Economics alumnus helps guide monetary policies
for the Philippines
University of
Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Lisa M Shirota, (808) 956-7352
Communications Director, Social Sciences, Dean's Office
Communications Director, Social Sciences, Dean's Office
Posted: Mar 15, 2019
Victor Bruce J. Tolentino, Credit: Jason Arlan P. Raval - Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Archives
As a member of the Monetary Board of Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas
(BSP), University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumnus Victor Bruce J. Tolentino serves as a key resource in
agriculture-related and food security issues. The board is the policy-making
arm of BSP, the Philippines central bank that maintains price stability and a
strong financial system for the nation.
Prior to joining the Monetary
Board, Tolentino, who earned his doctorate from the economics department in the UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences, served as deputy
director general for communication and partnerships at the nonprofit
International Rice Research Institute, the world’s premier research
organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science.
“Tolentino’s expertise in economics and food security are a
great benefit to the people of the Philippines. Throughout his career, he has
explored the conditions and challenges facing individuals around the world, and
provided guidance on economic development and policy reform to many areas. He
is a true global leader and an inspiration to our students,” said Denise Eby Konan, dean of the College of Social
Sciences.
Tolentino has served in a variety
of positions throughout his career. Highlights include: The Asia Foundation’s
chief economist and director of Economic Reform and Development, and later the
country representative for Kabul, Afghanistan; consultant with Asian
Development Bank; programme coordinator/Somalia Rehabilitation Programme then
deputy programme manager/Cambodia Relief and Rehabilitation Programme of the
United Nations Development Programme; deputy minister of policy, planning and
international trade in the Ministry of Agriculture for the Philippines; and
East-West Center Fellow.
He earned a master of science
from the University of the Philippines School of Economics; a master of arts in
Economics from Xavier University; and a master of science and Bachelor of Arts
in Economics from Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan.
The mission of the Department of Economics in the UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences is to discover, refine, and disseminate economic knowledge, with emphasis on policy issues involving Hawai‘i and the Asia-Pacific region. Faculty members perform economic research, foster sound reasoning and decision-making through teaching, prepare students for careers, and provide service to the university, the state of Hawai‘i, the nation and the world. The department offers an undergraduate curriculum featuring student mentoring, free introductory course tutoring, a student-run club, internships, co-op work arrangements, study abroad programs, an Honors program, and research opportunities with faculty.
Colombian rice growers fight climate change with Japanese tech
Chris Burns
In partnership with
We explore a research facility in Saldaña, where Colombian and Japanese researchers are developing and testing new kinds of rice that are more resistant to drought and disease.
TECHNOLOGY TO MONITOR RICE
FIELD CONDITIONS
With the
Japanese firm PS Solutions, and
backed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA, they are also
using a system called e-kakashi which uses mobile technology, an app and
the Internet of Things to monitor field conditions including temperature and
moisture. Farmers can use that information to regulate their inputs more
efficiently.Nicolás Laserna, Farmer, and Researcher said, "The Japanese support has been very important, very interesting for us. They have taught us a lot of things on how to manage the rice in a different way than we used to do it. They have shown us how we can use less water, and they're also introducing a lot of new tools for us."
DROUGHT RESISTANT RICE
We then
traveled to a farm near Ibagué, where newly developed rice from the lab are being
grown, saving water and fertiliser. Farmers say the new rice and agri-tech
developed with the Japanese is making it easier for them to cope with the
extreme weather.Ruth Blanca Perdomo, Farmer said, "We use less water, yes, it consumes less water. The climate has changed a lot, with the temperature, the sun is very hot, so they developed this type of rice to resist this environment, this warming that's taking place."
During our visit, we saw how the region must cope with both, droughts in the summer and recent heavy rains that prevent the planting now, further justifying a tech approach to make cultivation more efficient.
In the capital Bogota, we spoke with the head of the programme at FEDEARROZ, the Colombian rice farmers federation, who says the work with Japanese researchers has helped its members become more productive and more competitive to boost international trade. The programme with FEDEARROZ is just one example of the century-old ties between the two countries.
Trade and investment play an important part, and they stand to increase as the two countries negotiate a free trade agreement
Dry Spell Cuts
Rice Yields In Kwale
Persistent drought has
drastically reduced rice production in Kwale County, leaving desperate farmers
lamenting over low incomes from the crop.
Rice fields in Mwangoi village,
Lungalunga Sub-county, a leading rice growing area in the region, have dried up
and locals are complaining of low yields compared to previous years.
The residents whose main economic
activity is rice farming blamed climate change for the decline.
They said the future looks bleak
as their only source of livelihood was at stake and called for urgent
interventions to stem further weather deterioration, which they attributed to
uncontrolled environmental destruction.
They added that they could no
longer grow the crop throughout the year due to lack of constant supply of
water for irrigation.
Led by their Chairman Mbwana
Hussein, the farmers and appealed for assistance in establishing rain water
harvesting technologies in the area to sustain rice farming during dry spells.
They accused the Kenya Forest
Service (KFS) of doing very little to stamp out rampant deforestation which is
posing a huge threat to the environment.
They claimed illegal and
indiscriminate felling of trees for timber and charcoal burning was still going
on in the area, despite a government ban on logging.
“The illegal harvesting of trees
is contributing immensely to the extreme weather changes which are impacting
negatively on agricultural yields. Something needs to be done to stop this
worrying trend,” said Hussein.
According to the villagers, their
incomes have dwindled due to the diminishing rice sales because the crop has
been hit hard by unfavourable weather conditions. “We cannot cater for our
basic needs as returns keep dropping,” he added.
At the same time, the residents
claimed flooding of the local market with rice imports from Tanzania was also
denying them an opportunity to sell their produce.
An affected farmer Athanus
Chabogo said the government should protect local farmers from unfair competition
by ensuring their rice is sold out and only allow imports to fill any gaps in
the commodity demand.
However, he conceded that
consumers preferred the imported rice brands because they were of superior
quality, owing to advanced rice processing technology compared to the local
one.
“We also need better rice mills
if we are to compete favourably with other players in the market,” said
Chabogo.
Meanwhile, according to the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), higher temperatures could
decrease rice yields as they make the flowers sterile and unproductive.
By Constance Mwandembo and James
Muchai
Dry Spell Cuts
Rice Yields In Kwale
Persistent drought has
drastically reduced rice production in Kwale County, leaving desperate farmers
lamenting over low incomes from the crop.
Rice fields in Mwangoi village,
Lungalunga Sub-county, a leading rice growing area in the region, have dried up
and locals are complaining of low yields compared to previous years.
The residents whose main economic
activity is rice farming blamed climate change for the decline.
They said the future looks bleak
as their only source of livelihood was at stake and called for urgent
interventions to stem further weather deterioration, which they attributed to
uncontrolled environmental destruction.
They added that they could no
longer grow the crop throughout the year due to lack of constant supply of
water for irrigation.
Led by their Chairman Mbwana
Hussein, the farmers and appealed for assistance in establishing rain water
harvesting technologies in the area to sustain rice farming during dry spells.
They accused the Kenya Forest
Service (KFS) of doing very little to stamp out rampant deforestation which is
posing a huge threat to the environment.
They claimed illegal and
indiscriminate felling of trees for timber and charcoal burning was still going
on in the area, despite a government ban on logging.
“The illegal harvesting of trees
is contributing immensely to the extreme weather changes which are impacting
negatively on agricultural yields. Something needs to be done to stop this
worrying trend,” said Hussein.
According to the villagers, their
incomes have dwindled due to the diminishing rice sales because the crop has
been hit hard by unfavourable weather conditions. “We cannot cater for our
basic needs as returns keep dropping,” he added.
At the same time, the residents
claimed flooding of the local market with rice imports from Tanzania was also
denying them an opportunity to sell their produce.
An affected farmer Athanus
Chabogo said the government should protect local farmers from unfair
competition by ensuring their rice is sold out and only allow imports to fill
any gaps in the commodity demand.
However, he conceded that
consumers preferred the imported rice brands because they were of superior
quality, owing to advanced rice processing technology compared to the local
one.
“We also need better rice mills
if we are to compete favourably with other players in the market,” said
Chabogo.
Meanwhile, according to the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), higher temperatures could
decrease rice yields as they make the flowers sterile and unproductive.
Asian Small-Clawed Otter Dies at
Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Mar. 15, 2019
Asia Trail keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are
mourning the loss of Peaches, a 7-year-old female Asian small-clawed otter who
was humanely euthanized March 11. Over the past eight months, animal care staff
had been treating Peaches for a cancerous mass located on her tongue and soft
plate. A final pathology report will provide more information in the coming
weeks. Typically, Asian small-clawed otters live up to 12 years in zoos; their
median life expectancy in the wild is unknown.
Keepers and veterinarians worked extensively with Peaches to
manage her health and provide her with the highest standard of care. Animal
care staff discovered a mass in Peaches’ mouth in August 2018. Zoo pathologists
confirmed the tumor was squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer. In response
to the diagnosis, Zoo veterinarians administered electrochemotherapy
treatments, which greatly reduced the size of the mass in the front of her
tongue. The novel treatments extended Peaches' survival by several months.
Despite ongoing treatment and care, Peaches’ quality of life declined. Due to
her poor prognosis, animal care staff made the decision to humanely euthanize
her March 11.
Peaches arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in 2012 from
the Santa Barbara Zoo in California. Most Zoo animals participate in the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP
scientists choose which animals to breed by considering their genetic
compatibility, personality, health and temperament, among other factors. Rather
than breed, Peaches served as an ambassador for her species, teaching Zoo staff
and visitors about Asian small-clawed otter biology, behavior and
socialization.
Asia Trail keepers fondly remember Peaches as a very social
otter who was very closely bonded with her siblings, Rutabaga and Kevin. The
three otters were frequently seen playing together, though Peaches also had an
independent streak. She often busied herself by exploring the habitat they
shared. In particular, she seemed to enjoy playing with rocks in the exhibit,
tossing them back-and-forth between her forepaws.
Asian small-clawed otters are classified as vulnerable by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature. Native to southern India, southern China, Southeast
Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines, this species lives in small streams,
rivers, marshes, rice paddy fields, seacoasts and mangroves. Scientists
consider these animals an indicator species, as they are highly sensitive to
habitat disturbances such as human development, aquaculture, pollution and
other ecosystem modifications. Asian small-clawed otter populations are
declining largely because of these factors.
Visitors to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo can see Asian
small-clawed otters Rutabaga and Kevin, as well as their father, Chowder and an
unrelated female, Valerie, at the Asia Trail exhibit.
# # #
Caption: Peaches, a female Asian small-clawed otter at the
Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Photo Credit: Tallie Wiles,
Smithsonian’s National Zoo
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/news/asian-small-clawed-otter-dies-smithsonians-national-zoo
Research Roundup: Green Tea &
Carrots, a Blood Test for PTSD and More
Published: Mar 15, 2019 By Mark Terry
There are plenty of great
scientific research stories out this week. Here’s a look at just a few of them.
Green Tea and Carrots Reversed Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Mice
Researchers at the University of Southern California fed mice a dietcontaining compounds found in green tea and carrots which
reversed Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in mice that had been programmed to develop
the disease. The two compounds were EGCG or epigallocatechin-3-gallate, found
in green tea, and ferulic acid (FA), found in carrots, tomatoes, rice, wheat
and oats. They published their research in the Journal
of Biological Chemistry.
“You don’t have to wait 10 to 12
years for a designer drug to make it to market; you can make these dietary
changes today,” stated senior author Terrence Town, professor of physiology and
neuroscience at the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Zilkha Neurogenetic
Institute. “I find that very encouraging.”
He went on to say, “After three
months, combination treatment completely restored working memory and the
Alzheimer’s mice performed just as well as the healthy comparison mice.”
They randomly assigned 32 mice
with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms to one of four groups. The mice were fed a
combination of EGCG and FA, or EGCG or FA only, or a placebo, for three months.
The dosage was 30 mg per kilogram of body weight, an amount that could be
easily eaten by people as part of a healthy, plant-based diet or as a
supplement. The researchers believe that the compounds, in part, prevent
amyloid precursor proteins from breaking into the smaller proteins called amyloid
beta that are key to Alzheimer’s development. They also seem to cut
neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the brain.
Possible Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Via Eye Exam
Scientists at Duke University Medical Center found that loss of blood vessels in the retina could be signs of Alzheimer’s disease. They
analyzed more than 200 people at the Duke Eye Center. The research was
published in the journal Ophthalmology Retina.
“We’re measuring blood vessels
that can’t be seen during a regular eye exam and we’re doing that with
relatively new noninvasive technology that takes high-resolution images of very
small blood vessels within the retina in just a few minutes,” stated the study’s
senior author, ophthalmologist and retinal surgeon Sharon Fekrat. “It’s
possible that these changes in blood vessel density in the retina could mirror
what’s going on in the tiny blood vessels in the brain, perhaps before we are
able to detect any changes in cognition.”
The study found that the web of
tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye inside the retina of 39 patients with
Alzheimer’s, compared to the 133 patients in a control group, were less dense.
The differences were statistically significant after controlling for factors
such as age, sex, and education level. The scan was performed using an optical
coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), which use light waves to reveal blood
flow in every layer of the retina.
A Possible Cure for Malaria?
In 2016, 216 million people around the world became ill with
malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, with
441,000 dying of the disease. Jorg Mohrle, vice president Head of Translational
Medicine of the productive development partnership, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) in Geneva, Switzerland, and with
the University of Basel, published research in the journal of theAmerican Society of Microbiology’s Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy,
describing a potential new drug that might cure the disease with a single dose.
The drug is DSM265.
“A single dose cure would provide
a treatment that could improve compliance, reduce development of resistance,
and eventually contribute to the eradication of this disease,” stated Morhle,
the study’s coauthor. “DSM265 has the potential to become part of such a single
dose cure.”
The current treatment requires
three days of combination therapy. A companion drug is also needed because of
the development of resistance. The malaria parasites have a complicated life
cycle, which makes it difficult to completely eradicate the disease once
acquired, resulting in possible recurrence. In the study, eight volunteers with
blood-stage malaria parasites received an initial dose of DSM265 on day 7. On
day 23, seven received a second dose. In those seven, the drug appeared to cure
the disease. The eighth patient never developed parasitemia.
Possible New Approach to Treating Leukemia?
Cancer cells utilize sugar faster than healthy cells. They also
consume more amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins and other
molecules. Winship Cancer Institute researchers at Emory University have identified a way to exploit that amino
acid appetite to selectively block the growth of leukemias. They published
their research in the journal Nature Metabolism. They identified a transporter enzyme called ASCT2 that carries
amino acids into the cells. The researchers deleted the gene coding for the
enzyme. This resulted in extending the survival of mice with acute myeloid
leukemia (AML) from 45 days to more than 300 days.
“So far, little progress has been
made in finding therapeutic targets in amino acid metabolic pathways that can
be harnessed to kill cancer cells but spare normal cells,” stated Cheng-Kui Qu,
lead researcher on the project. “This is a highly promising therapeutic target
for leukemia. ASCT2 is dispensable for normal blood cell development, but it is
required for leukemia development and progression.”
The biggest surprise was that
deleting the gene for ASCT2 didn’t significantly disrupt blood cell
development. They noted, however, that the mice took longer to recover white
blood cell counts after the chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Qu noted,
“Although our overall findings strongly suggest ASCT2 as a therapeutic target
for leukemia treatment, researchers will need to exercise caution in combining
ASCT2 inhibitors with chemotherapy in clinical trials.”
Brains of Hispanic Dementia Patients Look Different than
Non-Hispanic Whites and African-Americans
A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Davis found dramatic differences in the brains of Hispanic dementia patients compared to
those of non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans. The study was based on
broad-ranging analyses of autopsied brains. The research was published in the Journal
of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The study looked at 423 brains in
individuals from multiple ethnoracial groups. The patients all had dementia and
had been evaluated at the University of California Davis Alzheimer’s Disease
Center. The team used bootstrap resampling and logistic regression
standardization. It has long been noted that Hispanic and African Americans had
higher rates of dementia than non-Hispanic whites. This study found that
Hispanics and African Americans were more likely to have mixed diseases, such
as a combination of Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease, as opposed
to pure Alzheimer’s disease.
“There is fairly decent evidence
today that there are similarities and differences, and that it’s never good to
have the brain shrink, particularly around the temporal lobe, but the cause of
this dementia seems different depending on whether you’re white, black or
Latino,” stated Charles DeCarli, principal investigator. “These differences can
be due to numerous factors including cultural, social, economic, and/or
behavioral influences.”
He went on to say, “If you are
Latino and diabetic or black and hypertensive, you are probably at higher risk
for dementia and these risks should be addressed aggressively. It’s a way to
tailor our approach to the individual, and it’s something we want to do as
early as possible.”
A Blood Test for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Researchers at Indiana University have developed a blood test that could help more accurately
diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The study tracked more than
250 veterans in over 600 visits at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, attempting to
identify a molecule in the blood to track stress intensity. The research was
published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Over a decade, they evaluated
gene expression in participants in both low- and high-stress states. They
narrowed the research down to 285 individual biomarkers related to 269 genes,
which were compared to other identified markers of stress and aging.
“There are similar tests like
this in other fields, like cancer, where a physician can biopsy the affected part
of the body to determine the stage of disease,” stated Alexander Niculescu, who
led the study. “But when it comes to mental health, biopsying the brain isn’t
an option. Our research is applying similar concepts from other areas of
medicine, but we’re engineering new ways that will allow us to track mental
symptoms objectively, including stress, using blood, or so-called ‘liquid
biopsies.’”
Customs at Seme records massive
seizure of foreign rice
ON MARCH 15, 20195:11 PMIN NEWS1 COMMENT …
Arrests 7 suspects The Seme Area Command of
Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has arrested seven suspects in connection with
smuggling within Seme border communities. Uba Mohammed The Customs Area
Controller, CAC, of the Command, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, made this known,
explained that the arrest was made possible through information patrol and the
use of intelligence in their anti-smuggling drive within Seme region.
Smuggling: Seme Customs resort to dialogue with boarder communities The Command
also recorded massive seizures of rice, sugar, vegetable oil, second-hand
clothes, shoes and other items smuggled into the country illegally through Seme
border, within just few weeks of operations. It was observed that the Customs warehouse
at Seme was filled to the brim with seizures of rice and other items
intercepted within a short period, even as seized vehicles used for means of
conveyance in smuggling prohibited items were seen outside the warehouse. On
the strategies used in making the mind boggling seizures within few weeks, the
CAC said, “Our Enforcement Unit, headed by the Deputy Comptroller of
Enforcement, DC Adhaunse, is working tirelessly to protect our economic
environment at seme axis from influx of prohibited goods.” He pointed out, “We
are implementing the fiscal policies of the Federal Government. As such, we
will seize any item that is banned and forfeit such item to government”.
Comptroller Uba explained, 
“In
reality, the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA, gives Customs operatives
the authority to patrol freely on land borders and Seme Command is not an
exemption. So, we will continue to carry out our enforcement operations in
accordance with the law”. Comptroller Uba also spoke on effectiveness of the
Joint Border Post, JBP, at Seme for information sharing among security officers
of both countries, revealing that another Joint border post for Nigeria and
Cameroon is in progress in Cross River State. Customs Checkpoints: We have
patrol units, not checkpoints — Customs boss He said, “The JBP is very
effective in harmonisation of processes at the border between Nigeria and Benin
Republic. It allows one entry, one exit and one control. The economic benefits
include trade facilitation, integration, as well as information sharing among
security agencies of Nigeria and Benin Republic”.
“In
reality, the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA, gives Customs operatives
the authority to patrol freely on land borders and Seme Command is not an
exemption. So, we will continue to carry out our enforcement operations in
accordance with the law”. Comptroller Uba also spoke on effectiveness of the
Joint Border Post, JBP, at Seme for information sharing among security officers
of both countries, revealing that another Joint border post for Nigeria and
Cameroon is in progress in Cross River State. Customs Checkpoints: We have
patrol units, not checkpoints — Customs boss He said, “The JBP is very
effective in harmonisation of processes at the border between Nigeria and Benin
Republic. It allows one entry, one exit and one control. The economic benefits
include trade facilitation, integration, as well as information sharing among
security agencies of Nigeria and Benin Republic”.
Dry Spell Cuts
Rice Yields In Kwale
Persistent drought has
drastically reduced rice production in Kwale County, leaving desperate farmers
lamenting over low incomes from the crop.
Rice fields in Mwangoi village,
Lungalunga Sub-county, a leading rice growing area in the region, have dried up
and locals are complaining of low yields compared to previous years.
The residents whose main economic
activity is rice farming blamed climate change for the decline.
They said the future looks bleak
as their only source of livelihood was at stake and called for urgent
interventions to stem further weather deterioration, which they attributed to
uncontrolled environmental destruction.
They added that they could no
longer grow the crop throughout the year due to lack of constant supply of
water for irrigation.
Led by their Chairman Mbwana
Hussein, the farmers and appealed for assistance in establishing rain water
harvesting technologies in the area to sustain rice farming during dry spells.
They accused the Kenya Forest
Service (KFS) of doing very little to stamp out rampant deforestation which is
posing a huge threat to the environment.
They claimed illegal and
indiscriminate felling of trees for timber and charcoal burning was still going
on in the area, despite a government ban on logging.
“The illegal harvesting of trees
is contributing immensely to the extreme weather changes which are impacting
negatively on agricultural yields. Something needs to be done to stop this
worrying trend,” said Hussein.
According to the villagers, their
incomes have dwindled due to the diminishing rice sales because the crop has
been hit hard by unfavourable weather conditions. “We cannot cater for our basic
needs as returns keep dropping,” he added.
At the same time, the residents
claimed flooding of the local market with rice imports from Tanzania was also
denying them an opportunity to sell their produce.
An affected farmer Athanus
Chabogo said the government should protect local farmers from unfair
competition by ensuring their rice is sold out and only allow imports to fill
any gaps in the commodity demand.
However, he conceded that
consumers preferred the imported rice brands because they were of superior
quality, owing to advanced rice processing technology compared to the local
one.
“We also need better rice mills
if we are to compete favourably with other players in the market,” said
Chabogo.
Meanwhile, according to the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), higher temperatures could
decrease rice yields as they make the flowers sterile and unproductive.
Changes in
rainfall could affect global food supplies
Climate-induced
changes in rainfall will affect staple crops even if greenhouse gas emissions
are radically reduced to meet targets set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement,
according to a new study published on 11 March in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (1).
As global temperatures continue to
rise, precipitation will actually increase, however, rainfall patterns vary
quite significantly across the globe and follow the so-called “rich-get-richer
and poor-get-poorer” mechanism. This means that wet regions, such as the
tropics and high latitudes, will become wetter, dry regions in the subtropics
will become drier. Many regions have already surpassed “historical” averages
and created new norms, including Russia, Norway, Canada and the parts of the East
Coast of the United States.
As the authors note, rainfed
agriculture accounts for between 60 to 95 per cent of farmland across the
developing world. Less rainfall will likely mean significant changes in crop
productivity and could drastically affect global food production. Therefore,
adaptive measures will be needed to ensure food security in the 21st century.
The researchers used climate models
to examine four different emissions scenarios (low to high) and to determine
when permanent changes in rainfall are likely to occur in the coming decades.
They also considered how these changes might affect agriculture, focusing on
four essential crops ― wheat, maize, rice, and soybean ― that account for
around 40 per cent of total global calorie intake.
Although meeting the emissions targets of the Paris
Agreement could significantly reduce
areas of croplands affected, up to 14 per cent of land dedicated to growing
wheat, corn, rice, and soybeans will be drier by 2040 due to climate-driven
changes in rainfall and 31 per cent will be wetter, the authors report. Higher
emissions would mean the changes will occur sooner. Under the high-emission
scenario, up to 36 per cent of lands could become drier or wetter.
The researchers also identified the
regions most at risk of being affected. Southwestern Australia, Southern
Africa, southwestern South America, and the Mediterranean will experience much
less precipitation. Major wheat producers such as Australia, Algeria, Morocco,
South Africa, Mexico, Spain, Chile, Turkey, Italy, and Egypt can expect drier
conditions, ranging from 15 to 100 per cent drier.
Wheat fields northern Europe, the
United States, Canada, and Russia will be wetter. China and India will also
have much wetter fields, under all emissions scenarios. Other major rice
producing countries, including Japan, Korea and the Philippines, will also
experience more rainfall. More precipitation can improve crop productivity but
also increases the risk of floods.
Previous studies also predicted
precipitation changes, however, this time the researchers looked at the spatial
distribution of croplands and growing seasons alongside rainfall to assess
which agricultural production regions are most likely to be affected. Knowing
future rainfall patterns and how much time there is to prepare could help
farmers develop new strategies and adaptive measures to cope with the changes.
(1) Rojas, M et al. Emergence of
robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2019). 201811463 DOI:
10.1073/pnas.1811463116
PH drought an eye-opener to bad rice importation policy – solon
Published March 15, 2019, 5:54 PM
By Ellson Quismorio
The current dry spell in several
provinces caused by El Niño should open the government’s eyes to the terrible
idea that is all-out rice importation, Butil Party-list Rep. Cecil Chavez said
Friday.
According to her, a hypothetical
drought in the world’s top rice-producing countries could wipe out the global
rice surplus overnight and plunge the rice-consuming countries such as the
Philippines into a mad scramble for rice stocks amid skyrocketing prices.
A rice field shows an early sign of drought as some of its parts
begin to dry up at Brgy. Lawang Cupang, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija, January 25,
2019. (FILE PHOTO / MARK BALMORES / MANILA BULLETIN)
“If there is a lesson that could
be learned from the current Philippine drought, it is the untenability of
anchoring the rice and food security needs of our country on importation,”
Chavez said.
Chavez warned that a drought on
the rice farms of China and India, the world’s top rice producers, is enough to
radically bring down global rice production and instantly wipe out the 50
million metric tons of rice surplus that is traded on the global market.
If rice production in these two
countries falter, no amount of bountiful yields from Vietnam, Thailand and
Bangladesh could offset the resulting production loss. “Nothing can stabilize
the global rice supply,” she claimed.
The pro-small farmer lawmaker
said the global rice surplus of about 50 million metric tons is enough during
normal times but this could easily disappear once China or India – known for
their huge populations – ramp up their rice importation.
China, despite its record as the
top rice producer, imports rice regularly, around six million metric tons
annually, Chavez noted.
The drop in the volume of globally
traded rice would bring a worst-case scenario to the Philippines, which has
abandoned the pursuit of rice self-sufficiency in favor of unlimited rice
importation, she said.
Rice self-sufficiency achievable
Chavez said that in 2008, the
Philippines imported more than two million metric tons of rice to offset the
drought-induced short supply, a world record. If that scenario will take place
in either China and or India, there surely will be panic and confusion in the
rice-consuming countries, she said.
Chavez said there is no alternative
to rice self-sufficiency, which the Philippine government can pursue on the
basis on moderate costs and sound economics.
“If the Philippine government
will just give half of the support that the governments of Vietnam and Thailand
currently give to their rice farmers, we will be on our road to rice
self-sufficiency,” she said.
The lady solon said that the
basis of the policy to end the quantitative restriction on rice imports and
open up the country to unlimited rice importation was based on “voodoo
economics” and was peddled by the economic managers of the Duterte
administration.
Chavez has asked for a reset on
the policy as well as the pursuit of the more tenable and stable option of
producing rice that is enough for national requirements.
Rice tariffication needs ‘delicate’
balance, says party-list group
Sulong Dignidad Party-list said the rice tariffication law
should “strike a delicate balance” between the interests of consumers who will
benefit from cheaper rice and farmers who could be affected by liberalizing
rice importation.
This after an official of the National Economic and Development
Authority said that imported rice will push prices lower than the NFA’s selling
price once imports start arriving in markets.
“Lower rice prices would be greatly appreciated by the
consumers. But how about our farmers?” said Sulong Dignidad president and first
nominee lawyer Rico Paolo Quicho.
“The government and its economic managers should strike a
delicate balance in order to represent the interest of both the consumers and
producers,” he added.
Quicho also expressed concern over the effects of rice
liberalization to local farmers after the Philippine Institute for Development
Studies projected a 29-percent decline in rice farmers’ income upon
implementation of the tariffication law.
“There are already projections that our farmers would suffer
losses. Our local rice farmers cannot expect to compete against cheaper imports
if rice prices suddenly dropped,” he added.
Quicho said that while the new law would establish a Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, it would be hard for local farmers to compete
against rice importers if the Rice Tariffication Act is implemented before
local farmers could improve their productivity.
“We urge the president and his economic team to implement rice
tariffication gradually to help prepare farmers for the effects of the reform,”
Quicho said.
Quicho said Sulong Dignidad will continue to push for cheaper
prices of goods and providing subsidies for Filipino farmers to ensure their
social and economic inclusion in the growth of the Philippine economy.
“More than rice tariffication, our farmers need government
support through land reform, free irrigation, seed and fertilizer subsidies,
and crop insurance,” Quicho added.
U.S. Rice Quality Put to the Test in
Nicaragua
By Asiha Grigsby
MANAGUA, NICARAGUA -- Earlier this week USA
Rice embarked on an important mission to distribute long grain rice samples to
the two major rice industry leaders in Nicaragua, Agri-Corp and Samuel Mansell
S.A. Together they represent 80 percent
of the market share in the Nicaraguan rice industry and are both longtime
purchasers of U.S. rice.
Historically, Nicaragua consistently imported
more than 100,000 metric tons of U.S. rice annually; however, in 2010 they
began to diversify their suppliers to include Brazil, Uruguay, and Guyana due
to concerns about U.S. rice quality after a rebuke of the product by
consumers. Nicaragua also has developed
more advanced systems and technologies to improve the yield and quality of
their national production, so much so that currently 70 percent of their
national consumption is supplied by rice grown in country.
Quality of U.S. rice was the main topic for
discussion during the meetings. The
leadership of each organization spoke candidly about the importance of an alliance
with the United States and how they were forced to consider other suppliers who
provided the quality of rice preferred by their customers.
The meetings first included a cooking test
comparing samples of a previous shipment of U.S. rice to Brazilian and
Nicaraguan varieties. Clearly the U.S.
has work to do and executives from Agri-Corp and Samuel Mansell explained why
the competition prevailed: from a
Nicaraguan consumer perspective, quality is based on whiteness, grain
uniformity, little chalk, and above all, no stickiness. U.S. rice lagged behind the competition on
all fronts.
Next, the importers evaluated nine U.S.
varieties brought to the country. In a
blind test based only on appearance, every importer identified Cheneire,
Presidio, and PVL01 as options to be considered for further analysis. However, after judging all nine in a standard
cooking test, the top three were CL163, Cheniere, and PVL01 in that order. These three rated above five on their 0-10
scale which indicates acceptability for Nicaraguan consumers.
"We appreciate the opportunity to openly
discuss our concerns with USA Rice, and we desire to work with North American
suppliers to once again promote U.S. rice as the premium product in the
country," said Fernando Mansell, general manager of Samuel Mansell
S.A. "It is in our best interest to
have a strong business relationship with our U.S. counterparts, however, our
priority is to provide the Nicaraguan market with the product they demand."
"There is no doubt that we have some quality
concerns from our Nicaraguan counterparts," said USA Rice's Dr. Steve
Linscombe who conducted the tests.
"I am confident they can be addressed if we have the wherewithal to
ensure that the rice distributed to the country is of the quality standard that
they require."
USA Rice's Asiha Grigsby and Steve Linscombe
check out the competition
Non-basmati exporters want sops under MEIS
extended
Vishwanath Kulkarni Bengaluru | Updated
on March 14, 2019 Published
onMarch 14, 2019
High costs
coupled with a stronger rupee have hit shipments
Indian non-basmati rice exporters
have begun to lose the white rice market in Africa, the largest buyer, to competitors
such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Pakistan as a hike in the minimum support price
for paddy and an appreciating rupee have impacted the competitiveness of the
cereal.
Though the Centre had provided an
incentive of 5 per cent under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)
since November 25, the recent strengthening of the rupee has offset the impact
of the scheme, exporters said.
Moreover, the MEIS ends on March
25 and so far, there has been no clarity on its continuation. As a result,
international buyers are holding on to their orders, awaiting the Indian
government’s stance on the incentive. “No orders are being booked beyond March
25. As a result, there’s a kind of uncertainty,” said BV Krishna Rao, President
of The Rice Exporters Association, in Kakinada.
Rice exporters have urged the
Centre to extend the MEIS till March 2020, when the current export policy ends.
“We also want the Government to enhance the quantum of the MEIS incentive to 10
per cent to deal with the challenges posed by the volatile currency also the
lower prices of the competitors,” Rao said. The rupee was trading at 74 against
the US dollar during November end when MEIS was introduced for rice. Now the
rupee is trading at 69.35 against the dollar, Rao said.
While Myanmar is selling white
rice brokens as low as $295 per tonne, Pakistan is pricing it at $320 and
Vietnam at $330. However, the Indian exporters are unable to price it below
$350 per tonne, due to higher sourcing cost on account of increase in MSP. “As
a result, we are losing markets to these countries,” Rao said. In the
par-boiled category, India competes with Thailand, another major producer of
the variety. The white rice, including both 25 per cent brokens and 100 per
cent brokens, account for a third of India’s non-basmati rice shipments, while
the par-boiled variety accounts for the rest.
Shipments of non-basmati, the
third largest product after basmati and buffalo meat in India’s agri-export
basket, for the April-January period have witnessed a decline in both volumes
and value. Exports for the period stood at 6.12 million tonnes as against 7.24
mt in the same period last year. In dollar value, the non-basmati rice exports
are lower by 18 per cent at $2.44 billion, while in rupee terms the decline is
around 12 per cent at ₹16,971 crore.
“Incentivising exports will help
farmers get a good price,” said RK Reddy, President of Rice Mills Association
in Andhra Pradesh, where the harvest of the rabi crop will commence over next
few weeks. “The crop has been good compared to last year,” he said. As per the
latest estimates, rice production is expected touch a new high of 115.60 mt
during the current 2018-19 season. Rice stocks in the Central pool stood higher
at 22.79 mt as on February 1.
Published on March 14, 2019
Malaysian CG calls for reviewing tariff increase of air
conditioners
KARACHI: Consul General (CG) of
Malaysia Khairul Nazam Abd Rahman, while expressing concerns over the decision
taken by Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce to increase tariff (Regulatory Duty)
on import of air conditioners, said that the decision to raise tariffs on
import of air conditioners and other such products was notified through an SRO
which is a violation of Pakistan-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement therefore it
needs to be reviewed.
Speaking at a meeting during his
visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Malaysian CG said
that instead of increasing tariffs through imposition of Regulatory Duties, the
government may come up with some kind of system in which a win-win situation is
created and Malaysian exporters are not affected.
Nazam further commented that
although Pakistan and Malaysia have signed an FTA but not much momentum in
trade has been witnessed which also requires special attention and efforts from
both sides. “Although trade has been improving but at a relatively slow pace.
Trade volume improved marginally by just 2.5 percent last year”, he added.
He said that this was the right
time to ‘connect’ and work collectively as new governments have taken charge of
the country’s affairs in Pakistan and Malaysia.
Malaysian CG emphasised on
regular exchange of trade delegations and participation in trade promotional
activities taking place in both the countries throughout the year which would
surely help in furthering the existing relations between the two brotherly
countries.
Highlighting some of the
potential areas, The CG advised the Pakistan exporters to look into the
possibility of exporting Basmati, IRRI-6 rice and mangoes to Malaysia which
were being offered at competitive prices while the Malaysian business community
can also look into the possibility of venturing into various infrastructural projects
in Pakistan, particularly the 5 million houses scheme announced by the
government which was a good opportunity.
Success stories were needed to
reap the interest of Malaysian business community in numerous opportunities
available in Pakistan, he added.
Global Basmati Rice Market By Leading Players, Industry Size,
Application And Growth Forecast To 2025
March 14, 2019Bertha GoodmanLeave A CommentOn Global Basmati Rice
Market By Leading Players, Industry Size, Application And Growth Forecast To
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In this report, the Basmati Rice market worth about x.xx
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The Basmati Rice report provides the past, present and future
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strategies.
>Figure Global Production Market Share of Basmati Rice by
Types (Indian Basmati Rice, Pakistani Basmati Rice,
Kenya Basmati Rice) and by Applications (
Direct Edible, Deep Processing) in 2019.
Finally, the report Worldwide Basmati Rice Market 2019
represents industry enlargement game plan, the industry data source, appendix,
research findings, and the conclusion.
Worldwide Basmati Rice Market report gives a diligent survey of
leading players in the market along with their annual proceeds, manufacturing
company profiles, contact information such as phone number or email address,
different business game plans of the market, their input to the market.
Moreover, the report also features other contradictory characters that include
import/export details, Basmati Rice supply chain outlines, manufacturing
guidelines, Basmati Rice market advancement outlook, consumer volume, business
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Read More Report: https://lookatmeenow.com/global-playground-equipment-market-by-leading-players-industry-size-application-and-growth-forecast-to-2025/#Link
·
·
Malaysian CG For Reviewing Tariff Increase Of Air Conditioners
Consul General of Malaysia Khairul
Nazam Abd Rahman, while expressing concerns over the decision taken by
Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce to increase tariff (Regulatory Duty) on import
of air conditioners, said that the decision to raise tariffs on import of air
conditioners and other such products was notified through an SRO which is a
violation of Pakistan-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement therefore it needs to be
reviewed
KARACHI (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point
News / NNI - 14th March, 2019) Consul General of Malaysia Khairul Nazam Abd Rahman, while expressing concerns over the
decision taken by Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce to increase tariff (Regulatory Duty) on import of air conditioners, said that the decision to raise tariffs
on import of air conditioners and other such products was notified
through an SRO which is a violation of Pakistan-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement therefore it needs to be reviewed.Speaking at a meeting
during his visit to the KarachiChamber of Commerce & Industry, the Malaysian CG said that instead of increasing tariffs through
imposition of Regulatory Duties, the government may come up with some kind of system in which a win-win
situation is created and Malaysian exporters are not affected.President KCCI
Junaid Esmail Makda, Senior Vice President Khurram Shahzad, Vice President Asif
Sheikh Javaid, Chairman Diplomatic Missions & Embassies Liaison
Subcommittee Shamoon Zaki and Managing Committee Members were also present at
the meeting.Khairul Nazam further commented that although Pakistan and Malaysia have signed an FTA but not much momentum in trade has been
witnessed which also requires special attention and efforts from both sides.
"Although trade has been
improving but at a relatively slow pace. Trade volume improved marginally by just 2.5 percent last year",
he added.He said that this was the right time to 'connect' and work
collectively as new governments have taken charge of the country's affairs
in Pakistanand Malaysia.He emphasized on regular exchange of trade delegations and participation in trade promotional
activities taking place in both the countries throughout the year which would
surely help in furthering the existing relations between the two brotherly
countries.Highlighting some of the potential areas, Malaysian CG advised
the Pakistani exporters to look into the possibility of exporting Basmati,
IRRI-6 rice and mangoes to Malaysia which were being offered at competitive prices while the Malaysian business community can also look into the possibility of venturing
into various infrastructural projects in Pakistan, particularly the 5 million houses scheme announced by the government which was a good opportunity.
Success stories were needed to reap
the interest of Malaysian business community in numerous opportunities available in Pakistan, he added.He said that during the last 8 months since he assumed
charge as Malaysian Consul General, he found the citizens of Karachi very friendly and hospitable.Earlier, President KCCI Junaid
Esmail Makda, while welcoming the Malaysian Consul General, opined that
Pakistan-Malaysian relations were expected to improve further as the
present government was very serious towards fostering the existing relations
between the two brotherly countries.
Referring to concerns expressed by
Malaysian CG on imposition of RD, Junaid Makda said that numerous diplomats
including the GermanConsul General also expressed similar concerns
over the imposition of RD but this step has been taken by the government to purely discourage unnecessary imports of luxury items as
under the prevailing circumstances, Pakistan was not in a position to spend billions of Dollars on imports of luxury items.
However, Junaid Makda assured the
Malaysian Consul General that KCCI would discuss this particular issue
pertaining to RD on air conditioners with PM's Advisor Abdul Razzak Dawood and
Finance Minister Asad Umer as Pakistan cannot retreat from its commitments made under FTA with Malaysia.Highlighting the trade and investment
potential of Karachi, which is the economic hub of Pakistan, he said that this city offers profitable investment
opportunities and added facilities for trade, investment and joint ventures to
Malaysian business and industrial community.
The significance of Karachi can be gauged from the fact that Federal Finance Minister Asad Umer during a recent meeting with
Presidents of major Chambers of Commerce which was presided over by Prime Minister Imran
Khan, admitted that Karachi contributes 70 percent revenue to the national exchequer.
"It is for the very first time
that the federal government has accepted Karachi's contribution as all the previous governments either denied, argued or disagreed
over Karachi city's lead role in economic development of Pakistan", he added.Junaid Makda stressed that Pakistan and Malaysia have to find new areas for mutual cooperation and try to further boost trade and economic ties.
"There is huge potential for
joint ventures and investment in the areas of Islamic Finance, Halal food industries, Energy, Low cost housing, infra-structure development, telecommunications and education", he noted, adding that Malaysia was a potential market for Pakistani fruits and vegetables like mangoes, oranges, onions and
potatoes.Referring to Pakistan's splendid and hard-working human resource, he said that there
was a great potential for Pakistan to export its skilled, technical and educated human resource
to Malaysia.He informed the Malaysian CG that Pakistan was an open economy with no restrictions where Malaysian
firms and contractors can benefit by establishing businesses. https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/malaysian-cg-for-reviewing-tariff-increase-of-570901.html
Non-basmati
exporters want sops under MEIS extended
Vishwanath Kulkarni Bengaluru | Updated on March
14, 2019 Published onMarch 14, 2019
High costs
coupled with a stronger rupee have hit shipments
Indian non-basmati rice exporters
have begun to lose the white rice market in Africa, the largest buyer, to
competitors such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Pakistan as a hike in the minimum
support price for paddy and an appreciating rupee have impacted the competitiveness
of the cereal.
Though the Centre had provided an
incentive of 5 per cent under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)
since November 25, the recent strengthening of the rupee has offset the impact
of the scheme, exporters said.
Moreover, the MEIS ends on March
25 and so far, there has been no clarity on its continuation. As a result,
international buyers are holding on to their orders, awaiting the Indian
government’s stance on the incentive. “No orders are being booked beyond March
25. As a result, there’s a kind of uncertainty,” said BV Krishna Rao, President
of The Rice Exporters Association, in Kakinada.
Rice exporters have urged the
Centre to extend the MEIS till March 2020, when the current export policy ends.
“We also want the Government to enhance the quantum of the MEIS incentive to 10
per cent to deal with the challenges posed by the volatile currency also the
lower prices of the competitors,” Rao said. The rupee was trading at 74 against
the US dollar during November end when MEIS was introduced for rice. Now the
rupee is trading at 69.35 against the dollar, Rao said.
While Myanmar is selling white
rice brokens as low as $295 per tonne, Pakistan is pricing it at $320 and
Vietnam at $330. However, the Indian exporters are unable to price it below
$350 per tonne, due to higher sourcing cost on account of increase in MSP. “As
a result, we are losing markets to these countries,” Rao said. In the
par-boiled category, India competes with Thailand, another major producer of
the variety. The white rice, including both 25 per cent brokens and 100 per
cent brokens, account for a third of India’s non-basmati rice shipments, while
the par-boiled variety accounts for the rest.
Shipments of non-basmati, the
third largest product after basmati and buffalo meat in India’s agri-export
basket, for the April-January period have witnessed a decline in both volumes
and value. Exports for the period stood at 6.12 million tonnes as against 7.24
mt in the same period last year. In dollar value, the non-basmati rice exports
are lower by 18 per cent at $2.44 billion, while in rupee terms the decline is
around 12 per cent at ₹16,971 crore.
“Incentivising exports will help
farmers get a good price,” said RK Reddy, President of Rice Mills Association
in Andhra Pradesh, where the harvest of the rabi crop will commence over next
few weeks. “The crop has been good compared to last year,” he said. As per the
latest estimates, rice production is expected touch a new high of 115.60 mt
during the current 2018-19 season. Rice stocks in the Central pool stood higher
at 22.79 mt as on February 1.
emand from
Bangladesh drives up price of Bengal’s aromatic rice Gobindobhog
Shobha Roy Kolkata | Updated on March
14, 2019 Published on March 14, 2019
Gobindobhog rice being harvested Debasish Bhaduri - Debasish Bhaduri
Firm demand from Bangladesh and
other markets in South India for Bengal’s premium variety of aromatic rice —
Gobindobhog — is driving prices northwards. The price of Gobindobhog paddy is
up by nearly 17 per cent at ₹3,500 a quintal this year, as compared with ₹3,000 a quintal in the same period last year.
Gobindobhog is a non-Basmati type
indigenous aromatic rice from West Bengal. The paddy variety, which got the GI
(Geographical Indication) status in August 2017, is primarily cultivated in
East Burdwan district in the Raina 1, Raina 2 and Khandaghosh blocks.
According to Suraj Agarwal, CEO,
Tirupati Agri Trade, the price of Gobindobhog rice is up by nearly 9 per cent
at ₹5,100 a quintal, as compared with ₹4,700 a quintal in the same period last year.
“The price was ruling at around ₹4,500 a quintal at the millers’ end at the beginning of this
season in January. Then it suddenly witnessed a spike and increased to ₹5,100 a quintal by end February due to heavy demand from
Bangladesh,” Agarwal told BusinessLine.
Spurt in
demand
There was a sudden demand for
around 10,000 tonnes of Gobindobhog rice from Bangladesh this year, market
sources said. Tirupati Agri, which markets the rice under the ‘Rice Villa’
brand, has exported close to 550 tonnes of Gobindobhog so far during this season.
It had exported around 1,000 tonnes the whole of last year. The company exports
to Bangladesh and West Asia.
Apart from Bangladesh, there has
been a steady rise in demand from Kerala and other markets in South India, said
Tamal Mal, Director of Greenstarline Udyog, manufacturer, trader and exporter
of different varieties of rice from Bengal.
Better
prospects
The increase in prices is despite
the fact that the State witnessed a 17 per cent rise in production of
Gobindobhog paddy this year. West Bengal produced close to 2.8 lakh tonnes of
Gobindobhog paddy in 2018-19, as compared to 2.4 lakh tonnes produced in
2017-18. Nearly 55-56 per cent of this is converted to rice.
Driven by the prospect of earning
more, farmers in Bengal have taken to cultivating Gobindobhog. The area under
cultivation, which was close to 35 hectares in 2016-17, has increased to 51
hectares in 2018-19.
Farmers cultivating this variety
stand to earn ₹2,000 a bag (of 60 kg) or close
to ₹3,300 a quintal, as compared with ₹800-900 a bag (of 60 kg) or ₹1,500 a quintal for the common Swarna variety.
As compared to 12-13 bags (of 60
kg) of Swarna on every bigha of land, farmers get about 10 bags of Gobindobhog
on each bigha. The cultivation cost per bigha for Swarna is close to ₹6,000-7,000 while that for Gobindobhog is ₹9,000-10,000. However, the lower yield and higher expense is
more than offset by the remunerative price that Gobindobhog fetches.
BOC eases rice import rules
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:38 AM March 15, 2019
To facilitate easier entry of imports as
mandated under the rice tariffication law, the Bureau of Customs simplified
processes and removed the advance duty previously slapped on importers.
Noting that the implementing rules and
regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 11203 that took effect on March 5
were yet to be issued, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero released interim
guidelines on certain provisions of the new law.
Under the March 5 memorandum, Guerrero said
all rice importation would be processed under regular customs cargo clearance
procedures, unlike before when the National Food Authority (NFA) had to issue
import permits prior to entry.
RA 11203 took away the NFA’s commercial
functions and regulatory powers and retained only its emergency buffer stocking
mandate.
Also, Guerrero said rice shipments would no
longer be slapped the advance customs duty that was required before.
Under RA 11203, the following tariff rates
now apply: 35 percent if rice was imported from Asean member-countries; 40
percent on rice within the 350,000 metric ton minimum access volume (MAV) and
imported from World Trade Organization member-countries outside Asean, and 180
percent for rice above the MAV.
Guerrero said that pending the issuance of
the IRR, district collectors might allow release of shipments “due to the
perishable nature of rice importation and in order to protect the interest of
the government,” citing provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act
(CMTA) on provisional goods declaration.
The BOC, however, requires all rice
importers to secure a sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC) from
the Bureau of Plant Industry before importation.
“Rice importation should arrive prior to
the expiration of the SPSIC from the BPI,” the BOC said.
Read more: https://business.inquirer.net/266674/boc-eases-rice-import-rules#ixzz5iKoSt7fx
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
MARCH 15, 2019 / 12:58 PM / A DAY AGO
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- March 15, 2019
·
·
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-March 15, 2018
Nagpur, Mar 15 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices reported higher in Nagpur
Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good buying support from
local millers amid weak supply from producing belts. Good rise on NCDEX in
gram, upward trend in pulses in other foodgrain mandis and enquiries from
South-based millers also jacked up prices. About 1,100 bags of tuar and 9,000
bags of gram reported for auctions in Nagpur APMC, according to sources.
GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was
poor.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani reported down in open market in absence of
buyers amid high moisture
content arrival.
* Moong Chamki declined in open market here on lack of demand
from local traders.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,450-5,450, Tuar dal (clean) –
7,900-8,200, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 6,500-7,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,200-7,800, Gram –
4,100-4,250, Gram Super best
– 6,000-6,300 * Wheat, other varieties of rice and other
foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak trading
activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for
100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,600-3,930 3,550-3,865
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,600-5,060 4,600-5,000
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,850-1,955 1,850-1,950
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 5,900-6,100 5,900-6,100
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,200-4,300 4,200-4,300
Desi gram Raw 4,200-4,300 4,150-4,250
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 7,300-7,500 7,300-7,500
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,000-7,200 7,000-7,200
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 6,800-7,100 6,800-7,100
Tuar Gavarani New 5,450-5,550 5,450-5,550
Tuar Karnataka 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Masoor dal best 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600
Masoor dal medium 5,000-5,200 5,000-5,200
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 New 6,650-7,750 6,650-7,750
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,600-8,700 7,800-8,800
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 6,800-7,800 6,800-7,800
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,500 5,500-6,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 3,700-3,900 3,700-3,900
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,800-5,900 5,800-5,900
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 5,000-5,100 5,000-5,100
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,700 5,600-5,700
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,500-6,700 6,500-6,700
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,150 2,100-2,150
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700 2,600-2,700
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,500 2,300-2,500
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-4,000 3,400-4,000
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,600 3,400-3,600
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-3,000 2,500-3,000
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,200 2,900-3,200
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,100-4,400
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,900 3,500-3,900
Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,000 4,600-5,000
Rice Shriram New (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,400 4,200-4,400
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,000-13,500 9,000-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-6,800 6,500-6,800
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Rice Chinnor New (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 36.7 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 19.8 degree Celsius Rainfall :
Nil FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be
around 37 degree Celsius and 19 degree Celsius. Note: n.a.—not available (For
oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in
market prices)
https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-march-15-2019-idINL3N2122F2
