Thursday, April 30, 2020

30th April ,2020 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

India’s ‘Seed Warrior’ Builds Living Seed Banks to Preserve Agricultural Diversity

Debal Deb has preserved 1,410 varieties of indigenous rice through an open-source seed bank in Odisha, India that promotes agricultural diversity and resilience for marginalized farmers. On April 30th, as part of a new live webinar series from A Growing Culture (AGC), Deb will discuss the role that seeds play in the preservation of culture.
Deb, an independent researcher and ecologist, began conserving indigenous seeds twenty-five years ago after witnessing the decline of folk rice varieties following the Green Revolution. Before the introduction of the Green Revolution in the 1960s, India boasted over 100,000 varieties of native rice; today, that figure hovers around 7,000.
“With the disappearance of thousands of varieties that were perfectly adapted to the local environmental conditions, farmers are now unable to adapt to the climate change crisis that agriculture is facing,” Deb tells Food Tank. “I began my effort in the hope that more competent people would come forward to conserve the genetic wealth to secure the future of our food.”
To realize this goal, Deb created Vrihi, an open-source, living seed bank, which houses and cultivates rare and indigenous varieties of rice. Deb freely distributes the seeds to farmers across the country on the condition that they continue to grow and distribute them to their wider community.
Deb believes that open access to indigenous seeds is the start of true food sovereignty. He explains that indigenous varieties, which do not require pesticides and fertilizers, frees farmers from any reliance on corporations that sell these inputs.
“When the farmer has the indigenous seeds appropriate to the local environmental conditions and applies agroecology, the farmer is liberated from the bondage of the industrial agricultural system,” says Deb.
Indigenous varieties also benefit the health of communities. “Folk rice varieties are rich in a range of micronutrients like iron, zinc, vitamins, and antioxidants—which are characteristically absent in the modern rice varieties, and are valuable to ensure nutritional security of the poor,” Deb tells Food Tank.
AGC, an organization committed to the advancement of farmer autonomy, seeks to share Deb’s message. Through a new weekly webinar series, The Hunger For Justice Series, they are featuring conversations about building a socially just and regenerative food system in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 30th at 11:00 a.m. EST, Deb and Dan Barber, Chef and Co-Founder of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barnes, will be in conversation to discuss Deb’s efforts with seed banks and the role that seeds play in the development of cultural resilience.
Ultimately, Deb hopes that his work can bridge the gap between farmers and scientists. “There are certain things that indigenous farmers know, but scientists do not know,” Deb tells Food Tank. “Conversely, there are certain things that scientists know but are unknown to the farmers. I am working to…make the relevant pieces of scientific information accessible to the farmers, and to bring the wealth of traditional knowledge to the scientific repertoire in order to improve the science of agriculture.”
Photo courtesy of A Growing Culture


USA Rice Showcases Authenticity in New Chef Video 
 ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA -- This week, USA Rice released the first of three educational videos aimed at foodservice operators, chefs, and purchasers.  The goal of the video series is to highlight the advantages U.S.-grown rice can bring to a foodservice operation and its bottom line, and with restaurants in a period of flux because of shifting dining patterns, the timing is appropriate.

The videos have three distinct themes:  Authenticity -- how using U.S.-grown rice allows operators to deliver an authentic culinary experience; Plant-Based -- how incorporating U.S.-grown rice in their menus enables operators to capitalize on the plant-based movement and increase their whole food offerings; and Seasonality -- how U.S.-grown rice can help operators easily adapt their menus based on the growing season.  

Each video stars James Beard-nominated Chef Hari Cameron as the host and highlights different rice-based concepts.

The Authenticity video was released this week with Chef Hari talking about three U.S.-grown rice varieties and how each can be applied to create truly authentic dishes for customers.  The recipes featured are Blue Crab Fried Rice with U.S.-grown jasmine rice, Steak Bibimbap with U.S.-grown short grain rice, and a Low Country Dirty Rice with U.S.-grown long grain rice.

"We know the foodservice industry is facing a very challenging time right now as a result of the COVID-19 crisis," said Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of domestic promotion.  "As operators look to the future and consider adapting their models, we wanted to launch this video series that is about inspiring chefs and moving U.S.-grown rice to the top of their minds.  In the first video, Chef Hari capitalizes on the rise of global flavors and the tweaking of homegrown favorites to remind professionals that they can deliver authentic dishes with locally grown rice.  As he says in the video, 'when he thinks authentic, he thinks U.S.-grown rice!'"

This video series will be incorporated into USA Rice's overall foodservice digital advertising strategy and future videos will be released in the following months.  

Go 
here to view the first video.
USA Rice Daily

China Focus: Major rice producer promotes double-cropping rice to ensure food security

Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:49:25|Editor: huaxia
CHANGSHA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Standing on the ridge of rice paddies with a hoe on his shoulder, farmer Xie Xiping breathed a sigh of relief. "The paddy fields finally began to grow double-cropping rice after 20 years."
Xie's hometown, the village of Changan in central China's Hunan Province, planted double-cropping rice on its 120 hectares of arable land 20 years ago.
However, as the income from rice farming continued to decline, a large number of young and middle-aged villagers left to work in cities, and the elderly left behind switched to single-cropping rice due to the shortage of laborers.
In Hunan, a major rice producer in China, farmers planted double-cropping rice in most plain areas and even mountain areas with relatively poor farming conditions, to ensure stable grain yields.
However, with the rice-planting cost rising and the market price of rice dropping in recent years, more and more mountains switched to grow single-cropping rice. In Hunan's Dongting Lake plain, one of China's major commodity grain production bases, large areas of fertile land were used for crayfish farming for a better income.
Nationwide, the country also saw a falling planting area of double-cropping rice. In March, according to figures released by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the planting area of double-cropping rice in 2019 was about 9.3 million hectares, down about 2.3 million hectares compared to 2012.
Rice is a staple food in China, whose total grain output consists of three parts -- early rice, summer grain and autumn production. Autumn grain crops, which include corn and middle- and late-season rice, account for the bulk of the grain production.
To ensure grain supply, major grain-producing provinces in China, including Hunan, are speeding up efforts to curb the decline in the planting area of double-cropping rice, which accounts for nearly one-third of the country's total rice-planting area.
Hunan first worked on the provision of high-quality early rice seedlings for farmers.
"The seedling raising work of early rice is troublesome because it's labor-intensive. The unstable temperature in spring will also reduce the survival rate of rice seedlings," said Wu Jianjun, a senior agronomist in Huarong County. "Therefore, many farmers gave up planting early rice in the past."
To solve the problem of rice seedlings, the local government entrusted professionals to raise rice seedlings and built seedling raising greenhouses and intelligent plants, in an effort to reduce farmers' financial and labor burdens.
It also promoted the use of agricultural machines to help farmers with scattering and transplanting seedlings.
"We were given subsidies to purchase agricultural machinery, which saves us a lot of time and manpower in our farm work," said Zeng Dekong, a rice farmer in the township of Wanyu in Huarong.
In addition, Hunan sent more than 11,000 agricultural and technical cadres to rice paddies to provide guidance for farmers in rice planting.
The efforts have paid off. The latest statistics from the provincial agriculture and rural affairs department showed that the planting area of early rice in Hunan has so far increased to about 1.22 million hectares.
In Xie's village, the 120 hectares of fertile land has been entrusted to farmers in neighboring villages to plant double-cropping rice.
"For us farmers, self-sufficiency is the most reassuring thing," Xie smiled. Enditem

A Mother, a Pandemic and Scorched Rice

“You have an American amount of rice,” my mother told me as news of the coronavirus intensified. “Go get the biggest bag you can find.”
Credit...Lucy Johnston
By Lynn Jones Johnston
·       Published April 28, 2020Updated April 29, 2020 “I’m sending you money to buy rice,” my mom texted me in early March. She had gone to the West Coast to help my sister with her new baby and stayed when it became too risky to fly. As news of the coronavirus intensified, so did her fretting.
“I don’t need money,” I texted back. “Also, I have plenty of rice.”
“No, you have an American amount of rice,” she replied. “Go get the biggest bag you can find.”
I live in New York City and can’t just drive to the supermarket to load up on groceries. Every item has to be carried home, which I don’t mind. The hunting and gathering of city life energizes me, from the stooped butchers at Ottomanelli Brothers, to the East Village pasta maker who throws in an extra handful of gnocchi with your order, to vendors who show up at the farmer’s market, rain or shine.
When I first visited the Big Apple, as a 15-year old, a forgotten bell rang. By then my family was living in American suburbia, but deep in my brain, the echo of another city, the one I’d been born in, sounded. In Saigon, one of my earliest memories was going to the market on a moped with my aunt, sitting on her long, traditional ao dai to keep it from flying in the air, my 3-year-old hands white-knuckling her waist as we zipped through traffic. Even though it was war time, I never felt more alive.
“Please be careful,” my mother texted when the Bay area issued a stay-at-home order, adding, “Let me know when you’ve gotten the rice.” OK, Mom. In the week before New York followed with its own shutdown, I went to the Asian supermarket that sits between an upscale bagel shop and Pakistani-run stationers and grabbed a 15-pounder, cursing my lack of upper body strength as I made my way home.

Ideas from The Times on what to read, cook, watch, play and listen to while staying safe At Home.

As I placed the hulking bag on the kitchen floor, I noticed that in my haste I’d gotten new crop rice, which comes from the season’s first harvest. New crop creates a fluffy “pillow” on which to serve vegetables, tofu, shrimp and meat, but newer isn’t always better. Saucier dishes like curry and stew stand up to the firmer texture of older rice. Another downside of new crop, its more delicate constitution makes it trickier to get a good com chay, translated as scorched rice. Americans often ignore the crust that forms at the bottom of the rice pot, but many cultures consider it a delicacy. In Spain, diners vie for the socarrat in the paella pan. Iranians honor guests in their home with tahdig. In Japan, okoge has a place in cherished tea ceremonies. To me, rice without a crispy layer is like carrot cake without cream cheese frosting. Why bother?
Electric rice cookers have a setting to create this essential underbelly, but I do it on the stove by trial and error. To make com chay, the most important ingredient is patience. Cook the rice longer than you normally do on the lowest possible setting to coax the desired caramel shell.
When my mother is here, she announces the state of the com chay before serving dinner, like a meteorologist on the morning news.
“Don’t expect too much crunch.”
“Watch for a few spotty areas.”
“Today there’s plenty of goodness for everyone!”
My hunting-and-gathering now on hold, I had to get creative making meals for my daughter Lucy and me, with ingredients on hand. One night, I sautéed fresh curly kale with a dash of oyster sauce and red pepper flakes, sprinkled with a handful of roasted chickpeas and served on a bed of soft and crusty rice.
My hamburger-loving teenager nodded and smiled as she bit into bitter kale complemented by the chickpeas’ silkiness. “Plot twist, I like this and so would Kate,” she said, referring to her health-conscious older sister who is sheltering in Los Angeles and with whom she’d long clashed over what to eat for dinner.
What I like to eat more than anything with com chay is dried pork, shredded with a mortar and pestle and seasoned to a perfect umami flavor. When I found a stash in the back of the freezer, my daughter heard such a yelp that she ran to the kitchen in time to see me pumping my fist with the Ziploc like Bong Joon Ho with his Oscars.
Salted protein is an Asian staple. My mother used to tell us a cautionary story of a family so poor that the parents hung a salted fish over the dinner table and instructed the children to imagine eating it with their plain rice. “Only look at the fish once per bite,” the parents told their hungry brood. “Don’t be greedy.”
“Don’t be greedy” is a lesson reinforced by my time in shelter. That sack of rice has helped me make food stretch, reuse leftovers and complement whatever produce I happen to get. I’ve tried to consume less, not only because deliveries are uncertain but also because I worry about people risking their health to serve my needs. After seeing recent photos of food bank lines, I wonder how many American families have salted fish on their ceiling.
Image
The author with her mother, Minh, in Vietnam.Credit...Courtesy of Lynn Jones Johnston
Something else about New York City reminds me of Vietnam. In one of the few photos of me there, I’m with my mother on what looks like a casual stroll, her flat smile betraying the chaos in our lives. There’s no mistaking the tightness behind my eyes. Children, like dogs, can sense insecurity in the air. Yet, we continue to laugh and play, eat and love. Part of us may be scorched but we survive.
Lynn Jones Johnston moved from Vietnam to the United States in third grade. She works as a literary agent in New York City.
*To make scorched rice: You can get a crust by cooking your rice as you normally do, and then leaving it on the very lowest temperature for 10 to 15 minutes longer to crisp the bottom. My mother prefers the parboil method: Rinse a cup of rice until the water runs clear (10 times). Add water to cover rice with a little overage in a pot (about one-and-a-half cups). Bring pot to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and keep uncovered. Cook for five minutes until the rice is soft on the outside and hard in the middle. Cover and cook on the lowest setting. After 30 minutes, start checking on the crust. When desired crust forms, turn off heat and wait five minutes. Scrape the crust from the pan and serve.

All rice cardholders in Tamil Nadu to get double their free rice quota for three months

CHENNAI, APRIL 29, 2020 12:54 IST
UPDATED: APRIL 29, 2020 12:56 IST
Rice loaded in a lorry being carried to rations shops. Photograph used for representational purposes only   | Photo Credit: M. Karunakaran

The measure has been taken to alleviate the hardships caused by the COVID-19 lockdown in the State

The State government has decided to double the rice entitlement of all rice-drawing ration cardholders in Tamil Nadu for the next three months, as a measure to alleviate the hardships caused by the COVID-19 lockdown. This is in tune with the government’s policy of universal public distribution system (UPDS).
As being done for ordinary allocation of rice, every cardholder will get the additional allocation of rice free of cost at 5 kg per person per month.
There are a total of about 2.01 crore rice-drawing cards, of which priority household (PHH) cards are 1.15 crore and non-priority household (NPHH) cards, around 86 lakh. The broad objective of the State government is to ensure that no card receives a lower amount of rice than what it would have normally received under the UPDS, according to an order issued by the Cooperation, Food and Civil Supplies Department on Monday.
The effect of the decision is that a ration card, having four persons as members of a household, will be entitled to receive 40 kg of rice free of cost every month up to the end of June. Ordinarily, the monthly entitlement is 20 kg for a card of four persons. The order states that PDS beneficiaries can draw the additional entitlement for the month of April in May and June, while obtaining their revised quota of rice. In other words, during the period of April-June, a ration card in the State will cumulatively get 120 kg of rice free.
The State government’s move is an improvement over the Central government’s scheme -- Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) -- wherein only two types of ration cardholders – Priority Household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) -- are entitled to receive the additional allocation of 5 kg per person per month for the three months (April – June) over and above the norms as stipulated by the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Another decision taken by the government is to increase the minimum entitlement during the three months for single-member ration cards to 7 kg per card per month from 5 kg per card per month, which is the norm under the NFSA. By providing an additional quantity of 5 kg per person in such cards in the light of the lockdown, the total entitlement will go up to 12 kg, which is even otherwise being given in Tamil Nadu for the single member ration cards.
The State government’s move to cover the NPHH cards involves an additional requirement of 66,271 tonnes of rice per month at the rate of 146 crore per month. Totally, it will cost 438 crore additionally to the exchequer for the three months. This also means that the State government, which had been pressing the Union government to give rice free of cost for the NPHH cards too, has agreed to take the Centre’s offer of providing rice at the rate of 22 per kg for these cards.
But, the government will spend only 84 crore more than the originally-budgeted amount. This is because it will be able to save 354 crore from the transaction of pulses procurement, as the State has been allocated 11,108 tonnes of tur dal by the Centre free under the PMGKAY (which is 33,324 tonnes for the three months) for the PHH and AAY cards.
A few days before the Centre came out with the PMGKAY in March, the State government announced that rice, one kg sugar and tur dal each, and one kg of edible oil would be given free of cost to all entitled ration card holders in April, apart from cash of 1,000 each to rice-drawing cards. It had also decided to extend this concession, except the cash support, for the month of May too.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/all-rice-cardholders-in-tamil-nadu-to-get-double-their-free-rice-quota-for-three-months/article31460576.ece

Government procurement of rice through app delayed, limited

·       Published at 12:59 pm April 29th, 2020
File photo: Farmers are working on a field Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
A lottery will be held among farmers who register with the app to determine who can use it in the current season
Bangladesh government’s plans to procure paddy from farmers through an online app has been delayed till May and is limited in scale, due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government had planned to procure paddy over the “Krishoker App” as well as by regular means from April 26. The app was supposed to be used in one upazila each of every district.
However, the app will now only be used in one upazila each of 24 districts and will begin operating in mid-May at the earliest. The app will not be introduced in the other districts till next year.
A lottery will be held among farmers who register with the app to determine who can use it in the current season. The government began buying paddy by regular means from April 26, as planned.
In the current Boro season, the government will buy around 2 million metric tons of food crops such as paddy, rice, and wheat.  50,000 tons of paddy is scheduled to be purchased from farmers through the app. 
While the wait for the app goes on, more than half the paddy has already been harvested in the Haor districts of Sylhet Division. Harvesting is also in progress in other districts, and millers may buy the paddy from farmers if the government delays too much.
According to the authorities, training modules and procedures for use of the app have already been developed, but they could only be completed in 24 districts due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, the government will only launch the app in these 24 districts, for now.
Abdullah Al Mamun, director (movement, storage and silo division) of the Directorate General of Food (DGF), said: “We had taken all preparations. We prepared the training module, schedule, and had plans to complete the process in March. However, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, we could not conduct training and other tasks in most of the districts. We have completed all procedures for 24 Sadar upazilas of 24 districts.
 “We will take online applications for registration from farmers till May 7. After scrutinizing the applications, a lottery will be held to select farmers we will buy from. The farmers who get the chance to use the facility during the Boro season will be excluded in the Amon season, so that more farmers get a chance to sell paddy to the government at a fair price,” he added. 
He estimated that the app would begin operation in the middle of May.
What is the process of online procurement? 
Farmers will complete registration with the government developed Krishoker App in the first step. Subsequently, local agriculture offices will match the names of applicants to a list of farmers in the locality that they have made before.
After a sufficient number of farmers have applied and been scrutinized by local agriculture offices, upazila committees headed by the UNO will hold a lottery among the applicants to determine the final list of farmers who will be eligible to sell their paddy. Then the government will collect the paddy from the farmers on a scheduled day, and the farmers will collect payment from the bank.
Every farmer will get the opportunity to sell up to two tons of paddy.
Government to buy around 2 million tons of food crops
The government had decided to buy 600,000 tons of paddy, 1.15 million tons of rice, and 75,000 tons of wheat in the current Boro season. The price for paddy has been fixed at Tk26 per kg, rice at Tk36, and wheat at Tk28.
Upon instruction from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government decided to increase the amount of paddy they will buy to 800,000 tons.
The government started buying paddy from April 26 and will start buying rice from May 7. They will continue to buy until August 31.
Meanwhile, the government began buying wheat from the open market from April 15 and will continue to buy it until June 30.

Vietnam’s rice exports ready to flow again as Premier ends curbs

By: Mai Ngoc Chau | Apr 29 2020 at 04:55 AM | International Trade  
Vietnam will end rice export restrictions from the start of May, bringing closure to a month-long saga that sparked fears over food protectionism and caused global prices to spike.
Farmers in the Mekong delta, the country’s rice belt, have produced sufficient rice despite a drought, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a cabinet meeting Tuesday. Shipments will be allowed to return to normal, he said. “As well as food security, it’s necessary we ensure food exports are stable and guarantee the rights of rice farmers,” he added.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc
The world’s third-largest exporter interrupted the free-flow of exports in late March on fears for its own supplies, placing a quota on how much it could ship and causing thousands of rice containers to pile up at ports. That helped push up prices as concerns grew that Vietnam’s decision would prompt more nations to take protectionist measures.
The government faced mounting pressure to end the curbs, with exporters suffering financial losses as shipments were held up at ports. The move also brings relief for farmers as well as traders who shied away from signing new contracts.
“Our farmers are elated with the news,” said Tieu Ngoc Loi, director of Nhan Loi Cooperative in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. “It was hard seeing global prices surge, and being unable to offer our full stocks.”
Vietnam’s decision to halt rice shipments helped send benchmark Asian export prices to the highest since 2013, and triggered complaints from importers in the region, including Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Australia.
Vietnam suspended exports on March 24, before placing a 400,000 ton limit on shipments for April, almost half of what it exported in the same month last year. The government raised the quota by 100,000 tons after the food association said some 300,000 tons stuck at ports faced the risk of spoiling.
The country can ship 13.5 million tons of paddy this year, equal to 6.7 million tons of rice, out of forecast output of 43.5 million tons, the trade ministry said. Still, Vietnam does not rule out halting exports again if shipments are seen as a threat to national food security, according to the premier.
Vietnam’s rice exporters will have their export licenses withdrawn if they fail to maintain minimum levels of regular stockpiles equal to 5% of shipments over a six-month period. Also, the top 20 exporters are required to sign commitments with at least one local supermarket chain to ensure they can supply from their mandatory stockpiles when asked.

PM allows rice export resumption from May 1

Update: April, 29/2020 - 12:09
|

The country is projected to have 43.5 million tonnes of rice this year, nearly 30 million tonnes of which is expected to be used for domestic consumption. — VNA/VNS Photo
HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on April 28 agreed with the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s proposal to resume rice export from May 1, in accordance with Decree 107/2018/NĐ-CP on rice export business.

During a meeting with leaders of ministries, departments, localities in the Mekong Delta and major food companies, PM Phúc asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to ensure food security and more effective food export.

The MoF was assigned to purchase rice for national reserves while the General Department of Customs must create favourable conditions for the export of the grain.

Meanwhile, the MoIT was required to coordinate with the MoF and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on rice harvest, consumption and export.

The MoIT and localities must ask rice exporters to follow the Government’s Decree 107 on the maintenance of the minimum rice circulation reserve and sign a deal with at least one supermarket to supply the grain when requested.

It must amend and supplement Decree 107, including paying attention to the role of the People’s Committees of major rice production localities, especially those in the Mekong Delta and the Red River Delta.

According to the MoIT, the country is projected to have 43.5 million tonnes of rice this year, nearly 30 million tonnes of which is expected to be used for domestic consumption, and the rest for export. — VNS

Vietnam scraps rice export limit

By Anh Minh   April 29, 2020 | 09:55 am GMT+7
Farmers harvest rice in the southern province of Soc Trang on March 10, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyet Nhi.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the lifting of restrictions on rice exports, imposed for a month to ensure food security.

From May 1 the grain could be exported normally though the Ministry of Finance still needs to buy enough rice for the national reserve, he said on Tuesday.
"Amid the pandemic and unusual weather phenomena, we need to ensure the nation’s food security and protect rice farmers’ benefits. Raising prices for speculating must not be allowed," Phuc said.
He instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to report back if there are signs that exports could affect food security.
The ministry said 6.5-6.7 million tons could be exported this year. Last year the country had shipped 6.37 million tons.
On April 10 the government had capped April exports at 400,000 tons.
Many companies complained that customs began accepting declaration forms at midnight on April 11 without prior notice, and as a result many of them with large quantities of rice stuck at ports were unable to submit their forms before the 400,000-ton threshold was reached.
Phuc has ordered the Government Inspectorate to look into possible violations in this regard. 
Vietnam is the world's third largest rice exporter after India and Thailand. Last year its exports were worth $2.81 billion, with the top markets being the Philippines, Ivory Coast, China, and Malaysia.

Vietnam’s Rice Exports Ready to Flow Again as Premier Ends Curbs

By Mai Ngoc Chau
April 29, 2020, 1:55 PM GMT+5
·        
Shipments poised to return to normal from the start of May
·        
Exports were suspended in March over food security fears
Farm hands work in rice fields in Can Tho Province, Vietnam.

Photographer Heidi Wideroe/Bloomberg

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Vietnam will end rice export restrictions from the start of May, bringing closure to a month-long saga that sparked fears over food protectionism and caused global prices to spike.
Farmers in the Mekong delta, the country’s rice belt, have produced sufficient rice despite a drought, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a cabinet meeting Tuesday. Shipments will be allowed to return to normal, he said. “As well as food security, it’s necessary we ensure food exports are stable and guarantee the rights of rice farmers,” he added.
The world’s third-largest exporter interrupted the free-flow of exports in late March on fears for its own supplies, placing a quota on how much it could ship and causing thousands of rice containers to pile up at ports. That helped push up prices as concerns grew that Vietnam’s decision would prompt more nations to take protectionist measures.
The government faced mounting pressure to end the curbs, with exporters suffering financial losses as shipments were held up at ports. The move also brings relief for farmers as well as traders who shied away from signing new contracts.
“Our farmers are elated with the news,” said Tieu Ngoc Loi, director of Nhan Loi Cooperative in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. “It was hard seeing global prices surge, and being unable to offer our full stocks.”
Vietnam’s decision to halt rice shipments helped send benchmark Asian export prices to the highest since 2013, and triggered complaints from importers in the region, including Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Australia.
Vietnam suspended exports on March 24, before placing a 400,000 ton limit on shipments for April, almost half of what it exported in the same month last year. The government raised the quota by 100,000 tons after the food association said some 300,000 tons stuck at ports faced the risk of spoiling.
The country can ship 13.5 million tons of paddy this year, equal to 6.7 million tons of rice, out of forecast output of 43.5 million tons, the trade ministry said. Still, Vietnam does not rule out halting exports again if shipments are seen as a threat to national food security, according to the premier.
Vietnam’s rice exporters will have their export licenses withdrawn if they fail to maintain minimum levels of regular stockpiles equal to 5% of shipments over a six-month period. Also, the top 20 exporters are required to sign commitments with at least one local supermarket chain to ensure they can supply from their mandatory stockpiles when asked.
Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal.

Gov't Provides Incentives to Nearly 2.5 Million Farmers to Maintain Rice Production

BY :IWAN M PUTUHENA, NOVY LUMANAUW, LENNY TRISTIA TAMBUN
A boy works a rice field in Lamahu Village, Gorontalo, on Monday. (Antara Photo/Adiwinata Solihin
APRIL 28, 2020
Jakarta. The government plans to provide incentives for 2.44 million farmers after President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered his ministers to direct the economic stimulus program to farmers to maintain domestic food production.
"The incentives will be given to 2.44 million farmers so they can begin the next planting season," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to the minister, the government will provide a monthly stipend of Rp 600,000 ($38) for the next three months in the form of direct cash aid, or BLT.  
In fact the assistance comprises Rp 300,000 in cash and Rp 300,000 in agricultural products such as seeds and fertilizers.
"The Agriculture Ministry will announce the procedure [to receive the incentives]," Airlangga said.
The minister also said the country has enough rice in stock for Idul Fitri despite the continuing pandemic.
"We expect a harvest of 5.6 million tons [of rice] in April. This is consistent with the trend in 2018 and 2019. The rice harvest usually occurs between March and April," he said.
The country has 6.3 million tons of rice in reserve at State Logistics Agency (Bulog) warehouses.
Bulog will send rice to regions where the rice stock is limited. 
As of April 27, the average price nationally for medium quality rice is Rp 11,800 per kilogram. For premium quality rice it's Rp 12,750 per kilogram. 
Airlangga said some regions in Indonesia have limited reserves of rice, but the government will continue to monitor rice stock and distribution to make sure they do not run out.  
"The Trade Ministry and Bulog will carry out monitoring operations to make sure every region has enough food stock. As per the president's instructions, we will monitor demand for basic food supplies and rice availability in Bulog, rice mills, communities and regional areas," he said.
Last week, the government ordered Bulog to deliver an aid package of 450,000 tons of rice to several regions in coordination with the Social Affairs Ministry.
During a teleconference from Bogor Palace on Tuesday, President Jokowi said seven provinces currently have a rice stock deficit but did not mention their names.
Jokowi said as long as rice distribution continues uninterrupted, provinces with rice deficit can get extra supplies from surplus areas.
The president said large-scale social restrictions should not disrupt the food distribution between provinces and islands in the country.
The president said supplies of staple food in each region should be constantly monitored to find out if there's a surplus or deficit, or if production needs to be ramped up.
The government must also prepare for the possibility of a prolonged drought in 2020, even though according to the Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Indonesia will not experience extreme weather conditions this year.

https://jakartaglobe.id/business/govt-provides-incentives-to-nearly-25-million-farmers-to-maintain-rice-production

GenSan buys rice from Vietnam to augment relief drive

By Richelyn Gubalani  April 29, 2020, 7:44 pm
General Santos City hall building (PNA-GenSan file photo)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The city government has purchased some 7,200 metric tons (MT) of imported rice worth around PHP305 million to augment its continuing relief operations for residents affected by the enhanced community quarantine.
City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said Wednesday they expect the rice supplies, which were acquired in Vietnam through a private supplier, to arrive in the next few days at the Makar wharf here.
He said the shipment comprises some 288,000 bags of rice at 25 kilos each or a total of 7.2 million kilos.
The mayor said the cargo vessel carrying the rice shipment is currently in Cebu and unloading the supplies acquired by local government units in the area.
“The unloading in Cebu was actually delayed for several days because of port congestion but we were told that it is already being done and the vessel will proceed here after that,” he told reporters.
Rivera said they opted to import the rice supplies due to the limited standby stocks of the National Food Authority (NFA) provincial office here.
He said they have signed a memorandum of agreement with the food agency for the storage of the rice supplies in its warehouse here.
The mayor said the coming supplies will be combined with the 6,000 bags of rice earlier purchased by the local government from the NFA, bringing its total rice stocks to around 7.5 million kilos.
He said these will be distributed to the city’s 169,000 households in two waves in the next two months.
“We will be providing each household with two 25-kilo packs or equivalent to one sack of rice (50 kilos) as set in our response measure approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod,” he said.
Rivera added that they had programmed to provide each household at least five kilos of rice each for two months to help them cope with the impact of the quarantine measures.
Since last month, the city government has already released around PH600 million for Covid-19 response, with the bulk of the funds utilized for the relief efforts.
The distributed relief assistance included assorted canned goods and noodles, pork and chicken meat, fish, and vegetables. (PNA)
Korea succeeds in cultivating rice in UAE desert
Posted : 2020-04-29 16:25
Updated : 2020-04-29 18:21

Asemi rice, a rice variety developed by the Rural Development Administration (RDA), is seen a in rice paddy in a desert area of the United Arab Emirates. / Courtesy of RDA

By Baek Byung-yeul

Korea's Rural Development Administration (RDA) has succeeded in growing rice in a desert in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the state-run agricultural research institute said Wednesday.

The research institute started to grow Asemi rice on a 1,890-square-meter plot in the UAE's desert area of Sharjah in November 2019. It expects the crop will be ready for harvest May 5.

The rice farming experiment was launched after leaders of the two countries agreed to develop smart farming technology during a summit in the UAE in 2018.

"We sowed seeds Nov. 25. As of April 24, we expect we can harvest 763 kilograms of rice per 1,000 square meters. We increased the crop amount by 40 percent compared with when we harvest in the same rice variant in Korea," an RDA official said.

The increased crop productivity was possible as the rice growing area received more sunlight as well as appropriate nutrients.

Asemi rice was developed in 2013 by the RDA in an effort to make an export rice variant that could grow well even in non-tropical countries. The rice variety is a kind of japonica rice, which is mainly consumed in China, Korea and Japan because of its sticky and moist nature when cooked.

Once they finish harvesting the first crop, they will sow more Asemi seeds in August to see if double-cropping, which is raising two crops a year, is possible.

"In Korea, it takes about 160 days from sowing to harvesting on average. Given we are expecting to harvest the rice crop there May 5, we can say the cultivation period is similar to that in Korea," the RDA official said.

"As we have succeeded in growing rice, we will try to sow the Asemi rice in August to see whether double-cropping is possible. At present, we think the chances are good."


RDA officials pose with a UAE official taking part in a rice farming in the desert project. / Courtesy of RDA

By conducting follow-up experiments, the RDA also aims to secure the profitability of rice farming in the desert, as currently it costs too much to supply desalinated water to the rice growing areas.

The agency said it costs about 20 million won ($16,419) per hectare to supply fresh water, while the product value in the same area is 5.65 million won.

"To solve the water supply issue, the RDA is currently reviewing several plans. First, we are considering using underground water instead of supplying fresh water made from seawater. Second, we may reduce the water use by 30 percent by applying new cultivation methods which combine furrow cultivation and drip irrigation," the RDA said.

The RDA said rice farming in the UAE was made possible thanks to support from government agencies of the two countries including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, the Embassy of the UAE in Korea, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UAE and Korea's agriculture, science and foreign ministries.

RDA administrator Kim Kyeong-kyu said the successful cultivation of rice has strengthened ties between the two countries.

"In such a difficult situation, we verified the possibility of rice farming in desert areas, utilizing our agricultural technology and experience. If we are able to secure the sustainability of rice farming there after conducting experiments, I hope it will contribute to strengthening bilateral ties," Kim said.


Major rice producer promotes double-cropping rice to ensure food security
Last Updated: 2020-04-29 00:33 | Xinhua
Standing on the ridge of rice paddies with a hoe on his shoulder, farmer Xie Xiping breathed a sigh of relief. "The paddy fields finally began to grow double-cropping rice after 20 years."
Xie's hometown, the village of Changan in central China's Hunan Province, planted double-cropping rice on its 120 hectares of arable land 20 years ago.
However, as the income from rice farming continued to decline, a large number of young and middle-aged villagers left to work in cities, and the elderly left behind switched to single-cropping rice due to the shortage of laborers.
In Hunan, a major rice producer in China, farmers planted double-cropping rice in most plain areas and even mountain areas with relatively poor farming conditions, to ensure stable grain yields.
However, with the rice-planting cost rising and the market price of rice dropping in recent years, more and more mountains switched to grow single-cropping rice. In Hunan's Dongting Lake plain, one of China's major commodity grain production bases, large areas of fertile land were used for crayfish farming for a better income.
Nationwide, the country also saw a falling planting area of double-cropping rice. In March, according to figures released by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the planting area of double-cropping rice in 2019 was about 9.3 million hectares, down about 2.3 million hectares compared to 2012.
Rice is a staple food in China, whose total grain output consists of three parts -- early rice, summer grain and autumn production. Autumn grain crops, which include corn and middle- and late-season rice, account for the bulk of the grain production.
To ensure grain supply, major grain-producing provinces in China, including Hunan, are speeding up efforts to curb the decline in the planting area of double-cropping rice, which accounts for nearly one-third of the country's total rice-planting area.
Hunan first worked on the provision of high-quality early rice seedlings for farmers.
"The seedling raising work of early rice is troublesome because it's labor-intensive. The unstable temperature in spring will also reduce the survival rate of rice seedlings," said Wu Jianjun, a senior agronomist in Huarong County. "Therefore, many farmers gave up planting early rice in the past."
To solve the problem of rice seedlings, the local government entrusted professionals to raise rice seedlings and built seedling raising greenhouses and intelligent plants, in an effort to reduce farmers' financial and labor burdens.
It also promoted the use of agricultural machines to help farmers with scattering and transplanting seedlings.
"We were given subsidies to purchase agricultural machinery, which saves us a lot of time and manpower in our farm work," said Zeng Dekong, a rice farmer in the township of Wanyu in Huarong.
In addition, Hunan sent more than 11,000 agricultural and technical cadres to rice paddies to provide guidance for farmers in rice planting.
The efforts have paid off. The latest statistics from the provincial agriculture and rural affairs department showed that the planting area of early rice in Hunan has so far increased to about 1.22 million hectares.
In Xie's village, the 120 hectares of fertile land has been entrusted to farmers in neighboring villages to plant double-cropping rice.
"For us farmers, self-sufficiency is the most reassuring thing," Xie smiled. Enditem

Search on for areas to store procured crop

HYDERABAD , APRIL 28, 2020 19:33 IST
UPDATED: APRIL 28, 2020 19:33 IST
Government scouting for storage space for procured crops. Paddy at a procurement centre in Sangareddy district.   | Photo Credit: file photo

Proposals to use CAP method and function halls for crop storage

With the procurement of paddy gaining momentum in the State, the administration has shifted its focus to storage of the grain purchased from farmers by scouting for functional halls lying vacant due to the COVID-19 lockdown and other traditional systems of storage to overcome the space shortage in godowns and rice mills.
In a video-conference held with district officials on the Agriculture and allied departments’ preparedness for the next crop season, vaana kalam, Agriculture Production Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy said storage of crop produced in the yasangi was a major problem and the government was planning to utilise function halls lying vacant at village, mandal and district levels to store paddy and other crops procured from farmers till they were moved to rice mills for custom milling and for processing.
The government was also considering Cover and Plinth (CAP) system of traditional storage to overcome the space shortage with plans to store about 4.21 lakh tonnes in the method.
(The CAP storage method includes arranging a plinth with hooks provided for tying ropes to lash down the grain stack piled on the plinth constructed with bricks to a height of 14 inches from the ground. Dunnage is provided before covering the stack with covers made of black polyethylene of 250 microns thickness. The covers are held down by nets and nylon lashing, also tied to the hooks at the bottom. Condensation is prevented by placing a layer of paddy husk-filled sacks on top of the stack under the polyethylene.)
As on April 27, over 16.91 lakh tonnes of paddy has been purchased from farmers at 5,503 procurement centres opened till date. Similarly, nearly 2.76 lakh tonnes of maize was purchased at 947 centres, 63,000 tonnes of bengalgram at 85 centres and 4,200 tonnes of sunflower at 11 centres.
On the preparedness for the next crop season, the APC instructed the officials to concentrate on collection of soil samples and getting tests done so as to inform the results to farmers concerned as also positioning of seed and fertilizer.


Covid-19: FG’s rice unhealthy, can’t be shared in A’Ibom – Emmanuel


From Tony Anichebe, Uyo
Government Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has expressed fears that the 1800 bags of Customs’ bonded warehouse rice sent to the state as part of the Federal Government’s palliative for Covid-19 may not be suitable for consumption.
Emmanuel has therefore announced a decision to subject the rice to scientific testin to ascertain whether such should be distributed to the people of the state.
The Governor, who made this public during a press conference in Uyo on Monday night, said he has strong reservations against distributing a food item that has shown serious signs of decay to the people of the state.
“For the relief materials from Federal Government, we got 1800 bags of Customs bonded warehouse rice. That gift is not good for me to distribute to my citizens. We have sent it for testing, but it doesn’t look good enough for consumption, ” he said.
Presenting an overview of efforts so far made by the state government in the fight against the spread of Covid-19, Governor Emmanuel said though novel, coronavirus did not take Akwa Ibom State by surprise.
“We are experiencing what the entire world has never experienced before, so no one can truly boast of experience. Covid-19 has never happened before so everyone is learning to manage it.
“But despite this, Covid-19 met us prepared as if we knew. One hundred percent of the equipment at Ibom Specialist Hospital, including the 13 ventilators were bought before Covid-19.
“We have set up an additional isolation centre in Ibom Specialist Hospital, with oxygen and everything. Bought an additional 1500KVA generating set for Ibom Specialist hospital.
“We have a modern digital, functional situation room for every single test analysis and close to 50 medical experts who are manning them.
“As at today, everyone in Akwa Ibom who has met the criteria of case management in accordance with NCDC guidelines, has been tested. I challenge anyone who has experienced COVID-19 symptoms and has been refused testing, to come out and say so,” he said.
Governor Emmanuel, who declared that the life of any citizen of Akwa Ibom is as important as the life of the governor, pledged to do everything within his powers to keep Akwa Ibom and her people safe.

Related

https://www.newtelegraphng.com/covid-19-fgs-rice-unhealthy-cant-be-shared-in-aibom-emmanuel/

NCOC seeks presentation on stocks available at Utility Stores


Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Tuesday sought presentation from Managing Director Utility Stores Corporation, MD National Information Technology Board (NITB) and Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar about the food stocks available at Utility stores.
The NCOC, which met with Minister for Planning Development Development Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar mulled over the issues, pertaining to Ehsaas programme, stocks available at Utility stores, it’s
outreach to far-flung areas, status of mobile stores and epidemic-curve projections.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar apprised the forum that the programme had served around 5.9 million families across the country. However, there were issues being faced in the provision of relief due to poor biometric verification of the registered people under the programme.
She said the issue could be resolved if the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) offices were opened for only verifying Ehsaas programme registered recipients of financial relief.
She also highlighted that the tax waie-off was being provided to Ehsaas PoS retailers at federal level
and provincial governments’ compliance was awaited.
Provincial Chief Secretaries informed the forum that the tax waive-off was approved by their cabinets and would be implemented consequently.
Minister for Interior Brig (R) Ejaz Ahmed Shah after detailed discussion agreed to open around 600 NADRA offices and 200 mobile vans only for Ehsaas programme verification.
MD Utility Stores Corporation informed that due to reduced operating hours there was increase in crowding
of masses at the stores. He said the stores were facing increase in the per day demand of flour, sugar, rice and other foods. However, the Corporation was in procurement mode and would procure Rs14 billion worth commodities, he added.
The Chief Secretary Sindh highlighted the shortage of rice and pulses at 56 utility stores in various districts of the province.
Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mentioned that the newly merged districts of the province had very few utility stores.
Minister for National Food and Security Fakhar Imam highlighted that Sindh has procured around 5,03,000 tonnes of wheat which was 36 percent of the set target and 46 percent of its harvest.

https://pakobserver.net/ncoc-seeks-presentation-on-stocks-available-at-utility-stores/

NADRA to facilitate verification of Ehsaas beneficiaries

BY STAFF REPORT , (LAST UPDATED 2 DAYS AGO)
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior has decided to reopen at least 600 offices of the National Database and Registration Authority and deploy 200 vans to remove hurdles in the biometric verification of people registered with the Ehsaas programme.
The decision was taken after Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar requested NADRA offices to be opened for verification of people registered with programme during the meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday.
The meeting chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar also sought presentation from Utility Stores Corporation Managing Director, National Information Technology Board (NITB) MD, and Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar about the food stocks available at the utility stores, in addition to discussion on the status of mobile stores and epidemic-curve projections.
During the meeting, Nishtar apprised the forum that the Ehsaas programme had served around 5.9 million families across the country, while requesting for help in the checking the veracity of people’s claim via NADRA.
She highlighted that the tax waive-off was being provided to Ehsaas PoS retailers at the federal level
and provincial governments’ compliance was awaited. The provincial chief secretaries informed the forum that the tax waive-off was approved by their cabinets and would be implemented consequently.
The Utility Stores Corporation head informed that due to reduced operating hours there was increase in crowding of masses at the stores. He said the stores were facing increase in the per day demand of flour, sugar, rice and other foods. However, the Corporation was in procurement mode and would procure Rs14 billion worth commodities, he added.
Sindh chief secretary highlighted the shortage of rice and pulses at 56 utility stores in various districts of the province, whereas the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mentioned that the newly merged districts of the province had very few utility stores.
Minister for National Food and Security Fakhar Imam highlighted that Sindh has procured around 0.5 million tonnes of wheat which was 36 percent of the set target and 46 percent of its harvest. He asked the provincial authorities to keep the ministry updated on the matter.
Minister for Economic Affairs Khusroo Bakhtiar, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, SAPM on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf, Minister for Interior Brig (r) Ejaz Ahmed Shah, SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar, the Prime Minister’s Focal person on Anti-Covid-19 Dr Faisal Sultan, National Coordinator NCOC Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman, Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal and others attended the meeting.

Rice worth $1.594 million exported in 9 months

  Last Updated On 27 April,2020 10:02 pm
The exports of rice in first three quarters of last financial year were recorded at 2.987 million
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Rice exports from the country during first three quarters of current financial year registered an increase of 7.13 percent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period last year.
During the period from July to March 2019-20, country earned US $1.594 billion by exporting over 3.146 million tons of rice, according to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The exports of rice in first three quarters of last financial year were recorded at 2.987 million tons valuing US $1.487 billion, the data revealed.
During the period under review about 657,280 metric tons of Basmati rice worth of US $573.196 million were also exported as compared the exports of 433, 097 metric tons valuing US $ 428.796 million of same period last year.
The exports of Basmati rice witnessed about 38.68 per cent growth during the period under review as compared the exports of same period last year, it added.
In last nine months over 2.488 million tons of rice other then Basmati worth US $ 1.020 billion exported as compared to the exports of 2.553 million tons valuing US $ 1.059 billion of same period last year.
However, during the period under review the exports of rice other then Basmati remained on down track as it decreased by 3.62 per cent, the data revealed.
It may be recalled here that food group exports from the country during first nine months of current financial year grew by 1.43 per cent as different food commodities worth US $ 3.396 billion exported as against US $ 3.348 billion of the corresponding period of last year.
Meanwhile, food group exports during the month of March 2020 were decreased by 23.23 per cent as compared to the same month last year.

https://dunyanews.tv/en/Business/543079-Rice-worth-$1.594-million-exported-in-9-months-Pakistan, Afghanistan trade at standstill
By APP
Published: April 28, 2020
Pak-Afghan border Torkham. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: Businessmen have requested the concerned authorities to allow export of Pakistani consignments to Afghanistan through Chaman, Torkham and Khorlachi borders which are facing hurdles.
In a press release issued on Monday, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Mian Anjum Nisar highlighted that bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was at a standstill.
Earlier, the borders were sealed due to Covid-19 pandemic but the government re-opened them this month and allowed movement of cargo to Afghanistan, he said.
“However, the concerned authorities on the borders are allowing only those trucks to pass which are carrying cargo under the Afghan Transit Trade,” he said. “Pakistani exporters are facing heavy losses as thousands of trucks, carrying perishable items such as rice, potatoes, vegetables and medicinal items, are stuck at the Pakistan-Afghan borders.”
He added that advance payments for the consignments had already been deposited in the banks including advance income tax and EDF charges.
The official stressed that these items could not be exported to any other country except Afghanistan and requested the concerned authorities to allow Pakistani export consignments to enter Afghanistan.
“The government of Pakistan opened the borders to facilitate the traders and exporters under bilateral trade as well as the Afghan Transit Trade,” he pointed out.
He highlighted that even in the midst of Covid-19, trade between Iran and Afghanistan was not halted and was running smoothly whereas Pakistani exporters were facing hurdles and trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was at a standstill, which was damaging the economy.
He added that Adviser to Prime Minister of Commerce Razak Dawood had assured businessmen that Pakistan-Afghanistan borders would operate for five days a week.
He demanded immediate notification on opening of borders and permission to swiftly export Pakistani goods.  
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2020.
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Mumbai Crime: Imposter calls himself army man, dupes trader of Rs 78,000 for 'charity'

The accused duped the trader for Rs 78,000. Following the incident, the trader reported the incident to L T Marg police station after which an offence of cheating under the Information Technology act was registered against the accused.


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Mumbai: A 31-year-old food grain dealer from APMC market in Navi Mumbai fell prey to a con when an imposter calling himself 'army personnel' duped him on the pretext of helping poor people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The accused duped the trader for Rs 78,000. Following the incident, the trader reported the incident to L T Marg police station after which an offence of cheating under the Information Technology act was registered against the accused.
According to the trader, he received a call from one Sahil Kumar who introduced himself as an army personnel on Saturday. Kumar claimed that he found trader's number online and said that he wanted to donate 100 gunny bags of rice to poor people amidst the pandemic.
The trader told him that he would charge him Rs 78,000 for the 2500 kilogram of rice. Kumar accepted his deal and said that he would transfer the money to trader's cash wallets. Meanwhile, for assurance Kumar send the trader his photographs in army fatigue including his Army ID card and other documents.
As per the trader, "Kumar first asked how much money I had in my wallet account. I told him that I had Rs 3500. He followed it up with a transaction and asked OTP number. As soon as I shared the OTP the money was removed from my wallet.” When the trader inquired about the transaction, he said the money was mistakenly withdrawn.
Promising that he will return the money the imposter asked for his credit card details. When the trader refused Kumar shared his regiment pictures. "When I matched his WhatsApp DP with the photographs, they were the same. Furthermore, he blackmailed me taking oath of the uniform and nation.
Finally, I relented, and I sent him my credit card details as well as OTP, “the traded admitted. After sharing the OTP, Rs 49,000 were deducted from his account. While trader was still trying to understand about the transaction, his bank contacted him to informed about the illegal transaction and blocked his card.
Following the incident trader went to L T Marg police station and registered an FIR, "We have registered an offence of cheating under the Information Technology act and our investigation is underway," said an officer form the police station.
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