5th September , 2014
Chinese COLOR SORTER as low as Pak Rs 22 Lakh Only A Time Limited Offer Contact: Cell: 0300 414 3493
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KBP urges government to announce demand price for Basmati, IRRI India to import 1 LT rice from Myannmar Myanmar's earning of rice export up 41 pct in 5 months Rice acreage lags behind at 36 mn hectares so far SA Rice Sponsors Mexican Cook-Off Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures Cambodia set to take second go at rice bid USA Rice Federation asks for student applicants Take the Rice Bucket Challenge! (No, that's not a typo) Reservoir project in rice country gets financial assist THT 10 YEARS AGO: Curfew shadow looms over TU bachelor exams today Reassessing Japan’s Development Assistance NCPO authorizes Commerce Min to ink rice deal with Philippines Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sep 05 Yingluck evades rice rap U.N. honors CIAT project that "saved" rice crops in Colombia
NEWS DETAILS: KBP urges government to announce demand price for Basmati, IRRI September 04, 2014 RECORDER REPORT Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) uged the government to take immediate steps for safeguarding the interest of paddy growers and announce minimum purchase price for Basmati (paddy) at Rs 3,000 per maund and for IRRI at Rs 1,800 per maund. This demand was made by the Rice Committee of the Board which met here on Wednesday with its Central Chairman Aman Ullah Chattha in the chair.
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The meeting was also attended by its Central Secretary-General Malik Muhammad Ramzan Rohari and other KBP members, agricultural experts and paddy growers. The committee discussed the input cost incurred on paddy crop, issues related to research and marketing of the commodity and prepared its recommendations. Releasing the demands to media, the KBP rice committee urged the government to provide required resources to the research institutes and also monitor their research activities for ensuring provision of new and high quality seeds to the growers. It regretted that Pakistan's research institution failed to provide new seed free of diseases or capable of higher per acre yields. Keeping in view the input cost, the committee further demanded fixing the minimum purchase price at Rs 3,000 per maund for Basmati paddy and Rs1,800 per maund for IRRI paddy. The committee also demanded to mobilise Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) like the role it played during last many years. It also urged the government to mobilize institutions associated with exports so as for enhancing basmati exports thus facilitating the rice traders and rice mills.
India to import 1 LT rice from Myannmar Press Trust of India | New Delhi September 5, 2014 Last Updated at 16:50 IST India s going to import one lakh tonnes of rice from Myannmar to avoid supply crisis in Manipur and Mizoram as the construction work is going on the railway line connecting these two northeastern states to other parts of the country.In this regard, the government will float a exploratory tender on September 8 to evaluate market prices. This will be the first time in almost three decades the country will import rice and that via road. According to sources, 20,000 tonnes of rice will be imported per month starting October and tenders are likely to be floated by the State Trading Enterprises (STEs) on behalf of Food Corporation of India (FCI). Despite having sufficient stocks, the government has to import rice as the work is going on to broadgauge the railway line between Lumding and Silchar in Assam, sources said adding this route connects Manipur and Mizoram to the rest of the country. To meet the requirements of these states, which have deficient paddy production, the FCI will have to move the grains via road ranging 400-600 kms. "There is only one national highway 44 from Guwahati, which connects with these states, and moving grains via road is challenging because of hilly terrains and land-slide prone areas," a source said. Considering all these aspects, there is a need to have supplementary stock to avoid any supply crisis in these areas, therefore it has been decided to import rice from Myannmar, which is well connected via road to Manipur and Mizoaram, sources said. Moreover, the neighbouring country also has surplus stocks, they added. These North-Eastern states have deficient paddy production and in order to meet the requirement, FCI moves rice mainly from Punjab and
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Chattisgarh to Guwahati in Assam and from there to other parts in the region. As on August 16, the country had 184.62 lakh tonnes of rice against the buffer stock of 72 lakh tonnes on October 1 this year. In addition to this, 74 lakh tonnes of unmilled paddy is also available in the country
Myanmar's earning of rice export up 41 pct in 5 months Myanmar's earning of rice export up 41 pct in 5 months YANGON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar earned 196 million U.S. dollars through export of rice in the first five months (April- August) of the present fiscal year 2014-15, up 41 percent from 139 million U.S. dollars in the same period of 2013-14, sources with the Ministry of Commerce said Friday without mentioning the exported tonnage.Despite flood in August this year which destroyed a lot of paddy fields, the country's rice export was not affected much as expected, as the spoiled paddy fields was negligible compared with the total cultivated area of the whole country, local media quoted rice growers as saying. According to the Central Statistical Organization, Myanmar exported 1.2 million tons of rice in 2013-14, down 14.2 percent from 1.4 million tons in 2012-13.The rice export earning during 2013-14 was registered as 460 million U.S. dollars, reducing by 15.4 percent from 544 million U. S. dollars in 2012-13.However, the country projects to export up to 1.5 million tons of rice in the current 2014-15 fiscal year against 1.2 million tons in 2013-14.Myanmar's rice is mainly exported to the neighboring Chinese market, registering nearly 260,000 tons through Muse border gate alone in the first four months (April-July) of 2014-15, 80,000 tons more than the same period of 2013-14 , rice traders said.According to other reports, Myanmar is making trade deal to boost export of its rice to China. Copyright 2014 Xinhua News Agency. Xinhua is China's state-run news agency. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Rice acreage lags behind at 36 mn hectares so far By PTI | 5 Sep, 2014, 07.31PM IST Total area under all kharif crops remains lower at 98.65 million hectares as on today, as compared to 102 million hectares in the year-ago.
ET SPECIAL:
NEW DELHI: Area sown to rice is lagging behind slightly at 36 million hectare so far in ongoing kharif season of this year, as against 36.40 million hectare in the year-ago, according to the Agriculture Ministrydata. Earlier in the day, Agriculture MinisterRadha Mohan Singh said sowing acreage of most kharif
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crops remained down so far due to poor monsoon. However, the exact sowing situation would be known by September 15. Barring cotton, area planted to all other kharif (summer) crops is lower than the year-ago, as per the data released by the Agriculture Ministry. Sowing of most kharif crops, which began with the onset of southwest monsoon from June, has completed. Rice planting would continue till end of the month. Besides rice, area sown to pulses remains lower at 9.72 million hectare as on today, as compared with 10.36 million hectares in the same period last season. Similarly, acreage under oilseeds is lagging behind at 17.34 million hectares from 18.89 million hectares, while area under coarse cereals is down at 17.47 million hectares from 19.23 million hectares in the review period. Among cash crops, area under sugarcane coverage is lower at 4.87 million hectares as on today, as against 5.03 million hectare in the year-ago. Jute acreage is also down marginally at 8.13 lakh hectare from 8.31 lakh hectares. However cotton area is slightly increased to 12.37 million hectares from 11.31 million hectares in the same period. Total area under all kharif crops remains lower at 98.65 million hectares as on today, as compared to 102 million hectares in the year-ago.Deficient monsoon rains has affecting sowing operations in the kharif season. With kharif crops covered in less area, overall production is expected to be affected. The government is working on the first estimate of kharif crop production for 2014-15 and the production forecast will be released soon.
SA Rice Sponsors Mexican Cook-Off Rice cook-off packs the house
NEZAHUALCOYOTL, MEXICO -- Last week, the USA Rice Federation conducted a rice cook-off here that provided hands-on training for more than 350 participants, including key politicians. USA Rice chefs taught attendees how to prepare a variety of new rice recipes, shared nutritional information, and discussed the costeffectiveness of rice when it comes to feeding families.
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The event was held in conjunction with the National Federation for the People's Organizations (CNOP), whose mission is to organize educational programs and activities on a local level throughout communities in Mexico. Israel Montoya, the general director of CNOP, and HĂŠctor Pedroza, Mexico State congressman, spoke during the opening ceremonies, and thanked USA Rice for organizing this and similar events in Mexico. They suggested forming a "Rice Club" to conduct large-scale training seminars in other areas of Mexico to present this valuable rice information to foodservice professionals working with schools and cafeterias, as well as other government organizations. "Mexico remains the United States' number one export market for rice, but we traditionally use rice in fairly limited ways here," said Gaby Carbajal, one of USA Rice's representatives in Mexico. "These events help consumers think about rice in completely new ways. Consumers who participate in our events report their rice knowledge and appreciation increases immensely. They go from knowing about four rice recipes to regularly preparing more than one dozen. And that drives consumption." Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457
Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported WASHINGTON, DC -- Net sales of 55,700 MT for 2014/2015 were reported for Turkey (20,000 MT), Costa Rica (10,000 MT), El Salvador (7,800 MT, including 4,400 MT switched from unknown destinations), Canada (4,800 MT), and South Korea (4,500 MT), according to today's Export Sales Highlights report. Decreases were reported for unknown destinations (1,900 MT) and Haiti (100 MT). Exports of 41,500 MT were reported to Mexico (19,800 MT), Haiti (8,800 MT), El Salvador (4,800 MT), Canada (2,400 MT), and Jordan (2,000 MT). This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period August 22-28. Japan Announces 2nd Ordinary Import Tender in FY 2014 Announcement:
5 September 2014
Tender:
12 September 2014
Offer details:
42,000 mt
Country Specified or Global U.S.A. Thailand Global Tender
Non-glutinous milled rice (medium grain) 24,000
24,000
Non-glutinous milled rice (long grain) 6,000 12,000 18,000
TOTAL
24,000 6,000 12,000 45,128
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Shipping period:
USA: From 15 October 2014 to 15 November 2014 Thailand and G.T.: From 20 October 2014 to 30 November 2014
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for September 5.
Month
Price
Net Change
September 2014
$12.375
- $0.025
November 2014
$12.490
- $0.030
January 2015
$12.710
- $0.020
March 2015
$12.900
- $0.020
May 2015
$13.060
+ $0.040
July 2015
$13.240
+ $0.040
September 2015
$12.940
+ $0.040
Cambodia set to take second go at rice bid Fri, 5 September 2014 Chan Muyhong
Fri, 5 September 2014 Chan Muyhong
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Despite failing in its latest attempt to win the Philippine government’s bid to import rice, Cambodia will once again throw its hat into the ring when the offer is reissued, industry representatives said yesterday.The Philippine’s National Food Authority (NFA) in August set up a bidding process, open to all countries, for the import of 500,000 tonnes of rice to the country.The NFA set a budget of $456.60 per tonne, but no one was able to meet that target, with bids ranging from $460 to $496.75 per tonne, according to reports. The Philippine government is set to reopen the bidding, keen to replenish rice stocks after severe weather damaged local crops and drove up domestic prices.Thon Virak, director of state-owned rice exporter Green Trade, told the Post yesterday that Cambodia would again go after a slice of the NFA contract, with an offer to supply 100,000 tonnes of the staple.We will do what we can. But, we cannot lose money just because we want to get the bid,‖ he said.Virak could not reveal the price per tonne that Cambodia was willing to offer, as it was a competitive bidding process, but acknowledged it would be tough for Cambodia to win a piece of the contract.
USA Rice Federation asks for student applicants By Staff Reports Posted Sep. 3, 2014 @ 4:50 pm STUTTGART — During the month of September, teens across the U.S. will be conducting rice promotional programs for entry in the annual National Rice Month (NRM) scholarship contest, which is sponsored by Dow AgroSciences. Be on the lookout for promotions going on in Arkansas to support scholarship applicants. Encourage high school seniors to review the contest application and plan a promotion. There is still time to compete! Three scholarship prizes totaling $8,500 will be awarded. The grand prize is a $4,000 scholarship and a trip to the scholarship presentation in December at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in Little Rock. The second-place winner will receive $3,000 and the third-place winner will receive $1,500. Entries will be judged on their creativity and impact in promoting U.S.-grown rice, National Rice Month, and the importance of rice in Arkansas. High school seniors from rice-growing counties in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas are eligible. Entry forms are due Oct. 13.
Take the Rice Bucket Challenge! (No, that's not a typo) By Scott Alessi| BLOG ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL JUSTICE
If you're sick of hearing about that other bucket-based fundraiser that's been all the rage this summer, here's a slightly different cause that you can support: Donate a bucket of rice to a hungry person or family.That's the goal of the Rice Bucket Challenge, a concept developed by a 38-year-old Indian woman who works for the rice research website Oryza.com. The concept is catching on in South Asia with people posting their donation photos on Facebook and challenging friends to do the same.
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The program aims to help feed the hungry and to raise awareness about hunger issues.And best of all, there's no wasted water--an especially important consideration during World Water Week.Right now the Rice Bucket Challenge is only happening in Asia, but there's no reason we can't bring it to the U.S. We have plenty of hungry people, according to the Household Food Security in the United States report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to the report, 14.3 percent of U.S. households--or 17.5 million homes--experienced food insecurity (lack of access to enough food to live a healthy lifestyle) at some point during 2013. Nearly 7 million households experienced severe food insecurity during the year, and in 3.8 million homes, families were unable to provide enough nutrition for their children.Hunger is a serious--and at times invisible--concern everywhere in our world. But there are solutions, and they can be as simple as handing someone a bucket of rice. Just don't dump any on the ground.
Reservoir project in rice country gets financial assist By Matthew Tresaugue | September 4, 2014 | Updated: September 4, 2014 8:25pm
Texas will provide a $250 million, low-interest loan for a new Wharton County reservoir meant to help satisfy the water needs of rice farmers while easing the burden on Austin-area lakes.The Texas Water Development Board unanimously approved the loan request Thursday, saying it hopes the project will solve a vexing problem - how to provide for everyone's needs along the Colorado River as the region's population grows.The loan will enable the Lower Colorado River Authority to build the reservoir about 70 miles southwest of Houston to capture heavier rains that fall downstream of Lakes Travis and Buchanan, which provide drinking water for more than 1 million people living in and around Austin. The project would provide 90,000 acre-feet of water a year, primarily for agricultural irrigation. One acre-foot is enough water to satisfy the needs of three typical Texas households for a year.The river authority plans to complete the new reservoir by 2017."This is the most substantial project by LCRA since the dams were built" to form the Austin-area reservoirs in the 1930s, said Phil Wilson, the river authority's general manager.Tens of thousands of acres went unplanted after the river authority decided to cut off water from most rice farmers in 2012. The authority was concerned about falling water levels in the reservoirs near Austin because of stubborn drought.Historically, farmers are the largest water users in the lower Colorado basin. Their supply, however, can be interrupted during dry times, unlike the shares for cities and industry, which pay significantly more per acre-foot.Ronald Gertson, a fourth-generation rice farmer in Wharton County, said the project "will certainly improve our situation, greatly increasing our chances of having irrigation demands fully met in most years. However, even with the reservoir in place, river flows will need to return to more normal patterns for it to be of much benefit."
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THT 10 YEARS AGO: Curfew shadow looms over TU bachelor exams today Added At: 2014-09-04 8:19 PM Last Updated At: 2014-09-04 8:19 PM HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE KATHMANDU: The Tribhuvan University’s Office of the Controller of Examination (OCE), which has deferred the first two papers of the bachelor-level examinations that was scheduled to begin from Thursday, will hold exams for the other papers as scheduled from tomorrow. The postponement had come in the wake of the growing unrest in the country. ―As the examination is held in the morning, any developments during the day will not affect it,‖ said Basudev Ghimire, the Examination Controller. He said the schedule for the deferred papers will be published soon and the exams will be held at the earliest so that students will not lose a year. Geeta Bhakta Joshi, the TU registrar said the examination would be conducted smoothly from tomorrow. ―All preparations are complete and the authorities have assured us of a smooth examination,‖ Joshi said. Colleges and the Office of the Controller of Exams in Balkhu this morning distributed the admit cards to students. However, most students are a worried lot and not in a mood to sit for the exams with fear of the curfew being imposed any time looming large. A student of Shanker Dev Campus Karuna Shrestha said she was disturbed following the sudden turn of events in the country. ―Thank god I started my preparations three months ago. I am, however, still nervous,‖ she said. ―Even in previous years, we had walked for hours to reach the examination centres,‖ said Leela Koirala, a student of Saraswati Multiple Campus in sharp contrast to what other students felt.Call to save indigenous strains of rice KATHMANDU: A Nepali scientist has stressed on induction of integrated ―Ever Green Revolution‖ to protect the traditional varieties of rice grown in the country. Bhola Mansingh Basnet, senior scientist with National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), said rapid mechanisation of the green revolution which implies use of high-yielding variety of seeds, has left an adverse impact on sustainability of the traditional variety of rice. Around 2,000 strains of traditional rice are found in 57 districts of Nepal alone, Basnet said. Speaking to The Himalayan Times, Basnet said 80 per cent of the improved variety of rice grown in Nepal is either imported or received from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines. In Kathmandu, traditional rice varieties like Thapa Chiniya, Tauli, Mansara are already extinct. Jumli Marshi, the variety of rice grown at the highest altitudes in the world in Jumla is on verge of extinction due to introduction of improved varieties of rice. This rice is extremely cold-resistant and cultivated at altitudes of 9,000ft-10,000ft.
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Reassessing Japan’s Development Assistance The Importance of Effective Strategies Ōtsuka Keijirō [Profile] [2014.09.04]Read in: 日本語 |
Japan can be proud of the fruits of its official development assistance. But what should it do to make this ODA more effective? A development economist calls for a strategic approach with emphasis on developing human resources.
The Little-Known Fruits of Japanese Assistance What country is a major salmon producer and exports this fish in large quantities to Japan? The answer is Chile. And what country, also in the Southern Hemisphere, grows large amounts of soybeans? The country in question is Brazil. But 40 or 50 years ago, Chile produced not a single salmon, and Brazil was not a major producer of soybeans. So who started raising salmon in Chile, and who started growing soybeans in Brazil’s cerrado, a vast savanna thought to be barren? Japanese people and JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency. These accomplishments, however, are little known in Japan or elsewhere. The World Bank often refers to Chile’s salmon and Brazil’s soybean production as success stories, but it shows no sign of recognizing Japan’s contributions.(*1).Another question: Why is it that Thailand has become a major manufacturer of automobiles, to the point that it has been dubbed the ―Detroit of the East‖? What made this possible was guidance from Japanese sources, including companies in Japan’s auto industry. Another major hub of automobile manufacturing is the Pearl River Delta area of southern China. Here too, it is said that this was made possible by input from Japan, namely, training of the personnel required by carmakers.
Japan and Asia’s Green Revolution Japan can take pride in the fact that its official development assistance played a key role in all of the above success stories. One case that I am quite familiar with myself is Asia’s Green Revolution. As of the 1960s, food
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production in tropical Asia was increasing at a much slower pace than population, because there was little room for expansion of the areas under cultivation and the productivity of existing farmland was not improving significantly. It was feared that major food shortages would occur. What averted this prospect was the development of new, higher-yielding varieties of rice by the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, the use of which was supported by investment in irrigation. This led to what came to be called the Green Revolution. From the 1970s to 2000, the yield per unit area of rice in tropical Asia approximately doubled, and total production of rice roughly tripled. As a result, people stopped warning of the danger of famine in Asia. Researchers from Japan played a major role in the IRRI, and the Japanese government provided generous financial support for the institute’s research and for the training of its personnel. Japan also joined with the Asian Development Bank in supporting investment in irrigation. This is another example of Japan’s ODA producing a game-changing advance. But in this case as well, few ordinary people are aware of Japan’s contribution. Japanese development assistance has produced other major advances in Asia and elsewhere. But the track record of Japan’s ODA is little known—even to people like me, a specialist in development economics. From the perspective of development economics, a key point common to all of the success stories cited above is that they involved a combination of human resources development and investment in infrastructure. The details await further study, but my current assessment is that Japan’s aid program has contributed to industrial development in many countries through this combined focus on people and infrastructure.
The Need for Effective Strategies Japan’s ODA officers tend to think that the only purpose of the aid programs they administer is to promote the development of industries in developing countries through the provision of financial assistance. This view is not terribly wrong, but I believe it is somewhat problematic. At present, nowhere in the international community of aid donors can one find a consensus on the strategies that can promote development and reduce poverty in developing countries. Aid without a strategic basis is unlikely to produce successful outcomes. It is like kicking a ball blindly toward a goal. The key requirement is to set forth effective strategies. Doing so should be an important objective of ODA. Japan’s ODA has lacked this aspect. Even though Japanese assistance has been effective, data has not been collected to record the results. In other words, evidence of the effects is lacking. And for this reason, Japan’s
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ODA has not been a source of examples for other donor countries to learn from. Now it seems that Britain and other European donors are experiencing ―aid fatigue‖ and have lost confidence in their own aid strategies. In this context, Japan should note that intellectual support is the most valuable form of assistance.
Finding Appropriate Development Strategies People have been calling for the reduction of poverty for years, but the discussion of development strategies to achieve this has failed to achieve much progress. About the only points on which a consensus is emerging are (1) that in order to reduce poverty, jobs for poor people need to be created and (2) that in order to create such jobs, agriculture and manufacturing need to be developed through the introduction of new technologies. Both points seem quite obvious. The theme of the World Bank’s 2013 World Development Report was ―jobs,‖ but the 2016 edition (to be published this autumn) will focus on ―the Internet and development.‖ The World Bank is presumably sketching a scenario in which IT innovation leads to industrial development, creating jobs, and thereby reducing poverty. To make this happen, however, it will be necessary to have strategies for sparking innovation.(*2)
Focus First on People The first priority should be the development of human resources. In the case of manufacturing, this means the training of executives. No amount of fine equipment and good infrastructure will help a company grow unless its chief executive knows about management and technology. Recent research has shown that executives in developing countries tend to lack management know-how and that this lack is the biggest factor preventing their companies from developing. Advanced countries have stocks of superior technologies and knowledge about management. Executives in developing countries should tap this store of intellectual resources. My colleague Sonobe Tetsushi and I are currently working in cooperation with JICA and the World Bank on a project in Africa testing the effectiveness of kaizen, the Japanese management technique of pursing continuous incremental improvement. So far the results look good. Infrastructure improvements and loans will produce more positive results after corporate management has become more efficient, so that is when they should be timed. It is particularly effective to support up-and-coming companies through the construction of plants in industrial zones where the necessary infrastructure is in place. This is our idea of a good development strategy for manufacturing.
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Similar thinking can be applied to agriculture. The key here as well is human resources, meaning researchers and extension agents to promote the spread of new technologies. Farming technologies depend on climate and local ground conditions, so they cannot simply be imported from other countries. Applied research is needed to adjust advanced technologies from elsewhere so that they will work under local conditions. But I was surprised to learn that in the case of rice growing, Asian technologies can be used in Africa without modification. So it should be possible to achieve a Green Revolution for rice in Africa with virtually no applied research. It was on this basis that I was able to persuade JICA to organize an initiative called the Coalition for African Rice Development, which aims to double rice production in Africa over a period of 10 years starting in 2008. Unfortunately there was a lack of funding for the training of extension agents, and it is not clear whether it will be possible to achieve the quantitative goal of doubling production. But if the training of agents progresses, the new technologies will start to spread, and it will become more profitable to invest in irrigation and in transportation and communications infrastructure that will lead to enhanced marketing. As with manufacturing, investment that is timed in this way is sure to result in higher productivity for agriculture. If it turns out that farmers are unable to afford new fertilizers, the arrangements for lending can be changed at that point. These are my ideas for development strategy in the agricultural sector. These strategies do not conflict fundamentally with the thinking Japan has adopted up to now in its ODA. The next step is to further improve development strategies through joint efforts by JICA, private-sector companies, and researchers, to test the effectiveness of these strategies, and to advertise them globally as useful development models. If this can be accomplished, it is sure to produce a major enhancement in other countries’ assessments of Japan’s ODA. (Title photo: Indonesian farmers harvesting rice on the outskirts of Jakarta, February 2012. © Reuters/Aflo.) (*1) ^ The JICA Research Institute has published a pair of interesting works concerning these two cases: Hosono Akio, Nanbei Chiri o sake no yushutsukoku ni kaeta Nihonjintachi (The Japanese Who Turned Chile into a Salmon Exporter) (2010), and Hongō Yutaka and Hosono Akio, Burajiru no fumō no daichi ‘serādo’ kaihatsu no kiseki (The Miracle of Development of Brazil’s Vast, Barren Cerrado Savanna) (2012). (*2) ^ For more on this subject, see my book Naze mazushii kuni wa naku naranai no ka (Why Do Poor Countries Persist?) (Tokyo: Nikkei, 2014).
Image: A Honda joint venture plant in Guangzhou, China. The Pearl River Delta is the site of an automobile and parts manufacturing cluster, including operations of Japanese affiliates. (© Jiji Press)
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Yingluck gets some respite in rice case The Nation September 5, 2014 1:00 am Attorney General's Office sets up joint probe panel due to 'weak evidence' Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who faces serious charges of dereliction of duty, was yesterday given a respite - almost a month - after the Office of the Attorney-General decided to work with the National Anti-Corruption Commission to probe more into her government's allegedly corruption-ridden rice-pledging scheme.Public prosecutors cited "weak evidence" in calling for the joint panel to be set up within 14 days and for it to spend up to 14 days probing into her case. Yingluck's lawyer Norawich Lalang welcomed the decision to set up the joint committee and expressed willingness to cooperate fully in further testimony. He said he believed in the innocence of Yingluck and her ousted government in overseeing and implementing the pledging scheme for rice farmers. Yingluck had accused the NACC of unusual haste in investigating and drawing a conclusion regarding her case. Wanchai Rujanawong, spokesman for the attorney-general's office, said the joint investigation was aimed at strengthening the case against her and plugging all the loopholes so that it would be "perfect" before public prosecutors made the case against her at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.Wanchai said he decided to conduct further investigations because he did not want to see the case rejected by the court. "The NACC dossier just stated that corruption took place at every stage, without giving details, such as where, when, how, and who. Also, they failed to explain how the accused was involved. "If the case is to be taken to the court, we need to gather more 'complete' evidence. Now it's insufficient," he said.The NACC on August 5 submitted its investigation report to state attorneys with the recommendation to seek Yingluck's indictment by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.The attorneys agreed that the NACC should restart gathering evidence because the NACC file was based on a Thailand Research Development Institute report, using only a cover with no further details.
Because of the Yingluck government's fiasco with its flagship populist policy, the state ended up suffering the biggest loss of more than Bt500 billion in the two-and-a-half years since 2011, according to the TDRI's latest paper.Wanchai insisted there was no outside pressure, as the prosecutors had followed the law and justice process. Whether there would be further examination of witnesses would depend on the joint committee. The rice-pledging scheme was launched by the Yingluck administration in 2012. It ended early this year.
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For two years - from 2012-13 and 2013-14 main and second crops, about Bt870 billion was spent to purchase 44.1 million tonnes of paddy for the government's stocks.This made the government the biggest rice stocks holder and trader. Now the government has about 18 million tonnes of milled rice in its warehouses. With such an enormous volume of rice for storage, the government had to rent more than 1,800 warehouses. Thailand has also surrendered its crown as the largest rice exporter in the world, with shipments overseas plummeting to only 6.9 million tonnes last year from 10.6 million tonnes in the previous year, due to the high export price of Thai rice. The pledging price had been set at double the market price at the time. Timeline of ex-PM's case February 18: The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) finds grounds to press charges and initiate impeachment proceedings against then caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for alleged negligence and dereliction of duty in the controversial rice-pledging scheme. May 8: The NACC votes 7-0 to bring impeachment proceedings against former prime minister Yingluck over the rice-pledging scheme. July 17: The NACC votes 7-0 to ask the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) to prosecute Yingluck at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders on the charges.August 5: The NACC submits the case file to the attorney-general.August 6: Yingluck's lawyer asks the Office for 50 more witnesses to testify.Yesterday: The OAG decides to set up a joint committee of public prosecutors and the NACC to conduct further investigations into the rice-pledging case against Yingluck.
NCPO authorizes Commerce Min to ink rice deal with Philippines Friday, 05 September 2014By NNT
BANGKOK, 3 September 2014 – The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has approved the signing of a rice trade agreement between Thailand and the Philippines while putting the Commerce Ministry in charge. A resolution has been made by the NCPO to give full authority to the Ministry of Commerce to strike a government-to-government (G2G) contract with the Philippines on rice sales. An authorization document is to be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Commerce Minister or his representative to take part in the signing.
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The content of the draft agreement is reportedly similar to that of the previous one, except the expiration date which is extended to December 31, 2016. Under the contract, Thai officials will be able to seek direct negotiations with the Philippine government as well as engage in reverse auctions.Nonetheless, some details of the trade deal will have to depend on the rice market condition and rice yields in both countries at the time of the signing. Prices will also be set based on the rates in the global market.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sep 05 Fri Sep 5, 2014 2:06pm IST Nagpur, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Gram prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) reported down on lack of demand from local millers amid poor quality arrival. Easy condition on NCDEX, good supply from producing regions and weak trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices also affected sentiment in weak trading activity, according to sources. *
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FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi super best bold and medium best reported higher in open market on increased buying support local traders amid tight supply from producing belts. TUAR * Tuar gavarani and tuar Karnataka recovered in open market on festival season demand from local traders. Reports about weak overseas arrival also pushed up prices. * Batri dal zoomed up in open market here on good demand from local traders amid tight supply from producing regions. Estimates of poor crop position in this season also activated stockists. * In Akola, Tuar - 5,000-5,200, Tuar dal - 6,900-7,100, Udid at 7,200-7,300, Udid Mogar (clean) - 8,000-8,500, Moong - 7,200-7,600, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,700-9,400, Gram - 2,700-2,900, Gram Super best bold - 3,800-4,000 for 100 kg. * Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading activity, according to sources. Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Gram Auction
Available prices Previous close 2,300-2,830 2,380-2,940
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Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction n.a. 4,480-5,190 Moong Auction n.a. 5,200-5,500 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 4,000-4,250 4,000-4,200 Gram Super Best n.a. Gram Medium Best 3,700-3,900 3,700-3,850 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a. Gram Mill Quality 3,650-3,725 3,650-3,725 Desi gram Raw 3,150-3,250 3,150-3,250 Gram Filter new 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800 Gram Kabuli 8,000-9,500 8,000-9,500 Gram Pink 7,200-7,400 7,200-7,400 Tuar Fataka Best 7,500-7,700 7,500-7,700 Tuar Fataka Medium 7,200-7,350 7,200-7,350 Tuar Dal Best Phod 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000 Tuar Dal Medium phod 6,500-6,700 6,500-6,700 Tuar Gavarani 5,400-5,550 5,300-5,500 Tuar Karnataka 5,600-5,800 5,550-5,750 Tuar Black 8,200-8,500 8,200-8,500 Masoor dal best 6,400-6,500 6,400-6,500 Masoor dal medium 6,100-6,250 6,100-6,250 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold 9,500-10,000 9,500-10,000 Moong Mogar Medium best 8,800-9,200 8,800-9,200 Moong dal super best 7,800-8,000 7,800-8,000 Moong dal Chilka 7,700-7,900 7,700-7,900 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 8,000-9,000 8,000-9,000 Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 8,200-8,700 8,200-8,700 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,400-7,800 7,400-7,800 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 6,800-7,200 6,800-7,200 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,200-5,000 4,000-5,000 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,800-3,100 2,800-3,100 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,450 3,250-3,450 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,350 3,250-3,350 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,800 4,300-4,800 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,500 1,200-1,500 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,450 2,100-2,450
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Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,850-2,000 1,850-2,000 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,350 1,950-2,350 Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,300 1,200-1,300 Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,500-1,800 1,500-1,800 Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000 Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700 Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,200 4,000-4,200 Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,900-5,500 4,900-5,500 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,500-13,500 10,500-13,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,300-10,000 7,300-10,000 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,700 5,400-5,700 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 31.7 degree Celsius (88.7 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp. 23.4 degree Celsius (74.1 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a. Rainfall : nil FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 33 and 23 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
Yingluck evades rice rap OAG wants firmer case before going to court Published: 5 Sep 2014 at 06.11 | Viewed: 7,780 | Comments: 38 Newspaper section: News Writer: King-Oua Laohong & Aekarach Sattaburuth
Public prosecutors refused on Thursday to accept a recommendation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to indict ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra for dereliction of duty in failing to deal with
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corruption and losses in the rice-pledging scheme. Instead, the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) called for a joint panel with the NACC to re-investigate the case, saying there was not yet enough evidence to take the former prime minister to court. OAG spokesman Wanchai Rujanawong said a subcommittee chaired by deputy attorneygeneral Wuthipong Wibulpong studied the NACC's investigation report and found it incomplete on three points.On its conclusion that Ms Yingluck did not stop the programme despite knowing of the alleged corruption, Mr Wanchai said the rice-pledging scheme was one of the Yingluck government's policies delivered to the House of Representatives as required by the 2007 constitution. The NACC failed to establish that Ms Yingluck had the power to stop the policy scheme.On Ms Yingluck's alleged negligence of duty, the NACC did not gather complete evidence to show whether Ms Yingluck had failed to act after being notified by the graft agency and the Office of the Auditor-General of the corruption during implementation of the scheme. Concerning the alleged corruption, the NACC needs more witnesses who can testify where and how the corruption occurred during the scheme's implementation, Mr Wanchai said. Moreover, when the NACC referred to a separate report by the Thailand Research and Development Institute (TDRI) concerning the alleged corruption, the NACC did not attach details, but only the cover of the report, Mr Wanchai said.Mr Wanchai said the OAG has informed the NACC that its investigation was inadequate, and the two agencies are scheduled to appoint representatives to a joint committee to gather stronger evidence within the next two weeks. There is no timeframe for the committee to complete its work, and it is unclear how long it might take, Mr Wanchai said.Mr Wanchai said if the case is to be forwarded to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, it must be clear beyond doubt where in the process the corruption took place, when it took place and who was involved.The NACC forwarded its case to the OAG on July 17 alleging Ms Yingluck failed to deal with corruption in her scheme to subsidise rice, which led to losses estimated at more than 500 billion baht. The NACC ruled by a vote of 7-0 there were sufficient grounds to allegations that Ms Yingluck was negligent in failing to scrap the policy, despite knowing it was plagued by corruption and losses. Ms Yingluck chaired the National Rice Policy Committee when she was premier. Her negligence would be in violation of Section 157 of the Criminal Code and Section 123/1 of the National Anti-Corruption Act. NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljiak said it was normal for the OAG to seek more clarity and stronger evidence before submitting the case to the court.Mr Sansern said the NACC has no problem working with the OAG on the case, and the anti-graft agency is ready to provide more evidence, including full details of the TDRI report. He said he believed the joint panel will not spend too much time examining additional evidence and will step up efforts to conclude it as soon as possible. He added this case has a 15-year statute of limitations.Mr Sansern said the NACC can appoint lawyers representing the agency to submit the case directly to the court if the joint panel fails to conclude the case within an appropriate period.Responding to the OAG's refusal to indict Ms Yingluck, former Democrat MP Warong Detkitvikorm, who blew the whistle on massive losses and corruption in the rice-pledging scheme, said the OAG still did not clearly explain why it chose not to indict.Phichit Chuenban, a lawyer representing Ms
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Yingluck in the case, said the three points raised by the OAG are the arguments Ms Yingluck has used to defend herself, although the NACC refused to hear them.He said the OAG has correctly identified the importance of evidence and witnesses, the keys to a complete case.The legal team representing Ms Yingluck is ready to provide additional witnesses and evidence to the OAG-NACC joint panel, Mr Phichit said.x-premier Yingluck Shinawatra checks out grades of rice during a 2012 photo-op trip to the Pichai market in Nonthaburi. She now appears likely to evade corruption charges over her government's rice-pricing scheme, as prosecutors say there is not enough evidence to take to court. (File photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)
U.N. honors CIAT project that "saved" rice crops in Colombia Published September 05, 2014
Research by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, or CIAT, which saved some 1,800 hectares (4,400 acres) of rice from the drought in northern Colombia, has been awarded a prize by the United Nations as one of the best ideas for dealing with climate change worldwide.The study, which concluded that changing the date for sowing rice crops could improve harvests, was one of the winners of the Big Data Climate Challenge, according to a communique issued by CIAT, whose head office is in the southwestern Colombian city of Cali.The research consisted of using the exhaustive data about crops provided by the National Rice Growers Federation (Fedearroz) and the Colombian Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies Institute (IDEAM) to make an analysis and determine the possible factors that were affecting harvests."Through a case study in two rice growing areas, we observed that the big climate factor limiting yields is accumulated solar energy during the grain ripening phase," CIAT researcher and project leader Daniel Jimenez said. The communique added that "in another case study, the analysis of historical weather data revealed that a diverse set of distinct climate patterns occurring over the years...is clearly associated with growing conditions that are favorable or not for production.""To ensure that crops get optimum radiation, farmers can just shift the sowing date, and to further reduce yield losses, they can adopt rice varieties that are less sensitive to the amount of radiation received," Jimenez said.The Big Data Climate Challenge was launched last May by Global Pulse, a United Nations initiative that seeks to make use of Big Data systems as a public good for sustainable development, together with the Secretary-General's Climate Change Team, the note said.The prizes will be awarded at the United Nations Climate Summit next Sept. 23 in New York City.
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