Plan to check Fall
Armyworm attack
TIRUCHI, MAY 15,
2019 22:51 IST
With the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) causing extensive
damage to maize crops in Tiruchi, Karur, Perambalur and several other districts
in Tamil Nadu last year, the State government, in coordination with various
Central and state government organisations, is set to evolve an action plan to
prevent the pest attack in the crop this year.
On Wednesday, state agricultural officers attended a workshop on
management of Fall Armyworm at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and
Research Institute on the outskirts of the city. The workshop was organised by
the Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (CIPMC) in coordination with the
Department of Agriculture and the Indian Council of Agriculture Research
(ICAR)- KrishiVigyan Kendra (KVK).
V.Dakshinamoorthy, Director of Agriculture, said steps were
being taken to evolve an integrated approach to prevent attack of the invasive
pest this year. The two-day workshop would evolve and finalise an integrated
crop protection protocol to prevent the pest attack.
Maize is grown on about 3.5 lakh hectares in the state and the
pest had caused extensive damage in the crop last year. The pest had spread
rapidly within a short period across various districts and caused damage to the
crop despite various control measures.
Scientists from various agencies would share their expertise and
experience to finalise the approach to be adopted to check the pest attack.
Assistant Directors of Agriculture (Quality Control) and Agricultural Officers
of all districts would be trained on the measures to be adopted to control the
pest. Agriculture officers had a major responsibility in taking the message to
the farmers.
P. Sankaralingam, Additional Director of Agriculture (Research),
Directorate of Agriculture, elaborated the importance of research and
management strategies to control the pest.
S. Gnanasambandan, Head, CIPMC, underlined the importance of
collective and collaborative efforts by various government agencies and
research institutions in the management of Fall Army Worm during the
forthcoming season.
K. Prabakar, Director, Centre for Plant Protection Services
(CPPS), N. Sathiah, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Entomology,
and N.Muthukrishnan, Professor and Nodal Officer (FAW), Department of
Agricultural Entomology, TNAU, Coimbatore, explained the integrated pest
management capsule developed by TNAU for management of the pest in maize and
other issues requiring research.
Various other experts including C. Elangovan, Head, Regional
Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (RCIPMC), Bengaluru, P. Masilamani,
Dean, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, J.
Diraviyam, ICAR- Kirishi Vigyan Kendra, Karur, and V. Ambethgar, Director,
TNAU-Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai, spoke.
The Joint Directors of Agriculture from various districts along
with all scientists and technical experts from various agencies deliberated on
integrated pest management modules developed by TNAU and ICAR to finalise the
action plan for the 2019-20.
Called porridge, can prevent obesity
By paradox
-
16.05.2019
The results of the latest
research.
Examining the link between eating
rice and the risk of obesity, the researchers came to the conclusion that its
use can protect against excess fat in the body.Regular, but moderate
consumption of rice is able to prevent the development of human obesity – this
is according to a study conducted by experts from the College of Humanities in
Kyoto (Japan).
“In countries where people eat on
average 150 grams of rice a day, the obesity rate is much lower”, – quotes the
authors resource project.
Before making this conclusion,
researchers analyzed the diets, peculiar inhabitants of 136 countries with a population
of over 1 million people. Information about diets was presented to the Food and
agriculture organization of the United Nations. Data on feeding habits were
correlated with indicators of obesity prevalence, health expenditures and GDP
per capita.
Scientists stated that the
inclusion of rice in regular diet would help to delay the rapid spread of
obesity among the population of the planet. The researchers calculated that if
every adult started to consume 50 grams of rice a day, the incidence of obesity
worldwide would be reduced by 1%.
Study leader, Professor Tomoko
Imai, said that the use of rice protects against overeating – this is
facilitated by the present in the rice fiber and nutrients. At the same time,
she spoke about the fact that too much rice in the diet makes people more prone
to diabetes and metabolic syndrome – this product leads to a small increase in
the level of glucose in the blood after ingestion.
Sustainability
Report: Land Use and Soil Conservation
By Lesley Dixon
Third installment in the series recapping the U.S. Rice Sustainability Report.
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. rice farmers have a vested interest in
sustainability because they care about the land they cultivate. They live
and work on the acreage that they plan to pass on to future generations, which
means preserving the integrity and health of the soil itself so that it can
continue to grow rice for decades to come. The U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report highlights
the many technological advances that have allowed rice to become the most
efficient major crop when it comes to soil conservation.
Rice is already a crop that's soil smart. Due to the unique nature of rice production practices, erosion has not historically been a major problem. Heavy clay and silt loam soils that are often ill-suited to other crops retain water well, making them perfect for rice. But just because rice farmers were already the best in the soil business didn't mean that they couldn't find ways to improve. Over the course of the 36-year period covered by the report, soil erosion on U.S. rice farms decreased by 28 percent, and according to the Field to Market 2016 Indicators Report, rice consistently demonstrates the lowest per-acre soil erosion of any major crop.
The first way rice farmers go about conserving soil is simply by using less of it. As mentioned in the first installment in this series, overall increased efficiency and improved crop yields has led to a 39 percent decrease in planted acres per hundredweight of rice. Beyond using less land to produce more rice, farmers are also employing new technologies to decrease erosion, retain nutrients, and reduce runoff.
You can't talk about soil conservation without mentioning water. Precision land leveling uses GPS and laser-guided earthmoving equipment to create uniform grades and slopes within fields. This uniformity means less water use and less runoff, which preserves important nutrients within the soil. Good land leveling practices also achieve sustainability goals by increasing crop yields, improving weed control, and reducing seeding times.
Conservation tillage-in which rice is planted with no or minimal tillage into previous crop residue or a stale seedbed-protects the soil from erosion, loss of nutrients, and salinization. Keeping organic matter in the soil helps improve soil health, and naturally saves energy and reduces carbon emissions by requiring fewer tractor passes.
For example, farmers in Missouri, under the National Rice Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), reduced soil losses by 88 percent and prevented 380 dump trucks of soil from entering the waterways by employing conservation tillage and retaining winter rainfall.
Of course, much of this effort would not be possible without the support of programs, such as RCPP, offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Louisiana rice farmer Christian Richard participates in the NRCS Gulf of Mexico Initiative, which seeks to improve water quality in the Gulf. Richard uses a variety of sustainable techniques throughout his operation, including precision leveling, conservation tillage, and a state-of-the-art tailwater recovery system. Using water efficiently holds the soil on his farm in place, minimizing erosion and nutrient loss.
"U.S. farmers should not be afraid to tell their story," said Richard. "We are being productive while conserving natural resources and maintaining the safest food supply in the world. It's important to leave the land better than it was before."
Soil and water go hand in hand, and the next installment in this series on the U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report will focus on the many improvements in water use and quality rice farmers have achieved since 1980.
Rice is already a crop that's soil smart. Due to the unique nature of rice production practices, erosion has not historically been a major problem. Heavy clay and silt loam soils that are often ill-suited to other crops retain water well, making them perfect for rice. But just because rice farmers were already the best in the soil business didn't mean that they couldn't find ways to improve. Over the course of the 36-year period covered by the report, soil erosion on U.S. rice farms decreased by 28 percent, and according to the Field to Market 2016 Indicators Report, rice consistently demonstrates the lowest per-acre soil erosion of any major crop.
The first way rice farmers go about conserving soil is simply by using less of it. As mentioned in the first installment in this series, overall increased efficiency and improved crop yields has led to a 39 percent decrease in planted acres per hundredweight of rice. Beyond using less land to produce more rice, farmers are also employing new technologies to decrease erosion, retain nutrients, and reduce runoff.
You can't talk about soil conservation without mentioning water. Precision land leveling uses GPS and laser-guided earthmoving equipment to create uniform grades and slopes within fields. This uniformity means less water use and less runoff, which preserves important nutrients within the soil. Good land leveling practices also achieve sustainability goals by increasing crop yields, improving weed control, and reducing seeding times.
Conservation tillage-in which rice is planted with no or minimal tillage into previous crop residue or a stale seedbed-protects the soil from erosion, loss of nutrients, and salinization. Keeping organic matter in the soil helps improve soil health, and naturally saves energy and reduces carbon emissions by requiring fewer tractor passes.
For example, farmers in Missouri, under the National Rice Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), reduced soil losses by 88 percent and prevented 380 dump trucks of soil from entering the waterways by employing conservation tillage and retaining winter rainfall.
Of course, much of this effort would not be possible without the support of programs, such as RCPP, offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Louisiana rice farmer Christian Richard participates in the NRCS Gulf of Mexico Initiative, which seeks to improve water quality in the Gulf. Richard uses a variety of sustainable techniques throughout his operation, including precision leveling, conservation tillage, and a state-of-the-art tailwater recovery system. Using water efficiently holds the soil on his farm in place, minimizing erosion and nutrient loss.
"U.S. farmers should not be afraid to tell their story," said Richard. "We are being productive while conserving natural resources and maintaining the safest food supply in the world. It's important to leave the land better than it was before."
Soil and water go hand in hand, and the next installment in this series on the U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report will focus on the many improvements in water use and quality rice farmers have achieved since 1980.
USA RICE DAILY
Virtual water export virtually dries Pakistan
MAY 15, 2019
Globally, climate change and urbanization are increasing water
scarcity and water disparities respectively. Yet, humans are using six times
more water as they did 100 years ago. The pressure on water resources is
expected to increase with the population growth and flourishing middle class by
60% by 2025.
In Pakistan, life for 120 million people is going to be harder
in future who currently have limited access to water. According to Water
Resources Institute, the country is already categorized as “extremely
highly-water-stressed country” as it draws nearly 80% of available water supply
every year. The coming decades will unleash further hardships as the climate
models predict an overall flow reduction of 20% in the Indus river system by 2100.
Pakistan’s national water footprint currently stands at 3,600
litres per person per day, 84% of which is covered through domestic resources.
Due to economic and demographic pressures, the demand for ground and surface
waters will continue to grow in the years to come. With limited supplies of
water and finances, the water managers and policymakers have limited choices
and time to avoid a catastrophic future.
Pakistanis still love to be called an agrarian society. Although
the share of agriculture to national GDP has now been reduced to around 20%,
the use of water in the sector remains at 90% of the available water. The three
main crops of wheat, rice and cotton are among the top five water-intensive
crops.
There is a need to separate right
to groundwater from land ownership rights
The State of the World’s Water 2019 report informs that wheat is
responsible for 22% of groundwater depletion with an average water footprint of
1,800 litres per kilogram.
Rice is a major culprit which uses 40% of all global irrigation,
and 17% of groundwater and has an average water footprint of 2,500 litres per
kilogram.
Cotton has a heavy use of irrigated water, which can turn arid
environments like Southern Punjab and Northern Sindh into deserts. In Pakistan,
the cotton crop uses an average of 9,800 litres per kilogram, which is much
higher than that of other cotton producing countries like USA. The production
of cloth from cotton crop is also highly water intensive. A cotton shirt takes
2700 litres and a pair of jeans pants take 10,000 liters of water during
manufacturing, which is sufficient to meet the drinking requirements of a
normal human being for 2.5 years.
A 2017 research published in scientific journal “Nature” claimed
that Pakistan was the largest groundwater exporter with 7.3 billion cubic
meters back in 2010. Nearly 10% of the UK’s virtual water imports come from
Pakistan with negative implications for the later. Most of these imports are
based on crops grown in lower Indus aquifer where the amount of abstracted groundwater
is more than 18 times the amount of natural water recharge through rainfall and
glacial melting. On the other hand, UK meets about one-third of its water
demand in agriculture and industry through imports i.e. 53 billion cubic meters
per year.
Pakistan needs out-of-the-box solutions to manage its water
resources and ensure the supply of clean water as a basic human right to the
impoverished people living both in big cities or far off villages. In the long
run, the country has to shift its focus from water-intensive crops and
manufacturing to stop the export of virtual water.
Many hydrologists and water experts believe that virtual water
trade can be used as an important adaptation measure for climate change. Ali
Tauqeer Sheikh, the CEO of LEAD Pakistan is of the view that the substitution
of water-intensive crops and products’ with other water-efficient exports is an
innovative way of adapting to climate change. However, this is possible only
when our economy is data-driven and our society is environment sensitive.
In the medium run, the government needs to work with local and
foreign manufacturers and farmers to promote water smart technologies in
industry and agriculture. Some international buyers are already working on
their own with local producers and farmers and producing excellent results.
The State of the World’s Water 2019 report further informs that
Mars and H&M are working with local farmers and industries in Pakistan to
reduce their water footprint and increase their incomes at the same time. Under
the Better Cotton Initiative, Pakistani rice farmers have reported an increase
in their income by 32% and yields by 17%. Meanwhile, they have decreased their
water usage by 30%.
In the short run, the country needs development and
implementation of laws on groundwater abstraction. Punjab lawmakers are
brooding over such a law for long but God knows how many more years it will
take to finally hatch.
“There is a need to separate right to groundwater from land
ownership rights. The state must determine institutional responsibility and
control over groundwater resources. The existing legal framework has a colonial
legacy which allows unlimited private use. More recently, we have seen a number
of versions of the said law in Punjab drafted by the previous and incumbent
governments in Punjab and hope to see a comprehensive law as soon as possible”,
says Nadeem Ahmad of WaterAid Pakistan.
The writer is a freelancer
ECC allows 150MW additional power supply to
Karachi
ByAPP
May 15, 2019
·
Committee approves Rs1.8bn power subsidy for tribal districts
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Wednesday allowed
an additional supply of 150MW power through the national grid to K-Electric in
order to address the power shortage problem in Karachi.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic
Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired the ECC meeting, which was convened to
deliberate upon various proposals and recommendations submitted by the
divisions.
The Power Division had moved a summary to seek ECC’s approval to
allow an additional supply of power to Karachi.
The ECC also approved additional subsidy of Rs1.8 billion to
Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO) so as to ensure additional power to
seven tribal agencies of ex-Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) during
Ramzan.
The Power Division informed the committee that the government
had been paying the electricity bills of the domestic consumers of former
tribal agencies through subsidy of Rs1.3 billion per month.
The ECC also acceded to the proposal of Earthquake
Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority by granting tax exemption to the
projects being constructed under the Saudi Fund for Development Grant.
On the occasion, the Ministry of National Food Security and
Research secretary gave a presentation to the committee, updating it about the
availability of wheat stock in the country.
He informed that the wheat procurement process was being
conducted smoothly by the provincial government (Punjab) and Pakistan
Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).
The committee approved the proposed procurement target of the
wheat crop for the year 2018-19 to the tune of 5.15 million tonnes with a
financial limit of Rs158.5 billion.
On the proposal of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the ECC
waived off demurrage (KPT storage charges) on the consignments of rice to be
distributed among the needy people by a non-profit welfare organization working
for the poor and the needy people of the country.
The committee also approved technical supplementary and
supplementary grants for different ministries/divisions
S. Korea Introduces First
Autonomous Rice Planter for Commercial Use
The autonomous rice transplanter follows the seedbed and plants
rice seedlings on its own. (image: SK Telecom Co.)
SEOUL, May 16 (Korea Bizwire) — SK Telecom Co., in cooperation
with Daedong Industrial Co., South Korea’s largest manufacturer of agricultural
machinery, has developed an autonomous rice transplanter for commercial use.
It is country’s first
autonomous agricultural machinery to be commercialized using mobile
communications technology.
The autonomous rice
transplanter follows the seedbed and plants rice seedlings on its own.
The vehicle is capable of
maintaining course, keeping space between seedlings, and sprinkling fertilizer
to carry out variety of tasks.
Farmers, in the meantime, can
engage in other tasks, reducing labor costs while maximizing yield.
The transplanter is equipped
with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) technology, which uses location data it received
from global positioning system (GPS) and LTE-M, an exclusive network for Internet
of Things (IoT), to reduce the margin of error down to centimeters.
“Incorporating ICT into
agriculture raises productivity because it becomes so much easier for everyone
to handle the machinery,” said Park Jin-hyo, head of the ICT R&D Center at
SK Telecom.
“This will solve a variety of
social issues faced by farmers, and bring the primary industries into the
Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
H. M. Kang
(hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
Rice, palay prices continue to decline
Local market preparing for influx of cheap imports
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:18 AM May 16, 2019
Prices of palay and rice continued to fall
for the fourth consecutive month as the local market prepared for the arrival
of more imported rice.
Meanwhile, farmers reeling from low prices
await the disbursement of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF),
which should aid them in the transition toward the deregulation of rice trade.
According to the Philippine Statistics
Authority, the average farm-gate price of palay further slid to P18.37 a kilo
in April from P20.71 last year, down 11.3 percent.
Similarly, the average retail prices of
regular milled and well-milled rice declined to P39.15 and P43.52 a kilo,
respectively, from P40.03 and P43.77 last year.
Industry sources said the market was slowly
adjusting to the expected arrival of more imported rice this year after the
government allowed the unimpeded entry of the staple to tame prices.
Farmers are seen to bear the birthing pains
of the new policy, especially with the slow disbursement of the annual
P10-billion subsidy intended for the sector’s development.
In some regions, palay prices have declined
to P14 a kilo, with no indications of when the downward trend will stop.
While farmers may choose to sell their
produce to the National Food Authority at P20.70 a kilo, the agency’s
absorptive capacity is only 2 percent of the country’s palay production.
The RCEF is intended to cushion rice
farmers from the blows of liberalization by subsidizing them with machinery and
seeds and by providing credit and training to ensure that they become
competitive against more affordable imported rice.
But until now, only P1 billion of the
P10-billion subsidy has been funneled to the Agricultural Credit Policy
Council, which was created in 1986 by virtue of Executive Order No. 113 to
assist the Department of Agriculture (DA) in synchronizing all credit policies
and programs in support of the latter’s priority programs.
Economic Planning Assistant Secretary
Mercedita Sombilla said another P5 billion would be released by the third
quarter of the year, while the remaining P4 billion is still being contested as
to whether or not it should be pulled out from the DA’s own rice fund.
A report made by the Global Agricultural
Information Network said the benefits of the new rice law would be realized
only after two years and only if the government’s interventions would be
effective.
The deregulation of rice trade is seen to
cut retail prices in half over the next few years while lowering the cost of
producing rice and provide fresh revenue to the national government in the form
of tariffs.
China accelerates rice cultivation in saline
soil
Source:
Xinhua| 2019-05-16 14:47:28|Editor: Liangyu
A farmer checks cultivated sea asparagus, a genus of succulent
halophyte plants that originally grow in salt marshes or saline-alkali soils,
at a greenhouse in Yangkou Town of Shouguang City, east China's Shandong
Province, Nov. 24, 2016. China has about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali
soil, of which about one fifth could be ameliorated to arable soil.
(Xinhua/Zhang Zhilong)
CHANGSHA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A leading saline soil rice research
center in eastern China's Shandong Province made the decision to expand its
experimental land to over 666 hectares early this month.
The Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center
in the coastal city of Qingdao said the move aims to speed up research and
development and optimize the types of saline soil rice.
The center said one other important purpose of the expansion is
to seek the best cultivation methods.
"All strains of rice to be grown on the experimental land
passed regional experiments in different types of saline soil," said Zhang
Guodong, deputy director of the center.
Zhang noted that regional experiments were conducted in
Xinjiang, Bohai Gulf in eastern China, northeastern China and coastal areas in
southeastern China.
"We were surprised by parts of the experimental data last
year. And this year, we are not only expanding the test area but also making
stricter test parameters in order to better simulate actual production,"
Zhang added.
The center has set a target of 300 kg yield per mu (one mu is
equivalent to 666 square meters). Meanwhile, researchers will study which rice
types are suitable for which areas and which saline-alkali land needs to be
ameliorated.
Rice is a staple food in China, as well as many other Asian
countries.
China has about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali soil, of
which about one fifth could be ameliorated to arable soil.
"This is not a small amount. We want to ameliorate 6.7
million hectares of saline-alkali soil at first, and then expand the area
gradually. But the task cannot be done by any single institution; we need to
work together," Zhang said.
Unbelievably simple solutions
05:36 AM May 16, 2019
There is an unbelievably simple solution
offered by Asia Rice Foundation chair Santiago Obien. It is to address the
plight of our rice farmers who are now confronted with the recent 35-percent tariff
on imports and are instead offered complicated measures.
This is specially important because more
than 40 percent of our farmers will not survive this low tariff. Experts such
as International Federation of Agricultural Producers vice president Raul Montemayor
and PhilRice vice president Flordelis Bordey have the same position: To
survive, rice farmers should produce at least four tons per hectare to bring
down their average production cost significantly and immediately. This will
enable them to compete with the cheap rice imports. Unfortunately, almost half
of our rice farmers cannot do this now.
The Food and Beverage magazine reported:
“Local farmers will be affected by the introduction of more foreign
competitors. How they fare in the face of that competition will depend on the
Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) that the law has put into place.”
Herein lies the problem. RCEF allocates P10
billion annually to support the rice farmers distributed as follows: 50 percent
for machines, 30 percent for seeds, 10 percent for credit and 10 percent for
extension. Were the appropriate rice experts and farmers consulted regarding
this distribution?
Probably not enough. Commenting on the
50-percent allocation for machines and zero for fertilizers, Obien states:
“Rice plants must have food to grow and produce grains. The food [or
fertilizer] is missing in the law. Machines for better land preparation and
harvesting will indeed reduce the cost of rice production. But reducing this
cost on an average yield of 4 tons per hectare will not mean much. The yield
must first be increased. This is done by providing food to the plant so that
the high-yielding varieties will reach their yield potentials of 6 to 10-12
tons. Then you are competitive. The basis for this claim is the result of the
long-term nutrients experience of International Rice Research Institute and
Philrice Maligaya for over 50 years.”
Definitely, mechanization is good. But akin
to saving a person about to die in a hospital’s Intensive Car Unit where one
must take emergency measures before the long-term ones, farmers must
immediately raise their yields even before the longer term and more complex
solution of mechanization. When I talked to other rice experts and rice farmers
about Obien’s unbelievably simple solution, they unanimously agreed. They were
disappointed that that many of them were not consulted.
Other thoughts came through regarding the
RCEF distribution. On the 30-percent allocation for seeds, it was calculated
that the use of hybrid seeds increases average yield by 50 percent from 4 to 6
tons per ha at a seed cost of less than P6,000. But the RCEF does not support
hybrid seeds. Because of our 5.7 million denuded ha and our low water tables,
irrigation now often yields only the same 50-percent yield increase that the
hybrids can obtain. P6,000 in hybrid seeds is far less than the minimum
P300,000 in irrigation, which produces the same 50-percent increase in many
areas.
The 10-percent credit allocation of P1
billion a year hardly scratches the surface to help rice farmers. Land Bank’s
2017 Annual Report states that only 7.5 percent (or P45 billion) of their
loanable funds went to small farmers and fisherfolk. The RCEF’s P1-billion
credit support can instead be sourced from the balance of Landbank’s loans (of
P600 billion), instead of some of this balance going to nonagriculture
beneficiaries. Alternatively, much of Landbank’s net profit (P16 billion for
2017) can go to rice farmers, instead of being entirely given to the
government’s treasury.
With the newly elected local and national
government officials, it is hoped that more consultation is done with private
sector experts and stakeholders. This way, unbelievably simple but effective
solutions can be implemented, instead of complicated measures that are the
product of insufficient thought and inadequate private sector interaction.
The author is Agriwatch chair, former
Secretary for Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects, and former
undersecretary for DTI and DA. Contact him via agriwatch_phil@yahoo.com.
Plan to check Fall
Armyworm attack
TIRUCHI, MAY 15,
2019 22:51 IST
With the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) causing extensive
damage to maize crops in Tiruchi, Karur, Perambalur and several other districts
in Tamil Nadu last year, the State government, in coordination with various
Central and state government organisations, is set to evolve an action plan to
prevent the pest attack in the crop this year.
On Wednesday, state agricultural officers attended a workshop on
management of Fall Armyworm at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and
Research Institute on the outskirts of the city. The workshop was organised by
the Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (CIPMC) in coordination with the
Department of Agriculture and the Indian Council of Agriculture Research
(ICAR)- KrishiVigyan Kendra (KVK).
V.Dakshinamoorthy, Director of Agriculture, said steps were
being taken to evolve an integrated approach to prevent attack of the invasive
pest this year. The two-day workshop would evolve and finalise an integrated
crop protection protocol to prevent the pest attack.
Maize is grown on about 3.5 lakh hectares in the state and the
pest had caused extensive damage in the crop last year. The pest had spread
rapidly within a short period across various districts and caused damage to the
crop despite various control measures.
Scientists from various agencies would share their expertise and
experience to finalise the approach to be adopted to check the pest attack.
Assistant Directors of Agriculture (Quality Control) and Agricultural Officers
of all districts would be trained on the measures to be adopted to control the
pest. Agriculture officers had a major responsibility in taking the message to
the farmers.
P. Sankaralingam, Additional Director of Agriculture (Research),
Directorate of Agriculture, elaborated the importance of research and
management strategies to control the pest.
S. Gnanasambandan, Head, CIPMC, underlined the importance of
collective and collaborative efforts by various government agencies and research
institutions in the management of Fall Army Worm during the forthcoming season.
K. Prabakar, Director, Centre for Plant Protection Services
(CPPS), N. Sathiah, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Entomology,
and N.Muthukrishnan, Professor and Nodal Officer (FAW), Department of
Agricultural Entomology, TNAU, Coimbatore, explained the integrated pest
management capsule developed by TNAU for management of the pest in maize and
other issues requiring research.
Various other experts including C. Elangovan, Head, Regional
Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (RCIPMC), Bengaluru, P. Masilamani,
Dean, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, J.
Diraviyam, ICAR- Kirishi Vigyan Kendra, Karur, and V. Ambethgar, Director, TNAU-Tamil
Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai, spoke.
The Joint Directors of Agriculture from various districts along
with all scientists and technical experts from various agencies deliberated on
integrated pest management modules developed by TNAU and ICAR to finalise the
action plan for the 2019-20.
Report:
Rice price falls as North Koreans turn to other crops
MAY 15, 2019 / 1:25 PM
North
Koreans are turning to wheat and corn and buying less rice, according to a
South Korean analyst. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
May 15 (UPI)
-- The price of rice, a staple North Korean crop, is falling, despite
heavy sanctions and peak demand season, according to a South Korean analyst.
Prices have
been falling steadily since late 2018, when rice prices hovered at 5,000 North
Korean won ($4.21) per kilogram (2.2 pounds). The price had reached 4,180 won
($3.52) by Tuesday, South Korean news service Seoul Pyongyang News reported.
Kwon Tae-jin,
head of the North Korea and Northeast Asia Research Center at the GS&J
Institute in the South, told SPN demand for rice has declined among ordinary
North Koreans because of economic difficulties.
Kwon also said
North Koreans are turning to substitutes, including wheat flour or corn.
Flour-based food products are increasingly used among North Korean food
vendors, Kwon said.
Flour
comprises 80 percent of imported foods, according to the analyst.
A source in
North Korea's Ryanggang Province told SPN flour is preferable because it can be
cooked in a variety of ways. The source added flour prices are rising, and at a
higher rate than the price of rice: Flour now trades at 4,300 won ($3.62) per
kilogram and corn at 1,800 won ($1.52) per kilogram.
The North
Korean diet is evolving at a time when the country continues to claim it is suffering
the worst drought in nearly 40 years.
State-controlled
news agency KCNA said Wednesday about two inches of rain fell across the
country during the first four months of 2018.
Precipitation
has reached only 42 percent of normal rainfall, according to Pyongyang's news
agency.
South Korea
has offered humanitarian assistance, but the North has reacted negatively to
the news and suggested this week Seoul is not doing enough to expedite the food
aid, or reopen Kaesong, the jointly operated factory park in the North.
SCUs and unifying R & D efforts
MAY 16, 2019
SCUS AND
UNIFYING R & D EFFORTS
DR. WILLIAM DAR
Second
of two parts
I stated in the first part of this two-part series that one of my wishes is that state colleges and universities (SCUs) would become one of the main pillars of agricultural research and development (ARD) in the near future. However, the ARD efforts of SCUs must also be complemented with stronger extension programs, so smallholder farmers and fisherfolk would benefit from matured technologies immediately. And I mean, immediately!
I stated in the first part of this two-part series that one of my wishes is that state colleges and universities (SCUs) would become one of the main pillars of agricultural research and development (ARD) in the near future. However, the ARD efforts of SCUs must also be complemented with stronger extension programs, so smallholder farmers and fisherfolk would benefit from matured technologies immediately. And I mean, immediately!
Also,
the matured technologies should have the following benefits: put in place a new
technology or practice; can be adopted by a producer or agribusiness to upgrade
or improve operations; can result in greater yields and higher product quality;
save costs; and improve sustainability.
While
many believe in the capabilities of a growing number of SCUs when it comes to
ARD, there needs to be a better mechanism or system to set the overall research
agenda and rationalize funding for research efforts.
In
the Philippines, the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and Philippine
Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and
Development (PCAARRD) should have stronger and better coordination while
collaborating with the Commission on Higher Education on getting SCUs more
involved in research.
The
stronger and better coordination between BAR and PCAARD should result in
developing jointly a unified/harmonized research for development (R4D) agenda
including that of upscaling and technology commercialization, and joint review
and approval of R4D proposals.
Again,
I mentioned R4D that is distinct from traditional research and development
(R&D) that has been more concerned on developing new technologies with
little or no regard to societal impact, especially on smallholders and the
marginalized of society.
SCUs
can also be counted on to compliment or collaborate in the R4D efforts of
agriculture research institutions, which, sad to say, are still few in number
in the Philippines.
Under
the Department of Agriculture (DA), we have the Philippine Rice Research
Institutions (PhilRice), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization (PhilMech), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and Philippine Rubber
Research Institute (PRRI).
PhilRice
was established in 1985 or very much delayed. For one, the African Rice Center
was founded in 1971. PhilMech traces its roots to agencies involved in post-harvest
research and was formally given a mandate for mechanization in 2010.
Meanwhile,
the PCC was created in 2010 but still needs a lot of levelling up as it is the
de facto dairy research institute in the Philippines. It must also build
partnerships with other countries to develop the local carabao industry
The
PRRI is also relatively new and has yet to make an impact, which is
understandable.
Also
under the DA are regulatory agencies that can upscale or level up their R4D
activities are the Philippine Coconut Authority and Sugar Regulatory
Administration.
While
the country’s top export are coconut products, the average annual yield of
coconut trees in the Philippines is 35 to 45 nuts, which is way below India’s
250 nuts,
Mexico’s 300 nuts and Brazil’s 400 nuts.
Mexico’s 300 nuts and Brazil’s 400 nuts.
So
why don’t we establish another R4D center for coconut?
As
for sugar, much of the research is being done by the Philippine Sugar Research
Institute Inc. (Philsurin), a private industry initiative. I have yet to see a
groundbreaking research initiative from Philsurin, which may indicate it needs
more support from both the private sector and government.
More
research institutes needed
We
also need R4D centers for corn and I find this logical since the DA has a
national corn program. With a corn research institute, our total corn
production can be improved and we can even aspire to export the commodity.
As
for coffee, research is mainly funded by corporations such as Nestle’ while the
establishment of the Cacao Research Center is being pushed by industry players.
For
fisheries, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources must improve its R4D
efforts or back the current research efforts being conducted by SCUs.
Clearly,
there is a dire need to level up and coordinate the R4D efforts for agriculture
in the country, and for Congress to be informed on the need to create more ARD
institutions for commodities like coffee, cacao, sugar, coconut, among others.
Also, Congress must provide more funding for R4D efforts in agriculture.
Besides
SCUs, local government units can be valuable partners in technology piloting
and commercialization that can be made part of their extension mandate for
agriculture.
We
could also involve nongovernment organizations, the private sector and foreign
institutions to put into place ARD that should ultimately result in more wealth
creation and poverty reduction.
This
means the ARD agenda should focus on smallholder farmers and fisherfolk, and
especially women and the youth. For the youth, there should be incentives to
attract them into the agriculture sector, so we can also address the critical
issue of aging farmers.
Furthermore,
and I have stated this many times, R4D must have real applications in the real
world, and one that results in the creation of more business enterprises. This
also means R4D should lead to innovation that is entrepreneurial in nature, as
opposed to being only or mostly technological.
I
must emphasize that ARD should become one of our top priorities as land and
water resources needed to grow more are dwindling but the country’s population
continues to increase.
And
while there is still a lack of commodity-based research institutions in the
Philippines, SCUs can be tapped to take the lead in the interim or be part of
an effort spearheaded by the private sector.
By
also doing that, more of the youth can also be attracted to the agriculture
sector or join the ranks of researchers in the country.
And
it was Jose Rizal in his poem “To the Filipino Youth” who said that the
country’s future also lies in the hands of its younger generation.
Concrete Based on
Agricultural Waste Materials
·
by Pareesh
Phulkar May 15, 2019
Researchers from Monash University Malaysia analyzed the
engineering properties of concrete produced using widespread agricultural
wastes
Increasing amount of waste generated is a major concern for a
sustainable environment. According to a report by the World Bank, over 2.01
billion tons of solid waste was generated in cities worldwide in 2016, which
amounted for a footprint of 0.74 kg per person per day. The phenomenon of rapid
waste generation is highly evident in urban poor regions in emerging economies.
Improper waste management or accumulation can lead to several disease vectors
and also increase methane emission that can contribute to global warming. Now,
a team of researchers from Monash University Malaysia assessed general
properties of selected agricultural wastes that are suitable for concrete production.
The team compared the properties of palm oil fuel ash, rice husk
ash, sugarcane bagasse ash, and bamboo leaf ash with ordinary Portland cement.
Palm oil fuel ash is one of the major cash crops in several tropical
countries. It can be used in concrete either as aggregates, supplementary
cementitious materials or as filler material, owing to its high amorphous
content with silicon dioxide as the main constituent. Rice is one of the three
major food crops worldwide. Rice husk is used to produce various useful
products. The rice husk ash contains 90–96% amorphous silica, which can be used
as alternative binder for concrete.
Sugarcane bagasse ash is produced as a fibrous residue after
crushing and juice extraction in water media in sugar factories. It contains
large amounts of silicon dioxide and significant amount of aluminum oxide, iron
(iii) oxide, and calcium oxide, which makes it an excellent option as binder to
cement in concrete production. Bamboo leaf ash is rich with silicon dioxide and
demonstrates high pozzolanic reaction when used as binders for producing
concrete. According to the researchers, increasing focus is required on the
long-term properties of agricultural waste materials, along with development in
production technology. The research was published in the journal MDPI Materials
on April 3, 2019
Right
Balance of Phosphate and Nitrate Facilitates Crop Yield, Study Finds
A team of researchers examined
the factors in plant nutrition that can ensure higher yield in some crops.
The research team demonstrated
that a perfect balance of nitrate and phosphorus determined the yield in Asian
rice (Oryza sativa). The two minerals were transferred to the crop from the
soil, and through the roots. According to co-author Dr. Stanislav Kopriva from
the University of Cologne’s Botanical Institute and the Cluster of Excellence
CEPLAS, a healthy balance of nutrients is required to ensure optimum growth of
living organisms. However, not much research has been conducted on how this
theory could affect plant growth. The research team from the Institute of
Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China had
previously established that phosphate, combined with the right amount of
nitrogen, could positively impact growth and yield of crops. Dr. Kopriva adds,
“Together, we have now discovered the mechanism by which nitrogen controls the
absorption of phosphate.”
A thorough analysis at a
molecular level unveiled an interaction between NRT1.1B, a nitrate sensor, and
SPX4, a phosphate signaling repressor that triggered the process within the
plant. “The sensor that recognizes nitrate quantities enable the synthesis of
the so-called transporters that carry the phosphate into the plant,” Prof.
Kopriva explained. The researchers noted that although most components are
individually distinguishable, the current research identified a signaling chain
which brought the mechanisms together. “This gives us a completely new
understanding of how to control plant nutrition. In addition, it enables
specific manipulations to either couple the uptake of both nutrients more
closely or to separate them from each other, depending on how nutrient-rich the
soil on which the rice grows is.” Prof. Kopriva concluded.
The
findings of this study could pave the way for more research associated with
plant nutrition, and could prove beneficial in achieving higher crop yield in
the future.
Slow growth in global rice supply seen
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM May 16, 2019
The global rice supply for this year until
2020 is expected to register the slowest growth in 13 years as consumption
outpaces production because more countries are projected to turn to rice as a
staple.
This was disclosed in the latest report of
the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN), where it pegged global rice
supply to reach 499.9 million metric tons, which is slightly higher compared to
the previous level of 495 million MT.
Similarly, global consumption is expected
to rise by 1.5 percent to 489.5 million MT, with the Philippines seen to
contribute to the trend given the expected abundance of local rice supply and
more affordable imports.
Following the passage of the Rice Import
Liberalization Law, which will deregulate rice trade, GAIN forecast an increase
in the country’s imports by 200,000 MT to 2.8 million MT.
Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are also
growing rice as a staple to cope with rising population, given the
affordability of the crop. —KARL R. OCAMPO
Rice training program held in the
Upper West Region
Business News of Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Agricultural
Manufacturing Group logo
Global consumption of rice has seen a slight increase over the
last several years. In the 2018/2019 crop year, about 490.27 million
metric tons of rice was consumed worldwide, up from 437.18 million metric tons
in the 2008/2009 crop year. In Ghana’s jurisdiction, 66% of rice consumed
is imported and $400 million to $500 dollars is expensed on rice imports
annually. Then again, Ghana imports 680,000 metric tons of rice annually.Agricultural Manufacturing Group’s (AMG) quest to complement the Ministry of Agriculture’s plans to reduce the importation of rice by at least 50 percent this year led to the organisation of a robust rice training program in the Upper West Region.
The training program took place in Kokoligu, Gengenkpe, Tuopari, Karni, Piina and Tapiimo.
Henry Otoo-Mensah, General Manager of Agricultural Manufacturing Ghana had the following to say during an interview.
"We are fulfilling our objectives which is keenly in tandem with that of Ministry of Food and Agriculture. One of our crucial objectives lies in building the capacity of the average Ghanaian farmer through knowledge sharing and extension service. This will equip them to better apply our inputs for higher and sustainable yield”
“MOFA wants to reduce the importation of rice by at least 50 percent this year. We believe in that objective and it is possible with the Chiefs, farmers and extension officers on board. This all-important rice training program will earnestly prepare us in that national direction” Mr. Henry Otoo-Mensah contended in the interview.
The Rice Training Program (RTP) was done in collaboration with MOFA extension officers, Inputs distributors and AMG fertiliser partners from ROSIER. Relevant stakeholders such as community chiefs and farmers graced the training program.
The theme of the program was to educate farmers on how to increase their crop yield through appropriate fertiliser application. Farmers were also shown demonstrations from planting of hybrid seed rice, maize and Sorghum to the application of granular and foliar fertilisers. Over 500 stakeholders and farmers were part of the massive training program.
According to Henry Otoo-Mensah, AMG General Manager, the rice training program will only enlighten farmers in the light of fertiliser application and good seed usage geared towards increasing crop yield per acre. He further reiterated that; AMG are committed to the Minister’s objective of halving the importation of rice in the country.
“Approximately, the average yield of rice and maize crop per acre in Kokoligu, Gengenkpe, Tuopari, Karni, Piina and Tapiimo is 3bags (300kg) per acre. More importantly, we believe our training program will assist farmers to attain an average of 12 bags per acre of cultivated land, which is in line with MOFA’s objective”
AMD also took the opportunity to educate farmers on profitable maize cultivation and fertilizer application thereof. Farmers were further enlightened on how to access the planting for food and jobs crop seeds and fertilisers as well as the necessary modalities in their line of operations.
Unbelievably simple solutions
05:36 AM May 16, 2019
There is an unbelievably simple solution
offered by Asia Rice Foundation chair Santiago Obien. It is to address the
plight of our rice farmers who are now confronted with the recent 35-percent
tariff on imports and are instead offered complicated measures.
This is specially important because more
than 40 percent of our farmers will not survive this low tariff. Experts such
as International Federation of Agricultural Producers vice president Raul
Montemayor and PhilRice vice president Flordelis Bordey have the same position:
To survive, rice farmers should produce at least four tons per hectare to bring
down their average production cost significantly and immediately. This will
enable them to compete with the cheap rice imports. Unfortunately, almost half
of our rice farmers cannot do this now.
The Food and Beverage magazine reported:
“Local farmers will be affected by the introduction of more foreign
competitors. How they fare in the face of that competition will depend on the
Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) that the law has put into place.”
Herein lies the problem. RCEF allocates P10
billion annually to support the rice farmers distributed as follows: 50 percent
for machines, 30 percent for seeds, 10 percent for credit and 10 percent for
extension. Were the appropriate rice experts and farmers consulted regarding
this distribution?
Probably not enough. Commenting on the
50-percent allocation for machines and zero for fertilizers, Obien states:
“Rice plants must have food to grow and produce grains. The food [or
fertilizer] is missing in the law. Machines for better land preparation and
harvesting will indeed reduce the cost of rice production. But reducing this
cost on an average yield of 4 tons per hectare will not mean much. The yield
must first be increased. This is done by providing food to the plant so that
the high-yielding varieties will reach their yield potentials of 6 to 10-12
tons. Then you are competitive. The basis for this claim is the result of the
long-term nutrients experience of International Rice Research Institute and
Philrice Maligaya for over 50 years.”
Definitely, mechanization is good. But akin
to saving a person about to die in a hospital’s Intensive Car Unit where one
must take emergency measures before the long-term ones, farmers must
immediately raise their yields even before the longer term and more complex
solution of mechanization. When I talked to other rice experts and rice farmers
about Obien’s unbelievably simple solution, they unanimously agreed. They were
disappointed that that many of them were not consulted.
Other thoughts came through regarding the
RCEF distribution. On the 30-percent allocation for seeds, it was calculated
that the use of hybrid seeds increases average yield by 50 percent from 4 to 6
tons per ha at a seed cost of less than P6,000. But the RCEF does not support
hybrid seeds. Because of our 5.7 million denuded ha and our low water tables,
irrigation now often yields only the same 50-percent yield increase that the
hybrids can obtain. P6,000 in hybrid seeds is far less than the minimum
P300,000 in irrigation, which produces the same 50-percent increase in many
areas.
The 10-percent credit allocation of P1
billion a year hardly scratches the surface to help rice farmers. Land Bank’s
2017 Annual Report states that only 7.5 percent (or P45 billion) of their
loanable funds went to small farmers and fisherfolk. The RCEF’s P1-billion
credit support can instead be sourced from the balance of Landbank’s loans (of
P600 billion), instead of some of this balance going to nonagriculture
beneficiaries. Alternatively, much of Landbank’s net profit (P16 billion for
2017) can go to rice farmers, instead of being entirely given to the
government’s treasury.
With the newly elected local and national
government officials, it is hoped that more consultation is done with private
sector experts and stakeholders. This way, unbelievably simple but effective
solutions can be implemented, instead of complicated measures that are the
product of insufficient thought and inadequate private sector interaction.
The author is Agriwatch chair, former
Secretary for Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects, and former
undersecretary for DTI and DA. Contact him via agriwatch_phil@yahoo.com.
Millers worried about
fall in paddy arrivals
CHENNAI, MAY 16,
2019 01:00 IST
Blame collection of marketing fee by Agriculture Department
officials
Rice millers are worried about a drop in paddy arrivals from
other States and the resultant increase in prices of paddy this season. A 75-kg
bag of paddy that sold at ₹1,200, is now priced at ₹1,400, which also finds
reflection in rice prices.
The reason that the Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Millers and
Paddy, Rice Dealers’ Association attributes for this fall in arrivals is the
collection of marketing fee under the Agricultural Marketing Act at places
other than marketing committee yards.
A.C. Mohan, the federation secretary, said Agriculture
Department officials were stopping vehicles from other States and collecting
the fee on the roads. “They are also visiting mills where farmers are directly
selling paddy. The fee is not just for paddy but for all foodgrains and
agricultural products, including cotton,” he explained.
Under the Act, it is mandated that marketing yards with
facilities including storage spaces, weighbridges and parking space be provided
for farmers. “At these points, the produce is weighed and according to the its
quality, a fair price is fixed. The government collects 1% of the total sale
value,” he explained.
However, a G.O. issued in February gives powers to the
Department to collect the fee wherever it wants. D. Thulasingam, the federation
president, said this was unfair.
“The government does not provide any service like weighing or
grading, then why should it collect a fee from a truck carrying paddy say from
West Bengal or Andhra Pradesh? They just stop vehicles and collect the fee.
These points become checkposts, though under the GST, checkposts and
unnecessary taxes and fees were done away with,” he said.
Official sources in the Agriculture Department said this
involved legal issues. “We will still look into the demand of the millers,”
said the official.
Corporate
corner
LARKANA (PR): “In line with Allied Bank’s
Corporate Social Responsibility strategy to create awareness on financial
inclusion avenues for the small and medium enterprises & agri financing and
to create conducive environment for women entrepreneurs to thrive and prosper,
an awareness seminar was conducted on both SME & Agri Finance & Women
Empowerment recently at Larkana. The session was attended by senior officials
of Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) along with around 80 participants
including members from small and medium enterprises, rice millers, notable
business community members, agriculturists & members of commerce and other
trade bodies of the area and the corporate depositors of SRSO. Fasih Siddiqui from
ABL briefed the participants about the SME & Agri products being offered by
the Bank. Further, in accordance with the National Financial Inclusion Strategy
(NFIS) and strategic directions of SBP, a detailed presentation was also given
on SBP refinance products for SME & Agri business, warehouse financing,
green banking initiative, refinancing facility for women entrepreneurs,
highlighting the focus of both the regulator and the Bank on the sector.
Telenor unveils Sustainability Report 2017-18
ISLAMABAD (PR): Telenor Pakistan, one of
country’s leading telecom operators, has unveiled its Sustainability Report
2017-18 which highlights the company’s transformative efforts towards building
Pakistan’s economy and society. By staying true to its purpose of connecting
people to what matters most and integrating the UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) to its core strategies and activities, Telenor Pakistan continues
to make significant contributions to the country’s socioeconomic progress.
The report delves into Telenor Pakistan’s
investments in the country in addition to the contributions it has made to the
national exchequer in lieu of direct and indirect taxes. It also provides
insights into the company’s role as one of Pakistan’s leading employers with thousands
of direct and indirect employees. The powerful social impact of Telenor
Pakistan’s digital interventions in critical domains of life, such as
agriculture, digital literacy, diversity & inclusion, environment, human
rights andethics &compliance, is also one of the key takeaways of the
Sustainability Report.
“The Sustainability Report 2017-18 effectively
summarizes our efforts and testifies to our progress being in the right
direction,” said Kamal Ahmed, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Telenor
Pakistan. “As we envision empowering the communities that we operate in, the
report helps us keep good track of our journey towards sustainable,
transparent, efficient, and innovative business practices in the country. At
Telenor Pakistan, we stay committed to helping shape Pakistan’s future through
sustainable development in all areas and will continue to explore more
innovative ways to serve the country better.” Kamal added.
Punjab food minister visits Tetra Pak factory
LAHORE (PR): Punjab Minister for Food Sami
Ullah Chaudhary visited Tetra Pak Pakistan’s state-of-the-art packaging
material manufacturing factory in Sundar Industrial Estate on 14th May, where
he was briefed on the company’s world class manufacturing processes and plant
features. The visit was followed by handing over of six milk-testing units to
the government to aid in the objective of provision of safe milk to the masses.
Chaudhary was given a tour of the factory,
which included factory operations and an overview of food processing packaging
and the dairy value chain in the Innovation Room. The minster experienced
first-hand the enforcement of world class occupational health and safety
standards and manufacturing processes practiced by Tetra Pak. As per the
company’s slogan of committing to make food safe and available everywhere,
Tetra Pak is deeply appreciative of the Prime Minister’s stance on providing
pure milk to the masses and as such took this opportunity to present the
provincial food department with 6 milk testing units to further their efforts
in proving safe and healthy milk.
Upon visiting the factory, the minister showed
satisfaction and appreciated the efforts made by Tetra Pak to maintain quality
of production and increase customer awareness about packaged milk. Commenting
on his visit, Chaudhary said, ‘’It is great to see Tetra Pak contributing in
the food sector of Pakistan as a leading processing and packaging provider.
Their environment-friendly techniques are very important for sustainable
development and Tetra Pak is living according to these principles. We are also
thankful to the company for the milk testing units, which will benefit us in
the fight against adulterated milk.”
Towards the end of the visit, the food minister
also took part in Tetra Pak’s plantation drive and planted a tree in the
factory to advocate for a greener country. Tetra Pak is a socially responsible
organization and has undertaken many community improvement initiatives while
working with different NGOs, media and academic institutions.
Descon organises drive to plant over 2,000
trees
LAHORE (PR): Descon is doing its part to uplift
the environment in Lahore by sponsoring an Afforestation Drive in the Bulley
Shah Interchange area of the Lahore Ring Road. As an environmentally friendly
organization, Descon collaborated with Go Green Lahore, to plant more than
2,000 trees at the Bulley Shah Interchange as part of the drive.
This plantation drive will help turn the vacant
area of the Interchange into a greenbelt populated with a variety of indigenous
trees such as Sumbul, Peepal, Neem and Sukh Chain among others.
Speaking about the drive, Faheem Butt, Head
Administration said, “We have built our corporate culture to instil a sense of
social responsibility in our employees. This afforestation drive is a great way
for us to reinforce this while also allowing us to give back to the community.
Just as importantly, initiatives such as this help to encourage our employees
to be more environmentally friendly and to look for sustainable solutions, both
of which are key values for us here at Descon.”
Slow growth in global rice supply seen
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM May 16, 2019
The global rice supply for this year until
2020 is expected to register the slowest growth in 13 years as consumption
outpaces production because more countries are projected to turn to rice as a
staple.
This was disclosed in the latest report of
the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN), where it pegged global rice
supply to reach 499.9 million metric tons, which is slightly higher compared to
the previous level of 495 million MT.
Similarly, global consumption is expected
to rise by 1.5 percent to 489.5 million MT, with the Philippines seen to
contribute to the trend given the expected abundance of local rice supply and
more affordable imports.
Following the passage of the Rice Import
Liberalization Law, which will deregulate rice trade, GAIN forecast an increase
in the country’s imports by 200,000 MT to 2.8 million MT.
Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are also
growing rice as a staple to cope with rising population, given the affordability
of the crop. —KARL R.
Indian
rice prices slide to seven-month low as demand stalls
MAY 16, 2019 / 6:25 PM /
BENGALURU
(Reuters) - Rice export prices in top exporter India slid this week to their
lowest in nearly seven months as demand continued to stagnate, while rates for
Vietnamese rice dipped on expected increase in stockpiles after the summer
harvest.
A
worker uses his feet to spread rice for drying at a rice mill on the outskirts
of Kolkata, India, January 31, 2019.Picture taken January 31, 2019.
REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
India’s 5 percent broken
parboiled variety was quoted around $362-$365 a tonne this week, down from last
week’s $371-$374 for a sixth weekly decline as it also came under pressure from
depreciation in the rupee.
“Demand has dried up in the West
African market, as they are sitting on high inventories,” said Nitin Gupta,
vice president for Olam India’s rice business.
Aggressive selling of old
inventories by China to African buyers is also weighing on prices, exporters
said.
The rice-growing southern
peninsula of India could receive 95% rainfall during the forthcoming monsoon,
private weather forecaster Skymet said.
Meanwhile, neighbouring
Bangladesh is planning to export surplus rice to protect farmers’ interests,
food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar said, amid growers’ increasing
frustration over low rice prices.
Farmers say that 40kg of paddy is
being sold at about 500 taka ($5.90) against an average production cost of 700
taka, while the harvesting of the summer rice crop, known as Boro, is in full
swing.
In Vietnam, rates for 5 percent
broken rice fell to $355 a tonne on Thursday, compared with $365 a week
earlier, on expectations that stockpiles will increase when the early harvest
of the summer-autumn crop begins late this month.
“Rice exports from Vietnam this
year are forecast to stay flat on last year but will gradually fall as the rice
growing area is shrinks to give way to growing fruit trees,” a senior official
with the Vietnam Food Association told Reuters.
“Though Chinese importers have
reopened the door to Vietnamese rice, it’s not yet easy for Vietnamese
exporters to boost their sales to China as several technical barriers are still
in place,” the official added, referring to regulations on quality management,
packaging and origins.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s benchmark
5-percent broken rice prices were unchanged at $385-$400 a tonne free on board
(FOB) Bangkok.
But Thai traders said they were
worried that Thai rice, currently priced higher than Vietnamese and Indian
rice, is also losing competitiveness because the Thai baht is the
strongest-performing currency in Asia this year.
The Thai Rice Exporters
Association stood by its January forecast for Thailand to export 9.5 million
tonnes this year, falling from last year’s 11 million tonnes because of the strong
baht.
Thailand’s deputy commerce
minister, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, on Wednesday said the country had exported
3.2 million tonnes of rice in the first four months of the year.
Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat
in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka;
Editing by Arpan Varghese and David Goodman
Our Standards:The Thomson
Reuters Trust Principles.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- MAY 16, 2019
MAY 16, 2019
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-May
16, 2018 Nagpur, May 16 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in
Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased buying
support from local millers amid weak supply from producing belts. Sharp rise on
NCDEX in gram prices, good rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses and repeated enquiries
from South-based millers also helped to push up prices. About 700 bags of gram
and 500 bags of tuar reported for auction, according to sources.
GRAM
* Desi gram prices firmed up in open market here
on good buying support from
local traders.
TUAR
* Tuar Karnataka reported higher in open market
on good seasonal demand from local
traders.
* Rice BPT and Chinnor varieties reported down in
open market on poor demand from
local traders.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,400-5,550, Tuar dal
(clean) – 8,000-8,200, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 6,900-7,800, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,000-8,600,
Gram – 4,200-4,400, Gram Super best
– 6,000-6,200 * Other varieties of rice, wheat
and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in
weak trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices
in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,900-4,350 3,900-4,270
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,850-5,780 4,800-5,580
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 1,800-1,970 1,750-1,950
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 6,300-6,500 6,300-6,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,900-6,100 5,900-6,100
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,500-4,600 4,500-4,600
Desi gram Raw 4,400-4,500 4,350-4,450
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,400-8,500 8,400-8,500
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,600-7,800 7,600-7,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,300-7,500 7,300-7,500
Tuar Gavarani New 5,950-6,050 5,950-6,050
Tuar Karnataka 6,100-6,200 6,050-6,150
Masoor dal best 5,600-5,700 5,600-5,700
Masoor dal medium 5,400-5,500 5,400-5,500
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,500-9,000 8,500-9,000
Moong Mogar Medium 7,000-7,800 7,000-7,800
Moong dal Chilka New 7,000-8,500 7,000-8,500
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,200-9,000 8,000-9,000
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,500-8,000
7,500-8,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000
6,000-7,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,900
4,500-4,900
Mot (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000 6,000-7,000
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,600-4,800 4,600-4,800
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,500 5,300-5,300
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,700-6,900
6,700-6,900
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100
2,000-2,100
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500
2,400-2,500
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300
2,200-2,300
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,700
3,200-3,700
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,600-3,000
2,600-3,000
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,500
3,300-3,800
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-3,000
2,700-3,100
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,100 2,800-3,200
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700
2,500-2,700
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400
2,300-2,400
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,600
4,100-4,600
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,900
3,600-3,900
Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,800
5,600-5,800
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,000
4,600-5,000
Rice Shriram New (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200
4,800-5,200
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500
8,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,000
5,000-7,000
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,200
6,600-7,200
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,400
6,200-6,500
Rice Chinnor New (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000
5,000-5,200
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. 44.3 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 28.4 degree
Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Heat wave likely. Maximum and minimum
temperature likely to be around 45 degree Celsius and 28 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant
delivery prices, but included in market prices)
Source says FCI sells 29,490 tn rice in first open mkt sale
2019-20
Wednesday, May 15
FCI offered 300,000 tn rice under
first open mkt sale '19-20
By Sampad Nandy
NEW DELHI – Food Corp of
India sold 29,490 tn rice in the first round of auction under the Open
Market Sale Scheme of 2019-20 (Apr-Mar), a senior official told Cogencis
today. The agency had put up 300,000 tn of the food grain for auction.
"This a very normal response
for the first tender. Usually, states buy rice in large quantities for the
various welfare schemes. Private purchases are very limited," the official
said.
The government is selling rice at
a reserve price of 2,785 rupees per 100 kg for Apr-Sep.
In 2018-19 (Apr-Mar), the
government had sold 846,080 tn of rice from the central pool, primarily to
states, under the scheme.
The entire quantum sold in the
first tender was picked up by three states, with Karnataka buying 25,000
tn, he said.
The government has earlier
notified that it will review the base selling price in October after it sets
the minimum support price for rice.
"Purchase by private players
are likely to be limited this year as the reserve price has been raised.
However, the government will look at ways to offload a higher quantum of the
grain to liquidate the stock in the central pool," the official
said.
The government aims to offload
5.0 mln tn of rice under its open market sale scheme this financial year.
As of Apr 1, the government had
29.39 mln tn of rice in the central pool, more than double the strategic and
buffer stock requirement. End
Edited by Mainak Moitra
Cogencis Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000
Send comments to feedback@cogencis.com
This copy was first published on the Cogencis WorkStation
Rice, palay prices continue to decline
Local market preparing for influx of cheap imports
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:18 AM May 16, 2019
Prices of palay and rice continued to fall
for the fourth consecutive month as the local market prepared for the arrival
of more imported rice.
Meanwhile, farmers reeling from low prices
await the disbursement of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which
should aid them in the transition toward the deregulation of rice trade.
According to the Philippine Statistics
Authority, the average farm-gate price of palay further slid to P18.37 a kilo
in April from P20.71 last year, down 11.3 percent.
Similarly, the average retail prices of
regular milled and well-milled rice declined to P39.15 and P43.52 a kilo,
respectively, from P40.03 and P43.77 last year.
Industry sources said the market was slowly
adjusting to the expected arrival of more imported rice this year after the
government allowed the unimpeded entry of the staple to tame prices.
Farmers are seen to bear the birthing pains
of the new policy, especially with the slow disbursement of the annual
P10-billion subsidy intended for the sector’s development.
In some regions, palay prices have declined
to P14 a kilo, with no indications of when the downward trend will stop.
While farmers may choose to sell their
produce to the National Food Authority at P20.70 a kilo, the agency’s
absorptive capacity is only 2 percent of the country’s palay production.
The RCEF is intended to cushion rice
farmers from the blows of liberalization by subsidizing them with machinery and
seeds and by providing credit and training to ensure that they become
competitive against more affordable imported rice.
But until now, only P1 billion of the
P10-billion subsidy has been funneled to the Agricultural Credit Policy
Council, which was created in 1986 by virtue of Executive Order No. 113 to
assist the Department of Agriculture (DA) in synchronizing all credit policies
and programs in support of the latter’s priority programs.
Economic Planning Assistant Secretary
Mercedita Sombilla said another P5 billion would be released by the third
quarter of the year, while the remaining P4 billion is still being contested as
to whether or not it should be pulled out from the DA’s own rice fund.
A report made by the Global Agricultural
Information Network said the benefits of the new rice law would be realized
only after two years and only if the government’s interventions would be
effective.
The deregulation of rice trade is seen to
cut retail prices in half over the next few years while lowering the cost of
producing rice and provide fresh revenue to the national government in the form
of tariffs.
New study says processed
foods make us crave more calories
May 16th, 2019 at 11:07
PM
What is healthy when it comes to
food? That’s a question that many people struggle to answer on a daily basis
around the world. How much sugar, fat, carbs, and salt our bodies need has been
the topic of debate for, well, pretty much forever, and constantly-shifting
nutritional guidelines aren’t making things any easier to understand.
Calories are, of course, the
biggest factor in how much weight a person loses or gains, but how we get those
calories can vary dramatically from person to person. Now, a new study suggests
that eating so-called “ultra-processed” foods may be fueling the obesity
epidemic and contributing to overeating across the board.
The study, which was published in Cell Metabolism, focused on the
eating habits of a group of 20 volunteers who agreed to follow specific eating
guidelines for two weeks. The subjects selected for the study were considered
“weight-stable,” meaning they had been maintaining their weight without any
dramatic fluctuation.
The group was randomly split into
two groups, with one group eating a diet of unprocessed foods and the other
eating the oh-so-convenient ultra-processed foods, or “junk food,” as we often
think of it.
“During each diet phase, the
subjects were presented with three daily meals and were instructed to consume
as much or as little as desired,” the researchers write. “Up to 60 min was
allotted to consume each meal. Menus rotated on a 7-day schedule, and the meals
were designed to be well matched across diets for total calories, energy
density, macronutrients, fiber, sugars, and sodium, but widely differing in the
percentage of calories derived from ultra-processed versus unprocessed foods.”
With no limitations placed on the
number of calories any of the subjects were consuming, the participants ate
until they were satisfied and full. Those in the processed diet group could eat
chips, candy, cereals, and other energy-dense foods, while the others consumed
cooked whole vegetables, minimally processed rice, and fruit. The scientists
kept careful track of total calories consumed by each individual, and at the
end of the test period, the difference was dramatic.
On average, those who were given
the ultra-processed diet ate just over 500 more calories than those who ate the
unprocessed foods. The ultra-processed group gained an average of two pounds
during the two-week experiment, while the unprocessed food group lost roughly
the same amount.
The study accounted for various
macronutrients and attempted to match them up between both diets, but despite
that, the group given the ultra-processed foods had to eat more calories to
feel the same level of satisfaction that the unprocessed group received from a
more modest amount of food. It’s definitely something to think about the next
time you have the option between a hearty salad and a bag of chips.
Image Source: Keystone-SDA/REX/Shutterstock
Rice forecast upheld amid downturn
- 16 May 2019 at 05:00 1 comments
- NEWSPAPER
SECTION: BUSINESS
| WRITER: POST
REPORTERS
Despite the global economic slowdown, the government is
maintaining its rice export forecast at 10 million tonnes this year.
Adul Chotinisakorn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said
yesterday the Commerce Ministry still strongly believes potential buyers and
importers are confident in the quality of Thai rice.He said the country puts great emphasis on premium quality and speciality rice such as fragrant hom mali, coloured varieties with special characteristics and organic rice, all of which fetch higher export prices.
Rice-based innovative products have been developed with modern
technology, said Mr Adul.
"Thailand has reigned for over three decades as one of the
world's leading rice exporters. Thai rice, regarded among the world's best, is
exported to countries around the globe, taking up 20-25% of the global market,
generating an average annual income of over 150 billion baht," he said.In 2018, Thailand exported 11.09 million tonnes of rice, worth about 180 billion baht.
Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the government must focus on policy and action plan to promote farmers' awareness of the quality of rice and market-driven production so that Thailand can maintain competitiveness and leadership in the global rice market.
In a related development, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, the acting commerce minister, said to boost rice exports Thailand is scheduled to host the Thailand Rice Convention 2019 from May 27-29.
The ninth convention will be held under the theme "Rice Style: The New Global Lifestyle", promoting value-added rice through innovation.
Ms Chutima said the convention is a great platform that promotes Thailand as the leading rice exporting country, while strengthening trade partnerships with representatives from related public and private sectors.
The convention is expected to draw 800 delegates, 300 of whom are key players from around the world and 500 are farmers and entrepreneurs from throughout Thailand.
TAGS
David Moyer: From the wastewater pond to
the kitchen table
Columns | May 16,
2019
David Moyer
Other Voices
Other Voices
As a retired person, I
find it easy these days to retreat from the concerns of the world and mindlessly
watch TV. However, the other day two articles on the internet and a television
ad jolted me out of my entertainment-mediated somnolence. But first, some
context.
In 1989, scientists
discovered a soil bacterium surviving in a glyphosate-contaminated wastewater
pond in Louisiana owned by a company that makes a popular weed killer.
Normally, glyphosate kills plants by blocking proteins essential to plant
growth. The bacterium should not have survived in the toxic brew, but it did.
Long story short, scientists went on to splice the gene from that bacterium
into various crops so they too could survive glyphosate. Sounds good, so far.
Today, glyphosate is
found in genetically modified crops such as corn, soy, alfalfa, and crops that
are not genetically modified such as rice and wheat. Farmers desiccate their
non-GMO crops with it to promote homogeneity during harvest. Millions of us use
the stuff to kill weeds in our yards. It is in our breakfast cereals. It is in
our water supplies.
Now for the not so good.
It is ubiquitous. Since 1970, the frequency and volume of glyphosate-based
herbicides increased 100 fold. Additional use of glyphosate is expected due to
the expected evolution of more glyphosate-resistant plants. Currently 41
species of weeds resist the weed killer. Numerous glyphosate related health
risks have been identified, but here we will focus on just one, the effect it
has on our livers.
The FDA should have
banned glyphosate years ago.
The first article in
the Jan 9., 2017, issue of Scientific Reports is
entitled “Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following
chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide. Rats exposed daily
to levels of glyphosate well within the guidelines of the European and American
regulatory agencies developed fatty liver disease.
The second was a CNBC article dated Dec. 30, 2018, entitled,
”The $35 billion race to cure a silent killer that affects 30 million
Americans.” This silent killer is Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), also
known as non-alcoholic fatty lever disease. According to the article, “The
National Institutes of Health estimates as many as 30 million people, or 12
percent of U.S. adults, now have NASH.” The article attributes this to rising
obesity rates. “Today we are seeing people in their 20s and 30s with NASH,”
According to Dr. Leona Kim-Schluger, a hepatologist and professor at the
Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York,”
the disease is even reaching the pediatric population. Caused by fat? Hmm …
MIT research scientists
Samsel and Seneff, in a review of the scientific literature demonstrated that
exposure to glyphosate causes or contributes to a host of chronic medical
diseases, including fatty liver disease and kidney failure.
In the TV ad mentioned
at the beginning of this article, lines of folks are waiting for their liver
transplant. The narrator announces hopefully that you can move to the front of
the line if you find a donor willing to share a part of their liver with you
before you get too sick. In other words, find a partial donor before the line
gets too long, before it is too late. The ad is foreboding and dystopian. The
abnormal is normalized.
In a book I wrote in
2015, I introduced the term “perilous symbioses” in the context of mental
illness. Here is simple example. An industry manufactures a toxin that
increases the risk for depression (e.g., mercury) and the pharmaceutical
industry comes up with a treatment for depression (e.g., antidepressants).
With glyphosate, we
have an example of “perilous symbiosis.” Corporations manufacture glyphosate.
The pharmaceutical industry works to develop a treatment to mitigate one of the
harmful effects. Actually, when the toxic effects are particularly onerous, a
third symbiotic beneficiary class, the lawyers, enter the fray. Note the appeal
of the August 2018 $289 million finding against Monsanto for a
glyphosate-linked terminal cancer. The court settled on $80 million. (I
digress. I promised to only talk about livers.) To summarize, the beneficiaries
of the perilous symbioses win. We, the public lose.
The FDA should have
banned glyphosate years ago. For now, the most we consumers can do is to stay
away from it, whether it is in our weed killer, our breakfast cereal, our
nonorganic bread or our fast foods. As a prophet said of old, “They that sow
the wind shall reap the whirlwind.”
David Moyer lives in
Penn Valley.
Illegal paddy found stored in B'garh
Friday, 17 May 2019 | PNS | BARGARH
The district
administration conducted a raid on a rice mill. Lath Industry, at Patharla
under Bargarh block where more than 2,500 quintals of paddy was found illegally
stored.
The administration has
registered a case against the mill and more investigation is going on.
Sources informed that
some millers of Bargarh district have purchased paddy at Rs 1,300 per quintal
in Chhatishgarh illegally.
Lath Industry got
allotment of custom milling in Kharif season to provide 2.60 lakh quintals of
rice in Bargarh district and 1.40 lakh quintals in Jagatsinghpur district. But
the mill has not sent rice to Jagatsinghpur district yet. However, the Civil
Supplies Department has included the mill in paddy collection list in
Rabi season. https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-editions/illegal-paddy-found-stored-in-b-garh.html
Cambodia's rice exports to China continue to rise in first 4 months
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17
00:31:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan
PHNOM
PENH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 95,066 metric tons of milled rice to
China in the first four months of 2019, a 66-percent increase over the same
period last year, showed an official report released on Thursday.
China
is still the top buyer of Cambodian rice during the January-April period this
year, said the report of the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export,
adding that export to China accounted for 44.5 percent of the country's total
rice export.
It said
the Southeast Asian country exported a total of 213,763 tons of rice to 46
countries and regions in the first four months of this year, up 8.3 percent
over the same period last year.
The
report noted that the kingdom exported 65,552 tons of rice to the European
markets during the period, down 34 percent because, in January, the European
Union imposed duties for three years on rice importing from Cambodia in a bid
to curb a surge in rice imports from the kingdom and to protect European
producers.
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Indo-China
integration meets Cambodia’s interests
Published
23 hours ago
May 16, 2019
By
Cambodia, which is
located between Thailand and Vietnam and has a 440-kilometer coastal zone which
is separated from the rest of the country by a mountain ridge, is in need of a
“third neighbor” in order to survive economically and politically, and for
improving its export opportunities.
Pnomh Penh’s hopes for partnership with the United States fell
through. After Washington passed the Cambodia Democracy Act in 2018 in
support of the Cambodian opposition, it became clear that the US was ready to
use legal instruments against Pnomh Penh to pursue its interests in
the region.
At present, Cambodia’s
“third neighbor” is China. Cambodia is doomed to participate in the
Chinese infrastructure project “One Belt, One Road” because otherwise it will
not get access to South East Asia markets. The extent to which the Cambodian
economy is sensitive to market changes was demonstrated by Italy, which
initiated extra duties on Cambodian rice imports into the EU. Rice is the main
item of Cambodian food exports. Rome thereby secured a review of the
Cambodia-EU “Everything Except Weapons” trade scheme.
In the course of a visit to Beijing in January 2019 by Prime
Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, the Chinese side promised to allocate $ 588
million as aid for Cambodia by 2021, to increase rice imports to 400 thousand
tons and boost bilateral trade volume to $ 10
billion by 2023 . This is designed to ensure the economic
survival of Cambodia.
In foreign policy,
Cambodia avoids aggravating relations with its neighbors lest there appear
conflicts detrimental to the weak Cambodian economy, and underscores the
importance of maintaining peace in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Phnom Penh is fully aware that it can improve its economic
performance only on condition it maintains a long period of peace and strict
neutrality. Cambodia is among the world’s fastest growing economies (7.5%
in 2018). If the country is to preserve and build on the current pace of
development, it will have to boost exports of manufactured goods (80% in the
structure of exports) and rice, and should encourage tourism and attract
foreign investment.
Phnom Penh is worried
about two major problems in Asia – the North Korean issue and territorial
disputes in the South China Sea as part of a greater US-China conflict.
Pnomh Penh sees the
essence of the North Korean issue in that Cambodia traditionally maintains close
economic and political ties with both Koreas. Cambodia and North Korea form a
united front at international forums on the issue of human rights, North Korean
military experts have assisted Cambodia with the development of a demining
service, and North Korea has invested $ 24 million in the country’s tourism
industry.
South Korea is the second largest investor for Cambodia after
China. By 2018, the total volume of South Korean investments in
Cambodia had reached $ 4.56 billion. For Pnomh Penh, Seoul is an influential
economic player and cooperation with it contributes to the diversification of
the Cambodian economy.
South Korean capital
helps Phnom Penh to dilute the financial presence of Chinese investors in the
Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone – the country’s main economic gateway. For
Cambodia, the conflict between the two Koreas is fraught with significant
financial and political losses.
In the opinion of Pnomh
Penh, diplomatic clashes between the United States and China over territorial
disputes in the South China Sea may exacerbate Cambodian-Vietnamese relations.
Although relations between Cambodia and Vietnam have always been tarnished
by conflict, Phnom Penh, following a policy of strict neutrality, has
been promoting broader cooperation with Hanoi in recent years.
As Vietnam, unlike
China, is moving closer to Washington, Phnom Penh does not want to find itself
in a situation where he will have to make a clear choice in favor of one of the
parties to the conflict. Militarization of Vietnam, whose territory blocks
Cambodia’s access to the sea, will be ruinous for the economy of Cambodia.
Vietnamese seaports are the final point of the Southern Economic
Corridor, which runs from Myanmar via Thailand and Cambodia to Vietnam. Phnom
Penh pins big hopes on cooperation within the framework of the Southern
Economic Corridor. An ASEAN report describes Cambodia as a perfect place for an
export-oriented economy that serves as a binding link for the regional
economy as a whole.
Given the situation, it
can be assumed that Phnom Penh’s policy over the next few years will focus on
diversifying the economy, attracting a greater number of foreign economic
partners (Japan, Australia, Russia, the EU), strengthening regional integration
within the Southern Economic Corridor and within the framework of the ASEAN,
and minimizing US-North Korean, Sino-US, and Sino-Vietnamese differences.
First published in our partner International
Affairs
FG to disburse another N649bn Paris Club refund to states —
Finance Minister ON MAY 17, 20195:48 AMIN NEWSBY UROWAYINO WARAMI9 COMMENTS As
external reserves hit $44.69bn Says capital release for 2018 now N2.079trn
Records N3.96trn revenue for 2018 Customs moves against rice importers By Emma
Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief; Emmanuel Elebeke & Mayowa Baiyegunhi The Federal Government is set to disburse
N649.434 billion to states of the federation, being balance from the Paris Club
refund. The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this, yesterday,
at a press conference on the achievements of the administration in the last
four years. She said: “For the final phase of the Paris Club debts refunds, a
total sum of N649.434 billion was verified by the ministry as the outstanding
balance to be refunded to the state governments. Zainab Ahmed “The payments
made by the Central bank of Nigeria,
CBN, as at March 2019, is N691.560 billion. The increase in CBN payments partly
arose from exchange rate differential at the point of payment, although, some
states still have outstanding balances, which will be refunded in due course.”
The minister said through the implementation of Economic Recovery and Growth
Plan, ERGP, which the Buhari-led administration developed in 2017, the economy
exited recession and moved upwards on a path of sustainable, inclusive and
diversified growth. Accident : 5 die, 2 injured on Sagamu/Abeokuta expressway
She maintained that the ministry was focused on addressing the long-standing
issue of “unsatisfactory revenue performance” in Nigeria, particularly in the
non-oil sector in order to ensure appropriate financing for critical sectors,
such as health, education, and infrastructure. External reserves On the
nation’s external reserves, Mrs. Ahmed said it had climbed to $44.69 billion as
at May 13, 2019. Describing it as impressive, having moved from the $28.3 billion in 2015, she said: “Our external
reserves, on the other hand, grew from $28.3 billion in 2015 to US $44.69
billion as at May 13, 2019, representing significant improvement that has
helped stabilise the economy, including our currency exchange rates. However,
the minister acknowledged that the expenditure performance cannot be in isolation
of revenues, which as a result expenditure largely depends on government’s
ability to generate budgeted revenues with deficits funded through borrowings.
“In 2018 our budgeted revenue was N7.2 trillion. This is against the realised
figure of N3.96 trillion, signifying a negative variance of 45 per cent.
Despite this shortfall we have been able to fully pay salaries and service 100
per cent of our debt. Capital release for 2018 now N2.079trn ‘’We have also
released seven months overhead for 2018, two months for 2019, and N2.079
billion capital expenditure as at 14th May 2019. “We have adopted a prudent
debt management strategy which ensures that we invest what we borrow in capital
projects, although our debt by international standards, at 19.09 per cent
Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio is well below the threshold of 56 per cent for
countries similar to Nigeria. 
‘’The government is
addressing the issue of reducing the debt service to revenue through a
combination of debt substitution strategies.” The Minister maintained that on
global risks, the Ministry would continue to remain focused on taking key
mitigating actions to safeguard the economy and ensure it is “resilient to
external shocks.” Budget Performance On
budget performance, Ahmed said despite the shortfall in revenue projections,
“we have been able to fully pay salaries and service 100 per cent of our debt.
We have also released seven months overhead for 2018, two months for 2019, and
N2.079 trillion capital expenditure as at May 14, 2019. “We have adopted a
prudent debt management strategy, which ensures that we invest what we borrow
in capital projects. Although our debt by international standards, at 19.09 per
cent Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio is a reasonable ratio, but this is well below
the average threshold of 56 per cent for countries similar to Nigeria. ‘’The
government is addressing the issue of the high debt service burden by a
combination of substitution strategies, which include refinancing our shorter
term, higher cost debts to longer term lower cost debt.” Customs moves against
rice importers On his part, Director-General of Custom, Col. Hameed Ali (retd),
denied issuing any license to rice importers and appealed to Nigerians to stop
the consumption of imported rice. He said the harms related to the consumption
of imported rice and its effects on the economy was enormous and urged
Nigerians to stop patronizing smugglers of imported rice. “We inaugurated new
task force officers last Tuesday to fight the smuggling of rice to Nigeria.
Rice is one of the most consumed food in Nigeria, and at so, we should consume
our own products to be able to boost our economy.” “When Nigerians stop buying
these imported rice, the sellers will go out of business and stop the
importation
‘’The government is
addressing the issue of reducing the debt service to revenue through a
combination of debt substitution strategies.” The Minister maintained that on
global risks, the Ministry would continue to remain focused on taking key
mitigating actions to safeguard the economy and ensure it is “resilient to
external shocks.” Budget Performance On
budget performance, Ahmed said despite the shortfall in revenue projections,
“we have been able to fully pay salaries and service 100 per cent of our debt.
We have also released seven months overhead for 2018, two months for 2019, and
N2.079 trillion capital expenditure as at May 14, 2019. “We have adopted a
prudent debt management strategy, which ensures that we invest what we borrow
in capital projects. Although our debt by international standards, at 19.09 per
cent Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio is a reasonable ratio, but this is well below
the average threshold of 56 per cent for countries similar to Nigeria. ‘’The
government is addressing the issue of the high debt service burden by a
combination of substitution strategies, which include refinancing our shorter
term, higher cost debts to longer term lower cost debt.” Customs moves against
rice importers On his part, Director-General of Custom, Col. Hameed Ali (retd),
denied issuing any license to rice importers and appealed to Nigerians to stop
the consumption of imported rice. He said the harms related to the consumption
of imported rice and its effects on the economy was enormous and urged
Nigerians to stop patronizing smugglers of imported rice. “We inaugurated new
task force officers last Tuesday to fight the smuggling of rice to Nigeria.
Rice is one of the most consumed food in Nigeria, and at so, we should consume
our own products to be able to boost our economy.” “When Nigerians stop buying
these imported rice, the sellers will go out of business and stop the
importation
China accelerates rice cultivation in saline
soil
Xinhua, May 17, 2019
Staff
members harvest saline-tolerant rice in Qingdao, east China's Shandong
Province, Sept. 28, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
A leading
saline soil rice research center in eastern China's Shandong Province made the
decision to expand its experimental land to over 667 hectares early this month.
The Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center in
the coastal city of Qingdao said the move aims to speed up research and
development and optimize various types of saline soil rice.
The center said one other important purpose of the expansion is to
seek the best cultivation methods.
"All strains of rice to be grown on the experimental land
passed regional experiments in different types of saline soil," said Zhang
Guodong, deputy director of the center.
Zhang noted that regional experiments were conducted in Xinjiang,
Bohai Gulf in eastern China, northeastern China and coastal areas in
southeastern China.
"We were surprised by parts of the experimental data last
year. And this year, we are not only expanding the test area but also making
stricter test parameters in order to better simulate actual production,"
Zhang added.
The center has set a target of 300 kg yield per mu (one mu is
equivalent to 667 square meters). Meanwhile, researchers will study which rice
types are suitable for which areas and which saline-alkali land needs to be
ameliorated.
Rice is a staple food in China, as well as many other Asian countries.
China has about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali soil, of
which about one fifth could be ameliorated to arable soil.
"This is not a small amount. We want to ameliorate 6.7
million hectares of saline-alkali soil at first, and then expand the area
gradually. But the task cannot be done by any single institution; we need to
work together," Zhang said.
To scientifically exploit and use saline soil, increase the grain
output of China, as well as prevent disasters of saltwater intrusion into paddy
fields at home and abroad, organizations and institutions have now strengthened
cooperation.
"From the experimental field to farmers' land, there need to
be repeated experiments at different stages," said Li Xinqi, a saline soil
rice expert.
Li said the regional experiment is one of the key links of the
whole production process, which could lay the foundation for the strains of
saline soil rice.
MAY 17, 2019
/ 6:33 AM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO
Modi
proclaims a cleaner India, but the reality may be more murky
Sachin Ravikumar, Munsif Vengattil
·
·
KOPPAL/SHIKRAWA,
India (Reuters) - Every morning around dawn, dozens of people gather by the
dusty banks of a stream snaking through Shikrawa village, two hours south of
India’s capital, New Delhi, to do the same thing: defecate in the open.
Federal
government records say Haryana - with its population of more than 25 million -
is squeaky clean. The state, along with most others in India is classified
“open defecation-free”, while a World Bank-supported nationwide survey says
only 0.3% of Haryana’s rural population defecates outside.
But
interviews with over half a dozen surveyors involved in the World Bank-supported
study, and two participating researchers, all raised significant concerns with
the methodology of the survey, and its findings.
In
Shikrawa, interviews with 27 people showed at least 330 villagers still
defecate in the open because of a lack of toilets, issues with accessing water,
or simply a dogged opposition to changing old habits. An hour away in the
village of Nangla Kanpur, things aren’t any different.
Studies
link open defecation to public health issues, as it increases the spread of
parasites due to water contamination. The World Bank said in 2016 one in every
ten deaths in India is linked to poor sanitation.
In
a country plagued by sexual assault crimes, the lack of toilets also
disproportionately affects women, who have to walk long distances before dawn
or after dark to relieve themselves.
In
2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the “Swachh Bharat,” or “Clean
India” campaign and vowed to eliminate open defecation nationwide in five
years.
Modi,
who is seeking re-election for a second term in polls that conclude on Sunday,
has often used the success of Swachh Bharat in campaigning. “We got more than
100 million toilets built,” he said at a rally in north India on Sunday.
Swachh
Bharat, a multi-billion-dollar programme backed by money from the government
and a World Bank loan, has indeed built millions of latrines, but critics say
official statistics paint an overly optimistic picture of its success.
“The
whole point of this is for people’s health,” said Payal Hathi, a researcher
consulted on the World Bank-backed survey. “It’s unfortunate that the data is
so misleading.”
Data
from the World Bank-supported National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS)
that concluded in February shows that only about 10% of rural Indians defecate
in the open. The survey was conducted using funds from a $1.5 billion World
Bank loan for Swachh Bharat.
A
separate study conducted over a similar timeline by the non-profit Research
Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE), where Hathi was a researcher,
shows 44% of the rural population across four large states still defecate in
the open. (See graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2JF2LFB)
“IMPOSSIBLE” FINDINGS
Hathi
and fellow researcher Nikhil Srivastav also say they witnessed several lapses
at meetings held to design the survey.
The
specific goal of reporting low open-defecation levels was communicated clearly
by government representatives to Kantar Public — the company contracted to
conduct the survey — and by Kantar to the surveyors, the two said.
Kantar,
owned by advertising giant WPP, did not respond to requests for comment.
Hathi
told Reuters the NARSS questionnaire contained leading queries about toilet
usage that may have influenced respondents, and the government ignored suggestions
aimed at fixing queries.
“RICE
has been repeatedly attempting to undermine the achievements of the Swachh
Bharat Mission,” the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation said in an
email.
The
ministry “categorically dismisses and denies the claims of the two RICE
researchers,” it said, without elaborating.
Seven
surveyors who collected NARSS data and had a direct view of the sanitation
situation in their respective regions, gave Reuters state-wide estimates of
open defecation that were sharply higher than the findings in the survey.
Two
called NARSS findings “impossible” and said very little time had been spent
questioning respondents.
The
surveyors interviewed by Reuters worked in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, and declined to be named for fear of
losing their jobs.
A
NARSS surveyor in western Rajasthan state said surveyors would mark a village
as ODF - for open defecation-free - even if they spotted faeces on the ground
or people defecating outside — a violation of government guidelines.
“If
we see some open defecation in stray cases away from the main centre of a
village, we cannot mark the village as non-ODF,” he said, adding trainers from
the ministry told surveyors to follow such practices.
The
ministry denied the allegations and said NARSS surveyors typically have “very
limited” knowledge of state-wide data.
TUTORED RESPONSES
Despite
researcher concerns around the lapses in the survey, the World Bank has so far
given NARSS-linked funds of $417.4 million to India, a right-to-information
request shows.
“The
World Bank has not received any formal expressions of concern related to the
work of the surveyors,” said a World Bank spokesman in a statement. “An
exercise of this scale will have inconsistencies.”
Reuters
also visited the southern state of Karnataka. Across seven villages in Koppal
district, at least 150 people defecate in the open, interviews with over 50
people showed. The Indian government also classifies Karnataka as “open
defecation free”.
Many
people in north and south India told Reuters that a lack of toilets near fields
where farmers spend their day, and poorly built toilets, all contribute to
people defecating in the open.
Some
say they were beaten or shamed by authorities publicly if found to be
defecating outside. Others said they were threatened with food ration cuts.
Such
coercion, sanitation experts say, discourage honest answers about toilet usage
as villagers fear reprisals.
“The
respondents will give you false answers,” said Nitya Jacob, a water and
sanitation consultant. “They’re all tutored to say ‘yes-yes,’ we use toilets.”
Reporting by Sachin
Ravikumar and Munsif Vengattil; Editing by Euan Rocha and Philip McClellan
Is Modi's
Swachh Bharat a success?
Devdiscourse News Desk New Delhi India
Updated:
17-05-2019 07:00 IST Created:
17-05-2019 05:46 IST
Every
morning around dawn, dozens of people gather by the dusty banks of a stream
snaking through Shikrawavillage,
two hours south of India's capital, New Delhi, to do the same thing: defecate in the
open. "There are close to 1,600 houses in Shikrawa. And I know for a fact that
some 400 of those don't have toilets," said Khurshid Ahmed, a village council official in Shikrawa, which is located in the northern state of
Haryana.
Federal
government records say Haryana - with its population of more than 25 million -
is squeaky clean. The state, along with most others in India is classified
"open defecation-free", while a World Bank-supported nationwide
survey says only 0.3% of Haryana's rural population defecates outside. But
interviews with over half a dozen surveyors involved in the World Bank-supported
study, and two participating researchers, all raised significant concerns with the
methodology of the survey, and its findings.
In Shikrawa, interviews with 27 people showed at least
330 villagers still
defecate in the open because of a lack of toilets, issues with accessing water,
or simply a dogged opposition to changing old habits. An hour away in the
village of Nangla Kanpur, things aren't any different. Studies link open
defecation to public health issues, as it increases the spread of parasites due
to water contamination. The World Bank said in 2016 one in every ten deaths
in India is linked to poor sanitation.
In a
country plagued by sexual assault crimes, the lack of toilets also
disproportionately affects women, who have to walk long distances before dawn
or after dark to relieve themselves. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the "Swachh
Bharat," or "Clean India" campaign and vowed to eliminate open
defecation nationwide in five years.
Modi, who
is seeking re-election for a second term in polls that conclude on Sunday, has
often used the success of Swachh Bharat in campaigning. "We got more than
100 million toilets built," he said at a rally in north India on Sunday.
Swachh Bharat, a multi-billion-dollar programme backed by money from the government
and a World Bank loan,
has indeed built millions of latrines, but critics say official statistics
paint an overly optimistic picture of its success.
"The
whole point of this is for people's health," said Payal Hathi, a
researcher consulted on the World Bank-backed survey. "It's unfortunate
that the data is so misleading." Data from the World Bank-supported
National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) that concluded in February
shows that only about 10% of rural Indians defecate in the open. The survey was
conducted using funds from a $1.5 billion World Bank loan for Swachh Bharat.
A separate
study conducted over a similar timeline by the non-profit Research Institute
for Compassionate Economics (RICE), where Hathi was a researcher, shows 44% of
the rural population across four large states still defecate in the open. (See
graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2JF2LFB)
"IMPOSSIBLE" FINDINGS
Hathi and
fellow researcher Nikhil Srivastav also
say they witnessed several lapses at meetings held to design the survey. The
specific goal of reporting low open-defecation levels was communicated clearly
by government representatives to Kantar Public — the company contracted to
conduct the survey — and by Kantar to the surveyors, the two said.
Kantar,
owned by advertising giant WPP, did not respond to requests for comment. Hathi
told Reuters the NARSS questionnaire contained leading queries about toilet
usage that may have influenced respondents, and the government ignored suggestions
aimed at fixing queries.
"RICE
has been repeatedly attempting to undermine the achievements of the Swachh
Bharat Mission," the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation said in an
email. The ministry "categorically dismisses and denies the claims of the
two RICE researchers," it said, without elaborating.
Seven surveyors who collected NARSS data and had a
direct view of the sanitation situation in their respective regions, gave
Reuters state-wide estimates of open defecation that were sharply higher than
the findings in the survey. Two called NARSS findings "impossible" and
said very little time had been spent questioning respondents.
The surveyors interviewed by Reuters worked in the
states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, and declined
to be named for fear of losing their jobs. A NARSS surveyor in western
Rajasthan state said surveyors would mark a village as ODF - for open
defecation-free - even if they spotted faeces on the ground or people
defecating outside — a violation of government guidelines.
"If
we see some open defecation in stray cases away from the main centre of a
village, we cannot mark the village as non-ODF," he said, adding trainers
from the ministry told surveyors to follow such practices. The ministry
denied the allegations and said NARSS surveyors typically have "very
limited" knowledge of state-wide data.
TUTORED RESPONSES
Despite
researcher concerns around the lapses in the survey, the World Bank has so far given NARSS-linked funds
of $417.4 million to India, a right-to-information request shows.
"The World Bank has not received any formal
expressions of concern related to the work of the surveyors," said a World Bank spokesman in a statement. "An
exercise of this scale will have inconsistencies." Reuters also visited
the southern state of Karnataka. Across seven villages in Koppal district, at
least 150 people defecate in the open, interviews with over 50 people showed.
The Indian government also classifies Karnataka as "open defecation
free".
Many
people in north and south India told Reuters that a lack of toilets near fields
where farmers spend their day, and poorly built toilets, all contribute to
people defecating in the open. Some say they were beaten or shamed by
authorities publicly if found to be defecating outside. Others said they were threatened
with food ration cuts.
Such
coercion, sanitation experts say, discourage honest answers about toilet usage
as villagers fear
reprisals. "The respondents will give you false answers,"
said Nitya Jacob, a water and sanitation consultant. "They're all tutored
to say 'yes-yes,' we use toilets."
(With
inputs from agencies.)
Paddy of despair, farmers getting
poor deal
·
Published
at 12:59 am May 17th, 2019
Farmers block Rangpur highway and dump paddy
grain on the road during a demonstration in Mahiganj Satmatha area in Rangpur
on Thursday, May 16, 2019 Dhaka Tribune
The government’s market
interventions have been largely ineffective
Bangladesh’s resilient
farmers recouped the 2017 devastating flood-induced crop damages by growing more
rice over the last few growing seasons including the current Boro.
This high rice output brings
much relief to the government that spent millions of Taka importing a record
four million tons of rice in 2017-18 through public and private channels.
But much to the misery of
growers, the prices that they are being offered for their produces in the
current marketing season is non-commensurate to their production costs.
For the past one week – news
and pictures of aggrieved farmers taking to the streets demanding fair price
for rice and different socio-cultural and student groups rallying supports for
the same cause hogged the media attention big time and deservedly so.
Yesterday too, farmers
blocked a highway in rice-rich northern region of Rangpur – spreading paddy
grains on the road – demanding the government to purchase paddy directly from
farms, and ensure a fair price.
Production
projection
Bangladesh’s rice production
is expected to increase for the second straight year in a row, thanks to good
weather and increased yield due to continuing cultivation of hybrid and
high-yielding varieties (HYV).
Following the crop loss in
2017 due to Haor zone’s flood and crop diseases, the country’s rice growers
bounced back with a higher production – nearly 35 million tons in 2018-19
making the country self reliant in staple production again.
According to the Ministry of
Food, country’s current stock of rice in public granaries is over one million
tons, well above the comfortable food safety threshold level.
Farmers
getting poor price
Polash Kanti Nath heads a
farmers’ organization goes by the name – Krishak Sangram Parishad (KSP).
He said, "It costs
around Tk700-Tk 800 to produce a maund of paddy but we can only sell it for
Tk400. Even buyers are few in number."
Another farmer Momtaj Uddin
said: "The government has promised to buy paddy directly from farmers, but
we do not see that happening here. We are not getting a fair price for the
paddy, so we are protesting."
And in Tangail, some college
students came forward to help a local paddy farmer Abdul Malek harvest his
crops after he set some of it on fire, protesting the steep fall in paddy
prices and after not being able to afford the high labour costs for harvesting
the paddy.
Shahidul Islam runs a rice
mill in Kushtia’s Khwajanagar, one of the largest wholesale rice markets in the
country.
Talking to this
correspondent over phone yesterday, Shahidul acknowledged that millers and
traders are offering Boro farmers much lower a price this year compared to last
year’s prices.
He said millers have already
enough carryover rice in their stock and that’s why there is no urgency to buy
rice from the growers.
Lukewarm
public procurement
On March 31 this year the
government decided to procure over a million tons of paddy and rice from the
farmers at a good price offers of Tk. 26 and Tk. 36 a kg respectively.
Government’s food department was supposed to provide the farmers with this
price support from April 25 but eventually the public grain procurement process
kicked start much later only in mid-May.
Dr Akhter Ahmed of the
Washington-based food policy think-tank International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI) told Dhaka Tribune that government’s late entry into the
market and buying rice from traders and millers instead of farmers would not
help offset the situation.
He wondered if the
government in West Bengal, India can buy paddy directly from the farmers why
can’t be it possible in Bangladesh.
Anwar Faruque, who served
the agriculture ministry in Bangladesh for many years prior retiring as the
ministry secretary, told this correspondent that with a paltry volume of public
procurement the food department would not be able to make much impact on rice
pricing in the market.
“Why shouldn’t government
procure three million tons of rice from farmers and give them the price
support? If the public granaries suffer from space constraint, the government
can always keep the procured rice in hired private godowns.”
Unwise
tariff regime
Market is glutted with
cheaper imported rice because of zero tariff still in place on rice import,
said Faruque adding that “Government said we lost 1.9 million tons of rice in
Haor flood in 2017 and import tariff was cut from a whopping 28 percent to
zero.”
But after periodic reviews,
he thinks, the government should have re-imposed tariffs on rice import
thereby, giving much required protection to domestic rice growers.
Will exporting rice
ease the solution?
Agriculture Minister Dr
Abdur Razzque told reporters yesterday that government would export rice to
ease the situation. He said government is now in a position to even export over
a million tons of rice.
Dr Akhter considers entering
into the rice export market is not that easy and such an intervention even if
is conceived now its benefit would not trickle down to the farmers rather, it
would only benefit the big millers and traders – who had purchased rice from
farmers at a cheap rate and hoarded that for quite some time to make a
windfall.
“Countries like Thailand and
Vietnam developed a place for them in a very competitive rice export market
over a period of time. It’ll not be so easy for Bangladesh to make a sudden
inroad into that global rice market,” explained Dr Akhter.
If in
tobacco, why not in rice?
An expert, who has been
following increasing instability in rice pricing in disfavor of paddy growers
in Bangladesh, told Dhaka Tribune each year government facilitates fixing
procurement price of tobacco from farmers for private tobacco companies.
“Why can’t it do it for the
rice growers? It’s understandable government will not be able to buy all 35
million tons of rice that Bangladeshi farmers grow a year but the least
government can do is dictate the market by fixing floor price for rice for
private buyers and sellers,” said the expert, who works for an organization
where he is not authorized to speak to the press on record.
All the other experts that t
Dhaka Tribune talked to were also of the view that the government needs to
streamline its paddy procurement process so that farmers and not traders are
benefited and it has to reign in the profit-mongering middlemen, millers who
made most of the paddy profits depriving the principal stakeholder – the
farmers.
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