EXTENSION FOR BASTAR, SURGUJA JOB
RESERVATION
Wednesday, 25 January 2017 | Staff Reporter | Naya Raipur | in Raipur
1
2
The Chhattisgarh Cabinet has
decided to extend the period for reservation of jobs in Class III and Category
IV to the natives of Bastar and Surguja divisions.Reservation in
Government jobs is being provided to the locals since January 17, 2012. The
term of Reservation Act had been extended from time to time, it was informed at
the State Cabinet meeting here.
The Cabinet chaired by Chief
Minister Raman Singh decided to extend the period of reservation to locals
till December 31, 2018. It may be mentioned here that at present about
10,526 tribal youth are in employment in State Government services.
The proposal to provide two months
ration material in advance was passed in the State Cabinet. The ration
card-holders can avail of the two-month ration in advance in the entire State.
There will not any additional expenditure on the State Government, officials
informed.'Rice Mahotsav' (Chaaval Mahotsav) will be conducted at every ration
shop. The ration material will be distributed in the presence of
local officials and people's representatives.
About 3.48 lakh tonnes of rice is
allocated to the ration card-holders every two months under the PDS scheme. If
the ration material is distributed two months in advance, there will be enough
space left in the godowns.
The State Cabinet also approved the
proposal that registered farmers who bring paddy to paddy procurement
centers by January 31 will be purchased by the State Government.
It may be recalled that in the last
Cabinet meeting, the Chhattisgarh Cabinet had also endorsed a proposal to hike
the maximum age limit requirement for local residents in Government jobs.
As per the decision, five
years exemption over the maximum age limit of 35 years for unreserved
candidates had been provided; whereas for the candidates of other categories,
it has been extended to 45 years in the direct recruitment for the new calendar
year 2017.
The meeting was held under
the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Raman Singh.
It was also informed in the
meeting that the State government will provide the rate for custom milling
approved by Central government while no incentives would be given for Arva
(raw) milling of paddy less than capacity within the duration of two months by
the rice millers.
But, incentives would be
given in special case (such as in condition of non availability of paddy for
milling by paddy procurement centre etc) based on the examination of Managing
Director, State Cooperative Marketing Federation regarding custom milling of
paddy within the duration of two months which is equivalent to that of
the paddy. The Cabinet had given approval for Government guarantee for
taking soft loan of Rs 10 crore for District Cooperative Bank,
Bilaspur from District Cooperative Bank (Apex Bank), Raipur.
Nigeria to
redouble effort in rice production
This
comes as ongoing research to boost rice production genetically continues.
Lara
Afolayan reports that a rice mill in north central Nigeria has the
capacity to mill two hundred and eighty eight metric tonnes of rice per day.
A number of such mills exist in various parts of the country but much of their output is way below local demand and lots of imports are needed to augment supply.The government notwithstanding remains positive the country will have no need for rice imports soon.Somewhere else in the same region, field trials are ongoing by scientists on improved species of rice, which are genetically modified.
A number of such mills exist in various parts of the country but much of their output is way below local demand and lots of imports are needed to augment supply.The government notwithstanding remains positive the country will have no need for rice imports soon.Somewhere else in the same region, field trials are ongoing by scientists on improved species of rice, which are genetically modified.
The
scientists carrying out this experiment say it is a way out of Nigeria’s rice
production challenges.
This
innovation appears to be a quick fix solution to Nigeria’s food sufficiency
problem but there are worries by agriculture watchers on the safety of such
technology.The investors on their own part advise that financial authourities
give more funding support to agriculture.They as well recommend more young
population participation in farming.The ongoing research on genetically
modified rice will take about four years, before its final analysis and
eventual adaptation.Its masterminds insist it is what Nigeria really needs to
be self-sufficient in rice production
TPP - R.I.P. So, What's
Next?
|
WASHINGTON, DC -- President Trump
yesterday followed through on a key campaign promise and sent a Memorandum to
the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) instructing the agency to
inform the 11 other Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) partners that the United
States is withdrawing from the agreement and any TPP-related
negotiations. This action effectively stops the agreement as negotiated
in 2015 because U.S. enactment is necessary for the agreement to enter into
legal force. USA Rice considered the TPP as deficient, and did not
adopt a position on the agreement pending assurances on the reported gains
for U.S. rice, primarily in Japan.
The memorandum also stated the administration's intention to deal one-on-one with other countries in bilateral trade negotiations, and instructed USTR "...to begin pursuing, wherever possible, bilateral trade negotiations to promote American industry, protect American workers, and raise American wages." "The economic health of the U.S. rice industry is heavily dependent on exports, and strong trade deals like the North America Free Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Colombia agreement bring real benefits to our producers and marketers," said Carl Brothers, COO Riceland Foods Inc. and chairman of the USA Rice International Trade Policy (ITP) Committee. "We will engage with the new administration and press for improved access in key markets like Japan and the EU through trade agreements that work for rice." U.S. withdrawal from the TPP does not affect Japan's existing access for imported rice, and Japan is consistently among the top five export destinations for U.S. rice. "U.S. rice faces structural obstacles in Japan, and we support negotiation of a trade agreement with Japan that improves the quality of our access in addition to shipping more U.S. rice to that country," said Michael Rue, California producer and vice chairman of the ITP Committee. Brothers added, "Access for U.S. rice in the EU is constrained by discriminatory tariffs and tariff rate quotas, and real growth can occur only as a result of a trade agreement that brings down EU duties on U.S. rice." Various media indicate that the prime ministers of Japan and the United Kingdom will meet with President Trump separately in Washington, D.C. late this week, and trade is reportedly on the agenda of the visiting leaders |
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article128245644.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Trump’s
cancellation of Pacific trade deal could hurt California
White House: TPP was not putting U.S. interest first 1:24
White House: TPP was not putting U.S. interest first 1:24
1 of 2
White House press secretary
Sean Spicer provided President Donald Trump's reasons for signing an executive
order to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, on Monday, Jan.
23, 2017. C-SPAN
BY DALE KASLER AND PHILLIP REESE
President Donald Trump said his
decision to scrap a major international trade agreement will protect American
jobs against imports.Much of California, though, wasn’t in a mood to thank him.
Already bracing for a fight with Trump over issues such as climate change and
immigration, California largely found itself at odds with Trump just four days
into his presidency over a topic with major implications for the state’s
economy.
Trump’s executive order Monday
withdrawing from the 12-nation trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, or TPP, could hurt exports of Silicon Valley computer and
electronics products, as well as Central Valley farmers looking to grow their
markets overseas. The film and music industries, hoping for stronger trademark
protections, could suffer, too.
Along with Trump’s recent
declaration that he would attempt to renegotiate the quarter-century-old North
American Free Trade Agreement, experts said they expect to see fewer goods move
in and out of California.
“I think it’s calamitous for
California,” said Jock O’Connell, a Sacramento economist and international
trade consultant.
Among the likely victims is one of
Sacramento’s major employers, almond cooperative Blue
Diamond Growers, which has built a $1.6 billion-a-year empire in part by making
major inroads in Pacific Rim countries such as Japan. Blue Diamond declined
comment, but others in agriculture said TPP would have eased access to foreign
markets guarded by high tariffs.
“We see a burgeoning middle class
around the world; they’re hungry for what we produce here,” said Paul Wenger, a
Modesto almond and walnut grower and president of the California Farm Bureau
Federation. The Almond Board of California said TPP would have meant “the
elimination of tariffs on all tree nuts, including almonds, in several
important Asian markets.” Exports take up about one-third of California’s
agricultural production.
TPP, which was former President
Barack Obama’s signature trade agreement, involved the United States and 11
countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, including Mexico, Canada, Japan,
Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Chile and Peru. The pact essentially created a
free-trade zone among countries representing about 40 percent of the world’s
economy. It called for gradually eliminating tariffs on 18,000 products, and
imposing stringent labor and environmental standards on U.S. trading partners. It
also would have provided protections against intellectual property theft, for
the benefit of the film and entertainment industries.
The diverse reactions to Trump’s
decision underscore how California’s economic interests can sometimes differ
from other parts of the country. In the industrial Midwest, where free trade
and globalism are seen in terms of cheap imports, outsourced labor and
shuttered factories, the order brought cheers from leading Democratic
politicians.
In California, trade is considered
a way to open up
overseas markets for electronics, wine and
other homegrown products, and a source of jobs when goods are brought into the
state’s major ports.
Canceling TPP “will mean fewer
jobs, everything from truck drivers to longshoremen,” said economist Sung Won
Sohn of California State University, Channel Islands. “California is really the
focal point of TPP. Most of it has to go through California.”
California in 2015 exported $69
billion worth of goods to countries in the TPP, including $27 billion to Mexico
and $17 billion to Canada, according to the latest data from the U.S. Commerce
Department. California imported $146 billion worth of goods from TPP countries.
O’Connell said the Commerce Department’s state-by-state statistics can be
misleading because they often include goods that pass through a state’s ports,
regardless of where they were manufactured or where they’re ultimately
consumed.
Computers and electronics goods
represent the largest exports from California to TPP countries. California sent
$16 billion worth of computers and electronics to Canada, Mexico, Japan,
Singapore and Australia in 2015.
Carl Guardino, president of Silicon
Valley Leadership Group, estimated that 105,000 jobs in Santa Clara Valley
depend on international trade.
“This is bad news. ... The only
entity that ought to be smiling at the (TPP) news is the Chinese government,”
he said, referring to China’s plans to forge ahead with trade agreements with
many Pacific Rim nations. China wasn’t part of the TPP negotiations, which
Obama pursued in part to counter China’s influence in Asia.
At tiny Ensemble Designs Inc., a
45-employee Nevada City manufacturer of high-tech equipment for TV broadcasters,
half of the yearly revenue comes from sales overseas. Some of its key customers
include Japan, Mexico and other TPP partners.
“If the United States shifts toward
a more restrictive and less open trade stance, that’s going to have an adverse
effect,” said David Wood, chief executive of Ensemble.
Not all Californians believe that
TPP would help. The California Labor Federation joined labor groups across the
country in opposing TPP, arguing it would force workers to compete against
peers abroad who are paid little and afforded few workplace protections.
“We’re pleased that the TPP is no
longer on the table,” said Steve Smith, the federation’s spokesman. He called
for Trump to negotiate trade deals that are not “tilted toward the interests of
multinational corporations.”
Tim Johnson of the California Rice
Commission said the cancellation of TPP won’t be a major setback so long as
Trump pursues trade deals with specific countries such as Japan, a major
importer of Sacramento Valley rice.
TRADE IMPACT
California exports to Trans-Pacific Partnership
signatories in 2015, in billions:
|
Country
|
Exports
|
|
Mexico
|
$26.787
|
|
Canada
|
$17.263
|
|
Japan
|
$11.744
|
|
Singapore
|
$3.926
|
|
Australia
|
$3.437
|
|
Malaysia
|
$1.823
|
|
Chile
|
$1.513
|
|
Vietnam
|
$1.247
|
|
New
Zealand
|
$0.569
|
|
Peru
|
$0.561
|
|
Brunei
|
$0.007
|
|
TOTAL
|
$68.877
|
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article128245644.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#storylink=cpy
Rice Milling
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Rice exports to rise slightly in 2017: insiders
The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has forecast that Vietnam’s
rice exports in 2017 will reach over 5 million tonnes, a slight rise over 2016.
World husked rice production in the
2016-2017 crop is predicted to reach a record volume of 480 million tonnes,
about 1.6 percent increase year on year, said VFA General Secretary Huynh Minh
Hue at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on January 23.Meanwhile, global rice
inventory is also forecast to stand at the highest level since 2001. The
inventory is likely to reduce in major exporters but rise in small ones and
importers, leading to a fall in import as well as limitation of rice trading
contracts.Hue revealed that in 2016, ASEAN countries such as the Philippines,
Malaysia and Indonesia imported only 10 percent of their volumes they bought
each year from Vietnam in previous years at 2-3 million tonnes.
He explained the situation to the countries’ new policies in food security, which helped them ensure domestic food and reduce dependence on import. The liberalisation trend in rice trading was also more popular in these countries, affecting their rice contracts, he said, adding the fierce competition from regional exporters as another reason.
In that context, Huynh The Nang, VFA President and General Director of Southern Food Corporation, said that Vietnam will continue facing difficulties in exporting rice in 2017. He predicted that exports to the Chinese market, the largest market of Vietnamese rice, will also not meet expectation as only 22 firms are currently allowed to export rice to the market with strict requirements in food safety and origin regulations.
According to the VFA, rice inventory in 2016 was 443,000 tonnes, while the upcoming Winter-Spring crop is about to be harvested. The association also forecast low price and difficulty in consumption due to abundant supply, and rice exports for 2017 will be over 5 million tonnes.The association suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development propose the Government to stockpile rice harvested in the Winter-Spring crop to stablise the market and ensure profit for farmers.Last year, rice export volume reached nearly 4.9 million tonnes worth 2.1 billion USD, a sharp fall of 25.5 percent in volume and 20.5 percent in value over 2015. However, domestic rice price still rise compared to the previous year.
He explained the situation to the countries’ new policies in food security, which helped them ensure domestic food and reduce dependence on import. The liberalisation trend in rice trading was also more popular in these countries, affecting their rice contracts, he said, adding the fierce competition from regional exporters as another reason.
In that context, Huynh The Nang, VFA President and General Director of Southern Food Corporation, said that Vietnam will continue facing difficulties in exporting rice in 2017. He predicted that exports to the Chinese market, the largest market of Vietnamese rice, will also not meet expectation as only 22 firms are currently allowed to export rice to the market with strict requirements in food safety and origin regulations.
According to the VFA, rice inventory in 2016 was 443,000 tonnes, while the upcoming Winter-Spring crop is about to be harvested. The association also forecast low price and difficulty in consumption due to abundant supply, and rice exports for 2017 will be over 5 million tonnes.The association suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development propose the Government to stockpile rice harvested in the Winter-Spring crop to stablise the market and ensure profit for farmers.Last year, rice export volume reached nearly 4.9 million tonnes worth 2.1 billion USD, a sharp fall of 25.5 percent in volume and 20.5 percent in value over 2015. However, domestic rice price still rise compared to the previous year.
VNA
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/171700/rice-exports-to-rise-slightly-in-2017--insiders.html
S. Korea's per-person rice consumption hits fresh low in 2016
2017/01/24 12:00
Compared with 1970 when
consumption hit a record high of 136.4 kg, rice intake has more than halved in
2016.Daily rice consumption per person also dropped to 169.6 grams last year
from the 172.4 g tallied in the previous year, the data showed.
Meanwhile, consumption of
non-rice grains edged up 5.7 percent on-year to 9.3 kg in 2016 from 8.8 kg a
year ago, accounting for a record 13.1 percent of the country's total grain
consumption, the statistical agency said.A growing number of South Korean
people have been reducing their rice intake and diversifying their diets with
other alternative grains like wheat, barley, beans and corn.Rice used by food
and beverage manufacturers, on the other hand, jumped 14.5 percent on-year to
658,869 tons, mainly due to an increase in demand for grain-based alcoholic
beverages and processed food, the data showed.
(END)
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2017/01/24/0501000000AEN20170124006000320.html
NFA to import rice due to
insufficient production in Davao
FARMERS. Farmers hastily put away
their grain to keep them from being wet moments after a slight drizzle started
to pour in Barangay Makopa, Laak, Compostela Valley on Tuesday, Jan. 10. (Paulo
C. Rizal/davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The
National Food Authority said on Monday that they would continue to import rice
because the rice produced by local farmers are insufficient to supply the
entire Davao region.
Edegary Rongacal, manager of
NFA-Davao City, pointed out that only Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur are
capable of producing rice.He also said that NFA must be able to maintain the
buffer stock of rice to maintain “food security.”
The stock holding of the rice
warehouses, as of now, is more than 350,000 bags of rice, which is equivalent
to 33 days of consumption for the whole population of the city.The NFA must
have at least 30 days of buffer stocks of food. “Now we are more than what is
required for us so we are safe for that,” she said.For his part, Engr. Ricardo
“Bong” M. Oñate Jr., officer in charge regional executive director of NFA said
local farmers could provide enough rice for the whole region.
“We really need buffer stock but
we have to make sure that we the supply especially during calamities,” he said.Oñate
said that among the areas in the region, Davao del Sur provides the most number
of rice bags with its agricultural land area of 301,989 hectares.Oñate said
that on a national scale, Department of Agriculture aimed to target six tons of
rice for every hectare to be sufficient compared to the current figures at 3.9
tons per hectare.
“If we will add one ton per
hectare, definitely the supply will be sufficient,” he said.
While they are planning to
increase their production per hectare, Oñate said that DA is also planning to
reduce their cost of production.“We should level up our mechanization program
and reduce our loss during post-harvest which is usually 15 percent of the
total harvest,” he said.Oñate advised farmers to join cooperatives and groups.The
regional director said DA has forged a partnership with Kilusang Magbubukid ng
Pilipinas to extend assistance to all the farmers. (davaotoday.com)
http://davaotoday.com/main/economy/agriculture/nfa-to-import-rice-due-to-insufficient-production-in-davao/
VN rice exports set to face another
tough year
Update: January,
24/2017 - 10:02 Despite facing difficulties, Việt
Nam will strive to achieve rice exports of more than 5 million tonnes this
year, the Việt Nam Food Association has said. — VNA/VNS Photo
There was excessive supply in the global market
last year, and there has been a recent trend of major importing countries
increasing domestic production to reduce imports, he said.
Việt Nam’s rice exports are likely to face
another difficult year as supply outstrips demand and global competition
intensifies, he said.
He quoted the US Department of Agriculture as
saying global rice output in 2016/17 is estimated to increase by 1.6 per cent
from last year to 480 million tonnes due to an expansion in the area under rice
in many countries including Australia, Myanmar, Brazil, India, Indonesia, North
Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, and the US, he said.
Global exports are expected to rise by one
million tonnes or 2.6 per cent to 40.6 million tonnes, he said.
Stockpiles have been increasing for the last
three years and are expected to reach the highest levels since 2001/02 crop, he
said.
Huỳnh Thế Năng, VFA chairman, said despite the
hurdles, rice businesses would strive to export higher volumes than last year
to ensure farmers can sell off as much of their outputs as possible.
In the long term the domestic rice sector
targets exports of high-value rice to affluent markets, he said.
He said the Plant Protection Department and
other relevant agencies should take measures to improve the hygiene and food
safety of Vietnamese rice to enable more exports to choosy markets.
The association said rice exporters should meet
hygiene and food safety standards and strengthen linkages with farmers to
ensure a steady source of the grain to meet market demand.
Huệ called on the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development to build an international standard laboratory in Cần Thơ to
help exporters check their rice quality, especially look for plant protection
chemical residues, instead of sending to other countries for analysis as is
done now.
Năng said authorities in rice growing
localities need to do more to instruct farmers in producing rice meeting safety
standards, encourage them to use more certified rice seedlings and improve
technical and financial support systems.
Đỗ Hà Nam, chairman and general director of
Intimex Group Joint Stock Company -- one of the country’s 10 largest rice
exporters -- said while exports of other kinds were down, exports of Japonica
and sticky rice went up by 136.95 per cent and 96.59 per cent.
“But farmers have [since] rushed to grow more
sticky rice, which [poses a] risk.”
He said the Government should work with China
to facilitate exports of Vietnamese rice to that country.
“We face severe competition in terms of price
from Pakistan and India.
“There may be difficulties but if we choose to
invest in varieties like fragrant rice and sticky rice, there will be
opportunities.”
Lê Thanh Tùng of the Crop Production Department
said Việt Nam has the potential to boost exports of sticky, fragrant, Japonica
and high-quality rice varieties.
Besides improving quality, Vietnamese firms
should also focus on building brands, he said.
Rice stockpile
The association on Monday called on the
Government to approve a programme to stockpile rice temporarily from the
winter-spring crop to ensure farmers do not lose.
Tùng said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, based on rice production and consumption in February and March,
would make specific recommendations for it.
The quality in the 2016/17 winter-spring crop
would be better than last year’s, he added. — VNS
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/350171/vn-rice-exports-set-to-face-another-tough-year.html#4pe2TGv0HK6MttKc.99
Anambra plans to produce 330,000 tonnes of rice by Dec. 2017
Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra says his
administration intends to produce 330,000 tonnes of rice by December and make
agriculture a lucrative venture for the youth.The governor gave the assurance,
while speaking at the birthday celebration of Chief Anthony Enukeme, a
businessman, in Neni, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, who congratulated Enukeme on his
73rd birthday, also commended him for tarring all the feeder roads in Neni,
urging other affluent citizens of the state to emulate the businessman’s
gesture.
In his remark, Chief Victor Oye, the National
Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), solicited the people’s
support for the re-election of Obiano during the November 2017 governorship
election.
He said that Obiano’s re-election would enable
him to consolidate his accomplishments in the state.
Responding, Enukeme thanked God for giving him
the privilege to serve his people.
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/350171/vn-rice-exports-set-to-face-another-tough-year.html#3XYvowXLkujqBahg.97
GIEWS Country
Brief: Sri Lanka 17-January-2017
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
·
“Maha” cereal crop in 2017
significantly impaired by dry weather conditions
·
Rice import needs forecast to
increase in 2017
·
Prices of rice hit record levels
in December, while those of wheat remain generally stable
·
Large numbers of people affected
by lingering effects of drought in 2016
Dry weather conditions impair the 2017 “maha” cereal output
significantly
The bulk of the 2017 largely irrigated “maha” rice crop,
normally accounting for 65 percent of the annual production, was planted by the
end of December. The below-average rainfall since the start of the season in
October, coupled with low irrigation water availability, resulted in
significant cuts in the area planted, further reducing yield prospects for the
season. The latest official estimates of plantings indicate that, as of
end-November, 327 000 hectares were put under the 2017 “maha” paddy crop, 50
percent below the area planted at the same time in 2016. The FAO’s Agricultural
Stress Index (ASI) for the 3 dekad of December 2016 indicated a risk of drought
conditions developing in various main rice-producing areas, including Northern,
North Central and Eastern provinces. As a result, FAO’s outlook for the 2017
“maha” season paddy output is unfavourable. Given the current low water levels
in main reservoirs, there is also concern for the 2017 irrigated secondary
“yala” crop, to be planted from April, if rains do not improve in the coming
weeks.
Prospects for the 2017 main season maize crop, to be harvested
from February, are also unfavourable, due to the dry spell.
Rice import requirements forecast to increase in 2017 on
expectations of reduced output
Total cereal imports requirements in 2017 are forecast to
increase from last year’s already high level. The increase is mainly driven by
the unfavourable prospects for the 2017 rice production. Imports of wheat,
which is not produced domestically, are anticipated to remain at last year’s
high level of 1.2 million tonnes, reflecting strong domestic demand.
Prices of rice hit record levels in December, while those of wheat
generally stable
Domestic prices of rice, the main staple food in the country,
rose considerably for four consecutive months, reaching record levels in
December 2016. The spike in prices is due to the reduced 2016 secondary “yala”
output, harvested in September, and the unfavourable prospects for the main
2017 “maha” crop. In an attempt to ease rice prices, the Government began
releasing paddy from public stocks to millers in late December. In addition,
the Government plans to import rice and reduce duties and taxes on imported
rice in early January 2017. Wheat prices remained overall stable, reflecting
adequate market availabilities, following the high level of imports in recent
months.
Concerns remain for vulnerable rural groups
Food security conditions are expected to deteriorate on
expectations of significant cereal production losses for the ongoing “maha”
season, which follows a reduced “yala” harvest in 2016. Subsistence farm
households, particularly in the North Western, North Central, Uva and Southern
provinces, will likely be most affected and require some humanitarian and
emergency recovery assistance. According to the Disaster Management Centre,
almost 1 million people in 23 out of 25 districts have been negatively affected
by drought conditions. Record prices of rice negatively affect food access and
further stress the food security situation of the most vulnerable populations.
http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/giews-country-brief-sri-lanka-17-january-2017
