Punjab
to fill 19,000 vacancies, seeks dept-wise lists
Tuesday,
17 September 2019 | PNS | Chandigarh
Easing
the recruitment rules to plug certain long-pending vacancies, Punjab Chief
Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday ordered immediate steps to fill up a
whopping 19,000 vacancies in various departments.
The vacancies to be filled up on priority include 5,000 in the
Police department, 5,300 in electricity department (PSPCL), 2500 teachers, 5000
paramedic and specialized staff, including doctors and specialists, in Health
Department and 1300 in Revenue department, said the spokesperson.
The Chief Minister has also asked the other departments to
submit their lists of vacancies without delay so that the process of filling
them up could also be initiated immediately. Bringing more efficiency into
concerned departments, the move will also generate additional employment in the
State.
The directions by the Chief Minister came even as the Cabinet
decided to ease the recruitment rules for qualified civil services personnel in
the State through amendments to various relevant legislations, thus paving way
for filling posts that remain vacant due to non-availability of suitable
candidates.
The decision would help resolve the issues related to allocation
of services on the basis of Punjab State Civil Services Combined Examination.
The Cabinet also authorized the Chief Minister to approve the
final draft of the rules, said the spokesperson.
Under the existing rules, different categories of vacant posts,
such as those reserved SCs, Balmiki and Mazhabi Sikh and general category
sportsmen and ex-servicemen, were being treated differently. There was
ambiguity on whether the unfilled posts of ex-servicemen and sports quota from
Balmiki and Mazhabi Sikh category were to be filled from General Pool of
Balmiki and Mazhabi Sikh or from General pool of all SC Candidates.
Such situations led to prolonged litigations regarding filling
up of these posts. In view of these circumstances, the personnel department had
proposed that the rules and instructions may be modified to make these clear,
logical and consistent across all categories of posts, and ensure that the
interests of SCs and BCs are duly protected.
PUNJAB TO RAISE Rs 50cr BY
DISINVESTING PSIDC’s 90,90,000 SHARES IN PACL TO REPAY DEBTS
Eyeing to generate around Rs 50 crore, the Punjab Government has
decided to disinvest 90,90,000 shares of Punjab State Industrial Development
Corporation (PSIDC) in Punjab Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (PACL) to repay
PSIDC’s debts.
The spokesperson said that the amount realised from the move
would be utilized for paying the debts of PSIDC which had been incurring heavy
losses since 2009-10, with its net worth going in the red and PACL became a
sick company.
The Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR)
registered PACL’s reference as Sick Industrial Company under section 15 (1) of
Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985 (SICA) as BIFR Case
No.152/2015.
The Directorate of Disinvestment would initiate the process of
disinvestment of PACL, a Public Limited Company formed under the Companies Act,
1956, which commenced operations in January 1984 at two manufacturing units
located at Naya Nangal and Rupnagar.
The Directorate of Disinvestment had earlier made four attempts
for disinvestments of PSIDC’s equity stake in PACL in 2002-03, 2004-06, 2009-11
and 2012-15. However, none of these attempts could succeed.
PUNJAB TO HAVE SPECIAL IT CADRE
FOR E-GOVERNANCE PROG
Punjab Government will soon have a special IT cadre for effective
implementation of its ambitious e-Governance initiatives as part of the
‘Digital Punjab’ mission.
Cadre’s selection criteria as well as its management for various
categories of posts would be finalised by a committee constituted by the Chief
Minister. The personnel recruited under the cadre would be deputed to various
state government departments for the purpose of extending technical guidance
and support for e-governance programme or initiatives.
The cadre will provide technical assistance to the departments
involved in the execution of various e-Governance or m-Governance projects by
ensuring their timely implementation, as well as support in Business Process
Re-engineering and Simplification of the processes.
The move will also help foster the state’s IT capabilities by
building a cadre of IT professionals to be recruited through a well-structured
process, an official spokesperson said after the cabinet meeting.
The need for the cadre was felt by the Government on account of
the general lack of capacity in various departments for proper implementation
of Administrative or Governance Reforms, e-Governance and backend
computerisation initiatives.
The specialized IT manpower would help the departments
coordinate closely with the Department of Governance Reforms, enabling
efficacious implementation of Enterprise Architecture and various e-Governance
Projects including e-Office.
CABINET SUB-COMMITTEE TO TACKLE
GROWING STRAY CATTLE MENACE; Rs 10L TO ALL DCs TO OPEN GAUSHALAS
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has formed a five-member
Cabinet Sub-Committee to check the growing menace of stray cattle in the state.
He also announced Rs 10 lakh each to the Deputy Commissioners for opening an
additional gaushalas in their respective districts to address the problem.
The committee, headed by Animal Husbandry Minister Tript
Rajinder Singh Bajwa, has PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla, Local Government
Minister Brahm Mahindra, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and Industries
Minister Sunder Sham Arora as members.
It has been mandated to suggest ways and means to tackle the
problem of stray cattle in a holistic manner, to save precious human lives due
to fatal accidents caused by the animals.
Reviewing the status of gaushalas already operational in all the
districts, the Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioners to open one more
gaushala in their respective districts with the help of NGOs, social and
religious organisations.
The Chief Minister also directed all the DCs to make elaborate
arrangements, in collaboration with the Departments of Rural Development and
Panchayats, Local Government and Animal Husbandry, to house the stray cattle in
these cattle pounds.
There are currently early 2.5 lakh stray animals in the state
and the committee would explore ways to eradicate the menace, besides regularly
monitoring the progress of implementation and achievement of the specific
targets under the action plan in this regard.
The Sub-Committee would also further mandate the districts
administration to undertake the task to finalise the action plan for checking
the stray cattle menace in a result-oriented manner.
NEW PERFORMANCE-BASED PADDY
CUSTOM MILLING POLICY APPROVED TO CHECK RICE DIVERSION
With more security provisions, including criminal penalty for
diversion of rice, the Cabinet has approved the Punjab Custom Milling Policy
for Paddy (Kharif 2019-20).
Aimed at ensuring seamless milling of paddy and smooth delivery
of rice to the Central Pool from more than 4000 mills operating in the state,
the policy would be followed by the state procuring agencies — PUNGRAIN,
MARKFED, PUNSUP, and Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC), as well as
the Food Corporation of India, besides the rice millers or their legal heirs.
The state’s Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs
will act as the Nodal Department.
Spokesperson said that the sole criterion for allotment of free
paddy to mills during KMS 2019-20 would be the miller's performance in the
previous year, KMS 2018-19, and additional percentage-wise incentive would be provided
to mills as per their date of delivery of rice against milling of custom milled
paddy, including RO paddy in the previous year.
Mills, which had completed their milling by January 31, 2019,
would be eligible for additional 15 percent of free paddy, the spokesperson
said, adding that those who had completed delivery of rice by February 28,
2019, would get an additional 10 percent of free paddy.
To ensure security of paddy stocks, millers would now be
required to furnish bank guarantee equal to the value of five percent of
acquisition cost of allocable free paddy above 3000 MTs. The move would further
enlarge the ambit of guarantee clause to over 1250 more rice mills, taking the
total number of such mills to around 1900.
In addition, millers will also have to deposit Custom Milling
Security at the rate of Rs 125 for each MT of paddy stored.
The state is expected to procure 170 Lakh MTs of paddy with
total area under paddy sowing being 29 lakh hectares this year coming down from
31.03 Lakh hectares the previous season. The target was to complete the Custom
Milling of Paddy, thereby delivering all due rice to Food Corporation of India,
by March 31, 2020.
PUNJAB CABINET OKAYS SETTLEMENT
SCHEME FOR DEFAULTING MILLERS IN BID TO REVIVE SICK RICE UNITS
To revive sick rice units, the Punjab Cabinet has approved a
Dues Recovery and Settlement Scheme 2019-20 for the state’s defaulting rice
millers, paving way for the recovery of a significant portion of the Rs
2,041.51 crore outstanding against them on various accounts.
“The millers in default, up to and including crop year 2014-15,
shall be eligible to take benefit of this scheme. However, the scheme excludes
defaulters who had availed of the One-time Settlement (OTS) scheme of September
2017,” said the spokesperson.
The defaulters would have the option to pay the total
recoverable amount, that is the principal recoverable plus 10 percent simple
interest per annum, within 30 days from the date of issue of ‘Quantification
for Settlement Letter’ (QSL).
They can also choose to pay 50 percent of the total recoverable
amount within 30 days and the balance within 60 days from the date of issue of
QSL with six percent interest.
https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-editions/punjab-to-fill-19-000-vacancies--seeks-dept-wise-lists.html
‘Dupe farmers, lose license’
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
‘DUPE FARMERS, LOSE LICENSE’
Region
2 millers warned vs underpricing palay
CABATUAN,
Isabela: A rice millers’ group in Cagayan Valley (Region 2) has warned its
members of license cancellation once they are found taking advantage of
“issues” surrounding the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) and buying palay
(unmilled rice) at a very low price to the detriment of local farmers.
Ernesto
Subia, Rice Millers Association (RMA-Region 2) president, said they have
coordinated with mayors in the different municipalities in the region to cancel
licenses of those who are “duping local farmers instead of paying the correct
price of their [farmers’] palay harvests.”
Subia
urged the public to be vigilant in reporting traders, particularly the “Chinese
traders” who dictate a very low price of palay to the local chief executives in
their respective municipalities.
“We
should not let these Chinese traders to do business, fooling and pressuring
local farmers to sell their produce at a very low and unjustified price,” he
said.
The
price of palay milling by-product at P12.70 per kilo, according to Subia,
cannot be higher than the price of a kilo palay.
RMA
members said they have been suffering from the effects of Republic Act (RA)
11203, the RTL, making it difficult for them now to sell their rice to their
customers in Manila.
“This
is also due to imported rice, which is preferred by wholesalers,” Subia said,
denying accusations of withholding their rice stocks “because we need to pay
for the salaries of our workers in addition to the high bank loan interest
rates we are paying.”
The
RMA leadership expressed dismay over reports that the Department of Agriculture
(DA) had put the blame on rice traders for the very high price of rice in the
market because of alleged hoarding and hiding of supply of rice.
“We
cannot possibly hide our rice stocks because by doing so we will incur big
losses due to cheaper imported rice flooding the market, making it extremely
difficult for us to sell our rice in Metro Manila,” Subia said.
The
news that the price of palay went down to as low as P7-10 per kilo was only
meant to “blacken our reputation as rice traders,” he added.
“The
truth is that we pay from P17 to P17.50 per kilo of dried palay and from P13 to
P14 per kilo of freshly harvested palay,” he said.
Subia
also urged officials of the DA to conduct a survey to get the correct
information on how traders deal with farmers, particularly in Isabela province,
the rice granary in the region
RDB opens new round of
‘emergency’ loans
Chea Vannak / Khmer Times Share:
September 17, 2019
With the rice harvest season
beginning soon, state-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB) has started disbursing
loans to local rice millers under its emergency fund, according to a
high-ranking official.
The loans, disbursed by the
government through RDB, are used by rice millers to purchase paddy rice from
local farmers. This year, the fund will consist of $50 million, the same amount
than last year, Kao Thach, RDB director-general, told Khmer Times yesterday.
“We have started disbursing the
emergency loans to rice millers. This year, we are providing a total of $50 million
in loans,” Mr Thach said. He did not reveal the percentage of the money that
has already been disbursed.
The loans requested by millers
range from $300,000 to $1 million, Mr Thach noted, adding that the companies
will use it to buy the rice, process, and export it.
Most loan applicants are
medium-sized rice millers located in the country’s main rice-producing areas –
Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Prey Veng, and Takeo.
The emergency fund was launched
in 2017 to enhance rice millers’ access to credit during the harvest season.
The initiative was created after a ‘paddy rice crisis’ in 2016, when farmers
were unable to find buyers for their rice because millers were lacking the
liquidity to purchase the commodity and build the necessary facilities to store
it.
RDB’s loans have a maturity of 12
months and a 5 percent interest rate per year.
Although the amount of money made
available is small compared to the amount of rice that will be harvested, Mr
Thach said the fund plays a critical role curbing the flow of paddy rice
outside Cambodia.
“It enables rice millers to buy
paddy rice from farmers during the harvest season, which reduces the amount of
good paddy rice that informally exists the country and goes to neighboring
countries,” Mr Thach said.
RDB also has a $30-million fund
for rice millers in the main rice-producing provinces that want to build or
upgrade storage facilities like warehouses and silos.
The Cambodia Rice Federation
recently said that it aims to achieve 1 million tonnes in exports a year within
the next three years.
During the first half of the
year, Cambodia exported 281,538 tonnes of milled rice, an increase of 3.7
percent compared to the same period last year.
Scheme to
recover Rs 2K cr from millers okayed
17, 2019, 6:52 AM; last updated: Sep 17, 2019, 6:52 AM (IST)
Move aimed at reviving sick rice units in state
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 16
The state
Cabinet on Monday approved a settlement scheme to recover Rs 2,041.51 crore
from defaulting rice millers.
Over the years, the principal outstanding
amount that the millers owe to the five state procurement agencies — Pungrain,
Markfed, Punsup, Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation and the Punjab State
Warehousing Corporation — has swelled to Rs 2,041.51 crore and the compound
interest has multiplied to over Rs 5,000 crore.
Aiming to revive
the sick rice units, the Cabinet on Monday decided that the millers in default,
up to and including crop year 2014-15, shall be eligible to take the benefit of
this scheme. However, the scheme excludes defaulters who had availed the OTS
policy of September 2017, when the government had recovered Rs 32 crore under
the previous plan.
The defaulters will have the option to pay the
total recoverable amount i.e. the principal amount plus 10 per cent simple
interest per annum, within 30 days from the date of issue of ‘Quantification
for settlement letter’. They can also choose to pay 50 per cent of the total
recoverable amount within 30 days and the balance within 60 days from the date
of issue of the settlement letter with 6 per cent interest.
Further, 25 per
cent of the total recoverable amount can be paid within 7 days from the date of
issue of the settlement letter, with another 25 per cent within 60 days with 10
per cent interest. The third instalment of 25 per cent will be payable within
90 days with 12 per cent interest and the balance in 120 days with 15 per cent
interest.
A detailed
standard operating procedure for the settlement of claims under this scheme
will be issued by the Director, Food and Supplies.
Meanwhile, the
Cabinet on Monday also approved the Custom Milling Policy for Paddy (Kharif
2019-20) with more security provisions, including criminal penalty for
diversion of rice.
The sole
criterion for the allotment of free paddy to mills during 2019-20 will be the
miller’s performance in the previous year i.e. 2018-19. An additional
percentage-wise incentive will be provided to the mills as per their date of
delivery of rice against the milling of custom paddy, including RO paddy in the
previous year.
The units that
had completed their milling by January 31, 2019, will be eligible for
additional 15 per cent free paddy, the spokesperson said, adding that those who
had completed the rice delivery by February 28, 2019, will get an additional 10
per cent of paddy free.
In order to
ensure the security of paddy stocks, the millers this year will be required to
furnish bank guarantee equal to the value of 5 per cent of the acquisition cost
of allocable free paddy above 3,000 metric tonnes (MT). The move will further
enlarge the ambit of guarantee clause to over 1,250 more rice mills, taking the
total number of such units to 1,900. In addition, the millers will also have to
deposit custom milling security at the rate of Rs 125 for each MT of paddy
stored.
To guard against
any diversion of NFSA/PDS rice, a provision for initiation of criminal
proceedings under relevant sections of the IPC and the Essential Commodities
Act has been added in case such practice is detected. The rice miller will be
required to ensure that the paddy/rice purchased in his own account and stored
in the mill is the genuine trade commodity and not diverted from rice meant for
the welfare schemes.
Punjab govt gives nod to settlement scheme for defaulting rice
millers
16 September 2019 Last
Updated at 6:54 pm | Source: PTI 
Chandigarh, Sep 16 The Punjab government on Monday gave
its nod to the Dues Recovery and Settlement Scheme 2019-20 for defaulting rice
millers and said it will pave the way for recovery of a significant portion of
Rs 2,041.51 crore outstanding against them.
Defaulting rice millers, up to and including crop year 2014-15,
shall be eligible to take benefit of this scheme, an official spokesman said
after the Cabinet meeting.However, the scheme excludes defaulters who had availed the ''One Time Settlement'' scheme of September 2017, the spokesperson said.
The defaulters would have the option to pay the total recoverable amount, which is the principal recoverable plus 10 per cent simple interest per annum, within 30 days from the date of issue of ''Quantification for Settlement Letter''.
They can also choose to pay 50 per cent of the total recoverable amount within 30 days and the balance within 60 days from the date of issue of ''Quantification for Settlement Letter'' with six per cent interest, the spokesperson said.
A detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for settlement of claims under this scheme would be issued by Director Food and Supplies.
The government had recovered Rs 32.40 crore against outstanding principal amount from millers through the One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme issued in September 2017, which had remained operational for six months.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved custom milling policy for paddy (kharif 2019-20) with more security provisions, including criminal penalty for diversion of rice.
The scheme, aimed at ensuring seamless milling of paddy and smooth delivery of rice to the central pool from more than 4,000 mills operating in the state, would be followed by state procuring agencies.
The sole criterion for allotment of free paddy to mills during kharif marketing season 2019-20 would be the miller''s performance in the previous year.
Mills, which had completed their milling by January 31, 2019, would be eligible for additional 15 per cent of free paddy, the spokesperson said, adding that those who had completed delivery of rice by February 28, 2019 would get an additional 10 per cent of free paddy.
To ensure security of paddy stocks, millers this year would be required to furnish bank guarantee equal to the value of 5 per cent of acquisition cost of allocable free paddy above 3,000 metric tonne (MT).
The move would further enlarge the ambit of guarantee clause to over 1,250 more rice mills, taking the total number of such mills to around 1,900.
To guard against any diversion of rice, a provision for initiation of criminal proceedings under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Essential Commodities Act (ECA) has been added in case such practice is detected.
The rice miller would be required to ensure that the paddy/rice purchased and stored in the mill is genuine trade commodity and not diverted from rice meant for welfare schemes.
The state is expected to procure 170 lakh MT of paddy with total area under paddy sowing being 29 lakh hectares this year, down from 31.03 lakh hectares in the previous season. CHS VSD RVK
Rice cartel: Alive and kicking?
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
ATTY. DODO
DULAY
IT was just last February that
Republic Act 11203, or the “Rice Tariffication Law” (RTL), was enacted into
law. With the removal of the quantitative restrictions on rice importations —
and replaced by tariff (or taxes) — there has been an influx of imported rice
from Vietnam, Thailand and other neighboring countries. But it hasn’t brought
down the retail price of rice. It is the price of palay (i.e. unmilled rice)
that has plunged instead. Anyare?
Analysts
point out that the influx of rice imports is to blame for the plunging farmgate
prices of palay. From P22 per kilogram a year ago, the farmgate price of palay
now ranges from a low of P12 to a high of P17, or 34 to 44 percent lower. While
farmers are taking a hit from tumbling palay prices, there hasn’t been a
significant drop in the retail prices of rice, which means consumers have also
not benefited from the rice tariffication law.
There
have been calls to amend the law. While that is a viable and necessary step
when considering the medium- to long-term welfare of our local farmers,
amending the law will take too long. The government, however, can use existing
legislation to correct the situation before it gets out of hand.
First
and foremost, there should be a crackdown on rice importers and rice traders
who are obviously manipulating the supply — and therefore, the price — of
imported rice. According to Agriculture Secretary William Dar, rice imports had
already reached 2.5 million metric tons as of last month. That constitutes 80
percent of the 3.1 million metric tons imported by the country last year. Yet,
the retail price of rice has gone down by only 2.9 percent.
“Most
of the imports are not yet in the market. When they go out, prices will go
down,” Dar explained. When asked when the traders should release the imported
rice, Dar said it should be “now.” Isn’t that an implied admission that the
rice importers and traders are “hoarding” the rice imports?
For
the sake of transparency, Dar should release to the public the names of all
individuals, companies or cooperatives given a rice importation permit by the
Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), including how many metric tons each of them
applied to bring in. I’ve been told many of those given import licenses belong
to the infamous rice cartel from Binondo and Bulacan. Putting their names out
in public will allow consumer watchdogs to verify if these are indeed the same
people suspected of engaging in hoarding and cartel operations.
Dar,
together with the National Economic Development Authority and the Department of
Budget and Management, should immediately revise the implementing rules and
regulations of the RTL by imposing a “holding period” for rice importers to
distribute or release the imported rice to the market as part of the sanitary
and phytosanitary import clearance granted by BPI. After all, the length of
time the rice is kept in warehouses impacts on food safety. This will also prevent
hoarding as importers will have a limited period within which to distribute
their rice inventory.
An
unintended consequence of the RTL is that it strengthened the bargaining power
of rice traders, who used the influx of imported rice to buy palay at very low
prices. On top of this, there has been talk that some of the traders have
resorted to smuggling due to the high tariff (at 35 percent) on imported rice.
Since
the BPI has a list of rice importers, the Bureau of Customs can easily conduct
a thorough audit of rice stocks kept in their warehouses. Meanwhile, the
Philippine Competition Commission and Department of Trade and Industry ought to
take a parallel move to monitor or investigate rice importers and traders for
compliance and anti-competitive behavior.
For
too long, our regulators have treated rice hoarders with kid gloves. That seems
to be the tack of the present leadership of the Department of Agriculture. Dar
said the government has a list of traders, but no arrests or coercive measures
will be done yet. “Well, we know who they are. We have the list. So, we’ll
visit them, maybe have coffee; find out why they haven’t released their
imported rice yet. Then we have to encourage them to really bring out more
these stocks,” Dar added. Really?
This
is in stark contrast to the forceful admonition of President Rodrigo Duterte to
rice cartels as he directed concerned agencies to hunt down the culprits and
bring them to justice. “Stop messing with the people. I hate to. Power
sometimes is not a good thing. I hope I will not use it against you. Consider
this as warning,” said President Duterte.
But
going after the cartel alone will not solve the problems hounding our farmers.
The safety nets under the RTL must also be implemented. Aimed at assisting
local farmers through grants, credits, skills-building, and even direct
financial assistance for the next six years, the Rice Competitiveness
Enforcement Fund (RCEF) must be fully and quickly implemented. Sen. Cynthia
Villar revealed that of the first P5 billion released for RCEF, only P1 billion
has been credited to farmers. Of that, not one cent has so far been distributed
to starving farmers.
Rice
has long been a staple in Filipino households. Ironically, the millions who
till the land to bring this staple to our tables are struggling to fill their
own. They deserve better from our bureaucrats.
Uganda: Local Producers Fault
Court Over Rise in Untaxed Rice Imports
16 SEPTEMBER 2019
By Joanita Mbabazi
Local rice dealers under the Rice Business Sector Association
comprising of farmers, producers and processors have petitioned Parliament to
protect them against importers of white rice that enters the country untaxed.
Speaking after presenting a petition to Speaker of Parliament
Rebecca Kadaga, Mr Isaac Kashaija, the Rice Business Sector Association
chairperson, said about 14 companies, which had petitioned court against an 18
per cent value added tax application on imported rice, are using a delayed
court ruling to import untaxed rice into the country.
This, he said, was not only suffocating their businesses but
unfair to local producers given that they are subjected to a 14 per cent levy.
"For a period of five years ... the same companies [have
been] allowed to import rice in the country without being taxed," Mr
Kashaija said, noting at least Shs36b due in taxes has not been paid during the
period.
In 2014, rice importers petitioned court to rule against the 18
per cent VAT levy that Uganda Revenue Authority had imposed on rice imports.
The case was decided in favour of URA, but the rice importers
appealed the judgment.
However, the case is yet to be disposed of, which has allowed
importers to bring in untaxed rice pending decision of the Appeals court.
Mr Kashaija appealed to government to prevail over the matter,
urging court to expeditiously handle the matter to create a level playing
ground.
This, he said, will allow stakeholders in the rice sector to
compete on a levelled ground.
Responding to the petition, Ms Kadaga said she will handle the
matter accordingly and will ask the Attorney General to explain why there had
been a delay to dispose of the case.
Mr Kashaija also appealed to government to put in place schemes
that support small holder farmers as well seeing to it that it protects local
producers.
Performance
According to Mr Isaac Kashaija government should put in place
schemes that support small holder farmers as well protect local producers
against cheap imports.
Government had in 2014 imposed an 18 per cent levy on imported
rice. However, the move was challenged and the case, which is now at appeal, is
yet to be disposed of.
Organic rice
forum slated in Davao City
September 16, 2019, 5:59 pm
MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol (2nd from left) during a visit at
Seedworks Philippines demo farms in Digos, Davao del Sur and Mlang, North
Cotabato that grow hybrid rice varieties with outstanding eating quality (Photo
credit: facebook.com/MannyPiñol)
DAVAO CITY -- A forum on organic and premium rice as well as Adlai
farming organized by government and private sector spearheaded by the Mindanao
Development Authority (MinDA) will be held on September 20 at the Grand Regal
Hotel here.
MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, in a statement issued on Monday, said "the forum marks a shift in the direction of rice farming in Mindanao, as the massive inflow of imported rice has boxed out local farmers producing ordinary rice from the market resulting in very low farm gate prices, to as low as PPH10 to PHP12 in many parts in Mindanao."
Also participating in the forum aside from private groups are organic rice farmers' cooperatives.
Piñol said the shift to premium and organic rice farming in Mindanao is expected to open a niche market for health-conscious consumers, a market opportunity for rice farmers affected by the rice tariffication law.
The forum, dubbed as "Looking beyond Rice Liberalization: Growing and Marketing of Premium, Organic Rice and Adlai," aims to gather farmers' groups, private companies, local government units, and the regional offices of the Department of Agriculture which promotes Adlai farming.
Adlai or "Job's Tears" is a wild grass with round grains, grown and consumed by tribal people as a staple food. Interest in the Adlai has grown over the years because of its reputed health benefits.
Don Bosco Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which pioneered the export of organic black and brown rice, will make a presentation on organic rice farming and the different black and brown rice varieties. As earlier reported, Don Bosco could not produce enough volume for the local market, an indication of huge market demand for organic black and brown rice.
Organic farming advocates will also share their experiences.
Invited as resource persons are former Congressman Eric Acuña will lecture on the benefits of organic fertilizer called AMO which many farmers have used with positive results; Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Wilter Palma, known for his advocacy on organic rice farming, will share his province's successful organic rice farming program; and Seedworks Philippines will introduce two hybrid rice varieties which could be grown organically with outstanding eating quality -- Tatag TH 82 and US 88.
Meanwhile, Piñol said that prospective premium and organic rice importers from Papua New Guinea, led by Central Province Governor Robert Agarobe, and the United States of America are expected to attend the forum, a move to link rice farmers to international markets.
"The forum is open to all interested farmers but since the venue is not large enough, seats and food will be on a first-come-first-served basis," the statement read. (PNA)
MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, in a statement issued on Monday, said "the forum marks a shift in the direction of rice farming in Mindanao, as the massive inflow of imported rice has boxed out local farmers producing ordinary rice from the market resulting in very low farm gate prices, to as low as PPH10 to PHP12 in many parts in Mindanao."
Also participating in the forum aside from private groups are organic rice farmers' cooperatives.
Piñol said the shift to premium and organic rice farming in Mindanao is expected to open a niche market for health-conscious consumers, a market opportunity for rice farmers affected by the rice tariffication law.
The forum, dubbed as "Looking beyond Rice Liberalization: Growing and Marketing of Premium, Organic Rice and Adlai," aims to gather farmers' groups, private companies, local government units, and the regional offices of the Department of Agriculture which promotes Adlai farming.
Adlai or "Job's Tears" is a wild grass with round grains, grown and consumed by tribal people as a staple food. Interest in the Adlai has grown over the years because of its reputed health benefits.
Don Bosco Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which pioneered the export of organic black and brown rice, will make a presentation on organic rice farming and the different black and brown rice varieties. As earlier reported, Don Bosco could not produce enough volume for the local market, an indication of huge market demand for organic black and brown rice.
Organic farming advocates will also share their experiences.
Invited as resource persons are former Congressman Eric Acuña will lecture on the benefits of organic fertilizer called AMO which many farmers have used with positive results; Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Wilter Palma, known for his advocacy on organic rice farming, will share his province's successful organic rice farming program; and Seedworks Philippines will introduce two hybrid rice varieties which could be grown organically with outstanding eating quality -- Tatag TH 82 and US 88.
Meanwhile, Piñol said that prospective premium and organic rice importers from Papua New Guinea, led by Central Province Governor Robert Agarobe, and the United States of America are expected to attend the forum, a move to link rice farmers to international markets.
"The forum is open to all interested farmers but since the venue is not large enough, seats and food will be on a first-come-first-served basis," the statement read. (PNA)
Why does pasta water boil over?
16 September 2019
Presented by PHIL SANSOM.
This week’s question is a curious cooking query from Anthony.
"When pasta or rice is added to boiling water, there is a sudden surge of
the boiling water to the point that the pot boils over with bubbles. Why is
this?" Phil Sansom got in touch with Phillip Broadwith, business editor of
the magazine Chemistry World...
Fish farming
started around 8,000 years ago in China: Study
T
V Jayan New Delhi | Updated on September 17, 2019 Published
on September 17, 2019
People in China were engaged in
fish farming at least 8,000 years ago –at least 4,500 years earlier than the
records exist from Egypt, showed an international study on Monday.
A team of Japanese, Chinese,
German and the UK, scouring an early stone age (Neolithic) settlement called
Jiahu in the present-day Henan Province in Central China, stumbled upon
evidence to show that those who lived there between 6,200-5700 BC were farming
common carp, a freshwater fish popularly found in water bodies in Asia and
Europe even today. The new findings, published in the journal Nature Ecology
& Evolution, pushes the clock back much beyond 1,500 BC, during which
Egyptians were believed to have been engaged in farming Nile tilapia fish.
The study assumes importance
because the origins of fish farming and domestication are poorly known till
date even though aquaculture is the fastest-growing global food production
system and it now provides half of all fish consumed by humans. In contrast,
there are better records available to show that humans domesticated land
animals at least 10,500 years ago.
"There has been a lot of
research on domesticated plants and animals, but fish have been poorly
understood. This paper shows that humans started to manage fish very
early," Mark Hudson of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human
History at Jena in Germany, who is the co-author of the paper, told BusinessLine. The
main author of the study, Tsuneo Nakajima of Lake Biwa Museum in Kusatsu in
Japan, however, was not available for comments as he was on yet another field
expedition.
The archaeologists discovered
multiple number of pharyngeal teeth of carp for three different settlement
periods at Jiahu: Period 1 between 7000-6600 BC, Period II between 6600-6200 BC
and Period III between 6200-5700 BC.
The researchers measured 588
pharyngeal carp teeth extracted from fish remains in Jiahu corresponding with
the three Neolithic periods, and compared the body-length distributions with
findings from other sites and a modern sample of carp raised in Matsukawa
Village in Japan. While the remains from the first two periods revealed
unimodal patterns of body-length distribution peaking at or near carp maturity,
the remains of Period III displayed bimodal distribution, with one peak at
350-400 mm corresponding with sexual maturity, and another at 150-200 mm.
"Under the climate similar
to the present, carp becomes sexually mature in body-lengths of 300mm. We think
that the unimodal distribution suggests fishing of wild carp when they become
sexually mature and come to the lakeshore, so that the peak of the graph must
be consistent with BL 300mm," said Junzo Uchiyama, a fellow at the
Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures in Norwich in
the UK and another co-author of the study
The bimodal distribution
identified by researchers in the study was similar to that documented at the
Iron Age Asahi site in Japan (400 BC - AD 100), and is indicative of a managed
system of carp aquaculture that until now was unidentified in Neolithic China.
"In such fisheries,"
the study noted, "a large number of cyprinids (carp) were caught during
the spawning season and processed as preserved food. At the same time, some
carp were kept alive and released into confined, human regulated waters where
they spawned naturally and their offspring grew by feeding on available
resources. In autumn, water was drained from the ponds and the fish harvested,
with body-length distributions showing two peaks due to the presence of both
immature and mature individuals."
The fish belonging to the carp
family have been widely exploited by humans since at least 40.000 years ago.
While the historical records showed that carp were raised in artificial ponds
and paddy fields in East Asia, particularly in China and Japan, by the second
millennium BC. But, given that rice paddy fields in China dated back to the
fifth millennium BC, scientists believed that carp aquaculture might have also
had a similar antiquity. However, there has been no archaeological evidence to
support that till date.
"There is already evidence
of rice at Jiahu. So far no evidence of rice paddy fields. But the evidence for
carp aquaculture suggests that the Neolithic people at Jiahu were able to
control water channels to some extent. Therefore rice paddies are not
impossible. The technology for rice paddy fields and carp aquaculture may have
developed in tandem, " Observed Hudson.
Published
on September 17, 2019
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A
World must transform food
production or face unrest, scientists warn
Published17.09.201900:08
The world must diversify its food
production and consumption, or face damaging supply disruptions that could lead
to suffering and social unrest, scientists warned on Monday. A new global study
found the health and environmental benefits of transforming the way we farm
would outweigh heavily the cost of doing so, with the authors urging
governments to do more to support sustainable agriculture. "A small
disruption in supply really can do a lot of damage and leads to huge price
increases," said Per Pharo of the Food and Land Use Coalition, the global
alliance of economists and scientists behind the study.
"That creates suffering and
social unrest. And it will highly likely also lead to hunger and
instability," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Global
over-dependence on a relatively small number of staple foods leaves populations
vulnerable to crop failures, with climate change adding to the strain, the
report said. "Four different crops provide 60% of our calories — wheat,
rice, maize and potatoes. That increases our vulnerability," said Pharo.
The panel said the report was the first of its kind to assess the benefits of
transforming global food systems as well as the cost of inaction. The damage
the modern food industry does to human health, development and the environment
costs the world $12 trillion a year equivalent to China's GDP the study found.
It proposes a series of solutions, from encouraging more diverse diets to
improve health and reduce dependency on specific crops, to giving more support
to the types of farming that can restore forests, a key tool in fighting
climate change.
The study said the reforms could
also free up 1.2 billion hectares of agricultural land for restoration, an
integral part of efforts to curb climate change and halt biodiversity loss.
That is more than twice the size of the Amazon rainforest, which spans seven
nations.
"What we're saying is realistic if the reform agenda is
implemented," said Pharo, adding that under the proposed changes,
consumers would actually get "slightly more affordable food."
"The excuse that we cannot priorities environment at the same time because
we've got to focus on development, on human welfare, is simply false. We can
deliver both."
COVERING CLIMATE NOW: Race is on to develop rice, fruit strains that
are resilient to heat
By NORIHIKO KUWABARA/ Staff
Writer
September 17, 2019 at 15:35 JST
With temperatures rising in Japan
at faster than the global average, farmers and scientists are locked in a
high-stakes battle to develop varieties of rice and fruit that are less
vulnerable to heat.
Success in this field was evident
in early September as rice paddies in the Kamiogi district of Satte, Saitama
Prefecture, were growing well even though the average temperature in the
prefecture for August was about two degrees higher than average.
The rice paddies are managed by
Yoshitaka Funakawa, 68, president of an agricultural corporation that has been
using the Sainokizuna rice variety in recent years.
"We will likely be able to
secure first-grade rice quality because the plants are growing as nicely as in
normal years," Funakawa said.
Saitama rice farmers began
working on new varieties after the mercury in Kumagaya hit a then domestic
record of 40.9 degrees in summer 2007.
The Saitama prefectural
agricultural technical research center found that most of the 300 or so new
rice varieties being developed at the time had rice kernels with insufficient
starch due to high temperatures.
However, one new strain,
Sainokizuna, showed no evidence of being affected by the heat.
One of its characteristics is an
ability to lower the temperature of its rice leaves and stalks by absorbing
enough water, even on the hottest days. As heat problems did not arise with
this variety, its kernels produced the required amount of starch.
Sainokizuna was formally
registered as a new rice variety in 2014 and Saitama farmers quickly began planting
it. In 2018, the variety had spread to about 4,000 hectares, or about 12
percent of the entire acreage for rice paddies in the prefecture.
"Its popularity spread
because it continued to produce stable, high-quality rice even as hot summers
continued," noted an official at the prefectural research center.
According to the Japan
Meteorological Agency, average temperatures in Japan had increased by 1.19
degrees in comparison to the end of the 19th century. That is higher than the
global average of about 1 degree.
Higher temperatures play havoc
with rice quality.
For example, in 2010 when much of
Japan baked during the summer, the ratio of first-grade rice throughout Japan
was only 62 percent, or a decrease of more than 20 percentage points over the
previous year.
A team at the National
Agricultural and Food Research Organization (NARO) issued forecasts based on
assumptions made by an intergovernmental panel of the U.N. framework convention
on climate change. If global average temperatures at the end of the current
century rose the maximum 4.8 degrees in comparison to before the Industrial
Revolution, rice harvest in Japan would increase by 12 percent over the end of
the 20th century, but 80 percent of that rice would likely be of a low quality.
In its road map to deal with
climate change, the government has led the charge to promote ways to reduce the
poorer quality of farm products.
That has led to research in other
prefectures, such as Hiroshima and Toyama, to develop new rice varieties that
are also resilient to higher temperatures.
In 2014, the Koinoyokan variety
fostered by NARO was designated by the Hiroshima prefectural government as a
variety that rice farmers should grow more of. Now, about 1,200 hectares of
rice paddies are dedicated to that variety.
Toyama has also designated a new
variety that is considered to be even tastier than the famed Koshihikari
variety.
Fruit farmers are not sitting
back, either.
A report by the farm ministry
showed that about a dozen or so prefectures in recent years had reported
"unshu mikan" fruit as being affected by higher temperatures. The
heat apparently stops the growth of the fruit pulp even as the skin covering
that pulp continues to grow.
Exposure to stronger sunlight is
also apparently the cause of bad coloring on apples and grapes that are exposed
to excessive sunlight.
To deal with the mikan fruit pulp
problem, farmers spray a liquid that slows the growth of the pulp skin.
A new apple variety that
continues to have a dark red color even with higher temperatures has been
introduced in some areas.
In central and southern Aomori
Prefecture in northern Japan, apple farmers have been encouraged to turn to a
peach variety that grows well even in hotter areas. Peach harvests have
increased seven-fold over the past decade.
"The spread of global
warming could greatly change the best areas for rice farming, making the Tohoku
region no longer viable for growing high-quality rice," said Yasushi
Ishigooka, a senior researcher at NARO.
While implementing comprehensive
measures to slow down the rise in temperatures is a must, Ishigooka said other
measures were also needed, such as changing cultivation and harvest periods or
improving the variety of produce grown.
Early rice
farmers unwittingly selected for weedy imposters
Date:
September 16, 2019
Source:Washington
University in St. Louis
Summary:Early
rice growers unwittingly gave barnyard grass a big hand, helping to give root
to a rice imitator that is now considered one of the world's worst agricultural
weeds.
Early rice growers unwittingly
gave barnyard grass a big hand, helping to give root to a rice imitator that is
now considered one of the world's worst agricultural weeds.
New research from Zhejiang
University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Washington University in St.
Louis provides genomic evidence that barnyard grass (Echinochloa
crus-galli) benefited from human cultivation practices, including
continuous hand weeding, as it spread from the Yangtze River region about 1,000
years ago.
Barnyard grass is a globally
common invasive weed of cultivated row crops and cereals. The new study was
published Sept. 16 in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
"In Asia, rice farmers have
traditionally planted and weeded their paddies by hand. Any weeds that stick
out are easily detected and removed," said Kenneth Olsen, professor of
biology in Arts & Sciences. "Over hundreds of generations, this has
selected for some strains of barnyard grass that specialize on rice fields and
very closely mimic rice plants. This allows them to escape detection."
Olsen collaborated on data
analyses and interpretation for the new study. He is working with the study's
corresponding author, Longjiang Fan of Zhejiang University, on other research
related to rice evolutionary genomics and agricultural weed evolution.
This study sequenced the genomes
of rice-mimic and non-mimic forms of the weed as a step towards understanding
how this process has occurred.
This form of mimicry, called
Vavilovian mimicry, is an adaptation of weeds to mimic domesticated plants. In
the case of barnyard grass, the rice mimics grow upright like a rice plant
instead of sprawling along the ground like most barnyard grass. They also have
green stems like rice plants instead of the red stems more commonly found in
the weed.
"With the advent of
agriculture about 10,000 years ago, humans all over the planet began creating a
wonderful habitat for naturally weedy plant species to exploit," Olsen
said. "The most successful and aggressive agricultural weeds were those
that evolved traits allowing them to escape detection and proliferate in this
fertile new environment."
The researchers estimate that the
mimic version of E. crus-galli emerged at about
the same time that Chinese historical records indicate that the regional
economic center was shifting from the Yellow River basin to the Yangtze River
basin. During this period of the Song Dynasty, human populations were growing
rapidly, demand for rice as the staple grain was paramount. This is also the
time when a quick-maturing, drought-resistant variety of rice called Champa
rice was introduced to the Yangtze basin from Southeast Asia -- to allow two
harvests in a year. Weed management in paddies might have been intensified in
the context of these conditions.
Traditional farming preserves
diversity of Thai purple rice
However, while common barnyard
grass is a major agricultural weed in the U.S., the rice mimic form has never
become widespread in the main rice growing region -- the southern Mississippi
valley.
Olsen speculates that this is
because U.S. rice farmers rely on mechanized farming instead of hand labor.
"Without farmers out in the
fields planting and weeding by hand, there's not such strong selection for weeds
to visually blend in with the rice crop," he said.
Story Source:
Materials provided
by Washington University
in St. Louis. Original written by Talia Ogliore. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
1.
Chu-Yu
Ye, Wei Tang, Dongya Wu, Lei Jia, Jie Qiu, Meihong Chen, Lingfeng Mao, Feng
Lin, Haiming Xu, Xiaoyue Yu, Yongliang Lu, Yonghong Wang, Kenneth M. Olsen,
Michael P. Timko, Longjiang Fan. Genomic evidence of human selection on
Vavilovian mimicry. Nature Ecology & Evolution,
2019; DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0976-1
Cite This Page:
Washington University in St. Louis. "Early rice farmers
unwittingly selected for weedy imposters." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16
September 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190916170116.htm>
Carp
aquaculture in Neolithic China dating back 8,000 years
Date:September
16, 2019
Source:Max
Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Summary:
Researchers analyzed fish bones excavated from the
Early Neolithic Jiahu site in Henan Province, China. By comparing the
body-length distributions and species-composition ratios of the bones with
findings from East Asian sites with present aquaculture, the researchers
provide evidence of managed carp aquaculture at Jiahu dating back to 6200-5700
BC.
Share:
In a recent study, an
international team of researchers analyzed fish bones excavated from the Early
Neolithic Jiahu site in Henan Province, China. By comparing the body-length
distributions and species-composition ratios of the bones with findings from
East Asian sites with present aquaculture, the researchers provide evidence of
managed carp aquaculture at Jiahu dating back to 6200-5700 BC.
Despite the growing importance of
farmed fish for economies and diets around the world, the origins of
aquaculture remain unknown. The Shijing, the oldest surviving collection of
ancient Chinese poetry, mentions carp being reared in a pond circa 1140 BC, and
historical records describe carp being raised in artificial ponds and paddy
fields in East Asia by the first millennium BC. But considering rice paddy
fields in China date all the way back to the fifth millennium BC, researchers
from Lake Biwa Museum in Kusatu, Japan, the Max Planck Institute for the
Science of Human History in Jena, Germany, the Sainsbury Institute for the
Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures in Norwich, U.K., and an international team
of colleagues set out to discover whether carp aquaculture in China was
practiced earlier than previously thought.
Carp farming goes way back in
Early Neolithic Jiahu
Jiahu, located in Henan, China,
is known for the early domestication of rice and pigs, as well the early
development of fermented beverages, bone flutes, and possibly writing. This
history of early development, combined with archaeological findings suggesting
the presence of large expanses of water, made Jiahu an ideal location for the
present study.
Researchers measured 588
pharyngeal carp teeth extracted from fish remains in Jiahu corresponding with
three separate Neolithic periods, and compared the body-length distributions
with findings from other sites and a modern sample of carp raised in Matsukawa
Village, Japan. While the remains from the first two periods revealed unimodal
patterns of body-length distribution peaking at or near carp maturity, the
remains of Period III (6200-5700 BC) displayed bimodal distribution, with one
peak at 350-400 mm corresponding with sexual maturity, and another at 150-200
mm.
This bimodal distribution
identified by researchers was similar to that documented at the Iron Age Asahi
site in Japan (circa 400 BC -- AD 100), and is indicative of a managed system
of carp aquaculture that until now was unidentified in Neolithic China.
"In such fisheries," the study notes, "a large number of cyprinids
were caught during the spawning season and processed as preserved food. At the
same time, some carp were kept alive and released into confined, human
regulated waters where they spawned naturally and their offspring grew by
feeding on available resources. In autumn, water was drained from the ponds and
the fish harvested, with body-length distributions showing two peaks due to the
presence of both immature and mature individuals."
Species-composition ratios
support findings, indicate cultural preferences
The size of the fish wasn't the
only piece of evidence researchers found supporting carp management at Jiahu.
In East Asian lakes and rivers, crucian carp are typically more abundant than
common carp, but common carp comprised roughly 75% of cyprinid remains found at
Jiahu. This high proportion of less-prevalent fish indicates a cultural
preference for common carp and the presence of aquaculture sophisticated enough
to provide it.
Based on the analysis of carp
remains from Jiahu and data from previous studies, researchers hypothesize
three stages of aquaculture development in prehistoric East Asia. In Stage 1,
humans fished the marshy areas where carp gather during spawning season. In
Stage 2, these marshy ecotones were managed by digging channels and controlling
water levels and circulation so the carp could spawn and the juveniles later
harvested. Stage 3 involved constant human management, including using spawning
beds to control reproduction and fish ponds or paddy fields to manage
adolescents.
Although rice paddy fields have
not yet been identified at Jiahu, the evolution of carp aquaculture with wet
rice agriculture seems to be connected, and the coevolution of the two is an
important topic for future research.
Story Source:Materials provided by Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
1.
Tsuneo
Nakajima, Mark J. Hudson, Junzo Uchiyama, Keisuke Makibayashi, Juzhong
Zhang. Common carp aquaculture in Neolithic China
dates back 8,000 years. Nature Ecology & Evolution,
2019; DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0974-3
Cite This Page:
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
"Carp aquaculture in Neolithic China dating back 8,000 years."
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 September 2019.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190916114026.htm
High blood
pressure: Best exercise to lower your reading - three activities
HIGH blood pressure is a common
condition in the UK, with more one in four people living with it. It is well
understood that maintaining an active lifestyle can help to lower a person’s
reading. One study suggests a certain exercise may play a role in reducing high
blood pressure.
By Adam Chapman
08:59, Mon, Sep 16, 2019 | UPDATED: 09:52, Mon, Sep 16,
2019
High blood pressure happens
when the force of blood pushing against a person’s artery walls is consistently
too high. Overtime, this can pose grave health risks such as cardiovascular
disease. Extensive evidence shows that shunning unhealthy foods and keeping
active offers the best defence against high blood pressure. One study suggests
keeping flexible may play a role in reducing the risk of high blood pressure.A study published in the American Journal of Physiology suggested that being more flexible and having flexible arteries may reduce a person’s risk of high blood pressure.As Blood Pressure UK explained, stiff arteries (blood vessels) raise blood pressure and increase a person’s risk of developing high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.
The study found that asking people aged 40 or older to try to reach beyond their toes when sitting down appears to show how stiff their arteries are. The further the person could reach, the more flexible their body and the more flexible their arteries.
The researchers measured the flexibility of 526 healthy, nonsmoking people aged between 20-83 years.
They did this by asking people to sit on the floor with their back against a wall with their legs straight out in front of them.The people then reached forward by bending at the waist. Depending on how far they could reach, the people were then divided into 'poor' flexibility or 'high' flexibility.To compare their flexibility with the stiffness of their arteries, the researchers also measured the people's blood pressure, physical strength, endurance, fitness and speed of a heart beat of blood as it moved round the body.High blood pressure: Study suggests exercises that encourage flexibility may lower the risk (Image: Getty Images )
Blood pressure: How is it measured? (Image: Getty Images )
There is a strong link between being more flexible and having more
flexible arteries
Study researchers
Overall, the researchers found that being less flexible meant that
people aged more than 40 had greater stiffness of their arteries and higher
blood pressure. However this link wasn't noticeable for people aged less than
40.It has been shown before that people who look after themselves and keep fit have lower blood pressures in later life, but it wasn't known if this was also true for people who kept themselves more flexible.
The researchers were keen to find out and argue that their results show that there is a strong link between being more flexible and having more flexible arteries.
The study's authors suggest that you may be able to keep your arteries flexible and reduce your risk of high blood pressure by carrying out regular stretching exercises. However, these regular stretches should be in addition to (not in the place of) the recommended 30 minutes of exercise five times a week, because these activities give your heart a good work out.
Good exercises to stretch a person’s body and increase their flexibility include yoga and Pilates.
Blood pressure: How to gauge your
reading (Image: Getty Images )
High blood pressure: Stiff arteries (blood vessels) raise blood
pressure, said Blood Pressure UK (Image: UK )
High blood pressure: Aerobic activity offers the best defence
against high blood pressure (Image: Getty Images )
According to Blood Pressure UK, people with high blood pressure
should generally focus on activities that will help their heart and blood
vessels. Aerobic activity is the type that helps a person’s heart the most.As the health site explained: “Aerobic activities are repetitive and rhythmic movements (exercises), and they use the large muscle groups of your body, such as those in your legs, shoulders and arms.”
Examples of aerobic activities include:
- Walking
- Jogging
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Digging
Scientists warn world must
transform food production or face possible unrest
THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
- SEP 16, 2019
ROME – The world must diversify its food production and consumption, or
face damaging supply disruptions that could lead to suffering and social
unrest, scientists warned Monday.
A new global study found the
health and environmental benefits of transforming the way we farm would
outweigh heavily the cost of doing so, with the authors urging governments to
do more to support sustainable agriculture.
“A small disruption in supply
really can do a lot of damage and leads to huge price increases,” said Per
Pharo of the Food and Land Use Coalition, the global alliance of economists and
scientists behind the study.
“That creates suffering and
social unrest. And it will highly likely also lead to hunger and instability,”
he said.
Global over-dependence on a
relatively small number of staple foods leaves populations vulnerable to crop
failures, with climate change adding to the strain, the report said.
“Four different crops provide 60
percent of our calories — wheat, rice, maize and potatoes. That increases our
vulnerability,” said Pharo.
The panel said the report was the
first of its kind to assess the benefits of transforming global food systems as
well as the cost of inaction.
The damage the modern food
industry does to human health, development and the environment costs the world
$12 trillion a year — equivalent to China’s GDP — the study found.
It proposes a series of
solutions, from encouraging more diverse diets to improve health and reduce
dependency on specific crops, to giving more support to the types of farming
that can restore forests, a key tool in fighting climate change.
In Costa Rica, for example, the
government has reversed deforestation by eliminating cattle subsidies and
introducing payments to farmers who manage their land sustainably.
As a result, the amount of forest
cover has risen from a quarter of the country’s land in 1983 to more than half
today, the report said.
The cost of the reforms it lays
out are estimated to be up to $350 billion a year. But that would create
business opportunities worth up to $4.5 trillion — a 15-fold return.
The study said the reforms could
also free up 1.2 billion hectares of agricultural land for restoration, an
integral part of efforts to curb climate change and halt biodiversity loss.
That is more than twice the size
of the Amazon rainforest, which spans seven nations.
“What we’re saying is realistic
if the reform agenda is implemented,” said Pharo, adding that under the
proposed changes, consumers would actually get “slightly more affordable food.”
“The excuse that we cannot
prioritize environment at the same time because we’ve got to focus on
development, on human welfare, is simply false. We can deliver both.”
Safeguard probe on rice imports begins
September 16, 2019
-
This file photo shows various rice varieties are on display in a
market in San Andres, Manila. The Philippine government has formally
notified the World Trade Organization that it has launched an investigation
into the surge in rice imports to determine whether the application of
safeguard measures is warranted.
The Philippines has formally informed
the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it has launched an investigation into
the surge in rice imports following the plunge in the farm-gate prices of local
rice to determine whether it should apply safeguard measures.
Manila submitted a formal communication
to the WTO Committee on Safeguards (CoS) on September 12 to inform
member-states that it has initiated a preliminary investigation into rice
imports last September 11.
“Pursuant to Article 12.1[a] of
the WTO Agreement on Safeguards [AoS], the Permanent Mission of the Philippines
to the WTO hereby notifies the Committee on Safeguards of the initiation of a
preliminary safeguard investigation on the imported rice from various
countries,” read the notification, which was made public on September 13.
Manila said it initiated the
safeguard investigation, as the decline in the farm-gate prices of unhusked
rice continue, which caused farmers to incur losses, coincided with the jump in
imports.
Rice imports rose after the
Philippines implemented the rice trade liberalization law, which removed the
quantitative restriction on the staple and eased import rules.
“[The] continued increase in rice
imports coincides with the drop in farm-gate prices of paddy resulting in
income loss for farmers,” the document read.
“Skyrocketing rice imports
significantly affect the Philippines’s ending stock, subsequently affecting the
positioning of local rice in the market,” it added.
Since the passage of the rice
trade liberalization law, Manila argued that “rice traders abruptly shifted
from buying local paddy to importing rice as the latter is now more convenient
to do.”
WTO AoS Article 12.1 (a)
stipulates that member-states shall immediately notify the CoS when initiating
an investigation relating to the possible imposition of safeguard measures.
Farmers groups, including the
Federation of Free Farmers Inc. (FFF), have been urging the Department of
Agriculture (DA) to initiate a safeguard investigation as the farm-gate price
of local palay continued to go down.
FFF argued that rice farmers have
incurred losses amounting to at least P40 billion due to the 20-percent
year-on-year decline in palay prices.
FFF National Manager Raul Q.
Montemayor said trade remedies, such as safeguard measures and antidumping
duties, would limit imports as it would become more expensive. This, Montemayor
added, would prevent farmers from incurring more losses as domestic palay
prices are expected to stabilize.
‘Record high
imports’
From March 5 to August 30, the
latest data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) showed that the total
volume of rice imports has reached 1.304 million metric tons (MMT). Republic
Act (RA) 11203, or the rice trade liberalization law, took effect on March 5.
During the period, traders,
farmers’ cooperatives and importers have sought sanitary and phytosanitary
import clearances (SPS-IC) for 2.776 MMT of rice from Thailand, Myanmar,
Vietnam, Spain, India, Italy and Pakistan, according to BPI data.
In the month of August alone,
rice traders applied for SPS-ICs for 735,127 MT of rice. The figure is the
highest monthly volume of rice that the private sector sought to import since
RA 11203 took effect.
BPI data also showed that the
agency has issued a total of 3,115 SPS-ICs to over 228 eligible rice importers
from March 5 to August 30. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
said the removal of the QR and the relaxation of import rules would cause
increase the purchases of rice from abroad this year.
The USDA projected that the
Philippines’s total rice imports this year would rise by 24 percent to a
record-high 3.1 MMT, making the country the second-top buyer of the staple
after China.
Buy local rice, DA Region 11 asks
consumers
Updated September 16, 2019, 2:46 PM
By Zea Capistrano
DAVAO CITY – In a bid to help local farmers, the Department of
Agriculture in Region 11 said they are encouraging consumers to buying and
consuming local rice.
Department of Agriculture (MANILA BULLETIN)
Noel Provido, chief of the
Regional Regional Agriculture & Fishery Information Section, of DA-11, said
a way to help the local farmers is for consumers to buy their produce. To make
it more accessible in the market, Provido said they recently held a meeting
with provincial governors in the region to appeal for their support in engaging
in rice business.
“Since provinces have their
Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and the Landbank of the Philippines offers a
loan for LGUs to engage in rice business, encouraging the provincial
governments to engage in rice business is a way to offer fair price to
farmers,” he said in a phone interview.
Provido said that the LGU
officials have shown interest in the proposal.
The DA official said the price of
palay in the region is currently at P16 to P17 a kilo. The NFA, he added, buys
clean and dry palay at P19 per kilo.
He said they aim to cut down the
cost of production by 30 percent and increase rice yield from four metric tons
per hectare to six metric tons per hectare by providing farmers with machinery
and seed subsidy under the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund.
“Our production cost is currently
at P12 per kilo, while the rice from other countries like Thailand and Vietnam
have lower production cost at P8 per kilo and P6 per kilo, respectively,” he
said.
Provido said mechanization will
help bring down the cost of rice production.
Big time mechanization in farmers’ rescue
Published at 12:39 am
September 17th, 2019
File photo: Dhaka
Tribune
Farm labour
force to halve in 10 years, government decides to give more subsidies on agro
machinery and forms committee to expedite mechanization program
Farmers in
Bangladesh employ power tillers and tractors for land preparations in over 90%
of the farmlands. Agricultural implements are in use in almost cent percent
cases for crop protection and post-harvest milling.
But when it
comes to seed sowing, transplanting and harvesting crops – farm mechanization
appears to be a forgotten chapter. Only 1% of seeding and just 2% of harvesting
are done by machines and the rest is done manually.
And with the
farm labourers increasingly becoming expensive to hire, the rice farmers in the last Boro season had hard time harvesting
the ripened paddies from their fields.
Against this
backdrop, the government has decided to go for a big-time farm mechanization
program after holding a series of meetings on this over the past two months.
Officials
confirmed Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the government would provide more
subsidies on farm mechanization, and it commissioned a committee on Sunday to
come up with a report in a week with recommendations to expedite the process of
agricultural mechanization.
Bangladesh’s
farm sector contributes nearly one-sixth — or 13.31% at constant price — of the
total national GDP and employs two-fifth of the total workforce. But there
appears a worrying trend of people leaving farm labour profession and pursuing
non-farm economic activities.
In last Boro
season, farmers suffered a double blow of low paddy price and high cost of
harvesting.
Agriculture Minister
Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, who held two consecutive meetings on farm
mechanization in past three weeks with all the stakeholders, said the
government would go to any extent in fully mechanizing the country’s farm
sector.
He said: “If we
want to make agriculture profitable, we must use more machinery because the
labour price is very high.”
He also hinted
at providing a subsidy of Tk3,000 crore to help farmers buy machinery at a
cheaper price so that they can minimize labour costs for the production.
Officials and
experts present at the August 21 and September 15 meetings told this
correspondent that unless prompt actions are taken in the direction of
mechanization, the country’s rice farmers, in particular, would be in big
trouble.
Diminishing
labour force in farm sector
A recent study
on “Mechanization for Sustainable Agricultural Intensification in SAARC Region”
and the UN FAO predicted that percentage of labour force employed in on-farm
agricultural activities would reduce from 43% to 36% by next year and to 20% by
2030 — posing a great challenge to Bangladesh agriculture to produce more grains for
increasing population.
Meanwhile, with
government moving to the direction of farm mechanization, several farm
machinery delegations from different countries, including South Korea and
France, have recently visited Bangladesh.
The committee
formed on Sunday will also devise a way to pilot demonstrations of farm
implements from these countries so that farmers in different agro-ecological
zones consider the efficacy, affordability aspects of imported farm equipments
and machines.
It is found out
that mechanized irrigation is in place in over 60% of rice fields in
Bangladesh, somewhat 75% of the harvested crops are threshed by mechanized
threshers, and the reaped crops are transported from the fields to the next
stops of marketing value chain by mechanized modes of transports.
The recently
held official meetings emphasized on use of combined harvester, reaper and rice
transplanter as currently their usage are very limited in the country.
Sources said
the government would not only consider increasing subsidy for farmers to buy
machinery, but may also plan to ask banks to finance the matching fund against
the subsidy money so that farmers can afford to buy the machines.
$1.2bn agro
machinery market in Bangladesh
Agricultural
machinery sub-sector in Bangladesh is still considered as a non-formal one and
no significant efforts have been made so far to enhance its capacity and
linkages to internal and external markets.
Beyond import
of tractors, power tillers, diesel engines, spare parts from abroad (mostly
from China, India, and South Korea) there are about 70 foundries, 2,000
agricultural machinery and spare parts manufacturing workshops, and about
20,000 repair and maintenance workshops engaged in production and servicing of
agricultural machines and spare parts.
According to a
report presented last year by Bangladesh Agricultural University Prof Monjurul
Alam, the agro machinery market reached $1.2 billion in Bangladesh and local
manufacturers have a 32% share in it.
It said local
manufacturers are dominating the spare parts market with more than 60% of the
share.
The study
showed tillage, irrigation, threshing, weeding and pesticide applications have
been mechanized by 90%, 63%, 80% and 70%, respectively.
Carp have been
farmed in China for 8,000 years, researchers say
By Brooks Hays
Researchers compared body-length
distributions from ancient fish fossils with those measured among modern carp
raised in Matsukawa Village, Japan. Photo by Mark HudsonSept.
16 (UPI) -- Aquaculture has deep historical roots in China. New analysis
of ancient fish bones suggest humans in China were managing carp aquaculture as
long as 8,000 years ago.
Scientists
published their findings this week in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
There is historical evidence of carp farming. The Shijing, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, describes carp being raised in a pond as early as 1140 BC. Other East Asian historical records mention carp being reared in artificial ponds and paddy fields during the first millennium BC.
When scientists discovered fish bones at an Early Neolithic Jiahu site in Henan Province, China, they suspected the carcasses evidenced an aquaculture operation. The archeological site has previously revealed evidence of rice and pig domestication, as well the early development of fermented beverages and bone flutes.
For the latest research, scientists analyzed the body-length distributions among the hundreds of fish fossils recovered at the Early Neolithic Jiahu site. Scientists found different fish fossil collections corresponding to different Neolithic periods. The researchers compared the body-length distributions from each period to one another, as well as to the body-length distributions among modern carp raised in Matsukawa Village, Japan.
The distributions of the later two Neolithic periods showed a single unimodal pattern of body-length distribution peaking close to carp maturity. In other words, the bones suggest the fish were farmed and then harvested when the fish were fully grown.
The fish bones from the earliest Neolithic period, dating from 6200 to 5700 BC, revealed a different pattern, one with two peaks -- a bimodal distribution. The first peak corresponded with sexual maturity and the second correlated with physical maturity.
"In such fisheries, a large number of cyprinids were caught during the spawning season and processed as preserved food," researchers wrote in the journal Nature. "At the same time, some carp were kept alive and released into confined, human regulated waters where they spawned naturally and their offspring grew by feeding on available resources. In autumn, water was drained from the ponds and the fish harvested, with body-length distributions showing two peaks due to the presence of both immature and mature individuals."
Scientists also analyzed the species distribution among the ancient fish fossils. Despite its name, the common carp is usually outnumbered by crucian carp in East Asian lakes and rivers, but at the Early Neolithic Jiahu site, researchers found more common carp remains than crucian carp bones.
Based on the latest findings, researchers hypothesized that aquaculture developed over the course of three stages.
First, Neolithic farmers began fishing marshy areas where carp gather during spawning season.
Next, farmers began managing the marshes by digging channels to influence water levels and circulation, allowing the carp to spawn and for juvenile fish to be easily harvested.
Eventually, the operation mandated total human management, including the construction of artificial spawning beds for reproduction, as well as the use of artificial ponds to rear adolescents.
Scientists have yet to find paddy fields at Jiahu, but researchers suspect the evolution of carp aquaculture was linked with the development of wet rice agriculture. The study's authors hope further research will reveal connections between the two systems of sustenance.
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2019/09/16/Carp-have-been-farmed-in-China-for-8000-years-researchers-say/9031568652025/?rc_fifo=1
Hiding in plain
sight
Early rice farmers unwittingly
selected for weedy imposters, Arts & Sciences biologists find
Talia Ogliore September 16, 2019
New research provides genomic evidence that barnyard grass
benefited from human cultivation practices, including continuous hand weeding, as
it spread out of the Yangtze River region about 1,000 years ago. (Photo:
Shutterstock)
Early
rice growers unwittingly gave barnyard grass a big hand, helping to give root
to a rice imitator that is now considered one of the world’s worst agricultural
weeds.
New
research from Zhejiang University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and
Washington University in St. Louis provides genomic evidence that barnyard
grass (Echinochloa
crus-galli) benefited from human cultivation practices, including
continuous hand weeding, as it spread from the Yangtze River region about 1,000
years ago.
Barnyard
grass is a globally common invasive weed of cultivated row crops and cereals.
The new study was published Sept. 16 in the journal Nature Ecology &
Evolution.
Olsen
“In
Asia, rice farmers have traditionally planted and weeded their paddies by hand.
Any weeds that stick out are easily detected and removed,” said Kenneth Olsen,
professor of biology in Arts & Sciences. “Over hundreds of generations,
this has selected for some strains of barnyard grass that specialize on rice
fields and very closely mimic rice plants. This allows them to escape detection.”
Olsen
collaborated on data analyses and interpretation for the new study. He is
working with the study’s corresponding author, Longjiang Fan of Zhejiang
University, on other research related to rice evolutionary genomics and
agricultural weed evolution.
This
study sequenced the genomes of rice-mimic and non-mimic forms of the weed as a
step towards understanding how this process has occurred.
The common form
of barnyard grass (top) has red stems, while the mimic has green stems — more
like rice. (Photo: Jordan R. Brock/Washington University)
This
form of mimicry, called Vavilovian mimicry, is an adaptation of weeds to mimic
domesticated plants. In the case of barnyard grass, the rice mimics grow
upright like a rice plant instead of sprawling along the ground like most
barnyard grass. They also have green stems like rice plants instead of the red
stems more commonly found in the weed.
“With
the advent of agriculture about 10,000 years ago, humans all over the planet
began creating a wonderful habitat for naturally weedy plant species to
exploit,” Olsen said. “The most successful and aggressive agricultural weeds
were those that evolved traits allowing them to escape detection and
proliferate in this fertile new environment.”
The
researchers estimate that the mimic version of E. crus-galli emerged at about
the same time that Chinese historical records indicate that the regional
economic center was shifting from the Yellow River basin to the Yangtze River
basin. During this period of the Song Dynasty, human populations were growing
rapidly, demand for rice as the staple grain was paramount. This is also the
time when a quick-maturing, drought-resistant variety of rice called Champa
rice was introduced to the Yangtze basin from Southeast Asia — to allow two
harvests in a year. Weed management in paddies might have been intensified in
the context of these conditions.
However,
while common barnyard grass is a major agricultural weed in the U.S., the rice
mimic form has never become widespread in the main rice growing region — the
southern Mississippi valley.
Olsen
speculates that this is because U.S. rice farmers rely on mechanized farming
instead of hand labor.
“Without
farmers out in the fields planting and weeding by hand, there’s not such strong
selection for weeds to visually blend in with the rice crop,” he said.
Mechanized
farming does not exert the same selection pressures as hands-on cultivation
practices. (Photo: Shutterstock).
Nod to dues
recovery plan for defaulting rice millers in Punjab
TNN |
Updated: Sep 17, 2019, 9:13 IST
CHANDIGARH:
To inject new life into sick rice units and recover
outstanding dues worth Rs 2,041 crore, the Punjab council
of ministers on Monday approved a dues recovery and settlement
scheme 2019-20.
Defaulting millers, up to and including crop year 2014-15, will be eligible for this scheme. However, it excludes defaulters who availed of the one-time settlement scheme of September 2017.
The defaulters will have the option to pay total recoverable amount — principal amount plus 10% interest per annum — within 30 days from the date of issue of quantification for settlement letter. They can also choose to pay 50% of total recoverable amount within 30 days and balance within 60 days from the date of issue of quantification for settlement letter with 6% interest. Also, 25% of total recoverable amount can be paid within seven days from the date of issue of quantification for settlement letter, with another 25% within 60 days of the date of issue of quantification for settlement letter with 10% interest. The third installment of 25% amount will be payable within 90 days with 12% interest and the balance in 120 days with 15% interest.
Defaulting millers, up to and including crop year 2014-15, will be eligible for this scheme. However, it excludes defaulters who availed of the one-time settlement scheme of September 2017.
The defaulters will have the option to pay total recoverable amount — principal amount plus 10% interest per annum — within 30 days from the date of issue of quantification for settlement letter. They can also choose to pay 50% of total recoverable amount within 30 days and balance within 60 days from the date of issue of quantification for settlement letter with 6% interest. Also, 25% of total recoverable amount can be paid within seven days from the date of issue of quantification for settlement letter, with another 25% within 60 days of the date of issue of quantification for settlement letter with 10% interest. The third installment of 25% amount will be payable within 90 days with 12% interest and the balance in 120 days with 15% interest.
A detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) for settlement of claims would be issued by the director of food and supplies. The letter for the final settlement of account will be issued by controller food accounts after receipt of 100% payment from the miller and completion of all formalities of the SOP.
A miller against whom a decree has been passed and its execution proceedings are going on will also be covered under this scheme on the recommendation of the district committee concerned that the recovery of the amount is not possible through execution, sale of assets or as arrears of land revenue. The government had recovered Rs 32.4 crore against outstanding principal amount from millers through the OTS issued during September 2017, which had remained operational for six months.
Punjab
approves policy for rice mills for early delivery to central pool
The scheme is aimed at
ensuring seamless milling of paddy and smooth delivery of rice to the Central
Pool from more than 4000 mills operating in the state.
Sep 16, 2019,
03.43 PM IST
Mills which had completed
their milling by 31st January, 2019 would be eligible for additional 15% of
free paddy
CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the upcoming paddy
harvest season, Punjab
Cabinet led by Captain
Amarinder Singh on Monday approved the Punjab Custom Milling Policy
for Paddy (Kharif 2019-20), with more security provisions, including criminal
penalty for diversion of rice. The scheme, aimed at ensuring seamless milling of paddy and smooth delivery of rice to the Central Pool from more than 4000 mills operating in the state, would be followed by state procuring agencies namely PUNGRAIN, MARKFED, PUNSUP, and Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC), as well as the Food Corporation of India and the Rice Millers/their legal heirs. The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Punjab will act as the Nodal Department.
A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said the sole criterion for allotment of free paddy to mills during KMS 2019-20 would be the miller's performance in the previous year i.e. KMS 2018-19. An additional percentage-wise incentive would be provided to mills as per their date of delivery of rice against milling of Custom milled paddy, including RO paddy in the previous year.
Mills which had completed their milling by 31st January, 2019 would be eligible for additional 15% of free paddy, the spokesperson said, adding that those who had completed delivery of rice by 28th February, 2019 would get an additional 10% of free paddy.
In order to ensure the security of paddy stocks, millers this year would be required to furnish bank guarantee equal to the value of 5% of acquisition cost of allocable free paddy above 3000 MTs. The move would further enlarge the ambit of guarantee clause to over 1250 more rice mills, taking the total number of such mills to around 1900. In addition, millers will also have to deposit Custom Milling Security at the rate of Rs. 125 for each MT of paddy stored.
To guard against any diversion of NFSA/PDS rice, a provision for initiation of criminal proceedings under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Essential Commodities Act (ECA) has been added in case such practice is detected. The rice miller would be required to ensure that the paddy/rice purchased in his own account and stored in the mill is genuine trade commodity and not diverted from rice meant form the welfare schemes.
The miller would be required to purchase a minimum of 150 MTs of paddy in his own account or he shall deposit Rs 5 Lakh non-refundable and Rs 5 lakh refundable security in lieu of the same. If a miller is an owner/partner of more than one mill, and it comes to notice at any stage that only one mill was being used to mill paddy and deliver rice on behalf of his other mills, all such mills would be blacklisted. The newly established rice mills shall be allocated 2500 MTs of paddy for 1 tonne capacity with subsequent allocation of additional 500 MTs of paddy for every additional tonne of capacity, subject to maximum allocation of 5000 MTs.
For efficient and time-bound redressal of any dispute, an explicit provision of first appeal from orders passed by the District Allotment Committee related to any Clause of policy would lie with Director Food and Supplies and a second appeal therefrom with the Principal Secretary Food and Supplies.
The state is expected to procure 170 Lakh MTs of paddy with total area under paddy sowing being 29 Lakh hectares this year coming down from 31.03 Lakh hectares the previous season. The target was to complete the Custom Milling of Paddy, thereby delivering all due rice to Food Corporation of India, by March 31, 2020.
The Economic Times RF: Rice exports to Europe may fall 10%
Thou Vireak |
Publication date 16 September 2019 | 21:43 ICT
The Cambodia Rice Federation has predicted that the value of rice
exports to the European market may decline by around 10 per cent this year to
$180 million. Hong
Menea
The Cambodia Rice Federation
(CRF) predicted that the value of rice exports to the European market may
decline by around 10 per cent this year.
CRF president Song Saran said in
a Facebook post that the value of rice exports to Europe was more than $200
million last year.
However, the federation predicts
that the export value to the market will drop to around $180 million due to
safeguards imposed by the EU earlier this year.
Among the more than 270,000
tonnes of rice exported to Europe last year, about 80 per cent was fragrant
rice, said Saran.
Meanwhile, rice exports to China
will rise through increased shipments of fragrant rice to correspond with the
rising demand there.
“CRF will strive to [place
Cambodia as one of the] top three rice exporters [to China from its current
fourth-place position] with an estimated value of $160 million this year – up
from $113 million in 2018,” said Saran.
Overall, CRF projected that the
export value will reach around $430 million this year, he said.
Cambodia’s rice sector officially
lost its import duty exemption granted by the EU in January after the bloc
decided to impose tariffs on imports from the Kingdom and Myanmar to protect
European rice farmers’ interests.
CRF vice-president Chan Sokheang
told The Post that after the EU decided to impose tariffs on Cambodian rice
earlier this year, the federation needed time to find additional markets.
Besides China, the CRF is also
looking to expand the market for Cambodian rice to Australia, Canada, Africa
and Arab countries, he said.
“We will expand the export of
fragrant rice to African and Arab countries because they [Arab countries] are
rich and consume a lot of Thai rice. I hope the markets we open will help
offset losses from Europe,” he said.
Hun Lak, the managing director of
Mekong Oryza Trading Co Ltd, a leading rice exporter in Cambodia, said that
although rice exports to Europe may decline, exports to Asean countries and
China would increase.
“[We are] dealing with Asean
markets like Malaysia. They want Cambodian rice, especially fragrant rice,” he
said.
A report from the Secretariat of
One Window Service for Rice Export Formality shows that Cambodia exported
308,013 tonnes of rice during the first seven months of this year, a 3.7 per
cent increase year-on-year.
China was the leading market with
123,361 tonnes – a 94 per cent increase year-on-year.
Last year, China provided
Cambodia with a 300,000-tonne rice quota. However, the Kingdom exported a mere
170,154 tonnes. Earlier this year China added another 100,000 tonnes to the
quota, bringing the total to 400,000 tonnes.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries figures show that the country exported 626,225 tonnes of rice
last year, decreasing 1.5 per cent from 635,679 tonnes in 2017.
The main destinations for rice
exports were the EU with a total of 269,127 tonnes and China with 170,154
tonnes.
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Price
of Vietnamese rice falls to 12-year low
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Sri Lanka rough rice forecast for
Yala 2019 bumped up to 4.6mn tones
Saturday September 14, 2019 13:26:02
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has raised a paddy (rough rice) output
from both cultivation seasons in 2019 to 4.613 million metric tonnes up 5.5
percent from an earlier estimate, and up 17 percent from last year, the state
agricultural office said.
In the ongoing Yala season, 1,540 paddy is forecast to be
produced after crop damage, up from a earlier forecast of 1.47 million metric
tonnes.
This years Yala forecast is around the same as 1.53 million metric tonnes produced in 2018.
This years Yala forecast is around the same as 1.53 million metric tonnes produced in 2018.
After wastage and seed paddy needs, 1.38 million tonnes of paddy
will be available for milling from the Yala crop. About 940,000 metric tonnes
milled rice will be available for consumption.
The final main Maha rice output is now estimated to 3.073
million metric tonnes up 28 percent from last year and 5.9 percent higher from
a preliminary estimate.
For the full year 4.613 million metric tonnes of paddy and 2.88
million metric tonnes of milled rice would be available. (Colombo/Sept14/2019)
PK Jha Last Updated: Sat, Sep 14, 2019 14:02 hrs New Delhi: Rising domestic rice prices have affected exports this year with shipment of the non-Basmati variety falling about 37 per cent or 10 lakh tonnes, over the previous year. Though Basmati rice exports have also declined 1.5 per cent, but experts don't suggest price as reason behind it. Arvind Kumar Gupta, Director of the Basmati Export Development Institution that comes under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), shared with this agency, "Prices of non-Basmati rice are high in the country, which has affected its demand overseas. Exports have declined in the first four months of this financial year (FY20) against the corresponding period of FY19". According to APEDA data, 17,06,891 tonnes of non-Basmati rice were exported in April-July of FY20 against 26,94,827 tonnes in the same period of FY19. The non-Basmati rice exports have declined around 9.88 lakh tonnes or 36.66 per cent. In value terms, it has declined by 36.30 per cent to Rs 48.16 crore over the smape period of FY19. Similarly, Basmati rice exports have declined by 1.42 lakh tonnes to 14.35 lakh tonnes between April and July against the year-ago period. Vijay Setia, Chairman, All India Rice Exporters Association, said due to the high prices of non-Basmati rice its demand had soften in the foreign market. "The paddy is sold on the minimum support price (MSP) decided by the government, which pushes rates compared with other competitive countries".
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Rise in local production in the importing countries is also the
reason behind the falling demand. For instance, demand in Bangladesh has come
down because of domestic production, said Setia. India is world's top rice
exporter, followed by Thailand and Vietnam. Pakistan also exports rice. •
Here's how much India earned through Basmati exports last year
"Countries, like Bangladesh, have to pay less shipping charges when they
import rice from India. Therefore, high-prices don't cost them much. But in
the far away African countries, the situation is different. They purchase it
from where they find it cheaper," Gupta told this agency. There is a
price difference of around $30 per tonne of non-Basmati rice between India
and other nations. It meant that the domestic price was $30 per tonne higher,
said Gupta. P.K.
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Monsoon effect: Over 10 pct fall
seen in Kharif rice output
Published: September 14, 2019 4:02:26 AM
Even as the difference of sowing area under
under paddy (y-o-y) narrows every week, it is still 6% lower than 5-year
average of 39.63 million hectare.
Crisil had earlier predicted a 7% fall in rice production.
(Reuters)
There could be at least a 10% drop in rice production this kharif
season from last year’s 102.13 million tonne due to fall in sowing area and
drop in yields, officials reckon. Crisil had earlier predicted a 7% fall in
rice production. Even as the difference of sowing area under under paddy
(y-o-y) narrows every week, it is still 6% lower than 5-year average of 39.63
million hectare.
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Rice farmers
in Calabarzon find buyers in NFA, LGUs
4.5 million bags of palay set for procurement; buying price set
at P19 per kilo
By: Maricar
Cinco - Reporter / @maricarcincoINQ
Philippine
Daily Inquirer / 04:59 AM September 16, 2019
BACK-BREAKING JOB A farm hand in Calauan,
Laguna, checks a rice paddy for pests and weeds. Growing palay is no easy job
for farmers as grain prices continue to drop amid competition from imported
rice. —KIMMY BARAOIDAN
SAN PEDRO
CITY, Laguna, Philippines — The National Food Authority (NFA) is buying 4.5
million sacks of palay (unhusked rice) produced in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna,
Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region to ease the impact of the surge of imported
rice on local farmers.
In the
bigger rice-producing provinces of Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro, the
local government units (LGUs) are also set to buy palay through farmers’
cooperatives.
But the vice
mayor of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, the top rice-producing town in Mimaropa
(Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) region, said this solution was not
enough and called it “unsustainable.”
“The low
price of palay alone would not be an issue if only there were enough support
for the farmers,” Sablayan Vice Mayor Walter Marquez said on Sunday.
Imported
rice influx
Marquez
called on President Rodrigo Duterte to “suspend temporarily” the implementation
of the Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Liberalization Act (also known as the
rice tariffication law), which allowed the influx of imported rice, pulling
down the farm-gate price of locally produced palay.
He said
local farmers could never keep up with the imported supply without enough
government support like irrigation facilities and lower costs of seeds and
fertilizers.
Support
price
“In Mindoro,
we don’t even have our own irrigation [system] and we still depend on the rain
[to irrigate our farms],” Marquez said in a telephone interview.
Sablayan
alone has 22,897 hectares of land planted to rice, with an average yield of 4
to 5 tons per hectare.
Arnel de
Mesa, regional director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for Calabarzon,
said the agency would buy local palay at P19 per kilogram, the support price
set by the national government to match the current farm-gate price.
According to
De Mesa, the lowest price for “wet rice” (grains with around 30-percent
moisture content and have yet to be dried) in the region is P10 (Laguna), while
the highest is P16 per kilo (Batangas). The price of clean and dry palay is
between P14 (Rizal) and P18 per kilo (Laguna).
In the
Mindoro provinces, known for producing the fancy rice variants like
“sinandomeng” and “dinorado,” the price of wet palay has dropped to P12
(Oriental Mindoro) and P14 (Occidental Mindoro) per kilo, from the previous P17
to P20 per kilo.
Clean and
dry
The
government, however, would buy only the clean and dry palay, with the local
harvest season to begin by the end of September.
RICE DELIVERY Porters unload sacks of rice
delivered to stalls in the public market of Tanauan City in Batangas province.
—KIMMY BARAOIDAN
“Mindoro
[for instance] has three cropping seasons. Sure, the government buys [local
rice] this year, but what about next year or the year after that?” Marquez
said.
Between
80,000 and 90,000 ha of land in the Mindoro provinces are planted to rice
during the wet cropping season, according to Tony Gerundio, DA director for
Mimaropa.
About 25
percent of the island’s rice harvest, records showed, is sold to Bulacan
province and to provinces in Western Visayas region.
Warehouse
space
In a
separate phone interview, Gerundio said a problem was the “limited” space in
NFA’s “bodega” (warehouses) to store the palay, should the agency begin buying
from local farmers. He said the warehouses were still full of rice stocks
bought last year and the NFA needed to dispose of these first.
“We’ve
talked to the provincial governments [which have agreed to] take charge of the
logistics and the [additional] bodega,” Gerundio said.
He said the
provincial governments would lease warehouses for rice storage and manage the
use of rice processing centers for the farmers to dry and mill their palay.
The
provincial governments would also act as “conduits” for farmers’ cooperatives
to avail of loans with the Land Bank of the Philippines, he said.
Japan to win
trade concessions on US rice imports, but hits wall on auto tariffs
September 16, 2019 (Mainichi
Japan)
In this June 28, 2019 file photo, Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe, third from right, and U.S. President Donald Trump, second from
left, and their teams sit down for talks in Osaka's Suminoe Ward. (Pool photo)
TOKYO -- The amount of U.S. rice
that will be allowed to enter Japan tariff-free under a bilateral trade deal
will be much less than that set under the multilateral Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP), which President Donald Trump pulled out of in 2017.
Under the TPP, which was
implemented by the remaining 11 partners at the end of 2018, Japan would have
accepted the import of as much as 70,000 metric tons of U.S. rice per year.
However, it was revealed on Sept. 15 that negotiators for a Japan-U.S. trade
deal are looking to settle on a much smaller figure -- apparently with Trump's
blessing.
Meanwhile, tariffs on U.S. wine
imports to Japan look likely to be reduced gradually to zero over five to seven
years, about the same as the eight-year time frame under the TPP. The cut is
eventually expected to reduce Japanese shelf prices of U.S. wines by about 10%.
The two sides are aiming to have
a deal ready to be signed by Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a summit in
the United States in late September.
The Japanese government pushed
for a reduction in the volume of tariff-free U.S. rice from TPP levels to
protect domestic producers. American negotiators initially sought to retain the
70,000-ton figure, but the issue appears to have been a low priority for the
Trump administration as most U.S. rice is grown in California, a Democratic
stronghold.
However, Washington did push back
hard on automobiles by outright refusing Tokyo's demand the U.S. cut duties on
Japanese vehicle imports. It looks likely the Abe administration will play up
its negotiating gains in rice, saying that "both Japan and the U.S. made
compromises" to curry favor with its electorate.
(Japanese original by Shuichi
Kanzaki and Kenji Shimizu, Business News Department)
Iraq buys rice
from Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay: traders
SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 / 7:23 PM
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraq’s trade
ministry bought 120,000 tonnes of rice in its latest international purchasing
tender, traders said on Sunday.Of the total, Iraq bought 60,000 tonnes of
Uruguayan origin from Hanalico, they said.
Iraq also bought 30,000 tonnes of
Paraguayan rice from ADM and 30,000 tonnes of Brazilian rice from Teriyaki.
