4th August, 2014
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NFA opens rice imports tender Rice Field Day this month Rice yields go up along with imports Rice exports in July could hit 900,000 tonnes Indian rice revival to heal ravaged land People you should know: Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center scientists
NFA opens rice imports tender THE GOVERNMENT has allotted over P10 billion for the importation of an additional 500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice earlier approved by the National Food Authority (NFA) Council in a bid to boost domestic stocks of the grain.The state grains agency released over the weekend a bid invitation to interested rice suppliers for the procurement of the commodity for a total approved contract budget of P10.27 billion.The tender will be conducted on Aug. 27 at the Philippine Sugar Center Building along North Avenue in Quezon City, the NFA said.According to the notice, five lots of 100,000 MT each will be opened to bidders, each with a contract price of P2.055 billion.The rice imports will be long grain, white rice with 25% broken and well-milled. The supply also must have been harvested from January to June 2014.The tender will be open to rice exporters in other countries, including Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.The NFA also said that the delivery of the commodity will be in three batches -- 40% of the volume awarded should arrive not later than Sept. 30, another 40% by Oct. 31, and the remaining 20% by Nov. 30.“Penalty on shipments beyond the arrival period shall be imposed,” said Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis N. Pangilinan in a statement.“The imports shall be discharged in different ports in the country with corresponding volumes,” he added.Mr. Pangilinan earlier said that the additional imports will improve the country‟s rice supply and help ensure the stability of rice prices.
„GREEN LANE‟ SCHEME
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Meanwhile, the Agriculture department is likewise planning to put up a special “green lane” facility for meat importers who have a good record of compliance with the law to hasten processing of their shipments.Agriculture Undersecretary Jose D. Reaño said in a phone interview that the “green lane” will fast track the shipment inspection process.“Inspection of one container will take only about 15 minutes,” Mr. Reaño said in Filipino, noting that the usual inspection process for one container takes as long as half a day.According to the official, the current meat inspection process involves opening each and every shipment container to check whether the supply meets import standards.Under the “green lane” scheme, importers with several containers will only have to open one container for inspection.“Once one has been checked, the other containers will be declared as okay,” he said. Mr. Reaño added that all meat-importing companies will be assessed, and those without any violations for the last five years can use the “green lane” facility.“We are looking at about seven to eight companies right now under the green lane,” he said.He noted, however, that the number may still change as some companies may be trimmed off the list.“We might not give out the list as it will be a big bias for the other companies,” he added.Asked when the “green lane” scheme would be imposed, Mr. Reaño said that it would possibly be within this year or early next year.“Hopefully by this year or by January next year,” he said.Mr. Reaño also said that the Agriculture department has already consulted different sectors regarding the initiative.Most of the groups, he said, expressed their approval.“We have already gotten the support of the Philippine Association of Meat Processors, Inc., as well as hog raisers, representatives from the poultry industry, as well as meat importers,” Mr. Reaño said. -- Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas
Rice Field Day this month The Annual California Rice Field Day at the Rice Experiment Station is always a very nice event sponsored by the California Cooperative Rice research Foundation and University of California. Displays and demonstrations are spread out and very informative and this year will be no different. There will be a rice equipment vendor display for participants to check out. The general session will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by field tours of rice research and lunch. While on the field tours growers will learn about variety improvement, disease insect and weed control. For more information visit http://www.crrf.org.
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Rice yields go up along with imports By Anna Leah G. Estrada | Aug. 03, 2014 at 12:01am
The Philippines posted the highest rice yield in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the past three years, but the country is still expected to import 1.4 million tons this year, according to estimates of the United States Department of Agriculture.From 2011 to 2014, the International Rice Research Institute said the country posted the highest growth in yield with the average yield hitting three to four metric tons per hectare last year.“The Philippines is the fastest growing country in terms of yields over the last three to four years. A real record faster than any ASEAN country,” said IRRI Deputy Director General Bruce Tolentino at a scientific forum on rice last Wednesday.But the USDA estimated that the country imported around 1.4 million tons of rice from July 2013-June 2014, about 28% lower than its official estimates of around 2 million tons, but up about 3.5% from the 1.4 million tons that was actually imported in 2013.Presidential Assistant for Food Security Francis Pangilinan attributed the increased importation to increased consumption. “Despite the growth in yield, the country‟s rice consumption also grew,” he said.“In addition to that, wastage continued to be high. In fact based on estimates, wastage on rice was at 1 million metric tons per year due to the lack of post harvest facilities,” Pangilinan said, adding that the country‟s rice consumption was placed at 32,000 metric tons per day.Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala also attributed the continuing importation the series of typhoon hitting the country.“Every year, series of typhoon hits the country and we need to import so that we can stabilize prices. Importation is also needed to boost the country‟s buffer stocks,” Alcala said.But Alcala‟s exaide, former agriculture undersecretary Dante Delima criticized a recent decision to import more rice as politically-motivated.“How can there be a rice shortage when the harvest season will start in September,” Delima said, referring to the projected arrival of 300,000 metric tons.“This is clearly political pressure on our leaders because of ambition. They are afraid to act against the rice giants because the elections are just around the corner,” Delima said.
Rice exports in July could hit 900,000 tonnes Nation August 2, 2014 1:00 am After surging 59.2 per cent in the first half of this year, Thailand's rice exports may have touched 900,000 tonnes in July, given its lower prices than rivals' and tightening rice supply in Vietnam, said the Thai Rice Exporters Association.As of July 30, in FOB (free-on-board) terms, the Thai export price of 5 per cent broken white rice was lower than competitors' at US$432 per tonne. Based on oryza.com data on the same date, the Vietnamese export price of 5 per cent broken white rice was $465-$475 per tonne.
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India's and Pakistan's export prices of the same quality rice were in the range of $435-$445 per tonne.According to the Thai Rice Exporters Association, this country's export prices last month might have been higher than in June because of a tighter supply after a slowdown of the government's rice sales and appreciation of the baht. Foreign buyers, including in Africa and the Middle East, purchased more Thai white and parboiled rice, it said. First-half During the first half of this year, Thai rice exports totalled 4.68 million tonnes valued at Bt76.35 billion. Export volume jumped 59.2 per cent year on year, while export value increased 23.2 per cent.Benin was the top importer, buying 510,016 tonnes of Thai rice in the first six months, followed by China's 328,894 tonnes and Ivory Coast's 257,581 tonnes.In June, Thai rice exports fell slightly from the prior month because of a 13-per-cent drop in white-rice shipments to 407,577 tonnes. Most white rice was exported to Cameroon, China, Japan, Mozambique, Angola and Malaysia.June's jasmine-rice exports totalled 146,780 tonnes, up 14.6 per cent from May. Most jasmine rice was exported to the United States, Hong Kong, Canada and Singapore.Parboiled-rice exports inched up 2 per cent to 262,099 tonnes. Of that total, 130,422 tonnes of parboiled rice was exported to Benin, while 38,950 tonnes was shipped to Nigeria.
Indian rice revival to heal ravaged land India exported $3 billion worth of shrimp last year. The nation's seafood industry is booming, but it's also damaging the environment. Farmers in one community are turning to an age-old practice to save their land. At first glance, the town of Neendakara in the south Indian state of Kerala looks like any other coastal village. The single road leading into the hamlet is surrounded by serene ponds. Coconut palms line the water's edge and birds' calls fill the morning air. But disguised behind this rustic charm is a harsh reality.Construction laborer Indira Ramanan points to a hut covered in plastic sheets that are held in place with thick ropes. That used to be her house, but the family had to move out when the brick walls started to crumble and the ceiling nearly collapsed."This house was completely destroyed and now we're building a new one," she says, standing outside a partially complete two-room building. "We can't finish the construction because there is no money."
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Booming industry, crumbling lives Most of the houses here have suffered the same fate. Ramanan's neighbor Saboo says you just have to taste the powder from the crumbling plaster to find out what's behind the problem. The dust falling from the walls has an unmistakable salty taste.Prawn farming is now big business in the Indian state of Kerala .The source is right next door. Salty rectangular ponds extend as far as the eye can see, each about half a meter deep and brimming with tiny shrimp larvae.These ponds are part of Kerala's explosion in shrimp production over the past decade. Local catch contributed to the more than $3 billion (2.2 billion euros) worth of shrimp that India exported last year.The seafood boom has created millions of jobs and made some businessmen very rich. But it is also causing widespread environmental damage - turning soil too salty for farming and contaminating groundwater. Salt from the perennial ponds has permeated deep into the soil, and locals say it's now seeping into buildings, damaging brickwork and wrecking homes. Shrimp and rice side-by-side Local residents think they may have a solution: reviving an ancient farming practice that was used over 50 years ago. Back then, farmers would grow shrimp and rice on the same land - planting rice in the rainy season, and converting the field into a shrimp pond for the rest of the year."It's a good model of an integrated farming system, which has proved to be very paying here," said V. Sreekumaran, director of the government-run Vytilla Rice Research Station nearby. The practice was called pokkali, named after a special variety of salt-tolerant rice.To cultivate rice, the paddy needs to stay submerged in freshwater for two to three months after the planting season. A portion of that rainwater percolates down into the soil, flushing out some of the salt and recharging the water table. There are also other benefits of growing rice, adds Sreekumaran. "It's actually a reservoir of good water that replenishes the drinking water sources of the entire area," he said.
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The rice solution? However, hardly anyone plants rice these days because it doesn't make nearly as much money as shrimp. Up until the 1960s, there used to be 40,000 acres of combined rice and shrimp fields. Now there are only 4,000 acres left, according to Sreekumaran.With sea levels rising, saltwater intrusion is expected to increase further in low-lying coastal areas. Farmers need to adopt practices that can keep salinity in check, says local activist Francis Kalathunkal, who's been lobbying for government support to revive rice farming.After more than two years of campaigning by the local residents, last the government year ordered shrimp businesses to plant rice in the rainy season. It was a big victory for Kalathunkal, though it didn't last long.Locals are hoping rice paddies will clean up their soil and water supply Battle for rice The farmers got about 30 tons of rice from the 120 acres that they planted - less than one fourth of the yield from conventional rice fields 50 kilometers away. That only strengthened the opposition to rice.They could preserve pokkali as part of history perhaps," shrimp businessman Nickson Edwin said as he inspected his ponds. "But otherwise it doesn't make sense to grow rice here. It's just not profitable." The seafood industry has created thousands of jobs here, and these businessmen are a wealthy and politically connected group. This year they didn't hand over the fields to the rice farmers, despite protests from local residents. 'The soil is healing' But Kalathunkal is not deterred. "If we consider the larger interests of society, will we only allow those entities that produce profit to flourish and the rest has to flounder," he said. "We will hold protests, go to the court, and do everything we can to get action. This is the people's fight."Indira Ramanan from the village of Neendakara says she is already seeing some benefits from rice that was planted in a field next to her house. Soil that was too salty is gradually healing, she says."Nothing used to grow here for 25 years, but after just one year of growing pokkali,
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tomatoes and flowers are taking root," Ramanan said, pointing to the small plants with white and yellow flowers in her backyard. "We won't agree to just shrimp farming anymore - it has to be both rice and shrimp."
People you should know: Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center scientists Editor's Note: This is the first in a series introducing the scientists of the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center. By Dawn Teer ,dteer@stuttgartdailyleader.com Posted Aug. 1, 2014 @ 9:37 am The Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center has been around since 1999, but few people actually know that it‟s there or what it does. The Stuttgart Daily Leader set out to find out more about the DBNRRC. In doing so, it was discovered that this money seems to be well spent with, in some cases, a great return on the investment in savings of money, time and resources, when one considers the economic impact of the work that is done here.According to Dr. Anna McClung, research leader/center director, at the DBNRCC since 2005, “We want the community to know that we are very cognizant that we work for the taxpayer, and that your tax dollars are well spent. We have some really great people here doing really great work and we will continue to be a resource for teachers and farmers alike. It‟s a shame we have to go out of this country to get people to come here and work with us.”Dr. Craig Wilson, director of the USDA/HSINP Future Scientists Program, speaking to a group of teachers, said, “Ag science is so important. We are losing 6,000 acres per day of land (that could be utilized to feed the world). Only 1/32 of the earth‟s mass feeds the world. With the population of the world looking to hit 7 billion people, it makes the research we do so important.”“If we don‟t research agriculture, we can‟t feed the future,” research geneticist Dr. Shannon Pinson said. “We must try to „home grow‟ scientists by making science fun and interesting.” Linda Gunnell, a sixt- grade science teacher from DeWitt, is working as a STRIVE program participant this summer at the DBNRRC and calls it, “the hidden jewel.”“They want to get teachers in this facility to see what is happening here and then take it back to their classroom,” Gunnell said.“We will come to your classroom or you can bring your class here,” Wilson said. “We want to be a resource for you.”Although many rice varieties are actually stored here in Arkansas, not all rice varieties are. Most are stored in Idaho at what is known as the GSOR, the Genetic Stocks Oryza (GSOR) Collection.Rice varieties mean more than just the variety that is desired to plant. What the DBNRRC is interested in as well are the rice accessions. According to Dr. Shannon Pinson, “...18,000 rice accessions is, for practical purposes, too large to study for each and every trait. So, what we generally do instead is make some „best guesses‟ as to what subset of that collection to work with. For example, if we are interested in finding a gene for cold tolerance, we can pretty much not waste our time looking through rice accessions from hot, tropical regions, but instead look first at rice accessions originally from colder parts of the world.”
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