Unisame
urges Pakistani PSI companies to offer matching services like multinationals
The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises ( UNISAME )
urged the Pakistani pre shipment inspection (PSI ) companies to be
prepared to increase their efficiency and level of service to serve the
SME sector in lieu of disbandment of Quality Review Committee (QRC
).President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said with the decision to disband the
QRC the Pakistani PSI companies will get an opportunity to get the PSI job
of the SME rice exporters and it is therefore very necessary that they gear up
for prompt and speedy inspection of rice and commodities and equip themselves
with modern laboratories to carry out PSI with high level of inspection
according to international standards.
Thaver said there are multinational companies
carrying out PSI jobs but they are a little expensive and it is therefore very
necessary that Pakistani companies offer competitive rates for the job and
match their service and standard with the international companies.QRC was
entrusted with the task of PSI for basmati rice but became futile due to
majority of shipments being of non basmati rice and the exporters have
developed their own brands of blended rice. QRC became an impediment and the
exporters did not get a free hand to export their own brands of rice prepared
according to the buyers requirements.The majority of rice exported is of 1121,
386 and rice skillfully blended with basmati rice under the brands of the
exporters or the buyers.
The rice industry is in deep turmoil due to lowered
global demand and Iran not buying rice from Pakistan. The prices fell to almost
half of last year resulting in huge losses for the growers, millers and the
exporters and more than 1000 units have closed downThe exporters have now to
look for new markets, the growers need to modernize their farming to reduce
cost and the millers need to improve their standards then only we will be able
to compete.
USA Rice Engages Local Help to Navigate Iraq
Iraqi
ports of entry
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA -- USA Rice has hired a
consultant in Baghdad to represent the interests of the U.S. rice industry
before the Ministry of Trade and the Grain Board of Iraq that issues public
tenders for the purchase of rice on the international market. USA Rice has been engaged with U.S.
Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones, the Department of State, and the Foreign
Agricultural staff in Washington to make the case for U.S. rice to the
Ministry. "The hiring of a local consultant who is a native speaker is the
next logical step in the process of establishing consistent lines of
communication and assuring fair treatment of U.S. offers on the current and
future tenders," said Hartwig Schmidt, USA Rice regional director,
international market development.
The
consultant, Duraid Al Soufi, met with the Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Trade
Minister yesterday and has an appointment to meet the Minister this weekend. There
is currently an active tender for purchasing 30,000 MT of rice which closes on
June 28. Iraq usually tenders for a
minimum of 30,000 MT, but more often than not purchases significantly more than
the minimum on each tender. Iraq imports nearly 1.5 million MT of rice
annually. The U.S. is competitive with
other rice exporters in the Western Hemisphere, and if treated equitably should
win a portion of the current tender.
Contact: Jim Guinn (703) 236-1474
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Crop Progress: 2015 Crop 6 Percent Headed
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|
WASHINGTON, DC -- Six percent of the nation's 2015 rice acreage
is headed, according to today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report.
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Richmond company educating
American consumers about the benefits of rice
By Karina Ioffee
kioffee@bayareanewsgroup.com
PDT
Ken
Lee, president and founder of Lotus Foods in Richmond, Calif., shows a few of
his rice samples on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Lee's company trains farmers to
use System Rice Intensification method of rice-growing, which reduces water use
and doesn't require chemicals. Lee has been honored by the Clinton Global
Initiative for the company's role in alleviating global poverty and hunger.
(Dan Rosenstrauch/Bay Area News Group) ( DAN ROSENSTRAUCH )
RICHMOND -- When Ken Lee and Caryl
Levine set out on a trip to China in 1993, they didn't know what they were
looking for.The United States was still emerging from a recession, while China's
economy was taking off, and they wanted to capitalize on the opportunity.Inevitably,
part of the couple's travels took them to markets where they saw stalls laden
with every imaginable type of rice, especially black rice, which, according to
legend, had been used to pay tribute to emperors. With the foodie movement
emerging in the U.S., they decided to take a gamble on the ancient grain,
importing it for sale at specialty stores and high-end restaurants.
Samples
of different rices from Lotus Foods are photographed in Richmond, Calif., on
Thursday, June 11, 2015. Ken Lee's company trains farmers to use System Rice
Intensification method of rice-growing, which reduces water use and doesn't
require chemicals. Lee has been honored by the Clinton Global Initiative for
the company's role in alleviating global poverty and hunger. (Dan
Rosenstrauch/Bay Area News Group) ( DAN ROSENSTRAUCH )
But getting American consumers
excited about specialty rice, previously unheard of by most, was no easy
matter. Lee and Levine set up a rice cooker for demos in Bay Area grocery
stores and sent product samples to top chefs such as Roland Passot, owner of La
Folie and Left Bank Brasseries, and Gary Danko.
"The idea was that if people
would put it in their mouths and experience the difference in taste, texture
and aroma, we would begin converting people," Lee said on a recent day,
sitting in his Richmond office surrounded by bags of rice, many with smiling
faces of farmers on them. "We had to educate people one by one." Today, Lotus Foods products, which include organic and
heirloom rice from a half dozen countries, microwaveable rice bowls and ramen
noodles, can be found in many grocery stores, including Andronico's, Safeway,
Whole Foods and Costco.
The company, which has nine
employees, has been honored with a long trail of awards for its unique line of
rice, including the best-selling Forbidden Rice, a black rice that turns
purplish when cooked and is high in iron, protein and fiber.Other specialty
varieties are jade pearl rice, which is mixed with a bamboo leaf extract and
has a light vanilla taste; Madagascar pink rice, with hints of cinnamon, cloves
and nutmeg; and Bhutan red rice, known for its nutty, earthy flavor.In 2005,
Lotus Foods was invited by the Cornell International Institute for Food,
Agriculture and Development to work with farmers using the system of rice
intensification method, or SRI, that uses 50 percent less water and 90 percent
less seed than traditional rice farming. The method also avoids the use of
chemicals and pays farmers up to 30 percent more for their product.
"It takes 600 pounds of water
to grow a pound of rice, so on a planetary level, it takes almost 30 percent of
the Earth's potable water to grow the rice crop," said Lee, 56, who grew up
in Rhode Island and sold insurance before finding his niche in the heirloom
rice business. "By not flooding the fields, we're helping cut down methane
emissions and keeping farmers healthier."Olivia Vent, a retired Cornell
University employee who first approached Lotus Foods about importing SRI-farmed
rice to the United States, said the company has been instrumental in educating
Americans about rice, not only about its varieties but health and environmental
benefits.
"They've raised awareness that
there's something out there besides Uncle Ben's white rice and have played an
incredibly important role in making sure farmers get organic certification and
the right kind of equipment to get their product to the U.S. market," Vent
said.
Lotus Foods has also helped
small-scale rice farmers with capacity building, helping them figure out how to
properly store, mill, package and prepare their product to meet U.S. Department
of Agriculture requirements.That earned the company recognition by the Clinton
Global Initiative, which in 2008 invited Lotus Foods to make a presentation
about SRI's role in poverty alleviation. The project seeks innovative solutions
to long-standing problems such as malnutrition, deforestation and lack of
capital for small farmers.Dan Pargee first met Lee and Levine, who are married,
while a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar, where he was part of a group
working to help rice farmers increase their capacity to reach global markets.
"Their company has invested
many years and many thousands of dollars to promoting technical assistance,
helping cooperatives find grant money and providing technical advisers,"
said Pargee, who owns Lafaza, an Oakland company that imports Madagascar
vanilla and other products to the United States."Lotus Foods invested
blood, sweat and tears into the supply chain and provided a market opportunity
to incentivize farmers to grow rice."
Today, the company is looking to
expand its SRI efforts to India, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, and is
continuing to work with manufacturers whose products use rice, such as Theo
chocolate and Luvo, an organic frozen food company. It will also soon unveil a
new line of salty snacks, expected to hit grocery stores later this year.It's a
long way from when the company was run out of Lee's home, spurred by the belief
that sustainably farmed food can have a ripple effect for both the producer and
consumer."If you pay people more for their rice and you raise their
standard of living into the middle class, that's a social benefit," Lee
said. "That creates stability in the country in which they live and is
good for business. It's the triple bottom line."
Contact Karina Ioffee at
510-262-2726 or kioffee@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow her atTwitter.com/kioffee
http://www.contracostatimes.com/richmond/ci_28355468/richmond-company-educating-american-consumers-about-benefits-rice
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CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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APEDA News (India)
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Mechanisation reaches Pokkali
fields in Alappuzha
R. RAMABHADRAN PILLAI
AThe district now has a new
machinery to replant paddy seedlings in Pokkali fields.It is for the first time
that such mechanisation process has been introduced in the scheme of Pokkali
farming in the State.The machine, costing about Rs.2 lakh, was launched by
District Collector N. Padmakumar at the Koorichal Pokkali fields at Eramalloor
in Cherthala on Saturday. The replanting machine was developed by the
scientists of rice research centre of Kerala Agricultural University, in
association with a private company.Replanting of seedlings is a
labour-intensive process and availability of workers has been one of the major
challenges faced by farmers. Pokkali rice in Kerala is considered organic and
has got Geographical Indication (GI) certification. Pokkali fileds stretch over
the coastal areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts in the State.
Pokkali farming area in Kerala has come down from 25,000 acres to 5,000
hectares within the last 15 years owing to various problems faced by farmers,
Francis Kalathngal, a Pokkali farmer and convenor of coordinating committee of
Pokkali farmers, told The Hindu .
Pokkali fields do not require
inorganic fertilizers or irrigation facilities set up by the government. As
such, the government needs to support the farmers through providing subsidy on
the machine so that it could be widely used, he said. Subsidies under certain
schemes such as Gram Vikas Yojna are available from the Union and State
governments, but are generally not disbursed on time, he added. The machine is
an innovation pioneered by the scientists of rice research station, Ernakulam,
said V. Sreekumar, professor and head of the centre, told The Hindu . Three years of experimentation
has proved that it could be deployed in Pokkali fields characterised by loose
sand and mud. It would take only one to one and a half hours to conduct the
replanting operations in one acre. The use of seeds could also be reduced by
spreading the because of the optimum practices employed in replanting, he said.Preparing
the fields for the mechanized process is important, according to Mr.
Kalathingal. Late arrival of monsoon is a problem confronting the farmer.
Washing away the salt content in the field by the rains for a fortnight is
important. The traditional way of ‘broadcasting’ for sowing the seeds involves
wastage whereas mechanisation provides scope for optimum use of seeds. The
distance between the plants could also be set conveniently for giving maximum
harvest, he said.
It is for the first time that such mechanisation process has
been introduced in the scheme of Pokkali farming in the State.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/mechanisation-reaches-pokkali-fields-in-alappuzha/article7341004.ece
Matia: Crops worth over Tk700cr
damaged by rats
Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
Food grains, including paddy, rice and wheat, worth around
Tk723.72 crore were damaged by rats in the 2015-16 fiscal year, Agriculture
Minister Matia Chowdhury told parliament yesterday.Responding to a question by
ruling party lawmaker M Abdul Latif, the minister said the extent of loss of
paddy at current market price totalled over Tk439.82 crore in the outgoing
fiscal year as some 237,744 tonnes of paddy were damaged by rats.She told the
House that the rats also damaged around 62,764 tonnes of rice, of which the
current market price is over Tk200.84 crore.Some 29,660 tonnes of wheat were
also damaged, amounting to an estimated loss of over Tk83.04 crore at current
market price.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE),
around 5-7% of the rat-damaged crops is Aman rice, 4-12% wheat, 5-7% potato and
6-9% pineapple.According to International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), rats
have been estimated to damage more than 1% of the world cereal crops and, in
developing countries, estimates of 3-5% have commonly been reported.IRRI also
said rats consume about 25g of food per day and mice eat approximately 3-4g per
day.According to an IRRI research report, the amount of rice damaged by rats in
Asia a year is equal to the amount of food consumed by 180 million people
annually; in Bangladesh, that amount is equal to food annually consumed by
5-5.4 million people.The DAE Agriculture Extension Department usually conducts
rat extermination drives in August. A total of 13,939,986 rats were killed in
2013 in one such drive.
Rats part of food chain
Despite the damaging effects of rat infestation, experts believe
that rats have their own role to play.Pavel Partha, an ecology expert, said
there are many communities in Bangladesh who heavily rely on collecting rice
from rat holes. “It is not possible that rats are causing much damage. Bagdi
and Mosohor communities depend on collecting rice from rat holes all year to
feed. Similarly, Santal and Muda people collect Aman rice for rat holes.”Exterminating
rats by poison or other means is not the solution, nor is it possible to
achieve, Pavel further said.“Rat is a very important element of food cycle and
food pyramid. So, eradication of any element from the food cycle will simply
destroy the natural harmony of ecology. So, projects should be undertaken to
find out why the rat population increases – where the problem lies – and then
actions should be taken accordingly. Killing them is not the soluting.”
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/jun/22/matia-crops-worth-over-tk700cr-damaged-rats#sthash.kjxMMr8P.dpuf
MATT ROBERTS: I stick to my diet but can't shift weight
Eating fresh protein-containing foods such as dairy, eggs,
poultry, fish and meat is key to feeling energised – and is vital for a
developing body. A rainbow variety of fresh vegetables (stock image above) is
equally importantQ. After reading your article on
Taylor Swift last month, I wanted to write to you. I am aged 15, 5ft 3in and
weigh 12st. My weight has always been an issue – my mum says I was so heavy as
a baby that people couldn’t carry me for long. I know I am to blame too, but I
was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome at 13 and have to take the Pill
for that, as well as taking diabetes medication.I’ve tried to lose weight
before and not managed it, but I’ve never felt this motivated. I’m planning to
walk three miles a day, and once a week do Zumba.I’m already following Jillian
Michaels’s 30 Day Shred programme.
I have
cornflakes and semi-skimmed milk, or one egg and two slices of toast, for
breakfast. Lunch is carrot sticks and water, and dinner is usually pasta or
rice with chicken or fish. I’ve been following it for a month but there hasn’t
been much change… and that demotivates me. You have no idea how grateful I’d be
if you could help me.A.
This letter really touched me and I want to devote all my space to answering
it, because there are so many young people battling similar problems. Your
first hurdle has been passed: recognising there is a problem and that things
must change. But as you say, things often fall apart when a plan doesn’t
achieve results. And that’s because people have misconceptions about what
constitutes a healthy diet-and-fitness regime.For a start, severe calorie
restriction (and fairly empty calories at that, in cornflakes and carrots) will
mean you feel tired. And ignore fads – special weight-loss teas or pills and
options don’t work.Eating fresh (never pre-prepared or processed)
protein-containing foods such as dairy, eggs, poultry, fish and meat is key to
feeling energised – and is vital for a developing body. A rainbow variety of
fresh vegetables is equally important.Have as much as you like, and only eat
starchy foods like potato and pasta very occasionally. A piece of wholegrain
bread or a small portion of brown basmati rice is fine, but why not try
swapping them for beans and pulses? Tinned, pre-cooked beans are fine – there
is a huge variety, and I don’t mean baked beans!
water
sufficient till july yield to be impacted
Jun 23, 2015, 07.57 AM IST | Source: CNBC-TV18 Water sufficient
till July, yield to be impacted: Edelweiss In situation of short rainfall or EL
Nino, yield will be impacted and not the overall production of all crops,
Prerana Desai, Head-Research at Edelweiss Agri Research told CNBC-TV18.
6 1Google +0 0Comments (1) Halftime Report Despite delay in
monsoon by 5-6 days, rainfall receieved so far is 16 percent more than normal,
Prerana Desai, Head-Research at Edelweiss Agri Research told CNBC-TV18. The
reservoirs are filled and there is sufficient water to last till July, she
said. Unlike reports from IMD and private companies that north-west region
will bear the brunt of low rainfall, Desai said that the region, comprising
broadly of Punjab, Chhattisgarh and western UP, are irrigation areas and will
be taken care of.
In case of El Nino, she said said yield will be impacted and not the
overall production of crops, adding, "lower yield will be taken care by
dramatically higher acreage." Crops like rice, oil seeds and pulses
are those most affected by El Nino or low rainfall. The shortfall will be
taken care by the carry-over stock of the government from last year, Desai
said. On the issue of minimum support price (MSP) scheme, she said if
government increases MSP, then it will actually have to buy stock; if they
don’t, prices will suffer. Below is the transcript of Prerana Desai 's interview
with Sumaira Abidi & Reema Tendulkar on CNBC-TV18. Sumaira: The last few
days we have received bountiful rains and yet there are some contradictory
reports from the IMD as well as some private weather agencies about whether
2015, the season itself is going to be a normal monsoon or not. It is too early
into the season, but for the sake of argument, what has been your own reading
of the showers?
A: Monsoon forecast has always been a tricky question in India; we
have not been able to capture even the next day 24 hours or 48 hours monsoon
forecast. As you can see the way it has been raining in Mumbai in last 24 hours
because we have been given warnings and there are signals. So, effectively we
have not been able to forecast it, but so far the monsoon has been good. In
fact, it is better than expected. It is 16 percent higher than normal monsoon
and it has covered largely areas till central India. We are running behind by
around 5-7 days time-frame. Reema: In that context, would you still say that we
should be in a wait and watch mode since July is more of a critical month for
the monsoons historically?
A: The way we are seeing it – we have had good soil moisture kind
of situation in January to March because of the untimely rains that we have
had. In addition, we have been moving pretty healthily in the first half of
June at least so far and most of the regions have had comfortable monsoon so
far. From that perspective and of course the water reservoir, everything seems
very good up until now. This will help the gap even if we were to have say lack
of monsoons in the month of July or so, we will still be comfortable because
water reservoirs are duly filled up and the soil moisture is comfortable. It is
only after July we will need to watch out for. The world is being affected by
the El Nino, so it is not really over till it is really over. We will have to
see how the monsoon is spaced out, which are the reasons that are going to be
affected. The weather agencies, some of the global ones are also saying that north-west
might get impacted the most.
The north-west, Punjab,
Haryana, Western U.P, are all irrigated regions, so even if we were to have a
slightly below normal kind of monsoon, that should be taken care of. Unless and
until there is some dramatic – the way IMD has been forecasting 88 percent of
the normal monsoon - in that case, there will be a matter of worry, but so far
there are no signs of that thing happening. Sumaira: Clearly, it is the El Nino
which will be the x- factor this time around. How much of an impact do you
think the El Nino will have on India’s agricultural production if it indeed
pans out the way IMD has indicated? A: Edelweiss Agri Research has released a
crop intention report, which is unique in itself. So, there are a couple of things
that are coming out very clearly. Firstly, last year we were running behind
schedule and last year’s net sown area as given by the Ministry of Agriculture
was dramatically lower. Since, we have been moving along the monsoon in a
rather normal way, we will have year on year higher acreage.
Now, that effectively means that from here onwards we are impacted
by El Nino dramatically; that will impact the yield because acreage is going to
be higher year on year. If the lower yield will be taken care of by dramatically
higher acreage and hence, the total production number barring few crop specific
production estimate, total production may not be impacted all that much because
there will be higher area and lower yield. Sumaira: That is interesting because
what you are essentially saying is that the higher production will take care of
low yields and for key crops like Basmati rice, the government could always dip
into the buffer. So, in effect the overall production may not get impacted
despite sub-par monsoon. Is that a fair reading of your report? A: Yes, there
are a couple of things that is giving this inflation outlook twist. One is the
fact that we have sufficient carryover stocks from last season because exports
have been very negligible especially in case of cotton, sugar, maize and paddy.
We have sufficient stocks and huge crop from the last season that
is suppressing the prices. But there will be crops that will get impacted in
case of lower production- something like pulses where we are running huge
deficit and some of the oil seeds that has been seeing lower production
especially in Rabi season. Oil seeds might get impacted, but it is crop-wise
analysis and you cannot flatly say whether the prices will up or down for all
the crops across the spectrum. Reema: How have you read the government’s stance
on minimum support prices (MSP) this time and largely the government’s rational
stance has garnered a positive view from the economists as well. What has been
your reading of the same?
A: MSP is a very tricky issue because especially when global
prices have been falling, if you keep increasing the MSP, then government has
to buy physically to support the prices and if government does not actually
enter into buying, then the prices fall dramatically the way we have seen for
maize. Despite having 1,310 MSP in the last season, the prices ruled at Rs
1,100 per quintal throughout the season in most centers. Unless and until the
MSP gets implemented, it really has no impact and the farmers’ decision is made
up much ahead of time. Our report was released before the MSP was announced and
whenever we spoke to farmers, there was positive vibe about the pulses, the oil
seeds crop and Jowar seed crop. So, farmers usually make up their mind based on
prices than purely on basis of MSP.
Reema: You are saying that
overall acreage will be higher however if the north-western central India do
get impacted the most. Which crops will be in this high risk zone? A: Our agri
research has studied many El Ninos and we have realized that there are few
crops that do not get impacted by it or below normal monsoon. These are
sugarcane because it is supplemented by largely irrigation, there is cotton
because there has been technological breakthrough and it can sustain lower
monsoon and cotton has been seeing higher acreage and improvement in yield and
things like that. So, even cotton does not get impacted. If El Nino
materializes, then it will be the rice that will get impacted, we will see oil
seeds getting impacted and some of the pulses will get impacted. Of all the
pulses, Urad is the one which actually thrives on below normal monsoon and
because the way we have seen pulses prices, we see that Urad crop will be
higher no m
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/water-sufficient-till-july-yield-to-be-impacted-edelweiss_1591361.html?utm_source=ref_article
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/water-sufficient-till-july-yield-to-be-impacted-edelweiss_1591361.html?utm_source=ref_article
Dominating the rice exports market
India’s presence in global rice trade is a great stabilising force
If the probability of deficient
monsoons does not cast a negative spell on Indian summer crops (or assuming
that Skymet’s forecast is proved right) and rice production stays around 103
million tonnes (MT), India can again maintain top rank in world rice trade by
shipping out about 12 MT in 2015-16. An adverse export performance by India can
rattle worldwide rice trade with extreme volatility and exorbitant prices.India
has been top exporter in global rice trade of about 42 MT by averaging 10.5-11
MT (25% of world trade) annually during the last four years (since 2011).
The sustainability in rice
exports—the only one with a competitive-edge internationally as compared to
other Indian agro commodities—is the resultant outcome of a combination of
external factors, dynamics of domestic market, hybridisation of paddy, and
efficient execution of contracted business both form east and west coast ports
of India. Thailand has been trailing India by a small margin in the last two years,
while India is also exposed to competition from Vietnam, Pakistan, Myanmar and
Cambodia.India primarily caters to the Middle East and Africa for non-Basmati
and the EU and the US for Basmati variety.Dubai has emerged as a key trading
hub for financing and facilitating payments, especially for Africa.
Indian exports are undertaken by
medium-sized private companies from open market, without any export
subsidy or government intervention. No MNCs or PSUs or mega corporates are
engaged in this business. After prohibition on exports was revoked in 2011,
FCI’s stockholdings remain untouched. There are no MEP (minimum export price)
or registration requirements that enable ease of doing business.
China ignores India
China’s current rice imports are about 4 MT in 2014-15, up from
0.5 MT in 2010-11, and it has kept Indian non-Basmati rice at an arm’s length.
Chinese supply-demand gap is filled by official and unofficial imports from
Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and Myanmar, though recently grey market access through
land route is attempted to be blocked. China’s escalating import demand due to
water conservation measures and higher cost of paddy will continue to increase
in the near future and that will keep South-Eastern origins (Vietnam and
Thailand) well supported for consumption of their production, which is a net
advantage to India for pricing and limiting trade rivalry. At political level,
the Indian government’s efforts are on for induction of non-Basmati rice into
Chinese procurement system.
Thai effect
The Thai government messed up its entire rice matrix through
modified “paddy pledging scheme” of 2011 by giving farmers values 50% above
market price for political populism that resulted in accumulation of 18 MT of
rice equivalent to 43% of world rice trade, pushing price levels
unrealistically way above international quotes including those from India.
Though this scheme was wound up in 2014, it depressed Thai’s booming exports
from 10 MT in 2010-11 to 7 MT in 2011-12, while causing severe collateral
long-term damage to rice quality, despite prices having crashed to tradable
levels by $200/MT (from $580 in 2011 to $380 fob now).
Some lessons can be learnt by India that abnormal increase in
MSP with dedicated procurement can be counterproductive. Out of 18 MT of
pledged inventory, 10 MT is to be reprocessed, 6 MT gone irreparably bad/unfit
for human consumption and only 2 MT could be sold (USITC report of April 2015).
Thus, international buyers suspect Thai quality. It has simultaneously
generated goodwill for Indian rice with enhanced access/success abroad.
Iran’s interest
Other external developments were the US and the UN sanctions
against Iran in 2010-11, opening of an Indo-Iran rupee account, and commercial
exploitation by Iran of high yielding Pusa 1121 Basmati rice developed by IARI,
which is 33% cheaper (about $1000-1200 fob) than conventional Basmati rice
($1600-1800 fob). Pusa 1121 has exceptionally long grain length of about 8-mm
with elongation characteristic of 25-mm upon cooking. About 1.4 MT was shipped
out in 2013-14 versus 0.6 MT in 2011-12 to Iran, which proved highly
remunerative both for the trade and farmers. Though Iran notified a general ban
on Indian imports in 2014-15 due to excessive imports, it turned out to be
“restrictive” trade between “select” importers and exporters with overall
exports touching around 0.95 MT.Other Middle Eastern nations—Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, Yemen, UAE—are also keen to procure more of Pusa 1121 rice.Total
exports to Middle East are about 4 MT.
Pull from Africa
The West African market (Nigeria, Senegal and Ivory Coast) and
South Africa of about 3-3.5 MT per annum is hooked onto 5% parboiled variety
and 100% brokens parboiled rice. No other origin, except Thailand, can
“efficiently” service parboiled requirement. Thai’s inconsistent quality,
higher prices and freight for Africa are favourable for the growth of Indian
parboiled rice industry.
Domestic pricing
India’s MSP of non-Basmati paddy
is about $224/MT. All other origins, except Pakistani, are costlier than India.
Further, levy procurement by state governments stands abolished in 2014-15
which has enhanced market availability. FCI is trying to auction 25% broken
rice (raw/parboiled) at OMSS of R23/kg while in open market 5% brokens
parboiled can be bargained at R20-21/kg. There are virtually no takers for FCI
stocks. This evidences market comfort in the supply side. There are multiple
varieties on offer like IR36, IR64, 1001, Swarna, Sona Masuri, Ponni samba
Parmal and P4 and that gives options for transacting the deal at right prices.
Indian grain is available throughout the year even from West Bengal, Bihar,
Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand in addition to other growing regions. Rice
is not traded in any future exchange and thus there is nil scope for open speculation
or price rigging.
India’s presence in global rice
trade is a great stabilising force. Exports support better price realisation
for paddy farmers; Basmati is a product of specific GI (geographical
identification) and is highly remunerative. India’s absence/decline from
non-Basmati rice in international trade will spike prices more than $1000/MT
fob (currently $350-400/MT) especially when Chinese appetite for rice is
expanding. Thai jasmine (aromatic) rice may touch $3,000/MT fob (now at
$850-$900) if our Basmati exports drop significantly. Hopefully that state of
affairs will not arise despite poor monsoon due to more than sufficient
carry-in inventory available with the government and in Indian markets.
The author is a grains trade expert
http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/271997668/1pmUskU8cIg-fVpK
GAWU and the RPA have suddenly found their
voices
Dear
Editor,
I
have noticed that Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) and the
Guyana Rice Producers’ Association (RPA) two arms of the PPP have suddenly
found a voice after both of these industries which they controlled for decades
were billions of dollars in debt. The leaders of these two organizations sat in
parliament as MPs and never raised any objections when the rice funds were
being diverted for other purposes, and now they are using the media to
highlight the problem as if it was caused by the new coalition government, and
they are demanding that the administration pay these workers and farmers.
The sugar workers and rice famers have now become disillusioned
with GAWU and the RPA, as they have failed to be militant instruments to fight
for their rights. Both of these organizations were founded by the late Dr
Cheddi Jagan who gave active guidance to the sugar workers and rice farmers,
but they never lived up to their names after he died. Rice farmers and sugar
workers later found out that they were being betrayed by these organizations.In
the case of sugar, millions have not been paid into NIS and the credit union.
Farmers and millers in all the rice-growing regions are still owed millions of
dollars for rice and paddy supplied under the PetroCaribe agreement, which was
signed in 2005. The balance of the money was paid promptly after the deduction
was made for the oil supplied by Venezuela.
Today, I noticed that the General Secretary of the RPA is
demanding that the farmers and millers be paid from the empty rice pot which
was inherited by the coalition government, and that the Rice Factory Act be
implemented to protect the rice farmers. The millers were flouting the very act
in his presence and he was toothless. He and the GRDB have never represented
the rice farmers who had grievances; farmers were being shortchanged with their
weight, grades, moisture, dockage and most of all their payments without
interest, while he stood there watching. The crisis is still there, and the new
coalition government has to find money to bail out the two industries, workers,
farmers and millers.
While the rice farmers were protesting for their paddy payments
here on the Essequibo Coast, the government stood quietly in a corner without
explaining to them where the money had gone. On top of that they sent the
police to tear gas them during protests. One miller told me that he was muzzled
and couldn’t talk because of fear of being victimized, and that he wouldn’t get
a quota to send paddy and rice to the Venezuelan market. He was glad to get his
stocks off his hands as his warehouse was filled with rice and paddy. The GRDB
and the RPA knew that they couldn’t enforce the Rice Factory Act against the
millers, because they knew that it was the government which owed the millers
and they couldn’t pay the farmers for their produce.
I worked with both of these organizations, and knew they would
only be vibrant and represent the cause of the workers and farmers when the
government changed, as has now happened.
Yoursfaithfully,
Mohamed Khan
Mohamed Khan
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/opinion/letters/06/22/gawu-and-the-rpa-have-suddenly-found-their-voices/
Plant an
animal
·
Releasing ducks into paddy fields
could increase rice productivity and raise farmers’ income
Ducks in a paddy field. Photographer: SWARNIMA SHRESTHA
(Courtesy)
JUN 23 -
In the aftermath of the Great
Quake and its aftershocks, Nepal is set to face food deficit this year. As per
Ministry of Agricultural Development estimates, paddy output will drop by 5.1
percent to 4.78 million tonnes this year owing to the late monsoon and untimely
rainfall. At the onset of the rice cultivation season, learnings from a pilot
research in Chitwan can serve as an example to millions of farmers across
Nepal. An experiment with integrated rice-duck farming resulted in a 13 percent
increase in rice productivity and the net income of the farmers increased by 44
percent. By using the same method, in other countries, farmers have been able
to increase their productivity by almost two times.
Introduce the ducks
Rice duck is a smallholder
farmer-friendly technology. The main principle of this technology is to exploit
the symbiotic relationship between ducks and rice for higher productivity.
Ducklings are released into rice fields after 15 days of paddy transplantation.
In the rice fields, the ducks act
as pest and weed controllers. They feed on insects and weeds and in return,
their droppings serve as an organic fertiliser whereas the paddling of ducks
works as a stimulant for the growth of rice, resulting into healthy plants.
Meera Darai, Chairperson of
Janashakti Dhan Hans Palan Samuha, a group involved in rice-duck farming in
Kathar of Chitwan, says that weeding and other intercultural operations done by
ducks are better than what humans can do. According to her, a rice-duck
field looks greener and fresher than a normal field. She says that the Hongkong
and Peking cross breeds seem to be more appropriate for rice-duck fields than
the local breed as they grow quickly and have a peculiar sound.
Rice-duck farming cancels out the
chemical fertiliser input which is usually imported from India. Similarly, it
avoids the cost of controlling pests and outbreak of new pests in the rice
field. Ram Lal Chaudhary, a member of Gunastariya Dhan Hans Palan Samuha,
a group in Kumrose Village Development Committee of Chitwan, says that he did
not use any chemical fertiliser and pesticides in his paddy field though his
neighbour did so three times in a single cultivation period. According to
him, unwanted insects like Drosophila and mosquito are eaten by ducks in
the evening.
Not new to the region
Rice-duck farming is not new to
Nepal and the region. Existing literature shows that Chinese farmers had been
releasing ducks in the rice fields since 1000 years ago. Likewise, Japanese farmers
grew rice and duck together since 500 years ago until the practice was
eliminated due to the mechanisation of agriculture.However, inspired by Rachel
Carson’s Silent Spring, a Japanese farmer Takao Furuno developed a simple,
ecological rice farming method by introducing ducks in 1989. This method found
its way into other rice-growing countries like South Korea, China, Vietnam, the
Philippines, Thailand, and even to Iran. Today, thousands of farmers across
Asia have taken up this method of integrated rice-duck farming.In Nepal,
according to Krishna Chaudhary, a member of Paribartan Dhan Hans Palan Samuha,
another group involved in rice-duck farming in Kathar, Tharus had been grazing
ducks in their rice fields since the past but not systematically. For his group
the method is very simple, cost effective and environmental friendly.
Good for environment
Another interesting finding by
Hiroyuki Morii, an assistant professor and researcher at the University of
Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan is that rice-duck farming is more
environment-friendly. According to Morii’s experiment, the ducks could control
methane released from the rice fields. Methane is one of the major contributors
to the greenhouse effect and it is estimated that 12 percent of all the methane
released into the environment is from rice fields.Similarly, a study done by
Chinese scientists on rice paddies using integrated rice-duck farming system in
China showed that the constant paddling of ducks in the rice fields could
suppress the methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice paddies. Based on
their research ‘Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Wetland Rice-Duck Cultivation
System in Southern China’, scientists Chengfang Li, Cougi Cao, Jingping Wang,
Ming Zhan, Weiling Yuan and Shahrear Ahmad opine that rice-duck farming will
contribute to alleviating global warming.
More food, more income
The rice produced from the
integrated rice-duck farming method is organic and commands a better market
price in cities like Kathmandu. According to National Agricultural Research
Council, rice is grown in 1.44 million hectares across the country. However,
the productivity is only 2.56 tonnes per hectare. By introducing this method,
the farmers would be able to reap the benefits of better productivity which
makes it an appropriate technology to address the problem of food insecurity.Apart
from harvesting rice, farmers would also be able to earn more money by selling
the ducks at the end of the harvest period. Duck meat also provides nutrition
to the farmers and their families. Farmers can practice agriculture in a
chemical free environment as no chemical fertilisers and insecticides are used
in this method. Hence, the method of integrating ducks in rice fields not only
helps farmers economically but also environmentally. And this is what Nepal
needs in this post-quake period where agriculture output has been predicted to
fall.http://www.ekantipur.com/2015/06/23/oped/plant-an-animal/406914.html
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