Monday, March 31, 2014

INDIA'S WHEAT EXPORT--RESTRICTING “FCI WHEAT EXPORT” FOR LOWER PROCUREMENT IS UNETHICAL



The recent trend in the Government to meddle and manage local prices of food items upward (e.g. sugar/wheat) to the detriment of consumers in the name of farmers is contra to sound macro socio-economic policies. The principle of equity and fair play is negated when Governments surreptitiously create deceptive conditions of short-term non-sustainable high prices that would finally put growers in a loss situation or give them loss of profitability. 

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Surprisingly, FCI has decided to deprioritize exports at a time when world market is unusually upbeat. The reason— by diverting export demand to market yards (mandis) Government wants to escalate open market price--more than Minimum Support Price (MSP)-- at harvest time (April-May), to shrink wheat procurement to the minimum.

READ THE ARTICLE BELOW--- 

 



Rains this year in March 2014 have delayed maturing of the wheat ears. The picture below was taken on 30.3.2014 near Amritsar Punjab((north India) that shows the wheat is still green as distinct from the "yellow" grains in the second picture which is REQUIRED AT at the harvest stage.




Saturday, March 29, 2014

NOTHINGNESS OF I-NESS (ECONOMIC TIMES)

NOTHINGNESS OF I-NESS (ECONOMIC TIMES) 29.03.2014



Nothingness of I-ness
Tejinder Narang
The journey of soul is cyclic- from nothingness to ego of I-ness and back to nothingness and so on. Bulle Shah, Panjabi Sufi mystic amusingly chides the Lord about His dramatic contradictions. He says that when Lord conceived of universe, souls were not willing to participate in Creation.   Lord exhorted them to experience the earth in bodies with a solemn promise that He will Himself redeem them out of cosmic entanglements.   And souls agreed. (Recall Jesus said--no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father)

The Lord played a game, says Bulle Shah. He appears on this physical plane from time to time in the garb of a human body. Souls are unable to distinguish Him from the rest. How can spiritual beings with human consciousness trust someone who is not recognizable? Many times they are fooled by demi-gods.  This indeed is a breach of trust. Why, souls question, ferocity of Mind and Maya are foisted on them, while their inherent attributes are Godly. 

Then in Human form—as a Guru or a Saint/Son of God / Master/ Messenger -- He preaches them to shed all perversions of  mind , get rid of karmic cycle, come clean for merging unto Him which are all excruciating encounters with deviousness of world. Furthermore, none can “rightfully” express or assess experience of creation in realm of relativity and remains lost in this wonderland of Creator with many unresolved questions.   Upon merger with Lord, I and I-ness exists no more.  Nothingness prevails at the end.

 What a game?? Even if it is won—the self is annihilated!! If the game is lost by sustaining I-ness, sufferings of souls continue to multiply.

Monday, March 17, 2014

INDIAN RICE EXPORT OUTLOOK --PRESENTATION TO MIN. OF AGRICULTURE



INDIAN RICE EXPORT OUTLOOK --PRESENTATION TO MIN. OF AGRICULTURE

10TH MARCH 2014

PRESENTED BY TEJINDER NARANG


CLICK LINK BELOW





Saturday, March 15, 2014

SUGAR COATING SUBSIDIES--FINANCIAL EXPRESS 15.03.2014




SUGAR-COATING SUBSIDIES


FINANCIAL EXPRESS 15.03.2014

CLICK LINK BELOW

http://epaper.financialexpress.com/c/2558269
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RAW SUGAR EXPORT WRONGLY INCENTIVIZED
Tejinder Narang
On 28th February2014, Government notified export incentive/subsidy of Rs.3300 per metric ton (pmt) or $ 53.00 pmt for 4 million tons (mts) Raw Sugar (raws) out of Sugar Development fund (SDF). Total implications are for $212 million or Rs 1300 crores.  This will stimulate demand expansion and better price realization by shipping out excess stockpiles during 2013-14 and 2014-15 to partially clear arrears of farmers. About 1.3mts raws have been shipped out this marketing season and targeted at about 2 mts by end September 2014.
Gazette notification of 28th February 2014, is retrospectively applicable from 1st February 2014. Whenever an order is backdated, corporates privy in advance of details become preferred beneficiaries.   Refined sugar—value added product-- stands excluded from this policy prescription for unknown reasons!! This incentive ensures cheaper supplies abroad and expensive availability locally that defies commitments to WTO
Link incentive to market price
Government was guided by the fact that prices of raws bottomed at 14-15c/lb or($320-343)  in  New York exchange.  Therefore exports are not viable without incentive, which was calculated at Rs 3300 pmt. Commodity markets have violent fluctuations. In the recent past “price band” of raws has oscillated between 14 to 30c/lb. Policymakers cannot be oblivious of this fact. (One cent/lb variation changes price by $23.00 pmt.) Potentially price can easily swing between $320--$690. Incentive needs benchmarking with prices abroad. Put simply, higher prices should lead to corresponding reduction in subsidy and vice versa. Dispensing “fixed” subsidy without considering inherent market volatility is grossly erroneous and questionable.
Pursuant to the incentive, world market should have further declined. But markets generally negate logic.  Raw values immediately climbed up by $ 70-$75 pmt (3c/lb), assuring better realization for Indian trade. The conditions subsisting a month back have radically mutated for bullishness.  Dry weather in Brazil/ possibilities of El Niño may provide additional boost to rising market. This doubly reinforces the rationale of pegging incentive to international quotes. This  inadvertent lacuna requires official correction immediately, though industry may support status quo.
Another selective dispensation and discrimination is accorded to a few holders of Advance Authorization Licences (AAL). Only AAL holders can export refined sugar with duty draw back benefit by sourcing raws with subsidy from other mills.
Inflationary   
 Indian raw values (after discounting subsidy) have also moved up form Rs 22000 pmt to Rs 24000pmt. Importers are willing to absorb even this demand driven rally.  Higher values of white sugar will stoke domestic inflation. Fuelling inflation locally through export incentive is also an ill-conceived policy package.
This action of Government was unprecedented because marketing of sugar was deregulated in April 2013.   Instead of taming monster of State Advisory Price (SAP), Government continues to micromanage industry on case to case basis.
 Media reports reveal that Food Ministry opposed this selective incentive for raws and also calculation of amount of Rs3300/mt.  Commerce Ministry too objected on lack of WTO compliance. Nevertheless CCEA in its superior wisdom cleared incentive as notified. 
Will CCEA extend similar relief to FCI for wheat export where 20 million tons is stockpiled with Government/Bank funding-- excess of 3 times of current requirement? The difference being that FCI cannot push the Government like sugar industry for such a relief. Unfortunately Government suffers massive losses on wheat account with no questions asked year after year.
 SDF misapplied
Incredibly, Government on the plea of the industry also approved that “raws marketing and promotion services” will be considered for defraying expenditure from SDF. Till 27th February raw sugar was not eligible for defrayments under SDF. On 28th February it is made eligible. If industry demands that electricity expenses or labour cost be also defrayed from SDF, will Government accede? SDF is funded by Indian consumer and is meant for the benefit of consumers. But export incentives debited to SDF makes sugar expensive to the detriment of consumer.
Net effect of incentive packet is distortive. It provides short term benefit while long term pain remains.  Manner of subsidization is principally ill-conceived due to absence of linkage with international prices while refined sugar stands excluded and SDF is misapplied. Further it is anti- consumer and anti-WTO.  Even if Election Commission has to be approached such distortions should be set right.


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RESPONSE TO THE ARTICLE BY ISMA ON 19.03.2014


 http://epaper.financialexpress.com/c/2575215







COMMENTS TO ISMA REJOINDER


1.     The thrust of raw sugar article of 15.03.2014 was that the subsidy amount is not linked to the volatility of Raw Sugar values, to which no response has been offered.
Deemed exports are permissible for Raw Sugar by virtue of supplies made to refineries--standalone refineries--but not for white/refined sugar. The policy per-se is not on even keel. Further subsidy is made available to intermediate product. Next in the line by extended logic could be subsidy for the export of Molasses!!.

2.   Prices of raw sugar and white sugar have moved up by Rs 2500/ton after this announcement of this interventionist subsidy. It would have been different if market forces are allowed to operate for balancing the price. No Government should be consciously acting to increase the sugar price to a consumer by subsidizing the industry from its own pocket. 

3.     Though the industry is suffering losses in the production of White Sugar, it is incredible that for last four years the overall output has not declined.  Normally a loss making industry should be producing significant lesser tonnages. (Yet a number of new sugar mills/capacities are also on the anvil.)

4.     Regarding order being retrospective from 1st February 2014, there is an ambiguity which needs to be set right.  Government order states that Sugar Development Funds (SDF) 2014 shall come into force from the date of publication in official Gazette which is 28th February 2014. However para 4 reads-- “incentive shall be @ Rs.3300/- per metric ton for February/ March 2014”. Likewise Form 10, Para 3 Claim period February-March 2014. There is a contradiction requiring correction.  

5.     Sugar inflation is part of food inflation.  The Industry/Government cannot be unconscious of this fact.

6.     The industry may have its own arguments for the said incentive but their own controlling ministry (Food Ministry) remained unconvinced of the necessity of formulating the incentive package and even the workability of the calculations. Neither any comment on the lack of WTO compliance is furnished by ISMA.

7.     Industry has already been granted interest free loan of about Rs. 6,600 crores for payment of cane arrears from the Sugar Development Fund (SDF).  Defrayment of Raw Sugar incentive for payment of cane arrears out of the SDF is yet another helping hand.

8.     Two questions arise, first why Sugar industry is selected as an exclusive manufacturing conglomerate for the bail out plans whenever losses are projected.  Secondly, in the years of profitability does the industry share any profits with the Government? 

9.     All commodities /industries have their cycles and live through a periods of profit and losses and survive with their own ingenuity. That is the business.  However sugar industry and Government claim special intimacy in the name of farmers.