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Phl rice-sufficient by yearend – DA Fading squares of green: Harvest begins early for rice in the Sacramento Valley lowlands Agri Buzz: South Korean Rice Output To Rise Around 5% in 2013 Louisiana's rice farmers get late start, finish fast Vietnam farmers face fight as rice exports drop Rice farming model required to reform Rice prices continue to post hikes–BAS GRECON assures no rice shortage 500,000 MT rice imports in 2014 unlikely–DA Galim to produce 35,000 tons of rice yearly Vietnam to have 150 rice exporters by 2015 Govt: China to buy 1.2m tonnes rice Democrats press for G2G rice deal disclosure Unused loan guarantees to finance rice-pledging scheme Commerce Min: Thailand-China rice deal to be finalized in two weeks Bt204 million approved for online system monitoring govt’s rice stocks Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sep 14 TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Sep 16 Bulk buyers fear rice will fall in the near future Kerala paddy farmers irked at low price Indian inflation at 6-month high Agro research body calls for West rice investment Is Global Warming Gone for Good? Commodity Review: BD woes a boon for Pakistani value-added textiles
NEWS DETAILS: Phl rice-sufficient by yearend – DA By Charlie Lagasca (The Philippine Star) | Updated September 16, 2013 - 12:00am
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines –Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is confident that the country will achieve rice-sufficiency by the yearend.Speaking in Isabela, Alcala said the province’s promising rice output and those of other major rice-producing provinces is an indication that the country has enough rice supply to last until the year-end and thus be rice self-sufficient.The remaining palay to be harvested until
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December would make the country’s rice production reach 20 million metric tons this year, higher than last year’s 18 million metric tons, he added.Alcala said the country’s dependence on imported rice has been declining over the past two years because of the improving local production.From 2.4 million metric tons in 2010, rice imports went down to 200,000 metric tons this year, he added.Alcala assured farmers of the government’s continued assistance in the form of more irrigation facilities, as well as farm equipment and inputs to further improve rice production to make the country rice self-sufficient.Alcala was in Isabela last Friday to attend the rice festival in Santiago City.Isabela has the biggest surplus in rice production, although it is only the country’s second highest rice-producing province after Nueva Ecija.Engineer Mariano Dancel, operations manager of the National Irrigation Administration’s Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIS), said 4,000 hectares planted with rice are ready for harvest this month.
Fading squares of green: Harvest begins early for rice in the Sacramento Valley lowlands By HEATHER HACKING-Staff Writer:POSTED:
09/15/2013 12:30:06 AM PDT
NELSON — Viewed from the foothills, the lowlands in the Sacramento Valley are large swatches of golden green.The fading green squares are rice, acres and acres of rice nearing the time for harvest.The big push to put harvesters into full gear will come in a few weeks, but growers with early varieties have already started into motion.Last year, rice was the No. 3 commodity grown in Butte County, with nearly $156 million in production. But if you wanted to count it another way, rice is No. 1 in the amount of land planted, with more than 90,000 acres in the county.This week, Daniel Robinson, CEO of the Gorrill Ranch, was rolling right along. The ranch, one of the larger ones in the area, grows several rice varieties, including those preferred by the Japanese market, which are ready to harvest relatively early. On Friday, the ranch's operations manager, Marc Breckenridge, was near the edge of fields at about noon after the morning dew had a chance to dry.Breckenridge grew up in a rice family in Woodland, studied agriculture at Chico State University, and worked in the industry before landing the head-of-farming job at the ranch."I've loved rice my whole life," he said.Apparently his dog Cosby does as well. Until the black lab was banished to the truck, he nibbled at rice stubble and found ways to tunnel into the dry straw, as if posing for photographs.Harvest takes several pieces of equipment, each of them very large. A harvester, also called a combine, has a cylindrical header out front, which spins to harvest the grain, which is funneled into the mammoth machinery.While cycling through the machinery, the straw is separated, and the kernels sorted into a storage area. The straw drops off the back of the combine into the
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field.The harvester continues its steady pace, of about 3 mph. And when full, a bankout truck arrives alongside, and the grain is transferred to the truck.Breckenridge said one combine can harvest about 50 acres a day. It's early in the season and short-grain rice was being harvested Friday. The ranch grows two other rice varieties destined for Japanese consumers, as well as medium grain, which is the most common in California.Robinson said they'll know in several weeks how to rate the harvest this year, but it looks like things are average.Rice prices have stayed steady the past two years, and growers would love to see an increase in prices.Chris Greer, who works with rice growers for the UC Cooperative Extension, said some farmers were able to plant very early due to lack of rain, and are now harvesting early.Others waited a bit longer and experienced tough times when winds blew seed into clumps or to one end of the field. Some growers had to plant a second time to fill gaps."The main meat of the harvest will be in about two weeks, when things will start picking up," Greer said.Along the Midway south of Durham this week, almond harvest and rice harvest were both taking place. In some stretches of road, you could pass two or three large pieces of equipment waiting to enter the Midway, slowly. It's good news that the price of rice has not gone down, but there's no margin for error, Greer said. When farmers are paying to lease land, "if you make mistakes, you can lose money".Universally, rice growers in the valley would really like to see a good snowpack this winter, and some irrigation districts may be faced with water challenges, he said.Most rice farmers take part in winter programs through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which pays them an incentive to flood the rice fields for winter bird habitat, Breckenridge said.The Gorrill Ranch also takes part in a program that sets water levels in winter to attract migrating shorebirds.Western Canal Water District has a webcam aimed directly at the south end of the ranch's rice fields: http://westerncanal.com/wildlife-rice-farmingwebcam.Right now you can watch the ranch harvesters off in the distance. But the webcam becomes more interesting in winter when the fields are covered with tens of thousands of birds. About the Gorrill Ranch The Gorrill Ranch is somewhat unusual in that it has its own dryers. This allows it to grow several varieties, and clean and blow out the machinery after harvest.Buyers are very particular, and ask to see records about most steps in cultivation, including winter flooding and pesticides. This is true for buyers in the U.S. and abroad, explained office manager Michelle Pisenti.The same is true of other crops grown on the ranch, such as almonds and prunes which are sold to cooperatives with their own guidelines, Robinson said.The ranch was founded in 1917 by Ralph Gorrill, who was an engineer who worked on building the Midway. Ernest Adams had arrived a few years earlier and started what would become the Rice Experiment Station in Richvale. Gorrill bought some land near Nelson, and Adams bought the tract across the roadway, Robinson said. The men believed they had found prime rice growing land — Butte County clay — which has proved exactly right for rice
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ever since.Gorrill's engineering came in handy, and he built a gravity-fed water delivery system, which has been mirrored in many irrigation districts in the valley.The farmer and his wife had three daughters, and now an extended fourth generation of the family owns the ranch. Reach Heather Hacking at 896-7758, hhacking@chicoer.com, or on Twitter @HeatherHacking.
Agri Buzz: South Korean Rice Output To Rise Around 5% in 2013 Capital Market/ 15:33 , Sep 16, 2013
South Korea's 2013 rice production (in paddy terms) is forecast by FAO at 5.7 million tonnes, some five per cent above the previous year's below-average output and about 4.4 per cent lower than the previous five-year average.The increase in 2013 production is mainly attributed to anticipated higher yields, as a result of an increased use of higher yielding variety of seeds.The average paddy production for last five years (2008-2012) has been about 6 million tonnes (equivalent to 4.4 million tonnes of milled rice).The area planted to paddy has been declining since early 2000 (see chart below) and particularly in recent years following the official decision to reduce paddy plantings to match the declining domestic rice consumption. In addition to rice, small quantities of barley, maize and other cereals are produced.Generally, domestic production covers only about 30 per cent of the total utilization of cereals in the country. Very little wheat and maize (for feed) are produced domestically, hence large quantities, of about five million tonnes and over eight million tonnes, respectively, are imported
annually. Small amount of rice, about 400 000 tonnes, is imported annually. In the Republic of Korea, the main staple crop, paddy rice, is planted in May-June and harvested in September-October. Powered by Commodity Insights
Louisiana's rice farmers get late start, finish fast Sep. 16, 2013
Despite late planting due to a cold, wet spring, Louisiana’s rice crop is looking good, while planting problems in Arkansas may boost U.S. rice prices a bit.―I think we’ll establish a record‖ for pounds per acre, said Johnny Saichuk, rice expert for the LSU AgCenter. Though final harvest figures aren’t in, he said the 2013 crop has been helped by the fact that low temperatures on very few summer nights were above 75 degrees.―It’s the best crop we’ve had in a long, long time,‖ said farmer Jim Lingo of Oak Grove in West Carroll Parish. He said Monday that he hadn’t yet begun harvesting his 320 acres of rice, but his father and brother, who have about 1,000 acres in rice, were reaping an early harvest well above average.Prices may rise a bit because the cold, wet
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weather that delayed Louisiana’s planting kept some farmers in Arkansas — the nation’s usual top producer — from planting at all. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Arkansas farmers planted just over 1 million acres, University of Arkansas extension service rice expert Jerrod Hardke thinks it’s closer to 975,000. That’s nearly 25 percent less than planned and would be the first time in about three decades that fewer than 1 million acres have been planted in Arkansas, he said.―We were looking at planting intentions of 1.25 million acres,‖ Hardke said.Saichuk estimated that Louisiana farmers planted up to 400,000 acres this season — in the ballpark of last year’s 391,000 acres.California planted 550,000 acres, Missouri 164,000, Mississippi 160,000 and Texas 130,000, according to USDA estimates. Louisiana’s rice acreage never recovered from Hurricane Rita, which hit the southwest part of the state about a month after Katrina hit the southeast in 2005, Saichuk said. Farmers had planted an average of 508,000 acres a year since 2000, but the 2006 total fell to 347,000. USDA figures — generally higher than state figures — put the average from 2006 on at 431,000 acres.―Certainly a smaller crop in Arkansas would push the prices up for all the farmers,‖ AgCenter economist Mike Salassi said.He said prices have trended up from $14.50 per 100 pounds, or hundredweight, in August 2012 to $15.50 this past July.Salassi attributes some of the increase to crop estimates. He also said that the United States produces too little rice to affect world prices. About 1.2 percent of the world’s milled rice comes from the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The current price ―is close to or just above break-even‖ for farmers, Salassi said, because production costs — particularly fuel and fertilizer — have risen so much. ―Even when you have stable prices and yield, you’re still a little behind where you were in the previous year.‖The record yield, set in 2011, is 6,717 pounds per acre — or, as Louisiana farmers figure it, 41.5 barrels at 162 pounds each in the south of the state and 149.3 bushels (45 pounds each) in northern parishes.Lingo said early harvests this year for his father and brother have ranged from 190 to 220 bushels per acre, compared with an average of 160 to 180 bushels. However, ―green yields‖ at harvest are generally higher than official yields, noted Steve Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station in Crowley.―As the rice is coming out of the field, it could be 20 to 21 percent grain moisture. Our official reported yields are always at 12 percent grain moisture, after they’ve been dried,‖ he said.What’s more important, Linscombe said, is early indications of high milling quality.―Starting with 100 pounds of paddy or rough rice, when you mill it, you want to end up with 70 pounds of milled rice —
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and you want at least 60 pounds to be whole grain,‖ he said. Linscomb said a Crowley mill manager said his early percentages are slightly higher than those figures.
Vietnam farmers face fight as rice exports drop HANOI, Viet Nam News/Asia News Network:September 16, 2013, 12:03 am TWN
Rice exports for September is estimated at about 650,000 metric tons, bringing the third quarter's total to 1.84 million metric tons, 230,000 metric tons less than planned.A Viet Nam Food Association (VFA) report says enterprises exported 620,532 metric tons of rice last month for a FOB (free-on-board) value of US$264.34 million, a year-on-year fall of 32.55 percent in volume and 33.09 percent in value.With supply outstripping demand, rice exporters have faced considerable difficulties this year. Recently, the Thai government decided to slash its rice prices to clear its stock, affecting the rice market in Asia and posing a greater challenge for local exporters. The Thai government has decided to lower the price of inventory rice through several means, including organizing auctions for exporters, auctioning on the Agricultural Futures Exchanges of Thailand (AFET), selling rice under government contracts and even selling directly to international traders.However, results of such moves have not been as good as expected since demand is weak and buyers are still cautious about Thailand's motivation for depleting its inventory.Buyers are still waiting and watching the market's movements, as they are not sure of the prices that the Thai government will accept; and how deep the price cut will be.In general, a strong reduction in Thai rice prices has had global impacts, and other Asian markets have been particularly affected. In addition, India is going to harvest its major Kharif crop, which is going to be a bumper crop this year, yielding 90 million metric tons.There is yet another development that is expected to affect the world rice market.The Indian parliament has recently passed the Food Security Bill, which is the biggest national food program in the world that will support 800 million people or 67 percent of the Indian population. The program is expected to cost US$18 billion.But there are concerns over how such a huge program can be carried out. Export prices of Indian rice have reduced much recently, mainly due to a depreciation of its currency, the rupee, while prices in the domestic market have been stable, the VFA said.China has continued to be the biggest importer of Vietnamese rice this year, but there has been a slowdown ahead of the harvest season.Demand from Africa has been stable, but there will be more critical competition among rice exporters when the prices of Thai, Indian and Pakistani rice
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all reduce, shortening the price gap with Vietnamese rice.Philippines and Indonesia will look to import rice in the remaining months of the year, but there will be fierce competition among rice suppliers to meet this demand, VFA said.The report said that as of Aug. 31, Viet Nam had exported 4.67 million metric tons of rice for a FOB value of US$2 billion, a reduction of 7.86 percent in volume and 10.9 percent in value from the same period last year
Rice farming model required to reform VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam needs to restructure its rice production based on demand and supply and focus on improving farming techniques, procurement from farmers, and preservation.
Dry rice is loaded onto a ship in the southern province of Tien Giang. The country has exported 4.67 million tonnes of rice for US$2 billion in the first eight months of the year, a reduction of 7.86 per cent in volume and 10.9 per cent in value year-on-year.The opinion was voiced by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh at a seminar in HCM City yesterday (Sept 12) on adding value to the country's rice exports.Anh said in recent years big exporters like India have resumed exports while importing countries have increased domestic output, resulting in a global glut."As a result, prices have fallen sharply since last year," he said.The event, organised by Vietnam Economic Times newspaper and the Viet Nam Food Association, gathered more than 250 State officials, scientists, and business executives. Though Viet Nam's rice exports have surged in recent years, farmers' incomes have not.Agriculture is plagued by problems like small scale of production, inconsistent quality, lack of branding for rice, high production costs, and volatile prices.Dao Nguyen Cat, editor-in-chief of Vietnam Economic Times, said the country still lacks a good strategy to raise the value of Vietnamese rice in the global market.Nguyen Van Luat, former director of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Rice Research Institute, said advanced technologies should be used to improve productivity and quality and, thus, farmers' incomes.Delegates also highlighted the need to develop large-scale rice cultivation areas, strengthen links between rice producers, scientists, authorities, and traders, especially farmers and traders. Large-scale fields and closer co-operation among the stakeholders would enable high output and uniform quality, Le Minh Truong, director of Song Hau Food Company, said.Some localities who have been working on this said the profit per hectare is higher than from traditional fields.Ensuring outlets for farmers is even more important, Vu Trong Khai, former rector of the School for the Agriculture and Rural Development Management Cadres, said."Closer co-operation is needed between enterprises and farmers during the entire process of rice production," he said.Torsten Velden, country head of Bayer CropScience Viet Nam – the event sponsor – outlined a four-point plan to improve rice farming and farmers' livelihoods.
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He listed them as leading innovation to address the key challenges of rice farming through new and modern solution; enabling farmers by providing them with tools, technology, and training; raising agricultural productivity in an environmentally compatible and sustainable manner; and expanding partnerships across the rice value chain and between the public and private sectors.Investing in agricultural research is the most productive way to support agricultural growth in the long term, he said."At Bayer Cropscience, our relationships with farmers go beyond the product delivery point – to provide a package of integrated services including training, education, as well as stewardship and other advices," he said.This is pertinent in Viet Nam where most farmers are small and do not receive the support, training, and technology they need. Exports fall Pham Van Bay, the VFA's deputy chairman, said the country has exported 4.67 million tonnes of rice for US$2 billion in the first eight months of the year, 7.86 per cent down in terms of volume and 10.9 per cent in value year-on-year.With supply outstripping demand, rice exporters have faced considerable difficulties this year.Recently the Thai government decided to slash rice prices to liquidate its stocks, affecting the rice market in Asia and posing a greater challenge for Vietnamese exporters.Anh urged rice exporters to strengthen promotions and explore new markets.Bay called for increasing output of high-quality grains to improve export returns. MoIT to limit number of rice exporters During a meeting in HCM City on Tuesday, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said that the number of rice exporters from now to 2015 would be limited to 150.Deputy Minister Anh said this regulation was contained in a decision signed by the ministry in late August to stabilise and develop rice exports.Phan Van Chinh, head of the Import-Export Department under the ministry, said that exporters would have to meet several criteria to receive certificates to export rice.The company's current rice export results and the locations of rice stores and rice husking mills would all be taken into account, he said.Exporters should also invest in their own raw material areas or work with partners to order and buy rice from farmers according to road maps issued by designated authorities.Chinh said that the regulations on raw material areas were new and were based on proposals from provinces. Exporters will also be required to export at least 10,000 tonnes of rice per year. If they fail to meet this requirement over two consecutive years, exporters will lose their export certificates.They will have the right to reapply one year after the withdrawal of their certificates.If the figure of 150 exporters is reached, then the ministry will stop granting certificates.When an exporter loses its certificate, the ministry will award a certificate to other applicants that meet all requirements, Chinh said.Under the new decision, the number of rice exporters after 2015 will be adjusted based on real export activities and the production and consumption market.The rice exporter plan will be implemented in September and October. All of the assessments of exporters will be done in accordance with the new decision, Tuan Anh said. Source: VNS Tags:Farmers,improving farming techniques,rice export,
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Rice prices continue to post hikes–BAS Category: Agri-Commodities :Published on Sunday, 15 September 2013 18:28
THE average wholesale and retail prices of regular and well-milled rice were higher for the week ending September 10, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) said in its latest report.The attached agency of the Department of Agriculture said the average wholesale price of well-milled rice went up by 12.25 percent to P37.20 per kilogram. On weekly basis, the price was up by 1.28 percent.BAS figures showed that the average retail prices of well-milled rice also went up by 9.91 percent to P39.16 per kilo on an annual basis. On a weekly basis, average retail price was up by 1.06 percent.For regular-milled rice, the BAS said average wholesale price was up by 12.64 percent to P34.21 per kilo compared to the price registered last year. Compared to last week, average wholesale price was up by 1.36 percent.The average retail price of regular-milled rice, said the BAS, also went up to P36.21 per kilo. This is 11.42 percent higher than the price registered in the same period last year. On a weekly basis, the average retail price was higher by 1.37 percent. The BAS said the average farmgate price of unmilled rice or palay at P18.46 per kilo was down by 0.65 percent from last week’s quotation. Compared to last year, however, average farmgate price was higher by 10.14 percent.As the harvest season for corn nears its conclusion, the BAS said the average wholesale price for yellow corngrain settled at P15.92 per kilo. This price level was 0.51 percent higher than last week’s record and 1.27 percent higher compared to the price registered last year.The average retail price for yellow corngrain at P21.35 per kilo, however, was lower by 0.19 percent from last week’s record and by 2.02 percent from last year’s quotation. As for white corngrain, the BAS said average wholesale price settled at P14.46 per kilo, which is the same as the price level last week.Average retail price of white corngrain remained stable at P18.33 per kilo compared to last week’s price. On a yearly basis, however, the price as of September 10 was lower by 11.32 percent.The BAS said the average farmgate price for yellow corngrain stayed at P11.67 per kilo. Compared to last year, the price was lower by 2.18 percent.For white corngrain, the agency said the average price increased by 0.49 percent from last week’s P14.19 per kilo and by 9.19 percent from last year’s P13.06 per kilo.
GRECON assures no rice shortage BY: JEMIN B. GUILLERMO:Monday 16th of September 2013 ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Sept. 16 (PIA6) – There is no rice shortage in the country, said Grains Retailers Confederation (GRECON) national president Jaime Magbanua.Magbanua, in a radio interview, said that there is a sufficient supply of rice because most of these are locally produced by the farmers.He said that the abundant locally produced rice is a manifestation that the country is now gearing towards the achievement of its rice sufficiency target.He added that the high price of rice in the previous weeks is due to the fact that there are more local rice which is also beneficial to the farmers.―There should be no abrupt drop in the price of rice or palay as farmers will be at a lost,‖ Magbanua said.
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He however, said that there is already a gradual drop in the price of rice per sack from as high as P2,000 to P1,700 per sack to P1,500 per sack.He believes that there is no rice hoarding but insisted that the rice price hike was because farmers are also taking advantage of the situation for them to profit out of their palay produce.Magbanua said that the government, through the National Food Authority, is also ensuring that government rice is available in every market, hence the public has the option to buy either the commercial or NFA rice.He admitted that there are really unscrupulous rice traders who make rice diversion, that is mixing NFA rice with the commercial rice and sell the same at a local price which is higher than the NFA rice price.Magbanua said he also appealed to all the GRECON members to exercise their social responsibility by not being opportunistic of the situation rather make a sacrifice especially for the poor who rely more on NFA rice.―As rice traders, our goal is not only about money or gain, but our social and moral responsibility to the public,‖ he stressed adding that rice traders must always be guided by the policy of ethics, justice and honesty. (JCM/JBG/PIA6-Capiz)
500,000 MT rice imports in 2014 unlikely–DA Category: Agri-Commodities :Published on Monday, 16 September 2013 19:10;Written by Marvyn N. Benaning / Correspondent
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said there is little likelihood that the Philippines would import 500,000 metric tons (MT) of milled rice in 2014 considering the increase in the local output in the past two years.An official of the DA said unmilled rice output hit 18.03 million metric tons (MMT) last year, while the harvest in 2011 reached 16.68 MMT.The DA also explained that the statement of a ranking agriculture official about the necessity of importing 500,000 MT of rice, the DA explained that it was a ―mere forecast‖ that does not take into account the reduction in the annual rice per capita consumption of rice to 114.26 kilograms from 118.9 kilos. The DA official said data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), headed by Agriculture Assistant Secretary Romeo Recide, showed that for 2013, the DA expects to have a total available rice supply of 14.83 MMT verses a projected utilization of 12.59 MMT.Projected ending inventory for 2013 is at 2.23 MMT, which the official said, should be enough to last for 74 days.Meanwhile, a party-list lawmaker criticized the DA’s plan to implement the ―eat less rice, meet rice self-sufficiency target‖ strategy.In a statement, Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo slammed the DA for its plan to ―recalibrate‖ and lower rice self-sufficiency targets by looking into reports that per capita consumption of rice in the country had gone down from 119 kilos per person to 115 kilos per person. ―Per capita consumption is now the reason [for recalibrating production targets]. There’s a problem with what you want to do. What you want is for our countrymen to stop eating rice so that we can claim to be rice selfsufficient. Apparently that’s what you want,‖ Alejano told Recide during the recent House Committee on Agriculture hearing.Recide, one of several DA official invited to the House of Representatives to explain the country’s rice situation particularly the reports of rice shortages and rising rice costs, revealed that the DA was studying the ―recalibration‖ of the rice self-sufficiency target.Alejano said the DA admitted that the agency was 2.5 MMT behind its 2013 rice self-sufficiency target and 500,000 MT short of rice stocks necessary to meet the
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nation’s needs.The lawmaker said that according to the 2011-2016 Philippine Food Staples Self-sufficiency Road map, the country needs to produce 21 MMT of palay to be completely rice self-sufficient. But output for 2013 is expected to reach only 18.45 MMT.Last week Alejano filed a resolution calling for an investigation on the country’s real rice situation.
Galim to produce 35,000 tons of rice yearly Monday, 16 September 2013 04:21:Tags: Agropole Programme,Rice
(Business
in Cameroon) - Rice production in the Cameroon is expected to witness an increase in the months ahead with an annual production of 35,000 metric tons to come from Galim, West region of the country.The Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, launched the ―Agropole Programme‖ in the locality on September 13, 2013. Through the programme, a Galim-based association, ―groupement d’intérêt économique (GIE),‖ will produce 35,000 metric tons of rice per annum at a cost of 1.2 billion CFA francs. Government, through the Agropole Programme is supporting with 442 million CFA francs while the beneficiaries (a group of eight common initiative groups) are bringing in 750 million CFA francs.Minister Nganou Djoumessi enjoined the farmers to modernise their production tools so as to significantly augment national production to reduce incessant importation that drains the State of huge sums of scarce CFA francs.Statistics show that Cameroon imports over 500,000 metric tons of rice per year to the tune of 100 billion CFA francs.
Vietnam to have 150 rice exporters by 2015 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam will have at most 150 rice exporters with close connection with major production areas by 2015, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). The figure was announced during a conference on rice export and exporter management in Ho Chi Minh City on September 10.At the conference, Phan Van Chinh, head of the Import-Export Department under the MoIT, said that exporters must meet three main criteria to receive licences to export rice.They must have rice storage and rice husking mills located in localities included in the planned areas.Exporters having their own raw material areas or work with partners to order and buy rice from farmers will be prioritised, he said.In addition, Chinh said
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exporters must meet requirements of export volume, material areas and connectivity with farmers in order to maintain their export licences.According to Deputy Minister Tran Tuan Anh, the world rice export market has seen an increasing supply and many new markets have appeared, affecting Vietnamese exports.He said in the next months, the global rice market will continue facing difficulties with high inventory, making exporting countries let out their stockpile. The situation requires Vietnamese exporters to carefully and accurately evaluate the market demand to find suitable solutions, he added.During the event, authorities from the MoIT suggested a number of measures to manage rice export such as strengthening domestic linkages and collaboration in line with national promotion programmes, and seeking new markets. Source: Vietnam Plus Tags:Vietnam,MoIT,rice exporters,global rice market,Vietnamese exporters,
Govt: China to buy 1.2m tonnes rice Published: 16 Sep 2013 at 17.19:Online news:
China will definitely purchase 1.2 million tonnes of white rice from the Thai government’s stockpile at a good price within the next two weeks, according to the commerce minister.The buyer, Beidahuang, a state-owned enterprise, is also interested in buying 200,000 tonnes of rubber, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan said on Monday. He said the contract for the deal is being drafted after negotiations in China’s Heilongjiang province. He did not reveal the price.However, Democrat Party deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij claimed on his Facebook page on Monday, prior to Mr Niwatthamrong’s statement, that the rice transaction had already been rejected by China.He cited parts of a Reuters news article on Sept 12 to support his claim."An industry source close to the State Grain Administration, China's state body responsible for grain trading and distribution, said talks on a government-to-government deal had been taking place with Thailand for some time but nothing had been settled," the report said, according to Mr Korn. ―It is impossible for China to import that much rice as China doesn't need that much," the source said in the article, referring to the 1.2 million tonnes, Mr Korn said.His post said the government has resolved to borrow an additional 270 billion baht to support the rice pledging scheme for the 2013-2014 season. The Ministry of Finance should not allow the state to raise the loan because it has at present exceeded the 500 billion baht loan cap.The problem could be solved if the Commerce Ministry could make money from the government’s rice stockpile, he said . Instead of disclosing the rice deal to the public, the cabinet is considering raising the budget cap, an action that indicates that the source associated with the State Grain Administration was telling the truth, Mr Korn said.
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Democrats press for G2G rice deal disclosure The Nation September 15, 2013 4:43 pm
Democrat MP Ong-Art Klampaiboon said on Sunday that the government can put in place transparency in the rice-pledging scheme by revealing details of government-to-government rice deals."If the government can do this, I believe that the scheme would be more transparent," he said.Ong-art pressed for the details on the G2G rice deal with China. Commerce Minister Niwatthumrong Boonsongpaisan announced earlier this month that China’s state enterprises would place orders for 1.2 million tonnes of white rice from Thailand.Ong-art said that some rice traders are benefiting from the deals, whereby rice price is quoted below market prices. Once selling the rice, they benefit from price differential, he said.He also said that some warehouses also use the government stockpiles, to benefit from the rice-pledging scheme.He also promised further investigation. If finding any irregularities, the Democrat Party will submit a petition to the National Anti-Corruption Commission
Unused loan guarantees to finance rice-pledging scheme
Sep 16, 2013 (Menafn - Bangkok Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --Some 250 billion baht of unused loan guarantees of the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) for fiscal 2014 could go to financing the 270-billion-baht budget of the government's rice-pledging scheme for the next harvest year.The PDMO has already provided loan guarantees worth 250 billion baht to state enterprises for fiscal 2014 starting from Oct 1 this year, director-general Chularat Suteethorn said.By law, the PDMO can guarantee loans in an amount not exceeding 20% of the fiscal budget or around 500 billion baht for fiscal 2014.The Commerce Ministry must find another 20 billion baht to fund the scheme for the next harvest year, she said. The rice-pledging scheme, a major vote-winning populist policy of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, has drawn strong criticism over the hefty loss of 136 billion baht for the first harvest year of the programme starting in 2011 as the guarantee price is 40-50% more than the local market price. Even so, the government has moved ahead the scheme by approving the 270-billion-baht revolving budget for the next harvest year after the first 500-billionbaht budget has been fully spent.The government, however, has slightly revised the buying conditions. The pledging price for paddy from the main crop has been set at 15,000 baht a tonne for white rice and 20,000 baht for Hom Mali but the pledged amount is capped at 350,000 baht per farming household. The main crop programme runs from Oct 1 this year to Feb 28, 2014.The price for second-crop paddy has been set at 13,000 baht per tonne, with the value capped at 300,000 baht per household. The second crop programme runs between March 1 and Sep 30, 2014.
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Ms Chularat said the Commerce Ministry must speed up selling its rice stockpiles to pay back the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) and keep the debt owed to the bank within the approved 500-billion-baht budget.The Commerce Ministry targeted to obtain 220 billion baht from the rice sales by the end of this year. Of the total, 120 billion baht has been repaid.The BAAC has provided 160 billion baht, in addition to the 500-billion-baht revolving budget _ 410 billion baht borrowed by the bank and guaranteed by the Finance Ministry and the remaining 90 million from the bank itself _ to fund the ricepledging scheme. The Finance Ministry pays the interest.She said maintaining loan guarantees at not exceeding 500 billion baht for the rice-subsidy programme would help the government achieve its balanced budget target by 2017 and cap public debt, now at 44.13% of gross domestic product, at not more than 50%.
Commerce Min: Thailand-China rice deal to be finalized in two weeks Date : 16
2556
BANGKOK, 16 September 2013 (NNT) - The Commerce Ministry has announced that Thailand is preparing to sell 1.2 million tons of rice to China and the agreement is expected to be inked in the next two weeks. Following a statement by a Democrat MP claiming that the government’s rice deal with China was a hoax, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal confirmed that rounds of negotiations have already taken place. He noted that a Chinese state agency has expressed its interest to purchase 1.2 million tons of white rice from the government’s stock as well as 200,000 tons of Para rubber. According to the minister, the prices agreed upon so far are considered fairly high. Mr Niwatthamrong said the agreement is currently in the drafting process and is scheduled to be signed by both countries in two weeks.
Bt204 million approved for online system monitoring govt’s rice stocks Saturday, 14 September 2013By MCOT
BANGKOK, Sept 14 – The National Rice Policy Committee (NRPC) has approved a Bt204 million budget to improve the computer system of state agencies responsible for the rice pledging scheme.Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan said
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all the agencies would be linked to an online database to enable checking of required documents, and relevant information including the volume of rice in the state’s stockpiles, the locations of rice warehouses and the volume of rice released to the market. The Warehouse Organisation will be the hub of data and information, which will be shared by the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Marketing Organisation for Farmers, Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand, Commerce Ministry, Finance Ministry and Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, he said.The system should be implemented within two months, he said, assuring that the system would prevent corruption in rice purchase and facilitate enforcement of the rice subsidy programme.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sep 14 Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:32pm IST
Nagpur, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) reported higher again on good demand from local millers amid weak tight supply from producing regions. Notable rise on NCDEX, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and renewed demand from South-based millers also pushed up prices, according to sources.
*
*
*
*
FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.
TUAR * Tuar varieties quoted static in open market matching the demand and supply position.
* In Akola, Tuar - 3,800-4,000, Tuar dal - 6,300-6,500, Udid at 4,900-5,200,
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Udid Mogar (clean) - 5,700-5,900, Moong - 6,200-6,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,500-7,600, Gram - 2,850-3,050, Gram Super best bold - 3,900-4,050 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
Gram Auction
2,550-3,150
Gram Pink Auction Tuar Auction
n.a.
2,510-3,100 2,100-2,600
3,840-4,325
Moong Auction
n.a.
Udid Auction
n.a.
Masoor Auction
3,800-4,325 3,800-4,000
4,300-4,500
n.a.
Gram Super Best Bold Gram Super Best Gram Medium Best
Previous close
2,600-2,800 4,400-4,600
4,400-4,600
n.a. 4,000-4,300
Gram Dal Medium
n.a.
Gram Mill Quality
3,650-3,700
Deshi gram Raw
3,300-3,400
4,000-4,300
n.a. 3,650-3,700 3,300-3,400
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Gram Filter Yellow
n.a.
Gram Kabuli
n.a.
7,700-10,000
Gram Pink
7,600-8,000
Tuar Fataka Best
7,700-10,000 7,600-8,000
6,700-6,800
Tuar Fataka Medium
6,700-6,800
6,500-6,600
Tuar Dal Best Phod
6,500-6,600
6,150-6,250
Tuar Dal Medium phod
6,150-6,250
5,600-5,800
5,600-5,800
Tuar Gavarani
4,650-4,750
4,650-4,750
Tuar Karnataka
4,300-4,500
4,300-4,500
Tuar Black
7,500-7,700
Masoor dal best
7,500-7,700
5,200-5,500
Masoor dal medium Masoor
5,200-5,500
5,000-5,200 n.a.
Moong Mogar bold
n.a. 7,500-7,600
Moong Mogar Medium best Moong dal super best Moong dal Chilka
5,000-5,200
7,500-7,600
6,800-7,200
6,400-6,500
6,800-7,200
6,400-6,500
5,800-6,000
5,800-6,000
Moong Mill quality
n.a.
n.a.
Moong Chamki best
6,200-6,800
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG)
6,200-6,800 5,700-5,900
5,700-5,900
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Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
5,000-5,300
5,400-5,700
3,850-3,950
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)
3,850-3,950
3,300-3,400
2,800-2,900 3,300-3,400
3,100-3,300
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)
3,100-3,300
7,200-7,600
1,650-1,750
Wheat Mill quality New(100 INR/KG) Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)
5,400-5,700
2,800-2,900
Watana White (100 INR/KG)
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)
5,000-5,300
7,200-7,600
1,650-1,750
1,575-1,625
1,600-1,800
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)
1,600-1,800
1,950-2,350
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)
1,750-1,950
n.a.
3,100-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)
1,950-2,350
1,750-1,950
n.a.
1,575-1,625
3,100-3,600
2,600-2,900
2,600-2,900
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG)
1,450-1,550
1,450-1,550
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG)
1,500-1,600
1,500-1,600
Rice BPT New (100 INR/KG) Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)
2,900-3,500 2,100-2,400
Rice Swarna Best (100 INR/KG)
2,300-2,400
2,900-3,500 2,100-2,400 2,300-2,400
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Rice Swarna Medium (100 INR/KG) Rice HMT (100 INR/KG)
2,050-2,300
4,200-4,600
4,200-4,600
Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG)
4,400-5,000
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)
10,000-12,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG)
Rice Chinnor Medium (100 INR/KG) Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)
4,400-5,000 10,000-12,500
6,200-7,500
5,000-5,500
1,800-1,900
6,200-7,500
5,000-5,500
4,400-4,800
1,500-1,650
2,050-2,300
4,400-4,800 1,500-1,650
1,800-1,900
WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 35.0 degree Celsius (95.0 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp. 23.6 degree Celsius (74.4 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a. Rainfall : n.a. FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 35 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
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TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Sep 16
Mon Sep 16, 2013 4:09pm IST
Rates by Asian News International, New Delhi Tel: 011 2619 1464 Indicative Grains
Previous
opening
close
(in rupees per 100 kg unless stated) ---------------------------------------------------------Wheat Desi
2,200-2,500
2,200-2,500.
Wheat Dara
1,650-1,750
1,650-1,750.
Atta Chakki (per 10 Kg) Roller Mill (per bag)
1,850-1,950.
1,825-1,925
Rice Basmati(Lal Quila) Rice Basmati(Common)
Rice Sela
1,750-1,850.
1,850-1,950
Rice Basmati(Sri Lal Mahal)
Rice Permal
210-235.
1,760-1,860
Maida (per bag) Sooji (per bag)
210-235
1,820-1,920.
11,500 10,500
10,500.
7,450-7,550
2,450-2,550 3,000-3,025
11,500.
7,400-7,500.
2,450-2,550. 3,010-3,055.
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I.R.-8
2,000-2,100
Gram
3,250-3,950
2,000-2,100. 3,250-3,950.
Peas Green
3,000-3,100
3,000-3,100.
Peas White
2,650-2,750
2,650-2,750.
Bajra
1,425-1,525
Jowar white
2,450-2,650
1,425-1,525. 2,470-2,675.
Maize
1,450-1,550
1,450-1,550.
Barley
1,300-1,400
1,300-1,400.
Guwar
3,250-3,650
3,250-3,650.
Source: Delhi grain market traders.
Bulk buyers fear rice will fall in the near future OUR CORRESPONDENT KARNAL, SEPT. 16:
The rice market may continue to witness a range-bound movement in the coming days, according to market sources.With the trading being lukewarm, prices of aromatic varieties were quoted marginally lower, while non-basmati varieties ruled almost unchanged on Monday.Amit Chandna, proprietor of Hanuman Rice Trading Company, told Business Linethat only need-based buying is taking place in the market. Following fear of drop in prices in the near future, bulk buyers are keeping themselves out of the market and any major alteration is unlikely this week, he said.In the physical market, Pusa1121 (steam) dropped by Rs 20 to Rs 8,300-8,380 a quintal, while Pusa-1121 (sela) quoted at Rs 7,700-7,750 a quintal, Rs 50 down from previous level. Pure Basmati (Raw) quoted at Rs 11,000 a quintal. Duplicate basmati (steam) sold at Rs 6,730 a quintal, down Rs 20.For the brokens of Pusa-1121, Dubar quoted at Rs 3,700, Tibar sold at Rs 4,400 while Mongra was at Rs 3,100 a quintal.In the non-basmati section, Sharbati (Steam) sold at Rs 4,500-4,600, while Sharbati (Sela) quoted at Rs 4,300 a quintal.Permal (raw) sold at Rs 2,320 a quintal, Permal (sela) went for Rs 2,300 a quintal, PR-11 (sela) sold at Rs 2,900, while PR-11 (Raw) quoted at Rs 2,710 a quintal. PR14 (steam) sold at Rs 3,000-3,080 a quintal.
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PADDY ARRIVALS
Around 12,000 bags of different paddy varieties arrived at the Karnal Grain Market Terminal. About 10,000 bags of PR paddy arrived and quoted at Rs 1,300-1,350 a quintal; around 1,000 bags of Pusa-1509 arrived and sold at Rs 3,400 a quintal, while 1,000 bags of Sharbati arrived and sold at Rs 2,300 a quintal.Paddy arrivals have improved and local arrivals may gather pace within next couple of weeks, said trade sources. (This article was published on September 16, 2013)
Keywords: rice market, Hanuman Rice Trading Company, Pure Basmati, Pusa-1121
Kerala paddy farmers irked at low price STAFF REPORTER State government has declared a procurement price of Rs.18 a kg Farmers in the State are disappointed at the State Cabinet decision to procure paddy at Rs.18 a kg, an increase of just one rupee compared to last year. They had demanded a procurement price of Rs.30 a kg.In a statement here on Friday, Deeseeya Karshaka Samajam general secretary Muthalamthode Mani said that considering the high cost of cultivation, the procurement price fixed by the government was far below the cost of production.He said the cost of seed, fertilizer, pesticide, and labour had gone up considerably resulting in higher cost of production. He said the area of paddy cultivation had shrunk in the State considerably because paddy farming had become a losing vocation. Thus to save the existing paddy cultivation, farmers should be given good remunerative price, Mr. Mani said. He said the higher price and procurement at the beginning of the harvest season would help farmers extend paddy farming to more areas.During the last harvest season, farmers had to wait months together to get the price of paddy they had given to the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco). This should not be repeated during the current season, he said. Mr. Mani said that though the Supplyco had started procurement of paddy in the district, they did not get enough paddy marketing officials from the Agriculture Department to procure as harvesting were in full swing. This has affected paddy procurement. Supplyco officials said that 28,710 farmers in the district had registered with the corporation for supplying paddy during this first crop harvesting season. Last year, 22,024 farmers had registered with the corporation.In the last second crop season, only 10,450 farmers had registered with Supplyco, the officials said. Keywords: paddy farmers, procurement price, cabinet decision, Kerala government, Muthalamthode Mani
Indian inflation at 6-month high NEW DELHI, Sept 16: Costlier onion and other vegetables pushed up India's inflation for the third month in a row to 6.1 per cent in August, making it difficult for the RBI to cut rate in the monetary policy review due later this week.The inflation was at 5.79 per cent in July and 8.01 per cent in August, 2012.The highest increase was witnessed in case of
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onion which reported an increase of 245 per cent year on year.The price of vegetables in general rose by 77.81 per cent making life difficult for the common man.The high increase in prices was also seen in other essential food items like rice, cereals, egg, meat and fish. — PTI
Agro research body calls for West rice investment Posted September 16, 2013 by Chanda Davies in Business
By
JAMES
KUNDA
-
THE Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) has urged Government to set up irrigation infrastructure that will enhance development of the rice industry in Western Province.This will encourage small-scale farmers in the region to contribute effectively to the enhancement of rice farming in the province which has great potential for the production of the cereal.ZARI chief agricultural research officer Mweshi Mukanga said yesterday that Government should allocate funds towards the training of small-scale rice farmers on the application of modern rice farming techniques for increased production.Dr Mukanga said increased investments in rice farming would encourage crop diversification from maize and in turn, ensure household food security in Zambia. ―The potential for rice production in Western Province is very high because this area is unique for growing such crop due to the availability of water and fertile soil.―Government should, therefore, invest in irrigation infrastructure and improved modern rice farming techniques to help small-scale farmers in the area explore this potential,‖ Dr Mukanga said.He said there was need to explore farming areas in Zambia before the planting season to identify which particular crop can produce better yields in a given locality.―Western Province is ideal for rice farming because this is a crop that requires a lot of water, but the same area cannot be good for maize farming because it is not ideal to grow this crop in flood-prone areas,‖ he said.
Is Global Warming Gone for Good? Some climate researchers now say that the earth's atmosphere hasn't heated up significantly during the past 15 years. This has sparked a debate about whether climate change has come to a halt.Tomorrow Today decided to investigate and visited climate researchers at the University of Hamburg. They're looking at the role of the oceans in climate change, and say sea levels continue to rise each year.
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Commodity Review: BD woes a boon for Pakistani value-added textiles September 16, 2013:RECORDER REPORT
Rice The outgoing week saw Pakistani rice sellers lower their quotes for the benchmark five percent broken rice and 25 percent broken rice by about $10 per ton and $5 per ton, respectively, to around $390 - $400 per ton and $345 - $355 per ton, respectively. These price cuts came at a time when Thai and Vietnamese rice sellers have been keeping their quotes largely unchanged while the Indian sellers have actually managed to raise their asking prices. Indian five percent rice is currently being quoted at around $405 - $415 per ton, up about $15 per ton from yesterday and about $5 per ton premium over Pakistan's five percent broken variety of the new crop. Market sources say that the prices will see some downward adjustment until the better quality rice starts flooding in and that right now there are some definite worries amongst traders about the moisture content of the new crop hitting the markets. In 2012-13, Pakistan produced about 5.54 million tons of rice; about 20 percent below the government target of 6.9 million tons. The government has set a production target of 6.2 million tons of rice for the 2013-14 marketing season and while the quality of the harvest has yet to establish itself, there is a large possibility that official targets will not be met once again this season. In FY13, Pakistan exported about 3.5 million tons of rice (including about 630,035 tons of basmati rice), down from around 3.7 million tons exported in the previous fiscal year, as per REAP data. And traders and well placed industry sources are already claiming that the incoming season might be similarly muted at best. Cotton Slow arrivals of phutti and a flurry of buyers lining up to replenish their short term stocks have helped keep the cotton market tight this week, according to market reports. The official spot rate consequently soared by Rs 150 in the last seven days to hit Rs6800 per 37 kilograms; the largest weekly gain in over 30 days. The sudden surge in demand for the natural fiber comes at a time when the windfalls for the millers are going through the roof. Even on the neglected value-added front, things have been better than ever, with exports of readymade garments growing by 15.4 percent year on year in volumetric terms and 11.8 percent year on year in value terms in July alone. Industry participants say that the suspension of operations by textile manufacturers in Bangladesh due to severe law and order problems there has come into play, resulting in an increased demand for Pakistan's valueadded textiles. And with news circulating in the industry that about the semi-permanent closure of some textile processing factories in Dhaka, the demand for knitwear and bedding is also set to grow exponentially in the coming months. Whether or not the recent electricity tariff hikes allow the domestic industry to fully reap benefits of these higher volumes however is another question. But going forward, if the supply of seed cotton does not regain its former glory, then prices in the medium term will remain tight as mill buying continues in a furtive manner. Meanwhile on the global front, cotton futures eased on Friday, after technical buying lifted fiber from losses following a US government monthly outlook that was largely in line with expectations of
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ballooning global inventories. The most-active December cotton contract on ICE Futures hence closed up by 0.4 cent at 84.75 cents a lb at the end of the week. Wheat
After being in the pipeline for well over a year, the see-sawing fortunes of one million ton wheat barter deal with Iran have finally been decided for good. And as expected the deal has fallen through, partly because it made little sense to go through with a barter trade of the staple commodity now that the nation is once again a net importer of wheat and partly because both countries have been in a deadlock regarding the quality of the wheat to be sent over for quite some time now. BR Research has previously reported on the widespread negative market sentiment regarding the deal and recently there have been persistent murmurs that Tehran- after being on the fence about the quality of the grain being sent over - might agree to replace rice in place of wheat for the deal. However, no official confirmations of this change have been received to date. More on that front in the coming weeks! On another front, European milling wheat futures have been edging lower this week, extending losses from the previous session, as crop health reports regarding the harvests from the northern hemisphere started pouring in. As expected, a majority of the EU's main wheat producing nations will be gathering a bumper harvest this year, and despite worries regarding the long winter and hot summer possibly damaging crops, the ample supplies are likely to keep prices under pressure. Additionally, a strong competition from the Black Sea countries on the export market will also weigh on prices within the region. In expectation of these generally bearish trends, the November milling wheat on the Paris Euronext market was down 0.67 percent at 186 euro/ton by Thursday. Sugar The liquidity problems facing millers continued this week and both parties seem to have come to an impasse. Additionally, there were reports of some artificial shortages of sugar in the markets this week, especially in and around areas near Faisalabad. If the government and the millers do not come to a settlement soon, the shortages will spread to other parts of the country- comes the ominous warning. Industry sources have told BR Research that the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has been delaying payment of around Rs5 billion to sugar mills for around one month for the natural sweetener already procured from the industry, causing cash flow problems for most of the factories. Additionally, the issue of opening up of exports also remains in limbo for the time being. The government had intended to allow around 500,000 tons of sugar in view of better stocks but after the damage to sugarcane crop it was heard that the government has gone on the fence about deciding to allow exports. Now the Sugar Advisory Board is said to be waiting for complete information about the loss of crop-if any-and any and all decisions to export will be made once the situation becomes clearer.
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