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TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU Latest News Headlines… Review: Book on Carolina rice preparation definitive study, bedrock for future research Odisha rice millers seek quality paddy Ghana Again Importing U.S. Rice USA Rice Exhibits at Turkey's Largest Food Show 24th annual rice luncheon to be Friday Celebrating National Rice Month in September Thailand, Vietnam to ship 500,000 tons of rice to PH Thailand offers lowest rice import price NFA: Thailand submits best bid for PH rice supply deal All about rice: NACC can't afford to get it wrong again Govt sells 90,000 tons of rice at Friday’s rice auction Global rice market winks at El Niño Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sep 13 FLOOD CAUSES COLOSSAL LOSSES TO RICE CROP
NEWS DETAILS: Review: Book on Carolina rice preparation definitive study, bedrock for future research BY BEN McC. MOISE Special to The Post and Courier Sep 14 2014 11:44 am
THE MARKET PREPARATION OF CAROLINA RICE: An Illustrated History of Innovations in the Lowcountry Rice Kingdom. By Richard Dwight Porcher Jr. and William Robert Judd. University of South Carolina Press. 379 pages. $59.95.
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There are many written accounts of the once great rice industry, which defined the Lowcountry of the Carolinas and Georgia, but none so thorough or as carefully articulated and illustrated as Richard Porcher's and William Judd's recently published treatise, "The Market Preparation of Carolina Rice."The Lowcountry economy and culture, which was shaped by the growth of the rice industry in the region described by Porcher as the "Rice Kingdom," was unlike any other in America. Nowhere else was an agricultural crop so intimately tied in to status and its associated wealth and influence. While Porcher discusses at length that particular perspective on the rice industry, the real strength of this book is the author's documentation based on extensive field research of fifty rice plantations, mill sites, museum and archival collections and travels to investigate foreign connections to the Lowcountry rice industry.In addition to Porcher's informative narratives, Mr. Judd's meticulously rendered line drawings depicting the mechanical devices of the rice industry, lend a startling clarity to the written explanations of how they actually functioned and what part each played in the crop's journey from the field to the consumer. There are also thirty-one photographic images, which show the field trunks, remnant buildings, rice chimneys, winnowing houses and surviving fragments of rice processing machinery. Many of the images of structures captured during decades of earlier field research, sadly no longer exist because of fires, storms or vandalism. The seven chapters of this book are logically arranged, beginning with the history of rice and its origins and introduction into the Lowcountry continuing with chapters on the systems of its cultivation including the layout of fields, water sources and the organization of labor; the processes of harvesting, threshing and milling and their individual evolutions. The conclusion is a benediction tracing the slow death of the rice industry after Appomattox from the constrictions of credit, the effects of climate and competition in the West. In his epilogue he reflects, in a personal note, upon the gravity the rice industry still exerts and on the mysteries and charms of its legacy still to be revealed in forays into its environs.In the earlier chapters, Porcher dispels several long held myths regarding the introduction of rice into the nascent colony and raises certain questions about others. He is not afraid to say that there is no evidence to support this or that assertion and that more indepth research is required before pronouncing a final judgment. Like the professor he was, Porcher is very meticulous and exacting in the revelations of his research: no fairy tales here. Porcher also negates the commonly held belief among some historians who have claimed that the people of the deep South (read Charleston) lacked inventiveness, intellect and industrial resourcefulness, beliefs he pointed
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out as gross superstitions. Porcher makes clear the U.S. Patent Office granted substantial numbers of antebellum patents to South Carolinians for inventions or improvement for rice harvesting and milling equipment alone. There were established foundries and iron works in the city of Charleston, which manufactured equipment to order as well as sawmills, commercial rice mills and boat yards to name only a few. Porcher effectively points out that the North was not the sole source of genius or industry and the South was not devoid of it.Among Porcher's notable commentaries on his explorations in the fallow rice plantations of old, now mostly managed for waterfowl hunting, was his treatment of what are perhaps the most visible reminders of the "Rice Kingdom," the mill chimneys, which stand sentinel along leafy riverbanks and ancient canals all along the Lowcountry. He explains that there was a lot more technology to their design and construction than would ordinarily meet the eye. There was actually an inner flue within the exterior chimney and the cap at the top of the chimney was not only ornamental but was useful in directing wind drafts. That and the explanation of other details such as the evolving designs of the real icon of the Lowcountry rice industry, the rice field trunk, which were actually improvements on ancient irrigation technology, are the substance which makes this book a singularly informative textbook on rice culture in the Lowcountry and rice culture in general.In additional to the agricultural and mechanical aspects of the rice industry, Porcher spells out the contributions of the enslaved Negro whose blood and sweat transformed inland swamps and riverine marshes into the remarkably dynamic hydraulic systems that composed the sweeping rice fields of the Lowcountry. He did not gloss over the fact that they worked in brutal conditions explaining that tidal river marshes were an extremely harsh environment just to exist in, let alone to work in. As it proved, an enslaved work force was the essential element in the survival of the Rice Kingdom, for without them the days of glory were over. One cannot fully understand the role Carolina rice played in the South and the Lowcountry without knowing how it was prepared for market, and one cannot adequately document its market preparation without the field artifacts and private archives. The rich combination of Judd's illustrations and Porcher's narrative forms a complete picture of how rice was cultivated and prepared for market and will serve as the bedrock for future studies on the subject. Reviewer Ben Moise is a freelance writer and author who lives in Charleston
Odisha rice millers seek quality paddy IANS | Bhubaneswar
Odisha's rice millers Monday urged the state government to ensure that paddy conforming to fair average quality standard should be supplied to them for milling.All Odisha Rice Millers Association (AORMA) secretary Santosh Agrawal said the millers are getting an average rice yield of 64-65 percent against a stipulated 68 percent after milling one quintal of the parboiled common variety paddy.As a result, the millers are incurring
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heavy losses, Agrawal told IANS.The state government has been procuring paddy from the farmers through primary agricultural cooperative societies and forcing the millers to lift the stocks from the yards of regulated marketing committees even though large chunks of such paddy do not conform to the fair average quality, he said. The government is paying a hefty sum of Rs.32 to the primary agriculture cooperative society per quintal of paddy for just getting involved in it, he said.Similarly, the regulated marketing committees are charging two percent market fee on the cost of paddy without providing any infrastructure to facilitate the farmers for smooth procurement, he alleged.Although, they are duty bound to ensure supply of fair average quality of paddy, they are not doing it, he said.Delivery of fair average quality (FAQ) paddy is never ensured resulting in shortage of rice due to lower rice out-turn recovery. Proper cleaning of paddy never takes place and societies remain a mute spectator, he said. The government should store the paddy on its own and supply to the millers, especially those stocks that conform to FAQ instead of asking them to lift them from the yards, he said.The millers also urged the government to revise the custom milling rates of parboiled and raw rice in the state."Although minimum support prices of paddy are being increased from time-to-time and the infrastructure cost has gone up, the custom milling rates have remained the same for the last ten years," he said.This has made the milling less remunerative for us, he added. The government has been paying the millers Rs.20 and Rs.10 for custom milling of per quintal of parboiled and raw rice respectively, he said."We want revision of this rates to Rs.40 and Rs.25 respectively," he said.Agrawal said the millers association held its general body meeting in Bargarh town, about 380 km from Bhubaneswar, Saturday. Thirty millers who attended the meeting unanimously decided to limit their role to only paddy milling and delivery of milled rice after periodically lifting FAQ paddy from storage godowns of the cooperative societies instead of direct lifting from the market yards, he said.On an average the state produces seven million tonnes of paddy every year and procures 4.5 million tonnes from farmers for custom milling to produce three million tonnes of rice, Agrawal said.
Ghana Again Importing U.S. Rice Kids, tell your parents, there's more where that came from ACCRA, GHANA -- Ghana made its first purchase of U.S. rice this calendar year, buying 14,000 MT earlier this month. The welcome news comes on the heels of promotion efforts by the USA Rice Federation that helped importers clear stocks of U.S. long grain and jasmine rice that had been in the market for a prolonged period. "Without the market clearing promotions, there would have not been this opportunity to purchase more U.S. rice that is now more competitive in the market," said Hartwig Schmidt, the USA Rice regional director for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
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Ghana imported 103,000 MT of U.S. rice in 2013 and has averaged just over 101,000 MT in each of the last four years. "Seeing Ghana back in the market likely portends more purchases from them in the coming months," Schmidt noted. Contact: Jim Guinn (703) 236-1474
USA Rice Exhibits at Turkey's Largest Food Show ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- Last week, the USA Rice Federation exhibited at the 22nd World Food Trade Show here which attracted more than 33,000 food industry professionals and 500 local and foreign exhibitors. The USA Rice booth showcased and distributed information and samples of U.S.-grown rice, including southern medium grain, Calrose, and wild rice. Chefs, foodservice professionals, and traders from Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and the Balkans, were in attendance and showed considerable interest in importing U.S. rice."Turkey is a growing market for both medium grain rice and wild rice," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice's vice president of international promotion. "People there have a strong preference for U.S.-grown rice and exports have more than doubled since last year. Our work among the foodservice sector is focused on capitalizing and building on that popularity." (See USA Rice Daily stories June 24, July 14, and August 15.) Contact: Hartwig Schmidt (011-49-40-4503-8660)
24th annual rice luncheon to be Friday by Ann Hart Preus The 24th annual rice luncheon is slated for Sept. 19 at the Walter Sillers Colliseum on Delta State's campus. The event will be from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. Tickets are $5.00 at the door or they may be purchased at the Extension Service office in advance.Planning for the luncheon started in the spring and committees have been meeting monthly to coordinate activities. "The biggest change in the rice luncheon," said Laura Giaccaglia, Bolivar County Extension Service Coordinator, "is the growth. We started in a small room and now we have to have it in the coliseum." Over a thousand people from the delta are expected to attend."This luncheon has become widely known," said Giaccaglia. "We even have people come from different states.""We are excited that there will be two university presidents: Delta State's President Bill LaForge and Dr. Mark Keenum, Mississippi State University's President," said Giaccaglia.The annual rice luncheon is held each year on the third Thursday of September, National Rice Month to: promote Mississippi rice, to honor the rice farmers in the area, and to increase awareness of the importance of rice production in the Delta.Approximately 70 people from Farm Bureau, the Extension Service and Delta Rice Promotions work together to see that everything goes smoothly for the luncheon. One committee works with the area restaurants to ask for participation and they are responsible for getting dishes picked up and brought to the luncheon, while another committee solicits volunteers who want to provide a dish. The publicity committee distributes information to magazines, newspapers, radio stations and other media. The sponsorship committee seeks donations to offset expenses and the door prize committee asks local
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businesses to give prizes that are given away during the luncheon as well as for decorations for the tables. The set up committee works with the Delta State facilities staff to set up tables and secure refrigerators and warmers.
The promotional items committee gets items such as t-shirts and cookbooks to sell. Recent research published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association and Nutrition Today shows that eating enriched rice helps improve overall diet quality and potentially reduces the risk for many chronic diseases. According to the USA Rice Federation, Mississippi ranks fourth in rice production among major U.S. rice -producing states.
Celebrating National Rice Month in September September is National Rice Month, and Arkansas provides locally grown rice for over half the nation each year. THV 11 Staff, news source6:33 p.m. CDT September 13, 2014 CONNECT 7TWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) – September is National Rice Month, and Arkansas provides locally grown rice for over half the nation each year.To celebrate, Steve Orlicek with the Arkansas Rice Council visited THV11 to talk about the cause.The Arkansas Rice Council is the promotional arm of the rice industry in Arkansas.Arkansas rice is locally-grown by family farmers right in our backyard. It's easy to eat local, just look for brands in the grocery store with a Grown-in-the-USA label. Over half of the nation's rice is locally grown by family farmers in Arkansas. Arkansas is the number one riceproducing state in the nation. This year, Arkansas will produce over 50 percent of the nation's rice.Eating locally grown rice supports our economy and thousands of Arkansas jobs. The Arkansas rice industry employs over 25,000 Arkansans and contributes 6 Billion to the state's economy annually.Arkansas rice is a healthy, safe and delicious option for families. It is gluten free, sodium free, low in fat, non-GMO, and contains essential vitamins and minerals. Arkansas Rice is holding a rice selfie contest on their Facebook page right now. Viewers just have to like "Arkansas Rice" on Facebook, post a rice selfie to the page and they can win fun Arkansas Rice swag such as tshirts, koozies and more. Only rule is that photos have to feature rice. Like "Arkansas Rice" on Facebook: www.facebook.com/arkansasrice, and follow them on Twitter @RiceArkansas.
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Learn more at www.arkansasricefarmers.org.
Drones may provide big lift to agriculture when FAA allows their use
A drone lifts off at Kunde Family Vineyards near Santa Rosa, Calif. Ryan Kunde, a winemaker at DRNK Wines, flies his drones recreationally and has been testing drones with the goal of one day using them to help make decisions in the vineyard. (Discover Sonoma County Wine) By CHAD GARLAND BusinessAgricultureAir Transportation IndustryDining and DrinkingFederal Aviation AdministrationLifestyle and LeisureAmazon.com Inc.
A boom in drones may come from precision agriculture, using high-tech systems to help farmers increase yields 'I think it's going to change agriculture as we know it in North America,' expert says about use of drones.Very few commercial operators have received FAA exemptions allowing them to use drones in the U.S.When Steve Morris began building unmanned aerial systems in the late 1990s, he envisioned flying them over fields and
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collecting data that would be useful to farmers.But after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, drones became largely associated with military strikes and surveillance operations. Morris said the technology became the subject of contentious political debates and public paranoia. The entire dream evaporated at that point," said Morris, founder and president of MLB Co. in Santa Clara, Calif. "In an alternate universe where [drones] rose to prominence through helping the economy, creating businesses and jobs, people would have a different view of them."More than a decade later, attention is refocusing on development of drones for commercial purposes. Amazon.com Inc., Google Inc. and Walt Disney Co. are grabbing headlines with plans to develop drones for deliveries, mapping and entertainment.I think it's going to change agriculture as we know it in North America. It's definitely going to allow producers to become much more efficient.- Scott Shearer, a professor at Ohio State University and an expert in precision agriculture But the big boom in unmanned aircraft may come from what's known as precision agriculture — using hightech systems to help farmers increase yields and cut costs.In recent years, consumer-quality drones that are cheaper and easier to fly have become commonplace, but Federal Aviation Administration rules have restricted their civilian use to recreation and research in all but a few cases. That has led Morris and others to market their agricultural drones overseas, where regulations are not as strict.Sunnyvale, Calif., technology company Trimble began offering agricultural drones in January and is currently selling them in foreign markets. Indiana-based drone maker PrecisionHawk says it has projects in Canada, South America and Australia. California farmers and technologists from the Russian River Valley to Silicon Valley say they are eager to put drones to commercial use here at home.Some, like YangQuan Chen, an engineering professor at UC Merced, envision a new "data drone valley" in the state's Central Valley, not far from the tech giants and venture capitalists of the Bay Area."I see a bright future. That's the reason I started my lab in the Central Valley," said Chen, who was doing research with agriculture drones at Utah State University before joining the UC Merced faculty and starting the school's mechatronics lab in 2012.The unmanned aerial systems can be programmed to fly low over fields and stream photos and videos to a ground station, where the images can be stitched together into maps or analyzed to gauge crop health. They can also be modified to land and take soil and water samples. One day they could be used in the U.S. as precision crop-dusters."The application of these data drones is only limited by our imagination," Chen said.
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Ryan Kunde, a winemaker at DRNK Wines in Sebastopol, Calif., prepares to launch a 3D Robotics Aero drone at Kunde Family Vineyards near Santa Rosa, Calif. Kunde flies his drones recreationally, but he hopes one day to use them to help farmers manage their crops. (Discover Sonoma County Wine) Agriculture could be the proving ground for commercial drone applications, partly because operating in rural areas far from crowds, large airports and tall buildings alleviates privacy and safety concerns.Many experts believe that drones could revolutionize the industry."I think it's going to change agriculture as we know it in North America," said Scott Shearer, a professor at Ohio State University and an expert in precision agriculture. "It's definitely going to allow producers to become much more efficient. "Shearer said drones already can be used to provide more timely crop data and higher-resolution aerial imagery at a fraction of the cost of using traditional piloted aircraft or satellites."It's a bit of a game changer," Shearer said.A 2013 study by a drone trade group estimated that future commercial drone markets would be largely in agriculture, with some in public safety such as law enforcement, firefighting and emergency management.
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The study, by the Assn. for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, projected that the economic effect of integrating drones into the national airspace would top $2.3 billion in California in the first three years, more than in any other state, leading to the creation of more than 12,000 jobs in this state alone.Some experts caution that the trade group's predictions may be too optimistic, but they acknowledge that there is a huge opportunity for agricultural drones.The benefits of ag drones are promising for farmers growing largely commodity crops in the Midwest, but Shearer said they may be even greater for those cultivating high-value crops, such as California's wine grape growers.Ryan Kunde, winemaker for DRNK Wines near Sebastopol, has been testing drones with the goal of one day using them to help make decisions in the vineyard — where to harvest first, what plants need more nutrients, which areas need more water and which need less.
Ryan Kunde looks over a color-coded image captured by a drone. Kunde hopes one day to use the data that drones collect to help farmers manage their crops. "Small increases in productivity make a huge impact," he says. "It's farming smarter." (Discover Sonoma County Wine) "Small increases in productivity make a huge impact," Kunde said. "It's farming smarter."Kunde began tinkering with drones in 2010, and eventually formed a company to provide drone monitoring data to grape growers for a fee. But until the FAA approves commercial drone use, that business is "kind of in a holding pattern," he said."The market is there. We just don't have the guidelines to regulate it," Kunde said.Drone advocates say wider use depends on the complex process of integrating unmanned aircraft into national airspace, which will start to be outlined in forthcoming FAA rules. That integration was congressionally mandated by September 2015, though a recent Transportation Department audit found that the FAA is likely to miss that deadline. The FAA has said rules governing small drones under 55 pounds that fly below 400 feet will be introduced later this year, but some industry officials cautioned that they may not take effect until 2016.Very few commercial operators have received FAA exemptions allowing them to use drones in the U.S. Monrovia drone maker AeroVironment Inc. this year became the first to get
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approval for commercial use of a drone over land for its Puma AE UAS, which monitors BP Exploration Inc.'s remote Prudhoe Bay oil field in Alaska.The company plans to offer crop monitoring services for farmers, AeroVironment spokesman Steven Gitlin said, but FAA rules are holding it back. We could deliver valuable information to farmers tomorrow, if the rules allowed it," Gitlin said.Some researchers at California's public universities have received limited federal approval to fly drones as part of their research. Chen, the UC Merced professor, is using drones to develop a way to turn drone data into useful guidance that farmers can follow to boost yields.At UC Davis, professor Ken Giles has approval to fly the 200pound Yamaha RMAX helicopter, which has been used in Japan for more than two decades as a nimble cropduster. Part of his research is collecting the data needed to guide future regulations on the use of such remote-controlled aerial sprayers in the U.S.Giles, who has a pilot's license, said that unlike many of the smaller drones, which can be programmed to fly a certain path without human guidance, the RMAX is not autonomous. That, plus its limited payload capacity — it can fly for about 15 minutes at full spray before needing to be refilled — could slow its adoption for U.S. agriculture.But the technology, he said, has the potential to deliver "a level of accountability and precision that we haven't had before."
chad.garland@latimes.com
Thailand, Vietnam to ship 500,000 tons of rice to PH By Ronnel W. Domingo |Philippine Daily Inquirer 12:30 am | Tuesday, September 16th, 2014 Thailand and Vietnam are expected to ship in a total of 500,000 tons of milled rice in the next three months, representing the latest import purchase by the National Food Authority.In a government-to-government call for tenders held Monday, Thailand—through its Department of Foreign Trade—offered to supply the Philippines 300,000 tons at $475 a ton.Vietnam—through state-run Vietnam Southern Food Corp. or Vinafood II—offered to cover 400,000 tons but at a higher price of $479 per ton. Cambodia, through its embassy, also participated but was disqualified.NFA spokesperson Rex Estoperez explained that Cambodia could not deliver the goods until April next year.The NFA wants delivery to be made in three tranches—40 percent of the contracted volume by mid-October, another 40 percent by mid-November
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and the remaining 20 percent by mid-December.Estoperez said Thailand, having submitted a lower price, may have clinched a contract for its offered volume of 300,000 tons.He added that, as for Vietnam, it may be able to secure a contract for the remaining 200,000 tons if it could match Thailand’s offered priced.―These details are still subject to the approval of the NFA Council, which will convene sometime this week,‖ Estoperez said.Monday’s proceedings were held following an open bidding held in August, which failed because all offers went above the NFA’s approved budget of $456 a ton.Government-held stocks had been dwindling continually and remained at less than 15 days’ worth of consumption as of Aug. 1, especially after the NFA revved up the release of its store to 10,000 tons daily from 6,000 tons. In earlier statements, NFA officials have said this was meant to help bring down retail prices of commercially available rice, which local market watchers said had reached as high as P48 a kilo in recent weeks.According to the latest market monitor report of the Agriculture Market Information System (Amis), a multi-agency body led by the Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO, the forecast global output of milled rice was eased down by almost one percent to 500 million tons due to worsened expectations regarding harvest in Asian countries including the Philippines.The Amis added that forecast stocks for the current crop year that lasts until mid-2015 similarly decreased to 179 million tons.
Thailand offers lowest rice import price By Anna Leah G. Estrada | Sep. 15, 2014 at 11:20pm
Thailand offered the lowest price to supply 500,000 metric tons of rice that the Philippines will import to augment its declining stock this year, state-owned National Food Authority said Monday.NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said in Monday’s auction Thailand offered to supply 300,000 MT of rice at $475 per metric ton, higher than Vietnam’s offer to ship 400,000 MT at $479 per MT. Cambodia was disqualified, after saying it could not make the shipment this year.NFA invited the three countries to supply the rice shipment under the government-to-government deal, after an international auction, involving private suppliers, resulted in bids above the price ceiling set by the government and was declared a failure.
―Cambodia was disqualified because they can deliver the supply in April next year. Supposed to be, 40 percent of the supply should be delivered by Oct. 15, another 40 percent by Nov. 15 and the remaining 20 percent should arrive by Dec. 15,‖ Estoperez said.The shipment would be on top of the 800,000 MT of rice imports earlier approved by the government and would be used to support national inventory, whose decline in recent months led to spike in prices.Estoperez said NFA might consider accepting the full offer of Thailand to supply 300,000 MT and ask Vietnam to supply 200,000 MT based on the lowest price.If Vietnam is willing to match the offer of Thailand, then they will supply the remaining 200,000 metric tons,‖ he said.Estoperez said the NFA
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Council would still discuss the results of the auction.The NFA Council earlier approved a government-togovernment procurement mode for the importation of rice following a failed bidding last month.
NFA: Thailand submits best bid for PH rice supply deal Reuters Posted at 09/15/2014 11:57 AM | Updated as of 09/15/2014 1:17 PM MANILA - The Philippines' state grains procurement agency National Food Authority (NFA) said on Monday Thailand offered the lowest price to supply 300,000 tonnes rice under a government-to-government deal.Thailand offered to supply the volume for $475 per tonne, lower than Vietnam's offer of $479 per tonne.The NFA bidding committee invited Vietnam to supply the remaining 200,000 tonnes the country needs to beef up its stockpiles, but at the same price offered by Thailand. Cambodia was disqualified from the tender because its offer was not compliant with the delivery schedule of Oct. 15 to Dec. 15 set by the NFA.The Philippines, one of the world's biggest buyers of the grain, is rushing to boost thin stockpiles after releasing more rice from state warehouses in recent months to flood the local markets with cheap varieties and bring down high retail prices.
All about rice: NACC can't afford to get it wrong again Chularat Saengpassa Chularat@nationgroup.com September 16, 2014 1:00 am THAILAND'S RICE saga flared up last year, with research showing large probable losses resulting from the Pheu Thai Party's rice-pledging scheme as well as the possibility of corruption.But the saga is full of twists, the latest concerning the decision by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to defer taking the case against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to court.During the anti-government protests, the scheme was frequently highlighted as an example of the party's policy corruption.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) also appears to have believed this. After taking on an investigation into possible corruption in the scheme in December 2012, it acted swiftly this year.In January, a subcommittee ruled to file charges against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 15 accomplices. Two months later, in the first twist of the saga, the anti-graft agency moved to file charges against Yingluck for negligence.One of the reasons prosecutors gave for deferring the NACC case was that evidence was incomplete. One example cited was research into the rice scheme by Thailand Development Research Institute - only the cover page of that research was submitted, it said.That
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sparked another twist. A Pheu Thai member shouted that as the TDRI research was released before Yingluck took power, how it could be used against her? However, NACC chairman Panthep Klanarongran hit back, saying that the research was just a reference. As such, the release date did not matter. In the background, some supporters claimed that there was some kind of interference to block the OAG taking the case against Yingluck. The former prime minister later insisted there was no such thing.Another twist followed. Nipon Poapongsakorn, a distinguished fellow at TDRI, issued a statement to clarify that the particular research covering the rice-pledging scheme for the 2005/2006 harvest year under the Thaksin era. As such, it should not be used to back the NACC's case against Yingluck. "Academic research is not about finding wrongdoers, which is the duty of government officers. Academics' duty is to find the root of corruption, aimed at preventing losses to the country. Please use academic research appropriately," he said.Another twist will follow soon. The NACC has apparently conceded that it has to work harder to convince state prosecutors that the case against Yingluck carries some weight. So, a 10-member team has been appointed to work with the prosecutors.Looking back, it seems inconceivable that the prosecutors could have decided differently. The NACC's case against Boonsong and accomplices has not yet reached court. They are not yet proven guilty of falsifying a government-to-government rice deal with China. So it may be stretching things to say that Yingluck should be held responsible for unproven wrongdoing, despite the schemes massive losses. To Pheu Thai's supporters, it would be better if both cases go to the court at the same time, rather than proceeding with Yingluck's case alone.The NACC would be a hero if wrongdoers are proved guilty. But its reputation would be badly tarnished if it fails. It already had several high-profile failures in its graft-fighting history.In April, its cases against former commerce minister Watana and former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayothin were dropped, relieving the two from paying compensation to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in regard to a firetruck purchase deal. In June, the Appeal Court also reversed the lower court's ruling against Amaret Sila-on, former chairman of the dissolved Financial Sector Restructuring Authority (FRA), over charges of negligence.Notably, several cases have been delayed, including one against former Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Juthamas Siriwan.The NACC has made the right moves to prove that wrongdoers will eventually be punished. But as we have seen from the rice-pledging case, poor preparation and politicking could reduce confidence in its work. And this could bring about losses to the state.
Govt sells 90,000 tons of rice at Friday’s rice auction BANGKOK, 13 Sep 2014, (NNT) - Departmental officials report that the Government sold a total of 90,000 tons out of 139,000 tons of pledged rice being offered, at the second auction yesterday. The Director General of the Department of Foreign Trade, Duangphon Rodphaya said that there were 38 companies participating in Friday’s event, saying that 80% of the rice sold was Jasmine rice, and the rest was a combination of other kinds of rice. She said that the prices offered for the remaining 50,000 tons did not go above the floor price and thus will be put up again at another round of auctions at a later date.
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Ms. Duangphon said that the matter will be referred to the Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikanya for further consideration. The Thailand Rice Mills Association reports that currently the price of paddy is in the range of 8,100 8,200 baht a ton, having reduced by about 600 baht. It says that export prices of the grain dictate how much it can be sold for domestically, while predicting that Thailand would be able to achieve its goal of exporting 10 million tons of rice this year.
Global rice market winks at El Ni単o Category: Agri-Commodities 15 Sep 2014 Written by Samarendu Mohanty THE global rice market has been quite uneventful in the past several months. The news of possible monsoon failure in India and Southeast Asia because of El Ni単o, the uncertainties involving the Thai rice-pledging scheme, and the fate of existing rice stocks have failed to perturb the market.The only exceptional event in the market has been the steady downward slide of Thai rice prices because of uncertainties in the pledging scheme. Between February 2013 and May 2014, the Thai price for 25-percent broken rice declined by more than 40 percent from $584 to $346 per ton. During the same period, the large spread of $150 to $200 per ton between Thai and competitor prices (India, Vietnam and Pakistan) more or less disappeared, and, in some cases, the Thai price fell below some competitor prices. This has enabled Thailand to export more in the international market. During the first four months of 2014, Thai rice exports increased to 2.93 million tons compared with 1.98 million tons during the same time a year ago.The failure of the Thai government to raise funds for the pledging scheme to continue because of political turmoil and the caretaker status of the government led to the steep decline in Thai rice prices in the past several months. In addition, the government has been auctioning rice from existing stocks to raise funds to pay off farmers who pledged rice late last year, putting further downward pressure on Thai prices.Although the current military junta in Thailand is concerned about the low rice prices for farmers, it is not clear what measures it will implement to raise these prices. The government has also not spelled out its plan on how its existing stocks will be released to the market. We hope that the current government will not repeat the mistake made by its predecessor and will find a nondistorting way to support farm income if it desires to do so and let the market work. If this happens, Thai rice exports will rise and, undoubtedly, the country will become the top exporter again.Apart from political uncertainties in Thailand, the rice market also faces weather uncertainties in the coming months because of El Ni単o. Many rice-growing countries in South and Southeast Asia are cautiously optimistic on rainfall distribution in the next few months that will determine the fate of the biggest crop of the year.
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In the case of India, the largest rice exporter in the world, where the wetseason crop accounts for more than 85 percent of the total crop, the southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on June 6, after missing its date with the country by five days. Some uncertainties exist on how quickly it will spread to the rest of the country. Earlier this season, forecasters had predicted the monsoon rainfall in India this year to be 95 percent of the long-term average, with an error of ±5 percent. Apart from India, two Southeast Asian rice importers, Indonesia and the Philippines, are also bracing for weather disruptions from El Niño. Where is the market going? THIS all depends on the fury of El Niño. If the drought is severe in large parts of South and Southeast Asia, it will put pressure on rice prices despite adequate global rice stocks right now. We are undoubtedly in a much better position with a global stocks-to-use ratio of 23.5 percent now compared with 18.5 percent in 2007. The stocks have increased by 36 million tons from 75 million tons in 2007 to 111 million tons in 2014.But the bad news is that almost all the increases in these rice stocks are primarily with India, China and Thailand—and a majority of them are in government warehouses rather than with private traders. In case of a crisis or production shortfalls, this may create panic among rice-importing countries as they will be unsure whether these government-held stocks will be available for sale and at what price.In the case of India, the new government was just sworn in a few weeks ago and it is not clear how it will react to any significant production shortfall caused by weather disruptions. As of June 16, the monsoon season was already 10 days behind in a majority of the rice-growing belts in the country. The new government is already jittery about the poor prospects of monsoon crops, particularly rice. Although the current government rice stock of 28 million tons (as of June 1) is at a quite adequate level, it has declined by 4 million tons from 32 million tons at the same time last year. The new government will be under pressure if planting is substantially delayed because of the late onset of monsoon and it may take measures to restrict exports, at least for non-basmati rice, to safeguard its domestic food supply and keep enough in its warehouses to meet the need of the National Food Security Act. In the case of Thailand, it is becoming more evident that its ricepledging scheme will not come back. Without it, it is a no-brainer that Thai farmers will plant less rice in the wet season. But, that should not be a problem for the global market because Thailand has plenty of stocks to make up for the shortfall.Indonesia and the Philippines, two major rice importers in Southeast Asia, are also expected to be affected by El Niño. As of April, the Philippines had a rice stock of 2.18 million tons, sufficient for 64 days of domestic consumption. Similarly, Indonesia has 6.8 million tons of rice stock to meet its domestic consumption for 62 days. So, any significant weather disruption will push these countries to import more, thus raising global rice prices. China, the largest importer of rice in the world, is also expected to be affected by El Niño in the form of heavy rains and flooding in the major rice-growing parts of the country. If the rice crop is affected and the domestic rice price goes up, Chinese traders will have more reasons to import more rice than what market pundits have predicted.
Overall, the market is well-positioned to handle a moderate drought and other incidences of extreme weather. Thai rice stocks will come in handy to keep the market stable to some extent, but significant weather disruptions
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in key rice-growing countries will eventually move prices higher. We hope that countries will not repeat the mistakes they made in 2007 by imposing an export ban and stockpiling in anticipation of shortage. Otherwise, we might be heading for another crisis. The author is head of the Social Sciences Division at the International Rice Research Institute in Los Ba単os, Laguna.
In Photo: Store selling rice in Thailand. (IRRI)
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sep 13 Mon Sep 15, 2014 3:38pm IST Nagpur, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Gram prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committmee (APMC) firmed up again on increased demand from local millers amid thin supply from producing regions. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries from South-based millers also pushed up prices, according to sources. *
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FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram varieties ruled steady here but demand was poor in thin trading activity. TUAR * Tuar gavarani and tuar Karnataka recovered in open market on good buying support from local traders amid restricted arrival from producing belts. * Rice HMT and rice Shriram reported higher in open market on good demand from local traders amid weak supply from producing belts like Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. * In Akola, Tuar - 5,000-5,200, Tuar dal - 6,900-7,100, Udid at 7,200-7,300, Udid Mogar (clean) - 8,000-8,500, Moong - 7,200-7,600, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,700-9,400, Gram - 2,700-2,900, Gram Super best bold - 3,800-4,000 for 100 kg. * Wheat, other varieties of 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
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FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 2,230-2,840 2,200-2,710 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction n.a. 4,410-5,140 Moong Auction n.a. 5,200-5,500 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 3,900-4,200 3,900-4,200 Gram Super Best n.a. Gram Medium Best 3,700-3,800 3,700-3,800 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a. Gram Mill Quality 3,500-3,600 3,500-3,600 Desi gram Raw 2,850-2,950 2,850-2,950 Gram Filter new 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800 Gram Kabuli 8,400-9,700 8,400-9,700 Gram Pink 7,200-7,400 7,200-7,400 Tuar Fataka Best 7,400-7,500 7,400-7,500 Tuar Fataka Medium 7,100-7,300 7,100-7,300 Tuar Dal Best Phod 6,700-6,900 6,700-6,900 Tuar Dal Medium phod 6,500-6,600 6,500-6,600 Tuar Gavarani 5,200-5,300 5,150-5,250 Tuar Karnataka 5,350-5,450 5,300-5,400 Tuar Black 8,200-8,500 8,200-8,500 Masoor dal best 6,600-6,700 6,600-6,700 Masoor dal medium 6,300-6,450 6,300-6,450 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold 9,200-10,000 9,200-10,000 Moong Mogar Medium best 8,500-8,800 8,500-8,800 Moong dal super best 7,800-7,900 7,800-7,900 Moong dal Chilka 7,700-7,900 7,700-7,900 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 8,000-9,000 8,000-9,000 Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-8,800 8,500-8,800 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,400-8,000 7,400-8,000 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 6,900-7,300 6,800-7,200 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,000-5,000 4,000-5,000 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,800-3,100 2,800-3,100 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,450 3,250-3,450 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,350 3,250-3,350 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,900 4,400-4,900 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,500 1,200-1,500 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,625-1,700 1,625-1,700
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Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,450 2,100-2,450 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,850-2,000 1,850-2,000 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,350 1,950-2,350 Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,300 1,200-1,300 Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,500-1,800 1,500-1,800 Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000 Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700 Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,200 4,000-4,200 Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,600 4,900-5,500 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,500-13,500 10,500-13,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,300-10,000 7,300-10,000 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,700 5,400-5,700 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 32.0 degree Celsius (89.6 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp. 23.4 degree Celsius (74.1 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a. Rainfall : 12.2 mm FORECAST: Cloudy sky. Rains may occur. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 32 and 23 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
FLOOD CAUSES COLOSSAL LOSSES TO RICE CROP Amanullah Khan Monday, September 15, 2014 - Karachi—The flash flood and heavy rains caused colossal losses to standing rice crop specially the Basmati rice in Punjab which may consequently have widespread impactions on food inflation, decline in rice export, and to the revenue collection for the government as well.The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has invited the attention of Ishaq Dar federal finance minister (FM) to the colossal loss suffered by the rice sector due to heavy floods in Punjab which has swept away the standing crop of rice.
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The floods have disabled the rice sector which was already in turmoil due to high cost of production, load shedding and tough competition from neighboring country.President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver has urged the FM to exempt the rice sector from with holding tax to give the sector some relief.He said by virtue of being an export industry the sector deserved tax exemption but the finance ministry had levied with holding tax since the last several years and had not spared the rice sector from taxes. Some relief could also be given to the sector by reducing import duties on rice packing materials, insecticides, pesticides, fumigation medicine and fertilizers. Thaver called for facilitating the rice sector by removing all hurdles in all spheres and expressed surprise that although the ministry of commerce (MoC) had accepted the fact that the Quality Review Committee (QRC) was of no practical benefit to the rice industry and had advised the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to submit a procedure for its closure and decided to give golden handshake to its employees and close the QRC for good. It is very strange that the government is lethargic on important issues and delays matters to the point of frustration.He said it is very important that the MoC does not procrastinate on important issues and acts diligently in the best interest of the rice sector to enable it to meet global challenges. The UNISAME chief also pointed out that it is apprehended that the floods God forbid could cause damage to the rice crop in Sindh and this will be unfortunate as the Irri 6 rice of Sindh is an export earner bringing in valuable foreign exchange. The Sindh government is always wise after the event and although it was forewarned about the floods it never took concrete steps to prepare in advance.
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