News Headlines…
·
Malaysia shows interest to
buy JF-17 from Pakistan
·
UAE rice imports total
AED2.5 billion in 2014
·
Chinese firm to set up
rice farms in Nigeria
·
Kerala should seek aid
from climate fund: Swaminanthan
·
3 containers of rice sit
at Big Creek port
·
Skewed paddy policies
result in Rs 40k-cr loss
·
Rice exports may surpass
2015 target
·
Climate change to
positively impact rice, tea in northeast'
·
Local heroes raise climate hopes
|
|
News Detail…
|
Malaysia shows interest to buy JF-17 from Pakistan
Dr Sani says CPEC will change Pakistan’s economy, beneficial
for entire Asia
December 20, 2015, 5:52 pm
SLAMABAD – Malaysia
is considering as one of the option to purchase JF-17 Thunder fighter jets
from Pakistan and a deal will be finalised between the two countries after
completing required formalities.Malaysian High
Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Hasrul Sani said his country wanted to purchase
JF-17 Thunder from Pakistan. “Pakistan and Malaysia are enjoying excellent
relations in defence as a result of a joint committee which played role as
an active forum,” he said.He said that this jet fighter was considered an
excellent production of Pakistan in the defence sector and a decision about
numbers would be taken very soon by the Malaysian government. He expressed
his satisfaction over Pakistan-Malaysia bilateral relations and said that
both the countries were enjoying cordial and fraternal bilateral relations
especially in trade, economy and defence.
|
He said that Pakistan was one of the largest
trade partner of Malaysia with a total trade volume of more than two billion
dollars and that could be enhanced further in future times. He said that
Malaysian companies were keen to invest in different sectors in Pakistan.
He also said that Malaysian investors may keen to invest in Pakistan again as the security situation had improved owing to the efforts of the government especially after the success of the Zarb-e-Azb military operation against terrorists. He said that Malaysian companies were looking for joint ventures with Pakistani companies through chambers of commerce to invest in mining and energy sectors especially in hydro power projects.He said that the government of Pakistan should provide proper infrastructure, good banking system besides one window services to international companies to attract them for investment. He said that many Malaysian and other international companies were interested to invest in various projects in Gwadar but could not come due to non-availability of proper infrastructure and facilities.
He said that Pakistan was a blessed country
with an important strategic position and it should take maximum advantage from
this position for the development and betterment of the nation through economic
revolution. “We are happy over the announcement of CPEC and this project will
attract multi billion dollars investment to Pakistan as it is being considered
one of the biggest indicators for the better economic future of Pakistan,” he
said.
“CPEC will change the entire economy of Pakistan and it will be a huge project which will open many windows of development in Pakistan. It will not only beneficial for Pakistan and China but also for the entire region as well as whole Asia,” he said. The high commissioner also appreciated efforts of Pakistan for bringing peace in Afghanistan and lauded its role for holding Heart of Asia conference.
He hoped there would be a permanent peace and stability in Afghanistan due to the efforts of neighbouring countries. He said that Pakistan should also focus on enhancing its trade relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states as there was a great scope of exporting Pakistani goods especially rice beside other items to ASEAN countries. Malaysia was the largest importer of rice and mangoes from Pakistan and was focusing meat and other halal foods, he said.
He also said that the High Commission of
Malaysia would very soon extend the invitation to President Mamnoon Hussain to
visit Malaysia. He said that more than 4,000 Pakistani students were studying
in various Malaysian educational institutions and he expected more in the
coming years. He said that about 80,000 Pakistani tourists were visiting
Malaysia annually and there were numerous scope of more tourists in future
years.
UAE
rice imports total AED2.5 billion in 2014
Demand in the Emirates is projected
to grow by 6.3 per cent a year in average in the coming few years
20/12/2015 10:32 am EDT
The United Arab Emirates’ imports of rice totalled AED2.5 billion
in 2014; a large proportion of which was re-exported to African countries at
value of AED338 million.Demand for rice in the UAE is projected to grow by 6.3
per cent a year in average in the coming few years, driven by rising population
and higher income, according to a report by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and
Industry.The report indicates that the UAE imports rice from India, Pakistan,
Thailand and the United States, pointing out that the main markets for the
UAE’s rice re-exports are Benin, Oman, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.UAE exporters
have managed to reach and send exports to new growing rice-consuming markets in
sub-Saharan Africa.
Most of the world’s rice production comes from Asian countries,
with India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam topping the list as the largest
producers. Saudi Arabia, China, the United States and the UAE are among the
world’s top importers and consumers of rice.Noteworthy, Abu Dhabi Ports and
Al Dahra Agriculture LLC, a leading international agribusiness company, have
recently celebrated the breaking ground on their rice milling, storage and
distribution plant’s silos at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).This
AED140m facility will produce up to 80,000 metric tonnes of rice per annum.-
http://ameinfo.com/finance-and-economy/economy/wholesale/uae-rice-imports-total-aed2-5-billion-in-2014/#sthash.CgP5rKQO.dpuf
Chinese firm to set up rice farms in Nigeria
By
Abdullateef Salau | Publish Date: Dec 18 2015 10:47PM | Updated Date: Dec 18
2015 10:49PM
image: http://cms.dailytrust.com.ng/cms/gall_content/2015/12/2015_12$largeimg118_Dec_2015_224851883.jpg
A Chinese firm, Sanya Twin Rice Industry,
Research and Development Company, has expressed its readiness to establish a
rice factory in Nigeria.
The firm’s chief executive officer, Mr. Wang Jingxin, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bulus Lolo.
The firm’s chief executive officer, Mr. Wang Jingxin, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bulus Lolo.
He said the firm’s desire to establish rice
factory in the country was not only to make profit but also to boost Nigeria’s
agriculture through rice production.
Jingxin said through the establishment of a research centre, the firm would also engage local farmers in different trainings to boost their capacity in rice production.
“Our desire now is to acquire 500 hectares of land for experiment.
Jingxin said through the establishment of a research centre, the firm would also engage local farmers in different trainings to boost their capacity in rice production.
“Our desire now is to acquire 500 hectares of land for experiment.
After four months, if the land is suitable, we
would ask for larger hectares of land,” he said, adding that of the 36 states
the firm wished to partner with, three states of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Imo have
shown interest.
The permanent secretary, represented by a senior official of the ministry, Ambassador Ozo Nwobu, told the 8-man delegation that their visit reaffirmed China’s commitment to engage Africa in a strategic partnership for economic development and growth.
Nwobu, who said the federal government spends over $20 billion annually on rice importation, noted that Nigeria has all the conditions for rice cultivatio
The permanent secretary, represented by a senior official of the ministry, Ambassador Ozo Nwobu, told the 8-man delegation that their visit reaffirmed China’s commitment to engage Africa in a strategic partnership for economic development and growth.
Nwobu, who said the federal government spends over $20 billion annually on rice importation, noted that Nigeria has all the conditions for rice cultivatio
http://dailytrust.com.ng/news/business/chinese-firm-to-set-up-rice-farms-in-nigeria/125028.html#IlJ71vvp0tH8DpLr.99
Kerala should seek aid from
climate fund: Swaminanthan
Friday 18
December 2015 12:51 PM IST
by Our Correspondent
Alappuzha: Kerala should make efforts to receive assistance from
the $100-billion Green Climate Fund (GCF) to study the change in climate
patterns in the State, renowned agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan has
said.Speaking at the first meeting of the executive committee constituted to
oversee the upcoming sea-level farming research centre in Kuttanad on Thursday,
he said that the fund could also be utilised for the operations of the centre.
“The Green Climate Fund is being created to support developing
countries to reduce their emissions and adapt to climate change. As there is a
steady rise in the sea water levels across the globe due to climate change, the
technique of below sea-level farming gains importance. The Kuttanad model got
the heritage status because of its uniqueness and efficiency in dealing with
soil and pest-related problems. So, the authorities should take measures to
ensure that the centre is benefitted from the GCF,” Swaminanthan, who is also
the vice-chairman of the training and research institute, said.
An initial allocation of Rs 5 crore was made to set up the centre,
said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who presided over the function.The centre
which would also benefit coastal regions like Lakshwadeep, the Maldives, the
Sunderbans and a number of SAARC countries, would be inaugurated by the Chief
Minister at a function to be held at the Rice Research Station (RRS) at
Mankombu on February 2.
3 containers of rice sit at Big Creek port
Headline—
19 December 2015— by Johnelle McKenzie
For some
time now, Chawla has been promoting his rice on the radio, frustrating local
producers who fear that they will lose business due to the presence of this
cheaper rice from Guyana on the local market.“The matter is more than just about
the price of rice,” the Belize Chamber of Commerce stated in a press release
dated December 16, 2015.The Chamber of Commerce release continued by stating
that the measure the importer is taking will cause at least 20% of our local
farmers to lose business. The release also cautioned that the importer must
ensure that he follows proper procedures in order to protect the consumer.In
its conclusion, the release remarked that the importer must prove that the
quality and standard of the rice he is importing justify the losses that will
be suffered by our local farmers and the negative impact of such importation on
the Belizean economy.
Amandala
contacted Customs officials in Big Creek and was told that missing from the
Customs documentation for Chawla is the import permit from Belize Agriculture
Health Authority (BAHA), which still needs to give their stamp of approval that
the imported product is satisfactory for consumers’ consumption.Garcia told us,
however, that, “Under the Treaty of Chaguaramas, CARICOM products don’t need an
import permit to enter the country. Garcia pointed to section 79 – General
Provisions on Trade Liberalisation.
1. “The
member states shall establish and maintain a regime for the free trade movement
of goods and services within the CSME (CARICOM Single Market Economy).
2. “Each
Member State shall refrain from trade policies and practices…which is to
distort competition, frustrate free movement of goods and services or otherwise
nullify or impair benefits to which other Member States are entitled under the
treaty.
3. “The
Member States shall not introduce in their territories any… restrictions on
imports or exports of Community origin save as otherwise provided in the
Treaty.”
Garcia told Amandala that Chawla had attempted to import the rice earlier this year in March; however, Government had promised to lower the local price of rice in order to make it more affordable for consumers.
Garcia told Amandala that Chawla had attempted to import the rice earlier this year in March; however, Government had promised to lower the local price of rice in order to make it more affordable for consumers.
As a
result, Chawla reconsidered importing rice, but after eight months had passed
without Government lowering the price, he proceeded with his plans to import
rice from Guyana. Chawla’s imported rice will cost approximately 50 cents less
than our local rice.
Stanley
Rempel, CEO of Circle R products, explained how the local price of rice is
determined: Paddy rice which is received from the farmers is milled. After
milling, one pound of white rice is reduced to half a pound of white rice. At
this point .30 cents is added on for the conversion of the rice, which brings
the cost to .60 cents. Added onto that are .10 cents for milling, .8 cents for
packaging, another .10 cents for distribution, then 20% retail markup, which
brings the retail price of price to $1.05 per pound.
Garcia
said that they feel secure in importing this rice, since the Treaty of
Chaguaramas supersedes the “national legislation’.
Garcia
also added that it is the Caribbean Court of Justice that makes the final
decision on anything that is related to the CSME.
http://amandala.com.bz/news/3-containers-rice-sit-big-creek-port/
Skewed paddy policies result in Rs 40k-cr loss
New
Delhi: Dec 21, 2015, DHNS
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has
detected irregularities in paddy procurement payments made by the Centre which
have resulted in losses to the tune of Rs 40,564 crore to the exchequer.
The
government auditor found that rice millers across four states had received
“undue benefit” to the tune of Rs 3,743 crore between 2009-10 and 2013-14,
largely due to the skewed pricing policies of both the Central and state
governments.Both the Central and state government agencies supply paddy to rice
mills after procuring it from farmers. As per the government policy, a miller
has to return 67 kg of raw rice or 68 kg of parboiled rice for every quintal of
paddy supplied to him by a state agency.
The
government recovers market value of these by-products at rates fixed in 2005.
“These milling charges as well as deductible value of by-products have not been
revised since 2005 despite significant increase in realisable value of
by-products extracted out of convertible paddy into rice,” the CAG said in its
report presented to Parliament recently.
Rice exports may surpass 2015 target
Additionally,
rice exported through unofficial channels across the borders is estimated to be
between 1.6 million tonnes to 1.8 million tonnes, which is expected to lift the
yearly exports through both official and unofficial channels to about 8 million
tonnes.Vietnamese rice exporters have recently won bids to supply 450,000
tonnes of rice to the Philippines and one million tonnes of rice to Indonesia,
helping raise the price of rice in the domestic market.
Viet Nam has around 4.1 million ha of paddy fields, 53 per cent of
which are concentrated across the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.In 2014, the country
exported 6.3 million tonnes of the 45 million tonnes it produced, making it the
world's third largest rice exporter after India and Thailand.In the first ten
months of this year, Asia maintained its position as Viet Nam's biggest rice
importer, despite an annual decline of 11.2 per cent in the market share to
71.58 per cent. Africa, Australia, and Europe showed greater demand for
Vietnamese rice with higher imports recorded during the period. — VNS
Viet Nam had shipped 5.807 million tonnes of rice as of November
this year. — Photo xaluan.com
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/280117/rice-exports-may-surpass-2015-target.html
Climate
change to positively impact rice, tea in northeast'
IANS
Kolkata, | 19 December, 2015
Explaining
the variation, he said: "Sometimes it's not just the temperature alone but
also the rate of change of temperature or the rate of change of precipitation
so it is not always very simple to say."In addition, the difference in
growing times also has an influence."Tea is grown at three different
times. Even rice is grown at different times. Maybe one particular rice variety
may be less affected, others may be more affected," said Mahanta, a
professor of the department of civil engineering.The Dialogue was organised by
Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the German Embassy.
http://www.thestatesman.com/news/northeast/-climate-change-to-positively-impact-rice-tea-in-northeast/111544.html#1huwme0i388UPJym.99
Local heroes
raise climate hopes
Abu Bakar
Siddique, Rajib Bhowmick
Farida Parvin (left) distributes seeds of salinity-tolerant paddy,
which she developed, to fellow farmers in her village of Shyamnagar in Satkhira.
Like her, a local farmer in Chapainawabganj has revived Magurshail (right), a
nearly extinct local variety of drought-tolerant rice. Both farmers used
organic methods to develop these rice varieties
While other paddy growers have given up hope in
the face of extreme salinity in the soil, this woman from Shyamnagar of
Satkhira district took the climate change-induced phenomenon right on the face.Using
entirely traditional indigenous technology, she has so far developed at least
14 hybrid varieties of paddy that can tolerate salinity of up to 3ppt (parts
per thousand).“I am now working to make at least one of these varieties
tolerant to up to 20ppt salinity,” Farida, who has studied up to higher
secondary level, said at a national dialogue titled Contribution of Local Paddy
Varieties in Combating Climate Disaster in Dhaka yesterday.
Bangladeshi researchers have already thrown
their hands in the air and said that with the existing knowledge they can make
paddy tolerant to 12ppt salinity at best.“How did you do the cross-breeding?”
“How did you sort the samples?” “How many trials have you run before releasing
the breeds?” “What is the lifespan of the breeds that you have developed?” –
these were the questions shot at Farida by some of the leading agricultural
scientists of the country.
The
confidence with which the female paddy grower from a remote village answered
all the questions was amazing.She did not even stutter once – which shows she
knows very well what she does.Farida said: “In our country, farmers do not have
control over the supply of seeds. Things become particularly difficult after
natural calamities. So I took this initiative to make sure that farmers always
have their own stock of seeds, which will also suit the salty soil of our
region.”
The
panel of highly educated scientists from Bangladesh Rice Research Institute
(BRRI) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari), who have spent
decades in their state-of-the-art laboratories trying to develop climate
tolerant breeds of paddy, was listening with a sense of disbelief to what
Farida has achieved.BRRI Director General Jibon Krishna Biswas later told the
Dhaka Tribune: “What they are doing is praiseworthy no doubt. But it is also
true that they have some shortcomings because they do not have the facilities
that we have in our well-equipped laboratories.
“In our
laboratories, we cross-match among several hundred samples at a time to develop
one new variety. But the farmers cross-match among only a few. So, it would be
too early to predict the long-term success of their endeavours.“Then again, I
believe they will be able to overcome their shortcomings as they gain more
experience working with various breeds of paddy.”The programme was jointly
organised by Bangladesh Resource Council for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK) and
the Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB).
While
talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Farida said she took a two-day training from
BARCIK on traditional techniques of cross-breeding back in 2011. Following
five-year trials of each of her 14 breeds, she has recently released six of
those to her fellow local farmers, who are cultivating them now.Farida was not the
only local hero who came to the Chhayanaut at Dhanmondi yesterday to attend the
dialogue.Take, for example, Yusuf Molla from the northern drought-prone
district of Chapainawabganj.
He
already has a collection of around 300 indigenous varieties of Aman, Aush and
Boro paddy and he has been cultivating around 100 of these rare varieties –
including Dadkhani, Raghushail and Magurshail – for many years to keep them
alive.Yusuf brought gifts of 1kg of Magurshail rice – a nearly extinct
low-irrigation variety – for everyone attending the programme yesterday.In his
area, underground water level has gone down alarmingly, making irrigation
expensive and challenging. So, he has been trying to popularise these low
irrigation varieties among the local farmers.
Nuaj Ali
Fakir, not as educated as Farida or Yusuf but no less knowledgeable, from the
marshland-dominated Habiganj district has discovered a new variety of paddy
that can tolerate stagnant water and flash flood. He named the variety
“Churak.”He told the Dhaka Tribune that he found this rice, which stands taller
than an average human being, from among a collection of unnamed paddy.Nur
Mohammad, from Rajshahi, is now awaiting approval from the Seed Certification
Agency (SCA) for one of his cross-matched fine grain aromatic drought-resistant
rice variety.At yesterday’s programme, Jibon Krishna Biswas, DG of BRRI, asked
Nur Mohammad to send all his cross-matched breeds to his organisation and
promised to get them approved by the SCA upon scrutiny.In his speech, Jibon
said indigenous varieties and local inventions can play an important role in
coping up with the changing pattern of climate.At present, BRRI has a total of
8,044 paddy samples in its germplasm centre and 4,600 of these are indigenous.
BRRI has
developed seven salinity-tolerant, four drought-tolerant and two
submergence-resistant breeds of paddy. The DG said that the term “high yielding
variety” has now become obsolete; they now call these “modern
varieties.”Earlier, the programme began with a lively presentation by BARCIK
coordinator Pavel Partha, who showed some of the most interesting and unique
but traditional usage of paddy.For example, Binni rice is an indispensable part
of wedding among the Garo. The stickiness of the rice is symbolic of the bonding
in marriage.
Farida
Akhter, executive director of Policy Research for Development Alternative
(Ubinig), discussed why thousands of local varieties of paddy have become
practically extinct.She said this began during the Ayub Khan-era Green
Revolution in the 1960s when the then government promoted high yielding dwarf
varieties of paddy instead of the local breeds.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/dec/21/local-heroes-raise-climate-hopes#sthash.tmk763z8.dpuf
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