Grenade Found in Raiwaqa Compound

Fijivillage.com - Suva,Fiji. Publish: 05/10/2008
Police have confirmed a 55 year old man was planting cassava in his Milverton Road backyard when he spotted something strange in the soil looking like a grenade.

Police and the Fiji Military Force are investigating a case whereby a grenade was found in Raiwaqa yesterday afternoon.

Police have confirmed a 55 year old man was planting cassava in his Milverton Road backyard when he spotted something strange in the soil looking like a grenade.

Police accompanied by Military officers then removed the grenade from the soil and took it Queen Elizabeth Barracks for analysis.

Police and the Military are expected to release more information regarding the grenade soon.

PGMA vows to fund all-weather road in Tamlang Valley

Balita.org - Minsterley,England,UK, Oct. 3, 2008. At present, the Bio-Green company is leasing a portion of Tamlang Valley for cassava and jatropha plantations. According to Teves, fund available with the DOE is around P9 to 12 million, which shall be used for infrastructure development.

DUMAGUETE CITY, Oct. 3 — Economic development is expected to get a boost in the lush Tamlang Valley in southern Negros Oriental once the road network leading to the area is rehabilitated and made an all-weather road. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, during her visit to Bacolod City recently, promised the three House Representatives of Negros Oriental that she will allocate a budget for the road network in Tamlang Valley through the Department of Energy, according to 3rd district Rep. Henry Teves.

Teves said the President has learned about the recent burning of three tractors of a foreign firm engaged in the production of alternative bio-fuels in Tamlang Valley. He said she believes that a good road network would allow people to start appreciating the development being brought into their area and they will be more encouraged to plant cassava and jatropha.

At present, the Bio-Green company is leasing a portion of Tamlang Valley for cassava and jatropha plantations.

According to Teves, fund available with the DOE is around P9 to 12 million, which shall be used for infrastructure development. The road project will cost some P2.5 to P3 million per kilometer of road, to include construction of a drainage system. The road network of Tamlang Valley has an estimated total of 13 kilometers. Rep. Teves said he is planning to request Gen. Alexander Yano, chief of the staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deploy an Army engineering battalion in the province to undertake construction of the road to Tamlang Valley.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo has also instructed the Department of Energy to give Tamlang Valley some 5.2 kilometers of power lines for the electrification program in the area, according to Teves. Rep. George Arnaiz of the 2nd district was also instructed by the President to get the funding from DOE for the electrical lines.

Tamlang Valley straddles the boundary of the municipalities of Siaton, Sta. Catalina, Valencia and Pamplona. It used to be a no-man’s land in the late '80s and early '90s during the height of the insurgency in Negros Oriental. (PNA)

Ex-gov faults policy shift

HOANG LONG to follow up Daily Champion - Lagos, Nigeria http://www.champion-newspapers.com/news/article19_021008.htm Citing the Presidential Initiative on Cassava as an example, Adamu said: ``As a farmer in this country, I know that there had been talks about cassava cultivation. ’’.

Former Gov. Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa State has criticised the tendency to abandon policies of previous administrations as a ``national malaise. Adamu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said: " The problem is that we do not appear to build on our efforts over the years; there is no doubt about that. "The rate of progress, when measured, will not give you the required impression on how much ground we have covered. This is a national malaise at both the local, state and federal levels. ``If you go through the archives, you will see position papers that have been written and researches made overtime. ``On everything we are talking about today, something has been done about it in the past but unfortunately, the follow-up has not been effective,’’ he said.

Citing the Presidential Initiative on Cassava as an example, Adamu said: ``As a farmer in this country, I know that there had been talks about cassava cultivation. ``Somehow at the end of the harvest, there was no post-harvest policy on the ground to ensure that the cassava farmer had a market or a means for processing his products. ``A lot of farmers were left with cassava on their fields; they couldn’t harvest them and they couldn’t make use of the land and that had dampened their spirit to some extent,’’ Adamu said.

According to him, the response to the cotton initiative is ``very poor’’ due to the poor experiences the farmers had with cassava.``We will not relent; we will not say because it hasn’t happened we will stop; we will continue until a time when we can say hallelujah!’’, he said. Adamu also stressed the importance of policy consistency, saying: ``I think there has to be consistency in policy. Once we have a policy and programme on the ground, we must implement them to a logical conclusion and build on past experiences as we go along.’’ On the issue of finance, he expressed regrets that most farmers had no access to credit facilities, adding, however, that banks’ annual accounts ironically indicated that substantial amounts had been channelled to funding the agricultural sector. ``Every year, there is a budget provision that requires financial institutions to use a percentage of their profits before or after tax or turnovers for promoting agriculture. "Every year, when the CBN or whoever goes there to monitor or inspect compliance, every bank comes with a return; but who are these farmers that they are financing; what are the projects that they have financed?``If you ask these questions, you hardly get answers,’’ he said.

Adamu underscored the importance of infrastructural development and government support to agriculture, saying: ``If you are a good farmer, you need roads, electricity and water to enhance your production. "If you have to finance these by yourself, how many farmers can do that ?’’ he asked."I was amazed when I went to the Royal Agricultural Show in London to discover that if a farmer had a land that was just lying fallow, undeveloped, he still get money for keeping the farm.

Crop gone

by Carlos Atwell

NATIONNEW.COM Sep. 29, 2008. Government's plans for increased cassava production to reduce the cost of animal feed have hit an early snag – crop thieves.

Manager at Friendship Estate, St Michael, Patrick Bethell, called in the Press yesterday to express his frustration.

Bethel said a perpetrator had "sampled" his one-acre cassava crop twice so far, once on Friday where 37 plants were lost and again yesterday morning when 21 plants were stolen.

He said cassava took about six months to mature and longer if you wanted to use them in pone or in animal feed, but his crop was only four months old.

The farmer of more than 40 years' experience says he has had enough.

"If this continues, I will destroy them [the cassava] myself. Why grow them for someone else to get for free? In fact, if praedial larceny isn't dealt with, you can forget about agriculture in Barbados altogether because how can you tell the youth to grow food just for people to steal? You are misleading them!" he charged.

Bethell also called for the police and the media to take up the fight against praedial larceny and treat it as a "pet project" since it was something which affected the entire country.

"We are citizens producing a commodity and I expect the same response as if someone had broken into a shop," he said.

Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society, James Paul, was on hand and reiterated the call for a dedicated police presence.

"Two years ago the Commissioner of Police agreed to have a special unit put in place specifically to deal with praedial larceny, but to date, this has not been set up.

"It makes farmers feel like the police and the judiciary are not taking them seriously. We need enforcement and commitment in having a special unit which could respond quickly to every call," he said.

Paul said he was of the opinion there was an overall ring of thieves involved as all the stolen crops "had to be going somewhere".

He added there was also a hidden danger in praedial larceny as sometimes farmers had to spray their crops for pests, but the thieves would not know this and then would sell the produce directly to the public.

"It is the responsibility of supermarkets and the public to ensure they only buy produce from 'bona fide' sources," he said. (CA)

Government needs to clarify ethanol policy

By The Nation
Published on September 30, 2008

http://nationmultimedia.com Thailand. The government should be clear on its ethanol policy as a means to promote the use of Thai tapioca. Thailand is one of the biggest producers of tapioca, and the product has been a major source of export income since the 1980s.

The tapioca trade has a solid structure and is supported by a number of associations including the Thai Tapioca Development Institute and the Thai Tapioca Trade Association. Thai tapioca producers have managed to improve the quality of the product to meet the needs of consumers. However, the need for tapioca on the world market has decreased over the past few years because there are other crops that can be used in the production of animal feed. Therefore, the government needs to find a new market for farmers who depend on cassava root plantations.

Ethanol production can provide a big market for Thai tapioca. However, the government has so far failed to spell out its policy on ethanol. Consequently, ethanol producers are now facing the problem of surplus domestic supply and they are forced to export, even though their produce is meant to support ethanol policies at home. A clear policy on ethanol should strengthen Thailand's position as the biggest producer of this crop in the future.

It is welcome news that the Commerce Ministry plans to host the World Tapioca Conference from January 15-16 next year to bring together international experts to discuss the prospects of this crop. The outcome of the conference should provide an answer on how to develop tapioca, which should be beneficial for Thai farmers. We should not lose out on an opportunity to continue with the success of this crop, which has been part of our economy for a long time.

Source: http://nationmultimedia.com/2008/09/30/opinion/opinion_30084667.php

State help sought for cassava glut

Feed industry urged to use more tapioca

Walailak Keeratipipatpong

www.bangkokpost.com. sep. 26, 2008. Local tapioca manufacturers say the government should buy at least five million tonnes of cassava from the new crop in order to stabilise prices that are expected to fall in a slowing market.

Industry surveys conducted last week found that local cassava production from the 2008-09 crop would be 29.15 million tonnes, a rise of 15% from the previous crop, as a result of larger plantations and higher yields.

Favourable prices last year driven by the ethanol craze have induced planters, raising the harvesting acreage this year above eight million rai, from 7.39 million a year earlier. In addition, the average yield per rai has improved to 3.64 tonnes from 3.4 tonnes, according to the Thai Tapioca Trade Association.

Chen Wongboonsin, the association's president said that in recent discussions with the Commerce Ministry's Internal Trade Department, planters and manufacturers agreed that tate intervention was necessary to prevent a price slump.

Farmers are worried that slowing demand from Europe and lack of clarity in the Thai government's ethanol policy could push down cassava prices. The root is currently fetching 1.70 to 1.80 baht per kilogramme, down from 2.70 baht early this year.

They have proposed that the government buy surplus output of around five million tonnes, at prices between 1.90 and 2.20 baht per kilogramme.

The Internal Trade Department will consider appropriate pledging prices to minimise the effect on export prices and on the government budget.

According to Mr Chen, tapioca pellet exports to the 27 countries of the European Union, the largest buyer, are likely to decline as EU grain production this year is up 25% to 304 million tonnes.

In the first eight months of 2008, the EU bought about 1.4 million tonnes of pellets from Thailand to use in livestock feed, about 500,000 tonnes higher than in the same period last year. A severe drought in the EU last year contributed to brisk sales of Thai tapioca pellets in the first half of this year.

Mr Chen said he was confident that with state intervention, the market would remain healthy thanks to more demand from the local animal feed industry. It is estimated that the industry will use as much as two million tonnes of pellets to mix with soybean meal, resulting in the equivalent nutritive value of maize.

As well, non-EU buyers that include South Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia are significant markets that could together import up to 500,000 tonnes of pellets from Thailand next year.

Despite the decline in imports of tapioca chips from Thailand this year, China is expected to remain a big customer for the product, use largely in its alcohol industry, as world maize prices are on the rise, reflecting a forecast drop in US production.

He said that tapioca demand from the native and modified starch industries also remained strong, estimated at 15 million tonnes of roots next year. As well, the opening of two or three new ethanol plants next year would drive demand to at least two million tonnes of cassava per year.

Currently, there is one ethanol plant that uses cassava, with annual demand of 300,000 to 400,000 tonnes.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/260908_Business/26Sep2008_biz40.php

Leading Rice Export Countries

Chinese Rice Exports Down 65% while Indian Grain Shipments Rise 41%
© Daniel Workman
Apr 16, 2008

In total, Thailand and the U.S. grow 6% of the global rice harvest yet account for about 45% of worldwide rice exports.

According to the latest rice statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Thailand exports more milled rice by weight than any other country.

In 2004, overall world rice exports were 29 million tons up 4.4% from 2003. Thailand, India, Vietnam, the United States and Pakistan lead the world in rice exports.

Thailand Leading Rice Exporter
Thailand’s rice exports fell slightly to 9.7 million tons in 2007 and are expected to drop further to 8.5 million tons in 2008. While Thailand has not yet announced quotas or other restrictions on its rice exports, that could change given that other large rice exporters like India and Vietnam have announced controls including premium pricing to constrain rice shipments as a way to feed domestic consumers and control rising price inflation in the home country.

The analysis below identifies other top rice exporting regions from around the world.

Rice Exporters by Continent
1. Asia … 22.1 million tons (76.3% of global rice exports)
2. North and Central America … 3.1 million tons (10.6%)
3. Europe … 1.6 million tons (5.4%)
4. South America … 1.2 million tons (4.2%)
5. Africa … 952,380 tons (3.3%).

Top Rice Exporters by Country
The rice exporting countries on the list below are responsible for 97% of world rice exports, led by Thailand.
1. Thailand … 10 million tons (34.5% of global rice exports)
2. India … 4.8 million tons (16.5%)
3. Vietnam … 4.1 million tons (14.1%)
4. United States … 3.1 million tons (10.6%)
5. Pakistan … 1.8 million tons (6.3%)
6. China (including Taiwan) … 901,550 tons (3.1%)
7. Egypt … 836,940 tons (2.9%)
8. Italy … 668,940 tons (2.3%)
9. Uruguay … 609,170 tons (2.1%)
10. Spain … 346,030 tons (1.2%)
11. Argentina … 257,750 tons (0.9%)
12. Guyana … 256,330 tons (0.9%)
13. United Arab Emirates … 164,350 tons (0.6%)
14. Belgium-Luxembourg … 157,190 tons (0.5%)
15. Myanmar … 150,030 tons (0.5%).

Fastest-growing Rice Exporters by Country
Rice shipments from the following countries rose the fastest in 2004 from the prior year.
1. Guyana … 256,330 tons (up 59.2% in 2004)
2. Argentina … 257,750 tons (up 45.1%)
3. Egypt … 836,940 tons (up 42.9%)
4. India … 4.8 million tons (up 40.9%)
5. Thailand … 10 million tons (up 19.0%)
6. Italy … 668,940 tons (up 17.3%)
7. Vietnam … 4.1 million tons (up 7.2%)
8. Belgium-Luxembourg … 154,200 tons (up 1.9%)
9. Pakistan … 1.8 million tons (up 0.2%).

Fastest-declining Rice Exporters by Country
The rice-producing nations below decreased their milled rice exports the most in 2004.
1. China (including Taiwan) … 901.55 (down 65.4% in 2004)
2. Myanmar … 150.03 (down 61.3%)
3. United States … 3,066.77 (down 19%)
4. United Arab Emirates … 164.35 (down 14.6%)
5. Spain … 346.03 (down 9.4%)
6. Uruguay … 625 (down 2.5%).

References
This article presents independent calculations and insights based on statistics published on the International Rice Research Institute’s website.

The copyright of the article Leading Rice Export Countries in International Trade Commodities http://internationaltradecommodities.suite101.com/is owned by Daniel Workman. Permission to republish Leading Rice Export Countries in print or online must be granted by the author in writing