Yuan Longping, the man who feeds China
Illustration for SupChina by
Derek Zheng
Known
as "the Father of Hybrid Rice," Yuan Longping is a national icon who
has increased rice grain yields to levels previously thought impossible. This
nonagenarian isn't showing signs of slowing down, either.
Alex
Colville Published August 17, 2020
2020
has put pressure on feeding China’s 1.4 billion mouths. Severe flooding along
the breadbasket of the Yangtze River, chronic pest infestations of crops, and
ravaged imports courtesy of the trade war and COVID-19 have all taken their
toll. According to Forbes, China has
imported more wheat in the first half of this year than any first half-year in
the last decade. This week President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 relaunched the “Clean Plates Campaign,” rushing through tough
new legislation to reduce food wastage.
The nation has always had half an
eye on its food problems. It knows that its population is ever-increasing while
arable land is ever-decreasing. It knows that as it doesn’t produce enough, the
country is dependent on international food imports — China is now the world’s
largest importer of grains.
Memories
of the scouring famines of Mao’s tenure loom large on Chinese culture, food now
inextricably linked with happiness and success — “Have you eaten?” (你吃了吗 nǐ chīle ma) is a staple
greeting, while 发福
(fāfú) means “to put on weight” but translates as “gain luck.”
So it’s no wonder that Yuán Lóngpíng 袁隆平, “the Father of Hybrid Rice,” is
a national icon. Since 1970, his test sites in the south of China have pushed
yield figures ever higher, stalks groaning under the weight of what he proudly
calls a “waterfall” — a cascade of drooping grains which were 20%, then 40%,
60%, now well over 80% higher than average yields. His name is synonymous with
the overabundance of China’s economic miracle.
Who is Yuan Longping?
It isn’t hard to find Yuan’s motivations. “I once dreamt that
the super rice in the experimental field grew taller than sorghum,” he said in
one interview. “Its ears were longer than brooms and its grains were as big as
peanuts.”
Hunger and instability were the
backdrop of his early life. Born in Beijing in 1930, son of a successful
bureaucrat and a schoolteacher, his family wandered from town to town in
southern China, pursued relentlessly by the strafing and bombs of Japanese
fighter pilots.
During
the Great Leap Forward of the 1950s, when Yuan was already on his way to a
career in agrarian studies, he witnessed communities eating grass or clay to
survive, a journey through the countryside revealing the husks of starved souls
dead on the roadside. “I made up my mind to study rice…just to make more people
have enough to eat.” He chose rice because it was the staple grain of the
south.
But this would be a long journey, with backward scientific
thinking the first obstacle. Chinese scientists followed Soviet biology, which
based its ideas of inheritance on changes made to parents over the course of
their lives, rather than the genes and alleles of Gregor Mendel. Scientists
were left scratching their heads as to why a plant graft did not also appear in
the offspring.
As a student at Southwest Agricultural College in the early
1950s, Yuan secretly performed his own experiments and read up on Mendel’s
theories, believing it necessary for feeding the people.
How to breed a plant that yielded more? Western scientists were
just starting to experiment with the theory that cross-breeding plants of two
different breeds could lead to more fertile offspring (“heterosis”).
But there was a problem — rice relies on its own pollen for
reproduction. Mass growth of hybrids was dependent on painstakingly removing
the male anthers of each plant. An American genetics textbook said it was
impossible to create heterosis in rice — although this was not Western
scientific consensus, and Chinese croppers had already benefited from heterosis
by cross-breeding sorghum and maize.
Ultimately, it was the flag that fired Yuan’s bull. Inspired by
Mao’s call for China to defy the West, Yuan attempted to prove them wrong. By
1964 he theorized that a male-sterile natural species could be crossed with
other plants.
Despite suggesting changes to Mao’s agricultural policies, Yuan
got off relatively unscathed during the Cultural Revolution. He was once sent
to work in a Hunan coal mine, but Beijing officials recognized the importance
of his research and protected him, even giving him funding. He grew the
male-sterile plants beside a rice species that already had higher yields,
cutting one breed of rice and sweeping their stacks across the sterile plants.
This strain yielded no more rice than the usual plants.
Undaunted, Yuan successfully bred this male-sterile plant with wild rice. By
1974 his new rice species, dubbed “revolution rice” by peasants, was in mass
production. It yielded 20% more than usual, and over half of China’s rice
paddies grow it today. It was so successful that cuttings of Yuan’s rice were
imported to the United States for production in 1979. Bizarrely, Mao’s China
had laid the foundations for a food bonanza.
Grain rain
Yuan’s rice helped save modern China. A gloomy forecast from
Western economist Lester Brown in 1995 predicted mass migration to the cities
would cause drastic food shortages. China could cause a global food shortage by
buying up world food reserves over the heads of poorer countries.
The next year the Ministry of Agriculture tasked Yuan with a
series of milestones — a 20% yield increase by 2000, 40% by 2005, and so on.
Yuan’s test sites churned out new generations of crossbred rice that
systematically sped past each.
As a result, annual yield increase has apparently been enough to
feed 60 million additional people. Yuan was bestowed the World Food Prize in
2004, which noted, “His pioneering
research has helped transform China from food deficiency to food security
within three decades.”
With Yuan’s blessing, Chinese companies have developed “hybrid
rice diplomacy,” exporting Yuan’s techniques abroad, boosting yields in places
like Pakistan, the Philippines, India, and the U.S. Naturally, state media
trumpet his soft power achievements.
He’s in his 90s but shows no signs of slowing down. After all,
global yields need to increase by at least 1% every year to keep up with
population growth. In July 2020, Yuan smashed records yet again, with a test
site in Guangdong slating a fast-growing strain with 21,060 kilograms per
hectare. It had been 7,484 kg per hectare in 1996 — around the same amount
produced by a California rice that the website California Rice calls “among the most productive in the
world.”
Yuan supports genetic modification and is also looking into “sea
rice” in collaboration with Alibaba founder Jack Ma, hoping to make use of
China’s 100 million hectares of land covered by seawater.
The ends are more important than the means. His lectures are a
list of record-breaking numbers, reminiscent of Soviet Five-Year Plans and
their emphasis on quantity. It gives little indication of how higher numbers
may impact taste and nutritional quality, along with a dependence on higher
levels of fertilizer. Despite the record-breaking figures, the national average
yield of hybrid rice is still 6,622 kg per hectare.
Yuan’s stratospheric fame came after 1976, when Western concepts
of the “great scientist” trumped old Maoist emphasis on group effort. His work
on the forefront of rice research led to a mountain of biographies building an
image of the ideal “intellectual peasant” who shunned luxuries (owning only a
handful of cheap shirts, more interested in the mud of the fields) and learned
from the experiences of farmers to score one for China against Western
doubters.
He’s even been turned into a meme, aimed at the ungrateful,
complacent, or badly behaved. In the meme, Yuan delivers the burn that “the
biggest mistake I made was feeding you too well.” Although he never said this,
the importance is deploying a well-respected, selfless figure to show netizen
contempt.
It’s a reminder to be thankful for Yuan Longping’s fertile
dreams.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/7744424141239132414
Farmer groups get RCEF-funded equipment in Region 8
By
Gerico Sabalza August
17, 2020, 4:59 pm
FARM
MECHANIZATION. The
Department of Agriculture (DA) turned over farm machinery to 13 farmers
cooperatives and associations in Leyte on Monday (Aug. 17, 2020) in Abuyog
town. The first batch of farm machinery for Eastern Visayas under the 2019 Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund includes 11 units of four-wheel drive tractor
and eight units of rice combine harvester. (Photo courtesy of DA)
TACLOBAN
CITY –
At least 13 farmers cooperatives and associations (FCA) in Leyte province have
received the first batch of farm machinery for Eastern Visayas under the 2019
Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
In
a statement on Monday, Department of Agriculture (DA) Eastern Visayas Director
Angel Enriquez said this is part of the PHP400-million allocation in the region
for the farm mechanization component of RCEF.
The
national government has set aside a total PHP5 billion for this component
nationwide last year, she added.
The
agriculture department, through its attached agency, the Philippine Center for
Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), distributed 11 units of
four-wheel drive tractor and eight units of rice combine harvester last week.
“This
is just the first batch of distribution of 2019 RCEF funded farm machinery in
the region. There are still succeeding batches which include mechanical dryers,
rice reapers, transplanters, floating tillers, and other farm equipment needed
in the rice value chain,” Enriquez said.
Recipients
of this program are FCAs duly registered with appropriate government agencies,
composed primarily of agricultural producers, farmers, farmworkers, and
agrarian reform beneficiaries who voluntarily join for form business
enterprises or non-business organizations which themselves own, control, and
patronize.
“This
is now the effect of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) which some sectors
especially in Central Luzon have been fighting against our government. This is
it and hopes that this could change the image of our farmers,” PhilMech
Director Baldwin Jallorina said in a statement.
He
added another PHP400 million worth of farm equipment is up for the region this
year.
The
RTL or Republic Act 11203 took effect last year that opened the Philippine rice
market and placed a minimum 35-percent tariff on imported rice.
The
tariff revenues go to RCEF, which is used for programs dedicated to increasing
the sector’s productivity and boosting the income of farmers.
Under
the RCEF, PHP10 billion is guaranteed for the rice sector annually for the next
six years for the provision of modern farm equipment, high-yielding seeds,
expanded credit assistance, and training for local farmers and other extension
services. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112506
Scientists studied five different types of
seafood. 100 percent were contaminated with plastics
Plastic contamination is so
rife that Australian scientists were hard-pressed to find uncontaminated
seafood
MATTHEW
ROZSA
AUGUST
17, 2020 9:48PM (UTC)
Anew study that examined five different types of seafood found
that traces of plastic contaminants were present in every single sample —
suggesting that humans ingest a large amount of plastic pollution from eating
seafood both wild and farmed.
The study, which was conducted by a group of
scientists led by doctoral candidate Francisca Ribeiro from the University
of Queensland's Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences,
investigated 10 raw samples of wild sardines, 10 raw samples of farmed tiger
prawns, 10 wild squid, 10 oysters and five wild blue crab. The authors' goal
was to develop a simple quantitative means to improve plastic contamination
detection methods.
The researchers found that every single one of the samples had
plastic in them, although the extent varied quite a bit. The researchers
measured the amount of plastic pollution per gram of seafood tissue, and found
that sardines had the highest percentage: about 0.3 milligrams of plastic per
gram of tissue, meaning that one would ingest 30 milligrams of plastic after
consuming an average serving of sardines.
Squid, oysters and prawns all had about 0.01 milligrams of
plastic per gram of tissue, while crabs has 0.03 milligrams of plastic per gram
of tissue weight. An average 100-gram serving of crab would cause one to
ingest about 3 milligrams of plastic.
For comparison, a sesame seed weighs about 3.64 milligrams, and
a grain of rice weighs about 29 milligrams. That means that a small crab
serving may contain about a grain of rice's worth of plastic.
"Microplastic contamination of the marine environment is widespread,
but the extent to which the marine food web is contaminated is not yet
known," the authors explained. Their findings, as they note, illustrate
the vastly different degrees of plastic contamination in different seafood
animals.
The study also went into the different kinds of plastic found in
different seafood. Sardines, for instance, were largely contaminated
with polyethylene, which is used in packaging and bottles; whereas
oysters' contamination was largely comprised of polyvinyl chloride,
or PVC. PVC is the kind of plastic used in pipes, phonograph records and
credit cards.
The authors said they could not be certain of the exact origin
of the plastics in the different types of seafood. They speculated that the
sardines may have been contaminated during food processing and handling,
although not enough research has been done on plastic contamination during
those processes to be able to say for sure. Other possible sources of
contamination include the immediate environment where the seafood was caught,
"airborne particles, machinery, equipment, and textiles, handling, and/or
from fish transport."
Salon reached out to Ribeiro about the larger implications
of the study, and its limitations.
"The purpose of our research was to simply develop a
method to quantify plastics in seafood and understand the extent of
microplastic contamination in seafood," Ribeiro told Salon by email when
asked about whether the results for Australian seafood carry over to American
seafood. "This method has been applied to Australian seafood, and although
it can be applied to any kind of seafood, I really can't answer if there are
implications for seafood consumed by Americans."
She also said that scientists are unsure about the health risks
associated with the widespread consumption of microplastics.
"At this point we are not sure about the potential risk of
ingesting seafood to human health because we didn't test it ourselves and, as
far as I'm aware, there are no studies on the topic yet," Ribeiro
explained.
Ribeiro also cautioned against assuming that the plastic comes
from the ocean, telling Salon that "we do not know the source of the
plastic (i.e. it may not come from the ocean) but our guess is that the values
found in sardines can be from other sources, such as packaging and processing.
Further research will focus on tracing the sources of plastic."
In terms of what steps should be taken going forward to address
the problem of seafood plastic, Ribeiro said that "we should take a
precautionary approach and make sure we stop the use of single use plastic,
reduce the use of plastic in our everyday life and manage our plastic waste in
a correct way."
While the origin of plastic in the wild samples of
studied seafood is unclear, it is indisputable that there is too much plastic in our
ocean, and plastic contamination in ocean fish and mammals is
well-documented. The Pacific Ocean contains a vast morass of plastic and other
trash waste known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which has an area
of 618,000 square miles. A February 2019 report found that over 690
marine species had been observed having ingested various kinds of
microplastics.
John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director of Greenpeace, told Salon
last year that plastic has become ubiquitous in human life, to an extent that
most people do not even realize.
"We have put so much plastic into the environment at this
point that it has gotten into everything around us," Hocevar said in an
email. "Plastic is in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we
breathe. Everywhere scientists have looked, they have found plastic, from the
Arctic to the Antarctic, and from the tops of remote mountains to the bottom of
the deepest trench in the Pacific."
He added, "It is difficult to say for sure how many
people's reproductive health problems or cancer diagnoses stem from our
widespread use of plastic. We know that these chemicals are dangerous, and we
know they are entering our bodies through plastic packaging."
MATTHEW ROZSA
Matthew Rozsa is a staff writer for Salon. He holds an MA in
History from Rutgers University-Newark and is ABD in his PhD program in History
at Lehigh University. His work has appeared in Mic, Quartz and MSNBC.
Golden time to promote Vietnamese rice brand
Tuesday,
August 18, 2020 12:08
According to
rice experts, after winning the World’s Best Rice award, Vietnamese rice has
resonated in the global market. If the country rapidly expands the production
of ST25 rice with a safe cultivation process, this will be the golden time for
Vietnam to advertise the Vietnamese rice brand.
The Mekong Delta enterprises prepare rice for export.
(Photo: SGGP)
On August 18, a rice exporter in the Mekong Delta said that the
export price of 5-percent broken rice in Vietnam is at the highest level in the
past ten years.
According to the Vietnam Food Association, the current export price of
5-percent broken rice in Vietnam is from US$473 to $477 per ton, $100 per ton
higher than that of India, $50 per ton higher more than that of Pakistan, and
higher than the rice export price of Thailand by $10 per ton. This is the first
time that Vietnam's export price of 5-percent broken rice has been higher than
that of Thailand.
In the first seven months of this year, Vietnam exported nearly 3.9 million
tons of rice, worth $1.9 billion, up 10.9 percent in value over the same period
last year.
According to rice experts, after winning the best rice award in the world,
Vietnamese rice has resonated in the world market. Even in the domestic market,
ST25 rice - the world's best rice winner in 2019 - is being strongly consumed
by the market at a high selling price of VND30,000 per kilogram, equivalent to
over $1,300 per ton. If the ST25 rice production is expanded rapidly with a
safe production process, this will be a golden time for Vietnam to advertise
the Vietnamese rice brand.
Large-scale rice field model is creating high quality
raw material areas in the Mekong Delta. (Photo: SGGP)
At the same time, many opportunities open up for Vietnamese rice
to access more broadly in the EU market when the EU and Vietnam Free Trade
Agreement (EVFTA) took effect from the beginning of August this year.
Currently, the main rice exporters in the Mekong Delta are striving to
implement the rice production chain following the advanced food safety
procedures to meet the demand from demanding markets.
https://sggpnews.org.vn/business/golden-time-to-promote-vietnamese-rice-brand-88060.html
Weekly
inflation drops 0.22pc
By APP
August 17, 2020
151
ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation
for the week ended August 13, for the combined consumption group, witnessed a
decrease of 0.22 per cent as compared to the previous week.
The SPI for the week under review
in the above mentioned group was recorded at 133.94 points compared to 134.23
points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data issued by
the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
As compared to the corresponding
week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under
review witnessed an increase of 7.01 per cent.
The weekly SPI with base year
2015-16 covers 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure
groups.
The SPI for the lowest
consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed a 0.06 per cent decrease from 140.40
points in the last week to 140.32 points during the week under review.
Meanwhile, SPI for the
consumption groups from Rs17,732 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to
Rs44,175, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month also decreased by
0.12 per cent, 0.15 per cent; 0.20 per cent and 0.26 per cent respectively.
During the week, prices of 13
items decreased, prices of 15 items increased while prices of 23 items remained
constant.
The items, which recorded a
decrease in their average prices include chicken, tomatoes, banana, moong
pulse, eggs, firewood, potatoes, mash pulse, LPG cylinder, loose and tinned
vegetable ghee, loose cooking oil and masoor pulse.
The commodities, which recorded
an increase in their average prices include onions, bread, sugar, mustard oil,
basmati broken rice, garlic, gram pulse, energy saver, fresh milk, wheat flour,
curd, gur and cooked beef.
Similarly, the prices of the
commodities that observed no change during the week under review include beef,
mutton, powdered milk, salt, chilies, packet tea, prepared tea, cigarettes,
long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies
sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, washing soap, match box, petrol,
diesel, telephone call and toilet soap.
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/08/17/weekly-inflation-drops-0-22pc/
Pakistan turns wheat importer to
solve domestic challenges
Grain Brokers Australia, August 18, 2020
GLOBAL wheat production and consumption estimates for the
2020-21 season were updated by the United States Department of Agriculture last
week, and the changes were broadly in line with market
expectations.
The USDA reduced total production
as smaller crops in the European Union, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Turkey more
than offset larger crops in Russia and Ukraine. Global consumption was lowered
mainly on feed and residual use for the European Union. Exports were raised for
Russia, Ukraine, and the US, and reduced for the EU.
Pakistan crop down, demand up
The biggest mover on the import
side of the global equation was Pakistan after production from their recently
completed harvest fell short of expectations. The USDA increased imports from
100,000 tonnes to 1 million tonnes (Mt), but further increases are expected if
recent reports out of Pakistan prove correct.
The Pakistan Government estimates
final wheat production ended up at 25.5Mt, slightly above the five-year average
of 25.38Mt. While that represented a 1.2Mt increase on the 24.3Mt harvested in
2019, it was well short of the government’s target of 27Mt.
Wheat is one of the four main
crops in Pakistan alongside rice, cotton, and sugarcane. It is grown during the
“rabi”, or winter season, by around 80 per cent of the country’s farmers.
The planting season commenced on
time in October last year, and the area planted was expected to be 9.2 million
hectares (Mha), around 40pc of the country’s arable area. However, soaring
costs of production and a low government support price discouraged some
farmers from planting, and the area finished up at around 8.5Mha.
Early crop development was
excellent on the back of favourable weather conditions. But heavy rains and
localised hail over areas of the leading wheat-producing province of Punjab in
March and April delayed harvesting operations and caused localised damage to
standing crops.
Staple deficit
Wheat is an essential crop in
Pakistan as flour is a food staple. The government has supposedly been storing
surplus wheat since 2010. Yet, with the harvest season concluding less than
three months ago, it is already hard to find wheat offered on the open market
at the government’s fixed price, and flour is also being sold at inflated
prices.
The USDA pegged domestic
consumption at around 25.6Mt, but according to Pakistan’s Ministry of National
Food Security and Research, the country’s annual wheat requirement is 27.5Mt.
With low carryover stocks from last season and the lower than expected
production, the balance sheet is now in deficit.
Around 60pc of Pakistan’s total
wheat production is retained on farm for village and household food
consumption, and for seed. The government normally buys around 25-30pc at
harvest, driven by both food security and market intervention reasons. The
private sector purchases the balance.
Back in May, a report surfaced
that Pakistan would need to import 100,000-200,000t of wheat every month until
April next year to control price hikes in the domestic market as local
production was not sufficient to stabilise grain supplies. Additionally, 1Mt of
strategic reserves or buffer stocks would be required to control price rises.
Some domestic millers are saying
that the 2020 harvest was smaller than official estimates and the nation is on
course for a 3.5Mt deficit. Yet private merchants were actually exporting wheat
from Pakistan to neighbouring countries immediately after harvest.
A poor government-procurement
program and corruption, within both the government and the domestic milling
industry, are huge issues. One government official recently told the parliament
that 6Mt of wheat had vanished from the market since harvest. If accurate, the
shortage could result in severe food shortages during the upcoming winter.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s
government said it planned to meet the shortfall through imports and early
release of buffer stocks. At the end of June, Khan’s cabinet approved the
import of 2.5Mt of wheat. However, shipments did not immediately materialise as
the private sector shied away; the selling price fixed by the government was
lower than the cost of the imported wheat.
To bridge the difference, the
Ministry of Food Security has abolished the duty on wheat imports for the
private sector, stating that the 60pc regulatory duty and 11pc customs duty
will not be levied. Additionally, the 17pc general sales tax and a 6pc
withholding tax will not be collected, and the imported wheat has also been
exempted from the Anti-Hoarding Act imposed by the provincial governments.
By the end of July, orders had
already been placed by private merchants to import 300,000t of wheat, which
will reportedly be shipped out of the Black Sea region over the August and
September period. Purchases in the first two weeks of August total 120,000t,
the latest being 60,000t booked late last week at US$227/t cost & freight
for September shipment, again out of Black Sea ports.
Imminent 1.5Mt tender
In addition, submissions close
today for the Pakistan Government tender announced earlier in the month. The
international tender to buy and import 1.5Mt of wheat was issued by the Trading
Corporation of Pakistan, which operates under Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce.
The wheat can be sourced from worldwide origins and offers, including cost and
freight to the port of Karachi, have beens ought. Offers must be for a minimum
of 200,000t.
Once imported wheat hits the
market, the artificial shortage will theoretically be filled, and the price of
wheat and flour should revert to the government-set prices. However, the hands
of corruption are quite extensive in Pakistan, and there are no guarantees that
all the imported wheat will be immediately available to the market.
The Pakistan tender was
intentionally timed to coincide with the Black Sea harvest, and Australian
wheat is unlikely to be competitive. Assuming the tender is fully subscribed,
that is almost 2Mt of unforeseen demand for Black Sea wheat in the second half
of 2020. And that may not be the end of Pakistan’s import requirements.
The smaller EU crop and
unexpected Pakistan demand is excellent news for the Australian farmer. This
means there will be less Black Sea wheat to compete with domestic exports into
traditional Asian markets in the first half of 2021.
https://www.graincentral.com/markets/pakistan-turns-wheat-importer-to-solve-domestic-challenges/
Basmati export picks up amid
pandemic
Exporters have
also received big orders for the coming months.
Written by Anju Agnihotri Chaba | Jalandhar
| Published: August 18, 2020 11:49:01 am
Fetches `34k cr in 2019-20 — highest in 3 years.
Not withstanding the Covid-19 pandemic, Basmati rice export from India,
mainly Punjab and Haryana, has seen the highest export in the past three years,
in the financial year of 2019-20. The country has earned Rs 34,000 crore from
this cash crop.
April and May of 2020 have recorded export worth Rs 6,488 crore
because export orders of March of the 2019-20 were extended to April and May
due to the nationwide lockdown announced on March 23.
Exporters have also received big orders for the coming months.
According to data provided by the Punjab Rice Millers Export
Association (PRMEA), the total export of Basmati in 2017-18 was 4 million
tonnes (40 lakh tonnes) worth Rs 26,870 crore while in 2018-19 the total export
was 4.41 million tonnes worth Rs 32,800 crore. This year 4.45 million tonnes
Basmati was exported, fetching around Rs 34,000 crore — an increase of Rs 12,00
crore were witnessed.
“During the pandemic, essential food items, especially rice
export, have registered good growth. Basmati export has almost touched Rs
34,000 crore for the 2019-20 financial year against Rs 32,800 crore in
2018-19,” said Ashok Sethi, a leading exporter of Basmati rice and director of
PRMEA, adding that exporters had orders for over 10 lakh tonnes to be delivered
in February and March, but due to lockdown, March orders were not completed and
extended to April, while Ramadan brought in extra cheer with Middle East
countries ordering more supplies.
“The lockdown had a big impact on shipments as container
movement was halted but exporters managed to ship several consignments to break
the impasse,” said a senior member of the exporters Association.
Exporters said that 60% of the Basmati export had taken place
with three countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran also got Indian
Basmati through the indirect way in April and May months.
“The growth would have been even better as Iran being a major
importer of Basmati rice, used to import around 14 lakh tonnes rice from India
annually, but due to the US sanctions, export to Iran got hit,” said an
exporter, adding that though indirectly Iran imported some amount of Indian
Basmati via other Middle East countries.
India’s Basmati export is around 3.75 lakh tonnes monthly but in
April and May month the export 8.67 lakh tonnes (4.33 lakh tonnes monthly)
export was recorded against 7.85 lakh tonnes last year in these two months
which is a growth of around 10%, said an exporter.
Exporters said that the Indian government should have a dialogue
with the Iran government over Basmati rice export keeping the oil issue aside
as under US pressure, India stopped buying oil from Iran which impacted the
Basmati rice export to Iran since last one year.
“The Punjab Basmati rice industry has been in the forefront in
exports since 1981, and now this premium food item is being exported to more
than 100 countries. Punjab and neighboring Haryana have accounted for around 80
per cent of the total export,” said Sethi.
As Pusa Basmati 1121, which is among the high yield varieties of
Basmati, covers major areas in Punjab and Haryana,as it gives 18 to 20 quintals
yield per acre.
“1121 saw phenomenal growth and markets around the world, mainly
in Arab countries, and has also made the route to European, American and
Canadian markets,” said exporter and president of All India Rice Export
Association, Nathi Ram Gupta.
Due to the rejection of some consignments of Indian Basmati by
the European Union a couple of years ago, now exporters and Punjab agriculture
department officials have become quite serious about keeping harmful pesticides
away from this crop, which has a great demand worldwide.
“We are happy that pesticides including Tricyclazole and
Buprofezin, which are widely used by farmers on the crop, are being banned in
India very soon,” said Sethi, adding that the pandemic has given the industry
some break to define new strategies and push hard for controlled use of harmful
pesticides which will boost Basmati export further.
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/basmati-export-picks-up-amid-pandemic-6559431/
12:00
AM, August 18, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:48 AM, August 18, 2020
Paddy prices run riot. Could this
go on to pose threat to food security?
Paddy prices have shot up to very
high margins for a decline in its availability in suburban haats and bazars
owing to big farmers and seasonal stockists taking it slow while releasing the
staple.
Crop losses for cyclone Amphan,
recurrent floods and apprehensions over low yields of aman paddy for late
plantation and food shortages for the coronavirus pandemic are fuelling rumours
among growers, traders and millers that supply of the food grain will become
tight in the coming months.
And these factors are encouraging
paddy to be stocked up and released slowly, said millers and traders.
Prices vary from market to market
and among regions.
However, data collected by the
Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) showed that national average prices
of coarse paddy soared 62 per cent year-on-year to Tk 933 per maund at suburban
bazars on 10 August from Tk 544.
Meanwhile, prices of medium quality
grains increased 41 per cent year-on-year to Tk 961 per maund on 10 August.
On 10 August, the national average
prices of fine quality paddy stood at Tk 1,044, in contrast to Tk 743 a year
earlier, showed data from the DAM.
The market has become abnormal as
the supply of paddy has reduced in the markets as prices are going up, said
Ramesh Bhuiya, general manager of Blue Bell Auto Rice Mill in Dinajpur, one of
the major rice-producing regions in the north.
The upward trend contradicts the
findings of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) that there would be
more than 55 lakh tonnes of rice in surplus once domestic demand was met at the
end of November.
The state rice breeding agency said
farmers bagged more than 2 crore tonnes of rice from Boro harvested in the
April-June period. It also said the country had 2 crore tonnes of grain at the
end of June.
However, Nirod Boron Saha Chandan,
president of the rice and paddy commission agents and wholesalers' association
at Naogan in the north, disagreed with the BRRI estimate.
There might be something wrong with
the calculation of acreage of Boro paddy, he said.
Availability of farmlands is
falling because of their use for non-farming purposes while a section of
farmers has also shifted to other crops and aquaculture.
"There is no reflection of the
changes in acreage estimate."
Besides, the yield of aus paddy
would be less than expected as excessive rainfall has affected the crop.
Prolonged floods are going to
affect Aman cultivation too. The optimum period for plantation of seedlings is
going to expire by this month's end.
And given the damages of seedlings
for floods, it is likely that many farmers will have to do with planting their
crops late. And being late in creating plantations means a reduction in yield,
he said.
Until 13 August, farmers planted
seedlings of paddy on 31.5 lakh hectares during the current Aman season. The
area is 57 per cent of the total target for transplanted Aman crop, showed data
from the Department of Agricultural Extension.
And this is the reason behind the
unstable trend in the market, said Chandan, while suggesting the government to
go for imports to increase the public stock of food grain to contain the prices
of the staple.
Foodgrain stocks at public storages
dropped 31 per cent year-on-year to 12.62 lakh tonnes as millers and farmers
are least interested in selling to the government in the face of rising prices,
much to the worries of poor as well as the low-income group, whose hardships
will increase because of shrinking incomes.
The coronavirus-related economic
crisis increased impoverishment of a considerable number of people, pushing the
poverty rate to 29.4 per cent of the population by the end of June from 20.5
per cent the previous year, according to an estimate by Planning Commission.
The number of poor is estimated to
be higher by independent think-tanks and research organisations.
"The government should be
cautious. There will be a shortage in case the aman crop is affected," he
said.
Millers said forecasts of a food
crisis for the pandemic by international agencies and erratic weather also
attracted a higher number of seasonal stockists in the paddy market.
They have bought the grain early on
to profit from selling in the lean season.
A lot of seasonal traders have
bought paddy and stocked them, said Sabbir Khaleque, director of Desh Agro
Industries, which has three rice mills at Kushita, another major rice
processing hub.
Besides, farmers and traders in the
value chain are more aware of the market trends and other events because of
increased use of information communication technology and mobile phones, he
added.
The government might face
difficulties in keeping the prices steady if it does not increase the stock
first, said Chitta Majumder, managing director of the Majumder Group of Industries
that operates rice mills.
In that case, the government might
end up facing a repetition of the price spike witnessed in 2017.
Subsequently, Majumder suggested a
reduction of import duty on rice by about 60 per cent in a way such that
consumers can afford it while farmers do not suffer losses.
The effects of increased prices of
paddy were not visible yet as traders were holding back when placing orders to
mills assuming that the government would go for imports, he added.
The food ministry got approval from
the prime minister regarding the import of rice considering risks faced from
damages to Aman crop in the event of natural calamities, said Food Secretary
Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum.
The flood situation improved after
15 August and the food ministry was tracking the progress of plantation of
paddy during Aman season, which was susceptible to natural calamities.
"We are watching and assessing
trends as well as international forecasts regarding the risk of a natural
disaster. We will import the amount we need."
A small quantity will be imported
such that the government can provide food to the poor and so that people get
the staple at reasonable prices.
The decision is likely to be taken
within this month, she said, adding that public import would be given priority.
There would be no crisis in the
market because of harvests running uninterrupted until the Boro season and for
farmers having a good stock of food.
Large-scale imports by private
entities will not be encouraged this year, she added.
COVID-19
prompts MEDA to offer new services
For Mennonite Economic
Development Associates, taking care of clients — and business in general —
during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant providing new services in several
countries, including Tanzania, Ethiopia and Myanmar.
A partnership between MEDA, a Tanzanian manufacturer and the
Canadian government is providing cloth masks to help vulnerable Tanzanians.
MEDA partner WOISO Original Products Co., which produces leather
and textile apparel, has shifted to also manufacturing face masks for
distribution in the Dar es Salaam region.
“We worked through existing networks to establish partnerships
to ensure these masks reached those most vulnerable and in need,” said Fiona
MacKenzie, senior project manager for MEDA’s work in eastern, southern and
central Africa.
MEDA has been working with WOISO since 2017 as one of its local
partners on the Strengthening Small Business Value Chains project in Tanzania.
SSBVC, funded by Global Affairs Canada and donations from MEDA supporters, aims
to support 250 small, growing businesses and 10,000 small entrepreneurs over a
six-year period.
As the COVID-19 pandemic reached Tanzania in April, WOISO began
addressing a dire need for basic protective equipment. MEDA began redirecting
project funds to enable WOISO to retool, purchase supplies and begin
production. This resulted in production and distribution of 84,000 masks by
August.
The masks WOISO is producing are not surgical N-95 masks. They
are cloth and reusable, which makes more economic sense in the Tanzanian
context.
MEDA, in partnership with Global Affairs Canada, made $200,000
available to subsidize 90,000 masks to be distributed to those most vulnerable
to COVID-19 including the elderly, people with pre-existing conditions and
frontline workers — people trading in local markets, most of whom are women.
Assisting women
MEDA’s Improving Market Opportunities for Women project has
taken a two-pronged approach to the pandemic in Myanmar. It is helping client
partners prevent virus transmission as well as assisting small businesses and
growers to keep operating.
Rice miller Daw San Thwin and her
staff received protective equipment from MEDA in Myanmar. — Mennonite Economic
Development Associates
On the prevention side, MEDA Myanmar provided personal
protective equipment kits to 24 rice millers in Kayin State and six small and
medium-sized businesses in Shan State. COVID-19 education posters, masks, face
shields, hand sanitizer and hand soap were in each kit to help businesses
safely continue.
On the business-stabilization front, MEDA Myanmar reallocated
hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide short-term financial and technical
assistance to women sales agents.
With the approval of project funder Global Affairs Canada, MEDA
provided small business operating grants to 48 women sales agents in Shan
State.
The grants will be used by agents to sell organic fertilizers
and pesticides and to buy crops such as ginger, garlic, chili, turmeric,
chayote squash, ground nuts and elephant-foot yam from women small producers.
This will support the women to continue with their trading
businesses and address general business challenges. It will also help women
farmers to access high-quality inputs and markets for their crops during this
difficult time.
MEDA’s response continues to prioritize women’s economic
empowerment and stemming the tide of potential erosion of gains made by women.
Adjusting in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, MEDA reallocated project spending for items
requested by the Amhara Region government, the area where the project is based.
The project procured rice and personal protective equipment —
including gowns, masks and gloves — for use within the region, said Tom
McCormack, country director for MEDA’s Ethiopia project.
MEDA’s Ethiopia team has adapted to limitations on physically
visiting clients by sharing agricultural and business information through
radio. The team is passing on information on agricultural techniques by
partnering with Farm Radio International to share knowledge and spread
awareness.
http://mennoworld.org/2020/08/17/news/covid-19-prompts-meda%E2%80%88to-offer-new-services/
Customs intercepts vehicles, rice, others
worth N10bn
Oluwakemi Dauda
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit
(FOU), Zone ‘A’ said, over the weekend that it intercepted, a single seizure of
contrabands with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N10 billion.
The acting Customs Area Controller of the unit, Usman Yahaya
said, the contraband comprised of 34 fairly used and new vehicles which were
laden with second hand clothes, Indian hemp and foreign parboiled rice.
His words:” I welcome you to this historic press briefing which
is aimed at showcasing a large scale of smuggled vehicles laden with different
kinds of contraband goods. Some economic saboteurs met their waterloo when our
operatives acted based on credible information, made a single seizure at Ido,
Eruwa Road-Ibadan of Oyo State.
“The contrabands include 34 different brands of both new and
used vehicles laden with banned items such as second hand clothes, foreign
parboiled rice and Indian hemp, he said.
Yahaya however, said that though there were stiff resistance
from the smugglers who engaged the support of hoodlums but the Customs
operatives displayed high level of professionalism and restraint to secure the
contraband to the Customs warehouse in Lagos.
“Our operatives were met with stiff resistance from a
combination of smugglers, hoodlums and villagers. However, with the application
of high level of professionalism, the patrol teams were able to bring all the
vehicles down to Lagos without any casualty.”
He warned smugglers to desist from engaging in economic
activities that can sabotaged the government policies of making Nigeria
self-sufficient in food production.
“While we appreciate the support and the cooperation of
patriotic members of the public in carrying out our mandate by providing timely
and useful information, however, recalcitrant economic saboteurs should note
that, they would continue to count their losses because we are better
mobilized, organized and backed by the extant laws to be always ahead of them,”
the Customs chief said.
Also, its Public Relations Officer, Peter Duniya said the
seizures were made at Ido-Eruwa road by the eagle eye officers of the command.
The expert explained how to get rid of
arsenic in rice
Popular cereal can cause serious harm, if do not follow the
rules of its preparation.
British scientists recently were shocked by the message about
elevated levels of arsenic in popular among the population cereal — rice. They
even have established a link between increased mortality from cardiovascular
disease and the amount of rice eaten. The poison contained in the product,
enters the body and accumulates there, it is gradually poisoning and leading to
premature death.
Famous Russian nutritionist Elena Solomatina did not deny the
findings of foreign researchers.
British scientists at this time are largely correct, — quotes
the words of an expert “KP”. The rice culture is hygroscopic, it grows in water
and absorbs water from all sorts of toxins. By the way, on this property based
rice and various cleansing programs that need fasting eat rice, boiled in seven
waters. It acts like a sponge and absorbs toxins from our intestines. But just
as the rice absorbs all the toxic substances from water, in which grows.
Infected with various salts of heavy metals and arsenic in
ground water really saturate poisons plants, and then they deliver it to the
body. Thus in brown rice that are considered diet, toxins even more than
processed white.
Dietitian gave advice on how to best protect themselves from
poisoning by poison contained in the rice, without abandoning its use.
It is best before cooking the rice soak for 12 hours. Moreover,
after 6 hours drain the water and pour a new batch.
You can also double the amount of liquid in which cooked rice.
Not take three parts water to one part rice, and pour one part rice to six
parts water. After completely cooked, drain the water in the sink. Solomatin
says that a large part of the toxins will go together with the liquid. Really
and vitamins with trace elements too.
https://thesaxon.org/the-expert-explained-how-to-get-rid-of-arsenic-in-rice/25669/
Every
Single Seafood Sample Tested in This Microplastics Study Was Polluted
16
AUGUST 2020
Plastics
were not made for human consumption, and yet consume them we must. Tiny
remnants of these synthetic polymers have now leached into our air, food and water, and
avoiding them has turned into an almost impossible battle.
A
study of five popular seafoods, bought from a market in Australia, reveals just
how ubiquitous these micro pollutants have become.
After
buying five wild blue crabs, ten farmed tiger prawns, ten wild squid, ten
farmed oysters, and ten wild sardines, researchers found traces of plastic in
every single sample.
"Considering
an average serving, a seafood eater could be exposed to approximately 0.7
milligrams of plastic when ingesting an average serving of oysters or squid,
and up to 30 mg of plastic when eating sardines, respectively," explains Francisca
Ribeiro, who studies dietary exposure to plastics at the University of
Queensland, Australia.
"For
comparison, 30 milligrams is the average weight of a grain of rice."
We
still don't know what, if anything, this is doing to our bodies, but there's
reason to find out.
The
ocean is the ultimate sink for plastics in the world,
and understanding the extent the marine food web is contaminated with these
pollutants is part of the challenge.
After
ingesting plastics of our own making, many marine species have been found
struggling with physical damage and oxidative stress. Some have even died, like
the beached whales we've
found stuffed with garbage.
The
risks for land mammals are not known, and while we're probably not swallowing
nearly as much plastic as these whales, we need to know how much we actually
are consuming to know if we're in danger.
"Our
findings show that the amount of plastics present varies greatly among species,
and differs between individuals of the same species," says Ribeiro.
Using
a novel mass spectrometry technique that simultaneously scans for five
different kinds of popular plastic, researchers found samples of squid from the
Australian market contained the fewest traces, while sardines held the most.
Polyethylene,
which is a plastic used in films and laminates, was found in the highest
concentration, whereas polyvinyl chloride, aka PVC, was the most ubiquitous,
found in every single sample.
This
isn't out of line with what other recent studies have discovered. While it's
not just seafood that contains microplastics (sugars, salts, alcohol, and water
contain them too), research has shown
this category of food does account most of our plastic intake.
In
places where seafood is consumed heavily, studies suggest
some people swallow at least 11,000 microplastic particles a year.
The
trouble is, so many of these studies employ different methodologies and report
results in different ways. Plus, many don't identify individual types of
plastic and rely on visual observations alone.
Having
a universal way to carefully test tissue samples for various kinds of plastics
will allow scientists to compare results from around the world far more easily.
This new technique looks like a promising avenue, allowing scientists to hone
in on even tinier amounts of plastic with greater accuracy than before.
"We
do not fully understand the risks to human health of ingesting
plastic," says marine
scientist Tamara Galloway from the University of Exeter, "but this new
method will make it easier for us to find out."
If
only it was harder to find seafood to test it on.
The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology.
New
Loan Positions Iraq to Purchase U.S. Rice
WASHINGTON, DC -- Last Friday, the Export-Import Bank of the
United States (EXIM) unanimously approved a $450 million loan to assist Iraq in
the purchase of U.S. goods and services, including rice and other agricultural
products. This agreement follows a $5 billion Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) signed by the government of Iraq and the EXIM in October 2019 to identify
potential projects in Iraq that fit the procurement criteria.
EXIM President and Chair Kimberly Reed explained
that unanimous approval of the loan, "underscores EXIM's commitment to
strengthening and expanding our relationship with Iraq while supporting U.S.
jobs -- including in American agriculture -- here at home. This potential
transaction also is particularly important as we address COVID-19 challenges in
both of our countries."
With a robust new crop currently being harvested
across the mid-south, last week's development is good news for the U.S. rice
industry. Iraq has traditionally been a strong market for milled U.S.
long grain rice but due to a number of factors, including COVID-19, there have
not yet been any purchases in 2020. 
"Over the past several years, Iraq has been
an important destination for U.S. rice, averaging over 100,000 MT per
year," said USA Rice Chair Bobby Hanks, who is also chair of the USA Rice
International Trade Committee. "With exports down significantly in
2020, the rice industry welcomes the news of the EXIM loan and looks forward to
reestablishing trade with Iraq."
The announcement of the loan coincides with an
Iraqi delegation visit to Washington, DC, this week that includes the country's
prime minister and deputy trade minister who are scheduled to meet with members
of the Trump Administration. The two sides are expected to discuss
bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest, including security, energy,
and trade.
KRBL launches Rice Bran Oil and
Amaranth
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KRBL Limited, India's first integrated rice company with a
comprehensive product chain as well as world's largest rice miller and
basmati rice exporter announced 2 new additions to its healthy foods, branded
portfolio namely, Rice Bran Oil and Amaranth. |
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Click here to send ur comments or
to feedback@equitybulls.com |
https://www.equitybulls.com/admin/news2006/news_det.asp?id=272555
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's Waitrose, and Iceland recall milk, chicken,
fish, rice and dog food
Some products have undeclared ingredients with others may have
possible microbiological contamination, salmonella or pieces of glass
Jon MacphersonChief Reporter
·
15:11, 15 AUG 2020
Major supermarkets in the UK are
recalling several popular household products over safety and contamination
fears.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA)
has issued a series of alerts for food and other consumables available at
Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Iceland.
Semi-skimmed UHT milk, scallops,
rice, chicken and dog food are among the new products being taken off the
shelves.
Some have undeclared ingredients
with others may have possible microbiological contamination, salmonella or
pieces of glass.
Anyone who has bought the items
listed below should not eat or use them.
They should instead return them
to their local supermarket or online provider as part of their next shop in
exchange for a full refund.
Here are the details of all the
items being recalled and still active on the FSA website:
Waitrose
Waitrose is recalling Waitrose
and Partners chicken satay with sweet chilli sauce.
This is because an incorrect dip
has been packed in the product resulting in fish and peanuts not being
mentioned on the label.
The presence of fish and peanuts
has posed a possible health risk of anyone with these allergies.
Pack size: 85g
Best before: August 17, 2020
Waitrose & Partners Slow
Cooked Beef and Ale Pie is being recalled because it contains hazelnuts and
milk which are not mentioned on the label.
This means the product is a
possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to nuts (hazelnuts) and/or an
allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents.
Product details
Pack size: 400g
Batch code: L0125
Best before: November 2021
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's is recalling its
semi-skimmed UHT milk because of possible microbiological contamination.
The supermarket has
taken the precautionary step of recalling the less than 2 per cent fat, UHT
milk as the contamination could lead to it being spoiled and being unsafe to
consume.
Pack size: 1 litre
Best before
·
December 28, 2020
·
December 29, 2020
Iceland
Iceland is recalling two chicken
products after the presence of salmonella in both products caused it to be
deemed unsafe to eat.
Iceland's chip shop curry chicken
breast toppers are affected by this recall.
Pack size: 400g
Best before
·
February 27, 2021
·
March 17, 2021
·
April 8, 2021
Iceland's southern fried chicken
popsters are also to be avoided as they have been affected.
Pack size: 220g
Best before: April 4, 2021
Benyfit
Natural Pet Food
Benyfit Natural Pet Food Ltd has
taken the precautionary step of recalling several types of frozen raw dog food
products containing beef because the products might contain salmonella.
These products have been sold by
various independent pet food stores and online.
Product details:
·
Benyfit Natural 80-10-10 Beef Meat
Feast (1kg).
·
Benyfit Natural 80-10-10 Beef Meat
Feast (500g).
·
Benyfit Natural Beef & Tripe
(1kg)
·
Benyfit Natural Beef & Tripe
(500g)
·
Benyfit Natural Succulent Beef (1kg)
·
Benyfit Natural Succulent Beef
(500g)
·
Embark on Raw Natural Working Dog
Food Beef Complete (454g)
·
Neew Dog Premium Beef (1kg)
·
Neew Dog Premium Beef (500g)
·
Unique Raw Chicken, Beef & Ox
Recipe (1kg).
For individual batch codes visit food.gov.uk/news-alerts.
Uncle Ben's
Brown Basmati
Mars Food UK is recalling Uncle
Ben’s Brown Basmati ready to heat rice pouches as some packs may contain pieces
of glass.
The possible presence of glass
makes this product unsafe to eat
Pack size: 250g
Best before
·
November 17, 2020
·
December 8, 2020
·
December 9, 2020
·
January 8, 2021
·
January 18, 2021
·
January 19, 2021
·
March 2, 2021
·
March 16, 2021
·
March 20, 2021
·
May 24, 2021
·
June 14, 2021
·
June 15, 2021
·
July 3, 2021
·
July 19, 2021
Baked Whole
King Scallops
Highland Bay Seafoods is
recalling their Baked Whole King Scallops with a creamy leek and kale sauce
topped with mash potato because it contains fish which is not mentioned on the
label.
This means the product is a
possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to fish.
Pack size: 200g (2 scallops in a pack)
Batch code: R006, R007, R008, and 20106
Best before:
·
September 2020
·
December 2020
·
April 2021
You can sign up for free daily updates with the LancsLive newsletter here.
For the latest news and breaking news visit the LancsLive website.
Get all the big headlines,
pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
To keep updated, follow LancsLive
on Facebook and @LiveLancs on Twitter.
Have you got news for us? Contact our newsdesk on lancslive@reachplc.com.
·
Tesco
·
Asda
·
Waitrose
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/tesco-asda-waitrose-iceland-aldi-18775493
Rice prices up
despite surplus output
Moinul Haque | Published: 23:18, Aug 14,2020
The prices of rice have started to increase further in the city though the
government sees a surplus of the staple food after meeting the domestic demand.
The rice prices have remained high since June, just after the
bumper production of the Boro paddy, and the fresh hike would hurt the
fixed-income people as a good number of city dwellers have lost their income
due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Experts said that the country’s rice prices remained unusually
high for the last few months as a section of profit mongers were manipulating
the market amid the flood that affected 33 of the country’s 64 districts after
the harvest of the major Boro crop.
They said that the government should be deeply concerned as to
why the consumers were not getting the benefit of the surplus production.
Food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, however, said that the
prime minister approved the summary of his ministry for importing rice to keep
the prices stable.
The prices of rice went up by Tk 2 a kilogram over the last one
week on the city market.
Retailers said that the prices of rice increased by Tk 100 per
bag of 50 kilograms on the wholesale market while wholesalers said that the
rice mill owners raised the prices after Eid-ul Azha.
The standard BR-28 variety of rice was selling for Tk 50 a kg
while the fine variety for Tk 52–54 a kg in the capital on Thursday.
The standard Miniket variety was selling for Tk 56–68 while the
fine variety was for Tk 60–65 a kg on the day.
Amid the rising prices of the staple food the Bangladesh Rice
Research Institute in a report on Sunday said that there would be more than 55
lakh tonnes of surplus rice after meeting the local demand at the end of
November this year.
BRRI director general Md Shahjahan Kabir in a virtual meeting
said that there would be no shortage of food in the country as the harvest of
the Aus paddy was going on and the Aman crop would start coming to the market
from November.
Agro-economist and former Jahangirnagar University
vice-chancellor Abdul Bayes told New Age that the price hike of rice at this
time would hurt consumers as many people lost their income due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
Growers should benefit from price hikes of rice, he said,
adding, ‘But in Bangladesh farmers get the highest 40 per cent of the price
while traders and rice mill owners the rest.’
Abdul Bayes said that the government should be seriously
concerned as to why the growers did not get the benefit of rice price hikes.
‘Strong market monitoring by the government is needed so that
there is no further price hike increasing the woes of people already affected
by the COVID-19 fallout,’ he said.
‘Despite having the surplus output the price hike of rice is
unusual. It calls for a keen inquery to find out the reasons for the unusual
price hike. But I think a dishonest quarter is manipulating the market,’ former
president of Consumer Association of Bangladesh Ghulam Rahman told New Age on
Thursday.
He said that due to the lack of legal actions a quarter of
profit mongers had been creating instability in the rice market for long.
Ghulam Rahman said that the prices of rice increased but the
growers were not getting the benefit of the high prices.
He said that the government plan to import rice was appropriate
as it was important to keep the market stable during the pandemic.
Amid the continuous rice price hike, the food ministry in July
announced that the government was thinking of importing the staple to keep the
market price stable.
There was 10.21 lakh tonnes of rice in the government stock as
of August 11, the food ministry official data shows.
Food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Thursday told New Age
that the prime minister had already approved the proposal for importing rice.
‘Now we are working on the import quantity and procedure. We are
discussing the government-to-government procedure, slashing duties and doing
away with international tendering,’ he said.
He also said that they asked the BRRI to provide authentic
information to the ministry on the production and stock of paddy in the
country.
‘We are collecting information about the stock as the BRRI
claimed that 29 per cent of the boro paddy remained in the stock of growers,’
Sadhan Chandra said.
After scrutinising all the information, the government would
finalise when and how much rice would be imported. KM Layek Ali, secretary
general of Bangladesh Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners Association, said that
the prices of rice increased a little bit as a supply shortage of the staple
food occurred in the market.
He said that the production in most of the husking mills
remained suspended for the last few days due to the bad weather and flood in a
large part of the country.
Layek Ali said that the country’s husking mills produced 60 per
cent of the total rice while the auto mills produced the rest 40 per cent.
The rice prices also increased as some of the big farmers
hoarded the item to reap higher prices, he said.
https://www.newagebd.net/article/113515/rice-prices-up-despite-surplus-output
CDFW
Now Accepting Proposals for California Winter Rice Habitat
Incentive Program
The California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is now accepting proposals for the
California Winter Rice Habitat Incentive Program (CWRHIP). For Fiscal Year
2020-2021, a total of up to $4,058,220 in CWRHIP funds will be available for
new two-year agreements under this proposal solicitation notice.
In response to the recent decline
of winter-flooded rice acreage in the Central Valley and the ecological
importance of this habitat base, the California Legislature passed Assembly
Bill 2348 in September of 2018. AB 2348 established the CWRHIP, which is
designed to continue and further encourage the winter-flooding of harvested
rice fields in the Central Valley of California. A significant portion of the
caloric needs of ducks and migrating shorebirds utilizing the Sacramento Valley
are provided by winter-flooded rice fields.
CWRHIP provides economic
incentives to landowners or lessees who agree to manage their properties in
accordance with a management plan developed in consultation with biologists
from CDFW’s Comprehensive Wetland Habitat Program. Management plans will
require landowners to flood harvested rice fields for a minimum of 70 continuous
days during the winter months (October through March). Properties that can
maintain water during critical months (January through mid-March) will be given
additional points in the ranking process. Properties located within five miles
of an active airstrip on a military base or international airport are not
eligible to enroll in the program.
The program pays landowners an
annual incentive of $15 per acre for the winter-flooding of harvested rice
fields. The management requirements of the program will start after the 2020
harvest and continue through early 2022.
The deadline to apply for this
program is Sept. 14, 2020 at 4 p.m. The program solicitation, application
instructions and other information are available at wildlife.ca.gov/lands/cwhp/private-lands-programs.
CDFW staff will be hosting an
online meeting on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. to explain the program
requirements and application process and answer questions regarding CWRHIP. For
information about how to participate in this meeting, please visit CDFW’s website
at wildlife.ca.gov/lands/cwhp/private-lands-programs.
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Media Contacts:
Jeff Kohl, CDFW Wildlife Branch, (916)
373-6610
Kelsey Navarre,
CDFW Wildlife Branch, (916) 371-3132
Kirsten Macintyre, CDFW Communications,
(916) 804-1714
https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2020/08/14/cdfw-now-accepting-proposals-for-california-winter-rice-habitat-incentive-program-
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