Navy Arrests 3 Suspects, Seizes 416 Bags Of Contraband Rice In A’Ibom
April 10, 2019
The Nigerian Navy, Forward
Operating Base, Ibaka, Mbo LGA in Akwa Ibom, says it has arrested three
suspects and seized 416 bags of contraband rice brought in from the Republic of
Cameroon.
The Commanding Officer, FOB, Navy Cpt. Reginald Adoki, made the disclosure during the handover of the seized items to Nigeria Customs officials in Mbo on Wednesday.
Adoki said the three suspects were intercepted in a wooden boat along the Mbo River by officials of the navy during routine patrol.
They discovered that the medium boat which was fitted with two 40 horsepower Yamaha outboard engines was carrying the 416 bags of 50kg rice
He said: “The gunboat of FOB, Ibaka, while conducting routine patrol along the Mbo river and other adjoining creeks intercepted a medium-sized wooden boat.
“After offloading, it was discovered to be carrying 416 bags of 50kg rice and two 40 horsepower Yamaha outboard engines which are fitted to the wooden boat.
“ The three suspects, from preliminary investigations revealed they were bringing the rice from Cameroon.
“This handover is customary to us and a way of renewing the commitment the Navy has put in clearing this area of illegal activities.
“It also reiterates the confidence the Navy has in the customs to deal with the cases handed over to them for further investigation and prosecution,” Adoki said.
Receiving the suspects and bags of rice from the Navy, the Comptroller, Eastern Marine Command, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt, Mr Elton Edorhe appealed to the smugglers to desist from harming the economy of the country through their actions.
Edorhe, was represented by Mr Ibrahim Adamu, Chief Superintendent of Customs
“On behalf of the Customs Comptroller, Eastern Marine Command, Comptroller Elton Edorhe, I thank the Navy for the seizures and appeal to the smugglers to consider the economy of the nation that is being bastardised through smuggling.
“They should do the needful and desist from this economic sabotage and also save themselves the pains of losing their money,’’ he said.
However, one of the suspects, Mr Victor Asuquo, a professional barber from Mbo LGA, said he was innocent of the charge against him.
Asuquo, who said he was returning home after about six months sojourn in Cameroon, said he was only a passenger in the captured boat and not involved in smuggling.
He said, “I am not involved in this smuggling; I just entered the boat as a passenger. The driver of the boat escaped when the boat was arrested, the three of us are passengers.
“I left Cameroon because of the crisis there and since I did not have an international passport to board a flying boat, I paid 5,000 franc to board the local boat,’’ he said.
The Commanding Officer, FOB, Navy Cpt. Reginald Adoki, made the disclosure during the handover of the seized items to Nigeria Customs officials in Mbo on Wednesday.
Adoki said the three suspects were intercepted in a wooden boat along the Mbo River by officials of the navy during routine patrol.
They discovered that the medium boat which was fitted with two 40 horsepower Yamaha outboard engines was carrying the 416 bags of 50kg rice
He said: “The gunboat of FOB, Ibaka, while conducting routine patrol along the Mbo river and other adjoining creeks intercepted a medium-sized wooden boat.
“After offloading, it was discovered to be carrying 416 bags of 50kg rice and two 40 horsepower Yamaha outboard engines which are fitted to the wooden boat.
“ The three suspects, from preliminary investigations revealed they were bringing the rice from Cameroon.
“This handover is customary to us and a way of renewing the commitment the Navy has put in clearing this area of illegal activities.
“It also reiterates the confidence the Navy has in the customs to deal with the cases handed over to them for further investigation and prosecution,” Adoki said.
Receiving the suspects and bags of rice from the Navy, the Comptroller, Eastern Marine Command, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt, Mr Elton Edorhe appealed to the smugglers to desist from harming the economy of the country through their actions.
Edorhe, was represented by Mr Ibrahim Adamu, Chief Superintendent of Customs
“On behalf of the Customs Comptroller, Eastern Marine Command, Comptroller Elton Edorhe, I thank the Navy for the seizures and appeal to the smugglers to consider the economy of the nation that is being bastardised through smuggling.
“They should do the needful and desist from this economic sabotage and also save themselves the pains of losing their money,’’ he said.
However, one of the suspects, Mr Victor Asuquo, a professional barber from Mbo LGA, said he was innocent of the charge against him.
Asuquo, who said he was returning home after about six months sojourn in Cameroon, said he was only a passenger in the captured boat and not involved in smuggling.
He said, “I am not involved in this smuggling; I just entered the boat as a passenger. The driver of the boat escaped when the boat was arrested, the three of us are passengers.
“I left Cameroon because of the crisis there and since I did not have an international passport to board a flying boat, I paid 5,000 franc to board the local boat,’’ he said.
Pessimism prevails in industry, bureaucracy
· PESSIMISM
PREVAILS IN INDUSTRY, BUREAUCRACY
(Last of three parts)
Despite assurances from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies primarily tasked to implement major projects under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), pessimism prevails within the rice industry and the bureaucracy, including the National Food Authority (NFA).
Despite assurances from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies primarily tasked to implement major projects under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), pessimism prevails within the rice industry and the bureaucracy, including the National Food Authority (NFA).
A
young boy take a look to this photographer when he and hios older brother
photographed while harvesting palay along the ricefiled along the national
highway of Balaoan, La Union. File Photo
The two attached agencies that
will implement the bulk of the programs under RCEF to make the country’s rice
sector competitive are the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization (PhilMech) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice)
that will be getting P5 billion and P3 billion, respectively, from this year up
to 2024.
Among the regions where pessimism
is being felt is Cagayan Valley (Region 2), which, ironically, already has a
competitive rice-growing sector particularly in Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya. In
these provinces, palay (unmilled rice) yield is at least 4 metric tons per
hectare, among the highest in the country.
“DA has all the blows to
parry…and Secretary Piñol is under siege,” an agriculture official from Cagayan
Valley said, referring to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.
“We wait until additional
measures will be discussed by the agriculture chief. Meantime, we gather as
much feedback as we can from farmers. However, these would, I personally
presume, go to the other side of the coin. How will we survive? How can we
thrive if private traders can import?” the source, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, told The Manila Times.
NFA to lose powers
There is also a level of
pessimism in the NFA offices in Cagayan Valley, which may reflect the
sentiments of the agency’s units in other parts of the country.
A source said all the provincial
units of the grains agency in the region are concerned with the influx of
imported rice. The source described Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the “Rice Tariffication
Law” as “anti-people.”
The draft of the implementing
rules and regulations (IRR) for RA 11203 calls for the reorganization of the
NFA and the formulation of a package for employees who will be “considered
redundant.”
The draft IRR also states that rice
importers need not seek NFA permits or licenses to import rice, and that the
licenses the agency issued to rice traders and retailers are revoked.
The draft IRR makes the NFA an
“open market player” in the rice industry, while maintaining a buffer stock.
The second draft of the IRR does not go into detail, however, on what
constitutes an “open market player” or buffer stock.
The NFA source said that
liberalized rice imports would affect the agency’s accredited dealers and
cooperatives, who might be forced to sell their stocks at lower prices to
compete with grain imports. News of the rice imports has also driven the retail
price of rice to as low as P20 to 21 per kilo.
‘Misinformation’
In Isabela, a source from the
PhilRice office said there was misinformation that RA 11203 was the cause of
the lowering of palay prices.
“Our farmers also think this way,
that we will be flooded with low-priced rice from abroad…but this is not true…
the 35 [percent] tariff of imports from Asean [Association of Southeast Asian
Nations] countries will increase their prices to become competitive with our
rice which we produce at a much higher cost,” he explained.
“We should be employing better
production management technologies, such as direct seeding, use of hybrid rice
varieties, higher fertilization rates both organic and inorganic, more use of
machinery, and others, to lower our cost per kilo of production,” he added.
A few farmers interviewed by The
Times in Cagayan Valley fear that their rice will become worthless with the
arrival of more affordable stocks from abroad.
However, Charles Lim, a
farmer-businessman based in Isabela province, said the problem was not the
price of rice but the high cost of production.
“Farmers should work on lowering
cost of production while increasing yield per hectare,” Lim said, explaining
that an average of 90 cavans of palay per hectare was very low, producing an
income estimated at only P5,250 per month.
He said a farmer should maximize
production up to 300 cavans per hectare to earn up to P20,000 per hectare.
“Helping the farmers increase
their yield with new approaches and technology is what we need and not
importation, thus, we become rice self-sufficient country,” Lim added.
Mental Health: Ag Community Urged to Address the Stress
By Lesley Dixon
ARLINGTON,
VA -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Journal of
Rural Health published studies last year that show suicide rates among farmers
and farm workers are some of the highest of any industry, and are on the
rise. This disturbing trend has brought to light the many unique
stressors and hardships that farmers face and the growing need for healthcare
resources and support in rural areas.
In March, USA Rice joined a coalition of dozens of agriculture organizations in signing a letter calling for Congress to fully fund the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) included in the 2018 Farm Bill. Congress provided $2 million in the fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill for a pilot of FRSAN, which will hopefully lead to full implementation by 2020. The program provides grants for extension services, state departments of agriculture, nonprofit organizations and other entities to provide stress assistance to farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and other agriculture-related occupations. Resources will include farm helplines and websites, training programs and workshops, outreach services, and home delivery of assistance.
The letter notes that up to 60 percent of rural residents live in areas that lack adequate access to mental health resources. Many farmers live in counties that don't even have a doctor or a hospital, much less a counselor or therapist, and they may have to drive for hours to seek treatment. Compounding the problem is that mental health professionals often don't have the specialized knowledge to understand what farmers go through; they may not be informed on the complications of tariff issues, for example, or the particular pain of losing a multi-generation farm. Studies show that farmers who work on smaller farms-11 people or less-may be at higher risk of depression or suicide.
Several states, including Virginia, Arkansas, and North Dakota, have already begun adopting policies and developing programs that aim to increase mental health support for agricultural workers. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has recently implemented a free, hour-long educational program aimed at farmers that covers causes of stress and healthy ways to cope.
"People under heavy stress may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, like substance abuse or working harder to solve the problem when what's really needed is rest," said Brittney Schrick, assistant professor of family life at the Division of Agriculture. "We also offer group trainings, and an eight-hour training course for our country agents and our extension personnel, to arm them with some tools they can take out into the field."
Schrick says that these agents may be in the best position to have candid discussions with farmers about mental health. "We're hoping to train them for what signs to look for, how to respond, and how to utilize the resources available to them when someone seems like they're in a crisis."
The CDC report was a wakeup call for agriculture. The significant efforts being made by state and local farm agencies to create more honesty around mental health and provide better access to healthcare come at a crucial time. For those in the farming community who are suffering, these new resources will shine a light in darkness.
In March, USA Rice joined a coalition of dozens of agriculture organizations in signing a letter calling for Congress to fully fund the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) included in the 2018 Farm Bill. Congress provided $2 million in the fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill for a pilot of FRSAN, which will hopefully lead to full implementation by 2020. The program provides grants for extension services, state departments of agriculture, nonprofit organizations and other entities to provide stress assistance to farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and other agriculture-related occupations. Resources will include farm helplines and websites, training programs and workshops, outreach services, and home delivery of assistance.
The letter notes that up to 60 percent of rural residents live in areas that lack adequate access to mental health resources. Many farmers live in counties that don't even have a doctor or a hospital, much less a counselor or therapist, and they may have to drive for hours to seek treatment. Compounding the problem is that mental health professionals often don't have the specialized knowledge to understand what farmers go through; they may not be informed on the complications of tariff issues, for example, or the particular pain of losing a multi-generation farm. Studies show that farmers who work on smaller farms-11 people or less-may be at higher risk of depression or suicide.
Several states, including Virginia, Arkansas, and North Dakota, have already begun adopting policies and developing programs that aim to increase mental health support for agricultural workers. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has recently implemented a free, hour-long educational program aimed at farmers that covers causes of stress and healthy ways to cope.
"People under heavy stress may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, like substance abuse or working harder to solve the problem when what's really needed is rest," said Brittney Schrick, assistant professor of family life at the Division of Agriculture. "We also offer group trainings, and an eight-hour training course for our country agents and our extension personnel, to arm them with some tools they can take out into the field."
Schrick says that these agents may be in the best position to have candid discussions with farmers about mental health. "We're hoping to train them for what signs to look for, how to respond, and how to utilize the resources available to them when someone seems like they're in a crisis."
The CDC report was a wakeup call for agriculture. The significant efforts being made by state and local farm agencies to create more honesty around mental health and provide better access to healthcare come at a crucial time. For those in the farming community who are suffering, these new resources will shine a light in darkness.
|
Rice
Webinar: Thursday April 11
Tune in Thursday,
April 11, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, for a new rice webinar hosted by Dr.
Bobby Coats, with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness
at the University of Arkansas. Riceland Foods, Inc. Senior Vice President
Terry Harris will discuss the challenges the U.S. rice industry faces selling
rice in a world increasingly focused on food security, protectionism, and
nationalism. Harris will touch on subjects such as NAFTA 2.0, Chinese trade
and policy disputes, European Union economic and trade challenges, Brexit,
and other issues impacting today's U.S. rice trade.
Go here to register for the webinar. |
|
USA Rice Daily
Most of
China's rice fields suitable for water saving irrigation: research
Source:
Xinhua| 2019-04-11 17:03:20|Editor: mingmei
BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have disclosed
that over 94 percent of the country's rice fields are suitable for water saving
irrigation (WSI).
The researchers from Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics,
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning of Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences and Peking University constructed an index system
considering soil, climate hydrology, terrain, soil fertility and salinity,
rainfall and underground water levels.
They analyzed water saving, pollutant reducing, and yield
increasing effects, based on multi-site field studies across China. The
potential overall effect of WSI practices at country level was also estimated.
Results showed that a higher pollutant reduction rate appeared
with a higher water saving rate, while the yield increasing effect would end
when the water saving rate increased to a specific amount.
They also found that soil structure deterioration and low soil
fertility made 5.81 percent of the rice fields unsuitable for WSI.
The application of WSI in China has noticeable potential to alleviate
water shortage, control the greenhouse gas emissions of rice fields and reduce
pest disease.
China has four commonly-used WSI methods: shallow-wet
irrigation, controlled irrigation, intermittent irrigation and rain-gathering
irrigation, according to the paper published in the journal Agricultural Water
Management.
IRRI, partners to transform Asean rice-fish
systems
·
IRRI, PARTNERS TO TRANSFORM ASEAN
RICE-FISH SYSTEMS
Source: IRRI FB
The International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI), WorldFish and the International Water Management Institute
(IWMI) signed a five-year tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) on
Tuesday, providing the framework for cooperation on research for development
(R4D) initiatives focused on the sustainable intensification and management of
rice-fish production systems in irrigated landscapes and wetlands in Southeast
Asia.
The agreement aligns with the
CGIAR 2030 Plan that calls for transformations of its research programs to
usher in a “food systems revolution” to tackle challenges related to sustainability,
nutrition, genetics, socioeconomics and information, and to contribute to the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through greater cooperation
between the centers.
“This agreement exemplifies a
food systems approach to transforming the global rice sector. The combined
global research expertise and influence of IRRI, WorldFish and IWMI in the core
elements of diets such as rice and fish, as well as land and water systems make
this strategic collaboration essential to a food systems revolution,” said IRRI
Director General Matthew Morell.
Previous individual and joint
program partnerships involving IRRI, WorldFish and IWMI have yielded positive
results. These include the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (2004),
and an earlier project on fish-rice between IRRI and WorldFish with Bangladesh
research and nonprofit agencies.
More recently, WorldFish, IRRI
and IWMI came together for the Australian Center for International Agricultural
Research-funded Development of Rice Fish Systems (RFS) in the Ayeyarwady Delta
project. The project aims to improve the productivity and profitability of
rice-fish systems in Myanmar and seeks to benefit small-scale rice farming
households, and fisherfolk by diversifying production in rice-based farming
systems and landscapes, enhancing resilience of rice-based farming systems.
WorldFish Director General Gareth
Johnstone said the multi-agency partnership provides a strategic push for wider
research, promotion and implementation of integrated rice-fish systems, and
builds on previous successes of WorldFish and its partners.
“This partnership helps create
better synergies for leveraging our individual research expertise and network
strengths to accelerate the sustainable supply of nutritious fish and rice into
national, regional and global food systems. Together, we will also be able to
better support regional cooperation by increasing awareness, disseminating
knowledge and scaling critical solutions for this intensification to be truly
sustainable,” Johnstone said.
IMWI’s work on sustainable water
and land use converges well with IRRI’s work on landscape-level water
management and environmental sustainability.
“What we aim to achieve as
individual organizations is interconnected and geared toward the fulfillment of
almost the same SDGs. We envision a sustainable food, nutrition and water
secure world and this strategic partnership gets us closer to that goal,” said
IMWI Deputy Director General for Research for Development Mark Smith.
Under the MoU, IRRI, WorldFish
and IWMI will co-develop and implement R4D activities to discover the impact of
rice-fish production systems on environmental, socioeconomic and cultural
values on land and waterways. The R4D projects will be developed based on
themes, including constructed water bodies, rice-fish landscapes, climate
resilience and water, trade-offs and foresight analysis, and information and
communications technology and big data.
Farmers seek
more subsidies under rice tariff law
Philippine
Daily Inquirer / 05:02 AM April 11, 2019
A farmer in Pangasinan Willie Lomibao
LA TRINIDAD,
Benguet, Philippines — In the wake of the passage of the implementing rules of
Republic Act No. 11203, or the rice tariffication law, Cordillera farmers have
sought for amendments to include subsidy on farm inputs.
Half of the
rice competitiveness enhancement fund focuses on farm mechanization, but there
is no direct mention of aid for farm inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, said
Remy Albano, president of Cordillera Federation of Irrigators Associations
(FIA-CAR).
Under the
new law, the rice fund has an annual allocation of P10 billion for six years
and 30 percent of this will go to the development, propagation, and promotion
of inbred rice by the Philippine Rice Research Institute.
“Even if
farms are mechanized but input prices continue to rise, we remain losers in the
trade,” said Albano, who is also vice governor of Apayao.
He said
farmers in Cordillera need to shift to hybrid rice to be at par with other
rice-producing regions and increase yield per hectare since they can no longer
expand their farms.
Hybrid rice
varieties produce higher yield and are more resistant to diseases and insects.
However, they are more expensive than the commonly used inbred variety.
Albano said
farmers cannot use hybrid rice seeds harvested from the previous season because
these have already lost vigor, a genetic characteristic which results in lower
yield.
“This means
farmers need to allocate money to buy seeds every season,” Albano said.
In recent
years, prices of fertilizers have also significantly increased along with other
farming commodities, he said, adding that this has forced many farmers to
resort to “credit-for-harvest” offers from rice traders or pawn .
The war on weeds
Supplement -
2019 problem solvers // weed control
Topdress containers with PBH rice
hulls to reduce the need for herbicide and hand weeding.
April 5, 2019
Herbicides and hand weeding have
long been the two options for managing weeds in nursery containers. In recent
years, however, a new grower-developed technique has emerged and gained
significant credibility. Nursery professionals have discovered the benefits of managing
weeds by topdressing containers with parboiled rice hulls – a weed management
practice now substantiated by USDA research.
Although rice hull topdressing may
not totally eliminate the need for herbicides and/or hand weeding, it can
reduce both and provide several other key advantages.
A rice hull top-dress of 1 to 2
inches offers the following:
- Prevents airborne weed seeds from reaching
the growing media and germinating
- Dramatically decreases container weeds,
including moss species such as liverwort
- Significantly reduces hand-weeding labor
and expense
- Provides excellent potential for reduced
herbicide use
- Helps decrease damage in
herbicide-sensitive plant material
- Can reduce drought stress and watering
- Costs just pennies per container
- Provides economical, earth-friendly weed
management
When topdressing with rice hulls,
allow space at top of container at transplant and cover entire surface with one
to two inches of PBH rice hulls.
PBH rice hulls, a product of
Riceland Foods, Inc., are the popular choice for topdressing nursery containers
and currently in use at many nurseries. Uniquely processed to verify purity and
cleanliness, these rice hulls are a readily renewable resource supporting
sustainable production. PBH is OMRI Listed and WSDA registered, making it
suitable for both organic and traditional production. PBH is available in a
compressed 50-lb. standard bag or a compressed 30-cu.-ft. bulk bale.
For more information: www.riceland.com/pages/rice-hull-products/
CRI develops new rice varieties
to increase local production
· Facebook
The Crop Research Institute
(CRI), of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), at Fumesua
near Kumasi is using science and technology innovations to boost commercial
production of local food crops, especially rice in the country.
This is part of CRI’s move to
execute its mandate as a research hub for crops, in a bid to position itself at
the forefront of leveraging on scientific and technological innovations, that
would ensure phenomenal increase in the cultivation of rice and other food
staples in the country.
CRI is doing this by increasing
the accessibility and availability to farmers its newly-improved quality, high
yielding and disease resistant crop seeds.
The goal is to support the
Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative and other major agricultural
interventions, being pursued by the government to improve food security, as a
catalyst for the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
To demonstrate this, crop
scientists and breeders from the Institute have for the first time developed
and released six new rice varieties to scale up the commercial production of
quality rice.
The development of the varieties,
four of which were from local crosses of the CRI, is seen as an unprecedented
and a major milestone for national crop research in Ghana.
It is aimed at boosting food
security and a resultant reduction in rice importation into the country.
The 2017 annual scientific report
made available to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi indicated that the six new
varieties were expected to respond to the industry challenges of low
production, low average yield and poor grain quality and to “satisfy the
strong demand for high-yielding jasmine and conventional US long grain rice
types, the most preferred rice choices in Ghana.
“The six new varieties, which
have been accepted and approved by the National Varietal Release Committee, are
CRI-Dartey, CRI-Kantinka, CRI-Emopa, CRI-Mpuntuo, CRI-Oboafo and CRI-Aunty
Jane,” the report indicated.
Ghana’s rice import bill is said
to be about $600 million, regardless of the country’s potential to produce to
meet local and international demands and according to the report, besides
maize, rice is the second most important cereal and major staple in Ghana.
The Ministry of Food and
Agriculture (MOFA) estimates that the annual per capita consumption of rice is
about 40kg per person and is expected to increase to 63kg by the end of 2019.
The Institute believes that all
the six varieties, suitable for lowland and irrigated ecologies, with their
potential for higher yields, tolerance to Rice Yellow Mottle Virus Disease and
Iron toxicity, will boost acceptability by farmers as they have high raising,
easy cooking and aromatic qualities.
Source: GNA
CRI to Complement Local Rice Production with New Varieties
Apr 10, 2019
Rice Farm
The Crop Research Institute
(CRI), of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), at Fumesua
near Kumasi is using science and technology innovations to boost commercial
production of local food crops, especially rice in the country.
This is part of CRI’s move to
execute its mandate as a research hub for crops, in a bid to position itself at
the forefront of leveraging on scientific and technological innovations, that
would ensure phenomenal increase in the cultivation of rice and other food
staples in the country.
CRI is doing this by increasing
the accessibility and availability to farmers its newly-improved quality, high
yielding and disease resistant crop seeds.
The goal is to support the
Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative and other major agricultural
interventions, being pursued by the government to improve food security, as a
catalyst for the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
To demonstrate this, crop
scientists and breeders from the Institute have for the first time developed
and released six new rice varieties to scale up the commercial production of
quality rice.
The development of the varieties,
four of which were from local crosses of the CRI, is seen as an unprecedented
and a major milestone for national crop research in Ghana.
It is aimed at boosting food
security and a resultant reduction in rice importation into the country.
The 2017 annual scientific report
made available to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi indicated that the six new
varieties were expected to respond to the industry challenges of low
production, low average yield and poor grain quality and to “satisfy the strong
demand for high-yielding jasmine and conventional US long grain rice types, the
most preferred rice choices in Ghana.
“The six new varieties, which
have been accepted and approved by the National Varietal Release Committee, are
CRI-Dartey, CRI-Kantinka, CRI-Emopa, CRI-Mpuntuo, CRI-Oboafo and CRI-Aunty
Jane,” the report indicated.
Ghana’s rice import bill is said
to be about $600 million, regardless of the country’s potential to produce to
meet local and international demands and according to the report, besides
maize, rice is the second most important cereal and major staple in Ghana.
The Ministry of Food and
Agriculture (MOFA) estimates that the annual per capita consumption of rice is
about 40kg per person and is expected to increase to 63kg by the end of 2019.
The Institute believes that all
the six varieties, suitable for lowland and irrigated ecologies, with their
potential for higher yields, tolerance to Rice Yellow Mottle Virus Disease and
Iron toxicity, will boost acceptability by farmers as they have high raising,
easy cooking and aromatic qualities.
Rice industry in dire straits
despite billions in federal aid, says KRI study
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
Lead author and Research Associate at Khazanah Research
Institute Dr Sarena Che Omar, April 10, 2019. ― Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — The
country’s rice industry remains severely deficient despite having received
billions worth of federal subsidies, incentives and other forms of assistance,
said a new study on food security by Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) released
today.
The think tank in its ‘Status of
Paddy and Rice Industry’ report found the rice trade is beset with structural
weaknesses, even if production has increased over the last 30 years to allow
Malaysia to meet its safe self-sufficiency target (SSL) of 60 to 70 per cent.
If left unaddressed, KRI said any
supply shock risk hurting the most vulnerable groups such as the poor, rural
residents or migrant workers, the most dependent on rice as a food source.
“Households in the below 40 per
cent group, rural areas and non-citizens spend a higher proportion of their
monthly F&B expenditure on rice, compared to their respective
counterparts,” it said in a fact sheet.
“For some consumers such as
undocumented workers, their consumption is invisible and are therefore easily
left behind making these communities more vulnerable.”
The study identified four key
weaknesses that needed urgent remedies.
At the policy level, it found the
government’s definition of food security too narrow and heavily-production
driven with rice SSL used as a proxy for food security.
KRI said this definition only
covers availability and exclude nutritional importance of other food, which
pushes farmers to focus only on meeting production targets, neglect quality and
resort to unsustainable methods like the overuse of dangerous but cheap
pesticides.
Dr Sarena Che Omar, lead author
of the report, said the government must expand and incorporate food quality
factors in a broader definition of food security.
“We need to emphasise on
nutritional values... it’s important because we need to design the right
policies,” she said during her presentation of the report here.
Malaysia ranks among nations with
the highest obesity rate, according to the World Health Organisation in 2018.
Poor policies are also behind
what KRI called a “midstream squeeze”, in which rice millers are forced to buy
low quality grains at a premium and sold at a controlled price despite a steadily
increasing production cost.
The think tank said protectionist
policies aimed at safeguarding farmers and consumers neglect the difficulties
faced by midstream players.
Dealt with a thin profit margin,
the study said most millers either diversify or resort to “malpractices”, which
deepens the distrust between them and farmers that KRI said worsened after the
government standardised the RM1,200 Guaranteed Minimum Price per tonne
nationwide.
There are also numerous cases
where millers were forced to close shop.
“This is what we call a midstream
squeeze: they are forced to buy low quality grains from farmers and then they
have to sell it at a controlled price,” Serena said, adding that millers need
urgent federal support.
“In Kelantan, only one miller is
still operating while the rest couldn’t operate anymore.”
Malaysia is predicted to remain a
net rice importer for the next 20 years despite decades of production-oriented
policies, KRI noted.
Some economists have called on
the government to return its focus on agriculture for food security reasons.
Consumption goods imports
totalled RM2 billion last year, down from RM6.5 billion the year before with
food and beverages posting a RM440 million drop or 44 per cent year-on-year,
official data showed.
Rice
supply chain needs fixing — KRI
April 11, 2019 10:27 am +08
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily,
on April 11, 2019.
(From left) Food and Agriculture
Organization regional strategy and policy adviser senior economist Dr David
Dawe, Sarena, KRI chairman Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi, Fatimah and KRI senior
research adviser Professor Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram at the panel discussion on
‘The State of Food in Malaysia’. Photo by Suhaimi Yusuf
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s rice
industry is suffering from too much attention being paid to farmers and
consumers, and not enough focus on other components of the supply chain, says
Khazanah Research Institute (KRI).
As upstream and downstream
policies have been implemented over time, millers and wholesalers have
experienced tightening profit margins, forcing them to diversify operations,
resort to malpractice or cease operations, KRI said in a report on the status
of the country’s padi and rice industry.
“A supply chain is only as strong
as its weakest link. There (has been) a squeeze in the middle segment, in the
interest of protecting the farmers and consumers,” the report’s author, Dr
Sarena Che Omar, said at its launch yesterday.
She added that this “artificial
supply chain” had created the need for a buyer of last resort, which is the
role of Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas). To compensate for the costs of being
that buyer as well as for its social obligations, Bernas also acts as the
country’s sole importer.
Rice millers had previously
complained about Bernas’ monopoly over rice imports and supply to the market.
Bernas is also the sole importer and buyer of last resort for padi at a floor
price of RM1,200 per tonne from Malaysian farmers.
Agriculture and Agro-based
Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub had previously said that the cabinet
had agreed to abolish Bernas, although it is still planning how this will be
carried out.
Sarena, however, cautions that any
actions to change Bernas’ role should take into consideration the effects of
such actions on the rest of the industry.
“If you do not want the import
rights given to Bernas, think first about how to strengthen the whole supply
chain,” she said.
Rice millers in particular
operate in a loss-making segment of the supply chain.
“If you are a small to
medium-sized miller, you lose RM19 for every tonne of padi that you buy.
Millers in Kelantan, because they had the lowest quality grains, actually had
to close shop — from 60 mills to one, and now to zero,” Sarena explained.
Meanwhile, Datin Paduka Dr
Fatimah Mohamed Arshad, a visiting senior fellow at KRI, said that, “despite
years of market intervention and subsidies, the structure of the industry has
not changed.”
“The problems remain the same,
the farmers remain poor despite six decades of market intervention ... in fact,
the industry is getting much more duopolistic, with poor farmers (on one hand)
and millers (on the other.)
“In 1971, there were 971 mills and
60% were owned by farmers’ cooperatives. The moment Bernas came in, things
changed. There are now 171 mills. That means the downstream side is extremely
concentrated.
“That has to change,” Fatimah
said during a panel discussion at the launch.
KRI’s study revealed that farmers
earn an average that is below even the median wage of the bottom 40 (B40)
income bracket. The mean monthly household income of Muda Agricultural
Development Authority (Mada) padi farmers in 2016 was RM2,527, compared with
the national mean monthly household income of RM2,848 for the B40.
“Until farmers themselves are
self-sufficient, don’t expect them to contribute towards the nation’s
self-sufficiency,” she said.
On the consumption side, the
report highlighted that the high percentage of household income spent on rice
by rural, lower income households and migrants makes them the most vulnerable
consumers.
Other concerns highlighted by KRI
include the low number of seed varieties produced by Malaysia, which are
cultivated by only one agency. The Malaysian Agricultural Research and
Development Institute is the country’s sole research and development unit for
padi-related breeding. As of 2018, the institute had cultivated 49 padi
varieties
FG distributes 300 rice mills to
farmers, millers in states
Home » News » 
The federal government says it
has distributed no fewer than 300 rice mills to farmers and
millers in different states of the country in 2018.
The Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who made the disclosure in Abuja over the
weekend, said government would also distribute more to farmers in
2019.
“In 2018, we distributed
300 rice mills to different states, people applied
from all over the country. There is hardly any state where we have not
sent rice mills and we are bringing more,’’ he said.
Ogbeh assured citizens that
government is working toward ensuring further increase in rice production
and other agricultural produce to create jobs and wealth for the people.(NAN)
Healthy red rice and quinoa salad
AP
PublishedApr 9, 2019, 10:29 am IST
UpdatedApr 9, 2019, 10:29 am IST
Forget white rice or even brown rice. Try red rice tonight.
The red rice does not get enough play. (Photo: AP)
Washington: Regular white rice; aromatic basmati; chewy, healthful
brown rice; and even rustic wild rice are common pantry items. But there’s one
rice variety that doesn’t get enough play: red rice.
Red rice sports surprise a red
husk and it has a nutty flavour and is highly nutritious. For rice and grain
salad that was colourful, hearty and a little out of the ordinary, mix the
healthful rice with nutty quinoa, cooking both in the same pot using the pasta
method.
Give the rice a 15-minute head
start and then add the quinoa to the pot to ensure that both grains are done at
the same time. Then drain them, drizzle them with lime juice to add bright
flavour and let them cool.
Next, look for ingredients that
would make this salad fresh and a little sweet. Add dates and orange segments
for sweetness (and use some of the orange juice in the dressing). Add a bit of
fresh cilantro and red pepper flakes and a bit of spiciness to round it out.
Red rice and quinoa salad
3/4 cup red rice
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup prewashed white quinoa
3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)
2 oranges
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh
cilantro plus 1 cup leaves
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces pitted dates, chopped (1
cup)
Step 1
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in
large pot over high heat. Add rice and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring
occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add quinoa to pot and continue to cook until
grains are tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain rice-quinoa mixture, spread over a
rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons lime juice and let cool
completely about 15 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cut away peel and pith
from oranges. Hold the fruit over a bowl and use a paring knife to slice
between membranes to release segments. Cut segments in half crosswise. If
needed, squeeze orange membranes to equal 2 tablespoons juice in a bowl.
Step 3
Whisk 2 tablespoons orange juice,
remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, shallot, minced cilantro, and pepper flakes
together in large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil. Add
rice-quinoa mixture, dates, orange segments, and remaining 1 cup cilantro
leaves, and toss to combine. Season it with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Arkansas rice
production bounced back in 2018
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·
Apr
10, 2019 Updated 21 hrs ago
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0
Arkansas rice growers saw higher production in 2018 than in any
of the three previous years, according to an April 4 report from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Bob
Scott.)
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After a bruising 2017, in which
substantial spring flooding cost growers in the state an estimated $175 million
in lost production and damaged acreage, rice growers saw higher production in
2018 than in any of the three previous years, according to an April 4 report
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In the report, produced by the
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, rice growers saw clear
improvements in harvested acres, yield and production throughout the state.
Most of the largest increases in yield, percentagewise, were seen in eastern
Arkansas counties that suffered flooding losses most acutely in 2017.
Phillips County, which suffered
between $400,000 and $1 million in crop loss in 2017, saw its rice production
more than double from 1 million hundredweight to about 2.13 million
hundredweight. Increases of similar proportions were reported in Lawrence, St.
Francis, Ashley and Desha counties.
While the county-by-county
acreage estimates provided in the NASS report often differ from those estimates
provided by the Farm Service Agency, also part of the USDA, the statewide
numbers are typically very similar.
Jarrod Hardke, extension rice
agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said
that while the higher production numbers were a welcome sight, the higher rice
acreage in 2018 wasn’t necessarily a surprise, as it followed the natural cycle
of shifting acreage, crop rotation and prospective planting in response to relative
commodity prices.
Looking forward, Hardke said that
with the window for much of the state’s planned early planted rice closing for
2019, shifts in acreage are an open question.
“Until a week ago, I’d maintained
my expectation that we’ll remain close to flat, at 1.4 million acres of rice,”
Hardke said. “But we’ve seen what’s happened with this spring. After a week of
dry weather, we saw rains again over the weekend, with more pointed our way.
“1.4 million acres is still the
target, but if this pattern doesn’t give, we’ll possibly head down toward 1.2
million acres,” he said. “At this point, we’re staring at a downward trend, but
we have a while to go yet before we start losing rice acres.”
Rain hinders
rice planting
Bruce Schultz | 4/9/2019
8:06:38 PM
(04/09/19) CROWLEY, La. — Heavy rainfall has
been a challenge as rice farmers strive to get their 2019 crop planted.
Farmers were able to get much of
their crop planted during almost three weeks of dry weather, but rainfall
during the first week of April has created an obstacle for farmers who needed
to complete the rest of their planting.
Todd Fontenot,
LSU AgCenter agent in Evangeline Parish, said farmers there were nearing
completion of planting before the rains came. He estimated farmers had finished
planting up to 70% of their crop.
Drill seeding is the dominant
method of planting, but many farmers still use airplanes for planting. “We had
a good bit of early rice water planted,” he said.
Farmers who want to drill seed
the rest of their crop will have to wait for fields to drain. “It will take
several days.” Fontenot said.
Jeremy Hebert,
AgCenter agent in Acadia Parish, said planting there is about 75% to 80%
finished. Farmers took advantage of a dry spell after a long stretch of wet
weather.
“The last two to three weeks,
it’s been full blast. There’s been a lot of rice put in the ground,” he said.
Before the dry weather, many
farmers thought they would have to water seed. Now with flooded fields from
excess rain, some farmers may choose to water seed the rest of their crop. “The
longer they wait, yields will start to reduce,” he said.
Hebert expects rice acreage in
Acadia Parish to remain about the same as last year, about 80,000 acres.
Evangeline Parish farmer Richard
Fontenot planted his last field by April 3 and said this is the earliest he’s
ever finished. “Usually we’ve finished by the 10th or 15th of April,” he said.
Jimmy Meaux,
AgCenter agent in Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis parishes, said farmers in his
area were almost 75% planted. “In the last two weeks, they really put a lot in
the ground,” he said.
Rain on April 4 came at a good
time, although it was excessive with some areas reporting as much as 5 inches.
“It’s a little more than they needed to flush the fields. Hopefully, we’ll be
able to get the water off soon,” Meaux said.
Keith Fontenot,
of the AgCenter Rice Verification Program, said he inspected a field Monday
morning that had already drained and had received 7 inches of rain.
Andrew Granger,
AgCenter agent in Vermilion Parish, said the rain will slow down planting for
farmers not finished. He estimated that more than 60% of the farmers in
Vermilion Parish are done.
Vermilion Parish received 4-7
inches of rain on April 7. “It’s too early to know if young rice will be
damaged by the flooding,” he said
AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell said
the heavy, continuous rains in late February and early March had farmers
concerned that fields would be too wet for drill seeding. “It looked like it
was never going to dry out,” he said.
But after March 17, the weather
cooperated and gave farmers a 2 1/2-week window for planting, he said.Northeast
Louisiana farmers will start planting rice soon.
“So far, we’ve been lucky, and
there’s a lot of optimism for a good crop,” Harrell said.
Rice inventory grows to 2.22
million MT in March
Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
Published 4:15 PM, April 10, 2019
BOUNTIFUL HARVEST. Rice stocks
jump to 2.22 million metric tons as of March 1, 2019, 3.75% higher than the tally
in February. File photo by Bobby Lagsa/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Rice stocks
grew by 30.87% year-on-year to 2.22 million metric tons (MMT) as of March 1,
despite the ongoing weak El Niño, according to the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA).
The PSA, in its latest Rice and
Corn Stocks Inventory report, said this is also 3.75% higher than the stocks
recorded in February. (READ: Rice inventory up in February 2019 from a year ago)
The latest stocks would be
sufficient for around 69 days.
Despite having the largest share
of the total inventory, household stocks posted a year-on-year decline by 6.08%
to 1.03 MMT. This is, however, slightly higher on a month-on-month basis by
0.12%.
Inventories for commercial
warehouses and National Food Authority (NFA) depositories grew year-on-year by
25.75% to 695,840 metric tons (MT) and 1,030.17% to 491,940 MT, respectively.
(READ: NFA buys more palay in Q1 2019)
Compared to February, stocks from
commercial warehouses dropped by 14.22% while NFA stocks were still higher by
65.29%.
Corn stocks also grew by 42.68%
year-on-year to 397,120 MT. From a monthly comparison, this is 49.19% lower
than the February round. – Rappler.com
Rice prices
continue downtrend in March
Philippine
Daily Inquirer / 05:10 AM April 10, 2019
Rice prices
in the market continued to be on the downtrend since the start of the year,
according to government data, and economic managers are expecting prices to
decline even further now that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of
the new rice law has been put in place.
As of the
fourth week of March, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the
average retail price for regular- and well-milled rice were at P40.02 and
P44.33 a kilo, respectively.
These were
lower by 3.77 percent and 1.84 percent from the levels in January. Prices have
yet to stop easing since.
With the
release of the Rice Import Liberalization Law’s IRR, the number of players
participating in the rice trade is expected to rise and so is the volume of
affordable rice in the market.
The IRR lays
down the process by which would-be traders can import rice. The government is
expecting about 2 million metric tons (MT) of rice to enter the country this
year following the industry’s deregulation.
Economic
managers said the law could cut retail rice prices in half—lower than the
subsidized rice provided by the National Food Authority (NFA) at P27 a kilo—and
ease inflation by 0.5 to 0.7 percentage point.
While
industry groups are cynical that the policy would depress rice prices
significantly, Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rosemary Edillon said
market conditions dictated that the influx of rice in the market would bring
prices down.
As to
consumers who currently rely on subsidized rice, NFA Acting Administrator Tomas
Escarez said those who relied on NFA rice have until August before the agency’s
stocks run out.
The law’s
IRR does not mandate the agency to continue selling the staple. In cases of
emergencies, it may provide NFA rice to affected areas provided that it would
be coursed through local government units or the Department of Social Welfare
and Development.
Rice inventory up 31% in March
Louise
Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) - April 11, 2019 - 12:00am
Latest data from the PSA showed
that total rice inventory stood at 2.22 million metric tons (MT) as of the end
of the first quarter, up from last year’s 1.69 million MT.
Michael VarcasMANILA, Philippines
— The country’s rice inventory rose 31 percent in March, the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
Latest data from the PSA showed
that total rice inventory stood at 2.22 million metric tons (MT) as of the end
of the first quarter, up from last year’s 1.69 million MT.
This also represents an increase
of four percent from the 2.14 million MT recorded in February.
The PSA did not specify the
number of days that the stock inventory of Filipinos’ main staple would be
sufficient.
Based on the average daily
consumption of Filipinos of 32,000 MT, the current inventory is sufficient for
69 days.
The National Food Authority,
meanwhile, has already improved its inventory following the additional
incentive in its buying price, allowing it to buy more palay last harvest
season.
Households had almost half of
total inventories at 47 percent while commercial warehouses held about 31
percent. Supplies from NFA depositories cornered 22 percent of the total.
On a monthly basis, stocks in the
households and in NFA depositories increased by 0.12 percent and 65 percent,
respectively but stocks in commercial warehouses fell 14 percent.
In terms of prices of Filipinos’
main staple, it continued to be on a downward trend following the ongoing
arrival of imports and the recently concluded harvest season.
The average wholesale price of
well-milled rice on a weekly basis dropped one percent to P40.61 per kilogram
during the last week of March. Its weekly average retail price also decreased
by one percent to P44.22 per kilo.
Meanwhile, the wholesale price of
regular-milled rice was P36.87 per kilo, nearly one percent below year on year.
Its average retail price also decreased by one percent to P40.02 per kilo as
the average farm gate price of palay continued to drop to P18.87 per kilo.
On the other hand, corn stock
inventory stood at 397,120 MT, 43 percent above its 2018 level of 278,340 MT.
Of the total, 72 percent was in
commercial warehouses and the remaining 28 percent in households. NFA had no
stocks during the period.
Month-on-month, stock level in
household decreased 23 percent and stocks in commercial warehouses fell 55
percent.
Webinar: U.S.
Rice Exports Free Trade – Fair Trade, April 11
April 10, 2019
Rice harvest. ©Debra L Ferguson Stock Photography
Join us Thursday, April 11 at
10:00 a.m. CST as we host Riceland Foods, Inc. Senior Vice President Terry
Harris. He will draw on his 43-years of experience in the
global rice industry and discuss the challenges the U.S. rice industry faces
selling rice in a world increasingly focused on food security, protectionism,
and nationalism.
Terry will take a deep dive into
the factors constraining the U.S. rice global export market and provide webinar
attendees with a real-world and real-time U.S. rice exporter view of marketing
U.S. rice in a global economy where efficiencies are lacking, due to: An array
of government support and protectionism programs by the world’s major rice
export countries and fiscal, monetary and trade policy disputes.
Terry will provide an in-depth
discussion on NAFTA 2.0, Chinese trade and policy disputes, European Union
economic and trade challenges, Brexit, and other issues impacting today’s U.S.
rice trade.
Rice inventory up 31% in
March
While, the wholesale price of
regular-milled rice was P36.87 per kilo, nearly one percent below year on year.
Its average retail price also decreased by one percent to P40.02 per kilo as
the average farm gate price of palay continued to drop to P18.87 per kilo.
On the other hand, corn stock
inventory stood at 397,120 MT, 43 percent above its 2018 level of 278,340 MT.
Of the total, 72 percent was in
commercial warehouses and the remaining 28 percent in households. NFA had no
stocks during the period.
Month-on-month, stock level in
household decreased 23 percent and stocks in commercial warehouses fell 55
percent.
Rice prices
continue downtrend in March
Philippine
Daily Inquirer / 05:10 AM April 10, 2019
Rice prices
in the market continued to be on the downtrend since the start of the year,
according to government data, and economic managers are expecting prices to
decline even further now that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of
the new rice law has been put in place.
As of the
fourth week of March, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the
average retail price for regular- and well-milled rice were at P40.02 and
P44.33 a kilo, respectively.
These were
lower by 3.77 percent and 1.84 percent from the levels in January. Prices have
yet to stop easing since.
With the
release of the Rice Import Liberalization Law’s IRR, the number of players
participating in the rice trade is expected to rise and so is the volume of
affordable rice in the market.
The IRR lays
down the process by which would-be traders can import rice. The government is
expecting about 2 million metric tons (MT) of rice to enter the country this
year following the industry’s deregulation.
Economic
managers said the law could cut retail rice prices in half—lower than the
subsidized rice provided by the National Food Authority (NFA) at P27 a kilo—and
ease inflation by 0.5 to 0.7 percentage point.
While
industry groups are cynical that the policy would depress rice prices
significantly, Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rosemary Edillon said
market conditions dictated that the influx of rice in the market would bring
prices down.
As to
consumers who currently rely on subsidized rice, NFA Acting Administrator Tomas
Escarez said those who relied on NFA rice have until August before the agency’s
stocks run out.
The law’s
IRR does not mandate the agency to continue selling the staple. In cases of
emergencies, it may provide NFA rice to affected areas provided that it would
be coursed through local government units or the Department of Social Welfare
and Development.
Making efforts to boost rice exports
|
Wednesday, 2019-04-10 18:11:59
|
|
|
 |
|
NDO – According to the Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the first quarter of 2019, Vietnam's
rice export volume was estimated at 1.43 million tonnes, worth US$ 593
million, down 3.5% in volume and 20.2% in value over the same period in 2018.
|
|
The average export price of
rice in the first two months of the year only reached US$404 per tonne, down
17.8% compared to the same period in 2018. Difficulties in exporting rice in
the first quarter have dragged down the price of rice in the Mekong Delta,
especially in February, 2019, when entering the harvest of winter-spring
rice.
Part of the reason for the decline
in the volume of exported rice is due to the fact that the first few months
of the year coincide with the Lunar New Year, plus domestic enterprises have
not promoted delivery and traders who buy rice have not begun to trade yet.
On the market side, in the early months of 2019, some countries still have
surplus rice from 2018, so they have no demand for import which in turn makes
the market less active.
In addition, China, one of
Vietnam's major rice import markets for many years, has now reduced their
rice purchases, which has had a relatively large impact. At the same time,
measures to closely control food safety and hygiene for imported rice have
been strengthened and there are more stringent regulations on the supervision
and management of imported goods. Until now, only 21 Vietnamese enterprises
are allowed to export rice to the Chinese market. The reduction of export
indications has led to a sharp decline in rice export volume.
For other traditional markets
such as the Philippines and Indonesia, Vietnam is also facing difficulties in
boosting rice exports to these markets. Specifically, the Philippines is
seeking to expand its rice supply by signing more memorandums of cooperation
with Pakistan and Myanmar. Meanwhile, Indonesia has also restricted imports
because the country's reserved rice is still sufficient until the end of the
second quarter of 2019.
Facing the above situation, it
is necessary to strengthen solutions to maintain traditional markets and
penetrate new markets. Specially, it is necessary to pay attention to
exporting high quality rice and specialty rice instead of white rice as
before.
In addition, localities need to
accelerate the effective implementation of the restructuring scheme of the
rice industry, because the competition for rice quality is becoming a real
"war" when the rice of some other countries in the region are
constantly increasing competition for Vietnamese rice in terms of quality,
value and ways of promoting their image. Therefore, in addition to improving
quality, strengthening the promotion of rice trade in markets, and the
promotion and image building for Vietnamese rice also are very important,
therefore businesses and authorities should pay greater attention to these
requirements. After building an image of high quality rice seeds with
competitive prices, the export to fastidious markets will certainly become
more open, creating new markets to stabilise the volume and turnover value.
|
Rice industry in dire straits
despite billions in federal aid, says KRI study
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
Lead author
and Research Associate at Khazanah Research Institute Dr Sarena Che Omar, April
10, 2019. ― Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — The
country’s rice industry remains severely deficient despite having received
billions worth of federal subsidies, incentives and other forms of assistance,
said a new study on food security by Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) released
today.
The think tank in its ‘Status of
Paddy and Rice Industry’ report found the rice trade is beset with structural
weaknesses, even if production has increased over the last 30 years to allow
Malaysia to meet its safe self-sufficiency target (SSL) of 60 to 70 per cent.
If left unaddressed, KRI said any
supply shock risk hurting the most vulnerable groups such as the poor, rural
residents or migrant workers, the most dependent on rice as a food source.
“Households in the below 40 per
cent group, rural areas and non-citizens spend a higher proportion of their
monthly F&B expenditure on rice, compared to their respective counterparts,”
it said in a fact sheet.
“For some consumers such as
undocumented workers, their consumption is invisible and are therefore easily
left behind making these communities more vulnerable.”
The study identified four key
weaknesses that needed urgent remedies.
At the policy level, it found the
government’s definition of food security too narrow and heavily-production
driven with rice SSL used as a proxy for food security.
KRI said this definition only
covers availability and exclude nutritional importance of other food, which
pushes farmers to focus only on meeting production targets, neglect quality and
resort to unsustainable methods like the overuse of dangerous but cheap
pesticides.
Dr Sarena Che Omar, lead author
of the report, said the government must expand and incorporate food quality
factors in a broader definition of food security.
“We need to emphasise on
nutritional values... it’s important because we need to design the right
policies,” she said during her presentation of the report here.
Malaysia ranks among nations with
the highest obesity rate, according to the World Health Organisation in 2018.
Poor policies are also behind
what KRI called a “midstream squeeze”, in which rice millers are forced to buy
low quality grains at a premium and sold at a controlled price despite a
steadily increasing production cost.
The think tank said protectionist
policies aimed at safeguarding farmers and consumers neglect the difficulties
faced by midstream players.
Dealt with a thin profit margin,
the study said most millers either diversify or resort to “malpractices”, which
deepens the distrust between them and farmers that KRI said worsened after the
government standardised the RM1,200 Guaranteed Minimum Price per tonne
nationwide.
There are also numerous cases
where millers were forced to close shop.
“This is what we call a midstream
squeeze: they are forced to buy low quality grains from farmers and then they
have to sell it at a controlled price,” Serena said, adding that millers need
urgent federal support.
“In Kelantan, only one miller is
still operating while the rest couldn’t operate anymore.”
Malaysia is predicted to remain a
net rice importer for the next 20 years despite decades of production-oriented
policies, KRI noted.
Some economists have called on
the government to return its focus on agriculture for food security reasons.
Consumption goods imports
totalled RM2 billion last year, down from RM6.5 billion the year before with
food and beverages posting a RM440 million drop or 44 per cent year-on-year,
official data showed.
Rice and broken rice exports expected to hit about
2.5 m tons
10 APRIL 2019
Due to low rice demands from China and the EU, Myanmar can export
about 2.5 million tons of rice and broken rice, in 2019-2020 fiscal year, said
Aung Than Oo, Vice-President of Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).
“We fix the fiscal year based on the crop harvest season. It is
nothing to do with the government’s budget year. We fix the fiscal year from
April 1 to March 31 next year,” he explained.
The rice export period will be from April 1, 2019 to March 31,
2020. Thanks to the expansion of new markets, Myanmar exported nearly 3.6
million tons of rice, a record-breaking export during over 50 years.
Till early March of 2018-2018 FY, Myanmar exported over 2.2
million tons of rice and broken rice to 75 countries—rice to 50 countries and
broken rice to 25 countries.
Rice merchants have called on the government to negotiate with the
Yunnan government and Chinese buyers as about 50,000 bags of rice are stranded
in Muse border.
“China accounts for about 46 per cent of the total rice export.
China is the biggest rice export market. Low Chinese rice demand has big
impacts on Myanmar’s rice export market,” Aung Than Oo added.
In the past, Myanmar enjoyed tax exemption for exports of all
kinds of rice to the EU. Since January 8, the EU withdrew the GSP only for
long-grain rice imported from Myanmar as the long-grain rice is similar to
those in Italy and Spain.
CRI develops
new rice varieties to increase local production
Source: GNA
The Crop Research Institute
(CRI), of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), at Fumesua
near Kumasi is using science and technology innovations to boost commercial
production of local food crops, especially rice in the country.
This is part of CRI's move to
execute its mandate as a research hub for crops, in a bid to position itself at
the forefront of leveraging on scientific and technological innovations, that
would ensure phenomenal increase in the cultivation of rice and other food
staples in the country.
CRI is doing this by increasing
the accessibility and availability to farmers its newly-improved quality, high
yielding and disease resistant crop seeds.
The goal is to support the
Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative and other major agricultural
interventions, being pursued by the government to improve food security, as a
catalyst for the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
To demonstrate this, crop
scientists and breeders from the Institute have for the first time developed
and released six new rice varieties to scale up the commercial production of
quality rice.
The development of the varieties,
four of which were from local crosses of the CRI, is seen as an unprecedented
and a major milestone for national crop research in Ghana.
It is aimed at boosting
food security and a resultant reduction in rice importation into the country.
The 2017 annual scientific
report made available to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi indicated that the six
new varieties were expected to respond to the industry challenges of low
production, low average yield and poor grain quality and to "satisfy
the strong demand for high-yielding jasmine and conventional US long grain rice
types, the most preferred rice choices in Ghana.
"The six new varieties,
which have been accepted and approved by the National Varietal Release
Committee, are CRI-Dartey, CRI-Kantinka, CRI-Emopa, CRI-Mpuntuo, CRI-Oboafo and
CRI-Aunty Jane," the report indicated.
Ghana's rice import bill is said
to be about $600 million, regardless of the country's potential to produce to
meet local and international demands and according to the report, besides
maize, rice is the second most important cereal and major staple in Ghana.
The Ministry of Food and
Agriculture (MOFA) estimates that the annual per capita consumption of rice is
about 40kg per person and is expected to increase to 63kg by the end of
2019.
The Institute believes that all
the six varieties, suitable for lowland and irrigated ecologies, with their
potential for higher yields, tolerance to Rice Yellow Mottle Virus Disease and
Iron toxicity, will boost acceptability by farmers as they have high raising,
easy cooking and aromatic qualities.
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