The Edge Daily
April 16, 2008
BANGKOK: Surging global demand caused Thailand to export 66% more rice in the first quarter of 2008 from the same period last year, Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan said on Wednesday.
However, he said the world's number-one rice exporter, whose market share is set to rise due to recent export restrictions imposed by Vietnam and India, would not be raising its overall target for the year of nearly 9 million tonnes.
Mingkwan also reaffirmed that there was no need to release rice from a 2.1 million tonne government stockpile, as another 4.2 million tonnes of milled rice from the country's second annual crop was expected to hit the market this month.
"I'm sure that we will have ample supply for domestic consumption and exports so we don't need to release the stock," he told a news conference.
Between January to March 2008, Thailand exported 3.26 million tonnes, up from 1.96 million tonnes a year earlier, following India and Vietnam's decisions to restrict exports to protect domestic supply.
"That makes us feel confident that we could export up to 9 million, as we aimed earlier," he said.
Thailand exported 9.4 million tonnes of rice in 2007 and expects to sell up to 8.75 million to 9.0 million tonnes in 2008.
With the moves by Vietnam and India, Thailand expects to expand its share of the global rice market to 40% in 2008, from 31% in 2007, Mingkwan said.
Mingkwan said Thailand was looking to work with other rice exporting countries to ensure more price stability, starting with a visit by his Indian counterpart on April 27.
However, traders were sceptical about the success of any talks, given that the "cooperation" has been bandied about as a theme since 2001 without bringing any concrete results.
"In every county, rice is a political commodity that gets leaders into trouble if they make any mistakes. No one wants to take any action that could harm their farmers," said a trader who asked not to be named.
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International Herald Tribune
April 4, 2008
Thailand, the world's largest rice exporter, has no plans to restrict exports of the grain, the country's finance minister said Friday.
"We don't want to abuse or to artificially influence the market," Surapong Suebwonglee said on the sidelines of a conference of Southeast Asian finance ministers in Vietnam. "For the rice market in Thailand we try to follow (the rules of) supply and demand."
There has been speculation in rice markets that Thailand — like neighbors Cambodia and Vietnam — would act to boost its domestic supply of rice. Rice prices on world markets have jumped 50 percent in the past two months and at least doubled since 2004. Experts blame rising fuel and fertilizer expenses as well as crops curtailed by disease, pests and climate change.
There are concerns prices could rise a further 40 percent in coming months. Vietnam said at the end of March that it will cut rice exports by 1 million tons this year as part of the government's efforts to rein in soaring inflation and ensure food security. Cambodia ordered a ban on exports to curb rising prices in its domestic market.
Surapong's comments echo a recent statement by the Thai Commerce Minister that Thailand won't ban rice exports.
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The Nation
April 19, 2008
"Now, hom mali is the world's most expensive rice. We just sold it at a new record of over US$1,300 per tonne to customers in Hong Kong for May delivery. Singapore, Malaysia and China are also our major customers.
"Looking back some 45 years, a tonne of hom mali rice was just over US$100. Today, we've seen record prices of not only rice, but also crude oil [$120 per barrel], gold [$1,000 per ounce] and other commodities," said Chookiat.
"We're now in the fourth straight month of price upsurge, meaning that prices for all kinds of rice have more than doubled - from $360 to $860 per tonne for white rice and from $620 to $1,300 for fragrant jasmine rice.
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Bloomberg
April 18, 2008
An average household in India spent 32 percent of its income on food last year compared with 6 percent for a household in the U.S., data from the department show. The figure for Indonesia was 43 percent, and 36 percent for the Philippines.
"Poorer countries tend to suffer more than developed countries," HSBC's Neumann said. "It is the poor who shoulder the biggest burden."
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Bangkok Post : General news
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/12Apr2008_news22.php
... According to the Meteorological Department, Thailand's annual mean maximum temperature has increased from 32.3C (90.14F) in the 1950s to 32.9C (91.22F) last year.
The department has forecast that during the Songkran week, between April 9-15, the highest recorded temperature will be 39C (102.2F).
The figure is considered moderate for many of us as we have experienced the 40-plus (104-plus F) degree heat several times in the past.
According to the department's records, Thailand's hottest day in the past 55 years stood at 44.5C (112.1F), which was measured on April 27, 1960 in Uttaradit province.
In the old days, people would bathe in the rivers or just relax at tai toon baan, an open space under a Thai-style house. But the most popular way for people to shield themselves from the heat these days is to go to shopping malls or simply turn on the air-conditioners at home.
Various other means also are being used to fight the heat.
If you walk along the banks of the Chao Phraya river or some of the cleaner klongs, you will find that children are still jumping into the waterways to escape from the scorching sun.
Many people may find the hot season an undesirable period, but instead of just complaining about the heat, we should use this torrid moment to think about our lifestyles — how we can adapt ourselves to the hotter weather in an environmentally-friendly manner like our ancestors have done and how we can help stop the world's temperatures from soaring.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Asian states feel rice pinch
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7324596.stm
Asian states feel rice pinch
Friday, 11 April 2008
Asian countries have been struggling to cope as the cost of rice has reached record levels.
The price of the staple crop has risen by as much as 70% during the last year, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), with increases accelerating in recent weeks.
Shortages have begun to hit some importing countries.
Factors contributing to the price rise include:
• Poor harvests resulting from extreme weather
• A rise in demand in some rice-importing countries,
where populations and incomes are growing
• The expectation of further price increases - resulting in hoarding
• Low stockpiles and a long term lack of agricultural investment
The spike is also part of a general surge in food costs worldwide, so the option of switching to cheaper foods is often not available.
Producers including India, China and Vietnam have restricted exports as they try to protect their stocks and limit inflation.
Importers such as Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Afghanistan have been hit hard.
Prices are expected to remain volatile, though output is likely to grow later this year as farmers in Thailand and Vietnam plant additional crops.
INDIA
India is the second largest rice grower in the world behind China. With rice the staple food for 65% of the country's one billion plus people, much is consumed domestically.
But prices have been soaring - a shopkeeper in Delhi told the BBC that the cost of one variety had increased from 12 rupees (29 US cents) per kilogram to 16 rupees (39 cents) in the last two months.
Rice prices in the capital rose by 20% last year.
The government has announced a total ban on exports of non-basmati rice, in a bit to curb rising food prices, which have helped push inflation to a 13-month high.
The price for basmati rice, meanwhile, has been raised to $1,200 per tonne to discourage exports.
Officials say as yet there is no crisis - India has more than enough reserves to feed its population.
They also say India will honour its commitments to export rice to neighbouring Bangladesh.
But the International Rice Research Institute says that the sustainability of rice farming in India and beyond is threatened by overuse of fertilisers and soil health.
Stocks have come down over the last three years as agricultural growth has failed to match the rest of the economy.
And because of the low purchasing power of India's poor, even a small increase in prices can cause a sharp fall in real incomes.
BANGLADESH
Spiralling rice prices have left the people of Bangladesh facing their worst food shortages since the major famine of 1974.
Over the last year, prices have nearly doubled to about 35 taka (50 cents), while there has been no corresponding increase in wages.
Hundreds of poor families are now surviving on one meal a day, and spending 70-80% of their budget on food. The problem is most acute in urban areas where aid agencies say they are very concerned about infant malnourishment.
Local factors have contributed to the price rise. Bangladesh has been hit by severe flooding twice in the last year and a devastating cyclone in November.
The government is giving rice away to 2.6 million people and supplying some families at discounted prices.
It has had to import four million tonnes of rice from India over the last six months - more than double the usual amount.
But the government's critics say it has made matters worse with an anti-corruption drive that has led to the closure of many unofficial rice supply outlets closed down.
PHILIPPINES
Once self-sufficient in rice, the Philippines is listed by the US Department of Agriculture as the world's top importer of milled rice for 2007, ahead of Nigeria, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Over the past 20 years or so, the country lost nearly half of its irrigated land to rapid urban development.
Domestic demand has risen as the population has grown, pushing up prices.
With rice stocks low, the government has been negotiating with neighbouring countries to secure imports, signing a deal with Vietnam and working for another one with Thailand.
Fears of public unrest have been growing. Communist guerrillas recently burnt a rice trader's vehicles in the central island of Panay.
President Gloria Arroyo has asked authorities to crack down on hoarders. Officials have said they could be charged with economic sabotage - a crime that carries a life sentence.
There have also been efforts to reduce consumption. Some of the country's fast-food chains are offering half portions of rice at the government's request. The government has also asked the public to save leftover rice.
Troops have been called in to protect deliveries of rice to poor areas, while farmers have reportedly begun guarding their crops.
Some government critics say it has not done enough, and members of the influential May First Labour Movement have been holding small-scale demonstrations in various parts of the country.
But others say the Ms Arroyo has overreacted, creating unnecessary panic.
THAILAND
Thailand has long been the world's largest exporter of rice, well ahead of Vietnam and the US.
It has not yet placed any restrictions on exports, and has denied reports that it is considering taking this step.
However, some rice millers and traders who deal on forward contracts have been suffering, after being caught out by price fluctuations.
Exporters have even complained that they would prefer to have stable prices than high prices.
Some millers have hoarded rice in an attempt to earn higher profits later on, pushing prices higher still as they restrict supply.
The government has released some of its 2.1 million tonnes of stockpiled rice in an attempt to contain inflation.
It has also said it will enforce a rule that exporters set aside at least 500 tonnes of rice to prevent shortages.
Rice prices increased by more than 50% last year and have doubled since the beginning of 2008.
While in some countries rice consumption has risen with prosperity, Thais have been eating a greater variety of foods and less rice as they have become wealthier.
CHINA
Chinese consumers have been have been eating less rice as their income has risen, according to the FAO.
Instead, they have been switching to meat and dairy products.
But the government, highly conscious of social or political tensions caused by food inflation, has moved to protect consumers by restricting exports.
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said this week that China has an "abundant" supply of rice to feed its population of more than 1.3 billion.
China had stockpiled about 40-50 million tonnes of rice, he said.
Though China is not one of the top rice exporters, export restrictions can have a big impact on importers including North Korea, which buys rice from China at very low prices as it tries to cope with frequent food shortages.
Though short term supplies are secured, there are concerns that urbanisation and industrial development are putting pressure on farming.
JAPAN
Rice is thought to have been produced for more than 2,500 years in Japan, where it was once seen as so important that it was worshipped as a god.
Instead of importing rice, Japan heavily subsidises its rice farmers, paying them as much as four times the market price and restricting imports.
This policy is defended by a farming community with considerable political weight, and many Japanese agree home-grown rice tastes best.
Food security is seen as politically important and the country keeps a large stockpile of rice - even though it is probably wealthy enough to buy on the international market even if prices continue to rise.
Its scientists are already looking for varieties that will be resistant to higher temperatures caused by climate change.
Japan trades relatively small quantities and has little impact on the international market.
BBC SPECIAL REPORT - Food price crisis
Who says we never had Bhikkhuni clergy?
http://www.bangkokpost.com/blogs/index.php/2008/04/10/who-says-we-never-had-bhikkhuni-clergy?blog=64
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Who says we never had Bhikkhuni clergy?
Posted by Sanitsuda Ekachai , Reader : 677 , 05:30:17
Like most Thais, I believed that there have never been female monks, or Bhikkhuni, in Thailand. How I was wrong!
The person who opened my eyes was Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni, a Buddhist teacher and abbess of the Dhammadharini Vihara, a temple for female monastics in Fremont, California.
As a scholar on Bhikkhuni history and Vinaya, Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni has done an extensive research on female ordination in Southeast Asia. So when I wrote in one of my articles that Thailand, unlike Sri Lanka, had never had a Bhikkhuni clergy, she kindly emailed me to tell a different story.
Contrary to mainstream belief, there is much evidence about the Bhikkhuni clergy in old Siam and nearby countries from the 3rd century BC up to modern times, she said.
The oldest document, dating back to the Ashokan period, states that a mission led by Arahanta Theras Sona and Uttara travelled to Suvarnabhumi where they ordained "3,500 men and 1,500 women, establishing the Buddhadhamma".
This important historical journey is recorded in the Pali texts as well as in the ancient Sri Lankan chronicles, which were later translated into Chinese.
The Chinese version, in particular, specifies that the 3,500 noblemen were ordained as Bhikkhu and the 1,500 noblewomen as Bhikkhuni.
Closer to home, this historical Buddhist mission also appears in the old records of Nakhon Si Thammarat, believed by many to be the entry point of Buddhism into our region.
This is exciting information. Powerful information.
You see, the clergy's main argument against female ordination is that we never had Bhikkhuni in Thailand. They also argue that since the Theravada Bhikkhuni lineage has been long extinct, it is impossible to have Bhikkhuni in the Thai Theravada clergy.
No need asking the clergy to ordain women. They insist that a legitimate female ordination, according to the monastic discipline, must be performed both by monks and Bhikkhuni.
The clergy's arguments, however, crumble with historical evidence of the Ashokan Buddhist mission. They not only show that we used to have Bhikkhuni, they also confirm that dual ordination is not necessary where Bhikkhuni does not exist, that monks alone can ordain women to set up the Bhikkhuni clergy.
There's more. There are later ancient texts that make reference to the existence of Bhikkhuni in the Lanna and Sukhothai kingdoms. For example, there are old records in Lanna literature about two Bhikkhuni believed to be local women. There are also Sukhothai period evidence of Bhikkhuni who were ordained by monks alone, she said.
The Bhikkhuni Sangha in old Siam came to a halt when the Ayutthaya kingdom rose to power. "The previous Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sangha was made to cease to exist for political reasons and a new Bhikkhu Sangha was founded with royal support," said Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni.
Her message: Don't say Thailand never had a Bhikkhuni clergy. To be precise, say Thailand has never had a Bhikkhuni Sangha, with dual ordination, established and supported by the monarchy, since the founding of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.
Now we know.
If facts cannot dismantle the prejudice against female ordination, what can?
Read comment
Comment 1
BENG LOW date : 18/04/2008 time : 03:28
Hi Sanitsuda
Excellent!
If Buddhism cannot rise above historical precedent to meet the needs of society, then it will sooner or later fall prey to the truth of impermanence.
beng
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Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni
http://www.dhammadharini.org/
http://www.myspace.com/ayyatathaalokabhikkhuni
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http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=6,4899,0,0,1,0