China to subsidise grain transportation and storage facilities
Adapting into the New Year by Chris Jackson, Export Manager UK TAG Here we are into another year so firstly I would like to wish you all a very Prosperous 2018. Looking back on 2017 for me, it has been a great privilege to have been able to visit many different countries and see our diverse industry in so many forms. From the vast corporate farming industry where food is produced on an industrial scale, to the subsistence farming systems of the world where people rely totally on their ability to grow their own food - simply to live with no other sources of income. In most of the countries that I visit, there is real concern from their Governments to try and raise living standards; this is often very restricted by the amount of land that is held by these people. Some counties such as the Philippines, Indonesia and India understand this problem and are actively encouraging diversification, by getting their farmers to adopt different farming methods; moving from growing small areas of rice or cereals to livestock production. The scenario is to start with a few chickens for eggs and meat, building these up. Then moving onto pig production, which gives an even better income stream, because of the fast breeding turn around and the enhanced food conversion of the modern animal. Then on to dairy and beef production, and where possible also fish farming with tilapia and shrimp. In the rural areas access to quality feed can be problematic with poor infrastructure and access to markets, this is not helped by having high prices for small quantity delivery, needed to supply these markets or the cash needed to get systems started. Direct subsidies have never worked; even here in the western world they are not the answer. Indonesia, I believe is setting a very good example by helping communities to help themselves, by establishing co-operatives at village and regional levels, increasing 38 | January 2018 - Milling and Grain
buying and selling power. Education and training are vital elements to improving livelihoods along with this there is a need to keep people on farms and stop the rush to cities to improve their incomes and living standards where so many dreams are smashed by the realities of city life. Increasing food production alone is not enough, food processing is another way to quickly improve farm incomes, this necessitates capital expenditure and it is here that Governments and banks will need to assist. Where fresh food can be processed locally, more markets are opened up as the raw materials shelf life is vastly increased; more markets are then accessible especially important in areas where transport is far from easy. In addition to these measures, the supply of better genetics will produce more, with less inputs is another area where help can be easily given, if the political will is there - as demonstrated in the Punjab, where the state is offering enhanced cattle semen and pig genetics to help the farmers improve their outputs. Whereas our industrial scale farming is relying on more machinery and robotic technology, a diminishing rural workforce is moving on. In the UK technology has been developed that has seen experimentally a crop of wheat planted grown and harvested without any human going into the field The one thing that with help, for farming, is given that none of us can change weather, which affects all of our livelihoods, as farmers we learn to work with and around it. As I write these few notes we are freezing in the UK whilst my family in Australia have to cope with very high temperatures, we all have to adapt. My hope for this coming year is that we do not see anymore natural disasters, be it flooding, tornados or anything else, which will damage our farmers ability to produce food. @AgrictecExports
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hina plans to subsidise grain transportation and storage facilities in the latest push by Beijing to modernise the world’s largest agriculture sector. Beijing will subsidise projects upgrading or building facilities to load and receive grains along main railways and ports for major waterways including the Yangtze and Pearl rivers, a document issued by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Friday. The document stated, “Setting up the special funds will help to reduce the cost of grain distribution and improve efficiency.” Inadequate transportation capacity for grain has caused backlog in the north and spiked prices in the past, while poor storage facilities are a major cause of grain losses in China. China, which aims to improve its grain logistics system and boost grain storage capacity by 2020, will also subsidise grain facilities that offer storage, processing, trading and quality inspection services, the NRDC document said. These so-called logistic parks must occupy at least 20 hectares of land and have more than 100,000 tonnes of storage capacity, the document said, adding that a single project could receive as much as 100 million yuan (US$15 million). (US$1 = 6.6035 Chinese yuan renminbi).