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We share Latest R&D News,Aricles and views and news about Rice Industry including Exlcusive Interview of Ricepersonality.You /Organisation can publish research in our Magazine. We can reserve separate pages/Corner for R&D organisations to publish their researchers.You can encourage your researchers/Writers to write for RPM on regular basis. For more information contact [email protected] +92 321 3692 874
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
Page 1
Contact for Newsletter Advertisement [email protected] Cell : +92 321 3692774
Ministries debate rice stockpiling plan
Ministries of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Industry and Trade, and Finance;
the State Bank of Vietnam; and Vietnam Food
Association met to discuss rice stockpiling plan
for winter spring crop this year in the Mekong
Delta.Farmers harvest rice with combine
harvester in Vinh Long Province (Photo: SGGP)
According to the Vietnam Food Association
(VFA), rice export contracts have reached only
one million tons including 504,000 tons left from
contracts signed last year.Vietnamese rice has
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter
February 16 , 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
Page 2
Contact for Newsletter Advertisement [email protected] Cell : +92 321 3692774
faced severe competition from Thai and Indian rice especially in low and medium segments in
China, Malaysia, Mexico and Indonesia.Abundant supply source might impact winter spring rice
consumption and prices in the Mekong Delta, it said.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that rice supply in the winter spring
crop had surged in the Mekong Delta. Rice output has increased to 3.65 million tons in February
and March while the number of export contracts has decreased in the first quarter compared to
the same period last year.Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam proposed the Government to stockpile
about one million tons of winter spring rice from March 1 to April 15.VFA will work with
provincial peoples committees in the Mekong Delta on rice purchase volume in each province, which will depend on local commercial output. Rice produced under large scale paddy fields will
receive priority in consumption.
Agreeing with the plan, Ministry of Industry and Trade said that trade promotion activities will
be stepped up after Tet to sign more export contracts with the Philippines, Malaysia and
Indonesia. The ministry will seek to regain the market share in Africa and Hong Kong
(China).The ministry will mobilize and negotiate about rice export with China, prepare to open
the rice market to the US, Japan, Mexico and Chile after the Trans-Pacific Partnership is signed
this year.
www.vietnambreakingnews.com/.../ministries-debate-rice-stockpiling-pla
Harold Roy-Macauley appointed Director General of AfricaRice
Monday 16 February 2015.
Dr Harold Roy-Macauley (photo), a Sierra Leonean national, was appointed as the new Director
General of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) at an Extraordinary Session of the Council of
Ministers of AfricaRice held on 6 February 2015, in Kampala, Uganda.The announcement was
made by the Honorable Cabinet Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries,
Republic of Uganda, Tress Bucyanayandi, in his capacity as the Chair of the AfricaRice Council
of Ministers, which is the Centers highest oversight body.
The current Chairmanship is held by Uganda.Dr Roy-Macauley has nearly 30 years of
experience in agricultural research with extensive leadership and management expertise. He is
currently the Executive Director of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural
Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) a leading sub-regional organization, which
coordinates and facilitates agricultural R&D activities in 22 countries in West and Central
Africa.Dr Roy-Macauley is no stranger to CGIAR, having served previously as the Regional
Director for the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in West and Central Africa.
He has consulted for numerous international and bilateral organizations on biosafety and
biotechnology and was the Managing Director for the Regional Center for Improving Adaptation
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
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to Drought (CERAAS) in Senegal, a research and training center of CORAF/WECARD.Dr Roy-
Macauley is fluently bilingual in English and French. He obtained his PhD degree in tropical
plant biology in 1993 from the Universit Denis Diderot, France, his MSc in tropical plant
biology in 1988 from the Universit de Pierre et Marie Curie, France, and his BSc with Honors
in Botany in 1982 from the University of Sierra Leone.
During the Extraordinary Session, the National Experts Committee (NEC), under the
chairmanship of Dr Ambrose Agona, Acting Director General of the Uganda National
Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), carefully examined the Boards report on the
selection process and recommended to the Council of Ministers that Dr Roy-Macauley be
appointed.
The NEC comprises the Directors General of the national agricultural research institutions of
AfricaRice member countries and serves as the technical arm of the AfricaRice Council of
Ministers.We are pleased with the transparent and rigorous selection process adopted by the
AfricaRice Board of Trustees, stated Hon. Tress Bucyanayandi, thanking the Board Chair
DrPeter Matlon. We have full confidence that Dr Roy-Macauley has the leadership experience,
skills and vision needed to advance the noble mission of AfricaRice.Thanking the Council of
Ministers and the Board, Dr Roy-Macauley said, I am honored to accept this very important
challenge with a great sense of responsibility.
He added that his vision for the Center is to help position rice, which he referred to as the next
gold, as key in driving the economies of rice-producing countries in Africa and contributing to
industrial development and livelihood changes of rural producers, especially women, involved in
rice production.As part of his mandate at AfricaRice, he underlined the importance of
introducing more high-end life science and socioeconomic applications in the Rice Sector
Development Hubs, convened by AfricaRice, to help consolidate the already profound and
significant changes the rice value chain is undergoing in Africa.He also conveyed his
commitment to engage with national and regional agricultural research and innovation systems,
governments of member States of AfricaRice, regional economic communities, the African
Union, and international partners in order to efficiently and effectively respond to and influence
national, regional, and continental rice policies.
Paying homage to former Directors General of AfricaRice, Dr Roy-Macauley said that he would
further build on the legacies and achievements forged by his predecessors. He highlighted
particularly his admiration for the great dynamism of excellence in AfricaRice, promoted by
Dr Papa Abdoulaye Seck, former Director General of AfricaRice and current Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Equipment of Senegal.
The Council of Ministers, the National Experts Committee and the Board took the opportunity to
highlight the exceptional contributions made by Dr Seck, which have transformed AfricaRice
and taken it to new levels of excellence.They also conveyed their deep appreciation to the
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
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Interim Director General, Dr. Adama Traor, for steering the Center over the past 18 months
with great steadiness, integrity and effectiveness. We are sure that we can continue to rely on
his strong support during the leadership transition.Dr Roy-Macauley will assume his post at
AfricaRice on 9 March 2015.
Credit: APO.
Editors Note: Here is Harold Roy-Macauley at a panel discussion in Dakar, Senegal, 2013:
http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/harold-roy-macauley-appointed-as-new-director-general-
of-africarice
New paddy variety fetches good returns
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: TNAU Rice TRY 3, a new variety of paddy, kept on the grounds of a temple at Poongudi near Tiruchi. Photo: A. Muralitharan
About 10 acres of land brought under the variety, suitable for idly flour
A group of farmers of Poongudi village near here have
been awaiting the procurement of TNAU Rice TRY 3 variety introduced by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute here. The rice variety, suitable for
idly flour, was popularised by the college at Poongudi and about 30 farmers have raised this crop.
Thanks to the crop protection technique and close follow-up by the college scientists, farmers
could harvest an average 30 bags of paddy (60 kg per bag). S. Narayanasamy, organiser of the
Peoples Welfare Committee, says 30 farmers, who were conventionally cultivating BPT 5204 variety till 2013 had switched over to this idly variety in September-October 2014.About 10 acres was brought under the variety and farmers had registered an average 1.5 tonnes an acre.
About 15 tonnes had been stocked in the village, he said.With paddy suitable for idly, a large number of traders had been making a beeline to the village to purchase the price. But, the
farmers said that the price offered by traders was not attractive.We have planned to market the paddy at Rs. 900 a bag of 60 kg.; but the traders offered just Rs.800, says Mr. Narayansamy.
P. Pandiyarajan, Dean of the college, said the institute, as part of popularising the variety, was
taking steps to popularise the rice which has a milling percentage of 71.30 and head rice
recovery of 66 per cent. The variety was resistant to diseases, including leaf folder, stem borer,
brown spot, sheath rot, and sheath blight, Mr. Pandiyarajan said.G. Chitrarasu, Senior Regional
Manager, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, said that he would ascertain the quality of
paddy before making arrangements for the procurement of the cro
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
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Farmers who had harvested the paddy said that it was a tough task for them to protect the stock.
Mustaffa (43), another farmer, said that he had shifted his harvested produce by tractor from
Poongudi to Navalur Kuttapattu, about 2 km away, where he had a threshing floor.For dearth of
space, a few other farmers had stocked the paddy on the grounds of Sri Varasidhi Vinayagar
temple in the village.
30 farmers in the village switched over to new variety under TNAU guidance
The new variety is said to be resistant to many diseases
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/new-paddy-variety-fetches-good-
returns/article6899942.ece
Civil case on rice scheme unfair: ex-PM's lawyer
THE SUNDAY NATION February 15, 2015 1:00 am
FORMER PRIME minister Yingluck Shinawatra's legal team will appeal if the Finance Ministry
files a civil case seeking compensation from her for alleged damages resulting from her
government's rice-pledging scheme.Norawich Lalaeng, a Yingluck lawyer, said yesterday that it
would be unfair to the former PM if a civil case was filed as the Criminal Court was yet to hear a
separate case in which she has been accuse stricted by martial law and she was unable to
comment publicly about political issues. d of negligence of duty leading to corruption in the
scheme, now scrapped.
"The legal team has discussed this matter and we agree that as soon as the NACC submits its
request to the Finance Ministry, we will appeal against the move," he said.The lawyer noted that
the ministry was involved in implementing the rice scheme under the Yingluck government, and
questioned whether it was sensible for the ministry to act as the damaged party now.On Friday,
NACC president Panthep Klanarongran said the agency had sent a written request to the Finance
Ministry asking it to consider filing a civil case against Yingluck, her former commerce minister
Boonsong Teriyapirom and other officials in a bid to receive compensation over the alleged
government-to-government deal to sell rice to China.Norawich said Yingluck's rights were being
re However, he said that certain groups seemed to be commenting negatively about the ex-PM
regarding the ongoing legal cases against her.
The lawyer urged Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha not to allow any?one to attempt to influence
those cases.Meanwhile, Pheu Thai politician Somkid Chueakong said it was not proper for
Prayut to have disclosed that he had expressed concern to Yingluck about problems stemming
from the rice scheme while she was prime minister.
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Civil-case-on-rice-scheme-unfair-ex-PMs-lawyer-
30254113.html
Rice dealers call for auditing in rice imports in Ghana Feb 16, 2015
The Small Scale Rice Dealers Association of Ghana (SSRIDA), has called for forensic
auditing of all rice imports, which were cleared under warehousing.
rice importation
The association said this is important to ensure transparency and accountability in the rice
industry, which members believe is embroiled in a lot of
irregularities.Mr Yaw Korang, National Coordinator of
SSRIDA made the call in a statement issued in Accra at
the weekend and copied to Ghana News Agency.
It said on January 28, 2014, the Ministry of Trade and
Industry (MOTI) received a report from the Customs
Division of Ghana Revenue Authority, about rice imports
through the Western Frontier-Sunyani Collection.
The statement said the report, which was addressed to the Chief Director at the ministry was
headlined: Authenticating copies of SAD forms and assessing impact of rice imports through
the Western Frontier-Sunyani Collection.It claimed that the exercise, which targeted SSRIDA
members took the team members to Gonokrom, Kofi Badukrom, Nkrakwanta and Osei
Kojokrom.All copies of entry forms submitted by the MOTI for verification were genuine and
originated from the stations indicated; all relevant taxes were paid; values applied conformed to
values given by Commissioner per memorandum of August 3, 2013, and revenue from rice
imports is a major source of tax for the Sunyani Collection, the statement said.
It said despite these findings the Deputy Minister of MOTI, Mr Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim
was quoted in a media report that SSRIDA members do not honour their tax obligations, and this
was part of the reasons why inland importation of rice was banned by the ministry.It said
SSRIDA is calling for forensic auditing of rice importation because the major players in the
industry who are large scale rice dealers bring their goods and store them at bonded warehouses.
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SSRIDA noted that on October 24, 2013 there was a media report that more than 280 private and
public companies have been cited for allegedly evading the payment of taxes amounting to 367
million dollars over a seven-year period.These anomalies, which happened at bonded
warehouses was uncovered by a presidential taskforce.The statement asked that two years down
the lane what due dilligence have been performed to ensure that the situation has been
streamlined?
Since November 1, 2013, small scale rice dealers have been denied the right to do business, but
what shows that those allowed to do so are serving the national interest?
The statement said members are of the view that proper consultation was not done before they
were asked not to continue with their trade hence the need for forensic auditing of rice
importation for the public to judge whether the move was of national importance.
TAGS:2013,NATIONAL,COORDINATOR OF SSRIDA,OCTOBER 24,
SMALL
http://www.spyghana.com/rice-dealers-call-auditing-rice-imports-ghana/
21 targeted in NACC's G2G rice probe
Published: 16 Feb 2015 at 20.01
Online news: Politics
Writer: King-oua Laohong
The anti-graft agency on Monday submitted a 67,000-page investigative report on the allegedly
corrupt government-to-government rice deals made by the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.
(Post Today photos)
Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom is
among 21 people targeted in an investigative report
forwarded to prosecutors by the National Anti-
Corruption Commission over allegedly corrupt
government-to-government rice deals consummated
by the Yingluck Shinawatra government. The dossier
containing 67,000 pages was brought in 60 boxes to
the Office of the Attorney-General by NACC assistant secretary-general Sakchai
Methineepisarnku.
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Mr Sakchai said the NACC is still investigating more than 100 rice-trading companies involved
in the government sales, but added it should not take long to wrap up work.Chutichai Sakhakorn,
chief of the OAG's special-litigation department, who received the case file, said a working panel
would be set up in the next few days to review the documents.If the report included all needed
evidence, he said, the OAG could indict the 21 individuals in the Supreme Court's Criminal
Division for Political Office-Holders in about a month
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/476606/21-targeted-in-nacc-g2g-rice-probe
Cambodia to double organic rice exports Published: 15 Feb 2015 at 16.57
Online news: News
Writer: Online Reporters
A farmer walks in a rice paddy field in Kandal province on Feb 11, 2015. Cambodian exporters
planned to export more organic rice this year. (Reuters photo)
Cambodia aims to sell more organic rice
to international customers after exports of
the grain rose over the past year. The
Cambodian Centre for Study and
Development in Agriculture (Cedac), one
of the country's two organic rice
exporters, sold 540 tonnes of fragant
organic rice last year, a 20% increase
from 2013, and plans to double the figure
this year.''We are aiming to export 1,000
tonnes this year to fill the demand that we
see in the international market, Cedac official Sou Sarorn was quoted as saying
in the Phnom Penh Post.
Its main buyers were Europe, the United States and Hong Kong and Mr Sarorn said Middle East
countries could be a new target.The price of organic rice is higher and also more stable than non-organic rice in the marketplace, Mr Sarorn said.AMRU Rice, the other exporting firm on organic rice, was moving in the same direction, according to its CEO Song Saran, as the
company has set an export target of 1,500 tonnes this year and 2,500 tonnes next year.Cambodia
exported 380,000 tonnes of rice last year, mostly non-organic rice. Main destinations for
Cambodian regular rice was European countries, China and Malaysia.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/475585/cambodia-to-double-organic-rice-exports
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Half a million tonnes of rice sold
Published: 16 Feb 2015 at 18.10
Online news: News
Writer: Online Reporters
Samples of rice put on the auction was shown at Commerce Ministry in December 2014.
(Bangkok Post file photo)
The Commerce Ministry has approved the sale of
496,000 tonnes of rice, just under half the total offered for
auction late last month. Around 100 bidders participated
in the auction for the 999,000 tonnes of grain.Commerce
Minister Chatchai Sarikulya said the rice was sold to 38
bidders for a total 7.85 billion baht. The amount sold was
49.64% of the total on offer. The ministry refused to sell
the remaining rice to disqualified bidders and will put it
on sale later this month.Gen Chatchai said China
expressed interest in buying two million tonnes of rice and 200,000 tonnes of rubber for delivery
in two years. Ministry officials returned from a visit to China over the weekend.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/476581/half-a-million-tonnes-of-rice-sold
State readies follow-up rice auction Published: 16 Feb 2015 at 07.54
Newspaper section: Business
Writer: Phusadee Arunmas
The government plans to call a second auction for an
additional 1 million tonnes of state-held rice later this
month after the year's first auction in January drew 100
bidders. According to a Commerce Ministry source, the
government expects to have sold about 60% of the 1
million tonnes put up for sale at the first auction.Official
figures will be available after the ministry submits them
for approval this week to the meeting of the National Rice
Policy Committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut
Chan-o-cha.
The source said the first auction's outcome would have been announced earlier, but authorities
took time to investigate the shareholding structure of one qualified bidder, Empire Development
Co, which offered to buy more than 400,000 tonnes of rice at 47 warehouses.Officials feared that
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Empire Development might have links to Siam Indica Co, as the two share the same address and
Empire's authorised director was formerly a Siam Indica director and shareholder.Siam Indica
had been barred by authorities from joining the bidding after its indictment by the National Anti-
Corruption Commission for graft related to the rice-pledging scheme.But the source said
authorities would still present the purchase proposal by the company for the National Rice Policy
Committee's consideration.
The government fetched selling prices relatively higher than floor prices at the first auction, the
source said, adding that sales of more than 60% would be deemed satisfactory.The floor price for
white rice was set at eight to 10 baht a kilogramme, while the market price is now 13 baht. The
floor price for Hom Mali fragrant rice was set at 25 baht a kg against a market price of 31-33
baht.The rice put up for auction included 850,000 tonnes of 5% white rice and 150,000 tonnes of
Hom Mali rice.Authorities estimate the cost of the rice put on sale at 11.7 billion baht.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/475985/state-readies-follow-up-rice-auction
APEDA Market & Commodity News
Three Years Export Summary of APEDA Products (2011-12 To 2013-14)
Top Five Destination of APEDA Products for Year 2013-14
Today's Leads
Seller Leads Buyer Leads
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 14-02-2015
Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs/Qtl
Product Market Center Variety Min
Price Max Price
Rice
1 Bonai (Orissa) Other 2000 2300
2 Jhagadiya (Gujarat) Other 1950 3000
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3 Kishanganj (Bihar) Other 2350 2450
Wheat
1 Amirgadh (Gujarat) Other 1550 1725
2 Bonai (Orissa) Other 1400 1600
3 Deoli (Rajasthan) Other 1480 1524
Grapes
1 Bharuch (Gujarat) Other 2500 4500
2 Nagpur(Maharashtra) Other 3500 5500
3 Sirhind(Punjab) Other 4000 5000
Carrot
1 Bonai (Orissa) Other 1000 1500
2 Bharuch (Gujarat) Other 800 1200
3 Gumla(Jharkhand) Other 1200 1500
Source: agmarknet for more products
Egg Rs per 100 No.
Price on 14-02-2015
Product Market Center Price
1 Ahmedabad 315
2 Hyderabad 281
3 Nagapur 282
Source: e2necc.com
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International Benchmark Price
Price on: 13-02-2015
Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price
Apricots
1 Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t) 6125
2 Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t) 4875
3 Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t) 3625
Currants
1 Greek provincial, CIF UK (USD/t) 1562
2 Greek Vostizza, CIF UK (USD/t) 1676
Raisins
1 Californian Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK
(USD/t) 2454
2 South African Thompson seedless raisins, CIF
UK (USD/t) 2307
Source:agra-net for more products
Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ / package
Price on 13-02-2015
Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High
Potatoes Package: 50 lb sacks
1 Atlanta Idaho
Russet 14 15
2 Baltimore Idaho Russet
16 17
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3 Miami Canada
Russet 15 15
Cucumbers Package: cartons film wrapped
1 Atlanta Canada Long Seedless
16 16
2 Baltimore Mexico
Long Seedless 12 12
Tanzania: Court Orders Rice Case Judgment After 15 Years Published on Monday, 16 February 2015 01:56
Written by FAUSTINE KAPAMA
THE Court of Appeal has directed the High Courts Commercial Division to pronounce judgment on the 15bn/- demand in rotten rice case, which has remained undelivered for 15 years
now.
Justices Engela Kileo, Salum Massati and
Batuel Mmilla reached such a decision last
week, after revising proceedings given by High
Court Judge Amir Mruma, who had refused, as
a successor judge, to deliver the judgment, on
claims that he had an option of doing so or
otherwise.Records show that the judgment in
the case was written, dated and signed by trial
Judge Nathalia Kimaro in 2005 before being
appointed justice to the Court of Appeal. We find there is good cause to revise the
proceedings of (Judge) Mruma in so far as he
purported to have discretion to pronounce or not to pronounce his predecessors judgment.
We accordingly quash and set aside those proceedings, the justices ruled. They went on, We hereby further direct that the records of the High Court be remitted to the trial court with
directions that the judgment written by (Judge) Kimaro, as she then was, be pronounced by a
successor judge or other judicial officer of competent jurisdiction.
The High Court judge had relied under Rule 2 Order XX of the Civil Procedure Code to decline
to deliver the judgment in question. Such provision reads, A judge or magistrate may pronounce a judgment written but not pronounced by his predecessor.
But in their ruling, the justices of the appeals court since a duty was cast on the judge to
pronounce judgment in the interest of litigant public and in the main to save judicial time, the
word may used in the Rule has a compulsory force and the succeeding judge was under
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obligation to deliver the judgment.The parties to the case are VIP Engineering and Marketing
Limited, as plaintiff, who is demanding payment of over 15bn/- from two companies, Societe
Generale De Survellance (S.A) and SGS (Tanzania) Limited, as defendants.
Such refusal by the High Court judge had attracted a heated debate from the parties during
hearing of the case before the appeals court, as it had made the litigation the longest in the High
Courts Commercial Division.Advocate Michael Ngalo, for VIP Engineering Company, had told the panel that instead of reading the judgment, as required by the law, Judge Mruma, who was
assigned as successor judge proceeded to entertain extraneous matters, including some
applications filed by the two foreign companies.
Mr Ngalo, assisted by Counsel Didace Respicius, had argued that the High Court failed to
discharge its duty considering the fact that pronouncement of judgment, whether the parties like
or not, was mandatory.He said that when the case is heard, the judgment must be delivered to
end the litigation. On the other hand, advocate Mustafa Chando, for the respondents, had asked
the panel to reject the submissions and prayers by advocates for VIP Engineering Company, on
grounds that there was no legal judgment, which is to be delivered by the Commercial Division
of the High Court.
He submitted that the judgment, having been signed by the trial judge, was delivered by the
registrar and was later declared invalid by the Court of Appeal because the registrar had no such
powers. As from the date of decision of the Court of Appeal, he alleged, there was no judgment
in the case.In January 1998, VIP ordered for purchase of 3,000 metric tonnes of rice (Pakistan
long rice, 15-20 per cent broken) from M/S Orco International (S) Pte Lilited of Singapore under
a Warehousing Management and Sales Contracts at a price of 267.50 US dollars per metric tonne
thus making the total 802,500 US dollars.
At the time the sales contract was negotiated, VIP the buyer was in Dar es Salaam, while the
seller in Singapore and the rice was in possession of a third party, M/S MAHMOOD PLC of
Karachi in Pakistan. The respondent companies (SGS) came into the scene because of pre-
shipment inspection of the rice.In the period 1998, SGS (S.A) was the sole appointee of Tanzania
Revenue Authority (TRA) for conducting pre-shipment inspection of the imports destined to
Tanzania.This appointment was done through a Pre-shipment Inspection Contract executed
between them. TRA, being Government Agency, with public duties for supervision of imports
into the United Republic of Tanzania for purposes of revenue collection, opted to have SGS
(S.A) as its appointee in conducting pre-shipment inspection on goods destined for Tanzania for
an agreed fees arrangements.
In the transaction, VIP anticipated that, SGS (S.A) to carry out their obligation with all due care,
diligence and efficiency in accordance with generally accepted techniques and inspection agency
profession in compliance with the World Customs Organisation (WHO) and World Trade
Organisation standards.VIP made the required payment for the consignment and the same
arrived in Dar es Salaam in March 1998 on board MV RUAHA.It was at the time of discharge
that the plaintiff noted that the rice was of poor quality and less quantity contrary to SGS (S.A)
and SGS (Tanzania) reports on quality.
Upon noting the discrepancy in the quality, VIP requested the respondents to carry out post
shipment inspection and survey of the rice for a dup purpose, including ascertain the difference
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in quality and quantity for establishing the exact extent of loss and work together to mitigate
further loss.VIP sued the respondents, demanding, among others, specific damages suffered of
656,359.08 US dollars, general damages for consequential loss of profit and economic loss
occasioned by the respondents negligence and or fraudulent breach of the duty of care at the rate of 2,000,000 US dollars per year.
Image: MS Benedicta Rugemalira, Executive Chairperson of VIP Engineering and Marketing
Limited. (File photo)
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Still no payment for rice farmers for last crop
FEBRUARY 16, 2015 BY STAFF WRITER
Dear Editor,
It is evident that in the face of the tremendous challenges ahead, and continuous protest from the
rice farmers, the government needs to work for more national cohesion and national unity. On
Friday, once again rice farmers on the Essequibo Coast took to the road in protest for paddy
payment for the last crop. Hundreds of farmers and their families demanded that the government
fulfil its promises and see that millers pay them urgently, as they cannot live on promises.The
reality is that rough times are ahead; harvesting of the new Spring crop will begin within two
weeks and the farmers are asking what has become of the millions of dollars which were loaned
to the millers to pay them off some months ago. Many farmers who have grown rice their entire
lives, find themselves in an unprecedented financial situation. Farmers know that politics is not
the answer to their problem.
Over the years, there has been a general reluctance by millers to pay farmers promptly for their
produce. Government has claimed that there is a large export market for farmers paddy and our
rice, but the big question is, why are the farmers not being paid crop after crop, when they have
delivered their paddy to the millers? Rice-farming in general employs nearly half of the
Essequibo Coasts total workforce and is an integral part of Guyanas economy, culture and
history.
Mismanagement of the rice industry has shaken confidence in rice farmers; the current problem
of payment has had more consequences for the rice farmers than the millers. The problem faced
by rice farmers has been compounded by the current government and millers ill-conceived
prompt payment scheme, which has failed. Farmers are facing increasing hardship that began
long before the increasing monopolies held by big millers who have set about miring farmers in a
web of debt by not paying them.
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The nightmare farmers now face is growing debt, while trying to cover daily expenses. They are
clinging to the false hope offered by an incompetent Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana
Rice Development Board which have neither the intent nor the ability to oversee their payment.
Their children will be pulled from school, medical expenses skipped, belts tightened around the
dinner table and any possible investment to improve their lives abandoned.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/opinion/letters/02/16/still-no-payment-rice-farmers-last-crop/
Fermenting Rice For Biofuel & Feed Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine
Fermenting Rice For Biofuel & Feed Scientists have developed a method to process rice plants
into both biofuel and animal fodder that does not require special equipment. Asian Scientist
Newsroom | February 17, 2015 | Editorials AsianScientist (Feb. 17, 2015)
- By Aamna Mohdin - A technology to create biofuel and animal feed at the same time without
any off-site processing has been developed by Japanese researchers. The solid-state fermentation
(SSF) system involves wrapping rice plants grown to feed livestock along with yeast, enzymes
and bacteria into a bale covered with a plastic film, and capturing the ethanol produced by the
resulting fermentation. This technology builds on traditional processes used by farmers around
the world to create silage to feed livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep, according to a report
published in the journal Biotechnology for Biofuels.
Our SSF system does not require special equipment and large facilities, says Mitsuo Horita, a
researcher at the National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences who is the projects lead
researcher. Harvested materials are immediately packed into a round bale in the field, which is
similar to a conventional silo used for silage fermentation. No extra energy needs to be supplied
to the system. Horita says the system produces high yields of ethanol and silage, without any
plant waste. By processing plants destined for animal feed, it also avoids competing with food
crops, he says.
As a result, the technology could help address criticism of biofuels, which at present are mostly
created from crops such as rice and maize. These first-generation biofuels have come under fire
for driving up food prices as their production competes with the farming of crops to feed people.
Conventional biofuel manufacture also requires energy for transport and to run industrial
processing plants. But Jahi Chappell, director of agriculture policy at the Institute for Agriculture
and Trade Policy, an NGO that promotes sustainable farming, says the SSF system may fail to
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solve the biofuels conundrum. Competition that lowers food security could still happen if this
process led to conversion of lands suitable for other agricultural activities into land used for
biofuel and feed production, he says.
According to Horita, the biggest challenge to implementing SSF on a larger scale is the cost of
rolling out the technology. Researchers would have to present the advantages of using the system
to farmers, who would also need access to power stations that can buy and use the resulting
ethanol, he says. But Siwa Msangi, a researcher at the US-based International Food Policy
Research Institute, says the technology is a welcome addition to global biofuel options, despite
concerns about its shortcomings. We shouldnt stop seeking ways to make better biofuels as we will need to add them to the portfolio of renewable energy sources that are necessary to offset
future climate change, he says.
The article can be found at: Horita et al. (2015) On-farm Solid State Simultaneous
Saccharification and Fermentation of Whole Crop Forage Rice in Wrapped Round Bale for
Ethanol Production. ----- Source: SciDev.Net. Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily
reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff. Tags: Biofuel, Japan, National Institute for Agro-
Environmental Sciences, Renewable Energy, Rice Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine
http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/02/features/fermenting-rice-biofuel-feed/
Happy President's Day from Oryza!
Feb 16, 2015
Oryza editorial team is working limited hours this week and will be back in full force on Tuesday.
Wishing you and your families a Happy President's Day!