KP government urged to lift ban on poplar wood export

Poplar wood dealers and exporters have demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to immediate lift ban on wood export, and asked to announce new wood export policy immediately. Speaking at a news conference at Press Club here on Wednesday, the All Peshawar Poplar Wood Dealers Association's former vice president Wazir Mohammad said the provincial authorities have imposed ban on export of poplar wood for last three months, which inflicting a huge financial losses to both dealers and exporters.

Accompanied by Association President Meena Jan, former president Mohammad Janan and a member Haji Fayyaz, he said exporters are regularly paying taxes and duties, therefore, the imposition of ban on wood export totally unjustified.

He said under the previous policy the KP Forest department was charging Rs 22,000 as clearance tax, while exporters also paid to custom authorities additional Rs 23,000 per heavy duty vehicle, loaded with poplar wood.

In addition to the taxes, the political agent is also paid Rs 6,000 per vehicle to allow export of wood to neighbouring Afghanistan, Wazir added.

Similarly, he informed that the federal government had not restricted wood export, but the KP authorities completely imposed ban on pretext of scrapping policy relating to export of poplar wood to Afghanistan.

He urged the provincial government to take action against the forest officials for imposing illegal ban on export of poplar timber to Afghanistan, as poplar wood a crop, which was not come under the ambit of Ministry of Forest, to immediate lift the ban.

He urged the government to immediate announce new policy regarding the export of poplar timber according to concerns of dealers and exporters.

The dealers and exporters demanded of the KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Provincial Senior Ministers Sirajul Haq and Sikandar Khan Sherpao, to take notice against the unjustified ban on export of poplar timber.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2013

Project at GCSC promotes local agriculture

Ponce de Leon made a special appearance at Gulf Coast State College on Monday morning for his post as governor of the Ponce Plantation project.

The project coincides with the 500th anniversary of Florida’s discovery in 1513; acreage on the college’s property facing U.S. 98 will be planted according to how and what his farm would have looked like.

Dr. Jim Kerley, president of GCSC, made the appearance as Ponce de Leon for the announcement and said he believes this is the only project of its nature in the state.

“Agriculture is not promoted that much here,” Kerley said. “My understanding is we’ve fallen off the list as far as production goes. My understanding is we’re last in Florida, so this is our way of getting attention. Maybe more people will start growing gardens.”

The 10-month project’s estimated cost, $2,000, was presented by Bay County Soil and Water Conservation District’s vice chairman John McMurray. He said the money came from three districts: Bay County Soil and Water Conservation District, Orange Hill Soil and Water Conservation District in Chipley and the Three RiversResource Conservation and Development in Milton.

“For years, we’ve handled farming stuff; as you heard today, farming in Bay County is pretty much done,” McMurray said. “This is a great thing; maybe we can get a few gardeners started or plant some sugar cane. We want people to understand the farming.”

Waterfront Markets Inc. coordinator Ronnie Barnes, one of the project’s organizers, said they’re aiming to be as authentic with planting as they can. With such intense effort being put into the project, they want it as visible as possible so more people can see it.

“There will be segmenting of sugar cane next and of the cassava; we’ve got to get those into the ground quickly because they have the longest growing cycle,” Barnes said. “Dr. Linda Fitzhugh, biology professor, will be leading biology students and any other students that want to be involved, through planting and cultivating.”

She said there would be many more events on campus throughout the year.

Cassava, a woody shrub also known as yucca, is one of the cropsPonce cultivated on his farm and harvested for production in his bakery on the estate. Girls Inc. will be harvesting sunflowers and learning entrepreneurship by selling them to the public.

“We re-creating Ponce’s bakery … and we’re going to show people how to produce the bread from the cassava plant,” Barnes said.

The ground already has been tilled and sunflower seeds were planted after the announcement. Other plants on the schedule are all drought-resistant crops; sweet potatoes, maize, beans, and ornamental annual flowers. Other additions to the demo plantation will be information signs, kiosks and off the grid lighting for evening walks through the garden.

Original Article Here

Ag dept to mark first log exports from Va to China

SUFFOLK, Va. (AP) - Agriculture officials are celebrating the first log exports from Virginia to China under a new pilot program.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are set to mark the inaugural shipments under the program at the Royal Fumigation facility in Suffolk on Wednesday.

China banned exports of un-milled soft- and hardwood logs from Virginia and South Carolina in April 2011, citing pests found on U.S. exports. Chinese officials have now agreed to the six-month pilot project to reopen its borders to those Virginia wood products.

The window comes with conditions, including designated ports and enhanced pest treatment and testing.

State officials estimate Virginia's log exports have a value of nearly $57 million.

Original Article Here