Rice News from Riceplus Magazine 8 10-2013
Scientists use blur to sharpen nanoscale DNA mapping (w/video) (Nanowerk News) With high-tech optical tools and sophisticated mathematics, Rice University researchers have found a way to pinpoint the location of specific sequences along single strands of DNA, a technique that could someday help diagnose genetic diseases. Proof-of-concept experiments in the Rice lab of chemist Christy Landes identified DNA sequences as short as 50 nucleotides at room temperature, a feat she said is impossible with standard microscopes that cannot see targets that small, or electron microscopes that require targets to be in a vacuum or cryogenically frozen. team The technique called “super-localization microscopy� has been known for a while, Landes said, but its application in biosensing is just beginning. Scientists have seen individual double-stranded DNA molecules under optical microscopes for years, but the ability to see single-stranded DNA is a new achievement, and breaking the diffraction limit of light adds value, she said. The work by Landes, Rice postdoctoral associate Jixin Chen and undergraduate student Alberto Bremauntz is detailed in the American Chemical Society journal Applied Materials and Interfaces ("Super-Resolution mbPAINT for Optical Localization of Single-Stranded DNA").
The super-resolution technique allows fluorescent-labeled probe DNA to pinpoint target DNA sequences in an immobilized strand in ways neither regular nor electron microscopes are able. The technique relies on multiple images of probes binding temporarily to targets as they flow over the strand and are captured by a camera. (Graphic courtesy Landes Group) The Rice researchers call their super-resolution technique “motion blur point accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography” (mbPAINT). With it, they resolved structures as small as 30 nanometers (billionths of a meter) by making, essentially, a movie of fluorescent DNA probes flowing over a known target sequence along an immobilized single strand of DNA. The probes are labeled with a fluorescent dye that lights up only when attached to the target DNA. In the experimental setup, most would flow by unseen, but some would bind to the target for a few milliseconds, just long enough to be captured by the camera before the moving liquid pulled them away. Processing images of these brief events amidst the background blur allows the researchers to image objects smaller than the natural diffraction limits of light-based imaging, which do not allow for the resolution of targets smaller than the wavelength of light used to illuminate them. Even the Landes lab’s system is subject to these physical limitations. Individual images of fluorescing probes on targets are just a pixelated blur. But it’s a blur with a bright spot, and careful analysis of multiple images allows the researchers to pinpoint that spot along the strand. “The probes are moving so fast that in real time, all we would see with the camera is a line,” Chen said. But when the camera firing at 30-millisecond intervals happened to catch a bound probe, it clearly stood out. The probes sometime picked out two sequences along a strand that would have been seen as a single blur via regular fluorescent microscopy. Landes said one goal for mbPAINT is to map ever-smaller fragments of DNA. “Eventually, we’d like to get down to a couple of nucleotides,” she said. “Some diseases are characterized by one amino acid mutation, which is three nucleotides, and there are many diseases associated with very small
genetic mutations that we’d like to be able to identify. “We’re thinking this method will be ideally suited for diseases associated with small, localized mutations that are not possible to detect in any other inexpensive way,” she said. Landes sees mpPAINT as not only more cost-effective but also able to capture information electron microscopes cannot. “One of the reasons people invented electron microscopy is to image objects smaller than light’s diffraction limit, because biomolecules such as proteins and DNAs are smaller than that,” she said. “But electron microscopy requires cryogenic temperatures or a vacuum. You can’t easily watch things react in solution. “The advent of this technology allows us to see the biological processes of nano-sized objects as they happen in water, with buffers and salts, at room temperature, at body temperature or even in a cell. It’s very exciting,” Landes said. Source: Rice University
Read more: http://www.nanowerk.com/news2/newsid=32624.php#ixzz2h225QrdY
Nigeria: Smuggled Rice Floods Nigerian Market, As Merchants Suffer Losses BY SUNNY IKHIOYA AND GODWIN ORITSE, 7 OCTOBER 2013
Rice, Nigeria's staple food and most commonly eaten delicacy in parties, may not be available on the tables of most Nigerian families during the yuletide. This, according to Mrs Esther Olufumilayo, President, Rice Distributors Association of Nigeria, is because importers have stopped bringing rice into the country since the new tariff was introduced in January 2013. The old tariff of 35 per cent was okay and helped to check the activities of rice smugglers to a reasonable extent, as the duty was almost at par with that of Cotonou port. The government introduced the new tariff regime to encourage local production and help boost investors' confidence in the rice industry. The policy seems to have backfired and helped to fuel smuggling activities along the Nigeria-Benin border. Although rice import by land is prohibited, almost all the brand varieties in Lagos markets come in through land routes. Vanguard investigation revealed that three months to Christmas, there are no vessels awaiting rice discharge at the ports. This is an unusual situation and may lead to scarcity during the ember months. The resultant effect will be sky-rocketing of prices. Official rice import has dropped as a result of the new price regime, but the fact on ground according to Vanguard investigation is that smuggling of rice into the country has become big business. The local production that it was meant to benefit cannot flourish, as they cannot compete with the prices of smuggled rice from the land borders.
Olufumilayo said for the policy to work, there must be effective policing of Nigerian borders. A visit to the Seme border showed that smugglers do not only bring in the commodity in bits and pieces, but use the creeks to ferry rice into Lagos. The Federal Government in a move to reduce rice importation into Nigeria jerked up the levy on rice from 20 per cent to 100 per cent while the duty was pegged at 20 per cent. Vanguard investigation showed that a creek linking the Badagry and Igando areas of Lagos has become a hot spot for smugglers as they load their vehicles with several bags of rice and ferry them into Lagos. Some brands of rice sighted by Vanguard include: Uncle Chef, Master Chef, Parro't, and Reve Gold. These brands, it was gathered, are made in India.
Exporting countries to blame for rice price hike Rice prices jumped 20 percent jump in the last six months on the Saudi market, but importers say that sufficient quantities remain available. The current stock is estimated to be about 350,000 tons — about 25 percent of the Kingdom total annual imports of 1.4 million tons — coming mostly from India. The chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Shaalan Rice Company, Mohammed AlShaalan, attributed the reasons for the high rice prices in the Kingdom to price hikes in the exporting countries, in addition to the increasing demand for rice, especially the Indian rice (Basmati) from various global markets. Al-Shaalan said the Saudi market has enough stock in various companies, and in excess of 25 percent of the total annual imports. He said this should assure everyone that there is enough quantities to meet the local growing demand for rice.. “According to the information available, there is a good harvest in the source countries for the current year, and we will reap the benefits of this harvest beginning of the month of October,” he said. “However, we cannot predict what might happen during the next phase of rain or floods, which may affect the size of the crop in general.” Al-Shaalan added that, “Investing in rice farms in India is impossible because of the control of a lot of families and farm owners. A lot of rice plants in India also buy the products of small farmers.” The entry of new countries to buy rice in large quantities with the tight supply in producing countries contributed to the rise in prices, he added. The CEO of Al-Othaim Markets Company, Yousef Bin Mohammed Al-Kaffary, agreed that there is plenty of rice in the market. For the new season, which starts during the month of October, the projections indicate an increase in production compared to last year. Al-Kaffary also indicated that rice prices have been rising over the past months due to lack
of crop availability and increase in demand. However, the expected bumper of new crops will contribute to lower prices. The owner of chain food supermarket, Mohammad Al-Bashiry, said that the market has a sufficient stock of rice, and did not note a shortage of any kind. He reassured that such availability of rice in sufficient quantities will meet domestic demand in the Kingdom despite of the huge demand for it from different segments of society. The price of rice experienced an all-time high during the past months, with increases exceeding 20 percent, especially before the Holy month of Ramadan. Prices are expected to continue to rise, especially “Basmati� rice with its various types, which rose more than SR13 per bag, from SR25.50 to SR 8.50 for a 5-kg bag. The price of a 10-kg bag increased by about SR18, up to SR70, while the price of a 40-kg increased about SR20.
Philippines imports 214,375 metric tons of rice for 2013 By: Aerol B. Patena, Philippine News Agency
October 6, 2013 7:33 AM FILE PHOTO
InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS MANILA - The country has imported 214,375.3 metric tons (MT) of rice which is within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350,000 MT, according to the National Food Authority. Latest figures from the NFA show that out of the 214,375.3 MT imported, 8,675.30 arrived through the minimum access volume-country specific quota (MAV-CSQ) scheme of the agency while the remaining 205,700 were acquired under the government to government importation. The MAV-CSQ allocates an import quota of 163,000 MT for Thailand, India, China, and Australia which is further broken down as follows: 98,000-Thailand, 25,000-India, 25,000-China, and 15,000-Australia. A total 51,790 MT were already availed out of this allocation wherein Thailand was allotted 36,790 and 15,000 for India. The remaining balance stands at 111,210 MT. On the other hand, of the 8,675.30 MT of imported rice that arrived in the country, 2,195.70 were from Thailand and 6,479.60 from China. The MAV scheme is open for farmer organizations and private importers. Importers need to pay a 40 percent tariff equivalent to the volume of rice to be imported. The food agency has earlier imported 205,700 MT of rice from Vietnam to boost its buffer stock. It has recently said that the government has no plans to import an additional volume of rice as the current rice inventory is enough for the country’s consumption requirement.
Golden Rice: The next GMO battleground BY
PIA RANADA
POSTED ON 10/05/2013 11:31 AM | UPDATED 10/05/2013 7:21 PM
STANDING UP FOR GOLDEN RICE. Pro-GMO scientist Wayne Parrot holds up a jar of conventional rice on one hand and a jar of Golden Rice on the other. Photos by Pia Ranada/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is the final battleground for genetically-modified organisms or GMOs. With the banning of field trials of GM eggplant – known as Bt eggplant – by the Court of Appeals, both anti- and pro-GMO lobbyists are gearing up for the next battle, the imminent approval of Golden Rice currently being developed in the Philippines. READ: CA upholds GM eggplant field trials ban "The global spotlight is now in the Philippines to see what's going to happen with Golden Rice. There's a clear perception that if Golden Rice is approved, it will be very hard to stop the technology in other parts of the world," said Wayne Parrot, a scientist flown into the Philippines last September by the US embassy to make a rallying call for GMOs. "The anti-GMO lobbyists are really looking at Golden Rice as the last barrier between widespread use of the technology and keeping it reserved. As Golden Rice gets closer to approval you can expect every last attempt will be made to stop it. We're ready." 'Golden boy' of GMOs Golden Rice is rice genetically-engineered to contain beta carotene extracted from corn and a soil microorganism. Beta carotene is a precursor of Vitamin A which is needed for healthy eyesight. It is the beta carotene that gives the GM rice its distinctly yellow or "golden" color. Genetic engineering is the process of transferring genes from one organism to another for the second organism to express desirable traits like higher nutritional value, resistence to pests and herbicides andresilience to drought and flooding.
SCIENCE FOR AGRICULTURE. A scientist in a laboratory in the International Rice Research Institute holds out a dish of genetically-modified rice, in this case, iron-enriched
Golden Rice is currently being developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Ba単os, Laguna. Having passed testing in the laboratory, screenhouse and confined field test, it is now undergoing multi-location field trials in different parts of the Philippines. It needs to pass 3 more tests before it can reach the plates of consumers: regulatory safety assessment, market test, and nutrition study. Pro-GMO advocates are crossing their fingers for Golden Rice to pass the field trials which have been conducted since 2010. With the favorable results of the tests, the next phase of the trials are in the horizon, said Raul Boncodin of IRRI. Once it is approved for planting as crops and human consumption, Golden Rice seeds will be turned over to the Philippine Rice Research Institute of the Department of Agriculture, which will in turn, distribute it to seed companies who will develop the rice and sell to farmers, Boncodin added. Vested interests? But only last August, the anti-GMO group Masipag composed of farmers and scientists uprooted a Golden Rice test field in Pili, Camarines Sur. Many of the anti-GMO faction are not convinced by the "golden boy" image of Golden Rice as a solution to Vitamin A deficiency, a condition that has caused blindness in 500,000 children globally according to the World Health Organization. "Golden Rice is a poster boy or Trojan horse for GMOs. In the guise of humanitarian objectives, it wants to make GMOs more acceptable to the general public," said Chito Medina, a scientist and National Coordinator of Masipag (Magsasaka at Siyentipiko sa Pagpapaunlad ng Agrikultura), a coalition of farmers and scientists opposing GMOs in the Philippines.
NOT CONVINCED. Chito Medina of Masipag (right) says Golden Rice is a 'Trojan horse' to make GMOs more acceptable to the public
GMO opponents fear the possible health and environmental impacts of planting and eating GM crops. They also allege that companies developing GMOs like Monsanto and Syngenta are out to control the world's agricultural system with more expensive seeds and lucrative patents of GMOs. "Seeds are a US$32-billion business per year. You can imagine the interest behind that," said Medina. READ: PH most 'GMO-friendly' country in Southeast Asia? But Parrot counters that patents expire and that the patent for Golden Rice was given to IRRI by developer Syngenta for free for the benefit of farmers worldwide. The Philippines is the USA's largest market for GMOs in Southeast Asia, according to Agricultural Counselor of the US embassy Philip Shull. At the same time, the US "took about 30% of Philippine food and agricultural exports. This wonderful relationship will continue well into the future," he added. Regulating GMOs Medina laments how the Philippines has become one of the countries with the most GMO-friendly regulations. More than 44 GMOs have been approved by the government for direct consumption, food processing, and planting as crops. Thelma Soriano from the GMO-regulating body Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) under the Department of Agriculture admitted to Rappler that the agency "has never encountered denying a GM crop for direct use for food, feed or for processing."
EXPERIMENTS. Flood-resistant, drought-resistant and zinc-enriched GM crops are already being developed in IRRI
But GMO supporters celebrate the approvals, saying they allow Filipinos to be among the first to benefit from GMOs like Golden Rice. "In the Philippines, two million women and children are affected by Vitamin A deficiency," said Bruce Tolentino, deputy director of IRRI. "We need to deal with that and the fact is that Filipinos eat a lot of rice. On the average, we eat 123 kilos per head per year. Since rice is so much a part of our diet, why don't we improve it?" He also said GMO regulation in the Philippines is "the most strict and most advanced in the world." "We need science to solve the food security problems brought about by rapid population growth. We need to solve the problems brought about by climate change and what is happening to the environment. We need science to make sure that our family, friends and children have nutritious food that they need. "What we need to do is to discover and try it out. We need to allow science to proceed. We need to do the research necessary to answer questions." - Rappler.com
The value of rice grain • •
Details
Category: Science 05 Oct 2013
Written by Shaira Panela / Special to the BusinessMirror
HANOI, Vietnam—The Prime Minister of Vietnam has recently approved a revamp of the country’s agriculture sector, one that aims to increase farmers’ income, protect the agricultural land and respond to market demand. Meanwhile, its Southeast Asian neighbor, the Philippines, lags behind in its efforts to attain rice self-sufficiency and improve the quality of living of its rice farmers. A policy advisor from the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (Ipsard) of Vietnam said that while the country already produces enough rice to feed its population, it intends to introduce policies that would help farmers make more money. Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, the director of the Center for Agricultural Policy of Ipsard, said the government sees agricultural production as the country’s comparative advantage because it had protected the country during previous downturns where other industries failed to boost the economy. Tuan said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, together with a pool of local and international experts, recognized that the country needed to shift focus from food security to implementing policies beneficial for rice farmers. The new policies are expected to incre ase the country’s performance in the world market in the next 10 years, Tuan told the participants of the Science Journalism Cooperation in Asia (SjCOOP Asia) of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) on September 26. A rice farmer in Southern Vietnam earns about 50 million Vietnam dong (about $2,500) a year. Rice farmers are considered the poorest in the agriculture sector of the country. “It is a hard life for [rice] farmers. They earn from their labor only,” a representative from the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS) also told the participants of SjCOOP Asia in another meeting. Vietnamese rice farmers are not the only ones struggling to make both ends meet. A rice farmer in the Philippines earns about six times lower this rate at P17,000 a year (about $425). Rice farmers consist the second poorest sector in the country, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). This sector is also marred by issues on land reform, poor infrastructure and corruption, among others. Vietnam and the Philippines are both largely agricultural nations. At least 4 million hectares of agricultural land in Vietnam is devoted to rice. In the Philippines, the latest data show that rice fields consist of about 4.46 million hectares.
A Philippine-based think tank, Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank, argues that Vietnam only feeds 12 persons per hectare while the Philippines feed 20, making it more difficult for the Philippines to compete with its neighbor in both food security and exports. While Vietnam is already a world leader in agricultural exports in terms of volume, mainly rice, coffee, white pepper, catfish and cashew, Tuan said, “By 2020, we expect to recover the growth rate of agriculture sector to at least 3 percent to 3.5 percent annual growth. After that, we expect to be one of the leading exporting countries in the world in terms of value.” The Philippines has been importing rice from Vietnam and Thailand. Tuan also said that aside from the restructuring program on agricultural policy, Ipsard was studying the impact of research and development to farmers’ livelihood. “In China science and technological research accounts to about 40 [percent] to 50 percent, sometimes 60 percent of the total agricultural productivity growth. In Vietnam it’s only 30 percent,” said Tuan in a meeting with SjCOOP Asia participants. Meanwhile, researchers from VAAS said that parallel to the government’s restructuring program, they were also looking into how new varieties of crops and other crop-breeding methods could help increase farmers’ income. One of VAAS’s scientists also said during the meeting that their studies aimed to improve food security paid off. It is high time that they start helping rice farmers step away from poverty.
In Photo: The participants in the World Federation of Science Journalists Science Journalism Cooperation in Asia ( WFJ-SjCOOP Asia) online mentoring program met in Hanoi, Vietnam, last week. The meeting was led by Canadabased WFSJ and hosted by Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA). In the photo are the mentors from Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, and mentees from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. They are joined by WFSJ-SjCOOP Asia Program Director Yoon Kim (fourth row, second from right), WFSJ Director JeanMarc Fleury (third row, third from right), VJA Executive Board member Dr. Dinh Thi Thuy Hang (front row, sixth from right) and Dr. An Duc Nguyen (first row, left) of Bournemouth University.
Scientists to exchange findings on floodresistant crops at IRRI conference October 6, 2013 12:04am 166 15 0 262
Crop scientists from 29 countries are meeting at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, Laguna beginning Saturday for a conference of the International Society for Plant Anaerobiosis (ISPA). The conference, which will run until October 11, is an opportunity for more than 100 scientists to
trade findings on the development of flood-resistant crops. Vast-rice growing regions in India, Bangladesh and even the Philippines are submerged during the rainy season, causing production losses. Over the years, the IRRI has been producing flood resistant varieties that can be used in such conditions. Among the flood-resistant varieties it has developed is the Submarino rice – a variety that can survive for two weeks under water. "These major scientific discoveries, along with several others, have opened up a whole new world of exciting possibilities for developing flood-proof crops, which is increasingly important as flooding becomes more frequent and more severe," said the IRRI. "The conference is open to anyone interested in learning the latest research on adaptation to flooding and on how science affects agriculture and livelihoods. Scientists, university professors, students, and postgraduate fellows will be attending the conference," the institute added. Aside from the program proper, the conference will include a field tour at IRRI. IRRI is part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIR) consortium, a group of international research institutions dedicated to crop science. The institute develops new rice varieties and rice crop management techniques that improve yield and quality of produce. — DVM, GMA News
Best minds meet to help crops survive flooding • •
Details
Category: Science 05 Oct 2013
WHEN it comes to flooding, not all crops are created equal— some survive, while others die. More than 100 scientists are meeting to investigate why, as they look toward developing food crops that can survive devastating floods that cause global crop losses every year. Coming from 29 countries, the scientists will meet at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna, from October 6 to 11 for the 11th conference of the International Society for Plant Anaerobiosis (ISPA) to share research about how plants survive without oxygen, such as during floods. Two of the research findings that will be presented at the conference deal with how plants sense low oxygen levels to survive flooding and the role of a specific signaling mechanism that helps plants modulate their responses under low oxygen. These studies were published in the leading scientific journal, Nature, in 2011. Vast rice-growing regions in India, Bangladesh and other countries, which are submerged during rainy season and rendered useless for rice production, have been made productive since the sub 1 gene that makes rice flood-tolerant was discovered and bred into popular existing rice varieties. “Farmers were happy because, even if their paddies were flooded, their rice crops with the sub 1 gene survived the floods,” said Dr. Abdelbagi Ismail, ISPA conference coordinator and IRRI principal scientist. “More than 1.7 million hectares of flood-prone land in India is now planted with submergence-tolerant rice since the first flood-proof variety, called Swarna-Sub1, was developed,” he said. “Translational science,” the theme of this year’s ISPA conference, is a science focused on developing practical and helpful outcomes. It takes into account the changing times and challenges that humanity faces today: climate change, food insecurity and environmental sustainability. These major scientific discoveries, along with several others, have opened up a whole new world of exciting possibilities for developing flood-proof crops, which is increasingly important as flooding becomes more frequent and more severe.
The conference is open to anyone interested in learning the latest research on adaptation to flooding and on how science affects agriculture and livelihoods. Scientists, university professors, students and postgraduate fellows will be attending the conference. Besides the scientific program, the conference will also include a field tour at IRRI.
In Photo: Dr. Abdelbagi Ismail, plant physiologist at the International Rice Research Institute, inspects rice varieties with the sub 1 gene. The sub 1 gene is responsible for flood tolerance in rice. (IRRI)
Rice gets overtime win over Tulsa Rally falls short as TU drops to 1-4 while losing its third straight game.
Rice imports at 214K MT The country has imported 214,375.3 metric tons of rice which is within the minimum access volume of 350,000 MT, according to the National Food Authority. Latest figures from the NFA show that out of the 214, 375.3 MT imported, 8,675.30 arrived through the minimum access volume-country specific quota scheme of the agency while the remaining 205,700 were acquired under the government to government importation. The MAV-CSQ allocates an import quota of 163,000 MT for Thailand, India, China and Australia which is further broken down as follows: 98,000 –Thailand, 25,000 – India, 25,000 – China and 15,000 – Australia. A total 51,790 MT were already availed out of this allocation wherein Thailand was allotted 36,790 and 15,000 for India. The remaining balance stands at 111,210 MT. On the other hand, of the 8,675.30 MT of imported rice that arrived in the country, 2,195.70 were from Thailand and 6,479.60 from China. The MAV scheme is open for farmer organizations and private importers. Importers need to pay a 40 percent tariff equivalent to the volume of rice to be imported. The food agency has earlier imported 205,700 MT of rice from Vietnam to boost its buffer stock. It has recently stated that the government has no plans
to import an additional volume of rice as the current rice inventory is enough for the country’s consumption requirement.*PNA
Cross-border rice smuggling : A big hole in Ghana’s revenue kitty Comments ( 0 )
Different brands of uncustomed & unchecked rice find their way to markets and shops throughout Ghana
In May last year, Ghanaians were shocked when an investigative reporter, posing as a rice dealer, vividly exposed the existence of powerful, syndicated rice smuggling cartels, operating along Ghana’s long and porous border with la Cote d’ Ivoire. The evidence of active, brisk, unimpeded and particularly lucrative smuggling of rice through Ghana’s western land borders is almost proverbial but has now become rather too damning to ignore. Investigative journalist Aremeyaw Anas Aremeyaw’s audio-visual footage of live smuggling operations at various points of the western border confirmed the voluntary connivance of uniformed public officials, engaged in smuggling transactions involving several convoys of truck-loads of rice, ready to be hauled into Ghana – free of tax, free of quality control checks and free of VAT ....while fat, illicit payments are made to individuals and into private pockets. The state is said to lose a whooping GHc 69 million every
year, to this seemingly harmless activity along our land borders with la Cote d’Ivoire. Land ‘importation’ of shipped Rice! An estimated 100,000 metric tonnes (about 4 million bags) of rice is smuggled into Ghana from Cote d’Ivoire every year. Rice smuggling has long been observed to be a regular and lucrative activity along Ghana’s entire western frontier with Cote d’Ivoire, of which Kwamesie Krom, Gonokrom and Kofi Badu Krom are reported to be key smuggling depots, while Enchi, Sampa, Nkran-kwanta, Elubo, Debiso and Dadieso are known as significant ‘trade routes’ for rice smuggling. Through these points and routes, some 25 to 35 truckloads of rice cross the borders on a daily basis evading import duties and VAT - and travel to various parts of Ghana. Notably, the most prevalent brand smuggled into Ghana is the ‘Uncle Sam’ Thai Hom Mali (perfumed) rice. Cote d’Ivoire is known to import far more rice than Ghana and it is on record that last year that country’s rice import grew by as much as 19 percent. The Incentives But perhaps, the biggest incentive to rice smugglers is the high duty differential between the imports of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. There is currently a huge differential of 28 percent between Ghana’s rice and rice from Cote d’Ivoire and this naturally unsupportive of the business of legitimate importation in Ghana. It is indeed of great interest that in 2011, while Ghana imported 450,000 metric tonnes of rice, Cote d’Ivoire imported almost twice that quantity - 800,000 metric tonnes. Then last year, (2012) as Ghana imported 496,000 metric tonnes, Cote d’Ivoire imported 950,000 metric tonnes. It may be an unfortunate cliché to suggest that a large chunk of the Ivoirien import is destined to arrive in Ghanaian markets through the back door, but attention needs to be drawn to the enabling fact, that Cote d’Ivoire importers currently enjoy a significant duty advantage of lower import duty stocks. The obvious impact of this is that, apart from the massive losses in tax revenue incurred by the state, legitimate rice importers in Ghana appear doomed to suffer losses if, in the long run, they will not fold up their businesses altogether. For, the importer in Ghana must contend with a 20 percent import duties, 15 percent VAT and a 4.5 percent levy, totalling 37 percent, while his counterpart in Cote d’Ivoire pays much lower as import duty or a levy except a mere VAT component of 2.5 percent. A Ministry of Information report released early this year discloses that due to the difference in the duty scheme, the price of perfumed rice in Ghana has increased by 34.5 percent. The report states that the significant price difference naturally drives the consumer to purchase a bag of ‘Uncle Sam’ smuggled in from Cote d’Ivoire rather than a bag of local or locally-imported rice. ‘Uncle Sam’ is therefore currently sold on all Ghanaian markets and retail outlets. The Crime Scenes While recommending that the state must do everything to discourage rice smuggling at our land borders, we may also hasten to regard the various destination markets where the smuggled rice always ends up, as another relevant crime scene. In Accra, all one needs to do to encounter smuggled rice is simply to take a walk through popular food markets like those in Okaishie, Agbogloshie, Kaneshie, Nima and Madina; in Kumasi, one has only to visit
the Adum Central Market and in Takoradi do a casual detour of the Market Circle. Like the markets in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, the main markets in Cape Coast, Sunyani, Tarkwa and Obuasi are all flooded with un-customed rice from Cote d’Ivoire. And how might one tell smuggled rice from legitimate rice imports? Very easy! ! Smuggled rice will always sell cheaper on retail than the rice which passed through our ports; also, you would realise that somehow, dealers in smuggled rice either do not have the time or perhaps do not really care a hoot about removing or concealing tags and labels which come in the French language. Brands like Chine Parfume Rice, Better Perfume Rice, Eagle American Rice, and Uncle Sam Fragrant Rice, which DO NOT pass through Ghanaian Sea Ports are stocked in large consignments for sale on the open markets. Plucking the Hole If the government cannot waive duties and levies on local rice imports, then the best alternative left for Ghana is to ban cross-border importation of rice altogether. After all, Cote d’ Ivoire is a consumer and not a producer of rice. In order to fight a selfish multi-million cedi enterprise of this magnitude, it may be alright to attempt to police the known ‘trade routes’; however, past experience (and thanks again to Anas) have shown that, our frontiers are notoriously too porous to police effectively. Whereas physical patrols which I believe are already on-going need to be intensified, serious attention must be paid to the internal supply chain for smuggled rice – this is what makes the marketplace the functional crime scene in this illicit business. Stockists, wholesalers and big-time retailers of legitimately imported rice always have VAT Receipts or at least purchase invoices covering their consignments. As we hear from Members of the Rice Importers Association of Ghana, it is impracticable for dealers in bootlegged rice to produce any relevant documentary evidence of purchase or transaction. In other words, smugglers consider it a taboo to issue out documentation because it could lead revenue inspectors to their doorsteps. Considering the effect of rice smuggling on government revenue, on the local import business, on quality control and general food security, there can be no question about the need for the government to move swiftly to stamp out this illicit trade. Internally, since smuggled rice is so easily identifiable, one would wish that revenue agencies like VAT and the IRS are empowered to regularly conduct inspections of relevant purchase invoices and VAT receipts of dealers on the market. In that direction, the Rice Importers Association may make itself useful by assisting in educating operatives of the Ghana Revenue Authority on how best to detect rice which, although was not harvested from the Aveyime farms, never arrived in Ghana through any of our designated ports.
By : Ekow Totobi (erkhow@yahoo.com)