Climate Change Will Affect Rice
Crops, Study Finds
Tuesday,
10 December, 2019 - 07:15
A
farmer transplanting rice in a field near Khon Kaen, northeastern Thailand. (Reuters)
Cairo
- Hazem Bader
Rice is the largest global staple
crop, consumed by more than half the world's population -- but new experiments
from Stanford University suggest that with climate change, production in major
rice-growing regions with endemic soil arsenic will undergo a dramatic decline
and jeopardize critical food supplies.
Arsenic is a chemical that is found naturally in the soil, and is not generally transmitted to plants, but according to the new study, climate changes can transfer it, especially to rice.
The experiments' findings, which are published in the Nature Communication journal, show that rice production in future climate conditions could drop about 40 percent by 2100, and that changes to soil processes due to increased temperatures will cause rice to contain a high level of arsenic.
The researchers specifically looked at rice because it is grown in flooded paddies that help loosen the arsenic from the soil and make it especially sensitive to arsenic uptake.
While many food crops today contain small amounts of arsenic, future changes in soil due to higher temperatures combined with flooded conditions cause arsenic to be taken up by rice plants at higher levels, and using irrigation water with naturally occurring high arsenic exacerbates the problem.
While these factors will not affect all global commodities in the same way, they do extend to other flood-grown crops.
The researchers created future climate conditions in greenhouses based on estimates of a possible 5 degree Celsius temperature increase and twice as much atmospheric carbon dioxide by 2100, as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
While previous research examined the impacts of increasing temperature in the context of the global food crisis, this study was the first to account for soil conditions in combination with shifts in climate.
For the experiments, the group grew medium-grain rice. The greenhouses were controlled for temperature, carbon dioxide concentrations and soil arsenic levels, which will be higher in the future due to its buildup in soils from irrigating crops with arsenic-contaminated water, a problem that is worsened by over-pumping groundwater.
The researchers found that with increased temperatures, microorganisms destabilized more of the soil's inherent arsenic, leading to greater amounts of the toxin in the soil water that is available for uptake by the rice. Once taken up, arsenic inhibits nutrient absorption and decreases plant growth and development, factors that contributed to the 40 percent decrease in yield the scientists observed.
Scott Fendorf, co-author and professor at the University of Stanford said "The findings highlight a 'dangerous issue' that would lead to negative consequences on the global food security".
In a report published on the university's website, Fendorf said: "By the time we get to 2100, we're estimated to have approximately 10 billion people, so that would mean we have 5 billion people dependent on rice, and 2 billion who would not have access to the calories they would normally need. We have to be aware of these challenges that are coming so we can be ready to adapt."
Dr. Khaled Abdel Sattar, nutrition expert at the Egyptian Ministry of Health, sees that along the crop failure challenge, the high levels of arsenic highlighted in the study is concerning, not only because of rice's global significance, but also because it is a low-allergen food often introduced early to infants.
"Because infants are a lot smaller than we are, if they eat rice, that means that they take up more arsenic relative to their body weight," he added. Chronic exposure to arsenic leads to skin lesions, cancers, aggravation of lung diseases and ultimately death.
Arsenic is a chemical that is found naturally in the soil, and is not generally transmitted to plants, but according to the new study, climate changes can transfer it, especially to rice.
The experiments' findings, which are published in the Nature Communication journal, show that rice production in future climate conditions could drop about 40 percent by 2100, and that changes to soil processes due to increased temperatures will cause rice to contain a high level of arsenic.
The researchers specifically looked at rice because it is grown in flooded paddies that help loosen the arsenic from the soil and make it especially sensitive to arsenic uptake.
While many food crops today contain small amounts of arsenic, future changes in soil due to higher temperatures combined with flooded conditions cause arsenic to be taken up by rice plants at higher levels, and using irrigation water with naturally occurring high arsenic exacerbates the problem.
While these factors will not affect all global commodities in the same way, they do extend to other flood-grown crops.
The researchers created future climate conditions in greenhouses based on estimates of a possible 5 degree Celsius temperature increase and twice as much atmospheric carbon dioxide by 2100, as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
While previous research examined the impacts of increasing temperature in the context of the global food crisis, this study was the first to account for soil conditions in combination with shifts in climate.
For the experiments, the group grew medium-grain rice. The greenhouses were controlled for temperature, carbon dioxide concentrations and soil arsenic levels, which will be higher in the future due to its buildup in soils from irrigating crops with arsenic-contaminated water, a problem that is worsened by over-pumping groundwater.
The researchers found that with increased temperatures, microorganisms destabilized more of the soil's inherent arsenic, leading to greater amounts of the toxin in the soil water that is available for uptake by the rice. Once taken up, arsenic inhibits nutrient absorption and decreases plant growth and development, factors that contributed to the 40 percent decrease in yield the scientists observed.
Scott Fendorf, co-author and professor at the University of Stanford said "The findings highlight a 'dangerous issue' that would lead to negative consequences on the global food security".
In a report published on the university's website, Fendorf said: "By the time we get to 2100, we're estimated to have approximately 10 billion people, so that would mean we have 5 billion people dependent on rice, and 2 billion who would not have access to the calories they would normally need. We have to be aware of these challenges that are coming so we can be ready to adapt."
Dr. Khaled Abdel Sattar, nutrition expert at the Egyptian Ministry of Health, sees that along the crop failure challenge, the high levels of arsenic highlighted in the study is concerning, not only because of rice's global significance, but also because it is a low-allergen food often introduced early to infants.
"Because infants are a lot smaller than we are, if they eat rice, that means that they take up more arsenic relative to their body weight," he added. Chronic exposure to arsenic leads to skin lesions, cancers, aggravation of lung diseases and ultimately death.
Philippines
rice saga: Government confirms stricter import controls despite President’s
pledge to ban them
10-Dec-2019 - Last updated on 10-Dec-2019 at 01:48 GMT
1
The Philippines Department of
Agriculture (DA) has opted to control rice imports and prices, even though
President Rodrigo Duterte previously said all imports would be halted.
The Philippines
Department of Agriculture (DA) has opted to control rice imports and prices,
even though President Rodrigo Duterte previously said all imports would be
halted.
This is
the latest development in a long line of confusing and seemingly contradictory
statements and policies. Duterte originally signed the rice tariffication law and removed import caps earlier this year in February in an attempt to bring down rice shortages and severe price hikes in the Philippines.
This came on the back of a series of failed attempts to remedy the situation including the introduction of rice labelling and pricing rules, auctioning out rice supply bids, and a blatant denial of any shortage in the country.
A huge amount of rice entered the country after this was passed, easing the then-precarious situation.
However, nine months on, Duterte announced at a press conference earlier this month that he had ordered Agriculture Secretary William Dar to suspend all imports of rice in order to help local farmers suffering as a result of rice importation, and called on the government to buy local rice at farmgate prices instead.
This almost immediately led to a state of confusion, starting with the DA claiming that rice imports could not be stopped without amending the rice tariffication law.
“The law is the law. If it needs to be revised, that has to be reviewed by both houses of Congress,” said DA spokesman and Assistant Secretary for Communications and Media Affairs Noel Reyes.
“We will await an official directive from the palace.”
He added that it had been less than a year since the tariffication law had been implemented, describing it as a ‘baby that had not learnt to walk’, so it was ‘too early’ to talk about repealing this law.
The next day, following a meeting with Duterte, Dar responded by posting on his Facebook page that ‘strict measures’ would be imposed on rice imports – but made no mention of Duterte’s previous comments on halting these.
"All rice importers will have to comply with the guidelines as required in securing the Sanitary Phyto-Sanitary Import Clearance or SPSIC," said Dar.
“We are abiding by the intentions and directives of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring down the price of rice at affordable levels, and provide rice farmers much-needed support to make them efficient and cost-productive so they can ably compete with their counterparts in ASEAN and other Asian countries."
After close to a week of confusion, Duterte finally cleared up the situation by claiming that he had been ‘misunderstood’.
“We have to import because the producer cannot fill up the requirements. It’s lacking,” he said during a speech.
In conclusion: rice imports will continue in the Philippines, albeit with stricter controlling measures in place.
Helping
rice farmers
The
implementation of these measures as well as ‘pre-inspections’ at the point of
origin of imported rice will be enforced through DA via the Bureau of Plant
Industry (DA-BPI).“This is to ensure quality and safe rice for consumers, as well as protect farmers from possible introduction and spread of crop pests and diseases,” said the DA via an official statement.
DA also stated that in this meeting, Duterte had ordered the country’s National Food Authority (NFA) to buy more palay (unhusked rice) from local farmers to increase emergency buffer rice stock from 15 to 30 days.
“The NFA must [also] sell more regular milled rice at an average of 20,000 bags (50 kg) or more per day, [and extend] the unconditional cash transfer for small farmers affected by low palay prices [from] one to two years, with a budget of PHP3bn (US$59.1mn) per year,” said the DA.
According to Asia Customs and Trade, BPI launched an ePhytosanitary Web Application (which can be found here) earlier this year which aims to increase the electronic applications of electronic phytosanitary certificates in the country, as opposed to paper versions.
https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2019/12/10/Philippines-rice-saga-Government-confirms-stricter-import-controls-despite-President-s-pledge-to-ban-them
Afghanistan
heads towards self-sufficiency in rice production: ministry
Source:
Xinhua| 2019-12-10 18:53:16|Editor: xuxin
KABUL, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan has been moving towards
achieving self-sufficiency in rice production as 66 percent of rice has been
produced inside the country, said a statement of Ministry for Agriculture,
Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) received here Tuesday.
The insurgency-battered country, according to the statement,
produced over 383,000 tons of rice this year, up to nine percent increase
compared to last year.
"The country has now become self-sufficient by 66 percent
in rice production in 2019, as a result of using improved seeds, modern
machinery, providing technical assistance to farmers by government and the
favorable weather," the statement went on to say.
A survey jointly conducted by the Central Statistics Office and
MAIL indicates sharp increase in paddy cultivation in the country and the total
amount of rice-fields in 18 out of the country's 34 provinces have increased
from 116,000 hectares last year to 128,000 hectares this year.
Afghanistan usually imports 588,000 tons of rice each year and
with the noticeable growth in rice production, the country has become
self-sufficient by 66 percent this year and therefore the rice import would
fall to enable the country to earn 65 million U.S. dollars this year.
Rice and wheat flour are two main food sources in Afghanistan.
For the Afghan citizens, the bumper harvest in the rice
production is a rare piece of good news in a country critically affected by
draught, conflict, and high-food prices and where millions of people are pushed
into food-insecurity.
Rice ban: Ghanaian farmers seek adoption of
Nigerian model
on
December 10, 2019
By
Following a resolution by Ghana
government to impose ban on imported rice by 2022, farmers under the aegis of
Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) have advised the country’s
government to adopt the Nigerian model by making the ban immediate instead of
waiting for 2022.
The association, in a statement
signed by Abdul- Rahman Mohammed, National President and Board Chairman of
PFAG, called for a show of commitment and steps to be put in place for
immediate ban rather than wait until 2022.
It said adopting Nigeria’s food
importation ban concept would not only help to reduce Ghana’s import bill, but
create employment opportunities in Ghana and stabilise the cedi.
Recall that the Federal
Government of Nigeria had, in August this year, closed the borders to
neighbouring countries in order to check smuggling of rice and other contraband
goods into the country.
The development has also been
supported by Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), whose effort in local
rice production has recently witnessed a boost.
According to PFAG, “concrete
measures need, therefore, to be put in place to commence ban on imports such as
the reduction in 2020 rice imports.”
The statement commended
government for setting aside a day to appreciate the contribution of farmers to
the growth and development of the country.
The 35th edition of Farmer’s
Day is on the theme: “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture towards Agribusiness
Development.”
The association has, therefore,
congratulated all smallholder farmers, especially those who would be awarded
prizes at the local level.
It said government should
direct for institutional purchase of local rice by as the school feeding
programme, free SHS, the Military and Para institutions.
It said government should
mandate all banks to increase their loan portfolio with low interest rate on
agriculture.
The statement said critical
issues on the eve of this year’s celebration have taken the spirit off the
theme.
It said smallholder rice
farmers, who were keen in agribusiness were apprehensive and despondent as the
rice they produced during the last crop season lies waste and possibly to the
vagaries of harmattan bush fires.
“Farmers are confronted with
lack of access to combine harvesters, lack of storage and exploitation by
traders, who have taken advantage of the desperate situation,” he added.
It said the National Food
Buffer Stock had announced plans to mop up the surplus rice by providing
minimum guaranteed prices to farmers but has not materialised leaving the rice
farmers to their fate.
It said Ghanaian farmers have
proven their ability to produce enough rice to meet domestic consumption.
The statement said this was
manifested by the drastic increase in rice production in 2019 of which greater
quantities still remain unharvested due to lack of harvesting equipment and a
guaranteed market.
Unfortunately, only 34 per cent
of Ghanaians consume Ghana rice, while 680,000 tonnes of rice costing $500
million is imported annually.
The association believes that
the high appetite for imported rice has significantly contributed to rice
millers lacking market for Ghana rice leading to the current rice glut in
Northern Ghana.
“This phenomenon if not
addressed with the urgency it deserves, can worsen the poverty situation of
smallholder farmers and majority of rural people, who still rank as the poorest
in the country and thereby negatively impacting on the successes the nation
chalked in recent times on the campaign against poverty and food insecurity,”
it added.
The statement has therefore
recommended to government to explore new technologies to address aflatoxin and
other post-harvest challenges in rice production.
It said government should bring
storage facilities closer to rice farming areas by first completing the One
District, One Warehouse programme, commission the completed ones and set up
temporary cocoons in the communities.
Pangilinan calls for release of
P6-billion compensation for rice farmers this month
Published December 11, 2019, 4:08 PM
By Mario Casayuran
Opposition Senator Francis N.
Pangilinan urged on Wednesday the Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of
Agriculture (DA) to release the P6-billion cash compensation for rice farmers
this December.
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (Photo from Kiko Pangilinan
website / kikopangilinan.com /
FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
‘’Let this be our Christmas gift
to our rice farmers devastated by the flood of imported rice. They need this
reparation now,” Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party (LP), said.
Pangilinan was the one who
started to sound the alarm on the plight of Filipino rice farmers August this
year in a privilege speech, where he proposed several measures to ensure that
they would survive the devastating effects of the flood of imported rice.
Last month, Pangilinan filed
Senate Bill 1191 seeking to augment the 2019 budget with P6 billion to
immediately provide unconditional cash transfer to rice farmers from
unprogrammed funds in the 2019 national budget.
The bill proposes a P6-billion
supplemental budget from unprogrammed 2019 budget for direct cash transfers to
vulnerable rice farmers who are planting one hectare or less, “as compensation
for the reduction or loss of farm income arising from the influx of imported
rice.”
Of the country’s 2.11 million
rice farmers, 1.14 million till, at most, one hectare of land.
According to the DOF, only
416,972 are in provinces that experienced an income loss of at least P2 per
kilo. DOF will decide on the actual number of farmers who will be compensated.
“The cash transfer will give them
a lifeline to continue farming while we try our best to fix the law,”
Pangilinan added.
He was referring to Republic Act
11203 or the Rice Tariffication Act which imposes a minimum 35-percent tariff
on rice imports in lieu of quantitative restrictions (QRs).
The liberalization of rice
imports, while intended to give the country a steady supply, has led to
declining palay farm gate prices in many rice-producing areas.
Eight months since the passage of
the law, farm gate prices of palay have plunged to as low as P7 to P10 per kilo
in some provinces, while the price of rice dropped by 2.9 percent, and the
price of palay by 17.48 percent.
The drop in farm gate price of
palay has resulted in huge income losses for rice farmers and the industry, now
estimated around P60 billion, and projected to double by yearend, Pangilinan
explained.
Pangilinan said releases from the
proposed supplemental fund would be made by the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) directly to the DA which shall make available the fund to the
farmers.
The fund will be effective until
December 31, 2020.
Earlier, both the Senate and the
House of Representatives approved on third and final reading their respective
bills extending the validity of the 2019 budget until December 31, 2020.
This would allow agencies to
spend funds for capital outlays and maintenance and other operating expenses in
the 2019 budget until next year.
The Pangilinan bill stated that
the DBM would submit to Congress and the Commission on Audit quarterly report
on the utilization of funds.
At the House of Representatives in
November, LP secretary general Quezon City Rep. Christopher ‘Kit” Belmonte also
filed House Bill 5629 as a counterpart measure, saying that the cash
compensation will encourage rice farmers to continue farming.
‘’The damage to their livelihood
is not our farmers’ fault. We need to save our rice farmers because if not, all
of us who consume rice will in the end suffer and face rice shortage,”
Pangilinan said.
Banks Give
Funds To Local Rice Millers To Clear Harvest
By News Desk
3 HOURS
AGO AGRICULTURE
The Ghana Rice Millers
Association says it is ready to flood the market with Ghana Rice brands this
festive season.
The assurance comes after the
association secured a deal with some banks to provide funds for the millers at
an affordable rate.
The banks include GCB Bank,
National Investment Bank, Barclays and ADB Bank. Members of the association
have been asked to present their individual proposals to their respective
banks.
The campaign to encourage people
to consume Ghana Rice was started by the CEO of Citi FM and Citi TV Samuel
Attah-Mensah.
Speaking to Citi
Business News on the progress made so far, the convener of
the Ghana Rice Millers Association Yaw Poku stressed that the millers will hit
the farm gate to clear the rice by next week.
“We are moving out there, by this
weekend, a lot of us will be in the milling floor. It is Christmas, by next
week will be sending milled rice to the market,” Mr. Poku said
He maintained with the new
arrangement, rice millers now have an opportunity to access loans at a
favourable rate from local banks to buy the produce at the farm gate for
processing.
Background
The Chief Executive Officer of
Citi FM/TV, Samuel Attah-Mensah declared himself a campaigner for the
consumption of locally-produced rice in the country.
According to him, this is to help
reduce the government's forex expenditure on rice imports by at least 50 per
cent in the next two years.
Ghana spends over GHS 1.1 billion
annually on importation of rice. Local rice farmers bemoan lack of buyers for
their produce
Earlier, rice
farmers operating in the Fumbisi Rice Valleys in the
Builsa South District of the Upper East Region, were asking the government to
get them a ready market for their produce.
The farmers said their produce
was getting rotten on the farms due to lack of ready market.
According to them, if urgent
steps are not taken to address their concerns, their investments will go waste.
Onion prices increased by 400%
after March
Onion prices
have increased by 400 per cent after March as the average retail price of onion
on December 3, 2019 was recorded to be Rs 81.9 per kg as compared to Rs 15.87
per kg in March 2019, said Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday in Lok Sabha.
Updated on: December 11, 2019 10:25 IST
Onion prices increased by 400% after March
Onion prices have increased by
400 per cent after March as the average retail price of onion on December 3,
2019 was recorded to be Rs 81.9 per kg as compared to Rs 15.87 per kg in March
2019, said Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas
Paswan on Tuesday in Lok Sabha.
The price of rice and wheat have
increased by 10 per cent while the prices of pulses increased by 30 per cent.
While giving the written reply to
the questions of MP Rahul Ramesh Shewale and Bhartrihari Mahtab, the Union
Minister shared the price list of essential commodities including rice, wheat,
flour, pulses, oil, tea, sugar, jaggery, vegetables and milk, which shows that
the prices have increased in December as compared to January.
The prices of most of the
commodities out of 22 essential commodities, especially potato, tomato and
onion, monitored by the Department of Consumer Affairs have been steadily
increasing.
Both the MPs sought information
from the minister about the increase in prices of the essential commodities
this year.
They also asked the minister
about the steps taken by the government to control the increasing prices.
The minister said that the supply
chain is under huge pressure due to demand-supply disparity, unfavourable
weather conditions, increase in transportation costs, lack of storage and black
marketing by the hoarders. The prices have also been affected due to this.
He also mentioned the steps taken
by the government to control the prices of the essential commodities.
Tue, Dec 10, 2019, 07:05 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Dec 10, Colombo: Large scale rice mill owners have agreed to
provide rice at concessionary prices to consumers during the upcoming festive
season, the Finance Ministry said.This decision was reached at a meeting with
the large scale rice mill owners at the Presidential Secretariat today (10).Accordingly,
the rice mill owners agreed to sell one kilogram of Nadu rice at a maximum
retail price of Rs. 98 and one kilogram of Samba rice at a maximum retail price
of Rs. 99.According to the decision taken by the large scale rice mill owners to provide rice at concessionary prices during this festive season consumers will be able to buy rice at that price without any shortage, the Ministry assured.
Accordingly, the rice will be distributed from tomorrow through rice millers' distribution network.
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_19B/Dec10_1575984953CH.php
China greenlights 18 more
Cambodian rice exporters
Thou Vireak |
Publication date 09 December 2019 | 22:01 ICT
China was the Kingdom’s leading
export market in the first 11 months of this year, with 195,242 tonnes. POST
PIX
China
has granted an additional 18 Cambodian rice millers approval to export rice
into the country, bringing the total to 44, the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh
said on Friday.
The
additional rice exporters will help the Kingdom achieve its 400,000 tonne quota
of rice to China starting next year, it said.
Cambodia
Rice Federation (CRF) vice-president Chan Sokheang said China’s decision comes
after a CRF proposal to increase the Kingdom’s rice production capacity to
supply the Chinese market.
In
January, he said, Cambodia will begin implementing measures to fulfil the
Chinese rice quota.
“This
is a positive sign that will further boost Cambodia’s competitiveness, with
production also increased,” Sokheang said.
Heng
Pheng, the CEO of Battambang province-based Thmor Korl Rice Import Export Co
Ltd, told The Post on Monday that China is a huge potential market for
Cambodian rice exports.
His
company exported around 2,000 tonnes of rice to China in the first 11 months of
this year, he said.
“The
increase in the number of rice millers will help boost the volume of rice
exports to China, and will also help to meet China’s 400,000 tonne export
quota.
Last
Tuesday, locally owned milled rice exporter Mekong Oryza Trading Co Ltd signed
a three-year export memorandum of understanding (MoU) with companies from Hong
Kong and South Africa.
Its
CEO Hun Lak told The Post last week that his company plans to export 100,000
tonnes of rice to China, South Africa and Europe during the duration of the
MoU.
“We
will find more new markets besides China and diversify our exports to build our
competitiveness,” Lak said.
According
to an official report, in the first 11 months of this year, international rice
exports totalled 514,149 tonnes. This was a 3.4 per cent increase compared to
the same period last year, at 497,240 tonnes.
China
was the Kingdom’s leading export market in the first 11 months of this year,
with 195,242 tonnes. The EU imported 174,397 tonnes and the Asean region 69,239
tonnes. The remainder was exported to Africa and other destinations.
Contact
author: Thou Vireak
Contract
farming lifting farmers’ living standards in Preah Vihear
Chhut Bunthoeun / Khmer
Times Share:
The
harvest season of paddy rice has almost come to an end and rice millers and
exporters are now collecting paddy from farmers through contract farming
schemes, benefiting more than 5,000 families in Preah Vihear province.
Three
local exporters – Amru Rice, Signatures of Asia, and Golden Rice – have entered
contract farming agreements with a total of 34 communities in the province.
This year the communities will sell those companies a total of 22,461 tonnes of
organic rice, Preah Vihear’s Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday.
The
body says contract farming benefits 5,341 families in the province. These
families cultivate a combined 14,769 hectares of land.
So
far this year, Amru Rice has purchased 12,841 tonnes of paddy through contract
farming, about 75 percent of its target for 2019. Signatures of Asia,
meanwhile, has bought 1,000 tonnes of paddy, about 70 percent of what it
intends to buy by the end of the year.
Golden
Rice has already met its target for 2019, having bought 3,129 tonnes of paddy
as of this week.
Signatures
of Asia and Preah Vihear Meanchey Union of Agricultural Cooperatives last month
reached a deal on the purchase of paddy rice.
The
exporter agreed to buy white (non-fragrant) rice for 1,200 to 1,300 riel ($0.29
to $0.32) per kilogram. The price of Jasmine rice was set at 1,450 to 1,650
riel ($0.36 to $0.4), according to Chan Pich, Signatures of Asia’s general
manager.
“We
are looking for suppliers of organic rice in Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap
provinces,” he said, noting that organic rice fetches 25 to 30 percent more
than regular rice in international markets.
Kan
Kunthy, vice president of Amru Rice, said they were working with only a few
communities when they started contract farming about five years ago. Now, the
exporter works in partnership with thousands of families in the province.
He
said the company has been working with 9,000 farmers across the country, 5,000
of which grow organic rice.
“Our
goal is to expand our contract farming scheme. This will allow us to work
directly with farmers and will generate more revenue for them,” he said.
Mr
Kanthy said his company will export about 55,000 tonnes of milled rice in 2019,
about 10 percent of all rice exports in the Kingdom.
Last
week, the government allocated an additional $50 million to the Rural
Development Bank (RDB) to expand the credit available to rice millers and rice
exporters, aiming to stabilize the price of paddy and allow more of it to be
stocked, milled, process and exported.
Signatures
of Asia’s Mr Pich said his company is planning to apply for a loan.
“We
haven’t done it yet but we will do it soon so that we can collect more paddy in
Banteay Meanchey province,” he told Khmer Times.
From
January to October, Cambodia exported 457,940 tonnes of milled rice, a 5
percent hike over the corresponding period last year. 184,844 tonnes were
shipped to China, according to the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice
Export Formality (SOWS-REF).
Cambodia exported 8,467 tonnes of
organic rice to the European Union last year, representing 3.9 percent of all
EU organic rice imports. This makes the Kingdom the fifth largest exporter of
organic rice in the EU.
CM
Jagan Reddy clarifies on Superfine Rice in assembly, says he never made such
promise V L Syam
Sundar
Hans News Service | 10 Dec 2019 10:45 AM IST HIGHLIGHTS Chief minister Jagan
Mohan Reddy clarified in the assembly that the party manifesto never mentioned
Sanna Biyyam. He advised the opposition members to... Minister Kodali Nani told
the assembly that they never promised to supply superfine rice but promised
quality rice only. Minister Ranganatha Raju said that the quality rice would be
supplied to all throughout the state from April 1st next year. Chief minister
Jagan Mohan Reddy said that it is Swarna Masuri rice not Sanna Biyyam. Minister
Ranganath who was s also rice millers association president said that the rice
millers are ready to supply Swarna Masuri rice from April 1st next year.
ADVERTISEMENT TDP MLA Atchennaidu raised the issue and recalled the chief
minister himself personally ordered to supply superfine rice on trial basis in
Srikakulam. But the government supplied spoiled rice to people Chief minister
Jagan Mohan Reddy clarified in the assembly that the party manifesto never
mentioned Sanna Biyyam. He advised the opposition members to improve their
knowledge on rice. ADVERTISEMENT "The government is spending additionally
Rs 1400 crore for supplying quality rice. From April 1st Swarna Masuri rice
will be supplied throughout the state," the CM said. The assembly was
shown the video clippings of chief minister's speech in Srikakulam district
when he launched the supply of quality rice. Minister Buggana Rajendranath
pointed out that while TDP government spent Rs 200 crore the YSRCP government
spent more than Rs 4,300 crore for rice supply.
https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/cm-jagan-reddy-clarifies-on-superfine-rice-in-assembly-says-he-never-made-such-promise--588671
https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/cm-jagan-reddy-clarifies-on-superfine-rice-in-assembly-says-he-never-made-such-promise--588671
Japan concerned about stalled Sh20bn Thiba dam
TUESDAY,
DECEMBER 10, 2019 22:00
Japan has expressed concerns over delays in
resumption of works on the stalled Thiba Dam project in Kirinyaga County that
it has financed to the tune of Sh20 billion.
The dam is meant to increase rice
production in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
Japan's Ambassador to Kenya,
Horie Ryoichi, blamed the delays on differing opinions of stakeholders and land
issues.
"It is true the project is
delaying a little bit but I believe the problems affecting its construction
will be resolved," he said as he toured the multi-million shilling private
Nice Rice Millers in Ngurubani town on Sunday.
Accompanied by the National
Irrigation Board General Manager, Gitonga Mugambi, the ambassador observed that
the project was crucial and its construction should be fast tracked.
ALSO READ
Earlier, Mr Ryoichi, who has been
in the country for five months now, visited the rice scheme and the stalled dam
site.
Water and Irrigation Principal
Secretary Joseph Irungu has sought to assure rice farmers from the region that
the project will be completed, even as he admitted that the project stalled in
October due to non-payment of the contractor, Strabag Company.
Strabag sent all its 600 workers
on the site home, saying it had run out of funds to finance the project and to
pay them.
Senate
considers bill to address food security problems in Nigeria
Tuesday, December 10, 2019 4:54
pm | News
Lawan
The Senate on Tuesday commenced
legislative action to address the country’s food security problems when it
considered a Bill to that effect.
The bill, which was sponsored by
Senator Theordore Orji (PDP, Abia Central), is for an Act to make Provision For
Freedom From Hunger and the Right to Adequate Food of Acceptable Quality.
Senator Orji, in his lead debate
on the bill which scaled Second Reading on the floor, said the piece of
legislation before the National Assembly seeks to create basic right to food of
acceptable quality and the right of every child to basic nutrition.
The lawmaker pointed out that the
passage of the Bill by the legislature and its eventual assent by the President
will address issues of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.
“It is important to point out
that Food Security means far more than having sufficient food to meet human
needs on a national basis.
“Other very important factors
include access to safe drinking water, primary health care and environmental
hygiene,” Orji added.
According to the lawmaker,
developing countries have been enacting laws aimed at food security after the
World Food Crisis in 2008.
Citing Mauritius as an example,
Senator Orji said that the country enacted a Food Security Fund to enhance
local production of food by tackling all the problems militating against it.
He added that the bill, among
other things, seeks “to provide a framework that promotes the elimination and
prevention of discrimination of marginalized groups in the access and
distribution of food.”
The bill also seeks to establish
an Agency as well as stipulates provisions for Chairmanship, membership of the
board, tenure of office, amongst others.
It also proposes the
establishment of a Food Security Committee in each State of the Federation,
whose functions shall include: implementing food security policy and
programmes, participating in collection, preparation and dissemination of data
on food security and nutrition in the State.
The Committee shall also be
charged with identifying food insecure areas, appropriating programmes and
eligible beneficiaries in relation to food security.
Clause 35, Part VII of the Bill
establishes a “Food Insecurity and Information Mapping System”, making it
mandatory for the Agency to work in collaboration with Ministries of Finance,
Disaster Management, Planning and National Security to provide the information
needed to develop and strengthen the capacity to respond to food emergencies.
The bill also gives the President
the power to declare a food emergency if in his opinion there is a major
shortfall in the domestic production or availability of a designated Agricultural
commodity.
In a related development, the
Senate also on Tuesday considered the Rice Development Council Bill, 2019.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator
Enagi Bima, in his lead debate, said the proposed legislation seeks to
establish a Council that will revolutionize the entire value chain on rice.
According to the lawmaker, the
establishment of a National Rice Development Council will transform the
activities of rice farmers, rice processors, millers, researchers, marketers
and other important stakeholders across the entire rice value chain in the
country.
The two bills after consideration
were referred by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committee on
Agriculture and Rural Development for further legislative work.
Power Lunch
By Deborah Willenborg
LITTLE ROCK, AR -- A
highlight of every USA Rice Outlook Conference is the annual Awards
Luncheon. It's a heady event where
attendees gather to recognize and reward their peers for accomplishments in
service to the industry.
This year, Governor Asa Hutchinson was on hand to welcome everyone
to Arkansas, and talk about the economic impact of rice production here. And emceeing the program was Arkansas native
AnnaLisa Meredith who, in 2017, was crowned the 80th International Rice
Festival Queen in Crowley, Louisiana - the only International Rice Festival
Queen ever not from Louisiana.
Rice Farming Magazine Editor Vicky Boyd introduced the 2019 Rice
Farmer of the Year, the Rice Industry Award, and the Rice Lifetime Achievement
Award (see story below).
Dhu Thompson,
CEO of Delta Plastics, received the 2019 USA Rice Sustainability Award for the
company's focus on recycling. Delta
Plastics is one of the largest recyclers of heavily soiled and contaminated
plastic in the U.S., and since 1998, has diverted 1 billion pounds of waste
material from landfills.
Kyle Voong (second from left) takes home the big money
USA Rice
President & CEO Betsy Ward introduced this year's National Rice Month
Scholarship Grand Prize Winner Kyle Voong, a high school senior from Brandon, Mississippi,
who produced an engaging three-minute video that was a musical tribute to U.S.
rice. The video, "A Sup-Rice-Ing
Presentation, " was shown before
Voong took the stage to thank Corteva Agriscience for sponsoring the contest
and receiving the "big check" for $4,000 dollars. 
Finally, Frank Carey, chair of The Rice Foundation, announced the
members of the 2020/22 Rice Leadership Development Program class: Mallory Everett, McCrory, AR; Elliot
Maschmann, Oran, MO; Adam Shea, Little Rock, AR; Derek Sohnrey, Chico, CA;
Jason Waller, Mer Rouge, LA; Garrett Williams, Stuttgart, AR; and Christine
Wylie, Colusa, CA.
The two-year program provides a comprehensive understanding of the
U.S. rice industry, and is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc., and
American Commodity Company.
From left: Christine Wiley,
Derek Sohnrey, Elliott Maschmann, Garrett Williams, Mallory Everett, and Adam
Shea (not pictured: Jason Waller) From left:
James, Baldwin,and Cook
Rice Recognizes Industry Leaders
By Vicky Boyd
Excerpted from Rice Farming Magazine
LITTLE ROCK, AR -- Every year at the Annual Rice Awards Luncheon
Rice Farming bestows three awards: Rice
Farmer of the Year, the Rice Industry Award, and the Rice Lifetime Achievement
Award. These annual recognitions,
co-sponsored by Horizon Ag and USA Rice, highlight some of the most positive
achievements associated with the U.S. rice industry.
The 2019 Rice Farmer of the
Year is Jennifer James, who along with her husband, Greg, and her father, Marvin
Hare, operate H&J Land Company in Jackson County, Arkansas. James is chair of the USA Rice Sustainability
Committee and was recently elected to the Riceland Foods board of directors -
the first woman in the co-op's 90-year history.
She has been described as an innovative rice grower, a tireless worker
for the rice industry, and the ultimate conservationist.
"It is our obligation as farmers to speak loudly and often
about the practices we employ on our farms to conserve our national resources
and build habitat within our rice fields," says James. "We are producing more with less and
working hard every day to continue to improve."
A love of agriculture and service to farmers come naturally to Rice
Industry Award winner Jim F. Cook, and his attention to detail and
conscientious approach to research and technology are hallmarks of his position
with Colusa County Farm Supply (CCFS) in Williams, California.
"Jim's two passions are research and helping people,"
says rice producer Jared Gross and Jim's co-worker at CCFS. "He is a tremendous resource, teammate,
and an excellent mentor to young men and women starting their careers."
Cook has an impressive list of accomplishments in his career, but
he is quick to give credit to others.
"I was adopted into the culture of the Northern California rice
people, and many are my close friends to this day."
Lifetime Achievement Award winner Dr. Ford Baldwin is a native
Arkansan with a life-long connection to the state's agriculture. He received his doctorate in agronomy and
weed science from Oklahoma State University but returned to Arkansas to work as
a rice weed scientist. Dr. Baldwin's two
noteworthy milestones in his rice research career are Command herbicide and the
Clearfield Rice Production System.
According to rice producer Terry Gray, "Dr. Baldwin was
instrumental in bringing new practices, chemicals, and technologies to the
market for the everyday farmer. He has
had the foresight to look ahead to see problems that were coming in the future
and create plans to deal with them. That
foresight has paid dividends to farmers in the Delta."
To learn more about the three recipients, check out the special
section included in the December issue of Rice Farming magazine.
OPINION: ADDRESSING THE IMPORT-DEPENDENCY SYNDROME
By THEWILL_
December 9, 2019
It has been reported
that not less than N1.3 trillion was spent by the Federal Government on
the importation of rice, fish, sugar and wheat in the last 12 months, the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made this assertion only recently. The bank’s
Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Edward Lametek, spoke at a seminar
organised for Finance reporters in Owerri, Imo State. Speaking on the theme: Galvanising
development finance and monetary policy for growth, the bank chief restated the
bank’s commitment to local production of the commodities, saying that they put
a lot of pressure on the country’s import bill. He said economic
diversification remained a sustainable way to grow the economy.
Lametek noted the Anchor
Borrowers Programme (ABP), which was launched in November 2015, was designed to
build partnerships between smallholder farmers and reliable large-scale
agro-processors, with a view to increasing agricultural output, while improving
access to credit for farmers. He said: Our targeted focus on the agricultural
and manufacturing sectors was driven by the vast opportunities for growth in
these sectors given our high population. These sectors have the ability to
absorb the growing pool of eligible workers in our effort to meet local demand
and save critical foreign reserves.
It would be recalled
that Nigeria spent a total of N1.18 trillion (about$7.4 billion) on the
importation of toothpicks, fish, milk, textiles, rice and furniture between2014
and May 2015, it was gathered.
According to figures obtained
from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), fish imports gulped $1.39 billion while
milk and rice imports accounted for $1.33 billion and $51 million respectively.
These commodities are among 40 items which were recently included on the list
of items banned from accessing foreign exchange at the Nigerian Exchange Window
by the CBN partly because of the undue pressure they exert on the local
currency as well as the economic implication of such imports on the local
industries. CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had contended that restricting
selected item from accessing forex had become inevitable in order to reduce
pressure on external reserves which had seen drastic decline as the apex bank
has had to utilise it to defend the naira following the volatility in the oil
market. He further argued that the new forex restriction was needed to sustain
the stability of the exchange market as well as facilitate the resuscitation of
domestic industries and improve employment generation.
According to figures obtained
from the apex regulatory body, a total sum of $998 million had already been
spent on the importation of six items between January and May 2015. A breakdown
of the figures showed that fish importation accounted for $374.04 million;
rice-$220.3 million; toothpick-$1.32 million; milk–$375.67 million;
furniture-$20.39 million and textiles which accounted for $6.49 million within
the first five months of the year. In total, the sum of $2.73 billion was spent
on CBN excluded items in the period in review.
It is equally important to point
out that, in 2013, total forex spent on recently excluded items was valued at
$3.37 billion. The figure increased to $6.99 billion in 2014 and $2.73 billion
between January and May 2015. The figures further showed that in 2014, fish
importation gulped $1.02 billion while rice imports accounted for $291 million.
Others include toothpicks – $2.71 million; Milk-$960.7 million; furniture –
$63.39 million and textiles which accounted for $15.51 million.
President Muhammadu Buhari has
directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to block food importers’ requests for
foreign currency in a bid to boost local agriculture in Africa’s most populous
country. It is a continuation of a policy that the president began after
coming to office in 2015 when he banned the use of foreign exchange to import
dozens of items including the staple food, rice. Since then, domestic rice
production has increased, but the policy has been criticised for not taking the
low capacity of local farmers into consideration. The policy has also coincided
with a rise in food prices, which has been blamed on insecurity in some of the
country’s main food-producing areas. According to data from Nigeria’s National
Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the amount of money the country has been spending
on importing food and drink increased from 2015 to 2017, dipped in 2018 and if
the trend from the first quarter of this year continues, the bill will go up
again for this year. In 2015, Nigeria spent nearly $2.9bn (£2.4bn) and by 2017
that had risen to $4.1bn, the NBS says.
Nigeria does produce the basic
food commodities such as sugar, wheat flour, fish, milk, palm oil, pork, beef
and poultry but up to now domestic farmers have not been able to satisfy the
demand of the country’s 200 million people, hence the need for imports. With
the foreign exchange ban, Nigerian farmers will now have to increase
production. According to figures from the UN’s Food and Agriculture
Organization, rice production has increased from an annual average of 7.1
million tonnes between 2013 and 2017 to 8.9 million tonnes in 2018. However,
there are also reports that rice smuggling has increased – as customs officials
continue to seize large quantities of the grain at the borders; this has
necessitated the closure of the borders for quite a while now.
Therefore, to put a stop to the
perennial problem of import dependency, the government must a matter of urgent
national importance pulp more money into the agricultural sector, and they must
ensure that the funds get to the actual people that really need them and not
middlemen that increase the cost of food items at the end of the day. The
agricultural production must increase astronomically, this suggests that much
more people must get into the agricultural sector and all the necessary
incentives for them to excel must be given to them as well as providing the
necessary environment for agriculture to thrive. They must be the construction
of feeder roads to link the rural areas and urban centres, the government must
provide storage facilities and also take into cognizance the law of comparative
advantage of each geo-political zones to maximize production.
Furthermore, the need to patronise
made-in-Nigeria goods cannot be overemphasized as it is one major way to
economic growth and development. The economy of any nation grows rapidly when
locally made goods are promoted through patronage, first by its people than
through export. It is, however, dispiriting to know that we obviously have been
growing other countries’ economies through our over-dependence on imported
goods, especially those which have local substitutes. Nigeria can easily
experience a breakthrough in the quest for local content development and a
stable, strong and advanced economy if Nigerians would patronise
made-in-Nigeria products. Some time ago, in a decisive move to grow and promote
the economy, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, reiterated
the government’s determination to promote made-in-Nigeria products by giving
preference to Nigerian professionals in the execution of all government
projects. Dr. Onu said that the Federal Government had issued Executive Order
No. 5, which made it mandatory for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies
(MDAs) to patronise made-in-Nigeria products without compromising standards. It
will be recalled that the Executive Order was signed in February 2018 by
President Muhammadu Buhari, titled “Presidential Executive Order 5 for planning
and execution of projects, promotion of Nigerian contents in contracts and
science, engineering and technology.” This order is a welcome development and a
step in the right direction towards growing Nigeria’s weak economy. The
executive order, if well implemented and carried out, will not only create job
opportunities but it will also ensure that those jobs for which local expertise
are available are not taken over by foreigners. Nigerians must learn to consume
and use things they produce and not rely entirely on foreign items for
consumption and usage.
According to the minister, the
Executive Order which seeks to promote locally made goods will trigger a silent
revolution in how we think as a people and how we regard science and technology
as the missing link in our quest to become a truly great nation. It is quite
interesting to know that the Executive Order bars the Ministry of Interior from
giving visas to foreign workers whose skills are readily available in Nigeria.
This is pivotal in order to avoid falling for the shenanigans of the so-called
‘expatriates’ who may even be illegal aliens with no qualifications but are
only experienced in one area of work specialisation.
Not only will poverty be kept at
bay in our country but also the teeming youths of working-class background
would be productively engaged if we all unanimously begin to patronise Nigerian
products. The gainful employment of the nation’s abundant local labour is
guaranteed if an outright ban is placed on massive importation and consumption
of foreign products with no local value addition and which can be replaced with
local products. There is also a need to shun the culture of giving employment
preference to expatriates ahead of our indigenously trained professionals who are
intelligently capable of doing the same job. Our over-dependence on imported
products will dwindle, thereby growing our economy and promoting our local
content if we as Nigerians will patronise made-in-Nigeria products. This way,
the nation becomes self-reliant in producing and utilising goods produced by
itself. This will create wealth and reduce poverty.
Besides, the national economy
must be prudently managed and the scarce revenue must not be dissipated on
conspicuous consumption and luxury,but through frugal spending manage the
economy sagaciously; there must be tightening of belt and blocking of leakages
and wastages in government.
Also, President Muhammadu Buhari
has defended the temporary closure of the country’s land borders, saying that
it had reduced domestic fuel consumption by 30 per cent. Buhari, who said
there had yet to be any decision on when the borders would be reopened, said
deep-rooted dishonesty made the Federal Government to close the borders. He,
however, said farmers were among the biggest beneficiaries of the government’s
decision to close the borders, which had led to a remarkable drop in the
smuggling of goods, especially rice. Acknowledging the efforts of farmers,
Buhari said, “Farmers must be protected. Dishonesty is deep-rooted in the
country. Otherwise, the border closure would not have been warranted.” Buhari
was speaking in Daura, Katsina State, when a delegation of Katsina State Elders
Forum visited him at his country home.
“The President said the
country’s domestic fuel consumption had dropped by more than 30 per cent,
following closure of land borders”, a State House statement by his media aide,
Mr Garba Shehu, quoted the President as saying. The statement added, “The
President commended the actions taken by the President of Niger Republic,
Muhammadou Youssoufou, including the dismissal of officials and a ban on use of
the country as a dumping ground for Nigeria-bound smuggled goods. “President
Buhari noted that the measures taken by the President of Niger were helpful and
supportive. “President Buhari acknowledged the hardship of border communities
following the ban on sale of fuel at stations 20 kilometres to the border, a
restriction that also saw to the closure of all fuel stations in his native
home, Daura.” He stated that the Nigeria Customs Service was reviewing all
border outlets in a bid to identify the illegal routes used for smuggling and
those officially recognised for genuine transactions. “President Buhari told
the delegation that he intends forging ahead with poverty alleviation schemes
and the agricultural and livestock reforms started by the administration in the
first term since the election was behind him and a government now in place. “He
explained that the reforms, especially those relating to the settlement of
livestock herders would take time to accomplish, assuring that his deliberate
choice of tested farmers as his past and current ministers of agriculture was
informed by the need to carry his vision through”, the Presidency added.
Relatedly, President Muhammadu
Buhari defended the temporary closure of the country’s land borders, saying
that it had reduced domestic fuel consumption by 30 per cent. Buhari,
who said there had yet to be any decision on when the borders would be
reopened, said deep-rooted dishonesty made the Federal Government to close the
borders. He, however, said farmers were among the biggest beneficiaries of the
government’s decision to close the borders, which had led to a remarkable drop
in the smuggling of goods, especially rice. Acknowledging the efforts of
farmers, Buhari said, “Farmers must be protected. Dishonesty is deep-rooted in
the country. Otherwise, the border closure would not have been warranted.”
Buhari was speaking in Daura, Katsina State, when a delegation of Katsina State
Elders Forum visited him at his country home. “The President said the country’s
domestic fuel consumption had dropped by more than 30 per cent, following
closure of land borders”, a State House statement by his media aide, Mr Garba
Shehu, quoted the President as saying. The statement added, “The President
commended the actions taken by the President of Niger Republic, Muhammadou
Youssoufou, including the dismissal of officials and a ban on use of the
country as a dumping ground for Nigeria-bound smuggled goods. “President Buhari
noted that the measures taken by the President of Niger were helpful and
supportive. “President Buhari acknowledged the hardship of border communities
following the ban on sale of fuel at stations 20 kilometres to the border, a restriction
that also saw to the closure of all fuel stations in his native home, Daura.”
He stated that the Nigeria
Customs Service was reviewing all border outlets in a bid to identify the
illegal routes used for smuggling and those officially recognised for genuine
transactions. “President Buhari told the delegation that he intends forging
ahead with poverty alleviation schemes and the agricultural and livestock
reforms started by the administration in the first term since the election was
behind him and a government now in place. “He explained that the reforms,
especially those relating to the settlement of livestock herders would take
time to accomplish, assuring that his deliberate choice of tested farmers as
his past and current ministers of agriculture was informed by the need to carry
his vision through”, the Presidency added.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government
said it had uncovered “hundreds of filling stations” along Nigeria’s Magama
Jibia border with the Republic of Niger purposely set up for the smuggling of
petroleum products. The government identified fuel smuggling, illegal
migration, importation of arms and ammunition and smuggling of rice from the
Republic of Benin to Nigeria through Niger Republic as some of the challenges
on the border communities. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai
Mohammed, who led a high-powered delegation of the Federal Government to Magama
Jibia, Nigeria’s border with the Republic of Niger, said with the border
closure, Nigeria had recorded 30 per cent drop in domestic fuel consumption.
Then, there must a national
reorientation for the people of this country to consume only what they produce
and focus on ways of helping the government to develop the domestic economy and
wait for foreigners to help them develop their own economy for them. The
government too must pursue homespun economic philosophy that has direct bearing
on the socio-economic wellbeing of the people. This is the way to go if the
country is to halt the import dependency syndrome and it is a good development
that the present administration is on the path already, and this will surely
bear good fruits for the country.
*** Written by Jide Ayobolu.
Growing a business centered around rice
Alaina Dismukes
From left, David Sr., David Jr., and Hugh Jr. are the three
Arants caring on the family farming business while making it their own by
adding on their rice milling business, Delta Blues Rice.
Growing a
business centered around rice
The
Arant family not only grows rice, but they also mill and sell their rice
through their company Delta Blues Rice.
The Arant family's
fourth-generation farm pays homage to the past but adds modern technology and
marketing to look to the future.
Currently, Hugh Arant Jr., David
Arant Sr., and David Arant Jr. farm rice, corn, and soybeans on a farm that
dates back to the 1920s near Ruleville, Miss. Around 2014, the Arants created a
rice milling company called Delta Blues Rice.
"We have five products
available on Amazon and our online website," David Arant Jr. said.
"We have brown rice, white rice, white rice grits, brown rice grits, as
well as jasmine rice. Rice grits are broken grains of rice that, when cooked,
are creamier than regular rice. We have recipes on our website and YouTube
videos on how to cook rice in different ways.
"When my wife, Rebekkah, and
I graduated from Mississippi State University in 2006, we moved to Jackson,
Miss. I got a job as a civil engineer while she taught English. During our time
in Jackson, we enjoyed going to local farmers' markets and meeting the
people who grew our food," he said. "We moved back to Ruleville in
2012. I grew up on the farm, and I wanted to give my boys the same experience,
but we missed being able to go to the farmers market for farm-fresh food."
Arant said the idea for Delta
Blues Rice started soon after he and his wife moved back to the farm in
Ruleville. The Arants, who wanted to put their mark on the food industry,
decided to start Delta Blues Rice.
"We wanted to connect with
people the way we had connected with the growers at the farmers' market,"
he said. "My father, uncle, and I were talking one day, and the idea to
start a rice milling business was hatched."
From farm to table
"We started with my
grandfather's small rice mill," Arant said. "We actually had been
milling rice since the mid-80s for friends and family. Everybody said it was the
best rice they ever had. We always said, 'Oh, it's just rice.' It was something
we took for granted because that's what we always ate growing up. So we
thought, 'why don't we try selling rice straight from the farm to the
consumer.'"
The family only mills a small
portion of its total rice acreage, which is a different variety from the rest
of the rice. The remainder of their rice crop is sent to commercial rice mills.
Because of consumer feedback, they're currently working on getting an organic
certification.
"I had one chef tell us that
he liked how when he opened our bag of rice it smelled fresh," he said.
"It is neat when people say that it is the best rice they've ever had, and
they enjoy the product and recipes."
Growing the farm
Arant's father and uncle, David
Sr. and Hugh Jr., graduated from Mississippi State and came back to the farm,
improved the land, and built the operation.
"They built the farm up to
where it is now and helped to make it a great operation," David Jr. said.
"They built grain bins and leveled all the land. We used to have catfish
and cotton but got out of cotton in the mid-90s and catfish in early
2000."
They farm about 4,000 acres;
2,400 of those acres are devoted to soybeans, and the remainder is divided
between rice and corn.
The family's 2019 crop
This past season, the Arants had
about 700 acres of rice, 2,400 acres of soybeans, and the remaining acres in
corn.
"At one time, we farmed
8,000 acres, but it was too much to manage. By cutting back, we manage our
acreage more efficiently by minimizing cost and running bigger equipment to
cover more ground," Arant said.
2018 was a good year for soybeans
and corn.
"This year, we're just glad
to be done. All the rain we had in the spring and summer really affected
everything as far as timing. For us, it took so long to get everything planted.
With soybeans, the earlier you get them planted the better."
They normally start planting corn
in March and soybeans and rice in April and try to get everything done by the
first week of May.
"This year, with the rain,
we had different ages of soybeans in the same field because one side of the
field was replanted. It made it a little bit harder to manage since the timing
of everything was off. Every year is different in farming, though. You just have
to roll with the punches," he said.
Rice varieties and row rice
The Arants plant several
varieties of rice, but this past season, they grew Diamond, Ricetec 7311, and
Gemini.
"We're trying to get away
from using levees on the farm if possible," he said. "This year, we
had about 250 acres in row rice and the rest were zero grade fields. It's nice
not to have to deal with levees, putting them up and knocking them down. There
might be a bit of a yield lag with row rice, but not having to deal with the
levees makes it more convenient for us."
Arant said another advantage of
row rice is less irrigation.
"You might have more weeds
on the upper end of the field where you don't have a stand of water, so you
have to manage for weeds a little better," he said.
Technology and cover crops
Technology and cover crops also
play key roles in the Arant operation. They use GPS and variable rate
fertilizer as well as moisture sensors to improve efficiency.
"The moisture sensors have
become more advanced as far as the information they'll give you, and you can
get the information on your phone, which is really convenient," Arant
said.
"We also do as little
tillage as possible. We still till some but try to minimize it. It's been about
5 years since we did any deep tillage. We are planting more cover crops on the
farm, planting cereal rye on about 800 acres. I haven't necessarily seen a
yield increase from cover crops on the soybean side, but we can cut
expenses."
Cereal rye helps to suppress
weeds such as Italian ryegrass and henbit, which means less spraying for weeds
at planting.
"All our ground is furrow irrigated, and where I have cover
crops, I am not pulling the middles for irrigation," he said. "Cover
crops also minimize erosion, and the runoff is typically cleaner in the drainage
pipes compared to non-cover crop fields. We plan to keep farming this same land
for a long time, and cover crops help maintain our soil health."
3
4
You Can Buy A
Rice Krispie Treat That's Bigger Than Your Head, In Case You Were Wondering
DEC 9, 2019
The bigger the better, right? This Rice Krispie is 32
ounces, and I'm fairly certain I could finish it without any help. Not to flex
on you or anything.
This extremely extra treat was
spotted by @foodscription on
Instagram. According to the location of the photo, it was found in a Walmart in
San Antonio, Texas, so cue all the "everything's bigger in Texas"
jokes.
Very large versions of everyone's
favorite foods seem to pop up around the holidays—remember that huge Ring Pop we
told you about?! I'd assume they are meant to be funny and collectable, or
maybe they are to share with others but honestly...I doubt I'll be doing the
latter.
Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats Squares Holiday Sheet
32 oz
$8.98
The packaging of this behemoth of
a Rice Krispie shows Snap, Crackle, and Pop wearing cute little winter gear
while decorating their own giant Rice Krispie. The
wrapper also suggests using this sheet of Rice Krispie as a vehicle to make
another, more intricate dessert. It's a "tasty blank canvas to decorate
your own way," the packaging says.
I'm picturing candy, frosting,
and other treats—would adding MORE marshmallows make me insane?—on top of this
Rice Krispie and then cutting it up like a sheet cake. I'd also think that it
could be cut up into different shapes to be structured into a gingerbread house
type thing. This is all so chaotic. I love it.
After doing some digging, the
32-ounce treat goes for about $9 at Walmart, and I'm sure
the price varies a bit based on location. So what are you waiting for? You have
a massive Rice Krispie to conquer.
Cincinnati Chefs Share Their
Favorite Wintertime Recipes for the Holiday Table — or Any Table
Some of
Cincinnati’s favorite chefs sat down with CityBeat to describe winter dishes
they can’t wait to eat every year
DEC 10,
2019 8 AM
An example of a customizable hot
pot set upPHOTO:
ERIN CELESTIWhile it might get stressful to have the whole
family around a holiday table, one of the best parts of the winter season is
what we eat together. Nobody can argue politics when their mouth is full of
delicious food.
Some of Cincinnati’s favorite chefs sat down
with CityBeat to describe winter dishes they
can’t wait to eat every year so that we could interpret them into recipes
you’re sure to love. Whether you’re looking for something exotic, inventive or
downright comforting, there’s a good chance you’ll want to make a new tradition
and eat one (or all) of these meals every year.
Hot Pot
Rich and Johnny Chu of AmerAsia
“Hot pot’s only served when you have unity at a
gathering. On the day of Chinese New Year, that’s the only time an average
family would get together and have hot pot. The hot pot is all to be determined
on what your preference is. Some like to be heavy on the meat, some like to have
it heavy on vegetables.” — Rich Chu, translated by Johnny Chu
The most important part of hot pot is the
broth, according to Rich Chu, AmerAsia’s master chef. While he doesn’t speak
much English, his son Johnny translated his thoughts on the dish that their
entire family is excited to share each winter.
There are special pots designed just for hot
pot, bisected down the center by a little wall to make two usable halves that
hold different broths. If everyone at the table eats meat, the options
typically include one spicy broth alongside a milder broth. If vegetarians are
at the table, it’s normal to have a meaty broth in one half and a plant-based
broth in the other. Of course, you could always use two pots instead if you
don’t want to invest in specialty equipment, but make sure you have a heat
source such as an electric range top or canned heat on the table to keep the
broth boiling until the end of the meal.
Ingredients: A
vegetarian or meat broth of your choice (ideally homemade); sliced chicken,
pork, beef, lamb, shrimp or firm tofu or all of the above; an assortment of
thinly sliced vegetables.
Instructions: This
dish is served like fondue, where everyone sits around the bubbling broth,
fills their bowls and continually dips their raw ingredients into the boiling
liquid to cook them. Everything comes on a plate, thinly sliced. Chicken on one
plate, pork on another. Beef, lamb and shrimp on are also popular proteins. All
the veggies are kept separate from meat, so as not to contaminate them. Firm
tofu is also a popular addition.
Any of your favorite vegetables can likely work
with hot pot, just make sure they’re thinly sliced prior to serving to ensure
they achieve a preferable texture when dunked in the boiling broth. Popular
options include Napa cabbage, leeks, radish and various mushrooms like enoki
and oyster.
Rice isn’t usually served with hot pot. The
Chus’ preference is glass noodles. They say the noodles go well with hot pot
because they’re so thin, cook quickly and don’t expand too much in your stomach.
It’s not unusual to serve small bowls of chili-infused oil with hot pot if you
want some added heat.
To drink: If the Chu family was back in Taiwan to
eat hot pot, they’d drink Taiwan Beer, which for decades was the only beer
legally brewed in the country due to its monopolistic government regulations.
The best alternative to this beer in the Chus' eyes is the popular Tsingtao
Beer. This crisp, light lager pairs well with the body-warming savoriness of
hot pot.
Takha (Stewed Buffalo in Chilled
Gravy)
Rose and Ashak Chipalu of Bridges Nepali
Cuisine
“It melts in the mouth and we really relish
that. We let it sit overnight so it jellies up while the meat stays down. All
the gravy is like a jelly right on top.” — Rose
Chipalu
Takha is a traditional dish prized by Rose
Chipalu and her son Ashak of the Newari tribe from Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley.
Made with stewed buffalo meat, this cool-weather food uses Nepal’s naturally
chilly environment to let the flavors of all the components meld together as it
sits covered on the counter overnight to achieve a gelatinous gravy (though we
can’t legally recommend you leave meat on the counter overnight, so just opt
for the fridge).
First, if you can’t find decent buffalo meat
(preferably cut from the head and leg), Rose assures that beef is a suitable
alternative, but encourages you to try the authentic recipe. Look for leaner
cuts with minimal fat. Other recipes have used goat, too. No matter what meat
you choose, always opt for the bones and skin to be included.
Ingredients: Meat,
either beef, goat or buffalo; ginger; garlic; cumin; salt; turmeric; garlic;
mustard oil or olive oil; cilantro.
Instructions: Add
chopped meat, ginger, garlic, cumin, salt and turmeric to a large pot, cover
with water and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook
for eight to 12 hours. Remove the meat after the first three hours and set
aside to avoid over stewing.
Add the meat to a bowl and cover with cooking
liquid. This will sit in the fridge overnight.The next day the liquid will have
gelatinized thanks to the collagen from the bones. The dish is garnished with
chopped garlic, mustard oil (can substitute olive oil) and cilantro.
Typically, one quarter of the cooking liquid is
reserved for a spicy gravy called sanya khuna. It’s made with fried anchovies
and lots of spicy chili pepper mixed with the finished takha liquid and set
overnight alongside the takha. There is no buffalo meat in sanya khuna, only
fried anchovies in the gravy, which is garnished with a lot of red chili pepper
powder.
Takah and sanya khuna are best served cold
alongside basmati rice, cauliflower, marinated spinach or mustard greens and a
potato dish. Visit one of Bridges’ two locations for inspiration on the side
dishes.
To drink: To drink with takha, the Chipalus enjoy a
strong milky rice ale that’s similar to unfiltered Japanese sake, which is
likely your best substitute in our region.
Short Ribs Braised in Bordeaux Wine
Jose Salazar of Salazar, Mita’s and Goose &
Elder
“I have been eating this dish since I first
learned to make it in culinary school about 20 years ago. It reminds me of the
excitement of being a young cook and learning new techniques and recipes. I do
not associate it with a particular holiday — however, it does remind me of chilly
winter nights.” — Jose Salazar
Ingredients: Short
ribs, beef stock, Bordeaux wine, vegetable oil or rendered beef fat, celery,
onion, carrot, garlic, salt.
Instructions: To
properly braise meat, you must cook it low and slow partially submerged in flavorful
liquids, in this case beef stock and red Bordeaux wine. Before you get started
with anything else, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Brown the short ribs on the stove in a large
Dutch oven with vegetable oil or rendered beef fat. This serves to create the
caramelized brown bits on the bottom of the pot known as fond, which provide an
incredible depth of flavor.
Once browned on all sides, remove the ribs and
set aside. Add chopped aromatics such as celery, onion and carrot to the pot.
Salazar likes this dish with plenty of garlic. Another hit of salt will bring
out the moisture from the aromatics, which helps to deglaze the pot and
incorporate the fond into the dish. After sweating on medium heat for several
minutes, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the fond
into the mix.
Replace the short ribs in the pot and add
enough Bordeaux and beef stock to come up halfway to the top of the meat. Put a
lid on the pot and cook in the oven until the meat falls off the bone, two to
three hours to start, but don’t be surprised if more time is needed depending
on the weight.
To make a pan sauce, strain out the cooking
liquid and simmer in a saucepan until it’s reduced to your desired
consistency.
To drink: Serve with a bottle of Bordeaux, of
course.
Shish Barak (Dumplings in Yogurt
Sauce)
Kate Zaidan of Dean’s Mediterranean Imports
“Lebanese food is great if you want really
flavorful savory dishes. It’s layers of flavor. You always start with garlic
and aromatics. Spices are really important, which is one of the reasons why my
dad started a spice store.” — Kate Zaidan
Think of this dish as Mediterranean tortellini.
You can go about this dish several ways, even buy frozen stuffed pasta to throw
into the sauce, but the best dumpling is the one you’ve made yourself. Luckily,
you can get everything you need for this dish from Dean’s Mediterranean Imports
at Findlay Market. To make the dumplings, you can simply buy wonton wrappers or
follow a basic flour-based dumpling dough recipe, but we’ve had no complaints
from commercially available wraps in this application. For vegetarians, replace
the ground meat with finely chopped mushroom, or buy mushroom tortellini for a
convenient, luxurious meal.
Ingredients: Wonton
wrappers, ground beef or lamb, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, chopped
cilantro, garlic, olive oil, Greek yogurt, one egg.
Instruction: Using
either ground beef or lamb, saute the meat with a mixture of cumin, coriander,
salt, pepper and chopped cilantro. When the meat is browned, set aside to cool.
Start on the yogurt sauce while you wait for the meat to come down to room
temperature. Alternately, the dumplings can be made days ahead and stored in
the freezer.
In Lebanese cuisine, you don’t use a garlic
press or chop the garlic; use a wooden mortar and pestle instead. It makes a
paste out of the garlic. Add some olive oil to a high-walled pan and then
lightly saute the garlic paste with cilantro. (The garlic can also be
pulverized with the flat of your knife on a sturdy cutting board, just simply
press the blade onto peeled garlic and smear across the board.)
Reduce the stovetop to low heat and mix the
aromatics in the oil with Greek-style yogurt and whisk in one large egg to make
the sauce. Season to taste. Add a bit of water if you prefer a thinner sauce.
This can simmer on low while you prepare the dumplings.
Put a small ball of the ground meat in the
middle of a wonton wrapper and fold it into your desired shape: a crescent
moon, or a pope’s hat are popular starting points. Make sure the dumpling’s
contents are totally sealed inside with no tears. Add to a salted pot of
boiling water and cook. It’s better to err on the al dente side, since the
dumplings will continue to cook when they’re added to the yogurt sauce.
Once the dumplings have achieved their desired
texture, you can add them to the sauce on a low simmer. To plate, this dish is
best served with an extra glug of olive oil on top with a garnish of parsley
and a shake of red pepper flake.
To drink: A great drink to pair with this dish is
strong Persian black tea brewed with a few sprigs of dried sage and sweetened
with rock candy sugar cubes.
DA distributes 8.5k bags of rice
seeds to Butuan farmers
Published December 11, 2019 2:40am
The Department of Agriculture
(DA), through the Philippine Rice Research Institute- Agusan, has distributed
more than 8,500 bags of certified inbred rice seeds for free to farmers in
Butuan City, according to the agency's Facebook post on Monday.
According to the DA, the rice
seeds were of high-quality, which was a key factor for the sufficiency,
profitability and competitiveness of rice production.
Each bag of rice seeds weighed 20
kilograms.
Jerry Libago, one of the
beneficiaries of the rice seed distribution, expressed his gratitude.
Libago, who experienced an
accident that impaired his ability to walk four years ago, said that farmers
like him had to spend around P 1500 to buy 40 kilograms of rice seeds for a
hectare of land.
"The low buying price of
palay, which is P15 to P16 and the high cost of farm inputs affected our
income. But through the free certified inbred seeds we availed, this is a big
help for us, rice farmers," Libago said.
The rice seed distribution was
conducted in line with the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to help
rice farmers affected by the Rice Tarrification Law, said the DA.
The distribution was headed
DA-PhilRice RCEF Focal Person Dr. Genevieve Nemeno and Butuan City
Agriculturist Engr. Pierre Joven, in cooperation with the City Agriculture
Office.
In September, the agriculture
department announced that it would distribute two million bags of rice
seeds to farmers in the country. -Angelica Y. Yang/NB, GMA News
Drones now used by Vietnam’s rice farmers
10/12/2019 12:30 GMT+7
Loc Troi Group, an agriculture firm, conducts pesticide spraying
by drones on 25,000 hectares of fields in cooperation with farmers in Long An
province.
The group estimates that the spraying by drones will allow it to
save time (it takes 5-7 minutes only to spray 1,000 square meters) and increase
efficiency (by 90 percent).
This helps increase productivity, save 90 percent of water,
reduce plant protection drugs (about 20-30 percent), reduce the loss of rice
(150-200 kg per ha), and protect the health of farmers.
In addition to using drones for its material growing areas, Loc Troi Group also plans to provide drone service to rice farming households and cooperatives in Mekong Delta.
“This is an important step which helps the company accelerate digitization in agriculture and open new business opportunities,” said Huynh Van Thon, chair of Loc Troi.
According to Agras, the importer and distributor of drone, the investment rate for one drone is relatively high for farmers, VND500-600 million.
In addition to using drones for its material growing areas, Loc Troi Group also plans to provide drone service to rice farming households and cooperatives in Mekong Delta.
“This is an important step which helps the company accelerate digitization in agriculture and open new business opportunities,” said Huynh Van Thon, chair of Loc Troi.
According to Agras, the importer and distributor of drone, the investment rate for one drone is relatively high for farmers, VND500-600 million.
 |
|
At present, farmers have to spend VND200,000 to rent drones to
spray pesticide for one hectare. On average, they have to spray pesticides
5-6 times each crop.
|
Nguyen Van Cang, director of Tan Hung district’s Agriculture
Service Center in Long An province, said the annual drone use fee is relatively
high, about VND30 million.
This explains why only units which own large fields and large
agriculture areas, such as cooperatives, groups of farmers and enterprises, can
spend money on drones.
Even Loc Troi, a large agriculture production group, at first, only bought 13 drones and used 33 ‘pilots’ to drive the drones.
Even Loc Troi, a large agriculture production group, at first, only bought 13 drones and used 33 ‘pilots’ to drive the drones.
A representative of the group said if things go smoothly, the
group would buy hundreds of drones.
At present, farmers have to spend VND200,000 to rent drones to spray pesticide for one hectare. On average, they have to spray pesticides 5-6 times each crop.
Other companies, including Trung An, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, ADC and Bayer Vietnam, also have drones or provide a drone leasing service.
Trung An has 800 hectares of rice fields and has to pay VND1 billion a year to workers to spray pesticides. Now, with two drones, according to Pham Thai Binh, general director of Trung An, the company can save money.
At present, farmers have to spend VND200,000 to rent drones to spray pesticide for one hectare. On average, they have to spray pesticides 5-6 times each crop.
Other companies, including Trung An, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, ADC and Bayer Vietnam, also have drones or provide a drone leasing service.
Trung An has 800 hectares of rice fields and has to pay VND1 billion a year to workers to spray pesticides. Now, with two drones, according to Pham Thai Binh, general director of Trung An, the company can save money.
Mai Lan
Nagpur Foodgrain
Prices Open- December 10, 2019
DECEMBER 10, 2019 / 3:44 PM * * * * * *
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-December 10, 2018 Nagpur, Dec 10 (Reuters)
– Gram prices moved down in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Company (APMC)
here on poor demand from local millers amid high moisture content arrival. Weak
trend on NCDEX and fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh gram prices also pulled down
prices in thin trading activity. About 250 bags of gram reported for auction,
according to sources.
GRAM
*
Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local
traders.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani reported down in open market here on poor demand from local
traders.
*
Rice HMT and Shriram varieties firmed up in open market here on good demand
from
local traders amid tight supply from producing region.
* In
Akola, Tuar New – 5,400-5,600, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,200-8,400, Udid Mogar
(clean)
–
9,500-10,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,700-9,600, Gram – 4,250-4,300, Gram Super
best
–
5,600-5,800 * Wheat, other varieties of rice and other foodgrain items moved in
a narrow range in
scattered
deals and settled at last levels in weak trading activity.
Nagpur
foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS
Available prices Previous close
Gram
Auction 3,500-4,000 3,500-4,130
Gram
Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar
Auction n.a. 4,800-5,265
Moong
Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid
Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor
Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500
Wheat
Lokwan Auction 2,000-2,096 1,900-2,100
Wheat
Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram
Super Best Bold 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Gram
Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram
Medium Best 5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Gram
Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram
Mill Quality 4,300-4,400 4,300-4,400
Desi
gram Raw 4,300-4,350 4,300-4,350
Gram
Kabuli 8,500-10,000 8,500-10,000
Tuar
Fataka Best-New 8,400-8,600 8,400-8,600
Tuar
Fataka Medium-New 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200
Tuar
Dal Best Phod-New 7,600-7,900 7,600-7,900
Tuar
Dal Medium phod-New 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500
Tuar
Gavarani New 5,450-5,550 5,500-5,600
Tuar
Karnataka 6,000-6,100 6,000-6,100
Masoor
dal best 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Masoor
dal medium 5,300-5,400 5,300-5,400
Masoor
n.a. n.a.
Moong
Mogar bold (New) 9,000-10,000 9,000-10,000
Moong
Mogar Medium 8,000-8,800 8,000-8,800
Moong
dal Chilka New 7,800-8,800 7,800-8,800
Moong
Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong
Chamki best 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500
Udid
Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 9,800-11,000 9,800-11,000
Udid
Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500
Udid
Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 7,000-7,700 7,000-7,700
Mot
(100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,500 6,500-7,500
Lakhodi
dal (100 INR/kg) 4,850-5,050 4,850-5,050
Watana
Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Watana
Green Best (100 INR/KG) 9,000-9,200 9,000-9,200
Wheat
308 (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,450 2,350-2,450
Wheat
Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,150-2,250 2,150-2,250
Wheat
Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,800 2,700-2,800
Wheat
Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700 2,600-2,700
Wheat
Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600
Lokwan
Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP
Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,200 3,600-4,200
MP
Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
Rice
Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice
BPT best new (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600
Rice
BPT medium new(100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000
Rice
Luchai (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,100 3,000-3,100
Rice
Swarna best new (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800
Rice
Swarna medium new (100 INR/KG)2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice
HMT best new (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,200 3,800-4,000
Rice
HMT medium new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,600-3,800
Rice
Shriram best new(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,500-5,000
Rice
Shriram med new (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,400
Rice
Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500
Rice
Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice
Chinnor best new 100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,500 5,300-5,500
Rice
Chinnor medium new(100 INR/KG)5,000-5,200 5,000-5,200
Jowar
Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Jowar
CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 29.6
degree Celsius, minimum temp. 12.5 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST:
Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 30 degree
Celsius and 12 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils,
transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market
prices)
Democrats
close deal with Trump on USMCA, proclaiming end of 'NAFTA lite'
Photo: LARS HAGBERG, Contributor / AFP/Getty Images
Current agricultural
exports from Texas to our North American partners amount to about $7.2 billion
and stands to increase under USMCA by $2.2 billion. USMCA extends the duty-free
passage of products, including
...
more
WASHINGTON - House Democratic leaders said Tuesday they had agreed
to a newly negotiated trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and
Canada, proclaiming it would far exceed worker protections of earlier
international agreements of its kind.
Speaking to reporters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, said
she would move quickly to pass the agreement, even as her party moves ahead to
impeach President Donald Trump.
"There are some people why say why give Trump a
victory," Pelosi said. "We're declaring victory for the American
worker."
With U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer traveling to Mexico Tuesday to
get a signature on the new USMCA, which would replace the 1990s era North
American Free Trade Agreement, the question now is how quickly Congress can
vote to ratify the deal.
On Tuesday Trump tweeted, "America’s great USMCA Trade Bill
is looking good." Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, released a statement
imploring Congress to support the trade deal.
“This is a defining moment for our nation: we have an opportunity
to pass one of the largest trilateral trade agreements,” he said. “The North
American Free Trade Agreement gave rise to the greatest display of economic
growth in the history of Texas, United States, Mexico, and Canada. Now, it is
time to continue and build on this economic prosperity by passing the
USMCA."
The question is whether more liberal Democrats in the House will
shift from their traditional opposition to free trade deals to support the
USMCA. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., said the trade agreement would ensure that Mexico
adhered more closely to U.S. labor standards, limiting companies' incentive to
shift operations abroad.
"This is no longer NAFTA-lite," he said.
"Parts we have negotiated have never been included any free trade
agreement in the history of this country."
At least one progressive member, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said
he supported the USMCA, adding that he was glad to see a "price
gouging" provision protecting drug manufacturers removed from the final
deal.
"Finally, we have a 21st Century trade agreement that not
only encourages more trade but adds protection for the environment and
workers," he said.
Getting there wasn't easy, as the White House and Democrats
debated what enforcement provisions to put in place to ensure Mexico complied
with the tougher labor standards, said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., who led the
Democratic negotiations with the White House.
"These were intense, argumentative, angry negotiations,"
he said. "The offering we have in front of us today is indicative of the
good will."
Philippines
rice saga: Government confirms stricter import controls despite President’s
pledge to ban them
- Last updated on GMT
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This is the latest development in a long line of confusing and seemingly contradictory statements and policies.
Duterte originally signed the rice tariffication law and removed import caps earlier this year in February in an attempt to bring down rice shortages and severe price hikes in the Philippines.
This came on the back of a series of failed attempts to remedy the situation including the introduction of rice labelling and pricing rules, auctioning out rice supply bids, and a blatant denial of any shortage in the country.
A huge amount of rice entered the country after this was passed, easing the then-precarious situation.
However, nine months on, Duterte announced at a press conference earlier this month that he had ordered Agriculture Secretary William Dar to suspend all imports of rice in order to help local farmers suffering as a result of rice importation, and called on the government to buy local rice at farmgate prices instead.
This almost immediately led to a state of confusion, starting with the DA claiming that rice imports could not be stopped without amending the rice tariffication law.
“The law is the law. If it needs to be revised, that has to be reviewed by both houses of Congress,” said DA spokesman and Assistant Secretary for Communications and Media Affairs Noel Reyes.
“We will await an official directive from the palace.”
He added that it had been less than a year since the tariffication law had been implemented, describing it as a ‘baby that had not learnt to walk’, so it was ‘too early’ to talk about repealing this law.
The next day, following a meeting with Duterte, Dar responded by posting on his Facebook page that ‘strict measures’ would be imposed on rice imports – but made no mention of Duterte’s previous comments on halting these.
"All rice importers will have to comply with the guidelines as required in securing the Sanitary Phyto-Sanitary Import Clearance or SPSIC," said Dar.
“We are abiding by the intentions and directives of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring down the price of rice at affordable levels, and provide rice farmers much-needed support to make them efficient and cost-productive so they can ably compete with their counterparts in ASEAN and other Asian countries."
After close to a week of confusion, Duterte finally cleared up the situation by claiming that he had been ‘misunderstood’.
“We have to import because the producer cannot fill up the requirements. It’s lacking,” he said during a speech.
In conclusion: rice imports will continue in the Philippines, albeit with stricter controlling measures in place.
Helping rice
farmers
The implementation of these
measures as well as ‘pre-inspections’ at the point of origin of imported rice
will be enforced through DA via the Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI).“This is to ensure quality and safe rice for consumers, as well as protect farmers from possible introduction and spread of crop pests and diseases,” said the DA via an official statement.
DA also stated that in this meeting, Duterte had ordered the country’s National Food Authority (NFA) to buy more palay (unhusked rice) from local farmers to increase emergency buffer rice stock from 15 to 30 days.
“The NFA must [also] sell more regular milled rice at an average of 20,000 bags (50 kg) or more per day, [and extend] the unconditional cash transfer for small farmers affected by low palay prices [from] one to two years, with a budget of PHP3bn (US$59.1mn) per year,” said the DA.
According to Asia Customs and Trade, BPI launched an ePhytosanitary Web Application (which can be found here) earlier this year which aims to increase the electronic applications of electronic phytosanitary certificates in the country, as opposed to paper versions.
