Mistakes
Everyone Makes When Cooking Rice
Rice is, without a doubt, the
most delicious type of grass to grow in a swamp. That’s not praise to be given
lightly. As long as humans have lived in houses, we’ve eaten rice.
There are as many types of rice
as there are places to grow it, from the familiar, highly processed white rice
to whole-grain brown, all the way through red to black wild rices grown in
Asia.
However, the rise of convenience culture in response to rapidly
diminishing supplies of free time mean more and more people reach adulthood
without internalizing recipes and cooking techniques. Does that describe you?
Welcome, you’re among friends. Allow me to share some mistakes I’ve learned to
avoid.
Choosing the wrong tools
Ultimately, much of this advice will boil down to “your technique
and tools should depend on what you’re cooking,” but there are a few grains of
wisdom to glean when it comes to equipment, most importantly, your choice of
pot.
A pot with a thick bottom will better retain and distribute heat.
Thick bottoms are crucial for boiling rice in the absorption method, where the
formation of steam pockets play a key role in cooking.
Not washing your rice
Many advocates of rice-washing claim that industrial byproducts of
the milling process (like talc) remain on the finished product. The claim is
that pre-washing helps remove excess starch and any undesirable leftovers. Most
domestically processed rice is free from talc, but imported strains like
basmati may be processed with it. While flavored and enriched rice blends
popular with Western grocers certainly don’t need pre-washing (you’re paying
for convenience and flavor, after all!) a rinse or two of cold water will yield
fluffier, more distinct grains.
If you feel so moved, grab a fine mesh strainer and pop 1 cup of
rice under the faucet. When the water draining from the grains is clear, you’re
good to go. The only exception would be those cooking risotto or sushi rice,
who crave that starchy goodness.
Bad burner planning
Here’s a tip to remember the next time you deal with any
quick-cooking starch: The surface of electric burners holds a great amount of
heat, increasing the length of time a pot remains boiling after the burner
temperature is reduced. To avoid this, heat a second burner to a low simmer as
the pot begins to boil on the first.
Those lucky souls blessed with propane burners don’t need to worry,
being well familiar with the gas’s whip-fast response time.
Not pre-soaking aromatic rices
Aromatic rices, like basmati and almond rice, should be pre-soaked
in order to preserve the oils responsible for their signature aromas. Cooking
destroys these oils, so in order to minimize cooking time, pre-soak the grains
in more water than you’ll cook them in. This expedites cooking time by an average
of 20 percent, resulting in restaurant-grade bouquets.
Cooking too hot
Cooking too fast causes the grains to burst open like a butterflied
steak, which not only releases starch, but also ruins the texture of your meal.
Even if you’re aiming for porridge or pudding, ruptured grains are to be
avoided. Automatic rice boilers are designed to only just reach boiling
temperature, so anything past that is too much.
Lifting the lid while it cooks
If you’re boiling rice, don’t even think of lifting the lid as it
cooks. Not only will lifting the lid lengthen the cooking time as it releases
pressure and steam, but it can also seriously mess up the finished product.
When you lift the lid, the carefully calculated rice-water ratio is thrown of
which will result in dry and under-cooked rice. Unless you’re adding seasoning
or checking how much water remains, leave it alone. Let the rice cook; it knows
what it’s doing.
Stirring the rice
Another huge mistake many people make is stirring the rice as it
boils. Unless you’re making risotto, don’t touch the rice while it’s cooking.
Stirring rice while it’s in the pot causes starch to activate and prevents the
formation of steam pockets; in layman’s terms, it’s going to make your rice
mushy. While that smooth creamy texture is coveted in risotto, you want to
avoid it when making regular rice.
Not adding enough water
Many people don’t use enough water which can leave the rice dry and
undercooked. The amount of water needed to perfectly cook different types of
rice varies slightly, so you should do some research about how much water to
add before cooking. If you’re still unsure whether you’ve added enough water,
you can always try using the knuckle method. Put your rice in the pot and fill
it with water. When you rest your finger on top of the rice, the water should
come up to the top of your first knuckle.
Cooking with unsalted water
Popular opinion holds that salt makes water boil faster, but the
difference isn’t really noticeable. But one important thing the salt does is
interfere with the process by which starches link and connect, becoming
gelatin. Many professional chefs prefer to salt their water to near-oceanic
levels of salinity. It’s your kitchen, so go hog wild.
In addition to preventing gelatinization, salt also has the interesting
byproduct of being delicious. Adding salt to your rice water is important for
getting your rice right.
Cooking unseasoned food
Melting butter in the water also helps with flavor. A bay leaf,
dried peppers, citrus zest, dried mushroom slices, nuts, even a cinnamon stick
will add depth and color to the rice. The boiling water will help both
rehydrate and unlock essential oils in rugged spices like cinnamon and bay, and
the flavorful pepper innards will easily separate from the thick outer skin
without a lot of chopping or dicing.
And, hey, why not cook with stock instead of water? Splash a little
bit of wine in there every now and then? That’ll help with the existential
horror and boredom of watching rice cook. Yay, wine!
Substituting different types of rice
You wouldn’t swap apples for potatoes and still call it apple pie.
So why would you use short grains in place of long wild rice? Different rices
have different attributes, and they behave differently when cooked. It’s not
that it’ll negatively affect the taste so much as it’ll affect the texture and
consistency.
Not letting it sit after cooking
When done correctly, fresh cooked rice will be drier on the top
than on the bottom. It’s crucial that the rice be allowed to sit off the heat
for at least 5-30 minutes, in order for moisture to evenly distribute itself
through the dish. Cooking is hard work! Fluffing the rice before that time will
result in a sticky fork and clumps of inconsistently moist rice.
Treating all rice the same
Not all rice is created equal. There are thousands of varieties of
rice grown throughout the world, and you can’t cook each one the same way. Do
some research before you fire up your stove. Brown rice, for example, requires
slightly more water than white rice. Whether your brown rice is short-grain or
long-grain will also affect the amount of water needed; a cup of short-grain
rice needs a quarter of a cup more water than long-grain rice
http://www.informationng.com/2017/07/mistakes-everyone-makes-cooking-rice.html
Food task force seals rice milling plant in Bekasi
22nd July 2017 |
Karawang, W Java (ANTARA News) - The polices Food
Task Force has sealed PT Indo Beras Unggul, a rice milling plant in
Kedungwaringin, Bekasi District, West Java, on grounds of committing business
fraud and seized 1,161 tons of rice.
The plant, a subsidiary of PT Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food Tbk, was raided on late Thursday (July 20) in the presence of Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman.
"We laud the fast move of the task force. Within two weeks, they have investigated rice distribution at the middleman level, based on information from the Agriculture Ministry and Trade Ministry," Karnavian noted.
The plant, which processed farmers unhusked rice into rice using modern machinery, was allegedly cheating consumers by selling medium-quality rice at a premium price.
The plant has also falsified information on the products nutritional content on its label.
"For instance, the carbohydrate content mentioned on its label is premium level (25 percent). However, after we checked them, it was medium-quality rice. This is aimed at increasing the selling price. The original price is only Rp nine thousand per kg, but they packed and labeled them as premium rice and sold them at Rp20 thousand per kg," he stated.
The company has allegedly caused financial losses worth trillions of rupiah to the state.
"These middlemen in Indonesia could earn a huge sum of money reaching up to Rp400 trillion," the police chief added.
"We will investigate this, and we will name the suspects. We will use the consumer law and section 382 of the Criminal Code," Karnavian said.(*)
The plant, a subsidiary of PT Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food Tbk, was raided on late Thursday (July 20) in the presence of Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman.
"We laud the fast move of the task force. Within two weeks, they have investigated rice distribution at the middleman level, based on information from the Agriculture Ministry and Trade Ministry," Karnavian noted.
The plant, which processed farmers unhusked rice into rice using modern machinery, was allegedly cheating consumers by selling medium-quality rice at a premium price.
The plant has also falsified information on the products nutritional content on its label.
"For instance, the carbohydrate content mentioned on its label is premium level (25 percent). However, after we checked them, it was medium-quality rice. This is aimed at increasing the selling price. The original price is only Rp nine thousand per kg, but they packed and labeled them as premium rice and sold them at Rp20 thousand per kg," he stated.
The company has allegedly caused financial losses worth trillions of rupiah to the state.
"These middlemen in Indonesia could earn a huge sum of money reaching up to Rp400 trillion," the police chief added.
"We will investigate this, and we will name the suspects. We will use the consumer law and section 382 of the Criminal Code," Karnavian said.(*)
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/111964/food-task-force-seals-rice-milling-plant-in-bekasi
Thailand
gets urgent rice orders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Bangkok (VNA) – Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are negotiating an urgent purchase of about 400,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand to replenish their falling stocks which were caused by severe droughts and floods, according to Thai media.
If the deals are sealed, all rice will be transferred within 60 days and the deal will be secured through government-to-government (G-2-G) contracts.
Each country aims to import 200,000 tonnes of rice – mostly parboiled grade and common grade white rice. The benchmark common grade 5 percent white rice was quoted at 410 USD per tonne while parboiled 100 percent grade white rice was fetched at 439 USD a tonne.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka normally supplemented their stocks with rice from neighbouring Pakistan and India when needed. In 2016, they imported 280 tonnes and 151 tonnes of Thai rice, respectively.
However, Thailand’s state rice stocks are running low as its Ministry of Commerce has opened auctions to sell it in recent years. There are only a few million tonnes left, compared with the record high of 18 million tonnes before.
As the stocks are low, it is likely that the G-2-G rice deals could involve private firms who would deliver parts of the rice amount. Bangladesh is approaching private Thai exporters to obtain the best price.-VNA
http://en.vietnamplus.vn/thailand-gets-urgent-rice-orders-from-bangladesh-sri-lanka/115262.vnp
Authorities hint of a decrease in rice prices
in the coming weeks
The Ministry of Industry and
Commerce says that there is a possibility for the prices of rice to reduce in
the coming weeks. Secretary to the Ministry, Chinthaka Lokuhetty, said that
400,000 metric tonnes of rice will be imported from August.Lokuhetty added that
the rice will be imported from Myanmar, Thailand and Pakistan, adding that the
necessary paperwork for this move is being prepared at present.A special team
toured a number of countries recently to look into the importation of rice to
the country.
http://newsfirst.lk/english/2017/07/authorities-hint-decrease-rice-prices-coming
-weeks/170792
PFC demands
radical approach for boosting exports
Salim ahmed
Lahore
Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC)
on Saturday, expressing concern over the dwindling of exports, demanded the
government to undertake aggressive tariff reforms, explore more foreign market
access and diversify its export base for attaining the ambitious export target of $45
billion.
Chief Executive PFC Mian Kashif Ashfaq, while chairing Board of Director meeting of the council, here Saturday, urged the government to take radical steps to widen the country’s exports, support local manufacturers and help reduce the growing import bill, as well as give the Pak hand-made world class furniture products a competitive edge in the local, regional and global markets.
Chief Executive PFC Mian Kashif Ashfaq, while chairing Board of Director meeting of the council, here Saturday, urged the government to take radical steps to widen the country’s exports, support local manufacturers and help reduce the growing import bill, as well as give the Pak hand-made world class furniture products a competitive edge in the local, regional and global markets.
There are a lot of companies in Pakistan that produce standard hand-made world class furniture and other products that the country doesn’t need to encourage or allow indiscriminate importation of unnecessary products especially that are produced in the country. Therefore the list of prohibited imports needs to be enlarged to include items our local firms produce.
He said the reasons for decreasing Pakistani exports are the sluggish growth in the Pakistan’s major trading partners namely UK, USA, and China, high cost of production due to electricity shortfall and delays in order deliveries and irrational high slabs of taxation Among Pakistan’s major exports, rice, cotton, leather, jewelry and the chemical sector have been hit hard by the slump in exports. “Given the current scenario of Pakistan’s diminishing exports, a strategy for bolstering them becomes imperative,” he added.
He said Pakistan is likely to face mounting pressures on its external side at the end of ongoing fiscal year where exports are totalling at mere US $18 billion even after the passage of 10 months with imports at alarmingly high trajectory of US $43 billion. In this scenario, it can be easily projected that future increase in oil price and enhanced CPEC related machinery imports would make the largest import bill to hit US $52 billion while exports would hardly make it to US $20 billion making the country to post a massive trade gap of around US $32 billion.
Mian Kashif said the situation is in furniture sector too is not presenting good scenario as furniture import is Rs4 billions annually while export related to furniture items is about Rs600 millions.
He said local furniture industries have developed very well to meet European standards, so the government and the public need to trust our indigenous products. “This is how we can ensure the sustainability of our local industries and guarantee employment opportunities for our teeming youths,” he added.
Making it clear that PFC is not totally against putting ban on all kinds of furniture items, however, Mian Kashif said the government should put ban only on those items which are not essential and which can be produced in the country easily. “The import of goods cannot be prevented entirely because Pakistan is committed to trade agreements that govern the import and export processes.
“The state cannot ban importing
completely, but we have different ways to organise importing which allows the
state to increase the custom tariff on some goods. But to be enforced, this issue requires negotiations with trade
partners,” he explained.Mian Kashif said the government should also provide
more visible support to furniture business in terms of grants and interest free
loans on easy terms of condition to small scale woodworkers for exhibiting and
travelling to trade shows and promoting Pak export as a success globally.
People Also Read
https://pakobserver.net/pfc-demands-radical-approach-boosting-exports/
Furniture traders concerned over dwindling exports
LAHORE: Pakistan Furniture Council
(PFC) expressed concern over dwindling exports and demanded the government to
undertake aggressive tariff reforms, explore more foreign market access and
diversify its export base to attain the ambitious export target of $45 billion.
Chairing the PFC board of directors
meeting its chief executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq on Saturday urged the government
to take radical steps to widen the country’s exports, support local
manufacturers and help reduce the growing import bill and give Pakistan
handmade world-class furniture products a competitive edge in the local,
regional and global markets.
There are a lot of companies in
Pakistan that produce standard handmade world-class furniture and other
products that the country doesn’t need to encourage or allow indiscriminate
importation of unnecessary products, especially that are produced in the country.
Therefore, the list of prohibited imports needs to be enlarged to include items
local firms produce, he added. The reasons for decline in exports are the
sluggish growth in the Pakistan’s major trading partners, UK, US and China,
high cost of production due to electricity shortfall and delays in order
deliveries and irrational high slabs of taxation, Ashfaq said.
Among Pakistan’s major exports,
rice, cotton, leather, jewellery and the chemical sector have been hit hard by
the slump in exports.
“Given the current scenario of
Pakistan’s diminishing exports, a strategy for bolstering them becomes
imperative,” he added.
The country is likely to face
mounting pressures on its external side at the end of the ongoing fiscal year
where exports are totaling at mere $18 billion even after the passage of 10
months with imports at alarmingly high trajectory of $43 billion.
In this scenario, it can be easily
projected that the future increase in oil prices and enhanced China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor-related machinery imports would make the import bill to hit
$52 billion, while exports would hardly make it to $20 billion, making the
country post a massive trade gap of around $32 billion, the PFC CEO added.
Ashfaq said that the situation in
the furniture sector too is not presenting good scenario, as the country
imports furniture worth Rs4 billion annually, while it exports worth around
Rs600 million. The local furniture industries have developed to meet the
European standards, so the government and the public need to trust indigenous
local products, he said.
“This is how we can ensure the
sustainability of our local industries and guarantee employment opportunities
for our teeming youths,” he added.
Making it clear that PFC is not
totally against putting ban on all kinds of furniture items, Ashfaq said that
the government should put a ban on those items, which are not essential and
which can be produced in the country easily.
“The imports of goods cannot be
prevented entirely because Pakistan is committed to trade agreements that
govern the import and export processes.” “The state cannot ban imports
completely, but we have different ways to organise imports, which allows the
state to increase the Customs tariff on some goods. But to be enforced, this
issue requires negotiations with the trade partners,” he added.
The government should also provide
more visible support to the furniture business in terms of grants and
interest-free loans on easy terms of condition to small-scale woodworkers for
exhibiting and travelling to trade shows and promoting Pakistani furniture as a
success globally
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/218251-Furniture-traders-concerned-over-dwindling-exports
12:00
AM, July 23, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:29 AM, July 23, 2017
Rice importers get deferred payment
facility
Bangladesh Bank has taken yet another step to increase rice import
to boost stock and stabilise the price level of the staple such that
inflationary pressures can be contained.
From tomorrow, local traders can import rice on three months'
deferred payment until December 31, 2017.
Earlier last month, the BB allowed traders to import rice at zero
margin. This means importers will not have to make any advance payment to banks
for opening letters of credit (LCs).
The steps were taken to encourage rice import as the price of the
staple abruptly made a sharp rise in the backdrop of boro production being
affected.
Also, the government last month lowered tariff rate for rice
import to 10 percent from 28 percent.
Rice import by the private sector dropped to a four-year low last
fiscal year, and this came at a time when its prices shot up in the domestic
market.
Traders imported only 1.2 lakh tonnes of rice in 2016-17, down
from 2.56 lakh tonnes a year earlier.
Taking advantage of the zero-tariff import facility, private
importers brought in 3.75 lakh tonnes of rice in 2013-14 and 14.90 lakh tonnes
the following fiscal year, flooding the domestic market with cheap Indian rice.
The government did not have to import rice since 2011-12 thanks to
successive good yields.
To protect the local rice growers, the government imposed a high
tariff of 28 percent on rice import in two phases in 2015. This year, the
floods in haor areas and a disease in the northern districts hampered boro
production. On the other hand, rice price has been soaring in the global
market.
The government's food stock also decreased: on July 12 it was 3.29
lakh tonnes, 1.62 lakh tonnes of which were rice.
Besides, coarse rice price increased to Tk 48 per kg.
Food inflation almost doubled in rural areas to 7.2 percent in
June this year from 3.44 percent a year earlier.
In urban areas, food inflation was 8.21 percent last month, up
from 6.06 percent a year earlier.
Inflation rose because of the rice price spiral. In 2016-17 coarse
rice price stood at Tk 39.18 per kg on average; in the month of June it was Tk
45.62.
The price increase prompted the government to take initiatives to
import rice.
In May, the government struck two deals to import 50,000 tonnes of
parboiled rice for $427.85 a tonne and another 50,000 tonnes of white rice for
$406.48 a tonne.
Two weeks later, it signed a deal with Vietnam for importing 2.5
lakh tonnes of rice (50,000 tonnes of parboiled and two lakh tonnes of white
rice) at a higher price. It agreed to pay $470 a tonne for parboiled rice and
$430 a tonne for white rice.
Last week, the cabinet committee on purchase approved the import
of 50,000 tonnes of rice at a cost of $430 per tonne. Only after the lowering
of duty and the rise in demand in the local market did the private sector bump
up their imports.
Last fiscal year, LCs were opened for 6.91 lakh tonnes of rice,
according to food ministry data. In June alone, LCs were opened for 4.37 lakh
tonnes of rice.
In 2015-16, LCs were opened for importing 3.5 lakh tonnes of rice.
As a result of the initiatives, the rice situation has eased
slightly in the last one month.
Yesterday, coarse rice sold at Tk 43 to Tk 46 per kg, which was Tk
46 to Tk 48 one month back, according to data from the Trading Corporation of
Bangladesh. This means, in the last one month the price of coarse rice declined
5.32 percent.
In 2015-16, coarse rice price was Tk 36.42 per kg on average.
http://www.thedailystar.net/business/rice-importers-get-deferred-payment-facility-1437373
China Has
Agreed To Import American Rice For First Time
The move comes after years of
negotiations. Over the years, a variety of political, cultural, bureaucratic,
and economic obstacles stood in the way of American farmers accessing the
Chinese market. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a statement,
“This market represents an exceptional opportunity today, with enormous
potential for growth in the future.”
China is the world’s largest
producer and consumer of rice. China also became the world’s largest importer
last year, with about 5 million tons of rice bought from other nations. China
has acknowledged its need for foreign shipments to meet the growing demands of
its consumers and has increasingly turned to imports in recent years to meet
domestic demand. Vietnam and Thailand are already major rice exporters to
China.
The move could be a boon to
American rice farmers, who have struggled with sluggish prices and oversupply
for years. According to trade group USA Rice, American rice farmers produce
about 9 million tons of rice a year, roughly the amount Chinese consumers can
eat in about two weeks. America currently exports between 3 million and 4
million tons a year.
The opening of the market is
contingent upon inspection and approval of U.S. facilities by Chinese
inspection and quarantine officials. Those inspections are expected to focus
particularly on insect trapping and record-keeping requirements. Chinese
officials are concerned about the possibility of certain types of pests being
introduced in China by rice imports.
President Trump has made reducing
the U.S. trade deficit a central issue in his campaign. He has specifically
called out Beijing for what he considers to be unfair trading practices.
American trade officials are currently negotiating with China on a variety of
trade issues.
The rice deal comes two months
after the U.S. Commerce Department announced a deal that will allow American
cattle ranchers to sell their beef in China starting later this year. No
American imports of beef have been allowed in China since the mad cow disease
breakout in 2003. China is also approving more biotech products and increasing
U.S. natural gas imports.
https://rinconhillneighbors.org/china-has-agreed-to-import-american-rice-for-first-time/
Italy sets up rules to help protect domestic
pasta, rice makers
Source:
Xinhua| 2017-07-23 00:18:37|Editor: yan
By Eric J. Lyman
ROME, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Italy this week introduced a two-year
measure requiring producers of rice and pasta to include information about
where the product came from, a move aimed at helping to protect domestic
producers from low-cost foreign competition.
The European Union prohibits countries from erecting protective
tariffs on foreign products that compete with domestic rivals. But this step
will leave it in the hands of consumers to decide whether they prefer
home-grown products over those from other countries.
Italy is the first European country to pass such a law, though
media reports indicate similar measures have been debated in the past in
France, Spain, and Portugal, among others.
Maurizio Martina, Italy's minister of agricultural, food, and
forestry policies, called the move "historic" and said it would help
consumers be more informed.
"We're giving consumers maximum transparency in a way that
protects and strengthens domestic producers," Martina said.
Italian Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda agreed:
"This ensures that shoppers can make a conscious choice," the
minister said.
Martina and Calenda were among the political figures pushing
hardest for the new decree, which was issued July 20 in Rome.
Companies will have 180 days from that date to assure that all
the products they sell conform to the new rules, which focus on where the raw
materials for the products were grown -- not where they were processed or
packaged.
The new labeling rules could be a blow to wheat growers in the
U.S. and Canada, which sell their production to Italian millers who process the
wheat and make the pasta in Italy.
Imports of rice from Asia -- Vietnam and Cambodia are the
biggest exporters to Italy -- will also have to be labeled as such.
Italy is European Union's largest producer of both pasta and
rice, though much of the pasta is produced from imported wheat.
Italy produced about 1.5 million tons of rice from more than
4,000 companies cultivating 140 different varieties. But sales of domestic rice
have fallen in all but one of the last six years, according to government
figures, even as domestic rice has faced pricing pressure from low-cost
imports.
"This is a gamble that consumers may be willing to pay more
for products made start to finish in Italy," Andrea Magrini, a trade
analyst with ABS Securities, told Xinhua.
"But it will increase costs for all producers, foreign and
domestic, and some consumers may be surprised to find that their favorite
products are not always made in Italy."
If a product is of mixed origin it must be reflected on the
labeling. That is especially likely for pasta, where many companies use a mix
of Italian and non-Italian durum wheat.
If that happens, the label can say the product is made from
wheat grown in "Italy and in other EU countries" or in "Italy
and other non-EU countries" or in "EU and non-EU countries" or
any other combination for those categories.
Since Italy is the only EU country with such a law in place,
companies that produce and package pasta and rice will have to decide whether
to develop Italy-only labeling for their products or perhaps sell their
products with the labeling required for Italy in other markets as well.
The measure will last for at least two years, at which point it
could be removed if required by European Union-wide labeling rules set to enter
into force.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-07/23/c_136464720.htm
Somewhat Positive Media Coverage Extremely Likely to Impact
Amira Nature Foods (ANFI) Stock Price
Several research analysts have weighed in on the company.
KeyCorp assumed coverage on Amira Nature Foods in a research report on
Wednesday, April 19th. They set an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Zacks
Investment Research cut Amira Nature Foods from a “hold” rating to a “strong
sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 15th. Finally, ValuEngine
cut Amira Nature Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research
report on Wednesday, June 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell
rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one
has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The stock presently has a
consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $10.85.
Amira Nature Foods (ANFI) traded down 0.74% on Friday, reaching
$6.74. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 93,753 shares. Amira Nature
Foods has a 12 month low of $4.50 and a 12 month high of $8.99. The firm has a
50 day moving average of $5.31 and a 200 day moving average of $5.38. The firm
has a market cap of $244.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.35 and a
beta of -0.21.
Amira Nature Foods Company Profile
Amira Nature Foods Ltd is primarily engaged in the business of
processing and selling packaged Indian specialty rice, primarily basmati rice
and other food products. The Company sells Basmati rice and other specialty
rice, under its Amira brand, as well as under other third-party brands. It also
sells non-basmati rice.
Receive News & Ratings for Amira Nature Foods Ltd Daily - Enter
your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news
and analysts' ratings for Amira Nature Foods Ltd and related companies with
MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
https://www.baseball-news-blog.com/2017/07/22/amira-nature-foods-anfi-earns-daily-news-impact-score-of-0-23-updated-updated.html
Pokkali : Paddy Pride on Urban Terrain
POKKALI : PADDY PRIDE ON URBAN
TERRAIN
As Vasco da Gama was leaving
Kozhikode for Lisbon, after his historic discovery of the sea route to India,
he sought the Zamorin’s permission to carry with him saplings of pepper.
“Why not? Have as much you want,”
the provincial monarch said. However, his court was shocked. His Prime
Minister Mangattachan tried to explain to the king the consequences. “The whole
of Europe is at your feet. How can you give away our black gold to these
fortune seekers?” he had asked.
The Zamorin is said to have sported a sly smile and seemed to
have said that the Portuguese can only take our pepper shoots. “They cannot
take our Thiruvathira Njattuvela.” Indeed,
they could not.
Five hundred years after this conversation had happened, amidst
all urbanisation, the most auspicious time for commencing any farming effort
evokes age-old memories. “Njattuvela refers to the
position of the sun in relation to zodiac signs. The Thiruvathira
Njattuvela is associated with farming and agriculture. The 13
days of the transit of the sun bring the best showers of the monsoon. It is
said ‘Thiruvathira
Njattuvela Thiramuriyathe’. That means it would rain without a break.
And, it was also believed that anything put in the soil, even a dry shoot of a
plant, would germinate and flourish during these days,” says astrologer
Vasudevanunni Panicker.
No wonder, this year’s Thiruvathira Njattuvela has
seen the beginning of many farming efforts. Many local bodies and residence
associations have conducted fairs to promote organic farming. A host of city
dwellers have started mini vegetable gardens in their courtyards and even on
apartment balconies.
But the most ambitious has been the reviving Pokkali farming
movement, which is capturing the alternate urban dreams of Kochi – a city
nestled in acres of green paddy fields and laced by spotless lakes. The very
thought of a city that coexists with sustainable farming communities may sound
Utopian. However, the aspirations have triggered many projects.
In Ezhikara Panchayat, close to the city, Pokkali farming
has begun across 130 hectares. “We are undertaking this effort to transform
fallow land through a unique model. Padashekara (Farm) committees
are formed and lands are acquired on lease for a period of six months. The
different tasks in paddy farming, right from preparation of land, to
harvesting, are executed by labourers under the NREGA scheme. Seeds are
disbursed through the Panchayat and the Agricultural Department. Finally,
one-fifth part of total harvested paddy goes to the labourers,” says Geetha
Prathapan, President, Ezhikara Panchayat.
This Thiruvathira Njattuvela also
saw the commencement of farming in the rice fields of the island of
Kalluvachakadu, which had been lying fallow for years. The Tripunithura
Municipality is spearheading the effort by bringing stakeholders together and
facilitating the effort. “It is a dream come true. The small number of families
living in this island would get a livelihood. Kalluvachakadu which can be
accessed only by boats would revive its original beauty with the flourishing of
the rice fields,” says Municipal Chairperson Chandrika Devi.
In fact, the District Administration has an ambitious target of
extending Pokkali to over 1000 hectares
this year and to another 1000 next year.
But what is Pokkali? The Pizhala Pokkali
Tourist Farm is one ideal place to seek an understanding about this
quintessential farming method of Kochi. Situated in the fringes of the
Container Road that was laid few years back for connecting the Vallarpadam
International Container Terminal, the farm can be reached easily from the city.
Just that one has to take a very short crossing at the jhankar ferry to reach
Pizhala from Moolampilly. But soon a bridge, which is under construction, would
connect this island formed by the great flood of Periyar over seven centuries
ago.
Reaching the island in a morning
ferry, I was greeted by a middle-aged farmer – E D Joseph – in his working
dress of lungi, loose shirt and a soiled white cap with an elastic band.
Freewheeling in his red scooter through the narrow field roads, he spoke in his
eloquence.
“Pokkali is a gift of nature.
You see, our low-lying fields lazing the downstream Vembanadu lake touching the
Arabian sea experiences high-tide and low-tide twice every day. This oxygenates
and enriches the water with sufficient minerals. This cycle also ensures saline
water for six months and fresh water for the next half-year. We cultivate paddy
during the fresh water phase by controlling water with the sluice gates. That
is from June to early November. The rice plants grow unto 130 cm in the
water-logged field and bend over as they mature with the panicles only standing
upright. Only the panicles are cut and the rest is left to decay. After
harvest, we open the sluice gates and prawn seedlings swim in from the lake and
sea to feast on the leftovers of the crop. For the next six months, we farm the
prawns for a good profit. In fact, the rice crop requires no fertilizer and
draws nutrients from the prawns’ excrement and other remnants.”
This unique organic way of rice farming which also sustains
fishing and vice-versa, seems to have a long history. “Up in the wild forests
grew a special rice seed once upon a time. During the floods, the seeds floated
down the river to the lake and settled in mounts by our coastal land. Laced
with saline water, the plants grew. Through many seasons and cycles, they grew
tall and gained salt resistance. As much as 700 years ago, our ancestors saw
these plants, collected the seeds and with their intuition and innovation
developed Pokkali farming.”
Joseph’s Biblical Flood-like
story seems to somehow correspond with the Great Periyar flood of 1341 that
destroyed the ancient city of Muziris and created Kochi.
When the flood waters receded,
the debris had formed itself into many islands like Pizhala. And, these new
found lands hosted this unique farming, which is now GI certified and amazes
scientists and biodiversity enthusiasts.
Tottering through the bund road,
we reached the centre of Joseph’s 50-acre farm. He has a ramshackle house with
three bedrooms and a kitchen. The four sides open to rectangular blocks of
fields filled with the monsoon water speckled with germinating rice saplings.
“I did my graduation in hospitality, and worked in a hotel for
two months. But my mind was in farming. So, way back in1986, I leased a farm
and started prawn cultivation. Soon, I got into Pokkali with
the help of an agricultural loan. However, there were many challenges. It was
difficult to market the rice. Modern rice mills deal with high volumes. They
ask us for over 90 sacks, which is difficult for us to manage. But the most
critical challenge is the lack of labour. Once there were around 200 women
labourers in the area. With the city growing rapidly in the vicinity, they go
for casual jobs in the flats and apartments. The new generation do not want to
work in the sun and rain. We are incurring heavy losses. The conventional
harvesting machines are not compatible for Pokkali fields. Some
years ago, I even tried a grass cutter but found it to be of no good.”
But Joseph finds hope in the organic farming movement. “Pokkali is
very good for health and fully organic. In olden times, doctors used to ask
patients to take Pokkalikanji (porridge made
of Pokkali rice). The fishermen take this gruel when they go to sea. They keep
on having it during the work. It is said that the secret of the strength and
endurance of Kochi fishermen is Pokkalikkanji. We are making a few
attempts to make good use of the organic segment. Some in retail had failed.
Certain cooperative societies are coming to the forefront. Hope they would
succeed.”
Joseph has also set his heels in
the farm tourism bandwagon. His farm hosts tourists who would like to stay in
the bare necessities of life enjoying the richness of the open fields and the
fresh lake. Day time visitors can have a taste of a rice field lacing the lake
and meditate with the fishing rod or take a round in the country boat. The farm
is of course a work in progress and Joseph is committed to develop it further.
“We get many foreign scientists, agriculture students and nature
enthusiasts. During special days like harvests and Njattuvelas many
city dwellers also make a trip. During Thiruvathira Njattuvela, we sow
the seeds and start the rice cycle of the year. This time, I am growing seeds
for the State Agriculture Department. Pokkali is being revived, but
we do not have enough seeds for the ambitious plan.”
The pillars to the bridge, which would lead the city to the
island, are ready. Soon the city would invade the island with a vengeance.
Thanks to the progressive legislations such as the Paddy Conservation Act and
Coastal Regulatory Zone and farmers like Joseph, Kochi’s Pokkali fields
may survive the vagaries of urbanization and set itself as a sustainable city
model.
My next destination is to a Pokkali field that still
survives right in the centre of the city. Nestled around high apartments and
residential colonies, it is the Rice Research Station at Vyttila. An
institution under Kerala Agricultural University, the centre has been carrying
out world-class research on rice for the past sixty years. Naturally, its
thrust area has been the Pokkali farming.
The centre has developed many varieties of Pokkali seeds
as Vtl 6, Vtl 7, Vtl 8 and Vtl 9, named after the hub of Kochi Vyttila. Dr K S
Shyla Raj, the centre head, has spent the best of her career exploring the
secrets of Kochi’s own rice. “It is unique for its tolerance towards salinity.
A long time ago, people have seen this rice that grow on the sea shore and
developed it. It is the gene called Soltol that gives Pokkaliits
ability to grow in saline water. Pokkali farmers had always
dreamt of having short, non-lodging variety of rice. To cater to their need we
developed the Vtl 6 variety through hybridisation and selection. This was made
possible by crossing the local Pokkali genotype Cheruviruppu.
This combined their properties – such as high yield of IR 5, and the
tolerance to salinity, acidity and flooding of Cheruviruppu. This was again
crossed with the high yielding variety of Jaya, which can adapt to adverse
conditions,” says Dr Shylaraj.
The variety was launched in 2005. That was just the beginning.
Many more varieties came through. However, she feels that Pokkali did
not flourish to the extent expected. “Of course, the urbanization and labour
issues were the prime reasons. More than that, Pokkali farmers are not
conventional farmers. They are naturally keen about the fishing part since that
fetches good profit. For a good Pokkali harvest, many
labour-intensive jobs as mount-making and removal of toxicity have to be
carried out diligently. This requires a lot of pain and hardship, which seem
difficult in our times.”
Dr Shylaraj has also studied the medicinal value of Pokkali rice.
“It has a high anti-oxidant level, which makes the variety superior,” she says.
All through my conversations with
Dr Shylaraj, one thought was occurring again and again. How is that we have a
Rice Research Station right in the hub of the city? How has it come to be right
near to the National Highway bypass? Finally with little hesitance, I raised my
doubt.
The senior agricultural research scholar seemed a little
irritated. “See, this whole area was all Pokkalifields only. The NH bypass
was built on the Pokkali fields. On either
side of the bypass, there were rice fields. That is why in 1958, a Research
Station dedicated to this type of farming was set up on a typical Pokkali land
itself. Years back, when I joined, many a time during rainy days we had to go
back home and apply for leave since the centre was water-logged and was not
accessible.”
So, in fact, it wasn’t the Pokkali farm that came up in
this odd place. It was the city that came invading the sanctity of the four
edges of the Rice Station and its rice fields at Vyttila.
The rice saplings were sparkling in the Thiruvathira
Njattuvela drizzle. On the background of the rising
apartments, the green patch seemed to represent the ‘last post’ of a lost war.
Pokkali also seemed to represent
the ethos of Kochi. A city that has always kept its gates open to the seas of
influence and yet stood steadfast on its own identity through tolerance and
consolidation. The mixing of cycles that ensures the sustainability of Pokkali seems
to be engrained in the ever assimilating cultural values of Kochi.
http://b-live.in/2017/07/22/paddy-pride-pokkali-trail/
KAU develops 23 varieties of high-yielding
crops
TNN | Jul 22, 2017, 02:37 PM IST
THRISSUR: The Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has
developed 23 high-yielding new crop varieties.These include five varieties of
rice and nutmeg, three varieties of ginger and cardamom and a variety of
plumbago, salad cucumber, culinary melon, vegetable cowpea, pepper, garcinia
and tapioca, according to a release from the KAU.
Quoting vice-chancellor Dr P Rajendran, the release said the university's evaluation committee has recommended these varieties after assessing their repeated performances in experimental plots and farms.
Director of research Dr P Indiradevi said the crops will be officially released after the approval from the state variety release commit tee, headed by the agricultural production commissioner. The rice variety VTL 10 developed at the rice research station, Vyttila is suited for high saline coastal ecosystems. While Manuratna rice, a short duration variety developed at the agricultural research station at Mannuthy is meant for wetlands, Suvarna developed at the research centre at Mancompu is a semi-tall short duration variety resistant to gall midge, a type of fly. The two varieties developed at the regional agricultural research station (RARS), Pattambi are long duration, non-lodging (the bending over of the stems near the ground level) and suited for rabi season.
Quoting vice-chancellor Dr P Rajendran, the release said the university's evaluation committee has recommended these varieties after assessing their repeated performances in experimental plots and farms.
Director of research Dr P Indiradevi said the crops will be officially released after the approval from the state variety release commit tee, headed by the agricultural production commissioner. The rice variety VTL 10 developed at the rice research station, Vyttila is suited for high saline coastal ecosystems. While Manuratna rice, a short duration variety developed at the agricultural research station at Mannuthy is meant for wetlands, Suvarna developed at the research centre at Mancompu is a semi-tall short duration variety resistant to gall midge, a type of fly. The two varieties developed at the regional agricultural research station (RARS), Pattambi are long duration, non-lodging (the bending over of the stems near the ground level) and suited for rabi season.
The three ginger varieties have been developed at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara. Chandraka has high gingerol content (the active constituent of fresh ginger). and suitable for fresh and dried use, Ardraka is less fibrous and suitable for value added products and Chithraka has higher starch content. The plumbago variety Swathi, developed at the research centre for medicinal and aromatic plants, Vellanikkara has higher root yield than other varieties.
KPCH-1, the F1 hybrid of seedless salad cucumber variety developed at Vellanikkara offers a cheaper alternative to imported varieties.It is resistant to mildew syndrome (a type of fungus) and offers appreciable productivity in poly-house cultivation. The culinary melon, christened as Vellayani Vishal, developed at the College of Agriculture, Vellaya ni, has medium-sized and green-striped creamy white fruits. Cowpea variety , Manjari developed at the centre in Kumarakom, is tolerant to mosaic virus and suitable for pure cropping as well as intercropping.
While four of the five improved varieties of nutmeg have rounded fruits, one has oval shaped fruits. The Panniyur 9 variety of black pepper developed at the research centre, Panniyur is the latest in Panniyur chain of varieties. Characterised with long spikes, medium berries and drought resistance, it is suitable for hilly tracts. Nithya, the garcinia variety from the Kumarakom centre, has oblong yellow fruits and a single tree will produce more than 10 kg fruit.
The three cardamom varieties, PV-1. PV-2 and PV-3, developed at the research centre at Pampadumpara, offer better yield and tolerance to drought. The tapioca variety Uthama, developed at the agricultural research station, Thiruvalla is ideal for flood prone areas and is high yielding.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/kau-develops-23-varieties-of-high-yielding-crops/articleshow/59712095.cms
Indonesian
Police crack down on massive distribution of bogus premium rice
News Desk
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Fri, July 21, 2017 | 03:45 pm
The National Police are cracking down on the
distribution of bogus premium rice after a company allegedly repackaged
subsidized rice and rebranded it as premium rice.
The police’s food commodity task force on
Thursday evening confiscated 1,161 tons of rice from a warehouse belonging to
PT Indo Beras Unggul in Bekasi, West Java.
It is at this warehouse that the repackaging
process allegedly took place.
Speaking at a press conference, National Police
chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said Indo Beras had deceived customers by repackaging
the IR 64-type rice, which is subsidized by the government, as premium rice
under the brands Ayam Jagoand Maknyus.
The rice was sold for around Rp 20,000
(US$1.50) per kilogram, more than double the price for IR-64 rice.
“The Agriculture Ministry sets the highest
price for IR 64 rice at Rp 9,000 per kg,” Tito said, adding that the company
had possibly violated the 1999 Customer Protection Law.
Tito added that the alleged fraud had
potentially harmed citizens and generated trillions of rupiah in losses.
The fraud was uncovered after the police’s food
commodity task force examined the level of nutrient content in rice under
different brands. It found that the nutrient content in rice under the
implicated brands was below the standards for premium rice.
PT Indo Beras Unggul is a subsidiary of
publicly listed food company Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food. (rdi/dea/hwa)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/07/21/police-crack-down-on-distribution-of-bogus-premium-rice.html
Agreement permits export of American rice to
China
Jul 21, 2017
Southwest Louisiana rice farmers
could soon be selling and exporting their crops to China.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Sonny Perdue announced Thursday that the Department of Agriculture has reached
an agreement with Chinese officials on final details of a protocol to permit
the import of U.S.-milled rice into China.
“This news about China is great
and has been long awaited,” said Jeff Davis Rice Growers Association President
Kevin Berken.
“It couldn’t come at a better
time. We’ve been experiencing depressed prices for several years now. This will
be a shot in the arm for Louisiana rice growers and millers.”
China is the world’s largest
producer of rice, but it is also the largest consumer in the world — using the
equivalent of the entire U.S. rice crop every 13 days. Last year alone, it
imported nearly 5 million tons of rice, mainly from Vietnam and Thailand.
The agreement will allow more
U.S. rice farmers, including those in Southwest Louisiana, to move more rice
off the market and create a new market for locally grown rice by opening up
more export opportunities, said LSU AgCenter economist Mike Deliberto.
“With this protocol, the U.S. has
the opportunity to gain a new rice export customer, and that customer is the
largest in the world,” Deliberto said. “That is encouraging news to rice
producers who have been facing lower commodity prices over the past couple of
years.”
U.S. rice futures soared Thursday
shortly after the announcement, Deliberto said.
China opened its rice market when
the country joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, but U.S. rice was
barred from the market because of the lack of a phytosanitary protocol between
the two governments.
As part of the agreement’s
implementation, China will send inspectors to the U.S. to look over rice mills
and packaging facilities.
“The focus of our work is now on
supporting a successful visit by China’s inspectors,” USA Rice President Betsy
Ward said in a news release. “We waited a decade for the protocol to be signed
and our members are anxious to meet the demand of China’s consumers for safe,
high-quality U.S. rice.”
CMR dues: rice millers warned of action
They have to deliver 15,000 metric tonnes of rice this year
The district administration has taken a serious view on violation
of agreement by rice millers that they had entered into with the Civil Supplies
Department for delivery of custom milled rice (CMR) within 15 days from the
date of procurement of paddy.
As per the agreement, the millers in the district together were to
deliver 15,000 metric tonnes of rice this year. However, they did not respond
even after one month to the notices served on them, said Joint Collector Srikesh
B. Lathkar.
Following which, Mr. Lathkar on Saturday held a meeting with 10
millers listed at the top for not releasing 7,000 metric tonnes of rice
promised under the CMR. He warned them that the administration would not
hesitate to seize their bank guarantees if they do not deliver rice by this
month-end. Further, he informed them there would be no difficulty for storage
as a number of godowns in the district were empty.
Each miller had deposited a demand draft four times the value of
rice (₹14,700 for each
metric tonne) as a collateral security.
District Manager (Civil Supplies) Ramachandra Rao and millers were
present
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/cmr-dues-rice-millers-warned-of-action/article19333358.ece
Rice blast in Budgam, KVK issues advisory
He addd that the probable causes of disease outbreak as per
experts are: cultivation of varieties susceptible to blast, use of own saved
seed, no management practice applied.
Srinagar, Publish Date: Jul 22 2017 12:13AM | Updated Date: Jul 22 2017 12:13AM
A joint disease diagnostic visit
was carried out by a team of experts from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Budgam
(SKUAST-K) during which paddy fields were found affected with rice blast
disease.
“A joint disease diagnostic visit
was carried by the scientists namely Dr Zahor Ahmad Bhat and officials from the
Agriculture Department. The team visited affected paddy fields on July 18 at
various villages including Pymus, Geranth Khurud, Geranth Kalan and Kakan Maran
of sub division Budgam and Zaloosa and Dangerpora Shahabad of Sub
division Chadoora,” said a spokesperson.
He added that the observation
made by the team after visit include that at all the places the paddy fields
were found affected with rice blast disease.
“As enquired from concerned
farmers no disease management practice was adopted in the affected fields.
Disease incidence ranging from 10-30 percent and intensity of 3.5 to 17.6
percent was recorded in China varieties,” he added.
He addd that the probable causes
of disease outbreak as per experts are: cultivation of varieties susceptible to
blast, use of own saved seed, no management practice applied.
He said that team has recommended
immediate spray of Tricyclazole 75 WP @ .06% and next spray of Hexaconazole 5
EC @ .05% after 10 to 15 days of first spray
Why loans to
farmers will not work
The government of Punjab has started a programme for disbursing
interest-free loans of Rs25,000 to 40,000 per acre to farmers for the financial
year 2017-18.
The Rs17 billion cost of interest on these loans is to be borne by
the provincial government while the loans will be disbursed to registered
farmers having agricultural land of less than 12.5 acres.
The amount will be disbursed through a smartphone-based mobile
payment mechanism and loans will be provided for maximum five acres per farmer.
Though a good plan on paper, the actual results of such a financial support
plan may not meet the intended targets.
The government should invest funds in facilitating them through the
provision of the latest agricultural technology
There is cross-country empirical evidence available on the failure
of such microfinance-based loan schemes which are designed without considering
the local social, cultural and economic landscape.
A recent example is the social unrest by farmers in many Indian
states demanding loan write-offs as they are unable to payback their loans due
to the low market prices of their produce.
There are several social and economic reasons for under-utilisation
or misallocation of such loans by the farmers.
The rural economy operates on a credit system and once cash is
available (through loans for example), the social and cultural rituals and
customs (i.e. arranging dowry for daughters) are given first priority.
The lives of persons living in rural areas are subject to the local
customs and traditions which require unnecessary spending on various cultural
and social needs thereby misdirecting the flow of funds from their optimal use.
Another reason for the non-performance of agricultural loans is the
assumption, on the part of policy markers, of a production gap owing to the
non-provision of credit.
In the absence of such government loan schemes, the rural economy
keeps moving and the gap between crop production, before and after the
provision of credit, remains almost unchanged.
This is due to the fact that farmers in rural areas are engaged in
agricultural practices through a tribal system where the extended family clan
provides support for sowing and harvesting the crops.
Similarly, local shopkeepers provide the necessary fertilisers and
pesticides to farmers on easy credit as they are familiar with each other.
The low productivity of small farmers may also hinder the
workability of agricultural loans. Small landholders are unable to afford the
latest agricultural equipment for higher production per acre.
The provision of small loans to farmers is not enough to enable
them to buy tractors, irrigation technology or other useful equipment.
The actual increase in production comes though the application of the
latest technology in the agricultural sector which a small farmer is unable to
buy.
The usability of loans to farmers is also affected by the recovery
rate on such programmes.
The case of non-performing loans and bad debts of Zarai Taraqiati
Bank Limited (ZTBL) to farmers is evident of the fact that the recovery rate of
such loans is very low, resulting in massive losses to financial institutions.
Similarly, commercial banks operating in rural districts know very
well the lower recovery rate of loans made to farmers.
Such loans are sought on the pretext of agricultural requirements
by farmers but spent on other needs resulting in delayed repayments and higher
interest costs.
The solution lies in improving market conditions for increasing the
farmer income through higher market prices of crops and provision of latest
agricultural technology to farmers.
The higher per acre output in advanced countries is not owing to
the provision of credit to farmers by the government but rather ensuring the
accessibility of latest technological equipment, modern agricultural practices,
high-yielding seeds and high-impact fertiliser varieties to farmers.
Similarly, the installation of wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane
processing units through public private partnerships in rural areas may fetch
higher prices for the raw produce of the farmers.
Therefore, instead of burdening farmers with non-productive loans
where the recovery rate is low, the government should invest such funds in
facilitating them through the provision of the latest agricultural technology.
Author Name: https://www.dawn.com/news/1347301
Good News for
Other Exporters? U.S. Makes Deal to Sell Rice to China
Trade negotiators reached an initial deal to sell American rice in
China for the first time ever, the Department of Agriculture announced
Thursday.
America Exporting Rice to China?
A deal to open Chinese markets to rice grown in the U.S. has been
in the works for more than a decade, but agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue
says it’s finally coming to fruition. “This is another great day for U.S.
agriculture and, in particular, for our rice growers and millers, who can now
look forward to gaining access to the Chinese market,” Perdue said in a
statement. “This market represents an exceptional opportunity today, with
enormous potential for growth in the future.” China is the world’s largest
producer of rice, but it is also the largest consumer. The country imported
almost 5 million tons of rice last year, mostly from Vietnam, Thailand and
other Asian nations.
The U.S. and China reached an agreement on the process for ensuring
the safety of imported American rice in January 2016, a “more complicated and
detailed than any other rice protocol in the world,” Dow Brantley The
announcement comes after trade talks between the Chinese and U.S. officials
took a disappointing turn. At the end of the high-level trade talks Wednesday,
the U.S. was only able to claim that “China acknowledged our shared objective
to reduce the trade deficit which both sides will work cooperatively to
achieve,” but the two countries could not agree on solutions to the $347
billion trade deficit, the Wall Street Journal reports. (RELATED: US-China
Trade Talks Falter As Relations Spiral) China allowed U.S. beef imports last
month for the first time in 13 years, in exchange for the U.S. allowing imports
of cooked poultry products.
Thailand gets
urgent rice orders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Bangkok (VNA) – Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are negotiating an urgent
purchase of about 400,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand to replenish their
falling stocks which were caused by severe droughts and floods, according to
Thai media. If the deals are sealed, all rice will be transferred within 60
days and the deal will be secured through government-to-government (G-2-G)
contracts. Each country aims to import 200,000 tonnes of rice – mostly
parboiled grade and common grade white rice.
The benchmark common grade 5 percent white rice was quoted at 410
USD per tonne while parboiled 100 percent grade white rice was fetched at 439
USD a tonne. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka normally supplemented their stocks with
rice from neighbouring Pakistan and India when needed. In 2016, they imported
280 tonnes and 151 tonnes of Thai rice, respectively. However, Thailand’s state
rice stocks are running low as its Ministry of Commerce has opened auctions to
sell it in recent years. There are only a few million tonnes left, compared with
the record high of 18 million tonnes before. As the stocks are low, it is
likely that the G-2-G rice deals could involve private firms who would deliver
parts of the rice amount. Bangladesh is approaching private Thai exporters to
obtain the best price.
http://en.vietnamplus.vn/thailand-gets-urgent-rice-orders-from-bangladesh-sri-lanka/115262.vnp
