Unusually wet spring delays California crops, damages others
- Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California
growers are frustrated by an unusually wet spring that has delayed the planting
of crops like rice and damaged others including strawberries and wine grapes.
Rice grower Kurt Richter said
Tuesday that storms forced him to wait weeks to start seeding his land in
Colusa County. And rice that he managed to get into the ground is in a
“refrigerated state” because of colder than usual temperatures that threaten to
reduce yields.
Watsonville strawberry farmer
Peter Navarro tells the Santa Cruz Sentinel that recent wet weather is
disrupting his picking schedule and causing a loss of production.
Much of California has seen two
to five times more precipitation than is normal for this point in May. The wet
trend is expected to continue through the month.
‘Golden Rice’ now closer to reality
International Rice Research Institute cultivates the grain
fortified with Vitamin A
In what would be a major breakthrough in agri-food biotechnology,
the Golden Rice is inching closer to reality . The International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) and its partners, the Philippines Rice Research Institute and
the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, have successfully cultivated Golden
Rice in a controlled environment on IRRI campus.
Safety checks
The safety evaluations have shown that Golden Rice is as safe and
nutritious as conventional rice but comes with the added benefit of increased
beta-carotene content in the grain, the Philippines-based IRPI claimed. This
nutrient, similar to what is found in orange-coloured fruits and vegetables, is
converted to Vitamin A as needed by the body. This is aimed at covering a vast
rice-eating population in the world with high prevalence of deficiencies. The
Golden Rice project has taken about 18 years to reach at this stage. Ajay
Kohli, senior scientist and programme leader at IRRI, said, “Besides consumers,
farmers will also find it is beneficial to grow this seed. But there should be
a balance to make it affordable for consumers and we expect some government
intervention here. The Golden Rice can be grown just the same way we grow
normal rice. There is no change in cost of cultivation and the agronomy also
doesn’t change. In fact, it reduces water use by up to 30 per cent without any
yield loss.” The Golden Rice was given positive food safety evaluations by
three leading regulatory authorities-- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (in
February 2018), Health Canada (in March 2018) and the US Food and Drug
Administration (in May 2018). According to IRRI officials, the Golden Rice
application is under review in Bangladesh and the Philippines. Research has
indicated that one cup of Golden Rice can provide up to 50 per cent of the
daily requirement of an adult for vitamin A. Quoting a global research, Russell
Reinke, Programme Lead, Healthier Rice, IRRI, stated that in Bangladesh over 20
per cent of pre-school and school age kids are afflicted with Vitamin A
deficiency.
Less shelf-life
However, scientists believed that there may require some advocacy
in case of the storage of the rice. “The only thing that may require some
advocacy is that Golden Rice should not be stored for more than three months.
It may lose its nutrients after that. Within a period of three months it is
enough to provide required nutrients to make a difference to the public health.
But beyond that it starts losing nutritional value,” said Kohli. The research
has advanced this period from earlier one month to three months now. The reporter was in the Philippines on the invitation of
Crop Life Asia Farmers’ Exchange Programme.
Rice prices hit 3-year low in
Bangladesh
Rice prices have fallen to a nearly
three-year low impacted by downturn in paddy prices at the farmers’ level in
the wake of good harvest as well as higher private and public stocks of the
grain.
The average retail price of coarse
rice, consumed mainly by the low-income group, was Tk 33 per kg in city markets
yesterday, down 24 percent from a year ago, according to the Department of
Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
It is the lowest since August 2016
when the average retail price of the same quality grain was Tk 33.58 per
kilogram, show data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The FAO data showed that the prices
gradually declined after they soared to Tk 47.78 in September 2017. Just more
than a year later in November 2018, the prices fell below the Tk 40 mark.
Since then, the market prices have
gradually been declining because of good crop harvest, a situation that hurts
farmers but benefits consumers.
Bangladesh bagged 3.62 crore tonnes
of rice in fiscal 2017-18 and the total production is expected to hit a new
high during the current fiscal year, according to the Department of
Agricultural Extension (DAE), rice millers and traders.
In
addition, fresh imports and carryover stocks have added to the overall domestic
supply, said rice millers and traders. “We’ve a huge stock of rice,” said
Chitta Majumder, managing director of Majumder Group of Industries, which owns
several rice mills. He said prices of rice and paddy are interrelated and when
the prices of paddy fall, rice prices follow suit. Depending on quality, prices
of paddy dropped as much as 23 percent during the current Boro harvesting
season from the same period a year ago, according to DAM data. Coarse paddy
producers were hit the hardest followed by fine and medium grain producers as
current prices are much below the government-estimated production cost of paddy
at Tk 993 per maund (37.20 kilogram). As of May 15, coarse paddy dipped to Tk
540 each maund from Tk 702 for the same quantity a year ago. Chitta said the
response for paddy from millers remains lukewarm, as they could not clear their
previously purchased grains for a dearth of buyers. “There was no large buyer
in the paddy market,” he said, adding, “There is no way but to export.” Nirod
Boron Saha, president of the Naogaon Dhan O Chal Arathdar Babshayee Samity, an
association of rice wholesalers and commission agents, said the prices were
unlikely to increase soon unless millers could sell their rice from the stocks.
“Our hands are tied. The government is not willing to receive aman from us nor
does the market have demand for the rice. How would we get money to buy paddy
if we cannot sell [the rice]?” he asked. Saha said there was no sign yet of the
paddy market to rebound to ease the lives of tens of thousands of farmers.
“Farmers are in real trouble. They have to pay very high wages to hired workers
to harvest paddy during this peak season, but they sell their produces at
nearly half the production cost. It’s a terrible situation,” he said. He also
said the demand for rice remains low because of good harvest of Boro, the
biggest crop, almost throughout the country. He also said export could be a
solution. But it may take time to find market. Government-to-Government
contracts can be explored for quick exports, he added. Md Arifur Rahman Apu,
director general of Directorate General of Food, said the commerce ministry
would ultimately decide on export. He said there has been a delay in purchasing
paddy from growers because of a delay in preparing a list of the farmers. Apu
claimed that the food directorate has little to influence the paddy market. “We
will buy only 12 lakh tonnes of rice and that will be added to our stock of
nearly 13 lakh tonnes of cereal. We have a capacity of storing 21 lakh tonnes
[of grains],” he said. “We have instructed all our field offices to start
buying paddy and rice,” he said. DAE Director of Field Services Wing Md Abdul
Muyeed said the Boro rice output was likely to be 2 lakh tonnes higher to 1.97
crore tonnes this year from the previous year owing to favourable weather and
DAE support. The DAE had earlier estimated production of Aus and Aman rice
crops at 29 lakh and 1.53 crore tonnes for this fiscal. Those are higher than
that of the previous fiscal year
Organic grain
fraud case continues with fifth guilty plea
Photo: Adobe stock
05.13.2019
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, U.S. –
The organic grain fraud scandal continues as a fifth farmer, John Burton of
Clarksdale, Missouri, U.S., plead guilty on May 10 to conspiracy to commit wire
fraud.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Northern District of Iowa, Burton was convicted of one count of
conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of the conspiracy, he admitted
that grain grown on non-organic fields was marketed and sold as organic and
that unapproved substances were used on fields certified as organic.
Burton’s plea is related to Randy
Constant’s plea from December 20, 2018, when Constant from
Chillicothe, Missouri, pled guilty to an organic grain fraud scheme involving
at least $142 million in grain sales with the vast majority of those sales
being fraudulent. Constant made many of those sales through a brokerage
that he owned and operated out of Ossian, Iowa, known as Jericho
Solutions.
In other related matters, the U.S.
Attorney’s office of Northern District Iowa said three farmers from Nebraska
previously pled guilty to fraud involving the sale of grain fraudulently
marketed as organic – Tom Brennan; James Brennan; and Mike Potter – all from
Overton, Nebraska.
Sentencing for Constant, Brennan,
Brennan, and Potter is scheduled for August 16, 2019, before United States
District Court Judge C.J. Williams, at the United States Courthouse in Cedar
Rapids.
Burton’s sentencing will be set
after a presentence report is prepared. Burton remains free on bond
previously set. Burton faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’
imprisonment, a fine of at least $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release
following any imprisonment.
https://www.world-grain.com/articles/12053-organic-grain-fraud-case-continues-with-fifth-guilty-plea
Unusually wet spring delays California crops, damages others
- Associated Press
- 2:14 pm
- May 21, 2019
LOS
ANGELES (AP) — California growers are frustrated by an unusually wet spring
that has delayed the planting of crops like rice and damaged others including
strawberries and wine grapes.
Rice
grower Kurt Richter said Tuesday that storms forced him to wait weeks to start
seeding his land in Colusa County. And rice that he managed to get into the
ground is in a “refrigerated state” because of colder than usual temperatures
that threaten to reduce yields.
Watsonville
strawberry farmer Peter Navarro tells the Santa Cruz Sentinel that recent wet
weather is disrupting his picking schedule and causing a loss of production.
Much of California has seen two
to five times more precipitation than is normal for this point in May. The wet
trend is expected to continue through the month.
Cambodia's
royal oxen predict plentiful rice harvest amid EU tariffs
MAY
22, 2019 / 11:30 AM
Cambodia's
royal oxen eat during a royal ploughing ceremony in Takeo province, Cambodia,
May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer
PHNOM
PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia’s royal oxen predicted a plentiful harvest of rice,
the country’s biggest crop, at an ancient plowing ceremony on Wednesday.
King
Norodom Sihamoni presided over the televised annual ritual in which two oxen are
given offerings after plowing a field, marking the start of the rice-growing
season in the Southeast Asian country.
Dressed
in ornate robes and colorful headdresses, the oxen ate 85% of the rice and
beans on offer and 90% of the corn in decorated bowls - indicating a bountiful
harvest.
Palace
astrologers make their predictions each year depending on the oxen’s choice of
crops and the amount they eat.
“I
pray ... for seasonal rain and regular weather,” Korng Ken, a Brahmin priest
dressed in traditional white robes, said at the ceremony in Takeo province.
He
prayed that “Cambodia avoid any natural disasters that would destroy the
agriculture harvests which are the lives of the people and country.”
The
good omen will be welcomed in Cambodia after the European Union imposed tariffs
in January on rice from Cambodia and Myanmar in a bid to protect EU producers.
Cambodia has since seen a surge in rice exports to China.
Cambodia’s
ceremony mirrors similar traditions in nearby Thailand and Myanmar in which
oxen ceremonially plow the ground and then choose between eating bowls of rice,
beans, corn water, grass, sesame seeds or alcohol.
Thailand’s
royal oxen predicted a good harvest at a plowing ceremony this month presided
over by newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his queen
Rice prices hit 3-year low in
Bangladesh
Good harvest, healthy stocks main
reasons for lower prices.
Govt, farmers
in a fix over low paddy price
22 May, 2019 12:39:16 AM / LAST MODIFIED: 22 May, 2019 03:40:41
PM
Although state-run silos do not have adequate space at this
moment, a proposal has been finalised to procure rice at govt level
ANISUR RAHMAN KHAN, Dhaka
Except for some hopeful dialogues
by different ministers and officials, the government has not yet taken any
concrete step over the issue of low Boro paddy prices. Although state-run silos
do not have adequate space to stock foodgrain at this moment, a proposal has
been finalised for purchasing additional rice at the government level.
However, the government is now
contemplating to export surplus rice to ensure fair price to farmers. Experts
have also suggested that the weather was extremely favourable for bumper
production of Boro this year.
The Independent visited Tangail
on Monday and found that farmers were suffering due to shortage of labour to
collect paddy from their fields.
According to the farmers,
labourers were demanding Tk. 600-700 as daily wages per person to cut paddy,
but this was an extremely high price.
One maund (40kg) of paddy was
being sold between Tk. 450 and Tk. 500 in different markets in the country
against the average production cost of Tk. 650–800.
Rice traders have blamed mill
owners for the low paddy prices. The traders alleged that most of the mill
owners are either reluctant to procure paddy or involved in procuring paddy at
low prices to increase their stocks. The price of rice should be Tk. 1,000 per
sack (50 kg) now if paddy is being sold for Tk. 450–500 per maund, the traders
said.
Meanwhile, the ministers for
finance,
agriculture, commerce and food
have suggested export of surplus rice. Even Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has
asked the ministries concerned to ensure proper price for the farmers and go
for export if needed.
“The government has to take some
policy to ensure fair price for the farmers’ produce. The immediate remedy is
to procure paddy from farmers directly instead of millers. Besides, the
government should further increase the import duty on rice to discourage the
import of rice,” Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) distinguished
fellow Mustafizur Rahman told The Independent yesterday.
The import duty on rice was now
28 per cent, he said, adding that this rate should be hiked to safeguard the
interest of farmers.
Asked about the disinterest among
farmers to cultivate rice, Rahman replied: “Such thinking on the part of the
farmers is very dangerous. If they lose their interest to produce rice, the
country will have to import foodgrain. Food security is very important for a
nation.”
Huge quantities of rice are
imported at the private level, he said, adding that the government should stop
such imports to ensure fair price for farmers’ produce.
At least 20 lakh tonnes of rice
have been imported through private channels so far, said sources in the
Directorate of Food.
Mahmudur Rahman Masud, a farmer
at Dulla village in Delduar upazila in Tangail district, said he had cultivated
two acres of land for Boro. “It is very painful that we are not getting fair
price. We have to hire workers to cut paddy by paying Tk 600–700 per person per
day. If such a condition continues, then we won’t cultivate rice for additional
production from next year,” he added.
Masud complained that they were
not getting fair prices and they were even failing to pay the cost for workers
by selling one maund of paddy.
On his part, agriculture minister
Dr Abdur Razzaque said the high-ups in the government were trying to find out
ways to protect the farmers’ interest.
The minister also termed the
situation as critical as farmers are registering massive losses as they are not
getting fair prices in the local markets, while the harvesting of Boro paddy
had begun across the country. The food ministry has expressed its
inability to procure additional rice due to shortage of spaces at different
government godowns. The stock position of government silos are now about 15
lakh tonnes of foodgrain as against a capacity for about 21 lakh tonnes, food
ministry sources said.
Meanwhile, the government has
planned to procure 12.50 lakh tonnes of Boro rice this season. Food minister
Shadhan Mujumder informed that the government has decided to establish 200
paddy silos across the country on the occasion of the birth centenary of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which would help farmers to get fair prices.
Duty on rice import increased to
55%
04:24
PM, May 22, 2019 / LAST MODIFIED: 05:16 PM, May 22, 2019
File
photo
Star Online Report
In purview of farmers counting losses
in Bangladesh, the government has increased the duty on import of the basic
staple to protect local produce.
National Board of Revenue (NBR) has
increased the regulatory duty on rice imports to 25 per cent, from what was 3
per cent previously, said a notice.
Now, importers will have to count a
total of 55 per cent tax and duty, which includes advance income tax of 5 per
cent and prevailing 25 per cent tariff.
The decision came in the backdrop
of widespread protest over the drastic fall of price of rice. Rice prices have
fallen to a nearly three-year low impacted by downturn in paddy prices at the
farmers’ level in the wake of good harvest as well as higher private and public
stocks of the grain.
Bangladesh bagged 3.62 crore tonnes
of rice in fiscal 2017-18 and the total production is expected to hit a new
high during the current fiscal year, according to the Department of
Agricultural Extension (DAE), rice millers and traders.
In addition, fresh imports and
carryover stocks have added to the overall domestic supply.
Earlier, Finance Minister AHM
Mustafa Kamal on May 19 said the government would take all measures to export
rice, even if it means compensating for losses exporters might incur in the
process, to ensure fair prices for farmers.
And on May 20, the parliamentary
standing committee on food ministry recommended to stop rice import.
UPDATE
1-Egypt’s GASC receives offers for rice in tender -traders
MAY 22,
2019 / 3:05 AM /
(Adds conditions of tender)
CAIRO, May 21 (Reuters) - Egypt's state grains buyer, the
General Authority for Supply
Commodities (GASC), received four
offers on Tuesday for Indian,
Chinese and Vietnamese rice in an
international purchase tender for
the grain, traders said.
GASC said on May 6 it was seeking white rice with 10% to 12%
broken parts for arrival from July
25 to Aug. 20.
Bidders have to present samples for testing by the
Agriculture Ministry.
Traders gave the following breakdown of the offers:
•
Tan Long: 30,000 tonnes of Vietnamese rice +/- 10%
•
Wakalex: 85,000 tonnes of Chinese rice +/- 10%
•
Multitrade: 60,000 tonnes of Indian rice +/- 10%
•
Al Amal: 20,000 tonnes of Chinese rice +/- 10%
(Reporting by Nadine Awadalla)
GIEWS Country Brief: Egypt 22-May-2019
REPORT
Published on 22 May
2019 —View Original
FOOD
SECURITY SNAPSHOT
· Increased
wheat harvest forecast in 2019
· Slightly
above-average import requirements forecast for 2018/19 marketing year
· Food
price inflation eased in April 2019
Increased
wheat harvest forecast in 2019
The
2019 wheat harvest started in early May and will be completed by June. Harvest
of the minor barley crop is about to be completed.
Cereals
are grown on irrigated fields, yielding relatively stable harvests. About 1.37
million hectares were planted with wheat in the 2018/19 crop year, slightly
above the 1.3 million hectares planted in the previous year encouraged by
higher Government procurement prices. The 2019 wheat production is forecast at
9.2 million tonnes, up by 5 percent compared to last year and slightly above
the average on the account of favourable winter weather conditions, increased
area and continued use of improved seeds. The 2019 cereal production is
forecast at 22 million tonnes, about the same as in 2018, but about 6 percent
below the average due to the decline in rice production as the Ministry of
Water Resources and Irrigation continues to set limits on the area planted with
rice to save water. Farmers not complying with the instructions face fines.
Despite constraints on the planted area, new domestically developed early
maturing rice varieties have the potential to increase yields.
The
2019 wheat procurement season runs from 15 April to 15 June and the General
Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) aims to purchase 3.7 million tonnes, up
from 3.3 million tonnes purchased in the previous year. Until 12 May, some 1.6
million tonnes of wheat were purchased. The procurement prices are derived from
a moving average of prices paid for imported wheat in the previous two months.
The 2019 procurement prices announced in March 2019 range from USD 251-263 per
tonne (EGP 655-685 per ardeb or 150 kg) based on quality and moisture levels,
up from USD 213-224 per tonne (EGP 570-600 per ardeb or 150 kg) applied in
2018.
Rice import
duty hiked to 55pc
Staff Correspondent |
Published: 18:09, May 22,2019 | Updated: 00:00, May 23,2019
A file photo shows varieties of
rice at a shop in the capital, Dhaka. The government on Wednesday increased the
duties on rice import to 55 per cent from 28 per cent to discourage the import
because of significant fall in prices of the food crop in the local market amid
bumper production.— New Age photo
The
government on Wednesday increased the duties on rice import to 55 per cent from
28 per cent to discourage the import because of significant fall in prices of
the food crop in the local market amid bumper production.
The National Board of Revenue in a statutory regulatory order (SRO) hiked the regulatory duty on rice import to 25 per cent from 3 per cent.
The total duty on rice import will now be 55 per cent, including 25 per cent customs duty, 25 per cent regulatory duty and 5 per cent advance income tax.
Before the latest hike, total duty on rice import was 28 per cent.
The increased duty would be applicable for import of husked (brown rice), fortified rice kernels, semi-milled or wholly-milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed and broken rice.
The government took the move amid farmers’ protest against falling paddy price in local market.
In a statement, NBR chairman Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said that around 3 lakh tonnes of rice was imported in the first 10 months of the current financial year 2018-19.
‘As a result, local farmers have been forced to sell the paddy at prices lower than that of their production cost. Due to the lower prices, marginal farmers are incurring huge financial losses,’ he said.
To save the farmers from the financial loss, the NBR increased the import duty of rice as per instruction of the prime minister, he added.
Farmers at different places in the country protested against fall in paddy price this year amid bumper harvest.
The severe shortage of agriculture labourers forces the growers to hire them at high wages from Tk 600 to Tk 1,000 a day to harvest their paddy while they are now selling 40kg of boro paddy at Tk 500 to Tk 600.
A farmer in Tangial set his ripen paddy field on fire protesting at low prices of the produced crop.
Rice importers said that the imposition of additional duty would discourage import but it might have little impact on the prices on the local market as a significant amount of rice had already been imported.
Average retail price of coarse rice was dropped by 15 per cent to around Tk 38 per kilogramme in a year in the local market.
The National Board of Revenue in a statutory regulatory order (SRO) hiked the regulatory duty on rice import to 25 per cent from 3 per cent.
The total duty on rice import will now be 55 per cent, including 25 per cent customs duty, 25 per cent regulatory duty and 5 per cent advance income tax.
Before the latest hike, total duty on rice import was 28 per cent.
The increased duty would be applicable for import of husked (brown rice), fortified rice kernels, semi-milled or wholly-milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed and broken rice.
The government took the move amid farmers’ protest against falling paddy price in local market.
In a statement, NBR chairman Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said that around 3 lakh tonnes of rice was imported in the first 10 months of the current financial year 2018-19.
‘As a result, local farmers have been forced to sell the paddy at prices lower than that of their production cost. Due to the lower prices, marginal farmers are incurring huge financial losses,’ he said.
To save the farmers from the financial loss, the NBR increased the import duty of rice as per instruction of the prime minister, he added.
Farmers at different places in the country protested against fall in paddy price this year amid bumper harvest.
The severe shortage of agriculture labourers forces the growers to hire them at high wages from Tk 600 to Tk 1,000 a day to harvest their paddy while they are now selling 40kg of boro paddy at Tk 500 to Tk 600.
A farmer in Tangial set his ripen paddy field on fire protesting at low prices of the produced crop.
Rice importers said that the imposition of additional duty would discourage import but it might have little impact on the prices on the local market as a significant amount of rice had already been imported.
Average retail price of coarse rice was dropped by 15 per cent to around Tk 38 per kilogramme in a year in the local market.
More about:
Rice Prices
as on :
22-05-2019 09:41:37 AM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in
Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Tundla(UP)
|
6.00
|
233.33
|
187.80
|
2540
|
2520
|
-1.55
|
|
Nautnava(UP)
|
2.50
|
66.67
|
230.40
|
2200
|
2200
|
-
|
|
Balarampur(WB)
|
1.80
|
-1.1
|
32.59
|
2700
|
2610
|
2.27
|
|
Doharighat(UP)
|
1.50
|
NC
|
70.50
|
2100
|
2100
|
-
|
Published on May 22, 2019
TOPICS
FCI to purchase 3.44 lakh tonnes of raw rice
from Telangana mills
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has
agreed to buy 3.44 lakh tonnes of raw rice from millers in Telangana.
FCI delegation
An FCI delegation met the officials of the
Telangana State Civil Supplies Department last week and discussed various
issues related to procurement and storage. The officials explained`the
issues faced by the State in procurement and storage of the crop last year.
An FCI delegation met the officials of the
Telangana State Civil Supplies Department last week and discussed various
issues related to procurement and storage. The officials explained`the
issues faced by the State in procurement and storage of the crop last year.
An FCI delegation met the officials of the
Telangana State Civil Supplies Department last week and discussed various
issues related to procurement and storage. The officials explained`the
issues faced by the State in procurement and storage of the crop last year.
“We have procured 68 lakh tonnes of paddy in
the kharif and rabi seasons last year. We require space to store 23 lakh
tonnes of rice in the FCI godowns,” a Telangana Civil Supplies Department
official said.
‘Golden Rice’
now closer to reality
Rutam
Vora Recently in Manila | Updated on May 22, 2019 Published onMay 22, 2019
The flip side of Golden Rice is that it loses nutrients after 3
months
International
Rice Research Institute cultivates the grain fortified with Vitamin A
In what would be a major
breakthrough in agri-food biotechnology, the Golden Rice is inching closer to
reality .
The International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) and its partners, the Philippines Rice Research Institute and
the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, have successfully cultivated Golden
Rice in a controlled environment on IRRI campus.
Safety checks
The safety evaluations have shown
that Golden Rice is as safe and nutritious as conventional rice but comes with
the added benefit of increased beta-carotene content in the grain, the
Philippines-based IRPI claimed.
This nutrient, similar to what is
found in orange-coloured fruits and vegetables, is converted to Vitamin A as
needed by the body. This is aimed at covering a vast rice-eating population in
the world with high prevalence of deficiencies. The Golden Rice project has
taken about 18 years to reach at this stage.
Ajay Kohli, senior scientist and
programme leader at IRRI, said, “Besides consumers, farmers will also find it
is beneficial to grow this seed. But there should be a balance to make it
affordable for consumers and we expect some government intervention here. The
Golden Rice can be grown just the same way we grow normal rice. There is no
change in cost of cultivation and the agronomy also doesn’t change. In fact, it
reduces water use by up to 30 per cent without any yield loss.”
The Golden Rice was given
positive food safety evaluations by three leading regulatory authorities-- Food
Standards Australia New Zealand (in February 2018), Health Canada (in March
2018) and the US Food and Drug Administration (in May 2018). According to IRRI
officials, the Golden Rice application is under review in Bangladesh and the
Philippines.
Research has indicated that one
cup of Golden Rice can provide up to 50 per cent of the daily requirement of an
adult for vitamin A.
Quoting a global research,
Russell Reinke, Programme Lead, Healthier Rice, IRRI, stated that in Bangladesh
over 20 per cent of pre-school and school age kids are afflicted with Vitamin A
deficiency.
Less
shelf-life
However, scientists believed that
there may require some advocacy in case of the storage of the rice.
“The only thing that may require
some advocacy is that Golden Rice should not be stored for more than three
months. It may lose its nutrients after that. Within a period of three months
it is enough to provide required nutrients to make a difference to the public
health. But beyond that it starts losing nutritional value,” said Kohli. The
research has advanced this period from earlier one month to three months now.
The reporter was in the Philippines on the invitation of Crop
Life Asia Farmers’ Exchange Programme.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/golden-rice-now-closer-to-reality/article27209885.ece
|
Lower
U.S. Tariffs Have Ripple Effect as Turkey Reciprocates
ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- As
a response to the U.S. lowering import duties last week on Turkish steel and
aluminum from 50 to 25 percent, the Government of Turkey published an
official announcement yesterday reducing the retaliatory tariff on U.S. rice
from 50 percent to 25 percent, effective immediately. This brings the
current effective applied rates on U.S. rice exports to Turkey to 70 percent
for U.S. milled rice, 61 percent for U.S. brown rice, and 59 percent for U.S.
paddy rice.
"Rice imports in Turkey already face tariffs of 45 percent for milled, 36 percent for brown, and 34 percent for paddy. The additional 50 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. rice has been in place since August 2018, and has seriously affected U.S. rice sales to the country," said Sarah Moran, USA Rice vice president international. "Import volumes were down from 58,000 MT in 2017 to just over 1,000 MT in 2018, and totaled just 600 MT in the first quarter of 2019." Turkey used to be a major buyer for U.S. medium grain with sales volumes of more than 240,000 MT in 2014. Currently, the Turkish rice market is heavily affected by a difficult economic environment, the deteriorating purchasing power of local consumers, and the weak Turkish lira that drives up the price of imported products. Importing of rice and other grains is currently dominated by the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) that received authorization from the Turkish government to import rice of any origin with zero import duty in August 2018 (as opposed to commercial imports that are subject to duty). The TMO has held three tenders over the past nine months, the most recent one in mid-April, mostly buying rice of European, Russian, and South American origin, and none from the United States. Private importers, who had dominated the market prior to last August, have recently been sourcing from China, Greece, Italy, and others.  The TMO is importing and packaging the rice in their own product packs and selling these at low prices at local retailers and through their own distribution system to ensure sufficient supply of rice in the country for food security. "In-country political tensions continue to affect the local economy and consequently the rice market, but this reduction in tariffs on U.S. rice is a step in the right direction," said Moran. USA Rice continues to work together with local trade and monitors market developments, as well as supports sales of available U.S. rice on the market with promotional activities. |
|
USA RICE DAILY
Pakistan, Bulgaria agree to enhance bilateral
trade volume
ByAPP
May 21, 2019
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan-Bulgaria Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) on Tuesday
agreed to enhance trade and economic cooperation in the information and
communications technology (ICT), agriculture, livestock, tourism, culture,
maritime and railway sectors.
The agreement was reached in the 2nd session of
Pakistan–Bulgaria IGC where Economic Affairs Division Secretary Noor Ahmed and
Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Economy of Liliya Ivanova led their respective
delegations.
Both sides agreed to work together for the promotion of
bilateral trade and investment. The Bulgarian side agreed to facilitate the
export of Pakistani citrus fruit, mangoes, rice, raw cotton, dates, fruits and
marble to Bulgaria and other countries of Eastern Europe, while Pakistan would
facilitate the import of Bulgarian products in Pakistan and third countries.
Both sides agreed to encourage their businessmen for
participation in trade fairs and exhibitions. They also endeavoured for the
establishment of joint ventures in automotive, engineering and food processing
sectors.
On the conclusion of the IGC, an agreement on Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion was signed by the Federal
Board of Revenue director general and the Bulgarian deputy minister.
Representatives of various ministries and organisations,
including commerce, information technology, railways, maritime affairs and
national food security participated in the session.
Economic Affairs Division Secretary Noor Ahmed, in his
concluding speech, said that both the countries would continue to strengthen
economic and trade relations in future for the mutual benefit of the two
countries.
The Bulgarian minister also reciprocated the spirit of
friendship, cooperation and assured that her country would enhance cooperation
with Pakistan in the identified areas.
During her stay in Pakistan, Bulgarian Deputy Minister Liliya
Ivanova also held meetings with the National Food Security and Research
minister and the advisor to the prime minister on commerce.
Taxation
treaty signed with Bulgaria
May 22, 2019
ISLAMABD: Secretary Economic Affairs Division Noor Ahmed and
Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Economy Mrs Liliya Ivanova exchanging documents
after signing taxation treaty on Tuesday.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has signed an
agreement with Bulgaria on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of
fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
The agreement was signed at the
sideline of the Second Session of Pakistan–Bulgaria Inter-Governmental
Commission (IGC) which concluded on Tuesday.
Director General FBR Muhammad
Ashfaq Ahmad and Deputy Minister of Economy Republic of Bulgaria Liliya Ivanova
signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments.
The agreement would not only
provide safeguards against double taxation of income of Pakistani and Bulgarian
residents but also promote economic cooperation, investment and further
strengthen the existing economic relations.
Enhance bilateral trade
Meanwhile, the second session of
the IGC concluded with a resolve to enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan
and Bulgaria.
Secretary Economic Affairs Division
(EAD) Noor Ahmed and the Bulgarian deputy minister of economy led their
respective delegations.
According to an official
announcement, the IGC discussion focused on enhancing trade, economic
cooperation in ICT, agriculture, livestock, tourism, culture, maritime and
railways sectors.
The two sides agreed to work
together for promotion of bilateral trade and investment.
The Bulgarian side agreed to
facilitate the export of Pakistani citrus fruit, mango, rice, raw cotton,
dates, fruits and marble to Bulgaria and other East European countries, while
Pakistan said it would facilitate export of Bulgarian products in the country.
Both sides also agreed to encourage
their businessmen for participation in trade fairs and exhibitions and to work
for establishment of joint ventures in automotive, engineering and food
processing.
Secretary EAD in his concluding
remarks said the two countries will continue to strengthen economic and trade
relations in future for mutual benefit of two countries.
Mrs Ivanova assured that Bulgaria
will enhance cooperation with Pakistan in the identified areas.
Representatives of various
ministries and organisations also participated in the event.
During her stay in Pakistan, Mrs
Ivanova called on the Minister of National Food Security and Research Sahibzada
Mehboob Sultan and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Textile and
Investment Abdul Razak Dawood.
Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2019
Pakistan signs treaty with Bulgaria to boost trade in technology
and other sectors
By on May 22, 2019
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Pakistan and
Bulgaria have signed an agreement to get rid of double taxation and collaborate
with each other to prevent tax evasion. The agreement was signed as an addition
of the Second Session of Pakistan-Bulgaria Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC),
which ended on Tuesday.
The treaty will promote economic cooperation,
investment and strengthen the economic relations between the two countries. It
will also provide safeguards against double taxation of income of Pakistani and
Bulgarian citizens. Moreover, both countries agreed to collaborate and work
together to promote bilateral trade and investment. They agreed to enhance
economic cooperation in information and communication technology (ICT),
tourism, culture, livestock, maritime and railway sectors.
The Director-General Muhammad
Ashfaq Ahmad of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Deputy Minister of
Economy Republic of Bulgaria Liliya Ivanova signed the treaty between the two
nations on behalf of their respective governments.
The director FBR in a statement
said, “Both the countries will continue to strengthen economic and
trade relations in future for the mutual benefit of two countries”.
Through this treaty, the tax submitted
by Hong Kong companies in Pakistan would be allowed as a credit against the tax
payable in Hong Kong on the same profits, which is subject to the conditions of
tax regulations of Hong Kong. Similarly, the tax paid by Pakistani companies in
Hong Kong would be allowed as a deduction from the tax payable on the same
amount in Pakistan.
Both sides also agreed to
encourage the companies and businessman in their countries to participate in
trade fairs and exhibitions and make efforts for the establishment of joint
programs in engineering, automotive and food processing. The countries will
also facilitate the export of products between them. Bulgaria will facilitate
the export of Pakistani citrus fruit, mango, rice, raw cotton, dates, fruits,
and marble to Bulgaria, while Pakistan would also export Bulgarian products and
components in the country.
PU gets hybrid rice seed
LAHORE: A team of China’s Wuhan University on Tuesday handed over
hybrid rice seed to Punjab University (PU) for hybrid rice breeding in
Pakistan, which would bring revolution in agriculture sector.
Prof Niaz Ahmad said Punjab University would play its role for
betterment of society as well country. He said PU was promoting such research
projects which would leave positive impact on society and country.
Later, the Chinese delegation visited the labs and experimental
area of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences for hybrid rice production.
Riceland Foods elects Jennifer James to board
by Talk
Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net) May
20, 2019 7:33 pm
The
farmer members of Arkansas-based Riceland Foods, Inc. have elected Jennifer
James to the board of directors for the North Central Arkansas District of the
world’s largest miller and marketer of rice.
James,
a fourth-generation rice, soybean and corn farmer from Newport, Ark., is a
regional leader in the field of agriculture and sustainability. Her district
includes Newport, Tuckerman, Hickory Ridge, Weiner, Fair Oaks and Waldenburg.
She takes over the seat held for the last 35 years by Joe Rennicke of Weiner,
Ark.
Rennicke’s
tenure on the board included many key developments for Riceland Foods,
including the 1980s consolidation with individual grain dryers that united
Riceland as an organization, as well as the creation of Riceland’s Research and
Technical Center to develop new products like rice flour, instant rice and
forecasts on future consumer trends.
“No
one in the world produces higher quality rice as responsibly and sustainably as
our farmers here in Arkansas and Missouri,” said James, who becomes the first
woman to serve on Riceland Foods’ board of directors, the cooperative’s
governing body. “As we adjust to shifting market demands and compete more
directly on global trade, we need to maintain that commitment to quality and
the responsible use of natural resources, including water conservation.”
James,
part owner of the H&J Land Company, was recognized as the 2017 Farmer of
the Year by Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture for
efforts on her farm and sustainability leadership in the industry.
Riceland
Food’s board of directors formulate the policies that guide the operations of
the cooperative, responsible for storing, processing, transporting and
marketing more than 2.5 million metric tons of grain each year. Riceland
products are sold across the U.S. and exported to more than 75 foreign
destinations.
“The
world’s growing population needs productive, sustainable farms and the
commitment of dedicated farmers like the 5,500 members of our cooperative,”
said Riceland Foods CEO Danny Kennedy. “We’re thankful for the decades of
leadership and hard work Joe put in during his time on the board to ensure our
farmers get an equal opportunity to compete and prepare for tomorrow’s shifting
marketplace. We now look forward to Jennifer’s leadership as we face that
future together and make sure our farmers can continue to thrive while also
being good stewards of our land.”
James
graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s of science in
agricultural business. She currently serves as chairman of the USA Rice
Sustainability Committee, vice chairman of the Arkansas Rice Farmers Board and
is a member of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Board Agribusiness Industry
Council, as well as the Arkansas Agricultural Board.
PhilMech launches RCEF backed rice modernization
May 21, 2019 | 10:18 pm
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PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARVCAS
THE Philippine Center for
Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) said it formally launched
a rice industry mechanization program backed by the Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
“With the formal launch of the
projects and programs under RCEF, we at PHilMech welcome the opportunity to
spearhead the modernization of the country’s rice industry through
mechanization,” Dr. Baldwin G. Jallorina, director IV of PHilMech was quoted as
saying in a statement on Tuesday.
“PHilMech also welcomes its
collaboration with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice),
Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA), the Land Bank of the Philippines and the
Development Bank of the Philippines in undertaking the different major
components under RCEF,” he added.
The government is required to
support the modernization of the rice industry through tariffs collected from
more liberal imports of foreign rice, which go into RCEF. The support will come
in the form of mechanization, rice planting know-how, seed and financing.
PhilRice will be providing
high-yielding inbred rice seed to farmers. ATI and TESDA will be conducting
training for farmers and extension workers with the assistance of PHilMech
which will provide training modules.
Land Bank of the Philippines and
the Development Bank of the Philippines will take on the credit component of
the RCEF.
PHilMech expects to decrease the
cost of producing palay in the country by P2-P3 per kilo.
“Based on studies by the
Department of Agriculture, the cost of producing one kilo of palay (unmilled
rice) in the Philippines is P12.72 per kilo while it is P6.22 in Vietnam and
P8.86 in Thailand,” PHilMech said in the statement.
“PHilMech believes with the
successful implementation of the different components under RCEF, the cost of
producing palay in the Philippines can be reduced by P2 to P3 per kilo,” it
added. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang
STEM program returns to Stuttgart
The STEM program, sponsored by the Museum of Discovery, was
created to encourage girls to pursue (STEM) related careers.STEM Careers are
careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medicine
The Museum of Discovery has
coordinated STEM activities since 2013.
Last year the program expanded to
Stuttgart and will be returning this year, June 17-21. This free week-long
program is for 6th - 9th-grade girls who will engage in stimulating activities
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The girls will be able to connect
with women in STEM fields and interact with hands-on STEM activities.
PCCUA- Stuttgart will host the
camp.
“We are thrilled to bring the
potentially life-changing ‘Girls in STEM’ program to Blytheville and Stuttgart
for the first time and back to Jonesboro,” said program coordinator Shannon
Jones in 2018 when the program first launched in Stuttgart.
“These areas are agricultural
hubs with many STEM career opportunities, and we want this program to expose
young women to those careers as well the many others across the state and
country.
For instance, the young ladies in
Stuttgart will spend one day at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center
side by side with female biologists doing field research and the next day
learning coding and the next engineering.”
To learn more about the program or to sign up contact Shannon
Jones at sjones@museumofdiscovery.org.
‘Crop residue burning major cause of smog’
LAHORE: With an aim to establish a consensus between the relevant
public and private sector on the roles, responsibilities and actions that need
to be taken to discourage crop residue burning and by extension smog,
WWF-Pakistan organised a seminar on crop residue burning and the issue of smog
at a hotel here Tuesday.
The seminar was attended by corporate partners, journalists,
academia, industry practitioners and the farming community from across
Pakistan.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan, welcoming the
participants said, “Lahore is among the 10 most polluted cities in the world in
terms of air quality, according to air quality monitor AirVisual. Air pollution
caused by traffic, industries, crop burning and burning of solid waste is major
contributor to smog. Urban air pollution in Pakistan is among the world’s most
severe, significantly damaging human health, quality of life, and impacting the
economy and environment.” Punjab Environment Protection Department Director
General Tanvir Jabar said brick kilns, industries, agriculture and
transportation sector, including the role of agriculture/crop residue burning
create smog.
Rafay Alam, Pakistan’s leading environmental lawyer stated that it
is the need of the hour to control crop burning. This can be achieved by
introducing long-term and multi-sectoral solutions that must outlive the
political cycle. He discussed the need of an air quality vision that unites
policymakers. He stated “Punjab region in general is extremely prone to the
hazards of smog. While the transportation and energy sector qualify as the
leading contributors to smog, crop residue burning also contributes to this
cause.” Dr Ehsan Ali, Director Punjab Bio Energy Institute, presented a feasibility
analysis of the alternative use of crop residue, such as rice husk, in the
production of energy. According to him, bio-energy is of utmost importance for
the environment as it is a step towards materialising the intended nationally
determined contribution (INDC) that Pakistan has submitted in accordance with
the Paris agreement. Yasir Idrees, Operation Manager, Punjab Bio Energy
Company, discussed the prospects of developing a sustainable supply chain of
crop residue. Ali Raza, a food technologist, also spoke about the plausible
value addition initiatives that can be taken for rice residue. Dr Masood
Arshad, Director Water, Climate and Energy, WWF-Pakistan, concluded the event
and thanked speakers and participants in developing concrete steps for future
actions to control crop residue burning and smog.
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