Sixteen
proposals of hybrid rice presented to Seed Certification Department
PARVEZ JABRI
ISLAMABAD: National Coordinator
on Rice Crop of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) has presented the
working papers of all the sixteen proposals of rice hybrids for the
recommendation to the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department.
The proposals were presented in
the meeting of the Variety Evaluation Committee on Rice, which was held here
Wednesday in order to improve the rice seed business and promote the production
of crop in the country.
Presiding over the variety
evaluation committee meeting, Member Plant Sciences Division, PARC Dr. Muhammad
Anjum Ali, emphasized the role of quality seed for the productivity and
profitability of farmers and appreciated the role of seed companies for making
efforts to improve the potential of rice hybrids in Pakistan.
Members of Variety Evaluation
Committee also appreciated the role of private seed companies for taking
interest in rice research and development and working in close collaboration
with public sector for enhancing the rice output in the country.Under the
provision of Seed Rules 2016, the standard operating procedures for the
management of National Uniform Yield Trials and related business were also
presented in the meeting, besides the it also reviewed the standards for
evaluation of rice hybrids for evaluating the hybrids varieties of rice for the
coming crop.
Representatives of seed companies
appreciated the role of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council for devising a
transparent procedure and setting the new bench marks for testing of rice
hybrids in the country for the benefits of farmers as well as rice sector.Among
others, the meeting was attended by technical members of the committee from
National Agriculture Research System of the country including rice breeders,
agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, seed experts, policy-makers, private
seed companies’ representatives and provincial seed cooperation
representatives.
VEC discusses
improvement of rice seed business
Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The meeting of Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) on rice,
Wednesday, held at Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Islamabad.National
Coordinator (Rice) of PARC presented the working paper for all the sixteen
proposals of rice hybrids for recommendation to the Federal Seed Certification
& Registration Department. The representatives of national and
multinational seed companies attended the meeting.
Presiding the variety evaluation committee meeting, Dr. Muhammad Anjum Ali, Member Plant Sciences Division, PARC emphasized the role of quality seed for the productivity and profitability of farmers and appreciated the role of seed companies for making efforts to improve the potential of rice hybrids in Pakistan. Afterwards under the provision of Seed Rules 2016, the standard operating procedures for the management of National Uniform Yield Trials and related business were presented along with the standards for evaluation of rice hybrids for evaluating the hybrids/varieties of rice for the coming crop.
Representatives of seed companies appreciated the role of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council for devising a transparent procedure and setting the new bench marks for testing of rice hybrids in Pakistan for the benefits of farmers as well as rice sector in Pakistan.
The VEC meeting on Rice, among others, was attended by technical members of the committee from National Agriculture Research System (NARS) of the country including Rice breeders, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, seed experts, policy-makers, private seed companies’ representatives and provincial seed cooperation representatives. Members of VEC also appreciated the role of private seed companies for taking interest in rice research and development and working in close collaboration with public sector.
World Trade Center Arkansas to
Attend 2018 Agribusiness Conference
Feb. 15, 2018
Photo by Melvin
Torres
The 2018
Agribusiness Conference is convening industry leaders,
officials and executives today in Jonesboro to discuss the biggest issues and
impacts to agriculture. Melvin Torres, Director of Western Hemisphere Trade is
representing the World Trade Center Arkansas at this year's conference.
(Read about the World Trade Center
Arkansas' participation in last year's conference.)
"This is really an opportunity for us to gain an in-depth
understanding of the current agriculture industry and how today's issues in
policy and the market will affect agriculture producers in Arkansas,"
Torres said. "We can then incorporate this new information in our service
to Arkansas agriculture companies."
These issues include the upcoming Farm Bill, the impact of the
new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the markets for rice, poultry, cotton and beef.
The conference takes place at the Fowler Center on the ASU campus and is broken
up into general sessions, a luncheon session and concurrent sessions in the
afternoon.
Speakers at the 2018 Agribusiness Conference include Arkansas
Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward; Riceland Foods Senior Vice President and COO
Carl Brothers; Executive Producer of Talk
Business and Politics Roby Brock and others including ASU
Chancellor Kelley Damphousse, deans, professors and business men and women.
The mission of the World Trade Center Arkansas is to grow trade
and increase Arkansas exports by connecting Arkansas businesses to the world
through international trade services. For more information and valuable
updates, please follow the Center on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the World Trade Center Arkansas newsletter.
https://www.brecorder.com/2018/02/14/399062/sixteen-proposals-of-hybrid-rice-presented-to-seed-certification-department/
Inter-agency body set to probe rice ‘shortage’
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel
Piñol said on Wednesday that the government has formed an inter-agency body
that would investigate the purchase and distribution of rice by the National
Food Authority, even as he assured that the country has enough supply of the
staple, Piñol stressed that he was not accusing the NFA of irregularities but
added that the supply chain could be abused by traders, some of whom mix
government-subsidized rice with commercial rice.
According to DA Undersecretary
Ariel Cayanan, it was actually Bangko Sentral Deputy Gov. Diwa Guinigundo, a
member of the inter-agency NFA Council, who proposed to audit the “acquisition,
down to the distribution” of the grain by the NFA.
“We are talking here of food and
food is a national security issue,” Piñol said, adding that if it was to him,
he would not allow traders and middle men to “control” the supply chain.
“Where does the problem lie? Bakit
hindi maramdaman ng publiko ang saganang ani ng Pilipino [Why can’t
the public feel the bountiful harvest of Filipinos]? The food supply chain,
from the farm to the market, has always been controlled by traders and middle
men,” he said.
Piñol said he “commends” the NFA
Council’s decision to audit the NFA, the state-run grains authority that is
also part of the council.
Pinol said that as of the moment,
the Philippines is roughly 96-percent self-sufficient in rice.
The DA chief said that the
government is rushing the importation of 250,000 metric tons of rice to
replenish the NFA’s buffer, which had dwindled to two days’ worth.
But Piñol said that farmers
produced 19.4 million metric tons of palay in 2017, enough to meet the
estimated 11.2 million metric tons in demand.
“By mathematical computation, the
supply of the production of palay is already above and beyond the national
requirement. But we are not declaring rice sufficiency yet,” he told reporters
in a hastily-called press conference.
Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe on
Wednesday admitted that she was surprised that the country is experiencing
a critically low supply of affordable rice despite the record-breaking surplus
in the supply of the staple.
“It is downright bewildering to
allegedly have a record-breaking surplus in rice supply on one hand and
experience a low inventory of rice in the warehouses of NFA on the other hand
and thereby needing to import rice,” said Poe in filing a resolution to launch
an investigation on the long-standing claims that there exists a syndicate
inside the NFA that manipulate rice data.
Poe filed Senate Resolution No.
623 directing the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Senator
Cynthia Villar to investigate the purported shortage of affordable rice that is
driving up prices of commercial rice sold in the markets.
Poe, who earlier said there had
been widespread speculations about alleged syndicate in the NFA for decades,
filed the measure as she wanted the impending Senate inquiry to determine the
veracity of “persistent allegations” of a mafia, syndicate or “rice cartel” in
the government’s rice procurement and importation program.
She said this was necessary in
order to put an end to their illegal and corrupt practices and ensure the
availability of the staple food.
The Philippine Statistics
Authority late last month said a total of 19.28 million metric tons of palay
was produced in 2017, compared to 17.63 million metric tons in 2016, or a 9.36
percent increase.
The NFA had said that stocks of
cheap rice are running low. The agency also stopped supplying rice to local
retailers resulting in the unavailability of affordable rice in the market and
jacking up prices of commercial rice.
Poe said that “we cannot turn a
blind eye on alleged reports regarding the existence of a rice cartel in the
Philippines.”
“The alleged existence of a rice
cartel operating inside and outside the government is definitely an affront to
the dignity of our Filipino rice farmers and the consuming public and must be
obliterated to free our small farmers from a vicious debt trap and to drive
away hunger out of the borders of the Philippines,” she added.
The inter-agency NFA Council on
Monday approved the importation of 250,000 MT of rice mainly from Vietnam and
Thailand, a move meant to replenish the dwindling buffer stock.
The NFA is mandated to maintain a
15-day buffer stock at any given time and 30 days at the onset of the lean
months of July to September.
http://thestandard.com.ph/news/top-stories/258737/inter-agency-body-set-to-probe-rice-shortage-.html
Iraq wheat, rice imports to depend on local harvest in 2018 -
minister
FEBRUARY 14, 2018 / 6:09 PM
KUWAIT, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The amount of Iraq’s wheat and rice
imports in 2018 will depend on the local harvest this season, the planning
minister said on Wednesday.Salman al-Jumaili was speaking to Reuters on the
sidelines of a conference in Kuwait where donors have gathered to discuss
efforts to rebuild post-war Iraq’s economy and infrastructure.
Reporting By Ahmed Hagagy; Writing by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing
by Edmund Blair
SPONSORED STORIES
Rising baht and
falling output to curb Thai rice exports
Exporters risk missing 9.5m ton target for 2018
February 15, 2018 12:30 pm JST
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writer
Workers transfer sacks of
rice from a barge to a cargo ship on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. ©
Reuters
BANGKOK -- A stronger baht and smaller harvest are expected to curb
Thai rice exports this year, potentially causing the country to miss its 2018
target of 9.5 million metric tons, according to the Thai Rice Exporters
Association.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Markets/Commodities/Rising-baht-and-falling-output-to-curb-Thai-rice-exports
Hike
palay-buying price to P20/kg–Piñol
February 14, 2018
The government’s palay-buying
price should go up to P20 per kilogram (kg) so the National Food Authority
(NFA) could buy more local paddy to beef up its stockpile, Agriculture
Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said on Wednesday.As traders could take advantage
of the increase in the NFA’s support price, which has been in effect since
April 2008, Piñol said the NFA Council (NFAC) must also institute measures that
will prevent commercial rice prices from skyrocketing.
“It will be good to increase the
buying price of the NFA so they can compete against traders and buy local
palay, instead of importing rice,” he told reporters in a news briefing in
Quezon City on February 14.
“But there should be a caveat
because any increases in the NFA’s buying price would encourage traders to
raise their price. While it’s true that farmers will benefit from higher
palay-buying price, consumers will be affected. This should be considered,”
Piñol added.
The chief of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) said the “ideal” NFA support price is P20 per kg, P3 higher
than the current P17 per kg. At P20 per kg, he said the government could still
sell rice at P36 to P38 per kg.
Piñol also said the removal of
the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice via the amendment of Republic Act
(RA) 8178 will not guarantee that the staple would become cheaper.
“One of the country’s economic
managers said importing rice will effectively cut prices by P7 per kg. I
question that. In fact, imported rice is being repacked by traders and sold as
commercial rice,” he said.
“Rice traders would become
richer, but [more imports due to the lifting of the rice QR] would not benefit
consumers,” Piñol added.
Production shortfall
Based on the computation of the
DA, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the International
Rice Research Institute (Irri), Piñol said the country’s rice production
shortfall last year was around 400,000 metric tons (MT).
He also said the Philippines
achieved a 96-percent self-sufficiency rate (SSR) on rice in 2017 based on the
computation of the DA, PhilRice and Irri.
Piñol said the country’s paddy
output of 19.3 million metric tons (MMT) last year was equivalent to around
13.1 MMT of milled rice at an average milling capacity rate of 65 percent.
This, he added, was “above and beyond” the country’s annual estimated rice
requirement of about 11.2 MMT.
“But the government is not
declaring rice self-sufficiency yet as there are factors to be considered. Part
of the 19.3 MMT will have to be used for seeds, a certain percentage is
considered waste, and there is also the government’s buffer stock, which is not
included in computing the sufficiency rate,” Piñol said.
The Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA), the government’s official statistical agency, will release a
report on the country’s food self-sufficiency ratio for 2017 in October.
The latest available PSA report
indicated that the Philippines reached a 95-percent SSR on rice in 2016, after
producing some 17.6 MMT of palay.
“Even if we achieve rice sufficiency
by 2020, we will not be able to sustain it for so long because of population
growth. The best scenario would be about five to 10 years,” Piñol said. “The
growth of our population will overtake rice production because our rice farms
are already limited.”
NFAC scrutiny
D.A. Undersecretary for
Operations Ariel T. Cayanan said the NFAC will scrutinize the NFA’s
palay-procurement and rice-distribution schemes to determine the food agency’s
impact on the country’s rice market.
Cayanan added the NFAC approved a
resolution ordering an audit of the NFA’s programs to ensure that there are no
lapses in the strategies employed by the food agency to fulfill its mandate.
“It is not a presumption of guilt
or prosecutory. We are not assuming that [NFA] is doing something wrong,”
Cayanan told reporters in an interview on February 14. “All the NFA’s programs
will be evaluated. The government always presumes regularity.”
Cayanan was invited by the NFAC
as a resource person during its meeting on February 12. The DA is currently
not part of the council, the highest policy-making body of the NFA.
Under the resolution, the NFAC
would find out how and where the NFA distributed government-subsidized rice
sourced through imports and local palay procurement, according to Cayanan.
Cayanan disclosed that it was
Central Bank Deputy Governor for the Monetary Stability Sector Diwa C.
Guinigundo who proposed the resolution on the audit of the NFA’s programs. “It
is in a form of resolution that was actually seconded by the council. But no
timeline was given as to when it will be undertaken.”
Piñol commended the NFAC’s
decision to audit the state-run agency, saying it is high time for the
government to look into claims that the NFA favors some traders.
NFA Administrator Jason L.Y.
Aquino said he welcomes the NFAC initiative. “NFA management welcomes the
audit to shed light on issues regarding our distribution. Distribution levels
vary in each provinces and island-municipalities because they have different
daily-consumption requirement.”
“Some are palay-procuring and
some are not. Also, there are provinces that have high poverty incidence like
NCR, thus requires higher distribution,” Aquino added.
Russia reduced imports
of wheat by 25%
14.02.2018
Russia imported 2.2 MMT of grain
and grain products (including deliveries from the Customs Union countries) in
MY 2017/18 by February 6, or 0.4 MMT (14%) less than at the same time in MY
2016/17 (2.5 MMT). 2.7 MMT of this produce was imported for the first eight
months of MY 2015/16, Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and
Phytosanitary Surveillance) reports.
As before, the most popular in the Russian market is soybeans,
whose imports amounted to 1.3 MMT (61% of total imports, down 2% from MY
2016/17). The next is wheat: its imports plummeted by 25% to 299 KMT (14%).
According to Rosselkhoznadzor, 113 KMT of Kazakh wheat that arrived to OJSC
Yeysky Port Elevator will probably be shipped to other countries. The
third ranked commodity is rice groats, whose imports increased 18% to 124 KMT
(6%), reports UkrAgroConsult.
Imports of barley dropped to 74
KMT (3%, down 44%), while arrivals of barley malt sank to 53 KMT (2%, down
21%), soybean meals to 44 KMT (2%, down 26%), and rye flour to 29 KMT (1%, down
39%).
In MY 2017/18,
the top ten origins of produce imported by Russia account for 2 MMT (90%)
of imports. The largest supplier was Paraguay, which exported 642 KMT to Russia
(up 6% at 30%). It was followed by Brazil with 603 KMT (down 3% at 28%) and
Kazakhstan with 261 KMT (down 53% at 12%).
http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/russia-reduced-imports-of-wheat-by-25
DA eyes satellite rice production in PNG
By Catherine Teves, Philippine News Agency on February 14, 2018
MANILA — The Philippine government
is aiming to clinch a deal with Papua New Guinea (PNG) for Filipinos to be able
to grow rice there and supply the staple back here.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a media conference
in Quezon City on Wednesday that Malacañang had given its thumbs up for his
travel to PNG soon, so he and authorities there can finalize the arrangements.
“The idea is for the Philippine government to enter into a
bilateral agreement with PNG on the matter,” he told reporters, saying the
planned satellite rice production could boost the availability of affordable
rice for Filipinos.
If plans push through, he said Filipinos would be able to grow
rice in satellite farms in PNG, initially supplying the grains there while that
country is developing its rice industry. The excess produce would then be
shipped to the Philippines.Earlier, Piñol said he presented to Malacañang such
concept of rice production outsourcing, so Filipino entrepreneurs abroad can
help grow and ensure supply of this staple grain.
Latest data indicate the Philippines is heading towards rice
sufficiency by 2020, he said.
Ballooning population and decreasing agricultural land in the
country highlight the need for finding rice production alternatives like
outsourcing in satellite farms abroad, the agriculture chief noted.
Piñol is optimistic about the outsourcing prospect with PNG,
noting the country of about 8 million people has a total land area of around 46
million hectares.
Australia has ongoing agricultural activities in about 400
hectares there, he said.
The Philippines’ initial five-year target to develop one million
hectares of PNG land for rice can produce around 8 million metric tons (MT)
annually – more than enough to meet PNG’s rice need of only about 200,000 MT.
At present, PNG sources its rice overseas and has sought the
Philippines’ help in developing its rice industry, according to Piñol.
Filipino-produced inbound rice shipments from PNG would boost
the availability of rice in the Philippines, Piñol said.
“Those shipments will be treated as imports that may enter the
country as National Food Authority (NFA) rice,” he said.
NFA sells its rice at prices lower than commercial rice.
Recently, however, NFA said its stocks are running low already.
The agency aims to increase its stocks with rice imports
totaling some 250,000 MT this year. (PNA)
http://www.canadianinquirer.net/2018/02/14/da-eyes-satellite-rice-production-in-png/
Scientists identify factors which drive the
evolution of herbicide resistance
February 13, 2018
University of Sheffield
Summary:
Scientists have identified factors which are driving
the evolution of herbicide resistance in crops -- something which could also
have an impact on medicine as well as agriculture.Scientists from the
University of Sheffield have identified factors which are driving the evolution
of herbicide resistance in crops -- something which could also have an impact
on medicine as well as agriculture.
Xenobiotic chemicals, such as
herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and antibiotics, are used in both
agriculture and healthcare to manage pests and diseases. However, resistance
has evolved to all these types of xenobiotics, rendering them ineffective with
serious consequences for crop production and health.
The new study, led by researchers
from the University of Sheffield's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences in
collaboration with Rothamsted Research and the Institute of Zoology, Zoological
Society of London, gives an important insight into how we can learn from past
management of agricultural systems to reduce the likelihood of resistance
evolving in the future.
Current strategies for managing
resistance revolve around diversifying management and the range of chemicals
used. Similar techniques have been proposed in medicine and agriculture but
there is not yet a consensus on what is the best approach.
In the new study, published
in Nature
Ecology and Evolution, researchers examined the evolution of
herbicide resistance in black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides) in the UK. This
has become a widespread weed present in 88 per cent of 24,824 of quadrats --
small areas of habitat selected at random as samples for assessing the local
distribution of plants and animals -- monitored by researchers. It has spread
northward in recent years and the scientists found the weed in areas where it
had not been found in previous decades.
Lead author of the study Rob
Freckleton, Professor of Population Biology from the University of Sheffield,
said: "The driver for this spread is evolved herbicide resistance: we
found that weeds in fields with higher densities are more resistant to
herbicides.
"Once resistance has evolved
it does not seem to go away: two years later, fields with high densities still
had high densities, despite farmers employing a suite of different management
techniques.
"We estimate that the
economic costs of this are very high: the costs of weed management have doubled
as a consequence of evolved resistance."
The research offer important
insights into diversifying management which is suggested as a possible
technique for reducing the evolution of resistance. The study showed the
technique will work to reduce resistance only if farmers reduce their inputs of
herbicides. If they continue to use the same levels of herbicides or even
increase their input, then this technique will not work.
The new findings show the volume
and diversity of herbicide products are positively related to each other.
Professor Freckleton said:
"The results were simple: farms that used a greater volume of herbicide
had more resistance.
"Beyond this we found little
evidence for a role of any other management techniques: neither the diversity
of chemicals used -- for example whether farmers used a variety of herbicides
or just one -- or diversity of cropping mattered, despite both being advocated
as methods to reduce the evolution of resistance."
He added: "New techniques
such as precision agriculture (PA) offer the possibility of targeted
applications of chemicals: for example, robots could give doses of herbicide at
the level of individual plants.
"In the meantime, the
results that we have obtained suggest a simple rule of thumb: just using more
herbicide will select for more resistance."
The study showed that even in the
absence of chemicals, directional selection from the repeated use of the same
management will lead to evolution resistance. This highlighted a need to design
a management system in which evolution is anticipated. Apart from focussing on
densities and yields, there needs to be an appreciation of resistance."In
an example of convergent evolution, one ecotype of the weed barnyardgrass
(Eichochloa crus-galli var oryzicola L.) appears indistinguishable from domesticated
rice (Oryza sativa L.)," said Professor Freckleton.
"Barnyardgrass is a weed
because it reduces the yields of rice, so when farmers see weeds they pull them
out. This behaviour has been selected for weeds that mimic the crop, as weed
plants that look similar to rice avoid being killed."This is evolved
resistance: when we manage natural systems in a selective manner, evolution is
inevitable."
USA Rice Newsmaker Video - Stephen Censky
|
|
WASHINGTON,
DC -- On Monday, U.S. Undersecretary of
Agriculture Stephen Censky addressed the USA Rice Federation Board
about the President's budget, the Farm Bill, agriculture trade, and more.
He also stopped by USA Rice's cameras to talk about rice priorities for the
upcoming Farm Bill and fake organic rice.
USA RICE DAILY
India’s agricultural focus must shift to environmentally
sustainable crops
Depleting water tables due to excessive use of ground
water is a major concern vis-à-vis the sustainability of farming in India.
Farmers replant rice saplings in a paddy field in
Assam. Between 2006-07 and 2016-17, rice alone accounted for around 17% of the
total value of India’s agricultural exports (AP) “India’s agri-exports
potential is as high as $100 billion against current exports of $ 30 billion”,
said finance minister Arun Jaitley in this year’s budget speech. He also said
that the government will further liberalise agricultural exports to achieve
this potential. Most people will welcome such statements. Exports can be a big
opportunity to enhance farm incomes in India. India’s agricultural trade regime
is often accused of having a pro-consumer bias. When prices increase, export
restrictions and lower import duties are used to control inflation. Domestic
consumers gain but the farmer loses out on gaining from these cyclical
movements.
There is no bailout for the farmer when prices crash in
domestic markets. There are good reasons why a liberalised export push in
agriculture might not be an unambiguous good. These are related with issues of
long-term sustainability in agriculture and domestic food security concerns.
What is the biggest component of India’s agricultural exports? Spices, tea,
cotton etc.all come to mind. The correct answer, however, is rice. Between
2006-07 and 2016-17, rice alone accounted for around 17% of the total value of
India’s agricultural exports. More than half of our rice exports are of the
basmati variety. Many farmers and exporters must have gained from the sharp
rise in India’s rice exports. These exports, however, entail a huge cost for
the environment. Rice production uses a lot of water.
In a 2016 Mint article, I used data from the Water Footprint Network – a global network
on water related issues – to estimate that 10 trillion litres of water went
into the production of India’s basmati exports in 2014-15. The story also
pointed out that India was among the largest virtual exporters of water via
agricultural exports. Depleting water tables due to excessive use of ground
water is a major concern vis-à-vis the sustainability of farming in India.
Exporting more and more basmati rice without thinking of its environmental
repercussions is not going to help matters. It would only hasten the
destruction of agricultural ecosystems. Agricultural production in India needs
to change drastically if we want to prevent irreparable damage to our
environment. A policy which only looks to maximise exports would not take us
very far in achieving this. We need to come up with incentives which reward our
farmers for shifting to producing environment-friendly crops, even if they do
not get us more in export earnings.
An environment-friendly readjusting of India’s
agricultural production need not necessarily be contradictory with farm
incomes. India imports a large amount of pulses currently. The latest available
data for past three years (2014-15 to 2016-17) shows that the value of India’s
pulse imports is more than half of total rice exports from India. Why can’t we
encourage farmers to switch to pulse cultivation from rice? Unlike rice, pulse
cultivation can improve soil health, as pulses help in increasing nitrogen
content, which is a crucial soil nutrient. India’s agricultural production
basket is extremely diverse. Given this fact, the pursuit of self-sufficiency
in agriculture is not necessarily a bad thing. Not only would this save us
valuable foreign exchange, it can also protect our farmers from the price
volatility in international markets. Such an approach can also help us
safeguard our food security interests. The complete liberalisation of
agricultural trade can make our domestic food production vulnerable to cheaper
imports from highly subsidised production in developed countries. India’s
policy makers are aware of this threat, which is why they are insisting for a
permanent solution on the issue of public stockholding and special safeguard
mechanisms in the World Trade Organisation.
There can be no disagreement about the fact that
agricultural incomes have to be increased in India. The challenge would remain
even if a significant part of agricultural workers move out of farming. What
many people do not realise is the fact that leaving everything to the markets
can be counter-productive in agriculture. Current farming decisions and
practices are crucial for future sustainability. Markets, especially in foreign
trade, are not the best way to send the right signals to adhere to these
concerns. A smart country would encourage its farmers to cultivate
environmental-friendly crops and import the environmentally-damaging ones. The
farmer cannot be expected to act with foresight in such matters. This increases
the role of futuristic policy making even more.
Rising baht and falling output to curb Thai rice exports
Exporters risk missing 9.5m ton target for 2018
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writer
Workers transfer sacks of rice from a barge to a cargo ship on the
Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. © Reuters
BANGKOK -- A stronger baht and smaller harvest are
expected to curb Thai rice exports this year, potentially causing the country
to miss its 2018 target of 9.5 million metric tons, according to the Thai
Rice Exporters Association. The 2018 rice export target was set at around 18%
lower than the record figure of 11.6 million tons achieved the previous year,
said Charoen Laothamatas, president of the association. "The stronger baht
was the major problem for rice exports this year, as it makes the price of Thai
rice unattractively high compared with the prices of competitors."
Charoen said the figure of 9.5 million tons was set at the end of last
year. However, the baht rose more than 9% in 2017 and has gone up another
3.1% so far this year to 31.6 per dollar on Tuesday. The strengthening baht is
tied to both Thailand's relatively healthy economic outlook and overseas
investors chasing funds to reap foreign exchange gains amid a weakening dollar.
"We will be monitoring the baht's movement closely during the first
quarter of this year and, if it continues to rise, the association will revise
down the 2018 rice export target," he added.
The Dong, in contrast, rose by just 1%, while the Rupee
rose 6%, making rice from Vietnam and India considerably cheaper. The going
rate for premium grade Thai fragrant rice was $1,200 a ton this
week almost double the $650 being asked for a ton of the same grade
produced in Vietnam. Charoen said global demand would remain strong as major
importing countries like the Philippines and Indonesia were expected to buy
1-1.5 million tons this year. In addition, rising oil prices are likely to help
strengthen the purchasing power of Middle Eastern rice importers.
"Demand is
there, but the problem is which origin the client will buy from," said
Charoen. Falling production has also taken its toll. The government has sought
to limit plantation areas in the hope that restricting supply might help prop
up prices. The measures come in response to a failed rice-purchasing scheme
implemented by former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Policies Yingluck introduced in 2013, which offered to pay above-market prices,
encouraged many farmers to grow larger amounts without paying attention to
quality.
The scheme
resulted in the government stockpiling 18 million tons of the crop and incurred
multibillion dollar losses. The current government has sought to
remedy the situation by implementing a zoning policy on paddy fields that could
cut total annual production to around 30 million ton, down from around 33
million tons last year. Charoen added that non-tariff barriers in some rice
importing countries, such as tighter surveillance of chemical contamination,
could also dent exports, particularly to Japan, the EU and the U.S.
New agency to certify
rice origin
Some of the many varieties of rice grown in Cambodia. KT/Chor
Sokunthea
The Ministry of Commerce launched a new agency whose aim is to
inspect the production and supply chain of rice branded as ‘made in Cambodia’
to guarantee its origin and provide assurance to foreign buyers. With Cambodian
rice having won multiple international awards for its quality, the move seeks
to prevent the sale of foreign rice falsely claiming to hail from the kingdom.
The initiative is precautionary as, according to a ministry official, very few
cases of ‘fake’ Cambodian rice have been reported to date. The new working
group is staffed by officials from the commerce and agriculture ministries, as
well as members of the Cambodian Rice Federation.
A total of 12 individuals will make up the team, which has the
authority to look into data related to every stage of the production and supply
process, including processing, storing and exporting the product. “We export
rice to foreign markets like the EU with certain benefits, like being exempted
from paying tariffs,” said Seang Thay, spokesman at the Minister of Commerce.
“We don’t want buyers complaining about having purchased rice that wasn’t grown
in Cambodia, because we could lose some of those trade benefits.
“We have to ensure that the rice is grown and processed here.” Mr
Thay said the ministry has yet to receive a single complaint from a buyer who
has been sold ‘fake’ Cambodian rice, but justified the creation of the new
agency by saying it will prevent any such cases from happening in the future .
He said the agency will guarantee that buyers continue to trust Cambodian rice.
Despite the lack of official complaints, there has been a few documented cases
of rice from third countries being deceptively sold as Cambodian rice, Mr Thay
said. Hean Vanhan, director-general of the general directorate of agriculture,
said the new agency will help keep the reputation of Cambodian rice intact. “We
aim to guarantee the purity of our rice, and make sure that foreigners are not
sending their rice to Cambodia, and selling it from here as Cambodian rice,” he
said.
“We have heard of some cases in which rice from other countries was
sold as Cambodian rice, but we don’t have strong data on this,” Mr Vanhan said,
adding that perpetrators were looking to benefit from the tariff exemptions
that Cambodia enjoys with key markets like the US and the EU. Khy Maly, sales
and export manager at Amru Rice, also welcomed the new agency, saying buyers
will now have certainty that they are buying real Cambodian rice. “It is a
great move to guarantee that the rice is grown, processed and packaged in
Cambodia,” she said. Last year, exports of Cambodian rice increased by 17.3
percent, reaching 635,679 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108701/new-agency-to-certify-rice-origin/
NFA welcomes audit amid rice stock shortage
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 01:10 PM February 14, 2018
Workers take sacks of rice from a National
Food Authority warehouse in this photo taken Feb. 8, 2018. INQUIRER PHOTO / JAM
STA ROSA
The policy
making body of the National Food Authority (NFA) is set to audit the agency
following reports that it was having insufficient stocks of rice.
In a press
conference with officials of the Department of Agriculture, Undersecretary
Ariel Cayanan, a resource person for the council, said members of the council
had issued a resolution to audit the NFA’s acquisition and distribution of
rice.
“The NFA
management welcomes the audit. This is to clarify issues about our
distribution,” said NFA Administrator Jason Aquino.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/968705/breaking-news-nfa-jason-aquino-nfa-council-rice#ixzz57Aed9n7E
Matco Foods to invest IPO
funds in rice glucose plant
By Farhan
Zaheer
February 14, 2018
Company recently generated war
chest of Rs757m from the share offering
KARACHI: Matco Foods
Limited, one of the leading basmati rice exporters in Pakistan, has said the
money it raised through an initial public offering (IPO)
will be
mostly used for expansion of its high-margin business to allow the company to
generate more profit in coming years.
The company was formally listed at the
Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday and its shares were available for
trade among retail investors.
On the first trading day, 2.49 million
shares of the company were traded and its stock price closed at Rs27.30, up 5%
from Rs26. Company management expects the stock price to touch Rs50 in a year
because it is now moving towards the high-margin business.
“We
are confident that our focus on high-margin products will give us better
returns compared to our traditional rice exports,” Matco Foods Director Finance
Faizan Ali Ghori told media at a press conference. He said the expansion is
expected to be completed by March 2019.
Separately
talking to The Express Tribune, Ghori said the company was already using
Chinese technology for value-added rice products and it would again adopt
Chinese technology for expanding operations of its rice glucose and rice
protein plant.
The company recently raised Rs757 million
with a total issue of 29,143,000 ordinary shares at the strike price of Rs26
per share.
The rice exporter wants to use net proceeds
from the public offering for the expansion of the rice glucose and rice protein
plant. The expansion will take current capacity of 10,000 tons of rice glucose
to 30,000 tons while the rice protein capacity of 1,000 tons will rise to 3,000
tons.
Since rice glucose is not extracted from
genetically modified (GM) food, it has huge demand in industrialised countries
where health-conscious consumers prefer it over glucose that is extracted from
GM food.
Currently, Matco exports 75% of its rice
glucose production to international markets where it is priced at around
$11,000 per ton against a price range of just $400-500 per ton in the domestic
market.
“We
feel huge responsibility towards our shareholders who have trusted us in the
IPO,” Matco Foods Chairman Jawed Ali Ghori said. “We will utilise this money in
the best possible way because of our rich experience in the rice business.”
Matco has been engaged in the rice export
business for over 50 years and ships different products to over 60 countries.
It has recently diversified its operations
and is now producing rice glucose and rice protein that are mostly used in
pharmaceutical, confectionery, juice and other such finished food products.
The Express Tribune, February
14th, 2018.
Iran affirms all-out support for trade initiatives
from Pakistan
KARACHI: Iranian consulate was more
than ready to back any trade and investment initiative taken by business
community in Pakistan, especially Sindh, and would play an active role in the
exchange of information on the concerned avenues on both sides, a diplomat said
on Monday.
"One of my key duties here [in
Pakistan] is to facilitate and develop political, economic, trade, academic and
cultural relations and cooperation between Iran and Pakistan, especially
development of trade relations with the province of Sindh,” Ahmad Mohammadi,
Consul General of Iran said at an event held to commemorate 39th anniversary of
Islamic Revolution at the consulate.
“Therefore, all the efforts of my
colleagues are dedicated to facilitate access to each other's markets.”The
volume of trade between Pakistan and Iran has reached the mark of $1.5 billion
per year, while Iran has said vowed to increase it to a record level of $5
billion. Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) stats show the current
trade volume between the two nations is $830 million, which is of no
significance given the Persian Gulf country’s 127 billion euros worth of
worldwide trade. The consul general said Iranian and Pakistani companies had an
active presence in the exhibitions of the two countries and had signed many
agreements with each other for promoting bilateral trade.
“This shows huge economic and trade
potential existing on both sides, which must be utilised fully to the benefit
of the two nations,” he added.Mohammadi also mentioned the trade between the
two countries posted a 33 percent year-on-year growth compared to the previous
year. “Over last nine months, as a result of the facilities provided by the
Iranian side to Pakistani rice exporters, the volume of Pakistani rice export
to Iran had jumped up by 42 percent,” the envoy said.
Besides, he added, in view of the
cultural wealth and tourism potential of the two countries, the Iranian embassy
and the consulates made efforts for promoting pilgrimage and tourism travels
between the two countries. The statement said the Iranian envoy was confident
that during the current year also, Iran-Pakistan friendly relations and
cooperation would develop further. "I extend my thanks to the government
of Pakistan and Sindh provincial bodies for their cooperation," he said.
Analysts say most significantly, an
increased regional connectivity was likely to step up the volume of trade and
services; however in reality there is little economic connectivity between the
two states.
During last nine months Iran
exported $634 million worth of products to Pakistan, while Pakistan also
exported products valued at $348 million to Iran. The overall trade between the
two countries stood at $982 million.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/280221-iran-affirms-all-out-support-for-trade-initiatives-from-pakistan
Matco Foods Completes Listing on
the PSX
FEBRUARY 14, 2018
This was the first IPO for the year 2018 in Pakistan and will
add another company in the Food Sector on the PSX board. Matco completed the
book building and public portion of the IPO in the end of January with a total
issue of 29,143,000 million ordinary shares, at a strike price of PKR 26 per
share. The gross proceeds to Matco Foods Limited from this offering were PKR 757
million before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering
expenses.
Matco Foods Limited intends to use the net proceeds from this
public offering for the expansion of its existing Rice Glucose and Protein
Plant from 10,000 MT of glucose and 1,000 MT of protein production capacity per
annum to 30,000 MT of glucose and 3,000 MT of protein respectively.
Speaking on the occasion Jawed Ali Ghori, Chairman of Matco
Foods said “Listing on the PSX is an important milestone in the history of our
Company and a matter of great pride for all the stakeholders of Matco. We are
grateful for the support of the investing community, our advisers, and
especially the PSX and SECP which are playing a highly commendable role in
developing our country’s equity capital markets.”
Matco Foods’ brand “Falak” Basmati rice is available in all
major cities of Pakistan and exported to over 40 countries around the world.
“We will continue to invest and grow our brand domestically and abroad,” said
Khalid Ghori, CEO of Matco Foods, “in addition to expansion of our Rice Glucose
and Rice Protein division.”
MCB Bank acted as book-running managers for the offering, and
Arif Habib Limited acted as the consultant to the issue.
Export Retention in the Leather Sector of Pakistan and
Opportunities under CPEC
Adnan Khan, Numra Asif, Dr.
Saleem Janjua
Leather and Leather merchandises
are the most significant and the third most dynamic industrial sector in
Pakistan after cotton, textile and rice. Leather industry of Pakistan comprises
approximately 800 small, medium, and large industrial units and tanneries.
According to Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), leather industry contributes
2.6 percent to GDP, 5 percent to country’s total exports and provides jobs to
over one million skilled and semi-skilled workers.
For the last five years, Pakistan
had an export of $1.2 billion in the leather sector. This may appear
reasonable; however two things make the situation sore. Firstly overtime,
leather exports are exhibiting a decking trend. As per PTA official data the
leather and leather products exports recorded a fall of 6.76 percent to $0.757
billion in 2016-17 from $0.812 billion in 2015-16. Export of leather apparel
and cloths declined by 8.95 percent, gloves by 5.38 percent, footwear by 6.35
percent during 2016-17 as compared to 2015-16. Secondly, share of neighbouring
countries in the global leather market is increasing and they are achieving double
digit growth. China’s leather export rise by 20 percent, India’s by 63 percent
and Bangladesh’s 100 percent. Pakistan’s share of 0.5 percent in global market
for leather is insignificant compared to China’s 19 percent, Italy 9 percent,
Vietnam 4 percent and India 2.5 percent.
Increasing economic cooperation
with China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has the potential
to boost growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through joint ventures
between businessmen of the two countries, and modernization upgrade of the
existing leather industry through transfer of technology and financial
assistance. There is a wide scope for joint ventures between Pakistani and
Chinese SMEs, especially in the fields of leather and apparel, because China currently
dominates the conversion of leather into finished leather goods; however with
rising labour costs, Chinese leather industries are willing to relocate to
other developing economies.
Globally, the demand for leather
garments exhibit a stable trend, however the demand for leather products
continues to expand. Pakistan is well positioned in this regard because of the
availability of finished leather and competitive labour costs. Growth has been
restrained by an inability to meet changing customer demands including a fast
turnaround for fashion items. Pakistan has the best quality of raw material
(raw skin and leather) of cow, buffalo, goat and sheep, but production has been
restrained because of a decrease in livestock production.
It is imperative for Pakistan to
resolve the growth constraints on the leather sector. Access to technology and
sector specific equipment is important for the expansion of the leather sector.
Moreover investment in manufacturing and value addition are required. Since
establishment of Pakistan, the primary focus has been on tanning (the process
of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather). Pakistan exports
95% of all leather produced in the country and 85% of these exports comprises
of leather without value addition and finished products. Leather sector imports
25% of hides and skins from the Middle East, Africa and Australasia and exports
semi-finished leather to China. CPEC offers immense opportunities for
industry-led economic growth in Pakistan if we are able to take advantage of
the emerging opportunities. Strong liaison and joint business ventures with
Chinese enterprises will ensure a transfer of technology that shall help in the
modernization and production of finished leather. For sustainability of local
leather industries, it is vital to acquire and follow chemical production,
dying, and tanning techniques from Chinese counterpart to meet the
international environmental standards.
However, international buyers of
finished leather and leather goods require a higher degree of compliance with
environmental regulations. Meeting environmental compliance standards has
always been challenging for tanneries in developing countries. The waste from
tanneries is in three forms: solid, liquid and gas. Liquid waste is the biggest
challenge for tanneries as the amount produced per kilogram of hide is between
50 and 60 litres. Contaminants in the liquid waste must be treated by an
effluent treatment plant before being discharged into water bodies. Millions of
dollars have been directed at addressing this problem in tanneries; however it
has resulted in a limited success.
Other environmental concerns for
the leather goods manufacturers are the chemicals and residues retained in the
leather and managing the disposal of solid waste material. Failure to meet the
environmental standards may constrain the industry from taking advantage of
Pakistan’s GSP+Status for export to the EU market. The optimal utilization and
usage of the effluent treatment plants in Korangi, Combined effluent treatment
plant in Kasur and Cleaner Production Centre in Sialkot can resolve the
environmental issues of the leather industry in Pakistan.
CPEC framework can benefit the
local leather industry through a flow of technology, financial assistance and
business venture opportunities, however this requires vigilance planning and
management policies and at both the local industrial as well as the government
level, to overawed the root causes of export retention trend and enrich the
market shares in the leather exporting community.
Basmati rice stocks rally; KRBL up 8% on fund buying
Kohinoor Foods, KRBL and LT Foods were up 8% to
15% on BSE in intra-day trade.
SI Reporter |
Mumbai Last Updated at February 14, 2018 10:48 IST
On comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was trading 0.1% higher at 34,336 at 10:20 am. On Monday, February 12, 2018, The Pabrai Investment Fund II LP and The Pabrai Investment Fund IV LP had bought combined 6.41 million equity shares representing 2.73% stake of KRBL for Rs 3.81 billion. The Pabrai Investment Fund II LP bought 2.4 million shares at Rs 594 and The Pabrai Investment Fund IV LP bought 4.02 million shares at Rs 594, the bulk deal data shows. Abdullah Ali Balsharaf and Omar Ali Obaid Balsaraf sold 3.25 million shares each at Rs 594 on the BSE. CLICK HERE FOR BULK DEAL DATA The stock of KRBL is trading close to its 52-week high of Rs 673 touched on December 21, 2017 on BSE in intra-day deal. It rallied 17% in past five trading sessions from Rs 551 on February 6, 2018.
Wholesale, retail prices of rice, palay
rising
Philippine Daily Inquirer /
05:00 AM February 14, 2018
Both
wholesale and retail prices of rice continued to increase in the first week of
February together with the prices of palay, data from the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) showed.
Distribution
of low-priced rice to public markets has been constricted by the rice shortage
on the part of the National Food Authority.
Wholesale
and retail prices of regular milled rice during the week were up 5.08 percent
year-on-year to P36.39 a kg and P38.77 a kg, respectively. Wholesale prices
were higher by 0.41 percent from previous week’s level.Retail prices, on the
other hand, were up 4.47 percent from a year ago and by 0.39 percent from last
week.
Similarly,
wholesale and retail prices for well-milled rice picked up during the week.
Wholesale price was quoted at P39.75 a kg, while average retail price was at
P42.95 a kg. Average wholesale price were up 0.33 percent from a week-ago level
of P39.62 a kg and 3.68 percent from the previous year’s price of P38.34 a kg.
Retail
prices rose 0.09 percent from the previous week’s level and 2.43 percent
compared to last year’s price level of P41.58 a kg.
Average farm
gate price of unmilled rice also rose by 0.73 percent to P19.37 a kg. Compared
to prices in the same period last year, this was higher by 6.84 percent.
Prices of
unmilled rice are expected to go down in Visayas and Mindanao as tropical storm
“Basyang” continues to bring heavy rainfall in those areas. According to the
Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag), newly harvested palay that were not
properly dried in Bukidnon and Guimaras were now being sold at P14 a kg due to
the weather disturbance.
Pinol firm gov’t to control rice production,
supply
BY THE MANILA TIMES ON FEBRUARY
14, 2018LATEST STORIES, TODAY'S BREAKING NEWS
AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Pinol on
Wednesday reiterated that he would not allow the private sector to “control”
rice production and supply here in the Philippines.“Hindi ko hahayaang
ma-control ng private sector ang supply ng bigas” (I will not let the private
sector control rice production here in the country), Pinol said in a press
conference during the launch of the “Bigas para sa Masa” at the Department of
Agriculture (DA). Rice is the staple food here in the country, therefore it is
appropriate that the government manage it,” said Pinol.Pinol issued a similar
statement last Sunday amid reports that private businessmen were behind the
discrepancy in the rice stocks and the market price.
In a statement, Secretary Pinol also said that
the DA would help the farmers sell their rice to the market. He added that the
terms for loans between the department and the farmers would also be improved.The
secretary said the country was currently 96 percent “sufficient,” in rice
supply, debunking reports of a shortage.
Secretary Pinol also said that the Philippines
may continue to increase its rice sufficiency within the next 5 to 10 years but
this may not be sustained because of the continuing population growth. ALEC
NALDOhttp://www.manilatimes.net/pinol-firm-govt-control-rice-production-supply/380166/
Prime minister asks for cooperation to bring down costs for rice
farmers
Sok Chan / Khmer Times
The
Cambodian prime minister called yesterday on the public, private and non-profit
sectors to work together in bringing down the cost of growing rice to help
struggling farmers throughout the country.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony
yesterday at Koh Pich Convention Center, Mr Hun Sen suggested government
agencies, companies and development partners cooperate to reduce interest rates
for farmers that take out loans, and make fertilizers and pesticides cheaper
and more accessible.
“Please try to find a way to
lower down the production costs of farmers but make sure the quality of the
rice remains the same,” Mr Hun Sen said. “Cambodian rice is famous all over the
world.”
Taing Sokkhy, a local rice
expert, told Khmer Times that to reduce costs and boost the competitiveness of
their crops, farmers must change some basic elements of their farming approach.
“They should use high quality
seedlings,” he said. “Following current trends, they should also use less
fertilizers.”
Last year, rice exports increased
by 17.3 percent, reaching 635,679 tonnes, according to the Ministry of
Agriculture.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- February 15, 2018
FEBRUARY 15, 2018 / 2:05 PM
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-February 15, 2018
Nagpur, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Gram and Tuar showed weak tendency in Nagpur Agriculture Produce
Marketing Committee (APMC) on lack of demand from local millers. Easy condition on NCDEX,
downward trend in Madhya Pradesh pulses and poor quality arrival also affected prices.
About 200 bags of gram and 100 bags of tuar reported for auction in Nagpur APMC, according to
sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Desi gram raw moved down in open market on poor demand from local traders.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local traders.
* Wheat mill quality and wheat Lokwan moved down in open market here on lack of buying
support from local traders.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,200-4,400, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,500-6,700, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 7,600-8,200, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,300-7,600, Gram – 3,500-3,700, Gram Super best
– 5,400-5,800
* Other varieties of wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,300-3,751 3,300-3,900
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,100-4,280 4,100-4,400
Moong Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,650-1,770 1,650-1,750
Gram Super Best Bold 5,500-6,000 5,500-6,000
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,000-5,200 5,000-5,200
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 3,900-4,000 3,900-4,000
Desi gram Raw 3,800-3,900 3,850-3,950
Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,100 12,500-13,100
Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 6,000-6,400 6,000-6,400
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Tuar Gavarani New 4,550-4,750 4,550-4,750
Tuar Karnataka 4,550-4,750 4,550-4,750
Masoor dal best 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Masoor dal medium 4,500-4,700 4,500-4,700
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000
Moong Mogar Medium 6,500-7,000 6,500-7,000
Moong dal Chilka 5,800-6,800 5,800-6,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,400-8,000 7,400-8,000
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,000-8,500 8,000-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,800-7,000 5,800-7,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,900-6,300 5,900-6,300
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,000 4,600-5,000
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,200 3,100-3,200
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,300 4,200-4,300
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,850 1,775-1,900
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,150-2,350 2,150-2,350
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,100 2,000-2,200
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,800 3,200-3,800
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,700 2,400-2,700
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,500-4,000 3,500-4,000
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,500 3,300-3,500
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,900-4,300 3,900-4,300
Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,600 5,200-5,600
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,700-4,900 4,700-4,900
Rice Shriram new (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-14,000 9,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,100-6,300 6,100-6,300
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,700-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 27.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 11.0 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 27 and 11 degree
Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices)
Iraq wheat, rice imports to depend on local harvest in 2018 -
minister
·
FEBRUARY 14, KUWAIT, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The amount of Iraq’s wheat and rice
imports in 2018 will depend on the local harvest this season, the planning
minister said on Wednesday.
Salman al-Jumaili was speaking to Reuters on the
sidelines of a conference in Kuwait where donors have gathered to discuss
efforts to rebuild post-war Iraq’s economy and infrastructure.
Rice Prices
as on : 15-02-2018 11:29:22 AM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
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Arrivals
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Price
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Current
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%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
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Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
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Rice
|
||||||
|
Durgapur(WB)
|
130.00
|
-1.52
|
3557.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
-4.49
|
|
Kasimbazar(WB)
|
75.00
|
NC
|
1084.50
|
2900
|
2880
|
21.85
|
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Akbarpur(UP)
|
58.50
|
-24.52
|
1723.00
|
2175
|
2175
|
-0.46
|
|
Safdarganj(UP)
|
20.00
|
33.33
|
453.00
|
2150
|
2200
|
-
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
9.00
|
-25
|
80.00
|
2130
|
2130
|
-
|
|
Robertsganj(UP)
|
6.50
|
-65.79
|
181.00
|
2190
|
2165
|
-
|
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
6.00
|
NC
|
114.00
|
2240
|
2280
|
-
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
5.30
|
-40.45
|
200.30
|
2400
|
2400
|
6.67
|
|
Kalyanpur(Tri)
|
3.00
|
-14.29
|
32.50
|
2970
|
2980
|
6.07
|
|
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
|
2.50
|
NC
|
29.90
|
2500
|
2800
|
NC
|
|
Tundla(UP)
|
1.80
|
-25
|
38.60
|
2515
|
2510
|
-
|
|
Darjeeling(WB)
|
1.30
|
30
|
23.50
|
2950
|
2950
|
NC
|
|
Jagnair(UP)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
33.30
|
2500
|
2510
|
4.60
|
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article22759044.ece
Price of Rice Unchanged Despite President Weah’s Intervention
Monrovia - Rice prices remain the
same despite President George Weah’s recent intervention and that rice
importers have responded to his request to reduce the price of Liberia’s staple
food.
Report
by Al-Varney Rogers This email address is being protected from spambots.
You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
President
Weah said: “If government-imposed tax is an issue, you can rest assured that my
government is more than ready to grant reasonable adjustments in the tax regime
to make the reduction of rice price possible.”
“We
were happy when the President said the rice price will reduce but since that
time, rice price is still the same,” Madam Mulbah said.“I don’t know why the
business people are refusing to obey the President’s mandate, Liberian people
like hard hand, if this were (Former President) Taylor, who had said it, the
next day the price would have dropped to that price that he wants.”
A
shop owner Leroy Kollie said, from the day it was announced that the price of
rice has reduced, he is constantly confronted with tons of questions from
customers why the price of rice hasn’t change.“We sell base on how we buy; if
the importers drop the rice price, we do not need any announcement we will drop
the price of rice,” Kollie said.Kollie further stated that the President’s
statement is not backed by action adding that the importers are still selling
at the same rate.Kollie also claimed that continual increase in exchange rate
is also responsible that the price of rice is still the same.
“Most
of our customers buy from in Liberian dollars and we buy from the importers in
United States dollars,” Mulbah said.
President
Weah said rice importers have reduced the price of a 25kg bag by US$2 while the
price of a 50kg bag is reduced by US$4.According to an Executive Mansion
release, the purported reduction had come as a result of increased pressure on
rice importers by President Weah, who believed it is intolerable for the price
of the national staple, to continue to increase amidst the high cost of living
in the country.
A
student of Economics, Darlington Johnson, said President Weah should have
commissioned a study before announcing the reduction in the price of rice.“There
President should have allowed his economic management team to do a study before
pronouncing the reduction of price."
"It
is not just about asking people to reduce rice price, but the sustainability of
the reduction. Rice and petroleum are the fastest selling commodities and the
government depends on those commodities to generate millions to support its
budget,” Johnson said.
He
further stated that the government should provide better incentive for the
importers in order for the reduction to be effective.“So you need to look at
all the indicators; the next thing is, what incentive is the government
providing those business people to warrant the reduction, if the government
forces the reduction we will experience artificial shortage, the government is
under obligation to provide an enabling environment for businesses and also to
protect the interest of the Liberian people,” Johnson added.During the meeting
with rice importers, President Weah reiterated his determination to ensure that
something was immediately done to reduce the price and make it affordable and
available to averaged Liberians.At the end of the negotiations, officials of
the Association of Liberian Rice Importers consented to effect a reduction of
the price.The Association of Rice Importers headed by their Chairman John
Bestman, agreed to reduce the price of the 25Kg bag of rice by US $2 while the
price of 50kg bag of rice will be reduced by US $4 with immediate effect.
President
Weah had earlier proposed a reduction of US$3 but due to some constraints
proffered by rice moguls, it was agreed that the US$3 reduction from the cost
of a 25kg bag of rice would not be possible immediately, but that it could
still be possible in the future once a few challenges facing the rice market
were addressed and the modalities worked out.
Seed
Certification Dept gets 16 proposals of hybrid rice
February
15, 2018
APP
ISLAMABAD - National Coordinator on Rice Crop
of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) has presented the working
papers of all the sixteen proposals of rice hybrids for the recommendation to
the Federal Seed Certification and
Registration Department.
The proposals were
presented in the meeting of the Variety Evaluation Committee on Rice, which was
held here Wednesday in order to improve the rice seed business
and promote the production of crop in the country.
Presiding over the variety evaluation committee
meeting, Member Plant Sciences Division, PARC Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali,
emphasized the role of quality seed for the productivity and profitability of
farmers and appreciated the role of seed companies
for making efforts to improve the potential of rice hybrids in Pakistan.
Members of Variety Evaluation Committee also appreciated the role of
private seed companies
for taking interest in rice research and development and working in close
collaboration with public sector for enhancing the rice output in the country.
Under the provision of Seed Rules
2016, the standard operating procedures for the management of National Uniform
Yield Trials and related business were also presented in the meeting, besides
the it also reviewed the standards for evaluation of rice hybrids for
evaluating the hybrids varieties of rice for the coming crop.
Representatives of seed companies
appreciated the role of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council for devising a
transparent procedure and setting the new bench marks for testing of rice
hybrids in the country for the benefits of farmers as well as rice sector.
Among others, the meeting was attended by
technical members of the committee from National Agriculture Research System of
the country including rice breeders, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, seedexperts,
policy-makers, private seed companies' representatives and provincial seed cooperation
representatives.
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Hike
palay-buying price to P20/kg–Piñol
February 14, 2018
The government’s palay-buying
price should go up to P20 per kilogram (kg) so the National Food Authority
(NFA) could buy more local paddy to beef up its stockpile, Agriculture
Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said on Wednesday.
As traders could take advantage
of the increase in the NFA’s support price, which has been in effect since
April 2008, Piñol said the NFA Council (NFAC) must also institute measures that
will prevent commercial rice prices from skyrocketing.
“It will be good to increase the
buying price of the NFA so they can compete against traders and buy local
palay, instead of importing rice,” he told reporters in a news briefing in
Quezon City on February 14.
“But there should be a caveat
because any increases in the NFA’s buying price would encourage traders to
raise their price. While it’s true that farmers will benefit from higher
palay-buying price, consumers will be affected. This should be considered,”
Piñol added.
The chief of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) said the “ideal” NFA support price is P20 per kg, P3 higher
than the current P17 per kg. At P20 per kg, he said the government could still
sell rice at P36 to P38 per kg.
Piñol also said the removal of
the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice via the amendment of Republic Act
(RA) 8178 will not guarantee that the staple would become cheaper.
“One of the country’s economic
managers said importing rice will effectively cut prices by P7 per kg. I
question that. In fact, imported rice is being repacked by traders and sold as
commercial rice,” he said.
“Rice traders would become
richer, but [more imports due to the lifting of the rice QR] would not benefit
consumers,” Piñol added.
Production shortfall
Based on the computation of the
DA, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the International
Rice Research Institute (Irri), Piñol said the country’s rice production
shortfall last year was around 400,000 metric tons (MT).
He also said the Philippines
achieved a 96-percent self-sufficiency rate (SSR) on rice in 2017 based on the
computation of the DA, PhilRice and Irri.
Piñol said the country’s paddy
output of 19.3 million metric tons (MMT) last year was equivalent to around
13.1 MMT of milled rice at an average milling capacity rate of 65 percent.
This, he added, was “above and beyond” the country’s annual estimated rice
requirement of about 11.2 MMT.
“But the government is not
declaring rice self-sufficiency yet as there are factors to be considered. Part
of the 19.3 MMT will have to be used for seeds, a certain percentage is
considered waste, and there is also the government’s buffer stock, which is not
included in computing the sufficiency rate,” Piñol said.
The Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA), the government’s official statistical agency, will release a
report on the country’s food self-sufficiency ratio for 2017 in October.
The latest available PSA report
indicated that the Philippines reached a 95-percent SSR on rice in 2016, after
producing some 17.6 MMT of palay.
“Even if we achieve rice
sufficiency by 2020, we will not be able to sustain it for so long because of
population growth. The best scenario would be about five to 10 years,” Piñol
said. “The growth of our population will overtake rice production because our
rice farms are already limited.”
NFAC scrutiny
D.A. Undersecretary for
Operations Ariel T. Cayanan said the NFAC will scrutinize the NFA’s
palay-procurement and rice-distribution schemes to determine the food agency’s
impact on the country’s rice market.
Cayanan added the NFAC approved a
resolution ordering an audit of the NFA’s programs to ensure that there are no
lapses in the strategies employed by the food agency to fulfill its mandate.
“It is not a presumption of guilt
or prosecutory. We are not assuming that [NFA] is doing something wrong,”
Cayanan told reporters in an interview on February 14. “All the NFA’s programs
will be evaluated. The government always presumes regularity.”
Cayanan was invited by the NFAC
as a resource person during its meeting on February 12. The DA is
currently not part of the council, the highest policy-making body of the NFA.
Under the resolution, the NFAC
would find out how and where the NFA distributed government-subsidized rice
sourced through imports and local palay procurement, according to Cayanan.
Cayanan disclosed that it was
Central Bank Deputy Governor for the Monetary Stability Sector Diwa C.
Guinigundo who proposed the resolution on the audit of the NFA’s programs. “It
is in a form of resolution that was actually seconded by the council. But no
timeline was given as to when it will be undertaken.”
Piñol commended the NFAC’s
decision to audit the state-run agency, saying it is high time for the
government to look into claims that the NFA favors some traders.
NFA Administrator Jason L.Y.
Aquino said he welcomes the NFAC initiative. “NFA management welcomes the
audit to shed light on issues regarding our distribution. Distribution levels
vary in each provinces and island-municipalities because they have different
daily-consumption requirement.”
“Some are palay-procuring and
some are not. Also, there are provinces that have high poverty incidence like
NCR, thus requires higher distribution,” Aquino added.
VEC discusses improvement of rice seed
business
Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The meeting of Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) on rice,
Wednesday, held at Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Islamabad.
National Coordinator (Rice) of PARC presented the working paper for all the sixteen proposals of rice hybrids for recommendation to the Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department. The representatives of national and multinational seed companies attended the meeting.
Presiding the variety evaluation committee meeting, Dr. Muhammad Anjum Ali, Member Plant Sciences Division, PARC emphasized the role of quality seed for the productivity and profitability of farmers and appreciated the role of seed companies for making efforts to improve the potential of rice hybrids in Pakistan. Afterwards under the provision of Seed Rules 2016, the standard operating procedures for the management of National Uniform Yield Trials and related business were presented along with the standards for evaluation of rice hybrids for evaluating the hybrids/varieties of rice for the coming crop.
Representatives of seed companies appreciated the role of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council for devising a transparent procedure and setting the new bench marks for testing of rice hybrids in Pakistan for the benefits of farmers as well as rice sector in Pakistan.
The VEC meeting on Rice, among others, was attended by technical members of the committee from National Agriculture Research System (NARS) of the country including Rice breeders, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, seed experts, policy-makers, private seed companies’ representatives and provincial seed cooperation representatives. Members of VEC also appreciated the role of private seed companies for taking interest in rice research and development and working in close collaboration with public sector.
National Coordinator (Rice) of PARC presented the working paper for all the sixteen proposals of rice hybrids for recommendation to the Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department. The representatives of national and multinational seed companies attended the meeting.
Presiding the variety evaluation committee meeting, Dr. Muhammad Anjum Ali, Member Plant Sciences Division, PARC emphasized the role of quality seed for the productivity and profitability of farmers and appreciated the role of seed companies for making efforts to improve the potential of rice hybrids in Pakistan. Afterwards under the provision of Seed Rules 2016, the standard operating procedures for the management of National Uniform Yield Trials and related business were presented along with the standards for evaluation of rice hybrids for evaluating the hybrids/varieties of rice for the coming crop.
Representatives of seed companies appreciated the role of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council for devising a transparent procedure and setting the new bench marks for testing of rice hybrids in Pakistan for the benefits of farmers as well as rice sector in Pakistan.
The VEC meeting on Rice, among others, was attended by technical members of the committee from National Agriculture Research System (NARS) of the country including Rice breeders, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, seed experts, policy-makers, private seed companies’ representatives and provincial seed cooperation representatives. Members of VEC also appreciated the role of private seed companies for taking interest in rice research and development and working in close collaboration with public sector.
DA rolls out ‘Bigas ng Masa’ affordable rice
program
By Catherine Teves, Philippine News Agency on February 14,
2018
MANILA — The
Department of Agriculture (DA) set its “Bigas ng Masa” affordable rice program
rolling on Wednesday, initially launching it in Quezon City and shortly farming
it out to its regional offices nationwide.
To make
it more accessible to more Filipinos, the DA said Bigas ng Masa outlets can be
set up in the regions, where farmers’ cooperatives can directly sell the
affordable rice to consumers.
“We’ll
help market their rice,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a media
briefing Wednesday.
Aside
from helping farmers earn, he said such marketing assistance under the Bigas ng
Masa would eliminate price-raising layers of middlemen and other players
crowding the supply chain, so consumers can buy rice that’s generally cheaper
than what’s sold in the market.
With
Bigas ng Masa, DA said consumers can buy quality rice at PHP38 per kilogram.
The DA
assured looking into interventions that would further lower rice prices without
draining the farmers’ income.
Piñol
expressed disappointment over reported increases in commercial prices of rice
after reports that the National Food Authority has dwindling rice stocks.
He said
this should not be the case, as rice harvest in the country even increased last
year, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The DA
and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) assured the country’s rice
situation is under control, noting “there’s enough rice for everybody” for 92
days straight. (PNA)
Bengal traders
cash in on slow paddy procurement
February 14 2018
Khaira: A
slow pace of procurement of paddy by 14 cooperative societies under Khaira
block in Balasore added to the overflowing woes of farmers. The problem was
allegedly due to an unholy nexus between civil supplies officials and rice
millers.
Scores of farmers are in a hurry to
pay off loans which they took from societies and private money lenders.
Impatient over the delay, they are compelled to sell their paddy to traders at
throwaway prices. Now, most of the traders from West Bengal have engaged their
agents in the area and are purchasing paddy from farmers.Meanwhile, many registered farmers voiced their resentment over tardy pace of procurement and warned of agitation unless the government hastens the procurement. Reports said, only 42 per cent of paddy has been purchased in this block in the last three months.
In the current season, 8288 farmers have registered themselves in 14 cooperative societies to sell off 2,93,652 quintals of paddy in Khaira block. Six rice mills including Ma Tarini, Agro Syndicate, Sutar Rice Milla, Jagannath , Ramchandi and Unidip have been roped in for procurement.
Paddy procurement was started from the first week of December, but at many place millers cited dust and stone granules mixed in paddy. They started reducing some quantities of paddy per quintal on such grounds. Farmers in Antara Mirzapur had expressed their resentment over the issue.
Farmers alleged that the civil supplies department has directed the societies to procure paddy in small quantities. By February 10, the societies have procured only 1,25,627 quintals. It was learnt that the procurement at Antara, Manitri, Kurunata, Osanga, Gagandhuli, Gadapokhari and Mirazapur cooperative societies are quite discouraging. Now, traders from neighbouring West Bengal are cashing in on the slow procurement and buy paddy for Rs 12,00 per quintal.
Keshab Nayak, a farmer of Mirzapur, alleged that West Bengal traders have been at work in the area at the tacit instruction of the officials responsible for procurement. Nakula Sahu of Garsang village said that millers are monopolizing the procurement, leading to such a mess.
Karunakar Biswal, a farmer from Jhinkiria village alleged that the millers and West Bengal traders have joined hands to scuttle quick paddy procurement. District civil supplies officer Jayshankar Manipatra said that the quantum of paddy is procured according to the security deposits being made by millers. PNN
15
