Rice farmers advised to adopt SRI tech for higher yield

Noticing the falling yield of rice in Pakistan the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) representative has urged the Pakistani rice farmers to adopt the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) prepared by the World Bank Institute (WBI) and widely practiced in several rice growing countries successfully for achieving higher productivity and water savings.
In a statement Zulfikar Thaver member UNGC lauded the efforts of the WBI for preparing and promoting the SRI and said that the SRI is a guide for rice farmers and teaches them rice planting and water management for increase in yield and income. It is based on six key elements and educates the rice farmers in land preparation, seedlings preparation, innovative transplanting, intermittent irrigation, rotary weeding and organic fertilisation.
He said it is a marvelous system which can give remarkable improvement in yield per acre and lowers cost of production scientifically.
After studying the SRI one realises the need to adopt the system without loss of time. It is pertinent to note that no heavy farm machinery is required as it is very simple and its application is based on methods and techniques and simple devices are used in plantation after land preparation and intermittent irrigation under single plantation techniques.
He urged the ministry of agriculture to immediately contact the WBI and plan to introduce the SRI for the next cultivation for all varieties of rice in all the provinces for best results. 

News Source                            News Collated by agrinfobank.com Team

^{Courtesy The Nation}

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Engro Foods enters fresh dairy segment

Engro Foods Limited, the fastest growing Pakistani multinational company entered the fresh dairy industry of Pakistan with their new brand "Mabrook". The company's objective is to tap into the dominant Fresh Loose Milk segment using the pasteurisation process.
'Mabrook' offers all the benefits of Fresh Milk, ie consistent cream (balai) yield, value in usage (yogurt, butter, ghee, direct consumption, etc) and daily fresh supply of milk at Mabrook shops. Keeping the Loose milk consumer insights into view, the milk is sold through milk outlets and is dispensed hygienically to ensure that the best possible quality product reaches the consumer. Speaking at the occasion, Sarfaraz A Rehman, CEO, Engro Foods said: "Out of 20 billion liters of tradable milk in Pakistan, the unbranded fresh dairy holds almost 74 percent for the share in the industry. We wanted to tap into that category and offer a value-added product to this key segment of the Pakistani market--living our purpose of elevating consumer delight for a wide section of the society.
Although we are selling our product through milk outlets, the product is backed by our commitment to quality excellence--a fact visible through our local and international certifications. We are hopeful that Mabrook with its unique proposition and better quality will offer a more economic and healthy choice to our consumers." Mabrook is Engro's response to the loose milk consumers' need for fresh, clean and unadulterated milk; bringing a product that is affordable while delivering quality and staying true to its offering.

Courtesy Business Recorder  I News Collated by agrinfobank.com

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Anatomical Differences Between Crop and Weed

The amount of spray retention by foliage after postemergence applications can affect selectivity. This selectivity is usually due to the crop plant’s having a waxy cuticle that repels the spray solution.Examples include onions, peas, cereal grains, Brassica vegetable crops, and conifers. Medium to high spray volumes usually provide better selectivity, and adding an adjuvant can decrease selectivity as a result of enhanced adhesion of the spray droplets. Differences in leaf shape, size, and orientation between weed and crop can provide some selectivity differences. This is most common for controlling dicot weeds in small grain crops (the grain leaves retain less herbicide because of shape, orientation, size, and granular epicuticular wax). Postemergence selectivity can be due to the growing point of the crop being protected from direct contact by the herbicide while the growing point of the weed is exposed. The best example is dicot weed control (growing point not well protected by emerging leaves) in small grains (growing point well protected by the whorls of emerging leaves). The herbicide must not have a high degree of phloem mobility for this selectivitymechanism to work. For more detail regarding the influence of plant morphology on herbicide absorption, see the review by Hess (1987).

Preemergence selectivity can be due to a difference in root morphology between the weed and the crop. Grass weeds usually have a fibrous root system, whereas dicot crops usually have a taproot system. Thus,growth inhibitor herbicides, such as trifluralin, applied to the soil come directly in contact with the growing root tips in grass weeds, but not with those of the deeper-rooted dicot crops. For this selectivity mechanism to be useful, the water solubility and soil binding characteristics of the herbicide must be such that movement isrestricted to the upper soil profile.
Morphology differences within stem tissue of grass plants can provide differences in selectivity. The growing point of many grass weeds (crabgrass and wild oat) are more exposed to herbicide-treated soil than wheat and barley where the growing point is protected inside the coleoptile.

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Sukkur Barrage canals to be closed from January 6

The Chief Engineer Sukkur Barrage Left Bank Sukkur Region has said that all the canals of Sukkur Barrage would be remained closed for the annual closure. He said that the closure will start from January 6 to 20, 2014 for the purpose of normal inspection, maintenance and necessary repair of the infrastructure.
For that period there will be no water supply in any of the off-taking canal of Sukkur Barrage ie N.W. Canal, Dadu canal, Khairpur Feeder East canal, Khairpur Feeder West canal, Rohri Main canal, Nara canal and their allied channels, the Chief Engineer added.

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Pakistan among top Asian states in illicit tobacco consumption

Pakistan is among top Asian countries in the consumption of illicit tobacco with highest number of 21.8 billion illicit cigarettes consumed in the country annually. Referring to a 'Asia-11 Illicit Tobacco Indicator 2012' study by Oxford Economics, experts said on Monday that the figures and data has been mentioned in the said study.
In the reporting year, the domestic illicit use was 18.8 billion cigarettes, whereas the non-domestic consumption of illicit cigarettes stands at 3 billion, which is much lower than the domestic use. The non-duty paid cigarettes contribute to rise in tobacco consumption by making cigarettes cheaper and more accessible. This makes it more attractive, especially to people who are price sensitive, such as youth and the poor. It also allows cigarettes to be sold as singles instead of packs, or from non-regulated outlets that make it more accessible to youth.
On the other hand the study indicates that the countries with a sharp rise in taxes on legal tobacco brands than the countries with low taxes have the high ratio of illicit consumption.
Heavy taxation on the legal tobacco brands (high tax paying industry) is ultimately promoting the illicit tobacco industry thus allowing criminals and opportunists to get a chance to sell their counterfeit products on cheap rates, which attracts the customers with low purchasing power.
The main factors contributing to the problem include an unbalanced fiscal policy, heavy taxation, protectionist policy measures, corruption, weak enforcement, lack of official controls in free zones, inadequate legislation and sanctions, growth in illegal distribution networks and public tolerance of the illicit trade in tobacco products.
According to the Oxford Economics study, due to illicit tobacco trade, Pakistan loses tax revenues of over Rs 27 billion per year.
Recently, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has initiated an advertisement campaign in the media to create awareness about the illegal and smuggled tobacco brands. It is an encouraging effort but the FBR should focus more on developing a comprehensive enforcement strategy to curb illegal tobacco trade, they said.
The sale and purchase of smuggled Pine and other smuggled packs including Esse, Mild 88, More, Camel and Sense are illegal and attract penalties of confiscation of cigarettes, fine of up to Rs 50, 000, recovery equal to 500 per cent of unpaid taxes and imprisonment up to five years. The FBR's agency has launched many similar campaigns against illicit cigarette brands, especially against Pine, which is in high demand amongst Pakistani smokers because it is an imported brand easily available at below the minimum price set by the FBR at Rs 34 for a pack of 20.'Cricket' is a recent example of a duty-evading cigarette brand that is being sold at Rs 12. This also raises the question how the brand was being sold even below the minimum excise duty, which stands at Rs 17.6 per pack and should be payable to the national exchequer.
If the government is serious in curbing this illegitimate business, it needs to develop comprehensive anti-illicit trade policies and pay particular attention to the involvement of all relevant government agencies like Customs, Ministries of Finance, Health, Justice and Trade, to ensure alignment and commitment to achieving the same goals, they added.

News Source     I News Collected: agrinfobank.com Team

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PSM all set to allow its commercial use

Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) is all set to allow commercial utilisation of its jetty/ Iron Ore and Coal Berth (IOCB) after getting formal approvals from the Ministry of Ports and Shipping and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), sources close to acting CEO PSM told Business Recorder on Sunday. The source said the commercial utilisation of Pakistan Steel''s IOCB had been under consideration of the Ministry of Industries and Production for quite some time.
The Ministry directed the PSM management to constitute a committee to examine the possibility of commercial utilisation of surplus unloading capacity of IOCB as well as to develop tender documents for competitive bidding in this regard. The committee''s report was submitted to the Ministry on 2 October 2013. Subsequently, the issue was placed before the PSM board in its last meeting which also gave clearance to the proposal.
Giving details, sources said that Pakistan Steel''s jetty had been obtained from Port Qasim Authority (PQA) for exclusive use to unload imported basic raw materials from ships ie iron ore and coals etc required for its operational needs.
The unloaded raw materials from ships are transported through a dedicated 4.5-km-long conveyor system and stacked at discharging end in operational yards situated within the main plant area of Pakistan Steel. Therefore, having no other alternate arrangement, the availability of the jetty (IOCB) is vital for exclusive use of Pakistan Steel as its operations totally depend on the smooth and uninterrupted unloading of required basic raw materials.
As the ownership of the jetty rests with the PQA, fixed charges of Rs. 277 million per annum are paid by the Pakistan Steel to the PQA, irrespective of tonnage of raw material unloaded. Besides, around Rs 150 million per annum is incurred on the salary/wages of the employees working at the jetty. About Rs 50 million is spent annually on maintenance of equipment and protection of steel structure from corrosion etc.
Keeping in view the above mentioned existing status of the jetty (IOCB) and considering the case under the Risks Mitigation Strategy, the window of opportunity for the commercial outsourcing of surplus capacity of the jetty exists till such time Pakistan Steel operates on less than 90 % capacity utilisation. At present, this period can be taken as one year. The prospect of further commercial outsourcing of surplus capacity of the jetty (IOCB) may be considered from the perspective of Pakistan Steel''s enhanced capacity operation and its expected further expansion from 1.1 mtpy to 1.5 mtpy in Phase-I and up to 3.0 mtpy in Phase-II.
Based on possible surplus capacity against 1.1 mtpy capacity of PSM, a financial feasibility has been prepared for one year. The Request For Proposal (RFP) document mentioning necessary terms and conditions for tendering purpose to invite proposals from potential bidders/firms has also been prepared.
The following prerequisites are also mentioned for consideration prior to finalisation of the contract with any successful bidder. The present bulk material handling capacity at the jetty may only cater for Pakistan Steel''s raw material needs for its operation at around 80-90% capacity. Reasons are as under:
Both ship unloaders are in operation for the last 32 years and each of them has completed more than 140,000 hours operational life against designed operational life of 60,000 hours. As per past record of 32 years, the average achieved unloading rate remained 510 tons per hour.
The intercepting conveyor network after Junction No.1 and unloading/stacking machines in primary stock yard (PSY) of Raw Material Handling Department (RMHD) and coal handling yard of Coke Oven & By Product Plant (COBP) have also completed more than 32 years of service life.
In case of increased work load, the wear/tear of the jetty and its installations, conveyor networks and stacking machines will increase, leading to increased frequency of breakdowns, and interruptions in supply of raw material to Pakistan Steel.
It is assessed that with effective maintenance on regular basis the existing unloaders and allied conveyor network and machines will be capable of unloading about 50 ships annually, each having capacity of 50,000 tons+ 10%. Some ships of smaller size carrying 10,000 to 20,000 tons of cargo are also unloaded which increase the operational time and lower the unloading rate. The existing maximum draught of the jetty (IOCB) is 11.5 meters at which ships carrying more than 55,000 tons of cargo cannot be handled.
The sources said, since ownership of the jetty and the responsibility for provision of night navigation facility, increase of draught for berthing of larger size vessels, besides civil maintenance and strengthening of the jetty (IOCB) rests with the PQA, the commercial utilisation of the jetty has to be fully agreed to and supported by the PQA. Moreover, being a government organisation, Pakistan Steel is paying subsidised charges to the PQA. Rates for commercial utilisation of jetty (IOCB) may have to be negotiated with the PQA.
The PSM is yet to resolve the following issues; (i) fate of Service Agreement signed by Pakistan Steel with M/s. Tuwairqi Steel Mill;(ii) NOC from PQA; and (iii) liaison with custom authorities to declare the private ware house for storage of commercial cargo as custom bonded warehouse.

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Spices export falls 31.2 percent in July-October

The country''s spices export fell 31.2 percent during July-October 2013-14 to $13.531 million as compared to the commodity''s export of $19.666 million in the same period last fiscal year, official figures say. The fall in term of volume totalled $6.135 million in the first four months of the current fiscal year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said. The quantity of spices export declined by 1302 metric tons or 25 percent to 3,943 metric tons in July-October 2013-14 from 5,245 metric tons in the same period last fiscal year, PBS added.

News Source      I                News Collected: agrinfobank.com Team

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Punjab government announces wheat production contest

Punjab government has announced wheat production competition in order to encourage the growers to bring maximum area under wheat sowing and ensure food security for the province and the country.

News Source      I                News Collected: agrinfobank.com Team

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