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CPEC Phase II
commences with SEZ: Ambassador Hashmi
APP
1:41 PM | January 04, 2020
The
second phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project
of Belt and Road Initiative has started with the establishment of special
economic zones in various parts of the country, Pakistan Ambassador to China,
Naghmana Alamgir Hashmi said on Saturday.
“The second phase of CPEC has now started,
which is actually the establishment of special economic zones in various parts
of the country,”she said in an interview with China Economic Net.
Ambassador Hashmi remarked
that with the establishment of these special economic zones and the signing of
agreements between the Chinese and Pakistani agricultural sectors and with
increased cooperation, agriculture was a field with great potential for
investment and re-export.
She said that with the China-Pakistan Free
Trade Agreement becoming operational, the price would in any way go down,
because the import duties would not apply.
“So with the establishment of these special
economic zones and with the increasing number of agreements and cooperation in
the agricultural sector, which is a priority both with President Xi and with
Prime Minister Imran Khan, I think this is one area where there is a huge
potential of both investments, growth and then re-export of those value added
products to China,” she added.
Talking about the Pakistani products which have
the most export potential to China, she said in order to let more Chinese
consumers know about Pakistani mangoes, a Mango Festival was held in the
Pakistan Embassy Beijing.
“This is Pakistan’s third Mango Festival held
in Beijing. Mango is one of Pakistan’s leading export products. One day, we
hope to see Pakistani mangoes sold in supermarkets and markets across China,”
she added.
To reduce the price of Pakistani Mango in
China, Ambassador
Hashmi said that the products of the country of origin were
generally cheaper, but a series of tariffs were added to the products when
exporting, and mangoes also needed to be treated with hot water, steam
sterilization or other technologies. These technologies were not readily
available in Pakistan, increasing product prices.
“The first thing China can do to reduce the
price of Pakistani agricultural products in China is through joint ventures,
through the introduction of technology, and working with farmers and exporters
to set reasonable prices in order to meet China’s requirements for imported
fruits and vegetables,” she added.
Secondly, Hashmi believed that with the CPEC
process and the establishment of the cold chain system, many products could be
transported by road without air transport.
Due to its short shelf life, mango was
currently unable to be transported to China by land, and fisheries and other
agricultural products also needed to be transported by cold chain roads, so she
believed this was an area where many Chinese investors do business in Pakistan.
This is mutually beneficial for importers and
exporters, and it was also a way to introduce high-quality Pakistani
agricultural products to China at reasonable prices.
On zero-tariff treatment given to 313 types of
Pakistani products after implementation of FTA Phase-II, Ambassador Hashmi said
that some traditional export varieties of Pakistan were very popular in China.
“For example, Pakistan exports a lot of rice to China, but Pakistan’s most
famous Basmati rice is not very popular in China.”
She said that there was another type of rice in
Pakistan that was very close to Chinese rice, called IRRI-6, a small grain of
glutinous rice. This type of rice could be exported to China.
On Pakistan’s sugar export to China, Ambassador Hashmi said
China was importing more and more Pakistani sugar, and it would be the same
next year. For Pakistani growers, exporters and sugar makers, sugar was a new
product launched in the Chinese market. Once the attempt was successful,
Pakistan would export more sugar to China in the next two years.
Ambassador Hashmi said
Pakistan produced a lot of cotton. China had a huge textile industry, so
Pakistan’s yarn was exported to China.
“We have a lot of gems. The Chinese like Onyx.
Baluchistan Province in northern Pakistan is the only one producing Onyx in the
world. There are many gold and copper is transported from our mine to China.
Therefore, minerals and gems in Pakistan have great market potential.”
Ambassador Hashmi said
the gem field is another area where Pakistan was looking for a Chinese joint
venture.
“In northern Pakistan, there are beautiful gems
everywhere. But we don’t have advanced technology to polish them. And the
Chinese know how to sculpt to make beautiful jewelry products. Chinese
technicians, stone importers, manufacturers can work with Pakistan Enterprises
establish joint ventures.”
https://nation.com.pk/04-Jan-2020/cpec-phase-ii-commences
The New Rice War: China eats into big African markets secured by
India
"We are
aware that China, hitherto a buyer (of rice), is increasing its export of white
rice at a very competitive price.
New Delhi: As the buyer becomes the
seller, India, the largest exporter of rice in the world, has a new competitor
in the global market. From the key policy makers in Udyog Bhawan to the top
millers exporting rice, everyone is cautiously watching China, which offloading
tonnes of rice in African markets usually secured by India.
"We are aware that China,
hitherto a buyer (of rice), is increasing its export of white rice at a very
competitive price. But let's see how the situation develops in terms of overall
volume of exports," said an official in the Export Division(Agriculture)
of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
In the past six months, China has
released over 3 million tonnes of white rice from government-owned warehouses.
A bulk of these consignments were reportedly shipped to African countries.
"We (India) export non-basmati
rice for $400 per tonne approximately...but China is offering rice at
considerably lower prices," said Lakshya Agarwal, a prominent rice
exporter of Uttrakhand.
As per market sources, China is
exporting non-basmati rice at rates ranging from $300 to $320 per tonne.
"The difference between Indian and Chinese rates are quite significant. In
the long run, it can have an impact on our exports," Agarwal added.
For decades, India has been world's
largest exporter of rice followed by Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan. While
India continues to secure the top berth, its exports of non-basmati rice are
shrinking rapidly.
For example, in 2019 (April to
November), India exported non-basmati rice worth Rs 9,028.34 crore against Rs
14,059.51 crore in the same period of the previous year.
The Commerce Ministry data reveals
that non-basmati exports have fallen to 35.78 percent in early eight months of
the current financial year, compared to the corresponding period a year ago.
Sources in the Agricultural &
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) said that China
has meticulously planned offloading its old stock of rice in the African
market.
"Actually Chinese eat sticky
rice which has a rich taste when it is fresh. The flavour is not the same in
the old stock of rice.. that's why there is always a demand for fresh rice in
China.
The moment the fresh rice floods
the market, the government releases its old stock at very low rates," the
source said "The old stock of rice is being exported in African
countries."
The Chinese strategy has ultimately
disrupted the global market of rice exports wherein India feels the pinch,
being the largest exporter.
Meanwhile, a senior official of
Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that to tackle the Chinese competition
globally, a lobby of rice exporters had suggested that the government should
release excess stock of non-basmati rice from the warehouses of the Food
Corporation of India into the open market.
However, the government seems
unwilling to release the stock, as it has to run the Public Distribution Scheme
(PDS) for the poor.
To this, an executive of
Delhi-based top rice export company said: "If the government cannot afford
to release its stock from FCI warehouses, than it can at least grant some
export incentive to non-basmati exporters in wake of face stiff competition
from China and other global players."
https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/the-new-rice-war-china-eats-into-big-african-markets-secured-by-india
China Seeks Public Opinion on GMO Corn Approval, Gets an Earful
The Chinese public has long been wary of
genetically modified crops despite little scientific evidence of food safety
risks.
Cai Xuejiao
Jan
03, 2020
Chinese
people may be more averse to genetically modified foods than most, but domestic
media outlets are hoping to change that following the country’s first proposed
biosafety approvals for GMO crops in a decade.
In
a statement Monday,
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) said it is soliciting
public opinion on a list of 192
genetically modified plant species — including two strains of corn and one
strain of soybean — that are awaiting biosafety certification. The public
feedback period will conclude after 15 days, on Jan. 20.
The
soybean species SHZD32-01, which is especially suitable for cultivation in
southern China, was developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The two GMO
corn species, meanwhile, can be grown in China’s colder northern provinces. The
DBN9936 corn species was developed by Beijing Dabeinong Biotechnology Co. Ltd.,
and the “double-stacked 12-5” species was co-developed by Hangzhou Ruifeng
Biotechnology Co. Ltd. and Zhejiang University.
In the
days since, several major state-controlled media outlets have published articles explaining the science behind GMOs in
an effort to assuage the public’s fears.
China
began researching genetically modified crops in the 1980s. MARA approved
insect-resistant cotton and disease-resistant papaya for commercial production
in 1997 and 2006,
respectively, and greenlit GMO soybeans, corn, canola, cotton, and sugar beets
as for import to the Chinese market.
In 2009,
MARA issued biosafety
certificates for a genetically modified corn species and two GMO rice species,
though none were later approved for commercial production. In early 2018, the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a
genetically modified strain of rice developed by Chinese researchers as
commercially viable, though its developers said at the time that large-scale
production in China would not be possible without new policies to grease the
wheels.
Monday’s
news from MARA hasn’t been enthusiastically received by all, with many on
Chinese social media expressing concerns about
the potential health and safety risks of GMOs. Some netizens have called for a
boycott on GMO foods, while others have questioned the scientific basis for
such skepticism.
The
Chinese public’s fears of adverse health effects from GMOs have been stoked over
the years by high-profile figures like Cui Yongyuan, a former televisions
presenter and outspoken anti-GMO campaigner who is now perhaps best known
for exposing the
A-list actor Fan Bingbing’s fraudulent contract in 2018.
Many
scientists have also spoken out over the years and tried to reassure the public
that China’s current policy framework for assessing GMO foods is sufficient to
guarantee their safety.
Wu
Kongming, chairman of China’s biosafety committee overseeing agricultural GMOs, told Xinhua earlier this week that any
genetically modified foods approved for the domestic market would be safe, and
that the environmental risks of commercially grown GMO crops can be effectively
controlled.
For over
20 years, Wu said, billions of people in 70 countries and regions around the
world have consumed genetically modified products without a single
scientifically confirmed food safety problem.
Genetically
altered crops must receive a production certificate from MARA
before they can be commercially grown in China, and all GMO foods must be clearly labeled as
such when sold to consumers.
Also on
Monday, MARA published a list of 12 GMOs that have been approved for
import until December 2022, including an insect-resistant strain of soybean
developed by U.S.-based company Dow AgroSciences LLC, a subsidiary of Dow
Chemical Company.
Editor:
David Paulk.
(Header
image: Ships unload imported soybeans at a harbor in Nantong, Jiangsu province,
March 28, 2012. Tuchong)
The UK must introduce folic acid fortification in foods, say
scientists
JANUARY 3, 2020
Credit:
CC0 Public Domain
According to St George's
scientists, there is an urgent need to fortify flour and grains with folic acid
to prevent spina bifida and other birth defects.
In response to the UK
government's consultation on a proposal to add folic
acid (vitamin B9) to flour, an article published online in Archives of
Disease in Childhood indicates that the UK government should do so to
prevent the birth defects, spina bifida, a cause of serious lifelong
disability, and anencephaly, a fatal birth defect where most of the brain is missing.
The two defects are collectively
referred to as neural tube defects. Many thousands of pregnancies have been
either terminated or resulted in the birth of children with neural tube defects
that could be been prevented if folic acid fortification had
been implemented universally.
The article is written by three
senior medical researchers, including the former Chief Executive of the British
Medical Research Council, Sir Colin Blakemore, and St George's scientists,
Professor Sir Nicholas Wald and Professor Joan Morris. The piece is a series of
answers to questions asked in the Government's public consultation on whether
the UK should introduce mandatory folic acid fortification. Over 80 countries have already done so, including the
U.S., where it's estimated that fortification has saved 1,300 children each
year from death or a lifetime of disability.
The scientists are calling for
fortification of cereal grains such as rice as well as flour to ensure the
benefits reach all sections of the population, regardless of their personal or
cultural preferences for cereal products. They also believe there should be no
limits set on fortification level, as there is no limit above which folic acid
consumption is unsafe.
The important issues raised in
the article are:
·
Folic acid
fortification of flour and other cereals is effective and safe
·
All flour should be
fortified and cereal grains such as rice should be fortified as well
·
The fortification
level that should be set to achieve a significant reduction in the risk of
having a pregnancy with spina bifida or
anencephaly
·
Voluntary
fortification should not be restricted (e.g. in breakfast cereals) as there is
no limit above which folic acid consumption is unsafe
·
Mandatory
fortification of folic acid provides a "public health safety net" and
could potentially prevent about half of all cases of neural tube defects
·
Folic acid
fortification does not mean that women do not need to take folic acid
supplements immediately before pregnancy and in the early stages of pregnancy;
fortification and supplementation are complementary.
Mandatory fortification of flour
with folic acid has been considered by the UK government on several occasions
and always deferred. The efficacy of fortification has not been in question and
detailed consideration regarding safety has been reassuring, with the
scientists saying there is no evidence that high levels of folic acid intake
are harmful.
The article outlines that the
cost of fortifying flour and grains with folic acid is minimal and would be
borne by the millers, who recognise the benefits of fortification and are
willing to implement fortification if the Government mandates this. Although
the financial cost is minimal, it needs to be mandated to set a level playing
field for all the millers involved.
Professor Sir Nicholas Wald,
author of the article from and St George's, University of London and University
College London, said:
"Britain's past failure to
fortify flour and grains with folic acid is a missed public health opportunity.
It is like having a vaccine for polio and not using it."
Professor Wald conducted the
seminal research in 1991 that showed that neural tube defects were
due to deficiency of folic acid consumption, and that taking extra folic acid
immediately prior to pregnancy and in the early stages of pregnancy prevents
most cases. He added: "It is more than a disappointment that UK funded
research published nearly 30 years ago has not been fully used in the UK to
improve the health and wellbeing of its citizens who paid for the
research."
Professor Joan Morris, co-author
of the paper from St George's, University of London, said: "The research
has been done, the health effects evaluated, and there now needs to be the
political will to introduce folic acid fortification
to prevent one of the most serious birth
defects."
Amid losses, Sub-regional traders weigh options as border
closure enters new year
By Sulaimon
Salau
04 January 2020
| 3:26 am
Idiroko border post
The New Year 2020 comes with fresh hopes, but regional traders
across the West African corridor are looking at chances of having a renewed
border policy that would facilitate their business relations with the
continental giant – Nigeria.
With millions of Nigerians counting their gains last year, quite a number of these traders rounded off the year with disappointment. However, the January 31 end of the first phase of the border drill marks an important date that has continued to strike the minds of the affected traders. Some are optimistic that the Federal Government would reopen the borders by February 1, 2020, while others are pessimistic about the review date.
But the spokesperson of the Joint Border Security Drill also known as operation ‘Swift Response’, Joseph Attah, said the January 31 timeline was not necessarily the termination date but the end of phase one of the border drill, after which a review of the process would be done and the next line of action would be communicated to Nigerians.
With millions of Nigerians counting their gains last year, quite a number of these traders rounded off the year with disappointment. However, the January 31 end of the first phase of the border drill marks an important date that has continued to strike the minds of the affected traders. Some are optimistic that the Federal Government would reopen the borders by February 1, 2020, while others are pessimistic about the review date.
But the spokesperson of the Joint Border Security Drill also known as operation ‘Swift Response’, Joseph Attah, said the January 31 timeline was not necessarily the termination date but the end of phase one of the border drill, after which a review of the process would be done and the next line of action would be communicated to Nigerians.
“Security
operation of this kind is usually in phases. The partial border closure will
continue until the set objectives are achieved,” said Attah, who is also the
Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Already, agricultural producers like rice millers, among others, are smiling to the banks for improved patronage and earnings, as foreign rice is gradually fading away in Nigeria’s market, while cross border traders and manufacturers are groaning under huge losses.
Car dealers are also hailing the policy as the spate of vehicle smuggling reduced tremendously. The influx of arms and ammunitions are also being nipped in the bud. The border drill has also significantly saved the nation of smuggled petrol and consequently reduced the quantity of the product imported into the country with consumption now put at 52 million litres per day from 60 million litres.
Already, agricultural producers like rice millers, among others, are smiling to the banks for improved patronage and earnings, as foreign rice is gradually fading away in Nigeria’s market, while cross border traders and manufacturers are groaning under huge losses.
Car dealers are also hailing the policy as the spate of vehicle smuggling reduced tremendously. The influx of arms and ammunitions are also being nipped in the bud. The border drill has also significantly saved the nation of smuggled petrol and consequently reduced the quantity of the product imported into the country with consumption now put at 52 million litres per day from 60 million litres.
At the seaports,
the border closure has also helped to increase patronage resulting in improved
earnings by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). The Customs Area Controller,
Apapa Command of NSC, Compt. Mohammed Abba-Kura said since the beginning of the
border closure, the command’s revenue has increased.
According to him, the command generated N414 billion from January to December 18, 2019, as against N404 billion generated between January and December 2018, which translates into about 111 per cent of the 2019 annual revenue target. This feat, according to him, gives credence to the positive impacts of the policy.
According to him, the command generated N414 billion from January to December 18, 2019, as against N404 billion generated between January and December 2018, which translates into about 111 per cent of the 2019 annual revenue target. This feat, according to him, gives credence to the positive impacts of the policy.
Also,
the Port Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML) Command reported N116.52 billion
revenue collections between January and September 2019, showing an increase of
N28.9 billion from N87.6 billion collected within the same period in
2018. However, 35 per cent increase in vehicle imports was recorded in
the third quarter of the year 2019.
Customs Area Controller of the Command, Mrs. Florence Dixon, also attributed the development to the border closure policy.
Customs Area Controller of the Command, Mrs. Florence Dixon, also attributed the development to the border closure policy.
Notwithstanding
these benefits, the policy came with some pains to migrants and traders who are
currently grappling with poor patronage, loss of capital and stalled business
deals.
During the yuletide period, many producers and traders who deal with imported products faced tough moments, while migrants found it difficult to move freely across the border to celebrate with their loved ones. This is as Nigerians residing in some of the affected African countries such as the Republic of Benin and Ghana are finding it difficult to trade freely in those countries, as their citizens have declared ‘war’ on Nigerian traders.
President of Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana, Chukwuemeka Nnaji, said about 300 shops were closed in Ghana even when Nigerian traders did not violate any Ghanaian law; but as retaliation to the border closure policy.
The measure is also taking its toll on border communities, businesses and the economies of neighbouring Benin and the Niger Republic.
Residents of border communities who spoke with The Guardian lamented the intense hardship imposed on them by the border drill.
A community leader in Idiroko, Akinde Akogun, said the residents were currently suffering from an acute shortage of petroleum products, adding that their economy has crumbled due to the border closure.
Akogun said: “Things have never been the same for us around here since the borders were closed. The policy has negatively affected our businesses because we rely on cross border trade and migrants are our major targets. But since the border drill, the whole economy here has crumbled and people are now living from hand to mouth.
“The halt in the supply of petroleum products has compounded our woes. The filling stations have shut down and their workers are now jobless. We now buy fuel in the black market, which is costlier than the official pump price. A litter of petrol now sells for about N500 instead of the official rate of N145. Many of our youths are transporters, but the influx of passengers has reduced drastically in the past few months making the business unattractive. Government should help us and review the decision in 2020 so that we can also feel like bonafide Nigerians,” he said.
During the yuletide period, many producers and traders who deal with imported products faced tough moments, while migrants found it difficult to move freely across the border to celebrate with their loved ones. This is as Nigerians residing in some of the affected African countries such as the Republic of Benin and Ghana are finding it difficult to trade freely in those countries, as their citizens have declared ‘war’ on Nigerian traders.
President of Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana, Chukwuemeka Nnaji, said about 300 shops were closed in Ghana even when Nigerian traders did not violate any Ghanaian law; but as retaliation to the border closure policy.
The measure is also taking its toll on border communities, businesses and the economies of neighbouring Benin and the Niger Republic.
Residents of border communities who spoke with The Guardian lamented the intense hardship imposed on them by the border drill.
A community leader in Idiroko, Akinde Akogun, said the residents were currently suffering from an acute shortage of petroleum products, adding that their economy has crumbled due to the border closure.
Akogun said: “Things have never been the same for us around here since the borders were closed. The policy has negatively affected our businesses because we rely on cross border trade and migrants are our major targets. But since the border drill, the whole economy here has crumbled and people are now living from hand to mouth.
“The halt in the supply of petroleum products has compounded our woes. The filling stations have shut down and their workers are now jobless. We now buy fuel in the black market, which is costlier than the official pump price. A litter of petrol now sells for about N500 instead of the official rate of N145. Many of our youths are transporters, but the influx of passengers has reduced drastically in the past few months making the business unattractive. Government should help us and review the decision in 2020 so that we can also feel like bonafide Nigerians,” he said.
President,
West African Road Transport Union (WARTU), Salami Nasiru, also told The
Guardian that his members had recorded low patronage since the border closure,
expressing optimism that the Federal Government would review the policy this
year to favour the traders and Nigerian domestic market.
Nasiru said the group had made proposals to the government on some factors that could cushion the effect of the closure, which he hoped would be adopted at the review of the border drill by January 31.
Nasiru said the group had made proposals to the government on some factors that could cushion the effect of the closure, which he hoped would be adopted at the review of the border drill by January 31.
He
suggested that rather than halting the supply of products to the border
communities, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) should track
loading from point of loading to the final destination. He added that the
government should provide distribution centres in each local council
headquarters where products would be available.
Nasiru
further proffered the creation of warehouses at various international markets;
creation of grains council that would comprise farmers, producers,
distributors, and other relevant stakeholders as members; local rice
distribution should be based on the six geopolitical zones of the country to
enhance competitiveness; and that government should subsidise the transport
system.
The
WARTU boss also proposed the establishment of a cargo stock exchange through a
transport commission, which would regularise tariffs in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, as the seaports and airport command of Customs continued to rake in more earnings, the land border commands are recording a sharp drop in revenue.
The Seme Area Command of NCS collected the sum of N4.9 billion in revenue for the Federal Government from January to early December 2019. The amount is lower than the N5 billion recorded over the same period in 2018.
Meanwhile, as the seaports and airport command of Customs continued to rake in more earnings, the land border commands are recording a sharp drop in revenue.
The Seme Area Command of NCS collected the sum of N4.9 billion in revenue for the Federal Government from January to early December 2019. The amount is lower than the N5 billion recorded over the same period in 2018.
The Customs Area Controller, Compt. Mohammed Uba Garba attributed the reduction to border drill exercise.
SBM
Intelligence, a Lagos-based political and economic risk advisory firm, has
warned that the closure of borders has consequences for export-focused Nigerian
businesses.
“Nigerian authorities assume that a border closure works only one way – on the import side. But it bears reiterating that the country is actually a net exporter via the land borders and this closure affects these exporters,” it stated.
“Nigerian authorities assume that a border closure works only one way – on the import side. But it bears reiterating that the country is actually a net exporter via the land borders and this closure affects these exporters,” it stated.
The firm
believes Nigeria’s porous borders reflect a “failure” of the Nigeria Customs
Service to effectively carry out its duties.
Nevertheless,
President Muhammadu Buhari in his new year message to Nigerians insisted that
the land border would be reopened only when the government was satisfied with
safety and compliance measures expected from the joint security exercise.
We May
Be Forced Out Of
Business, Lament Frozen Food, Fairly Used Wears Dealers
By Maria Diamond and Victoria Nwosu
IN Lagos, down but not defeated might be the appropriate phrase to describe dealers in frozen food and second-hand wears who despite the border closure, have found a way to stay in business against all odds.
Business, Lament Frozen Food, Fairly Used Wears Dealers
By Maria Diamond and Victoria Nwosu
IN Lagos, down but not defeated might be the appropriate phrase to describe dealers in frozen food and second-hand wears who despite the border closure, have found a way to stay in business against all odds.
One of
them, Temitope, who sells chicken and turkey in the Ikotun Egbe market,
revealed that although the border has been closed, she and some other dealers
in the market have managed to find a way to bring in frozen food from the
neighbouring countries.
She
said: “When the border was initially closed, I settled for selling our local
chicken and turkey, but the turnover was poor. Customers kept rejecting it.
Some even complained it was too expensive and not very tasty. So, we had to
find a way around the situation in order not to go out of business. Perhaps we
wouldn’t have had any problem with sticking to Nigerian chicken and turkey if
customers were not constantly requesting for imported frozen ones despite being
aware of the closed border. A lot of them say they don’t mind paying extra just
to have the imported chicken and turkey. So, when the opportunity to pay extra
to smugglers from Cotonou presented itself, we had to take it. They bring the
chicken and turkey into the country in midnight and those who need it pay for
it,” she said.
Temitope,
however, noted that she doesn’t know how the smugglers manage to maneuver into
the country, saying she was only concerned with the fact that her business was
intact.
Another
trader, Mrs. Chidinma, who sells frozen chicken at Century market, Ago, Okota,
also said that the ban has not really affected her business. She said a carton
of turkey sells for N16,000, while each kilo sells for N1,600. She also noted
that a carton of chicken sells for N15,000. She said the price has remained
stable for over two months.
She
said: “A few weeks after the border closure, turkey and chicken became scarce,
but the scarcity did not last long as it became surplus again. So presently, we
sell a kilo of chicken for N1,500 and turkey N1,600 and we have been selling it
like that for some time now. Considering that it was between N1,700 and N1,800
a few months ago, it is cheaper now.”
But Mama
Shade, a frozen fish seller in the same market, lamented the loss of customers
due to the closure of borders. “I have been experiencing a really bad market
since the closure of the border. It has, in turn, led to an outrageous increase
in the prices of goods. Some customers who can’t afford it are not patronising
me again. For instance, a carton of sardine fish that cost between N14, 000 and
N15,000 before goes for N24,000 and N25,000 now, while ‘Shawa’ (herring fish)
that cost N8,000 is now N13, 500.
“I can
no longer purchase as much as I used to because they go bad when no one buys
them and there is no electricity supply. I may decide to eventually stop this
business if the border closure persists,” she added.
Chinyere
Amadi, a dealer in fairly used wears, told The Guardian that instead of
travelling to the Benin Republic to procure hare wares, she now pays smugglers
who deliver the materials at her shop.
“I have
been selling fairly used wears (okrika) for about two decades. I open different
types of bales – shoes, bags, and others. It is the only business I know how to
do. I have trained my kids in tertiary institutions with the income I make from
the business. So, the closed border would have been a disaster for my family if
there were no maneuvering means.
“Before
the border closure, I usually travelled to the Benin Republic myself but now I
don’t have to, as my goods come to me and I pay at delivery. Although I pay a
lot more than I used to, another disadvantage is that I don’t get to make a
choice selection. I buy whatever is delivered and hope that I find clean wears
that can be sold as the first grade for reasonable prices,” she said.
She,
however, expressed optimism that the borders would be reopened.
She
said: “In all sincerity, it has been very difficult because most times when I
open my bales, I get junks, something I ordinarily wouldn’t purchase if I could
access the border myself like I used to. But I believe this phase shall pass
and the border would eventually be opened for business.”
At Cele
Night market along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, where fairly used wears are sold,
Mr. Darlington Igwe, who trades in fairly used shoes, lamented the effect of
the border closure on his business.
“The
closure of the border is affecting me extremely. For about three months now, I
have over six bags of shoes that I paid for that I have not been able to bring
in from Togo. These goods are worth millions of naira because I usually supply
school shoes during their resumption. I haven’t been able to do that because
the border is closed, trapping all my goods there. The school I supply shoes
have been calling me because resumption is now closed. I do not know what else
to do,” he explained.
He
called for the reopening of the borders, adding that he has been unable to
provide for his family because of the situation.
“I
cannot even resort to smuggling goods into the country because if you do, you
will be arrested and the goods seized,” he said.
Another
trader in the market, Gloria Eke, who sells second-hand clothes, said the
closure of the border has affected her business too.
“I buy
my goods from Togo and since the closure of the border, it has been difficult
to get goods. Currently, I buy from Aswani, which is more expensive than the
normal price. While I get a bale of first-grade clothes at N80,000 from Togo, I
get it for N120,000 or more at Aswani. And when I increase the price as a
result of the increase in cost price, some customers complain, while others do
not buy at all.
“The
government should try to understand that we are still developing and it is not
everything that we can manufacture yet. Should we continue to
suffer like this till when? If they can reverse the policy, it will be appreciated,” she said.
suffer like this till when? If they can reverse the policy, it will be appreciated,” she said.
Smugglers
Selling Property
To Defray Loans In Oyo
From Rotimi Agboluaje, Ibadan
With the closure of the nation’s land borders, many residents of Oyo State groan under the exorbitant prices of items especially rice, which they used to get at a cheaper price.
To Defray Loans In Oyo
From Rotimi Agboluaje, Ibadan
With the closure of the nation’s land borders, many residents of Oyo State groan under the exorbitant prices of items especially rice, which they used to get at a cheaper price.
This is
as reports from the border communities of Shaki and its environs, a
journey of about five hours from Ibadan, indicate that those doing legitimate
and illegitimate businesses in the communities were bearing the brunt of the
closure.
A source
told The Guardian that the effects of the closure were devastating for
consumers, sellers, and others in the community.
“It hit
people hard. We don’t get the goods we used to get before. The little coming in
are very expensive. In fact, it has made some smugglers wretched. Many are
selling their properties now just to defray loans they obtained. Some had
obtained credit facilities when smuggling was booming; people built houses from
the proceeds of smuggling. But because of the closure, they are ‘out of
business’. They have to sell those houses.”
The
source, however, urged the government to close all routes and borders and focus
more on mechanised farming in order to reap the full benefits of the closure.
Speaking
on the issue, the Public Relations Officer of Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria
Customs Service, Abdullahi Abiola-Lagos, said the closure has assisted the
Service in fighting smuggling in a great deal.
He said:
“Our discovery so far is that the border closure has assisted in the fight
against smuggling within the Command and other land borders of the country. Our
local farmers are smiling due to the high patronage of our local agricultural
products and this automatically leads to more employment for our youths. The
menace of insecurity is also reducing drastically.
“Since
the commencement of the exercise, the Command has made the following seizures:
1,040 SK blocks and 101 bags of cannabis sative; 2,540 (50kg) bags of foreign rice; 12 smuggled tokunbo vehicles;15 bags of sugar; three motorcycles; 40 bales of second-hand clothes and shoes and 500 pieces of tyres.
1,040 SK blocks and 101 bags of cannabis sative; 2,540 (50kg) bags of foreign rice; 12 smuggled tokunbo vehicles;15 bags of sugar; three motorcycles; 40 bales of second-hand clothes and shoes and 500 pieces of tyres.
“The
border closure exercise will continue until the Federal Government is
convinced that our borders are safe and controllable from any security threat
and influx of foreign products especially rice. Also, our neighbouring
countries should comply with ECOWAS procedures on transit goods in order to
allow the government to have proper statistics and control of what comes in and
goes out of the country.”
Kebbi
Border Communities
Count Losses
From Ahmadu Baba Idris, Birnin Kebbi
Lamenting the effects of the ongoing closure of land borders across the country on residents of Kebbi State, former chairman of Bagudo Local Government Area of the state, Hassan Adamu, has urged the Federal Government to reopen the borders.
Count Losses
From Ahmadu Baba Idris, Birnin Kebbi
Lamenting the effects of the ongoing closure of land borders across the country on residents of Kebbi State, former chairman of Bagudo Local Government Area of the state, Hassan Adamu, has urged the Federal Government to reopen the borders.
Adamu,
who is also a businessman, lamented that the policy has negatively affected his
business and farming activities in border communities in the state.
Speaking
with The Guardian in an interview in Lolo, the former chairman said that
following the Federal Government’s policy, most residents could not farm again
because their farmlands are in the neighbouring country.
He
explained further that 80 per cent of their businesses had been crippled due to
the closure of the borders, urging the Federal Government to device means of
supporting their business.
His
words: “We have farmland in Gaya, Niger Republic while in the Benin Republic we
also have farms in Sande where we normally farm crops such as maize, dry
pepper, rice, guinea corn, and others, while foreigners also farm in Lolo and
also come to the market. But now all has been blocked due to the decision to
close the borders.
“Three
days ago, they met with the security agents attached to the border to even
allow them to farm because we are in the dry season farming period but they
refused. So, things are not okay for them at all,” he said.
When
approached for comments, the border joint security operatives said they were
not allowed to talk to the press, stressing that all they knew was that they
were there to do their job.
Meanwhile,
The Guardian investigations revealed that the smuggling of food items,
especially rice, was still obtainable in border communities in the state but in
a smaller scale. The smugglers use commercial motorcyclists who understand the
landscape of the communities to perpetrate their act but operatives of the
joint security agents are also not resting on their oars. Although the security
operatives refused to speak on the matter, it was learned that many of the
motorcyclists had been nabbed and both their motorcycles and the smuggled items
seized.
Further
findings showed that a bag of foreign rice in the state now sells for N15,000
as against N11,000 before the borders were closed, an indication that residents
were bearing the brunt of the closed borders in spite of the activities of
smugglers.
Sri Lanka businesses should bring down prices after tax cut:
President
Friday January 3, 2020 12:06:33
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s businesses should bring down prices
after tax cuts were made by the government President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said
making his inaugural address to parliament.
“Business have been given benefits by bringing down taxes,”
President Rajapska said.
“They should now pass on a reasonable amount by cutting prices.”
Commodities including rice, wheat and coconut have soared over
the past month, taking the new administration by surprise.
The administration has come under fire for its close links with
an oligopoly of rice millers. The government cut taxes on wheat ending a state
protected duopoly of millers to bring down wheat prices.
Sri Lanka’s rupee’s collapsed in 2018, after call money rates
were targeted by printing tens of billions of cash, mis-targeting real money
demand as credit recovered leading to a run in the rupee.
Rates were cut and money printed in 2018, despite the US
tightening policy, leading to an inevitable collapse of the rupee from 153 to
182 to the US dollar.
To stop the currency crisis, liquidity was reined, helping
prevent an inflationary meltdown, but an output shock with growth falling.
Most businesses held prices with difficulties in recovering
credit despite higher costs from the currency collapse.
Analysts had warned that inflation would spike as credit
recovered. There is also a global commodity price pick up.
SEE ALSO
Sri Lanka tile, brick, gem, carpentry blocked by
'un-necessary' regulations: President
Foreigners sell Sri Lanka rupee bonds
Excess liquidity in the banking system was also pumped up in
December, with excess banks dumping over 50 billion rupees in the central bank.
Sri Lanka has the worst performing central bank in South Asia
after Pakistan running to the International Monetary Fund after monetary
instability. (Colombo/Jan03/2019)
https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-businesses-should-bring-down-prices-after-tax-cut-president-38682/
Farmers pushed to
distress sale of paddy in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts
SRIKAKULAM/VIZIANAGARAM, JANUARY 03, 2020 16:21 IST
Though the government has set up
procurement centres, many have not picked the farmers’ crop forcing them to
sell short to rice millers and middlemen
For many the New Year-2020 and
the ensuing Sankranti festival is bringing cheer. But not to farmers of
Srikakulam and Vizianagaram district. Reason?
With abundant rain in July and
August, both districts witnessed bumper yield in the current season. However,
farmers have not been able to sell their produce in many places in the absence
of minimum support price (MSP). In fact, the government had decided to buy
between at ₹1815 and ₹1835 per quintal based on the
quality of the paddy. It had even established many procurement centres but
those centers had reportedly failed to buy paddy from farmers, causing untold
miseries.
Short-changed
According to sources, even 10
percent of the total produce was not bought so far by those centres run by
Velugu members and others. To add to farmers’ woes, rice millers are also not
interested to buy the produce. The result? In many places farmers are being
forced to sell their hard grown crop at throw away prices to middlemen as they
feared damage to the stock.
S.Sangam Naidu, a farmer from
Palakonda village said the middlemen were offering only ₹ 1,350 per bag. “There were no
takers for ‘1075’ variety paddy in the district,” rued another farmer
S.Venkataramana of Ramakrishnapuram. So much so, S.Krishna Rao of Vangara
mandal and V.Bhujanga Rao of Burada village of Regidi Amadalavalasa urged
Srikakulam Collector J.Nivas to take stern action against millers and others
who were cheating the farmers.
Collectors get tough and going
Mr. Nivas, who reviewed the issue
directed Agriculture, Revenue, and Marketing officials to ensure speedy
procurment of paddy and take action on millers and procurement staff if they
failed to buy the paddy immediately. “Revenue Inspectors and Village Revenue
Officers should monitor the procurement on a day-to-day basis. Senior officials
have to coordinate the situation with daily tele- conference in their
respective areas,” said Mr. Nivas.
The situation is equally bad in
Vizianagaram district with the delay in paddy procurement. Vizianagaram
Collector M. Hari Jawaharlal asked district Civil Supplies officials to lift
the paddy stock immediately since the farmers did not have storage facility. He
said that the farmers would lose their crop with possible rains.
Golden Rice Approved as Safe for Consumption
in the Philippines
The genetically modified crop could help combat the country’s vitamin A
deficiency
Engineered with genes that boost its
beta-carotene content, golden rice (top) comes with a yellowish hue that makes
it stand out from typical white rice (bottom) (International
Rice Research Institute)
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
JANUARY 3, 2020 10:30AM
JANUARY 3, 2020 10:30AM
Nutrient-rich golden rice—a
genetically-modified, amber-hued crop—has passed a rigorous biosafety
assessment in the Philippines, where it may soon be distributed to combat the
country’s widespread vitamin A deficiency. The plant is engineered to
be packed with beta-carotene, an orange pigment that the body converts into the
essential nutrient vitamin A.
Declared “as safe as conventional
rice” by the Department of Agriculture in December, golden rice can now be
legally consumed and processed. The stamp of approval makes it the first GMO
crop created to combat a public health issue in a lower-income country, reports
Steve Baragona for Voice of America.
In a statement, congressperson
Sharon Garin of the Phillipines' House of Representatives praised the
development as “a victory for science, agriculture and all Filipinos,”
according to Charissa Luci-Atienza at the Manila Bulletin.
The Philippines is one of several
lower-income countries with widespread vitamin A deficiency, a dietary
condition that can cause blindness and hamstring the immune system. More than half a million
children die from the deficiency
each year, in large part because they don’t consume enough beta-carotene, which
is present in only scant amounts in staple grains like rice.
While vitamin A supplements have
found their way into many afflicted countries, roughly 20 percent of
children under the age of five
remain deficient in the Philippines. To fill in the gap, researchers have
pushed for the introduction of low-cost crops rich in beta-carotene.
Golden rice, first unveiled as a
prototype in 1999, fits the bill: Adding less than a cup of the grain to a
child’s diet could meet up to half of their daily needs. But by the end of 2018,
nearly two decades since the plant’s arrival on the scientific scene, only a
handful of countries—Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, all
high-income nations with few vitamin A issues—had deemed it safe to grow and
eat en masse,
reports Michael Le Page for New Scientist. Much of the
resistance in these countries and others, Le Page writes, has come from groups
campaigning against GMOs and their alleged negative effects on health.
That makes the Philippines’
approval of the crop a huge milestone, especially amidst false rumors that its
beta-carotene would break down into cancer-causing chemicals, Le Page reports. (As safety assessments continue,
Bangladesh may be next in line.) But the recent news has also been met with pushback:
Late last month, environmental organization Greenpeace appealed the Department of
Agriculture to overturn its
decision, citing a lack of data and transparency in the approval process. In an
interview with Louise Maureen Simeon at the Philippine Star, Adrian
Dubock, an executive at the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board, disputed the claims.
“They examined in detail all the
evidence submitted by the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the
International Rice Research Institute and found that there was no potential to
cause harm from Golden Rice consumed as food, or animal feed, including in
processed form,” Dubock tells Simeon.
Scientific consensus has long
held that golden rice—as well as other GMOs on the market—are safe to plant,
process and eat. The crop’s successful safety clearance, officials hope, will
help quell the controversy. “We are trying to dispel the notion that
commercially-produced biofortified goods are potentially dangerous,” Garin said
in the statement.
While useful, golden rice
shouldn’t be considered a panacea, Bill Freese, science policy analyst at the
Center for Food Safety, tells Baragona. Another priority involves diversifying
the diets of people in countries suffering from these deficiencies with more
fruits and vegetables, he says. Such a shift, however, would take more time and
effort, and perhaps a larger cultural change. As a possible substitute for
white rice, golden rice might more seamlessly integrate into the diet, explains
Dubock in an interview with Baragona.
But the golden grain won’t be
served to the Filipino public just yet. The crop has yet to get the green light
for commercial propagation—a necessary step for farmers to plant it in their
fields. The International Rice Research Institute, the Philippine-based
organization developing the country’s golden rice, plans to submit its
application for approval early this year.
P3-B aid distributed to rice farmers in 33 provinces
January
3, 2020 6:13pm
By DONA MAGSINO, GMA News
The distribution of P3-billion
worth of cash assistance to small farmers in the country who bore the brunt of
the drop in the prices of palay last year is ongoing, according to Agriculture
Secretary William Dar on Friday.
"The P3 billion is now being
given to those farmers in 33 provinces affected by the falling prices of
palay," Dar said, noting that the distribution was first rolled out in
Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija last December.
"We're hoping that within
the whole month of January maibigay na lahat," he added.
Those 33 provinces were
recommended by the Philippine Rice Research Institute to receive financial aid
after a thorough study on the impact of the changes in prices of palay to the
local farmers, he said.
Around 600,000 farmers are
expected to receive P5,000 each from the said unconditional cash grant which
was sourced from excess government funds in 2019, according to Dar
Scientists hail technique to cut
Arctic methane emissions
Scientific researchers say they
have found a new way to extract methane from permafrost gas-hydrates
which could increase the amount of methane available and cut harmful emissions.
A team from Skoltech University
in Russia and Heriot-Watt University in Scotland reported in Scientific Reports
that replacing methane in hydrates with flue gas from fuel combustion was more
efficient than the current method of recovering methane.
The Russian Arctic is seeing
increasing levels of exploitation of recently discovered oil and gas fields.
Russia is offering heavy tax cuts
to energy firms willing to extract fossil fuels from recently discovered
reserves, which have been revealed by melting Arctic ice.
But one problem facing energy
firms is the formation of gas hydrates in frozen rock mass.
Clear and odourless methane is flammable
and is a powerful greenhouse
gas. In a 100-year time span, methane traps about 28 times more heat than
carbon dioxide. But the gas is short-lived, lasting about nine years before
turning into carbon dioxide, water and ozone, which can cause respiratory
illness in humans and harm crops.
Gas hydrates are ice-like
crystalline formations made by water and gas molecules, which is often methane.
They form in the Arctic in frozen
rock mass, triggering methane leaks.
Their accumulations cause
spontaneous methane emissions on the Arctic coast and shelf.
Flue gas contained greenhouse gas
which can be locked in permafrost and reduce emissions, making gas hydrates a
potential carbon sink, the team said.
Methane is especially dangerous,
as it can warm the planet 86 times as much as carbon dioxide over 20 years in
the atmosphere.
Methane can raise the acidity of
water and kill sea life as it breaks down.
A Russian study found the thawing
of underwater permafrost has doubled in the last 30 years, reaching 18cm a
year.
Frozen soil lies under two-thirds
of Russian territory and a large proportion of the Arctic Ocean. It has
been thawing as the Arctic warms at least double the speed of
the rest of the planet, damaging buildings and pipelines, potentially releasing
diseases and emitting greenhouse gases.
“Our approach not only helps
extract methane and prevent its free release into the atmosphere but also
reduces carbon-dioxide emissions,” said Evgeny Chuvilin of Skoltech’s Centre
for Hydrocarbon Recovery. “I would say our method offers a double dividend in
terms of environmental safety.”
Flue gas consists of several
gases produced in coal-powered plants, metal refineries and other furnaces and
produced by fuel combustion.
It also contains carbon monoxide,
nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and water vapour.
The team said they used a hydrate
formed by the carbon dioxide in the flue gas to replace the natural methane
hydrate. The researchers said the method allowed them to capture around 82 per
cent of the flue gases’ carbon dioxide.
“In comparison with potential
methods such as thermal stimulation, depressurisation, chemical inhibitor
injection, carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide-mixed gases (eg flue gas) injection
is more environmentally friendly because of the potential to capture carbon
dioxide simultaneously with methane recovery,” the paper said.
A 2019 International Energy
Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook report said the
world’s coal mines emit around 40 million tonnes of methane each year.
Russia is the world’s
third-biggest hard coal exporter and Europe’s largest foreign supplier, meeting
45 per cent of European import demand in 2018.
Levels of methane have risen by
an estimated 250 per cent since the 19th century.
About 56 per cent of human-caused
methane comes from livestock, rice farming and food waste decomposing in
anaerobic conditions like landfill sites which creates methane.
Indoor Ag-Con Announces May 2020 Conference Keynote Speaker
Sneak Preview
May 18-20, 2020 Indoor Ag-Con
Keynote Speakers Include David Rosenberg, CEO, Aerofarms; Mike Zelkind, CEO, 80
Acres Farms; and Sonia Lo, CEO, Crop One Holdings.
CEOs from Aerofarms, 80 Acres
Farms, Crop One Holdings Join Growing Speaker Line-Up For May 18-20, 2020
Edition At Wynn Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, January 3,
2020 /EINPresswire.com/ --
Attendees will hear from CEOs, thought leaders and industry experts from
today’s cutting edge farms and other innovative companies during Indoor
Ag-Con, the premier crop-agnostic trade
event for vertical and indoor farming, heading to the Wynn Las Vegas from May
18-20, 2020. Among them, keynote speakers David Rosenberg, CEO, Aerofarms; Mike Zelkind, CEO,
80 Acres Farms; and Sonia Lo, CEO, Crop One Holdings.In addition to these
top-notch keynotes – and others to be announced in coming weeks -- the robust
2020 Conference Schedule will feature three core tracks – Business, Science |
Technology and Alternative Crops.“We surveyed our past attendees to find out what they need from a conference and our 2020 format and track topics are in direct response to their feedback,” says Nancy Hallberg, co-owner of Indoor Ag-Con LLC along with other event industry veterans Brian Sullivan and Kris Sieradzki. “The full program will offer a mix of panel presentations, fireside chats, roundtables and other programs that bring together different perspectives and steer clear of commercial pitches.”
Look for more information coming soon on these keynote speakers, their topics and other announcements about additional keynotes, featured speakers and the full conference schedule. In addition to the extensive educational component, attendees will also find more new initiatives and show highlights to explore during the May 2020 edition, including:
NEW LOCATION: WYNN LAS VEGAS
To deliver a top-quality meeting experience for its attendees, Indoor Ag-Con heads to Wynn Las Vegas for 2020. Wynn Resorts is the recipient of more Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards than any other independent hotel company in the world and was once again named the best resort in Nevada on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 “Gold List,” a title received for the 12th time.
NEW ASSOCIATION ALLIANCES
Indoor Ag-Con is forging new alliances with other events, industry associations/groups that will play an integral role in its marketing outreach and conference programming. Look for partnership announcements coming soon.
NEW START-UP SHOWCASE
Indoor Ag-Con will launch Start-Up Showcase, a dedicated showplace on the exhibition floor for early to mid-stage indoor farming and agtech companies seeking ways to meet investors, farmers/growers and other attendees. Available exclusively to new, first-time Indoor Ag-Con exhibitors, Start-Up Showcase is designed to offer these young companies a cost-effective, easily accessible gateway to indoor ag decision-makers.
EXPANDED EXHIBIT FLOOR & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
In addition to the new Startup Showcase, the Indoor Ag-Con team is working to bring even more resources for farmers/growers to explore across all sectors – everything from government agencies to insurance/finance and other business services to IT solutions, lighting solutions, substrates, vertical farming solutions and much more. Attendees and exhibitors alike will also have even more networking opportunities with daily continental breakfast, coffee break and luncheon sessions, evening receptions, and more.
QUICK FACTS:
WHEN: Monday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 20, 2020 (Exhibits Open May 18-19)
WHERE: Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89101
INFO: For information on exhibiting or attending visit www.indoor.ag or email: hello@indoor.ag
ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON LLC
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the premier trade event for vertical farming | indoor agriculture, the practice of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic techniques. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis |hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. In December 2018, three event industry professionals – Nancy Hallberg, Kris Sieradzki and Brian Sullivan – purchased Indoor Ag-Con LLC from Newbean Capital, so setting the stage for further expansion of the events globally. More information: https://indoor.ag
EIN Presswire does not exercise editorial control over third-party content provided, uploaded, published, or distributed by users of EIN Presswire. We are a distributor, not a publisher, of 3rd party content. Such content may contain the views, opinions, statements, offers, and other material of the respective users, suppliers, participants, or authors.
Flash Update No. 3 - Philippines: Typhoon Phanfone
(Ursula), As of 3 January 2020, 4 p.m. local time
REPORT
Published on 03 Jan 2020
Situation Overview
More than a week after Typhoon
Phanfone (locally named Ursula) made initial landfall in Salcedo, Eastern Samar
as a category-2 typhoon and crossed the Visayas region, over 2.4 million people
in more than 2,700 barangays are affected in regions V, VI, VII, VII, Caraga
and MIMAROPA. Sixty percent of those affected are in Region VIII (Easter
Visayas) and were previously in the path of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013,
which caused significant damage in the region.
As of 3 January, over 133,000
people are displaced, of whom 77,800 are taking shelter in 547 evacuation
centres and over 55,000 staying with host families or open spaces. The number
of displaced is lower than previously reported (145,000 people as of 31
December) as people are gradually returning home to repair their homes and
recover from the effects of the typhoon. While classes are scheduled to resume
on 6 January after the holiday break, over 440 schools have sustained damage in
regions V, VI, VIII, MIMAROPA and CALABARZON, according to the latest National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reports. Learning
materials and school equipment that were washed away, and damage to roofing and
electrical wiring in classrooms were due to the heavy to sometimes intense
rains, strong winds, and storm surges which brought up to waist-deep flooding
in some affected regions.
As local authorities continue to
assess damage to buildings and infrastructure, the number of houses reported as
damaged or destroyed continues to rise, with over 431,000 houses listed as
damaged, out of which over 107,000 are registered as destroyed. Nearly 90 per cent
of the destroyed houses are in Region VI (Western Visayas) and Region VIII
(Eastern Visayas). In Tacloban City alone, a city that was significantly
affected by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, over 24,000 houses are reported as damaged.
Most of the affected families are vulnerable farming and fishing communities in
exposed coastal areas.
The economic damage to
infrastructure and agriculture has risen to an estimated PhP3.4 billion (US$67
million) in regions V, VI, VII, VII and MIMAROPA according to the NDRRMC, an
increase from P1 billion reported on 31 December. The Department of Agriculture
reports that as of 2 January, damage and losses to agriculture is estimated at
P3 billion. The production losses on rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock,
and fisheries is at 39,461 metric tonnes, affecting over 30,700 hectare and
more than 84,000 farmers and fisherfolk in affected regions.
Government response and humanitarian coordination
The national government is
leading the response, assisted by the Red Cross and with the Office of Civil
Defense coordinating with the Department of Health, Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD), and local authorities, to provide food and
other relief assistance to affected communities, which to date is valued at
over P56 million ($1.1 million). Mobile, phone and electricity services are
gradually being restored in affected communities. DSWD is continuing the
distribution of food packs, which usually consist of six kilos of rice, four
cans of sardines, four cans of meat loaf or corned beef and six packets of
instant coffee. In some areas that were hit by Typhoon Tisoy last month,
calamity funds are stretched, and food and relief assistance may last only for
a limited amount of time.
Humanitarian partners with
programmes on the ground are conducting initial damage assessments in affected
areas and have identified food, potable water, sanitation and hygiene supplies,
and shelter materials as priority needs of affected families. Families have
begun repairs to their damaged homes but continue to camp in open areas or stay
in makeshift tents sleeping on the ground and exposed to various elements. Some
families report bringing their children to neighbors to sleep at night for
safety. Due to the lack of shelter and sanitation facilities, affected families
are vulnerable to health and protection issues. Livelihoods are also a concern,
as affected farmers, fisherfolk and informal workers have limited financial
means to cope with economic losses and have expressed their need for food and
shelter assistance and livelihood support in the long-term.
OCHA, on behalf of the
Philippines Humanitarian Country Team, remains in contact with national
authorities and ready to support should that be required.
For more information, contact: Mark Bidder, Head of Office, bidder@un.org, Mobile: +63 917 174 3536
Gina Maramag, Public Information Officer, maramag@un.org, Mobile: +63 917 174 3546
Gina Maramag, Public Information Officer, maramag@un.org, Mobile: +63 917 174 3546
Despite gov’t interventions, palay prices remain
too low
Philippine Daily Inquirer /
05:10 AM January 03, 2020
Despite a
number of government interventions, the average farm gate price of palay in
November had remained low.
Latest data
from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that as of the last week
of November, a kilo of palay was sold at an average of P15.55, down 22.29
percent from a year ago.
While
economic managers said palay rates were only going back to their “average”
levels coming from an “abnormal year,” PSA data reflected that between 2015 and
2017, the farm gate price of palay was at P18.53 a kilo, or higher by 19
percent.
The lowest
quotation in November was recorded in Zamboanga Sibugay at P10 a kilo—lower
than the current palay production cost at P12 a kilo—while the highest
quotation was recorded in Surigao del Sur at P20.40 a kilo.
In major
rice-producing provinces such as Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Tarlac, Occidental
Mindoro and Cagayan, the prevailing palay prices per kilo were at P19.35, P16,
P15.60, P16 and P16, respectively.
Before 2019 drew
to a close, the government has rolled out several programs to cushion the blow
on farmers of the declining palay prices due to the continued inflow of cheaper
rice imports.
The
Department of Agriculture distributed cash aid and provided loans, issued stricter
requirements to be followed by importers, and asked local government units to
buy palay from their respective constituents to ensure that there would be a
market for local produce.
It also
started projects under the rice competitiveness enhancement program, which has
a budget of P10 billion yearly.
The National
Food Authority, for its part, has intensified its palay procurement
operations.However, palay prices remained low.
“The more
palay prices drop because of the continued inflow of cheap imports, the more
losses farmers will incur and the more pressure on the government to provide
relief to farmers,” said Raul Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers.
Based on
studies of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies and the Philippine
Rice Research Institute, the downtrend was seen to continue until 2020,
bringing further losses to palay farmers.
Rice sector
eyes rebound after small exports drop
Hin Pisei |
Publication date 02 January 2020 | 23:27 ICT
Rice exports reached 620,106 tonnes last year, a drop of almost
one per cent from the 626,225 tonnes the previous year. Afp
Rice exports reached 620,106
tonnes last year, a drop of almost one per cent from the 626,225 tonnes the
previous year, the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) said.
The total value of exports
dropped more than four per cent last year from 2018, the Kingdom’s rice
industry body added.
Coupled with the 1.43 per cent
decline between 2018 and 2017, the modest drop marks the second consecutive
year that exports have fallen.
According to a CRF report
obtained by The Post on Wednesday, the total value of the Kingdom’s rice
exports were valued at some $501 million last year, down 4.3 per cent from $524
million in 2018.
A breakdown of the data showed
that the 202,990 tonnes to the Chinese market accounted for 40.73 per cent of
rice exports, followed by 13.41 per cent, or 83,164 tonnes, to the Asean region
and 13.84 per cent, equal to 85,847 tonnes, to other markets.
According to Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries data, Cambodia also exported 2.15 million
tonnes of rice to Vietnam last year.
Meanwhile, rice exports to
European markets declined steadily after the EU imposed tariffs on rice imports
from Cambodia last January. Myanmar was also hit with the tariffs.
CRF secretary-general Lun Yeng
blamed the decline on reduced demand from European markets, but he predicted
that exports would rebound this year.
He said that the 400,000-tonne
export quota to China, a drop in EU taxes from €175 to €155 per tonne and access
to new markets, notably Australia and Brunei, would favour this year’s exports.
“I am optimistic that this year’s
exports will experience strong growth and revenue will rebound,” Yeng told The
Post.
He added that while the Kingdom
had lowered the price of rice to address demand in the European market, the
volume of fragrant rice exported to Europe had increased from 79 per cent in
2018 to 86 per cent last year.
“At the same time, white rice and
parboiled rice exports fell from 21 per cent to 14 per cent,” he said.
Yeng explained that while
Australia had previously banned rice imports, unfavourable weather conditions
for rice cultivation had prompted it to allow imports and invest in Cambodia’s
rice sector.
Thmor Korl Rice Import Export Co
CEO Heng Pheng said his firm had exported the same amount of rice last year as
in 2018, with the bulk to Malaysia.
He also warned that climate
change would threaten future harvests of Cambodia’s top agricultural export.
“Based on quality and value,
Cambodian rice still has plenty of opportunities for exports to international
markets. I think that exports will see a boom this year, especially to the
Chinese market,” Pheng said.
Cambodian Chamber of Commerce
vice-president Lim Heng estimated the Kingdom’s rice production capacity to be
at more than 10 million tonnes per year.
He said that rice exports are
expected to increase this year provided there is strong cooperation between
stakeholders, including farmers, rice millers, exporters and all authorities.
Heng added that along with
increasing production capacity, developing new markets in Japan and South Korea
were also important factors to ensure sustained growth.
“To increase rice export capacity
for the international market, Cambodia needs to work together, while farmers
have to commit more to contract farming,” he said.
Optimising growth in the rice
sector
Cambodia’s rice sector is faced
with the challenge of strengthening the quality of its fragrant rice, said Song
Saran, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), the recently appointed
head of the milled rice export promotion body.
For in depth analysis of
Cambodian Business, visit Capital Cambodia
.
.
His stated task is to sell 1
million tonnes per annum by the next three years.
Saran is looking at markets in
Asia – especially China – Africa and Australia as regions for growth but first
must strengthen the quality and variety of rice crops and ensure there is a
sufficient budget to harvest it.
“We have to compete,” he says.
“The issues we can see include climate change, lack of pure rice seeds and
sometimes lack of capital to buy paddy rice,” Mr Saran said.
Cambodia experienced a decline in
milled rice exports to the EU this year because of tariff duties imposed by the
European Union on Cambodia’s white Indica rice. However, the loss from the EU
bloc, the biggest market for the country’s milled rice, has been replaced with
increasing export to China and other new markets.
Figures from the Secretariat of
One Window Service for Rice Export, showed that Cambodia exported a total of
514,149 tonnes of rice to 59 countries and regions during the first 11 months
of this year, up 3.4 percent over the same period last year.
Cambodia shipped 174,397 tonnes
of rice to the European market during the period, down 26 percent, the report
read.
On the other hand, Cambodia
exported 205,358 tonnes of milled rice to China during the first 11 months of
2019, up 34 percent over the same period last year, according to the report.
China was still the top buyer of
Cambodian rice during the January-November period this year, with exports
accounting for 40 percent of the Kingdom’s total.
The drop in exports to the
European market came after the EU imposed duties on Cambodian rice to protect
European producers.
Saran said exports of cheap white
milled rice to the EU fell but, at the same, the amount of more expensive
fragrant rice increased.
“Despite tariff duties, our
fragrant rice still stands out there. Currently, the fragrant rice in the EU
market has increased. The sort of rice declining in the EU is white rice. If we
continue producing and try to export this kind of rice, our farmers and millers
will face difficulties,” Mr Saran said.
“Rice exports declined [in the
EU], but only the cheap rice. We increased the amount of fragrant rice which
means we increased the value of exports our country’s economy,” Mr Saran said.
“Learning from this trend of
demand for fragrant rice, Cambodian farmers should focus on planting this
variety ,” Mr Saran said, adding that farmers should ask the government to help
provide pure rice seeds with well-known sources to farmers for planting.
Call to form cooperatives
The CRF also encourages farmers
to form agricultural cooperatives so it is easier to develop contract farming
with exporters and processors to maintain the market, remain up-to-date
regarding information related to the markets and to keep s steady price for
agricultural products.
Mak Soeun, deputy
director-general of agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and
Fisheries, said that the ministry has researched many rice seeds to make pure
varieties for distribution to agricultural cooperatives and farmers.
The Cambodian Agricultural Research
and Development Institute has worked on finding the best seeds, Soeun said.
Good quality and competitive rice
varieties include Pkar Romdul, Pkar Romeat, Pkar Romdeng and Sen Kra Ob, he
added.
According to the CRF, the price
of rice is $680 to $720 per tonne of fragrant rice in the second harvest
season, which starts from December to January next year.
Saran said the current price of
milled rice in international markets decreased about 10 percent compared with
the first harvest season, from July to August, when the price was $750 to $780
per tonne.
To help rice millers to buy paddy
rice from farmers in the harvest season, the government has disbursed $50
million twice this year, aiming to keep the price down and to avoid the export
of good quality paddy rice to neighbouring countries through rice traders in
case local rice millers lack the capacity to collect paddy rice because of
insufficient capital flows.
Kao Thach, director general of
the state-run Rural Development Bank (RDB), said that the programme of keeping
the price of paddy rice steady was started in 2016 through emergency loans to
rice millers to buy paddy rice each season and for them to build rice
facilities including warehouses and silos.
The government provided $50
million earlier this month as capital to the RDB, renaming it the Rural
Development and Agriculture Bank and making it a commercial enterprise to
disburse cash to rice millers.
The first $50 million of
disbursement started in mid-2019.
The aim is to raise the price.
Before the $50 million was disbursed from the government, the price of paddy
rice in some areas was below 900 riel ($0.23) per kilogramme. After the
announcement, it increased to 1,000 Riel per kg and even more than 1,000 riel
per kg in some areas. The current price gives farmers a much greater margin,”
Mr Thach said.
New markets expanded
Cambodia has a quota of400,000
tones that China allows Cambodia to export. According to the CRF, the quota
will be implemented from early 2020.
Last week, the Chinese government
allowed 18 new local rice millers to export to China, increasing the number to
44 rice millers exporting to China.
Cooperation with China is good,
enabling export amounts to increases by 34 percent as of November 2019
compared with the same period last year, Mr Saran said, adding that almost of
80 percent rice export to China is fragrant rice.
Cambodia’s rice ranks fourth
among rice exporters to China out of 12 countries, according to Saran.
“With 18 new rice millers, there
is the capacity to mill and export up to half a million tonnes so if
China places new orders, we are able to export it to them,” Mr Saran said.
“The CRF has requested the
government to disburse emergency loans because we have markets already. If we
have a budget for buying paddy rice, I think that the processing and
milling will fill the quota as mentioned in accordance with the agreement the
two government signed,” Saran said.
To facilitate the trade, the
Agriculture Ministry has actively joined in efforts to find markets said
Soeun from the Agriculture Ministry.
“This year, China imported from
Cambodia 205,000 tons of milled rice. We hope that in 2020, the figure will
increase,” Soeun said.
With the emergency loans from the
RDB, main rice producing areas including Battambang, Kampong Thom, Prey Veng
and Takeo have enough rice facilities such as warehouses and silos.
The capacity of a rice warehouse
is 1 million tonnes and silo facilities can cope with 26,000 tonnes per day,
according to the CRF.
Diversifying markets
“The CRF has re-focused its plan
for a million tonnes of milled rice exports within three years by concentrating
on fragrant, sustainable and organic rice,” Mr Saran said. “In the EU, we are
trying to diversify rice exports. We do not focus on exports of only one rice variety.”
Soeun, from Ministry of
Agriculture, said that the ministry is preparing a policy for organic
agricultural practices. We are applying the organic standard of Cambodia,” he
says.
“Cambodia’s organic rice ranks
fifth in the EU and we are committed to competing to become number two or
number three there,” Mr Saran said.
For Saran, although facing a
number of issues that need to be addressed and enhanced, Cambodia’s ambition of
exporting 1 million tons of milled rice would be within reach.
“We designate fragrant rice for
promoting exports, which we register under the trademark Malys Angkor. Our rice
is quality – our fragrant rice has won the world’s best rice award four times,”
Saran said.
Myanmar exporting 10,000 tonnes of rice a day so far this year
YU WAI 03
JAN 2020
Since the start of the 2019-20 fiscal year, which began on
October 1, Myanmar has been exporting roughly 10,000 tonnes of a rice a day at
prices 5 percent to 10 pc lower than last year, an industry body has announced.
“Over the last 90 days or so of the current fiscal year, a total
900,000 tonnes of rice has been exported. The moisture content in Myanmar’s
rice has stabilised and prices have held steady,” said U Myo Thura Aye, central
executive committee member of the Myanmar Rice Federation.
So far this year, African countries have been the major market
for Myanmar’s rice followed by ASEAN countries. There are also some exports to
European countries, U Myo Thura Aye said.
He also revealed that rice exports across land borders have
declined and only 15pc of the total so far is currently going through land
borders to neighbouring countries.
In the previous fiscal year, 55pc of rice exports were across
land borders, while 45pc was exported by sea.
“More rice and corn exports are now going through the
Chinshwehaw border area rather than Muse in Shan State and as we can now export
to Laos as well, Laos traders are re-exporting to China,” said Ministry of
Commerce Deputy Secretary U Khin Maung Lwin.
Up to December 6, nearly 700,000 tons of rice had been exported,
an increase of 330,000 tonnes over the same period in the previous year, the
Ministry of Commerce’s statistics showed. Meanwhile, rainy season rice export
volumes remained the same compared with the same period last year, said
exporters, adding that but hot season rice exports might decrease.
“The government has announced reductions in hot season rice
growing areas due to irrigation problems in dam water distribution, so the
harvest and exports are expected to drop,” said U Myo Thura Aye.
The Myanmar Rice Federation says its expects to export 2.5
million tonnes of rice this fiscal year and the 770,000 tonnes of rice exported
up to December 13 has so far generated US$220 million. Of the total 100,000
tonnes was exported by land and 650,000 tonnes by sea.
Some 39pc of total export volume was to the African market, 31pc
to China and neighbouring countries, 11pc to Europe, and 19pc to other
countries.
-Translated
Nagpur Foodgrain
Prices Open- January 3, 2020
JANUARY 3, 2020 / 2:54 PM /
* * * * * *
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-January 3, 2020 Nagpur,
Jan 3 (Reuters) – Gram prices moved down in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Company (APMC) here on lack of demand from local millers amid high
moisture content arrival. Easy condition on NCDEX and weak trend in other
foodgrain mandis also affected prices in limited deals. About 50 bags of gram
reported for auction, according to sources.
GRAM
* Desi gram prices showed weak tendency in open market here in
absence of buyers.
TUAR * Tuar gavarani recovered in open market here on renewed
demand from local traders
amid tight supply from producing region.
* Lakhodi dal reported higher in open market here on good buying
support
from local traders amid weak arrival from producing belt.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,200-5,400, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,100-8,300,
Udid Mogar (clean)
– 9,500-10,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,600-9,400, Gram –
4,200-4,300, Gram Super best
– 5,500-5,700 * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a
narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading
activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100
kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,750-4,250 3,700-4,250
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 4,700-5,000
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 2,050-2,190 2,100-2,175
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 4,500-4,600 4,500-4,600
Desi gram Raw 4,350-4,450 4,400-4,500
Gram Kabuli 8,500-10,000 8,500-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,200-8,400 8,200-8,400
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 7,700-8,000 7,700-8,000
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,400-7,600 7,400-7,600
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 6,600-7,100 6,600-7,100
Tuar Gavarani New 5,500-5,600 5,450-5,550
Tuar Karnataka 5,800-5,900 5,800-5,900
Masoor dal best 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Masoor dal medium 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 9,000-9,800 9,000-9,700
Moong Mogar Medium 8,000-8,800 8,000-8,500
Moong dal Chilka New 7,500-8,800 7,500-8,500
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) 10,000-11,000 10,000-11,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 7,200-7,700 7,200-7,700
Mot (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,500 6,000-7,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 5,000-5,300 5,000-5,200
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 12,000-12,500 12,000-12,500
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,450 2,350-2,450
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,800 2,700-2,800
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
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) 2,700-2,900 2,700-2,900
Rice Swarna medium new (100 INR/KG)2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600
Rice HMT best new (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,200 4,000-4,200
Rice HMT medium new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,800-4,000
Rice Shriram best new(100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,500 5,100-5,500
Rice Shriram med new (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,900 4,500-4,900
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) 5,600-6,000 5,600-6,000
Rice Chinnor medium new(100 INR/KG)5,300-5,500 5,300-5,500
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. 18.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 12.0 degree Celsius Rainfall :
Nil FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rains or
thunder-showers. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 25 degree
Celsius and 14 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils,
transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market
prices)
Rabi sowing tops 600 lakh ha on higher
coverage
New
Delhi | Updated on January 03, 2020 Published
on January 03, 2020
Rabi planting this season crossed
600 lakh hectares on account of considerable higher planting of winter crops
mainly in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
The total acreage for the week
has gone up by nearly 7 per cent over 562 lakh hectares (lh) sown in the
corresponding week last year, data released by the Agriculture Ministry showed
on Friday.
Wheat sowing in Madhya Pradesh is
higher at 75 lh, about a third more than the 56.56 lh planted in the same week
in the previous rabi season. Most other wheat growing States maintained the
sowing more or less at the same levels, even though Rajasthan reported an
increase of nearly 10 per centarea in wheat planting.
Pulses up a
tad
There is a marginal three per
cent increase in pulses cultivation as well. The area sown under pulses moved
up to 146 lh (142 lh). The increase can be attributed to a considerable jump in
acreage under gram cultivation in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
While the two other prominent
pulses growing States — Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka — reported some dip in acreage,
Uttar Pradesh almost maintained the same level.
Coverage of coarse cereals, too,
has gone up by 13 per cent as compared to the same period last year. As against
an area of 44 lh sown under coarse cereals in the corresponding week last year,
the area covered till this week was 49.4 lh. Much of the increase was due to
higher planting of jowar in Maharashtra which stood at 16.67 lh (11 lh). On
other hand, Karnataka — the other major jowar-growing State — witnessed around
20 per cent decline in area as compared to the same week last year. There is
nearly a seven per cent increase in maize sowing, which moved up to 13.7 lh.
Oilseeds, rice
gain
Oilseeds, too, moved into the
positive territory for the first time with an acreage of 75.72 lh, which was
slightly higher than that in the corresponding week last year. Mustard/rapeseed
cultivation was sown on 66.62 lh (67 lh).
Strong sowing activity in Tamil
Nadu, which received good rains because of cyclonic depressions in the recent
months, has helped rice planting to go up by nearly 16 per cent to 16 lh.
Water storage levels in
reservoirs continue to be 52 per cent more than that in the corresponding week
last year. According to the Central Water Commission, which monitors 120 major
reservoirs in the country, these water bodies have a cumulative storage of 133
billion cubic metres (BCM) of water as against 88.17 BCM in the same week a
year ago.
Exploring the deep sea to moving mountains — Modi lays
out over 20 challenges for India’s young scientists to solve at ISC 2020
Jan
3, 2020, 14:57 IST2020-01-03T14:57:10+05:30
"Our success in space
exploration should now be mirrored in the new frontier of the deep sea. We need
to explore and map responsibly harness the vast ocean resources of water,
energy and food. This requires developing strengths in submersibles, deep-sea
mining systems and autonomous underwater vehicles."
Fore-reef slope habitat around
Kandahalagala showing the extent of coral bleaching and massive coral die-off
(Source: University of Exeter)
Fore-reef slope habitat around
Kandahalagala showing the extent of coral bleaching and massive coral die-off
(Source: University of Exeter)
"We need to prepare seeds
which are abundant but don’t use a lot of water."
Rice plants grow from the cracked
and dry earth in outskirts of Nagpur City in India. Rice plants normally need
to be partially submerged in water during the farming. (Source: BCCL)
Rice plants grow from the cracked
and dry earth in outskirts of Nagpur City in India. Rice plants normally need
to be partially submerged in water during the farming. (Source: BCCL)
"We know from science that
potential energy — the silent form of energy — can move mountains when
converted into the kinetic energy of motion. Can we build science in
motion?"
Mount Everest (Source: Unsplash)
Mount Everest (Source: Unsplash)
"India is on a mission to
eliminate single-use plastic to save our birds, fish and soil. But you will
have to find a cheap and sustainable alternative to plastic in order to make
this possible."
A child plays amid mounds of
plastic at a scrap workshop in Chembur in India (Source: BCCL)
A child plays amid mounds of
plastic at a scrap workshop in Chembur in India (Source: BCCL)
"A new beginning is needed
in the way we think about how to use the soil database to make day-to-day
farming operations more effective."
Brisk farming activity in
villages around Vadipatti as water is released in Periyar channel (Source:
BCCL)
Brisk farming activity in
villages around Vadipatti as water is released in Periyar channel (Source:
BCCL)
"It is imperative to find a
solution to save our farmers from the losses they face due to the
inefficiencies of the supply chain."
Wheat and rice being transported
in trucks (Source: BCCL)
Wheat and rice being transported
in trucks (Source: BCCL)
"The strength of MSMSEs in a
rapidly changing world is dependent on your progress."
The workforce at MSMSE in
Coimbatore (Source: BCCL)
The workforce at MSMSE in
Coimbatore (Source: BCCL)
"We need new methods and
processes to remove metal from electronic waste and aid in its reuse. Your
solutions will benefit craftsmen looking to more products into the
market."
E-waste collection drive in New
Delhi organised by European Union member states (Source: BCCL)
E-waste collection drive in New
Delhi organised by European Union member states (Source: BCCL)
"I have high expectations
from startups implement a green, circular and sustainable economy in
villages."
Model village set up by former CM
D Devaraj Urs in Mysuru, Karnataka (Source: BCCL)
Model village set up by former CM
D Devaraj Urs in Mysuru, Karnataka (Source: BCCL)
"An emerging challenge in
India is addressing the growing pollution from household and farm waste. We
have to move quickly to turn this waste into wealth."
The latest trash mountain in a
lower part of the Ghazipur landfill site in East Delhi (Source: BCCL)
The latest trash mountain in a
lower part of the Ghazipur landfill site in East Delhi (Source: BCCL)
"We aspire to reduce the use
of crude oil by 10% by 2020. This opens up new opportunities in the development
of bio-fuel and ethanol-blended fuel for you. Industry-backed research needs a
boost. Every stakeholder’s interests will have to be developed."
Large crude carrier MT Diamond
with 1.30 lakh tons of crude oil that arrived in Chennai port (Source: BCCL)
Large crude carrier MT Diamond
with 1.30 lakh tons of crude oil that arrived in Chennai port (Source: BCCL)
"There is a need for a
revolution in technology assisting agricultural practices. Can we find
farmer-centric solutions to the problems of stock-burning?"
After harvesting crop from the
field, women burning dried Parathi — agricultural waste — at the farm in
Aurangabad (Source: BCCL)
After harvesting crop from the
field, women burning dried Parathi — agricultural waste — at the farm in
Aurangabad (Source: BCCL)
"Can we design the model of
clean drinking water supply around the country?"
Students being taught about the
importance of clean drinking water in schools (Source: BCCL)
Students being taught about the
importance of clean drinking water in schools (Source: BCCL)
"How do we prevent affluent
and discharge from industries from destroying our soil and our groundwater
tables for years to come?"
The oil leak from ONGC Uran plant
in 2013, spilling about 5,000 litres of crude oil into the Arabian Sea, spread
about 10km along the coastline may causing irreparable damage to the soil and
the regions of flora and fauna (Source: BCCL)
The oil leak from ONGC Uran plant
in 2013, spilling about 5,000 litres of crude oil into the Arabian Sea, spread
about 10km along the coastline may causing irreparable damage to the soil and
the regions of flora and fauna (Source: BCCL)
"Another important point I
wish to make is the significance of Make in India in the development of medical
devices — to bring the fruits of advancements in diagnostics to our
people."
School students are getting
practical chemistry training at the research lab in Chennai to bust myths about
chemicals and teach them about basics (Source: BCCL)
School students are getting
practical chemistry training at the research lab in Chennai to bust myths about
chemicals and teach them about basics (Source: BCCL)
"Water recycling and reuse
need to become more efficient and cost-effective. It’s up to you to design the
technology."
Bengaluru scientist AR Shivakumar
has not had to pay a water bill for 24 years, yet has water supply at all times
using rainwater harvesting (Source: BCCL)
Bengaluru scientist AR Shivakumar
has not had to pay a water bill for 24 years, yet has water supply at all times
using rainwater harvesting (Source: BCCL)
"To promote wellbeing we
should not only practise some of the tested tradition wisdom. But also
continuously enlarge its scope by introducing the modern tools and concepts of
contemporary biomedical research."
Special Chief Secretary, Health
Medical & Family Welfare Poonam Malakondaiah looking at eye test machine
free health camp at the secretariat in Amaravathi (Source: BCCL)
Special Chief Secretary, Health
Medical & Family Welfare Poonam Malakondaiah looking at eye test machine
free health camp at the secretariat in Amaravathi (Source: BCCL)
"Our aim should be to
protect people from communicable diseases like Nippa and Ebola. We must work
overtime to fulfil the promise to eliminate TB by 2025."
Students take part in rally on
the occasion of World T B Day (Source: BCCL)
Students take part in rally on
the occasion of World T B Day (Source: BCCL)
"Globally, India is the
leader in the supply of vaccines. We aim to develop India as a world-class $100
million biomanufacturing hub 2024. This will happen with the right policy initiatives
and support to innovative research, human resource development and
enterprise."
Pulse Polio Vaccine for child at Gateway of India organised by
Government of Maharashtra in Mumbai (Source: BCCL)Pulse Polio Vaccine for child at Gateway of India organised by
Government of Maharashtra in Mumbai (Source: BCCL)
"India must also develop a
longterm roadmap for sustainable and environment transportation."
E-buses launched in Mumbai (Source: BCCL)
E-buses launched in Mumbai
(Source: BCCL)
"Development of energy
storage options are increasingly significant for green management as we expand
our renewable energy supply. This requires developing new battery types which are
based on earth-abundant and environmentally benign materials — which are
affordable and suitable for tropical climates."
Solar Power Plant installed on a rooftop at a government
building in Patna (Source: BCCL)
Solar Power Plant installed on a
rooftop at a government building in Patna (Source: BCCL)
"The economic and social
benefits of accurate weather and climate forecasting are immense."
Pedestrians walk on a waterlogged
street during heavy rains in Mumbai (Source: BCCL)
Pedestrians walk on a waterlogged
street during heavy rains in Mumbai (Source: BCCL)
https://www.businessinsider.in/slideshows/modis-20-challenges-at-isc-2020-to-scientists-to-solve-india-problems/slidelist/73082805.cms
USD 2.5 million fund for
clean-tech start-ups
The
initiative focusses on solving the problems around reliable electricity which
has challenged many a business and also affects the livelihood opportunities
and incomes of households.
Published: 04th January 2020 11:49
AM | Last Updated: 04th January 2020 11:49
L-R: Ananth
Aravamudan(Villgro), Wase Khalid (CEEW), Abhishek Jain (CEEW) Arunabha
Ghosh(CEO, CEEW), Shankha Lahiri(Villgro), Paul Basil (CEO, Villgro) and
Gowtham Sundara Raju (Villgro) | Express
Express News Service
VilLgro
Innovation Foundation, one of the country’s top social enterprise incubators
has collaborated with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) for a
$2.5 million initiative to support start-ups working on clean energy solutions.
The initiative
aims to provide dedicated capital, technical and sectoral growth support to at
least five enterprises which are deploying innovative, clean energy-powered
livelihood appliances and shall enable them to undertake large scale commercial
deployments over a period of three years. Investment firms like Caspian Debt,
Upaya Social Ventures and others have been roped in under the initiative.
Start-ups that
leverage cleantech and renewable energy sources are slowly gaining traction in
the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Karnataka, which is home to one-fourth of all
start-ups in the country has also emerged as the highest renewable energy
producer according to a report from the Institute for Energy Economics and
Financial Analysis.
The initiative
focusses on solving the problems around reliable electricity which has
challenged many a business and also affects the livelihood opportunities and
incomes of households. Villgrow said in a statement that the provision of
energy-efficient appliances for providing reliable energy to households as well
as industries has become imperative.
The Powering
Livelihoods initiative will provide a grant of up to $250,000 to each
enterprise working on commercial deployment of products or appliances.
Based on the
needs assessment, enterprises would be provided support services (up to
$100,000) through strategic partnerships. This includes mentoring, capacity
building, financial planning and modelling, and assistance on compliance and
legal issues, with an end-goal to scale up to commercial deployment, Villgro
said.
Start-ups or
enterprises deploying clean energy solutions and appliances like
energy-efficient commercial food processors, cold storages, juicers, dryers,
milk chillers, flour mills, milking machines, rice hullers, and oil expellers
in agriculture and allied sectors would be prioritised.
Similarly, in
the textile industry, enterprises deploying appliances such as solar charkhas,
sewing machines and jute machinery would be supported, since they aim to
improve productivity without harming the environment.
“India alone
has a market worth more than $50 billion for clean energy solutions for rural
livelihoods. ‘Powering Livelihoods’ aims to catalyze the transformation of
India’s rural economy by scaling up the accessibility and commercialisation of
clean energy-based solutions. By marrying CEEW’s deep expertise in
evidence-based policy formulation and sectoral engagement with Villgro’s years
of experience in growing businesses, the initiative will be highly significant
in terms of capital, capacity building, and ecosystem support,” said Arunabha
Ghosh, CEO, CEEW.
Reviving Our Rice Bowl: Bengal Farmers Preserve 200+ Traditional
Rice Varieties
West Bengal hosts over 5,000
varieties of rice, a majority of which have disappeared due to faulty
agricultural practices.
·
JANUARY 3, 2020
· 
For over five years now, Ujwal Das
(35), has been growing and propagating extant folk rice varieties in West Bengal’s Koro village. On
two bigha land
(where three bighas equal an acre), he
grows Sitasal, Kalobhat, and Kalamkati, for his eight-member family; and the
remaining four bighas are occupied by
a high-yielding variety (HYV) called ‘Lal Sarna’.
Das is a member of the 50-member strong farmer-run Amarkanan
Rural Socio-environmental Welfare Society (ARSWS). Their efforts were
recognised by Narendra Singh Tomar, the Minister for Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare. He conferred on them the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research’s Plant Genome Saviour Community Awards, which came with a citation
and a cash award of Rs 10 lakh.
Most efforts to conserve folk rice varieties in India have been
individual or institutional initiatives. That’s what sets the farmer-run ARSWS
apart. It is led by Dr Anjan Kumar Sinha, a botanist and assistant professor with Purulia’s Raghunathpur
College. The Society has so far conserved and preserved over 200 extant
varieties, growing them on plots of land as tiny as an office cubicle, and
sharing the seeds with fellow farmers so that they can be multiplied.
Of these, 106 varieties have been
registered with the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights
Authority—an effective system for the protection of plant varieties and the
rights of farmers and plant breeders.
Paddy
varieties identified on a plot of land.
Once considered the rice bowl of India, West Bengal boasts of a
large number of local varieties and landraces. According to an estimate, the
State hosts over 5,000 varieties of rice, a majority of which have disappeared
due to faulty agricultural practices. Interestingly, these varieties are of
immense value in agriculture as they are a treasure house of innumerable genes
that have evolved in the environment over millions of years. Development of
disease-resistant newer varieties is possible only with the help of genes
available in landraces.
Lured by HYVs, farmers have
confined themselves to 15 such races and ceased cultivating folk or local
varieties due to poor yield and lesser market demand, despite the scarce inputs
needed to grow them.
A study conducted on 65 landraces in 2012 on small farm
areas has shown immense promise from varieties like Kalamkati,
Danarguri, Tulsibhog, Nagrasal, Bahurupi, Sitasal, Gobindabhog, Barani,
Khajurchari, Keralasundari, Kabiraj, Chandrakanta, Daransal, Dangapatnai,
Kataribhog, Badshabhog—all indigenous rice cultivars of West Bengal. What sets
these varieties apart from the HYVs like Lal Sarna, IR 64, Jyoti and Lalat is
their use, both medicinal and nutritional. They also possess several stress
tolerant properties which act as positive factors in the retention of the rice
landraces in the face of increasing propaganda for cultivation of high-yielding
varieties. Traditional rice varieties therefore represent important genetic
reservoirs with valuable traits.
In West Bengal, rice is associated with every step of life,
beginning with mukhe bhat (introduction of
the infant to a solid meal) and ending with an offering made to the departed
souls. Besides being a part of the staple diet, it is also used for making
foods, like piteh (rice
cake), chire (beaten rice), khoi (puffed
rice), chaler payesh or kheer (sweetened
rice) and muri (rice
bubbles). For instance, Dharansal is used for daily cooking; Sukalma and
Bhootmori for rice bubbles, Tulsibhog for sweetened rice and others.
Paddy being
dried in the sun for storage.
Rice growers of six villages in Bankura have formed the Ranbahal-based
ARSWS. Seeds are stored in clay pots with dried neem leaves.
The Society also runs a seed gene bank and distributes seeds to prospective
farmers free of cost. The initiative being an on-site conservation, seeds of
the varieties to be conserved are grown and multiplied on farms with the
desired traits refined through adaptations to changes in the natural
environment.
With each rice-planting season, the number of farmers propagating the folk varieties has been growing,
although at a slow pace, as there is a lack of awareness among consumers about
these indigenous varieties.
According to Dr Sinha, farmers
can become members of the society by expressing their willingness to cultivate
the traditional paddy variety in their field without the use of chemical-based
farming inputs.
Before transplanting the folk
varieties of paddy, most farmers replenish the soil using leguminous green
manure crop as Sesbania or Gliricidia, which are ploughed down and crushed with
the soil. Both the roots and stems host the friendly Rhizobium bacteria, which
trap atmospheric nitrogen—their decay releasing large quantities of nitrogen in
the soil, along with organic matter, thus enriching it.
Paddy seeds
stored in clay pots.
Every farmer-member is offered 500 g-1 kg of seeds, which is
cultivated for 3-3.5 months, to end up with 1 kg of seeds following harvest.
Most farmers grow these for their consumption due to their aromatic and
nutritional content. A kilo of seeds yields between 300-500 kg of rice and can
get premium rates in the market compared to HYVs. To further increase consumer
awareness, farmers attend krishi melas along with their
produce and educate prospective consumers.
Of the several farmers is 51-year-old Biman Sinha of Ranbahal
village, 28 km from Bankura town, who has been growing aromatic varieties like
Gobindobhog, Danarguri, Badshabhog on five bighas of land for the past
nine years using organic methods. “The yield from the folk varieties may be
less, but we are compensated with the price we get,” he informs.
Efforts of farmer groups like
ARSWS play an important role in providing us with the opportunity to tap into
its germplasm to develop new varieties that can mitigate climate change, issues
like erratic increase/decrease in temperature, and humidity, resulting in the
appearance of new pests and diseases.
So far, ARSWS has shared the seeds of a folk rice
variety with research institutions like Bidhan https://www.thebetterindia.com/204251/kolkata-first-zero-waste-store-organic-sustainable-eco-friendly-go-green-shopping-india/
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