(Vol. 13, No. 28 (June 16- 22, 2007)
Trading picks up on cotton market Friday, June 15,2007 DAWN [1]
KARACHI: The trading activity on the cotton market on Thursday modestly picked up as some of the spinners resumed their covering operations. Floor brokers said the recent heating up of the New York cotton futures and fresh increase in prices seem to have forced spinners and mills to be back on the market amid fears of sympathetic rise in local rates.
A big deal of 2,100 bales, from a southern Punjab ginnery at Rs2,700 per maund reflects that local ginners are in touch with the international markets as far as selling prices are concerned, they said.
Although unsold stocks with the ginners at 0.125m bales are well below the demand of the textile sector for the current year ending on August 31, are too small but prompt delivery is expected to lure spinners back on the market, they added.
Spinners and mills have been conspicuous by their absence for the last couple of weeks awaiting apparently the anticipated incentive package for the textile sector to boost exports are expected to resume normal trading in the coming sessions and in the process prices could rise modestly further higher, market sources said.
Unlike the previous sessions, most of the deals, both in Sindh and Punjab varieties were in the current crop, and no lower Sindh ginners offered forward sales of the new crop, they said.
Meanwhile, reports reaching here from the major cotton growing areas indicate that the sowing of the new crop has been completed well in time and the early sown cotton is progressing well and there are no reports of pest attack.
Official spot rates were again held unchanged at the last levels but well above the average rate at which some of the deals were finalised.
New York cotton futures on the other hand rose further by 0.84 and 0.85 cents per lb for both the ruling July and the new crop October contract at 52.44 and 56.15 cents, respectively.
Apart from a ready deal of 2,100 bales, Khanpur, at Rs2,700 per maund 300 bales and 273 bales of Sindh cotton were also traded at Rs2,550 per maund.
Vegetables, spices, milk powder dearer Saturday, June 16,2007 NEW AGE [2]
DHAKA: Prices of vegetables, spices and milk powder increased in city market during the past week while that of fishes and loose soybean oil declined.
Inundation of vegetable fields due to last week's countrywide heavy rains reduced the supply of agro-produces making them costlier while the same monsoon rains increased supply of fishes making them cheaper.
At Nakhalpara and Hatirpool bazaars, per kilogram of aubergine was on Friday selling between Tk 28 and Tk 32, okra and potol between Tk 16 and Tk 20 and cucumber between Tk 20 and Tk 24, registering an increase of up to Tk 8 per kilogram over the week.
Prices of both Indian and local varieties of onion increased by Tk 3 per kilogram to sell at Tk 18 and Tk 22 respectively.
Inundation of low-lying vegetable fields has made vegetables costlier, said Arif Mia, a greengrocer at Nakhalpara, adding, ‘As the inundation destroyed vegetables largely across the country, there is no hope to get vegetables at cheaper rates before early November when the early harvested winter vegetables reach the market.
Prices of fishes showed a declining trend as fishermen in rivers and other water bodies were netting huge fishes due to the downpour that overflowed hundreds of ponds and fish enclosures across the country.
At Hatirpool on Friday, a medium-sized hilsa (weighing around 800-gram) was selling for up to Tk 300, per kilogram of small-sized shrimp between Tk 200 and Tk 250, pungus between Tk 75 and Tk 80 while small fishes - kachki and mola - were selling between Tk 120 and Tk 150.
Prices of fishes were down by up to Tk 50 per kilogram due to the increased supply, traders said.
The price of milk powder increased further and on Friday a one-kg pack of Marks and Diploma brands was selling between Tk 395 and Tk 400, up by Tk 10 over the week, while a 2-kg tin of Dano for up to Tk 890 as against Tk 880 in the previous week.
Prices of the packed milk increased by Tk 40 while that of tinned milk by Tk 100 in a month. The retailers attributed to the raising import cost for the price hike of the product.
Prices of edible oil showed a mixed trend with soybean oil started declining while palm oil, the major selling variety, increased further.
On Friday, per kilogram of super palm was selling between Tk 72 and Tk 74 up by Tk 2 over the week, refined soybean between Tk 72 and 74, down by Tk 2.
The prices of popular five-litre can of bottled soybean, however, remained unchanged and it was selling between Tk 365 and Tk 380.
Price of sugar, which showed an increasing trend at retail market in the previous week following the duty-hike proposal in the budget, remained stable to sell at between Tk 31 and Tk 34 per kilogram.
The prices of rice remained somewhat stable and on Friday coarse varieties of IRRI, swarna and pari were selling between Tk 21 and Tk 23 per kilogram, fine variety nazirshail between Tk 25 and Tk 28 and miniket between Tk 27 and Tk 30.
With the declined supply, garlic became dearer registering a rise of Tk 10 per kilogram and it was selling between Tk 48 and Tk 70 on Friday.
The prices of beef, broiler and eggs were also stable at their previous prices and on Friday per kilogram of beef was selling between Tk 160 and Tk 180, broiler between Tk 90 and Tk 95 while eggs per dozen between Tk 51 and Tk 54.
Among other major essentials, red lentil was selling between Tk 56 and Tk 76 per kilogram and packed atta between Tk 26 and Tk 27.
Hybrid fruit trees sell well Saturday, June 16,2007 NEW AGE [3]
DHAKA: Hybrid and tissue-cultured saplings of fruit bearing trees like mango, lichi, plum and banana are the main attraction of the month-long tree fair that began on June 4 at the National Parade Square at Agargaon.
Most of the nurseries at the fair are promoting the hybrid fruit trees, which are easier to grow and more productive than the local varities, said horticulturists at the fair.
Several hundred private and government nurseries are displaying varieties of plants at the annual monsoon event organised by the Department of Forest as part of its countrywide tree plantation campaign.
Organisers said around two lakh and 50 thousand saplings, more than half of which were fruit bearing, have been sold in the last four days fetching over Tk 57 lakh.
Visitors' turnout and sales are lower than the previous years' figures, but started showing an upward trend from the second week of the fair with the outset of full monsoon.
In the previous years' fairs, the daily average sale was Tk one lakh, while this year it came down to almost half, said an official of the forest department.
Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed inaugurated the national tree plantation campaign in Tangail and so the Dhaka's fair has not been focused in media properly, the official said, citing a possible reason for this year's lower sales.
Anwar Hossain, assistant manager of Bangaldesh Agricultural Development Cooperation, said most of the participating nurseries are selling hybrid fruit bearing trees of different varieties like Thai mango, Thai karamcha, China lichi, apple kul or bau kul.
He said, ‘We have a number of local mango varieties, which are good in taste, but agricultural experts seem more inclined to promote hybrid fruit trees in recent years'.
Different varieties of hybrid mango plants are selling at Tk 200 to Tk 400 per piece, but price of a plant bearing fruits ranges between Tk 8,000 and Tk 15, 000.
Afzalur Rahman, a resident of Mirpur, bought a large sized Thai mango plant with big and ripe mangoes from the fair at Tk 8,000.
‘I have some flower and ornamental plants in my roof-top garden. I bought this mango tree as the nursery owner said it can grow on the roof.
Nusrat Yesmin bought an apple kul and a Thai karamcha plants from the fair on Friday. She said, ‘I live in an apartment and have no scope of planting trees on the roof. I will put it in a tub in my small balcony.
Square Agro Development and Processing Limited is exhibiting different varieties of tissue cultured bio-tech banana plants at their stall in the fair.
Bidhan Chandra Saha, executive of the company, said that tissue cultured bio-tech bananas have high growing rate and is almost disease-free compared to other normal plants.
He said a good number of banana farmers in the northern districts of the country choose high-yielding bio-tech banana plants.
Sapling of timber, ornamental and flower plants are also in demand, said the participating nursery owners.
Tree passionate people are buying flower plants like Japani rangan, arloia, farkoria, bottle brush, kamini, karabi and beli. Prices range from Tk 20 to Tk 500 per plant.
Different kinds of ornamental plants including orchids are selling at Tk 250 to Tk 300 and cactus at Tk 50 to Tk 500 depending on sizes.
Cordycep harvesting season in full swing Saturday, June 16,2007 BBS [4]
THIMPHU: The cordycep harvesting season is in full swing. In Dhur village of Chokhor Gewog in Bumthang, almost all the people are out in the mountains collecting cordyceps. The harvesting season according to the Ministry of Agriculture is from May 18 to June 18. According to cordycep collectors, it takes about two days to reach the area where cordyceps are known to grow.
They told our Bumthang correspondent that on a good day they collect about 1000 pieces. On other days they can barely collect about 3-4 pieces. Last year cordycep collectors in Bumthang sold over 60 Kgs of cordyceps. The best bid per kilogram was Nu. 92,000 and the lowest was Nu. 40,000. Dhur village has about 30 households with more than 200 people.
Rice price shoots up in Kabul Saturday, June 16,2007 PAJHWOK [5]
KABUL: Prices of rice have registered an increase in Kabul markets during the outgoing week.
Price of rice has maintained a soaring order during the last three months due to the increase in its price in the world market. Rice price has experienced 26 per cent increase in the last three months from 2,100 to 2,650 afghanis per 50 kilograms.
Engineer Shafi, head of the traders' union, told Pajhwok Afghan News economic sanctions on Iran and high demand from neigbhouring Pakistan have caused the increase.
Pakistan has also increased its rice prices as the neighboring country observes high demands for rice in Afghanistan, he argued.
Khan Ali, a merchant in Kart-i-Seh locality of this capital, told this news agency prices of rice went up from 2,600 to 2,650 afghanis per 50kg bag comparing to the last week.
A 50kg bag of sugar, he said, had decreased by ten afghanis from 1,240 to 1,230 afghanis; however, price of five kilogram can of cooking oil went up by five Afghanis from 370 to 375.
Khan Ali said that prices of 100kg floor remained 1,350 afghanis, green and black tea at 160 and 140 afghanis respectively with no change since the last week.
Similarly, Abdul Basir, a gold seller, said price of Iranian gold remained unchanged; however, Arabian gold went up by ten Afghanis per gram from 950 to 960.
Merwais, a petroleum gas dealer in Asamaie road, told this news agency gas prices remained at 35 afghanis per kilogram and diesel at 32 afghanis per litre as in the last week.
Haji Muhammad Rafi, head of the money changers union in Sara-i-Shahzadeh locality, said purchase price of one US dollar was 49.90 afghanis, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees were available for 818 afghanis.
Farmers' suicides: PM to visit 3 States Wednesday, June 20,2007 The Hindu [6]
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will again visit next month the three States from which the highest number of farmers' suicides were reported - Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The visit will take stock of the progress made by these States in implementing the Rs. 17,000 crore Farmers' Rehabilitation Package announced by the Centre for 31 districts in these States and in Kerala. The Prime Minister, accompanied by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, will also look at what the States propose to achieve under the new package for enhancing productivity. The package was announced during the recent National Development Council meeting.
While reviewing the progress on Tuesday - which was found to be tardy on the credit and irrigation fronts - --Mr. Pawar virtually used this information as a stick for the States to speed up the implementation process. Although the suicide rate is officially reported to have come down in these States, the progress in the implementation of the rehabilitation package is lagging. At Tuesday's meeting, chaired by Mr. Pawar and attended by senior officials including the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, the States came up with a lot of procedural and funds-related grievances that were proving to be roadblocks in making effective the Centre's intervention effective.
Almost all the States complained of the slow progress made by nationalised banks in reducing the interest rate on farm loans and in rescheduling loans - which is at the centre of farmers' distress in these drought-affected districts. The banks have neither met their lending targets nor have they given the requisite relief on loans and interests to farmers.
Almost no progress was reported on watershed development, rainwater harvesting and micro-irrigation projects. The reasons given are cumbersome guidelines and confusion in availability of funds. The rainwater harvesting programme, for instance, earlier funded by the banking division of the Finance Ministry under the 10th Plan, has not been included for funding under the same head in the 11th Plan, hitting the programme.
The minor irrigation programme has not started because it has been linked to credit under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund, whereas the resource-starved States are looking for grants.
The affected States are also seeking relaxation of norms under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme for major and medium irrigation programmes. They are seeking 90 per cent grant instead of 25 to be able to complete irrigation projects that will benefit farmers in the 31 predominant suicide districts of these States.
Heat wave hitting citrus fruit Tuesday, June 19,2007 DAWN [7]
TOBA TEK SINGH, June 18: The ongoing heat wave has resulted in a great loss to citrus orchard owners in the district as the rate of immature fruit dropping from plants has increased.
Toba Tek Singh is known for its good quality kinnoo that is exported to various European and Gulf countries.
Farmers told Dawn that last year, the citrus yield had remained below their expectations and this season the fruit droppings had again increased the chances of low production of the fruit.
An official of the Agriculture Department's fruit and vegetable development project said farmers should save their plants from heat wave by covering them with dry grass, rice straw or wheat husk.
Project Deputy Director Mian Shafiq Muhammad said orchards must be irrigated after every seven to 10 days but water pumped out through tube well should not be used.
He said 55 training schools had been set up in the district to train farmers about modern techniques for orchard farming. He said 1,375 growers had been registered in these schools.
He said fruit fly pest often attacked the citrus fruit and caused loss to its production. His department had grown 300 orchards which would be free of attack of fruit fly pest, he said.
Farmers seek desilting of canal Tuesday, June 19,2007 DAWN [8]
DADU, June 18: A large number of farmers staged a demonstration in Sehwan on Monday to protest against the irrigation officials concerned for not starting desilting work in Danistar Wah.
Speaking on the occasion, Daim Talpur said that the irrigation officials had not started desilting work and were not operating water lift machines to supply water to their lands for paddy crop.
He appealed to the Sindh irrigation minister to take notice of the matter.
Narail groundnut output to exceed target Thursday, June 21,2007 NEW AGE [9]
NARAIL: Groundnut production of in Narail is expected to exceed the target this season mainly due to favourable climate and availability of high yielding seeds and fertilisers in time.
Sources in the Department of Agriculture extension said it was cultivated on 522 hectares of land with the target of production fixed at 964 tonnes.
Farmers told New Age that they are expecting bumper production of groundnut at Lohagora, Kalia and Sadar upazilas.
A large number of farmers changed their life for better with groundnut cultivation in char areas beside the rivers Madhumati and Nabaganga. Groundnut cultivation is increasing on newly emerged chars from the riverbeds of the Madhumati and Nabagang.
Golam Mostafa, Akter Hossain, and Walier Rahman, farmers of Char-kalna village under Lohagora upazila said the lands beside the river Madhumati and Nabaganga are very fertile and suitable for ground cultivation.
After harvesting paddy and jute, farmers sow groundnut seeds on these lands, they added.
They said that they are selling groundnut at Tk. 1,200 to 1,400 per mound in Jessore, Khulna, Gopalgonj, Dhaka and local markets.
The Deputy Director of DAE in Narail, Md. Bazlul Haque Mia said groundnut cultivation has improved the lot of many farmers of the district in recent years.
Organic farming enlightens farmers Tuesday, June 19,2007 KUENSEL ONLINE [10]
THIMPHU: The supply of chemical fertilizers to farmers in remote Gasa was stopped in 2003 and Bumthang's bumper harvest of red rice in 2005 was purely natural.
Four years since its inception in Bhutan, organic farming, the fastest growing segment in the international market has made some headway and now the ministry of agriculture (MoA) has a vision to go organic nationwide by 2020.
"The health factor is the core reason," said the coordinator for organic farming, Karma Tshomo. Protecting the environment, retaining local agriculture knowledge, soil fertility and nutrients and also conserving the traditional species and varieties of crops grown are other reasons to go organic, she added.
A framework for organic farming in Bhutan is to be launched at a three-day workshop which began on June 14 at the National Biodiversity Center, Serbithang.
The workshop conducted by resource persons from India sensitised decision makers in the livestock, soil, plant protection and forestry departments on how organic farming could impact on small farmers' livelihoods in the 10th Plan. The resource persons presented India's experience and its relevance in Bhutan.
"The use of pesticides in farming has increased pollution and has left pesticide residues in the food chain," said Dr. O.P Rupein, a scientist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, India. "Pesticides were found even in the breast milk of mothers in Tamil Nadu."
Citing evidence of high yield and sustainable farming in USA, Switzerland and Cuba Dr Rupein said that organic farming added scientific understanding of how plants yield food to the farmer's agricultural knowledge.
"If Cuba has become organic by default, Bhutan sure can go organic by design," said Dr Rupein. One of the bottlenecks was convincing farmers to adopt organic farming as it required both labour and knowledge. Drop in yield at the initial stage, limited farming infrastructure and cost of certification were some of the other bottlenecks according to the resource persons.
The director of Biocenter, Bangalore, Dr. K. Ramakrishnappa, said that there should be a resource center to carry out research, a focused policy and support from the government for organic farming to work.
"Bhutan is lucky because there is a political will and can achieve this program better,' he said adding that the information and techniques used in India could be applicable in Bhutan even if the crops and the practices differed.
Bhutanese agricultural officials said that in most parts of Bhutan, farming was organic by default. Given the inaccessibility of many places it was difficult for farmers to get chemical fertilizers.
Karma Tshomo said that going organic would help in increasing the farmers' purchasing power. Instead of spending money to buy fertilizers farmers could use it to buy other essentials. The ministry has not tried this program in Thimphu and Paro though they are the most progressive users of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. "They have the perception that every solution is in a bottle," she said.
Targeting the niche market and the dilemma of organic produce being expensive is, however, not on the ministry's agenda for going organic. At the moment the idea is to reduce the cost of production for farmers with small holdings by discouraging the use of chemical fertilisers. "Organic produce would only be expensive if they are certified and the ministry is not talking about it now," said Karma Tshomo.
The extension offices with representatives from all the dzongkhags and media are to take on the responsibility of creating awareness programs among the farmers on organic farming. Four schools in Thimphu- Changangkha, Zilukha, Motithang and Kasadrupchu are also to be involved in this program.