Pakistan dispatches relief
consignments of rice to mitigate drought situation in Sri Lanka
Fri,
Mar 31, 2017, 05:55 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Earlier,
in February 2017, the Government of Pakistan had already sent a relief flight
to Colombo containing 25 Metric Tons of rice for drought affected people.
The
High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka Maj. Gen. (R) Syed Shakeel Hussain
will hand over the relief consignments to Sri Lankan authorities at Colombo
Port in first week of April.
The
first shipment of the rice departed from Pakistan Thursday and is expected to
reach Sri Lanka on Monday, 3rd April.Sri Lanka is facing a shortage of rice,
the main staple food in the country, as the Maha season rice crop in 2017 is
significantly impaired by the severe drought.
"Both
friendly countries have been assisting each other in challenging times
especially in view of the catastrophic situations," the High Commission
said
Drought in Sri Lanka
PRIME Minister Nawaz Sharif has done well by giving
directions to authorities concerned to provide all necessary assistance to
Government and people of Sri Lanka in the wake of severe drought in that
country. To begin with, Pakistan has announced to dispatch ten thousand metric
tonnes of rice to the friendly country as a gesture of solidarity at this time
of trial and tribulation.
Sri Lanka is witnessing worst drought conditions in forty years and the calamity that started last year is assuming serious proportions with the passage of time.
Sri Lanka is witnessing worst drought conditions in forty years and the calamity that started last year is assuming serious proportions with the passage of time.
According to latest figures from Colombo, the drought
is seriously affecting 18 districts of the country with shortages of drinking
water and impact on agricultural activities. The rice harvest is less than half
the normal production. Water levels are at approximately 20% in the main
reservoirs and with limited seed availability, prospects of yields for next
planting season in April are poor. At present, an estimated 1.2 million people
are seriously impacted and there are concerns regarding deterioration of
household food security and nutrition.
The Government and people of Sri Lanka are braving
the situation but it is surely the duty of friendly countries like Pakistan to
help it overcome this difficult period. As Sri Lanka has worst rice plantation
in 30 years due to shortage of irrigation water and there are scant chances of
rainfall before monsoon in June and July, the situation would turn worse for
affected people. In this backdrop, supply of rice, which is staple food of Sri
Lanka, would surely mitigate sufferings of the people to some extent. We hope
that in view of close cooperation between the two countries and track record of
Sri Lanka in expressing solidarity with Pakistan in natural disasters,
government and people of Pakistan should mobilise more resources to help
meaningfully alleviate miseries of affected people.
http://pakobserver.net/drought-in-sri-lanka/
UN agriculture
agency takes step to help rice farmers bolster production
Harvesting rice in Viet Nam.
Global rice consumption trends are rising. Photo: FAO/Hoang Dinh Nam
30 March 2017 – Concerned about
global rice production and eradicating hunger around the world, the United
Nations agricultural agency today announced that it has teamed up with an
international research institute to enhance rice farming and make it more
adaptable to climate change.
“With over three billion people across the globe eating rice every day, rice is critical to global
food security,” said Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of Climate
and Natural Resources at the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
The UN agency announced that it
will work with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to support
sustainable rice production in developing countries to improve food security
and livelihoods, while also safeguarding natural resources.
According to FAO, the two
organizations will work together to assist rice producing countries to “adopt
improved and adapted rice varieties, enhance availability of certified seeds
and also the transfer of knowledge,” including to control pests and through
farmer field schools.
FAO and IRRI will also work to
help women farmers participate in “viable, safe and dignified” entrepreneurial
opportunities in the rice value chain, the UN agency said.
Meanwhile, FAO has developed the Regional Rice Initiative for Asia and Pacific which promotes enhanced crop
resilience while increasing efficiency and farmers' income. In Africa and in
Latin America the UN agency is engaged in scientific and technical cooperation
including the sharing of technologies and best practices to increase production
and productivity, including reduction of post-harvest losses and improved grain
quality.
For its part, IRRI is engaged in
strengthening capacities of all rice sector actors through its capacity
development activities, including IRRI Education and the Sustainable Rice
Platform, a global alliance to promote resource efficiency and sustainability
in trade flows, production and consumption operations, and supply chains in the
global rice sector
Indonesia's
rice self-sufficiency to be achieved by 2020
Stefani Ribka
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
| Fri, March 31, 2017 | 10:31 am
Farmers
carry paddy grains at a milling factory in Ngawi, East Java. (Antara/Ari Bowo
Sucipto)
Bank Indonesia
(BI) projects the country will achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2020 if paddy
conversion stops and the government is consistent in its efforts to increase
the size of paddy and develop irrigation infrastructure.
“Agriculture
infrastructure projects are ongoing. It will take three to five years for us to
reap the results. Indonesia can be a rice self-sufficient country by 2020,”
Dody Budi Waluyo, assistant to the BI governor for monetary and economic
policy, told a media briefing on Thursday.
The central
bank predicts rice production will reach more than 50 million tons in 2020, while
consumption will reach fewer than 43 million tons.
One Indonesian
is assumed to consume 144-kilograms of rice per year, while the population is
expected to reach 300 million people in 2020. Rice is used for direct
consumption, animal feed and industrial use.
In 2015, rice
production reached 43.9 million tons coming from 75.4 million tons of paddy.
The government aims to produce 80 million tons of paddy this year.
The Agriculture
Ministry aims to open another 80,000 hectares of new paddy and 500 water
deposits after opening 128,441 ha and 1,714 water deposits last year.
Dody emphasizes
that land conversion should also stop to realize the projection. Each year, up
to 110,000 ha of agricultural land is converted for other use, mainly residential
areas. (bbn)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/03/31/indonesias-rice-self-sufficiency-to-be-achieved-by-2020.html
Rice farmers
across Nigeria witness bumper harvest amidst distribution, milling challenges
Rice Farmers
States in the north-eastern part
of the country still struggling to recover from the devastating effects of Boko
Haram insurgency, are recording bumper harvests in rice cultivation.
In a recent survey by News Agency
of Nigeria, NAN, rice farmers, millers and dealers attributed the development
to the pragmatic agricultural policies put in place by the Federal Government.
They also ascribed the
development to the positive lessons learnt from harrowing situation brought
about by the economic recession in the country.
They observed that apart from the
enhanced patronage of local rice, which had boosted the economic status of rice
farmers, the price of the produce had stabilised and might even fall
drastically due to massive production.
Baba Kaye, Chairman Rice Dealers
Association in Gombe State, noted that the intervention of the Federal
Government had stabilised the price of rice for some time now.
“The price has remained stable
without fluctuating; we are grateful to the Federal Government for encouraging
dry season farming and this has impacted positively on us,” he said.
Tasiu Kuri, a rice farmer in Kuri
village of Gombe State, attributed the increase in rice production to the
decision of Federal Government to ban the importation of foreign rice through
the country’s land borders.
Yahaya Yusuf, Chairman, Rice
Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, in Bauchi State, projected that the
state alone would cultivate about one million tonnes of rice in 2017, as
against the 600,000 tonnes it cultivated in 2016. Musa Takari, a rice farmer in Gashua, Yobe, said that the ban on
importation of rice had also provoked an increase in the consumption of local
rice, thereby triggering massive production.
“Before now, the market has been
very bad and discouraging but the increased patronage has made us to produce
more rice,” he said.
The story has been similar in
other parts of the country, as there has been dramatic increase in quantity of
rice produced by rice farmers across the country.
In Abakaliki, for instance, the
state government said that it had met the target of producing 350,000 tonnes of
rice, which it set for the 2016 farming season.
The Commissioner for Agriculture
and Natural Resources, Uchenna Orji, told NAN in Abakaliki, that the state was
able to achieve that feat because the state government invested massively in
rice production in 2016.
He stressed that the government’s
determination to revolutionalise rice production in Ebonyi was due to its
comparative advantage over other states in the area of rice farming.
Mr. Orji said that efforts were
underway to ensure that Ebonyi reclaimed its position as the highest rice
producing state in West Africa.
In spite of the claims on massive
production of rice across the country, NAN observed that the rice milling
capacities of the states differed and this, coupled with the different distribution
patterns, could explain the scarcity of local rice in the markets.
In Sokoto State, the rice
millers, however, said that they were producing below capacity.
Nura Attajiri, the Chairman,
Small and Medium Enterprises, SME, Rice Millers Association in the state, said
that the rice millers produced only about 150 tonnes per annum.
“Although there are 255 millers,
with machines having installed capacity of producing about 350 tonnes of milled
rice per annum, in the state, their output is just about 150 tonnes per annum.
“This shortfall is caused by the
various challenges facing the millers; these include poor electricity supply
and inadequate funds to procure paddy for processing, among others.
“As such, we have been
campaigning and looking into how the state government and other relevant
agencies can boost the rice production capacity of millers through various
intervention programmes.
“Moreover, the Federal
Government’s Anchor Borrowers Programme, launched in Kebbi State, did not
include SME millers but only integrated millers, while Sokoto State has no
integrated millers.
“Although the state government is
putting in more efforts to assist us to improve production, we need more
government intervention, particularly in the area of rice processing.”
However, the zonal chapter of
RIFAN in Daura, Katsina State, said that the absence of rice milling plants in
Daura had been a major limitation to efforts to produce rice.
Nura Baure, the zonal chairman of
the association, said that although there were rice milling plants in
Batagarawa and Funtua, “those areas are very far from our farmers and the
transportation cost is a burden to our farmers.
“I don’t even know the capacity
of those rice milling plants,” he added.
Mr. Baure, nonetheless, said that
there was a subsisting agreement between the association and an off-taker
company, ZIL Nigeria Ltd. that rice produced in the Daura and its environs
would be milled by the company.
In Port Harcourt, Awotien George
of Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Environment, Rivers State University of
Science and Technology, RSUST, Port Harcourt, said that the few rice mills in
the state were non-functional.
He recalled that the dearth of
functional rice mills in the state compelled Port Harcourt Glorious Cooperative
Society to transport the rice, which was produced during 2016 planting season,
to Ebonyi for milling.
He, therefore, urged the state
government to be actively involved in agricultural production.
Also, plans are underway by the
Adamawa Government to establish three giant rice milling centres in the state,
according to Umar Bindir, Chairman, State Project Management Team of Anchor
Borrowers Programme.
He said that the state
government, through its agency, Agricultural Development and Investment Ltd.,
had concluded arrangements to establish the rice milling centres.
Bindir, who is also the Secretary
to Adamawa Government, said that the centres would also serve as marketing
boards, which would purchase paddy directly from farmers before processing it
and selling it to consumers across the country.
Nevertheless, Abbo Jiddere, the state AFAN Chairman, said that
the association was consulting with other stakeholders on how to establish rice
mills in the state.
The situation is somewhat different in Kebbi, a major rice
producing state in the country, as the state is home to large rice mills such
as WACOT Rice Mill and Labana Rice Mill.
Abdullahi Zuru, the General Manager of Labana Rice Mill, said
that the mill, which was established at the cost of N5 billion, had the
capacity to process and package 16 tonnes of rice within an hour.
He said that the mill, which had 2,000 employees, had three
different means of obtaining paddy.
Mr. Zuru said that the mill acquired paddy from 6,000 rice
farmers and 3,000 farmers who were registered with the CBN Anchor Borrowers
Programme, as well as paddy merchants from other states and countries like
Benin Republic, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.
“Labana Rice Mill has a well-established distribution chain,
from the factory to major towns in the state like Birnin Kebbi, Zuru, Yauri,
Argungu, and towns in other states such as Kano, Jos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Gusau,
Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Aba,’’ he said.
Mr. Zuru said that Labana Rice Mill had played a prominent role
in the success of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) existing between Lagos
and Kebbi States with regard to the processing and packaging of “Lake Rice.’’
“Labana Rice Mill has processed and packaged over 2,000 tonnes
of `Lake Rice’, which had been supplied to Lagos State, as part of the MoU,” he
said.
As regards “Lake Rice’’ – the product of the joint venture
between Lagos and Kebbi states, some residents of Lagos State, however,
complained about its scarcity in the market.
For instance, Temitope Ajayi, a resident of the Abule-Egba area
of the state, said that she had not heard of the rice sales or anybody buying
the commodity since early January.
She said that the rice was not in the market, adding that those,
who were able to buy “Lake Rice’’ in December, however, admitted that its
quality was good.
However, Sanni Okanlawan, Special Adviser on Food Security to
Governor Akinwumi Ambode, told NAN that Lagos State Government still had enough
consignment of “Lake Rice’’ for distribution to interested members of the
public, out of the stock that was produced last December.
He said that more distribution centres would be opened so as to
ensure that the commodity was available to more Lagos residents.
The special adviser said that part of the rice, which was
delivered to Lagos State in December, was still stocked at the Imota Mill
Plant.
Mr. Okanlawon said that at intervals, the rice would be
distributed to centres across the state’s local government areas where people
could buy it at the price of N12,000 per 50kg. bag and N6,000 per 25kg. bag.
He said: “`Lake Rice’ is still available at our 2.5-metric-ton
rice milling plant in Imota, from the December consignment from our partner
state, Kebbi.’’
All the same, Manu Sandamu, an agricultural extension officer in
Daura, Katsina State, bemoaned the absence of regulated channels of rice
distribution between farmers, millers, marketers and consumers across the
country.
“Definitely, there is increasing patronage for our local rice
but that, in essence, means that the rice distribution chain should no longer
rely on patchwork methods,” he added
http://worldstagegroup.com/index.php?active=news&newscid=34925&catid=2 Proposed tariff on rice imports seen as safety net for farmers
(The Philippine
Star) | Updated
March 31, 2017 - 12:00am
1 3 googleplus0 0
Revenues from the proposed imposition of a 35 percent tariff on
rice imports upon expiration of the quantitative restriction (QR) – seen to
reach between P27 billion and P28 billion within the current administration –
is sufficient to provide for safety net measures for farmers who would be
affected by increased importation, said state-run think tank Philippine
Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). File
photo
MANILA, Philippines -
Revenues from the proposed imposition of a 35 percent tariff on rice
imports upon expiration of the quantitative restriction (QR) – seen to reach
between P27 billion and P28 billion within the current administration – is
sufficient to provide for safety net measures for farmers who would be affected
by increased importation, said state-run think tank Philippine Institute for
Development Studies (PIDS).
In its latest policy note on the
impending expiration of the special tax treatment on rice in June, PIDS said
replacing the QR with a 35 percent tariff would double annual imports from the
current 2.2 million tons to around 4.4. million tons on the average from 2017
to 2022.
Farmgate and retail prices,
meanwhile, are projected to decrease by P4.56 per kilogram and P6.97 per
kilogram respectively as a result of the unrestricted volume of importation.
PIDS said the tariff revenues would
be sufficient to cover the cost of compensatory transfers to farmers under a
post-QR regime at P17 billion to P18 billion annually until the end of the
Duterte administration.
“The remaining amount can be used
for other programs also directed to assist farmers,” said PIDS.
At a total of four million hectares
of rice cultivation areas eligible for computation in the provision of
transfers, the government can afford to pay a farmer with two hectares P19,000
annually.
Business
( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
The transfers are proposed to be
provided over and above the existing production support provided by pertinent
government agencies to enable them to transition to a more open trade
environment.
“The purpose of the payments is to
compensate farmers from income loss. It does not intend to displace ongoing
productivity enhancement measures nor does it aim to increase the
competitiveness of farmers.
At the most, it eases the pain of
transition to other crops and even other livelihood,” PIDS said.
The Philippines is actually
entitled to impose a higher tariff on rice imports according to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture.
PIDS said that as prescribed under
the agreement, QR measures are converted to tariffs by taking the difference of
international and domestic prices from 1986
to 1988. Following the formula, the
estimated tariff equivalent for imported rice is 38.5 percent.
Considering, however, that almost
all rice imported by the Philippines come from Vietnam and Thailand, it would
be more appropriate to use the tariff rate of 35 percent for ASEAN.
“A 35-percent tariff rate seems
appropriate as a tariff equivalent. A safety net for rice farmers can be as
much as P 20 billion annually and can be financed entirely by earmarking funds
from the tariff revenue. In short, tarif cation with safety nets will bring
down the price of rice and ease the dislocation of rice farmers,” PIDS said.
The extended QR, which would lapse
in June 2017, is meant to protect the livelihood of Filipino rice farmers while
they are strengthening their production capability. This extension was came
after two years of negotiation with the WTO and various member countries under
the Aquino administration.
Through the QR, the Philippines
imposes a high tariff of 35 percent on imported rice, the volume of which has
been restricted to 805, 200 metric tons (MT). Importing outside the QR is even
more expensive as inbound shipments would be levied a duty of 40 to 50 percent.
To fill the supply gap, the
National Food Authority (NFA) imports rice through tenders and intervenes in
the market by selling the staple at a cheaper price۔
Nigeria;
FG presents 2017 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction
By Biodun Folarin
March 14, 2017 18:12:07pm GMT |
Views: 366
WorldStage Newsonline-- The Federal
Government has officially presented the 2017 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP)
by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which is aimed at providing
accurate and timely weather to Nigerians for 2017.
Minister of State for Aviation
Senator Hadi Sirika, while unveiling the 2017 SRP, on Tuesday in Abuja, said
with the official release and projection of rain fall and temperature outlook,
the projection by Nigeria Metrological Agency, Nimet was fulfillment
of the mandate of the agencies contained the Act establishing the
agency.
NiMet core activities and mandate
include observation, analysis and reporting accurately the weather and climate
condition of the country. NiMet is the only government agency by law
responsible for the projection and interpretation of government policy in the
field of metrology.
He said, “Nimet is going beyond its
mandate to advice countries within the entire continent of West Africa, and I
believe if we continue in this direction we will be able to advice the whole of
Africa and probably the world.
“It is pertinent to emphasis that
the aim of the Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) is to provide accurately and
timely weather and climate information and advices to government and the public
for planning towards weather and climate projection to improve social economic
development.
“In the frequent year the intensity
of climate condition continues to pose serious challenges to social economic
development in the country, NiMet will strive to produce true weather and
climate information to assist in planning activates in all round sector of the
economy.”
While giving an overview of the
2017 SRP, Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi, incoming Director General NiMet, said
NiMet predicted the earliest onset date to be February 25th over the coastal
region of the Niger delta (Brass Bayelsa).
He added, that the onset dates
follow the northward movement of the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity, with areas
in and around Sokoto, Kastsina and Yobe States predicted onset to be from June
15th.
He said, In 2017 Kastina is
expected to experience the earlier cessation date around October 4th 2017.
Early cessation of rainfall is
predicted in many parts of the North and inland of the southeast. Extended
rains (3-8days) are forecast for areas in green background (Adamawa, Ogun, Edo,
the Niger Delta and low-laying areas such as Lagos).
On the 2017 Predicted rainfall, he
explained that 2017 is expected to be a unique year as the country is likely to
experience a wetter start and a drier end session. The annual rainfall amount
predicted over the country in 2017 is expected to range from 400mm in the far
north Yobe state to about 3100mm in the coastal areas of the Niger Delta.
On expected heat stress, he said
most Nigerians are likely to experience above danger heat stress, begin hot for
too long can cause heat stress which may lead to several illnesses collectively
called hyperthermia, he added that Mosquito population risk and malaria
incidence will be on the increase in 2017.
According to him, Benin City is
likely to experience high to extreme mosquito population throughout the year.
Dr. Anthony Anuforom, the outgoing
Director General of NiMet, said NiMet had achieved over 80% accuracy in its
Rainfall Predictions in recent years. “The level of accuracy is significantly
higher than the acceptable World Metrological Oganizations minimum acceptable
threshold of 60%.
He said, the SRP now include dates
when it’s safe to sow crops, how long the season will last, and quality of the
season in terms of dry spells during the cropping season. This type of forecast
has practically minimized guess work about when to plant and reduced chances of
crop failure.
NiMet has been producing daily
weather forecast for Liberia and Sierra Leone, while some other countries in
the sub-region have indicated interest for such services to be extended to
them.
In January, we sign an MoU with
Kastina State government for the provision of climate information to assist
their rural farmers in managing weather and climate risks in agriculture, and
increase crop yield.
Proposed tariff on rice imports
seen as safety net for farmers
(The Philippine
Star) | Updated
March 31, 2017 - 12:00am
Revenues from the proposed imposition of a 35 percent tariff on
rice imports upon expiration of the quantitative restriction (QR) – seen to
reach between P27 billion and P28 billion within the current administration –
is sufficient to provide for safety net measures for farmers who would be
affected by increased importation, said state-run think tank Philippine
Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). File photo
MANILA, Philippines -
Revenues from the proposed imposition of a 35 percent tariff on rice
imports upon expiration of the quantitative restriction (QR) – seen to reach between
P27 billion and P28 billion within the current administration – is sufficient
to provide for safety net measures for farmers who would be affected by
increased importation, said state-run think tank Philippine Institute for
Development Studies (PIDS).
In its latest policy note on the
impending expiration of the special tax treatment on rice in June, PIDS said
replacing the QR with a 35 percent tariff would double annual imports from the
current 2.2 million tons to around 4.4. million tons on the average from 2017
to 2022.
Farmgate and retail prices,
meanwhile, are projected to decrease by P4.56 per kilogram and P6.97 per
kilogram respectively as a result of the unrestricted volume of importation.
PIDS said the tariff revenues would
be sufficient to cover the cost of compensatory transfers to farmers under a
post-QR regime at P17 billion to P18 billion annually until the end of the
Duterte administration.
“The remaining amount can be used
for other programs also directed to assist farmers,” said PIDS.
At a total of four million hectares
of rice cultivation areas eligible for computation in the provision of
transfers, the government can afford to pay a farmer with two hectares P19,000
annually.
Business
( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
The transfers are proposed to be
provided over and above the existing production support provided by pertinent
government agencies to enable them to transition to a more open trade
environment.
“The purpose of the payments is to
compensate farmers from income loss. It does not intend to displace ongoing
productivity enhancement measures nor does it aim to increase the
competitiveness of farmers.
At the most, it eases the pain of
transition to other crops and even other livelihood,” PIDS said.
The Philippines is actually
entitled to impose a higher tariff on rice imports according to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture.
PIDS said that as prescribed under
the agreement, QR measures are converted to tariffs by taking the difference of
international and domestic prices from 1986
to 1988. Following the formula, the
estimated tariff equivalent for imported rice is 38.5 percent.
Considering, however, that almost
all rice imported by the Philippines come from Vietnam and Thailand, it would
be more appropriate to use the tariff rate of 35 percent for ASEAN.
“A 35-percent tariff rate seems
appropriate as a tariff equivalent. A safety net for rice farmers can be as
much as P 20 billion annually and can be financed entirely by earmarking funds
from the tariff revenue. In short, tarif cation with safety nets will bring
down the price of rice and ease the dislocation of rice farmers,” PIDS said.
The extended QR, which would lapse
in June 2017, is meant to protect the livelihood of Filipino rice farmers while
they are strengthening their production capability. This extension was came
after two years of negotiation with the WTO and various member countries under
the Aquino administration.
Through the QR, the Philippines
imposes a high tariff of 35 percent on imported rice, the volume of which has
been restricted to 805, 200 metric tons (MT). Importing outside the QR is even
more expensive as inbound shipments would be levied a duty of 40 to 50 percent.
To fill the supply gap, the
National Food Authority (NFA) imports rice through tenders and intervenes in
the market by selling the staple at a cheaper price
http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/03/31/1686107/proposed-tariff-rice-imports-seen-safety-net-farmers
Watching water, rice growers get
annual review, worry list
POSTED: 03/30/17, 7:45 PM PDT | UPDATED: 17 HRS AGO
A
drought, followed by a flood, damage at Oroville Dam — it’s been a topsy-turvy
few years for farmers in the Sacramento Valley. Water leaders told growers to
stay tuned for more twists and turns, particularly from statewide plans for
surface water flows.
About
100 landowners who receive water from Richvale Irrigation District and Western
Canal Water District gathered in Richvale Thursday to hear what to expect in
the near future.
At the
top of the watch list is plans to increase river flows to help the Bay-Delta
ecosystem.
Farm and
water management groups continue to oppose plans by the State Water Resources
Control Board, see Water Board PowerPoint at http://tinyurl.com/lk9zw29
This
week, the Association of California Water Agencies urged individual water
districts to send letters offering other alternatives for improving fish
habitat. The ACWA’s policy report can be found at http://tinyurl.com/lpdfx32.
Dustin
Cooper didn’t detail the proposal, but he outlined how much water could be lost
to growers in the district if river flow requirements are put into place.
The
plans that would impact the Sacramento Valley are still in their early phases,
Cooper said, but right now the call is for 35-75 percent of flows that “would
have existed in nature,” before water diversion. Right now, the state Water
Board is leaning toward a 50 percent flow, Cooper explained, which is the
minimum believed to have a benefit for fish.
For
comparison, Cooper explained that the average annual flow in the Feather river
is now at 38 percent of unimpaired flow. An increase to 50 percent would mean
decreases in water supply, even to those who have the highest priority water
rights in the valley.
He
estimated that in August, a flow of 50 percent could mean zero water supply to
those most senior water rights holders, and a decrease of 93 percent in July.
The amount of water lost is estimated at 620,000 acre feet, Cooper said, which
is more water than is used by Richvale and Western Canal water districts
combined.
Providing
flow at this level would also draw down Lake Oroville to the point where it
would be difficult to pull water out of the reservoir, he said.
Last
month, boards of supervisors from nine counties, including Butte, co-signed a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown stating that increasing
flows would decrease water storage and water supplies and undermine efforts for
groundwater sustainability. The talk of the times is the damage to the
Oroville spillway. Will the damage impact water supply this year? Cooper said
he wasn’t sure. The immediate focus is on public safety, he said. In the fall,
growers will know whether they see cutbacks to winter water supply, which is
used for winter rice straw decomposition.There could be issues in 2018, he said, but more will be learned as the situation progresses.
CHANGING TACTICS
David Guy, president of Northern California Water Association, (NCWA) agreed that the plans for unimpaired flow is “outdated.” He said “folks aren’t getting credit,” for the projects completed and underway to protect fish.Water flows to the delta have increased over the past decade but there have not been improvements in fish numbers, he said. Instead, water districts should continue to work with partners including The Nature Conservancy and American Rivers for projects known to benefit fish.
In some projects, “small, select flows” have shown promise, including flooding in the Yolo Bypass which creates seasonal wetlands where juvenile salmon can feed and increase in size. More projects that have impact can be designed, Guy urged.In 2011, NCWA worked with fishery scientist Dave Vogel to created a list of projects to improve fish habitat, Guy noted, some that are underway.
20 YEARS AGO
Butte Creek is a good example of projects that have made an impact on fish populations, said Ted Trimble, manager of Western Canal. Twenty years ago the district worked with government and private partners to remove four dams along the creek and other projects for water flow for fish. Many other improvements along the creek have added to these efforts, and the fish population along this waterway have improved dramatically.
If this can be done “on a small watershed,” it can be done on the “Yuba River, the American River, the Bear River and the Sacramento River,” Trimble said.
The key point, Trimble said, is that “nobody gave up water,” for the improvements along Butte Creek.
Contact reporter Heather Hacking at 896-7758.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather
Hacking is reporter who focuses on water and agriculture. She has been writing
for the Enterprise-Record since 1992. Reach the author at hhacking@chicoer.com
o
Palace order needed to put up tariff system
for rice
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:38 AM March 31, 2017
Following
the Duterte economic team’s decision to lift import curbs on milled rice come
June 30, Malacañang is readying an executive order that will help the domestic
rice market transition to a tariff system for inbound grains, according to an
official of the National Economic and Development Authority.
The Philippines
was able to secure three times quantitative restriction (QR) on rice imports, a
mechanism of the World Trade Organization that suspended the implementation of
tariffs on rice for countries where trade of the staple grain is socially
sensitive.
The latest
extension is set to expire by mid-year and the Philippines did not take steps
toward a possible renegotiation for a fourth extension.
Mercedita A.
Sombilla, director of Neda’s agriculture, natural resources and environment
staff, told reporters a new law was needed to define a tariff system for rice
imports, but there appeared to be not more time to have this before June 30.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We still
don’t have defined tariffs on rice and we can’t do that without a new law or an
amendment (to existing laws),” Sombilla said. “The countries which agreed to
give us the concession (to implement the QR) will be complaining.”She said the
most practical way was to come out with an executive order that would define
the transition to a tariff system, which should be done before June 30.
As late as
last February, the Department of Agriculture continued to push for an extension
of the QR for at least two more years.
Rice farmers across Nigeria witness bumper harvest amidst
distribution, milling challenges
Rice FarmersStates in the north-eastern part of the country still
struggling to recover from the devastating effects of Boko Haram insurgency,
are recording bumper harvests in rice cultivation.
In a recent survey by News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, rice farmers,
millers and dealers attributed the development to the pragmatic agricultural
policies put in place by the Federal Government.
They also ascribed the development to the positive lessons learnt
from harrowing situation brought about by the economic recession in the
country.
They observed that apart from the enhanced patronage of local rice,
which had boosted the economic status of rice farmers, the price of the produce
had stabilised and might even fall drastically due to massive production.
Baba Kaye, Chairman Rice Dealers Association in Gombe State, noted
that the intervention of the Federal Government had stabilised the price of
rice for some time now.
“The price has remained stable without fluctuating; we are grateful
to the Federal Government for encouraging dry season farming and this has
impacted positively on us,” he said.
Tasiu Kuri, a rice farmer in Kuri village of Gombe State,
attributed the increase in rice production to the decision of Federal
Government to ban the importation of foreign rice through the country’s land
borders.
Yahaya Yusuf, Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN,
in Bauchi State, projected that the state alone would cultivate about one
million tonnes of rice in 2017, as against the 600,000 tonnes it cultivated in
2016.
Musa Takari, a rice farmer in Gashua, Yobe, said that the ban on
importation of rice had also provoked an increase in the consumption of local
rice, thereby triggering massive production.
“Before now, the market has been very bad and discouraging but the
increased patronage has made us to produce more rice,” he said.
The story has been similar in other parts of the country, as there
has been dramatic increase in quantity of rice produced by rice farmers across
the country.
In Abakaliki, for instance, the state government said that it had
met the target of producing 350,000 tonnes of rice, which it set for the 2016
farming season.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Uchenna
Orji, told NAN in Abakaliki, that the state was able to achieve that feat
because the state government invested massively in rice production in 2016.
He stressed that the government’s determination to revolutionalise rice
production in Ebonyi was due to its comparative advantage over other states in
the area of rice farming.
Mr. Orji said that efforts were underway to ensure that Ebonyi
reclaimed its position as the highest rice producing state in West Africa.
In spite of the claims on massive production of rice across the
country, NAN observed that the rice milling capacities of the states differed
and this, coupled with the different distribution patterns, could explain the
scarcity of local rice in the markets.
In Sokoto State, the rice millers, however, said that they were
producing below capacity.
Nura Attajiri, the Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprises, SME,
Rice Millers Association in the state, said that the rice millers produced only
about 150 tonnes per annum.
“Although there are 255 millers, with machines having installed
capacity of producing about 350 tonnes of milled rice per annum, in the state,
their output is just about 150 tonnes per annum.
“This shortfall is caused by the various challenges facing the millers;
these include poor electricity supply and inadequate funds to procure paddy for
processing, among others.
“As such, we have been campaigning and looking into how the state
government and other relevant agencies can boost the rice production capacity
of millers through various intervention programmes.
“Moreover, the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrowers Programme,
launched in Kebbi State, did not include SME millers but only integrated
millers, while Sokoto State has no integrated millers.
“Although the state government is putting in more efforts to assist
us to improve production, we need more government intervention, particularly in
the area of rice processing.”
However, the zonal chapter of RIFAN in Daura, Katsina State, said
that the absence of rice milling plants in Daura had been a major limitation to
efforts to produce rice.
Nura Baure, the zonal chairman of the association, said that
although there were rice milling plants in Batagarawa and Funtua, “those areas
are very far from our farmers and the transportation cost is a burden to our
farmers.
“I don’t even know the capacity of those rice milling plants,” he
added.
Mr. Baure, nonetheless, said that there was a subsisting agreement
between the association and an off-taker company, ZIL Nigeria Ltd. that rice
produced in the Daura and its environs would be milled by the company.
In Port Harcourt, Awotien George of Department of Fisheries and
Aquatic Environment, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, RSUST,
Port Harcourt, said that the few rice mills in the state were non-functional.
He recalled that the dearth of functional rice mills in the state
compelled Port Harcourt Glorious Cooperative Society to transport the rice,
which was produced during 2016 planting season, to Ebonyi for milling.
He, therefore, urged the state government to be actively involved
in agricultural production.
Also, plans are underway by the Adamawa Government to establish
three giant rice milling centres in the state, according to Umar Bindir,
Chairman, State Project Management Team of Anchor Borrowers Programme.
He said that the state government, through its agency, Agricultural
Development and Investment Ltd., had concluded arrangements to establish the
rice milling centres.
Bindir, who is also the Secretary to Adamawa Government, said that
the centres would also serve as marketing boards, which would purchase paddy
directly from farmers before processing it and selling it to consumers across
the country.
Nevertheless, Abbo Jiddere, the state AFAN Chairman, said that the
association was consulting with other stakeholders on how to establish rice
mills in the state.
The situation is somewhat different in Kebbi, a major rice
producing state in the country, as the state is home to large rice mills such
as WACOT Rice Mill and Labana Rice Mill.
Abdullahi Zuru, the General Manager of Labana Rice Mill, said that
the mill, which was established at the cost of N5 billion, had the capacity to
process and package 16 tonnes of rice within an hour.
He said that the mill, which had 2,000 employees, had three
different means of obtaining paddy.
Mr. Zuru said that the mill acquired paddy from 6,000 rice farmers
and 3,000 farmers who were registered with the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme,
as well as paddy merchants from other states and countries like Benin Republic,
Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.
“Labana Rice Mill has a well-established distribution chain, from
the factory to major towns in the state like Birnin Kebbi, Zuru, Yauri,
Argungu, and towns in other states such as Kano, Jos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Gusau,
Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Aba,’’ he said.
Mr. Zuru said that Labana Rice Mill had played a prominent role in
the success of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) existing between Lagos and
Kebbi States with regard to the processing and packaging of “Lake Rice.’’
“Labana Rice Mill has processed and packaged over 2,000 tonnes of
`Lake Rice’, which had been supplied to Lagos State, as part of the MoU,” he
said.
As regards “Lake Rice’’ – the product of the joint venture between
Lagos and Kebbi states, some residents of Lagos State, however, complained
about its scarcity in the market.
For instance, Temitope Ajayi, a resident of the Abule-Egba area of
the state, said that she had not heard of the rice sales or anybody buying the
commodity since early January.
She said that the rice was not in the market, adding that those,
who were able to buy “Lake Rice’’ in December, however, admitted that its
quality was good.
However, Sanni Okanlawan, Special Adviser on Food Security to
Governor Akinwumi Ambode, told NAN that Lagos State Government still had enough
consignment of “Lake Rice’’ for distribution to interested members of the
public, out of the stock that was produced last December.
He said that more distribution centres would be opened so as to
ensure that the commodity was available to more Lagos residents.
The special adviser said that part of the rice, which was delivered
to Lagos State in December, was still stocked at the Imota Mill Plant.
Mr. Okanlawon said that at intervals, the rice would be distributed
to centres across the state’s local government areas where people could buy it
at the price of N12,000 per 50kg. bag and N6,000 per 25kg. bag.
He said: “`Lake Rice’ is still available at our 2.5-metric-ton rice
milling plant in Imota, from the December consignment from our partner state,
Kebbi.’’
All the same, Manu Sandamu, an agricultural extension officer in
Daura, Katsina State, bemoaned the absence of regulated channels of rice
distribution between farmers, millers, marketers and consumers across the
country.
“Definitely, there is increasing patronage for our local rice but
that, in essence, means that the rice distribution chain should no longer rely
on patchwork methods,” he added
Vietnam’s Q1 rice exports down but Chinese appetite set to grow
Vietnam’s first-quarter rice exports have fallen to a two-year
low, but the outlook remains positive as shipments to China, its biggest buyer,
are forecast to grow this year, traders and industry reports said. “The land
border gates are now officially closed to Vietnamese rice, so export prices
have dropped,” a trader at a foreign company in Ho Chi Minh City said,
explaining that more fresh winter-spring grain arriving from the Mekong Delta
has contributed to the lower prices.
China has been the biggest consumer of Vietnamese rice since 2012,
when it overtook Indonesia. Last year, Beijing and Hanoi signed an agreement to
boost the rice trade via official channels. China has named 22 Vietnamese
export firms that it deems qualified to deal with.
He said the Chinese government prefers official trade as it
cannot tax rice imported via land. China officially imports around 2 million
tons of Vietnamese rice a year, while another 1-1.5 million tons enters China
via land, and that volume is not included in Vietnam’s official statistics.
This week, Vietnam’s 5-percent broken rice prices fell to
$347-$350 a ton, free-on-board Saigon Port, from around $360 a ton in late
February. At $347, the price is the lowest since February 16.
Vietnamese rice is now cheaper than Thai rice of a similar
grade, which stood this week at $374 a ton, according to the Thai Rice
Exporters Association.
Exports fall
Shipments from Vietnam, the world’s third-biggest rice exporter
after India and Thailand, in the January-March period dropped 24 percent from a
year ago to an estimated 1.2 million tons, a two-year low, the government said
on Wednesday.
The estimate is the lowest since the first quarter of 2015, when
Vietnam shipped 1.13 million tons.
Overall weak demand is the reason for the drop, with potential
buyers, including the Philippines and Mexico, still absent, traders said.
Earlier this month, Mexico approved for 150,000 tons of rice to
be imported at a zero percent tariff to meet domestic demand and diversify its
supply sources. Traders said the demand would cut the market share currently
held by the United States and open the door to Vietnamese rice. However, Mexico
has yet to act on the decision.China imported 331,300 tons of Vietnamese rice
from January-February, up 41 percent from a year ago, based on data from Vietnam’s
agriculture ministry. In February alone, it bought 36 percent of Vietnam’s
total rice exports, more than doubling the market share it held a year ago.
China’s imports
China’s rice imports in the 2016/2017 market year ending this
June are forecast to rise 4 percent to 5 million tons, with Vietnam and
Thailand remaining its key suppliers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said
in a report released on March 21.It said China’s rice imports would continue to
be profitable if import prices stay below China’s floor price of $389 a ton,
while the average CIF (cost-insurance-freight) rice price from Southeast Asia
to China is $350/ton.
“China has a major impact on Vietnam’s rice exports because when
China starts making inquiries, prices rise and other buyers turn away from
Vietnam, so overall the volume does not rise significantly,” a second trader
said.
He noted that more paddy is coming from the Mekong Delta, which
supplies 90 percent of Vietnam’s rice exports.Mekong Delta farmers have
finished harvesting around half of the 1.53 million hectares (3.78 million
acres) planted for the crop, the Vietnam Food Association said.
Output down
Harvesting of the crop, the biggest among the delta’s three
crops a year, ends in April. Paddy output is forecast to ease to 10 million
tons, down 1.3 percent from last year, which is the third drop in a row, the
agriculture ministry said, blaming unseasonal rain during the heading stage in
November-December 2016.In the long term, Vietnam’s rice acreage and output will
further fall as the country seeks to restructure its cash crops, officials
said.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc suggested related
agencies to switch from low-yield rice to medicinal plants if the latter has
higher benefits, a government statement said, as part of efforts to boost
Vietnam’s pharmaceutical sector.But the government also regards rice as
essential to national food security, a status that gives rice businesses access
to credit and adequate support.Phuc told a conference on March 15 to look for
solutions for sustainable production in the Mekong Delta.
The premier has urged the trade ministry to strip the food
association’s right to set floor prices and to allocate shipments to key
markets, factors that exporters said have been hindering overseas sales.The
association has projected Vietnam’s rice exports this year will reach around 5
million tons.Shipments fell to 4.8 million tons in 2016, the lowest since 2008,
due in part to thinner demand and growing regional competition.
Source: VNExpress
Source: VNExpress
Vietnam tries to keep its head above water
as scientists warn of sinking Mekong Delta
By Ho Binh Minh
March 31, 2017 | 06:30 pm GMT+7
By 2100, half of the Mekong Delta
could be swamped by rising sea levels.
Vietnam will look into human and natural factors as it seeks to
fight the problems threatening to sink the country's Mekong Delta food basket,
according to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The Mekong Delta, fed by alluvial
soil from the Mekong River, supplies around 90 percent of Vietnam's annual rice
shipments, and the country stands only behind India and Thailand in terms of
global rice exports. The nation is also the world's third biggest shrimp
producer after China and Indonesia, and one of the top five exporters.
The future of the delta, home to
around 20 million people, is threatened by urbanization and dozens of dams,
with more in the pipeline. Flooding and droughts that have led to salination,
along with rising sea levels, should also be considered for the region's
development, a World Bank report said.
Upstream nations, including China, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia,
plan to build more hydro-power plants. These dams reduce the flow of
water and alluvial soil, and prevent fish movement, scientists have
warned.
"Fertile soil coming from upstream in Laos has fallen by
about 50 percent," Duong Van Ni from Can Tho University was quoted
by Thanh Nien newspaper as saying earlier this
month.
"If more dams are built, the
alluvial soil arriving in Vietnam will drop to an estimated 5 percent of the
current volume," he said.
|
|
|
A farmer burns his dried-up
paddy field stricken by drought in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang in
a file photo. Photo by Reuters
|
Responding to the warning, Prime Minister Phuc has asked the Ministry
of Natural Resources and Environment and the Vietnam National Mekong Committee
to look into the dangers facing the Mekong Delta and report back to him, said a
statement posted on the government website on Thursday.
The alluvial soil and sediment delivered to the coastal areas in
Vietnam's Mekong Delta, where the Mekong River enters the East Sea
(internationally known as the South China Sea), fell to 75 million tons in 2014
from 160 million tons in 1994, Thanh Nien cited Vietnam's National Mekong Committee as saying.
To add to this, the WWF said that
higher sea levels may inundate half of the delta by the end of the century.
Underground water and sand
exploitation, which have been weakening the foundations of the delta, are
adding to the problem and must be stopped, scientists said at a March 23
conference in Can Tho City.
Many rural areas are sinking
10-20mm a year, while the subsidence rate in urban and industrial areas is
25mm, based on findings from the Rise and Fall Project conducted by Can Tho
University and the Netherlands' Utrecht University.
Last year, an El Nino-induced
drought reduced water levels in the delta to their lowest in 90 years, allowing
sea water to travel as far as 90 kilometers (56 miles) inland, damaging shrimp
farms and reducing rice yields.
A weak return of El Nino, which
features a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific that typically
occurs every few years, is expected again this summer, with powerful typhoons,
drought and saltwater intrusion forecast during the next dry season, a senior
state meteorologist said earlier this month.
From late 2014 to 2016, El Nino
brought drought and saltwater intrusion to central and southern provinces,
affecting the lives of two million people and ruining coffee, rice and
sugarcane plantations. Damage caused by the phenomenon is estimated at VND 15
trillion ($660 million), the agriculture ministry said.
El Nino put a brake on growth in Vietnam's agricultural sector in
2016, slowing the country's annual economic expansion to 6.21 percent, the first slowdown in four years.
Rice farmers across Nigeria witness bumper harvest amidst distribution,
milling challenges
March 31, 2017Agency Report
Rice Farmers
Photo Credit: Agro Nigeria
States in the north-eastern part of the country still struggling to recover from the devastating effects of Boko Haram insurgency, are recording bumper harvests in rice cultivation.
In a recent survey by News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, rice farmers, millers and dealers attributed the development to the pragmatic agricultural policies put in place by the Federal Government.
They also ascribed the development to the positive lessons learnt from harrowing situation brought about by the economic recession in the country.
They observed that apart from the enhanced patronage of local rice, which had boosted the economic status of rice farmers, the price of the produce had stabilised and might even fall drastically due to massive production.
Baba Kaye, Chairman Rice Dealers Association in Gombe State, noted that the intervention of the Federal Government had stabilised the price of rice for some time now.
“The price has remained stable without fluctuating; we are grateful to the Federal Government for encouraging dry season farming and this has impacted positively on us,” he said.
Tasiu Kuri, a rice farmer in Kuri village of Gombe State, attributed the increase in rice production to the decision of Federal Government to ban the importation of foreign rice through the country’s land borders.
Yahaya Yusuf, Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, in Bauchi State, projected that the state alone would cultivate about one million tonnes of rice in 2017, as against the 600,000 tonnes it cultivated in 2016.
Musa Takari, a rice farmer in Gashua, Yobe, said that the ban on importation of rice had also provoked an increase in the consumption of local rice, thereby triggering massive production.
“Before now, the market has been very bad and discouraging but the increased patronage has made us to produce more rice,” he said.
The story has been similar in other parts of the country, as there has been dramatic increase in quantity of rice produced by rice farmers across the country.
In Abakaliki, for instance, the state government said that it had met the target of producing 350,000 tonnes of rice, which it set for the 2016 farming season.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Uchenna Orji, told NAN in Abakaliki, that the state was able to achieve that feat because the state government invested massively in rice production in 2016.
He stressed that the government’s determination to revolutionalise rice production in Ebonyi was due to its comparative advantage over other states in the area of rice farming.
Mr. Orji said that efforts were underway to ensure that Ebonyi reclaimed its position as the highest rice producing state in West Africa.
In spite of the claims on massive production of rice across the country, NAN observed that the rice milling capacities of the states differed and this, coupled with the different distribution patterns, could explain the scarcity of local rice in the markets.
In Sokoto State, the rice millers, however, said that they were producing below capacity.
Nura Attajiri, the Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprises, SME, Rice Millers Association in the state, said that the rice millers produced only about 150 tonnes per annum.
“Although there are 255 millers, with machines having installed capacity of producing about 350 tonnes of milled rice per annum, in the state, their output is just about 150 tonnes per annum.
“This shortfall is caused by the various challenges facing the millers; these include poor electricity supply and inadequate funds to procure paddy for processing, among others.
“As such, we have been campaigning and looking into how the state government and other relevant agencies can boost the rice production capacity of millers through various intervention programmes.
“Moreover, the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrowers Programme, launched in Kebbi State, did not include SME millers but only integrated millers, while Sokoto State has no integrated millers.
“Although the state government is putting in more efforts to assist us to improve production, we need more government intervention, particularly in the area of rice processing.”
However, the zonal chapter of RIFAN in Daura, Katsina State, said that the absence of rice milling plants in Daura had been a major limitation to efforts to produce rice.
Nura Baure, the zonal chairman of the association, said that although there were rice milling plants in Batagarawa and Funtua, “those areas are very far from our farmers and the transportation cost is a burden to our farmers.
“I don’t even know the capacity of those rice milling plants,” he added.
Mr. Baure, nonetheless, said that there was a subsisting agreement between the association and an off-taker company, ZIL Nigeria Ltd. that rice produced in the Daura and its environs would be milled by the company.
In Port Harcourt, Awotien George of Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Environment, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, RSUST, Port Harcourt, said that the few rice mills in the state were non-functional.
He recalled that the dearth of functional rice mills in the state compelled Port Harcourt Glorious Cooperative Society to transport the rice, which was produced during 2016 planting season, to Ebonyi for milling.
He, therefore, urged the state government to be actively involved in agricultural production.
Also, plans are underway by the Adamawa Government to establish three giant rice milling centres in the state, according to Umar Bindir, Chairman, State Project Management Team of Anchor Borrowers Programme.
He said that the state government, through its agency, Agricultural Development and Investment Ltd., had concluded arrangements to establish the rice milling centres.
Bindir, who is also the Secretary to Adamawa Government, said that the centres would also serve as marketing boards, which would purchase paddy directly from farmers before processing it and selling it to consumers across the country.
Nevertheless, Abbo Jiddere, the state AFAN Chairman, said that the association was consulting with other stakeholders on how to establish rice mills in the state.
The situation is somewhat different in Kebbi, a major rice producing state in the country, as the state is home to large rice mills such as WACOT Rice Mill and Labana Rice Mill.
Abdullahi Zuru, the General Manager of Labana Rice Mill, said that the mill, which was established at the cost of N5 billion, had the capacity to process and package 16 tonnes of rice within an hour.
He said that the mill, which had 2,000 employees, had three different means of obtaining paddy.
Mr. Zuru said that the mill acquired paddy from 6,000 rice farmers and 3,000 farmers who were registered with the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme, as well as paddy merchants from other states and countries like Benin Republic, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.
“Labana Rice Mill has a well-established distribution chain, from the factory to major towns in the state like Birnin Kebbi, Zuru, Yauri, Argungu, and towns in other states such as Kano, Jos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Gusau, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Aba,’’ he said.
Mr. Zuru said that Labana Rice Mill had played a prominent role in the success of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) existing between Lagos and Kebbi States with regard to the processing and packaging of “Lake Rice.’’
“Labana Rice Mill has processed and packaged over 2,000 tonnes of `Lake Rice’, which had been supplied to Lagos State, as part of the MoU,” he said.
As regards “Lake Rice’’ – the product of the joint venture between Lagos and Kebbi states, some residents of Lagos State, however, complained about its scarcity in the market.
For instance, Temitope Ajayi, a resident of the Abule-Egba area of the state, said that she had not heard of the rice sales or anybody buying the commodity since early January.
She said that the rice was not in the market, adding that those, who were able to buy “Lake Rice’’ in December, however, admitted that its quality was good.
However, Sanni Okanlawan, Special Adviser on Food Security to Governor Akinwumi Ambode, told NAN that Lagos State Government still had enough consignment of “Lake Rice’’ for distribution to interested members of the public, out of the stock that was produced last December.
He said that more distribution centres would be opened so as to ensure that the commodity was available to more Lagos residents.
The special adviser said that part of the rice, which was delivered to Lagos State in December, was still stocked at the Imota Mill Plant.
Mr. Okanlawon said that at intervals, the rice would be distributed to centres across the state’s local government areas where people could buy it at the price of N12,000 per 50kg. bag and N6,000 per 25kg. bag.
He said: “`Lake Rice’ is still available at our 2.5-metric-ton rice milling plant in Imota, from the December consignment from our partner state, Kebbi.’’
All the same, Manu Sandamu, an agricultural extension officer in Daura, Katsina State, bemoaned the absence of regulated channels of rice distribution between farmers, millers, marketers and consumers across the country.
“Definitely, there is increasing patronage for our local rice but that, in essence, means that the rice distribution chain should no longer rely on patchwork methods,” he added.
Liquor, cigarette manufacturing machinery found in rice
mill
TNN | Updated: Apr 1, 2017, 10.17 AM IST
AHMEDABAD: During a search operation for a suspected
Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) stash at a rice mill located
near Malavada crossroads in Limbasi village, cops found a 'bottling plant' for
the IMFL and illegal cigarette manufacturing unit.
State Monitoring Cell (SMC) officials lodged a non-cognizable offence with Limbasi police station of Kheda district late on Thursday night as there was no IMFL seized from the spot.
State Monitoring Cell (SMC) officials lodged a non-cognizable offence with Limbasi police station of Kheda district late on Thursday night as there was no IMFL seized from the spot.
Following a tip-off, the SMC team raided Ganesh Rice Mill at Limbasi on Thursday night and found
packaging material for an IMFL brand including bottles, boxes, seal, inner
packaging and stickers. The team also found distilled water from the spot. In
total, the stock worth Rs 65,295 was seized.
"It's known from the earlier instances that the spurious liquor makers add flavour and alcohol with water to fill the IMFL bottles and sell them at premium prices. As the bottles are sealed and the packaging genuine, it's difficult to tell the duplicate from the genuine unless it is tested, " said an SMC official.
"It's known from the earlier instances that the spurious liquor makers add flavour and alcohol with water to fill the IMFL bottles and sell them at premium prices. As the bottles are sealed and the packaging genuine, it's difficult to tell the duplicate from the genuine unless it is tested, " said an SMC official.
During the search at the same premises, the team
found an illegal cigarette-making unit with three machines worth Rs 18 lakh and
18 boxes containing 100 packets of cigarettes each. Investigators said that the
accused could have sold the cheaper stock to the shops as cigarettes attract
40% taxes and is thus expensive.
Jyoti Patel, DSP, SMC, said that they have identified
Subhash Borkar, a resident of Vadodara, as the owner of the premises.
"Manhunt for him has been launched and the further probe will be conducted
by the local police station," she said.
UN agri agency to help
rice farmers bolster production
April 1, 2017
United Nations
The United Nations agricultural
agency Friday announced that it has teamed up with an international research
institute to enhance rice farming and make it more adaptable to climate change.
“With over three billion people across the globe eating rice every day, rice is critical to global food security,” Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of Climate and Natural Resources at the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), said.
The UN agency announced that it will work with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to support sustainable rice production in developing countries to improve food security and livelihoods, while also safeguarding natural resources.
According to FAO, the two organizations will work together to assist rice producing countries to adopt improved and adapted rice varieties, enhance availability of certified seeds and also the transfer of knowledge, including to control pests and through farmer field schools.
FAO and IRRI will also work to help women farmers participate in viable, safe and dignified entrepreneurial opportunities in the rice value chain, the UN agency said.
Meanwhile, FAO has developed the Regional Rice Initiative for Asia and Pacific which promotes enhanced crop resilience while increasing efficiency and farmers’ income. In Africa and in Latin America the UN agency is engaged in scientific and technical cooperation including the sharing of technologies and best practices to increase production and productivity, including reduction of post-harvest losses and improved grain quality.
For its part, IRRI is engaged in strengthening capacities of all rice sector actors through its capacity development activities, including IRRI Education and the Sustainable Rice Platform, a global alliance to promote resource efficiency and sustainability in trade flows, production and consumption operations, and supply chains in the global rice sector.—APP
“With over three billion people across the globe eating rice every day, rice is critical to global food security,” Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of Climate and Natural Resources at the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), said.
The UN agency announced that it will work with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to support sustainable rice production in developing countries to improve food security and livelihoods, while also safeguarding natural resources.
According to FAO, the two organizations will work together to assist rice producing countries to adopt improved and adapted rice varieties, enhance availability of certified seeds and also the transfer of knowledge, including to control pests and through farmer field schools.
FAO and IRRI will also work to help women farmers participate in viable, safe and dignified entrepreneurial opportunities in the rice value chain, the UN agency said.
Meanwhile, FAO has developed the Regional Rice Initiative for Asia and Pacific which promotes enhanced crop resilience while increasing efficiency and farmers’ income. In Africa and in Latin America the UN agency is engaged in scientific and technical cooperation including the sharing of technologies and best practices to increase production and productivity, including reduction of post-harvest losses and improved grain quality.
For its part, IRRI is engaged in strengthening capacities of all rice sector actors through its capacity development activities, including IRRI Education and the Sustainable Rice Platform, a global alliance to promote resource efficiency and sustainability in trade flows, production and consumption operations, and supply chains in the global rice sector.—APP
USA
Rice's Ward Sees EPA's Pruitt as a Partner, Not an Opponent
By Deborah Willenborg
WASHINGTON,
DC - USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward met yesterday with U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and thanked him for
his early decisive action on the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule and for his
back to basics approach to science-based regulation.
The Pruitt meeting occurred during a multi-day
planning session of the CEO Agriculture Council that brings together leaders
from all major agricultural organizations to coordinate alignment on core
issues. The group, that makes its
members available to the government's ag policymakers, also met with U.S.
Department of Agriculture transition officials and with leaders from other
major associations up and down the food supply chain.
Administrator Pruitt told the group he sees
his agency as pro-growth, pro-jobs and pro-environment, and that he is firmly
committed to work across agencies to solve complex problems.
"All
the CEO's around the table enthusiastically welcomed Administrator Pruitt to
the leadership of EPA," Ward said.
"It was refreshing to be told we can work together to tackle
important issues facing our industries and our nation as opposed to having an
adversarial relationship from the get go.
The first few actions of the Trump Administration signal a real shift in
process with outreach already happening between EPA and USDA which is something
USA Rice has been encouraging for some time.
Administrator Pruitt's approach to regulatory reform as a means to
economic growth is certainly welcome by the rice industry."
USDA
Estimates Rice Acreage Down 17 Percent
By Michael Klein
Long-grain, representing 73 percent of the
total rice acreage, is expected to be 533,000 acres less than last year, with
360,000 of those acres being lost in Arkansas, the top rice producing
state. Medium-grain, now 25 percent of
the total rice acreage, is projected to be up 1,000 acres to 666,000 - 72
percent of which is in California. Area
planted for all short-grain varieties, representing just two percent of
production, is anticipated to be up 19 percent from last year's total.
USA Rice Farmers Chairman and Missouri farmer
Blake Gerard said, "With weak prices and uncertainty in our overseas
markets, this dip in planting intentions is not very surprising. Here in
Missouri, planting intentions are still somewhat in flux, but very soon the
market and weather conditions are going to help solidify our decisions for the
coming year."
The USDA report is based on information
supplied to USDA by growers, and though generally accurate within 5 percent,
actual planted acres could vary. The
Rice Acreage Report, based on actual planted acres, will be published at the
end of June.
Basmati rice
shares in focus; LT Foods, KRBL hit new highs
SI Reporter
| Mumbai March 31, 2017 Last
Updated at 10:09 IST
Shares of
basmati rice producers rallied by up to 9%, extending their previous day gains
on hopes that the coming financial year is expected to witness better revenue
growth for the industry supported by a rise in average realizations.LT Foods,
the company engaged in the manufacture and sale of rice under the brand DAAWAT,
has rallied 9% to Rs 67.50, also its record high on the BSE.Kohinoor Foods (up
5% to Rs 86.50), Chaman Lal Setia Exports (3% at Rs 105) and KRBL (up 2% at Rs
432) were up in the range of 2% to 5%, as compared to 0.02% rise in the S&P
BSE Sensex.Basmati rice exports is likely to grow to Rs 22,000-22,500 crore and
volume to around 4.09 million tonne mainly supported by an increase in average
realisations, rating agency ICRA said in a report.“Going forward, the coming
financial year is expected to witness better revenue growth supported by a rise
in average realisations, as paddy prices firm up during the current procurement
season. Moreover, resumption of imports by Iran will also be crucial for
driving industry growth in the next fiscal," said ICRA Assistant Vice
President Deepak Jotwani.
Most of these stocks outperformed the market by
surging up to 200% in FY17 against 17% rise in the benchmark index.Meanwhile,
these four rice companies had posted an average 44% year-on-year growth in net
profit for the first nine months (April to December) of FY17. The aggregate net
profit of these companies increased to Rs 419 crore in FY17 from Rs 291 crore
in FY16.
|
|
Price
in Rs
|
|
Net
proft/loss (Rs cr)
|
||
|
Company
|
31/03/2016
|
Latest
|
% chg
|
9MFY16
|
9MFY17
|
|
L T Foods
|
22.59
|
67.50
|
198.8
|
66.6
|
83.7
|
|
Kohinoor Foods
|
42.80
|
87.00
|
103.3
|
-5.6
|
15.6
|
|
KRBL
|
222.60
|
432.00
|
94.1
|
199.8
|
289.6
|
|
Chamanlal Setia
|
55.55
|
103.90
|
87.0
|
30.7
|
30.1
|
Iraq staggers commodities payments
amid financial constraints
BAGHDAD, March 30 (Reuters) - Major
rice and wheat buyer Iraq has told suppliers it will pay for
their goods in instalments, according to a tender document and traders, a move
that has reduced the number of participants in its purchase tenders.
Trader said officials from Iraq's Grain Board had informed them
in a recent meeting that they had taken the step because low oil prices and
other financial factors were forcing Iraq to stagger payments.
According to the tender document issued this week and seen by Reuters, Iraq's
Ministry of Trade will pay 80 percent of the value of each shipment when the
required documents are presented at the loading port.
The remaining 20 percent will be released after the cargo has
arrived and the buyer has issued a certificate confirming the goods are fit for
human consumption, the document said.
An official from the trade ministry's legal department confirmed
the tender process had changed to ensure shipments were of a high quality and
that payments had been staggered due to financial constraints.
"The bottom line is we need to make sure 1000 percent the
shipment is fit and fine before we pay one dollar. New regulations, including
the paying process, are part of our attempts to crackdown on corrupt, secret
deals," the official told Reuters.
"We as a trade ministry do not have enough allocations as
before due to budget cuts and that also means we have to check every dollar
before we pay," the official said.
Dissatisfaction with the new tender payment process and
inspection terms has left multinational trading houses unwilling to
participate, traders said.
"The risk is too great for most trading houses which is why
there were very low levels of participation in recent wheat tenders," said
one European trader.
An Iraqi trader complained the new rules had complicated the
tendering process and interest from suppliers had waned.
"Before, a wheat tender could easily lure 10 companies to
participate. But now less than half that show interest and above all the tender
ends undecided. That happened with the last wheat tender," he said.
(Writing by Michael Georgy;
editing by Maha El Dahan and David Clarke)
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(This story has not been edited by timesofindia.com
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