PH rice scientist Gregorio is new Searca director
Los
Baños, Laguna―A rice scientist has been appointed as new director of the
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.
Glenn
B. Gregorio, PhD, who assumed office this month is the eleventh to hold the top
SEARCA post for a three-year term since its establishment in November 1966 by
the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
SEARCA
is an inter-government treaty organization hosted by the Philippine government
on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
Gregorio
is also an Academician at the National Academy of Science and Technology of the
Philippines and is currently a professor at the Institute of Crop Science of
the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science.
A
distinguished rice scientist, Gregorio served the International Rice Research
Institute for almost 30 years, including a five-year stint as International
Rice Research Institute’s rice breeder in Africa, based at Africa Rice Centre
station at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria from
2004 to 2009.
Throughout
his career, Gregorio has bred more than 15 rice varieties, most of which are
salt-tolerant varieties that have greatly helped farmers in Bangladesh, India,
Nigeria, and the Philippines.
He
also led efforts to develop micronutrient-dense rice varieties to address
anemia and malnutrition in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
But
rice breeding is not Gregorio’s only forte. Prior to his appointment as Searca
Director, he also served as Crop Breeding Manager for Corn at the East-West
Seed Company, Inc. from 2015 to 2018, where he was the global lead of the sweet
corn and waxy corn breeding programs for South and Southeast Asia, the Latin
Americas, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Gregorio
has been the recipient of numerous awards, including Outstanding Young Scientist
Award (OYS 2004) and Outstanding Publication Award given by NAST; The
Outstanding Young Men (TOYM 2004) in the field of Agriculture-Plant Breeding
and Genetics;
The
Ho Chi Minh Medal Award for great contribution to the cause of agriculture and
rural development in Vietnam; Ten Outstanding Youth Scientists (TOYS 1981) of
the Philippines given by the Department of Science and Technology of the
Philippines;
Honorary
Scientist, Rural Development Administration, Korea; and other awards for his
outstanding research and research management achievements.
Gregorio
has authored and co-authored at least 90 articles published in various
scientific journals, chapters on rice breeding in 14 books, and five scientific
manuals and bulletins.
He
also mentored and supervised 20 PhD and 27 MS graduate students and more than
40 BS students in plant breeding and genetics at UPLB and other universities in
Asia, Africa, Europe and North America; and he continues to hone scientists and
future scientists as a mentor and teacher.
Gregorio
obtained his PhD in Genetics, MS in Plant Breeding, and BS in Agriculture at
UPLB.
Indo-Pak border
trade continues despite simmering tensions
May 28, 2019
Exports to Kabul dip 25pc. — AP/File
KARACHI: Despite tensions following
the Pulwama incident and downing of an Indian Air Force jet, the border trade
between the two arch rivals did not see much change and witnessed a six per
cent decline during the first 10 months of this fiscal year.
However, Pakistan’s exports to
Afghanistan plunged by 25pc, damaging the country’s potential for higher
exports across the Durand Line.
According to the latest report of
State Bank, the trade volume of the two countries (Pakistan and India) was
$1,699 million during July-April FY19 compared to $1,820m in the same period in
last fiscal year, showing a decline of 6.6pc.
However, trade remained in favour
of India as its exports to Pakistan were much bigger than imports. Pakistan’s
exports to India declined by $39m to $298m and imports by $82m to $1,401m
during the 10 months period.
Exports to Kabul dip 25pc
Meanwhile, China has emerged as
Pakistan’s biggest trading partner in the last five years. During the 10
months, exports to China slightly increased but imports were drastically
reduced by $989m or 10.6pc to $8.301 billion. Exports increased by $23m to
$1.476bn in 10 months of this fiscal. China has increased market access for
Pakistani products but the country lacks exportable products. Only agriculture
products like rice saw an increase in exports.
The biggest loss was noted in trade
with Afghanistan as Pakistan’s export to the country fell by 25pc in the first
10 months of this fiscal year.
Losing access to the Afghan market
could cost heavily to Pakistan in future. Afghanistan opened up its market to
India and China which means Pakistani exports are likely to see further
decline. Imports from Afghanistan witnessed an increase and rose to $149m this
fiscal year compared to $118m in the previous fiscal year.
Exports to Bangladesh slightly
increased from $43m to $632m during the current fiscal while imports from the
country declined to $49m against $58m in the same period of last fiscal.
Poorest trade relation was
witnessed with Iran as trade remained limited to just $4.2m. Imports from the
country stood at zero. Iran has been facing sanctions from the United States
and other countries, hence hindering Pakistan’s economic relations with the
neighbouring country.
‘India’s economy needs stimulus’
Meanwhile, India’s slowing economic
growth is of serious concern and the country needs to urgently cut tax and
interest rates to revive the economy, a top industrial body said on Monday in
New Delhi ahead of the inauguration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second
term.
The economy grew 6.6 per cent in
the three months to December — the slowest pace in five quarters — and the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) said the
bigger worry was that domestic consumption was not growing fast enough to
offset a weakening global economic environment.
“The recent signs of slowdown in
the economy stem not only from slow growth in investments and subdued exports
but also from weakening growth in consumption demand,” FICCI said in a
statement suggesting various measures the government could adopt in the next
budget expected in a month.
“This is a matter of serious
concern and if not addressed urgently, the repercussions would be long term.”
Modi – who won a thumping majority in the general election despite the
agricultural sector’s economic woes, a shortage of jobs and the stuttering
economy – takes oath of office on Thursday and will need a finance minister who
can help navigate through the challenges facing the economy.
Some of the issues are slowing
industrial output and manufacturing growth, slumping car and two-wheeler sales,
and a drop in airline passenger traffic.
FICCI said the new government
should cut corporate and individual taxes, expand a programme of handing 6,000
rupees ($86) a year to poor farmers to boost consumption demand and consider
tax concessions for export-oriented manufacturers.
The Confederation of Indian
Industry, another industry body, said it was crucial to reduce the income tax
burden and expand the scope of investment allowance to all sectors, while
higher incentives should be given to exporters.
The FICCI also called for an
interest rate cut from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as real interest rates
have remained high for a long time with commercial banks reluctant to pass on
the benefits of recent cuts.
When Modi took power for the first
time in 2014, global oil prices slumped. But as he gets set for a second term,
rising oil prices could push the current account deficit higher.
The body also said the trade war
between the United States and China could further slow down global trade and
hurt India’s already sluggish exports.
“Amidst rising uncertainties and
economic challenges on both the domestic and global front, there is an urgent
need to re-energise the engines of growth and pump prime the economy,” FICCI
said.
“The upcoming budget...is an
opportunity for the government to boost consumption and investments through
appropriate fiscal stimulus and policies.” Government bureaucrats have started
consultations with industry bodies, such as the FICCI, before the
budget.—Reuters
Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2019
Paddy Rice To Be Sown Over 46.48 Lakh Acres In Punjab
SIALKOT,
(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 28th May, 2019 ) -:The agriculture department on Tuesday said that over
46.48 lakh acres of land would be brought under paddy crop in various rice
growing areas of the Punjab during Kharif crop season.
Sources
in Agriculture department
told APP that in Sialkot district, 3.17 lakh acres land would be
brought under paddy crop whereas over 16.18 lakh acres would be sown in Gujranwala district.
He
said the department chalked out a well-knitted training programme to create
awareness among the growers about the use of recommended seed and proper use of
fertilizer to attain the fixed target in Punjab.
In
this regard,the department deputed special training teams which were visiting
various villages for providing proper guidance and assistance about the use of
inputs, nursery sowing and transfer of plants into fields to the rice growers
in the Punjab.
The
local agriculture department
initiated farmers training programme in 1,442 villages of Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Sambrial tehsils of Sialkotdistrict.
Special
training teams were busy in imparting training to the rice growers for
enhancing per acre yield, sowing of paddy nurseries, utilization of
irrigation water, pesticides
and fertilizer as well as about the different verities of paddy in Sialkot district, the sources added.
Some
progressive farmers were adopting modern technology for raising rice nursery by automatic
machine in plastic trays at local agriculturefarm and ready for transplanting by
"Rice Trans Planter" in Bajwat area of Sialkot.
It may be added that farmers community was reluctant
and showing unwillingness to cultivate paddy crop in different areas of Sialkot district. The decline in paddy cultivation
was the result of middle mans role and fast climatic changing conditions. However, Agriculture department was making adequate efforts
to motivate the growers that they should bring their land under paddy crop
in Sialkot.
Save the rice
·
Published
at 03:39 pm May 27th, 2019
Courtesy:Reducing
greenhouse emissions in Agriculture
About 62 percent of farmers use only
groundwater while 11.3 percent use surface water for irrigation; the rest do
not depend on irrigation but rely on rainwater (Ahmed et al., 2013). Dependence
on irrigation pump surges during the dry season which stresses the national
grid and increases dependence on diesel-powered pumps (Ahmed et al., 2013).
Arsenic is another problem associated with
rice production. Due to the presence of Arsenic in groundwater, the use of
groundwater in irrigation results in Arsenic exposure on consumption. According
to 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report globally, 13.5
percent of anthropogenic Green House Gas (GHG) emission comes from Agriculture,
of which rice cultivation results in significant GHG emission, especially
methane. It has been estimated that flooded rice systems (comprised of
irrigated, rainfed and deep-water rice) accounts for 11 percent for all the
anthropogenic greenhouse gases (Smith, 2012).
The technique of Alternate Wetting and Drying
(AWD) can significantly decrease the stressors as mentioned above of rice
cultivation, especially the dependence on irrigation and arsenic contamination
to the existing farming practices in Bangladesh.
AWD is a management practice used to irrigate
lowland rice; this is a practice of periodic drying and re-flooding of the rice
field. Some of the benefits of AWD have been identified to reduce water use by
30 percent and GHG emissions by 50 percent while maintaining rice yields.
The use of AWD technique first began in China
and India in the 1980s and 1990s respectively (Mushtaq, Dawe, Lin, & Moya,
2006), but it was in 2002 when the Philippines first evaluated it as a water‐saving practice. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI)
had its first trial of AWD in Bangladesh in 2005 (Lampayan, Rejesus, et al.,
2015). Even though evidence from AWD trials and demonstrations in Bangladesh
has shown significant benefits for the farmers, but unlike farmers in China and
the Philippines, Farmers in Bangladesh have been least interested in adopting
this technology.
However recently under the project, Mitigation
Options to Reduce Methane Emissions in Paddy Rice International Rice
Research Institute IRRI and its implementing partners BRRI and Rangpur Dinajpur
Rural Service (RDRS) has made some significant changes in reintroducing AWD in
Northwest Bangladesh. A recent workshop titled, “Large Scale Implementation of
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) Technology in Bangladesh” held on 4th May
2019, highlighted how AWD is being promoted in Rangpur and Dinajpur through the
Focal Area Network (FAN).
FAN is a rice-based multi-sectored network in
Northwest Bangladesh, and this network comprises of farmers, organizations,
academia, NGO’s and government agencies. Due to multi-stakeholder
collaboration, out-scaling the AWD to thousands of farmers has been made
possible this time around. Moreover, this project focuses on the collaboration
of farmers and pump owners where both parties work together to map out
irrigation strategies.
The impact study presented at the workshop
highlighted that when combined with climate-smart agriculture options, namely
nutrient management, sustainable residue management, benefits from the AWD
technique can be maximized. A majority of the farmers under the project had
experienced an increase in the yield.
Farmers also claimed that their urea use had
decreased by 25 percent. Apart from water saving from AWD technology, arsenic
uptake by rice plants are also decreased by reducing the length of time the
rice is growing anaerobically, and this may lower arsenic contamination in
rice.
Article 8 of the revised Bangladesh National
Agriculture Policy states the importance to promote AWD technology in
agriculture, Bangladesh being a Signatory of Paris Climate Agreement, is
committed to curbing its GHG emissions. As rice production is a significant
contributor to Bangladesh's carbon emissions, AWD presents an opportunity to
help address our emission targets.
Moreover, this is not only a climate-smart but
also a water-smart technology, with more benefits than losses, and tried method
of multi-stakeholder collaboration learned from the IRRI project AWD seems like
a win/win situation for us.
Rukhsar Sultana
is an Intern at ICCCAD and has an MA in Environmental Studies with a background
on wastewater management and plastic pollution.
Ministry encourages planting of
Japonica rice
The Ministry of Agriculture is
encouraging companies and farmers to begin planting Japonica rice after a
series of tests show it can be grown successfully in the Kingdom.
Minister of Agriculture Veng
Sakhon last week said that tests on Japonica rice have ended, yielding
encouraging results. Those tests were being conducted in Kampong Thom province,
and show that yields of Japonica are nearly twice as big as those of other
varieties grown in the Kingdom.
A hectare of land planted with
Japonica can produce 6.5 tonnes of rice, Mr Sakhon said in a post on the
ministry’s Facebook page. On average, a hectare in Cambodia yields 3.5 tonnes
of rice.
. .
During a visit to rice fields in
Kampong Thom over the weekend, Mr Sakhon asked agriculture officials to promote
the rice variety to farmers, arguing that this will help boost rice exports.
Huang Ming An, a researcher on
Japonica rice at laboratory Jiangsu Long An Agriculture, told Khmer Times that
the lab is now planting the grain on eight hectares in Kampong Thom province as
part of a pilot programme.
Jiangsu Long An Agriculture, who
is now negotiating contract farming agreements with local agricultural
communities, plans to eventually expand Japonica fields to 300 hectares in the
province, according to Mr Huang.
Tests on Japonica and its
adaptability to the Cambodian soil have been conducted in some provinces in
Cambodia since 2017 after the ministry signed an agreement in January with two
Chinese laboratories, Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Centre and Jiangsu Long An
Agriculture, to study the grain jointly.
The Japonica variety will be
exported mainly to China, currently the biggest market for Cambodian milled
rice, according to Mr Sakhon.
. .
Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice,
said Japonica has great potential but that Cambodia is still not ready to plant
it for commercial purposes.
“After many tests, we have
concluded that Japonica rice can grow well in Cambodia with very high yields,”
he said.
“However, the variety needs a lot
of water, so we must now study how to reduce the amount of water required,”
said Mr Saran, whose firm has also conducted tests on the variety.
According to Mr Saran, Japonica
rice can sell well in South Korea, Turkey and some countries in the European
Union.
“Currently, growing Japonica rice
is still in the pilot stage. We need at least three to four years to understand
the crop better and enter the commercial stage,” Mr Saran said.
Last year, Cambodia exported
626,225 tonnes of rice, a drop of 1.5 percent compared to 2017.
Local firms exported mainly three
types of rice: fragrant rice (493,597 tonnes shipped, or 78.8 percent of total
rice exports), long-grain white rice (105,990 tonnes, or 16.9 percent), and
long-grain parboiled rice (26,638 tonnes, or 4.2 percent).
The largest market for Cambodian
rice continues to be the EU, which imported almost 270,000 tonnes, equivalent
to 42.9 percent of total exports.
By individual country, the
largest buyer was China (170,000 tonnes), followed by France (90,000 tonnes),
Malaysia (40,000 tonnes), Gabon (30,000 tonnes), and the Netherlands (26,000
tonnes).
₱1 trillion in public works needed to hit GDP goal
May 27, 2019 | 10:21 pm
THE government needs to spend P1
trillion on infrastructure if it is to meet a growth target of 6% in 2019,
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said, as he detailed “catch-up”
measures to facilitate spending delayed by the stalled 2019 budget.
In a hearing, Mr. Dominguez told the
Senate finance committee, “To enable us to hit a GDP growth rate above 6% this
year, national government needs to ramp up its spending. In 2019, national
government disbursements are targeted to reach P3.774 trillion, equivalent to
19.6% of GDP. This is 10.7% higher than the actual disbursement in 2018.
Meanwhile, total infrastructure disbursements would have to reach P1 trillion,
equivalent to 5.2% of GDP, with the national government accounting for 808.7
billion pesos of targeted infrastructure spending.”
According to his remarks to the
committee, contained in a joint opening statement he delivered also on behalf
of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of
Budget and Management (DBM), the budget delay led to a “missed opportunity” to
create as many as 260,000-320,000 jobs and “derailed poverty reduction efforts,
where as many as 420,000 more Filipinos could have been taken out of poverty.”
It also cost the education department 4,110 new classrooms and delayed repairs to
18,575 more.
Mr. Dominguez added that an
on-time budget would have added at least a percentage point to first quarter
GDP growth, to about 6.6%, and possibly as high as 7.2%.
Speaking to reporters following
the hearing, Mr. Dominguez added that he would like to lay the groundwork for
more agriculture growth through increased funding for research and amendments
to the Local Government Code.
“We need a program. Obviously,
doing things the way it was done before is not going to work, so we need a new
program to see what can be done to achieve at least 2% per annum growth (in
agriculture),” Mr. Dominguez told reporters.
Mr. Dominguez said he plans to
meet Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol Tuesday to discuss the Department
of Agriculture’s catch-up plan.
“We are meeting tomorrow with
Secretary Piñol; unfortunately, they were not able to present anything in the
last two meetings,” Mr. Dominguez, a former Agriculture Secretary, said.
“We’ll meet tomorrow to review,
to listen to what their plan is to bring about growth of at least 2% per annum
in agriculture,” he said.
When asked how he would address
concerns in the agricultural sector, Mr. Dominguez said he would increase
funding in agricultural research.
“I certainly would make up for
the backlog in agricultural research because knowledge is what drives growth,”
he said.
“I’m talking about the Bureau of
Agricultural Research, the research done by Agri schools in the country,
PhilRice (Philippine Rice Research Institute), etc.”
In addition, Mr. Dominguez said
the DA should ensure effective implementation of its programs for farmers.
“I think that’s one, you increase
the fund of knowledge, you make the environment for agriculture, make the
conditions for farmers easier, you make sure they have sufficient water, access
to roads, access to fertilizer,” he said.
“And you have to implement it and
implement it in an effective way.”
He raised the need to review and
amend the Local Government Code of 1991 or Republic Act 7160. “Lastly, I would
really ask for the legislature to review the devolution of agricultural
extension workers, because they‘ve been devolved to the local governments and
quite frankly many time the local governments do not utilize them properly.”
— Charmaine A. Tadalan
China’s
Import Tariff Quotas for Agricultural Products, 2019-2023 Outlook - Agricultural
Imports in Quota are Subject to Low Tariff Rates, while Those Out of Quota are
Subject to High Tariff Rates - ResearchAndMarkets.com
May
27, 2019
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27,
2019--
The “Research Report on China’s Import Tariff Quotas for
Agricultural Products, 2019-2023” report has been added to
ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
The Interim Measures for
Administration of Import Tariff Quotas for Agricultural Products (hereinafter
referred to as the Interim Measures) was a government document formulated by
China’s National Development and Reform Commission and put into force on Feb.
5, 2002. The Interim Measures determines the annual import tariff quotas for
agricultural products according to China’s schedule of concessions on goods in
the accession to the WTO.
According to this analysis, by
May 2019, the Interim Measures applies to agricultural products including
wheat, corn, rice, sugar, cotton, wool and wool top. The import tariff quotas
for wheat, corn, rice, sugar, and cotton are classified into the quotas to
state trading enterprises and the quotas to non-state trading enterprises to give
priority to state-owned enterprises. The import of wool and wool top is
exclusive to designated companies.
It is believed that China’s
tariff rate quota administration for agricultural products has both advantages
and disadvantages. On one hand, it protects the domestic agricultural product
market from the impact of large quantities of low-price agricultural imports.
Low in-quota tariff rates ensure low-cost raw materials to the agricultural
product processing enterprises in China.
On the other hand, the tariff
rate quota administration triggers international trade disputes. For example,
in Dec. 2016, the United States filed a lawsuit with the WTO against China’s
administration of the import tariff quotas for wheat, rice, and corn. In Apr.
2019, the United States won WTO ruling against China’s use of tariff-rate
quotas for rice, wheat, and corn, which it successfully argued limited market
access for U.S. grain exports.
Besides, some applicants to the
import tariff quotas are not agricultural product processing enterprises but
trade companies. They resell agricultural products in quota to agricultural
product processing enterprises with price markups. Consequently, agricultural
product processing enterprises have to pay more for agricultural imports.
According to the author, the
annual import tariff quotas for some agricultural products cannot be used up.
For example, in 2018, China’s corn imports totaled 3.52 million tons,
accounting for only 48.9% of the quota quantity of 7.2 million tons; the wheat
imports totaled about 3.1 million tons, accounting for only 32.2% of the quota
quantity of 9,636,000 tons.
Such surpluses are caused by
strict eligibility criteria. Many downstream enterprises (such as feed
processing enterprises and food processing enterprises) that fail to obtain the
import tariff quotas purchase raw materials from other sources or even purchase
agricultural products smuggled into China.
It is expected that the import
tariff quotas for agricultural products will go out of date as China’s foreign
trade develops and China’s economy becomes more global. However, most of these
quotas will continue to exist from 2019 to 2023 because the Chinese government
needs to protect the domestic agricultural product market and some state-owned
enterprises can make profits from reselling tariff quotas.
Topics Covered
- Introduction
to China’s import tariff quotas for agricultural products
- Analysis
of advantages and disadvantages of China’s import tariff quotas for
agricultural products
- China’s
import of agricultural products subject to tariff rate quota
administration
- Major
enterprises granted with China’s import tariff quotas for agricultural
products
- Forecast
on development of China’s import tariff quotas for agricultural products
For more information about this report
visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/o68lrw
View source version on
businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190527005185/en/
CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com
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Related
Topics:Agriculture,International Trade
KEYWORD: ASIA PACIFIC CHINA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: NATURAL
RESOURCES AGRICULTURE
SOURCE: Research and Markets
Copyright Business Wire 2019.
PUB: 05/27/2019 10:15 AM/DISC:
05/27/2019 10:15 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190527005185/en
GIEWS Country Brief: Nigeria 27-May-2019
REPORT
Published on 27 May 2019
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
1.
Normal
progress of 2019 cropping season due to favourable weather conditions
2.
Above-average
cereal harvest gathered in 2018
3.
Slightly
below-average import requirements forecast
4.
Higher
food prices in northeast due to persisting conflict
5.
Moderate
economic growth and increasing food price inflation
6.
Assistance
needs will remain high in 2019
Normal
progress of 2019 cropping season due to favourable weather conditions
Pastures and availability of
water for livestock have improved in May compared to previous months in the
main grazing areas of the country. The animal health situation is overall
stable. It is noteworthy, however, that there was an outbreak of Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Plateau and Bauchi states between January
and April 2019, which has been contained with the support of FAO-Nigeria. The
conflict in the northeast and armed banditry in Zamfara and Katsina states
continue to limit the access to normal grazing land for pastoralists.
Above-average
cereal harvest gathered in 2018
The 2018 agricultural season was
characterized by favourable rainfall and support of inputs from the Government
and NGOs across the country. Field reports also indicate an increase in farming
activities in the northeast due to improved security conditions and some
engagement of some investors back to farming in relation to the economic
recession experienced between 2015 and 2016. Despite the incidence of pests
(including Fall Armyworm), the country’s aggregate cereal output in 2018 is
estimated at about 28 million tonnes, about 12 percent above the five-year
average. The 2018 harvest included 11 million tonnes of maize (7 percent above
average), 8 million tonnes of rice (24 percent above average) and 6 million
tonnes of sorghum (equivalent to the average).
Slightly
below-average import requirements forecast
Domestic demand for imported rice
remains strong despite trade restrictions introduced in 2015 by the Government.
The country is the largest rice producer and importer in Africa, importing on
average about 2.6 million tonnes per year. Wheat imports account for 5.4
million tonnes per year. Owing the above-average 2018 production, cereal import
requirements for the 2018/19 (November/October) marketing year are set at 7.1
million tonnes, slightly below the average.
High levels of
food prices in northeast
Market supplies and household
food stocks are seasonally declining in most areas. Institutional purchases by
the food industry and poultry farmers in major local markets as well as cross
border purchases, mainly from Niger, are underway. Prices of coarse grains
generally strengthened in April in line with seasonal trends. However, prices
were well below the high levels of one and two years earlier reflecting the
good level of market availabilities from the 2018 harvests. In the northeast of
the country, food prices were relatively higher due to the negative impact of
the Boko Haram conflict on market and livelihood activities.
Moderate
economic growth projected, food price inflation increasing
According to the National Bureau
of Statistics, the economy is forecast to grow by about 2 percent
(year-on-year) in the first quarter of 2019, similar to the first quarter of
2018. Growth is supported by agriculture, transportation, storage, trade,
construction of industrial investments and services, including communications.
The year-on-year food inflation rate slightly increased to 13.70 percent in
April 2019, higher than the 13.45 percent recorded in March of the same year as
result of the increase in domestic food prices.
The Central Bank of Nigeria
continues to provide direct intervention into the foreign exchange market in
order to stabilize the Naira, the national currency. However, the Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) forecasts the exchange rate to drop from NGN 306.5 per
USD 1 in 2018 to NGN 319.5 per USD 1 in 2019 due to lower oil prices, looser
monetary policy and high inflation.
Despite some
improvements in security, over 2 million people remain food insecure
As of April 2019, the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) identified over 1.9 million people
that have been displaced, of which 92 percent by the insurgency in northeastern
states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. Heightened tensions in recent months have
triggered further displacements, with new arrivals mainly in northern and
eastcentral Borno State, Geidam and Gujba (Yobe) as well as Madagali (Adamawa).
Furthermore, the farmer/pastoralist conflict in the northcentral states
continues to disrupt markets and main livelihood activities, causing population
displacement in Kaduna, Nasarawa and Niger states. Most of the displaced
households are heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance. Another dimension
to the threat to food security is the armed banditry and cattle rustling
ravaging northwestern states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto. Rural farmers
in these states are unable to cultivate their land essentially because of the
threat of kidnapping and banditry attacks. Households have been displaced due
to destruction of their houses and food stocks.
According to the March 2019
‘’Cadre Harmonisé’’ analysis, about 2.05 million people were estimated to be in
need of food assistance from March to May 2019, with a significant decrease
from the 3.71 million food insecure people in March-May 2018. The reduced
caseload is largely due to the improved security conditions compared to last
year. This number is expected to increase to 4.95 million people during the
June to August 2019, if no mitigation actions are taken.
Indonesian village being inundated with illegal
plastic waste from Australia
Hidden among piles of rubbish in
a tiny Indonesian village, everyday Aussie products have been discovered. Now
locals have had enough.
In a tiny Indonesian village called Bangun, a photographer has
made a worrying discovery among the grim mountains of rubbish that pile up there.
Among the piles of waste, Graham Crouch saw items that everyday
Australians would recognise in a heartbeat — the bright packaging of Coles and
Woolworths products, standing out like sore thumbs.
His incredible pictures from the village in East Java show a
flattened Woolies full cream milk carton and a discarded yellow Coles basmati
rice packet, both thousands of kilometres from Australia and concealed among
recyclable paper scraps.
The plastics are used to fuel
fires at local tofu factories among other industries. Picture: Graham
Crouch/The AustralianSource:News Corp Australia
Local media reports
that many of the villagers in Bangun make their living by sorting through
tonnes of waste, which is funnelled into the community from around the world —
from China, to the US and, evidently, Australia.
Much of it is supposed to be recyclable like paper scraps, but in
reality there’s thousands of tonnes of illegal scrap plastic buried among it.
Most of us probably wouldn’t imagine that when we chuck our
rubbish in the bin, it would end up here but, very soon, Australia could be in
for a brutal reality check.
That’s because South-East Asian nations such as the Philippines,
Indonesia and Vietnam are beginning to push back against being the world’s
dumping ground.
The region has been swamped with plastic since the beginning of
last year, when the Chinese government banned the import of waste from
overseas. India followed suit in March.
Now, it appears the countries that picked up the burden have had
enough.
Indonesia wants a total plastic
import ban by 2022. Picture: Graham Crouch/The AustralianSource:News Corp Australia
In Indonesia — where Australia’s plastic are ending up — is
vowing to crack down on the practice after an environmental audit found 30 per
cent of material shipped into East Java as paper scraps was actually illegal
scrap plastic.
Last week, environmentalists yelled slogans outside Australia’s
consulate in the East Java capital of Surabaya with banners reading, “Indonesia
is not (your) recycling bin” — in a protest called “Take Your Sh*t Back From
Indonesia”.
They demanded that the Australian Government introduce stricter
regulations on waste exports.
The pushback is spreading to other nations such as Thailand,
Malaysia and Vietnam — which have all introduced laws to prevent contaminated
foreign waste coming into their ports.
In Malaysia, a report last month showed that waste from around
the world — falsely declared as other imports — was pouring into the country
illegally.
It prompted environment minister, Yeo Bee Bin, to declare that
enough was enough.
“Malaysia will not be the dumping ground of the world,” she
said. We will send back (the waste) to the original countries.”
Soon Australia could be forced to
deal with its own rubbish problems.Source:News Corp Australia
More than 150 illegal plastic waste sorting factories in
Malaysia have already been shut down and it’s understood that several
containers will soon be put on ships and sent, embarrassingly, back to
Australia in the coming weeks.
The crackdown across several southeast Asian countries could
pose a major headache for Australia, which exported 46 per cent more waste
plastic in February than the monthly average since 2017, according to figures
from the Environment and Energy Ministry.
Malaysia received more than 71,000 tonnes of our plastic in the
last year alone.
For more than two decades, our plastic recycling industry was
reliant on China — who we sold our mixed and often contaminated plastic waste,
and they melted it down into new plastic goods to sell back to us and the rest
of the world.
However, now countries are saying they don’t want it, a lot of
it is now just stacking up in the yards and warehouses of Australian recycling
companies — as we don’t have the facilities to reprocess it ourselves.
Incoming environment minister
Sussan Ley may have a major headache on her hands. Picture: Hollie Adams/The
AustralianSource:News Corp Australia
Analysis of our waste exports commissioned by the Department of
the Environment and Energy shows that Australia would have a big problem on its
hands if other nations stop receiving our rubbish.“If Malaysia, Vietnam and
Thailand enacted waste import bans similar to China’s, Australia would need to
find substitute domestic or export markets for approximately 1.29 million
tonnes (or $530 million) of waste a year, based on 2017-18 export amounts,” the
analysis warned.
The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of
Australia (WMRR) chief executive officer, Gayle Sloan, took aim at the federal
government — saying it has “done nothing” since China shut us off.
She told ABC, the 1.2 million tonnes of recyclable materials
households are producing could be turned into jobs and investment if the
circular economy can only take off.
“We’ve had meetings, we had more meetings, and then we’ve had
more talk, and we had no action,” she said
Farmgate price
of rice still down
· FARMGATE
PRICE OF RICE STILL DOWN
As the Philippines awaits the entry of cheaper imported rice
under the Rice Liberalization Law, farmgate price of palay (unhusked rice)
further dropped in the second week of May, the Philippines Statistic Authority
(PSA) said.
In its latest price monitoring report, PSA said the average
farmgate price of palay fell by 0.5 percent to P18.35 per kilo from week-ago’s
P18.45 per kilo. Year-on-year, it likewise fell by 12.6 percent from P21 per
kilo.
PSA said prices of well-milled and regular milled rice also
dropped at wholesale and retail trades.
The average wholesale price of well-milled rice dipped to P39.51
per kilo month-on-month. Yoy, it fell 3.9 percent from P41.12 per kilo.
At retail trade, the average price of well-milled rice was
P43.16 per kilo, down 0.3 percent from a week ago and 1.7 percent a year
earlier.
On the other hand, the average wholesale price of regular-milled
rice was down by 0.5 percent to P35.82 per kilo week-on-week. Yoy, it was down
5.22 percent from P37.77 per kilo.
Its equivalent price at retail level was P38.74 per kilo, down
0.6 percent a week ago and 3.6 percent a year earlier.
Meanwhile, the farmgate price of yellow corngrain went down by
1.5 percent to P14.01 per kilo from P14.22 per kilo a week earlier. However, it
rose by 0.7 percent yoy.
For white corngrain, farmgate price was P16.19 per kilo, up 0.2
percent from the previous week, but down 5.7 percent from last year’s P17.17
per kilo.
The wholesale price of yellow corngrain was P20.29 per kilo, up
0.2 percent from a week ago and 0.8 percent higher from last year. Its retail
price was P24.86 per kilo, up 4.4 percent from last year’s P23.83 per kilo.
For white corn grain, the average wholesale price was P22.68 per
kilo, up 12.4 percent from last year’s P20.17 per kilo. Its average retail
price was P29.12 per kilo, down 2.7 percent from last year’s P29.92 per kilo.
NFA says rice procurement funds adequate after reports of delayed
payments
May 28, 2019 | 10:10 pm
THE NATIONAL Food Authority (NFA)
said it has sufficient funding to fulfill its domestic rice procurement
mandate, despite high buying prices that have persuaded farmers to sell it 4.1
million bags of palay, or unmilled rice, as of May 20.
In a statement Tuesday, NFA Officer-in-Charge
Administrator Tomas R. Escarez said he had to deliver reassurances amid reports
of delayed payments to farmers in some NFA buying stations.
“NFA management assures those
isolated instances are being addressed at the soonest possible time,” it said
in the statement.
The NFA has lost its rice
importing functions under the rice tariffication law, which liberalizes the
import process for private entities. It has been relegated to maintaining a
buffer stock from domestically-produced rice.
The NFA currently pays P20.70 per
kilogram (kg) for palay, consisting of the P17.00 per kilogram support price
and an additional P3.00 as a buffer stocking incentive (BSI); a P0.20 drying
incentive; a P0.20 delivery incentive; and a P0.30 cooperative development incentive
fee (CDIF).
The average farmgate price for
palay paid by commercial rice buyers fell 0.5% week-on-week during the second
week of May to P18.35 per kilogram (kg), the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA) said.
Mr. Escarez has advised NFA field offices to request funds in advance to be able to pay for palay deliveries from farmers.
As of May 20, the NFA has bought
about 4.1 million bags of palay worth P4.2 billion. The NFA’s ultimate target
is to procure 15 to 30 million bags to keep in inventory for emergencies.
— Vincent Mariel P. Galang
Sri Lanka to get bumper rice harvest in Maha 2019
May 28, 2019 13:59 PM GMT+0530 |
Sri Lanka's rice production has
been steadily recovering after plunging in 2016 due to the worst drought in
four decades.
Sri Lanka's rice farmers had sown
760,000 hectares of rice on the back of good rain in 2019, up from 667,000
hectares last year, the Department of Agriculture said.
Maha cultivation fell to a low of
543 million hectares in 2016, following a bumper harvest in 2015, when 756,000
hectares of rice was cultivated.
About 45,000 hectares of rice had
been damaged due to floods and pests, triggering crop damages of 89,000 metric
tonnes.
After setting aside 170,000
metric tonnes for seed paddy, about 3.69 million metric tonnes would be
available for milling.
The agriculture department
estimates about 1.83 million milled rice would be produced, enough for 9.36
months of consumption. (Colombo/May28/2019)
Ministry encourages planting of
Japonica rice
Chea Vannak / Khmer Times
The Ministry of Agriculture is
encouraging companies and farmers to begin planting Japonica rice after a
series of tests show it can be grown successfully in the Kingdom.
Minister of Agriculture Veng
Sakhon last week said that tests on Japonica rice have ended, yielding
encouraging results. Those tests were being conducted in Kampong Thom province,
and show that yields of Japonica are nearly twice as big as those of other
varieties grown in the Kingdom.
A hectare of land planted with
Japonica can produce 6.5 tonnes of rice, Mr Sakhon said in a post on the
ministry’s Facebook page. On average, a hectare in Cambodia yields 3.5 tonnes
of rice.
. .
During a visit to rice fields in
Kampong Thom over the weekend, Mr Sakhon asked agriculture officials to promote
the rice variety to farmers, arguing that this will help boost rice exports.
Huang Ming An, a researcher on
Japonica rice at laboratory Jiangsu Long An Agriculture, told Khmer Times that
the lab is now planting the grain on eight hectares in Kampong Thom province as
part of a pilot programme.
Jiangsu Long An Agriculture, who
is now negotiating contract farming agreements with local agricultural
communities, plans to eventually expand Japonica fields to 300 hectares in the
province, according to Mr Huang.
Tests on Japonica and its
adaptability to the Cambodian soil have been conducted in some provinces in
Cambodia since 2017 after the ministry signed an agreement in January with two
Chinese laboratories, Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Centre and Jiangsu Long An
Agriculture, to study the grain jointly.
The Japonica variety will be
exported mainly to China, currently the biggest market for Cambodian milled
rice, according to Mr Sakhon.
. .
Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice,
said Japonica has great potential but that Cambodia is still not ready to plant
it for commercial purposes.
“After many tests, we have
concluded that Japonica rice can grow well in Cambodia with very high yields,”
he said.
“However, the variety needs a lot
of water, so we must now study how to reduce the amount of water required,”
said Mr Saran, whose firm has also conducted tests on the variety.
According to Mr Saran, Japonica
rice can sell well in South Korea, Turkey and some countries in the European
Union.
“Currently, growing Japonica rice
is still in the pilot stage. We need at least three to four years to understand
the crop better and enter the commercial stage,” Mr Saran said.
Last year, Cambodia exported
626,225 tonnes of rice, a drop of 1.5 percent compared to 2017.
Local firms exported mainly three
types of rice: fragrant rice (493,597 tonnes shipped, or 78.8 percent of total
rice exports), long-grain white rice (105,990 tonnes, or 16.9 percent), and
long-grain parboiled rice (26,638 tonnes, or 4.2 percent).
The largest market for Cambodian
rice continues to be the EU, which imported almost 270,000 tonnes, equivalent
to 42.9 percent of total exports.
By individual country, the
largest buyer was China (170,000 tonnes), followed by France (90,000 tonnes),
Malaysia (40,000 tonnes), Gabon (30,000 tonnes), and the Netherlands (26,000
tonnes).
Rice industry
insiders optimistic
Hin Pisei |
Publication date 28 May 2019 | 08:48 ICT
People pose for in front of an Amru Rice (Cambodia) Co Ltd rice
storage facility in Kampong Thom during its inauguration in July. AMRU RICE
(CAMBODIA) CO LTD
With more plans for rice storage
and silos in Cambodia, industry insiders have expressed their optimism that a
lack of facilities will not pose a challenge for the Kingdom’s rice market this
year.
Cambodian Rice Federation
vice-president Norng Veasna said thanks to efforts from the private sector’s
rice millers and support from state institutions, the harvest season this year
will not see the same issues as in the past few years.
Drying silos and rice storage
facilities can currently be found in almost every province.
“I think we will not have any
problems. Many small rice millers have evolved into the modern age and are very
capable of drying hundreds or thousands of tonnes of paddy per day,” he said.
Veasna said there are more than
300 rice millers in Cambodia.
Last week, a group of Chinese
investors expressed their intention to invest in rice storage facilities and
drying silos in Cambodia. This came during a meeting with Minister of Commerce
Pan Sorasak.
Veasna said Cambodia last year
produced a total of around 10.2 million tonnes of paddy.
Three new rice storage and drying
facilities were put into operation late last year in Kampong Thom, Prey Veng
and Takeo provinces.
Each of the facilities has a
capacity of 500,000 tonnes of raw paddy and is able to dry 1,500 tonnes of rice
daily.
Last year, the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also launched a rice storage facility
funded by the Korean government in Kampong Cham province’s Batheay district.
Costing $2.8 million, it can dry 80 tonnes of rice per day and store 600
tonnes.
Amru Rice (Cambodia) Co Ltd CEO
Song Saran, who has a large warehouse and dried silos in Kampong Thom and
Battambang provinces, said he thinks that this year’s paddy rice harvest will
not experience a shortage of dried silos and warehouses.
He said his company plans to buy
between 100,000 and 200,000 tonnes of paddy in the upcoming rainy season
harvest season.
“My company does not have any
problems because we are ready for the next harvest season,” he said.
However, he stressed that a lack
of funds and climate change still pose a problem for the sector.
Issues such as cooperation
between investors and farmers in paddy harvesting, transport infrastructure and
planning for exports are in need of a solution, he said.
Project launched to
introduce low-carbon rice farming
By webfact, Yesterday at 04:20 AM in
Thailand News
Project launched to introduce
low-carbon rice farming
By The Nation
File photo
The Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the German
government's international co-operation agency on Friday announced the launch
of a joint public-private project aimed at transforming the central plains of
Thailand to low-carbon rice farming.
The goal is to boost rice-producing capacity and add value to
Thai rice and penetrate new markets.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach said his
office had joined with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, which is the German federal enterprise supporting
sustainable development worldwide, to carry out the project, called Thai Rice
NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions).
The project received financial support worth 14.9 million euros
(about Bt530 million) from the governments of Germany, the UK, Denmark as well
as the European Union through the multi-donor Nationally NAMA facility project
(2018-2023).
Under this project, some 100,000 local rice farming households
covering 2.8 million rai of rice fields in six provinces of Chainat, Angthong,
Pathum Thani, Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, and Suphan Buri would shift to a
sustainable method of rice-growing. This is intended to increase their
productivity while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to
the rising global temperature, the minister said.
The project's main objectives were; to create benefits to
farmers in terms of the promotion of zero emission rice-growing and the
promotion of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) for rice; to develop and expand
business that provide technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
rice-growing; and to motivate the rice-producing sector to apply the method
that can cut greenhouse gas emissions, Grisada said.
Deputy Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives,
Doojduan Sasanavin, said Thailand has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions
by 20-25 per cent within the year 2030 in the Paris Agreement within the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
This will be done by applying the King Rama IX's 'sufficiency
economy' principle, reduce the use of fossil fuels and applying alternative
energy that is environmentally friendly instead.
The project - having a revolving fund and providing training to
farmers - would have farmers shifting from their current method of rice growing
to apply the low greenhouse gas-emitting way, use appropriate rice seed strain
and related technologies (such as the land-levelling, the alternated wet and
dry water management for rice fields, the fertiliser application based on soil
testing and analysing, and the rice straw and stubble management to avoid
applying a haze-creating method of burning).
The agricultural technology service providing companies also got
special "green loans" from Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives, she said.
Doojduan said this project would benefits 454,200 rice farmers
and agriculture technology service providers, while the 2.58 million rais of
target rice field in the rainy season and off-season rice growing were expected
to yield a total of 4 million tonnes per year.
Thailand to release 34 million tonnes of rice this year
Illustrative image (Source: www.thaivisa.com)
Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - The Rice Policy and Management Committee of Thailand has announced rice stock release plans and expects over 34 million tonnes of rice throughout this year.
The Rice Policy and Management Committee on May 27 approved a project to provide over 180 million THB in funding to help farmers with rice harvests and quality improvement costs for the 2016-2017 season.
Over 34 million tonnes of rice are expected throughout this year, no fewer than 10 million tonnes of which will be exported.
The Rice Policy and Management Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha,
approved in principle the integrated production and
marketing plans for 2019/2020 season. The plans will be
implemented with regards to the demand and supply mechanism, export, domestic
consumption, industrial uses and seedlings. Rice production in targeted areas
will be improved and promoted for the 2019/2020 season while domestic marketing
will be developed and the rice harvest and quality improvement costs will be
shared.
A total of 28,792 farmers have registered for the slowed rice harvesting and compensation pay project, which amounted to over 180 million baht for 2016/2017 season. The assistance measure will be submitted to the cabinet for approval on May 28 or next week at the latest.
Additionally, the Rice Policy and Management Committee acknowledged the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ report on the projected production of over 34 million tonnes of rice throughout this year, accounting for a one to two million tonne increase from last year. The demands for export, domestic consumption, industrial raw materials and storing are projected to amount to 32.48 million tonnes, no less than 10 million tonnes of which will be bound for export.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce has released over 17.4 million tonnes of rice from its stock over the last few years with a small volume pending delivery.
The Marketing Organization for Farmers and Public Warehouse Organization are speeding up the release of rice from the untapped stock.-NNT/VNA
Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - The Rice Policy and Management Committee of Thailand has announced rice stock release plans and expects over 34 million tonnes of rice throughout this year.
The Rice Policy and Management Committee on May 27 approved a project to provide over 180 million THB in funding to help farmers with rice harvests and quality improvement costs for the 2016-2017 season.
Over 34 million tonnes of rice are expected throughout this year, no fewer than 10 million tonnes of which will be exported.
The Rice Policy and Management Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha,
A total of 28,792 farmers have registered for the slowed rice harvesting and compensation pay project, which amounted to over 180 million baht for 2016/2017 season. The assistance measure will be submitted to the cabinet for approval on May 28 or next week at the latest.
Additionally, the Rice Policy and Management Committee acknowledged the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ report on the projected production of over 34 million tonnes of rice throughout this year, accounting for a one to two million tonne increase from last year. The demands for export, domestic consumption, industrial raw materials and storing are projected to amount to 32.48 million tonnes, no less than 10 million tonnes of which will be bound for export.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce has released over 17.4 million tonnes of rice from its stock over the last few years with a small volume pending delivery.
The Marketing Organization for Farmers and Public Warehouse Organization are speeding up the release of rice from the untapped stock.-NNT/VNA
Court hands Weerawut 50 years for G2G scam
- 28 May 2019 at 19:07 28 comments
- NEWSPAPER
SECTION: NEWS
| WRITER: POST
REPORTERS
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of
Political Positions on Tuesday handed down stiff prison sentences to two more
figures involved in the bogus G2G rice deal scandal.
Weerawut Wajanaphukka, who served as secretary to jailed former commerce
minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, was handed a 50-year term, while Suthee
Chuemthaisong, a close aide of Apichart “Sia Piang” Chansakulporn, an executive
of the rice exporter Siam Indica Co Ltd, and a key player in the scandal received
32 years.Suthee was also ordered by the court to pay 16.912 billion baht in damages to the Finance Ministry.
Both were sentenced in absentia.
The court heard Weerawut worked under the commerce minister between
August 2012 and June 2013. He was also appointed a member of the National Rice
Committee and the subcommittee that released rice shipments in the
controversial deal.According to the court ruling, Weerawut was complicit in having two Chinese companies sign government-to-government contracts with the International Trade Department, which did not allow fair competition between private sector companies to take place.
Suthee was involved in the wrongdoing by liaising with the Chinese firms to pursue contracts under which the rice stocks would be sold at below-market prices.
However, the rice in question was never exported to China.
The court found Weerawut guilty of corruption in the G2G rice deal and Suthee of assisting Dr Weerawut in committing the graft.
On May 17, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ordered the seizure of Weerawut's assets, worth more than 896 million baht, after finding him “unusually wealthy”.
The asset seizure from Weerawut, who served as Boonsong’s secretary between August 2012 and June 2013, was sought by the Office of Attorney-General (OAG) after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found him guilty of being unusually wealthy in November 2017.
According to the NACC, Weerawut failed to explain how assets totalling 896,554,760 baht were acquired while he served as an assistant secretary to Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol from August 2011 to January 2012, and later as secretary to Boonsong.
Boonsong was handed a 42-year jail sentence and his former deputy, Poom, was sentenced to 36 years over corruption in the fake G2G rice deals.
Buy paddy
directly from farmers to boost production
Wednesday,
May 29, 2019
Staff
Reporter :
Eminent economists and researchers on Tuesday urged the government to procure paddy directly from the farmers as soon as possible to improve the market price of paddy.
They came up with the call during a dialogue organised by 'Right to Food Bangladesh' in association with 'Action Aid' at the Jatiya Press Club in the city.
"If the government does not procure paddy from farmers soon, they will reduce production of rice, which will surely increase the prices of rice next year," Mohsin Ali, General Secretary of Right to Food Bangladesh, told the dialogue.
Khandker Ibrahim Khaled, a former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, urged the farmers to get united against middlemen who pay them low prices while purchasing paddy.
Khaled, also vice-president of Right to Food Bangladesh, raised questions about the role of the Food Minister in this regard. Â
Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Chairman of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), opined, "Agriculture is the base of our country's economy. And the government should include agriculture and all other things related to it in its development planning."
Although the primary goal of the procurement programme that started on August 31 is to give "price support" to farmers, it is not benefitting them much, he said.
The government is buying only 1.5 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers under the ongoing food grain procurement programme while 11.5 lakh tonnes of rice (equivalent to about 20 lakh tonnes of paddy) from millers.
The millers are buying paddy in the open market at low prices and selling rice to the government at higher rates. On the other, the government is buying almost 13 times more (in terms of paddy) from millers than from farmers.
This means millers are gaining more both ways and farmers are facing losses due to low selling prices in the open market.
Eminent economists and researchers on Tuesday urged the government to procure paddy directly from the farmers as soon as possible to improve the market price of paddy.
They came up with the call during a dialogue organised by 'Right to Food Bangladesh' in association with 'Action Aid' at the Jatiya Press Club in the city.
"If the government does not procure paddy from farmers soon, they will reduce production of rice, which will surely increase the prices of rice next year," Mohsin Ali, General Secretary of Right to Food Bangladesh, told the dialogue.
Khandker Ibrahim Khaled, a former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, urged the farmers to get united against middlemen who pay them low prices while purchasing paddy.
Khaled, also vice-president of Right to Food Bangladesh, raised questions about the role of the Food Minister in this regard. Â
Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Chairman of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), opined, "Agriculture is the base of our country's economy. And the government should include agriculture and all other things related to it in its development planning."
Although the primary goal of the procurement programme that started on August 31 is to give "price support" to farmers, it is not benefitting them much, he said.
The government is buying only 1.5 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers under the ongoing food grain procurement programme while 11.5 lakh tonnes of rice (equivalent to about 20 lakh tonnes of paddy) from millers.
The millers are buying paddy in the open market at low prices and selling rice to the government at higher rates. On the other, the government is buying almost 13 times more (in terms of paddy) from millers than from farmers.
This means millers are gaining more both ways and farmers are facing losses due to low selling prices in the open market.
Potato
production favourable to environment
Apart from being a universal favourite, this root vegetable is easy to
grow and environmentally sustainable
By Author | Published: 28th May 2019 10:32 pm
International
researchers have shown that potatoes are good for the environment, with a
recently published paper indicating that its production is more environmentally
sustainable than any other crop like pasta or rice. The paper, conducted by
researchers from Cranfield University in Bedfordshire, England and published in
the Journal of Cleaner Production, considered both greenhouse gas emissions and
water consumption when growing the three food types, with potatoes proving to
have the least negative impact on the environment.
Potatoes
require only a moderate amount of water and fertiliser. Pest control comes
naturally to potatoes, as they produce compounds that ward off insects and
disease – and the crop yield for potatoes is also relatively high. If you’re a
potato lover, you’re probably helping prevent food waste too. Potatoes can last
in the pantry for a while before they start going bad. A baked potato dinner
will be a much lower burden on the environment than most alternatives.
Mwea rice
farmers bank on new hybrid grain to boost yields
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 29, 2019 9:17Rice farmers in Mwea. FILE PHOTO | NMG By
LEOPOLD OBI
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
o The farmers say one hardly makes money from growing traditional
rice due to poor yields.
o Ms Wakiaga said she spends at least Sh30,000 on average to grow
rice on an acre of land.
o But at the end of the season after four months, she only pockets
Sh20,000.
o Mwea Irrigation scheme is the country’s leading rice producer,
covering over 26,000 acres, with farmers largely growing pishori, a fragrant
basmati rice variety.
After growing traditional pishori rice varieties for years, Ms Wakiaga is trying out a new hybrid which researchers have approved as high-yielding.
But while the farmer only planted the hybrid seeds last month, the traditional varieties have also jutted across the farms to jostle for space with the new ones.
“We have been planting the traditional pishori rice all along, so they keep sprouting back but we are weeding them out to enable us realise the full potential of the new hybrid ones,” said the rice farmer, who also decried water scarcity in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, leading to strict rationing of the commodity.
The farmer says she used to plant 25 kilos of the traditional rice seeds on an acre, yet this time she only needed eight kilos. The huge disparity is due to seed viability, according to researchers.
Because the rice farmers have replanted some of the traditional seeds for decades, the old varieties have lost vitality over time, forcing farmers to grow more seeds in the nursery to that they can have enough seedlings to transplant.
Besides the seed rate, farmers have also spotted a number of differences between the old and the new varieties.
Also Read
Bernard Gitare who has been growing rice for the last seven
years notes that new varieties not only germinate faster but also have wide-
leaf blades. The common pishori is known for its thin blade and slow growth
rate.A kilo of the hybrid rice seeds costs Sh120.
“We used to plant pishori 270 and 360 varieties which gave us between 25 to 30 bags per acre but researchers told us this new variety can give us up to 40 bags per acre,” said Mr Gitare, adding that this is their first time to grow the hybrids.
The farmers say one hardly makes money from growing traditional rice due to poor yields.
Ms Wakiaga said she spends at least Sh30,000 on average to grow rice on an acre of land. But at the end of the season after four months, she only pockets Sh20,000.
“We spend a lot of money in inputs and labour yet the produce is not substantial. We are therefore monitoring this new hybrid variety if it will bring any significant difference,” she said.
The new hybrid rice currently under cultivation by a section of farmers in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, is one of the five hybrids released last year by the government for commercialisation after decades of research.
About 200 acres of the scheme are currently under the hybrid crop while another 1,000 acres will be planted in the main season.
Mwea Irrigation scheme is the country’s leading rice producer, covering over 26,000 acres, with farmers largely growing pishori, a fragrant basmati rice variety.
The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) in partnership with African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) are also evaluating another 10 hybrid rice varieties under the national performance trials.
The new high yielding varieties can give around 12 metric tonnes per acre, which could help Kenya bridge a widening gap in rice production.
Dr John Kimani, a rice breeder and Kalro-Mwea centre director, notes that rice consumption in the country is rising faster than output.
“As a result we have to improve our production for the country to meet the rising demand,” the scientist said.
A Food Balance Sheet (FBS) by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that rice is currently the seventh most popular food in the country,,with a per capita consumption of 20.6 kilos.
Last year, Kenya’s rice production significantly shot from 54,000 metric tonnes to 156,000 metric tonnes a year which is measly compared to the country’s 650,000 metric tonnes annual consumption.
The Government plans to bridge the consumption gap by boosting production to 438,000 metric tonnes by 2022 under its Big 4 Agenda, forcing researchers to work round the clock.
The rice grower says the popular basmati rice has been grown in the country since early 80s but after 30 years of replanting, its genetic make-up has degenerated, leading to lower yields and susceptibility to pests and diseases.
But despite its dwindling productivity, rice farmers continue to grow it due to high demand since consumers love its aroma.
In Asian countries, new rice varieties are introduced after every five years to make sure that farmers do not grow weaker seeds.
“We have done product profile and found that farmers cling to basmati because of the aroma and white, slender grain. The new varieties must have these traits so that we can replace the traditional ones,” Dr Kimani said.
He added that they would combine basmati traits with the high yielding genes from Korean germplasm to come up with a hybrid aromatic rice.
While Kenyan consumers love the aromatic rice, scientists say that aroma is just a scent and has nothing to do with the nutritional value of the crop. Nevertheless, they’ll still have to introduce it into the hybrid varieties due to market demand.
Dr Sanni Kayode, a lead scientist on rice research at AATF, said for the 10 new hybrid varieties to be considered for release, they must yield at least 10 percent better than the previous ones.
“Research is going on in five locations including Ahero in Kisumu County, Hola, Mwea and Malindi. The varieties must perform better in all the locations,” he said.
Dr Kayode said since Kenya’s rice consumption rate grows at 13 per cent while production goes up at three per cent due to urbanisation and change in lifestyle which is enhancing rice consumption, farmers need to grow superior and high yielding varieties.
On average, he says a Kenyan farmer harvests two tonnes per hectare compared to the global productivity of 4.5 tonnes per hectare.
“One of the best ways of achieving productivity is using high yielding rice varieties. There is also a need for private sector investment to help us close the gap,” Dr Kayode said.
Buy from farmers, not millers
12:00
AM, May 29, 2019 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, May 29, 2019
Govt. rice procurement policy short-changing the farmers
The government’s ongoing food grain
procurement policy to help farmers has had the opposite results. Under the
programme, the government is buying only 1.5 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers,
which is less than one percent of the total estimated production of around 1.96
crore tonnes this boro season and 13 times less than the 11.5 lakh tonnes of
rice—equivalent to about 20 lakh tonnes of paddy—it is buying from millers.
This means the ones who are actually benefitting from the programme are
millers, not the farmers the programme is intended to assist.
Government agencies have claimed
that it is buying the bulk of its products from millers as it lacks storage
space for paddy, which requires more space than rice, and this problem is yet
to be resolved because of policy issues. Under this setting, millers are buying
rice at a low price from
farmers and selling it at a high
price to the government. And in the process, they are making a profit of Tk
5,850 per tonne, whereas farmers are making a loss of Tk 9,000.
The entire state of affairs is
simply absurd. Given that this is a yearly affair, why hasn’t the government
fixed its policy issues? Don’t policymakers recognise the urgency of the
situation? Why are they still making policies that are counterproductive?
Moreover, in the absence of storage space, why did the government even initiate
this programme without any pre-planning? Did it not know that buying the bulk
of its produce from millers will not benefit the farmers? If not, then what
that means is that the ministry didn’t even bother to consult those its policy
was intended to help which is just ridiculous.
This string of bad decisions by the
authorities has done nothing but waste public resources. We call on the
government to immediately fix the mess and to buy from the farmers directly.
‘Buy paddy directly from farmers as soon as possible’
02:55 PM, May 28, 2019 / LAST MODIFIED: 05:14 PM, May 28, 2019
Economists urge govt
Star Online Report
Eminent economists today urged the
government to procure paddy directly from the farmers at reasonable price as
soon as possible.
The call came up during a dialogue
organised by Right to Food Bangladesh in association with Action Aid
at the capital’s Jatiya Press Club today.
“If the government does not procure
paddy from farmers soon, they will reduce production of rice, which will surely
increase the prices of rice next year,” Mohsin Ali, general secretary of Right
to Food Bangladesh, said in the session.
Khandker Ibrahim Khaled, a former
deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, urged the farmers to get united against
middlemen who pay them low prices while purchasing paddy.
Khaled, also vice-president of
Right to Food Bangladesh, also raised questions about the role of the food
minister in this regard.
Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, chairman
of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), opined, “Agriculture is the base of
the country’s economy. And the government should include agriculture and all
other things related to it in its development planning.”
Although the primary goal of the
procurement programme that started on August 31 is to give “price support” to
farmers, it is not benefitting them much.
Economists
demand interest-free loan for farmers
Staff Correspondent |
Published: 01:30, May 29,2019
Right to Food Bangladesh holds a
discussion on fair price of agricultural produces at the National Press Club in
Dhaka on Tuesday. — New Age photo
Agriculture economists, university teachers, former bureaucrats
and farmer leaders on Tuesday demanded introduction of interest free loans for
the farmers to enable them to overcome the losses they had incurred due to
falling prices of un-husked rice and grow their next crops.
Boro rice growers incurred heavy losses due to the government’s ‘defective procurement policy’, they said while speaking at a national dialogue at the National Press Club.
Besides, they said, that massive rice imports hurt aman and boro rice growers.
They also said that the farmers continued to incur losses due to government’s procurement policy of buying rice from the millers.
Though the government fixed Tk 1040 for 40kg of boro rice this year but the farmers were forced to sell Tk 500 to Tk 600, they said
The National Dialogue on Fair Prices for Agricultural Produces including Rice, the Challenges and the Solution was organized by Right to Food Bangladesh and ActionAid Bangladesh.
Economist and chairman of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation as well as the Dhaka School of Economics Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said that fair price remained elusive to the farmers for long.
He demanded the creation of a ‘Price Commission’ in the Indian model to resolve the endemic crisis facing the farmers.
He also demanded introduction of interest free loans for the farmers and the creation of warehouses for the post-harvest storage of un-husked rice.
Kholiquzzaman stressed the need for strengthening farmers’ organizations under the elected local governments.
He called for bringing agriculture, farmers and farm labourers under the government’s development policy.
Bangladesh Bank’s former deputy governor Khondokar Ibrahim Khaled called for increasing agricultural subsidies to protect farmers from their recurrent losses.
He also demanded removal of middlemen from the agricultural supply chain.
He said that the farmers should forge unity and enter politics to be able to protect their legitimate interests.
Former agriculture secretary Anwar Faruque said that massive imports coinciding with bumper production of rice caused the current problems for the growers.
He advised the government to increase un-husked rice procurement instead of husked rice, extend interest free loans to the growers and formalize the agriculture value chain.
Agriculture economist and former research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Md Asaduzzaman said that the farmers’ losses were caused by the government’s lack of sincerity.
‘The market of un-husked and the husked rice are not the same,’ he said, as the buyers of husked rice by far outnumber the customers of un-husked rice.
Dhaka University economics professor Sayema Haque Bidisha said that public procurement system in India’s West Bengal was working well due to the policy of direct procurement of un-husked rice from the farmers.
She said that only proper and timely steps of the government could save the farmers from their recurrent crisis.
Farmer Munni Begum from Alokbali, Raipura, Narsingdi said that she did not even get the production price for her boro rice crop.
Another farmer Anjumanara Begum from Jamal said that she incurred heavy losses growing boro rice this year due to low price.
She demanded direct un-husked rice procurement from the framers by the government.
She also asked the government to stop husked rice procurements from the millers.
Farmer leader Hor Ballab Chowdhury from Horipur, Baniachang, Habiganj said that the government did not procure un-husked rice from the growers.
Farmers were losing interest in growing rice due to low price, he said.
Wave Foundation’s executive director Mohasin Ali who moderated the dialogue said that the government should immediately procure un-husked rice from the farmers.
Banik Barta Journalist Sanuar Said Shaheen presented the keynote paper while Action Aid director Asgar Ali Saberi, farmer leader Abdul Hai, Right to Food campaigner Atarur Rahman Miton also spoke.
Boro rice growers incurred heavy losses due to the government’s ‘defective procurement policy’, they said while speaking at a national dialogue at the National Press Club.
Besides, they said, that massive rice imports hurt aman and boro rice growers.
They also said that the farmers continued to incur losses due to government’s procurement policy of buying rice from the millers.
Though the government fixed Tk 1040 for 40kg of boro rice this year but the farmers were forced to sell Tk 500 to Tk 600, they said
The National Dialogue on Fair Prices for Agricultural Produces including Rice, the Challenges and the Solution was organized by Right to Food Bangladesh and ActionAid Bangladesh.
Economist and chairman of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation as well as the Dhaka School of Economics Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said that fair price remained elusive to the farmers for long.
He demanded the creation of a ‘Price Commission’ in the Indian model to resolve the endemic crisis facing the farmers.
He also demanded introduction of interest free loans for the farmers and the creation of warehouses for the post-harvest storage of un-husked rice.
Kholiquzzaman stressed the need for strengthening farmers’ organizations under the elected local governments.
He called for bringing agriculture, farmers and farm labourers under the government’s development policy.
Bangladesh Bank’s former deputy governor Khondokar Ibrahim Khaled called for increasing agricultural subsidies to protect farmers from their recurrent losses.
He also demanded removal of middlemen from the agricultural supply chain.
He said that the farmers should forge unity and enter politics to be able to protect their legitimate interests.
Former agriculture secretary Anwar Faruque said that massive imports coinciding with bumper production of rice caused the current problems for the growers.
He advised the government to increase un-husked rice procurement instead of husked rice, extend interest free loans to the growers and formalize the agriculture value chain.
Agriculture economist and former research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Md Asaduzzaman said that the farmers’ losses were caused by the government’s lack of sincerity.
‘The market of un-husked and the husked rice are not the same,’ he said, as the buyers of husked rice by far outnumber the customers of un-husked rice.
Dhaka University economics professor Sayema Haque Bidisha said that public procurement system in India’s West Bengal was working well due to the policy of direct procurement of un-husked rice from the farmers.
She said that only proper and timely steps of the government could save the farmers from their recurrent crisis.
Farmer Munni Begum from Alokbali, Raipura, Narsingdi said that she did not even get the production price for her boro rice crop.
Another farmer Anjumanara Begum from Jamal said that she incurred heavy losses growing boro rice this year due to low price.
She demanded direct un-husked rice procurement from the framers by the government.
She also asked the government to stop husked rice procurements from the millers.
Farmer leader Hor Ballab Chowdhury from Horipur, Baniachang, Habiganj said that the government did not procure un-husked rice from the growers.
Farmers were losing interest in growing rice due to low price, he said.
Wave Foundation’s executive director Mohasin Ali who moderated the dialogue said that the government should immediately procure un-husked rice from the farmers.
Banik Barta Journalist Sanuar Said Shaheen presented the keynote paper while Action Aid director Asgar Ali Saberi, farmer leader Abdul Hai, Right to Food campaigner Atarur Rahman Miton also spoke.
Manipur: ICAR recommends devising
climate proof plan, ready policy for agri development
Correspondent
Imphal, May 28 (EMN): Expressing concern over the climate change in the state, a group of scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) centres, working in diverse discipline on Tuesday recommended the need for devising climate proof plan and climate ready policy for compatible agricultural development in Manipur.
Location-specific climate smart technology baskets need to be devised and should be demonstrated through participatory approach, for ensuring a climate resilient production system, and a climate resilient ecosystem, the scientists said.
Imphal, May 28 (EMN): Expressing concern over the climate change in the state, a group of scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) centres, working in diverse discipline on Tuesday recommended the need for devising climate proof plan and climate ready policy for compatible agricultural development in Manipur.
Location-specific climate smart technology baskets need to be devised and should be demonstrated through participatory approach, for ensuring a climate resilient production system, and a climate resilient ecosystem, the scientists said.
Trend analysis of weather variables in Imphal under the National
Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture revealed that the annual maximum
temperature (1954–2014) has been increasing (0.1°C per decade), said the
scientists in their research paper report published in Current Science journal
in October 2018.
The 20 paged reports called “Climate resilient agriculture in
Manipur: Status and strategies for sustainable development” is the result of
year long work by as many as 11 ICAR scientists who have reviewed a number of
sources of information.
Stating that as evident from the last 30 years’ climate data
analysis, precipitation rate in northern parts is expected to increase, the
scientists said. The southern districts are expected to experience higher
temperature than that of the northern districts.
Total annual precipitation is expected to increase throughout
the state. As evident from the last 30 years’ climate data analysis,
precipitation rate in northern parts is expected to increase. Greenhouse gas
emissions have also increased in Manipur from 1980 to 2005.
Projecting the loss of bio-diversity and extinction of
rare/threatened flora and fauna besides projecting decline in crop yields by 10
percent in 2030 in view of the said climate variability, the scientists
estimated that the food grain production and requirement of the state would be
77105 and 79323 thousand tonnes respectively by 2050.
Hence, there will be deficit of
2218 thousand tonnes of food grain by 2050, they predicted.
The total food grain production in Manipur (2014–15) was 594.28 thousand tonnes from an area of 292,950 ha.
The total food grain production in Manipur (2014–15) was 594.28 thousand tonnes from an area of 292,950 ha.
Otherwise the total gross cropped area the state is 350,290 ha,
which account for 15.24% of the total land areas.About 65.93% under rice cultivation.
There are enormous gene pool of rice, maize, cucurbits, legumes,
tuber crops, turmeric, ginger and chillies in Manipur which houses more than
500 orchid varieties, 1200 species of medicinal plants, 50 species of fleshy
fungi, 121 algae and a few moses, 200 plus fish species, 73 different types of
birds, 31 endemic mammals, more than 53 species of bamboos and others,
according to the report.
Aussie oat
noodles target Chinese market
Wednesday, 29 May, 2019
Scientists from the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre(AEGIC)
are developing new oat products to meet growing demand in China.
As part of a jointly funded
project with the Grains Research and
Development Corporation (GRDC), AEGIC is identifying Australian
oat varieties suitable for emerging Chinese products, including oat noodles,
oat rice and oat milk.
“The lack of gluten in oats
limits their use in wheat-based products such as noodles, so AEGIC’s innovation
to achieve high-percentage oat flour is an excellent result,” she said.
The project had also returned
encouraging results in processing oat ‘rice’.
“Oat rice is created through a
special process to remove to the outer bran layer of oat grains, while
achieving a shelf-stable and nutritious product,” she said. “The process
reduces cooking time, increases brightness, improves eating quality and
maintains beta-glucan content.”
The oat rice can be cooked and
eaten in a similar way to traditional rice, Mitra explained.
AEGIC Oat Program Manager Mark
Tucek said oat consumption in China has increased dramatically since the
mid-2000s, which could be partly due to an increasing interest in health and
nutrition.
“Consumers are increasingly interested
in supplementing their diets with healthier options, such as oats, which are
loaded with beta-glucan and other high-value nutrients,” he said. “This
represents a great opportunity to grow Australia’s share of an expanding
market.”
High-quality milling oats can
attract a premium of around $20/tonne. With an assumed milling oats price
of $250/tonne, this could generate an extra $20 million each year for the
Australian oats industry if the country captured 50% of the expected
future market growth.
The second stage of the project
will see AEGIC develop a wider variety of innovative oat foods and help provide
pathways to market for commercial products.
The current project is a
collaboration with Shaanxi Normal University (Xi’an, China), the Queensland
Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and the South Australian
Research and Development Institute (SARDI) National Oat Breeding Program.
Image caption: AEGIC Oat Program
Manager Mark Tucek and Research Scientist Dr Sabori Mitra with some oat risotto
and oat noodles prepared in the AEGIC labs. Image credit: AEGIC.
PH rice scientist Gregorio is new
Searca director
Los
Baños, Laguna―A rice scientist has been appointed as new director of the
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.
Glenn
B. Gregorio, PhD, who assumed office this month is the eleventh to hold the top
SEARCA post for a three-year term since its establishment in November 1966 by
the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
SEARCA
is an inter-government treaty organization hosted by the Philippine government
on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
Gregorio
is also an Academician at the National Academy of Science and Technology of the
Philippines and is currently a professor at the Institute of Crop Science of
the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science.
A
distinguished rice scientist, Gregorio served the International Rice Research
Institute for almost 30 years, including a five-year stint as International
Rice Research Institute’s rice breeder in Africa, based at Africa Rice Centre
station at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria from
2004 to 2009.
Throughout
his career, Gregorio has bred more than 15 rice varieties, most of which are
salt-tolerant varieties that have greatly helped farmers in Bangladesh, India,
Nigeria, and the Philippines.
He
also led efforts to develop micronutrient-dense rice varieties to address
anemia and malnutrition in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
But
rice breeding is not Gregorio’s only forte. Prior to his appointment as Searca
Director, he also served as Crop Breeding Manager for Corn at the East-West
Seed Company, Inc. from 2015 to 2018, where he was the global lead of the sweet
corn and waxy corn breeding programs for South and Southeast Asia, the Latin
Americas, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Gregorio
has been the recipient of numerous awards, including Outstanding Young
Scientist Award (OYS 2004) and Outstanding Publication Award given by NAST; The
Outstanding Young Men (TOYM 2004) in the field of Agriculture-Plant Breeding
and Genetics;
The
Ho Chi Minh Medal Award for great contribution to the cause of agriculture and
rural development in Vietnam; Ten Outstanding Youth Scientists (TOYS 1981) of
the Philippines given by the Department of Science and Technology of the
Philippines;
Honorary
Scientist, Rural Development Administration, Korea; and other awards for his
outstanding research and research management achievements.
Gregorio
has authored and co-authored at least 90 articles published in various
scientific journals, chapters on rice breeding in 14 books, and five scientific
manuals and bulletins.
He
also mentored and supervised 20 PhD and 27 MS graduate students and more than
40 BS students in plant breeding and genetics at UPLB and other universities in
Asia, Africa, Europe and North America; and he continues to hone scientists and
future scientists as a mentor and teacher.
Gregorio
obtained his PhD in Genetics, MS in Plant Breeding, and BS in Agriculture at
UPLB.
SMB mulls new Vietnam brewery
May 29, 2019 | 12:09 am
SMB Chairman Ramon S. Ang said
the company is currently conducting a market study for the facility.
“Kung magtatayo kami, at
least two million hectoliters na planta. Pag-aaralan pa
namin ’yun (If we’re going to build, it will have to produce at least
two million hectoliters. We’re still going to study that project,” Mr. Ang told
reporters after the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Mandaluyong on
Tuesday.
SMB President Roberto N. Huang
noted that the company’s capacity in Vietnam is only at 200,000 hectoliters,
while it experiences an oversupply in other international markets.
“The per capita kasi in
Vietnam is higher than the Philippines. Dito nasa 19
(liters). SaVietnam, umaabot na ng 44 liters per
capita. Mataas. Kaya there is a good market there (Per capital here is around
19 liters. In Vietnam, they reach about 44 liters. That’s high. So the market
is good there),” Mr. Huang said.
In its 2018 annual report, SMB
said volume and profit weakened last year due to a significant decline in its
W1n Bia brand and flat San Miguel volumes. It looks to “aggressively grow” San
Miguel volumes this year by targeting to increase distribution in bars,
hostels, karaoke, wedding sites, and modern trade outlets.
Meanwhile, Mr. Huang said the
company is also waiting for confirmation on whether it can push through with
the construction of a beer brewery in the United States. The company earlier
said it had plans to set up a facility in Los Angeles, California to meet the
demand for its products in North America.
“We have to wait for their
confirmation. It’s not just a matter of capacity. We also have to talk to some
people there if a brewery can really be put up kung walang reklamo
’yung (if there are no complaints from the) community and everything,”
Mr. Huang said, adding that SMB has already acquired the site.
The top executive said that
planning for the US brewery will take about six months, but may take longer
since it is an overseas project.
“But we will see if we can
already set groundbreaking. Pag ka nag-groundbreak na kami,
e tuloy tuloy na (Once we break ground, it will push through), just
like what we were doing in the Philippines,” Mr. Huang said.
RICE IMPORTS
Meanwhile, Mr. Ang, who is also president and chief operating officer of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), said the company is already preparing to import rice, following the approval of the Rice Tariffication Law.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ang, who is also president and chief operating officer of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), said the company is already preparing to import rice, following the approval of the Rice Tariffication Law.
“Merong ilang site na
may port na hinahanda, para in case meron na
talagangimplementing guideline para makatulong kami to
stabilize the price of rice (There are a number of sites that we’re preparing,
in case there are already implementing guidelines so we can help stabilize rice
prices),” Mr. Ang said.
Rice trading will be handled by
SMB’s parent, SMC.
Mr. Ang said the company could
potentially import rice from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. He also noted
that the company will age the rice, the by-product of which can then be used
for its feed mills and breweries.
“Broken rice dun, na
walang halaga, nagagamit ng brewery ’yun to produce
alcohol. Kaya napakabagay sa amin ’yun. At the same time, makakatulong
kami na magingstable ’yung pricing (That’s broken rice
that has no value, and can be used by the brewery to produce alcohol. It is a
match with our business. At the same time, we can help stabilize prices). So
farmers can also have a very stable income,” he explained. — Arra B.
Francia
AgriNurture looking at
$100 million from potential foreign investor
Michelle Ong, ABS-CBN News
MANILA -- AgriNurture Inc is
"looking" at a possible $100 million (P5.2 billion) investment from
an Asian partner to help fund its expansion, president and CEO Antonio Tiu said
Wednesday.
After expanding to rice from
mangoes, bananas and pineapples, AgriNurture is looking at micro lending for
farmers, Tiu told ABS-CBN News."Over the next 5 years, we will
aggressively pursue inclusive growth in the agri sector by empowering our small
partners," he said on the sidelines of the company's 10th listing
anniversary at the Philippine Stock Exchange.
Incorporating technology in farming
will help lure young people to agriculture, who may not think of it as sexy, he
said.
Happening
this morning: Tony Tiu’s Agrinurture celebrates 10th listing anniversary @ANCALERTS
Imports dip
19.3% in 1Q
Comments /
674 Views / Wednesday, 29 May 2019 01:52
·
Imports drop 5 consecutive months, March sees 12.6% drop
·
All imports excluding fuel see drop, CB says reduction due to
policies, expected change in 2Q
·
But exports increase 5.6% in 1Q, record highest-ever earnings of
$ 1.13 b
·
Industrial and mineral exports grew but agricultural exports
declined
·
Apparel records highest-ever monthly earning surpassing $ 500
m
·
Trade deficit contracts to $ 1.6 b from $ 2.9 b in 1Q
2018
·
Reserves at $ 7.6 b, rupee appreciates 3.8% to date
Imports dropped a steep 19.3% in
the first quarter of 2019, even though export earnings increased by 5.6%
year-on-year as the trade deficit contracted to $ 1,661 million from $ 2,982
million recorded in the first quarter of 2018, the Central Bank said
yesterday.
Releasing the latest External Sector Performance Report, the Central Bank said imports had declined for five straight months, with March seeing a 12.6% drop, on a year-on-year basis, to $ 1,729 million. The Central Bank attributed the drop to policies aimed at discouraging imports and said that an import pick-up may take place in the second quarter as these policies were reversed. All imports other than fuel saw a decline as economic activity slowed.
In March 2019, the deficit in the trade account narrowed to $ 592 million, compared to $ 871 million in March 2018. The considerable reduction in the trade deficit in March 2019 was due to a notable decline in import expenditure by 12.6% (year-on-year) which was further supported by the increase of export earnings by 2.6% (year-on-year), the report said.
Releasing the latest External Sector Performance Report, the Central Bank said imports had declined for five straight months, with March seeing a 12.6% drop, on a year-on-year basis, to $ 1,729 million. The Central Bank attributed the drop to policies aimed at discouraging imports and said that an import pick-up may take place in the second quarter as these policies were reversed. All imports other than fuel saw a decline as economic activity slowed.
In March 2019, the deficit in the trade account narrowed to $ 592 million, compared to $ 871 million in March 2018. The considerable reduction in the trade deficit in March 2019 was due to a notable decline in import expenditure by 12.6% (year-on-year) which was further supported by the increase of export earnings by 2.6% (year-on-year), the report said.
The financial account was further
strengthened in March with the proceeds of the International Sovereign Bonds
(ISBs) amounting to $ 2.4 billion and net inflows of foreign investments to the
Government securities market during the month, although some net outflows were
observed from the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).
Along with the significant reduction in the trade deficit and significant inflows to the financial account, the Sri Lankan Rupee appreciated against the US Dollar by 3.8% by end March 2019 compared to end 2018. Despite the marginal depreciation of the rupee in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, it recorded an appreciation of 3.8% during the year up to Tuesday.
On 13 May, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Fifth Review under Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) approving the disbursement of the sixth tranche amounting to SDR 118.5 million (approximately $ 164.1 million). The Executive Board also approved an extension of the arrangement by one year, until June 2020, and rephased the remaining disbursements.
The country’s gross official reserves stood at $ 7.6 billion, which was equivalent to 4.3 months of imports at end March 2019. The deficit in the trade account narrowed significantly in March this year in comparison to March 2018 due to record high export earnings and considerable reduction in imports.
Expenditure on imports continued to decline due to the policy measures adopted by the Central Bank and the Government. On a cumulative basis, the deficit in the trade account contracted significantly during the first three months of 2019 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
Terms of trade, which represent the relative price of imports in terms of exports, deteriorated by 3.3% (year-on-year) in March due to the decline in export prices at a higher rate than the decline in import prices. Meanwhile, on a cumulative basis, terms of trade deteriorated marginally during the first three months of 2019 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
“Merchandise exports recorded the highest-ever monthly earnings of $ 1,137 million in March 2019 registering a moderate growth of 2.6%, due to the higher base in March 2018. The growth in exports was driven by the improved performance in industrial and mineral exports while agricultural exports declined,” the report said.
Under industrial exports, earnings from textiles and garment exports increased notably in March 2019, recording the highest-ever monthly earnings which surpassed $ 500 million for the first time. This growth was mainly due to higher demand for garment exports from traditional markets, namely the USA and the EU, as well as non-traditional markets such as Canada, Australia and China. Export earnings from textiles and other textile articles also increased in March.
Earnings from petroleum exports increased in March, reversing the declining trend observed during the past three months, led by an increase in both volume and prices of bunker and aviation fuel. Export earnings from base metals and articles increased driven by iron and steel articles and aluminium articles. Export earnings from food, beverages and tobacco increased during the month owing to the improved performance in all sub categories except vegetables, fruit and nuts preparations.
Printing industry products, and chemical products also contributed towards the increase in industrial exports in March. However, earnings from machinery and mechanical appliances, gems, diamonds and jewellery, rubber products, leather, travel goods and footwear, and transport equipment exports declined in the period concerned.
Earnings from agricultural exports declined in March, mainly driven by subdued performance in tea, minor agricultural products, natural rubber and unmanufactured tobacco exports. Although the volumes of tea export increased in March, export earnings from tea declined due to lower average export prices. However, earnings from coconut exports increased due to the increase in export of both coconut kernel and non-kernel products. Earnings from spices, seafood and vegetable exports also rose marginally during the month.
Export earnings from mineral exports, which account for about 0.4% of total exports, rose mainly driven by export of titanium ores.
The export volume index in March 2019 increased by 10.6% while the export unit value index decreased by 7.2%, implying that the growth in export earnings was solely driven by the increase in volumes. Expenditure on merchandise imports declined considerably in March 2019 by 12.6%, on a year-on-year basis, to $1,729 million, recording a decline for the fifth consecutive month.
This reduction was mainly due to the effect of the policy measures implemented by the Central Bank and the Government to discourage certain non-essential imports and the significant depreciation of the currency. However, considering the favourable developments in the external sector and measures introduced in Budget 2019, such policy measures were withdrawn in March 2019. Low expenditure on intermediate and consumer goods contributed to the decline in imports during March 2019, while expenditure on investment goods increased. Total imports, excluding fuel, also declined significantly.
Import expenditure on intermediate goods declined in March 2019 mainly driven by gold imports which continued to be stagnant following the imposition of customs duty on gold in April 2018. Expenditure on wheat and maize declined owing to the lower import volume of wheat. Plastic and articles, food preparations and vehicle and machinery parts imports also contributed to the decline in intermediate goods.
In contrast, expenditure on fuel imports increased in March owing to higher import volume and prices of crude oil despite a reduction recorded in refined petroleum and coal imports. In addition, expenditure on fertiliser imports increased in March 2019 mainly driven by higher import volumes when compared with March 2018. Further, import expenditure on textiles and textile articles led by fabrics, base metals led by iron and steel and mineral products led by cement clinkers increased during the period concerned.
Reflecting lower imports of most items in both food and beverages and non-food consumer goods, import expenditure on consumer goods declined significantly in March. Expenditure on personal motor vehicle imports declined significantly in March, continuing its year-on-year declining trend observed since December 2018. However, imports of personal motor vehicles recorded an increase in comparison to the previous month.
Policy measures on motor vehicle imports were changed with the withdrawal of margin requirements against letter of credits (LCs) and upward revision of excise duties on motor vehicles. In addition, import of rice declined with lower import volumes as there was sufficient domestic production of rice in the market while sugar and confectionery imports reduced due to lower import volumes and prices.
In addition, expenditure on most non-food consumer goods such as clothing and accessories, telecommunication devices, home appliances and household and furniture items declined during the month. However, expenditure on dairy products, cosmetics and toiletries, printed materials and stationery imports increased in March.
Import expenditure on investment goods increased in March, driven by higher imports of building material and machinery and equipment. Reflecting higher imports of cement and articles of iron and steel, import expenditure on building material increased. Import expenditure on machinery and equipment increased during the month, mainly due to imports of cranes. In contrast, expenditure on transport equipment declined in March due to lower expenditure incurred on the importation of tankers and bowsers and buses compared with the corresponding period of 2018.
Import volume and unit value indices decreased by 8.9% and 4.1%, respectively, in March, indicating the decline in import expenditure during the month was driven by the reduction in both volumes imported and price, in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
Along with the proceeds of the ISBs, as at end March, gross official reserves were estimated at $7.6 billion, equivalent to 4.3 months of imports. Total foreign assets, which consist of gross official reserves and foreign assets of the banking sector, amounted to $ 10.5 billion as at end March, equivalent to six months of imports.
Along with the significant reduction in the trade deficit and significant inflows to the financial account, the Sri Lankan Rupee appreciated against the US Dollar by 3.8% by end March 2019 compared to end 2018. Despite the marginal depreciation of the rupee in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, it recorded an appreciation of 3.8% during the year up to Tuesday.
On 13 May, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Fifth Review under Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) approving the disbursement of the sixth tranche amounting to SDR 118.5 million (approximately $ 164.1 million). The Executive Board also approved an extension of the arrangement by one year, until June 2020, and rephased the remaining disbursements.
The country’s gross official reserves stood at $ 7.6 billion, which was equivalent to 4.3 months of imports at end March 2019. The deficit in the trade account narrowed significantly in March this year in comparison to March 2018 due to record high export earnings and considerable reduction in imports.
Expenditure on imports continued to decline due to the policy measures adopted by the Central Bank and the Government. On a cumulative basis, the deficit in the trade account contracted significantly during the first three months of 2019 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
Terms of trade, which represent the relative price of imports in terms of exports, deteriorated by 3.3% (year-on-year) in March due to the decline in export prices at a higher rate than the decline in import prices. Meanwhile, on a cumulative basis, terms of trade deteriorated marginally during the first three months of 2019 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
“Merchandise exports recorded the highest-ever monthly earnings of $ 1,137 million in March 2019 registering a moderate growth of 2.6%, due to the higher base in March 2018. The growth in exports was driven by the improved performance in industrial and mineral exports while agricultural exports declined,” the report said.
Under industrial exports, earnings from textiles and garment exports increased notably in March 2019, recording the highest-ever monthly earnings which surpassed $ 500 million for the first time. This growth was mainly due to higher demand for garment exports from traditional markets, namely the USA and the EU, as well as non-traditional markets such as Canada, Australia and China. Export earnings from textiles and other textile articles also increased in March.
Earnings from petroleum exports increased in March, reversing the declining trend observed during the past three months, led by an increase in both volume and prices of bunker and aviation fuel. Export earnings from base metals and articles increased driven by iron and steel articles and aluminium articles. Export earnings from food, beverages and tobacco increased during the month owing to the improved performance in all sub categories except vegetables, fruit and nuts preparations.
Printing industry products, and chemical products also contributed towards the increase in industrial exports in March. However, earnings from machinery and mechanical appliances, gems, diamonds and jewellery, rubber products, leather, travel goods and footwear, and transport equipment exports declined in the period concerned.
Earnings from agricultural exports declined in March, mainly driven by subdued performance in tea, minor agricultural products, natural rubber and unmanufactured tobacco exports. Although the volumes of tea export increased in March, export earnings from tea declined due to lower average export prices. However, earnings from coconut exports increased due to the increase in export of both coconut kernel and non-kernel products. Earnings from spices, seafood and vegetable exports also rose marginally during the month.
Export earnings from mineral exports, which account for about 0.4% of total exports, rose mainly driven by export of titanium ores.
The export volume index in March 2019 increased by 10.6% while the export unit value index decreased by 7.2%, implying that the growth in export earnings was solely driven by the increase in volumes. Expenditure on merchandise imports declined considerably in March 2019 by 12.6%, on a year-on-year basis, to $1,729 million, recording a decline for the fifth consecutive month.
This reduction was mainly due to the effect of the policy measures implemented by the Central Bank and the Government to discourage certain non-essential imports and the significant depreciation of the currency. However, considering the favourable developments in the external sector and measures introduced in Budget 2019, such policy measures were withdrawn in March 2019. Low expenditure on intermediate and consumer goods contributed to the decline in imports during March 2019, while expenditure on investment goods increased. Total imports, excluding fuel, also declined significantly.
Import expenditure on intermediate goods declined in March 2019 mainly driven by gold imports which continued to be stagnant following the imposition of customs duty on gold in April 2018. Expenditure on wheat and maize declined owing to the lower import volume of wheat. Plastic and articles, food preparations and vehicle and machinery parts imports also contributed to the decline in intermediate goods.
In contrast, expenditure on fuel imports increased in March owing to higher import volume and prices of crude oil despite a reduction recorded in refined petroleum and coal imports. In addition, expenditure on fertiliser imports increased in March 2019 mainly driven by higher import volumes when compared with March 2018. Further, import expenditure on textiles and textile articles led by fabrics, base metals led by iron and steel and mineral products led by cement clinkers increased during the period concerned.
Reflecting lower imports of most items in both food and beverages and non-food consumer goods, import expenditure on consumer goods declined significantly in March. Expenditure on personal motor vehicle imports declined significantly in March, continuing its year-on-year declining trend observed since December 2018. However, imports of personal motor vehicles recorded an increase in comparison to the previous month.
Policy measures on motor vehicle imports were changed with the withdrawal of margin requirements against letter of credits (LCs) and upward revision of excise duties on motor vehicles. In addition, import of rice declined with lower import volumes as there was sufficient domestic production of rice in the market while sugar and confectionery imports reduced due to lower import volumes and prices.
In addition, expenditure on most non-food consumer goods such as clothing and accessories, telecommunication devices, home appliances and household and furniture items declined during the month. However, expenditure on dairy products, cosmetics and toiletries, printed materials and stationery imports increased in March.
Import expenditure on investment goods increased in March, driven by higher imports of building material and machinery and equipment. Reflecting higher imports of cement and articles of iron and steel, import expenditure on building material increased. Import expenditure on machinery and equipment increased during the month, mainly due to imports of cranes. In contrast, expenditure on transport equipment declined in March due to lower expenditure incurred on the importation of tankers and bowsers and buses compared with the corresponding period of 2018.
Import volume and unit value indices decreased by 8.9% and 4.1%, respectively, in March, indicating the decline in import expenditure during the month was driven by the reduction in both volumes imported and price, in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
Along with the proceeds of the ISBs, as at end March, gross official reserves were estimated at $7.6 billion, equivalent to 4.3 months of imports. Total foreign assets, which consist of gross official reserves and foreign assets of the banking sector, amounted to $ 10.5 billion as at end March, equivalent to six months of imports.
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SPORTS HOME / TOP STORY/ IMPORTS DIP 19.3% IN 1Q Imports dip 19.3% in 1Q
Comments / 674 Views / Wednesday, 29 May 2019 01:52 Facebook
Imports drop 5 consecutive months, March sees 12.6% drop
All imports excluding fuel see drop, CB says reduction due to policies,
expected change in 2Q But exports increase 5.6% in 1Q, record
highest-ever earnings of $ 1.13 b Industrial and mineral exports grew but
agricultural exports declined Apparel records highest-ever monthly earning
surpassing $ 500 m Trade deficit contracts to $ 1.6 b from $ 2.9 b
in 1Q 2018 Reserves at $ 7.6 b, rupee appreciates 3.8% to date
Imports dropped a steep 19.3% in the first quarter of 2019, even though export
earnings increased by 5.6% year-on-year as the trade deficit contracted to $
1,661 million from $ 2,982 million recorded in the first quarter of 2018, the
Central Bank said yesterday. Releasing the latest External Sector
Performance Report, the Central Bank said imports had declined for five
straight months, with March seeing a 12.6% drop, on a year-on-year basis, to $
1,729 million. The Central Bank attributed the drop to policies aimed at
discouraging imports and said that an import pick-up may take place in the
second quarter as these policies were reversed. All imports other than fuel saw
a decline as economic activity slowed. In March 2019, the deficit in the
trade account narrowed to $ 592 million, compared to $ 871 million in March
2018. The considerable reduction in the trade deficit in March 2019 was due to
a notable decline in import expenditure by 12.6% (year-on-year) which was
further supported by the increase of export earnings by 2.6% (year-on-year),
the report said. The financial account was further strengthened in March
with the proceeds of the International Sovereign Bonds (ISBs) amounting to $
2.4 billion and net inflows of foreign investments to the Government securities
market during the month, although some net outflows were observed from the
Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Along with the significant reduction in the trade
deficit and significant inflows to the financial account, the Sri Lankan Rupee
appreciated against the US Dollar by 3.8% by end March 2019 compared to end
2018. Despite the marginal depreciation of the rupee in the aftermath of the
Easter Sunday bomb attacks, it recorded an appreciation of 3.8% during the year
up to Tuesday. On 13 May, the Executive Board of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) completed the Fifth Review under Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility
(EFF) approving the disbursement of the sixth tranche amounting to SDR 118.5
million (approximately $ 164.1 million). The Executive Board also approved an
extension of the arrangement by one year, until June 2020, and rephased the
remaining disbursements. The country’s gross official reserves stood at $ 7.6
billion, which was equivalent to 4.3 months of imports at end March 2019. The
deficit in the trade account narrowed significantly in March this year in
comparison to March 2018 due to record high export earnings and considerable
reduction in imports. Expenditure on imports continued to decline due to the
policy measures adopted by the Central Bank and the Government. On a cumulative
basis, the deficit in the trade account contracted significantly during the
first three months of 2019 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
Terms of trade, which represent the relative price of imports in terms of
exports, deteriorated by 3.3% (year-on-year) in March due to the decline in
export prices at a higher rate than the decline in import prices. Meanwhile, on
a cumulative basis, terms of trade deteriorated marginally during the first
three months of 2019 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
“Merchandise exports recorded the highest-ever monthly earnings of $ 1,137
million in March 2019 registering a moderate growth of 2.6%, due to the higher
base in March 2018. The growth in exports was driven by the improved
performance in industrial and mineral exports while agricultural exports declined,”
the report said. Under industrial exports, earnings from textiles and
garment exports increased notably in March 2019, recording the highest-ever
monthly earnings which surpassed $ 500 million for the first time. This growth
was mainly due to higher demand for garment exports from traditional markets,
namely the USA and the EU, as well as non-traditional markets such as Canada,
Australia and China. Export earnings from textiles and other textile articles
also increased in March. Earnings from petroleum exports increased in
March, reversing the declining trend observed during the past three months, led
by an increase in both volume and prices of bunker and aviation fuel. Export
earnings from base metals and articles increased driven by iron and steel articles
and aluminium articles. Export earnings from food, beverages and tobacco
increased during the month owing to the improved performance in all sub
categories except vegetables, fruit and nuts preparations. Printing industry
products, and chemical products also contributed towards the increase in
industrial exports in March. However, earnings from machinery and mechanical
appliances, gems, diamonds and jewellery, rubber products, leather, travel
goods and footwear, and transport equipment exports declined in the period
concerned. Earnings from agricultural exports declined in March, mainly driven
by subdued performance in tea, minor agricultural products, natural rubber and
unmanufactured tobacco exports. Although the volumes of tea export increased in
March, export earnings from tea declined due to lower average export prices.
However, earnings from coconut exports increased due to the increase in export
of both coconut kernel and non-kernel products. Earnings from spices, seafood
and vegetable exports also rose marginally during the month. Export earnings
from mineral exports, which account for about 0.4% of total exports, rose
mainly driven by export of titanium ores. The export volume index in March 2019
increased by 10.6% while the export unit value index decreased by 7.2%,
implying that the growth in export earnings was solely driven by the increase
in volumes. Expenditure on merchandise imports declined considerably in March
2019 by 12.6%, on a year-on-year basis, to $1,729 million, recording a decline
for the fifth consecutive month. This reduction was mainly due to the effect of
the policy measures implemented by the Central Bank and the Government to
discourage certain non-essential imports and the significant depreciation of
the currency. However, considering the favourable developments in the external
sector and measures introduced in Budget 2019, such policy measures were
withdrawn in March 2019. Low expenditure on intermediate and consumer goods
contributed to the decline in imports during March 2019, while expenditure on
investment goods increased. Total imports, excluding fuel, also declined
significantly. Import expenditure on intermediate goods declined in March 2019
mainly driven by gold imports which continued to be stagnant following the
imposition of customs duty on gold in April 2018. Expenditure on wheat and
maize declined owing to the lower import volume of wheat. Plastic and articles,
food preparations and vehicle and machinery parts imports also contributed to
the decline in intermediate goods. In contrast, expenditure on fuel
imports increased in March owing to higher import volume and prices of crude
oil despite a reduction recorded in refined petroleum and coal imports. In
addition, expenditure on fertiliser imports increased in March 2019 mainly
driven by higher import volumes when compared with March 2018. Further, import
expenditure on textiles and textile articles led by fabrics, base metals led by
iron and steel and mineral products led by cement clinkers increased during the
period concerned. Reflecting lower imports of most items in both food and
beverages and non-food consumer goods, import expenditure on consumer goods
declined significantly in March. Expenditure on personal motor vehicle imports
declined significantly in March, continuing its year-on-year declining trend
observed since December 2018. However, imports of personal motor vehicles
recorded an increase in comparison to the previous month. Policy measures
on motor vehicle imports were changed with the withdrawal of margin
requirements against letter of credits (LCs) and upward revision of excise
duties on motor vehicles. In addition, import of rice declined with lower
import volumes as there was sufficient domestic production of rice in the
market while sugar and confectionery imports reduced due to lower import
volumes and prices. In addition, expenditure on most non-food consumer
goods such as clothing and accessories, telecommunication devices, home
appliances and household and furniture items declined during the month.
However, expenditure on dairy products, cosmetics and toiletries, printed
materials and stationery imports increased in March. Import expenditure on
investment goods increased in March, driven by higher imports of building
material and machinery and equipment. Reflecting higher imports of cement and
articles of iron and steel, import expenditure on building material increased.
Import expenditure on machinery and equipment increased during the month,
mainly due to imports of cranes. In contrast, expenditure on transport
equipment declined in March due to lower expenditure incurred on the
importation of tankers and bowsers and buses compared with the corresponding
period of 2018. Import volume and unit value indices decreased by 8.9% and
4.1%, respectively, in March, indicating the decline in import expenditure
during the month was driven by the reduction in both volumes imported and
price, in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018. Along with the
proceeds of the ISBs, as at end March, gross official reserves were estimated
at $7.6 billion, equivalent to 4.3 months of imports. Total foreign assets,
which consist of gross official reserves and foreign assets of the banking
sector, amounted to $ 10.5 billion as at end March, equivalent to six months of
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ABOUT US ARCHIVES CONTACT HOME COLUMNISTS FT CLICK FT LITE CARTOON OPINION AND
ISSUES SECTORS SPORTS HOME / TOP STORY/ IMPORTS DIP 19.3% IN 1Q Imports dip
19.3% in 1Q Comments / 674 Views / Wednesday, 29 May 2019 01:52 Facebook
Imports drop 5 consecutive months, March sees 12.6%
drop All imports excluding fuel see drop, CB says reduction due to
policies, expected change in 2Q But exports increase 5.6% in 1Q, record
highest-ever earnings of $ 1.13 b Industrial and mineral exports grew but
agricultural exports declined Apparel records highest-ever monthly earning
surpassing $ 500 m Trade deficit contracts to $ 1.6 b from $ 2.9 b
in 1Q 2018 Reserves at $ 7.6 b, rupee appreciates 3.8% to date
Imports dropped a steep 19.3% in the first quarter of 2019, even though export
earnings increased by 5.6% year-on-year as the trade deficit contracted to $
1,661 million from $ 2,982 million recorded in the first quarter of 2018, the
Central Bank said yesterday. Releasing the latest External Sector
Performance Report, the Central Bank said imports had declined for five
straight months, with March seeing a 12.6% drop, on a year-on-year basis, to $
1,729 million. The Central Bank attributed the drop to policies aimed at
discouraging imports and said that an import pick-up may take place in the
second quarter as these policies were reversed. All imports other than fuel saw
a decline as economic activity slowed. In March 2019, the deficit in the
trade account narrowed to $ 592 million, compared to $ 871 million in March
2018. The considerable reduction in the trade deficit in March 2019 was due to
a notable decline in import expenditure by 12.6% (year-on-year) which was
further supported by the increase of export earnings by 2.6% (year-on-year),
the report said. The financial account was further strengthened in March
with the proceeds of the International Sovereign Bonds (ISBs) amounting to $
2.4 billion and net inflows of foreign investments to the Government securities
market during the month, although some net outflows were observed from the
Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Along with the significant reduction in the trade
deficit and significant inflows to the financial account, the Sri Lankan Rupee
appreciated against the US Dollar by 3.8% by end March 2019 compared to end
2018. Despite the marginal depreciation of the rupee in the aftermath of the
Easter Sunday bomb attacks, it recorded an appreciation of 3.8% during the year
up to Tuesday. On 13 May, the Executive Board of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) completed the Fifth Review under Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility
(EFF) approving the disbursement of the sixth tranche amounting to SDR 118.5
million (approximately $ 164.1 million). The Executive Board also approved an
extension of the arrangement by one year, until June 2020, and rephased the
remaining disbursements. The country’s gross official reserves stood at $ 7.6
billion, which was equivalent to 4.3 months of imports at end March 2019. The
deficit in the trade account narrowed significantly in March this year in
comparison to March 2018 due to record high export earnings and considerable
reduction in imports. Expenditure on imports continued to decline due to the
policy measures adopted by the Central Bank and the Government. On a cumulative
basis, the deficit in the trade account contracted significantly during the
first three months of 2019 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
Terms of trade, which represent the relative price of imports in terms of
exports, deteriorated by 3.3% (year-on-year) in March due to the decline in
export prices at a higher rate than the decline in import prices. Meanwhile, on
a cumulative basis, terms of trade deteriorated marginally during the first
three months of 2019 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
“Merchandise exports recorded the highest-ever monthly earnings of $ 1,137
million in March 2019 registering a moderate growth of 2.6%, due to the higher
base in March 2018. The growth in exports was driven by the improved
performance in industrial and mineral exports while agricultural exports
declined,” the report said. Under industrial exports, earnings from
textiles and garment exports increased notably in March 2019, recording the
highest-ever monthly earnings which surpassed $ 500 million for the first time.
This growth was mainly due to higher demand for garment exports from traditional
markets, namely the USA and the EU, as well as non-traditional markets such as
Canada, Australia and China. Export earnings from textiles and other textile
articles also increased in March. Earnings from petroleum exports
increased in March, reversing the declining trend observed during the past
three months, led by an increase in both volume and prices of bunker and
aviation fuel. Export earnings from base metals and articles increased driven
by iron and steel articles and aluminium articles. Export earnings from food,
beverages and tobacco increased during the month owing to the improved
performance in all sub categories except vegetables, fruit and nuts
preparations. Printing industry products, and chemical products also
contributed towards the increase in industrial exports in March. However,
earnings from machinery and mechanical appliances, gems, diamonds and
jewellery, rubber products, leather, travel goods and footwear, and transport
equipment exports declined in the period concerned. Earnings from agricultural
exports declined in March, mainly driven by subdued performance in tea, minor
agricultural products, natural rubber and unmanufactured tobacco exports.
Although the volumes of tea export increased in March, export earnings from tea
declined due to lower average export prices. However, earnings from coconut
exports increased due to the increase in export of both coconut kernel and
non-kernel products. Earnings from spices, seafood and vegetable exports also
rose marginally during the month. Export earnings from mineral exports, which
account for about 0.4% of total exports, rose mainly driven by export of
titanium ores. The export volume index in March 2019 increased by 10.6% while
the export unit value index decreased by 7.2%, implying that the growth in
export earnings was solely driven by the increase in volumes. Expenditure on
merchandise imports declined considerably in March 2019 by 12.6%, on a
year-on-year basis, to $1,729 million, recording a decline for the fifth
consecutive month. This reduction was mainly due to the effect of the policy
measures implemented by the Central Bank and the Government to discourage
certain non-essential imports and the significant depreciation of the currency.
However, considering the favourable developments in the external sector and
measures introduced in Budget 2019, such policy measures were withdrawn in
March 2019. Low expenditure on intermediate and consumer goods contributed to
the decline in imports during March 2019, while expenditure on investment goods
increased. Total imports, excluding fuel, also declined significantly. Import
expenditure on intermediate goods declined in March 2019 mainly driven by gold
imports which continued to be stagnant following the imposition of customs duty
on gold in April 2018. Expenditure on wheat and maize declined owing to the
lower import volume of wheat. Plastic and articles, food preparations and
vehicle and machinery parts imports also contributed to the decline in
intermediate goods. In contrast, expenditure on fuel imports increased in
March owing to higher import volume and prices of crude oil despite a reduction
recorded in refined petroleum and coal imports. In addition, expenditure on
fertiliser imports increased in March 2019 mainly driven by higher import
volumes when compared with March 2018. Further, import expenditure on textiles
and textile articles led by fabrics, base metals led by iron and steel and
mineral products led by cement clinkers increased during the period concerned.
Reflecting lower imports of most items in both food and beverages and non-food
consumer goods, import expenditure on consumer goods declined significantly in
March. Expenditure on personal motor vehicle imports declined significantly in
March, continuing its year-on-year declining trend observed since December
2018. However, imports of personal motor vehicles recorded an increase in
comparison to the previous month. Policy measures on motor vehicle
imports were changed with the withdrawal of margin requirements against letter
of credits (LCs) and upward revision of excise duties on motor vehicles. In
addition, import of rice declined with lower import volumes as there was
sufficient domestic production of rice in the market while sugar and
confectionery imports reduced due to lower import volumes and prices. In
addition, expenditure on most non-food consumer goods such as clothing and
accessories, telecommunication devices, home appliances and household and
furniture items declined during the month. However, expenditure on dairy
products, cosmetics and toiletries, printed materials and stationery imports
increased in March. Import expenditure on investment goods increased in March,
driven by higher imports of building material and machinery and equipment.
Reflecting higher imports of cement and articles of iron and steel, import
expenditure on building material increased. Import expenditure on machinery and
equipment increased during the month, mainly due to imports of cranes. In
contrast, expenditure on transport equipment declined in March due to lower
expenditure incurred on the importation of tankers and bowsers and buses
compared with the corresponding period of 2018. Import volume and unit value
indices decreased by 8.9% and 4.1%, respectively, in March, indicating the decline
in import expenditure during the month was driven by the reduction in both
volumes imported and price, in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018.
Along with the proceeds of the ISBs, as at end March, gross official reserves
were estimated at $7.6 billion, equivalent to 4.3 months of imports. Total
foreign assets, which consist of gross official reserves and foreign assets of
the banking sector, amounted to $ 10.5 billion as at end March, equivalent to
six months of imports. Share This Article Facebook Twitter DISCLAIMER: 1. All
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Combating invisible financing for terrorism Wednesday, 29 May 2019 CCTV footage
played the key role in identifying the suicide bombers of the Easter Sunday
attack.However, the ways and means of breeding such terrorism on Sri Lanka’s
soil is still under investigation.In the aftermath of the Easter attack, there
is An unpardonable pardon Wednesday, 29 May 2019 We are back in primitive
tribal times. The power of pardon is a feature of human society with ancient
roots. It originates from the tribal custom exercised by the tribal chief to
soften the harsh rigour of embedded tribal customs. Under civilised con New
constitution as a panacea for all ills and people’s mandate Wednesday, 29 May
2019 Victor Ivan, one of the proponents of 19A, in his latest edition published
in Daily FT on 24 May under the caption ‘Sri Lanka needs urgent surgery,’ has
once again advocated a strong argument to bring a new constitution as a
solution to the curre Delimitation of electoral boundaries in SL: Multi-member
electorates – perceptions and realities Wednesday, 29 May 2019 This article is
the fourth in a series of articles on delimitation of geographical boundaries
in Sri Lanka. Following on the third article, ‘Smaller electoral units needed
to serve the people better’ (Sunday Island of 10 February and Daily FT of
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