Although latest statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Statistics show overall growth of 3.85 percent in rice exports, it is still 3 percent below than the actual growth target of 6.85 percent fixed by the government for fiscal 2006-07," the REAP chairman said. By our correspondent KARACHI: Pakistan may fail to achieve the rice export target for the outgoing fiscal due to low production and non-availability of surplus quantity for exports. Last year exporters had made history by...

Exporters said some buyers could be waiting for prices of exportable rice to fall as farmers start their harvesting activities before making new deals. Rice supply in Thailand is expected to improve from this month as farmers will be harvesting the second crop, which exporters hope will soften prices and spur buying in the market. The Thai commerce ministry said that Thai rice exporters will sell 400,000 metric tons of rice to two major South African rice import companies by the end of...

Volumes While agricultural commodity prices have risen by almost 50-100 per cent there has been a drop in volumes on commodity exchanges by 50 per cent. Commodity markets have been badly hit in the last months, first came the ban on future trading of Urad and Tur followed by a ban on wheat and rice. Then there has been a demand-supply gap where production of agri-commodities has fallen and demand is on the rise. Last week the Income Tax department conducted a massive search on commodity...

Rice supply in Thailand is also a bit sluggish right now as farmers prepare for the rice harvest, likely to begin next month. In Vietnam, traders said little export demand is being seen at current high prices, and rice supply is expected to remain tight for the rest of the year as production isn't likely to rise in 2007. Authorities in Vietnam have asked exporters to go slow in signing new export contracts in order to keep domestic prices in check. Strong demand for commodities, ranging...

Prior to the launching, the Department of Agriculture will train 20 farmer-leaders, 16 municipal agriculture technicians and four staff of the provincial agriculturist office. The program uses the leader-to-farmer concept of the DA, where projects are first modeled by farmer-leaders so it can influence other farmers later on. According to Provincial Agriculturist Gerry Jose, it is drawn from the farming technology of integrating production of rice, corn, vegetables, poultry, fish and other...