Foodgrain output
in 2018-19 seen at 281 mt in Second Advance Estimate
Record production
despite poor rains
India is heading
for record production of rice, the main cereal crop, in 2018-19, despite a
dismal monsoon.
The Agriculture
Ministry’s second advance estimates have pegged rice production at a
record 115.60 million tonnes, about 2.38 per cent higher than the latest or fourth
advance estimates for
The Agriculture
Ministry’s second advance estimates have pegged rice production at a
record 115.60 million tonnes, about 2.38 per cent higher than the latest or
fourth advance estimates for
2017-18. The
bumper production is on account of a substantial increase in production
during the kharif season, estimated at 101.96 million tonnes.
Loans of $50M boost the rice sector last year
Cheng Sokhorng |
Publication date 01 March 2019 | 11:30 ICT
State-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB)
disbursed $50 million in loans to private rice millers last year. NOYAKONG
GROUP CAMBODIA VIA FACEBOOK
The
state-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB) distributed $50 million in loans to
private rice millers last year to sustain the paddy market for farmers,
according to RDB CEO Kao Thach.
Thach told The
Post on Thursday that despite many provinces in the Kingdom facing drought, the
demand for loans remains high.
“Our loans
have already been released to rice millers. Since we have better options
compared to commercial banks, we need to look for more funds to meet the needs
of the rice industry."
“Even though
some areas are faced with drought, demand for loans is still high. There are
still other areas with the potential for rice production,” he said.
Kao Thach said
RDB will request a further $50 million from the Ministry of Economy and Finance
to meet the industry’s demand.
The
government’s decision to disburse loans directly through RDB sidestepped the
Cambodia Rice Federation – the industry body which has lobbied the government
since March 2016 to provide emergency funds to its members.
Cambodia Rice
Federation vice-president Hun Lak said the amount was based on necessity as its
current loan balance is insufficient for the rice industry to sustain itself.
“We still need
more financial support to boost the rice industry. Based on realistic figures,
the loans provided by the government are merely equivalent to approximately 10
per cent of the rice industry,” he said.
Lak said the
entire industry currently spends $400 million per annum to purchase 1.5 million
tonnes of paddy to yield some 600,000 tonnes just for rice exports.
Supporting the industry
In September
2016, the government transferred its share of a $27 million package to RDB so
the bank could disburse loans to millers, allowing them to purchase paddy from
farmers.
Another $23 million
was injected by the government in August last year, bringing the total to $50
million, aimed at propping up the struggling industry.
When asked if
the loan contribution keeps paddy rice prices fair for farmers, Lak said it is
important to have government financial assistance and other forms of support to
reduce production costs.
“We need to
collect paddy rice stock and compete with the [international] market. Paddy
price fluctuations are based on the flow of the international market – RDB
funds alone will not be enough to sustain paddy prices,” he said.
Phuor
Sokleang, marketing manager at Phour Kokky, a rice miller and exporter which
has borrowed $2 million from RDB, said loans are very important to the rice
industry and paddy collection.
“It is very
important and helpful, not only for me but for the whole rice industry. What
I’ve received is still not enough to buy paddy . . . we still need more funds,”
she said.
Rice exports slump,
food association seeks government help
People working on a rice drying yard in
Western Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Cuu Long.
The Vietnam
Food Association has sought central bank assistance to buy surplus stock as
rice exports plunge.
In the first
two months of the year, Vietnam exported 788,000 tons of the grain worth worth
$355 million, down 4.9 percent and 17.5 percent year-on-year, respectively,
according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Rice exports
to China, Vietnam’s biggest buyer, went down; and in a double blow for
exporters, prices also fell sharply. Currently export prices are at VND4,300 -
5,000 ($0.19 - $0.22) per kilogram depending on the variety, VND800 - 1,000
lower than a year ago.
The ministry
said importing countries were sourcing their rice from more suppliers, and the
resultant competition has pushed prices down.
Besides, many
countries have been seeking to increase rice production, increasing global
supply, making it a buyers’ market.
At a recent
conference on rice production held in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap,
the association called on the State Bank of Vietnam to provide credit to help
businesses buy surplus rice.
This would
allow farmers to sell their produce and prepare for the upcoming summer-autumn
crop, it said.
According to
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam is the third biggest
rice exporter in the world behind India and Thailand, selling the grain to some
150 countries and territories.
In 2018, rice
exports grew 5.1 percent in volume (6.1 million tons) and 16.3 percent ($3.08
billion) in value year-on-year.
Rice consumption remains stagnant
Friday, March 01, 2019 14:09
According to
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, farmers in Mekong Delta
provinces grew rice on an area of 1.6 million hectares this winter-spring rice
crop with total yield of about 11 million tons, of which 3.64 million tons of
rice are for domestic consumption and the remaining 7.4 million tons of rice
are for export.
Farmers
harvest paddy in the Mekong Delta provinces. (Photo: SGGP)
There have
been more traders and firms buying paddy after the Prime Minister’s instruction
to buy paddy for temporary stockpile and the meeting to boost consumption of
paddy among the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Industry
and Trade, the State Bank of Vietnam and leaders of provinces in the Mekong
Delta was held in Dong Thap Province. However, concern lingers as paddy prices
remain extremely low.
According to
the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Giang Province, the
price of paddy stood still on February 28. Particularly, the price of fresh
IR50404 rice variety bought at the field was at VND4,500-VND4,600 per kilogram
and that of Jasmine variety was at VND5,100 per kilogram.
Currently,
there were some traders buying paddy along Xa No Canal at a price of
VND4,800-VND5,200 per kilogram for high-quality rice varieties. However,
farmers in remote area found it difficult to sell paddy as there was no traders
going there, said Mr. Nguyen Van Ut, a farmers in Vi Thuy District in Hau Giang
Province.
Meanwhile, some
traders in Vinh Long Province have bought paddy and already paid farmers but
asked farmers to store paddy for them.
The current
price levels of high-quality rice varieties swing from VND4,800 to VND5,200 per
kilogram, nearly VND1,000 per kilogram lower than last year. Meanwhile,
low-quality IR50404 rice variety fetches VND4,300-VND4,600 per kilogram. The
remaining area of low-quality paddy is around 26 percent of total paddy area
whereas that of high-quality accounts for up to 60 percent.
As farmers grow
rice massively after flood water recede, the peak harvest of winter-spring rice
crop usually occurs in February and March. Farmers in remote area are longing
firms to speed up buying of paddy for them to grow the summer-autumn rice crop
on time.
Authorities
find ways to manage low rice prices in Mekong Delta
Last update 20:00 | 01/03/2019
The Departments of Agriculture and Rural
Development of the Mekong Delta provinces and provincial governments are
introducing ways to cut rice inventories and promote rice consumption as low
rice prices are weighing on farmers in the winter-spring rice crop, Nguoi Lao
Dong newspaper reported.
Farmers harvest rice in the Mekong
Delta
IR-50404 rice sells for VND4,400-4,500 per
kilogram and high-quality rice for VND4,600-5,200 per kilogram, causing losses
for farmers.
Tran Van Tam, a farmer in Hau Giang Province,
said that at the beginning of the sowing season, rice traders offered him
VND5,300 per kilogram for his IR-50404 rice, but he refused the deal as he
thought the rice price would increase after the Tet holiday as it did for the
2018 winter-spring crop. However, the price of IR-50404 rice edged down
VND1,000 to VND4,300 per kilogram after the holiday.
Due to the falling rice prices, the Kien
Giang Province’s agriculture sector has called on enterprises that consume rice
to ease the difficulties faced by farmers.
Phan Kim Loan, head of the Agriculture and
Rural Development division of Tan Hiep District, Kien Giang Province, said that
the division has asked firms in the province to comply with their signed contracts
for purchasing rice at the beginning of the sowing season at the price of
VND5,200 per kilogram.
Do Minh Nhut, deputy director of the Kien
Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that as no
information has been disclosed, farmers are concerned about the falling prices
even further, potentially resulting in firms cancelling their contracts.
The department is in the process of reviewing
the signed contracts and reviewing how these firms will address the problem as
low rice prices will affect their business activities, Nhut said.
According to Tran Anh Thu, vice chairman of
An Giang Province, after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a plan to
stock up on rice to shore up the prices of the staple food, the province saw
the rice price inch up.
Thu said that the fall in rice price was
temporary due to China-bound rice shipments being stalled before the Tet
holiday. The suspension arose as China wanted to inspect the quality of rice
imported from Vietnam.
The relevant agencies are also promoting new
consumption markets, Thu said, proposing that firms purchase rice from farmers
as usual if they are not dependant on the Chinese market, while others that
have signed rice-purchase contracts with farmers should continue to purchase
the rice at the same price as contracted. As for commercial banks, they should
offer a preferential interest rate to these firms.
The An Giang government has assigned the
provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to work with
districts’ authorities to discuss a production plan for the summer-autumn rice
crop this year and encourage farmers to grow types of rice sought after by
other potential markets in addition to China.
Due to the hardship, a working team from the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will launch a fact-finding trip
on rice harvest and consumption in the Long An and Dong Thap provinces today,
February 25.
Gov’t vows help to
farmers amid influx of imported rice
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:02 AM March 01, 2019
FIELDWORK Planting and
growing rice is a backbreaking job but the government has assured farmers that
it will extend assistance so they can compete once rice imports flood local
markets. -WILLIE LOMIBAO
SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ — Saying the government will provide financial and
technical assistance to local farmers, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has
allayed fears that they will bear the brunt of the influx of imported rice with
the rice tariffication law.
“The government is ready to provide assistance to our farmers for them
to be competitive in rice production,” Piñol said during a consultation with
farmers and rice traders at the Philippine Carabao Center here on Tuesday.
The consultation gathered inputs for the implementing rules and
regulation of Republic Act No. 11203, or the rice tariffication law.
Piñol said the new law would allow cheap imported rice to flood the
market and would force traders and rice mill owners to lower the farm prices of
palay (unhusked rice).
Cheaper
Under the rice tariffication law that takes effect on March 5, anybody,
who can get clearance from the Department of Agriculture and pay the tariff,
can import rice.
In the past, rice importation was a monopoly of the National Food
Authority but this agency would now be relegated to keeping stocks as a buffer
in case of rice shortage.
The law also indicates that the price of imported rice may be lower by
P2 to P7 per kilogram than the current price of unhusked rice.
Thus, it can be a boon for consumers who are complaining about the high
cost of rice in the market, Piñol said, adding that “we need to increase rice
production in a way that is comparable with the price of rice being sold by
other countries.”
Piñol said the “shock wave” that the farmers experienced might be
temporary as the government had allotted a fund to support their production.
P10-B fund
Under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, with P10-billion
funding annually for the next six years, the government will provide assistance
to farmers to enhance their competitiveness and profitability.
“This fund will be used for farm machinery and equipment to improve farm
operation, for rice seed development, propagation and promotion, for expanded
rice credit and extension services, among other things,” Piñol said.
He said the suggestion of various sectors to grow cash crops for easy
money was a “short-sighted solution and would be a suicide for the country if
rice farming was abandoned.”
“It must be understood by all that there is thinning supply of rice in
the world market. The available volume that can be accessed for importation is
only 3 million metric tons,” Piñol said.
He said rice-exporting countries also experienced the race between
increasing population and rice production. These countries are not having
additional land area for rice production, thus they “may keep their harvest in
the future to feed their own population,” he said.
READ
NEXT
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1090923/govt-vows-help-to-farmers-amid-influx-of-imported-rice#ixzz5gzVfFosG
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1090923/govt-vows-help-to-farmers-amid-influx-of-imported-rice?utm_expid=.XqNwTug2W6nwDVUSgFJXed.1
China commerce ministry says regrets WTO
ruling on wheat, rice subsidies
·
·
FILE PHOTO: An automated combine harvester
harvests rice next to a tractor during a trial on a field in Xinghua, Jiangsu
province, China October 29, 2018. REUTERS/Hallie Gu
BEIJING
(Reuters) - China on Friday said it regretted a lack of support from experts
after the United States won a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on China’s
wheat and rice subsidies.The Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that
government support for the agriculture sector was allowed under WTO rules and
was a common practice among countries.
China will
continue to promote development of the sector in line with WTO rules and
safeguard the stability of the multi-lateral trade system, it added.
Reporting by
Tom Daly; editing by Richard Pullin
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust
Principles.
WTO RULES CHINA GAVE ITS GROWERS UNFAIR WHEAT AND RICE SUBSIDIES
By Chuck Abbott
3/1/2019
STR/AFP/Getty
The Trump administration, with the weight of
a WTO ruling behind it, called on China on Thursday to eliminate
trade-distorting wheat and rice subsidies that cost U.S. farmers hundreds of
millions of dollars a year in export sales. The WTO panel report may provide
impetus to negotiations to resolve the Sino-U.S. trade war.
Still pending at the WTO is a companion U.S.
complaint against Chinese controls on imports of corn, wheat, and rice. Both
complaints were filed in the closing months of the Obama administration after
farm groups and trade officials had spent years compiling evidence of trade
violations. U.S. wheat groups, for example, said China set a support price of
$10 a bushel for wheat for its farmers, far higher than the world price.
“China’s excessive support limits
opportunities for U.S. farmers to export their world-class products to China,”
said U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer. “We expect
China to quickly come into compliance with its WTO obligations.”
Countries are given “a reasonable period of
time” to comply with WTO rulings. If they do not, the winner can apply
retaliatory tariffs on products from the offending nation.
When it turned to the WTO in September 2016,
the U.S. said Chinese subsidies for domestic wheat, corn, and rice production
in 2015 were $100 billion larger than the
limits China accepted when it joined the WTO. The WTO dispute settlement panel,
which began work in June 2017 after fruitless U.S.-China consultations,
concluded that China’s wheat and rice supports exceeded the level allowed by
world trade rules. China had pledged that its supports would not exceed 8.5% of
the value of the crops. The WTO panel did not rule on corn because China
changed its support system after the 2015 harvest, so the U.S. complaint was
moot.
Lighthizer’s office said the WTO ruling was
“a significant victory for U.S. agriculture that will help American farmers
compete on a more level playing field.” China has 60 days to appeal the ruling.
“U.S. farmers have been hurt by China’s
overproduction and protectionist measures for too long, and it’s past time for
China to start living up to its commitments,” said Vince Peterson, head of U.S. Wheat
Associates, an export promoter. China’s subsidies cost U.S. wheat growers up to
$700 million a year by encouraging domestic production and depressing world
wheat prices, said the group.
Trade group USA Rice said the WTO ruling
could encourage other nations to reform excessive support programs. “With about
half of our crop exported in any given year, these steps toward leveling the
international playing field have enormous consequences for us,” said USA Rice
Chairman Charley Mathews, a California
grower.
“Today’s ruling is a huge win at a time when
such wins are sorely needed,” said House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson, adding, “It’s
also my hope that this ruling can help our negotiators reach a positive path
forward to reopen trade with China and reclaim the markets that the trade war
has cost our farmers.”
China used to be the No. 1 customer for U.S.
ag exports, especially soybeans. It is forecast to be No. 5 this year due to
retaliatory tariffs.
In December 2016, the U.S. followed up its
complaint about China’s crop subsidies with a WTO complaint alleging China had
unfairly manipulated its tariff system to
limit imports of U.S. corn, wheat, and rice. Farmers lost $3.5 billion in
sales, the complaint said, because of the “opaque and unpredictable management”
of tariff-rate quotas, which allow a specified amount of a commodity to enter
at reduced tariff rates. The end result was that China kept the volume of corn,
wheat, and rice imports below the level that was supposed to be allowed to
enter at the lower rates.
To read the WTO panel decision, click here.
China: Thirty-two U.S.
Rice Facilities Now Approved as Suppliers
One more to
go?
Feb 28, 2019
ARLINGTON, VA -- The General Administration
of Customs in China announced today that all 32 U.S. rice facilities interested
in exporting milled rice to China have been approved. The announcement
comes after Chinese inspectors visited several mills across the country last
year, and the initial approval of seven facilities two months ago.
USA Rice worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to push for the approval of the remaining facilities that have demonstrated their ability to export to China and adhere to the requirements of the U.S.-China phytosanitary protocol.
"All U.S. facilities that wish to export milled rice to China have been approved by the Chinese government," said USA Rice COO Bob Cummings. "The next hurdle to overcome is for China's importers to receive the go-ahead from their government to actually make purchases."
USA Rice worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to push for the approval of the remaining facilities that have demonstrated their ability to export to China and adhere to the requirements of the U.S.-China phytosanitary protocol.
"All U.S. facilities that wish to export milled rice to China have been approved by the Chinese government," said USA Rice COO Bob Cummings. "The next hurdle to overcome is for China's importers to receive the go-ahead from their government to actually make purchases."
Rival Rice Growers Crush
U.S. Farmers Already Beset by Trade War
By
March 1, 2019, 10:00 AM GMT+5 Updated on March 1, 2019, 5:13 PM GMT+5
·
American rice acres seen dropping after years
of low prices
·
Booming exports from Asia at cheap prices
boosts competition
LISTEN TO ARTICLE
re’s another entry for the growing list
of suffering U.S. agriculture industries: rice.
Just ask Richard
Fontenot, a rice, soybean and crawfish farmer near Ville Platte,
Louisiana. He’s considering letting some of the 3,600 acres (1,457 hectares) he
plants with grain and oilseed to lie fallow this year as a result of slumping
commodities prices.
“It stinks
worse than you realize,” said Fontenot, explaining that he let 1,000 acres of
soybeans go unharvested last year because of a lack of export demand. “It’s a
reality, and we’re dealing with it.”
American rice
growers, who are concentrated in southern states, are struggling to compete
with increasingly fierce competition from major producers like Thailand,
Vietnam and India, the world’s top shipper. Prices in the U.S. are below the
cost of production, but still higher than those offered by rival suppliers,
said Dwight Roberts, president of the U.S. Rice Producers Association.
Chicago rice futures on a most-active basis
have trended lower since early 2014. But the pain is especially acute now as
the trade war with China has eroded demand for other American
commodities. Growers like Fontenot used to be able to rely on earnings from
soybeans during years when rice profits were low. Now, most agriculture prices
are stuck in the doldrums.
The problem
for U.S. rice is at least twofold: growing stockpiles, and some lost market
share in top export destinations like Mexico, said Michael Deliberto, a rice
economist at Louisiana State University. As some farmers ditch the crop, the
falling acres could eventually mean a rebound for prices, he said.
A report released Feb. 22 at the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual outlook forum projects domestic rice
acreage will decline this year. That will help stockpiles shrink. Meanwhile,
U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer said Wednesday that rice has
been discussed in the U.S.-China trade talks, while adding that it was a
“complicated” issue.
American growers ship about half of their
crop and account for more than 10 percent of the annual global trade, according
to the USDA’s Economic Research Service.
Competition
among major Asian exporters has driven prices so low that rice from Vietnam can
now be competitive with U.S. supplies to Mexico, said Roberts.
Many U.S.
growers could comfortably make a profit with prices at around $14 per 100
pounds, he said. Futures in Chicago are trading near $10.50.
“I don’t see a
light at the end of the tunnel,” said Dennis DeLaughter, senior market analyst
at Vantage RM in Austin, Texas. “I’m telling my clients they should plant less
rice.”
Webinar: March
2019 Farm Income Forecast, Wednesday, March 6 @ 1 p.m. EST
Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2018
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour
Host: Carrie Litkowski
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour
Host: Carrie Litkowski
Webinar description:
ERS releases farm income statement and
balance sheet estimates and forecasts three times a year, in February, August
and November. These core statistical indicators provide guidance to
policy makers, lenders, commodity organizations, farmers, and others interested
in the financial status of the farm economy. ERS's farm income statistics also
inform the computation of agriculture's contribution to the gross domestic
product of the U.S. economy. During this webinar, economist Carrie
Litkowski provides the first forecast for 2019.
Audio will be available through your computer
speakers.
Test your computer for
compatibility prior to the meeting.
Efficiency
and renewables are energy’s rice and beans
Make sure leaders we elect know we value and require
energy efficiency
Leticia Colon de Mejias
The Green New
Deal is capturing the attention of many Americans. Global warming is accepted
by 97 percent of all scientists as scientific truth. The impacts are happening
faster than we thought, but our public policy and our way of living haven’t
caught up with the facts. We seem hungry for a solution – for a feasible way to
reduce waste, to shift to clean and renewable energy, and create good local
jobs.
But we in
Connecticut already have our own effective and feasible clean energy solutions
at work. With the turn of a key, the passing of a bill, we can continue a
positive trajectory of making thousands of homes and buildings energy
efficient, while continuing to pursue and expand renewable energy sources such
as offshore wind and community solar.
Efficiency and
renewable energy sources work together — like rice and beans, which when
combined work together to form a complete protein, and gives you benefits
neither can alone.
Most of us
don’t think a lot about where our energy comes from, or how we use it. We use
energy every minute — on our devices, to heat our buildings, power our cars.
The vast majority of our energy – 95 percent! — still comes from non-renewable
sources including oil, nuclear, and gas, meaning it is producing the pollution
that is killing our planet and harming our people. We are making strides – I am
sure as your drive around Connecticut you see more and more solar panels on
homes. But to make a real change, we have a long way to go.
The other side
of the coin is how we use energy – our demand. While new construction is more
energy efficient, we still have hundreds of thousands of buildings and homes
that waste a horrifying amount of energy for heating and cooling. This can be
mitigated by applying building science and relatively simple energy upgrades
coupled with education.
Home
assessments often detect and allow us to fix health hazards such a mold, carbon
monoxide or asthma triggers. They result in lowered heating and utility bills,
and the homes lower their carbon emissions. These programs are proven to pay
for themselves many times over with a 1 to 7 return on investment, and are
delivered by an effective network of Connecticut business owners who have
created 34,000 local jobs.
When homes and
buildings use less energy, we pollute less and we save money, closing the
affordability gap in our state. When the energy we use comes from renewable
sources, we pollute dramatically less and do more to mitigate climate change
and improve our resilience. Both result in improved air quality and better
health, and they create a growing economy.
It is also an
issue of equity. For low-income households, paying high utility bills seriously
impacts families’ ability to provide food, stable shelter, and other
necessities. More than 380,000 families now can’t afford electricity! When we
invest in efficiency, we are helping minimize the impact of poverty on children
and families.
Connecticut
has several energy plans, managed by the Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection (DEEP). These plans should work together to reach the shared goals
of reducing energy burdens through energy efficiency and meeting our energy
needs with expanded renewable energy resources. The science is there; the
capacity to deliver and improve building performance is there; the jobs are
there, and we can increase our efficiency programs, which had been working so
well we didn’t notice them!
Recently, our
successful demand-reduction weatherization program, which is funded by
ratepayer payments through the EnergizeCT program, was decimated when the
legislature “swept” those funds for other purposes. Our organization, Efficiency for All, is working
with others to sue the state to restore these funds to their rightful and legal
uses, but that will take time, and we need action now.
Efficiency is
Efficient: In the past 10 years, EnergizeCT has reduced carbon emissions by
11.4 million tons – the equivalent of keeping 2.4 million cars off the road.
Residents and business have decreased their energy burden, saving $3.7 billion
and helping businesses remain competitive. A 15 percent reduction in energy use
could mean 30,000 fewer asthma attacks for Hartford children. The list of
benefits goes on and on. Energy Efficiency makes dollars and it makes sense.
What comes to
mind when you think of rice and beans? Maybe it’s a staple dish of your
community; maybe you know that they combine to give you a complete protein,
needed to build muscle and give you energy. It’s food, essential to our lives –
just as energy is essential, to our quality of life, our health, our household
budgets, our ability to live.
The people of
Connecticut need to make sure that the leaders we elect know we value and
require energy efficiency and clean energy.
Leticia Colon
de Mejias of Windsor is the founder and CEO of Energy
Efficiencies Solutions and the founder of Efficiency for All, both
based in Windsor.
https://ctmirror.org/category/ct-viewpoints/efficiency-and-renewables-are-energys-rice-and-beans/
How to stop an
insect apocalypse
We might not
love creepy-crawlies, but if insects were to vanish within a century, as some
scientists predict, there would be dire consequences for us humans. Is it too
late to save bees, bugs and butterflies?
We often pay little attention to insects unless one happens to
bite, sting or generally bother us. But lately, they've become an
unlikely source of nostalgia.
People have started to notice their absence,
reminiscing about unwittingly swallowing tiny flies while cycling through the
countryside, about car windscreens splattered with dead bug bodies at the end of a
long journey or moths flocking to the light when a window was left
open.
And science is backing up such anecdotal
observations. A recent
study published in the journal Biological Conservation says
insects are hurtling down the path to extinction.
More than 40 percent of species are in
decline and a third is endangered, the analysis found. Worldwide, we lose 2.5
percent of insect biomass each year, and if numbers continue to
fall at their current rate, there could be no insects left in 100
years.
The results are "shocking," says
Francisco Sanchez-Bayo, environmental scientists at the University of Sydney
and co-author of the study. He predicts "catastrophic
consequences."
"The word catastrophic is appropriate
because the disappearance of insects brings with it the starvation of myriad
vertebrates that depend on them, and therefore the collapse of entire
ecosystems," he told DW.
Read more: 'We cannot survive without insects'
Insects don't only play an important role in
our food production, by providing a free pollination service, but are
themselves food for all kind of animals. Without bugs, amphibians and birds would starve to death and fish
would struggle to find enough food.
The six-legged helpers also clear away
carcasses of animals that die in the wild and decompose plant waste. Without bugs, life as we know it
would come to a halt.
Watch video02:09
But is it too late to stop an insect
apocalypse? Read on for three main drivers of insect declines and
possible solutions.
Intensive agriculture is bug-unfriendly
According to the meta analysis, the steepest
declines in insect biomass have occurred in the past 30 years.
Sanchez-Bayo says this is the direct result of agricultural intensification.
The Green Revolution of the 1950s and 1960s
changed the way farmers tended their fields. Fallow practices were abandoned,
monocultures were developed and artificial fertilizers were introduced as a
means avoiding nutrient depletion in the soil.
Insecticides and herbicides became common features
of pest and weed control, and trees and hedgerows were eliminated to
generate more space.
Though this resulted in a huge gain in yield,
it also implied a loss of insect habitat and led to chemical residues contaminating nearby waters.
Sanchez-Bayo says the world needs to change
the way it grows food. One way forward could be a farming method known as
Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which combines traditional agricultural
practices with modern technologies.
"IPM advocates the use of natural means
of pest and weed control, rotation of crops to maximize biodiversity of
beneficial insects and avoid nutrient depletion, and only uses pesticides as
the last tool to control a pest or weed outbreak," Sanchez-Bayo told DW.
By way of example, he cited the International
Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, which managed to reduce the use
of insecticides in rice crops by 93 percent without losing yields.
Monocultures provide little food for
butterflies and other insects
Climate change could cause major insect
wipeout
Although intensive agriculture has
been identified as the main driver for insect declines in Europe,
scientists say the main culprits in other parts of the world are climate change
and deforestation.
Even in pristine, virgin tropics, far away from
fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides, insect numbers have
steadily dropped.
In Puerto Rico's Luquillo rainforest, for
example, there
are as many as 60 times fewer insects now than there were in the 1970s.
During the same period, forest temperatures have risen 2 degrees
Celcius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The number of lizards, frogs and birds
that eat insects has declined synchronously.
Calculations by researcers at the Tyndall
Centre for Climate Change Research highlight the correlation
between global warming and insect survival.
Their projections suggest that if we
experienced global warming of 3.2 degrees Celcius above preindustrial levels,
as is likely on the basis of current pledges made under the Paris Climate
Agreement, 49 percent of insects would lose half of their geographic
range.
If we limited warming to 2 degrees
Celcius above preindustrial levels, 18 percent would lose half of
their range. In a 1.5 degree scenario, however, the number would
drop to six percent.
Rachel Warren, lead author of the study,
says it's very possible that population decreases would actually be
even larger than projected because they didn't factor such things as
intensive agriculture into their calculations.
"It's no question that there are many
pressures on insects and if we don't achieve the goals of the Paris Climate
Agreement, there will be another big pressure on them," Warren told DW.
She says it's not only important that
we manage to achieve the 1.5 C degree goal, but how we achieve it.
"Land availability is a major factor for
insect losses. If we use too much land to grow plants for biomass energy, that
would be bad for biodiversity," she explained. "So anything we
can do to reduce our energy and land demand, such as using less power and
eating less red meat, is great."
Urbanization — let your garden grow wild
Big cities and concrete landscapes also play
a significant role in insect numbers, and with
two-thirds of the
global population expected to be living in urban areas by 2050, that impact is
set to grow.
Densely built neighborhoods and sealed,
concrete roads strip bees and bugs of their natural habitats,
while light pollution leads nocturnal insects astray.
Wild, native flower meadows offer vital food
and micro-habitats for many insects, especially in cities
Researchers are therefore calling on
governments to create more green spaces in cities by rewilding public parks and
private gardens, and planting wild flowers along roadsides and on traffic
islands.
A study by
the University of Basel in Switzerland found that
nature-friendly gardens, with deadwood, compost, unmowed grassland and native
flowers, can greatly increase the biodiversity of flying and soil-dwelling
insects and largely compensate for the negative effects of urbanization.
The wilder and more diverse the gardens, the
more insects the researchers counted, including rare millipedes that
have not yet been found anywhere else in Switzerland.
Brigitte Braschler, biologist at the
Universtiy of Basel and co-author of the study, has been researching insects
her entire life and says that although the decline in biodiversity "is
very strong", it's not too late to change the trend.
"The public is waking up to the problem
and is willing to act. Certain species are already lost but I'm positive we can
stop the decline or at least slow it down," Braschler told DW.
·
THE WONDROUS WORLD OF AFRICAN BUGS
The amazing
Picasso bug
African art had a powerful influence on
Picasso, did Picasso influence African insects? Otherwise known as the Zulu Hud
Bug, this colorful shield-backed creature is often mistaken for a beetle. Its
geometric design helps it blend into its surrounding and is meant to warn off
predators. Full grown Picassos are only around 8 millimeters long and live in
tropical Africa from Ivory Coast to Ethiopia.
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Study shows glyphosate may be killing honeybees
Supply chains at risk as pollinators die out
Butterflies flourishing in hot summer but face problems ahead
Why are there so few insects at sea?
Bed bugs: Small, resistant and very hard to fight
Climate change threatens half of wildlife in biodiversity hotspots, study
says
Insect and bird populations declining dramatically in Germany
Insects perish at the frontlines of humans' war with nature
Over 40 percent of insect species face extinction: study
'We cannot survive without insects'
Global warming is reshaping the world's forests
Good bees, bad wasps?
Megabugs: 10 of the largest insects in the world
Insects: Winners and losers of climate change
Where have all the butterflies gone?
The wondrous world of African bugs
WWW LINKS
Global Scientific Review of Insect Loss
United Nations - World Urbanization Prospects
Study about biodiversity in gardens - University of
Basel
Study about insects in Puerto Rico's rainforest
Study: Climate Change and Insects
AUDIOS AND VIDEOS ON THE
TOPIC
A world without insects
·
Date 01.03.2019
·
Author Katharina Wecker
·
Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3EF7H
https://www.dw.com/en/how-to-stop-an-insect-apocalypse/a-47723711
Rice exports slump,
food association seeks government help
People working on a rice drying yard in
Western Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Cuu Long.
The Vietnam
Food Association has sought central bank assistance to buy surplus stock as
rice exports plunge.
In the first
two months of the year, Vietnam exported 788,000 tons of the grain worth worth
$355 million, down 4.9 percent and 17.5 percent year-on-year, respectively,
according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Rice exports
to China, Vietnam’s biggest buyer, went down; and in a double blow for
exporters, prices also fell sharply. Currently export prices are at VND4,300 -
5,000 ($0.19 - $0.22) per kilogram depending on the variety, VND800 - 1,000
lower than a year ago.
The ministry
said importing countries were sourcing their rice from more suppliers, and the
resultant competition has pushed prices down.
Besides, many
countries have been seeking to increase rice production, increasing global
supply, making it a buyers’ market.
At a recent
conference on rice production held in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap,
the association called on the State Bank of Vietnam to provide credit to help
businesses buy surplus rice.
This would
allow farmers to sell their produce and prepare for the upcoming summer-autumn
crop, it said.
According to
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam is the third biggest
rice exporter in the world behind India and Thailand, selling the grain to some
150 countries and territories.
In 2018, rice
exports grew 5.1 percent in volume (6.1 million tons) and 16.3 percent ($3.08
billion) in value year-on-year.
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/industries/rice-exports-slump-food-association-seeks-government-help-3887146.html
U.S. Rice Brand Tolly Boy Wins UK Media Award
for Charity Campaign
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- Westmill Foods, in
association with USA Rice, won the coveted British Asian Media Awards (BAM)
Community/Charity Campaign of the Year for its 2018 campaign 'Spread the Joy
with Tolly Boy.' Westmill Foods is one of Europe's largest specialty food
companies with a diverse consumer portfolio that includes U.S. long grain rice
marketed under Westmill's Tolly Boy brand. The company sells authentic
ethnic food to Asian and Afro Caribbean restaurants as well as cash and carry,
food service, and grocery stores.
"We're delighted to win this award," said Tolly Boy Brand Manager Steven Perry. "An enormous amount of work went into this national campaign that included all of the main UK cities, and I'm thrilled all the hard work paid off."
The campaign purchased U.S. rice in various formats, from 2 to 20 kilos, increasing U.S. rice sales in the UK and helping raise awareness about the use of U.S.-grown rice in ethnic cuisine. During the three-month promotion, consumers were encouraged to share images of their dishes featuring U.S. rice on social media.
USA Rice also supported the 'Spread the Joy' campaign with point-of-sale items and advertising. Through the 'Spread the Joy with Tolly Boy' campaign, Westmill Foods was able to provide more than £20,000 of support to 20 Bangladeshi and African community groups throughout the UK.
"I'd like to formally thank USA Rice for their participation in 2018," said Perry. "Without their support we could not have staged this award-winning campaign."
"We're delighted to win this award," said Tolly Boy Brand Manager Steven Perry. "An enormous amount of work went into this national campaign that included all of the main UK cities, and I'm thrilled all the hard work paid off."
The campaign purchased U.S. rice in various formats, from 2 to 20 kilos, increasing U.S. rice sales in the UK and helping raise awareness about the use of U.S.-grown rice in ethnic cuisine. During the three-month promotion, consumers were encouraged to share images of their dishes featuring U.S. rice on social media.
USA Rice also supported the 'Spread the Joy' campaign with point-of-sale items and advertising. Through the 'Spread the Joy with Tolly Boy' campaign, Westmill Foods was able to provide more than £20,000 of support to 20 Bangladeshi and African community groups throughout the UK.
"I'd like to formally thank USA Rice for their participation in 2018," said Perry. "Without their support we could not have staged this award-winning campaign."
U.S. Prepares Final
China Trade Deal as Hawks Urge Caution
By Jenny Leonard
February 28, 2019, 11:07 PM GMT+5 Updated on March 1, 2019, 11:37 AM GMT+5
·
Mnuchin says sides are working on 150-page
detailed agreement
·
U.S. is considering a Trump-Xi summit as
early as mid-March
Larry Kudlow said the U.S. and China are on
the cusp of an “historic” trade deal. Bloomberg’s Jenny Leonard reports.
U.S. officials
are preparing a final trade deal that President Donald Trump and his Chinese
counterpart Xi Jinping could sign in weeks, people familiar with the matter
said, even as a debate continues in Washington over whether to push Beijing for
more concessions.
The U.S. is
eyeing a summit between the two presidents as soon as mid-March, said one of
the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the preparations are
confidential. The planning has been complicated by Xi’s need to lead China’s
annual National People’s Congress in early March, as well as make other foreign
trips, the people said.
Donald Trump walks with Xi Jinping in Beijing
in 2017.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
A White House
spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump will have the final call on the U.S. side.
At a summit in Vietnam this week with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the U.S.
president showed he’s willing to walk away if he doesn’t like the terms on the
table, including with China. Talks with North Korea broke down after Trump refused
to lift sanctions on the country, he said.
“Speaking of
China we’re very well on our way to doing something special. But we’ll see,”
Trump said at a press conference in Hanoi on Thursday. “I am always prepared to
walk. I’m never afraid to walk from a deal, and I would do that with China,
too, if it didn’t work out.”
Economic Damage
If there is no deal and the U.S. imposes the
threatened 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion of imports from China, it
will damage the economies of both
nations. The International Monetary Fund estimates that
would cut 0.2 percentage point from U.S. growth this year and 0.6 percentage
point from China’s expansion.
Asian stocks edged higher
Friday as the latest reading on China’s economy came in above expectations.
Treasury yields held on to gains after a mixed set of economic signals in the
U.S.
