PHL, Germany sign agreements on improving rice and abaca output
March 18, 2015 6:06pm
The Department of Agriculture and the Deutsche Gesellschaft
für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on Wednesday signed two agreements to
help the Philippines improve abaca and rice production.Agriculture Secretary
Proceso Alcala said the projects will "further ensure sustainability of
the government's current programs on improving abaca and rice
production."He was referring to the Abaca Sustainability Initiative and
the Better Rice Initiative Asia-Fostering Agriculture and Rice Marketing by
Improved Education and Rural Advisory Services (BRIA-FARMERS).The Philippine
Fiber Industry Development Authority will implement the P19-million (€386,000)
Abaca Sustainability Initiative from 2015 to 2016.
"The Initiative aims to secure the ecological
sustainability of abaca fiber production and to enhance the income of the abaca
farmers through improved access to markets and extension service in the
mountainous provinces of Madalag and Libacao in Aklan, and Janiuay and Maasin
in Iloilo," the department said.On the other hand, the BRIA-FARMERS
project will be implemented by the Philippine Rice Research Institute from 2015
to 2017 in the provinces of Aurora, Iloilo and Southern Leyte. "It seeks
to contribute in achieving the goals under the Philippine Development Plan in
strengthening the agricultural sector and improving food security in the
Philippines," according to the DA.
The collaborative project is facilitated by the GIZ among
German private and public sector institutions through the German Food
Partnership of the German Federal Ministry of Development Cooperation.The
project with a P90-million (€1.8 million) budget involves the training of local
government unit-based trainers in enhanced agricultural extension to ensure
that the adoption of technology and farm-based enterprises will be sustained
beyond the project duration. GIZ helps
the German government achieve its objectives in international cooperation. –
Kathryn Mae P. Tubadeza/VS, GMA
Science Q & A:
Arsenic and more rice
NEW YORK
TIMES
03/18/2015 4:41 PM
03/18/2015 4:41 PM
Q. I’ve read about unacceptable levels of arsenic in both brown and
white rice. Are rice vinegar and rice crackers also affected?
A. Foods that contain rice, including rice crackers and vinegar,
routinely contain some level of arsenic, scientists say, as do products like
rice cakes, rice wine and cereals, and snack bars and baking mixes that contain
rice flour or bran. But it is unclear how serious a health risk they pose.The
Food and Drug Administration has a list of rice-containing foods that focuses
on inorganic arsenic, considered the most dangerous form. One reason rice gets
a lot of attention is that the plant is good at pulling inorganic arsenic from
soil and water and storing it in the edible grain.But levels of contamination
vary according to the type of rice and where it is grown.
Brown rice, for example, tends to show higher levels than white
rice, which is stripped during processing of layers of the grain where arsenic
tends to collect. California rice frequently contains less arsenic than that
grown in southern states, which tend to have higher levels of arsenic in the
soil. Consumer Reports found that basmati rice from India, Pakistan and
California had markedly lower levels of arsenic than other varieties.
Brian jackson is director of the
Trace Metal Analysis Core Facility at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H. | Tom McNeill dartmouth.edu
The FDA found that arsenic levels ranged from 7.2 micrograms (a
millionth of a gram) to 2.5 micrograms per serving. Rice crackers averaged
about 5 micrograms. Rice vinegar was even lower, around 1 microgram or less.“It
may be that you get some dilution with the vinegar” or wine, said Brian
Jackson, director of the Trace Metal Analysis Core Facility at Dartmouth
College.While these are all tiny amounts, inorganic arsenic has been linked to
disease in extremely low doses.
Much of this evidence comes from studies of arsenic in water. The
federal Environmental Protection Agency sets a 10-parts-per-billion safety
standard for drinking water.Because of the complexities, it’s harder to assess
risk from foods. “The question for everyone is: ‘Do I worry?' “ Jackson
said.His recommendation: “If you are a person who is eating rice every day, and
also snacking on rice products, then that 5 micrograms from rice crackers
becomes significant,” he said. “The idea is to eat a varied diet, and be aware
of how much rice you are eating.”
Insulin tells young planthoppers whether to develop short or
long wings
March 18, 2015
One of the leading pests of rice, brown planthoppers can grow up
to have either short or long wings, depending on conditions such as day length
and temperature in the rice fields where they suck sap. The hormone insulin
controls the switch that tells young planthoppers whether to develop into
short- or long-winged adults, finds a new study. Photo by Chuan-Xi Zhang of
Zhejiang University in China
DURHAM,
NC - Each year, rice in Asia faces a big threat from a sesame
seed-sized insect called the brown planthopper. Now, a study reveals the
molecular switch that enables some planthoppers to develop short wings and
others long -- a major factor in their ability to invade new rice fields.The
findings will appear Mar. 18 in the journal Nature.Lodged in the stalks of rice
plants, planthoppers use their sucking mouthparts to siphon sap. Eventually the
plants turn yellow and dry up, a condition called “hopper burn.
”Each year, planthopper outbreaks destroy hundreds of thousands
of acres of rice, the staple crop for roughly half the world’s population.The
insects have a developmental strategy that makes them particularly effective
pests. When conditions in a rice field are good, young planthoppers develop
into adults with stubby wings that barely reach their middles.Short-winged
adults can’t fly but they’re prolific breeders. A single short-winged female
can lay more than 700 eggs in her lifetime.“The short-winged ones have great
big fat abdomens. They’re basically designed to stay put and reproduce,” said
biologist Fred Nijhout of Duke University, who co-authored the study with
colleagues at Zhejiang University in China.
But in the fall as days get shorter and temperatures begin to
drop -- signs that the rice plants they’re munching on will soon disappear --
more planthopper nymphs develop into slender adults with long wings.
Long-winged planthoppers lay fewer eggs but are built for travel, eventually
flying away to invade new rice fields.Until now, scientists did not know
exactly how the shorter days and cooler temperatures triggered the shift
between short and long wings, or which hormones were involved.
To find out, the researchers used a technique called RNA
interference (RNAi) to silence the genes for two different insulin receptors --
regions on the cell membrane that bind to the hormone insulin -- and measured
the effects on the animals’ wings.“Previously it had been assumed that all
insects only had a single insulin receptor gene. We discovered that brown
planthoppers have two,” Nijhout said.When the researchers silenced the first
insulin receptor, short-winged adults emerged.
Silencing the second receptor produced adults with long
wings.Further study revealed that long wings are the default design. But when
planthoppers secrete a particular type of insulin in response to changing
temperatures or day length, the second insulin receptor deactivates the first
receptor in the developing wings, leading to short-winged adults.“The second
insulin receptor acts by interfering with the first one, therefore shutting
down the signal,” Nijhout said.It’s too early to say whether the findings could
lead to techniques to treat planthopper populations so they are unable to invade
new rice fields, Nijhout says.But the researchers have found similar mechanisms
in other planthopper species, and are now trying to find out if insulin plays a
similar role in other insect pests with flying and flightless forms, such as
aphids.This research was supported by the National Basic Research Program of
China (973 Program, no. 2010CB126205) and by the National Science Foundation of
China (no. 31201509 and no. 31471765).
Maharashtra abolishes LBT, extends tax exemption on rice, wheat
The Hindu
A homeless women takes shelter under a makeshift dais
in Mumbai. Maharashtra government in its budget has announce Pt. Deendayal
Upadhyay Gharkul Jaga Kharedi Arthsahayya Yojana – a scheme to provide
financial help to BPL families to purchase land and to construct houses under
the different housing schemes of the government. Photo: Vivek Bendre
Maharashtra on Wednesday
announced Local Body Tax (LBT) would be abolished from August 1 and extended
tax exemption on essential commodities like rice and wheat in Budget 2015-16.As
regards LBT, a compensation of Rs. 6,875 crore will be given to the municipal
corporations, excluding Mumbai.This was one of the main electoral promises of
the BJP.The loss of revenue would be compensated by enhancing the rate of tax
under VAT which will be applicable to the whole state, Maharashtra Finance
Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told the Assembly while presenting his maiden
budget in the state Legislature in Mumbai.
A revenue neutral rate has been
recommended considering the share of increased tax collection to be given to
the areas where LBT is not levied, he said adding that extensive deliberations
are required on enhancement of tax rates under VAT.The Mumbai municipal
corporation gets substantial revenue by levying octroi on crude oil. The octroi
amount is collected by oil companies as part of the state specific duty from
all consumes in the state. This aspect is also required to be taken into
account, the minister said.The total plan size of the state is Rs. 54,999 crore
and the budget estimates for 2015-16 are Rs. 1,98,230.50 crore.As per the
estimates, the revenue deficit would be Rs. 3,757.40 crore.Mr. Mungantiwar, who
presented a surplus budget of Rs. 107.10 crore, also announced tax proposals
which are estimated to result in net revenue gain of Rs. 643 crore, which has
been incorporated in the budget estimates of 2015-16.
He proposed a levy of 5 per cent
entry tax on long steel, 12.5 per cent tax on all types of wood-free plain and
pre-laminated particle boards.He also announced extension of tax exemption on
essential commodities like rice, wheat, pulses and their flour, turmeric,
chillies, tamarind, jaggery, coconut, dates, Solapuri chadars and towels upto
March 31, 2016.The tax exemption on currants and raisins as well as 5 per cent
tax on tea will also continue till March 31, 2016.The Minister said that women
drawing salary up to Rs. 10,000 per month will not have to pay professional
tax. This will benefit nearly 1.5 lakh women in the state.
He also proposed to reduce sales
tax on ladies’ purse and handbags from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.Besides,
work books, graph books, drawing books and laboratory books for students have
been made tax-free.The rate of excise duty on country liquor would now be 200
per cent of the manufacturing cost or Rs 120 per proof litre, whichever is
higher.Certain medicines required for treatment of cancer will also be exempted
from tax and a list of such drugs would be notified separately.Mr. Mungantiwar
also proposed to reduce tax on guide wire required for medical treatment and
LED bulbs from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
Mr. Mungantiwar said new
automation project for sales tax has been started which will help business and
the sales tax department in further simplification of procedures.All the
processes envisaged under the GST are being incorporated in the new software
system under development, so it will make hassle-free migration of data of
existing tax payer to the new GST system.He also announced enhancing premium on
additional FSI which will result in substantial revenue gains.The minister said
the government has promised to enhance the FSI limit from 0.33 to 0.60 and
increase the rate of premium in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation limit. It is
also under consideration of the government to enhance the rate of premium on
grant on all kinds of FSI.These gains in FSI will benefit individuals, but the
government does not get benefit of revenue increase in the same proportion.
These amendments are proposed to
ensure legitimate share of revenue for the government from overall benefits
accruing to the beneficiaries of the FSI without burdening the common man, he
said.The government intends to grant timely permissions, simplify procedures
and charge legitimate premium on additional benefits.As part of the amendments
in the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act, there will be no VAT on service tax and
late fee for VAT return will be reduced from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 1,000.Similarly,
multiple revised returns in case of audit findings or investigation proceedings
by sales tax authorities would be allowed. Assessment can be initiated if there
is reason to believe that the tax payer is not correctly discharging tax liability
or is attempting to evade tax on any transaction.
The Finance Minister also
proposed to introduce time limit for completion of transaction-wise assessment
and also provide for cancellation of order, if it is done ex-parte.Computation
of interest in case of a revised return filed for a period less than a year is
also proposed.After the High Court approves merger or demerger of companies, a
period of 30 days will be specified for making an application for registration
from the date of notification by the registrar of companies, he added.
Scam stains famed
Chhattisgarh PDS, systemic loot runs into crores
Raipur: Amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
aggressive pitch for growth and denouncement of the policy of handouts in the
pre-general election campaign last year, Chhattisgarh’s model of Public
Distribution System (PDS) stood out as a shining and welcome misfit. The BJP
showcased Chief Minister Raman Singh model of PDS as its answer to the
Congress’ Food Security Act. Besides the Gujarat model, this was the only model
that found mention in Modi’s election speeches.
Representational
image. Reuters
Raman Singh’s two consecutive victories in the Assembly
elections were believed to be because of his 'efficient' PDS and it also earned
him epithet 'chawalwale baba'. Now it turns out the story was too good to be
true. Earlier this month, the state's PDS made the headlines but for entirely
wrong reasons.Raids by the state’s anti-corruption bureau at the offices of the
Civil Supplies Corporation (or NAN) – the pivot of the PDS circus – and the
recovery of cash worth Rs 4 crore in the drawers of the babus have exposed the
massive corruption in the scheme. The babus were caught in the process of
distributing and forwarding the parcels of the 'monthly' shares to a list of
names, believed to be that of the beneficiaries. The list included names of the
top officials and politicians. The principal secretary of the department was
removed and prompt denials followed of involvement of politicians and other big
wigs, including the wife of the chief minister.
Soon after coming to power for the first time the state in 2003,
the BJP government brought in the Chhattisgarh Public Distribution System
(Control) Order, 2004 leading to a number of changes to the PDS delivery and
procurement system. In 2007, on the eve of the general elections, an additional
1.9 million households (who had been excluded from the 2002 BPL survey because
of the Planning Commission cap on poverty numbers) were added to the 1.33
million households already receiving subsidized food grains from the Central
government at that time. This state-led initiative helped Chhattisgarh PDS
increase coverage to approximately 80 percent of the rural population.
The 'Baba' won in 2008 and the formula was replicated in 2013.
What was marketed as the Mukhyamantri Khadyann Sahayata Yojana in 2007 was
re-packaged as the Food Security Act of 2013. Disproportionate ration cards
were made before both the elections. Between August and September 2013, on the
eve of the Model Code of Conduct coming into force, the number of BPL families
in the state jumped from 33 to 70 lakh.The recent raids by the ACB have brought
the model under scrutiny and opened a rotten can of worms. hat the ACB
uncovered at NAN is the proverbial tip of an iceberg. Many believe the whole
PDS racket has resulted in the swindling of hundreds of crores of the state
exchequer.
It is clear now that the whole business of procurement of paddy
from the farmers, addition of thousands of tons of paddy smuggled in from the
neighboring states like Odisha and Maharashtra, its carting and storage by the
MARKFED – the co-operative arm – to the godowns, the coming into picture of
rice millers, allotment of paddy to the millers, recovery of rice from the
millers, supply of the rice to the PDS outlets – the total pipeline leaks
throughout making the total system a fountain of corruption.
And to add to it, kerosene is another big component of the
PDS.The most prominent stone in the edifice of corruption are the bogus ration
cards that were made with impunity in Chhattisgarh. While the state has only 56
lakh households, under the Act of 2013, ration cards had been made for 70.27
lakh households. In a state that has been claiming a high growth rate in the 11
years of Raman Singh’s rule, 94 percent of its total households figured under
BPL, going by the ration cards issued to them.A month after the general
elections were over in May 2014, the state government set about verifying the
cards and cancelled 14 lakh of these and suspended 10 junior level
officials.The records show the production of paddy increasing year after year
with no apparent reasons justifying growth in that proportion. For example, in
2010-11, though the acreage increased from previous year's 3.48 million
hectares to 3.51 million hectares the total jump in paddy production to 9.23
million tons was too much to escape attention of the skeptics. The official
estimate for that year’s production was 6.5 MT.
"Its all manipulation of the data," avers social
activist Gautam Bandopadhyay.In the election years of 2008 and 2013 the
government gave away bonus of Rs 270 per quintal over and above the minimum
support price of Rs 1,350. In this and many other years, the procurement
exceeded the production in the fields. This excess was the direct result of the
huge quantities of paddy that pours in through smuggling from the neighboring
No-Bonus states like Odisha and Maharashtra during the purchase seasons.
The phenomenal increase in the procurement far exceeded the
storing capacity with the government agencies. Thousands of tons of paddy were
dumped in the open during the rains. he millers who sign an agreement before
the season to lift paddy and mill and supply back rice to the PDS chain,
refused to lift the 'damaged' grain on the pre-agreed terms and conditions. The
'tussle' between the government and the Chhattisgarh state Rice Mill
Association controlled by Yogesh Agarwal, brother of the an influential member
of the cabinet Brij Mohan Agarwal, caused the paddy to 'rot' more. The
consequent settlement resulted in the government almost giving up on the condition
of rice millers producing a bank guarantee before lifting the paddy from the
storage dumps.Following are the highlights of the scam that have come out so
far:
* The government did succeed in clearing the grounds but failed
to get the rice back. Notices were issues, a few FIRs were lodged but in the
absence of any insurance like the bank guarantee, the efforts didn't succeed.
The millers sold off the rice thus milled in the open market instead of
channeling it back in to the PDS. Since lakhs of cards were declared bogus and
cancelled in the subsequent year, the decreased demand from the PDS did not
raise alarm due to non-recovery of rice. No wonder Chhattisgarh has seen a
phenomenal growth in the number of rice mills in the state after the BJP government
came into power in 2003. The number went up from around 300 to 1,543 by the end
of the 2013 according to the official figures and hovers around 1,600 now.
* The bogus ration cards added another chapter to the story. In
the election years, cards were distributed to all and sundry. Virtually every
second member of the family ended up having a card. In months preceding the
2008 assembly elections, in some districts the number of ration card holders
exceeded 70 percent of the population, according to a letter written by the
then state food secretary the collectors.
* The card entitled its holder to
receive 35 kg of rice for Re 1 a kg. The excess cards helped grow a parallel
economy in the state. The 2013 PDS model had eliminated the class of PDS shop
owners and replaced it by committees of people generally nominated by the
government on the recommendation of the party. These committees became the de
facto credit institution in the villages. The ration cards got converted into
commodity. One card fetched a 'loan' of up to Rs 5,000.
* The modus operandi of milking
this card was simple. The rice miller milled and sent the rice to the NAN
warehouse. The demand from a PDS distribution centre (shop) was raised based on
the number of the cards (roughly multiplied by 35) and sent to the warehouse.
The NAN officials released trucks carrying these demands to shops. The entries
duly made in the cards in possession of the committee and the rice thus left
un-lifted was then diverted back to the rice mill from where it had originated,
completing the cycle. The same rice was again pumped into the supply chain.
* Kerosene: The state receives
16,000 kilolitre of it as its share from the Centre. Only around 3,000
kilolitre of it gets distributed through the PDS shops at Rs 20 per litre. The
rest – worth almost Rs 40 crore - is siphoned off every month to the petrol
pumps and industrial units at rates varying between 35 and 40 making it a
racket worth Rs 500 crore in a year.
Louisiana Couple Honored on National Ag Day
Rep. Charles Boustany (l) congratulates NOYF award
winners
Julie and Christian Richard
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today is 2015 National Ag Day and it's a
safe bet that Christian and Julie Richard, rice farmers from Kaplan, Louisiana,
will always remember how they celebrated.
The Richards won the National Outstanding Young Farmer (NOYF) award last
year and a trip to the nation's capital was part of the award. They have spent the past few days attending
various events scheduled around Ag Day, including a visit with their
Congressman, Representative Charles Boustany, a meeting with USDA Secretary of
Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden, a luncheon with
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, and a Celebration of
Agriculture Dinner where they were the honored guests.
"The reception we've received from lawmakers and their
staff has been fantastic," Julie said.
"This was also a great opportunity to meet in a small group with
the Secretary and hear his perspective on where things are going in
agriculture, it was enlightening." The Richards raise rice, soybeans, and
crawfish, operating from the philosophy that conservation and farming go
hand-in-hand -- and at least 25 percent of the application to the NOYF program
is based on conservation practices."Conservation doesn't cost you a thing,
it pays a dividend," Christian said.
"You do it because it makes sense."Their progressive farming
practices and devotion to the future of agriculture are evident in their
involvement in local and state organizations.
Christian currently serves as president of the local soil
and water conservation district and is also the past president of the Louisiana
Rice Growers, president of the Vermilion Parish Rice Growers, vice chairman of
the state Rice Promotion Board, and a member of the parish Rice Advisory
Committee. Christian is a graduate of
the Rice Leadership Development Program and a Louisiana Master Farmer
graduate. Julie is a former assistant
director of field services for Farm Bureau and is now employed full time on the
farm.
"Of course we're thrilled the Richards were recognized
-- it's not just a great honor for them personally -- but also for the rice
industry," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. "Of the
thousands of farmers out there who applied for this honor and surely deserve
recognition, the fact that two rice growers were selected is a testament to our
bright future as an industry."The four national winners were selected from
a group of 10 finalists for the award based on their progress in an
agricultural career, extent of soil and water conservation practices, and
contributions to the well-being of the community, state, and nation. The three other national winners are from
Michigan, Ohio, and Wyoming.
In addition to the
trip to Washington, DC, national winners received a savings bond from corporate
sponsor John Deere.The NOYF program is the oldest farmer recognition program in
the United States, selecting its first group of national winners in 1955. The program is sponsored by John Deere,
administered by the Outstanding Farmers of America, and supported by the U.S.
Jaycees and the National Association of County Agricultural Agents.
Contact:
Deborah Willenborg, (703) 236-1444
CME Group/Closing
Rough Rice Futures
|
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for March
18
|
May 2015
|
$11.045
|
+ $0.420
|
|
July 2015
|
$11.290
|
+ $0.420
|
|
September 2015
|
$11.400
|
+ $0.415
|
|
November 2015
|
$11.560
|
+ $0.415
|
|
January 2016
|
$11.710
|
+ $0.415
|
|
March 2016
|
$11.710
|
+ $0.415
|
|
May 2016
|
$11.710
|
+ $0.415
|
|
Rice Storage Workshop, April 7,
Richvale
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 • Richvale, CA
A workshop to discuss the rice shortage and mill insect pest management
will take place April 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lundberg Family Farms, 5311
Midway, Richvale, Calif.The workshop is organized by the research team of the
Post-Harvest Grain Management Project, which was funded by the United States
Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Grants
Program.The team consists of several scientists with many year’s experience in
the subject of pest management in stored grains and storage and milling
facilities.The workshop will focus on pest management in rice mills as well as
in storage bins.
Major topics include: Current status and challenges of rice
grain insect pest management; integrated pest management programs; monitoring
and dynamics of storage insect pests inside and around rice mills; structural
treatments, residual insecticides, and aeration; economics of storage rice
insect pest control; and, integrated storage rice insect pest management and
tool delivery.
Registration is free. Please register before April 1 to
ensure participation. Seats will be filled on a first-come basis. Lunch will be
provided.DPR CE credits have been requested.
For more information, contact Luis Espino, University of
California Cooperative Extension at 530-458-0578,
laespino@ucanr.edu, or Jim Stewart, Lundberg Family Farms 530-538-3500.
Senate panel considers duck hunt fix
March 17, 2015 -
3:02pmUpdated March 17, 2015 - 4:02pm
By Peter Urban
Stephens Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Arkansas could decide for itself if duck
hunting can occur on rolled rice fields under legislation that got a positive
response Tuesday from some members of the Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee.The provision, aimed at resolving an ongoing dispute between the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and Arkansas rice farmers over “baited” fields, has
been long sought by members of the Arkansas delegation. It is now included in a
bill that Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, has drafted to address broader fish and
wildlife issues. Sullivan chairs the subcommittee on fisheries, water and
wildlife.In 2012, the agency warned rice growers that some of their fields that
had been rolled — as farmers often do after harvest — could be off limits to
waterfowl hunting.
That summer’s
drought led to an early rice harvest, which was followed by heavy rains that
cause a rare secondary “ratoon” crop to sprout. In Arkansas, local cooperative
extension offices advised farmers to plow under the secondary rice to return
nutrients to the soil.Fish and Wildlife cautioned the growers that if rice
heads emerge from those fields, they would be considered “baited” and therefore
illegal for waterfowl hunting. The law is intended to prohibit hunters from
luring ducks or other game to them with food. Many Arkansas rice farmers lease
their fields to migratory waterfowl hunters but that year refrained because of
the potential penalties from hunting over baited fields.Dale Hall, CEO of Ducks
Unlimited, testified Tuesday in favor of leaving it up to state agriculture
agencies to determine whether duck hunting would be allowed on these rice
field.
“One thing that always concerned me is if a regulation
is so confusing to the public, doesn’t it then miss the mark? The ultimate goal
of law enforcement is to have the public voluntarily comply,” said Hall, who
once served as director of Fish and Wildlife.Sullivan said he “couldn’t agree
more” that the regulation needs clarification.Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., who
serves on the environment subcommittee, said the baiting measure included in
the bill would clarify that farmers are allowed to engage in normal agriculture
practices without fear of losing a secondary source of income provided by
leasing land to duck hunters.Hall said that southern rice farms have actually
played an important role in sustaining the migratory waterfowl that fly south
for the winter.More than half of the nation’s wetlands have disappeared but
that loss has been offset by agricultural activity — wheat in the north and
rice in the south — that provides an important source of food for waterfowl, he
said.
“We are at the highest level of nest productivity
since 1955 when we began taking records, yet we have lost so much of our native
habitat. The reason is we have taken advantage of agriculture,” Hall said.
“Rice has become a surrogate wetland.”The overall bill would reauthorize the
North American Wetlands Conservation Act, which has provided funding for
conservation programs through hunting and fishing fees and extend the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act that uses excise taxes on sportsmen’s
equipment for state wildlife programs.
“The language we examine today was a result of the
efforts between many parties to craft a sportsman’s bill that will enhance
recreational opportunities for all. Many of these provisions I have supported
in past Congresses, and I look forward to finally passing them into law,” said
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. “As a sportsman and an avid fisherman, I understand
and appreciate the role these activities hold as long-standing tradition for
many families across the country. It is my goal to help ensure these
recreational opportunities are open and available so that we can responsibly
enjoy and conserve our natural resources.”Sullivan said the bill would also
codify an existing exemption that excludes EPA from regulating lead fishing
tackle and ammunition, and would allow lawful possession of firearms at water
resource development projects managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.Sen.
Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., spoke against allowing
firearms near dams and other projects managed by the Corps of Engineers.“You
may want that in Alaska, but that would be intensely alarming and frightening
for people in Rhode Island. I think it is a completely unnecessary addition to
this bill,” Whitehouse said.Sen. Michael Crapo, R-Idaho, clarified that
carrying firearms would be permitted only in those places open to the public
and would be specifically prohibited from dams and other facilities that are
security issues. Crapo noted that guns are allowed on most federal lands but not
on the 12 million acres controlled by the Corps.Wayne Pacelle, president and
CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, spoke against exempting lead
fish tackle and ammunition from EPA regulation.“We are critics of the use of
lead. We don’t have it in our gas or paint and globally we are moving to
non-toxic shot,” he said.
Watch Video on :
Untimely rain plays havoc with vegetable, pulse prices
NEW DELHI, MARCH 18:
Prices of vegetables and pulses are set to shoot up after
unseasonal rain damaged over 50 lakh hectares of standing crops across the
country, putting enormous strain on household budgets.Consumers will have to
pay more for potatoes, carrots, cabbages, mustard and almost all the pulses
over the next few weeks. Rain in northern, central and western parts has caused
widespread damage to crops in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Inclement weather not only affects production but also the
quality of agricultural produce, besides hampering movement of supplies
throughout the supply chain, exacerbating the situation and pushing up
wholesale inflation.Wholesale Price Index-based inflation in February reflected
higher food prices at 7.74 per cent. Further upward pressure in prices could
force the Reserve Bank of India to think twice on policy rate cuts at its
policy meeting early next month. Vegetable prices rose 15.5 per cent, while
fruits surged 16.84 per cent. Prices for the politically significant onion rose
26 per cent.
Widespread damage
The Centre has estimated that standing crops over 50 lakh hectares (lh) were
damaged — 27 lh in Uttar Pradesh, 14.5 lh in Rajasthan, 7.5 lh in Maharashtra,
50,000 hectares in West Bengal and at least 6,000 hectares in Punjab. “Wheat on
some 6-7 acres of my 20 acres has been destroyed. Seasonal vegetables, potatoes
in particular, besides cabbage and carrots have been affected,” said Karamjit
Sidhu, a farmer from Kotla Suraj Lohar village in Amritsar district.Farmers
from UP said potato and mustard crops have been badly affected as also wheat,
while pulses such as chickpea (chana), black gram (urad) and
green gram (moong) have been hit to a lesser extent.“Almost the entire
mustard crop has been flattened,” said Rajiv Kumar, who owns 13 acres in
Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.
“The impact on wheat is
less but more for mustard with hailstorms in Rajasthan and UP. There won’t be
much addition to inflation on the basis of a slight fall in wheat output.“It’s
not clear how much damage there has been to potato and perishables,” said
Suresh Pal, who heads the Division of Agricultural Economics at the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute.
Wholesale and retail prices of vegetables, such as bitter gourd,
cauliflower and brinjal, have already shot up this month in the Capital.
Agriculture Produce Market Committee data showed that the average price of brinjal
increased some 19 per cent to ₹17.6/kg in March from February.During the same period,
cauliflower prices rose to ₹20/kg from around ₹ 14/kg. Retail prices for bitter gourd and lady's finger have
surged by 20 per cent, selling at ₹ 120/kg from ₹ 100 a month ago. Retailers expect prices, which have gone up by
about ₹ 5/kg for most vegetables, to
remain high with fresh arrivals not expected soon.
Delhi Govt acts
Agriculture Ministry officials refrained from giving estimates of the damage,
but Delhi Government officials Gopal Rai and Asim Ahmed Khan convened a meeting
this week to check the steadily rising prices and announce emergency measures.These
included the display prices of major vegetables at wholesale market yards and
keeping an eye on commission agents.
(This article was published on March 18, 2015)
CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
|
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Agriculture's Commodity
Credit Corporation today announced the
following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted
for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan-gain
(MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2014 crop,
which became effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). The rough
rice AWP is down $0.07 per cwt for long grain and down $0.08 per cwt for
medium/short grain.
|
|
World Price
|
MLG/LDP Rate
|
|
|
Milled Value ($/cwt)
|
Rough ($/cwt)
|
Rough ($/cwt)
|
|
Long-Grain
|
15.38
|
9.96
|
0.00
|
|
Medium-/Short-Grain
|
14.98
|
10.09
|
0.00
|
|
Brokens
|
9.28
|
----
|
----
|
This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the
following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:
|
|
U.S. Milling Yields
Whole/Broken
(lbs/cwt)
|
Loan Rate
($/cwt)
|
|
Long-Grain
|
57.21/12.55
|
6.64
|
|
Medium-/Short-Grain
|
61.89/8.83
|
6.51
|
The next program announcement is scheduled for March 25.
|
DPCs receive over 21,000 tonnes of paddy this season
Updated: March 18, 2015 05:41 IST
With the harvest season drawing
to a close, Direct Procurement Centres in the district are set to wind up
operations within the next few weeks.S. Ayyappan, Regional Manager, Tamil Nadu
Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), said that 19,284 tonnes of paddy had been
procured in the 48 centres set up by the TNCSC across the district as of date.“Additionally,
2,080 tonnes of paddy have been procured at 5 DPCs set up by the Cooperation
Department,” he added.Officials in the agriculture department said they would
be undertaking surveys across the district and shut down the DPCs where
procurement had completely stopped.
“While the amount of paddy
procured has substantially increased when compared to the previous year,
farmers cultivating high-quality variety of paddy preferred to sell it in the
markets since it is in demand and they could command a high price for it,” Mr.
Ayyappan explained.Speaking about the procurement in the district, Joint
Director for Agriculture Jaisingh Gnanadurai said that while there was a marked
increase of a few hundred tonnes of paddy over last year’s procurement, they
expected the procurement to touch 40,000 metric tonnes since the yield this
year was high across the district. A good yield of paddy had been expected from
over 44,000 hectares in the district. An official said that there were no major
cases of malpractice reported regarding the functioning of the DPCs.“Other than
a few minor issues, there were no major raids. The monitoring committees too
ensured the smooth functioning of the centres,” he noted.
Rice farming project to
resume in the West
8 Slow, Difficult Steps To Become A Millionaire (The Daily Western)
BusinessMar 17, 2015 0
Over 700 rice farmers in the Shama district are to be re-employed
into the local rice production industry following the revamping of a government
initiative to construct water management systems for rice farmers in some parts
of the country.Local rice is anticipated to dominaterice farm the Ghanaian
market when the project begins to yield its firsst fruits. Over 321 acres of
land have been prepared at Badukrom to begin large production of the local
rice. This follows the over 85% completion of the water management systems to
cater for water supply needs of the rice producers.The project should have
started in 2011 but government was unable to secure the needed funding. This
led he inland valley rice development project workers jobless in June 2011.
Some of the anticipated beneficial farmers said they has been engaging over the
years are dissatisfied with the delay in executing the project.
The
water systems have been A visit to the site saw some water systems completed.
The land has also been demarcated for onward distribution to the farmers. The
Wassa East district agric director Kofi Eyiah who had come to inspect the
progress of work at the site said completion these systems have presented the
opportunity for some 700 rice farmers to be employed.In the mean time, the
district director of agriculture, Kofi Eyiah, has accused some rice farmers in
the western region of collapsing the subsidized fertilizer scheme introduced by
government.
He
said some farmers failed to honour their part of the scheme. Mr. Kofi Eyiah
said government was unable to secure new bags of fertilizer at subsidized
prices in 2014 as a result of the failure of farmers to pay for their supplies.
He argues the farmers have been falsely accusing government of deliberately
starving them of farm inputs especially fertilizers. He however said enough
supplies are expected for this season from government but the farmers will have
to go to the open market if that fails.
Some Northern California Farmers Not Planting This Year, Sell Water
To Los Angeles At $700 Per Acre Foot
by John RamosMarch 17,
2015 7:05 PM
YUBA COUNTY (KPIX 5) – The rice
industry in the Sacramento Valley is taking a hard hit with the drought. Some
farmers are skipping out on their fields this year, because they are cashing in
on their water rights.Many fields will stay dry because farmers will be doing
what was once considered unthinkable: selling their water to Southern
California.“In the long term, if we don’t make it available we’re afraid
they’ll just take it,” said Charlie Mathews, a fourth generation rice farmer
with senior rights to Yuba River water.He and his fellow growers have agreed to
sell 20 percent of their allotment to Los Angeles’s Metropolitan Water District
as it desperately searches to add to its dwindling supply.
It’s not really surprising that
Southern California is looking for a place to buy water. But what is making
news is how much they’ve agreed to pay for it: $700 per acre foot of water.Just
last year, rice farmers were amazed when they were offered $500 per acre foot.
This new price means growers will earn a lot more money on the fields they
don’t plant, making water itself the real cash crop in California.“It’s much
more than we ever expected to get. But at the same time, that just shows the
desperation of the people that need it,” Mathews said.The ripple effect of this
will be felt around the entire state. If a Bay Area water district needs to buy
more water, it will now be competing with Los Angeles to do it.“They have to
pay whatever the last price, the highest price, people will pay,” Mathews said.
Watch Video on:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/03/17/drought-some-northern-california-farmers-not-planting-sell-water-rights-los-angeles/
China places big
orders for Vietnamese rice
VietNamNet Bridge – The rice export market has bounced back thanks
to higher demand from importers, especially from China, which has made large
orders.
Huynh The Nang, chair of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), in an
interview to the local press, said he can see “positive signs” in the rice
export market.Vietnam needs to sell about 5 million tons of winter-spring rice,
including 700 tons of last year’s inventories. To date, Vietnamese businesses
have signed contracts on exporting one million tons.As demand is high, VFA
predicts that Vietnam will be able to sell 3 million tons of rice by the end of
the second quarter.Nang noted that the Chinese market has heated up again as
the government has granted rice import quotas to Chinese businesses. It is
estimated that Vietnam can sell 3.5-4 million tons of rice to China, which
includes 1 million tons across the border gates.
Previously, Vietnamese rice exporters and farmers had
been concerned about the sharp fall in rice exports in the first month of the
year.A report from the Industry and Trade Information Center shows that Vietnam
had exported 325,621 tons of rice, worth $153.23 million, by the end of
January, which represented a 11.72 percent decrease in quantity and 12.86
percent in export turnover compared with January 2014.The 5 percent broken rice
export price in January dropped to $376 per ton from $401 per ton in January
2014, while the price of 25 percent broken rice exports to $380 per ton.Vietnam’s
5 percent broken rice closing price in January was at $360 per ton, down by 6
percent in comparison with December 2014 and 11 percent one year ago.
The rice price in the domestic market has moved up
slightly on the government-initiated campaign to buy rice to store. Nang
said the rice price has increased by VND300 per kilo compared with the days
before Tet (in mid-February), after 10 days of running the campaign.Commenting
on the price rise, an analyst said the rice collection campaign is only one of
the reasons that prices have gone up. The analyst said that rice export
companies are collecting rice to implement a contract on exporting 240,000 tons
to Malaysia, while Vietnam has won the bid to provide 300,000 tons of rice to
the Philippines. And China has returned with large orders.Mekong River Delta
farmers are satisfied with the price. Le Van Tol, a farmer in Soc Trang
province, said he had made a profit of VND14 million per hectare, which was
enough to “make ends met”.In 2014, Vietnam exported 6.32 million tons of rice,
earning 2.8 million USD, to become the third largest rice exporter in the
world, after Thailand and India, according to VFA.
Thanh Mai
Vietnam aims for greener rice cultivation
Wednesday, 18 March 2015 05:26
Vietnam plans to
reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rice cultivation alone by 14 per
cent by 2030
According to the 2010 National
Greenhouse gas inventory, there will be an increase in emissions on both
livestock and farm land in Vietnam. (Image source: CatSh/sxc.hu)
This was announced at a recent conference in Hanoi by an official
from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.Pham Hoang Yen, an
expert involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
and the Kyoto Protocol, said that in the last few years, the country has set
the goal of a 20 per cent reduction in GHG in the overall cultivation sector by
2020.
The Southeast Asian country has been preparing for National
Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) and other policies that developing
countries have adopted to control global GHG at a UNFCC conference in Bali
eight years ago.In addition, Vietnam has also carried out a programme of Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM).In June 2014, the country had 253 CDM projects and
had registered 11 programmes of activities. This move earned it 10.7mn
certified emission reduction (CEF) credits granted by CDM Executive Board
through CDM activities, Yen added.The total GHG emissions reduction from the
253 CDM projects was 137mn tonnes of CO2equivalent.In the
future, many projects are expected to be started to lower methane emissions in
rice cultivation in a number of localities, Yen said.
The agricultural sector also applied Good Agricultural Practices
and cultivation methods that economise the use of fertiliser, pesticide and
water in order to limit methane emission on rice fields, she said.According to
the 2010 National Greenhouse gas inventory, there will be an increase in
emissions on both livestock and farm land. In livestock breeding sector, GHG
emissions are expected to grow from 18.03mn tonnes of CO2 in
2010 to 24.95mn tonnes in 2020 and 29.32mn tonnes in 2030. In agriculture, GHG
emissions are expected to increase from 23.81mn tonnes of CO2 in
2010 to 33.94mn tonnes of CO2 in 2020 and 37.4 tonnes in 2030.
The industrial process had a GHG emission growth, but it was still
small compared with the total of emissions, Yen said. It has been predicted
that land use, land use change and forestry activities in Vietnam will absorb
42.5mn tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2020, and 45.3mn tonnes
in 2030 and the main source of emissions and absorption will be forest and
cultivated land.
FCI to ferry another 10,000 tonne rice for Tripura via B'desh
The Food Corporation of
India (FCI) has taken initiative to transport another 10,000
tonnes of rice for
Tripura by using the water and land routes of neighbouring
Bangladesh, the state government said today.
"Our
rail line from Lumding to Badarpur in
Assam is closed in view of gauge conversion. It would be
completed next year only. So, we urged the central government for ferrying the
granules by using the Ashuganj port. FCI informed us that transportation would
be started after March 22," Tripura Food and Civil Supplies Minister
Bhanulal Saha told reporters.Train services in Tripura, Manipur,
Mizoram and Cachhar and Karimganj districts of Assam were closed
since last October for conversion of railway tracks from narrow gauge to broad
gauge, which is likely to be operational in March 2016.
Saha said, it was necessary to create a buffer stock of food grain
in the state before the monsoon sets in June.
The
Ashuganj port on the river Meghna in Brahmanbaria district of
Bangladesh is about 50 km from here.
The
minister said rice would be uploaded from Kolkata port and would be unloaded in
the Ashuganj port from where it would be carried to Agartala by using the
Bangladeshi trucks.
The distance
between Agartala and Kolkata is reduced to 650 km from 1,700 km if not traveled
through 'chicken neck area' or Siliguri Corridor.
Drought: Switch to crops that need less water
Expect more watermelon, kale & corn for sale in
markets. Quick to grow crops that require less water are the farmer's choice
when water supplies disappear.A farmer in Chai Nat’s Sankhaburi district waters
his watermelon plants.
Several rice farmers in this centralprovince have switched from
growing rice to watermelons and kale, which require less water, as
the provinceendures a serious drought. THANARAK KHUNTON
AGRICULTURE & DROUGHT
Farmers turn to
arid crops to survive
Off-season rice ruled out by
the drought, locals grow anything that can tide them over
18/03/2015
Manop Thip-Osod
Farmers in Chai Nat province have switched from growing off-season rice
towatermelon and kale after the worst drought in
decades parched their
rice fields. The farmers described the switch as a risk, but said growing rice
would be worse. A number of
rice fields in Chai Nat's Muang, Sankhaburi, and Sapphaya districts havewithered over a decade due to long-standing drought conditions in the centralprovince. Even though scenic views
of green vegetation can still be seen along some roadsides, many standing trees
such as mango trees have already wilted in the dryness. Since the Royal
Irrigation Department (RID) declared water will not be released toirrigation canals for
the off-season rice
farming, many farmers have decided not to tilltheir farmland which was
full of rice stubble from last year in preparation for off-season paddy cultivation. Rice cultivation, therefore, will have to start again
in the next rainy season.
Bunpote Keawthong, a 45-year-old
farmer who opted to grow watermelon instead of rice, said it hasn't rained
for about 10 months in his hometown, causing watershortages which
affected rice farming. This year is the first time in a decade that residents
haven't grown off-season rice. He said most farmers in tambon Dong
Kaun in Sankhaburi district did not cultivateoff-season rice this year as a result of water shortages and
a drop in the price of rice to between 6,000 and 7,000 baht per tonne. Nobody
wanted to incur high initialinvestment costs and capital losses.
On top of water scarcity, locals have to contend with thousands
of rats which eat anddecimate crops on
their farms. "It is
difficult to find water in this season. Groundwater must be siphoned from
boreholes. Villagers must also cope with the rats by electrocuting them every
night," he said. Mr Bunpote
said the water he now uses on his farm has been pumped from
the farmland of his neighbour, who has never demanded money
from him. Mr Bunpote said local people
are willing to
help each other.
In such a dry season,kindness and sympathy are
needed the most. Any extra expenses such as fuel costs or farm equipment maintenance will be shared among locals. Even
though rats are a big problem, Mr Bunpote said, an even bigger problem is rice
thrips, an insect pest that comes out during dry seasons and
which can devastate the
rice plants during the seedling stage. If
the rice thrips infest the plantation, almost 100% of
that farm's crops will be destroyed.
Mr Bunpote, who now plants watermelons on
five rai of land as his sideline crop, said the water which is siphoned from
underground is not enough to supply the ricepaddy, which risks dying. He has turned to short-lived
plants instead. "Watermelon
is a short-lived plant and can be harvested and sold on the market after a couple
of months of cultivation. But I still
have to erect a tarp enclosure around my farm to prevent rats and rice thrips
from getting in," he said. Mr
Bumpote said if he didn't learn how to plant other crops, he wouldn't be able tosustain himself and his family, due to the
daily expenses.
He has to deduct the
price of oil, used for a water pump, from his overall earnings.
His monthly income ends up being only 10,000 baht. "One of my farmer friends invested in
a 14-rai watermelon farm worth around
100,000 baht. But he earned only about 20,000 baht due to low productivity," he added. Some farmers planted beans but were
unable to recoup their investment or
make any profit, as the beans started to grow but eventually died. Meanwhile, others have turned to
growing corn as it requires less water than rice. Kale and Chinese cabbage are
other options for
villagers as they can be harvested six weeks after planting and sold at
eight baht per kilogramme.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/499547/farmers-turn-to-arid-crops-to-survive
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Brazil half grain NQ ↔
Brunei rice production
has increased to around 1,380 tons in 2014, up about 12% from around 1,230 tons
produced in 2013, local sources quoted the Minister for Industry and Primary
Resources was quoted as saying in the Parliament.He however noted that the
country's rice production cannot meet the 60% self-sufficiency target set by
the government for 2015. He noted that the Ministry has identified certain
problem areas, which have to addressed to achieve a significant increase in
rice production.The Minister stated that the country's rice production
infrastructure is not optimal and the government has allocated certain budget
to improve the country's rice infrastructure. 
