Agriculture Industry

[parrot]

Big demand, short supply offers big biz opportunity for Pinoys
(The Philippine Star) Updated November 29, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The big demand for makapuno or the mutant nut in the Philippines as well as in other countries offers Filipino businessmen an opportunity to make it big in the business of producing planting materials, or the nut itself.

The production of “true-to-type” makapuno is now made easy, says Cristeta Cueto, one of the science researcher specialists at the Philippine Coconut Authority Albay Research Center who developed an embryo-cultured makapuno in 2008.

Because of the big demand for makapuno both here and abroad, Cueto said the technology offers a big opportunity for prospective investors to venture into tissue culture laboratory and nursery operations, or to produce the nut itself for domestic and foreign consumption.

Speaking before an investors’ forum at Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City last Wednesday, Cueto cited data from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) confirming the wide gap between the supply and demand for makapuno nuts...

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ar ... egoryId=77

[shoyu_ramen]

Small-time vendor makes it big in vegetables
01/03/2010 | 10:15 AM


http://www.gmanews.tv/story/180673/smal ... vegetables

[roiking]

The next boom?

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2 ... 369280.htm

[derfliw]

agriculture will never be out of season. everybody needs to eat.

[roiking]

yes, and the nice thing is China's consumption (increasing per capita income) will be huge enough..Any lucky exporter from our country like fruit juices will be handsomely rewarded. And directly helps our country's GDP also Hope our government will take notice on this and take these opportunities.

[roiking]

I just wonder how could this affect China's southern food basin. And if incessant drought persist? How our year round crops could be benefited if exported well?

Residents in Dahua Yao autonomous county of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region receive water, February 1, 2010, from a drought relief van dispatched to help deal with the water shortage due to the worst drought in 60 years in southern China

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010 ... 417318.htm

AND THIS OTHER EXTREME, also record in 60 years!

Herdsmen in the grasslands of Altay, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, drive horses through heavy snow last month. The region has experienced its worst snowstorm for six decades. Scientists have speculated that the Earth could be entering a ‘mini ice age

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010 ... 417645.htm

They entered Ice age, we have moderate weather? No more high heat?

[derridamd]

Hybrid rice producer mulls IPO
By Marianne V. Go (The Philippine Star) Updated March 24, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Hybrid rice producer SL Agritech Corp. is planning to raise P1 billion to P2 billion from an initial public offering either in the third or fourth quarter this year, chairman and chief executive officer Henry Lim Bon Liong said yesterday.

....

Pricing is yet to be determined, said Antonio B. Herbosa, managing director of Center for Global Best Practices-corporate finance and consulting.

Herbosa said SL Agritech, being the only company in hybrid rice production, could be priced at 10 times its P.E ratio, depending on market appetite.

SL Agritech, Lim pointed out, currently controls 85 percent of the hybrid rice market.


Rest of the story here : http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ar ... egoryId=66

[choobeebo]

http://www.bworld.com.ph/main/content.php?id=12166

BY KATHLEEN A. MARTIN: Cassava output seen to increase in 2010

[choobeebo]

Date: Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 6:16 AM
dated Comment on Newswire Report
Subject: DJ Philippines Agriculture Chief: Reviewing Sugar, Rice Import Plans

Dear All,

It is a good time to import rice today because Chicago palay futures prices are near three year lows. Unfortunately, it appears that one of the major reasons why world rice prices are falling is that the largest importer (Phils) is already done importing at higher price levels.

World sugar prices have bottomed out in May 2010 and are on a choppy uptrend in US Dollar terms. Local supply will be less due to the adverse effect of the below normal rainfall since Feb 2010 in Negros and Oct 2009 in Luzon. I have no idea of Bukidnon precipitation experience. I have seen how high mortality was for planted canes and how Negros ratoon canes were under severe stress during the summer. Supply of smuggled sugar has significantly declined. Watch out for a local sugar crisis.

DJ Philippines Agriculture Chief: Reviewing Sugar, Rice Import Plans
MANILA (Dow Jones)--The Philippine government is reviewing its rice and sugar import plans for this year, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said Monday.
Data on recent purchases and production will be assessed and a decision will be made "within a week" on whether to seek imports, Alcala told reporters.
The government earlier announced plans to import 150,000 metric tons of sugar to cover a production shortfall caused by drought induced by the El Nino weather event. Contracts to import a total of 2.4 million tons of rice have also been secured.
-By Rhea Sandique-Carlos and Cris Larano, Dow Jones Newswires; 632-848-5051; cris.larano@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires

[choobeebo]

Much have been said about NFA overimportations of milled rice. Am no apologist for ex-DA Sec Arthur Yap, but I agree with him when he said that the inter-agency committee did the study and the committee recommendation was futher reviewed and approved by the NFA Council that includes representatives from various govt agencies like the BSP, DA, DTI, and farmers. The volume appears just about right. It was the timing and the pricing of the importations that needed improvement.

What the NFA Council may have failed to consider is the volume of rice smuggling during the 1st semester of the year. I am not saying that a losing ex-senatorial candidate in 2007 whose surname sounds like a green leafy vegetable was behind the smuggling. I am not saying that the excuse was "it was for election fund raising". Did the funds raised really go to election spending?

It is normal to have a certain amount of spoilage of NFA rice stocks. It was particularly difficult to maintain proper storage conditions given the very hot summer we had (induced by a strong El Nino). In spite of the moisture stress to Phil grain crops, we did not have long rice lines similar to 2008. Rather than focus on fault finding and alleged overimportation by the NFA, PNoy and the rest of us should focus on positive programs on rural infrastructure like irrigation facilities and farm to market roads.

Because of fears of overimportation, we will be having a sugar crisis in a few weeks time. The good thing about the alleged rice over-importation is that we avoided a food crisis in spite of a poor summer grain crop.

This is actually the time to shore up our food reserves. Coarse grain production in the Baltic countries will be down sharply due to a very hot and dry summer over there. Expect much higher bread prices in the coming months and next year. World rice prices are near their lows, have bottomed out, and scored a bullish technical reversal. Wheat and sugar are in a strong uptrend.
Phil rice plantings have been delayed by El Nino. Negros and Panay have 30% planting completion compared to the typical 100% by this time. Late planted crops are more susceptible to poor yields and hazards. The succeeding crop is consequently delayed too. This is not the time to reduce our rice reserves. We have a late crop. World rice prices are starting an uptrend. Wheat (source of flour) is on a strong price uptrend and will pull up other grain prices higher. We are entering the typhoon season. A bad typhoon can wreak havoc on our grain crops. The new administration should exercise prudence. Sighhh.

[akun2lang]

I hope this government will not experience any upheavals or revolutions not because of irregularities or corruption related policies but by food shortage; starting with shortage in rice and sugar. The current retail price of P60 per kilo for sugar is only a very small tip of the iceberg, there is a potential for the price to reach P70-75. Even with the current program of PNOY's administration to issue import papers for an additional 100,000 MT, we in the industry doubt that these stocks will arrive in time to cover the needs for August and September. There is currently a record backlog of cargo ships in the port of Santos in Brazil(which in my opinion is the only source for us at this time since Thailand is already re-purchasing their own export papers). And if ever we get the go ahead to import sugar, there are two questions that need to be answered. How much will it cost the importers(what is the landed price)? And more importantly when will it arrive?

The shortage in sugar is caused not by a really bad production,(We only went down by an average of 5-6% year on year) but by false data which had been fed to us by the people who stand to gain the most like LEAFY VEGETABLE thru "non authorized and non taxed importation" of sugar posing as Victorias Refined." We actually consume 200,000 MT a month (this is even a doubtful figure) more than what has been told which has been a consistent 150,000-180,000 MT a month irregardless of our tremendous population growth for the past 20 years. So in actuality we were short in our production these past two decades.
What I want to see from this current government is how it can avert the pressing scenario shortage. I hope that they PRIORITIZE fulfilling the citizenries' basic needs instead of concentrating on exposing the faults of the past administration(for the meantime) . Let us all move forward! SERVE JUSTICE in DUE TIME but BE JUST TO THE PEOPLE's NEEDS RIGHT NOW!

[akun2lang]

As said by Chobeeboo a few days back:

"...This is actually the time to shore up our food reserves. Coarse grain production in the Baltic countries will be down sharply due to a very hot and dry summer over there. Expect much higher bread prices in the coming months and next year. World rice prices are near their lows, have bottomed out, and scored a bullish technical reversal. Wheat and sugar are in a strong uptrend...."

Here's a confirmation.... WHEAT PRICES SURGE TO 23 MONTH HIGH
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid ... S_O0&pos=4

[chanerm]

^^let's not politicize this thread

The shortage in sugar is caused not by a really bad production,(We only went down by an average of 5-6% year on year) but by false data which had been fed to us by the people who stand to gain the most like LEAFY VEGETABLE thru "non authorized and non taxed importation" of sugar posing as Victorias Refined." We actually consume 200,000 MT a month (this is even a doubtful figure) more than what has been told which has been a consistent 150,000-180,000 MT a month irregardless of our tremendous population growth for the past 20 years. So in actuality we were short in our production these past two decades.

why not tell us...
1. what our actual production figures are over the years? (and cite your sources too)
2. how did you arrive at the 200K MT a month consumption? and yet you also say it is a doubtful figure? so what's the real figure? and where can that be verified?