Tuesday, December 24, 2019

24th December,2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter



Vietnam’s rice sector forecast to face difficulties in 2020

23/12/2019    09:10 GMT+7
Description: https://vnn-res.vgcloud.vn/ResV9/images/logo-bridge-vnn.pngThe Philippines and China, Vietnam’s two major rice export markets, may reduce rice imports in 2020.
Vietnam’s rice sector is predicted to face difficulties in 2020 with strong volatility of production, demand and prices, while the government has not been able to find new export markets, according to Viet Dragon Securities Company (VDSC).
VDSC suggested land use for growing rice will be reduced. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in October 2019, there were 7.47 million hectares of available land for rice production, shrinking by 92,300 hectares compared to October 2018.
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The acreage under rice cultivation  will continue to decline by 500,000 hectares in the coming years, which will be used for other purposes such as aquatic or fruit cultivation in order to reduce the pressure on rice production which is higher than demand.
Based on the productivity of 2019, the volume of rice produced in 2020 will be around 41.5 million tons, down 6.7% year-on-year, stated VDSC.
Description: https://vnn-imgs-a1.vgcloud.vn/mediahntime.press.com.vn/596/2019/12/21/h7.png
Moreover, the Philippines and China, Vietnam’s two major rice export markets, may reduce the amount of imported rice. The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) publicly announced the end of a preliminary investigation on the application of global self-protection on imported rice into the Philippines. However, they are still able to use other methods allowed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and ASEAN to affect the volume of imported rice.
Description: https://vnn-imgs-a1.vgcloud.vn/mediahntime.press.com.vn/596/2019/12/21/h8.png
Meanwhile, the US Department of Agriculture is expected to maintain tight control over Chinese rice imports. As a result, China will not change the amount of rice to be imported from Vietnam. Moreover, China tends to increase its imports from Cambodia.
In the first nine months of 2019, China’s rice imports from Cambodia grew 44% year-on-year, according to Xinhuanet.
Additionally, the prices may fall in 2020. The MARD stated that the demand for rice has been decreasing. Actually, some countries have restructured their agriculture sector in order to improve the domestic supply and satisfy local demand. Vietnam is struggling to find other customers so that a decline in prices in 2020 could negatively affect the sector.

Few positives for Vietnamese rice in 2020
However, there are few positives for 2020 for Vietnamese rice, stated VDSC. Firstly, Vietnam’s ST25 rice was awarded the world’s best variety, surpassing Thai and Cambodian rice. This is an opportunity for Vietnam to improve its image globally.
Secondly, there are opportunities to export rice to Singapore and Japan. In 2019, Thailand faced problems due to the drought season which led to lower available quantities for exports.
Consequently, Singapore, who imports 30-40% of its needs from Thailand, had to diversify its suppliers. The MARD plans to approach this market in order to take advantage of the close distance between the two countries. Meanwhile, Japan also wants to diversify its source of supply. The country’s rice imports are very US-dependent. Currently, they are looking for another supplier who is a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and Vietnam qualifies for this criterion.
Description: https://vnn-imgs-a1.vgcloud.vn/mediahntime.press.com.vn/596/2019/12/21/h5.png
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the production of rice worldwide has not changed much lately as the supply remained at 427.83 million tons in the first 10 months of 2019, decreasing by 0.83% compared to the same period last year. In terms of price, Japonica prices went up by 3.9% meanwhile all others witnessed a price decline. On average, rice prices dropped by 1%.  
In Vietnam, total rice cultivated area in the first ten months of 2019 was 7.47 million hectares which is lower than last year by 1.2%. However, until October, there are only 6.35 hectares ready to be harvested and the productivity was 5.96 tons per hectare, up 0.03 tons per hectare year-on-year. Hence, total production stood at 37.8 million tons, down 3,600 tons year-on-year.
According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, 5.506 million tons of rice was exported in the January – October period, which represent 14.6% of the total production.
This was an increase of 6.1% year-on-year in volume (mostly comes from the rise in importing of the Philippines), but a 9.1% decline in value because of a decrease in the price. The Philippines is the largest export market as they imported 1.94 million tons of rice, accounting for 35.3% of the total export amount. Prices fell by 13.4% compared to last year. In fact, the average price of exported rice as of October was US$435.6 per ton. Hanoitimes

West Africa Regional Supply and Market Outlook, December 23, 2019

REPORT
Published on 23 Dec 2019 View Original

KEY MESSAGES
Description: previewAggregate cereal production in West Africa in 2019/20 is estimated to be 75.1 million metric tons (MMT), stable compared to the previous year (2018/19) and well above the five-year average (2014/15 to 2018/19). Major production countries are expecting above- average production. Below-average production is expected in minor producing Cape Verde, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone. Maize and rice production continued increasing, while millet and sorghum production stagnated (Figure 1). Roots, tubers, and cash crop production are also expected to be above average. Pastoral conditions are fair.
• Commodity balances remain above average but are at or below 2018/19 levels (Figure 2). The region will maintain gross marketable coarse grains surplus and will continue to rely on well-supplied international markets for rice and wheat imports. Rice imports in the Eastern basin (including Nigeria) will decline due to recent policy changes
• Market supplies are following regular post-harvest trends. Cereal prices were atypically low during the lean season in the Sahel and remain below 2018/19 and average levels. Both imported and local rice prices are above average, especially in the countries outside the WAEMU zone where local currencies have depreciated.
Livestock prices and terms of trade (ToT) are above average, supporting pastoralist food access. Despite above-average regional supply, regional trade faces several obstacles. The recent closure of Nigeria’s land border impedes trade with neighboring countries, especially Benin and Niger. Persistent insecurity and conflict in the Greater Lake Chad, Liptako- Gourma, and Tibesti regions continue to limit staple food and livestock market functioning and access.
• Staple prices will follow seasonal trends, similar or below average in most countries, except in Senegal and Mauritania where they could be higher due to crop and pasture deficits. Local and imported rice prices will remain higher than average in Coastal countries. Livestock prices will remain close to the average in most markets but will be atypical in conflict zones.

RDB begins releasing $50M capital to rice milling firms

 | Publication date 23 December 2019 | 21:43 ICT


Description: Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The funds are to be used to purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of rice during the post-harvest season which begins next month.
State-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB) CEO Kao Thach told The Post that 15 private rice milling firms were granted loans to address the capital shortage in the sector.
RDB had allocated 40 per cent of $50 million in credit to the 15 firms as of Monday, Thach said.
The funds are to be used to purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of rice during the post-harvest season which begins at the beginning of next month, to fill domestic and international demand.
“The loans are to accommodate demand in the rice sector for capital. Some of the rice millers continue to submit proposals for loans but the data is still unavailable,” he said.
The additional loans come after the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) requested the government to provide $200 million in credit to rice millers in late November.
In early December, the Ministry of Economy and Finance allocated $50 million in funds to the RDB to be used as capital to buy additional rice stockpiles during the harvest season.
CRF vice-president Chan Sokheang said loan recipients will also use the funds to purchase “additional rice for grinding, processing and export to domestic and international markets”.
“Rice millers from some provinces where the harvest season has already passed, such as Takeo and Kampong Speu did not submit loan applications”, Sokheang said.
The Kingdom’s rice exports to international markets topped more than $286 million in the first 11 months of this year, the Ministry of Commerce’s annual report said.
The annual report also said rice exports to the international market totalled 514,149 tonnes in the first 11 months of the year, a 3.4 per cent increase from 497,240 tonnes during the same period last year.
China was the Kingdom’s leading export market during the period, accounting for 195,242 tonnes. The EU imported 174,397 tonnes and Asean 69,239 tonnes.
Contact author: Thou Vireak
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rdb-begins-releasing-50m-capital-rice-milling-firms

Goronyo: Saboteurs behind hike in price of local rice


 

National President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Aminu Muhammad Goronyo, in this interview with Abdulwahab Isa lauds Federal Government’s decision on land border closure, describing it as a golden decision that has turned Nigerian farmers to kings 

Nigeria’s land borders were shut since August this year.  One of the reasons was to combat smuggling of foreign rice in addition to halting trafficking of illegal nationals into Nigeria. What do you make of government’s action?

Border closure is a hard decision. I believe it is one decision long overdue. It’s a hard but necessary decision for a rational leader to take. We thank the type of person we have as president one gifted with the capacity to take a hard decision. It will augur 100 per cent well in favour of Nigeria and Nigerians. The border closure isn’t only in favour of small holder farmers; it’s about Nigeria and Nigerians. It’s a welcome idea by Nigerians. This is because Nigerians desire progress; they want to see Nigeria amongst top developing nations. And this is one of the steps that will position Nigeria. So we thank Mr. President for taking this very hard but economically good and benefitting decision. It’s very pleasing and okay for Nigeria, particularly at this material time.

Navy seizes 1,831 bags of rice smuggled by sea from Cameroon

Description: Navy seizes 1,831 bags of rice smuggled by sea from Cameroon
December 23
10:012019
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The Nigeria Navy forward operating base (FOB) at Ibaka in Mbo local government area of Akwa Ibom has arrested 24 suspects with 1,831 bags of smuggled rice.
Peter Yilme, the commanding officer of the FOB, disclosed this to journalists in Ibaka, on Sunday.
Yilme said five wooden boats used in smuggling the rice from Cameroon to Nigeria were also seized, and that the arrest was made during routine operations by operatives in the past one month.
Yilme, who was represented by Kabiru Yusuf, base operations officer, during the handing over of the suspects and items to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the command would remain steadfast in fighting criminals on Nigeria’s territorial waters in line with the directive of the chief of naval staff.
Dauda Garuba, an officer of the NCS, received the suspects and items from the navy.
Two of the suspects claimed they were not told that they were to carry bags of rice from Cameroon to Nigeria while another said he was told that he would be transporting fish.
He said it was when the rice was loaded into the boat that he realised that he would not be conveying fish as told.
The federal government closed Nigeria’s land borders in August to check smuggling. While some Nigerians condemned the action, other citizens praised the government’s initiative.
In October, the Gombe state chapter of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) expressed its support for the border closure, saying farmers in the country can produce enough rice to feed Nigerians and to export.
Kalagar Lubo, state secretary of RIFAN, said the closure is a positive development that will promote the production of fresh locally made rice.
“With the extension of rains to the end of October, the yield will be good. The home production is very good, first it is fresh and the value is good. If the border is opened the farmer will not have it good. When you buy a bag at N10,000, it will cost you just N20,000 for two bags. When you go to the market, a bag of foreign rice is sold at N18,000,” he had said.
Crack down on godowns
Posted on December 23rd, 2019

Editorial Courtesy The Island

The prices of rice and vegetables have gone into the stratosphere, nay mesosphere, and sent both Citizen Perera and the newly formed caretaker government reeling. Inclement weather, which has wreaked havoc on farming areas and caused disruptions to the transport network have also led to sharp increases in the prices of the locally produced food items. Such price hikes are also seasonal. But they are mostly due to deplorable market manipulations and the absence of storage facilities and an efficient distribution network. This situation, which has come about due to lack of government interventions, has enabled unscrupulous traders to fleece both the producer and the consumer alike.
One may recall that about 10 years ago, the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa revealed that vegetables, grown in Ranna, reached nearby Tangalle, after being taken all the way to Dambulla, which is about 300 km away. This is how big-time traders controlled the vegetable prices, he said. But his government did precious little to protect producers and consumers. The same goes for all other food items whose prices are jacked up by wholesalers who manipulate the market to make unconscionable profits. Even the price of an egg laid by a hen in a far-flung area is said to be determined by traders in Pettah.
There are some varieties of vegetables, which perish where they grow without being harvested. Murunga is a case in point; owing to extremely low prices it fetches in the areas where it grows freely, especially in the dry zone, it almost goes unharvested, though it is expensive elsewhere. If such vegetables can be transported where there is a market for them, the public will benefit.
There has been a proposal for setting up solar powered cold storage facilities, in the vegetable producing areas, to prevent the farmers’ produce from decaying in the event of surpluses or adverse weather conditions or other such problems. It has gone unheeded. Bumper harvests which should be a blessing to farmers become a curse for them because they cannot dispose of their produce at reasonable prices. It is not seldom that we witness protests where irate farmers destroy colossal amounts of pumpkins, etc., on the roadside.
A left-wing firebrand in the SLPP-led government has reportedly revealed how to bring down vegetable prices; he wants the public to stop buying them so that a decrease in demand for them will result in a drop in their prices! We are reminded of the popular local saying, ‘bale thiyanakota mole ne, mole thiyanakota bale ne,’ (when one has power one has no brains, and when one has brains one has no power.)
The people have already reduced the consumption of vegetables to a bare minimum, but the prices still remain very high. We are not short of contortionists in the garb of ministers, blessed with hypermobility, which enables their feet to get into their big mouths easily. Another such double-jointed ministerial potentate once claimed that a family of three could live on a monthly income of Rs. 7,500 if it managed its resources frugally!
Meanwhile, attempts are being made to control the prices of rice. However welcome such measures may be, the government is barking up the wrong tree. The general consensus is that the country has enough stocks of paddy, but the big-time mill owners with political connections are not releasing them to the market so as to prevent the prices of rice from dropping. Raids are being conducted on business places in Colombo, but sprawling warehouse complexes wherein paddy is hoarded, in areas such as Polonnaruwa, have been spared. Our money is on the Millers’ Mafia having the last laugh, for the new government, in spite of its rhetoric, has stopped short of conducting raids on the godowns in the North Central Province in search of hoarded paddy. The will of the government seems to stop where the interests of the big-time businesses begin! Governments don’t hesitate to subjugate the interests of the public to their political compulsions. The SLPP-led caretaker government is no exception.
The Paddy Marketing Board (PMD) suffered a crippling blow at the hands of the JRJ government, which sacrificed vital state ventures at the altar of economic liberalisation. It has been revived but cannot compete with the buccaneering private millers. It allegedly buys the paddy stocks that private traders reject. That the PMD has a pivotal role to play in protecting the rice growers and consumers by making market interventions where necessary cannot be overemphasised. A prerequisite for making it work efficiently is to ensure that it is properly managed.
Some big-time rice mill owners have offered to co-operate with the government and release some of their stocks to the market to help maintain rice prices at the stipulated levels. Their offer smacks of a tactical manoeuvre to prevent the government from getting into a desperate situation where it will be forced to act against the Millers’ Mafia.
The government will have to get tough with the paddy hoarders if the problem of market manipulation is to be solved once and for all.

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Christmas: Travellers groan over high fare

• Female shoppers hide money in undies to avoid pickpockets • Rice farmers, millers lament poor patronage



Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki with agency report
Description: Christmas: Travellers groan over high fareFew hours to Christmas, commuters travelling from Lagos to other parts of the country by road, are groaning and weeping over the astronomical hike in fares.
The travellers in separate interviews at various motor parks in Jibowu area, Mazamaza, Ojota, Berger, Yaba parks all in Lagos, said the development was compounding the hardship in the land.
A Benin-bound traveller, Mr. James Uche, said the hike was abnormal, as he was not prepared for the 100 per cent hike.
Uche, who spoke to NAN at Edegbe Motors at Jibowu, said: “I boarded this bus at Ajah and paid N9,600 for a trip to Benin, and I also paid another N9,600 for a seat for my luggage.
“Meanwhile, because passengers were not forthcoming, the bus carried us to Jibowu here to fill all seats. I never bargained for this, it is painful.”
A cleric, Tony O. Tony, who took his brother travelling to Owerri to Chisco park, said the fare had jumped from N7,000 to N13, 000.
“It should not be so because there is no hike in fuel price, gridlock has been there, road condition has been there also. So, there is no justification for this pain being inflicted on people, especially the masses.”
A Port Harcourt-bound traveller at Veno Tours, Mr. Joseph Eleyi, said fares were unfriendly, as he had to pay N12,000 as against N6,500. He blamed it on the season, bad road and multiple checkpoints.
Mr. Monday Ani, a businessman travelling to Enugu from Ifesinachi Express park, said the fare, which rose from N6,000 to N10,200, was unfair, considering the harsh economy.
At Chibest Park, an Abuja-bound lady, Miss Titilayo Aina, said the fare jumped from 5,000 to N8,000 because of the season.
Fare for Lagos to Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Enugu and other eastern parts was going for over N20, 000 in many of the parks.
An official at Chisco Transport said the increase was usual during the season.
“That is how it has always been, even since the days of our parents. Fares are increased during festive seasons, so nothing is abnormal here. People are shouting too much now maybe because there is no money in town.”
On what government could do to alleviate hardship on the roads, the travellers called for speedy road rehabilitation and checkmating of extortion at numerous checkpoints.
According to them, most transport operators consider the challenges and factor them into the fare, which is usually passed down to the poor masses.
However, last minutes Christmas female shoppers now hide money in their undies to avoid being mugged at Balogun Market in Lagos.
The female shoppers at the market have to device means of hiding their valuables from pickpockets who had invaded the market in large numbers.
Miss Lovelyn Shedrach, said: “No one is to be trusted in this kind of market, especially a crowded one, everyone to me is a suspect. I don’t let people get too close to me in the market, even when they do, I’m always careful.”
Another shopper, Mrs Ukamaka Dike, also raised alarm of her purse being stolen which contained her phone, Identity card and money.
Mrs. Veronica Bassey, who shops at the market regularly, said pickpocketing was a usual occurrence especially during festive periods.
“For a market that is always crowded, especially during this season, one needs to be careful. I have been a victim of pickpocketing and that day I was stranded,’’ Bassey said.
Mr. Adeyemi Tobi, a trader who sells bags, said that the market was a busy place where only the smart and vigilant can survive.
“It is not only buyers’ purses that are stolen, traders’ goods are also being stolen. For both buyers and sellers, one need to be vigilant in order to avoid loss of valuables,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, rice farmers and millers in Ebonyi are lamenting low patronage of their commodity even at the peak of the yuletide period.
The farmers and millers said they had expected to record good sells of the commodity and make corresponding gains by this period of the yuletide  but that the reverse was the case.
They attributed the development  to the crash in the price and also the delay in payment of workers salaries by the state government.
A visit by Daily Sun to Abakaliki Rice Mill industry, yesterday, indicated that a 25kg bag  of rice which was previously sold between N7,000  and N8,000 when Federal Government closed borders is currently selling between N6,000 and N7,000.
One of the rice farmers and millers, Chief  Simon Adiekwe,  who said he started milling in the industry since  1980,  said people from east and west were trooping to the industry to buy the commodity in large quantity  when borders were closed but now it is no longer the same in this yuletide period.

Buy Ghana Rice And Merry Xmas

By Daily Guide

Description: Buy Ghana Rice And Merry Xmas
 LISTEN   17 HOURS AGO
This year's Yuletide has a special feature which many have not observed. For the first time in the history of rice production, the staple has received a boost from the Presidency on the threshold of Xmas.
There is a marked rise in Ghanaians going to the market with the intention of buying grown-in-Ghana rice. It is a wonderful development which we must all as a matter of urgency support.
There is a seeming magic about the presidential campaign for local rice as the rising demand is palpably evidenced. We might not have the statistics about the rising demand for the staple but credible information from the market points to that direction which for us is heartwarming.
A woman who went to the Agric Ministry near the Court Complex in Accra with an intention to buy the locally grown rice returned from the mission with a positive story. She reported noticing an unusual patronage.
Now that the Presidency has joined in the campaign and consumers are responding positively, it is for the appropriate state agencies to maintain the heat until all Ghanaians switch over to locally produced rice; that is the way to go doubtlessly.
The advantages in a positive response to the campaign are enormous the most outstanding of all being the strengthening of the cedi and the creation of employment opportunities for more Ghanaians.
The amount of foreign exchange, which goes into the import of rice and the fallout of the transactions on the value of the cedi, is not far-fetched.
The patronage for locally produced rice for us should be put on a patriotic footing. Indeed, schoolchildren should be educated about the subject so that they grow with this fact etched on their memories.
With the impetus now created, it would not be difficult to increase the momentum and to eventually reduce to the barest minimum our dependence on imported rice.
We are aware that importers of so-called Basmati and other qualities of the staple from Asia would resort to other means of sabotaging the drive. That notwithstanding, we must not relent but increase the pressure on the campaign.
Our social marketing experts should be engaged to assist us with a more effective means of reaching out to us all with well packaged campaign stuff in this drive.
Xmas in Ghana would be incomplete without the patronage of locally produced rice.
As we prepare to celebrate Xmas, we must bear this in mind and include Ghana rice on our list of purchases.

Diabetes Diet: Is Brown Rice Safe For Consumption?

By 


One indicator is its glycemic index that falls between 56 to 69, which are parameters used to categorize medium GI foods. Boiled rice’s GI is at 68, therefore not contributing to a spike in blood sugar levels unlike white rice that is digested faster, as per Healthline.
Brown rice being high in fiber is not only good for digestive health, it also promotes fullness and helps with maintaining weight. The whole grain has an antioxidant effect that reduces risk of chronic diseases, especially Alzheimer’s and cancer.  
Brown rice boasts of many vitamins and minerals, particularly high magnesium content. One cup of brown rice meets the daily requirement of magnesium, a mineral that helps regulate blood sugar levels.  It also aids bone growth and nerve functioning while providing other health benefits. 
Brown Rice Is Good For Diabetes
A study published in 2017, which involved a total of 16 outpatients with type 2 diabetes, found that consumption of brown rice improves glycemic control in diabetics. During the randomized and crossover controlled study, the patients were fed white rice twice a day for a week, after which they were put in two separate groups. 
Description: https://i.connatix.com/s3/connatix-uploads/cb047632-efc0-4ff7-85f2-fca8d773f03e/1.jpg?mode=crop&width=720&height=405
Description: https://i.connatix.com/s3/connatix-uploads/9bdac70c-f476-4d2d-b3f7-3f47ff862fa9/282.jpg?mode=stretch&connatiximg=true&scale=both&height=337&width=600
The first group consumed brown rice twice a day for eight weeks. Later, they were asked to switch and eat white rice for another eight weeks. Following the same pattern, the second group was asked to eat brown rice for eight weeks twice a day as well and subsequently white rice for the next set of eight weeks. The researchers evaluated plasma glucose and serum C-peptide levels  after eight and 16 weeks, respectively, in both groups. 
When they checked hemoglobin A1c levels, it was found to have slid significantly in patients while eating brown rice. The study had therefore confirmed that brown rice aided glycemic control for people with type 2 diabetes. 
Brown Rice Prevents Diabetes
A study by Harvard School of Public Health, which was published in 2010, showed that a huge amount of white rice regularly consumed could potentially increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The study involved health professionals with a follow-up period of 20 years. The Nurses’ Health Study's part one was followed up between 1984 and 2006, and part two between 1991 and 2005. 
About 3,318,196 participants were included, all of whom did not have diabetes, cancer and heart problem. Food intake was first examined at baseline and then compared from time to time during every two to four year intervals. The cohorts had 39,765 men and 157,463 women overall.  After the follow-up period had ended, 10,507 people reported having type 2 diabetes. 
After cancelling out other risk factors, researchers at Harvard Medical School were clear that eating a lot of white rice resulted in increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, contrary to the effect of brown rice. Description: Diabetes
Diabetes can be prevented by avoiding sugar treats, following a healthy diet and regular exercise. Tumisu/Pixabay


New hands and new plans amid a storm of issues

Description: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/dam/jcr:1b34b192-ce86-4c5a-a289-01e9289f9c30/Agriculture-2019_CNNPH.jpg
By Luchi de Guzman, CNN Philippines
Published Dec 24, 2019 10:00:56 AM



Significantly, rice, pork and fish, the prime food staples on the typical Filipino dining table, emerged on top of the major concerns during the year.
Already the laggard among the key economic sectors, agriculture started 2019 limping in an environment of high inflation, low domestic supply, and surging imports of rice and fish products.
The year started with Manny Pinol as the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and ended with William Dar taking the reins. Several big decisions were made to ensure an adequate and affordable supply of food, but would local producers be able to withstand the consequences?
Here's a brief rundown of the major government decisions that shaped the Philippine agriculture sector in 2019:
Rice tariffication lowers prices, but farmers take a hit
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the rice tariffication law in February. The measure was meant to temper the high rice prices in 2018 by allowing more rice imports into the market through a regime of lower tariffs. The law also restructured the National Food Authority (NFA) and required that a portion of the tariff collected be set aside for a P10 billion Rice Competitiveness Fund to help local farmers compete with the expected influx of imports.
While both food and rice prices did decline, local farmers soon felt more than the intended effect. Prices of palay, or unhusked rice, fell drastically and gnawed into farm producers’ earnings.
The situation grew into a critical political problem that eventually led to the ouster of the agriculture secretary. He revealed this in a June 28 Facebook post. 
On August 5, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed William Dar as the new Agriculture Secretary. Dar, who had previously held the same post during the term of former President Joseph Estrada, was not among the undersecretaries Pinol recommended to replace him.
In September, farmers groups said that palay prices have plummeted to as low as P7 per kilo due to rice tariffication. Senator Cynthia Villar, principal author of the rice tariffication law and chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, shifted the blame to recent storms.
While the plight of the farmers elicited some harsh words from Duterte, going as much as saying that he would suspend the law, the rice tariffication law is still in full effect. This is after Dar and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez talked the president out of it.
African Swine Fever enters the country, pigs culled
Newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Dar also faced a fresh challenge as soon as he entered office, as African Swine Fever (ASF) entered the Philippines. The highly contagious disease, while not deadly to humans, ensures the death of the affected pig within 3-5 days. The entry of ASF, officials warned, could be catastrophic to the local hog raising industry that counted more than 13.1 million pigs and revenues worth billions of pesos at the time.
The first report of ASF in the Philippines came from Rizal in July, and lab results on suspected pigs were positive the next month. This led to a culling of around 70,000 pigs, mostly from the regions of Central and Southern Luzon. The DA launched a campaign to quarantine and prevent the spread of the disease, which included cash assistance to affected backyard swine raisers.
The Department of Budget and Management released additional funds to assist the agriculture deapartment. The Bureau of Customs confiscated pork and pork products from other ASF-affected countries at the ports. 
Trade in pork products within the country has been regulated, as uncooked pork and humans can be carriers of the disease. This has led to local manufacturers slashing their pork product output just before the yuletide holidays. But as of November, the DA assured that there was enough supply of pork products for Filipinos to enjoy a traditional Noche Buena, which has ham as a centerpiece.
Toward the end of the year, the ASF imbroglio has for the most part simmered down.
Galunggong prices increase by year end
But an old issue resurfaced by the year's end. Galunggong, the fish that has become an informal indicator of market prices, has become more expensive. Former Secretary Pinol faced the same challenge in 2018, which led to more imports and alleged smuggling
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources cited typhoons and the lean season as reasons for this price increase, adding that it is expected to last until February. The government imported 45,000 metric tons of galunggong to make it more affordable.
In the meantime, Dar has asked the public to consider buying cheaper local fish, like bangus and tilapia.

Russia likely to lift yearlong ban on Pakistani rice

KARACHI: Russia is expected to lift a yearlong ban on rice imports from Pakistan as concerns about the grain phytosanitary standards have been allayed, brightening prospects of reopening of $50 million market, a government official said on Monday.
The official at Trade Development Authority of Pakistan said Russian government is likely to lift the ban on grain imports from Pakistan, as state-owned Department of Plant Protection implemented the compliance program for export of rice to the Russian Federation
“The implementation of compliance program will ensure export of pest-free grains to Russia,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
The Department of Plant Protection has sent a detailed report to Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian Federation, elaborating measures that have been taken to prevent the proliferation of the Trogoderma granarium, also called cabinet or khapra beetle, in products supplied to milling, processing, storage, and packaging facilities in Russia.
Earlier this year, Russia had imposed a temporary ban on import of rice from Pakistan on a claim that khapra beetle was found in a batch of rice. This was despite the fact that the consignment was duly cleared by the Department of Plant Protection, which issues sanitary and phytosanitary certificates to each grain consignment moving outside the country.
After the ban, Russian side had asked for information on measures taken to prevent the proliferation of the beetle in products supplied to Russia and information about zones in Pakistan free from the beetle.
“Russian side has been informed that there is no specific area in Pakistan, which is free from Trogoderma granarium beetle,” the official said.
“The implementation of compliance program will help in exporting pest-free rice to Russian Federation. Russian side has also been requested for a meeting of experts of both sides too.” Pakistan exported approximately 35,000 tons worth $40-50 million of rice and other grains to Russia per annum.
Rice is one of the main exports of Pakistan, fetching the country more than two billion dollars in a year. According to latest available numbers, exports from Pakistan to the Russian Federation in the month of July 2019 increased 15.14 percent and equaled $24.15 million as opposed to $20.97 million in the same month of the previous year.
Pakistan’s imports from Russia decreased from $23.95 million to $10.6 million, depicting a decline of 55.83 percent. Bilateral trade fell 22.7 percent in July 2019 compared to the same month of the previous year, reaching $34.73 million from $44.93 million. Monthly trade balance amounted to $13.57 million in favour of Pakistan.

India Basmati Rice exports fall to $2.22 bn in Apr-Oct FY20
Commodity Online | December 20 2019
UPDATED 11:56:17 IST
India's basmati rice shipments declined by a tenth at $2.22 billion during April- October 2019-20 on lower volumes, despite a marginal increase in per unit realisation, according to the latest figures released by the Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Commerce Ministry.

Exports of basmati stood at $2.47 billion in the corresponding period last year.

In volume terms, shipments stood lower at 2.05 million tonnes (2.29 million tonnes). Basmati rice is India’s largest export product, and accounted for a fourth of the total farm produce shipments.

Non-basmati rice saw a major decline in both volumes and value terms after being outpriced in the international market. Non-basmati rice shipments were down 37% at $1.14 billion ($1.81 billion) during the period.

Volumes fell drastically to 2.81 million tonnes, against 4.48 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year. Non-basmati rice accounted for 13% of the overall farm produce exports.

India Basmati Rice exports fall to $2.22 bn in Apr-Oct FY20
Commodity Online | December 20 2019
UPDATED 11:56:17 IST
India's basmati rice shipments declined by a tenth at $2.22 billion during April- October 2019-20 on lower volumes, despite a marginal increase in per unit realisation, according to the latest figures released by the Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Commerce Ministry.

Exports of basmati stood at $2.47 billion in the corresponding period last year.

In volume terms, shipments stood lower at 2.05 million tonnes (2.29 million tonnes). Basmati rice is India’s largest export product, and accounted for a fourth of the total farm produce shipments.

Non-basmati rice saw a major decline in both volumes and value terms after being outpriced in the international market. Non-basmati rice shipments were down 37% at $1.14 billion ($1.81 billion) during the period.

Volumes fell drastically to 2.81 million tonnes, against 4.48 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year. Non-basmati rice accounted for 13% of the overall farm produce exports.

Wheat sowing area touches 27.8 mn hectares
Commodity Online | December 23 2019
UPDATED 18:39:06 IST
Area sown to wheat, the main rabi crop, touched 27.8 million hectare (ha) so far in this season, about 90% of the normal sowing area under this crop, according to latest agriculture ministry data.

The area sown to wheat crop is higher than 25 million hectare covered in the year-ago period.

Currently, farmers are planting rabi crops, sowing of which normally begins from October and harvesting from April onwards.

According to the ministry's data, more area coverage under wheat crop has been reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The current low temperature in the growing regions is expected to boost the prospects of wheat crop, said the ministry official.

Besides wheat, rice has also been covered in more area at 1 23 million hectare so far in the ongoing rabi season of the 2019-20 crop year (July-June) from 1 million hectare in the year-ago period.

Sowing of pulses remained flat at 13 .1 million hectare so far.

Coverage of coarse cereals has been slightly higher at 4.3 million hectare as against 4 million hectare, while that of area under oilseeds remained lower at 7.1 million hectare as against 7.3 million hectare in the said period.

Total area sown to all rabi crops reached 537.21 lakh hectare so far in this rabi season, higher than 504.69 lakh hectare a year ago, the data showed.

It may be noted that rabi crops have been sown in more than 90 per cent of its normal sowing area of 634 lakh hectare.

India's Steel output falls 2.8% in November
Commodity Online | December 23 2019
UPDATED 10:17:57 IST
India's crude steel output fell for the second straight month in November, declining 2.8% to 8.934 million tonne (MT), according to a report. During November 2018, the country's crude steel output stood at 9.192 MT, World Steel Association (worldsteel) said in its latest report.

In October 2019, India had reported a 3.4% fall in crude steel output at 9.089 MT as against 9.408 MT in the year-ago month, according to the global body.

Global steel production also registered a 1% fall at 147.791 MT in November 2019 as compared with 149.356 MT in November 2018, the report said.

However, world's largest steel producer China registered increase in production.

The country produced 80.287 MT steel in November, up 4% as compared to 77.213 MT a year ago.

Japan's crude steel production fell 10.6% to 7.743 MT as against 8.659 MT in November 2018.

The US produced 7.233 MT of crude steel in November 2019, a decrease of 2.2% as compared to 7.399 MT in the same month last year.

South Korea's crude steel production stood at 5.895 MT in November, 0.5% lower against 5.923 MT in November 2018.

In the EU, Italy produced 2.0 MT of crude steel in November, while France and Spain produced 1.1 MT each.

Brazil produced 2.6 MT crude steel in November, while Turkey and Ukraine produced 2.9 MT and 1.3 MT, respectively, last month.

Members of worldsteel represent approximately 85% of the world's steel production, including over 160 steel producers, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes.

RDB begins releasing $50M capital to rice milling firms

 | Publication date 23 December 2019 | 21:43 ICT
Description: Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The funds are to be used to purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of rice during the post-harvest season which begins next month.
State-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB) CEO Kao Thach told The Post that 15 private rice milling firms were granted loans to address the capital shortage in the sector.
RDB had allocated 40 per cent of $50 million in credit to the 15 firms as of Monday, Thach said.
The funds are to be used to purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of rice during the post-harvest season which begins at the beginning of next month, to fill domestic and international demand.
“The loans are to accommodate demand in the rice sector for capital. Some of the rice millers continue to submit proposals for loans but the data is still unavailable,” he said.
The additional loans come after the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) requested the government to provide $200 million in credit to rice millers in late November.
In early December, the Ministry of Economy and Finance allocated $50 million in funds to the RDB to be used as capital to buy additional rice stockpiles during the harvest season.
CRF vice-president Chan Sokheang said loan recipients will also use the funds to purchase “additional rice for grinding, processing and export to domestic and international markets”.
“Rice millers from some provinces where the harvest season has already passed, such as Takeo and Kampong Speu did not submit loan applications”, Sokheang said.
The Kingdom’s rice exports to international markets topped more than $286 million in the first 11 months of this year, the Ministry of Commerce’s annual report said.
The annual report also said rice exports to the international market totalled 514,149 tonnes in the first 11 months of the year, a 3.4 per cent increase from 497,240 tonnes during the same period last year.
China was the Kingdom’s leading export market during the period, accounting for 195,242 tonnes. The EU imported 174,397 tonnes and Asean 69,239 tonnes.

Indian rice export prices rise as demand picks up
By RECORDER REPORT on December 24, 2019
Indian rice export prices extended gains this week as demand ticked up and paddy prices on the local market rose, while demand for Thai rice was still being hurt by cheaper competitors. Top exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $360-$365 per tonne this week, up from last week's $358-$363.

“Paddy rice prices have been rising as farmers are demanding the minimum support price," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. New Delhi earlier this year raised the paddy rice purchase price by 3.7% to 1,815 rupees per 100 kg for the 2019/20 crop.Demand for the Indian rice has been fairly subdued of late, with export rates near multi-year lows. Rice exports in October fell 42% year-on-year to 485,898 tonnes, government data showed, due to weak demand from African countries for non-basmati rice.
Demand has been dull for Thailand's exports too, with prices throughout the year significantly higher than those from main competitor Vietnam, largely due to a strong local currency.
“Prices are already low for us, but still not low enough to compete with Vietnam," said one Bangkok-based trader. Thailand's 5% broken rice was quoted at $395-$420 a tonne, on a free on board basis, compared with $397-$411 last week.
Farmers are harvesting new season rice and exporters hope the new supply could help lower prices in the near future. In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice were quoted at $350-$352 a tonne on Thursday, compared with $350 a week earlier.
“Demand from the Philippines is increasing, but domestic supplies are running low," a trader based in An Giang province said. “We expect prices to edge up further until supplies from the winter-spring crop are available from late January and early February," he said.
In Bangladesh, the rain-fed rice output or Aman crop is expected to exceed the 14 million tonne target for this year, helped by favourable weather, a senior official at the agriculture ministry said.
Aman, the second biggest rice crop after summer variety Boro, makes up just under 40% of Bangladesh's total rice production of around 35 million tonnes. Fears that Cyclone Bulbul that ripped through coastal areas of Bangladesh and eastern India last month could cause havoc, were unfounded, the official added.

LCCI For Win-win Situation In Pak-China Trade

 
Description: LCCI for win-win situation in Pak-China trade


LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Dec, 2019 ) :Chinese efforts to bring mutual trade to a win-win situation would be a great favour to Pakistan economy for which Chinese entrepreneurs should help Pakistani exporters to show their full presence in Chinese markets.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad suggested this in a meeting with a 24-member Chinese delegation from Shandong Province of China here at the chamber on Monday.
The delegation comprising businessmen from investors to vendors was led by Yang Jun, while LCCI Executive Committee members Muhammad Khalid, Haji Asif Seher, Wasif Yousaf & Fayyaz Haider and Mustafa Kauser were also present.
Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad said that balance of trade between the two countries was heavily in favour of China, which required to be turned into a win-win situation for both the countries. Pakistani products were best of the best and easily cater to the needs of Chinese market.
He mentioned that Pakistan and China not only shared border but also have unanimity of views on various global and economic issues, while both also have a combined market of more than 1.
billion people, however trade volume needed to be pushed up.
The Chinese importers might have better prospects for Pakistani goods particularly of Carpets, leather products, Surgical Equipment, sports goods, Fruits and vegetables, Rice, Pharmaceuticals, Cotton etc.
He suggested that Chinese investors should explore the business opportunities in the fields of refrigeration, healthcare products, locomotive accessories, rubber products, steel pipes/sheets, laser equipment, bearings, engineering tools, auto parts and machinery etc.
The LCCI Vice President said that projects under CPEC (Chian-Pakistan Economic Corridor) which has great importance for One-Belt-One-Road Initiative was inspiring the business community of China to consider Pakistan for further expanding trade and investment relations. This scenario promised to add new dimensions to our bilateral ties, he observed.
"It is encouraging to see that public and private sectors from both sides are actively engaged in policy and investment consultations, technology exchangemarket networking and brand recognition etc.
We hope that these interactions will give us more exposure to excel," he hoped.

Guilan: The Iranian province that didn’t revolt

DECEMBER 24, 2019

Iranians watch the sunset along the shore of the Caspian Sea in the northern province of Mazandaran, bordering Guilan province, on July 8, 2019. Photo: AFP/Atta Kenare
Known as Iran’s gateway to Europe, Guilan is the fifth richest province thanks to its agricultural resourcesDescription: Guilan: The Iranian province that didn’t revolt
ByKOUROSH ZIABARI, RASHT, IRAN
·        
·        
·        
·        
·        
As Iranians took to the streets in cities and towns across the country last month in response to a massive fuel hike tax, the northern province of Guilan stood out as an exception.
Home to more than 2.5 million people, and bordering Russia from its perch on the Caspian Sea, Guilian’s muted reaction to the protest movement offers a window into the economic inequalities in the Islamic Republic today, as well as the resignation felt by many Iranians under sanctions.
Figures by the Statistical Center of Iran indicate Guilan is the fifth richest province of Iran, outpacing 26 provinces in terms of household net worth thanks to its agricultural resources.
According to the Rice Research Institute of Iran, Guilan is the most important producer of high-quality rice nationally. The province is also the heart of Iran’s tea production.
Historically, Guilan has been known as Iran’s gateway to Europe, due to the heavy involvement of the Russian Empire in the province. Today, Russia maintains a Consulate General in the provincial capital of Rasht. The province shares a land border with the Republic of Azerbaijan and is connected by sea to Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. 
Guilan greatly benefits from this geography, exporting considerable quantities of goods from its ports of Bandar-e Anzali and Astara to the Caspian Sea countries and beyond to Turkey and several European states. 
The first six months of the Iranian calendar year, beginning in March, saw a total of US$182 million worth of goods exported from Guilan’s harbors.

The northern exception

A combination of sectarian tensions, religious grievances, mismanagement by the authorities, damages sustained during the eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s and unfavorable environmental conditions have made Iran’s southern and some western provinces hotspots for public resentment against the government.
In the southern port city of Mahshahr alone, anywhere from 40 to 100 protesters are believed to have been killed during the November protests. 
Although Guilan suffers from a dearth of modern infrastructure, mostly in the transportation and housing sectors, its people do not face the level of deprivation or sectarian fault lines which Iranians in southern and western parts of the country wrestle with.
Guilanis generally have less resentment toward the government and more tolerance for shocks such as the one triggered by the government’s decision to multiply the gasoline price. 
In the 2020 budget bill, which President Rouhani submitted to the parliament on December 6, Guilan was one of the provinces being allocated the smallest share of the national budget, in recognition of its relatively well-off position.
Description: https://static.asiatimes.com/uploads/2019/12/075_fouladi-notitle190318_npfBq.jpg
A young Iranian woman sits at a cafe in Rasht, Guilan province, Iran, on March 18, 2019. Photo: Rouzbeh Fouladi / NurPhoto
Samaneh Tohidzadeh, a young physics teacher and nanophysics graduate student in Rasht, says local resources have allowed the people of Guilan to be self-reliant. 
In Tohidzadeh’s view, the “resistance economy” promoted by the authorities – switching to domestic inputs, bartering, etc – “is only being tested on underprivileged groups.”
Yet the people of Guilan are already implementing their own resistance economy, relying on local resources as opposed to outside aid.
“The people of Guilan have less reliance on the state economy and administrative jobs, and even the government employees earn the greater portion of their income through agriculture and investment on the lands they own,” she told Asia Times.

Resigned to reality

Other residents of Guilan say they have simply accepted that crippling US sanctions are an inescapable reality that will be impacting their daily lives for the foreseeable future.
Jila Farzin, a 30-year-old housewife in Rasht, says the people of Iran have come to terms with the economic situation, because they have no other choice.
“People have been grappling with inflation and a skyrocketing of prices for several years and I can say although there have been protests nationwide over the fuel price hikes, such spasms [in prices] are being normalized,” she told Asia Times.
For some Iranians, moving out of the country is the panacea. “However, it should be noted the unfavorable economic conditions and the fluctuations of foreign currencies have taken a toll on people’s ability to emigrate,” the teacher Tohidzadeh said. 
According to UN figures, there were 2.68 million Iranians living outside the Islamic Republic, a country of more than 80 million, as of this year.
“Nobody is happy with the situation,” said housewife Farzin. “Other than a small group of well-off merchants and owners of hereditary businesses, the rest of the people are struggling.”
At the same time, she says, people have lost hope of a breakthrough or change in Iranian policies that would allow the sanctions to be lifted.And, “they know that if they protest, it will be quashed.”

Solon seeks easy access to ‘Golden Rice’ for farmers

Published 
By Charissa M. Luci-Atienza
Quezon Rep.  Mark Enverga had asked the government to ensure that farmers would have “easy and equitable” access to the Golden Rice seeds after the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) affirmed its safety for direct use as food and feed, or for processing (FFP).
Description: Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga (Cong. Mark Enverga Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga (Cong. Mark Enverga Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The chairman of the House Committee on Food and Agriculture welcomed the DA-BPI’s issuance of a bio-safety permit to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for GR2E Golden Rice.
After rigorous bio-safety scrutiny, the DA-BPI declared Golden Rice “to be as safe as conventional rice,” according to reports.
Enverga said benefitting from the approval of the bio-safety permit are pregnant women and children aged 6 months to five years who usually suffer from VAD.
“Golden Rice has great potential to help address the problem of Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This was developed as a dietary supplement, hence, it could improve the Vitamin A status of deficient food consumers, especially women and children,” he said.
Citing studies, he noted that the beta-carotene of Golden Rice seeks to address about 30 to 50 percent of the estimated average requirement (EAR) of Vitamin A for pregnant women and young children.
Enverga said to ensure food security and to make the country’s agriculture sustainable, the government should ensure that the poor Filipino farmers would benefit from Golden Rice seeds, and not the abusive private seed producers.
“To address the issues on food security and sustainable agriculture, our direction should be towards the equitable access to these seeds and make them easily available and affordable for the Filipino farmers,” Enverga said.
The House leader expressed concern that some unscrupulous individuals might take advantage of the situation and manipulate the access and the cost of the Golden Rice seeds.
“My concern is that private seed producers of this kind may monopolize or control access and thus would defeat our purpose of providing means to the great number of Filipinos for agricultural inputs (seeds, lands, machineries, etc) to ensure food security,” he said.
“Perhaps we should strike a balance between modern agri technology and access to these to mitigate hunger and ensure food security,” he added.
In a statement, PhilRice and IRRI welcomed the Philippine government’s decision to affirm the safety of Golden Rice.
Enverga maintained that Congress should allocate more funds to strengthen the country’s existing biotechnology center to ensure food security in the country.
“Funding is still needed to advance further the technologies suited to our country vis-a-vis our need for varieties of crops resistant to pests, diseases, and effect of climate change,” he said.
He noted that for 2019, the total research and development (R&D) budget on biotechnology amounted to P1.1 billion.

Guilan: The Iranian province that didn’t revolt

DECEMBER 24, 2019

Iranians watch the sunset along the shore of the Caspian Sea in the northern province of Mazandaran, bordering Guilan province, on July 8, 2019. Photo: AFP/Atta Kenare
Known as Iran’s gateway to Europe, Guilan is the fifth richest province thanks to its agricultural resourcesDescription: Guilan: The Iranian province that didn’t revolt
ByKOUROSH ZIABARI, RASHT, IRAN
·        
·        
·        
·        
·        
As Iranians took to the streets in cities and towns across the country last month in response to a massive fuel hike tax, the northern province of Guilan stood out as an exception.
Home to more than 2.5 million people, and bordering Russia from its perch on the Caspian Sea, Guilian’s muted reaction to the protest movement offers a window into the economic inequalities in the Islamic Republic today, as well as the resignation felt by many Iranians under sanctions.
Figures by the Statistical Center of Iran indicate Guilan is the fifth richest province of Iran, outpacing 26 provinces in terms of household net worth thanks to its agricultural resources.
According to the Rice Research Institute of Iran, Guilan is the most important producer of high-quality rice nationally. The province is also the heart of Iran’s tea production.
Historically, Guilan has been known as Iran’s gateway to Europe, due to the heavy involvement of the Russian Empire in the province. Today, Russia maintains a Consulate General in the provincial capital of Rasht. The province shares a land border with the Republic of Azerbaijan and is connected by sea to Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. 
Guilan greatly benefits from this geography, exporting considerable quantities of goods from its ports of Bandar-e Anzali and Astara to the Caspian Sea countries and beyond to Turkey and several European states. 
The first six months of the Iranian calendar year, beginning in March, saw a total of US$182 million worth of goods exported from Guilan’s harbors.

The northern exception

A combination of sectarian tensions, religious grievances, mismanagement by the authorities, damages sustained during the eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s and unfavorable environmental conditions have made Iran’s southern and some western provinces hotspots for public resentment against the government.
In the southern port city of Mahshahr alone, anywhere from 40 to 100 protesters are believed to have been killed during the November protests. 
Although Guilan suffers from a dearth of modern infrastructure, mostly in the transportation and housing sectors, its people do not face the level of deprivation or sectarian fault lines which Iranians in southern and western parts of the country wrestle with.
Guilanis generally have less resentment toward the government and more tolerance for shocks such as the one triggered by the government’s decision to multiply the gasoline price. 
In the 2020 budget bill, which President Rouhani submitted to the parliament on December 6, Guilan was one of the provinces being allocated the smallest share of the national budget, in recognition of its relatively well-off position.
Description: https://static.asiatimes.com/uploads/2019/12/075_fouladi-notitle190318_npfBq.jpg
A young Iranian woman sits at a cafe in Rasht, Guilan province, Iran, on March 18, 2019. Photo: Rouzbeh Fouladi / NurPhoto
Samaneh Tohidzadeh, a young physics teacher and nanophysics graduate student in Rasht, says local resources have allowed the people of Guilan to be self-reliant. 
In Tohidzadeh’s view, the “resistance economy” promoted by the authorities – switching to domestic inputs, bartering, etc – “is only being tested on underprivileged groups.”
Yet the people of Guilan are already implementing their own resistance economy, relying on local resources as opposed to outside aid.
“The people of Guilan have less reliance on the state economy and administrative jobs, and even the government employees earn the greater portion of their income through agriculture and investment on the lands they own,” she told Asia Times.

Resigned to reality

Other residents of Guilan say they have simply accepted that crippling US sanctions are an inescapable reality that will be impacting their daily lives for the foreseeable future.
Jila Farzin, a 30-year-old housewife in Rasht, says the people of Iran have come to terms with the economic situation, because they have no other choice.
“People have been grappling with inflation and a skyrocketing of prices for several years and I can say although there have been protests nationwide over the fuel price hikes, such spasms [in prices] are being normalized,” she told Asia Times.
For some Iranians, moving out of the country is the panacea. “However, it should be noted the unfavorable economic conditions and the fluctuations of foreign currencies have taken a toll on people’s ability to emigrate,” the teacher Tohidzadeh said. 
According to UN figures, there were 2.68 million Iranians living outside the Islamic Republic, a country of more than 80 million, as of this year.
“Nobody is happy with the situation,” said housewife Farzin. “Other than a small group of well-off merchants and owners of hereditary businesses, the rest of the people are struggling.”
At the same time, she says, people have lost hope of a breakthrough or change in Iranian policies that would allow the sanctions to be lifted.And, “they know that if they protest, it will be quashed.”

Solon seeks easy access to ‘Golden Rice’ for farmers

Published 
By Charissa M. Luci-Atienza
Quezon Rep.  Mark Enverga had asked the government to ensure that farmers would have “easy and equitable” access to the Golden Rice seeds after the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) affirmed its safety for direct use as food and feed, or for processing (FFP).
Description: Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga (Cong. Mark Enverga Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga (Cong. Mark Enverga Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The chairman of the House Committee on Food and Agriculture welcomed the DA-BPI’s issuance of a bio-safety permit to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for GR2E Golden Rice.
After rigorous bio-safety scrutiny, the DA-BPI declared Golden Rice “to be as safe as conventional rice,” according to reports.
Enverga said benefitting from the approval of the bio-safety permit are pregnant women and children aged 6 months to five years who usually suffer from VAD.
“Golden Rice has great potential to help address the problem of Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This was developed as a dietary supplement, hence, it could improve the Vitamin A status of deficient food consumers, especially women and children,” he said.
Citing studies, he noted that the beta-carotene of Golden Rice seeks to address about 30 to 50 percent of the estimated average requirement (EAR) of Vitamin A for pregnant women and young children.
Enverga said to ensure food security and to make the country’s agriculture sustainable, the government should ensure that the poor Filipino farmers would benefit from Golden Rice seeds, and not the abusive private seed producers.
“To address the issues on food security and sustainable agriculture, our direction should be towards the equitable access to these seeds and make them easily available and affordable for the Filipino farmers,” Enverga said.
The House leader expressed concern that some unscrupulous individuals might take advantage of the situation and manipulate the access and the cost of the Golden Rice seeds.
“My concern is that private seed producers of this kind may monopolize or control access and thus would defeat our purpose of providing means to the great number of Filipinos for agricultural inputs (seeds, lands, machineries, etc) to ensure food security,” he said.
“Perhaps we should strike a balance between modern agri technology and access to these to mitigate hunger and ensure food security,” he added.
In a statement, PhilRice and IRRI welcomed the Philippine government’s decision to affirm the safety of Golden Rice.
Enverga maintained that Congress should allocate more funds to strengthen the country’s existing biotechnology center to ensure food security in the country.
“Funding is still needed to advance further the technologies suited to our country vis-a-vis our need for varieties of crops resistant to pests, diseases, and effect of climate change,” he said.
He noted that for 2019, the total research and development (R&D) budget on biotechnology amounted to P1.1 billion.