VietNamNet Bridge - Hanoi,Vietnam
23:33' 25/04/2009 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has earned US$18.63 billion from exports in the first four months of the year, down 0.1% against the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office.
In April alone, the country’s export turnover has been reported at US$4.5 billion, down 15.28% compared to the previous month.
Those goods that have enjoyed export growth include cassava and cassava products, up 155.8%; rice, up 43.9%; tea, up 14.8%; pepper, up 1.9%; garments and textiles, up 1.8%.
Particularly, exports of precious metals and gemstones saw sudden high increase, up 40 times compared to the same period last year, earning US$2.54 billion.
Exports of other goods all declined, most notably rubber (down 45.5%), crude oil (down 44.7%) and electric wires and cable (down 43.3%).
In April, Vietnam’s import turnover was reported at US$5.2 billion, up 3% against the previous month. In January-April period, the country imported US$17.83 billion worth of goods, down 41% against the same period last year.
In the first four months of this year, Vietnam saw a trade surplus of US$800 million. However, export turnover (excluding precious metals and gemstones) is tending to decrease.
VietNamNet/ND
Apr 26, 2009
Country profile: Thailand
Facts and statistics on Thailand including history, population, politics, geography, economy, religion and climate
The Guardian, Saturday 25 April 2009 Article history
Map of Thailand. Source: Graphic
Potted history of the country: The basis of modern Thailand began in 1351 with the unified kingdom of Siam. It became the only south-east Asian nation not to be occupied by a European power. A 1932 bloodless revolution created a constitutional monarchy, and Siam became Thailand in 1939. Eighteen military coups since reflect political instability. The last in 2006 deposed the then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
At a glance
Location: South-east Asia
Neighbours: Burma, Laos, Cambodia
Size: 198,117 square miles
Population: 63,038,247 (20th)
Density: 318.2 people per square mile
Capital city: Bangkok (population 6,320,174)
Head of state: King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX)
Head of government: Prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
Currency: Baht
Time zone: Thailand standard time (+7 hours)
International dialling code: +66
Website: thaigov.go.th
Data correct on Saturday 25 April 2009
Political pressure points: Society is highly divided between the Thaksin-supporting rural poor and a wealthy Bangkok elite. Thaksin's successors won power when the army stepped aside. But constitutional courts sacked two premiers before the army-backed prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva engineered a ruling coalition headed by his minority Democrat party. Thaksin supporters remain furious.
Population mix: Thai including Lao 75%, Chinese 14%, other minorities including: Malay, Cambodian, hill peoples (Meo, Lahu, Yao, Lisu, Lawa, Lolo and Karen) 1%
Religious makeup: Buddhist 94%, Muslim 5%
Main languages: Thai (official) Chinese, Malay and indigenous languages
Living national icons: Seni Saowaphong (author), Chart Korbjitti (author), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (film director) Somjit Jongjohor (boxer)
Landscape and climate: Tropical Thailand is flanked by the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. There are four distinct regions: the central plain; the north-east plateau, which rises 300 metres above the central plain; the mountainous north; and the rainforested southern peninsula. Its major river systems drain either into the Mekong or the Chao Phraya near Bangkok.
Highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,565 metres
Area covered by water: 861 square miles
Healthcare and disease: The number of Thais living with HIV/Aids is around 550,000. The incidence lowers life expectancy to 73 years, and increases infant mortality. Malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis are prevalent, particularly in jungle areas bordering Burma and Laos.
Average life expectancy (m/f): 69/75
Average number of children per mother: 1.8
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births: 110
Infant deaths per 1,000 births: 8
8HIV/Aids rate: 1.4%
Doctors per 1,000 head of population: 0.4
Adult literacy rate: 94.1% (m 95.9%/f 92.6%)
Economic outlook: Exports - accounting for 60% of GDP - have slumped dramatically. The electronics, electrical goods and automotive sectors have all suffered sharp drops. Last year's 4.5% GDP growth is projected to reverse to 1% this year.
Main industries: Services including tourism, manufacturing including computers, vehicles and parts, electronics, textiles, rubber.
Key crops/livestock: Rice, sugar cane, cassava (tapioca), oil palm fruit, maize, natural rubber, fruit, cattle, buffaloes, pigs, poultry.
Key exports: Machinery, manufactured goods, rice
GDP: £105,374m (33rd)
GDP per head: £1,661
Unemployment rate: 1.2%
Proportion of global carbon emissions: 0.84%
Most popular tourist attractions: Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Samui, Ko Phi Phi. Chiang Mai for Thai cooking classes and hill trekking
Local recommendation: Tarutao is one of the most unspoiled national parks in Thailand.
National dish: Pad thai (stir-fried noodles with egg, vegetables, spices, chicken, shrimp, tofu)
Foreign tourist visitors per year: 13,821,802
Media freedom index (ranked out of 173): 124
Did you know ... Most Thais refer to the capital as Krung Thep, the shortened name of a title that actually consists of 32 words.
National anthem:
The Thai people are peace-loving
But they are no cowards at war
They shall allow no one to rob them of their independence
Nor shall they suffer tyranny
· Information correct on date of first publication, Saturday 25 April 2009.
The Guardian, Saturday 25 April 2009 Article history
Map of Thailand. Source: Graphic
Potted history of the country: The basis of modern Thailand began in 1351 with the unified kingdom of Siam. It became the only south-east Asian nation not to be occupied by a European power. A 1932 bloodless revolution created a constitutional monarchy, and Siam became Thailand in 1939. Eighteen military coups since reflect political instability. The last in 2006 deposed the then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
At a glance
Location: South-east Asia
Neighbours: Burma, Laos, Cambodia
Size: 198,117 square miles
Population: 63,038,247 (20th)
Density: 318.2 people per square mile
Capital city: Bangkok (population 6,320,174)
Head of state: King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX)
Head of government: Prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
Currency: Baht
Time zone: Thailand standard time (+7 hours)
International dialling code: +66
Website: thaigov.go.th
Data correct on Saturday 25 April 2009
Political pressure points: Society is highly divided between the Thaksin-supporting rural poor and a wealthy Bangkok elite. Thaksin's successors won power when the army stepped aside. But constitutional courts sacked two premiers before the army-backed prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva engineered a ruling coalition headed by his minority Democrat party. Thaksin supporters remain furious.
Population mix: Thai including Lao 75%, Chinese 14%, other minorities including: Malay, Cambodian, hill peoples (Meo, Lahu, Yao, Lisu, Lawa, Lolo and Karen) 1%
Religious makeup: Buddhist 94%, Muslim 5%
Main languages: Thai (official) Chinese, Malay and indigenous languages
Living national icons: Seni Saowaphong (author), Chart Korbjitti (author), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (film director) Somjit Jongjohor (boxer)
Landscape and climate: Tropical Thailand is flanked by the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. There are four distinct regions: the central plain; the north-east plateau, which rises 300 metres above the central plain; the mountainous north; and the rainforested southern peninsula. Its major river systems drain either into the Mekong or the Chao Phraya near Bangkok.
Highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,565 metres
Area covered by water: 861 square miles
Healthcare and disease: The number of Thais living with HIV/Aids is around 550,000. The incidence lowers life expectancy to 73 years, and increases infant mortality. Malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis are prevalent, particularly in jungle areas bordering Burma and Laos.
Average life expectancy (m/f): 69/75
Average number of children per mother: 1.8
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births: 110
Infant deaths per 1,000 births: 8
8HIV/Aids rate: 1.4%
Doctors per 1,000 head of population: 0.4
Adult literacy rate: 94.1% (m 95.9%/f 92.6%)
Economic outlook: Exports - accounting for 60% of GDP - have slumped dramatically. The electronics, electrical goods and automotive sectors have all suffered sharp drops. Last year's 4.5% GDP growth is projected to reverse to 1% this year.
Main industries: Services including tourism, manufacturing including computers, vehicles and parts, electronics, textiles, rubber.
Key crops/livestock: Rice, sugar cane, cassava (tapioca), oil palm fruit, maize, natural rubber, fruit, cattle, buffaloes, pigs, poultry.
Key exports: Machinery, manufactured goods, rice
GDP: £105,374m (33rd)
GDP per head: £1,661
Unemployment rate: 1.2%
Proportion of global carbon emissions: 0.84%
Most popular tourist attractions: Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Samui, Ko Phi Phi. Chiang Mai for Thai cooking classes and hill trekking
Local recommendation: Tarutao is one of the most unspoiled national parks in Thailand.
National dish: Pad thai (stir-fried noodles with egg, vegetables, spices, chicken, shrimp, tofu)
Foreign tourist visitors per year: 13,821,802
Media freedom index (ranked out of 173): 124
Did you know ... Most Thais refer to the capital as Krung Thep, the shortened name of a title that actually consists of 32 words.
National anthem:
The Thai people are peace-loving
But they are no cowards at war
They shall allow no one to rob them of their independence
Nor shall they suffer tyranny
· Information correct on date of first publication, Saturday 25 April 2009.
Scientific Alliance newsletter 24th April 2009
Cambridge Network - Cambridge,UK
Making the most of agricultural technology
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, set up to use the couple's personal wealth for the benefit of the world's poor, takes a hard-headed, business-oriented approach to screening projects put forward for funding. Unlike the majority of development charities, the Gates Foundation is not afraid to include cutting edge technologies to address pressing problems. This is not to say that there is not a place for small-scale improvements to current farming practices. Better cultivation techniques and improved irrigation have a role to play, but so does a search for more radical solutions to malnourishment and the lack of food security.
This approach starts from the principle that healthy, well-fed people are able to move on from subsistence farming and lift themselves out of poverty. Regular crop surpluses and the scope to grow cash crops not only makes the lives of whole families better, but enable children to go to school, which greatly improves their prospects as adults.
With this as an overall objective, nothing is then ruled out. There is no philosophical reliance on indigenous knowledge and keeping small farmers on the land for generations to come. If a more radical solution has the potential to improve people's lives, then there is no reason not to explore it. The net result would not necessarily be good for everyone in the short term. There would be losers as well as winners as the pattern of farming changed and young people moved to the cities.
But these are the sort of social upheavals which European countries have gone through in the past. From the comfort of our lives in today's advanced societies, how many of us would really argue that populations would be better off working the land for the basic necessities of life? Then we have to consider why the development sector effectively wants to condemn the world's current population of poor farmers to a similar future.
This attitude is encapsulated in the report of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development, published in 2008. Set up as an authoritative, multi-stakeholder study, it became dominated by the received wisdom of NGOs and development agencies, and effectively dismissed the tools available to developed country farmers as inappropriate to the needs of the developing world. No wonder that the representatives of the private sector agricultural supply industry withdrew from participation before the report was published.
But published it was, and the dismissal of agricultural biotechnology as a development tool is now regularly trotted out as the authoritative consensus view of 400 scientists and development experts. Not only is it difficult to see how this can be a balanced view if the owners of the technology have effectively been excluded, but it is also a pity that no-one seems to have asked poor farmers in Africa, Asia or Latin America whether they would like to see the best available technologies used to improve crops which will help them produce bigger and more valuable harvests.
Fortunately, the Gates Foundation is not so blinkered. It has, for example, very publicly funded a project whose aim is to breed a "super cassava" using genetic modification technology (Biocassava plus). Cassava is the fall-back staple food of many in sub-Saharan Africa, but has a low nutritional value and requires considerable preparation to make it safe to eat, as it contains significant levels of cyanide. The goal is to increase the protein, vitamin and mineral content, reduce or eliminate cyanide and increase disease resistance. Field trials of a variety with high levels of beta-carotene have been approved in Nigeria.
But genetic modification is only one of the tools used, where it is appropriate. More recently, the Foundation has made grants of $48 million to two bodies – the World Cocoa Foundation and the German development organisation GTZ – to improve the incomes of cocoa and cashew farmers in Africa. These are integrated, multi-faceted programmes which aim to improve farmer knowledge, crop yields and quality and access to market.
Will such initiatives work? Doubtless some will be more successful than others, but full marks are due to the Gates Foundation and their partners for making genuine efforts to improve the lot of the poor through its agriculture initiative and for being open-minded to the possibilities offered by modern technology.
A worthy winner, for the wrong reasons
The FT has recently announced the winner of its Climate Change Challenge, which "sought to find and publicise the most innovative and scalable solution to the effects of climate change." A solar-powered cardboard cooker called the Kyoto Box has won the $75,000 prize.
This is a simple, cheap and ingenious device which can be used to boil water by harnessing heat from the sun. This Sun's rays enter an inner box through an acrylic panel, and heat is trapped via a combination of insulation, black paint and foil, sufficient to boil 10 litres of water in two hours when placed on top of the panel. And all for a likely cost of $5. The judging panel included the Financial Times, Sir Richard Branson and Dr Rajendra Pachauri.
John Bohmer, the cooker's inventor, thinks that its use will reduce a family's carbon dioxide emissions by about two tonnes a year, by eliminating the use of firewood. The other suggested benefit is disease reduction because water can be boiled before drinking. Strangely, the report fails to mention the most significant benefit of all: a likely big improvement in health because of reduced use of indoor wood stoves. The smoke from these fires is a major cause of respiratory disease, particularly among women and children.
If the Kyoto Box could be used for the majority of cooking, respiratory disease would be reduced and the daily search for firewood could be eliminated. These are two big gains, and make the prize winner a worthy one. But to see it as making a significant contribution to reduction of carbon emissions is misleading. While the rural poor might use less firewood, their countries' governments will be investing in centralised power generation, the additional emissions from which will dwarf any savings.
An effective electricity grid – supplemented by local generation sources in many cases – is a prerequisite for a decent life for city dwellers and the development of viable industries. Whatever is done to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions associated with rural living, this will become increasingly irrelevant as the economy develops. Productive agriculture is only the first stage of development, and we should not be aiming to stop the process when subsistence farmers have enough to eat every year. Poor farmers already have a tiny carbon footprint compared to rich Europeans. But they also have much poorer health, and if the Kyoto Box can improve this, then it certainly deserves a prize.
The Scientific Alliance
St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS
Tel: +44 1223 421242
Please pass this newsletter on to your own networks and encourage other people to subscribe. Simply send us an email request, and your name will be added to the list.
See also:
Organisation: Scientific Alliance
Making the most of agricultural technology
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, set up to use the couple's personal wealth for the benefit of the world's poor, takes a hard-headed, business-oriented approach to screening projects put forward for funding. Unlike the majority of development charities, the Gates Foundation is not afraid to include cutting edge technologies to address pressing problems. This is not to say that there is not a place for small-scale improvements to current farming practices. Better cultivation techniques and improved irrigation have a role to play, but so does a search for more radical solutions to malnourishment and the lack of food security.
This approach starts from the principle that healthy, well-fed people are able to move on from subsistence farming and lift themselves out of poverty. Regular crop surpluses and the scope to grow cash crops not only makes the lives of whole families better, but enable children to go to school, which greatly improves their prospects as adults.
With this as an overall objective, nothing is then ruled out. There is no philosophical reliance on indigenous knowledge and keeping small farmers on the land for generations to come. If a more radical solution has the potential to improve people's lives, then there is no reason not to explore it. The net result would not necessarily be good for everyone in the short term. There would be losers as well as winners as the pattern of farming changed and young people moved to the cities.
But these are the sort of social upheavals which European countries have gone through in the past. From the comfort of our lives in today's advanced societies, how many of us would really argue that populations would be better off working the land for the basic necessities of life? Then we have to consider why the development sector effectively wants to condemn the world's current population of poor farmers to a similar future.
This attitude is encapsulated in the report of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development, published in 2008. Set up as an authoritative, multi-stakeholder study, it became dominated by the received wisdom of NGOs and development agencies, and effectively dismissed the tools available to developed country farmers as inappropriate to the needs of the developing world. No wonder that the representatives of the private sector agricultural supply industry withdrew from participation before the report was published.
But published it was, and the dismissal of agricultural biotechnology as a development tool is now regularly trotted out as the authoritative consensus view of 400 scientists and development experts. Not only is it difficult to see how this can be a balanced view if the owners of the technology have effectively been excluded, but it is also a pity that no-one seems to have asked poor farmers in Africa, Asia or Latin America whether they would like to see the best available technologies used to improve crops which will help them produce bigger and more valuable harvests.
Fortunately, the Gates Foundation is not so blinkered. It has, for example, very publicly funded a project whose aim is to breed a "super cassava" using genetic modification technology (Biocassava plus). Cassava is the fall-back staple food of many in sub-Saharan Africa, but has a low nutritional value and requires considerable preparation to make it safe to eat, as it contains significant levels of cyanide. The goal is to increase the protein, vitamin and mineral content, reduce or eliminate cyanide and increase disease resistance. Field trials of a variety with high levels of beta-carotene have been approved in Nigeria.
But genetic modification is only one of the tools used, where it is appropriate. More recently, the Foundation has made grants of $48 million to two bodies – the World Cocoa Foundation and the German development organisation GTZ – to improve the incomes of cocoa and cashew farmers in Africa. These are integrated, multi-faceted programmes which aim to improve farmer knowledge, crop yields and quality and access to market.
Will such initiatives work? Doubtless some will be more successful than others, but full marks are due to the Gates Foundation and their partners for making genuine efforts to improve the lot of the poor through its agriculture initiative and for being open-minded to the possibilities offered by modern technology.
A worthy winner, for the wrong reasons
The FT has recently announced the winner of its Climate Change Challenge, which "sought to find and publicise the most innovative and scalable solution to the effects of climate change." A solar-powered cardboard cooker called the Kyoto Box has won the $75,000 prize.
This is a simple, cheap and ingenious device which can be used to boil water by harnessing heat from the sun. This Sun's rays enter an inner box through an acrylic panel, and heat is trapped via a combination of insulation, black paint and foil, sufficient to boil 10 litres of water in two hours when placed on top of the panel. And all for a likely cost of $5. The judging panel included the Financial Times, Sir Richard Branson and Dr Rajendra Pachauri.
John Bohmer, the cooker's inventor, thinks that its use will reduce a family's carbon dioxide emissions by about two tonnes a year, by eliminating the use of firewood. The other suggested benefit is disease reduction because water can be boiled before drinking. Strangely, the report fails to mention the most significant benefit of all: a likely big improvement in health because of reduced use of indoor wood stoves. The smoke from these fires is a major cause of respiratory disease, particularly among women and children.
If the Kyoto Box could be used for the majority of cooking, respiratory disease would be reduced and the daily search for firewood could be eliminated. These are two big gains, and make the prize winner a worthy one. But to see it as making a significant contribution to reduction of carbon emissions is misleading. While the rural poor might use less firewood, their countries' governments will be investing in centralised power generation, the additional emissions from which will dwarf any savings.
An effective electricity grid – supplemented by local generation sources in many cases – is a prerequisite for a decent life for city dwellers and the development of viable industries. Whatever is done to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions associated with rural living, this will become increasingly irrelevant as the economy develops. Productive agriculture is only the first stage of development, and we should not be aiming to stop the process when subsistence farmers have enough to eat every year. Poor farmers already have a tiny carbon footprint compared to rich Europeans. But they also have much poorer health, and if the Kyoto Box can improve this, then it certainly deserves a prize.
The Scientific Alliance
St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS
Tel: +44 1223 421242
Please pass this newsletter on to your own networks and encourage other people to subscribe. Simply send us an email request, and your name will be added to the list.
See also:
Organisation: Scientific Alliance
Apr 15, 2009
News: Nigeria planning to export $200 million in yams and cassava ...
FoodBizDaily.com (press release) - Westport,CT,USA
Lagos April 13 2009 (FoodBizDaily) - Nigeria has gone a long way in producing new and improved varieties of root and tuber crops, and the country’s success story in this field may, in all probability, be soon extended to it being elevated to the position of being the number one producer of yams, cocoyams, and cassava in the world through its export of these crops.
At present, the production volume of yams is 32 metric tonnes in a year. Preparations are on in full swing, already, to get on with the exportation of the tuber crop to the European Union (EU). This is expected to fetch foreign exchange earnings to the tune of $200 million.
Dr Kenneth Nwosu, by the Executive Director of the National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, made the announcement to this effect on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 2009 annual research review and planning workshop of the institute.
The NRCRI would collaborate with the Nasarawa State government and a United Kingdom-based company to make possible and execute the export of yam tubers to the European Union countries, he informed.
“This programme may turn out to be the saving grace in insulating Nigeria from the global economic melt down as close to $200 million trade could be created,” Nwosu stated.
Evaluating the highlights of the accomplishments of the institute, the NRCRI boss said that the institute has “substantially contributed to the national food security and food sufficiency through its agricultural research and extension activities on root and tuber crops.” He stated that the institute has been exceptional in its achievements, as it is highly commendable to note that Nigeria still retains its position as the world’s number one producer of yam, cocoyam, and cassava with an overall annual output of 32, 5 and 45 million metric tons, respectively.
“Technologies developed at the institute have contributed immensely in placing Nigeria at this global level,” Nwosu pointed out; he also added that “with the recent government positive intervention in funding agricultural research, production of these crops are expected to double by the year 2020.”
Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze, the Minister of State for Agriculture, said in her address that the ministry was “highly pleased” at the country’s position as the number one producer in the world of yam, cassava, and cocoyam, “which is largely due to the aggressive research and extension efforts of this institute.”
It was the deputy director in the ministry, Dr Parry Nyandati, who read out Njeze’s address. In the address, he conveyed his particular interest in the advancement achieved by NRCRI in developing yam and cassava varieties which give high yields and which are resistant to diseases.
Njeze said, “It is a known fact that many of our farmers do not get adequate reward for their efforts because of low yielding disease prone traditional varieties which they are using. Your effort to replace the traditional varieties with high yielding disease resistant ones is therefore commendable.”
FoodBizDaily.com - Staff writer
Bioplastics expected to grow over 125 per cent in South East Asia
plastemart.com - Mumbai,Maharashtra,India
The bioplastics market in Southeast Asia is in its nascent stage and in the preliminary development phase. The large population in this region provides an impetus to producers to explore opportunities here. Producers are encouraged by the huge market potential of the region, which primarily stems from the market's novelty and current low penetration in target applications. The market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 129.8% in the next 5-7 years until 2015 as per a report by Frost & Sullivan.
Increasing prices of conventional resins leading to increased polymer prices is likely to pave the way for the greater usage of bioplastics globally. Lack of local production as well as the low levels of consumption and public awareness are the major barriers to the greater usage of bioplastics in SE Asia. This is likely to change as more companies set up manufacturing plants in the region. Bioplastics will gain further attraction if market participants can educate consumers of its benefits. At present, bioplastics is perceived as a niche market, beset by cost and performance issues in Southeast Asia. These concerns have to be addressed before market participants progress. Bioplastic companies will have to be aware that consumers here are more cost conscious than their western counterparts, and therefore, may not be willing to pay a premium for the product. However, growing sensitivity to climate changes and a rise in oil prices have worked together to encourage the public, governments and private companies to evoke greater interest in bioplastics. The bioplastics market in this region is likely to find the going good with favorable local government support and initiatives, increasing competitiveness of bioplastics due to increase in oil price and the market recognition of bioplastics as a green product. Although the replacement rates of traditional plastics such as polyethylene (PE) or polystyrene (PS) with bioplastics are likely to be minimal, it will be a huge leap for the novel bioplastics market, and will count as high growth.
Moreover, the efforts of governments, especially those in Thailand, to derive 5% of their plastics from bio-based sources in 2012 have given a huge boost to the market. The governments are also looking to attract domestic and international businesses by introducing an incentive program that includes research funding and favorable tax policies.
With the country's abundant agricultural sector and large lactic acid (LA) manufacturing base, the Thai government is taking steps towards making Thailand a regional bioplastic hub. Although Thailand is currently the Asia Pacific's third largest bioplastic producer, ranked behind Japan and China, a combination of the country's natural resources, infrastructure and government support are expected to push the country's bioplastic industry forward to become a regional hub for bioplastics manufacturing and export. With an annual production of 20 mln tons, Thailand is the world's top exporter of cassava. Thailand has a large manufacturing base for lactic acid, derived from cassava and sugarcane starch which it broken down with enzymes into glucose and fermented to make Lactic acid, and later polymerized and converted into polylactic acid (PLA) resin. The Thai government launched the implementation of a 15-year three-phase strategy in 2006 to encourage the bioplastics sector to become a regional leader in the bioplastic industry by 2021.
The first phase is feasibility, during which imports of bioplastic material are entitled to favourable tariff relief. The second is the development of a local bioplastic industry using imports. Eventually, bioplastics imports should be replaced with locally produced materials from Thailand 's abundant crops of cassava and sugar. This is the third phase of the strategy, aimed at building a competitive global market for Thai bioplastics. Currently, Thai bioplastics have already started to be exported to markets such as the US, European Union and Japan.
The bioplastics market in Southeast Asia is in its nascent stage and in the preliminary development phase. The large population in this region provides an impetus to producers to explore opportunities here. Producers are encouraged by the huge market potential of the region, which primarily stems from the market's novelty and current low penetration in target applications. The market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 129.8% in the next 5-7 years until 2015 as per a report by Frost & Sullivan.
Increasing prices of conventional resins leading to increased polymer prices is likely to pave the way for the greater usage of bioplastics globally. Lack of local production as well as the low levels of consumption and public awareness are the major barriers to the greater usage of bioplastics in SE Asia. This is likely to change as more companies set up manufacturing plants in the region. Bioplastics will gain further attraction if market participants can educate consumers of its benefits. At present, bioplastics is perceived as a niche market, beset by cost and performance issues in Southeast Asia. These concerns have to be addressed before market participants progress. Bioplastic companies will have to be aware that consumers here are more cost conscious than their western counterparts, and therefore, may not be willing to pay a premium for the product. However, growing sensitivity to climate changes and a rise in oil prices have worked together to encourage the public, governments and private companies to evoke greater interest in bioplastics. The bioplastics market in this region is likely to find the going good with favorable local government support and initiatives, increasing competitiveness of bioplastics due to increase in oil price and the market recognition of bioplastics as a green product. Although the replacement rates of traditional plastics such as polyethylene (PE) or polystyrene (PS) with bioplastics are likely to be minimal, it will be a huge leap for the novel bioplastics market, and will count as high growth.
Moreover, the efforts of governments, especially those in Thailand, to derive 5% of their plastics from bio-based sources in 2012 have given a huge boost to the market. The governments are also looking to attract domestic and international businesses by introducing an incentive program that includes research funding and favorable tax policies.
With the country's abundant agricultural sector and large lactic acid (LA) manufacturing base, the Thai government is taking steps towards making Thailand a regional bioplastic hub. Although Thailand is currently the Asia Pacific's third largest bioplastic producer, ranked behind Japan and China, a combination of the country's natural resources, infrastructure and government support are expected to push the country's bioplastic industry forward to become a regional hub for bioplastics manufacturing and export. With an annual production of 20 mln tons, Thailand is the world's top exporter of cassava. Thailand has a large manufacturing base for lactic acid, derived from cassava and sugarcane starch which it broken down with enzymes into glucose and fermented to make Lactic acid, and later polymerized and converted into polylactic acid (PLA) resin. The Thai government launched the implementation of a 15-year three-phase strategy in 2006 to encourage the bioplastics sector to become a regional leader in the bioplastic industry by 2021.
The first phase is feasibility, during which imports of bioplastic material are entitled to favourable tariff relief. The second is the development of a local bioplastic industry using imports. Eventually, bioplastics imports should be replaced with locally produced materials from Thailand 's abundant crops of cassava and sugar. This is the third phase of the strategy, aimed at building a competitive global market for Thai bioplastics. Currently, Thai bioplastics have already started to be exported to markets such as the US, European Union and Japan.
Letter of the day: Queries about cassava study
Jamaica Gleaner - Kingston, Jamaica
Published: Tuesday | April 14, 2009
The Editor, Sir:
I would like to express my appreciation for any research that can potentially contribute to the health and well being of our citizens. In particular, our tertiary institutions are duty bound to provide information that is sound, balanced and can stand up to academic scrutiny.
However, I have some general concerns with the conclusions of cassava study as reported by The Gleaner on April 13. The article states that 'samples' taken from four parishes were found to have high levels of cyanide. How were the samples selected? Was it a random process? Were the bammies and undried cassava flour sourced from industrial facilities or directly from individual households/farms (or both)? Were the research findings subject to the peer review process typically required for publication in an academic journal?
In fairness, these questions could possibly be answered by seeing the actual report or publication. However, the article as presented, runs the risk of providing partial information that could lead to a knee-jerk reaction by the public or related government officials.
It is, indeed, important to highlight the risks associated with under-prepared cassava flour. However, overconsumption and underpreparation of a wide variety of foods also have potential health risks. For example, most Jamaicans are all aware of the dangers of eating under-prepared ackee. Others might also be aware that excessive consumption of sorrel drinks can lead to kidney and other problems due to the high oxalic acid content of the plant. Similarly, overconsumption of alcohol, sweet drinks and fatty foods also have a host of associated negative health effects.
Proper food preparation
My main point is, it would have been good if the article had also emphasised the need for proper food preparation and improved monitoring by the Bureau of Standards or some other public health agency. I would also hope that the recommendations as provided by the researchers contained no overt bias, given Northern Caribbean University's involvement in promoting the breadfruit as an alternative source of carbohydrate. Research is important, but in my opinion, 'balanced' research is even more important.
History, the Bible and life in general teach us that moderation in all things is a goal that we should all strive for. Rather than throwing out cassava as an option for the nation's struggle for food security, I would hope that the broader message from such a study would be the promotion of moderate consumption and more emphasis on proper food preparation and production.
I am etc.
DR PETER E.T. EDWARDS
pedwards@udel.edu
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Published: Tuesday | April 14, 2009
The Editor, Sir:
I would like to express my appreciation for any research that can potentially contribute to the health and well being of our citizens. In particular, our tertiary institutions are duty bound to provide information that is sound, balanced and can stand up to academic scrutiny.
However, I have some general concerns with the conclusions of cassava study as reported by The Gleaner on April 13. The article states that 'samples' taken from four parishes were found to have high levels of cyanide. How were the samples selected? Was it a random process? Were the bammies and undried cassava flour sourced from industrial facilities or directly from individual households/farms (or both)? Were the research findings subject to the peer review process typically required for publication in an academic journal?
In fairness, these questions could possibly be answered by seeing the actual report or publication. However, the article as presented, runs the risk of providing partial information that could lead to a knee-jerk reaction by the public or related government officials.
It is, indeed, important to highlight the risks associated with under-prepared cassava flour. However, overconsumption and underpreparation of a wide variety of foods also have potential health risks. For example, most Jamaicans are all aware of the dangers of eating under-prepared ackee. Others might also be aware that excessive consumption of sorrel drinks can lead to kidney and other problems due to the high oxalic acid content of the plant. Similarly, overconsumption of alcohol, sweet drinks and fatty foods also have a host of associated negative health effects.
Proper food preparation
My main point is, it would have been good if the article had also emphasised the need for proper food preparation and improved monitoring by the Bureau of Standards or some other public health agency. I would also hope that the recommendations as provided by the researchers contained no overt bias, given Northern Caribbean University's involvement in promoting the breadfruit as an alternative source of carbohydrate. Research is important, but in my opinion, 'balanced' research is even more important.
History, the Bible and life in general teach us that moderation in all things is a goal that we should all strive for. Rather than throwing out cassava as an option for the nation's struggle for food security, I would hope that the broader message from such a study would be the promotion of moderate consumption and more emphasis on proper food preparation and production.
I am etc.
DR PETER E.T. EDWARDS
pedwards@udel.edu
More Articles from Letters
Inadequate NCU report
Usain, ganja and handlers
Redwood's blurred vision
A workable local stimulus package
CDF - no political pork barrel
Not so fast, Mr PM
Dr Dawes mis-spoke
Market our rich heritage
Public sector pay equity
More Letters
E-mail this story
Print this Page
Letters to the Editor
Popular Stories
Apr 5, 2009
Arico - Cassava Chips
Posted by AnAppleADay on March 30, 2009
Arico’s Cassava Chips are very tasty. Cassava has twice the fiber of the common potato. Being gluten, casein and trans fat free, these chips could be enjoyed guilt-less. I really liked all the flavors, but my favorite would be Sea Salt. It was light and crispy. Just what I needed after that SPICY seaweed soup my sister cooked for me.
I think it’s hard to find these in stores though. I’ve searched through Whole Foods located near my house, but I couldn’t find them. Let me know if any of you guys find Arico’s food in any of the stores.
Govt plans to unload 8 millions tonnes of cassava
The Nation Business, April 3, 2009
The government will be selling more than 8 million tonnes of cassava under its government-to-government contract with China as well as to PTT for the production of ethanol.
The government's cassava policy committee expects PTT to purchase 2.8 million tonnes of tapioca starch to produce 700,000 tonnes of ethanol. Under the government-to-government contract, China is expected to buy more than 1 million tonnes of cassava. The cassava will be sold at current market prices, which would incur about Bt6 billion in losses for the government.
Cashing in on slump
Adecco Group, the leader in human resource solutions, sees a great opportunity amid the current economic recession.
The company launched a proactive strategy to expand its Japanese customer base offerin Japanese expatriates after several organisations decided to downsize and reduce expatriate staff.
Tidarat Kanchanawat, country manager for Adecco Group, revealed that many Japanese firms have started cutting budgets and downsizing their organisations to cope with the economic slowdown.
New travel package
Oishi, leading manufacturer of green tea, has joined up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and 21 boutique resorts to offer an attractive package at a one-off price of Bt2,000.
The campaign called "Setthakij Sodsai Chuan Gun Pai Thiew" or Business Brightened through Travel, focuses on Pran Buri and Khao Sam Roi Yod in the Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
Consumers can use their Bt2,000 government cheque to pay for a two-night package at any of the 21 resorts. The actual off-the-rack room rates run between Bt3,500 and Bt100,000 per night.
The campaign runs from May 1 to October 31.
- The Nation
The government will be selling more than 8 million tonnes of cassava under its government-to-government contract with China as well as to PTT for the production of ethanol.
The government's cassava policy committee expects PTT to purchase 2.8 million tonnes of tapioca starch to produce 700,000 tonnes of ethanol. Under the government-to-government contract, China is expected to buy more than 1 million tonnes of cassava. The cassava will be sold at current market prices, which would incur about Bt6 billion in losses for the government.
Cashing in on slump
Adecco Group, the leader in human resource solutions, sees a great opportunity amid the current economic recession.
The company launched a proactive strategy to expand its Japanese customer base offerin Japanese expatriates after several organisations decided to downsize and reduce expatriate staff.
Tidarat Kanchanawat, country manager for Adecco Group, revealed that many Japanese firms have started cutting budgets and downsizing their organisations to cope with the economic slowdown.
New travel package
Oishi, leading manufacturer of green tea, has joined up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and 21 boutique resorts to offer an attractive package at a one-off price of Bt2,000.
The campaign called "Setthakij Sodsai Chuan Gun Pai Thiew" or Business Brightened through Travel, focuses on Pran Buri and Khao Sam Roi Yod in the Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
Consumers can use their Bt2,000 government cheque to pay for a two-night package at any of the 21 resorts. The actual off-the-rack room rates run between Bt3,500 and Bt100,000 per night.
The campaign runs from May 1 to October 31.
- The Nation
Apr 3, 2009
Sumatec unit to build Thai bio-ethanol plant
Business Times - Malaysia - Malaysia, 3 April 2009
SUMATEC Resources Bhd's wholly-owned subsidiary, Sumatec Corporation Sdn Bhd and its partner company in Thailand, EC Chemical Bio Co Ltd have been awarded a RM254.16 million contract to construct a bio-ethanol plant in Thailand.
The consortium will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the 500,000-litre per day capacity bio-ethanol plant complete with biogas plant, organic fertilizer plant and chip making unit at Prachinburi.
The plant is expected to be completed in 20 months, the company said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur today.
It said the plant will be using cassava chips as feed stock.
The contract is expected to contribute positively to the overall earnings and shareholders value of Sumatec for the financial years ending December 31, 2009 and 2010. - Bernama
SUMATEC Resources Bhd's wholly-owned subsidiary, Sumatec Corporation Sdn Bhd and its partner company in Thailand, EC Chemical Bio Co Ltd have been awarded a RM254.16 million contract to construct a bio-ethanol plant in Thailand.
The consortium will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the 500,000-litre per day capacity bio-ethanol plant complete with biogas plant, organic fertilizer plant and chip making unit at Prachinburi.
The plant is expected to be completed in 20 months, the company said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur today.
It said the plant will be using cassava chips as feed stock.
The contract is expected to contribute positively to the overall earnings and shareholders value of Sumatec for the financial years ending December 31, 2009 and 2010. - Bernama
Expand research in value addition
New Vision - Kampala,Uganda
Wednesday, 1st April, 2009
In Uganda, 70% of the cassava produced is for fresh consumption yet the shelf life for fresh cassava rarely exceeds two days. Yet cassava, just like potatoes, could be processed and preserved either for human consumption. Its by-products like starch could be for industrial use in textile, paper and pharmaceutical industries.
The Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) has already paid off. Makerere University’s Dr. Florence Muranga who headed a research project on the preservation of banana on Monday handed a special report on the progress of her work to President Yoweri Museveni.
However, the highlight of the ceremony at State House, Nakasero, was not the report, but rather a pack of Tooke biscuits made from our own bananas. The success of the research demonstrates the potential of Ugandan scientists given the necessary resources.
While banana is widely grown and is a staple food in many parts of Uganda, the technology for its preservation has been lacking leading to high post harvest losses. With the research breakthrough, Uganda will not only be in a position to preserve this highly perishable crop, but other industries to consume banana by-products shall sprout up, thereby creating jobs.
Through processing, it shall not only be possible to prolong the shelf life of bananas, but the flour can be used for the production of nutritious baby food, enriching dairy products and the production of banana juice and banana alcohol.
However, as we celebrate this success, the Presidential initiative should be expanded from banana to include other food crops widely grown in Uganda but are difficult to preserve. These include crops like sweet potatoes and cassava.
In Uganda, 70% of the cassava produced is for fresh consumption yet the shelf life for fresh cassava rarely exceeds two days. Yet cassava, just like potatoes, could be processed and preserved either for human consumption. Its by-products like starch could be for industrial use in textile, paper and pharmaceutical industries.
Research is an important component in the development process of any country and research organisations in Uganda should try to justify their existence by engaging in practical research to solve local problems. That is why PIBID’s scope should be expanded beyond just bananas.
Wednesday, 1st April, 2009
In Uganda, 70% of the cassava produced is for fresh consumption yet the shelf life for fresh cassava rarely exceeds two days. Yet cassava, just like potatoes, could be processed and preserved either for human consumption. Its by-products like starch could be for industrial use in textile, paper and pharmaceutical industries.
The Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) has already paid off. Makerere University’s Dr. Florence Muranga who headed a research project on the preservation of banana on Monday handed a special report on the progress of her work to President Yoweri Museveni.
However, the highlight of the ceremony at State House, Nakasero, was not the report, but rather a pack of Tooke biscuits made from our own bananas. The success of the research demonstrates the potential of Ugandan scientists given the necessary resources.
While banana is widely grown and is a staple food in many parts of Uganda, the technology for its preservation has been lacking leading to high post harvest losses. With the research breakthrough, Uganda will not only be in a position to preserve this highly perishable crop, but other industries to consume banana by-products shall sprout up, thereby creating jobs.
Through processing, it shall not only be possible to prolong the shelf life of bananas, but the flour can be used for the production of nutritious baby food, enriching dairy products and the production of banana juice and banana alcohol.
However, as we celebrate this success, the Presidential initiative should be expanded from banana to include other food crops widely grown in Uganda but are difficult to preserve. These include crops like sweet potatoes and cassava.
In Uganda, 70% of the cassava produced is for fresh consumption yet the shelf life for fresh cassava rarely exceeds two days. Yet cassava, just like potatoes, could be processed and preserved either for human consumption. Its by-products like starch could be for industrial use in textile, paper and pharmaceutical industries.
Research is an important component in the development process of any country and research organisations in Uganda should try to justify their existence by engaging in practical research to solve local problems. That is why PIBID’s scope should be expanded beyond just bananas.
Apr 1, 2009
China considered as export market for unsold cassava
Written by Kay Kimsong
Phnom Penh Post - Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Thai protectionism is protectionism is leading to oversupply of Cambodian cassava, forcing farmers to push for exports to China CAMBODIA is looking to the Chinese market for its cassava product, as Thai subsidies have undercut Cambodian exporters in Thailand, a foreign trade official said Monday. The Commerce Ministry will soon send a group of trade officials to China to study prospects for breaking into the potentially lucrative Chinese market.
"We don't worry about rice exports, but our cassava product is a problem," admitted Thon Virak, deputy director general at the Foreign Trade Department.
He said Cambodia produced over 2 million tonnes of cassava in 2008 and was expected to produce the same in 2009.
When Thailand started subsidising cassava farms in January, demand for Cambodian cassava fell dramatically.
The result could be hundreds of thousands of tonnes of unsold product, farmers said.
Cambodia has two processing factories that turn dry cassava into flour, which can be used for anything from fertilisers to skin creams.
The two factories - one outside of Phnom Penh and one in Kampong Cham - can produce a million tonnes of dry cassava a year.
The rest of the crop needs to be exported.
Cambodian factories are incapable of processing raw cassava. Previously, farmers would sell their wet cassava to Thailand, but the price has fallen so low that only processed cassava is economically viable.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We don't worry about rice exports, but our cassava product is a problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since January, the news has not been all bad for Cambodian cassava farmers. Thon Virak said the price of dry cassava increased from US$75 per tonne in January to $125 per tonne in late March.
At the same time, Cambodia is hoping to use Chinese technology to set up a new, higher-capacity processing factory, hopefully increasing domestic demand for the product.
Kasie Noeu, an agriculture researcher and chairman of the board of directors at the Peace and Development Institute, said cassava growers need to be patient and should not give up on growing the crop.
He said that farmers should create a cassava growers association to increase bargaining leverage and market their product as a collective.
Riding out the storm
Kasie Noeu pointed to corn and cashew crops five years ago as a lesson. In 2004 farmers abandoned their crops due to low prices, only to see prices jump in 2007.
"I see the price of cassava increasing in the next few years," he said.
"This [price decrease] is a trick the market plays."
But that's little solace for farmers struggling right now. Agriculture tycoon Te Haing, who grows 1,000 hectares of cassava in Banteay Meanchey province, said he expects 900,000 tonnes of unprocessed cassava to go unsold this year.
"We all sit around and wait for a market for our product, but we can't sell it because of the low price of wet cassava in Thailand," said Te Haing
Te Haing called for the government to take quick action to help farmers. Otherwise, some of them would abandon their cassava crops, he said, adding that a drying factory for wet cassava needed to be built in Banteay Meanchey province.
This, he said, would keep the cassava sector in Cambodia afloat.
"If we can sell wet cassava for just $50 a tonne, we will survive," he said.
"Farmers are suffering without the Thai market," he added: "We need help."
Phnom Penh Post - Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Thai protectionism is protectionism is leading to oversupply of Cambodian cassava, forcing farmers to push for exports to China CAMBODIA is looking to the Chinese market for its cassava product, as Thai subsidies have undercut Cambodian exporters in Thailand, a foreign trade official said Monday. The Commerce Ministry will soon send a group of trade officials to China to study prospects for breaking into the potentially lucrative Chinese market.
"We don't worry about rice exports, but our cassava product is a problem," admitted Thon Virak, deputy director general at the Foreign Trade Department.
He said Cambodia produced over 2 million tonnes of cassava in 2008 and was expected to produce the same in 2009.
When Thailand started subsidising cassava farms in January, demand for Cambodian cassava fell dramatically.
The result could be hundreds of thousands of tonnes of unsold product, farmers said.
Cambodia has two processing factories that turn dry cassava into flour, which can be used for anything from fertilisers to skin creams.
The two factories - one outside of Phnom Penh and one in Kampong Cham - can produce a million tonnes of dry cassava a year.
The rest of the crop needs to be exported.
Cambodian factories are incapable of processing raw cassava. Previously, farmers would sell their wet cassava to Thailand, but the price has fallen so low that only processed cassava is economically viable.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We don't worry about rice exports, but our cassava product is a problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since January, the news has not been all bad for Cambodian cassava farmers. Thon Virak said the price of dry cassava increased from US$75 per tonne in January to $125 per tonne in late March.
At the same time, Cambodia is hoping to use Chinese technology to set up a new, higher-capacity processing factory, hopefully increasing domestic demand for the product.
Kasie Noeu, an agriculture researcher and chairman of the board of directors at the Peace and Development Institute, said cassava growers need to be patient and should not give up on growing the crop.
He said that farmers should create a cassava growers association to increase bargaining leverage and market their product as a collective.
Riding out the storm
Kasie Noeu pointed to corn and cashew crops five years ago as a lesson. In 2004 farmers abandoned their crops due to low prices, only to see prices jump in 2007.
"I see the price of cassava increasing in the next few years," he said.
"This [price decrease] is a trick the market plays."
But that's little solace for farmers struggling right now. Agriculture tycoon Te Haing, who grows 1,000 hectares of cassava in Banteay Meanchey province, said he expects 900,000 tonnes of unprocessed cassava to go unsold this year.
"We all sit around and wait for a market for our product, but we can't sell it because of the low price of wet cassava in Thailand," said Te Haing
Te Haing called for the government to take quick action to help farmers. Otherwise, some of them would abandon their cassava crops, he said, adding that a drying factory for wet cassava needed to be built in Banteay Meanchey province.
This, he said, would keep the cassava sector in Cambodia afloat.
"If we can sell wet cassava for just $50 a tonne, we will survive," he said.
"Farmers are suffering without the Thai market," he added: "We need help."
Vedan at it again
MSG and starch maker Vedan has admitted to polluting a north-central river just six months after authorities caught the company spewing waste into a southland river.
A Vedan Vietnam cassava starch processing plant in the north-central province of Ha Tinh has been discharging untreated wastewater into the Rao Tro River, the factory’s director admitted over the weekend.
The Taiwanese-invested company, based in the southern province of Dong Nai, began test running the new facility on February 11, with plans to bring it to full operation by November.Upon opening the test run, nearby residents immediately began complaining of pollution in the river and terrible odors coming from the factory.
Tuoi Tre spoke with the plant’s director, Truong Vinh Chu, last weekend.
Initially, Chu denied allegations that the facility was responsible for pollution in the river.
It wasn’t until Tuoi Tre escorted the director to the site of a wastewater drain running directly from the factory to the Rao Tro River that Chu admitted his company’s culpability in the matter.
“I apologize and promise to repair this immediately,” he said at the canal connecting the plant to the river.
He said the canals had been designed to drain rainwater and that it was a “mistake” that wastewater was flowing into the river.
“We’ll repair it before starting our [full] operations,” he said.
What’s that smell?
Chu said he was aware of residents’ complaints about air pollution just after the factory began its test run.
“I am not confirming or denying it [foul odors caused by the factory in residential areas],” he said. “Processing cassava emits certain smells that our experts tell us are not at all harmful to local residents.”
A resident from Ky Son Commune was very unhappy about the stench.
“I thought it was a dead rat in my house but I couldn’t find it.”
Another resident said he thought the smell was pig’s dung.
Local residents said the odor was worse on hotter, sunnier days. They dubbed it the “Vedan Ha Tinh Smell.”
“It’s a really terrible smell that has tortured us around the clock for more than a month,” said a resident from Ky Son Commune.
Residents in nearby Ky Lam Commune, on the opposite bank of the Rao Tro River from the Vedan plant, were also frustrated.
“The stink has invaded the area,” a local said. “Our air used to be so clean and pure because we’re located next to the forest.”
Downstream in Ky Lac Commune, locals complained their formerly fresh air and water were turning rancid.
“The river is dirty and we’re worried because fish have begun dying since the factory opened,” a resident said.
At one section of the river near the factory, a three-centimeter layer of foamy, muddy substance covers the shoreline. A local resident removed some of the substance to show Tuoi Tre the cassava waste underneath.
Inspections
Environmental authorities in Ha Tinh Province said on Sunday their inspectors had already investigated Vedan’s local facility.
The inspectors found two wastewater storage pools dug into the ground at the cassava starch factory, both of which were connected to the canals leading to the river. Inspectors said these could also have been the cause of the foul stench.
Nguyen Doan Sang, director of the province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, reported the information to the media alongside Hoang Viet Thanh, the environmental police chief of the police department.
The officials said that in addition to the wastewater pools, the foul odors may have been caused by improper cassava drying facilities.
The inspectors have reported their findings to the Ha Tinh People’s Committee.
Tran Minh Ky, the committee’s deputy chairman, said last Saturday that the body would make a decision on the matter this week.
He also said the company should follow the environmental commitments it made when it was licensed for the facility.
Such commitments included providing proper treatment systems for waste and wastewater as well as preventing air pollution.
“If the factory has broken the commitments we will suspend its operations, even during the test run period,” he said.
The Rao Tro River, also known as the Nay River, originates in the Cam Ky Forest along the Lao border.
One of its two main distributaries flows into the Ke Go Lake in Ha Tinh Province while the other flows into the Gianh River in nearby Quang Binh Province.
Source: Tuoi Tre
ERA condemns alleged IITA’s plan to enrich cassava
Written by Daniel Gumm
Vanguard - Apapa,Lagos,Nigeria Tuesday, 31 March 2009
THE Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has criticised plans by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to carry out an alleged enrichment of Nigerian cassava, saying the exercise, if not halted by the Federal Government, is the culmination of a script written by the biotech industry to jeopardise Nigeria’s food sovereignty forever. A release from the USAID which was widely reported in the national dailies last week had stated that scientists at the IITA are working on cassava-based recipes that will be used in improving the nutrition and health of vulnerable groups such as women, children under five, and expectant mothers.
The research, christened, “Unleash the Power of Cassava in Africa (UPoCA),” is getting a $5.3 million funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and is a two-year project to introduce and test cassava-based complementary food for acceptability in Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
UPoCA is coming on the heels of the Nigerian government’s alleged approval for the Danforth Centre in U.S to carry out contained field trials on a so-called super cassava in Nigeria with National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike in Imo State as a cover.
But in a statement issued in Lagos, ERA/FoEN frowned at the silence of the government on the planned trials, warning that the flurry of “back-door” approvals and researches to flood Nigeria with genetically modified crops in the guise of crop improvement is a grand ploy to colonise Nigeria’s food future. ERA/FoEN is worried that this experiment is seeking to use children, women and pregnant women as Guinea pigs for doubtful ends.
Vanguard - Apapa,Lagos,Nigeria Tuesday, 31 March 2009
THE Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has criticised plans by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to carry out an alleged enrichment of Nigerian cassava, saying the exercise, if not halted by the Federal Government, is the culmination of a script written by the biotech industry to jeopardise Nigeria’s food sovereignty forever. A release from the USAID which was widely reported in the national dailies last week had stated that scientists at the IITA are working on cassava-based recipes that will be used in improving the nutrition and health of vulnerable groups such as women, children under five, and expectant mothers.
The research, christened, “Unleash the Power of Cassava in Africa (UPoCA),” is getting a $5.3 million funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and is a two-year project to introduce and test cassava-based complementary food for acceptability in Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
UPoCA is coming on the heels of the Nigerian government’s alleged approval for the Danforth Centre in U.S to carry out contained field trials on a so-called super cassava in Nigeria with National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike in Imo State as a cover.
But in a statement issued in Lagos, ERA/FoEN frowned at the silence of the government on the planned trials, warning that the flurry of “back-door” approvals and researches to flood Nigeria with genetically modified crops in the guise of crop improvement is a grand ploy to colonise Nigeria’s food future. ERA/FoEN is worried that this experiment is seeking to use children, women and pregnant women as Guinea pigs for doubtful ends.
Drought hits sugar output
Bangkokpost.com; Published 30/03/2009 at 08:08 PM
Thailand may produce at least 3.8% less sugar this year because of drought has cut cane output, a government official said on Monday. Production may fall below 7.5 million tonnes from 7.8 million tonnes last year, said the official in charge of output planning. He said a serious impact in some areas from drought could continue into next year.
A drop in supply from Thailand may help offset increased production from Brazil and support prices, which tumbled 6.8% last week.
Thikha Khunnawat, director general of Thai Sugar Millers Corp, said many mills have already ended crushing. Sugarcane is also facing competition from other crops like cassava.
Thailand may produce at least 3.8% less sugar this year because of drought has cut cane output, a government official said on Monday. Production may fall below 7.5 million tonnes from 7.8 million tonnes last year, said the official in charge of output planning. He said a serious impact in some areas from drought could continue into next year.
A drop in supply from Thailand may help offset increased production from Brazil and support prices, which tumbled 6.8% last week.
Thikha Khunnawat, director general of Thai Sugar Millers Corp, said many mills have already ended crushing. Sugarcane is also facing competition from other crops like cassava.
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