Pakistan to export
hybrid rice seed to Philippines
March
10, 2017
LAHORE: Pakistan has struck an unprecedented deal with Philippines for the export of hybrid rice seed to the Southeast Asian
nation, an industry official said on Thursday. 
“Philippines has decided to import hybrid rice seed from Pakistan because the crop raised form this
variety is less labor intensive compared to Irri, which is currently
being cultivated in the Southeast Asian country,” Shahrukh Malik, executive at
Guard Agricultural Research & Services told journalists in a media
briefing.
“For the first time in the history
of the country, domestically developed hybrid seed will be traded to a foreign
country. Philippines needs the seed for 2018 crop and we
have already increased the production area to 900 acres to meet the demand.”
He informed the journalists that Philippines have over 137,000 varieties of Irri
but being a labor intensive crop, the archipelago in the southwestern Pacific
is looking for a hybrid variety. “The climate in which hybrid rice seeds are bred in Sindh is
similar to that of Philippines.
Their experts assayed the procedure of seed production thoroughly at our farms
before cutting a deal with us,” Malik disclosed.
The Guard rice research executive
observed the export of hybrid rice seed will be a milestone in the
country’s rice sector and will open new opportunities in the international
market apart from giving local research and development a fresh impetus.
“We have also developed a basmati hybrid seed. The field trials are already
underway. It’s expected to be commercially available by 2018,” he said.
Replying to a question, he said unfortunately lack of public private sector
partnership is hindering the progress of seed development in Pakistan.
“Public sector has its own
inherited problems, while the private sector conducts research with commercial
result-oriented focus. Thus the pace of private sector is fast compared to the
public,” Malik said.
He continued that there’s a yawning
trust deficit between the public and private sector researchers and it needs to
end through coordinative initiatives. “Due to this deficit, the authorities
take too long to green-signal a newly developed seed for commercial launch,
hurting private sector growth,” he asserted.
Moving forward, he explained that
at least 45 companies are importing hybrid seeds, including the top five firms of
the world, but none of them is producing hybrid seeds in Pakistan,
which is an obstacle in the transfer of technology to the country.
“The government shall bind those
companies to produce at least 20 percent of the total quantity of imported
seeds in Pakistan,”
he suggested adding it will revolutionise the seed development and agriculture
sector.
Summarizing the growth of the hybrid rice in Pakistan,
Malik told the media that during 2008-09, area under Irri cultivation was
560,000 hectares but reduced to 423,000 hectares in 2014-15, while area under hybrid cultivation was only 84000 hectares,
which increased to 302000 hectares in 2014-15.
“Similarly, in 2008-09, Irri
production was recorded at 19,49,000 tons but it decreased to 11,61,000 tons in
2014-15, while hybrid rice production, which stood at
4,54,000 tons in 2008-09, jumped to 14,16,000 tons during 2014-15,” he
added.
Continuing his talk, he said the
aforementioned numbers also reflected in the exports as
total quantity of the basmati rice sold overseas stood at 11,37,943 tons in
2010-11 but reduced to 676630 in 2014-15, while non-basmati export,
which was logged at 25,63,664 in 2010-11, increased to 3054680 tons in
2014-15.
“A substantial increase in hybrid production and exports of
non-basmati rice export is encouraging for the sector,” Malik
said
AIREA All India Rice Exporters Association : Punjab Agricultural
University unveils paddy, basmati, moong, sugarcane varieties
03/09/2017 | 07:45am EST
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU),
Ludhiana, has released some varieties of paddy, spring/summer moong (greengram), basmati and
sugarcane for general cultivation in Punjab. These include PR 126 of paddy; TMB
37 of spring/summer moong; CSR 30, Punjab basmati 4 and Punjab basmati 5
of rice; CoPb 92, CoPb 93 and CoPb 94 of sugarcane.
According to a press released issued by the PAU
on Monday, these were approved during a meeting of the state variety approval
committee held under the chairmanship of B S Sidhu, director of agriculture,
Punjab.The parmal rice variety PR 126 is an early maturing strain. Its average plant height is 102 cm and matures in about 123 days after seeding. It is resistant to seven of the ten prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen in Punjab. Its average paddy yield is 30 quintal per acre.
The TMB 37 matures in 60 days as compared to 62 days for SML 832 and 61 days for SML 668. It has medium sized grains and possesses good culinary properties. The basmati rice variety CSR 30 is about 139 cm tall. It possesses extra long slender grains with excellent cooking and eating quality characteristics. It matures in about 142 days after seeding. Its average paddy yield is 13.5 quintal per acre.
The Punjab basmati 4 is a high-yielding, semi-dwarf, lodging tolerant variety, which is about 96 cm tall. It is resistant to all 10 pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen, presently prevalent in Punjab. It matures in about 146 days after seeding and its average paddy yield is 17 quintal per acre. The Punjab Basmati 5 is a semi-dwarf variety, which is about 112 cm tall. It is resistant to all 10 pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen, presently prevalent in the state. It matures in about 137 days after seeding and its average paddy yield is 15 quintal per acre.
The sugarcane variety CoPb 92 is tall, medium thick and purple green in colour. Its juice contains 16-17% sucrose in November and 18% in December. It is a good ratooner (second crop after harvest). It is tolerant to most of the prevalent pathotypes of red rot disease and frost. Quality of gur (jaggery) is also good. Its average yield is about 335 quintal per acre. The CoPb 93 variety is tall, thick and yellowish white in colour. Its juice contains 17-19% sucrose in January and March, respectively. It is a good ratooner. It is tolerant to the prevalent pathotypes of red rot disease. Its average yield is about 390 quintal per acre.
The CoPb 94 is tall, thick and yellow greenish in colour. Its juice contains 16-19% sucrose in January and March, respectively. It is a good ratooner. It is tolerant to the prevalent pathotypes of red rot and smut diseases. Its average yield is about 400 quintal per acre
http://www.4-traders.com/news/AIREA-All-India-Rice-Exporters-Association-Punjab-Agricultural-University-unveils-paddy-basmati--24012695/
Asia Rice-Rice
prices advance in India, Vietnam while Thai prices drop on weaker baht
BANGKOK/HANOI/MUMBAI:
Rice prices in India and Vietnam advanced while Thai prices dropped due to a
weaker baht, traders said on Thursday.In India, the world's biggest rice
exporter, 5-percent broken parboiled rice prices rose to $375-$380 per tonne
from $373-$378 last week, as demand improved from African buyers.
"In last few days African buyers have become active,"
said an exporter based at Kakinada in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Another exporter in Kakinada said local buyers were also
activate in the market.
"The competition between exporters and local buyers is
keeping paddy prices firm," he added.
Along with private buyers, government agencies are actively
buying paddy for the public distribution system, pushing prices up above the
minimum purchase price, exporters said.
The country's rice production in 2016/17 is likely to rise by
4.3 percent to a record high 108.86 million tonnes, Farm Ministry said on
Wednesday.
In Vietnam, the world's third largest rice exporter, 5-percent
broken rice prices rose to $355-$360 a tonne, from $350-$355 a tonne last week
on thin supply near a new harvest season.
"Prices in Vietnam now are higher than other countries,
keeping foreign importers from buying," said a Ho Chi Minh-based trader.
He added that Vietnam's market was quiet but will be more lively
once the harvest season starts by the end of this month.The harvest season will
significantly raise supply, which in turn will ease prices.In the world's
second biggest exporter, Thai benchmark 5-percent broken rice narrowed to
$350-$355 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok, from $350-$360 last week.Traders
said this was due to the Thai baht weakening against the US dollar at 35.33
baht per $1, down from 34.98 baht per $1 last week.
"There isn't much demand going on, and the baht is
weaker," a trader in Bangkok said.Thailand sold 1.35 million tonnes of
rice from state stockpiles in its first auction of the year worth $376 million
on Tuesday.
It also said it will hold another auction for 3.66 million
tonnes of spoiled rice for industrial use but did not say when.Thailand has
exported about 2 million tonnes of rice this year up until March 6, the
ministry said, down 2.05 percent from the same period last year
http://www.brecorder.com/2017/03/09/338770/asia-rice-rice-prices-advance-in-india-vietnam-while-thai-prices-drop-on-weaker-baht/
Vietnam wants China to permit more rice exporters
Many Vietnamese rice exporters are facing difficulties after
China authorised only 22 Vietnamese businesses to export rice into the country.
The permission was announced by China’s General Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), which allowed 22 firms
to export rice and rice products from January 1, counting from the date of
departure from the Vietnamese border. Any businesses not listed by AQSIQ were
banned from exporting to the Chinese market from January 1.
This decision has affected many Vietnamese firms which were not in
the list but had already signed rice contracts before the date.
One such company is Can Tho Food Company, which is not allowed to
export rice to China, although it had signed a contract to export 18,000 tonnes
of rice to China at the end of last year.
Nguyen Van Dung, the company’s deputy director, said the delivery
would have been completed by early February, but following the new order, it
was no longer permitted to export and hence was suffering huge losses.
“Our contract was canceled cancelled and we have to compensate
some VND300 billion for our partner. In addition, we have to bear further
costs,” Dung told Vietnam Television.
Dung said rice was preserved in the store for quite a long time so
the company had to re-process 10,000 tonnes of rice, which raised the cost by
VND200-300 per kg.
“I hope the State and relevant sectors create conditions for my
company to sell rice, helping us to overcome difficulties. If it is not solved
soon, my company will go bankrupt,” Dung said.
Tran Thanh Nam, deputy minister of agriculture and rural development
(MARD), said the ministry would soon contact China authorities, asking them to
send an expert delegation to Viet Nam to assess more businesses which could be
eligible for exporting rice to China.China’s permission to 22 Vietnamese rice
exporters was given after a group of Chinese experts traveled travelled to Viet
Nam to inspect 31 enterprises that had previously applied to the local ministry
for export rights to China last year.
According to MARD, China tops the list of Viet Nam’s rice export with
35.4 per cent of market share in the first three quarters of 2016.
Total rice export turnover to the Chinese market touched 1.35
million tonnes, amounting to $613.4 million in 2016, down 23 per cent in terms
of quantity and 13.9 per cent in terms of value in comparison with the same
period in 2015.
VNS
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/174208/vietnam-wants-china-to-permit-more-rice-exporters.html
Nagpur
Foodgrain Prices Open-March 09,2017
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-March 9
Nagpur, Mar 9 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture Producing
and Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased festival season demand from local traders amid thin
arrival from producing belts. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and reported demand from
South-based millers also boosted prices, according to sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties quoted static here on subdued demand from local traders amid ample
stock in ready position.
* Rice basmati firmed up in open market on good buying support from local traders amid
weak overseas supply.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,400-4,500, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,700-6,900, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 8,500-9,000, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,600-6,900, Gram – 5,000-5,100, Gram Super best
bold – 7,500-7,700 for 100 kg.
* Wheat, other varieties of rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 4,500-5,050 4,300-4,900
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,000-4,500 3,900-4,400
Moong Auction n.a. 6,400-6,600
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 6,600-7,000 6,600-7,000
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,700-4,800 4,700-4,800
Desi gram Raw 4,950-5,250 4,950-5,250
Gram Yellow 7,700-8,200 7,700-8,200
Gram Kabuli 11,800-13,000 11,800-13,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800
Tuar Gavarani New 4,600-4,800 4,600-4,800
Tuar Karnataka 4,550-4,750 4,550-4,750
Masoor dal best 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Masoor dal medium 5,300-5,500 5,300-5,500
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 6,900-7,200 6,900-7,200
Moong Mogar Medium 6,200-6,600 6,200-6,600
Moong dal Chilka 5,500-6,100 5,500-6,100
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 6,100-6,900 6,000-6,700
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,600-8,000 7,500-8,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,600 5,300-5,600
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,100 3,000-3,100
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,400 3,200-3,400
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,300 3,800-4,300
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan new (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,400 2,000-2,350
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,350 2,050-2,350
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,200 3,600-4,200
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,200 2,700-3,200
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,600 3,200-3,600
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,500 2,200-2,500
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,450 2,250-2,450
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,600 3,200-3,600
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,500 3,200-3,500
Rice Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,600 4,200-4,600
Rice Shriram best 100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,300-13,400 9,200-13,300
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,100-6,300 5,000-6,200
Rice Chinnor New(100 INR/KG) 4,600-4,800 4,600-4,800
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 5,600-6,200 5,600-6,200
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,500 5,100-5,500
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,300 2,000-2,300
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 32.2 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 16.5 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 33 and 18 degreeCelsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices)
http://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL3N1GM3AO
Nigeria's rice
boom raises output but old problems persist
By Ulf Laessing
GADAU, Nigeria, March 9 Nigerian
Abdulhakim Mohammed has just graduated in architecture but, like many people
ranging from unemployed locals to foreign investors and Africa's richest man,
he has decided the future lies in rice farming.
The reason is that domestic rice
prices have more than doubled in the last two years due to an import ban and a
dive in the Nigerian currency. At the same time, the government is subsidising tractors,
mills and fertilisers as well as arranging cheaper loans to boost production -
with considerable success.
And yet the drive to cut an
annual food import bill of $20 billion has run into the kind of problems that
have long bedevilled Nigeria's efforts to build up an economy outside its
dominant the oil industry.
Despite rice growing being a
government priority, many farmers still work with their bare hands in fields
lacking irrigation channels. Mills are often ramshackle while poor roads make
getting the crop from the main growing areas in northern Nigeria to consumers
in the south difficult and costly.
As a result, the industry has so
far failed to fill a supply shortfall amounting to about 3 million tonnes of
milled rice created by the import ban. In the commercial capital of Lagos,
supermarkets mainly sell rice from India or Thailand.
Mohammed took up growing rice
three years ago to help fund his university studies in the northern state of
Bauchi. When he finished last year, he opted for a career in the fields around
the town of Gadau, rather than in architecture.
"My advice to the youth is
to join rice farming," said Mohammed, who is expanding his own area from
1.5 to 2 hectares (3.7 to 5 acres) as well as working as a supervisor on a new
farm that workers are preparing nearby.
"One bag of rice sells for
10,000 to 11,000 (naira). Two years ago I was selling for 4,500," he told
Reuters.
That makes a bag worth almost $25
at the exchange rate on the black market, where many Nigerians go due to
restrictions and dollar shortages in the official banking system. In Bauchi
state, hundreds of farmers are busy expanding, preparing new fields and
drilling water holes for irrigation.
Farms have been opening across
much of the country, lifting output of unmilled rice to 7.85 million tonnes in
2016 - a 17.4 percent jump from 2014, the National Bureau of Statistics told
Reuters. That compares with just 4.54 million in 2010, before the campaign
began.
TALKING VS IMPLEMENTING
Until 2015, Nigeria imported up
to 4 million tonnes of rice annually, much of which was smuggled from the
western neighbour Benin Republic. But this has fallen to about 700,000 tonnes
as authorities now monitor the border, industry players say.
That lifted prices for the
staple, along with currency curbs imposed to prop up the naira which has been
hit by a fall in revenues from Nigeria's oil exports.
Part of the rise is because
farmers are passing on higher costs, saying the government subsidies are not
enough. Importers have to pay a premium of 30 percent over the official rate to
get dollars on the black market for buying the foreign-made machinery and
fertilisers that growers need.
On top of this, farmers complain
that endemic corruption means the government help doesn't always reach the
right people.
"Some people who got
fertilisers were not even farmers. They sell it then," said Mohammed
Tafida, the local head of a rice farmers' association, who is also expanding
his own fields.
"Fertilisers are very
expensive," he told Reuters, standing by a new paddy field being prepared.
"Our production costs are very high. You now pay workers 500 to 700 naira
a day; before it was 200 naira."
President Muhammadu Buhari has
made fighting graft a priority since coming to power two years ago. But he has
to work with Nigeria's 36 states where officials executing the federal
programmes often help out supporters or relatives.
Farmers and food producers can
get subsidised loans well below the benchmark interest rate of 14 percent. But
one processor of garri - another local staple, made from cassava - said he had
waited six months to get his loan approved as banks are new to the farming
business.
"In Nigeria talking is one
thing and implementing plans another," said Idris Salihu, another rice
farmer in Bauchi. "We need more support."
The rice boom has also drawn
large scale investment from Africa's richest man, Nigerian Aliko Dangote, and
foreign firms to supply the huge market of 190 million people.
Dangote Group said last month it
planned to launch a rice mill with a farm scheme which will produce 225,000
tonnes of parboiled, milled rice by the year-end.
Wacot Rice, part of Lagos-based
food and farming conglomerate TGI, will open a rice mill next month with a
capacity of 100,000 tonnes annually. It works with rice farmers on 15,000
hectares and plans to expand to 165,000 hectares within 10 years.
Abroad, Singapore-based Olam
plans to increase its Nigerian rice farming to 6,000 hectares from 4,300
hectares "in a couple of years or so", a spokesman said.
Nigeria hopes such large-scale
investors will improve rice yields, measuring output per hectare. These are
among the lowest in Africa as the market is dominated by relatively inefficient
farmers running fields of two to five hectares.
The lack of good roads also means
that rice from the north hardly reaches Lagos, Nigeria's biggest city. The
government plans to increase capital spending by nearly a quarter in 2017 to
fix pot-holed routes and help trade. However, a collapse in oil revenues due to
low world prices has slowed many projects.
Nigerian growers also struggle to
meet quality standards set by foreign agri-businesses, with consumers
complaining about having to extract grit from the rice.
"I like better the taste of
the local rice. The only problem is the stones in it," said Samuel Ativ,
38, as he shopped in the busy Bauchi market. "If I am in hurry I prefer
the foreign rice because there are no stones."
Nigeria has imported 110 mills
which remove grit in the process but most farmers still go to villagers to
handle their rice with home-made machines.
Larger investors hope Nigeria
will not repeat the mistakes of the past by losing interest in domestic food
production if and when global oil prices pick up again, helping the naira to
recover and making imports cheaper.
"Important is that they
started the journey to become food self-sufficient," said Rahul Savara,
TGI Group Managing Director. "They are going on the right track, and the
government has to continue the same policies it is doing now."
($1 = 304.0000 naira) (additional
reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha in Lagos; Editing by David Stamp)
http://www.reuters.com/article/nigeria-rice-idUSL5N1GJ4S2
Rice exports to Africa
shows signs of recovery – Agriculture – Economy
The Hanoitimes – Vietnam’s rice export turnover to markets in Africa, West Asia and South Asia recorded considerable growth in the first quarter of this year to hit 71.3 million
USD, 531 percent higher than that of the same period last year.
Of the figure, 94.1 percent was generated through
exports to African markets, forecasting a strong recovery after a
recent downturn in the market.
Vietnamese rice shipped to African markets has seen strong growth since 2011.
In 2013, the country exported 2 million tonnes of rice to Africa, accounting for nearly 30 percent of Vietnam’s total volume of rice sold in foreign markets. Africa became Vietnam’s second largest rice importer that year, after China.
Vietnamese rice shipped to African markets has seen strong growth since 2011.
In 2013, the country exported 2 million tonnes of rice to Africa, accounting for nearly 30 percent of Vietnam’s total volume of rice sold in foreign markets. Africa became Vietnam’s second largest rice importer that year, after China.
However, the country’s rice export turnover to Africa in 2014 reached only 452.7 million
USD due to decreased demand in the market. Vietnamese rice firms also faced
competition from companies in Thailand, India and Pakistan.
To support Vietnamese rice exporters, the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of Africa, West Asia and South Asia Markets is outlining a rice export plan to African markets.
As stipulated, promotion activities will be intensified to help rice exporters’ access to new markets.
The ministry advised Vietnamese exporters to provide high-quality rice products besides traditional rice, given their increasing demand in Africa, to fully tap the potential of the continent’s markets.
Africa is now the largest rice consumer in the world with an annual demand of over 9 million tonnes of rice, almost 6.5 million tonnes of which is imported.
To support Vietnamese rice exporters, the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of Africa, West Asia and South Asia Markets is outlining a rice export plan to African markets.
As stipulated, promotion activities will be intensified to help rice exporters’ access to new markets.
The ministry advised Vietnamese exporters to provide high-quality rice products besides traditional rice, given their increasing demand in Africa, to fully tap the potential of the continent’s markets.
Africa is now the largest rice consumer in the world with an annual demand of over 9 million tonnes of rice, almost 6.5 million tonnes of which is imported.
U.S. Rice Headed to Africa in Advance of Global Hunger
Crisis
ARLINGTON, VA -- Yesterday
the U.S. Department of Agriculture authorized the purchase of 28,120 MT of
Number 2 or better long grain milled rice headed to Conakry, Guinea, as part of
the Food For Progress (FFPr) program. FFPr relies on the monetization or
barter of a commodity, to fund local agricultural value chain efforts conducted
in country by Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) to help develop a
profitable ag sector which in turn helps local economic development.
USA Rice has participated in monetization programs for many years and in the last year has had two successful programs, the current one in Guinea and another in Burkina Faso where 6,300 MT has been monetized. This is largely the result of increased global demand for food assistance and USA Rice's ongoing efforts to enhance outreach to PVOs conducting food assistance programs.
"USA Rice will continue to work with PVOs and key USDA and U.S. Agency for International Development decision makers to encourage the use of both milled and fortified rice in response to the pending global hunger crisis," said Bobby Hanks, president of Louisiana Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee. "Additionally, we are anticipating final release of new specifications for fortified rice that will clear the way for increased tonnage in 2017 as U.S. stakeholders seek to assist in the battle against malnutrition."
USA Rice forecasts a very active year in food aid in 2017 for both milled and fortified rice. Numerous sources, including the Family Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET), predict that 2017 will see a global famine of catastrophic proportions, with up to 70 million people, across 45 countries, requiring enhanced food assistance. Already four countries, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen are in the beginning stages of severe famine with several others slipping into food insecurity and malnutrition.
"This points up the critical importance of food aid," continued Hanks. "The U.S. government is facing budget cuts in this area yet USA Rice is working hard to preserve this program because these programs are good for our industry and they're the right, humanitarian thing to do. And now that fortification technology has been officially approved, fortified rice has been recognized as a superior, cost-effective food that can provide relief from hunger, address nutritional deficiencies, and is already well accepted by beneficiaries."
USA Rice has participated in monetization programs for many years and in the last year has had two successful programs, the current one in Guinea and another in Burkina Faso where 6,300 MT has been monetized. This is largely the result of increased global demand for food assistance and USA Rice's ongoing efforts to enhance outreach to PVOs conducting food assistance programs.
"USA Rice will continue to work with PVOs and key USDA and U.S. Agency for International Development decision makers to encourage the use of both milled and fortified rice in response to the pending global hunger crisis," said Bobby Hanks, president of Louisiana Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee. "Additionally, we are anticipating final release of new specifications for fortified rice that will clear the way for increased tonnage in 2017 as U.S. stakeholders seek to assist in the battle against malnutrition."
USA Rice forecasts a very active year in food aid in 2017 for both milled and fortified rice. Numerous sources, including the Family Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET), predict that 2017 will see a global famine of catastrophic proportions, with up to 70 million people, across 45 countries, requiring enhanced food assistance. Already four countries, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen are in the beginning stages of severe famine with several others slipping into food insecurity and malnutrition.
"This points up the critical importance of food aid," continued Hanks. "The U.S. government is facing budget cuts in this area yet USA Rice is working hard to preserve this program because these programs are good for our industry and they're the right, humanitarian thing to do. And now that fortification technology has been officially approved, fortified rice has been recognized as a superior, cost-effective food that can provide relief from hunger, address nutritional deficiencies, and is already well accepted by beneficiaries."
WASDE Report Released
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. 2016/17 rice supply and
demand estimates are unchanged this month. The all rice marketing year
average price is also unchanged with the midpoint of the range at $10.50 per
cwt. Medium-and short-grain prices are raised slightly. Global rice production is minimally increased to 480.4 million
tons with Brazil accounting for all of the increase. World exports are
modestly reduced as lower exports by Australia, India, and Vietnam are only
partially offset by increases for Brazil and China. Global use is
fractionally raised this month, resulting in projected ending stocks declining
to 117.7 million tons, which is still the highest level since 2001/02.
Read the full report here.
Read the full report here.
Poinsett Rice
& Grain acquires Ritter Grain Services
March 8, 2017 - by Eric Schroeder
MARKED TREE, ARKANSAS, U.S. — Poinsett Rice &
Grain, Inc. has acquired the Grain Services operations of Ritter Agribusiness
located in Marked Tree, Arkansas, U.S. Financial terms of the transaction were
not disclosed.
 |
|
Kevin Wright, president of Ritter Agribusiness.
|
“We’re pleased that Poinsett Rice
& Grain, a family-owned, Arkansas-based business has taken over the Marked
Tree grain operation and that all of Ritter’s grain services employees in
Marked Tree have transitioned to Poinsett Rice & Grain,” said Kevin Wright,
president of Ritter Agribusiness. “We’ve had a great working relationship with
Poinsett Rice & Grain for many years and we believe they will be great
partners for us and our producers as Ritter continues to serve the Delta
agriculture community.”
Ritter Agribusiness owns 32,000
acres of Delta farmland, oversees the management of another 16,000 acres, and
is a partner in a cotton gin and warehouse operation. The company has leased a
grain facility in Otwell, Arkansas, U.S., since 2013. Ritter said the lease on
the Otwell location expires at the end of March, at which point the property
owner will reassume control of the facility.
“Delta farming is part of who we
are and it is deeply embedded in our company history,” Wright said. “We remain
committed to the agriculture industry and to the Marked Tree community. We’re
excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.”
With the acquisition, Poinsett Rice
& Grain now owns and operates six storage facilities as well as a river
port and a brown rice mill. The Waldenburg, Arkansas, U.S.-based company ships
crops via truck, barge, rail and vessel and offers the following products for
domestic and export markets: long grain rough rice, medium grain rough rice,
long grain brown rice, medium grain brown rice, soybeans, corn and wheat.
“We are pleased to have the
opportunity to continue to grow our business as we serve Northeast Arkansas
farmers and Arkansas agriculture as a whole,” said Ryan Carwell, vice-president
of Poinsett Rice & Grain. “The acquisition of the Marked Tree facility
gives our customers another marketing option that will prove beneficial to
their businesses. It’s a win-win situation for all involved.
http://www.world-grain.com/articles/news_home/World_Grain_News/2017/03/Poinsett_Rice__Grain_acquires.aspx?ID={87CAD77B-5DA5-40F5-A212-CAFBD8930097}&cck=1
2017 International
Temperate Rice Conference hits home with Griffith growers and stakeholders
9 Mar 2017, 11:26 a.m.
Griffith growers and industry
stakeholders have continued learning from the world’s best of the best as the
International Temperate Rice Conference hit its third day on
Wednesday.
The opportunities locally haven’t
stopped with growers and have extended to other industry stakeholders many of
whom are also grasping the chance to learn what they can while Griffith
enjoys a position as the centre of the rice world.
Griffith man and Sinochem
chemical rep Kevin Sternberg said for him the conference was a chance to catch
up on the significant leaps and bounds the rice industry has made in his
absence
http://www.therural.com.au/story/4518680/rice-rice-baby-city-enjoys-playing-host/
DA seeks return to NFA Council to
have more say in rice imports
March 08, 2017
THE Department of Agriculture
(DA) said it is seeking to re-assert its position in the National Food
Authority (NFA) Council to have more say in rice importation, a proposal which
it added President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved.
“We have been shut out. I asked the President if it is possible
for the department to have a say on the NFA Council. He said yes,” Secretary
Emmanuel F. Piñol told reporters Monday.
“My desire is that the Department of Agriculture is heard and that we have access to data so we know how much rice is to be imported and when, so our input is heard,” said Mr. Piñol adding that “We are in the dark” in regard to the country’s current rice buffer stock.
The DA is part of the inter-agency Food Security Committee which recommends to the council whether the country will need to import rice based on available supply data.
Mr. Piñol said that he will write a letter to the President to formalize his request.
He added that he disapproves of private-sector-led imports of rice, calling it ineffective in terms of maintaining buffer stocks and erodes the priority of locally-produced rice.
“If it is our purpose to come up with a buffer stock, it won’t work if the private sector does the importing because what is commonly done, when the imported rice comes, it is restocked, re-bagged and sold on the market,” he said.
“It does not help consumers if the price of imported rice is the same as commercial rice,” he added.
Mr. Piñol also said the NFA’s procurement is insufficient.
In addition, the government is set to review the relevance of the NFA, including those of the three other agencies in terms of its purpose and performance.
“[The President] directed [Finance] Secretary [Carlos G.] Dominguez [III] to head a group that will review the viability and relevance of these agencies in relation to these agencies to the food security program,” said Mr. Piñol.
Sought for comment, lawyer Maia Chiara Halmen Reina A. Valdez, undersecretary for the Office of the Cabinet Assistance System, welcomed the proposal of Mr. Piñol.
In a text message, Ms. Valdez addded: “The council shares Secretary Piñol’s protectionist stance towards our farmers We want NFA to be our farmers’ first customer. The old mindset is that we are the buyer of last resort. If we could increase the support price [it would be] much better?” she added.
President Benigno S. C. Aquino III signed on May 5, 2014 Executive Order No. 165 which transferred the NFA along with the National Irrigation Administration; Philippine Coconut Authority; and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, to the Office of the President.
The DA was removed from the council at that point, which Mr. Piñol says violates Presidential Decree 1770, which gives the DA a seat on the council. -- Janina C. Lim
“My desire is that the Department of Agriculture is heard and that we have access to data so we know how much rice is to be imported and when, so our input is heard,” said Mr. Piñol adding that “We are in the dark” in regard to the country’s current rice buffer stock.
The DA is part of the inter-agency Food Security Committee which recommends to the council whether the country will need to import rice based on available supply data.
Mr. Piñol said that he will write a letter to the President to formalize his request.
He added that he disapproves of private-sector-led imports of rice, calling it ineffective in terms of maintaining buffer stocks and erodes the priority of locally-produced rice.
“If it is our purpose to come up with a buffer stock, it won’t work if the private sector does the importing because what is commonly done, when the imported rice comes, it is restocked, re-bagged and sold on the market,” he said.
“It does not help consumers if the price of imported rice is the same as commercial rice,” he added.
Mr. Piñol also said the NFA’s procurement is insufficient.
In addition, the government is set to review the relevance of the NFA, including those of the three other agencies in terms of its purpose and performance.
“[The President] directed [Finance] Secretary [Carlos G.] Dominguez [III] to head a group that will review the viability and relevance of these agencies in relation to these agencies to the food security program,” said Mr. Piñol.
Sought for comment, lawyer Maia Chiara Halmen Reina A. Valdez, undersecretary for the Office of the Cabinet Assistance System, welcomed the proposal of Mr. Piñol.
In a text message, Ms. Valdez addded: “The council shares Secretary Piñol’s protectionist stance towards our farmers We want NFA to be our farmers’ first customer. The old mindset is that we are the buyer of last resort. If we could increase the support price [it would be] much better?” she added.
President Benigno S. C. Aquino III signed on May 5, 2014 Executive Order No. 165 which transferred the NFA along with the National Irrigation Administration; Philippine Coconut Authority; and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, to the Office of the President.
The DA was removed from the council at that point, which Mr. Piñol says violates Presidential Decree 1770, which gives the DA a seat on the council. -- Janina C. Lim
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=da-seeks-return-to-nfa-council-to-have-more-say-in-rice-imports&id=141821
Commission rejects Italy
demand for action on duty-free rice imports
Published: 07
March 2017 11:10 AM 
Rice production in the EU is
in danger of being abandoned completely if the bloc continues to allow imports
of duty-free rice from least developed countries, Italy has warned, but the
European Commission disagrees that the market is being disrupted.
At the Farm Council in Brussels
yesterday (March 7), the Italian delegation claimed countries such as Cambodia
and Myanmar are increasing duty-free shipments of rice to the EU and are
therefore pricing EU producers out of the market.
Under the so-called
...
https://www.agra-net.com/agra/agra-europe/crops/commission-rejects-italy-demand-for-action-on-duty-free-rice-imports--1.htm
Philippines' food security agency plans to
import 250,000T rice soon
Reuters | Mar 7, 2017, 03.51 PM IST
MANILA, March 7 (Reuters) - The Philippines' food security agency said on
Tuesday it was looking to import 250,000 tonnes of rice as soon as possible via
a government-to-government deal with any of its traditional suppliers such as Vietnam and Thailand.
The volume will augment rice imports of around 543,000 tonnes
shipped in by private traders between December and February, and help boost
state buffer stock ahead of the country's lean harvest season beginning in
July, it said.
The National Food Authority (NFA) has informed Vietnam of its import plan via
a letter to its embassy in Manila, it said in a statement.
Major rice suppliers, Vietnam and Thailand, are keeping an eye
on any fresh demand from the Philippines, one of the world's biggest buyers,
but the NFA has yet to decide when to issue a tender for its import
requirement.
The timing remains uncertain as the NFA Council, a panel comprising the country's
economic managers, still has to approve the terms of reference.
The planned purchase is part of the 500,000-tonne import volume
the NFA Council approved last year. The NFA had bought only 250,000 tonnes --
150,000 tonnes from Vietnam and 100,000 tonnes from Thailand.
"We need the additional 250,000 tonnes for our buffer
stock," NFA spokeswoman Marietta Ablaza told Reuters. "We are running out of time."
Ablaza could not say if the NFA has formally informed Thailand
of its import plan.
(Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Sherry
Jacob-Phillips)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/philippines-food-security-agency-plans-to-import-250000t-rice-soon/articleshow/57513719.cms
Nigeria
Customs impounds 23,000 bags of imported rice 
The Nigeria Customs Service,
Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, has seized 23,000 bags of 50 kilogramme of imported parboiled rice.
Importers of the product are
believed to owe the Federal Government N149.5m in import duty.
The Public Relations Officer of
the command, Jerome Attah, stated this in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement quoted the
Controller of the command, Comptroller Haruna Mamudu, as saying that its action
was in conformity with the law of Nigeria.
He enjoins Nigerians to see smuggling
as a crime which threatens national development.
http://tvcnews.tv/2017/03/09/nigeria-customs-impounds-23000-bags-of-imported-rice/
Two
persons convicted of importing rice without licence
Hong Kong (HKSAR) -
​A 48-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman were each fined $2,500
today (March 8) at Fanling Magistrates' Courts for importing rice without a
licence, in contravention of the Reserved Commodities (Control of Imports,
Exports and Reserve Stocks) Regulations
Customs officers intercepted an incoming private vehicle at Lok Ma
Chau Control Point on January 1 and found on board the vehicle 11 packs of
rice, each weighing 25 kilograms. The total quantity of the rice involved was
275kg. The 48-year-old male driver and the 48-year-old female passenger were
arrested. Under the Reserved
Commodities (Control of Imports, Exports and Reserve Stocks) Regulations, it is
an offence to import into and export from Hong Kong rice except under an import
or export licence issued by the Director-General of Trade and Industry.
No licence will be required for rice imported into or exported from
Hong Kong in the personal luggage of a person solely for his own consumption or
as gifts in an amount not exceeding 15kg. The maximum penalty upon conviction
is a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for one year
http://7thspace.com/headlines/534250/two_persons_convicted_of_importing_rice_without_licence.html
High oil prices, more
expensive rice to put pressure on inflation
MARCH 7, 2017
In
Photo: Motorists fill up at a gas station in Manila.
Filipinos should brace for higher
commodity prices in the next few months due to more expensive crude oil and
rice, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said on Tuesday.
Neda Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia
said these factors, plus the depreciation of the peso—which would make imports
more expensive—would affect inflation.“Risks to the inflation outlook appear to
be tilted to the upside. This could drive inflation toward the higher end of
the target,” Pernia said.
Pernia added the National Food
Authority (NFA) memorandum, which did not extend the arrival of rice imports
under the minimum access volume (MAV) program, will also have a “significant”
impact on food prices. The deadline for MAV rice imports was set on February
28.This means that after February 28, Philippine Institute for Development
Studies (PIDS) senior research fellow Roehlano Briones said, the private sector
will no longer be allowed to import rice.
Briones added the impact on rice
prices will depend on how fast the NFA will be able to procure rice.
Any increase in rice price will
ultimately affect food and nonfood prices nationwide. This will particularly
have significant impact on the poor. According to the Philippine
Development Plan (PDP), rice accounts for 30.6 percent of the total food
expenditure of the poorest 20 percent of households, based on the 2012 Family
Income and Expenditure Survey.
“[It will] depend on how fast the
NFA can do the procurement,” Briones said. “[But] there seems to be enough
stocks. [It] also depends on scheduled import arrivals and harvest season.” In
February the country’s inflation rate spiked to 3.3 percent, the highest since
November 2014, when inflation rate reached 3.7 percent. This brought average
inflation in the first two months of the year to 3 percent, according to data
from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The Neda said the increase was
largely due to hikes in rice and other food prices. There was also an increase
in nonfood items.
Pernia said rice, meat, fish and vegetables
propped up the food subgroup inflation rate to 4.3 percent in February from
January’s 3.6 percent. The Neda said rice prices increased because of low
inventories. It said rice stocks fell by 17.9 percent in January, due to the
contraction in palay production in the fourth quarter of 2016.
There were also price increases
in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels that drove the nonfood
subgroup inflation rate to 2.5 percent in February 2017, from January’s 2
percent.
“The risks to inflation that we
see on the external side include increase in the price of oil and the
depreciation of peso,” Pernia said.
Inflation in Metro Manila went up
by 3.6 percent in February 2017. Inflation in the previous month was posted at
3 percent and in February 2016, 0.1 percent.
The increase in commodity prices
in Areas Outside the National Capital Region reached 3.2 percent in February
2017
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/high-oil-prices-more-expensive-rice-to-put-pressure-on-inflation/
N FA mulls 800,000 MT
rice imports
(The Philippine
Star) | Updated
March 9, 2017 - 12:00am
This comes after the NFA decided to reject the extension of the
private sector-led importation under the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme. File photo
MANILA, Philippines - State-run
National Food Authority (NFA) is mulling the importation of around 800,000
metric tons (MT) of rice via government-to-government scheme that will serve as
the country’s buffer stock in preparation for the start of the lean months.
This comes after the NFA decided to
reject the extension of the private sector-led importation under the minimum
access volume (MAV) scheme.
In a briefing yesterday, NFA
administrator Jason Aquino said importation would cover 250,000 MT as standby
authority and another 550,000 MT for the lean months which starts in July and
ends in September.
“Buffer stock of the NFA is short.
By the end of June, we will be short of three days that’s why we are pushing
for the approval of the 250,000 MT importation,” Aquino said.
It would be recalled that the Food
Security Committee approved 500,000 MT of rice imports last year, half of which
had been already awarded to Thailand and Vietnam.
The remaining half was not utilized
due to oversupply of the grains in both government and private warehouse
because of less than expected impact of the prolonged drought. “We need to beef up supply. If we get hit by typhoons, we might
not be able to support the needs of the local government units. We might run
out of stocks,” Aquino said.
“We will ask again for the
implementation of that because it was already approved. We need to utilize by
June this year the remaining standby volume to cover the gap in our 15-day
buffer stock requirement,” he added.
The 250,000 MT of rice are targeted
to arrive by June, Aquino said.Apart from the 250,000 MT, the NFA will also
propose the importation of another 550,000 MT of rice, which would cover the
higher buffer stock requirement for the lean months.
“Bidding for that (550,000 MT)
would come later [after the arrival of the 250,000 MT],” he said.
The NFA is mandated to maintain a
food security reserve that is good for at least 15 days at any given time.
By July 1, which marks the onset of
the lean season for rice, the NFA must have at least a 30-day buffer stock to
meet the requirements of victims of calamities and emergencies.
Current rice inventory is about 2.6
million MT, 1.26 million MT of which is held by households, 948,000 MT in
commercial warehouses and 400,000 MT in NFA warehouses.
However, the NFA chief admitted he
has yet to discuss the proposed volume
to be imported with the interagency NFA Council.Meanwhile, Aquino welcomed the
probe that will be conducted against him following allegations he and other NFA
officials were turning government-led importations into a cash cow.
“I will not fail our President. I
will continue to do my job to the best I can. Accusations against me are wrong
and malicious. I welcome any investigation from any agency of the government,”
Aquino said.
The Office of the Cabinet Secretary
under Leoncio Evasco Jr. has accused Aquino and deputy administrator Ludovico
Jarina of connivance for undertaking actions without the approval of the NFA
council.
Aquino is now facing serious
disciplinary sanctions over his repeated defiance of the NFA Council’s decision
to extend rice importation under the MAV scheme.
The MAV refers to the volume of a
specific agricultural product that is allowed to import with a lower tariff as
a commitment of the Philippines under the provisions of the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade of the World Trade Organization.
The annual MAV importation is being
shouldered by the private sector.
The NFA council is composed of
Evasco and representatives of the NFA, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Development
Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, Department of Finance,
Department of Trade and Industry and National Economic and Development
Authority
http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/03/09/1679216/nfa-mulls-800000-mt-rice-imports
NFA estimates rice import requirement at 800,000 MT
March 09, 2017
THE National Food Authority
(NFA)is looking to import around 800,000 metric tons (MT) of rice this year
under a government-to-government arrangement to cover the lean months in the
third quarter.
Workers unload sacks of rice at a warehouse of the National Food
Authority. -- AFP
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RELATED STORIES
  |
Citing “critical” stock levels of the staple grain in government
warehouses, NFA Administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino said that, as of March
8, inventory in government warehouses was 400,000 MT, good for about 13 days.
Stocks have thus fallen below the 15-day buffer stock the agency is mandated to
maintain.
“If we are to maintain a 30-day buffer, more or less we will need 800,000 metric tons,” he said in Filipino. Asked if that quantity will be satisfied by imports, he said “Yes, so we can satisfy the 30-day buffer stock.”
“Other regions and provinces are at critical supple levels,” he added. “Some places will have very tight supply by April and May,” Mr. Aquino said in a Wednesday news conference at the agency’s headquarters in Quezon City. He was citing reports from NFA regional directors across the country.
“By end of June, the NFA’s buffer stock will be short three days. That’s why we are pushing for the approval of the 250,000 MT importation... We need to utilize by June this year the remaining standby volume to cover the gap in our 15-day buffer stock requirement,” he added.
However, as the July to September period covers the lean months during which the state-run agency is required to maintain a 30-day buffer stock, Mr. Aquino said that this may translate to an 800,000 MT requirement, making more imports necessary beyond the approved standby authority.
Asked if Mr. Aquino will propose the importation of the 800,000 MT volume to the NFA Council, he replied in the positive, adding that the arrival of a portion of these imports, specifically the remaining 250,000 MT standby authority, is intended for before the lean months start.
In a text message yesterday, NFA Spokesperson Marietta J. Ablaza said that the 250,000 MT of rice is proposed to arrive April or May “to have ample time to position the stocks before onset of lean supply months.”
Last year, the inter-agency NFA Council approved the importation of 500,000 MT of rice under a government-to-government scheme, giving the agency standby authority in preparation for last year’s El Niño.
Of this total, only 250,000 MT has been activated with the top exporting countries, Vietnam and Thailand, clinching the bid.
The remaining portion, however, has not been shipped due to sufficient stocks of rice in both government and private warehouses when the dry spell proved to be less severe than expected.
As early as December, NFA proposed the importation of the 250,000 MT, citing an expected shortfall in rice production due to typhoons Karen, Lawin, and Nina which hit the country last quarter.
The NFA Council did not approve the proposal amid the lack of endorsement by the inter-agency National Food Security Committee chaired by the National Economic Development Authority, which recommends to the council whether the country will need to import, based on rice inventory data. -- Janina C. Lim
“If we are to maintain a 30-day buffer, more or less we will need 800,000 metric tons,” he said in Filipino. Asked if that quantity will be satisfied by imports, he said “Yes, so we can satisfy the 30-day buffer stock.”
“Other regions and provinces are at critical supple levels,” he added. “Some places will have very tight supply by April and May,” Mr. Aquino said in a Wednesday news conference at the agency’s headquarters in Quezon City. He was citing reports from NFA regional directors across the country.
“By end of June, the NFA’s buffer stock will be short three days. That’s why we are pushing for the approval of the 250,000 MT importation... We need to utilize by June this year the remaining standby volume to cover the gap in our 15-day buffer stock requirement,” he added.
However, as the July to September period covers the lean months during which the state-run agency is required to maintain a 30-day buffer stock, Mr. Aquino said that this may translate to an 800,000 MT requirement, making more imports necessary beyond the approved standby authority.
Asked if Mr. Aquino will propose the importation of the 800,000 MT volume to the NFA Council, he replied in the positive, adding that the arrival of a portion of these imports, specifically the remaining 250,000 MT standby authority, is intended for before the lean months start.
In a text message yesterday, NFA Spokesperson Marietta J. Ablaza said that the 250,000 MT of rice is proposed to arrive April or May “to have ample time to position the stocks before onset of lean supply months.”
Last year, the inter-agency NFA Council approved the importation of 500,000 MT of rice under a government-to-government scheme, giving the agency standby authority in preparation for last year’s El Niño.
Of this total, only 250,000 MT has been activated with the top exporting countries, Vietnam and Thailand, clinching the bid.
The remaining portion, however, has not been shipped due to sufficient stocks of rice in both government and private warehouses when the dry spell proved to be less severe than expected.
As early as December, NFA proposed the importation of the 250,000 MT, citing an expected shortfall in rice production due to typhoons Karen, Lawin, and Nina which hit the country last quarter.
The NFA Council did not approve the proposal amid the lack of endorsement by the inter-agency National Food Security Committee chaired by the National Economic Development Authority, which recommends to the council whether the country will need to import, based on rice inventory data. -- Janina C. Lim
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=nfa-estimates-rice-import-requirement-at-800000-mt&id=141905
Rice
Brans Market Research Report Now Available at Research Corridor
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