14th july (tuesday),2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

July 14 , 2015 Vol 5 ,Issue VII www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com TRADE POLICY CANNOT IGNORE BARTER, CURRENCY SWAP, BORDER, E_COMMERCE & TRANSACTION COST Jul 14, 2015 | Tha ver

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) urged federal commerce minister Engineer Khurram Dastagir to ensure the trade policy is well alig ned and comprehensive to include and promote barter trade, currency swaps, border trade and measures to curb increasing transaction cost. President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver invited the attention of the federal minister to the proposals submitted by UNISAME through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and reminded him of the importance of the ministry‘s best consideration for the proposals from the majority sector.

Thaver pointed out that the ministry of commerce ( MINCOM) cannot aff ord to ignore the barter trade in view of the changing global practices and the crisis being faced by the commodities market. Many industries of rice, wheat, maize,spices, food processing and cotton ginning have closed down due to the global commodities crisis. MINCOM also needs to facilitate third country trading whereby Pakistani entrepreneurs could secure orders of goods manufactured by other countries and sell them to their customers in another country. The entrepreneurs need the facility of switching the bill of lading and opening back to back letter of credit. There is no gateway facility for e-Commerce and the opening of merchant account and its maintenance is very high in Pakistan as only very few banks are offering this facility in Pakistan.

Secondly the MINCOM needs to work hard on the currency swap agreements with the neighbouring friendly countries to promote handsome trade. Thirdly the MINCOM needs to facilitate the border trade to puncture the benefits of smuggling.Fourthly the transaction cost has become unaffordable due to the advising, discounting and negotiation charges of banks and documentation charges of shipping companies. Even the courier charges are beyond comprehension. Fifthly the role of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TDAP) an d the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) must be revisited and reinforced on modern lines.

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com The TDAP needs to set up the SME export house with complete infrastructure to promote the export of wares of the sector. UNISAME had earlier recommended to MINCOM to make doing business easy and implement the one window operation in letter and spirit. Needless to say the overseas Pakistanis and foreign investors are looking forward to incentives and tax exemptions for innovative and import substitution industries besides agro based industries.Now that the law and order situation has improved and the government is endeavouring to improve the energy supplies with alternate energy especially the solar programme, the investors are inclined to invest in Pakistan to set up industries and effort must be made to facilitate them. http://www.unisame.org/trade-policy-cannot-ignore-barter-currency-swap-border-e_commercetransaction-cost/

Fertilizing rice in a very wet year: Part I Jul 13, 2015Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press RSS

Certain years stand out in farmers‘ minds because of the events that occurred in the growing season. 1980, 1987 and 2012, for example, will go down as extremely dry years that hammered crops for some and brought higher prices for those fortunate enough to harvest a crop.2015 likely will be remembered for just the opposite – it was the year when it wouldn‘t stop raining, according to LSU Ag Center and University of Arkansas researchers who spoke at the LSU Rice Research Station‘s annual field day in Crowley, La. ―2015 will be remembered as the year it started raining before we ever got rice in the ground, and it didn‘t quit raining until we were well past mid-season,‖ says Dustin Harrell, Extension rice specialist for Louisiana. ―We normally receive 26 inches of rainfall from planting to harvest at this station. This year we got those 26 inches in the first three months of the season.‖Dr. Harrell and Dr. Jarrod Hardke, Extension rice specialist with the University of Arkansas, talked about the problems the rain caused for growers trying to fertilize rice in both of their states during a tour stop at the at the field day July 1.As a result, much of the state‘s rice acreage stayed wet or muddy. ―We had problems in a lot of cases where we couldn‘t get the water off the field,‖ said Harrell. ―So all this water really caused a lot of problems with the management decisions we have to make as a producer or consultant.‖ The water interfered with stand establishment, resulting in calls to Drs. Harrell and Hardke about whether to replant; it played havoc with herbicide applications because growers couldn‘t get ground rigs across the field; and the water and overcast skies led to more disease incidence, including any early episode with blast in Jupiter and CL 151 rice.It also caused problems with nitrogen fertilizer applications. ―If you think about what we recommend, we want you to apply 3

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com nitrogen on dry ground, at least for that first shot,‖ said Harrell. ―That‘s why I invited Dr. Hardke to come here to talk about what we can do to modify our nitrogen fertilizer recommendations to accommodate these wet years.‖ http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/fertilizing-rice-very-wet-year-parti?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+July+14%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013 &utm_medium=email

Fertilizing rice in a very wet year: Part II Jul 14, 2015Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press

LSU Ag Center and University of Arkansas scientists recommend farmers apply nitrogen fertilizer for their rice on a dry soil, just ahead of the establishment of a ―permanent‖ flood on their fields, normally three or four weeks after rice emergence.Research shows putting on the flood helps incorporate the nitrogen into the soil and can help prevent the loss of up to 30 percent of the N through a process called volatilization. Dr. Justin Harrell, Extension rice specialist for Louisiana, talked about the recommendations during a tour stop at the LSU Rice Research Station Field Day.―In Louisiana, if we‘re talking about a drill-seeded or a dry broadcast or any type of a delayed-flood rice production system, we‘re going to recommend you apply your nitrogen at two application timings,‖ said Dr. Harrell. ―We will recommend you apply your first timing generally before the permanent flood is established when the rice is about 4 leaves to the first tiller stage of development.―We‘re going to recommend you apply the second shot at mid-season when the rice is at the green ring stage of development. That‘s what we will use to make our determination to call the airplane and make that mid-season application.‖ The scientists recommend growers apply two-thirds of the nitrogen at the first pre-flood timing and one-third at the mid-season timing, says Harrell.―The first application is the most important because this is where we have the greatest potential for nitrogen loss,‖ says Harrell. ―We will tell you we want you to make that first application on a dry soil. Then we‘re will recommend you get the flood across the field as soon as possible after that application.‖ As water moves across the field not only does it move laterally, but it also helps push the nitrogen into the soil, ―incorporating‖ it where the rice plants can make optimum use of the fertilizer as they continue to develop.―We know that if we can incorporate that nitrogen deeper into the soil, once we get anaerobic conditions, it‘s going to stabilize that nitrogen,‖ he says, ―and that‘s exactly what we want to do.‖ If, on the other hand, if the flood is delayed, ―We‘re going to leave that nitrogen exposed to the environment, and, in that situation, we have a lot of nitrogen loss through a process called ammonia volatilization.‖Research has shown that up to 30 percent of the nitrogen applied can be lost if it is not incorporated into the soil as quickly as possible. ―That‘s up to 30 percent of a farmer‘s nitrogen dollars that are gone if the nitrogen is not moved into the soil.‖If farmers need more than two or three days to get the flood across their larger fields, LSU soil scientists recommend they treat their urea with a urease inhibitor or a product containing a product called NBPT. The NBPT delays the breakdown of the urea and thus limits nitrogen losses through ammonia volatilization.

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/fertilizing-rice-very-wet-year-part-ii

Jakarta farmers earn living harvesting rice

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Tue, July 14 2015, 5:05 PM

Darkono, 35, pulled a toy rifle‘s trigger to shoo away birds that were making an attempt to land on his paddies in a 4.5-hectare rice field in Semanan, Kalideres, in West Jakarta.―Birds are farmers‘ number one enemy in Jakarta. The rice fields are small in the city, but there are lots of birds and they are a big worry,‖ he said.Darkono is one of the few farmers left in Semanan. The farmers in the area work on somebody else‘s land because the land is already owned by either a rich individual or a property developer.―We only need to pay Rp 7 million [US$525] to a middleman after each harvest for the use of the land,‖ he told The Jakarta Post recently.

He and his father Sukra, 60, who have worked on the land since 2001, manage to bring in two or three harvests a year. They plant what they call IR-Kerbau paddy that matures in about 125 days.―Last May we harvested 24 tons of paddy that were sold for around Rp 4,500 per kilogram.

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com Thus we got around Rp 108 million, from which we put Rp 50 million into our savings,‖ Darkono said.Rice at the market is priced at between Rp 9,000 to Rp 15,000 per liter, which is less than a kilogram.He explained that the family incurred only Rp 6 million in expenses on each hectare of the farm, expenses that include labor, fertilizer and pesticides. They save much by having their own tractor and hiring cheap workers from Pemalang, Central Java, during every planting and harvest season. ―We use water from the drainage for irrigation, channeling it from underground drains into our rice fields,‖ he said.The main problem, besides the birds, is the procurement of diesel fuel for their tractor. They have to buy the fuel in bulk to transport it to their farm.―We are not allowed to buy it by the jug so we have to pay to rent a truck,‖ he said.

Besides earning a living by farming, the family does other jobs. Darkono still goes back to Indramayu because he is a mechanic there. He will just go to Jakarta when his father does not have enough laborers during the planting and harvest seasons.―My sibling, Zulaeha, 27, opens a warteg [sidewalk food stall] and Andriana, 18, works as a laborer in a nearby factory while studying in a university,‖ the oldest from the three said.The farming idea came to the family in 1995 when they sold their 3,000-square-meter farmland in Indramayu to get business and living capital for the big city. They first moved to Serpong, in Tangerang, before moving to Semanan in 2001.―Farming a small tract of land is not cost effective,‖ said the tanned man.Darkono‘s opinion might prove true. A few hundred meters from their land, behind the Kopti housing complex, is a 16-hectare paddy farm cultivated by Indramayu people.

Sarif, 45, is one of them. He works on a 1.5-hectare plot of land from which he got around six tons of Ciherang paddy in May and earned Rp 22 million from the sales.―However, I have to pay at least Rp 12 million in expenses including for tractor rental so I earn less than Rp 3 million a month,‖ he told the Post.The municipality‘s Maritime Affairs, Agriculture and Food Security Agency head Renova Ida Siahaan said recently that the area of rice fields in West Jakarta had shrunk to 141 hectares this year from 250 hectares in 2013.She noted that the paddy farmland only existed in three subdistricts, namely Semanan, Pegadungan and Kalideres.The decline is inevitable as property developers are using the land to construct new buildings as it is actually already owned by them,‖ she said as quoted byberitajakarta.com. (rbk) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/07/14/jakarta-farmers-earn-living-harvestingrice.html#sthash.dQN1jH1M.dpuf

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Vietnam posts biggest trade value with China of US$32b 7/14/2015

Shanghai Daily (Benchmark)

VIETNAM posted US$32 billion in trade value with China in the first half of 2015, posting the largest amount among the country‘s trading partners, Vietnam‘s General Statistics Office said yesterday.During the six-month period, China remained the biggest supplier of commodities for Vietnam with some US$24.4 billion, up 23.9 percent year on year, the GSO said on its website in the June monthly report.Meanwhile, Vietnam exported some US$7.7 billion worth of products to China in the period, up 3.6 percent year on year, said the GSO. Vietnam mainly exports farm products to China whileimporting fruits and vegetables, fertilizers, machinery, phones and accessories, steel and materials for the garment and textile industry, among others.In the first half, Vietnam earned US$77.7 billion fromexports to foreign markets, said the GSO, adding that the country spent US$81.5 billion on imports.China remained Vietnam‘s largest consumer for its exportsof major agri-forestry-fishery products.

According to a report released by Vietnam‘s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the country in the first half earned US$1.32 billion from exporting 3.055 million tons of rice, down 10.5 percent in value and 6.2 percent in volume year on year.China remained the largest importer of Vietnamese rice in the six-month period, taking up 36 percent of market.

However, during the period, Vietnam‘s rice exports to China fell 19.6 percent in volume and 22.6 percent in value year on year, the ministry said.

In the first half, Vietnam exported 422,000 tons of rubber worth US$614 million, up 22.3 percent in volume and down 5.1 percent in value year on year.China, Malaysia and India remained the three largest consumers of Vietnamese rubber, taking up 72.3 percent of the market. http://www.world-grain.com/news/news%20home/LexisNexisArticle.aspx?articleid=2405465158

Drought-hit farmers urged to shift from rice to other crops HA NOI (VNS) — The agriculture ministry has called on central and northern provinces hit by the worst drought in 40 years to encourage a major shift from rice cultivation to drought-resistant crops.The ministry's Plant Cultivation Department has asked all localities in these regions to advise farmers and issue policies supporting this shift, according to Tin Tuc (News) newspaper.

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The field was dry after many weeks of drought in Tan Thang Commune, Ham Tan District of Binh Thuan Province. About 50,000ha of farmland across the country have been rendered barren by the prolonged drought, mostly in the provinces of Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa and Quang Tri. — Photo tuoitre.vn It said the area that would switch from rice cultivation for the 2014-2015 winter-spring crop and the 2015 summer-autumn crop would account for about 60 per cent of the originally planned 8,527ha.However, the report also expressed some skepticism of the plan, because the prolonged water shortage has made it difficult for localities to grow even drought-tolerant plants.An earlier report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said that about 50,000ha of farmland across the country have been rendered barren by the prolonged drought, mostly in the provinces of Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa and Quang Tri. It said localities have taken various measures to cope with the drought including digging ponds, sourcing underground water, and dredging canals to try and provide water for irrigation and daily use. They have also worked with hydropower plants to release water from their reservoirs and asked residents to save water.Furthermore, the ministry has proposed that the Government provides financial assistance to help provinces overcome consequences of the drought.

Emergency mitigation measures carried out by the ministry is said to have cost VND57.5 billion (US$2.6 million) so far.The Tin Tuc (News) report quoted Nguyen Xuan Dinh, head of the agriculture department in Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province, as saying nearly 500ha of 7,500ha of rice fields have been switched to other crops.

The department has asked provincial authorities to provide capital support to compensate for losses suffered by farmers and help them restructure their farming activities. Ho Duc Hai, who lives in Quynh Luu District's An Hoa Commune, said his family had finished transplanting rice seedlings on nearly 1,000sq.m for the summer-autumn crop, but these had wilted and died in the heat."My family had to switch to growing corn on that land," Hai told Tin Tuc."I hope that the government will issue policies to support people in shifting from rice to other crops," he said.In 8

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com the central province of Ninh Thuan, where reservoirs have almost completely dried up with water below 10 per cent of their design capacity, officials plan to stop planting rice on 10,229ha for the summer-autumn crop.

The province has received some rainfall in recent days, but not enough for farmers to irrigate their rice fields. The province, therefore, plans to grow corn, beans and grass for livestock on the rice fields, said Phan Van Thuu, deputy director of the Ninh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.Households shifting from rice to other cash crops will receive assistance with seeds as well as application of modern technology in production, he said. — VNS http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/273025/drought-hit-farmers-urged-to-shift-from-rice-to-other-crops.html

Vietnam loans for H1 rice business up 31.6% from end-2014 Reported by: `Customs Today Report July 14, 2015

HANOI: Banks in Vietnam extended a total of 37 trillion dong ($1.7 billion) of loans for the purchase, production and export of rice in January-to-June, up 31.6 percent from end-2014, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper said, citing central bank data.Vietnam is the world‘s thirdlargest rice exporter after India and Thailand. http://www.customstoday.com.pk/vietnam-loans-for-h1-rice-business-up-31-6-from-end-2014/

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RICE INSURANCE SCHEME EXPANDED TO 2M RAI July 14, 2015 1:00 am The Insurance Commission will expand its 2015 target for insurance policies for in-season paddy fields by 500,000 rai to 2 million rai (320,000 hectares) to fulfil rising demand from farmers facing the drought."Sales of insurance policies for in-season paddy fields as of July 8 reached 1.33 million rai or 89.1 per cent of the old target of 1.5 million rai," secretary-general Pravej Ongartsittigul said yesterday.

The decision to increase the area came after discussions with agencies such as the Finance Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, and the Thai General Insurance Association.The policy covers damages incurred from natural disasters as well as pests and epidemics. The insurance policy is available until August 14, except for the South, where it will be available until December 11.

'NO WATER SHORTAGE YET' The Commerce Ministry insists there is no shortage of drinking water yet, calling on consumers not to panic or hoard water, as the government will closely monitor the situation. Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya said the Irrigation Department insists the drought affecting much of the company has not resulted in a shortage of water for household use. However, he acknowledged that the prices of some vegetables had increased because of the drought. Other goods, including drinking water, are still available as normal.

He added that the government was preparing for the worst and had water in reserve in case of emergency. He urged consumers to stay confident that water would be supplied in the case of a shortage and noted that rainfall was expected by late this month to relieve the impacts from the drought.Boonyarit Kalayanamit, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said a survey by the agency found that drinking water was still being traded as normal. He warned that if any traders or consumers were found hoarding or increasing prices unfairly, they could be subject to Bt140,000 fines and/or a maximum of seven years in jail.

Meanwhile, a grocery store in Nonthaburi said many customers had brought more drinking water than usual because of concerns about the drought."Normally, consumers will buy only one [sixbottle] package of water, but now they will buy two to four packages. Suppliers have also delayed delivery as they receive more orders from grocery stores because of high demand," the retailer said.

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com RELIEF PLAN APPROVED

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives' board of directors gave a green light to relief measures for farmers hit by drought, including a maximum debt-repayment schedule of 12 months.Finance Minister Sommai Phasee, who is also the BAAC chairman, said other measures included Bt30 billion in short-term loans and Bt10 billion in loans for resuming production after the drought.The long-term loans, totalling Bt10 billion per year for three years, will be extended to farmers who enhance production efficiency or shift to more appropriate crops.About a million troubled farmers are expected to benefit from the relief measures, Sommai said. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/RICE-INSURANCE-SCHEME-EXPANDED-TO-2M-RAI30264376.html

VIETNAM PRESS-Loans for H1 rice business up 32 pct Vietnam Economic Times Banks in Vietnam extended a total of 37 trillion dong ($1.7 billion) of loans for the purchase, production and export of rice in January-to-June, up 31.6 percent from end-2014, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper said, citing central bank data.Vietnam is the world's third-largest rice exporter after India and Thailand.---NOTE: Reuters has not verified this story and does not vouch for its accuracy. (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/14/vietnam-press-idUSL4N0ZU16020150714

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-July 14 Nagpur, July 14 Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good demand from local millers amid thin arrival from producing belts. Fresh rise on NCDEX, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh pulses and weak monsoon in all over Maharashtra also jacked up prices, according to sources. *

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FOODGRAINS & PULSES 11

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com GRAM * Gram filter new jacked up in open market on increased demand from local traders amid tight supply from local millers.

TUAR * Tuar black recovered strongly in open market here on good seasonal demand from local traders amid weak arrival from producing regions. * Udid varieties showed firm tendency in open market on good buying support from local traders. Weak monsoon in other regions too also activated stockists. * In Akola, Tuar - 6,900-7,100, Tuar dal - 9,700-9,900, Udid at 9,500-9,900, Udid Mogar (clean) - 11,000-11,400, Moong - 7,000-8,000, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,800-10,100, Gram - 3,900-4,100, Gram Super best bold - 5,500-5,700 for 100 kg. * Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading activity, according to sources.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 3,600-4,510 3,600-4,420 Gram Pink Auction n.a.

2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 6,450-7,330 6,290-7,330 Moong Auction n.a.

6,000-6,400 Udid Auction n.a.

4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a.

2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 5,900-6,100 5,900-6,100 Gram Super Best n.a.

Gram Medium Best 5,700-5,800 5,700-5,800 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.

Gram Mill Quality 5,250-5,450 5,250-5,450 Desi gram Raw 4,450-4,550 4,450-4,550 Gram Filter new 5,900-6,100 5,750-5,950 Gram Kabuli 5,600-7,100 5,600-7,100 Gram Pink 6,500-6,700 6,500-6,700 Tuar Fataka Best 10,600-10,800 10,600-10,800 Tuar Fataka Medium 10,200-10,400 10,200-10,400 Tuar Dal Best Phod 9,600-9,800 9,600-9,800 Tuar Dal Medium phod 9,000-9,400 9,000-9,400 Tuar Gavarani New 7,500-7,600 7,500-7,600 Tuar Karnataka 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200 Tuar Black 11,000-11,300 10,900-11,200 Masoor dal best 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200 12

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com Masoor dal medium 7,500-7,900 7,500-7,900 Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold 9,600-10,000 9,600-10,000 Moong Mogar Medium best 8,800-9,200 8,800-9,200 Moong dal Chilka 8,200-8,600 8,200-8,600 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 9,700-10,000 9,700-10,000 Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 11,400-11,800 11,300-11,800 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 10,600-10,900 10,500-10,900 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,200-9,600 9,100-9,600 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,800 4,400-4,800 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,300-3,400 3,300-3,400 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,350 3,100-3,350 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,200 3,100-3,200 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,500 3,700-4,500 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,500 1,400-1,500 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,100 1,800-2,100 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,600 3,200-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,850 2,500-2,850 Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG) 2,750-2,900 2,750-2,900 Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 3,050-3,300 3,050-3,300 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,750 1,600-1,750 Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,450 2,200-2,450 Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700 Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600 Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200 Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500 Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,100 4,500-5,100 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,000-10,000 8,000-10,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500 Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,500 5,100-5,500 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,350 2,100-2,350 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 35.8 degree Celsius (96.4 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.

25.2 degree Celsius (75.4 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.

Rainfall : 1.1 mm 13

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 37 and 26 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.) http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/07/14/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N0ZU3CP20150714

Venezuela/Guyana deal not in jeopardy -Says Agriculture Minister Written by Gina Webmasters

The Guyana/Venezuela rice agreement under the PetroCaribe deal is not in jeopardy, and there is no question of Venezuela putting a halt on rice shipments before this year‘s supply contract comes to an end in November, Agriculture Minister Hon. Noel Holder told members of the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association today.The delegation, which was headed

by Chairman of the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association, Dr. Peter De Groot, sought an update from the Minister, as to whether the Guyana/Venezuela rice deal was in jeopardy.

The Minister explained that Guyana had varied from its schedule of shipments by increasing the rate of rice shipments. This has caused problems at the receiving end in Venezuela and Guyana has been asked to revert to the agreed schedule. The total quantity under the existing contract 14

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com will be accepted until the contract comes to an end in November. The Venezuelan Authorities have indicated to Guyana that they are prepared to discuss continued shipments of rice and other commodities as part of a revised agreement for 2016.

A high level team, inclusive of representatives from the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association is expected to visit the Spanish speaking country shortly, to discuss the way forward for the supply of commodities in exchange for oil under the PetroCaribe agreement.―Venezuela has assured us that rice shipments from Guyana have not been stopped. However, the rate of supply has to be adjusted in keeping with the agreed schedule,‖ Minister Holder said.Chairman of the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association, Dr. Peter De Groot, welcomed the announcement, alluding to the fact that the Association will be working collaboratively with the Guyana Government and Venezuela, to ensure that all avenues are looked at and that the present misconception is cleared.The meeting was also attended by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. George Jervis. http://www.gina.gov.gy/home/index.php/home/all-news/item/2871-venezuela-guyana-deal-not-injeopardy-says-agriculture-minister Image: Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder meeting with members of the Guyana Rice Millers and Exporters Marketing Association http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/621696/rice-insurance-selling-like-hot-cakes-as-droughthurts

USA Rice Producers' Group, USA Rice Council Elect Officers Gerard and Owen Gerard (l) and Owen

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DALLAS, TX - Two USA Rice member organizations elected officers during annual business meetings here last week. Blake Gerard, a rice farmer from Cape Girardeau, MO, is the incoming chairman for the USA Rice Producers' Group, the national association representing U.S. rice farmers. Joe Mencer, a rice farmer from Lake Village, AR, was elected vice chairman. Both will serve a two-year term starting August 1. On behalf of the association's members, Gerard thanked Louisiana rice farmer John Owen, who has chaired the organization since 2013, for his dedicated service and leadership.

17

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com Zaunbrecher and Doherty Zaunbrecher (l) and Doherty

The USA Rice Council also elected officers for the 2015-2017 term. Rice farmer Sean Doherty from Dunnigan, CA, was elected chairman, along with four farmers who will serve as vice chairs: Byron Holmes, Forrest City, AR; Josh Sheppard, Biggs, CA; Eric Unkel, Kinder, LA; and Curtis Berry, Robinsonville, MS. Carl Brothers with Riceland Foods, Stuttgart, AR, was elected secretary, and James Warshaw with Farmers Rice Milling Company, Lake Charles, LA, was elected treasurer. Chairman-elect Doherty expressed the Council's appreciation to Fred Zaunbrecher, a Louisiana rice farmer, for his outstanding service as chairman the past two years.

"The hard work of John Owen and Fred Zaunbrecher in their respective organizations has benefited rice farmers in all states and our entire industry," said USA Rice Chairman Dow Brantley, an Arkansas rice farmer. "I want to add my appreciation for their exceptional leadership and commitment and I look forward to working with their successors, who also will be great assets to their organizations and USA Rice as a whole."

Contact: Trish Alderson (703) 236-1472

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for July 14

18

Month

Price

Net Change

July 2015

$10.905

+ $0.200

September 2015

$11.080

+ $0.145

November 2015

$11.345

+ $0.135

January 2016

$11.615

+ $0.140

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com March 2016

$11.775

+ $0.140

May 2016

$11.955

+ $0.140

July 2016

$11.955

+ $0.140

APEDA India News International Benchmark Price Price on: 13-07-2015

Product

Benchmark Indicators Name

Price

1

Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)

5975

2

Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)

5375

3

Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)

4375

1

Australian 5 Crown, CIF UK (USD/t)

2989

2

South African Orange River, CIF UK (USD/t)

2620

3

Turkish No 9 standard, FOB Izmir (USD/t)

2250

1

CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)

825

2

Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)

690

3

Pakistani refined sugar, EXW Akbari Mandi (USD/t)

623

Apricots

Sultanas

White Sugar

Source:agra-net

For more info

Market Watch 19

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 13-07-2015 Domestic Prices Product

Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Market Center

Variety

Min Price

Max Price

1

Jhagadiya (Gujarat)

Other

1930

3100

2

Bonai (Orissa)

Other

2200

2400

3

Cachar (Assam)

Other

2000

2500

1

Amirgadh (Gujarat)

Other

1325

1605

2

Dhekiajuli (Assam)

Other

1500

1600

3

Bonai (Orissa)

Other

1450

1600

1

Harippad (Kerala)

Other

2000

2500

2

Ropar (Punjab)

Other

2000

2500

3

Shillong (Meghalaya)

Other

2000

2200

1

Nilagiri (Gujarat)

Other

1700

1900

2

Solan (Himachal Pradesh)

Other

1500

2000

3

Manjeri (Kerala)

Other

3200

3400

Rice

Wheat

Pine Apple

Carrot

Source:agra-net

For more info

Egg

Rs per 100 No Price on 13-07-2015 Product 1

Market Center Ahmedabad

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Price 326

www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com 2

Chittoor

323

3

Nagapur

293

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices

Unit Price : US$ per package Price on 10-07-2015

Product

Market Center

Origin

Variety

Low

Onions Dry

High Package: 50 lb sacks

1

Atlanta

2

Baltimore

3

Detroit

Mexico

Yellow

23

24

California

Yellow

26

26

Texas

Yellow

21

22

Cauliflower

Package: cartons film wrapped

1

Atlanta

2

Baltimore

3

Detroit

California

White

19

19.75

Mexico

White

15

15

Michigan

White

13

15

Grapes

Package: 18 lb containers bagged

1

Atlanta

Mexico

Red Globe

23.50

24.75

2

Baltimore

Mexico

Red Globe

22

24

3

Miami

Mexico

Red Globe

26

27

Source:USDA

Hog heaven: Wild pigs pose problems for La. farmers KEN STICKNEY, kstickney@theadvertiser.com3:42 p.m. CDT July 13, 2015

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An LSU AgCenter economist estimates that feral hogs caused more than $30 million in damages to crops on Louisiana farms in 2013, a problem that may increase around the state as the hog population grows.Shaun Tanger of the AgCenter said much of the trouble has been localized, but with a mobile feral hog population of at least 500,000 in Louisiana, hogs can cause damage in most parts of the state. Worse, the hogs are capable of rapid breeding — females can bear up to two litters a year of four to eight — which makes it difficult to control the population.Farmers told the AgCenter wild hogs root up crops and eat them, damage farm equipment and spread disease. Soybean farmers — they reported $9 million in damages — were most beset with feral hog woes. But the animals also laid heavy waste to hay fields, $7 million; rice, $5 million; and corn, $5 million.

Tanger said sugarcane farmers reported about $500,000 in damages in 2013.Although farmers in Lafayette and surrounding parishes did not report heavy damages from wild hogs, they are present across parts of Acadiana.Steven Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Center in Crowley, said he has found evidence of feral hogs in a northern section of the property, near woodlands and a bayou, and has trapped juvenile hogs.―It‘s not widespread,‖ Linscombe said. ―But if you get a herd they can destroy two or three acres of rice.‖ Total that up around the state, he said, and $5 million in rice damage sounds reasonable.Glen Gentry at the 22

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com LSU AgCenter in Clinton said the Spanish introduced hogs to North America. Hogs escaped captivity and now move in what are called ―sounders,‖ typically two female hogs and their piglets. Boars, he said, are more solitary. Females grow to 180-215 pounds, but boars can grow to 300 to 500 pounds.

He said hogs are nomadic. They‘ll move to find new food sources and generally travel along waterways.They are not usually aggressive toward humans unless they are cornered. When cornered, Gentry said, ―They are not fearful.‖He also said they are savvy, intelligent animals. ―They learn pretty quick,‖ he said, and if they can escape or elude capture, they can become more difficult to recapture.He said the wild hog population cannot be easily controlled or managed. In Louisiana, hot spots for wild hogs are in the northeastern and south central part of the state. Because of their rapid breeding, the state needs to capture, kill or trap 70 percent of the population to hold their numbers even.Gentry said the state encourages hunting wild hogs, which are edible if cooked thoroughly. http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/local/2015/07/13/hog-heaven-wild-pigs-pose-problems-lafarmers/30101371/

Global and China agricultural machinery industry fact, research analysis and forecast for 2014 to 2016 shared in new research report WhaTech Channel: Agriculture Market Research Reports Published on Tuesday, 14 July 2015 00:37 Since the implementation of policy of subsidies for purchasing agricultural machinery in 2004, China agricultural machinery industry has maintained double-digit growth, even with the operating revenue growth rate of 33.8% in 2011. However, China agricultural machinery industry transferred to a new situation (―New Normal‖) in 2014 as the in-depth adjustment of industrial structure accelerated.

Global and China Agricultural Machinery Industry Report, 2014-2016 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. In 2014, the operating revenue only went up by 8.8% year on year, and the growth rate fell by 7.5 percentage points from 2013.

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com After years of rapid growth, China‘s tractor, wheat& rice harvester, transplanter and other markets declined to varied extent in 2014, in which the tractor market slumped most evidently, especially small tractors.

Although China agricultural machinery industry witnesses landslide, the total subsidies and agricultural mechanization level continue to rise. In 2014, the subsidies amounted to RMB23.755 billion, setting a new record high; the total power of agricultural machinery reached 1.076 billion kilowatts, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.6%; the agricultural mechanization level hit 61.0%, fulfilling the goal of "Twelfth Five-year" Plan in advance.

At the same time, the mechanization level of three major crops (wheat, corn and rice) has improved significantly, especially corn and rice. The mechanization rate of corn harvesting jumped from 10.6% in 2008 to 55% in 2014; and that of rice harvesting soared from 51.2% to 81.0%.In contrast, the mechanization of potato, cotton, rapeseed, peanut and other crops still stays at a low level, which will be the development focus of the industry in future.

In addition, national industrial policies, market potentials and other factors have propelled almost all of well-known foreign agricultural machinery enterprises and powerful Chinese machinery and equipment manufacturers to successively access into the Chinese agricultural machinery market.

John Deere: This leading agricultural machinery manufacturer in the world achieved the sales of USD32.96 billion in FY2014, of which USD27.12 billion came from agricultural machinery.

Currently, it has set up plants in Tianjin, Harbin, Ningbo, Jiamusi and other places of China as well as established joint ventures with Tianjin Tractor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.and XCG to produce 20-to-120 horsepower tractors and 75-to-203 horsepower combine harvesters.

CNH: As of June 2015, it has established eight companies in China, including four manufacturing plants located in Harbin, Shanghai, Foshan and Urumqi. Harbin Base was officially put into operation in July 2014 as Northeast China's largest manufacturing base of agricultural machinery.YTO Group: The business of the largest tractor producer in China is mainly conducted by its listed subsidiary -- First Tractor Company Limited. Impacted by the fast-declining domestic tractor market, the tractor sales volume of YTO fell by 22.6% year on year to 82,037 in 2014; the annual revenue from agricultural machinery dropped 18.7% year on year to RMB7.38 billion.

FotonLovol: In 2014, FotonLovol gained the revenue of RMB21.98 billion, wherein Lovol agricultural equipment revenue exceeded RMB10 billion. In 2015, the company develops medium and high-end agricultural machinery aggressively.

In January, it acquired Matt Mark which is an European high-end agricultural machinery enterprise; in March, the phase I of its high-end agricultural machinery (mainly balers, grain 24

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com dryers and the like) project with the total investment of RMB2 billion was officially put into operation.

Zoomlion Heavy Machinery: Formerly known as Chery Heavy Industry, ZoomlionHeavy Machinery changed its name in October 2014.The parent company Zoomlion holds 67.51% stake. The construction of ZoomlionBozhou Industrial Park commenced in February 2014 and ended in December of the same year, with the planned annual capacity of 1,500 large-scale forage harvesters, 10,000 self-propelled corn harvesters, 6,500 sets of large-sized agricultural machinery and 14,500 sets of key agricultural equipment parts. http://www.whatech.com/market-research/agriculture/74722-global-and-china-agricultural-machineryindustry-fact-research-analysis-and-forecast-for-2014-to-2016-shared-in-new-research-report

Lifting of Iran sanctions: Boon or bane for Indian companies?

TNN | Jul 14, 2015, 08.26PM IST

The comprehensive agreement was clinched between Iran and P5+1 - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany — after torturous talks in the Austrian capital.The comprehensive agreement was clinched between Iran and P5+1 - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany — after torturous talks in the Austrian capital. The deal would specify that the related UN resolutions on economic and financial sanctions against Iran will be terminated all at once under a UN resolution and in an agreed framework, Iranian media reported.

Trade ministry officials say that the economic boost to Iran from the lifting of sanctions could offer opportunities for Indian pharmaceutical, IT and commodity firms. In May, for example, the two countries signed a deal to develop the Iranian port of Chabahar, on the Gulf of Oman, that would open up a new trade route to Central Asia. "We may lose some engineering exports, but new opportunities could come up for products currently covered under sanctions," said an official. Some officials favour extending soft loans to exporters and lobbying for infrastructure deals.

India can freely buy crude oil from Iran The easing of sanctions would mean India can freely buy crude oil from Iran.

Sanctions had meant that New Delhi could import no more than 9 million tonnes of oil this fiscal, the 25

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com same volume it had shipped from Iran in 2013-15.

Oil prices fall as Iran, global powers reach nuclear deal

India to seek rights for developing Iranian gas field Buoyed by Iran's historic nuclear accord with world powers to end sanctions, India will ask Tehran for rights to develop ONGC-discovered Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf even as it prepares to pay USD 6.5 billion in past oil dues.

Indian firms have so far shied away from investing in Iran for the fear of being sanctioned by the US and Europe. The same was deterring New Delhi from claiming rights to invest nearly USD 7 billion in the biggest gas discovery ever made by an Indian firm abroad.

But with Iran and six world powers sealing an accord to curb the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme in return for ending sanctions, India is making a renewed pitching for rights to develop 12.8 Trillion cubic feet of gas reserves ONGC Videsh Ltd had found in 2008.

"We have been in negotiations with Iran over development of Farzad-B gas field. Now that sanctions will ease, we expect Iran to give us the developmental rights," OVL managing director Narendra K Verma said.

Exporters to face renewed competition for Iran market Indian businessman Pankaj Bansal is losing sleep. He says lifting of sanctions against Iran could wipe him out.

"I have been forced to take sleeping pills now to avoid nightmares as my business with Iran has drastically come down," said Bansal, 43, from his base in a teeming commercial district of south Delhi.

Bansal's trading firm, TMA International, has expanded from metals into motors, auto parts and chemicals as rivals were shut out of Iran by Western sanctions aimed at forcing Tehran into a nuclear compromise.

He is one of thousands of exporters who enjoyed a three-year run because India did not back the sanctions. In that time, India's exports to Iran doubled to $5 billion, helping to halve its bilateral trade deficit.

Farmers to lose price premium 26

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com A delegation of Indian exporters met finance minister Arun Jaitley last week to lobby for support to help them cope with a revival of competition for the Iranian market. They came away empty handed.

"The lifting of Western sanctions on Iran would have an adverse impact, particularly on nonagricultural commodities," said SC Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

Yet millions of farmers too would face a hit from the easing of sanctions on Iran, a buyer of basmati rice, soymeal, sugar, barley and meat. Under sanctions, Iran paid a premium of up to 20 percent over global prices to buy from India.

"Iran is shifting to other suppliers like South American countries. They are supplying at much lower prices compared to India. We cannot compete," said BV Mehta, executive director at the Solvent Extractors' Association of India.

Europe may gain at India's cost Indian exporters say firms from Germany, Italy and France that once dominated in Iran will be back selling consumer products ranging from clothing to cars, and pitching for big-ticket contracts like the delayed Tehran metro.

"Traditionally, Iranians have a liking for European products. With the weakening of the euro, it will not be easy for us to compete," said Rafeeq Ahmed, a Chennai-based exporter who used to head the Indian export federation. source with thanks: Times of India

Craft sake the latest trend brewing in U.S David Sharp, Associated PressPublished: July 13, 2015, 2:00 pm Updated: July 13, 2015, 2:00 pm

In this photo taken, Friday, June 12, 2015, Dan Ford, founder of the Blue Current Brewery, poses with a bottle of sake at the brewery in Kittery, Maine. Steamed rice is inoculated in a sauna-like koji room for two days as part of the six week brewing process to make "rice wine." (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) KITTERY, Maine (AP) — First came boutique wineries. Then microbreweries and craft distilleries. Now Japanese sake aficionados are hoping to transform the so-called ―rice wine‖ into the next artisan alcohol-of-the-moment in the U.S.Dan Ford, whose Maine-made sake is just hitting the market, has bet his retirement savings that consumers will be sold on his premium sake once they give it a try.

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―We see it as a market that‘s untapped,‖ said Ford, who developed a taste for sake while working in Japan, then later returned there to learn from a sensei, or teacher, before launching Blue Current Brewery, one of about a dozen craft producers operating — or gearing up to — in North America.Sake has been around for centuries in Japan, but consumption has dropped in recent years. Meanwhile, it‘s ticking upward in North America, benefiting from the overall popularity of Japanese foods — from ramen and soba to sushi and yakitori — as well as riding the trend of consumers seeking far-flung flavors and artisanal products.Premium ginjo sake is nothing like the rough-tasting stuff sometimes served warm at low-end sushi shops, craft brewers say. Topnotch sake — best served chilled — has a clean flavor profile that can be full-bodied and robust or light and fruity, sometimes with a subtle hint of licorice. ―Its depth and subtlety are tops, but the range of flavors that can come from rice, koji, water and yeast are amazing to many. It just tastes darn good,‖ said John Gauntner, a sake expert from Ohio who has written books on the beverage and has taught sake production in the U.S. and Japan.Though it‘s often called rice wine, sake actually is brewed like beer. The rice is milled to remove the husk, then a type of mold called koji is sprinkled into the steamed rice to break starches down into sugars, a process that takes place in a room where the temperature tops 100 degrees.

The rice and koji are fermented with water and yeast in casks for about 30 days before being pressed, leaving a yellow-hued liquid that looks like huangjiu, the Chinese word for ―yellow wine,‖ Ford says. When it is bottled, it looks like white wine. Unlike wine, though, sake generally is consumed fresh and isn‘t aged for long periods.

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com Those who love the beverage say further success in the U.S. will require educating consumers.

They‘re also trying to win over those who may have had a bad experience with cheap sake, asking them to give it another try.―My favorite phase is, ‗Wow, I didn‘t know sake could be like this.‘ I‘ve heard that many times, and I have only 110 million to go,‘‖ said Greg Lorenz, head brewer at SakeOne, a brewery that produces about 80,000 cases a year in Forest Grove, Oregon.Restaurateurs, meanwhile, are getting more serious about proper pairings. ―Wine sommeliers are getting a taste and realizing where it can fit. It‘ll never overtake the wine world, but people are starting to respect it and realizing that it has its place. It has a great fit in the jigsaw puzzle of beer and wine. There is a lot of room for growth,‖ said Tim Sullivan, founder of urbansake.com.

As the story goes, sake came to the U.S. when American soldiers stationed in Japan after World War II returned home with a taste for it, prompting Japanese sake makers to open the first U.S. breweries in Hawaii and California. Blake Richardson‘s moto-i in Minneapolis is credited with launching the microbrew trend with the first sake brewpub in the U.S. in 2008.Richardson, whose sister company is now milling rice for several sake producers, including Blue Current, believes sake will grow as consumers become educated and feel less intimidated by the Japanese characters on bottles.―We need education to get the terminology correct so they can walk up and say, ‗I‘d like a junmai nama genshu,‘‖ he said. That translates to sake made from rice that‘s unpasteurized and undiluted.

For Ford, he‘s overcome some big hurdles to make it this far.He received help from the University of Maine and used a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to get his rice shipped from Minnesota. Now he has an agreement with a distributor to sell his sake at $25 for 750-milliliter bottles or $15 for 350-milliliter bottles.―It‘s going to be slow in the beginning. We hope by this time next year that we‘ll be talking crazy growth in our category,‖ he said

Rice insurance selling like hot cakes as drought hurts 14 Jul 2015 at 06:26

insurance coverage target for rice-growing areas has been raised by 500,000 rai to 2 million for the 2015 harvest year, given strong demand as Thailand faces the worst drought in a decade.The coverage target was increased from 1.5 million rai as farmers cultivating 1.33 million rai of rice paddy bought crop insurance as of July 8, said Pravej Ongartsittigul, secretary-general of the Office of the Insurance Commission.The new target has been approved by the Finance Ministry, the Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry, the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives and the Thai General Insurance Association. The target will soon be put up for cabinet approval.

Rice insurance offers protection from floods, drought, storms, pests and diseases. Besides drought, farmers also face low crop prices and high household debt."Rice farmers are concerned their production will be lower than normal, resulting in insurance policies selling quickly. With increased risks, we expect this trend to continue," Mr Pravej said.Insurance policies will be sold 29

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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com until Aug 14 for most of the country, but until Dec 11 in the South. Policies are sold by seven non-life insurance companies — Bangkok Insurance, Chao Phaya Insurance, Dhipaya Insurance, Navakij Insurance, Thaivivat Insurance, Tune Insurance and Viriyah Insurance.

The top three regions buying rice insurance are the upper Northeast with 569,665 rai, the lower Northeast at 506,553 rai and the lower North at 175,449 rai.

This year's insurance programme divides farmland into five areas depending on risk exposure. Farmers with the lowest risk are required to pay 60 baht a rai while the government contributes 64 baht a rai.In the highest-risk locations, farmers are required to pay 100 baht a rai while the government contributes 383 baht a rai. Insurers will pay 1,111 baht a rai for damaged crops from a natural disaster and 555 baht a rai for damage from pests or diseases.

Millers reject new basmati variety-1509 Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Karnal, July 13

Concerned over the export quality of rice in the international market, the All-Haryana Rice Miller and Dealers Association have rejected the newly introduced Basmati variety-1509. They have also decided not to procure this variety in the upcoming season as it does not fit the export parameters and owing to high breakage.Vinod Goyal, state-vice president of the association, said this decision has been taken due to high breakage of grain. This variety also does not meet the export parameters, which results in high rejection by the buyer of various countries.However, due to its high yield farmers prefer this variety. They even cultivated it last year in huge quantities, but faced a number of challenges during its export, he said.Only a few buyers from Middle East countries prefer this variety in comparison to other varieties such as Pusa-1121, due to which it isn‘t feasible, he added.

The millers have decided not to procure this variety and they would approach farmers not to cultivate it as it did not meet the parameters while exporting, said Naresh Bansal, president, Taraori Rice Miller Association.However, sources said the basic reason for the rejection of this variety by the exporters was that they could not mix non-basmati varieties with this variety, which is generally easy with other varieties. This variety of paddy has been introduced recently and is popular among farmers because of its long and thin grain and the high yield. Sewa Singh Arya, state president of Bhartiya Kisan Union, said this variety was profitable for farmers and they have been getting a high yield. They would cultivate it and the rice millers should think about the farmers‘ profit, before taking any hasty decision, he added. http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/millers-reject-new-basmati-variety-1509/106228.html

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