17th november,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine (2) by Daily Rice E-Newsletters

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine www.ricepluss.com

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 17 November, 2014

Volume 4 Issue: XI

Vol 4, Issue XI

Today’s News Headlines…                    

World Rice News 17.11.2014 Government's rice procurement dip by 5 per cent in 2014-15 Bulog to absorb 3.2 million tons of local rice next year Small scale rice dealers appeal to Spio Garbrah Iran official says trade, economic cooperation with Russia ‘insufficient’ Australia-China Trade Deal to Drive Exports Beyond Mining China drops barriers on Australian dairy, wine and beef in free trade deal Progress continues on hybrid rice breeding Japanese rice brings prosperity, stability to Vietnam farmers 14 palay output seen rising by 2.4% Why non-Basmati brown rice Restaurant review: The Water of Leith Cafe Bistro Senator Landrieu Asks Kerry to Get Tough on Iraq USA Rice Led Global Based Initiative Gets Underway in Ghana CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures China to fund rice expansion Rice Stable Supply Support Organization Hosts a Reception for Foreign Media Growers’ concerns over lower paddy prices China to fund rice expansion Sambalpur Kharif Paddy Procurement from November 24

Contact & Visit www.ricepluss.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 7th Floor,Suite 11 Central Plaza New Garden Town Lahore-54600 Landline :92 3584 5551 For Advertisement Specs & Rates: Contact: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine News Detail…. World Rice News 17.11.2014 17.11.2014 China is set to loan Cambodia up to $300 million to build a series of warehouses aimed at assisting the Kingdom‘s fledgling rice industry. Mey Kalyan, senior adviser to the Supreme Economic Council, told the Post that China had approved in principle the Ministry of Economy and Finance‘s loan proposal and that both parties are expected to sign off on the agreement early next month. ―For a year the government has been preparing for this loan scheme to resolve the rice industry‘s working capital issues,‖ Kaylan said, adding that the loan amount could be reduced provided it does not compromise the proposed project.

tons of rice from local farmers next year, similar to the target this year, to maintain its stockpiles. The targets are part of efforts to reach 2 million tons of rice reserves by the end of next year, as instructed by the government, Bulog president director Soetarto Alimoeso said during the national working meeting of the Agriculture Ministry on Monday. *** India. Rice procurement by government agencies is lower by 5 per cent at 9.91 million tonnes in the ongoing 2014-15 marketing year so far from last year's 10.42 million tonnes in the same period.

Government's

rice

procurement dip by 5 per cent

*** The Food Corporation of India (FCI) may soon import rice from Myanmar to India's northeastern states, an official said here Monday. Pinuel Basumatary, FCI executive director for northeast, told the media that the import of rice from Myanmar will help meet the requirement in the public distribution system (PDS) in Mizoram and Manipur. The proposal to import rice was mooted due to transportation bottlenecks in the hilly northeast region, and particularly due to the conversion of the metre-gauge section of the Lumding division of the Northeast Frontier Railway from Lumding to Badarpur.

in 2014-15 By PTI | 17 Nov, 2014, 03.12PM IST State-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies undertake procurement of rice and wheat to ensure that farmers get a minimum support price (MSP). ET SPECIAL:

*** Indonesia. State-owned logistics agency Bulog has said that it will absorb 3.2 million Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine NEW DELHI: Rice procurement by government agencies is lower by 5 per cent at 9.91 million tonnes in the ongoing 2014-15 marketing year so far from last year's 10.42 million tonnes in the same period. State-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies undertake procurement of rice and wheat to ensure that farmers

get

minimum

support

price

(MSP). Rice marketing year runs from October to September. Annual procurement target for this year is 30 million tonnes. "Rice procurement as on November 16 of this year is slightly lower than the last year's period. The 2-3 lakh tonnes of difference in procurement so far will be covered later," a senior FCI official told media. Much of the grain purchase is happening in Punjab and Haryana, while the procurement in Telangana has started today. The grain buying in other

states

like Andhra

Pradesh andWest

Bengal will begin after two weeks, he added. In Punjab, rice procurement was 7.6 million tonnes so far this year, as against 7.9 million tonnes in the year-ago, while in Haryana, it reached 1.96 million tonnes as against 2.38 million tonnes in

State-owned logistics agency Bulog has said that it will absorb 3.2 million tons of rice from local farmers next year, similar to the target this year, to maintain its stockpiles.The targets are part of efforts to reach 2 million tons of rice reserves by the end of next year, as instructed by the government, Bulog president director Soetarto Alimoeso said during the national working meeting of the Agriculture Ministry on Monday.As of November, the firm had secured nearly 2.4 million tons of rice locally, out of 3.2 million tons targeted for the year. The lower-than-expected purchase is attributed to the smaller rice output predicted for 2014.To compensate this shortfall, Bulog has imported 425,000 tons of rice from Thailand and Vietnam throughout the year.Soetarto said that at present, Bulogâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s rice inventories totaled around 1.6 million tons, while the government reserve kept by Bulog amounted to 310,000 tons, and that the joint stocks of 1.91 million tons would be sufficient for seven months of distribution in normal conditions.(+++)

Small scale rice dealers appeal to Spio Garbrah

the review period. In Telangana, as much as 2,12,000 tonnes of rice was procured so far this year. Last year, kharif rice procurement was 26.65 million tonnes against the target of 32.06

Members of Small Scale Rice Dealers Association of Ghana (SSRIDA-GH), has drawn the attention of the Trade Ministry to the

million tonnes.

Bulog to absorb 3.2 million tons of local rice next year Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Mon, November 17 2014, 5:45 PM

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine negative impact the ban on inland rice importation has brought to traders.―The Ministry of Trade and Industry on October 14, 2013 served a noticed of ban on inland importation of rice stating that ‗with effect from 1st November, 2013‖, all imports of rice shall be done through only the Kotoka International Airport, Tema and Takoradi Ports, meaning our only means of transport would have to be either through the air or by sea.This directive gave us only two weeks ultimatum to fold up our trading business through the border.

As petty traders our capital base would not allow us to do our business through the air or by the sea. The directive also came at a time when we had made orders with loans for goods for the Christmas festivity.A letter wrote to the Ministry, signed by Mr Yaw Korang, Coordinator, SSRIDA-GH and copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra, said on January 4, 2014, government lifted the ban, and statement was issued to that effect, and this encouraged more traders to invest into the business. ―On July 7th 2014, the then minister of Trade…Haruna Iddrisu met with the traders and agreed to lift the ban. He requested for two border post. On July 17th Haruna Iddrisu released a memo directing the Director of TAP at the ministry, Appiah Donyna, to write to customs to open the Sampa Border for the traders, but till now no such thing has being done.―Due to allegations made against us by our foreign competitors as their marketing strategy to use the Trade ministry to push us out of business, the Ministry took our duty documents to investigate whether we are truly doing genuine businesses,‖ the letter said.

SSRIDA-GH said the decision by SSRIDAGH ―to put on temporal hold our proposed demonstration on 2nd August, 2014 against the Trade Ministry officials for turning a deaf ear to our cry and implementing a discriminating policy against the poor Ghanaian traders, is as a result of the outcome of a meeting we had with authorities on the 2nd August, 2014 at the Trade Ministry.The meeting was attended by Greater Accra Police Command Accra.―We humbly wish to state that our business is only a threat to the monopoly being practiced by foreign rice importers, whose activities are a threat to the nation`s economy because they do the importation under the cover of warehousing and sell their products for high prices in dollar equivalence before paying their revenue and sometimes even run-off without paying. ―We do our business in the CFA-FRANC and pay our duty cash into the consolidated fund at the borders before we are allowed to bring our goods into the country and sell our products.―We humbly call on your high office as a Minister to review the ban and consider our petition, as it is not affecting only the traders but the general living conditions of the masses and image of government politically, economically and internationally…‖ the letter said.

Iran official says trade, economic cooperation with Russia ‘insufficient’ 17.11.2014 ―Unfortunately, we have to state that trade and economic ties between our countries do not reach the political level," Iran's

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said.A senior Iranian politician said on Monday he considered the level of trade and economic cooperation with Russia ―insufficient.‖―Unfortunately, we have to state that trade and economic ties between our countries do not reach the political level, and the level of investments is insufficient,‖ Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart, State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin, noting ―sincere and friendly‖ interparliamentary ties between the two countries.―I am also very pleased to note that our countries are engaged in a regular dialogue on regional developments,‖ Larijani told Naryshkin. ―We are convinced that your visit to Tehran will give added impetus to development of bilateral cooperation.‖Naryshkin stressed that Russia and Iran shared similar views on most regional and global issues.

Australia-China Trade Deal to Drive Exports Beyond Mining 17.11.2014 Australia completed a free trade deal with China today, cementing ties with its biggest economic partner and reducing the nation‘s reliance on resource exports.―I am pleased to announce the completion of negotiations,‖ Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a statement following talks in Canberra with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi said in a speech to Australia‘s parliament the trade accord would help diversify business ties between the two nations and called for closer strategic links.Australia is the most China-dependent developed economy in the

world, with exports to the nation accounting for 5.3 percent of gross domestic product, according to Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Two-way trade, which reached A$151 billion ($132 billion) in 2013, has been driven by China‘s insatiable appetite for resources and energy, while Australia mainly buys cheap Chinese manufactured products.―Both the Australian and Chinese economies are likely to benefit from these developments, but Australia‘s smaller economy will benefit proportionally more,‖ said Richard Grace, chief currency and rates strategist and head of international economics at Commonwealth Bank, the nation‘s biggest lender. Negotiations on the trade deal began in 2005 and languished under the previous Labor government. Abbott, who was elected in 2013, imposed a target to sign it by the end of this year. e FTA will be the third that Australia has reached this year following agreements with Japan and South Korea.Neighbor New Zealand signed a freetrade agreement with China in 2008 and in the 12 months through June 2013 its exports to China surged 26 percent, government data show.―This is at least as good for our agriculture, as New Zealand got,‖ Abbott told Sydney radio station 2GB today. Tariff Free China supplied 20 percent of Australia‘s A$256 billion of imports in 2013 and bought more than 35 percent of its exports last year, International Monetary Fund data show.Josh Frydenberg, parliamentary secretary to Abbott, told ABC television today that 95 percent of Australia‘s exports to China would eventually be free of tariffs.Under the deal with Australia, China has agreed to

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine reverse higher duties it recently imposed on Australian coal exports: the coking coal duty will be cut to zero and the thermal coal duty to 4 percent from 6 percent and then phased out across two years, the Australian newspaper reported Nov. 15. It said Australian agricultural exports including beef, most grains and seafood will see tariffs cut to zero between now and 2021.In the agreement, Australia has accorded Chinese private investment the same threshold as U.S. and Japanese. This means proposals of as much as A$1 billion will not require Foreign Investment Review Board approval. The key issue of investment by China‘s state-owned enterprises has been deferred in order to get the deal done. Tough Areas ―There are a couple of tough areas,‖ Frydenberg said. ―They obviously want greater access for their state-owned enterprises, we want greater access for our sugar and rice and other agricultural exports,‖ he said. ―It sounds like they are going to be parked, those issues, for a couple of years, but we are not going to lose this opportunity to close a very good deal.‖Australia‘s exports to China will need to adjust as the government in Beijing engineers a transition to consumption-led growth from fixed investment. That will require Australia to market its services industries to China rather than digging holes in the ground.While services account for about 70 percent of Australia‘s GDP, they made up just 17 percent of exports in the 12 months through June 2013, government data show.

Infant Formula Some companies are already adapting to the change and diversifying away from mining.Gina Rinehart, the Australian billionaire who built her fortune on iron ore, is planning a A$500 million investment to supply infant formula to China. Hope Dairies Ltd., controlled by Rinehart‘s closely held Hancock Prospecting Ltd., is seeking to acquire about 5,000 hectares (12,400 acres) of farmland in Queensland state and is targeting first production in the second half of 2016. The move comes as Australian miners including Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.‘s Andrew Forrest expand into food production to tap rising demand from Asia‘s middle classes. It positions Rinehart, the richest woman in Asia, to compete in an infant formula market in China forecast to swell after the world‘s most populous nation loosened its one-child policy last year.―The FTA will deliver a net benefit to both the Australian household and business sectors. Most of the benefits will take time to deliver a material impact, but some of the benefits will be immediate,‖ Commonwealth Bank‘s Grace said. ―Australian households are expected to benefit through the removal of up to A$1 billion of tariffs imposed on Chinese-made clothes, shoes, cars, components and electronics.‖

China drops barriers on Australian dairy, wine and beef in free trade deal Agreement also opens China‘s services sector to Australian businesses, but fails to reduce tariffs on other agricultural

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine commodities including rice, wheat, cotton, sugar and oilseeds

agreement ―will provide a higher level platform ... for our economic cooperation‖.

Chinese president Xi Jinping delivering an address to the Australian parliament on Monday. Australia had Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

The prime minister, Tony Abbott, said the agreement would ―add billions to the economy and create jobs.‖The Labor opposition leader, Bill Shorten, welcomed the deal, but said he wanted to see the detail – especially on the arrangements for temporary migration. He said it was disappointing the tariff on thermal coal was not being immediately removed.Andrew Robb, the trade minister, who signed the ―declaration of intent‖ with his counterpart Gao Hucheng, said this deal, on top of free trade agreements he has concluded with Japan and Korea, ―concluded a powerful trifecta‖ that offered ―phenomenal opportunities‖ to Australian businesses.With the exact details still under wraps and the deal newly-minted, its benefits have not yet been modelled but Robb said it would lead to a significant increase in the $150bn two way trade.

China will remove barriers to Australian exports of farm produce including dairy, beef, sheep and wine over time and has opened its booming services sector, in a new trade agreement signed as a ―declaration of intent‖ by trade ministers from the two countries on Monday.Australia has agreed to immediately remove any remaining tariffs on most goods, with a phase-in for textiles, car components and steel, and a higher threshold for scrutiny of private investment from China. The two countries have set aside for at least three years the biggest sticking points in the trade talks that have dragged on for 10 years in order to reach a deal on what they could. Australia had set Monday‘s visit to Canberra by Chinese president Xi Jinping as a deadline for the talks.Australia failed to get tariff reductions on key agricultural commodities rice, wheat, cotton, sugar and oilseeds. China failed to change Australia‘s practice of subjecting all investments by state-owned enterprises - which make up most of Chinese investments - to scrutiny by the foreign investment review board.Addressing the Australian parliament, Chinese president Xi Jinping said the

An $18bn figure widely used is based on 10-year-old modelling that does not reflect this deal.Brent Finlay, president of the National Farmers Federation, said the agreement was at least as good as that New Zealand had achieved in its China FTA, struck six years ago, and offered superior market access for dairy and red meat – a ―fantastic outcome‖. Finlay said the commodities for which no tariff reductions had been achieved ―could at least continue to work on it for the next three years‖.Business Council of Australia chief executive, Jennifer Westacott, said the agreement was a ―transformative moment for the Australian economy. ‖Two potential sticking points for the government to achieve Labor‘s backing for the agreement – necessary for the passage on enabling legislation – are provisions for

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine temporary entry of Chinese workers and provisions that allow investors to use dispute settlement proceedings against the government of the country in which they are investing.Robb said the labour provisions contained safeguards that Labor had previously supported. Chinese projects worth more than $150m would be able to apply for the in-principle right to bring workers to Australia in occupations where Australian labour is scarce. When the investor sought to exercise the right, the Australian government will test the claims of labour-market shortage job is not already on labour-shortage lists.Investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms are often attacked for risking a reduction in domestic legal protections. Robb insisted the China-Australia FTA would ―include safeguards to protect government ability to regulate in the public interest and pursue legitimate public welfare objectives such as public health, safety and the environment‖. The detailed provisions in each of these areas are not yet available.In October, when the deal was almost done, China made the shock decision to introduce new coal tariffs. Under the agreement, the 3% tariff on coking coal will be removed straight away, but removing the 6% tariff on thermal coal will take two years.Robb said the deal on services, like law firms, education and banking, was ―the best China has ever done by a country mile‖. The percentage of Australian exports entering China tariff-free will rise to 85% when the agreement enters into force, 93% within four years and 95% when tariff reductions are fully phased in within 10 years.The governments will now prepare final texts, to be signed next year.FTAs are tabled after the detailed documents are signed, and then considered by the parliamentary joint standing committee on

treaties before implementing legislation is presented to parliament.Chinese investment in agriculture is controversial in rural communities, and Abbott was lambasted about the deal by radio announcer Alan Jones on Monday. Jones claimed the government ―did not have a mandate‖ and raised concerns about the sale of Australian dairy farms to Chinese entities.

Progress continues on hybrid rice breeding Bruce Schultz11:18 p.m. CST November 15, 2014 (Photo: submitted ) 1CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMM ENTEMAILMORE

CROWLEY – Hybrid development at the Rice Research Station continues to make progress under hybrid rice breeders Jim Oard and Weike Li.Oard, an LSU AgCenter researcher and professor, said a preliminary yield trial resulted in 16 of 35 hybrid lines having a 15-20 percent yield advantage over conventional varieties CL152 and Catahoula, and nine had yields exceeding commercial hybrids CLX729 and XL723.Multi-location trials of eight new

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine hybrids were conducted in Acadia, St. Landry and Vermilion parishes in 2014, Oard said. Results showed good yield and milling quality.

make sure male-sterile and fertile pollinator plants flower simultaneously.The program is close to having a commercially viable hybrid.

Four hybrids from the LSU AgCenter were tested by the University of Arkansas, he said. ―There were 30 entries, and the best ones were the Louisiana hybrids.‖The fact that the hybrids performed well in Arkansas demonstrates their adaptability to different locations, Oard said.Hybrids are evaluated not only for yield but also for milling quality.

―I would say within two to three years we‘ll have a rice hybrid that will be of commercial interest,‖ he said.Li, a research associate at the station, also is optimistic. He said the hybrid program is progressing well, and several lines show promise with good milling quality, short stature and excellent yields. ―I can say I‘m quite sure we will be successful.‖The research on hybrids is supported by funds provided through the rice checkoff program. ―This program has paid excellent dividends for 40 plus years and will continue to help the rice industry in the future,‖ said Steve Linscombe, director of the Rice Research Station and the AgCenter‘s Southwest Region.

Oard said the new cereal chemistry lab run by Ida Wenefrida, researcher and assistant professor at the Rice Station, enables quick results for testing amylose content and gelatinization temperature. ―Otherwise, we‘d be waiting for months to get these grain quality results,‖ he said.Chalk is a major quality consideration. ―It‘s a big issue we are paying a lot of attention to,‖ he said. Grain uniformity also is emphasized in the program. Oard said 1,200 crosses made in 2014 resulted in 12 lines with yield advantages over commercial hybrid CLXL729. Many of those new lines have the Clearfield trait.The hybrid program is also incorporating the new Provisia herbicide resistance trait. ―We think it will be a good complement to the Clearfield technology,‖ he said.Even though the hybrid program has been underway for four years at the Rice Station, work continues on fine-tuning the process. Oard said the seed production system is being improved with the use of seed treatments to

Japanese rice brings prosperity, stability to Vietnam farmers By Thanh Nien Staff, Thanh Nien News AN GIANG - Sunday, November 16, 2014 16:16 Farmers harvesting Japanese rice in An Giang Province. Photo: Anh Phan Many rice farmers in An Giang Province enjoyed profits of up to 40 percent after

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine several years of cooperating with a Japanese company that offered them a stable price for their crops.Compared to farmers in the Mekong Delta who are preyed upon by shifty traders and crushing debts, the partners of the Angimex-Kikotu Company have a much better story to tell.The cooperation between the An Giang Farmers‘ Association and the company started in 2009.This year, Japanese rice cultivation expanded to 2,330 hectares (4,942 acres) in the provincial capital Long Xuyen Town and three outlying districts: Thoai Son, Tri Ton and Chau Thanh. Around 16,000 tons of rice resulted from three crops (winter-spring, summer-fall, and fall-winter), generating VND1.2 trillion (US$56.42 million) and leaving each participating household a profit of between 35-40 percent.The association and the company agreed on prices of VND5,8006,300 (27-30 cents) a kilogram of fresh stems and VND7,500-8,600 (35-40 cents) per kilogram of dried and processed grain.Guaranteed, stable income was what convinced Nguyen Loi Duc, a local farmer, to join the project with 30 hectares of his field.―They provide the seeds, they cover the output. I don't have to worry that prices will plunge like with other Vietnamese varieties,‖ Duc said.The company meets with the farmers at the start of every crop to discuss prices, the varieties to be planted, as well as specific technical demands and cultivation parameters.Nguyen Van Binh said he really appreciates being able to know he can count on a stable year-round price, before he begins work.Binh said switching to Japanese rice has earned him an extra VND1-2 million per hectare.He recently rented an extra 20 hectares to plant the next winterspring crop, which he expects to earn him more than VND35 million ($1,650).Good

work also earns the farmers cash rewards.Tran Van Ngoc, a participating farmer, said if a crop exceeds the company's quality standards, he becomes eligible for bonuses that range between VND100,000 and VND500,000 ($4.7-23) per kilogram.Ngoc says he's gotten a bonus for every crop, except for one that was addled by an unusual insect attack.Nguyen Thanh An said that planting Japanese rice is more difficult than Vietnamese rice but really pays off. ―With some experience, you can earn bigger profit and not worry about whether or not your harvest will be bought,‖ An said.―More people just keep joining this company and bulking up their fields. I‘ve seen no one leave.‖Akira Omori, deputy director of Angimex-Kitoku, said the company has built some additional warehouses in Thoai Son District this year to accommodate growing output. "With some experience, you can earn bigger profit and not worry about about whether or not your harvest will be bought." -- Nguyen Thanh An, a farmer in An Giang province.A member of An Giang Farmers Association said the company began approaching local farmers in 2000, many of whom were initially skeptical and refused to join.At that time, Japanese rice only occupied 200 to 400 hectares in the province.But since the association stepped in as a middleman, more than 4,000 farmers have joined. Right way for rice Experts familiar with the issue say that the cooperation in An Giang has proven to be a win-win.Bui Chi Buu, former director of the Southern Agriculture Science Institute, said Japanese people started to invest in rice cultivation in Vietnam at least 20 years ago.―They'd bring the rice back home or

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine export to another country from Vietnam at $800-1,000 a ton. Although the amount was not much, their profit was high,‖ Buu said.Nguyen Quoc Vong, another agricultural expert, said Japanese rice can be used to make sake and various rice products.―The rice planted in Vietnam isn't just exported back to Japan. The demand for their rice is very high in many other countries and their domestic output just can't keep up,‖ Vong said.Japanese rice production in An Giang has fostered a sustainable, high-quality approach to agriculture, he said.Japanese rice sells for up to $1,200 a ton abroad, around three times the export price of Vietnamese rice, he added.Vong said the ministry of agriculture and food businesses in Vietnam should go out and bring more such businesses home to help local farmers.Japanese rice is being cultivated on a large scale in Thailand and India which enjoy proper government support for hightech agriculture. Vietnam should offer the same incentives, he said.On Thursday, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper quoted Nguyen Trung Dung, trade counselor of the Vietnamese embassy in Japan, that Japan‘s aging population has a dwindling agricultural workforce.For that reason, Vietnam has become an ideal alternative food source since nearly 70 percent of its youthful population resides in rural areas.Meanwhile, Vietnam is significantly behind in terms of its cultivation, distribution and preservation technologies, all of which Japan can help develop.―The two countries apparently complement each other ideally,‖ Dung said.

14 palay output seen rising by 2.4%

Ronnel W. Domingo Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:54 AM | Monday, November 17th, 2014

Philippine palay output is expected to reach 18.88 million tons in 2014, up by 2.4 percent from the previous year‘s volume but 1 percent short of the 19.07 million-ton target.According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the projected year-on-year increase in production was due to the increase in the average farm yield to 3.98 tons per hectare from 3.89 tons in 2014.The PSA said the improved yield was expected to offset an anticipated 0.05-percent contraction in the harvest area to 4.74 million hectares from 4.75 million hectares.In the fourth quarter of 2014 alone, the agency forecasts a 5.5-percent increase in harvest, with standing crop indicating an output of 7.47 million tons. For the October-December period, the harvest area is seen expanding by 2.2 percent to 1.87 million hectares and yield may rise 3.3 percent to 3.99 tons per hectare.―Probable production may increase in Central Luzon, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao Region,‖ the PSA said.The PSA also said that an improvement in yield was expected due to increased usage of hybrid and certified seeds as well as the distribution of free fertilizer as part of the Bicol Rehabilitation Assistance for areas that were adversely affected by Typhoon ―Glenda.‖Last October, the Food and Agriculture Organization said the Philippines‘ palay output was projected to decline for the first time in five years by one percent to settle at 18.6 million tons.By volume, the reduction is expected at 10.3 million tons of palay, which is equivalent to seven million tons of milled rice.

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The FAO said in its Rice Market Monitor report that the forecast assumed that the wetseason harvest would be about the same as 2013 volume.Even then, â&#x20AC;&#x2022;the final outcome of the season will depend on the rainfall performance in the coming months, which will in turn determine the availability of water for irrigation of off-season crops,â&#x20AC;&#x2013; the agency said.The Department of Agriculture is aiming for rice harvests to reach 59.7 million tons in the three years to 2016 to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of the staple grain.According to the DA, the target harvest for 2014 is pegged at 19.07 million tons, for 2015 20.09 million tons and for 2016 20.52 million tons

Why non-Basmati brown rice Preeti Verma Lal, TNN | Nov 16, 2014, 01.18PM IST Why non-Basmati brown rice (Photo: ThinkStock Photos/ Getty Images)

In this age of hurried pace, high cholesterol, take away food and extra midriff lard, do you ever want to go back to childhood where weight was nary a worry, cholesterol just a difficult word and food not insecticide-laden or hormone-induced? We all do. Don't we all look for childhood? Call it absent-minded coincidence, but one day, I bumped into childhood.

No, not by turning the clock. Walking through the aisle of a superstore, I found childhood on the grocery shelf. That stout, brown grain of rice that the khansama (cook) would make for lunch every day. Not pressure cooked. That gooey brown rice that ma would serve with a piping dollop of ghee. I grew up but that aroma lived in my soul.It is to that aroma of fat, brown rice that I yearned to return to. Not the long-grained Basmati, but the non-Basmati brown rice unmilled rice which is an excellent source of manganese, selenium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, and niacin (vitamin B3). Do you know what happens when that hearty brown rice is milled and polished into white? It destroys 67 per cent of vitamin B3, 80 per cent of vi tamin B1, 90 per cent of vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60 per cent of the iron, and all the dietary fibre and essential fatty acids. So, white rice is essentially refined starch without original nutrients. Even in brown rice, the non-Bas mati brown rice is better than the long grained ones. The basic difference lies in their Glycemic Index (GI); the latter has GI of only 8.6. How does that help? Ask Swapna Chaturvedi, dietician at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences and she'll rattle off all the benefits of non-Basmati brown rice. "Its low GI is an extremely healthy option for diabetics, weight watchers, colon cancer patients and heart patients. Its high fibre content keeps blood glucose levels stable and prevents hunger cravings. Its micronutrients hunger cravings. Its micronutrie make it anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory." Pressure cook the rice. Do not throw the rice whey. Retain the starch.

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Throwing the whey means discarding all the water-soluble nutrients. Dietician Dr Charu Dua of Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital, New Delhi, shatters the myth of avoiding rice carbs at night. "Non-Basmati brown rice is great dinner. It fends off hunger cravings; its low GI helps lower blood cholesterol and manage blood sugar levels." The National Cancer Institute recommends 25gm of fibre per day and a cup of brown rice provides almost 3.5gm dietary fibre. As a kid, I knew nothing about GI and micronutrients in non Basmati brown rice. I didn't 6 know it was good for weight watchers. All I loved was the aroma and its feel-good wholesomeness. I have re turned to childhood. To that stoutgrained brown rice.

Restaurant review: The Water of Leith Cafe Bistro cture: Stephen Scott Taylor

by gaby soutar Updated on the15November 2014 16:38 Published 15/11/2014 16:05 WE NEED to talk about seven.1 Howard

Street,

Edinburgh(0131-556 6887, www.thewaterof leithcafebistro.co.uk) A seven out of 10 place offers grub that‘s decent and dependable – a bit better than your own home-cooking, but not necessarily sexy, memorable or exciting. The service is good, the pricing is fair and the seats are comfortable. There are no major complaints – nothing is raw, overcooked, or riddled with salmonella. You wouldn‘t necessarily tell your friends about it, but you‘ll be back.The Water of Leith Cafe Bistro is a textbook seven. I‘m not going to give them a four, just for the frisson of evil. Or an eight, so they might Blu-Tack my review up in the window. Seven.They‘ve recently moved from a venue by the river on Edinburgh‘s Coburg Street, to new riverside premises at Canonmills. Voila, no change of name needed. It‘s a family-friendly venue, so don‘t go if you don‘t like being in the vicinity of babies.One of these critters, sitting near us, had managed to smear something tomatoey over his ENTIRE FACE. There should be an award for that.We mainly chose from the specials blackboard, which featured two courses for £11.95 and three for £14.95. Two starters from this – mussels mariniere, and chicken, pork and pistachio galantine – ranked equally. Although there were only approx nine mussels, they were all fat and open-shelled, and the leek, cider and cream sauce was a suitably rich emulsion. Our other option had dressed down, as the galantine was accompanied by two triangles of boring toasted white bread; an iceberg, carrot and cucumber salad, and a tartare sauce that looked a bit like salad cream. It was lamb dressed as mutton (except it was made from chicken and pork – underseasoned, but pleasant, with a crunchy nutty centre).The clear winner, when it came

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine to mains, was the pork steak. For once, eating this cut of meat wasn‘t like chewing one‘s way through an oven glove. It was draped in a sweet and smoky wholegrain mustard sauce and accompanied by slivers of waxy yellow roasted potato. We also liked the long fillet of pan fried coley, which came with a rocket and basil velouté that was served in a soup-like quantity, with a bank of half submerged buttery mash, and a wedge of lemon.The sweet potato curry (£7.95) – the only main we‘d ordered from the printed à la carte list – was the only blah dish. The solid ingredients – neat cubes of root veg, chickpeas, spinach, onion etc – were good, as was the basmati rice, it‘s just that the coconutty sauce was a bit flat and needed more depth of spicing. All I could taste was powdered coriander and chilli.The desserts here – many of which are displayed in a glass cabinet – aren‘t that winsome looking. They‘re of the ugly cake ilk, in that they all look beige or brown, and as if they‘re made from bark chippings glued together with PVA. Luckily, I‘m not one of those people who eats with their eyes (they‘re the ones with lashes full of crumbs). I use my actual mouth. The chocolate rum cheesecake was magnificent, with a tinge of crème fraîche to lighten up the deep, dark, boozy elements, and though the jam-filled bakewell tart looked like tree fungus and had a base made of puff pastry, rather than shortcrust, it worked. Our flourless chocolate cake (£3.70) resembled a cracked paving slab, but tasted like a kiss from a particularly handsome cocoa bean.―I like it here,‖ said one of my dining partners. ―You know what, I think you should give it an eight.‖ Eh? Calm down. It‘s a seven. VERDICT Lunch for three, excluding drinks, £41.55

FOOD 7/10 AMBIENCE 7/10 TOTA

Senator Landrieu Asks Kerry to Get Tough on Iraq

Power players WASHINGTON, DC -- The Iraqi Minister of Trade's refusal to entertain competitive bids from the United States has prompted a call for action from Louisiana Senator Mary L. Landrieu to the State Department and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Stuart Jones. Senator Landrieu wrote to Secretary of State, John Kerry, asking him to defend the interests of rice farmers in the United States.In her letter to Secretary Kerry, Senator Landrieu expressed concern that Iraqi Trade Minister, Mallas al-Hussaini, chose to purchase more expensive rice from Brazil and Uruguay earlier this month when bids from long grain rice exporters in the United States were at least $23 per metric ton lower in price. The senator highlighted our reliance on international partners and urged the secretary to investigate why Iraq has stopped buying U.S. long grain rice.

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine USA Rice has been working with Congress and the Obama Administration to impress on the government of Iraq the importance of fairly including American rice in future tender offers. USA Rice's chief operating officer, Bob Cummings, said, "USA Rice would like to thank Senator Landrieu for her quick and helpful actions as well as those of others in Congress and the Administration who have been active in protecting the interests of the rice industry in the United States. We are eagerly awaiting the results of the November 16th tender." Contact: Colleen Klemczewski (703) 2361446

USA Rice Led Global Based Initiative Gets Underway in Ghana Ghana try this recipe at home, too! KUMASI, GHANA -The USA Rice Federation is the lead organization in the multi-cooperator Global Based Initiative (GBI) "Great in Quality, Great in Taste" launched here earlier this month. The GBI is designed to stimulate demand amongst foodservice professionals and also includes the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and the American Peanut Council (APC). Timed to coincide with the peak demand period of November/December, the program consists of seminars organized in three of Ghana's largest cities, Kumasi, Accra, and Takoradi,

where more than 85 percent of consumption of these products occurs. The program culminates in a grand cookoff event in Accra in December.The Kumasi seminar attracted more than 300 foodservice practitioners in the artisanal catering sector. Participants heard presentations on U.S. rice, U.S. poultry, and American peanut butter and savories.A food and health specialist was on hand to answer questions about food in general and U.S. food products in particular, including a crowd favorite, Peanut Butter Soup with Rice and Chicken.After the seminar, Mr. Yaw Agyare, managing director of Supreme Rice Ghana Limited, a company that donated rice samples, said: "This area has a thriving foodservice sector, and this program was extremely interactive. I would definitely recommend USA Rice do a lot more of these programs as the benefits, I believe, are enormous." Contact: Eszter Somogyi, 011-49-40-45038667

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for November 17 Month Jan-14 Mar-15 May-15 Jul-15 Sep-15 Nov-15 Jan-16

Price $11.91 $12.18 $12.43 $12.64 $12.00 $11.90 $11.90

Net Change ($0.06) ($0.06) ($0.06) ($0.06) ($0.06) ($0.06) ($0.06)

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine China to fund rice expansion Mon, 17 November 2014 Eddie Morton

China is set to loan Cambodia up to $300 million to build a series of warehouses aimed at assisting the Kingdom‘s fledgling rice industry. Mey Kalyan, senior adviser to the Supreme Economic Council, told the Post that China had approved in principle the Ministry of Economy and Finance‘s loan proposal and that both parties are expected to sign off on the agreement early next month. ―For a year the government has been preparing for this loan scheme to resolve the rice industry‘s working capital issues,‖ Kaylan said, adding that the loan amount could be reduced provided it does not compromise the proposed project.The loan is to be used to build more than 10 warehouses equipped with dryers capable of storing at least one million tonnes of Cambodia‘s paddy. The facilities will be located along key rural production areas, urban markets and ports along the country‘s value chains, according to Kalyan. Upon completion, farmers, millers and traders will be able to deposit paddy stock into the warehouses on a yet-to-be determined fee basis. An ―independent‖ third party collateral manager acting on behalf of commercial banking firms is to be

assigned to each facility to assess the paddy stock.The collateral manager would then issue depositors a receipt for their paddy, which is to be recognised as a legitimate form of collateral by commercial banks. It is hoped that this new form of collateral will prompt the banks to provide loans to farmers, millers and traders, increasing the sector‘s overall working capital.―For farmers to borrow now, they must have land titles to provide as collateral for finance. And there has never been enough collateral to allow such access or industry growth,‖ Kalyan said.―Now with the loan, we expect to see some action on this project from next year. There is a lack of infrastructure for the rice industry, and this will hopefully create stability in rice prices, improve economies of scale and resolve the bottlenecks the industry currently faces at the rice-milling stage.‖Cambodia‘s rice industry has been long been plagued by storage, infrastructure and access to finance issues. Consequently, farmers are forced to sell stock quickly at bottom-dollar prices in an effort to reduce their cash-to-cash cycle.Meanwhile, the Kingdom has failed numerous attempts to acquire rice contracts from nations such as the Philippines due largely to an inability to stockpile large quantities of the commodity. ―The idea is to be able to store these huge quantities to meet the demands of those countries and eliminate the rapid outflow of stock at low prices to buyers from Thailand,‖ Kalyan said.The warehouse receipt scheme put forward by the Finance Ministry is a widely used tool among more developed banking and finance industries, according to David Van, senior advisor to the CRF.Van said with Cambodia‘s finance

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine industry being overly conservative about its loan collateral demands and the vast majority of milling businesses not possessing proper book-keeping methods, access to finance for the agriculture industry is difficult. ―That‘s why the [government, via the Finance Ministry] is trying to push for another concept – being Warehousing Receipt – using paddy or milled rice stock held as ‗collateral‘ for banks to lend money,‖ Van said.But, he added, "It must be worthwhile noticing here that our commercial banks still lack in-house expertise to do proper risk assessment for agricultural commodities and thus their reluctance and slow moving in embracing such a concept.‖While welcoming the Chinese loan and the new collateral scheme, Van urged both the government and its advisory partners such as the CRF to consider thoroughly the ethical credentials of the collateral managers assigned to each warehouse. ―Such hubs of collection in consolidating paddy procurement must be managed by ethical local partners … and the paddy procurement done with high ethics to ensure paddy purchased or stored in those warehousing facilities is according to specifications agreed upon and not substandard.‖News of the warehouses and the collateral scheme has pleased fellow industry representatives.Lim Bunheng, president and CEO of Loran Group, a major rice miller, said up to 60 per cent of paddy is sent immediately abroad for milling due solely to a lack of capital and holding capacity in Cambodia. ―Until now, we don‘t have government warehouse to stock paddy rice. We just have

warehouse of individual miller that have small capacity to stock rice,‖ Bunheng said.―In Thailand and Vietnam, they have many government warehouses to stock rice so their farmers are motivated to expand production every year. Thus, they can export rice in bigger amounts each year.‖ ADDITIONAL KIMSAY

REPORTING

HOR

Image: Workers harvest rice in at a paddy in Kandal province earlier this year. A loan from China will see facilities built to store more than one million tonnes of paddy. Heng Chivoan

Rice Stable Supply Support Organization Hosts a Reception for Foreign Media Celebrating Worldwide Recognition of Washoku and Rice November 17, 2014 Lecture by Hirohisa Koyama BUSINESS WIRE

TOKYO — Rice Stable Supply Support Organization, one of the authoritative Public Interest Incorporated Association in Japan,

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine held an event on the 10th of November to highlight the growing foreign interest in Japanese food, as well as drawing attention to the appeal of Japanese rice as the foundation of Japanese dietary cuisine.Visitors to Japan crossed the 10 million mark last year and with the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, this number is expected to increase.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), tourists have certain expectations about food before they visit Japan, and there are surveys suggesting that their‘ favorite foreign food is Japanese cuisine.A total of 58 people of the press attended the venue from 12 countries including: The United States, Russia, Germany, and Switzerland, also the major domestic press that features food and its industry. In the first part of the event, thirdgeneration master chef, Hirohisa Koyama from the Japanese restaurant, Aoyagi, gave a lecture regarding how Japanese rice keeps fascinating the consumers and acts largely upon Japanese history and culture. This was followed by a foreign chef, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, Chef Éric Trochon lecturing about the appeal of ―Washoku‖ from the viewpoint of a foreign chef.In the second part of the event, Ms. Eiko Ryuzaki, The President of Chiba

Traditional Local Cooking Study Group demonstrated how to make ―Futomaki Matsuri Zushi (Festival Sushi Rolls)‖ and appealed the traditional menu making the most of rice. In addition, the attendees enjoyed making the Sushi Rolls themselves through the making trial.―It was very interesting to see a rare anecdote in the world that a single staple being so effective for not only the nation‘s culture but for their philosophy,‖ said a foreign journalist. While others praised the elaboration of ―Futomaki Matsuri Zushi‖ as they found it as one of the characteristics of Japanese beauty. It was also referred to the cooking trial as ―An amazing experience‖. Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:http://www.businesswire.com/multimedi a/home/20141117005416/en/

Growers’ concerns over lower paddy prices Mohiuddin Aazim

Like every year, paddy growers are forced to sell their produce at very low prices in the absence of a policy to support them. The beneficiaries of lower prices are the food processing companies, rice millers and the middle men. Farmers in Sindh say they have sold non-Basmati varieties of paddy for just Rs725-750 per 40kg during this season to

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine the agents of food processing companies and rice millers. And growers of Basmati varieties both in Sindh and Punjab are getting Rs1000-1050 per 40kg. Farmers complain that selling paddy at these prices doesn‘t even cover the farm input costs and if the government does not announce and implement higher support prices they would launch countrywide protest. Pakistan People‘s Party says it would join such protests if farmers‘ demand is ignored. Growers lobby groups want paddy support prices to be fixed at Rs1200 per 40kg for non-Basmati varieties and Rs2000 per 40kg for Basmati varieties. ―The issue is that after the 18th constitutional amendment, agriculture is a provincial matter and same-level support price fixing cannot be expected across all provinces,‖ explains an official of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

‘If political leadership in every province starts demanding fixation of unreasonably higher support prices of certain crops at the federal level — instead of fixing a support price ahead of harvesting — it will only complicate things’

―If political leadership in every province starts demanding fixation of unreasonably higher support prices of certain crops at the federal level — instead of fixing a support price ahead of harvesting — it will only complicate things,‖ he said. Unlike wheat and sugarcane, the economics of rice is a bit more complicated. The country produces surplus rice and has been its traditional exporter. Rice exporters and food processing-cum-exporting companies have very close ties with paddy growers. ―When

they manage to buy paddy at mutually agreed prices from small growers, big growers come forward, use farmers lobbies and start pressing for higher support prices. They forget that under the law, the provinces are free to fix whatever support price they feel right in their own jurisdiction, Passco‘s procurement prices shouldn‘t be mistaken as support prices,‖ says another senior official of the ministry. Obviously, the whole issue has political and social connotations as well. That‘ why we saw a sort of rural-urban divide in work when the National Assembly‘s standing committee on agriculture met recently and took up the issue of fixing support prices. The meeting remained inconclusive; two MNAs who have strong roots in the growers‘ class walked out and two MNAs whose parties have large support in urban areas vehemently opposed fixation of support prices at ‗unreasonably high levels‘ which they said ‗would have lots of ramifications for the urban population.‘ This, however, doesn‘t mean that a majority of farmers are getting right prices for their produce. By and large, they are not. But the solution of this problem doesn‘t only lie in fixing higher support prices, says a former director general of Sindh Agriculture Extension Department. For paddy farmers, in particular, and for growers of all crops in general, there are four main areas of concern. First is the slow growth in per-acre yield and rapid increase in input cost; second is pre- and post-harvesting losses; third is involvement of the middlemen in value-chain, and fourth is growers‘ lack of knowledge about the changing agricultural market dynamics.The issue of increase in input cost can be tackled not only by government interventions. The space for it is squeezing as the government continues to minimise or withdraw subsidies from

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine fertiliser and power sectors while the seed supply business has largely shifted from the public sector to the market players.

China to fund rice expansion

Boosting per-acre yield is a must to keep the per-acre cost of a crop in check. ―I have seen in Japan a mechanical harvester driven by a single man reaping paddy from a large field in less than an hour.‖Here, we do it with dozens of workers in multiple hours,‖ says a large paddy grower based in Thatta implying that lack of farm mechanisation has a direct link with the cost of final crop output, its actual cost and, thus, its‘ minimum desirable price for the grower. The involvement of the middlemen in agricultural value-chain is an issue that the federal government and the State Bank have recently tried to address. The SBP‘s latest value-chain financing scheme, when implemented in full, would help growers get a better price for their produce.

Mon, 17 November 2014 Eddie Morton

But the scheme has just taken off (only one bank has placed newspaper ads inviting applications for participation in this scheme) and others are still busy making internal communications and arrangements about it. Finally, the growers‘ lack of knowledge about agricultural marketing mechanism needs to be tackled. With rice futures being quoted on PMEX trading board, with Index Mundi rates just a click away from your laptops and with the roles of traditional rice millers-cum-exporters and of big food processing and exporting companies overlapping, growers will have to choose the sales timing, sales volumes and selling modes keeping in view the market trends,‖ says a senior official of Engro Foods Ltd. Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, November 17th, 2014

China is set to loan Cambodia up to $300 million to build a series of warehouses aimed at assisting the Kingdom‘s fledgling rice industry.Mey Kalyan, senior adviser to the Supreme Economic Council, told the Post that China had approved in principle the Ministry of Economy and Finance‘s loan proposal and that both parties are expected to sign off on the agreement early next month. ―For a year the government has been preparing for this loan scheme to resolve the rice industry‘s working capital issues,‖ Kaylan said, adding that the loan amount could be reduced provided it does not compromise the proposed project.The loan is to be used to build more than 10 warehouses equipped with dryers capable of storing at least one million tonnes of Cambodia‘s paddy. The facilities will be located along key rural production areas, urban markets and ports along the country‘s value chains, according to Kalyan. Upon completion, farmers, millers and traders will be able to deposit paddy stock into the warehouses on a yet-to-be determined fee basis. An ―independent‖ third party collateral manager acting on behalf of commercial banking firms is to be assigned to each facility to assess the paddy stock.The collateral manager would then issue depositors a receipt for their paddy, which is to be

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine recognised as a legitimate form of collateral by commercial banks. It is hoped that this new form of collateral will prompt the banks to provide loans to farmers, millers and traders, increasing the sector‘s overall working capital.―For farmers to borrow now, they must have land titles to provide as collateral for finance. And there has never been enough collateral to allow such access or industry growth,‖ Kalyan said.―Now with the loan, we expect to see some action on this project from next year. There is a lack of infrastructure for the rice industry, and this will hopefully create stability in rice prices, improve economies of scale and resolve the bottlenecks the industry currently faces at the rice-milling stage.‖ Cambodia‘s rice industry has been long been plagued by storage, infrastructure and access to finance issues. Consequently, farmers are forced to sell stock quickly at bottom-dollar prices in an effort to reduce their cash-tocash cycle.Meanwhile, the Kingdom has failed numerous attempts to acquire rice contracts from nations such as the Philippines due largely to an inability to stockpile large quantities of the commodity. ―The idea is to be able to store these huge quantities to meet the demands of those countries and eliminate the rapid outflow of stock at low prices to buyers from Thailand,‖ Kalyan said.The warehouse receipt scheme put forward by the Finance Ministry is a widely used tool among more developed banking and finance industries, according to David Van, senior advisor to the CRF.Van said with Cambodia‘s finance industry being overly conservative about its loan collateral demands and the vast

majority of milling businesses not possessing proper book-keeping methods, access to finance for the agriculture industry is difficult.―That‘s why the [government, via the Finance Ministry] is trying to push for another concept – being Warehousing Receipt – using paddy or milled rice stock held as ‗collateral‘ for banks to lend money,‖ Van said. But, he added, "It must be worthwhile noticing here that our commercial banks still lack in-house expertise to do proper risk assessment for agricultural commodities and thus their reluctance and slow moving in embracing such a concept.‖While welcoming the Chinese loan and the new collateral scheme, Van urged both the government and its advisory partners such as the CRF to consider thoroughly the ethical credentials of the collateral managers assigned to each warehouse.―Such hubs of collection in consolidating paddy procurement must be managed by ethical local partners … and the paddy procurement done with high ethics to ensure paddy purchased or stored in those warehousing facilities is according to specifications agreed upon and not sub-standard.‖ News of the warehouses and the collateral scheme has pleased fellow industry representatives. Lim Bunheng, president and CEO of Loran Group, a major rice miller, said up to 60 per cent of paddy is sent immediately abroad for milling due solely to a lack of capital and holding capacity in Cambodia.―Until now, we don‘t have government warehouse to stock paddy rice. We just have warehouse of individual miller that have small capacity to stock rice,‖ Bunheng said. ―In Thailand and Vietnam, they have many government warehouses to stock rice so their farmers are

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine motivated to expand production every year. Thus, they can export rice in bigger amounts each year.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; ADDITIONAL KIMSAY

REPORTING

HOR

Photo:Workers harvest rice in at a paddy in Kandal province earlier this year. A loan from China will see facilities built to store more than one million tonnes of paddy. Heng Chivoan

Sambalpur Kharif Paddy Procurement from November 24 Posted on Nov 17, 2014 in Odisha Express News Service Paddy will be procured through 49 market yards and procurement centres in the district SAMBALPUR: Paddy procurement for the ongoing kharif season will begin in Sambalpur district from November 24. The decision was taken at a district level kharif paddy procurement meeting chaired by Collector Balwant Singh on Saturday.Paddy will be procured through 49 market yards and procurement centres in the district. Sambalpur sub-division will have eight market yards and 16 procurement centres, while Kuchinda will have two yards and 15 centres and Rairakhol one yard and seven centres. Procurement agencies comprising FCI, MARKFED, NAFED and 46 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) will participate in the procurement process. After years of exploitation of farmers by rice millers, the State Government has announced a slew of measures to put a stop to it. According to new guidelines, only those millers can participate in procurement process for 2014-15 who have delivered 100 per cent custom milled rice against the

paddy allotted to them in 2013-14 kharif season. Delivery of paddy to the millers this year is proposed to be done either on the basis of 100 per cent security or advance delivery of rice. The State Government has also decided to store paddy on temporary basis in CAP (Cover and Plinth) storage locations including Sambalpur. Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) will manage the CAP storage locations and MARKFED will take over the responsibility from next kharif season. The Government has directed the Collector to identify big market yards of Regulated Market Committees (RMC) having boundary and office space for starting CAP storage.It has also been suggested that one CAP location should have capacity to store minimum 5000 tonnes of paddy and a weighbridge should be located near the CAP storage for smooth transaction of paddy. The meeting also resolved to strengthen the CAP system to end monopoly of rice millers and exploitation of farmers. Dhenkanal to Begin in December Dhenkanal: The district administration has set a target to procure 20,000 tonnes of kharif paddy from farmers through PACs this year. It was decided at a meeting attended by MLAs and officers at Collectorate here recently. paddy procurement will start in December. While Fair Average Quality paddy will be procured at Rs 1,360 per quintal, Grade Quality has been fixed at Rs 1,400.Collector Roopa Roshan Sahoo said farmers will be paid in three to seven days of procurement and separate price will be paid for bags carrying paddy.As many as 24,907 farmers have registered their names online to participate in the procurement process.