Aroma in rice has no nutritional value, but a marketing trait
In Summary
• Annual rice consumption is at 650, 000 mts. The rate is at 12
percent compared to four percent in wheat and one percent in maize.
• Production rate is at a low of three percent compared to the
consumption rate.
Rice breeding Dr John Kimani, a rice breeder from the Kenya
Agricultrure and Livestock Research Organisation and Kayode Sanni from the
African Agricultural Technology Foundation at a National Performance Trial site
for hybrid rice in Mwea.
AGATHA NGOTHO
AGATHA NGOTHO
Did you know that the aroma in
rice has no nutritional value but it is only a marketing trait?
Rice consumers in Kenya prefer
the aromatic basmati rice which also has superior cooking qualities compared to
the other local and imported varieties.
But according to scientists, the
aromatic scent in your favorite dish of rice had no nutritional value.
Kayode Sanni, who heads the rice
project at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, said this is just a
marketing trait.
“The aroma is a demand-driven
trait even if it does not have the nutritional value. We are however developing
news hybrid rice varieties that have some of the preferred traits including the
aromatic, slender and long grains,” he said.
John Kimani, a rice breeder from
the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation said more Kenyans are
consuming rice unlike maize hence the need to breed more hybrid varieties.
He said the national rice
production is at 150, 000 metric tonnes against an annual consumption rate of
650, 000 metric tonnes.
“The country’s consumption rate
is growing at 13 percent while production growth is at 3.7 percent. The
consumption growth rate is attributed to change in lifestyle, urbanization and
because it is easy to prepare unlike maize,” Kimani said.
The rice breeder said Kenya has a
rice deficit of 500,000 metric tonnes and that 75 percent of rice consumed in
the country is imported from India and Pakistan.
Kenya spends about Sh92 billion
to import rice annually. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organisation, there has been a dramatic increase in total rice imports for East
and Southern Africa.
Kimani said breeders are
targeting to increase production to 408, 000 metric tonnes by 2022. Kenya has a
potential of about 540,000 ha under irrigation and one million ha under rainfed
production.
“With improved water harvesting,
storage, underground water resource utilization, and innovative management
technologies, the current irrigation potential can be increased by a further
800,000 ha to 1.3 m ha,” the rice breeder said.
The Economic Survey 2018, showed that an additional 7,363
hectares of land were placed under irrigation in 2017, representing a 50.5
percent increase.
This was largely attributable to the expansion of acreage in the
out-grower areas within the Mwea irrigation scheme.
Rice imports hurt
booming Mwea trade
CSimilarly, the number of plot holders practicing
irrigation rose by 25.1 percent to 16,326 in 2017. Despite the increase in the
area cropped and the increase in the number of plot holders, the volume of
total paddy declined by 20.0 percent from 90.7 thousand tonnes to 81.2 thousand
tonnes in 2017. This resulted in a 22.5 percent decrease in gross value of
output from all scheme areas to Sh4.4 billion in the review period,” the survey
stated.
The hybrid rice is currently
undergoing the National Performance Trials at Mwea, Hola, Malindi, Ahero and
Bondo in Kisumu.
The new hybrid rice developed by
the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has significant yield
advantage which can enhance food security and improve farmer’s livelihoods.
Sanni said that about five hybrid
varieties have been released to companies for seed multiplication but some
farmers in Mwea have planted one of the varieties for this cropping season.
“We are in the process of
licensing companies that will do seed multiplication and later release them to
farmers,” he said.
Eunice Wakiaga, has been a rice
farmer for 30 years and is growing the hybrid varieties at Unit H18 in Mwea,
Kirinyaga County.
She said during a field visit to
rice farmers in Mwea that she is expecting to harvest at least 40 bags of 50kg
from her one-acre farm.
“I harvested 20 to 25 bags of
rice from the old varieties I was using but this season, I am expecting a
better harvest. I have also used fewer seeds when planting the new hybrids,
unlike the other varieties. I used to plant 25 kilos of seeds in the same area
but this season I only used eight. This is very cost effective for me and I get
to save money from seeds,” she said.
Wakiaga said the migration of
young energetic people to the urban centers has also rendered labor unavailable
and expensive.
“I have been depending on my
family for labor to carry out various farm activities partly to reduce on
production costs and partly because it is available on demand during labor
peaks,” she said.
Sanni said the new hybrids will
see small-scale rice farmers in Kenya have access to quality rice seeds that
will boost their production.
“The promotion of rice production
will improve food security, increase smallholder farmers’ income, contribute to
employment creation in rural areas, and help reduce the rice import bill,” said
Sanni.
AATF is also working with other
partners in developing hybrid rice, with significant yield advantage over the
currently exhausted seeds in Kenya.
He explained that the partnership
is developing hybrid rice germplasm that is adapted to African conditions using
the two-line rice hybrid system technology, which uses only two-breeding lines
to produce hybrids.
“We are also developing an
information technology tool to predict temperature regimes and manage the
hybrid rice production risk. In addition, we are also establishing and training
a network of researchers and seed production specialists. The project will
develop and distribute hybrids and hybrid parental lines for use by smallholder
farmers in selected African countries,” Sanni said.
Major constraints
Benard Gitare, a rice farmer from
Mwea said most Kenyans living in the rural areas consume limited quantities of
rice, but it forms an important diet for the majority of urban dwellers.
Gitare said constraints and
challenges vary with production, cropping and farming systems across the
country.
“Like the rest of the world, the
trend of rice cultivation is going towards upland rice production where water
use efficiency and conservation is emphasized. The kind of infrastructure which
goes with six paddy rice production is expensive to most smallholder farmers,”
he said.
Sanni noted that mechanization
and provision of appropriate technologies suitable for farmers would promote
rice production.
“Investment in processing,
branding and marketing activities in rural rice growing areas would create
employment opportunities to curb the rural to urban migration by the youth,” he
said.
Research and extension services
were also affected by the liberalization of the rice irrigation schemes.
This according to Sanni, resulted
in the loss of genetic purity, poor agronomic practices, low production and
inadequate credit services due to limited Public-Private Sector Partnerships.
The high cost of farm inputs and
machinery is a disincentive in the increase in rice productivity. In irrigated
areas, he said, the main challenge is the supply of adequate water,
development, and rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure.
“Provision of health care
services and land ownership rights and environmental concerns need to be
addressed. In rain-fed lowland areas the main challenge is erratic rainfall,
inadequate skills for both farmers and extension staff and, infrastructure
development including processing mills and road networks,” the researcher said.
“In both regions, provision of
high-quality seed, technologies development, and transfer, strengthening of
farmer organizations and management structures will need to be addressed. Low
soil fertility, diseases especially blast and pests such Quelea birds and
rodents are also a problem.”
The release of the 15 new hybrid
varieties will help the country boost production of rice, the country’s second
staple food after maize.
The new hybrid varieties are said
to do well under irrigation as well as under rain-fed agriculture, will be
released to farmers after the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service gives
them a green light, with most of them expected to be with the farmers by 2020.
Replacing old rice varieties
Rice breeders in Kenya are
planning to replace rice varieties that have been used by farmers for the last
three decades.
Dr John Kimani, a rice breeder
and the center director, Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation
in Mwea said some rice varieties were developed 32 years ago and farmers are
still using them to date.
Some of the rice varieties in
line for replacement are ITA 310, BW 196, IR 2793-80-1, Basmati 217 and Basmati
370.
He said the use of old varieties
could be attributed to the drop in production over the years.
The national rice production is
currently at 150, 000 metric tonnes against an annual consumption of 650, 000
metric tonnes.
Kimani said rice is an important
crop in Kenya and it is one of the main focus crops under the Big Four agenda
on food and nutrition security.
Other crops include maize,
potatoes, sorghum, millet, cassava, sugar, and cotton.
Rice is mainly produced by
small-scale farmers in Mwea in Central, Buyala in Western Tana delta at the
Coast and Ahero, West Kano, Migori and Kuria in the Nyanza province.
About 300,000 rice farmers
provide labor and also earn their livelihood out of the crop’s production.
Kimani said Kalro in partnership
Korean Government is developing high yielding rice varieties through
introgression of high yielding traits from Korean germplasm to the local
varieties.
“We are currently developing product profiles so that we
understand why farmers and consumers have been clinging to these varieties for
many years. This will help to ensure that the new varieties that will replace
the old ones have those traits that preferred by the farmers and consumers,” he
explained.
Rice breeding Rice breeders consult on hybrid rice production in
Mwea.
Catfish, rice, Navy ships:
Cochran spending leaves legacy
One of many buildings named for the late Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran is the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center, an 800,000-square-foot former retail space that now houses physicians’ offices, an outpatient cancer treatment center and other medical operations, photographed Friday, May 31, 2019, in Jackson, Miss. Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who is African-American, said in 2014 that Cochran’s work in securing federal money was vital to developing the medical mall in the mid-1990s. (Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press)
By
JACKSON, Miss. — Former U.S. Sen.
Thad Cochran was a master of the federal budget process, quietly shrugging off
criticism about pork-barrel spending while directing billions of dollars back
to his home state of Mississippi.
Cochran died Thursday at age 81.
He was the 10th longest-serving senator in U.S. history...
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you’re blocking https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/catfish-rice-navy-ships-cochran-spending-leaves-legacy/2019/06/01/692948fc-8477-11e9-b585-
Faqh-e-Jafria Fitrana Fixed At Rs 150 Per Person
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 2nd Jun, 2019
) :The minimum amount of Sadqa-e-Fitr or Fitrana for Faqh-i-Jafria has been
fixed at Rs 150 per person, said Allama Zafar Abbas Kazmi.
Talking to APP, he said Sadqa�e-Fitr is obligatory for every sane member
of a family. People must not to forget
the needy and deserving in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.
Fitrah is to be calculated
according to the price of
3kg of one's staple food.
The people using rice and flour should pay Rs 315 and those using
only rice as their food should each pay Rs 480 as Fitrana.
Giving Zakat at Fitra is obligatory
upon the head of households, who are not poor themselves.
The time for it, is beforethe Eid Prayer or
Zuhr prayer in Eid-ul-Fitr. Paying
Zakat at Fitracompletes fasting, secures its acceptance
Catfish, rice, Navy ships:
Cochran spending leaves legacy
One of many buildings named for the late Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran is the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center, an 800,000-square-foot former retail space that now houses physicians’ offices, an outpatient cancer treatment center and other medical operations, photographed Friday, May 31, 2019, in Jackson, Miss. Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who is African-American, said in 2014 that Cochran’s work in securing federal money was vital to developing the medical mall in the mid-1990s. (Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press)
By
JACKSON, Miss. — Former U.S. Sen.
Thad Cochran was a master of the federal budget process, quietly shrugging off
criticism about pork-barrel spending while directing billions of dollars back
to his home state of Mississippi.
Cochran died Thursday at age 81.
He was the 10th longest-serving senator in U.S. history... https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/catfish-rice-navy-ships-cochran-spending-leaves-legacy/2019/06/01/692948fc-8477-11e9-b585-e36b16a531aa_story.html?utm_term=.0e509561feb1
Revitalization of rice industry
underway
JUNE 2, 2019 5:45 AM
The Agriculture Ministry is undertaking
various measure to revitalize the rice industry.
Minister Dr. Mahendra Reddy says
efforts to improve efficient production through continued research for a
self-sufficient and sustainable rice industry are underway.
Reddy adds the introduction of high
yielding improved rice varieties in Fiji is also a priority in the pipeline.
The Minister highlighted that China
is also assisting Fiji through nine experts to work on the rice development
project phase II in the Central and Northern Divisions.
This is aimed at improving
production efficiency and to continue research and development in the rice
sector.
Reddy says rice farming can be
labor intensive, hence the Ministry continues to mechanize many of the
husbandry practices.
He adds this includes providing
access to various types of rice machines which are available to farmers on
subsidized rates and the formation of rice clusters, where possible, to achieve
economies of scale which ensure machine optimization.
Helping irrigators associations succeed
Published June 1, 2019, 10:00 PM
Dr. Emil Q. Javier
This is third on the series on irrigators associations (IAs) as
a systemic, long-term way of addressing the constraints to productivity and
competitiveness of Philippine agriculture which for the most part consist of
small farms. The Rice Tariffication Act (RTA) provides a fresh opportunity to
breathe more life to the irrigators associations by providing additional
reasons for our small farmers to band together. Coursing the free farm
machines, seeds, subsidized credit and targeted training and extension services
provided in the new RTA through the IAs are additional compelling incentives
for farmers to join the IAs.
The National Irrigation
Administration (NIA) has adopted for its corporate strategy the phased transfer
of the operations and maintenance of the irrigation systems they build to the
water beneficiaries themselves (Irrigation Management Transfer Program). The
institutional instruments are the irrigators associations of which to date 9230
had been organized covering 1.39 million hectares of prime lands and serving
1.12 million beneficiaries. Of this total, 8,634 IAs (93%) had been officially
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). However only 44%
(4,096) of the IAs had entered into formal management contracts with NIA.
Thus, NIA is barely halfway through
in its objective of formally transferring the operations and maintenance
(O&M) responsibilities to the water users.
Outsourcing of support
services crucial
services crucial
The downstream O&M of
irrigation systems require expertise in engineering, social mobilization,
agronomy, and business management. The mobilization and social preparation of
the farmers necessarily take patience and a long time to attain. And beyond
that the farmers need to be introduced to modern farming techniques and sound
business practices to compete in the market.
NIA does not and most likely will
never have enough people in its organization with this wide variety of
competencies. In fact, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) thought
NIA had too many and reduced by half its plantilla during the last government
rationalization exercise.
The institutional strength of NIA
is in the design, construction, and major rehabilitation of irrigation systems
(civil engineering). Therefore, its better option is to outsource these
complementary expertise from other national agencies; from state universities
and colleges (SUCs); private professional service providers, and from
not-for-profit non-government organizations (NGOs) and corporate foundations.
Fortunately, NIA has more than
enough funds to outsource these expertise. For 2018 NIA’s regular budget plus
carry-over funds was P45.44 billion. However, its programmed allocation for
Irrigation Management Transfer Support Services (IMTSS) was a measly P108
million (0.2%). It is a matter of re-programming for irrigation management
transfer at least 2.0% of its annual budget. Since NIA’s annual budget the last
few years is at least P30 billion, that will mean P600 million per year, which
should be adequate.
For IAs to succeed they need the
support of the whole of the Department of Agriculture DA), and more. NIA by
itself can only do so much. The key institutional partners are Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development
and Mechanization (PHilMech), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Bureau of Soils
and Water Management (BSWM), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and Land
Bank of the Philippines (LBP), all of which have direct reporting
responsibilities with the Secretary of DA. For this reason, we are happy that
President Rodrigo Duterte finally rectified this organizational anomaly by
returning NIA to the DA.
Moreover, it should be kept in
mind that while the publicly-pronounced primary objective of irrigation is to
increase and stabilize yields of rice, the larger benefits in fact will be
derived by the farmers from multiple cropping and diversification into other
high-value crops like vegetables, annual fruits, legumes, and even ornamentals.
Hence the need for expertise beyond rice.
More attention to SWISAs
for upland farmers
for upland farmers
Less appreciated are the
opportunities of higher productivity from upland areas which are beyond the
coverage of the major irrigation systems. Our irrigable lands suitable for rice
are three million hectares. The balance of our farm lands (seven million
hectares) are classified as UPLANDS. Some of these uplands can benefit from
irrigation.
Apart from the 9,230 IAs
organized by NIA there are a few hundred small water irrigation systems
associations (SWISAs) organized under the auspices of the BSWM-DA. The small
irrigation systems include the small water impounding projects (SWIPs), small
diversion dams (SDDs), and shallow tube wells (STWs).
Since 2001 BSWM has built 114
SWIPs and SDDs and distributed 426 STWs providing water to 8,100 hectares and
benefitting 5,500 farmers. These small irrigation units have enabled farmers to
grow two crops of rice each year plus a third crop of annual fruits and
vegetables. They are also able to raise fish, mainly tilapia. The reservoirs
serve as well for recreation and sports and as local tourism destinations.
Although the service areas of small irrigation systems are less, they are
quicker and cheaper to install.
Congress ought to allot more
funds for small irrigation systems (and their SWISAs) for the benefit of upland
farmers who are more numerous and even poorer than the lowland rice farmers.
This needed and timely
re-direction of attention to irrigation development (and hopefully to the IAs
which will manage them), fit well with the initiative of DA Secretary Emmanuel
Piñol into solar-powered irrigation.
RIFAN to start rice milling
Rice Famers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has disclosed that
the association would soon be embarking on rice processing and milling.
The National Vice President of
RIFAN, Segun Atho, who disclosed this in an interview with The
Nation, noted that this action was necessitated as a result of
sabotage of some members of rice processors.
“We, the rice farmers have decided to start processing our rice
on our own because we have discovered that some of the rice millers have
started jeopardizing our efforts.
“We are trying to see how we can make fresh farm rice available
for consumers all over the country, starting from the 19 states in the north
and the 17 states in the south,” Atho said.
He pointed out that RIFAN had earlier signed an agreement with
the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), stressing that the
agreement was to ensure that whatever quantity of rice is harvested by the
Association RIPAN would be amongst the preferred buyers.
Regrettably, he said RIFAN decided to embark on rice processing
in order to avoid further sabotage, adding that it will help the farmers
achieve their utmost goal of self-sufficiency as well as export of the produce.
The RIFAN boss noted that part of the Anchor Borrowers’ Fund
benefited his members immensely. “The fund has helped all the rice farmers in
the whole country to improve and increase production. We have started producing
RIFAN rice. All of us are covered by this Anchor Borrowers Fund. We are
currently doing the distribution of farm inputs to rice farmers in the country
to see that every farmer benefit from this programme.”
RIFAN members, he emphasised, are utilising the funds, “I can
tell you categorically that almost all our members are complying and we have
increased our output astronomically.”
He stated that the Association recently distributed vehicles to
farmers in Abuja and environs to strengthen the monitoring team, adding that it
was part of the efforts to ensure monitoring team in all the states of the
federation.
“Before 2020, we would flood the Nigerian market with rice
produced by Nigerians and the country will no longer have business importing or
smuggling rice because our price would be competitive. We are seriously working
hard to make sure that we achieve this dream because rice is the only staple
food we have in this country,” he said.
Using genes to
understand rice blast disease resistance in Indian rice varieties
JUNE 01, 2019 18:20 IST
The rapid changes in pathogen virulence pose a constant challenge
to the success of existing blast-resistant rice varieties, says Manoj Kumar
Yadav (left).
From 1980-1987, seven blast endemics have occurred in India
causing severe losses
Rice blast, caused by a
fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of
the major diseases of the rice crop. Now, researchers from ICAR-National Rice
Research Institute (NRRI), Odisha have mapped out the diverse genes in rice
that help in disease resistance.
By characterising over 150 rice
varieties from nine States across the country they also identified new markers
associated with blast resistance.
Blast endemics
From 1980-1987, seven blast
endemics have occurred in India causing severe losses. Fungicides are very
expensive, harmful for the environment and inappropriate application can cause
health issues. So researchers around the globe have been on a hunt for
resistant genes against the pathogen and so far, more than 100 resistance (R)
genes in the rice genome have been identified.
“The rapid changes in pathogen
virulence pose a constant challenge to the success of existing blast-resistant
rice varieties. Therefore, there is always a need to identify new
broad-spectrum blast resistant genes/alleles in rice germplasm such as
landraces, wild rice, etc,” explained Manoj Kumar Yadav from NRRI and the first
author of the paper published in PLOS ONE.
The seeds of landraces grown over
nine states were collected from the National Gene Bank, ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack.
Leaves’ resistance to blast disease was checked by growing the seeds in uniform
blast nursery for two wet seasons (2015 and 2016) at the experimental farm of
the institute. This farm is considered as the hot spot for leaf blast disease
and the disease was recorded 25 days after sowing.
The present study showed that the
rice landraces collected from north-eastern states of India had the highest resistance.
Dr. Yadav explains that this may be due to co-evolution of resistance genes
along with the fungal pathogen over several centuries.
Gene hunt
Specific DNA markers were used
for accurate identification of specific resistant genes. The researchers found
the presence of 24 previously pin-pointed resistant genes in the 161 rice
landraces. The landraces were found to harbour 5-19 resistant genes.
The landraces from Tripura had
the highest number of resistant genes, followed by those from Maharashtra. The
study also pointed out that rice varieties in the same ecological conditions
can have different resistant/susceptible behaviours.
The combination of screening and
molecular characterization will help in the identification of potential donors
for leaf blast.
“The identified associated marker
could be used for the selection of parental materials for the improvement of
existing varieties with blast resistance,” adds P.C. Rath, Head Crop Protection
Division and co-author of the paper in an email to The
Hindu.
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No threat to inflation seen from prolonged El
Niño
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:26 AM June 01, 2019
The El Niño phenomenon may linger in the
country longer than expected, but the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said
this would not have an effect on inflation and put “negligible” pressure in the
price of rice.
Bruce Tolentino, a member of the
policymaking Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, said that even
when a much longer drought would persist until 2020 as forecast by the state
weather bureau, the affected areas were “not significant for rice,” adding that
“rains have already come for Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley” where the bulk
of the country’s rice production came from.
This means the impact of the El Niño
especially in food production would not be drastic and any effects it would
have on rice would be minimal.
The latest climate outlook from the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(Pagasa) said there was a 70-percent chance that dry and warm conditions would
continue until the end of 2019 and persist until 2020 “but with high uncertainty.”
It expected 63 provinces to be hit by El
Niño in varying degrees.
During the onset of El Niño, the
agriculture sector incurred P7.96 billion in damages and losses—the majority of
which were on rice and corn—but Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the
figures represented only 1 and 4 percent of the country’s total rice and corn
production, respectively.
So far, the effects of the climate pattern
were not manifested in the country’s inflation rate during the first quarter,
which averaged 3.8 percent.
Tolentino, also a former director of the
International Rice Research Institute, said prices of rice in the market should
continue to moderate especially with the deregulation of rice trade.
The crucial next item to monitor, he noted,
would be the movement of international rice prices and any international supply
and price shocks in countries where the Philippines would source its imported
rice, including Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and Myanmar.
Economic managers said the influx of cheap
imported rice should bring down the inflation rate by as much as 0.6 percentage
point and provide fresh revenue to the national government in the form of
import duties. —KARL R. OCAMPO
Govt to issue sales tax refund bonds to
claimants
May 31, 2019
In order to facilitate business community and exports, Adviser
to Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez
Shaikh on Friday directed to issue sales tax refund bonds to the claimants
through Central Depository Company (CDC), a private media outlet reported.
Speaking at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance in
Islamabad, Hafeez Shaikh said that the bonds amounting to Rs7 billion were
being issued in the first tranche and this issuance shall benefit 90 claimants.
He said that the Federal Board of Revenue(FBR) was planning
another issuance next month.
The advisor asked the claimants to exercise their option for
issuance of bonds and provide their CDC accounts to FBR so that they could be
accommodated in the next issuance.
The government decided to issue sales tax refund bonds to the
claimants so as to resolve the problems of long outstanding refunds.
Earlier on March 4, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had
advised the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to make the payment of sales tax
refunds amounting to Rs7,236 million to facilitate the exports.
The payment would benefit 898 claimants involved in exports of
textile, carpets, leather, sports goods, surgical instruments, rice, food
items, machinery and other items, according to an FBR statement.
Efforts continue in search
of development opportunities for the country
Government
visits to different regions of the country, led by Cuban President Miguel
Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, have been invigorating work days and included lively
conversations with workers and residents
may 31, 2019 09:05:23
Photo: Estudios Revolución
HOLGUÍN.– The government visits
to different regions of the country, led by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel
Bermúdez, have been invigorating work days and included lively conversations
with workers and residents.
This was reaffirmed during the
summary meeting concluding the President’s second government visit to Holguín,
when he expressed satisfaction with his tour of the sugar cane harvester
factory “60 Aniversario de la Revolución de Octubre,” popularly known as the
KTP, where productive chains have been developed that contribute to the Azcuba
state enterprise group and other companies affiliated with the Ministries of
Agriculture and Construction.
Regarding the development of the
new cane harvester CCA 5500, he noted the need to produce this machinery for
the country and the export market, while proposing evaluation of possible
foreign investment options, to give the project a wider scope and greater
sustainability.He likewise called for extension of the experience gained here
to the design and production of harvesters for rice and other crops, also
mentioning the possibility of manufacturing a machine to clean beaches and
remove sea weed.Díaz-Canel also recognized the potential of the “26 de Julio”
Agricultural Implements Factory, which provides another example of developing
productive chains and the potential to supply both the domestic and foreign
markets.He highlighted the work done at this factory to develop a wide range of
equipment for rice production, and said that instructions have been given to
design and manufacture - independently or in conjunction with others - machines
required by the rice processing industry, including mills and dryers, to avoid
importing these, as is currently the case.
VBago City is top rice producer for 2nd year
By
Nanette Guadalquiver May 31, 2019, 7:06 pm
PRODUCTIVE. Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo
(center), City Agriculturist Carlito Indencia (2nd from right), and DA-Western
Visayas Regional Executive Director Remelyn Recoter (right) receive the trophy
and the symbolic check for PHP1 million from Senator Cynthia Villar (2nd from
left) and other officials during the 2018 Rice Achievers Awards held at the
Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday (May 30,
2018). The southern Negros city’s average yield per hectare
increased from 4.3 metric tons in 2017 to 4.45 metric tons in 2018. (Photo
courtesy of Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit-6)
BACOLOD CITY -- For the second straight
year, Bago City has been recognized as one of the top rice-producing local
government units in the country during the 2018 Rice Achievers Awards.
Known as the rice bowl of Negros
Occidental, Bago was among the 15 municipalities and cities awarded by the
Department of Agriculture (DA) in a ceremony held at the Philippine
International Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday.
The top rice-producing city of
Western Visayas (Region 6) has a total 119,528.36 metric tons of palay
production in 2018 from a harvested area of 11,879.29 hectares.
Mayor Nicholas Yulo was joined by
city agriculturist Carlito Indencia and DA-6 regional executive director
Remelyn Recoter in receiving the award, which included a trophy and a check
worth PHP1 million, from Senator Cynthia Villar.
In a statement on Friday, Yulo
attributed the award to the improving efficiency of rice farmers in Bago.
The southern Negros city’s average
yield per hectare increased from 4.3 metric tons in 2017 to 4.45 metric tons in
2018.
Yulo also acknowledged the
assistance of the DA and Negros Occidental’s provincial government in terms of
rice seed subsidies, technology transfer, and farm machinery.
Last year, rice farmers in Bago
received 19,571 bags of high-quality palay seeds, as well as seven units of
shallow tube well and water pump engines, and 10 units of farm machinery and
equipment from the DA and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.
The DA also distributed 80 bags of
fertilizer to 22 farmers under the Rice Crop Manager and Philippine Rice
Information System programs; established two rice model farms for inbred and
hybrid rice; put up a biocontrol agent lab; and conducted farmers field schools
and pest management training in Bago.
In December last year, the
provincial government piloted the farm mechanization program in the city’s
200-hectare rice farm in Barangay Taloc.
Bago contributes about 20 percent
to Negros Occidental’s total rice production.
Meanwhile, Recoter encouraged other
rice-producing areas in Western Visayas to boost their yield.
“(The) DA is here to give interventions, such as production support, training and extension services, provision of small-scale irrigation projects, farm machinery and facilities,” she said. (PNA)
“(The) DA is here to give interventions, such as production support, training and extension services, provision of small-scale irrigation projects, farm machinery and facilities,” she said. (PNA)
Hafeez Shaikh
directs to issue sales tax refund bonds to claimants
ISLAMABAD: In order to facilitate business
community and export, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and
Economic Affairs Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh here on Friday directed to issue sales
tax refund bonds to the claimants through Central Depository Company (CDC).
Speaking at a ceremony held at Ministry of
Finance in Islamabad, Hafeez Shaikh said that the bonds amounting to Rs.7 bn
were being issued in the first tranche and this issuance shall benefit 90
claimants.
He said that Federal Board of Revenue(FBR) was
planning another issuance next month. The advisor asked the claimants to
exercise their option for issuance of bonds and provide their CDC accounts to
FBR so that they can be accommodated in the next issuance.
The government decided to issue sales tax
refund bonds to the claimants so as to resolve the problems of long outstanding
refunds.
Earlier on March 4, the Federal Board of
Revenue (FBR) had issued an advice to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for
making payment of sales tax refunds amounting to Rs. 7,236 million to
facilitate the exports.
The payment would benefit 898 claimants
involved in exports of textile, carpets, leather, sports goods, surgical
instruments, rice, food items, machinery and other items, said FBR statement.
The refund had been paid against 2,637 refund payment orders issued up 30 th
January, 2019, it had added
Colombia could lose 60% of land for rice production by the 2050s
because of climate change
According to a new study, Colombia could lose 60% of land
suitable for rice production by the 2050s as a result of climate change.
The study, conducted by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate
Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), was published in Mitigation
and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change.
Colombia currently has 4.4 million hectares of land suitable for
rice production, but that could drop to as low as 1.8 million hectares in
around thirty years because of increased temperatures and decreased rainfall.
The study’s scenario for
2049-2060 is based on Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5, a
greenhouse gas concentration trajectory in which emissions continue to rise
throughout the 21st century.
The researchers project that many low-altitude rice-growing
regions of the country will become environmentally incompatible with rice
production as climate conditions change. Other areas, with higher elevations,
will become more suitable.
According to the abstract of the study, “Low-lying rice production regions could be the most susceptible
to changing environmental conditions, while mid-altitude valleys could see
improvements in rice-growing conditions.”
The authors say that the impacts
can be avoided by preparing farmers and cutting emissions of greenhouse gases.
“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.
Rice production can move to higher latitudes in countries such
as China. However, adaption in Colombia “will favor higher elevations”.
“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.”
“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,” the authors wrote. “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.”
Citation
“Climate
change favors rice production at higher elevations in Colombia”
Castro-Llanos, F., Hyman, G., Rubiano, J. et al. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-019-09852-x
Castro-Llanos, F., Hyman, G., Rubiano, J. et al. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-019-09852-x
No threat to inflation seen from prolonged El
Niño
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:26 AM June 01, 2019
The El Niño phenomenon may linger in the
country longer than expected, but the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said
this would not have an effect on inflation and put “negligible” pressure in the
price of rice.
Bruce Tolentino, a member of the
policymaking Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, said that even
when a much longer drought would persist until 2020 as forecast by the state
weather bureau, the affected areas were “not significant for rice,” adding that
“rains have already come for Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley” where the bulk
of the country’s rice production came from.
This means the impact of the El Niño
especially in food production would not be drastic and any effects it would
have on rice would be minimal.
The latest climate outlook from the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said
there was a 70-percent chance that dry and warm conditions would continue until
the end of 2019 and persist until 2020 “but with high uncertainty.”
It expected 63 provinces to be hit by El
Niño in varying degrees.
During the onset of El Niño, the
agriculture sector incurred P7.96 billion in damages and losses—the majority of
which were on rice and corn—but Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the
figures represented only 1 and 4 percent of the country’s total rice and corn
production, respectively.
So far, the effects of the climate pattern
were not manifested in the country’s inflation rate during the first quarter,
which averaged 3.8 percent.
Tolentino, also a former director of the
International Rice Research Institute, said prices of rice in the market should
continue to moderate especially with the deregulation of rice trade.
The crucial next item to monitor, he noted,
would be the movement of international rice prices and any international supply
and price shocks in countries where the Philippines would source its imported
rice, including Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and Myanmar.
Economic managers said the influx of cheap
imported rice should bring down the inflation rate by as much as 0.6 percentage
point and provide fresh revenue to the national government in the form of
import duties. —KARL R. OCAMPO
Multiple
taxations: commodity corridors underway for farm produce movements
NNCMC boss By Hussein Yahaya | Published Date Jun 2, 2019 7:56 AM
TwitterFacebookWhatsAppTelegram Alhaji Abubakar Musa is the pioneer
Managing Director of the New Nigeria Commodity Marketing Company (NNCMC), a
private sector-led business vehicle for wholesale trading quality farm produce.
In this interview with our Agric Editor, the MD explains, among other issues,
why farmers are not getting best prices for their produce and what must be done
to put an end to that. Excerpt: Let me start by asking you how the idea of New
Nigeria Commodity Marketing Company Limited (NNCMC) came about? ADVERTISEMENT The company came on board
basically to enable farmers get best prices for their produce, which will
encourage them to do more. We have the 19 northern states holding the stake and
the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), which is the financial investment
company for northern Nigeria also holding parts of the stake and of course, there
are spirited individuals and institutions in the private sector that are also
holding stake in the company. ADVERTISEMENT So the idea is that 65 percent of
the stakes goes to the private sector, which made up of individuals and
institutions while the remaining 35 percent is held by the 19 northern
governments. This is deliberate to make sure that the company operates as a
private company so that the financial and operation disciplines come into play.
So, basically this is the share structure and the funding structure is in two
ways; we intend to draw funds from the equity contributions from the
shareholders and then funds from the commercial and financial institutions but
we will only take those ones that are cheap and flexible. How is your mode of
production going to be, that is how do you intend to be buying the produce from
the farmers? Our mode of production will be centered around the farmers, the
ordinary farmers will be our central focus point. Although you will agree with
me that it is not going to be easy dealing with individual farmers and that is
why we will embrace the existing farmers’ cooperatives and associations. In
fact, all the production lines have the farmers’ associations, we have the
primary association, the secondary association and the apex associations, so we
will work with them accordingly by making them our central focal points. We
will appoint them as our local buying agents, in other words, we will take them
into full capacity by providing aggregation centres and they will now be buying
produce in bags from their member famers. We will provide the grading system
for them to grade their produce and buy from them and also by doing that, we
have made them active members of sourcing commodity from the markets. We will
be doing that to ensure that we give these farmers the final prices for the
commodity. The issue of price fluctuation has been the major problem for
farmers, how do you intend to stablise this? Price stability has always been
the issue but as a commodity marketing company we will interface with the end
users, which are manufacturing, processing companies, edible oil, flours and
what have you. We are also interfacing with livestock mills where livestock
feeds are produced, so also with the export markets to find out their needs,
requirements and specifications. With all these at our disposal, we will now
get the final prices for the produce. We will also be linking these farmers to
the end users instead of using the middlemen because the price has always been
affected by the middlemen. If a bag of
maize is sold at N10,000 at the mills, the farmers hardly get N5,500 because of
the activities of the middlemen. What we will do through the aggregation
programme and the local buying agents is
to make sure that the price at the end users get to the farmers and with this
we will make our margin and the farmers will also make benefits. So this is how
the farmers will benefit from our activities from this season on. Alhaji
Abubakar Musa is the pioneer Managing Director of the New Nigeria Commodity
Marketing Company (NNCMC) Farmers are already going into planting for the
season, when are you starting full operation? This farming season, we are going
into full operation but in the last 12 months that we have existed, we have
what we call a pilot operation. Let me give you example, during the last dry
and wet seasons, we procured paddy rice and supplied to major rice millers in
Nigeria. We procured them from our local farmers in Kebbi, Benue, Taraba,
Adamawa and Jigawa states. We have also supplied them in best standard to major
rice millers in Kano. The idea is to make sure that we get the market test and
we have done that, we have leant our lessons from the dry season activities, we
also leant our lesson from the wet season activities. The issues are there,
lots of issues in terms of logistic, for example, there are issues of multiple
taxations, issue of logistics, the issue that has to do with quality and even
standard grading system. There is complete absence of measurement in our markets.
All the grains I have seen in the markets are priced per bag while we sell in
weighs, so we will have to balance that and at the end of the day, we will be
buying in weighs and sell in weighs,
that is what will make economic sense. This means there are lots of works that
need to be done; we have started sensitizing the farmers on the need to take
measurement, which will also benefit them. Are you confidence that some of
these noticed challenges will be fully addressed before you go into full
operation this farming season? O yes, why I am confident that we will overcome
them is that we have already done some kinds of relationship buildings, some
issues will be resolved from the government side, some will be resolved from
the market end through the interface between us and some other stakeholders, so
we will get through over them. For example, we advocate for the establishment
of commodity corridors in this country and we have been able to work with the
Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL)
to identify some commodity routes notably from 
Benue, Kebbi up to Lagos. On these
commodity corridors, we have interfaced with key stakeholders like FRSC, the
Nigeria police, army, civil defence to make sure that these corridors work. We
have defined strategies for it to work like having special number plates for
produce vehicles, special paints for the trucks that will move round the
produce. We will ensure with tax agencies that only the relevant taxes are paid
to avoid multiple taxes. If you take commodity from Benue you get to Lagos
without multiple taxes, take from Kebbi get to Lagos without multiple taxes,
similarly to Kano and the rest. So cooperation with stakeholders will help to
resolve these challenges we have seen. Harvest of some produce will begin in
few months, what is your advice for them to come out with acceptable produce?
My advice to farmers is that there are some best practices for every commodity
at the point of harvest. Farmers should embrace technology; farmers should
embrace best practices in terms of harvest, in term of handling these
commodities and in term of storing them. This is where they lose values; you
can harvest maize, rice but if you don’t handle them well, it can lose some
substantial parts as part of post- harvest loses. If they don’t store the
produce well, weevils and some other parasites can enter and damage the
quality.
Benue, Kebbi up to Lagos. On these
commodity corridors, we have interfaced with key stakeholders like FRSC, the
Nigeria police, army, civil defence to make sure that these corridors work. We
have defined strategies for it to work like having special number plates for
produce vehicles, special paints for the trucks that will move round the
produce. We will ensure with tax agencies that only the relevant taxes are paid
to avoid multiple taxes. If you take commodity from Benue you get to Lagos
without multiple taxes, take from Kebbi get to Lagos without multiple taxes,
similarly to Kano and the rest. So cooperation with stakeholders will help to
resolve these challenges we have seen. Harvest of some produce will begin in
few months, what is your advice for them to come out with acceptable produce?
My advice to farmers is that there are some best practices for every commodity
at the point of harvest. Farmers should embrace technology; farmers should
embrace best practices in terms of harvest, in term of handling these
commodities and in term of storing them. This is where they lose values; you
can harvest maize, rice but if you don’t handle them well, it can lose some
substantial parts as part of post- harvest loses. If they don’t store the
produce well, weevils and some other parasites can enter and damage the
quality.Revitalising Fiji’s rice industry still a priority: Reddy
2 June, 2019, 9:20 pm
Rice farmers in Dreketi plant rice. Picture: FT FILE
THE revitalisation of the rice industry continues to be a priority of the Ministry of Agriculture in its ongoing efforts to improve efficient production through continued research for a self-sufficient and sustainable rice industry. Minister for Agriculture Dr Mahendra Reddy made this comment to rice farmers of Nabouwalu Village in Bua during his Northern Division […]
Continue reading this article with a Fiji Times online membership.https://www.fijitimes.com/revitalising-fijis-rice-industry-still-a-priority-reddy/
Analysts see inflation easing
below 3% in May
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ANALYSTS
SEE INFLATION EASING BELOW 3% IN MAY
INFLATION likely eased below 3 percent last month because of lower food prices,
according to analysts polled by The Manila Times.
Forecasts on the rate of the
increase in the prices of goods and services for the month ranged from 2.7
percent to 3.1 percent with a 2.9 percent average, down from the 3.0 percent
posted in April and 4.6 percent in May last year.
The Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) earlier projected inflation to ease to as low as 2.8 percent or
pick up to 3.6 percent, while London-based economic research firm Capital
Economics saw it settling at 2.5 percent.
The Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) is set to release official May inflation data on June 5.
HSBC Global Research offered
the highest inflation projection of 3.1 percent, attributing it to higher
prices of oil and the continued increase in vegetable and fruit prices.
“All things considered,
however, inflationary pressures remain benign and headline prices are likely to
hover around the midpoint of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ 2-4 percent
target,” HSBC said in a report.
It expects full-year
inflation to average 3.1 percent, which it said would allow the BSP to further
loosen monetary policy in the fourth quarter.
“We believe the BSP has scope
for another 100 basis points of RRR (reserve requirement ratio) cuts and a
25-bps policy rate cut by yearend,” HSBC said.
Analysts from the Rizal
Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) and Philstocks Financial Inc. both forecast
inflation to remain steady at 3 percent.
According to Philstocks
research associate Japhet Louis Tantiango, inflation could fall within 2.8 to
3.2 percent, with a 3.0 percent average, due to upside pressures that include
base effects, elevated oil prices and the depreciated peso.
“Downward pressures include
lower rice prices and electricity rates,” Tantiangco said.
Michael Ricafort, head of
RCBC’s economics and industry research division, explained that inflation could
remain steady at 3 percent, but may ease further to 2-percent levels in the
remaining months of 2019 due to reduced food and global oil prices.
“Food prices, especially [of]
rice, have continued to go down in recent months amid the harvest season and
partly due to the government’s non-monetary measures since the latter part of
2018 to increase food/rice supply, even before the full effects of the Rice
Tariffication Law (Republic Act 11203) have taken place,” he said.
“Prices of most agricultural
prices, such as vegetables and other produce, have remained relatively lower,
compared to [those in] recent months amid the harvest season and improved local
supply conditions,” he added.
According to Ricafort, global
crude oil prices also went down by more than $13 since late April.
The RCBC analyst also said
the relatively stronger and stable peso exchange rate could also pull down
inflation, as a stronger Philippine currency “helps lower prices of imports,
such as oil, rice, capital goods, other consumer goods.”
“The government’s
non-monetary measures to better manage inflation since the latter part of 2018
has been effective in lowering the price of food items, effectively offsetting
any adverse effects of the mild El Niño drought on prices of agricultural
products,” he added.
Analysts from Moody’s
Analytics and Union Bank of the Philippines, meanwhile, both see inflation
hitting 2.9 percent.
“Subdued rice prices are an
important contributor to the deceleration,” Moody’s Analytics Economist Katrina
Ell said.
UnionBank chief economist
Carlo Asuncion also believed the lower inflation could be due to the lower
prices of commodities.
“The slowdown [may be]
slower, but it is still expected to ease further as price levels continue to
ease, as well,” he said.
Eagle Equities Inc. head of
research Christopher Mangun, offered the lowest forecast of 2.7 percent.
“The surge in rice imports
have drastically lowered prices, and oil prices also came down toward the end
of May,” Mangun said.
Analysts see inflation easing
below 3% in May
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HOME
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BUSINESS
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ANALYSTS
SEE INFLATION EASING BELOW 3% IN MAY
INFLATION likely eased below 3 percent last month because of lower food prices,
according to analysts polled by The Manila Times.
Forecasts on the rate of the
increase in the prices of goods and services for the month ranged from 2.7
percent to 3.1 percent with a 2.9 percent average, down from the 3.0 percent
posted in April and 4.6 percent in May last year.
The Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) earlier projected inflation to ease to as low as 2.8 percent or
pick up to 3.6 percent, while London-based economic research firm Capital
Economics saw it settling at 2.5 percent.
The Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) is set to release official May inflation data on June 5.
HSBC Global Research offered
the highest inflation projection of 3.1 percent, attributing it to higher
prices of oil and the continued increase in vegetable and fruit prices.
“All things considered,
however, inflationary pressures remain benign and headline prices are likely to
hover around the midpoint of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ 2-4 percent
target,” HSBC said in a report.
It expects full-year
inflation to average 3.1 percent, which it said would allow the BSP to further
loosen monetary policy in the fourth quarter.
“We believe the BSP has scope
for another 100 basis points of RRR (reserve requirement ratio) cuts and a
25-bps policy rate cut by yearend,” HSBC said.
Analysts from the Rizal
Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) and Philstocks Financial Inc. both forecast
inflation to remain steady at 3 percent.
According to Philstocks
research associate Japhet Louis Tantiango, inflation could fall within 2.8 to
3.2 percent, with a 3.0 percent average, due to upside pressures that include
base effects, elevated oil prices and the depreciated peso.
“Downward pressures include
lower rice prices and electricity rates,” Tantiangco said.
Michael Ricafort, head of
RCBC’s economics and industry research division, explained that inflation could
remain steady at 3 percent, but may ease further to 2-percent levels in the
remaining months of 2019 due to reduced food and global oil prices.
“Food prices, especially [of]
rice, have continued to go down in recent months amid the harvest season and
partly due to the government’s non-monetary measures since the latter part of
2018 to increase food/rice supply, even before the full effects of the Rice
Tariffication Law (Republic Act 11203) have taken place,” he said.
“Prices of most agricultural
prices, such as vegetables and other produce, have remained relatively lower,
compared to [those in] recent months amid the harvest season and improved local
supply conditions,” he added.
According to Ricafort, global
crude oil prices also went down by more than $13 since late April.
The RCBC analyst also said
the relatively stronger and stable peso exchange rate could also pull down
inflation, as a stronger Philippine currency “helps lower prices of imports,
such as oil, rice, capital goods, other consumer goods.”
“The government’s
non-monetary measures to better manage inflation since the latter part of 2018
has been effective in lowering the price of food items, effectively offsetting
any adverse effects of the mild El Niño drought on prices of agricultural
products,” he added.
Analysts from Moody’s
Analytics and Union Bank of the Philippines, meanwhile, both see inflation
hitting 2.9 percent.
“Subdued rice prices are an
important contributor to the deceleration,” Moody’s Analytics Economist Katrina
Ell said.
UnionBank chief economist
Carlo Asuncion also believed the lower inflation could be due to the lower
prices of commodities.
“The slowdown [may be]
slower, but it is still expected to ease further as price levels continue to
ease, as well,” he said.
Eagle Equities Inc. head of
research Christopher Mangun, offered the lowest forecast of 2.7 percent.
“The surge in rice imports
have drastically lowered prices, and oil prices also came down toward the end
of May,” Mangun said.
