24th july,2017 daily global regional and local rice e newsletter

Daily Global Rice

E-Newsletter

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July 24,2017 Vol 8 Issue VII

Today Rice News Headlines...

Sino-Pak research center to be set up at ICCBS Food task force seals rice milling plant in Bekasin Thailand gets urgent rice orders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka Authorities hint of a decrease in rice prices in the coming weeks PFC demands radical approach for boosting exports Furniture traders concerned over dwindling exports Rice importers get deferred payment facility China Has Agreed To Import American Rice For First Time Italy sets up rules to help protect domestic pasta, rice makers Somewhat Positive Media Coverage Extremely Likely to Impact Amira Nature Foods (ANFI) Stock Price Pokkali : Paddy Pride on Urban Terrain KAU develops 23 varieties of high-yielding crops Indonesian Police crack down on massive distribution of bogus premium rice Agreement permits export of American rice to China CMR dues: rice millers warned of action Rice blast in Budgam, KVK issues advisory Why loans to farmers will not work Good News for Other Exporters? U.S. Makes Deal to Sell Rice to China Thailand gets urgent rice orders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka Rice procurement drive in Sylhet division suffers setback Haryana CM Hooda seeks simplification of GST rules Millers, wholesalers to blame for rice price spiral: USDA The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (July 22) China to allow imports of U.S. rice for first time FPCCI suggests proper implementation of Free Trade Agreement with Iran In a China win for Trump, U.S. can now ship rice for first time Pakistan needs latest farm-tech to achieve food security For the First Online Time, China Open Rice market for US exports Advertisement:mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 0321 369 2874 www .riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com Pakistan seeks trade partnership with ECOWAS, WAEMU Monitor Latest Updates on Pakistan, Senegal agree to boost economic ties www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com

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Sino-Pak research center to be set up at ICCBS July 24, 2017 APPKARACHI - A Sino-Pakistan Hybrid Rice Research Centre would be opened at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi.

The opening ceremony would be held at its premises on July 26, an official of the ICCBS said on Sunday.Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair will inaugurate the Sino-Pakistan Hybrid Rice Research Center at ICCBS. Director ICCBS Professor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary stated this while presiding over a meeting.He said that the inaugural ceremony will be held on July 26 at Professor Salimuzzaman Siddiqui Auditorium, ICCBS at 10:00 am.

Sindh governor will deliver the inaugural lecture, while Vice Chancellor Karachi University, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ajmal Khan, former Federal Minister for Science & Technology and ex Chairman Higher Education Commission Pakistan, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, Wang Yu, Consul General of China in Karachi, Director General China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI) of Hangzhou - China, Prof. Dr. Cheng Shihua, and Director ICCBS Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary will also express their views at the ceremony. http://nation.com.pk/karachi/24-Jul-2017/sino-pak-research-center-to-be-set-up-at-iccbs

Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Rice Rice is, without a doubt, the most delicious type of grass to grow in a swamp. That‘s not praise to be given lightly. As long as humans have lived in houses, we‘ve eaten rice.There are as many types of rice as there are places to grow it, from the familiar, highly processed white rice to whole-grain brown, all the way through red to black wild rices grown in Asia.However, the rise of convenience culture in response to rapidly diminishing supplies of free time mean more and more people reach adulthood without internalizing recipes and cooking techniques. Does that describe you? Welcome, you‘re among friends. Allow me to share some mistakes I‘ve learned to avoid.

Choosing the wrong toolsUltimately, much of this advice will boil down to ―your technique and tools should depend on what you‘re cooking,‖ but there are a few grains of wisdom to glean when it comes to equipment, most importantly, your choice of pot.

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A pot with a thick bottom will better retain and distribute heat. Thick bottoms are crucial for boiling rice in the absorption method, where the formation of steam pockets play a key role in cooking.

Not washing your rice Many advocates of rice-washing claim that industrial byproducts of the milling process (like talc) remain on the finished product. The claim is that pre-washing helps remove excess starch and any undesirable leftovers. Most domestically processed rice is free from talc, but imported strains like basmati may be processed with it. While flavored and enriched rice blends popular with Western grocers certainly don‘t need pre-washing (you‘re paying for convenience and flavor, after all!) a rinse or two of cold water will yield fluffier, more distinct grains.

If you feel so moved, grab a fine mesh strainer and pop 1 cup of rice under the faucet. When the water draining from the grains is clear, you‘re good to go. The only exception would be those cooking risotto or sushi rice, who crave that starchy goodness.

Bad burner planning Here‘s a tip to remember the next time you deal with any quick-cooking starch: The surface of electric burners holds a great amount of heat, increasing the length of time a pot remains boiling after the burner temperature is reduced. To avoid this, heat a second burner to a low simmer as the pot begins to boil on the first.

Those lucky souls blessed with propane burners don‘t need to worry, being well familiar with the gas‘s whip-fast response time.

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Not pre-soaking aromatic rices Aromatic rices, like basmati and almond rice, should be pre-soaked in order to preserve the oils responsible for their signature aromas. Cooking destroys these oils, so in order to minimize cooking time, pre-soak the grains in more water than you‘ll cook them in. This expedites cooking time by an average of 20 percent, resulting in restaurant-grade bouquets.

Cooking too hot Cooking too fast causes the grains to burst open like a butterflied steak, which not only releases starch, but also ruins the texture of your meal. Even if you‘re aiming for porridge or pudding, ruptured grains are to be avoided. Automatic rice boilers are designed to only just reach boiling temperature, so anything past that is too much.

Lifting the lid while it cooks If you‘re boiling rice, don‘t even think of lifting the lid as it cooks. Not only will lifting the lid lengthen the cooking time as it releases pressure and steam, but it can also seriously mess up the finished product. When you lift the lid, the carefully calculated rice-water ratio is thrown of which will result in dry and under-cooked rice. Unless you‘re adding seasoning or checking how much water remains, leave it alone. Let the rice cook; it knows what it‘s doing.

Stirring the rice Another huge mistake many people make is stirring the rice as it boils. Unless you‘re making risotto, don‘t touch the rice while it‘s cooking. Stirring rice while it‘s in the pot causes starch to activate and prevents the formation of steam pockets; in layman‘s terms, it‘s going to make your rice mushy. While that smooth creamy texture is coveted in risotto, you want to avoid it when making regular rice.

Not adding enough water Many people don‘t use enough water which can leave the rice dry and undercooked. The amount of water needed to perfectly cook different types of rice varies slightly, so you should do some research about how much water to add before cooking. If you‘re still unsure whether you‘ve added enough water, you can always try using the knuckle method. Put your rice in the pot and fill it with water. When you rest your finger on top of the rice, the water should come up to the top of your first knuckle.

Cooking with unsalted water Popular opinion holds that salt makes water boil faster, but the difference isn‘t really noticeable.

But one important thing the salt does is interfere with the process by which starches link and connect, becoming gelatin. Many professional chefs prefer to salt their water to near-oceanic levels of salinity. It‘s your kitchen, so go hog wild.

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In addition to preventing gelatinization, salt also has the interesting byproduct of being delicious.

Adding salt to your rice water is important for getting your rice right.

Cooking unseasoned food Melting butter in the water also helps with flavor. A bay leaf, dried peppers, citrus zest, dried mushroom slices, nuts, even a cinnamon stick will add depth and color to the rice. The boiling water will help both rehydrate and unlock essential oils in rugged spices like cinnamon and bay, and the flavorful pepper innards will easily separate from the thick outer skin without a lot of chopping or dicing.

And, hey, why not cook with stock instead of water? Splash a little bit of wine in there every now and then? That‘ll help with the existential horror and boredom of watching rice cook. Yay, wine!

Substituting different types of rice You wouldn‘t swap apples for potatoes and still call it apple pie. So why would you use short grains in place of long wild rice? Different rices have different attributes, and they behave differently when cooked. It‘s not that it‘ll negatively affect the taste so much as it‘ll affect the texture and consistency.

Not letting it sit after cooking When done correctly, fresh cooked rice will be drier on the top than on the bottom. It‘s crucial that the rice be allowed to sit off the heat for at least 5-30 minutes, in order for moisture to evenly distribute itself through the dish. Cooking is hard work! Fluffing the rice before that time will result in a sticky fork and clumps of inconsistently moist rice.

Treating all rice the same Not all rice is created equal. There are thousands of varieties of rice grown throughout the world, and you can‘t cook each one the same way. Do some research before you fire up your stove.

Brown rice, for example, requires slightly more water than white rice. Whether your brown rice is short-grain or long-grain will also affect the amount of water needed; a cup of short-grain rice needs a quarter of a cup more water than long-grain rice http://www.informationng.com/2017/07/mistakes-everyone-makes-cooking-rice.html

Food task force seals rice milling plant in Bekasi 22nd July 2017 | Karawang, W Java (ANTARA News) - The polices Food Task Force has sealed PT Indo Beras Unggul, a rice milling plant in Kedungwaringin, Bekasi District, West Java, on grounds of

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committing business fraud and seized 1,161 tons of rice.

The plant, a subsidiary of PT Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food Tbk, was raided on late Thursday (July 20) in the presence of Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman.

"We laud the fast move of the task force. Within two weeks, they have investigated rice distribution at the middleman level, based on information from the Agriculture Ministry and Trade Ministry," Karnavian noted.

The plant, which processed farmers unhusked rice into rice using modern machinery, was allegedly cheating consumers by selling medium-quality rice at a premium price.

The plant has also falsified information on the products nutritional content on its label.

"For instance, the carbohydrate content mentioned on its label is premium level (25 percent).

However, after we checked them, it was medium-quality rice. This is aimed at increasing the selling price. The original price is only Rp nine thousand per kg, but they packed and labeled them as premium rice and sold them at Rp20 thousand per kg," he stated.

The company has allegedly caused financial losses worth trillions of rupiah to the state.

"These middlemen in Indonesia could earn a huge sum of money reaching up to Rp400 trillion," the police chief added.

"We will investigate this, and we will name the suspects. We will use the consumer law and section 382 of the Criminal Code," Karnavian said.(*) http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/111964/food-task-force-seals-rice-milling-plant-in-bekasi

Thailand gets urgent rice orders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka VNA SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017 - 16:57

Thailand gets urgent rice orders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. (Photo: VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are negotiating an urgent purchase of about 400,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand to replenish their falling stocks which were caused by

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severe droughts and floods, according to Thai media.

If the deals are sealed, all rice will be transferred within 60 days and the deal will be secured through government-to-government (G-2-G) contracts.

Each country aims to import 200,000 tonnes of rice – mostly parboiled grade and common grade white rice. The benchmark common grade 5 percent white rice was quoted at 410 USD per tonne while parboiled 100 percent grade white rice was fetched at 439 USD a tonne.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka normally supplemented their stocks with rice from neighbouring Pakistan and India when needed. In 2016, they imported 280 tonnes and 151 tonnes of Thai rice, respectively.

However, Thailand‘s state rice stocks are running low as its Ministry of Commerce has opened auctions to sell it in recent years. There are only a few million tonnes left, compared with the record high of 18 million tonnes before.

As the stocks are low, it is likely that the G-2-G rice deals could involve private firms who would deliver parts of the rice amount. Bangladesh is approaching private Thai exporters to obtain the best price.-VNA http://en.vietnamplus.vn/thailand-gets-urgent-rice-orders-from-bangladesh-sri-lanka/115262.vnp

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Authorities hint of a decrease in rice prices in the coming weeks Jul 23, 2017 Mayooran Kantharvel

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce says that there is a possibility for the prices of rice to reduce in the coming weeks. Secretary to the Ministry, Chinthaka Lokuhetty, said that 400,000 metric tonnes of rice will be imported from August.Lokuhetty added that the rice will be imported from Myanmar, Thailand and Pakistan, adding that the necessary paperwork for this move is being prepared at present.A special team toured a number of countries recently to look into the importation of rice to the country. http://newsfirst.lk/english/2017/07/authorities-hint-decrease-rice-prices-coming

PFC demands radical approach for boosting exports Salim ahmed Lahore

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Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) on Saturday, expressing concern over the dwindling of exports, demanded the government to undertake aggressive tariff reforms, explore more foreign market access and diversify its export base for attaining the ambitious export target of $45 billion.

Chief Executive PFC Mian Kashif Ashfaq, while chairing Board of Director meeting of the council, here Saturday, urged the government to take radical steps to widen the country‘s exports, support local manufacturers and help reduce the growing import bill, as well as give the Pak hand-made world class furniture products a competitive edge in the local, regional and global markets.

There are a lot of companies in Pakistan that produce standard hand-made world class furniture and other products that the country doesn‘t need to encourage or allow indiscriminate importation of unnecessary products especially that are produced in the country. Therefore the list of prohibited imports needs to be enlarged to include items our local firms produce.

He said the reasons for decreasing Pakistani exports are the sluggish growth in the Pakistan‘s major trading partners namely UK, USA, and China, high cost of production due to electricity shortfall and delays in order deliveries and irrational high slabs of taxation Among Pakistan‘s major exports, rice, cotton, leather, jewelry and the chemical sector have been hit hard by the slump in exports. ―Given the current scenario of Pakistan‘s diminishing exports, a strategy for bolstering them becomes imperative,‖ he added.

He said Pakistan is likely to face mounting pressures on its external side at the end of ongoing fiscal year where exports are totalling at mere US $18 billion even after the passage of 10 months with imports at alarmingly high trajectory of US $43 billion. In this scenario, it can be easily projected that future increase in oil price and enhanced CPEC related machinery imports would make the largest import bill to hit US $52 billion while exports would hardly make it to US $20 billion making the country to post a massive trade gap of around US $32 billion.

Mian Kashif said the situation is in furniture sector too is not presenting good scenario as furniture import is Rs4 billions annually while export related to furniture items is about Rs600 millions.

He said local furniture industries have developed very well to meet European standards, so the

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government and the public need to trust our indigenous products. ―This is how we can ensure the sustainability of our local industries and guarantee employment opportunities for our teeming youths,‖ he added.

Making it clear that PFC is not totally against putting ban on all kinds of furniture items, however, Mian Kashif said the government should put ban only on those items which are not essential and which can be produced in the country easily. ―The import of goods cannot be prevented entirely because Pakistan is committed to trade agreements that govern the import and export processes. ―The state cannot ban importing completely, but we have different ways to organise importing which allows the state to increase the custom tariff on some goods. But to be enforced, this issue requires negotiations with trade partners,‖ he explained.Mian Kashif said the government should also provide more visible support to furniture business in terms of grants and interest free loans on easy terms of condition to small scale woodworkers for exhibiting and travelling to trade shows and promoting Pak export as a success globally.

https://pakobserver.net/pfc-demands-radical-approach-boosting-exports/

Furniture traders concerned over dwindling exports LAHORE: Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) expressed concern over dwindling exports and demanded the government to undertake aggressive tariff reforms, explore more foreign market access and diversify its export base to attain the ambitious export target of $45 billion.

Chairing the PFC board of directors meeting its chief executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq on Saturday urged the government to take radical steps to widen the country‘s exports, support local manufacturers and help reduce the growing import bill and give Pakistan handmade world-class furniture products a competitive edge in the local, regional and global markets.

There are a lot of companies in Pakistan that produce standard handmade world-class furniture and other products that the country doesn‘t need to encourage or allow indiscriminate importation of unnecessary products, especially that are produced in the country. Therefore, the list of prohibited imports needs to be enlarged to include items local firms produce, he added.

The reasons for decline in exports are the sluggish growth in the Pakistan‘s major trading partners, UK, US and China, high cost of production due to electricity shortfall and delays in order deliveries and irrational high slabs of taxation, Ashfaq said.

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Among Pakistan‘s major exports, rice, cotton, leather, jewellery and the chemical sector have been hit hard by the slump in exports. ―Given the current scenario of Pakistan‘s diminishing exports, a strategy for bolstering them becomes imperative,‖ he added.

The country is likely to face mounting pressures on its external side at the end of the ongoing fiscal year where exports are totaling at mere $18 billion even after the passage of 10 months with imports at alarmingly high trajectory of $43 billion.

In this scenario, it can be easily projected that the future increase in oil prices and enhanced China-Pakistan Economic Corridor-related machinery imports would make the import bill to hit $52 billion, while exports would hardly make it to $20 billion, making the country post a massive trade gap of around $32 billion, the PFC CEO added.

Ashfaq said that the situation in the furniture sector too is not presenting good scenario, as the country imports furniture worth Rs4 billion annually, while it exports worth around Rs600 million. The local furniture industries have developed to meet the European standards, so the government and the public need to trust indigenous local products, he said. ―This is how we can ensure the sustainability of our local industries and guarantee employment opportunities for our teeming youths,‖ he added.

Making it clear that PFC is not totally against putting ban on all kinds of furniture items, Ashfaq said that the government should put a ban on those items, which are not essential and which can be produced in the country easily. ―The imports of goods cannot be prevented entirely because Pakistan is committed to trade agreements that govern the import and export processes.‖ ―The state cannot ban imports completely, but we have different ways to organise imports, which allows the state to increase the Customs tariff on some goods. But to be enforced, this issue requires negotiations with the trade partners,‖ he added.

The government should also provide more visible support to the furniture business in terms of grants and interest-free loans on easy terms of condition to small-scale woodworkers for exhibiting and travelling to trade shows and promoting Pakistani furniture as a success globally https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/218251-Furniture-traders-concerned-over-dwindling-exports

Rice importers get deferred payment facility Rejaul Karim Byron

12:00 AM, July 23, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:29 AM, July 23, 2017

Bangladesh Bank has taken yet another step to increase rice import to boost stock and stabilise the

price level of the staple such that inflationary pressures can be contained.

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From tomorrow, local traders can import rice on three months' deferred payment until December 31, 2017.

Earlier last month, the BB allowed traders to import rice at zero margin. This means importers will not have to make any advance payment to banks for opening letters of credit (LCs).

The steps were taken to encourage rice import as the price of the staple abruptly made a sharp rise in the backdrop of boro production being affected.

Also, the government last month lowered tariff rate for rice import to 10 percent from 28 percent.

Rice import by the private sector dropped to a four-year low last fiscal year, and this came at a time when its prices shot up in the domestic market.

Traders imported only 1.2 lakh tonnes of rice in 2016-17, down from 2.56 lakh tonnes a year earlier.

Taking advantage of the zero-tariff import facility, private importers brought in 3.75 lakh tonnes of rice in 2013-14 and 14.90 lakh tonnes the following fiscal year, flooding the domestic market with cheap Indian rice.

The government did not have to import rice since 2011-12 thanks to successive good yields.

To protect the local rice growers, the government imposed a high tariff of 28 percent on rice import in two phases in 2015. This year, the floods in haor areas and a disease in the northern districts hampered boro production. On the other hand, rice price has been soaring in the global market.

The government's food stock also decreased: on July 12 it was 3.29 lakh tonnes, 1.62 lakh tonnes of which were rice.

Besides, coarse rice price increased to Tk 48 per kg.

Food inflation almost doubled in rural areas to 7.2 percent in June this year from 3.44 percent a year earlier.

In urban areas, food inflation was 8.21 percent last month, up from 6.06 percent a year earlier.

Inflation rose because of the rice price spiral. In 2016-17 coarse rice price stood at Tk 39.18 per kg on average; in the month of June it was Tk 45.62.

The price increase prompted the government to take initiatives to import rice.

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In May, the government struck two deals to import 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice for $427.85 a tonne and another 50,000 tonnes of white rice for $406.48 a tonne.

Two weeks later, it signed a deal with Vietnam for importing 2.5 lakh tonnes of rice (50,000 tonnes of parboiled and two lakh tonnes of white rice) at a higher price. It agreed to pay $470 a tonne for parboiled rice and $430 a tonne for white rice.

Last week, the cabinet committee on purchase approved the import of 50,000 tonnes of rice at a cost of $430 per tonne. Only after the lowering of duty and the rise in demand in the local market did the private sector bump up their imports.

Last fiscal year, LCs were opened for 6.91 lakh tonnes of rice, according to food ministry data.

In June alone, LCs were opened for 4.37 lakh tonnes of rice.

In 2015-16, LCs were opened for importing 3.5 lakh tonnes of rice.

As a result of the initiatives, the rice situation has eased slightly in the last one month.

Yesterday, coarse rice sold at Tk 43 to Tk 46 per kg, which was Tk 46 to Tk 48 one month back, according to data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh. This means, in the last one month the price of coarse rice declined 5.32 percent.In 2015-16, coarse rice price was Tk 36.42 per kg on average. http://www.thedailystar.net/business/rice-importers-get-deferred-payment-facility-1437373

China Has Agreed To Import American Rice For First Time TRACY KING JULY 22, 2017 China has agreed to open its domestic market for U.S. rice exports for the first time in history after a new trade deal was agreed to. Officials from the nations finalized a protocol to allow for the first-ever American shipments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

Shipments to China could start later this year or early next year.

The move comes after years of negotiations. Over the years, a variety of political, cultural, bureaucratic, and economic obstacles stood in the way of American farmers accessing the Chinese market. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a statement, ―This market represents an exceptional opportunity today, with enormous potential for growth in the future.‖ China is the world‘s largest producer and consumer of rice. China also became the world‘s largest importer last year, with about 5 million tons of rice bought from other nations. China has acknowledged its need for foreign shipments to meet the growing demands of its consumers and

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has increasingly turned to imports in recent years to meet domestic demand. Vietnam and Thailand are already major rice exporters to China.

The move could be a boon to American rice farmers, who have struggled with sluggish prices and oversupply for years. According to trade group USA Rice, American rice farmers produce about 9 million tons of rice a year, roughly the amount Chinese consumers can eat in about two weeks. America currently exports between 3 million and 4 million tons a year.

The opening of the market is contingent upon inspection and approval of U.S. facilities by Chinese inspection and quarantine officials. Those inspections are expected to focus particularly on insect trapping and record-keeping requirements. Chinese officials are concerned about the possibility of certain types of pests being introduced in China by rice imports.

President Trump has made reducing the U.S. trade deficit a central issue in his campaign. He has specifically called out Beijing for what he considers to be unfair trading practices. American trade officials are currently negotiating with China on a variety of trade issues.The rice deal comes two months after the U.S. Commerce Department announced a deal that will allow American cattle ranchers to sell their beef in China starting later this year. No American imports of beef have been allowed in China since the mad cow disease breakout in 2003. China is also approving more biotech products and increasing U.S. natural gas imports. https://rinconhillneighbors.org/china-has-agreed-to-import-american-rice-for-first-time/

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Italy sets up rules to help protect domestic pasta, rice makers Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-23 00:18:37|Editor: yan

By Eric J. Lyman ROME, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Italy this week introduced a two-year measure requiring producers of rice and pasta to include information about where the product came from, a move aimed at helping to protect domestic producers from low-cost foreign competition.

The European Union prohibits countries from erecting protective tariffs on foreign products that compete with domestic rivals. But this step will leave it in the hands of consumers to decide whether they prefer home-grown products over those from other countries.

Italy is the first European country to pass such a law, though media reports indicate similar measures have been debated in the past in France, Spain, and Portugal, among others.

Maurizio Martina, Italy's minister of agricultural, food, and forestry policies, called the move "historic" and said it would help consumers be more informed.

"We're giving consumers maximum transparency in a way that protects and strengthens domestic producers," Martina said.

Italian Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda agreed: "This ensures that shoppers can make a conscious choice," the minister said.

Martina and Calenda were among the political figures pushing hardest for the new decree, which was issued July 20 in Rome.

Companies will have 180 days from that date to assure that all the products they sell conform to the new rules, which focus on where the raw materials for the products were grown -- not where they were processed or packaged.

The new labeling rules could be a blow to wheat growers in the U.S. and Canada, which sell their production to Italian millers who process the wheat and make the pasta in Italy.

Imports of rice from Asia -- Vietnam and Cambodia are the biggest exporters to Italy -- will also have to be labeled as such.

Italy is European Union's largest producer of both pasta and rice, though much of the pasta is produced from imported wheat.

Italy produced about 1.5 million tons of rice from more than 4,000 companies cultivating 140 different varieties. But sales of domestic rice have fallen in all but one of the last six years,

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according to government figures, even as domestic rice has faced pricing pressure from low-cost imports.

"This is a gamble that consumers may be willing to pay more for products made start to finish in Italy," Andrea Magrini, a trade analyst with ABS Securities, told Xinhua.

"But it will increase costs for all producers, foreign and domestic, and some consumers may be surprised to find that their favorite products are not always made in Italy."

If a product is of mixed origin it must be reflected on the labeling. That is especially likely for pasta, where many companies use a mix of Italian and non-Italian durum wheat.

If that happens, the label can say the product is made from wheat grown in "Italy and in other EU countries" or in "Italy and other non-EU countries" or in "EU and non-EU countries" or any other combination for those categories.

Since Italy is the only EU country with such a law in place, companies that produce and package pasta and rice will have to decide whether to develop Italy-only labeling for their products or perhaps sell their products with the labeling required for Italy in other markets as well.

The measure will last for at least two years, at which point it could be removed if required by European Union-wide labeling rules set to enter into force. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-07/23/c_136464720.htm

Somewhat Positive Media Coverage Extremely Likely to Impact Amira Nature Foods (ANFI) Stock Price Dan Jones on Jul 22nd, 2017

Media headlines about Amira Nature Foods (NYSE:ANFI) have

been trending somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research group identifies positive and negative media coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources.

Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable.

Amira Nature Foods earned a news sentiment score of 0.23 on Accern‘s scale. Accern also gave media stories about the company an impact score of 96 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is extremely likely to have an effect on the stock‘s share

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price in the next few days. Here are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern Sentiment Analysis‘s rankings: Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Amira Nature Foods in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. They set an ―equal weight‖ rating on the stock. Zacks Investment Research cut Amira Nature Foods from a ―hold‖ rating to a ―strong sell‖ rating in a research report on Thursday, June 15th. Finally, ValuEngine cut Amira Nature Foods from a ―buy‖ rating to a ―hold‖ rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th.

One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The stock presently has a consensus rating of ―Hold‖ and a consensus target price of $10.85.

Amira Nature Foods (ANFI) traded down 0.74% on Friday, reaching $6.74. The company‘s stock had a trading volume of 93,753 shares. Amira Nature Foods has a 12 month low of $4.50 and a 12 month high of $8.99. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $5.31 and a 200 day moving average of $5.38. The firm has a market cap of $244.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.35 and a beta of -0.21.

Amira Nature Foods Company Profile

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Amira Nature Foods Ltd is primarily engaged in the business of processing and selling packaged Indian specialty rice, primarily basmati rice and other food products. The Company sells Basmati rice and other specialty rice, under its Amira brand, as well as under other third-party brands. It also sells non-basmati rice.

Receive News & Ratings for Amira Nature Foods Ltd Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amira Nature Foods Ltd and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. https://www.baseball-news-blog.com/2017/07/22/amira-nature-foods-anfi-earns-daily-news-impactscore-of-0-23-updated-updated.html

Pokkali : Paddy Pride on Urban Terrain

POKKALI : PADDY PRIDE ON URBAN TERRAIN As Vasco da Gama was leaving Kozhikode for Lisbon, after his historic discovery of the sea route to India, he sought the Zamorin‘s permission to carry with him saplings of pepper. ―Why not? Have as much you want,‖ the provincial monarch said. However, his court was shocked. His Prime Minister Mangattachan tried to explain to the king the consequences. ―The whole of Europe is at your feet. How can you give away our black gold to these fortune seekers?‖ he had asked.

The Zamorin is said to have sported a sly smile and seemed to have said that the Portuguese can only take our pepper shoots. ―They cannot take our Thiruvathira Njattuvela.‖ Indeed, they could not.

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Five hundred years after this conversation had happened, amidst all urbanisation, the most auspicious time for commencing any farming effort evokes age-old memories. ―Njattuvela refers to the position of the sun in relation to zodiac signs.

The Thiruvathira Njattuvela is associated with farming and agriculture. The 13 days of the transit of the sun bring the best showers of the monsoon. It is said ‗Thiruvathira Njattuvela Thiramuriyathe’. That means it would rain without a break. And, it was also believed that anything put in the soil, even a dry shoot of a plant, would germinate and flourish during these days,‖ says astrologer Vasudevanunni Panicker.

No wonder, this year‘s Thiruvathira Njattuvela has seen the beginning of many farming efforts.

Many local bodies and residence associations have conducted fairs to promote organic farming.

A host of city dwellers have started mini vegetable gardens in their courtyards and even on apartment balconies.

But the most ambitious has been the reviving Pokkali farming movement, which is capturing the alternate urban dreams of Kochi – a city nestled in acres of green paddy fields and laced by spotless lakes. The very thought of a city that coexists with sustainable farming communities may sound Utopian. However, the aspirations have triggered many projects.

In Ezhikara Panchayat, close to the city, Pokkali farming has begun across 130 hectares. ―We are undertaking this effort to transform fallow land through a unique model. Padashekara (Farm) committees are formed and lands are acquired on lease for a period of six months. The different tasks in paddy farming, right from preparation of land, to harvesting, are executed by labourers under the NREGA scheme. Seeds are disbursed through the Panchayat and the Agricultural Department. Finally, one-fifth part of total harvested paddy goes to the labourers,‖ says Geetha Prathapan, President, Ezhikara Panchayat.

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This Thiruvathira Njattuvela also saw the commencement of farming in the rice fields of the island of Kalluvachakadu, which had been lying fallow for years. The Tripunithura Municipality is spearheading the effort by bringing stakeholders together and facilitating the effort. ―It is a dream come true.

The small number of families living in this island would get a livelihood. Kalluvachakadu which can be accessed only by boats would revive its original beauty with the flourishing of the rice fields,‖ says Municipal Chairperson Chandrika Devi.

In fact, the District Administration has an ambitious target of extending Pokkali to over 1000 hectares this year and to another 1000 next year.

But what is Pokkali? The Pizhala Pokkali Tourist Farm is one ideal place to seek an understanding about this quintessential farming method of Kochi. Situated in the fringes of the Container Road that was laid few years back for connecting the Vallarpadam International Container Terminal, the farm can be reached easily from the city. Just that one has to take a very short crossing at the jhankar ferry to reach Pizhala from Moolampilly.

But soon a bridge, which is under construction, would connect this island formed by the great flood of Periyar over seven centuries ago.

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Pizhala with its sprawling wet lands had lived its solitude with the Pokkali farming and inland fishing efforts for many centuries like its sister islands of the Kadamakudy cluster.

Reaching the island in a morning ferry, I was greeted by a middle-aged farmer – E D Joseph – in his working dress of lungi, loose shirt and a soiled white cap with an elastic band. Freewheeling in his red scooter through the narrow field roads, he spoke in his eloquence. ―Pokkali is a gift of nature. You see, our low-lying fields lazing the downstream Vembanadu lake touching the Arabian sea experiences high-tide and low-tide twice every day. This oxygenates and enriches the water with sufficient minerals. This cycle also ensures saline water for six months and fresh water for the next half-year. We cultivate paddy during the fresh water phase by controlling water with the sluice gates. That is from June to early November. The rice plants grow unto 130 cm in the water-logged field and bend over as they mature with the panicles only standing upright. Only the panicles are cut and the rest is left to decay. After harvest, we open the sluice gates and prawn seedlings swim in from the lake and sea to feast on the leftovers of the crop. For the next six months, we farm the prawns for a good profit. In fact, the rice crop requires no fertilizer and draws nutrients from the prawns‘ excrement and other remnants.‖ This unique organic way of rice farming which also sustains fishing and vice-versa, seems to have a long history. ―Up in the wild forests grew a special rice seed once upon a time. During the floods, the seeds floated down the river to the lake and settled in mounts by our coastal land.

Laced with saline water, the plants grew. Through many seasons and cycles, they grew tall and gained salt resistance. As much as 700 years ago, our ancestors saw these plants, collected the seeds and with their intuition and innovation developed Pokkali farming.‖

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Joseph‘s Biblical Flood-like story seems to somehow correspond with the Great Periyar flood of 1341 that destroyed the ancient city of Muziris and created Kochi.

When the flood waters receded, the debris had formed itself into many islands like Pizhala. And, these new found lands hosted this unique farming, which is now GI certified and amazes scientists and biodiversity enthusiasts.

Tottering through the bund road, we reached the centre of Joseph‘s 50-acre farm. He has a ramshackle house with three bedrooms and a kitchen. The four sides open to rectangular blocks of fields filled with the monsoon water speckled with germinating rice saplings. ―I did my graduation in hospitality, and worked in a hotel for two months. But my mind was in farming. So, way back in1986, I leased a farm and started prawn cultivation. Soon, I got into Pokkali with the help of an agricultural loan. However, there were many challenges. It was difficult to market the rice. Modern rice mills deal with high volumes. They ask us for over 90 sacks, which is difficult for us to manage. But the most critical challenge is the lack of labour.

Once there were around 200 women labourers in the area. With the city growing rapidly in the vicinity, they go for casual jobs in the flats and apartments. The new generation do not want to work in the sun and rain. We are incurring heavy losses. The conventional harvesting machines are not compatible for Pokkali fields. Some years ago, I even tried a grass cutter but found it to be of no good.‖ But Joseph finds hope in the organic farming movement. ―Pokkali is very good for health and fully organic. In olden times, doctors used to ask patients to take Pokkalikanji (porridge made of Pokkali rice). The fishermen take this gruel when they go to sea. They keep on having it during

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the work. It is said that the secret of the strength and endurance of Kochi fishermen is Pokkalikkanji. We are making a few attempts to make good use of the organic segment. Some in retail had failed. Certain cooperative societies are coming to the forefront. Hope they would succeed.‖

Joseph has also set his heels in the farm tourism bandwagon. His farm hosts tourists who would like to stay in the bare necessities of life enjoying the richness of the open fields and the fresh lake. Day time visitors can have a taste of a rice field lacing the lake and meditate with the fishing rod or take a round in the country boat. The farm is of course a work in progress and Joseph is committed to develop it further. ―We get many foreign scientists, agriculture students and nature enthusiasts. During special days like harvests and Njattuvelas many city dwellers also make a trip. During Thiruvathira Njattuvela, we sow the seeds and start the rice cycle of the year. This time, I am growing seeds for the State Agriculture Department. Pokkali is being revived, but we do not have enough seeds for the ambitious plan.‖ The pillars to the bridge, which would lead the city to the island, are ready. Soon the city would invade the island with a vengeance. Thanks to the progressive legislations such as the Paddy Conservation Act and Coastal Regulatory Zone and farmers like Joseph, Kochi‘s Pokkali fields may survive the vagaries of urbanization and set itself as a sustainable city model.

My next destination is to a Pokkali field that still survives right in the centre of the city. Nestled around high apartments and residential colonies, it is the Rice Research Station at Vyttila. An institution under Kerala Agricultural University, the centre has been carrying out world-class research on rice for the past sixty years. Naturally, its thrust area has been the Pokkali farming.

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The centre has developed many varieties of Pokkali seeds as Vtl 6, Vtl 7, Vtl 8 and Vtl 9, named after the hub of Kochi Vyttila. Dr K S Shyla Raj, the centre head, has spent the best of her career exploring the secrets of Kochi‘s own rice. ―It is unique for its tolerance towards salinity. A long time ago, people have seen this rice that grow on the sea shore and developed it. It is the gene called Soltol that gives Pokkaliits ability to grow in saline water. Pokkali farmers had always dreamt of having short, non-lodging variety of rice. To cater to their need we developed the Vtl 6 variety through hybridisation and selection.

This was made possible by crossing the local Pokkali genotype Cheruviruppu. This combined their properties – such as high yield of IR 5, and the tolerance to salinity, acidity and flooding of Cheruviruppu. This was again crossed with the high yielding variety of Jaya, which can adapt to adverse conditions,‖ says Dr Shylaraj.

The variety was launched in 2005. That was just the beginning. Many more varieties came through. However, she feels that Pokkali did not flourish to the extent expected. ―Of course, the urbanization and labour issues were the prime reasons. More than that, Pokkali farmers are not conventional farmers. They are naturally keen about the fishing part since that fetches good profit. For a good Pokkali harvest, many labour-intensive jobs as mount-making and removal of toxicity have to be carried out diligently. This requires a lot of pain and hardship, which seem difficult in our times.‖ Dr Shylaraj has also studied the medicinal value of Pokkali rice. ―It has a high anti-oxidant level, which makes the variety superior,‖ she says.

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All through my conversations with Dr Shylaraj, one thought was occurring again and again. How is that we have a Rice Research Station right in the hub of the city? How has it come to be right near to the National Highway bypass? Finally with little hesitance, I raised my doubt.

The senior agricultural research scholar seemed a little irritated. ―See, this whole area was all Pokkalifields only. The NH bypass was built on the Pokkali fields. On either side of the bypass, there were rice fields. That is why in 1958, a Research Station dedicated to this type of farming was set up on a typical Pokkali land itself. Years back, when I joined, many a time during rainy days we had to go back home and apply for leave since the centre was water-logged and was not accessible.‖ So, in fact, it wasn‘t the Pokkali farm that came up in this odd place. It was the city that came invading the sanctity of the four edges of the Rice Station and its rice fields at Vyttila.

The rice saplings were sparkling in the Thiruvathira Njattuvela drizzle. On the background of the rising apartments, the green patch seemed to represent the ‗last post‘ of a lost war.

Pokkali also seemed to represent the ethos of Kochi. A city that has always kept its gates open to the seas of influence and yet stood steadfast on its own identity through tolerance and consolidation. The mixing of cycles that ensures the sustainability of Pokkali seems to be engrained in the ever assimilating cultural values of Kochi. http://b-live.in/2017/07/22/paddy-pride-pokkali-trail/

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KAU develops 23 varieties of high-yielding crops TNN | Jul 22, 2017, 02:37 PM IST

THRISSUR: The Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has developed 23 high-yielding new crop varieties.These include five varieties of rice and nutmeg, three varieties of ginger and cardamom and a variety of plumbago, salad cucumber, culinary melon, vegetable cowpea, pepper, garcinia and tapioca, according to a release from the KAU. Quoting vice-chancellor Dr P Rajendran, the release said the university's evaluation committee has recommended these varieties after assessing their repeated performances in experimental plots and farms.

Director of research Dr P Indiradevi said the crops will be officially released after the approval from the state variety release commit tee, headed by the agricultural production commissioner.

The rice variety VTL 10 developed at the rice research station, Vyttila is suited for high saline coastal ecosystems. While Manuratna rice, a short duration variety developed at the agricultural

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research station at Mannuthy is meant for wetlands, Suvarna developed at the research centre at Mancompu is a semi-tall short duration variety resistant to gall midge, a type of fly. The two varieties developed at the regional agricultural research station (RARS), Pattambi are long duration, non-lodging (the bending over of the stems near the ground level) and suited for rabi season.

The three ginger varieties have been developed at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara.

Chandraka has high gingerol content (the active constituent of fresh ginger). and suitable for fresh and dried use, Ardraka is less fibrous and suitable for value added products and Chithraka has higher starch content. The plumbago variety Swathi, developed at the research centre for medicinal and aromatic plants, Vellanikkara has higher root yield than other varieties.

KPCH-1, the F1 hybrid of seedless salad cucumber variety developed at Vellanikkara offers a cheaper alternative to imported varieties.It is resistant to mildew syndrome (a type of fungus) and offers appreciable productivity in poly-house cultivation. The culinary melon, christened as Vellayani Vishal, developed at the College of Agriculture, Vellaya ni, has medium-sized and green-striped creamy white fruits. Cowpea variety , Manjari developed at the centre in Kumarakom, is tolerant to mosaic virus and suitable for pure cropping as well as intercropping.

While four of the five improved varieties of nutmeg have rounded fruits, one has oval shaped fruits. The Panniyur 9 variety of black pepper developed at the research centre, Panniyur is the latest in Panniyur chain of varieties. Characterised with long spikes, medium berries and drought resistance, it is suitable for hilly tracts. Nithya, the garcinia variety from the Kumarakom centre, has oblong yellow fruits and a single tree will produce more than 10 kg fruit.

The three cardamom varieties, PV-1. PV-2 and PV-3, developed at the research centre at Pampadumpara, offer better yield and tolerance to drought. The tapioca variety Uthama, developed at the agricultural research station, Thiruvalla is ideal for flood prone areas and is high yielding.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/kau-develops-23-varieties-of-high-yieldingcrops/articleshow/59712095.cms

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Indonesian Police crack down on massive distribution of bogus premium rice News Desk The Jakarta Post Jakarta | Fri, July 21, 2017 | 03:45 pm

A worker moves a sack of rice at a warehouse belonging to the State Logistics Agency. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama) The National Police are cracking down on the distribution of bogus premium rice after a company allegedly repackaged subsidized rice and rebranded it as premium rice.

The police‘s food commodity task force on Thursday evening confiscated 1,161 tons of rice from a warehouse belonging to PT Indo Beras Unggul in Bekasi, West Java.

It is at this warehouse that the repackaging process allegedly took place.

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Speaking at a press conference, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said Indo Beras had deceived customers by repackaging the IR 64-type rice, which is subsidized by the government, as premium rice under the brands Ayam Jagoand Maknyus.

The rice was sold for around Rp 20,000 (US$1.50) per kilogram, more than double the price for IR-64 rice. ―The Agriculture Ministry sets the highest price for IR 64 rice at Rp 9,000 per kg,‖ Tito said, adding that the company had possibly violated the 1999 Customer Protection Law. Tito added that the alleged fraud had potentially harmed citizens and generated trillions of rupiah in losses.

The fraud was uncovered after the police‘s food commodity task force examined the level of nutrient content in rice under different brands. It found that the nutrient content in rice under the implicated brands was below the standards for premium rice.

PT Indo Beras Unggul is a subsidiary of publicly listed food company Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food. (rdi/dea/hwa) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/07/21/police-crack-down-on-distribution-of-bogus-premiumrice.html

Agreement permits export of American rice to China Doris Maricle

Jul 21, 2017 Southwest Louisiana rice farmers could soon be selling and exporting their crops to China.U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Thursday that the Department of Agriculture has reached an agreement with Chinese officials on final details of a protocol to permit the import of U.S.-milled rice into China.―This news about China is great and has been long awaited,‖ said Jeff Davis Rice Growers Association President Kevin Berken. ―It couldn‘t come at a better time. We‘ve been experiencing depressed prices for several years now. This will be a shot in the arm for Louisiana rice growers and millers.‖China is the world‘s largest producer of rice, but it is also the largest consumer in the world — using the equivalent of the entire U.S. rice crop every 13 days. Last year alone, it imported nearly 5 million tons of rice, mainly from Vietnam and Thailand.

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The agreement will allow more U.S. rice farmers, including those in Southwest Louisiana, to move more rice off the market and create a new market for locally grown rice by opening up more export opportunities, said LSU AgCenter economist Mike Deliberto. ―With this protocol, the U.S. has the opportunity to gain a new rice export customer, and that customer is the largest in the world,‖ Deliberto said. ―That is encouraging news to rice producers who have been facing lower commodity prices over the past couple of years.‖ U.S. rice futures soared Thursday shortly after the announcement, Deliberto said.

China opened its rice market when the country joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, but U.S. rice was barred from the market because of the lack of a phytosanitary protocol between the two governments.

As part of the agreement‘s implementation, China will send inspectors to the U.S. to look over rice mills and packaging facilities. ―The focus of our work is now on supporting a successful visit by China‘s inspectors,‖ USA Rice President Betsy Ward said in a news release. ―We waited a decade for the protocol to be signed and our members are anxious to meet the demand of China‘s consumers for safe, highquality U.S. rice.‖ http://www.americanpress.com/news/local/agreement-permits-export-of-american-rice-tochina/article_71c7a6d6-6e24-11e7-9055-cf3eda3cde4d.html

CMR dues: rice millers warned of action They have to deliver 15,000 metric tonnes of rice this year The district administration has taken a serious view on violation of agreement by rice millers that they had entered into with the Civil Supplies Department for delivery of custom milled rice (CMR) within 15 days from the date of procurement of paddy.As per the agreement, the millers in the district together were to deliver 15,000 metric tonnes of rice this year. However, they did not respond even after one month to the notices served on them, said Joint Collector Srikesh B. Lathkar.

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31 Following which, Mr. Lathkar on Saturday held a meeting with 10 millers listed at the top for not releasing 7,000 metric tonnes of rice promised under the CMR. He warned them that the administration would not hesitate to seize their bank guarantees if they do not deliver rice by this month-end. Further, he informed them there would be no difficulty for storage as a number of godowns in the district were empty.

Each miller had deposited a demand draft four times the value of rice (â‚š14,700 for each metric tonne) as a collateral security.

District Manager (Civil Supplies) Ramachandra Rao and millers were present http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/cmr-dues-rice-millers-warned-ofaction/article19333358.ece

Rice blast in Budgam, KVK issues advisory He addd that the probable causes of disease outbreak as per experts are: cultivation of varieties susceptible to blast, use of own saved seed, no management practice applied.

Srinagar, Publish Date: Jul 22 2017 12:13AM | Updated Date: Jul 22 2017 12:13AM

Gk Photo

A joint disease diagnostic visit was carried out by a team of experts from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Budgam (SKUAST-K) during which paddy fields were found affected with rice blast disease.

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―A joint disease diagnostic visit was carried by the scientists namely Dr Zahor Ahmad Bhat and officials from the Agriculture Department. The team visited affected paddy fields on July 18 at various villages including Pymus, Geranth Khurud, Geranth Kalan and Kakan Maran of sub division Budgam and Zaloosa and Dangerpora Shahabad of Sub division Chadoora,‖ said a spokesperson.

He added that the observation made by the team after visit include that at all the places the paddy fields were found affected with rice blast disease. ―As enquired from concerned farmers no disease management practice was adopted in the affected fields. Disease incidence ranging from 10-30 percent and intensity of 3.5 to 17.6 percent was recorded in China varieties,‖ he added.

He addd that the probable causes of disease outbreak as per experts are: cultivation of varieties susceptible to blast, use of own saved seed, no management practice applied.

He said that team has recommended immediate spray of Tricyclazole 75 WP @ .06% and next spray of Hexaconazole 5 EC @ .05% after 10 to 15 days of first spray http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/business/rice-blast-in-budgam-kvk-issues-advisory/255388.html

Why loans to farmers will not work The government of Punjab has started a programme for disbursing interest-free loans of Rs25,000 to 40,000 per acre to farmers for the financial year 2017-18.The Rs17 billion cost of interest on these loans is to be borne by the provincial government while the loans will be disbursed to registered farmers having agricultural land of less than 12.5 acres.The amount will be disbursed through a smartphone-based mobile payment mechanism and loans will be provided for maximum five acres per farmer.

Though a good plan on paper, the actual results of such a financial support plan may not meet the intended targets.The government should invest funds in facilitating them through the provision of the latest agricultural technology.There is cross-country empirical evidence available on the failure of such microfinance-based loan schemes which are designed without considering the local social, cultural and economic landscape.A recent example is the social unrest by farmers in many Indian states demanding loan write-offs as they are unable to payback their loans due to the low market prices of their produce.

There are several social and economic reasons for under-utilisation or misallocation of such loans by the farmers.The rural economy operates on a credit system and once cash is available (through loans for example), the social and cultural rituals and customs (i.e. arranging dowry for daughters) are given first priority.The lives of persons living in rural areas are subject to the local

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customs and traditions which require unnecessary spending on various cultural and social needs thereby misdirecting the flow of funds from their optimal use.Another reason for the nonperformance of agricultural loans is the assumption, on the part of policy markers, of a production gap owing to the non-provision of credit.In the absence of such government loan schemes, the rural economy keeps moving and the gap between crop production, before and after the provision of credit, remains almost unchanged.

This is due to the fact that farmers in rural areas are engaged in agricultural practices through a tribal system where the extended family clan provides support for sowing and harvesting the crops.

Similarly, local shopkeepers provide the necessary fertilisers and pesticides to farmers on easy credit as they are familiar with each other.The low productivity of small farmers may also hinder the workability of agricultural loans. Small landholders are unable to afford the latest agricultural equipment for higher production per acre.The provision of small loans to farmers is not enough to enable them to buy tractors, irrigation technology or other useful equipment.

The actual increase in production comes though the application of the latest technology in the agricultural sector which a small farmer is unable to buy.The usability of loans to farmers is also affected by the recovery rate on such programmes.

The case of non-performing loans and bad debts of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) to farmers is evident of the fact that the recovery rate of such loans is very low, resulting in massive losses to financial institutions.Similarly, commercial banks operating in rural districts know very well the lower recovery rate of loans made to farmers.Such loans are sought on the pretext of agricultural requirements by farmers but spent on other needs resulting in delayed repayments and higher interest costs.

The solution lies in improving market conditions for increasing the farmer income through higher market prices of crops and provision of latest agricultural technology to farmers.

The higher per acre output in advanced countries is not owing to the provision of credit to farmers by the government but rather ensuring the accessibility of latest technological equipment, modern agricultural practices, high-yielding seeds and high-impact fertiliser varieties to farmers.

Similarly, the installation of wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane processing units through public private partnerships in rural areas may fetch higher prices for the raw produce of the farmers.Therefore, instead of burdening farmers with non-productive loans where the recovery rate is low, the government should invest such funds in facilitating them through the provision of the latest agricultural technology. https://www.dawn.com/news/1347301

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Good News for Other Exporters? U.S. Makes Deal to Sell Rice to China

Trade negotiators reached an initial deal to sell American rice in China for the first time ever, the Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.

America Exporting Rice to China?

A deal to open Chinese markets to rice grown in the U.S. has been in the works for more than a decade, but agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says it‘s finally coming to fruition. ―This is another great day for U.S. agriculture and, in particular, for our rice growers and millers, who can now look forward to gaining access to the Chinese market,‖ Perdue said in a statement. ―This market represents an exceptional opportunity today, with enormous potential for growth in the future.‖ China is the world‘s largest producer of rice, but it is also the largest consumer. The country imported almost 5 million tons of rice last year, mostly from Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian nations.

The U.S. and China reached an agreement on the process for ensuring the safety of imported American rice in January 2016, a ―more complicated and detailed than any other rice protocol in the world,‖ Dow Brantley The announcement comes after trade talks between the Chinese and U.S. officials took a disappointing turn. At the end of the high-level trade talks Wednesday, the U.S. was only able to claim that ―China acknowledged our shared objective to reduce the trade deficit which both sides will work cooperatively to achieve,‖ but the two countries could not agree on solutions to the $347 billion trade deficit, the Wall Street Journal reports. (RELATED: US-China Trade Talks Falter As Relations Spiral) China allowed U.S. beef imports last month for the first time in 13 years, in exchange for the U.S. allowing imports of cooked poultry products. https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/07/america-exporting-rice-to-china.html

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Thailand gets urgent rice orders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka Bangkok (VNA) – Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are negotiating an urgent purchase of about 400,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand to replenish their falling stocks which were caused by severe droughts and floods, according to Thai media. If the deals are sealed, all rice will be transferred within 60 days and the deal will be secured through government-to-government (G-2-G) contracts. Each country aims to import 200,000 tonnes of rice – mostly parboiled grade and common grade white rice.

The benchmark common grade 5 percent white rice was quoted at 410 USD per tonne while parboiled 100 percent grade white rice was fetched at 439 USD a tonne. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka normally supplemented their stocks with rice from neighbouring Pakistan and India when needed. In 2016, they imported 280 tonnes and 151 tonnes of Thai rice, respectively. However, Thailand‘s state rice stocks are running low as its Ministry of Commerce has opened auctions to sell it in recent years. There are only a few million tonnes left, compared with the record high of 18 million tonnes before. As the stocks are low, it is likely that the G-2-G rice deals could involve private firms who would deliver parts of the rice amount. Bangladesh is approaching private Thai exporters to obtain the best price. http://en.vietnamplus.vn/thailand-gets-urgent-rice-orders-from-bangladesh-sri-lanka/115262.vnp

Rice procurement drive in Sylhet division suffers setback Published : 23 Jul 2017, 21:15:13 Our Correspondent SYLHET, July 23: The much-desired rice procurement drive of the government has been suffering setback in the Sylhet division this season since the region had suffered severe floods this year. Although it is set to be concluded by August 30, there is no chance of success of the programme, as the region had lost almost 95 per cent Boro crops in the Sunamagnj district while the other districts also suffered much.

This is why only 45 millers out of 482 listed, had signed contracts with the food department for supplying 1358 tonnes of rice from 4 districts whereas the target was set for 11,530 tonnes. The other millers even on repeated requests from the food department, didn't respond that way for signing contracts, said the food officials.

Of the total, only 2 millers out of 85 in Sylhet district signed contracts while it is 36 against a total of 49 in Moulvibazar and only 7 in the district of Sunamganj against the total 270. None among the 78 millers in Habiganj responded to sign contract.

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36 The food department could yet manage to buy only 260 tonnes of boiled and 846 metric tonnes of Atap rice from these millers.

A number of foodgrain dealers and millers, requesting to remain unquoted said the decision of rice procurement in Sylhet division is wrong this year since everybody knows the effects of disasterous floods, that hit the haor region, especially in Sylhet division.On the other hand, the market price of rice is much higher all over the country, they added.

After the severe floods and crop damage due to the errant crop protection embankments of the WDB, the president, prime minister and a number of ministers had visited to see for themselves the situation and the government arranged a number of food assistance programme for the region http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/07/23/77809/Rice-procurement-drive-in-Sylhet-divisionsuffers-setback

Haryana CM Hooda seeks simplification of GST rules Statesman News Service | Karnal July 23, 2017 | 07:54 PM

Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Photo: SNS) Terming the Goods and Service Tax (GST) introduced by Narendra Modi-led government at Centre as ‗Anti-Traders‘, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday sought simplification of rules to redress the grievances of the trading community.Addressing a gathering of traders here in Karnal city, assembly constituency of Chief Minister Manohar Lal

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Khattar, Hooda said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government fails to simplify the GST rules, ‗Vyapari Mahapanchayats‘ (grand-gatherings of traders) would be organised in the state protesting against the BJP rule.

He also accused that by imposing high rates of the GST the ruling government has affected the agri and trade sector adversely.Seeking exemption for cloth trade and equipments used in agriculture sector under GST, Hooda asked the government to implement 'One Nation, One Tax', even on products such as petrol, diesel and liquor.

A 12-point charter of demands was also raised at the gathering attended by the rice-millers, cloth traders and other retailers, comprising the demands including simplification of GST rules, provision for filing two returns in a year, exclusion of clothing from GST ambit, reverting of GST on agricultural tools and other taxes in the said sector, relaxations for traders and small scale industrialists, 'One Nation, One Tax' allowing changes in registration rules in different states, bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of the GST and others demands.Hooda also alleged that the new tax regime would also promote the ‗Inspector Raj‘. http://www.thestatesman.com/cities/haryana-cm-hooda-seeks-simplification-of-gst-rules1500819828.html

Millers, wholesalers to blame for rice price spiral: USDA Sohel Parvez

12:00 AM, July 24, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, July 24, 2017 Millers and wholesalers have mainly pushed rice prices higher, cashing in on supply shortages owing to floods and blast attack on the recently harvested boro rice, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

But some of the millers and wholesalers admitted that many of them slowed down purchasing and milling operations to let prices climb, said the agency in its Bangladesh Grain and Feed Update that was released on July 19.

Flooding damaged over one million tonnes of boro rice crop across 400,000 hectares of wetlands, locally known as haor, in the northeastern regions and lowlands in nine districts, according to the USDA. The loss was aggravated by a fungi or neck blast attack on a limited area of boro rice crop in several northern and southern districts of the country, it added.

Subsequently, the USDA lowered its boro rice production estimate to 17.8 million tonnes.

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The damage from flooding reduced harvests enough to drive the farm gate prices of paddy up 2960 percent last year.

The surge was further fuelled by some traders hoarding paddy to drive prices even higher.

Despite the higher farm gate prices for paddy, farmers had small net margins after deducting losses caused by the flooding and disease. ―In the end, it was largely millers and wholesalers who pushed rice prices up.‖ The USDA's report comes at a time when the prices of coarse rice, which is mostly consumed by the poor and lower middle-income people, dropped marginally from its historic high of Tk 47.30 each kilogram in June.

The retail prices of coarse rice were Tk 42-45 per kilogram yesterday thanks to increased imports after reduction of import duty by the government to 10 percent from previous 28 percent.

Despite the fall, coarse rice prices were 36 percent higher yesterday from a year earlier, according to data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.

Besides, the massive cutback in open market sales of rice last fiscal year fuelled price speculation.

The USDA said rice prices have been increasing since August last year, and the recent aman and boro rice harvest did little to relieve the pressure: prices remain their highest in eight years.

Rice prices began creeping up last year after the government hiked import duty to ensure farmers get better prices for their crops. Later, depleting stocks, particularly in public warehouses, coupled with low import caused the rice prices to remain higher.

To contain the price spiral and raise stock in public warehouses, the government also started buying the staple from global market for the first time in five years.

The agency said Bangladesh's rice import would rise to 1.2 million tonnes in the current fiscal year thanks to robust consumer demand, expansion of the food safety net programme, lower public stocks, and relaxed trade and financial policy.

Rice imports slumped 48 percent year-on-year to 133,000 tonnes in fiscal 2016-17. Since July 1, 102,800 tonnes of the grain were imported, according to food ministry data. http://www.thedailystar.net/business/millers-wholesalers-blame-rice-price-spiral-usda-1437673

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (July 22) A man takes a rest while working in a brick factory at the outskirts of Yangon. Productivity as well as salaries are often low in Myanmar industries and efforts are being made to introduce improvements. / Reuters

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By THE IRRAWADDY 22 July 2017 Myeik Islands to Offer More Hotel Rooms Nine local and foreign companies with permission to build hotel accommodation on twelve islands of the Myeik Archipelago will be in a position to offer rooms to visitors in the coming high season, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.The archipelago has more than 800 islands and is an area of world-class outstanding natural beauty that was little visited during the decades when Myanmar was under military rule.

The permissions were granted by the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC). Businesses setting up in the region need permission from the MIC and also from relevant ministries, according to U Hsan Myint, deputy director-general of the MIC. The new hotels will be ready before the coming high season on Nyaung Oo Phee Island, Wa Ale Island, Hlainggu Island, Ngakhinnyogyi Island, 115 Island, Phoni Island, Balar Island and Thahtay Island, according to U Hlwan Moe of the Kawthaung District Directorate of Hotels and Tourism.

A total of some 200 rooms will be available, he said.Plans for Myeik Archipelago are being developed in collaboration with the Tanintharyi Region Development Committee and include a provision that ―only one kind of business‖ will be allowed on each island, to protect the natural environment, said U Ohn Myint, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

The majority of visitors to the region are currently from Thailand, according to U Hlwan Moe. Of 300,000 foreigners who visited the region last year, 250,000 were from Thailand, he told the paper.

Logistics Firm Opens Base in Thilawa Japanese firm Yusen Logistics has opened a 68,000 square-foot logistics center in the Thilawa Special Economic Zone with an eye to contribute to cross-border trade between Myanmar and Thailand.

The base features temperature-controlled storage areas and an assembled vehicle storage yard, and it offers pre-delivery inspections and customs procedures, according to the American Shipper website. ―This logistics center will be a cornerstone of our logistics business in Myanmar and an important part of our global network, including the connection to surrounding countries,‖ said Kenji Mizushima, president of Yusen Logistics.

Yusen Logistics operates around the globe with services in air, sea and land transportation networks.

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The announcement follows the opening of another logistics facility at the Thilawa SEZ in June

by Nittsu Logistics Myanmar.

Micro-lenders to Receive Cash Boost A Luxembourg-based provider of financial services to social businesses will extend loans to three microfinance operations in Myanmar, a trade website reported.

The Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation (GCAMF) will provide loans on a phased basis over three years to Proximity Finance (US$2.9 million), BRAC Myanmar ($1.6 million) and VisionFund Myanmar ($1.3 million).

Proximity Finance is a microfinance program of Proximity Designs, a nonprofit that works to reduce poverty. As of December 2015, Proximity Finance reported a total of approximately 48,000 rural customers and a loan portfolio of $8.4 million, according to the report.

BRAC Myanmar is an affiliate of Bangladesh-based Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC), while VisionFund Myanmar is a unit of the US-based non-governmental organization World Vision, with operations reportedly in almost 100 countries.

GCAMF was founded in Luxembourg in 2008 by Credit Agricole SA, a French retail bank, and Grameen Trust, a nonprofit microfinance organization affiliated with the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. The fund is active in countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Myanmar Rice to Help Ease Shortage in Sri Lanka A shortage of rice in Sri Lanka due to drought followed by floods will be eased by a deal to import rice from Myanmar and Pakistan, according to a news report.

A total of 55,000 MT of rice will be made quickly available to Sri Lanka after a government team visited Myanmar and Pakistan earlier this month. ―After the successful tour, it is clear there will be no more rice shortages in the domestic markets—or even any likelihood of it,‖ Sri Lanka‘s industry and commerce minister Rishad Bathiudeen said. The minister added that ―some elements‖ were trying to create an artificial shortage in the Sri Lankan market, according to the report.

Myanmar was ready to supply 30,000 MT immediately and Pakistan had agreed to provide 25,000 MT without delay, the report stated. The rice samples tested in Pakistan were already milled and in good quality. Myanmar rice was of good quality also but needed to be milled before shipping, the report added.

Sri Lanka has also entered deals to secure rice from Thailand and India, according to another report, but some imports from Thailand might be held back because of higher prices quoted there.

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A severe drought followed by floods has slashed agricultural production in Sri Lanka this year, leaving some 900,000 people facing food insecurity, the United Nations said in June.

Production of rice, the country‘s staple food, was forecast to drop almost 40 percent to 2.7 million tons in 2017, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) said, according to Reuters. Outputs of other crops such as pulses, chilies and onions, were also expected to be hit.

KBZ Expands Capacity on Satellites The KBZ group of companies has expanded its capacity on two satellites, the AsiaSat 4 and AsiaSat 7, to meet growing demand from clients in its banking, finance and oil and gas sectors for faster and more efficient broadband services, AsiaSat reported.

The Myanmar conglomerate and bank launched services on AsiaSat in 2016, and has since expanded its high-speed broadband network which connects 300 remote sites across its bank branch network and ATM services, and also serves communications for remote oil and gas exploration sites.

With the expanded capacity, KBZ will be offering advanced broadband services, enabling it to expand into the hospitality sector, according to AsiaSat. It added that the new AsiaSat 9 is being planned and will enable further improved services by KBZ for broadband services across the country.

Japan Invests in Myanmar Human Resources Employees of telecoms operator Myanmar Posts & Telecommunications (MPT) will start longterm skills training with the Japanese firm KDDI, which, along with Sumitumo, is a partner with MPT. Initially, four MPT employees (two working in business management and two in a technical field) will join KDDI for one year starting this month.

The training will include three months of Japanese language study and basic lectures, and technical trainees will undergo practical training in network design and development, maintenance and operations, and information systems.

Business management trainees will study in the sales, marketing and new services planning departments. After completing the program, the trainees will return to Myanmar and use the techniques, know-how, and business skills acquired in Japan.

In a separate human resources initiative, the Tokyo-based Japan Productivity Center and the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) have

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launched a project to establish a National Productivity Organization to promote enhanced productivity in Myanmar.

The project will seek to introduce Japanese practical Kaizen methods (these translate roughly into a philosophy of constant, continual improvement) into Myanmar businesses.

Senior project staff are currently being sought and more information is available on the UMFCCI website. https://www.irrawaddy.com/business/irrawaddy-business-roundup-july-22.html

China to allow imports of U.S. rice for first time 2017-07-21 15:46CGTNEditor: Gu LipingECNS

China has agreed on a protocol to allow imports of U.S. rice, according to a statement released on Thursday by a Chinese delegate to the first China-U.S. Comprehensive Economic Dialogue (CED) in Washington, D.C..

The U.S. can begin shipping rice to China for the first time, after China completes an audit of U.S. rice facilities, the US Department of Agriculture announced.

The move would give U.S. farmers access to the world's largest consumer market and importer of rice following over a decade trade talks between the two countries.

China has a growing appetite for rice imports, with the number dramatically up in the past decade and reaching 3.4 million metric tons in 2015. However, U.S. farmers will have to compete with those in Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan, the biggest rice

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The rice agreement is a sign of strengthening China-U.S. relations on agriculture trade. It comes just a month after China resumed imports of U.S. beef.

During the CED, China and the U.S. reached agreements on agricultural cooperation, and both sides exchanged views on exports of China's dairy products and aquatic products to the U.S..

The CED was one of the four major dialogue mechanisms established by the two countries in April when Chinese President Xi Jinping met US President Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida. http://www.ecns.cn/business/2017/07-21/266285.shtml

FPCCI SUGGESTS PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH IRAN FAW A D M A Q S O O D

J U L 2 2 N D , 2 0 1 7 0 2 :0 8

KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) officials here on Friday suggested implementation of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Iran on priority basis. Mentioning that the second phase of negotiations, related to current FTA proposal, has concluded only last week, they said due realization of the agreement can increase the 2016's $359 million trade to $5 billion by 2021 between the two countries.

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It was in 2004 that Pakistan and Iran had signed the PTA which came into effect in 2006 and as per data from International Trade Centre, Trade Maps, Pakistan's bilateral trade with Iran increased from $622 million in 2006 to $1.2 billion in 2009, a 194 percent jump post FTA implementation. Regional Chairman of the FPCCI Horticulture Exports, Ahmad Jawad said despite the increase in trade, bilateral trade with Iran composed of just 2.5 percent of Pakistan's global bilateral trade, with exports to Iran being 1.4 percent of Pakistan's total exports.

The only significant export to Iran was that of rice with 12 percent of Pakistan's exports finding a market in Iran, he said.

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This, he said reflected that the highest potential of increase in trade is of rice exports to Iran as at the peak of Pakistan's exports in 2009, the top export to Iran was $200 million of rice comprising nearly 80 percent of Pakistan's exports to Iran.

He said cotton fabric and fresh fruits mainly Kinnow and mangoes alongwith surgical goods also hold considerable attraction for markets in Iran. It was regretted that though Woven fabrics of cotton are a significant export of Pakistan but exports to Iran are non-existent, whereas Iran's imports from the world were $42 million in 2016. "Similarly we hold tremendous potential to increase our exports of medical instruments (HS Code 901890) to Iran," he said.

Ahmad Jawad said Pakistan's current exports of surgical goods to Iran were presently restricted to $780,000 whereas Iran's imports globally were $147 million in 2016. Since Sialkot's surgical good industry is one of the country's success stories, reduction in tariffs of medical instruments can be negotiated to become a part of the FTA, he emphasized. FPCCI Official said there was a long list of Pakistan's export items that were currently not being exported to Iran and which, however, are imported by Iran in large volumes from other countries. Reminding that Pakistan's exports have been limited to a single top item to Iran, he said FTA is an opportunity to increase our basket of exports. Ahmad Jawad warned that focus on export of single item to Iran may deprive Pakistan from acquiring the benefit FTA can otherwise offer.

Concerted efforts must be made and a pragmatic approach ought to be adopted to expand our list of exports to Iran as then only optimistic goal of $5 billion of bilateral trade can be achieved, emphasized the FPCCI official. http://www.brecorder.com/2017/07/22/360691/fpcci-suggests-proper-implementation-of-freetrade-agreement-with-iran/

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In a China win for Trump, U.S. can now ship rice for first time

MEGAN DURISIN AND ALAN BJERGA Bloomberg News 6:46 AM JUL 21, 2017 The U.S. can now ship rice to China for the first time ever, signaling a win for President Donald Trump in his efforts to reshape the trade relationship just after talks between the nations broke down Wednesday.

Officials from the nations finalized a protocol to allow for the first-ever American shipments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday in a statement. China is the world‘s biggest rice consumer, importer and producer.

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The rice deal comes just a month after China reopened its market to U.S. beef imports for the first time in more than a decade and is the latest in a flurry of trade negotiations between the nations. China is also approving more biotech products and increasing U.S. natural gas imports.

But if the nations are to make any meaningful dent in the U.S.‘s $347 billion trade deficit with China that‘s the object of Mr. Trump‘s ire, they may have to keep negotiating beyond the modest agreements already signed. And there are signs the relationship may be turning a bit sour. Highlevel economic talks in Washington broke up Wednesday with the superpowers, the world‘s two largest economies, unable to produce a joint statement.

Rice trade talks have been taking place between the two countries for more than a decade, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in the statement.China‘s appetite for the grain helped push the nation‘s imports up tenfold in the past decade to 5 million metric tons in the 2016-17 season, USDA data show. Still, it could be difficult for the U.S. to get a meaningful piece of that market. American shippers will have to compete with those in Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan.

The countries were China‘s biggest suppliers in 2016 and are also among the world‘s biggest shippers. The U.S. is No. 5.

Rice traded in Chicago was initially little changed after the USDA announcement, before rising as much as 1.6 percent. September futures were up 1.5 percent at $12.04 per 100 pounds as of 12:38 p.m. local time.

Mr. Trump‘s goal of reducing trade deficits put a ―spotlight‖ on rice, Brian King, the chairman of industry group USA Rice, said in a statement. China is planning to send a team to inspect U.S. mills and facilities certified for shipment, and the group is working with USDA to ensure that happens quickly, said Carl Brothers, chairman of the group‘s international trade policy committee. http://www.post-gazette.com/news/world/2017/07/20/In-a-China-win-for-Trump-U-S-can-nowship-rice-for-first-time/stories/201707200188

Pakistan needs latest farm-tech to achieve food security The Newspaper's Staff Reporter July 21, 2017

LAHORE: The government should encourage and facilitate the farming community to adopt modern technologies to avoid post-harvest losses and increase agriculture production, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Abdul Basit said on Thursday.In a statement, the LCCI president said the agriculture sector was suffering due to multiple reasons.

He stressed the need for increasing the cropped area because the country is already running well short of per capita food availability.

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The country‘s almost 43 per cent labour force is dependent on agriculture, the yield gap in the four major crops is three times from the best producers in the world such as China and Egypt, he said, adding that low yield has contributed to the poverty in rural areas besides forcing the country to import agriculture produces to feed its population.

He said the fact should be an eye-opener that China produces two times more cotton and wheat per hectare and Egypt produces around three times more rice and sugarcane per hectare as compared to Pakistan.

Factors that are recommended to improve the yield are through large-scale introduction of hybrid seeds and mechanised farming, high efficiently irrigation systems such as drip irrigation and reduction in wastage of crop through introduction of privately owned storage facilities and cold storage facilities. ―The 21st century belongs to biotechnology and Pakistan has tremendous potential to emerge as biotechnology leader but to achieve the goal private sector, scientists, researchers and government will have to work hand-in-hand,‖ he added https://www.dawn.com/news/1346547/pakistan-needs-latest-farm-tech-to-achieve-food-security

For the First Time, China Open Rice market for US exports By admin July 24, 2017

The world‘s biggest rice market, China will be opening its

gates for American

farmers.

Following quite a long arrangement, China has consented to open its local market for U.S. rice exports

for

recognizing

the its

first

time

requirement

interestingly, for

remote

shipments to meet the increasing needs of the middle class families.China is the world‘s producer and consumer of rice, however has progressively swung to imports as of late to take care of local demand. With around 5 million

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tons of rice purchased from different countries a year ago, China was the world‘s biggest importer. American farmers have needed to air out the Chinese market for quite a long time, but political, social, bureaucratic and financial problems hindered their path. American rice agriculturists deliver around 9 million tons every year, and Chinese purchasers can eat that much supply in around two weeks, as indicated by USA Rice, an exchange group for rice makers.

The Chinese market opening is dependent upon examination and endorsement of U.S. offices by Chinese inspection authorities. What‘s more, if all goes well, shipments to China could begin in a year from now, said Michael Klein, USA Rice‘s VP of marketing, correspondences and local advancement. An achievement came early a year ago when the U.S. and China conceded to a supposed ―phytosanitary protocol,‖ which explains the terms of clean conditions for American processed rice. Chinese authorities are worried about the likelihood of specific bugs being presented by rice imports in China. What‘s more, American factories and storeroom administrators keen on offering there were advised to concentrate especially on insect elimination and record-keeping necessities.

American farmers will confront a lot of residential and outside competition in China. Vietnam and Thailand are real rice exporters to China and can transport smaller quantities faster. With their harvests vigorously sponsored by their administrations, their rice additionally will probably be sold at lesser costs. However, American agriculturists are planning to offer on quality and higher sustenance security benchmarks. President Trump has made decreasing the U.S. exchange shortage a focal issue in his crusade and his administration, and has been squeezing different countries for what he esteems to be uncalled for exchange courses of action and endowments. In the interim, American exchange authorities additionally have been consulting with China on an assortment of trade issues, including steel creation and rural item hindrances, with expectations of decreasing a huge exchange deficiency the U.S. keeps running against China.

In May, the Trump organization declared American cows farmers will have the capacity to offer their beef in China beginning not long from now. China has declined American imports since the mad cow sickness breakout in 2003. The consent to lift the boycott was quickened by the U.S. endorsement to permit completely cooked Chinese chicken to enter the U.S. Chinese chicken has been prohibited in the U.S. because of health and sanitary concerns. http://freenewsman.com/2017/07/24/for-the-first-time-china-open-rice-market-for-us-exports/

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Pakistan seeks trade partnership with ECOWAS, WAEMU

Observer Report Dakar In order to address bilateral trade difficulties, Pakistan has sought Senegal‘s support to establish a trade partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

This was expressed during the two-day session of the Joint Commission between Pakistan and Senegal, which was held last week in Dakar, Senegal. Federal Minister for Commerce, Engr.

Khurram Dastgir Khan led the Pakistani delegation to participate in the inaugural session of the Joint Commission while Mr. Alioune Sarr, Minister for Commerce, Informal Sector, Consumption, Promotion of Local Products and SMEs led the Senegalese delegation.

The session was jointly chaired by the two heads of delegation. A delegation of private businessmen from the areas of textiles; Agriculture and pharmaceuticals also held B2B meetings with Senegalese businessmen on the sidelines of the session.

During the discussions, both sides underlined the importance they attach to the development of partnership in all areas of common interest, including trade, pharmaceutical industries, investment, agriculture, textiles, higher education and vocational training, information technology, air transport and tourism.

Both sides also agreed to sign ―the Convention for the Avoidance of Double taxation and the

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Prevention of Fiscal Evasion‖ as soon as possible. With regards to Technical Cooperation, Pakistani side highlighted the low level of participation in capacity building programs offered by Pakistan in various disciplines under the auspices of Pakistan Technical Assistance Program (PTAP).

The Senegalese side took note of this fact and expressed the desire to redirect the supply of training in line with Senegal‘s priority policies and programs.

Both sides also agreed to cooperate in order to facilitate and promote tourism between the two countries including presenting tourist attractions, facilitation of visa issuance as well as sharing data bank from travel and tourist agencies.

Pakistani side offered restoration of historical sites in Senegal by Pakistani manpower.

Senegalese side appreciated the offer and both sides agreed to exchange further details in this regard. Both sides also agreed to study ways and means for the establishment of air and sea links.

In that respect, Pakistan side has proposed a Draft Air Services Agreement to the Senegalese side which agreed to respond on the proposed Draft as soon as possible.

Both sides agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation between the Port of Dakar and Karachi Port (KPT) with a view to creating synergies and increasing the volume of trade between the two counties. Both sides also showed interest in exchange of experiences in maritime education and training and Technical Port Management.

Pakistan and Senegal signed the following agreements: ―The Agreement on Cooperation in Combating the Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals‖ & ―The memorandum of understanding between the federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Senegal.‖ Besides JMC, Commerce Minister, Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan had a call on the President of Senegal, H.E. Macky Sall and conveyed him special message of the PM of Pakistan & also reported on successful conclusion of 1st Pak-Senegal Joint Ministerial Commission. The Commerce Minister also announced a gift of 1000 footballs made in Pakistan for the Senegalese football association and also announced to send special gift of premium basmati rice of Pakistan to the important dignitaries of Senegal. http://pakobserver.net/pakistan-seeks-trade-partnership-ecowas-waemu

Pakistan, Senegal agree to boost economic ties | Islamabad seeks Dakar‘s support to establish trade partnership with ECOWAS DAKAR - Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan led the Pakistani delegation to participate in the inaugural session of the Joint Commission between Pakistan and Senegal, which was held in Dakar (Senegal), while Alioune Sarr, Minister for Commerce, Informal

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Sector, Consumption, Promotion of Local Products and SMEs led the Senegalese delegation. A delegation of private businessmen from the areas of textiles, agriculture and pharmaceuticals also held B2B meetings with Senegalese businessmen on the sidelines of the session.

During the discussions, both sides underlined the importance they attach to the development of partnership in all areas of common interest, including trade, pharmaceutical industries, investment, agriculture, textiles, higher education and vocational training, information technology, air transport and tourism. To address the difficulties of trade between the two countries, the Pakistani side has sought Senegal‘s support to establish a trade partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

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Both sides also agreed to sign ―the Convention for the Avoidance of Double taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion‖ as soon as possible. With regards to technical cooperation, Pakistani side highlighted the low level of participation in capacity building programs offered by Pakistan in various disciplines under the auspices of Pakistan Technical Assistance Program (PTAP). The Senegalese side took note of this fact and expressed the desire to redirect the supply of training in line with Senegal‘s priority policies and programs.

Both sides also agreed to cooperate in order to facilitate and promote tourism between the two countries including presenting tourist attractions, facilitation of visa issuance as well as sharing data bank from travel and tourist agencies. Pakistani side offered restoration of historical sites in Senegal by Pakistani manpower. Senegalese side appreciated the offer and both sides agreed to exchange further details in this regard. Both sides also agreed to study ways and means for the establishment of air and sea links. In that respect, Pakistan side has proposed a Draft Air Services Agreement to the Senegalese side which agreed to respond on the proposed draft as soon as possible.

Both sides agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation between the Port of Dakar and Karachi Port (KPT) with a view to creating synergies and increasing the volume of trade between the two counties. Both sides also showed interest in exchange of experiences in maritime education and training and Technical Port Management.

Pakistan and Senegal signed the following agreements: ―The Agreement on Cooperation in Combating the Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals‖ & ―The memorandum of understanding between the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Senegal.‖ Besides JMC, Commerce Minister, Khurram Dastgir Khan had a meeting with President of Senegal Macky Sall and conveyed him special message of the PM of Pakistan & also reported on successful conclusion of 1st Pak-Senegal Joint Ministerial Commission. The commerce minister also announced a gift of 1000 footballs made in Pakistan for the Senegalese football association and also announced to send special gift of premium basmati rice of Pakistan to the important dignitaries of Senegal http://nation.com.pk/business/24-Jul-2017/pakistan-senegal-agree-to-boost-economic-ties

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