September 29 ,2018 Vol 9 ,Issue 9
1|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
China extends rice contract to Sept 2020 Submitted by Eleven on Fri, 09/28/2018 - 13:30 Writer: Nilar
A rice shop in Bayintnaung wholesale center (Photo-Zeya Nyein) China extended rice contract with Myanmar to September 2020, according to Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF). Both countries agreed to extend the expired Sanitary and Phytosanitary – SPS Protocol to September 2020. Myanmar will continue to export rice to China as per agreement. Myanmar is not exported broken rice to China as it is still checked by China. Myanmar and China signed the agreement to sell rice to China on September 24 2014. Myanmar signed rice quality inspection agreement with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ) and cooperation in farming sector and market availability of farming crops with Ministry of Agriculture of China. Two Chinese ministers said China will give priority to border trade and they assume Yunnan market as export market for Myanmar. Senior officials from Yunnan Province are included in Chinese delegation and Myanmar requested to China to help to ease border trade. Chinese officials said they will help.
2|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
The MRF carried out to the ministerial level signing agreement to export rice to China officially in 2014 and it is informed to Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation to extend the agreement which is expired in this month. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Myanmar embassy in China helped for the agreement. More than 70 per cent of rice exports were made from border trade in previous years and about 30 per cent of them were exported through maritime trade. Myanmar is mostly exporting rice to China through Muse border trade center. Although Myanmar is exported rice to China officially, Chinese government didn‘t recognize it and there are seizures frequently in China. Most of the rice exports to China under agreements are made through maritime trade route and both countries signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to fix the amount of rice export. http://elevenmyanmar.com/business/15257
Indonesia to import 1m tonnes of rice from Pakistan Our Staff Reporter September 28, 2018
MULTAN - Indonesian Ambassador in Pakistan Iwan Suyudhie Amri said on Thursday that an agreement would soon be signed to export one million tonnes of rice from Pakistan to Indonesia by 2019. He said work was underway to devise a mutually acceptable mechanism. Addressing the members of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), he invited the local manufacturers, exporters and industrialists to take part in 33rd Trade Expo in Indonesia to be held from Oct 24 to 28 to promote business. He further revealed that his country had decided to grant 30-day free visa to the traders and visitors from 174 countries for the expo. Tracing the relations between the two countries, he said that it was friendly and cordial since the inception of two countries. ―However, now we should make serious efforts to translate these relations into economic terms.
3|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
He said that volume of bilateral trade between the two countries is 2.18 billion dollars which is far less than the existing potential. He further said that law and order situation has improved in Pakistan and it will definitely have positive impact on its exports to Indonesia.
Regarding CPEC, he said that it will attract foreign investment and all regional countries will enjoy its benefits. He said that Indonesia is a country with huge population of 250 million. "Our domestic market is very strong which has provided us a solid base for speedy economic growth," he added. Regarding Halal food, he said, Pakistan is speedily undertaking the process of Halal food certification which will help it make maximum Halal exports to the Indonesia. Commenting on people to people contacts, he said that Indonesia is offering scholarships to Pakistani students which will bring both the communities closer to each other. Responding to a question about health and education related reforms, he said that Indonesia has allocated 20 percent of its budget for education as elementary level education is free. Similarly, cross subsidy is offered in health sector. The rich are charged while the poor are getting free treatment. He hoped that the system will be further improved in the coming years. He also assured to remove the hurdles in the export of rock salt from Pakistan to Indonesia. He paid glowing tribute to deceased former Ambassador of Indonesia Burhan Muhammad who worked hard to bolster the bilateral relations between the two counties. Earlier in his address of welcome, Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan, President of MCCI, underlined the importance of the region and said it shares 96 percent of total production of Punjab province and 70 % of the country. He said 47 % wheat, 23 % sugarcane, 50% livestock, and it produces good quality of mangoes. He said that trade between Pakistan and the Southeast Asian giant has been growing strongly for the last couple of years. The volume of bilateral trade grew from $700 million in 2010 to $2.3 billion in 2016, up 229%, he said.
4|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
―Pakistan‘s problem is that it is not ready to explore far-eastern markets, including Indonesia. Unless our exporters go for innovation and branding, the situation is not going to change,‖ said Malik Asrar Ahmed. The two countries signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2005 and the preferential trade agreement (PTA) in 2012, which became operational in 2013. Indonesia‘s exports to Pakistan increased from $1.2 billion in 2012 to $2.2 billion in 2016-17 while Pakistan‘s exports to Indonesia unfortunately declined from $196 million to $137 million. Pakistan‘s major exports to Indonesia include textiles and clothing, rice, vegetables and fruits (mainly oranges) while its major import item from Indonesia is palm oil. https://nation.com.pk/28-Sep-2018/indonesia-to-import-1m-tonnes-of-rice-from-pakistan
Panama rice market not under threat – GRDB Sep 28, 2018 News
– quality control systems strengthened
Panamanian authorities reportedly checking what was delivered.Assurances have been given by General Manager of Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Nizam Hassan, that there is no threat to the lucrative Panama market for Guyana‘s rice.This assurance comes amidst reports of local rice being rejected by Trinidad then being shipped to Panama. This resulted in the Central American country refusing 20 containers of rice. With regards to the effect, basically the buyer said, ―No this is not what we want; it cannot come; so take it back and send us back our rice.‖ ―We will have to replace the rice that was not received. The authorities understand that it is a contract between the GRDB and the Institute of Agricultural Marketing in Panama; they know that the GRDB itself is not a producer of rice,‖ Hassan explained yesterday. Hassan said he has no knowledge of the rice being previously rejected by Trinidad and repackaged for the Panamanian market.
5|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
―We have no information of rice being shipped to Trinidad and being returned to Guyana. When rice leaves here, we would have all the documents and if returned, plant quarantine would have been involved. We have no information of this happening,‖ Hassan told the Department of Public Information (DPI). Further, the GRDB Head said there is an ongoing investigation to determine whether there was a deliberate effort to deceive on the part of millers or it was a genuine operational error. In this case, the rice was reportedly shipped by Cayume Hakh and Sons. ―We are still investigating to identify whether it was an operational issue or whether it was a deliberate effort. I cannot comment on that because the investigation is in progress. If it were an operational issue, because from our reports thus far, the miller is using this packaging facility that bags and packages white rice and parboiled rice using the same line. ―However, we have only just received photos saying this is what we found. It does not necessarily mean that an entire container has parboiled rice, it may have been a few bags,‖ the GRDB head explained. According to Hassan, systems have now been strengthened to prevent a recurrence of any similar situation. ―Let me say that all systems have been heightened with regards to inspections, quality control checks with respect to shipments to this buyer, that‘s the first thing.‖ Guyana exported some 540,000 tonnes of rice for 2017, which saw its highest numbers since 2015 when a total of 535,000 tonnes were recorded. The GRDB is the agency responsible for certifying rice being shipped from Guyana to overseas markets. Stakeholders have called for a comprehensive investigation into the problem and the resignation of GRDB Board and Agri Minister, Noel Holder. https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2018/09/28/panama-rice-market-not-under-threat-grdb/
Iraq buys 100,000 T wheat, 90,000 T rice in direct deals in Freight News 28/09/2018
Iraq‘s trade ministry said on Wednesday it bought 100,000 tonnes of wheat and 90,000 tonnes of rice in direct deals, outside of the international tendering process.Of the total, Iraq bought 50,000 tonnes of US wheat and 50,000 tonnes of Australian wheat, Mohamed Hanoun, spokesman for the ministry told Reuters.The rice that Iraq purchased was from Vietnam, he said.The ministry did not give a price for the purchases but said strategic stocks of both grains would last up to February or March 2019 as a result of the deals. Traders had earlier reported the rice purchase at $577 a tonne, cost and freight (C&F). Apart from the direct contracts, the ministry is also tendering for 30,000 tonnes of rice with a deadline of Oct. 1 for submitting offers.
6|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Iraq is also seeking 50,000 tonnes of wheat in an international purchasing tender at which traders said Canadian wheat was offered at the lowest price of $337 a tonne, cost, insurance and freight (CIF). No result has been announced yet for that tender. The trade ministry imports millions of tonnes of wheat and rice annually as millions of Iraqis depend on the government‘s extensive subsidised food system. Iraq‘s cabinet last year authorised the ministry to make direct purchases of wheat and rice, in addition to its international purchasing tenders, to guarantee food security. Source: Reuters https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/iraq-buys-100000-t-wheat-90000-t-rice-in-direct-deals/
Rice Prices as on : 28-09-2018 12:51:34 PM Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market. Arrivals Current
Price % change
Season cumulative
Modal
Prev. Modal
Prev.Yr %change
Rice Siliguri(WB)
158.00
1.28
9002.00
2700
2700
NC
Allahabad(UP)
75.00
-6.25
693.00
2350
2420
-
Dadri(UP)
70.00
16.67
974.00
2740
2730
15.37
Barhaj(UP)
70.00
-12.5
1184.00
2260
2250
-
Beldanga(WB)
70.00
7.69
1345.00
2650
2650
6.00
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
70.00
16.67
4025.00
2800
2800
9.80
7|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Cachar(ASM)
60.00
NC
4400.00
2400
2400
9.09
Gazipur(UP)
57.00
-27.39
581.50
2900
2900
-
Gauripur(ASM)
50.00
NC
2505.60
4500
4500
NC
Bindki(UP)
50.00
-7.41
25615.00
2250
2250
-
Hapur(UP)
40.00
33.33
2085.00
2750
2750
20.61
Karimpur(WB)
40.00
14.29
1040.00
3450
3500
9.52
Vasai(Mah)
37.00
-2.63
1345.00
3640
3650
25.52
Amroha(UP)
27.82
-
27.82
2600
-
5.26
Bareilly(UP)
26.00
-23.53
931.90
2600
2575
-
Devariya(UP)
25.50
-15
1998.50
2145
2150
0.47
Gajol(WB)
25.50
-1.54
1552.50
3700
3700
27.59
Naanpara(UP)
25.00
-25.37
1640.80
2265
2260
2.26
Jayas(UP)
23.50
30.56
2113.00
1980
1980
1.54
Ulhasnagar(Mah)
20.00
11.11
212.00
4000
4000
60.00
Kayamganj(UP)
20.00
-33.33
704.00
2390
2370
4.82
Maharajganj(UP)
20.00
NC
275.00
2110
2125
-
Falakata(WB)
20.00
NC
236.00
2800
2800
30.23
8|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Saharanpur(UP)
18.00
20
1226.00
2735
2725
15.64
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
16.00
-13.51
108.50
2740
2740
-
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
15.60
-1.27
744.30
3000
3000
11.11
Giridih(Jha)
15.34
24.61
777.92
3500
3500
NC
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
14.00
-22.22
346.00
2300
2400
NC
Islampur(WB)
14.00
16.67
869.50
3450
3450
53.33
Raiganj(WB)
14.00
40
999.00
3350
3350
32.67
Mahoba(UP)
12.00
-11.11
450.80
2170
2180
-
Paliakala(UP)
12.00
20
1112.60
2270
2265
-
Puwaha(UP)
11.00
NC
760.50
2500
2460
-
Farukhabad(UP)
10.00
-9.09
340.40
2380
2370
7.69
Khurja(UP)
9.50
-29.63
906.00
2620
2620
-
Kannauj(UP)
8.50
13.33
197.00
2350
2460
6.82
Dibrugarh(ASM)
8.40
12
688.40
2920
2920
29.78
Muradabad(UP)
8.00
-33.33
348.50
2580
2550
-
Sahiyapur(UP)
8.00
6.67
2502.50
2165
2160
-
Ranaghat(WB)
8.00
-3.61
294.92
3500
3500
52.17
9|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Unnao(UP)
7.00
75
156.40
2325
2275
13.41
Fatehpur(UP)
6.50
30
1427.60
2220
2190
0.91
Chitwadagaon(UP)
6.00
-14.29
314.20
2100
2050
-1.41
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
5.00
25
455.50
2320
2300
3.57
Vishalpur(UP)
4.50
-25
306.00
2625
2575
-
Sehjanwa(UP)
4.00
14.29
104.50
2160
2160
-
Mau(Chitrakut)(UP)
4.00
-20
9.00
1785
1785
-
Mirzapur(UP)
3.50
16.67
795.00
2220
2225
-
Mangaon(Mah)
3.00
50
35.00
2800
3500
-3.45
Tanda Urmur(UP)
3.00
50
9.70
2000
2000
-
Bharuasumerpur(UP)
2.00
-20
16.00
2000
2000
-4.76
Ahirora(UP)
1.25
-91.94
16.75
2300
2300
10.05
Tundla(UP)
1.20
-14.29
152.40
2570
2560
-
Penugonda(Mah)
1.00
NC
10.00
4080
4080
0.25
Anandnagar(UP)
1.00
NC
16.00
2250
2280
-
Gadaura(UP)
1.00
25
55.80
2000
2000
-1.23
Khairagarh(UP)
1.00
42.86
107.20
2560
2560
1.59
10 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Soharatgarh(UP)
1.00
-33.33
168.00
2170
2165
4.58
Jagnair(UP)
0.80
33.33
76.60
2550
2560
0.39
Published on September 28, 2018 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article25067701.ece
Vietnam Jan-Sept coffee exports seen up 19.6 pct y/y; rice to grow 7.6 pct y/y
SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 HANOI, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Vietnam‘s coffee exports for the January-September period is expected to have grown 19.6 percent from the same period a year ago, while rice exports rose an estimated 7.6 percent during the same period, government data showed on Friday. COFFEE Coffee exports from Vietnam will rise an estimated 19.6 percent between January and September from a year ago to 1.46 million tonnes, equal to 24.3 million 60-kg bags, the General Statistics Office said in a report on Friday. That brings the total coffee exports from Vietnam‘s 2017/2018 crop to 1.8 million tonnes, up 12.95 percent from the previous crop, the data showed. Coffee export revenue for Vietnam, the world‘s second- biggest producer of the robusta bean, remained the same as last year at $2.76 billion in the nine-month period, the report said. September coffee exports were estimated at 130,000 tonnes, worth $225 million. RICE Rice exports in January-September from Vietnam were forecast to rise 7.6 percent from a year ago to 4.93 million tonnes. Revenue from rice exports in the period was forecast to grow 22.1 percent year-on-year to $2.48 billion.
11 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
September rice exports from Vietnam, the world‘s third-largest shipper of the grain, were recorded at 400,000 tonnes, worth $190 million. ENERGY Vietnam‘s January-September crude oil exports plunged 45.2 percent year-on-year to an estimated 2.97 million tonnes. Crude oil export revenue in the first nine months of 2018 plunged 24.6 percent to $1.67 billion. Oil product imports in the nine-month period were estimated at 9.33 million tonnes, falling 2.1 percent from the same period last year, while the value of product imports surged 23.9 percent to $6.2 billion. Vietnam‘s January-to-September liquefied petroleum gas imports decreased 2.1 percent from a year earlier to 1.06 million tonnes. (Reporting by Mai Nguyen, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-maldives-election/maldives-election-body-endorsesopposition-leader-solihs-victory-amid-threats-idUSKCN1M909S
Nalgonda authorities in a huddle for paddy procurement AddThis Sharing Buttons By AuthorTelanganaToday | Published: 28th Sep 2018 9:20 pm
Rice Millers Association district president Karnati Ramesh requested the authorities to ensure that the millers get good quality paddy. Nalgonda: Nalgonda district aims to procure two lakh tonnes of paddy for kharif season for which Joint Collector Dr C Narayana Reddy conducted a review meeting with officials concerned on Friday. He met with officials of Marketing, Civil Supplies and Agriculture departments, and rice millers in his chamber at the District Collectorate to chalk out an action plan for the paddy procurement. He said the government fixed Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 17,770 per quintal for A-
12 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
grade paddy and Rs 1,750 for low quality paddy. He asked officials to prepare plans to meet the target, he said. Reddy informed that it was decided to set up 100 paddy procurement centres, including 53 centres of IKP groups and 47 of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies. He also instructed the District Manager of Civil Supplies Corporate to make available 50,000 gunny bags for the purpose. He also instructed officials of the Marketing Department to procure weighing machines, tarpaulin covers and other equipment, needed for procurement of paddy from farmers. Rice Millers Association district president Karnati Ramesh requested the authorities to ensure that the millers get good quality paddy. Representatives of farmers‘ associations urged the officials to take measures to ensure farmers do not face problems at procurement centres, like they did in the last crop season. They were requested for lighting and drinking water facility at the centres. District Civil Supplies Officer S Udhay Kumar, Deputy Director of Marketing Prasad Rao, InCharge Joint Director of Agriculture Sridhar Reddy and District Cooperative Officer Srinivasa Murthy were also attended the meeting. https://telanganatoday.com/nalgonda-authorities-in-a-huddle-for-paddy-procurement
China's scientists observe plant growth in its space lab 2018-09-28 08:40:25CGTNEditor : Gu Liping
Astronauts need a lot of food during their space expedition that sometimes takes nearly two years. Carrying dried prepackaged food takes up space in their spacecraft. One solution is to send seeds that occupy less volume to cultivate them in the space. Recently, scientists have successfully grown vegetables and plants in the space shuttles. However, microgravity makes it difficult to water the plants as they clump together. Space scientists at NASA started using hydroponics and aeroponics to grow plants in space stations. While hydroponics delivers water to plant roots, aeroponics ensures misty air conditions for plants' growth. Chinese scientists have taken this experiment to the next level at Tiangong-2, a space laboratory. They are trying to accomplish full-cycle of plant growth under microgravity. Boxes containing rice and Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant, are on board the space lab. "After the seeds arrive in space, they will grow and mature there, and finally yield seeds. This kind of long-term experiment is quite rare in the international community," Zheng Huiqiong, director of Tiangong-2's space biotechnology and the plant cell engineering research team said.
13 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
"It is of great importance because it can help solve one of the key problems to providing necessary food, water, and oxygen to humans," Zheng explained. The research found that under the conditions of microgravity, the flowering of Arabidopsis occurs 22 days later than on the ground. "If we need to eat leaves in the future, it is better to have plants that flower late. But for rice, late flowering will influence the yields, so we have to adapt it to the environment," said Zheng. The research also found that rice is more active in guttation under the conditions of microgravity, meaning it exudes more and more significant drops of sap on its leaves. "This phenomenon has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, bigger sap drops will influence the growth of the plant because it will increase the humidity. On the other hand, it offers us clues to establish an effective life-support system in the future, so we could provide water to humans via plants," said Zheng.
http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2018-09-28/detail-ifyyknzp7231281.shtml
Fifth Generation Arkansas Farmer Recognized for Sustainability Practices Excerpt from Field to Market Farmer Spotlight
STUTTGART, AR -- A fifth-generation farmer, Matthew Feilke is proud to follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps as he stewards Feilke Farm's 4,100 acres of rice, corn, and soybeans here, just 42 miles southeast of Little Rock. Living and farming in the "Rice and Duck Capitol of the World," Feilke takes conservation very seriously. He has participated in the Riceland, Kellogg, and Syngenta Arkansas Rice Fieldprint Project for the past two years, and documents and demonstrates sustainability practices annually utilizing the sustainability metrics of the Fieldprint Platform embedded within Syngenta's Land.DB farm management software. "Before I participated in the Fieldprint Project, I knew that I was implementing sustainable practices, but how would the consumer know that?" said Feilke. "By utilizing the Fieldprint Platform and collaborating with a major food company, we can demonstrate to consumers that farmers are doing our part to provide food that is healthy for them and the planet."
14 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
"Matthew's farming operation perfectly showcases the innovative techniques that rice producers have adopted to make their production practices more sustainable," said Josh Hankins, Rice Stewardship Partnership coordinator at USA Rice. "Through the integration of innovative irrigation techniques, a tail water recovery system, and commitment to flooding his fields for overwintering waterfowl, Matthew demonstrates the importance of stewarding our natural resources. It is because of sustainable and conservation minded producers like Matthew that the rice industry continues to do more with less each year."
Mars Food Celebrates 40 Years in Greenville, Mississippi By Sara Schulte
GREENVILLE, MS -- Mars Food North America, maker of Uncle Ben's and Seeds of Change rice products, celebrated 40 years of operation on Wednesday with a celebratory ceremony for employees and local dignitaries, including Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons, and Greenville Public School District Superintendent Dr. Janice Page. Opened in 1978, the facility is the third largest employer in Greenville with more than 180 fulltime associates. Mars Food has invested nearly $200 million into the site over the last 40 years. Today, the facility is zero-waste to landfill, covers 80 acres with more than 250,000 square feet, and produces 100,000 tons of rice annually, making it the largest Mars Food factory in the world. "For 40 years, Mars Food has helped fuel the growth of Greenville and the broader Mississippi Delta region by providing jobs, investing in the community, and being an important partner to the state of Mississippi," said Governor Bryant. "We're honored to share this milestone with Mars Food in Greenville and hope to celebrate many more."
In a first, non-basmati rice consignment will be shipped to China today OUR BUREAUT+ T-
2008030851051201
15 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
The Chinese quality agency recently inspected and registered 19 rice mills and processing units for export. - THE HINDU
16 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
The Chinese quality agency recently inspected and registered 19 rice mills and processing units for export. - THE HINDU First consignment to be shipped Friday from Nagpur NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 27 China has finally lifted restrictions on import of non-basmati rice from India and is ready to receive the first consignment being shipped from the country. ―The first consignment of non-basmati rice (white rice 5 per cent broken) of 100 tonnes is to be shipped to China from Nagpur tomorrow. The consignment will be received by China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO)," an official release from the Commerce Ministry stated on Thursday.
COFCO is one of China's state-owned food processing holding companies. Following concerted efforts of India which has been urging China to lift the curbs for a long time, the Chinese quality agency recently inspected and registered 19 rice mills and processing units for export. The protocol between General Administration of Customs of the People‘s Republic of China and the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare of the Republic of India on phyto-sanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China was signed this June at Qingdao, China, during the visit of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This amended the earlier protocol on phyto-sanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China to include the export of non-basmati varieties of rice from India.
17 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
China allowed imports of Basmati rice from India some years back, but there is not much demand for it in the country. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/china-finally-opens-doorsto-indian-non-basmati-rice/article25056466.ece
ASIA RICE-VIETNAM PRICES GAIN ON PHILIPPINE ORDERS; INDIA RATES DIP 9/27/2018 * Thai prices gain on stronger baht * Bangladesh could import as much as 700,000 T in year to June By Eileen Soreng BENGALURU, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Vietnamese rice export prices rose this week on increased demand from the Philippines and elsewhere while rates for rice from top exporter India fell on expectations for a bumper summer-sown crop and a weak rupee. In Vietnam, traders offered 5 percent broken rice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> at $400-$405 a tonne, slightly higher than the $395-$405 a week earlier, as supplies fell and demand rose. "We are seeing rising demand from the Philippines and other markets," a Ho Chi Minh City trader said, adding that prices may rise further in the coming weeks because of tight supply. The Philippines on Monday decided to ramp up its rice imports before the end of the year, announcing a decision to purchase 500,000 tonnes in addition to the 250,000 tonnes it planned to buy via an open tender. That increasing demand is expected to boost export prices of the Philippines' main suppliers, Vietnam and Thailand. Iraq also purchased at least 60,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam in a direct deal without an international tender being issued, traders in Europe and the Middle East said. "Supplies will improve later next month when the mini autumn-winter harvest begins," the Ho Chi Minh trader said. However, output is expected to be half the size of the summer-autumn harvest.
18 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Rates for India's 5 percent broken parboiled rice <RI-INBKN5-P1> dipped by $3 to $370-$374 a tonne. Demand for the new-season crop is not robust, said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. " (The) falling rupee is making deals at lower prices possible," the exporter said. The Indian rupee has weakened by nearly 12 percent in 2018 and touched a record low this month, increasing exporters margins. Meanwhile, neighbouring Bangladesh could import as much as 700,000 tonnes in the year to June 2019, said a senior official at the state grains buyer. Last year Bangladesh's Boro rice crop, which accounts for more than half of the country's typical annual rice production, fell to its lowest in seven years after floods destroyed crops. "We are keeping a budget for imports of 700,000 tonnes of rice as a precaution, just in case natural disasters destroy crops again this year," the official said. Thailand's benchmark 5 percent broken rice <RI-THBKN5-P1> was quoted at $395â&#x20AC;&#x201C;398 a tonne free on board (FOB) Bangkok, versus $390-$393 last week. Traders attributed the increase to a strengthening of the Thai baht against the U.S. dollar, noting that demand for its rice was relatively flat. Thailand's government on Wednesday said it had sold 100,000 tonnes of rice to China in the first such sale since March. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai and Ruma Paul in Dhaka Editing by David Goodman) Š Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018. Click For Restrictions http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp https://www.agriculture.com/markets/newswire/asia-rice-vietnam-prices-gain-on-philippineorders-india-rates-dip
This time, addicts blamed for rice crisis September 28, 2018 at 01:40 am by Nathaniel Mariano and Othel V. Campos
19 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the growing population of drug addicts confined in rehabilitation centers were to blame for the country‘s rice crisis. ―Now, many are in the rehabilitation [centers] that‘s why we have rice crisis. These deranged people started eating [rice],‖ Duterte said in a jest in a speech in Malacañang. The presidential quip came a day after his spokesman, Harry Roque, blamed outgoing National Food Authority chief Jason Aquino for ―singlehandedly‖ aggravating inflation with the rice crisis during his stewardship of the agency. ―Maybe next time, when there‘s another crisis, you distribute shabu [to them] for the others to eat, so we can save rice for the others, especially the innocent and the good ones,‖ said Duterte, receiving laughs from government workers and officials. He then said the drug addicts, caught under the administration‘s crackdown on drugs, were thin as most of them did not eat. ―They‘re thin, most of them are thin. You can see them on TV. Shabu is the only thing they eat, nothing else,‖ said Duterte. ―You know why they‘re thin? Because they do not eat. And they keep on grinding their teeth just like when someone‘s in a dream. So, when your son does that, it‘s a red flag,‖ Duterte said, mimicking the mannerism of drug users. The President made the remarks as he administered the oath-taking of the new Career Executive Service Officers, the conferment ceremony of the 2017 Gawad Career Executive Services, and the 2018 Outstanding Government Workers Awards rites. In related developments: • The Trade Department Consumer Protection Group is putting pressure on the NFA for its lack of urgency to put out more government rice stocks in supermarkets and groceries as decided in a tripartite agreement signed between the Trade Department, NFA and the supermarket association. Trade undersecretary for consumer protection Ruth Castelo, in a briefing Thursday, said the NFA should cooperate to relax some of the requirements needed to retail government rice in mainstream formal distribution outlets. ―We just wish that NFA will move faster. If they can move in tune with the pace of consumer needs, then it will be best. They would probably have to relax some measures or streamline some of what were traditionally required of retailers to speed up processing. As much as possible, we want the procedure to be done in a day‘s time,‖ she said. • NFA officials implicated by Senator Risa Hontiveros in an alleged ―P2-billion enterprise‖ expressed disgust they were collectively accused of wrongdoing for simply performing their job as part of standard operating procedures in the agency.
20 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
In a privilege speech delivered on Sept. 24, Hontiveros named NFA administrator Aquino; Judy Carol Dansal, deputy administrator for operations; Mercedes Yacapin, assistant administrator for operations; Rocky Valdez, former director of NFA‘s marketing operations department; executive assistant Richie Carpio; and two other individuals as part of an alleged ―tara‖ system in imported rice that gave them a ―windfall of P2 billion.‖ • The highly in demand low-priced good quality rice from NFA is now available in at least two supermarkets in Metro Manila. Rice consumers can now buy NFA rice at P27 and P32 per kilogram from Daily Supermarket along P. Tuazon corner 20th Avenue in Quezon City and from San Roque Supermarket on Quirino Highway corner Dumalay St. in Novaliches, Quezon City. Since the signing of the memorandum of agreement on Sept. 19, only one supermarket in Cubao started retailing NFA rice on Monday. The CPG noted that with 200 members of the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association Inc., it will take time for the NFA to assess the documentation requirement of each member. ―They [NFA] were told to put out all the remaining government rice inventory into the market to provide relief to families barely augmenting their resources for food. And they have committed to adhere to the agreement by virtue of the memo,‖ Castelo said. There are about 2.3 million metric tons of rice in the government warehouses. The NFA has increased its market participation to 20 percent two weeks ago from 13 percent or about 128,000 bags of 50 kilogram each from 76,000 bags per day. NFA spokesperson Rex Estoperez said consumer could expect a gradual decrease in commercial rice prices to about P37 to P39/kilo from P40 to P42/kilo within the next two weeks. The first tranche of 250,000 MT imported rice to arrive October will help lower down the price of commercial rice. Another tranche of 250,000 MT will arrive November and the final tranche of another 250,000 MT on December shall comprise the total allowed importation of 750,000 MT. Adding up to imports are NFA inventory and the expected palay output that was delayed due to the recent typhoon. ―We will maintain the 20 percent participation of NFA until prices and volume stabilize. We only intervene if there is a problem on price and inventory. It is our mandate to see to it that the country has a stable supply of rice nicely-priced and affordable to all income brackets,‖ Estoperez said.
21 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Last Sept. 19, the NFA signed a tripartite MOA with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association Inc. for members of PAGASA to sell NFA rice in addition to the existing accredited outlets in public markets. San Roque Supermarket has been an accredited retailer of the NFA and has been selling NFA rice even before the Memorandum of Agreement was signed. NFA district offices in Metro Manila have started accepting applications for the license to sell NFA rice from member-supermarkets of PAGASA. Each supermarket is allotted 50 bags of NFA rice sold at either P27 or P32 per kilogram. The supermarket owners go to the nearest NFA branch to pay their purchase. They will then proceed to the designated NFA warehouse to withdraw their allocation similar to what regular NFA accredited retailers are currently doing. Consumers can buy affordable NFA rice at supermarkets in two-kilogram packs. Except for Aquino and Carpio, those named are long-time NFA employees who rose from the ranks and are now occupying high positions in the operations group of the agency. ―We have faithfully served the agency and the public for more than 40 years. It is lamentable that somebody, speaking under the cloak of immunity of the Senate, would destroy our names and reputation in a few minutes of privileged speech,‖ the old-time NFA officials said. ―We are appalled at how some politicians have made malicious imputations on activities that are being done in the course of business of the agency,‖ they added. The distribution of NFA rice goes through several channels: accredited retailers, government agencies, relief agencies, local government units and other outlets. ―It is not sold to one person or entity,‖ they explained. At present, the NFA sells rice through 15,892 accredited rice retailers nationwide and many other outlets like Institutionalized Bigasan sa Palengke, Bigasang Bayan, Barangay Bagsakan, Bigasan sa Parokya, and Tagpuan Rice Response Delivery outlets. During the Senate agriculture committee hearing held on Feb. 27, when Senator Grace Poe first mentioned the above-named NFA officials, the NFA came prepared, with a boxful of documents containing the list of retailers and receipts of rice issuances to its various distribution outlets. But these documents were ignored and the senators instead went on to pillory the NFA officials on alleged irregularities. On the extension of import permits for the 2016 minimum access volume imports, they said importer Villa Shipping Line, Inc., JVV EX/Import and Kakampi MPC were issued the corresponding Import Permits after they submitted their explanations corresponding to their shipments which were the basis for the approval of their import permits.
22 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
In the case of SRT Alcala MPC, the coop was initially issued an import allocation of 1, 020 MT with Vietnam as a country of origin. This was covered by MAV-2017-COE-229 dated Nov. 20, 2017. On Jan. 25, 2018, said cooperative requested 10, 000 MT import allocation with India as an origin. However, the financial capacity of SRT Alcala MPC can only accommodate 3, 980 MT, thus an import volume of 3, 980 MT was allocated per MAV-2017-Certificate of Eligibility-0313 dated Jan. 31, 2018. On the 2017-2018 MAV auction via Service Fee, this was approved by the NFA Council. Based on the Terms of Reference, in order to acquire an import allocation, interested importers shall bid for the required Service Fee. This means that the applicant for the highest Service Fee shall have the priority of acquiring an import allocation until the quota for a certain source country, area and classification will be exhausted. This process was preferred because the Council members believe that it is a very transparent system since the bidders shall right-away see the result of the process, in real time. The auction of Service Fee generated around P1.4 billion and this amount is being held by the Land Bank of the Philippines. On the alleged prevention of NFA personnel from inspection and supervision over rice imports at the ports, NFA operations managers explained that the Terms of Contract for the 2017 NFA rice importation was Cost, Insurance, Freight, Delivered At Place (CIF, DAP), which means that rice imports are delivered by the supplier up to the designated NFA warehouses. Hence, there is no need for the presence of NFA personnel at the ports http://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/276611/this-time-addicts-blamed-for-ricecrisis.html
Ex-NEDA head Habito says pursuit of rice self-sufficiency raises prices September 27, 2018 | 11:13 pm
STRIVING for rice self-sufficiency is expected to drive prices for the grain even higher, according to economist and Ateneo de Manila University professor Cielito F. Habito. In an interview with BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) forum, Mr. Habito said: â&#x20AC;&#x2022;It is our insistence of producing 23 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m , mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
100% which is making rice more expensive because we end up tapping marginal land where it is expensive to produce rice.‖
Mr. Habito, a former economic planning secretary, noted that Singapore is the second most foodsecure country in the world, yet imports 90% of its food requirements. ―We need to stop chasing 100% self-sufficiency, which drives prices higher. We need to invest in other resources like cacao, coffee, and all these exportable products,‖ Mr. Habito added. On Monday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol announced that the National Food Authority Council approved the importation of 750,000 metric tons (MT) of rice for this year, and standby authority to import 1 million metric tons next year. The 750,000 MT includes an initially approved 250,000 MT plus an additional 500,000 MT. According to Mr. Habito, there is nothing wrong with this level of importation as long as the private sector is in charge.
24 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
―Why spend public funds to directly import rice? When private firms import they will also pay tariffs, which means the government earns money, which will finance rice competitiveness enhancement,‖ Mr. Habito said. He also said that the directive of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to maintain a 60-day buffer stock of rice, which he called a ―safe‖ level, need not all be NFA rice. In his presentation at the forum, Mr. Habito noted that the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, and adding land planted to rice exposes the industry to greater damage. ―The Philippines is agreed to be the most vulnerable to climate change among ASEAN countries. We are only making ourselves more vulnerable to disaster the more rice farmers that we have,‖ Mr. Habito said. Philippine Confederation of Grains, Inc. president Herculano C. Co, Jr. said that the recentlyapproved imports are not enough, adding that the real problem in the rice market is the mistiming of NFA imports. In his presentation, Mr. Co said that the current rice crisis is similar to the state of the market in 1995. ―We never learned our lesson,‖ Mr. Co said, noting that in 1995, ―imports came late‖ and that while the shipments did arrive they could not be unloaded because of the rains. He said the function of the NFA is not to compete with the private sector, but to stabilize the price of rice. ―That is not their mandate. If the price of palay (unmilled rice) drops below P17, that‘s where the NFA comes it. When the price of rice goes up, that‘s also the time the NFA (releases inventory),‖ Mr. Co said.
25 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
University of the Philippines economics professor Ramon L. Clarete said that the government should address the NFA‘s finances. The NFA has said that it was not able to procure palay as it had used its funds to service maturing loans amounting to P5.1 billion. Mr. Clarete also said that the NFA has an inherent conflict of interest ―as a market participant and a regulator.‖ He said stabilizing food prices is a prerequisite for industrialization. ―There can be no successful industrialization without bringing the food cost down. Let‘s translate the direction of our policy to bringing food costs down,‖ according to Mr. Clarete. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio https://www.bworldonline.com/ex-neda-head-habito-says-pursuit-of-rice-self-sufficiencyraises-prices/
Rice prices to go down in October BY ANNA LEAH E. GONZALES ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 Prices of commercial rice will likely go down next month because of the arrival of additional rice imports and the start of the harvest season, an official of the National Food Authority (NFA) said on Thursday. NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez told reporters in an interview that the NFA Council ordered the NFA to increase its market participation to 20 percent from 13 percent last month. ―This September, we already increased our market participation to 20 percent. From 76,000 bags a day [released in the market]we now have 128,000 bags a day. That is our participation now. We‘re just waiting for the arrival of the 250,000 metric tons of rice imports plus our inventory. By the time, maybe prices will now go down,‖ Estoperez said at the sidelines of the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) monthly meeting. For instance, the NFA official said, a kilo of commercial rice that costs P40 to P42 per kilogram would be reduced to P37 to P39 per kilogram.
26 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
The NFA Council earlier announced the additional importation of 500,000 metric tons of rice to beef up the agency‘s buffer stocks. This volume, which is expected to arrive within the year, is on top of the 250,000 metric tons earlier approved by the council. According to Estoperez, the first batch of imports (250,000 metric tons) is scheduled to arrive in November. The terms of reference for the next 250,000 will be released next week. ―Once imports are all delivered, we will have a potential inventory of 6 million bags. At present, we have 2.3 million bags in our warehouses and based on our market participation, that would be good for 50 days,‖ Estoperez said.Earlier, the Department of Trade and Industry, the NFA and the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association signed a tripartite agreement allowing Pagasa-affiliated supermarkets to sell NFA rice. Pagasa president Steven Cua said they were having a hard time complying with NFA requirements.―To get a license to sell grains from NFA, you have to pay P115,000 if your paidup capital is P10 million. That shouldn‘t be the arrangement. We‘re just supposed to pick up rice, why pay P115,000? That‘s way too much for us,‖ he added. ―For now, only one supermarket was able to sell because they already have the license. There‘s nothing we can do about it already because the ball is in their [NFA] court. What we want is to exempt those wanting to sell from getting a permit because by the time that we get to secure a license the so- called perceived crisis is already over,‖ Cua said. Ruth Castelo, Trade undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group, echoed Pagasa‘s call, noting that they had requested the NFA to relax its rules. ―We really need to have more NFA rice in the market so that there will be an effect on prices. We wish that the NFA will move faster, that they will catch up with the pace of the needs of the consumers,‖ Castelo said. https://www.manilatimes.net/rice-prices-to-go-down-in-october/445989/
Fair Trade? Domestic manufacturers say otherwise By editor@pabusinesscentral.com | on September 28, 2018
BY R. BROCK PRONKO Business Contributor Harley-Davidson plant in York, Pennsylvania Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
The Trump administration is betting that using the ―stick‖ (tariffs) before the ―carrot‖ (trade agreements) will allow the United States to hammer out a better deal with our trading partners
27 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
when they finally meet at the negotiating table. However, in trade wars, there are winners and losers on both sides. The retaliatory tariffs from Europe, Canada, Mexico and China are having a boomerang effect on U.S. companies that depend heavily upon imported goods to make their products and on farmers who export crops. On the positive side, Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel announced it intends to restart two shuttered blast furnaces at a southwestern Illinois mill and bring back about 800 workers. In March, the U.S. imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum from China, and in June imposed the same tariffs on steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico. The tariffs on Europe add up to about $8 billion annually. The EU retaliated with $3.4 billion of tariffs on a variety of U.S. imports including bourbon, peanut butter, orange juice, playing cards and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Harley-Davidson sold nearly 40,000 motorcycles in Europe last year, which was second only to the U.S. To avoid tariffs on its European-market motorcycles, they are moving some of its manufacturing operations to Europe. ―Harley-Davidson believes the tremendous cost increase, if passed onto its dealers and retail customers, would have an immediate and lasting detrimental impact to its business in the region, reducing customer access to Harley-Davidson products and negatively impacting the sustainability of its dealers‘ businesses,‖ said the company in a public filing. While Harley-Davidson has not announced how many layoffs would result from offshoring, the company had already been consolidating its U.S. operations and has eliminated hundreds of jobs. In York, Pennsylvania, where Harley-Davidson makes motorcycle engines, the company has added personnel to its 930-worker plant. The Trump administration is renegotiating trade deals with Mexico and Canada outside the existing NAFTA framework. On Aug. 27, President Trump announced the United States had made a preliminary trade agreement with Mexico, although all the details have not been made public. He also announced the U.S. would be negotiating a separate deal with Canada. ―The United States has been part of many multilateral trade agreements and NAFTA was one of them, but we walked away from the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that was about to be signed before Trump got elected, and this signaled the beginning of a new era in U.S. trade policy,‖ said Fariborz Ghadar, William A. Schreyer Professor of Global Management Policies at The Pennsylvania State University‘s Smeal College and founding director of The Center for Global Business Studies. ―President Trump‘s position all along has been that we have a national trade deficit with the world but particularly with China, Mexico and European countries, and he was adamant that we should try to balance our trade so that we sell as much as we buy from those countries.
28 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
―That‘s not easy to achieve, however, because not every country has the same size economy as the United States, and in general, the United States sells much less than we buy because other countries like to invest in the United States and buy U.S. treasury bills, so to achieve complete trade equilibrium where our imports and exports with each country is probably not an achievable goal. ―However, Trump‘s position on trade is partially correct, which is that some of these countries are abusing the trade agreements, so tariffs are what he‘s using to get them to trade more fairly.‖ Ghadar said that each country has an industry or group of industries it tries to protect. In the case of the U.S., it is the steel and aluminum industries. With Japan, it is the rice industry. With Canada, it is the cheese industry. ―In Japan, there are a lot of small, family-owned rice farms, and if Japan let American rice imports in without imposing tariffs, it would put all those rice farmers out of business,‖ said Ghadar. ―So everything else is worked out in the U.S.-Japan trade agreement, but we can‘t sell rice to Japan, and we understand that, so we let it go.‖ Canada has a similar issue with cheese imports from the U.S. ―Wisconsin makes cheese that‘s known throughout the world, and it‘s right over the border from Canada, but if they let U.S. cheese into Canada without hefty import taxes, the Canadian dairy farmers who depend on making cheese from their milk are going to get wiped out. ―So, in this case, using a ‗stick‘ is the wrong negotiating tool.‖ When is using the ―stick‖ warranted? ―The place where using tariffs is justified is for violating intellectual property rights, particularly in the case of China,‖ said Ghadar. ―As our economy has become more sophisticated, we no longer export raw materials such as steel and rubber, we export Apple iPhones, routers and jet airplanes. ―China, however, is insisting that airplane manufacturers assemble the planes in China and teach the Chinese how to make them, so they can compete with us in airplane manufacturing.‖ Chinese companies also make numerous counterfeit products such as smart phones, luxury brand bags and purses and even fake Hondas and BMWs. ―With no means of legal enforcement, the issue of protecting intellectual property rights is the single biggest hurdle for U.S. companies to overcome when thinking about entering the Chinese market,‖ said Ghadar.
29 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
―The U.S. has been the flag bearer for Europe and Japan by telling them they can‘t force our companies to come there by insisting they give them their IP rights. ―Eventually, like Japan, China will start making their own proprietary products, and they will become concerned with protecting their IP rights. ―China is now honoring intellectual property rights on artificial intelligence, because they are creating unique AI technology. ―But until the Chinese have a lot of IP to protect, you need a big ‗stick‘ to get them to respect your IP rights.‖ . https://www.pabusinesscentral.com/articles/fair-trade-domestic-manufacturers-sayotherwise/
Sierra Leone News: Agriculture Ministry plans to reduce rice importation by 20% annually Fertile rice fields key to food security The development of a strong agricultural sector was identified by previous and current governments in order to tackle food security, hunger, malnutrition and imbalances in imports of food. In November 2017, the Global Hunger Index ranked Sierra Leone as the third hungriest country in the world. The country is spending over $200 million USD annually on rice importation. Most of the farmers in the country are engaged in subsistence farming, which is not enough to provide food sufficiency for the nation. As a way to bridge that gap, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in collaboration with the Tony Blair Institute held an interactive session to strategically plan a national agricultural transformation that can surmount the many challenges in the agricultural sector. According to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Sam K. Brima, ―The Ministry aims at reducing rice importations by 20% annually.‖ Sierra Leoneans have faced serious challenges of food self-sufficiency. Dep. Minister Brima said the national agricultural transformation strategy has four main priorities including rice self-sufficiency and livestock development. He mentioned that the political will is there in order to develop the agricultural sector, which he said can be of benefit to all Sierra Leoneans. He furthered that they held the planning session to set the right strategy for the process. A teacher, Joseph Sesay, said, ―If the government is able to reduce the importation of rice by 20% annually, it will add value to our own locally grown rice and the problem of hunger in the country will dwindle.‖ He said there have been several agricultural projects through the Ministry that cost billions of Leones. But, he noted, nothing is there to show for those projects or that donor money. MJB/12/9/18
30 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
By Mohamed J. Bah Thursday September 13, 2018. https://awoko.org/2018/09/27/sierra-leone-news-agriculture-ministry-plans-to-reduce-riceimportation-by-20-annually/
India, Pakistan Competing to Capture Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rice Market Š AP Photo / Anupam Nath Asia & Pacific 17:33 27.09.2018(updated 19:57 27.09.2018) Get short URL
Until a few years ago, China did not import rice from India over food safety and quality concerns. China mainly depended on Pakistan for the bulk of its rice imports. However, after signing an agreement earlier this year on phytosanitary requirements, China has opened its doors for certain varieties of Indian rice. New Delhi (Sputnik): China has opened its doors to Indian non-basmati rice and the first consignment of 100 tons is to be shipped from the western Indian city of Nagpur on Friday. The consignment will be received by China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO), which is one of China's state-owned food processing companies. "After concerted efforts of the Government of India, 19 rice mills and processing units have been registered for export of non-basmati rice from India to China," a statement issued by India's Ministry of Commerce reads. READ MORE: India to Launch Massive Publicity Campaign to Woo Chinese Tourists
31 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Presently, Pakistan is the largest supplier of non-basmati rice to China. As per Pakistan's government data, Pakistan exported 233,000 metric tons of rice valuing $83 million in the eightmonth period between July 17 and February 2018.
China had allowed imports of basmati rice from India some years back, but there is not much demand for it in the country. To narrow down the burgeoning trade deficit, the Indian government had asked China to allow the import of broken white rice by 5 percent. The protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the concerned department of India on phytosanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China was signed on June 9 this year at Qingdao, China, during a visit by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi. READ MORE: China's CNG, India's SUN Gold to Invest $485Mln in Gold Deposit in Russia For years, China had declined India's request to allow rice, as it was alleged that India's rice consignments contained "khapra" (cabinet) beetle and were unfit for consumption. India wants to increase exports to China with a view to bridging its ballooning trade deficit, which has increased to $63.12 billion in 2017-18 from $51.08 billion in the previous fiscal. https://sputniknews.com/asia/201809271068392418-india-pakistan-chinas-rice-market/
Prices fall, but rice imports hit Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:06 AM September 29, 2018
HOT ITEM Residents queue for NFA rice in Quezon City.
32 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Prices of commercial rice in Nueva Ecija province have started to fall due to rice imported by the National Food Authority (NFA) to stabilize the market.
Nueva Ecija has been allocated 90,000 bags of rice from Thailand, which are now being delivered to the NFA warehouses in Cabanatuan City. As of Thursday, commercial rice, which used to sell for P47 a kilogram, was selling for P42 a kg, according to NFA provincial manager, Genoveva Villar. P2 profit But like people lining up for cheap rice, accredited NFA retailers have been enduring long lines to get their allocations. Melvin de Guzman, an NFA retailer, said vendors had to exert the effort because they did not see how prices of commercial rice could go down to P38-P39 a kg in the coming days. â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Traders are buying the fresh harvest at P22 to P23 a kg,â&#x20AC;&#x2013; he said.
33 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
―When milled, the grain is sold for P44 a kg in the market,‖ he added. Retailers, he said, wanted to get the NFA allocation, which they could sell for P32 per kg for a profit of P2. Not a solution But a network of farmers and scientists in Mindanao expressed concern over the decision of the Department of Agriculture to import rice and other agriculture products to solve crisis and ease supply shortage. Leo XL Fuentes, Mindanao regional coordinator of the group Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura said this ―band-aid‖ solution would only increase the country‘s dependence on imports and threaten the country‘s food security in the long run. Added consumption ―If this government is sincere, it should instead adopt a more comprehensive food security plan,‖ Fuentes said. ―It must immediately legislate genuine agrarian reform and distribute land to the tillers and put a moratorium on land and crop conversion,‖ he said. But President Duterte made light of the crisis on Thursday when he said it was the drug addicts on rehab who were now eating the staple. The President, speaking before new career executives, said his war on drugs saw the surrender of hundreds of thousands of drug addicts who had become so thin. Mr. Duterte said they were thin because they were not eating and tended to grind their teeth as a result of taking ―shabu‖ (crystal meth). ―Now that many have been rehabilitated, we have a rice crisis because the fools are eating again,‖ he said.
34 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
―Maybe the next time there is a crisis, you distribute shabu so the others can eat and we can save rice for the others, especially the innocent and good ones,‖ he said in jest. —REPORTS FROM MART SAMBALUD, ANSELMO ROQUE, ARMAND GALANG AND CHRISTINE AVENDAÑO
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1037371/prices-fall-but-rice-imports-hit
China lifts restrictions on import of non-basmati rice from India COMMODITY NEWS by Abha Toppo September 28, 2018 09:51 AM IST
Good news for the Indian rice exporters as China has lifted restrictions on the import of nonbasmati rice from India. According to an official release from the Commerce Ministry, ―The first consignment of non-basmati rice of 100 tonnes will be dispatched to the neighboring country from Nagpur on 28 September. China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) will receive the consignment. It must be noted that COFCO is one of China's stateowned food processing holding companies.
35 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
India since a long time has been urging China to lift the restrictions and seeing these concerted efforts the Chinese quality agency recently examined and registered 19 rice mills and processing units for export. The protocol between the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare of the Republic of India and General Administration of Customs of the People‘s Republic of China on phytosanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China was inked in June at Qingdao during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to the country. This made changes in the earlier protocol on phytosanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China to include the export of non-basmati varieties of rice from India. Beijing allowed imports of Basmati rice from India a few years back but as there is not much demand for it in the country, it had put restrictions. https://krishijagran.com/commodity-news/china-lifts-restrictions-on-import-of-nonbasmati-rice-from-india/
ITC to sell rice, compete with India Gate, Daawat Avik Das | TNN | Updated: Sep 29, 2018, 16:59 IST
BENGALURU: ITC is entering the packaged rice segment under the Aashirvaad brand, the brand under which it sells flour, salt, spices and instant mixes. The maker of cigarettes to cookies is doing a pilot in Bengaluru with rice, and doing it in a unique way. Rather than putting it on retail shelves, ITC has decided to go door-to door, giving customers a 500 gm sona masoori rice sample. If they like it, they can call up the company‘s call centre and place a minimum order of 25 kg, which ITC says, suffices for a south Indian family of 5 for a month. ―There is no reason why this pilot should not work. The only thing that can hold us back is if we fail in the product,‖ Hemant Malik, divisional chief executive (foods), ITC, told TOI, adding that the company worked with the Central Rice Research Institute to develop the rice variant. Asked what would be considered a successful pilot, Malik said the company expects 30 people out of every 50 it talks to in a neighbourhood to taste the product and six of them to place an order. ―If not, then I will have to worry,‖ he said. The rice market is fragmented and mostly unorganised. One of the biggest brands is KRBL‘s India Gate. Then there‘s LT Foods‘ Daawat basmati rice, Amar Singh Chawalwala‘s Lal Qilla rice, and McCormick‘s Kohinoor basmati rice. ITC pegs the south India rice market alone at about Rs 1 lakh crore.
36 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Malik said ITC is ageing the rice for at least six months. ―That is when it becomes better when you cook. If you make the rice when the paddy is fresh, it is very soft as the starch is not ready for eating. Old rice is fluffier and does not stick,‖ he said.
Based on the success of the pilot, ITC will spread to other zones and will sell the dominant variety there. It is selling sona masoori in Bengaluru, the most favoured rice in Karnataka, but will opt for a gobind bhog variety in West Bengal. Aashirvaad is ITC‘s biggest foods brand and drives the sales of its non-cigarette business. Total sales of ITC‘s branded food business was Rs 8,668 crore for the fiscal ended March 31. In comparison, HUL ‗s food and refreshment business stood at Rs 6,379 crore, Britannia‘s at Rs 9,990 crore and Nestle India‘s at Rs 10,192 crore. Nestle follows a calendar year.
ITC‘s foods business includes brands like Sunfeast biscuits, Bingo salted snacks, Yippee noodles & pastas, and Kitchens of India ready-to-eat gourmet cuisine. Earlier this month, it said it plans to launch ready-to-drink, milkbased beverages that will compete with products from the likes of Coca-Cola, Amul and Britannia. That product, Sunfeast Wonderz, will initially be launched in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Haryana Rice Millers urge govt to relax rice procurement conditions Kaithal, Sep 28 (UNI) Haryana's Rice Millers and Dealers Association on Friday urged the government to provide 4-5 per cent relaxation to Rice Millers doing custom milling during the procurement, beginning on October 1. Amarjeet Chhabra, president of the association, said that they have urged the government to withdraw the condition of five per cent bank guarantee sought from the Millers, who had taken rice mills on lease to do custom milling, as heavy rains in September had damaged the paddy crop, affecting the quality of rice. About 200 rice mills will be affected by this decision, he said, adding that rice industry was already reeling under recession and if the government failed to address their genuine demands, it will adversely affect the market scenario and discourage the Millers from making paddy purchases, while facing adverse market conditions.
37 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
The farmers may not get remunerative price, which may create problems for the government. Mr Chhabra urged Chief Minister Manohar Lal to personally intervene to save the Rice industry, which had been earning substantial foreign currency through exports.
Indonesia eager to buy 1m tons of rice from Pakistan By Owais Qarni Published: September 29, 2018
Pakistan, Indonesia had agreed to deepen trade ties. PHOTO: FILE MULTAN: Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan Iwan Suyudhie Amri has said that Jakarta is working to establish a mutually acceptable mechanism for the import of one million tons of rice from Pakistan by 2019.
38 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Speaking to members of the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on Friday, Amri invited local manufacturers, exporters and industrialists to take part in the 33rd Trade Expo in Indonesia, which would be held from October 24 to 28 for promoting business ventures. ―We have decided to grant free 30-day visa to traders and visitors from 174 countries; registered buyers will be welcomed at Jakarta‘s Soekarno-Hatta Airport,‖ he said. Tracing bilateral relations, he said the two countries have had friendly and cordial ties since the inception. ―However, now we should make serious efforts to translate these relations into greater economic partnership,‖ he stressed. ―The volume of bilateral trade is $2.18 billion which is far less than the existing potential.‖ He was of the view that exports from Pakistan should increase by a considerable degree. He praised the improved law and order situation in Pakistan, saying it would definitely impact exports to Indonesia positively. Pointing to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said it would attract foreign investment and also benefit all regional countries. ―Indonesia is a country with a huge population of 250 million; our domestic market is very strong which has provided us a solid base for speedy economic growth.‖ Regarding halal food, Amri said Pakistan was quickly adopting halal food certification which would help raise its halal product exports to Indonesia. Earlier in his welcome address, MCCI President Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan highlighted the importance of the region, saying Multan contributed 96% to total production in Punjab and 70% to the country‘s production.
39 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
―It has 47% share in wheat harvest, 23% in sugarcane, 50% in livestock and also produces good-quality mangoes,‖ he said.
Awan pointed out that trade between Pakistan and the Southeast Asian nation had been growing strongly for the last couple of years. The volume of bilateral trade grew from $700 million in 2010 to $2.3 billion in 2016, up 229%. ―Pakistan is not ready to explore Far East markets including Indonesia. Unless our exporters go for innovation and branding, the situation is not going to change,‖ said Awan. Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2018 https://tribune.com.pk/story/1813939/2-indonesia-eager-buy-1m-tons-rice-pakistan/
Indonesia to import 1m tonnes of rice from Pakistan 28.09.2018 | UkrAgroConsult Indonesian Ambassador in Pakistan Iwan Suyudhie Amri said on Thursday that an agreement would soon be signed to export one million tonnes of rice from Pakistan to Indonesia by 2019. He said work was underway to devise a mutually acceptable mechanism. Addressing the members of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), he invited the local manufacturers, exporters and industrialists to take part in 33rd Trade Expo in Indonesia to be held from Oct 24 to 28 to promote business. He further revealed that his country had decided to grant 30-day free visa to the traders and visitors from 174 countries for the expo. Tracing the relations between the two countries, he said that it was friendly and cordial since the inception of two countries. ―However, now we should make serious efforts to translate these relations into economic terms. He said that volume of bilateral trade between the two countries is 2.18 billion dollars which is
40 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
far less than the existing potential. He further said that law and order situation has improved in Pakistan and it will definitely have positive impact on its exports to Indonesia. Regarding CPEC, he said that it will attract foreign investment and all regional countries will enjoy its benefits. He said that Indonesia is a country with huge population of 250 million. "Our domestic market is very strong which has provided us a solid base for speedy economic growth," he added. Regarding Halal food, he said, Pakistan is speedily undertaking the process of Halal food certification which will help it make maximum Halal exports to the Indonesia. Commenting on people to people contacts, he said that Indonesia is offering scholarships to Pakistani students which will bring both the communities closer to each other. Responding to a question about health and education related reforms, he said that Indonesia has allocated 20 percent of its budget for education as elementary level education is free. Similarly, cross subsidy is offered in health sector. The rich are charged while the poor are getting free treatment. He hoped that the system will be further improved in the coming years. He also assured to remove the hurdles in the export of rock salt from Pakistan to Indonesia. He paid glowing tribute to deceased former Ambassador of Indonesia Burhan Muhammad who worked hard to bolster the bilateral relations between the two counties. Earlier in his address of welcome, Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan, President of MCCI, underlined the importance of the region and said it shares 96 percent of total production of Punjab province and 70 % of the country. He said 47 % wheat, 23 % sugarcane, 50% livestock, and it produces good quality of mangoes. He said that trade between Pakistan and the Southeast Asian giant has been growing strongly for the last couple of years. The volume of bilateral trade grew from $700 million in 2010 to $2.3 billion in 2016, up 229%, he said.―Pakistan‘s problem is that it is not ready to explore far-eastern markets, including Indonesia. Unless our exporters go for innovation and branding, the situation is not going to change,‖ said Malik Asrar Ahmed.The two countries signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2005 and the preferential trade agreement (PTA) in 2012, which became operational in 2013. Indonesia‘s exports to Pakistan increased from $1.2 billion in 2012 to $2.2 billion in 2016-17 while Pakistan‘s exports to Indonesia unfortunately declined from $196 million to $137 million. Pakistan‘s major exports to Indonesia include textiles and clothing, rice, vegetables and fruits (mainly oranges) while its major import item from Indonesia is palm oil. http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/indonesia-to-import-1m-tonnes-of-rice-frompakistan
41 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,
Indonesia keen to import 1m tons of rice from Pakistan The Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan stated the volume of bilateral trade is $2.18 billion, which is far less than the current potential ByMonitoring Report September 29, 2018MULTAN: Indonesia has expressed keenness to buy one million tons of rice from Pakistan, said its Ambassador to Pakistan Iwan Suyudhie Amri.While talking to members of Multan Chamber of Commerce (MCC) on Friday, Mr Amri said Jakarta was working to reach a mutually agreeable mechanism for the import of one million of tons of rice from Pakistan, reports Express Tribune. He extended an invitation to local manufacturers, exporters and industrialists to participate in the 33rd Trade Expo to be held in Indonesia from October 24th to 28thfor promoting business ventures.Mr Amri stated it has been decided that a free 30-day visa will be given to traders and visitors from 174 countries and registered buyers would be welcomed at Jakartaâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Soekarno-Hatta airport. Recalling the origination of bilateral ties between both countries, Mr Amri said they had cordial and friendly ties since the beginning.He added, serious efforts now need to be made to translate these relations into greater economic partnership.The Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan stated the volume of bilateral trade is $2.18 billion, which is far less than the current potential.He believes exports from Pakistan should rise by a considerable extent. And Mr Amri commended the improved law and order situation in the country would positively impact exports to Indonesia.Talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Mr Amri said it would attract benefit foreign investment and provide advantages to all regional countries.Mr Amri while talking about halal food said Pakistan was quickly embracing halal food certificates which would assist in increasing these exports to Indonesia. https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/09/29/indonesia-keen-to-import-1m-tons-of-rice-from-pakistan/
42 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
,