Myanmar’s mangrove
forests are in grave peril
By Sustainability Times on June 12, 2020
Agriculture Forest
Mangrove forests are under threat across
Southeast Asia and in the country of Myanmar alone more than 60% of them were
lost within just two decades between 1996 and 2016, according to researchers at
the National University of Singapore.
“Mangroves are one of the world’s most
threatened ecosystems, and Myanmar is regarded as the current mangrove
deforestation hotspot globally,” the scientists write in a study published in
Environmental Research Letters. “Net national mangrove cover declined by 52%
over 20 years, with annual net loss rates of 3.60%–3.87%. Gross mangrove
deforestation was more profound: 63% of the 1996 mangrove extent had been temporarily
or permanently converted by 2016.”
Most of the country’s mangroves have been
converted into rice paddies, oil palm and rubber tree plantations, as well as
areas used for aquaculture. The profound loss of deforestation in the country’s
mangrove forests, which are critical for biodiversity, is the reason why
Myanmar has been described as a primary hotspot of mangrove loss in the world.
“It is quite incredible to consider that nearly two-thirds of all mangroves in
Myanmar were deforested over a 20-year-period,” says Edward Webb, one of the
authors of the study.
Mangrove trees grow in various depths of water
in coastal areas and they are crucial for coastal marine ecosystems. Their
dense entangled roots stabilize coastlines and provide homes to a variety of
marine species, including fish and crustaceans. Mangroves can also absorb large
amounts of carbon dioxide, as a result of which these forests play an important
role in the fight against climate change.
Mangroves growing in South Asia, in Southeast
Asia and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region account for nearly half, or 46%,
of the world’s entire mangrove forests. Southeast Asia is home to the world’s
highest rate of mangrove biodiversity. Many of the region’s mangroves, however,
have been lost owing to agricultural activities.
“Loss of mangroves equates to loss of habitat
available for mangrove-dependent wildlife, and this may include birds, mammals,
fish and crustaceans, as well as crocodiles,” Webb says. “Perhaps, as important
are the implications for other ecosystem services associated with mangroves,
including shoreline protection and carbon sequestration.”
The rapid deforestation of mangroves in Myanmar
has also been detailed in another study, led by Daniel Richards and Daniel
Friess, two researchers at the National University of Singapore who
investigated the rate of mangrove deforestation in Southeast Asia, including
Myanmar, between 2000 and 2012.
The scientists reported that rice farming was a
main driver of mangrove loss. The government of Myanmar has sought to increase
food security, which has resulted in boosts to rice farming production. Yet
that has come at a cost to mangroves that have been converted into paddies.
“Almost 25,000 hectares of Myanmar’s mangroves were converted to rice paddy between
2000 and 2012,” Richards noted.
A similar situation has prevailed elsewhere in
Southeast Asia. “Sixteen percent of all deforested mangroves in Southeast Asia
were replaced with oil palm
plantations during our study period,” the scientist said. “We usually think of
oil palm as an issue which affects tropical forests on land but our study shows
that demand for oil palm is also driving deforestation in coastal mangrove
forests.”
The rate of deforestation is of especial
concern in Myanmar because the country’s government does not consider mangroves
to be important parts of the ecosystem that need to be preserved. “As a result
of the lack of environmental safeguards and continuing economic transformation
in Myanmar, we may expect mangrove conversion to rice and other agriculture to
continue to displace large areas of mangrove in this country in the future,”
the authors warn in their study.
The loss of nearly two-thirds of Myanmar’s
mangroves in just a few short years has raised the specter of an environmental
calamity in the making. Yet the remaining forests can still be saved.
“The fate of mangroves in the country wil
l be tied to the strength of policies and
implementation of conservation measures,” Webb says. “Through proper long-term
planning, management and conservation, this resilient ecosystem can recover and
be maintained for the future.”
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Myanmar’s mangrove
forests are in grave peril
By Sustainability
Times on June 12, 2020
Mangrove
forests are under threat across Southeast Asia and in the country of Myanmar
alone more than 60% of them were lost within just two decades between 1996 and
2016, according to researchers at the National University of Singapore.
“Mangroves are
one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems, and Myanmar is regarded as the
current mangrove deforestation hotspot globally,” the scientists write in
a study published in Environmental Research Letters.
“Net national mangrove cover declined by 52% over 20 years, with annual net
loss rates of 3.60%–3.87%. Gross mangrove deforestation was more profound: 63%
of the 1996 mangrove extent had been temporarily or permanently converted by
2016.”
Most of the
country’s mangroves have been converted into rice paddies, oil palm and rubber
tree plantations, as well as areas used for aquaculture. The profound loss of
deforestation in the country’s mangrove forests, which are critical for
biodiversity, is the reason why Myanmar has been described as a primary hotspot
of mangrove loss in the world. “It is quite incredible to consider that nearly
two-thirds of all mangroves in Myanmar were deforested over a 20-year-period,” says Edward Webb, one of the authors of the study.
Mangrove trees
grow in various depths of water in coastal areas and they are crucial for
coastal marine ecosystems. Their dense entangled roots stabilize coastlines and
provide homes to a variety of marine species, including fish and crustaceans.
Mangroves can also absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, as a result of which
these forests play an important role in the fight against climate change.
Mangroves
growing in South Asia, in Southeast Asia and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific
region account for nearly half, or 46%, of the world’s entire mangrove
forests. Southeast Asia is home to the world’s highest rate of mangrove
biodiversity. Many of the region’s mangroves, however, have been lost owing to
agricultural activities.
“Loss of
mangroves equates to loss of habitat available for mangrove-dependent wildlife,
and this may include birds, mammals, fish and crustaceans, as well as
crocodiles,” Webb says. “Perhaps, as important are the implications for other
ecosystem services associated with mangroves, including shoreline protection
and carbon sequestration.”
The rapid
deforestation of mangroves in Myanmar has also been detailed in another study,
led by Daniel Richards and Daniel Friess, two researchers at the National
University of Singapore who investigated the rate of mangrove deforestation in
Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, between 2000 and 2012.
The scientists
reported that rice farming was a main driver of mangrove loss. The government
of Myanmar has sought to increase food security, which has resulted in boosts
to rice farming production. Yet that has come at a cost to mangroves that have
been converted into paddies. “Almost 25,000 hectares of Myanmar’s mangroves
were converted to rice paddy between 2000 and 2012,” Richards noted.
A similar
situation has prevailed elsewhere in Southeast Asia. “Sixteen percent of all
deforested mangroves in Southeast Asia were replaced with oil palm plantations
during our study period,” the scientist said. “We usually think of oil palm as
an issue which affects tropical forests on land but our study shows that demand
for oil palm is also driving deforestation in coastal mangrove forests.”
The rate of
deforestation is of especial concern in Myanmar because the country’s
government does not consider mangroves to be important parts of the ecosystem
that need to be preserved. “As a result of the lack of environmental safeguards
and continuing economic transformation in Myanmar, we may expect mangrove
conversion to rice and other agriculture to continue to displace large areas of
mangrove in this country in the future,” the authors warn in their study.
The loss of
nearly two-thirds of Myanmar’s mangroves in just a few short years has raised
the specter of an environmental calamity in the making. Yet the remaining forests
can still be saved.
“The fate of
mangroves in the country will be tied to the strength of policies and
implementation of conservation measures,” Webb says. “Through proper long-term
planning, management and conservation, this resilient ecosystem can recover and
be maintained for the future.”
Yazoo
Backwater Pump Offers Promise to Mississippi Rice Growers and the Environment
Special to the USA Rice Daily
Kirk Satterfield is chair of the Mississippi Rice Council, vice chair of the USA Rice Council, and vice chair of the USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors.
BENOIT, MS -- Flood protection in the Lower Mississippi Valley provides many benefits, including the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of acres of land in the Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi Delta region to be farmed without risks of affect by the volatile Mississippi River. Areas with flood protection in the Lower Mississippi Valley continue to provide some of the richest and most diverse wildlife habitat in the country, and with flood protection that land can be managed to provide net benefits for both agriculture and the environment.
A vast majority of the major flood control components throughout the Lower Mississippi Valley have been completed. However, one major component of the Yazoo Backwater Area in Mississippi remains unfinished: a pumping station.
With all of the levee systems in place in the Yazoo Backwater Area, the lack of an operational pumping station has effectively created an increase in flooding depth, duration, and frequency. Recent backwater floods have destroyed people's homes while negatively impacting businesses, wildlife populations, and hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland typically planted to cotton, corn, soybeans, and, most importantly, rice.
The Yazoo Backwater Pumps are not unique and were actually authorized in 1941, along with several other pumping plants that have since been constructed and are operational in Arkansas and Louisiana. By contrast, more than 200,000 acres of cropland was flooded this April in the Yazoo Backwater Area that sits at a higher elevation than cropland just across the river in Louisiana that was not flooded.
The campaign to "Finish the Pumps" has been a long and hard-fought battle by many including agricultural advocates such as Delta Council, Mississippi Farm Bureau, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and the American Farm Bureau. Conservation organizations, such as Delta Wildlife; the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks; the Mississippi Forestry Commission; and the Mississippi Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, also are in support and recognize the environmental benefits of the project.
Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a Notice of Intent to issue a revised Environmental Impact Statement for a redesigned Yazoo Backwater Pump Project. I urge all USA Rice Federation members to join the American Farm Bureau, Mississippi Farm Bureau,
Delta
Council, and others, in supporting the notice of intent by submitting comments
at www.forgottenbackwaterflood.com or sending an email to yazoobackwater@usace.army.mil.
The deadline for submission of comments is this Monday, June 15. Every submission, however brief, is critical as the total number of public comments in favor of the project is heavily weighted in the process.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact fhowell@deltacouncil.org or visit www.forgottenbackwaterflood.com.
Kirk Satterfield is chair of the Mississippi Rice Council, vice chair of the USA Rice Council, and vice chair of the USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors.
BENOIT, MS -- Flood protection in the Lower Mississippi Valley provides many benefits, including the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of acres of land in the Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi Delta region to be farmed without risks of affect by the volatile Mississippi River. Areas with flood protection in the Lower Mississippi Valley continue to provide some of the richest and most diverse wildlife habitat in the country, and with flood protection that land can be managed to provide net benefits for both agriculture and the environment.
A vast majority of the major flood control components throughout the Lower Mississippi Valley have been completed. However, one major component of the Yazoo Backwater Area in Mississippi remains unfinished: a pumping station.
With all of the levee systems in place in the Yazoo Backwater Area, the lack of an operational pumping station has effectively created an increase in flooding depth, duration, and frequency. Recent backwater floods have destroyed people's homes while negatively impacting businesses, wildlife populations, and hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland typically planted to cotton, corn, soybeans, and, most importantly, rice.
The Yazoo Backwater Pumps are not unique and were actually authorized in 1941, along with several other pumping plants that have since been constructed and are operational in Arkansas and Louisiana. By contrast, more than 200,000 acres of cropland was flooded this April in the Yazoo Backwater Area that sits at a higher elevation than cropland just across the river in Louisiana that was not flooded.
The campaign to "Finish the Pumps" has been a long and hard-fought battle by many including agricultural advocates such as Delta Council, Mississippi Farm Bureau, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and the American Farm Bureau. Conservation organizations, such as Delta Wildlife; the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks; the Mississippi Forestry Commission; and the Mississippi Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, also are in support and recognize the environmental benefits of the project.
Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a Notice of Intent to issue a revised Environmental Impact Statement for a redesigned Yazoo Backwater Pump Project. I urge all USA Rice Federation members to join the American Farm Bureau, Mississippi Farm Bureau,
Delta
Council, and others, in supporting the notice of intent by submitting comments
at www.forgottenbackwaterflood.com or sending an email to yazoobackwater@usace.army.mil.
The deadline for submission of comments is this Monday, June 15. Every submission, however brief, is critical as the total number of public comments in favor of the project is heavily weighted in the process.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact fhowell@deltacouncil.org or visit www.forgottenbackwaterflood.com.
WASDE Report Released
WASHINGTON, DC -- The outlook for
2020/21 U.S. rice this month is for larger supplies, greater domestic use,
reduced exports, and increased ending stocks.
Most of the 2020/21 revisions are the result of 2019/20 supply and use
changes. The 2020/21 all rice beginning
stocks are increased 1.5 million cwt to 32 million, a result of higher 2019/20
imports, now forecast at a near-record 33.5 million, raising 2019/20 ending
stocks. All of the increase in 2019/20
imports is for long grain, based on a record import pace to date, primarily
aromatics from Thailand. Long-term
growth in imports is expected to continue in 2020/21 as projected imports are
raised 1 million cwt to a record-high 33.6 million. The combination of increased beginning stocks
and higher imports raises 2020/21 total supplies by 2.5 million cwt to 281.8
million. Total 2019/20 domestic use and
residual is raised 2 million cwt to 135 million, based on the higher import
forecast. Similarly, total 2020/21
domestic use is also raised by 2 million cwt to 139.5 million, based on higher
imports. Total 2019/20 exports are
lowered by 2 million cwt to 96 million, all for long grain as the U.S. is
becoming increasingly uncompetitive as the marketing year nears
completion. Total 2020/21 exports are
reduced by 1 million cwt to 99 million, all based on lower long grain exports
as the U.S. is expected to remain uncompetitive early in the marketing
year. Projected 2020/21 all rice ending
stocks are raised 1.5 million cwt to 43.3 million, up 35 percent from the
2019/20 revised ending stocks. The
2020/21 all rice season-average farm price (SAFP) is unchanged at $12.90 per
cwt, compared to the upwardly revised 2019/20 SAFP of $13.10.
The 2020/21 global outlook is for
larger supplies, fractionally lower consumption and trade, and increased
stocks. Supplies are raised by 1 million
tons to a record 683.3 million, mainly on higher beginning stocks for China and
Thailand. World production is only
fractionally higher at 502.1 million tons as increases for Brazil and Nigeria
are almost completely offset by a reduction for Vietnam, with global production
remaining record high. World 2020/21
consumption is lowered by 100,000 tons to 498 million, still a record, as
decreases for Viet Nam and Philippines are not completely offset by increases
for Brazil, China, Nigeria, and the U.S. Global trade is reduced 300,000 tons
to 44.9 million, primarily on lower exports from Viet Nam and China. Projected 2020/21 world ending stocks are
raised 1.2 million tons to a record high of 185.4 million with China accounting
for 63 percent of the total.
Go here to read the full report.
USA Rice Daily
Choice of increasing rice-growing or keeping water storage areas in Mekong Delta
Thursday, June 11, 2020 15:02
Farmers in the Mekong Delta have
started to harvest the summer-autumn rice crop. This year, farmers enjoy a good
harvest and high prices of rice.
Farmers harvest rice in the Mekong Delta
(Photo: SGGP)
Vietnam’s rice exports have shown
positive signs when the Government allowed to resume rice exports and the
global demand for rice increased. The prices of Vietnamese rice also surged to
the highest level in the past eight years, opening up many export
opportunities.
Mr. Dien Van Ut, a farmer in Phuong Binh Commune in Phung Hiep District in Hau Giang Province said that right after he finished harvesting rice, traders bought the OM5451 rice variety at VND5,400 per kilogram at the field, as high as the price of rice in the previous winter-spring rice crop. Currently, farmers in Hau Giang Province have harvested nearly 5,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice with productivity at nearly 6.5 tons per hectare.
Summer-autumn rice was bought at VND5,400-VND5,800 per kilogram at the field and dried paddy was bought at VND6,100-VND7,100 per kilogram. At present, many traders are waiting to buy paddy from farmers right after harvesting, said Mr. Tran Chi Hung, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hau Giang Province. In the summer-autumn rice crop, farmers grew rice on an area of 1.5 million hectares.
The export price of Vietnamese rice in May this year is considered to be the highest in the past eight years when hitting US$527 per ton up 21.4 percent compared to the same period last year. In June this year, the export price of 5-percent broken rice reached $473-$477 per ton, lower than that of Thailand by $30 per ton but higher than that of India by $100 per ton. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), in the first six months of this year, rice exports of Vietnam might reach 3.7 million tons, much higher than the amount of rice for export of 3 million tons. Currently, many countries in the world pay great attention to food security amid the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The MoIT said that Vietnam has a great opportunity to surpass Thailand in global rice exports this year with competitive export prices and increasing rice exports after the export quota is removed.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is considering increasing rice production to meet the increasing global demand for rice. According to the plan, the autumn-winter rice crop this year, the Mekong Delta provinces will maintain the rice-growing area at 750,000 hectares. However, the forecast said that the rice production of the world will possibly drop by 2.7 million tons and the demand for rice will increase by 3.7 million tons. The ministry will closely watch the developments of the market to adjust the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop to around 800,000 hectares if possible. It will focus on determining the crop calendar, the flood areas, the crop structure, and suitable technical solutions for the autumn-winter rice crop, said Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong of the MARD.
However, increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop also makes farmers and scientists worry because with this expansion, how the downstream areas of Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Soc Trang,
Mr. Dien Van Ut, a farmer in Phuong Binh Commune in Phung Hiep District in Hau Giang Province said that right after he finished harvesting rice, traders bought the OM5451 rice variety at VND5,400 per kilogram at the field, as high as the price of rice in the previous winter-spring rice crop. Currently, farmers in Hau Giang Province have harvested nearly 5,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice with productivity at nearly 6.5 tons per hectare.
Summer-autumn rice was bought at VND5,400-VND5,800 per kilogram at the field and dried paddy was bought at VND6,100-VND7,100 per kilogram. At present, many traders are waiting to buy paddy from farmers right after harvesting, said Mr. Tran Chi Hung, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hau Giang Province. In the summer-autumn rice crop, farmers grew rice on an area of 1.5 million hectares.
The export price of Vietnamese rice in May this year is considered to be the highest in the past eight years when hitting US$527 per ton up 21.4 percent compared to the same period last year. In June this year, the export price of 5-percent broken rice reached $473-$477 per ton, lower than that of Thailand by $30 per ton but higher than that of India by $100 per ton. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), in the first six months of this year, rice exports of Vietnam might reach 3.7 million tons, much higher than the amount of rice for export of 3 million tons. Currently, many countries in the world pay great attention to food security amid the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The MoIT said that Vietnam has a great opportunity to surpass Thailand in global rice exports this year with competitive export prices and increasing rice exports after the export quota is removed.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is considering increasing rice production to meet the increasing global demand for rice. According to the plan, the autumn-winter rice crop this year, the Mekong Delta provinces will maintain the rice-growing area at 750,000 hectares. However, the forecast said that the rice production of the world will possibly drop by 2.7 million tons and the demand for rice will increase by 3.7 million tons. The ministry will closely watch the developments of the market to adjust the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop to around 800,000 hectares if possible. It will focus on determining the crop calendar, the flood areas, the crop structure, and suitable technical solutions for the autumn-winter rice crop, said Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong of the MARD.
However, increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop also makes farmers and scientists worry because with this expansion, how the downstream areas of Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Soc Trang,
Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau provinces will be
affected during the dry season. Earlier, farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces
merely grew 200,000-300,000 hectares of autumn-winter rice crop. The regions of
Long Quyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) are usually not used
to grow the autumn-winter rice crop and left to be flooded by rains and floods.
These two regions become two water
reservoirs with a total area of about 1.2 million hectares to regulate water
for the Mekong Delta. They keep water during the rainy and flood season then
gradually release water to Tien and Hau rivers to help to reduce saltwater
intrusion in the dry season. Therefore, farmers in the downstream area of the
Mekong Delta, and scientists said that the MARD should consider and evaluate
the pros and cons when increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop. The
impacts of saltwater intrusion and drought were extremely serious, damaging
fruit trees, vegetables, and rice, causing a widespread shortage of fresh water
in the coastal area.
Many people think that the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop should only be at 300,000-500,000 hectares and farmers should concentrate on growing high-quality rice varieties. Because in recent years, the ratio of fragrant, specialty, and high-quality rice of Vietnam accounted for more than 80 percent of the total export amount. Many institutes, universities, and Vietnamese rice exporting enterprises currently are focusing on researching and creating high-quality rice varieties following the market demand. Rice exports of Vietnam are facing a great opportunity to enter the EU market when the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement becomes effective.
Many people think that the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop should only be at 300,000-500,000 hectares and farmers should concentrate on growing high-quality rice varieties. Because in recent years, the ratio of fragrant, specialty, and high-quality rice of Vietnam accounted for more than 80 percent of the total export amount. Many institutes, universities, and Vietnamese rice exporting enterprises currently are focusing on researching and creating high-quality rice varieties following the market demand. Rice exports of Vietnam are facing a great opportunity to enter the EU market when the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement becomes effective.
Although the export quota to this
market is merely around 80,000 tons of rice, this is considered as a segment of
high-quality rice. Some Vietnamese enterprises have prepared the raw material
areas in the past few years to meet the strict requirements of this market,
along with strict production processes. This is an important foundation for
Vietnamese enterprises to diversify the segments of fragrant and high-quality rice
to choosy markets.
Rains spur
farming activity in Srikakulam district Hans News Service |
11 Jun 2020
11:36 PM IST
e to More Seed
stock at a warehouse in Srikakulam districtSeed stock at a warehouse in
Srikakulam district Highlights Farmers demand that the government supplies seed
at subsidised price in sufficient quantity Srikakulam: Farming activity for
kharif season is gathering pace with the onset of monsoon. Most of the areas in
the district received moderate to heavy rains. The farmers have begun
preparation for cultivation of paddy. Paddy is the main crop during kharif
season in the district. Paddy crop is being cultivated in an extent of 5.18
lakh acres across the district. Also Read - Nellore: Farmers demand payment of
9 crore dues from sugar factory Farmers in the district prefer Sampat Swarna
and Swarna varieties. But this year, the government has imposed ban on
cultivation of Sampat Swarna variety. As a result of it, farmers have decided
to switch over to Swarna variety. Rice millers are not purchasing 1075, Samba
Masuri, 1001 variety paddy. Presently Swarna variety seed is available at
subsidised price. Also Read - Andhra Pradesh Power utilities directed to submit
action plan for kharif season The stock is sufficient only to 10 per cent of
area under cultivation. Total area under cultivation is 5.18 lakh acres.
Against this backdrop, farmers are making efforts to procure Swarna variety
seed from private traders and the traders are exploiting farmers by jacking up
the price. Seed companies fixed Rs 1,000 per 50 kg Swarna seed bag, but traders
in rural areas are selling it at Rs 1,300 per 50 kg bag. On the other hand,
tenant farmers are unable to get seed through government channel as they have
no documentary proof regarding cultivation of the lands. The government needs
to supply seed sufficiently to the farmers at subsidised price to prevent
private traders from exploiting the farmers, AP Rythu Sangham Palakonda
division president B Appala Naidu demanded.
https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/rains-spur-farming-activity-in-srikakulam-district-627524
https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/rains-spur-farming-activity-in-srikakulam-district-627524
‘
A Rice Farmer Who Loves Farming, Food & YouTube — Meet Matthew Sligar
June
9, 2020
While I didn’t meet a rice farmer til I was an
adult, I have a lot of them to thank for a lifetime of enjoying rice! I’ve had
the chance to meet and talk with rice farmers across the U.S. and in several
countries in Asia. I love hearing about how it’s grown. So sitting down for a
conversation with Matthew Sligar who farms in Northern California is something
I relish. We’ve had the chance to visit on his farm several times but for this
podcast episode, we were two thousand miles apart.
What kind of rice is grown in California?
Matthew and other rice farmers in California (the northern Sacramento Valley) grow medium grain rice, he explains that it is the sticky rice that is such an integral part of many Asian foods including sushi! The long-grain rice that is used in some other foods is usually grown in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Mississippi.Since for many of us, we think about brown and white rice as the types of rice we put on the plate, Matthew walked through the process of milling with us. The milling process is where they take the rough rice that farmers grown and remove the hulls and determine whether the bran will remain making it brown rice or the bran is polished off making it white rice. He walks through the process in this video.
Getting His Creative On
As you can see in the video above, Matthew has a creative side that combines with helping people better understand where their food comes from.I found him online several years ago because a video he did offering trick or treaters a single grain of rice rather than the expected candies. And while most of his videos are more directly related to the way food is produced, this rice farmer always makes the videos interesting with his witty sense of humor and video style including fast edits. His YouTube channel is called Rice Farming TV and he produces videos weekly! You can follow the 2020 rice crop in this playlist too.
And this year, he also has published a children’s book about what happens on his farm! The book Daddy’s Got Dirt: A California Rice Story is great for young kids with rhymes and images. You can read Grounded by the Farm’s review of Daddy’s Got Dirt here too!
Northern Division rice taskforce to be reactivated
Elenoa Turagaiviu Editor North eosborne@fbc.com.fj | @ElenoaFBCNews
June 12, 2020 12:20 pm
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Inia Seruiratu has issued a directive for the reactivation of the rice taskforce in the Northern Division. [Source: Minister for Rural and Maritime Development]
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Inia Seruiratu has issued a directive for the reactivation of the rice taskforce in the Northern Division.The directive was issued to the Acting Commissioner Northern Uraia Rainima during the Minister’s tour of the Fiji Rice Limited factory and facility in Dreketi, Macuata.
The taskforce would work with the main National Rice Taskforce towards the main government goal of reviving rice production but with special attention on Vanua Levu.
Article continues after
advertisement
Seruiratu says for Fiji, rice imports will be
less because of flights restrictions so there will be heavy reliance on local
production.He says with Government still paying a lot of money in maintaining infrastructure, rice production needs to increase.
Fiji Rice Limited plans to produce in access of 6,000 tonnes of rice annually in Vanua Levu alone.
Cebu police, military
to get rice donated by Chinese consul
By John Rey
Saavedra June 11, 2020, 9:20 pm
RICE FOR
FRONT-LINERS. People's
Republic of China Consul General in Cebu Jia Li (third from right) turns over
3,000 10-kilo bags of rice to Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Sec.
Michael Lloyd Dino in a ceremony at Project Balik Buhay command center in Cebu
City on Tuesday (June 9, 2020). Dino said a portion of the rice donation from
the Chinese government will be distributed to the police and military
front-liners in Cebu. (Photo courtesy of OPAV)
CEBU CITY – In recognition of their front-line service
in combating coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the police and the military
in Cebu will receive a portion of the rice donations from the Chinese
government, Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino said.
Dino, in a
statement on Wednesday, said 300 bags with 10 kilos of rice each given by
Chinese Consul General in Cebu Jia Li to the Office of the Presidential
Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), will go to the Philippine National Police
(PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Jia turned over
more than 7,000 bags of rice worth PHP3.5 million to Dino, Mayor Edgardo
Labella and Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on Tuesday on the occasion of the 45th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic
of China and the Philippines.
Dino received
the 3,000 10-kilo bags of rice while Labella received 2,000 bags in a simple
turnover ceremony at the Project Balik Buhay command center at the Greenery in
Barangay Mabolo here.
In a separate
ceremony, the Chinese government also turned over 2,292 bags of rice to Garcia
at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. The total donation of 7,292 bags of rice is
worth P3.5 million.
Aside from the
300 bags for the PNP and AFP, Dino said OPAV will also allocate 400 bags each
to the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu while the remaining 1,600 bags will be
equally divided for Regions 6 and 8.
The rice
donations to Western and Eastern Visayas are intended for distribution to local
government units where there are quarantine centers and those with rising
number of Covid-19 cases.
Dino thanked
the Chinese government for their continued support to the Filipino front-liners
who have been fighting to contain the coronavirus since from the start of the
public health crisis in March. (PNA)
What's the secret to great jollof rice?
This beloved West African rice dish has long kicked up lively debate, so we asked the experts• Do you have a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com
Tue 9 Jun 2020 14.00 BST
West-African classic: jollof rice,
with chicken and plantains. Photograph: Rimma_Bondarenko/Getty
Images/iStockphoto
I love jollof rice, but never get it quite
right at home. What’s the secret?Beth, Cobham, Surrey
This seemingly simple question is a loaded one – the beloved West African staple has caused diplomatic incidents (Nigeria’s culture minister was accused of betraying his country’s cuisine in 2017 after reportedly saying Senegal’s was the best jollof) and famously got Jamie Oliver into hot water when he added coriander, parsley and lemon to the traditional orange-red mix (#JollofGate). So, into the trenches we go…
The principle of jollof, says Zoe Adjonyoh, founder of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, is “it’s a red sauce with onion and heat”. It’s what you do after this – the vegetables (carrots and peas are popular), rice, liquid, meat and the cooking method – that’s the subject of dispute in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cameroon and beyond. “Every household has a different way of cooking it,” Adjonyoh explains.
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What can be agreed on, however, is that time is
essential. “Like most West African food, you can’t rush it,” says chef Maria Bradford, who
grew up in Sierra Leone. “You want to caramelise the onions slowly in coconut
oil, before adding tomatoes, spices, herbs, ginger, garlic, scotch bonnet,
white cabbage and, finally, stock.”Adjonyoh agrees: “The secret is in how much love and attention you give the sauce.” That’s what flavours the dish, after all. She blends tomatoes, onion, scotch bonnet, tomato puree, dried chilli and salt, and makes a spice mix of ground ginger and coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked crayfish powder, smoked prawn powder, dawadawa (fermented locust bean), nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, salt and, sometimes, brown sugar.
Adjonyoh washes her rice three times, then works to a 1:2 rice-to-liquid ratio: “You want the tomato base to make up two-thirds of that ‘liquid’, and you add it only once the rice is boiling in the remaining third of water, to open up the grain.” Pop on a lid, then, once two-thirds of the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave to finish cooking in its steam.
The rice used is also a bone of contention. Adjonyoh favours long-grain, while chef Fafa Gilbert goes for jasmine (for its “scent and sweet flavour”) or basmati; Lope Ariyo, author of Hibiscus, flits between the latter and long-grain, which she parboils before finishing off in 1:1½ rice-to-liquid. Emeka Frederick, half of the duo behind Nigerian tapas joint Chuku’s, uses brown rice at home and quinoa in the restaurant: “It has the right flavour profile, but in a lighter form.” Not to mention none of the preconceptions.
Traditionally, jollof is made over fire, so to emulate that smokiness, Gilbert recommends slightly charring the bottom, before upping the ante with smoked paprika, as well as thyme, rosemary and nutmeg. And, because extra fat is always a good idea, she finishes her jollof with butter or coconut oil, and serves it with grilled chicken, fried plantain and avocado.
Ultimately, that’s the joy of jollof: you do you, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. “What I love is that everybody cooks it in their own way,” Frederick says. “Forget jollof wars and follow your tastebuds – but do add a kick of fresh ginger.”
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• Do you
have a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.comNews is under threat ...
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Punjab Government promotes direct seeding of rice
Posted: 8:03 am, June 8, 2020 by
To cope up with the labour scarcity amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the state government has stepped up its efforts to encourage farmers to switch over to direct seeding of rice (DSR) instead of the traditional transplantation of paddy this year.
This year, nearly 25 per cent of the total area under paddy sowing is expected to come under this technology which will help to slash cultivation cost in terms of both labour and water.
Secretary, Agriculture, KS Pannu said Punjab had earlier fixed the target to bring around 5 lakh hectares under the DSR technique but given the labour shortage and keen interest shown by farmers to adopt the advance technology, 6-7 lakh hectares of area is expected to come under this technology, which roughly accounts for 25 per cent of the paddy grown in Punjab.
He further stated that the DSR technique would be instrumental in saving about 30 per cent of water besides cutting the cost of paddy cultivation by nearly Rs 6,000 per acre. He said as per reports and research of Punjab Agriculture University, the yield of paddy from the DSR is on a par with paddy crop grown by conventional technique of transplanting.
He also appealed to farmers that most critical element in new technology is the control of weeds and as such, farmers must be careful that prior to undertaking DSR, they must procure weedicide and spray the same within 24 hours of sowing the crop.
Farmers from across the state would cultivate paddy on 27 lakh hectares, which include 7 lakh hectares under high quality basmati rice
P890M lost due to alleged rice import undervaluation in 4 months
By: Karl R. Ocampo - Reporter / @kocampoINQ
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM June 11, 2020
Rice farmers were estimated to have lost
P890 million between January and April this year from the alleged
undervaluation of rice imports that arrived in the country during the period,
an industry group said.
Based on the Federation of Free Farmers’
(FFF) latest analysis, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) had failed to collect P890 million
in tariffs during the first four months from importers who declared lower
prices of their imports compared to the BOC’s own reference prices.
The agency’s reference price list is based
on prevailing rates in the international market, which was supposedly the
benchmark for import prices.
FFF said about one-third of the volume
imported was undervalued by at least 10 percent, and accounted for 84 percent
of the tariff shortfall. In one instance, a shipment of 6,014 metric tons (MT)
of 5-percent broken rice arrived from Vietnam in April with a declared value of
$319.63 per MT—30 percent lower than BOC’s reference price of $447 per MT.
In addition, the group noted that importers
spent only $0.33 to insure and ship rice from countries like Thailand and
Vietnam, against the internationally published rate at a minimum of $33 per MT.
“If this is the practice, what then is the
purpose of the reference rates? What will now stop an importer from conniving
with the exporter to issue undervalued invoices or issue two separate invoices
to split the total cost of the importers?” FFF national chair Raul Montemayor
said.
While Assistant Customs Commissioner
Vincent Maronilla admitted that the group’s analysis was close to their own
data, he said in a phone interview with Inquirer that the alleged
undervaluation instances were still being assessed by the agency’s internal
committee and would not remain unchecked.
“The majority if not all of the shipments
that were below the reference price were paid by the tentative assessment rule
with a corresponding cash bond. We adapted this assessment to fast track
importation and manage the capacity of our personnel during the [enhanced
community quarantine], which is a mechanism that can be used under the [World
Trade Organization] parameters. That means we will accept the imports but
eventually we’ll have a hearing to ensure the actual value of these imports. If
they are really undervalued, we will forfeit the bonds [posted by importers],”
he said.
“There are determinations to be made. We
also have a postclearance audit … The timeline for this usually takes three
months, but our problem is the community quarantine so we are operating with a
limited workforce,” he added.
The FFF had flagged similar anomalies in
2019 which resulted in an estimated tariff shortfall of P1.9 billion.
Under the rice tariffication law, the
government is mandated to pour P10 billion yearly into the rice industry for
six years, which is to be sourced from tariff receipts. nything in excess of the P10 billion may be used
for additional support programs for farmers and will be appropriated by
Congress.
https://business.inquirer.net/299643/p890m-lost-due-to-alleged-rice-import-undervaluation-in-4-months#ixzz6P9G0RLhf
https://business.inquirer.net/299643/p890m-lost-due-to-alleged-rice-import-undervaluation-in-4-months#ixzz6P9G0RLhf
Vietnam reaps more from rice export in 5 months
6/11/2020 10:51:55 AM
Vietnam earns some 1.4 billion U.S. dollars from
exporting nearly 2.9 million tons of rice in the last five months of this year,
up 17.2 percent and 3.7 percent annually respectively, as stated by the
country's General Statistics Office on Thursday, June 11th.
In May alone, Vietnam exported 750,000 tons abroad, gaining 395 million U.S. dollars, up 11.7 percent in volume, and 35.7 percent in value.
Vietnam's main export markets included China, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, between January and May, the average export price came into 13 percent compared to the same period last year to 485 U.S. dollars per ton.
In May alone, Vietnam exported 750,000 tons abroad, gaining 395 million U.S. dollars, up 11.7 percent in volume, and 35.7 percent in value.
Vietnam's main export markets included China, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, between January and May, the average export price came into 13 percent compared to the same period last year to 485 U.S. dollars per ton.
MENAFN1106202000450000ID1100306972
https://menafn.com/1100306972/Vietnam-reaps-more-from-rice-export-in-5-months
UNE 11, 2020 / 12:23 PM / A DAY AGO
Vietnam
Jan-May rice exports up 12.2% y/y to 3.09 mln tonnes - customs
HANOI,
June 11 (Reuters) - Vietnam exported 3.09 million tonnes of rice in the first
five months of this year, up 12.2% from a year earlier, official customs data
released on Thursday showed.Rice export revenue in the January-May period rose
26.8% from a year earlier to $1.5 billion, the Customs Department said in a
statement.
Rice
exports in May rose 87% from April to 953,950 tonnes, the department said.
Vietnam,
the world’s third largest rice exporter, briefly banned the shipment of the
grain in March and limited the shipment at 500,000 tonnes in April to ensure
food security amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Reporting by Khanh Vu Editing by
Ed Davies)
https://business.inquirer.net/299643/p890m-lost-due-to-alleged-rice-import-undervaluation-in-4-months#ixzz6P9FuXsct
Vietnam wins deal to supply 60,000 tons of rice to the Philippines
10/06/2020 16:20
GMT+7
Vietnam will ship 60,000 tons of
rice to the Philippines after it won part of a 300,000-ton government-to-government
rice tender held on June 8,
|
which also saw the participation of India, Thailand and
Myanmar, Nguyen Van Thanh, director of Phuoc Thanh IV rice company, told the
Saigon Times on June 9.
However, the Philippines only purchased a combined volume of
189,000 tons of rice, which is much lower than its target, as suppliers
offered prices higher than the country’s projected price. The Philipines may
hold further tenders to purchase the remaining volume of 111,000 tons of rice
to meet its target.
Vietnam will ship 60,000 tons of rice at US$497.3 per ton,
which is higher than that offered by its rival suppliers. Of this, Vietnam
will ship 45,000 tons to the Manila port and the remaining to the Davao port.
Among the suppliers, India won a deal to supply the largest
volume of rice at 96,000 tons to the ports in the Philippines, at prices ranging
from US$484.7 to US$485.7 per ton.
Myanmar secured a contract to ship 33,000 tons of rice to the
Manila port, with each ton valued at US$489.3. Meanwhile, Thailand failed to
clinch any deal as its offering price exceeded the buyer’s projected price.
The Vietnamese bidder was reportedly Vietnam Northern Food
Corporation or Vinafood 1, while the Philippine International Trading
Corporation represented the Government of the Philippines to organize the
tender, instead of the country’s National Food Authority, as in the past.
Prior to 2019, the Philippines had imported rice under the
quota regime. As a result, aside from allocating annual quotas of some
850,000 tons of rice to the private sector in the Philippines, NFA maintained
domestic supply-demand balance to open bidding for rice purchases from other
countries, mainly Vietnam and Thailand.
However, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte on
February 15 last year signed into effect an act that turned the Philippines'
rice imports from a quota-based system to a tax-based one. The act abolished
quotas in rice imports to the Philippines to impose a 35% tax rate applicable
to rice imports from ASEAN countries. The import tariff is much lower than
that imposed on non-ASEAN nations, which is up to 180%.
With the Philippines resuming importing rice under the
government-to-government regime, the country hopes to replenish its national
rice reserves quickly amid the coronavirus outbreak. SGT
|
Choice of increasing rice-growing or keeping water storage areas in Mekong Delta
Thursday,
June 11, 2020 15:02
Farmers in the
Mekong Delta have started to harvest the summer-autumn rice crop. This year,
farmers enjoy a good harvest and high prices of rice.
Farmers harvest rice in the
Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)
Vietnam’s
rice exports have shown positive signs when the Government allowed to resume
rice exports and the global demand for rice increased. The prices of Vietnamese
rice also surged to the highest level in t
he past eight years, opening up many export
opportunities.
Mr. Dien Van Ut, a farmer in Phuong Binh Commune in Phung Hiep District in Hau Giang Province said that right after he finished harvesting rice, traders bought the OM5451 rice variety at VND5,400 per kilogram at the field, as high as the price of rice in the previous winter-spring rice crop. Currently, farmers in Hau Giang Province have harvested nearly 5,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice with productivity at nearly 6.5 tons per hectare.
Summer-autumn rice was bought at VND5,400-VND5,800 per kilogram at the field and dried paddy was bought at VND6,100-VND7,100 per kilogram. At present, many traders are waiting to buy paddy from farmers right after harvesting, said Mr. Tran Chi Hung, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hau Giang Province. In the summer-autumn rice crop, farmers grew rice on an area of 1.5 million hectares.
The export price of Vietnamese rice in May this year is considered to be the highest in the past eight years when hitting US$527 per ton up 21.4 percent compared to the same period last year. In June this year, the export price of 5-percent broken rice reached $473-$477 per ton, lower than that of Thailand by $30 per ton but higher than that of India by $100 per ton. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), in the first six months of this year, rice exports of Vietnam might reach 3.7 million tons, much higher than the amount of rice for export of 3 million tons. Currently, many countries in the world pay great attention to food security amid the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The MoIT said that Vietnam has a great opportunity to surpass Thailand in global rice exports this year with competitive export prices and increasing rice exports after the export quota is removed.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is considering increasing rice production to meet the increasing global demand for rice. According to the plan, the autumn-winter rice crop this year, the Mekong Delta provinces will maintain the rice-growing area at 750,000 hectares. However, the forecast said that the rice production of the world will possibly drop by 2.7 million tons and the demand for rice will increase by 3.7 million tons. The ministry will closely watch the developments of the market to adjust the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop to around 800,000 hectares if possible. It will focus on determining the crop calendar, the flood areas, the crop structure, and suitable technical solutions for the autumn-winter rice crop, said Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong of the MARD.
However, increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop also makes farmers and scientists worry because with this expansion, how the downstream areas of Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau provinces will be affected during the dry season. Earlier, farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces merely grew 200,000-300,000 hectares of autumn-winter rice crop. The regions of Long Quyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) are usually not used to grow the autumn-winter rice crop and left to be flooded by rains and floods. These two regions become two water reservoirs with a total area of about 1.2 million hectares to regulate water for the Mekong Delta. They keep water during the rainy and flood season then gradually release water to Tien and Hau rivers to help to reduce saltwater intrusion in the dry season. Therefore, farmers in the downstream area of the Mekong Delta, and scientists said that the MARD should consider and evaluate the pros and cons when increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop. The impacts of saltwater intrusion and drought were extremely serious, damaging fruit trees, vegetables, and rice, causing a widespread shortage of fresh water in the coastal area.
Many people think that the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop should only be at 300,000-500,000 hectares and farmers should concentrate on growing high-quality rice varieties. Because in recent years, the ratio of fragrant, specialty, and high-quality rice of Vietnam accounted for more than 80 percent of the total export amount. Many institutes, universities, and Vietnamese rice exporting enterprises currently are focusing on researching and creating high-quality rice varieties following the market demand. Rice exports of Vietnam are facing a great opportunity to enter the EU market when the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement becomes effective. Although the export quota to this market is merely around 80,000 tons of rice, this is considered as a segment of high-quality rice. Some Vietnamese enterprises have prepared the raw material areas in the past few years to meet the strict requirements of this market, along with strict production processes. This is an important foundation for Vietnamese enterprises to diversify the segments of fragrant and high-quality rice to choosy markets. https://sggpnews.org.vn/business/choice-of-increasing-ricegrowing-or-keeping-water-storage-areas-in-mekong-delta-87124.html
he past eight years, opening up many export
opportunities.Mr. Dien Van Ut, a farmer in Phuong Binh Commune in Phung Hiep District in Hau Giang Province said that right after he finished harvesting rice, traders bought the OM5451 rice variety at VND5,400 per kilogram at the field, as high as the price of rice in the previous winter-spring rice crop. Currently, farmers in Hau Giang Province have harvested nearly 5,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice with productivity at nearly 6.5 tons per hectare.
Summer-autumn rice was bought at VND5,400-VND5,800 per kilogram at the field and dried paddy was bought at VND6,100-VND7,100 per kilogram. At present, many traders are waiting to buy paddy from farmers right after harvesting, said Mr. Tran Chi Hung, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hau Giang Province. In the summer-autumn rice crop, farmers grew rice on an area of 1.5 million hectares.
The export price of Vietnamese rice in May this year is considered to be the highest in the past eight years when hitting US$527 per ton up 21.4 percent compared to the same period last year. In June this year, the export price of 5-percent broken rice reached $473-$477 per ton, lower than that of Thailand by $30 per ton but higher than that of India by $100 per ton. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), in the first six months of this year, rice exports of Vietnam might reach 3.7 million tons, much higher than the amount of rice for export of 3 million tons. Currently, many countries in the world pay great attention to food security amid the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The MoIT said that Vietnam has a great opportunity to surpass Thailand in global rice exports this year with competitive export prices and increasing rice exports after the export quota is removed.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is considering increasing rice production to meet the increasing global demand for rice. According to the plan, the autumn-winter rice crop this year, the Mekong Delta provinces will maintain the rice-growing area at 750,000 hectares. However, the forecast said that the rice production of the world will possibly drop by 2.7 million tons and the demand for rice will increase by 3.7 million tons. The ministry will closely watch the developments of the market to adjust the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop to around 800,000 hectares if possible. It will focus on determining the crop calendar, the flood areas, the crop structure, and suitable technical solutions for the autumn-winter rice crop, said Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong of the MARD.
However, increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop also makes farmers and scientists worry because with this expansion, how the downstream areas of Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau provinces will be affected during the dry season. Earlier, farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces merely grew 200,000-300,000 hectares of autumn-winter rice crop. The regions of Long Quyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) are usually not used to grow the autumn-winter rice crop and left to be flooded by rains and floods. These two regions become two water reservoirs with a total area of about 1.2 million hectares to regulate water for the Mekong Delta. They keep water during the rainy and flood season then gradually release water to Tien and Hau rivers to help to reduce saltwater intrusion in the dry season. Therefore, farmers in the downstream area of the Mekong Delta, and scientists said that the MARD should consider and evaluate the pros and cons when increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop. The impacts of saltwater intrusion and drought were extremely serious, damaging fruit trees, vegetables, and rice, causing a widespread shortage of fresh water in the coastal area.
Many people think that the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop should only be at 300,000-500,000 hectares and farmers should concentrate on growing high-quality rice varieties. Because in recent years, the ratio of fragrant, specialty, and high-quality rice of Vietnam accounted for more than 80 percent of the total export amount. Many institutes, universities, and Vietnamese rice exporting enterprises currently are focusing on researching and creating high-quality rice varieties following the market demand. Rice exports of Vietnam are facing a great opportunity to enter the EU market when the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement becomes effective. Although the export quota to this market is merely around 80,000 tons of rice, this is considered as a segment of high-quality rice. Some Vietnamese enterprises have prepared the raw material areas in the past few years to meet the strict requirements of this market, along with strict production processes. This is an important foundation for Vietnamese enterprises to diversify the segments of fragrant and high-quality rice to choosy markets. https://sggpnews.org.vn/business/choice-of-increasing-ricegrowing-or-keeping-water-storage-areas-in-mekong-delta-87124.html
Asia Rice-Thai prices hit 1-month
peak on strong baht, supply woes
Shreyansi Singh
JUNE 11, 2020 / 7:25 PM /
(Repeats Thursday’s story with no
change to text)
* Vietnamese prices remain at over
8-year high
* India rates unchanged amid weak
demand
* Bangladesh to expedite local rice
procurement for relief ops
By Shreyansi Singh
BENGALURU, June 11 (Reuters) - Thai
rice export prices rose to their highest in about a month this week due to a
strong baht currency and persistent supply concerns, losing out to cheaper
offers from other Asian hubs.
Quotes for Thailand’s benchmark
5-percent broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 prices rose to $505-$533 per tonne on Thursday
- the highest level since early May - from $490-$512 last week.
“Our prices are higher than all of
our competitors thanks to the strong baht which makes it hard to find buyers,”
a Bangkok-based trader said.
The baht hit a more than four month
high, translating into higher export prices in U.S. dollars.
Supply concerns also persist in the
domestic market despite rain that helped soften the blow from one of the worst
droughts in decades earlier this year, adding to the rise in prices, another
trader said.
In Vietnam, rates for the benchmark
5% broken rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 remained at their highest since early 2012, at $475
per tonne, as demand remains steady though supplies rose.
“The Philippines’ recently completed
rice purchase and the build-up in domestic supplies have kept export prices
from rising further,” a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.
Vietnam exported 3.09 million tonnes
of rice in the first five months of the year, up 12.2% from the year-earlier
period.
Prices of top exporter India’s 5
percent broken parboiled variety RI-INBKN5-P1 were also unchanged at $368-$373
per tonne, the lowest in over two months, amid weak demand.
The new season supplies have started
in a few Indian states, but export demand is negligible, said an exporter based
at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
India has raised the price at which
it will buy new-season common rice varieties from local farmers by 2.9%.
Neighbouring Bangladesh, the world’s
fourth-biggest rice producer, will speed up rice procurement to secure supplies
for relief operations amid the coronavirus pandemic, Food Minister Sadhan
Chandra Majumder said.
The virus has infected 78,052 people
and killed 1,049 in Bangladesh as of Thursday. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in
Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok;
editing by Arpan Varghese and Nick Macfie)
Solar Power Fills Gaps in Underserviced Rural Argentina
||
Teddy Cotella stands in front of
the solar panels he installed in 2018 on his farm in an area of scarce
infrastructure and far from the power grid, in the Argentine province of
Santiago del Estero. To get electricity, he used to use generators that
consumed about 20,000 litres of diesel fuel annually. CREDIT: Courtesy of Teddy
Cotella
- Rice farmers in the Argentine
province of Entre Rios often look like mechanics. “They’re always full of
grease, because they haul diesel fuel around all the time, for their water
pumps,” says local farmer Arturo Deymonnaz. He, however, doesn’t have that
problem, because he uses solar energy to grow his rice.
Deymonnaz’s farm is located
outside the town of Villa Elisa, in east-central Argentina, near one of the
bridges that crosses into Uruguay. He’s a lifelong livestock producer – like
his father and grandfather – but in 2018 he ventured into rice production,
tempted by an agronomist who assured him it could be grown using clean energy.
“This is traditionally a rice-producing area, but many have
stopped growing it because so much money is spent on fuel that it is no longer
profitable. Here, rice is planted in November and harvested in April. That’s
100 days with the pumps running 24 hours a day to draw water from the wells for
the rice,” he tells IPS.
But Deymonnaz says it’s profitable for him to grow rice, thanks
to the fact that he draws water from a 48-metre-deep well using two pumps
fueled by 36 solar panels on his 300-hectare farm, 10 of which he now dedicates
to planting rice.
“I call it my solar rice farm. I don’t spend money on fuel and I
don’t have to put up with the noise or the steam produced by the motor,” says
the farmer, who also installed a system of plastic sleeves with sluices to
reduce the high water consumption of his rice crop. He estimates that with this
system he uses at least 30 percent less water.
Deymonnaz is representative of a phenomenon that is growing in
this Southern Cone country of 44 million people, which is the third largest
economy in Latin America and where agriculture accounts for 13 percent of GDP.
According to the latest National Agricultural Census conducted
here in 2018, of the 162,650 rural establishments that use some type of energy,
25,850 have solar panels.
The water pumps used in rice farming are very powerful, which
means they cannot rely on conventional electrical connections. Even farms
connected to the grid have to use generators that run on diesel fuel.
Arturo Deymonnaz is the third
generation of his family dedicated to livestock farming. But two years ago he
began growing rice, which he produces solely with solar energy, in northern
Argentina. Rice growers in the area use high-powered pumps to extract from
wells the enormous amount of water required to grow the crop, which previously
were fueled by huge amounts of diesel fuel. CREDIT: Courtesy of Héctor Pirchi
“In Entre Rios, the cost of fuel
is driving small-scale farmers out of business. We used to have about 100,000
hectares of rice, but last year only half of that was planted. That’s why solar
energy is a solution,” Héctor Pirchi, an expert on rice at the National
Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), told IPS.
But the use of solar energy is not limited to Entre RÃos: it is
spreading through rural areas all around the country.
Due to the lockdown in place in Argentina since March because of
the COVID-19 pandemic, IPS interviewed several farmers, solar energy
entrepreneurs and experts in different provinces by phone from Buenos Aires.
Teddy Cotella, who grows soybeans, corn, wheat and chickpeas in
northern Argentina, is fascinated by solar energy. His 3,000-hectare farm in
the province of Santiago del Estero is 12 km from the power grid, so for almost
20 years he used generators.
“I used to use about 20,000 litres of diesel a year for
electricity generation alone. To people who complain about their power company
bill, I tell them ‘try not having electric service at all’,” he says.
In 2018 Cotella installed solar panels along with lithium
batteries, which store electricity for the nighttime or rainy days. These
provide electric power for all three houses and for production on the farm.
“People whose farms are located far from the grid shouldn’t
hesitate. I would also put solar panels on a house in the city,” says Cotella,
who adds that the investment in solar panels is recovered in just three years.
Agritur is a 9,000-hectare
agricultural establishment in the central Argentine province of San Luis where
1,800 solar panels were installed in 2019, producing 600 kilowatts of energy
and providing half of the farm’s electricity. All the crops are grown using an
irrigation system, because rainfall amounts to just 500 mm a year. CREDIT: MWh
Solar
Northern Argentina mainly falls within the Chaco ecosystem, a
vast semi-arid plain covered in shrubs and hardwood forest that extends into
Bolivia and Paraguay. This region is home to Argentina’s poorest provinces and
infrastructure is scarce, so small solar parks change lives.
Ariel Ludueña owns Ener One, a
renewable energy company that since 2017 has installed some 2,500 solar panels
in northern Argentina.
“I am sure that solar energy will continue to grow, especially
in that area, because it gives farmers independence. There are farms that are
80 km from the grid, along bad roads over which it is not easy to transport
fuel,” says Ludueña from the western province of Córdoba.
One of Ludueña’s customers is Ignacio Pisani, an agricultural
production engineer who moved from Buenos Aires to the northwestern province of
Salta 30 years ago to devote himself to farming.
Pisani’s farm is 15 km from the grid, and when he asked the
provincial authorities to extend it, they said he had to pay the cost, which
was a disproportionate investment for a small farmer.
So Pisani used a generator not only to provide electricity for
his house and his workers’ houses, but also to pump water for his cows and for
the drip irrigation system he uses to grow onions, watermelon and alfalfa on
his 1,500-hectare farm. In this part of the Chaco, rain is scarce and is
concentrated in the southern hemisphere summer months.
The solar panels seen in the
background power the pump that extracts water from this well to grow rice on
the Colonia Mabragaña farm in the Argentine province of Entre RÃos. Rice
consumes enormous quantities of water, but on this farm a system of plastic
sleeves with sluices reduces the crop’s water consumption by at least 30
percent. CREDIT: Courtesy of Héctor Pirchi
“The generator was giving me a lot of problems: high fuel
consumption, noise, the need to buy spare parts… And I could see that the power
grid was never going to arrive. That’s why I decided in 2018 to install a solar
park with 50 panels that would cover all my needs,” says Pisani.
The farmer financed the project with his own capital, after
realising that in Argentina the politically correct rhetoric in favour of
renewable energy rarely translates into concrete financial support.
“I turned to all the public and private entities in search of
support, but nobody helped me,” says Pisani, who along with the panels has 16
batteries that allow him to guarantee electric supply for up to three days in
case the weather is rainy or cloudy.
The outlook seems even more uncertain for large agricultural
establishments, which are key players in Argentina’s foreign trade. According
to official figures, agribusiness products accounted for 42.6 percent of
Argentina’s total exports in 2019.
“Solar technology is constantly evolving and cost reduction
makes it one of the most competitive, clean and efficient technologies for
agribusiness establishments,” says renewable energy economist MatÃas Irigoyen
from Buenos Aires.
“Although its implementation at the national level will depend
on the energy policies that are adopted, it is already the most convenient
solution in several provinces,” adds Irigoyen, who is also a partner the MWh
Solar company.
In 2019, the company installed 1,800 solar panels on a
9,000-hectare farm in the province of San Luis, in central Argentina.
The farm is a large consumer of electricity that buys energy
directly from the wholesale market, and since last year has been covering half
of its demand with solar energy.
“In addition to the fact that agribusiness companies can benefit
economically from renewable energies, the interesting thing is that they can
also access new international markets, due to the growing demand for products
with a smaller carbon footprint,” says Irigoyen.
Monsoon rains
spread over a third of India, weather office says
JUNE 11, 2020 / 2:49 PM
MUMBAI, June 11 (Reuters) - Annual
monsoon rains key to farm output and economic growth have covered more than a
third of India and could spread further into its eastern and western regions
this week, the weather office said on Thursday.
The rains are critical for farming,
which makes up about 15 percent of Asia’s third-biggest economy at a size of
nearly $2 trillion, since about 55% of arable land in the south Asian nation is
rain-fed.
“Conditions are becoming favourable
for further advance of southwest monsoon into more parts of the central Arabian
Sea and Maharashtra,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a
statement.
In the next 48 hours, the monsoon
would also advance into some more parts of the eastern states of Odisha and
West Bengal, it added.
The western state of Maharashtra is
India’s second biggest producer of cotton, soybean and sugar, while West Bengal
is the top rice producer.
The monsoon’s progress will help
farmers speed up sowing of summer crops such as soybean, cotton, rice and
pulses.
Since the season began on June 1,
the rains brought by the monsoon have been 32% greater than normal, weather
department data shows, particularly as a cyclone, Nisarga, brought heavy rain
last week to the west coast.
India is likely to receive above
average monsoon rain for the second straight year in 2020, the IMD said this
month, boosting hopes for higher farm output in an economy reeling under the
impact of the coronavirus. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Clarence
Fernandez)
Rice Prices
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bangalore(Kar)
|
1184.00
|
9.23
|
102891.00
|
4100
|
4100
|
-9.89
|
|
Mandya(Kar)
|
766.00
|
26.19
|
3153.00
|
2400
|
2550
|
-
|
|
Siliguri(WB)
|
265.00
|
-7.02
|
4567.00
|
3400
|
2800
|
-
|
|
Sultanpur(UP)
|
180.00
|
NC
|
5277.00
|
2400
|
2385
|
-4.00
|
|
Hanagal(Kar)
|
156.00
|
271.43
|
207.00
|
1800
|
1750
|
-
|
|
Azamgarh(UP)
|
125.00
|
NC
|
4733.70
|
2585
|
2575
|
5.73
|
|
Gondal(UP)
|
115.00
|
-0.43
|
6166.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
-2.04
|
|
Kanpur(Grain)(UP)
|
110.00
|
15.79
|
5455.00
|
2325
|
2300
|
-1.48
|
|
Dadri(UP)
|
105.00
|
16.67
|
1030.00
|
5950
|
5950
|
-
|
|
Barhaj(UP)
|
100.00
|
42.86
|
8678.00
|
2525
|
2525
|
6.09
|
|
Lucknow(UP)
|
79.00
|
-35.25
|
4865.00
|
2450
|
2455
|
-7.20
|
|
Ballia(UP)
|
70.00
|
-22.22
|
2553.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
8.05
|
|
Kandi(WB)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
1275.50
|
2690
|
2720
|
6.75
|
|
Lohardaga(Jha)
|
67.00
|
-4.29
|
314.00
|
1950
|
1950
|
-
|
|
Hardoi(UP)
|
60.00
|
-40
|
7842.80
|
2500
|
2510
|
6.84
|
|
Kopaganj(UP)
|
51.00
|
4.08
|
1185.00
|
2590
|
2580
|
5.50
|
|
Vilaspur(UP)
|
51.00
|
NC
|
1407.70
|
2610
|
2610
|
3.98
|
|
Lalitpur(UP)
|
46.00
|
-8
|
1296.50
|
2500
|
2490
|
-3.85
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
46.00
|
-11.54
|
2317.00
|
2450
|
2400
|
2.08
|
|
Hapur(UP)
|
43.00
|
22.86
|
887.00
|
2650
|
2670
|
-8.30
|
|
Gorakhpur(UP)
|
40.00
|
NC
|
541.70
|
2620
|
2610
|
-
|
|
Faizabad(UP)
|
35.00
|
-12.5
|
1072.00
|
2420
|
2420
|
1.89
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
35.00
|
16.67
|
2162.00
|
2450
|
2460
|
4.26
|
|
Bankura Sadar(WB)
|
35.00
|
25
|
1824.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
-
|
|
Beldanga(WB)
|
35.00
|
-12.5
|
1125.00
|
2750
|
2750
|
NC
|
|
Meerut(UP)
|
32.50
|
18.18
|
548.00
|
2625
|
2625
|
-2.42
|
|
Choubepur(UP)
|
31.00
|
10.71
|
1387.25
|
2480
|
2480
|
-7.29
|
|
Teliamura(Tri)
|
30.00
|
20
|
289.00
|
2900
|
3100
|
NC
|
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
30.00
|
-6.25
|
1165.00
|
2600
|
2590
|
NC
|
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
|
30.00
|
66.67
|
4104.00
|
2665
|
2660
|
-7.30
|
|
Agra(UP)
|
30.00
|
NC
|
3181.50
|
2540
|
2540
|
-0.20
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
28.00
|
12
|
46984.50
|
2605
|
2600
|
3.17
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
28.00
|
-15.15
|
2078.00
|
2630
|
2630
|
-8.04
|
|
Shamli(UP)
|
28.00
|
-12.5
|
825.90
|
2665
|
2670
|
-3.44
|
|
Basti(UP)
|
27.00
|
-6.9
|
1294.00
|
2560
|
2550
|
8.94
|
|
Mainpuri(UP)
|
27.00
|
-10
|
3498.50
|
2540
|
2500
|
4.96
|
|
Etawah(UP)
|
25.00
|
-7.41
|
2399.50
|
2525
|
2550
|
-0.98
|
|
Jhijhank(UP)
|
25.00
|
-37.5
|
260.50
|
2540
|
2530
|
-
|
|
Puranpur(UP)
|
24.00
|
14.29
|
2192.50
|
2590
|
2600
|
4.86
|
|
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
|
24.00
|
NC
|
210.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
NC
|
|
Asansol(WB)
|
23.00
|
4.55
|
971.89
|
3100
|
3100
|
3.33
|
|
Kolaghat(WB)
|
23.00
|
NC
|
206.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
NC
|
|
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
|
22.40
|
14.87
|
581.70
|
5000
|
5000
|
66.67
|
|
Egra/contai(WB)
|
22.00
|
33.33
|
464.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
13.04
|
|
Manvi(Kar)
|
20.00
|
-20
|
495.00
|
1839
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Badayoun(UP)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
1061.50
|
2585
|
2575
|
4.23
|
|
Chorichora(UP)
|
20.00
|
53.85
|
1269.00
|
2620
|
2620
|
16.70
|
|
Durgapur(WB)
|
20.00
|
-4.76
|
900.25
|
2760
|
2700
|
-3.16
|
|
Fatehpur(UP)
|
19.50
|
-13.33
|
2150.40
|
2470
|
2465
|
7.39
|
|
Sirsaganj(UP)
|
19.50
|
5.41
|
832.00
|
2550
|
2580
|
NC
|
|
Nawabganj(UP)
|
19.00
|
5.56
|
583.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
50.00
|
|
Balrampur(UP)
|
19.00
|
26.67
|
815.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
4.35
|
|
Gazipur(UP)
|
18.00
|
-18.18
|
1891.00
|
3210
|
3210
|
-1.53
|
|
Sahiyapur(UP)
|
17.00
|
-22.73
|
2086.00
|
2560
|
2550
|
7.56
|
|
Utraula(UP)
|
16.00
|
-3.03
|
257.20
|
2400
|
2400
|
-
|
|
Kayamganj(UP)
|
15.00
|
-25
|
1754.00
|
2500
|
2460
|
-4.21
|
|
Paliakala(UP)
|
13.00
|
18.18
|
454.50
|
2430
|
2430
|
6.11
|
|
Farukhabad(UP)
|
12.00
|
-14.29
|
911.50
|
2460
|
2450
|
-6.82
|
|
Jafarganj(UP)
|
12.00
|
-25
|
968.00
|
2415
|
2440
|
11.81
|
|
Rasda(UP)
|
12.00
|
20
|
399.00
|
2510
|
2530
|
1040.91
|
|
Jangipura(UP)
|
12.00
|
-7.69
|
530.00
|
2540
|
2540
|
8.55
|
|
Jayas(UP)
|
11.30
|
-5.83
|
627.20
|
2350
|
2350
|
17.50
|
|
Bahraich(UP)
|
11.00
|
-8.33
|
1001.30
|
2430
|
2420
|
1.25
|
|
Etah(UP)
|
11.00
|
22.22
|
322.00
|
2560
|
2560
|
NC
|
|
Mohamadabad(UP)
|
11.00
|
-63.33
|
746.30
|
2450
|
2460
|
-
|
|
Sheoraphuly(WB)
|
10.60
|
-3.64
|
149.50
|
3100
|
3100
|
3.33
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
10.00
|
-16.67
|
560.00
|
3150
|
3050
|
5.00
|
|
Mahoba(UP)
|
8.00
|
-25.23
|
398.10
|
2410
|
2400
|
6.40
|
|
Karvi(UP)
|
8.00
|
-42.86
|
504.00
|
2400
|
2385
|
4.58
|
|
Kasganj(UP)
|
7.00
|
16.67
|
416.50
|
2580
|
2570
|
0.78
|
|
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
|
7.00
|
16.67
|
1076.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
3.70
|
|
Milak(UP)
|
6.50
|
8.33
|
125.10
|
2590
|
2580
|
-
|
|
Devariya(UP)
|
6.00
|
-14.29
|
880.00
|
2575
|
2575
|
4.67
|
|
Tulsipur(UP)
|
6.00
|
20
|
67.90
|
2400
|
2400
|
-
|
|
Naanpara(UP)
|
5.60
|
-17.65
|
607.50
|
2410
|
2410
|
8.56
|
|
Chandoli(UP)
|
5.00
|
-16.67
|
52.20
|
2575
|
2550
|
11.47
|
|
Achalda(UP)
|
5.00
|
25
|
283.10
|
2500
|
2540
|
13.12
|
|
Amroha(UP)
|
4.50
|
-10
|
137.00
|
2570
|
2580
|
-1.15
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
4.00
|
-20
|
238.00
|
2645
|
2650
|
12.08
|
|
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
|
3.80
|
5.56
|
554.50
|
2450
|
2450
|
-2.00
|
|
Khurja(UP)
|
3.20
|
-8.57
|
208.30
|
2650
|
2650
|
0.19
|
|
Akbarpur(UP)
|
3.20
|
-20
|
365.20
|
2420
|
2410
|
2.54
|
|
Bharwari(UP)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
70.50
|
2520
|
2460
|
-
|
|
Safdarganj(UP)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
31.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Perinthalmanna(Ker)
|
2.90
|
NC
|
26.10
|
3000
|
3000
|
7.14
|
|
Kosikalan(UP)
|
2.50
|
8.7
|
203.00
|
2545
|
2540
|
1.80
|
|
Bilsi(UP)
|
2.00
|
33.33
|
17.00
|
2580
|
2580
|
-
|
|
Sehjanwa(UP)
|
2.00
|
-92
|
2155.50
|
2600
|
2600
|
20.37
|
|
Muskara(UP)
|
1.70
|
6.25
|
60.30
|
2350
|
2350
|
3.98
|
|
Charra(UP)
|
1.60
|
6.67
|
92.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
0.20
|
|
Baberu(UP)
|
1.50
|
NC
|
70.00
|
2370
|
2380
|
6.52
|
|
Lalganj(UP)
|
1.50
|
50
|
254.60
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Mawana(UP)
|
1.50
|
-25
|
129.20
|
2630
|
2625
|
-
|
|
Wazirganj(UP)
|
1.50
|
NC
|
47.50
|
2580
|
2590
|
-
|
|
Panichowki(Kumarghat)(Tri)
|
1.30
|
-18.75
|
32.70
|
2960
|
2950
|
-
|
|
Khair(UP)
|
1.20
|
20
|
66.70
|
2580
|
2580
|
-0.77
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
71.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
NC
|
|
Murud(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
70.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
NC
|
|
Melaghar(Tri)
|
1.00
|
66.67
|
49.70
|
2700
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
Shikohabad(UP)
|
1.00
|
-60
|
263.00
|
2750
|
2750
|
12.24
|
|
Achnera(UP)
|
0.80
|
NC
|
31.00
|
2050
|
2560
|
-19.29
|
|
Anandnagar(UP)
|
0.70
|
-22.22
|
194.10
|
2540
|
2525
|
15.45
|
|
Atrauli(UP)
|
0.60
|
-14.29
|
5.20
|
2570
|
2560
|
-
|
|
Bharuasumerpur(UP)
|
0.60
|
-50
|
15.30
|
2500
|
2500
|
28.21
|
Published on June 12, 2020
Cambodia, Timor-Leste mull rice export deal
June 11, 2020
Cambodia’s rice export is set to
reach Timor-Leste as the governments of the two nations are working closely on
the rice export deal. Cambodia has prepared 30,000
tonnes of milled rice as its first shipment to Timor-Leste, said Pan Sorasak,
Minister of Commerce.
The information was shared in a
meeting with Ambassador to Timor-Leste to Cambodia Ermenegildo “Kupa” Lopes.
The Minister also called on
entrepreneurs from Timor-Leste to invest in the installation of warehouses,
rice-drying and storage facilities in Cambodia for exporting rice to
Timor-Leste.
Mr Sorasak also reviewed the
memorandum of understanding (MoU) previously signed and requested the
Timor-Leste side to accelerate the implementation of the signed MoU to bear
fruit for the two nations.
In the first quarter of this
year, Cambodia exported a total of 230,948 tonnes of rice worth about $160 million
to foreign markets, a 35 percent increase compared to the same period last
year. Chea Vannak/AKP
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50732782/cambodia-exports-almost-1-million-tonnes-of-rice-paddy-to-vietnam-in-six-months/. Full versionText-only versionView source
Cambodia exports almost 1 million tonnes of rice paddy to Vietnam in six months
June 11, 2020
Sorn Sarath / Khmer Times
Niumi Berending starts rice cultivation to attain food security
By: Haruna Kuyateh
Niumi Brerending has started cultivating rice as part of efforts to attaining household’s food security which seeks to sustain families on small scale and attract quiet numbers of people in Berending.
Alh. Amadou Njie, the village Imam who spoke to the Voice Newspaper stressed the need for Department of Agriculture and partners to smallholder farmer with equipment and machinery to enhance production on a larger scale.
He said it aims to ensure year-round rice production. The Imam disclosed that the attainment of food security calls for concerted efforts of all and reiterated the need for more support.
He called on Imams to pray for peace and stability and urged to use their sermon to enlighten public on COVID19 and thanks government for providing COVID19 emergency food aid to families.
“The support according would help supplement household food security and empower farmers to better prepare themselves ahead of 2020 farming season,” he said.
Awa Camara, a vegetable grower at Berending spoke on the significance of building farmers capacity on processing and preservation of perishable vegetables like tomatoes, pepper and onion to avoid post-harvest loss and boost income.
She said that women are Principal producers of food and therefore supporting them with cold storage facility.
She also called for support with fencing materials to enable women have more time with famors. She stressed the need for capacity building on the preparation of organic manure and it application on crops to enhance growth and development of plants and by extension create market and promote health.
By: Haruna Kuyateh Women, farmers in Kinteh Kunda Janneh Ya of Lower Badibou has launched an urgent to National Disaster Management Agency, Department of Agriculture and other humanitarian organisations to support vegetable gardeners with fencing materials. The called was made on Thursday following a wildfire that destroyed vast land and seven vegetable gardens and left […]
The executive members of the Njaboute Foundation over the weekend held a two day sensitization for the community of Busumbala and Old Yundum on Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C). The ceremony held at Old Yundum Lower Basic School in West Coast Region brought together over 50 participants.The event was sponsored by MMK Gambia Finland […]
Dozens of veterinarians have completed a three days training on curing animal foot and mouth disease, held at Mansea Beach Hotel under the organisation the department of livestock services. The training also aimed to bring all the key players that are dealing with the farmers directly to have refreshers discuss with some of the burning […]
Project To Utilize Paddy Residues Efficiently Launched
LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jun, 2020 ) :The Punjab government has started implementation of the project aimed at utilizing the paddy residues efficiently by using modern machinery.A spokesman for the department said on Thursday that applications had been sought from the farmers of Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahuddin, Narowal, Hafizabad, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Jhang, Chiniot, Bahawalnagar and Okara in this regard.
Farmers would be given Pak Seeder, Happy Seeder, Rice Straw Chopper/Shredder on 80 percent concessionary price, he added.
He said that an applicant must own a useable tractor of 65 horse power, whereas under this scheme for 4 years an applicant would be bound to give obtained agricultural machinery to other farmers on rent.
He further said that applications in this regard would be obtained till June 30 whereas farmers could contact on 99200705 for further information.
It is pertinent to mention here that this scheme would help in overcoming the practice of burning paddy residues.
