Chinese
imports 'driving fishermen to despair'
Source: BBC
As the frozen fish defrosts under
the hot Kenyan sun, fishmonger Mechak Juma prefers not to tell his customers
that it has come all the way from China.
We are at the largest fish market
in the city of Kisumu, on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest
lake.
A scene of hustle and bustle,
business is booming for the traders, but very little of that money now goes to
the local fishermen.
As fish stocks in Lake Victoria
have plunged over the past two decades, and prices have risen sharply as a
result, cheap farmed Chinese imports are increasingly filling the gap.
"People don't want to buy
Chinese fish because they don't trust the [farmed] production process, but we
don't have much of a choice," says Mechak, standing next to a big wicker
basket of whole Chinese tilapia fish.
The trampled cardboard boxes used
to ship the frozen fish 8,000 km (5,000 miles) are stashed away in a corner,
and the fish itself is more than two years old.
It will expire in less than a
month, according to the dates on the boxes.
Chinese fish farms are able to
operate very cheaply by using rice industry waste as food
"People prefer to buy local
fish, but we earn nothing on local fish now," says the 29-year-old.
"Only by selling Chinese
fish am I able to earn enough money to feed my family."
Fish catches from Lake Victoria
have plummeted by more than half over the past two decades, due to overfishing
and pollution. Over the same period Kenya's population has doubled.
Vast stretches of water
hyacinths, an invasive weed, along the shorelines, have also caused severe
problems for the country's fishermen. The thick, interwoven carpet of the
plants means that smaller boats can struggle to get out to clear water.
Kenya's Lake Victoria fishermen
now bring in an estimated 140,000 tonnes of fish per year, little more than a
quarter of the 500,000 required.
Kenya's fisherman sometimes
cannot sell all their catch
Chinese companies and their
Kenyan partners seized the opportunity, and are now said to be exporting more
than $17m (£13m) of fish to Kenya annually, more than double the amount three
years ago.
It was an easy gap for the
Chinese to fill, because the freshwater fish that they farm on a vast scale -
tilapia - is from the same broad species that Kenyans mostly catch in Lake
Victoria. So for Kenyan consumers the fish look and taste very similar.
The Chinese fish is just
considerably cheaper, selling for as little as $1.70 per kg, compared with about
$5 per kg for the local catch.
For Kenyan fisherman Frederike
Otieno, it is a hopeless situation.
"While we spend many nights
on the lake and lose a lot of money on fuel, we have to compete with this cheap
Chinese farmed fish that floods the market," says the 36-year-old.
Kenya's fishmongers are often
reluctant to admit that their fish is Chinese
The father of three says that
sometimes he cannot sell all his catch.
A fisherman for 10 years, he says
he used to earn about 3,000 Kenyan shillings ($30; £23) per day, but that has
now fallen to little more than 400 shillings.
In November last year, the Kenyan
government moved to try to protect the Lake Victoria fishing industry by
imposing an import ban on foreign tilapia.
But the
restrictions were lifted in January after China's ambassador to
Kenya, Li Xuhang, referred to the ban as a "trade war".
It was also reported that China
had threatened to freeze funding for a new railway line connecting Kenya with
Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
However, the official explanation
from Kenya's Department for Fisheries for the U-turn was that "a huge
shipment of [Chinese] fish was held up at the port of Mombasa, negatively
impacting local supplies".
Not all the frozen Chinese fish
on sale in Kenya is within its best before date
What Kenyan authorities are
continuing with is efforts to improve fish stocks in the lake, for example, by
arresting fishermen who fish too close to the breeding areas near the shores to
save on time and fuel. But this deterrent continues to increase prices in the
short term, as fisherman have to travel further out into the lake.
The biggest importer of Chinese
fish in Kenya is a company called East African Sea Food. Its director, John
Musafari, says that while the farmed Chinese tilapia is high quality, the low
prices are possible because the fish is fed on rice bran, which is cheap and
plentiful.
This bran is the hard outer layer
of each rice grain, which is removed in China before the rice is sold to
consumers.
Mr Musafari adds that fish
farming has not taken off in Kenya because fish feed "is extremely
expensive" in the country, due to it currently being made from maize,
which is also the country's staple food.
He wants to see more investment
in the development of cheaper fish feed in Kenya. "That could really boost
the country's aquaculture," he says.
Some say that the long-term
future of fishing on Lake Victoria is in doubt
Others in Kenya are very happy
with the growing reliance on Chinese fish imports, such as Simon who helps to
transport the boxes across the country.
"Thanks to this Chinese
tilapia, poor people can now eat nutritious protein-rich fish as well,"
says Simon, who declined to give his full name. He now makes $300 a day, which
for many Kenyans is more than their monthly salary.
Yet for Edward Oremo, a Kenyan
fisheries official, it will ultimately mean the end of commercial fishing on
Lake Victoria.
"As long as Chinese imports
continue... fishermen will be driven to despair, and Lake Victoria will be
empty [of fishing boats] in less than 50 years."
https://www.businessghana.com/site/news/politics/184075/Chinese-imports-driving-fishermen-to-despair
Liberia to Reduce Rice Imports by 7%
March 25, 2019
(Flash back) Liberian women farmers harvesting
rice..
To improve rice production as one
means of promoting food security in Liberia remains a major concern by every
successive government since the end of the civil war (1989-2003). Rice,
the country’s staple food and a commodity of political proportion, has been
imported on a massive scale for many decades. Statistics from the Ministry of
Finance and Development Planning shows that Liberia spends close to US$200
million annually to import the commodity to ensure food security for the
citizens.
However, the Minister of
Agriculture Dr. Mogana S. Flomo believes that, with small steps, the country
can embark on a path to self-sufficiency in rice. In a recent engagement with
partners, the Minister disclosed that Liberia is expected to reduce rice
imports by seven percent this year.
Flomo made the disclosure to
stakeholders at a recent one-day meeting hosted in Monrovia with the aim to
brainstorm on how to improve agricultural policy for resource allocation. He
said the Government of President George Weah is targeting a five-year plan to
significantly increase food production.
In the event of meeting the
five-year plan, Dr. Flomo said government will give priority to “Communal
Farming” to enhance food production across the country, but from a different
approach.
Communal farming is a farming
strategy where community members are encouraged to participate in a particular
agricultural project for the common good of the community people. In Liberia,
the practice is being implemented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in
collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. However, such farming strategy
has not yielded the desire results over the years due to lack of funding,
the Daily
Observer has learnt.
Minister
of Agriculture, Dr. Mogana S. Flomo.
Although Minister Flomo
acknowledged challenges associated with the communal farming system, he assured
the public of his ministry’s preparedness to address those challenges with a
different approach.
“With assistance from
international partners, we will mobilize farming communities to engage into
variety of crops production as the surest way to promote Communal Farming
activities,” he said.
“This implies that we will have
to work harder to increase rice production,” he added.
According to Flomo, the government
is committed to make Liberia food secure as evidenced by the President Weah’s
willingness to support the agricultural sector.
“The President has promised the
World that his Government will improve the agriculture sector, because this is
what majority of the citizens depend on for their livelihoods,” he said.
The Minister also stressed the
need for rural communities to get fully involved as international partners are
willing to support the country improves food production.
Food insecurity could increase in Mozambique this year
The challenge will be on the infrastructure side in
the ports.
Wandile Sihlobo / 25 March 2019 07:42
Devastation to place increased pressure in Southern
Africa maize supplies this year. Picture: Shutterstock
The situation in Mozambique is
devastating. Tropical Cyclone Idai, which hit the coastline of Mozambique on
March 14, has caused a heavy loss of life and affected more than 600 000
people, according to some estimates – the number will most likely rise after
on-ground assessments. Amid continuing efforts to find survivors, one of the
key concerns over the coming days will be food insecurity, due damage to both
crop fields and port infrastructure.
Mozambique is generally a net
importer of major grains, such as maize, wheat and rice. In a normal season,
the country imports roughly 100 000 tonnes of maize, 700 000 tonnes of rice,
and 680 000 tonnes of wheat to fulfil its domestic needs. Maize imports are
largely transported on land as these are mainly from South Africa and Zambia.
Meanwhile, wheat and rice imports originate from Europe, and Asia through Beira
Port, which is the area that has been affected by the Cyclone.
Given that domestic production of
rice and wheat is relatively negligible, the devastation from the cyclone will
not lead to meaningful changes in import requirements of these commodities from
the aforementioned volumes. However, the challenge will be on the
infrastructure side in the ports.
In the case of maize, the imports
will most likely increase from an average volume of 100 000 tonnes per the
calendar year. At this point, I don’t know how much will be required. I will
have a better sense as soon as we are aware of the scale of damage in the maize
fields. This all means that there will be increased pressure in Southern Africa
maize supplies this year. After all, even the key maize producing countries in
the region – South Africa and Zambia – are expecting a double-digit decline in
harvest in 2018/19 season. It is a tough year ahead – all due to mother nature!
Wandile Sihlobo is chief economist at the Agricultural
Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz).
Price Of Rice Remains High Despite Sustained Bumper Harvest
March 25, 2019
Lagos – There is no denying the fact that President Mohammed Buhari’s
led administration has on several occasions bragged that its biggest
achievement is reduction of Nigeria’s dependence on foreign rice.
Statements buttressing the foregoing view abound in the media.
For instance, sometime in 2018, President Buhari told the British Prime
Minister; Theresa May on April 16, 2018 that: “We have cut rice importation by
about 90%, made lots of savings of foreign exchange, and generated employment.
People had rushed to the cities to get oil money, at the expense of farming.
But luckily, they are now going back to the farms. Even professionals are going
back to the land. We are making steady progress on the road to food security.”
On the strength of the achievements recorded in agriculture in
the country since the ruling government came to power in 2015, the minister of
agriculture and rural development, Chief Audu Ogbeh seemed not to be surprised
of the president’s recent victory at the poll.
In a congratulatory message issued by Mr. Mohammed Nakorji,
Director of information in the ministry of Agriculture on March 1, 2019, he
said the minister has joined other well-meaning Nigerians to congratulate the
President on his victory at the just concluded Presidential and National
Assembly elections.
Ogbeh noted that his victory at the poll did not come as a
surprise especially with the giant strides recorded in the nation’s Agriculture
sector, particularly the rice revolution among others.
He said with the re-election of Mr. President for a second term
that the Agriculture Ministry, which he oversees, would consolidate on its
achievements and move the nation’s Agriculture sector to the next level.
In the same vein of echoing the president’s achievement in
ensuring that Nigeria enjoys a sustainable production and distribution of rice,
the minister of information, Lai Mohammed almost a year ago, precisely in the
first week of April, 2018, said President Buhari’s rice revolution across the
country was enough for him to be re-elected in 2019 presidential election.
Mohammed, who made the statement in Lagos, said about 60 per
cent of rice eaten in Nigeria was produced locally.
Ostensibly to further echo how far Nigeria has gone in the
growing and production of rice under the present administration, Aminu Goronyo,
the President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) recently disclosed
that Nigeria has two rice farming season, in each season according him, 4
million tons of rice is produced.
His disclosure, no doubt, was aimed at correcting the erroneous
report which stated that Nigeria produces 4 million tons of rice.
To this end, RIFAN set the record straight as he clarified that
Nigeria being the largest producer of rice in Africa is producing 8 million
tons of rice annually, as its produces 4 million tons each in two seasons.
Against the foregoing backdrop that no doubt indicates that rice
in Nigeria now grow and produces rice in surplus, not a few consumers expect
the law of supply and demand to come into play by bringing the price of rice;
whether local or foreign, down, perhaps to an affordable level.
For the sake of clarity, the principle and supply and demand is
an economic theory that explains how available commodities or services in the
market and the frequency of consumer demands for them affect influence prices.
It’s a fundamental economic principle that when supply exceeds
demand for a good or service, prices fall. When demand exceeds supply, prices
tend to rise.
One may not be wrong to say that the understanding of the
influence of supply and demand might have spurred the rice farmers’ boss,
Goronyo, in the last quarter of 2017 when he disclosed that a 50kg bag of rice
would be sold at the rate of N6000.
Goronyo made this known during a meeting which rice farmers,
processors and the minister of agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, had then at the
ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, the anticipated crash in prices, as at then,
was due to wet season bumper harvest by farmers.
He then added that operators have resolved to reduce the price
of a 50kg bag of rice, which was then priced within the price range of N15,000
to N17,000, to N13,000.
“This is just the beginning. The actual price will still come
down because we are expecting a bumper harvest this year; we have sat down with
the millers and agreed that we will work together for the interest of
Nigerians,” he said.
“At one time, people were buying a bag of rice at the cost of
N18,000 but they are now buying it at between N13,000 and N15,000. The price is
coming down.
“In the next few months, God willing, the price of a 50kg bag
will come down to N6,000. It is achievable, it will be a reality,’’ he said.
Mohammed Abubakar, Chairman, Rice Processors Association of Nigeria
(RIPAN), said the associations had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
to slash the prices of both paddy and processed rice.
“We have agreed at N110,000 per tonne of paddy. In the market,
rice will come around N13,000 to N13,500 per 50kg bag,” he said.
“Before now, we were buying paddy at N140,000 and N150,000 per
tonne and we are selling our products at N16,000 per 50kg bag.
“If this MoU works, we hope to sell a bag of rice at N13, 000 to
N13, 500, depending on where you are in the country.”
In a similar vein, Kano-based Amarava Rice Mill early this year
disclosed its plans to record 500 tonnes of daily production by June, just as
it hits 250 tonnes to boost local self-sufficiency in rice. Mr Subhash Chand,
the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, made this known to newsmen in
Abuja.
It would be recalled that the multimillion Naira
state-of-the-art rice mill, owned by an Indian national, was inaugurated by
President Muhammadu Buhari in Kano in December 2018.
Despite all the assurances and promises, consumers are unanimous
that local rice is not as ubiquitous in markets as often claimed, while
imported or smuggled brands are costly.
Mrs. Lydia Onwubuya, said: “When the present administration
started its rice revolution that many thought by now the staple food would have
flooded the market and force price to come down to affordable level.”
DAILY INDEPENDENT survey reveals that the price of rice in
different sizes still remains high. For instance, the most common brands that
cut across Caprice, Stallion, Mama Gold and Rice Master have various prices
that range from N14,000 to N17,000 per 50kg bag, N7,000 to N9,000 per 25kg bag,
N2,500 to N3,000 per 10kg bag and N1200 to N1600 per 5kg bag.
The most interesting aspect is that the prices vary from one
market to the other across the country, and in most cases leaving a wide
difference when compared.
The most interesting aspect is that the prices vary from one
market to the other across the country, and in most cases leave wide difference
in comparison when subjected to comparison.
Take for instance at Bodija market in Ibadan where brand of rice
that is not particularly branded and packaged in 50kg bag sells for N13,500
while rice of the same quantity sells for N14,850 at Dawanau market in Kano.
In the same vein, 50kg bag of rice costs N16,600 in Gombe market
while a bag of rice weighing the same kilogram costs N20,300 at Igbudu market
in Warri. At Mangu market in Plateau, rice of the same quantity cost N18,000.
Still in the same nexus, it cost N14,300 at Mile 12 market in
Lagos and N19,000 at Nkwo Nnewi market in Anambra state.
Mr. Ignatius Anaba said: “Government should ensure it intensify
efforts in producing surplus local rice for Nigerians so as to crash the price
of foreign rice, and at the same discourage smuggling.”
Gut
Instinct: How Diets Shape the Unique Composition of Indian Guts
Researchers from IISER Bhopal
decided to carry out an in-depth study of the diversity of Indian gut flora by
comparing and contrasting the microbiome of populations from two parts of the
country with very disparate diets.
Gut bacteria. Image for
representational purpose. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In a recent study, researchers show that Indian guts harbour
a unique microbial population compared to other countries, and that the diverse
diets within the country are associated with different gut microbes.
“Diet has been known to be the key driver
in shaping the gut microbiome. Indian population has diverse lifestyles and
food habits and so far, the Indian gut genome is not well explored,” states
Vineet Sharma, a scientist at Indian Institute of Science, Education and
Research (IISER) Bhopal and a member of the research team who
performed the study. India also has the highest prevalence of diabetes in the
world, with 53% of deaths in India attributed to diabetes and cardiovascular
diseases. India thus presents an interesting case study to understand the
interplay between gut, diet and health.
In this first-ever large-scale study,
Sharma and colleagues analysed the microorganisms in gut of 110 healthy
individuals to uncover the microbial diversity in India. The researchers
sampled individuals from two locations with distinct diets: Bhopal in the
North-Central region and Kerala from the southern part of India. The Bhopal
population predominantly consumes a carbohydrate-rich diet, including
plant-derived products, wheat and trans-fat food (high-fat dairy, sweets and
fried snacks), whereas, the Kerala population commonly consumes an omnivorous
diet comprising rice, meat, and fish.
Researchers collected faecal samples from
the volunteers, froze it within 30 min of collecting, and used it to sequence
the microbiome (the combined genetic material of all the microorganisms present
in a sample). A common method used for such purpose is the sequencing of the
16S rRNA gene. This gene consists of a region that is variable in different
microorganisms, allowing the classification of different microbes. Using this
analysis, the researchers found a total of 943,395 genes that were unique to
the Indian microbiome.
The microbiome of the Indian population was
also compared to the microbiome of other countries, such as USA, China, and Denmark. “One of the most interesting results
was the much higher levels of Prevotella species in Indian
gut microbiome compared to the other populations,” says Sharma. Prevotella has
been previously observed in communities that consume a plant-rich diet and is
associated with vegetarianism.
The differences in the microbial population
within the country were also studied. The microbiome of participants from
Bhopal was enriched in species from genus Prevotella, while the same from
Kerala was enriched in species of Bifidobacterium, Ruminococcus, Clostridium and Faecalibacterium.
The authors propose these differences could
arise due to the differences in the diet of the two locations. Using a method
that annotates functions to genes, they showed that the Bhopal microbiome was
enriched in genes involved in breaking down plant polysaccharides, while Kerala
microbiome had genes involved in degrading lipids and proteins, indicating its
animal-based diet.
Metabolites are small molecules produced
during metabolism and can reveal insights on lifestyle and metabolic changes.
An analysis of metabolites in the faeces showed a high concentration of
saturated fatty acids and branched chain fatty acids in Bhopal microbiome,
while the Kerala microbiome had short chain and medium chain fatty acids,
presumably due to the high consumption of coconut oil in Kerala.
“Both branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play an important
role in the maintenance of health and elevated concentration of BCFAs may
trigger the progression of different diseases,” says Bhabhatosh Das, a
scientist at the Translational Health Science
And Technology Institute (THSTI) who was not associated with
the study.
It is known that the north-Indian
population is predisposed towards diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Further
studies like these on diabetic and obese individuals can provide more insights
into such predispositions towards diseases.
Nigeria's
Largest Rural Mini-Grid to Electrify 600 Households in Ogun
Solar Nigeria for the People Limited (Solar Nigeria FTP), the Nigerian
subsidiary of Solar Philippines at the weekend signed a Community Agreement
with Ode Omi Community to invest about half a million dollars to build
Nigeria's largest rural mini-grid.
Signing the agreement, the Country Director of Solar Nigeria
FTP, Tobi Oluwatola, said the project when completed will electrify 634
households, seven schools, three hospitals, eight religious organizations, and
more than 90 businesses in the community.
The project which is due to be commissioned in September 2019
will supply a peak load of 99kW to the community in its first phase, and up to
500kW in its second phase.
Giving highlights of the benefits of the project to the
community, Mr Oluwatola explained that the company plans to train and employ
more than 50 youth from Ode Omi Community in the construction phase and also
employ security personnel from the village as well as empower existing recharge
card vendors to make additional revenue from selling prepaid meter credits for
the mini-grid in the operations phase.
"Other benefits to the community will include free street
lighting and better health and education outcomes as hospitals can have
necessary cooling, heating and lighting solutions and children will have light
to study at night. Women also would not have to travel long distances to fetch
water and wood as electric stoves and water pumps will replace firewood and
stream water," Mr Oluwatola explained.
Mr Oluwatola noted that the Ode Omi project is the first out of
hundreds to be constructed by his company, just as he assured of his firm's
commitment to work with Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to build interconnected
mini-grids that will supply many areas in urban centres.
"This is the first of many. Our goal is to build 100
mini-grids in our first year and to also work with DISCOs to build
interconnected mini-grids that will supply previously underserved urban areas.
We think that with solar today being cheaper than diesel (and gas in some
countries), it is unconscionable that Nigerians continue to endure power cuts
when we can aggressively deploy solar to solve the problem at scale. Our aim is
to end energy poverty everywhere it exists," he said.
Speaking for the community, His Royal Highness, Adenuga Okuniyi
(Ojafoyewa II) thanked the company for building its pilot mini-grid in Ode Omi
community. He stressed the importance of the community and its rich history
going back to Oduduwa, the ancestral father of the Yoruba people, one of whose
direct descendants reportedly founded the Ode Omi dynasty.
The signing of the community solar agreement was witnessed by
the Chairman of the Ogun Waterside Local Government, Abajo Olabode; the
Chairman of the Ode Omi Community Solar Power Committee, Ahmed Surakatu; and
Solar Philippines officials, Terence Dy Echo and Carlos Fernandez.
Some of the members of the community interviewed were excited
about the prospects of 24 hours uninterrupted power in the community.
Babatunde Ajose, a local entrepreneur said the project will make
his business be more productive and profitable.
According to him, he would not have to travel four miles, and
spend N1000 on transportation to Folu village to buy fuel for his generator on
a weekly basis. He was also pleased to know that the tariff, would ensure that
he spends less than he currently spends on fuel to get reliable and clean
power.
Like Mr Ajose, five rice millers, and several fishermen
interviewed also echoed similar sentiment, saying that constant electricity
will enable them to save costs and also preserve their products better with
affordable cold storage options.
In only five years of its founding, the company is already the
largest vertically integrated solar developer-manufacturer-EPC-IPP in South
East Asia, with 800 MW manufacturing capacity, 500 MW projects operating and
under construction and multiple GW in development in seven countries.
Nigeria
Pakistan gets $1b Chinese
market access for rice, sugar, yarn
March 24, 2019
Islamabad
The Chinese government has finally offered Pakistan market access for three commodities — rice, sugar and yarn — worth $1 billion for the current calendar year, an official in the Commerce Division confirmed.
The official said rice shipments to China have already begun as part of the deal which was agreed during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s four-day visit to Beijing and Shanghai in the first week of November last year.
Under the agreement, exporters have been allowed to ship 200,000 tonnes of rice and 300,000 tonnes of sugar — total value of $300 million — to China in the ongoing calendar year.
Moreover, the agreement also includes preferential market access for around $700m worth of yarn but it seems highly unlikely that Pakistan will have adequate surplus quantity of yarn to export to China as cotton production remains lacklustre.
The Chinese authorities were unwilling to increase the total quantity of these items despite multiple requests, the official added.
Another Commerce Division official said exporters will only have nine months to avail the facility as it will expire by Dec 31, adding that the government is working to get access for wheat and other agriculture commodities as well.
Moreover, this agreement will also be extended to calendar 2020. Pakistan’s exports to China are expected to reach $2.2bn in the ongoing calendar year and $3.2bn in the next.
The official also said that a major breakthrough is expected in the stalled negotiations between Beijing and Islamabad on the second phase of Pak-China Free Trade Agreement (PCFTA) and the outcome will be announced on April 2. He said a delegation led by the secretary commerce will leave for China later this month.
Sharing the progress made in PCFTA negotiations, he informed that Islamabad will get market access for 301 tariff lines, which will cover most of its exports and allow export of commodities which are currently negligible.
The PCFTA covers nearly 7,000 tariff lines at the eight-digit level of the HS code. Both sides reduced tariffs on almost 36 per cent of the tariff lines to zero during first three years of PCFTA’s Phase-1.
Moreover, second phase was supposed to commence from the sixth year of the agreement ie 2013, but was delayed as officials from both countries failed to reach an agreement despite meeting for more than 11 times.
As per the initial agreement, at the end of PCFTA’s second phase, both sides were to reduce tariffs on 90pc of the tariff lines to zero.
The negotiations on the Phase-II of PCFTA began in 2011.
The Chinese government has finally offered Pakistan market access for three commodities — rice, sugar and yarn — worth $1 billion for the current calendar year, an official in the Commerce Division confirmed.
The official said rice shipments to China have already begun as part of the deal which was agreed during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s four-day visit to Beijing and Shanghai in the first week of November last year.
Under the agreement, exporters have been allowed to ship 200,000 tonnes of rice and 300,000 tonnes of sugar — total value of $300 million — to China in the ongoing calendar year.
Moreover, the agreement also includes preferential market access for around $700m worth of yarn but it seems highly unlikely that Pakistan will have adequate surplus quantity of yarn to export to China as cotton production remains lacklustre.
The Chinese authorities were unwilling to increase the total quantity of these items despite multiple requests, the official added.
Another Commerce Division official said exporters will only have nine months to avail the facility as it will expire by Dec 31, adding that the government is working to get access for wheat and other agriculture commodities as well.
Moreover, this agreement will also be extended to calendar 2020. Pakistan’s exports to China are expected to reach $2.2bn in the ongoing calendar year and $3.2bn in the next.
The official also said that a major breakthrough is expected in the stalled negotiations between Beijing and Islamabad on the second phase of Pak-China Free Trade Agreement (PCFTA) and the outcome will be announced on April 2. He said a delegation led by the secretary commerce will leave for China later this month.
Sharing the progress made in PCFTA negotiations, he informed that Islamabad will get market access for 301 tariff lines, which will cover most of its exports and allow export of commodities which are currently negligible.
The PCFTA covers nearly 7,000 tariff lines at the eight-digit level of the HS code. Both sides reduced tariffs on almost 36 per cent of the tariff lines to zero during first three years of PCFTA’s Phase-1.
Moreover, second phase was supposed to commence from the sixth year of the agreement ie 2013, but was delayed as officials from both countries failed to reach an agreement despite meeting for more than 11 times.
As per the initial agreement, at the end of PCFTA’s second phase, both sides were to reduce tariffs on 90pc of the tariff lines to zero.
The negotiations on the Phase-II of PCFTA began in 2011.
Malaysian PM Mahathir leaves Pakistan after three-day visit
March 23, 2019
Photo: AFP
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Bin Mohamad left Pakistan on Saturday after a three-day visit.
He departed shortly after attending
the country’s Pakistan Day parade in Islamabad as the chief guest.
During his visit, PM Mahathir met
Prime Minister Imran Khan and other senior Pakistani officials. Pakistan and
Malaysia also signed memorandums of understanding for cooperation in five
major projects in the car assembly, meat, telecom and stone sectors.
Malaysia will be setting up an auto
plant in Pakistan. It has also expressed an interest in purchasing rice and
halal meat from Pakistan as well as JF-17 Thunder jets.
During a media talk on Friday,
Finance Minister Asad Umar said Pakistan will soon implement an agreement
to export anti-tank missiles to Malaysia. In the meantime, both countries
have agreed to open branches of their banks in each other’s countries, he said.
The finance minister added that Pakistan will capitalize on the Malaysian
experience in the tourism industry.
Pakistan to
receive loan from China by March 25
March
23, 2019
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Finance
Ministry has announced that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will receive a
$2.1 billion loan from China by March 25, the media reported on Friday.
Ministry spokesman Khaqan Najeeb Khan said on Thursday that “all procedural formalities”
for the transfer of the loan being provided to Pakistan by the Chinese
government have been completed, and “the funds will be deposited in the SBP
account by Monday 25”, Dawn news reported.
The loan facility, the spokesman
said, “will further strengthen foreign exchange reserves and ensure balance of
payment stability”. Following a meeting in Beijing between Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in November
2018, China had said that it was willing to offer assistance to Islamabad to
help it weather its current fiscal woes but that the terms of such aid were
still being discussed.
Shortly after, Chinese Consul
General Long Dingbin had said during an interview that in order to “boost
Pakistan’s economy”, Beijing is investing in multiple sectors and launching
business ventures instead of providing loans. Besides the loan package, the
Chinese government has also offered Pakistan market access for three
commodities – rice, sugar and yarn – worth $1 billion for the current calendar
year, a Commerce Division official told Dawn on Thursday.
The official said rice shipments
to China have already begun as part of the deal which was agreed during the
Prime Minister’s China visit. Under the agreement, exporters have been allowed
to ship 200,000 tonnes of rice and 300,000 tonnes of sugar – total value of
$300 million – to China in the ongoing calendar year.
Moreover, the agreement also
includes preferential market access for around $700 million worth of yarn but
it seems highly unlikely that Pakistan will have adequate surplus quantity of
yarn to export to China as cotton production remains lacklustre. This agreement
will also be extended to calendar 2020. Pakistan’s exports to China are
expected to reach $2.2 billion in the ongoing calendar year and $3.2 billion in
the next, according to official figures. (IANS)
Stocks post modest recovery after six weeks of losses
Investor sentiments were buoyed by positive developments on the
macro front. — Dawn Newspaper/File
KARACHI: Stocks managed to crawl up
in the outgoing week, snapping six-week losing streak. The benchmark KSE-100
index recovered 225 points (0.59 per cent) and closed at 38,532.
Investor sentiments were buoyed by
positive developments on the macro front which included contraction in current
account deficit numbers in February and materialisation of bilateral flows. The
finance ministry expected receipt of $2.1bn from China by March 25, which was
in addition to granting Pakistan access to its $1bn rice, sugar and yarn
industries. Some clarity also seemed to emerge on the IMF bailout as the
finance minister expressed government’s willingness to seal the deal by mid of
April.
Although the market started on a
firm footing with the index recording gains of 545 points, the recovery was
almost wiped off in the three successive bearish sessions as investors worried
over lack of triggers; scant information on IMF deal and the escalation in the
political tensions with the Pakistan Peoples Party threatening to launch a long
march to Islamabad.
The average daily traded volume
declined 10pc over the earlier week to 84m shares while the value increased by
7pc to $28m reflecting considerable activity in big-cap stocks. Volume leaders
were however, the small investors’ favourite sideboard stocks such as PAEL
showing trading in 7.6m shares, BOP 7.2m shares, KEL 4.9m shares and TRG 2.9m
shares.
However, the overall volume and its
value remained low as investors adopted wait-watch strategy in anticipation of
further tightening in SBP’s monetary policy due at the end of the month.
Foreign investors emerged as net
buyers during the outgoing week accumulating scrips worth $3.1m. Foreign
interest was largely concentrated in banks that saw buying of stocks worth
$2.9m and oil & gas with net purchases of $1.7m.
On the other side, the cement
sector witnessed an outflow of $1.2m. Among local participants, banks with
purchases of $2.5m and individuals $2.0m pumped liquidity into the market,
while major selling was done by insurance companies of stocks worth $4.8m.
Commercial banks and E&P were
the best performing sectors during the week, adding 278 points and 194 points,
respectively to the index. E&P stocks rallied on the prime minister’s
statement regarding possibility of enormous discovery in offshore drilling,
while textiles particularly lower end of the value chain -- spinning and
weaving -- garnered investors’ interest on potential Chinese market access. Fertiliser
sector also added 75 points.
Negative contributions were made by
power generation and distribution (126 points), oil and gas marketing companies
(39 points) and pharmaceuticals (30 points).
Scrip-wise major positive
contributions came from PPL (115 points), MCB (91 points), HBL (77 points), POL
(57 points) and OGDC (51 points). Major laggards included Hubco (122 points),
The Searle (30 points) and Mari (29 points).
Going forward, market is expected
to trade range-bound as anticipation and predictions on monetary policy due at
the end of the week would keep investors on the back foot. Futures roll-over
week could also keep market under pressure and so also the concerns over the
FATF proceedings. “The upcoming budget would be a key flashpoint for the market,”
observed one market watcher.
Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2019
Kuala Lumpur signs deals for 'big projects' during Mahathir's Pakistan
visit
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan welcoming
Malaysian Premier Mahathir Mohamad to Islamabad on Thursday evening.PHOTO: AGENCE
FRANCE-PRESSE
PUBLISHED
MAR 23, 2019, 5:00 AM SGT
ISLAMABAD • Malaysia has shown
interest in buying JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, halal meat and rice from
Pakistan, and will soon procure anti-tank missiles from Islamabad, Pakistan's
Finance Minister Asad Umar said yesterday.
Officials from the two countries
have signed memorandum of understanding for five "big projects", he
told journalists during an informal discussion.
Visiting Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan held a one-on-one
meeting yesterday.
Mr Umar said officials also
agreed to open branches of their respective banks in each other's countries,
and that Pakistan would try to make use of Malaysia's knowledge of tourism as
it looks to revive its local industry.
A senior official had said on
Thursday that Pakistan was set to sign deals worth US$900 million (S$1.2
billion) in areas such as telecoms, information technology and power generation
during the three-day visit by Tun Dr Mahathir, who arrived in Islamabad on
Thursday evening.
Pakistan, facing an economic
crisis due to depleting foreign reserves and a widening current account
deficit, has been searching for investment since the government of Prime
Minister Imran Khan took office in August.
Media reports say the JF-17, a
multirole combat aircraft, was developed by China's Chengdu Aircraft
Corporation and is produced jointly with defence and aviation contractor
Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
The Pakistan Air Force has about
110 JF-17s, and the defence forces of Nigeria and Myanmar also use the
aircraft, said a report in the South China Morning Post early this month.
At a joint press conference,
Prime Minister Khan said he admired Dr Mahathir for his stand against
corruption. "We actually believe that countries are not poor, corruption
makes them poor. Corruption destroys state institutions," he said.
Bernama news agency quoted Dr
Mahathir as saying the two countries can "exchange information on how to
combat corruption".
He added: "We are very
concerned about corruption. You have to pay a certain amount to make sure
certain job is done. Sometimes money is stolen by officials and this has to be
stopped."
Dr Mahathir also held a meeting
with President Arif Alvi yesterday.
The 93-year-old Malaysian Prime
Minister was awarded the Nishan-i-Pakistan, the country's highest civil honour.
Dr Mahathir will today be the
chief guest at the Pakistan Day parade.
DAWN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Taking full stock of Pakistan’s fruitful 70-year
ties with PHL
-
March 23, 2019
74
TODAY, the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan is commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of its
diplomatic relations with the Republic of the Philippines.
For Dr. Aman Rashid, a priority
of his tenure as ambassador is to establish a “sisterhood” status between two
major cities of both countries.
Dr.
Aman Rashid, Pakistan’s ambassador to the Philippines
“All ambassadors have a passion
to leave a legacy; to establish people-to-people contacts—particularly through
a sister-city relationship,” he admitted during a wide-ranging interview inside
the Pakistan embassy in Makati City. It is in the country’s business capital
where he wishes to have the bond established with Karachi.
“[They] have the same kind of
culture: Both are cosmopolitan, [although] Karachi is older,” as he explained
that the largest city of Pakistan traces its roots from ancient times.
The envoy pointed out that near
Karachi is the primeval village of Mohenjo-daro, which typified “an old example
of organized living like [the one we have] today. It was the first capital
of Pakistan.”
(History books have it that
Mohenjo-daro [meaning, “mound of the dead men”] is an archaeological site in
the province of Sindh. Built around 2,500 BCE, it was one of the largest
settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, and one of the
world’s earliest major cities, along with the civilizations of ancient
Egypt, Mesopotamia, Minoan Crete and Norte Chico. Significant excavation has
since been conducted in the locale of the city, which was designated in 1980 as
among Unesco’s World Heritage sites.)
At
last year’s Pakistan Day anniversary celebration, with the Department of
Foreign Affairs’s Assistant Secretary Millicent Cruz-Paredes and Papal Nuncio
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia
Dr. Rashid said he would like to
follow President Duterte’s lead in promoting bilateral relations with friendly
countries.
According to him, Pakistan and
the Philippines both “have the same kind of economy and development. [Our
citizens have a good command of the English language.]”
As a tangible reminder of the
ties that bind both countries, he revealed a plan to have a commemorative stamp
issued for the celebration.
Since arriving 18 months ago, the
ambassador has been in constant consultations with top government officials to
improve trade relations between the two countries.
His aim, he said, is to hammer
out a preferential trade agreement, “but the biggest hurdle for [our] country
is to have trade links with Asean countries.”
Currently, Pakistan is considered
as an Asean sectoral-dialogue partner; the diplomat, however, disclosed that
they want to elevate this status.
Although Manila fully supports
Islamabad’s desire to be a full-dialogue partner, Dr. Rashid admitted the
difficulty “is in the internal arrangement [within Asean].”
Having been posted in the country
since September 2017, he was witness to the Asean Summit in Manila and observed
that it was very well organized.
The envoy pointed out, however,
that because of a “preferential arrangement,” an external country could only
become a full partner through joint ventures.
He explained that investing in
the Philippines requires the full advantage of tariff concessions within Asean.
Currently, his government is working on addressing that matter.
On local
regulations
IN February Dr. Rashid related
that Pakistan arranged for the arrival of a “very high-powered delegation
comprised of 25 very senior industrialists [who] came over to discuss these
things.” He accompanied the Pakistani investors to the respective
Departments of Foreign Affairs, as well as Trade and Industry, as officials of
both agencies had previously led a joint economic commission to Pakistan.
Among the businessmen he went
with, one engages in cement manufacturing, while the other one is into
pharmaceuticals. The latter wanted to place $50 million in the country to take
advantage of the 100 million plus Filipino market, as well as the 600 million
citizens of Asean.
Pakistan, Dr. Rashid claims, has
one of the most developed pharmaceutical industries in the world, but cited the
difficulties of their products in finding their way into the country because of
its stringent regulations.
He said his compatriot-pharmaceutical
investors should have been accorded with preferential treatment for
business registrations, while having to forego layers of bureaucracy, as in the
case of one Pakistani from the United States who developed an injectable
ibuprofen and wanted to market the medical innovation in different countries.
But when he came over to the
Philippines, his party was informed that they have to first register with the
Food and Drug Administration, and that there is a trial period for the
medicine, which has to be first given to at about 3,000 patients. After such,
an assessment has to be made, which is part of a long process.
The medical doctor that he is,
the ambassador wondered why a proven analgesic drug needed to undergo such
regulatory hurdles. (He pointed out that a multinational pharmaceutical
company, which was involved in a recent controversy, was able to penetrate
local medical institutions without going through the same process, “and yet,
made Filipinos as guinea pigs for [its own] trials.”)
“The point is, there has to be
some [form of] laxity; you can’t have too many stringent laws if there is an
innovation proven [to work].”
The doctor-envoy politely
commented on whether a strong lobby representing foreign drug manufacturers in
the Philippines is behind the strict protocols against competitors: “The
point is, there [exists] roadblocks; there are speed-breakers.”
He said there are already
Pakistanis engaged in pharmaceuticals in the country—one of them an
established expert practicing in Tagaytay City.
He said there are many Pakistanis
willing to invest in the Philippine pharmaceutical sector so that the cost of
medicine production will be reduced, “and you’ll get opportunities in cheaper
medicine.”
Trade and
tariffication
WHILE discussions were ongoing
during their visit to different government agencies, Dr. Rashid took notice of
some “unwelcome developments.”
“Unfortunately, there was also a
change in the rice-importation policy of the government, [which is] the
tariffication, in favor of the Asean [member-states].”
He was referring to February’s
signing by Duterte of the rice tariffication law that will replace the
present quota on rice imports with tax. (Local farmers had opposed the bill, as
they feared it would result to the flooding in the market of cheaper rice from
abroad. It will also reduce the government’s role in rice importation, as it
will leave that role to the private sector.)
The envoy labeled this
development as “unfortunate,” as it would render importing rice from Pakistan
more expensive.
“There’s a big difference between
Asean and non-Asean [membership],” he explained, as he noted that Asean members
who wanted to export rice are levied at a lower rate, compared to those outside
the bloc.
To “address” this new tariff
imposition, he said non-Asean countries have to go through a “backdoor
country.” But the biggest debacle in taking this route, he described, is the
28-day naval shipment to Manila: “It raises the tariff [further, as well as]
the cost of transportation, [among] other things.”
Dr. Rashid noted that under the
new rice tariffication law, Pakistan was treated as a special case and was
given 40-percent rate for three years, lower than the 50 percent allowed
for non-Asean member-countries.
Because of this, there is a
pending memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the importation of 1.5 million metric
tons of rice from his country, “but unfortunately it was delayed, as the
policy is now subject for review.”
Under these circumstances, he
pointed out that as far as rice exporters are concerned, delays of such
kind have an immediate effect on business and, therefore, stakeholders have to
find ways to survive.
Agricultural
powerhouse
THE diplomat said Pakistan
has signed a different MOA with Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, which
is “to develop the food chain and different aspects of agriculture: from
grains, produce, to fruits: whatever agriculture-based elements are there under
the sun.”
Asked the value of Pakistan’s
surplus rice supply, the 58-year-old envoy said they export more than $3
billion of the grain. “After textile, rice is [our second-largest] export.”
He said he had been trying to
convince the country to get its rice from Pakistan, because the latter produces
the IRRI-6 variety—a product of the International Rice Research Institute in
Laguna, but one that his country had successfully produced in abundance.
Dr. Rashid said he is aware that
Filipinos like their rice sticky and fragrant—the kind of organic grain in the
Philippines. On the other hand, Pakistan also grows the more expensive and
fragrant rice variety, the basmati, which is loose when cooked and is not that
popular among ordinary Filipinos.
“This is what I’m trying to
convince the people in your government: That we are a very reliable partner,
and we can be [relied upon when it comes to the] supply of rice, because we
produce a lot of it,” as he offered the fact that his countrymen’s main staple
is wheat.
“We have ample supply of both.”
Overcoming
hurdles
STILL, other issues that were
discussed by the delegation with local government officials included the
two-way traffic of goods and services between both countries.
He explained that businessmen
have different orientations compared to diplomats like him, where for the
former, predictability is an important element. One happens to be into textile
manufacturing and is interested to do business here.
“We’re also producing cars and
motor vehicles. Last year, exports from the Philippines have increased more
than from Pakistan. But the hurdle is the tariff between Asean and non-Asean
countries,” he reiterated, with some degree of frustration noted in his voice.
The Pakistani ambassador said
that without these impediments, it would have been far easier for his country’s
two main products, which are rice and seafood, to enter this country.
When Duterte announced the
massive “Build, Build, Build” undertaking for the country, the envoy admitted
it opened plenty of opportunities, such as investments in cement manufacturing.
“And we are beginning to produce
our cement also, but because of tariffs, it has become very difficult [to
export to the Philippines].”
Concerning
Kashmir
DR. Rashid also touched on the
crisis that recently erupted between Pakistan and India, as both briefly
engaged in a shooting skirmish in February.
Pakistan had previously claimed
to have shot down two Indian jets and captured an Indian pilot after a
dogfight over Kashmir, which ignited fears of an all-out conflict between the
nuclear-armed neighbors.
Tensions remain high on the Asian
subcontinent, where tens of thousands of Indian and Pakistani soldiers
faced off along the disputed Kashmir boundary.
However, in a gesture of
goodwill, Pakistan has repatriated the pilot, which demonstrates its
willingness to diffuse the conflict.
Desire to move
forward
THE Pakistani envoy considered
the aforementioned MOA as a “landmark agreement,” and manifests the existing
cordial relations between our two countries.
“I’m just trying to convey…that I
think, there’s cordiality and desire from both sides to move forward,
especially under Duterte, who is also focused on rooting out corruption,
poverty and drugs.”
He said Pakistan echoes the Chief
Executive’s advocacy, which is “to uplift the life of the average person.” He
went as far as mentioning the plight of a previous Pakistani prime minister,
who is now behind bars.
“These people are looters, and
because of [them], we have a financial crisis due to corruption in the
government. That is why we’re cutting [down] on our budget. Hopefully things
will improve, and so the focus [of our] country is now in the right direction.”
On another front, the ambassador
said the issue on tourism is also timely to be discussed. He said a female
executive doing business in Pakistan has established a tourism-promotion
information office in Lahore for Filipinos.
His country has recently
established the China-Pakistan economic corridor, an ancient trade route that
is now the flagship project of China’s “One Belt, One Road” (Obor) scheme,
which cost $60 billion. The first phase of roads, highways and skyways have
been completed.
Filled with excitement in trying
to describe the place, the good ambassador said the area where the Obor will go
through “is more beautiful than Switzerland, and [is] three times higher
than the Alps.”
“We have the Himalayas, we have
the seven highest mountains [on Earth],” he exclaimed, then added the place
could draw in plenty of trucking tourism, mountain tourism and also skiing.
The area, he described, is “very
nice, and it has opened the entire Pakistan for tourism because it’s [almost]
heaven on Earth.”
Pakistan desires
good relations with all its neighbors: President
ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif
Alvi on Friday said that Pakistan was a peaceful and sovereign country,
desirous of having good relations with all its neighbors.
He further stated that Pakistan
believed in dialogue with all countries including India on all matters of
mutual interest, but not at the cost of its territorial integrity.
He noted that they would like all
friendly countries to urge India to engage with Pakistan for peaceful
resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UNSC
resolutions.
The president said while talking
to Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Hasanov Zakir Asgar Oglu,
who was called on him here. He noted that Pakistan highly valued its
brotherly relations with Azerbaijan.
He highlighted the tremendous
bilateral goodwill and appreciated the participation of President Ilham
Aliyev’s in the 13th ECO Summit held on 1st March 2017 in Islamabad.
He also appreciated Azerbaijan’s
support to Pakistan’s candidature for the membership of OIC’s Independent
Permanent Human Rights Commissioner (IPHRC). Furthermore, he appreciated
Azerbaijan’s continued support on Jammu and Kashmir.
The president said that the
present state of their bilateral economic cooperation was not commensurate with
the true potential and there was a need to enhance the volume of their
bilateral trade.
He highlighted the need to
explore possibilities of cooperation and trade in agriculture, manufacturing,
services sector, ready-made garments, cotton products, engineering goods,
consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, rice, textile, fabrics, sports goods, surgical
instruments and tents.
He underlined that the
liberalization of visa regime by Pakistan will increase the number of tourists
and businessmen from Azerbaijan.
The president highlighted the
potential for defense cooperation between the two countries. He noted that
Pakistan has heavily invested in installing effective border controls while
facilitating legitimate travel of common people on Pak-Afghan border.
He also underscored that the
whole region needs to play its role in reconstruction and rebuilding of
Afghanistan.
The Defense Minister of
Azerbaijan said that the bilateral relations of Pakistan and Azerbaijan were
marked by continuity and that the two brotherly countries have always stood by
each other.
He also highlighted that the
frequent military trainings between the armed forces of the two nations have
served as an immense source of learning.
The president expressed immense
pleasure to see brothers from Azerbaijan participate in the Pakistan Day’s
celebrations. He also extended invitation to President Ilham Aliyev to visit
Pakistan at his convenience.
Bailout
talks continuing at high level: IMF official
ISLAMABAD: International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan are
continuing discussions at high level for a bailout package.
This was stated by Gerry Rice,
Director Communication Department IMF during a media briefing.
Replying to a question about the
status of the IMF negotiations with Pakistan, Rice said that they are closely
engaged in these discussions.
“There have been a series of
meetings, which we talked about here before, including Madame Lagarde having
met with the Prime Minister of Pakistan fairly recently. Those discussions are
continuing and there will be a mission to Pakistan shortly, though I do not
have the exact date on that [reference to a new IMF mission chief’s trip for
introductory meetings with the authorities]”, said Rice.
Replying to another question he
said ‘about the amount which IMF is looking at giving financial assistance to
Pakistan the number is not there, that is something that will be discussed in
the context of the consultations with the authorities”.
He further said that the
discussions have been ongoing at various levels even at those high levels, and
they expect a mission to Pakistan shortly for further discussions.
“I cannot put a date on when they
would conclude or when we would be in a position to announce agreement. There’s
a process, staff visits, negotiating missions, and then we would come to it”,
he added.
Governor House hosts Biryani
festival
The Sindh Governor House hosted a Biryani festival on Thursday
night under the aegis of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP).
Governor Imran Ismail while speaking on the occasion appreciated
the fact that similar Biryani festivals were also being organised under the
aegis of the REAP in 14 countries and 22 cities of the world.
He said holding such festivals would help in boosting Pakistan’s
economy as they helped to encourage the people associated with the rice sector
of the country. The rice crop of our country was appreciated all over the world
due to its quality, taste and fragrance, Ismail said, adding that the
government had the utmost resolve to provide maximum facilities to the
industrialists, growers and exporters related to the rice sector in order to
increase exports of the agricultural product. He said the government would
introduce reforms to increase rice production.
Kenya to
import more food as local harvests dwindle
In Summary
• Rice production is expected to stagnate due to delays in the
expansion of Mwea irrigation schemes.
• Asian countries are expected to dominate exports to Kenya led
by Pakistan, Thailand, China, India, and South Korea.
Dominion rice fields are sprayed / FILE
Kenya's food imports of corn, wheat, and rice are expected to
increase in the coming financial year due to a widening local supply deficit, a
report has said.
“Corn and wheat production are both expected to dip on account
of the reduced planted area while rice production is projected to stagnate, due
to delays in anticipated rehabilitation and expansion of the irrigation
infrastructure,” the report by United States Department of Agriculture Service
said.
While there is reduced production, USDA Foreign Agriculture
Service Office in Nairobi noted that consumption of the three commodities is
expected to continue increasing.
For instance, consumption of rice is expected to go up from 800
metric tonnes (MT) to 820 MT driven mainly by increasing household incomes, and
urbanisation but production will stagnate due to delays in the expansion of
irrigation schemes.
According to the report, new production from Mwea Irrigation
Scheme - that produces about 80 per cent of Kenya’s rice is currently
undergoing expansion and is likely to be completed in 2021.
“Overall Kenya’s rice sector will continue to be limited by lack
of suitable land, and inadequate water,” USDA agricultural specialist Kennedy
Gitonga said.
He noted that due to the above, Asian countries are expected to
dominate exports to Kenya led by Pakistan, Thailand, China, India, and South
Korea.
Within the first six months of the forecast period, the cost of
rice in retail is expected to remain constant at between sh110 per kilo and
Sh125 per kilo.
The report further notes that due to low morale among corn
farmers caused by a marketing crisis, production of the cereal will dip from
4,050 MT to 3,600 MT.
It is also projected that corn harvesting area will reduce from
2,200 acres to 2,000 acres, as consumption moves up to by 50 MT to 4,700 by
2020.
Asian countries are expected to dominate exports to Kenya led by
Pakistan, Thailand, China, India, and South Korea.
A bulk of the available corn for consumption is expected to come
from Uganda and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Corn production is also expected to be adversely impacted by the
delay in the importation of the government's subsidised fertilisers.
In addition, some of the farmers have resorted to premature
harvesting of their corn and converting it into silage for livestock.
While a dip in production is set to take centre stage during the
season, USDA forecasts volatile corn prices in the first half of 2019/2020 due
to a dysfunctional marketing system, cheaper sourcing of imports from the EAC
countries, and the lapse of the government consumer subsidy programme.
The National Cereals and Produce Board has set the corn purchase
at Sh2,500 per 90 kilograms For wheat, the US agency foresees a reduction in
wheat planted areas as farmers shift to other more competitive enterprises such
as barley, horticulture, dairy, sorghum, and pyrethrum.
This will see areas of harvest reduce from 170 acres to 160
acres hence imports are expected to rise by 200 MT to 2,400 MT in the coming
financial year.
The 110 Mt rise in consumption from 2570 is expected to be
imported from Russia, Argentina, and Ukraine.
Nigeria Is
Now Africa's Largest Producer of Rice
Sat, Mar 23, 2019
The largest producer of rice in Africa is Nigeria, eclipsing
Egypt in that position. This was revealed by Director-General of the Africa
Rice Center, Benin Republic, Dr Harold Roy-Macauley.
Dr Harold Roy-Macauley said that Nigeria was producing a total
output of 4 million tonnes of rice annually. The output in Egypt is expected to
go down by 40% because of limited cultivation. The Egyptian government decided
to limit the cultivation of rice in order to preserve water resources. This
makes Nigeria the largest producer of rice in Africa.
However the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) disagree
with the view that Nigeria is producing 4 million tonnes only. The president of
RIFAN, Aminu Goronyo said that Nigeria has two farming seasons for rice. In
each of the seasons, 4 million tonnes of rice is produced. This means that in
total, Nigeria produces 8 million tonnes of rice.
According to Goronyo, the two seasons which produce 8 million
tonnes engage a total of 12 million farmers. He also said that Nigeria does not
plan to put a total ban on rice importation before the end of this year.
"We have two cropping seasons of production and each season
we produce an average of 4 million tons that will give you 8 million tons per
annum", Goronyo said.
The African
Exponent Weekly
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digest of Top African News and Articles from The African Exponent.
Goronyo further said, "We have enough paddy in ground, the
same thing with rice Millers, they have more than enough in stock, which means
that we don’t need to import paddy of milled rice."
Smuggling is a huge impediment affecting the production of rice
and its business. Rice keeps on coming through land borders despite the fact
that government has banned importation through land borders.
Header image credit - Food Business Africa
TDP looks to have an edge in Srikakulam
SRIKAKULAM , MARCH
24, 2019 01:17 IST
With all seven MLAs in its kitty, it helped party build cadre
Though Srikakulam is considered an economically backward
district, it is active on the political front, as was evident in 1952 when
Boddepalli Rajagopla Rao won as an independent candidate, although the nation’s
mood was in favour of Congress Party in the first general elections after India
attained Independence.
Later, Mr. Rajagopala Rao joined the Congress and represented
Srikakulam in Parliament till 1984, barring few years between 1967 and 1971
when Sardar Gowthu Latchanna got elected to Lok Saba on Swatantra Party ticket.
Interestingly, both Mr. Rajagopala Rao and Mr. Gowthu Latchanna played a
prominent role in national politics.
The legacy continued when Kinjarapu Yerrannaidu was elected to
Parliament in 1996, and he represented the seat till 2009. He became Minister
in the Union cabinet and leader of leader of Telugu Desam Parliament Party. He
headed the Standing Committee on Railways. In spite of the Y.S. Rajasekhara
Reddy wave in the State, Mr. Yerrannaidu could win the seat in 2004. However,
he was defeated by Congress nominee Killi Kruparani in 2009.
Ms. Kruparani also played a key role in New Delhi politics by
securing a berth in the Union Ministry although she got elected to the
Parliament for the first time. Mr. Yerrannaidu’s son, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu,
got elected to Parliament in 2014.
After the death of Mr. Yerrannaidu in a road accident in 2012,
Mr. Rammohan Naidu contested from the constituency in 2014. He defeated his
nearest rival and YSRCP candidate Reddi Shanti with a margin of 1.27, 572
votes. Former ZP Vice Chairperson Duvvada Srinivas is contesting on YSRCP
ticket this time. Both leaders are confident of winning the seat with comfortable
majority, citing their own political advantages.
In the last elections, the TDP won six of the seven Assembly
segments in Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency. The YSRCP won the Patapatnam
seat, but its MLA Kalamata Venkata Ramana joined the TDP in 2015.
Having sitting MLAs in all seven segments helped the TDP to
build the cadre further. The party also feels that welfare schemes have reached
nook and corner of the district and it had helped the party win the hearts of
people.
The YSRCP claims that the TDP could not ensure any concrete
development of the constituency in the last five years and failed to establish
a single reputed institution, although many were sanctioned in the last five
years. The TDP claims it could ensure establishment of Rice Research Centre,
construction of Vamsadhara phase-2 and stop migration of many people from the
district by concentrating on agriculture and irrigation sectors.
Agri varsity signs pact with IRRI to develop new rice varieties
IRRI will also establish its
regional centre on the university campus for giving more thrust to the rice
research programs in Telangana.
Published: 24th March 2019 08:21
AM | Last Updated: 24th March 2019 08:21 AM
HYDERABAD: Professor Jayashankar Telangana
State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) has collaborated with International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, to jointly develop rice varieties that
are drought tolerant, pest and disease resistant. The focus would also be on
developing rice varieties with low glysemic index which more commonly preferred
by diabetic patients.
IRRI
will also establish its regional centre on the university campus for giving
more thrust to the rice research programs in the State. The university has
agreed to provide 20-25 acres of land on the campus for this centre.
“IRRI has shown keen interest to work with the PJTSAU on collaborative
research projects. IRRI and PJTSAU have decided to prepare rice development
project within next four months and submit it to the State government for
implementation,” said Dr V Praveen Rao, vice chancellor of PJTSAU.
IRRI and
PJTSAU will prepare an action plan for rice varieties in view of the large
scale irrigation projects in the State. The research programmes will be taken
up on water use efficiency in rice crop and thrust will be given to kharif
rice varieties.
The team
of scientists from IRRI, led by its director general Dr. Mathew Morrell, signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PJTSAU here on Saturday.
Earlier, the team met agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy. As part of
the MoU, capacity building programmes will be organised by the IRRI for the
faculty of PJTSAU on advanced breeding technologies. In addition, student and
faculty exchange programmes between the two organisations will also be taken
up.
RICE PROJECT TO BENEFIT MORE FARMERS
MARCH 24, 2019
About Four Thousand Seven Hundred Small Scale farmers are set to
benefit from a Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Rice
dissemination project in Luapula Province.
Project coordinator Goichi Sasaki says the project is helping
farmers learn skills on how to plant various seed varieties like Nerica 4.
Mr. Sakaki says JICA is working with Zambia Agriculture Research
Institute -ZARI- in Luapula and Chilanga to ensure a variety of NERICA 4 is
promoted among the farmers.
He says currently there are more than three hundred rice
demonstration fields in Luapula, Northwestern, Western and Eastern provinces.
Mr. Sakaki further says over fifty million Kwacha will be spent in
the next five years on the project in the four provinces.
And Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo says there is need to
reduce the 45 thousand tonne rice deficit in the country through improved
methods being introduced by JICA.
Mr. Katambo was speaking in a speech read for him by Luapula
Province Deputy permanent Secretary Lloyd Chakaba during a field day event
which was held in Fibalala area, in Samfya district.
Meanwhile farmers in Samfya have told ZNBC news that they are
now embracing the new methods of cultivating rice.
Titus Chela said from one kilogram of rice seeds he has planted,
he is expecting to harvest about one hundred and fifty kilograms of rice.
Agency to
revive lake region’s white elephant projects
Lake Basin Development Authority rice mills.
the mill has been operating at less than five percent its capacity, forcing
many rice farmers to sell their produce to Uganda merchants with ready cash.
[Photo: Collins Oduor Standard]
The
Lake Basin Development Authority regional managers have been asked to submit
proposals aimed at reviving stalled projects and mooting viable ventures to
attract fresh funding.
One
of such white elephant is the Sh6 billion Oluch Kimira irrigation project in
Karachuonyo sub-county that was abandoned despite its food production
potential.
“These
are just but some of the projects that we want to revive now and make them
sustainable if we are to attain food security,” said LBDA new Managing Director
Raymond Omollo.
The
irrigation project was meant to support smallholder farmers growing maize,
rice, vegetables and other horticultural crops in Karachuonyo and Rangwe
sub-counties.
Omollo
(pictured) said a feasibility study conducted by LBDA 10 years ago shows the
area has potential to produce hundreds of tonnes of the crops. Today, only a
few farmers grow watermelon, potatoes, kales, rice and arrow roots.
The
government recently injected Sh150 million to repair machinery at the authority
and pay farmers for deliveries.
Omollo
said the authority has modern rice milling machines with a through-put capacity
of 25 tonnes per hour cleaning and drying and able to produce 24,000 tonnes a
year.
The
MD told all senior management employees to brace for fresh performance
contracts and that all of them must show why they need to continue working for
LBDA.
“We
want each and every senior management employee, including regional managers, to
prove their value at the Authority. So they must sign fresh contracts,” he
said.
Omollo
told the employees that gone are the days when they reported to work and just
idled in offices without doing any substantive work.
“Everyone
will have to account for their presence here,” he said as he unveiled a new
work plan for the authority.
In
the past, LBDA used to be one of the authorities with great agriculture
projects. It was famed for its mechanised agriculture in villages to boost food
security. Most of these village projects collapsed or are performing poorly.
Karachuonyo
MP Adipo Okuome asked the authority to revive all its viable projects to
improve the livelihoods of the people.
“We
are not happy a good project such as Oluch Kimira has not been put into
productive use,” said Okuome.
UAE eyes closer agricultural cooperation with PH
March 25, 2019, 1:52 pm
United Arab
Emirates Minister of State for Food Security Mariam Al Mehairi (UAE Cabinet website photo)
UAE Minister of State for Food Security Mariam Al Mehairi is scheduled to visit the Philippines Rice Research Institute in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, and the International Research Rice Institute in Los Baños, Laguna.
During her stay in the country, the minister will be accompanied by Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn Quintana and is expected to meet senior officials from the Department of Agriculture.
Mehairi was appointed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in October 2017.
Prior to her appointment, she served as Assistant Undersecretary for Water Resources and Nature Conservation Affairs at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
As early as 1981, the two nations sought ways to establish stronger ties anchored on agriculture with the signing of the Protocol on Agricultural Cooperation, inked in April 1981. To date, UAE's top import from the Philippines is banana, including plantains, dried or fresh. (PNA)
GOCC subsidies down
13% in January
GOCC SUBSIDIES DOWN 13% IN JANUARY
Subsidies received by state-run companies from the government declined in
January, latest Treasury bureau data showed.
A total of P795 million was
provided to 18 government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) during the
month, 13.8 percent lower than the P922 million recorded a year earlier.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), which is
responsible for irrigation development and management, accounted for the bulk
or P435 million.
The next-biggest allocation went
to the Philippine Heart Center, which got P74 million, followed by Philippine
Children’s Medical Center (P67 million) and the National Kidney and Transplant
Institute (P50 million).
Other GOCCs that received
assistance were the Light Rail Transit Authority, Aurora Pacific Economic Zone
and Freeport Authority, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Credit Information
Corp., Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, Lung Center of
the Philippines, National Dairy Authority, Philippine Coconut Authority,
Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippine Institute for Development
Studies, Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care,
People’s Television Network Inc., Southern Philippines Development Authority,
and Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority.
The subsidies fell under the
national government’s disbursements program.
In January, state spending
contracted by 7 percent to P212.2 billion, resulting largely from the delays in
the implementation of new government projects and salary adjustments due to the
deferred passage of the 2019 budget.
In 2018, the national government
gave away a record P136.652 billion in subsidies.
State firms that received the
biggest funding assistance were the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (P52.950
billion), NIA, (P28.427 billion) and Land Bank of the Philippine (P25.622
billion).
UAE
minister for food security in Manila for 2-day visit
Published
By Roy Mabasa
A high-ranking official of the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be in the country for a two-day visit beginning
Monday, March 25, to explore cooperation with the Philippines in the areas of
agriculture and food sciences, particularly in rice.
United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Food Security Mariam
Al Mehairi will visit the Philippine on 25-26 March 2019. (UAE Cabinet website
photo)
UAE Minister of State for Food
Security Mariam Al Mehairi will visit the Philippines Rice Research Institute
in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, and the International Rice Research Institute in Los
Baños, Laguna.
During her visit, Mehairi is also
expected to meet senior officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), as
well as other stakeholders in agribusiness.
She will be feted with a welcome
dinner to be hosted by the DA. Preparations for her visit are being jointly
undertaken by the DA, the UAE Embassy in Manila and the DFA.
Philippine Ambassador to Abu
Dhabi Hjayceelyn Quintana will accompany the UAE cabinet official during the
visit.
In October 2017, Mehairi was
appointed to her current post by UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al
Maktoum.
Prior to that, she served as
Assistant Undersecretary for Water Resources and Nature Conservation Affairs at
the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
Part of her responsibilities
includes overseeing the development of necessary
infrastructure to achieve food security objectives in line with “UAE Centennial
2071”.
Mehairi received her bachelor and
master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Rhenish-Westphalian
Technical University in Aachen, Germany.
LoC TRADE
AND TRAVEL: India, Pakistan officials to meet at ‘zero point’ in Uri today
A senior official told Greater Kashmir that the meeting, fixed
on Monday evening, will be attended by officers from the civil administration
and army from the Indian side.
Mukeet
Akmali
Srinagar, Publish Date: Mar 25 2019 1:55AM | Updated Date: Mar 25 2019 1:55AM
Srinagar, Publish Date: Mar 25 2019 1:55AM | Updated Date: Mar 25 2019 1:55AM
As the cross-LoC trade and travel between India and Pakistan
remains suspended for the past two weeks, officials of the two countries are
meeting at the ‘zero point’ in Uri area of Baramulla on Monday to “iron out
differences” hampering the repair work of the Kaman bridge which facilitates
the business and people-to-people contact between the two sides.
A senior official told Greater Kashmir that the meeting, fixed
on Monday evening, will be attended by officers from the civil administration
and army from the Indian side.
The bridge repair work is halted because the Pakistani officials
haven’t given their consent to the demand that there will be no ceasefire
violation while the repair work is underway, the official said.
According to an order issued by the Jammu and Kashmir
government, deputy commissioner Baramulla would chair the “zero meeting” at
Kaman-Post from the Indian side.
Apart from the bridge repair issue, India would also seek
Pakistan’s approval for exporting Kashmiri rice to Pakistan-administered
Kashmir, according to the ‘agenda’ of the meeting.
The main agenda points of the meeting are: repair of Kaman
bridge; crossing of vehicles across LoC by custodian; increase in number of
vehicles from 35 to 70 from both sides in view of suspension of trade for the
holy month of Ramdhan; quarterly traders’ zero-point meeting for reconciliation
with counterparts; allowing food-grain for export and spices for import, and
revival of various facilities at Kaman post.
Earlier, the cross LoC trade and bus service were suspended due
to pending repair works of the bridge, according to officials.
“Due to the sustained use of Kaman AmanSetu for cross-LoC trade
for a long period, the bridge has suffered some damages which require immediate
repairs. Inspection of the bridge was carried out by representatives of GREF (a
border roads organisation wing) supported by army engineers on March 8, 2019,
which indicates that the bridge needs urgent repairs and maintenance to ensure
its longevity,” an official communication of the trade facilitation
centreSalamabad, Uri, reads.
The repair work will require 10 to 15 days and the trade service
will be suspended accordingly, the communication reads.
President, Kashmir chamber of commerce and industries (KKCI)
Sheikh Ashiq said they have taken up the issue of prolonged closure of the
intra-Kashmir trade and bus service with the concerned authorities.
“We recently held a meeting with divisional commissioner Kashmir
seeking his intervention in the matter. It was after this meeting that the decision
to hold a zero-point meeting with Pakistani officials was taken,” he said,
adding that the chamber has always given its unequivocal support for
strengthening the cross-LoC trade and travel.
Vice-president, cross-LoC traders’ association, Samiullah, said:
“It is unfortunate that the government has halted this trade (from Kashmir
side) for over two weeks, while it is going on smoothly from Jammu side”.
“Due to delay in carrying out the bridge repair works, we have
incurred huge losses. We urge both Indian and Pakistani authorities to allow
this trade to flourish,” he said.
In October 2008, India and Pakistan announced commencement of
the intra-Kashmir trade between divided parts of Kashmir as a “confidence
building measure”.
The cross-LoC bus service was officially launched on April 7,
2005.
MILLIONS MALNOURISHED IN PAKISTAN DESPITE FOOD ABUNDANCE
MAR 25 2019 
BY AFP
Rizwan Tabassum—AFP
ONE IN FIVE PEOPLE IN PAKISTAN ARE ESTIMATED TO BE MALNOURISHED
DESPITE THE COUNTRY EXPORTING MILLIONS OF TONS OF RICE ANNUALLY
A frantic mother cradling her
seven-month-old baby rushes towards the special pediatric ward in a desolate
Pakistani town, his eyes are blank and he is smaller than most newborns. He is
starving in a country that has no shortage of food, but which has one of the
highest infant mortality rates in the world and where malnutrition is rife.
The infant weighs just 2.5
kilograms—the average for a healthy child of that age is almost three times
that.
His case is not unique for the
doctors at the Mithi Civil Hospital in hunger-stricken Sindh province where
millions survive on less than $1 a day. Of the 150-250 patients who come in
each day, roughly one fifth are suffering from malnutrition, Dr. Dilip Kumar,
head of the pediatric department, tells AFP.
Inside the ward, nine other
malnourished infants are crying inside glass incubators. A young mother,
Nazeeran, clutches the hand of her toddler. “Her weight is dropping, even
though we consulted many doctors,” the 25-year-old says.
The International Food Policy
Research Institute (IFPRI), a poverty and hunger watchdog, estimates around one
in five of Pakistan’s more than 200 million people are malnourished. And yet,
the nation is not short of food—in fact, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, it is projected to export 500,000 tons of wheat from May 2018
until April 2019, and 7.4 million tons of rice in the same period.
Dawn, the English-language daily
newspaper, even reported a potato glut earlier this month.
The issues, experts say, are
socioeconomic—that is, just because food is available, does not mean people can
access it. “There are four key pillars of food security in Pakistan: The first
is availability, then accessibility, utilization and stability,” says Dr.
Ambreen Fatima, senior research economist at the Applied Economic Research
Center of the Karachi University.
In Tharparkar, where Mithi Civil
Hospital is, all four are lacking, she explains, adding that in other parts of
the country they are present only to varying degrees. “Pakistan is quite well
off in wheat production,” comments Dr. Kaiser Bengali, a veteran economist, who
has done field research on poverty and hunger in the country, but adds that
much of it is sold for export.
This means ordinary people in the
country may not have access to it, and if they do they may not have the
resources to pay for it. “Affordability is the biggest challenge here in
Pakistan,” he says.
Karachi is Pakistan’s financial
capital, but Bengali says he has seen alarming examples of poverty and
deprivation there. “In our surveys we came across the kids who had never eaten
an apple, and when we offered him an apple he was reluctant to take the bite
wondering whether it was an edible thing or not,” Bengali reveals. “In another
case a family had never had eggs in their whole lives,” he adds.
A survey of the state-run
Planning Division in 2017 found that 40 percent of Pakistan’s population lives
in multi-dimensional poverty. That means they are not just short of money, but
are also facing a shortage of basic needs, including health, clean water, and
electricity, among other factors—all of which can impact their access to food.
“Poor physical infrastructure,
particularly in the remote rural areas throughout Pakistan is also a limitation
on access to food and influences market prices,” according to a recent
statement from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “This is also
linked to inadequate water and sanitation, education and health service
delivery, which together with the lack of awareness of appropriate dietary intake
contributes to greater food insecurity and malnutrition.”
Tharparkar district is frequently
highlighted in Pakistan’s media because of its high rate of child deaths, with
politicians blaming the situation on drought—but economists and physicians say
that is not the sole explanation. “Causes of malnutrition are multiple
pregnancies, young-aged marriage, iron deficiency in mothers, [lack] of
breastfeeding, weak immunization, and early weaning,” Dr. Kumar insists.
Bearing large numbers of children
from a young age takes its toll on women’s health, but also impacts the
well-being of the fetus and ability to breastfeed a newborn.
In Pakistan, only 38 percent of
babies are fed breast milk exclusively during their first six months in line
with U.N. recommendations. This low figure is blamed on local traditions, the
heavy workloads of mothers and powerful marketing by the milk industry. Many
mothers are told to feed their newborns tea, herbs, which can stunt growth.
Some are unnecessarily persuaded to use formula instead of breast milk by
doctors. This can introduce health problems if the water use to make it is
unclean, or if poor families scrimp on the amount of powder to create the
drink.
Sindh’s high number of child
deaths are the result of a vicious poverty cycle that begins with malnourished
mothers, agrees Bengali. He adds: “An infant is not fed with wheat or solid
food.”
Weekly cotton review: prices of cotton
remain stable
• NASEEM USMAN
• MAR 25TH,
2019
• KARACHI
The prices of cotton remained stable. The trading volume
decreased in the local market due to the delivery of imported cotton to the big
textile and spinning groups. The sowing of cotton started in lower Sindh. The
concerned departments were active regarding increasing the production of
cotton. Pakistani Cotton and Ginners Association were active for the recovery
of billions of rupees of ginners blocked by millers.
In the local cotton market prices of cotton remained stable. Although the trading volume remained low due to the cautious buying of textile and spinning mills, ginners demanded higher prices of good quality cotton due to which millers are buying the commodity according to their needs. The delivery of imported cotton of many spinning and textile mills has started which is the reason of low trading volume.
Many ginners are facing problems due to low trading volumes. At present, traders are doing their business on borrowing while the ginners are waiting for the increase in the prices. Overall the trading volume is low. The new season will start in three to four months. Ginners have the stock of 1.05 million bales out of which only half are of good quality.
The prices of cotton in both Sindh and Punjab remained Rs 7000 to Rs 9000 per maund while the price of Seed cotton (Kapas/Phutti) is from Rs 3000 to Rs 3600 per 40Kgs in both Sindh and Punjab. Cotton in Balochistan is available at the rate of Rs 7800 to 8100 per maund while the ginning factories were almost closed in Balochistan.
The Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) spot rate committee decreased the spot rate by Rs 100 to Rs 8600 per maund. Karachi Cotton Brokers Forum said that a mixed trend was seen in the international market. According to experts, the US-China trade conflict has a negative impact on the world business. China is importing cotton from India due to this conflict. Due to import of cotton by China from India the prices of cotton remained stable in India which the prices of this commodity show an upward trend in the USA.
Moreover, due to the rains there is a delay in harvesting of wheat while according to the information received from Interior Sindh the sowing of cotton has partially started while the partial sowing season in Punjab is expected to begin next month.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has shown his resolve of increasing the production of cotton by 15 million bales due to which the relevant departments have started their efforts. Punjab Agriculture minister Malik Noman Ahmad Langrial while speaking at Agriculture House last Wednesday expressed his optimism about cotton output. In his statement Noman said that relevant departments should utilize all their resources to increase the cultivation land of cotton in order to increase the cotton production. He said that the federal government should announce the support price of cotton as early as possible and cotton should be bought through Trading Corporation of Pakistan so that the cotton farmers should get reasonable amount of their crop.
Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said that China will import rice, sugar and cotton yarn from Pakistan of worth 1 billion dollars under Pakistan China Free Trade Agreement. The export of rice from Pakistan has already started. The Cotton Yarn Exporters said that China is importing yarn of 10, 16 and 21 count from Pakistan. It is hoped that China will import more cotton from Pakistan under PCFTA.
Earlier, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association chairman Mian Mahmood Ahmad said that millers are not paying the outstanding amount to ginners; due to which ginners-millers relationship came under severe strains.
The PCGA has asked ginners to send the list of millers so that association should contact the millers. Mahmood said that ginners have sent the claim of Rs 700 million to the association. More ginners are in contact. It is expected that outstanding amount may increase. Some ginners and millers are in contact and talks are underway between them so they don't approach the PCGA.
In the local cotton market prices of cotton remained stable. Although the trading volume remained low due to the cautious buying of textile and spinning mills, ginners demanded higher prices of good quality cotton due to which millers are buying the commodity according to their needs. The delivery of imported cotton of many spinning and textile mills has started which is the reason of low trading volume.
Many ginners are facing problems due to low trading volumes. At present, traders are doing their business on borrowing while the ginners are waiting for the increase in the prices. Overall the trading volume is low. The new season will start in three to four months. Ginners have the stock of 1.05 million bales out of which only half are of good quality.
The prices of cotton in both Sindh and Punjab remained Rs 7000 to Rs 9000 per maund while the price of Seed cotton (Kapas/Phutti) is from Rs 3000 to Rs 3600 per 40Kgs in both Sindh and Punjab. Cotton in Balochistan is available at the rate of Rs 7800 to 8100 per maund while the ginning factories were almost closed in Balochistan.
The Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) spot rate committee decreased the spot rate by Rs 100 to Rs 8600 per maund. Karachi Cotton Brokers Forum said that a mixed trend was seen in the international market. According to experts, the US-China trade conflict has a negative impact on the world business. China is importing cotton from India due to this conflict. Due to import of cotton by China from India the prices of cotton remained stable in India which the prices of this commodity show an upward trend in the USA.
Moreover, due to the rains there is a delay in harvesting of wheat while according to the information received from Interior Sindh the sowing of cotton has partially started while the partial sowing season in Punjab is expected to begin next month.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has shown his resolve of increasing the production of cotton by 15 million bales due to which the relevant departments have started their efforts. Punjab Agriculture minister Malik Noman Ahmad Langrial while speaking at Agriculture House last Wednesday expressed his optimism about cotton output. In his statement Noman said that relevant departments should utilize all their resources to increase the cultivation land of cotton in order to increase the cotton production. He said that the federal government should announce the support price of cotton as early as possible and cotton should be bought through Trading Corporation of Pakistan so that the cotton farmers should get reasonable amount of their crop.
Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said that China will import rice, sugar and cotton yarn from Pakistan of worth 1 billion dollars under Pakistan China Free Trade Agreement. The export of rice from Pakistan has already started. The Cotton Yarn Exporters said that China is importing yarn of 10, 16 and 21 count from Pakistan. It is hoped that China will import more cotton from Pakistan under PCFTA.
Earlier, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association chairman Mian Mahmood Ahmad said that millers are not paying the outstanding amount to ginners; due to which ginners-millers relationship came under severe strains.
The PCGA has asked ginners to send the list of millers so that association should contact the millers. Mahmood said that ginners have sent the claim of Rs 700 million to the association. More ginners are in contact. It is expected that outstanding amount may increase. Some ginners and millers are in contact and talks are underway between them so they don't approach the PCGA.
Parthenium - the silent killer of Pakistan’s agricultural yield
Published: March 25, 2019
FAISALABAD: Invasive species are threatening biological
diversity and globally pose a huge threat to economic activities, such as
agriculture, development and tourism.
More than
half of the world’s food comes from three crops – wheat, maize and rice.
According to the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI),
it is estimated that these crops alone suffer yield losses of 16% due to
invasive weeds, costing approximately $96 billion annually.
Research has
revealed that there are about 480,000 invasive species in different ecosystems
across the world. Each year, the damage caused by invasive species costs in
excess of $1.4 trillion worldwide, representing almost 5% of the global
economy.
Unfortunately,
the geographic spread and impact of invasive species is growing rapidly due to
climate change, tourism and trade. Africa has recently suffered the menace of
one particularly damaging invasive species – the Fall Armyworm, which attacks
maize and other crops.
With over 200
million people in Africa relying on maize as their staple crop, the high yield
losses recorded have had a clear impact on food security.
A recent CABI
evidence note stated that this year Ghana reported 26.6% and Zambia 35% yield
losses. The recent arrival of Fall Armyworm in India and its predicted rapid
spread across parts of Asia poses a risk to yields here too. Right now, in
Pakistan we are being affected by an invasive species called Parthenium – a
weed commonly known as ‘Gajar Booti’ and now recognised as a major threat with
impact on human health, biodiversity, agriculture, livestock and food security.
Parthenium is
native to South and Central America, but over decades it has spread to over 40
countries – including Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa,
Swaziland and Ethiopia. It has achieved major weed status in all these
countries.
Parthenium is
almost 1-2-metre tall, branched plant emerging as a threat weed having
potential to deter the germination of native flora and ability to displace
existing weeds. It causes skin rashes, watery eyes, swelling, itching of
membranes of mouth and nose, constant coughing, especially at night and
respiratory problems have also been reported.
It was an
important weed in Lahore, Sialkot and northern Punjab in the previous decade,
but now it has invaded most of the canal-irrigated districts in the command areas
of Ravi and Chenab rivers. Northeastern districts are more prone to this
menace. However, with the exceptions of a few, the command areas of Jhelum and
Indus rivers are still mainly free of this weed.
In recent
years, it has spread all over Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) with variable
degree of infestation in sugarcane, cotton, gardens, vegetables and other
crops, especially of spring and summer.
General
public remains unaware
However,
somewhat surprisingly, the general public remains oblivious to its dangers.
Nestled within its small white flowers, the Parthenium plant can look quite
beautiful, especially in flower bouquets and decorations (a practice that is
contributing to its countrywide seed dispersal).
Parthenium is
an extremely prolific seed producer as it has the capacity to produce up to
25,000 seeds per plant in isolated cases. Moreover, given suitable moisture
levels, seeds can germinate at any time of the year and can remain viable for a
long time, surviving even under very harsh environmental conditions. Pakistan’s
climate is suitable for Parthenium throughout the year – making the weed
prolific.
Parthenium
manipulates the ecology of fields, affects the yield of crops and invades
forests through its aggressive nature and gigantic allelopathic potential.
Allelopathic plants release chemical compounds from their roots into the soil,
which suppress or even kill surrounding plants.
In addition,
Parthenium is highly allergenic; its pollen can cause asthma, eye irritation,
throat infections and eczema. In livestock, it causes mouth ulcers in animals
that consume the weed, which can result in deteriorating milk quality and
tainting of meat.
Invasive
species disproportionately affect vulnerable communities in rural areas,
especially in developing countries, which mainly depend on a healthy ecosystem,
natural resources, agriculture, tourism and trade. For a country like Pakistan,
with 60% of the economy dependent on agriculture, this issue is incredibly
serious and requires serious action.
Presently, Parthenium
is not only affecting crop fields and reducing yields, it is also invading
green belts within towns and cities and outcompeting native fauna. However, for
now at least, the problem is still within the bounds of control.
How to
control the weed
Organisations
like CABI have been active in working with Pakistan’s agriculture departments,
reaching out to both rural and urban communities by organising workshops for
farmers and conducting awareness campaigns. These activities provide
information about the identification and management of Parthenium as well as
knowledge on the dangers of this weed.
The aim is to
change the perception of Parthenium and control the weed. Additionally, CABI
has been researching options for the biological control of Parthenium using its
natural enemies, without the need for herbicides.
The research
is currently looking at a beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata, which feeds on the
leaves of Parthenium as well as a range of other species. The beetle is already
being used to control Parthenium in Australia, South Africa, Ethiopia and
Tanzania and studies have revealed that Zygogramma is already present in
northern Punjab, K-P and Kashmir.
Researchers
from the University of Manchester have also collaborated with CABI using space
technology to tackle Parthenium with remote sensing in Pakistan.
By monitoring
Parthenium in crops using satellite imaging, the project aims to quantify the
spread on a large scale, particularly in remote areas, in order to create
evidence-based control strategies. The project works with local stakeholders
including Comsats University, the National University of Sciences and
Technology, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Pakistan Agricultural
Research Council, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Institute of Space
Technology and agriculture extension and regional crop departments of Punjab
and K-P.
Bringing
together key decision-makers from various sectors, creates a more universal
approach, increasing the likelihood of controlling other invasive species in
future.
Researchers
fear that Parthenium could have a similarly devastating impact in Pakistan as
that of the Fall Armyworm in Africa and stress that government bodies must take
appropriate initiatives to control this weed.
Instant
initiatives must be taken to educate farmers and the general public on the
methods of controlling Parthenium. With support from the government, CABI’s
programme can facilitate better and sustainable management of invasive species,
ultimately helping Pakistan prosper.
Tackling
invasive species like Parthenium is critical for achieving widespread economic
prosperity and combating poverty, therefore, governments must commit to
reducing the economic impact of invasive species.
Abid Mahmood
is the Director General Agriculture (Research), Ayub Agricultural Research
Institute (AARI), Faisalabad whereas Muhammad Ashiq is the Assistant
Agronomist, Plant Physiology Section, Agronomic Research Institute, AARI
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th,
2019.
Nowruz celebrations bring together people from diverse cultures,
nationalities Pakistan will continue to strive for peace in region: Arif Alvi
By News desk
Zubair Qureshi
Some call it Nauruz, some Nowruz or Nowroz but all celebrate it!
Nowruz marks the first day of the first month of the Iranian calendar and
usually occurs on March 21 or the previous or following day. Serena Hotel’s
management in consultation with the embassies of Central Asian
countries—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan,—Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran thought it befitting to celebrate the
day on Sunday, March 24.
And what a wise decision it turned out to be! Being an off-day one could see guests coming at a their convenience along with families and friends taking interest in the traditional items as well as food put on display at the stall of the participating country. Focus of everyone’s attention was the kind of rice cooked at various stalls of the central Asian countries.
Besides, a variety of food stuff was also made available on these stalls. The Central Asian pilaf (pullao) available almost on all stalls of Central Asian states became a must-eat dish. The way each central Asian nation cooked rice with mutton or beef could be sensed and tasted the moment one gets closer to the pavilion of a particular country. Though it is known and called by different names, Pullao is the common treat in almost all the Central Asian countries as well as Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.
Likewise, artwork, traditional caps and coats and other garments put on display by each embassy also attracted huge attention of the visitors.
Turkish Shawarma, Kazakh pullao, Uzbek sweets and Azerbaijan ‘lassi’ were some of the mouthwatering items the visitors took keen interest in.
Iran and Afghanistan stalls too had a lot to offer to visitors. The UN too established a stall on the venue. International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this holiday (Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, India, Iran Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.
President Arif Aliv was the chief guest at the Nowruz festivities. In his address, he congratulated the member countries for hosting such an impressive event.
President said Pakistan was a threshold of peace and took pride in its diverse cultures and communities. Having fought and won war on terror, Pakistan knows the value of peace better than any other power of the region, said Dr Arif Alvi and assured the guests the country would continue to strive for peace and prosperity of the whole region.
The President highly appreciated the cultural performances of the children of the different countries. “It is always a pleasure to see children clad in beautiful dresses of their respective countries and presenting some extra ordinary cultural performance adding such performances in fact add true color to Nowruz festivities” said the president.
CEO Serena Hotels South and Central Asia, Aziz Boolani also spoke on the occasion and thanked the guests for taking part in this event in large numbers.
President Dr Arif Alvi was presented some traditional item at each embassy’s stall he visited like Shapan, a Kazakh coat by Ambassador Barlybay Sadykov; a basket of traditional food items eggs and Azerbaijani cake by Azerbaijan ambassador Ali Alizada and a Kyrgyz hat by Kyrgyzstan ambassador Erik Beishembiev, etc.
And what a wise decision it turned out to be! Being an off-day one could see guests coming at a their convenience along with families and friends taking interest in the traditional items as well as food put on display at the stall of the participating country. Focus of everyone’s attention was the kind of rice cooked at various stalls of the central Asian countries.
Besides, a variety of food stuff was also made available on these stalls. The Central Asian pilaf (pullao) available almost on all stalls of Central Asian states became a must-eat dish. The way each central Asian nation cooked rice with mutton or beef could be sensed and tasted the moment one gets closer to the pavilion of a particular country. Though it is known and called by different names, Pullao is the common treat in almost all the Central Asian countries as well as Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.
Likewise, artwork, traditional caps and coats and other garments put on display by each embassy also attracted huge attention of the visitors.
Turkish Shawarma, Kazakh pullao, Uzbek sweets and Azerbaijan ‘lassi’ were some of the mouthwatering items the visitors took keen interest in.
Iran and Afghanistan stalls too had a lot to offer to visitors. The UN too established a stall on the venue. International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this holiday (Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, India, Iran Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.
President Arif Aliv was the chief guest at the Nowruz festivities. In his address, he congratulated the member countries for hosting such an impressive event.
President said Pakistan was a threshold of peace and took pride in its diverse cultures and communities. Having fought and won war on terror, Pakistan knows the value of peace better than any other power of the region, said Dr Arif Alvi and assured the guests the country would continue to strive for peace and prosperity of the whole region.
The President highly appreciated the cultural performances of the children of the different countries. “It is always a pleasure to see children clad in beautiful dresses of their respective countries and presenting some extra ordinary cultural performance adding such performances in fact add true color to Nowruz festivities” said the president.
CEO Serena Hotels South and Central Asia, Aziz Boolani also spoke on the occasion and thanked the guests for taking part in this event in large numbers.
President Dr Arif Alvi was presented some traditional item at each embassy’s stall he visited like Shapan, a Kazakh coat by Ambassador Barlybay Sadykov; a basket of traditional food items eggs and Azerbaijani cake by Azerbaijan ambassador Ali Alizada and a Kyrgyz hat by Kyrgyzstan ambassador Erik Beishembiev, etc.
Bulog fails to
reach target to absorb farmers' rice
·
The Jakarta Post
Palembang
/ Mon, March 25, 2019
/ 09:19 am
A rice field in Plaosan village, Klaten regency,
Central Java. (JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan)
The South Sumatra chapter of the
State Logistics Agency (Bulog) is facing difficulties in reaching its rice
absorption target of 70,000 tons this year despite harvest season.
The agency had only been able to
absorb 180 tons of rice as of early March due to the rising price of rice at
the farmers’ level, also known as the “farm gate price”, said the chapter head,
M. Yusuf Salahuddin, in Palembang, South Sumatra, recently.
Raw rice, which is not qualified
yet as medium or premiumquality rice, is sold at above Rp 8,300 (58 US cents)
per kilogram on average.
“The low absorption is because
farmers sell their rice at a higher price than the regulated farm gate price of
Rp 7,300, with the flexibility reaching Rp 8,030 at maximum [lower than the
actual farm gate price of Rp 8,300],” he said.
He said Bulog had purchased the 180
tons of rice based on the commercial price as it had to follow regulations on
rice prices.
Bulog has earmarked Rp 10 trillion
for rice purchases nationwide this year.
In terms of logistics, Yusuf
ensured that Bulog’s warehouse in South Sumatra would be able to store more
rice, saying that currently it housed 27,500 tons of rice, including the stock
from last year. Aside from local rice absorption, some of the stock also came
from East Java, he said.
The existing stock is expected to
fulfill people’s needs for the next seven months.
The stock will also be distributed
through several programs, such as the social assistance fund (Bansos), rice
assistance (Rastra) and direct market operations through traditional markets.
“We have distributed 4,000 tons of
rice through the Bansos and Rastra programs in 2019 so far. We will continue to
distribute our stock,” Yusuf said. (bbn)
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