders
had continued to stockpile this type of grain, waiting for prices to bounce
back, as they might incur significant losses if they sell the rice to
exporters at this time.
Luu Thi Lan, deputy director of
Gentraco JSC, attributed the decline in exports to China’s recently
adjusted import tariffs on sticky rice and a stronger U.S. dollar.
Over the years, China has been
the primary rice market for Vietnam, with more than 90% of the total sticky
rice volume being shipped to the northern neighbor every year.
Rice exports to China in June
hit the lowest level in the first half of the year, reaching no more than
50,000 tons, down by some 220,000 tons compared with the export volume in
April, the highest this year, according to rice exporters.
Consumers buy rice at the
Munoz market in Quezon City on July 30, 2018. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA -- Several groups of farmers on Tuesday said tariffs on
rice should be set at the "maximum possible rate" as Congress hears
proposals to put duties on the staple in place of import quotas. The Federation
of Free Farmers, Alyansa Agrikultura and Rice Watch Action Network among others
said the removal of import quotas "should be handled carefully" as a
large numbers of farmers might not be able to compete against cheaper
imports.
The groups also warned against the "dangers of relying
excessively on imports for the food security of the country."
"In this regard, we support the 180 percent bound tariff
rate being proposed by the House legislative version and the Department of
Agriculture," the groups said, adding as this was allowed under World
Trade Organization rules.
The rate could be lowered if import prices are very high, or
raised up to 180 percent when import prices are very low, the group said.
The groups also called on the government to review its
commitment to impose a 35 percent tariff on rice from ASEAN countries, as
Thailand and Vietnam are expected to supply most of the country's demand.
Economic managers have called for the removal of import quotas
on rice, saying this would bring down prices of the staple by up to P7 per
kilo.
New Delhi, Jul 31 () Wheat prices softened by Rs 10 per quintal at the
wholesale grains market today due to reduced offtake by flour mills against
adequate stocks position. However, bajra and maize edged up on pick up in
demand from consuming industries.
PTI
| Jul 31, 2018, 14:22 IST
New Delhi, Jul 31 () Wheat prices
softened by Rs 10 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today due to
reduced offtake by flour mills against adequate stocks position. However, bajra and maize edged up on
pick up in demand from consuming industries. Traders attributed the slide in
wheat prices to reduced offtake by flour mills against sufficient stocks
position.
In the national capital, wheat dara (for mills) shed Rs 10 to Rs 1980-1985
per quintal. Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded lower by a similar
margin to Rs 1990-1995 per 90 kg.
On the other hand, bajra and maize rose by Rs 20 each to Rs 1450-1455 and Rs
1320-1325 per quintal, respectively.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,300-2,400, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,980-1,985, Atta
Chakki(delivery) Rs 1,990-1,995, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 250-280, Shakti Bhog
(10 kg) Rs 275-310, Roller flour mill Rs 1,070-1,090 (50 kg), Maida Rs
1,170-1,180 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,200-1,210 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati
rice Rs 9,900, Basmati common new Rs 7,200-7,300, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs
6,600-6,700, Permal raw Rs 2,425-2,450, Permal wand Rs 2,525-2,575, Sela Rs
3,050-3,150 and rice IR-8 Rs 2,025-2,075.
Bajra Rs 1,450-1,455, Jowar yellow Rs 1,800-1,850, white Rs
2,950-3,050, Maize Rs 1,320-1,325, Barley Rs 1,600-1,610. KPS DPL SDG SHW ADI
ADI
Explore further: New book examines what religious Americans think about science
