No News due to Indepence Day In Pakistan
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Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Saturday, August 12, 2017
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`Leadership
Change at Arkansas Rice Federation
LITTLE ROCK, AR -- The
Arkansas Rice Federation Board announced today that Lauren Waldrip Ward has
been selected as the new Executive Director.
Originally from Moro, Arkansas, Ward was raised on a rice, soybean, and corn farm and is the fifth-generation descendant of a Delta farm family. Ward has staffed the Federation since March 2015, assisting in trade association management, media relations, communications, PAC management, and public affairs. She traveled to Cuba on a trade mission in June of 2016 as part of the ongoing effort to normalize relations with the country and reopen the Cuban market to Arkansas rice.
"I am honored to have this leadership opportunity to support and promote an industry that has given so much to me, to Arkansas, and to the world," Ward said. "Rice is a big part of my life story and now more than ever, it is vital that we tell the story of Arkansas agriculture and our rural communities. I look forward to continuing my advocacy on the issues that face our growers and our industry."
"Lauren's thorough background and knowledge of the industry has been an asset to the Federation since she began," Arkansas Rice Federation Chairman Jeff Rutledge said. "We are excited about what the future holds for the Federation and Arkansas's rice industry under her leadership as executive director."
Former executive director Ben Noble will be the new vice president of marketing and strategy at Riceland Foods Inc. starting September 1.The Arkansas Rice Federation represents all aspects of the rice industry including the Arkansas Rice Council, Arkansas Rice Farmers, Arkansas Rice Merchants and Arkansas Rice Millers. Rice Foundation Accepting Applications for 2018 Rice Leadership Development Program
Originally from Moro, Arkansas, Ward was raised on a rice, soybean, and corn farm and is the fifth-generation descendant of a Delta farm family. Ward has staffed the Federation since March 2015, assisting in trade association management, media relations, communications, PAC management, and public affairs. She traveled to Cuba on a trade mission in June of 2016 as part of the ongoing effort to normalize relations with the country and reopen the Cuban market to Arkansas rice.
"I am honored to have this leadership opportunity to support and promote an industry that has given so much to me, to Arkansas, and to the world," Ward said. "Rice is a big part of my life story and now more than ever, it is vital that we tell the story of Arkansas agriculture and our rural communities. I look forward to continuing my advocacy on the issues that face our growers and our industry."
"Lauren's thorough background and knowledge of the industry has been an asset to the Federation since she began," Arkansas Rice Federation Chairman Jeff Rutledge said. "We are excited about what the future holds for the Federation and Arkansas's rice industry under her leadership as executive director."
Former executive director Ben Noble will be the new vice president of marketing and strategy at Riceland Foods Inc. starting September 1.The Arkansas Rice Federation represents all aspects of the rice industry including the Arkansas Rice Council, Arkansas Rice Farmers, Arkansas Rice Merchants and Arkansas Rice Millers. Rice Foundation Accepting Applications for 2018 Rice Leadership Development Program
By Chuck Wilson
STUTTGART, AR -- The Rice Foundation
is accepting applications for the 2018 Rice Leadership Development
Program. Rice producers or
industry-related professionals between the ages of 25 and 45 are eligible to
apply for the program. The application deadline is October 7. The Rice
Leadership Development Program provides a comprehensive understanding of the
rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication
skills. During a two-year period, class
members attend four one-week sessions designed to strengthen leadership skills
through studies of all aspects of the rice industry.
The class is comprised of five rice producers
and two industry-related professionals chosen by a committee of agribusiness
leaders. The committee evaluates the
applications of all candidates, reviews letters of recommendation, and conducts
personal interviews with the finalists. Interviews will be conducted at the USA
Rice Outlook Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, in December.
The program is sponsored by John Deere
Company, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company through The Rice
Foundation and managed by USA Rice. Additional information on the Rice Leadership
Development Program and an application form can be found on the USA Rice
website.
The Rice Leadership Program -
guaranteed to change your life
Angola - Thai Blue String Rice
Suitable for Human Consumption
Luanda — "Blue String" brand rice from the Republic of
Thailand has normal characteristics and is suitable for human consumption, the
Ministry of Trade said on Monday in Luanda.The results indicate that the rice
is suitable for human consumption, without any inconvenience, the
inspector-general for trade, Heleno Antunes, said so at press conference after
analyzing it in three different laboratories inside and outside the country.The
official said that after the denunciations received by the Ministry, the sector
seized 12.500 bags of rice of 25 kilos each, which have now been delivered to
the respective owners.
However, he considered the denunciations circulated
·
Meet the women who labour on farms for our plates of rice.
It’s a sweltering June day in Muridke in Sheikhupura
district in Punjab. The harsh summer sun glints off of the rice paddies which
cover thousands of acres in this area. Some of the world’s finest Basmati rice
is grown here. Dotting these paddies are the colourful figures of hundreds of
women bent over the sodden earth, manually planting each seedling.Razia Bibi
and her daughters wade through the pesticide filled muddy sludge, which fills
the field. They hold bunches of seedlings in one hand and use the other to
swiftly place each plant into the earth at a specific distance. Doing this work
for every summer of their lives has made their movements almost mechanical and
working in large groups, they manage to transplant rice over large swathes of
land each day. But, the land they work on is not theirs, neither is the rice
they grow.
The working conditions are harsh; the water that
fills the fields is full of leeches and corrosive chemicals. Each day someone
in the group collapses from the heat. The wages are abysmal. But, Razia is a
widow with six children, two of whom have polio. So in a place like Muridke,
her options are limited.
Women work in harsh conditions, for minimum wages in rice fields
across Punjab. — Photos by Ahsan Mahmood.
Like most industrial cities along this stretch of the
G.T Road, Muridke is chaotic, polluted and deeply unequal. Capitalist
development has come here in bits and has left most behind in its wake.
The nouveau riche drive expensive cars on perpetually
dug up roads and the forlorn faces of the poor stare from the back of Qingqi
rickshaws. Small and medium industrial units are ever multiplying but never
have enough electricity. Local clothing brands have arrived in hordes. There is
even a McDonald’s. But, basic civic amenities are missing, as are educational
and employment opportunities.
In the urban areas most women work in the informal
sector as domestic workers, whereas in the rural areas they are employed in
agricultural labour. In most farms, makeshift cots hang from trees where babies
of the women working in the fields sleep. Toddlers splash around in the
polluted water in the rice paddies and as soon as they are old enough to use
their hands they are expected to join their family in agricultural labour.
Within the rice value-chain, women’s main role is
during the transplantation of rice from nurseries, which takes place for around
45 days once a year. Explanations of why this task is reserved almost
exclusively for women vary.
The women rice workers argue transplantation of rice
is too arduous a task for men to perform. Others such as landowners claim women
are able to stay bent for longer periods of time. In the past, women were also
involved in the harvesting of rice and would collect the grains. However, now
most farmers use mechanical harvesters, which has also taken away these women’s
chance of collecting some grains to take home.
The men on the rice farms lead relatively simpler times as
compared to the women.
Meet the women filling plates our
of rice
Shagufta is sixteen. She was eight when she was
forced to leave school and join the rest of her family in agricultural labour.
“My mother said she could no longer make ends meet so it was time I contributed
to the family income,” she says.
She misses school. “I used to hate the teacher, he
would beat us. But, now I wish I could turn back time. I wish I could throw on
a starched white uniform, go to school and study hard. I even miss the
beatings,” she says with a wistful smile.
For a whole day's work, Shagufta says she makes
around 100 Rupees, none of which she gets to keep. “If I have done the work, I
should get to keep the money, but that’s not how it works does it? I give every
penny to my family because if I don’t, nobody gets to eat,” she says.
Women’s work in the transplantation process is part
of the package of services offered by a group or a family on a single acre of
rice for which they are paid between Rs2500 and Rs3000 and the individuals
within the group are not separately compensated.
Despite their back-breaking work in the fields, women often have
to take out loans for medical expenses and electricity bills aside from farming
essentials.
Shamshad Bibi is a rice grower. Landless farmers like
her lease the land from landowners on which they grow crops to sell to a
middleman, locally referred to as an Aarti. She explains how the high cost of
inputs, coupled with the expenses of the families, which almost always exceeds
their income, puts them in an exploitative relationship with the Aarti. “The
Aarti is the only person who will lend to us. We borrow money for pesticides,
fertilisers, electricity bills and also for weddings and medical emergencies,”
she says.
“When the crop is ready, we take the harvested rice
to the Aarti who is supposed to pay for grain, but since most people have
already borrowed so much, hardly any cash is given,” Shamshad explains. “When
you’re illiterate you can’t even argue with the math,” she adds.
Fatima Bibi, another rice grower, says she faces
abuse and insult from whoever she asks for money, whether it is a loan or
payment of wages. “I’ve even been beaten for asking. Where someone had borrowed
Rs1000 they insist it was 2000 and you can’t argue back,” she says.
Being poor means these women also have no social or
legal protections against sexual exploitation and harassment. “The boys of
landowners say lewd things to us. They throw water on the girls and try to grab
us any chance they get,” Shagufta says.
Her aunt Zubaida says this is very common, no one
says anything. “We are too poor to take these people on,” she says.
“I was bending down to transplant the seedlings one
day and when I tried to get up, I couldn’t. Since then, I have suffered from
severe back pain,” — Shenaz Bibi, 65
A large portion of the income earned by these
families goes towards medical expenses. The arduous labour is taxing on the
body. Fumes rise from the polluted water filling the fields and affecting the
lungs. Almost all those who work in rice paddies suffer from Foot Immersion
disease, a condition so common in rice workers it is called ‘paddy-foot’, where
the skin on their feet and hands begins to decay and blister, leading to sores
breaking out.
Constant immersion in hot water also causes the nails
to become infected and come off. The paddies are full of snakes and leeches,
and bending down for hours at a stretch leaves many permanently handicapped.
Shehnaz Bibi says she was a little girl when her
mother passed away and her grandparents put her to work in the fields. She
continued to transplant rice for the rest of her life, until the age of around
65 when she suffered a herniated disk. “I was bending down to transplant the
seedlings one day and when I tried to get up, I couldn’t. Since then, I have
suffered from severe back pain,” she narrates.
There are no free medical services in these villages
and travelling to the nearest government hospitals is an added expense. Fatima
Bibi says the hospitals are so overcrowded, the staff treats poor people like
her very badly.
“If you have money you can go to see a private
doctor, otherwise you can suffer at home and even die. No one cares,” Shehnaz
Bibi states indignantly. A number of these plague rice farmers across Asia.
Hope on the horizon
International NGO Oxfam is working towards promoting
sustainable supply chains for agricultural products within which women are
adequately compensated. The country director for Oxfam in Pakistan Mohammad
Qazilbash told Dawn that agribusiness companies have a role to play in
improving the conditions of rice workers. “Oxfam is working with MATCO,
Pakistan’s largest rice exporter and other agribusiness companies to promote
corporate social responsibility and other private sector regulatory frameworks
to ensure better conditions for rice workers,” he said.
Women rice farmers spend the day immersed in hot water, carrying
infectious diseases apart from leeches and snakes.
However, Qazilbash added that consumers couldn’t be
absolved of responsibility urging them to “make more ethical choices and ask
businesses how their rice is sourced. They need to demand that workers are
treated in a dignified manner in accordance with labour laws.”
Additionally, he said, the government must play its
role in promoting pro-poor policies and ensure that adequate health and
childcare facilities are provided to cotton-pickers, rice growers and other
workers in the agriculture value-chains. “Moreover, investment should be made
to promote responsible and innovative small and medium enterprises in the
agricultural sector.”
The writer is a development
professional and a former member of staff. She tweets at @shiza__malik.
United States
Long-Grain Rice Seeds Market 2017 – Industry Analysis, Share, Growth, Trends
and Forecast from 2012-2022
By Ajinkya Ghule -
August 9, 2017
The United States Long-Grain Rice Seeds Market 2017 research
report mainly focuses on the current scenario of Long-Grain Rice Seeds market
along with the future plan of actions. It also examines the state of the
Long-Grain Rice Seeds market along with competing landscapes all over the
United States. The Long-Grain Rice Seeds report characterizes industry judgment
from experts. The report also throws a light on the emerging areas and growth
stats of Long-Grain Rice Seeds market.Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry report
covers the major market of United States including regions like The West, New
England, The South, The Middle Atlantic, The Mid-West and The Southwest. The
report includes following key players in the Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry
from different parts of the United States.
United States Long-Grain Rice
Seeds Market 2017: Competitive Regions and Key Vendors
1 Dupont Pioneer
2 Bayer
3 Nuziveedu Seeds
4 Kaveri
5 Mahyco
6 RiceTec
7 Krishidhan
8 Rasi Seeds
9 JK seeds
10 Syngenta
11 Longping High-tech
12 China National Seed
13 Dabei Nong Group
14 Hefei Fengle
15 Gansu Dunhuang Seed
16 Dongya Seed Industry
17 Keeplong Seeds
18 Anhui Nongken
19 Beijing Doneed Seeds
2 Bayer
3 Nuziveedu Seeds
4 Kaveri
5 Mahyco
6 RiceTec
7 Krishidhan
8 Rasi Seeds
9 JK seeds
10 Syngenta
11 Longping High-tech
12 China National Seed
13 Dabei Nong Group
14 Hefei Fengle
15 Gansu Dunhuang Seed
16 Dongya Seed Industry
17 Keeplong Seeds
18 Anhui Nongken
19 Beijing Doneed Seeds
Long-Grain Rice Seeds Market
2017: Type Segment Analysis
Japonica Rice
Indica Rice
Indica Rice
Long-Grain Rice Seeds Market 2017: Application Segment Analysis
Agricultural Planting
Scientific and Research Planting
The United States Long-Grain Rice Seeds report is categorized on
the basis of Long-Grain Rice Seeds top manufacturers, region-wise
classification, various end user applications and different product types
included in Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry. The Long-Grain Rice Seeds research
report gives the information about different market segments, cost, different
categories of the product along with Long-Grain Rice Seeds market revenue.
It also gives vital contact information about the company along
with company profile, rules and regulations of Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry
in the United States. It also examines the Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry
report by dividing it according to the basic overview of Long-Grain Rice Seeds
market.
The middle part of the report focuses on various types of product
classified according to the Long-Grain Rice Seeds market share and market
applications in Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry. It also lights up the core part
of the Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry such as import/export details, usage
figures and industry chain supply of Long-Grain Rice Seeds market.
Purchase Complete Report Here (To Get Instant Access):
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Later, the United States Long-Grain Rice Seeds Market 2017 report
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various business approaches required for Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry, the
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It includes the list of dealers, distributors, and traders involved
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entire Long-Grain Rice Seeds report including the results, conclusion, the
attached appendix and the source of data
http://firstnewshawk.com/united-states-long-grain-rice-seeds-market-2017-industry-analysis-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-from-2012-2022/
Saving water a vital part of rice
profitability formula
Researchers are finding farmers can grow a "nice rice
crop" using two acre feet of irrigation water.
Rice prices have improved
somewhat in recent weeks, but not enough to make rice farming truly profitable.
That’s why more than 100 farmers traveled to Osceola, Ark., to attend the
Mississippi County Water Management Field Day Tuesday (Aug. 8).
Joe Massey, agronomist with the
USDA-ARS Delta Water Management Research Unit at Arkansas State University, set
the stage for the presentation, which included talks given by Mike and Ryan
Sullivan with Florenden Farms, which hosted the field day.
Dr. Massey said he’s seen a number of farmers grow “a nice rice
crop” with only two acre-feet of water. That could be increasingly important as
growers try to conserve water in areas like the Grand Prairie of Arkansas.
Why Bangladesh ignores
Indian rice
UPA-era talks
on FCI delivering rice to Bangladesh failed because of the PSU’s limitations.
Indian private rice trade partnering FCI could be a wayout.
Bangladesh is experiencing a severe scarcity of rice this year.
The government of Bangladesh (GoB) initially arrived at an import demand of 1.2
million tonnes (mt) of rice, but this later escalated to 1.5 mt due to crop
losses, caused by heavy flooding in the country—75% requirement of Bangladesh
is of parboiled (PB) rice while the rest is of white rice (WR).
After 2011, May 2017 was the first time that GoB sought rice
supplies, from Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia on a G2G
(government-to-government) basis by dispatching official delegations and
simultaneously issuing import tenders of 50,000 tonnes each. Five tenders have been
opened so far. No serious attempt appears to have been made by GoB in raising
this with the Indian government. Some shipments of Indian rice—about 1.5 lakh
mt—have been made through land/sea routes by private trade. Meanwhile, rice
prices in Dhaka have risen from 28 taka/kg to 45 taka/kg, up by 61% in last
three months.
India is not only the world’s largest exporter of rice (about
11-12 mt annually of both basmati and non-basmati), it also enjoys
supremacy in the global PB rice trade—and PB is the major demand component of
Bangladesh. Logistically, too, India is well-placed, being a neighbouring
country for Bangladesh—much closer than Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Thus,
cargo from India can reach Bangladesh the very same day of dispatch via the
land route or in less than 3-4 days via the sea. India can offer competitive
prices on delivered (CIF) basis which other bidders may not be able to match
for same quality. It seems that GoB has not done serious reconnaissance, and
therefore is buying rice at customised and elevated prices, rather than market
prices, under G2G deals signed so far.
Vietnam
The accompanying graphic shows that the G2G deal with Vietnam
(annual rice export 5-6 mt) concluded in May 2017. The deal was for 0.2 mt of
5% broken PB rice, which was priced at $470/tonne CIF. This is much higher than
the PB rice sourced by GOB against their first tender of May 2017, that was
priced at $427.85 /tonne CIF. It is well-known that Vietnam is an
inefficient producer of PB rice.
Likewise 50,000 tonnes of 15% broken WR was bought at $430/t CIF
from Vietnam. This was higher by $23/tonne or $406.48/mt CIF. G2G deals are
expensive while tendered supplies are substantially cheaper. Has Vietnam
been able to make deliveries faster than those awarded against tenders is
unclear. Five tenders amply reveal that PB rice prices in Bangladesh range
around $2-$440/t CIF.
Thailand
GoB also had extensive negotiations with its Thai counterpart
twice, but no conclusion could be arrived at. According to trade sources, Thais
want to do business on an FOB basis, i.e., Thai suppliers do not want to
undertake obligations of hiring vessels and for being held liable for claims of
quality and quantity at discharge port. GOB perhaps cannot deviate from the
established procedure of CIF contracting and thus discussions remained
inconclusive. Thais, too, had indicated exorbitant values, even higher than
Vietnam’s.
Cambodia
Another MoU has been reportedly signed by GoB with Cambodia
(around end-July, early-August) to import 1 mt rice within five years. Pricing
of rice, if any, is not in public domain. Long-term understanding in the
commodity trade seldom materialises. Cambodia’s official export is about 0.5
mt, while the balance 0.6 mt is cross-border unofficial trade with Vietnam and
Thailand. Cambodia is not adept in shipping bulk cargoes and makes shipments
through containers. It will be naïve to seek 0.2 mt rice in a year from
Cambodia on bulk basis.
India
It is true that while GoB approached GoI in the past (during UPA
rule) to augment their supplies through FCI, FCI adopted an inflexible stance
of delivering rice on ‘as is, where is’ basis and that too at Indian ports
only. This perhaps discouraged GoB from taking any proactive approach for
Indian rice in the G2G route. Also, FCI’s rice export through PSUs is not
feasible as this entails additional operations like re-bagging, printing on
bags, cleaning, upgrading (from 15% broken to 5% for PB rice and to 15% from
25% for WR), transit losses, etc, which the PSU cannot undertake.
The only way a commercial transaction through PSUs can be
structured is by having private partnership with rice millers/traders who have
demonstrated in the past the capability to undertake exports. The PSU, too,
should have exported rice commercially. GoB should approach GoI through
diplomatic channels for such a deal. Market players indicate that some
discussions of GoB with Indian PSUs took place, but were then abandoned. It is
also feasible that if private trade from India is willing to match tendered price
in the current bidding, then such a bidder could be considered for additional
50,000 mt or more.It is not sufficient to have paper contracts or low/high
prices—such contracts and prices should translate into physical deliveries of
rice for the people of Bangladesh. Rice prices in India are likely to soften in
next 60 days when new paddy arrives. Estimates of Indian rice production are
108-110 mt. GoB may need to think hard if Indian grain/agencies can meet its
requirements as it is doing for 1.25 billion population in India and for the US
and some countries in Asia, Africa and Europe
FAO to boost
rice production in Africa
Wednesday 9th August, 2017
By Benjamin Mensah, GNA
Elmina, Aug 9, FAO - Rice farmers in
Africa should be empowered with more resources for higher productivity and less
post-harvest losses for food security, job creation and improvement in
livelihoods.
Mr Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director
General and Regional Representative for Africa, maintained that food production
and nutrition were still basic human needs, which required the commitment of
more resources and investment even as many economies in Africa turn their
attention to mineral and oil wealth.
Opening a five day workshop underway
in Elmina, on “knowledge sharing for the promotion of efficient rice farming
practices and value chains in Sub- Saharan Africa through South-South
Co-operation,” Mr Tijani highlighted the rice value chain as a major example of
agriculture’s potential for income and employment generation and a critical
entry point for poverty reduction.
He said rice production in better
and higher volume has the potential to induce economic development in Africa,
and that required that government committed more resources to its production
and that of other staples.
There has been a sharp rise in rice
production in Africa in recent years, but producers in the region continue to
contend with the lack of right and enough planting materials, tools, machinery
for land preparation, harvesting, processing and prevention of post harvest
losses.
Growth rates went up to a high eight
per cent between 2007- 2012, but there were significant post-harvest losses of
between 15-25 per cent.
Top rice producing countries in
Africa, namely Nigeria, Madagascar, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania have
boosted their rice production through the introduction of high yield
technologies and the application of modern rice cultivation techniques
including mechanization.
Mr Tijani noted that the
availability of right quality and quantity of seeds, improved geographical and
environmental conditions, capacity development, and suitable technology,
especially locally manufactured small-scale machinery supported by FAO’s
South-South Cooperation (SSC) approach as fundamental to efforts to improve the
quality of rice production and reduce post-harvest losses.
South- South Cooperation approach places
emphasis on the mutual sharing and exchange of development solutions as a
pathway towards the achievement of regional and national agriculture
development goals.
It focuses on facilitating the
exchange of agriculture development innovations through a range of methods such
as the deployment of experts, policy dialogues, technology exchanges, study
tours and learning programmes
The FAO is working closely with
knowledge and research institutions to scale up the application of technologies
able to enhance agriculture and rural development.
Mr Tijani assured the conference
participants that the South- South team engaged development institutions
including national and regional stakeholders in the promotions of SSC knowledge
exchange networks and platforms based on an overarching demand driven approach.
Consequently, FAO is actively
supporting AfricaRice in the establishment of rice centres of excellence such
as the Africa Korea Rice breeding laboratory launched this month in Saint
Louis, Senegal.
Under the five million dollar
regional project called ‘Partnership for
Sustainable Rice Systems Development in Sub-Saharan Africa, FAO is supporting
the sharing of technologies and innovations among beneficiary countries, as
well as capacity building, while facilitating access by smallholders,
especially women and young people, to inputs and small-scale agricultural
equipment. It is envisaged that all
targeted project beneficiaries located in Benin, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire,
Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda will benefit from the
impact of planned actions.
Mr Josey Kamanda, Leader of Rice
Sector Development of the Abidjan-based Africa Rice, said rice is a strategic
and priority food security crop in Africa, the single most important source of
dietary energy in West Africa and Madagascar.
Rice is also the third most
important crop for Africa as a whole; and it offers s a pathway out of poverty
and employment opportunities for young men and women entering job markets.
He noted that rice demand was
growing at more than six per cent a year and faster than for any other major
food staple in SSA, but the local production has been unable to keep pace with
demand.
The continent continues to rely on
importation to meet its increasing demand for rice.
In 2015 rice production in SSA was
approximately 14.4 million tons and consumption approximately 26 million tons,
reflecting a self-sufficiency ratio of 55%. This increase in demand is caused
both by accelerating growth of per capita incomes in most of the countries and
high population growth rates. SSA currently spends about 5 billion US dollars
on rice import annually.
He said: “As the demand-supply gap
continues to widen, there was an increasing need for investments that will
significantly increase local rice production to reduce the import bill.
The FAO responded to requests
received from African Heads of States and Ministers of Agriculture for
increased rice productivity and production by initiating a partnership for
sustainable rice systems development in Africa (PARDA).
The initiative sought to mobilize
resources and key partners at the global, regional, sub-regional and national
levels to jointly develop and implement a holistic and comprehensive programme
for sustainable rice systems development in the region. PARDA expected outputs
include increased access to and utilization of quality seeds and appropriate
rice varieties (ii) increased production and productivity in the major rice
production systems and reduced post-harvest losses and improved grain quality.
Other interventions are finding
options for effective policies, institutions and markets developed/promoted,
developing linkages between actors of the rice value chain strengthened and
ensuring a self-sustaining partnership for rice development.
Within the framework of PARDA,
AfricaRice and FAO have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that builds on
their long-standing collaboration, spanning over a period of 40 years.
AfricaRice’s concept of working
towards widespread diffusion and use of scalable rice technologies and
innovations in rice sector development hubs established in African countries is
aligned with the broader concept and activities of PARDA and can make a
significant contribution to the achievement of its goals.
The workshop is being attended by
representatives from FAO partner institutions– AfricaRice, Coalition for Africa
Rice Development (CARD), Rural Development Administration (RDA)–Korea and the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Government representatives, FAO
officials from Africa country offices and FAO Regional office for Africa.
It will provide an effective
platform to share knowledge, experiences and best practices for sustainable
rice intensification and provide guidance on the documentation of innovative
models to enhance rice production systems and accelerate rice value chain
development.
GNA
Share
http://www.ghananewsagency.org/economics/fao-to-boost-rice-production-in-africa-120750
Satake's
business growing in ASEAN nations
August 8, 2017 - by
Susan Reidy
Satake recently built a rice mill factory for Primalis
in Cambodia.
Photo courtesy of Satake.
Photo courtesy of Satake.
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN – Satake said it has
been focusing on the Asian market in response to a growing number of
large-scale rice mills.
In 2016, Satake completed
construction of new rice mill factories in Laos, Cambodia and other ASEAN
countries. Last December, it built a rice milling factory for Primalis Corp., a
major trading company in Cambodia. It has a capacity of 20 tph paddy input and
more than 40 units of intermediate silos, enabling it to produce a variety of
rice.
Satake has supplied its machines to
more than 150 countries. The Asian market (except for Japan) occupies 10% of
global turnover. Asia, including Japan, is a huge market and produces a
majority of all rice globally. With ongoing economic development,
high-quality rice is in great demand.
Satake said it is planning to
increase its sales offices in Asia with the aim of targeting both medium- and
small-sized rice mills. Most of its existing customers are larger-scale
millers. More than 150 international engineers have completed technical
training in Japan and Thailand since 2012 to strengthen after-sales service and
the maintenance of machinery.
In addition, Satake is introducing
a pre-fabricated plant. Satake Thailand manufactures the rice processing
machinery, including pipes, fabricated tanks, platforms and ducting, and then
assembles them on site in a simple method. The pre-fabricated plant offers
standardization and improvement in the quality of the full facility, and a 30%
reduction in construction time.
http://www.world-grain.com/articles/news_home/Supplier_Update/2017/08/Satakes_business_growing_in_AS.aspx?ID={785448AD-5A5A-4978-AD73-25B13959C6DA}
Vietnam’s
seven-month export revenue up 18.7 pct
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s
total export earnings hit 17.5 billion USD in July, bringing the seven-month
total to 115.2 billion USD, up 18.7 percent annually, according to the Ministry
of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
In particular, agro-forestry-fisheries remained a key currency earner.
After a Memorandum of Understanding on rice trade was extended in late May by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Bangladeshi Food Ministry, rice export has kept growing, ending the prolonged decline.
Accordingly, Vietnam shipped 465,000 tonnes of rice worth 201 million USD abroad in July, pushing the total rice exports in seven months to 3.3 million tonnes valued at 1.5 billion USD, up 15.7 percent and 13.7 percent in volume and value, respectively.
The country recently won a bid to export 175,000 tonnes of rice to the Philippines, slightly raising the domestic rice prices in the south.
Fuel, minerals and processing industry with key items such as coal, crude oil, petroleum, apparel, leather and footwear, computers and cell phones continued moderate growth of 18.1 – 39.4 percent.
The US remained the largest exporter with seven-month value of 23.4 billion USD, up 9.9 percent year-on-year. It was followed by the European Union, China, ASEAN, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
During the month, Vietnam spent 17.8 billion USD on imports, down 1.6 percent. On seven-month calculation, the total imports soared 24 percent to 118.3 billion USD. Therefore, its trade deficit reached 300 million USD in July and roughly 3.08 billion USD in seven months, or 2.7 percent of the total export.
The MoIT forecast that the total export revenue will near 200 billion USD this year, marking a 13 percent increase annually. The total trade deficit will be about 5 billion USD, or 2.5 percent of the total export and lower than 3 percent set by the National Assembly.
Imports will scale down between now and the year’s end due to massive disbursement for imports early this year.
The ministry will also adopt trade defence measures for imports in line with the law and international commitments.-VNA
In particular, agro-forestry-fisheries remained a key currency earner.
After a Memorandum of Understanding on rice trade was extended in late May by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Bangladeshi Food Ministry, rice export has kept growing, ending the prolonged decline.
Accordingly, Vietnam shipped 465,000 tonnes of rice worth 201 million USD abroad in July, pushing the total rice exports in seven months to 3.3 million tonnes valued at 1.5 billion USD, up 15.7 percent and 13.7 percent in volume and value, respectively.
The country recently won a bid to export 175,000 tonnes of rice to the Philippines, slightly raising the domestic rice prices in the south.
Fuel, minerals and processing industry with key items such as coal, crude oil, petroleum, apparel, leather and footwear, computers and cell phones continued moderate growth of 18.1 – 39.4 percent.
The US remained the largest exporter with seven-month value of 23.4 billion USD, up 9.9 percent year-on-year. It was followed by the European Union, China, ASEAN, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
During the month, Vietnam spent 17.8 billion USD on imports, down 1.6 percent. On seven-month calculation, the total imports soared 24 percent to 118.3 billion USD. Therefore, its trade deficit reached 300 million USD in July and roughly 3.08 billion USD in seven months, or 2.7 percent of the total export.
The MoIT forecast that the total export revenue will near 200 billion USD this year, marking a 13 percent increase annually. The total trade deficit will be about 5 billion USD, or 2.5 percent of the total export and lower than 3 percent set by the National Assembly.
Imports will scale down between now and the year’s end due to massive disbursement for imports early this year.
The ministry will also adopt trade defence measures for imports in line with the law and international commitments.-VNA
http://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnams-sevenmonth-export-revenue-up-187-pct/116025.vnp
Emergency rice fund beefed up in
Cambodia
The
government in Cambodia is pumping more money into its emergency rice loan fund
ahead of next month’s rice harvest, raising the fund’s total capital to $50
million despite millers showing little inclination to borrow from it last
season. In the photo, a tractor moves on a paddy field last year in Tbong Khmum
province of the country. Photo: The Phnom Penh Post/ Asia News Network
The
Phnom Penh Post, Phnom Penh
Cambodia's government is putting more money into its emergency
rice fund, despite farmers' lack of inclination to borrow.
The government is pumping more money into its emergency rice loan
fund ahead of next month’s rice harvest, raising the fund’s total capital to
$50 million despite millers showing little inclination to borrow from it last
season.
Kao Thach, CEO of the state-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB),
said yesterday that the government had officially signed off on an additional
$23 million for the fund, which he said should be sufficient to prop up the
struggling rice sector.
“The government recently approved another $23 million to help the
rice industry, and the new budget will be used to support millers who have
insufficient funds,” he said yesterday.
The government launched the fund with $27 million last September
in response to private-sector demands for support following two consecutive
years of drought and falling rice prices that threatened to collapse the local
industry.
The fund was intended to provide low-interest loans to rice
millers via RDB that would allow them to purchase and store more rice paddy – a
move expected to improve the prices paid to farmers.
While Thach admitted that just $3.5 million of the $27 million
made available was utilised, he insisted that millers would respond more
assertively in the coming season.
“Even though little was used from the previous package, the
private sector still claimed that [$27 million] would not be enough for this
season as demand for the loans is predicted to increase,” he said, adding that
the reason why the first package appeared unsuccessful was because millers were
apprehensive over the instability of the market.
Thach said while no millers had come forward yet to apply for the
emergency loans, he expected applications to begin trickling in by the end of
the month.
The government-backed aid package has morphed since its
conception, with part of the initial $27 million being opened up to the
struggling corn sector last month. So far the RDB has provided only one loan to
the corn sector worth $20,000, backed by 1,500 tonnes of corn stock as collateral,
according to Thach.
He explained that the fund’s initial $27 million would still be
available to either the corn or rice sector, while the additional $23 million
was earmarked solely for the rice industry.
“In total, with the available loan size for the rice industry now
at $50 million, interest rates will be lower at 5 percent annual interest,” he
said.
“However, the criteria for accessing the loan will be the same,
based on the stocks of paddy rice as collateral.”
Regardless of the additional financing, Tang Chhong Ngy, marketing
manager of rice miller LBN Angkor (Kampuchea), said rice millers still had the
same concerns over meeting the RDB’s collateral requirements.
“The loan is necessary for rice millers, but the collateral is not
in line with reality, which is why many have not been able to access the
funding,” he said. “The criteria for applying loans can work only for big rice
millers and exporters, not for small shareholders.”
The crux of the problem, he added, was that “the loan is meant to
help the rice sector, but it does not realise the reality and complexity of the
industry”.
Phou Puy, CEO of Thaneakea Srov (Kampuchea) Plc, which operates
the country’s first large-scale “rice bank” storage facility in Battambang
province, said that not only was the industry struggling financially, millers
had previously failed to invest in warehousing as farm production increased.
However, he was optimistic that rice millers would be better prepared for the
upcoming harvest.
“The government has studied the market demand and is well prepared
for the coming season,” he said. “We in the private sector are making better
preparations to be capable of applying for the loan as we expect this harvest
season to be huge and we don’t want to face any storage shortages.”
Cambodia exported about 542,000 tonnes of milled rice last year
despite the impact of adverse weather on local crops. Exports are expected to
increase this year after China doubled its annual import quota to 200,000
tonnes and Bangladesh announced it was considering an import deal to purchase 1
million tonnes of Cambodian rice within the next five years.
http://www.thedailystar.net/world/southeast-asia/cambodia-emergency-rice-loan-fund-beefed-farmer-lack-inclination-borrow-rural-development-bank-rdb-1445896
Why not buy
rice from Southeast Asian countries?
By Wei
Jianguo Source:Global Times Published: 2017/8/9 22:03:39
Illustration:
Peter C. Espina/GT
Recently,
the countries alongside the Belt and Road, including Thailand, Vietnam,
Cambodia and Pakistan, have entered the harvest season for long-grain rice and
high-end glutinous rice. Thousands of farmers in these countries hope that
China, the biggest market for rice, can import more high-quality rice this
year.
For
historical reasons, once food imports, especially rice imports, are mentioned,
it will immediately spark heated debate. Some people think with its large
population, China should make food security the priority and be self-sufficient
in food supply. Both the southern and northern regions should obey this rule.
If imports are necessary, only small amounts and rare types should be allowed.
Others
believe that in face of the globalization, China should proceed to moderately
import some foreign high-quality agricultural products to satisfy domestic
demand as well as aid the industrial development of neighboring countries. I
agree with this position.
First,
according to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's grain acreage in 2016
was 0.3 percent less than the previous year, with a total output of 616 million
tons, an 0.8 percent decrease compared to the previous year. In the situation
of a slowdown in domestic food production, we should increase imports to enrich
the domestic food supply.
Second,
with the improvement of people's living standards, the demand for high-end
glutinous rice and indica rice including fragrant rice is growing, while these
species are in short domestically. Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia enjoy
adequate sunshine and abundant rainfall all year round. Thus in these regions, indica
rice can yield harvests three times a year. Opening up this import channel can
provide extra protection for food security in our country.
We can make
full use of our advantages in capital and technology to invest in the rice
industry in the countries along the Belt and Road. This can upgrade the rice
industry in these countries and steadily improve the quality and production of
high-quality rice. In addition to giving guidance on drying, processing and
warehousing, China will also be able to improve rice varieties and teach
scientific farming methods so that the other nations' own industrial advantages
can be improved and their economy can be boosted. In 2016 China's rice imports
reached 3.53 million tons, increasing by 5.49 percent from a year ago. In my
opinion, more rice can be imported, benefiting economic integration and
development.
Some people
may ask whether rice imports would hurt our own farmers. To address these
concerns, we could give appropriate price protection to balance the market. Imported
Thai rice and Japanese rice is generally more expensive than domestic rice, and
the price of some products is higher than 100 yuan ($15) per kilogram, which
creates a built-in price gap between domestic products and imported rice. In
the future we will import more high-end rice and indica rice which is rare
domestically, and put limitations on importing low-end, ordinary rice. When it
comes to rice imports, some people may think of the corruption related to rice
transactions in some countries. However, this won't impact our attitude to rice
imports, because we have the confidence to trade rice in a just, legal and open
environment.
From the
global perspective, we can explore more possibilities. If trading rice goes
smoothly, can we also trade wheat, barley, corn, cotton, sesame seeds, peanuts,
potatoes and other agricultural products? If we can exchange agricultural
products, what about seafood and forest products? In terms of countries, I
think we may also enlarge the areas of cooperation to Africa, Latin America,
Central Asia, the South Pacific, the US and Europe.
In
conclusion, when globalization is blocked by protectionism from some countries,
coordinating domestic and international markets and solving problems brought by
global market demand changes is becoming more and more important. While
building a safe domestic granary, we should also prioritize our partners'
mutual interests and establish a larger community bound by common interest.
This will be the win-win approach we should follow.
The author
is executive deputy director of China Center for International Economic
Exchanges. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1060519.shtml
Focus on
Thailand
August 8, 2017 - by Chris Lyddon
Asian country is one of the world’s biggest producers
and exporters of rice.
Thailand is one of the world’s most important producers and
exporters of rice, and rice is important in the diet of the average person in
Thailand as well as to the country’s economy. The country imports all its wheat
needs.
According to the International
Grains Council (IGC), Thailand will produce 5 million tonnes of grains in
2017-18, down from 5.3 million the previous year. The total includes 4.9
million tonnes of maize, down from 5.2 million the previous year. The IGC also
forecasts that Thailand will produce an unchanged 100,000 tonnes of sorghum.
The IGC forecasts that Thailand
will import 4 million tonnes of grains in 2017-2018, a figure unchanged from
the previous year. Imports of wheat are put at 3.4 million tonnes in 2017-18,
down from 3.6 million the previous year.
In rice, Thailand is one of the
world’s most important producers and exporters. The IGC forecasts its output in
2017-18 at 19.3 million tonnes, up from 18.5 million the year before. Its
projected exports are an unchanged 10.3 million tonnes.
The attaché’s annual report
explained that the recovery in rice production is expected because “reservoirs
are well above critically low levels that hindered 2016-17 rice production.”
“The government is likely to sell
all of the remaining 2.9 million tonnes of food-quality rice stocks in 2017,
which will help maintain Thai rice export volumes,” the report said. “The sale
of non-food quality government rice stocks is anticipated to increase the use
of broken rice by the feed and ethanol industries in 2017 and 2018. Government
stocks are expected to decline to 1 million to 2 million tonnes by the end of
market year 2017-18.”
In Thailand, water supplies for
both irrigated and non-irrigated growing areas show a considerable improvement
on a year earlier, enabling 2017-18 main crop seeding to advance quickly, the
IGC said.
“Together with the relatively small
secondary (off-season) outturn, planting of which typically commences in
November, the area for harvesting is seen expanding by 4% y/y and, on the basis
of trend productivity, output is projected to stage a further recovery, to 19.3
million tonnes (18.5 million last year).”
The government sell-off of reserves
would bring down stocks.
“In Thailand, where the government
continues to dispose of old crop reserves, inventories are projected at a
10-year low,” the IGC said. “Due to ongoing sales of states reserves,
Thailand’s end-season stocks are predicted to fall to a six-year low of 6
million tonnes (8.1 million last year). On the supply side, the Thai government
sold almost 1.7 million tonnes of old crop reserves in its latest auction,
although supplies are yet to be released to exporters.”
Thailand’s rice exports between
January 2017 and April 2017 totaled 3.6 million tonnes, according to the IGC, a
figure that is up slightly on the year and the highest since 2011.
“Data show that deliveries to
sub-Saharan Africa expanded by one-fifth, to a nine-year peak of 1.8 million
tonnes, including substantially larger dispatches to Angola, Benin (mainly for
transshipment to Nigeria), Senegal and South Africa,” the IGC said, as part of
an analysis of that part of Africa’s rice imports. “While the region’s buyers
have imported more parboiled supplies, rising by 30%, to 640,000 tonnes, the
overall increase was also underpinned by larger purchases of white and broken
rice.
“World market availabilities were
boosted by the Thai government’s stock releases and, with offer prices likely
pegged at big discounts to open market values, sizeable amounts of low-quality
rice have been shipped to Africa.”
http://www.world-grain.com/Departments/Country-Focus/Country-Focus-Home/Focus%C2%A0on-Thailand.aspx
Inflation inches down to 5.57pc
BBS moves back to monthly inflation reporting
Inflation declined for the first time in eight months in July thanks
to a fall in prices of both food and non-food items.
Last month, the consumer price index fell 0.37 percentage points
to 5.57 percent from a month earlier, according to figures released yesterday
by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal disclosed the inflation
figures after the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic
Council in his ministry.
The fall in inflation came as a surprise for a number of
economists.
“Given the rise in rice price and the devaluation of the taka
against dollar, which makes imports costlier, we had apprehended that inflation
would go up,” said Towfiqul Islam Khan, a research fellow of the Centre for
Policy Dialogue.
The prices of many products, including soybean and sugar, have
gone down internationally, but the rice prices have gone up, Kamal said.
In Bangladesh, rice, a staple food item, plays an important role
in determining inflation. When asked how then inflation went down, the planning
minister said: “The prices of rice go up in cities, not in villages.”
Yesterday, coarse rice price went up 37.50 percent from a year
earlier to Tk 43-45 a kilogram, according to the Trading Corporation of
Bangladesh, which tracks prices of several items in Dhaka city.
The prices of all other varieties of the staple went up between
12.62 percent and 17.39 percent in the last one year.
In May 2016, coarse rice price was Tk 26.5 a kg, which rose to Tk
47.30 in June. The price came down to Tk 43.50 a kg in July, according to the
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
The UN agency said coarse rice prices rose to record highs in
June, reflecting dwindling market availabilities following flood-induced losses
to the 2017 main boro crop coupled with reduced production and imports in 2016.
Meanwhile, by making the inflation data available for the month of
July, the state-run statistical agency has gone back to monthly release of the
key economic indicator.
In July, inflation data was released in a quarterly format for the
first time in the country's history, doing away with the global standard
practice of releasing monthly data.
The move was much criticised by economists and analysts.
Zahid Hussain, lead economist of the World Bank's Dhaka office,
welcomed the switch back to monthly release of inflation data. “We hope the BBS
will maintain this release calendar in the days to come.”
The decline in food inflation most likely resulted from moderation
in rice prices because of the 18 percentage points cut in duty on rice imports
and the easing of letters of credit margin requirements, he said.
As a result, rice imports increased significantly in July, leading
to a Tk 4-6 per kg decline in rice prices.
In July, food inflation fell 0.56 percentage points to 6.95
percent -- the lowest in three months.
In the food domain, the prices of fish, meat, vegetable, fruits,
spices, milk and milk-based food items increased in July.
“Post-Ramadan slowdown in consumer demand is likely to have
contributed to the decline in non-food inflation,” Hussain added.
Non-food inflation declined 14 basis points to 3.53 percent in
July, which was 3.67 percent a month earlier.
However, the cost of energy, house rent, health and transport went
up in the non-food segment.
Meanwhile, the average inflation of 5.44 percent recorded last
fiscal year was lower than fiscal 2015-16's by 52 basis points as the prices of
essential items at home and fuels and some other commodities in external
markets maintained a cool trend.
Besides being a 13-year low, the average inflation in fiscal
2016-17 was within the government-set target of 5.8 percent.
But inflation started to creep up from December last year when the
consumer price index stood at 5.03 percent. It went up every month until June.
In the latest monetary policy unveiled last month, the central
bank said the food price uptrend caused by the flash flood in the last quarter
of fiscal 2016-17 in the haor regions poses risks of inflation.
The BB's fiscal 2017-18's monetary programme seeks to set a
prudent, flexible course towards containing 12-month average CPI inflation
within 5.5 percent.
According to the BB's latest inflation expectation survey,
inflation is expected to be above 6 percent in June 2018.
The central bank's projection shows the average annual inflation
for the first half of the fiscal year would be 5.5-5.9 percent.
“Looking ahead, given the domestic inflation dynamics, food price
developments and tapering base effects, some price pressures may emerge during
fiscal 2017-18 and will need to be monitored and contained carefully,” said the
monetary policy statement.
http://www.thedailystar.net/business/inflation-inches-down-557pc-1446211
Arkansas Rice
Federation Names Lauren Waldrip Ward Executive Director
The Arkansas Rice Federation Board on Wednesday announced that
Lauren Waldrip Ward has been selected as its new executive director.Originally
from Moro (Lee County), Ward was raised on a rice, soybean and corn farm and is
the fifth-generation descendant of a Delta farm family.
She joined the federation in March 2015, assisting in trade
association management, media relations, communications, PAC management and
public affairs. Ward also traveled to Cuba on a trade mission in June 2016 as
part of the ongoing effort to normalize relations with the country and reopen
the Cuban market to Arkansas rice.
"Rice is a big part of my life story and now more than
ever, it is vital that we tell the story of Arkansas agriculture and our rural
communities," Ward said in a news release. "I look forward to
continuing my advocacy on the issues that face our growers and our
industry."
Federation Chairman Jeff Rutledge said in the release,
"Lauren's thorough background and knowledge of the industry has been an
asset to the Federation since she began. We are excited about what the future
holds for the federation and Arkansas' rice industry under her leadership as
executive director."
The federation represents all aspects of the rice industry,
including the Arkansas Rice Council, Arkansas Rice Farmers, Arkansas Rice
Merchants and Arkansas Rice Millers
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/118267/arkansas-rice-federation-names-lauren-ward-executive-director
No fake rice in
Abra
Wednesday, August 09, 2017
BANGUED, Abra –
- The National Food Authority (NFA)
assured that there is no fake rice in the province. Veralew D.G De Vera, branch
manager of NFA-Abra, strongly believes the province of Abra is totally free
from fake rice. Abra has massive land for production of agricultural products
most especially rice which is the staple food of Filipinos. Rice supply in the
province is sufficient and they are not importing rice at the moment, he
claimed. De Vera also assured that the NFA has adequate supply of rice in its
bodegas and is ready to supply the grains requirement of Abra in the next three
months or more. (PR) Ads by Kiosked Tags:
FAKE RICENATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITYNFARICEABRA Published in the SunStar
Baguio newspaper on August 10, 2017. Latest issues of SunStar Baguio also
available on your mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Subscribe to our digital
editions at epaper.sunstar.com.ph and get a free seven-day trial
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/local-news/2017/08/09/food-authority-no-fake-rice-abra-557631
Govt to further slash duty on rice
import
Goes for deal with Thailand to buy the staple
Anticipating
a further reduction in import duty, importers delay unloading rice-laden trucks
from India at Hili Land Port in Dinajpur. Some 4,500 tonnes of rice are on the
trucks and importers expect to save a lot of money. The photo was taken a few
days ago. Photo: Collected
In a desperate bid to stabilise rice price, the government has
decided to further reduce the duty on import of the staple and strike a deal
with Thailand to buy rice.
Meanwhile, private importers, anticipating the duty slash, are
delaying in having the already imported rice released at the country's two main
land ports -- Hili in Dinajpur and Benapole in Jessore.
Over 200 trucks loaded with some 7,000 tonnes of rice were
standing still at the ports yesterday.
As rice prices continue to remain high, the food ministry on July
25 proposed to allow import of the staple on zero tariffs.
On Tuesday, the commerce ministry informed the parliamentary
standing committee concerned that the government would halve the import duty
from 10 percent.
Bahauddin Nasim, a member of the parliamentary body on the
ministry, told The Daily Star yesterday although the food ministry insisted on
lifting the duty altogether, the government would keep a five percent duty on
rice import.
Till last night, the National Board of Revenue, however, did not
receive any communications in this regard.
But speculation over an imminent duty cut prompted private
importers to go slow with the release of already imported rice consignments
from India.
On June 20, the government reduced duty on rice import from 28
percent to 10 percent. As a result, the country witnessed over 2.4 lakh tonnes
of rice import in the last one and a half months. This volume is almost double
the entire volume of rice imported by private traders in the last financial
year.
Mamunur Rashid, an importer, told our Dinajpur correspondent
Kongkon Karmaker yesterday that they were taking time in unloading the imported
rice as they heard that the government would lower the duty further.
“We are waiting for a final decision from the government,” said
Rashedul Islam, a Clearing and Forwarding Agent at Hili Land port.
As many as 138 loaded trucks were parked at the port, said Sohrab
Hossain, public relation officer of Panama Port Link Ltd at Hili. Import of
rice would go up further once the duty is cut off, he said.
Our Benapole correspondent Mohsin Milon reported that 65
rice-laden trucks were kept in port area as importers were waiting to reap the
duty-cut benefit.
Meanwhile, a Thai delegation is due in the city today to sign a
government-to-government (G2G) deal with the food ministry for export of the
staple to Bangladesh.
However, ministry sources yesterday declined to reveal the price
at which the government is going to buy the rice from Thailand, which in last
month had asked for a high price ($500 a tonne). The price, however, was not
agreed by Bangladesh.
Besides, a Cambodian official delegation is also due sometime next
week to decide on rice price. Last week, a MoU (memorandum of understanding)
was signed between Bangladesh and Cambodia for the import of
10 lakh tonnes of rice from the Southeast Asian country in next
five years.
After with Cambodia, if the deal is signed with Thailand today, it
would be the third such import deal in two months since the government approved
import of 2.5 lakh tonnes of rice from Vietnam under a separate G2G agreement.
Besides, over the past two months, the Directorate General of Food
floated seven international tenders seeking to import an additional 3.5 lakh
tonnes of rice.
The moves come long after the crop loss in the March flashflood,
which ravaged the backswamps in the country's northeastern region where 90
percent of standing Boro crops, totalling over 10 lakh tonnes, were damaged.
Fungal attacks in at least 19 districts also caused crop loss in the last Boro
season.
With the Cambodian deal signed, 8.5 lakh tonnes of rice is now
lined up for import, which still falls short of a projected import need of 12
lakh tonnes. A recent US Department of Agriculture projection, however, put the
figure at 15 lakh tonnes in the current fiscal.
The food ministry's move also comes at a time when end-season rice
stock in public granaries dropped to a six-year low and market price of coarse
rice shot up to as high as Tk 48 a kg in June-July. This is a 47 percent rise
from the price during the same period last year.
Despite government moves and increased imports by the private
sector, a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh's market monitoring report shows
that the price of coarse rice has remained static at Tk 45 a kg for over two
weeks
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/govt-further-slash-duty-rice-import-1446367
Government issues rules for MAV
rice importation
AUGUST 9, 2017
Local traders may start applying
for permits to import rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme on
August 29, according to the guidelines released by the National Food Authority
(NFA) on Wednesday.
The NFA released Memorandum
Circular AO-2017-08-002, which detailed the guidelines for the importation of
805,000 metric tons (MT) of rice under the MAV scheme of the World Trade
Organization (WTO). Imports within MAV are usually slapped a lower
tariff.
“Rice importation under this
program shall be pursuant to Republic Act 8179 and the July 24, 2014, decision
of the WTO on waiver relating to special treatment for rice of the
Philippines,” Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr., who is also the NFA
Council (NFAC) chairman, said in the memorandum circular.
Under the importation guidelines,
rice traders are allowed to source from countries with a specific quota and
from omnibus origin, or other rice-producing countries.
Rice traders and farmers’ groups
can import 293,100 MT of rice from Thailand and Vietnam. They can also import
50,000 MT of rice from China, India and Pakistan; 15,000 MT from Australia; and
4,000 MT from El Salvador.
“No applicant shall apply,
directly, or indirectly, for an import volume allocation under this program in
excess of 20,000 MT for crop year 2016-2017,” Evasco said.
Evasco noted that well-milled
rice imported under the 2017 MAV program will be slapped a 35-percent tariff.
The quality should also not lower be than 25-percent brokens and/or any special
rice variety.
The NFAC, the highest
policy-making body of the NFA, has divided the shipment of rice imports under
the 2017 MAV into two phases: first, starting from December 20 until February
28, 2018; and the second phase covering June 1, 2018, until August 31, 2018.
NFA Deputy Administrator for
Marketing Operations Tomas R. Escarez told the BusinessMirror that the NFAC
scheduled the arrival of rice imports in two phases to ensure imported rice
would not depress palay prices.
“The reason behind this is to
ensure that its arrival will not coincide with the harvest season, which
usually ends on the second week of December. So we allowed imports to arrive
between the second week of December until February 28, when there is no harvest
of rice,” Escarez said in an interview.
“Imported rice will also be
allowed to arrive in the country from July to August, because again, these are
the lean months for palay. So, this will not affect local producers,” he added.
While most of the rice imported
under MAV could arrive within 2018, Escarez said the NFA’s decision to purchase
rice from abroad to beef up its buffer stocks would depend on the supply
situation next year.
“The importation of 805,200 MT is
not usually totally availed because some of the rice come from Australia,
China. Usually we do not source from those countries because we import from
Asian countries, like Thailand and Vietnam,” he added.
After interested importers have
filed their letter of intent, the NFA MAV prequalification team will conduct
the validation and authentication of all the requirements submitted by the
applicants.
The team will also verify if the
applicant is a party to any case or investigation for rice smuggling, hoarding,
unauthorized rebagging or resacking of government stocks to commercial sacks,
diversion and cornering activities.
“The validation would take about
another 30 calendar days. So the issuance of certificate of eligibility
[COE]will be around first week of November,” Escarez said.
He added one of the significant
changes in the 2017 MAV importation program is the decision of government to
allow rice traders to decide when and how much they will import. For example,
traders could choose to import 40 percent of their volume allocation during the
first phase and the remaining 60 percent during the second phase of the MAV
program, according to Escarez.
“Before, when they receive the
COE, they automatically pay 50 percent of the tariff. But now, if you only
decide to import 40 percent of your volume during phase 1, they will only pay
half of the tariff for the 40-percent volume,” he said. “The remaining tariff
shall be paid by the importers once, before the clearance of customs, when
their shipments arrive.”
Under the guidelines, all rice
importers are also required to register with the Bureau Plant Industry-National
Plant Quarantine Services Division prior to the conduct of negotiation and
actual importation.
Last year, the NFA allowed 210
farmers’ organizations and private firms to import 692,340 MT of rice, 110,160
MT less than the 2016 MAV volume of
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/government-issues-rules-for-mav-rice-importation/
Multi-nutrient Rice to Fight
Malnutrition
Aug 09, 2017 | Original story from ETH
Zurich
The new rice line in the
greenhouse can supply rice consumers with three essential micronutrients in the
future. (Image: ETH Zurich / courtesy of Navreet Bhullar)
ETH researchers have developed a
new rice variety that not only has increased levels of the micronutrients iron
and zinc in the grains, but also produces beta-carotene as a precursor of vitamin
A. This could help to reduce micronutrient malnutrition, or «hidden hunger»,
which is widespread in developing countries.
Nearly every second person eats
primarily rice to meet the daily calorie needs. A meal of rice stops the
hunger, but contains only very few or none of the essential micronutrients. As
a consequence, large segments of the human population are malnourished,
especially in Asia and Africa. They do not obtain enough iron, zinc and also
vitamin A to stay healthy. Insufficient iron intake results in anemia, retards
brain development and increases mortality among women and infants. If children
are deficient for vitamin A, they can turn blind and their immune system is
weakened, often causing infectious diseases such as measles, diarrhea or
malaria.
Golden Rice against vitamin A
deficiency
To combat malnutrition, ETH
researchers led by Ingo Potrykus developed a new rice variety already many
years ago that in 2000 became known as «Golden Rice». This was one of the first
genetically modified rice varieties in which the researchers could produce
beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, in the endosperm of the rice grain.
Golden Rice was later improved and is now used in breeding programs in several
countries, primarily in Southeast-Asia. To address other micronutrient
deficiencies, researchers in the Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology of Professor
Gruissem at ETH Zurich and in other countries also developed rice varieties
with increased iron levels in the rice and wheat grains, for example.
All of the new transgenic rice
varieties have one thing in common, however: they can only provide one
particular micronutrient. Until to date, combining several micronutrients into
one rice plant was a dream that had not been realized.
First multi-nutrient rice
Now a group led by Navreet
Bhullar, senior scientist in the Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology at ETH
Zurich, report a success in creating a multi-nutrient rice. The results were
recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The researcher and her PhD
student Simrat Pal Singh succeeded in genetically modifying rice plants such
that in addition to sufficient levels of iron and zinc, they also produce
significant levels of beta-carotene in the endosperm of the grain compared to
normal varieties. «Our results demonstrate that it is possible to combine
several essential micronutrients - iron, zinc and beta-carotene - in a single
rice plant for healthy nutrition», explains Bhullar.
Scientifically, the success was
the engineering of a gene cassette containing four genes for the micronutrient
improvement that could be inserted into the rice genome as a single genetic
locus. This has the advantage that iron, zinc and beta-carotene levels can be
simultaneously increased by genetic crosses in rice varieties of various
countries. Otherwise it would be necessary to cross rice lines with the
individual micronutrients to reach the improved micronutrient content in rice
grains.
Bhullar and her PhD students
worked several years to establish this proof-of concept. Although the grains of
the multi-nutrient rice lines have more beta-carotene than the original
japonica rice variety, depending on the lines the beta-carotene content can be
ten-fold lower than in Golden Rice 2, the improved variant of Golden Rice. «But
if one would substitute 70 percent of the currently consumed white rice with
the multi-nutrient variety, this could markedly improve vitamin A
supplementation already in addition to sufficient iron and zinc in the diet»,
emphasizes the researcher.
Multi-nutrient rice variety
tested in the greenhouse
The new multi-nutrient rice lines
are still in their testing phase. Until now the plants have been grown in the
greenhouse and analyzed for their micronutrient content. «We will improve the
lines further», says Bhullar. It is planned to test the plants in confined
field trials to determine if the micronutrient traits and also agronomic
properties are equally robust in the field as they are in the greenhouse.
Bhullar hopes that the new rice
lines will be tested in the field next year. But she does not know yet when
they are ready for production in farmer’s fields. «It will probably be five
years before the multi-nutrient rice can be used to reduce hidden hunger», she
says.
This article has been republished
from materials provided by ETH Zurich.
Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further
information, please contact the cited source.
Reference
Singh SP, Gruissem W, Bhullar NK.
Single genetic locus improvement of iron, zinc and β-carotene content in rice
grains. Scientific Reports, published online 31 July 2017. DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-07198-5
https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/multi-nutrient-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-290961
SunRice seeks new opportunities to increase
returns for growers
NATALIE KOTSIOS, The Weekly Times
August 9, 2017 7:00pm
It comes as 60 Riverina growers are planning to grow cotton for
the first time this year.
SunRice chief executive Rob Gordon
“We’ve had a good deal of success but the reality is we’ve
probably optimised what we’ve got and when we have a look at challenges in the
Riverina, nothing stands still,” Mr Gordon told the Ricegrowers Association of
Australia annual conference in Leeton last week. “Frankly ... we need
to be making a better return for you at farmgate otherwise you, as people who
have responsibilities within the farm, will need to move to other higher-returning
activities.”
A low Riverina rice crop and low
medium-grain rice prices saw SunRice’s consolidated revenue drop to $1.1
billion for the financial year to April 2017, while net profit was $34.2
million — down 34 per cent from the previous year.
Mr Gordon said SunRice’s sales
line needed to grow by 11 per cent each year — about twice the rate of the past
five years — which would see it be a “substantially different-scale business by
2021 than we are today”.
Mr Gordon said SunRice was “at
something of a crossroads” and if it continued to rely on medium-grain rice
sold in its normal channels, “we will find ourselves increasingly challenged by
other nations that have a lower cost base”.
SunRice’s new five-year strategy
will try to take advantage of emerging food trends, including typically
rice-eating nations’ growing desire for premium produce and health foods.
Mr Gordon said SunRice was
“knocking on the door to China” with its low-glycaemic index rice. He said they
would not be exporting the low GI rice as a rice commodity, but instead as a
health food. China is home to the largest population of diabetics, at 109
million people. SunRice is already selling its products in China through the
online shopping platform Alibaba, which it is able to do despite no
phytosanitary clearance.
The first order for entry into
Malaysia — the most obese nation in South East Asia — has already been
received, Mr Gordon said.
The growing, global love of sushi
and Japanese cuisine also presented an opportunity for Australian-grown
japonica-style rice, while the shift away from sugars and toward gluten-free
products meant a rise in rice flour and rice bran.
The global desire for food safety
assurances could also see the supply chain expanded in Vietnam, Cambodia and
Myanmar to allow SunRice customers “dual sourcing”.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/agribusiness/cropping/sunrice-seeks-new-opportunities-to-increase-returns-for-growers/news-story/7a2a2bc944a3ff4975bf1c6a4efa1020
India. Rupee appreciation to impact
Rice exports
With the appreciation of Rupee and the
increase in Paddy prices in India the non Basmati Rice shipments became more
expensive in the global market and the exports are expected to decline over the
next few months. Lower shipments from the world' s biggest Rice exporter
will give rivals Vietnam Thailand and Cambodia a chance to raise their share of
the global market as the prices in other origins are much cheaper than India.
India was offering 5 percent broken parboiled
Rice this week at around $410 a ton and when compared to the price of Thailand
it was seen around $390 and $392 per ton and in the case of Vietnam the prices
was around $400 and $405 per ton.In 2017 Rupee has appreciated by more than 6.5
percent and reached to its highest in more than two years. A stronger rupee
means rice exporters have to increase their export prices to cover their
purchases and other costs.
Government issues rules for MAV
rice importation
AUGUST 9, 2017
Local traders may start applying
for permits to import rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme on
August 29, according to the guidelines released by the National Food Authority
(NFA) on Wednesday.
The NFA released Memorandum
Circular AO-2017-08-002, which detailed the guidelines for the importation of
805,000 metric tons (MT) of rice under the MAV scheme of the World Trade
Organization (WTO). Imports within MAV are usually slapped a lower
tariff.
“Rice importation under this
program shall be pursuant to Republic Act 8179 and the July 24, 2014, decision
of the WTO on waiver relating to special treatment for rice of the
Philippines,” Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr., who is also the NFA
Council (NFAC) chairman, said in the memorandum circular.
Under the importation guidelines,
rice traders are allowed to source from countries with a specific quota and
from omnibus origin, or other rice-producing countries.
Rice traders and farmers’ groups
can import 293,100 MT of rice from Thailand and Vietnam. They can also import
50,000 MT of rice from China, India and Pakistan; 15,000 MT from Australia; and
4,000 MT from El Salvador.
“No applicant shall apply,
directly, or indirectly, for an import volume allocation under this program in
excess of 20,000 MT for crop year 2016-2017,” Evasco said.
Evasco noted that well-milled
rice imported under the 2017 MAV program will be slapped a 35-percent tariff.
The quality should also not lower be than 25-percent brokens and/or any special
rice variety.
The NFAC, the highest
policy-making body of the NFA, has divided the shipment of rice imports under
the 2017 MAV into two phases: first, starting from December 20 until February
28, 2018; and the second phase covering June 1, 2018, until August 31, 2018.
NFA Deputy Administrator for
Marketing Operations Tomas R. Escarez told the BusinessMirror that the NFAC
scheduled the arrival of rice imports in two phases to ensure imported rice
would not depress palay prices.
“The reason behind this is to
ensure that its arrival will not coincide with the harvest season, which
usually ends on the second week of December. So we allowed imports to arrive
between the second week of December until February 28, when there is no harvest
of rice,” Escarez said in an interview.
“Imported rice will also be
allowed to arrive in the country from July to August, because again, these are
the lean months for palay. So, this will not affect local producers,” he added.
While most of the rice imported
under MAV could arrive within 2018, Escarez said the NFA’s decision to purchase
rice from abroad to beef up its buffer stocks would depend on the supply
situation next year.
“The importation of 805,200 MT is
not usually totally availed because some of the rice come from Australia,
China. Usually we do not source from those countries because we import from
Asian countries, like Thailand and Vietnam,” he added.
After interested importers have
filed their letter of intent, the NFA MAV prequalification team will conduct
the validation and authentication of all the requirements submitted by the
applicants.
The team will also verify if the
applicant is a party to any case or investigation for rice smuggling, hoarding,
unauthorized rebagging or resacking of government stocks to commercial sacks,
diversion and cornering activities.
“The validation would take about
another 30 calendar days. So the issuance of certificate of eligibility
[COE]will be around first week of November,” Escarez said.
He added one of the significant
changes in the 2017 MAV importation program is the decision of government to
allow rice traders to decide when and how much they will import. For example,
traders could choose to import 40 percent of their volume allocation during the
first phase and the remaining 60 percent during the second phase of the MAV
program, according to Escarez.
“Before, when they receive the
COE, they automatically pay 50 percent of the tariff. But now, if you only
decide to import 40 percent of your volume during phase 1, they will only pay
half of the tariff for the 40-percent volume,” he said. “The remaining tariff
shall be paid by the importers once, before the clearance of customs, when
their shipments arrive.”
Under the guidelines, all rice
importers are also required to register with the Bureau Plant Industry-National
Plant Quarantine Services Division prior to the conduct of negotiation and
actual importation.
Last year, the NFA allowed 210
farmers’ organizations and private firms to import 692,340 MT of rice, 110,160
MT less than the 2016 MAV volume of 802,500 MT
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/government-issues-rules-for-mav-rice-importation/
Rice to riches: Vietnam's shrimp farmers fish for fortunes
August 9, 2017 by Jenny Vaughan
The Mekong Delta, long
renowned as the "rice bowl of Vietnam", is now also home to a
multi-billion-dollar shrimp industry and burgeoning numbers of farmers are
building fortunes from the small crustaceans
With a flashy gold watch and a
chunky matching ring, Tang Van Cuol looks a far cry from the average Vietnamese
farmer as he slings back a shot of rice wine and boasts about his projected
earnings.
After years scratching a living
growing rice and
onions or farming ducks, the 54-year-old says his life was transformed in
2000—by shrimp.
The Mekong Delta, long renowned as
the "rice bowl of Vietnam", is now also home to a
multi-billion-dollar shrimp industry and burgeoning numbers of farmers are
building fortunes from the small crustaceans.
"Raising shrimp can bring so
much income, nothing can compare," Cuol says over lunch with friends, a
healthy spread of rice, salad, pork and—of course—shrimp.
This year he expects to make one
billion dong, or around $44,000—an enormous sum in the delta, where rice
farmers make around $100 a month.
The shrimp bonanza began in the
1990s when rising sea-levels seeped saltwater into the Mekong Delta.
It has surged in parallel with
demand from the US and European Union.
Savvy locals were swift to spot the
changing conditions were ripe for shrimp
farming.
The wealth has transformed Cuol's
part of Soc Trang province: motorbikes have replaced bicycles on newly-paved
roads dotted with multi-storey concrete homes unimaginable just a generation
ago.
Vietnam's shrimp bonanza began in
the 1990s when rising sea-levels seeped saltwater into the Mekong Delta
Cuol owns several motorbikes,
funded his daughter's wedding and claims an impressive collection of antiques
"worth hundreds of millions of dong."
Crisis is looming
But environmentalists warn that the
bounty from intensive shrimp farming may be short-lived.
Today pollution and disease
frequently lay waste to crustacean harvests.
But a wider crisis is looming
caused by the obliteration of mangrove forests to make way for farms, exposing
the area to lashings from storms and further rises in sea-level linked to
climate change.
"This is not
sustainable," said Andrew Wyatt, Mekong Delta Program Manager at the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Vietnam's shrimp-fishing industry has surged in parallel with
demand from the US and European Union
The IUCN is encouraging farmers to preserve mangroves and stop
using harmful chemicals so their shrimp can be certified as organic, earning a
five to 10 percent premium in the process. Yet shrimp farmers say the
financial rewards are too great to ignore.Just like his father and grandfather, Tang Van Tuoi struggled as a rice farmer.
He slept under a roof fashioned from coconut palms, earning just enough to support his family.
But when saltwater started creeping into his rice fields—he saw an opportunity and started harvesting shrimp.
"Now everything is developed,
we have vehicles, roads, things have changed massively," he told AFP from
his polished living room, where a flatscreen TV hangs over a wood furniture
set.
Environmentalists warn that the bounty from intensive
shrimp farming may be short-lived as pollution and disease increasingly lay
waste to the crustacean harvests in Vietnam
Even in a bad year, he can earn more than he did as a
rice farmer. In a good year he can rake in upwards of $40,000.Flush with cash,
he has built three homes for his family."We have money, we have enough of
everything," said the father of six, as his granddaughter played a video
game on a smartphone nearby.But he admits that such farming is a gamble.His
ponds have been hit by disease and pollution.Attuned to the long-term risks,
the government has resisted opening the whole region to the shrimp industry
even as seawater continues to seep further inland.
A crisis is looming in Vietnam's Mekong Delta as
mangrove forests have been oblierated to make way for shrimp farms, exposing
the area to lashings from storms and further rises in sea-level linked to
climate change
Food fears
Instead, authorities have ploughed millions of dollars
into sealing off freshwater zones needed to grow rice—the nation's
staple—throughout the Mekong Delta.
The strategy is in part to ensure the region can grow
enough rice to feed the country, a historic pillar of the communist
government's centrally planned economy.
But as the country has embraced market reforms, the
lure of exporting high-earning shrimp—mainly to Europe and the United
States—has become increasingly attractive.
This year, the prime minister called for shrimp exports
to reach $10 billion by 2025, a jump from $3 billion last year.
In parallel, export earnings from rice have steadily
declined since 2011, bringing in $2.2 billion last year.
Vietnam's prime minister called for shrimp exports to
reach $10 billion by 2025, a jump from $3 billion last year. In parallel,
export earnings from rice have steadily declined since 2011, bringing in $2.2
billion last year
"They're trying to thread a needle between making
money off of exports and economic development, but also not sacrificing
long-term food security," said Tim Gorman, a Cornell University PHD
researcher.
As a result, policies both encourage the quick cash
generated by shrimp farms and protect the long-term future of the rice crop.
That can seem contradictory or haphazard to farmers.
In some areas, the government is now urging farmers to
grow rice half the year and harvest shrimp for the other half—a hard sell to
farmers like Thach Ngoc Cuong who are eager to abandon rice.
He has two plots in Soc Trang province, one contains
freshwater for rice, the other is salty for the prized crustaceans.
In some areas, Vietnam's government is now urging
farmers to grow rice half the year and harvest shrimp for the other half—a hard
sell to farmers keen to abandon the former as it is less lucrative
Read more at:
https://phys.org/news/2017-08-rice-riches-vietnam-shrimp-farmers.html#jCphttps://phys.org/news/2017-08-rice-riches-vietnam-shrimp-farmers.html
Annual
rice exports to be $2.5bn by 2030
Rice exports are expected to earn
Vietnam from $2.3 to $2.5 billion annually during the 2021-2030 period,
according to the Development Strategy for Rice Export Markets in 2017-2020 and
Vision to 2030 approved recently by the prime minister.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade
(MoT) has sent documents to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development, the State Bank of Vietnam, the Vietnam Food Association,
and other relevant ministries and agencies on the implementation of the
strategy.
The strategy aims to enhance the
competitiveness and brand of Vietnam’s rice exports and also defines market
diversification, to reduce dependence on certain markets, match international
integration trends, and seize the opportunities presented by free trade
agreements.
The strategy includes two phases.
The first, from 2017-2020, targets annual rice export volumes of 4.5-5 million
tonnes with a value of $2.2-2.3 billion. The second phase, from 2021-2030,
targets 4 million tonnes worth $2.3-$2.5 billion annually.
The export rice structure is to
change by 2020, in which the volume of low-grade white rice is to not exceed 20
per cent, while Japonica will account for 30 per cent, sticky rice 20 per cent,
and other rice 5 per cent.
By 2030, white rice is to account
for only 25 per cent, average rice less than 10 per cent, Japonica rice 40 per
cent, sticky rice 25 per cent, and other nutrient rice more than 10 per cent.
The strategy clearly identifies the
export rate in each market by 2020. Exports to Asia are to account for 60 per
cent, Africa 22 per cent, the Americas 8 per cent, Europe 5 per cent, Australia
3 per cent, and the Middle East 2 per cent.
Approved by the prime minister, the
strategy also puts special emphasis on exports to markets such as Southeast
Asia (the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia), China, Japan, and South Korea.
The government also touches on the
branding of Vietnamese rice and improving post-harvest technology and the
processing of rice products. It will also invest in international-standard rice
quality testing labs in the Mekong Delta, to facilitate quality control, contributing
to the improvement of Vietnamese rice grains to national standards.
Floods damage rice crops in Mekong
Delta
Update: August,
09/2017 - 09:00
A farmer in Long An
Province harvests his summer-autumn rice crop early because of rising
floodwaters. – Photo sggp.org.vn
MEKONG — Farmers in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta are harvesting
their summer-autumn rice crop earlier than usual because of earlier than usual
flooding.Floodwaters in upstream provinces such as Đồng Tháp and An Giang are expected to rise rapidly in the coming days.
Around 3,500 ha of summer-autumn rice crop has been destroyed in Long An Province’s Tân Hưng District, according to the district’s Office of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Farmers in the province have harvested around 22,000 ha out of 56,900 ha of rice, with the rest to be harvested by the month’s end. But around 8,000 ha of rice could be damaged by floods.
In An Giang Province, about 610 ha of rice were destroyed by floods.
Khương Lê Bình, director of Đồng Tháp Province’s Hydro-meteorological Station, said the floodwaters were rising about 10cm each day.
Authorities of delta provinces have asked districts and wards to develop plans to protect people and property from rising floodwaters. — VNS
http://vietnamnews.vn/environment/381617/floods-damage-rice-crops-in-mekong-delta.html#ebFU0O0EoWupzTTW.97
Officials claim end to hunger in
sight thanks to rice surplus
Mom Kunthear / Khmer Times Share:
Government
officials have claimed the country could see an end to malnutrition and hunger
following a decade of food security improvements and increased rice yields.
Speaking yesterday at a
government workshop attended by 70 officials, Lao Sokharum, secretary-general
of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development, said food security in
the country has improved over the past 10 years due to a surplus of more than
three million tonnes of rice each year.
However, he warned that nutrition
for mothers and children is still not good enough.
“Nutrition for mothers and children depends on having a mixed
diet and quality food, changing habits related to nutrition, providing clean
water and access to healthcare services,” he said.
According to the Demographic and
Health Survey in 2014, 32 percent of children under the age of five experience
stunted growth, 24 percent are underweight, 10 percent are skinny and 55
percent are pale.
“The lack of nutrition differs
from province to province and is based on family income,” said Mr Sokharum.
“The government will launch a
short-term plan to tackle the issue until 2018 and a new national strategy on
food security and nutrition for 2019 to 2023.”
Sok Silo, the deputy
secretary-general of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development, told
reporters yesterday that the country could end hunger for all its people with
the rice surplus.
He said the government has
already worked hard to provide enough food and healthcare services for children
and mothers, build more toilets, and educate children on washing their hands.
“All relevant ministries must pay
attention to improving food security and nutrition,” he said.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5077328/officials-claim-end-hunger-sight-thanks-rice-surplus/
12:09
PM, August 09, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:22 PM, August 09, 2017
Indonesia to export rice, provide agriculture
training to three Pacific Island countries
Source:
Xinhua| 2017-08-09 19:53:13|Editor: ying
JAKARTA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government will ship
rice to Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa and provide agriculture training to the three
nations in the Pacific, a minister said here Wednesday.
Indonesian Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said that
Indonesia will export rice whose price is cheaper than those in the three
countries."The price of their rice is about 2 U.S. dollars per kilogram,
and we offered them 1 U.S. dollar per kilogram. They agreed," Sulaiman
said at the Agricultural Ministry.
The government will send horticultural experts to the three
island nations to give training in intensification of farming, he said, adding
that aims to help the nations in advancing their agricultural sectors.
Indonesia produced 79.1 million tons of rice last year, rising
from 75.4 million tons in the preceding year, according to data of the
Agricultural Ministry.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-08/09/c_136512955.htm
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- August 10, 2017
Reuters | Aug 10, 2017, 02:20 PM IST
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC/Open Market-August 10 Nagpur,
August 10 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices recovered
strongly in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC)
here on good seasonal demand from local millers amid weak arrival from
producing regions because of rains. Upward trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries
from South-based millers also pushed up prices. About 900 of gram and 200 bags
of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources. FOODGRAINS &
PULSES GRAM * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was
poor. TUAR * Tuar gavarani reported higher in open market on renewed demand
from local traders amid weak supply from producing belts. * Rice Shriram new moved down in open market here on poor
demand from local traders. * In Akola,
Tuar New - 3,700-3,900, Tuar dal (clean) - 5,500-5,800, Udid Mogar (clean) -
7,200-7,900, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,600-7,300, Gram - 4,700-5,100, Gram Super
best - 7,700-8,000 * Wheat, other varieties of rice and other commodities moved
in a narrow range in scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading
activity. Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 4,600-5,270 4,500-5,160 Gram Pink
Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 3,650-4,000 3,500-3,960 Moong Auction
n.a. 3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,500-1,706 1,550-1,684 Gram Super Best Bold
7,900-8,400 7,900-8,400 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a. Gram Medium Best 7,100-7,400
7,100-7,400 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 5,200-5,350 5,200-5,350
Desi gram Raw 5,150-5,300 5,150-5,300 Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,500
12,500-13,500 Tuar Fataka Best-New 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,400 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New
4,800-5,100 4,800-5,100 Tuar Gavarani New 3,750-3,950 3,700-3,900 Tuar Karnataka 4,100-4,400 4,100-4,400 Masoor
dal best 4,400-4,700 4,400-4,700 Masoor dal medium 4,100-4,300 4,100-4,300
Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold (New) 6,800-7,200 6,800-7,200 Moong Mogar
Medium 6,000-6,500 6,000-6,500 Moong dal Chilka 5,300-5,800
5,300-5,800 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 6,000-6,500
6,000-6,400 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000 Udid
Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,000 6,500-7,000 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)
4,000-4,500 4,000-4,500 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,500 4,000-4,500 Lakhodi
dal (100 INR/kg) 2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,850-3,000
2,850-2,950 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,700
3,500-3,700 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,600
4,100-4,600 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Wheat Mill quality
(100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,850 1,750-1,850 Wheat Filter(100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,400 2,100-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100
INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600
3,000-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700 Rice BPT
new (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,300 2,800-3,300 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,500
3,300-3,500 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,100 3,000-3,100 Rice Luchai
(100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,800 2,500-2,800 Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,450
2,350-2,450 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,650 Rice Swarna
medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400 Rice HMT New
(100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000 Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,000
4,500-5,000 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,300 4,100-4,300 Rice Shriram
New(100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,700 4,600-4,800 Rice Shriram best 100 INR/KG)
6,500-6,800 6,500-6,800 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,200 5,800-6,200
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,000-13,500 10,000-13,500 Rice Basmati Medium
(100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500 Rice Chinnor New(100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,800
4,500-4,800 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000 Rice Chinnor
medium (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)
1,900-2,200 1,900-2,200 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-1,900 1,800-1,900 WEATHER
(NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 28.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 23.1 degree Celsius
Rainfall : 16.0 mm FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky with possibility of moderate
rains. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 29 and 24 degree
Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are
excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-august-10-2017/articleshow/60001863.cms
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