14 january 2013 gloabl & regional rice news riceplus magazine(www ricepluss com)

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Internaional & Local Rice News News Highlights:  EU continues levy on Pak rice  Uncertainty about QRC hits rice exports  Market outlook bright for rice, soybeans  Philippine Rice Production Rises as Acreage Climbed, UN FAO Says

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NFA buying more rice S'poreans buying less Thai rice Commerce Min expects 500,000 tons of rice export in January Exporters shift to non-Thai rice Low paddy price frustrates farmers Lack of buying pounds rice More Than 259 Lakh Tonne Rice Procured Iran imports 897,000 tons of rice in 9 months Niger State Acquires100,000 Hectares of Land For Rice Production Relief for Region Five rice farmers as gov’t braces for water battle

NEWS DETAILS:

EU continues levy on Pak rice By: Our Staff Reporter | January 14, 2013

LAHORE - Being signatory of World Trade Organisation’s regime, Pakistan has no other option but to except opening of trade with India. However, Islamabad can protect its farmers by imposing countervailing duty, as under WTO regime up to 100 per cent duty can be imposed on import of agri products from India, which is also being practiced by the EU as well as the US. “The EU has presently been imposing duty of 175 euro per ton on Pak rice under this regime,” observed Rice Exporters Association vice chairman Ch Samee Ullah. He suggested that trade of rice should be allowed through Wagha border on immediate basis. High quality Indian basmati rice is grown just 30-KM away from Wahga Lahore, transporting it from Amritsar through Lahore to Karachi Port is time and cost efficient. It is highly opportunistic to import Indian high quality basmati rice from Wahga to Lahore under DTRE and re-export it with value addition through Karachi, he informed.

“For any imports of Indian rice for re-export purposes, a Duty and Tax Remission for Exports (DTRE) scheme should be allowed which could help exporters avoid countervailing and other duties, keeping us price competitive in international markets. The DTRE Scheme would ensure increase export volumes and capacity, helping gain higher foreign exchange of up to $3 billion.” However, in the interest of farmers, he recommended the authorities that after trade liberalisation with India government should keep limit of 100kg bag on import of

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rice from India while the import items allowed must be only whole grain rice (Maximum 5pc broken) and all by-products must be restricted across the borders.

The REAP warned the commerce ministry that in case farmers interest is not safeguarded, the Association will file application with National Tariff Commission as farmers’ benefit on the top of priority.

The REAP vice chairman stated that as Indian agriculture sector is highly subsidised, bilateral trade with India in rice would knock farmers out of the competition. “For that, we recommend that import of rice from India for local consumption with in Pakistan is countervailed by imposing countervailing duty in proportionate to the difference of subsidised inputs available by Indian farmer. As India has discriminately imposed 70 per cent duty on import of Pak rice so we need to cater that segment out,� he suggested.

Pakistan rice export volume can be escalated to $3 billion from existing worth of about $2 billion after opening trade through Wagha, if government takes all stakeholders on board and finalise trade liberalisation policy with India. Ch Samee said that Pakistan can benefit from huge market of around 1.3 billion consumers by opening of trade with India. Instead of bureaucracy, the real stakeholders - manufacturers as well as growers - can turn this opportunity into a blessing that can put two countries on the path of prosperity.

Uncertainty about QRC hits rice exports January 12, 2013,GHULAM ABBAS

The government move to take control of Quality Review Committee (QRC) from Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) dealt no good to export of rice which dipped 35 to 40 percent. Exporters are now taking the issue as one of the stumbling blocks in the export of rice. The QRC in government control has created uncertainty about exports, they added.

Though the negotiations with the government were going on, the issue remains unresolved for the last around eight months. Reap was trying to restore the status of QRC getting again under the control of the association. A leading exporter of rice, on condition of anonymity said the Ministry of Commerce (MoC), while taking control of the QRC, has promoted corruption and mismanagement in the committee.

The MoC vide notification number 4(10)/05-E superseded public notice dated March 3,1999 and had taken fiscal and other control of the QRC and placed it under the control of Director General (DG) Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) as its chairman. However, on the other hand the small exporters who had concerns about the earlier status of QRC under Reap, had welcomed the move while demanding that the ministry and TDAP should also ensure complete recovery of proceeds and correct transfer of accounts of QRC with inspection fees collected since 1999, correct expenditure figures and tax liabilities from the Reap before issuing clearance certificate.

Sources in Reap claimed that the QRC under the ministry would provide opportunities to the vested interests in the ministry and TDAP to demand kickbacks for getting the quality certificates. Besides, genuine exporters would also face delays in trade activities due to the cumbersome documentation and filing system in government offices.

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It was Reap which pushed the country's exports from $400 million to over $2 billion since the association started controlling the QRC. Being private organisation, the association was strictly monitoring the quality of rice for exports. The counter parts of the organisation were also praising the role of Reap for maintaining standards and quality of the country's rice, they claimed.

However, in a statement, officials of Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (Unisame) said it was very important to reconcile the accounts of the QRC from 1999 till date and secure the documents of property purchased with QRC funds before relieving the former management. It invited the attention of the Auditor General of Pakistan to have the accounts checked.

The collection of inspection fees by a body not qualified to inspect the rice consignments shipped to global destinations nor collect fees in this manner is beyond comprehension and in fact a mockery of the system of inspection, nevertheless due to patronage of the successive governments and the obstinacy of the ministers who were misguided by big exporters who wanted to control the rice business. They let the body exist despite court rulings and strong objections from Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

Unisame urged the MoC to intervene and resolve the dispute between the TDAP and the Reap regarding the issue of collection of fees of rice inspection by the QRC as both organisations were issuing contrary notices.

The TDAP has issued an order demanding fees to be paid by pay order/demand draft or cheque in favour of QRC and simultaneously Reap has issued a circular to its members instructing them to issue cheques favouring Reap till such time a joint account is opened for collection of rice inspection fees.

The Union demanded dissolution of the QRC as it is serving no practical purpose and has become an impediment in the way of rice exports considering the fact it was not eligible for pre-shipment inspection (PSI).

The union had challenged its formation since its inception due to its shortcomings, drawbacks and defective structure.

Market outlook bright for rice, soybeans That was the message given to more than 50 Southwest Louisiana rice and soybean growers attending an agriculture forum last week in Welsh.

LSU AgCenter economist Mike Salassi says rice and soybean prices have been rising the last few years but could become more stable as farmers plant fewer crops and report less yields due to anticipated changes in the farm bill.

Salassi says the market average is $14.50 to $15 a hundredweight for rice, while soybean prices likely peaked at $13 to $15 in December and will decline. “Rice prices look like they are holding steady and may even raise a little bit before the end of the marketing year in August,� he said.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates domestic use and export of the crop are at higher levels than in the previous year, he said.

“They are estimating we are going to end this year in the summer with less rice carried over in terms of total volume as well as percent of use,” he said. “These are the numbers the market looks at to determine where prices are going to go.”

Soybean acreage was also up but because of the drought, the average yield was down, Salassi said.

Rice farmers are closely watching a farm bill under consideration in Congress, he said.

“Out of all of the commodities, rice is probably going to be the most negatively impacted because their payments are going to be reduced,” he said.The current farm bill expired Dec. 31, but has been extended for nine months, Salassi said.

China's demand for rice could impact U.S. market Rice poised to rebound?

Corn, wheat and soybeans are the headline-grabbing grains for most U.S. commodities traders, who largely ignore rice. This is primarily because the United States is a minor rice producer and consumer, making that market less relevant to U.S. farmers and consumers.

Prices have been relatively stable near 15 cents per pound for the last year, but some analysts believe that heavy Chinese buying could cause the U.S. market to come to life. Approximately 40 percent of the U.S. rice crop is exported to foreign countries. U.S. rice farmers are unable to sell to the growing Chinese market, although changes under way indicate the world’s largest rice consumer could soon open its doors to U.S. exports.

As of midday Friday, rough rice for March delivery, traded in Chicago, was worth 15.22 cents per pound, down nearly 40 percent from the all-time high of 24.68 cents made in 2008.

Corn rallies

A USDA report released at 11 a.m. CST on Friday showed increasing demand for corn and led to projections that the U.S. will run dangerously low on corn before this fall’s crop is harvested. Prices rallied as much as 24 cents (+3.4 percent) on Friday, with corn for March delivery trading for $7.20 per bushel at noon.

Japanese yen falls, Euro rises

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After much anticipation, the Japanese government announced a new stimulus package Friday. The stimulus package will amount to 10.3 trillion yen (over $110 billion) in new government spending aimed at stopping deflation and reviving the struggling Japanese economy.

The stimulus package effort was led by the newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, vowing to renew Japanese economic competitiveness by weakening the Japanese yen so Japanese goods can become cheaper in the world market. It is widely believed the new stimulus package will be paid for by new yen printed by the Bank of Japan, and will therefore lead to higher inflation in the island nation.

During the week, the Japanese yen fell to 1.12 cents (-1.5 percent), the lowest price in 2 1/2years.

Unlike the yen, which has been in a sharp downtrend, the Euro currency exploded upward this week following reports that the European Central Bank would not lower interest rates as expected. One Euro currency was worth $1.3333 late Friday morning.

Opinions are solely the writer’s. Walt Breitinger is a commodity futures broker in Valparaiso, Ind. He can be reached at (800) 411-3888 or www.indiana- futures.com.

Philippine Rice Production Rises as Acreage Climbed, UN FAO Says

By Whitney McFerron - Jan 14, 2013 10:42 PM GMT+0500 Rice production in the Philippines, the world’s fourth-biggest importer, may rise 6 percent year-on- year due to increased planting, the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization said.

Aggregate rice production, including the main season and ongoing secondary season, may total 18 million metric tons, up from 16.998 million tons a year earlier, the Rome-based FAO wrote today in a country report on its website. That’s equivalent to 11.8 million tons of milled rice. The main-crop harvest, which finished in midDecember, rose 11 percent from a year earlier to a record 10.1 million tons, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics’ estimate cited in the report.

“The increase mainly reflects an expansion in the planted area and higher yields following favorable weather as a result of the La Nina phenomenon during the main season,” the FAO said, referring to the weather pattern caused by cooling equatorial waters in the Pacific Ocean.

Corn production may total 7.42 million tons, up from 6.97 million tons a year earlier, the FAO said.Typhoon Bopha, which brought heavy rain and wind to parts of the country in early December, likely will have only a minimal impact on national grain production, the FAO said. The storm may have damaged about 28,000 hectares of rice and 35,000 hectares of corn, mostly in the Northern Mindanao and Davao regions.Philippine

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grain import requirements in the 2012-13 marketing year that began June 1 may total 4.2 million tons, 21 percent less than a year earlier, as domestic production expands, the FAO said. The country is expected to import 3.2 million tons of wheat.

NFA buying more rice

By Othel V. Campos | Posted on Jan. 15, 2013 at 12:00am

State-owned National Food Authority plans to increase local rice procurement of rice by 65.8 percent to 591,675 metric tons in 2013 from 356,667 MT last year.The NFA bought 7.13 million bags of 50-kilogram each from local farmers in 2012, including 2.59 million bags in Southern Tagalog, 1.12 million bags in Central Luzon, and 1.02 million bags in Cagayan Valley.

The food agency buys clean and dry palay or unmilled rice at P17 per kilogram with additional incentives such as delivery fee of maximum P0.50/kilo; drying incentive fee of P0.20/kilo; and incentive fund of P0.30/kilo.

It sold 762,226 bags of government rice in December alone, the biggest monthly sales last year.

This is attributed to the rice bought by relief agencies for calamity-stricken areas such as Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental in Mindanao.The NFA intensified palay-buying operations and simplified the requirements for selling palay to the agency to serve palay farmers more efficiently.It introduced procurement strategies such as lending empty sacks to farmers, opening buying stations in remote areas, coordinating with the municipal agricultural offices and surveying areas where harvesting was ongoing.The NFA also deployed mobile procurement teams in areas where farm prices were low.

S'poreans buying less Thai rice Jessica Lim The Straits Times Publication Date : 14 -01-2013 Singapore consumers are losing their loyalty to Thai rice, with more of them acquiring a taste for cheaper grains from Myanmar and Vietnam.Figures from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) show that from January to November last year, only 115,504 tonnes of Thai rice were consumed here. They made up 35.4 per cent of total imports.

Major rice importers said Thai rice imports are likely to be at their lowest-ever level.In the whole of 2011, Thai rice consumed here accounted for 50.6 per cent of total imports, which was down from 52.8 per cent in 2010 and 62.1 per cent in 2009.However, imports of rice from countries like India, Vietnam and Myanmar have

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grown by as much as nine-fold since 2004.The trend, said Andrew Tan, 33, chairman of the Singapore General Rice Importers Association, started in 2008 when global rice prices surged.

Then, flooding in Thailand - the world's top exporter - led to a shortage. Producing nations also curbed exports to ensure adequate domestic supply."When prices rose, importers here started to look for cheaper substitutes," said Tan.Topseller, which sells to thousands of hawker stalls and restaurants here, said 20 per cent of its rice imports are now from Vietnam, up from 5 per cent in 2008.

It also recently started shipping in rice from Cambodia.Vice-president Danny Tang, 40, noted that almost all the hawker-centre stalls it caters to have switched to Vietnamese rice.

He said a Thai government scheme, introduced in 2011, to buy rice from small-scale farmers at prices 50 per cent above market rates, has kept prices of Thai rice high.

Retailers said consumer demand dictates what they stock. At NTUC FairPrice, Thai rice has fallen in favour, making up about 70 per cent of the rice it sells, down from 95 per cent in 2007."We noticed that consumers are becoming more open to trying rice from new sources and more are switching to these alternative sources," said Tng Ah Yiam, FairPrice's managing director of group purchasing, merchandising and international trade.

A bag of FairPrice Gold Thai Hom Mali Superior Fragrant Rice costs S$24.80 for a 10kg bag. A 10kg bag of the similar grade FairPrice Vietnamese Jasmine fragrant rice costs S$15.50.Last year, the supermarket chain, also a major rice importer, started offering Taiwanese rice.

At Sheng Siong, 70 per cent of its housebrand rice is Thai, down from 100 per cent five years ago.Housewife Jenny Koh, 53, a mother of three, switched to Vietnamese rice three months ago.

She says the grain is cheaper and took some getting used to. "It's a bit harder and less sweet. But I prefer to spend less on rice and more on meat," she said.

US$1 = S$1.22

Commerce Min expects 500,000 tons of rice export in January Tuesday, 15 January 2013By NNT

BANGKOK, 14 January 2013 The Commerce Ministry is expecting to export at least 500,000 tons of rice in January this year. According to the Commerce Ministry, rice export in the first week of January totaled 150,000 tons, rising by 43 percent year-on-year. The ministry believes that Thailand will export over 500,000 tons rice by the end of this month, thanks to the upcoming Chinese New Year Festival; when people stock up on rice for the New Year occasion. Judging by the rising volume, the ministry anticipates Thailand’s rice export to be over 8.5 million tons by the end of 2013, compared to 6.9 million tons last year .at The Commerce Ministry further

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revealed that Thailand is still obligated to export another 5.6 million tons of rice to its trading partners under the G-to-G basis calling for it to sell 7.3 million tons of rice.

Exporters shift to non-Thai rice Petchanet Pratruangkrai,The Nation January 14, 2013 1:00 am If last year was bad for the world's former No 1 exporter, this year could be even worse

Last year was the poorest on record for Thai rice exports and this year could be even worse due to high prices under the pledging scheme, which has ruined Thai rice's competitiveness in the world market.

"The more exporters take orders, the more they incur losses. Rice trading is now considered a 'sunset' industry because of the high costs, low margins and intervention by the government," Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said last week.According to the association, exports of Thai rice, excluding white rice, plunged by 39 per cent last year to 5 million tonnes from 8.2 million tonnes in 2011.

Jasmine rice was 1.8 million-1.9 million tonnes. Total exports reached 6.9 million tonnes last year, compared with 10.5 million tonnes in 2011.

Many exporters told The Nation their volumes and incomes dropped by an average of 20-30 per cent in 2012 and their performance this year would decline further because the high subsidy scheme has been extended.To stay afloat, many exporters have shifted to trading rice from neighbouring countries, have set up rice trading businesses in other Asean countries or have even planned to downsize their business. "Rice exporters have low margins and some ran losses because they accepted orders, despite facing losses, in order to keep their customers. Exporters cannot raise prices due to the high competition, but their costs have soared in line with the high pledging costs," Chookiat said.

Normally exporters make a profit by selling large quantities as the margin in the industry is very thin at less than US$5 a tonne. However, with the high cost of rice, exporters could not raise prices, so they had to shoulder the higher costs instead.Only a few companies, which enjoy close connections with the government, can trade rice at a low cost and not suffer tremendously from the high pledging price, a source said.Chookiat said it was the hardest year for Thai rice exporters because buyers in many countries were not interested in purchasing Thai rice any longer because the price was too high. Trading of white rice and parboiled rice was down severely last year because of the tough competition from rivals. Jasmine rice exports also faced difficulties because fragrant rice from Cambodia and Vietnam is much cheaper.

For instance, Thai jasmine rice is quoted at $1,100 a tonne, while Cambodia's fragrant rice is at $750 a

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tonne.Vietnam's fragrant rice exports jumped from 300,000 tonnes a year to 750,000 tonnes last year.Leading exporters' reflections Wanlop Pichpongsa, deputy managing director of Capital Cereal, said the company's exports, mainly of white rice and parboiled rice, fell about 30 per cent to about 1.1 million tonnes last year because some customers could not accept the high price of Thai rice.

The firm has had to invest in neighbouring countries to maintain its rice trading business in the Asean region.Samphan Jantrakul, rice export manager at Toumi Intertrade, said his firm's exports plunged from 250,000 tonnes in 2011 to 200,000 tonnes last year. He said exports to every market dropped last year, particularly to the European market. The firm expects lower volume this year since the government will continue its high pledging price and hold huge stockpiles.

Vuttiphol Wanglee, assistant to the managing director of Chaitip, said the company's exports dropped 19 per cent to 25,000 tonnes. Chaitip expects flat sales or lower shipments this year. The firm has tried promoting rice under its own brand in overseas markets.The survey found that exports of Asia Golden Rice Co, one of Thailand's biggest exporters, declined from 1.9 million tonnes in 2011 to 1.19 million last year. The company has struggled to retain its customer base by trading rice from other countries such as Vietnam and Pakistan. Shipments to customers abroad of Thai Fa, another major rice exporter, also dived from 350,000 tonnes in 2011 to only 120,000 tonnes last year.

Low paddy price frustrates farmers Published : Monday, 14 January 2013

The farmers, especially small and marginal, in certain areas of the country are in frustration with low paddy price which is likely to lead them to switch over to farming other crops, reports BSS. The abrupt price hike of fuel along with inclement weather already have mounted pressure on food grain market, but it is being confined to certain areas which ultimately benefited the hoarders and big farmers as a whole.

Most of the poor and marginal farmers at different parts in the country have incurred enormous loss by producing paddy as they could not cover their production cost by selling their output.

"I had spent Tk 22,000 to cultivate aman rice on 4 bighas (100 decimals) and the turnover is not more than Tk 20,000 by selling 40 maunds of rice", said Abu Sayeed, a marginal farmer of village Biseswar of Kurigram Sadar Upazila under Kurigram district.

The selling price of a maund (38.37 kgs) paddy plummeted to Tk 450 to 500 and farmers are getting only Tk 4,000 by selling rice on a bigha of land while the production cost rose to Tk 6,000, said another farmer Kabir Kha of village Uttar Amragachia, Sarankhola Upazila of Bagerhat district.

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"I had cultivated two bighas and got only Tk 7,700 by selling 14 maunds of paddy against the total farming cost of Tk 16,000," said a marginal farmer Ashok Chiran of village Gaira of Madhupur Upazila in Tangail district.

Moreover, exorbitant cost in agricultural commodities including urea, pesticides and irrigation likely to compel the farmers in cultivating alternative crops other than rice, they added.

Regarding paddy price, Hafez Belal, a proprietor of Sundari Rice Mill of Santahar, told the news agency Sunday that "The price of all categories of paddy already has soared and it will ultimately benefit the hoarders and big farmers. He said now the market price of coarse variety of paddy rose to Tk 620-650 from Tk 520-550 and medium variety to Tk 700-710 from Tk 600-620."

According to the paddy wholesalers that abrupt fuel price hike by the government and unfavourable weather are the main causes to raise the paddy price during the last one week.

Besides, he said the government should purchase rice and paddy directly from the farmers which would create a pressure on paddy price.

Lack of buying pounds rice KARNAL, JAN 14:

Reduced off-take pulled aromatic and Sharbati rice varieties further down by Rs 50-100 a quintal on Monday, while all other non-basmati varieties continued to rule unchanged at their previous levels.

Absence of bulk buying pulled rice prices further down, said Amit Chandna, proprietor of Hanuman Rice Trading Company. Despite a fall, rice prices are still ruling on the higher side.

It’s hard to anticipate the market future as there has been too much volatility in the rice market over the last few weeks, he added.

In the physical market, Pusa-1121 (steam) went further down by Rs 100 at Rs 7,100 a quintal while Pusa-1121 (sela) was Rs 70 down at Rs 6,130.

Pure basmati (raw) quoted at Rs 8,100. Duplicate basmati (steam) was Rs100 down at Rs 5,700. Similarly, Sharbati (steam) rice prices eased by Rs 50 at Rs 4,380 while Sharbati (sela) was down by Rs 60 at Rs 4,300.

On the other hand, PR varieties remained unchanged at their previous levels. PR-11 (sela) sold at Rs 2,5502,650 while PR-11 (raw) quoted at Rs 2,550-2,600 . Permal (raw) sold at Rs 2,200-2,300 while Permal (sela) was at Rs 2,150-2,300.

PADDY ARRIVALS About 1,500 bags of PR variety were sold for Rs 1,220, 2,000 bags of Sharbati were at Rs 2,230.

About 1,000 bags of Sugandha 999 went for Rs 2,800. About 2,000 bags of Pusa-1121 were quoted at Rs 3,500.

Keywords: Reduced off-take, aromatic, Sharbati rice

More Than 259 Lakh Tonne Rice Procured 11 Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

The Government agencies have procured 259,62,916 lakh tonne rice during ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS), 2012-13. As per data made available to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, total rice procured till Jan. 14, 2013, during current KMS is 6% more than the rice procured during the corresponding period of the previous season.

Highest procurement has been made in Punjab, i.e. 85,56,984 tonne Chattisgarh-30,30,869 tonne, followed by Haryana-25,83,216 tonne. Andhra Pradesh-20,51,081 tonne and Odisha 11,24,446 also made significant procurement of rice.

Iran imports 897,000 tons of rice in 9 months Source: Mehr News Agency Iran imported 897,000 tons of rice, valued at $884 million, during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 20, 2012, ISNA reported, citing statistics released by the Iranian Customs Administration.

Compared to the same time span last year, the figures showed a 18.8 percent increase in terms of value and 3.3 percent rise in terms of volume.

India, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan were the main exporters of rice to Iran.

China, Austria, Thailand, Turkey, Singapore, Oman, and Russia were the other sources of rice exports to Iran.

On December 19, 2012, Mehdi Kabuli, an official with the country's Agricultural Jihad Ministry said that Iran needs to import 500,000 tons of rice each year.

Iran plans to produce over 2.4 million tons of rice in the current Iranian calendar year, Kabuli added.

Annual rice consumption in Iran stands around 2.8 million tons, so we only need to import less than 500,000 tons of rice this year, he said.

Iran plans to reach self-sufficiency in rice production during the next three years.

According to the Agriculture Jihad Ministry's plan, Iran was supposed to reach self-sufficiency in the rice production field by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2013), but the officials recently announced the plan needs some more 3 years to be completed.

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Niger State Acquires100,000 Hectares of Land For Rice Production Government has acquired over 100,000 hectares of land for its rice multiplication programme which is expected to engage over 50,000 rice farmers across the 25 local government areas in the state.

Acting Commissioner of Agriculture, Mohammed Zakari Abubakar , who revealed this to Channels Television in Minna, explained that the state government is determined to increase rice production in the state from the present 500,000 metric tonnes to 1,000,000 metric tonnes annually.

Abubakar also stated that the state government will deploy 25 tractors that will be available to the farmers at subsidized rate for renting while improved seedlings will be provided to the farmers to boost their production.He further mentioned that 60 hectares of the land will be reserved specifically for unemployed youths who will be funded by the state government.

The essence of the programme, according to Mister Abubakar, is to maintain the state’s status as one of the highest producer of rice in the country and also generate employment for the large army of unemployed youths in the state.

Relief for Region Five rice farmers as gov’t braces for water battle JANUARY 14, 2013 · BY STABROEK STAFF

As Central Government and its agencies battle to save thousands of acres of rice lands from dry conditions in Region 5, there has been some measure of relief to a number of farmers and they have expressed their willingness to cooperate on the rationing efforts.

One farmer of Esau and Jacob, Mahaicony said the water pumped from Mora Point has reached his area but pumping by farmers remains strictly monitored. He told Stabroek News yesterday that he managed to get his pumping done and he also said he was waiting 10 days just to “duck” his 40 acres of rice lands.

“I hear the other pump at Mora Point working now and we working out who get to pump water before who,” said Johnny. “They (MMA) can’t help everybody at one time but people trying to cooperate,” he said.

Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council of Region 5 Bindrabhan Bisnauth told Stabroek News yesterday that while the MMA is directly responsible for drainage and irrigation in Region 5, the region works in collaboration to ensure the success of these efforts. “Together we take initiatives to help farmers in the region but because of the high tides and the possibility of salt water intrusion the sluice at Hyde Park could not be opened.

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