23rd Janury 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine(Unedited Verison)

8/13/2019 23rd Janury 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine(Unedited Verison)

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Daily Rice News by Riceplus Magazinewww.ricepluss.com

Rice farmers still fighting forwater Posted: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 3:08 pmBy JODY LARIMER [email protected] | 0 comments EL CAMPO — Although Wharton County has received rain in recent months, it‘s not enough to ease the drought,making water a hot topic on the agenda at last week‘s Western Rice Belt Rice Conference. Colorado Water Issues Committee Chairman Ronald Gertson gave an update on the most recent measure approvedby the Lower Colorado River Authority to increase the amount of water necessary in the upper lakes, before water

can be distributed.―We fear real economic and social suffering in our communities that have relied on rice farming for generations,‖Gertson said during last Wedneday‘s event at the El Campo Civic Center. ―The water cutoff will have a ripple effect.‖ One of those rippling effects concerns agricultural support industries.―Our infrastructure, those folks we count on for our seed, fertilizer, flying, storage, delivery, sales ... those folks are

just barely hanging on, ‖ Gertson said. ―And those of us who are still in the rice business need them to hang on. Weneed for them to thrive.―It‘s important that every acre that we can ... we get in, in rice and give these folks the boost they need to continuebeing the lifeline for us that they are. That‘s why, even though some of you might not depend on Colorado Riverwater, what‘s happening with Colorado River water is important to you because the acres that that water sustains isimportant to sustaining the infrastructure tha t we all need.‖

Another ripple affects current water resources.―What the unavailability of service water has caused is a glut of new well drillings,‖ Gertson said. ―Particularly inColorado and Wharton counties. We‘ve added about 45 new irrigation wells, primarily in the lakeside irrigation district

around Eagle Lake. That is now threatening to put too much pressure on the aquifer that many of you depend uponand have depended on for a long time.‖ In an effort to manage the dwindling water supply caused by the drought, the LCRA board issued an emergencyorder, ultimately cutting off water to most farmers downstream the last two years, and a third year of water curtailmentis looming.Claims in 2011 and 2012 were approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and a trigger was set at850,000 acre feet necessary in highland lakes before water could be distributed downstream.The LCRA once again issued an emergency order and approved to raise the trigger to 1.1 million acre feet at theNovember 2013 board meeting in an 8-7 vote.Raising the trigger to 1.1 million acre feet is 54 percent of the total capacity of the system. Lakes Travis andBuchanan, the region‘s water supply reservoirs, are currently at 764,863 acre -feet of water or 38 percent.―Unless we have at least 54 percent of the system full (by March 1), rice farmers, you don‘t get anything,‖ Gertsonsaid.If approved by the TCEQ, water would be cut off to three of the four irrigation operations LCRA serves near the Texascoast – Pierce Ranch, the Lakeside Irrigation Division and the Gulf Coast Irrigation Division.The TCEQ received the LCRA request on Dec. 10, 2013, according to its media department. The commission isexpected to take it under consideration at its Feb. 12 meeting.The CWIC is fighting that request.―We‘re saying, loud and clear, that is not fair,‖ Gertson said. ―This is all about creating a recreation pool in those lakesbecause the folks that have been the loudest and who have worked the hardest to get this done, believe it or not, isnot actually the city of Austin or even the water suppliers up there.‖ The Central Texas Water Coalition of Austin, however, is in opposition and feels that even 1.1 million acre feet is notenough.

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―CTWC believes that 1.4 million acre feet should be the minimum,‖ CTWC President Jo Karr Tedder said. ―We can‘tgo back to the previous year‘s trigger point number of 850,000 acre feet because it and 1.1 million acre feet are toorisky for all health and safety issues. CTWC wants TCEQ to base this decision on updated scientific data andremember that no risk is acceptable when trying to protect the drinking water.‖ CWIC see things differently.―They were the folks clamoring to make sure to it that more wate r was left in the lakes so that their businesses wouldthrive,‖ Gertson said referring to the opposing coalition. ―That‘s what‘s driving a lot of these poor decisions and we asthe agricultural interest downstream are suffering from misguided decisions. Currently, we are trying to convinceTCEQ of that very thing.‖ TCEQ has supported the LCRA recommendations the last two years, but Gertson said he thinks this year might bedifferent.―We are getting a little bit different signal from them this year,‖ he sai d, adding he thinks it is because the change from850,000 to 1.1 million is more politically than scientifically driven.―It is actually a threat to agriculture across the state because if they are successful in creating, what is essentially arecreational pool on these lakes, they are taking water supply out of Texas‘ water supplies at a time when Texas issaying ‗we need more water.‘ We can‘t afford to be taking water off of the shelf to water ski on when we need waterfor essential purposes like growing food.‖

Are top rice importers operating

illegally in PHL?January 23, 2014 11:50am

Some rice importers in the Philippines are operating illegally even if they pay duties, because they

don't have a permit to import, an official of the National Food Authority (NFA) said.

In an interview on GMA News' ―Balitanghali‖ on Thursday, NFA Public Affairs Department director

Rex Estoperez said private companies importing rice into the country are operating without the

required import permits.

"Kahit nagbayad ka ng buwis kung wala ka pa ring import permit that's still illegal," Estoperez said.

A paid advertisement that appeared in several newspapers Wednesday listed the top private rice

importers and the amount of tax each of them paid the government.

Philippine laws identified the NFA as the sole agency that can import rice, mandating public

companies who wish to do the same to secure from the NFA the import permit.



According to NFA records, among the private companies operating in 2013 without import permits

were Silent Royalty Marketing, Medaglia De Oro Trading, and Jade Brothers Farm and Livestock

Inc.

Silent Royalty is the second largest importer of rice next to NFA, while Medaglia De Oro is the sixth

and Jade Brothers the 21st.

NFA said rice imports of the companies are currently on-hold in several ports nationwide. Medaglia

De Oro and Jade Brothers earlier told the NFA that they can import rice without a permit citing a

World Trade Organization agreement that the Philippines entered into several years ago removed

such restrictions against private importers.

Estoperez, on the other hand, vowed to look into the operations of more rice importers to know

whether they are operating illegally. "I-isa-isahin namin 'yan and we will evaluate and validate," he

said, adding that they will also look into the records of private companies which imported rice from

2011 to 2012 to find out if these companies were used by rice smugglers.

NFA internal auditor Lina Vincente admitted they are finding it hard to track down companies

operating without permits as some of the records of the NFA committee issuing import permits are

missing.

"May mga naibigay pero hindi talaga kumpleto kasi kagaya dun sa validation process siyempre

tsine-check namin... Na validate ba 'to? Nasaan yung resulta ng validation?" Vincente said. –

Elizabeth Marcelo/VS, GMA News

ice import curbs in effect until 2017 Local agricultural production expanded by 1.2% in 2013By Ronnel W. Domingo Philippine Daily Inquirer

3:49 am | Thursday, January 23rd, 2014

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Private-sector rice importers cannot flood the Philippine market with foreign supplies at their will since quantitativerestrictions (QRs) on importation are still in effect, according to a coalition of agriculture industry groups.The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag), citing World Trade Organization (WTO) documents, said in astatement Wednesday that restrictions on rice imports stand until 2017.Sinag noted that the Philippines has filed with the WTO its ―Request for a Waiver relating to Special Treatment forRice,‖ asking for the continued effectiveness of restrictions, which was unchallenged in any of the WTO‘s generalcouncil meetings held in 2013.―No country has formally opposed the Philippines‘ request for waiver,‖ said Sinag chair Rosendo So. ―Of the eightcountries having bilateral talks with the country since March of last year, six have already agreed to new terms for ourQRs until 2017, including Australia, China, El Salvador, India, Pakistan and Vietnam.‖ Based on this, according to Sinag, foreign suppliers can ship into the Philippines at least 350,000 metric tons ofmilled rice yearly.―(This should) set the record straight and put to stop insinuations on the status of the country‘s request for waiver,‖ Sosaid.―Lawyers (who represent consignees of allegedly smuggled rice from Vietnam) who are insisting on the expiration ofthe QRs are not even a party nor can they speak for and in behalf of any WTO member country,‖ he added. He noted that a portion of the shipments from Vietnam, detained in Davao City, was released last week based onarguments that the restrictions have expired.Citing the Switzerland-based intergovernmental body South Centre, Sinag said the only way for countries to contestthe QRs currently in place is to seek redress through the WTO Dispute Settlement mechanism and for them toactually win the case.Meantime, Philippine agricultural production grew by 1.2 percent to P777.8 billion at constant prices despite typhoonsexacting significant damage to farms, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.BAS data showed that, at current prices, output expanded by 3.5 percent to P1.5 trillion.The crops subsector, which represented 51 percent of total output value, barely grew as it inched up 0.09 percent toP397 billion. Palay farmers posted a 2.3-percent increase in production to P156.2 billion.

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World Rice News 21.01.2014

21.01.2014

Some Thai rice farmers have threatened to switch sides and join protesters trying to topplethe government if they do not get paid for their crop, a worrying development for PrimeMinisterYingluck Shinawatra whose support is based on the rural vote.

***

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Sharp rise in demand from the US, Europe and the middle-eastern countries for Basmatirice and Africa and Asian countries for non-Basmati rice, India is all set emerge as world’stop rice exporters in the current fiscal. This will be second time in a row that India is likelyto emerge as biggest rice exporter globally. As per the commerce ministry data (April-November, 2013), India has exported close to 7 million tonnes (MT) of rice and expected to

ship more than 10.5 MT by end of current fiscal.

***

Pakistani traders have fetched rice export orders worth 4 million dollar from China during arecent visit. Shipment of these orders will start from second week of February right afterChinese New Year's holidays. A 25-member delegation of rice exporters has recently visitedChina to further explore the emerging rice market. While talking to Business Recorder ChelaRam, senior vice chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), said the visitsuccessful as initially exporters have got about 10,000 tons of rice orders. We had veryinteractive meetings with Chinese authorities and leading rice buyers. Chinese consumers

take keen interest in Pakistani rice especially "long grain" because of its high quality. hesaid.

***

The Association of Ghana- Cote d’Ivoire Rice Importers and Sellers (based in Kumasi) isappealing to the government to take a critical decision on the ban on rice importation fromCote d’Ivoire, a neighbouring country. Making the appeal through the Daily Graphic inKumasi, the Organiser of the association, Mr Yaw Korang, said the association wanted thegovernment to reconsider its decision to ban rice importation from Cote d’Ivoire. The ban onthe importation of rice from Cote d’Ivoire is expected t o take effect from January 2014.

Thai farmers add to government woes withrice scheme protests

Foreign

January 21, 2014

Some Thai rice farmers have threatened to switch sides and join protesters trying to topplethe government if they do not get paid for their crop, a worrying development for PrimeMinister Yingluck Shinawatra whose support is based on the rural vote.Anti-government protests, now in their third month, have closed off parts of the capital in thelatest installment of Thailand’s eight -year political conflict that has seen sporadic outbreaksof violence.The rural vote brought Yingluck’s Puea Thai Party to power in 2011 with a sweeping

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/category/foreign/





populist platform.But the rice program that formed part of it meant that Thailand, once the world’s biggest riceexporter, was priced out of the global market. It left the country with a mountain of unsoldgrain and the government’s intervention scheme running into funding problems.

A scheme under which farmers are guaranteed an above-market price for their rice hasbeen a centerpiece of the government’s program but, as financing strains mount, some arecomplaining they have been waiting three or four months to be paid.Prom Boonmachoey, leader of a farmers’ group in central Suphan Buri province, said adelegation would visit lawyers on Tuesday. If there was no way to get compensation,thousands more would join the anti-government protests, he said.“The Thai Lawyers Council is our consultant and it will help us file a lawsuit against thegovernment,” Prom told Reuters. If they cannot get payment, the farmers want their riceback so they can resell it, no matter how low the price, he said.

The protests in Bangkok pit the middle class and royalist establishment against the mainlypoorer supporters of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her brother, ex-premierThaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled by the military in 2006.

DA eyes attaining P5/kg palayproduction costBY: DANILO E. DOGUILESWednesday 22nd of January 20144 2 0 0 0

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Jan 22 (PIA) -- Agriculture SecretaryProceso Alcala said the agency has set its target to reduce cost of

production of rice growers to as low as P5 per kilo.

Secretary Alcala also told members of the media in SOCCSKSARGEN Region in a pressconference Friday that they also aim to increase palay production to as much as 10 metrictons per hectare.

“The Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Philippine Rice Research Institute(Philrice) is currently implementing Palayabangan: 10- 5 Challenge,” Alcala said.

He said the project, which took off in November, aims to find effective strategies that wouldraise the rice production standard to 10 tons per hectare yield at P5.00 input cost for everykilogram of palay produced.”

“Currently, Filipino farmers yield only 4 metric tons per hectare and spend P11 to P12 production cost per kilogram of rice, “ the secret ary pointed out.



“Our production cost is much higher compared to Thailand and Vietnam.”

A briefer on the 10-5 challenge said, the initiative would “provide opportunities for all playersin the rice sector to show what they can do to improve yiel d and reduce production cost ” in

support of the goals of the national government’s flagship Food Staples Sufficiency Program.

Even achieving a 7 – 7 standard or 7 MT yield per hectare and P7 production cost perkilo per kilo produced, Alcala said, “the problem on rice smuggling could be addressed.”

“If we can achieve these goals, production cost in the Philippines will be the lowest throughoutAsia” Alcala added.

Although SOCCSKSARGEN Region 12 topped Mindanao in palay productionlast year with over P3.4 million MT, farmers in the area only produced 3.83 MT perhectare.

However, Ludovico Cortado, a 76 year-old farmer in M’lang North Cotabato achieved 9.2MT per hectare yield. (DEDoguiles with Abdullah Matucan-PIA 12)- See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1611390370724#sthash.55rBe4hX.dpuf

A rice revolution?Rice demand is growing and climate change threatens this important food source. But a system ofintensified cultivation may boost yields dramatically without the need for more expensive hybridseeds, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.

By P.K. Read, Food Tank / January 22, 2014

Farmers plant rice seedlings at a field in the central Philippines in November 2013. The Philippines, one of the world's top

rice consumers, may need to import as much as 2 million tons of the grain in 2014. A system of rice intensification could

boost yields.

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Rice is the most important grain in terms of human consumption, according to numerous sources,

including the International Rice Research Institute and the UN Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO). Globally, rice provides 20 percent of all calories consumed as food, and up to 70

percent in some regions. A 2010 Oxfam report also states that rice cultivation is the ―single largest

source of employment and income for rural people.‖ Recent posts

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Rice remains a crop that is grown predominantly on smallholder farms around the world, with

the majority of rice farms smaller than two hectares (five acres) and an average global yield of



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approximately four tons/hectare. A major transition to hybridized seeds, agrochemical fertilizers, and

pesticides took place in many areas during the so-called Green Revolution between 1940-1970,

improving rice quality and yields over some earlier traditional cultivation methods.

But while rice production has remained level over the past decades, rice demand has steadily

expanded with growing populations.RECOMMENDED: What do you know about GMOs? Take the GMO quiz

With temperatures rising around the globe, and at least one recent study by a team of scientists led

by Jarrod R. Welch showing that rice fields in Asia are sensitive to increasing temperatures and

decreasing solar radiation , it‘s more important than ever to find methods that maintain or further

improve rice crop yields.

One method that has been gaining notice is System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an approach

developed by Fr. Henri de Laulanié in Madagascar beginning in 1983.

There has been evidence that SRI has produced yields double the world average . A smallholder

farmer in northern India, Sumat Kumar, used SRI to produce 22.4 tons of rice from a single hectarein 2012, breaking the world record.

SRI differs from other modern, conventional crop management techniques in that it does not focus

on the specialized seeds, fertilizers, and chemical inputs, all of which can represent high costs for

smallholder farmers with limited amounts of acreage.

Rather, SRI is a crop-management approach that can be adjusted to local conditions and

requirements based on its four interacting principles : Early, quick and healthy plant establishment;

reduced plant density; improved soil conditions through enrichment with organic matter; and reduced

and controlled water application.These principles form the basis of SRI practices, which can be adapted to local conditions such as

water availability, soil conditions, weather, labor availability, and access to seeds. Using SRI does

not require growers to convert to fully organic agriculture, although it can be accommodated to

organic growing.

Typical SRI practices include early transplantation of seedlings into paddies, wider plant spacing,

single planting as opposed to the conventional planting of three to six seedlings in a clump, an

avoidance of continuous soil flooding, and early, frequent weed control.

RECOMMENDED: What do you know about GMOs? Take the GMO quiz

According to the nonprofit SRI International Network and Resources Center , the goal is to create

nutrient-rich soil and provide individual plants with the space to grow, allowing them to develop a

stronger root system, which leads to stronger plants and overall larger yields. And according to

Oxfam, ―growing more rice with less water and agrochemical inputs is essential for future food







http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2930450/




http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/origin/index.html



http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/feb/16/india-rice-farmers-revolution



http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/methods/index.html






http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/aboutus/index.html

















security and environmental sustainability .‖ SRI methods have been used in 40 countries, and the

overall results are impressive: 47 percent increase in yields.

40 percent reduction in water use.

23 percent reduction in costs.

68 percent increase in household incomes.

The principles and practices of SRI have been applied with success to other crops as well, according

to SRI and Oxfam. These include wheat, sugarcane, finger millet, teff, and legumes. When used with

other crops, the method is known as the System for Crop Intensification . • This article originally appeared at Food Tank , a think tank focused on feeding the world better.

Food Tank researches and highlights environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways

of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty and creates networks of people, organizations, and

content to push for food system change.

AFET rice sale goes well

Published: 23 Jan 2014 at 00.00 Newspaper section: Business

The government's latest effort to sell its rice stocks through the Agricultural Futures Exchange ofThailand (AFET) attracted up to 19 potential buyers.

Wichai Nawakul, vice-president of the Thai Rice Millers Association, attributed the goodresponse mainly to new grains put up for auction and more flexible conditions.

The new conditions do not stipulate that rice bought by the winners must be slated either forexport or domestic sales.

The government has also provided a guarantee of rice quality and supplies, making bidders moreconfident.

The government yesterday put up 148,940 tonnes of rice stocks from seven state warehouses infive provinces for sale through AFET.

Of the total, 110,480 tonnes are 5% white rice available from the 2012-13 season and 2013-14new harvest, while 38,460 tonnes are 100% grade B Hom Mali rice from the 2013-14 harvest.

A total of 27 interested participants including exporters, millers and packed-rice manufacturersregistered to participate in the auction yesterday, but only 19 were qualified.

Names of the buyers participating in the selling plan are likely to be revealed next week, withdelivery due in March, April and May.



http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/othercrops/index.html



http://foodtank.com/news/2014/01/an-agricultural-revolution-in-the-making-the-system-for-rice-intensificatio



http://www.foodtank.org/



http://www.bangkokpost.com/search/news-and-article?xDate=23-01-2014&xAdvanceSearch=true



http://www.bangkokpost.com/search/news-and-article?xNewsSection=Business&xAdvanceSearch=true











This is the fourth batch the government has sold through AFET. It sold 110,000 out of 400,000tonnes put up for sale in the previous three auctions.

AFET is now considered one of the key channels for the government to dispose of its rice stocksto raise proceeds to honour its payments to farmers under the rice pledging scheme.

The Yingluck Shinawatra-led government plans to sell 500,000 to 1 million tonnes throughAFET.

The caretaker government is struggling to find funds to pay pledged money to one million ricefarmers who participated in the main 2013-14 crops after the scheme accumulated huge losses.

AFET rice sale goes well

Published: 23 Jan 2014 at 00.00 Newspaper section: Business

The government's latest effort to sell its rice stocks through the Agricultural Futures Exchange ofThailand (AFET) attracted up to 19 potential buyers.

Wichai Nawakul, vice-president of the Thai Rice Millers Association, attributed the goodresponse mainly to new grains put up for auction and more flexible conditions.

The new conditions do not stipulate that rice bought by the winners must be slated either forexport or domestic sales.

The government has also provided a guarantee of rice quality and supplies, making bidders more

confident.

The government yesterday put up 148,940 tonnes of rice stocks from seven state warehouses infive provinces for sale through AFET.

Of the total, 110,480 tonnes are 5% white rice available from the 2012-13 season and 2013-14new harvest, while 38,460 tonnes are 100% grade B Hom Mali rice from the 2013-14 harvest.

A total of 27 interested participants including exporters, millers and packed-rice manufacturersregistered to participate in the auction yesterday, but only 19 were qualified.

Names of the buyers participating in the selling plan are likely to be revealed next week, withdelivery due in March, April and May.

This is the fourth batch the government has sold through AFET. It sold 110,000 out of 400,000tonnes put up for sale in the previous three auctions.

AFET is now considered one of the key channels for the government to dispose of its rice stocksto raise proceeds to honour its payments to farmers under the rice pledging scheme.











The Yingluck Shinawatra-led government plans to sell 500,000 to 1 million tonnes throughAFET.

The caretaker government is struggling to find funds to pay pledged money to one million ricefarmers who participated in the main 2013-14 crops after the scheme accumulated huge losses.

Nigeria loses over N110bn as revenue on rice drops by90.6% in 2013January 22, 2014 | Filed under: Maritime | Author: Uzoamaka Anagor

The Federal Government has in the last 12 months lost over N110 billion, being the amount that wassupposed to have accrued into the Federation Account as import duty collected on imported rice by the

Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).The revenue collected on imported rice in the last 12 months since the nation changed its fiscal policy onimported rice to 110 percent import duty and levy, aimed at reducing the volume of imported rice andencouraging increased domestic rice production, has dropped by 90.6 percent.

Statistics show that in 2011, Apapa port, which specialises in handling bulk cargo, especially rice,generated the total sum of N131.4 billion as revenue from rice. The above mentioned figure dropped by4.59 percent to N125.3 in 2012, while the revenue witnessed a drastic drop of 90.6 percent to N11.8billion in 2013.

―Despite the fact that rice used to be the mainstay of Apapa port as a break bulk handling port, rice is notcoming into Apapa port at all and this is really affecting our revenue collect ion,‖ said Charles Edike, area

controller of the Apapa Area 1 command of the Nigeria Customs Services.

A breakdown of statistics as given to BusinessDay by Edike shows that in January 2013, revenue on ricecontributed 4.5 percent to the total revenue collected by the command. In February, it contributed 0.9percent; 7 percent in March, 0.9 percent in April, 22.2 percent in May, 132 percent in June, 0.0 percent inJuly, 0.2 percent in August, and 0.0 percent in September, October, November and December.

In 2012, before the implementation of the new fiscal policy on rice, the revenue on rice contributed 36.9percent in the month of January, 22.7 percent in February, 32.0 percent in March, 71 percent April, 80percent in May, 69.2 percent in June, 5 percent in July, 2 percent in August, 11 percent in September, 15percent in October, 23 percent in November, and 96.1 percent in December.

In 2011, the revenue on rice contributed over 9.7 percent in the month of January, 30 percent inFebruary, 78.4 percent in March, 39 percent April, 71 percent in May, 83 percent in June, 95 percent inJuly, 41 percent in August, 78 percent in September, 31 percent in October, 22.5 percent in November,and 37.6 percent in December.

According to statistics from Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Nigerians consume about 5 million metrictonnes of rice annually, which sums to about 100 million 50kg bags of rice. Therefore, the total riceconsumption in the country is in excess of N1 trillion annually at a minimum price of N10,000 per 50kgbag.

http://businessdayonline.com/category/business-economy/maritime/

http://businessdayonline.com/author/testuser/



http://businessdayonline.com/category/business-economy/maritime/



Also, about 2.9 million metric tonnes, which amounts to 58 million 50kg bags of rice, is the estimatedquantity of rice that is produced locally, while the remaining 2.1 million metric tonnes of rice is importedinto the country through the seaports annually.

Confirming this in an interview, Vicky Haastrup, executive vice chairman, ENL Consortium Limited, theoperator of Terminal C and D of Apapa port in Lagos, told Business and Maritime West Africa that rice is

a commodity which Nigeria has completely lost to Benin Republic since the Federal Government imposedthe 110 percent duty on rice.

By her estimates, government has lost over N80 billion from her terminal alone in 2013 because ricerarely comes to Nigerian ports now, yet there is no scarcity of foreign or imported rice in the Nigerianmarket.

―Given the 110 percent duty, the landing cost of rice became very high for importers to pay, that is whyimporters now prefer Benin port where the landing cost is cheaper. Nigeria is not producing enough riceand the local production cannot satisfy the local demand for a population of 170 million. Therefore,imposing such high customs duty will help the importers to take cargo to the neighbouring ports where itis cheaper to import,‖ she said.

Continuing, she added that ENL handled only one cargo of rice in 2013 compared to the previous yearswhere rice vessels started from September to congest the port due to the high importation that came withthe festive season.

By: Uzoamaka Anagor

Documents

23rd Janury 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine(Unedited Verison)