Manipur affected by
changing climate, say scientists
Trend
analysis of weather variables in Imphal under National Innovations on Climate
Resilient Agriculture reveals mean annual maximum temperature increasing
IMPHAL , May 31, 2019 11:12 am
3 min read
The scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) Centres, working in diverse discipline said
Manipur has been affected by the changing climate.
Trend
analysis of weather variables in Imphal under National Innovations on Climate
Resilient Agriculture revealed that the mean annual maximum temperature
(1954–2014) has been increasing (0.1°C per decade). This was relvealed by the
scientists in their research paper report published in Current Science journal
in October 2018.
The
20 paged reports called ‘Climate resilient agriculture in Manipur: status and
strategies for sustainable development’ is the result of year long work by as
many as 11 ICAR scientists who have reviewed a number of sources of
information.
Stating
that as evident from the last 30 years’ climate data analysis, precipitation
rate in northern parts is expected to increase, the scientists said.
The
southern districts are expected to experience higher temperature than that of
the northern districts.
Total
annual precipitation is expected to increase throughout the State. As evident
from the last 30 years’ climate data analysis, precipitation rate in northern
parts is expected to increase.Greenhouse gas emissions have also increased in
Manipur from 1980 to 2005.
Projecting
the loss of bio-diversity and extinction of rare/threatened flora and fauna
besides projecting decline in crop yields by 10 percent in 2030 in view of the
said climate variability, the scientists estimated that the food grain
production and requirement of the state would be 77105 and 79323 thousand
tonnes respectively by 2050.
Hence,
there will be deficit of 2218 thousand tonnes of food grain by 2050, they
predicted.
The
total food grain production in Manipur (2014–15) was 594.28 thousand tonnes from
an area of 292,950 ha.
Otherwise
the total gross cropped area the state is 350,290 ha, which account for 15.24
per cent of the total land areas.About 65.93% under rice cultivation.
There
are enormous gene pool of rice, maize, cucurbits, legumes, tuber crops,
turmeric, ginger and chillies in Manipur which houses more than 500 orchid
varieties, 1200 species of medicinal plants, 50 species of fleshy fungi, 121
algae and a few moses, 200 plus fish species, 73 different types of birds, 31
endemic mammals, more than 53 species of bamboos etc, according to the report.
Hence
they suggested the need for devising climate proof plan and climate ready
policy for climate compatible agricultural development in Manipur.
Location-specific climate smart technology baskets need to be devised or
introduced and should be demonstrated through participatory approach, for
ensuring a climate resilient production system, and a climate resilient
ecosystem.
Muhammadu Buhari has big ambitions for Nigerian manufacturing
But his policies help only a few
industrialists
Print
edition | Middle East and Africa
| KANO
Sunlight pours onto yellowing cloth in the
Gaskiya textile factory in Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city, through
gaping holes in its tin roof. Chickens in the carcass of a van pierce the
silence. Before this textile mill closed in 2005, says Yau Muhammad, one of
4,000 former employees, it was among West Africa’s largest.In 1985, when Muhammadu Buhari—then Nigeria’s military ruler—cut the ribbon on this factory, industry was thriving in Kano. In the decades since many others in the city have suffered its fate, crippled by power shortages and cheap imports. More than 300,000 jobs have vanished from the textile industry alone. Mr Buhari, who was elected president in 2015, wants to promote manufacturing by getting Nigeria to make more and import less.
Ghana to be self-sufficient in
rice production by 2022 - Minister
Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Akoto
Afriyie
The Minister for Food and Agriculture has announced a plan to
make the country self-sufficient in rice production by 2022.
“Ghana currently imports
about $1.5 billion worth of rice,” Dr Akoto Afriyie told the press Thursday on
the back of plans to change the tide which contributes to the depreciation of
the cedi.
“Now rice has become a staple food, therefore, the demand for rice has been rising very quickly. And we have had to rely more and more on exports. In 2007 we imported $151,000,000 into this country. By 2015 that figure had gone up ten times,” he noted.
The plan to indigenise rice production follows a call by the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel.
Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas has encouraged the country to adopt the System of Rice Intensification technology which has reportedly helped farmers in countries like Mali to improve their rice yields.
He said this last month when he paid a courtesy call on Agric Minister.
Their meeting centred on how West African nations, particularly Ghana could work to reduce their rice import wage bill. The Daily Guide reported.
According to the Ministry, the plan to make Ghana self-sufficient in rice production will include supplying farmers in selected districts across the country with improved seedlings.
Again, government will extend rice production from the Savanna regions to the forest parts of the country whose potential for rice production has been discounted.
“These regions have more than enough valleys; low lying areas, we can produce rice and feed the whole of West Africa, not just Ghana. We have that capacity but that resource has been lying down for hundreds of years,” he said.
He disclosed that government is in talks with Chinese investors to provide rice millers for the farmers in order to enhance productivity and achieve the target.
That is not all.
The minister also added that government “has entered into an agreement with Exim Bank for a $150 million facility for farm mechanisation. We have signed a contract about three weeks ago. We hope to receive it before the end of the year.”
The plan, however, is not to take rice importers out of business. The new scheme will rather provide greater business opportunities for them if they are minded to take advantage of the government’s agenda.
“Ghana currently imports
about $1.5 billion worth of rice,” Dr Akoto Afriyie told the press Thursday on
the back of plans to change the tide which contributes to the depreciation of
the cedi.“Now rice has become a staple food, therefore, the demand for rice has been rising very quickly. And we have had to rely more and more on exports. In 2007 we imported $151,000,000 into this country. By 2015 that figure had gone up ten times,” he noted.
The plan to indigenise rice production follows a call by the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel.
Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas has encouraged the country to adopt the System of Rice Intensification technology which has reportedly helped farmers in countries like Mali to improve their rice yields.
He said this last month when he paid a courtesy call on Agric Minister.
Their meeting centred on how West African nations, particularly Ghana could work to reduce their rice import wage bill. The Daily Guide reported.
According to the Ministry, the plan to make Ghana self-sufficient in rice production will include supplying farmers in selected districts across the country with improved seedlings.
Again, government will extend rice production from the Savanna regions to the forest parts of the country whose potential for rice production has been discounted.
“These regions have more than enough valleys; low lying areas, we can produce rice and feed the whole of West Africa, not just Ghana. We have that capacity but that resource has been lying down for hundreds of years,” he said.
He disclosed that government is in talks with Chinese investors to provide rice millers for the farmers in order to enhance productivity and achieve the target.
That is not all.
The minister also added that government “has entered into an agreement with Exim Bank for a $150 million facility for farm mechanisation. We have signed a contract about three weeks ago. We hope to receive it before the end of the year.”
The plan, however, is not to take rice importers out of business. The new scheme will rather provide greater business opportunities for them if they are minded to take advantage of the government’s agenda.
Rice price fall: Bane of farmers, boon to consumers
Published at
09:32 pm May 30th, 2019
Rice prices at record low at the capital’s kitchen
markets, much to the worry of paddy growers in the country Mehedi
Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
Traders said rice price gradually fell over the
last couple of years, though with some ups and downs
Rice prices have continued to fall, bringing
relief to consumers but hitting the growers hard.
Prices of the staple were found to have come
down by Tk100 for a 50kg bag of rice on an average the last week in Dhaka city
markets including Karwan Bazar, Khilgaon, Malibag and Hatirpool.
Traders said rice price gradually fell over
the last couple of years, though with some ups and downs.
Haji Md Lokman, general secretary of Karwan
Bazar traders’ association Islamia Shanti Samiti, considers the current rice
price unprecedented and claims that they did not see such a low price in the
last few years.
The rice prices still continued to fall, he
told Dhaka Tribune, adding that the fall hurt farmers, rendering them unable
even to meet their production cost while it benefited the consumers.
“The price of a 50kg sack of rice fell by
Tk500 over the last month,” said Md Hannan, another wholesaler of Karwan Bazar.
He said the price fell sharply since last
year. “I can’t recall how long ago I sold the rice at the current price,” he
claimed.
Dewan AS Farid, a trader from Malibagh, said
he sold rice at the current price more than 10 years ago.
To keep the price stable, they (traders) had
to frequently sell rice below the purchase price, he claimed.
Rice was found selling at Tk28 to Tk90 per kg
depending on its varieties on Sunday. Coarse rice sold at Tk28, Paijam and
BR-30 at Tk30, Miniket at Tk48, Nazirshail at Tk55 and Katarivog at Tk90.
The price was between Tk30 to Tk92 per kg in
last week, Tk38-95 a month ago and Tk42-100 a year ago, said the traders,
adding that coarse rice earlier sold at Tk40.
Md Lokman believes that extra stock of rice is
the main reason behind the price fall and says the stock has been rising since
2010, when the government started rice import and allowed traders to import the
staple by lowering the import duties.
Besides, the last couple of harvesting seasons
witnessed substantial growth in yields, which was another reason, he added.
Now, Boro rice has started coming to the
market despite the huge stock and further pushing down the prices.
The huge stock of rice forced farmers to lower
prices to the point that they could not even realize their production costs.
They had to sell paddy at Tk450 to Tk500 for
every maund (40kg) in the last few days, which was the half the production
cost.
The growers said the cost of harvesting each
maund of paddy was between Tk1,000 to Tk1,500. As a result farmers across the
country launched protests over the issue.
Meanwhile, the government doubled import
duties to 55% from 28% in a bid to discourage imports.
But it was yet to create an impact on the
markets, said Lokman.
Agreeing with Lokman, Centre for Policy
Dialogue (CPD) Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem said the decision to
control rice imports should have been made long ago.
“The government has acted too late,” he said,
adding that the late decision caused suffering to farmers as rice prices fell
due to the supply of imported rice.
He believes that increasing the duty will have
no immediate effect but it will have some effect in the long run.
Lokman expects that the price would go up
after Eid, when the Boro harvesting season will end.
As Rice Production In
Nigeria Receives Boost
By EMAMEH GABRIEL Given the status of rice as a major
staple in Nigeria, boosting production remains a priority of government and
other stakeholders in the country’s agro sector, EMAMEH GABRIEL writes. Efforts
by rice farmers in the country to boost the production capacity of rice seems
to be paying of already as more species are introduce into the market annually.
This has also helped in reducing smuggling and importation of the produce to
the country. The effort is by every means, complementing the federal
government’s green campaign targeted at ensuring food security and generating
job opportunities for the growing army of unemployed youths across the country.
Rice is a staple in Nigeria, and the country, according to relevant statistics,
consumed almost 7,000,000 metric tons in 2018 amidst the country’s increasing
population explosion. The 2018 figure shows an increase of 200,000 metric tons
over the previous year. This is in sharp contrast with the country’s current
production capacity estimated at about 3, 700,000 tonnes annually, according to
the US Department of Agriculture, World Markets and Trade, though these reports
have been renounced by the Federal Government in a later report in November
2018 through the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele. No doubt, even at
that, and in order to meet up with the pressure on demand, the country has
imported huge amounts of the grain the past even as efforts are still on to end
the scourge of smuggling. This figure explains why rice smuggling has continued
to be a major challenge for the government and local rice farmers, who are in a
big fight competing with smuggled rice that floods the country through its
porous borders. This is despite the fact that Nigeria is home to
one of the world’s most arable land ready for cultivation out of which only
about 32 to 34 million hectares out of 82 million hectares of the nation’s
arable land, representing 41 per cent, is being cultivated. However, the
government’s stance to curb imports to encourage domestic production of rice,
has stakeholders in the agricultural sector already taking advantage of the
huge rice market in the country and driven by both population and economy
growth, experts have projected that rice importation might end in 2020, if the
right policies are put in place to encourage rice farmers. On their part,
farmers are optimistic to end rice importation. With the target to save the
country about N300 billion spent annually on importation of rice, local
production of the commodity has increased and new brand of rice introduced into
the Nigeria market annually. “This leaves no space for doubt that the country
is very near to end importation and boost its export potentials thereby
competing global with rice exporters like Thailand and Indian,” said Retson
Tedheke, national coordinator, NFGCS. Tedheke explained that under NFGSC, they
have created a rice value chain to realise this because the competition in rice
farming is increasing and Nigeria alone is already a big market for the grain.
He said with most states in the country already cultivating rice in commercial
value, the country is heading towards self-sufficiency in rice production and
exports that will boost its foreign exchange. “We started with a couple of
hectares and today, our brand (Gaate Gold) is already in the market speaking
for itself. Now we are looking at about 500 to 1000 hectares of land and we are
expanding as long as the necessary support, which we are yet to get from the
government, is available. “The beauty of it all is that we are exploring the
entire value chain to create jobs for the locals here.” Tedheke explained that
they are already putting the required infrastructure in place to ensure
an-all-year round rice farming. “Apart from the ones available, we already have
five rice mills under construction and soon they will kick off with the milling
capacity of 20 tonnes per day or a minimum of 10, amounting to two or more trailers
daily and sixty or more in a month,” he said. An average rice yield,
according to him, is estimated at 3.5 tons per hectare compared to seven to
nine tons of rice per hectare gotten by farmers in other parts of the world.
‘‘This is why they can sell cheaper than those produced locally. This is where
the government must come in and that will be the easiest way to end importation
or smuggling. ”We have been talking to the government to help with improved
seedlings and more so, for the value chain to be sustainable, it should be
supported by business modules. “We are already looking at a situation where we
provide quality seeds (our golden brand) and other aides for farmers around and
at the end of production, we mop them up and process. It’s going to be a long
chain that will benefit communities around here and beyond. ‘‘It doesn’t just
end there,’’ said the NFGCS coordinator who harped on the health benefits of
eating locally produced rice. He disclosed that investigations have shown that
rice imported to Nigeria stay up to a decade or more and are preserved with
chemicals that are capable of causing cancer. Ogbeide Peter, the farm manager
expressed optimism while calling on government to adopt policies that will
effectively promote local rice production in the country, adding that there is
a bottleneck in processing harvested rice. ‘‘Nigerian business environment is
very competitive and it is difficult without government support. It must not
necessary be loan but subsidies. ‘‘Here, we are already milling but you need a
machine that will take whole process at once. 200 tons per day that can process
eight tons per hour, clean, remove husk and de-stone. These machines are very
expensive in the open market but the government can make them available to us at
subsidised rates. ‘‘This will help reduce the cost of production as well as
reduce the market price. Most people finance 100 per cent of their businesses
and this is not supposed to be so,’’ said Peter who noted that smuggling and
importation of rice will continue unless the government looked inwards and
engaged major stakeholders in rice production. He feared that such practice is
even capable of crippling investments in the sector. ‘‘For instance, we are
selling at N8, 000 per 2kg bag of Gaate Gold. The price is a bit high. This is
because the cost of production is crazy and you need to make profit or at
worst, get back the value of your initial investment. ‘‘Nigeria is a big
market, if importers are still interested in our market, then it is the responsibility
of the government to tell them to bring down their technology and produce here.
When this is done, we are not only going to create jobs but would as well be
sharing technology, which will be a win-win situation for all of us. Economic
analyst, Okoduga Jimoh, believes that local investment has the potential of
boosting the agriculture industry in Nigeria but fears that political farmers
dominate the sector and though the current administration has prioritised
agriculture, it needs to up the game to make farming attractive to the people.
The Buhari government has, in the last four years, invested so much in rice
farming through the Central Bank Anchor Borrowers’ Programme to cut down supply
from outside the country nonetheless, rice importation through the back door,
remains a huge burden on the government and a big loss to the country’s GDP.
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Rice gene response to water and nutrients discovered
Gloria Coruzzi of New York University’s Center for Genomics and
Systems Biology studies gene regulatory networks controlling nitrogen use
efficiency and root nutrient uptake. | New York University photo
Rice is a major food staple. Developing countries account for 95
percent of the total world production.
According to Joseph Swift, a doctoral candidate in NYU’s Center
for Genomics and Systems Biology and the study’s lead author, changes in the
nutrient dose can have dramatic effects on rice gene expression, or behaviour,
and the plant’s growth.
“Fertilizer and irrigation are the two major inputs for
agriculture,” said Swift. But rarely have scientists looked at how a plant’s
biology allows it to respond to combinations of nutrients and water. This is
important because, around the world, low nutrient soils often co-localize with
dry soils. As climate change progresses, soils will become drier. Additionally,
the globe needs to become less dependent on inorganic fertilizers that are big
contributors to carbon pollution.”
Nutrients that plants absorb from the soil are dissolved in some
level of moisture, but past studies were unable to determine whether organisms
could sense the total amount of nutrient available or only the relative amount
that was dissolved in water.
The research team wanted to know whether plants responded to
changes in absolute nutrient amount compared to their concentrations in water.
Rice seedlings were exposed to an experimental matrix of varying
nitrogen and water conditions, which showed the different effects they had on
plant growth. Then, through computer analyses of the responses of more than
50,000 genes, they found that while some genes were controlled in response to
either the amount of nitrogen or water, other genes responded specifically to
combinations of both.
Taking the results into the field, the team collaborated with researchers
in the Philippines and conducted trials over two growing seasons.
“I did field research at the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI), working closely with Dr. Amelia Henry, who is based there,”
said Swift.
They found that the genes responding to combinations of both
nitrogen and water were associated with the amount of grain produced by the
rice crop.
“Our work indicates which rice genes could be important for
growth under low nutrient, dry conditions. One option would be to genetically
modify these genes to see if they produce rice varieties that require less
water and nutrients to grow.”
However, he said that more conventional approaches are also on
the table and he referred to the ability of breeders to focus on these genes
when breeding climate-ready crops.
“These genes may assist in developing crops that require not
only fewer nutrients to grow, but less water,” said professor Gloria Coruzzi in
the university’s press release and the paper’s senior author. “This could
potentially lead to allowing many marginal soils around the world — those that
are too dry or nutrient poor for crop production — to be more agriculturally
viable. Moreover, it is especially crucial to develop crops that produce grain
yield in the face of global warming and climate change.”
The research findings were published recently in the journal
Nature Communications.
Agriculture
minister: Govt to export 1-1.5m ton rice
Published
at 07:29 pm May 30th, 2019
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
The decision aims to save farmers from losses.
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque yesterday said that the
government has decided to export 1–1.5 million tons of rice, aiming to ensure
fair prices to farmers.
He disclosed the decision, while speaking at a press conference
held at the ministry’s auditorium, discussing the government's steps to counter
the low market price of paddy, reports UNB.
The minister said the government is also considering raising
incentives to 25% or 30% from the present 20% to encourage rice exports.
"The government has already increased the duty on foreign
rice from 28% to 55% to discourage imports," he added.
He emphasized on mechanization and modernization of the
agriculture sector to make it more profitable.
The decision comes following widespread protest by farmers about
the falling price of paddy in Bangladesh.
Farmers have been counting about Tk300 in losses per maund as
paddy prices this year fell drastically.
While protesting in Dhaka, paddy farmers claimed they would be
forced to stop growing the crop if the situation persisted.
Agriculture Minister Razzaque attributed the recent fall in rice
prices to bumper production amid favourable weather, government incentives, and
excessive rice imports.
Construction work begins on greenhouse tents
HARRISBURG, Ark. (KAIT) - Arkansas State University has begun
the construction on six greenhouse tents in Harrisburg.
It’s a three-university project between ASU, the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, and Kansas State University.
Construction has been delayed several times due to all the rain,
but this past week, they got their first tent built.
Greg Garbos is the President of Four Season Tools his business
helps with the construction of the tents.
“We had our first barn raising at the end of the day yesterday,
which was a great morale booster for everyone in the project,” said Garbos.
Once the greenhouse tents are built, researchers will plant 400
various breeds of rice in each greenhouse.
Researchers will also monitor heat temperatures within the
plants and observe different seasons for the next three years.
The goal of this study will hopefully impact the rice industry
in Arkansas and the United States, officials hope.
Copyright 2019 KAIT. All rights reserved.
Sponsored Stories
Win-win for Vietnam in Reducing
Emissions
NEWS May
30, 2019 | Original
story from Frontiers.
Forages for cattle on a scale in a village in Vietnam. Credit:
Georgina Smith / International Center for Tropical Agriculture.
Through
cost-saving practices for coffee, rice, corn and livestock production, Vietnam
can take steps to meet Paris Agreement commitments, says a study that
highlights climate action potential for agriculture, forestry and land use in
SE Asia — by the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture.
As nations look toward 2020, when they will take stock of their actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement, many are seeking ways to increase their nationally determined contributions, or NDCs, to global emissions reduction. Vietnam is one of the fortunate nations that has a suite of untapped options that, if undertaken, can save the country an estimated $2.3 billion by 2030, substantially decrease emissions while increasing agricultural productivity, and benefit coastal and forest ecosystems.
These actions include agroforestry in coffee plantations, intermittently watering rice paddies instead of maintaining them permanently flooded, and providing cattle with improved feed. The study, which examines 41 measures to reduce emissions in the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector in Vietnam, was published in April in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems by researchers at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and colleagues.
“The study highlights the importance of the AFOLU sector to achieve the Paris Agreement goals especially in developing countries,” said Daniel Escobar Carbonari, the lead author and researcher for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security at CIAT. “In fact, it shows that emissions-reductions actions in countries like Vietnam are profitable, good for the environment and can potentially increase farmer incomes.”
The researchers found that 14 AFOLU mitigation measures have a “negative marginal cost,” meaning they cost less than business-as-usual (BAU) practices, generally because they increase productivity or reduce inputs such as fertilizer or water. Other measures, including rainforest and mangrove restoration and protection, have the higher mitigation potential but have higher marginal costs. These costs, however, may be offset by the services provided by these rich ecosystems, said the researchers.
If the 41 AFOLU mitigation measures were enacted, they would eliminate or mop up 51 percent of Vietnam’s projected emissions in 2030, when the country would have a population of more than 100 million people.
“This shows that feasible changes in land use and agriculture have tremendous potential for Vietnam to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions,” said Godefroy Grosjean, who leads CIAT’s Asia Climate Policy Hub and is a study co-author. “If coupled with a national strategy to reduce emissions from energy and transportation – and international support – AFOLU-based mitigation could play a key role in achieving ambitious NDC targets.”
“This study could be replicated in other Southeast Asian countries to guide their NDC targeting,” he added.
More ambitious targets
Globally, AFOLU accounts for almost 25 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions but its importance in NDCs is often overshadowed by fossil fuel use, which accounts for the vast majority of emissions. Under the more optimistic (yet feasible) projections made by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the AFOLU sector has the potential for “negative emissions,” meaning that it would absorb more greenhouse gas than it emits in an annual cycle.
The researchers said more research and better data on the true costs of some AFOLU measures would help Vietnam refine its NDCs, which they suggest can be more ambitious in light of the potential the measures have for meeting Paris Agreement targets. Improved data on forestry, which has especially high mitigation potential, would aid better projections of BAU-changing scenarios. More “costly” efforts such as mangrove protection and restoration would ultimately prove less expensive, if their positive contributions – including storm surge protection, prevention of erosion and providing nurseries for fish – were better understood in economic terms.
“Nevertheless there are important barriers, and better information is needed to improve the climate change policy in SEA countries,” said Escobar, who is also a researcher at Stockholm University and Colombia’s Ecotonos Foundation. “Vietnam’s NDCs have important challenges ahead. Reviewing some of the assumptions underlying the country’s emissions projections are important to achieving consistency with their mitigation options, and improving the likelihood of effective climate policy.”
Scaling up mitigation practices will be a challenge given the size of certain agricultural subsectors. Vietnam is the world’s second-largest producer of coffee and fifth largest of rice, by volume. Climate change and increasing domestic demand for food and animal products may also put pressure on natural landscapes. “
The revision process of national NDCs is crucial to reach the goals set under the Paris Agreement,” said Grosjean. “This study highlights the importance of constant data refinement regarding the mitigation options considered in the NDCs, especially for the AFOLU sectors of developing countries, where data scarcity is more pronounced.”
Reference
Reviewing Vietnam's Nationally Determined Contribution: A New Perspective Using the Marginal Cost of Abatement. Daniel Escobar Carbonari, Godefroy Grosjean, Peter Läderach, Tran Dai Nghia, Bjoern Ole Sander, Justin McKinley, Leocadio Sebastian and Jeimar Tapasco. Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 10 April 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2019.00014.
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
In search of top engineers
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:08 AM May 31, 2019
Our country produced about 50,000 engineering graduates last year, ranging from
sanitary to civil engineers (the latter being the most numerous), with only
about half passing the board exams to become licensed engineers. While I
couldn’t find Vietnam’s latest numbers, that country produced twice as many
(100,390) engineering graduates in 2015, even with a population (95 million)
less than our 101 million. That statistic alone explains a lot about why
Vietnam has already surpassed the Philippines in so many ways, particularly in
level of industrialization.
In a country where results of the bar exam
for lawyers make front page news while engineering board exam results merit
little, if any, media attention, there must be something wrong with our
priorities. Fresh engineering graduates reportedly earn an average of P19,000 a
month, little more than the average of P15,000 earned in nontechnical
positions. And yet engineers arguably make a far greater contribution to
raising the economy’s output and welfare than lawyers can.
Take Dr. Ricardo Orge, for example. The son
of a coconut farmer from Leyte, he witnessed firsthand the difficulties
Filipino farmers face trying to make ends meet, which he says impelled him to
dedicate his work to improve their lot. As an agricultural engineer at the
Philippine Rice Research Institute, he developed technologies to improve farm
processes and support alternative livelihoods for rice farmers. Among his
inventions is a continuous-type rice hull carbonizer that turns an ubiquitous farm
waste material into useful energy. Farmer cooperatives in Nueva Ecija and
Bulacan now benefit from his invention, cutting costs and dependence on fossil
fuels, using renewable energy generated from the machine to speed up mushroom
culture and production.
Turning trash to treasure has also been the
contribution of chemical engineering professor Dr. Evelyn Taboada, dean of the
College of Engineering in the University of San Carlos in Cebu City. Like Orge,
her work has been on deriving economic value from common organic waste matter,
thereby stretching the value chain of farm products.
Leading a team of engineers and
researchers, her research found good use for tons of mango wastes from local
mango processing plants, turning them into high-value products like flour,
animal feed and pectin. The research paved the way for construction of a
processing plant that now employs erstwhile garbage pickers, providing them
higher and more stable incomes. She and Orge have shown that engineers
can do much to create jobs and alleviate poverty.
And then there’s Dr. Rex Demafelis, a
University of the Philippines Los Baños professor, also a chemical engineer.
Like Orge, he championed projects on alternative energy. Seeing sugar
farmers in Negros Occidental lose their livelihoods as a result of reduced
planting of sugarcane, he introduced sweet sorghum as a substitute crop to be
planted in former sugarcane areas in Sagay City. Working with the local
government, his technology for turning sorghum into ethanol has improved the lives
of hundreds of otherwise displaced sugarcane farmers.
The Manila Water Foundation (MWF) Prize for
Engineering Excellence has recognized Orge, Taboada and Demafelis, along with
geodetic engineer Dr. Enrico Paringit and electrical and electronics engineer
Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano, whose joint work on remote sensing using lidar (light
detection and ranging) technology has helped improve disaster preparedness in
vulnerable areas of the country, and Dr. Merlinda Palencia, whose work on
treating wastewater renders it clean enough to return to bodies of water.
Dedicated to empowering marginalized communities via improved water access,
sanitation and hygiene, the MWF established the award to give due recognition
to a critical but little-rewarded (and awarded) profession in our country.
Check
out https://manilawaterfoundation.org/mwf-prize-engineering-excellence if
you know an engineer worthy of the prize, and help make their profession more
attractive and better appreciated. Perhaps we would also help our engineers
make it to front-page news, the way our new passing lawyers always do.
cielito.habito@gmail.com
Big Relief to the Rice millers of
Haryana
Published on:
May 30 2019, 11:54
Haryana
Government sought FCI approval from raising the milling charge of paddy from Rs
10 to Rs 15, for a long time Rice Millers of Haryana were demanding increasing
milling charges.Haryana Government sought FCI approval from raising the milling
charge of paddy from Rs 10 to Rs 15, for a long time Rice Millers of Haryana
were demanding increasing milling charges. The Haryana Government is trying to
improve the situation of rice mills in the state. The State Government has
approved the approval of the FCI to increase the charge of milling in the
central pool to Rs 15 per kg, which is currently 10 rupees per kg. If FCI
approves this proposal, then about 1000 rice mills will benefit.
Good-miss-universe-performance-puts-philippines-plants-global-beauty
map
Catriona
Gray of the Philippines waves to the audience after being crowned the new Miss
Universe 2018 on December 17, 2018 in Bangkok.
Good
Miss Universe performance puts Philippines’ plants in global beauty map
Deni
Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo (Philstar.com) - May 30, 2019 - 9:13pm
MANILA, Philippines — From fad food ingredients, Philippine
products such as turmeric and red rice have been identified as the next big
things in global beauty industry, thanks to the country’s good performance in
international beauty pageants like Miss Universe, international beauty experts
said.
“The beauty industry in the Philippines is worth 40 billion pesos
currently, and expected to grow from five to 10 percent annually in the coming
years. It is natural for us to continuously aim to grow the Philippine beauty
industry with its world-renowned beauty raw materials such as coconut, and its
fame in beauty pageants such as Miss Universe,” explained CP Saw, Director of
Beauty Portfolio ASEAN of Malaysia-based company Informa Markets, which
reportedly has 30 years of global beauty trade show experience
In
Memory: Senator Thad Cochran
Thad Cochran,
former senator of Mississippi, passed away early this morning at the age of 81
in Oxford, Mississippi. Cochran was first elected to the Senate in 1978,
the first Republican to win statewide election there in more than 100 years,
and served until his resignation in April 2018 due to health concerns.
Senator Cochran was an enduring champion for the rice industry during his
tenure, and his advocacy and contributions to the American farmer will be
remembered for years to come. 
"Throughout his years of service, Senator Cochran was a strong advocate for rural America, especially U.S. agriculture, and the rice industry will always be totally indebted to his leadership," said Travis Satterfield, a rice farmer and constituent of the Senator's, and a former president of the Delta Council. "Above all, Senator Cochran was a kind and loving gentleman who respected everyone and listened to your concerns. He was a person who never sought division but continually sought common ground. Simply, he was a leader in the greatest generation. We will miss his leadership and counsel."
The Senator served on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee from his first day on the job, and throughout his career influenced and helped pass seven Farm Bills. Cochran also served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations from 2005-2006 and from 2015 until his retirement. Whether acting as chairman or ranking member of this powerful committee, Cochran always sought sensible solutions to advance the agriculture industry and rural America.
"No one stood taller in supporting agriculture during his 45 years of service in Congress than Thad Cochran," said Frank Howell, executive vice president of the Delta Council. "Specifically, he was able to make substantial contributions to agricultural policy and research in Southern crops such as rice, cotton, and aquaculture because he knew their importance to the local economy as well as the nation and the world. He achieved so many positive outcomes, not only because he understood the issues and their importance to the people he represented, but also because he had a personality and gentleman-like manner that allowed him to build coalitions with other Members from other parts of the country."
The Senator is such a respected figure among rice circles that he has a variety of rice named after him. Mississippi State University's Agricultural and Forestry Experimentation Station showed their appreciation by dubbing a new variety "Thad" in his honor. The rice industry owes him a debt of gratitude for championing rice farmers in his home state as well as national agriculture interests.
He was known by Senate colleagues for his quiet, gentle demeanor, and was dubbed the "quiet persuader" by Time Magazine in 2006. To his constituents he was a man of the people who always worked to serve Mississippi and his nation with diligence and honor. He left behind a legacy of conservation, advocacy for agriculture, and common sense bipartisanship.
"I had the pleasure of working for Senator Cochran when he was the Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee," said Ben Mosely, USA Rice vice president of government affairs. "A statesman and humanitarian, he was truly dedicated to helping people. Senator Cochran worked tirelessly in pursuit of government assistance to improve the lives of not only Mississippians, but also those from all walks of life and anywhere in the world. It only took me a minute to meet him, an hour to appreciate him, and a day to love him, but it will take more than a lifetime to forget him. I am very fortunate to have known him and learned from him, and the rice industry will be forever thankful to have had such a champion for farmers in the U.S. Senate."
Sustainability
Report: Energy Use and Air Quality
By Lesley Dixon
Another in our series highlighting the U.S. Rice Industry
Sustainability Report
ARLINGTON, VA -- The benefits of sustainability measures are not always visible to the naked eye. Cleaner air and efficient energy usage may not be quite as tangible as clear water, healthy soil, or waterfowl, and that's why the U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report is so important-it quantifies and catalogs the great strides rice farmers have made in air quality and energy since 1980, and the innovations they continue to make.
Much of this sustainability series so far has focused on efficiency-how rice farmers are using less water, making fewer passes over the field, and using less acreage to produce greater yields. Almost all of these sustainability efforts have the added advantage of reducing energy usage, and it has made a marked difference. During the 36-year period covered by the report, energy use in U.S. rice production has decreased by 34 percent, and farmers are continuing to modernize and streamline their operations to use even less.
All of these energy saving measures reduce greenhouse gasses and reliance on fossil fuels, which leads to better air quality for everyone. From 1980 to 2015, the rice industry has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 41 percent per hundredweight of rice produced.
The U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report details dozens of other steps farmers and millers are taking to reduce energy use, improve air quality, and make their operations more sustainable. From recycling to energy-efficient lighting, there are many innovative techniques and new technologies that reduce rice's carbon footprint on a daily basis. It may not always be directly observable, but it makes a huge difference.
ARLINGTON, VA -- The benefits of sustainability measures are not always visible to the naked eye. Cleaner air and efficient energy usage may not be quite as tangible as clear water, healthy soil, or waterfowl, and that's why the U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report is so important-it quantifies and catalogs the great strides rice farmers have made in air quality and energy since 1980, and the innovations they continue to make.
Much of this sustainability series so far has focused on efficiency-how rice farmers are using less water, making fewer passes over the field, and using less acreage to produce greater yields. Almost all of these sustainability efforts have the added advantage of reducing energy usage, and it has made a marked difference. During the 36-year period covered by the report, energy use in U.S. rice production has decreased by 34 percent, and farmers are continuing to modernize and streamline their operations to use even less.
All of these energy saving measures reduce greenhouse gasses and reliance on fossil fuels, which leads to better air quality for everyone. From 1980 to 2015, the rice industry has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 41 percent per hundredweight of rice produced.
The U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report details dozens of other steps farmers and millers are taking to reduce energy use, improve air quality, and make their operations more sustainable. From recycling to energy-efficient lighting, there are many innovative techniques and new technologies that reduce rice's carbon footprint on a daily basis. It may not always be directly observable, but it makes a huge difference.
usa ricedaily
Ambassador Designate To Malaysia Visits Rawalpindi
Chamber Of Commerce And Industry
High Commissioner designate to
Malaysia, Ms Amina Baloch has urged Pakistani business community not to focus
only on traditional trade items like textile, palm oil etc, but also on
non-conventional sectors like Halal Meat, Gems and Jewelry and Tourism
RAWALPINDI,
(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 29th May, 2019 ) :High Commissioner
designate to Malaysia, Ms Amina Baloch has urged Pakistani business community not to focus only on
traditional trade items like textile, palm oil etc, but also on non-conventional sectors like
Halal Meat, Gems and Jewelry and Tourism.
She
passed these remarks during her visit to the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) here on Wednesday There is a need
to intensify efforts from private sector to improve two-way trade
between Pakistan and Malaysia that would bring far better results for their economies,Amina said.
"We
should encourage frequent exchange of trade delegations to explore all untapped areas of potential
cooperation.",she added.
The
HC designate appreciated RCCI's efforts in promoting trade and business activities and added that the
organization had earned a good repute and strong credentials. She assured full
cooperation and assistance for RCCI Awards ceremony and Business Opportunity Conference in Kuala Lumpur in July 2019.
She
informed that her prime goal will be to improve Pakistan image, attract trade and investment,
direct flights between Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur and to export skilled and
semi-skilled labor to Malaysia.
The
designate high commissioner also emphasized on increasing networking and exchange of delegations.
President
RCCI Malik Shahid Saleem on the occassion stressed that both countries should
focus on new products to improve two-way trade. He said that the prime
objective of business conference in Malaysia was to promote true image of Pakistan and build strong trade ties between the
private sector of the two countries.
Malik
said that exchange of trade delegations is direly needed to
boost the bilateral trade ties and volume. He said many Pakistani products including rice, wheat, mangoes, halal food, seafood, meat products, cutlery and sports goods, spices, handicrafts, light engineering
goods, hospital and surgical equipment, pharmaceuticals and gems and jewelry could find good market in Malaysia.
RCCI president also gave short
briefing on current and upcoming events
Colombia could lose 60% of land suitable for irrigated rice due to
climate change
Unchecked emissions will reduce land suitable for rice in
Colombia, underscoring how geography limits options for crops. Unlike China,
where paddies can move to higher latitudes, Colombian production may go to
higher altitudes without climate action
CREDIT: NEIL PALMER / CIAT
The study found that Colombia's suitable arable land for rice is
currently 4.4 million hectares but could be reduced to 1.8 million hectares in
a few decades. Mitigation could require complex decisions around land-use
change, changes in crop cultivation, and food security, said the authors. The
study is the first of its kind for a Latin American country and was published
in Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global
Change.
"Many of these impacts can be avoided if we act on time by
facilitating strategies so that our farmers are better prepared, and reducing
the emissions of greenhouse gases from agriculture and other sectors,"
said Fabio Castro, the study's lead author and researcher at the International
Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia.
The study highlights the climate-change challenges faced by many
tropical countries that grow rice, which is the most important food crop in the
developing world. Whereas China, the world's largest rice producer, has lots of
land and can move production further north to mitigate climate impacts, many
countries do not have the same options.
"India, which is a little bit closer to the equator,
doesn't have as much flexibility as China does, but they still have some
flexibility, as do some Southeast Asian countries," said Glenn Hyman, a
co-author at the Spatial Informatics Group. "Indonesia, Western Africa,
Peru, Ecuador and Central America are similar to Colombia but may lack land at
cooler, higher altitudes."
Mitigate quickly
The researchers examined current and projected climate
conditions in Colombia's various rice-growing regions. Under the projections,
some low-altitude areas are projected to become environmentally incompatible
with rice production. Other areas, which are cooler and have higher elevations,
will become more suitable.
Mitigation strategies for the most extreme future climates
include adoption of heat-tolerant rice varieties and more efficient water
management. Researchers also recommend careful development of new rice-growing
areas.
They emphasize that global action to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions will significantly decrease the extent of adaptation measures.
"This is a warning that Colombia's suitability for rice
will change," said Castro, who is also a researcher at Colombia's
Universidad del Valle. "If cultivation continues in the same areas, with
the same seeds and the same agronomic practices, perhaps future yields will be
reduced or simply the current varieties will not adapt."
The study's future scenario, 2049-2060, is based on
Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5, a greenhouse gas concentration
trajectory that considers business-as-usual emissions scenarios. RCPs were
adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to help standardize
research related to projected impacts of increased greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Future land suitability was determined by climate models for
temperature, precipitation, soil types, and socioeconomic variables.
"Areas that are projected to be less suitable for rice may
need to switch to other crops or otherwise develop new livelihood strategies.
In other areas where rice production is projected to thrive, land-use changes
need to be considered carefully in the light of sustainability and
profitability," wrote the authors. "Food security and food
sovereignty issues may also be important considerations in land-use planning in
these regions. Planning efforts will require more research on the economic and
social aspects of agricultural production in the country."
###
Funding and support
The authors thank FEDEARROZ, Colombia's national rice-growers
association, for sharing irrigated rice location data from the organization's
phytosanitary survey. CIAT and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change,
Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) sponsored this research in conjunction
with Colombia's Universidad del Valle. CCAFS receives support from the CGIAR
and through bilateral funding agreements. For details, please visit https:/
Govt to export
10-15 lakh tonnes of rice: minister
Staff Correspondent |
Published: 18:02, May 30,2019 | Updated: 22:20, May 30,2019
A file photo shows a man weighing paddy on the outskirts of
Dhaka. Agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque on Thursday said that the government
had decided to give Tk 3,000 crore subsidy in purchasing rice harvesters and
other equipment to reduce the dependence on agriculture labourers that was
contributing to the losses of rice farmers.— New Age photo
Agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque on Thursday said that the
government had decided to give Tk 3,000 crore subsidy in purchasing rice
harvesters and other equipment to reduce the dependence on agriculture
labourers that was contributing to the losses of rice farmers.
He said that the government had also decided to export 10-15 lakh tonnes of coarse rice this year providing higher incentives to the exporters.
‘The decision to give Tk 300 crore subsidy in purchasing rice harvesters and other equipment has been taken as per an instruction made in principle by prime minister Sheikh Hasina,’ the minister said while speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat.
‘The government has already taken some initiatives to remove the labour shortage by introducing mechanised and modern agriculture,’ he added.
Apart from the new subsidy, the government would continue to provide the ongoing subsidies of Tk 6,000 crore on non-urea fertilisers and other farm inputs to help agricultural production, he added.
He further said that the capacity of warehouses would also be increased in coming days to procure un-husked rice from growers from the next year.
He said that currently the government was providing 20 per cent incentives to promote exports of the agricultural produces from Bangladesh.
‘About rice export, the government is thinking of increasing the incentives up to 30 per cent,’ he said.
The minister said that the decision of rice export was taken as the country’s growers incurred losses due to low price of the boro rice this year.
Razzaque said that the bumper production of rice coupled with a massive import of husked rice caused the boro rice price to hit so low. After flash floods in 2017, over 40 lakh tonnes of husked rice have been imported though there were bumper productions of aman and boro rice in the country, he said.
‘As per the government decision, the ministry of commerce is taking necessary steps to export rice,’ he said, adding that the export of rice would not have any impact on the country’s food security.
About rice export, he also said that Bangladesh would have to compete with India, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries in the international market.
The agriculture minister further said that the government had enhanced rice import duty up to 55 per cent from 28 per cent to discourage import of rice.
Agriculture secretary M Nasiruzzaman spoke at the press conference.
He said that the government had also decided to export 10-15 lakh tonnes of coarse rice this year providing higher incentives to the exporters.
‘The decision to give Tk 300 crore subsidy in purchasing rice harvesters and other equipment has been taken as per an instruction made in principle by prime minister Sheikh Hasina,’ the minister said while speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat.
‘The government has already taken some initiatives to remove the labour shortage by introducing mechanised and modern agriculture,’ he added.
Apart from the new subsidy, the government would continue to provide the ongoing subsidies of Tk 6,000 crore on non-urea fertilisers and other farm inputs to help agricultural production, he added.
He further said that the capacity of warehouses would also be increased in coming days to procure un-husked rice from growers from the next year.
He said that currently the government was providing 20 per cent incentives to promote exports of the agricultural produces from Bangladesh.
‘About rice export, the government is thinking of increasing the incentives up to 30 per cent,’ he said.
The minister said that the decision of rice export was taken as the country’s growers incurred losses due to low price of the boro rice this year.
Razzaque said that the bumper production of rice coupled with a massive import of husked rice caused the boro rice price to hit so low. After flash floods in 2017, over 40 lakh tonnes of husked rice have been imported though there were bumper productions of aman and boro rice in the country, he said.
‘As per the government decision, the ministry of commerce is taking necessary steps to export rice,’ he said, adding that the export of rice would not have any impact on the country’s food security.
About rice export, he also said that Bangladesh would have to compete with India, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries in the international market.
The agriculture minister further said that the government had enhanced rice import duty up to 55 per cent from 28 per cent to discourage import of rice.
Agriculture secretary M Nasiruzzaman spoke at the press conference.
Hanoi
seeks to export Japonica rice
Illustrative
image (Photo: internet)Hanoi (VNA) – Sixteen cooperatives in Hanoi’s eight districts have produced Japonica rice on a total area of 800 hectares during the 2019 summer-autumn crop in service of export, heard a conference in Hanoi on May 29.
The cooperatives are operating fruitfully, especially in high-quality agricultural production, and able to develop production-consumption chains.
Each production area of Japonica rice spans at least 30ha and would be expanded in the time ahead. Besides, they have irrigation systems favourable for mechanisation.
According to the Hanoi Agricultural Development Centre, the city has stepped up high-quality rice production in tandem with export.
Japonica, a high-quality round grain variety, has been cultivated for many crops in Hanoi.
In 2018, Vietnam’s total rice exports reached 6.15 million tonnes, with export turnover of 3.15 billion USD. The industry saw a 5.7 percent increase in volume and a 19.6 percent increase in value compared to 2017.
The country’s rice exports in the first four months of this year were estimated at 2.03 million tonnes, worth 866 million USD, down by 7.9 percent in volume and 21.7 percent in value over the same period last year.-VNA
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/hanoi-seeks-to-export-japonica-rice/153459.vnp
Info minister: Steps taken to export surplus rice
·
Published
at 08:38 pm May 29th, 2019
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud speaks at a memorial
event to honour the memory of renowned singer Subir Nandi at the National Press
Club on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 Focus Bangla
'The country has witnessed tremendous progress
as the present government implemented many development programs over the past
10 years'
Mentioning that a vested quarter is creating
conspiracies about the agricultural sector, Information Minister Dr Hasan
Mahmud has said the government has already taken necessary steps to export
surplus rice.
“Bangladesh is now a food-surplus country.
However, a vested quarter cannot see this as a success as it is always engaged
in making conspiracies,” he said at a memorial event at the National Press Club
on Wednesday.
Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote (BSJ) organized
the event to honour the memory of renowned singer Subir Nandi, with BSJ
President Sarah Begum Kabori in chair.
Former food minister Advocate Quamrul Islam,
Awami League Deputy Office Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant
Barrister Biplob Barua, AL leaders Kamal Chowdhury and Advocate Baloram Poddar,
BSJ General Secretary Arun Sarker Rana, eminent singer Rafiqul Alam, SD Rubel,
actor Tarin Jahan, and Subir Nandi’s daughter Falguni Nandi addressed the
event, among others.
Dr Hasan Mahmud, also the publicity and
publication secretary of the ruling Awami League, said Bangladesh was once a
food deficient country, but is now a food exporting country even though it is
home to 160 million people.
“Bangladesh has emerged as a unique example of
development for the world community under the leadership of Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina,” he added.
The country has witnessed tremendous progress
as the present government implemented many development programs over the past
10 years, he said, adding that Bangladesh has exceeded India and Pakistan in
many key indicators.
Paying rich tribute to Subir Nandi, the
information minister said: “Nandi was not only a legendary singer, but also a
good human being. He was polite and had a good soul.”
The minister said the country has lost a
number of prominent cultural activists, including Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul, Tele Samad,
and Ayub Bacchu, this year.
Dr Hasan further said cultural practices help
the young generation become healthy citizens, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
is always willing to extend support to cultural personalities.
Asia Rice: Top hubs see
muted activity; fresh supply to weigh on Vietnam rates
Diptendu Lahiri
MAY 31, 2019 / 6:33 AM /
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Export prices for rice were little changed in
major hubs in Asia amid few new deals, with rates for the Vietnamese variety
expected to fall further in the coming week as the ongoing harvest picks up
pace, boosting domestic stocks.
A farmer harvests rice on a rice paddy field outside Hanoi,
Vietnam, June 7, 2018. REUTERS/KhamÊ
Rates for Vietnam’s 5 percent broken rice were $350 a tonne on
Thursday, flat from last week.
“Prices will likely fall further over the coming weeks as the summer-autumn
harvest is picking up pace,” a trader based in Ho chi Minh City said, adding
the harvest will peak mid-June.
However, the quality of rice from the new harvest is expected to be
lower than that of the winter-spring harvest due to adverse weather and crop
diseases, another trader said.
The government estimated Vietnam’s rice exports in the January-May
period fell 5.3% from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh, traditionally the world’s fourth biggest
rice producer, lifted a long-standing ban on exports on Thursday.
Bangladesh aims to sell as much as 1.5 million tonnes, the
country’s agriculture minister Abdur Razzak said, in a move aimed at supporting
farmers amid a drastic drop in domestic prices.
Last week, Bangladesh raised rice import duty to 55% from 28% amid
widespread protests by growers.
Bangladesh had banned all rice exports in 2009. The country now has
a surplus of 2-2.5 million tonnes.
Bangladesh’s neighbour and the world’s top rice exporter India saw
subdued demand for its benchmark variety from buyers in Africa.
Prices of India’s 5 percent broken rice were unchanged from last
week at $364-$367 per tonne.
“Export demand is weak but we couldn’t cut prices due to the rising
rupee,” Ashwin Shah, director at Shah Nanji Nagsi Exports Pvt. Ltd, an exporter
based in Nagpur in central India.A strong rupee reduces exporters’ margin from
overseas sales.
Thailand’s benchmark 5-percent broken rice prices were largely
unchanged at $385-$402 a tonne on Thursday, free on board Bangkok (FOB), from
$385-$400 last week, as it faces stiff competition from other exporters.There
are no major deals in sight, traders said, attributing slight moves in prices
to currency fluctuations.
“Prices could not go up because other exporters sell rice cheaper
than ours, and the price could not go down because the baht is too strong,” a
Bangkok-based rice trader said.The Thai Commerce Ministry projected the
country’s rice exports at 10 million tonnes this year, versus last year’s 11
million tonnes, while the Rice Exporters Association pegged 2019 exports at 9.5
million tonnes.
Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in Hanoi,
Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Arpan Varghese and
Alexandra Hudson
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. https://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice/asia-rice-top-hubs-see-muted-activity-fresh-supply-to-weigh-on-vietnam-rates-idINKCN1T106B
Bulog Ensures Rice Stocks
Safe, Sufficient Before Eid al-Fitr
Antara
Petir Garda Bhwana
30 May 2019 16:33 WIB
"(Our rice stocks are) quite adequate.
We have stocked over two million (tons of rice). The stocks will suffice until
December (2019) and also the next harvest period," Bulog Director of
Operations and Public Services Tri Wahyudi Saleh remarked in Jakarta on
Thursday.
Moreover, Bulog has purchased 10 to 15
thousand tons of unhusked rice daily from farmers throughout Indonesia since
several areas are yet in the harvest period, he noted.
Saleh further pointed to the stocks of
sugar, wheat flour, and cooking oil being safe, and market intervention being
conducted whenever the need arises.
"Yesterday, we had reviewed the
(commodity prices) in Pasar Minggu, Jakarta. We obtained information that the
price of sugar surged to Rp12,800 per kilogram. Shortly, thereafter, we
supplied sugar there, and Alhamdulillah (thank God) the price decreased,” he
added.
Beef stocks are also sufficient, and Bulog
has set the highest price for it at Rp80 thousand per kilogram.
"We have checked (the price) in East
Java and West Java. Beef was sold at Rp110 thousand per kilogram, and it did
not come from Bulog," he
added.
ANTARA
Campaign launched to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice farming
The
Thai Rice NAMA will focus on six relevant provinces in the Central Plains of
Thailand: Chainat, Ang Thong, Pathum Thani, Singburi, Ayutthaya, and Suphanburi
May 30, 2019
By Bui Dung
The
Minister said the Thai Rice NAMA project will reach out to 100,000 rice farming
households in Thailand in shifting from conventional to low-emission farming in
the country.
The
project will work with farmers and farmers’ associations as well as external
service providers in adapting these advanced farming practices and develop
respective incentive schemes including financial support.
The
growth of ecological friendly livelihoods is a part of the national 20-year
strategy for security, prosperity and sustainability.
The
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has joined hands with the German
International Cooperation to launch the Thai Rice NAMA campaign to improve
farming efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for sustainable
development, piloting first in six provinces.
The
Thai Rice NAMA will focus on six relevant provinces in the Central Plains of
Thailand: Chainat, Ang Thong, Pathum Thani, Singburi, Ayutthaya, and
Suphanburi, and facilitate its replication at the national and regional scale. Mr.
Grisada added that in irrigated rice cultivation, applying an Alternate Wetting
and Drying (AWD) on laser land-levelled fields can significantly reduce methane
emissions.
The
switch to low-emission cultivation of rice is estimated to have the potential
for avoiding emissions of 1.664 million metric tons (Mt) of CO2e (carbon
dioxide equivalent) cumulative over the 5-year lifespan of the project with
increasing annual mitigation potential, reducing baseline emissions from
irrigated rice by more than 26 per cent.
The
Thai Rice NAMA campaign also includes the establishment of a revolving fund,
training on farming technologies which emit less greenhouse gas, the promotion
of world-class rice production quality and green loans for sellers and service
providers of farming technologies which help reduce greenhouse gas emission. It
is expected some 450,000 farmers and technology providers will benefit from
this campaign, helping yield 4 million tonnes of high quality produce each
year.
|
Bangladesh lifts ban on
rice exports, hopes to sell up to 1.5mln tonnes
30 MAY,
2019
Last week the government raised
import duty on rice to 55% from 28%
By Ruma
Paul, Reuters News
DHAKA- Bangladesh lifted its long-standing ban
on rice exports on Thursday, aiming to sell as much as 1.5 million tonnes to
support farmers following a drastic drop in domestic prices, the country's
agriculture minister Abdur Razzak said.
Last week the government raised import duty on
rice to 55% from 28% as growers vented their anger over falling prices by
burning paddy.
Bangladesh, traditionally the world's fourth
biggest rice producer, banned overseas shipments of some common rice varieties
in May 2008 after a spike in domestic prices. It banned all rice exports a year
later.
Even after the recent fall in local prices,
Bangladesh's rice is more expensive than supplies from India or Thailand, said
a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm.
"At the current market price no-one will
buy it," he said.
India and Thailand are the world's leading
exporters of rice and were supplying grain to Bangladesh until last year.
"If Bangladesh provides a subsidy to
export rice at lower price, then exports are possible," the dealer said.
(Reporting by Ruma Paul and Rajendra Jadhav;
Editing by Kirsten
Donovan and David
Evans) ((Ruma.Paul@thomsonreuters.com; +880 2 58315303; Reuters Messaging:
ruma.paul.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Egypt's GASC buys 40,000 tonnes of Chinese
rice in tender
30 MAY, 2019
GASC had been seeking an
unspecified quantity of white rice with 10%-12% broken parts for arrival July
25-Aug. 20.
By Nadine
Awadalla, Reuters News
CAIRO- Egypt's state grains buyer, the General
Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), said on Thursday that it bought 40,000
tonnes of Chinese rice in a tender.
GASC had been seeking an unspecified quantity
of white rice with 10%-12% broken parts for arrival July 25-Aug. 20.
The grains buyer last bought 114,000 tonnes of
Chinese rice at a tender in April.
Traders gave the following breakdown of the
latest purchase:
* Wakalex: 40,000 tonnes of Chinese rice at
$405.00 per tonne and inland charges of 555 Egyptian pounds ($33)
($1 = 16.7300 Egyptian pounds)
(Reporting by Maha
El Dahan and Nadine
Awadalla, editing by Susan
Fenton) ((Sami.Aboudi@thomsonreuters.com; +20223948181;))
Basmati acreage may rise up to 20% on higher
Iran demand
With expectation of low
carryover stock due to good global demand, prices are likely to remain firm
May 30,
2019, 11.20 AM IST
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India has an 85 per cent share in the Basmati exports market.
Chandigarh: Farmers are
expected to grow more Basmati
rice this kharif
season, with the acreage under cultivation likely to go up by up to
20 per cent, driven by higher remuneration, low carryover stock and increased
demand from Iran.
“Going by the sale of seeds, many farmers are likely to shift from normal paddy to Basmati this year as the income has been better in the last season,” a Haryana agriculture department official said.
Normal rice cultivation has started with planting of nurseries in the Northern states and will be followed by sowing of Basmati rice in the coming weeks. The area under Basmati is expected to grow by 20-25 per cent in Punjab this season as farmers’ income rose 15-20 per cent in the last season.
“The Basmati industry follows a cyclical trade trajectory and the previous year had been a good year,” a rice trader said. “There will be little carryover stock due to better-than-usual international demand for Basmati. So, the market is expected to remain firm in the coming months,” said Vijay Sethia, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.
Export of the premium variety — India has an 85 per cent share in the Basmati exports market — has grown by 10 per cent in 2018-19, primarily due to higher demand from Iran.
The prevailing global rice trade is impervious to geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran, although exporters are unsure of payments in the next season in case of a flare-up.
“Basmati exports to Iran have braved the international turmoil in the past and a shipment usually gets routed through the UAE in case of hurdles,” an official in the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) said.
Iran buys a quarter of the total Basmati rice that India exports, but trade volumes have grown substantially in 2018-19. The Gulf nation bought 1.4 million tonnes of Basmati rice in 2018-19 compared to its usual demand of around 1 million tonnes.
Total Basmati rice exports from India stood at 4.415 million tonnes in 2018-19, compared to 4.056 million tonnes in the previous financial year. Traders say the current trade balance between India and Iran is conducive for rice export and payments would not be affected, but the likelihood of an escalation in US-Iran relations is keeping exporters on tenterhooks. “There are no hurdles foreseen in payments for rice trade from Iran in the next few months, but the international trade could be affected by a situation of when the new crop will be available,” said Vinod Kumar Kaul, executive director, All India Rice Exporters Association. Basmati rice is harvested by November, but Iran opens up the import window after its domestic rice season gets over by December. The payment for rice exports to Iran is managed through an escrow account that is balanced with crude oil supply. “The crude oil trade import from Iran is conducive for rice trade and may take care of the next season as well, but hurdles in payment could be a concern in the next season,” said Amit Miglani, managing director of rice exporter Lekh Raj Narinder Kumar.
“Going by the sale of seeds, many farmers are likely to shift from normal paddy to Basmati this year as the income has been better in the last season,” a Haryana agriculture department official said.
Normal rice cultivation has started with planting of nurseries in the Northern states and will be followed by sowing of Basmati rice in the coming weeks. The area under Basmati is expected to grow by 20-25 per cent in Punjab this season as farmers’ income rose 15-20 per cent in the last season.
“The Basmati industry follows a cyclical trade trajectory and the previous year had been a good year,” a rice trader said. “There will be little carryover stock due to better-than-usual international demand for Basmati. So, the market is expected to remain firm in the coming months,” said Vijay Sethia, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.
Export of the premium variety — India has an 85 per cent share in the Basmati exports market — has grown by 10 per cent in 2018-19, primarily due to higher demand from Iran.
The prevailing global rice trade is impervious to geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran, although exporters are unsure of payments in the next season in case of a flare-up.
“Basmati exports to Iran have braved the international turmoil in the past and a shipment usually gets routed through the UAE in case of hurdles,” an official in the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) said.
Iran buys a quarter of the total Basmati rice that India exports, but trade volumes have grown substantially in 2018-19. The Gulf nation bought 1.4 million tonnes of Basmati rice in 2018-19 compared to its usual demand of around 1 million tonnes.
Total Basmati rice exports from India stood at 4.415 million tonnes in 2018-19, compared to 4.056 million tonnes in the previous financial year. Traders say the current trade balance between India and Iran is conducive for rice export and payments would not be affected, but the likelihood of an escalation in US-Iran relations is keeping exporters on tenterhooks. “There are no hurdles foreseen in payments for rice trade from Iran in the next few months, but the international trade could be affected by a situation of when the new crop will be available,” said Vinod Kumar Kaul, executive director, All India Rice Exporters Association. Basmati rice is harvested by November, but Iran opens up the import window after its domestic rice season gets over by December. The payment for rice exports to Iran is managed through an escrow account that is balanced with crude oil supply. “The crude oil trade import from Iran is conducive for rice trade and may take care of the next season as well, but hurdles in payment could be a concern in the next season,” said Amit Miglani, managing director of rice exporter Lekh Raj Narinder Kumar.
