Planting begins with
arrival of springtime weather
1
Farmers in Manling
county, Tibet autonomous region, start their annual plowing work. (Photo
provided to chinadaily.com.cn)
As temperatures in most
parts of China quickly rise, spring agricultural activities are kicking off in
many regions.
Villagers in Xierong
village in Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, attended a ceremony on Monday to celebrate
the beginning of this year's farming work-plowing fields and sowing seeds.
Konchok Tsering, deputy
Party chief of the village, told China News Service in a video that 125
villagers, 60 tractors, nine subsoilers and other machinery were present at the
ceremony.
The video shows some
villagers wearing holiday costumes using decorated machinery to plow the land
while others gathered in celebration, singing and dancing with joy.
"This is our
traditional ceremony to start this year's agricultural work and wish for a good
year of harvests," Konchok said, adding that they are preparing the land
for growing highland barley, the major food crop in Tibet.
According to the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, farming activities such as spring
plowing, planting and fertilizing crops are being carried out gradually from
south to north.
This year's grain output
is expected to be stable above 650 million metric tons, it said.
For Hubei province, the
ministry has organized several provinces and cities-including Shanghai, and the
provinces of Jiangsu, Hebei, Shandong and Hunan-to help supply pesticides,
Farmers' Daily reported.
Hubei, the province hit
hardest by the novel coronavirus epidemic, is short of insecticides for this
spring's agricultural production.
Since earlier this
month, Hebei province has sent more than 200 tons of pesticides to Hubei,
according to the bureau of agriculture and rural affairs of Hebei. More than 90
percent of its pesticide manufacturers have resumed production to guarantee
agricultural supplies.
Other supplies,
including seeds and fertilizers, have also been provided to Hubei to support
its agricultural production.
Huizhou, Guangdong
province, is currently entering the peak time for sowing and planting rice
seedlings, influenced by this year's warm spring, Nanfang Daily reported.
Huang Chungui, a farmer
in Xin'gang village, Huizhou, will plant rice on more than 2.7 hectares of land
this year.
"The land can yield
more than 20,000 kilograms of rice around July," Nanfang Daily quoted Huang
as saying.
P3.3M
farm machinery to help equip Aklan farmers
Published March 19, 2020, 11:12 AM
By
Ellalyn de Vera Ruiz
The
provision of about P3.3-million worth of farm machinery and equipment in Aklan
province is seen to equip and improve the capability of farmers to adapt to
climate emergency impacts.
Department of Agrarian Reform (MANILA BULLETIN)
Department
of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Regional Director Sheila Enciso led last week the
ceremonial turnover of the farm machinery and equipment to nine agrarian reform
beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) and eight ARBOs in the province’s first
district and second district, respectively.
Enciso
said the farm machinery were provided under the Climate Resilient Farm
Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP) and Linking Smallholder Farmers to
Markets and Microfinance (LinKSFaMM), being implemented by DAR under its
Support Services Office
Both
projects aim to boost farmers’ household income by modernizing their farming
practices through the provision of new farming equipment that will make
smallholder-farmers increase their agricultural productivity, she explained.
Through
the CRFPSP, DAR turned over five units of delivery/cargo tricycles, one unit
rice cutter harvester, six units collapsible dryers, two units portable sack
sewing machines, one unit vacuum sealer, one unit four-wheeled HP Tractor with
mounted rotary tiller and one-tonner trailer, one unit motorized grass cutter,
two units power sprayers, and five units knapsack sprayers.
DAR
said the project ensures that agrarian reform beneficiaries are provided with
assistance to sustain their agricultural productivity being the primary means
of livelihood in agrarian communities as an adaptation towards resiliency and
effects of climate change.
The
project is being implemented in agrarian reform communities and other areas
identified as vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Through
the LinKSFaMM, one-unit Foton mini-cargo pick-up truck was turned over to the
Kalipunan ng Maliliit na Magniniyog ng Napaan Multi-Purpose Cooperative located
in Brgy. Napaan, Malay, Aklan.
Serious Environmental Damage
March 18, 2020 11:37 AM EDT
2 Min
Read
Many research searches to estimate the adversarial results of
climate change on crops; however, most analysis implies that the geographic
distribution of crops will stay unchanged sooner or later.
New analysis utilizing 40 years of worldwide knowledge, led by
Colorado State University, has discovered that publicity to rising excessive
temperatures has been considerably moderated by the migration of rainfed corn,
wheat, and rice. Scientists stated continued migration, nonetheless, could lead
to important environmental prices.
Utilizing new, high-decision datasets on crop areas all over the
world, the analysis crew analyzed the placement of crops, climate, and
irrigation from 1973 to 2012. They centered on rainfed crops since they’re
highly delicate to modifications in temperature and extreme climate.
The research confirmed that publicity to elevated high
temperatures for corn, wheat, and rice was a lot lower than it will have been
if the crops have been positioned the place they have been within the
Seventies.
CSU postdoctoral fellow and first creator Lindsey Sloat stated
this doesn’t imply there’s a limitless capability for farmers to adapt to local
weather change by shifting the place they develop crops.
Researchers additionally discovered that not like the opposite
crops, there was an enormous growth within the manufacturing of soybeans and
that these crops are being grown in hotter areas around the globe.
Sloat mentioned the analysis workforce would subsequently delve
into analyzing different climate variables, shifting past temperature to
contemplate how modifications in a harvested space can alter publicity to
different extreme climate circumstances.
Scientists establish new plant genome engineering system
Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-18
16:45:19|Editor: huaxia
CHENGDU,
March 18 (Xinhua) -- A joint team from China and the United States has
established CRISPR-Cas12b, a new genome engineering system for plants.
Researchers
from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and the
University of Maryland in the United States said CRISPR-Cas12b is efficient in
gene activation and repression.
Often
known as molecular scissors, the advance in CRISPR, using certain protein like
Cas9 as the scissors, has revolutionized biology in recent years.
CRISPR-Cas9
is known for recognizing short DNA sequences and making cuts in the genome
while CRISPR-Cas12a recognizes different DNA sequences, expanding the number of
target sites available for editing.
The
researchers reported in the journal Nature Plants that compared with the other
two CRISPR systems, CRISPR-Cas12b enables researchers to target multiple genes
in one step while retaining features of CRISPR-Cas12a.
creened
the best DNA-cutting protein for genome editing, repression and
activation.
They
said their study established CRISPR-Cas12b as the third promising system, after
CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cas12a, for plant genome editing. The system holds
potential for generating crops effective in curbing diseases, pests and the
effects of climate change.
Huge potential for Vietnam to boost exports to
Algeria
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Wednesday,
2020-03-18 16:09:35
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 Rice is among Vietnam's goods items with high export potential to the Algerian market.
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NDO
– There remains huge room for Vietnam to further export some goods, such as
coffee, rice, cassava starch and fruits, to the Algerian market in the near
future, according to the Vietnamese trade mission in Algeria.
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Coffee is a favorite drink of
Algerians, with each person consuming an average of over 3kg of coffee a
year. Annually, Algeria imports about 130,000 tonnes of coffee beans of
different types worth US$300 million. Vietnam is a major coffee exporter to Algeria, alongside the Ivory Coast, Indonesia, Brazil and Italy. For many years, coffee has been Vietnam’s leading export item to the North African country. Vietnam’s coffee market share has been maintained at the highest level, over 50%. In 2019, Vietnam exported 69,405 tonnes of coffee to Algeria, raking in revenue of US$110.65 million. The trade mission has evaluated that Algeria is still a potent market for Vietnamese coffee, and in the future, coffee will remain Vietnam’s key export product to this market. Apart from raw coffee, Vietnamese businesses can boost exports of processed and soluble coffee which boast higher added value. In addition, Algeria does not produce rice itself, so it is almost 100% imported by the country. Specifically, Algeria imports about 100,000 tonnes of rice a year, accounting for more than 1% of its food consumption structure. Last year, Vietnam’s rice exports to Algeria reached 16,394 tonnes (about 16% of the total volume), with a turnover of US$6.28 million, up 20.8% year on year. Given this fact, the Vietnamese trade mission believes that Algeria still remains a promising market for Vietnamese rice as people there are used to consuming it. Besides this, the number of Asian workers, especially Chinese, in Algeria is increasing. Particularly, more than 1,000 Vietnamese employees are working for Chinese, Japanese, French and local contractors, which is expected to raise the demand for Vietnamese rice in the Algerian market. Algeria’s demand for importing spices, especially pepper, is quite high, with its pepper import spend reaching around US$30 million in 2018. Last year, Vietnam only exported 992 tonnes of pepper to the North African country with a value of US$2.16 million, which was mainly due to lower prices, Algerian importers abandoning and refusing to take the goods at the destination port, and fierce competition from Indian and Pakistani products. However, the outlook for Vietnam’s pepper exports to Algeria is predicted to improve in the years ahead thanks to increasing demand and the fact that pepper is outside the list of goods subject to safeguarding duties.
Vietnam’s
fruit exports (mainly cashew nuts) to Algeria saw a more than twofold
increase from US$1.1 million in 2018 to US$2.5 million in 2019. So far, items
such as dragon fruit, longan and litchi from Vietnam and other countries have
not been present in this market due to the distance involved as well as
differences in consumer tastes. Therefore, fruit exports to Algeria are also
a potential area that could be further targeted by Vietnamese firms in the
near future.
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Central
Visayas has enough rice supply—Dino
By: Irene R. Sino Cruz - CDN
Digital|March 19,2020 - 11:29 AM
One of the biggest rice suppliers in Cebu shows there is enough
rice supply amidst the threat of Covid-19. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Central Visayas has enough rice supply,
according to Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, Presidential Assistant for the
Visayas.
Dino issued the statement in an emailed press release to ease
panic buying of rice following rumors that Cebu is suffering from rice
shortage. He met with industry stakeholders Wednesday to discuss the situation.
During the meeting, Teresita “Nene” Alegado, president of the
Grains Retailers Confederation (GRECON) Cebu chapter, explained that there is
an abundant supply of rice from the private suppliers since they are no longer
under the quota formerly imposed by the government.
Under Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, any
supplier who is willing to pay the tariff can import rice.
With the assurance of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia that there
would be no problem in the entry of supply from outside Cebu, there would be
adequate rice, Alegado noted.
In fact, she said, the current supply of rice has more than
doubled compared to what it was from the same period last year. She added that
rice importers continued to buy rice and would not wait for the supply to run
out.
Alegado revealed that rice coming in Cebu comes from Vietnam and
Thailand. She added that the market now prefers higher-priced, better quality
rice (five percent broken) so their retail price would be much higher than the
ordinary rice.
She urged the public to refrain from spreading the news of rice
shortage because there is ample supply.
The National Food Authority (NFA) Central Visayas also said it
currently has a buffer stock of 139,939 sacks of rice for the region.
NFA-7 regional director Rocky Valdez said that the daily
consumption of the region is at 36,420 sacks per day.
Basing on the current supply of NFA 7, and with the daily
average sales of the NFA rice which is at 1,849 sacks, Valdez said that their
current stock would still be enough for 76 days.
Valdez added that he had instructed all his provincial offices
in Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental to prioritize local government
units, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other government
agencies in availing of NFA rice.
He added that authorized retailers are only allowed to purchase
15 to 30 sacks of NFA rice per week.
The director also revealed that majority of the public opts to
buy high-end and expensive quality of rice. NFA rice is priced at P27/kilo.
Secretary Dino warned all retailers not to take advantage of the
current situation, as he will make sure all available sanctions will be imposed
upon violators.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has imposed a price
freeze for all basic goods. Violators will face fines from P5,000 to P1
million, and/or imprisonment of up to 10 years. /bmjo
USDA ATTACHE SEES EGYPT'S 2020-21 WHEAT IMPORTS AT
12.85 MILLION TONNES
3/18/2020
March 18
(Reuters) - Following are selected highlights from a report issued by a U.S.
Department of Agriculture attache in Cairo:
FAS Cairo
(Post) forecasts Egypt's wheat production in marketing year (MY) 2020/21
(July-June) to reach 8.9 million metric tons (MMT), up by approximately 1.5
percent compared to 8.77 MMT in marketing year 2019/20. Post is forecasting
Egypt’s wheat imports in MY 2020/21 at 12.85 MMT, up 0.4 percent from the MY
2019/20 import figure of 12.8 million metric tons. Post forecasts Egypt’s corn
imports in MY 2020/21 at 10.0 MMT, up one percent from the MY 2019/20 estimate
of 9.9 million metric tons. FAS Cairo forecasts Egypt’s rice imports in MY
2020/21 at 200,000 metric tons.
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IN
THE NEWS
KP CM
directs provision of food to families of coronavirus patients
BY APP , (LAST UPDATED MARCH 17, 2020)
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) Chief
Minister Mahmood Khan here Tuesday directed provision of free ration including
atta (flour), rice, milk, sugar, pulses and tea to the family members of
confirmed corona virus patients in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
In a
notification here, the chief minister said family members of all those
coronavirus confirmed patients, who were passing through an ordeal after their
loved ones were tested positive and kept at isolation wards in government
facilities, should be provided free food ration package. The package includes
20 KG atta, 10 KG rice, one cotton containing one liter packs of milk, five KG
pluses and five packets of black tea.
The health
department, through home department, would communicate the exact addresses and
contacts of individuals placed in isolation wards to the concerned deputy commissioners,
who would make appropriate arrangements for delivery of the package to their
families at their residences and provide a proper receipt for financial and
administrative record. The compiled record would be maintained at the Home
Department.
In pursuance
of the declaration and emergency order section 16 (A-I) of the National
Disaster Management Authority KP Act 2010 in respect of corona virus and as
decided by the competent authority, this would be considered a valid charge on
the relief account with the Deputy Commissioners.
Pakistan
coronavirus cases rise to 194
Thank you for your reading and interest in the news
Pakistan coronavirus cases rise to 194 and now with details
Aden
- Yasmin Abdel Azim - Pakistan Security personnel stand guard outside the
Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. The PSL
has been postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Image
Credit: AP
Dubai: Coronavirus is now fast spreading in
Pakistan as the country reported 140 new cases on Monday and Tuesday
bringing the total tally to 194 on Tuesday.
Sindh and Punjab provinces have reported five cases
each on Tuesday. In a news conference, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin
Rashid confirmed five new COVID-19 cases in the province
Sindh province has been the worst-hit so far with
155 total number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Sukkar, a small city in Sindh,
has recorded most numbe 119 cases. All of them have come back after visiting
Iran using the land route through Taftan border. Five new cases of the novel
coronavirus emerged in Sindh on Tuesday.
Provincial governments of Sindh and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa have announced to provide free food packages to the families of
patients infected with coronavirus.
Murtaza Whab, Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister Syed
Murad Ali Shah on Information, tweeted the development on Tuesday morning.
Wahab said a total of 234 tests were conducted out
of which 119 pilgrims tested positive in Sukkur. In rest of Sindh, 36 patients
tested positive out of which 34 are under treatment while two have recovered.
Overall, Sindh has 155 confirmed cases while Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa has 15, Balochistan 10, Islamabad four, Gilgit-Baltistan three,
Punjab two and Azad Jammu and Kashmir has reported none, according to the
Express Tribune.
According to NIH, a total of 995,821 travellers
have been screened at entry points so far out of which 20,187 travellers were
checked in the 24 hours.
On Sunday, Punjab had reported its first case,
while the Sindh government had reported 18 new cases (13 from Sukkur and five
from Karachi). One new case was also reported from Islamabad.
KP government spokesperson Ajmal Wazir on Tuesday
said the provincial government has set up additional quarantine centres for the
250 pilgrims coming into the province.
Wazir added that all trainings have been postponed
at the police academy. “All the decisions that we are taking are being done to
keep the public safe. Our first priority is to keep our province safe. “We all
need to work together,” he added.
Meanwhile, provincial governments of Sindh and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday announced free food packages for families of
people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan
has directed for food packages — including 20kg of flour, 10 kilos each of rice
and sugar, a carton of one-litre milk, five kilos of pulses, and five boxes of
tea — to be provided to the coronavirus affectees’ families.
On the other hand, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali
Shah directed for food packages to be provided to the families of people kept
in the isolation centre in Sukkur.
“Your breadwinners are in isolation, you must be
worried about daily income. Don’t worry about those in isolation centre; focus
on your health instead,” Shah said in a message on Monday.
These were the details of the news Pakistan
coronavirus cases rise to 194 for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by
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It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at Gulf News and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at Gulf News and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.
Engro Corp reports 32pc
increase in revenue
By
-
430
KARACHI: Engro
Corporation on Tuesday released its annual report for the year ended on
December 31, 2019.
According to the
annual report, Engro Corp’s consolidated profit after tax grew 28pc to Rs30.3
billion for 2019, up from Rs23.6 billion the previous year. The company’s
consolidated revenue grew by 32pc from Rs171,568 million in 2018 to Rs225,920
million.
This meant an Earnings
per Share (EPS) of Rs28.69 in 2019 compared to Rs22.06 for 2018.
On a standalone basis,
the company posted a PAT of Rs14.3 billion against Rs12.7 billion for the
previous year. According to the company, the increase in the standalone
profitability is primarily due to higher dividends from the subsidiaries, as
well as higher interest income on investments.
The company’s capital
expenditure stood at Rs46.9 billion. Much of this expenditure was due expansion
and production capacity efforts by the corporation in its polymer and power and
mining segments.
Easily the best
performing sector was Engro Energy, where revenue grew from Rs11.9 billion in
2018 to Rs50 billion in 2019, or a 320 pc increase. The segment was led by its
coal mining operations in Sindh. Both the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company
(SECMC), and Engro Powergen Thar Ltd began commercial operations in July 2019.
In 2019, the company
was able to produce 2.3 million tonnes of coal from its mine.
Engro Fertilizers’
revenue increased to Rs121 billion in 2019, up from Rs109 billion in 2018.
However, profit after tax stood at Rs16.9 billion, down by 3pc from last year,
mainly due to a one-off deferred tax impact of higher future corporate tax
rates. The segment saw its highest-ever urea production of 2,003 KT, due to
better plant efficiency and higher gas availability, according to the company.
Engro Polymer and
Chemicals revenue grew marginally from Rs35 billion in 2018 to Rs37.8 billion
in 2019; however, its profit after tax decreased from Rs4.9 billion in 2018 to
Rs3.6 billion in 2019. The company said this was due to higher financial costs.
Engro Foods saw its
revenue increase to Rs42.5 billion in 2019, from Rs34.9 billion in 2018. Within
the foods business, the dairy and ice cream segments shot up, reporting a
revenue of Rs39 billion, up by 20pc since the previous year. However, it posted
a post-tax loss of Rs955 million for the year, due to higher commodity prices
because of rupee depreciation.
The weak financial
performance of the dairy sector led to Engro booking a one-off impairment
provision of Rs 1,224 million against its investment in FrieslandCampina Engro
Pakistan Limited.
On the bright side,
rice exports also continued to grow and saw a volumetric increase of 22pc over
2018, and the business closed the year in profit for the second time in a row.
Engro Terminals
revenue grew from Rs15.8 billion in 2018 to Rs16.7 billion in 2019. Engro
Vopak, a terminal and storage facility for bulk liquids at Port Qasim witnessed
a volumetric increase of 6pc for chemicals and LPG handled over last year,
which is mainly attributable to higher chemical imports. Meanwhile ELEngy
terminal, according to the company, fulfils more than 12pc of the country’s gas
requirements.
KP Chief Minister Directs Free
Ration For Families Of Coronavirus Patients
3 days ago Tue 17th March 2020 | 08:11 PM
Chief Minister Khyber
Pakthunkhwa, Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed provision of free ration
including atta (flour), rice, milk, sugar, pulses and tea to the family members
of confirmed coronavirus patients in Khyber Pakthunkhwa
PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News
- 17th Mar, 2020 ) :Chief Minister Khyber
Pakthunkhwa, Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed provision of free ration
including atta (flour), rice, milk,
sugar, pulses and tea to the family members of confirmed coronavirus patients in Khyber
Pakthunkhwa.
In a notification here, the Chief Minister said
families members of all those coronavirus confirmed
patients, who were tested positive and kept at isolation wards in Government facilities, should
be provided food ration.
The ration package included 20 KG atta, 10 KG
rice, one cotton of one
liter packs of milk, five KG pluses and five boxes of black tea.
The health department,
through home department, would communicate the exact addresses and contacts of
individuals placed in isolation wards to the concerned deputy commissioners,
who would make appropriate arrangements for delivery of the package to their
families at their residences and provide a proper receipt for financial and
administrative record.
The compiled record
would be maintained at the Home Department.
In pursuance of the declaration and emergency
order section 16 (A-I) of the National Disaster Management Authority KP Act 2010 in
respect of corona virus and as decided by the competent authority, this would
be considered a valid charge on the relief account with the Deputy
Commissioners.
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ISSN 2330-717X
Eurasia Review
A Journal of Analysis and News
The concept of nuclear winter–a
years-long planetary freeze brought on by airborne soot generated by nuclear
bombs–has been around for decades. But such speculations have been based
largely on back-of-the-envelope calculations involving a total war between
Russia and the United States.
Now, a new multinational
study incorporating the latest models of global climate, crop production and
trade examines the possible effects of a less gargantuan but perhaps more
likely exchange between two longtime nuclear-armed enemies: India and Pakistan.
It suggests that even a limited war between the two would cause unprecedented
planet-wide food shortages and probable starvation lasting more than a decade.
The study appears this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Of an estimated 14,000 nuclear warheads worldwide, close to 95
percent belong to the United States and Russia. India and Pakistan are thought
to have about 150 each. The study examines the potential effects if they were
to each set off 50 Hiroshima-size bombs–less than 1 percent of the estimated
world arsenal.
In addition to direct
death and destruction, the authors say that firestorms following the bombings
would launch some 5 million tons of soot toward the stratosphere. There, it
would spread globally and remain, absorbing sunlight and lowering global mean
temperatures by about 1.8 degrees C (3.25 F) for at least five years. The scientists
project that this would in turn cause production of the world’s four main
cereal crops–maize, wheat, soybeans and rice–to plummet an average 11 percent
over that period, with tapering effects lasting another five to 10 years.
“Even this regional, limited war would have devastating indirect
implications worldwide,” said Jonas Jägermeyr, a postdoctoral scientist at the
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies who led the study. “It would exceed
the largest famine in documented history.”
According to the study, crops would be hardest hit in the
northerly breadbasket regions of the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia and
China. But paradoxically, southerly regions would suffer much more hunger. That
is because many developed nations in the north produce huge surpluses, which
are largely exported to nations in the Global South that are barely able to
feed themselves. If these surpluses were to dry up, the effects would ripple
out through the global trade system. The authors estimate that some 70 largely
poor countries with a cumulative population of 1.3 billion people would then
see food supplies drop more than 20 percent.
Some adverse effects on crops
would come from shifts in precipitation and solar radiation, but the great
majority would stem from drops in temperature, according to the study. Crops
would suffer most in countries north of 30 degrees simply because temperatures
there are lower and growing seasons shorter to begin with. Even modest declines
in growing-season warmth could leave crops struggling to mature, and
susceptible to deadly cold snaps. As a result, harvests of maize, the world’s
main cereal crop, could drop by nearly 20 percent in the United States, and an
astonishing 50 percent in Russia. Wheat and soybeans, the second and third most
important cereals, would also see steep declines. In southerly latitudes, rice
might not suffer as badly, and cooler temperatures might even increase maize
harvests in parts of South America and Africa. But this would do little to
offset the much larger declines in other regions, according to the study.
Since many developed countries produce surpluses for export,
their excess production and reserves might tide them over for at least a few
years before shortages set in. But this would come at the expense of countries
in the Global South. Developed nations almost certainly would impose export
bans in order to protect their own populations, and by year four or five, many
nations that today already struggle with malnutrition would see catastrophic
drops in food availability. Among those the authors list as the hardest hit:
Somalia, Niger, Rwanda, Honduras, Syria, Yemen and Bangladesh.
If nuclear weapons continue to exist, “they can be used with
tragic consequences for the world,” said study coauthor Alan Robock, a
climatologist at Rutgers University who has long studied the potential effects
of nuclear war. “As horrible as the direct effects of nuclear weapons would be,
more people could die outside the target areas due to famine.”
Previously, Jägermeyr has studied the potential effects of
global warming on agriculture, which most scientists agree will suffer badly.
But, he said, a sudden nuclear-caused cooling would hit food systems far worse.
And, looking backward, the the effects on food availability would be four times
worse than any previously recorded global agriculture upsets caused by
droughts, floods, or volcanic eruptions, he said.
The study might be erring
on the conservative side. For one, India and Pakistan may well have bombs far
bigger than the ones the scientists use in their assumptions. For another, the
study leaves India and Pakistan themselves out of the crop analyses, in order
to avoid mixing up the direct effects of a war with the indirect ones. That
aside, Jägermeyr said that one could reasonably assume that food production in
the remnants of the two countries would drop essentially to zero. The
scientists also did not factor in the possible effects of radioactive fallout,
nor the probability that floating soot would cause the stratosphere to heat up
at the same time the surface was cooling. This would in turn cause
stratospheric ozone to dissipate, and similar to the effects of now-banned
refrigerants, this would admit more ultraviolet rays to the earth’s surface,
damaging humans and agriculture even more.
Much attention has been focused recently on North Korea’s
nuclear program, and the potential for Iran or other countries to start up
their own arsenals. But many experts have long regarded Pakistan and India as
the most dangerous players, because of their history of near-continuous
conflict over territory and other issues. India tested its first nuclear weapon
in 1974, and when Pakistan followed in 1998, the stakes grew. The two countries
have already had four full-scale conventional wars, in 1947, 1965, 1971 and
1999, along with many substantial skirmishes in between. Recently, tensions
over the disputed region of Kashmir have flared again.
“We’re not saying a nuclear conflict is around the corner. But
it is important to understand what could happen,” said Jägermeyr.
The paper was coauthored by a total of 19 scientists from five
countries, including three others from Goddard, which is affiliated with
Columbia University’s Earth Institute: Michael Puma, Alison Heslin and Cynthia
Rosenzweig. Jägermeyr also has affiliations with the University of Chicago and
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
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Round trip flight of migratory wading birds tracked
Plovers
winter and migrate utilizing rice paddy fields along their annual route. Little
ringed plovers breeding in Nagano, Japan were tracked along their 6000 to 8000
km round trip journey to gather previously unknown data regarding their course
and preferred fueling sites.
Scientists
in Japan set out to track the journey of migratory birds with the use of GPS tracking devices,
allowing for detailed data on their routes. The little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) is an inland freshwater
wader. This particular group of plover migration routes is East
Asian-Australasian, but little ringed plovers can be found in many parts of the
world including Europe. Their flyway had not been studied in-depth, unlike
other species of migratory birds who are coastal.
The
research group lead by Satoe Kasahara of Shinshu University began their study
of the birds at the gravel ground bank of the Chikuma River in Nagano City in
the early summer of 2017. This location happens to be very close to the
location of the Shinkansen bullet trains that were submerged in water during
typhoon Hagibis in October of 2019. In 2017, at the time of the study, the
river had also flooded (to a lesser extent) which shortened the breeding period
of the little ringed plover. Despite the unfavorable odds, uncertainties, and
obstacles, the research team successfully completed this research which relied
on the return of the birds a year later to the same site, a likelihood that is
said to be 30%.
"I
have nothing but gratitude for the plovers," Assistant Professor Kasahara
emphasized. By understanding their favored grounds and annual life cycle
activities, conservation efforts and breeding can be more successful. The team
was lucky some of the birds returned the following year, allowing Assistant
Professor Kasahara to let out a big sigh of relief upon their serendipitous
reunion. Her team diligently recaptured 3 males and 3 females at the same
breeding site along the Chikuma River in Nagano. Two birds returned with
complete data sets. This included the wintering site and autumn and spring
migration routes. Two had incomplete spring migration data because the GPS
stopped working. The remaining two birds only had migration data until mid or
late October, also because the GPS stopped working or the antenna for position
fixing was lost. All were healthy, uninjured and released after data retrieval.
The birds
travelled 3108 to 4226 kilometers over 32 to 136 days to their wintering sites.
To put this into perspective, a flight from New York to Los Angeles is a little
less than 4000 km. A flight from New York to London is 5600 km. Wintering areas
were defined as the place where plovers stayed for more than 2 months without
long-distance flight (more than 50 km). The accuracy of the data points allowed
the researchers to learn that rice paddy fields were the plover's preferred
place to stay. The researchers noticed the plovers used rice paddies more in
the non-breeding season when the birds are in the southern nations such as
Taiwan and the Philippines. These locations have rice cultivation year-round
allowing for the birds to have dependable access to insects in wet locations.
In the
spring, the plovers travelled faster northbound, perhaps eager to increase the
success of their breeding. Little ringed plovers breed in open gravel grounds.
If open gravel grounds near freshwater are maintained in Japan, plovers will
likely continue to breed successfully due to their ingrained tendency to return
to previously occupied sites.
Migratory
birds are on the decline world-wide with an increase in human activity and
habitats decreasing. It is crucial for their conservation that we understand
how these migratory wading birds live. The change in management of rice paddy
fields may have negatively impacted the reliance of wading birds on rice paddy
fields where new drainage systems decreased the availability of insects.
The
Kochi-dori, as the plovers are called in Japan are truly amazing birds,
displaying a range of intriguing characteristic behaviors such as injury
feigning and the rodent run, which mimics the way small rodents run to confuse
potential predators. Assistant Professor Kasahara hopes to continue the study
of the little ringed plover whose routes may differ according to different
breeding sites. Through studying birds of different breeding sites, new crucial
habitats may be elucidated. Floods halted the breeding season prematurely in
2017. If this had not occurred, the plovers may have stayed longer in Japan.
Assistant Professor Kasahara hopes to continue research to elucidate differences
according to year.
·
Home
·
Lahore
Call to
fill posts in agriculture dept
LAHORE:Permanent merit-based appointments
should be made in Punjab Agriculture Department to deliver and enhance
productivity of this important sector coupled with achieving the goal of
result-oriented research work, a farmer body demanded here on Tuesday.
Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) identified
what it called a great anomaly in the agriculture research system of Punjab
where incompetent junior officers are posted at higher position to please
someone or simply due to political pressure, financial gain/corruption or on
favoritism for years, said PKI president Khalid Mahmood Khokhar. Such
arrangement is allowed only for stopgap arrangement for a period of 3 to 6
months, but officers on such postings for longer period aim to praise their
boss or senior officer instead of proving their competence or delivering
tangible results, he said.
As many as 21 posts of directors of
important Research Institutes of Agriculture Department, Punjab are lying
vacant since long and these are occupied by junior scientists on
Additional/Look After/Own pay & scale in addition to their own
responsibilities. These include post of Director Agri (Research), AARI,
Faisalabad which lacks permanent posting since 30.06.2012, Director, Fodder
Research Institute, Sargodha since 31.10.2016, Director, Vegetable Res.
Institute, Faisalabad since 04.08.2015, Director, Maize and Millets Research
Institute, Sahiwal since 04.05.2016, Director, Oilseeds Research Institute,
Faisalabad since 26.01.2017, Director, Wheat Research Institute, Faisalabad
since 30.09.2017, Director, Cotton Research Institute, Multan since 29.03.2016,
Director, Potato Research Institute, Sahiwal since 23.12.2014, Director, Arid
Zone Research Institute, Bhakkar since 31.10.2015, Director, Regional Agri.
Research Institute, Bahawalpur since 20.04.2017, Director, Sugarcane Research
Institute, Faisalabad since 13.08.2016, Director, Agronomic Research Institute,
Faisalabad since 14.03.2016, Director, Plant Pathology Research Institute,
Faisalabad since 04.05.2015, Director, Institute of Soil Chemistry &
Environment Sciences, Kala Shah Kaku since 01.11.2015, Director, Soil &
Water Conservation Research Institute, Chakwal since 15.10.2015, Director, Soil
Salinity Research Institute Pindi Bhattian since 24.05.2015, Director,
Horticultural Research Institute, Faisalabad since 31.01.2018, Director, Mango
Research Institute, Multan since 19.07.2016, Director, Post-Harvest Research
Centre, Faisalabad since 26.08.2017, Director, Rice Research Institute, Kala
Shah Kaku since 22.10.2018 and Director, Barani Agricultural Research
Institute, Chakwal since 25.10.2018, he said.
These directors are considered leaders of
professional teams and responsible for planning & execution of research
programme and technology transfer of important research institutes including
wheat, cotton, rice, sugarcane, maize, oilseed, vegetables. Our economy is
agriculture-based and junior offices or irrelevant officers are appointed as
directors of these important crops. This situation badly affecting R&D
activities of these institutes, Khokhar lamented.
Further the post of Chief Executive,
Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB), Lahore is vacant since 22.10.2018
and posts of Member of PARB are also vacant.
The PARB has an effective Competitive
Grant System (CGS) for funding output oriented agricultural research projects.
The unavailability of CE & Members is impeding ongoing activities of PARB
funded projects and funding to new research proposals, he said.
Pakistan Kissan Ittehad demand that this
anomaly be rectified immediately and right man for the right job strategy be
prevailed by appointing the deserving scientists on the posts of directors in
Punjab. Secondly, post of Chief Executive and members of PARB be appointed on
regular basis. So that activities of these important Research Institutes and
PARB may regain their pace, it said
Nuclear war fallout:
starvation
Study
says Indo-Pak battle can hit crops
- Published 18.03.20,
2:39 AM
- Updated 18.03.20,
2:39 AM
Even a
limited nuclear war between India and Pakistan could produce unprecedented
global food shortages and starvation for over a decade, a 19-member
international research team said in a study on Monday.
The
study based on computer simulations has suggested that even a limited nuclear
war could lead to 20 to 50 per cent losses of staple food crops above 30 degree
latitude or 11 per cent globally for five years after the conflict.
The
simulations predict that if India and Pakistan each set off 50 Hiroshima-sized
nuclear bombs, firestorms would spew around five million tonnes of soot into
the stratosphere that would be carried by winds across the world, absorb
sunlight and lower average global temperatures by 1.8 degrees Celsius for at
least five years.
The temperature
drop would lead to an average of 11 per cent fall in the production of maize,
wheat, soybeans and rice, the four major staple cereals, the researchers said
in their study published in the journal Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
Their
calculations suggest that by the fifth year, maize and wheat availability would
decrease by around 13 per cent globally and by more than 20 per cent in 71
countries with a total population of around 1.3 billion.
“Even
a regional limited war would have devastating indirect implications worldwide,”
Jonas Jagermeyr, a post-doctoral scientist at the US National Aeronautics and
Space Administration Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in a media
release. “It would exceed the largest famine in documented history. We’re not
saying a nuclear conflict is around the corner, but it is important to
understand what could happen,” he added.
The
study, which relied on computer simulations of the impact of firestorms on crop
production, has indicated that crops in the northern temperate regions — in
Canada, China, Europe, Russia and the US — would be the hardest hit.
However,
because many of these countries produce surpluses that get exported to the
low-income countries, the scientists predict, the production falls in the
northern countries would impact the low-income countries.
The
scientists predict
that
the northern nations would impose export bans to protect their own populations.
Some of the countries to be hardest hit are Bangladesh, Honduras, Niger, Rwanda
and Somalia.
India-based
analysts view the study as a fresh attempt to amplify concerns about nuclear
weapons in South Asia, although the researchers themselves have pointed out
that of the estimated 14,000 nuclear warheads believed to exist globally, 95 per
cent belong to the US and Russia.
Food security must be ensured in
every circumstance: PM
Update: March,
19/2020 - 09:00
|
Farmers harvest rice in Ngã Năm Town in the southern
province of Sóc Trăng. — VNA/VNS Photo
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam was among the top rice exporters
in the world but still ranked at an average level of food security, Prime
Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said on Wednesday, calling for solutions to tackle
shortcomings of the country’s agriculture production and food security.
The nation ranked 54th among 113 countries and
territories worldwide on the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) index in
2019.
“Food security must be ensured in every circumstance.
Food is an essential, necessary commodity that needs to be stable in every
circumstance,” the PM said, adding that Việt Nam’s food security contributed to
global food security but first of all, sufficient supply must be ensured for
the nearly 100 million Vietnamese.
Addressing an online conference on the implementation of
National Project on Food Security in the last 10 years, Phúc said now was the
age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but many things can't be virtual.
He said amid the COVID-19 crisis, recently people
had rushed to hoard food after hearing reports of new infection cases.
“As soon as being informed about the hoarding, I called
and ordered Việt Nam Northern Food Corporation to supply enough rice to people,
even to sell rice until 11pm to stabilise the market,” he said, adding that
stable food reserves in any circumstance were very important.
“Food security becomes a more crucial issue for every
nation, particularly in the context of politic instability, negative impacts of
climate change and unconventional security, for example, a global pandemic,” he
said.
The National Food Security Project was launched in 2009,
concretising a conclusion of the Politbureau on major tasks to develop Việt
Nam’s agriculture and rural areas to ensure national food security,
socio-economic development and political stability.
The tasks included planning agriculture production to
ensure food security, meet demand in any circumstance, improve Vietnamese’s
meals, increase nutrition, take advantage of rice production and make food
become a competitive commodity.
The Politbureau also confirmed the need to speed up
mechanisation. Agriculture production, including processing and storing, must
be industrialised, modernised and friendly to the environment. The Politbureau
also required a balance between domestic consumption and exports, a system of
food trade and reserves so people can easily access food of high
quality.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, during 10 years of implementing the Politbureau’s conclusions,
Vietnamese agriculture achieved yearly growth of 2.61 per cent.
From 2009 to 2019, the country’s rice production
increased from 39.17 million tonnes to 43.4 million tonnes.
Việt Nam’s per capita food production was 487kg in 2009
and more than 525 g per year in 2019. The country is one of the three rice
exporters in the world as it ships 6.5-7 million tonnes of rice abroad yearly.
In the last 10 years, 9.6 million rural workers were
given training courses, 90 per cent of them got new jobs or still stayed in
their previous jobs but earned more. The income of people in rural areas
reportedly increased 4.3 times in the last 10 years, leading to their increased
access to food.
The malnutrition rate dropped from 18.2 per cent during
2004-06 to the current 10.8 per cent.
Each Vietnamese person on average ate 132kg of rice in
2008 but only about 97kg in 2018. Meanwhile, average meat consumption increased
from 17kg in 2008 to 26kg in 2018.
It is estimated that in 2030, Việt Nam will have a
population of 104 million people and each person will consume about 95.2kg of rice per year. To
meet domestic demand and realise the target of exporting 4.5 million tonnes of
rice as planned in the National Rice Market Development Strategy, the country
needs to keep 3.5 million ha for growing rice to produce about 35 million tonnes.
Until last year, there were 15,300 agricultural
co-operatives with 73 per cent of them reportedly operating effectively. About
12,600 enterprises invested in agriculture. — VNS
Indonesia rations staple
foods, eyes fuel price cuts amid coronavirus pandemic
A woman
wearing a face mask passes banknotes as she shops for vegetables at a
traditional market amid the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in
Jakarta, Indonesia.Reuters
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JAKARTA – Indonesian
police have ordered retailers to ration purchases of staple foods to contain
panic buying amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the Southeast Asian country,
while the president weighed up a cut in fuel prices to reflect tumbling oil
prices.
Indonesians have been
stocking up on basic necessities, as well as medical supplies, since President
Joko Widodo announced the first confirmed cases of the disease in the world’s fourth
most populous country on March 2.
Shops have seen long
queues of customers stocking up on items such as dried noodles, despite
authorities telling the public there was no need for panic buying.
The police’s criminal
investigation division has sent a letter to all stakeholders ordering the
rationing of purchase of rice for personal use at a maximum of 22 lbs, sugar at
4.4 lbs, cooking oil at 4 liters and instant noodles at two cartons, according
to a copy of the letter reviewed by Reuters.
Police spokesman Argo
Yuwono said rationing applied only in areas affected by the virus outbreak.
Indonesia has reported 172 cases and at least five deaths as of Tuesday, with
most clustered around Jakarta.
“If there is any
increase of staple food prices, we will check where the bottlenecks are and we
will take action against hoarding,” Yuwono said via text message.
Prices of garlic, sugar
and onions have jumped recently due to disruptions in imports from China and a
late sugarcane harvest, though authorities said new supplies were being
imported.
Police officers and
state food procurement agency Bulog on Wednesday inspected supplies of staples
in markets around Jakarta, including at wholesale markets, Bulog said in a
statement.
Bulog has 1.65 million
tons of rice in its warehouses, enough to meet rising demand due to the spread
of the virus, as well as for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan beginning in late
April, the firm said.
Meanwhile, President
Widodo asked his cabinet ministers in a video conference to assess whether
weaker global oil prices could allow room for cuts in domestic subsidized and
non-subsidized fuel prices to support the economy.
The Indonesian
government has pledged $8 billion of stimulus to encourage economic growth,
including tax breaks for some workers in manufacturing, as the coronavirus
pandemic disrupts the global economy.
Coronavirus:
Govt to announce financial stimulus package as tally hits 453
BY STAFF REPORT , (LAST UPDATED 16 HOURS AGO)
–PM’s aide says financial
package will mitigate economic impacts of coronavirus, warns against hoarding
–ISPR DG says cooperating
with civil admin, comprehensive strategy in place
–Pakistan shuts down Wagha
border; Punjab, Balochistan suspend public transport with Sindh
ISLAMABAD: The
total number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 453 after over 100
cases were reported in all parts of the country on Thursday, with the federal
government appealing to people to maintain social distancing and avoid hoarding
basic commodities.
A patient has also recovered from the
deadly virus in Sindh, making the total number of such recoveries to three.
As part of its efforts to contain the
spread of the virus, the Sindh government has decided to convert the Karachi
Expo Centre into a 10,000-bed hospital for corona patients in addition
sanctioning an Rs7.21 billion grant to fight the threat.
In a meeting of the provincial task
force on coronavirus, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also directed the relevant
authorities to distribute 2 million grocery bags among needy families. He
observed that people seem worried about food availability in view of a partial
lockdown in the city. In the first phase, one month’s worth of grocery items will
be distributed. The grocery bags will include flour, rice, three kinds of
pulses, ghee, sugar, tea bags, dry milk, and spices.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman
Buzdar said that the provincial government allocated funds worth Rs5 billion in
order to curtail the risk of the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). CM Buzdar
went on to say that a center in Taftan will be established by the Punjab
government and added that the provincial government will also build 1,000-bed
temporary field hospital.
‘NO SHORTAGE OF FOOD’:
As cases see a gradual rise, Prime
Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza held a press conference
at the Corona Command and Control Centre in Islamabad along with Inter-Service
Public Relations (ISPR) chief Maj General Babar Iftikhar and PM’s aide on
information, Firdous Ashiq Awan.
During the presser, Mirza said Pakistan
was seeking China’s help to curb the pandemic and the first video conference
with the Chinese experts will take place in a day or two.
He praised the provincial governments
for “cooperating” with the Centre on the timely information regarding the
outbreak. He said: “All the governments are playing an active role in curbing
the virus.”
“PM Imran in his speech focused on
social distancing. We need to implement that as soon as possible,” he noted,
adding: “The majority of the reported cases (in Pakistan) are imported.”
Mirza, encapsulating the rapid spread
of the disease in the world and specifically in Pakistan, said: “The pandemic
has spread to over 176 countries registered with the United Nations and nearly
220,000 people have been infected, whereas in Pakistan there are 326 confirmed
cases,” he said.
“We don’t need to be obsessive about
the number as there are thousands of confirmed coronavirus cases in other
countries,” he added.
He expressed grief over the death of
the two coronavirus patients who died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a day earlier.
The health adviser also informed the
media that in the next press conference, only PTV would record the briefing and
make it available to other media channels. He also urged people not to go
unnecessarily to hospital OPDs and “if it is necessary to go there, the patient
should go alone.”
Firdous told reporters that the
government would launch a ‘financial stimulus package’ to mitigate the economic
impact of coronavirus on people, especially daily wage workers. She said that
the package will soon be presented to the prime minister for formal approval.
She said a committee has been
constituted under the chairmanship of the Finance Adviser Dr Abdul Hafeez
Shaikh to devise a plan to avoid an economic slowdown in the country.
Firdous said directions have been given
to provincial governments to take stern action against those elements who
attempt to hoard food and create an artificial shortage of edible items.
Addressing the press conference,
Pakistan Army’s spokesperson Gen Iftikhar said the military was cooperating
with the civil administration to curb the outbreak. “The army chief has
directed all formations to inspect risk assessments at district and tehsil
level and help civil administration tackle the pandemic,” he said.
“We are helping the governments with quarantine facilities as
well,” he said, adding: “We are stationed at all the entry points; there is a
comprehensive strategy in place.”
The Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta,
Faisalabad, and Multan airports will be operational from March 21 and the army
and Rangers personnel will help the civil administration there as well, he
said. All the medical resources of the armed forces are being prepared for an
emergency situation, said Gen Iftikhar.
The army spokesperson said that the
army’s scientists were working to develop a sanitiser to tackle the pandemic.
The ISPR along with health and information ministry has drafted a “crisis and
risk communication strategy” in light of the world’s best practices, he said.
“A national command and control centre
has been formed along with all stakeholders including the army, to provide
people with timely updates.” “We are using TV, radio, social media and other
platforms to spread awareness,” he said.
WAGHA BORDER SEALED:
The Ministry of Interior, meanwhile, announced
the closure of Wagha Border crossing with India, initially for a period of two
weeks as a precautionary measure.
A notification, issued by the interior
ministry, directed the relevant authority for “complete sealing of Wagha
Border for an initial period of two weeks (14 days) with immediate effect in
order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in the best interest of both
countries.”
NA SESSION SOUGHT:
The opposition in the National Assembly
on Thursday submitted a requisition in the National Assembly Secretariat for
convening an immediate session to discuss the prevailing coronavirus situation
in the country. According to the official document, 92 opposition members of
the House have endorsed the demand for the emergency session.
BALOCHISTAN, PUNJAB SUSPEND
INTER-CITY TRANSPORT:
Meanwhile, Punjab and Balochistan
governments have temporarily suspended inter-provincial transport services with
Sindh.
The Punjab Transport Authority (PTA),
during a meeting, decided to suspend inter-city traffic heading towards Sindh
to curb the potential spread of coronavirus.
Similarly, the Balochistan
government has also suspended inter-city bus services and public transport
in Quetta and other parts of the province for 15 days. The decision was taken
during a meeting chaired by the Balochistan Chief Secretary Captain (r)
Fazeel Asghar.
Coronavirus:
Govt to announce financial stimulus package as tally hits 453
BY STAFF REPORT , (LAST UPDATED 16 HOURS AGO)
–PM’s aide says financial
package will mitigate economic impacts of coronavirus, warns against hoarding
–ISPR DG says cooperating
with civil admin, comprehensive strategy in place
–Pakistan shuts down Wagha
border; Punjab, Balochistan suspend public transport with Sindh
ISLAMABAD: The
total number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 453 after over 100
cases were reported in all parts of the country on Thursday, with the federal
government appealing to people to maintain social distancing and avoid hoarding
basic commodities.
A patient has also recovered from the
deadly virus in Sindh, making the total number of such recoveries to three.
As part of its efforts to contain the spread
of the virus, the Sindh government has decided to convert the Karachi Expo
Centre into a 10,000-bed hospital for corona patients in addition sanctioning
an Rs7.21 billion grant to fight the threat.
In a meeting of the provincial task
force on coronavirus, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also directed the relevant
authorities to distribute 2 million grocery bags among needy families. He
observed that people seem worried about food availability in view of a partial
lockdown in the city. In the first phase, one month’s worth of grocery items
will be distributed. The grocery bags will include flour, rice, three kinds of
pulses, ghee, sugar, tea bags, dry milk, and spices.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman
Buzdar said that the provincial government allocated funds worth Rs5 billion in
order to curtail the risk of the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). CM Buzdar
went on to say that a center in Taftan will be established by the Punjab
government and added that the provincial government will also build 1,000-bed
temporary field hospital.
‘NO SHORTAGE OF FOOD’:
As cases see a gradual rise, Prime
Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza held a press conference
at the Corona Command and Control Centre in Islamabad along with Inter-Service
Public Relations (ISPR) chief Maj General Babar Iftikhar and PM’s aide on
information, Firdous Ashiq Awan.
During the presser, Mirza said Pakistan
was seeking China’s help to curb the pandemic and the first video conference
with the Chinese experts will take place in a day or two.
He praised the provincial governments
for “cooperating” with the Centre on the timely information regarding the
outbreak. He said: “All the governments are playing an active role in curbing
the virus.”
“PM Imran in his speech focused on
social distancing. We need to implement that as soon as possible,” he noted,
adding: “The majority of the reported cases (in Pakistan) are imported.”
Mirza, encapsulating the rapid spread
of the disease in the world and specifically in Pakistan, said: “The pandemic
has spread to over 176 countries registered with the United Nations and nearly
220,000 people have been infected, whereas in Pakistan there are 326 confirmed
cases,” he said.
“We don’t need to be obsessive about
the number as there are thousands of confirmed coronavirus cases in other
countries,” he added.
He expressed grief over the death of
the two coronavirus patients who died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a day earlier.
The health adviser also informed the
media that in the next press conference, only PTV would record the briefing and
make it available to other media channels. He also urged people not to go
unnecessarily to hospital OPDs and “if it is necessary to go there, the patient
should go alone.”
Firdous told reporters that the
government would launch a ‘financial stimulus package’ to mitigate the economic
impact of coronavirus on people, especially daily wage workers. She said that
the package will soon be presented to the prime minister for formal approval.
She said a committee has been
constituted under the chairmanship of the Finance Adviser Dr Abdul Hafeez
Shaikh to devise a plan to avoid an economic slowdown in the country.
Firdous said directions have been given
to provincial governments to take stern action against those elements who
attempt to hoard food and create an artificial shortage of edible items.
Addressing the press conference,
Pakistan Army’s spokesperson Gen Iftikhar said the military was cooperating
with the civil administration to curb the outbreak. “The army chief has
directed all formations to inspect risk assessments at district and tehsil
level and help civil administration tackle the pandemic,” he said.
“We are helping the governments with quarantine facilities as
well,” he said, adding: “We are stationed at all the entry points; there is a
comprehensive strategy in place.”
The Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta,
Faisalabad, and Multan airports will be operational from March 21 and the army
and Rangers personnel will help the civil administration there as well, he
said. All the medical resources of the armed forces are being prepared for an
emergency situation, said Gen Iftikhar.
The army spokesperson said that the
army’s scientists were working to develop a sanitiser to tackle the pandemic.
The ISPR along with health and information ministry has drafted a “crisis and
risk communication strategy” in light of the world’s best practices, he said.
“A national command and control centre
has been formed along with all stakeholders including the army, to provide
people with timely updates.” “We are using TV, radio, social media and other
platforms to spread awareness,” he said.
WAGHA BORDER SEALED:
The Ministry of Interior, meanwhile,
announced the closure of Wagha Border crossing with India, initially for a
period of two weeks as a precautionary measure.
A notification, issued by the interior
ministry, directed the relevant authority for “complete sealing of Wagha
Border for an initial period of two weeks (14 days) with immediate effect in
order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in the best interest of both
countries.”
NA SESSION SOUGHT:
The opposition in the National Assembly
on Thursday submitted a requisition in the National Assembly Secretariat for
convening an immediate session to discuss the prevailing coronavirus situation
in the country. According to the official document, 92 opposition members of
the House have endorsed the demand for the emergency session.
BALOCHISTAN, PUNJAB SUSPEND
INTER-CITY TRANSPORT:
Meanwhile, Punjab and Balochistan
governments have temporarily suspended inter-provincial transport services with
Sindh.
The Punjab Transport Authority (PTA),
during a meeting, decided to suspend inter-city traffic heading towards Sindh
to curb the potential spread of coronavirus.
Similarly, the Balochistan
government has also suspended inter-city bus services and public transport
in Quetta and other parts of the province for 15 days. The decision was taken
during a meeting chaired by the Balochistan Chief Secretary Captain (r)
Fazeel Asghar.
Cops call for rationing of staple items
·
·
Indonesians have been stocking up on basic necessities, as well as medical supplies, since President Joko Widodo announced the first confirmed cases of the disease in the world’s fourth most populous country on March 2.
Shops have seen long queues of customers stocking up on items
such as dried noodles, despite authorities telling the public there was no need
for panic buying.
The police’s criminal investigation division has sent a letter to all stakeholders ordering the rationing of purchase of rice for personal use at a maximum of 10kg, sugar at 2kg, cooking oil at four litres and instant noodles at two cartons, according to a copy of the letter.
Police spokesman Argo Yuwono said rationing applied only in areas affected by the virus outbreak.
Indonesia has reported 172 cases and at least five deaths as of Tuesday, with most clustered around Jakarta.
“If there is any increase of staple food prices, we will check where the bottlenecks are and we will take action against hoarding,” Argo said via text message.
Prices of garlic, sugar and onions have jumped recently due to disruptions in imports from China and a late sugarcane harvest, though authorities said new supplies were being imported.
Police officers and state food procurement agency Bulog yesterday inspected supplies of staples in markets around Jakarta, including at wholesale markets, Bulog said in a statement.
Bulog has 1.5 million tonnes of rice in its warehouses, enough to meet rising demand due to the spread of the virus, as well as for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan beginning in late April, the firm said.
Meanwhile, Joko asked his Cabinet ministers in a video conference to assess whether weaker global oil prices could allow room for cuts in domestic subsidised and non-subsidised fuel prices to support the economy.
The Indonesian government has pledged US$8bil (RM34.8bil) of stimulus to encourage economic growth. — Reuters
The police’s criminal investigation division has sent a letter to all stakeholders ordering the rationing of purchase of rice for personal use at a maximum of 10kg, sugar at 2kg, cooking oil at four litres and instant noodles at two cartons, according to a copy of the letter.
Police spokesman Argo Yuwono said rationing applied only in areas affected by the virus outbreak.
Indonesia has reported 172 cases and at least five deaths as of Tuesday, with most clustered around Jakarta.
“If there is any increase of staple food prices, we will check where the bottlenecks are and we will take action against hoarding,” Argo said via text message.
Prices of garlic, sugar and onions have jumped recently due to disruptions in imports from China and a late sugarcane harvest, though authorities said new supplies were being imported.
Police officers and state food procurement agency Bulog yesterday inspected supplies of staples in markets around Jakarta, including at wholesale markets, Bulog said in a statement.
Bulog has 1.5 million tonnes of rice in its warehouses, enough to meet rising demand due to the spread of the virus, as well as for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan beginning in late April, the firm said.
Meanwhile, Joko asked his Cabinet ministers in a video conference to assess whether weaker global oil prices could allow room for cuts in domestic subsidised and non-subsidised fuel prices to support the economy.
The Indonesian government has pledged US$8bil (RM34.8bil) of stimulus to encourage economic growth. — Reuters
Amid panic-buying, traders assure of ample food supplies
March 19, 2020
KARACHI: The
arrival of essential commodities — major crops — from the upcountry producing
areas as well as from the port has remained unaffected, commodity traders and
retailers told Dawn on Wednesday.
Contrary to these
claims, consumers complained of shortages especially branded flour varieties in
many areas since Sunday, questioning various retailers over its availability.
Consumers have
resorted to panic-buying amid fears of shortages from the impact of coronavirus
on commodity production and supply chain due to an imminent economic slowdown.
Retailers have also
run out of flour stocks in view of continued panic buying. However, other
products like pulses, ghee, cooking oil, rice, sugar etc are easily available.
“There is no need to
get scared for flour availability as new crop from Sindh has started arriving
in the open market,” said Pakistan Flour Mills Association Sindh Zone Chairman
Khalid Masood while speaking to Dawn.
He added that “from
October 2019 till to date, millers in Sindh have ground around 750,000 tonnes
of wheat including 500,000 of the Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Service
Corporation (Passco) and 300,000 of Sindh government.” He said the mills will
be provided around 50,000 tonnes of wheat from Passco in the next few days.
Khalid said that Sindh
government did not procure wheat last year claiming to have 800,000 tonnes. He
said these claims were false as these stocks were only on the official books.
Sindh government would
procure 1.5 million tonnes of wheat from growers this year at a price of
Rs1,400 per 40kg.
A flour miller held
consumers responsible for causing flour shortage as they have resorted to panic
buying despite repeated advisories issued by the government. “Many people have
lifted three to four bags instead of one bag from shops which is much higher
than their requirement. Every mill has a production capacity. It cannot be
exceeded,” he said.
Karachi Wholesalers
Grocers Association Patron-in-Chief Anis Majeed said “buying activity from the
retailers for sugar, pulses, rice, flour, etc has now soared to 40 per cent
from 20-25pc few days back to cope up with demand from consumers who rushed to
the markets over reports of market shut downs,” he added.
However, he claimed
that retailers have not purchased stocks for Ramazan yet which will begin from
the third week of April.
Demand and supply
situation of essential commodities in Dandia Bazar, Jodia Bazar, Lea Market,
Kharadar and New Challi remained normal. “Arrival of commodities from upcountry
producing areas and imported pulses has from port has remained steady,” he
added.
He said gram pulse
(washed) supply had ranged about 2,950-3,250 tonnes in the last 15 days
followed by 753-893 tonnes of mash (washed), 1,300-1,385 tonnes of masoor
(washed), 1,184-1,384 tonnes of moong (washed), 4,812-5,212 tonnes of rice
basmati and 26,989-29,989 tonnes of sugar. Irri Rice-6 supply is slow as 90pc
supplies are exported to international markets.
He said the commodity
markets would continue to operate as per government’s decision but urged
Karachi Commissioner to provide “masks to shopkeepers and workers, ensure
availability of doctors and sanitisers etc in the markets as precautionary
measures against coronavirus.”
In vegetables, Falahi
Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market President Haji Shahjehan said “the market
has not witnessed any supply problems so far in various vegetables from the
producing areas of upcountry and is operating normally.” However, consumers had
seen a jump of Rs20-40 per kg prices of tomatoes following the increase in
wholesale prices.
Sindh Poultry
Wholesalers Association General Secretary Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui said the
arrival of live bird from Punjab and outskirts of Karachi have been going
normal. “Around 800,000 birds are being slaughtered daily in Karachi,” he
added.
He said the ban on
marriages and other receptions and outdoor dining has so far not hit poultry
sales as people are managing meals through food deliveries. The share of
chicken sales for home consumption, hotels/restaurants and wedding/valima
receptions is 33pc each.
Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2020
Coronavirus, CBN and
Nigerian farmers ON MARCH 18, 20206:46 PMIN VIEWPOINT CBN By Akanfe Tiri WITH
the reported slump in oil prices due to Coronavirus plaguing the world today,
many are already scared that the forecast for Nigeria’s 2020 growth might nose
dive as it is projected a fall in oil prices will quicken depreciation of the
Nigerian currency amid rising external debt. Brent crude oil prices fell to approximately
$33 per barrel on Monday, March 9, the worst of its kind fall in a day since
1991. According to analysts: “Given Nigeria’s heavy reliance on oil as the
major contributor to GDP, the reduction in oil demand is severely limiting the
supply of dollars to the economy, resulting in illiquidity in the market and
buying pressure on those dollars available.” They added: “As the Coronavirus
continues to damage the global economy, we expect to see a further weakening
pressure on the naira in the coming days.” But some analysts said that
Nigerians should worry less as the projections of the country’s economy will
continue to grow with policies put in place by the Central Bank of Nigeria
before now. They are quick to point to the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, ABP,
initiated by the Central Bank, an intervention programme for sustainable
economic growth. The programme which was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari
on November 17, 2015 is intended to create a linkage between anchor companies
involved in the processing and smallholder farmers, SHFs, of the required key
agricultural commodities. During the launching of the agricultural programme
and flag-off of the 2015 dry season farming in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State,
President Buhari frowned at the huge sums spent by Nigeria on the importation
of food items that could be produced locally, stressing that Nigeria’s N1
trillion importation bill at the time was not sustainable. The CBN’s Anchor
Borrowers Programme, kicked started in Kebbi was, according to Mr. Emefiele,
also targeting to change Nigeria from a major importer to a major exporting
country as well as provide food security for the nation. Before introduction of
the ABP, allocation of foreign exchange to the importation of items such as
rice, wheat, milk, tomato, fish, cotton and fertilizer among others, had
contributed greatly to the depletion of the nation’s foreign reserves,
especially in the face of low oil revenue resulting from falling oil prices.
The implication was rising unemployment and escalating food imports. This
prompted the CBN to shift from concentrating only on price, monetary and
financial system stability to act as a financial catalyst in specific sectors
of the economy, particularly agriculture, in a bid to create jobs on a mass
scale, improve local food production and conserve scarce foreign reserves. The
programme is also a platform to build capacity of banks in agricultural lending
to farmers and entrepreneurs in the value chain, by reducing commodity
importation. It is said to have helped in reducing poverty among smallholders,
while assisting rural subsistent farmers to reach commercial production levels.
After the rice boom that has seen many homes ditching expensive imported rice
for home grown local rice consequently saving the country huge foreign
exchange, the CBN recently commenced efforts to revive commercial production of
tomato and textile in the country, to serve as a remarkable lift to the
economy. CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, recently said the Bank would
sustain its intervention in the agriculture sector through its development
finance mandate, to help catalyse growth in critical sectors of the economy
such as agriculture and the manufacturing sectors. The CBN governor explained
that through programmes such as the ABP, the Commercial Agriculture Credit
Scheme and the Bankers Committee Agri-Business/Small and Medium Enterprises
Investment Scheme, AGSMEIS, the apex bank has improved access to markets for
farmers by facilitating greater partnership with agro-processors and manufacturing
firms in the sourcing of raw materials. “As a result, manufacturers have
integrated local options in sourcing their raw materials. Partnerships forged
through contracts between farmer cooperatives and agro-processors have also
helped to support improved production of agricultural commodities such as rice,
cotton and maize. Today, lots of private rice mills have sprung up in some
states like Kebbi and Ebonyi, paving the way for more investment flow. “To
address some of the challenges faced by local farmers and manufacturers, we
embarked on measures to discourage smuggling and dumping of restricted items
into the country by imposing restrictions on the use of financial institutions
in Nigeria by identified smugglers as their activities undermined the growth of
our local industries. These measures are aiding our efforts to support local
cultivation in rice, cotton and fish, etc,” he disclosed The apex bank had set
aside a portion of the N220billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Fund to finance agricultural projects at a single-digit interest
rate of nine per cent. Chiefly among the aims was to create economic linkages
between over 600,000 smallholder farmers and reputable large-scale processors
to increase agricultural output and significantly improving capacity
utilisation of integrated mills. Noticeably, the gap between the levels of
local rice production and domestic consumption has been reduced within a space
of three years. Today, the Anchor Programme has impacted rice production tremendously
in the country that Nigeria’s rice farmers and millers who have struggled in
the past to sell their products are now smiling to the banks as demand for the
crop continues to rise owing to the on-going border closure and the Anchor
Borrowers Programme. READ ALSO: As FG extends border closure, more facts emerge
from CBN The border closure and Anchor Borrowers initiative have made farmers
and millers ramp up their production to meet the ever-increasing demand for
rice- a key staple in the Nigerian diets. As a result, Nigeria’s rice
production has risen to an average of four metric tons per hectare and this
made it possible for farmers to meet up with the market rice needs during the
2019 festive season. Aminu Goronyo, national president, Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria said: “Lots of rice farmers are increasing their
production areas because there is a huge market for paddy since the border
closure. This is because millers are patronising rice farmers now and
off-taking all that they produce immediately.” He stated that before the border
closure, farmers had over 20,000 tons of paddy lying fallow because millers
were not off-taking from them. The Chairman of Rice Farmers Association Kebbi
State chapter, Alhaji Muhammad Sahabi, said that the Anchor Borrowers Programme
in the state has been very successful as it assisted farmers to enhance their
businesses since it was introduced four years ago. At the last count, 200,000
smallholder farmers from 29 states of the federation have benefitted from the N43.92
billion released through the CBN and 13 participating financial institutions to
fund the agricultural programme. In an attempt to tackle issues of smuggling,
the Federal Government had since August 2019 shut down the Nigerian borders.
The move compelled Nigerians who generally have a high preference for foreign
varieties to shift to local brands. Just recently, the CBN has approved the
disbursement of about N75 billion as loan to farmers in the 36 states and the
Federal Capital Territory, FCT, under the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing
in Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL. The loan guarantee scheme is a public-private
sector initiative set up to transform the country’s agricultural sector. It was
initiated by the apex bank, the Bankers’ Committee and the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, to guarantee 75 per cent loans provided by
Deposit Money Banks, DPB, to farmers as part of efforts to transform the
country’s agricultural sector.
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/coronavirus-cbn-and-nigerian-farmers/
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/coronavirus-cbn-and-nigerian-farmers/
Canadian
Parliament Ratifies USMCA, Clearing Way for Summer Implementation
OTTAWA, CANADA -- Last Friday, prior to Canada's Parliament
heading into a five-week recess amid fears of the spreading COVID-19, both the
Canadian House of Commons and the Canadian Senate quickly passed legislation to
ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade pact. Following
Parliament's approval, the agreement also received "royal assent"
from Queen Elizabeth II's government representative, completing the necessary
step before implementation can happen later this year.
The U.S. Congress passed the implementing legislation that
ratified the pact in December and January, Mexico passed their ratifying
legislation in early 2019, and now Canada has "sealed the deal."
While U.S. rice does not stand to gain through the revamped North
American Free Trade Agreement, USMCA does offer long-term certainty for U.S.
businesses with Mexico and Canada, two of our most important export markets.
U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer said in a
statement on Friday that, "USMCA is the gold standard by which all future
trade agreements will be judged, and citizens of all three countries will
benefit for years to come."
"While NAFTA has certainly been a boon for the U.S. rice
industry, making Mexico our top export market and placing Canada in the top
five, this renegotiation allows our industry to 
continue to maintain those great
relationships with our partners to the North and South," said USA Rice
President & CEO Betsy Ward. "It is reassuring to see USMCA
ratified across the board now so that the Administration can turn their
attention toward other trade deals later this year."
continue to maintain those great
relationships with our partners to the North and South," said USA Rice
President & CEO Betsy Ward. "It is reassuring to see USMCA
ratified across the board now so that the Administration can turn their
attention toward other trade deals later this year."
The three countries, pending potential lingering effects from the
coronavirus outbreak, are looking to have the pact go into force this summer.
Rice prices shoot up amid panic buying
·
Published
at 10:14 pm March 18th, 2020
Fearing future crisis, many people are buying grocery items, especially
rice, beyond their daily needs Focus
Bangla
This prompted many traders to increase prices by Tk10-20
per kilogram
Prices
of rice and other essential items shot up overnight as many people, panicked by
coronavirus spread in the country, rushed to buy grocery goods fearing crisis
in the days to come.
People
have been seen to stock up essential grocery items, especially rice, after the
declaration by the education ministry shutting down all educational
institutions until March 31.
This
prompted many traders to increase prices by Tk10-20 per kilogram.
Visiting
several kitchen markets on Wednesday, Dhaka Tribune found rice retailers
selling coarse Miniket for Tk55-60 per kg which was Tk48-52 a kilo a few days
ago, and fine Miniket at Tk55-70 a kg which was Tk 52-58 per kg earlier.
BR 28
was selling for Tk42-44 a kg at wholesale market and retailing for Tk46-50 a
kg.
At the
wholesale market, Miniket was selling for Tk54-58 a kg which was Tk44-48 a kg
earlier.
Fine
variety of Najirshail was retailing at Tk65-80 a kg, which was Tk55-60 a kg
earlier. Standard variety of Najirshail retailed for Tk55-60, which was
previously Tk45-55 a kg.
At
rice mills, Katari Najir was selling at Tk56-58 a kg which was Tk50-52 a kg
earlier, the price of that rice increased to Tk60-65 a kg in wholesale markets
and sold for Tk65-70 a kg in retail market.
Swarna-5
variety of rice, which was retailing for Tk35-40 a kg two days ago in the
city’s kitchen markets, was found selling at Tk36 a kg in the mills, Tk38-40 a
kg in wholesale market and Tk45-48 a kg in retail market.
Basmati
rice was selling for Tk60-65 a kg in wholesale market and retailing for Tk70-75
a kg.
Selim
Rahman bought three sacks of rice from Malibagh kitchen market on Wednesday.
When
asked about stocking up, he expressed fear whether there would be adequate
stocks in the market in future.
"The
authorities urged everyone not to go outside unless absolutely necessary. That
was why I stocked rice and other essential items so that I did not need to go
outside," he added.
Like
Selim, many others were found to purchase several sacks of rice each in the
capital's kitchen markets.
Retailers
blamed the price hike on wholesalers, who in turn shifted it to the rice
millers, owing to the sudden surge in demand.
“We
had abundant stock in our shop, but due to the mad rush that will run out soon.
We sold more than 300 sacks (each containing 50kg) of rice in the last few
days, compared to 50 sacks even last week. When we went to purchase rice from
wholesalers, they increased prices by more than Tk500 per sack," said
Mizanur Rahman, a rice retailer at Rampura Bazar.
Another
wholesaler at Malibagh said the rice millers increased prices by Tk8-10 per kg
and hoarded new stock of rice. As demand was increasing, they refused to
release new supply of rice in the market to capitalize on the situation.
"Some
people who earlier bought 2-5kg a day now bought more than 150kg, thanks to the
coronavirus panic," he added.
Nasir
Uddin Khan, owner of Khan Rice Mill, told Dhaka Tribune that they increased
prices as there was shortage of rice, but could not specify the exact reason
despite the government announcing there was no supply shortage in the country.
KM
Layek Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners'
Association, said: “There is no shortage of rice in the country. We have enough
reserve of Aman rice for the next one and half months. After then new Irri
variety would be harvested. But if people store more than necessary for several
months, it could create a crisis.”
He
urged the government to put restrictions on prices as well as purchasing
capacity of individual consumers.
The
prices of garlic, onion and ginger also increased.
Garlic
was retailing for Tk155-160 a kg, which was Tk140 per kg a week ago, while
ginger retailed for Tk160-170 a kg, and local onion for Tk50-55 a kg.
Govt
urges not to worry
Meanwhile,
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said yesterday that there was enough stock of
food grains in the country, and there was no need to stock up despite the
potential deterioration of coronavirus.
Food
Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar also emphasized: "The impact of
coronavirus on the whole world would not increase the prices of granular food
rice and wheat. If the traders hoard and raise prices, action would be taken
against them.”
“Right
now, government warehouses has 17.39 lakh tons of rice. New boro paddy would be
harvested in a month,” he added.
"No
one can take advantage by holding consumers hostage. Rice would be imported if
needed. Consumers have nothing to fear, there is a monitoring team," he
assured.
Rice prices shoot up amid
panic buying
- Published at
10:14 pm March 18th, 2020
Fearing future crisis, many people are buying grocery items, especially
rice, beyond their daily needs Focus Bangla
This prompted many traders to increase prices
by Tk10-20 per kilogram
Prices of rice and other essential items shot up overnight
as many people, panicked by coronavirus spread in the country, rushed to buy
grocery goods fearing crisis in the days to come.
People have been seen to stock up essential grocery items,
especially rice, after the declaration by the education ministry shutting
down all educational institutions until March 31.
This prompted many traders to increase prices by Tk10-20
per kilogram.
Visiting several kitchen markets on Wednesday, Dhaka
Tribune found rice retailers selling coarse Miniket for Tk55-60 per kg which
was Tk48-52 a kilo a few days ago, and fine Miniket at Tk55-70 a kg which was
Tk 52-58 per kg earlier.
BR 28 was selling for Tk42-44 a kg at wholesale market and
retailing for Tk46-50 a kg.
At the wholesale market, Miniket was selling for Tk54-58 a
kg which was Tk44-48 a kg earlier.
Fine variety of Najirshail was retailing at Tk65-80 a kg,
which was Tk55-60 a kg earlier. Standard variety of Najirshail retailed for
Tk55-60, which was previously Tk45-55 a kg.
At rice mills, Katari Najir was selling at Tk56-58 a kg
which was Tk50-52 a kg earlier, the price of that rice increased to Tk60-65 a
kg in wholesale markets and sold for Tk65-70 a kg in retail market.
Swarna-5 variety of rice, which was retailing for Tk35-40
a kg two days ago in the city’s kitchen markets, was found selling at Tk36 a kg
in the mills, Tk38-40 a kg in wholesale market and Tk45-48 a kg in retail
market.
Basmati rice was selling for Tk60-65 a kg in wholesale
market and retailing for Tk70-75 a kg.
Selim Rahman bought three sacks of rice from Malibagh
kitchen market on Wednesday.
When asked about stocking up, he expressed fear whether
there would be adequate stocks in the market in future.
"The authorities urged everyone not to go outside
unless absolutely necessary. That was why I stocked rice and other essential
items so that I did not need to go outside," he added.
Like Selim, many others were found to purchase several
sacks of rice each in the capital's kitchen markets.
Retailers blamed the price hike on wholesalers, who in
turn shifted it to the rice millers, owing to the sudden surge in demand.
“We had abundant stock in our shop, but due to the mad
rush that will run out soon. We sold more than 300 sacks (each containing 50kg)
of rice in the last few days, compared to 50 sacks even last week. When we went
to purchase rice from wholesalers, they increased prices by more than Tk500 per
sack," said Mizanur Rahman, a rice retailer at Rampura Bazar.
Another wholesaler at Malibagh said the rice millers
increased prices by Tk8-10 per kg and hoarded new stock of rice. As demand was
increasing, they refused to release new supply of rice in the market to
capitalize on the situation.
"Some people who earlier bought 2-5kg a day now bought
more than 150kg, thanks to the coronavirus panic," he added.
Nasir Uddin Khan, owner of Khan Rice Mill, told Dhaka
Tribune that they increased prices as there was shortage of rice, but could not
specify the exact reason despite the government announcing there was no supply
shortage in the country.
KM Layek Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Auto Major
and Husking Mill Owners' Association, said: “There is no shortage of rice in
the country. We have enough reserve of Aman rice for the next one and half
months. After then new Irri variety would be harvested. But if people store
more than necessary for several months, it could create a crisis.”
He urged the government to put restrictions on prices as
well as purchasing capacity of individual consumers.
The prices of garlic, onion and ginger also increased.
Garlic was retailing for Tk155-160 a kg, which was Tk140
per kg a week ago, while ginger retailed for Tk160-170 a kg, and local onion
for Tk50-55 a kg.
Govt
urges not to worry
Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said yesterday
that there was enough stock of food grains in the country, and there was no
need to stock up despite the potential deterioration of coronavirus.
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar also emphasized:
"The impact of coronavirus on the whole world would not increase the
prices of granular food rice and wheat. If the traders hoard and raise prices,
action would be taken against them.”
“Right now, government warehouses has 17.39 lakh tons of
rice. New boro paddy would be harvested in a month,” he added.
"No one can take advantage by holding consumers
hostage. Rice would be imported if needed. Consumers have nothing to fear,
there
is a monitoring team," he assured.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/commerce/2020/03/18/rice-prices-shoot-up-amid-panic-buyingApp
based paddy purchase can’t ensure fair price for farmers
on: In: BangladeshNo Comments
Farmers
shifting to other crops
Abu Sazzad: The government has started
to paddy procurement directly from the farmers’ level through mobile app with a
view to ensure the fair price. But, the goal may not be achieved, if farmers
fail to get fair prices. Though, the government has been introduced such as new
policy titled ‘Krishoker App’ to protect the farmers from incurring losses due
to interference of middlemen, they are still being deprived of fair prices
compared to their production cost, many of them claimed.
They said, rice price in the retail market increased significantly, but they are incurring loss to sell paddy or even they are failing to adjust their harvesting cost. Countrywide, the price of rice has increased between Tk 5 to Tk 10 on per kg in the recent time, but the farmers are receiving poor price against paddy, which is not covering their production cost.
As the farmers are incurring loss to harvest paddy, they are shifting to other crops which is the arising concern for ensuring the future food security of the country, said the experts.
The government’s procurement drive could hardly provide any relief to the farmers, as paddy prices dropped notably in this Aman harvesting season. After incurring loss, many of the farmers are abstaining from cultivating Boro crop, raising grave concerns of production fall in the ongoing season of the major crop, said insiders.
Md Rahmat Ali, a farmer told to the Daily Industry said, paddy prices declined further in last one and a half weeks. The farmers are incurring Tk 3,800-3,900 loss on per bigha (30 decimal) cultivation and most of the farmers have no access to the government procurement system, he claimed.
A ministry official told on the condition of anonymity that the government has targeted to procure 0.6 million tones of paddy, and 0.4 million tons of milled-rice in this Aman season between November and February.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) recorded Tk 21-24 production cost for each kg paddy this year depending on regions. However, the Directorate General of Food (DGF) fixed price for paddy at Tk 26 a kg, parboiled rice at Tk 36 a kg, and Atap (white rice) at Tk 35 a kg.
Meanwhile, most of the farmers are in a dilemma whether to cultivate paddy in this Boro season or not. Many of them are thinking of growing vegetables, tobacco or maize for gaining higher profit.
Barkat Ali, a farmer in Kustia district said, apart from price fall, paddy production also declined in their area for lower price. Many farmers say they are losing interest in boro because of the losses in the aman season.
Mofiz Uddin, another farmer said, he cultivated aman on 10 bighas by taking loan. But he could not repay the loan due to low prices of the paddy. He incurred a loss of Tk 10,000.
Farmers claimed that farmers in different regions are incurring 40-50 per cent loss compared to their production cost in this Aman season. The loss was 55-60 per cent in last Boro harvesting season.
Industry insider said, the government restricted import, increased procurement volume, and permitted export, which have benefitted only big traders and millers.
He said, although the government has engaged more farmers in its procurement drive this time, it makes no impact on mainstream market.
Prof Abdul Hamid, Chairman of the Agricultural Research Foundation (ARF), said farmers should be provided with direct cash subsidy to keep them in farming, which is necessary for ensuring food security.
Besides, rice export should also be increased, if its supply is ample. At least 20 percent incentive should be declared to boost rice export. Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners Association K M Layek Ali said, many millers are not buying paddy amid surplus stock and drop in rice sale. At present, the price of coarse paddy is Tk 800 each maund and the prices of fine grain are between Tk 1,100 and Tk 1,200 a maund, he said.
However, the app has already been piloted in 16 upazilas by the Directorate General of Food in the just concluded aman procurement season: 30,000 tonnes of paddy was bought off 23,000 growers. The government has allocated Tk 8,024 crore to buy 21.20 lakh tonnes of rice in the current fiscal year, according to the finance ministry.
“We will increase the coverage area of the mobile app to 48 upazilas. But, it will not be possible to include all upazilas at present as the capacity of the app is gradually being upgraded,” said Food Secretary Dr Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum.
They said, rice price in the retail market increased significantly, but they are incurring loss to sell paddy or even they are failing to adjust their harvesting cost. Countrywide, the price of rice has increased between Tk 5 to Tk 10 on per kg in the recent time, but the farmers are receiving poor price against paddy, which is not covering their production cost.
As the farmers are incurring loss to harvest paddy, they are shifting to other crops which is the arising concern for ensuring the future food security of the country, said the experts.
The government’s procurement drive could hardly provide any relief to the farmers, as paddy prices dropped notably in this Aman harvesting season. After incurring loss, many of the farmers are abstaining from cultivating Boro crop, raising grave concerns of production fall in the ongoing season of the major crop, said insiders.
Md Rahmat Ali, a farmer told to the Daily Industry said, paddy prices declined further in last one and a half weeks. The farmers are incurring Tk 3,800-3,900 loss on per bigha (30 decimal) cultivation and most of the farmers have no access to the government procurement system, he claimed.
A ministry official told on the condition of anonymity that the government has targeted to procure 0.6 million tones of paddy, and 0.4 million tons of milled-rice in this Aman season between November and February.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) recorded Tk 21-24 production cost for each kg paddy this year depending on regions. However, the Directorate General of Food (DGF) fixed price for paddy at Tk 26 a kg, parboiled rice at Tk 36 a kg, and Atap (white rice) at Tk 35 a kg.
Meanwhile, most of the farmers are in a dilemma whether to cultivate paddy in this Boro season or not. Many of them are thinking of growing vegetables, tobacco or maize for gaining higher profit.
Barkat Ali, a farmer in Kustia district said, apart from price fall, paddy production also declined in their area for lower price. Many farmers say they are losing interest in boro because of the losses in the aman season.
Mofiz Uddin, another farmer said, he cultivated aman on 10 bighas by taking loan. But he could not repay the loan due to low prices of the paddy. He incurred a loss of Tk 10,000.
Farmers claimed that farmers in different regions are incurring 40-50 per cent loss compared to their production cost in this Aman season. The loss was 55-60 per cent in last Boro harvesting season.
Industry insider said, the government restricted import, increased procurement volume, and permitted export, which have benefitted only big traders and millers.
He said, although the government has engaged more farmers in its procurement drive this time, it makes no impact on mainstream market.
Prof Abdul Hamid, Chairman of the Agricultural Research Foundation (ARF), said farmers should be provided with direct cash subsidy to keep them in farming, which is necessary for ensuring food security.
Besides, rice export should also be increased, if its supply is ample. At least 20 percent incentive should be declared to boost rice export. Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners Association K M Layek Ali said, many millers are not buying paddy amid surplus stock and drop in rice sale. At present, the price of coarse paddy is Tk 800 each maund and the prices of fine grain are between Tk 1,100 and Tk 1,200 a maund, he said.
However, the app has already been piloted in 16 upazilas by the Directorate General of Food in the just concluded aman procurement season: 30,000 tonnes of paddy was bought off 23,000 growers. The government has allocated Tk 8,024 crore to buy 21.20 lakh tonnes of rice in the current fiscal year, according to the finance ministry.
“We will increase the coverage area of the mobile app to 48 upazilas. But, it will not be possible to include all upazilas at present as the capacity of the app is gradually being upgraded,” said Food Secretary Dr Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum.
Vietnam is one of three
biggest rice exporters in the world: PM
(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan
Phuc chaired an online conference Wednesday to review 10 years of implementing
Vietnam’s national food security project until 2020.
 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc
chairs an online conference on March 18, to review 10 years of implementing
Vietnam’s national food security project until 2020 (Photo: VNA) |
Mr. Phuc said that
for the past 10 years Vietnam’s food production has been strong. Vietnam is one
of the three biggest rice exporters in the world, exporting close to 7 million
tons a year. Modern technology has made Vietnamese rice the most delicious in
the world and steadily improved farmers’ lives.
The Prime Minister
said food security is an important task now and in the long run. Ensuring food
security is essential to the government’s double target this year of defending
Vietnam against the Covid-19 epidemic and achieving its socio-economic goals
despite the challenges posed by climate change.
He underlined future
tasks: “Contributing to world food security is necessary, but first of all 100
million Vietnamese must have sufficient food. Food storage is important. Food
security is essential for any country, particularly in the context of political
instability, climate change, and non-traditional security challenges like
disease. It’s the responsibility of our Party and State to ensure food
security.”
Prime Minister Phuc
stressed the goal of meeting the demand for nutrition of 104 million Vietnamese
by 2030, restructuring agriculture, and achieving an export growth 10% per year
with export of agricultural produce reaching 100 billion USD by 2030.
Vietnam achieves highest rice yield in Southeast Asia
VOV.VN - Vietnam has successfully
recorded the highest rice yield in Southeast Asia, harvesting 5.6 tonnes per
hectare, almost doubling that of Thailand, and 1.5 times greater than India,
according to a Agricultural Ministry report delivered at a conference in Hanoi
on March 18.
 |
The ministry said after 10
years of implementing the national master plan on food security, Vietnam has
achieved encouraging results in agricultral production, with rice output and
exports in 2009 surpassing estimates, reaching 43.4 million tonnes and 6.34
million tonnes respectively.
Notably, total land area for
rice cultivation expanded to nearly 4.2 million ha as of 2008, vastly exceeding
the initially set target of 3.76 million ha.
Between 2009 and 2019, income
per capita in rural areas increased by 4.3 times, whilst the gap between urban
and rural areas narrowed from 2.1 times to 1.8 times.
Notably, the value and output
of agricultural products increased sharply during the reviewed period, with
coffee yield tripling that of Colombia and Indonesia and 1.5 times higher than
Brazil. Tra fish alone yielded 209 tonnes per ha, the highest in the world.
Meanwhile, agricultural exports
continued to experience an upward trajectory with seven items raking in
turnover of over US$1 billion per year.
The ministry said thanks to the
emergence of hi-tech agricultural models and organic farming, the country is
capable of ensuring food self-sufficiency with a relatively high average food
output per capita, ranking sixth in the world. It helped stabilise the market,
curb inflation, create jobs, and reduce poverty.
Aside from these results, the
ministry acknowledged a number of inadequacies, including low income from
agricultural production, unsteady land policies, and the negative impact of
climate change on agricultural production.
At the conference, delegates
discussed ways to achieve sustainable agricultural production in the context of
global complications, including socio-political instability and diseases. They
agreed that with a population of close to 100 million, it is a must for Vietnam
to ensure national food security.
VOV
NFA-7 assures public there’s
enough supply of rice
By: Futch Anthony Inso - CDN Digital|March 18,2020 - 08:30 AM
Sacks of
NFA rice are piled up at a warehouse in Central Visayas. CDN Digital photo |
Futch Anthony Inso
Cebu City, Philippines—The
National Food Authority (NFA) assures the public that they have enough supply
of NFA rice and that there’s no reason for them to go on panic-buying due to
the threat of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
NFA Central Visayas regional
director Rocky Valdez told CDN Digital that they still have around 138,350 bags
of rice in different warehouses in Central Visayas.
He said that the supply will
still last for the next 79 days. NFA-rice is sold at P27 per kilogram.
“Why buy so many kung hindi mo
naman kailangan within the next two months? Kung halimbawa kung na-quarantine
tayo ng 30 days, mag-nonormalize naman yan after 30 days,” Valdez said
(Why buy so many if you won’t
need it within the next two months? If you are quarantined for 30 days, it will
eventually normalize after 30 days.)
Valdez, however, said that they
are limiting the purchase of NFA-rice to 5 kilograms per customer to allow others
have a chance of buying.
Aside from this, they are also
limiting the supply of NFA-rice to their accredited retailers from 15 bags
(small retailers) to 50 bags (big retailers) per week, while the rest of their
supply will be allocated as buffer stocks which will be made available in time
of disasters and calamities.
He added that the public can
also choose to purchase commercial rice aside from NFA-rice, which are now
cheaper due to the implementation of the Republic Act (R.A.) 11203 or the Rice
Tariffication Law.
Valdez said there
are also supplies that are coming from other regions of the country.
Under R.A. 11203, NFA is only
mandated to procure locally produced palay, while the importation of commercial
rice is delegated to private traders. /bmjo
Prices of rice increase in some
Cebu City markets
By: Delta Dyrecka Letigio - CDN Digital|March 18,2020 - 08:07 AM
These
are the current prices of different kinds of rice at the Inayawan Public Market
in Cebu City as of March 18, 2020. CDN Digital photo | delta Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The price of rice has increased at
least P100 per sack or an increase of P1 per kilo in the Inayawan Public Market
here.
A week prior to Cebu City being placed under general community
quarantine, the price of rice ranged from P33 for broken rice to P47 for fancy
rice per kilo.
Today, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the price has increased to P34
for broken rice to P49 for fancy rice per kilo.
A 35-year-old vendor at the Inayawan market told CDN Digital
that the price per sack has increased because the prices at the Tabunok Market
in Talisay City, where they get their stocks, also increased. The increase
began last Friday, after the declaration of closure of Cebu ports due to the
coronavirus crisis.
“Nimahal sila kay iclose daw ang ports. Wala na daw gani
Ganador,” said the vendor.
(It became more expensive
because the ports were closed. There isn’t even Ganador rice anymore.)
As of now, Inayawan vendors no longer sell to customers per sack
to avoid shortage of supply.
“Naglisod na mig ginansya kay nimahal ang sako nya moprovide pa
mig bolseta sa customer,” the vendor said.
(We’re having a tough time making profit because the prices per
sack increased and yet we still sell bags of rice to customers.)
The vendors in Inayawan urged market distributors in Tabunok to
avoid hoarding to rack up the prices of rice.
They said this move would not
help the consumers as they have to increase the rice per kilo just to earn a
profit. /bmjo
·
02:15
Col. Royina Garma, Cebu City Police Chief, Says 18 Kilos Of Shabu
Seized In Barangay Inayawan Biggest Bust This Year
·
02:33
Planned Police Station In Brgy. Inayawan, Cebu City
·
02:21
Inayawan Landfill Update
·
00:31
Inayawan Talent's Guild Cultural Troupe
·
01:00
Inayawan Fire
·
01:00
Families Lost Shanties In The Inayawan Landfill Fire
·
00:52
Gwen Says Capitol Will Put Up Shops Selling Basic Necessities In
Towns
·
00:20
Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia Reiterates Cebu Not Under Lockdown
·
03:24
Plants With Air Purifying Powers
·
10:33
COVID-19 Prank
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Accessibility helpSkip to navigationSkip to contentSkip to footer Cookies on FT Sites We use cookies for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to analyse how our Sites are used. Manage cookies Accept & continue OPEN DRAWER MENUOPEN SEARCH BAR MYFT HOME WORLD US COMPANIES TECH MARKETS GRAPHICS OPINION WORK & CAREERS LIFE & ARTS HOW TO SPEND IT Sign In Subscribe MENUSEARCH HOME WORLD US COMPANIES TECH MARKETS GRAPHICS OPINION WORK & CAREERS LIFE & ARTS HOW TO SPEND IT Sign In Subscribe Get a fresh start. Choose your FT trial Latest on Coronavirus Nationwide pulls tracker mortgages after historic base rate cut Coronavirus latest: Global Covid-19 death toll breaches 10,000 UK government is running to catch up on Covid-19 Coronavirus tracked: latest figures as pandemic spreads Coronavirus Add to myFT China’s farmers fear food shortages after coronavirus restrictions Transport lockdown leads to scarcity of labourers and fertiliser ahead of planting season Migrant workers play a crucial role in Chinese agriculture © Bloomberg Share on Twitter (opens new window) Share on Facebook (opens new window) Share on LinkedIn (opens new window) Save Sun Yu in Beijing MARCH 18 2020Print this page20 Be the first to know about every new Coronavirus story Get instant email alerts Chinese farmers face a daunting planting season as they grapple with a shortage of labour, seed and fertiliser in the wake of a nationwide lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus. A Qufu Normal University survey last month of village officials in 1,636 counties found that 60 per cent of respondents were pessimistic or very pessimistic about the planting season. The dismal mood has raised fears of a food shortage in the world’s most populous nation after disease control measures, led by traffic restrictions, took a toll on farming activity. “China’s agricultural industry has collapsed without the free flow of labour and raw materials,” said Ma Wenfeng, an analyst at CnAgri, a consultancy in Beijing. Try our newsletter on Sustainable Business Free four-week trial of the Moral Money newsletter Get the newsletter Chinese farms rely heavily on migrant workers and are struggling to find enough labourers after public transport was suspended to help stem the outbreak. Less than a third of local adults from 104 villages in 12 inland provinces had travelled outside their hometown for work after the lunar new year, according to Wuhan university. Normally, between 80 and 90 per cent of adults would be working elsewhere. Recommended Coronavirus China goes on the offensive to control global coronavirus narrative That has created problems for Wang Heqing, owner of a 94-hectare farm in the southern Guangdong province. He said 80 per cent of his workers were trapped at home in the western province of Guizhou because of the travel restrictions. Instead of growing cabbage and sweetcorn, as he had planned, Mr Wang switched to rice, which is less labour intensive. But rice sells for a fraction of the price of vegetables. “Labour shortages have dealt a heavy blow to vegetable farms in Guangdong,” said Mr Wang, “but we have to work with what we have.” Farmers also face a shortage of fertilisers and seeds. The problem is especially pronounced in Hubei province, the country’s largest fertiliser producer and the centre of the coronavirus outbreak. Local factories have struggled to reopen as a result of the travel restrictions, which have been maintained despite a decline in the official number of new virus cases. An executive at Beifeng Agricultural Production Means Group, a big fertiliser distributor, said northeastern provinces, which produce most of the nation’s grain, face a shortage of 1.3m tonnes of phosphate fertilisers, or 40 per cent of annual consumption. “We are going to have trouble maintaining agricultural output at a safe level if the shortfall doesn’t ease in the coming 30 days,” said the official. Analysts said a sharp fall in agricultural output, especially of grain, risked exacerbating food inflation, which hit a 12-year high of 21.9 per cent in February. That would present a political challenge to the ruling Communist party, which has already been accused of covering up the epidemic. “Chinese people may grumble when pork prices double,” said a Beijing-based scholar, “but they will rise up against the party if rice prices take off.” Read more about the impact of coronavirus The latest figures as the outbreak spreads Containing coronavirus: lessons from Asia How dangerous is the coronavirus and how does it spread? Subscribers can use myFT to follow the latest ‘coronavirus’ coverage Coronavirus business update How is coronavirus taking its toll on markets, business, and our everyday lives and workplaces? Stay briefed with our coronavirus newsletter. Sign up here Get alerts on Coronavirus when a new story is published Get alerts Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Reuse this content(opens in new window) Latest on Coronavirus The FT ViewThe editorial board UK government is running to catch up on Covid-19 NEW Coronavirus Coronavirus latest: Global Covid-19 death toll breaches 10,000 NEW Mortgages Nationwide pulls tracker mortgages after historic base rate cut NEW Special ReportWomen in Business How to be more confident in front of colleagues Follow the topics in this article Food security Add to myFT Coronavirus Add to myFT Chinese trade Add to myFT Agricultural production Add to myFT Chinese society Add to myFT Feedback Useful links Support View Site Tips Help Centre About Us Accessibility myFT Tour Careers Legal & Privacy Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Copyright Slavery Statement & Policies Services FT Live Share News Tips Securely Individual Subscriptions Group Subscriptions Republishing Contracts & Tenders Executive Job Search Advertise with the FT Follow the FT on Twitter FT Transact Secondary Schools Tools Portfolio Today's Newspaper (ePaper) Alerts Hub MBA Rankings Enterprise Tools News feed Newsletters Currency Converter More from the FT Group Markets data delayed by at least 15 minutes. © THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2020. FT and ‘Financial Times’ are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd. The Financial Times and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice. Close drawer menuFinancial Times International Edition Switch to UK Edition Top sections Home World Show more World US Show more US Companies Show more Companies Tech Markets Show more Markets Graphics Opinion Show more Opinion Work & Careers Show more Work & Careers Life & Arts Show more Life & Arts Personal Finance Show more Personal Finance How to Spend It Special Reports FT recommends Lex Alphaville EM Squared Lunch with the FT FT Globetrotter Tech Scroll Asia Moral Money FTfm Newsletters Video Podcasts News feed myFT Portfolio Today's Newspaper (ePaper) Crossword Our Apps Help Centre Subscribe Sign Inhttps://www.ft.com/content/cafb828e-6423-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5
https://www.ft.com/content/cafb828e-6423-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5
Accessibility helpSkip to navigationSkip to contentSkip to footer Cookies on FT Sites We use cookies for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to analyse how our Sites are used. Manage cookies Accept & continue OPEN DRAWER MENUOPEN SEARCH BAR MYFT HOME WORLD US COMPANIES TECH MARKETS GRAPHICS OPINION WORK & CAREERS LIFE & ARTS HOW TO SPEND IT Sign In Subscribe MENUSEARCH HOME WORLD US COMPANIES TECH MARKETS GRAPHICS OPINION WORK & CAREERS LIFE & ARTS HOW TO SPEND IT Sign In Subscribe Get a fresh start. Choose your FT trial Latest on Coronavirus Nationwide pulls tracker mortgages after historic base rate cut Coronavirus latest: Global Covid-19 death toll breaches 10,000 UK government is running to catch up on Covid-19 Coronavirus tracked: latest figures as pandemic spreads Coronavirus Add to myFT China’s farmers fear food shortages after coronavirus restrictions Transport lockdown leads to scarcity of labourers and fertiliser ahead of planting season Migrant workers play a crucial role in Chinese agriculture © Bloomberg Share on Twitter (opens new window) Share on Facebook (opens new window) Share on LinkedIn (opens new window) Save Sun Yu in Beijing MARCH 18 2020Print this page20 Be the first to know about every new Coronavirus story Get instant email alerts Chinese farmers face a daunting planting season as they grapple with a shortage of labour, seed and fertiliser in the wake of a nationwide lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus. A Qufu Normal University survey last month of village officials in 1,636 counties found that 60 per cent of respondents were pessimistic or very pessimistic about the planting season. The dismal mood has raised fears of a food shortage in the world’s most populous nation after disease control measures, led by traffic restrictions, took a toll on farming activity. “China’s agricultural industry has collapsed without the free flow of labour and raw materials,” said Ma Wenfeng, an analyst at CnAgri, a consultancy in Beijing. Try our newsletter on Sustainable Business Free four-week trial of the Moral Money newsletter Get the newsletter Chinese farms rely heavily on migrant workers and are struggling to find enough labourers after public transport was suspended to help stem the outbreak. Less than a third of local adults from 104 villages in 12 inland provinces had travelled outside their hometown for work after the lunar new year, according to Wuhan university. Normally, between 80 and 90 per cent of adults would be working elsewhere. Recommended Coronavirus China goes on the offensive to control global coronavirus narrative That has created problems for Wang Heqing, owner of a 94-hectare farm in the southern Guangdong province. He said 80 per cent of his workers were trapped at home in the western province of Guizhou because of the travel restrictions. Instead of growing cabbage and sweetcorn, as he had planned, Mr Wang switched to rice, which is less labour intensive. But rice sells for a fraction of the price of vegetables. “Labour shortages have dealt a heavy blow to vegetable farms in Guangdong,” said Mr Wang, “but we have to work with what we have.” Farmers also face a shortage of fertilisers and seeds. The problem is especially pronounced in Hubei province, the country’s largest fertiliser producer and the centre of the coronavirus outbreak. Local factories have struggled to reopen as a result of the travel restrictions, which have been maintained despite a decline in the official number of new virus cases. An executive at Beifeng Agricultural Production Means Group, a big fertiliser distributor, said northeastern provinces, which produce most of the nation’s grain, face a shortage of 1.3m tonnes of phosphate fertilisers, or 40 per cent of annual consumption. “We are going to have trouble maintaining agricultural output at a safe level if the shortfall doesn’t ease in the coming 30 days,” said the official. Analysts said a sharp fall in agricultural output, especially of grain, risked exacerbating food inflation, which hit a 12-year high of 21.9 per cent in February. That would present a political challenge to the ruling Communist party, which has already been accused of covering up the epidemic. “Chinese people may grumble when pork prices double,” said a Beijing-based scholar, “but they will rise up against the party if rice prices take off.” Read more about the impact of coronavirus The latest figures as the outbreak spreads Containing coronavirus: lessons from Asia How dangerous is the coronavirus and how does it spread? Subscribers can use myFT to follow the latest ‘coronavirus’ coverage Coronavirus business update How is coronavirus taking its toll on markets, business, and our everyday lives and workplaces? Stay briefed with our coronavirus newsletter. Sign up here Get alerts on Coronavirus when a new story is published Get alerts Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Reuse this content(opens in new window) Latest on Coronavirus The FT ViewThe editorial board UK government is running to catch up on Covid-19 NEW Coronavirus Coronavirus latest: Global Covid-19 death toll breaches 10,000 NEW Mortgages Nationwide pulls tracker mortgages after historic base rate cut NEW Special ReportWomen in Business How to be more confident in front of colleagues Follow the topics in this article Food security Add to myFT Coronavirus Add to myFT Chinese trade Add to myFT Agricultural production Add to myFT Chinese society Add to myFT Feedback Useful links Support View Site Tips Help Centre About Us Accessibility myFT Tour Careers Legal & Privacy Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Copyright Slavery Statement & Policies Services FT Live Share News Tips Securely Individual Subscriptions Group Subscriptions Republishing Contracts & Tenders Executive Job Search Advertise with the FT Follow the FT on Twitter FT Transact Secondary Schools Tools Portfolio Today's Newspaper (ePaper) Alerts Hub MBA Rankings Enterprise Tools News feed Newsletters Currency Converter More from the FT Group Markets data delayed by at least 15 minutes. © THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2020. FT and ‘Financial Times’ are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd. The Financial Times and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice. Close drawer menuFinancial Times International Edition Switch to UK Edition Top sections Home World Show more World US Show more US Companies Show more Companies Tech Markets Show more Markets Graphics Opinion Show more Opinion Work & Careers Show more Work & Careers Life & Arts Show more Life & Arts Personal Finance Show more Personal Finance How to Spend It Special Reports FT recommends Lex Alphaville EM Squared Lunch with the FT FT Globetrotter Tech Scroll Asia Moral Money FTfm Newsletters Video Podcasts News feed myFT Portfolio Today's Newspaper (ePaper) Crossword Our Apps Help Centre Subscribe Sign Inhttps://www.ft.com/content/cafb828e-6423-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5
Planting season
rolling along despite coronavirus closures
But in the world of
agriculture, the show must go on. In Louisiana, this is rice and corn planting
season — a busy and important time of year for farmers, who also will soon
begin planting other crops such as soybeans and cotton.
“We’re wide open,” said Jason
Waller, who grows rice, corn and soybeans in Mer Rouge in northern
Louisiana. “They don’t let us take off from work or let us stop. Everybody’s
got to eat.”
“Everything’s a go right now as
far as corn planting is concerned in Louisiana,” said
LSU AgCenter corn specialist Dan Fromme.
Corn farmers just started
planting last week, with only about 5% to 10% of the state’s corn in the ground
so far, Fromme said. He predicts Louisiana will have 550,000 to 600,000
acres of corn this year — a slight increase from 2019.
Vermilion Parish farmer
Christian Richard watches rice being loaded into a trailer he will haul to a
local rice mill. The rice is from last year’s crop that he recently sold. (Photo: Bruce Schultz/LSU AgCenter)
Farmers in some areas
have been hindered not by coronavirus-related problems but by a more familiar
foe: the weather. Rain has made many fields too wet for operating planting
equipment.
“Most of the farmers I’ve
talked to have had to jump around a little bit to find some dry
ground,” Fromme said.
“We need dry weather badly,”
said Waller, who is planting corn now and struggling with wet ground
conditions. “The weather has just not been very cooperative this year.”
It’s important to plant during
optimum windows; delays can prevent crops from performing to their fullest
potential. For corn, ideal planting dates range from Feb. 25 to March 23 for
southern Louisiana and March 24 to April 22 for the northern half of the state.
As time goes by and
temperatures heat up, “we begin to slowly lose yield,” Fromme said.
Farmers are putting rice in
the ground and gearing up to plant soybeans — crops that covered about
415,000 acres and 1 million acres, respectively, last year in Louisiana.
“We’re doing what we normally
do — just another day,” said Mike Hundley, an Acadia Parish rice, soybean and
crawfish producer. He has finished planting about half of his rice.
“Farmers have got to put the
seed in the ground. That’s how they make a living,” Fromme said. “Luckily, at
this time of year, farmers are not around a whole lot of people — mainly just
themselves and a few of their workers. They don’t really have much time to go
out and interact with many people. They’re out in the fields. And then at
night, they go back home. That’s pretty much the routine they have this time
of year.”
A trailer is loaded with rice
that had been stored in grain bins at Christian Richard’s farm in Vermilion
Parish. (Photo: Bruce Schultz/LSU
AgCenter)
Christian Richard, who
farms rice, soybeans and crawfish in Vermilion Parish, said his farming
operation is continuing with no interruption, although he’s concerned about the
glut of crawfish on the market with restaurants closing.
Richard said he has more than
half of his rice planted, and he will follow that with soybean planting. In the
meantime, he’s loading truckloads of rice from last year’s crop that he
recently sold.
Mike Salassi, AgCenter
associate vice president, said research and outreach activities that support
farmers and other clientele will continue during the
coronavirus shutdown.
“Our
research stations remain open with essential personnel to carry out necessary
operations,” Salassi said. “Parish offices are open but have restricted
visitors for now, and agents are available by phone or email and will continue
to work with the public throughout this time.”
Rice hoarders are driving a price surge, but there's no need
for concern
"As the effects of Covid-19 are being felt in the U.S. and
around the world, consumers are rushing to stockpile groceries and household
supplies in fear of being quarantined or isolated in their homes for
weeks," USA Rice says in a statement today. "This
has led to a run on household cleaning products, paper products, and many
canned and dried goods, including rice.
"Social media platforms are full of pictures of empty store
shelves, fueling rumors of shortages, and potentially fueling additional panic
and hoarding.
“U.S. consumers need not be concerned about a shortage of
U.S.-grown rice. There is no shortage," USA Rice president & CEO Betsy
Ward says. "Rice is a nutritious and inexpensive staple that when kept
under the right conditions can last almost indefinitely, so it makes sense
consumers would want an ample supply on hand during this crisis.
“If you see depleted rice shelves in your local grocery store, it
is not a supply problem, it is a signifier of changing logistics in the retail
market. For a few years now, stores that used to keep one month or more of
products on hand have largely shifted to a ‘just-in-time’ model to improve
their efficiency. When there is a surge in consumer interest for a particular
product, supplies on hand may be depleted, but will be quickly replenished.
This is the case for U.S.-grown rice.
“Not only are shipments of sustainably-grown U.S. rice on the way
to stores now, but this is the time of year when our thousands of family
farmers are out in the fields or preparing to be, planting the next crop to
ensure our supply of delicious, safe rice never runs out.”
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Diplomatic 'incident' no threat to Taiwan-Haiti
relations: MOFA
03/17/2020
08:26 PM
Taipei, March 17 (CNA)
A reported "incident" between Taiwan's top diplomat in Haiti and the
president of that country does not threaten formal relations between the two
countries, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
Haiti is one of 15
countries in the world that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
On March 12, Haitian
newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported that Port-au-Prince is waiting for Taiwan to
send a new ambassador to replace current Taiwanese ambassador Liu Bang-zyh (劉邦治) after a "small incident" in January, quoting
Haitian foreign minister Claude Joseph.
Meanwhile, local media
in Taiwan reported recently that Liu was involved in a heated disagreement with
Haitian President Jovenel Moise over a bilateral project as a result of which
he was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.
MOFA confirmed that Liu
is currently in Taiwan.
"Ambassador Liu
returned to Taiwan for official business," said Yui Tah-ray (俞大㵢), director-general of MOFA's Department of Latin
American and Caribbean Affairs at a regular press conference on Tuesday, without
revealing when Liu arrived in Taiwan.
Liu is still Taiwan's
ambassador to Haiti, Yui stressed, adding that bilateral communications remain
smooth and relations between the two countries are strong.
"The incident is
unrelated to diplomatic ties. Diplomatic relations between the two countries
are still cordial," Yui stressed.
Meanwhile, a source
with knowledge of the controversy told CNA that Liu left Haiti as per MOFA's
schedule and was still accorded diplomatic courtesies at the airport.
The source confirmed
Liu had a difference of opinion with the Haitian side over the processing of a
proposed bilateral project during a meeting in January, but wondered why that
incident had been leaked to the press now.
Liu, who is in his
second tour of duty in Haiti, tackled the project in accordance with the
position of Taiwan's government and in the interest of both nations, the source
said.
Although there was a
discussion over the process, Liu did not in any way behave impolitely with a
certain high level Haitian official, the source added, without mentioning who
the high official was.
Although MOFA said
there is no time table as to when Liu will return to his post in Haiti, the
Taiwan side is willing to dispatch people for further discussions.
In the meantime, Oliver
Hsiao (è•ä¹ƒä¸ž), Taiwan's charge
d'affaires in Haiti is maintaining good interactions with the Haitian side and
met Moise and Joseph in early March, according to the ministry.
Taiwan provides
assistance to Haiti in the fields of infrastructure and social welfare
developments, such as rice donations, and recently a project to help build a
power grid in Port-au-Prince, according to MOFA.
Since losing two
diplomatic allies, the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, to China in September
2019, Taiwan's formal relations with its remaining diplomatic allies, including
Haiti, have become an issue that attracts much public attention.
