1st april ,2021 daily global regional local rice e newsletter

Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
1 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
April 01 ,2021 Vol 6 Issue 4
www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874

Editorial Board
Chief Editor
 Hamlik
Managing Editor
 Abdul Sattar Shah
 Rahmat Ullah
 Rozeen Shaukat
English Editor
 Maryam Editor
 Legal Advisor
 Advocate Zaheer Minhas
Editorial Associates
 Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid
 Javed Islam Agha
 Zahid Baig(Business Recorder)
 Dr.Akhtar Hussain
 Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui
 Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF)
 Islam Akhtar Khan
Editorial Advisory Board
 Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim
Assistant Professor, Gomal
University DIK
 Dr.Hasina Gul
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
 Dr.Hidayat Ullah
Assistant Professor, University
of Swabi
 Dr.Abdul Basir
Assistant Professor, University of
Swabi
 Zahid Mehmood
PSO,NIFA Peshawar
 Falak Naz Shah
Head Food Science & Technology
ART, Peshawar
Rice News Headlines…
 LCCI releases budget proposals for 2021-22
 SAU awards PhD degrees to four scholars
 OP-ED: He came, he saw, but he did not conquer
 Floating gardens as a way to keep farming despite climate change
 Ban on UA land sale gains final OK
 New Orleans-made Wetlands Sake hits local restaurants, bars and
stores
 Sadly, Not a Joke: Trade Promotion Authority Lapses
 Cabinet purchase body nods import of 50,000 more tons of rice
 Firm unveils N1 billion rice milling factory in Abuja
 Govt to buy another 50,000 tonnes of rice
 Minister urges farmers to grow finer variety of rice
 AP: Power tariff remains unchanged, subsidy for BPL consumers to
continue

LCCI releases budget proposals for 2021-22
Iqtidar Gilani
April 01, 2021
LAHORE-The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Wednesday released its
proposals for the Federal Budget 2021-22 and hoped that these would be made part of the
policies for the upcoming financial year. The proposals have been forwarded to the Finance
Minister Hammad Azher, Minister for Industries, PM Advisor to Commerce Abdul Razak
Dawood, FBR Chairman and other concerned authorities.
The Budget Proposals have been compiled under the guidance of LCCI President Mian Tariq
Misbah and in consultation with Senior Vice President Nasir Hameed Khan and Vice President
Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry. The proposals said that Pakistan‘s Economy is going through a
challenging phase due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic as growth rate slumped to
negative 0.4per cent in 2019-20 compared to 1.91per cent in 2018-19.
The LCCI suggested that the incentives, which are currently provided to the five zero rated
sectors, should also be provided to other important export sectors of the economy e.g.
Engineering, Pharmaceuticals, Rice, and Halal Meat etc.
Engineering sector holds great importance in the world economy as its share in global trade is
around 52per cent. In Pakistan, however, no tax incentives are given to the engineering sector.
Pharmaceutical sector also holds great importance in the world economy as its global trade is in
excess of 600 Billion dollars (3per cent of global trade).
Majority of the tax incentives in Pakistan are given to the textile sector whose share in world
trade is just around 4per cent.
Tariff Rationalisation:

The Government has reduced import duties on many raw materials lines in the last couple of
years. We hope that this process would continue and all remaining raw materials, which are not
manufactured locally, would be declared zero rated (elimination of custom duties, additional
custom duties and regulatory duties). As an example, molded glass vials and wire-rods (HS
Code: 7227.9090) are not manufactured locally but regulatory duty is being charged on them that
should be removed.
Refunds:
The Government should focus on fixing the technical problems in the Sales Tax e-Refund system
(Faster Plus) so that swift and transparent issuance of refunds to the exporters can be assured.
Recently due to a technical error in the refunds system, which resulted in erroneous issuance of
refunds, notices were issued to the members of the business community and false cases were
registered. In addition to Sales Tax, the Income Tax Refunds should also be paid on an urgent
basis through the Faster Plus system.
Sales Tax:
The rate of 17per cent sales tax on the inputs of various export-oriented industries is extremely
high and needs to be brought down. Sales Tax should not be taken at the import stage. It should
be applied after the actual sale of the respective products as in many cases, 10 per cent to 20 per
cent products get wasted/damaged/discarded while loading & offloading or transporting from
warehouse to sale points etc.
Reduction in Withholding Tax: To reduce the cost of doing business, government should reduce
the rate of Withholding Tax. Since most of the businesses operate on very low profit margins,
this rate of 4.5 per cent should be brought down between 0 per cent and 1per cent to make sure
that businesses do not face liquidity problems. Elimination of Advance Income Tax at Import
Stage & implementation of Final Tax Regime:

For the facilitation of commercial importers and making sure that imports of vital raw materials
are not affected, the advance Income Tax at import stage (Withholding Tax) should be
eliminated and the Final Tax Regime should be implemented. It will help to curtail smuggling,
reduce the cost of doing business, enhance tax revenues, and increase the exports. CNIC
Condition: The condition of disclosing CNIC for sale to unregistered person should be abolished
in the larger interest of small businesses in the country in these challenging economic times.
Further Tax: The three per cent Further Tax chargeable on all supplies made to unregistered
persons should be abolished. Turnover Tax: The rate of Turnover Tax should be reduced from
the current 1.5 per cent for the retail sector. Moreover, for capital-intensive sectors like steel
where the profit margins are low, the rate should be reduced from 1.5per cent to 0.75per cent.
Exemption from Audits for the Next 2 Years: In these extra-ordinary economic circumstances
caused by the COVID-19 outbreak when the businesses are already struggling for financial
space, no Audits should be conducted for the next 2 years. This will help to improve the business
climate.
Tax Incentives for
New Companies:
There should be a holiday for all taxes and levies (Federal and Provincial) for 3 years for the
newly registered companies, especially SMEs. There should also be exemption from Audit for 3
to 4 years for the newly registered businesses.
Simplification of Taxation System:
One page return form should be introduced. There should be a single audit for Sales Tax, Income
Tax, and Withholding Tax. The frequency of this single Audit should be reduced to once in 3
years. There should be exemption from audit for Taxpayers who deposit 20 per cent more tax
over the last year.

Discretionary
Powers/Audits:
Discretionary powers under Section 177, 214C, 138, 175 of (Income Tax) and 40B, 25 37, 38A,
40 and 48 of (Sales Tax) should be minimised in consultation with stakeholders.
There should be risk-based audits (with one-month prior notice) rather than random audits to
stop harassment. The frequency of risk-based audits should be once in 3 years.
The criteria for conducting audits (Income Tax, Sales Tax, and Withholding Tax) should be
published.
Notice for Recovery of Taxes: Many members of the business community have reported that
they receive notices of Custom Duty, Sales Tax, and Income Tax from the concerned
departments for recovery of such taxes, which got due some years ago. It is causing serious
problems for the business community. This practice should be stopped immediately.
Advance payment for commercial importers: The ban on the advance Payments for commercial
importers is making it very difficult for them to import vital raw materials and other essential
components (spare parts and machinery). We recommend that commercial importers should be
allowed to import against advance payments up to $ 20,000.
Valuation Issues: The Lahore Directorate of valuation should be empowered like the Karachi
office to hold meetings of valuation committees since a heavy percentage of importers are from
Lahore and up-country areas.
Misuse of Tax Exemptions by industries in FATA/PATA:
FBR has granted 17 per cent Sales Tax exemption and 2 per cent Withholding Tax exemption to
industries based in Federal/Provincial Administered Tribal Areas (FATA/PATA) on imports of

certain raw materials. These raw materials are imported and sold in other parts of country at
cheaper rates. It is seriously hurting the regular industries in other parts of the country. This
matter requires immediate attention.
Testing Laboratories and Standard Certification:
The government should utilise EDF Funding and also allocate sizable funds in the Public Sector
Development Programme (PSDP) in the Federal budget 2021-22 to improve our infrastructure in
testing laboratories and standard certification. State of the art testing laboratories on the outskirts
of Lahore and other major cities across the country should be established.
Furthermore, up-gradation of existing testing laboratories should also be done through EDF
Funding and the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to bring them at par with
international standards for serving the export needs of industries like pharmaceuticals, halal food,
leather, rice, etc.
The facility of testing laboratories and standard certification should be provided, especially in the
Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and Industrial Estates.
Access to Finance for SMEs Sector:
The development of SMEs remains a consistent challenge and no major steps are being taken to
enhance the growth rate of SMEs. The access to Credit for SMEs remains limited as they get
only 6.2per cent of the private sector credit and the number of SME borrowers are just around
179,000.
The Government should introduce soft policies for SMEs including special financing schemes
where they can get credit at low markup rates with NO collateral requirement. This will help the
SMEs, especially in the engineering sector to upgrade technologically and become an important
driver of economic growth.

Increased use of Islamic finance should be made for enhancing the access to finance for SMEs.
Interest Rate:
The interest rate should be reduced further from 7per cent to 5per cent in line with the regional
economies to reduce the cost of credit for the businesses. The regional interest rates are (India
4per cent, Bangladesh 4.75per cent, China 3.85per cent, and Sri Lanka 4.5per cent).
Energy Cost: The higher cost of energy in Pakistan as compared to regional economies has
increased the cost of doing business for our industry which is already competing with smuggled
goods, under-invoicing, high rate of taxes/duties and low tariff FTA with China.
The Energy Mix should be made more sustainable and cost-effective by reducing the reliance on
imported Oil for electricity production and increasing the share of Hydro Power and Renewable
Energy (Wind, Solar, Biomass etc).
The Electricity tariff for all the sectors should be reduced to 7.5 cents/kwh through elimination of
taxes. The Gas Tariff should also be reduced for the industry.
High Taxes on Local LPG: The local LPG production caters to 60-70per cent of demand but it is
subjected to 17per cent Sales Tax as compared to only 10per cent on imported LPG.
Furthermore, a Petroleum Development Levy of Rs 4,669 per MT is levied on local LPG
production while no Regulatory Duty is imposed on imported LPG. These anomalies need to be
rectified
Ban on the Export of Copper: The SMEs involved in the engineering sector (electric cables,
motors/pumps, control panels etc.) use local copper produced from plants/furnaces as a raw
material since most of these SMEs cannot directly import copper due to minimum shipment size
and other constraints. Keeping in view this scenario, the government should ban the export of

copper, which is an essential raw material for our Engineering industry SMEs. Furthermore, the
export of other raw materials whose value addition is done locally should also be banned.
Recommendations regarding Information Technology (I.T.) Sector:
The current taxes on computer hardware components, printers and networking equipment etc.
accumulate to approximately 36per cent, which should be reduced to 5per cent. This will help to
prevent under invoicing and the use of grey channel.
The current tax exemptions for the companies engaged in IT business (both local and exports)
should be extended for next five years.
The Sales Tax on IT services (infrastructure installation, support, and services) must be reduced
by 50per cent.
To develop the E-Commerce business, an Electronic Payment gateway should be operationalised
in the country.
To make the banking system secure for businesses, IT Security & Audit systems of banks must
be upgraded according to international standards.
Government must establish its own payment platform where there should be no charges on
remittances to make our I.T. houses competitive in the international market.
E-commerce merchants like PayPal, Stripe, Paytime, Paya, and others must be brought to
Pakistan to promote e-commerce & online IT businesses.
To curtail the import bill of computer storage devices such as memory cards, SSDs, RAMs and
embedded storage chips, the Government should bring reputable storage chip manufacturing
companies to Pakistan for Joint Ventures (JVs).

To curtail our software imports, the use of high quality open source software, especially in
Government departments must be promoted.
To promote IT startups, Government should setup free technology parks for new startups in
major cities, providing them with shared Infrastructure such as Internet, printing, office space &
free web hosting.
Incubation centres should also be set up in all the major universities across the country so
promote the start-ups and provide on-job training to IT graduates.
Exemption from total income for LCCI:
The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is registered as a company under
Company Act, 1913 since May 12th, 1959. LCCI is also registered with Director General Trade
Organization, Ministry of Commerce vide License no. 13. It is the premier and the oldest
business support Organization of Pakistan, serving business community from last many decades.
Appellate forums have held LCCI as charitable institution in the judgments 2009 PTD (Tribunal)
820 & ITA No. 3818/1b/2018. In the judgments of the appellate forums of Pakistan as well as
courts from Indian jurisdiction have held that objects set out to protect the commerce, trade and
industry would always be considered as charitable.
M/s. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, fulfills all the conditions laid down under rule
213 of Income Tax Rules, 2002 for approval under section 2(36) of the Ordinance. Moreover,
LCCI also fulfills the conditions laid down under section 100C of the Ordinance for hundred
percent tax credit.
FBR is requested that Income of LCCI be included in under Sub clause (1) of Clause 66 of part I
of Second Schedule of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 for Exemption from Total Income.
Exports

Value Addition through Export Oriented SEZs and EPZs: To capture a larger share in the world
trade, Pakistan has to make a strategic shift in the composition of its exports, which requires
promoting exports of medium/high technology products. Pakistan‘s exports are highly
concentrated in few items like Textile goods, Leather and Rice.
There should be special focus on developing Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and Export
Oriented Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for technology intensive products like Engineering
goods, Pharmaceutical, Value Added Textiles, Surgical Instruments, and Sports Goods etc.
The EPZs and Export Oriented Special Economic Zones should be equipped with latest facilities
like Water Treatment Plants, Certification Labs, One Window Facilitation, and Solid Waste
Management
Land in the Export Oriented SEZs and EPZs should be provided on lease to private sector on
concessional rates.
New Markets: There is a dire need to diversify our exports in terms of markets as about 60 per
cent of Pakistan‘s exports go to just ten countries. The major destinations for our exports are
USA (17.3per cent), China (8per cent), Afghanistan (4.2per cent), United Kingdom (7.1per cent),
Germany (5.9per cent), UAE (5.2per cent), Bangladesh (3.4per cent), Italy (3.4per cent), Spain
(4per cent), and France (1.6per cent).
The Banking Channels should also be established for enhancing our exports to the
aforementioned potential markets like Africa, Central Asian Republics, and Russia etc.
Ease of Doing Business
The total number of taxes should be reduced to five by
Clubbing Labour related taxes e.g. (EOBI, PESSI, WPPF, WWF) into One Tax

Clubbing (Professional and Property Tax) into One Tax
Clubbing (Federal and Provincial Sales Tax) into One Tax
The frequency of tax payments should be reduced by reducing the frequency of the tax Payments
of EOBI, PESSI and Sales Tax.
https://nation.com.pk/01-Apr-2021/lcci-releases-budget-proposals-for-2021-22
SAU awards PhD degrees to four scholars
Recorder Report 31 Mar 2021

HYDERABAD: Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) awarded PhD Degrees to four scholars
during a meeting of the Board of Advanced Studies, presided over by SAU Tandojam Vice
Chancellor Dr Fateh Marri.
The meeting approved awarding of PhD degrees to four scholars who have done research in
various fields. Zulfiqar Ali Abbasi of agronomy department was awarded PhD degree on
research entitled ‗Better Production of Sunflower and Water Consumption through Water
Management,‘ animal nutrition scholar Azizullah Memon completed research on ‗Impact of
Limited Food (Hunger) on the Performance of Chicken Meat‘ and been awarded PhD degree.
Mohammad Chohan, a scholar in the field of Soil science has been awarded degree for his
research on ‗Study of Groundwater (canal and polluted) Agricultural Land, Rice Grains and
Arsenic in Rice Husks for Rice Cultivation,‘ Shahanshah, a scholar of department of Education
and Short Courses was awarded the PhD degree on his research entitled ‗Study of Standard
Seeds and Marketing for Vegetables and Crops in Balochistan Province.‘
Vice Chancellor Dr Fateh Marri said the scholars must use modern research methods to further
their research work. The research of scholars would benefit the agriculture and farmers
community of the country including Sindh, he added.
On this occasion, Director Advanced Studies Dr Mubeen Lodhi, dean of different faculties Dr
Qamaruddin Chachar, Dr Aijaz Khoonharo, Dr Naimatullah Leghari, Dr Inayatullah Rajpar,
Engr Riasat Ali Kabar, Syed Ghiasuddin Shah, syed Ziaul Hassan Shah, Engineer Mumtaz Ali
Jakhro, Dr Ghulam Murtaza Jamro and others were present.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40079472/sau-awards-phd-degrees-to-four-scholars
OP-ED: He came, he saw, but he did not conquer
Saleem Samad
 Published at 01:39 am March 31st, 2021
Modi speaks on the occasion of Bangladesh's 50th Independence Day FOCUS BANGLA
The expectations of the common people in Bangladesh were left
unfulfilled
Fifty years ago, in 1971, India added colours of victories and feathers on Bangladesh‘s
hat.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently came, saw, but couldn‘t conquer the hearts
and minds of the people of Bangladesh. His Bangladesh visit was to mark the 50th
anniversary of Bangladesh‘s nationhood, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Possibly, Modi couldn‘t fulfil the expectations of the ―aam janata‖ of the country.
The agitation spearheaded by the left alliance and its student group protested Modi‘s
visit. Quickly, the Islamist groups voiced their protests, followed by the rightist parties.
The Islamists blamed India for the persecution of the Muslims in India, especially in
Kashmir.
None was surprised as to why the Islamists, right and left elements, failed also to mention
the Uighur Muslims facing ethnic cleansing in China, the crimes against humanity in
Balochistan under Pakistan occupation, and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen caused by
the proxy war by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against Iran.

Nothing to deny about the fact that the two South Asian neighbours, Bangladesh and
India, share a common history, and linguistic and cultural heritage. The two neighbours‘
strategic locations complement each other and offer an opportunity to further develop
economic ties.
Nevertheless, the brutal birth of Bangladesh shattered the so-called myth of the
contentious ―two-nation theory,‖ a dream of the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali
Jinnah, in less than 25 years.
East Bengal, a Muslim majority region, decided to be wedded into a weird bondage with
a country separated by nearly 2,026 kilometres. But elites and military rulers of Pakistan
frowned at the fish-and-rice-eating Bangalis as second-class citizens.
After nine months of birth pangs, the country was liberated from the yoke of the
marauding Pakistan troops.
India is the world‘s largest democracy, but it was not economically stable in the 70s, and
had to bear the burden of providing shelter, food, and health care to more than 10 million
refugees.
As the war unfolded in the eastern theatre, India embraced new enemies, including China,
the United States, and the Arab countries, as she stood shoulder to shoulder with
Bangladesh.
The good offices of Indian civil administration, diplomacy, and armed forces played a
pro-active role in creating a nation.
The military and diplomacy of the countries mentioned above tilted towards Pakistan,
which further encouraged their evil plans to commit genocide, with the intent towards
ethnic cleansing of Bangalis as a nation.
The military hawks in Rawalpindi GHQ deliberately targeted Hindus after declaring them
as Kufrs or Kafirs -- enemies of Islam.

To augment military aid to the Liberation War, to muster support from the Soviet Union
and Eastern Europe, India signed the historic Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship,
and Cooperation on August 9, 1971.
The Indo-Soviet treaty had a direct impact on the decisive battle, which expedited
Bangladesh independence and brought about the surrender of occupation Pakistan forces
in mid-December 1971.
Indira‘s efforts in September to win hearts of the West and international bodies in favour
of the Bangladesh cause had indeed melted the ice.
Months after the war, a joint communiqué surprised many that the two countries
(Bangladesh and India) had agreed to pull out the victorious Indian army. Never in
military history has a victorious army withdrawn so quickly.
It was hailed as the first diplomatic success by the independent hero Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, popularly known as Bangabandhu.
Yet another request by Sheikh Mujib to shift the 93,000 prisoners of war (POW) of
Pakistan armed forces and civilians to India was also agreed upon.
For a justifiable relationship of the newly emerged nation, a controversial Bangladesh-
India Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Peace for 25 years was signed between
visiting Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her counterpart Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
on March 19, 1972. The treaty, however, was bitterly criticized by the opposition, stating
it as a treaty of the hegemony of India.
Well, the relations between the two neighbours were on rough seas. The border killings
of Bangladesh nationals by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), water-sharing of the
Teesta rivers, and tilted trade imbalance remained major bottlenecks to the improvement
of the relationship.
Besides issues of shared interests between two counties, Modi offered prayers at two
temples in Satkhira and Gopalganj, which evoked curiosity in both Bangladesh and India.

His visits to Hindu temples is likely to pay dividends to influence elections in West
Bengal. Meanwhile, violence raged in Brahmanbaria for the third consecutive day,
leaving 12 dead, including in Chittagong and Narayanganj.
Saleem Samad, is an independent journalist, media rights defender, and recipient of
Ashoka Fellowship and Hellman-Hammett Award. He can be reached at
saleemsamad@hotmail.com. Twitter @saleemsamad.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/op-ed/2021/03/31/op-ed-he-came-he-saw-but-he-did-not-conquer
Floating gardens as a way to keep farming despite
climate change
Bangladesh’s historic farming systems could offer a way
forward
Laura Arenschield
Ohio State News
arenschield.2@osu.edu
Bangladesh‘s floating gardens, built to grow food during flood seasons, could offer a sustainable
solution for parts of the world prone to flooding because of climate change, a new study has
found.
The study, published recently in the Journal of Agriculture, Food and Environment, suggests that
floating gardens might not only help reduce food insecurity, but could also provide income for
rural households in flood-prone parts of Bangladesh.
―We are focused here on adaptive change for people who are victims of climate
change, but who did not cause climate change,‖ said Craig Jenkins, a co-author
of the study and academy professor emeritus of sociology at The Ohio State
University. ―There‘s no ambiguity about it: Bangladesh didn‘t cause the carbon
problem, and yet it is already experiencing the effects of climate change.‖
Craig Jenkins

Bangladesh‘s floating gardens began hundreds
of years ago. The gardens are made from native
plants that float in the rivers – traditionally,
water hyacinths – and operate almost like rafts,
rising and falling with the waters. Historically,
they were used to continue growing food during
rainy seasons when rivers filled with water.The
farmers – or their families – layer the plants
about three feet deep, creating a version of
raised-bed gardens that float in the water. Then,
they plant vegetables inside those rafts. As the
raft-plants decompose, they release nutrients,
which help feed the vegetable plants. Those
vegetable plants typically include okra, some
gourds, spinach and eggplant. Sometimes, they
also include spices like turmeric and ginger.
Floating gardens are also in use in parts of
Myanmar, Cambodia and India. The United
Nations Food and Agricultural Organization has
named Bangladesh‘s floating gardens a Globally
Important Agricultural Heritage System.
But as climate change has affected the volume of water in those rivers – creating extreme highs
and floods, along with extreme lows and droughts – floating gardens have become a way for
rural farmers to keep producing food during unpredictable weather. Climate change increases
weather extremes and the severity of flooding, and droughts as well.

The researchers wanted to understand whether Bangladesh‘s floating gardens could be a
sustainable farming practice as climate change continues to cause floods and droughts, and to see
whether the gardens bring better food security to individual households.
―They‘ve got to be able to grow specific crops that can survive with minimal soil,‖ said Jenkins,
who is also a research scientist and former director of the Ohio State Mershon Center for
International Security Studies. ―And in Bangladesh, a lot of small farmers that had typically
relied on rice crops are moving away from those because of the effects of climate change and
better returns from alternative crops.‖
For this study, the researchers interviewed farming families who use floating gardens, and found
strong evidence that floating gardens provide stability, both in the amount of food available to
feed rural populations and in a farming family‘s income, despite the instability created by a
changing climate.
They found that farmers typically use hybrid seeds, which must be repurchased each year, to
grow a diverse range of vegetables in the floating gardens. The gardens are also susceptible to
pests, so farmers end up spending some money on both pesticides and fertilizers. But even with
those expenses, they found, benefits outweighed costs.
Generally, entire families work on the gardens, the researchers found: Women, children and the
elderly prepare seedlings and collect aquatic plants to build gardens. Men cultivate the gardens
and protect them from raiders. Some families also farm fish in the waters around their floating
gardens.
One farmer told the research team that he earns up to four times as much money from the
gardens as from traditional rice paddies.
Still, the system could use improvements, the researchers found. Farmers often take out high-
interest loans to cover the investment costs of building the beds and stocking them with plants.
Lower-interest loans from responsible government or non-governmental organizations could
alleviate that burden, they found.
https://news.osu.edu/floating-gardens-as-a-way-to-keep-farming-despite-climate-change/
Ban on UA land sale gains final OK
Legislation soon to go to governorby Stephen Steed | Today at 2:01 a.m.
The state Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to legislation aimed at halting the planned
sale of part of a state research farm to a private entity.Approved by a 31-3 vote, with one senator
voting present, House Bill 1694 goes back to the House for transmittal to the governor.
Both the House and Senate approved the bill over the objections of officials with the University
of Arkansas System, including President Donald Bobbitt and Mark Cochran, the system's vice
president for agriculture.

Bobbitt and Cochran have told lawmakers that the legislation interferes with a legally executed
contract and could spark a lawsuit for breach of contract.
The UA Agriculture Division -- and the system board of trustees -- agreed last year to sell 6,300
acres of the Pine Tree Research Station near Colt (St. Francis County) to Lobo Farms LLC. The
acreage is wet and wooded, not conducive to the row-crop research conducted elsewhere on
much of the station's remaining 5,000 acres. It has been open to the public for hunting, fishing
and hiking for decades.
]
UA bought the land in 1960 from the U.S. Forest Service, with the final payment made in 1978,
but critics of the planned sale have noted that the 1960 deed requires the land be used for a
"public purpose" or else its ownership reverts to the federal government, unless Congress
approves a waiver.
Lobo Farms, in Poinsett County but led by an investment banker in Memphis, signed a contract
last year to buy the property for about $17 million, plus a $1 million endowment to a wetlands
conservation program.
The UA system and Lobo agreed last year to delay closing on the sale until the General
Assembly this legislative session could decide whether to appropriate state funds to buy the land
and keep it in public hands. Such funding hasn't been approved so far this session, Bobbitt and
Cochran noted in recent testimony before lawmakers.
Justin Allen, a Little Rock attorney for Lobo Farms, also has said he doesn't believe the General
Assembly can legally, and retroactively, void a legally executed contract.
HB1646 prohibits sale of the Pine Tree acreage unless it is to another state agency or to a
nonprofit organization that keeps the land open to the public for at least five years. The bill's lead
sponsors are Reps. Steve Hollowell, R-Forrest City, and Reginald Murdock, D-Marianna, and
Sen. Ron Caldwell, R-Wynne.
UA officials have said Lobo Farms emerged as the only prospective buyer after attempts to sell
the land to the state Game and Fish Commission or to a nonprofit group failed.
The Agriculture Division has said $5 million of the sale's proceeds would be used as matching
funds for construction of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center just south of
Jonesboro. The Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board, which is funded by rice farmers,
has pledged $5 million toward the new center's construction and millions more to its operations.
The sale's proceeds also would be invested in improvements at the Pine Tree station and other
agriculture properties and in timber management and other UA conservation programs, the
university has said.
The Senate put off Wednesday's budget calendar until today. That calendar included Senate Bill
447, an appropriations bill for the Agriculture Division. The bill also has special language
prohibiting the sale to a private entity.
While the bill calls for $16.5 million for the new rice center, Bobbitt has told lawmakers it was
his understanding and belief that the bill won't be fully funded under the state's budget process
later this year.
Bobbitt also told lawmakers that UA officials, in putting the acreage up for sale, were complying
with a directive from the board of trustees to inventory and sell unused property and were
heeding lawmakers' instructions two years ago to find funding outside of state general revenue.
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/apr/01/ban-on-ua-land-sale-gains-final-ok/

New Orleans-made Wetlands Sake hits local
restaurants, bars and stores
 WILL COVIELLO
Mar 31, 2021 - 9:17 am
Rice may not be the first thing that comes to mind at the thought of south Louisiana's Cajun and
Creole food, but it's everywhere — in jambalaya and boudin and served with red beans and a
host of traditional dishes.
Now local entrepreneurs are using Louisiana-grown rice to make Wetlands Sake.

The Japanese spirit made from fermented rice is easiest to find in sushi restaurants, but sake
lovers Nan Wallis and Lindsey Brower noticed it's becoming more popular across the U.S.
"We have traveled a lot and we were seeing sake in the U.S. starting to appear on menus in
restaurants and bars that have nothing to do with Asian food," Wallis says. "You‘d go into a
French restaurant in New York and they‘d have sake on the menu. You go into a restaurant in
Chicago, Nashville and other cities, and California for sure, you'd see sake."
Wallis and Brower created Wetlands Sake by studying sake production, sourcing Louisiana-
made rice and opening a production facility in the Lower Garden District.
Wetlands' first releases are filtered and unfiltered flagship sakes in eight-ounce cans and
sparkling sakes in blood orange and passion fruit flavors, available in 12-ounce cans. The
unfiltered sake and the sparkling sakes are already hitting the shelves of local grocery and liquor
stores as well as bars and restaurants. The filtered sake will be available in April.
While sushi restaurants may be the easiest place to find sakes now, Wetlands doesn't see their
sake as being just for restaurants."We don‘t think it has to be a food-paired drink," Wallis says.
"When you go to a bar and listen to music, drink a sake. We think it could become the next
everyday drink."
Weltands' sakes are available in cans only, which is part of the plan to make sake more
accessible.
"It's in a single-serve can to get it out in market, be more accessible, have it be grab-and-go,"
Wallis says. "If you go fishing, take sake, if you go to the pool, take sake. If you go to the beach,
take sake. It‘s really mobile."
The single-serving size also makes it more approachable, Brower says.

"In a smaller format like that, it‘s a lower price point," Brower says. "People will try it and see if
they like it — instead of presenting them with a $50 bottle, which they might be hesitant about
trying for the first time."
Brower is a member of Brennan family and has experience in the restaurant industry. Wallis has
an entrepreneurial background but is new to the spirits industry. Both Wallis and Brower think
that the time is right to bring sake to wider audiences.
"We don‘t believe sake has to be a drink that‘s just consumed with food, certainly not just Asian
food," Wallis says. "It goes with any food you can come up with: pizza, seafood, Italian food,
Mexican food."
Wetlands is the first sake made in Louisiana, but nanobreweries are popping up around the
country. Wallis says there already are more than 15, and most operate like craft beer
microbreweries, which serve mostly local customers. Wetlands is available in Louisiana, and
they plan to expand distribution to other states.
Sake is made with a process similar to beer and winemaking, but it's closer to beer, Wallis says.
"No fruit goes in," she says. "You don‘t squeeze anything. It‘s really a fermentation process.
Sake, other than steaming the rice, is a cold process."
The sake is gluten-free and they add no sugar. It's sweetness comes from the rice, Wallis says.
The filtered and unfiltered sakes are 14% alcohol. The sparkling sakes are 6.5% and are similar
to the hard seltzers hitting the market.
It has just four ingredients, and the main one is a rice grown in Crowley, Louisiana. In Japan,
sake is made with a short grain rice, but in Louisiana, most production focuses on long-grain
rice. Wetlands approached the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station, which had developed a
short-grain rice they chose for their sakes.

They hired sake brewmaster Brock Bennett, who moved to New Orleans to join the brewing
team.
The brewery has a tap room, which Wallis and Brower hope to open to the public in summer.
Visitors will be able to watch sake being made through glass walls. The plan is to offer different
sakes in the tap room than are available outside the facility.
The brewery is next to The Commissary, which serves food and supplies Dickie Brennan's
restaurants. Wetlands also has an outdoor space and may do events with food trucks. It also will
hold sake-education events and possibly live entertainment.
Wallis and Brower built Wetlands with Louisianan's ecosystem in mind. They will donate 2% of
profits to wetlands conservation efforts. The sake also is packaged in recyclable aluminum cans.
https://www.nola.com/gambit/food_drink/article_e384adbc-922b-11eb-8b82-7f48333cdfd5.html
Sadly, Not a Joke: Trade Promotion Authority Lapses
By Ben Conner
Ben Conner is a partner at DC-based agricultural trade policy consulting firm, DTB AgriTrade,
with experience covering policy on the World Trade Organization, free trade agreement
negotiations, bilateral market access, and U.S. farm bill legislation.Click image to view a video
by the U.S. Chamber of Commerceexplaining TPA
WASHINGTON, DC – Congress is on recess this week, which means there is no chance of
rectifying the almighty Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Legally, TPA expires on July 1, 2021,
but practically, this is it.
By law, TPA requires the President to notify Congress of the intention to enter into a trade
agreement 90 days before the expiration date, so unless the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
negotiators have been insanely busy in the past few days, that notification deadline will pass at
midnight, and there will be no new agreements under the current statute. Of course, since

Congress makes the rules, they can also break the rules and can reauthorize TPA, extend the
deadline, or apply it retroactively.
TPA tends to fly under the radar for most people, most of the time, until it is on the verge of
expiration and chaos. This is the law that Congress has enacted to enable the Executive Branch
to negotiate free trade agreements, guaranteeing an up-or-down vote without amendments. That
―no amendments‖ guarantee means less than it once did since new administrations and Congress
have made a habit of blocking consideration and demanding all sorts of changes after the
negotiations were supposedly complete. But, to date, no agreement submitted to Congress has
been wholly rejected and core elements remained intact.
Unfortunately, the only agreement completed under the current TPA statute was the U.S.-
Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA), which did not provide any new market access for U.S.
agriculture exporters. Other negotiations were initiated with Japan, the United Kingdom, Kenya,
and the European Union. Had the U.S.-Japan Agreement in 2019 been subject to the TPA
requirements, new access for U.S. rice would have likely been a priority to appease Members of
Congress.
The Biden Administration has indicated that free trade agreement negotiations are not a top
priority at this point. In the meantime, other countries are continuing to sign new agreements and
expand agricultural trade. This continued deferment of negotiations is unsettling as no U.S.
administration has delivered on negotiation of tariff elimination for rice producers since the Bush
Administration in 2007.

U.S. rice farmers and other agricultural exporters need the United States to return to its global
trade leadership position through new free trade agreements and World Trade Organization
reform. TPA will expire, in effect and likely in statute. Congress should move quickly to restore
this authority so that the Biden Administration can negotiate trade agreements that deliver for
Americans, and especially for those who work on the land.
USA Rice Daily
Cabinet purchase body nods import of 50,000 more
tons of rice
UNB
 Published at 08:24 pm March 31st, 2021
The rice will be purchased from Bagadiya Brothers Private Ltd of India at a cost of
Tk176.38 crore
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday approved six proposals,
including a proposal to import 50,000 tons of rice.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting.
Rice import has been dominating as a regular agenda in the purchase body meeting since
the beginning of 2021.
Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Sahida Akter, while briefing on the purchase
committee meeting outcomes, said that the Directorate General of Food under the Food
Ministry will import the 50,000 tons of non-basmati parboiled rice from Bagadiya
Brothers Private Ltd of India at a cost of Tk176.38 crore. Each ton of rice will cost US
$416, Sahida added.
The committee approved a proposal of the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum
Corporation (BPC) under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division to import 100,000
tons of crude oil from PT Bumi Siak Pusaku (BSP) Zapin of Indonesia under a

government-to-government contract at a cost of Tk431.14 crore for the Bashundhara
Bitumen/Asphalt production plant in Keraniganj.

Regarding the proposal, BPC Director (operation and planning) Syed Mehedi Hasan said
the state-owned petroleum body will import the proposed crude oil for the private
bitumen plant under a contract with the Bashundhara Oil and Gas Company Ltd.
A proposal from Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the
Industries Ministry received the nod of the cabinet committee to purchase 30,000 tons of
bagged granular urea fertilizer from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company (Kafco) at a cost of
Tk90.59 crore.
The cabinet body approved another proposal of the BCIC to import Reformed Gas Waste
Heat Boiler and associated equipment from BORSIG Process Heat Exchange GmbH,
Germany, at a cost of Tk56.65 crore through the direct procurement method.
The committee also approved a proposal from the Roads and Highways Department under
the Road Transport and Highways Division to extend the contract of the Computer
Network System Limited as service provider for six months up to September 30, 2021 for
collecting tolls from Meghna Bridge and Gomti Bridge on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at
cost of Tk35.57 crore.
A proposal from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) under the
Ministry of Shipping was approved to purchase 10 bollard pull tug boats with spare parts,
each having 12 tons of capacity, from Dockyard and Engineering Works at Tk166.97
crore through the direct purchase method.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/agriculture/2021/03/31/cabinet-purchase-body-nods-
import-of-50-000-tons-of-rice
Firm unveils N1 billion rice milling factory in Abuja
By Joke Falaju, Abuja
31 March 2021 | 8:41 am

Al-Andalus Rice has launched a new rice mill in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital
Territory to complement government‘s efforts to attain self sufficiency in rice production.
Chief executive officer of the firm, Henry Chibuzo Ekwugha said the mill would process 150
metric tons per day.
Ekwugha said the rice mill would create employment opportunities for over 500 youths both
directly and indirectly, saying this is the time young people need to take over agriculture due to
the opportunities available in the sector.
He said it was important for the private sector to complement governments efforts at
resuscitating the economy by investing in areas that would create jobs and drive economic
growth.
According to him, the mill would assist the country to meet the domestic demand for high-
quality parboiled rice and attain self-sufficiency in rice production.
Ekwugha, while noting that the mill is working towards achieving 1,000 metric tons daily in the
coming years, lamented that the running cost of the mill is the major challenge they face as they
spend a minimum of N100,000 on diesel daily.
―We decided to go into technology based production because a lot of people complain about
Nigerian rice due to some of the milling processes,‖ he said.

Speaking on the challenges involved in sourcing paddy for milling, he said the firm will be
setting up offices in about eight northern states where they will source paddy directly from
farmers.
On why he started the establishment of the mill in the FCT, he said said a lot of rice consumed in
Abuja come from the northeast and west due to lack of functional rice mills at the north central
region.
―We plan to expand this mill across the country to create more employment because we have all
it takes to process the best rice in Nigeria,‖ Ekwugha said.
―Our target is the Nigerian and international market because we have the best rice.
―The federal government is willing to support rice farmers and processors. This is why we have
overtaken Egypt as the largest rice producer in Africa and all we need to do is to be sincere in
what we are doing to sustain what is already on ground.‖
https://guardian.ng/features/agro-care/firm-unveils-n1-billion-rice-milling-factory-in-abuja/
Govt to buy another 50,000 tonnes of rice
05:30 PM, March 31, 2021 / LAST MODIFIED: 05:33 PM, March 31, 2021
The cabinet committee on purchase today approved purchase of another 50,000 tonnes of
rice from an Indian supplier.
Bagadiya Brothers Private Ltd will supply the grain to the Directorate of Food at US$ 416 per
tonne, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said after a virtual meeting.In taka terms, the
import price of rice would be Tk 35.28 each kilogram.
The government has so far taken steps to import a total of 11 lakh tonnes of rice through
international tenders and government to government contract.

The food ministry took steps to buy 4 lakh tonnes of rice through private suppliers and 7 lakh
tonnes via state-to-state contract.
Of that, the government has signed a contract to buy 3.5 lakh tonnes through government to
government arrangements, said an official of the food ministry.
Besides, the food ministry granted private traders to import 15 lakh tonnes of grains— in a move
taken at the beginning of this year in its bid to increase the supply of the staple food in the
domestic market to curb spiralling prices.
Previously, the food office started floating tender to buy the cereal to replenish public food stock
as it failed to buy enough quantity of rice from Boro and Aman harvests last year.
Rice and wheat stocks at public storages dipped more than times to 4.88 lakh tonnes on March
28 from 16.51 lakh tonnes a year ago, data by the food ministry shows.
To expedite these imports, the economic affairs committee on March 3 approved a proposal for
shortening the bidding process from 42 days to 10.

Earlier, Bangladesh imported 6.84 lakh tonnes of rice between July 1 and March 28 this fiscal
year. Of that, the government imported 1.95 lakh tonnes, according to food ministry data.
GOVERNMENT PURCHASES FROM THE DOMESTIC MARKET
The government failed to attain its goal of building adequate public food stock last year owing to
the reluctance of farmers and millers to sell as prices of the cereal were increasing amid worries
of low-yield for repeated floods and uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 pandemic.
The Directorate of Food concluded its domestic procurement target for Aman on March 15 this
year. It could buy only 6 per cent of its 2 lakh tonnes of paddy purchase target from immediate
Aman season.
Of milled-rice buying target of 6 lakh tonnes during Aman harvest, Directorate of Food could
attain 13 per cent of its goal.
The procurement drive from Boro closed in mid-September 2020 and the food office bought less
than one-third of its 8 lakh tonnes of Boro paddy buying goal.
In case of the target of buying 11.5 lakh tonnes of milled-rice during the previous Boro season, it
achieved 66 per cent of the goal, data by Food ministry shows.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/govt-buy-another-50000-tonnes-rice
Minister urges farmers to grow finer variety of rice
TNN | Updated: Mar 31, 2021, 11:46 IST
TimesPoints
S Niranjan Reddy
HYDERABAD: Agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy on Tuesday urged farmers in the state to
cultivate finer variety of rice.
Addressing the media, he said that it would be bad for farmers if they don‘t imitate other farmers
and go for similar crops.
He said that the state government has given Rs 20,000 guarantee to raise loans from banks to the
civil supplies corporation for purchase of paddy for farmers. He said that it would be better for
the farmers to increase the extent of paddy and red gram.

During the summer, paddy was grown over 52.79 lakh acres land to produce an estimated 1.32
crore metric tonnes of rice. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) will buy 80 lakh metric tonnes
of paddy, while millers would buy 20 lakh metric tonnes, seed companies buy another 10 lakh
metric tonnes and millers from other states buy another 10 lakh metric tonnes.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/minister-urges-farmers-to-grow-finer-variety-of-
rice/articleshow/81767068.cms#:~:text=HYDERABAD%3A%20Agriculture%20minister%20S%20Nira
njan,cultivate%20finer%20variety%20of%20rice.
AP: Power tariff remains unchanged, subsidy for BPL
consumers to continue
By Newsmeter NetworkPublished on 1 April 2021 10:05 AM
Visakhapatnam: In a big relief to consumers, the retail power tariff remains unchanged in
Andhra Pradesh for 2021-22.
The domestic consumers will no longer give minimum charges rather pay Rs 10 per KW.
Approving the retail supply tariff Order for 2021-2022, the Andhra Pradesh Electricity
Regulatory Commission Chairman CV Nagrjuna Reddy on Wednesday announced the new tariff
that will come into effect from April 1.
The Commission has accepted the proposal of the DISCOMs to collect Rs.10/kW/month from
the domestic consumers in lieu of minimum charges. This decision of the Commission will
benefit all the domestic consumers who do not consume energy in any given month.
The power tariff for the commercial and industrial sector also remains unchanged.
Relief for apartment dwellers, function halls
The proposal of the DISCOMs to bill apartment consumers under a single point HT (high
tension) connection was rejected by the commission as it was creating problems for the middle-
class dwellers.
The proposal of the DISCOMs to remove fixed charges (Rs.100/kW/month) for the function
halls have also been accepted.
Poultry, aqua hatcheries feed come under Industry General Category

The proposal of the DISCOMs to merge aqua hatcheries & aqua feed mixing plants and poultry
hatcheries & poultry feed mixing plants in the industry general category was also accepted.
These consumers used to be billed under the industrial category up to FY 2018-19. Though they
have been merged in the industrial category, they are exempted from paying ToD peak and off-
peak charges. However, LT captive feed mixing plants of Poultry Farms, Pisciculture, Prawn
Culture, and Dairy Farms having independent connections and under the exemption from GST
are allowed to pay a tariff of Rs.5.25/unit and demand charges Rs.75 per kW.
The proposal of the DISCOMs to withdraw the load factor incentive scheme to Industrial
(General)-HT consumers, was accepted in view of the shortage of power estimated by the
Commission in certain months during FY 2021-22.
Rice millers to be billed under LT tariff till 150 HP
Existing Rice Millers and Pulverisers, which could not exercise the option on or before June 30,
2020, and also those which came into existence from July 1, 2020, have been given one more
opportunity (option can be exercised on or before June 30, 2021) to avail the benefit of getting
billed under LT Tariffs up to a connected load of 150 HP against the present limit of 100 HP,
with certain conditions.
Promoting electric vehicles
To promote the usage of environmentally-friendly electric vehicles for transport, the
Commission has continued the tariff for the electric Vehicles at a reasonable level of Rs.6.70 per
unit. The DISCOMs are however entitled to recover only 90 percent of this tariff from the
charging stations in order to keep electricity at an affordable price to the EV owners.
Subsidy for SC, ST, BPL class of consumers to continue
The state government has also agreed to bear a subsidy of Rs.1,657.56 Crores arising due to the
concessional tariff/free power extended to the various class of consumers:
Free power up to 200 units/month to the consumers in SC & ST colonies/thandas; Free power up
to 150 units per month to the laundries run by BPL rajaka community; free power up to 100 units
per month to the BPL MBC community, free power up to 100 units per month to the BPL
professional goldsmiths; free power up to 150 units per month to the BPL Nayee brahmin
community, free power up to 100 units per month to handloom weavers.
The above categories are brought under the direct subsidy under Section 65 of the Electricity
Act, 2003 for the first time in terms of Government of India policy and as requested by the state
government.
https://newsmeter.in/regional/andhra-pradesh/ap-power-tariff-remains-unchanged-subsidy-for-bpl-
consumers-to-continue-676270

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