Today Rice News Headlines...
Ø Rice to
be included in stockholding, safeguard
Ø Antibiotic
Thermogel To Prevent Infections In Facial Implants
Ø We Are
Not Into Smuggling Of Rice – Maifata
Ø Cambodia.
Slight Decline in Rice Production in 2015
Ø Rice
farmers looking at dry spell
Ø Indonesia
to See Longer Famine as Grand Harvest Delayed
Ø Vietnam's
rice crops yield higher despite El Nino
Ø After
bumper paddy crop, Punjab seeks more funds from RBI
Ø Liberia:
Rice Yield Pleases Nimba Farmers
Ø Rabi
rice production in current fiscal is expected to be higher by 3.5%
Ø Nigeria:
Senate to Probe Alleged N117 Billion Rice Import Scam
Ø Rice
miller urges campaign to cut food waste
Ø Indonesia
still needs to import food in 2016
Ø PRESIDENT
KOROMA OF SIERRA LEONE SACKS SENIOR MINISTERS
Ø Organic
agriculture key to Bicol’s sterling achievements in rice production
Ø Moving
rice mountain by 2017 seen as struggle
Ø Commodity
Report-December 29
Ø Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices Open-Dec 28
Ø Arkansas
Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
News Detail...
Rice basmati slides on sluggish demand
Press Trust of India | New Delhi December 26, 2015 Last Updated at
13:32 IST
Rice basmati slides on muted demandRice basmati falls on sluggish
demandRising demand lift basmati rice pricesRice basmati edges up on scattered
demandWheat, rice basmati strengthen as demand picks up.Rice basmati prices
fell up to Rs 200 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today owing to
slack demand from retailers. However, other grains continued to trade in a
narrow range in limited deals and settled around previous levels.
Following are today's quotations (in
Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,000-2,600,
Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,675-1,705, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,705-1,720,
Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 230, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 230, Roller flour mill Rs
880-885 (50 kg), Maida Rs 935-940 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,040-1,045 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700,
Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,700, Basmati common new Rs
5,600-5,700, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 4,300-5,000, Permal raw Rs 1,950-2,000, Permal
wand Rs 2,200-2,275, Sela Rs 2,750-2,850 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,700-1,720, Bajra Rs
1,380-1,385, Jowar yellow Rs 1,550-1,650, white Rs 3,050-3,150, Maize Rs
1,630-1,650, Barley Rs 1,450-1,460.http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rice-basmati-slides-on-sluggish-demand-115122600205_1.html
Wheat has been sown/transplanted in 259.37 lakh
hectares, pulses in 125.95 lakh hectares, coarse cereals in 52.94 lakh
hectares. Area sown under oilseeds is 69.64 lakh hectares and Rice is 12.17
lakh hectares.
28 Dec 2015
Commodity Online
India's Rabi sowing area has crossed 520 lakh hectares, according to Government data. "As per preliminary reports received from the States, the total area sown under Rabi crops as on 23rd December, 2015 stands at 520.07 lakh hectares," an official notification stated.
Wheat has been sown/transplanted in 259.37 lakh hectares, pulses in 125.95 lakh hectares, coarse cereals in 52.94 lakh hectares. Area sown under oilseeds is 69.64 lakh hectares and Rice is 12.17 lakh hectares.
Industry body ASSOCHAM has recently warned that export crisis has tightened its grip over India's agri sector also. In November,2015 coffee exports were down by 10.82 per cent, spices by 15.75%, cotton yarn , fabs made ups by 18%, as per ASSOCHAM data
http://www.commodityonline.com/news/india-rabi-crops-sowing-crosses-520-lakh-hectares-68974-3-68975.html
This new climate-friendly rice has been named one of 2015's top
scientific developments
Virtually no greenhouse gas emissions and a higher yield.
DAVID
NIELD
28
DEC 2015
Key to the new growing process is the elimination of methane
production: it's one of the biggest contributors to the greenhouse gas effect,
and 7 to 17 percent of total methane emissions are estimated to come from the
rice paddies of the world. If that percentage can be significantly reduced, the
impact could be huge - methane is around 20 times more effective at trapping
heat in Earth's atmosphere than carbon dioxide.Scientists from the US
Department of Energy and the Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences identified a barley gene that controls how the plant produces
carbon, and then figured out how to splice that gene into rice.
This process altered the way the rice uses carbon pulled in from
the atmosphere, sending more of it into the grain and stems and less into the
roots.As a result, the amount of starch and the yield of the rice increased,
and less carbon is made available to the roots - carbon that's ultimately
converted to methane and is now used by bacteria instead."This is a
win-win finding," said
Christer Jansson from the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, part of the US Department of Energy. "The process
results in reduced methane emissions, which helps to mitigate climate change,
and also results in more biomass - more food.
This dual effect is very positive."The research, which was
published earlier this year in Nature, has been awarded the Grand Award in Popular Science's Best Of What's New 2015 contest.Our love of rice isn't going to go away anytime soon,
with more than half the world's population incorporating it as part of their
regular diet. After promising field tests that were run in China, the
researchers now want to see how their genetically modified rice responds to
cultivation. For now, there's no estimate on when it might become
commercially available.
ScienceAler
Rice to be included in stockholding, safeguard
schemes
Khoirul Amin, The Jakarta Post | Business | Mon, December 28
2015, 5:19 PM
Business News
The government is set to propose
that the nation’s staple food be included in public stockholding and be
protected by a special safeguard mechanism. The proposal is set to be discussed
at the next World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting, a senior official from the
Trade Ministry has said. Trade Ministry director general
for international trade cooperation Bachrul Chairi said recently that Indonesia
would propose rice for a public stockholding scheme and for a special safeguard
mechanism (SSM) for agricultural products.
“For the public stockholding,
we’ll include rice. For SSM, we’ll propose 12 agricultural products and
plantation commodities, including rice,” he said. Agricultural and plantation products like crude palm oil (CPO),
beans and chili were among the other commodities that the government planned to
propose for the SSM, he went on to say. Public stockholding refers to the policy of developing nations
buying agricultural products from their farmers and then stockpiling them to
ensure national food security.
The scheme is currently allowed under the WTO system, but it is limited to only 10 percent of total crops. The SSM, meanwhile, is meant to provide an easier mechanism for developing countries to implement safeguard measures in the form of import duties for certain agricultural products. The SSM may be carried out if there are unusual import volumes or prices of certain commodities move outside of a normal bracket. Both public stockholding and SSM were originally proposed by developing nations in former WTO negotiations.During a WTO ministerial meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, that lasted from Dec. 15 to Dec. 19, all member nations agreed to acknowledge both public stockholding and the SSM as part of what is called the Nairobi Package. However, details of the two mechanisms will be further negotiated in a special session at the WTO’s upcoming committee on agriculture.
Bachrul said that another significant achievement reached at the Nairobi meeting was the agreement on export competition, in which developed nations would immediately remove export subsidies on agriculture and developing nations would do the same by 2018, with developed nations aiming for reductions on tariffs on their products entering into developing nations. Export subsidies on agricultural products, both direct and indirect, have been commonly used for developed nations like the United States to help its farmers.
Developing nations like
Indonesia, meanwhile, have mostly only provided domestic subsidies —not export
subsidies for local farmers in the form of fertilizers and fuel subsidies. Thomas Darmawan, chairman of the fishery division at the
Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said that the elimination of export
subsidies would create fairer competition between the export commodities of
developed and developing nations.
“Domestically, the elimination of export subsidies will push Indonesia to cut its high-cost economy and keep the price of its fishery products competitive,” he said. Bachrul argued that the Nairobi Package had become a winning model for both developed and developing nations. While developed nations were still adamant in their stance not to continue the Doha Development Agenda talks at the WTO meeting in Nairobi, the agreement on agricultural matters — separated from the Doha talks constituted a significant form of progress at the WTO.
— JP/Khoirul Amin
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/12/28/rice-be-included-stockholding-safeguard
Antibiotic Thermogel To Prevent Infections In Facial Implants
Severe facial injuries caused by trauma or pathological defect
are typically treated with several stages of reconstructive surgery.
First, the patient is implanted with a temporary spacer, which holds the bone
open and allows soft surrounding tissue to heal. Later, the implant is removed
and surgeons reconstruct the bones.Antonio Mikos, bioengineer at Rice
University, and his lab have been developing specialized plastic “space
maintainers” using a material called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) — common in facial reconstructive surgeries — to create a porous implant that can be injected with
infection-fighting drugs. “Infection is an important problem that needs to
be considered with medical devices because bacteria can prevent the body from
being able to heal,” said Mikos in a press release.
“If the infection gets too severe, it can even cause tissues
that were previously healthy to die.”Paschalia Mountziaris, who led the
researchers, noted that facial injuries were particularly susceptible to
bacterial infections because of their proximity to the nasal passages, sinuses,
and mouth. Mountziaris cited several studies that showed high rates of
infection with facial gunshot wounds.To
reduce the rate of infections with their PMMA spacer, researchers developed a
thermogel made from block polymers, which injected as a liquid but hardened to
a gel when it came into contact with body heat. As the gel gradually degrades,
antibiotics are released at the site of the implant to combat any potential
infections that may develop in the soft tissue.“Block copolymers can offer a
lot of benefits since they are designed to take advantage of the strengths of
individual polymers,” said Mikos.
“The block copolymer we used for our study was designed to
be able to take on water, become a gel at body temperature and slowly degrade
over the course of implantation.”The unique chemical properties of block
copolymers — said the researchers — make them an ideal drug delivery platform,
and scientists at Clemson University are developing time-released chemotherapy using similar
principles.In a study published in Biomedical Science, researchers tested their implant with the antibiotic colistin, which
was clinically discontinued in the seventies due to its risk of renal and
neurological side effects, but reintroduced recently as a last-line of defense
against antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
The researchers’ in vitro studies showed that the copolymer
continued to release the drug for up to 28 days.Though the thermogel was tested
with colistin, Mikos said the copolymer could be infused with other types of
antibiotics, as well.In 2013, the Department of Defense issued a $75 million grant to Rice University and the University of Texas Health and
Science Center (UTHealth) to investigate novel therapeutics for regenerative
medicine that could be useful to both soldiers and civilians.
We Are Not Into Smuggling Of Rice – Maifata
·
Chairman of the Umza International Farms LTD, Alhaji Mohammed
Abubakar Maifata on Sunday, December 27 2015 denied the involvement of his
company in smuggling of rice through land borders.
While reacting to a report titled: Inside the massive fraud in
Nigeria’s N117bn rice import quota scheme, he said instead, his company has
contributed immensely in enhancing the country’s local rice production through
its Kano plant.Maifata who is also the National President of Rice Processors
Association of Nigeria(RIPAN) said that the report was sponsored by some
foreign and local merchants who are all out to thwart the success being
recorded in the country’s rice value chain.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Maifata said “ It is most disheartening that Premium Times,
an online Newspaper claimed to have conducted an investigation into the alleged
massive fraud in the rice import quota and even went ahead to publish their
falsehood without even respecting the basic tenets of journalism of hearing
from the other side who were maligned by their malicious falsehood before
publication.
“ The
truth and the fact of this matter is that Umza International Milling Plant has
a current milling capacity of 72,000MT per annum and the company is currently
in the process of further increasing the milling capacity to about 120,000
metric tons per annum.“ In this vein, we challenge Premium Times, its
paymasters and sponsors to a working tour of Umza International Rice Milling
Plant in Kano at our expense in the company of independent experts from any
part of this world to determine the true capacity of our mill,” he said.He added that Umza Farms has been partnering with USAID
in the last three years to train and sponsor over 10,000 rice farmers.
He also shed some light on their partnership with Rice Farmers
Association in Kebbi State where Umza Farms has proven its investments in rice
value chain where they are currently working with farmers especially from Suru
Local Government Area in the cultivation of paddy.While making reference to the
report that Umza has been importing foreign rice from Thailand as laughable, he
said the record of his company on the importation of rice is very straight and well
documented with both the Nigerian Customs service and other relevant
organizations.
He added that Umza Farms has only imported rice in occasions
where the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were concerned
about the capacity of the local millers to meet the local rice
consumption/demand and had encouraged the local rice millers to import rice in
order to bridge the gap between what is locally produced and what is consumed.
He continued, “Outside these
occasions where Umza Farms is duly licensed to import rice for national
interest, Umza Farms has not and never imported rice as part of its core
business plan. Umza Farms is strictly a local rice milling plant and would
never dabble into rice importation as its ordinary business.“ It’s so unimaginable
to think that Umza Farms could be waging a war against its own business going
by the falsehood perpetrated by Premium Times when it maliciously and literally
stated in the said online publication that Umza Farms is involved in rice
smuggling,” Maifata said.
https://www.naij.com/679076-not-rice-smugglers-maifata-fires-back.html
Cambodia. Slight Decline in Rice Production in
2015
28.12.2015
Rice production declined slightly in 2015 due to drought in some
areas, according to estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and
Fisheries, but officials say this will not affect domestic supply or
exports.Cambodia produced 9.2 million tons of rice this year compared with 9.3
million tons of rice in 2014, according to preliminary data. Hean Vanhan,
deputy general director of general department of agriculture, said rice
production declined slightly because of drought in some areas.
However, there remains about 3 million tons of rice in stock, he
added.“It does not affect food security or exports,” Mr. Vanhan said. “In the
first six months the ministry of water resource predicts that it will be
raining less next year, so the ministry has alerted farmers to keep water to
grow their crops, and not to waste water.”Hun Lak, vice president of Cambodia Rice
Federation, said that a lack of water had taken its toll on this year’s
crop.“The Mekong River water level did not reach some irrigation systems, so
the production declined a little bit if compared with 2014. Overall the impact
is from climate change, and it affected not only Cambodia, but also Vietnam and
Thailand,” Mr. Lak said.
“However, it does not
affect exports because we produced a surplus of rice.”Var Saroeun, a farmer who
is a member of the Mongkol Agriculture Development Community in Battambang
province, said that yields this year would be less than last year due to
drought. “Rice yields are low this year, but we are continuing to grow rice for
the dry season,” Mr. Saroeun said. “Yields are not only low but the price
is lower than last year,” he said. Last year farmers received about $300 per
ton and this year they are getting $250 per ton. There will be little
relief in sight for rice farmers next year, as El Nino is expected to again
reduce rainfall over the first six months of the year.
“Cambodia was caught in between El Nino and La Nina for three
months in 2015, but was not much effected by the drought. El Nino happened once
in 2010, but did not result in as much harm as we expect in 2016,” ministry
spokesman Chan Yutha told Khmer Times last week.He said working groups were now
starting to reserve water in 14 provinces along the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers
into pools, to maintain a supply for farming across about 420,000 hectares in
case of emergency.
http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/cambodia-slight-decline-in-rice-production-in-2015
Rice farmers
looking at dry spell
Fri,
25 December 2015
Farmers and exporters have expressed concerns over an Agriculture
Ministry notice issued on Wednesday asking farmers to have only one harvest
this upcoming dry season because of water shortages across the country, given
that this could affect the paddy output next year.The ministry notice cited a prolonged El Niño period going into next year and suggested that farmers refrain from
planting a second rice crop, even if they had access to sufficient water.
Instead, the ministry said farmers could plant other less water-intensive
crops.“Farmers should not plant rice for a second time this dry season, because
it will consume more water,” said Eang Sophallet, spokesman of Ministry of
Agriculture.
“They should keep water for daily usage and start farming crops
that do not need much water.”Given the drought conditions in certain parts of the country, Sophallet said the ministry
will cooperate with farmers on conserving water and help them with planting
other crops.“It will impact slightly the livelihood of farmers and the rice
industry. Based on the estimates the impact will be only 1 per cent on
exports,” Sophallet said.Som Song, director of Chamroeurn Phal Raingkesey
agriculture community in Battambang, said farmers were aware of the low water
levels and drought-like conditions, but were worried if they could not plant a
second rice crop.“The water channel and ponds in the commune are drying, and it
will dry up by February,” he said, “I hope that the government will dig the
deep well for us, but I am still worried.
”According to Song, 90 per cent of the people, which was around
2,000 families, in his commune were dependent on rice farming and restrictions
on planting a second crop could affect their incomes. He added that planting a
new type of crop was easier said than done.“We do not have the experience to
grow other crops and it is not in our interests to do it because it will be difficult
to payback our loans,” he said, “Most young farmers will have to leave and work
outside the province again.”Song Saran, CEO of rice exporter Amru Rice, said
the reduction in production will affect the output of white rice, which is
expected to be harvested in the next two weeks.He added that this could also
impact the price of white rice in the market – a product which is already
facing intense competition from Myanmar rice exports.
“The drought will impact exports because we will have the
shortage of white rice, which is in high demand in the market and the price
will increase,” Saran said.He added that farmers normally have more paddy than
can be bought by rice millers, which they stored and then sold to neighbouring
countries.This additional income, he said, will become more difficult to earn
if farmers are unable to grow and store enough rice.Srey Chanthy, an
independent economist specialising in agriculture, said that with almost 80 per
cent of the workforce dependent on rice farming, there was a greater need for
better irrigational facilities, which could lessen the effects of the El
Niño.“Farmers have no choice but to do rice farming, because they do not know
the technicalities of other crops and the land conditions may not be conducive
as well,” he said, adding that in such a situation farming communities will see
more people moving to the cities to work in garment factories.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-farmers-looking-dry-spell
Indonesia to See Longer Famine as Grand Harvest Delayed
Tempo/Aditia Noviansyah
SATURDAY, 26 DECEMBER, 2015 | 18:44 WIBTEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) said that the grand
harvest, which was previously scheduled in March 2016, could be delayed due to
a long dry season that hit the country in mid-2015.“[The grand harvest] could
be delayed for two months. It means that the grand harvest will fall in April
or May [2016],” Bulog’s procurement director Wahyu told Tempo on
Saturday, December 26, 2015.Wahyu revealed that the prediction was resulted in
a meeting between Bulog and West Java farmers on Monday, December 21, 2015.
According to Wahyu, about 250 farmers expressed their concerns that they might
not be able to conduct harvest on time, since the rainy season had been long
due.
Wahyu calculated that if West Java started to plant rice in
December, the first harvest would occur in March 2016.“Based on information
that I received, only few areas had started to plant rice, while others might
start next month,” he added.Former Bulog president director Sutarto Alimoeso
said that a delayed grand harvest would mean a longer famine period.“Normally,
the famine occurred in January-February. Now, it could be until March,”
Sutarto, who now serves as Rice Sellers Association chairman, said.Sutarto
suggested the government to anticipate the condition and ensure the minimum
rice stock would be sufficient until the grand harvest.“If [the rice stock] is
not enough, Bulog’s rice import license must be extended in order to control
the market,” he said.
http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2015/12/26/056730836/Indonesia-to-See-Longer-Famine-as-Grand-Harvest-Delayed
Vietnam's rice crops yield higher despite El Nino
Impacts
of the El Nino phenomenon do not shrivel Vietnam’s this year rice production
which is estimated at about 45.2 million tonnes, 230,000 tonnes higher than the
yearly target.
The El Nino pattern in 2015 and 2016 will be as serious
as the record pattern, 1997 to 1998, but it will be longer and cover a wider
area.It was heard at a
conference to review performance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development (MARD) in 2015 in Hanoi on December 24.Around 50,000 hectares of
land for rice cultivation in the central region were hit by severe droughts
this year, of which 10,000 hectares had to be shifted to more drought-resistant
crops, Ma Quang Trung, head of the ministry’s Cultivation Department,
said.Meanwhile, more than 9,000 rice hectares in southern provinces have been
seriously affected by saltwater intrusion, he added.
Yet average output rose by 0.1 percent to 57.7 quintals
per hectare, making up for the damaged areas.The increase was attributed to
timely weather forecasts and accurate analysis of the situation from the
ministry.In addition, maize output surged by 378,000 tonnes to 50.54 million
tonnes this year.The ministry also reported the country has earned 82.5 million
VND (3,661 USD) per hectare of cultivable land, up 3.8 million VND from 2014.It
plans to turn more rice-growing areas to maize farming areas in response to
climate change.According to the National Hydro-Meteorological Service, the El
Nino pattern in 2015 and 2016 will be as serious as the record pattern, 1997 to
1998, but it will be longer and cover a wider area.The rainy season began later
and will end earlier than in previous years. Rainfall is also predicted to be
much lower than average.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/149261/vietnam-s-rice-crops-yield-higher-despite-el-nino.html
After bumper paddy crop,
Punjab seeks more funds from RBI
IANS
| Chandigarh December 26, 2015
Last Updated at 18:00 IST
Bank
stocks make significant gains; Yes Bank jumps 8 pcBank stocks up on govt steps
to address NPAsBank stocks witness selling, down up to 3%Standard Chartered
cuts base rate by 0.25 pcGovt infuses Rs 13,955 cr capital into 8 PSU banks.The
Punjab government has sought enhancement of credit limit from the Reserve Bank
of India so that payment could be made to farmers in view of the bumper paddy
production in the agrarian state this year which led to higher procurement by
government agencies.
State
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adaish Partap Singh Kairon on Saturday said
the RBI had sanctioned a limit of Rs.18,972 crore for paddy procurement this
year. This was later enhanced to Rs.20,608 crore.The minister, who had a
meeting with a delegation of arhtiyas (commission agents) here on Saturday,
said the Punjab government has urged the RBI to enhance the limit to Rs.25,225
crore so that pending payments to arhtiyas and farmers could be
released.Against the 119 lakh tonnes of paddy procured last year, government
agencies procured over 140 lakh tonnes of paddy this season (October 1 to
December 15).
Kairon
assured the arhtiya federation that payments would be made latest by January
8.Following the minister's assurance, Vijay Kalra, president of the Federation
of Arhtiya Association, agreed to call off the protest rally planned on
December 28 at Jagraon, 40 km from Ludhiana.With just 1.54 percent of the
country's geographical area, Punjab contributes over 50 percent of food grains
to the national kitty.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/after-bumper-paddy-crop-punjab-seeks-more-funds
Liberia: Rice Yield Pleases Nimba Farmers
By Ishmael F.
Menkor
As this year's farming season
comes to a close, farmers in Nimba County have expressed satisfaction with the
high production levels of rice in the county.This year's rice production has
been described by many farmers as one of the best in several years, with
harvesting still continuing since the end of August.Reports reaching the Daily
Observer from the southern part of Nimba said harvesting is still continuing
owing to the high yields, leaving most of the villagers very busy during this
festive season.
"For several years, the rice
farming season has been very satisfactory and we have been able to harvest more
rice. And still harvesting is going on as we speak," said farmer Harris
Leweh.
The price of rice has reduced
considerably in many towns and villages from L$ 80 per kilogram to L$
60.Farmers have explained that the high production in rice was due to the
change in the weather with the cultivation period falling in line with the
rainy season.There is a high yield in lowland rice farming across the county
and presently, harvesting has begun in many of the lowland rice farms.According
to some of the farmers, the high yield also is the result of early cultivation
which began in May and ended in July
http://allafrica.com/stories/201512240552.html
Rabi rice production in current fiscal is
expected to be higher by 3.5%
Sutanuka Ghosal, ET Bureau Dec
24, 2015, 03.38PM IST
"However, prices would trade firm moving ahead owing to
depleting stocks with government and in the free market. Rice stocks in central pool as on September
1, 2015 is pegged at 16.31 mn tons against 21.65 tons of same period last
year," the report says.The Edelweiss reports says that drier weather and
below normal rainfall during June-September season could reduce the acreage
marginally in West Bengal, the largest producer of rice, in the upcoming rabi
season. Acreage is expected at 12.36 lakh hectares as against 12.75 lakh
hectares of last season. In Andhra the acreage will be higher by 6.1% and
Odisha the acreage for Rabi paddy could increase marginally by 1.7%.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-12-24/news/69282414_1_rice-production-rice-stocks-non-basmati-rice
Nigeria: Senate to Probe Alleged N117 Billion Rice Import Scam
By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja
ALTHOUGH the dust raised by move
to recover some N30 billion lost to the rice import waiver granted by the last
administration is yet to settle, the attention of the
country's Senate is being attracted by another
allegation of high level fraud in the business.The
Senate, it was learnt might set up an ad-hoc committee when it resumes early
next month to investigate the rice smuggling allegation believed to have made
the country lose huge sums of money amounting to N117 billion.A
motion to that effect, according to sources in the National Assembly, is
already being processed to be moved on the first week of resumption from the new
year break.Some highly entrenched interests known in
the rice industry are alleged to have sabotaged a rice policy initiated by
President Goodluck Jonathan to boost local rice production just to sustain
their business interests.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201512280071.html
Rice miller urges campaign to cut
food waste
Co explained that it takes about
two months for imports from Thailand and Vietnam to be collected, shipped and
then delivered to the National Food Authority (NFA), so this means that the
grains agency only has four months with which to turn over the stock to
consumers.Beyond six months, rice deteriorates, particularly grain that has
been bombarded with herbicides, pesticides and nematicides, and which could
even be heavy with arsenic.Aside from losing 10 percent during post-harvest,
government estimates the rice wastage to be anywhere from 10 percent to 20
percent, Co noted. "This might look better compared to the 33.3 percent in
food waste at the dinner tables, but is still significant, considering the fact
that more than 23% of the Philippine population is dirt-poor.
"While the poor used to eat
rice with their hands, they now have to use spoons since the rice they consume
is actually porridge," Co stressed.One option to reduce rice wastage at
the dinner table is to cut back on rice consumption and increase the share of
vegetables, fish and meat that can be produced in rice farms nationwide, he
argued.This option was proposed by former Philippine Rice Research Institute
(PhilRice) executive director Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco during a lecture at the Southeast
Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca)
in November.Co said the Rasco system involves the use of rice paddies as fish
ponds, where ducks could also be raised, along with the cultivation of mongo,
sweet potato, cabbage, pechay and lentils to provide a more rounded selection
of nutrients to the diet."What we now see is the heavy consumption of rice
by a huge segment of the population, with people adding soy sauce of patis and
salt as substitute to the viand.
This, of course, is
unhealthy," Co rued.While the poor are making do with unhealthy meals, Co
said, those who can afford to spend also tend to throw more kitchen waste into
the garbage bin.The turnover in wasted food alone, Co stressed, accounts for 7%
of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on an estimate made by the World
Resources Institute (WRI).Wasted food, studies by the University of the
Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) revealed, accounts for the loss of 25 percent
of calories and 25 percent of the water used in food production.Co said that
Filipino food chains, restaurants and food processors, along with supermarkets,
wet markets and other institutions, would do well "to promote a diet that
is ethical, healthy and ecologically-sustainable."Mitigating
post-harvest losses is one way of improving conservation of food resources.
File photograph by Bernard Testa,
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/121971/rice-miller-urges-campaign-to-cut-food-waste
Indonesia still needs to import food in 2016
Senin, 28 Desember 2015 12:36 WIB |
Pewarta: Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Although it claims to have
had a surplus of rice in 2015, Indonesia still imported rice throughout the
year and will continue to import food items such as rice, beef and raw sugar in
2016.According to Trade Minister Thomas Lembong, the government will still face
difficulties in avoiding the need to import food in 2016 because it needs to
maintain supplies to prevent food price hikes throughout the country.He said he
was not yet satisfied, because of the upward trend of food prices. So, he will
not be able to prevent food from being imported to strengthen stocks and meet
domestic needs, while waiting for larger agricultural harvests in the coming
several years.
Based on monitoring in the field, the medium-quality
price of rice has now reached Rp10,675 per kilogram (kg), which increased from
Rp8,939 per kg in September, while the normal price is approximately Rp8,300
per kg. Minister Thomas said Indonesia could continue importing food, as
it has a high surplus in its balance of trade, reaching about seven to nine
billion US dollars in 2015.
"Indonesia's trade balance had a high surplus in 2015, which provides room for food imports. We should maintain an equilibrium so that the balance would not be too sharp and food prices would not rise too high," Thomas said, on the sidelines of preparations for National Christmas celebrations in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara on Sunday (Dec. 27).Thomas noted that with the trade surplus of seven to nine billion US dollars in 2015, there is still a chance to import food, in a bid to prevent food price increases at home.Therefore, the government has decided to import rice in 2016, while waiting for food production at home to become adequate to meet local needs.
"The President and Vice President have stated several times that becoming self-sufficient in food supplies is a mid-term target. We need time to overcome the problem from its fundamental root, such as through developing dams, irrigation and logistics," noted Thomas.
He added that those food items that will still need to be imported in 2016 are rice, beef, in the form of feedlot cattle, and raw sugar. For feedlot cattle, Indonesia is expected to import some 700 to 800 heads, while it is hoped to import over three million tons of raw sugar.
"It is not yet a final figure. I am also convinced that there will be imports of rice again, apart from 1.5 million tons that had been agreed upon last September," the minister said.The government is still making calculations about the volume of rice to be imported in 2016, he added.Rice imports will be made because rice planting seasons in the country were shifted after the El Nino weather phenomenon hit the country this year. The government has since decided to import 1.5 million tons of rice. But up until now, the volume that has been imported had not yet reached one million tons. So, the remaining rice is expected to arrive during the first quarter of 2016.
Thomas said that although there is still rice to be imported in the first quarter, the government will continue to need to import even more rice, apart from that agreed this year, to reinforce stocks in 2016.Some time ago, the minister said, the government decided to import 1.5 million tons of rice from Thailand and Vietnam. The government was even seeking new supplier countries, such as Pakistan.The decision to import rice led certain parties to cast doubts on the accuracy of the country's rice production data. Through its Director General for Food Crops Plantation, Hasil Sembiring, the Ministry of Agriculture claimed that the countrys rice production included a surplus in 2015.
"Indonesia's trade balance had a high surplus in 2015, which provides room for food imports. We should maintain an equilibrium so that the balance would not be too sharp and food prices would not rise too high," Thomas said, on the sidelines of preparations for National Christmas celebrations in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara on Sunday (Dec. 27).Thomas noted that with the trade surplus of seven to nine billion US dollars in 2015, there is still a chance to import food, in a bid to prevent food price increases at home.Therefore, the government has decided to import rice in 2016, while waiting for food production at home to become adequate to meet local needs.
"The President and Vice President have stated several times that becoming self-sufficient in food supplies is a mid-term target. We need time to overcome the problem from its fundamental root, such as through developing dams, irrigation and logistics," noted Thomas.
He added that those food items that will still need to be imported in 2016 are rice, beef, in the form of feedlot cattle, and raw sugar. For feedlot cattle, Indonesia is expected to import some 700 to 800 heads, while it is hoped to import over three million tons of raw sugar.
"It is not yet a final figure. I am also convinced that there will be imports of rice again, apart from 1.5 million tons that had been agreed upon last September," the minister said.The government is still making calculations about the volume of rice to be imported in 2016, he added.Rice imports will be made because rice planting seasons in the country were shifted after the El Nino weather phenomenon hit the country this year. The government has since decided to import 1.5 million tons of rice. But up until now, the volume that has been imported had not yet reached one million tons. So, the remaining rice is expected to arrive during the first quarter of 2016.
Thomas said that although there is still rice to be imported in the first quarter, the government will continue to need to import even more rice, apart from that agreed this year, to reinforce stocks in 2016.Some time ago, the minister said, the government decided to import 1.5 million tons of rice from Thailand and Vietnam. The government was even seeking new supplier countries, such as Pakistan.The decision to import rice led certain parties to cast doubts on the accuracy of the country's rice production data. Through its Director General for Food Crops Plantation, Hasil Sembiring, the Ministry of Agriculture claimed that the countrys rice production included a surplus in 2015.
He said Indonesia had a rice production surplus in
the October 2014 - October 2015 period because it did not import rice for
public consumption during the period."Rice production had a surplus. This
is the best achievement over the past five years," Hasil Sembiring said in
Jakarta last November 27.In October 2014, state logistics board Bulogs rice
stock was 1.7 million tons, which included imports of 800 thousand tons. But in
October 2015, without optimal absorption during the peak of the grand harvest
in the January - May 2015 period, Bulogs rice stock remained at 1.7 million
tons, he said.
He added that the surplus was reached, even though
there was an increase in the population by 3.7 million, who consumed 460
thousand tons of rice. "Although Indonesia was hit by strong El Nino, rice
increased to 1.26 million tons from that in 2014," he said.In 1998, with
strong El Nino (1.9 percent intensity), Indonesia was forced to import 7.1
million tons of rice. At that time, the size of Indonesia's population was only
202 million.But in 2015, the population reached 252 million, with an El Nino
intensity of 2.4 percent. In such a condition, Indonesia should have imported
9.0 million tons of rice, but instead had a stock of 1.3 million tons, the
director general said.
Responding to those parties who cast doubts about the ministrys data, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said his ministry, along with other agencies, will improve agricultural data to assure accurate figures are available about the nation's rice output."If the data is correct, but the production method is wrong, this will be useless," he noted, after inaugurating the Horticulture Carnival Festival 2015 at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture in Bogor, West Java, on November 29.The minister urged Indonesian farmers to give priority to improving rice production and provide correct data to the government. Hasil Sembiring said earlier that his office had not yet received data about national rice production.
Responding to those parties who cast doubts about the ministrys data, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said his ministry, along with other agencies, will improve agricultural data to assure accurate figures are available about the nation's rice output."If the data is correct, but the production method is wrong, this will be useless," he noted, after inaugurating the Horticulture Carnival Festival 2015 at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture in Bogor, West Java, on November 29.The minister urged Indonesian farmers to give priority to improving rice production and provide correct data to the government. Hasil Sembiring said earlier that his office had not yet received data about national rice production.
He added that it is the Central Statistics Agency
(BPS) that issues data about rice production. The ministry has, so far, only
gathered data from the agriculture chain and then reported this information to
the BPS, which has personnel available through the sub-district level.According
to data from the BPS, Indonesia was expected to harvest 75 million tons of dry
unhusked rice, equal to 43.940 million tons of rice in 2015.However, the agency
later revised downward rice production data to 74.99 million tons due to the El
Nino-induced drought.
Despite being revised, data from the Agricultural
Ministry shows that Indonesias rice consumption this year will reach 33.36
million tons. Thus, the country will see a surplus of rice production.Yet,
Indonesia will continue to import rice, causing some parties to cast doubt
about the accuracy of rice production data provided by the BPS.(*)
PRESIDENT
KOROMA OF SIERRA LEONE SACKS SENIOR MINISTERS
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 28
December 2015
‘Out with the old and in with the new, as the New Year rolls.’
President Koroma has this afternoon sacked some of his most senior, closest and
trusted ministers in a surprise and unexpected shakeup of his cabinet.
In a typical move reminiscent of former president Siaka Stevens,
Koroma made his changes just days after sacking another of his trusted and
loyal ministers – the housing minister Musa Tarawallie, a former senior
opposition SLPP executive who cross-carpeted to the ruling APC.Today’s
announcement sees the sacking of Attorney General Frank Kargbo, after making several
major legal gaffs, which not only brought the government into disrepute, but
caused embarrassment for the president.Frank Kargbo has been replaced by the
head of the Anti-Corruption Commission – Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, who many in
Sierra Leone say has not done enough to curb corruption in high places and to
change the image of the country from being one of the most corrupt in the
continent.
But after languishing in the corridors of State House and making
very little impact on the governance of the country, president Koroma has today
promoted Professor Jones to head the ministry of agriculture, to help the
government achieve its national food security objective.
Gone with the old also, is a minister many in Sierra Leone would
describe as a total failure. He is Dr. Sam Sesay, the minister of agriculture
who has been replaced by ‘Dr. Rice’.
Analysts would say that president Koroma has been playing
politics, and therefore too slow in making this important change at the
ministry of agriculture, which could have seen Sierra Leone become
self-sufficient in food.
The Sierra Leone Telegraph has been reliably informed about
allegations of serious corruption at the ministry of agriculture with Dr. Sesay
at the helm, as millions of dollars meant for developing the country’s farming
sector
remain unaccounted for.It is unlikely Dr. Sesay (Photo) will be investigated by the
Anti-Corruption Commission, as Sesay now becomes an adviser to president
Koroma. ‘Case closed’ as they in Freetown.Appointments to the position of
presidential adviser in Sierra Leone must not be envied. It is a
non-constitutional office that sits outside the cabinet, and hence does not
carry the authority and power of cabinet minister. Some previous appointees to the office of presidential adviser
have disappeared into political oblivion, such as the controversial former
minister of transport – Kemoh Sesay, who was sacked by president Koroma after
embroiling the Koroma government in an international cocaine case in
2008.Another senior ruling party grandee who was sacked by president Koroma and
then appointed as presidential adviser, is the former information minister IB
Kargbo.
And after several years of redundancy in that office, Kargbo decided
to enter parliament and was elected as an MP two weeks ago to represent
Bombali.But the big question the Sierra Leone Telegraph is asking tonight is,
who will replace Joseph Kamara at the Anti-Corruption Commission?
Did he stumble, or was he sat upon by the powers from above to
allow ruling party members of parliament to have their own way?
The Report had “recommend that steps be taken for those
responsible for the acts of violence in Freetown and Gendema to be relieved of
their responsibilities and barred from holding any public office for a period
of at least 5 (five) years. The Mayor of Freetown, Herbert George Williams, and
the Resident Minister South Musa Tarawallie are being specifically
mentioned.”In his white paper produced three years after the Report was
published as Attorney General, Frank Kargbo wrote that the government “however
regrets its inability to legally effect that recommendation, as the banning of
citizens from holding public office (other than by law) recommended by the
Commission is not provided for in the laws of Sierra Leone………In the case of the
Mayor of Freetown, Herbert George Williams, he was duly elected by popular vote
for a term of four years. This mandate cannot therefore be overturned by the
government through administrative action.”
Musa Tarawallie (Photo) not only stayed in office as a government minister, but was later moved from internal affairs responsible for the police force to become the minister of lands. He was sacked last week by president Koroma and is being investigated for corruption.Former Mayor of Freetown Herbert George Williams, named and shamed in the Report, could also have been in office today, had he not thrown himself under the bus, after he was found guilty of corruption by the courts.But perhaps the biggest gaff committed by Attorney General Frank Kargbo, was his failure to give proper advice to the president in accordance with the constitution, when the president decided unilaterally to sack vice president Sam Sumana.
Although president Koroma won the case with the help of the
Supreme Court judges who decided to take a political perspective of the
argument, rather than relying on the legal interpretation of the constitution,
Sierra Leone remains divided over the manner in which the president sacked the
country’s vice president, because of poor advice from the Attorney General.
Another gaff that has come to define Frank Kargbo as an
ineffective Attorney General, was his unconscionable decision to grant the
ministry of finance and the ministry of transport the judicial clearance to
unlawfully spend $12 million to purchase 50 public buses on credit, from a
Chinese company without first informing parliament and without going out to
competitive tender.
This Busgate corruption scandal, has also cast an indelible
stain on the government’s so called zero tolerance for corruption and its
commitment to the enforcement of the rule of law.With the Supreme Court
comprising of some of the most experienced of Judges in the country – Acting
Chief Justice Valesius Thomas, Nicolas Browne-Marke, Eku Roberts, Vivian
Solomon and Patrick Hamilton, all from the minority Creole tribe in Sierra
Leone, there was expectation today that president Koroma was going to appoint a
substantive Chief Justice from among their number.
But there was disappointment today, as president Koroma failed
to reward the Judges that got him out of jail (metaphorically) to continue at
State House as president, after he had violated the country’s constitution by
unilaterally sacking the vice president.President Koroma has instead appointed
an outsider – High Court Judge Justice Hamid Abdulai Charm as Chief Justice,
relieving the outgoing Acting Chief Justice Valesius Thomas who officially
retired in October 2015.
Many questions will be asked about the failure of president
Koroma to appoint Justice Nicholas Browne Marke, who has on several occasions
deputised in the absence of the Acting Chief Justice. Is president Koroma
repeating the same mistakes made by Siaka Stevens and Joseph Momoh?
Whatever the answer, there are sections of the Creole community
in Sierra Leone who today may feel aggrieved and will no doubt accuse president
Koroma of tribalism.
What do we know about Justice Abdulai Hamid Charm?
Sierra Leone failed to gain the compact status because of corruption
in high places and poor governance, which the ministry of finance has largely
failed to curb.Marah presented his 2016 Budget to parliament last month amid
cheer from ruling party members of parliament, and there was no sign of trouble
in the camp. But it is understood that key ministries are unhappy with the
tighter financial controls that finance minister Marah was proposing to
introduce to curb unnecessary departmental spending.
But even before the Ebola crisis, all has not been well with the
economy despite the government boasting of a 15% GDP growth, which was largely
made possible by a one-off surge in iron ore production and export in
2011.Research conducted by the Sierra Leone Telegraph, shows that prior to this
period, the economy had been teetering on the margins of slow decline as
household incomes fell, inflation rose, unemployment increased and poverty
grew.Marah has not been replaced but an unknown and untested pair of hands –
Patrick Saidu Conteh, who little is known about in the world of international
finance and governance has joined the ministry of finance as minister of
state.Conteh was the Deputy Managing Director of the Sierra Leone Commercial
Bank (which is owned by government) from 1996 to 2014.
But in 2013, Conteh (Photo) was embroiled in a corruption scandal
along with the Managing Director of Commercial Bank – Crispin Deigh, for
defrauding state funds. According to police both were indicted for accepting a
Lexus Jeep registration number – AEW 240 and a Mercedes Jeep registration
number AEW 242 respectively, from a Mr. Kabba Khalu without record of payment
for the vehicles.According to the court charges involving the two and several
others, the particulars of offence stated that on dates unknown between 3rd
April and 20th May 2013 in Freetown, they failed to report within two days to
the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Bank of Sierra Leone a suspicious
personal introduction of Kabba Khalu.
Count seven of the same case stated that on dates unknown
between 3rd April and 20th May 2013 in Freetown they conspired with other
persons unknown to defraud the Commercial Bank the sum of Le 821.19m.But in
September 2013, in a rather bizarre twist to this case, the government decided
on a nolle prosequi, when the Director of Public Prosecution Suleiman Bah –
representing the state, informed the court that the prosecution will be
offering no evidence against the accused and as a result, asked the Court to
discharge Conteh and Deigh on all charges.
The foreign ministry too has not been spared. Both Dr. Samura
Kamara – minister of foreign affairs, and his deputy Mrs. Ebun (Jusu)
Strasser-King have today been sacked and replaced by Dr. Mohamed Gibril Sesay
and Isata Kabia respectively.Dr. Samura (Photo) had lost his moral right to heading
the ministry of foreign affairs when he publicly started job hunting last year,
especially for the role of head of the African Development Bank, which he lost
due to poor financial track record and lack of experience.Dr. Samura who says
he is friend of Tony Blair, will be remembered as the minister who also
publicly said on BBC TV, that Sierra Leone would be better off being managed by
the British, as the Koroma government cannot cope with the governance
responsibilities.This was followed by calls for his sacking, but president
Koroma decided to do so in his own time.Today, president Koroma said there are
more surprised announcements to be made later. So watch this space.The question
remains though: Will Haja Kallah Kamara – the head of the National Revenue Authority
(NRA) be called to take control of the Anti-Corruption Commission?
After all, she has proven that she can take tough and unpopular
decisions, such as bringing tax defaulters and dodgers to book, to help boost
the country’s revenue through tax collection.Sources close to the presidency
told the Sierra Leone Telegraph tonight that, those senior ministers that have
been relieved of their jobs, have failed to give up their presidential
ambitions and are also strongly against president Koroma’s campaign to stay in
office for a third term
http://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/?p=1113
Organic agriculture key to Bicol’s sterling achievements in rice
production
Submitted by Vox Bikol on Tue, 12/29/2015 - 10:51
PILI, Camarines Sur, Dec. 28 (PNA) – Year 2015
saw Bicol maintaining its dramatic feat in sustainable farming first noticed in
2013 when the region was cited as the country’s top organic rice
producer.Sustainable agriculture, more popularly known as organic farming, is
an integrated system of plant and animal production practices
having a site-specific application that
last over the long term.It provides or secure human with safe and nutritious
food, enhances the quality of environment based upon which the agricultural
economy relies and makes efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm
resources that are integrated into natural biological cycles and conditions.
The system also makes farm operations
economically viable and enhances the quality of life of farmers and the
community or society as a whole and the success achieved by Bicol in this field
is part of the Aquino administration’s implementation of Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture
Act (OAA) of 2010.The region’s adoption of organic agriculture based on the OAA
-- which aims to enrich soil fertility, reduce pollution and farming’s
environmental destruction, prevent natural resources depletion, save on
imported fertilizer, and protect the health of farmers and consumers alike -- has been a proven approach for
increasing productivity and income.
Indeed, the Department of Agriculture’s (DA)
Bicol regional office gave this year more attention to the region’s organic
farming communities from where the country owes around 74 percent of its
organic rice production.According DA Regional Executive Director Abelardo Bragas, Bicol
also contributed 44 percent to the country’s overall production of other
organic crops owing to their expansion of organic farming with the Php6-million
upland farming project that boosts the region’s hefty contribution.Under
this project, the region’s organically-produced upland rice was further
developed for its market potential as some of these traditional strains have
been reported to outperform some modern rice varieties.
The advantage of these traditional varieties is
in higher grain production and drought tolerance which has become a critical
trait amid the prevailing climate change threats.Upland rice varieties
generally have an average yield of only one to two metric tons per hectare, but
selected Bicol varieties which the DA projects use in reviving vast upland rice
farms in the region exceed such yield average.Based on a report of the
International Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Bicol had 63,699 hectares of
upland farms, some of it rendered idle by unfavorable weather conditions and
pest in the past.
DA’s development of the region’s upland rice is
very timely as these varieties have the potential to withstand higher
temperature and less water supply which is needed amid the threatening climate
condition.Upland rice production is ideal since it can make up for any
shortfalls in flood-prone lowland irrigated areas.This is specifically during
wet season cropping when flooding in lowland prevails.Hence, uplands are now
rice production frontier in Bicol showing improved yield through enhanced
varieties and cultural management practices that suit the soil, climatic and social conditions.
The DA started it all from its establishing in
2012 of a technology demonstration farm in the nearby Bula town from where the
agency took off with its project for the revitalization of organic agriculture
in the region.Established within the vast agricultural property that the
Pecuaria Development Cooperative Inc. (PDCI) is tending in Barangay Lapigna,
Bula, the one-hectare demo farm has
been planted to organic and aromatic rice varieties called JM2 and Basmati.
The experimental farm located within the
800-hectare Pecuaria Rice Central also grows traditional varieties such as RC
160 and RC 18.RC 160 is a high-yielding variety developed by the Central Luzon
State University while the MS 16 (Maligaya Special), which has good eating
quality, is from the PhilRice.Since then, until now, the project has made PDCI
the leading single producer of organic rice in Bicol and
among the five certified
organic collaborators
chosen by the DA nationwide for the Development of National Organic Rice Seed
Production Systems with Informal Sector.The seeds produced from this techno
demo farm is being procured by the DA and distributed as starter seeds to
farmers engaged in organic rice production.The project is one of the DA’s
programs and projects for the promotion of sustainable agriculture.
“This is a model farm that demonstrates the
unity of Bicolano farmers evidenced by the success of PDCI towards the region’s
commendable rate of rice production,” Bragas said.DA’s revitalization of
organic agriculture in Bicol and the entire country is part of the Aquino
administration’s National Rice Program being implemented for increased
production towards rice-self sufficiency of the country and more income for
Filipino farmers to liberate them from the bondage of poverty.Apart from the
PDCI organic agriculture demo farm, a four-hectare rice farm established in
Barangay Binanuanan Sur here by Carmela Cervantes,
a faculty-researcher at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, is
another feather added to the cap of the region’s organic farming initiative.
The farm certified by the Organic Certification
Center of the Philippines is now a popular destination of people who want to
learn and adopt organic farm systems serving as a
laboratory cum training farm showcasing sustainable agriculture through natural
farming technologies.The farm keeps a collection of 20 traditional rice
cultivars which is being mass-produced and using modern rice varieties like RC
18 and NSIC 222 which they found to perform well under organic production
systems that give them average yield of 100 cavans of palay per hectare.It also
produces organic seeds which are made available other organic rice farmers in
the province. (PNA) FPV/FGS/DOC/CBD
http://www.voxbikol.com/article/20151229/organic-agriculture-key-bicol%E2%80%99s-sterling
Moving rice mountain by 2017 seen
as struggle
- 25 Dec
2015 at 12:01
- WRITER: REUTERS
The government will struggle
to offload by a 2017 deadline some 14 million tonnes of rice in state
warehouses left over from the previous government’s rice-pledging scheme,
traders and exporters say.The military regime inherited 18.7 million tonnes of
rice built up under during the subsidy programme and has since held 12
auctions, offloading about 5 million tonnes of rice worth 50.1 billion baht.The
junta earlier this year set a target to offload the remaining 13.7 million
tonnes by 2017, including 6 million tonnes of spoiled rice that the commerce
ministry says is no longer fit for human consumption.
The disposals have been a headache for the
government, which is also trying to appease rice farmers accustomed to
government subsidies and minimum prices that were sometimes double the market
rate.The rice in state warehouses is more than three times the amount imported
in 2014 by top consumer China, according to US Department of Agriculture
statistics, and rice traders and exporters doubt it can be cleared by
2017."I don't think it's possible, but even if it is, offloading that much
rice within a short time will have a negative effect on market prices,"
said Supachai Vorraapinyaporn, president of Tanasan Rice Group, the country's
third-biggest rice exporter.
"It will also encourage bidders to delay
bids and wait to purchase rice at even lower prices in the next
auctions."One rice trader, who declined to be named because he did not
want to be seen as critical of the state, said the government's goal was
"unrealistic".At its last auction, the government sold 37,400 tonnes
of rice worth 198.2 million baht for industrial uses such as ethanol
production.Mr Supachai said the government should change its strategy and sell
according to demand. The government says, however, that it is prudent about
when it holds auctions."We're trying to be careful with timings to not
affect market prices", Duangporn Rodphaya, chief of the foreign trade
department at the Commerce Ministry, told reporters on Tuesday.The ministry's
permanent secretary, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, said the government will meet its
deadline."We're still on track," she said.In January, a
military-appointed legislature impeached ousted former prime minister Yingluck
Shinawatra for negligence over a government rice scheme that distorted markets
and built up massive stockpiles
The Bangkok Post
Commodity Report-December 29
Published December 28, 2015
In today’s commodity report we
have the National Weekly Rice Summary, the California Shell Eggs: Daily Egg
Report and other commodity end of the day market numbers.
National Weekly
Rice Summary
In California, medium grain
milled rice prices steady to weak. Second heads and Brewers prices steady. Rice
by-products: Rice Bran prices mostly steady. Ground rice hulls spot trade
lightly tested, mostly all hulls already sold.
California
Shell Eggs: Daily Egg Report
|
RANGE
|
|
|
JUMBO
|
241
|
|
EXTRA LARGE
|
209
|
|
LARGE
|
205
|
|
MEDIUM
|
160
|
Now Monday’s
Commodity Market ending market numbers for other commodities:
Corn
March Corn ended at $3.61 losing 3 1/2 cents, May ended at $3.67 3/4 down 3 cents.
Soybeans
January Soybeans ended at 8.65 down 10 1/4 cents, March ended at 8.62 1/4 decreasing 11 3/4 cents.
Wheat
March Wheat ended at $4.66 1/2, decreasing 1 cent, December Wheat ended at $4.73 1/4 dropping 1 1/4 cent.
Rough Rice
January Rough Rice ended at 11.06 gaining 0.24, March ended at 11.325 up 0.25.
Live Cattle
December Live Cattle ended at $130.85 decreasing $0.25 and February ended at $136.15 down $0.875 and April ended at $137.375 losing $0.65.
Feeder Cattle
January Feeder Cattle ended at $162.65 losing $0.825 and March ended at $158.975 decreasing $1.15 and April ended at $159.875 down $0.775.
Lean Hogs
February Lean Hogs ended at $59.125 increasing $0.825, April ended at $66.05 up $0.975
Class III Milk
December Class III Milk ended at $14.47 down $0.01, January ended at $13.69 increasing $0.35 and February ended at $13.85 gaining $0.44.
#2 Cotton
March #2 Cotton ending at 63.97 gaining 0.31, May ended at 64.72 up 0.37.
Sugar #11
March sugar #11 ended at 14.76 down $0.30 and May ended at 14.40 decreasing 0.29.
Orange Juice
January Orange Juice ended at 150.40 gaining $2.10, March ending at 149.95 up $2.95.
March Corn ended at $3.61 losing 3 1/2 cents, May ended at $3.67 3/4 down 3 cents.
Soybeans
January Soybeans ended at 8.65 down 10 1/4 cents, March ended at 8.62 1/4 decreasing 11 3/4 cents.
Wheat
March Wheat ended at $4.66 1/2, decreasing 1 cent, December Wheat ended at $4.73 1/4 dropping 1 1/4 cent.
Rough Rice
January Rough Rice ended at 11.06 gaining 0.24, March ended at 11.325 up 0.25.
Live Cattle
December Live Cattle ended at $130.85 decreasing $0.25 and February ended at $136.15 down $0.875 and April ended at $137.375 losing $0.65.
Feeder Cattle
January Feeder Cattle ended at $162.65 losing $0.825 and March ended at $158.975 decreasing $1.15 and April ended at $159.875 down $0.775.
Lean Hogs
February Lean Hogs ended at $59.125 increasing $0.825, April ended at $66.05 up $0.975
Class III Milk
December Class III Milk ended at $14.47 down $0.01, January ended at $13.69 increasing $0.35 and February ended at $13.85 gaining $0.44.
#2 Cotton
March #2 Cotton ending at 63.97 gaining 0.31, May ended at 64.72 up 0.37.
Sugar #11
March sugar #11 ended at 14.76 down $0.30 and May ended at 14.40 decreasing 0.29.
Orange Juice
January Orange Juice ended at 150.40 gaining $2.10, March ending at 149.95 up $2.95.
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http://agnetwest.com/2015/12/28/commodity-report-december-29/
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Dec 28
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC & Open Market-December 28
Nagpur, Dec 28 Gram and tuar prices reported strong in Nagpur Agriculture Produce
and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good buying support from local millers amid weak arrivalfrom producing regions. Healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses and reported demand fromSouth-based millers also boosted prices, according to sources.
* * * *
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Desi gram raw firmed up in open market here on increased marriage season demand from
local traders amid weak supply from producing belts.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani new moved down in open market on poor demand from local traders amid
high moisture content arrival. Increased overseas supply also pulled down prices.
* Moong and udid varieties declined in open market on lack of demand from local
traders amid good arrival from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar - 9,000-9,300, Tuar dal - 15,300-15,700, Udid -
13,000-13,400, Udid Mogar (clean) - 16,000-17,600, Moong -
8,500-8,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,500-9,700, Gram - 4,200-4,400,
Gram Super best bold - 6,000-6,200 for 100 kg.
* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market
in thin trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,800-4,300 3,750-4,200
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 6,200-8,000 6,200-7,600
Moong Auction n.a. 6,000-6,400
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 6,000-6,500 6,000-6,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,800-5,900 5,800-5,900
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,700-4,900 4,700-4,900
Desi gram Raw 4,700-4,825 4,600-4,700
Gram Filter new 5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300
Gram Kabuli 5,900-7,900 5,900-7,900
Gram Pink 6,400-7,300 6,400-7,300
Tuar Fataka Best 15,500-16,000 15,500-16,000
Tuar Fataka Medium 13,000-14,000 13,000-14,000
Tuar Dal Best Phod 12,500-13,000 12,500-13,000
Tuar Dal Medium phod 11,800-12,000 11,800-12,000
Tuar Gavarani New 8,000-8,500 8,250-8,800
Tuar Karnataka 10,000-10,500 10,000-10,500
Tuar Black 16,100-16,500 16,100-16,500
Masoor dal best 7,100-7,500 7,100-7,500
Masoor dal medium 6,500-7,000 6,500-7,000
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 9,500-10,000 9,700-10,300
Moong Mogar Med 8,900-9,200 9,100-9,400
Moong dal Chilka 8,500-9,400 8,800-9,600
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,500-8,700 8,600-8,700
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 16,400-18,000 16,700-18,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 13,800-16,000 14,000-16,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,700-11,000 10,000-11,200
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,000 5,500-6,000
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,750-4,850 4,750-4,850
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,075-3,275 3,075-3,275
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,400 3,200-3,400
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,800 3,300-3,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,900-1,950 1,900-1,950
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,850 1,600-1,800
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,150 1,950-2,150
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-4,000 3,400-4,000
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,300 3,000-3,300
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,550 2,200-2,550
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,300 1,900-2,300
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,900 3,600-3,900
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,400 3,200-3,400
Rice HMT Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,900 4,400-4,900
Rice HMT Shriram med.(100 INR/KG) 3,900-4,300 3,900-4,300
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,800-11,700 9,800-11,700
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,800-8,000 7,800-8,000
Rice Chinnor best(100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,900 5,400-5,900
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,500 4,800-5,500
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,200 1,800-2,200
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 29.4 degree Celsius (84.9 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
10.4 degree Celsius (50.7 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : n.a.
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 30 and 11 degreeCelsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are ex
http://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL3N14H25Q20151228
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Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
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Rice Comment
Rice prices closed higher today.
The market closed back above resistance at $11.00 and is now poised to test
resistance near $11.11 as continued concerns about the El Niño impact are
providing some support to prices. Longer term the market will need additional
export demand if the market is to maintain significant gains.
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/
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