Ken Research releases report on
Indonesia’s agri machinery outlook
Friday, 04 November, 2016, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
Jakarta
Ken Research released its latest report, titled
Indonesia Agricultural Machinery Market Outlook to 2020. It provides an
inclusive analysis of the agricultural equipment market in the the country and
will help readers identify the ongoing trends in the industry and anticipated
growth in future depending upon the changing industry dynamics in the coming
years.The report will help industry consultants, agricultural equipment
manufacturers, dealers, retail chains, potential entrants and other
stakeholders align their market-centric strategies according to ongoing and
expected trends in the future.A research analyst at Ken Research said, “There
are multiple agricultural events which are organised in Indonesia that allows
farm equipment manufacturers to display their products in the market.”
“These events offer a great opportunity to
build a business to network with both the local and the overseas palm oil
industry and other related industries right on the spot,” he added.“Moreover,
the farmers in Indonesia have lower credit-worthiness due to limited farm
income, which refrain them from purchasing farm machinery. In lieu of this, the
farm equipment companies should instigate separate leasing departments that can
provide farm machinery to farmers with limited finance,” the analyst added.
The products covered in the report include
four-wheel tractors, power tillers, combine harvesters, rice transplanters and
tractor implements (rotavators, disc ploughs, disc harrows, land levellers,
sprayers and spreaders).The companies covered in the report include PT Kubota
Machinery Indonesia, Yanmar Indonesia, Quick Tractors (CV. Karya Hidup
Sentosa), PT Rutan (Agrindo), Traktor Nusantara (Massey Ferguson and Tym), PT
Satrindo Mitra Utama (John Deere), Altrak 1987 (New Holland), Maxxi, Galaxy and
Tanikaya.
Agricultural tractors are the most durable
agricultural machinery. An agricultural tractor in Indonesia can efficiently
perform up to 10-15 years on an average.
In many cases, the owners could only operate
the tractor in a limited radius due to fragmented fields and inadequate access
to users’ fields due to consequence of poor infrastructure conditions.As
tractor annual use increases, the repair and variable costs per hectare tend to
slightly decrease. Hence many farm owners focus on maintaining the tractors to
increase its life
The Indonesian Economist Association (ISEI) and
Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry have laid down a new scheme PISAgro,
which stands for Partnership for Indonesia’s Sustainable Agriculture. The
scheme has been devised to create more effective associations between
institutions and small farmers in order to optimize production methods and
overcome issues of insufficient access to high-quality seeds and fertilisers.
Moreover, in 2014, the agricultural tools and
machineries support was formed as a grant and was given to farmer groups/farmer
associations/UPJA in the form of hand tractors, water pumps, transplanters,
choppers and cultivators.
Farms under food cropsare owned by farmers and
cooperatives. The majority of agricultural land under food crops is owned by
small farmers, due to which 56 per cent of farms are below or equal to 0.5
hectares.
The current situation has been changing with
the consolidation of farm land by cooperatives and contractors. Indonesia has
been experimenting with new machines in specific pilot areas both on
operational capabilities and testing procedures. To promote agricultural
mechanisation, the ministry of agriculture (MOA) formulated a strategy called
Custom Hiring for Rental Services of Agricultural Machinery (CHRSAM) in 1998.
As a result of a strong governmental support,
Indonesia has more than 12,000 institutions that support the rice production by
custom hiring. The number of agricultural machinery increased very slowly with
utilisation under 35 per cent of its optimum capacity. This raises the demand
for custom hiring in Indonesia because the usage of agricultural machinery goes
underutilised in Indonesia, leading to losses to the farmers.
There are other rental hiring methods as well
which are popular in Indonesia. For example, farmers owning agricultural
machinery also receive contracts for hiring from neighboring farmers.The
contractual work between the tractor owner and the hiring farmer is made
directly and agreed on in advance at the beginning of the season.
11/03/16 Farm
Bureau Market Report
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Rice Comment
Rice futures
recovered to end the day on a positive note. January has found support at the
contract low of $9.60 for the time being. USDA announced this week the final
marketing year average price of $11.10/cwt for long grain rice, meaning rice
farmers will receive a PLC payment of $2.90/cwt on their rice. The southern
medium/short grain rice marketing year average price was set at $11.20/cwt,
resulting in a $2.80/cwt payment for eligible medium/short grain acreage.
Taiwan Team Completes California
Visit; Next Stop, Arkansas
|
SACRAMENTO, CA -- Officials in
charge of rice purchasing from Taiwan's Agriculture and Food Agency plus the
chairman and vice chairman of Taiwan's Rice Millers' Association were in
California rice country earlier this week and will be in Arkansas today and tomorrowas they complete a week-long visit to the United
States."This visit is a successful follow up to last April's first
U.S.-Taiwan rice technical meeting," said Alex Balafoutis, vice
president of the Rice Business Unit at PGP International and head of the USA
Rice group during the California segment of the trip. "We had good
discussions on tender sampling and grading procedures, and we also shared
knowledge on the bagging and transportation options available to
Taiwan."
The group visited with California Rice Commission staff, Farmers' Rice Cooperative, PGP International, OMIC, CalAgri Inspection Services, and met with California members of the USA Rice Technical team that traveled to Taiwan for the April meeting. "Taiwan will be completing tenders for 2016 in the near future, and this week's activities are a great opportunity for Taiwan officials and traders to learn more about U.S. rice in the mid-South and California," said USA Rice COO Bob Cummings who is accompanying the visitors. The United States exported more than 57,000 tons of rice to Taiwan in 2015, and sales through August of this year are more than 46,000 tons. Taiwan's Rice imports are heavily managed by the government and USA Rice is actively engaged in sharing technical information about the U.S. industry with Taiwan. |
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Mexico's 2016 Rice Chef of the
Year Moves Rice to the Center of the Plate
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- Last
month, USA Rice hosted the 16th annual "Rice Chef of the Year"
cooking competition held at the Escuela Superior de Turismo of the Instituto
Politécnico Nacional (Superior School of Tourism of the Polytechnic
Institution; E.S.T.). Twenty professional chefs representing
restaurants across Mexico City and instructors from various culinary
institutions cooked diverse and delicious rice dishes.
The competition was the closing event in E.S.T.'s eight-day 42nd anniversary celebration. All the university directors, including the Dean, participated in an opening ceremony and presented the winners with plaques at the closing ceremony. Participating chefs prepared original dishes using rice as the main ingredient. The panel of chef judges rated the dishes on proper cooking techniques, use of rice, taste, and presentation. The winning recipe was "Milpa Rice with Red Snapper" by Chef Eleazar Bucio, head of banquets for the Colegio Superior de GastronomÃa. "The inspiration for my creation was to reinvent a dish that already existed and elevate it," said Chef Bucio. "I wanted to flip the placement and portions of the ingredients to put rice as the most prominent element of the meal, thereby demonstrating that rice can be the main dish and not simply a side dish." In addition to receiving USA Rice medals, diplomas, and prizes, winners received support from sponsors La Merced, Herdez, Editorial Mango, Uniformes Gallantdale, Simplot Mexico, and Cecil Uniformes, including rice baskets with rice and specialty food products, chefs' uniforms, and magazines. "The purpose of the 'Rice Chef of the Year' competition is to boost U.S. rice use in the foodservice industry," said Gaby Carbajal, director of promotions for USA Rice in Mexico. "Every year the chefs surprise us with their creativity, and, above all, with their expertise in using rice as a main ingredient. We have seen a ripple effect from the USA Rice contest as restaurant chefs have begun to experiment with rice, incorporating it in different ways in their restaurant menus." Last year, 20 chefs participated in the competition, initially using an average of 880 pounds/month of U.S.-grown rice at their places of employment. By the end of the year their U.S. rice usage had increased to an average of 1,400 pounds/month. Carbajal added, "The 2015 Rice Chef of the Year, Chef Jorge Ruiz of the Intercontinental Hotel, added the two rice recipes he created during the competition to the menus at his hotel chain. These new rice dishes increased U.S. rice usage from 175 pounds/month to almost 400 pounds/month." |
Mexico's 2016 Rice Chef of the Year Moves Rice to the Center of
the Plate
MEXICO CITY,
MEXICO -- Last month, USA Rice hosted the 16th annual "Rice Chef of the
Year" cooking competition held at the Escuela Superior de Turismo of the
Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Superior School of Tourism of the Polytechnic
Institution; E.S.T.). Twenty professional chefs representing restaurants
across Mexico City and instructors from various culinary institutions cooked
diverse and delicious rice dishes.
The competition was the closing event in E.S.T.'s eight-day 42nd anniversary celebration. All the university directors, including the Dean, participated in an opening ceremony and presented the winners with plaques at the closing ceremony.
Participating chefs prepared original dishes using rice as the main ingredient. The panel of chef judges rated the dishes on proper cooking techniques, use of rice, taste, and presentation. The winning recipe was "Milpa Rice with Red Snapper" by Chef Eleazar Bucio, head of banquets for the Colegio Superior de GastronomÃa. "The inspiration for my creation was to reinvent a dish that already existed and elevate it," said Chef Bucio. "I wanted to flip the placement and portions of the ingredients to put rice as the most prominent element of the meal, thereby demonstrating that rice can be the main dish and not simply a side dish." In addition to receiving USA Rice medals, diplomas, and prizes, winners received support from sponsors La Merced, Herdez, Editorial Mango, Uniformes Gallantdale, Simplot Mexico, and Cecil Uniformes, including rice baskets with rice and specialty food products, chefs' uniforms, and magazines.
"The purpose of the 'Rice Chef of the Year' competition is to boost U.S. rice use in the foodservice industry," said Gaby Carbajal, director of promotions for USA Rice in Mexico. "Every year the chefs surprise us with their creativity, and, above all, with their expertise in using rice as a main ingredient. We have seen a ripple effect from the USA Rice contest as restaurant chefs have begun to experiment with rice, incorporating it in different ways in their restaurant menus."
Last year, 20 chefs participated in the competition, initially using an average of 880 pounds/month of U.S.-grown rice at their places of employment. By the end of the year their U.S. rice usage had increased to an average of 1,400 pounds/month.
Carbajal added, "The 2015 Rice Chef of the Year, Chef Jorge Ruiz of the Intercontinental Hotel, added the two rice recipes he created during the competition to the menus at his hotel chain. These new rice dishes increased U.S. rice usage from 175 pounds/month to almost 400 pounds/month."
The competition was the closing event in E.S.T.'s eight-day 42nd anniversary celebration. All the university directors, including the Dean, participated in an opening ceremony and presented the winners with plaques at the closing ceremony.
Participating chefs prepared original dishes using rice as the main ingredient. The panel of chef judges rated the dishes on proper cooking techniques, use of rice, taste, and presentation. The winning recipe was "Milpa Rice with Red Snapper" by Chef Eleazar Bucio, head of banquets for the Colegio Superior de GastronomÃa. "The inspiration for my creation was to reinvent a dish that already existed and elevate it," said Chef Bucio. "I wanted to flip the placement and portions of the ingredients to put rice as the most prominent element of the meal, thereby demonstrating that rice can be the main dish and not simply a side dish." In addition to receiving USA Rice medals, diplomas, and prizes, winners received support from sponsors La Merced, Herdez, Editorial Mango, Uniformes Gallantdale, Simplot Mexico, and Cecil Uniformes, including rice baskets with rice and specialty food products, chefs' uniforms, and magazines.
"The purpose of the 'Rice Chef of the Year' competition is to boost U.S. rice use in the foodservice industry," said Gaby Carbajal, director of promotions for USA Rice in Mexico. "Every year the chefs surprise us with their creativity, and, above all, with their expertise in using rice as a main ingredient. We have seen a ripple effect from the USA Rice contest as restaurant chefs have begun to experiment with rice, incorporating it in different ways in their restaurant menus."
Last year, 20 chefs participated in the competition, initially using an average of 880 pounds/month of U.S.-grown rice at their places of employment. By the end of the year their U.S. rice usage had increased to an average of 1,400 pounds/month.
Carbajal added, "The 2015 Rice Chef of the Year, Chef Jorge Ruiz of the Intercontinental Hotel, added the two rice recipes he created during the competition to the menus at his hotel chain. These new rice dishes increased U.S. rice usage from 175 pounds/month to almost 400 pounds/month."
Voting Opens for FSA County Committee Elections
WASHINGTON, DC -
USDA announced today that beginning next Monday, November 7, eligible U.S. farmers will be mailed ballots
for the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee. Voting eligibility is limited to producers who
participate or cooperate in an FSA program. Eligible producers that do not
receive a ballot by mail are encouraged to pick one up at their local FSA
office.
FSA Administrator Val Dolcini said FSA County Committee members play a vital role in local agricultural decisions, including decisions on commodity support programs, disaster programs, and emergency programs. He added, "It is a valued partnership that helps us better understand the needs of the farmers and ranchers we serve."USA Rice encourages producers to participate in their FSA County Committee elections by completing and returning their ballots by the postmarked deadline of December 5.
FSA Administrator Val Dolcini said FSA County Committee members play a vital role in local agricultural decisions, including decisions on commodity support programs, disaster programs, and emergency programs. He added, "It is a valued partnership that helps us better understand the needs of the farmers and ranchers we serve."USA Rice encourages producers to participate in their FSA County Committee elections by completing and returning their ballots by the postmarked deadline of December 5.
Sea-rice potential being studied
By Shan Jie Source:Global Times Published:
2016/11/4 0:28:40
Long coastline an advantage for large-scale
cultivation
China's long coastline provides a big
opportunity for cultivation of sea-rice but more research is needed to optimize
the species, experts said, after China's "father of hybrid rice,"
Yuan Longping, revealed that a plan to cultivate rice near the coast is being
researched by his team. Yuan, 86, head of the sea-rice research and development
center, delivered a speech at the World Life Science Conference in Beijing on
Wednesday, saying that a newly founded research center in Qingdao, East China's
Shandong Province, planned to expand the yield of sea-rice to 200 kilograms per
mu (0.067 hectare) within three years, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Wild sea-rice is sometimes found in
saline-alkaline soil at the junctures where rivers join the sea. The plant is
resistant to pests, diseases, salt and alkali and does not need fertilizer. But
its unit output is only around 75 kilograms, Xinhua reported.
Compared with other countries, China has a
natural advantage in cultivating sea-rice, as the wild rice growing at the
estuary of long rivers could provide valuable scientific data, said
Yuan."The sea-rice could expand the source of food and arable area by
making use of China's long shoreline," Lu Baorong, a biology professor at
Fudan University, told the Global Times."The main problem in cultivating
sea-rice lies in the salt-tolerance capability," Lu noted.
The Qingdao research center will use gene
sequencing to cultivate new, high-yield strains of sea-rice that can grow with
saline water, but the technology is a challenge, Yuan said. However, he noted
that China has more than 1 billion mu of saline-alkali land that has not been
cultivated so far, together with some 10 million mu of intertidal zone.
"The cultivation of sea-rice is very promising."The target yield of
sea-rice is 300 kilograms per mu, he revealed.
In response to a comment that the hybrid rice
is of "high quantity with low quality" during the Wednesday
conference, Yuan said that the combination of "high quality" and
"high quantity" is very difficult, but they are not necessarily
contradictory, Xinhua reported."Some people have a bias against hybrid
rice, claiming that high quantity cannot come with high quality," Yuan
said, adding that "in the last century, the main goal was to solve the
subsistence problem, so we needed to prioritize quantity; but now, we are also
focusing on quality."
Yuan said that China has a huge population with
a small per capita cultivated land and in order to ensure food security, the
country has to increase the yield per unit area, instead of striving for
quality. Over the past decades, Chinese scientists, led by Yuan, have worked
out new approaches to significantly increasing the yield of rice, Xinhua
reported
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1015805.shtml
Cordillera's traditional rice
opening opportunities
Thursday, November 03, 2016
CONSUMERS, buyers and farmers alike continue to contribute in
expanding the market of traditional or heirloom rice.With more people becoming
health conscious, the market of organic products is increasing while some
consumers are even ready to pay extra money for high quality foods that are
rich in specialized nutrients according to International Rice Research
Institute’s (IRRI) Dr. Bob Zeigler.Based on the baseline nutrition analysis of
selected heirloom rice varieties done in 2014 at IRRI, heirloom rice is rich in
iron, sodium, calcium, niacin, potassium, niacin, folic acid, proteins,
carbohydrates and antioxidants which are being sought after by health
practitioners especially in all product labels. While in terms of antioxidant
properties, the more colorful the grain, the higher the antioxidant contents.
According to heirloom rice farmers, the demand for heirloom rice
is growing resulting to shortage of supply.Rowena Sawil, heirloom rice farmer
from Kalinga, confessed there are times they cannot meet the demand of buyers
due to lack of supply. On the other hand, the situation may also mean the
sprouting of opportunities to other farmers.
Sonia Pengosro of Benguet Heirloom Rice Terraces Farmers
Agriculture Cooperative said the conversion to traditional practice of planting
heirloom rice will contribute in the preservation of culture and tradition and
aide in the rejuvenation of the environment while earning reasonable income.The
Department of Agriculture (DA) Cordillera, IRRI and PhilRice and the farmers
are currently working together to conduct studies on the nutritional value,
genetic diversity, grain quality and the development process toward
Geographical Indication (GI) Registration of the different varieties of
heirloom rice to add value in its market.
“The GI registration will command a 100 percent increase in the
value of heirloom rice in the Cordillera due to its ethno diversity. It is also
a way of promoting traceability of the product; the farmers and locale,” said
Dr. Digna Manzanilla, co-project leader of the Heirloom Rice Project.Meantime,
the DA continues its promotion to the local and international market.
“Maraming salamat at naisali itong Heirloom rice sa HVCDP. Dito
ma recognize uli in the whole world ang heirloom rice ng Cordillera,” said
Wasig Sacla, an organic farmer, as he and alongside his fellow organic farmers
thanked the DA-CAR, IRRI, PhilRice and DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol for their
unceasing efforts to promote and preserve the region’s heirloom rice.
Organic farmers, heirloom rice farmers, buyers, local officials,
and heirloom rice key spokespersons from DA-CAR, IRRI, PhilRice came together
to educate each other and address issues regarding the conservation,
preservation and market of the region’s heirloom rice for its sustainable
development during the Regional Heirloom Rice Market Encounter and Organic
Agricultural Investment Forum cum Exhibit spearheaded by the Agri-business and
Market Assistance Division of DA last month. (DA-CAR)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/local-news/2016/11/03/cordilleras-traditional-rice-opening-opportunities-507409
N. Korea’s rice imports from
China surge in September
Posted November. 04, 2016
07:11,
Updated November. 04, 2016 07:23
North Korea imported the largest
amount of rice from China on a monthly basis in September since the launch of
the Kim Jong Un regime, the Voice of America reported on Thursday. According to
the analysis of China’s General Administration of Customs by Kwon Tae-jin,
director of East Asia research at GS&J Institute, North Korea imported
18,477 tons of rice and other grains in September. The number was about 2.7
times higher than that of October (6,954 tons) and about six times higher than
the figure in the same period of last year (3,158 tons). In particular, the
North purchased 16,000 tons of rice from China in September, exceeding the
combined amount for the first eight months of this year (14,000 tons). It is
estimated that soaring rice imports from China are intended to stabilize rice
prices as the stock is on the decline.
Yu-Jong Lee pen@donga.com
http://english.donga.com/List/3/03/26/774289/1
Brunei delegation eyes rice and
paddy exports
By Htoo Thant
| Friday, 04 November 2016
A Delegation from Brunei Darussalam
will visit Myanmar to discuss buying rice and paddy, according to agriculture
ministry officials, as the government continues an urgent search for new export
markets.
The Brunei delegation will visit
Myanmar later this month to discuss importing high-quality rice, paddy and
production of a hybrid paddy strain, according to a statement from the Ministry
of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation on November 2.Exporting paddy would
require a change in Myanmar regulation, as the government has typically
restricted exports to rice.Brunei’s Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism
Dato Ali bin Apong raised the possibility of importing rice with Myanmar’s
agriculture minister, U Aung Thu, at an ASEAN agriculture and forestry meeting
in Singapore held from October 6 to 8, Myanmar’s agriculture ministry said.
“Brunei can’t produce enough rice
and so they offered to buy rice and paddy from Myanmar,” said U Aung Moe,
deputy director of Myanmar’s Department of Agriculture. “After our negotiation
[with the delegation] we will sign an official agreement to trade rice.”Myanmar
is in severe need of new export destinations for rice and paddy, with prices
for both having plummeted recently after China – the only established foreign
market for Myanmar rice – began cracking down on illegal border trade.
Ko Nay Soe, a rice miller in Nay
Pyi Taw’s Pyinmana township, welcomed the prospect of a new market amid the
widespread price slump, but doubted that Brunei demand would have much of an
impact.“It’s good news for farmers, who are feeling very dejected because
buyers are sparse in the paddy market,” he said. “But I don’t think Brunei will
buy much rice or paddy. The Ministry of Commerce needs to talk to more countries
about exports.”
Brunei’s population is a little
over 400,000 according to the World Bank. China’s Yunnan province, which
receives the bulk of cross-border rice imports from Myanmar, has a population
of well over 40 million.In early October, Myanmar Rice Federation joint
secretary U Nay Lin Zin told The Myanmar Times rice exports through the Muse
border gate had fallen from 5000 tonnes a day to under 1000 tonnes. The
commerce ministry is pursuing an official export quota with the Chinese
government, and attempting to secure export agreements with Indonesia, the EU
and the Philippines, commerce ministry officials told The Myanmar
Times.Commerce Minister U Than Myint told The Myanmar Times that the government
is preparing an official response to deal with the drop in rice prices and
protect farmers from the fallout.
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/23486-brunei-delegation-eyes-rice-and-paddy-exports.html
North Korea
imports record volume of grain products
Pyongyang may have been running
low on food immediately before the harvest season.
By Elizabeth
Shim
|
Nov. 3, 2016 at 9:35 AM
North Koreans work in the fields
near the North Korean city Sinuiju, across the Yalu River from Dandong, China's
largest border city with North Korea. North Korea imported more than 18,000
tons of Chinese grain products in September. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- North Korea may tout self-reliance in agriculture
and industry, but a study suggests imports from China soared in September.It
could be a sign Pyongyang has no choice but to look outside for food that is
relatively scarce in the country.
The volume of Chinese grains
North Korea imported in September is the largest on record since Kim Jong Un fully
assumed power in 2012, according to Kwon Tae-jin of GS & J Institute in
South Korea.Kwon's analysis of Chinese customs data shows North Korea imported
18,477 tons of Chinese grains in September, or $1.84 million worth of food,
Voice of America reported Thursday.That amount is more than all grain imports
from January to August 2016 combined, according to the analysis.
The figure is also a year-on-year
sixfold increase: In September 2015, North Korea imported 3,158 tons of
grain.In October, North Korea returned to lower levels of imports, purchasing
6,954 tons of grain, mostly rice, for distribution.Rice constituted 14,000 tons
of imports from January to August, but accounted for 16,000 tons of imported
food. The value of the imported rice is about $990,000, Kwon said.Flour imports
increased 15-fold in September, compared to August, while starch imports
doubled.
Bean and bean products are rarely
imported from China, but in September North Korea imported 412 tons, the report
stated.Kwon said September's surge in grain imports indicates inventory had
reached an all-time low in North Korea immediately before the harvest season.
‘Rice
self-sufficiency fell below 90% in 2015’
NOVEMBER 4, 2016
The country’s rice
self-sufficiency level declined to 88.93 percent in 2015, forcing the
Philippines to import more rice to meet domestic demand, according to a report
from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).In its annual publication
titled, Agricultural
Indicators System (AIS): Food Sufficiency and Security, the PSA
noted that the country’s rice self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) last year was 3.02
percentage points lower than the 91.95 percent recorded in 2014.
“The declining SSR of rice was
brought about by the reduced share of domestic production to the country’s supply,
while importation was increasing,” the PSA said.SSR is the extent to which a
country’s local production of commodities is adequate enough to meet the demand
of the whole population, the PSA added.
An SSR lower than 100 percent
means that the local production couldn’t meet the country’s requirement for a
specific commodity, while an SSR greater than 100 percent indicates that
domestic production is more than enough to support the domestic requirements,
the PSA said.
The Philippine Development Plan
of the previous administration had targeted a 100-percent rice self-sufficiency
level by 2016. The Aquino administration had also wanted to wipe out rice
imports by 2013.
Despite billions of pesos poured
into the government’s rice self-sufficiency goal program, local rice output was
unable to meet the demand of Filipinos, according to PSA data.PSA data showed
that the SSR of rice in 2011 was at 93.91 percent, 91.89 percent in 2012 and
91.95 percent in 2014. The highest rice SSR was recorded in 2013 at 96.82 percent.In
the same report, the PSA said the country’s import-dependency ratio (IDR) of
rice in 2015 increased to 11.07 percent, from 8.06 percent in 2014. The IDR is
the extent to which the country’s supply of commodities came
from imports.
from imports.
Data from the PSA indicated that
the 2015 figure was the highest IDR of rice since 2011.According to the
National Food Authority—the agency mandated to ensure the Philippines’s food
security—the country’s daily rice consumption last year was at 31,631 metric
tons (MT).PSA data also showed that the country’s corn SSR dropped to 91.35
percent in 2015. The figure is 1.77 percentage points lower than the
93.12-percent SSR for corn in 2014.
The SSR of corn peaked in 2011
reaching 99.06 percent, the PSA said.Corn SSR reached 98.18 percent in 2012,
before it dropped to 95.57 percent in 2013.The Philippines increased its
importation of corn in 2015 as IDR for the commodity reached 8.65 percent, 1.76
percentage points higher than the 6.89 percent recorded a year ago.The corn IDR
was the lowest in 2011, when it hit 0.94 percent. The PSA said the IDR for corn
expanded to 1.82 percent and 4.43 percent in 2012 and 2013, respectively.The
PSA said a high IDR implies greater dependency on imported commodities.
http://dev.businessmirror.com.ph/rice-self-sufficiency-fell-90-2015/
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Vietnam Rice
Industry Faces Threat From Climate Change, Mekong Dams
November 01, 2016 3:26 AM
Ron Corben
FILE - Terraced rice paddy fields are seen during the harvest season
in Hoang Su Phi, north of Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 18, 2015.
BANGKOK
Vietnam’s government is banking
on agricultural reforms in its main rice producing region to meet the
challenges posed by climate change and disrupted water flow on the Mekong
River.The reforms aim to produce higher quality climate-adapted rice, and boost
alternative crops to ensure sustainability in the Mekong Delta, home to 18
million of Vietnam’s 94 million people.The region, which produces more than
half of Vietnam’s rice and feeds over 145 million people in Asia, covers 13
provinces in Vietnam’s south where the river flows into the South China Sea.
The Mekong, with its source in
the Tibetan plateau, runs 4,300 kilometers through six countries from China,
Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before reaching Vietnam.
Climate change
Heightened concerns over the
Delta’s future followed an extreme drought this year that resulted in sharply
higher salinity levels intruding into the delta. Rice production fell 1.1
million tons according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO).
Sydney University professor
Philip Hirsch says climate change’s impact is evident due to more extreme
weather.
“Climate change, sea level rise
in particular, but also increasing frequency of storms has implications for the
Delta. One of the big concerns is the amount of salt water and the distance the
salt water moves up various Mekong tributaries into the delta, which again
threatens the viability of rice farming,” said Hirsch, a member of the university’s
school of geo-sciences.
Workers carry bags of rice off a conveyor belt to stack in
trucks, Tien Giang, Vietnam, September 14, 2012. (D. Schearf/VOA)
CLUES
International scientists are
working with their Vietnam colleagues through CLUES – or climate change
affecting land use in the Mekong Delta – to find solutions to the rising
problems.
A CLUES project coordinator Dr N.D. Phong, in a promotional
video, said key issues the Delta faces include rising salt and fresh water
levels, higher temperatures, rising greenhouse gases and a higher population.
The region also faces the prospect of lower rainfall, reduced numbers of farm laborers and reduced valuable land.
The region also faces the prospect of lower rainfall, reduced numbers of farm laborers and reduced valuable land.
CLUES scientists are developing
rice varieties able to cope with rising salinity when water levels are too high
or dry conditions, aimed at sustainable solutions for all delta rice production
regions.
ACIAR
Australia’s Center for
International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is assisting Vietnam to improve
rice production inefficiencies.
ACIAR scientists say Vietnamese
rice farmers have successfully adapted to changes over the past 30 years. But
the outlook is still concerning.
“Recent and [future] forecasts of
agro-hydrological changes threaten the viability of these farming and social
systems and food security within South East Asia,” an ACIAR research report
said.
Leocadio Sebastian, Vietnam-based
regional program leader South East Asia for the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) says Vietnam’s strategy is to raise farm incomes and boost
rice quality by creating a distinctive Vietnamese rice brand.
Sebastian says IRRI and the
Vietnamese government aim to restructure the rice sector from three rice crops
a year to two crops, but grow a higher value grain.
“That means you have other crops
when faced by rising salinity that are more adapted to these kind of
conditions. And then in areas where it’s really not possible anymore to plant
rice – where it is very salty – salinity will be very high in the future they
can move to either aquaculture or other crops during the period,” Sebastian
said.
“That is the strategy – the
compelling thing that is driving them up faster – they have to position the
Vietnam rice to a higher quality and higher priced level so that the farmers
now and in the future can have a better income from rice production,” he told
VOA.
FILE - Laborers gather rice grains for stacking, Tien Giang,
Vietnam, September 14, 2012. (D. Schearf/VOA)
Hydropower dams
But scientists say Vietnam’s
delta also faces the threat from increasing numbers of hydropower dams being
built on Mekong River mainstream, especially China, as well as Laos and
Cambodia.
Chris Barlow, an ACIAR fisheries
expert, says the mainstream dams will have a profound impact on the lower
Mekong regions.
“China has completed three large
dams on the Mekong and a further five are being built or being planned. These
dams have major impacts on hydrology and completely block fish migration in the
Upper Mekong,” Barlow said in a paper highlighting the conflicting agendas between
hydro power and fisheries.
Plans for hydro-power in lower
Mekong – nine high level dams in Laos, with two underway – the Xayaburi and Don
Sahong – and two in Cambodia point to “severe impacts” on fisheries yield and
food security, he said.
Scientists say the dams will
prevent vital sediment from reaching the Delta, alter flow regimes, lower water
temperatures of dam outlets and create still water environments upstream of dam
walls.
Barlow says while there may be
economic gains from hydro-power, “On the debit side, the fishery and other
ecosystem services provided by the river will be permanently degraded.”
Sediment
The Mekong Delta relies on silt
flowing downstream. But silt levels reaching the region have fallen
dramatically due to the construction of dams.
Le Anh Tuan, deputy head of the
Institute of Climate Change Research at Can Tho University, told Vietnamese
media that damming and reduced silt deposits threatened the Delta’s future.
Sydney University’s Hirsch says
Vietnam’s government need to be “more assertive” with members of the
intergovernmental Mekong River Commission (MRC) to “try and put a brake on the
very rapid pattern of hydrological development in the upstream countries.”
But Hirsch fears the Delta
Region’s most productive years may have been before damming on the river began.
In the early 1990’s, Vietnam,
through major reforms, moved from being a major global rice importer to being
the world’s second largest exporter.
“This is also a time when the entire length of the Mekong River
ran freely. Once China started to dam its section of the Mekong and much more
recently, Laos… This is the start of the long decline and potential disaster
environmental and also food security disaster of the Mekong Delta,” Hirsch said
http://www.voanews.com/a/vietnam-rice-industry-faces-threat-from-climate-change-mekong-dams/3574158.html
Paddy rice
futures contracts to be traded on PMEX
ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan
(SECP) has approved super basmati paddy rice futures contracts for listing on
the Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX).
The move will promote the electronic trading of agricultural
commodities through the PMEX platform, a statement said on Wednesday. The SECP
expects it will also help protect the interests of farmers in the agriculture
value chain.The last item inducted for trading into the PMEX was red chilli,
which was introduced as pilot project in August 2015 and was subsequently
rolled out on a full scale. In the current season, over 1,000 tonnes of red
chilli were traded through the electronic platform of the PMEX.The super
basmati follows Irri rice, red chillis, cotton, palm oil, sugar and wheat that
have already been listed for futures trade on the mercantile exchange. Non-agri
listed products are copper, gold, silver and crude oil.
The SECP said benefits of using the PMEX platform includes
quality-tested products, swift payment within 24-48 hours, price transparency
and guaranteed delivery and settlement through the exchange’s mechanism.The
PMEX is the first exchange in the country to employ modern risk management
techniques based on value-at-risk with a pre-trade risk check in real time.The
exchange acts as a central counterparty to both buyers and sellers and provide
clearing and settlement using an online bank transfer mechanism.The SECP said
it is bringing reforms to agricultural commodity trading by encouraging traders
to make use of the PMEX platform as a modernised route for buying and selling
agricultural commodities in Pakistan.
The SECP has also incorporated the concept of agriculture
promotion companies in the Draft Companies Bill 2016.As a fully electronic
exchange with nationwide reach, the PMEX started its operations in May 2007 as
a successor of the National Commodity Exchange to broaden its mandate and scope
of activity to trade all types of futures contracts.The PMEX has an institutional
shareholding. Its shareholders include National Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan
Stock Exchange, LSE Financial Services, ISE Towers REIT Management Company, Pak
Kuwait Investment Company and Zarai Taraqiati Bank.
Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2016
First recipients of scholarship
honoring food security advocate David Lambert named at Borlaug Dialogue
Symposium
Katelyn Fritz, a sophomore
studying agronomy and global resource systems, began her journey to fight
hunger during her junior year of high school when she was selected to serve as
an Iowa Youth Delegate to the World Food Prize's Global Youth Institute. (Photo
courtesy of ISU Extension.)
Michelle Friedmann is a
biological systems engineering sophomore focusing on food engineering and food
science. She serves as a member of the executive committee of Engineers Without
Borders ISU and is part of a team that is working to develop a sustainable
solution for a water dam and irrigation system for farmers in Ullo, Ghana.
(Photo courtesy of ISU Extension.)
An Iowa State University
sophomore and junior studying global hunger issues are the first recipients of
a new endowed scholarship honoring global food security advocate David
Lambert.Katelyn Fritz from Pleasant Hill and Michelle Friedmann of Mendota
Heights, Minnesota, were named recipients of the David Lambert ‘Hunger Fighter’
Memorial Scholarship, that honors his efforts in addressing global food
security and malnutrition during his lifetime. The presentation was made during
a luncheon held in conjunction with the World Food Prize’s 2016 Borlaug
Dialogue international symposium.
“David Lambert, a passionate
advocate for the hungry, malnourished and deprived and a great friend to me,
passed away a year ago while attending the World Food Prize,” said Ambassador
Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize. “The scholarship
established in his memory by the Seed Science Center of Iowa State University
will continue David’s heartfelt mission of inspiring the next generation of
young scientists.”
“This scholarship honors David
Lambert in the most appropriate way,” said Manjit Misra director of Iowa
State’s Seed Science Center. “David was a kind and generous man. He was a Distinguished
Fellow for our center, an avid supporter of the World Food Prize and a tireless
hunger fighter. David committed his life to developing policy to fight
malnutrition to make that goal a reality. These two individuals exemplify the
principles that he stood for.”
Fritz, a sophomore studying
agronomy and global resource systems, began her journey to fight hunger during
her junior year of high school when she was selected to serve as an Iowa Youth
Delegate to the World Food Prize’s Global Youth Institute. Shortly thereafter,
on a mission trip to Guatemala, Fritz said she had her first opportunity to
witness hunger firsthand.
“Nothing prepared me for the
first time I looked into the eyes of a child whose growth was stunted from a
lack of nutrients,” she said. Fritz went on to serve as a Borlaug-Ruan
International Intern at the International Rice Research Institute in the
Philippines. There she worked on a project to biofortify rice to combat zinc
deficiencies.
Friedmann is a biological systems
engineering sophomore focusing on food engineering and food science. She serves
as a member of the executive committee of Engineers Without Borders ISU and is
part of a team that is working to develop a sustainable solution for a water
dam and irrigation system for farmers in Ullo, Ghana.
“The community has no form of
irrigation system and relies on buckets to water their crops,” she says.
Friedmann plans to travel to Ghana to help design and install an irrigation
system that will provide area smallholders with a much-needed water supply.
Funded by contributions from
Lambert’s family and friends, and administered by the Seed Science Center at
Iowa State, the $1,000 scholarship was designed to be awarded to one sophomore
or junior each year who exhibits a demonstrated interest in seed science,
global food security and/or childhood nutrition on the basis of academic
excellence, leadership skills and interpersonal skills.
This year, however, according to
Susana Goggi, an Iowa State agronomy associate professor who heads up the
selection committee, two individuals were identified to receive the award.
“When the committee reviewed this year’s candidates, there were two students
who clearly stood out as being exceptionally deserving of the scholarship,”
Goggi said.
The Seed Science Center is a
center of excellence in seeds at Iowa State University. Its mission is to
improve the production, quality assurance, marketing, utilization and
regulatory environment of seed through research, testing, teaching, outreach
and international programs
http://www.hpj.com/general/first-recipients-of-scholarship-honoring-food-security-advocate-david-lambert/article_5b3cce1c-15cd-5b03-a004-409dfa013bbc.html
N.
Korea imports rice on large scale in Sept.
North Korea imported the largest-ever amount of
rice from China on a monthly basis in September since the launch of the Kim
Jong-un regime in 2011, in an apparent bid to stabilize prices, a U.S.
broadcaster, monitored here, reported Thursday.North Korea imported 18,477 tons
of rice and other grains in September, the Voice of America said, citing an
analysis of data from China's General Administration of Customs by Kwon
Tae-jin, director of East Asia research at GS&J Institute in South Korea.
The September figure was about 2.7 times higher than 6,954 tons imported in October and about six times higher than 3,158 tons imported a year ago in September, the broadcaster said.
In particular, the North purchased 16,000 tons of rice from China in September, a monthly high since the start of the Kim Jong-un regime, and higher than the 14,000 tons imported during the first eight months of this year total, the broadcaster said.Experts opined that the step is designed to stabilize rice prices at a time when the stock as hit its bottom the broadcaster said."This is the time when the harvest is around the corner, and the stock is nearly exhausted," Kwon said. (Yonhap)
The September figure was about 2.7 times higher than 6,954 tons imported in October and about six times higher than 3,158 tons imported a year ago in September, the broadcaster said.
In particular, the North purchased 16,000 tons of rice from China in September, a monthly high since the start of the Kim Jong-un regime, and higher than the 14,000 tons imported during the first eight months of this year total, the broadcaster said.Experts opined that the step is designed to stabilize rice prices at a time when the stock as hit its bottom the broadcaster said."This is the time when the harvest is around the corner, and the stock is nearly exhausted," Kwon said. (Yonhap)
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/11/485_217429.html
Thailand's junta seeks to
reassure powerful rice farmers amid price plunge
A farmer works in her rice field in Suphan Buri
province, north of Bangkok, Thailand November 2, 2016. REUTERS/Chaiwat
Subprasom
|
BANGKOK
Thailand's
military government has rolled out a series of rescue packages in a bid to help
rice farmers, most of whom hail from the political heartlands of the government
it toppled, amid tumbling prices of the grain.Farmers in Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter, have traditionally been politically powerful and many helped elect former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2011.
Her administration was removed in a 2014 military coup.The military government has been anxious to head off potential confrontation with farmers but said in its first year in power that it also wanted to wean them off expensive populist schemes such as a rice scheme introduced by Yingluck which bought rice from farmers at above-market rates.
But in recent weeks the military government has announced measures worth at least 59.28 billion baht ($1.70 billion) aimed at curbing market supply and stabilizing rice prices. The measures come as the ruling junta is trying to ensure a smooth transition following the death of much-loved King Bhumibol Adulyadej and to maintain stability ahead of a 2017 general election."There's a possibility for tension, which could be used to incite political gatherings," said Kan Yuenyong, executive director of Siam Intelligence Unit think-tank.
"The government fears the situation would get out of control, so they have to intervene," he said.Global rice prices have plunged over the past months as the world's largest rice producers anticipate an influx of new stocks towards the end of the year.Some Thai rice farmers have taken matters into their own hands and are turning to social media network Facebook to sell their grain, shunning rice millers, the industry's traditional middlemen, whose prices they say are simply too low.
Nim Inthasorn, 33, who hails from the northeastern province of Kalasin, said she has received orders for over 50 tonnes of rice since she started a Facebook page in October.
"I would hold the rice until prices improve, but that isn't practical so this is what I can do now," she said.
Her family's jasmine rice fetches around 7 baht ($0.20) per kilogram from rice millers, but on Facebook she can sell it for 23 baht ($0.66) to 34 baht (0.97) per kilogram, she added. But the trend is unlikely to take over traditional methods of selling rice, said Pisanu Sangyoo, an analyst at the Thai Rice Exporters Association."Most farmers still have to do business with rice millers and exporters," he said.Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said this week the government supports farmers selling their grain online.
(Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Michael Perry)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-politics-rice-idUSKBN12Y0AV
Commerce
ministry to take action on rice price slump but price floor in doubt
By su phyo win and Chan Mya Htwe
| Thursday, 03 November 2016
The commerce minister said the government is considering as many options as possible to address the plunge in prices, and will decide on the best course of action early this month.Myanmar has no well-established market for rice exports other than China, but that country’s crackdown on illegal rice imports has left Myanmar with a growing surplus of unsold paddy. Heavy rain during the harvest has made things worse, soaking finished rice and lowering the price, said U Soe Tun, vice president of the Myanmar Rice Federation.
Local farmers are struggling to find willing buyers let alone cover costs, and are worried about falling deeper into debt. Some industry groups are pushing for the government to step in with a minimum price.“We’ve been demanding that for years,” said U Thein Aung, president of the Myanmar Freedom Farmer League. “We don’t mean that the government has to buy at the highest prices. It would be a fair price that covers the cost of production and fixed in a range where consumers, producers and traders can all benefit.”Following a meeting with the commerce ministry, U Soe Tun said the government was considering a minimum price. But U Than Myint said it was unclear whether that would be possible.
“There are many challenges to setting a fixed price,” he said. “Who will buy the rice at the fixed price? Does the government have the budget to buy it? Where can we export to? Those questions are hard to answer.”In many cases, traders and millers are reluctant to purchase paddy because the Chinese export market has crumbled. A minimum price would not help farmers struggling to find a buyer. In the meantime, issues around storing surplus paddy and drying wet rice are still unsolved.
“We need the government to support rice drying to reduce the moisture,” said U Soe Tun, adding this was reducing already pressured rice prices by over 25 percent.Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPCO) recently signed an agreement worth around US$3 million with South Korean firm SK networks to import 100 grain dryers for rice and corn. The dryers will go to the agribusiness service centres MAPCO is setting up in Yangon, Mandalay and Ayeyarwady regions, but those are not expected to be operational until January.
U Than Myint said the ministry was focused on two measures that could be implemened in concert. The first is altering a rule so that paddy can be exported directly, rather than finished rice.Rice traders are also planning to push the government to lower administrative restrictions on where they can sell rice within Myanmar. Yangon rice traders looking to make sales in Tanintharyi Region and Rakhine State, for example, require permission from the Yangon Region government.
The other measure the commerce ministry is focussed on is to find new markets for rice and paddy exports other than China. This is by no means a new initiative. Myanmar has been searching for new export markets for some time, but has had difficulty inking successful agreements.A potential export agreement with the Philippines last year fell through, mainly because Myanmar rice proved too expensive and so the Philippines bought from Vietnam instead. Attempts to renew a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia are
under way but yet to come to fruition.
U Khin Maung Lwin, deputy secretary at the commerce ministry, said the government was pursuing exports to the EU and Indonesia, and trying again to form an agreement with the Philippines. He was hopeful that the Indonesia agreement would be finalised soon.“Indonesia will inform us of the confirmed agreement date,” he said.The Philippines desires Myanmar rice, but at the same price as it pays Vietnam, he added.The government has held meetings with traders and rice industry officials to identify ways to lower production and logistics costs that have made it hard to compete with other regional exporters.
In order to make progress on opening up new export markets the government is planning a series of foreign trips, U Khin Maung Lwin added.“At the earliest we’ll conduct visits with rice association representatives [to the EU, Indonesia and the Philippines] before the end of this year,” he told The Myanmar Times.Although reliance on China for exports has proved risky, the MRF’s U Soe Tun also wants to see an official agreement with China put in place.
“We can’t blame the Chinese government for seizing [illegally imported rice] at the Muse border as it’s their right to stop illegal trade,” he said. “But our government needs to agree quotas for Chinese exports. We signed for 100,000 tonnes [of rice exports to China] last fiscal year, and we are asking [the government] for a 200,000- tonne quota for border trade and 200,000-tonne quota for shipments.”U Khin Maung Lwin said the government was attempting to hold diplomatic discussions with China to secure those official export quotas.
U Ye Min Aung, managing director of MAPCO, said that the MRF and MAPCO have invited Chinese state entities for discussions on rice exports to be held this month. The state entity in charge of export and import quality, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ), is invited. China’s national macroeconomic agency – the National Development and Reform Commission – will also attend, said U Ye Min Aung.The discussion would help “facilitate the [necessary export] certificates from related ministries meet the [level of] quality demanded by China for border trade,” he added.
Translation by Emoon and San Layy
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/23463-commerce-ministry-to-take-action-on-rice-price-slump-but-price-floor-in-doubt.html
Paddy yield falls, angry
farmers say blame govt for bad seeds
Harveer Dabas
| TNN | Nov 2, 2016, 10.48 PM IST
Bijnor: Farmers across the district are
agitated as a particular variety of paddy seed supplied to them in the current
season did not produce quality crops and the yield has gone down. According to
farmers, 245 quintals of PB-6 seed was provided to them. Because of this
farmers have suffered heavy losses. The UP chief secretary (agriculture) has
instituted an enquiry into the matter after farmers reported the matter to the
UP government.
According to farmers, this year the agriculture department distributed paddy seeds of variety PB-6, among the farmers. Officials promised hopes to the farmers saying, "This year, gulf countries will import a large quantity of rice from India. BP-6 variety is better than others. It will prove to be a money spinner."Farmers sowed this variety but it could not survive here. Now, farmers have suffered losse.”A few days ago, farmers had created a ruckus during Kisan Diwas alleging that they were provided bad paddy seeds. Paddy crop production has gone down this year.
District secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union, Digambar Singh, told TOI, "Some farmers had complained to the higher authorities that they had been provided bad seeds. Our leader, Rakesh Tikait, had also sent a letter to the chief secretary of agriculture, Rajnish Gupta, in this regards and demanded that strict action be taken against the agencies that supplied bad seeds. Now, the chief secretary has informed our leader that a probe has been launched into the matter. The director of agriculture, Gyan Singh, will lead the enquiry.”
According to the agriculture department, 55,000 hectares were under paddy cultivation in the district. Of this, PB-6 was sown in nearly 5% of this area. Only the production of PB-6 has gone down, whereas other varieties did well.
According to farmers, this year the agriculture department distributed paddy seeds of variety PB-6, among the farmers. Officials promised hopes to the farmers saying, "This year, gulf countries will import a large quantity of rice from India. BP-6 variety is better than others. It will prove to be a money spinner."Farmers sowed this variety but it could not survive here. Now, farmers have suffered losse.”A few days ago, farmers had created a ruckus during Kisan Diwas alleging that they were provided bad paddy seeds. Paddy crop production has gone down this year.
District secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union, Digambar Singh, told TOI, "Some farmers had complained to the higher authorities that they had been provided bad seeds. Our leader, Rakesh Tikait, had also sent a letter to the chief secretary of agriculture, Rajnish Gupta, in this regards and demanded that strict action be taken against the agencies that supplied bad seeds. Now, the chief secretary has informed our leader that a probe has been launched into the matter. The director of agriculture, Gyan Singh, will lead the enquiry.”
According to the agriculture department, 55,000 hectares were under paddy cultivation in the district. Of this, PB-6 was sown in nearly 5% of this area. Only the production of PB-6 has gone down, whereas other varieties did well.
Agriculture officials said the paddy seeds were
not bad. The production has gone down due to natural factors such as weather.
This variety survives under 25 degrees Celsius, but this year the temperature
was high and therefore the crop ripened before time. As such the crop could not
survive.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/Paddy-yield-falls-angry-farmers-say-blame-govt-for-bad-seeds/articleshow/55212247.cms
SECP approves rice futures trading
November 03, 2016
ISLAMABAD:
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Wednesday approved
the trading of super basmati paddy rice future contracts at the Pakistan
Mercantile Exchange (PMEX).“This listing will further our endeavour to promote
electronic trading of agricultural commodities, and also protect the interests
of participants in the agriculture value chain, particularly, farmers,” the
SECP said in a statement.In August, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan had already approved the red chilli futures contract. After a successful pilot, it has been rolled out on a full scale, it added. In the current season, more than 1,000 tons of red chilli has been traded through the electronic platform of Pakistan Mercantile Exchange.
Benefits of using the platform include quality tested product, swift payment within 24-48 hours, price transparency and guaranteed delivery and settlement through the exchange mechanism. The SECP is fully geared to bringing about reforms in agricultural commodity trading by encouraging traders to use the PMEX.
For this purpose, the SECP has incorporated the concept of agriculture promotion companies in the Draft Companies Bill 2016, which includes producer and collateral management companies. The said framework will be put forth for public consultation next week, said the SECP.
ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Wednesday approved the trading of super basmati paddy rice future contracts at the Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX).
“This listing will further our endeavour to promote electronic trading of agricultural commodities, and also protect the interests of participants in the agriculture value chain, particularly, farmers,” the SECP said in a statement.
In August, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan had already approved the red chilli futures contract. After a successful pilot, it has been rolled out on a full scale, it added. In the current season, more than 1,000 tons of red chilli has been traded through the electronic platform of Pakistan Mercantile Exchange.
Benefits of using the platform include quality tested product, swift payment within 24-48 hours, price transparency and guaranteed delivery and settlement through the exchange mechanism. The SECP is fully geared to bringing about reforms in agricultural commodity trading by encouraging traders to use the PMEX.
For this purpose, the SECP has incorporated the concept of agriculture promotion companies in the Draft Companies Bill 2016, which includes producer and collateral management companies. The said framework will be put forth for public consultation next week, said the SECP.
Paddy rice futures contracts
to be traded on PMEX
ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange
Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved super basmati paddy rice futures
contracts for listing on the Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX).The move will
promote the electronic trading of agricultural commodities through the PMEX
platform, a statement said on Wednesday. The SECP expects it will also help
protect the interests of farmers in the agriculture value chain.The last item
inducted for trading into the PMEX was red chilli, which was introduced as
pilot project in August 2015 and was subsequently rolled out on a full scale.
In the current season, over 1,000 tonnes of red chilli were traded through the
electronic platform of the PMEX.
The super basmati follows Irri rice, red
chillis, cotton, palm oil, sugar and wheat that have already been listed for
futures trade on the mercantile exchange. Non-agri listed products are copper,
gold, silver and crude oil.The SECP said benefits of using the PMEX platform
includes quality-tested products, swift payment within 24-48 hours, price
transparency and guaranteed delivery and settlement through the exchange’s
mechanism.The PMEX is the first exchange in the country to employ modern risk
management techniques based on value-at-risk with a pre-trade risk check in
real time. The exchange acts as a central counterparty to both buyers and
sellers and provide clearing and settlement using an online bank transfer
mechanism.
The SECP said it is bringing reforms to
agricultural commodity trading by encouraging traders to make use of the PMEX
platform as a modernised route for buying and selling agricultural commodities
in Pakistan.
The SECP has also incorporated the concept of
agriculture promotion companies in the Draft Companies Bill 2016.As a fully electronic
exchange with nationwide reach, the PMEX started its operations in May 2007 as
a successor of the National Commodity Exchange to broaden its mandate and scope
of activity to trade all types of futures contracts.
The PMEX has an institutional shareholding. Its
shareholders include National Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan Stock Exchange, LSE
Financial Services, ISE Towers REIT Management Company, Pak Kuwait Investment
Company and Zarai Taraqiati Bank.
Published in
Dawn, November 3rd, 2016
http://www.dawn.com/news/1293876/paddy-rice-futures-contracts-to-be-traded-on-pmex
Rice Importation Ban: OLAM urges FG to make
process gradual
On
November 3, 20165:17 pm
Says Nigerians now consume quality rice By
Gabriel Ewepu LAFIA- ON the move to ban importation of rice into the country in
2017, a rice production giant, OLAM Nigeria, yesterday, urged the Federal
Government to embark on gradual process to close the supply gap of 2.5 million
tonnes in five years. This was stated by the General Manager, GM, Project
Coordinator, OLAM Nigeria, Mahesh Nimje, while conducting a media tour of the
company’s rice farm and mill in Rukubi, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa
State, where he said rice produced by the company has been of high quality for
local consumption.
Nimje reacting to the move said the Federal
Government should support and provide more enabling environment for local
investors and farmers to close the huge supply gap of 2.5 million tonnes before
finally banning rice importation into the country. According to him on
enhancing domestic food security through scaling up rice cultivation, Olam has
started developing a 13,500 hectares fully irrigated paddy farm on greenfield site
in Ondorie, Nasarawa State. He further stated that the farm will be expecting a
yield of 10mt per hectare (over two annual crop cycles), based on four
varieties of high-yield rice tested with the West African Rice Development
Association, which 4,040 hectares are already under cultivation, with a further
3000 hectares on target for 2016/17, and 1000 workers are employed on the farm.
He said: “There is the supply gap of 2.5
million tonnes and the demand is still high, that is the reason why demand has
gone up more than the supply. So that gap cannot be filled within one or two
years but five years for the government to encourage efforts of the local
producers of rice, like the Anchor Borrower Scheme, more support to farmers,
training institutes for farmers, and also should encourage international
companies to establish farm like Olam. “In the last one year there has not been
much importers, the effort of government has yield some results, but not that
much to bridge the entire gap. The 2017 ban of rice importation is too closer
because the gap is still 2.5 million tonnes. “Like Olam’s effort as you can see
is all rice farm and that has challenged the communities around which the
people have gone into serious rice farming, and they need more facilities. With
the encouragement from the government the gap can be closed but it will take
five years. “It will take five years for government to achieve that target, but
they should keep that will power and good work of supporting the farmers,
international farmers to establish like Olam.
” He also urged the government to continue its
support for local rice farmers and millers to close the supply gap, as Olam has
been giving support to rice out-growers in the community with supply of
fertilisers and cheaper seeds, and also free training. “We urge organisations
like the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to help farmers get some credit for
yield per hectare. Government should put in more efforts and support to rice
farmers with the Anchor Borrowers Scheme and IFAD assisted programme, and also
give better environment to companies here in Nigeria, and it will attract other
investors to come into the rice sub-sector”, he stated
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/rice-importation-ban-olam-urges-fg-make-process-gradual/
Nigeria to export rice by 2021
November 2, 20167:55 pm
“I could see that with more encouragement, they
can expand from the present stage and when they continually used the improved
practices as they are taught, it will increase their yield. Mr Okafor Hyacinth,
the Ogboududu Cluster President said they were currently cultivating 90
hectares with 10 members in each hectare. “Our last harvest was 2 to 3metric
tonnes per hectare, but with the kind of training we are receiving, our
productivity is going higher. “According to the analysis of facilitators, we
will produce 4.5metric tonnes in our next harvest.’’ Dr Ben Albert, the team
leader, commended the farmers for their commitment, and assured them of
addressing challenges they might face in the course of production. He explained
that the supervision mission was aimed at evaluating and ascertaining their
progress and other challenges
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/nigeria-export-rice-2021/
Self-sufficiency in rice will take Nigeria 5
years - Olam
By Vincent A. Yusuf who was in Olam, Rukubi |
Publish Date: Nov 3 2016 2:00AM
Combined Harvesters at work at Olam rice farm
Olam Rice Farm, a member of the Olam group - a
worldwide agribusiness enterprise producing rice locally in Nigeria said it
might take the country five years to produce the 6 million metric tonnes of
rice to meet local demand.The farm’s General Manager, Project Coordination,
Mahesh Nimje said the country will have to step up investment in the sector if
the 2.5 million tonnes gap will have to be closed soon.
Olam, which has increased the hectarage under
cultivation from 3,800 hectares in 2015 to 4,500 hectares in 2016 currently
producing 40,000 metric tonnes of paddy in two cycles, said 2017 is too close
to bridge the demand gap.“Until there are more efforts and complimentary
programmes like the current CBN Anchor Borrowers’ programme to increase local
production, it will be difficult to close the gap. Also, there must be plans to
bring younger generations to the farms if production has to be sustained,” he
said.
“For me, I don’t think we can close the gap in
2017- it’s too close,” Mr. Nimje stated.Daily Trust asked the General Manager
if he thinks the price of rice will fall in the market. His response: “I don’t
think the price of rice will drop anytime soon because the cost of production
is higher today.“The cost of seeds, fertiliser, and herbicides are going up.
The cost of running the mill on diesel coupled with currency issues will make
the cost of rice to remain high in the market, unless these issues are
addressed,” he said
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/agriculture/self-sufficiency-in-rice-will-take-nigeria-5-years-olam/169867.html#dTLlv4srj2CY4lei.99
Rice Prices
as on :
04-11-2016 12:01:05 PMArrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Silapathar(ASM)
|
53.00
|
8.16
|
1273.90
|
3000
|
3000
|
NC
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
40.00
|
-50
|
3710.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-18.52
|
|
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
1333.50
|
2300
|
2300
|
15.00
|
|
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
|
17.00
|
-5.56
|
1455.10
|
2300
|
2300
|
15.00
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
11.50
|
-14.18
|
2125.90
|
1900
|
1900
|
NC
|
|
Khairagarh(UP)
|
9.00
|
12.5
|
452.50
|
2230
|
2220
|
9.85
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
8.50
|
-5.56
|
69.40
|
2250
|
2250
|
-
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
7.50
|
15.38
|
599.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
-4.00
|
|
Chandoli(UP)
|
7.00
|
16.67
|
230.50
|
2150
|
2140
|
14.36
|
|
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
|
6.80
|
36
|
286.90
|
4200
|
4200
|
-1.18
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
6.00
|
-20
|
1767.10
|
2170
|
2165
|
9.60
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
4.80
|
37.14
|
290.70
|
4100
|
4100
|
NC
|
|
Kasipur(WB)
|
0.90
|
NC
|
43.60
|
2240
|
2250
|
6.67
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9304704.ece
Army wants mills to offer better deal
Visiting troops to 'urge' reasonable rice
prices
- 3 Nov 2016
- NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS
| WRITER: POST
REPORTERS
The move was not aimed at threatening millers
but seeking their cooperation not to drive down prices, said Col Sirichan Ngathong,
deputy spokesman of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).They will
meet all mill operators across the country, Col Sirichan said, adding the
officers should have some knowledge about rice affairs and be stationed in
areas where they can ask to meet local millers.Soldiers will gather information
about the defects in the rice pricing mechanism which may have led to the
recent fall in prices, and listen to concerns raised by millers, she said.
Armed forces will buy grain from farmers through
growers' cooperatives to feed 100,000 military personnel as well as resell
grain, she said.The purchase price is initially set at 13,000 baht per tonne,
in line with the government's recently introduced subsidy programme.Prime
Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha earlier blamed rice mill operators and some local
politicians for manipulating rice prices, causing the price slump.Thai Rice
Millers Association president Manas Kitprasert Wednesday insisted rice millers
have not played a role in driving down rice prices or worked with anyone to do
so, despite claims to the contrary.
Millers bought grain in line with the market
mechanism and the prices were based on those quoted by exporters.He said the
association and representatives from millers across the country will go before
the media today to clarify the matter.The cabinet on Tuesday approved the rice
subsidy scheme at 13,000 baht per tonne for Hom Mali paddy to help farmers in
the North and the Northeast suffering from tumbling rice prices.
Of the 13,000 baht, 9,500 baht will be paid to
farmers to store their paddy for a certain period of time, while the rest of
the subsidy covers other costs, including quality maintenance and storage.The
programme took effect on Tuesday and it runs until Feb 28 next year.
The head of the Thai Agriculturist Association,
Wichien Puanglamjeak, thanked the government for rolling out the programme, which
he said should make farmers happy.He also called on the government to help
Central Plains farmers who grow other kinds of rice besides Hom Mali rice, and
who are suffering from the falling prices.
Mr Wichien said the recent drop in rice prices
was engineered by exporters, rice packaging operators, millers and traders.They
drove down the prices of unmilled rice so as to hoard it, believing the
government would have to launch a new rice-pledging programme, which would
later buy their rice.Suthikorn Kingkaew, a lecturer at Thammasat University's
Department of International Business, Logistics and Transport, said the recent
fall in rice prices was in line with an estimate predicting a huge supply
around the world this year.This was also coupled with the government's massive
rice stockpile, which led rice millers and traders to believe rice prices would
fall in the future, he said.
Accordingly, they drove down the prices to ward
off possible losses.He said the government should reveal its stock and the rice
output likely to enter the market, so millers can gauge suitable prices.๋Jitti
Mongkolnchaiarunya, dean of Thammasat's Puey Ungphakorn School of Development
Studies, launched a programme Wednesday to draw buyers to buy rice directly
from farmers, after some farmers started selling directly via the internet.It
will offer space at the university for direct rice sales, lay out a rice
pre-order system and register farmer networks so buyers can contact them
directly online.Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikulya said
the ministry will buy paddy from farmers via agricultural cooperatives and mill
it for distribution to customers through 24 distribution centres and their 120
sub-centres.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Vocational
Education Commission has told its agencies to offer farmers assistance,
including milling rice free of charge, drawing up designs for rice packaging
and sharing knowledge on marketing.The Department of Labour Protection and
Welfare has also vowed to contact provincial commercial offices to sell rice at
business operation facilities.
Below: Rice
is put on sale at a makeshift tent at Thammasat University's Puey Ungphakorn
School of Development Studies, which opened a space for farmers to sell rice
directly to customers Wednesday. The activity at the Rangsit campus was
intended to help farmers suffering from tumbling rice prices. (Photo by
Tanaphon Ongarttrakul)
Miller execs resign amid price slump
Rice farmers told not to cause public unrest
4 Nov 2016 at 04:00
NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS | WRITER: POST
REPORTERS
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha blamed rice
mill operators and politicians for driving down prices paid to farmers. Some 30 executive committee members of the
Thai Rice Millers Association have stepped down amid criticism that rice
millers are behind the recent slump in rice prices.The decision was declared by
the association's president, Manas Kitprasert, during a news briefing Thursday.
Mr Manas stepped down as president.Mr Manas said millers had always followed government
policy and adhered to the principle that farmers must be prioritised. However,
millers have now been accused of working with politicians to drive down rice
prices for political gain. Manas: Insists millers followed government
policy
Of the 13,000 baht, 9,500 baht will be paid to
farmers to store their rice, while the rest covers other costs, including
maintenance and storage.The programme took effect on Tuesday and runs until Feb
28.
Vichai Srinawakul, vice-president of the
association, said the measure has caused farmers to sell less rice, stabilising
Hom Mali rice prices at 9,000 baht per tonne.Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry
has instructed provincial governors to find ways to help farmers suffering from
the fall in rice prices.The measures include holding a meeting between state
and private sector representatives to help farmers, permanent secretary for
interior Grisada Boonrach said.
Meanwhile, ex-prime minister Yingluck
Shinawatra visited the northeastern provinces of Ubon Ratchathani and Surin on
Thursday to speak to farmers suffering from the low rice prices.She said she
wanted to give moral support to farmers after learning rice prices had fallen
to the lowest level in a decade.Ms Yingluck also bought packaged rice from farmers
during the visits.Kanthong Thongsri, an Ubon Ratchathani farmer, said rice
prices had fallen markedly after the rice-pledging scheme ended.
In Traton Thursday, a Marine Corps task force
bought rice from a community-based rice mill in tambon Nuen Sai of Muang
district.Rice was handed over during the visit by the task force's chief,
Samoraphum Jantho.
Capt Samoraphum said the government and the
navy chief have a clear policy to encourage the armed forces to buy grain from
communities to help farmers.He said his task force will buy 10 tonnes of grain
per month from the community.In Chai Nat, farmers called on the government to
help farmers who grow other kinds of rice besides Hom Mali rice.
Thawatchai Eiamjit, a Chai Nat farmer, said the
government's recently introduced measure is unfair for those in the Central
Plains who grow white khao chao, who also suffer losses due to the falling
prices. The government, he said, should come up with urgent measures to assist
them.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1126493/miller-execs-resign-amid-price-slump
Rice
millers board quits for failing to help farmers
3 Nov 2016 at 17:52
WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS AND WICHIT
CHANTRANUSORNSIRI
Thai Rice Millers Association president Manas
Kitprasert shows paddy samples of different qualities at a briefing. (Photo by
Pornprom Satrabhaya)
The president and executives of the Thai Rice
Millers Association have resigned, saying they have failed to help farmers and
been unable to push up grain prices.President Manas Kitprasert made the
announcement at a briefing on Thursday morning.Earlier, Prime Minister Prayut
Chan-o-cha publicly accused rice millers of colluding with local politicians to
push down paddy prices for political reasons.At the briefing on Thursday, Mr
Manas denied the allegations, saying millers had never pushed down prices nor
worked with politicians.
“In fact, we're not the ones who set paddy
prices. That's the role of exporters because they sell to end buyers,” he said.
The association’s executives earlier submitted
information about the falling rice prices to the government. However, Mr Manas
said there might be some "misunderstanding" that led the prime
minister to think that the millers had worked with politicians by refusing to
buy the grain from farmers.He insisted the millers worked on the principle of
supporting all governments, giving priority to farmers and not getting involved
with politics.
They claimed they had never stopped purchasing
paddy from farmers. In fact, they borrowed from commercial banks with a credit
line of over 80 billion baht to buy more than eight million tonnes of paddy
while the government helped subsidise only three percentage points of the loan
interest rates.
Mr Manas urged the public to understand the
millers. The 38-year-old association has more one thousand members in 50
provinces.Amid an outcry by farmers who complain they cannot sell rice to
millers, many growers have tried to sell rice directly to consumers.According
to Thai media, former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday visited
farmers in Ubon Ratchathani where a group of around 20 farmers joined hands to
mill and sell three tonnes of fragrant rice directly to consumers in front of a
school in tambon Nai Muang of Muang district.The farmers told Ms Yingluck that
millers gave them up to seven baht a kilogramme for the grain. The price would
be 10% lower if the produce had a high humidity.
This led them to dry and mill the grain, as
well as sell it themselves at 20 baht a kilo. That price not only covers their
costs but also gives them a profit of five baht a kg.Luck Wajananawat,
president of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, said the
government would use over 126 billion baht to shore up the paddy prices for the
2016/17 harvesting season.Of the total, 80 billion baht would be a credit line
to millers to purchase the rice and build stocks for three to six months. The
government will subsidise three percentage points of the interest rates during
the stock-building period.
Another 46.7 billion baht will be spent on the
projects aimed to delay the influx of fragrant rice into the market with the
target to stock two million tonnes of paddy or 20% of the estimated output of
10 million tonnes.The cabinet on Tuesday approved the rice subsidy scheme at up
to 13,000 baht per tonne of hom mali paddy, to stem protests from rice farmers
dissatisfied with the earlier proposed subsidised price of 11,525 baht. In Phitsanulok, around 30 soldiers help
harvest rice in the flooded five-rai field owned by Tuad Somnate in Bang Rakam
district to minimise the damage.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1126229/rice-millers-board-quits-for-failing-to-help-farmers
Cabinet boosts rice subsidy to B13,000
Prayut claims scheme different to Yingluck's
2 Nov 2016 at 04:00
The cabinet has decided to increase its latest
rice subsidy to 13,000 baht per tonne for Hom Mali paddy in a bid to stem
potential protests from rice farmers who were dissatisfied with a proposed
subsidy of 11,525 baht.The decision followed a special meeting by the National
Rice Policy Committee which agreed to increase the subsidy a day after
initially proposing it.Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said the measure,
which took effect Tuesday and runs to Feb 28 next year, will cost about 20
billion baht, an increase of 8.6 billion baht, with about 2 million rice
farmers expected to take part in the scheme.
Newly harvested rice is set out for treatment
and drying at this northeastern mill. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's
government now is offering up to 13,000 baht per tonne as a 'subsidy' to
farmers.Of the 13,000 baht, 9,500 baht will be paid to farmers to store their
paddy in barns for a certain period of time, while the remainder of the subsidy
covers other costs, including quality maintenance and storage.For participating
farmers without rice barns, they will receive 9,500 baht per tonne plus 2,000
baht for harvesting and improvement costs, and another 1,500 baht for storage
costs.However, farmers who have no barns to store the paddy will not receive
the 1,500-baht storage cost payment.Ms Apiradi said participating farmers are
then expected to redeem their rice within five months of joining the scheme.
She said the rice committee decided to revise
the figure after officials concerned including those from the Interior Ministry
gathered more information about paddy rice prices.She also said that the price
is expected to change in the future, along with the subsidy rate to compensate
for such price fluctuations.
The subsidy increase came after farmer groups
disagreed with the original sum of 11,525 baht per tonne.Prime Minister Prayut
Chan-o-cha said the subsidy programme should alleviate hardship for farmers,
and pleaded with them for their understanding.He said the government has a
limited budget and needs to strictly adhere to the law. "I hope the
measure can more or less help farmers," he said.He insisted that the
subsidy measure is not against the law and is different from the rice-pledging
scheme implemented by the Yingluck administration.Gen Prayut said he has
ordered the Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry, the Commerce Ministry and the
National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to the implement the measure and
monitor warehouses for signs of irregularities.
Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said
the prime minister has asked security authorities to investigate whether there
are people trying to manipulate rice prices.He said initial findings suggest
there are irregular activities in Phichit, with attempts to discredit the
government and convince farmers there that the government is mishandling the
situation.About 90% of Hom Mali paddy is due to hit the market this month.Army
chief Chalermchai Sitthisart, also the NCPO's secretary-general, said troops
have been dispatched to investigate any instances of price manipulation before
the paddy hits the market
He said the army is considering buying rice
from farmer cooperatives to help them with distribution, and is sending troops
to help farmers with the harvest to save labour costs."We are trying to do
what we can. Ending the price slump is the government's job," he said.Meanwhile,
Democrat member Wirat Kallayasiri said
the rice price is being manipulated by supporters of ex-premier Yingluck
Shinawatra to distort information about the rice-pledging scheme.
"They want to mislead the public into
thinking the government is turning a blind eye to their plight. Those who
benefited from the rice-pledging scheme are working to discredit the government
and provoking farmers," he said.He called on the government to send local
officials to explain the matter to farmers, and to strictly enforce the law
against those allegedly trying to distort the market for political gains.Rawee
Rungruang, a rice farmer representative, said farmer groups are concerned about
reports that the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives is refusing
to take rice from farmers in the lower part of the North because they grow
different grains.
