Nigeria to reduce tariff on imported rice

The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday said the Federal Government was contemplating a downward review of tariff on importation of rice.

Okonjo-Iweala, who disclosed this while answering questions at the ‘Budget 2014 Jam’, in Abuja said the drop in the tariff would reduce smuggling of the commodity into the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Budget 2014 Jam is a youth online programme where the minister answers questions on the Federal Government’s 2014 budget from youths across the nation.

The three-day programme, which began on Tuesday is organised by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with IBM Technology, a telecommunication firm.

The minister said the existing 110 per cent duty on the importation of rice was encouraging smuggling of the commodity into the country.

“We increased the tariff to 110 per cent, and it encouraged some people to go and grow rice and we grew 1.1 million metric tonnes of the product.

“But it also encouraged smuggling from neighbouring countries because they immediately dropped their own tariffs to 10 per cent,” she said.

She added that the rice issue was similar to tariff on importation of used vehicles, saying “we are watching it now to see what the appropriate tariff to be paid on it will be.’’

The minister added, “For rice, we decided to bring it down because we see that it is not working.’’

Okonjo-Iweala explained that the government had decided to encourage the automobile industry to ensure that vehicles were manufactured in the country.

Vietnam’s High-quality Rice Targets African Market

Vietnam’s top labour markets this year have shown some surprising results due to various factors around the world.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has called on the country’s farmers to put more focus on producing high-quality products like fragrant and glutinous rice to export to Africa, the world’s biggest rice consumer.

The continent has an annual demand of over 9 million tonnes, including 6.5 million tonnes from imports.

The MoIT said rice exporters have gained a stronger foothold in overseas markets thanks to their quality products. However, their success is threatened by growing competition with India and Thailand, which offer low-cost rice as one of their selling points.

In January–August 2013, Vietnam shipped 600,000 tonnes of fragrant rice to Africa, nearly half of its total grain imports.

This year, the ministry will hold visits to Angola and Ivory Coast where two memorandums of understanding on rice trade are expected to be signed. A number of African firms will be invited to Vietnam to seek partners.

To minimise risks, it will offer advice to Vietnamese rice exporters while making it easier for them to open representative offices and warehouses abroad.

Nigeria to reduce rice import tariff

Nigeria is one of the world's largest rice importers; by far the first of Africa.

The federal government has revealed plans to reduce rice import tariffs for local rice farmers and dealers who import the commodity on a small scale to make up for their shortfalls in 2014.

WFP buys local rice from Ghanaian farmers

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday said it had purchased 1,433 metric tons of Ghanaian rice worth 780,000 dollars as part of its growing trend of purchasing locally to benefit farmers. A statement from WFP and copied to the GNA in Accra, said the rice would be distributed through the School Feeding Programme in the three Northern Regions where WFP, the Programme and the Ghana Education Service (GES) work together to provide meals to over 100,000 children in 304 schools. "The new strategic plan encourages local purchases from countries where we work. When prices are competitive and funding is available, we buy food within the country for distribution to the vulnerable food-insecure people whom we assist, so it becomes a win-win situation for both farmers and our beneficiaries," Mr Ismail Omer, WFP Representative in Ghana said. It said out of the 1,433 metric tons of rice purchased, the Northern Region office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) supplied 55 metric tons, AMSIG Resources supplied 878 metric tons and EDEM Farms won the third bid to supply 500 metric tons. The statement said AMSIG Resources was a Millennium Development Authority technical training service provider which works with farmers in Savelugu-Nanton, Tolon-Kumbungu, Tamale, West Mamprusi and Karaga. "The rice which AMSIG supplied to WFP was produced by groups of women farmers who lived in these communities in the Northern Region," it said. The statement said WFP food purchases in Ghana had increased significantly in recent years and that in 2008-2009, it purchased food worth 10 million dollars consisting mainly of maize, maize meal, corn-soy blend, iodised salt and vegetable salt, with rice being recently added to the food items specified for distribution. It said building on its successful local procurement programme, WFP would soon roll out a new initiative called Purchase for Progress (P4P), a five-year pilot programme which would promote the development of agricultural markets in such a way that smallholder farmers would produce food surpluses and sell them at fair prices to various markets including WFP operations. The statement said an assessment mission was currently evaluating smallholder farmers' challenges and building partnerships for its implementation. WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide and aims to feed 90 million people in 73 countries in 2010. GNA

Cameroon to ban rice import

The Cameroonian govern ment will in the next few day s ban the import of rice to encourage local production, Cameroonian Trade Minist e r, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, said on Friday. He noted that Cameroon imports 500,000 tons of rice every year from Asian countries valued at 100 billion FCFA. In addition, 100,000 tons of rice are smuggled into neighbouring countries, which causes an important loss of foreign currency for the country. To meet the rice self-sufficiency challenge, the minister urged economic operators to become rice farmers so as to create, at the same time, job opportunities and bridge the unemployment gap. 'The government is involved in a land retrieval process to implement agricultural projects and all those who will come to Cameroon for rice farming will have their own plots," he said.

Nigeria Rice production up 29%

The nation's agricultural sector witnessed a marked improvement at the end of 2009 in food production as a result of various initiatives pursued by the government to revamp the sector.

The past year, which was the first year of the present administration, also saw a significant increase in government's investment in the sector, resulting in the provision of many facilities and initiatives that contributed to the growth in production towards achieving food security.

On top of the achievements were a remarkable 29 per cent increase in rice production and five per cent increase in maize production, while sorghum and millet production went up by 20 per cent each. Groundnuts and cowpea also recorded a three per cent growth rate each.

AFET to offer Hom Mali futures trading

AFET, Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand, preparing to introduce trading of Thai Hom Mali Rice Grade B contracts on July 14. Thai Hom Mali Rice 100% Grade B contract would be traded under the symbol BHMR, with a contract size of 15 tonnes per unit. Trading would be allowed for both options as currently executed for 5% white rice. Under the both-options regime, traders are allowed to settle contracts in cash or by physical delivery. In the past, only cash settlements were allowed.

Hom Mali exports have grown steadily by 10% on average over the last three years, with last year's figure reaching 1.864 million tonnes. For the first five months of this year, Hom Mali shipments amounted to 917,000 tonnes, up 21% from a year earlier. Last year, three of the top 10 Hom Mali importers _ Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Ghana _ were in Africa. Senegal alone imported up to 540,000 tonnes.

LIBERIA: Too few rice seeds to sow

ONROVIA , 19 July 2007 (IRIN) - The difficulty in acquiring seed rice during the current planting season is having a negative effect on rice farming in rural Liberia where there has been a massive return of former internally displaced persons and refugees, agriculture officials told IRIN.

"One major problem affecting rice farming in Liberia after years of conflict is the availability of seed rice. Most often the seeds do not reach the farmers in time because we had to import them, since we are not producing them here", Liberia's Agriculture Minister Chris Toe said.

Toe said farmers should normally receive seed rice in February ahead of the rainy season.

"But because farmers receive the seed rice in June or July at the start of the rainy season, they find it difficult to plant during this period and, as a result, rice production is now on a lower scale", Toe said.

Rice is the staple diet in Liberia. However, rice planting is most commonly left to local farmers. Agriculture Ministry statistics indicate there is heavy reliance on small-scale subsistence farmers.

Joseph Boiwu, assistant representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Liberia, told IRIN delays in getting seed rice to farmers, who are mostly returnees from displaced persons' and refugee camps, were due to logistical constraints with regard to importation.

Seed rice from Sierra Leone

"The FAO had to start importing 2,600 metric tonnes of seed rice from neighboring Sierra Leone in April this year. By June we completed transporting the seed rice to Liberia by trucks and ship… Far less than 600 tonnes were purchased locally", Boiwu said.

Boiwu said: "All stakeholders in the agriculture sector in Liberia reached a decision to ration seed rice; farmers are entitled to 25kg for each acre [2.4 hectares] of land."

Toe said, however, that the standard amount of seed rice required per 2.4 hectares is 1.2 metric tonnes.

Olun Kamitatu of Catholic Relief Service (CRS) in Liberia said in some instances there was a "seed rice shortfall" for local farmers before the planting season began.

"The problem existed in 2006… When the Ministry of Agriculture and non-governmental organisations plan to distribute seed rice to farmers, there is always a shortfall," she said.

Blame

Local farmers blame the delay in obtaining seed rice on the failure of the Agriculture Ministry and NGOs to plan ahead.

Boima Seh, a local rice farmer in Klay, Bomi County, 35km northwest of the capital, Monrovia, said: "Had the Agriculture Ministry and NGOs planned properly to get the seed rice to us during the dry season [around January or February] we would not have had this problem."

"I am to get my share of rice seed at the end of July, but how am I supposed to plant it? The rain has already started. My four acres [9.6 hectares] of land is wet at the moment."

John Jukon, head of a local group of rural farmers called Farmers Against Hunger, said: "Most of the farmers have begun eating their seed rice since they are unable to plant now".

"No one should expect a good rice season this year… Most farmers are upset by the delay in getting the seed rice," Jukon told IRIN.

Seed rice propagation sites

Toe said the government, in partnership with international donors, is establishing seed rice multiplication sites in all 15 counties of Liberia.

"The process has already started and we are hoping that by next year our farmers will have enough seed and we will not have to rely on imported seed, which would most likely be delayed due to transportation constraints," Toe said.

FAO statistics indicate there are currently 109 multiplication sites across the country.

Boiwu said FAO also hoped farmers would utilise the present seed consignment to ensure they had sufficient for the next planting season.

Kamitatu of CRS agreed that multiplication sites could resolve the problem.

"These sites would allow farmers to easily access seed rice at the community level", she said.

According to a Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey - jointly conducted by the Liberian government, international NGOs and the UN and released in September 2006 - 55 percent of farmers in 375 rural communities purchased their own seed rice for the 2006 planting season. Only 19 percent relied on seed rice from donors.

Nigeria failed 2006 rice production target

Nigeria failed to meet its target of 5 million tonnes of local rice production in 2006 because of lack of consistency in government policies, the main growers group said on Wednesday.

A top official said in January that Nigeria had cut its annual rice imports to half a million tonnes due to a significant rise in local production over the last three years due to the success of the government initiative.

Before the drop, Nigeria was the world's biggest importer of parboiled rice, mainly from Thailand and India.

The association of Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors of Nigeria said in an open letter to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in November that the decline in rice imports was not due to rising local production but to an increase in smuggling. The association had said about a third of the rice imported into Nigeria was smuggled from neighbouring Benin, depriving the government of 24 billion naira in annual duties.

Nigeria delayed an outright ban on rice imports in 2006 and slashed duty to 50 percent from 120 percent.

Analysts say a blanket ban is not likely in the near future because rising local consumption has outmatched production, which the say is hampered by obsolete farming methods, smuggling and low private sector participation.

Vietnam's Rice Exports To Ivory Coast Seen To Rise

HANOI, July 10 Asia Pulse - Vietnam has a great opportunity to boost rice exports to Ivory Coast in the coming years thanks to its growing demand and taste for Vietnamese rice, said the Ministry of Trade.

In the first 11 months of 2006, Vietnam shipped 213,000 tonnes of rice worth US$53 million to the African country that imported a total of 900,000 tonnes last year.

According to the ministry, Pakistan also planned to import rice from the Southeast Asian nation in order to stabilise the domestic market amidst a lean harvest in the country this year.

Vietnamese rice is currently exported for $305 per tonne, up $45 over the same period last year, said the ministry.

Statistics released by the General Statistics Office shows that Vietnam - the world's second largest rice exporter after Thailand - shipped abroad 2.3 million tones of rice worth over $731 million in the first half of 2007, year-on-year decreases of 9 per cent in volume and 5.6 per cent in turnover.