13th june ,2017 daily global regional & local rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice

E-Newsletter

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June 13,2017 Vol 8 Issue VI

Today Rice News Headlines...             

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USA Rice to Administration: Do No Harm in NAFTA Modernization China acts on rice smuggling S. Korea expected to be 15th-largest rice producer in 2017: FAO WTO members press PHL to meet rice-tariff deadline PHL seen importing more rice, meat Vietnamese rice labeled with foreign names sells better than domestic brands Cambodia records 10-pct rise in rice export in first 5 months International rice prices soar as Bangladesh seeks import UPDATE 1-Bangladesh gets offers in tender to buy 50,000 T of white rice Bumper paddy leaves godowns brimming over in bonanza year Rice basmati remains weak on low demand, adequate supply Flash' deep depression in Bay breaks up over Bangladesh coast CM ASKS OFFICIALS TO PROCURE PADDY FROM FARMERS AT ANY COST & PAY THEM IMMEDIATELY Solons call for House probe on rice inventory, importation

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News Detail...

USA Rice to Administration: Do No Harm in NAFTA Modernization

By Michael Klein WASHINGTON, DC -- On Friday, USA Rice reminded the Trump Administration that NAFTA remains a win for U.S. rice and urged negotiators to be mindful of the benefits the agreement has brought and to do no harm as it is modernized. "NAFTA is responsible for creating the number one export market for U.S. rice and solidifying the number four market, Mexico and Canada respectively," explained Bob Cummings, USA Rice COO. "Our primary message to the U.S. Trade Representative was simple: do nothing to imperil this access that accounted for 26 percent of all rice exports last year."

Cummings said the industry supports the administration's efforts to modernize the agreement and points to two specific areas. "NAFTA actually predates the landmark science-based Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement (SPS) that was adopted when the World Trade Organization was formed," Cummings said.

"Incorporating SPS protocols, that were themselves updated as part of the now defunct Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, would improve NAFTA by protecting exporters with more transparency and greater communication."

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3 Cummings also said greater regulatory cooperation between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico would improve trade opportunities and further modernize NAFTA. The U.S. Trade Representative is about a third of the way through a 90-day consultation period on NAFTA renegotiation that was triggered last month when the Administration formally notified Congress of their intent to renegotiate the agreement. "We will work closely with U.S. negotiators to assist them in preserving and improving this important agreement," Cummings concluded.

China acts on rice smuggling Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-12 19:46:04|Editor: An

BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese customs said Monday that local authorities had taken action against 27 gangs suspected of smuggling a total of around 300,000 tonnes of rice.

The General Administration of Customs (GAC) Monday morning dispatched over 400 police officers to more than 20 locations in Chongqing Municipality and the provinces of Yunnan, Guangdong, Hubei and Shaanxi in a unified rice smuggling campaign.

By 9 a.m., police had caught 39 suspects and seized more than 2,000 tonnes of rice suspected of being smuggled, the administration said.

It estimated that the cases would involve a combined total of 300,000 tonnes of smuggled rice worth about 1.25 billion yuan (184 million U.S. dollars).

Preliminary investigations showed that since 2014, the gangs had purchased rice in Myanmar and Vietnam before smuggling it across the borders into Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to the GAC. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/12/c_136359881.htm

S. Korea expected to be 15th-largest rice producer in 2017: FAO 2017/06/11 12:01 SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is expected to become the world's 15th largest producer of rice this year, a report by the United Nations food organization showed Sunday.

According to the Food Outlook by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), South Korea is set to produce 4.1 million tons of rice this year, down 3.1 percent from 4.2 million tons in 2016.

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The total should be equivalent to 0.8 percent of all rice to be harvested this year around the world that could reach 502.6 million tons, the report said. Numbers for South Korea are roughly on par with that of Egypt.

The FAO said the No. 1 rice produce this year will be China with 142.3 million tons followed by India with 110.4 million tons. Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam will make up the top five, it said.

The latest findings showed that per capita consumption of the staple grain will stand at 125.5 kilograms worldwide, down from 127.4 kg last year. Numbers for South Korea are estimated to stand at 74.9 kg, compared with 76 kg in 2016.

The FAO then said South Korea's meat production will likely reach a little over 2.5 million tons, while its consumption is estimated at 3.74 million tons.

Asia's fourth-largest economy is expected to import over 1.28 million tons of meat products and export 41,000 tons.

The U.N. agency, meanwhile, said that the world grain price index will stand at 148 this year up slightly from 147 in 2016. The index is measured on a 100 base mark set for international grain prices from 2002 through 2004. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2017/06/11/73/0501000000AEN20170611002100320F.html

WTO members press PHL to meet rice-tariff deadline

By Jasper Y. Arcalas JUNE 12, 2017

The Philippines is now being pressured by fellow World Trade Organization (WTO) membercountries to honor its commitment to implement a rice-tariffication scheme, with its twiceextended quantitative-restriction (QR) privilege already set to expire at the end of the month.

A ranking official, who is privy to the recent meeting of the WTO Committee on Agriculture (COA) in Geneva, said WTO member-countries are “closely” monitoring the process that Manila is undertaking to complete its shift to rice tariffs.

“Members questioned the Philippines‟s plan to convert its import restrictions into tariffs,” the source said.

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“Australia, Thailand, the US, the EU, Canada and Vietnam signaled their interest in this matter, and will follow up closely on further updates. They stressed the importance of respecting WTO commitments within the agreed deadline.”

The source said the Philippine representative to the COA meeting on June 7 informed the members that the government has started to move forward to the tariffication of rice imports.

“The Philippines informed members that the President and Cabinet have already initiated the process to convert rice-import restrictions into tariffs, and it is currently being considered by the Filipino Congress. The tariffication will be implemented once Congress passes the legislation,” the source said.

During the June 7 COA meeting, WTO member-countries sought for updates and clarification regarding the Philippines‟s commitments under its waiver on the special treatment on rice.

Canberra, for its part, questioned Manila if it would already lift its nontariff measure on rice starting July, according to a document uploaded on the WTO‟s web site.

Meanwhile, Bangkok sought clarifications on the detailed process Manila is undertaking to complete its rice-tariffication process; particularly, the procedures on its rice imports that it will be imposing, should the process go beyond the June 30 deadline.

“Can the Philippines confirm the implementation date on rice-tarification process? In case of delay, can the Philippines clarify procedures from July 1, 2017, to the day that tarification being applied?” the WTO document read, quoting the questions submitted by Bangkok for the June 7 meeting.

Washington raised the question whether the Philippines plans to extend the tariff concessions if its government is unable to pass the legislation that would remove the rice QR by July 1.

Washington added that it would “appreciate” any updates on the status of Manila‟s legislation process and actions to tariff rice imports.

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“The United States understands that rice tariffication is unlikely to occur prior to the June 30, 2017, deadline for the expiration of the rice waiver, due to a delay in passing the legislation required to remove the QR on rice imports,” the WTO document read.

“The Philippines has indicated it may extend the tariff concessions that were granted in exchange for the rice waiver in the event that the required legislation is not passed by the June 30 deadline,” it added. On July 24, 2014, the WTO General Council approved the Philippines‟s waiver on the special treatment on rice, allowing Manila to keep its QR on rice until June 30.

However, the WTO General Council approved the waiver on the condition that the Philippines will subject its rice imports to ordinary custom duties by July 1.

“At the expiration of this waiver, and no later than June 30, 2017, the importation of rice shall be subject to ordinary customs duties in accordance with paragraph 10 of Annex 5, Section B, of the Agreement on Agriculture,” the WTO General Council decision read.

However, in an earlier COA meeting in Geneva in March, the Philippines informed WTO members that it is facing delays in implementing a tariff-rate quota for rice and might exceed the deadline set under the waiver.

The delay is caused by the amendment process of Republic Act 8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, which imposed the country‟s QR on rice indefinitely. Under RA 8178, rice is the only agricultural commodity with QR and the law did not specify a termination date for it.

This means that even if the Philippines‟s waiver expires on June 30, the government is still bound to implement the QR on rice, as mandated by RA 8178.

As a sign of “goodwill” to its trading partners, President Duterte signed Exceutive Order (EO) 23 last month, extending the concessions made by the Philippines in securing the waiver in 2014.

The temporary modification of most-favored nation tariff rates is effective until June 30, 2020, or until such time a law amending certain provisions relating to rice in RA 8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, is enacted, whichever comes first.

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“The EO of the President is good, because we will preserve the concessions so there would be no motivation for our negotiating partners to sue us,” Agriculture Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Segfredo R. Serrano said in an earlier interview.

However, Serrano also reiterated that retaining the concessions is not a guarantee that the country will be able to avoid trade disputes while it is undertaking the necessary processes to convert the import caps into a specific tariff rate. Serrano, one of the country‟s trade negotiators, pointed out that moves to amend RA 8178 should prioritize the scrapping of the QR so the Philippines could avoid disputes due to “breach” of trade commitment. www.businessmirror.com.ph/wto-members-press-phl-to-meet-rice-tariff-deadline

PHL seen importing more rice, meat ByJasper Y. Arcalas

JUNE 11, 2017

The Philippines is projected to import at least 1.5 million metric tons (MMT) of rice this year, 53.33 percent more than the estimated 700,000 metric tons (MT) the country purchased from abroad last year.

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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) made this estimate in its latest biannual report, titled “Food Outlook: Biannual Report on Global Food Markets”.

The FAO attributed the increase in Philippine rice imports to the expected expiration of the World Trade Organization‟s waiver on rice this year. It also said the country will be one of the main drivers for the sustained trade of the grain in Asia.

“Asia is anticipated to account for nearly all of the forecast growth, importing a total of 21.3 MMT, up 11 percent year-on-year,” the report read.

“The expansion is expected to be facilitated by the removal of import duties in various countries in the region or the reengagement of governments in imports in an attempt to keep domestic quotations under control or refurbish reserves,” it added.

Aside from the Philippines, the FAO said Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are expected to expand its grain purchases this year.

The United Nations unit forecasted that the total volume of rice that would be traded this year would reach 43.6 MMT, 4.81 percent higher than the 41.6 MMT recorded last year.

The FAO also noted that the price of rice for exports has started to go up after the Philippines and Bangladesh have sent signals that it would import more rice this year.

“Quotations of the most-widely traded Indica rice proved more stable during the first quarter of 2017, but have since gathered speed, amid seasonal tightness and prospects of a return of important buyers to the market, in particular Bangladesh and the Philippines,” the report read.

In a separate report, the Agricultural Market Information System (Amis) reported that the increase in the price quotas of rice exports in the region was prompted by the sudden announcement of the Philippines that it would import 250,000 MT of rice. Amis is the FAO‟s marketing outlook arm.

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“In addition to shipments to near East Asia and parts of Africa ahead of Ramadan, underpinning came from expectations of near-term buying interest from the Philippines, where National Food Authority stocks were at close to three-year lows,” Amis said in its “June Market Monitor” report.

The FAO estimated that Philippine milled-rice production this year would reach 12.14 MMT, slightly higher than its 2016 estimated output of 12.11 MMT. The UN unit pegged the global milled-rice production this year at 502.6 MMT, higher than the 499.3 MMT recorded in 2016.

The Department of Agriculture is targeting to produce 18.57 MMT of paddy rice this year, 5.33 percent higher than last year‟s output of 17.63 MMT. Meat imports In the same report, the FAO projected that Philippine meat production in 2017 would expand by 3.4 percent to 3.612 MMT, from 3.493 MMT recorded last year.

FAO data showed pork would account for more than half, or 53.98 percent, of the country‟s total meat production this year. The country‟s hog-meat output this year is expected to reach 1.95 MMT, 4.5 percent higher than the 1.866 MMT produced last year.

Despite this, the FAO projected that the Philippines would purchase more meat from abroad this year. Data from the FAO showed that the country would import 552,000 MT of meat, 6.97 percent higher than the 516,000 MT it purchased last year. www.businessmirror.com.ph/phl-seen-importing-more-rice-meat

Vietnamese rice labeled with foreign names sells better than domestic brands VietNamnet Bridge - Vietnamese choose foreign rice not because the latter is better, but because Vietnamese enterprises don’t know how to build their brands, experts say.

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According to VIBIZ, the market research and analysis website owned by Global Yoilo JSC, 64 percent of rice in the domestic market is Vietnamese but is labeled as foreign rice so that sellers can make higher profits. Meanwhile, 53 percent of consumers say they like foreign rice grown in Thailand, Cambodia and Japan.

Vietnamese choose foreign rice not because the latter is better, but because Vietnamese enterprises don’t know how to build their brands

A report of the company said of the 67 rice products in the domestic market, only 21 products are given Vietnamese names.

Nguyen Van Nam, a renowned economist, and former head of the Trade Research Institute, said the report does

not surprise him.

However, he believes that the problem is not the low quality of Vietnam‟s products, but the branding strategy followed by Vietnamese enterprises.

“Vietnam has many new tasty rice varieties which have high quality, but they are little known,” he said.“Vietnamese know „Tam thom‟ and „Dien Bien rice‟, but they don‟t know there are many new varieties which are in no way inferior to them,” he said.Nam said naming rice varieties with foreign names will arouse consumers‟ curiosity.

An analyst said Vietnam‟s rice doesn‟t have fame in the domestic market because of bad marketing and branding, not because of low quality.Since Vietnam‟s rice products still don‟t have strong brands, they have to „take a detour‟ to approach Vietnamese consumers.“Vietnamese prefer foreign rice because they hear Thai and Japanese farmers grow rice with high technologies,” he explained. “They have no information about how rice is grown in Vietnam.”

“Therefore, merchants give foreign names to Vietnam‟s rice to sell more products,” he said,

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adding that Vietnam only imports rice from Cambodia and Thailand in small quantities.

Tran Duy Quy, former head of the Institute of Agricultural Genetics of Vietnam, confirmed that Vietnam has been importing rice from Cambodia and Thailand, but in small quantities. As for the so called „Japanese rice‟, this is Vietnam‟s rice labeled as Japanese rice.“There are many Vietnamese rice varieties which are tastier than the Japanese varieties,” he said.

Japanese rice is more expensive than Vietnamese, priced at VND200,000 per kilo.Vietnam has the best rice genetic resources in the world and its farmers grow rice with high technology and follow strict production procedure, he said.

Cambodia records 10-pct rise in rice export in first 5 months Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-10 20:08:16|Editor: Song Lifang PHNOM PENH, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 257,637 tons of milled rice in the first five months of 2017, up 10 percent compared with the same period last year, according to the latest report on Saturday.The Southeast Asian nation exported its rice to 57 countries and regions around the world, said the report compiled by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export.

Three top buyers are China, France and Poland, it said, adding that China imported 88,769 tons of milled rice from Cambodia during the January-May period this year, France imported 33,459 tons, and Poland purchased 23,036 tons.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said in mid-May after returning from a visit to China that China had agreed to increase its import quota for Cambodian milled rice to 300,000 tons in 2018, up from 200,000 tons in 2017.

Cambodia produces more than 9 million tons of paddy rice a year. With this amount, it has over 3 million tons of milled rice left over for annual export, according to the Agriculture Ministry Xinhua News Agency

International rice prices soar as Bangladesh seeks import Iftekhar Mahmud | Update: 12:48, Jun 11, 2017 Bangladesh has been seeking to import rice from other countries to meet domestic demands, but now prices in the international market have started to soar. There are all signs of a big crisis in the global rice market, according to international agencies.

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Sri Lanka had been trying to procure rice from the international market prior to Bangladesh and now the Philippines has joined the search too. China, which produces the most rice, has seen a slump in production this year. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says if this country, self-sufficient in food, begins to import rice from the global market, there is all likelihood that rice prices will go up further.

Within Bangladesh, rice prices are at an all-time high. The rice procurement drive has been a failure so far. Rice in government stock is at the lowest and no time soon will rice be imported from the international market. Bangladesh is at a loss in face of this crisis.

According to the food ministry reports, this week coarse rice sold in Dhaka‟s markets at Tk 45 to 48 per kg. The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) says that over the past one year, rice prices in the country have gone up 42 per cent. Mid and fine grain rice sells between Tk 48 to Tk 56 per kg.

Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Emeritus fellow M Asaduzzaman told Prothom Alo that in keeping with production and supply within the country, there is no way that the price of rice should be Tk 48. Traders are well aware that given their depleted stock, the government cannot intervene in the market. The government also has no idea how much the rice mills and traders have in stock.

The Bangladesh government has signed an MOU to purchase 1 million tonnes of rice from Vietnam. Over the last month Vietnam raised its rice price by Tk 1120 or US$ 12 per tonnes.

The food ministry is looking expressed interest in importing 700 thousand tonnes of rice from India and Thailand. These two countries too have raised their rice prices over the past month by US$ 8 and US$ 13 per tonne respectively.

M Asaduzzaman, an expert in the field, blames the food ministry and minister for this predicament. He points out that the government‟s rice stock has fallen below 200 thousand tonnes, whereas it should be 600 thousand tonnes at least. The moment the stock fell below 500 thousand tonnes, the minister should have taken initiative to replenish the stock. Such irresponsible behavoiur over a politically sensitive matter as rice would have cost the job of the food minister in India or the UK. Former director general of BIDS Kazi Shahabuddin told Prothom Alo that rice prices in the international market are going up. The government should immediately import price before the prices escalate further. Opportunity must be given to private sector rice import by cutting import duty. If not, a crisis will emerge and the prices will be even steeper.

Director general of the food directorate Badrul Hasan told Prothom Alo, “There are laws to take action against the rice mills which refuse to give the government grain. We are compiling a list of such mills. Those who are supplying rice to the government will be given priority and special facilities next year.”

Speaking to Prothom Alo agitatedly, food minister Kamrul Islam said, “You all wrote that the people of Bangladesh are eating less rice. Now what will you write? That they are eating rice

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starch?”

About rising rice prices in the international market, the minister said, “There is no hide-and-seek about international rice prices. It‟s all there on the Internet.”

After an MOU is signed, it takes about two months for the rice to arrive from abroad. The food minister went to Vietnam and this month a delegation from Vietnam will come to negotiate prices and other details. Then it will take another month to send the rice. So Bangladesh will be having to purchase rice at the future higher prices from Vietnam, India and Thailand.

In the meantime, the government has no tool to control rice prices in the interim period. It‟s all in the hands of the businesses. The government is simply waiting and watching for the supply to go up and the prices to fall. http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/150737/Int%E2%80%99l-rice-prices-soar-asBangladesh-seeks-import.

UPDATE 1-Bangladesh gets offers in tender to buy 50,000 T of white rice Mon Jun 12, 2017 6:12am GMT * Bangladesh looking to import rice after flooding * Received handful of offers in tender -traders (Adds other offers, detail) DHAKA/HAMBURG, June 12 (Reuters) - The lowest offer in the tender from Bangladesh's state grains buyer to purchase 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice was $445.11 a tonne CIF liner out, officials in Bangladesh and European traders said on Monday.

The offer was made by trading house Olam.

The tender had closed on June 11 and the rice is to be shipped within 40 days of contract signing.

No purchase has yet been made and offers are still being considered, European traders added.

They said the other offers in the tender in dollars a tonne CIF liner out were: Agro Corp at $449.55, Singsong Food at $458.00, Desh Trading at $459.67, Amir Chand at $474.00 and Sukhbir Agro at $459.30.

Bangladesh has started a new programme to import rice to build reserves and cool local prices after sudden floods damaged local crops.

Domestic rice prices reached record highs in May and state reserves are at six-year lows in the wake of the flooding that wiped out around 700,000 tonnes of Bangladesh's rice crops.

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The state grains buyer said it would import 600,000 tonnes of rice after the flooding, initially issuing two tenders for a total of 100,000 tonnes of rice, its first such tenders since 2011.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul and Michael Hogan; Editing by Joseph Radford) http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/

Bumper paddy leaves godowns brimming over in bonanza year TNN | Updated: Jun 11, 2017, 08.57 AM IST

HYDERABAD: After three years of drought, Telanganahas witnessed a bumper crop this year with the total foodgrain production set to cross 50 lakh metric tonnes. All godowns owned by the state government are filled to the brim. Central government warehouses have also been roped in to store the grains.

Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday directed officials to release 1,000 crore to procure paddy from farmers. So far, the state government has spent 5,300 crore to purchase 37 lakh tonnes of paddy. Of this, 4,000 crore has been paid to farmers.The chief minister has told officials not to wait for the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to clear dues and the make arrangements to credit the money in farmers' accounts to prevent distress sales. The government will give bank guarantee, he said.

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Thanking god for the bumper crop, the CM said the paddy production this year has been unprecedented. "The state government is ready to spend any amount of money to purchase the paddy. I have told my officials to arrange for immediate payments to farmers," KCR said.

Though the state government is releasing funds, it is taking time for the money to reach farmers.

This delay should be eliminated, he added, since farmers need the money to clear their debts and start agricultural operations during the Kharif season.

Discussions on paddy procurement were taken at a review meeting held by the chief minister with civil supplies commissioner C V Anand and other officials at Pragati Bhavan here. The government has set up procurement centres across the state. As against 9 lakh tonnes of paddy procured last year, the state has already bought 37 lakh tonnes of paddy from the farmers this year. Procurement of another 2 lakh tonnes is awaited.

Officials said that in 2013-14, the maximum procurement stood at 17 lakh tonnes. This has grown 2.5 times to reach 37 lakh tonnes now http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/bumper-paddy-leaves-godowns-brimming-over-in-bonanzayear/articleshow/59091239.cms.

Rice basmati remains weak on low demand, adequate supply New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) Rice basmati prices drifted further lower by Rs 200 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on fall in demand against ample stocks position.

By PTI Feeds | Published: June 10, 2017 2:22 PM IST New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) Rice basmati prices drifted further lower by Rs 200 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on fall in demand against ample stocks position.

Bajra and maize also eased on reduced of consuming industries.

Traders said easing demand from retailers and stockists against adequate stocks position mainly put pressure on rice basmati prices.

In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety fell further by Rs 200 each to Rs 7,000- 7,100 and Rs 5,700-6,000 per quintal respectively.

Non-basmati rice permal raw, wand, sela and IR-8 also slipped to Rs 2,225-2,250, Rs 2,2752,300, Rs 2,500-2,600 and Rs 1,850-1,900 as compared to previous levels of Rs 2,250- 2,275,Rs 2,300-2,350, Rs 2,700-2,800 and Rs 1,875-2,000 per quintal respectively in line with rice basmati trend.

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Other bold grains like, bajra and maize too declined by Rs 20 and Rs 50 to Rs 1,330-1,340 and Rs 1,360-1,370 per quintal respectively.

Following are todayâ€&#x;s quotations (in Rs per quintal): Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,100-2,345, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,755-1,760, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,760-1,765, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 950-960 (50 kg), Maida Rs 960970 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,040-1,050 (50 kg).

Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 7,000-7,100, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 5,700-6,000, Permal raw Rs 2,2252,250, Permal wand Rs 2,275-2,300, Sela Rs 2,500-2,600 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,850-1,900, Bajra Rs 1,330-1,340, Jowar yellow Rs 1,550-1,600, white Rs 3,100-3,300, Maize Rs 1,360-1,370, Barley Rs 1,610-1,630.

This is published unedited from the PTI feed http://www.india.com/news/agencies/rice-basmati-remains-weak-on-low-demand-adequatesupply-2221178/

Flash' deep depression in Bay breaks up over Bangladesh coast VINSON KURIAN Satellite image taken at 8.45 IST Source: IMD THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 12: A prevailing low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal beat all forecasts to intensity with blinding speed into a deep depression overnight and crossed Bangladesh coast early this morning.

This had escalated the strength of the system to only a notch below tropical cyclone status, as the deep depression crossed the Bangla coast near Khepupara between 4.30 am and 5.30 am.

RARE DURING MONSOON No weather model had forecast this scale of intensification, since it is rare for systems beyond depression to take birth in the Bay or the Arabian Sea once the monsoon has established.

India Met Department (IMD) had yesterday put out a watch for the 'well-marked low' in the Bay to become a depression today and apparently hoped it would drop anchor there.

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But outlook from a few centres, including the US National Centres for Environmental Predictions, had pointed towards a 'flare-up' during the weekend around the Bengal-Bangladesh coast.

Still, it was unimaginable that the Bay would host a deep depression, even if fleetingly, at a time when the monsoon had established itself over the country and the neighbouring seas.

ANOTHER 'LOW' BREWING? Meanwhile, a reliable US weather tracker as also the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts looked to the Bay for signs for another building 'low' in a week's time.

This 'low' would help reorganise the monsoon flows in the Bay and train a bulk of them to steer themselves and head back into East India, and not stray into Bangladesh.

The US tracker shows the 'low' moving over East India and further on to North-West India in what is considered a time-tested track for these systems to move to sustain monsoon conditions.

The European centre showed the land-based trough from North-West India linking the Bay through Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, shaping up to host a 'low' around June 20.

SOUTH MAY STAY DRY The US National Centres for Environmental Prediction supports this outlook with a predicted rainfall scenario that sits heavy over East India and the West Coast during the week from June 19.

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The US Climate Prediction Centre could not agree more, and is more emphatic about a heavy rainfall scenario for East India and the Konkan-Mumbai coast and South Gujarat during June 18 to 24.

But rainfall will be mostly below normal for most parts of the South Peninsula and adjoining Central India expect West Madhya Pradesh during this week.

This would represent further drying up of these parts relative to conditions during the immediate previous week (June 11-17, the ongoing week) http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/flash-deep-depression-in-bay-breaks-upover-bangladesh-coast/article9725020.ece

CM ASKS OFFICIALS TO PROCURE PADDY FROM FARMERS AT ANY COST & PAY THEM IMMEDIATELY June 10, 2017 Hyderabad, Telangana

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has instructed the officials to procure paddy from farmers whatever may be the expenditure and make payments to the farmers on time.

The CM said there was a record and bountiful paddy production this year for the first time in the history and as a result heavy quantities of paddy was reaching the Civil Supplies Purchasing Centers. He said the State government was ready to spend any amount of money to purchase the paddy and asked the officials to arrange for the immediate payments to farmers without any delay. The CM said though the State government was releasing funds, it was taking sometime for the money to reach farmers and this delay should be eliminated.

The CM held a review meeting with Civil Supplies Commissioner C V Anand and other officials at Pragati Bhavan here on the procurement of paddy at the Civil Supplies Procurement Centers in the State. The officials informed the Chief Minister that last year the procurement was nine lakh tonnes and this year by this time 37 lakh tonnes of paddy has already been procured and another two lakh tonnes was expected at the centers. They said in 2013-14, the maximum procurement was at 17 lakh tonnes and now it has become 2.5 times more. So far, 37 lakh tonnes of paddy was purchased at a cost of Rs 5,300 crore and of this, Rs 4,000 crore has already been given to farmers. https://www.siasat.com/news/cm-asks-officials-procure-paddy-farmers-cost-pay-immediately1197804/

Solons call for House probe on rice inventory, importation Published June 12, 2017, 10:00 PM

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by Charissa Luci-Atienza A House probe is being sought regarding the country‟s current rice supply and stock amid the government‟s plan to import rice.

Deputy Minority Leader and COOP-NATCCO party-list Rep. Anthony Bravo expressed concern about reports that the country‟s rice buffer stock with the National Food Authority (NFA) is good for only eight days.

He said the NFA has intended to import 1.3 million tons of rice for this year, but present import figures reveal a shortfall of 150,000 tons from the 650,000 ton importation by mid-year.

“By June, according to sources, there would be a rice shortage of 400,000 tons,” Bravo said.

“There have likewise been reported conflicts and disagreements with respect to the policy of importation, with some groups within the NFA Council advocating allowing private entities to import rice, while others insist on government-to-government transactions, ” he said.

In filing House Resolution 1013, he asked the House Committeess on Agriculture and Food Security to look into the current status of rice imports, and determine whether rice buffer stocks are sufficient to meet domestic demand and consumption.

Bravo said the investigation is also aimed at determining what importation policy would best ensure that there would be no rice shortages in the present and the future.

“There is an urgent need to determine which policy direction would be most beneficial to stabilizing the rice supply and ensuring that enough stocks are available to the market, and at the same time balancing said policy with the need to protect and develop the interest of domestic rice farmers and producers, ” he said.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations also filed House Resolution 993 calling on Congress to immediately determine the true state of the country‟s rice inventory.

“A congressional inquiry is in order to help Malacañang determine the real supply situation, and then draw up proactive measures, including possible imports, to avert a possible supply shortfall later this year,” he said.

Villafuerte, vice chairman of the House Committee on Local Government, said that with the proposed investigation,Congress can come up with policy proposals for government to ensure ample and affordable supply of this staple, in light of fears that the country‟s current buffer stock might not be enough to last us through the traditional lean months after this summer harvest season. http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/12/solons-call-for-house-probe-on-rice-inventory-importation/

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