18th april ,2016 daily global,regional & local rice enewsletter by riceplus magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 2016
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Vol 7,Issue IV April 18 ,2016
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 2016
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Editorial Board Chief Editor
Hamlik Managing Editor
Abdul Sattar Shah
Rahmat Ullah
Rozeen Shaukat English Editor
Maryam Editor
Legal Advisor
Advocate Zaheer Minhas
Editorial Associates
Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid
Javed Islam Agha
Ch.Hamid Malhi
Dr.Akhtar Hussain
Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui
Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF)
Islam Akhtar Khan Editorial Advisory Board
Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim Assistant Professor, Gomal University DIK
Dr.Hasina Gul Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
Dr.Hidayat Ullah Assistant Professor, University of Swabi
Dr.Abdul Basir Assistant Professor, University of Swabi
Zahid Mehmood PSO,NIFA Peshawar
Falak Naz Shah Head Food Science & Technology ART, Peshawar
Today Rice News Headlines...
Africa: Innovations Boost Income for Women Rice Farmers
Rice Importation: Customs Restate Commitment To Upholding
Restrictions
Fungal disease to cause 50pc loss of Boro yield, fear experts
Rice and fall of great desi crop: India has lost 1.10 lakh traditional
varieties
Gujarat had over 250 varieties of millet
Column: Towards sustainable agriculture
Trade deficit narrows as imports slow
State govt‘s Pusa 1509 basmati sale is illegal, say millers
Rice Agro-Economics 101 (Part 2)
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1454
News Detail...
Africa: Innovations Boost Income for Women
Rice Farmers By Busani Bafana
Malanville, Benin — Salabanya Tabaitou no longer squints from
the irritating wood smoke each time she has to parboil her rice
paddy.Now Tabaitou feeds logs into a chute of a specially
designed brick stove with a chimney that draws away the smoke.
The stove with a stainless steel parboiling vessel cooks her rice in
20 minutes - something she would have spent two hours doing
using the traditional method." The stove has made parboiling a
pleasant activity, less strenuous and something I look forward to
doing because I work with a team unlike in the past when I toiled
alone," Tabaitou says about the innovative heat efficient stove and
GEM parboiler developed by AfricaRice with women farmers in
mind.
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Parboiling, a task largely done by women, involves
partially boiling rice in the husk before it is milled.
The process protects the rice from breaking during
milling, preserves nutrition and enhances quality.
Parboiled rice is competitive, fetches higher price
and is in demand in Benin and many parts of west
and central Africa.Rice is a staple in many parts of
Africa but the continent is eating more rice that it
produces locally. Africa produced over 14 million
tonnes in 2015 and is a source of income for more
than 35 million smallholder farmers.New technologies introduced by AfricaRice - a pan African
research organisation - are helping women produce better quality, nutritious local rice that earns
them more income on the market. Half of the rice eaten in Sub Saharan Africa is imported taking
away local jobs and income.
Scientists from AfricaRice -- under the support to agricultural research for development of
strategic crops (SARD-SC) programme funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) --
introduced the 'innovation platform' (IP) approach in Benin.Innovation platforms are formal
groupings bringing together in value chains in a given agriculture commodity with the aim of
boosting information and knowledge sharing, and learning, to enhance the adoption of
technological solutions and institutional change. Furthermore, the platforms show usefulness of
new technologies and innovations designed to improve rice production, productivity and value
addition.Two such platforms have been introduced in Benin: the Glazoué IP in central Benin in
the rainfed rice environment and the Malanville IP in the irrigated rice environment, some 750
km in the north of the capital, Cotonou.
Tabaitou is a member of Malanville IP and one of the more than 500 women trained in
parboiling. The GEM parboiler has revolutionised how women prepare rice, achieving the triple
benefits working with ease, obtaining high quality rice, and earning better income from it.We
learnt a lot from other women in the Glazoue IP and we are confident this platform and the
technologies that we have access to for parboiling our rice will increase our income because the
GEM parboiling technology has reduced the labour and the rice we produce is of better quality
and over less time to parboil," Tabaitou told IPS.
Livelihood changes in Glazoué motivated AfricaRice to replicate the IP in Malanville and about
1,000 women households have been empowered through the innovation platforms.Dr. Sidi
Sanyang, leader of the Rice Sector Development Program and SARD-SC project coordinator for
AfricaRice says in the Glazoue IP, research evidence shows that the women have doubled the
quantity and income from parboiled rice compared to before they started using the GEM
technology."There were selling less than 2 tonnes of rice a month now they are selling up to 5
tonnes of rice per month in Glazoué and the Malanville IP is promising to achieve the same
success for women parboilers," said Sanyang. "The technologies and innovations we have
introduced are aimed at helping farmers especially women drive the market and in Malanville,
there have a huge market potential in nearby Nigeria, a high consumer of parboiled rice.
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"Women make up more than 50 per cent of rice farmers in Africa, but are a minority in enjoying
the same opportunities that men have in rice farming. Women lacked access to seed, tools and
implements and effective market opportunities that would make them competitive. This is
changing thanks to the IP approach which has availed appropriate technologies for women rice
farmers to produce more, high quality local rice that increases their food, nutrition and financial
security.The GEM parboiling technology uses less wood and water than the traditional system
and is equipped with hoists and rails to lift and move the heavy vessels in which the paddy is
steamed with ease by women.With the traditional system, the women parboilers were processing
only about 120 kg of paddy per session. Using GEM technology, they can process up to 400 kg
of paddy per session and are now aiming to increase the amount to 1 tonne.
Besides, the quality of the parboiled rice is similar to that of premium imported rice. Research
trials conducted by AfricaRice showed that, with GEM technologies and innovations, there was
less burned grains and impurities compared to using the traditional parboiling system.SARD-SC
project coordinator, Dr. Chrysantus Akem, indicated that the rice value chain of the SARD-SC
project covers 11 countries in West, East and Southern Africa and he is looking to setting up of
the GEM innovation platforms in Nigeria and Niger. In Nigeria, there is high demand for
parboiled rice and the need for higher capacity GEM parboilers.In addition to the GEM
parboiling technology, AfricaRice is also promoting handy weeders and a mini Axial Flow
Thresher (ASI), an improved rice thresher and cleaner suitable for women who are involved in
the planting, weeding, harvesting and post-harvest operations of rice."Rice is an important cash
crop for women as they play an increasingly important and recognized role in the whole rice
value chain, from seed to the table/mouth," says Afiavi Agboh-Noameshie, a gender specialist at
AfricaRice.
Agboh-Noameshie says in terms of technology development and dissemination in rice
production, there was a huge gender bias because women were not considered as farmers but
"assistants" to the husbands."All the technologies were developed thinking that it is only men
that are farmers," Agboh-Noameshie, told IPS adding that the use of these technologies by
women includes significant time saving, reduction of workload and significantly reduced health
risk, improvement of productivity, efficiency, quality of final rice product to consumers, and
increased income for the women. http://allafrica.com/stories/201604180147.html
Rice Importation: Customs Restate Commitment To
Upholding Restrictions Channels Television.
Updated April 17, 2016
Nigeria Customs Service has restated its commitment to restricting the importation of rice.
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The Area Comptroller Customs, Oyo/Osun
Command, Temitope Ogunkua, made the declaration
on Saturday at the command headquarters in
Ibadan.Mr Ogunkua advised traders and importers of
rice to perfect their papers for the right channel
through the ports.He insisted that there was no going
back on the rice ban, as it had adversely affected
Nigeria‘s revenue generation.The Customs officer
also lamented that smugglers had explored the
loopholes in porous borders to bring in rice without paying duties.The Oyo State Governor, Abiola
Ajimobi, had implored the Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ali (Rtd), during a visit to
the state, to rethink the ban and give room for alternatives to be provided before shutting out imported
rice.Some of the traders and consumers have also decried the ban on rice importation through the borders,
coupled with the fuel scarcity, epileptic power supply and non-payment of salaries
http://www.channelstv.com/2016/04/17/rice-importation-customs-restate-commitment-limit/
Fungal disease to cause 50pc loss of Boro yield, fear experts
Yasir Wardad Spread of 'neck blast' disease in many areas of several districts has caused massive
damage to Boro paddy fields raising concern among farmers, already hit hard by price fall, growers and
officials said. Unexpected rain in many places, fluctuation in temperature and low-quality seeds are the
main reasons for spread of the 'neck blast' disease, they said. Experts feared that the disease might cause
up to 50 per cent yield loss in the districts where it spread. The 'neck blast' (Magnaporthe grisea) is a
plant-pathogenic fungus that causes a serious disease affecting paddy. The disease has no cure but
prevention is the only way to save rice fields from it. Apart from the fungus, the 'blast' might occur from
attack of pests like majrapoka, gandhipoka and so on, according to agriculturists. Paddy fields in many
areas of Comilla, Chandpur, Gazipur, Tangail, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Netrakona, Kisoreganj,
Narsingdi, Munshiganj and Manikganj districts witnessed the 'neck blast' disease.
Farmers from different districts told the FE that the 'neck blast' has started hitting rice fields at the mature
stage of the crop from the beginning of last March. Md Ali Ahmed, a farmer at Amratoli Union of
Comilla Sadar Upazila, told the FE that his three bighas (33 decimals per bigha) of Boro field are afflicted
with the 'neck blast'. He feared a 50 per cent crop loss this year when harvesting will begin from the first
week of May in his area. However, the disease has further added to the farmers' owes as they are already
in a dilemma of price fall. Md Abdul Gafur, a farmer at Rajgati union under Nandail Upazila in
Mymensingh said he incurred Tk 60,000 loss from the last three cropping seasons as paddy price fell to
just Tk 450-Tk 500 per maund against production cost of Tk 680-Tk 720.
"The recent 'neck blast', which hit my five bighas of land, might cause 40 to 50 per cent crop damage
which means another loss this year," he said. Farmers claimed that apart from odd climate, low-quality
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seed varieties could also be a reason for such 'blast'. Plant pathologist at the Department of Agriculture
Extension (DAE) Md Jahangir Alam said only a few places in Mymensingh, Comilla and Dhaka region
have been affected by the 'neck blast' due to untimely rain and fluctuation in weather. The final report will
be made public within a few days, he assured. "The department has already informed extension officials
to take protective measures so that the disease couldn't spread," he said. Data of the monitoring unit under
the field service wing of the DAE showed 4.7 million hectares of land have come under Boro farming this
year aiming to get 18.9 million tonnes of rice.
Agricultural regions of Dhaka, Mymensingh and Comilla comprise 1.55 million hectares of land.
However, harvest has also started in Haor, Baor and Beel areas as harvesting of 3 per cent cultivated land
has already been completed by April 13. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI)
observed the condition in a few districts recently and made an awareness-raising statement in its website
(www.knowledgebank-brri.org). Head of the Plant Pathology Division of the BRRI Dr M A Latif said
'neck blast' is a fungal and mainly airborne disease whose symptom appears at the base of the panicle. He
said most of the high-yielding and hybrid varieties in Boro season are highly susceptible to this disease.
Low temperature in night and high in day-time, prolonged wetness or dew in the morning, cloudy sky and
drizzle lead to the disease outbreak, he said. He said if favourable environment does not prevail, most of
the cultivated varieties in Boro season could be infected by 'neck blast'. He pointed out that primary
symptom of 'neck blast' is very hard to diagnose.
So, farmers have little to do when they identify the disease. "Precautionary measures should be taken by
the farmers to manage this disease," he said. He said the extension officials will have to take steps to stop
further spread of the disease by raising awareness among the farmers. [email protected]
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/04/16/26403/Fungal-disease-to-cause-50pc-loss-of-Boro-
yield,-fear-experts
Rice and fall of great desi crop: India has lost 1.10 lakh
traditional varieties TNN | Apr 17, 2016, 08.22 AM IST
Rice varieties that could grow during droughts or floods, tolerate saltwater, and carry distinct
aromas or medicinal benefits - India has lost 1.10 lakh such traditional rice types. Some fifty
years ago, these varieties abounded in the country, which is striving currently to ensure food
security for all. Now, however, only 7,000odd local varieties remain and not all are grown.A
traditional variety of rice is passed from generation to generation and family to family ."It took
almost 12,000 years for these diverse varieties to be created," said Dr Debal Deb, a rice
conservationist and a biologist."We destroyed or lost them in just 30 years or so. This is the sad
state of our heritage."
Deb has preserved 1,200 desi rice varieties, which were showcased in a unique two-day rice
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exhibition in Ahmedabad, organized by the Ahmedabad Heritage Venture Lab (AHVL). In all,
1,800 varieties were displayed at the exhibition."Some varieties can grow without a single drop
of water. Others can be grown in ponds that are 3 to 4 feet deep. A few grow even under 12 feet
of water," Deb said. Rice varieties such as Jugal have two rice grains in one kernel, and Sateen
has three.According to Deb, some traditional rice varieties have high levels of micronutrients.
Despite billions of dollars of investment, companies have not been able to create genetically
modified crop which can pack more micronu trients than the in digenous variants.
The value of tradi tional varieties be comes even more important in the imate change, which
wake of climate change, which results in shifting rainfall patterns and extreme temperatures.The
availability of local varieties is crucial as modern agriculture relies only on limited varieties.Deb
blames the green revolution and high yielding hybrid seeds for the extinction of traditional seeds.
He also rued the fact that not a single government research institute has evinced interest in
carrying out research on local rice varieties because they are not linked to gross domestic product
or biotechnology .Since 1996, Deb has been engaged in conservation of hundreds of traditional
rice varieties with his extensive germplasm-collection expeditions across 11 states of India.Deb
has founded India's largest non-governmental rice gene bank called Vrihi (Sanskrit for rice) and
has conserved 1,120 varieties in situ. He runs a research farm called Basudha in Odisha.
Gujarat had over 250 varieties of millet Latest Comment
In last 67 years of Congress/Communist/Leftist Rule, India has lost MORE than what Brits could
have looted. Apart from wealth, we lost our heritage. We got infested to the disease called
corruption. ...Read MoreSecular Indian
A lthough Gujarat may not have many traditional rice varieties, over 250 indigenous varieties of
millets were found in the state and most of them are lost now.
A serving of silver
O ut of the 1,200 varieties preserved and conserved by Deb, one traditional variety called `Garib
Sal' has silver in it. This variety was found in one district of West Bengal. The rice was found to
be have silver in it. This is the first time a plant was discovered where silver was absorbed from
the land. However, this variety is not grown presently anywhere in the country. This type of rice
may have been used for medicinal purposes. It is assumed that it was given to people gastric
infections as silver kills germs. "We came across this rice grain while looking for varieties
having metals such as iron and zinc," Deb added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Ex-DGP-Thakur-goes-on-sick-
leave/articleshow/51861058.cms
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Column: Towards sustainable agriculture
Organic and ‗towards organic‘ farming is constrained by the availability of responsive seeds
By: Vivian Fernandes | Published: April 16, 2016 6:12 AM
Since the government is engaged in a nationalist versus multinational battle on genetically-
modified Bt cottonseed, and the agriculture minister, Radha Mohan Singh, has weighed in on
yogic farming—boosting seed productivity and soil fertility through Raj Yoga, the focus on
organic farming in the Budget might be perceived as yet another throwback to practices of a
supposedly gilded past.This year‘s budget provides slightly over Rs 400 crore for creating farm-
to-retail supply chains for North-east India‘s organic produce and bringing about 2 lakh rain-fed
hectares (ha) under organic farming over three years. This is a small effort considering that more
than half of India‘s 140 million ha is dependent on rain. The government perhaps expects the
demonstration effect to charm more farmers. But are the claims made for ‗paramparagat krishi‘
(traditional agriculture) ideological exaggerations like the record harvests produced by
collectivist fervour in China‘s Sputnik fields under Mao and the boundless capacity of Stalin‘s
tireless Stakhonovite workers?
It turns out that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been giving a hard look
at organic farming since 2004, when a countrywide research project was initiated. This
government has increased the test stations from 13 to 20 in just one year. Of 24 crops, 18 have
given higher average yields than those grown with chemical inputs in multi-year, multi-location
trials, says N Ravishankar, national coordinator and principal scientist, Indian Institute of
Farming Systems Research (IIFSR) at Modipuram, near Delhi.
Organically-grown peas, it was observed, gave the highest (18%) average yield increase at 6.3
tonnes/ha over conventionally grown ones. But National Horticulture Board statistics say this is
lower than country‘s three-year average of 9.2 t/ha. Basmati rice yielded 3.1 t/ha on average in
67 observations, which is lower again than the output which Punjab farmers extract for a
blockbuster variety called Pusa 1509. In the case of wheat, lentil (masur), potato, mustard,
sunflower and radish, yield declines of up to 5% were recorded.After a talkathon in January,
IIFSR recommended organic farming for rain-fed, dryland and hilly areas where chemical use
for plant nutrition and pest, disease and weed control is low. The transition in these areas will not
result in any yield loss. It cites the example of Sikkim, where fertiliser use was 21.5 kg/ha before
it went wholly organic. (It is zero now, compared to 51 kg/ha for the north-east zone, and the all
India average of 125kg/ha). Sikkim‘s paddy yield has increased from 1.43 t/ha in 2002-03,
before the organic project was initiated, to 1.81 t/ha.
(India‘s six year average is 2.3 t/ha). There was reportedly no yield loss during the transition
period. Similar results were seen in maize, buckwheat and finger millets.For the food bowl areas
where intensive chemical-based agriculture is practiced, a ‗towards organic‘ strategy is
recommended, that is, half to three quarters organic manures, with chemical fertilizers and need-
based application of pest, fungus and weed killers. With this combination the texture of soil
improves and microbial population rises within four to five years, enhancing water-holding
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capacity and the use-efficiency of applied nutrients. Yields are said to match that of fertilizer-
based agriculture in five to eight years.
The two-pronged strategy can improve food quality and feed a growing population, Ravishankar
says, provided organic farming is done scientifically, laying emphasis on the last word. In this
sense it is not a return to pre-Green Revolution practices, when traditional organic farming kept
India dependent on imported cereals.While farmyard manure (FYM or cattle dung) is rich in
micronutrients and organic carbon, it has just 0.5% nitrogen, up to 0.4% phosphorus, and 0.3%
potassium. A plant called dhaincha has a higher percentage of the first two nutrients but nowhere
near that of urea (46% nitrogen), single superphosphate (16% phosphorous) and muriate of
potash (60% potassium). Is organic farming viable if huge quantities of scarce organics have to
be applied?
To meet the nutrientneeds of rice and wheat grown over one acre, 25-30 tonnes of FYM is
needed. Since agriculture is by and large mechanized, this is impractical. The institute
recommends five tonnes each of FYM, earthworm-digested vermi-compost, and neem- or castor-
oil cake per acre. Besides, a month-old crop of dhaincha grown over the same area should be
ploughed in. A legume crop, say moong or green gram if part of the annual crop mix can cut
nitrogen supplementation by about a quarter, it says.
Such protocols have been devised for 22 cropping systems, says Alok Sikka, ICAR‘s deputy
director general.Sceptics might find these practices imposing additional workload on farming
households. The institute disagrees.If inputs are sourced from within a farm, costs have been
observed to be lower than chemical-based farming by 13 %. If bought, they can be 15-20%
higher.
But claims made for Panchagavya, biodynamic preparations and zero-budget natural farming, for
which its champion, Subhash Palekar, was awarded the Padma Shri earlier this year, seem to be
exaggerations. Panchagavya is a fermented mixture of cow dung, cow piss, water, ghee and curd
to which jaggery and bananas can be thrown in.There are nine biodynamic preparations made
from banyan tree soil filled into cow horns and buried in earth. Overtime, this is said to produce
a microbe-rich culture which can enrich compost and ward off fungal diseases.
Subhash Palekar‘s zero-budget natural farming relies on crop residue mulch and secret
formulations called beejamruth and jeevamruth made from virgin forest soil.A 2011-12 study,
under the organic farming project in Coimbatore, found that the sole use of Panchagavya gave a
per hectare cotton yield of 886 kg. Biodynamic preparations alone yielded 958 kg/ha.
A combination of Panchagavya and biodynamic preparations gave 1,085 kg/ha. A mix of FYM,
non-edible oil cake and Panchagavya yielded 1,501 kg/ha. This was the case with rabi maize too.
Zero budget natural farming tested by the Institute of Organic farming at the University of
Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad over three years from 2010-13 on four cropping systems
involving cotton, groundnut, chickpea (chana), maize and sorghum gave the lowest yields
compared to wholly organic, wholly inorganic and a combination of the two.The focus on soil
health is necessary to make agriculture sustainable. But organic and ‗towards organic‘ farming is
constrained by the availability of responsive seeds, since Indian agriculture is tuned to chemical
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use. The appropriate seeds will have to be developed through conventional breeding or by
screening for suitable varieties from the available ones.
Farmers who are not hung up on organic certification can also use genetically-modified seeds, of
which only Bt cotton is approved for cultivation in India. Such seeds, which produce their own
insecticide, are favoured by conservation zoologists like Ullas Karanth. But ICAR scientists
blanched at the very mention, because GM crops are in a grey zone at the moment.
The author is editor of www.smartindianagriculture.in
Trade deficit narrows as imports slow
Rejaul Karim Byron
Trade deficit narrowed 0.25 percent in the first eight months of the fiscal year on the back of
slow import growth.Between July last year and February this year, trade deficit stood at $4.05
billion in contrast to $4.06 billion a year earlier, according to Bangladesh Bank's balance of
payments data.In the first eight months of fiscal 2015-16, exports grew 7.18 percent and imports
6.44 percent, which had the effect of slightly squeezing the trade deficit.The reason for the slow
import growth is the lack of investment appetite.
During the period, capital machinery imports declined 7.49 percent, according to customs data.
The import of most of the intermediate goods used in industrial production also saw a
decline.For instance, the import of clinkers dropped 10.47 percent, fertiliser 10.41 percent, raw
cotton 6.74 percent, dyeing and tanning materials 6.21 percent.On the other hand, the import of
iron, steel and other base metals, staple fibre, yarn and textiles rose. Rice imports plummeted
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72.04 percent, while milk imports dropped 19.11 percent and sugar 7.08.On the back of the
reduced trade deficit, the balance of payments surplus widened about 42 percent during the
period.At the end of February, the overall surplus stood at $3.14 billion in contrast to $2.22
billion a year earlier, according to central bank statistics.
One of the reasons for the increase in overall surplus this year is that the net credit is in favour of
Bangladesh, said BB officials.The net trade credit in the first eight months of fiscal 2015-16
stood at $1.23 billion in the negative, down from $2.04 billion in the negative a year earlier.The
officials said the customers made less deferred payment against imports, as a result of which the
negative trade credit dropped this year.Another reason for the increase in surplus is that the net
foreign direct investment soared. During the July-February period, foreign direct investment
swelled 27.19 percent from a year earlier to $1.45 billion.As the overall balance increased, so did
the foreign currency reserves.On April 12, the foreign currency reserve stood at $28.67 billion,
up 23.46 percent from a year earlier. The reserves are enough to honour 7.84 months' import
bills.For an economy, reserves equivalent to 5-6 months' import bill are adequate, whereas
Bangladesh has reserves equivalent to eight months' import bill.The experts said reserves are
swelling by the day as investment is not growing http://www.thedailystar.net/business/trade-deficit-narrows-imports-slow-1209970
State govt‘s Pusa 1509 basmati sale is illegal, say millers Apr 17, 2016, 12.00 AM IST
Bathinda: Rice millers have alleged that Punjab government's move to invite tenders to sell Pusa
1509 basmati paddy was illegal. They claimed that Pusa 1509 basmati paddy should be milled
and its grain should be delivered to the Union government's central pool.The state government's
procurement agency Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation (Markfed) has
floated tenders to sell 1.88 lakh tonnes of Pusa 1509 basmati paddy. At the prevailing market
price, the state government expects to raise nearly Rs 400 crore by selling the unmilled grain.
Tenders have been called for April 22 and financial bids will be opened on April 25.Rice millers
have decided to move the court against tenders on Monday and alleged that government was for
the welfare of farmers not to act as a trader. To support farmers, Punjab government had
purchased Pusa 1509 basmati paddy at Rs 1,450 per quintal — the minimum support price
(MSP) for Grade A common paddy — as the rates of the long-grained commodity had dropped
drastically. Before the government had entered the market, it was being sold for as low as Rs
1,000 per quintal due to which farmers protested saying they were suffering losses.Punjab
Basmati Rice Millers Association general secretary Ashish Kathuria and legal cell head Ashok
Aggarwal said, "The state government had purchased Pusa 1509 basmati paddy at the MSP of Rs
1,450 per quintal when its rates were low to support the farmers and millers. Government was
meant to deliver rice to central pool after custom milling.
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The government should not act as a trader for calling tenders to sell grain since due to its act, the
farmers and millers might have to face losses as prices may not increase in the coming season.
We have prepared a petition and will file it in Punjab and Haryana high court on
Monday."Kathuria alleged acting as a nodal agency, Markfed had decided to sell Pusa 1509
basmati paddy on behalf of three state-run agencies and tried to wipe out small players from the
selling process as it had fixed minimum quantity at 600 tonnes. "The paddy though was
purchased at Rs 1,450 per quintal but by adding storage, transportation, various types of taxes,
paddy costs the agencies nearly Rs 2,100 per quintal.
"When contacted, Markfed general manager (procurement) H S Bains said, "The state
government is not acting illegally. The Centre has de-listed paddy and has allowed the state
government to sell it in the open market." He said that last time, tenders were floated in March at
Rs 2,066 per quintal but nobody turned up so no reserve price has been fixed and purchaser has
been asked to quote the price. As for quota of minimum 600 tonnes, he said that the state had to
sell 1.88 lakh tonnes and the target could be achieved by fixing the minimum limit
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/State-govts-Pusa-1509-basmati-sale-is-
illegal-say-millers/articleshow/51859664.cms
Rice Agro-Economics 101 (Part 2) by Jose Abeto Zaide
April 17, 2016
Like most unsolved riddles, we could never plumb conditions of famine in the midst of plenty.
The Philippines is so providentially blessed that it is said that if you stick a fresh walking stick in
the soil, it would flower or bear fruit.We have the International Rice Research Institute in Los
Baños…where Thai and Vietnamese pensionados learn how to be able to export rice to us.There
is another curiosity this time of the year: Nueva Ecija farmers harvest bountiful yield from their
rice fields because of the irrigation waters provided by the Pantabangan Dam‘s Casecnan all-
purpose project (which includes flood control and hydropower). Nueva Ecija farmers harvest
twice a year, some farmers harvest three times.
But the rest of the country is plagued by climate change dry spell. Because of the damage to
crops caused by El Niño ―tagtuyot,‖ the National Food Authority (NFA) released rice stock from
its silos to make the staple available to the populace and to stabilize prices.Now, Nueva Ecija
farmers are surprised to be confronted with the price of palay plummeting to the floor at P14/kg.
(The normal expected price would hover within the P20/kg range.)
NFA may have overshot the ―safety valve‖ target. Someone explained the phenomenon as
mixing politics and economics: This being an election year, the administration wants to score
―pogi points‖ for administration candidates.It is recalled that when Jess Tanco was the
administrator in the ‘70s, NFA had some 500 silos throughout the country to store rice. The rice
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 2016
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13
stocks were purchased from local farmers, not imported from our neighbors. (At one time during
the Marcos era, we were even able to export rice to India.)
This was a period when NFA served its dual role of ensuring rice supply for the populace and
supporting our farmers, (not foreign entities). But that seems so far and long ago.
NEW ITEMS & COMMENTS AFP eyes artillery rocket system – Impressed by the capabilities of the High Mobility Artillery
Rocket System (Himars) at this year‘s Balikatan Exercise, a senior Philippine military official
said that the government should consider acquiring the weapon.The Philippine Air Force actually
had one in the early ‘70s, and it was christined, ―Bong-Bong.‖Loyola Plans P238M short in trust
fund – Claims of over 100,000 pre-need plan-holders are affected by a shortage in trust fund of
Loyola Plans Consolidate, Inc., which risks being brought to court by regulators.I hope Loyola
doesn‘t have the same problem with its post-need plans in its Memorial Parks.Britain urges
refrain in South China Sea disputes – British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond urged claimants
of the South China Sea to refrain from the use of force and uphold international law in resolving
their disputes.
The problem is that China repeats the same refrain – that it is their historical waters because it‘s
named ―South China Sea.‖PH, US launch joint South China Sea patrols – The US said it has
launched joint South China Sea naval patrols with the Philippines, as it accused Beijing if
―militarizing‖ a region which is locked in a territorial dispute with China.NBA. When a
journalist signs off his despatch, he writes ―30.‖ When Kobe Bryant played his final NBA game,
he signed off with ―60.‖
FEEDBACK: [email protected]
http://www.mb.com.ph/rice-agro-economics-101-part-2/#dDeroRxBk8LWMY8d.99
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1454
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 11-04-2016
Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price
Honey
1 Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 2125
2 Argentine 50mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 2180
3 Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 2205
Peanuts
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14
1 South Africa, HPS 70/80 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t) 1875
2 South African, HPS 40/50 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t) 1000
3 Argentinean 40/50 runners, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 1210
White Sugar
1 CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t) 840
2 Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t) 691
3 Pakistani refined sugar, EXW Akbari Mandi (USD/t) 581
Source:agra-net For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 16-04-2016
Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price
Rice
1 Mangalore (Karnataka) Fine 2600 3290
2 Bolangir (Orissa) Other 2200 2300
3 Sainthia (West Bengal) Common 1750 1770
Wheat
1 Kalol (Gujarat) Other 1560 2105
2 Haveri (Karnataka) Local 1600 1715
3 Shamgarh (Madhya Pradesh) Other 1525 1550
Orange
1 Ropar(Punjab) Other 3000 4200
2 Gohana (Haryana) Other 2000 2200
3 Mumbai (Maharashtra) Other 800 1900
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 2016
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15
Carrot
1 Aroor (Kerala) Other 3000 3200
2 Bonai (Orissa) Other 1000 1500
3 Jagraon (Punjab) Other 1200 1500
Source:agmarknet.nic.in For more info
Egg Rs per 100 No
Price on 16-04-2016
Product Market Center Price
1 Pune 310
2 Chittoor 343
3 Hyderabad 288
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 11-04-2016
Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High
Onions Dry Package: 40 lb cartons
1 Atlanta Mexico Yellow 21 22.25
2 Chicago Peru Yellow 24 24
2 Detroit Texas Yellow 22 25.50
Cauliflower Package: cartons film wrapped
1 Atlanta California White 21.25 24.50
2 Chicago Mexico White 18.50 18.50
3 Dallas California White 16 18
Grapes Package: 18 lb containers bagged
1 Atlanta Peru Red Globe 22 24.50
2 Chicago Chile Red Globe 20 22
3 Miami Peru Red Globe 17 20
Source:USDA