DA assures ₱10-B yearly allocation for rice fund
despite expected lower imports due to pandemic
Published Jul 7, 2020 6:58:31 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines,
July 7) — The
Department of Agriculture (DA) has assured that the rice fund will have its ₱10
billion allocation every year despite an expected decrease in imports due to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
DA Director Roy Abaya made the assurance
during an online briefing on Tuesday. He said this is guaranteed under the Rice
Tariffication Law, which removed restrictions on rice imports in exchange of a
35% tariff on Southeast Asian grain. The law took effect in March 2019.
This rice fund intends to help in
the modernization of the rice industry to boost its competitiveness.
Collected tariffs are used to
fund the ₱10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund for six years,
subject to review if it will be extended or not.
The DA said that for 2019, total
collections reached more than ₱12 billion. Of this, ₱5 billion will be used for
its machine component; ₱3 billion for seed component; ₱1 billion for
training programs; and ₱1 billion for loan programs. Excess fund will be used
for programs like crop diversification, it said.
In the first five months of 2020,
rice imports reached 1.086 million metric tons (MT), versus 1.06 million MT in
the same period last year, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry. The
latter includes about 400,000 MT imported prior to the implementation of the
measure.
Total imports in 2019 exceeded 2.2
million MT.
Some rice farmers have called for
the suspension of importation since this has caused the decline of the price of
the staple grain in 2019. However, the DA said this should be given time since
the law just took effect.
A simple forecast suggests a
Democratic sweep in 2020
Low
presidential-approval ratings and the covid-19 recession are key factors to
watch.
The White House in Washington.
(Carolyn Kaster/AP)
By , and
July 7, 2020 at 6:00
AM EDT
The covid-19-driven economic collapse, upheaval over racial
politics in the United States and President Trump’s consistently low popularity
ratings have given Democrats an opening to win the presidency and both houses
of Congress in 2020. Our prediction, based on economic indicators and
presidential approval ratings, provides a simple, albeit early, forecast
predicting a Democratic win in November. Here’s how we approached these
forecasts.
The House forecast
To produce a House forecast for 2020, we built on a
well-known forecasting model developed by political
scientists Michael Lewis-Beck and Tom Rice. The model is based on three
factors: changes in real gross national product in the first and second
quarters of the election year; the president’s approval rating in Gallup polls
as of July of the election year; and whether it is a presidential or midterm
year. That last variable matters because of a well-known historical pattern: In midterm
elections, the party that does not hold the presidency gains seats in the
House, as happened in 2018.
AD
We applied the Lewis-Beck and Rice model to each election from
1948 to 2018. We adjusted the model by using gross domestic product (GDP)
instead of gross national product because GDP excludes foreign production by
American-owned firms and is the more commonly used indicator of national
economic trends. We believe this approach is reliable, because this model has
accurately predicted the winner in 14 out of 17 presidential elections between
1948 and 2012.
We then estimated the model’s predictions for the upcoming 2020
election using the most recent quarter’s GDP and current presidential approval
rating. In the first quarter of 2020, GDP fell at the rate of -4.8 percent and
Trump’s Gallup Poll rating in June was 39
percent. Important to our prediction is the assumption that current economic
and political conditions stay roughly the same.
The model predicts that the Republicans will lose 14 seats in
the House, a number that would solidify the Democrats’ majority in the 117th
Congress. The accuracy of the model, however, is modest; a plausible outcome
ranges from a 24-seat loss to a 53-seat gain for the Democrats.
AD
The Senate forecast
Predicting the Senate outcome is similar, but includes an
additional factor: the number of seats the president’s party has up for
election. In 2020, this factor favors the Democrats because 23 Senate
Republicans — but only 12 Senate Democrats — must defend their seats.
For the Senate, the model predicts that the Republicans will
lose seven seats. Given the uncertainty in the forecast, +/- 6 seats, this
suggests that both parties have a reasonable chance at a Senate majority come
2021, but the Democrats are clearly favored.
The White House forecast
Of course, it’s very early to make presidential election
forecasts — mainly because there are no guarantees that the key factors in our
model, the economy and presidential approval ratings, won’t change. But if the
economy continues its downward trajectory and the president’s approval rating
remains static, our model predicts that Trump will receive only 24 percent of
the electoral college vote.
AD
Additionally, because there are fewer presidential elections
than congressional elections, models like ours are less accurate than those
that predict House gains and losses alone. A White House forecast must make use
of fewer election outcomes to make predictions about the future, thus, a
plausible percent of the vote won by Trump ranges anywhere from 0 to 54
percent.
A look at the model’s record of prediction may give us a better
sense of how much confidence we should place in our prediction. In 2018, we
predicted a 38-seat gain in the House for the Democrats;
they ended up winning 41 seats. Our Senate prediction was a one-seat gain for
the Republicans; they won two seats.
The figure below shows the predictions and actual results for the presidential
elections from 1948 to 2016, with the 2020 prediction at the end of the series.
As visualized in the model, the predictive record is strong.
The question now is what happens to the economy and Trump’s
popularity in the coming months. Given the economic uncertainties surrounding
the covid-19 pandemic, the spring protests and the unprecedented stability of
Trump’s approval ratings, 2020 may end up challenging some of our model’s
assumptions. Yet, considering the model’s historical accuracy, we still believe
that these two factors will best predict November’s election results. Without a
significant change in Trump’s approval rating and a swift recovery of the
pandemic-depressed economy, Republicans seem unlikely to prevail in November.
AD
Olivia Quinn is a doctoral student in political science at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Amanda Brush is a doctoral candidate in political science at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Eric R.A.N. Smith is professor of political science at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Drought Spurs Australia to Import Rice or Risk Empty
Shelves
Ainslie
Chandler
BloombergJuly 8, 2020
View
photos
(Bloomberg)
--
This
season, like almost 90% of Australian rice growers, Rob Massina decided to skip
planting the grain on his land near the tiny town of Jerilderie, about four hours
north of Melbourne.
For
the president of the Australian Ricegrowers’ Association, low water allocations
and years of severe drought meant conditions were too dry to sow the crop on
his property at the southern end of the Murray-Darling Basin.
“A
lot of the towns in this part of the world have been built on rice,” said
Massina. “It’s a way of life for the southern Riverina and it’s currently got
its challenges,” he said, referring to the name of the local region.
Australian
rice planting and output have slumped more than 90% since the 2017-18 season.
Its national 2019-20 crop is expected to be 57,000 tons, the second-smallest
output on record and the lowest since the 2007-08, according to a June report
from government forecaster Abares.
Though
Australia has always been reliant on imports for certain varieties that can’t
be grown locally, like Basmati, its supermarkets may be entirely without local
supplies by the end of 2020, according to Rob Gordon, chief executive of
SunRice, which buys about 98% of domestic output and supplies local and export
markets. The company has a global appetite for about 1.4 million tons a year,
meaning Australian production is meeting only a sliver of that demand.
“We’re
already supplementing from Thailand and Cambodia,” Gordon said, for fragrant
and long grain rice. “As we start running out of domestic supply of our other
varieties, we’ll start opening up supply chains from elsewhere around the
world. We’re bringing in rice from Uruguay at the moment,” he said by phone.
Rice
represents only a tiny fragment of Australia’s agriculture industry, and the
country is a small player in global trade. However, shrinking supplies of
locally grown rice were thrown into focus earlier this year when Covid-19 panic
buying saw shoppers strip grocery shelves of everything from rice to flour and
pasta.
The
government has reassured residents that their food supply is secure -- the
country of 25 million produces enough food for 75 million and imports only 11%
of food and drink by value -- but rice remains a gap in domestic production.
That
could create issues amid global food protectionism as governments start
trimming exports in order to shore up domestic supply, Gordon said.
“I
believe strongly in international trade but of course during Covid, we saw in
April the Vietnamese borders closed to rice exports and they are about the
third-largest exporter of rice in the world. We saw India not shut its borders,
but with a lockdown of its population they were unable to export large volumes
of rice, and they are the biggest exporter. And we saw Cambodia and Myanmar
follow Vietnam’s lead,” Gordon said. “It just puts more risk there.”
Water
Policies
Gordon
and Massina cite government water allocation policies in the Murray-Darling
Basin as a key issue for the future security of production, with rice often
less profitable than other crops and therefore less likely to be planted.
When
water does become available, the first priority on his mixed-enterprise farm
has to be the livestock, said Massina. For other producers, almonds and other
horticultural products have taken priority over rice. “What the water-policy
setting seems to be doing is favoring water going to only the very highest
return, which is almonds at the moment,” said Gordon.
Government
forecaster Abares said in June water allocations vary from year to year based
on seasonal conditions and farmers can choose how to use them.
In
May, Abares described Australian rice production as “highly variable and
opportunistic,” based on agricultural prices and water availability, and said
international trade is a good way to meet consumer preferences. Current low
production is not a cause for food security concern, as the world has ample
supplies and any protectionism is likely to be short-lived, it added.
“Introducing
domestic market interventions and failing to support open trade would
disadvantage consumers, and could prejudice Australia’s market access
negotiations for other agricultural products,” Abares said.
With
early rainfall, prospects are better for the next growing season. Massina will
later this year look at water availability and decide whether to plant a rice
crop. Overall, he said the future of the Australian rice industry will depend
“on whether Australian consumers want Australian rice on supermarket shelves.”
“We’re
getting down to the bottom of the cupboard in terms of Australian rice
supplies,” he said.
(Updates
to add quote in 12th paragraph.)
For
more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com
Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted
business news source.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Food brands like Uncle Ben's want to tell a better story. But the past
is not so easy to ignore.
July 7, 2020 Updated: July 7, 2020 10:36 a.m.
7
Food brands like Uncle Ben's want to tell a better story. But the past
is not so easy to ignore
1of7Uncle Ben's rice boxes are photographed Thursday, June 18, 2020 in
Jackson, Miss. The owner of the Uncle Ben's brand of rice says the brand will
"evolve" in response to concerns about racial stereotyping.Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, STF /
Associated Press
2of7The old Imperial Sugar refinery is seen Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002,
in Sugar Land, Texas. The 158-year-old company that gave this Houston suburb
its sweet name stopped growing sugar cane a stone's throw from its operations
in the days of flappers. Now Imperial Sugar, one of the state's oldest
corporations still operating at its original site, Photo: PAT SULLIVAN, STF / AP
3of7African-American men pick potatoes, possibly prisoners from the
Imperial State Prison Farm, in 1909. Three men on horseback oversee the work.Photo: Library of Congress / Library
of Congress
In the last couple weeks, food brands such
as Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s, Cream of Wheat and
more have announced plans to reevaluate their names and logos, which originated
from racist stereotypes. For longtime critics, these changes are welcome,
albeit belated and cosmetic. As companies rethink their branding, it’s also
worth examining how they tell their origin stories.
Forrest E. Mars Sr., of candy bar fame, bought
a stake in the patent for parboiled rice in 1942. Developed by European
scientists, commercial parboiling is a method that boosts the grain’s
nutritional value and softens its texture by partially boiling the rice in its
husk. The final product is also known as converted or easy-cook rice. Using
this invention as their basis, Mars, along with a scientist, founded
Houston-based Converted Rice Inc.
Not exactly a riveting backstory. By 1946, the
brand was renamed Uncle Ben’s, portraying a smiling African-American man — Ben,
presumably.
On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston-based Uncle Ben’s to evolve its brand after Pepsi
ditches Aunt Jemima
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/article/uncle-bens-aunt-jemima-food-brands-racism-15391140.php
Govt
plans to import rice to keep market stable: Ministry
·
UNB NEWS
·
DHAKA
·
PUBLISH- JULY 07, 2020, 04:29 PM
·
UNB NEWS - UNB NEWS
·
309 VIEWS
·
UPDATE- JULY 07, 2020, 04:36 PM
UNB File Photo
The
government has planned to import rice, if needed, by reducing import duty to
keep its market stable and prevent price manipulation.
There
has been a bumper production of crops this year and farmers are getting fair
prices, said a Food Ministry handout on Tuesday.
If
the rice market is desabilised drspite this and millers make delay in supplying
rice to government warehouses defying deals with them, the government
will import import rice, if necessary, by reducing import duty, the handout
added.
Govt plans to import rice to keep market stable
Published at
05:09 pm July 7th, 2020
People queue up in front of a Trading Corporation of
Bangladesh (TCB) truck in Azimpur, Dhaka to buy rice at low price on Thursday,
April 2, 2020 Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
There has been a bumper production of crops
this year and the farmers are getting fair prices, says Food Ministry
The government has planned to import rice, if
required, by reducing import duty to keep the market stable and prevent price
manipulation.
There has been a bumper production of crops
this year and the farmers are getting fair prices, said a Food Ministry
hand-out on Tuesday, reports UNB.
If the rice market is destabilized despite
this, and millers make delay in supplying rice to the government warehouses
defying the deals with them, the government will import rice, if necessary, by
reducing import duty, the hand-out added.
Govt to
import rice as price unchanged
Wednesday,
July 8, 2020
Staff Reporter :
Despite different initiatives taken by the government, prices of all kinds of rice are still high across the country adding to woes of the consumers during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Vendors alleged that prices of the rice have increased due to manipulation of the mill owners and the wholesalers.
As part of the government's measures, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder held a meeting with the traders and mill owners through video conference recently. After the meeting, the Minister directed all the Divisional Commissioners to supervise the rice markets closely.
He has also directed the Director General of the Food to catagorise rice mills as A, B and C to evaluate the millers.
But no measures have yet brought any success to control the rice markets. As a result, the government has decided to import rice by reducing import duty to keep the rice price stable and to prevent price manipulation.
The Food Minister on Tuesday said that there has been a bumper production of crops this year and farmers are getting fair prices. "If the rice market is destabilised despite this and the millers make delay in supplying rice to government warehouses defying deals with them, the government will import rice, if necessary, by reducing import duty," Sadhan Chandra said, according to a ministry press releas
Despite different initiatives taken by the government, prices of all kinds of rice are still high across the country adding to woes of the consumers during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Vendors alleged that prices of the rice have increased due to manipulation of the mill owners and the wholesalers.
As part of the government's measures, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder held a meeting with the traders and mill owners through video conference recently. After the meeting, the Minister directed all the Divisional Commissioners to supervise the rice markets closely.
He has also directed the Director General of the Food to catagorise rice mills as A, B and C to evaluate the millers.
But no measures have yet brought any success to control the rice markets. As a result, the government has decided to import rice by reducing import duty to keep the rice price stable and to prevent price manipulation.
The Food Minister on Tuesday said that there has been a bumper production of crops this year and farmers are getting fair prices. "If the rice market is destabilised despite this and the millers make delay in supplying rice to government warehouses defying deals with them, the government will import rice, if necessary, by reducing import duty," Sadhan Chandra said, according to a ministry press releas
Govt decides
to import rice amid price surge after millers renege on agreed price
Published: July
07, 2020 13:27:44 | Updated: July 07, 2020 18:43:28
Focus
Bangla file photo used for representation
The government
has decided to buy rice from abroad while reducing the import duty, as local
millers refused to supply the staple at the agreed price.
“The
government will import rice to keep the market stable,” the Ministry of Food
said in a statement on Tuesday, citing Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.
The minster
had reiterated the government’s previous plan to import rice in case the
millers refuse to supply the rice at the agreed price, despite a bumper harvest
of paddy in the Boro season, reports bdnews24.com.
The government
decided to purchase 1.9 million tonnes of Boro rice this year. They will buy 1
million tonnes of parboiled rice at Tk 36 per kg from millers and 1.5 million
tonnes of Atap rice or sundried rice at Tk 35 per kg. It plans to buy 800,000
tonnes of Boro rice directly from the farmers.
Refusing to
sell the rice at a government-quoted price of Tk 36 per kg, some mill owners
want a price increase, jeopardising the government’s plan to stockpile rice as
part of its efforts to ensure food security during the coronavirus crisis.
2 Karnal millers booked after 4,520
quintal rice found missing from their stock
Action
taken following seizure of two trucks carrying rice meant for public
distribution in Uttar Pradesh
CITIES Updated: Jul 08, 2020 00:19 IST
Owners of two Karnal-based mills
were booked on Tuesday after about 4,520 quintal rice was found missing from
their stock.
The action came after the district
administration ordered registration of FIR against the owners of New India Rice
mills and Balaji Rice Mill over ‘irregularities’ in their stock.
Karnal deputy commissioner (DC)
Nishant Kumar Yadav confirmed that orders for the registration of FIR have been
issued.
It is pertinent to mention here
that the district administration had swung into action after two trucks
allegedly carrying the rice meant for the public distribution in Uttar Pradesh
were seized by officials of the district food and supplies department.
During an investigation, it was
found that the owners of both these rice mills had purchased the PDS rice from
Uttar Pradesh to complete their stock and return it to the government.
DC Yadav then ordered a physical
verification of their stock where 4,520 quintal rice was found missing.
Karnal superintendent of police
(SP) Surender Singh Bhoria said the FIR has been registered under sections 406,
420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
Inquiry marked against all mills in
district
As per the information, 238 rice
mills in the district were given 11.47 lakh MT of paddy for milling as per the
custom milling of rice contract and they had to return the rice to the
government by June 30.
But, only 77% of the rice was
returned by the mills. “We have ordered an inquiry under the Karnal ADC against
all rice mills and physical verification of their stock would be done. Action
will be taken if any irregularity is found in their stock,” the DC said.
In a similar case in February,
brothers Rajnish Miglani and Girish Miglani, owners of RG Enterprises, were
booked after 4,000 MT rice worth Rs 7 crore was found missing from their stock.
New reservation law won’t affect
already employed workers: Chautala
The
deputy chief minister said the government‘s main objective is to make more and
more youths of the state employable by skilling them.
CHANDIGARH Updated: Jul 08, 2020 14:46 IST
Chandigarh
Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said people who
are already working in state’s industries need not panic at all as they will
not be removed from their jobs. (Keshav Singh/Hindustan Times)
With Haryana government planning to
bring an ordinance to reserve 75 per cent of private sector jobs in the state
for local candidates, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday said
the new law will not affect the already employed workers.
“Nobody who is already employed is
going to lose the job,” said Chautala, who is also the state’s industries
minister, seeking to ward off fears on the government’s plans.
He said the new condition will
apply to new appointments only after the ordinance is promulgated and notified.
The deputy chief minister said the
government‘s main objective is to make more and more youths of the state
employable by skilling them.
If suitable local candidates are
not available for a particular category of job, a provision will be made in the
law for the labour commissioner to allow firms to hire candidates from outside
the state.
The people who are already working
in state’s industries need not panic at all as they will not be removed from
their jobs, he added.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar,
meanwhile, said the state government is laying special emphasis on skilling
youths to make them employable.
He made the remark while
interacting with the beneficiaries of Prime Minister’s Employment Generation
Programme (PMEGP) during a webinar organized here on Tuesday by the newly
formed Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Haryana. The chief
minister had on Monday said the state Cabinet has approved a proposal for
drafting “Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Ordinance, 2020” to address
the unemployment of local population on priority basis. It aims at reserving 75
per cent of new jobs with salaries less than Rs 50,000 a month in private
firms, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms and partnership
firms for local youths, he had added.
The draft ordinance is to be placed
before the Cabinet in its next meeting.
Providing 75 per cent quota in
private sector jobs to local youths was a key poll promise of Deputy Chief
Minister Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party, which is a coalition partner
of the BJP government in Haryana. PTI SUN VSD RAX RAX
Jharkhand CM self isolates after
coming in contact with minister who tested Covid positive
The
chief minister has requested all officers and staff of his office to undergo
home quarantine.
INDIA Updated: Jul 08, 2020 14:40 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
File photo: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi.
(Diwakar Prasad/ Hindustan Times)
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has placed himself under
home quarantine after coming in contact with a state minister who tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
Soren took to Twitter on Wednesday
and announced the same, stating that state cabinet minister Mithilesh Thakur
and party MLA Mathura Mahato have tested positive for coronavirus.
“Both are currently being treating
at a government hospital. As a precaution, I will also be in self-isolation for
the next few days from today,” his tweet read.
साथियों,
कैबिनेट के मेरे साथी मंत्री श्री मिथिलेश ठाकुर जी एवं हमारे दल के विधायक आदरणीय श्री मथुरा महतो जी कोरोना संक्रमित पाये गए हैं।
दोनो साथी अभी सरकारी अस्पताल में इलाजरत हैं। एहतियात के तौर पर आज से अगले कुछ दिनो के लिए मैं भी self- isolation में रहूँगा, पर 1/2
कैबिनेट के मेरे साथी मंत्री श्री मिथिलेश ठाकुर जी एवं हमारे दल के विधायक आदरणीय श्री मथुरा महतो जी कोरोना संक्रमित पाये गए हैं।
दोनो साथी अभी सरकारी अस्पताल में इलाजरत हैं। एहतियात के तौर पर आज से अगले कुछ दिनो के लिए मैं भी self- isolation में रहूँगा, पर 1/2
The chief minister has also
requested all officers and staff of his office to undergo home quarantine.
“I will keep on performing
important tasks,” the chief minister tweeted, urging people to avoid crowded
places and wear a mask on stepping out.
“If there is no mask, then cover
your face with a cloth. Like every time, I would like to remind you to keep a
distance between each other but keep your hearts connected,” the chief minister
posted.
The entry to CM Soren’s residence
has been prohibited. The chief minister had come in contact with state minister
Mithlesh Thakur who tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday.
Thakur, who was inducted as the
member in chief minister Hemant Soren’s cabinet from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
(JMM) quota, has been moved to a Covid-19 ward of Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute
of Medical Sciences (RIMS).
“Samples of the minister and his
wife were tested on Truenat machine at Ranchi’s Sadar Hospital. While he was
found infected with the respiratory disease, his wife tested negative,” said
Ranchi civil surgeon Dr VB Prasad.
He added, “We have initiated
contact-tracing exercise to identify people who came in his contact. We are
also tracing out the source of infection for the minister.”
Govt
plans to import rice to keep market stable: Ministry
·
UNB NEWS
·
DHAKA
·
PUBLISH- JULY 07, 2020, 04:29 PM
·
UNB NEWS - UNB NEWS
·
UPDATE- JULY 07, 2020, 04:36 PM
UNB File Photo
The
government has planned to import rice, if needed, by reducing import duty to
keep its market stable and prevent price manipulation.
There
has been a bumper production of crops this year and farmers are getting fair
prices, said a Food Ministry handout on Tuesday.
If
the rice market is desabilised drspite this and millers make delay in supplying
rice to government warehouses defying deals with them, the government
will import import rice, if necessary, by reducing import duty, the handout
added.
Rice Exchange from Brazil to the
Bayou
By Lesley Dixon
ABBEVILLE, LA -- Cícero Marcon
Manenti has known he wanted to take on the family rice farm since he was ten
years old.
"When I was a kid, I was always
out with my dad in the tractor, planting and harvesting. I decided to study agronomy because I wanted
to farm with my dad," said Manenti.
After graduating in 2019 with a
degree in agronomy from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in southern
Brazil, Manenti decided he wanted to spend some time abroad learning about
other rice farming methods before heading back to his family's operation near
Turvo, a small city in the state of Santa Catarina. Manenti's father, who is president of the
rice farming co-op in Turvo, is friends with Richard Bacha, former director of
the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina
(EPAGRI), who in turn knows USA Rice's very own Dr. Steve Linscombe, director
of The Rice Foundation.
Manenti's interest in learning about
U.S. rice farming made its way through the grapevine to Louisiana rice farmer
Allen McLain, and he jumped at the opportunity to invite Manenti to stay at the
McLain family farm in Abbeville for the summer.
"Steve contacted me and said
that they had a young guy down in Brazil who wanted to come and learn about
rice production in the U.S., to enhance his rice farming skills, and observe
the growing season into the harvest for a couple months," said
McLain. "And I thought, great! We can always use more help on the
farm."
Manenti arrived in mid-March, and
since then he's been accompanying McLain daily out on the farm, learning how
they do rice in Louisiana. For the most
part, rice farming in Brazil and rice farming in the U.S. is pretty similar,
according to Manenti - with one big exception.
"The way they use water here is
different than what we have in Brazil," said Manenti. "We don't have water available to put in
the field. We rely on rain, and it's
hard. Last year, in 2019, we had a big
problem with water. We couldn't
plant. All that is different here."
Manenti works the harvestat home in
Brazil
McLain has been more than happy to
show Manenti all the benefits of his water systems.
"Every day he goes out and
makes sure all the water is good," said McLain. "I tell him to start the pump, and it
boggles his mind that he can just flip a switch and water is on the field. He was very impressed that you could mark it
on a calendar, like every five days it will rain no matter what."
Manenti is also eager to learn how
McLain and other U.S. rice farmers deal with an old foe: red rice.
The weed has been present in Brazilian rice farms for decades, but
recently has grown resistant to treatments and become more of a problem. Manenti wants to apply his newfound knowledge
on his family's farm when he returns to Turvo in early August.
One unexpected obstacle in Manenti's
stay has been COVID-19. He is
unfortunately unable to do any sightseeing, but it hasn't stopped him from
getting to experience some Louisiana culture.
"My first week here I ate some
crawfish," says Manenti. "We
don't have crawfish in Brazil, and I'd never seen one before."
In the meantime, he's perfectly
happy to stay on the farm and keep learning and observing. It's also given him a chance to work on his
English - which has made excellent progress - and for McLain to try out his own
language skills.
Personal protective equipment
"For the first two weeks, Siri
had no idea why I was speaking so much Portuguese," said McLain.
When Manenti returns to Turvo, it
will be just in time for Brazil's planting season, and he's eager to implement
what he's learned this summer. But he
hopes this won't be his last visit to the U.S.
"I'm really enjoying everything
here, and I plan to be back. The people
in Louisiana are so cool and helpful. I
don't know how to say it...""Hospitable?" McLain offered.
Manenti laughed. "Yes, in Portuguese it's almost the same
word. I'd like to return next year to
see Allen's family again. I hope I get
to come back."
USA Rice Daily
16,000 tonnes of
sugar recovered from Punjab mills
BY STAFF
REPORT , (LAST UPDATED 2 DAYS AGO)
LAHORE: The Tiger Force recovered 16,000 tonnes of hoarded sugar
from different mills in Punjab on Monday.
The sugar has been valued at
Rs1.1 billion.
The force even conducted an
operation against flour hoarders and recovered 716 tonnes of it from mill
owners along with rice bags and other commodities.
The operation was conducted on a
tip-off.
PM Imran Khan has said that
hoarders won’t be forgiven at any cost. He has ordered institutions to sell
flour and sugar at nominal rates either by taking action against hoarders or
giving subsidy to people.
On April 23, the Punjab
government implemented a law against hoarding, The Punjab Prevention of
Hoarding Ordinance 2020, and launched a crackdown against hoarders.
Those found guilty may be sent to
prison for a maximum of three years.
Japan keen to import Basmati rice,
establishing mutual agriculture research
APP
ISLAMABAD-Ambassador
of Japan Matsuda Kuninori on Monday showed keen interest for developing mutual
agricultural research and importing Basmati rice from Pakistan in order to
further strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two
countries. The ambassador called on Minister for National Food Security and
Research Syed Fakhar Imam and discussed ways and means to enhance mutual
cooperation in different sectors, said a press release issue here.
The minister also stressed the need for
enhancing mutual cooperation in transfer of technology from Japan particularly
agricultural machinery. Imam asked for providing market access of Pakistani
citrus in Japan based on historical trade of citrus fruit with China, Russia,
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Iran. He said that cold treatment prescribed in US
treatment manual and acceptable to China, Russia, Iran and no non-compliance
ever received against this treatment from these countries. He said that it
worked well to eliminate all fruit flies from our (mandarin) Kinnow and also
admired Kobe beef of Japan.
Matsuda Kuninori mentioned that Pakistani mango
was more fragrant and showed interest in export of Basmati Rice from Pakistan.
Pakistan exported $3847 thousand worth Basmati Rice last year to Japan, he
added. The Japanese ambassador also showed interest in developing mutual
agricultural research.
He said that Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries (MAFF) Japan had granted market access to fresh Pakistani mango,
which was subject to offshore disinfestations treatment, sterilization at a
temperature of 47 C or higher for 25 minutes using saturated steam at vapour
heat treatment facility dully approved by DPP and National Plant Protection
Organization (NPPO) of Japan and pre-clearance program by Japanese Inspectors.
The export of Pakistani mangoes (Sindhri & Chaunsa) from Pakistan to Japan
is underway.
Roomi Foods Pvt. Ltd. has shipped successfully
3 mango shipments to Japan as per agreed procedure between DPP and MAFF as a
temporary measure. The minister extended deep appreciation to MAFF for
facilitating export of mango from Pakistan to Japan by exempting pre-clearance
in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak instead of restricting it due to difficulty in
implementation of pre-clearance.
It is worth mentioning here that Japanese
Government has previously acceded to the request of the Government of Pakistan
and awarded funds to UNIDO in 2019 for launching project on “Agri-Business and
Agro-Industry Development” with an estimated cost of $3.02 million. The
Japanese ambassador during his call on the Minister for NFSR on April 27
unveiled the intention of the Japanese Government to provide an assistance
package to fight the desert locust in Pakistan. Japan has provided 58,502
litres insecticide last month in Multan, Bahawalpur, Sukkar, Mirpurkhas, Dera
Bugti and Dera Ismael Khan.
California Rice Experiment
Station cancels its August field day
UC rice agronomist Bruce Linquist (right) discusses how to use the
GreenSeeker at panicle initiation to determine whether you need a nitrogen top
dressing. UC Cooperative Extension rice systems adviser is examining control
measure for tadpole shrimp, a pest of seedling rice. They made their
presentations during the 2019 California Rice Field Day.
The California Cooperative Rice
Research Foundation, which hosts the annual California Rice Field Day at the
Rice Experiment Station in Biggs, has decided to cancel the event this year in
light of the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes the annual business meeting that
is held as part of the field day.Historically, the California Rice Field Day has been held the last Wednesday of August.
In a letter to the industry, experiment station director Kent McKenzie expressed the foundation board’s regret in making the decision.
“We have continued all operations as ‘essential agriculture,’ taking reasonable steps for the safety of our employees, cooperators and those we engage with in our business and research activities,” he wrote. “The attendance numbers, individual proximity, restrictions, logistics, and current health and safety concerns as we come out of the COVID-19 shutdown prohibit holding this large event.”
Instead, the board and cooperating researchers plan to communicate and report to the research station’s grower-owners and industry later this summer as harvest nears.
The foundation plans to hold the Rice Field Day again in August 2021.
Delayed or incomplete drying blamed for poor quality rice grains
Farmers urged
to ensure proper post-harvest management of paddy.
In Summary
• Experts say quick-drying causes the grains to crack and result
in broken grains when milled.
• Farmers advised to dry their paddy in a sheltered area away
from direct sunlight or rain to reduce losses.
Rice harvesting in Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
Courtesy
Courtesy
Farmers in Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
Courtesy
Courtesy
Rice farmers know all too well
the painful sting of post-harvest losses.
Massive losses demoralise and sometimes farmers opt out of
production when the going gets tough but they are not tough enough to get
going. The sad state of affairs reverberates across many rice-growing
areas.
However, for experts, the panacea
for such problems lies in proper post-harvest management.
Raphael Wanjogu, the chief
research officer at the National Irrigation Authority, says post-harvest
management of paddy involves a series of processes as well as any handling
techniques and treatments applied to the crop just harvested from the field for
purposes of edibility, value addition and increment of shelf life.
He says it determines the quality
of grain and mill recovery rate and minimises losses that can be controlled.
“The several stages of
post-harvest management of paddy include field drying, threshing, shed drying,
cleaning, grading, storing, weighing and milling before it is fit for human
consumption,” Wanjogu says.
He says the first step to
post-harvest management of paddy is field drying, and that paddy should not be
harvested before it has achieved 18-22 per cent wb (wet basis). This can be
tested manually by biting between teeth — it should be firm, not crumbly.
Joel Tanui, the Western Kenya
Irrigation schemes manager, concurs. "When the wb is above 22 per cent,
the paddy is considered not ripe for harvesting,” he says.
He adds that when the wb is below
18 per cent, it does not absorb any moisture. Tanui advises farmers not to
harvest their paddy before about 85 per cent of the grains in the field has
changed colour from green to a matured yellow.
“After ensuring that the moisture
content is right for harvesting, then cutting off the paddy straws; this can be
done using a combined harvester or manually using a sickle or knife. When using
a sickle or knife, ensure you cut the straws about 4cm from the ground,” he
says.
Tanui recommends a combined
harvester because it reduces labour costs and post-harvest losses by about 30
per cent.
Threshing is the second step. It
involves separating the grains from the paddy straws. This can be done manually
by beating and whipping against a framed object or by use of winnowing
machines.
“This process should be done on
the day of harvest. Should they stay overnight, then the paddy straws should be
dried first before they are threshed," he says.
The third stage is shed-drying
the grain to a moisture content safe for milling (14 per cent wb) and storing
in a dry place.
"Delayed drying, incomplete
drying or ineffective drying reduces the quality of the rice grain. The paddy
grains are spread on a plastic sheet or canvas and turned every 30 minutes as
they dry,” Tanui said.
He pointed out that quick-drying
causes the grains to crack and will result in broken grains when milled, hence
farmers have to dry their paddy in a sheltered area away from direct sunlight
or any sudden rain.
Reinforcing the need for proper
care, Wanjogu says farmers should also ensure the surface temperature of the
grains being dried does not rise above 36 degrees Celsius.
He says cleaning the paddy by separating
it from any foreign particles is the fourth stage and is important to increase
the milling efficiency while reducing post-harvest losses and the damage to the
milling machines.
"The other important stage
is the milling of the paddy. The good grain is milled to remove the outer skin,
hull and bran to reveal the white kernel and endosperm of the grain that is
used as food for humans. The by-products can be used for other purposes such as
animal feed or flour for making rice cakes,” he says.
The sixth stage, which is rice
grading, involves visual observations and moisture content measurements. Visual
observations indicate whole grains, broken grains, off-type grains, coloured
grains and the presence of any unmilled paddy.
“They are then packed and stored
as graded. Last but not least is the storage of rice. To prevent any losses by
adverse weather, moisture, microorganisms, rodents or any other pests, the rice
being stored should have grain moisture content of below 14 per cent wb,”
Wanjogu says.
He adds that rice bags should not
be placed directly on the floor but rather on a rack.
“The longer one wants their rice
to stay, the lower its moisture content should be," Wanjogu says.
Edited by F'Orieny
Liberia: Sufficient Rice On the
Market
7 JULY 2020
By Alphonso Toweh
..Says Commerce Ministry
The Ministry of Commerce has disclosed that there is sufficient
rice on the Liberian market to run for considerable time.
A statement from the ministry issued over the weekend said there
is no shortage of rice on the market. For instance, SWAT, Supply Trading West
Africa and other rice importers have sufficient rice in stock.
Rice is Liberia's staple food.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry says based on current
inventory, there are over 40,000 (forty thousand) Metric Tons of rice in the
country, accounting for 1.6 million bags of the 25Kg rice.
It added: "the available quantity has the capacity to
supply the local rice market for approximately three months. Besides that, a
consignment of 30,000 Metric Tons, equivalent to 1.2 million bags of rice is
expected in Liberia this July that will sustain the local market for two
months."
The statement said, "out of this quantity, (thirty thousand
Metric Tons) is expected, 18,000 Metric Tons are due in between July 12 and 18,
2020."
In recent times, there has been speculation of rice shortage on
the market. But the Ministry said, it is not true.
The statement added that a supply of 55,000 (fifty five
thousand) Metric Tons are expected in the country in August this year,
accounting for 2.2 million, equivalent to about four months' supply.
"We would also like to make it emphatically clear that the
approved retail price for the 25Kg bag of Rice is US$13.50 (thirty United
States Dollars and fifty cents)."
Monsoon 2020: Images, Forecast And Updates From Across India
Weather update today: More rainfall likely in parts of Gujarat and
Madhya Pradesh. Monsoon covered the entire country before the scheduled date
and so far 12 per cent excess rainfall has been recorded
All IndiaEdited
by Debjani
Chatterjee (with inputs from Agencies)Updated: July 07, 2020
01:46 pm IST
Monsoon news and updates: Heavy
rain and water-logging in Rajkot
New Delhi:
Monsoon has been active in most parts of India and surplus
rainfall has been recorded in the country, the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) has said. Mumbai and its neighbouring areas received moderate to heavy
rain in the last 24 hours and intermittent intense showers are likely over the
next 24 hours. The Santacruz weather office reported 30 mm and the Colaba
station recorded 13 mm of rainfall.
According to the IMD, Mumbai city has received 928 mm rainfall
this monsoon season so far, which is 26 per cent more from normal average
rainfall at this time of the year. It rained heavily in Matheran
hill station and neighbouring Raigad received 93 mm rainfall in the 24 hours.
Thane weather office also recorded 74 mm rainfall, the IMD said told news
agency PTI.
While the intensity of rainfall reduced slightly in Maharashtra,
heavy rain battered large parts of neighbouring Gujarat. Monsoon remains "vigorous" and heavy to very
heavy rainfall is likely in parts of Gujarat in the next three days and
moderate rains in parts of Maharashtra, said the met office.
In Rajkot, cattle were washed away in floods at a village near
Paddhari.
#WATCH Gujarat:
Cattle washed away in flood at Khijadiya Mota village in Paddhari, Rajkot due
to incessant rainfall. pic.twitter.com/QHAXW7tLIX
— ANI (@ANI) July
7, 2020
Due to heavy rainfall in Gujarat, a 30-year-old bridge over a
river in Junagadh district collapsed yesterday. A team of the National Disaster
Relief Force (NDRF) has been deployed at Khambhalia to tackle rain-related emergencies. Severe water-logging has been
reported in Dwarka.
Gujarat: Severe waterlogging in parts of
Dwarka city following heavy rainfall pic.twitter.com/nzje4RLjtD
— ANI (@ANI) July
7, 2020
In Madhya Pradesh, heavy rain and severe water-logging has been
reported in several areas. Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Shahdol, Sagar,
Rewa and Hoshangabad are likely to receive heavy rain, the IMD said.
Madhya Pradesh: People walk on severely
waterlogged streets in Shajapur, following heavy rainfall in the
district. pic.twitter.com/CF2eXeG92z
— ANI (@ANI) July
7, 2020
Monsoon covered the entire country before the scheduled date and
so far 12 per cent excess rainfall has been recorded
Telangana
targets 2.88 crore tonnes of foodgrain production this agri season
KV Kurmanath Hyderabad | Updated
on July 07, 2020 Published
on July 07, 2020
Farmers with their produce at a procurement centre in
Telangana Telangana Rythu Sangham -
Telangana Rythu Sangham
A big chunk of
yield increase to come from paddy
After a successful agricultural
season in 2019-20, Telangana is aiming for a production of 2.88 crore tonnes of
foodgrains, including 2.54 crore tonnes of paddy, in the 2020-21 season. This
is 44 lakh tonnes more than what the State reaped last season.
A big chunk of the increase will
come from increased paddy yields.
The total area (in both kharif
and rabi seasons) for the season is pegged at 108.45 lakh acres, which includes
58.14 lakh acres in the kharif season.
The State projects a production
of 23.54 lakh tonnes of maize this season. In the new regulated cropping
pattern system, it has asked farmers not to grow maize in the kharif season and
instead grow it in rabi.
As a sharp deviation from the
previous Agricultural Action Plans, this year’s Action Plan is in line with the
new regulated cropping system. The new plan has pegged the cotton (a kharif
crop) area at 60 lakh acres and paddy at 81 lakh acres (in both the seasons).
At 108.45 lakh acres, there’s not
much increase in the area under foodgrains this year. But the State is betting
on an increase in yields. From about 2,450 kg/acre, the Agriculture Department
is pegging the paddy yield at 3,142 kg/acre.
The Department has asked the
farmers to go for fine varieties in order to get better yields and returns.
Farmers
protest
Meanwhile, the farmers’
organisations have asked the government to facilitate disbursal of crop loans.
“The season has begun six months ago but the government has not finalised the
Credit Plan. This will force the farmers to depend on private lenders,” S Malla
Reddy, Vice-President of the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), has said.
A group of farmers held a dharna
on Monday in front of Nabard’s local office, demanding immediate release and implementation
of the Credit Plan for the primary sector.
“Sowing is in full swing. Sowing
was completed in 60 lakh acres but the government is yet to finalise the Credit
Plan,” he alleged.
Of the 60 lakh farmers in the
State, only 50 per cent are able to access institutional credit. The remaining
50 per cent are being forced to depend on private loans, putting a heavy burden
on them, he said.
‘Additional rice for
cardholders till November’
CHENNAI, JULY 07,
2020 00:08 IST
CM has
instructed officials: Minister
The State government will
continue to provide additional rice — five kg per person — to all rice
cardholders in the State until November, Food Minister R. Kamaraj said on
Monday.
In a statement, the Minister said
that the Chief Minister had instructed officials to that effect, which was in
line with the recent announcement by the Centre. Since consumers paid for some
essential supplies between July 1 and 3 (before the announcement), the sum will
be adjusted with ‘toor’ dal, sugar or edible oil in August, he said. The
additional rice that the cardholders are entitled to can be received from this
month, the Minister added.
Tamil Nadu bucks
national trend in rice off-take
CHENNAI , JULY 07,
2020 00:03 IST
Drawal rose
only marginally in April-June 2020 when compared to corresponding period last
year
Tamil Nadu has bucked the
national trend when it comes to rice off-take from the Central pool.
Unlike many other States, which
had doubled their drawal under various schemes of the Central government,
including COVID-19 relief schemes, during April-June 2020 when compared to the
corresponding period last year, Tamil Nadu had seen only a marginal increase in
rice off-take. Tamil Nadu had lifted 13.08 lakh tonnes of rice during
April-June 2019, and its offtake was only 13.5 lakh tonnes during the
corresponding period this year, in spite of the State having availed itself of
the special schemes announced by the Centre to mitigate the hardship faced by
the people due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Andhra Pradesh, a major rice-producing
State in the south, lifted one-and-a-half times the quantity of rice it had
drawn during the three-month period last year.
This year’s off-take included the
quantities of rice drawn by T.N. under three special schemes – 5.36 lakh tonnes
under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, and 36,000 tonnes and 1.98
lakh tonnes under schemes for migrant workers and non- priority household
(NPHH) cardholders, respectively.
Different explanations have been
given by officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the Tamil Nadu
Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC). As far as the Central agency is concerned,
Tamil Nadu’s policy of having a universal public distribution system is a major
reason for its current position. As the State does not make any distinction
between priority household and NPHH cardholders, if both fall under the category
of rice-drawing cardholders, an enormous quantity of rice will be required.
This makes the State keep on drawing its usual allocation of rice from the
Central pool as early as possible. The FCI also allows States to draw their
requirement of rice or wheat up to six months in advance. If and when T.N.
exhausts its share of rice in a given year, it buys the commodity from FCI
under the Open Market Sales Scheme, or from other States.
A TNCSC official said the State’s
requirements only determined the pattern of offtake. In the three-month period,
the maximum quantity of rice was drawn from the Central agency, apart from
procurement from farmers in T.N. In the end, Tamil Nadu’s position should be
judged by the way in which it makes use of the rice drawn. In April-June,
around 17 lakh tonnes of rice were provided to PDS beneficiaries, the official
added.
Bangladesh to provide free rice
for 10m people in pandemic
Published: 07 Jul 2020 03:58 PM BdST Updated: 07 Jul 2020 04:52 PM BdST
·
File Photo
The government has decided to give
10kg free rice to each poor family during the Eid-ul-Azha amid the coronavirus
pandemic.
Government aid will amount to 100,068 tonnes of rice for more
than 10 million beneficiaries under a programme known as the Vulnerable Group
Feeding.
The Disaster Management and Relief Ministry sent a letter to the
director general of the Disaster Management Department providing the
instructions on Tuesday.
A total of 87,792 tonnes of rice was allotted against 8,779,203
VGF card holders for distribution in 64 districts and 12,276 tonnes of rice for
1,227,666 card holders in 328 municipalities in three categories, according to
the letter.
The letter instructed the deputy commissioners to collect the
aid by Jul 28 and inform the MPs of their respective areas about the allotment.
The flood-affected people and marginalised people hit by other
natural disasters would be prioritised for this aid.
The ministry set 12 conditions for the selection of people who
would receive aid.
The government said that the list will be prepared and
sanctioned by union or municipal VGF committees while the delivery of rice and
expenditures will be carried by the government.
Authorities were also instructed to keep vigil that no more than
one member of a family gets aid under VGF.
Govt plans to import rice to keep market stable
·
Published
at 05:09 pm July 7th, 2020
People queue up in front of a Trading Corporation of
Bangladesh (TCB) truck in Azimpur, Dhaka to buy rice at low price on Thursday,
April 2, 2020 Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
There has been a bumper production of crops
this year and the farmers are getting fair prices, says Food Ministry
The government has planned to import rice, if
required, by reducing import duty to keep the market stable and prevent price
manipulation.
There has been a bumper production of crops
this year and the farmers are getting fair prices, said a Food Ministry
hand-out on Tuesday, reports UNB.
If the rice market is destabilized despite
this, and millers make delay in supplying rice to the government warehouses
defying the deals with them, the government will import rice, if necessary, by
reducing import duty, the hand-out added.
Bangladesh decides to import rice as prices surge in
pandemic
The Bangladesh government has decided to buy
rice from abroad while reducing the import duty, as local millers refused to
supply the staple at the agreed price
Jul
07, 2020
The Bangladesh government has decided to buy
rice from abroad while reducing the import duty, as local millers refused to
supply the staple at the agreed price.
“The government will import rice to keep the
market stable,” the Ministry of Food said in a statement on Tuesday, citing
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.
The minster had reiterated the government’s
previous plan to import rice in case the millers refuse to supply the rice at
the agreed price, despite a bumper harvest of paddy in the Boro season
The government decided to purchase 1.9 million
tonnes of Boro rice this year. They will buy 1 million tonnes of parboiled rice
at Tk 36 per kg from millers and 1.5 million tonnes of Atap rice or sundried
rice at Tk 35 per kg. It plans to buy 800,000 tonnes of Boro rice directly from
the farmers.
Refusing to sell the rice at a
government-quoted price of Tk 36 per kg, some mill owners want a price
increase, jeopardising the government’s plan to stockpile rice as part of its
efforts to ensure food security during the coronavirus crisis.
https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/07/07/bangladesh-decides-to-import-rice-as-prices-surge-in-pandemic
Vietnam’s
retail market before EVFTA takes effect
·
07.07.2020, 17:19,
·
News
Customers
go shopping at Co.opmart. (Photo: SGGP)
In the market, some retail distributors have emerged, including both domestic and foreign enterprises that are holding the major market share, competing with each other, and leading in new retail trends. Large corporations, namely Lotte, Central Group, Aeon, Circle K, K Mart, Auchan, and Family Mart have continuously promoted strategies to penetrate and expand the retail market in Vietnam.
With
the increasing speed of penetration and expansion, foreign enterprises have
caused great pressure and been a threat to domestic retailers. Many
domestically-produced goods have seen a decline in market share, especially for
the high-end customer segment, there are no signs of Vietnamese brands. Large
foreign enterprises have continuously increased their market share and it is
forecasted that it is likely to increase swiftly in the future.
When
the Vietnam – EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) comes into effect, the commitment
to open the service, investment, and distribution markets is also the reason
that makes many big enterprises of the EU’s members promote their investment in
the distribution and retail industry in Vietnam. Meanwhile, most Vietnamese
enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises with limited resources. Only
a few large Vietnamese enterprises such as Saigon Co.op, VinCommerce,
Thegioididong, Bach Hoa Xanh, Satra, and BRG Retail are capable of competing
and affirming their positions in Vietnam’s retail market.
Under
the pressure that in international economic integration, the domestic market
must be opened following the commitments of signed free trade agreements and
the upcoming EVFTA. This has led to strong penetration of foreign enterprises
to expand the retail chains in Vietnam, imposing great challenges, requiring
authorities to make timely decisions to develop the retail market, in
particular, and the domestic market, in general, amid the new context.
To
resolve the challenges and benefit from the EVFTA, the Domestic Market
Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has made some
recommendations for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the distribution
sector. Specifically, domestic enterprises need to strengthen connection and
cooperation with many domestic and foreign partners to take advantage of
technology, management, and the market to increase their ability to participate
in value chains; cooperate with manufacturers, create friendly, trustworthy,
and reliable relationships with customers through participating in production
networks and supply chains from domestic to regional and global to improve
quality, added-value, and competitiveness of enterprises in the market.
Along
with that, domestic enterprises need to strengthen corporate strategic
management, effectively implement the building and adjustment of business
strategies and structures in accordance with domestic and international market
conditions, meeting the more and more diverse and higher needs of consumers;
improve the quality of retail services on the basis of research and application
of modern retail technology and advanced business management methods; promote
market research and product marketing; integrate information about consumers
both offline and online to manage customer relationship effectively; strengthen
trade promotion activities, develop and promote enterprises’ brand names on
internet channels, mobile phones, and social networks; carry out the
identification and finalization of geographical indications and origins of
Vietnamese goods and products to take advantage of the opportunities to promote
exports to the market of member countries in the FTAs; diversify and develop
multi-channel retail to avoid risks and improve business performance.
At
the same time, they should focus on developing human resources of enterprises
to meet the requirements of retail business in the fourth industrial
revolution; strengthening the implementation of corporate social
responsibility, meeting consumers’ increasing demands for environmental
protection, safety, public health, and improving the quality of life.
By
Le Dung – Translated by Thanh Nha
Farmers get 2.26M
bags of certified rice seeds
Published July 7, 2020, 2:26 PM
by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
About 2.26
million bags of certified inbred rice seeds have been distributed for free to
rice farmers to help boost the country’s rice production.
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Deputy Executive Director Flordeliza Bordey on Tuesday said seed delivery is already 90 percent of its target 2.5 million bags of certified inbred seeds for distribution this wet cropping season.
“We have already reached 968 municipalities or about 97 percent of our target 1,000 municipalities in 55 provinces,” Bordey said during the Laging Handa virtual presser.
She explained that farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture and are practicing transplanting method received one 20-kilogram (kg) bag of seed for every half hectare of cultivated area up to a maximum of six bags for those who have rice fields larger than 2.5 hectares.
Meanwhile, farmers practicing the direct-seeding method received two bags of seeds for every half hectare, she added.
The distribution of certified inbred seeds was done under the Seed Program of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, which is a component of the Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law.
Under the law, P10 billion will be allocated every year for the next six years from 2019 for RCEF and will be allocated as follows: P5 billion for farm mechanization; P3 billion for high-yielding seeds; P1 billion for credit support; and P1 billion for training programs.
PhilRice leads the RCEF-Seed Program.
Compared with farmer-saved seeds from previous harvest, Bordey pointed out that the certified inbred seeds distributed under the RCEF program could yield 10 percent or more as these seeds have high seedling vigor, pure, and uniform crop stand.
The RCEF-Seed Program, the government’s intervention to enhance farmers’ competitiveness in a free trade regime, aims to distribute more than 2.5 million bags of high-quality seeds to more than one million Filipino rice farmers, which is about twice the total number of bags distributed and beneficiaries reached by the Institute when it rolled out the program in October 2019.
Bordey said the next distribution of seeds will be done during the next planting season in October 2020.
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Deputy Executive Director Flordeliza Bordey on Tuesday said seed delivery is already 90 percent of its target 2.5 million bags of certified inbred seeds for distribution this wet cropping season.
“We have already reached 968 municipalities or about 97 percent of our target 1,000 municipalities in 55 provinces,” Bordey said during the Laging Handa virtual presser.
She explained that farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture and are practicing transplanting method received one 20-kilogram (kg) bag of seed for every half hectare of cultivated area up to a maximum of six bags for those who have rice fields larger than 2.5 hectares.
Meanwhile, farmers practicing the direct-seeding method received two bags of seeds for every half hectare, she added.
The distribution of certified inbred seeds was done under the Seed Program of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, which is a component of the Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law.
Under the law, P10 billion will be allocated every year for the next six years from 2019 for RCEF and will be allocated as follows: P5 billion for farm mechanization; P3 billion for high-yielding seeds; P1 billion for credit support; and P1 billion for training programs.
PhilRice leads the RCEF-Seed Program.
Compared with farmer-saved seeds from previous harvest, Bordey pointed out that the certified inbred seeds distributed under the RCEF program could yield 10 percent or more as these seeds have high seedling vigor, pure, and uniform crop stand.
The RCEF-Seed Program, the government’s intervention to enhance farmers’ competitiveness in a free trade regime, aims to distribute more than 2.5 million bags of high-quality seeds to more than one million Filipino rice farmers, which is about twice the total number of bags distributed and beneficiaries reached by the Institute when it rolled out the program in October 2019.
Bordey said the next distribution of seeds will be done during the next planting season in October 2020.
Fifteen students enrol in agrotechnology
programme
Rokiah Mahmud
An induction for the
second batch of Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) agro-technology
students was held at the multi-purpose hall of IBTE Agro-Technology Campus in
Kampong Wasan yesterday. It was held with support from LiveWIRE AgroBIZ and initiated
by Brunei Shell Petroleum Co Sdn Bhd (BSP).
IBTE Chief Executive
Officer Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli, BSP In-Country Value Manager and
Chairperson of LiveWIRE Brunei Hajah Rosita binti Haji Hassan and LiveWIRE
Programme Director Pengiran Redzuan bin Pengiran Haji Abbas were present.
Fifteen students under
the HNTec Agrotechnology programme of IBTE Agro-technology Campus, School of
Agro-Technology and Applied Sciences that selected rice industry as their
specialisation – enrolled in the AgroBIZ project that will be developing 10
hectares of paddy fields and utilising high-yield rice varieties and modern
machinery to improve yield and make production more efficient. The scheme will
run for 27 months until September 2022.
This is in succession
from the first batch of IBTE students who have undergone the same scheme from
July 2019 to October 2020.
The project aims to
produce skilled and trained agropreneurs – highly skilled and knowledgeable in
agriculture and business to be successful commercial farmers. The AgroBIZ
project is aligned to the Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal
Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien
Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s
vision in building the nation’s resilience in food security and developing
agriculture and future agropreneurs in the Sultanate.
Students in this programme will also be equipped with
entrepreneurial skills by attending LiveWIRE training programmes such as the
LiveWIRE Bright Ideas workshop, three-day Leadership Camp programme in
Temburong and the Business Plan Series.
Additionally, students
will have access to infrastructure and facilities including the use of drones
for fertiliser spraying, organic and eco-friendly materials such as the
cultivation of companion crops (sunflower or saffron) as a natural pesticide,
vertical rice dryers, and harvesting rainfall to be channelled into water
reservoirs. Students will also be provided with technical and commercial
training conducted by local and international experts.
Meanwhile, the
commercial production of rice from the first harvest earlier this year will be
available for sale at the stores in IBTE Gadong and Seria YES Centres starting
this week. The bags of rice come in 0.5kg, two kg and five kg sizes of locally
grown, vacuum-packed and pesticide-free Sembada 188.
The LiveWIRE AgroBIZ
scheme is a collaborative project between LiveWIRE Brunei and the Ministry of
Education. BSP, through LiveWIRE Brunei, its entrepreneurship arm and Social
Investment Flagship programme, allocated funds to support the AgroBIZ Padi
Agropreneur scheme under IBTE in the development of an ecosystem to provide
opportunities for young Bruneian Agropreneurs to grow and sustain their
businesses.
Making Resilient Rice
Photo by Megan Bean
K. Raja Reddy, research professor in the Department of Plant
and Soil Sciences in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and
scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station,
examines rice samples as part of his studies on next generation rice seed
germination. Reddy and his team are investigating the effects of various
climate change factors on rice, an important crop for global food security.
Reddy recently was elected president of the Mississippi Academy of
Science
DA assures ₱10-B yearly allocation for rice fund
despite expected lower imports due to pandemic
Published Jul 7, 2020 6:58:31 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines,
July 7) — The
Department of Agriculture (DA) has assured that the rice fund will have its ₱10
billion allocation every year despite an expected decrease in imports due to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
DA Director Roy Abaya made the assurance
during an online briefing on Tuesday. He said this is guaranteed under the Rice
Tariffication Law, which removed restrictions on rice imports in exchange of a
35% tariff on Southeast Asian grain. The law took effect in March 2019.
This rice fund intends to help in
the modernization of the rice industry to boost its competitiveness.
Collected tariffs are used to
fund the ₱10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund for six years,
subject to review if it will be extended or not.
The DA said that for 2019, total
collections reached more than ₱12 billion. Of this, ₱5 billion will be used for
its machine component; ₱3 billion for seed component; ₱1 billion for
training programs; and ₱1 billion for loan programs. Excess fund will be used
for programs like crop diversification, it said.
In the first five months of 2020,
rice imports reached 1.086 million metric tons (MT), versus 1.06 million MT in
the same period last year, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry. The
latter includes about 400,000 MT imported prior to the implementation of the
measure.
Total imports in 2019 exceeded 2.2
million MT.
Some rice farmers have called for
the suspension of importation since this has caused the decline of the price of
the staple grain in 2019. However, the DA said this should be given time since
the law just took effect.
A simple forecast suggests a
Democratic sweep in 2020
Low
presidential-approval ratings and the covid-19 recession are key factors to
watch.
The White House in Washington.
(Carolyn Kaster/AP)
By , and
July 7, 2020 at 6:00
AM EDT
The covid-19-driven economic collapse, upheaval over racial
politics in the United States and President Trump’s consistently low popularity
ratings have given Democrats an opening to win the presidency and both houses
of Congress in 2020. Our prediction, based on economic indicators and
presidential approval ratings, provides a simple, albeit early, forecast
predicting a Democratic win in November. Here’s how we approached these
forecasts.
The House forecast
To produce a House forecast for 2020, we built on a
well-known forecasting model developed by political
scientists Michael Lewis-Beck and Tom Rice. The model is based on three
factors: changes in real gross national product in the first and second
quarters of the election year; the president’s approval rating in Gallup polls
as of July of the election year; and whether it is a presidential or midterm
year. That last variable matters because of a well-known historical pattern: In midterm
elections, the party that does not hold the presidency gains seats in the
House, as happened in 2018.
AD
We applied the Lewis-Beck and Rice model to each election from
1948 to 2018. We adjusted the model by using gross domestic product (GDP)
instead of gross national product because GDP excludes foreign production by
American-owned firms and is the more commonly used indicator of national
economic trends. We believe this approach is reliable, because this model has
accurately predicted the winner in 14 out of 17 presidential elections between
1948 and 2012.
We then estimated the model’s predictions for the upcoming 2020
election using the most recent quarter’s GDP and current presidential approval
rating. In the first quarter of 2020, GDP fell at the rate of -4.8 percent and
Trump’s Gallup Poll rating in June was 39
percent. Important to our prediction is the assumption that current economic
and political conditions stay roughly the same.
The model predicts that the Republicans will lose 14 seats in
the House, a number that would solidify the Democrats’ majority in the 117th
Congress. The accuracy of the model, however, is modest; a plausible outcome
ranges from a 24-seat loss to a 53-seat gain for the Democrats.
AD
The Senate forecast
Predicting the Senate outcome is similar, but includes an
additional factor: the number of seats the president’s party has up for
election. In 2020, this factor favors the Democrats because 23 Senate
Republicans — but only 12 Senate Democrats — must defend their seats.
For the Senate, the model predicts that the Republicans will
lose seven seats. Given the uncertainty in the forecast, +/- 6 seats, this
suggests that both parties have a reasonable chance at a Senate majority come
2021, but the Democrats are clearly favored.
The White House forecast
Of course, it’s very early to make presidential election
forecasts — mainly because there are no guarantees that the key factors in our
model, the economy and presidential approval ratings, won’t change. But if the
economy continues its downward trajectory and the president’s approval rating
remains static, our model predicts that Trump will receive only 24 percent of
the electoral college vote.
AD
Additionally, because there are fewer presidential elections
than congressional elections, models like ours are less accurate than those
that predict House gains and losses alone. A White House forecast must make use
of fewer election outcomes to make predictions about the future, thus, a
plausible percent of the vote won by Trump ranges anywhere from 0 to 54
percent.
A look at the model’s record of prediction may give us a better
sense of how much confidence we should place in our prediction. In 2018, we
predicted a 38-seat gain in the House for the Democrats;
they ended up winning 41 seats. Our Senate prediction was a one-seat gain for
the Republicans; they won two seats.
The figure below shows the predictions and actual results for the presidential
elections from 1948 to 2016, with the 2020 prediction at the end of the series.
As visualized in the model, the predictive record is strong.
The question now is what happens to the economy and Trump’s
popularity in the coming months. Given the economic uncertainties surrounding
the covid-19 pandemic, the spring protests and the unprecedented stability of
Trump’s approval ratings, 2020 may end up challenging some of our model’s
assumptions. Yet, considering the model’s historical accuracy, we still believe
that these two factors will best predict November’s election results. Without a
significant change in Trump’s approval rating and a swift recovery of the
pandemic-depressed economy, Republicans seem unlikely to prevail in November.
AD
Olivia Quinn is a doctoral student in political science at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Amanda Brush is a doctoral candidate in political science at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Eric R.A.N. Smith is professor of political science at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Drought Spurs Australia to Import Rice or Risk Empty
Shelves
Ainslie
Chandler
BloombergJuly 8, 2020
View
photos
(Bloomberg)
--
This
season, like almost 90% of Australian rice growers, Rob Massina decided to skip
planting the grain on his land near the tiny town of Jerilderie, about four hours
north of Melbourne.
For
the president of the Australian Ricegrowers’ Association, low water allocations
and years of severe drought meant conditions were too dry to sow the crop on
his property at the southern end of the Murray-Darling Basin.
“A
lot of the towns in this part of the world have been built on rice,” said
Massina. “It’s a way of life for the southern Riverina and it’s currently got
its challenges,” he said, referring to the name of the local region.
Australian
rice planting and output have slumped more than 90% since the 2017-18 season.
Its national 2019-20 crop is expected to be 57,000 tons, the second-smallest
output on record and the lowest since the 2007-08, according to a June report
from government forecaster Abares.
Though
Australia has always been reliant on imports for certain varieties that can’t
be grown locally, like Basmati, its supermarkets may be entirely without local
supplies by the end of 2020, according to Rob Gordon, chief executive of
SunRice, which buys about 98% of domestic output and supplies local and export
markets. The company has a global appetite for about 1.4 million tons a year,
meaning Australian production is meeting only a sliver of that demand.
“We’re
already supplementing from Thailand and Cambodia,” Gordon said, for fragrant
and long grain rice. “As we start running out of domestic supply of our other
varieties, we’ll start opening up supply chains from elsewhere around the
world. We’re bringing in rice from Uruguay at the moment,” he said by phone.
Rice
represents only a tiny fragment of Australia’s agriculture industry, and the
country is a small player in global trade. However, shrinking supplies of
locally grown rice were thrown into focus earlier this year when Covid-19 panic
buying saw shoppers strip grocery shelves of everything from rice to flour and
pasta.
The
government has reassured residents that their food supply is secure -- the
country of 25 million produces enough food for 75 million and imports only 11%
of food and drink by value -- but rice remains a gap in domestic production.
That
could create issues amid global food protectionism as governments start
trimming exports in order to shore up domestic supply, Gordon said.
“I
believe strongly in international trade but of course during Covid, we saw in
April the Vietnamese borders closed to rice exports and they are about the
third-largest exporter of rice in the world. We saw India not shut its borders,
but with a lockdown of its population they were unable to export large volumes
of rice, and they are the biggest exporter. And we saw Cambodia and Myanmar
follow Vietnam’s lead,” Gordon said. “It just puts more risk there.”
Water
Policies
Gordon
and Massina cite government water allocation policies in the Murray-Darling
Basin as a key issue for the future security of production, with rice often
less profitable than other crops and therefore less likely to be planted.
When
water does become available, the first priority on his mixed-enterprise farm
has to be the livestock, said Massina. For other producers, almonds and other
horticultural products have taken priority over rice. “What the water-policy
setting seems to be doing is favoring water going to only the very highest
return, which is almonds at the moment,” said Gordon.
Government
forecaster Abares said in June water allocations vary from year to year based
on seasonal conditions and farmers can choose how to use them.
In
May, Abares described Australian rice production as “highly variable and
opportunistic,” based on agricultural prices and water availability, and said
international trade is a good way to meet consumer preferences. Current low
production is not a cause for food security concern, as the world has ample
supplies and any protectionism is likely to be short-lived, it added.
“Introducing
domestic market interventions and failing to support open trade would
disadvantage consumers, and could prejudice Australia’s market access
negotiations for other agricultural products,” Abares said.
With
early rainfall, prospects are better for the next growing season. Massina will
later this year look at water availability and decide whether to plant a rice
crop. Overall, he said the future of the Australian rice industry will depend
“on whether Australian consumers want Australian rice on supermarket shelves.”
“We’re
getting down to the bottom of the cupboard in terms of Australian rice
supplies,” he said.
(Updates
to add quote in 12th paragraph.)
For
more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com
Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted
business news source.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Food brands like Uncle Ben's want to tell a better story. But the past
is not so easy to ignore.
July 7, 2020 Updated: July 7, 2020 10:36 a.m.
7
Food brands like Uncle Ben's want to tell a better story. But the past
is not so easy to ignore
1of7Uncle Ben's rice boxes are photographed Thursday, June 18, 2020 in
Jackson, Miss. The owner of the Uncle Ben's brand of rice says the brand will
"evolve" in response to concerns about racial stereotyping.Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, STF /
Associated Press
2of7The old Imperial Sugar refinery is seen Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002,
in Sugar Land, Texas. The 158-year-old company that gave this Houston suburb
its sweet name stopped growing sugar cane a stone's throw from its operations
in the days of flappers. Now Imperial Sugar, one of the state's oldest
corporations still operating at its original site, Photo: PAT SULLIVAN, STF / AP
3of7African-American men pick potatoes, possibly prisoners from the
Imperial State Prison Farm, in 1909. Three men on horseback oversee the work.Photo: Library of Congress / Library
of Congress
In the last couple weeks, food brands such
as Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s, Cream of Wheat and
more have announced plans to reevaluate their names and logos, which originated
from racist stereotypes. For longtime critics, these changes are welcome,
albeit belated and cosmetic. As companies rethink their branding, it’s also
worth examining how they tell their origin stories.
Forrest E. Mars Sr., of candy bar fame, bought
a stake in the patent for parboiled rice in 1942. Developed by European
scientists, commercial parboiling is a method that boosts the grain’s
nutritional value and softens its texture by partially boiling the rice in its
husk. The final product is also known as converted or easy-cook rice. Using
this invention as their basis, Mars, along with a scientist, founded
Houston-based Converted Rice Inc.
Not exactly a riveting backstory. By 1946, the
brand was renamed Uncle Ben’s, portraying a smiling African-American man — Ben,
presumably.
On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston-based Uncle Ben’s to evolve its brand after Pepsi
ditches Aunt Jemima
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/article/uncle-bens-aunt-jemima-food-brands-racism-15391140.php
Govt
plans to import rice to keep market stable: Ministry
·
UNB NEWS
·
DHAKA
·
PUBLISH- JULY 07, 2020, 04:29 PM
·
UNB NEWS - UNB NEWS
·
309 VIEWS
·
UPDATE- JULY 07, 2020, 04:36 PM
UNB File Photo
The
government has planned to import rice, if needed, by reducing import duty to
keep its market stable and prevent price manipulation.
There
has been a bumper production of crops this year and farmers are getting fair
prices, said a Food Ministry handout on Tuesday.
If
the rice market is desabilised drspite this and millers make delay in supplying
rice to government warehouses defying deals with them, the government
will import import rice, if necessary, by reducing import duty, the handout
added.
Govt plans to import rice to keep market stable
Published at
05:09 pm July 7th, 2020
People queue up in front of a Trading Corporation of
Bangladesh (TCB) truck in Azimpur, Dhaka to buy rice at low price on Thursday,
April 2, 2020 Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
There has been a bumper production of crops
this year and the farmers are getting fair prices, says Food Ministry
The government has planned to import rice, if
required, by reducing import duty to keep the market stable and prevent price
manipulation.
There has been a bumper production of crops
this year and the farmers are getting fair prices, said a Food Ministry
hand-out on Tuesday, reports UNB.
If the rice market is destabilized despite
this, and millers make delay in supplying rice to the government warehouses
defying the deals with them, the government will import rice, if necessary, by
reducing import duty, the hand-out added.
Govt to
import rice as price unchanged
Wednesday,
July 8, 2020
Staff Reporter :
Despite different initiatives taken by the government, prices of all kinds of rice are still high across the country adding to woes of the consumers during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Vendors alleged that prices of the rice have increased due to manipulation of the mill owners and the wholesalers.
As part of the government's measures, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder held a meeting with the traders and mill owners through video conference recently. After the meeting, the Minister directed all the Divisional Commissioners to supervise the rice markets closely.
He has also directed the Director General of the Food to catagorise rice mills as A, B and C to evaluate the millers.
But no measures have yet brought any success to control the rice markets. As a result, the government has decided to import rice by reducing import duty to keep the rice price stable and to prevent price manipulation.
The Food Minister on Tuesday said that there has been a bumper production of crops this year and farmers are getting fair prices. "If the rice market is destabilised despite this and the millers make delay in supplying rice to government warehouses defying deals with them, the government will import rice, if necessary, by reducing import duty," Sadhan Chandra said, according to a ministry press releas
Despite different initiatives taken by the government, prices of all kinds of rice are still high across the country adding to woes of the consumers during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Vendors alleged that prices of the rice have increased due to manipulation of the mill owners and the wholesalers.
As part of the government's measures, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder held a meeting with the traders and mill owners through video conference recently. After the meeting, the Minister directed all the Divisional Commissioners to supervise the rice markets closely.
He has also directed the Director General of the Food to catagorise rice mills as A, B and C to evaluate the millers.
But no measures have yet brought any success to control the rice markets. As a result, the government has decided to import rice by reducing import duty to keep the rice price stable and to prevent price manipulation.
The Food Minister on Tuesday said that there has been a bumper production of crops this year and farmers are getting fair prices. "If the rice market is destabilised despite this and the millers make delay in supplying rice to government warehouses defying deals with them, the government will import rice, if necessary, by reducing import duty," Sadhan Chandra said, according to a ministry press releas
Govt decides
to import rice amid price surge after millers renege on agreed price
Published: July
07, 2020 13:27:44 | Updated: July 07, 2020 18:43:28
Focus
Bangla file photo used for representation
The government
has decided to buy rice from abroad while reducing the import duty, as local
millers refused to supply the staple at the agreed price.
“The
government will import rice to keep the market stable,” the Ministry of Food
said in a statement on Tuesday, citing Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.
The minster
had reiterated the government’s previous plan to import rice in case the
millers refuse to supply the rice at the agreed price, despite a bumper harvest
of paddy in the Boro season, reports bdnews24.com.
The government
decided to purchase 1.9 million tonnes of Boro rice this year. They will buy 1
million tonnes of parboiled rice at Tk 36 per kg from millers and 1.5 million
tonnes of Atap rice or sundried rice at Tk 35 per kg. It plans to buy 800,000
tonnes of Boro rice directly from the farmers.
Refusing to
sell the rice at a government-quoted price of Tk 36 per kg, some mill owners
want a price increase, jeopardising the government’s plan to stockpile rice as
part of its efforts to ensure food security during the coronavirus crisis.
2 Karnal millers booked after 4,520
quintal rice found missing from their stock
Action
taken following seizure of two trucks carrying rice meant for public
distribution in Uttar Pradesh
CITIES Updated: Jul 08, 2020 00:19 IST
Owners of two Karnal-based mills
were booked on Tuesday after about 4,520 quintal rice was found missing from
their stock.
The action came after the district
administration ordered registration of FIR against the owners of New India Rice
mills and Balaji Rice Mill over ‘irregularities’ in their stock.
Karnal deputy commissioner (DC)
Nishant Kumar Yadav confirmed that orders for the registration of FIR have been
issued.
It is pertinent to mention here
that the district administration had swung into action after two trucks
allegedly carrying the rice meant for the public distribution in Uttar Pradesh
were seized by officials of the district food and supplies department.
During an investigation, it was
found that the owners of both these rice mills had purchased the PDS rice from
Uttar Pradesh to complete their stock and return it to the government.
DC Yadav then ordered a physical
verification of their stock where 4,520 quintal rice was found missing.
Karnal superintendent of police
(SP) Surender Singh Bhoria said the FIR has been registered under sections 406,
420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
Inquiry marked against all mills in
district
As per the information, 238 rice
mills in the district were given 11.47 lakh MT of paddy for milling as per the
custom milling of rice contract and they had to return the rice to the
government by June 30.
But, only 77% of the rice was
returned by the mills. “We have ordered an inquiry under the Karnal ADC against
all rice mills and physical verification of their stock would be done. Action
will be taken if any irregularity is found in their stock,” the DC said.
In a similar case in February,
brothers Rajnish Miglani and Girish Miglani, owners of RG Enterprises, were
booked after 4,000 MT rice worth Rs 7 crore was found missing from their stock.
New reservation law won’t affect
already employed workers: Chautala
The
deputy chief minister said the government‘s main objective is to make more and
more youths of the state employable by skilling them.
CHANDIGARH Updated: Jul 08, 2020 14:46 IST
Chandigarh
Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said people who
are already working in state’s industries need not panic at all as they will
not be removed from their jobs. (Keshav Singh/Hindustan Times)
With Haryana government planning to
bring an ordinance to reserve 75 per cent of private sector jobs in the state
for local candidates, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday said
the new law will not affect the already employed workers.
“Nobody who is already employed is
going to lose the job,” said Chautala, who is also the state’s industries
minister, seeking to ward off fears on the government’s plans.
He said the new condition will
apply to new appointments only after the ordinance is promulgated and notified.
The deputy chief minister said the
government‘s main objective is to make more and more youths of the state
employable by skilling them.
If suitable local candidates are
not available for a particular category of job, a provision will be made in the
law for the labour commissioner to allow firms to hire candidates from outside
the state.
The people who are already working
in state’s industries need not panic at all as they will not be removed from
their jobs, he added.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar,
meanwhile, said the state government is laying special emphasis on skilling
youths to make them employable.
He made the remark while
interacting with the beneficiaries of Prime Minister’s Employment Generation
Programme (PMEGP) during a webinar organized here on Tuesday by the newly
formed Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Haryana. The chief
minister had on Monday said the state Cabinet has approved a proposal for
drafting “Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Ordinance, 2020” to address
the unemployment of local population on priority basis. It aims at reserving 75
per cent of new jobs with salaries less than Rs 50,000 a month in private
firms, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms and partnership
firms for local youths, he had added.
The draft ordinance is to be placed
before the Cabinet in its next meeting.
Providing 75 per cent quota in
private sector jobs to local youths was a key poll promise of Deputy Chief
Minister Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party, which is a coalition partner
of the BJP government in Haryana. PTI SUN VSD RAX RAX
Jharkhand CM self isolates after
coming in contact with minister who tested Covid positive
The
chief minister has requested all officers and staff of his office to undergo
home quarantine.
INDIA Updated: Jul 08, 2020 14:40 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
File photo: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi.
(Diwakar Prasad/ Hindustan Times)
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has placed himself under
home quarantine after coming in contact with a state minister who tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
Soren took to Twitter on Wednesday
and announced the same, stating that state cabinet minister Mithilesh Thakur
and party MLA Mathura Mahato have tested positive for coronavirus.
“Both are currently being treating
at a government hospital. As a precaution, I will also be in self-isolation for
the next few days from today,” his tweet read.
साथियों,
कैबिनेट के मेरे साथी मंत्री श्री मिथिलेश ठाकुर जी एवं हमारे दल के विधायक आदरणीय श्री मथुरा महतो जी कोरोना संक्रमित पाये गए हैं।
दोनो साथी अभी सरकारी अस्पताल में इलाजरत हैं। एहतियात के तौर पर आज से अगले कुछ दिनो के लिए मैं भी self- isolation में रहूँगा, पर 1/2
कैबिनेट के मेरे साथी मंत्री श्री मिथिलेश ठाकुर जी एवं हमारे दल के विधायक आदरणीय श्री मथुरा महतो जी कोरोना संक्रमित पाये गए हैं।
दोनो साथी अभी सरकारी अस्पताल में इलाजरत हैं। एहतियात के तौर पर आज से अगले कुछ दिनो के लिए मैं भी self- isolation में रहूँगा, पर 1/2
The chief minister has also
requested all officers and staff of his office to undergo home quarantine.
“I will keep on performing
important tasks,” the chief minister tweeted, urging people to avoid crowded
places and wear a mask on stepping out.
“If there is no mask, then cover
your face with a cloth. Like every time, I would like to remind you to keep a
distance between each other but keep your hearts connected,” the chief minister
posted.
The entry to CM Soren’s residence
has been prohibited. The chief minister had come in contact with state minister
Mithlesh Thakur who tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday.
Thakur, who was inducted as the
member in chief minister Hemant Soren’s cabinet from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
(JMM) quota, has been moved to a Covid-19 ward of Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute
of Medical Sciences (RIMS).
“Samples of the minister and his
wife were tested on Truenat machine at Ranchi’s Sadar Hospital. While he was
found infected with the respiratory disease, his wife tested negative,” said
Ranchi civil surgeon Dr VB Prasad.
He added, “We have initiated
contact-tracing exercise to identify people who came in his contact. We are
also tracing out the source of infection for the minister.”
Govt
plans to import rice to keep market stable: Ministry
·
UNB NEWS
·
DHAKA
·
PUBLISH- JULY 07, 2020, 04:29 PM
·
UNB NEWS - UNB NEWS
·
UPDATE- JULY 07, 2020, 04:36 PM
UNB File Photo
The
government has planned to import rice, if needed, by reducing import duty to
keep its market stable and prevent price manipulation.
There
has been a bumper production of crops this year and farmers are getting fair
prices, said a Food Ministry handout on Tuesday.
If
the rice market is desabilised drspite this and millers make delay in supplying
rice to government warehouses defying deals with them, the government
will import import rice, if necessary, by reducing import duty, the handout
added.
Rice Exchange from Brazil to the
Bayou
By Lesley Dixon
ABBEVILLE, LA -- Cícero Marcon
Manenti has known he wanted to take on the family rice farm since he was ten
years old.
"When I was a kid, I was always
out with my dad in the tractor, planting and harvesting. I decided to study agronomy because I wanted
to farm with my dad," said Manenti.
After graduating in 2019 with a
degree in agronomy from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in southern
Brazil, Manenti decided he wanted to spend some time abroad learning about
other rice farming methods before heading back to his family's operation near
Turvo, a small city in the state of Santa Catarina. Manenti's father, who is president of the
rice farming co-op in Turvo, is friends with Richard Bacha, former director of
the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina
(EPAGRI), who in turn knows USA Rice's very own Dr. Steve Linscombe, director
of The Rice Foundation.
Manenti's interest in learning about
U.S. rice farming made its way through the grapevine to Louisiana rice farmer
Allen McLain, and he jumped at the opportunity to invite Manenti to stay at the
McLain family farm in Abbeville for the summer.
"Steve contacted me and said
that they had a young guy down in Brazil who wanted to come and learn about
rice production in the U.S., to enhance his rice farming skills, and observe
the growing season into the harvest for a couple months," said
McLain. "And I thought, great! We can always use more help on the
farm."
Manenti arrived in mid-March, and
since then he's been accompanying McLain daily out on the farm, learning how
they do rice in Louisiana. For the most
part, rice farming in Brazil and rice farming in the U.S. is pretty similar,
according to Manenti - with one big exception.
"The way they use water here is
different than what we have in Brazil," said Manenti. "We don't have water available to put in
the field. We rely on rain, and it's
hard. Last year, in 2019, we had a big
problem with water. We couldn't
plant. All that is different here."
Manenti works the harvestat home in
Brazil
McLain has been more than happy to
show Manenti all the benefits of his water systems.
"Every day he goes out and
makes sure all the water is good," said McLain. "I tell him to start the pump, and it
boggles his mind that he can just flip a switch and water is on the field. He was very impressed that you could mark it
on a calendar, like every five days it will rain no matter what."
Manenti is also eager to learn how
McLain and other U.S. rice farmers deal with an old foe: red rice.
The weed has been present in Brazilian rice farms for decades, but
recently has grown resistant to treatments and become more of a problem. Manenti wants to apply his newfound knowledge
on his family's farm when he returns to Turvo in early August.
One unexpected obstacle in Manenti's
stay has been COVID-19. He is
unfortunately unable to do any sightseeing, but it hasn't stopped him from
getting to experience some Louisiana culture.
"My first week here I ate some
crawfish," says Manenti. "We
don't have crawfish in Brazil, and I'd never seen one before."
In the meantime, he's perfectly
happy to stay on the farm and keep learning and observing. It's also given him a chance to work on his
English - which has made excellent progress - and for McLain to try out his own
language skills.
Personal protective equipment
"For the first two weeks, Siri
had no idea why I was speaking so much Portuguese," said McLain.
When Manenti returns to Turvo, it
will be just in time for Brazil's planting season, and he's eager to implement
what he's learned this summer. But he
hopes this won't be his last visit to the U.S.
"I'm really enjoying everything
here, and I plan to be back. The people
in Louisiana are so cool and helpful. I
don't know how to say it...""Hospitable?" McLain offered.
Manenti laughed. "Yes, in Portuguese it's almost the same
word. I'd like to return next year to
see Allen's family again. I hope I get
to come back."
USA Rice Daily
16,000 tonnes of
sugar recovered from Punjab mills
BY STAFF
REPORT , (LAST UPDATED 2 DAYS AGO)
LAHORE: The Tiger Force recovered 16,000 tonnes of hoarded sugar
from different mills in Punjab on Monday.
The sugar has been valued at
Rs1.1 billion.
The force even conducted an
operation against flour hoarders and recovered 716 tonnes of it from mill
owners along with rice bags and other commodities.
The operation was conducted on a
tip-off.
PM Imran Khan has said that
hoarders won’t be forgiven at any cost. He has ordered institutions to sell
flour and sugar at nominal rates either by taking action against hoarders or
giving subsidy to people.
On April 23, the Punjab
government implemented a law against hoarding, The Punjab Prevention of
Hoarding Ordinance 2020, and launched a crackdown against hoarders.
Those found guilty may be sent to
prison for a maximum of three years.
Japan keen to import Basmati rice,
establishing mutual agriculture research
APP
ISLAMABAD-Ambassador
of Japan Matsuda Kuninori on Monday showed keen interest for developing mutual
agricultural research and importing Basmati rice from Pakistan in order to
further strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two
countries. The ambassador called on Minister for National Food Security and
Research Syed Fakhar Imam and discussed ways and means to enhance mutual
cooperation in different sectors, said a press release issue here.
The minister also stressed the need for
enhancing mutual cooperation in transfer of technology from Japan particularly
agricultural machinery. Imam asked for providing market access of Pakistani
citrus in Japan based on historical trade of citrus fruit with China, Russia,
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Iran. He said that cold treatment prescribed in US
treatment manual and acceptable to China, Russia, Iran and no non-compliance
ever received against this treatment from these countries. He said that it
worked well to eliminate all fruit flies from our (mandarin) Kinnow and also
admired Kobe beef of Japan.
Matsuda Kuninori mentioned that Pakistani mango
was more fragrant and showed interest in export of Basmati Rice from Pakistan.
Pakistan exported $3847 thousand worth Basmati Rice last year to Japan, he
added. The Japanese ambassador also showed interest in developing mutual
agricultural research.
He said that Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries (MAFF) Japan had granted market access to fresh Pakistani mango,
which was subject to offshore disinfestations treatment, sterilization at a
temperature of 47 C or higher for 25 minutes using saturated steam at vapour
heat treatment facility dully approved by DPP and National Plant Protection
Organization (NPPO) of Japan and pre-clearance program by Japanese Inspectors.
The export of Pakistani mangoes (Sindhri & Chaunsa) from Pakistan to Japan
is underway.
Roomi Foods Pvt. Ltd. has shipped successfully
3 mango shipments to Japan as per agreed procedure between DPP and MAFF as a
temporary measure. The minister extended deep appreciation to MAFF for
facilitating export of mango from Pakistan to Japan by exempting pre-clearance
in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak instead of restricting it due to difficulty in
implementation of pre-clearance.
It is worth mentioning here that Japanese
Government has previously acceded to the request of the Government of Pakistan
and awarded funds to UNIDO in 2019 for launching project on “Agri-Business and
Agro-Industry Development” with an estimated cost of $3.02 million. The
Japanese ambassador during his call on the Minister for NFSR on April 27
unveiled the intention of the Japanese Government to provide an assistance
package to fight the desert locust in Pakistan. Japan has provided 58,502
litres insecticide last month in Multan, Bahawalpur, Sukkar, Mirpurkhas, Dera
Bugti and Dera Ismael Khan.
California Rice Experiment
Station cancels its August field day
UC rice agronomist Bruce Linquist (right) discusses how to use the
GreenSeeker at panicle initiation to determine whether you need a nitrogen top
dressing. UC Cooperative Extension rice systems adviser is examining control
measure for tadpole shrimp, a pest of seedling rice. They made their
presentations during the 2019 California Rice Field Day.
The California Cooperative Rice
Research Foundation, which hosts the annual California Rice Field Day at the
Rice Experiment Station in Biggs, has decided to cancel the event this year in
light of the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes the annual business meeting that
is held as part of the field day.Historically, the California Rice Field Day has been held the last Wednesday of August.
In a letter to the industry, experiment station director Kent McKenzie expressed the foundation board’s regret in making the decision.
“We have continued all operations as ‘essential agriculture,’ taking reasonable steps for the safety of our employees, cooperators and those we engage with in our business and research activities,” he wrote. “The attendance numbers, individual proximity, restrictions, logistics, and current health and safety concerns as we come out of the COVID-19 shutdown prohibit holding this large event.”
Instead, the board and cooperating researchers plan to communicate and report to the research station’s grower-owners and industry later this summer as harvest nears.
The foundation plans to hold the Rice Field Day again in August 2021.
Delayed or incomplete drying blamed for poor quality rice grains
Farmers urged
to ensure proper post-harvest management of paddy.
In Summary
• Experts say quick-drying causes the grains to crack and result
in broken grains when milled.
• Farmers advised to dry their paddy in a sheltered area away
from direct sunlight or rain to reduce losses.
Rice harvesting in Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
Courtesy
Courtesy
Farmers in Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
Courtesy
Courtesy
Rice farmers know all too well
the painful sting of post-harvest losses.
Massive losses demoralise and sometimes farmers opt out of
production when the going gets tough but they are not tough enough to get
going. The sad state of affairs reverberates across many rice-growing
areas.
However, for experts, the panacea
for such problems lies in proper post-harvest management.
Raphael Wanjogu, the chief
research officer at the National Irrigation Authority, says post-harvest
management of paddy involves a series of processes as well as any handling
techniques and treatments applied to the crop just harvested from the field for
purposes of edibility, value addition and increment of shelf life.
He says it determines the quality
of grain and mill recovery rate and minimises losses that can be controlled.
“The several stages of
post-harvest management of paddy include field drying, threshing, shed drying,
cleaning, grading, storing, weighing and milling before it is fit for human
consumption,” Wanjogu says.
He says the first step to
post-harvest management of paddy is field drying, and that paddy should not be
harvested before it has achieved 18-22 per cent wb (wet basis). This can be
tested manually by biting between teeth — it should be firm, not crumbly.
Joel Tanui, the Western Kenya
Irrigation schemes manager, concurs. "When the wb is above 22 per cent,
the paddy is considered not ripe for harvesting,” he says.
He adds that when the wb is below
18 per cent, it does not absorb any moisture. Tanui advises farmers not to
harvest their paddy before about 85 per cent of the grains in the field has
changed colour from green to a matured yellow.
“After ensuring that the moisture
content is right for harvesting, then cutting off the paddy straws; this can be
done using a combined harvester or manually using a sickle or knife. When using
a sickle or knife, ensure you cut the straws about 4cm from the ground,” he
says.
Tanui recommends a combined
harvester because it reduces labour costs and post-harvest losses by about 30
per cent.
Threshing is the second step. It
involves separating the grains from the paddy straws. This can be done manually
by beating and whipping against a framed object or by use of winnowing
machines.
“This process should be done on
the day of harvest. Should they stay overnight, then the paddy straws should be
dried first before they are threshed," he says.
The third stage is shed-drying
the grain to a moisture content safe for milling (14 per cent wb) and storing
in a dry place.
"Delayed drying, incomplete
drying or ineffective drying reduces the quality of the rice grain. The paddy
grains are spread on a plastic sheet or canvas and turned every 30 minutes as
they dry,” Tanui said.
He pointed out that quick-drying
causes the grains to crack and will result in broken grains when milled, hence
farmers have to dry their paddy in a sheltered area away from direct sunlight
or any sudden rain.
Reinforcing the need for proper
care, Wanjogu says farmers should also ensure the surface temperature of the
grains being dried does not rise above 36 degrees Celsius.
He says cleaning the paddy by separating
it from any foreign particles is the fourth stage and is important to increase
the milling efficiency while reducing post-harvest losses and the damage to the
milling machines.
"The other important stage
is the milling of the paddy. The good grain is milled to remove the outer skin,
hull and bran to reveal the white kernel and endosperm of the grain that is
used as food for humans. The by-products can be used for other purposes such as
animal feed or flour for making rice cakes,” he says.
The sixth stage, which is rice
grading, involves visual observations and moisture content measurements. Visual
observations indicate whole grains, broken grains, off-type grains, coloured
grains and the presence of any unmilled paddy.
“They are then packed and stored
as graded. Last but not least is the storage of rice. To prevent any losses by
adverse weather, moisture, microorganisms, rodents or any other pests, the rice
being stored should have grain moisture content of below 14 per cent wb,”
Wanjogu says.
He adds that rice bags should not
be placed directly on the floor but rather on a rack.
“The longer one wants their rice
to stay, the lower its moisture content should be," Wanjogu says.
Edited by F'Orieny
Liberia: Sufficient Rice On the
Market
7 JULY 2020
By Alphonso Toweh
..Says Commerce Ministry
The Ministry of Commerce has disclosed that there is sufficient
rice on the Liberian market to run for considerable time.
A statement from the ministry issued over the weekend said there
is no shortage of rice on the market. For instance, SWAT, Supply Trading West
Africa and other rice importers have sufficient rice in stock.
Rice is Liberia's staple food.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry says based on current
inventory, there are over 40,000 (forty thousand) Metric Tons of rice in the
country, accounting for 1.6 million bags of the 25Kg rice.
It added: "the available quantity has the capacity to
supply the local rice market for approximately three months. Besides that, a
consignment of 30,000 Metric Tons, equivalent to 1.2 million bags of rice is
expected in Liberia this July that will sustain the local market for two
months."
The statement said, "out of this quantity, (thirty thousand
Metric Tons) is expected, 18,000 Metric Tons are due in between July 12 and 18,
2020."
In recent times, there has been speculation of rice shortage on
the market. But the Ministry said, it is not true.
The statement added that a supply of 55,000 (fifty five
thousand) Metric Tons are expected in the country in August this year,
accounting for 2.2 million, equivalent to about four months' supply.
"We would also like to make it emphatically clear that the
approved retail price for the 25Kg bag of Rice is US$13.50 (thirty United
States Dollars and fifty cents)."
Monsoon 2020: Images, Forecast And Updates From Across India
Weather update today: More rainfall likely in parts of Gujarat and
Madhya Pradesh. Monsoon covered the entire country before the scheduled date
and so far 12 per cent excess rainfall has been recorded
All IndiaEdited
by Debjani
Chatterjee (with inputs from Agencies)Updated: July 07, 2020
01:46 pm IST
Monsoon news and updates: Heavy
rain and water-logging in Rajkot
New Delhi:
Monsoon has been active in most parts of India and surplus
rainfall has been recorded in the country, the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) has said. Mumbai and its neighbouring areas received moderate to heavy
rain in the last 24 hours and intermittent intense showers are likely over the
next 24 hours. The Santacruz weather office reported 30 mm and the Colaba
station recorded 13 mm of rainfall.
According to the IMD, Mumbai city has received 928 mm rainfall
this monsoon season so far, which is 26 per cent more from normal average
rainfall at this time of the year. It rained heavily in Matheran
hill station and neighbouring Raigad received 93 mm rainfall in the 24 hours.
Thane weather office also recorded 74 mm rainfall, the IMD said told news
agency PTI.
While the intensity of rainfall reduced slightly in Maharashtra,
heavy rain battered large parts of neighbouring Gujarat. Monsoon remains "vigorous" and heavy to very
heavy rainfall is likely in parts of Gujarat in the next three days and
moderate rains in parts of Maharashtra, said the met office.
In Rajkot, cattle were washed away in floods at a village near
Paddhari.
#WATCH Gujarat:
Cattle washed away in flood at Khijadiya Mota village in Paddhari, Rajkot due
to incessant rainfall. pic.twitter.com/QHAXW7tLIX
— ANI (@ANI) July
7, 2020
Due to heavy rainfall in Gujarat, a 30-year-old bridge over a
river in Junagadh district collapsed yesterday. A team of the National Disaster
Relief Force (NDRF) has been deployed at Khambhalia to tackle rain-related emergencies. Severe water-logging has been
reported in Dwarka.
Gujarat: Severe waterlogging in parts of
Dwarka city following heavy rainfall pic.twitter.com/nzje4RLjtD
— ANI (@ANI) July
7, 2020
In Madhya Pradesh, heavy rain and severe water-logging has been
reported in several areas. Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Shahdol, Sagar,
Rewa and Hoshangabad are likely to receive heavy rain, the IMD said.
Madhya Pradesh: People walk on severely
waterlogged streets in Shajapur, following heavy rainfall in the
district. pic.twitter.com/CF2eXeG92z
— ANI (@ANI) July
7, 2020
Monsoon covered the entire country before the scheduled date and
so far 12 per cent excess rainfall has been recorded
Telangana
targets 2.88 crore tonnes of foodgrain production this agri season
KV Kurmanath Hyderabad | Updated
on July 07, 2020 Published
on July 07, 2020
Farmers with their produce at a procurement centre in
Telangana Telangana Rythu Sangham -
Telangana Rythu Sangham
A big chunk of
yield increase to come from paddy
After a successful agricultural
season in 2019-20, Telangana is aiming for a production of 2.88 crore tonnes of
foodgrains, including 2.54 crore tonnes of paddy, in the 2020-21 season. This
is 44 lakh tonnes more than what the State reaped last season.
A big chunk of the increase will
come from increased paddy yields.
The total area (in both kharif
and rabi seasons) for the season is pegged at 108.45 lakh acres, which includes
58.14 lakh acres in the kharif season.
The State projects a production
of 23.54 lakh tonnes of maize this season. In the new regulated cropping
pattern system, it has asked farmers not to grow maize in the kharif season and
instead grow it in rabi.
As a sharp deviation from the
previous Agricultural Action Plans, this year’s Action Plan is in line with the
new regulated cropping system. The new plan has pegged the cotton (a kharif
crop) area at 60 lakh acres and paddy at 81 lakh acres (in both the seasons).
At 108.45 lakh acres, there’s not
much increase in the area under foodgrains this year. But the State is betting
on an increase in yields. From about 2,450 kg/acre, the Agriculture Department
is pegging the paddy yield at 3,142 kg/acre.
The Department has asked the
farmers to go for fine varieties in order to get better yields and returns.
Farmers
protest
Meanwhile, the farmers’
organisations have asked the government to facilitate disbursal of crop loans.
“The season has begun six months ago but the government has not finalised the
Credit Plan. This will force the farmers to depend on private lenders,” S Malla
Reddy, Vice-President of the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), has said.
A group of farmers held a dharna
on Monday in front of Nabard’s local office, demanding immediate release and implementation
of the Credit Plan for the primary sector.
“Sowing is in full swing. Sowing
was completed in 60 lakh acres but the government is yet to finalise the Credit
Plan,” he alleged.
Of the 60 lakh farmers in the
State, only 50 per cent are able to access institutional credit. The remaining
50 per cent are being forced to depend on private loans, putting a heavy burden
on them, he said.
‘Additional rice for
cardholders till November’
CHENNAI, JULY 07,
2020 00:08 IST
CM has
instructed officials: Minister
The State government will
continue to provide additional rice — five kg per person — to all rice
cardholders in the State until November, Food Minister R. Kamaraj said on
Monday.
In a statement, the Minister said
that the Chief Minister had instructed officials to that effect, which was in
line with the recent announcement by the Centre. Since consumers paid for some
essential supplies between July 1 and 3 (before the announcement), the sum will
be adjusted with ‘toor’ dal, sugar or edible oil in August, he said. The
additional rice that the cardholders are entitled to can be received from this
month, the Minister added.
Tamil Nadu bucks
national trend in rice off-take
CHENNAI , JULY 07,
2020 00:03 IST
Drawal rose
only marginally in April-June 2020 when compared to corresponding period last
year
Tamil Nadu has bucked the
national trend when it comes to rice off-take from the Central pool.
Unlike many other States, which
had doubled their drawal under various schemes of the Central government,
including COVID-19 relief schemes, during April-June 2020 when compared to the
corresponding period last year, Tamil Nadu had seen only a marginal increase in
rice off-take. Tamil Nadu had lifted 13.08 lakh tonnes of rice during
April-June 2019, and its offtake was only 13.5 lakh tonnes during the
corresponding period this year, in spite of the State having availed itself of
the special schemes announced by the Centre to mitigate the hardship faced by
the people due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Andhra Pradesh, a major rice-producing
State in the south, lifted one-and-a-half times the quantity of rice it had
drawn during the three-month period last year.
This year’s off-take included the
quantities of rice drawn by T.N. under three special schemes – 5.36 lakh tonnes
under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, and 36,000 tonnes and 1.98
lakh tonnes under schemes for migrant workers and non- priority household
(NPHH) cardholders, respectively.
Different explanations have been
given by officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the Tamil Nadu
Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC). As far as the Central agency is concerned,
Tamil Nadu’s policy of having a universal public distribution system is a major
reason for its current position. As the State does not make any distinction
between priority household and NPHH cardholders, if both fall under the category
of rice-drawing cardholders, an enormous quantity of rice will be required.
This makes the State keep on drawing its usual allocation of rice from the
Central pool as early as possible. The FCI also allows States to draw their
requirement of rice or wheat up to six months in advance. If and when T.N.
exhausts its share of rice in a given year, it buys the commodity from FCI
under the Open Market Sales Scheme, or from other States.
A TNCSC official said the State’s
requirements only determined the pattern of offtake. In the three-month period,
the maximum quantity of rice was drawn from the Central agency, apart from
procurement from farmers in T.N. In the end, Tamil Nadu’s position should be
judged by the way in which it makes use of the rice drawn. In April-June,
around 17 lakh tonnes of rice were provided to PDS beneficiaries, the official
added.
Bangladesh to provide free rice
for 10m people in pandemic
Published: 07 Jul 2020 03:58 PM BdST Updated: 07 Jul 2020 04:52 PM BdST
·
File Photo
The government has decided to give
10kg free rice to each poor family during the Eid-ul-Azha amid the coronavirus
pandemic.
Government aid will amount to 100,068 tonnes of rice for more
than 10 million beneficiaries under a programme known as the Vulnerable Group
Feeding.
The Disaster Management and Relief Ministry sent a letter to the
director general of the Disaster Management Department providing the
instructions on Tuesday.
A total of 87,792 tonnes of rice was allotted against 8,779,203
VGF card holders for distribution in 64 districts and 12,276 tonnes of rice for
1,227,666 card holders in 328 municipalities in three categories, according to
the letter.
The letter instructed the deputy commissioners to collect the
aid by Jul 28 and inform the MPs of their respective areas about the allotment.
The flood-affected people and marginalised people hit by other
natural disasters would be prioritised for this aid.
The ministry set 12 conditions for the selection of people who
would receive aid.
The government said that the list will be prepared and
sanctioned by union or municipal VGF committees while the delivery of rice and
expenditures will be carried by the government.
Authorities were also instructed to keep vigil that no more than
one member of a family gets aid under VGF.
Govt plans to import rice to keep market stable
·
Published
at 05:09 pm July 7th, 2020
People queue up in front of a Trading Corporation of
Bangladesh (TCB) truck in Azimpur, Dhaka to buy rice at low price on Thursday,
April 2, 2020 Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
There has been a bumper production of crops
this year and the farmers are getting fair prices, says Food Ministry
The government has planned to import rice, if
required, by reducing import duty to keep the market stable and prevent price
manipulation.
There has been a bumper production of crops
this year and the farmers are getting fair prices, said a Food Ministry
hand-out on Tuesday, reports UNB.
If the rice market is destabilized despite
this, and millers make delay in supplying rice to the government warehouses
defying the deals with them, the government will import rice, if necessary, by
reducing import duty, the hand-out added.
Bangladesh decides to import rice as prices surge in
pandemic
The Bangladesh government has decided to buy
rice from abroad while reducing the import duty, as local millers refused to
supply the staple at the agreed price
Jul
07, 2020
The Bangladesh government has decided to buy
rice from abroad while reducing the import duty, as local millers refused to
supply the staple at the agreed price.
“The government will import rice to keep the
market stable,” the Ministry of Food said in a statement on Tuesday, citing
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.
The minster had reiterated the government’s
previous plan to import rice in case the millers refuse to supply the rice at
the agreed price, despite a bumper harvest of paddy in the Boro season
The government decided to purchase 1.9 million
tonnes of Boro rice this year. They will buy 1 million tonnes of parboiled rice
at Tk 36 per kg from millers and 1.5 million tonnes of Atap rice or sundried
rice at Tk 35 per kg. It plans to buy 800,000 tonnes of Boro rice directly from
the farmers.
Refusing to sell the rice at a
government-quoted price of Tk 36 per kg, some mill owners want a price
increase, jeopardising the government’s plan to stockpile rice as part of its
efforts to ensure food security during the coronavirus crisis.
https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/07/07/bangladesh-decides-to-import-rice-as-prices-surge-in-pandemic
Vietnam’s
retail market before EVFTA takes effect
·
07.07.2020, 17:19,
·
News
Customers
go shopping at Co.opmart. (Photo: SGGP)
In the market, some retail distributors have emerged, including both domestic and foreign enterprises that are holding the major market share, competing with each other, and leading in new retail trends. Large corporations, namely Lotte, Central Group, Aeon, Circle K, K Mart, Auchan, and Family Mart have continuously promoted strategies to penetrate and expand the retail market in Vietnam.
With
the increasing speed of penetration and expansion, foreign enterprises have
caused great pressure and been a threat to domestic retailers. Many
domestically-produced goods have seen a decline in market share, especially for
the high-end customer segment, there are no signs of Vietnamese brands. Large
foreign enterprises have continuously increased their market share and it is
forecasted that it is likely to increase swiftly in the future.
When
the Vietnam – EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) comes into effect, the commitment
to open the service, investment, and distribution markets is also the reason
that makes many big enterprises of the EU’s members promote their investment in
the distribution and retail industry in Vietnam. Meanwhile, most Vietnamese
enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises with limited resources. Only
a few large Vietnamese enterprises such as Saigon Co.op, VinCommerce,
Thegioididong, Bach Hoa Xanh, Satra, and BRG Retail are capable of competing
and affirming their positions in Vietnam’s retail market.
Under
the pressure that in international economic integration, the domestic market
must be opened following the commitments of signed free trade agreements and
the upcoming EVFTA. This has led to strong penetration of foreign enterprises
to expand the retail chains in Vietnam, imposing great challenges, requiring
authorities to make timely decisions to develop the retail market, in
particular, and the domestic market, in general, amid the new context.
To
resolve the challenges and benefit from the EVFTA, the Domestic Market
Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has made some
recommendations for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the distribution
sector. Specifically, domestic enterprises need to strengthen connection and
cooperation with many domestic and foreign partners to take advantage of
technology, management, and the market to increase their ability to participate
in value chains; cooperate with manufacturers, create friendly, trustworthy,
and reliable relationships with customers through participating in production
networks and supply chains from domestic to regional and global to improve
quality, added-value, and competitiveness of enterprises in the market.
Along
with that, domestic enterprises need to strengthen corporate strategic
management, effectively implement the building and adjustment of business
strategies and structures in accordance with domestic and international market
conditions, meeting the more and more diverse and higher needs of consumers;
improve the quality of retail services on the basis of research and application
of modern retail technology and advanced business management methods; promote
market research and product marketing; integrate information about consumers
both offline and online to manage customer relationship effectively; strengthen
trade promotion activities, develop and promote enterprises’ brand names on
internet channels, mobile phones, and social networks; carry out the
identification and finalization of geographical indications and origins of
Vietnamese goods and products to take advantage of the opportunities to promote
exports to the market of member countries in the FTAs; diversify and develop
multi-channel retail to avoid risks and improve business performance.
At
the same time, they should focus on developing human resources of enterprises
to meet the requirements of retail business in the fourth industrial
revolution; strengthening the implementation of corporate social
responsibility, meeting consumers’ increasing demands for environmental
protection, safety, public health, and improving the quality of life.
By
Le Dung – Translated by Thanh Nha
Farmers get 2.26M
bags of certified rice seeds
Published July 7, 2020, 2:26 PM
by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
About 2.26
million bags of certified inbred rice seeds have been distributed for free to
rice farmers to help boost the country’s rice production.
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Deputy Executive Director Flordeliza Bordey on Tuesday said seed delivery is already 90 percent of its target 2.5 million bags of certified inbred seeds for distribution this wet cropping season.
“We have already reached 968 municipalities or about 97 percent of our target 1,000 municipalities in 55 provinces,” Bordey said during the Laging Handa virtual presser.
She explained that farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture and are practicing transplanting method received one 20-kilogram (kg) bag of seed for every half hectare of cultivated area up to a maximum of six bags for those who have rice fields larger than 2.5 hectares.
Meanwhile, farmers practicing the direct-seeding method received two bags of seeds for every half hectare, she added.
The distribution of certified inbred seeds was done under the Seed Program of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, which is a component of the Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law.
Under the law, P10 billion will be allocated every year for the next six years from 2019 for RCEF and will be allocated as follows: P5 billion for farm mechanization; P3 billion for high-yielding seeds; P1 billion for credit support; and P1 billion for training programs.
PhilRice leads the RCEF-Seed Program.
Compared with farmer-saved seeds from previous harvest, Bordey pointed out that the certified inbred seeds distributed under the RCEF program could yield 10 percent or more as these seeds have high seedling vigor, pure, and uniform crop stand.
The RCEF-Seed Program, the government’s intervention to enhance farmers’ competitiveness in a free trade regime, aims to distribute more than 2.5 million bags of high-quality seeds to more than one million Filipino rice farmers, which is about twice the total number of bags distributed and beneficiaries reached by the Institute when it rolled out the program in October 2019.
Bordey said the next distribution of seeds will be done during the next planting season in October 2020.
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Deputy Executive Director Flordeliza Bordey on Tuesday said seed delivery is already 90 percent of its target 2.5 million bags of certified inbred seeds for distribution this wet cropping season.
“We have already reached 968 municipalities or about 97 percent of our target 1,000 municipalities in 55 provinces,” Bordey said during the Laging Handa virtual presser.
She explained that farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture and are practicing transplanting method received one 20-kilogram (kg) bag of seed for every half hectare of cultivated area up to a maximum of six bags for those who have rice fields larger than 2.5 hectares.
Meanwhile, farmers practicing the direct-seeding method received two bags of seeds for every half hectare, she added.
The distribution of certified inbred seeds was done under the Seed Program of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, which is a component of the Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law.
Under the law, P10 billion will be allocated every year for the next six years from 2019 for RCEF and will be allocated as follows: P5 billion for farm mechanization; P3 billion for high-yielding seeds; P1 billion for credit support; and P1 billion for training programs.
PhilRice leads the RCEF-Seed Program.
Compared with farmer-saved seeds from previous harvest, Bordey pointed out that the certified inbred seeds distributed under the RCEF program could yield 10 percent or more as these seeds have high seedling vigor, pure, and uniform crop stand.
The RCEF-Seed Program, the government’s intervention to enhance farmers’ competitiveness in a free trade regime, aims to distribute more than 2.5 million bags of high-quality seeds to more than one million Filipino rice farmers, which is about twice the total number of bags distributed and beneficiaries reached by the Institute when it rolled out the program in October 2019.
Bordey said the next distribution of seeds will be done during the next planting season in October 2020.
Fifteen students enrol in agrotechnology
programme
Rokiah Mahmud
An induction for the
second batch of Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) agro-technology
students was held at the multi-purpose hall of IBTE Agro-Technology Campus in
Kampong Wasan yesterday. It was held with support from LiveWIRE AgroBIZ and initiated
by Brunei Shell Petroleum Co Sdn Bhd (BSP).
IBTE Chief Executive
Officer Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli, BSP In-Country Value Manager and
Chairperson of LiveWIRE Brunei Hajah Rosita binti Haji Hassan and LiveWIRE
Programme Director Pengiran Redzuan bin Pengiran Haji Abbas were present.
Fifteen students under
the HNTec Agrotechnology programme of IBTE Agro-technology Campus, School of
Agro-Technology and Applied Sciences that selected rice industry as their
specialisation – enrolled in the AgroBIZ project that will be developing 10
hectares of paddy fields and utilising high-yield rice varieties and modern
machinery to improve yield and make production more efficient. The scheme will
run for 27 months until September 2022.
This is in succession
from the first batch of IBTE students who have undergone the same scheme from
July 2019 to October 2020.
The project aims to
produce skilled and trained agropreneurs – highly skilled and knowledgeable in
agriculture and business to be successful commercial farmers. The AgroBIZ
project is aligned to the Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal
Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien
Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s
vision in building the nation’s resilience in food security and developing
agriculture and future agropreneurs in the Sultanate.
Students in this programme will also be equipped with
entrepreneurial skills by attending LiveWIRE training programmes such as the
LiveWIRE Bright Ideas workshop, three-day Leadership Camp programme in
Temburong and the Business Plan Series.
Additionally, students
will have access to infrastructure and facilities including the use of drones
for fertiliser spraying, organic and eco-friendly materials such as the
cultivation of companion crops (sunflower or saffron) as a natural pesticide,
vertical rice dryers, and harvesting rainfall to be channelled into water
reservoirs. Students will also be provided with technical and commercial
training conducted by local and international experts.
Meanwhile, the
commercial production of rice from the first harvest earlier this year will be
available for sale at the stores in IBTE Gadong and Seria YES Centres starting
this week. The bags of rice come in 0.5kg, two kg and five kg sizes of locally
grown, vacuum-packed and pesticide-free Sembada 188.
The LiveWIRE AgroBIZ
scheme is a collaborative project between LiveWIRE Brunei and the Ministry of
Education. BSP, through LiveWIRE Brunei, its entrepreneurship arm and Social
Investment Flagship programme, allocated funds to support the AgroBIZ Padi
Agropreneur scheme under IBTE in the development of an ecosystem to provide
opportunities for young Bruneian Agropreneurs to grow and sustain their
businesses.
Making Resilient Rice
Photo by Megan Bean
K. Raja Reddy, research professor in the Department of Plant
and Soil Sciences in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and
scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station,
examines rice samples as part of his studies on next generation rice seed
germination. Reddy and his team are investigating the effects of various
climate change factors on rice, an important crop for global food security.
Reddy recently was elected president of the Mississippi Academy of
Science
