Latest news with #MPI
Scoop
6 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Applications Open For 2026 On Farm Support Science Scholarships
Press Release – Ministry For Primary Industries MPI launched the On Farm Support Science Scholarships in 2023. MPIs director of On Farm Support, Vanessa Winning, says applications are now open for next years scholarships. A scholarship programme run by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has started producing the next generation of on-farm advisers to support farmers and growers. Ffion White was one of the inaugural recipients of the On Farm Support Science Scholarship and is now an intern with Ballance Agri-Nutrients in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. 'I'm getting to work on-farm alongside Ballance's nutrient specialists. My role is about helping farmers improve their soil, grow better quality pasture and crops, and become more productive and profitable,' Ms White says. 'The scholarship was hugely beneficial. I had a mentor from MPI's On Farm Support team who invited me to industry field days and events. It helped me meet people in the sector which came in handy when I started looking for a job.' Ms White, who completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Massey University, is one of four scholarship recipients who have secured primary industry advisory roles. Another is Nerissa Edwards, who now works as a farm consultant with Feilding-based KS Agri. 'Every day is different. I find it hugely rewarding working with farmers to create individual plans to drive improvements in on-farm efficiency, profitability, and sustainability,' Ms Edwards says. 'The scholarship enabled me to build connections within the advisory sector. That led to a six-month internship with KS Agri and eventually a role as a consultant.' MPI launched the On Farm Support Science Scholarships in 2023. MPI's director of On Farm Support, Vanessa Winning, says applications are now open for next year's scholarships. 'Six scholarships, worth a total of $30,000, are on offer for the 2026 academic year to tertiary students enrolled in relevant agriculture, horticulture, science, or viticulture degrees,' Ms Winning says. 'We're seeking applications from students who have a genuine interest in pursuing a career in either the agriculture, horticulture, or viticulture advisory sector. Applicants must have completed their first year of study.' Ms Winning says there's strong demand for on-farm advice backed by science and analysis that can support producers to adapt and improve business performance. 'MPI is backing initiatives that support farmers and growers to sustainably boost productivity and profitability, helping to achieve the Government's goal of doubling the value of exports by 2034,' Ms Winning says. Applications for the scholarships close on 15 September 2025. Further information is available on MPI's website:
Bangkok Post
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Bangkok Post
Output ticks up for automobiles
Thailand's Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) increased by 0.58% year-on-year to 97.35 points in June, driven by the recovery of the car market, an increase in exports and state stimulus measures, says the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE). However, the MPI fell by 3.47% from May when it was 100.79 points. Car bookings at the 12-day Bangkok International Motor Show, which ended in early April, prompted car manufacturers to increase production to deliver cars to customers, contributing to the higher May MPI. Passakorn Chairat, director-general of the OIE, is upbeat about the MPI in June. "The increase in MPI reflected a positive sign for the manufacturing sector," he said. In June, car production increased by 17% year-on-year, driven by growing demand for hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles in the domestic and overseas markets. Mr Passakorn said this is a positive for car manufacturers struggling to deal with sluggish sales, caused mainly by buyers' difficulties in accessing auto loans as banks and car financing companies maintain strict lending criteria given the high level of household debt. According to the Bank of Thailand, household debt continues to decline, falling to 87.4% of GDP in the first quarter of 2025, attributed to weaker loan demand from borrowers and stricter lending standards from financial institutions. Household debt was 88.4% of GDP in the previous quarter. Other industries that contributed to the June MPI include electronic products and palm oil. Electronics and printed circuit board manufacturing increased by 6.18% year-on-year because demand rose for semiconductors and integrated circuits in the US market. Palm oil production gained by 9.84% year-on-year, driven by new purchase orders from China, India and Myanmar. Thailand's capacity utilisation rate was 59.6% in June. Officials continue to monitor the impact of the US's reciprocal tariff, household debt levels and the influx of low-cost imports on the Thai market as these incidents can deal a blow to the manufacturing sector, noted the OIE.
Rudaw Net
12 hours ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
KRG says not consulted on Iraq-UN poverty report
Also in Iraq Iraqi president, PM stress state resources must not be used for election purposes Iraqi women's party seeks to contest elections through empowerment Iraq-Turkey pipeline requires 'costly' renovation: KRG PM advisor Iraqi top court dismisses lawsuit to halt KRG's 24-hour power plan A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region's planning ministry on Wednesday said it was not consulted on Iraq's newly released poverty report, which was launched in Baghdad in coordination with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a UK-based research center. "This report was prepared without the knowledge of the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Planning and the Kurdistan Region Statistics Office,' the ministry said in a statement, lamenting that Erbil's viewpoints were not taken into consideration. The UNDP said on Wednesday that they, along with the Iraqi government and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) - the research center working on the measurement - have officially launched the Iraq Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) analytical report, 'marking a major step forward in the country's understanding of and response to poverty.' According to the research center's website, they measure poverty by taking into consideration a household's health, education, and living standards - not just income and expenditure - 'to gain a greater understanding of the overlapping deprivations poor people face.' During the ceremony, Iraqi Planning Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim said that 'the Iraqi government is taking serious attention to the poverty phenomenon, by adopting policies that are not only aimed at improving income, but also embark on a comprehensive development approach that addresses the multiple gaps that face broad sections of society,' according to his ministry. The minister added that Iraq's MPI has decreased from 11.4 percent to 10.8 percent in 2024. 'Work should have been done jointly on this report and its details from the beginning so that the Kurdistan Regional Government's views could have been incorporated into it. Also, it was necessary for the final draft to reach us so that we could approve the results in advance and be prepared for the announcement ceremony and later benefit from its results,' the Region's planning ministry said. According to the UNDP, the MPI report is based on the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey (2023–2024) and includes five dimensions: education, health, living standards, employment, and exposure to shocks. The measurement also includes employment and household shocks such as climate change or income instability, which 'makes Iraq's MPI one of the most contextually relevant tools in the region.' 'The launch also includes a presentation of the methodology for developing the Women's Poverty Index, making Iraq one of the few countries in the region to establish a dedicated women-specific poverty measurement tool,' the UNDP said. Sascha Graumann, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Iraq, said during the event that provinces such as Kirkuk and Baghdad have shown 'encouraging results,' but those such as Muthanna, Maysan, and Salahaddin 'still face relatively high levels of deprivation across several dimensions.' Iraqi planning ministry spokesperson Abdul Zahra al-Hindawi told Rudaw on Wednesday that the report helps make it 'easier in setting the required and appropriate policies to combat poverty in Iraq.' Regarding poverty rates by province, Hindawi said that Erbil has the lowest poverty rate at around 6.8 percent, followed by Duhok and Sulaimani provinces with 8 to 10 percent. He explained that Duhok previously hosted large waves of displacement during and after 2014, when the conflict with the Islamic State (ISIS) happened, and consequently, this affected the service and living standards in the province 'The Kurdistan Region provinces have the lowest poverty rates at the Iraqi level," he said. According to the spokesperson, the highest poverty rate is in Muthanna province at 40 percent, although it saw a decline from 52 percent in 2022, followed by Diwaniyah, Dhi Qar, Maysan, and Nineveh. Sangar Abdulrahman contributed to this report.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Malaysia vital to global semiconductor industry
FILE PHOTO: Semiconductor chips are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo PETALING JAYA: CIMB Research believes Malaysia remains an attractive destination for semiconductor manufacturing globally given the country's committed investments and a neutral party amid global trade tensions. 'With RM63bil in committed investments, an increase in local champions, and stronger Asean alignment, Malaysia is positioning itself as a neutral, indispensable node in the global chip supply chain,' the research house said. It added that Malaysia's transition from a back-end assembly base to a design-to-packaging semiconductor hub remains a work in progress. However, it said it was encouraged to see that the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) is gaining investor traction, institutional support, and regional momentum. CIMB Research said the NSS, launched in May 2024, aims to shift Malaysia beyond a 'Made in Malaysia' model to a 'Made by Malaysia' one by strengthening local capabilities in integrated circuit (IC) design, research and development, advanced packaging, and nurturing homegrown champions across the value chain. The research house said, since its launch, the NSS has attracted RM63bil in investments, of which RM58bil was foreign direct investment and RM5.2bil domestic direct investment. 'These investments underscore rising investor confidence in Malaysia's semiconductor ecosystem,' it added. The research house said Malaysia aims to develop 10 local semiconductor firms with revenues exceeding US$1bil and 100 companies with revenues exceeding RM1bil. 'The government has identified 13 Malaysian-based companies across the semiconductor value chain as key beneficiaries, including Carsem (M) Sdn Bhd, Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd (MPI), Inari Amertron Bhd , Pentamaster Corp Bhd , Vitrox Corp Bhd , and Kellington Group Bhd. 'In addition, promising IC design and services firms like Oppstar Bhd , SkyeChip Bhd, Infinecs Systems Sdn Bhd, and Experior Technology Sdn Bhd are also being nurtured to spearhead Malaysia's next phase of semiconductor growth,' the research house said, adding that more than RM2bil has been committed by government-linked investment companies and development banks via the GEAR-uP initiative. CIMB Research's top picks in the Malaysian outsourced semiconductor assembly and test sector are Inari Amertron Bhd and MPI. It also likes ViTrox for exposure to the automated test equipment sector.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Shaping India's multidimensional fight against poverty
India's efforts to reduce poverty have produced admirable results. As per the World Bank's revised poverty line, between 2011 and 2023, approximately 270 million people have been able to come out of extreme poverty. That's more than the population of Germany and Russia, combined. The poorest caste and religious groups saw the fastest absolute reduction in this period. It is now widely recognised that poverty is multidimensional, encompassing more than just lack of money. It includes deprivations in health, education, and quality of life. India's Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures poverty using multiple indicators. It looks at 12 basic needs across health, education, and standard of living to understand how people are deprived in different parts of their lives. A person is considered poor if they are deprived in at least one-third of the indicators used. Based on this approach, NITI Aayog's discussion paper reminds us that nearly 200 million people in India still face multiple hardships. Poverty remains severe, with the poorest struggling to meet about half of their 12 basic needs. These people often live in mud houses in which piped water and proper sanitation are still considered luxuries. It is not unusual for them to skip meals in a day, and an illness or an unexpected life event can have disastrous consequences. It's important to remember that when people face simultaneous deprivations — especially non-monetary ones — these challenges can reinforce each other, keeping people trapped in poverty. For example, people who are deprived in both nutrition and sanitation are potentially more vulnerable to infectious diseases. These deprivation bundles are a recurring pattern observed among people living in extreme poverty around the world. Quite often, poverty reduction policies are not framed keeping these interlinkages in mind. Graduation Approach This multi-pronged way to measure and study poverty also demands a fresh approach to design anti-poverty programmes. For governments, it means investing in programmes that give people living in extreme poverty the tools to escape the poverty trap. Bangladesh-based NGO BRAC's Graduation Approach offers an effective model to do that. The Graduation Approach provides the poorest of the poor a sequential and complementary package that includes a productive asset such as livestock or small items for trading, training to manage them, some money for up to a year to meet their immediate needs, and mentorship to manage their income and savings. The programme has become a global success. It has reached and improved the standard of living for millions of households across 43 countries following randomised evaluations by researchers affiliated with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), including Nobel Laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. Households around the world receiving the multi-component support package of the Graduation Approach made significant gains in all the key MPI indicators. Let's take a closer look at them. Standard of living: The model increased household spending on food, fuel, and assets — all key elements of the MPI's standard of living dimension. In Bangladesh, researchers observed that participants were more likely to own land and a shop just two years after the programme — activities which the rural middle class partakes in. Even in Yemen, among the poorest countries in the world, people spent more on refurbishing their houses, suggesting they had money to spare after meeting their essential needs. Families also reported better financial security and higher spending on children. In India, households held more assets and reduced their dependence on informal credit. Health: Graduation Approach's focus on improving food security and access to healthcare can directly contribute to better health outcomes. In Afghanistan, the programme helped reduce diarrhoea among children under five years of age by eight percentage points. A study in Pakistan, India, Honduras, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Peru found people reported better health and happiness. In India too, some emerging lessons from studies show significant and sustained improvement in food security with 99% of participant households not skipping meals. Education: Researchers found that certain adaptations of the Graduation Approach also increased school enrolment rates among children. A study in Afghanistan conducted over 2016-2018 found that school enrolment rose by 7 percentage points for boys and 5 for girls. The Graduation Approach's close alignment with the national MPI indicators gives Indian States as well as the federal government a useful blueprint to design anti-poverty programmes effective in handling its multidimensional nature. Common deprivations It helps policymakers to identify the key areas that need urgent attention. For instance, the most common deprivation bundle in India is across four categories: nutrition, housing, sanitation, and clean cooking fuel. More than 34 million people lack access to these in India. Policies that target these areas in tandem are likely to have a much greater impact on poverty reduction. Over the past few years, India has introduced a slew of policies to improve children's nutrition, health and well-being of mothers, and financial inclusion for people living in poverty. And it has been successful too. Initiatives such as Poshan Abhiyan have been instrumental in improving health outcomes, particularly in reducing malnutrition, and PM Awas Yojana has reached millions through affordable housing. But these actions are often led by different Ministries. A multifaceted programme such as the Graduation Approach makes it easier for policy planners to achieve these different goals through one concerted strategy. In 2024, the Ministry of Rural Development took an important step in this direction by piloting the Samaveshi Aajeevika Initiative (Inclusive Development Programme) initiative across 11 States with a consortium of partners including BRAC, The Nudge Institute and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab ( J-PAL) South Asia. The programme — based on the Graduation Approach model — is designed to help rural women become entrepreneurs and put them on the path to self-sufficiency. Using this as a platform and in the spirit of cooperative federalism, States can identify vulnerability hotspots through MPI and target them through integrated proven solutions such as the Samaveshi Aajeevika to fight poverty and its multiple facets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid down an ambitious vision for inclusive development with a singular objective: leave no one behind. And as India marches towards becoming a high-income country by 2047, States must embrace evidence-based, innovative models such as Samaveshi Aajevika that can set people free from the poverty trap. Parikrama Chowdhry is the Lead - Policy (Scale-ups) at J-PAL South Asia; views are personal
