Tag: Rice

Kenyan rice farmers to benefit from newly installed rice mill by Lake Basin Development Authority

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KENYA – The Lake Basin Development Authority of Kenya has purchased a new rice milling equipment for the Lake Basin Rice Mill in Kisumu County in a move to boost production of the crop in the Western region. The new equipment worth Ksh 65 million (US$588,000) will be installed at the Kibos Factory is aimed to end the dependence on the old and inefficient machine that has been in use since the early 90’s. Due to aging, the old machine’s capacity had stalled output from 3 to 1.1 tonnes per…

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Ghana launches US$1.1m rice processing facility with modern parboiling, milling, packaging plants

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GHANA – Ghana is forging ahead with its ambitious target of attaining self-sufficiency in rice production with the launch of new processing plant in the Western-North Region. The newly built GH¢6.7 million (US$1.1m) Sefwi Akontombra rice processing factory has the capacity to produce between 1.5 and 2.8 tonnes of processed rice per hour. According to official reports from the Presidency of Ghana, the state-of-the-art facility features modern parboiling, milling and packaging plants. It also has a standby generator plant, a mechanised borehole to supply the facility with water, fully furnished…

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Olam empowers female wheat farmers with irrigation equipment as border closers revive Nigeria’s idle milling plants

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NIGERIA – Female wheat farmers in Nigeria’s Kano state are set to boost their production after receiving irrigation equipment from Crown Flour Mill (CFM) Limited, a subsidiary of Olam Nigeria Limited.  The irrigation equipment comprising mainly of high-pressure water pumping machines was formally presented to the female farmers at a ceremony held in Giyamusu, Ajingi Local Government Area of Kano State.  According to the flour milling company, the irrigation equipment is meant to assist the female smallholder wheat farmers and ultimately enhance their productivity levels.  In a statement, CFM stated that…

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Ghana commissions US$1.2m rice processing facility to boost production of the staple crop

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GHANA – The government of Ghana has inaugurated the GH¢7.3 million (US$1.2m) Savelugu rice processing factory in the Northern Region. The state-of-the art facility features modern parboiling, milling and packaging lines, with an expected production capacity of 1.5 tonnes – 2.8 tonnes of processed rice per hour. According to the state, the factory has a standby generator plant and a mechanised borehole to supply it with water. It also has a fully furnished office accommodation for staff, a conference room, laboratory and a canteen/kitchen.  The Savelugu Rice Factory has been…

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Favourable weather drives up grain production in Bangladesh, Argentina and Australia

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GLOBAL – Bangladesh, Argentina, and Australia are set to record bumper grain harvests in the marketing year (MY) 2021/22 thanks to a mixture of factors including favorable weather conditions, moderate precipitation during the planting and growing stages, and a higher total grain production area.  In Bangladesh, rice production in MY 2021/22 is forecast to increase to 36.2 million metric tons (MMT) of milled rice production, according to recently released GAIN reports.   In the report, USDA analysts noted that favorable weather and moderate precipitation during the planting and growing stages of Aus rice were responsible for these higher…

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Philippines to fight hidden hunger with recently approved “Golden Rice” variety

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PHILIPPINES – Filipino authorities have greenlighted the planting of “Golden Rice”; a new, nutrient enriched rice variety developed by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).  Golden Rice was first conceived by Professors Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer in the late 1980s. IRRI became the first licensee of the scientists’ work in 2001.  The rice variety adds an important nutrient to a staple food that is already consumed in volumes of almost 120kg per capita per year.  Following the approval, Filipino farmers will become the first in…

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Russia allows import of Pakistani rice after a 2-year ban

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RUSSIA – Russia has allowed the import of rice from Pakistan, lifting a 2 yearlong ban that had denied Pakistani farmers access to a market that at its peak use to import rice valued at US$40 million  Russia banned the import of rice from the country in May 2019 after Khapra beetle was detected in a Pakistani rice consignment.  The decision to greenlight Pakistani rice was reached after intense negotiations between representatives from both governments.  With the new development, four Pakistani establishments located in Karachi, Lahore, and Chiniot will now be…

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Vietnam rice exports to plummet despite projected rise in production

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VIETNAM – Vietnam is losing its market share for white rice to other competitors such as India and Thailand due to uncompetitive prices.  This is according to a recent Grain and Feed update by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).   In the report, USDA officials note that despite Vietnam white rice export prices declining from their peak of US$520 per MT in January to a low of US$490/MT in May 2021, prices of Vietnam five percent broken white rice continued to maintain a $100 per metric ton premium over India rice.  They further…

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Zimbabwe exempts rice from Value Added Tax, retailers welcome the move

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ZIMBABWE – Zimbabwean retailers have welcomed the government’s directive of scrapping Value Added Tax (VAT) on pre-packed rice. The traders have been pushing for an exemption from paying the tax on rice packages of 25 kilogrammes or less, arguing that the decision was undermining the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra. Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) President Denford Mutashu, welcomed the removal of VAT saying, “The confirmation of the VAT position for rice shows that Government is indeed committed to establishing a private sector-led economy in line with the open…

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East Africa’s rice sector slated for growth following collaboration among industry players

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EAST AFRICA – Rice demand in East Africa has been on the rise in the recent years, triggered by changing consumer preferences, urbanization, diminishing productivity of regional staples such as maize, and population growth. All the East Africa nations have the capability of producing rice but its local out-put is far below local demand, making the countries turn to imports from India, Pakistan, Thailand, United States and China in a bid to meet the balance. According to reports by USDA, Kenya’s rice production is estimated at 159,000 Metric Tonnes (MT)…

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