Indian rice prices fall on lower demand
Asian rice exporting hubs saw tepid
activity this week, with prices for the staple from top exporter India dipping
on lower demand, while Bangladesh mulled a review of its ban on exports of the
grain. India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $377-$380
per tonne, down from last week's $387-$390. Demand from African buyers was weak
as they have ample inventories, said Nitin Gupta, vice president, rice business
at Olam India. Aggressive selling of old inventories by China at lower prices has
also weighing on prices, he added. The country's rice exports for
April-February dropped 9.4 percent from a year earlier to 10.57 million tonnes,
as leading buyer Bangladesh trimmed its purchases due to a bumper local
harvest, a government body said. On Thursday, Bangladesh's commerce minister
said a long-standing ban on rice exports will be discussed after strong pleas
from traders to lift the restriction. "If we have surplus, we can allow
rice exports," Tipu Munshi told reporters after a meeting with the rice
traders association. Bangladesh, traditionally the world's fourth biggest rice
producer, banned overseas shipments of some common rice varieties in May 2008
following a spike in domestic prices. It banned all rice exports a year later.
In 2017, the country was forced to massively increase imports to shore up
domestic reserves after floods wrought havoc on local crops and pushed domestic
rice prices to record highs, but domestic stocks have since greatly improved.
In Thailand, the world's second-largest exporter, the benchmark 5-percent
broken rice prices eased slightly to $393-$411 a tonne, free on board Bangkok,
from $405-$410 last week. "Overseas buyers have turned to rice from India
and Vietnam because their prices have been more competitive compared to
ours," a trader said. However, concerns over domestic supply in the
country have kept prices steady recently, traders said. "The harvest of
the last crop was completed last month and there is no new supply except unsold
rice from the mills, this meant prices remain stable with a tendency to rise
even though there is no demand," a Bangkok-based rice trader said. Rates
for Vietnam's 5 percent broken rice stood flat for a fifth week at $360 a
tonne, as supply begins to wane, traders said. However, prices were still at
their highest since mid-January, with traders hoping for fresh demand from
China.
Date: 23-Apr-2019
Agriculture beyond rice
Is
a Philippine agricultural takeoff finally in the offing? The much-debated rice
tariffication law, the main effect of which is to open our rice trade, heralds
the possible unleashing of the Philippines’ full agricultural potential, and
make it the economic driver it has been for our closest neighbors. For decades,
agriculture has been the drag on the Philippine economy, always lagging far
behind growth in industry and services—all because too many of us seemed to
have the mindset that rice is Philippine agriculture. One would think that
Vietnam, a major rice exporter, would be dominantly focused on that commodity.
But as rice area grew by 20 percent in the 1990s, the area under industrial
crops increased far more rapidly at 83.4 percent. Like Vietnam, Thailand
deliberately pursued agricultural diversification, and while the world’s top
exporter of rice has also been a top exporter of rubber, sugar and cassava.
Here, attention and budget have been hogged by rice—and have little to show for
it. And so, while we earned only $5 billion from agricultural exports last
year, Thailand and Vietnam both got eight times as much from theirs. Thailand’s
exports of natural rubber alone already equal the value of our total farm
exports. Many believe that agrarian reform stifled Philippine agriculture,
leading to small farmholdings that have deprived our farm sector of the
efficiency and productivity that come with economies of scale. But small
farmholdings have not stopped Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam from achieving
much more dynamic agricultural sectors than we have. It is not farm ownership
that matters, but farm organization, and our neighbors’ example should guide us
on how to proceed with an agriculture expansion push no longer unduly fixated on
rice, to the relative neglect of other crops. It’s ironic that apart from us
having trained our neighbors’ agricultural scientists in decades past, key to
our neighbors’ agricultural dynamism has been something we actually pioneered
in the 1970s. It’s called contract farming, a scheme used by Arbor Acres for
poultry production in the United States. San Miguel Corp. applied it in its
poultry operations at around the same time agribusiness giant Charoen Pokphand
began adopting it in Thailand. In both the Philippines and Thailand, market
supply of chicken meat dramatically rose, sharply reducing its price. “For the
first time,” wrote Thai agricultural economist Nipon Poapongsakorn, “chicken
meat had become the important source of cheap protein for the poor and the
lower middle class.” What is contract farming? The scheme involves small
farmers supplying agreed quantities of a crop or livestock product to a large
processing company, based on the latter’s quality standards. The company pays a
predetermined price, and supports the farmers with assistance in land
preparation and provision of inputs and production advice. Coalition for
Agri-Fisheries Modernization in the Philippines chair Dr. Emil Javier recently
wrote of its virtues: “For small farmers, the arrangement gives them ready
access to credit, inputs and modern technologies which they have difficulty
obtaining on their own… (and assurance) of market prices designed to make them
profitable. In study after study and country after country, contract growers are
known to be much better off than their independent, unorganized counterparts.”
Thailand had since expanded contract farming to many other products including
pork, sugar, vegetables, pineapple, oil palm, various fruits, potato, dairy,
tilapia, shrimp and sea bass. It has been credited for Thailand’s dynamic
agricultural sector growth and exports. Vietnam has also embraced the model for
its rapid agricultural diversification and growth. In the Philippines, beyond
poultry, we now see it used in oil palm in Mindanao, and by Jollibee Foods to
procure onions and calamansi. The scope remains huge, and in an agricultural
sector less fixated on rice and targeted at wider diversification like in
Thailand and Vietnam, it should be our vehicle to propel Philippine agriculture
from being a drag to a driver of the economy—and uplift our farmers’ lives in
the process. Read more:
Cambodia Says Meetings On For
Potential EU Rice Import Complaint
Cambodia's Ministry of Commerce has
just confirmed that the government is currently discussing whether or not a
complaint against the European Union (EU) is reasonable following the bloc's
tariffs on Cambodian rice imports. According to the Khmer Times, Ministry spokesman Seang Thay revealed that the
ministry is in the process of collecting necessary data before making a final
decision on the potential complaint. "We are now at the stage of
collecting data and concrete information." While there were earlier
reports about the Cambodian government lodging a complaint with the European
Court of Justice, Thay said he cannot confirm the information.
Reuters reported that the Cambodian government decided to
take the EU rice tariffs to court but Thay said he is unaware of this
information. He added that there is no "specific timeframe" on the
complaint's submission since the panel is still reviewing information. On the other
hand, Thay said the complaint against the EU will push through if the panel and
legal experts conclude that Cambodia has a "good chance of winning."
Thay's comments came after the EU imposed tariffs on Cambodian rice earlier
this year. At that time, the European bloc said tariffs were imposed because
increasing imports from Cambodia and Burma are hurting local farmers in the
eurozone. The move did not sit well with Cambodian farmers and rice traders.
Late
last month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen unveiled a set of schemes that he
said could help curb potential losses from the rift with the EU. At that
time, Hun Sen said he is "done taking orders" from western countries.
Among Hun Sen's reforms as a means of offsetting negative effects of losing
trade deals with the EU include cutting down on transportation fees, slashing
"unofficial payments" in the government, and reducing the official
number of national holidays in the country to spur efficiency and production.
Amid a widening rift with the EU and other western trade partners, Cambodia
decided to embrace China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as part of its efforts
in gaining independence from the west. Over the past years, Cambodia and
China's ties have deepened. Top Chinese officials have signaled their desire to
help improve the Cambodian economy. The apparent mutual understanding of both sides led to Cambodia
becoming one of the 57 founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB). Economists noted that Cambodian leaders believe the BRI will help
drive economic growth in the country. The initiative has already helped address
infrastructure deficits. It has also helped provide access to rural
transportation.
Rice and broken rice exports
decline by over 1.2 million tons
Myanmar earned about 780 million
USD from exports of 2.4 tons of rice and broken rice till the end of this
fiscal year, according to a statement by Myanmar Rice Federation.
In 2018-2018 fiscal year, exports
of rice and broken rice have declined by over 1.2 million tons compared with
the same period last year. Since 2018, Myanmar changed its fiscal year from
April-March to October-September. The current fiscal year is 2018-2019.
“Our fiscal year for rice export is
based on crops. We calculate the fiscal year based on the rice harvest season.
It is nothing to do with the government’s fiscal year. We have fixed one-year
fiscal year for rice from April 1 this year to March 31 next year,” said Aung
Than Oo, President of Myanmar Rice Federation.
From April 1, 2018 to March 29,
2019, Myanmar earned 778.768 million USD from exports of 2.381 million tons of
rice and broken rice.
Thanks to the expansion of new
markets in 2017-2018 FY, Myanmar could export nearly 3.6 million tons of rice,
which is the record-breaking export within 50 years.
The country can export about 2.5
million tons of rice and broken rice in 2019-2020 FY due to low demands from
China and the EU, Aung Than Oo added.
Date: 23-Apr-2019
DOF says NFA must strengthen logistics ops amid rice
tariff law
Published April 20, 2019 3:14pm
By
TED CORDERO, GMA News
The
National Food Authority needs to strengthen its logistics capability to ensure
that the government has enough buffer stocks of the staple grain with
nationwide reach at all times, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Saturday.
In
a statement, Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito Lambino II said this
becomes more imperative after the NFA was stripped off of its function in rice
importation as a result of the Rice Tariffication law taking effect last March.
The
NFA’s import licensing and other regulatory functions ceased when Republic Act
No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Act took effect last March 5, although the
crucial role of emergency buffer stocking remains with the agency and has been
emphasized.
Lambino
said the NFA’s task of regulating the rice sector was removed owing to the
agency’s "inefficiencies" resulting from a controlled import system,
and which left the agency saddled in debt amounting to about P145 billion.
Under
the law imposing tariffs on rice imports in lieu of quantitative restrictions,
private traders would now be allowed to import rice so long as they comply with
basic requirements set by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant
Industry (BPI) for food safety and protection of farming areas, Lambino said at
a recent media forum in Quezon City.
With
the rice tariffication law in place, imports from ASEAN countries will be
charged a tariff of 35 percent of its value, while imports from non-ASEAN
countries within the minimum access volume (MAV) initially set at 350,000 metric
tons (MT) will be taxed 40 percent. A tariff of 180 percent will be collected
for imports above the MAV from non-ASEAN countries.
On
top of paying tariffs, rice importers will be required to secure sanitary and
phytosanitary import clearances (SPSIC) from the BPI, which assumed the food
safety regulation function of the NFA under the rice tariffication law.
This
requirement will ensure that rice imports are free from pests and diseases that
could affect public health and local farm production, he said.
Lambino
said that aside from lowering rice prices and providing direct assistance to
farmers, the law will also be an effective deterrent to smuggling because rice
imports would now be liberalized.
"The
tariffication law is the most important weapon against smuggling. The incentive
to smuggle would almost be nil because anyone can now import rice so long as
they comply with the requirements,” Lambino said.
He
said that with imports now hewing closer to prices in the global or regional
markets, traders would be discouraged from smuggling or even hoarding their
stocks.
“Who
would be encouraged to hold on to their stocks when there is enough supply in
the market and anyone can import if the supply declines?” he
stressed.
Lambino
said that as earlier projected by economic managers, liberalizing rice imports
would further lower inflation by 0.5 to 0.7 percentage point this year,
ensuring that the rate remains within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)'s 2
to 4 percent target for 2019. — MDM, GMA News
Rice
tariff fund to benefit local machinery sector
Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) -
April 21, 2019 - 12:00am
The
newly-enacted rice tariffication law mandates the establishment of RCEF that
guarantees the rice sector P10 billion in financial support annually for six
years beginning this 2019.
Michael Varcas/File
MANILA,
Philippines — A large portion of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(RCEF) will be used to modernize rice farms, boosting demand for local
machinery in the process, the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA) said.
The
newly-enacted rice tariffication law mandates the establishment of RCEF that
guarantees the rice sector P10 billion in financial support annually for six
years beginning this 2019.
According
to its implementing rules and regulations, half of the rice fund, amounting to
P5 billion annually, will be used by the government to procure rice farm
equipment through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization (PhilMech).
Farm
machinery as tillers, tractors, seeders, threshers, rice planters, harvesters,
and irrigation pumps will be given as a grant-in-kind to eligible farmers, rice
farmer associations and registered rice cooperatives.
As
a result, the existing outlay of the DA on farm mechanization for will have an
additional P5 billion allocation from only P1.92 billion in 2018.
“Modernizing
the rice industry has a multiplier effect on the economy. It will not only make
our rice farms more efficient and productive. It will also push the demand for
farm equipment up, thereby boosting the manufacturing industry and creating
more jobs for Filipinos,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.
PhilMech
is required to procure from accredited local manufacturers, when appropriate,
to support local manufacturers of farm machines and equipment.
PhilMech
is also tasked to formulate implementing guidelines on rice farm equipment
component consistent with the Rice Industry Roadmap.
This
will include the eligibility criteria for prospective recipients, modality of
selection, and mode of implementation and the accountability system in the
procurement and distribution of rice farm equipment.
Meanwhile,
the Philippine Rice Research Institute will receive 30 percent of the RCEF to
develop, propagate and promote inbred rice seeds to rice farmers and
organizations of rice farmers.
The
Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines will
be given 10 percent of the fund for the creation of a credit facility with
minimal interest rates and collateral requirements
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/04/21/1911156/rice-tariff-fund-benefit-local-machinery-sector
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- April
23, 2019
APRIL 23, 2019 / 1:37 PM /
* * * * * *
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-April 23, 2018 Nagpur,
April 23 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture
Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on good buying support from local
millers amid thin supply from producing regions. Good rise on NCDEX in gram,
upward trend in Madhya Pradesh pulses prices and reported demand from
South-based millers also helped to push up prices. About 2,800 bags of gram and
1,400 bags of tuar reported for auction, according to sources.
GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was
poor.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani firmed up again in open market here on good demand
from
local traders amid weak supply from producing regions.
* Watana varieties recovered in open market on increased demand
from local traders amid thin arrival from producing belts.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,300-5,450, Tuar dal (clean) – 7,800-8,100,
Udid Mogar (clean)
– 6,500-7,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,000-8,600, Gram – 4,400-4,550,
Gram Super best
– 5,600-5,900 * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a
narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading
activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100
kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,800-4,270 3,800-4,230
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,500-5,400 4,400-5,400
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500
Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,700-1,872 1,700-1,835
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 5,800-6,200 5,800-6,200
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,400-4,500 4,400-4,500
Desi gram Raw 4,350-4,450 4,400-4,500
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,100-8,200 8,100-8,200
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 7,700-7,900 7,700-7,900
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,500-7,700 7,500-7,700
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,000-7,400 7,000-7,400
Tuar Gavarani New 5,700-5,800 5,650-5,750
Tuar Karnataka 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Masoor dal best 5,500-5,600 5,500-5,600
Masoor dal medium 5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,000-8,800 8,000-8,800
Moong Mogar Medium 6,800-7,500 6,800-7,500
Moong dal Chilka New 6,800-7,800 6,800-7,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,000-9,000 8,000-9,000
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,500-8,500 7,500-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000 6,000-7,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,300-4,500
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,700 5,600-5,700
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,800 5,500-5,700
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,700-6,900 6,600-6,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,000-2,050
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-4,000 3,400-4,000
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,800 3,300-3,800
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,100 2,700-3,100
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,300 3,000-3,300
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,100 2,700-3,100
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,800 4,300-4,800
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,100 3,800-4,100
Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,000 5,500-6,000
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,300 5,000-5,300
Rice Shriram New (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,000-13,500 9,000-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,600-7,500 6,500-7,200
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,400-6,600 6,200-6,400
Rice Chinnor New (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,700-5,000
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 41.4 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 25.2 degree Celsius Rainfall :
Nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be
around 41 degree Celsius and 25 degree Celsius. Note: n.a.—not available (For
oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in
market prices)
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Dilemma over rice export
Published: April 20, 2019 22:08:02
The reported
strong pleas from the rice traders to lift ban on rice export has again brought
to the fore the issue whether the country has exportable surplus of the cereal.
Traders during a meeting held late last week requested the commerce minister to
reconsider the ban that has been in place in the case of common varieties of
rice for more than a decade. The latter, however, refrained from making any
commitment and assured the traders of discussing the issue at appropriate
levels.
When
Bangladesh exported 50,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka under a
government-to-government special deal struck in 2014, there was a raging debate
whether the former has an exportable surplus of the food item. The truth is the
country has been a net importer of rice for many decades. The volume of import
of the main staple depended on its domestic production. In 2017, import
of rice by both private and public sectors reached a record level--- nearly 3.2
million tonnes--- when two consecutive floods wrought havoc on boro rice
production.
The government
also then had cut the duty rates from 28 per cent to only 2.0 per cent on rice
import to help tame soaring rice prices in the local market. The domestic food
stocks, however, have greatly improved since then due to good harvest in
consecutive seasons. The government has raised the import tariff to the
previous level and the volume of import of the item has come down to a very low
level. The food department's silos do also have sufficient food reserves---
more than 1.2 million tonnes-now.
Against the
backdrop of fluctuations in food production, a couple of issues have emerged.
Firstly, whether the country is really self-sufficient in food production and,
secondly, whether it has exportable surplus. There is no denying that a country
where rice remains the main staple does need to meet the domestic consumption
need first before considering export of the item. In the case of good harvests,
the country does have enough rice to feed its population. But, it has always
remained dependent on import for building the food reserve.
The volume of
rice import goes up substantially in the event of any crop failure, a very
likely development because of the country's high vulnerability to natural
calamities such as floods and cyclones. Amidst such uncertainty, the relevant
policymakers should take into cognizance the ground realities before allowing
export of common rice varieties in what maybe perceived to gain a false sense
of pride for the country as a rice exporter.
Besides, there
exists a potential danger in the rice export move. As soon as the government
allows export of common varieties of rice, the possibility of local market
reacting adversely cannot be ruled out. The rice prices that have been
otherwise stable in recent months could become volatile again. Under the
circumstances, the government might consider allowing the traders to export a
limited quantity of aromatic rice. As far as export of other common varieties
of rice is concerned, the country should ensure the best agricultural prices to
help raise food production that would leave truly exportable surplus. A country
that has more than tripled its food production over a period of four decades
does surely have the latent capacity to achieve that milestone.
Firm
Boosts Local Rice Production with 140,000MTs Milling Facility
April
22, 2019 1:42 am
Bennett Oghifo
Production
of local rice in the country has received a major boost as Popular Farms and
Mills Limited, a subsidiary of the Stallion Group has inaugurated a
multi-billion-naira rice mill expansion of 140,000 metric tonnes (MTs) per
year.
Popular
Farms also laid the foundation for a 44,000 MTs per year Sesame Processing
Plant at its Challawa Unit in Kano.
The
company has commercial interest in the rice value chain, with an installed
capacity for 430,000 metric tons and plan to expand to 1.5 million tons of paddy
rice processing per annum.
This
is expected to impact positively on the Nigerian economy and the food sector.
Speaking
on the planned expansion, Managing Director, Popular Farms, Mr. Amit Rai,
stated that over 80,000 farmers across paddy and sesame supply chain are going
to be positively affected, while saving the country the needed foreign
exchange.
He
noted that over 1500 direct and indirect jobs would be created.
The
initiative, he added, would also boost Popular Farms’ initiative in empowering
farmers in the rice and sesame value chain to become better business people
with strong technical and business knowledge and skills.
Popular
Farms & Mills, according to Rai, is currently in direct contact with over
40,000 farmers and approximately 1000 rice cooperative societies across the
country, and with its flagship training programs for intensive farming at no
additional cost to the farmers and but with maximum productivity. This
increases economic scaling in rice farming to over 36,000 out grower through its
16 Popular Aggregation Centres in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Niger, Gombe, Jigawa,
Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano Zamfara and Kwara.
He
acknowledged efforts of President, Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of
Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe and his team of experts at the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor,
Godwin Emefiele, with regards to the agriculture sector.
He
also commended the government at all levels for the positive initiative and
robust policies which support the Agribusiness in Nigeria.
According
to the Chief Executive Officer of Stallion Group, Anant Badjatya, the company
was committed to the growth of the Nigerian economy, while contributing to
government’s efforts on backward integration.
He
said the goal of Stallion Group and Popular Farms was to spearhead and lead the
rice revolution in Nigeria, stating that the company’s desire to do things
right, spurred the ground-breaking ceremony of the project in Kano.
Badjatya
also commended the inventiveness of the president Buhari-led administration and
the policy direction of the agriculture sector been driven by Ogbe and
Emefiele, saying that Popular Farms was already making a difference and
bringing positive benefit to the Nigerian economy.
He
urged the federal government not to relent in its quest to provide an enabling
environment for the agriculture sector which in turn helps in reducing
unemployment and generate revenue for the government.
In
this regard, he lamented the unabated smuggling of rice via the countries
porous borders and praised the efforts of the Rice Processors Association of
Nigeria (RIPAN) for its fight against this scourge.
Badjatya
said the group was steadfastly in support of all efforts aimed at stopping the
smuggling menace.
He
said the group gave 150 vehicles to the Nigerian Customs Services through
RIMIDAN association at a discount of N250 million in a single transaction as
its contribution towards the war against smuggling of rice. Speaking further,
the Group CEO noted that the menace of smuggling not only affects Nigeria’s
potential in rice, but also extends to the smuggling of new and used cars which
is currently happening with impunity, thereby putting at risk thousands of much
needed jobs in Nigeria.
The
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe, represented by
Mallam Munir Mohammed, praised Popular Farms and Mills Limited for its
ingenuity and contributions not only to the agriculture sector in Nigeria, but
also efforts and commitment to reducing unemployment and empower farmers.
He
pledged the ministry’s commitment to continue to support Popular Farms, as
according to him, “what we saw today is in line with federal government’s
policy of self-sufficiency in Rice production.”
On
the issue of smuggling the minister’s representative assured that “government
at all levels are working on several options, including diplomacy, towards
curbing the menace so as to ensure the issue does not escalate more than this,”
and requested that the company continued on that contributory part as the
government appreciates their effort a great deal
Agriculture beyond rice
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 09:05 AM April 23,
2019
Is a Philippine agricultural takeoff finally in the
offing? The much-debated rice tariffication law, the main effect of which is to
open our rice trade, heralds the possible unleashing of the Philippines’ full
agricultural potential, and make it the economic driver it has been for our
closest neighbors. For decades, agriculture has been the drag on the Philippine
economy, always lagging far behind growth in industry and services—all because
too many of us seemed to have the mindset that rice is Philippine agriculture.
One would think that Vietnam, a major rice exporter,
would be dominantly focused on that commodity. But as rice area grew by 20
percent in the 1990s, the area under industrial crops increased far more
rapidly at 83.4 percent. Like Vietnam, Thailand deliberately pursued
agricultural diversification, and while the world’s top exporter of rice has
also been a top exporter of rubber, sugar and cassava.
Here, attention and budget have been hogged by rice—and
have little to show for it. And so, while we earned only $5 billion from
agricultural exports last year, Thailand and Vietnam both got eight times as
much from theirs. Thailand’s exports of natural rubber alone already equal the
value of our total farm exports.
Many believe that agrarian reform stifled Philippine
agriculture, leading to small farmholdings that have deprived our farm sector
of the efficiency and productivity that come with economies of scale. But small
farmholdings have not stopped Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam from achieving much
more dynamic agricultural sectors than we have. It is not farm ownership that
matters, but farm organization, and our neighbors’ example should guide us on
how to proceed with an agriculture expansion push no longer unduly fixated on
rice, to the relative neglect of other crops.
It’s ironic that apart from us having trained our
neighbors’ agricultural scientists in decades past, key to our neighbors’
agricultural dynamism has been something we actually pioneered in the 1970s.
It’s called contract farming, a scheme used by Arbor Acres for poultry
production in the United States. San Miguel Corp. applied it in its poultry
operations at around the same time agribusiness giant Charoen Pokphand began
adopting it in Thailand. In both the Philippines and Thailand, market supply of
chicken meat dramatically rose, sharply reducing its price. “For the first
time,” wrote Thai agricultural economist Nipon Poapongsakorn, “chicken meat had
become the important source of cheap protein for the poor and the lower middle
class.”
What is contract farming? The scheme involves small
farmers supplying agreed quantities of a crop or livestock product to a large
processing company, based on the latter’s quality standards. The company pays a
predetermined price, and supports the farmers with assistance in land
preparation and provision of inputs and production advice. Coalition for
Agri-Fisheries Modernization in the Philippines chair Dr. Emil Javier recently
wrote of its virtues: “For small farmers, the arrangement gives them ready access
to credit, inputs and modern technologies which they have difficulty obtaining
on their own… (and assurance) of market prices designed to make them
profitable. In study after study and country after country, contract growers
are known to be much better off than their independent, unorganized
counterparts.”
Thailand had since expanded contract farming to many
other products including pork, sugar, vegetables, pineapple, oil palm, various
fruits, potato, dairy, tilapia, shrimp and sea bass. It has been credited for
Thailand’s dynamic agricultural sector growth and exports. Vietnam has also
embraced the model for its rapid agricultural diversification and growth.
In the Philippines, beyond poultry, we now see it used in
oil palm in Mindanao, and by Jollibee Foods to procure onions and calamansi.
The scope remains huge, and in an agricultural sector less fixated on rice and
targeted at wider diversification like in Thailand and Vietnam, it should be
our vehicle to propel Philippine agriculture from being a drag to a driver of
the economy—and uplift our farmers’ lives in the process.
cielito.habito@gmail.com
A king among men
Krushna Chandra Gajapati was prime minister of Odisha twice in
the years before India got independence. He was a benevolent ruler who was also
a social reformer, educationist and a driving force of the movement for a
separate state of Odisha
Updated: April 23rd, 2019, 05:59 IST
Odisha is not a country but a state, so how can it have a Prime
Minister, asked most of the respondents when a question ‘who was the first
Prime Minister of Odisha’ was asked on a very popular knowledge sharing
platform. Shockingly, many of those who were not sure whether the state ever
really had a Prime Minister were Odias.
Krushna Chandra Gajapati, also
known as Maharaja Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Dev (1892 – 1974), was
king of Paralakhemundi, an estate under Madras Presidency. He was not only the
first Prime Minister of Odisha, he was also a freedom fighter, social reformer,
an eminent educationist and one of the tallest figures who played a decisive
role in unifying the Odia-speaking tracts in 1936.
He was a royal by birth but a
commoner in all other senses. His biographers often run short of words to sum
up his enormous contributions in the making of modern Odisha in a single book.
He was an institution, says Satyanarayan Mohapatra, who has authored four books
on the life and achievements of the Maharaja.
A couple of instances can well
describe Krushna Chandra’s stature not only as a monarch but as a popular
people’s leader.
Born in the royal family of
Paralakhemundi April 26, 1892, Krushna Chandra ascended the throne in 1913.
Most of his subjects belonged to the Lanjia Saora community and he was more
than a king to them. He instructed his men to deliver justice to the tribals.
He used to pay surprise visits in disguise to tribal hamlets in the forests to
establish a direct connect with the people and get an unbiased idea of their
problems.
He would ask his staff members to
drop him near a tribal dominated region. The king would enter the villages
donning typical tribal attire – bare bodied, bow and arrow in one hand and an
axe in the other, wearing beads made from the seeds of wild fruits around his
neck, and headband adorned with colourful feathers. However, he would also
carry his pistol and a few rounds of bullets to protect himself from wild
animals. He would ask his men to pick him up from the village on a
predetermined date. Often, he spent weeks with the tribals. He would share
their food, speak their dialects and mingle with people of all age groups. The
king often sang and danced with the tribals to get closer to them. He walked
from village to village and at times went hunting with them too. Krushna Chandra
played the role of a true saviour by killing maneaters during his forest stay.
However, sometimes it became difficult to hide his identity and people
eventually came to know about his presence. The village chiefs and scores of
men and women would then welcome him and present their concerns before him. He
would note down their problems and promise to resolve them as soon as he
reached the palace. Often older people would drop in at the palace and gave him
a hug and their blessings. He was a strong administrator as a king but soft
towards his subjects, Satyanarayan said in his second book Ama Parala Gajapati,
quoting Jnanpitha award winner Gopinath Mohanty.
In another incident in 1921, the
Maharaja walked several miles with his staff and a British engineer in the
middle of night to repair a bank of the river Vamshadhara to save the people of
Kashinagar from being inundated, added Satyanarayan who was a top official of
the Census department.
During the freedom movement,
Krushna Chandra asked for separation of Odia-speaking regions from the Madras
Presidency the moment he ascended the throne. A year after his coronation, he
hosted an annual session of Utkal Union Conference (Utkal Sammilani), a
campaign for a separate state of Odisha, in Paralakhemundi to bolster the
movement. A galaxy of intellectuals including Madhusudan Das, Fakir Mohan
Senapati, Gopabandhu Das and Godabarish Mishra attended the session. With the
backing of the key members of Sammilani, he put forth the demand of Odia people
before the Philip-Duff Committee in 1924. Those were the early days of the
struggle.
The defining moments came when he
attended the two Round Table Conferences in London, in 1930 and 1931. There, he
submitted fact-based memoranda seeking creation of a state on the basis of
language. His irrefutable arguments paved the way for the birth of modern
Odisha. Given his relentless effort to unite the scattered Odia community, many
consider him the founding father of the state.
The Maharaja put his education,
knowledge and experience to the best use improving the standard of living of
people living under his jurisdiction. From Nemington Residential College of
Madras he acquired the knowledge needed to improve agriculture in Odisha. He
instituted some endowments for agricultural researchers, established many
modern agricultural farms, and excavated over a thousand community water tanks
to improve irrigation facilities making Ganjam the ‘Rice bowl of Odisha’. No
wonder, the Maharaja was appointed as a member of the Royal Agricultural
Commission in 1927. The Commission’s chairman Lord Linlithgow held him in high
regard and was guided by his suggestions. Besides, Krushna Chandra set up many
hospitals, schools, colleges, industrial institutions and offered scholarships
to thousands of poor and meritorious students in humanities, science,
agriculture, medicine and engineering. He was a patron of Odia art, literature
and music too.
His first term as Prime Minister
was from April 1, 1937 to July 18, 1937, for 80 days while the second term
lasted from November 24, 1941 to June 30, 1944. The position was dissolved
after the country’s Independence. Though he lost his crown to democracy, he
remained the pivot of the Odisha state movement and the uncrowned ruler of many
Odia hearts.
Major contributions to the state
Utkal University, Vani Vihar
SCB Medical College and Hospital,
Cuttack,
Central Rice Research Institute,
Cuttack
MKCG Medical College and Hospital,
Berhampur
Odisha High Court, Cuttack
Services and honours
Honorary captain in World War I
Member of Royal Commission of
Agriculture
Member of Madras Legislative
Council
Honorary doctoral degree from
Utkal and Berhampur universities
Knight Commander of the Order of
the Indian Empire (KCIE)
One of the founding fathers of
the Indian Constitution
Giving robots
a better feel for object manipulation
By Rob Matheson, MIT News Office
Tuesday, 23 April, 2019
A new learning system developed
by MIT researchers improves robots’ abilities to
mould materials into target shapes and make predictions about interacting with
solid objects and liquids.
The system, known as a
learning-based particle simulator, could give industrial robots a more refined
touch — and it may have fun applications in personal robotics, such as
modelling clay shapes or rolling sticky rice for sushi.
In robotic planning, physical
simulators are models that capture how different materials respond to force.
Robots are ‘trained’ using the models to predict the outcomes of their
interactions with objects, such as pushing a solid box or poking deformable
clay. But traditional learning-based simulators mainly focus on rigid objects
and are unable to handle fluids or softer objects. Some more accurate
physics-based simulators can handle diverse materials, but rely heavily on
approximation techniques that introduce errors when robots interact with
objects in the real world.
In a paper being presented at the
International Conference on Learning Representations in May, the researchers
describe a new model that learns to capture how small portions of different
materials — ‘particles’ — interact when they’re poked and prodded. The model
directly learns from data in cases where the underlying physics of the
movements are uncertain or unknown. Robots can then use the model as a guide to
predict how liquids, as well as rigid and deformable materials, will react to
the force of its touch. As the robot handles the objects, the model also helps
to further refine the robot’s control.
In experiments, a robotic hand
with two fingers, called ‘RiceGrip’, accurately shaped a deformable foam to a
desired configuration — such as a ‘T’ shape — that serves as a proxy for
sushi rice. In short, the researchers’ model serves as a type of ‘intuitive
physics’ brain that robots can leverage to reconstruct three-dimensional
objects somewhat similarly to how humans do.
“Humans have an intuitive physics
model in our heads, where we can imagine how an object will behave if we push
or squeeze it. Based on this intuitive model, humans can accomplish amazing
manipulation tasks that are far beyond the reach of current robots,”
said first author Yunzhu Li, a graduate student in the Computer Science
and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “We want to build this
type of intuitive model for robots to enable them to do what humans can do.”
“When children are five months
old, they already have different expectations for solids and liquids,”
added co-author Jiajun Wu, a CSAIL graduate student. “That’s something we
know at an early age, so maybe that’s something we should try to model for
robots.”
Dynamic graphs
A key innovation behind the
model, called the ‘particle interaction network’ (DPI-Nets), was creating
dynamic interaction graphs, which consist of thousands of nodes and edges that
can capture complex behaviours of so-called particles. In the graphs, each node
represents a particle. Neighbouring nodes are connected with each other using
directed edges, which represent the interaction passing from one particle to
the other. In the simulator, particles are hundreds of small spheres combined
to make up some liquid or a deformable object.
The graphs are constructed as the basis for a machine-learning
system called a graph neural network. In training, the model over time learns
how particles in different materials react and reshape. It does so by
implicitly calculating various properties for each particle — such as its mass
and elasticity — to predict if and where the particle will move in the graph
when perturbed.
The model then leverages a
‘propagation’ technique, which instantaneously spreads a signal throughout the
graph. The researchers customised the technique for each type of material —
rigid, deformable and liquid — to shoot a signal that predicts particles
positions at certain incremental time steps. At each step, it moves and
reconnects particles, if needed.
For example, if a solid box is
pushed, perturbed particles will be moved forward. Because all particles inside
the box are rigidly connected with each other, every other particle in the
object moves the same calculated distance, rotation and any other dimension.
Particle connections remain intact and the box moves as a single unit. But if
an area of deformable foam is indented, the effect will be different. Perturbed
particles move forward a lot, surrounding particles move forward only slightly,
and particles further away won’t move at all. With liquids being sloshed around
in a cup, particles may completely jump from one end of the graph to the other.
The graph must learn to predict where and how much all affected particles move,
which is computationally complex.
Shaping and
adapting
In their paper, the researchers
demonstrate the model by tasking the two-fingered RiceGrip robot with
clamping target shapes out of deformable foam. The robot first uses a
depth-sensing camera and object-recognition techniques to identify the foam.
The researchers randomly select particles inside the perceived shape to
initialise the position of the particles. Then, the model adds edges between
particles and reconstructs the foam into a dynamic graph customised for
deformable materials.
Because of the learned
simulations, the robot already has a good idea of how each touch, given a
certain amount of force, will affect each of the particles in the graph. As the
robot starts indenting the foam, it iteratively matches the real-world position
of the particles to the targeted position of the particles. Whenever the
particles don’t align, it sends an error signal to the model. That signal
tweaks the model to better match the real-world physics of the material.
Next, the researchers aim to
improve the model to help robots better predict interactions with partially
observable scenarios, such as knowing how a pile of boxes will move when
pushed, even if only the boxes at the surface are visible and most of the other
boxes are hidden.
The researchers are also
exploring ways to combine the model with an end-to-end perception module by
operating directly on images.
“You’re dealing with these cases
all the time where there’s only partial information,” Wu said. “We’re extending
our model to learn the dynamics of all particles, while only seeing a small
portion.”
UCI,
SWAT Clarify Media Report
By
April 23, 2019
The managements of the United Commodities Incorporated (UCI) and
the Supplying West Africa Trader (SWAT) have denied the April 17, 2019 edition
of the New Democrat newspaper, one of local dailies, labeling the two companies
as a “cartel” of rice importers.
Among other things, the newspaper insinuated that UCI and SWAT
are allegedly selling a 25 kilograms bag of rice on local market for US$20, and
that two rice importers have due advantage of the storage facilities at the
Free Port of Monrovia over the other rice importers in the country.
But the managements of UCI and SWAT in a joint press release
issued in Monrovia on Friday, April 19, 2019, described the newspaper’s story
as “malicious and incorrect,” saying it is intended to confuse the general
public, and also create a bewildering environment for the business community
and the consumers of the country’s staple food, rice.
“The story was based on mere speculations intended to push an
agenda for some people, who are not serious. We would like to state that the
price of a 25kg bag of rice is sold by UCI and SWAT for US$13, and not US$20 as
reported by the newspaper. Secondly, to own a warehouse at the Free Port of
Monrovia, is not a condition for importing rice,” the press release clarified.
“When President George Weah came to power, the first thing he
did was to ask the rice importers to reduce the price of rice on the market.
That was done without hesitation, regardless of the losses the importers
sustained. And moreover, storage facilities at the Free Port of Monrovia are
leased by the relevant government agency. It is not restricted or reserved for
any special person or company. Whichever company or individual that affords the
lease price is given it,” the press release further quoted the managements of
the two rice importers.
“Publishing or broadcasting unfounded information is unethical,
and also cast aspersion over the credibility of the media or journalist
involved in such unwarranted act. And furthermore, innuendos that are acrid of
yellow journalism, image tainting and blackmailing, does not only harm the
business entities or individuals, but also the Liberian nation and people,” the
managements of the two rice importers said.
While expressing disdain and outrage over the newspaper report,
the managements of UCI and SWAT, however, encourage journalists and media
houses to always double check their information before reporting it.
“UCI and SWAT, which are considered the leading rice importers
in the country, are not only interested to make profits, but to also ensure the
availability of the nation’s staple food on the local market as well as to
support the much publicized “Pro-poor” Agenda of President Weah, the press
release added.
Exports to Pakistan decline as
Japan, UAE increase imports to Kenya
In Summary
• Uganda was Kenya's top export
market, purchasing goods worth Sh10.71 billion.
• The gap between imports and exports for the first two months
of 2019 widened by 3.46 per cent to Sh192.17 billion
A worker picks tea
at a plantation
Kenya’s trade market went through a shake-up in the first two
months of the year with Pakistan losing its position as the country’s top
export market while Japan grew to become Kenya’s second largest import market.
While Pakistan is the top buyer of Kenyan tea, Data by the
Central Bank of Kenya show the value of exports to the world’s sixth most
populous country registered the largest drop of 38.94 per cent to Sh8.75
billion compared to the same period last year.
This ranked the Asian country Kenya’s third largest exporter
after Uganda at Sh10.71 billion and Netherlands at Sh9.6 billion. The UK and US
came in fourth and fifth place at Sh8.14 billion and sh7.91 billion
respectively.
The data shows the value of export receipts for the two months
dropped 5.88 per cent to Sh104.21 billion largely driven by a decline in
earnings from tea.
During the period 45.35 per cent of goods sold abroad were food
and beverages while consumer goods and industrial supplies accounted for 27.12
and 24.69 per cent of exports.
On the other hand, the value of imports grew marginally by 3.46
per cent to Sh296.38 billion showing increased appetite for foreign goods.
A report by United States Department of Agriculture Service
shows 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.
“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 stated.
Japan was the biggest gainer during the review period,
more than doubling its earnings from imports to Kenya to Sh29.64 billion compared
to Sh14.53 billion over the same period last year.
Japan is most recognised for its used car imports to Kenya. This
is because the Asian country has strict vehicle inspections forcing cars out of
circulation after just a few years.
The data shows Japan overtook India to be Kenya’s second largest
import market after China.
The value of imports from Saudi Arabia and India decreased by
33.36 per cent and 28.61 per cent to Sh19.7 billion and Sh26.27 billion
respectively.
The UAE registered a 60.29 per cent increase in the value of
goods purchased from Kenya to Sh24.59 billion.
The gap between imports and exports for the first two months of
2019 widened by 3.46 per cent to Sh192.17 billion, data by the Central Bank
showed.
In the 12 months to December, Kenya’s trade deficit grew to
Sh1.145 trillion from Sh1.13 trillion over the same period in 2017.
Regulator urges prompt release of P10-B rice fund
April 22, 2019 | 10:18 pm
A
worker sun dries newly harvested unhusked rice grains as they make the most out
of the sun in Pulilan, Bulacan, Sept. 10, 2018. -- PHILIPPINE
STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS
A REGULATOR in charge of
licensing agriculturists called on the government to immediately release to
farmers the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), saying
that if this component of the Rice Tariffication Law is not implemented, it
would “sabotage” the law.
“Importante na ’yung timing ay
ngayon kaysa bukas dahil kung hindi mangyayari ngayon masasabotahe ang tariffication
[It is important that we do it sooner rather than later because if we do not,
this will sabotage tariffication],” V.L. Sonny Domingo, deputy commissioner of
the Board of Agriculture of the Professional Regulation Commission said at a
forum in Quezon City Monday.
Rice tariffication allows private
firms to import rice more freely, with the tariffs generated funding RCEF. RCEF
in turn will help rice farmers mechanize and expand access to credit,
fertilizer and seed.
“Kung hindi lalabas ngayong June… masisira
’yung momentum ng implementation ngtariffication
[If the funds are not released by June… it will break the momentum of the
tariffication process],” he added.
He also warned that rice imports
could exceed 2 million tons — the volume he calculates will meet consumer
demand that domestic producers cannot fill, putting further pressure on prices
and farmer incomes. One of the factors putting pressure on domestically
produced rice is the prospect of competing with cheap imports brought in under
rice tariffication.
According to the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA), prices of palay, or unmilled rice, have been
declining for five weeks. The latest data for the 5th week of March puts
average farmgate prices at P18.8 per kilogram, down 0.16% from a week earlier.
“Magkaroon lang sana ng [There
should be a] government guarantee from LANDBANK and DBP to lend money
equivalent to P10 billion to farmer organizations that are proposing to
modernize their farming systems,” he told BusinessWorld over
the phone.
The status of RCEF was
momentarily in doubt while the 2019 budget remained unsigned. The Agriculture
department has said that once the budget is enacted, it will work towards
releasing the entire RCEF to farmer-beneficiaries. — Vincent Mariel P.
Galanghttps://www.bworldonline.com/regulator-urges-prompt-release-of-p10-b-rice-fund/
Fact checking Audu’s claim and proffering solutions to rice importation
in Nigeria
Rice
is more than just a staple in Nigeria. It is prestige, a symbol of higher
living and proof of grandstanding amongst Nigeria’s elite. This phenomenon is
better explained why prices of rice bags spike when festivities are slowly
showing up. The most coveted Jollof rice is the most sought after type of food
at weddings, birthday celebrations, child christening festivities and funerals.
So much that some Sunday specials are incomplete without it.
Rice,
whether Jollof or fried is a delight to many and a weekly constant for millions
of Nigeria on their menus. Not excluding the rice and stew, rice and beans,
Ofada rice, coconut rice and different varieties of rice that are used to
satisfy these daily purposes.
Barely over
a week ago, Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development stated
that 90 per cent of the rice consumed in Nigeria is produced locally. This
statement coming from the largest importers of rice across the globe was
bizarre to say the least, as we seek to ascertain the truth value of the
statement.
According to
statistics, Nigeria has been described as the highest importer of rice globally
and the largest producer of rice in Africa. It is also the most widely consumed
food according to 2012 FAOSTAT data. In 2015, Nigeria spent ₦1 billion on rice
importation as reported by Aminu Goronyo, the Chairman of the Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in 2017.
A recent
report from the United States Department of Agriculture has estimated Nigeria’s
rice exports to increase by 13% to 3.4 million metric tonnes in 2019.
Even though
the government has implemented bans to be placed on importation, the Presidency
in an Arise TV interview has called on the press to commend their efforts in
encouraging local rice production; even though not much has improved thus far.
Rice has reportedly been imported into Nigeria and smuggled through borders in
Cotonou and Benin Republic with the major smuggling routes along Sango and
Owode, a transnational link that connects the Benin Republic and Ghana
respectively.
Making a very misleading comment, the
Nigerian Agriculture Minister, Audu Ogbeh, went further to say Nigeria was
responsible for the drastic fall in rice importation from Thailand. This claim
reported last year by both The
Cable and Premium
Timeswas immediately debunked by the Thailand Ambassador who
found the Nigerian Minister’s comment quite misleading and alarming.
According to
the report, the Agriculture minister said “just like two weeks ago, the
Ambassador of Thailand came to my office and said to me that we have really
‘dealt’ with them.
“But I asked
what did we do wrong and he said unemployment in Thailand was one of the lowest
in the world, 1.2 per cent, it has gone up to four per cent because seven giant
rice mills have shut down because Nigeria’s import has fallen by 95 per cent on
rice alone”.
However, the
diplomat said Ogbeh may have lied.
“The report
is not only misleading but a distortion of the actual conversation between
myself and the Honourable Minister of Agriculture at the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development on 30th January 2018, which was nothing short
of positivity and optimism on both sides.
“During which I praised President Buhari’s
Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the essence of which is the endeavour
to move the country to self-sufficiency and export-oriented economy and to that
worthy cause, Thailand stands ready to work closely with the Nigerian
Government in the field of technology transfer and agricultural machinery.
“At the same
meeting, the honourable minister and I had reached the conclusion that I as
Ambassador of Thailand to Nigeria will be working closely with the Ministry of
Agriculture and rural development to establish a platform to discuss our mutual
benefits in the form of MOU on Agricultural Cooperation and by forming a
bilateral Working Committee toward that end.”
He added
that the report could not have been farther from the truth as Thailand’s
official figures demonstrate that its rice export to the world in 2017 reached
11.48 million tons worth $5.1 billion.
Nevertheless,
the diplomat still wished to work with the Nigerian Minister in their new walk
to a rice revolution.
Till date, discrepancies still exist
amongst figures on the exact number of rice produced by Nigeria, being one of
the largest importers of rice in the world, as several facts from PwC, finelib.com, AgroNigeria, ThisDay and USDA acclaim. According
to Aminu Goronyo, the Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria
(RIFAN), local production of Rice as of 2017 in a Punch Newspaper report
pegs Nigeria’s rice production at 5.8 million metric tonnes, against a growing
consumption need of 7.9 million metric tonnes.
Going by
that, Nigeria has been estimated to spend one billion naira on rice daily,
resulting in 365 billion naira on rice alone, annually. Aminu Goronyo has
tagged the rice increase of 0.3 million metric tonnes in 2017 to the Annual
Borrowers Program launched by the Presidency, which translated into empowering
12 million rice producers with four million hectares of FADAMA rice land. But
if only a 0.3 growth from 5.5 to 5.8 million metric tonnes is all the Buhari
Administration could muster, rice self-sufficiency in 2019 could be impossible
as was projected in 2016, bringing the 90% rice production claim into question.
Index Mundi tied Nigeria’s Rice production to 2.7
million metric tonnes and consumption capacity of 7 million metric tonnes. Vanguard, in their Rice
Revolution Feature, stuck with RIFAN’s claim of 5.8 million metric tonnes and
consumption capacity of 7.9 million metric tonnes.
Knoema raised the bar by pegging Nigeria’s
consumption capacity at 9.8 million metric tonnes. PricewaterhouseCoopers gave
Nigeria a producing capacity of 3.7 million metric tonnes and a consumption
capacity of 6.4 million metric tonnes, accounting for 20% of Africa’s
consumption. Even though Ruth Olurounbi’s Bloomberg report
of November 2018 report foresees a 13% increase and 3.4 million metric tonnes
increase in rice imports, the United State Department of Agriculture is what we
will go with in this report, since several reports have proven inconsistent
with their figures in showing how much we produce.
The USDA report
is contrary to several claims by the Nigerian government that local rice
production has increased while importation has dropped by up to 90%. The
report, released in October, showed that since 2016, Nigeria had consistently
milled 3,780,000 metric tonnes annually – a drop from 3,941,000 metric tonnes
recorded in 2015.
Nigeria
imported three million metric tonnes of rice in 2018, which is 400,000 metric
tonnes more than the quantity of the product imported in 2017, according to the
2018 United States Department of Agriculture World Markets and Trade Report.
The report
stated that Nigeria’s local rice production dropped from 2016 to 2018 compared
to 2015.
It also
stated that Nigeria recorded a higher consumption of rice in 2018 at 6,900,000
metric tonnes – an increase of 200,000 metric tonnes over the previous year.
But the CBN
clarified that the volume of rice importation into Nigeria (in metric tonnes)
has declined drastically in 2018, judging by figures obtained from various
official sources.
Indeed,
figures obtained from India and Thailand, which are dominant rice exporters to
Nigeria indicated that as at September, the latter had so far exported about
5,161 metric tonnes of rice to Nigeria, while the former sold only a paltry sum
of 426 as at July 2018.
While we will like to believe in the giant
stride we may be making in agriculture and in the rice sector, most specifically,
it will be erroneous for us to believe false claims Audu Ogbeh, the Nigerian
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development has made all over the media. All
his claims fact-checked are false. Nigeria has still not been able to meet her
consumption need, falling below the rubicon year after year since 2015. But we
can also agree that Nigeria has managed to at least produce a minimum of 3
million metric tonnes to cater to her domestic needs. That wholesome fact is
true.
Nigeria
imports a minimum of 2-3 million metric tonnes per year just to cater for its
growing need. A goldmine, which if effectively tapped into will bring about
employment, massive income generation and food for all. Nigeria has the
capacity for over 3 million hectares of arable land for rice paddies.
Unfortunately, none of these statistics has translated into scalable growth
measures.
Till date,
only 8 states heavily produce rice in Nigeria and this doesn’t mean the other
28 can’t- rice is not only grown in the Benue and Niger States, it can also be
grown in well-irrigated terraces but no actionable plan has been put forward to
make these ideas work.
Hence, the rice sustainability dream of
2019. Cementing a MoU between Lagos and Kebbi state to facilitate rice
production and further distribution hasn’t yielded many fruits either. Last
December the purported Lake rice was yet to be found in markets, supermarket
and shops due to unnamed “technical reasons” as seen in a Guardianreport. And local
rice? You can literally just take your mind off that.
Local rice
which was sighted a few times in Jos was full of stone particles- subject to
another mindless hour or two of sorting with a specific style of cooking;
making the value of rice indigenously produced in Nigeria a very tough choice
in many homes. What is worse off is the rice is almost as expensive as the
foreign rice. Maybe ₦100 lesser per cup or module. In some cases, local rice
tends to be costlier with no hope at the end of that tunnel as the price
continues to ever be on the rise.
This current
Easter festivity, rice has been a treasure to find. A few weeks before Easter,
a caller on radio, 91.3 Lagos Talks FM lamented the unavailability of rice
before the festivities began. In his own experience, he had reached out to his
rice dealer who decried the lack of rice in the country at the time; as the
border was locked down to prevent rice smuggling. Rice smuggling, though banned
via air has not piped down since the local average Nigerian consumption need is
a utopia for the recent beneficiaries of the Anchor Borrowing Program.
In the
highly distressing phone call, he said: “Rice has been unavailable. Ask them,”
he said (referring to the audience on radio and the marketers themselves), “I
usually get my rice from a particular dealer but she has not been able to get
me any and it is the same thing for every rice trader across Nigeria right
now,” the male caller asserted, with so much conviction in his tone.
Take this as
an advisory statement: No government bans the importation of its most consumed
product without setting up measures in place. Instead, it launches research
into that area and tries to use that sector to drive a revolutionary change.
After a few years of research and rebuilding the sector to be self-sufficient,
the reliance on importation will naturally fade away- this is only possible
when the indigenously produced product is at par with international standard or
maybe even greater.
Not all
policies are good; an import ban could bite you in the back if not well
controlled. Besides, rice production should be a yearlong affair with the
mechanisation of every single process to make it easier and faster.
The major
reason local rice has fallen out of favour with many is because of the pebbles
known to be found in it. And this occurs during rice processing when the rice
paddies are strewn out, cut and left to dry on a tarpaulin. This is where the
whole quality is diminished, not also to add that most people are in love with
the long grain rice- a speciality only the Asian continent is known for, China
most especially. The long grain is not strenuous to cook; therefore it is the
most sought after.
There is
need to mechanise farming processes in Nigeria, starting with the number one
most-consumed staple in Nigeria- Rice. If all the processes from weeding to
harvesting and milling are all automated, many things will begin to improve
from there and maybe some rice won’t be lost to bad yield or pest attacks. The
Government should also make an effort to develop rice mills across the country,
avoiding over dependency on the one in Lafia for redundancy. Also, the rice
should be readily available as a worthy alternative to the Thai long grain
rice.
Qwenu! publishes
opinions, reflections, and experiences of Africans on contemporary issues.
Click here to read articles from Africans at
home and in the diaspora. Email submissions to editor@qwenu.com Follow us @qwenu_media
Joseph Olaoluwa
MRF guarantees quality of home-grown
rice
PUBLISHED 23
APRIL 2019
Local
rice buyers and consumers should not worry about the quality of local-grown
rice, said President of Myanmar Rice Federation Ye Min Aung, at a press
conference at Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(UMFCCI) on April 22.
Local
rice buyers and consumers worry after the destruction of Myanmar rice by Ivory
Coast citing that it is unfit for human consumption.
This
problem is nothing to do with the quality of Myanmar rice. Rice millers,
merchants and exporters are working to export the international-standard rice,
he added.
“Myanmar
exports high-quality rice to European countries, Japan and other countries.
Shwebo and Pawsanhmwe rice consumed in the country have high-quality. The
people don’t need to worry as local farmers don’t use too much fertilizers,” he
continued.
Rice
is an important good for export as well as for the local market. Eighty per
cent of rice goes to local consumption and the rest to the export.
MoU on rice exports signed with
Yunnan Province government
KHIN SU WAI 23 APR 2019
Rice farmers harvest padi in Nay
Pyi Taw. Photo: EPA
The
Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and government of Yunnan Province, China, signed a
memorandum of understanding on the export of Myanmar rice and other crops to
China on April 21.
Under
the agreement, Myanmar will be able to legally export crops such as rice as
well as fisheries to China via the Muse border trade gate.
The
MoU, which is a part of barter system, will see Myanmar importing construction
materials and farming machinery manufactured in Yunnan Province in exchange for
an equal amount in value of Myanmar-produced agricultural products.
The
Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery Development Committee under the Union of
Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) will take
charge of this agreement, which will take effect in May. Exporting rice to
China will be the government’s top priority.
The
barter agreement comes after tonnes of Myanmar agricultural products, including
rice, sugar and maize, had accumulated at warehouses near the border after
China, in an attempt to crack down on illegal border trade, temporarily banned
all imports from Myanmar.
Since
Chinese New Year in February, around one million bags of rice and 5000 head of
cattle have been stuck in transit at Muse.
As
a result, rice prices have decreased by up to 20 yuan per bag, while breeders
were forced to sell their cattle at low prices. In total, trade volumes have
fallen by a value of US$650 million year-to-date in the current fiscal year
compared to the year before, according to the MOC.
China
currently imports commodities based on a quota system. Myanmar’s official
export quota, set in 2016, is 100,000 tonnes of rice. According to data from
the MOC, over 50 percent of Myanmar-produced rice is sold to China via the border.
As such traders are lobbying for that quota to be quadrupled, to 400,000
tonnes.
Traders
have expressed skepticism at the agreement though. “The MoU is just an initial
phase,” said U Mike, a rice trader from Mandalay. He pointed out that Myanmar
had signed several MoUs on trade with China in the past. Myanmar agricultural
products, which up until now have been deemed illegal by China, will be costly
if they are made official so it might be not profitable for traders and farmers
in the early stages of the MoU, rice traders said.
Although
rice production in Myanmar hit its highest in 73 years last year, production is
expected to taper this year as a result of declining demand in the Chinese
market, which is the main buyer of Myanmar rice, according to rice
traders.
Rice
is a main export of the country, generating over K5 trillion annually of which
40pc is generated by exports. As it plays a major role in the country’s
economy, it is very important for rice producers to focus not only on the
price but also on the quality, vice president U Henry Van Thio said at the
Seminar for Development of Myanmar Rice and General Assembly and Annual General
Meeting held by Myanmar Rice Federation on February 9.
Food security:
FG plans release of new BT crops ON APRIL 22, 20197:59 AMIN NEWS0 COMMENTS
…Mulls devt of National Biotech Communication policy By Emmanuel Elebeke
ABUJA—The Federal Government is to release new Genetically Modified rice, BT
rice, BT cassava and other crops soon. File: Tomato sellers at Mile 12 market
The Coordinator of Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology in Nigeria, OFAB
Nigeria, Dr. Rose Gidado dropped the
hint, weekend, during a capacity building programme for editors and
correspondents in Abuja. She explained that the plan would be realised through
the ongoing research findings by Nigerian scientists at the National
Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA in line with federal government’s plan
to achieve food sufficiency in the country. Gidado said NABDA has demonstrated
a lot of capacity in new GM crops with the introduction of BT Cotton and BT
Cowpea, which took about 10 years of intensive research, adding that it would
amount to understatement to say that Nigeria has capacity in biotechnology. Similarly, the
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Bitrus Nabasu
has said federal government is taking 
steps to develop National
Biotechnology Communication policy.
Nabasu said the policy when put in place
will ensure that the Nigerian public is adequately informed about the advances
on biotechnology. The Permanent Secretary, who harped on strong collaboration
between media and government said government has embraced modern biotechnology,
stating that the technology is here to stay. “We plan to develop a National
Biotechnology Communication policy in collaboration with relevant
stakeholders.” Related
steps to develop National
Biotechnology Communication policy.
Nabasu said the policy when put in place
will ensure that the Nigerian public is adequately informed about the advances
on biotechnology. The Permanent Secretary, who harped on strong collaboration
between media and government said government has embraced modern biotechnology,
stating that the technology is here to stay. “We plan to develop a National
Biotechnology Communication policy in collaboration with relevant
stakeholders.” Related
USMCA
Offers Modest Ag Growth
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S.
International Trade Commission (ITC) has released its report on the potential
economic impact of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), and as
expected, manufacturing makes the most gains.
The ITC report found that the USMCA would have a small but positive impact on the U.S. economy across all sectors. Once the agreement has been fully implemented, Gross Domestic Product would increase by $68.2 billion, or .35 percent. Roughly 176,000 jobs would be added.
Additionally, exports to Canada and Mexico would increase by a total of $33.3 billion or 12.6 percent, and imports from the two countries would increase by $31.5 billion or 8.6 percent. Agricultural exports are projected to increase by $2.2 billion. The industry that will experience the greatest positive impact will be the automotive industry.
While the U.S. rice industry supports the new agreement, it is absolutely vital that the U.S. not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) until the USMCA is in place.
"From the outset, when President Trump said he wanted a new deal, our mantra has been that NAFTA was great for our industry and that if he wanted to improve other parts, he should endeavor to do no harm to what works," said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of USA Rice. "Canada and Mexico both rank in the top five export destinations for U.S. rice, and maintaining duty-free market access is a priority for the rice industry."
Congress has said it would not take up the USMCA without the ITC study, which it now has. The next step on the road to ratifying the agreement is for the Trump Administration to send Congress several legal documents including the final text of the agreement, implementing legislation, and a statement of administrative action.
Congressional approval of the USMCA is a priority for industry, but with a divided Congress and the 2020 Presidential campaign heating up it is not a foregone conclusion by any stretch.
"Mexico passed labor reform that was welcome news to many in Congress, however, the steel and aluminum tariffs the U.S. placed on Mexico and Canada remain in place and this represents a huge stumbling block for many Members of Congress," Ward explained.
Further complicating matters are looming federal elections. Canadians go to the polls on October 21, and pundits doubt the country will ratify the new deal prior to that. Just fifteen weeks later Americans will begin voting in presidential primaries.
"Agriculture is already struggling, and uncertainty around U.S. trading relationships make things that much worse, so these issues need to be resolved. It's going to be messy, but it needs to get done," she concluded.
The ITC report found that the USMCA would have a small but positive impact on the U.S. economy across all sectors. Once the agreement has been fully implemented, Gross Domestic Product would increase by $68.2 billion, or .35 percent. Roughly 176,000 jobs would be added.
Additionally, exports to Canada and Mexico would increase by a total of $33.3 billion or 12.6 percent, and imports from the two countries would increase by $31.5 billion or 8.6 percent. Agricultural exports are projected to increase by $2.2 billion. The industry that will experience the greatest positive impact will be the automotive industry.
While the U.S. rice industry supports the new agreement, it is absolutely vital that the U.S. not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) until the USMCA is in place.
"From the outset, when President Trump said he wanted a new deal, our mantra has been that NAFTA was great for our industry and that if he wanted to improve other parts, he should endeavor to do no harm to what works," said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of USA Rice. "Canada and Mexico both rank in the top five export destinations for U.S. rice, and maintaining duty-free market access is a priority for the rice industry."
Congress has said it would not take up the USMCA without the ITC study, which it now has. The next step on the road to ratifying the agreement is for the Trump Administration to send Congress several legal documents including the final text of the agreement, implementing legislation, and a statement of administrative action.
Congressional approval of the USMCA is a priority for industry, but with a divided Congress and the 2020 Presidential campaign heating up it is not a foregone conclusion by any stretch.
"Mexico passed labor reform that was welcome news to many in Congress, however, the steel and aluminum tariffs the U.S. placed on Mexico and Canada remain in place and this represents a huge stumbling block for many Members of Congress," Ward explained.
Further complicating matters are looming federal elections. Canadians go to the polls on October 21, and pundits doubt the country will ratify the new deal prior to that. Just fifteen weeks later Americans will begin voting in presidential primaries.
"Agriculture is already struggling, and uncertainty around U.S. trading relationships make things that much worse, so these issues need to be resolved. It's going to be messy, but it needs to get done," she concluded.
Basmati rice exporter GRM to enter domestic market; to invest Rs
50 crore on marketing, distribution
The company sees tremendous
growth potential in the domestic market where the demand for packaged branded
basmati rice is rising at a rapid pace, its MD Atul Garg said.
Leading basmati rice exporter GRM Overseas Ltd has decided to
foray into the domestic market and will invest around Rs 50 crore over the next
two years to expand its business across the country.
The company sees tremendous growth potential in the domestic market
where the demand for packaged branded basmati rice is rising at a rapid pace,
its MD Atul Garg said.
GRM Overseas, a listed entity with around Rs 950 crore turnover
in the 2017-18 fiscal year, has two processing plants at Panipat in Haryana and
recently acquired a plant in Gujarat.
"We are the third largest basmati rice exporter in the
country. Now, we are entering the domestic market under our brand
Tanoush," he told PTI.
Garg said the company would be launching three-four variants of
branded basmati rice in a price range of Rs 50-120 per kg.
He said the company will be investing about Rs 50 crore over the
next two years for the domestic market business.
This investment includes acquiring a plant near Mudra port in
Gujarat and establishing distribution and retail network across the country.
The Gujarat plant will cater to exports while the two plants in
Panipat have been earmarked to serve the domestic market.
"We have set a target to achieve Rs 1,000 crore turnover in
the domestic market in the next five years," Garg said, adding that the
total market size of branded basmati rice in India is around Rs 14,000 crore.
India Gate, Daawat and Tilda are the leading basmati rice brands
in the country.
Asked about exports, Garg said the company is estimated to have
exported around 1.4 lakh tonnes last fiscal worth around Rs 1100 crore.
It exports basmati rice to 32 countries, with Middle East as a
key market, under private labels as well as its own brand.
GRM functions through a network of sales and distribution
offices in the UK, US and Middle East and has tied up with 1,800 stores globally
to reach its customers.
Last week, it formed a strategic alliance with MAN Consumer to
distribute its brand Tanoush in 22 Carrefour hypermarket stores across the UAE.
GRM is also present in large retail stores such as TESCO, ASDA
(Walmart UK) and T J Morris in the UK, Albert Heign in Holland and Metro in
Poland.
Mohammad Afsar samples and analyzes
groundwater at a research site in Blackbird State Forest, Delaware.
EARTH DAY: MOHAMMAD AFSAR
Photos by iStock and courtesy
of Mohammad Afsar | Illustration courtesy of NASA April 22, 2019
Delaware
Environmental Institute Fellow tracks carbon chemistry in wetlands soils
Soil and water, nutrients and elements. Knowing how they mix is
part of how humans survive on Earth.
“If we know more about the interactions between soil minerals
and organic matter, we can begin to answer so many other questions, like how
are essential nutrients such as dissolved organic carbon, phosphorus, and
nitrogen transported and cycled into the deeper soil profile, and from wetlands
to downstream water bodies,” said Mohammad Afsar.
Afsar, a Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN)Fellow, is
working with Prof. Yan Jin in
the University of Delaware’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, to
understand the interactions between colloids and soil organic matter under
seasonal wet and dry conditions. The research is a part of a seven-state
Mid-Atlantic/Northeast project. Afsar’s research site is a Delmarva Bay
freshwater wetland in Blackbird State Forest, Delaware. He collects soil pore
water samples along a transect from upland to wetlands and at different soil
depths to study the molecular composition of both the soil colloids and organic
matter.
The research will improve our understanding of how organic
matter is released and transported in these environments. Wetlands cover only
8–10 percent of the world’s land surface, but they store 20–30 percent of
global soil carbon.
“Seasonal wetlands, such as those along Delmarva Bay, are ideal
ecosystems for better understanding the effects of climate change on other
permanently flooded wetland soils,” Afsar said. Therefore, he is confident that
his work will help us understand the effect of climate change on the stability
of soil organic matter.
Afsar earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the
University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He came to UD to work with Jin, whose research
he heard about while he was a faculty member in the Department of Soil Science
at the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Before that, he worked at the
International Rice Research Institute to mitigate the problem of arsenic
accumulation in rice, the staple food of Bangladesh.
After completing his doctorate, perhaps by the end of 2019,
Afsar said he hopes to find a postdoctoral research position then to work in
academia or a research institution.
Afsar treasures the time he spends with his wife and 3-year-old
son. After Afsar spoke at the Soil Science Society of America meeting in San
Diego in January 2019, the family enjoyed a road trip through the Southwest,
stopping in Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon, and Death Valley, among other
places.
“This research is intensive,” said Afsar. “You have to make time
to refresh yourself.”
Each year, Earth Day — April 22 —
marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
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