12th april ,2017 daily globa regional & local rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice

E-Newsletter

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April 12,2017 Vol 8 Issue IV

Today Rice News Headlines...

 NFA procurement of palay from local farmers pushed  DA may hold rice import  NFA not buying rice buffer from farmers  NFA insists on additional rice imports  Duterte: I have final say on rice imports  Philippine ban worries VN rice firms  Vietnam’s rice price out of sync with rest of world  Vietnam’s March rice exports hit one-yr high as top buyers grow hungry  PM: Do more for rice sector  Rice prices remain exorbitant despite record Aman output  Cambodia-China trade volume reaches 4.8 bln USD last year: PM  Rice prices rise on flash floods  NFA not buying rice buffer from farmers  Assam rice production projected at 75 lakh mt this

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News Detail...

NFA procurement of palay from local farmers pushed By: Ronnel W. Domingo - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:16 AM April 11, 2017

Both factions of the NFA Council should push the National Food Authority (NFA) to buy palay from the local farmer, according to the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag).The umbrella group of farmers, agribusiness operators and party-list groups on Monday said it was the time to intensify the NFA’s palay procurement initiatives as the harvest season for the year’s first crop peaks this month. ―At this time, importation of rice—whether by the private sector or the government—should not be taking up [the NFA Council’s] time,‖ Sinag chair Rosendo So told the Inquirer. ―The way things are unraveling, there is actually no differing position from the both camps—the majority faction of economic managers led by council chair Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco and the minority of NFA Administrator Jason Aquino and Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol,‖ So said.

He said both moves to import were detrimental to farmers, who were the sure losers in rice importation.

So said Sinag had no problem with importation per se, but not during harvest as the arrival of imports would bring down farmgate prices.

He said palay was now fetching about P18 per kilo at the farm, but this may drop to a low of P13 a kilo if foreign cargos jack up the supply in the domestic market.

Former Cabinet Undersecretary Maia Chiara Halmen Valdez, who was fired last week by President Duterte for allegedly insisting on importation through the private sector, said in a TV interview that the President may have a ―misappreciation of the facts‖ as he apparently decided to agree with Aquino.

Valdez said there appeared to have been an ―administrative glitch‖ as the will of the NFA administrator prevailed over that of the NFA Council, which had the authority to make the decisions.She said the President may have not read a memo from the council http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/888204/nfa-procurement-of-palay-from-local-farmers-pushed

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DA may hold rice import   

April 11, 2017 Written by Cory Martinez Published in Nation

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said that the planned importation of additional 250,000-metric tons of rice for the country’s buffer stocks should be reviewed and validated. Piñol made the statement since the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) expects a bumper rice harvest this planting season. ―So far, there has been no reported infestation and this season’s crops have not been affected by inclement weather,‖ Piñol stressed.

He said he would ask the different DAF regional offices to validate his ―observations and assumption that with the vigorous growth of rice in almost all rice farming areas of the country this season, the country could enjoy a bumper harvest.‖ In the past weeks , Piñol traveled to Panay Island, Bicol Region and most recently Oriental Mindoro and saw each time ―vast fields of palay nearing harvest.‖ ―Should this observation and assumption be validated, I will advise the National Food Authority Council to put on hold the planned importation by the private sector of an additional 250,000 metric tons of rice from Vietnam,‖ he said. Allowing private traders to bring in imported rice at this time, Piñol added, would result in a drop in the buying price of palay produced by Filipino farmers.

He said he would suggest that the ―NFA should just allocate more funds for the procurement of the farmers’ produce this season‖ instead of importing rice to beef up the country’s buffer stocks.‖ The local farmers’ produce, he said, could ―fill up requirements to establish a sufficient buffer stock for the rest of the year.

http://journal.com.ph/news/nation/da-may-hold-rice-import

NFA not buying rice buffer from farmers posted April 11, 2017 at 08:47 pm by Anna Leah E. Gonzales

The National Food Authority said Tuesday it cannot buy buffer stocks from local producers because farm gate prices of palay have steadily increased as the dry harvest season peaks.―This is good for the farmers who are enjoying higher income,‖ NFA said. ―But the National Food Authority cannot buy its target volume for buffer stocking because its P17.00/kg buying price is much lower than those offered by private traders,‖ the NFA said in a statement.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the average farm-gate price of palay in the first week of February stood at P18.15 per kilogram and and rose to P18.60/kg in the last week of March.Based on the prices monitored by the NFA field offices, as of March 31, 2017,

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the ex-farm price of palay (clean and dry) was highest at P22.60/kg and P22.50/kg in Tagum, Davao del Norte and Misamis Oriental, respectively.

NFA administrator Jason Laureano Aquino said the food agency was intensifying its palay buying activities, especially in rice producing areas, to beef up the food security stocks during the lean months. ―We have 413 buying stations strategically positioned nationwide and mobile procurement teams deployed regularly especially in far flung areas to accommodate farmers produce. Our cereal procurement fund and other logistical requirements were already in place. However, the higher prices offered by private traders to farmers make it difficult for us to buy more and hit our target,‖ Aquino said.

NFA buying price remains at P 17.00/kg for clean and dry. The food agency gives an additional incentive of P0.20-0.50/kg for delivery, P0.20/kg for drying and P0.30 for the cooperative development incentive fund for farmers’ organizations.The food agency plans to buy 4,607,350 bags of palay this year, and has so far bought 134,355 bags as of March 31, 2017 or 21 percent of the target in the first quarter.

Aquino said NFA found it hard to compete with commercial traders because of the high prices they offered, especially in traditional rice producing areas like Central Luzon, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Southern Luzon. http://www.manilastandard.net/business/csr-mining/234145/nfa-not-buying-rice-buffer-fromfarmers.html

NFA insists on additional rice imports

By Louisse Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) | Updated April 11, 2017 - 12:00am

NFA administrator Jason Aquino said there is a need to replenish the agency’s rice inventory to serve as buffer stock in preparation for the lean months. File Photo MANILA, Philippines - State-run National Food Authority (NFA) continues to insist on the need for an immediate government-to-government importation of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice inspite of a projected bumper harvest from local farmers.

NFA administrator Jason Aquino said there is a need to replenish the agency’s rice inventory to serve as buffer stock in preparation for the lean months.

Local farmers have already started their summer harvest and preliminary data from the Department of Agriculture showed production went up five percent to 4.1 million MT from the 3.9 million MT in the first quarter of 2016.

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Despite enough local supply, Aquino said the agency could not buy from the farmers due to higher prices being offered by private traders.

The NFA currently needs an additional 490,800 MT or 9.8 million bags of rice to meet the mandated volume for food security. ―Much as we would want this additional stock to come from local produce, we cannot compete with the private traders who are offering prices much higher than the government’s support price,‖ Aquino said. NFA’s field monitoring shows traders are buying palay (unhusked rice) from the summer harvest at an average of P18-20 per kilogram while the government support price is only at P17 per kg.At this point, Aquino emphasized the only way NFA could fill the deficit in its rice buffer stock requirement is through importation. ―It’s always better safe than sorry especially when dealing with our people’s basic staple. If the government does not possess the right volume of stocks when the lean months come, who would provide for the needs of calamity victims? Surely not the private businessmen who will never transact business at a loss,‖ Aquino said.

The NFA is mandated to maintain a food security reserve good for at least 15 days at any given time.By July 1, which marks the onset of the lean season for rice, the NFA must have at least a 30-day buffer stock to meet the requirements of victims of calamities and emergencies.Aquino continues to seek approval from the NFA Council to allow the importation of the 250,000 MT of rice which might not be granted anytime soon following the rift between Aquino and Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco who chairs the NFA Council.

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It will be recalled that the Food Security Committee approved 500,000 MT of rice imports last year, half of which had been already awarded to Thailand and Vietnam

Duterte: I have final say on rice imports By: Christine O. Avendaño, Frinston Lim - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:22 AM April 11, 2017

Duterte hits Valdez, says local farmers should be prioritized News DAVAO CITY—President Duterte on Monday denied that there was infighting among the members of his Cabinet in the face of the recent sacking of several government officials.―There is no infighting, no trouble there. I just don’t like people who are corrupt,‖ the President said shortly before flying to the Middle East.

Mr. Duterte said the officials were removed for alleged involvement in corruption, citing the case of former Cabinet Undersecretary Maia Chiara Valdez, who had approved the order to extend the importation of rice even without authority to do so.

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―Besides, it’s harvest time. The harvest is good. Per hectare it’s three times the original output.

Why would we import rice?‖ Mr. Duterte said.

The President said standard procedure was not followed when Valdez signed and approved the recommendation to import rice. He said his office should have the final say since the National Food Authority (NFA) was now under the Office of the President.

Mr. Duterte said importation during harvest time would kill the local farmers.

He said he had directed NFA administrator Jason Aquino to buy the staple from local farmers for a possible ―buffer‖ and only allow importation in case of a supply shortfall.

The President said the government should put the local farmers’ welfare first.

Valdez’s dismissal came in the heels of the sacking of two other members of the Cabinet, former National Irrigation Administration chief Peter Laviña and former Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan proposed on Monday that Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez serve as mediator between Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. and Aquino so the government could have a clear policy on handling the country’s rice supply.

Pangilinan said he hoped both Evasco, as chair of the NFA council, and Aquino could ―set aside policy differences, sit down and thresh matters out amongst themselves.‖ ―Perhaps Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, also a former Agriculture Secretary, can mediate between the two considering that tens of billions of pesos worth of government funds are at stake should this matter remain unresolved,‖ Pangilinan said in text messages.He underscored the need for the government to decide immediately whether it would push for rice importation ―because it takes about six to eight weeks to secure our supplies from elsewhere and the lean months are upon us in six to eight weeks.‖ ―It isn’t too late to lay down a clearer policy direction on the matter but the Department of Finance, Office of the President, CABSEC (Cabinet Secretaries), the Department of Agriculture and the NFA should sit down and firm up a common position,‖ he said.Under PD 4, only the NFA through the NFA Council could authorize the importation of rice whether by the government or the private sector, he said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/888215/duterte-i-have-final-say-on

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Philippine ban worries VN rice firms The recent suspension of rice importation by the Philippines, a major import market of Viet Nam’s rice, has sparked concern among local rice exporters.

Sacks of rice loaded at the Sai Gon Port. The Philippines represented the second largest buyer of Vietnamese rice in the first two months of the year.

Last week, Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered a temporary halt to imports since local farmers had achieved a large rice harvest.Duterte had said that while there was a need to import rice for buffer stocks, the importation must not be done during the peak harvest season since this would affect local farmers.

The Philippines was the second largest buyer of Vietnamese rice in the first two months of the year.Tran Thi Kim Nhung, director of the Dong Nai-based Kim Dong Thuan Co Ltd, which supplies rice to companies to export to the Philippines, told Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourers) newspaper her company was preparing for an export order of around 20,000 tonnes from the Philippines, and did not know what to do if that country stopped importing.―Viet Nam lacks high-quality rice but has an abundance of cheap, low-grade rice, the kind that the Philippines usually imports.

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―If the market stops imports, finding a substitute market will be extremely difficult.‖Lam Anh Tuan, director of Thinh Phat Food Co Ltd of Ben Tre Province, said the Philippines had changed its rice import management mechanism, switching from Government import to the private sector bidding for import quotas and increasing domestic supply.Global rice prices were falling, but paradoxically prices had increased in the Vietnamese market, making its rice less competitive. If businesses did not export, rice prices would definitely drop after the next crop, hurting farmers, he said.

Dang Thi Lien, director of Long An Foodstuff Co Ltd, said she was in close contact with importers in the Philippines, and knew that the country had been hit by natural disasters and suffered from a rice shortage.

Duterte’s order to suspend rice imports from Viet Nam would undoubtedly have a huge impact on Viet Nam’s rice exports, she said.

According to the Viet Nam Food Association (VFA), rice exports to that country have fallen significantly in recent years.The Philippines bought nearly 1.13 million tonnes of rice from Viet Nam in 2015, accounting for 17.2 per cent of Viet Nam’s exports.Last year, it fell to just 400,000 tonnes, or 8.18 per cent of exports.VFA said businesses and official agencies should keep a close eye on the Philippines market to map out a suitable strategy as there was some contradictory information from the market.

The Philippines’ National Food Authority said last month the country needed to import 250,000 tonnes of rice as soon as possible.The VFA also forecast that the Philippines could resume imports in the period between rice crops (May-July).Viet Nam exported 1.28 million tonnes of rice for US$566 million in the first quarter of the year, a year-on-year decrease of 18.1 per cent in volume and 17.3 per cent in value. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/176318/philippine-ban-worries-vn-rice-firms.html

Vietnam’s rice price out of sync with rest of world APRIL 11, 2017

VietNamNet Bridge – The rice price in the Mekong Delta has increased in the last couple of weeks, which has resulted in higher export prices. The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said the winter-spring rice cultivation area in Mekong Delta fell slightly by 1.2 percent, while the yield decreased by 6.7 percent on nearly half of the harvested area. The output is predicted to decrease by 800,000 tons, or 7.8 percent, compared with the last winter-spring crop. This is the second consecutive crop that the Mekong Delta, the country’s largest rice granary, has produced at a lower output, which is unprecedented in the last two decades.

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However, Nguyen Dinh Bich, a rice expert, cited the March report of the US Agriculture Department as saying that the total rice output this year would reach a record high of 480 million, or 16 times higher than Vietnam’s decrease.The winter-spring rice cultivation area in Mekong Delta fell slightly by 1.2 percent, while the yield decreased by 6.7 percent on nearly half of the harvested area. The rice output in Thailand and India, Vietnam two largest rivals, will increase by 5 million tons, or 10 times higher than Vietnam’s decrease.

Thailand, the biggest rice exporter, is making every effort to clear the 2.8 million tons of stockpile carried forward from the predecessor’s government. The rice is 36-66 months old and its quality is decreasing rapidly. The US agriculture department also predicted that the total global demand for rice this year would increase slightly by 800,000. https://www.talkvietnam.org/2017/04/vietnams-rice-price-out-of-sync-with-rest-of-world/

Vietnam’s March rice exports hit one-yr high as top buyers grow hungry APRIL 11, 2017

In the long run, top buyer China’s imports are forecast to fall to 4.5 million tons in the marketing year to June 2018. Vietnam exported 550,700 tons of rice in March, the highest monthly figure in a year, with demand from China and several key buyers including Singapore and the Ivory Coast rising, Vietnam Customs data shows. The actual loading volume last month is the highest since March 2016 and also marks the first time in the past year when the monthly export volume from the Southeast Asian nation rose beyond 500,000 tons, based on data released on Monday by the Finance Ministry’s customs agency.

Vietnam is the world’s third-largest rice exporter after India and Thailand. China, its biggest buyer since 2012, imported 286,100 tons in March, nearly double the amount from the previous month, while Vietnam’s shipments to Singapore soared about 10-fold to 50,300 tons in the same period, Vietnam Customs said in a monthly report. The Ivory Coast took delivery of 6,700 tons last month, also nearly ten times the amount it bought in February and the meager 397 tons it imported the same month last year, the report said. Traders said Singapore-based trading firms use their location for shipping documents, while most of the Vietnamese rice destined for Singapore has in fact been going to other regional markets and Africa. Overall, Vietnam shipped 1.29 million tons in the January-March period, down 17.5 percent from a year ago, extending a decline seen since May 2016, based on customs. https://www.talkvietnam.org/go?url

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PM: Do more for rice sector Prime Minister Hun Sen warned millers not to mix high-quality Cambodian rice with cheaper rice. KT/Chor Sokunthea Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday urged more to be done to help the country’s beleaguered rice sector and called on public and private enterprises to develop climate-resistant high yielding rice varieties, find more export markets and invest in value-added agro-industries.

Mr. Hun Sen made the call at the closing ceremony of the annual meeting of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries at the Peace Palace. ―Cambodia’s milled rice exports are facing difficulties in international markets and we have in stock more than three million [metric] tons,‖ said Mr. Hun Sen.The premier also warned millers not to mix high-quality Cambodian rice with cheaper rice. ―Maintaining the quality of rice has to be a priority so that we do not lose our export markets,‖ he added. Mr. Hun Sen called on both the public and private sectors to work together to develop new high-yielding rice varieties that are also able to survive extreme climatic events.―We must be able to develop our own rice-seed varieties that suit climate patterns here in Cambodia and to meet current market demand,‖ he said.In calling for new export markets for milled rice, Mr. Hun

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Sen said: ―There is room in both the established and new markets for greater export growth.

There is also room for improvement in the production, packaging, and marketing of Cambodia’s rice.‖ Mr. Hun Sen said quality services and reliable products will serve the rice industry better over time.―We have to promote investment from the private sector in all value-added processing chains in agro-industries that are in special economic zones in order to export agricultural products,‖ he added.Cambodia’s milled rice exports only grew by a dismal 0.7 percent last year compared with 2015 and this was the lowest since 2014, according to government figures released in January.―Last year Cambodia only exported 542,144 tons of milled rice and the lowest exports were in the first quarter of the year and December,‖ said Hean Vanhan, directorgeneral of the agriculture department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

In the first quarter of last year, a severe drought affected rice production and through the year rice millers had been complaining of the flow of low-grade cheaper rice into the country from Vietnam.Last March, rice millers and exporters wrote to the government urging intervention due to stiff competition in export markets as well as domestic ones. In the letter, they said they were facing a cash crunch due to a flood of low-grade rice from Vietnam while stressing that bankruptcy was widespread among farmers, millers and exporters alike.

In late September, the government responded by making a $27 million loan to rice millers to purchase paddy rice from farmers, in a bid to prevent rice prices from falling further.Last month, the EU commission announced that Cambodia’s milled rice industry must eradicate the use of the fungicide Tricyclazole by June and that exports of Cambodian rice must not contain more than 0.01 milligrams of the chemical per kilogram this year or face bans.The EU is the biggest market for Cambodia’s milled rice exports http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/37410/pm--do-more-for-rice-sector/

Rice prices remain exorbitant despite record Aman output Yasir Wardad

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Published : 11 Apr 2017, 11:55:17 | Updated : 11 Apr 2017, 12:04:52 Production of Aman, the second biggest cereal crop of the country, hit an all-time high in the current fiscal year, although prices of all types of major staples remain exorbitant at retail level.

Officials concerned told the FE that Aman output has surged due to a rise in per hectare yield for an increase in cultivation of high-yielding rice varieties by the farmers and favourable weather condition.

According to primary estimates made by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Thursday, Aman output hit an all-time high of over 13.656 million tonnes in the current fiscal year (FY'17) which was 13.48 million tonnes in the FY'16.

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Per hectare yield increased to over 2.44 tonnes in the FY'17 from 2.41 tonnes in the FY'16 which pushed up overall production, a BBS official told the FE.Farmers transplanted rain-fed Aman paddy on 5.583 million hectares of land in the FY'17 which was 5.59 million hectares a year ago, he said.Aman accounts for 38 per cent of annual rice production, followed by Boro 55 per cent and Aus 7.0 per cent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

With a 1.30 per cent rise in Aman production in the FY'17 than that of the FY'16, the total rice output this year stands at 15.79 million tonnes including 2.134 million tonnes of Aus, the official said.Although Aus output declined by 7.0 per cent in the FY'17, overall production in the two seasons is 0.57 per cent higher than that of last year, BBS data showed.However, the MoA set a production target of 2.475 million tonnes of rice during the Aus season, 13.5 million tonnes in Aman and 1.91 million tonnes during the Boro season.

The target for total rice production has been fixed at 35.07 million tonnes this fiscal year while output was 34.57 million tonnes in the FY'16.Despite having a record production in the Aman season, prices of the staple had shown a rising trend even in its harvesting period that ended in January last.

According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) data, rice prices increased up to 42 per cent in the country in last six months.

Coarse rice Swarna was selling at Tk 37-Tk 43, medium quality Brridhan-28 at Tk 44-Tk 48, finer rice Miniket at Tk 50-Tk 62 a kg in the country for last one and a half weeks, TCB and DAM data showed.

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Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said daylabourers in Dhaka city now have to pay additional Tk 32-Tk 35 a day for rice which is above 8 per cent of their daily incomes.

"A nexus of big importers and millers might have taken a role in rice price hike. We observe that the prices of rice and the volume of import have increased significantly in last two months."

Importers are now making profits by bringing in coarse and medium varieties of rice even after paying 25 per cent customs duty, he said.The government should gear up its monitoring to prevent hoarding which causes artificial shortage, he commented.

However, the food ministry data showed that private importers have so far brought a total of 77,000 tonnes of rice in the current financial year of which 36,000 tonnes were imported in last one month.

The government has now a stock of only 0.48 million tonnes of rice which was 0.878 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.Bangladesh produced over 34.57 million tonnes of rice in the FY'16 against a demand for 31.0 million tonnes, according to BBS and Directorate General of Food (DGoF).

tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com Editor : A.H.M Moazzem Hossain Published by the Editor for International Publications Limited from Tropicana Tower (4th floor), 45, Topkhana Road, GPO Box : 2526 Dhaka- 1000 and printed by him from City Publishing House Ltd., 1 RK Mission Road, Dhaka-1000.

Telephone : PABX : 9553550 (Hunting), 9513814, 7172017 and 7172012 Fax : 880-2-9567049 Email : editor@thefinancialexpress-bd.com, fexpress68@gmail.com

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/04/11/66525/No-let-up-in-rice-price-hike-despite-recordAman-output/print

Cambodia-China trade volume reaches 4.8 bln USD last year: PM Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-11 16:04:26|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

PHNOM PENH, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Trade volume between Cambodia and China was valued at 4.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Tuesday.Cambodia's export to China reached more than 830 million U.S. dollars, as its import

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from China was over 3.9 billion U.S. dollars last year, he said during the release ceremony of the Cambodian edition of the book "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China."

"The Cambodia-China trade volume has rapidly increased -- averagely 26 percent per year -- in the last ten years," the prime minister said, attributing the high growth to good relations and cooperation between the two countries.

Main items the Southeast Asian nation exported to China are milled rice, dry rubber, cassava, fishery, and apparels, as it imported from China mostly garment raw materials, machinery, vehicles, foodstuffs, electronics, medicines and cosmetics.Meanwhile, Hun Sen said that under the Belt and Road Initiative, Cambodia and China would increase their bilateral cooperation in a number of sectors aiming to further boost economics, trade, investment, and tourism

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-04/11/c_136199923.htm

Rice prices rise on flash floods

Sohel Parvez

Rice prices edged up as large millers are cashing in on crop losses, caused by the recent flash floods in the greater Sylhet region, amid depleting stocks from previous harvests and low

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imports, said traders.In Dhaka, retail prices of coarse rice such as the swarna variety rose to a new level of Tk 40-42 a kilogram now, up 6.49 percent from Tk 37-40 a week ago.

Prices of the medium and fine categories of the staple also went up between 1.96 percent and 4.65 percent in the last one week, according to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.The prices rose in other parts of the country as well.Millers and traders said rice prices typically go up near the end of a season for dwindling stocks.―There is a shortage of paddy in the market. The small mills do not have paddy, and neither do the large mills. Those who had paddy might have milled the grain to empty their storages and make space for freshly harvested grains,‖ said Chitta Majumder, managing director of Majumder Group of Industries that operates an auto rice mill.

Every year, paddy markets usually get an initial supply from harvests from the haor or seasonal water bodies in the northeastern region. Farmers in the region usually begin to harvest their crops in the third week of April.However, floods in the haor regions have not only affected standing crops and caused losses to growers but also dampened prospects of an early arrival of fresh paddy, said Nirod Boron Saha, a wholesaler in Naogaon, one of the main rice trading hubs in the northwest. ―We usually rely on supplies from the haor region until harvests in the north begins; it keeps prices stable in the initial days of the harvest season.‖ The haor areas account for nearly 10 percent of the total boro cultivation area at about 48 lakh hectares this year.The flood has affected 1.40 lakh hectares of paddy in the fields, according to estimates of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).Saha said speculation over delayed harvest for the bad weather is another reason for the recent price spiral as farmers, small and medium millers and wholesalers do not have paddy stocks.―Only large mills have grains now,‖ he said.Bappi Saha, a rice miller from the northeastern district of Netrokona, said, ―This may be an artificial shortage.‖ The price hike is temporary, he added.―The government, for the time being, can reduce the import duty on rice to encourage imports and increase the supply in the market,‖ he said.

Rice imports by private traders slumped 65 percent to 76,600 tonnes in July-March of the current fiscal year from the same time last year, after the government hiked the duty from 20 percent to 28 percent to ensure that growers get fair prices for their produce.Boro, one of the three rice crop seasons in a year, accounts for nearly 55 percent of the country's annual rice output of 3.47 crore tonnes.

DAE earlier targeted to ensure the production of 1.91 crore tonnes of rice during the current boro season to attain the total output goal of 3.51 crore tonnes for this fiscal year.Rice production in the two crop seasons -- aus and aman -- rose 0.11 percent to nearly 1.58 crore tonnes year-onyear, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Aus output declined but aman production rose, according to the BBS http://www.thedailystar.net/business/rice-prices-rise-flash-floods-1389394

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NFA not buying rice buffer from farmers posted April 11, 2017 at 08:47 pm by Anna Leah E. Gonzales

The National Food Authority said Tuesday it cannot buy buffer stocks from local producers because farm gate prices of palay have steadily increased as the dry harvest season peaks.―This is good for the farmers who are enjoying higher income,‖ NFA said. ―But the National Food Authority cannot buy its target volume for buffer stocking because its P17.00/kg buying price is much lower than those offered by private traders,‖ the NFA said in a statement.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the average farm-gate price of palay in the first week of February stood at P18.15 per kilogram and and rose to P18.60/kg in the last week of March.

Based on the prices monitored by the NFA field offices, as of March 31, 2017, the ex-farm price of palay (clean and dry) was highest at P22.60/kg and P22.50/kg in Tagum, Davao del Norte and Misamis Oriental, respectively.

NFA administrator Jason Laureano Aquino said the food agency was intensifying its palay buying activities, especially in rice producing areas, to beef up the food security stocks during the lean months. ―We have 413 buying stations strategically positioned nationwide and mobile procurement teams deployed regularly especially in far flung areas to accommodate farmers produce. Our cereal procurement fund and other logistical requirements were already in place. However, the higher prices offered by private traders to farmers make it difficult for us to buy more and hit our target,‖ Aquino said.

NFA buying price remains at P 17.00/kg for clean and dry. The food agency gives an additional incentive of P0.20-0.50/kg for delivery, P0.20/kg for drying and P0.30 for the cooperative development incentive fund for farmers’ organizations.The food agency plans to buy 4,607,350 bags of palay this year, and has so far bought 134,355 bags as of March 31, 2017 or 21 percent of the target in the first quarter.

Aquino said NFA found it hard to compete with commercial traders because of the high prices they offered, especially in traditional rice producing areas like Central Luzon, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Southern Luzon http://www.manilastandard.net/business/csr-mining/234145/nfa-not-buying-rice-buffer-fromfarmers.html

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Assam rice production projected at 75 lakh mt this year Press Trust of India | Jorhat (Assam) April 10, 2017 Last Updated at 17:42 IST Fourth Assam International Agri-Horti show to begin today4 killed, 30 injured as oil tanker overturns in AssamFree textbooks for class IX, X students in AssamAssam rolls out ambitious health insurance schemeAtul slips after weak Q3 earnings Assam is expected to have a rice harvest of 75 lakh MT this year, 23 lakh MT more than previous year's production, state Agriculture Minister Atul Bora has said.

"Rice production of Assam was 52 lakh MT last year and this year our expectation is to have a harvest of around 75 lakh MT," Bora said at the 52nd Annual Rice Group Meeting.

"Our production curve is on upward trend despite the attack of caterpillar at initial stage," he said here.

Production was not affected by the caterpillar attack due to prompt measures taken by the state government as well as favourable environment, Bora said at the meeting yesterday.

He said that the government wanted to employ organic farming system for which a foolproof organic rice production package was required.

"We are also into a programme of doubling the income of paddy farmers in our state," Bora said adding that research bodies needed to contribute in a big way for this.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director general (crop Science) Dr J S Sandhu called upon rice scientists to find out a technology so that farmers could get maximum productivity using minimum water.

The Annual Rice Group Meeting, held in Assam for the first time, was organised by ICARInstitute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, and Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/assam-rice-production-projected-at-75-lakhmt-this-year-117041000804_1.html

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Falcon Rice Mill Added to National Culinary Heritage Register

By Deborah Willenborg

NEW ORLEANS, LA -- The National Food & Beverage Foundation recently added Falcon Rice Mill to its National Culinary Heritage Register, a list of culinary products, processes, inventions, traditions, and establishments that are at least fifty years old and have contributed significantly to the development of American foodways.The mill, located in Crowley, Louisiana, has been owned by the same family throughout its 75 years in business. Founded in 1942 as a seed rice business, the Falcon family installed a milling operation in 1950 and started selling rice under several brand names including the popular Cajun Country brand of long, medium, whole grain brown, jasmine, and popcorn rice.

"Falcon Rice Mill came to our attention as we tried to find facilities other than restaurants and groceries that have contributed to the food of America," said Liz Williams, president of the

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National Food & Beverage Foundation. "And we are so happy to include them in the Register because for years they have been helping America eat."

"When Liz Williams approached me about the Culinary Heritage Register it was a huge honor," Trahan said. "The designation not only acknowledges the fact that we're a big part of the Cajun culture but also puts us in impressive company when you look at who else is represented from Louisiana. You're talking about world-famous places like Antoine's, Tujague's, and the French Market. It also helps us tell our story because our customers really appreciate knowing we've been around a long time, our products are time-tested, and we're devoted to quality."

The Culinary Heritage Register is available online and is intended to be a database for future researchers looking for companies around the country who are sustaining contributors to the food of America.

Southern Rice _ Cotton Logo

New Merchant Member Joins USA Rice

By Deborah Willenborg Southern Rice & Cotton, LLC, in Harrisburg, Arkansas, recently joined the USA Rice Merchants' Association. Located just an hour from the Mississippi River, Southern Rice & Cotton is a federally bonded and USDA licensed warehouse facility that is also a licensed regular rough rice warehouse for the Chicago Board of Trade.

"We are thrilled to have Southern Rice & Cotton join our Merchants' Association," said Dick Ottis, chairman of USA Rice Merchants' Association board of directors. "One of their managers, Collin Holzhauer, recently graduated from the Rice Leadership Program, so we're pleased to be strengthening their participation in USA Rice."

Read the full report here

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. rice ending stocks for 2016/17 are lowered 3 million cwt on increased exports; at 49.1 million cwt, these would still be the largest all rice ending stocks since 1986/87. The 3-million-cwt export increase is all rough rice, which is record large at 46 million cwt, but split with 2 million for long-grain and 1 million for medium- and short-grain.

Global 2016/17 rice supplies are raised 800,000 tons on increased production. The primary increase is 600,000 tons for Indonesia on favorable weather. The Pakistan crop is raised 200,000 tons, while Burma production is lowered 100,000 tons. Global consumption is raised 400,000 tons led by a 300,000-ton increase for Indonesia reflecting the larger crop. Global imports are adjusted lower with cuts to Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Exports are lowered slightly with

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reductions for Egypt and Pakistan offsetting the increase for the United States. With supplies rising faster than total use, global ending stocks are increased 400,000 tons to 118.1 million, the largest since 2001/02.

Read the full report here. MY BOOKMARKS

BOOKMARK FOR LATER

It’s spring – go for the green veggies APRIL 07, 2017 7:57 PM

BEE STAFF

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Spring green pilaf features asparagus, edamame and leeks. Try it alongside your Easter ham or as a meatless main dish. Darrell Sapp Pittsburgh Post-Gazette RECIPES

It’s the verdant season. As the trees leaf out, the produce sections and the farmers markets fill up with delicious, young, fresh green vegetables: asparagus, artichokes, leeks, green beans, green garlic, shelling peas and baby spinach, to name just a few.

Celebrate the green season with this selection of recipes, any of which would brighten up a spring holiday table, too.

SPRING GREEN PILAF Serves 6 Adapted from “Posh Rice” by Emily Kydd (Quadrille, $19.99, 176 pages) 1 1/2 cups basmati rice 4 tablespoons butter

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2 leeks, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 teaspoon garam masala Salt to taste, divided 16 ounces vegetable stock 1 cup shelled edamame, defrosted if frozen 12 ounces asparagus, sliced into 1 1/2 inches 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes 1/4 cup pistachios, shelled and salted Small bunch dill, finely chopped In a bowl, cover rinse the rice and cover with cold water. Melt butter in a pot over a medium heat. Once it begins foaming, add leeks and cook for 8 minutes until softened.

Add garlic, garam masala and salt, and stir for 2 more minutes.

Drain the rice, add it to the leeks and stir to coat in the butter. Pour in stock, and bring to a boil.

Then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Add edamame and asparagus. Add chili powder and salt; stir gently. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to steam for 10 minutes.

Toast pistachios in a pan. Turn off heat and add dill; stir for 2 minutes. Scatter nuts and dill on top of rice.

PENNE WITH ASPARAGUS PESTO AND WHITE BEANS Serves 6 Vegetarian Parmesan (dairy cheese that does not use animal rennet) is made by such companies as Sargento and Bel Gioso.

Adapted from “Good Veg: Ebullient Vegetables, Global Flavors, a Modern Vegetarian Cookbook,� by Alice Hart (The Experiment, $24.95, 336 pages).

12 ounces (1 large bunch) asparagus 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed

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12 ounces dried whole-wheat penne, or another short pasta shape 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 small bunches basil (1 loosely packed cup) 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/4 cup raw almonds 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, or more as needed, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more as needed 1/2 cup vegetarian Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus more for serving (see note above) One 15-ounce can no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (about 1 1/2 cups) Trim and discard the tough/woody ends of each asparagus spear. Cut the tips with about a thumb’s length of stalk and reserve them; cut the remaining stalks into 2-inch lengths.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat, add the teaspoon of salt and the 2inch pieces of stalks; cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a food processor.

Once the water in the saucepan returns to a boil, stir in the pasta and cook according to the package directions, or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Return the (now-empty) saucepan to high heat. Add the asparagus tips and 1 teaspoon of the oil.

Cook, stirring constantly, until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat (you’ll use the pan one more time) and transfer the tips to a plate.

Stack, roll tightly and cut a few large basil leaves into ribbons; reserve for garnish.

Combine the garlic, almonds and the remaining basil in the food processor (with the asparagus pieces). Add the tablespoon of lemon juice and the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil; pulse to form a coarse puree, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times. Add the lemon zest and vegetarian Parm; pulse a few times to incorporate and form the pesto. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or salt, as needed.

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Add the drained pasta, along with the beans and the asparagus pesto. Toss gently to incorporate, adding just enough of the reserved pasta cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time, to create a creamy sauce.

Once the pasta has warmed through, divide it among warmed bowls or plates. Top each portion with some sautĂŠed asparagus tips, basil ribbons and more cheese. Serve right away.

Per serving: 410 calories, 15 g protein, 55 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 9 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar STIR-FRIED PEAS + SPINACH Serves 4 Combining fresh peas and spinach makes for an undeniably spring-y side dish. The main recipe of this easy trio includes ginger, garlic, cilantro, fish sauce and tons of fresh mint

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and cilantro for almost Vietnamese version of peas and mint. Next, whole cumin seeds offer a whole new flavor without much effort (this version is great dolloped with yogurt and served with warm flatbread). The final version leaves you with just garlic and basil instead of the mint and cilantro for a simple Italian side dish.

See the variations, below.

Make ahead: All of these are best served right when they come out of the sauté pan. But they can also be enjoyed at room temperature, so feel free to make them a couple of hours in advance and just cover at room temperature, or refrigerate them for up to a day and then bring to room temperature before serving. The fresh herbs are best left until the last minute to stir in.

From cookbook author Julia Turshen.

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (may substitute canola or vegetable oil) One 3-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root, minced (2 tablespoons) 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas (may substitute 13 ounces frozen small green peas) 2 tablespoons water 5 ounces baby spinach (may substitute fresh pea shoots/tendrils) 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 small handful fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped 1 small handful fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until they’re sizzling and smell very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the peas and water; cook, stirring, until they’re bright green and tender, about 2 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, a minute at the most (2 large spoons used as if you were tossing a salad makes easy work of this). Turn off the heat and stir in the fish sauce, mint and cilantro. Serve right away.

Variations: To make sautéed peas with cumin seed, add 1 teaspoon cumin seed to the oil before you add the ginger and garlic, as directed above. Serve with a dollop of thick, plain yogurt.

To make sautéed garlicky peas with basil, use olive oil instead of the grapeseed oil, as directed above. Double the garlic; omit the ginger, fish sauce, mint and cilantro. Season the peas lightly with salt. Toss in 2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves, letting them wilt slightly just before serving, and add a few small basil leaves as a garnish.

Per serving: 150 calories, 6 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 720 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar http://www.sacbee.com/food-drink/recipes/article143451054.html

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