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Thailand is preparing to stir the pot in the International Rice Market

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Yingluck Plans to Boost Thai Rice Prices

 

Thailand is preparing to stir the pot in the international rice market with its fragrant jasmine rice nurtured by a new policy. But while the new policy pays farmers a great deal more, there are fears that the high prices could make Thai rice uncompetitive.

“Thailand will be able to test consumer loyalty once its new rice policy impacts the global market,” Samarendu Mohanty, senior economist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) tells IPS.

“Consumers will have to pay higher prices for jasmine rice and other rice brands,” he said in a telephone interview from the Philippines, where the IRRI is based. “The markets have already started reacting, with rice prices steadily increasing from May through August.”

Regular white rice has joined the long, tapering jasmine rice in putting this Southeast Asian kingdom on the map as the world’s leading rice exporter. Finally, says Mohanty, “it will be a matter of taste.”

The trial with new Thai rice exports cuts across four continents. African countries like Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa are among the major buyers. In Asia, the Philippines, the world’s largest rice importer, and Indonesia lead the list. Europe and the United States are turning out to be steady markets for Thai rice in the developed world.

The spike in the price of rice could inch higher as the three-month-old administration of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ploughs ahead to implement an election promise: to buy rice from farmers in the poor, rural belts of the country’s north, central and northeastern regions at rates nearly 50 percent higher than the current market rates.

Under this new rice policy, the government has promised to pay farmers directly 15,000 baht (517 dollars) per ton for unmilled white rice and 20,000 baht (689 dollars) per ton for jasmine rice. The prices mark a substantial increase from the 10-year average of the country’s benchmark white rice, which sold on the international market at 400 dollars per ton.

According to Thai agriculture officials, some four million rice farmers have registered for the scheme. The financial carrot comes at a time when farmers have been grappling with rising production costs of fertiliser, pesticides and oil.

The Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) says the price for Thai rice could reach 800 dollars per ton in the global market later this year, a figure dramatically higher than the 629 dollars per ton in mid- September. That September figure for rice is the highest since December 2009. This, it warns, presents risks.

“The government is increasing rice prices by 50 percent overnight. This will put Thai rice out of global competition,” Vichai Sriprasert, former president of the TREA told journalists last week. “It is very strange that the government is spending billions of baht to intervene in the rice market.”

But the government appears unruffled. Commerce minister and deputy prime minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong says government officials will join Thai delegations at international road shows to explain the new pro- poor policy of the government. “We want to help our farmers,” Kittiratt told local media.

The Yingluck administration’s rice policy, which secured a thumping rural endorsement at the Jul. 3 polls, will be launched at a time when there is no global shortfall in rice supply. Thailand, which ships close to 10 million tons annually, accounts for 30 percent of global rice exports.

Neighbouring Vietnam is its main competitor, exporting 6.7 million tons of rice last year, accounting for 22 percent of the export market. Other leading exporters are Pakistan, China and the United States.

Thai rice policy will also be up against India’s return to the international rice market following the end of a four-year-old export ban on non-basmati rice. Indian rice traders have been given the licence to export up to two million tons of rice.

“Normally if a player like Thailand implements a programme like this you would expect global prices to rise rapidly,” says IRRI’s Mohanty. “But the prevailing supply and rice from emerging rice suppliers like Burma, Cambodia and Brazil will not see a repeat of the 2008 rice crisis.”

In that year, the price of rice soared to more than 1,000 dollars per ton, hitting the stomachs of the world’s poorest, two-thirds of them, some 600 million, in Asia. Low rice stock was to blame, after major exporters like Vietnam and China placed restrictions to meet food insecurity at home.

“Thai farmers need to be helped to keep them growing rice,” says Chanchai Rakthananon, president of the Thai Rice Mills Association. “The government pledge to offer high prices will keep them from shifting to crops that have better prices like tapioca and rubber.”

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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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water

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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