Monday, April 18, 2016

18th april,2016 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine






Africa: Innovations Boost Income for Women Rice Farmers



By Busani Bafana
Malanville, Benin — Salabanya Tabaitou no longer squints from the irritating wood smoke each time she has to parboil her rice paddy.Now Tabaitou feeds logs into a chute of a specially designed brick stove with a chimney that draws away the smoke. The stove with a stainless steel parboiling vessel cooks her rice in 20 minutes - something she would have spent two hours doing using the traditional method."The stove has made parboiling a pleasant activity, less strenuous and something I look forward to doing because I work with a team unlike in the past when I toiled alone," Tabaitou says about the innovative heat efficient stove and GEM parboiler developed by AfricaRice with women farmers in mind.

Parboiling, a task largely done by women, involves partially boiling rice in the husk before it is milled. The process protects the rice from breaking during milling, preserves nutrition and enhances quality. Parboiled rice is competitive, fetches higher price and is in demand in Benin and many parts of west and central Africa.Rice is a staple in many parts of Africa but the continent is eating more rice that it produces locally. Africa produced over 14 million tonnes in 2015 and is a source of income for more than 35 million smallholder farmers.New technologies introduced by AfricaRice - a pan African research organisation - are helping women produce better quality, nutritious local rice that earns them more income on the market. Half of the rice eaten in Sub Saharan Africa is imported taking away local jobs and income.

Scientists from AfricaRice -- under the support to agricultural research for development of strategic crops (SARD-SC) programme funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) -- introduced the 'innovation platform' (IP) approach in Benin.Innovation platforms are formal groupings bringing together in value chains in a given agriculture commodity with the aim of boosting information and knowledge sharing, and learning, to enhance the adoption of technological solutions and institutional change. Furthermore, the platforms show usefulness of new technologies and innovations designed to improve rice production, productivity and value addition.Two such platforms have been introduced in Benin: the Glazoué IP in central Benin in the rainfed rice environment and the Malanville IP in the irrigated rice environment, some 750 km in the north of the capital, Cotonou.

Tabaitou is a member of Malanville IP and one of the more than 500 women trained in parboiling. The GEM parboiler has revolutionised how women prepare rice, achieving the triple benefits working with ease, obtaining high quality rice, and earning better income from it.We learnt a lot from other women in the Glazoue IP and we are confident this platform and the technologies that we have access to for parboiling our rice will increase our income because the GEM parboiling technology has reduced the labour and the rice we produce is of better quality and over less time to parboil," Tabaitou told IPS.

Livelihood changes in Glazoué motivated AfricaRice to replicate the IP in Malanville and about 1,000 women households have been empowered through the innovation platforms.Dr. Sidi Sanyang, leader of the Rice Sector Development Program and SARD-SC project coordinator for AfricaRice says in the Glazoue IP, research evidence shows that the women have doubled the quantity and income from parboiled rice compared to before they started using the GEM technology."There were selling less than 2 tonnes of rice a month now they are selling up to 5 tonnes of rice per month in Glazoué and the Malanville IP is promising to achieve the same success for women parboilers," said Sanyang. "The technologies and innovations we have introduced are aimed at helping farmers especially women drive the market and in Malanville, there have a huge market potential in nearby Nigeria, a high consumer of parboiled rice.

"Women make up more than 50 per cent of rice farmers in Africa, but are a minority in enjoying the same opportunities that men have in rice farming. Women lacked access to seed, tools and implements and effective market opportunities that would make them competitive. This is changing thanks to the IP approach which has availed appropriate technologies for women rice farmers to produce more, high quality local rice that increases their food, nutrition and financial security.The GEM parboiling technology uses less wood and water than the traditional system and is equipped with hoists and rails to lift and move the heavy vessels in which the paddy is steamed with ease by women.With the traditional system, the women parboilers were processing only about 120 kg of paddy per session. Using GEM technology, they can process up to 400 kg of paddy per session and are now aiming to increase the amount to 1 tonne.

 Besides, the quality of the parboiled rice is similar to that of premium imported rice. Research trials conducted by AfricaRice showed that, with GEM technologies and innovations, there was less burned grains and impurities compared to using the traditional parboiling system.SARD-SC project coordinator, Dr. Chrysantus Akem, indicated that the rice value chain of the SARD-SC project covers 11 countries in West, East and Southern Africa and he is looking to setting up of the GEM innovation platforms in Nigeria and Niger. In Nigeria, there is high demand for parboiled rice and the need for higher capacity GEM parboilers.In addition to the GEM parboiling technology, AfricaRice is also promoting handy weeders and a mini Axial Flow Thresher (ASI), an improved rice thresher and cleaner suitable for women who are involved in the planting, weeding, harvesting and post-harvest operations of rice."Rice is an important cash crop for women as they play an increasingly important and recognized role in the whole rice value chain, from seed to the table/mouth," says Afiavi Agboh-Noameshie, a gender specialist at AfricaRice.

Agboh-Noameshie says in terms of technology development and dissemination in rice production, there was a huge gender bias because women were not considered as farmers but "assistants" to the husbands."All the technologies were developed thinking that it is only men that are farmers," Agboh-Noameshie, told IPS adding that the use of these technologies by women includes significant time saving, reduction of workload and significantly reduced health risk, improvement of productivity, efficiency, quality of final rice product to consumers, and increased income for the women. http://allafrica.com/stories/201604180147.html






Rice Importation: Customs Restate Commitment To Upholding Restrictions

Channels Television
Updated April 17, 2016


Nigeria Customs Service has restated its commitment to restricting the importation of rice.
The Area Comptroller Customs, Oyo/Osun Command, Temitope Ogunkua, made the declaration on Saturday at the command headquarters in Ibadan.Mr Ogunkua advised traders and importers of rice to perfect their papers for the right channel through the ports.He insisted that there was no going back on the rice ban, as it had adversely affected Nigeria’s revenue generation.The Customs officer also lamented that smugglers had explored the loopholes in porous borders to bring in rice without paying duties.The Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, had implored the Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ali (Rtd), during a visit to the state, to rethink the ban and give room for alternatives to be provided before shutting out imported rice.Some of the traders and consumers have also decried the ban on rice importation through the borders, coupled with the fuel scarcity, epileptic power supply and non-payment of salaries

http://www.channelstv.com/2016/04/17/rice-importation-customs-restate-commitment-limit/




Fungal disease to cause 50pc loss of Boro yield, fear experts

Yasir Wardad  Spread of 'neck blast' disease in many areas of several districts has caused massive damage to Boro paddy fields raising concern among farmers, already hit hard by price fall, growers and officials said. Unexpected rain in many places, fluctuation in temperature and low-quality seeds are the main reasons for spread of the 'neck blast' disease, they said. Experts feared that the disease might cause up to 50 per cent yield loss in the districts where it spread. The 'neck blast' (Magnaporthe grisea) is a plant-pathogenic fungus that causes a serious disease affecting paddy. The disease has no cure but prevention is the only way to save rice fields from it. Apart from the fungus, the 'blast' might occur from attack of pests like majrapoka, gandhipoka and so on, according to agriculturists. Paddy fields in many areas of Comilla, Chandpur, Gazipur, Tangail, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Netrakona, Kisoreganj, Narsingdi, Munshiganj and Manikganj districts witnessed the 'neck blast' disease.

Farmers from different districts told the FE that the 'neck blast' has started hitting rice fields at the mature stage of the crop from the beginning of last March. Md Ali Ahmed, a farmer at Amratoli Union of Comilla Sadar Upazila, told the FE that his three bighas (33 decimals per bigha) of Boro field are afflicted with the 'neck blast'. He feared a 50 per cent crop loss this year when harvesting will begin from the first week of May in his area. However, the disease has further added to the farmers' owes as they are already in a dilemma of price fall. Md Abdul Gafur, a farmer at Rajgati union under Nandail Upazila in Mymensingh said he incurred Tk 60,000 loss from the last three cropping seasons as paddy price fell to just Tk 450-Tk 500 per maund against production cost of Tk 680-Tk 720.
"The recent 'neck blast', which hit my five bighas of land, might cause 40 to 50 per cent crop damage which means another loss this year," he said. Farmers claimed that apart from odd climate, low-quality seed varieties could also be a reason for such 'blast'. Plant pathologist at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Md Jahangir Alam said only a few places in Mymensingh, Comilla and Dhaka region have been affected by the 'neck blast' due to untimely rain and fluctuation in weather. The final report will be made public within a few days, he assured. "The department has already informed extension officials to take protective measures so that the disease couldn't spread," he said. Data of the monitoring unit under the field service wing of the DAE showed 4.7 million hectares of land have come under Boro farming this year aiming to get 18.9 million tonnes of rice.

 Agricultural regions of Dhaka, Mymensingh and Comilla comprise 1.55 million hectares of land. However, harvest has also started in Haor, Baor and Beel areas as harvesting of 3 per cent cultivated land has already been completed by April 13. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) observed the condition in a few districts recently and made an awareness-raising statement in its website (www.knowledgebank-brri.org). Head of the Plant Pathology Division of the BRRI Dr M A Latif said 'neck blast' is a fungal and mainly airborne disease whose symptom appears at the base of the panicle. He said most of the high-yielding and hybrid varieties in Boro season are highly susceptible to this disease. Low temperature in night and high in day-time, prolonged wetness or dew in the morning, cloudy sky and drizzle lead to the disease outbreak, he said. He said if favourable environment does not prevail, most of the cultivated varieties in Boro season could be infected by 'neck blast'. He pointed out that primary symptom of 'neck blast' is very hard to diagnose.

So, farmers have little to do when they identify the disease. "Precautionary measures should be taken by the farmers to manage this disease," he said. He said the extension officials will have to take steps to stop further spread of the disease by raising awareness among the farmers.     tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com




http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/04/16/26403/Fungal-disease-to-cause-50pc-loss-of-Boro-yield,-fear-experts


Rice and fall of great desi crop: India has lost 1.10 lakh traditional varieties

TNN | Apr 17, 2016, 08.22 AM IST
Rice varieties that could grow during droughts or floods, tolerate saltwater, and carry distinct aromas or medicinal benefits - India has lost 1.10 lakh such traditional rice types. Some fifty years ago, these varieties abounded in the country, which is striving currently to ensure food security for all. Now, however, only 7,000odd local varieties remain and not all are grown.A traditional variety of rice is passed from generation to generation and family to family ."It took almost 12,000 years for these diverse varieties to be created," said Dr Debal Deb, a rice conservationist and a biologist."We destroyed or lost them in just 30 years or so. This is the sad state of our heritage."


Deb has preserved 1,200 desi rice varieties, which were showcased in a unique two-day rice exhibition in Ahmedabad, organized by the Ahmedabad Heritage Venture Lab (AHVL). In all, 1,800 varieties were displayed at the exhibition."Some varieties can grow without a single drop of water. Others can be grown in ponds that are 3 to 4 feet deep. A few grow even under 12 feet of water," Deb said. Rice varieties such as Jugal have two rice grains in one kernel, and Sateen has three.According to Deb, some traditional rice varieties have high levels of micronutrients. Despite billions of dollars of investment, companies have not been able to create genetically modified crop which can pack more micronu trients than the in digenous variants.


The value of tradi tional varieties be comes even more important in the imate change, which wake of climate change, which results in shifting rainfall patterns and extreme temperatures.The availability of local varieties is crucial as modern agriculture relies only on limited varieties.Deb blames the green revolution and high yielding hybrid seeds for the extinction of traditional seeds. He also rued the fact that not a single government research institute has evinced interest in carrying out research on local rice varieties because they are not linked to gross domestic product or biotechnology .Since 1996, Deb has been engaged in conservation of hundreds of traditional rice varieties with his extensive germplasm-collection expeditions across 11 states of India.Deb has founded India's largest non-governmental rice gene bank called Vrihi (Sanskrit for rice) and has conserved 1,120 varieties in situ. He runs a research farm called Basudha in Odisha.


Gujarat had over 250 varieties of millet

Latest Comment

In last 67 years of Congress/Communist/Leftist Rule, India has lost MORE than what Brits could have looted. Apart from wealth, we lost our heritage. We got infested to the disease called corruption. ...Read MoreSecular Indian

A lthough Gujarat may not have many traditional rice varieties, over 250 indigenous varieties of millets were found in the state and most of them are lost now.


A serving of silver

O ut of the 1,200 varieties preserved and conserved by Deb, one traditional variety called `Garib Sal' has silver in it. This variety was found in one district of West Bengal. The rice was found to be have silver in it. This is the first time a plant was discovered where silver was absorbed from the land. However, this variety is not grown presently anywhere in the country. This type of rice may have been used for medicinal purposes. It is assumed that it was given to people gastric infections as silver kills germs. "We came across this rice grain while looking for varieties having metals such as iron and zinc," Deb added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Ex-DGP-Thakur-goes-on-sick-leave/articleshow/51861058.cms







Column: Towards sustainable agriculture

 

Organic and ‘towards organic’ farming is constrained by the availability of responsive seeds

By: Vivian Fernandes | Published: April 16, 2016 6:12 AM


Since the government is engaged in a nationalist versus multinational battle on genetically-modified Bt cottonseed, and the agriculture minister, Radha Mohan Singh, has weighed in on yogic farming—boosting seed productivity and soil fertility through Raj Yoga, the  focus on organic farming in the Budget might be perceived as yet another throwback to practices of a supposedly gilded past.This year’s budget provides slightly over Rs 400 crore for creating farm-to-retail supply chains for North-east India’s organic produce and bringing about 2 lakh rain-fed hectares (ha) under organic farming over three years. This is a small effort considering that more than half of India’s 140 million ha is dependent on rain. The government perhaps expects the demonstration effect to charm more farmers. But are the claims made for ‘paramparagat krishi’ (traditional agriculture) ideological exaggerations like the record harvests produced by collectivist fervour in China’s Sputnik fields under Mao and the boundless capacity of Stalin’s tireless Stakhonovite workers?

It turns out that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been giving a hard look at organic farming since 2004, when a countrywide research project was initiated. This government has increased the test stations from 13 to 20 in just one year. Of 24 crops, 18 have given higher average yields than those grown with chemical inputs in multi-year, multi-location trials, says N Ravishankar, national coordinator and principal scientist, Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (IIFSR) at Modipuram, near Delhi.

Organically-grown peas, it was observed, gave the highest (18%) average yield increase at 6.3 tonnes/ha over conventionally grown ones. But National Horticulture Board statistics say this is lower than country’s three-year average of 9.2 t/ha. Basmati rice yielded 3.1 t/ha on average in 67 observations, which is lower again than the output which Punjab farmers extract for a blockbuster variety called Pusa 1509. In the case of wheat, lentil (masur), potato, mustard, sunflower and radish, yield declines of up to 5% were recorded.After a talkathon in January, IIFSR recommended organic farming for rain-fed, dryland and hilly areas where chemical use for plant nutrition and pest, disease and weed control is low. The transition in these areas will not result in any yield loss. It cites the example of Sikkim, where fertiliser use was 21.5 kg/ha before it went wholly organic. (It is zero now, compared to 51 kg/ha for the north-east zone, and the all India average of 125kg/ha). Sikkim’s paddy yield has increased from 1.43 t/ha in 2002-03, before the organic project was initiated, to 1.81 t/ha.

(India’s six year average is 2.3 t/ha). There was reportedly no yield loss during the transition period. Similar results were seen in maize, buckwheat and finger millets.For the food bowl areas where intensive chemical-based agriculture is practiced, a ‘towards organic’ strategy is recommended, that is, half to three quarters organic manures, with chemical fertilizers and need-based application of pest, fungus and weed killers. With this combination the texture of soil improves and microbial population rises within four to five years, enhancing water-holding capacity and the use-efficiency of applied nutrients. Yields are said to match that of fertilizer-based agriculture in five to eight years.

The two-pronged strategy can improve food quality and feed a growing population, Ravishankar says, provided organic farming is done scientifically, laying emphasis on the last word.  In this sense it is not a return to pre-Green Revolution practices, when traditional organic farming kept India dependent on imported cereals.While farmyard manure (FYM or cattle dung) is rich in micronutrients and organic carbon, it has just 0.5% nitrogen, up to 0.4% phosphorus, and 0.3% potassium. A plant called dhaincha has a higher percentage of the first two nutrients but nowhere near that of urea (46% nitrogen), single superphosphate (16% phosphorous) and muriate of potash (60% potassium). Is organic farming viable if huge quantities of scarce organics have to be applied?

To meet the nutrientneeds of rice and wheat grown over one acre, 25-30 tonnes of FYM is needed. Since agriculture is by and large mechanized, this is impractical. The institute recommends five tonnes each of FYM, earthworm-digested vermi-compost, and neem- or castor-oil cake per acre. Besides, a month-old crop of dhaincha grown over the same area should be ploughed in. A legume crop, say moong or green gram if part of the annual crop mix can cut nitrogen supplementation by about a quarter, it says.
Such protocols have been devised for 22 cropping systems, says Alok Sikka, ICAR’s deputy director general.Sceptics might find these practices imposing additional workload on farming households. The institute disagrees.If inputs are sourced from within a farm, costs have been observed to be lower than chemical-based farming by 13 %. If bought, they can be 15-20% higher.

But claims made for Panchagavya, biodynamic preparations and zero-budget natural farming, for which its champion, Subhash Palekar, was awarded the Padma Shri earlier this year, seem to be exaggerations. Panchagavya is a fermented mixture of cow dung, cow piss, water, ghee and curd to which jaggery and bananas can be thrown in.There are nine biodynamic preparations made from banyan tree soil filled into cow horns and buried in earth. Overtime, this is said to produce a microbe-rich culture which can enrich compost and ward off fungal diseases.
Subhash Palekar’s zero-budget natural farming relies on crop residue mulch and secret formulations called beejamruth and jeevamruth made from virgin forest soil.A 2011-12 study, under the organic farming project in Coimbatore, found that the sole use of Panchagavya gave a per hectare cotton yield of 886 kg. Biodynamic preparations alone yielded 958 kg/ha.


 A combination of Panchagavya and biodynamic preparations gave 1,085 kg/ha.  A mix of FYM, non-edible oil cake and Panchagavya yielded 1,501 kg/ha. This was the case with rabi maize too.
Zero budget natural farming tested by the Institute of Organic farming at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad over three years from 2010-13 on four cropping systems involving cotton, groundnut, chickpea (chana), maize and sorghum gave the lowest yields compared to wholly organic, wholly inorganic and a combination of the two.The focus on soil health is necessary to make agriculture sustainable. But organic and ‘towards organic’ farming is constrained by the availability of responsive seeds, since Indian agriculture is tuned to chemical use. The appropriate seeds will have to be developed through conventional breeding or by screening for suitable varieties from the available ones.

Farmers who are not hung up on organic certification can also use genetically-modified seeds, of which only Bt cotton is approved for cultivation in India. Such seeds, which produce their own insecticide, are favoured by conservation zoologists like Ullas Karanth. But ICAR scientists blanched at the very mention, because GM crops are in a grey zone at the moment.
The author is editor of www.smartindianagriculture.in

Trade deficit narrows as imports slow

Trade deficit narrowed 0.25 percent in the first eight months of the fiscal year on the back of slow import growth.Between July last year and February this year, trade deficit stood at $4.05 billion in contrast to $4.06 billion a year earlier, according to Bangladesh Bank's balance of payments data.In the first eight months of fiscal 2015-16, exports grew 7.18 percent and imports 6.44 percent, which had the effect of slightly squeezing the trade deficit.The reason for the slow import growth is the lack of investment appetite.

During the period, capital machinery imports declined 7.49 percent, according to customs data. The import of most of the intermediate goods used in industrial production also saw a decline.For instance, the import of clinkers dropped 10.47 percent, fertiliser 10.41 percent, raw cotton 6.74 percent, dyeing and tanning materials 6.21 percent.On the other hand, the import of iron, steel and other base metals, staple fibre, yarn and textiles rose. Rice imports plummeted 72.04 percent, while milk imports dropped 19.11 percent and sugar 7.08.On the back of the reduced trade deficit, the balance of payments surplus widened about 42 percent during the period.At the end of February, the overall surplus stood at $3.14 billion in contrast to $2.22 billion a year earlier, according to central bank statistics.

One of the reasons for the increase in overall surplus this year is that the net credit is in favour of Bangladesh, said BB officials.The net trade credit in the first eight months of fiscal 2015-16 stood at $1.23 billion in the negative, down from $2.04 billion in the negative a year earlier.The officials said the customers made less deferred payment against imports, as a result of which the negative trade credit dropped this year.Another reason for the increase in surplus is that the net foreign direct investment soared. During the July-February period, foreign direct investment swelled 27.19 percent from a year earlier to $1.45 billion.As the overall balance increased, so did the foreign currency reserves.On April 12, the foreign currency reserve stood at $28.67 billion, up 23.46 percent from a year earlier. The reserves are enough to honour 7.84 months' import bills.For an economy, reserves equivalent to 5-6 months' import bill are adequate, whereas Bangladesh has reserves equivalent to eight months' import bill.The experts said reserves are swelling by the day as investment is not growing
http://www.thedailystar.net/business/trade-deficit-narrows-imports-slow-1209970



State govt’s Pusa 1509 basmati sale is illegal, say millers



Bathinda: Rice millers have alleged that Punjab government's move to invite tenders to sell Pusa 1509 basmati paddy was illegal. They claimed that Pusa 1509 basmati paddy should be milled and its grain should be delivered to the Union government's central pool.The state government's procurement agency Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation (Markfed) has floated tenders to sell 1.88 lakh tonnes of Pusa 1509 basmati paddy. At the prevailing market price, the state government expects to raise nearly Rs 400 crore by selling the unmilled grain.

Tenders have been called for April 22 and financial bids will be opened on April 25.Rice millers have decided to move the court against tenders on Monday and alleged that government was for the welfare of farmers not to act as a trader. To support farmers, Punjab government had purchased Pusa 1509 basmati paddy at Rs 1,450 per quintal — the minimum support price (MSP) for Grade A common paddy — as the rates of the long-grained commodity had dropped drastically. Before the government had entered the market, it was being sold for as low as Rs 1,000 per quintal due to which farmers protested saying they were suffering losses.Punjab Basmati Rice Millers Association general secretary Ashish Kathuria and legal cell head Ashok Aggarwal said, "The state government had purchased Pusa 1509 basmati paddy at the MSP of Rs 1,450 per quintal when its rates were low to support the farmers and millers. Government was meant to deliver rice to central pool after custom milling.

 The government should not act as a trader for calling tenders to sell grain since due to its act, the farmers and millers might have to face losses as prices may not increase in the coming season. We have prepared a petition and will file it in Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday."Kathuria alleged acting as a nodal agency, Markfed had decided to sell Pusa 1509 basmati paddy on behalf of three state-run agencies and tried to wipe out small players from the selling process as it had fixed minimum quantity at 600 tonnes. "The paddy though was purchased at Rs 1,450 per quintal but by adding storage, transportation, various types of taxes, paddy costs the agencies nearly Rs 2,100 per quintal.

"When contacted, Markfed general manager (procurement) H S Bains said, "The state government is not acting illegally. The Centre has de-listed paddy and has allowed the state government to sell it in the open market." He said that last time, tenders were floated in March at Rs 2,066 per quintal but nobody turned up so no reserve price has been fixed and purchaser has been asked to quote the price. As for quota of minimum 600 tonnes, he said that the state had to sell 1.88 lakh tonnes and the target could be achieved by fixing the minimum limit

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/State-govts-Pusa-1509-basmati-sale-is-illegal-say-millers/articleshow/51859664.cms

 

Rice Agro-Economics 101 (Part 2)


April 17, 2016
Like most unsolved riddles, we could never plumb conditions of famine in the midst of plenty. The Philippines is so providentially blessed that it is said that if you stick a fresh walking stick in the soil, it would flower or bear fruit.We have the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños…where Thai and Vietnamese pensionados learn how to be able to export rice to us.There is another curiosity this time of the year: Nueva Ecija farmers harvest bountiful yield from their rice fields because of the irrigation waters provided by the Pantabangan Dam’s Casecnan all-purpose project (which includes flood control and hydropower). Nueva Ecija farmers harvest twice a year, some farmers harvest three times.

But the rest of the country is plagued by climate change dry spell. Because of the damage to crops caused by El Niño “tagtuyot,” the National Food Authority (NFA) released rice stock from its silos to make the staple available to the populace and to stabilize prices.Now, Nueva Ecija farmers are surprised to be confronted with the price of palay plummeting to the floor at P14/kg. (The normal expected price would hover within the P20/kg range.)

NFA may have overshot the “safety valve” target. Someone explained the phenomenon as mixing politics and economics: This being an election year, the administration wants to score “pogi points” for administration candidates.It is recalled that when Jess Tanco was the administrator in the ’70s, NFA had some 500 silos throughout the country to store rice. The rice stocks were purchased from local farmers, not imported from our neighbors. (At one time during the Marcos era, we were even able to export rice to India.)

This was a period when NFA served its dual role of ensuring rice supply for the populace and supporting our farmers, (not foreign entities). But that seems so far and long ago.

NEW ITEMS & COMMENTS
AFP eyes artillery rocket system – Impressed by the capabilities of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) at this year’s Balikatan Exercise, a senior Philippine military official said that the government should consider acquiring the weapon.The Philippine Air Force actually had one in the early ’70s, and it was christined, “Bong-Bong.”Loyola Plans P238M short in trust fund – Claims of over 100,000 pre-need plan-holders are affected by a shortage in trust fund of Loyola Plans Consolidate, Inc., which risks being brought to court by regulators.I hope Loyola doesn’t have the same problem with its post-need plans in its Memorial Parks.Britain urges refrain in South China Sea disputes – British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond urged claimants of the South China Sea to refrain from the use of force and uphold international law in resolving their disputes.
The problem is that China repeats the same refrain – that it is their historical waters because it’s named “South China Sea.”PH, US launch joint South China Sea patrols – The US said it has launched joint South China Sea naval patrols with the Philippines, as it accused Beijing if “militarizing” a region which is locked in a territorial dispute with China.NBA. When a journalist signs off his despatch, he writes “30.” When Kobe Bryant played his final NBA game, he signed off with “60.”

FEEDBACK: joseabetozaide@gmail.com

http://www.mb.com.ph/rice-agro-economics-101-part-2/#dDeroRxBk8LWMY8d.99

APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1454         
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 11-04-2016
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Honey
1
Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2125
2
Argentine 50mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2180
3
Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2205
Peanuts
1
South Africa, HPS 70/80 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)
1875
2
South African, HPS 40/50 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)
1000
3
Argentinean 40/50 runners, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1210
White Sugar
1
CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)
840
2
Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)
691
3
Pakistani refined sugar, EXW Akbari Mandi (USD/t)
581
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 16-04-2016
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Rice
1
Mangalore (Karnataka)
Fine
2600
3290
2
Bolangir (Orissa)
Other
2200
2300
3
Sainthia (West Bengal)
Common
1750
1770
Wheat
1
Kalol (Gujarat)
Other
1560
2105
2
Haveri (Karnataka)
Local
1600
1715
3
Shamgarh (Madhya Pradesh)
Other
1525
1550
Orange
1
Ropar(Punjab)
Other
3000
4200
2
Gohana (Haryana)
Other
2000
2200
3
Mumbai (Maharashtra)
Other
800
1900
Carrot
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
3000
3200
2
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1000
1500
3
Jagraon (Punjab)
Other
1200
1500
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 16-04-2016
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
310
2
Chittoor
343
3
Hyderabad
288
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 11-04-2016
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Onions Dry
Package: 40 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Mexico
Yellow
21
22.25
2
Chicago
Peru
Yellow
24
24
2
Detroit
Texas
Yellow
22
25.50
Cauliflower
Package: cartons film wrapped
1
Atlanta
California
White
21.25
24.50
2
Chicago
Mexico
White
18.50
18.50
3
Dallas
California
White
16
18
Grapes
Package: 18 lb containers bagged
1
Atlanta
Peru
Red Globe
22
24.50
2
Chicago
Chile
Red Globe
20
22
3
Miami
Peru
Red Globe
17
20
Source:USDA