Saturday, December 24, 2016

24th December,2016 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

چاولوں میں ایسی چیز کی ملاوٹ ہونے لگی کہ آپ اگلی بار بازار سے چاول خریدتے ہوئے انہیں بار بار دیکھیں گے

22 دسمبر 2016 (21:14)
لاگوس (نیوز ڈیسک) کھانے پینے کی اشیاءمیں ملاوٹ تو ہمیشہ سے کی جاتی رہی ہے لیکن آپ یہ جان کر بے حد پریشان ہوجائیں گے کہ اب پلاسٹک سے بنے چاول بھی بازاروں میں پہنچ چکے ہیں۔ نقلی چاولوں کی خبر پہلے چین کے ہمسایہ ممالک میں سامنے آئی۔ ویتنام اور تھائی لینڈ جیسے ممالک میں اس کا خوب چرچا ہوا ، اور اب افریقی ملک نائیجیریا میں پلاسٹک سے بنے کئی ٹن چاول پکڑے گئے ہیں۔
برطانوی نشریاتی ادارے بی بی سی کی رپورٹ کے مطابق لاگوس شہر کے کسٹمز حکام کا کہنا ہے کہ بیرون ملک سے درآمد کئے جانے والے اڑھائی ٹن نقلی چاول پکڑے گئے ہیں، جو پلاسٹک اور دیگر مصنوعی اشیاءسے تیار کئے گئے ہیں۔ کسٹمز چیف ہارونا ممیدو نے میڈیا سے بات کرتے ہوئے بتایا کہ یہ چاول دیکھنے میں 100 فیصد اصلی نظر آتے ہیں اور انہیں چھو کر بھی فرق بتانا مشکل ہے۔ کسٹمز اہلکاروں نے جب کچھ چاول ابال کر دیکھے تو یہ غیر معمولی طور پر لیسلے اور قدرے سخت تھے البتہ اب بھی دیکھنے میں اصلی چاولوں جیسے ہی نظر آتے تھے۔ بی بی سی کے نمائندے نے بھی چاولوں کا معائنہ کرنے کے بعد حیرت کا اظہار کیا کہ یہ بظاہر بالکل اصلی نظر آتے ہیں لیکن انہیں سونگھنے سے کیمیکل کی ہلکی سی بو محسوس ہوتی ہے۔
 
خدشہ ظاہر کیا گیا ہے کہ ان چاولوں کو پلاسٹک اور کاغذ کا گودا ملا کر تیار کیا جاتا ہے، اور انہیں بھاری مقدار میں اصلی چاولوں کے ساتھ مکس کر کے متعدد ممالک میں بیچا جا رہا ہے۔ آپ بھی احتیاط سے کام لیں۔ چاولوں کو خریدتے وقت سونگھ کر دیکھیں، اگر ان کی خوشبو میں کوئی گڑبڑ محسوس ہو تو ہرگز نہ خریدیں۔ اگر خریدتے وقت مطلوبہ احتیاط نہیں کی گئی تو کم از کم پکانے سے قبل ضرور سونگھ کر چیک کریں۔ اصلی چاولوں کی مہک قدرتی، تازہ اور کیمیکل کی بو سے پاک ہونی چاہئیے




PAK-QATAR AGREE TO COOPERATE IN DIVERSE FIELDS

Thursday, 22 December 2016 22:52
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission Thursday agreed to cooperate in diverse fields including infrastructure, agriculture, ports and shipping, oil and gas exploration, banking, defence production and information technology.The fourth session of the commission was held here which was co-chaired by Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Minister for Energy and Industry Qatar, Dr Muhammad Bin Saleh Al-Sada.

Addressing the press briefing, Dr Muhammad Bin Saleh Al-Sada said the bilateral relations between the two countries were strengthening with every passing day.He said Qatar government was committed to continue to become a reliable supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to Pakistan to meet the country's growing energy needs.
"We feel proud to be a part of Pakistan's energy security", he added.He informed that the fifth session of the commission would be held in Doha and the date would be finalized soon.He said Qatar side agreed to invest in infrastructure projects in Pakistan as well as projects in agriculture sector.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said during the session, the two sides discussed the modalities for early implementation of recruitment of 100,000 additional workers as per announcement made by Emir of Qatar during the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.He said the two sides reviewed the progress of the LNG supplies from Qatar and decided to accelerate efforts for implementation of the project.He said the two sides also decided to cooperate mutually for oil and gas exploration including offshore exploration and development of the CNG infrastructure in the state of Qatar.The minister said Pakistani side requested Qatar authorities to include Pakistani rice in tender floating by Qatar Central Tender Committee and Qatar agreed to review the proposal.The parties, he said also agreed to hold inaugural meeting of Pak-Qatar Joint Business Council at the earliest
http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/pakistan/332904-pak-qatar-agree-to-cooperate-in-diverse-fields.html






Pakistan vs. India Water Row Is About To Explode

By Polina Tikhonova on December 22, 2016 7:07 am in Politics Pakistan and India seem unable to resolve the Indus Water Treaty dispute bilaterally. Tensions between the two nuclear neighbors regarding the water conflict pose a global threat and could bring dramatic consequences. While the World Bank is urging Pakistan and India to resolve the dispute on their own, the water conflict is slowly turning into a global disaster.

Image
source: Wikimedia Commons
Last week, Pakistan declared that it won’t accept any modifications to the treaty after India said it was ready to resolve its differences with its neighbor. Islamabad accuses New Delhi of just trying to buy time and says its nuclear-powered neighbor is trying to change the treaty, which was signed in 1960, to suit its domestic political agenda.The Indus Water Treaty allows India to control the three eastern rivers of the Indus Basin, while Pakistan controls the three western rivers, including the Indus River.

Will Pakistan and India go to war over water?

Despite the World Bank’s call to resolve the issue bilaterally, Pakistan and India continue to escalate the conflict. The international community, meanwhile, shows little to no interest in the water conflict between the two nuclear neighbors. That’s a huge mistake because the India vs. Pakistan water conflict poses a global threat. New Delhi and Islamabad continue to stick to their guns, which could eventually lead to the use of real guns and unleashing a war.Last Friday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi told Dawn, “Pakistan will not accept any modifications or changes to the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. Our position is based on the principles enshrined in the treaty. And the treaty must be honored in…letter and spirit.”

Indian officials believe the World Bank-brokered treaty shouldn’t have been signed in the first place because Pakistan controls more water than India as a result of the 1960 treaty. Islamabad has long feared that its nuclear-powered neighbor is trying to revoke the treaty to suit its domestic political agenda. Revoking it would present dangerous consequences for the region and the world as a whole.
Pakistan strongly opposes India’s plans to build dams

In the latest wave of escalating tensions, the two nations can’t agree on India’s plans to construct two hydropower dams. Islamabad thinks its neighbor’s plans to build the 850-megawatt Ratle and the 330-megawatt Kishanganga hydropower dams on India’s Chenab River would negatively affect the flow of rivers on Pakistan’s side.New Delhi and Islamabad recently launched two separate, conflicting processes under the treaty to resolve the dispute of building the two hydroelectric power plants. But earlier this month, the World Bank appointed a neutral expert, fearing that the two processes could lead to destructive consequences.

“Both processes initiated by the respective countries were advancing at the same time, creating a risk of contradictory outcomes that could potentially endanger the Treaty,” the bank said in a statement.The World Bank also announced a pause in the two processes with an aim of protecting the Indus Waters Treaty.
“This is an opportunity for the two countries to begin to resolve the issue in an amicable manner and in line with the spirit of the treaty rather than pursuing concurrent processes that could make the treaty unworkable over time,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said in a statement before adding that he hopes the two neighbors will resolve the dispute by the end of January.

Trust deficit between Islamabad and New Delhi

The root of all disputes and issues between Pakistan and India is the trust deficit. When India asks for “adequate time” to resolve the disputes regarding the 1960 treaty, Pakistani officials interpret it as “time buying” tactics. By calling for more time, India could be planning to complete its two dam projects during the consultation phase, thinks Rabia Sultan, an expert based in Pakistan. Sultan told the Anadolu Agency that the two dam projects could create food and water shortages in Pakistan.

“The construction of a gated structure on the upstream will give India an edge to manipulate and control the [Chenab] river, which may turn out to be very dangerous especially when the two sides are hostile to each other,” Sultan said.The expert added that the proposed hydropower dams could also damage Pakistan’s rice crops because the Chenab River serves as a key source of irrigation water for the area where Pakistanis grow rice.
“The construction of the two dams may cause water shortage in the area, particularly in low water season,” Sultan warns.Pakistanis are famous for their production of Basmati rice, which is a major export item that boosts the nation’s economy.

India vs. Pakistan water conflict poses global threat


ValueWalk reported last month that there’s a high risk of war between Pakistan and India amid the water conflict. Ever-growing tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi, climate change, global warming and depletion of natural resources could lead to a military confrontation between the nuclear neighbors in the near future, warn experts at the UN. And since the two countries have nuclear weapons, any military confrontation between them can result in catastrophic consequences for the world.

Last month, the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health warned that the Indus River and all other rivers in South Asia are the worst-affected by climate change. The UN experts warned that South Asian nations, including the rival Pakistan and India, will be the first to feel the catastrophic damage of droughts and chronic water scarcity, two direct indicators of climate change. They also warned that a lack of access to drinking water from the Indus River, which belongs to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty, could lead to a military confrontation between New Delhi and Islamabad over water.

In September, Pakistani leaders warned their Indian counterparts that any attempts to revoke or change the Indus Water Treaty would be deemed an act of war. Many experts link long-standing hostilities between Islamabad and New Delhi to rising water demands and the depletion of water resources in the Indus River, which keeps at least 300 million people alive, according to the UNhttp://www.valuewalk.com/2016/12/pakistan-vs-india-water-conflict/



'Plastic' or not? Over 100 bags of fake rice seized in Nigeria

By Paul Adepoju and Yemisi Adegoke, CNN
Updated 0428 GMT (1228 HKT) December 24, 2016


Story highlights

·         Investigation continues into where shipment originated
·         Rice is a major staple food in Nigeria, often prepared as jollof rice
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)Nigerian authorities have seized 2.5 metric tons of reportedly fake rice during the holiday season.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian Custom Service said it intercepted 102 bags of a brand called Best Tomato Rice after the recipient of a gift of rice alerted authorities. The health ministry released a statement on Friday urging Nigerians to remain calm after preliminary findings found no evidence that the rice was plastic or consisted of toxic chemical substances. Yet, the country's National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control has not released their investigative report.
The health minister's statement contradicts earlier reports from customs officials.
Mamudu Haruna, comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit, called it "plastic" rice at a press briefing in Lagos Thursday. "We have done the preliminary analysis on the plastic rice. After boiling, it was sticky and only God knows what would have happened if people consumed it."
Haruna described the importers of the fake rice as "economy saboteurs" seeking to capitalize off of Nigerians looking for bargains during the Christmas and New Year holiday season.
It is unclear where the shipment of rice originated. "A consultant said he was given 221 bags to distribute," Jerry Attah, the public relations officer for the assistant superintendent of customs, told CNN.
One customer who avoided a potential mishap was Kikelomo Adediti. She said she bought 10 cups of the product (about 2 kg) from a small retailer in the Ikeja area of Lagos, in November.
"It looked perfectly normal and cost less [than regular rice] so I thought I got a great deal. Normally it would take about 20 minutes [to cook] but after 30 minutes it was still hard. I added more water and the aroma was chemical in nature so I decided to discard it thinking it had expired," she told CNN. Adediti didn't formally report the incident.
In another case, a woman who received rice as a gift noticed something was wrong after cooking it. Her husband then called customs officials.

Plastic, resin or none of the above

Yet, it's still unclear what the rice is made of."If you look at it it's rice. If you look at the pictures it's rice. If you cook it and eat it it's rice. It's only when you touch it you'll feel it that you realize it's not," Attah told CNN."That's why I call it fake rice, not plastic rice. To me it's more like flour coated in maybe rubber... I don't know the kind of formulations or chemicals they use," he said.Attah said that a total of 221 bags -- each weighing 25 kilos -- came into Nigeria, but only 102 were recovered, which means 119 have already been distributed.

Nigerians' love for rice

Rice is a major staple food in Nigeria and a favorite holiday meal, often prepared as jollof rice.
It is estimated that Nigerians consume 6 million metric tons of rice per year; in 2013, former minister of agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said the country spends more than $1 billion annually to import rice.

"Though rice contribute a significant proportion of the food requirements of the [Nigerian] population, production capacity is far below the national requirements. In order to meet the increasing demand, Nigeria has had to resort to importation of milled rice to bridge the gap between domestic demand and supply," according to Professor Tunji Akande, author of An overview of the Nigerian Rice Economy.With imports adversely affected by the country's foreign exchange woes and the continued rise of the dollar against Nigeria's currency the Naira, the cost of rice has more than doubled.

Bags of rice were on sale for NGN22,000 in Bodija market Ibadan and other major Nigerian markets on Thursday, compared with about NGN10,000 a year ago.The desire for cheaper rice makes Nigerians vulnerable to counterfeit foods industry: "Rice is very expensive and people are looking for where to get it at cheaper rates. If a regular bag costs NGN17,000 but the plastic one is being sold for 9,000, many Nigerian families will buy it," said economics expert Lanre Adigun.

"This is further aided by the porous nature of Nigeria's borders. Since the Nigerian government had already banned rice importation into the country through the land borders, the commodity is still being smuggled into the country through the border with Benin Republic. You can go to any market and you will see all sorts of rice imported through the land borders," said Feyikemi Oladokun, a nutrition expert who works with the agriculture ministry in Kwara state.

Not just Nigeria

In 2011, a Korean news report revealed some fake rice is produced from potatoes that are shaped as rice with the addition of industrial resin. Even when cooked, the report said the rice remained hard.

Meet Nigerian 6-year-old comedienne 01:08
Dr. Victoria Feyikemi of Babcock University Hospital Ogun state, Nigeria, said the medical consequences of consuming such products can be severe because the fake rice has synthetic resin that is harmful to the body.
"When you eat three bowls of this rice, you are basically ingesting one vinyl bag and the toxicity and associated pathologies are numerous. We cannot afford to add plastic rice-associated medical emergencies to our numerous health challenges in Nigeria, remember we are still struggling with Lassa fever," she said
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/23/africa/nigeria-fake-plastic-rice/





Price of rice could increase suddenly in 2017, Informa’s Agribusiness Intelligence vertical predicts

Published on 23/12/2016 by Fiona Briggs in Data Time, Research

Informa’s Agribusiness Intelligence vertical is predicting improved weather conditions will lead to increased production of rice worldwide in 2017, but consumption will slightly outstrip supplies and potentially lead to increased wholesale prices. Strong production in the US and Russia will mean wheat output will increase by 4 million tonnes in 2017 to match increased demand, but wheat will be replaced by cheaper foodstuffs in the animal feed market. Informa’s Agribusiness Intelligence vertical also predicts soybeans will recover from drought to see strong growth in 2017, leading the charge for growth in the wider oilseed category.
Informa’s Agribusiness Intelligence vertical, the leading provider of news, data, analysis and forecasts across the agricultural and commodities value chain, has outlined its predictions for the grains and oilseeds commodities market alongside others in its Agribusiness Annual 2017 report due to be published in January 2017. The Annual shows global commodities will paint a varied picture in 2017. This will be largely determined by weather, geopolitical changes in the US, EU and Southeast Asia while changing consumer demands and the need to supply a growing meat industry will continue to affect global commodities.
Key findings include:
§  Rice – Global rice production will exceed 2016 by 9 million tonnes in 2017 and good weather conditions means supplies are marginally larger going into 2017 than at the beginning of 2016. Growth in consumption is expected to outpace the increase in supplies, which could lead to price increases
§  Wheat – Global wheat output likely will increase by about 3 million tonnes in the 2016/17 marketing year driven by increased production from the US and Russia, while total usage is expected to increase by about 20 million tonnes. Total production and consumption will even out at around 720 million tonnes respectively. Global stocks for 2017 will be 4 million tonnes larger than in the prior year and ending stocks are expected to rise again by the end of the marketing year 
§  Oilseeds – Recovery from drought in South America and a record year for output in the US means global soybean output is forecast to rise by about 8% to just over 330 million tonnes by the end of the 2016/17 global marketing year. Total world oilseed production (including palm, rapeseed and peanuts) is expected to rebound by about 6% by the end of 2016/17 
§  Coarse grains / Animal feed – Greater consumption of meat worldwide is driving feed demand. While wheat will still form a large part of the coarse grain market, there will be heavy competition from other low-priced feedstuffs in 2017. Corn is expected to have a healthy rebound in production in 2017 in countries like Argentina following unsettled weather and export taxes in 2016
Don Riffe, senior vice president for Informa Economics IEG, concludes: “Across the globe production of grains and oilseeds are on the rise, but market segmentation and quality issues in specific regions is creating an uncertain outlook for producers and traders worldwide. It also remains unclear how the election of Trump will affect the import and export of commodities in the US market, while the potential for a hard or soft Brexit has introduced more speculation in the European market. The agricultural industry should prepare for moderate growth in grains and oilseeds, but stakeholders should arm themselves with up to the hour information to better handle sudden geopolitical changes, weather events or other market factors outside of their control.”
http://www.retailtimes.co.uk/price-rice-increase-suddenly-2017-informas-agribusiness-intelligence-vertical-predicts/



Govt rules out importing wheat


PTI | New Delhi
December 23, 2016 | 03:11 PM


Amid tight supply of wheat in the domestic market, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday ruled out possibility of import of the grain on government account saying there is adequate buffer stock to meet the requirement under the Public Distribution System (PDS).The government has recently scrapped import duty on wheat to boost domestic supplies and curb price rise. The private players has imported more than 1.7 million tonnes of wheat so far and more shipments are expected at zero Customs duty.Asked if the government would undertake wheat imports, Paswan said: "That situation may not arise as we have adequate stock in the central pool to meet the PDS requirement."

As on December 1, state-owned Food Corporation of India had 27.55 milion tonnes of foodgrains, of which wheat was 16.4 million tonnes and rice was 11 million tonnes, he told media while briefing about his ministry's achievement in 2016.Although there is tight supply situation, the Agriculture Ministry has been maintaining wheat output to be higher at 93.55 million tonnes for the 2015-16 crop year (July-June), which the industry has countered and said the output has lowered to 86-88 million tonnes.

Explaining the reasons behind removal of import duty, Paswan said, "It was done purely to control prices. We have enough stock for PDS requirement but in the open market there is tight position. The zero import duty will not be permanent." Asked if the Food Ministry believes the Agriculture Ministry's wheat estimate for 2015-16, the Minister said, "In every meeting, we have asked for accurate and realistic data.They say the data is right. So,there is no question of not believing in the data of the other ministry."

Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande said, "We did not take decision based only on the figures of the Agriculture Ministry. We have also taken into consideration that there is some issue with production. We took decision taking into account both Agriculture Ministry's estimate of around 94 million tonnes and industry's figure of 88 million tonnes."

While there are doubts about last year's wheat output data, there are concerns about this year's wheat crop as the Met Department has projected warmer winter. Although the acreage so far is higher, but experts said any rise in temperature during February-March may affect crop yields.The Agriculture Ministry is targeting a record 96.50 million tonnes of wheat output for 2016-17.

http://www.thestatesman.com/business/govt-rules-out-importing-wheat-1482486016.html

Pulses, wheat, oilseeds sowing surpasses 5 years’ average


·        
Rabi acreage at 554 lakh hectares so far, up 6% year-on- year
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 23:  
Pulses, wheat and oilseeds sowing in the on-going rabi season have picked up pace and out-stripped average acreage of the previous five years, as per the Agriculture Ministry’s latest sowing data (till December 23) circulated on Friday.
Sowing of rice and coarse cereals, however, remain lower than the average acreage in the previous five years (normal of the corresponding week).
Total sowing of all the five rabi crops so far at 554.91 lakh hectares (lh) is about 1.65 per cent higher than the normal average of the corresponding week at 545.87 lh, but 6 per cent higher than the total acreage in the same period of the previous drought year which was at 523.4 lh.
About 278.62 lh area coverage under wheat has been reported compared to the normal area of corresponding week of 274.66 lh. Higher acreage of wheat so far has been reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Bihar among others.
Pulses have been sown over an area of 138.22 lh so far — higher than sowing in the normal area of the corresponding week at 128.87 lh. States where sowing increased include Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand while those where it has gone down include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Oilseeds acreage at 78.08 lh so far is higher than the normal average of the corresponding week at 76.53 lh. Acreage under rice at 9.33 lh so far is much lower than the normal of corresponding week at 13.41 lh. Coverage under coarse cereals has also gone down to 50.63 lh (52.39 lh)


North Korean crop production up by 7% 

Despite troubling floods that hit the northeastern part of North Korea in August and September, North Korea's crop production in 2016 has seen a seven percent rise according to Seoul. Total production in the country totalled around 4.8 million tons a report from the government’s Rural Development Administration (RDA) said, roughly 310 thousand tons more than last year.

“Out of 4.81 million tons of this year’s production, rice was 2.22 million; corn was 1.7 million, potatoes 550 thousand, cereals 170 thousand, and 170 thousand tons of beans and mixed grains,” they estimate.

The report covers each individual crop and its corresponding growth in the country over the previous year. According to the report corn enjoyed a four percent growth up by 60 thousand tons, and potatoes a ten percent rise up by 50 thousand tons after favorable rainfall and weather.

Despite this growth, the report said, production is still short of the 690 thousand tons that the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program say would be adequate to meet the needs of the North Korean population.

source: nknews.org


Publication date: 12/23/2016


Seeds because you might give us something not good for our soil.”
Cosino was one of the first ones to use hybrid in Agusan del Sur seven years ago, and has gained experience on what variety works best.
“Before I was using SL-8, but now I like SL-18 better. It has longer tiller. SL-18 can give 15 to 20 more cavans than SL-8. We capitalized on it—it’s good really. Maybe it’s better for our climate where it’s always raining. With another kind of seed, I did not get 100 cavans so I didn’t get it again,” she said.
Cosino reaped 330 cavans at a hefty 65 kilos per cavan from her three hectares in the last dry season. This equivalent to 7.15 MT per hectare based on the usual 50-kilo per cavan.

Rice Prices

as on : 23-12-2016 08:10:35 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Akbarpur(UP)
122.50
6.52
1375.00
2160
2170
8.00
Vikasnagar(Utr)
105.00
62.79
287.50
2240
1840
-50.22
Siliguri(WB)
97.00
3.19
9808.00
2700
2700
3.85
Kalipur(WB)
82.00
-8.89
11789.00
2400
2400
11.63
Lanka(ASM)
60.00
NC
4840.00
2000
2000
15.94
Kasimbazar(WB)
48.00
2.13
4039.00
2420
2450
7.56
Gauripur(ASM)
45.00
21.62
3636.80
4500
4500
NC
Taliamura(Tri)
42.00
90.91
712.00
2700
2800
NC
Purulia(WB)
24.00
NC
2538.00
2400
2400
6.19
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
24.00
9.09
1467.50
2000
2350
8.11
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
23.00
-4.17
800.00
2550
2550
-8.11
Karimganj(ASM)
20.00
NC
160.00
3100
3100
6.90
Jaunpur(UP)
20.00
-91.3
7666.00
2150
2130
9.41
Islampur(WB)
20.00
33.33
938.90
2200
2200
2.33
Kaliaganj(WB)
20.00
NC
1645.00
2500
2500
-1.96
Dinhata(WB)
20.00
NC
605.50
2250
2200
9.76
Medinipur(West)(WB)
20.00
33.33
416.00
2500
2500
-
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
16.00
77.78
1725.10
2300
2300
16.16
Champadanga(WB)
16.00
NC
1525.00
2800
2800
16.67
Giridih(Jha)
15.46
-2.64
693.46
3500
3500
NC
Haldibari(WB)
15.00
NC
120.00
2250
2250
-
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
14.00
-26.32
2788.00
3000
3000
NC
Nilagiri(Ori)
12.00
20
722.00
2400
2300
4.35
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
11.80
-46.36
1742.60
2500
2500
8.70
Baruipur(Canning)(WB)
8.50
21.43
199.90
2600
2600
-7.14
Jeypore(Ori)
8.00
142.42
446.10
4200
4100
NC
Tusura(Ori)
8.00
23.08
503.00
2400
2400
9.09
Bethuadahari(WB)
8.00
-20
225.80
2300
2300
-22.03
Ranaghat(WB)
8.00
-33.33
231.00
2300
2200
6.98
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
8.00
NC
1412.00
2500
2500
8.70
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
7.80
-11.36
2553.90
1900
1900
NC
Kolaghat(WB)
7.00
NC
1443.00
2500
2500
8.70
Chengannur(Ker)
6.50
NC
781.00
2400
2500
-4.00
Bolangir(Ori)
6.50
-7.14
529.40
2400
2400
9.09
Uluberia(WB)
6.20
10.71
377.20
2450
2450
-2.00
Dibrugarh(ASM)
6.00
-53.85
516.60
2250
2250
-
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
5.70
137.5
258.70
2700
2700
3.85
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
4.80
-20
424.90
4100
4100
26.15
Hailakandi(ASM)
4.00
NC
206.00
2200
2200
-18.52
Bohorihat(ASM)
3.00
-71.43
342.90
2600
2700
23.81
Melaghar(Tri)
3.00
NC
160.00
2450
2450
2.08
Darjeeling(WB)
2.80
-12.5
230.90
2950
2950
5.36
Rahama(Ori)
1.60
13.48
63.04
2500
2500
8.70
Kalimpong(WB)
1.30
-7.14
77.60
2600
2600
10.64
Shillong(Meh)
0.80
-20
104.20
3700
3700
5.71
Ernakulam(Ker)
0.56
NC
18.72
3500
3500
6.06

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9441764.ece








http://www.manilatimes.net/rice-farmers-seek-choice-govt-seed-program/303294/

Stick with stocks of enduring brands for handsome returns through thick & thin

By Rahul Oberoi, ETMarkets.com | Updated: Dec 23, 2016, 01.12 PM IST
We should not underestimate the significance of large, enduring firms
— Marcus Wallenberg, ex-Chairman, SEB, North European financial group

Wallenberg’s statement underlines one key thing —companies with enduring products can better cope with the ups and down of the stock market than those without them. Companies with enduring brands generally have a diversified portfolio, sell their products worldwide and generate consistent revenue and operating profit margins. Market experts often term such stocks as defensive, and say one can consider them to protect their portfolios to ride occasional headwinds.

When you think of Nestle, the first thing that comes to mind are noodles; a certain name like Colgate-Palmolive makes you think of a toothpaste. They are the ones called enduring brands. Nestle India’s brands such as Maggi noodles and Nescafe coffee are consumed across the world. Even after the fiasco over lead content in Maggi, the product saw robust response from consumers when it returned to stores.

In fact, some e-commerce websites sold their stock of Maggi noodles within minutes of the re-launch when the dispute ended. A consumer does not think twice while purchasing such products. Despite the trouble, shares of the company managed to beat market return and advanced nearly 2.50 per cent since the beginning of 2016 till date. For the quarter ended September 30, 2016, Nestle reported over two-fold growth in net profit at Rs 269.39 crore compared with Rs 124.20 crore reported for the corresponding quarter last year.

Jay Prakash Gupta, Director and CEO, MDirect, said: “Companies with enduring brands or products are generally defensive in nature and are consistent performers in terms of stock returns. These companies generally report healthy operating profit growth on a year-on-year basis.” Gupta said these stocks are good options to think of in difficult times. “I believe companies like Gillette India and Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Healthcare (P&G) are among the safest bets that one consider for protecting a portfolio from contingencies,” he said.

The share price of Gillette India has declined 8 per cent this year till date, while that of P&G has surged over 20 per cent in the same period. Market experts said one should look at the company’s past track record of management, corporate governance and the number of countries it serves.

In the smallcap space, L&T Food’s Daawat Basmati rice has emerged as an enduring brand. With Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador, the product is available in over 50 countries.

Shares of the company have outperformed the benchmark Sensex in 2016. The scrip has surged nearly 5 per cent to Rs 279 as of December 20 from Rs 267 on January 1, 2016.

Ambareesh Baliga, independent market analyst, said: “Enduring brands mostly help companies to sail through difficult times, like we saw in the case of Nestle India. These companies are extremely safe from an investment point of view. Chances of a sharp bounceback in such stocks are strong in case of severe correction. One should look at the global brand value of such companies before investing. One can also consider Bata India, Asian Paints, Pidilite, P&G and HUL as their products are available in markets for ages.”
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/stick-with-stocks-of-enduring-brands-for-handsome-returns-through-thick-thin/articleshow/56135966.cms







Rice farmers seek choice in govt seed program

By BEN KRITZ, TMT on Agribusiness

Rice farmers have asked government to adopt a procurement system that gives them “freedom of choice” in the use of hybrid seeds suitable to their local climates instead of being limited to the lowest-cost seeds, urging government to prioritize quality over economy.Ricardo Buenaventura, president of Nagkakaisang Magsasaka Agricultural Primary Multi Purpose Cooperative (NMAP-MPC) in Tabacalera, Nueva Ecija, said the Department of Agriculture (DA) should adopt a better system that will distribute quality hybrid seeds to farmers, not just the lowest-priced ones.
“What if the free hybrid seed does not fit their soil? What if the farmer doesn’t want it? It will be a waste of government money. It should be farmers’ choice,” he said in an interview.Buenaventura is one of Philippines’ most successful rice farmers, routinely harvesting at least 10 metric tons (MT) of rice per hectare during the dry season, according to his cooperative’s records.
He explained he was able to achieve his high yield by maximizing seed subsidy benefits introduced during the Arroyo Administration.Buenaventura attributed NMAP-MPC’s success to the use of the popular SL-8H hybrid rice by the cooperative’s member-farmers.
Tech assistance also needed
Buenaventura also urged government not only to encourage more hybrid seed production but also to assess hybrid seed producers’ after-sales service to farmers.“They should look at presence of technicians to help farmers on how to use seeds. Not all seeds have technicians to help you,” he said. “We have seen many types of hybrid seeds that had come out in the market, but not all have sustained supply. They come and go,” he said.
He said that the hybrid seed SL-8H, which is produced by SL Agritech Corp.(SLAC), had helped many Nueva Ecija farmers improve their incomes.“Here 95 percent of our farmers plant SL-8 in the dry season. Only 5 percent use other hybrids. We’ve tested it many times over. And they have technicians to help us immediately when there is any problem,” said Buenaventura.Quality in hybrid seeds is judged on yield, compared with inbreds that typically produce only three to five MT per hectare.
The benchmark for hybrid yield is 50 percent higher than the yield for inbred varieties, although SL Agritech said that experienced farmers often harvest 10 MT or more per hectare in the dry season.And with tough, long grains, SL-8H has high milling recovery rate of 65 to 67 percent, Buenaventura added.
Better to buy own seeds
Farmer Dennis Tejada of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, agreed the DA’s rice sufficiency program anchored on subsidized seeds is useless without giving farmers the choice of hybrid.
“It will be a problem if the government buys seeds for farmers based on the lowest offer,” said Tejada in Filipino.
“One time they were giving us free seeds. But we rather just bought our own seeds. It’s better if it’s farmers that will choose because we’re the ones planting. We know what’s good, we know what can adapt to our climate– in a place where there’s so much rain,” he explained
Tejada said he prefers the SL-18H hybrid that yields about eight MT per hectare. SL-18H is what he has just planted for the upcoming dry harvest, at his own expense even though the government subsidy is available.
Tejada said his previous yield had given him sufficient income to choose his own seed for the next season.
Choosing a hybrid seed based on quality, rather than just low price, is also in compliance with earlier pronouncements of President Rodrigo R. Duterte that government will improve procurement system by choosing quality, not only low price in government purchases, Tejada pointed out.
“President Duterte in his program hasn’t yet given free seeds. So what farmers here did was they bought each one for himself. We bought SL-18. It has good taste. It is tender. It has a good aroma. It’s long grain. And it’s tolerant to BLB (bacterial leaf blight),” he said.
“It’s unfortunate some farmers just don’t have the cash to pay for seeds upfront, but it’s well worth the return when you get it back upon harvest,” Tejada added.
Different seeds for different conditions
Glazeline E. Cosino, of Poblacion Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, said she found SL-18H even better for her climate.
“We told our MAO (municipal agriculture officer) when she met with us about 20 hybrid users that we should be able to choose our seed. Before, they gave us free seeds. Yield was acceptable, but the eating quality is not so good. Its grain has not been fully filled even if we had a full 120-day term which is why I didn’t buy it again,” she said.
“They wanted us to convince our neighbors to go into hybrid, but we told our MAO if you will give us seeds, you might as well give us what we know and what we have already proven to be good seeds because you might give us something not good for our soil.”
Cosino was one of the first ones to use hybrid in Agusan del Sur seven years ago, and has gained experience on what variety works best.
“Before I was using SL-8, but now I like SL-18 better. It has longer tiller. SL-18 can give 15 to 20 more cavans than SL-8. We capitalized on it—it’s good really. Maybe it’s better for our climate where it’s always raining. With another kind of seed, I did not get 100 cavans so I didn’t get it again,” she said.
Cosino reaped 330 cavans at a hefty 65 kilos per cavan from her three hectares in the last dry season. This equivalent to 7.15 MT per hectare based on the usual 50-kilo per cavan.