Wednesday, December 11, 2019

11th December,2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

Climate Change Will Affect Rice Crops, Study Finds
Tuesday, 10 December, 2019 - 07:15
Description: https://aawsat.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_img_top/public/2019/12/10/a_farmer_transplanting_rice_in_a_field_near_khon_kaen_northeastern_thailand._reuters.jpg?itok=a1g3Uo6O
A farmer transplanting rice in a field near Khon Kaen, northeastern Thailand. (Reuters)
Cairo - Hazem Bader
Rice is the largest global staple crop, consumed by more than half the world's population -- but new experiments from Stanford University suggest that with climate change, production in major rice-growing regions with endemic soil arsenic will undergo a dramatic decline and jeopardize critical food supplies.

Arsenic is a chemical that is found naturally in the soil, and is not generally transmitted to plants, but according to the new study, climate changes can transfer it, especially to rice.

The experiments' findings, which are published in the Nature Communication journal, show that rice production in future climate conditions could drop about 40 percent by 2100, and that changes to soil processes due to increased temperatures will cause rice to contain a high level of arsenic.

The researchers specifically looked at rice because it is grown in flooded paddies that help loosen the arsenic from the soil and make it especially sensitive to arsenic uptake.

While many food crops today contain small amounts of arsenic, future changes in soil due to higher temperatures combined with flooded conditions cause arsenic to be taken up by rice plants at higher levels, and using irrigation water with naturally occurring high arsenic exacerbates the problem.

While these factors will not affect all global commodities in the same way, they do extend to other flood-grown crops.

The researchers created future climate conditions in greenhouses based on estimates of a possible 5 degree Celsius temperature increase and twice as much atmospheric carbon dioxide by 2100, as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

While previous research examined the impacts of increasing temperature in the context of the global food crisis, this study was the first to account for soil conditions in combination with shifts in climate.

For the experiments, the group grew medium-grain rice. The greenhouses were controlled for temperature, carbon dioxide concentrations and soil arsenic levels, which will be higher in the future due to its buildup in soils from irrigating crops with arsenic-contaminated water, a problem that is worsened by over-pumping groundwater.

The researchers found that with increased temperatures, microorganisms destabilized more of the soil's inherent arsenic, leading to greater amounts of the toxin in the soil water that is available for uptake by the rice. Once taken up, arsenic inhibits nutrient absorption and decreases plant growth and development, factors that contributed to the 40 percent decrease in yield the scientists observed.

Scott Fendorf, co-author and professor at the University of Stanford said "The findings highlight a 'dangerous issue' that would lead to negative consequences on the global food security".

In a report published on the university's website, Fendorf said: "By the time we get to 2100, we're estimated to have approximately 10 billion people, so that would mean we have 5 billion people dependent on rice, and 2 billion who would not have access to the calories they would normally need. We have to be aware of these challenges that are coming so we can be ready to adapt."

Dr. Khaled Abdel Sattar, nutrition expert at the Egyptian Ministry of Health, sees that along the crop failure challenge, the high levels of arsenic highlighted in the study is concerning, not only because of rice's global significance, but also because it is a low-allergen food often introduced early to infants.

"Because infants are a lot smaller than we are, if they eat rice, that means that they take up more arsenic relative to their body weight," he added. Chronic exposure to arsenic leads to skin lesions, cancers, aggravation of lung diseases and ultimately death.

Philippines rice saga: Government confirms stricter import controls despite President’s pledge to ban them

By Pearly Neo 
10-Dec-2019 - Last updated on 10-Dec-2019 at 01:48 GMT
1

The Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) has opted to control rice imports and prices, even though President Rodrigo Duterte previously said all imports would be halted.
RELATED TAGS: PhilippinesRiceImport
The Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) has opted to control rice imports and prices, even though President Rodrigo Duterte previously said all imports would be halted.
This is the latest development in a long line of confusing and seemingly contradictory statements and policies. 
Duterte originally signed the rice tariffication law and removed import caps​ earlier this year in February in an attempt to bring down rice shortages and severe price hikes in the Philippines.
This came on the back of a series of failed attempts to remedy the situation including the introduction of rice labelling and pricing rules​, auctioning out rice supply bids​, and a blatant denial of any shortage​ in the country.
A huge amount of rice entered the country after this was passed, easing the then-precarious situation.
However, nine months on, Duterte announced at a press conference earlier this month that he had ordered Agriculture Secretary William Dar to suspend all imports of rice in order to help local farmers suffering as a result of rice importation, and called on the government to buy local rice at farmgate prices instead.
This almost immediately led to a state of confusion, starting with the DA claiming that rice imports could not be stopped without amending the rice tariffication law.
“The law is the law. If it needs to be revised, that has to be reviewed by both houses of Congress,”​ said DA spokesman and Assistant Secretary for Communications and Media Affairs Noel Reyes.
“We will await an official directive from the palace.”
He added that it had been less than a year since the tariffication law had been implemented, describing it as a ‘baby that had not learnt to walk’​, so it was ‘too early’​ to talk about repealing this law.
The next day, following a meeting with Duterte, Dar responded by posting on his Facebook page that ‘strict measures’ would be imposed on rice imports – but made no mention of Duterte’s previous comments on halting these.
"All rice importers will have to comply with the guidelines as required in securing the Sanitary Phyto-Sanitary Import Clearance or SPSIC,"​ said Dar.
“We are abiding by the intentions and directives of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring down the price of rice at affordable levels, and provide rice farmers much-needed support to make them efficient and cost-productive so they can ably compete with their counterparts in ASEAN and other Asian countries."
After close to a week of confusion, Duterte finally cleared up the situation by claiming that he had been ‘misunderstood’.
“We have to import because the producer cannot fill up the requirements. It’s lacking,”​ he said during a speech.
In conclusion: rice imports will continue in the Philippines, albeit with stricter controlling measures in place.

Helping rice farmers

The implementation of these measures as well as ‘pre-inspections’ at the point of origin of imported rice will be enforced through DA via the Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI).
“This is to ensure quality and safe rice for consumers, as well as protect farmers from possible introduction and spread of crop pests and diseases,”​ said the DA via an official statement.
DA also stated that in this meeting, Duterte had ordered the country’s National Food Authority (NFA) to buy more palay (unhusked rice) from local farmers to increase emergency buffer rice stock from 15 to 30 days.
“The NFA must [also] sell more regular milled rice at an average of 20,000 bags (50 kg) or more per day, [and extend] the unconditional cash transfer for small farmers affected by low palay prices [from] one to two years, with a budget of PHP3bn (US$59.1mn) per year,”​ said the DA.
According to Asia Customs and Trade​, BPI launched an ePhytosanitary Web Application (which can be found here​) earlier this year which aims to increase the electronic applications of electronic phytosanitary certificates in the country, as opposed to paper versions.

https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2019/12/10/Philippines-rice-saga-Government-confirms-stricter-import-controls-despite-President-s-pledge-to-ban-them

Afghanistan heads towards self-sufficiency in rice production: ministry

Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-10 18:53:16|Editor: xuxin
KABUL, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan has been moving towards achieving self-sufficiency in rice production as 66 percent of rice has been produced inside the country, said a statement of Ministry for Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) received here Tuesday.
The insurgency-battered country, according to the statement, produced over 383,000 tons of rice this year, up to nine percent increase compared to last year.
"The country has now become self-sufficient by 66 percent in rice production in 2019, as a result of using improved seeds, modern machinery, providing technical assistance to farmers by government and the favorable weather," the statement went on to say.
A survey jointly conducted by the Central Statistics Office and MAIL indicates sharp increase in paddy cultivation in the country and the total amount of rice-fields in 18 out of the country's 34 provinces have increased from 116,000 hectares last year to 128,000 hectares this year.
Afghanistan usually imports 588,000 tons of rice each year and with the noticeable growth in rice production, the country has become self-sufficient by 66 percent this year and therefore the rice import would fall to enable the country to earn 65 million U.S. dollars this year.
Rice and wheat flour are two main food sources in Afghanistan.
For the Afghan citizens, the bumper harvest in the rice production is a rare piece of good news in a country critically affected by draught, conflict, and high-food prices and where millions of people are pushed into food-insecurity.

Rice ban: Ghanaian farmers seek adoption of Nigerian model


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Following a resolution by Ghana government to impose ban on imported rice by 2022, farmers under the aegis of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) have advised the country’s government to adopt the Nigerian model by making the ban immediate instead of waiting for 2022.
The association, in a statement signed by Abdul- Rahman Mohammed, National President and Board Chairman of PFAG, called for a show of commitment and steps to be put in place for immediate ban rather than wait until 2022.
It said adopting Nigeria’s food importation ban concept would not only help to reduce Ghana’s import bill, but create employment opportunities in Ghana and stabilise the cedi.
Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria had, in August this year, closed the borders to neighbouring countries in order to check smuggling of rice and other contraband goods into the country.
The development has also been supported by Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), whose effort in local rice production has recently witnessed a boost.
According to PFAG, “concrete measures need, therefore, to be put in place to commence ban on imports such as the reduction in 2020 rice imports.”
The statement commended government for setting aside a day to appreciate the contribution of farmers to the growth and development of the country.
The 35th edition of Farmer’s Day is on the theme: “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture towards Agribusiness Development.”
The association has, therefore, congratulated all smallholder farmers, especially those who would be awarded prizes at the local level.
It said government should direct for institutional purchase of local rice by as the school feeding programme, free SHS, the Military and Para institutions.
It said government should mandate all banks to increase their loan portfolio with low interest rate on agriculture.
The statement said critical issues on the eve of this year’s celebration have taken the spirit off the theme.
It said smallholder rice farmers, who were keen in agribusiness were apprehensive and despondent as the rice they produced during the last crop season lies waste and possibly to the vagaries of harmattan bush fires.
“Farmers are confronted with lack of access to combine harvesters, lack of storage and exploitation by traders, who have taken advantage of the desperate situation,” he added.
It said the National Food Buffer Stock had announced plans to mop up the surplus rice by providing minimum guaranteed prices to farmers but has not materialised leaving the rice farmers to their fate.
It said Ghanaian farmers have proven their ability to produce enough rice to meet domestic consumption.
The statement said this was manifested by the drastic increase in rice production in 2019 of which greater quantities still remain unharvested due to lack of harvesting equipment and a guaranteed market.
Unfortunately, only 34 per cent of Ghanaians consume Ghana rice, while 680,000 tonnes of rice costing $500 million is imported annually.
The association believes that the high appetite for imported rice has significantly contributed to rice millers lacking market for Ghana rice leading to the current rice glut in Northern Ghana.
“This phenomenon if not addressed with the urgency it deserves, can worsen the poverty situation of smallholder farmers and majority of rural people, who still rank as the poorest in the country and thereby negatively impacting on the successes the nation chalked in recent times on the campaign against poverty and food insecurity,” it added.
The statement has therefore recommended to government to explore new technologies to address aflatoxin and other post-harvest challenges in rice production.
It said government should bring storage facilities closer to rice farming areas by first completing the One District, One Warehouse programme, commission the completed ones and set up temporary cocoons in the communities.

Pangilinan calls for release of P6-billion compensation for rice farmers this month

Published December 11, 2019, 4:08 PM
By Mario Casayuran
Opposition Senator Francis N. Pangilinan urged on Wednesday the Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Agriculture (DA) to release the P6-billion cash compensation for rice farmers this December.
Description: Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan (Photo from Kiko Pangilinan website / kikopangilinan.com / MANILA BULLETIN)
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (Photo from Kiko Pangilinan website / kikopangilinan.com / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
‘’Let this be our Christmas gift to our rice farmers devastated by the flood of imported rice. They need this reparation now,” Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party (LP), said.
Pangilinan was the one who started to sound the alarm on the plight of Filipino rice farmers August this year in a privilege speech, where he proposed several measures to ensure that they would survive the devastating effects of the flood of imported rice.
Last month, Pangilinan filed Senate Bill 1191 seeking to augment the 2019 budget with P6 billion to immediately provide unconditional cash transfer to rice farmers from unprogrammed funds in the 2019 national budget.
The bill proposes a P6-billion supplemental budget from unprogrammed 2019 budget for direct cash transfers to vulnerable rice farmers who are planting one hectare or less, “as compensation for the reduction or loss of farm income arising from the influx of imported rice.”
Of the country’s 2.11 million rice farmers, 1.14 million till, at most, one hectare of land.
According to the DOF, only 416,972 are in provinces that experienced an income loss of at least P2 per kilo. DOF will decide on the actual number of farmers who will be compensated.
“The cash transfer will give them a lifeline to continue farming while we try our best to fix the law,” Pangilinan added.
He was referring to Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Act which imposes a minimum 35-percent tariff on rice imports in lieu of quantitative restrictions (QRs).
The liberalization of rice imports, while intended to give the country a steady supply, has led to declining palay farm gate prices in many rice-producing areas.
Eight months since the passage of the law, farm gate prices of palay have plunged to as low as P7 to P10 per kilo in some provinces, while the price of rice dropped by 2.9 percent, and the price of palay by 17.48 percent.
The drop in farm gate price of palay has resulted in huge income losses for rice farmers and the industry, now estimated around P60 billion, and projected to double by yearend, Pangilinan explained.
Pangilinan said releases from the proposed supplemental fund would be made by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) directly to the DA which shall make available the fund to the farmers.
The fund will be effective until December 31, 2020.
Earlier, both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading their respective bills extending the validity of the 2019 budget until December 31, 2020.
This would allow agencies to spend funds for capital outlays and maintenance and other operating expenses in the 2019 budget until next year.
The Pangilinan bill stated that the DBM would submit to Congress and the Commission on Audit quarterly report on the utilization of funds.
At the House of Representatives in November, LP secretary general Quezon City Rep. Christopher ‘Kit” Belmonte also filed House Bill 5629 as a counterpart measure, saying that the cash compensation will encourage rice farmers to continue farming.
‘’The damage to their livelihood is not our farmers’ fault. We need to save our rice farmers because if not, all of us who consume rice will in the end suffer and face rice shortage,” Pangilinan said.

Banks Give Funds To Local Rice Millers To Clear Harvest

By News Desk

Description: Banks Give Funds To Local Rice Millers To Clear Harvest
3 HOURS AGO  AGRICULTURE
The Ghana Rice Millers Association says it is ready to flood the market with Ghana Rice brands this festive season.
The assurance comes after the association secured a deal with some banks to provide funds for the millers at an affordable rate.
The banks include GCB Bank, National Investment Bank, Barclays and ADB Bank. Members of the association have been asked to present their individual proposals to their respective banks.
The campaign to encourage people to consume Ghana Rice was started by the CEO of Citi FM and Citi TV Samuel Attah-Mensah.
Speaking to Citi Business News on the progress made so far, the convener of the Ghana Rice Millers Association Yaw Poku stressed that the millers will hit the farm gate to clear the rice by next week.
“We are moving out there, by this weekend, a lot of us will be in the milling floor. It is Christmas, by next week will be sending milled rice to the market,” Mr. Poku said
He maintained with the new arrangement, rice millers now have an opportunity to access loans at a favourable rate from local banks to buy the produce at the farm gate for processing.
Background
The Chief Executive Officer of Citi FM/TV, Samuel Attah-Mensah declared himself a campaigner for the consumption of locally-produced rice in the country.
According to him, this is to help reduce the government's forex expenditure on rice imports by at least 50 per cent in the next two years.
Ghana spends over GHS 1.1 billion annually on importation of rice. Local rice farmers bemoan lack of buyers for their produce
Earlier, rice farmers operating in the Fumbisi Rice Valleys in the Builsa South District of the Upper East Region, were asking the government to get them a ready market for their produce.
The farmers said their produce was getting rotten on the farms due to lack of ready market.
According to them, if urgent steps are not taken to address their concerns, their investments will go waste.

Onion prices increased by 400% after March

Onion prices have increased by 400 per cent after March as the average retail price of onion on December 3, 2019 was recorded to be Rs 81.9 per kg as compared to Rs 15.87 per kg in March 2019, said Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday in Lok Sabha.

Description: IANSIANS
New Delhi
Updated on: December 11, 2019 10:25 IST
Onion prices increased by 400% after March
Onion prices have increased by 400 per cent after March as the average retail price of onion on December 3, 2019 was recorded to be Rs 81.9 per kg as compared to Rs 15.87 per kg in March 2019, said Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday in Lok Sabha.
The price of rice and wheat have increased by 10 per cent while the prices of pulses increased by 30 per cent.
While giving the written reply to the questions of MP Rahul Ramesh Shewale and Bhartrihari Mahtab, the Union Minister shared the price list of essential commodities including rice, wheat, flour, pulses, oil, tea, sugar, jaggery, vegetables and milk, which shows that the prices have increased in December as compared to January.
The prices of most of the commodities out of 22 essential commodities, especially potato, tomato and onion, monitored by the Department of Consumer Affairs have been steadily increasing.
Both the MPs sought information from the minister about the increase in prices of the essential commodities this year.
They also asked the minister about the steps taken by the government to control the increasing prices.
The minister said that the supply chain is under huge pressure due to demand-supply disparity, unfavourable weather conditions, increase in transportation costs, lack of storage and black marketing by the hoarders. The prices have also been affected due to this.
He also mentioned the steps taken by the government to control the prices of the essential commodities.

 Rice millers to provide rice at concessionary prices during the festive season
Tue, Dec 10, 2019, 07:05 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Description: http://www.lankapage.com/imgs/rice.jpgDec 10, Colombo: Large scale rice mill owners have agreed to provide rice at concessionary prices to consumers during the upcoming festive season, the Finance Ministry said.This decision was reached at a meeting with the large scale rice mill owners at the Presidential Secretariat today (10).Accordingly, the rice mill owners agreed to sell one kilogram of Nadu rice at a maximum retail price of Rs. 98 and one kilogram of Samba rice at a maximum retail price of Rs. 99.
According to the decision taken by the large scale rice mill owners to provide rice at concessionary prices during this festive season consumers will be able to buy rice at that price without any shortage, the Ministry assured.
Accordingly, the rice will be distributed from tomorrow through rice millers' distribution network.
 http://www.colombopage.com/archive_19B/Dec10_1575984953CH.php
China greenlights 18 more Cambodian rice exporters
Thou Vireak | Publication date 09 December 2019 | 22:01 ICT

Description: Content image - Phnom Penh Post
China was the Kingdom’s leading export market in the first 11 months of this year, with 195,242 tonnes. POST PIX
China has granted an additional 18 Cambodian rice millers approval to export rice into the country, bringing the total to 44, the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh said on Friday.
The additional rice exporters will help the Kingdom achieve its 400,000 tonne quota of rice to China starting next year, it said.
Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) vice-president Chan Sokheang said China’s decision comes after a CRF proposal to increase the Kingdom’s rice production capacity to supply the Chinese market.
In January, he said, Cambodia will begin implementing measures to fulfil the Chinese rice quota.
“This is a positive sign that will further boost Cambodia’s competitiveness, with production also increased,” Sokheang said.
Heng Pheng, the CEO of Battambang province-based Thmor Korl Rice Import Export Co Ltd, told The Post on Monday that China is a huge potential market for Cambodian rice exports.
His company exported around 2,000 tonnes of rice to China in the first 11 months of this year, he said.
“The increase in the number of rice millers will help boost the volume of rice exports to China, and will also help to meet China’s 400,000 tonne export quota.
Last Tuesday, locally owned milled rice exporter Mekong Oryza Trading Co Ltd signed a three-year export memorandum of understanding (MoU) with companies from Hong Kong and South Africa.
Its CEO Hun Lak told The Post last week that his company plans to export 100,000 tonnes of rice to China, South Africa and Europe during the duration of the MoU.
“We will find more new markets besides China and diversify our exports to build our competitiveness,” Lak said.
According to an official report, in the first 11 months of this year, international rice exports totalled 514,149 tonnes. This was a 3.4 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, at 497,240 tonnes.
China was the Kingdom’s leading export market in the first 11 months of this year, with 195,242 tonnes. The EU imported 174,397 tonnes and the Asean region 69,239 tonnes. The remainder was exported to Africa and other destinations.
Contact author: Thou Vireak

Contract farming lifting farmers’ living standards in Preah Vihear
Chhut Bunthoeun / Khmer Times  Share:    

The harvest season of paddy rice has almost come to an end and rice millers and exporters are now collecting paddy from farmers through contract farming schemes, benefiting more than 5,000 families in Preah Vihear province.
For in depth analysis of Cambodian Business, visit Capital Cambodia
.
Three local exporters – Amru Rice, Signatures of Asia, and Golden Rice – have entered contract farming agreements with a total of 34 communities in the province. This year the communities will sell those companies a total of 22,461 tonnes of organic rice, Preah Vihear’s Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday.
The body says contract farming benefits 5,341 families in the province. These families cultivate a combined 14,769 hectares of land.
So far this year, Amru Rice has purchased 12,841 tonnes of paddy through contract farming, about 75 percent of its target for 2019. Signatures of Asia, meanwhile, has bought 1,000 tonnes of paddy, about 70 percent of what it intends to buy by the end of the year.
Golden Rice has already met its target for 2019, having bought 3,129 tonnes of paddy as of this week.
Signatures of Asia and Preah Vihear Meanchey Union of Agricultural Cooperatives last month reached a deal on the purchase of paddy rice.
The exporter agreed to buy white (non-fragrant) rice for 1,200 to 1,300 riel ($0.29 to $0.32) per kilogram. The price of Jasmine rice was set at 1,450 to 1,650 riel ($0.36 to $0.4), according to Chan Pich, Signatures of Asia’s general manager.
“We are looking for suppliers of organic rice in Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces,” he said, noting that organic rice fetches 25 to 30 percent more than regular rice in international markets.
Kan Kunthy, vice president of Amru Rice, said they were working with only a few communities when they started contract farming about five years ago. Now, the exporter works in partnership with thousands of families in the province.
He said the company has been working with 9,000 farmers across the country, 5,000 of which grow organic rice.
“Our goal is to expand our contract farming scheme. This will allow us to work directly with farmers and will generate more revenue for them,” he said.
Mr Kanthy said his company will export about 55,000 tonnes of milled rice in 2019, about 10 percent of all rice exports in the Kingdom.
Last week, the government allocated an additional $50 million to the Rural Development Bank (RDB) to expand the credit available to rice millers and rice exporters, aiming to stabilize the price of paddy and allow more of it to be stocked, milled, process and exported.
Signatures of Asia’s Mr Pich said his company is planning to apply for a loan.
“We haven’t done it yet but we will do it soon so that we can collect more paddy in Banteay Meanchey province,” he told Khmer Times.
From January to October, Cambodia exported 457,940 tonnes of milled rice, a 5 percent hike over the corresponding period last year. 184,844 tonnes were shipped to China, according to the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality (SOWS-REF).
Cambodia exported 8,467 tonnes of organic rice to the European Union last year, representing 3.9 percent of all EU organic rice imports. This makes the Kingdom the fifth largest exporter of organic rice in the EU.
CM Jagan Reddy clarifies on Superfine Rice in assembly, says he never made such promise V L Syam
Sundar Hans News Service | 10 Dec 2019 10:45 AM IST HIGHLIGHTS Chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy clarified in the assembly that the party manifesto never mentioned Sanna Biyyam. He advised the opposition members to... Minister Kodali Nani told the assembly that they never promised to supply superfine rice but promised quality rice only. Minister Ranganatha Raju said that the quality rice would be supplied to all throughout the state from April 1st next year. Chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said that it is Swarna Masuri rice not Sanna Biyyam. Minister Ranganath who was s also rice millers association president said that the rice millers are ready to supply Swarna Masuri rice from April 1st next year. ADVERTISEMENT TDP MLA Atchennaidu raised the issue and recalled the chief minister himself personally ordered to supply superfine rice on trial basis in Srikakulam. But the government supplied spoiled rice to people Chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy clarified in the assembly that the party manifesto never mentioned Sanna Biyyam. He advised the opposition members to improve their knowledge on rice. ADVERTISEMENT "The government is spending additionally Rs 1400 crore for supplying quality rice. From April 1st Swarna Masuri rice will be supplied throughout the state," the CM said. The assembly was shown the video clippings of chief minister's speech in Srikakulam district when he launched the supply of quality rice. Minister Buggana Rajendranath pointed out that while TDP government spent Rs 200 crore the YSRCP government spent more than Rs 4,300 crore for rice supply.

https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/cm-jagan-reddy-clarifies-on-superfine-rice-in-assembly-says-he-never-made-such-promise--588671

Japan concerned about stalled Sh20bn Thiba dam

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019 22:00
Japan has expressed concerns over delays in resumption of works on the stalled Thiba Dam project in Kirinyaga County that it has financed to the tune of Sh20 billion.
The dam is meant to increase rice production in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
Japan's Ambassador to Kenya, Horie Ryoichi, blamed the delays on differing opinions of stakeholders and land issues.
"It is true the project is delaying a little bit but I believe the problems affecting its construction will be resolved," he said as he toured the multi-million shilling private Nice Rice Millers in Ngurubani town on Sunday.
Accompanied by the National Irrigation Board General Manager, Gitonga Mugambi, the ambassador observed that the project was crucial and its construction should be fast tracked.

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Earlier, Mr Ryoichi, who has been in the country for five months now, visited the rice scheme and the stalled dam site.
Water and Irrigation Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu has sought to assure rice farmers from the region that the project will be completed, even as he admitted that the project stalled in October due to non-payment of the contractor, Strabag Company.
Strabag sent all its 600 workers on the site home, saying it had run out of funds to finance the project and to pay them.

Senate considers bill to address food security problems in Nigeria

Tuesday, December 10, 2019 4:54 pm | News
Description: https://i1.wp.com/www.pmnewsnigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Lawan-1-e1572358571266.jpeg?zoom=1.5&resize=627%2C561&ssl=1
Lawan
The Senate on Tuesday commenced legislative action to address the country’s food security problems when it considered a Bill to that effect.
The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Theordore Orji (PDP, Abia Central), is for an Act to make Provision For Freedom From Hunger and the Right to Adequate Food of Acceptable Quality.
Senator Orji, in his lead debate on the bill which scaled Second Reading on the floor, said the piece of legislation before the National Assembly seeks to create basic right to food of acceptable quality and the right of every child to basic nutrition.
The lawmaker pointed out that the passage of the Bill by the legislature and its eventual assent by the President will address issues of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.
“It is important to point out that Food Security means far more than having sufficient food to meet human needs on a national basis.
“Other very important factors include access to safe drinking water, primary health care and environmental hygiene,” Orji added.
According to the lawmaker, developing countries have been enacting laws aimed at food security after the World Food Crisis in 2008.
Citing Mauritius as an example, Senator Orji said that the country enacted a Food Security Fund to enhance local production of food by tackling all the problems militating against it.
He added that the bill, among other things, seeks “to provide a framework that promotes the elimination and prevention of discrimination of marginalized groups in the access and distribution of food.”
The bill also seeks to establish an Agency as well as stipulates provisions for Chairmanship, membership of the board, tenure of office, amongst others.
It also proposes the establishment of a Food Security Committee in each State of the Federation, whose functions shall include: implementing food security policy and programmes, participating in collection, preparation and dissemination of data on food security and nutrition in the State.
The Committee shall also be charged with identifying food insecure areas, appropriating programmes and eligible beneficiaries in relation to food security.
Clause 35, Part VII of the Bill establishes a “Food Insecurity and Information Mapping System”, making it mandatory for the Agency to work in collaboration with Ministries of Finance, Disaster Management, Planning and National Security to provide the information needed to develop and strengthen the capacity to respond to food emergencies.
The bill also gives the President the power to declare a food emergency if in his opinion there is a major shortfall in the domestic production or availability of a designated Agricultural commodity.
In a related development, the Senate also on Tuesday considered the Rice Development Council Bill, 2019.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator Enagi Bima, in his lead debate, said the proposed legislation seeks to establish a Council that will revolutionize the entire value chain on rice.
According to the lawmaker, the establishment of a National Rice Development Council will transform the activities of rice farmers, rice processors, millers, researchers, marketers and other important stakeholders across the entire rice value chain in the country.
The two bills after consideration were referred by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development for further legislative work.

Power Lunch  
By Deborah Willenborg
 LITTLE ROCK, AR -- A highlight of every USA Rice Outlook Conference is the annual Awards Luncheon.  It's a heady event where attendees gather to recognize and reward their peers for accomplishments in service to the industry. 
This year, Governor Asa Hutchinson was on hand to welcome everyone to Arkansas, and talk about the economic impact of rice production here.  And emceeing the program was Arkansas native AnnaLisa Meredith who, in 2017, was crowned the 80th International Rice Festival Queen in Crowley, Louisiana - the only International Rice Festival Queen ever not from Louisiana.

Rice Farming Magazine Editor Vicky Boyd introduced the 2019 Rice Farmer of the Year, the Rice Industry Award, and the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award (see story below).
Dhu Thompson, CEO of Delta Plastics, received the 2019 USA Rice Sustainability Award for the company's focus on recycling.  Delta Plastics is one of the largest recyclers of heavily soiled and contaminated plastic in the U.S., and since 1998, has diverted 1 billion pounds of waste material from landfills.
Kyle Voong (second from left) takes home the big money
USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward introduced this year's National Rice Month Scholarship Grand Prize Winner Kyle Voong, a high school senior from Brandon, Mississippi, who produced an engaging three-minute video that was a musical tribute to U.S. rice.  The video, "A Sup-Rice-Ing Presentation, " was shown before Voong took the stage to thank Corteva Agriscience for sponsoring the contest and receiving the "big check" for $4,000 dollars.

Finally, Frank Carey, chair of The Rice Foundation, announced the members of the 2020/22 Rice Leadership Development Program class:  Mallory Everett, McCrory, AR; Elliot Maschmann, Oran, MO; Adam Shea, Little Rock, AR; Derek Sohnrey, Chico, CA; Jason Waller, Mer Rouge, LA; Garrett Williams, Stuttgart, AR; and Christine Wylie, Colusa, CA.

The two-year program provides a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. rice industry, and is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company.

From left:  Christine Wiley, Derek Sohnrey, Elliott Maschmann, Garrett Williams, Mallory Everett, and Adam Shea (not pictured:  Jason Waller)    From left:
 James, Baldwin,and Cook
Rice Recognizes Industry Leaders  
By Vicky Boyd
Excerpted from Rice Farming Magazine

LITTLE ROCK, AR -- Every year at the Annual Rice Awards Luncheon Rice Farming bestows three awards:  Rice Farmer of the Year, the Rice Industry Award, and the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award.  These annual recognitions, co-sponsored by Horizon Ag and USA Rice, highlight some of the most positive achievements associated with the U.S. rice industry.
 The 2019 Rice Farmer of the Year is Jennifer James, who along with her husband, Greg, and her father, Marvin Hare, operate H&J Land Company in Jackson County, Arkansas.  James is chair of the USA Rice Sustainability Committee and was recently elected to the Riceland Foods board of directors - the first woman in the co-op's 90-year history.  She has been described as an innovative rice grower, a tireless worker for the rice industry, and the ultimate conservationist. 

"It is our obligation as farmers to speak loudly and often about the practices we employ on our farms to conserve our national resources and build habitat within our rice fields," says James.   "We are producing more with less and working hard every day to continue to improve."

A love of agriculture and service to farmers come naturally to Rice Industry Award winner Jim F. Cook, and his attention to detail and conscientious approach to research and technology are hallmarks of his position with Colusa County Farm Supply (CCFS) in Williams, California.
"Jim's two passions are research and helping people," says rice producer Jared Gross and Jim's co-worker at CCFS.  "He is a tremendous resource, teammate, and an excellent mentor to young men and women starting their careers."
Cook has an impressive list of accomplishments in his career, but he is quick to give credit to others.  "I was adopted into the culture of the Northern California rice people, and many are my close friends to this day."

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Dr. Ford Baldwin is a native Arkansan with a life-long connection to the state's agriculture.  He received his doctorate in agronomy and weed science from Oklahoma State University but returned to Arkansas to work as a rice weed scientist.  Dr. Baldwin's two noteworthy milestones in his rice research career are Command herbicide and the Clearfield Rice Production System. 
According to rice producer Terry Gray, "Dr. Baldwin was instrumental in bringing new practices, chemicals, and technologies to the market for the everyday farmer.  He has had the foresight to look ahead to see problems that were coming in the future and create plans to deal with them.  That foresight has paid dividends to farmers in the Delta."
To learn more about the three recipients, check out the special section included in the December issue of Rice Farming magazine.




OPINION: ADDRESSING THE IMPORT-DEPENDENCY SYNDROME

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It has been reported that not less than N1.3 trillion was spent by the Federal Government on the importation of rice, fish, sugar and wheat in the last 12 months, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made this assertion only recently. The bank’s Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Edward Lametek, spoke at a seminar organised for Finance reporters in Owerri, Imo State. Speaking on the theme: Galvanising development finance and monetary policy for growth, the bank chief restated the bank’s commitment to local production of the commodities, saying that they put a lot of pressure on the country’s import bill. He said economic diversification remained a sustainable way to grow the economy.
Lametek noted the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), which was launched in November 2015, was designed to build partnerships between smallholder farmers and reliable large-scale agro-processors, with a view to increasing agricultural output, while improving access to credit for farmers. He said: Our targeted focus on the agricultural and manufacturing sectors was driven by the vast opportunities for growth in these sectors given our high population. These sectors have the ability to absorb the growing pool of eligible workers in our effort to meet local demand and save critical foreign reserves.
It would be recalled that Nigeria spent a total of N1.18 trillion (about$7.4 billion) on the importation of toothpicks, fish, milk, textiles, rice and furniture between2014 and May 2015, it was gathered.
According to figures obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), fish imports gulped $1.39 billion while milk and rice imports accounted for $1.33 billion and $51 million respectively. These commodities are among 40 items which were recently included on the list of items banned from accessing foreign exchange at the Nigerian Exchange Window by the CBN partly because of the undue pressure they exert on the local currency as well as the economic implication of such imports on the local industries. CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had contended that restricting selected item from accessing forex had become inevitable in order to reduce pressure on external reserves which had seen drastic decline as the apex bank has had to utilise it to defend the naira following the volatility in the oil market. He further argued that the new forex restriction was needed to sustain the stability of the exchange market as well as facilitate the resuscitation of domestic industries and improve employment generation.
According to figures obtained from the apex regulatory body, a total sum of $998 million had already been spent on the importation of six items between January and May 2015. A breakdown of the figures showed that fish importation accounted for $374.04 million; rice-$220.3 million; toothpick-$1.32 million; milk–$375.67 million; furniture-$20.39 million and textiles which accounted for $6.49 million within the first five months of the year. In total, the sum of $2.73 billion was spent on CBN excluded items in the period in review.
It is equally important to point out that, in 2013, total forex spent on recently excluded items was valued at $3.37 billion. The figure increased to $6.99 billion in 2014 and $2.73 billion between January and May 2015. The figures further showed that in 2014, fish importation gulped $1.02 billion while rice imports accounted for $291 million. Others include toothpicks – $2.71 million; Milk-$960.7 million; furniture – $63.39 million and textiles which accounted for $15.51 million.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to block food importers’ requests for foreign currency in a bid to boost local agriculture in Africa’s most populous country. It is a continuation of a policy that the president began after coming to office in 2015 when he banned the use of foreign exchange to import dozens of items including the staple food, rice. Since then, domestic rice production has increased, but the policy has been criticised for not taking the low capacity of local farmers into consideration. The policy has also coincided with a rise in food prices, which has been blamed on insecurity in some of the country’s main food-producing areas. According to data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the amount of money the country has been spending on importing food and drink increased from 2015 to 2017, dipped in 2018 and if the trend from the first quarter of this year continues, the bill will go up again for this year. In 2015, Nigeria spent nearly $2.9bn (£2.4bn) and by 2017 that had risen to $4.1bn, the NBS says.
Nigeria does produce the basic food commodities such as sugar, wheat flour, fish, milk, palm oil, pork, beef and poultry but up to now domestic farmers have not been able to satisfy the demand of the country’s 200 million people, hence the need for imports. With the foreign exchange ban, Nigerian farmers will now have to increase production. According to figures from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, rice production has increased from an annual average of 7.1 million tonnes between 2013 and 2017 to 8.9 million tonnes in 2018. However, there are also reports that rice smuggling has increased – as customs officials continue to seize large quantities of the grain at the borders; this has necessitated the closure of the borders for quite a while now.
Therefore, to put a stop to the perennial problem of import dependency, the government must a matter of urgent national importance pulp more money into the agricultural sector, and they must ensure that the funds get to the actual people that really need them and not middlemen that increase the cost of food items at the end of the day. The agricultural production must increase astronomically, this suggests that much more people must get into the agricultural sector and all the necessary incentives for them to excel must be given to them as well as providing the necessary environment for agriculture to thrive. They must be the construction of feeder roads to link the rural areas and urban centres, the government must provide storage facilities and also take into cognizance the law of comparative advantage of each geo-political zones to maximize production.
Furthermore, the need to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods cannot be overemphasized as it is one major way to economic growth and development. The economy of any nation grows rapidly when locally made goods are promoted through patronage, first by its people than through export. It is, however, dispiriting to know that we obviously have been growing other countries’ economies through our over-dependence on imported goods, especially those which have local substitutes. Nigeria can easily experience a breakthrough in the quest for local content development and a stable, strong and advanced economy if Nigerians would patronise made-in-Nigeria products. Some time ago, in a decisive move to grow and promote the economy, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, reiterated the government’s determination to promote made-in-Nigeria products by giving preference to Nigerian professionals in the execution of all government projects. Dr. Onu said that the Federal Government had issued Executive Order No. 5, which made it mandatory for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to patronise made-in-Nigeria products without compromising standards. It will be recalled that the Executive Order was signed in February 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari, titled “Presidential Executive Order 5 for planning and execution of projects, promotion of Nigerian contents in contracts and science, engineering and technology.” This order is a welcome development and a step in the right direction towards growing Nigeria’s weak economy. The executive order, if well implemented and carried out, will not only create job opportunities but it will also ensure that those jobs for which local expertise are available are not taken over by foreigners. Nigerians must learn to consume and use things they produce and not rely entirely on foreign items for consumption and usage.
According to the minister, the Executive Order which seeks to promote locally made goods will trigger a silent revolution in how we think as a people and how we regard science and technology as the missing link in our quest to become a truly great nation. It is quite interesting to know that the Executive Order bars the Ministry of Interior from giving visas to foreign workers whose skills are readily available in Nigeria. This is pivotal in order to avoid falling for the shenanigans of the so-called ‘expatriates’ who may even be illegal aliens with no qualifications but are only experienced in one area of work specialisation.
Not only will poverty be kept at bay in our country but also the teeming youths of working-class background would be productively engaged if we all unanimously begin to patronise Nigerian products. The gainful employment of the nation’s abundant local labour is guaranteed if an outright ban is placed on massive importation and consumption of foreign products with no local value addition and which can be replaced with local products. There is also a need to shun the culture of giving employment preference to expatriates ahead of our indigenously trained professionals who are intelligently capable of doing the same job. Our over-dependence on imported products will dwindle, thereby growing our economy and promoting our local content if we as Nigerians will patronise made-in-Nigeria products. This way, the nation becomes self-reliant in producing and utilising goods produced by itself. This will create wealth and reduce poverty.
Besides, the national economy must be prudently managed and the scarce revenue must not be dissipated on conspicuous consumption and luxury,but through frugal spending manage the economy sagaciously; there must be tightening of belt and blocking of leakages and wastages in government.
Also, President Muhammadu Buhari has defended the temporary closure of the country’s land borders, saying that it had reduced domestic fuel consumption by 30 per cent. Buhari, who said there had yet to be any decision on when the borders would be reopened, said deep-rooted dishonesty made the Federal Government to close the borders. He, however, said farmers were among the biggest beneficiaries of the government’s decision to close the borders, which had led to a remarkable drop in the smuggling of goods, especially rice. Acknowledging the efforts of farmers, Buhari said, “Farmers must be protected. Dishonesty is deep-rooted in the country. Otherwise, the border closure would not have been warranted.” Buhari was speaking in Daura, Katsina State, when a delegation of Katsina State Elders Forum visited him at his country home.
 “The President said the country’s domestic fuel consumption had dropped by more than 30 per cent, following closure of land borders”, a State House statement by his media aide, Mr Garba Shehu, quoted the President as saying. The statement added, “The President commended the actions taken by the President of Niger Republic, Muhammadou Youssoufou, including the dismissal of officials and a ban on use of the country as a dumping ground for Nigeria-bound smuggled goods. “President Buhari noted that the measures taken by the President of Niger were helpful and supportive. “President Buhari acknowledged the hardship of border communities following the ban on sale of fuel at stations 20 kilometres to the border, a restriction that also saw to the closure of all fuel stations in his native home, Daura.” He stated that the Nigeria Customs Service was reviewing all border outlets in a bid to identify the illegal routes used for smuggling and those officially recognised for genuine transactions. “President Buhari told the delegation that he intends forging ahead with poverty alleviation schemes and the agricultural and livestock reforms started by the administration in the first term since the election was behind him and a government now in place. “He explained that the reforms, especially those relating to the settlement of livestock herders would take time to accomplish, assuring that his deliberate choice of tested farmers as his past and current ministers of agriculture was informed by the need to carry his vision through”, the Presidency added.
Relatedly, President Muhammadu Buhari defended the temporary closure of the country’s land borders, saying that it had reduced domestic fuel consumption by 30 per cent. Buhari, who said there had yet to be any decision on when the borders would be reopened, said deep-rooted dishonesty made the Federal Government to close the borders. He, however, said farmers were among the biggest beneficiaries of the government’s decision to close the borders, which had led to a remarkable drop in the smuggling of goods, especially rice. Acknowledging the efforts of farmers, Buhari said, “Farmers must be protected. Dishonesty is deep-rooted in the country. Otherwise, the border closure would not have been warranted.” Buhari was speaking in Daura, Katsina State, when a delegation of Katsina State Elders Forum visited him at his country home. “The President said the country’s domestic fuel consumption had dropped by more than 30 per cent, following closure of land borders”, a State House statement by his media aide, Mr Garba Shehu, quoted the President as saying. The statement added, “The President commended the actions taken by the President of Niger Republic, Muhammadou Youssoufou, including the dismissal of officials and a ban on use of the country as a dumping ground for Nigeria-bound smuggled goods. “President Buhari noted that the measures taken by the President of Niger were helpful and supportive. “President Buhari acknowledged the hardship of border communities following the ban on sale of fuel at stations 20 kilometres to the border, a restriction that also saw to the closure of all fuel stations in his native home, Daura.”
He stated that the Nigeria Customs Service was reviewing all border outlets in a bid to identify the illegal routes used for smuggling and those officially recognised for genuine transactions. “President Buhari told the delegation that he intends forging ahead with poverty alleviation schemes and the agricultural and livestock reforms started by the administration in the first term since the election was behind him and a government now in place. “He explained that the reforms, especially those relating to the settlement of livestock herders would take time to accomplish, assuring that his deliberate choice of tested farmers as his past and current ministers of agriculture was informed by the need to carry his vision through”, the Presidency added.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government said it had uncovered “hundreds of filling stations” along Nigeria’s Magama Jibia border with the Republic of Niger purposely set up for the smuggling of petroleum products. The government identified fuel smuggling, illegal migration, importation of arms and ammunition and smuggling of rice from the Republic of Benin to Nigeria through Niger Republic as some of the challenges on the border communities. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who led a high-powered delegation of the Federal Government to Magama Jibia, Nigeria’s border with the Republic of  Niger, said with the border closure, Nigeria had recorded 30 per cent drop in domestic fuel consumption.
Then, there must a national reorientation for the people of this country to consume only what they produce and focus on ways of helping the government to develop the domestic economy and wait for foreigners to help them develop their own economy for them. The government too must pursue homespun economic philosophy that has direct bearing on the socio-economic wellbeing of the people. This is the way to go if the country is to halt the import dependency syndrome and it is a good development that the present administration is on the path already, and this will surely bear good fruits for the country.
*** Written by Jide Ayobolu.

Growing a business centered around rice

Alaina Dismukes
From left, David Sr., David Jr., and Hugh Jr. are the three Arants caring on the family farming business while making it their own by adding on their rice milling business, Delta Blues Rice.

Growing a business centered around rice

The Arant family not only grows rice, but they also mill and sell their rice through their company Delta Blues Rice.
Alaina Dismukes | Dec 09, 2019
The Arant family's fourth-generation farm pays homage to the past but adds modern technology and marketing to look to the future.
Currently, Hugh Arant Jr., David Arant Sr., and David Arant Jr. farm rice, corn, and soybeans on a farm that dates back to the 1920s near Ruleville, Miss. Around 2014, the Arants created a rice milling company called Delta Blues Rice.
"We have five products available on Amazon and our online website," David Arant Jr. said. "We have brown rice, white rice, white rice grits, brown rice grits, as well as jasmine rice. Rice grits are broken grains of rice that, when cooked, are creamier than regular rice. We have recipes on our website and YouTube videos on how to cook rice in different ways.
"When my wife, Rebekkah, and I graduated from Mississippi State University in 2006, we moved to Jackson, Miss. I got a job as a civil engineer while she taught English. During our time in Jackson, we enjoyed going to local farmers' markets and meeting the people who grew our food," he said. "We moved back to Ruleville in 2012. I grew up on the farm, and I wanted to give my boys the same experience, but we missed being able to go to the farmers market for farm-fresh food."
Arant said the idea for Delta Blues Rice started soon after he and his wife moved back to the farm in Ruleville. The Arants, who wanted to put their mark on the food industry, decided to start Delta Blues Rice.
"We wanted to connect with people the way we had connected with the growers at the farmers' market," he said. "My father, uncle, and I were talking one day, and the idea to start a rice milling business was hatched."

From farm to table

"We started with my grandfather's small rice mill," Arant said. "We actually had been milling rice since the mid-80s for friends and family. Everybody said it was the best rice they ever had. We always said, 'Oh, it's just rice.' It was something we took for granted because that's what we always ate growing up. So we thought, 'why don't we try selling rice straight from the farm to the consumer.'"
The family only mills a small portion of its total rice acreage, which is a different variety from the rest of the rice. The remainder of their rice crop is sent to commercial rice mills. Because of consumer feedback, they're currently working on getting an organic certification.
"I had one chef tell us that he liked how when he opened our bag of rice it smelled fresh," he said. "It is neat when people say that it is the best rice they've ever had, and they enjoy the product and recipes."

Growing the farm

Arant's father and uncle, David Sr. and Hugh Jr., graduated from Mississippi State and came back to the farm, improved the land, and built the operation.
"They built the farm up to where it is now and helped to make it a great operation," David Jr. said. "They built grain bins and leveled all the land. We used to have catfish and cotton but got out of cotton in the mid-90s and catfish in early 2000."
They farm about 4,000 acres; 2,400 of those acres are devoted to soybeans, and the remainder is divided between rice and corn.

The family's 2019 crop

This past season, the Arants had about 700 acres of rice, 2,400 acres of soybeans, and the remaining acres in corn.
"At one time, we farmed 8,000 acres, but it was too much to manage. By cutting back, we manage our acreage more efficiently by minimizing cost and running bigger equipment to cover more ground," Arant said.
2018 was a good year for soybeans and corn.
"This year, we're just glad to be done. All the rain we had in the spring and summer really affected everything as far as timing. For us, it took so long to get everything planted. With soybeans, the earlier you get them planted the better."
They normally start planting corn in March and soybeans and rice in April and try to get everything done by the first week of May.
"This year, with the rain, we had different ages of soybeans in the same field because one side of the field was replanted. It made it a little bit harder to manage since the timing of everything was off. Every year is different in farming, though. You just have to roll with the punches," he said.

Rice varieties and row rice

The Arants plant several varieties of rice, but this past season, they grew Diamond, Ricetec 7311, and Gemini.
"We're trying to get away from using levees on the farm if possible," he said. "This year, we had about 250 acres in row rice and the rest were zero grade fields. It's nice not to have to deal with levees, putting them up and knocking them down. There might be a bit of a yield lag with row rice, but not having to deal with the levees makes it more convenient for us."
Arant said another advantage of row rice is less irrigation.
"You might have more weeds on the upper end of the field where you don't have a stand of water, so you have to manage for weeds a little better," he said.

Technology and cover crops

Technology and cover crops also play key roles in the Arant operation. They use GPS and variable rate fertilizer as well as moisture sensors to improve efficiency.
"The moisture sensors have become more advanced as far as the information they'll give you, and you can get the information on your phone, which is really convenient," Arant said.
"We also do as little tillage as possible. We still till some but try to minimize it. It's been about 5 years since we did any deep tillage. We are planting more cover crops on the farm, planting cereal rye on about 800 acres. I haven't necessarily seen a yield increase from cover crops on the soybean side, but we can cut expenses."
Cereal rye helps to suppress weeds such as Italian ryegrass and henbit, which means less spraying for weeds at planting.
"All our ground is furrow irrigated, and where I have cover crops, I am not pulling the middles for irrigation," he said. "Cover crops also minimize erosion, and the runoff is typically cleaner in the drainage pipes compared to non-cover crop fields. We plan to keep farming this same land for a long time, and cover crops help maintain our soil health."

Description: WASHINGTON, DC-June 17: Cheese Board with local cheeses- ID TK.
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You Can Buy A Rice Krispie Treat That's Bigger Than Your Head, In Case You Were Wondering

DEC 9, 2019
The bigger the better, right? This Rice Krispie is 32 ounces, and I'm fairly certain I could finish it without any help. Not to flex on you or anything.
This extremely extra treat was spotted by @foodscription on Instagram. According to the location of the photo, it was found in a Walmart in San Antonio, Texas, so cue all the "everything's bigger in Texas" jokes.
Very large versions of everyone's favorite foods seem to pop up around the holidays—remember that huge Ring Pop we told you about?! I'd assume they are meant to be funny and collectable, or maybe they are to share with others but honestly...I doubt I'll be doing the latter.
Description: Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats Squares Holiday Sheet 32 oz
Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats Squares Holiday Sheet 32 oz
Rice Krispies Treatswalmart.com
$8.98
The packaging of this behemoth of a Rice Krispie shows Snap, Crackle, and Pop wearing cute little winter gear while decorating their own giant Rice Krispie. The wrapper also suggests using this sheet of Rice Krispie as a vehicle to make another, more intricate dessert. It's a "tasty blank canvas to decorate your own way," the packaging says.
I'm picturing candy, frosting, and other treats—would adding MORE marshmallows make me insane?—on top of this Rice Krispie and then cutting it up like a sheet cake. I'd also think that it could be cut up into different shapes to be structured into a gingerbread house type thing. This is all so chaotic. I love it.
After doing some digging, the 32-ounce treat goes for about $9 at Walmart, and I'm sure the price varies a bit based on location. So what are you waiting for? You have a massive Rice Krispie to conquer.

Cincinnati Chefs Share Their Favorite Wintertime Recipes for the Holiday Table — or Any Table

Some of Cincinnati’s favorite chefs sat down with CityBeat to describe winter dishes they can’t wait to eat every year
 DEC 10, 2019 8 AM
An example of a customizable hot pot set upPHOTO: ERIN CELESTIWhile it might get stressful to have the whole family around a holiday table, one of the best parts of the winter season is what we eat together. Nobody can argue politics when their mouth is full of delicious food.
Some of Cincinnati’s favorite chefs sat down with CityBeat to describe winter dishes they can’t wait to eat every year so that we could interpret them into recipes you’re sure to love. Whether you’re looking for something exotic, inventive or downright comforting, there’s a good chance you’ll want to make a new tradition and eat one (or all) of these meals every year.

Hot Pot

Rich and Johnny Chu of AmerAsia
“Hot pot’s only served when you have unity at a gathering. On the day of Chinese New Year, that’s the only time an average family would get together and have hot pot. The hot pot is all to be determined on what your preference is. Some like to be heavy on the meat, some like to have it heavy on vegetables.” — Rich Chu, translated by Johnny Chu
The most important part of hot pot is the broth, according to Rich Chu, AmerAsia’s master chef. While he doesn’t speak much English, his son Johnny translated his thoughts on the dish that their entire family is excited to share each winter.
There are special pots designed just for hot pot, bisected down the center by a little wall to make two usable halves that hold different broths. If everyone at the table eats meat, the options typically include one spicy broth alongside a milder broth. If vegetarians are at the table, it’s normal to have a meaty broth in one half and a plant-based broth in the other. Of course, you could always use two pots instead if you don’t want to invest in specialty equipment, but make sure you have a heat source such as an electric range top or canned heat on the table to keep the broth boiling until the end of the meal.
Ingredients: A vegetarian or meat broth of your choice (ideally homemade); sliced chicken, pork, beef, lamb, shrimp or firm tofu or all of the above; an assortment of thinly sliced vegetables.
Instructions: This dish is served like fondue, where everyone sits around the bubbling broth, fills their bowls and continually dips their raw ingredients into the boiling liquid to cook them. Everything comes on a plate, thinly sliced. Chicken on one plate, pork on another. Beef, lamb and shrimp on are also popular proteins. All the veggies are kept separate from meat, so as not to contaminate them. Firm tofu is also a popular addition. 
Any of your favorite vegetables can likely work with hot pot, just make sure they’re thinly sliced prior to serving to ensure they achieve a preferable texture when dunked in the boiling broth. Popular options include Napa cabbage, leeks, radish and various mushrooms like enoki and oyster.
Rice isn’t usually served with hot pot. The Chus’ preference is glass noodles. They say the noodles go well with hot pot because they’re so thin, cook quickly and don’t expand too much in your stomach. It’s not unusual to serve small bowls of chili-infused oil with hot pot if you want some added heat.
To drink: If the Chu family was back in Taiwan to eat hot pot, they’d drink Taiwan Beer, which for decades was the only beer legally brewed in the country due to its monopolistic government regulations. The best alternative to this beer in the Chus' eyes is the popular Tsingtao Beer. This crisp, light lager pairs well with the body-warming savoriness of hot pot.  

Takha (Stewed Buffalo in Chilled Gravy) 

Rose and Ashak Chipalu of Bridges Nepali Cuisine 
“It melts in the mouth and we really relish that. We let it sit overnight so it jellies up while the meat stays down. All the gravy is like a jelly right on top.” — Rose Chipalu
Takha is a traditional dish prized by Rose Chipalu and her son Ashak of the Newari tribe from Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley. Made with stewed buffalo meat, this cool-weather food uses Nepal’s naturally chilly environment to let the flavors of all the components meld together as it sits covered on the counter overnight to achieve a gelatinous gravy (though we can’t legally recommend you leave meat on the counter overnight, so just opt for the fridge).
First, if you can’t find decent buffalo meat (preferably cut from the head and leg), Rose assures that beef is a suitable alternative, but encourages you to try the authentic recipe. Look for leaner cuts with minimal fat. Other recipes have used goat, too. No matter what meat you choose, always opt for the bones and skin to be included.
Ingredients: Meat, either beef, goat or buffalo; ginger; garlic; cumin; salt; turmeric; garlic; mustard oil or olive oil; cilantro.
Instructions: Add chopped meat, ginger, garlic, cumin, salt and turmeric to a large pot, cover with water and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for eight to 12 hours. Remove the meat after the first three hours and set aside to avoid over stewing. 
Add the meat to a bowl and cover with cooking liquid. This will sit in the fridge overnight.The next day the liquid will have gelatinized thanks to the collagen from the bones. The dish is garnished with chopped garlic, mustard oil (can substitute olive oil) and cilantro. 
Typically, one quarter of the cooking liquid is reserved for a spicy gravy called sanya khuna. It’s made with fried anchovies and lots of spicy chili pepper mixed with the finished takha liquid and set overnight alongside the takha. There is no buffalo meat in sanya khuna, only fried anchovies in the gravy, which is garnished with a lot of red chili pepper powder.
Takah and sanya khuna are best served cold alongside basmati rice, cauliflower, marinated spinach or mustard greens and a potato dish. Visit one of Bridges’ two locations for inspiration on the side dishes. 
To drink: To drink with takha, the Chipalus enjoy a strong milky rice ale that’s similar to unfiltered Japanese sake, which is likely your best substitute in our region.

Short Ribs Braised in Bordeaux Wine

Jose Salazar of Salazar, Mita’s and Goose & Elder
“I have been eating this dish since I first learned to make it in culinary school about 20 years ago. It reminds me of the excitement of being a young cook and learning new techniques and recipes. I do not associate it with a particular holiday — however, it does remind me of chilly winter nights.” — Jose Salazar
Ingredients: Short ribs, beef stock, Bordeaux wine, vegetable oil or rendered beef fat, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, salt. 
Instructions: To properly braise meat, you must cook it low and slow partially submerged in flavorful liquids, in this case beef stock and red Bordeaux wine. Before you get started with anything else, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Brown the short ribs on the stove in a large Dutch oven with vegetable oil or rendered beef fat. This serves to create the caramelized brown bits on the bottom of the pot known as fond, which provide an incredible depth of flavor. 
Once browned on all sides, remove the ribs and set aside. Add chopped aromatics such as celery, onion and carrot to the pot. Salazar likes this dish with plenty of garlic. Another hit of salt will bring out the moisture from the aromatics, which helps to deglaze the pot and incorporate the fond into the dish. After sweating on medium heat for several minutes, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the fond into the mix. 
Replace the short ribs in the pot and add enough Bordeaux and beef stock to come up halfway to the top of the meat. Put a lid on the pot and cook in the oven until the meat falls off the bone, two to three hours to start, but don’t be surprised if more time is needed depending on the weight. 
To make a pan sauce, strain out the cooking liquid and simmer in a saucepan until it’s reduced to your desired consistency. 
To drink: Serve with a bottle of Bordeaux, of course.        

Shish Barak (Dumplings in Yogurt Sauce)

Kate Zaidan of Dean’s Mediterranean Imports
“Lebanese food is great if you want really flavorful savory dishes. It’s layers of flavor. You always start with garlic and aromatics. Spices are really important, which is one of the reasons why my dad started a spice store.” — Kate Zaidan
Think of this dish as Mediterranean tortellini. You can go about this dish several ways, even buy frozen stuffed pasta to throw into the sauce, but the best dumpling is the one you’ve made yourself. Luckily, you can get everything you need for this dish from Dean’s Mediterranean Imports at Findlay Market. To make the dumplings, you can simply buy wonton wrappers or follow a basic flour-based dumpling dough recipe, but we’ve had no complaints from commercially available wraps in this application. For vegetarians, replace the ground meat with finely chopped mushroom, or buy mushroom tortellini for a convenient, luxurious meal.
Ingredients: Wonton wrappers, ground beef or lamb, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, chopped cilantro, garlic, olive oil, Greek yogurt, one egg. 
Instruction: Using either ground beef or lamb, saute the meat with a mixture of cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro. When the meat is browned, set aside to cool. Start on the yogurt sauce while you wait for the meat to come down to room temperature. Alternately, the dumplings can be made days ahead and stored in the freezer.
In Lebanese cuisine, you don’t use a garlic press or chop the garlic; use a wooden mortar and pestle instead. It makes a paste out of the garlic. Add some olive oil to a high-walled pan and then lightly saute the garlic paste with cilantro. (The garlic can also be pulverized with the flat of your knife on a sturdy cutting board, just simply press the blade onto peeled garlic and smear across the board.)  
Reduce the stovetop to low heat and mix the aromatics in the oil with Greek-style yogurt and whisk in one large egg to make the sauce. Season to taste. Add a bit of water if you prefer a thinner sauce. This can simmer on low while you prepare the dumplings.
Put a small ball of the ground meat in the middle of a wonton wrapper and fold it into your desired shape: a crescent moon, or a pope’s hat are popular starting points. Make sure the dumpling’s contents are totally sealed inside with no tears. Add to a salted pot of boiling water and cook. It’s better to err on the al dente side, since the dumplings will continue to cook when they’re added to the yogurt sauce. 
Once the dumplings have achieved their desired texture, you can add them to the sauce on a low simmer. To plate, this dish is best served with an extra glug of olive oil on top with a garnish of parsley and a shake of red pepper flake. 
To drink: A great drink to pair with this dish is strong Persian black tea brewed with a few sprigs of dried sage and sweetened with rock candy sugar cubes.
Description: Eats Hot Pot&Noodle Erin Celesti

DA distributes 8.5k bags of rice seeds to Butuan farmers

Published December 11, 2019 2:40am
The Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Philippine Rice Research Institute- Agusan, has distributed more than 8,500 bags of certified inbred rice seeds for free to farmers in Butuan City, according to the agency's Facebook post on Monday.
According to the DA, the rice seeds were of high-quality, which was a key factor for the sufficiency, profitability and competitiveness of rice production.
Each bag of rice seeds weighed 20 kilograms.
Jerry Libago, one of the beneficiaries of the rice seed distribution, expressed his gratitude.
Libago, who experienced an accident that impaired his ability to walk four years ago, said that farmers like him had to spend around P 1500 to buy 40 kilograms of rice seeds for a hectare of land.
"The low buying price of palay, which is P15 to P16 and the high cost of farm inputs affected our income. But through the free certified inbred seeds we availed, this is a big help for us, rice farmers," Libago said.
The rice seed distribution was conducted in line with the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to help rice farmers affected by the Rice Tarrification Law, said the DA.
The distribution was headed DA-PhilRice RCEF Focal Person Dr. Genevieve Nemeno and Butuan City Agriculturist Engr. Pierre Joven, in cooperation with the City Agriculture Office.
In September, the agriculture department announced that it would distribute two million bags of rice seeds to farmers in the country. -Angelica Y. Yang/NB, GMA News

Drones now used by Vietnam’s rice farmers

Loc Troi Group, an agriculture firm, conducts pesticide spraying by drones on 25,000 hectares of fields in cooperation with farmers in Long An province.
The group estimates that the spraying by drones will allow it to save time (it takes 5-7 minutes only to spray 1,000 square meters) and increase efficiency (by 90 percent).
Description: Drones now used by Vietnam’s rice farmers
This helps increase productivity, save 90 percent of water, reduce plant protection drugs (about 20-30 percent), reduce the loss of rice (150-200 kg per ha), and protect the health of farmers.

In addition to using drones for its material growing areas, Loc Troi  Group also plans to provide drone service to rice farming households and cooperatives in Mekong Delta.

“This is an important step which helps the company accelerate digitization in agriculture and open new business opportunities,” said Huynh Van Thon, chair of Loc Troi.

According to Agras, the importer and distributor of drone, the investment rate for one drone is relatively high for farmers, VND500-600 million.
Description: http://res.vietnamnet.vn/VietNamNet/Standard/v2015/images/quote-icon.png
At present, farmers have to spend VND200,000 to rent drones to spray pesticide for one hectare. On average, they have to spray pesticides 5-6 times each crop.
Nguyen Van Cang, director of Tan Hung district’s Agriculture Service Center in Long An province, said the annual drone use fee is relatively high, about VND30 million.
This explains why only units which own large fields and large agriculture areas, such as cooperatives, groups of farmers and enterprises, can spend money on drones.

Even Loc Troi, a large agriculture production group, at first, only bought 13 drones and used 33 ‘pilots’ to drive the drones.
A representative of the group said if things go smoothly, the group would buy hundreds of drones.

At present, farmers have to spend VND200,000 to rent drones to spray pesticide for one hectare. On average, they have to spray pesticides 5-6 times each crop.

Other companies, including Trung An, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, ADC and Bayer Vietnam, also have drones or provide a drone leasing service.

Trung An has 800 hectares of rice fields and has to pay VND1 billion a year to workers to spray pesticides. Now, with two drones, according to Pham Thai Binh, general director of Trung An, the company can save money.
Mai Lan 

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- December 10, 2019
DECEMBER 10, 2019 / 3:44 PM * * * * * *
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-December 10, 2018 Nagpur, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Gram prices moved down in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Company (APMC) here on poor demand from local millers amid high moisture content arrival. Weak trend on NCDEX and fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh gram prices also pulled down prices in thin trading activity. About 250 bags of gram reported for auction, according to sources.

GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local

traders.

TUAR * Tuar gavarani reported down in open market here on poor demand from local traders.

* Rice HMT and Shriram varieties firmed up in open market here on good demand

from local traders amid tight supply from producing region.

* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,400-5,600, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,200-8,400, Udid Mogar (clean)

– 9,500-10,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,700-9,600, Gram – 4,250-4,300, Gram Super best

– 5,600-5,800 * 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 3,500-4,000 3,500-4,130

Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600

Tuar Auction n.a. 4,800-5,265

Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200

Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500

Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500

Wheat Lokwan Auction 2,000-2,096 1,900-2,100

Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000

Gram Super Best Bold 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000

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 4,300-4,400 4,300-4,400

Desi gram Raw 4,300-4,350 4,300-4,350

Gram Kabuli 8,500-10,000 8,500-10,000

Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,400-8,600 8,400-8,600

Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200

Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,600-7,900 7,600-7,900

Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500

Tuar Gavarani New 5,450-5,550 5,500-5,600

Tuar Karnataka 6,000-6,100 6,000-6,100

Masoor dal best 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800

Masoor dal medium 5,300-5,400 5,300-5,400

Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New) 9,000-10,000 9,000-10,000

Moong Mogar Medium 8,000-8,800 8,000-8,800

Moong dal Chilka New 7,800-8,800 7,800-8,800

Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500

Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 9,800-11,000 9,800-11,000

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 7,000-7,700 7,000-7,700

Mot (100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,500 6,500-7,500

Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,850-5,050 4,850-5,050

Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800

Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 9,000-9,200 9,000-9,200

Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,450 2,350-2,450

Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,150-2,250 2,150-2,250

Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,800 2,700-2,800

Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700 2,600-2,700

Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600

Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,200 3,600-4,200

MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200

Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500

Rice BPT best new (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600

Rice BPT medium new(100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000

Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,100 3,000-3,100

Rice Swarna best new (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,800 2,600-2,800

Rice Swarna medium new (100 INR/KG)2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500

Rice HMT best new (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,200 3,800-4,000

Rice HMT medium new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,600-3,800

Rice Shriram best new(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,500-5,000

Rice Shriram med new (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,400

Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500

Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500

Rice Chinnor best new 100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,500 5,300-5,500

Rice Chinnor medium new(100 INR/KG)5,000-5,200 5,000-5,200

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. 29.6 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 12.5 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 30 degree Celsius and 12 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)

Democrats close deal with Trump on USMCA, proclaiming end of 'NAFTA lite'

 Updated 
Photo: LARS HAGBERG, Contributor / AFP/Getty Images
Current agricultural exports from Texas to our North American partners amount to about $7.2 billion and stands to increase under USMCA by $2.2 billion. USMCA extends the duty-free passage of products, including
... more
WASHINGTON - House Democratic leaders said Tuesday they had agreed to a newly negotiated trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada, proclaiming it would far exceed worker protections of earlier international agreements of its kind.
Speaking to reporters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, said she would move quickly to pass the agreement, even as her party moves ahead to impeach President Donald Trump.
"There are some people why say why give Trump a victory," Pelosi said. "We're declaring victory for the American worker."
With U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer traveling to Mexico Tuesday to get a signature on the new USMCA, which would replace the 1990s era North American Free Trade Agreement, the question now is how quickly Congress can vote to ratify the deal.
On Tuesday Trump tweeted, "America’s great USMCA Trade Bill is looking good." Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, released a statement imploring Congress to support the trade deal.
“This is a defining moment for our nation: we have an opportunity to pass one of the largest trilateral trade agreements,” he said. “The North American Free Trade Agreement gave rise to the greatest display of economic growth in the history of Texas, United States, Mexico, and Canada. Now, it is time to continue and build on this economic prosperity by passing the USMCA."
The question is whether more liberal Democrats in the House will shift from their traditional opposition to free trade deals to support the USMCA. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., said the trade agreement would ensure that Mexico adhered more closely to U.S. labor standards, limiting companies' incentive to shift operations abroad.
"This is no longer NAFTA-lite," he said. "Parts we have negotiated have never been included any free trade agreement in the history of this country."
At least one progressive member, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said he supported the USMCA, adding that he was glad to see a "price gouging" provision protecting drug manufacturers removed from the final deal.
"Finally, we have a 21st Century trade agreement that not only encourages more trade but adds protection for the environment and workers," he said.
Getting there wasn't easy, as the White House and Democrats debated what enforcement provisions to put in place to ensure Mexico complied with the tougher labor standards, said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., who led the Democratic negotiations with the White House.
"These were intense, argumentative, angry negotiations," he said. "The offering we have in front of us today is indicative of the good will."

Philippines rice saga: Government confirms stricter import controls despite President’s pledge to ban them

By Pearly Neo
- Last updated on GMT
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The Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) has opted to control rice imports and prices, even though President Rodrigo Duterte previously said all imports would be halted.
Related tags: Philippines, Rice, Import
The Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) has opted to control rice imports and prices, even though President Rodrigo Duterte previously said all imports would be halted.


This is the latest development in a long line of confusing and seemingly contradictory statements and policies. 

Duterte originally signed the rice tariffication law and removed import caps​ earlier this year in February in an attempt to bring down rice shortages and severe price hikes in the Philippines.
This came on the back of a series of failed attempts to remedy the situation including the introduction of rice labelling and pricing rules​, auctioning out rice supply bids​, and a blatant denial of any shortage​ in the country.
A huge amount of rice entered the country after this was passed, easing the then-precarious situation.
However, nine months on, Duterte announced at a press conference earlier this month that he had ordered Agriculture Secretary William Dar to suspend all imports of rice in order to help local farmers suffering as a result of rice importation, and called on the government to buy local rice at farmgate prices instead.
This almost immediately led to a state of confusion, starting with the DA claiming that rice imports could not be stopped without amending the rice tariffication law.
“The law is the law. If it needs to be revised, that has to be reviewed by both houses of Congress,”​ said DA spokesman and Assistant Secretary for Communications and Media Affairs Noel Reyes.
“We will await an official directive from the palace.”
He added that it had been less than a year since the tariffication law had been implemented, describing it as a ‘baby that had not learnt to walk’​, so it was ‘too early’​ to talk about repealing this law.

The next day, following a meeting with Duterte, Dar responded by posting on his Facebook page that ‘strict measures’ would be imposed on rice imports – but made no mention of Duterte’s previous comments on halting these.

"All rice importers will have to comply with the guidelines as required in securing the Sanitary Phyto-Sanitary Import Clearance or SPSIC,"​ said Dar.
“We are abiding by the intentions and directives of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring down the price of rice at affordable levels, and provide rice farmers much-needed support to make them efficient and cost-productive so they can ably compete with their counterparts in ASEAN and other Asian countries."
After close to a week of confusion, Duterte finally cleared up the situation by claiming that he had been ‘misunderstood’.
“We have to import because the producer cannot fill up the requirements. It’s lacking,”​ he said during a speech.
In conclusion: rice imports will continue in the Philippines, albeit with stricter controlling measures in place.

Helping rice farmers

The implementation of these measures as well as ‘pre-inspections’ at the point of origin of imported rice will be enforced through DA via the Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI).
“This is to ensure quality and safe rice for consumers, as well as protect farmers from possible introduction and spread of crop pests and diseases,”​ said the DA via an official statement.
DA also stated that in this meeting, Duterte had ordered the country’s National Food Authority (NFA) to buy more palay (unhusked rice) from local farmers to increase emergency buffer rice stock from 15 to 30 days.
“The NFA must [also] sell more regular milled rice at an average of 20,000 bags (50 kg) or more per day, [and extend] the unconditional cash transfer for small farmers affected by low palay prices [from] one to two years, with a budget of PHP3bn (US$59.1mn) per year,”​ said the DA.
According to Asia Customs and Trade​, BPI launched an ePhytosanitary Web Application (which can be found here​) earlier this year which aims to increase the electronic applications of electronic phytosanitary certificates in the country, as opposed to paper versions.