Thursday, September 24, 2020

24th September,2020 Daily Global regional local rice e-newsletter -part 2

  

 

Bumper Aman production likely in Rangpur region

 BSS

 Published at 05:16 pm September 23rd, 2020

Description: Web_Rangpur Map

Map of Rangpur Dhaka Tribune

A number of farmers of different villages said their tender Aman rice plants were growing superbly amid favourable climatic conditions

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) are expecting a bumper Aman rice production as farmers exceeded its fixed farming target and tender rice plants are growing superbly in Rangpur agriculture region.

The DAE officials said frequent rainfalls are working as energizers for excellent growth of the tender plants on vast tracts of crop lands giving those an eye-catching look and making farmers happy in all five districts of the region.

“Farmers have finally cultivated Aman rice on 6,06,852 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 1,712 hectares or 1.21 percent in the region this season,” Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali said yesterday.

Earlier, the DAE had fixed a target of producing 16, 97,795 tones of clean Aman rice (25, 46,693 tons of paddy) from 6, 05,140 hectares of land for all five districts in Rangpur agriculture region.

“Against a requirement of preparing Aman rice seedbeds on 30,391 hectares of land to produce seedlings for transplantation on 6,05,140 hectares, farmers prepared the same on 34,427 hectares, higher by 4,036 hectares than required,” Ali said.

However, the recent floods damaged Aman rice seedbeds on 1,266 hectares of land causing losses to seedlings worth Taka 18.76 crore affecting 41,230 farmers of the region.

Besides, the floods damaged the transplanted Aman rice crop on 111 hectares of land causing production losses of 320 tons of rice worth Taka 1.16 crore and affecting 1,222 farmers.

The government instantly undertook huge post-flood agri-rehabilitation programmes to assist flood-hit farmers who have finally exceeded the fixed farming target for Aman rice after recession of floodwaters also braving the coronavirus pandemic.

“Farmer completed re-transplantation of late varieties of Aman rice seedlings and broadcasting of seeds by September 15 last successfully recouping losses caused to the crop by recent floods in the region,” Ali added.

The government through the DAE effectively implemented the post-flood agriculture rehabilitation programs spending Tk 1,15,35,840 and distributed specially prepared Aman rice seedlings among 15,131 flood-hit farmers of the region.

“The seedlings were prepared on 221 acres of land at community levels, on 500 floating seedbeds and seedlings on 9,568 floating trays and distributed among flood-affected farmers who have re-transplanted those on one bigha of land each,” Ali said.

Besides, late variety Aman rice seeds were distributed free of cost among many flood-hit farmers who have already broadcasted those on their affected croplands.

“Many flood-hit farmers have also cultivated late ‘Ganjia’ varieties of Aman rice using seeds from their own stocks in affected areas,” Ali added.

A number of farmers of different villages said their tender Aman rice plants were growing superbly amid favourable climatic conditions.

Farmers Ariful Haque Batul of village Najirdigar, Manik Mian of village Darshona and Aiyub Ali of village Kathihara in Rangpur said that their growing Aman rice plants would not require supplementary irrigation following frequent seasonal rainfalls.

“The superbly growing tender Aman rice plants have created greenish blankets on vast tracts of crop fields all-around now. We are expecting a bumper rice production despite damages caused by recent floods to the crop this season,” said farmer Ariful.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2020/09/23/bumper-aman-production-likely-in-rangpur-region

Exporters bank on EU trade pact for pandemic relief

By Dat Nguyen   September 23, 2020 | 11:01 am GMT+7

Farmers harvest rice in southern Soc Trang Province, March 10, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyet Nhi.

Vietnamese rice, fruit and seafood exporters are banking on the European market for relief from difficulties imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Trung An Hi-Tech Farming Jsc in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho exported its first batch of Vietnamese rice to the E.U. last month with zero tariffs under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) that took effect August 1.

It shipped 150 tonnes out of a total 3,000 tonnes that will be delivered to Germany and France this year.

Buyers paid $1,000 for a ton of the company’s ST20 rice grown in the southern province of Soc Trang. This is the highest price ever recorded for Vietnamese rice.

Another exporter, Thoai Son Food in the southern province of An Giang, plans to export 126 tonnes of Jasmine 85 rice to the E.U. by the end of this month.

At least six other companies have registered to export 4,300 tonnes of rice to the E.U. this month, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The rising number of orders from the E.U. follows the EVFTA giving Vietnam a tariff-free rice export quota of 80,000 tonnes a year.

Other types of agriculture produce also enjoy reduced or zero duties under the pact.

Several exporters this month have announced or shipped their first batch of coffee, passion fruit, coconut, green grapefruit and dragon fruit to the E.U.

One of them, the Vina T&T Group in Ho Chi Minh City, plans to export 20,000 coconuts, 12 tonnes of grapefruit and three tonnes of dragon fruit to the bloc soon.

Rising orders

Its CEO Nguyen Dinh Tung said the company will export about 20 tonnes of fruits weekly to the E.U. from now on. He said that since the trade pact was implemented, there has been an increase in the number of orders from this market.

The trade pact has helped lower the prices of Vietnamese fruit, making them more competitive than those from Thailand, Indonesia, China and Malaysia, he added.

Seafood exporters are also reaping benefits of the new trade agreement. Shrimp exports to the E.U. rose nearly 16 percent year-on-year in August to $58.8 million after duties on the giant tiger prawn were eliminated, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Earlier the duties stood at 4.2 percent.

Nguyen Van Kich, CEO of Cafatex Fishery Jsc in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang, said since the trade pact took effect, many buyers have started to place orders again after months without any major activities due to Covid-19 impacts.

He added Vietnamese shrimp quality is higher than that of India, Thailand and China, and therefore the zero tariff will give exporters a major advantage.

"The EVFTA could urge European buyers to replace shrimp from Thailand, India and China with that from Vietnam. We expect increasing number of customers."

VASEP said rising exports of shrimp to the E.U. will contribute to a total shrimp export growth of 8 percent this year to $3.6 billion.

The recent increase in exports to the E.U. bloc has been a fillip to Vietnamese agriculture and seafood producers who were hurting from travel restrictions and dwindling global demand as a result of the pandemic.

Exports to the E.U. in the first eight months fell 8.9 percent year-on-year to $29 billion, with declining value in smartphones, textile and garment and agriculture produce, according to Vietnam Customs.

 

J:https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/economy/exporters-bank-on-eu-trade-pact-for-pandemic-relief-

 

Pakistan to oppose Indian application for GI tag of basmati in EU

 

Description: https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Non-basmati-Rice-1-600x400.jpg ISLAMABAD: Taking serious notice of the Indian move of demanding exclusive rights of claiming Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Basmati rice in the European Union (EU), Pakistan has decided to oppose the application soon. During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce, Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) Chairman Mujeeb Ahmed Khan informed that Pakistan is preparing its objection to the said Indian Application and will be submitted within the stipulated time frame. The meeting was attended by Senators Mir Kabeer Ahmad Muhammad Shahi, Zeeshan Khanzada, Nuzhat Sadiq, Dilawar Khan, Rana Mehmood ul Hassan, Advisor to Prime Minister for Commerce, Secretary Commerce and other senior officials of relevant departments. He said India has applied for GI tag in European Union for BASMATI rice under Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, mentioned in the EU official journal dated September 11, 2020.  According to Mujeeb Ahmed, the Indian application mentions Basmati rice as an Indian origin product, despite the fact that similar rice is widely produced in Pakistan. The application is based on half-truth and frivolous grounds having no legal and factual backing. Pakistan exports 500,000 to 700,000 tons of basmati rice to various countries. Out of that, 200,000 to 250,000 tones are shipped to European countries. The European Union is a massive destination for local rice exporters and therefore it is a crucial issue for Pakistan. EU regulation No 972/2006 of June 29, 2006, lays down special rules for imports of Basmati rice and a transitional control system for determining their origin has recognized Basmati as a joint product of Pakistan and India. Basmati is already recognized as a product of both India and Pakistan under the said European Regulation and its Duty-Free Regime, making it illegal for India to claim exclusive rights of Basmati in the EU. According to EU’s official journal, any country can oppose the application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 10 and Article 50(2) (a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs within three months from the date of publication. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Commerce, according to officials, has also held a meeting on the same subject to discuss the filling of objections in the EU besides taking other steps regarding protecting Pakistani products as per the GI law made by the government this year. Meanwhile, Committee Chairman Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi also directed the officials of the ministry and IPO to immediately respond to the Indian application as the move may damage Pakistani exports. Discussing another agenda of the meeting regarding smuggling, he said that the illegal trade has reduced substantially due to effective measures for its eradication which has supported the local industry and would be instrumental for promoting economic activities and businesses in the country.  He expressed these views while presiding over the SSC on Commerce & Trade here at Parliament House on Tuesday. Afridi appreciated the measures taken in this regard and said that the sick units need to be facilitated to ensure their revival. The committee was apprised about the problems faced by the farmers due to inadequate prices of tomato and onion despite good production during the current season. 

 

The committee was also briefed about the steps being taken for exploring new markets for dates, tax evasion on computers, laptops and other IT equipment, as well as the issues of under-invoicing. The chairman and members of the committee said that the basic purpose is to protect the local industry and its production for the overall progress of the country.  Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmad Muhammad Shahi said that due to the import of the fruits and vegetable from neighbouring countries, the local farmers from Balochistan do not get adequate prices of apple, grapes, onion and tomatoes. He said that the ministry of commerce and trade should take measures for the protection of local farmers and the utilization of local production before importing such items. The Ministry of Commerce secretary assured the committee that the issues would be resolved in collaboration with the ministry of food security and the committee would be apprised accordingly.  Senator Dilawar Hussain, while talking about Afghan Transit Trade, said that due to the deficiency of trackers, there is huge pressure on transit points. He asserted that an appropriate solution to this should be sorted out.  Afridi said that trade is a backbone of the national economy and an appropriate strategy should be followed to promote business activities in the country. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawod apprised the committee that State Bank of Pakistan has been approached for provision of an easy loan through small and medium industries and consultation process for the IT sector is in progress, which will bear positive results.   Secretary Commerce informed the Committee that E-Commerce policy has been introduced and the committee in its next meeting will be informed about a framework in this regard.  Chairman of the committee appreciated these measures, however, he emphasized that sick units need to be supported so as to cater to the local requirements and as well as the export orientation from such units.   Senator Dilawar Khan informed the committee that the Trade and Development Authority (TDAP) could not hold even a single meeting so far.  He further informed that he had sought different details from TDAP which have not been provided yet.  Senator Mirza Afridi said that TDAP is an important organisation, its board should hold regular meetings to proceed on different issues and the people of Pakistan should have access to information.   He further said that question has been raised about Trade and Commercial Attaché posted in different countries.  He said that Pakistan produces high-quality tobacco. Trade and commercial attaché should improve their efficiency and awareness must be created about Pakistan products in foreign countries.  The committee insisted on the provision of facilities and capacity building of the tobacco farmers in Mardan, Charsadda and Swabi districts. The committee was further informed that a project in collaboration with Swabi University has moved ahead.  Senator Dilawar Khan emphasised that all the stakeholders must be taken into confidence as quality tobacco of the country is produced in these areas and national exchequer gets taxes of worth billions of rupees.  About the export of the dates, the committee was informed that 70pc of dry dates were exported to India and due to suspension of trade with India, farmers have to face huge losses. However, efforts are being made to explore alternative markets for export of the dates and different countries have been contacted in this regard.  The chairman of the committee emphasized that these efforts must be expedited to avoid losses to the farmers. Senator Rana Mehmood ul Hassan suggested that a policy for installation of small sugar mills should be introduced to promote compatibility in the market.  Secretary Commerce informed the committee that such a proposal is already under consideration in different ministries.  The committee was also apprised about clearance of containers at Port Qasim as well as money laundering issues in the country. 

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/09/22/pakistan-to-oppose-indian-application-for-gi-tag-of-basmati-in-eu/

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States rice for Brazil: 30,000 tons according to USDA

The quota establishes that until December this year, 400,000 tons of rice may be imported from countries outside Mercosur without any tariffs.The United States reported last week the sale of 30,000 tons of rice to Brazil. This follows on the decision from the Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade (Camex) to slash tariffs on rice to zero, helping to reduce the price of the grain for consumers. The quota establishes that until December this year, 400,000 tons of rice may be imported from countries outside Mercosur without any tariffs. Black beans and rice are staple for the majority of Brazilians, and despite an excellent harvest of rice, the country exported most of it, putting the local market in a bind, and retail prices more than doubled. Normally the main suppliers of rice to Brazil are Mercosur trade partners, Argentina and Uruguay, (with no tariffs) and so has been the case this year, to which must be added Italy, Panama and Vietnam, among others. The purchase made on Sept. 18th is similar to the volume of 35,500 tons registered for sale by the USA to Brazil throughout 2010. In May of this year, however, Brazil imported 40,000 tons of rice, with tariff, from the US. According to data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the largest annual volume of purchases of American rice made by Brazil occurred in 2003 (486,000 tons).

 https://en.mercopress.com/2020/09/22/united-states-rice-for-brazil-30-000-tons-according-to-usda

At 33, Akwa Ibom is soaring high

September 24, 2020

 

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Description: Akwa Ibom State at 33

Governor Udom

 

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By James Orok

 

Before now, mention Akwa Ibom to the average Nigerian and the image that comes to mind is of a people of maids, houseboys and cooks. But that narrative is very far from the truth, especially under the current leadership of Udom Emmanuel as governor. At 33 years old, the state which was carved out from Cross River State on September 23, 1987 by President Ibrahim Babangida has come of age. But it has not been an easy task taking it from where it was to where it is.

Call Akwa Ibom small but mighty and you won’t be wrong. For instance, surprise is what greets many Nigerians when they learn that Ibom Air is a state-owned airline. In fact, as the only state-owned airline in the country, it trumps the country which has no national carrier. The airline which was launched on June 7, 2019 with three aircraft, recently brought in two additional planes, taking its fleet to five airplanes. Presently, Ibom Air flies from Uyo to and fro Lagos, Abuja, Enugu and Calabar. It also hopes to start flying to Doula in Cameroon soon. Beyond the airline, the state is also building an international terminal as well as an additional taxiway at the Victor Attah International Airport.

When he assumed office as governor on May 29, 2015, Udom knew a major challenge before him was how to make his state be more than a ‘civil service state.’ But to do that required investment in infrastructure to increase the productive base of the state. To drive that change, he understood that power is a sine qua non.

Hence, the state government started massive investment in the electricity sector. Less than 18 months into his administration, the government built a 33/11KV, 2 X 15MVA injection sub-station in Uyo. Following this, there was a race to build sub-stations across the state. And in collaboration with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the state commissioned a 132/33KV, 1 x 60MVA transformer at Afaha Ube in Uyo which increased the state’s available power for distribution from 96MW to 144MW. And last year, another substation at Ekim which receives power from the state-owned Ibom Power Plant was built by the state government and commissioned by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Among Akwa Ibom people, the improved electricity supply has been dubbed ‘Ikang Udom’ which means ‘Udom’s light’.

While the state does not have control over electricity transmission, its investment in the electricity sector has started to pay off. As it stands, businesses and residents in Uyo enjoy more than 18 hours of power daily. Also benefitting from ‘Ikang Udom’ are firms in the Onna industrial hub like the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company, King Flour Mills, Metering Solutions Manufacturing Services and Lions Plywood Industry and some palm oil mills. Some feats – the syringe manufacturing company is the largest in Africa, the meter company is the largest in the country with capacity to produce three million meters annually while the flour mills have capacity of 500 metric tonnes daily. Together with the Awa Industrial hub, Akwa Ibom is designing itself as a reputable factory where over 20 industries produce for not only the state but also for the country.

Recognising the importance of education, the Udom administration maintained free throughout primary and secondary school as the state spends N600 million annually to pay the West Africa Examination Council fees of its students. The state also collaborated with the Navy and Army to set up secondary schools in the state while it also constructed and renovated over 500 school blocks through the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Committee.  This is in addition to the 601 projects including class room blocks executed by State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) through matching grants. And it is on record that Akwa Ibom held the first summit on education with the vision to make its children more competitive in the technology- driven world of the 21st century.

Regarding healthcare, Akwa Ibom which has a population of about five and a half million people is doing well. The state was also in the forefront in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. This is not surprising as the Governor Udom had aggressively had nightly meetings with medical practitioners and other stakeholders in arresting the pandemic. It has remodelled hospitals such as Etinan General Hospital, Methodist Hospital, Ituk Mbang, General Hospital, Iquita-Oron, Ikot Okoro, Ikono aside from creating isolation centres for Covid-19 treatment. Also, Akwa Ibom was praised by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for establishing the best two Polymerase Claim Reaction (PCR) laboratories in the country. Little wonder the state has recorded one of the lowest rates of Covid-19 infection.

However, beyond the emergency situation which 2020 foisted on the globe with Covid-19, Akwa Ibom had continued to make a mark in agriculture. The state hosts two fertilizer blending plants and three medium-scale rice mills including the Ibom Golden Rice mill, owned by Ibiono Ibom Rice Millers Cooperative Society. The Ibom Golden Rice Mill which services the rice field in Ikot Esen/ Utit Obio, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area began production around December 2019. The state government is also targeting large-scale vegetable farming and cassava cultivation and processing of staples like garri and odourless fufu.

Then there is also the construction of over 1, 700 kilometres of roads which the government has built. These include dualized roads like the Uyo-Etinan road, Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road, Etinan-East-West road and Eket-Ibeno road and Airport-Okobo road.  Also, work on Ring road II and the 10-lane Ring Road III in Uyo Metropolis are in advance stages of completion, while contract has been awarded for construction of surface and underground drain structure for collection and final discharge of Uyo metropolis flood water at IBB Way, Uyo. These are roads built not just for the sake of building roads but to create an economic artery whereby goods and services can be seamlessly transported across the state.

And seeking to encourage maritime activities, the state which has one of the longest coastline is working on delivering the Ibom Deep Sea Port. When actualised, this would translate into more commerce and employment for residents in the state.

While to the casual observer, these bursts of projects may appear disconnected, they are actually independent pieces of a jigsaw puzzle which is getting clearer with each passing day. And these have been responsible for the peace and prosperity being enjoyed in Akwa Ibom. Now, in the second year of his second term as governor, Udom is not relenting. And his passion can be gleaned in the opening lines of his broadcast on May 29, 2020 to mark his fifth year in office.

“Five years ago, I heard Nigeria’s call in general and Akwa Ibom’s summons in particular and I presented myself for the task of rebuilding our state,” he said.

“With God’s guidance and your overwhelming and generous support, we have recast this blessed Land of Promise into a great and wonderful piece of God’s Real Estate.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/at-33-akwa-ibom-is-soaring-high/

Akwa Ibom tags itself as ‘Land of Promise’ and it is good the governor is keeping his prom

 

 

 

 

 

Zahid Baig 24 Sep 2020

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LAHORE: The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) taking strong notice of Indian application to European Union (EU) for registering Basmati as Indian products under GI laws, has vowed to defend Pakistan’s rights under the WTO.

“The Indians are making efforts to muddy the truth and steal our heritage. We know how to respond and they will know it soon,” warned REAP here on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Punjab Agriculture Minister Hussain Jehanian Gardezi while chairing a collective meeting of the provincial agriculture department’s officers, Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, and REAP representatives, announced to defend Pakistan’s right on Basmati at every forum.

A REAP representative said that in 2004 the Association with the support of government had made efforts during negotiations with the EU at Geneva through exchange of letters between EU-Pakistan at WTO Geneva as well as EU-India simultaneously which led to some agreements establishing that Super Basmati and many other Basmati rice varieties were being grown in Pakistan and recognized world over as original Basmati rice rejecting exclusive claim by India.

India could grow very little Basmati in 2004 that too with great difficulty only in areas directly adjacent to Pakistan’s borders known as Majha, comprising Amritsar, Gurdaspur and R S Pura etc. To increase its volume of so-called Basmati, India had pushed hard in 2004 negotiations at Geneva to get included Pusa variety, then known in all Basmati rice trade circles as ‘duplicate Basmati’ or a non-Basmati that unscrupulous Indian rice exporters used to mix in the little Basmati they were growing. The EU-India agreement in 2004 included a long list of so called traditional Basmati varieties that were in physical short supply but also included Pusa (duplicate Basmati) as Indian Basmati rice in order to hoodwink the world.

The current misleading application moved by India is based on fudged reality. They have tried to usurp all true original Basmati growing areas ignoring reality that all Basmati growing areas of British India are situated in Pakistan. They accept in the application that the first ever mention of the word “Basmati” appeared in the epic poem “Heer Ranjha” by the great Punjabi poet Syed Waris Shah in 1766. Carrying their fraudulent line forward, they also conveniently and deliberately omitted to state that Syed Waris Shah lived and wrote this poem at Jandiala Sher Khan, District Sheikhupura, which was then in British India but now in Pakistan at a huge distance from the Indian border with Pakistan.

Research was done from 1926 through 1933 under British India in Punjab, which then covered what is today, entire Pakistan Punjab, Indian Punjab, Haryana, parts of Himachal Pradesh and even some bordering areas of Uttar Pradesh. This research found that there were no commercial Basmati rice paddy arrivals in the areas which today are in India. Dehradun did not grow enough rice to meet its tiny local population’s needs. Almost the entire Basmati rice paddy arrivals were then from areas that are today in Pakistan. India is trying to falsely claim that all British India areas are today India. This is a patent lie. The world will reject such lies when we tell the truth with evidence, REAP hoped.

The EU-Pakistan agreement through exchange of letters in 2004 is very much reality even today and confirms without any doubt that Pakistan is the home of Basmati rice. Then how can India claim exclusive ownership of the Basmati rice?

All original Basmati growing areas that were in British India till 1947 are today in Pakistan. Basmati 370, the mother and father of all Basmati rice in the world, was discovered as a original historical and natural landrace from Kaulo Tarer, District Hafizabad, now in Punjab, Pakistan, by Rice Research Station, Kala Shah Kaku, Punjab, British India, during research from 1926 to 1933. This historic institution has since become Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Punjab, Pakistan.

The federal and provincial governments, growers, traders, dealers, millers, and exporters of original Basmati rice from Pakistan are all together and will oppose this shady application and it will be rejected soon, the REAP announced.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40020920/registering-of-basmati-reap-vows-to-defend-pakistans-rights-under-wto

 

BoC asked to speed up rice imports audit

Published September 24, 2020, 2:49 PM

by Madelaine B. Miraflor

The Bureau of Customs (BoC) was told to speed up its audit of rice import transactions in 2019, as well as the collection of unpaid tariffs and penalties from erring importers, so it could look into more recent cases of undervaluation in rice importation.

This was after the agency reported that it had assessed some forty importers a total of P1.4 billion in additional tariffs and penalties for undervaluing their rice shipments between March and June 2019.

In a statement, the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) commended the BoC for finally addressing the issue of undervaluation of rice imports following FFF’s revelations that importers may have shortchanged BoC of nearly P2.8 billion in tariff revenues since the enactment of the Rice Tariffication Law in March last year.

“The BoC report is probably just the tip of the iceberg. Our analysis shows that undervaluation and misdeclaration have continued unabated and even worsened in 2020,” said FFF National Manager Raul Montemayor.

A recent FFF study indicated that the discrepancy between FOB (point of origin) prices as declared by importers and the BoC’s own reference values averaged P945 per ton in 2019.  
From January to May this year, the gap increased two and half times to P2,416 per ton.  

Total revenue losses from undervaluation from March 2019 to May 2020 alone were estimated at P1.6 billion, according to FFF.

Montemayor said that during a meeting with the FFF in July, the BoC disclosed that some shippers had apparently connived with importers to invoice freight and insurance charges as “other charges” so that these would not be included in tariff computations.  

This, according to him, resulted in additional uncollected tariffs of around P1.1 billion.  

Moreover, some P134 million in tariffs were not collected when the BoC assessed imports from India and Pakistan with only 35 percent tariff instead of 50 percent.

“We hope the BoC will resolve all these cases quickly and finally end the practice of undervaluation. We also ask the BoC to be transparent and reveal how many import shipments are under investigation, how much in security bonds have been collected from them, and what monetary and other penalties have been imposed on erring importers,” Montemayor said.  

https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/24/boc-asked-to-speed-up-rice-imports-audit/

 

 

Bioseed partners with IRRI for hybrid rice development

Our Bureau.  New Delhi | Updated on September 22, 2020  Published on September 22, 2020

Description: https://bl.thgim.com/economy/agri-business/piwztn/article32669066.ece/alternates/WIDE_615/hybrid-rice

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Bioseed — the hybrid seed business of diversified conglomerate DCM Shriram — and the Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have signed a memorandum of agreement which allows the former access to the latter’s world-class research facilities and technical expertise for advancing biotechnology research.

Under the pact, signed by Bioseed South East Asia Executive President Paresh Verma and IRRI Director General Matthew Morell, Bioseed will join the international institute’s Two-Lines Study Group for hybrid rice development, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

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“It will enable Bioseed to leverage IRRI’s well-established research excellence to advance its biotechnology projects and accelerate the development of value-added food crops for farmers in the region,” said Verma.

“This agreement will help increase research capacity across South and South-East Asia and accelerate the development of improved crops for climate resilience and nutrition security,” said Remy Bitoun, Head of IRRI Tech Transfer.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/bioseed-inks-pact-with-irri-for-hybrid-rice-development/article32669067.ece

 

 

Rise of rice farming in Asia 3,000 years ago explained in UH research

UH News » Research » Rise of rice farming…

·       September 22, 2020

 

·       UH News

Description: rice patty below mountains in Fujian ChinaCoastal rice fields in Fujian, China

New research has shed light on how paddy field rice farming rapidly expanded along Asia’s coastline 2,000–3,000 years ago after freshwater conditions improved, according to an international team of earth sciences researchers that includes a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa archaeology professor. The findings were featured in an article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Description: headshot of Barry RolettBarry V. Rolett

“Rice is the foundation of Asian civilizations, and our study reveals a remarkable relationship involving late Holocene coastal evolution and the rise of rice agriculture across coastal Asia,” said Professor Barry V. Rolett in the College of Social Sciences. “This model helps explain ancient DNA evidence suggesting a major Bronze Age demographic expansion of rice farmers of northern East Asian descent.”

Although rice history is well documented in the lower Yangtze homeland area, the early southward expansion of paddy rice farming was poorly known. The study investigated the process using a compilation of paleoenvironmental proxies from coastal sediment cores from Southeast China to Thailand and other areas of Southeast Asia.

Rolett explained that the emergence of coastal plains under enhanced freshwater conditions created expansive areas suitable for rice. As a result, over the past three millennia, the extent of coastal land suitable for wetland rice cultivation grew from about 16,000 to 96,000 square kilometers, or 9,941 to 59,651 square miles.

The research was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Andover Foundation for Archaeological Research. Rolett’s fellow researchers were Ting Ma and Zhuo Zheng at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, and Yongqiang Zong at the University of Hong Kong.

Related Posts:

https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2020/09/22/rice-farming-asia-3000-years-ago/

 

 

Rice prices up again

Commoners' woes compounded


 YASIR WARDAD | Published:  September 24, 2020 09:56:12


Description: File photo (Collected)File photo (Collected)

Prices of rice increased further in major wholesale markets across the country in the last few days after remaining almost static for three weeks.

The hike in the wholesale level is likely to impact the retails within one or two days which will compound the sufferings of the commoners, already hit hard by rising costs of other essentials amid the flood and coronavirus pandemic.

Prices of all varieties of coarse rice, medium quality Brridhan-28 and 29, and some finer quality witnessed a Tk125-150 hike per 50-kg sack at mill gates and godowns (Araat) in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Naogaon, Pabna and Kushtia in the last three days, according to the Bangladesh Auto Major Husking Mill Owners Association (BAMHMOA).

Brridhan-28 rice, the most available variety in Boro season, was sold at Tk 47-48 a kg, coarse varieties at Tk 42-43 per kg at mill gates and Araats in Naogaon, Kushtia and Dinajpur districts on Monday morning-- Tk 2.5-3.0 a kg hike, according to the association.

Rice price also rose at Dhaka wholesales on Wednesday morning as the coarse varieties were selling at Tk 2,200- 2,250 a sack (Tk 43-44 per kg)-- 100-125 hike per sack.

A decline in availability of paddy, stockpiling of paddy and rice in large quantities by big millers, warehouse owners and wealthy farmers amid flood and pandemic, and existing high duties on rice import are the reasons behind the hike, said traders and market experts.

However, prices of rice at retail markets in the capital were static until Wednesday noon.

Habibur Rahman, a grocer on Sher-e-Banglanagar Road at Mohammadpur, said retail prices might increase with end of their old stock.

He said coarse varieties were selling at Tk 45-48 a kg, medium qualities at Tk 52-54 and finer qualities at Tk 58-70 on the day.

Md Shahidul Patwary Mohon, vice-president of the BAMHMOA, told the FE that the prices of Brridhan-28 paddy increased by Tk 100-120 per maund as was selling at Tk 1,180-1,200 a maund (40 kg) on the day. But the millers have raised prices of rice nominally (by Tk 0.5 to Tk 1.0 a kg) despite a significant rise in paddy prices, he mentioned.

He, however, claimed that the owners of big storages have raised rice prices notably by stacking up a large quantity of the staple at their godowns.

On the other hand, many millers have stopped purchasing the paddy early in the wake of a paddy supply crunch at the markets, he said.

He also said that a good number of hoarders have got involved in rice imports.

"As the government hasn't reduced import duties on rice as per its previous declaration, prices of the staple have also been increased by the hoarders," he said, adding that rice import duties are 62 per cent at present.

Both the millers and storage owners and traders have traded blames for the recent price hike.

Chandan Kumar Kundu, a Nilphamari-based trader, said millers have raised prices for the third time in the past one month.

He said stock of coarse rice like hybrid, Swarna declined at the mills and prices were also increased by Tk 2.0-3.0 a kg further by the millers in a week.

Echoing Mr Patwary, he blamed the paddy shortage at the local markets for the price hike.

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said, import duty should be reduced or removed immediately to encourage importers to ship the staple to the country from global market to control the local market prices.

Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice by the government should be started immediately across the country to protect poor from starvation, he said adding, that rice prices at the city retail markets had already increased by 15-25 per cent and the recent hike will raise the sufferings of the commoners, he added.

Economist Prof Golam Hafeez Kennedy said, millers and their colluder who triggered the rice price hike should be put under close scrutiny in order to fight any artificial price hike.

He said the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) should deliver authentic data quickly on rice production in Boro season.

Despite a fall in Boro acreage, the agriculture ministry had said recently that this year's production was an all-time high (20.26 million tonnes), but the claim was difficult to be substantiated by facts, he further said.

He demanded of the BBS to publish a real Boro output data which can be used by the government to initiate crafting of a rice import policy soon.

In fact, government has failed to meet its boro procurement target this year amid a surge in rice prices at the country's main market, market observers said.

The government's stock of rice should be raised to 4.5-5.0 million tonnes following the deluge and the pandemic, Mr Golam Hafeez viewed.

The government targeted to buy 1.95 million tonnes of paddy and rice but it has been able to buy only 0.85 million tonnes until September 15, said the market observers.

The government set the rice purchase price at Tk 35-36 a kg this year when the millers were selling the staple at Tk 42 a kg at the mill-gates.

The government has a stock of 1.1 million tonnes of rice at present.

tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/rice-prices-up-again-1600919772

 

 

To ensure staggered procurement amid covid , Punjab CM allows use of miller premises as mandi yards

PUNJAB NEWS EXPRESS | September 22, 2020 04:22 PM

Description: https://www.punjabnewsexpress.com/images/article/article120021.jpg?v=200922162229

CHANDIGARH:To ensure smooth and seamless procurement of Paddy during the ensuing Kharif season amid Covid-19, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced a slew of amendments to the Custom Milling Policy (CMP) 2020-21, including allowing use of miller premises as Mandi yards.

The Chief Minister has approved deletion of clause 12 (j) of the Custom Milling Policy (CMP) 2020-21 for this purpose. The clause deals with those millers who are also commission agents/arhtiyas and, under existing rules, were not allowed to be allotted to the agency for which they were operating as commission agents.

The move will help ensure staggered procurement, thus preventing crowding of the Mandis during the pandemic, according to an official spokesperson. The decision was taken by the Chief Minister on the basis of a proposal of the Food & Civil Supplies Department, after examining the concerns and issues raised by the Punjab Rice Industry Association in its representation.

The Chief Minister has also given the nod for certain other amendments in the provisions of Custom Milling Policy for Kharif 2020-21, including restoration of the Bank Guarantee clause, maximum permissible allocable RO quantity, and sale of existing mills.

With the go-ahead to restoration of the Bank Guarantee Clause included in CMP 2020-21 Policy to previous year's provisions, the required bank deposit percentage will come down to 5% from the existing 10%. This will not have any financial bearing on the state exchequer as the bank guarantee acts as a countervailing measure only, said the spokesperson.

Under the amended rules, the miller shall now have to submit a bank guarantee to the concerned agency before the actual storage of paddy in his/her premises, equal to the value of 5% of acquisition cost of allocable free paddy above 5000 MT. The bank guarantee shall be released on delivery of due rice to FCI.

Conceding a demand of the Rice Millers Association, the Chief Minister has also okayed amendment to Clause 10 (b) (i) (8) of CMP 2020-21 to the extent that "In case of more than 50 percent change in ownership/partnership it will be only considered as a new mill for the sake of registration and there will be no reduction in entitlement of maximum allocable paddy, provided all the conditions for setting up of new mill are fulfilled as per prevailing policy."

Additionally, the extent of maximum permissible paddy under RO scheme has also been resorted to the Custom Milling Policy (CMP) 2019-20 i.e. upto 3000 MT-1875 MT, above 3000 MT but less than equal to 4000 MT-2500 MT, above 4000 MT but less than equal to 5000 MT-3750 MT, above 5000 MT but less than equal to 6000 MT-5000 MT and above 6000 MT-6250 MT, the spokesperson added.

https://www.punjabnewsexpress.com/punjab/news/to-ensure-staggered-procurement-amid-covid-punjab-cm-allows-use-of-miller-premises-as-mandi-yards-120021

 

 

Punjab allows use of miller premises for staggered paddy procurement amid Covid-19

The decision was taken by the chief minister on the basis of a proposal of the food and civil supplies department, after examining the concerns raised by the Punjab Rice Industry Association

CHANDIGARH Updated:

Description: HT Correspondent

HT Correspondent

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh

Description: With the go-ahead to restoration of the bank guarantee clause included in the custom milling policy (CMP) 2020-21 to the previous year’s provisions, the required bank deposit percentage will come down to 5% from the existing 10%.With the go-ahead to restoration of the bank guarantee clause included in the custom milling policy (CMP) 2020-21 to the previous year’s provisions, the required bank deposit percentage will come down to 5% from the existing 10%.(HT file photo)

     

To ensure smooth and seamless procurement of paddy during the Kharif season amid Covid-19, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced a slew of amendments to the custom milling policy (CMP) 2020-21, including allowing use of miller premises as mandi yards.

The chief minister approved deletion of clause 12 (j) of the CMP for this purpose. The clause deals with those millers who are also commission agents/arhtiyas and, under existing rules, were not allowed to be allotted to the agency for which they were operating as commission agents, according to an official spokesperson.

The decision was taken by the chief minister on the basis of a proposal of the food and civil supplies department, after examining the concerns raised by the Punjab Rice Industry Association.

The CM has also given the nod for other amendments in the CMP provisions, including restoration of the bank guarantee clause and sale of existing mills. With the go-ahead to restoration of the bank guarantee clause included in CMP 2020-21 to the previous year’s provisions, the required bank deposit percentage will come down to 5% from the existing 10%.

Under the amended rules, the miller shall now have to submit a bank guarantee to the agency concerned before the actual storage of paddy in his/her premises, equal to the value of 5% of acquisition cost of free paddy above 5,000 MT. The bank guarantee shall be released on delivery of due rice to Food Corporation of India.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/punjab-allows-use-of-miller-premises-for-staggered-paddy-procurement-amid-covid-19/story-Bh9PlKdzFj1SufxGVCA96I.html

 

 

Commission agents end strike as Haryana govt bows to demands

Under fire due to the strike the Haryana government on Monday night announced that the market fee and rural development fee on cotton and Barik Dhan (a paddy variety) will be reduced from 2% each to half a percent

CHANDIGARH Updated: Sep 22, 2020 15:30 IST

Description: Neeraj Mohan

Neeraj Mohan
Hindustan Times, Karnal

Description: Labourers at a grain market in Kurukshetra. Procurement operations in Haryana’s mandis resumed on Tuesday.Labourers at a grain market in Kurukshetra. Procurement operations in Haryana’s mandis resumed on Tuesday. (Sourced)

     

Thousands of paddy growers in Haryana heaved a sigh of relief as commission agents ended their strike, resuming procurement operations in most mandis.

The strike ended after a delegation of commission agents met with chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his deputy Dushyant Chautala late Monday, and procurement operations resumed early Tuesday.

Under fire due to the strike the Haryana government on Monday night announced that the market fee and rural development fee on cotton and Barik Dhan (a paddy variety) will be reduced from 2% each to half a percent. An official spokesperson said the dues for luster loss and other outstanding payments to be made to the commission agents will also be released soon.

Also Read: Farm bills, sifting the grain from the chaff

Talking to Hindustan Times, Ashok Gupta, the president of Haryana State Anaj Mandi Arhtiya Association said, “We have ended the strike as the government has agreed to accept most of the demands and resumed procurement on Tuesday morning.”

Gupta said that the government’s decision to reduce the market fee and rural development fee has come as a big relief to the commission agents, traders and the farmers, as this will ensure that most of the produce is procured inside the mandi.

However, procurement operations did not resume in several grain markets as commission agents said that they needed written assurance from the government to end the confusion.

“Procurement could not be resumed as the traders did not come to procure paddy (Basmati) by Tuesday evening. It will take a day or two to resume procurement in all mandis in the state,” said Naresh Kumar, a commission agent who works at the Kurukshetra grain market.

Also Read: Haryana to sell farm produce at 1 per cent in market: Dushyant Chautala

But officials of the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing department said that they have released the payments of the deductions made from the commission of the ahrtias (commission agents) for luster loss during wheat procurement season.

“The meeting (with ahrtias and rice mill owners) ended on a positive note. All the issues have been sorted out and both ahrtias and rice-millers have agreed to end their protest. The written notification will be issued by Tuesday evening,” a senior officer of Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/commission-agents-end-strike-as-haryana-govt-bows-to-demands/story-N9dUODW3wczk6fa8RH9eWL.html

 

AfCFTA: MAN, LCCI call for re-opening of Nigeria’s borders

24th September 2020

 

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Description: Nigeria, Zimbabwe on the fence as Zambia, Botswana sign AfCFTA

 

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The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Federal Government to immediately re-open the country’s land borders to boost the economy and attract the much-needed investments following the official flag-off of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) slated for January 1, 2021.

MAN’s President, Mr. Mansur Ahmed, who spoke during a virtual meeting in Lagos, said the timing was right for the suspension of the border closure in quest for AfCFTA’s success.

He said the association understood government’s stance on the border closure following the massive smuggling and importation of counterfeit goods and other agriculture products into the country. 

Ahmed explained that the closure one year after cannot be a sustainable arrangement as it was originally meant to be closed for certain period to correct the abnormalities. 

Description: https://i2.wp.com/sunnewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/African-Continental-Free-Trade-Agreement-AfCFTA.jpg?ssl=1

He advised that the government should take the opportunity of the agreement to improve  infrastructure for trade, to keep smuggling at bay, saying the “borders should be opened because we are now about to  start the AfCFTA, so that legitimate businesses can continue.”

In a similar development, the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf,  also said the private sector expected the Federal Government to re-open the borders because of its imperative to the country’s economic fortunes following its negative contribution to trade since the closure one year ago. He said the country’s economic growth had remained subdued at two per cent this year due to the border closure and other challenges, insisting that the country’s economy remains susceptible to external shocks, especially, oil price fluctuations. 

Noting that the policy has enormous implications for cross border economic activities, the chamber said it shares concern of  government on issues of security and smuggling, adding that indefinite closure of the borders is not the solution to the problem. 

Expressing excitement over the signing of the AfCFTA, Yusuf emphasised the need for the country to get prepared for the pressure of competition inherent in the continental economic integration agenda.  

“A number of commitments were made about the creation of an environment that would enable the private sector to be competition ready. But not much has happened in this regard so far.”

Ahmed said: “We understood why the border closure took place because, at one point, the massive importation and smuggling of counterfeits and other unacceptable products.

“For instance, bags of rice that have been stored in warehouses for 10 to 15 years are being imported at obviously very low prices thereby, making it very impossible for our rice millers to do their businesses to provide that to the market. 

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/afcfta-man-lcci-call-for-re-opening-of-nigerias-borders/

 

Mars drops Uncle Ben’s, reveals new name for rice brand

Ben's Original is the new name of the brand formerly known as Uncle Ben's.(Source: Mars Foods/CNN)

Published: Sep. 23, 2020 at 3:38 PM GMT+5

NEW YORK (AP) — The Uncle Ben’s rice brand is getting a new name: Ben’s Original.

Parent firm Mars Inc. unveiled the change Wednesday for the 70-year-old brand, the latest company to drop a logo criticized as a racial stereotype. Packaging with the new name will hit stores next year.

“We listened to our associates and our customers and the time is right to make meaningful changes across society,” said Fiona Dawson, global president for Mars Food, multisales and global customers. “When you are making these changes, you are not going to please everyone. But it’s about doing the right thing, not the easy thing.”

Several companies have retired racial imagery in recent months, a ripple effect from the Black Lives Matters protests over the police killing of George Floyd and other African Americans.

Quaker Oats announced in June that it would drop Aunt Jemima from syrup and pancake packages, responding to criticism that the character’s origins were based the “mammy,” a black woman content to serve her white masters. Quaker said packages without Aunt Jemima will start to appear in stores by the end of the year, although the company has not revealed the new logo.

“It’s a chain reaction of sorts and it’s really good and interesting to see so much introspection being done in these companies to change the trademarks that they’ve invested in,” said Riché Richardson, an associate professor of African American literature at Cornell University, who called for Aunt Jemima’s retirement five years ago in a New York Times opinion piece. “There is a challenge for some people in letting go of these images because they wrongly link them with a sense of Black identity and empowerment when in reality these images have never empowered Black people.”

The owner of Eskimo Pie has also said it will change its name and marketing of the nearly century-old chocolate-covered ice cream bar.

Geechie Boy Mill, a family-owned operation in South Carolina that makes locally-grown and milled white grits, is also planning a name change, according to owner Greg Johnsman. Geechie is a dialect spoken mainly by the descendants of African-American slaves who settled on the Ogeechee river in Georgia, according to Merriam-Webster.com.

Beyond food brands, the Washington NFL franchise dropped the “Redskins” name and Indian head logo amid pressure from sponsors including FedEx, Nike, Pepsi and Bank of America.

Mars had announced in the summer that the Uncle Ben’s brand would “evolve.”

Since the 1940s, the rice boxes have featured a white-haired Black man, sometimes with a bow tie, an image critics say evokes servitude. Mars has said the face was originally modeled after a Chicago maitre d' named Frank Brown. In a short-lived 2007 marketing campaign, the company elevated Uncle Ben to chairman of a rice company.

Dawson said months of conversations with employees, customer studies and other stakeholders led the company to settle on "Ben’s Original. She said the company is still deciding on an image to accompany the new name.

Americus Reed II, professor of marketing at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said the challenge for brands like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben’s is to come up with an new image that isn’t boring. He said Mars likely settled on keeping the name “Ben” to avoid “throwing the baby out with the water.” But now, Reed said, the brand might have to define who Ben is without sparking a new controversy.

“You don’t want to step in it twice,” Reed said. “I think what you might see is a very watered-down, safe creativity. Let’s not step on anyone’s toes. You’ll see that for a while.”

Mars announced several other initiatives, including a $2 million investment in culinary scholarships for aspiring Black chefs in partnership with the National Urban League.

It also is planning a $2.5 million investment in nutritional and education programs for students in Greenville, Mississippi, the majority African-American city where the rice brand has been produced for more than 40 years.

Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons said it’s always been a source of pride for the city to be home to the famous rice brand, despite the controversy over the name. He said Mars is the third-largest employer in Greenville, creating more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, from rice farmers to truck drivers.

Simmons praised Mars for seeking the city leadership’s input on the name change through several meetings in his office. For Greenville, he said it was important that shoppers continue to seek and find Ben’s Original in stores with its signature blue and orange packaging “so that people here can continue to stay employed.”

“For a company, a global multinational company, to be having these conversations with an African American male mayor sends the right signal to the world,” Simmons said.

___

https://www.kbtx.com/2020/09/23/mars-drops-uncle-bens-reveals-new-name-for-rice-brand/

 

 

RCEF Training of Trainers ongoing amid new normal  

QUEZON CITY, Sept. 22 -- The implementing agencies of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Extension Program (RCEF-RESP) continue to roll out activities for rice farmers nationwide.
 
These include school-on-the-air (SOA) programs, technical briefings, information caravans, information, education, and communication strategies, and various training activities.
 
To date, 4, 457 individuals have already completed the training of trainers (TOT) conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Centers (ATI-RTCs), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech).
 
The TOTs were launched in 2019 but were postponed early this year due to the pandemic. However, with the increasing need for food security, RCEF-RESP implementing agencies integrated safety protocols to be able to continue training services for the target beneficiaries.
 
“This COVID-19 pandemic is a call for us to really transform the sector into a much more effective and accessible landscape and, consequently, ensure that no rice farmer is left behind,” ATI Director Alfredo Aton said.
 
ATI-RTCs have already conducted TOTs on High Quality Inbred Rice Seeds and Farm Mechanization through a blended learning approach, integrating online lectures and take-home assignments among the participants. Lectures on various rice-related topics were complemented with hands-on activities on the use of rice farming machinery such as mechanical transplanter, hand tractor, and combine harvester.
 
Rice experts and other concerned focal persons were also tapped to equip the trainers with new knowledge and help them build their own network that will facilitate training of other rice farmers later on.
 
Meanwhile, SOA programs, online and radio-based information caravans, and technical briefings are also ongoing. RCEF also continues to support the enhancement of Farmers’ Information and Technology Services Centers in local government units located in the identified priority areas, as well as the establishment and enhancement of Farm Schools.
 
All of these efforts are poised to uplift the practices and lives of the farmers towards cultivating rice security. Agriculture Secretary William Dar has continuously pushed for the need to support the development of rice farmers to pave the way for “available, affordable, accessible, safe and nutritious rice for the Filipinos.” # # # (DA-ATI)

https://pia.gov.ph/press-releases/releases/1053962

 

GIM to provide digital supply chain solution to BEOL

 Tribune Desk

·       Published at 05:42 pm September 23rd, 2020

Description: GIM to provide digital supply chain solution to BEOL

GIM will provide all services related to transporting goods for products including oil, rice, resin, imported machinery and others to all over Bangladesh

Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited (BEOL), representing the renowned Rupchanda soybean oil, has signed an agreement with GIM Digital Truck, an online-based logistics solution provider, to take advantage of GIM's enterprise services.

The signing recently took place between Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited (BEOL) and Ejogajog Limited, said a press release.

During the ceremony, on behalf of Ejogajog Limited, Md Tarikul Hasan, head of operation, Maruf Mizan, head of sales, and Md Iftekhar Uddin, senior manager, sales were present. Inam Ahmed, General Manager of BEOL, signed the agreement on behalf.

According to the memorandum of understanding (MoU), GIM will provide all services related to transporting goods for products including oil, rice, resin, imported machinery and others to all over Bangladesh.

The product line of BEOL comprises brands like Rupchanda, Kings, Veola, Mizan etc.

Yaseen Fida Hossain, senior general manager of Ejogajog Limited, said: “Goods in Motion i.e. GIM earned the trust of customers over the time. We are thrilled to have Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited as our client, and surely will provide significant value addition in the supply chain domain through transparency, cost efficiency and data analytics.”

Inam Ahmed, general manager of BEOL, said: "With GIM, we hope we can efficiently deliver our goods in different parts of the country so that our consumers can easily access the product when needed."

With the slogan “Technology in Logistics,” the GIM Digital Truck app has already received a huge response from users by ensuring international grade service and safe transportation.

Currently, GIM has more than 12,000 registered trucks with carrying capacity of over 100,000 tons across the country.

All sorts of trucks familiar on Bangladesh roads will be available through the GIM app.

BEOL is looking for new and improved experience in goods transport and will be able to mitigate their demands for various capacity trucks on time at different routes across the country though GIM platform.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2020/09/23/gim-to-provide-digital-supply-chain-solution-to-beol

 

Region 6 farmers get P145-M farm machines

Description: The Manila Times

ByThe Manila Times

September 24, 2020

 

 

Some 5,340 rice farmers from 30 farmers› cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Region 6 (Western Visayas) received P145 million worth of farm machinery grants during a ceremony at the Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center in Iloilo City, Iloilo province on September 16.

Description: https://www.manilatimes.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/farmers.jpgThis photo shows Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization Director Baldwin Jallorina (front row) leading the distribution of machines to rice farmers in Region 6 at the Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center in Iloilo City, Iloilo province on September 16. PHILMECH PHOTO

The machines were distributed at no cost under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Mechanization Program, implemented by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech).

PHilMech Director Baldwin Jallorina attended the turnover ceremony for the machines, during which he explained how the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) made it possible for his agency to distribute the machines under a grant-in arrangement.

“The machines ditributed were from the RTL that is sometimes criticized as not providing any benefit to farmers and has also been branded as anti-farmer. These farm machines being distributed was made possible with RTL that provides P5-billion funding annually (for farm machine equipment distribution),” Jallorina said in Filipino.

The machines distributed were 27 four-wheel drive tractors, 49 hand tractors, 64 floating tillers, 10 rice precision seeders, 29 rice combine harvesters, seven walk-behind mechanical rice transplanters, 12 mechanical rice transplanters, four rice reapers, six mini threshers and three mobile rice mills.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/09/24/business/agribusiness/region-6-farmers-get-p145-m-farm-machines/771333/

 

 

Mandi fee cut by Haryana, Punjab to benefit basmati trade

TV Jayan  New Delhi | Updated on September 23, 2020  Published on September 23, 2020

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Gujarat APMC workers fear lay-offs, seek pay-protection

‘Move will ensure level playing field’

Rice millers and exporters would benefit significantly from a recent move by Haryana and Punjab governments to slash market fee levied on basmati rice by 50 per cent or more.

The decision was announced by respective State governments on Tuesday within two days of the Centre passing a farm Bill that allows direct trade of agricultural produce outside recognised grain mandis across the country without any cess. The move is expected to save hundreds of crores of rupees for agri-business firms dealing in basmati rice.

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While Punjab government announced it would reduce market development fee (MDF) and rural development fee (RDF) from 2 per cent to 1 per cent each, Haryana slashed them from 2 per cent each to 0.5 per cent each, respectively.

Currently, rice mills and processing units pay 4 per cent for buying basmati crop from designated Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) mandis in these two States.

According to an official spokesperson for Punjab government, this is being done to open up a level-playing field and the decision is expected to give millers and traders a relief of 100 crore in Punjab alone.

GPS Randhawa, General, Manager (Projects), at the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board, said they are yet to receive a notification from the government, but added that the information is correct.

“This is being done to help millers and exporters from the State retain their competitive edge as the neighbouring States have reduced the fee,” Randhawa said.

However, Bal Kishan Bali, President of Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association, said their demand was to reduce MDF and RDF to 0.5 per cent each as was done by Haryana.

“We would like to procure basmati from grain mandis. Moreover, unlike other States such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, Punjab has not allowed trade outside mandis after the Centre brought in the ordinances, which have now become a Bill after the parliament passing them,” Bali said.

According to him, the State government may have to do this if Punjab has to retain its pole position as the State with highest basmati exports. India exports over 4 million tonnes of the aromatic rice annually on an average of which more than 40 per cent comes from Punjab, he said.

Market fee income

Sanjeev Kaushal, Additional Chief Secretary to the Haryana government, who has the charge of Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said the State has reduced MDF on most rice varieties other than PR varieties and cotton from 2 per cent to 0.5 per cent.

“Besides, the law is being amended by the Department of Development and Panchayats to bring down HRDF (Haryana RDF) to 0.5 per cent from existing 2 per cent with retrospective effect,” Kaushal said.

In 2018-19, total income from the collection of market fee was nearly 820 crore and HRDF, too, yielded an income which is slightly less than this, according to information available from the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/mandi-fee-cut-by-haryana-punjab-to-benefit-basmati-trade/article32679531.ece

 

 

Uncle Ben's Rice No Longer Has a Black Man on the Box Because That's Racist

BY JIM TREACHER SEP 23, 2020 3:15 PM EST

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Description: https://media.townhall.com/townhall/reu/o/images/2020/170/a66b3cca-4554-4f03-a763-e00823e06879-730x487.pngLeah Barkoukis

Ever since a black man named George Floyd died in the custody of a multiracial group of Minneapolis police officers, America has learned a lot about what is and isn’t racist. Just to name a few examples: The phrase “master bedroom” is now racist, because it has the word “master” in it. Refusing to yell “Black lives matter” on command is now racist, because Jimmy Kimmel wants to keep working in Hollywood. Hiring a white person to do the voice of a black cartoon character is racist, because… I dunno, it just is. Rather than trying to list all the things that are now racist, you should just assume that every single thing you do and say is racist until you’re instructed otherwise.

For example, have you bought any rice lately? Did it have a picture of a black man on the box? Well, guess what?

Noah Manskar, NY Post:

Mars Inc. has renamed its Uncle Ben’s rice products “Ben’s Original,” making it the latest food producer to ditch a brand steeped in racist imagery.

The Virginia-based company is also scrapping the portrait of a white-haired black man that has adorned its rice boxes for decades — an image that’s long been criticized as a racist stereotype…

The Uncle Ben’s brand was established in the 1940s and originally named for a “legendary” Texas rice farmer, according to an archived page on its website. The portrait long used on the box was that of Frank Brown, the maitre d’ of a Chicago restaurant who agreed to pose for the brand, the page says.

That’s right: A rice company used for its logo a portrait of a living, breathing individual human being, a person who actually existed on this planet in real life, and now that’s racist because George Floyd is dead.

Here’s the racist imagery, if you can even bring yourself to look at it:

Description: Uncle Ben's Rice(@unclebens Twitter screenshot)

Doesn’t really look like Al Jolson to me, but that must be my white privilege talking.

That’s from the company’s Twitter avatar, which you can see here as they grovel for forgiveness:

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/jim-treacher/2020/09/23/uncle-bens-rice-no-longer-has-a-black-man-on-the-box-because-thats-racist-n959216

 

 

Punjab reduces market and rural development fee from 2% to 1% for basmati

The move will help keep Punjab Basmati competitive in the international markets, provide relief to the tune of Rs 100 crore to Basmati traders and millers, an official said.

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Published: 22nd September 2020 05:27 PM  |   Last Updated: 22nd September 2020 05:29 PM   |  A+A A-

For representational purposes

By Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Government on Tuesday announced a reduction in the Market Development Fee (MDF) and the Rural Development Fee (RDF) rates, from 2 per cent to 1 percent each thus paving the way to provide a level playing field for Basmati traders and millers from within and outside Punjab, especially in the light of the provisions of the new Agriculture Bills.

"This move by the state government will help keep Punjab Basmati competitive in the international markets, provide relief to the tune of Rs 100 crore to Basmati traders and millers. However, the change comes with the caveat that no refund of any fee will be allowed to any paddy or rice dealer, miller
and trader for export of the Basmati paddy and rice to other countries," said an official.

The announcement by CM Capt Amarinder Singh came in response to a proposal of the Punjab Mandi Board after a thorough examination of the representations received from the Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association and the Punjab Basmati Rice Millers and Exporter Association.

The Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association had submitted that with the farm ordinances coming into force, the disparity in fees and other charges among the Basmati producing states would be around 4 percent, thus making the rice industry in Punjab economically unviable as it would be unable to compete with rice exporters in Haryana, Delhi, and UP which had totally exempted the market fees from agricultural produce.

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ALSO READ | Explained: What are the new Agri Bills and why farmers are unhappy

They had also pleaded that Punjab-based exporters would not be able to cover the additional cost of taxes, which is 4 per cent plus, thus making it extremely difficult for them to remain in business. This trend may force them to purchase paddy from other states to remain in competition with their counterparts in
Haryana, UP and Delhi.

Pointing to the excellent Mandi infrastructure network of the Punjab Mandi Board, the Association had urged the State Government to implement 0.35 per cent to 1 per cent usage charges and mandi fees on the first purchase instead of all other charges that are currently levied, in order to keep the Punjab rice industry competitive viz-a-viz other states.

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Commission agents end strike as Haryana govt bows to demands

Under fire due to the strike the Haryana government on Monday night announced that the market fee and rural development fee on cotton and Barik Dhan (a paddy variety) will be reduced from 2% each to half a percent

CHANDIGARH Updated: Sep 22, 2020 15:30 IST

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Neeraj Mohan
Hindustan Times, Karnal

Description: Labourers at a grain market in Kurukshetra. Procurement operations in Haryana’s mandis resumed on Tuesday.Labourers at a grain market in Kurukshetra. Procurement operations in Haryana’s mandis resumed on Tuesday. (Sourced)

     

Thousands of paddy growers in Haryana heaved a sigh of relief as commission agents ended their strike, resuming procurement operations in most mandis.

The strike ended after a delegation of commission agents met with chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his deputy Dushyant Chautala late Monday, and procurement operations resumed early Tuesday.

Under fire due to the strike the Haryana government on Monday night announced that the market fee and rural development fee on cotton and Barik Dhan (a paddy variety) will be reduced from 2% each to half a percent. An official spokesperson said the dues for luster loss and other outstanding payments to be made to the commission agents will also be released soon.

Also Read: Farm bills, sifting the grain from the chaff

Talking to Hindustan Times, Ashok Gupta, the president of Haryana State Anaj Mandi Arhtiya Association said, “We have ended the strike as the government has agreed to accept most of the demands and resumed procurement on Tuesday morning.”

Gupta said that the government’s decision to reduce the market fee and rural development fee has come as a big relief to the commission agents, traders and the farmers, as this will ensure that most of the produce is procured inside the mandi.

However, procurement operations did not resume in several grain markets as commission agents said that they needed written assurance from the government to end the confusion.

“Procurement could not be resumed as the traders did not come to procure paddy (Basmati) by Tuesday evening. It will take a day or two to resume procurement in all mandis in the state,” said Naresh Kumar, a commission agent who works at the Kurukshetra grain market.

Also Read: Haryana to sell farm produce at 1 per cent in market: Dushyant Chautala

But officials of the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing department said that they have released the payments of the deductions made from the commission of the ahrtias (commission agents) for luster loss during wheat procurement season.

“The meeting (with ahrtias and rice mill owners) ended on a positive note. All the issues have been sorted out and both ahrtias and rice-millers have agreed to end their protest. The written notification will be issued by Tuesday evening,” a senior officer of Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/commission-agents-end-strike-as-haryana-govt-bows-to-demands/story-N9dUODW3wczk6fa8RH9eWL.html

 

 

Cotton Major Cash Crop Of Pakistan Faces Immense Challenges

September 24, 2020September 24, 2020 Maimoona Tahir

Cotton, a major cash crop of country is facing immense challenges as its output has been on decline from last many years and the production is feared to be further reduced during current season as last spell of torrential rains and flash floods in Punjab and Sindh have damaged the crop standing over thousands of hectares.

Description: Cotton major cash crop of Pakistan faces immense challenges

The rains and floods in Sindh have completely damaged 26.7% cotton crop on 167,641 hectares and 19% or 124,587 hectares of area was partially damaged.

About 80% crop was damaged in districts of Umerkot and Mirpurkhas, whereas it was also affected in other districts as well, said Cotton Commissioner in the Ministry of National food Security and Research Dr Khalid Abdullah.

Talking to APP here on Wednesday, he said that the rains have also put negative impact on cotton crop in Punjab as crop standing over 8,034 acres was badly affected.

The cotton crop in districts Multan, DG Khan, Rajan Pur and Muzaffargarh of Punjab Province were affected, he said adding that crops other than cotton like sugarcane rice and pulses were also damaged due to rains and floods.

The Commissioner said that cotton crop sowing in the country during current season (2020-21) decreased by 1.3 percent as compared the sowing of the corresponding period of last year.

The crop had cultivated over 2.457 million hectares as against the set targets of 2.663 million hectares, which was less than 1.3 percent of targets fixed for this season, he added.

He said that about 92 percent targets of cotton cultivation was achieved during current season, adding that crop was grown over 2.

489 million hectares during same period of last year.

In Punjab, he said that the cotton area was decreased by 2.5 percent as crop had sown over 1.890 million hectares as compared the target of 2.03 million hectares.

However, he said that the cotton sowing in Sindh registered about 2.7 percent increase as it cultivated over 0.615 million hectares as against last year’s 0.599 million hectares.

The Commissioner said that declining trend in cotton growing area was mainly attributed to increase in covered area under competing crops including sugarcane, maize and rice.

In order to cope with the prevailing situation and encouraging the farmers to grow more cotton, he said government had evolved a scheme of incentives that would reduce the input cost of cotton, besides reducing the cost of doing business.

He said that government had announced subsidies on fertilizers and pesticides in its agricultural emergency program and farmers would be provided fertilizers and pesticides on controlled rates.

Besides, to ensure availability of cheaper agriculture credit, the government had also announced to pay 10 percent markup on agriculture loans for growers, adding that interest rate on agriculture lending was charged at the rate of 16 percent.

In order to control the pest attack on cotton like white fly and pink ballworm, he said government had also provided subsidy on the imports of PB Rope.

He said that government was also working to ensure 100 percent availability of high yielding, pest resistant seeds to enhance per-acre crop output.

Originally published by Urduoint

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:00oHl3jglXUJ:https://www.technologytimes.pk/2020/09/24/cotton-major-cash-crop-of-pakistan-faces-immense-challenges/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pkhttps://thedailychronicle.in/news/1804771/rice-market-technological-advancement-growth-analysis-with-forecast-to-2025/

FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION

Scientists Draw up Guidelines to Help Agri-food Companies Align with 2030 Agenda

Isaiah EsipisuReprint |         | Description: http://cdn.ipsnews.net/wp-content/themes/ipsnews/images/printer.png Print | Send by email

Description: Dominic Kimara, the farm manager at an agri-food company, stands in a rice field grown using conservation agriculture technique. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

Dominic Kimara, the farm manager at an agri-food company, stands in a rice field grown using conservation agriculture technique. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

AMURU, Uganda/NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 23 2020 (IPS) - In Amuru district, 47 kilometres from Gulu town in northwestern Uganda, the Omer Farming Company has proven that it is possible to farm on thousands of acres of land using methods that conserve the environment and its biodiversity.

On a 5,000 acre piece of land, the company is growing upland rice with a yield of up to 3.5 metric tons per acre, using the conservation agriculture method.

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“We do not plough the field, and we do not use fertilisers,” Dominic Kimara, the farm manager at the company, told IPS. “Instead, we grow a leguminous crop known as sunn hemp, and when it is 50 percent flowering, we roll it on the ground so that it can decompose and form green manure,” he explained.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, this type of farming technique has several advantages for the environment because it reduces the use of farm machineries (which often emit carbon), sequesters carbon, and is cost effective and beneficial to the soil.

According to the report ‘Fixing the Business of Food initiative‘ by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition Foundation (BCFN), agri-food companies must consider the environmental and social impacts of business operations, including their production processes and other internal processes, with a focus on issues such as resource use (land, water, energy) and emissions, respect for human rights, diversity and inclusion, and decent work conditions that improve livelihoods of employees and their families.

The report, which was released on Sept. 22 alongside the 75th session of the U.N. General Assembly in partnership with the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the Santa Chiara Lab (SCL) and the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment (CCSI), identifies a four pillar framework for alignment of the food and agriculture sector with the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Indeed the four pillar framework is a sort of instruction manual to guide our efforts towards the active engagement of the private sector in the implementation of the 2030 agenda,” said Mariangela Zappia, ambassador and permanent representative of the Permanent Mission of Italy to the U.N. in New York.

However, the experts observed that despite a steady increase in investments in sustainable development and climate action, only eight percent of public climate finance is directed to the agri-food sector.

“There is one big risk: that a lot of our colleagues, a lot of other actors in the world of business feel the danger, but they do not have the courage to really take actions within their company to make these very difficult decisions,” said Guido Barilla, chair of Barilla Group and the BCFN Foundation, noting that the Barilla Group had to take a tough decision to stop the use of palm oil, which is the cheapest source of fat, but contributes to deforestation.

“We are late in the 2030 Agenda, we are losing time in completing the sustainability goals and to really rationalise the dangers and lower the dangers on climate change and on sustainability issues. It’s unaffordable. We need to make a call to action,” he said during a virtual launch of the report.

The report further points out that the shift towards more sustainable and healthier diets is a strong leverage to improve both planetary and human health.

This comes after a warning by another study about India that projects levels of undersupply and consequent malnutrition will significantly increase in 2030 and 2050 scenarios.

“Policy incentives in Indian agriculture since the Green Revolution have predominantly been focused on achieving caloric food security through increased production of cereals (wheat and rice),” wrote the researchers in a study titled ‘Sustainable food security in India—Domestic production and macronutrient availability’.

This, according to the scientists, has resulted in a heavy carbohydrate-based diet (65–70 percent of total energy intake) which may be significantly lacking in adequate diversity for the provision of other important nutrients.

The BCFN report points out that there is need for a radical transformation in order to cope with the environmental, social, and economic challenges of agri-food systems at global and local levels. “In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated global development challenges especially for the most vulnerable communities around the globe,” it reads in part.

So far, the European Union is already promoting such transformation through the European Green Deal and the ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy, aiming to make European food ‘the global standard for sustainability’.

The authors explored the main gaps in aligning practices and strategies to sustainability principles through a deep qualitative analysis of sustainability reports for 2018 and 2019 published by 12 global companies with high reputations in terms of sustainability.

The other pillars include contribution to healthy and sustainable dietary patterns through its products and strategies, and the impact and influence of companies beyond the perimeter of their direct and outsourced operations. The report notes that in some contexts, companies have co-responsibility for enhanced sustainability throughout their supply chains, value chains and within the ecosystems in which they operate.

The last pillar considers companies’ external strategies and engagement: both with the communities where they operate and with the rules that govern them.

“We must generate partnerships between the private sector and the public sector so that everyone in the world has access to healthy diets that are produced sustainably,” said Rachel Kyte, the Dean, at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

 http://www.ipsnews.net/2020/09/scientists-draw-up-guidelines-to-help-agri-food-companies-align-with-2030-agenda/

 

Nearly 4,000 hybrid rice varieties grown in China

Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-22 20:22:06|Editor: huaxia

CHENGDU, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Agronomists have planted about 4,000 rice varieties in a hybrid experimental rice base in southwest China's Sichuan Province to acquire the ideal seeds for large-scale plantation.

The hybrid rice science park, which opened in May in the Pidu District in the provincial capital of Chengdu, was named after China's renowned agronomist Yuan Longping. It has 9,087 square meters for the first phase of construction, along with 133.33 hectares of outdoor farmland.

This year, nearly 4,000 rice varieties, each with 50 to 100 stems, have been grown in the one-hectare experimental field, said Kuang Yinglong, breeding department manager of the Chengdu branch of the China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center.

The rice seeds will be obtained roughly 20 days after pollination, and the seeds will be grown in November in Sanya, Hainan Province. The harvesting conditions can be observed next March, said Kuang.

He said researchers will further hybridize those with better characters to get the ideal varieties that are genetically stable.

"Only one-thousandth of the varieties planted every year may finally become rice seeds, which can enter the market for farming only if they are examined and approved by authorities," he said.

Tuesday marked the Chinese farmers' harvest festival. Enditem

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-09/22/c_139388143.htm

 

Study zeroes in on target plant hormone to improve potassium deficiency in rice

Plants deficient in Potassium more susceptible to salt, drought, chilling and other stresses

 

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By Sunderarajan Padmanabhan
Last Updated: Tuesday 22 September 2020

Targeting a specific plant hormone would help rice plants have greater tolerance to potassium deficiency, in turn, improving rice productivity, a new study has suggested.

The plant hormone called Jasmonate (JA) is often associated with the plant’s defence against biotic factors like insects, pests and other pathogens.

The overexpression of a gene called OsJAZ9 helped make rice plants more tolerant of potassium deficiency, the study noted. It was conducted by a team of scientists at the Department of Biotechnology’s New Delhi-based National Institute of Plant Genome Research (DBT-NIPGR).

There was an enhanced accumulation of JA-Ile — a bioactive form of the hormone, in rice on potassium deficiency, the scientist found. The JA-Ile then activates potassium transporters for its uptake from the media.

The Green Revolution of the 1960s was driven by another plant hormone called Gibberellins (GA). The new study suggests that future research could be targeted towards JA that could help achieve both, nutrient- efficient crops and protection against pests.

Potassium is one of the most important macronutrients for plants. Plants require, among other things, a high and relatively stable concentration of potassium ion to activate many enzymes that are involved in respiration and photosynthesis. Potassium is also involved in key cellular processes such as energy production, and cell expansion.

However, despite being among the most abundant minerals in the soil, its availability to plants is limited. This is because most of the soil potassium (about 98 per cent) is in bound forms and its release into the soil solution is far slower than the rate of its acquisition by the roots.

The availability of potassium in the soil solution or exchangeable form depends on multiple factors like soil acidity, presence of other monovalent cations like sodium and ammonium ions and the type of soil particles. 

Deficiency in potassium affects plants by inhibiting the growth of the roots and the shoots. Studies have shown that plants that are deficient in potassium are more susceptible to salt, drought, chilling and other abiotic and biotic stresses.

“Future agriculture has to be input efficient rather than input intensive. This study adds to the molecular/genetic resources for improving fertiliser use efficiency in rice which is of prime value for achieving sustainable agriculture,” senior author of the paper, Jitender Giri, said.

Besides Giri, other members of the research team included Ajit Pal Singh, Bipin K Pandey, Poonam Mehra and Thierry Heitz. They have published a paper on their work in the Journal of Plant Molecular Biology. (India Science Wire)

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/science-technology/study-zeroes-in-on-target-plant-hormone-to-improve-potassium-deficiency-in-rice-73495

 

FFCCCII donates 110 sacks of rice, 1, 000 hygiene kits to Pateros

Published September 23, 2020, 2:54 PM

by Jel Santos

To help residents affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a total of 110 sacks of rice and 1,000 hygiene kits were donated by the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) to the Municipality of Pateros on Wednesday.

Description: https://mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/pateros-1-1024x683.jpg(MMDA/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The donations were coursed through Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Danilo “Danny” Lim, the designated Cabinet member to monitor and help Pateros in its COVID-19 response.

Lim and FCCCII officials personally turned over to Pateros Mayor Miguel “Ike” Ponce the donations at the Municipal Hall.

Description: https://mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/pateros-2-1024x683.jpg(MMDA/ MANILA BULLETIN)

It also donated 50 reams of bond papers for the printing of students’ modules.

FCCCII Vice President Dr. Cecilio Pedro said the MMDA chairman asked for their support to help the communities of Pateros, the lone municipality in Metro Manila. 

Lim said that among the 17 local governments in the National Capital Region, Pateros is the local government which needs the most support because it has limited resources being the only municipality and the smallest in the metropolis.

“I am thankful for the support of the FCCCII to Pateros in these challenging times. The donation is intended for households under community quarantine,” he said.

“Pateros is blessed to receive these donations,” he added.

Lim was accompanied by MMDA EDSA traffic chief Bong Nebrija.

 

https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/23/ffcccii-donates-110-sacks-of-rice-1-000-hygiene-kits-to-pateros/

 

 

Kirinyaga County Gov’t donates 13,000kgs of seeds to rice farmers

By Johnson Muriithi For Citizen Digital

Description: time updated Published on:  September 22, 2020 14:04 (EAT)

 

        

Description: Kirinyaga County Gov't donates 13,000kgs of seeds to rice farmers

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru gives President Uhuru Kenyatta a tour of the Mwea Rice Mills early this year. PHOTO| COURTESY

Kirinyaga rice farmers have received 13,000 kilograms of high-quality rice seeds from the county government for this season’s planting.

The donation that includes 10,000 kilograms of basmati rice seeds and 3,000 kilograms of hybrid variety will be distributed among 1,000 farmers to be planted on approximately 1,000 acres of land.

Speaking to Members of County Assembly and farmers’ representatives in Sagana, Governor Anne Waiguru thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta for the seeds donation which was delivered through the State Department of Crops Development and Agriculture Research.

She said the seeds will be distributed immediately to the farmers to enable timely planting, noting that identification of the beneficiaries was done through collaboration between the county’s Department of Agriculture, the Mwea Irrigation Water Users Association (IWUA) and farmers across the rice growing wards in Mwea.

The governor said that the initiative will complement the efforts by the County Government in promotion of rice production which include coordination of water provision services in an equitable manner across the rice scheme and improvement of the road network within the scheme in order to ease transportation of rice and farm inputs.

The County Government also provides extension and advisory services to farmers in order to promote good agricultural practices for increased production as well as collaborate with other stakeholders for improved production and marketing of rice.

Also Read:

1.    Catfight over man in Kirinyaga turns tragic as woman stabs man’s lover with a beer bottle to death

2.    Kirinyaga: Governor Anne Waiguru, MCAs end standoff, vow to work together

3.    Governor Waiguru terms Kirinyaga rice husks factory a milestone development

She also noted that the county leaders have planned to meet the Cabinet Secretaries in charge of Agriculture and Trade in order to forge a lasting solution to rice marketing woes that have faced rice farmers in the county.

There has been an outcry that the influx of cheap rice imports have disadvantaged Mwea rice farmers whose good quality rice lies in the factory for lack of market and when they sell they are forced to do so at throw away prices.

Kirinyaga is the largest rice growing county in Kenya with Mwea irrigation scheme having 26,000 acres under rice grown by about 7,000 farmers.

The total annual rice production in the scheme is estimated at 113,000 metric tons and there exists potential for enhanced production.

Rice has been one of the priority value chains that support the Big Four Agenda pillar on Food Security and Nutrition.

https://citizentv.co.ke/news/kirinyaga-county-govt-donates-13000kgs-of-seeds-to-rice-farmers-345852/

 

Are we heading towards a food crisis?

The government may need to review the protectionist measures in place in order to avert a food crisis.

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Published

  

on

 

By

 CSL Stockbrokers 

Description: How Nigeria’s GDP growth and food security hinges on financial inclusion of farmers

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Based on the selected food price watch data for August 2020 released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), major consumer staples showed substantial increases between August 2019 (when the land border closure took effect) and August 2020. The steep price increases across the food items is consistent with the increase in food inflation from 13.17% in August 2019 to 16.0% in August 2020. Of more concern is the fact that rice, the most
widely consumed food staple among consumers showed substantial increase in the two variants; local sold loose (up 37.5% y/y) and imported high quality sold loose (up 40.7% y/y).

Explore the Nairametrics Research Website for Economic and Financial Data

Description: https://i1.wp.com/nairametrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Food-crisis.png?resize=665%2C400&ssl=1

READ: Nigeria among countries to be worst hit by food crisis globally

In our view, the predominant factor behind the surge in the prices of major food items is the closure of the land borders, which has been exacerbated by administrative controls employed by the monetary and fiscal authorities in rationing foreign exchange. We recall that in July, the CBN included Maize on the list of items ineligible for FX from official sources. Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to allocate foreign exchange to importers of food and fertilizer. We also understand that heavy rainfalls in the northwestern part of the country have also affected farmlands, as the head of Kebbi state branch of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria revealed that about 90% of the 2 million tons of rice to be harvested were destroyed.

Description: GTBank 728 x 90

READ: Has the President erred in stopping CBN from funding food imports?

The persistent increase in the prices of food items despite the protectionist measures implemented by the government suggests that local production still lags consumption significantly. Considering the weak harvest season due to the impact of the global pandemic amidst higher distribution costs linked to higher PMS prices following the deregulation of the downstream sector, we believe price of food items will continue to trend upwards.

Additionally, we expect the pass-through impact of the devaluation in the local currency to put further pressure on imported food inflation. Overall, we think the government needs to review the protectionist measures in place in order to avert a food crisis.

Description: GTBank 728 x 90


CSL Stockbrokers Limited, Lagos (CSLS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of FCMB Group Plc and is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria. CSLS is a member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

https://nairametrics.com/2020/09/22/are-we-heading-towards-a-food-crisis/

 

 

 

 

 

Tariff recoveries from BOC audit eyed for farmers’ benefit

ByJasper Y. ArcalasandBernadette D. Nicolas

September 24, 2020

 

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RICE industry groups on Wednesday hailed the Bureau of Customs’ decision to charge erring importers who undervalued their imports, calling it a victory for Filipino farmers since the amount to be collected from them could mean additional funds to support local production.

They urged the BOC to allocate the tariff recoveries from the audits on over 40 erring rice importers to the government’s rice competitiveness enhancement fund (RCEF).

They also pressed the government to chase the “real” importers, as some of the audited rice importers could be just cooperatives that serve as dummies or fronts of unscrupulous traders.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) and Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) had noted that cooperatives used by unscrupulous traders, which include some farmers-led groups, could be caught in a crossfire as the BOC digs deeper on the issue of rice import undervaluation.

And the BOC could be running the risk of collecting lesser or no charges if the dummy cooperatives are indeed found liable for the rice imports undervaluation since it was their names that were used for the shipments.

“We call on the BOC to go hard on these importers and to also prevent this from happening again in the future,” R1 Executive Director Hazel A. Tanchuling told the BusinessMirror.

Tanchuling said BOC’s latest action is crucial in alleviating the problems of the rice producers and improving their productivity.

“Collecting the right tariffs is important because the amount collected should go back to the farmers in support,” she said.

“So, losses in tariff revenues also reduce potential support to farmers heavily impacted by liberalization,” she added.

FFF National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor told the BusinessMirror that the BOC’s possible tariff recoveries should be part of the RCEF.

“We think  that the tariff recoveries should form part of the rice fund. As for the penalties, which could be higher than the tariff recoveries, it is not clear if it will go to RCEF since the RTL [rice trade liberalization law] talks only of tariffs,” he said.

“We will need to evaluate where the additional money will be spent best, but either way, it would be of great help,” he added.

Rice tariff lib

The RTL law mandates that rice tariffs collected by the government since its enactment in March 2019 until 2024 should be earmarked for the government’s RCEF.

Latest estimates of the FFF showed that unscrupulous rice importers may have shortchanged the BOC of nearly P2.8 billion since the implementation of the RTL law.

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the FFF also reiterated its call on the government to be more stringent in approving farmer cooperatives and groups as eligible rice importers, as the practice of using dummy schemes by unscrupulous traders continues today. (Read this Broader Look piece: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/10/31/pre-and-post-rice-trade-liberalization-law-big-traders-gaming-farmer-groups/)

“Even if a co-op importer is found guilty of undervaluation, BoC might not be able to collect anything because many of these co-ops actually have very little funds or assets, and might be dormant already.  Meanwhile, the actual importer who financed the shipments will go scot-free,” the FFF said.

Customs Assistant Commissioner and spokesperson Vincent Philip Maronilla told the BusinessMirror that “a percentage” of the P1.4-billion combined charges to be collected from the erring audited rice importers will go to the RCEF.

“Yes. A percentage of the collection will be allocated for RCEF,” Maronilla said in a message.

Pressed on the specific percentage of the total charges that could be allotted for RCEF, the BOC official said: “It will be determined by our collection service following the provision of the law.”

He said their legal department has yet to resolve whether penalties and surcharges which form part of the P1.4-billion charges could also be allocated to RCEF.

Of the P1.4-billion charges, Maronilla said the duty component amounted to at least P600 million, while the remaining P800 million were penalties and surcharges.

However, Maronilla said “not all” duties to be collected from the undervalued rice imports would go to the RCEF.

“Insofar as to the portion of additional duties and taxes, yes [that could be used for RCEF],” he said. “But insofar as to the penalties that are yet to be determined, whether that could be considered” for credit to RCEF has yet to be decided, he added.

The BusinessMirror earlier reported that over 40 rice importers were told by Customs to pay a combined total of P1.4 billion in “additional audited assessment” after the BOC found them liable for undervaluing their rice shipments from March to June last year. (Read story here: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/09/23/rice-importers-charged-p1-4-billion-on-undervaluation/)

The FFF urged the BOC to fast-track the resolution of the audit cases and “finally end the practice of undervaluation” so that farmers would receive the correct amount of benefits that they should get from rice tariff collections.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/09/24/tariff-recoveries-from-boc-audit-eyed-for-farmers-benefit/

 

 

Rice farmers in Kirinyaga receive 13 tons of seeds for planting

Written By: Hunja Macharia

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Description: https://www.kbc.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/RICE-1-696x464.jpgFILE: Kirinyaga Governor Anne gives H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta a tour of the Mwea Rice Mills early this year

Kirinyaga rice farmers have received 13 tons of high quality rice seeds from the National Government for this season’s planting.

The donation that includes 10,000 kilograms of Basmati rice seeds and 3,000 kilograms of hybrid variety will be distributed among 1,000 farmers to be planted on approximately 1,000 acres of land.

While speaking to Members of County Assembly and farmers representatives in Sagana, Governor Anne Waiguru thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta for the seeds donation which was delivered through the State Department of Crops Development and Agriculture Research.

Waiguru said that the seeds will be distributed immediately to the farmers for timely planting, noting that identification of the beneficiaries was done through collaboration between the county’s Department of Agriculture, the Mwea Irrigation Water Users Association (IWUA) and farmers across the rice growing wards in Mwea.

The Governor said that the initiative will complement the efforts of the County Government in promotion of rice production which include coordination of water provision services in an equitable manner across the rice scheme and improvement of the road network within the scheme in order to ease transportation of rice and farm inputs.

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FILE: Kirinyaga County workers store away the received rice seeds.

The County Government also provides extension and advisory services to farmers in order to promote good agricultural practices for increased production as well as collaborate with other stakeholders for improved production and marketing of rice.

Also Read  2/3rd gender headache: Maraga calls for dissolution of Parliament

 

She also noted that the county leaders have planned to meet the Cabinet Secretaries in charge of Agriculture and Trade in order to forge a lasting solution to rice marketing woes that have faced rice farmers in the county.

There has been an outcry that the influx of cheap rice imports have disadvantaged  Mwea rice farmers whose good quality rice lies in the factory for lack of market and when they sell they are forced to do so at throw away prices.

Also Read  President Kenyatta unveils new measures to boost Fisheries Sector

 

Kirinyaga is the largest rice growing county in Kenya with Mwea irrigation scheme having 26,000 acres under rice grown by about 7,000 farmers.

The total annual rice production in the scheme is estimated at 113,000 metric tons and there exists potential for enhanced production.

Rice has been one of the priority value chains that support the Big Four Agenda pillar on Food Security and Nutrition.

 

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Help farmers, stop rice importation’

posted September 23, 2020 at 11:10 pm
by Macon Ramos-Araneta

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Senator Imee Marcos on Wednesday warned that farm gate prices of rice may go down as she called on the government to rescue farmers from rice importation.

In a statement, Marcos called on the government to stop rice importation until after the peak of the wet season harvest in October so farmers can recover from farm gate prices being kept low by rice traders.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, said that farm gate prices of palay may again plunge from the present 12 to 15 pesos per kilo to seven to eight pesos, as it did last year when rice imports caused an oversupply and dragged down prices.

“Importation does not mean the end of all regulation,” Marcos said.

“Scheduling importation is one way of helping our local rice farmers while the rice tariffication law remains in place,” she said.

Marcos also urged the Bureau of Customs to “go a step further” after it exposed rice traders who misdeclared and undervalued their imports last year by more than P1 billion.

“Beyond collecting deficient payments on import duties and taxes, cancel the permits of this brazen cartel of importers and reshuffle or remove Customs officials who allowed this to happen,” Marcos said.

Marcos added that tariff collections must be protected to augment the Department of Agriculture’s budget which faces a deep cut for next year, limiting the ability to procure more rice from local farmers and provide them more drying machines, tube wells, higher-yielding hybrid seeds and fertilizer.

“Local rice farmers remain on edge, as neighboring countries resume exports after a brief lull during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Marcos said.

“Our food security should not depend on imports, though they lower prices for the consumer. We must support our own rice supply chain,” Marcos said, emphasizing that local farmers are capable of providing 93% of national supply and that only 7% needs to be imported.

At present, rice farmers in Nueva Ecija, Isabela, and Bicol who pegged their production cost at about 12 pesos per kilo are just about breaking even, with some of them already having reaped about 30% of their crop this September.

Marcos said that the lack of drying machines and storage facilities were forcing them to sell palay at depressed farmgate prices to rice traders instead of the National Food Authority, which requires a maximum moisture content of 14% to buy rice at 19 pesos per kilo.

Rice farmers also risk confiscation when drying their palay along local roads, which is prohibited and could further diminish what profit they could make while competing with rice imports, Marcos added.

Topics: Senator Imee Marcos , farmers , rice importation

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Defer rice imports, Imee urges gov’t

Published September 23, 2020, 3:56 PM

by Mario Casayuran

Sen. Imee R. Marcos, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, has urged the government to defer rice importation until after the peak of the wet season harvest in October, to enable farmers to recover from farmgate prices being kept low by rice traders.

Description: https://mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/imee2-1.jpgSenator Imee R. Marcos (Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)

Marcos warned that farmgate prices of palay might again plunge from the present P12 to P15 per kilo to P7 to P8, as it did last year when rice imports caused an oversupply and dragged down prices.

“Importation does not mean the end of all regulation,” Imee said.

“Scheduling importation is one way of helping our local rice farmers while the rice tariffication law remains in place,” she added.

Marcos urged the Bureau of Customs to “go a step further” after it exposed rice traders who misdeclared and undervalued their imports last year by more than P1 billion.

“Beyond collecting deficient payments on import duties and taxes, cancel the permits of this brazen cartel of importers and reshuffle or remove Customs officials who allowed this to happen,” she said.

Marcos added that tariff collections must be protected to augment the budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) budget which faces a deep cut for next year, limiting the ability to procure more rice from local farmers and provide them more drying machines, tube wells, higher-yielding hybrid seeds, and fertilizer.

Local rice farmers remain on edge, as neighboring countries resume exports after a brief lull during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcos said.

“Our food security should not depend on imports, though they lower prices for the consumer. We must support our own rice supply chain,” Marcos said, emphasizing that local farmers are capable of providing 93 percent of national supply and that only seven percent needs to be imported.

 

https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/23/defer-rice-imports-imee-urges-govt/

 

Postaudit of rice imports yields P1.4B in taxes

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:04 AM September 24, 2020

The Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) postaudit of rice imports has yielded at least P1.4 billion worth of previously unpaid duties and other fees as a result of undervaluation.

In a statement on Wednesday, the BOC said there were 245 private importers that facilitated the entry of rice shipments from March 5 to June 20 at the height of the longest and most stringent COVID-19 quarantine in the region.

The BOC said that among these firms, “60 entities with the greatest number of incidents of deviation and the highest percentage discrepancies in duties paid were selected for transaction-based audits.”

Citing the audit results, the BOC said “auditees were found liable for the payment of P1,417,167,368.10 in customs duties, penalties, surcharges and interest due to undervaluation, misclassification and/or understatement of freight and insurance charges.”

Also, the BOC said “undervaluation of declared customs value remains the primary risk in revenue collection from rice imports, accounting for P497,941,773.72, or 36.08 percent, of the total deficiency assessment.”

“In terms of the level of compliance, the audit findings show a low level of compliance among the audited importers, as 47 auditees, or 85.45 percent, were found to have violated customs laws and regulations. Meanwhile, eight auditees were found to have properly declared their goods and provided pertinent documentary requirements as stipulated in the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act,” the BOC said.

“On the other hand, audit examination and investigation of the five auditees were deferred due to its pending dispute settlement proceedings with the respective ports of entry,” the BOC added.

The BOC warned that legal measures and penalties would be imposed on importers found involved in the smuggling of agricultural products and other commodities into the country. —BEN O. DE VERA



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Customs conducts post-audit of rice imports

By: Ben O. de Vera - Reporter / @bendeveraINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:06 AM September 23, 2020

Following concerns that rice smuggling may have flourished amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has intensified its audit of import shipments and raided warehouses of suspected smugglers, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DOF quoted Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero as reporting to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III recently that private traders’ imported rice stocks were being subjected to post-audit and post-modification.

Guerrero said doing so allowed the BOC to assess undervalued rice imports in order to collect the correct import duties and other taxes due.

“The BOC has found the valuation of several rice shipments with provisional goods declaration to be quite low compared to the prevailing market prices,” Guerrero admitted.

“But those are subject to post-modification and post-audit. And in the meantime, we are still conducting the post-modification, verifying the payments of rice because some of them are clearly undervalued. So we will catch up in the post-modification and post-audit,” Guerrero added.

The BOC allowed private rice importers to avail themselves of provisional goods declaration to speed up entry of these “critical” shipments and ensure food security amid the COVID-19 crisis.

In turn, the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) flagged unscrupulous traders taking advantage of the BOC’s assessment and valuation system for imported rice.

In response, Guerrero said the country’s second-biggest tax-collection agency acted on “reports by concerned citizens regarding warehouses suspected of storing smuggled rice stocks by immediately issuing letters of authority to enable BOC officers to inspect such warehouses and seize goods without the requisite importation permits.”

“We actually raided them and we found out that many of these warehouses were operating legally and their stocks are covered by proper documents,” the BOC chief said.

Citing the BOC’s Customs Memorandum Order No. 07-2020, the DOF said that “if the Customs district/sub-port collector accepts a provisional goods declaration, the duty and tax treatment of the goods under provisional declaration will not be different from that of goods with complete declaration.”

For the release of shipments under tentative assessment, the importer will be required to post the required security, whether in the form of surety bond or cash bond, the DOF added. INQ



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Paddy procurement : Amarinder allows use of miller premises as mandi yards

Chandigarh, Sep 22 (UNI) To ensure smooth and seamless procurement of Paddy during the ensuing Kharif season amid Covid-19, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced a slew of amendments to the Custom Milling Policy (CMP) 2020-21, including allowing use of miller premises as Mandi yards.

The Chief Minister has approved deletion of clause 12 (j) of the Custom Milling Policy (CMP) 2020-21 for this purpose. The clause deals with those millers who are also commission agents/arhtiyas and, under existing rules, were not allowed to be allotted to the agency for which they were operating as commission agents.

The move will help ensure staggered procurement, thus preventing crowding of the Mandis during the pandemic, according to an official spokesperson.

The decision was taken by the Chief Minister on the basis of a proposal of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, after examining the concerns and issues raised by the Punjab Rice Industry Association in its representation.

Capt Amarinder has also given the nod for certain other amendments in the provisions of Custom Milling Policy for Kharif 2020-21, including restoration of the Bank Guarantee clause, maximum permissible allocable RO quantity, and sale of existing mills.

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FCI extends deadline for rice procurement from Nellore district

Samdani MN | TNN | Updated: Sep 23, 2020, 14:42 IST

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AMARAVATI: A day after chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy directed the police to withdraw the cases against farmers, the civil supplies department stepped in to bail out farmers from the procurement crisis. Civil supplies commissioner Kona Sasidhar held discussions with district collector KVN Chakradhar Rao and decided to move the stocks from the godowns in the district.
At least 30,000 metric tonnes rice procured during the last Rabi season would be moved to other districts to provide space for procurement of kharif crop.

Meanwhile, Food Corporation of India (FCI) extended the deadline for procurement of rice from Nellore district by one month following vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu’s intervention.
Industries minister
Mekapati Gautham Reddy also reviewed the situation with the officials in Nellore on Tuesday and asked them to achieve better coordination between different departments. “Lack of coordination between different departments is the main problem for the current crisis. We will take all possible measures to help farmers as interests of farmers are paramount for our government,” said Mekapati. He said that a senior officer of joint collector rank would be appointed as coordinator to handle paddy procurement by millers and stock relocation.