Monday, October 3, 2011
柬大米出口中国
By 黄平
16 September 2011
八月十二曰，在洪森总理和中共中央政治局常委，中央政法委书记周永康 ，及两国其他有关 官员的见证下， 在金边和平大厦举行了柬中29项经贸合作文件签字仪式。 中粮集团副总栽军代表中粮集团，与柬埔寨吴哥农业米较有限公司副董事长周子鸿签署了一千吨大米出口中国的贸易合同。
这个中国首次从柬埔寨进口大米 。中粮签订进口大米的合同，也为中国消费者提供又一新的选择， 使中国人民有机会认识和品尝最地道的茉莉花香米——这是一种原汁原味， 只有在含沙土和干净水质的土地上种植才能散发出芬方香味的大米。而柬农民所使用的都是天然有基肥料，每公顷土地的产量最多也才二吨半。另外 ， 这个品种对土地的选择也很苛刻， 若在不达标的土地上种植， 虽也会长出谷子， 担口味却逊色很多 。
柬埔寨吴哥农业米较公司目前拥有全国最大、 最先进的大米加工生产设备， 本身也是最大的大米出口商， 每年都有数万吨大米出口至欧盟、香港等地。
记者曰前特约采访了该公司董事长周显初先生。
周先生不到二十岁就离开家乡贡布省金船县， 到柬埔寨西北部的粮仓吴哥比里（该地以前属马德望省，今划分为卜迭棉芷省）谋生，先是在一家碾米厂从学徒做。 因为勤奋加聪明， 他一路升到秤头、销售等。 结婚后，岳父也是当地著名的碾米厂老板谦出口商， 这给他曰后在此行业的腾飞打下了良好的基础。
六十年代后期，周先生在金边六支牌自己开设了专营大米的华南公司， 同时出口以浩大米至香港 、新加坡等地。
周先生说，六十年代柬埔寨全国每年可出口大米五十至六十万吨 ，马德望一个省生产的粮食除可养活全国人民外， 还有剩余出口 。 当时著名白大米包括 "丝苗" 、" 娘明" 、"茉莉花" 等，华人迷商一般都把一号米出口到新加坡 、香港等地，而法国洋行则专门出口二、三号米到非洲。
周先生说，非常高心有机会把柬埔寨最好的大米出口到中国 ，希望这次真诚的合作能与中国建立起良好的经贸关系。 虽然这次签署的合同只有一千吨，担相信今后逐年增加， 也相信柬埔寨优良的大米一定会受到中国人民喜爱。
对于卖价， 他表示，中国比欧洲进得多， 所以价格肯定比欧洲便宜不少。
开拓中国市场后，出口量肯定会增加，公司下一步是否会向农民收购更多粮食？
周先生说，以前与公司签署借谷种合同的农户 ( 会员 ) 只有三万多个家庭，今年已增至七万多个农户会员， 这些会员家庭所耕种的土地已达八 、九万公顷。另外还有三至四万没有签合同的农民家庭 。而对于签合同的会员家庭，公司每年都是借给农民正宗的茉莉花香谷种 ， 供应量为二千多至三千吨。
在问到农民会员是否会把收割后的谷子全部卖给公司时，周先生说，有百分之八十五的农民会按合同把谷子卖给公司 ，也有少数谷子会流落到其他商人手中。
周先生又说，除了谷种好，公司也会教导农民如何种植 ， 强调使用天然肥料， 所以每公顷的产量最多只有二吨半， 担价格比普通大米高出百分之六十。
吴哥米较公司在收购谷子时也面对许多困难， 比如中间商会提高价格 ，高价抢购谷子后转卖给泰、越等邻国。
第二是新建的碾米厂越来越多， 还有不法商人用假茉莉花米压低价格出口， 这样不仅损害优质茉莉花米的良声誉， 也压低了出口价。 更离谱的， 还有人进口泰国米后， 再利用欧盟给予柬埔寨的免关税优惠，把大米再转出口到欧盟 ， 这么做不仅损害农民的利益 ，也破坏纯香米的价格。
但周先生强调 ，由 于柬埔寨吴哥米较公司已经做了几十年的大米出口生意 ，有成熟 的经验，也有固定的顾客和市
场 ，所以一些歪招并不会影响到公司的正常业务， 现在再增加中国这个大市场， 公司对未来就更有信心了。 他说 ，公司定会与更多农民展开合作，扩大耕种面积 ，增加加工设备，争取把生意做到更大。
周先生全家在柬埔寨战争爆发后，于1972年举家搬到泰国曼谷， 经过五年的考察和调研后不但加入泰籍 ，还以自己经验， 人脉关系和独到的眼光在泰国 经营大米出口生意。
1992年， 当柬埔寨经过二十年的战乱后初现和平的曙光， 精明的周先生便迫不及待的回到柬捕寨 。 经过一次又一次的反复研究和筹备，于1999年开始成立公
司。周先生以他的经验了解到，要把大米出口到先进国家就必须有一整套先进的碾米设备 ， 要有优质的谷种， 要有一整套管理和出口程序。 所以他不惜砸下数百万美金从国外引进一套先进碾米设备 。 这套设备可保证碾出的大米质量符合国际标准，且每小时碾出量即达到十吨。
今年，周先生又投入更大资金， 购入一套每小时可生产30吨大米的设备。
对这次能与中粮签署出口中国一千吨大米的合同，周先生认为很荣幸。比起中国每年由泰国进口二十五万吨大米来，虽然这个合同数量还是很小，担周先生说， 刚开始，先式式 ， 将来数量一定会不断增加的。
周先生很有信心地说， 他对稻米的种植一直都严格的保质保量，更大的优势是少用化肥，多用天然肥料。 他与农民签订的合同也严格信这个原则：一定要生产真正的茉莉花香米 。他要使柬捕寨香米在走俏国际市场的同时，也能帮助农民逐步提高自己的生活水平，使各方都在这项事业中获益。
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
中国首次从柬埔寨进口大米
2011年08月24日21:46 来源：粮油市场报
本报讯 （记者 王影影）中粮集团有限公司发布公告称，已与柬埔寨签署了进口1000吨大米贸易合同。这也是中国首次从柬埔寨进口大米。
中粮集团8月23日在其公司官方网站发布公告称，8月20日，中粮集团副总裁吕军代表中粮集团与柬埔寨唔哥农业米较有限公司签署了进口大米贸易合同，但并未透出此次交易所涉及的金额和进口大米的价格。
稻米是柬埔寨重要粮食作物，品质优良，口感上乘，增加大米出口一直是该国政府发展农业的主要目标。据柬埔寨官方数据，2010年柬埔寨稻谷总产量约为825万吨，除了满足国内需求外，约有390万吨稻谷可加工成250万吨大米供出口。由于大米加工设施严重缺乏，柬埔寨只能将剩余的大多数稻谷直接销往越南和泰国。
中粮称，此次中粮签订进口柬埔寨大米合同，将为国内大米消费者提供又一全新选择，也为中柬两国经贸发展做出贡献。
据发改委公布的2011年粮食进口关税配额量，其中大米为532万吨（长粒米266万吨，中短粒米266万吨），国营贸易比例50%。
据海关最新数据显示，今年7月，中国进口大米53180吨，同比增长171%，价格为601美元/吨；出口大米12101吨，同比下降76.6%，价格为646美元/吨。
本报讯 （记者 王影影）中粮集团有限公司发布公告称，已与柬埔寨签署了进口1000吨大米贸易合同。这也是中国首次从柬埔寨进口大米。
中粮集团8月23日在其公司官方网站发布公告称，8月20日，中粮集团副总裁吕军代表中粮集团与柬埔寨唔哥农业米较有限公司签署了进口大米贸易合同，但并未透出此次交易所涉及的金额和进口大米的价格。
稻米是柬埔寨重要粮食作物，品质优良，口感上乘，增加大米出口一直是该国政府发展农业的主要目标。据柬埔寨官方数据，2010年柬埔寨稻谷总产量约为825万吨，除了满足国内需求外，约有390万吨稻谷可加工成250万吨大米供出口。由于大米加工设施严重缺乏，柬埔寨只能将剩余的大多数稻谷直接销往越南和泰国。
中粮称，此次中粮签订进口柬埔寨大米合同，将为国内大米消费者提供又一全新选择，也为中柬两国经贸发展做出贡献。
据发改委公布的2011年粮食进口关税配额量，其中大米为532万吨（长粒米266万吨，中短粒米266万吨），国营贸易比例50%。
据海关最新数据显示，今年7月，中国进口大米53180吨，同比增长171%，价格为601美元/吨；出口大米12101吨，同比下降76.6%，价格为646美元/吨。
Xinhua: Cambodia's rice export scheme sees good omen with Chinese investments
PHNOM PENH, August 27 (Xinhua)
Cambodia has seen a positive sign towards achieving its self-imposed target of one million-ton- rice exports by 2015 as the sector has been attracting a number of large investments from China.
In last August, the government launched the rice export policy in a bid to boost the exports of one million tons of milled rice by 2015.
"The main challenges to achieve this target are the shortages of sophisticated post-harvest technologies and capital to buy rice paddy from farmers," Kong Putheara, director of the Commerce Ministry's Planning and Statistics Department, told Xinhua in an interview on Friday.
However, the issues have gradually been broken through as a number of large Chinese firms have signed up to build a hi-tech rice processing plant and to purchase Cambodian rice for Chinese market.
Among those firms is the China Grain Reserves Corporation ( Sinograin) Guangzhou Branch.
The firm signed up on August 16 to buy up to 200,000 tons of milled rice per year from Cambodia and has put its initial investment of 20 million U.S. dollars with a local T.T.Y Corporation to buy rice paddy from farmers to process for the exports to China.
And the China's Yunnan Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a local Soma Group of Cambodia to build a high-tech rice processing plant to process rice for China.
Also, China Oil and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) signed a deal with Cambodia's Angkor Rice this week to buy Cambodian rice.
"A lot of foreign investors have been looking at Cambodian rice potentials, especially China," said Putheara.
"Chinese investors have been leading investments in Cambodian rice sector for now," he said. "Moreover, I believe that China will also be the largest purchaser of Cambodian rice in the future. "
Besides China, he said the Philippines, Brunei, Senegal, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bangladesh has also approached Cambodia for rice purchase despite no deal signed yet so far.
Phou Puy, president of the Federation of Cambodian Rice Millers Associations, said Saturday that currently the country has had only a few modern post-harvest technologies and also had a few large-scale rice storage.
He added that the country's sophisticated rice processing plants are capable to process only about 200,000 tons of rice per year at the moment, so to meet the target of exporting 1 million tons a year by 2015, it needs to be invested other four or five times in modern rice processing plants.
"Therefore, Chinese investment in the rice processing plant is on the right time," said Phou Puy, who is also Chairman of the rice exporter Baitang Kampuchea Co., which invested in a modern post-harvest technology in Battambang province.
The company had exported nearly 20,000 tons of processed rice in the first half of this year, double rise compared to the same period last year.
Puy said the Baitang Kampuchea had also signed a MoU with a Chinese firm for the supply of 10,000 tons of milled rice to China per year and the exports will be starting from next year.
He said his plant is capable to process an average of 130,000 tons of rice per year.
Chan Sophal, president of Cambodia Economic Association, said on Saturday that European countries and China will definitely be the big markets for Cambodian good quality rice in the future.
Cambodian government has simplified procedures for rice exporters; however, the high cost of electricity and transport compared with its neighboring Vietnam and Thailand is still a concern for investors, he said.
Currently, Cambodia has about 35 rice exporters; the country had exported 80,442 tons of good-quality milled rice in the first half of this year, 369 percent increase from 17,144 tons at the same period last year, showed the statistics from the Ministry of Commerce.
However, this country can export only small amount of its milled rice so far due to the lack of sophisticated post- harvesting technologies, storage, and capital to buy rice paddy from farmers; therefore, most of the rice paddies have been sold to Vietnam and Thailand without recycling.
In a year, Cambodia lost about 600 million U.S. dollars from rice production that exported without recycling, Prime Minister Hun Sen said last year during the launch of rice export policy.
Chan Sophal said that the government's rice export policy would broaden and strengthen the foundation of economic growth while accelerating poverty reduction and improving the people's livelihoods through job creations when more rice post-harvest technologies have been built in Cambodia.
With a series of Chinese investment plans in the sector, it's believed that Cambodia will be able to achieve its target of exporting one million tons of milled rice by 2015.
Cambodia has seen a positive sign towards achieving its self-imposed target of one million-ton- rice exports by 2015 as the sector has been attracting a number of large investments from China.
In last August, the government launched the rice export policy in a bid to boost the exports of one million tons of milled rice by 2015.
"The main challenges to achieve this target are the shortages of sophisticated post-harvest technologies and capital to buy rice paddy from farmers," Kong Putheara, director of the Commerce Ministry's Planning and Statistics Department, told Xinhua in an interview on Friday.
However, the issues have gradually been broken through as a number of large Chinese firms have signed up to build a hi-tech rice processing plant and to purchase Cambodian rice for Chinese market.
Among those firms is the China Grain Reserves Corporation ( Sinograin) Guangzhou Branch.
The firm signed up on August 16 to buy up to 200,000 tons of milled rice per year from Cambodia and has put its initial investment of 20 million U.S. dollars with a local T.T.Y Corporation to buy rice paddy from farmers to process for the exports to China.
And the China's Yunnan Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a local Soma Group of Cambodia to build a high-tech rice processing plant to process rice for China.
Also, China Oil and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) signed a deal with Cambodia's Angkor Rice this week to buy Cambodian rice.
"A lot of foreign investors have been looking at Cambodian rice potentials, especially China," said Putheara.
"Chinese investors have been leading investments in Cambodian rice sector for now," he said. "Moreover, I believe that China will also be the largest purchaser of Cambodian rice in the future. "
Besides China, he said the Philippines, Brunei, Senegal, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bangladesh has also approached Cambodia for rice purchase despite no deal signed yet so far.
Phou Puy, president of the Federation of Cambodian Rice Millers Associations, said Saturday that currently the country has had only a few modern post-harvest technologies and also had a few large-scale rice storage.
He added that the country's sophisticated rice processing plants are capable to process only about 200,000 tons of rice per year at the moment, so to meet the target of exporting 1 million tons a year by 2015, it needs to be invested other four or five times in modern rice processing plants.
"Therefore, Chinese investment in the rice processing plant is on the right time," said Phou Puy, who is also Chairman of the rice exporter Baitang Kampuchea Co., which invested in a modern post-harvest technology in Battambang province.
The company had exported nearly 20,000 tons of processed rice in the first half of this year, double rise compared to the same period last year.
Puy said the Baitang Kampuchea had also signed a MoU with a Chinese firm for the supply of 10,000 tons of milled rice to China per year and the exports will be starting from next year.
He said his plant is capable to process an average of 130,000 tons of rice per year.
Chan Sophal, president of Cambodia Economic Association, said on Saturday that European countries and China will definitely be the big markets for Cambodian good quality rice in the future.
Cambodian government has simplified procedures for rice exporters; however, the high cost of electricity and transport compared with its neighboring Vietnam and Thailand is still a concern for investors, he said.
Currently, Cambodia has about 35 rice exporters; the country had exported 80,442 tons of good-quality milled rice in the first half of this year, 369 percent increase from 17,144 tons at the same period last year, showed the statistics from the Ministry of Commerce.
However, this country can export only small amount of its milled rice so far due to the lack of sophisticated post- harvesting technologies, storage, and capital to buy rice paddy from farmers; therefore, most of the rice paddies have been sold to Vietnam and Thailand without recycling.
In a year, Cambodia lost about 600 million U.S. dollars from rice production that exported without recycling, Prime Minister Hun Sen said last year during the launch of rice export policy.
Chan Sophal said that the government's rice export policy would broaden and strengthen the foundation of economic growth while accelerating poverty reduction and improving the people's livelihoods through job creations when more rice post-harvest technologies have been built in Cambodia.
With a series of Chinese investment plans in the sector, it's believed that Cambodia will be able to achieve its target of exporting one million tons of milled rice by 2015.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Historical rice deal - Angkor Rice goes to China
Historical event - Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen , and other senior Ministers of Cambodian government, witness the historical rice trade deal between Cambodia and China in Phnom Penh, Aug. 20, 2011. (picture by AKR)
By AC
20 August 2011
COFCO, a leading grain, oils and foodstuffs import and export group in China and the biggest rice importers and exporters, signs a rice deal to buy the first Cambodian rice from Angkor Rice to China. The first shipment is 100% Neang Malis Fragrant rice, which is the best quality rice available from Angkor Rice.
The contract between the two companies indicates that "it is the first rice business between China and Cambodia".
"COFCO has developed wide sales channels and networks all over China and possesses the top brands of rice and other grain products in domestic market. In order to promote Cambodian rice in China, COFCO will make the full use of its leading position and brand awareness, strengthen the input of marketing and sales promotions, and make their best efforts to gain the accpetance of Cambodian rice among Chinese consumers".Angkor Rice is a reputable rice producer who produces the best quality fragrant rice. It regularly exports rice to Europe, Hong Kong and Australia. The process to select only the best fragrant rice paddy without mixing cheap rice and its own contracted farmers make the producer different from the other local rice traders in Cambodia. Angkor Rice is expanding its milling capacity and the fragrant rice growing area, with participation in Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) intend to reduce green house gases that warming the globe.
Rice is a major stable for Chinese consumers. Although China can produce a lot of rice every year (see stat from USDA), but the volume is still not enough for the domestic consumption especially for the high quality fragrant rice, which can be grown only in some area in Thailand and Cambodia. China imports quality fragrant rice from Thailand approximate 200 millions dollars per year.
The main issue to export to China is not the problem about agricultural pests which can be easily controlled. But the issue is the dishonest sellers who mix low quality rice,but look similar, to high quality fragrant rice and brand it as 100% fragrant rice, Mr. Chieu Hieng, CEO of Angkor Rice said. "They just pack it and brand it as good rice but instead it is cheap rice", he added.
Mr. Chieu Hieng (right) shows Neang Malis fragrant rice to COFCO officers, leaded by vice president Mr. Lv Jun (2nd from left). The trade envoy Mr. Zhou Shanqing (3rd from left), Director of the Dept. of Foreign Trade MOC. PRC. also accompany the group.
Source of video clip - TVK News - 20 August 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
ชาญชัย รักษ์ธนานนท์ นายกสมาคมโรงสีข้าวไทย ขานรับนโยบายรับจำนำข้าวพรรคเพื่อไทย
ชัยชนะแบบถล่มทลายของพรรคเพื่อไทย ที่จะนำไปสู่การจัดตั้งรัฐบาลชุดใหม่โดยมี น.ส.ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร ดำรงตำแหน่งนายกรัฐมนตรี กำลังถูกจับตามองอย่างใกล้ชิดถึงนโยบายการเกษตร โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่ง "ข้าว" ที่พรรคเพื่อไทยหาเสียงมาโดยตลอดว่า จะเปลี่ยนวิธีการอุดหนุนราคาข้าวจากการรับ "ประกัน" ถอยหลังกลับมาเป็นการรับ "จำนำ"
การเปลี่ยนแปลงนโยบายกลับไปกลับมาดังกล่าวส่งผลให้เกิดแรงกระเพื่อมต่อผู้คนในวงการค้าข้าว โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่ง กลุ่มโรงสีข้าว ในแง่ของการปรับตัวที่จะร่วมกับวิธีการใหม่ ๆ ในการรับจำนำ ท่ามกลางการวิพากษ์วิจารณ์กันว่า นโยบายรับจำนำข้าวของรัฐบาลกำลังเข้าทางโรงสีข้าว ที่เริ่มเก็บสต๊อกข้าวกันยกใหญ่ ในขณะที่อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งเห็นว่า ทั้งการรับจำนำและการประกันราคาข้าวล้วนมีข้อดีข้อเสีย ขึ้นอยู่กับ "ใคร" จะแปรเปลี่ยนนโยบายมาเป็นผลประโยชน์ของตนเองอย่างไร
นายชาญชัย รักษ์ธนานนท์ นายกสมาคมโรงสีข้าวไทย ให้สัมภาษณ์ "ประชาชาติธุรกิจ" ถึงนโยบายการรับจำนำข้าวของรัฐบาลชุดใหม่ว่า ไม่ว่ารัฐบาลจะใช้นโยบายอะไร "ข้าวเปลือก" ทุกเม็ดก็ยังคงผ่านมือโรงสีที่กระจายตัวอยู่ทั่วประเทศอยู่ดี ตอนนี้ทั้งชาวนา-ผู้ส่งออก-โบรกเกอร์ค้าข้าวต่างประเทศ ต่างรับรู้กันแล้วว่า ราคาข้าวขาวของประเทศไทยจะต้องไม่ต่ำกว่าตันละ 15,000 บาท ข้าวหอมมะลิตันละ 20,000 บาท ตามที่พรรคเพื่อไทยได้หาเสียงไว้ โดยราคาข้าวในระดับนี้จะมีผลในอีก 5 เดือนข้างหน้า ดังนั้นเมื่อชัยชนะในการเลือกตั้งเป็นของพรรคเพื่อไทย ราคาข้าวภายในประเทศจึงขยับขึ้นมาทันที
"ผมยอมรับว่า มีการไล่ซื้อข้าวภายในประเทศ ราคาขยับขึ้นไปเรื่อย ๆ จาก 9,000 บาท/ตัน เป็น 10,800 บาท/ตัน ในขณะนี้ และน่าจะไล่ราคาข้าวเปลือกเจ้าขึ้นไปถึง 12,000-13,000 บาท/ตัน ในอนาคตอันใกล้ ซึ่งใกล้เคียงกับราคารับจำนำที่รัฐบาลประกาศไว้ที่ 15,000 บาท ส่วนข้าวหอมมะลิใกล้เคียงกับ 20,000 บาท/ตัน คนซื้อมีทั้งกลุ่มพ่อค้านักเก็งกำไร ราคาส่งออกก็ขยับขึ้นจาก 450 เหรียญสหรัฐ/ตัน ไปเรื่อยจนถึง 700 เหรียญสหรัฐ/ตัน ตอนนี้ใคร ๆ ก็ไล่ซื้อข้าวเข้าเก็บกันไว้ทั้งสิ้น"
ส่วนนโยบายการประกันราคาข้าวของรัฐบาลอภิสิทธิ์นั้น นายชาญชัยกล่าวว่า นโยบายประกันรายได้โรงสีก็เชียร์ แต่วิธีการประกันราคามีข้อผิดพลาดคือ ต้องมีการกำหนดราคาขั้นต่ำ เหมือนเปิดร้านขายข้าวสารให้ลูกแล้วบอกว่า "ลูกขายเท่าไหร่ก็ได้ ที่เหลือเตี่ยจ่ายให้ อย่างนี้ก็เจ๊งหมด แต่เราต้องบอกลูกว่า ขายเท่าไหร่ก็ได้ แต่อย่าต่ำกว่าราคานี้นะ ไม่อย่างนั้นเจ๊ง ผมบอกรัฐบาลเดิมไปแล้ว ถ้าทำอย่างนั้นจะไม่ได้กลับมาเป็นรัฐบาลอีก ได้บอกผ่านท่านไตรรงค์ (นายไตรรงค์ สุวรรณคีรี รองนายกรัฐมนตรี) แต่ทุกคนกลับมองว่าโรงสีขุดบ่อล่อ ก็ไม่มีใครเชื่อว่าโครงการประกันรายได้ของรัฐบาลเสีย 2 ต่อเกือบ 200,000 ล้านบาท คือ รัฐบาลเสียเงินจ่ายชดเชยให้ชาวนา 100,000 ล้านบาท และอีกส่วนหนึ่งเสีย รายได้จากมูลค่าข้าวที่หายไปอีก 100,000 ล้านบาท"
นอกจากนี้ การประกันราคาข้าวที่ผ่านมายังเกิดข้อผิดพลาดในเรื่องของการควบคุมการขึ้นทะเบียนเกษตรกรอยู่ ๆ พื้นที่เพาะปลูกข้าวก็เพิ่มขึ้นมาอย่างพรวดพราด จาก 60 ล้านไร่ เป็น 70 ล้านไร่ ตัวเกษตรกรเพิ่มจาก 3.6 ล้านคน เป็น 3.7 ล้านคน ในประเด็นนี้ นายชาญชัยเห็นว่าตัวเลขที่ เพิ่มขึ้น หมายถึง ชาวนาได้รับเงินชดเชยจากการประกันราคามากขึ้น ทั้ง ๆ ที่ไม่มีผลผลิตข้าวจริง แต่ใครจะกล้าเข้าไปตรวจสอบ แต่ความจริงกลับไม่ได้เป็นเช่นนี้
"ทุกคนมองว่าชาวนาจะได้รับประโยชน์จากเงินชดเชยมีเงินเต็มกระเป๋า แต่เงินจำนวนนี้อยู่กับชาวนาได้ไม่นาน เพราะคนที่รับไปจริง ๆ คือ เจ้าของที่ดิน จากการปรับขึ้นราคาค่าเช่าที่จาก 500 บาท เป็น 1,500 บาท ชาวนาได้เงินมาก็จ่ายเป็นค่าที่ดิน ไม่จ่ายก็ไม่ได้ทำ ส่วนการจะเอาข้าวที่เกินจากการรับประกันรายได้ที่กำหนดไว้ 25 ตันต่อครัวเรือน นำไปขายในท้องตลาดก็ได้ราคาต่ำ ๆ รวมกันทั้งค่าชดเชยและค่าข้าวยังได้ไม่ถึง 10,000 บาท/ตัน แล้ว ผมถามว่า ชาวนาที่ไหนจะชอบนโยบายการประกันราคาข้าวของรัฐบาลอภิสิทธิ์ เพราะขายข้าวได้ไม่ถึง 10,000 บาท จึงเป็นคำตอบว่า ทำไมคราวนี้ชาวนาถึงเลือกพรรคเพื่อไทย เพราะเขาจะได้ราคาข้าวจากการจำนำถึง 15,000 บาทขึ้นไป"
แต่เมื่อนโยบายของรัฐบาลชุดใหม่เปลี่ยนเป็นการรับจำนำตามที่หาเสียงเอาไว้ โรงสีข้าวมีความเห็นอย่างไร
ในประเด็นนี้ นายชาญชัยเชื่อว่า การเปลี่ยนนโยบายกลับมาเป็นการรับจำนำไม่มีผลต่อตลาดข้าวมากนัก เพราะโรงสีรับได้ทั้งสองนโยบาย เนื่องจากโรงสีถือเป็นโรงงานแปรรูปข้าว รัฐบาลจะใช้การประกันราคาข้าว โรงสีก็อยู่ได้ รัฐบาลชุดใหม่เปลี่ยนมาเป็นการรับจำนำก็อยู่ได้อีก แต่ที่แน่ ๆ ก็คือ การประกันราคาข้าวที่ผ่านมาให้ประโยชน์กับผู้ส่งออกข้าวเพียงไม่กี่บริษัท ผู้ส่งออกส่วนใหญ่ซื้อข้าวรัฐบาลไม่ได้จึงเกิดความไม่เป็นธรรมขึ้น
ส่วนปัญหาของการรับจำนำนั้นไม่ได้เกิดจากตัวโครงการ เพราะการรับจำนำข้าวมี 3 ขั้นตอน ข้าวจากชาวนามาออกใบประทวนที่โรงสี ฝากเก็บข้าวเข้าคลัง และระบายข้าวออก ตรงไหนเป็นจุดอ่อนที่สุดก็แก้ตรงนั้น ที่ผ่านมามีกฎระเบียบแต่ไม่มีการบังคับใช้ การทุจริตในโครงการจึงเกิดขึ้น
แน่นอนว่าการรับจำนำข้าวต่อจากนี้ไป แม้รัฐบาลจะเลือกรับจำนำข้าวทุกเมล็ดก็สามารถทำได้ แต่ควรแบ่งข้าวออกเป็น 2 ส่วนคือ ส่วนแรก 30-50% ของปริมาณที่รับจำนำมาขายคืนให้กับโรงสีในราคาตลาด เพื่อให้ตลาดหมุนได้ ส่วนที่เหลือก็นำไปเก็บในคลังของรัฐบาล แต่ไม่ใช่เก็บลืม ต้องมีการสีแปรสภาพข้าวเพราะ 6-8 เดือนไม่แปร ข้าวก็เสื่อม กับส่วนที่ 2 รัฐบาลปรับวิธีการระบาย หนึ่งคือ อาศัยการขายแบบรัฐบาลต่อรัฐบาล (จีทูจี) หรือบาร์เตอร์เทรด นำไปแลกกับสินค้าจำเป็น เช่น ปุ๋ยข้าวตันละ 20,000 บาทเท่ากัน แหล่งผลิตปุ๋ยคือ แหล่งนำเข้าข้าวอย่างฟิลิปปินส์ หรือขายข้าว 1 ปีได้เงิน แสนกว่าล้าน ซื้อน้ำมันใช้ได้ 2 เดือน ทำไมไม่แลก แต่ที่ไม่ทำเพราะมีปัญหาเงินทอน
หากรัฐบาลเลือกแนวทางนี้โรงสีรับอาสาเป็นผู้ปรับปรุงคุณภาพข้าวส่งออกได้ และสอง การระบายผ่านตลาดสินค้าเกษตรล่วงหน้าแห่งประเทศไทย เดือนละ 200,000-300,000 ตัน ทุกเดือน ๆ ใครก็สามารถมาเทรด FOB ก็ทำได้
http://www.prachachat.net/news_detail.php?newsid=1310640654&grpid=no&catid=04&subcatid=
การเปลี่ยนแปลงนโยบายกลับไปกลับมาดังกล่าวส่งผลให้เกิดแรงกระเพื่อมต่อผู้คนในวงการค้าข้าว โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่ง กลุ่มโรงสีข้าว ในแง่ของการปรับตัวที่จะร่วมกับวิธีการใหม่ ๆ ในการรับจำนำ ท่ามกลางการวิพากษ์วิจารณ์กันว่า นโยบายรับจำนำข้าวของรัฐบาลกำลังเข้าทางโรงสีข้าว ที่เริ่มเก็บสต๊อกข้าวกันยกใหญ่ ในขณะที่อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งเห็นว่า ทั้งการรับจำนำและการประกันราคาข้าวล้วนมีข้อดีข้อเสีย ขึ้นอยู่กับ "ใคร" จะแปรเปลี่ยนนโยบายมาเป็นผลประโยชน์ของตนเองอย่างไร
นายชาญชัย รักษ์ธนานนท์ นายกสมาคมโรงสีข้าวไทย ให้สัมภาษณ์ "ประชาชาติธุรกิจ" ถึงนโยบายการรับจำนำข้าวของรัฐบาลชุดใหม่ว่า ไม่ว่ารัฐบาลจะใช้นโยบายอะไร "ข้าวเปลือก" ทุกเม็ดก็ยังคงผ่านมือโรงสีที่กระจายตัวอยู่ทั่วประเทศอยู่ดี ตอนนี้ทั้งชาวนา-ผู้ส่งออก-โบรกเกอร์ค้าข้าวต่างประเทศ ต่างรับรู้กันแล้วว่า ราคาข้าวขาวของประเทศไทยจะต้องไม่ต่ำกว่าตันละ 15,000 บาท ข้าวหอมมะลิตันละ 20,000 บาท ตามที่พรรคเพื่อไทยได้หาเสียงไว้ โดยราคาข้าวในระดับนี้จะมีผลในอีก 5 เดือนข้างหน้า ดังนั้นเมื่อชัยชนะในการเลือกตั้งเป็นของพรรคเพื่อไทย ราคาข้าวภายในประเทศจึงขยับขึ้นมาทันที
"ผมยอมรับว่า มีการไล่ซื้อข้าวภายในประเทศ ราคาขยับขึ้นไปเรื่อย ๆ จาก 9,000 บาท/ตัน เป็น 10,800 บาท/ตัน ในขณะนี้ และน่าจะไล่ราคาข้าวเปลือกเจ้าขึ้นไปถึง 12,000-13,000 บาท/ตัน ในอนาคตอันใกล้ ซึ่งใกล้เคียงกับราคารับจำนำที่รัฐบาลประกาศไว้ที่ 15,000 บาท ส่วนข้าวหอมมะลิใกล้เคียงกับ 20,000 บาท/ตัน คนซื้อมีทั้งกลุ่มพ่อค้านักเก็งกำไร ราคาส่งออกก็ขยับขึ้นจาก 450 เหรียญสหรัฐ/ตัน ไปเรื่อยจนถึง 700 เหรียญสหรัฐ/ตัน ตอนนี้ใคร ๆ ก็ไล่ซื้อข้าวเข้าเก็บกันไว้ทั้งสิ้น"
ส่วนนโยบายการประกันราคาข้าวของรัฐบาลอภิสิทธิ์นั้น นายชาญชัยกล่าวว่า นโยบายประกันรายได้โรงสีก็เชียร์ แต่วิธีการประกันราคามีข้อผิดพลาดคือ ต้องมีการกำหนดราคาขั้นต่ำ เหมือนเปิดร้านขายข้าวสารให้ลูกแล้วบอกว่า "ลูกขายเท่าไหร่ก็ได้ ที่เหลือเตี่ยจ่ายให้ อย่างนี้ก็เจ๊งหมด แต่เราต้องบอกลูกว่า ขายเท่าไหร่ก็ได้ แต่อย่าต่ำกว่าราคานี้นะ ไม่อย่างนั้นเจ๊ง ผมบอกรัฐบาลเดิมไปแล้ว ถ้าทำอย่างนั้นจะไม่ได้กลับมาเป็นรัฐบาลอีก ได้บอกผ่านท่านไตรรงค์ (นายไตรรงค์ สุวรรณคีรี รองนายกรัฐมนตรี) แต่ทุกคนกลับมองว่าโรงสีขุดบ่อล่อ ก็ไม่มีใครเชื่อว่าโครงการประกันรายได้ของรัฐบาลเสีย 2 ต่อเกือบ 200,000 ล้านบาท คือ รัฐบาลเสียเงินจ่ายชดเชยให้ชาวนา 100,000 ล้านบาท และอีกส่วนหนึ่งเสีย รายได้จากมูลค่าข้าวที่หายไปอีก 100,000 ล้านบาท"
นอกจากนี้ การประกันราคาข้าวที่ผ่านมายังเกิดข้อผิดพลาดในเรื่องของการควบคุมการขึ้นทะเบียนเกษตรกรอยู่ ๆ พื้นที่เพาะปลูกข้าวก็เพิ่มขึ้นมาอย่างพรวดพราด จาก 60 ล้านไร่ เป็น 70 ล้านไร่ ตัวเกษตรกรเพิ่มจาก 3.6 ล้านคน เป็น 3.7 ล้านคน ในประเด็นนี้ นายชาญชัยเห็นว่าตัวเลขที่ เพิ่มขึ้น หมายถึง ชาวนาได้รับเงินชดเชยจากการประกันราคามากขึ้น ทั้ง ๆ ที่ไม่มีผลผลิตข้าวจริง แต่ใครจะกล้าเข้าไปตรวจสอบ แต่ความจริงกลับไม่ได้เป็นเช่นนี้
"ทุกคนมองว่าชาวนาจะได้รับประโยชน์จากเงินชดเชยมีเงินเต็มกระเป๋า แต่เงินจำนวนนี้อยู่กับชาวนาได้ไม่นาน เพราะคนที่รับไปจริง ๆ คือ เจ้าของที่ดิน จากการปรับขึ้นราคาค่าเช่าที่จาก 500 บาท เป็น 1,500 บาท ชาวนาได้เงินมาก็จ่ายเป็นค่าที่ดิน ไม่จ่ายก็ไม่ได้ทำ ส่วนการจะเอาข้าวที่เกินจากการรับประกันรายได้ที่กำหนดไว้ 25 ตันต่อครัวเรือน นำไปขายในท้องตลาดก็ได้ราคาต่ำ ๆ รวมกันทั้งค่าชดเชยและค่าข้าวยังได้ไม่ถึง 10,000 บาท/ตัน แล้ว ผมถามว่า ชาวนาที่ไหนจะชอบนโยบายการประกันราคาข้าวของรัฐบาลอภิสิทธิ์ เพราะขายข้าวได้ไม่ถึง 10,000 บาท จึงเป็นคำตอบว่า ทำไมคราวนี้ชาวนาถึงเลือกพรรคเพื่อไทย เพราะเขาจะได้ราคาข้าวจากการจำนำถึง 15,000 บาทขึ้นไป"
แต่เมื่อนโยบายของรัฐบาลชุดใหม่เปลี่ยนเป็นการรับจำนำตามที่หาเสียงเอาไว้ โรงสีข้าวมีความเห็นอย่างไร
ในประเด็นนี้ นายชาญชัยเชื่อว่า การเปลี่ยนนโยบายกลับมาเป็นการรับจำนำไม่มีผลต่อตลาดข้าวมากนัก เพราะโรงสีรับได้ทั้งสองนโยบาย เนื่องจากโรงสีถือเป็นโรงงานแปรรูปข้าว รัฐบาลจะใช้การประกันราคาข้าว โรงสีก็อยู่ได้ รัฐบาลชุดใหม่เปลี่ยนมาเป็นการรับจำนำก็อยู่ได้อีก แต่ที่แน่ ๆ ก็คือ การประกันราคาข้าวที่ผ่านมาให้ประโยชน์กับผู้ส่งออกข้าวเพียงไม่กี่บริษัท ผู้ส่งออกส่วนใหญ่ซื้อข้าวรัฐบาลไม่ได้จึงเกิดความไม่เป็นธรรมขึ้น
ส่วนปัญหาของการรับจำนำนั้นไม่ได้เกิดจากตัวโครงการ เพราะการรับจำนำข้าวมี 3 ขั้นตอน ข้าวจากชาวนามาออกใบประทวนที่โรงสี ฝากเก็บข้าวเข้าคลัง และระบายข้าวออก ตรงไหนเป็นจุดอ่อนที่สุดก็แก้ตรงนั้น ที่ผ่านมามีกฎระเบียบแต่ไม่มีการบังคับใช้ การทุจริตในโครงการจึงเกิดขึ้น
แน่นอนว่าการรับจำนำข้าวต่อจากนี้ไป แม้รัฐบาลจะเลือกรับจำนำข้าวทุกเมล็ดก็สามารถทำได้ แต่ควรแบ่งข้าวออกเป็น 2 ส่วนคือ ส่วนแรก 30-50% ของปริมาณที่รับจำนำมาขายคืนให้กับโรงสีในราคาตลาด เพื่อให้ตลาดหมุนได้ ส่วนที่เหลือก็นำไปเก็บในคลังของรัฐบาล แต่ไม่ใช่เก็บลืม ต้องมีการสีแปรสภาพข้าวเพราะ 6-8 เดือนไม่แปร ข้าวก็เสื่อม กับส่วนที่ 2 รัฐบาลปรับวิธีการระบาย หนึ่งคือ อาศัยการขายแบบรัฐบาลต่อรัฐบาล (จีทูจี) หรือบาร์เตอร์เทรด นำไปแลกกับสินค้าจำเป็น เช่น ปุ๋ยข้าวตันละ 20,000 บาทเท่ากัน แหล่งผลิตปุ๋ยคือ แหล่งนำเข้าข้าวอย่างฟิลิปปินส์ หรือขายข้าว 1 ปีได้เงิน แสนกว่าล้าน ซื้อน้ำมันใช้ได้ 2 เดือน ทำไมไม่แลก แต่ที่ไม่ทำเพราะมีปัญหาเงินทอน
หากรัฐบาลเลือกแนวทางนี้โรงสีรับอาสาเป็นผู้ปรับปรุงคุณภาพข้าวส่งออกได้ และสอง การระบายผ่านตลาดสินค้าเกษตรล่วงหน้าแห่งประเทศไทย เดือนละ 200,000-300,000 ตัน ทุกเดือน ๆ ใครก็สามารถมาเทรด FOB ก็ทำได้
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Friday, June 24, 2011
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Bangkok Post: Cambodia eyes Filipino market
Steve Finch
Bangkok Post
Published: 16/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
Break for byline/break for normal. Nascent rice exporting industry is eager to ship, offering to undercut competitors.
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has held high-level talks with the Philippines that could result in the country's fledgling rice-export industry competing with Thailand and Vietnam for contracts to supply the world's largest importer.
On the sidelines of the recent Asean Summit in Indonesia, Prime Minister Hun Sen offered to sell rice at lower prices than competitors in a meeting with Filipino President Benigno Aquino, according to a Cambodian government aide. The offer was made in return for investment in Cambodia's under-developed agricultural sector, said Srey Thamrong, an adviser to Hun Sen, who was present during the talks in Jakarta on May 7.
''They expressed their desire to import rice,'' he said, adding that President Aquino told Hun Sen he would appoint a team of government officials to negotiate the arrangement.
The meeting followed a fact-finding mission by the Philippines National Food Authority to Phnom Penh early last month as part of the Aquino government's plans to diversify and reduce spending on rice imports that hit 2.25 million tonnes last year, the highest in the world.
''We are studying the possibility of Cambodia as an alternate source [of imports],'' NFA chief of staff Gilbert Lauengco told the Phnom Penh Post in April. Shipments would start ''at the very latest next year'', he added, although the exact amount and price the Philippines would pay Cambodia is yet to be agreed.
NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo told the Philippines' annual Rice Congress earlier this year the country paid an average US$630 per tonne for rice imports in 2010, or $1.42 billion overall, which represented more than 44% of the Philippines $3.47 billion trade deficit for the year.
This figure is set to fall dramatically in 2011 amid rising rice stocks and improved domestic production in the Philippines, according to government projections, providing tropical storms do not damage crops as has happened in the past in the typhoon-prone country. A Department of Agriculture report showed Philippines rice stocks reached a record 3.08 million tonnes by April 1, up 8% on the same period last year, while rice production climbed an annualised 16% in the first quarter to just over 4 million tonnes.
In response, the NFA has announced plans to slash rice imports to just 860,000 tonnes this year after the new Aquino government accused its predecessors of over stockpiling rice, a move likely to further diminish opportunities for the country's two main suppliers Vietnam and Thailand as Manila also looks to add Cambodia as a lower-cost alternative.
Reports in the Philippines said the government has agreed to purchase 200,000 tonnes from Vietnam this year as part of a rice-supply deal with Hanoi, while Thailand is set to be the main supplier of the country's reduced-tariffs programme with an agreement to ship 98,000 tonnes.
In recent years Thailand, the world's largest rice exporter, has struggled to compete with Vietnam to supply the grain to the Philippines after shipments of 500,000 tonnes in 2008 dwindled to 80,000 tonnes in 2009 before climbing again to more than 200,000 tonnes last year. In the past Thailand has said it hopes to ship half a million tonnes of rice per year to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is also set to lose out if the Philippines imports rice from Cambodia, say analysts. The Thai Rice Exporters Association estimates Cambodia supplies up to 1.5 million tonnes of paddy to Vietnam every year, which is then processed and shipped on as official export produce to markets including the Philippines. But during the talks in Jakarta, Mr Aquino reportedly told Hun Sen that Manila was ready to ''remove the middleman'' _ Vietnam _ resulting in lower import prices for the Philippines should Cambodia become equipped to process and ship the necessary quantities of rice, which is not yet the case.
''Cambodia's rice exports are mainly to Thailand and Vietnam at the moment and that is Cambodia's best option while the necessary downstream structures and logistics are not yet in place,'' said Korbsook Iamsuri, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
It remains unclear whether the Philippines will meet Hun Sen's request for the necessary investment in Cambodia's underdeveloped agricultural industry, subject to a formal agreement.
Although Cambodia is currently the world's seventh-largest exporter, it still has a long way to go before it can turn a paddy surplus estimated at just under 4 million tonnes this year into processed rice of a quality ready for shipment given inadequate infrastructure, high electricity prices and a lack of financing options in the industry.
''Hence Cambodian rice is not yet a threat to [the] export markets of both Thailand and Vietnam,'' said Ms Korbsook
Bangkok Post
Published: 16/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
Break for byline/break for normal. Nascent rice exporting industry is eager to ship, offering to undercut competitors.
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has held high-level talks with the Philippines that could result in the country's fledgling rice-export industry competing with Thailand and Vietnam for contracts to supply the world's largest importer.
On the sidelines of the recent Asean Summit in Indonesia, Prime Minister Hun Sen offered to sell rice at lower prices than competitors in a meeting with Filipino President Benigno Aquino, according to a Cambodian government aide. The offer was made in return for investment in Cambodia's under-developed agricultural sector, said Srey Thamrong, an adviser to Hun Sen, who was present during the talks in Jakarta on May 7.
''They expressed their desire to import rice,'' he said, adding that President Aquino told Hun Sen he would appoint a team of government officials to negotiate the arrangement.
The meeting followed a fact-finding mission by the Philippines National Food Authority to Phnom Penh early last month as part of the Aquino government's plans to diversify and reduce spending on rice imports that hit 2.25 million tonnes last year, the highest in the world.
''We are studying the possibility of Cambodia as an alternate source [of imports],'' NFA chief of staff Gilbert Lauengco told the Phnom Penh Post in April. Shipments would start ''at the very latest next year'', he added, although the exact amount and price the Philippines would pay Cambodia is yet to be agreed.
NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo told the Philippines' annual Rice Congress earlier this year the country paid an average US$630 per tonne for rice imports in 2010, or $1.42 billion overall, which represented more than 44% of the Philippines $3.47 billion trade deficit for the year.
This figure is set to fall dramatically in 2011 amid rising rice stocks and improved domestic production in the Philippines, according to government projections, providing tropical storms do not damage crops as has happened in the past in the typhoon-prone country. A Department of Agriculture report showed Philippines rice stocks reached a record 3.08 million tonnes by April 1, up 8% on the same period last year, while rice production climbed an annualised 16% in the first quarter to just over 4 million tonnes.
In response, the NFA has announced plans to slash rice imports to just 860,000 tonnes this year after the new Aquino government accused its predecessors of over stockpiling rice, a move likely to further diminish opportunities for the country's two main suppliers Vietnam and Thailand as Manila also looks to add Cambodia as a lower-cost alternative.
Reports in the Philippines said the government has agreed to purchase 200,000 tonnes from Vietnam this year as part of a rice-supply deal with Hanoi, while Thailand is set to be the main supplier of the country's reduced-tariffs programme with an agreement to ship 98,000 tonnes.
In recent years Thailand, the world's largest rice exporter, has struggled to compete with Vietnam to supply the grain to the Philippines after shipments of 500,000 tonnes in 2008 dwindled to 80,000 tonnes in 2009 before climbing again to more than 200,000 tonnes last year. In the past Thailand has said it hopes to ship half a million tonnes of rice per year to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is also set to lose out if the Philippines imports rice from Cambodia, say analysts. The Thai Rice Exporters Association estimates Cambodia supplies up to 1.5 million tonnes of paddy to Vietnam every year, which is then processed and shipped on as official export produce to markets including the Philippines. But during the talks in Jakarta, Mr Aquino reportedly told Hun Sen that Manila was ready to ''remove the middleman'' _ Vietnam _ resulting in lower import prices for the Philippines should Cambodia become equipped to process and ship the necessary quantities of rice, which is not yet the case.
''Cambodia's rice exports are mainly to Thailand and Vietnam at the moment and that is Cambodia's best option while the necessary downstream structures and logistics are not yet in place,'' said Korbsook Iamsuri, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
It remains unclear whether the Philippines will meet Hun Sen's request for the necessary investment in Cambodia's underdeveloped agricultural industry, subject to a formal agreement.
Although Cambodia is currently the world's seventh-largest exporter, it still has a long way to go before it can turn a paddy surplus estimated at just under 4 million tonnes this year into processed rice of a quality ready for shipment given inadequate infrastructure, high electricity prices and a lack of financing options in the industry.
''Hence Cambodian rice is not yet a threat to [the] export markets of both Thailand and Vietnam,'' said Ms Korbsook
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Special Report: Thai Rice Exports Part 1&2
Part 1
Santibhap Ussavasodhi
National News Bureau of Thailand
25 April 2011
Rice is one of the major export goods of Thailand. However, concerns over Thai rice exports have been ignited upon the upcoming formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 as Thailand might lose rice market, at least in the ASEAN region to its fellow ASEAN friend, Vietnam.
Center for International Trade Studies (CITS) Director Dr Aat Pisanwanich from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce reported the studies on impacts of the AEC formation to the Thai rice market. He elaborated that Vietnam, which is the major rival of Thailand in rice exports, has the chance to take Thailand’s place as top rice exporter to the ASEAN markets if export tariff is cut to 0% in the AEC formation in 2015. He also pointed out that Thailand will be at risk of losing market shares, notably in the Philippines and Malaysia, which are important export targets of Thailand.
Dr Aat indicated that Vietnam will be able to dominate the rice market in ASEAN since qualities of Thai and Vietnamese rice are not much different while Vietnamese rice is cheaper than Thai rice by about 125 US dollars per ton. Taking into account the Vietnamese dong devaluation, he said Vietnamese rice becomes even cheaper than Thai rice. Thailand hence might also lose market shares in Africa in the future.
The director suggested that Thailand should publicize and promote Thai rice, especially premium grades, in upper markets by focusing higher quality of Thai rice among consumers. He also advised that Thailand should set up a panel to study pros and cons of Thai rice upon the AEC formation within three years from now in order to maintain its market share in the global market in general.
In preparation for the AEC, the public sector should urgently educate Thai farmers about the AEC via regional networks, universities and farmer communities since production efficiency should be improved and farmers should have more time to adjust to market demands. Whether Thailand will continue to maintain its grip in the global rice business under the coming integration of ASEAN markets, find out in the second part of this special report to follow, for other problems associated with Thai rice exports and the AEC.
Part 2
Sarun Saelee
National News Bureau of Thailand
25 April 2011
The planned formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 has sparked growing concern among local traders that Thai rice exports will lose market shares to Vietnam. The private sector is, therefore, proposing solutions such as importing rice from neighbors similarly to what Vietnam is doing.
Thai Rice Exports Association Honorary President Chukiat Opaswong admitted that at present Vietnam has been exporting larger quantities of rice and is trying to turn itself into the rice-trading hub of Indo-China and ASEAN region after 2015 when the AEC is established. He pointed out that Vietnam could export more rice as it has been importing rice from neighbours, notably Cambodia which is selling rice surplus from domestic consumption; thereby, Vietnam can keep rice prices cheaper than Thai rice thanks to the larger quantities.
Mr Chukiat suggested that Thailand should adapt itself by using credibility in rice exports and importing more rice to make the country the regional and global hub for rice trade; however, he noted that free trade zoning should be set up to prevent negative impacts on local farmers and mixture of foreign and Thai rice. He cautioned that Thailand might lose the status of being the champion of global rice traders upon failure to take any appropriate action.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce clarified that Thailand is actually importing rice from neighboring countries under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA); however, only imports of broken milled rice are allowed for industrial production such as noodles and flour, not for direct consumption due to fear for crop mixing problem. In addition, the imports can be approved only at six border checkpoints with adequate inspection to prevent low quality rice and genetically modified rice from mixing with premium rice in Thailand.
Instead of worrying about losing market shares to Vietnam, the Minister suggested that related sides should have paid greater attention to the real objective of the AEC which is to enhance economic cooperation. Hence, it will indeed be better if Thailand and Vietnam cooperate and use the AEC for mutual benefits and turning ASEAN as a whole to be the global hub for rice trade.
Santibhap Ussavasodhi
National News Bureau of Thailand
25 April 2011
Rice is one of the major export goods of Thailand. However, concerns over Thai rice exports have been ignited upon the upcoming formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 as Thailand might lose rice market, at least in the ASEAN region to its fellow ASEAN friend, Vietnam.
Center for International Trade Studies (CITS) Director Dr Aat Pisanwanich from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce reported the studies on impacts of the AEC formation to the Thai rice market. He elaborated that Vietnam, which is the major rival of Thailand in rice exports, has the chance to take Thailand’s place as top rice exporter to the ASEAN markets if export tariff is cut to 0% in the AEC formation in 2015. He also pointed out that Thailand will be at risk of losing market shares, notably in the Philippines and Malaysia, which are important export targets of Thailand.
Dr Aat indicated that Vietnam will be able to dominate the rice market in ASEAN since qualities of Thai and Vietnamese rice are not much different while Vietnamese rice is cheaper than Thai rice by about 125 US dollars per ton. Taking into account the Vietnamese dong devaluation, he said Vietnamese rice becomes even cheaper than Thai rice. Thailand hence might also lose market shares in Africa in the future.
The director suggested that Thailand should publicize and promote Thai rice, especially premium grades, in upper markets by focusing higher quality of Thai rice among consumers. He also advised that Thailand should set up a panel to study pros and cons of Thai rice upon the AEC formation within three years from now in order to maintain its market share in the global market in general.
In preparation for the AEC, the public sector should urgently educate Thai farmers about the AEC via regional networks, universities and farmer communities since production efficiency should be improved and farmers should have more time to adjust to market demands. Whether Thailand will continue to maintain its grip in the global rice business under the coming integration of ASEAN markets, find out in the second part of this special report to follow, for other problems associated with Thai rice exports and the AEC.
Part 2
Sarun Saelee
National News Bureau of Thailand
25 April 2011
The planned formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 has sparked growing concern among local traders that Thai rice exports will lose market shares to Vietnam. The private sector is, therefore, proposing solutions such as importing rice from neighbors similarly to what Vietnam is doing.
Thai Rice Exports Association Honorary President Chukiat Opaswong admitted that at present Vietnam has been exporting larger quantities of rice and is trying to turn itself into the rice-trading hub of Indo-China and ASEAN region after 2015 when the AEC is established. He pointed out that Vietnam could export more rice as it has been importing rice from neighbours, notably Cambodia which is selling rice surplus from domestic consumption; thereby, Vietnam can keep rice prices cheaper than Thai rice thanks to the larger quantities.
Mr Chukiat suggested that Thailand should adapt itself by using credibility in rice exports and importing more rice to make the country the regional and global hub for rice trade; however, he noted that free trade zoning should be set up to prevent negative impacts on local farmers and mixture of foreign and Thai rice. He cautioned that Thailand might lose the status of being the champion of global rice traders upon failure to take any appropriate action.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce clarified that Thailand is actually importing rice from neighboring countries under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA); however, only imports of broken milled rice are allowed for industrial production such as noodles and flour, not for direct consumption due to fear for crop mixing problem. In addition, the imports can be approved only at six border checkpoints with adequate inspection to prevent low quality rice and genetically modified rice from mixing with premium rice in Thailand.
Instead of worrying about losing market shares to Vietnam, the Minister suggested that related sides should have paid greater attention to the real objective of the AEC which is to enhance economic cooperation. Hence, it will indeed be better if Thailand and Vietnam cooperate and use the AEC for mutual benefits and turning ASEAN as a whole to be the global hub for rice trade.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
VOA: Rising Food Prices Pinch the Poor, a Boon to Farmers
By Chun Sakada
VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Friday, 22 April 2011
Rising prices for food and other necessities have cut into the daily lives of many poor Cambodians, even though some farmers say there are benefitting. Prices for beef, pork, fish and vegetables have continued to climb, pinching budgets of many who have seen little adjustment to their earnings.
Peter Brimble, a senior economist for the Asian Development Bank in Cambodia, said that rising food prices are a threat to Cambodia’s goals for poverty reduction, with the poorest spending large percentages of their incomes on food.
However, he said, Cambodia remains a net food exporter, especially with rice, making it somewhat less vulnerable.
Still, a spike in prices has been felt by Cambodians of many walks of life.
Khan Touch, a 36-year-old garment factory worker, told VOA Khmer this week she earns about $90 a month, with overtime, but bills for rent, $35, and utilities, $15, leave little left for food.
“Before, if I had 5,000 riel [$1.25], I could buy enough food for one meal,” she said. “Now if I have 5,000 riel, I can’t.”
Primary school teacher Ma Lay, 48, said her monthly salary of $70 does little in the face of rising prices.
“I can’t buy quality rice to eat,” she said. A third of a kilogram of fish now costs what half a kilogram costs not long ago, she said. Pork prices have doubled.
“My salary has not increased,” she said. “But rising food prices continue.”
Along with food prices, fuel prices are a growing concern for tuk-tuk driver Ha Sa An, 36. Over the past six months, he said, his daily take home has dropped from $7.50 to $2.50.
“The government should think of this problem,” he said.
Minister of Economy Keat Chhon said recently that food prices have become a general concern worldwide. But the rising prices of rice, soybeans and other agricultural goods have been a boon to farmers, he said.
He said the high value of the Cambodian riel has offered a buffer for state and private workers in preventing even high costs.
Var Khan, a 62-year-old cassava farmer in Banteay Meanchey province, said the price of his produce has gone from $0.06 per kilogram to $0.10 per kilogram in the last five months.
“I can earn nearly $3,000 on one hectare of cassava plantation,” he said. “I am very happy for the high price of cassava.”
Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodian Economic Association, said high prices for cassava, corn, soybeans and rice have all helped farmers, even if it hurts consumers.
Farmers that can earn more from their goods are able to save money, expand their production and look for more markets, either locally or for export, he said.
Related News
- Growing Economy at a ‘Crossroads’: ADB / Chun Sakada / VOA Khmer / Apr 6, 2011
- Cambodia Struggling With Paddy Rice Flight / Pich Samnang / VOA Khmer / Jan 31, 2011
- Ministers Approve Regulation for Contract Farming / Chun Sakada / VOA Khmer / Feb 14, 2011
- Rice Experts See Better Prospects in New Seeds / Pich Samnang / VOA Khmer / Feb 27, 2011
VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Friday, 22 April 2011
Rising prices for food and other necessities have cut into the daily lives of many poor Cambodians, even though some farmers say there are benefitting. Prices for beef, pork, fish and vegetables have continued to climb, pinching budgets of many who have seen little adjustment to their earnings.Peter Brimble, a senior economist for the Asian Development Bank in Cambodia, said that rising food prices are a threat to Cambodia’s goals for poverty reduction, with the poorest spending large percentages of their incomes on food.
However, he said, Cambodia remains a net food exporter, especially with rice, making it somewhat less vulnerable.
Still, a spike in prices has been felt by Cambodians of many walks of life.
Khan Touch, a 36-year-old garment factory worker, told VOA Khmer this week she earns about $90 a month, with overtime, but bills for rent, $35, and utilities, $15, leave little left for food.
“Before, if I had 5,000 riel [$1.25], I could buy enough food for one meal,” she said. “Now if I have 5,000 riel, I can’t.”
Primary school teacher Ma Lay, 48, said her monthly salary of $70 does little in the face of rising prices.
“I can’t buy quality rice to eat,” she said. A third of a kilogram of fish now costs what half a kilogram costs not long ago, she said. Pork prices have doubled.
“My salary has not increased,” she said. “But rising food prices continue.”
Along with food prices, fuel prices are a growing concern for tuk-tuk driver Ha Sa An, 36. Over the past six months, he said, his daily take home has dropped from $7.50 to $2.50.
“The government should think of this problem,” he said.
Minister of Economy Keat Chhon said recently that food prices have become a general concern worldwide. But the rising prices of rice, soybeans and other agricultural goods have been a boon to farmers, he said.
He said the high value of the Cambodian riel has offered a buffer for state and private workers in preventing even high costs.
Var Khan, a 62-year-old cassava farmer in Banteay Meanchey province, said the price of his produce has gone from $0.06 per kilogram to $0.10 per kilogram in the last five months.
“I can earn nearly $3,000 on one hectare of cassava plantation,” he said. “I am very happy for the high price of cassava.”
Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodian Economic Association, said high prices for cassava, corn, soybeans and rice have all helped farmers, even if it hurts consumers.
Farmers that can earn more from their goods are able to save money, expand their production and look for more markets, either locally or for export, he said.
Related News
- Growing Economy at a ‘Crossroads’: ADB / Chun Sakada / VOA Khmer / Apr 6, 2011
- Cambodia Struggling With Paddy Rice Flight / Pich Samnang / VOA Khmer / Jan 31, 2011
- Ministers Approve Regulation for Contract Farming / Chun Sakada / VOA Khmer / Feb 14, 2011
- Rice Experts See Better Prospects in New Seeds / Pich Samnang / VOA Khmer / Feb 27, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Xinhua: Cambodia needs 350 mln USD to achieve its rice export target by 2015
THURSDAY, 31 MARCH 2011 09:04
PHNOM PENH, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia needs 350 million U.S. dollars to boost rice paddy production and rice exports to hit one million-ton a year from 2015, said a senior finance official on Wednesday.
Of the amount, 200 million U.S. dollars will be used to purchase rice paddy from farmers for processing and 150 million U. S. dollars for building hi-tech post harvest technology, Hang Chuon Naron, secretary of state for the Finance Ministry, told reporters after a seminar on environment, agriculture and development.
"Currently, the country's high-tech rice mills are capable to process only 200,000 tons of rice per year, so to meet the target of exporting 1 million tons a year by 2015, it needs to invest other five times, or around 150 million U.S. dollars, in building sophisticated rice mills," he said.
"So far, we have mobilized about 50 million U.S. dollars from banks and development partners for this task," he said.
The country, in August last year, set up a rice paddy production and rice export policy aiming to increase rice exports in Cambodia to one million tons a year from 2015.
Hang Chuon Naron said that the target markets that Cambodia focusing on are the Europe and China.
Chan Sarun, minister of agriculture, forests and fisheries, said in the seminar that in order to meet the need in foreign markets, the ministry has actively advised farmers to grow ten types of rice seeds that are popular among foreign countries.
"Now the issue that we need to give more attention to is sanitary and phyto-sanitary in order to adapt to international agreements in protecting interests of our trade partner countries," he told the seminar with 150 participants, who are government officials from the ministries of agriculture, commerce, finance, environment, industry, and rice exporters, millers, bankers as well as development partners.
Cambodia produced 8.25 million tons of rice paddy in the harvest season 2010-2011. Of this figure, the country has 3.9 million tons of rice paddies, or 2.5 million tons of milled rice left over for exports this year, said Chan Sarun.
PHNOM PENH, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia needs 350 million U.S. dollars to boost rice paddy production and rice exports to hit one million-ton a year from 2015, said a senior finance official on Wednesday.
Of the amount, 200 million U.S. dollars will be used to purchase rice paddy from farmers for processing and 150 million U. S. dollars for building hi-tech post harvest technology, Hang Chuon Naron, secretary of state for the Finance Ministry, told reporters after a seminar on environment, agriculture and development.
"Currently, the country's high-tech rice mills are capable to process only 200,000 tons of rice per year, so to meet the target of exporting 1 million tons a year by 2015, it needs to invest other five times, or around 150 million U.S. dollars, in building sophisticated rice mills," he said."So far, we have mobilized about 50 million U.S. dollars from banks and development partners for this task," he said.
The country, in August last year, set up a rice paddy production and rice export policy aiming to increase rice exports in Cambodia to one million tons a year from 2015.
Hang Chuon Naron said that the target markets that Cambodia focusing on are the Europe and China.
Chan Sarun, minister of agriculture, forests and fisheries, said in the seminar that in order to meet the need in foreign markets, the ministry has actively advised farmers to grow ten types of rice seeds that are popular among foreign countries."Now the issue that we need to give more attention to is sanitary and phyto-sanitary in order to adapt to international agreements in protecting interests of our trade partner countries," he told the seminar with 150 participants, who are government officials from the ministries of agriculture, commerce, finance, environment, industry, and rice exporters, millers, bankers as well as development partners.
Cambodia produced 8.25 million tons of rice paddy in the harvest season 2010-2011. Of this figure, the country has 3.9 million tons of rice paddies, or 2.5 million tons of milled rice left over for exports this year, said Chan Sarun.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
WSWS: Fears of a looming Philippine rice crisis
By Joseph Santolan
WSWS.org
15 April 2011
The possibility of a serious rice shortage has dominated the Philippine press this past week. On April 12, the Philippine Daily Inquirer ran a banner headline that President Aquino had been warned of a rice crisis in a confidential report issued by the National Intelligence Coordination Agency (NICA) in late February. The report, which was leaked to the press, warned of possible food riots, concluding that “the danger of a food crisis in this country is reaching the point that it has now become an issue of national security.”
President Aquino first responded to the article by claiming that fears of a food shortage were unfounded and that the Philippines would have an adequate supply of rice for the coming year. A day later, he announced that the NICA report upon which the article was based was a fraud. The head of the Department of Agriculture held a press conference in which he stated that NICA had never issued such a report to the president and that a conspiracy of rice merchants had produced the phony report in a bid to raise market prices.
The Aquino administration’s disavowal of the NICA report and their allegations of a shadowy cabal of rice merchants engaged in a disinformation campaign do not hold up to scrutiny. Aquino publicly acknowledged receipt of the report in a press conference in late February. The data given in the report as published by the Inquirer were accurate; the conclusions were measured and reasonable. The report warned that a shortage would benefit “a rice cartel that continues to operate in the country.” It advocated that the National Food Authority (NFA) submit a “detailed report on rice availability” and take measures to ensure supply. These conclusions would hardly benefit a conspiracy of rice merchants.
More telling, the unnamed rice merchants that Aquino claims are manipulating the press and the Philippine public, are precisely the beneficiaries of his campaign of privatization. They are the capitalists which he claimed would handle the importation, purchase and sale of rice more efficiently than government. He slashed the NFA budget so these merchant would be unobstructed in their pursuit of profit.
The furor over the possibility of a rice crisis and the Aquino administration’s dismissal of the allegedly fraudulent NICA report reveals the precarious position in which Aquino’s policy of privatization has left the Philippine rice supply.
The National Food Authority was the Philippine government agency responsible for the purchase of a portion of the annual rice harvest from local farmers at subsidized prices, the importation of rice to ensure an adequate supply, the sale of rice at reduced prices for poor families, and maintenance of a stockpile of rice to be used in the event of a shortage. Aquino reduced the budget of the NFA last year to zero, effectively eliminating all of these functions. The rice stockpile was halved from a 30-day supply to 15. The importation of rice was tendered out to private merchants. The subsidized purchase and sale of rice was drastically reduced.
On entering office, Aquino was under sharp pressure from the World Bank and the IMF to slash government spending and to service the national debt. The NFA budget was one of the first items that he targeted. The World Bank quarterly report on the Philippines released on April 8, entitled “Robust Growth, Stubborn Poverty,” singled out the NFA cuts as a positive example of “priority and efficient spending” which “significantly slowed down total public spending.”
The World Bank report praised the Aquino administration’s use of targeted cash dole-outs to poor families to replace the functions of the NFA. This program, dubbed by the Aquino administration Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), gives 1,000 pesos ($US23) a month to poor families to supplement their income provided they meet certain requirements such as enrolling their children in school. These limited hand outs, even assuming they reach the poor families for which they are intended, cannot replace the infrastructure and programs that the Aquino administration has slashed.
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) released the findings of its Seventh National Nutrition Survey in February, 2011. They found that more than 50 percent of Philippine children ages 0-5 are malnourished. A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on April 8 showed that 20.5 percent of Filipinos reported that they had experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months. This figure has gone up from 18.1 percent since the last survey results in November 2010. The number of hungry Filipinos is growing.
When confronted with this data, Aquino responded with disbelief, dismissing the survey results. He claimed in the Philippine press that the statistical sample used “did not capture those helped by CCT.” Aquino’s dismissal indicates clearly that he is conceding that there is a poor section of the population which is hungry and unaided by the CCT program. But SWS conducts rigorous, nationwide surveys. This is not an error in statistical sampling. Hunger is mounting in the wake of Aquino’s campaign of privatization and budget cuts.The Philippines has long been the world’s largest importer of rice. Claiming that he was aiming at making the Philippines self-sufficient in rice production, Aquino ordered the dramatic reduction in imported rice for 2011. From 2.3 million metric tons in 2010, Philippine rice imports have dropped to 200,000 metric tons so far in 2011.
Aquino and the Department of Agriculture are projecting a bumper crop of rice this year in the Philippines. The head of the Department of Agriculture, Proceso Alcala, forecast a growth of 1 million tonnes in the dry season harvest this year. But there are several problems with these claims.
First, Alcala is only examining the data from the northern island of Luzon where conditions have been favorable. The southern islands of the Visayas and Mindanao have had flooding and unfavorable conditions and are projected to have a much lower yield. Second, even the best annual bumper crop in the past decade has only resulted in a growth of one million tonnes over the average. Alcala is projecting this amount of growth for the dry season harvest alone, which is half of a year’s agricultural output. Finally, even if these numbers were accurate and sustainable for the entire year, there would still be a dramatic shortfall from the projected demand. The US Department of Agriculture estimates a shortfall for the Philippines of 1.5 tonnes in 2011. This amount will need to be imported.
Global food prices have soared in the past year. A World Bank press release dated April 14, 2011, indicates that global food prices are 36 percent higher than last year and are highly volatile. Rice has remained the one point of comparative stability while the prices for wheat, sugar, maize and other crops have skyrocketed. Two factors have contributed to relatively constant world rice prices. The first was a good rice harvest in Thailand and Vietnam and the second the dramatic reduction in demand from the Philippines. Both of these factors are poised to change.
A sustained drought in northern China has destroyed at least 40 percent of the Chinese wheat harvest. This shortfall will need to be replaced with rice. The Chinese government has called for higher rice production in the southern provinces, but even the best efforts will not be able to replace the lost grain. Given the astronomical prices of wheat on the world market, the Chinese are looking to import rice.
Rice grown in the United States, largely in California, is a leading contributor to the world rice market. In the past year, 20 percent of US rice land has been shifted away from rice to other crops in pursuit of government subsidies for bio-fuel production.
Myanmar has imposed a ban on all rice exports, so the Irrawaddy River delta, a highly productive region, will not be feeding anyone outside of Myanmar. India has imposed a minimum export price on its rice. Rice can only be exported at over $850 a ton. The current Thai benchmark price for rice is $540. India is contemplating raising this minimum to as high as $1,200 per ton according to the Economic Times of India.
Aquino claims that one of the countries that he is looking to as a potential source of rice imports is Cambodia. Cambodia, while highly fertile agriculturally, has had very limited infrastructural investment. Last year it exported 20,000 tons of rice. This pales when compared to the projected 1.5 million ton Philippine shortfall.
Both Indonesia and Bangladesh have begun massively importing rice. In January, the Indonesian rice importing agency BULOG ordered 820,000 tons of rice, more than four times the expected order. Bangladesh doubled its rice imports to 1.2 million tons.
Japan lost at least 20 percent of its rice harvest to the March 11 tsunami and the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear catastrophe. It will be looking to Thailand for imports as Thai farmers have begun growing the japonica strain of rice that is consumed in Japan.
The world is looking to the harvests of Vietnam and Thailand to sustain this increased demand. However, Vietnam.net reported on April 12, that its coastal provinces were suffering from a potential drought. The annual seawater inundation had left areas up to 25 kilometers from the coast with heightened salinity. Without sufficient rain to dilute the salty soil with fresh water none of this land will be arable for rice.
Bloomberg.com reported on April 8, that Thailand is suffering an infestation of rice planthoppers which are destroying crops. The government has determined not to have a third rice harvest this year, letting the fields lie fallow to kill off the pests. This will slash the Thai rice harvest this year by a third. The Bangkok Post reported on April 12 that no crop insurance will be issued for this year’s second rice harvest. The potential damage from pests is too high.
When the Philippines returns to the world market to import additional rice, as it must given current estimates, it may cause global rice prices to spiral dramatically upward.
Regional governments are preparing for this eventuality by making further inroads against the living standards of the poor. Both the Philippine and the Indonesian government have recently begun strongly advocating that consumers shift from rice to cassava as their primary staple.
Aquino’s administration is also seeking to place the blame for any possible rice shortage on consumers. Filipinos waste three tablespoons of rice every day, Alcala stated. To save rice, Filipinos should take three tablespoons less rice each day. And this to a population where over half the children already suffer malnutrition!
In response to claims that there was a pending rice crisis, the Philippine Senate offered sweeping and unspecified “emergency powers” to the president. Aquino turned down the offer, saying that it was not needed—for now.
As hunger mounts, so will anger. When the majority of the Filipino people can no longer afford to purchase the rice they need to feed their families, there could well be food riots, just as there were in during the rice shortages of 1995 and 2008. And Aquino will return to the Philippine Senate for these emergency powers.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Phnom Penh Post: Mill capacity key to growing rice exports
Column: The Bottom Line
By Steve Finch
The Phnom Penh Post
April 4, 2011
Cambodia's target of 1 million tonnes in rice shipments by 2015 would place the Kingdom behind China, or in seventh position in the world pecking order of rice exporters based on current volumnes.
To achieve this goal Cambodia need not drastically raise its level of production. Domestic rice output was expected to outstrip supply by 3.9 million tonnes this year. And export levels are growing at at staggering pace, some 2,356 percent in the first half of last year compared to a year earlier. Which meant Cambodia overtook Burma and Uruguay among mid-level world exporters, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The problem remains milling because farmers simply cannot get the neccessary credit to raise capacity. After milling more than 107,000 tonnes in the first half of last year, Cambodia is already hitting its annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year.
To meet its stated goal of 1 million tonnes of rice exports by 2015, Cambodia therefore has to raise milling capacity by five times in four years which according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance will require US$150 million in investment over the same period. If it does not, paddy will continue to spill over the country's borders to Thaland and Vietnam, the two largest exporters in the world where processing capacity is much greater.
In Channy, general manager of ACLEDA Bank, by far the biggest lender to the agricultural sector in Cambodia, said yesterday credit remained the major problem. "This is the most difficult part for entrepreneurs in Cambodia," he said.
Medium-sized companies seeking to borrow between $10,000 and $1 million from ACLEDA must supply finanical information going back three years, he added. Credit worthiness is determined through interviews with friends and local officials which overall leads to a system which is time-consuming and hugely inefficient. Often, companies simply do not hold the required accounting history, said In Channy.
The Government's recent promise to guarantee 50 percent of loans by commercial banks to the agricultural sector will surely help raise financing to the sector, but the real key could be the estrablishment of the country's first credit bureau either by year's end or early 2012.
The Association of Banks in Cambodia will set up the new service with the help of Singapore's Veda Advantage, according to In Channy, which ought to make borrowing much simpler. Banks will be able to share credit information, reducing the work and risk required, which should in turn raise lending appetite.
If Cambodia reaches its target of 1 million tonnes in rice exports by 2015, that would bring in more than $125 million at 2010 prices. The indutry won't compare to the $3-billion garment sector, but with the necessary financing Cambodia would at last have a vital second major export industry.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Reuters: Thai rice exporters eye investments in Cambodia-INTERVIEW
By Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat
Reuters News
Thursday April 14, 2011 04:31:09 AM GMT
THAILAND-RICE/CAMBODIA (INTERVIEW)
* EU initiative offers opportunities for Thai exporters
* Logistics could limit pace of investment in Cambodia
* Cambodia keen to overhaul sector, boost exports
BANGKOK, April 12 (Reuters) - Thai exporters plan to invest in Cambodia's fledgling rice sector, lured by low production costs and tariff-free exports to the European Union, an industry official said on Tuesday.
Cambodia, the world's 15th-largest rice producer caught the attention of Thai exporters because of its growth potential and access to special EU privileges for poor countries, Korbsook Iamsuree, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters.
Cambodia is an interesting country to invest in. The rice quality is OK and there is plenty of land to grow more rice at cheaper costs," she said.
Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter, is facing higher production costs and uncompetitive export prices. The country has shipped less rice because Vietnam, the second-largest exporter, is boosting its market share with cheaper rice.
Korbsook said Thailand needed to find ways to cut production costs by looking for cheaper rice from neighbouring countries.
Thai exporters met last week with Cambodia's Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh, who is keen to attract foreign investment in the country's rice industry and boost exports this year.
Korbsook said Thai exporters would be interested in milling rice and exporting them via a Cambodian port in a bid to get tax privileges from the EU rather than investing in rice planting. But the actual value of investments would depend on the development of Cambodia's logistical infrastructure.
Thai exporters had also sought to invest in Myanmar, but abandoned the idea due to the political uncertainty and unconducive investment climate in the neighbouring country.
Cambodia is targeting annual rice exports of 1 million tonnes of milled rice this year, dramatically up from the current volume of about 20,000 tonnes. [ID:nSGE67G0A9]
However, the goal was still small compared to Thailand, which ships around 10 million tonnes and Vietnam, which exports about 6 million tonnes.
INVESTMENTS SOUGHT
To achieve the 1 million-tonne mark, Cambodia needed foreign investment in milling technology and government support by providing soft loan.
After years of political turbulence, including civil war and the deadly Khmer Rouge era, Cambodia's economy was in tatters by the end of the 1980s, when it produced around 7 million tonnes of rice, most of which was milled and re-exported by Vietnam.
Korbsook said producing and exporting rice from Cambodia would help expand sales in the Euro zone, with firms capitalising on the EU's zero-tariff "Everything but Arms" privileges, which it offers to less developed nations.
Cambodia is looking for foreign investors to boost its milling sector and it has allocated a budget of $23 million to the Ministry of Agriculture this year, up from $3 million in 2010.
However, Korbsook said investment in Cambodia by Thai exporters is not expected to be substantial over the next couple of years, as there were still some obstacles that could push up costs.
"The logistics system is still not ready for exports and that would result in higher costs," she said.
"We expect the Cambodian government to overcome this problem very soon and by that time, investing in Cambodia would be more interesting." (Editing by Martin Petty and Ramthan Hussain)
Reuters News
Thursday April 14, 2011 04:31:09 AM GMT
THAILAND-RICE/CAMBODIA (INTERVIEW)
* EU initiative offers opportunities for Thai exporters
* Logistics could limit pace of investment in Cambodia
* Cambodia keen to overhaul sector, boost exports
BANGKOK, April 12 (Reuters) - Thai exporters plan to invest in Cambodia's fledgling rice sector, lured by low production costs and tariff-free exports to the European Union, an industry official said on Tuesday.Cambodia, the world's 15th-largest rice producer caught the attention of Thai exporters because of its growth potential and access to special EU privileges for poor countries, Korbsook Iamsuree, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters.
Cambodia is an interesting country to invest in. The rice quality is OK and there is plenty of land to grow more rice at cheaper costs," she said.
Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter, is facing higher production costs and uncompetitive export prices. The country has shipped less rice because Vietnam, the second-largest exporter, is boosting its market share with cheaper rice.
Korbsook said Thailand needed to find ways to cut production costs by looking for cheaper rice from neighbouring countries.
Thai exporters met last week with Cambodia's Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh, who is keen to attract foreign investment in the country's rice industry and boost exports this year.
Korbsook said Thai exporters would be interested in milling rice and exporting them via a Cambodian port in a bid to get tax privileges from the EU rather than investing in rice planting. But the actual value of investments would depend on the development of Cambodia's logistical infrastructure.
Thai exporters had also sought to invest in Myanmar, but abandoned the idea due to the political uncertainty and unconducive investment climate in the neighbouring country.
Cambodia is targeting annual rice exports of 1 million tonnes of milled rice this year, dramatically up from the current volume of about 20,000 tonnes. [ID:nSGE67G0A9]
However, the goal was still small compared to Thailand, which ships around 10 million tonnes and Vietnam, which exports about 6 million tonnes.
Comparison of the amount of rice export of the four rice growing countries
Data Source from USDA / graphic by AKR / Unit in tons of rice
INVESTMENTS SOUGHT
To achieve the 1 million-tonne mark, Cambodia needed foreign investment in milling technology and government support by providing soft loan.
After years of political turbulence, including civil war and the deadly Khmer Rouge era, Cambodia's economy was in tatters by the end of the 1980s, when it produced around 7 million tonnes of rice, most of which was milled and re-exported by Vietnam.
Korbsook said producing and exporting rice from Cambodia would help expand sales in the Euro zone, with firms capitalising on the EU's zero-tariff "Everything but Arms" privileges, which it offers to less developed nations.
Cambodia is looking for foreign investors to boost its milling sector and it has allocated a budget of $23 million to the Ministry of Agriculture this year, up from $3 million in 2010.
However, Korbsook said investment in Cambodia by Thai exporters is not expected to be substantial over the next couple of years, as there were still some obstacles that could push up costs.
"The logistics system is still not ready for exports and that would result in higher costs," she said."We expect the Cambodian government to overcome this problem very soon and by that time, investing in Cambodia would be more interesting." (Editing by Martin Petty and Ramthan Hussain)
Related News
Monday, April 11, 2011
Document: Seminar on Rice Standard and Regulation workshop, Apr 6, 2011
Document from a seminar on "Rice Standard and Regulation workshop" arranged by Ministry of Commerce on April 6, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Top Thai-Cambodian rice traders meet up - vow greater cooperation on the trade
Strong cooperation - Executives of Thai Rice Exporters Association and Angkor Rice holding hand together at Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung rice mill, Kandal, Cambodia. - (picture by Angkor Rice)By AC
31 March 2011
Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) and Board of Trade of Thailand (BTT) visit Cambodia during 29 - 31 March 2011 meeting top Cambodian government officers and local rice traders to tie closer cooperation on the rice trade between the two countries.
The group comprised of leading Thai rice exporters headed by Miss Korbsook Iamsuri, President of TREA, and Mr. Niyom Wairatpanij, Chairman: Commitee on Neighbouring Countries Economic Promotion - BTT.
The trade envoys have met with H.E. Dr. Cham Prasidh, Minister of Commerce, local Cambodian rice millers and visiting Angkor Rice.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Phl eyeing to import rice from Cambodia, India and Pakistan
philstar.com
April 05, 2011 11:33 PM
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine government is keen on sourcing this year's rice imports from Cambodia, India and Pakistan, a senior agriculture official said today.
National Food Authority Administrator Angelito T. Banayo disclosed that he is set to meet with the ambassador of Cambodia on Wednesday for a possible rice supply deal.
"These are just initial discussions. We could buy from (these countries) if the price is right," Banayo said.
The Philippines has an existing rice supply agreement with Vietnam for a maximum of 1.5 million tons of rice. The memorandum of agreement, which was recently renewed by the government, is in force until 2013, when the Philippines expects to be self sufficient in rice.
Just recently, the NFA announced that it bought 200,000 tons of rice from Vietnam under a government to government deal.
For 2011, the Philippines had announced that it will buy 860, 000 tons of milled rice although the figure may go up if local rice production for January to June will not meet the projected production increase of 15.3 percent.
April 05, 2011 11:33 PM
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine government is keen on sourcing this year's rice imports from Cambodia, India and Pakistan, a senior agriculture official said today.
National Food Authority Administrator Angelito T. Banayo disclosed that he is set to meet with the ambassador of Cambodia on Wednesday for a possible rice supply deal.
"These are just initial discussions. We could buy from (these countries) if the price is right," Banayo said.
The Philippines has an existing rice supply agreement with Vietnam for a maximum of 1.5 million tons of rice. The memorandum of agreement, which was recently renewed by the government, is in force until 2013, when the Philippines expects to be self sufficient in rice.
Just recently, the NFA announced that it bought 200,000 tons of rice from Vietnam under a government to government deal.
For 2011, the Philippines had announced that it will buy 860, 000 tons of milled rice although the figure may go up if local rice production for January to June will not meet the projected production increase of 15.3 percent.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Bangkok Post: Toyota joins Huay Chuan
Joint venture eyed for Cambodian rice
Published: 29/03/2011 at 12:00 AM
Toyota Tsusho, the trading arm of Japan's Toyota Motor Corporation, has teamed up with Thailand's Huay Chuan Rice Co to cash in on Cambodia's growing rice industry.
The alliance, which includes Malaysian investors, has been in talks with Cambodian businessmen for a venture that would initially set up a rice mill and processing plant for export.Chookiat Ophaswongse, managing director of the Huay Chuan Group, said Takeo province on the Vietnamese border is being considered. Takeo is about 150 kilometres east of Sihanoukville, Cambodia's deep-water seaport, which would facilitate shipments.
Cambodia's rice industry has grown rapidly in recent years following the government's policy of promoting exports once local production is sufficient for local consumption.
Mr Chookiat said Cambodia should have four million tonnes of unmilled rice for export this year - 3.5 million tonnes to Vietnam and the rest to Thailand.
"The Cambodian government has opened the market wider to foreign investors, especially those bringing in new technology and R&D for improving the local rice industry," he said.
Cambodia reportedly shipped 900,000 tonnes of rice in 2010, almost double the 500,000 tonnes in 2008. However, the actual volume may be even higher due to inefficient data gathering.
Mr Chookiat said the proposed venture will also consider the next phase - a fully integrated rice operation.
It would develop quality jasmine and glutinous rice seeds, promote higher-quality farming and process the rice for both consumption and use as an ingredient in a vinegar factory.
"The Japanese firm already produces vinegar in Vietnam, but supply problems are prompting them to seek new sources," said Mr Chookiat.
Toyota Tsusho earlier met with Huay Chuan Rice to discuss a possible joint investment in rice-based products such as flour and crackers for domestic consumption and export to Japan.
But last year's political unrest in Bangkok put that project on hold. As well, Japanese investors are unsure of Thailand's rice policy. "There's a risk the new government could reinstitute the rice price pledging scheme, which could result in market and cost instability," said Mr Chookiat, who is also honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
The association will today lead a delegation to Cambodia to promote tighter cooperation in the rice industry.
Other rice exporters including Thailand's largest, Asia Golden Rice Co, are working with Japanese partners to invest in Cambodian rice.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Reuters: Manila must seek long-term rice deals-official
By Erik dela Cruz
Reuters
MANILA | Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:24am EDT
(Reuters) - The Philippines must secure long-term supply deals with more rice-exporting countries even as it seeks to become self sufficient in the staple food by 2013, the state grains agency head said on Wednesday.
The country, the world's biggest rice buyer in recent years, was in talks with Thailand and Cambodia for rice supply arrangements, similar to an existing deal with Vietnam, said Angelito Banayo, administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA).
"We have to have supply agreements with the major rice exporters so that in case weather disturbances impact on our attempts to be self sufficient, we can run to them for additional supply," he told the Reuters Global Food and Agriculture Summit.
"We have to strive for self sufficiency in rice and other crops, but self sufficiency in one year could be negated by a strong typhoon or any severe weather disturbances in the second year," he said.
At least 20 tropical cyclones enter the Southeast Asian country of more than 94 million people every year. Last year, it bought a record 2.45 million tonnes after a drop in local production due to strong typhoons in late 2009 and a severe drought in the early part of 2010.
Banayo said he has proposed a supply agreement with Thailand, which has been endorsed by the Agriculture department.
"Thailand is assuring they can give us 1 million tonnes. We're looking at a three-year arrangement," Banayo said. "If it works out, then we can seek an extension."
He said a similar agreement with Cambodia was possible.
"We are already in talks and the Cambodians are already studying the proposed memorandum of agreement, although they still cannot commit any volume because of their limited milling capacity," he said.
VIETNAM DEAL
Manila has an existing rice supply agreement with Vietnam covering up to 1.5 million tonnes of rice annually. The deal was extended to 2013.
"I want us to have sources of rice other than Vietnam and Thailand so that I have a wider field to choose from. Perhaps we could also enter into supply agreements with India, Cambodia or even Myanmar," he said.
The Philippines has firmed up plans to import 860,000 tonnes of rice this year, part of a downsized purchase plan involving 1.3 million tonnes for this year's needs. Of this volume, 200,000 tonnes would sourced from Vietnam.
The Philippines aims to further cut its rice imports next year to just half of this year's purchases and to become self sufficient by end 2013.
The private sector has been allowed to buy up to 660,000 tonnes this year, with a government tender for the right to import the grain set on March 23.
Banayo said the country should learn from Indonesia's experience as it seeks to wean itself from rice exports.
"Indonesia was self sufficient a few years ago. Now it is buying heavily in the market," he said. "Self sufficiency is not a permanent thing because it is always subject to vagaries of weather disturbances."
(Reporting by Erik dela Cruz; Editing by Rosemarie Francisco)
MANILA | Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:24am EDT
(Reuters) - The Philippines must secure long-term supply deals with more rice-exporting countries even as it seeks to become self sufficient in the staple food by 2013, the state grains agency head said on Wednesday.
The country, the world's biggest rice buyer in recent years, was in talks with Thailand and Cambodia for rice supply arrangements, similar to an existing deal with Vietnam, said Angelito Banayo, administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA).
"We have to have supply agreements with the major rice exporters so that in case weather disturbances impact on our attempts to be self sufficient, we can run to them for additional supply," he told the Reuters Global Food and Agriculture Summit.
"We have to strive for self sufficiency in rice and other crops, but self sufficiency in one year could be negated by a strong typhoon or any severe weather disturbances in the second year," he said.
At least 20 tropical cyclones enter the Southeast Asian country of more than 94 million people every year. Last year, it bought a record 2.45 million tonnes after a drop in local production due to strong typhoons in late 2009 and a severe drought in the early part of 2010.
Banayo said he has proposed a supply agreement with Thailand, which has been endorsed by the Agriculture department.
"Thailand is assuring they can give us 1 million tonnes. We're looking at a three-year arrangement," Banayo said. "If it works out, then we can seek an extension."
He said a similar agreement with Cambodia was possible.
"We are already in talks and the Cambodians are already studying the proposed memorandum of agreement, although they still cannot commit any volume because of their limited milling capacity," he said.
VIETNAM DEAL
Manila has an existing rice supply agreement with Vietnam covering up to 1.5 million tonnes of rice annually. The deal was extended to 2013.
"I want us to have sources of rice other than Vietnam and Thailand so that I have a wider field to choose from. Perhaps we could also enter into supply agreements with India, Cambodia or even Myanmar," he said.
The Philippines has firmed up plans to import 860,000 tonnes of rice this year, part of a downsized purchase plan involving 1.3 million tonnes for this year's needs. Of this volume, 200,000 tonnes would sourced from Vietnam.
The Philippines aims to further cut its rice imports next year to just half of this year's purchases and to become self sufficient by end 2013.
The private sector has been allowed to buy up to 660,000 tonnes this year, with a government tender for the right to import the grain set on March 23.
Banayo said the country should learn from Indonesia's experience as it seeks to wean itself from rice exports.
"Indonesia was self sufficient a few years ago. Now it is buying heavily in the market," he said. "Self sufficiency is not a permanent thing because it is always subject to vagaries of weather disturbances."
(Reporting by Erik dela Cruz; Editing by Rosemarie Francisco)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Bloomberg: Thailand Planning Fewer Rice Harvests in Pest Fight Means Drop in Exports
By Supunnabul Suwannakij and Alan Bjerga
Blommberg
Mar 23, 2011 6:51 PM GMT+0700
Blommberg
Mar 23, 2011 6:51 PM GMT+0700
Thailand, the world’s largest rice exporter, plans to reduce planting to curb pests and improve quality, an official from the Thai Rice Mills Association said.
The plan started in October may eventually reduce exports by about 2 million metric tons a year, or about 20 percent of Thailand’s shipments, Pramote Vanichanont, honorary president of the Bangkok-based association, said in an interview, without giving a timeframe. The nation plans to set a global benchmark price through a centralized auction, the government said.
A drop in supplies from the country, which represents one- third of global shipments of 30 million tons, may boost prices in Chicago, which have dropped 3 percent this year, trailing wheat and corn. World food costs rose to a record in February, the United Nations estimates, contributing to riots in Libya and the toppling of leaders in Tunisia and Egypt.
“I doubt whether it is a good policy, as cutting the supply may lead to food shortages,” Kiattisak Kanlayasirivat, a director at the Thai office of Novel Commodities SA, which trades about $600 million of rice a year. “By reducing the supply, this will bring up prices.”
Rice for May delivery gained 0.3 percent to $13.900 per 100 pounds at 7:05 p.m. Singapore time today. The most active contract increased 9.1 percent in the past 12 months as wheat climbed 52 percent and corn advanced 89 percent.
A privately run auction will help establish a global benchmark price that reflects demand and supply, Wichai Phochanakij, deputy director general of the Internal Trade Department, said in an interview. Under existing rules, rice buyers seek bids directly from suppliers and prices for individual transactions aren’t published, he said.
Prevent Pests
Thailand’s plan to reduce planting encourages farmers to grow rice twice a year, instead of the usual three times, farm minister Theera Wongsamut said by phone on March 22.
“The government wants to stop the spread of pests and disease, cut production costs and improve productivity,” Theera said. “Benefits from price increases will follow.”
Removing one crop a year will interrupt the life cycle of pests like plant hoppers and reduce production costs from use of fertilizers and pesticides, Theera said.
The country produces about 20 million tons of milled rice a year, half of which is for domestic consumption. Exports from Thailand may advance as much as 5.2 percent to 9.5 million tons this year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Provide Incentives
“Talk of helping Thai farmers boost productivity, quality and profits is all well and good, but historically they only respond to price signals,” said Tom Slayton, an Alexandria, Virginia-based rice analyst and former publisher of The Rice Trader. “Unless the government can provide incentives, the policy will be ignored and there will be no change in production or export levels.”
Thailand plans to increase exports of premium-grade varieties and reduce shipments of low-quality grain, which represent more than half of exports, said Pramote, who is also a member of the National Rice Policy Committee. The group, headed by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, helps set farmer prices and oversee the sale of government inventories.
Thai rice, the benchmark for Asia, declined 6.5 percent this year to $519 a ton on March 16 as overseas demand declined and the new crop from Vietnam pushed prices lower, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association. The price surged to a record $1,038 a ton in May 2008.
Farmers are being encouraged to plant soybeans and green beans -- also known as mung beans -- which act as a natural fertilizer and can be sold in domestic markets as a substitute for exports, Theera said.
Cambodia, Myanmar
If the program fails, the government may consider other measures such as paying farmers not to plant rice, Pramote said.
“We don’t aim to be the world’s largest exporter,” he said March 21. “We’ve learnt from past experiences of being a key player in the market that farmers have been suffering losses because we can’t set appropriate prices by ourselves.”
Rice exports from Cambodia and Myanmar, which have lower production costs, could increase to offset any decline from Thailand, Pramote said. The two countries are Southeast Asia’s third- and fourth-largest shippers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The government plans to increase rice productivity by 10 percent, boosting average yields to 500 kilograms per rai (0.16 hectare) in the crop year starting October 2015, Prasert Gosalvitra, head of Thailand’s state-run Rice Department, said on March 21. That will raise rough-rice output to 34.5 million tons from 31.4 million tons in the current crop year, he said.
Output of high-quality jasmine fragrant rice is expected to surge 20 percent by 2015, Prasert said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Supunnabul Suwannakij in Bangkok atssuwannakij@bloomberg.net; Alan Bjerga in Washington at abjerga@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole in Singapore atjpoole4@bloomberg.net
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