1st May, 2014
Chinese COLOR SORTER as low as Pak Rs 22 Lakh Only A Time Limited Offer Contact: Cell: 0300 414 3493
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Latest News Headlines…
Price falls hit rice farmers despite stockpiling scheme Rice exports to China forecast to get bustling Tags:Farmers,M ekong Delta,rice,bank loans,price Forty-nine mil baht loaned to unpaid rice growers in Buriram Rice loses steam on slack buying Absorption of Bulog’s Rice Decreased President's Trade Agenda Under the Microscope on Capitol Hill New Consumer Recipe Contest Launched Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures FAO AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION EXPLORING FUTURE OF FOOD Basmati exports losing aroma as Iran goes high on curbs U.S. Rice Fighting Competition in Mexico Study to focus on rice genes, yield and climate Asian groups back PHL farmers’ call to stop ‘Golden Rice’ commercialization Government to purchase paddy directly from farmers Rice should get more money than sugar SC refuses to order release of nearly 300k sacks of ‘smuggled’ rice
News Detail… Price falls hit rice farmers despite stockpiling scheme VietNamNet Bridge – Farmers bemoan they have not benefited from the nation’s one-million-ton rice stockpiling scheme for the winter-spring crop in 2013-2014 as prices are still edging down even though the scheme still has more than one week to go. Many enterprises in the Mekong Delta have stocked up on almost enough rice volumes under the program. For example, 15 enterprises in An Giang Province had bought a combined 116,000 tons by last week, meeting some 80% of the total allocated by the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), and many of them had completed their purchases, according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade. As observed by the Daily, the assigned firms have bought large amounts but rice prices in this province have remained volatile.Before the
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scheme began on March 15, fresh IR50404 paddy was about VND4,400-4,500 a kilo while unprocessed rice of the same type was VND6,900-7,100 per kilo. However, around ten days after the launch of the rice buying program, the respective prices of IR50404 paddy and unprocessed rice fell to VND4,100-4,200 and VND6,4006,500 a kilo.Although the program has less than 10 days to go, rice prices have inched up slightly but are still low, at VND4,200-4,300 a kilo for fresh IR50404 paddy and VND6,550-6,650 for unprocessed rice of this variety.The same situation has also happened to other Mekong Delta provinces such as Dong Thap, Vinh Long and Tien Giang where rice prices are on the fall although the VFA members have already or almost completed their assigned purchases.As calculated by farmers in the Mekong Delta, with the difference of roughly VND300 per kilo between prices before and after the program was launched, they rack up a loss of nearly VND3 million per hectare. Fresh IR50404 paddy brings an average yield of 10 tons per hectare.To support the rice storage program this time, the central bank has asked a number of commercial banks to offer a credit package of nearly VND8 trillion to participating firms at an annual lending rate of 7%.Those taking out bank loans to stock up on rice can get loan interest support. The Government has spent much to support participants in the scheme while its efficiency remains questionable as pointed out by experts.The VFA estimated 800,000 tons of rice had been bought under the scheme for the 2013-2014 winter-spring crop, roughly 80% of the target of one million tons.
Rice exports to China forecast to get bustling Despite certain difficulties in rice shipments to China since early this year, local experts and companies expect rice trading with the northern neighbor could get busier later this year, partly buoyed by a contract to export 800,000 tons of rice to the Philippines.According to the VFA, its member companies in the year to date have exported a total of more than 1.3 million tons of rice, with the volume bound for China making up some 40% but slumping 20% over the same period in 2013. Expert Nguyen Dinh Bich said local companies had rushed to lower selling prices given abundant supplies, leading Chinese buyers to delay imports in anticipation of lower prices. Vietnam’s winning a tender earlier this month to export 800,000 tons of rice to the Philippines will result in a significant drop in local supplies, prompting China to increase rice imports from Vietnam, he noted.Sharing the same view, Lam Anh Tuan, director of Thinh Phat Company which is a VFA member, projected Vietnam’s rice exports to China to rise soon.Last year, Vietnam’s rice shipments to China through official and unofficial channels amounted to over three million tons, VFA reports. Meanwhile, the offered export prices of rice have remained stable in recent days, with 5% broken rice at US$380-390 a ton, 25% broken rice at US$350-360 and jasmine rice at US$490500.
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Source: SGT Tags:Farmers,M ekong Delta,rice,bank loans,price,
Iamge:Farmers pack dried paddy in the Mekong Delta. Local rice prices have fallen sharply since the rice stockpiling scheme for the winter-spring crop in 2013-2014 was launched in mid-March
Forty-nine mil baht loaned to unpaid rice growers in Buriram Date : 1 พฤษภาคม 2557 BURIRAM, 1 May 2014 (NNT) – The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC)’s Buriram Office has approved a new round of loans worth 49 million baht to rice farmers in the province who have not yet received money for their rice pledged with the government. The loans have been extended to 786 unpaid rice farmers in Buriram for use in the purchase of equipment and other production factors to start the new rice season.
These farmers are still waiting for government payment for their rice sold under the government’s rice pledging program that has unfortunately run out of fund. According to the BAAC, the government still owes 3 billion baht to 38,000 farmers. According to the bank, it has paid 2.6 billion baht in loan to more than 26,000 affected farmers in Buriram, and another batch of 56 million baht is pending approval. A provincial BAAC executive expressed his belief that the government would be able to find enough money to pay all the farmers.
Rice loses steam on slack buying KARNAL, MAY 1:
Lack of buying interest pulled prices of Pusa-1121 rice varieties down while all the other aromatic and nonbasmati varieties managed to maintain their previous quoted levels on Thursday.Amit Kumar, proprietor of Ginni Rice, told Business Line that sluggish domestic demand coupled with easy availability of stocks is the prime reason behind the current situation of the market.Market sentiments are low and any uptrend from here is unlikely, he said.According to the trade experts, availability of stocks has improved but the domestic demand has failed to pick up. Bulk buyers are keeping themselves out of the market and placing orders according to their requirement only. Rice market may continue to rule around current levels and any major fluctuation is unlikely, said experts. In the physical market, Pusa-1121 (steam) dropped by ₹200 and sold at ₹9,200, while Pusa-1121 (sela) quoted at ₹8,000, ₹300 down. Pure Basmati (raw) quoted at ₹12,450. Duplicate basmati (steam) sold at ₹7,500 a quintal. Pusa-1121 (second wand) was at ₹7,350, Tibar at ₹6,400 while Dubar at ₹5,400 a quintal.
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In the non-basmati section, Sharbati (steam) sold at ₹4,850 while Sharbati (sela) quoted at ₹4,300. Permal (raw) sold at ₹2,350, Permal (sela) at ₹2,320, PR-11 (sela) sold at ₹2,725 while PR-11 (raw) at ₹2,700. PR14 (steam) sold at ₹2,900 a quintal. (This article was published on May 1, 2014)
Absorption of Bulog’s Rice Decreased MAY 1, 2014BY ZADMIN
Bulog rice absorption Regional Division West Java until the end of April 2014 can only reach 56,000 tons of targets to be achieved in March to June 2014 amounted to 550,000 tons. This is due to a delay in planting rice farmers in West Java, the new plant in early 2014. Head of Regional Division (Kadivre) Bulog West Java, Alip Apandi, said that the target is 550,000 tons of achievements that are not much different from the last four year. In 2011, the absorption of as much as 101,000 tons of rice, in 2012 to 108,000 tons, and in 2013 amounted to 189 000 tonnes.Alip added, Bulog’s rice procurement Jabar Division obtained from the small rice procurement partners from all regions of West Java. In addition, procurement of rice Bulog Jabar Division also obtained from Grain and Rice Management Unit and Task Force (Task Force) in the region of West Java Rice.
President's Trade Agenda Under the Microscope on Capitol Hill Ambassador Froman WASHINGTON, DC -- This afternoon, United States Trade Representative Michael Froman testified before the Senate Finance Committee. In his remarks, Ambassador Froman noted the important role of opening markets for "Made in America" exports while fully enforcing our trade laws and rights.During the hearing, Senators addressed a range of issues from Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and currency manipulation. With respect to the TPP negotiations, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) asked if the Ambassador could provide an update on President Obama's negotiations with Prime Minister Abe during their meeting in Japan last week. Ambassador Froman said the two men have, "identified a path forward for agriculture products and automotives in Japan, which will allow for continued momentum to the TPP negotiations."
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"The USA Rice Federation appreciates the many days and hours put in by Ambassador Froman and his staff to improve access for U.S. rice in Japan," said Bob Cummings, USA Rice COO. "It's good to have a path forward, but we need to see concrete offers from Japan about how the quantity and quality of U.S. rice access will improve significantly in TPP, and we continue to work with USTR to this end."In closing, Chairman Wyden noted the importance of trade enforcement, saying, "We (the United States) honor our trade agreements, but our partners don't necessarily do the same." The Chairman asked that the Ambassador commit to monitor and enforce existing trade agreements while also seeking new opportunities to grow access for U.S. goods. Contact: Lauren Echols, (703) 236-1440
New Consumer Recipe Contest Launched ARLINGTON, VA -- USA Rice Federation and the California Wild Rice Advisory Board (CWRAB) launched "Explore the Wild - Rice Recipe Contest" today. The contest encourages consumers to cook with U.S.-grown wil and regular rice to create an innovative, delicious, and easy-to-prepare dish.To enter the contest, consumers submit original recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes using U.S.-grown wild rice blends. Three winners will receive gift cards and Aroma rice cookers, and their recipes will be published on the USA Rice and CWRABwebsites. The thirty-one day contest will conclude on May 31and winners will be announced June 9. The contest will be publicized on social media outlets throughout the month and in a USA Rice consumer e-newsletter.
Contact: Katie Maher, (703) 236-1453
Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 11,800 MT for 2013/2014 were down 83 percent from the previous week and 79 percent from the prior four-week average, according to today'sSales Export Highlights report. Increases were reported for Haiti (6,300 MT), Canada (1,800 MT), Saudi Arabia (600 MT), Honduras (500 MT), and Japan (400 MT). Exports of 56,000 MT were down 18 percent from the previous week, but up 10 percent from the prior four-week average. The primary destinations were Japan (13,000 MT), Costa Rica (10,700 MT), Haiti (6,300 MT), Honduras (6,100 MT), and Mexico (4,500 MT).This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period April 11-17.
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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for May 1
Month
Price
Net Change
May 2014
$15.645
+ $0.030
July 2014
$15.515
- $0.040
September 2014
$14.540
- $0.030
November 2014
$14.645
- $0.045
January 2015
$14.830
- $0.045
March 2015
$15.005
- $0.045
May 2015
$15.005
- $0.045
FAO AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION EXPLORING FUTURE OF FOOD Workers harvest celery near Greenfield, California, in the United States, from the May issue of National Geographic magazine.30 April 2014, Rome – The National Geographic Society and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are teaming up to raise awareness on food and agriculture issues as National Geographic, a U.S.-based nonprofit institution, begins an eight-month, in-depth report on food issues starting with a May cover story in National Geographic magazine and online at NatGeoFood.com.The official launch of the collaboration will be marked by a three-day event taking place 2-4 May 2014 at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., beginning May 2 with an afternoon panel discussion, Food:
A Forum, which will highlight issues of food security and sustainability. The event will be live-streamed at NatGeoFood.com.The panel discussion will be followed by a two-day Future of Food Hackathon May 3 and 4,
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during which scientists, data journalists and programmers will develop apps and tools to address solutions for feeding the planet by exploring broad FAO data sets that shed light on food distribution, transportation, costs and environmental legacy over the last 50 years. From May through December, FAO experts will provide perspective and data for National Geographic’s food coverage, which includes in-depth articles in the magazine each month and additional features on the NatGeoFood.com website. Both organizations will share content and participate in related events to help educate and promote awareness about hunger and nutrition.Among the themes that will be addressed are food and agricultural statistics and trends, feeding megacities in a world of changing demographics, reducing food loss and waste, the role of animal and insect protein in diets, and global forestry issues. “Combining FAO’s specialized expertise with National Geographic’s 126 years of award-winning photography and reporting is very exciting, and this agreement will help bring up-to-date information about hunger and nutrition challenges and solutions to a very wide public audience,” said Mehdi Drissi, FAO Chief of Media Relations.National Geographic magazine, the Society’s official journal, is read by more than 60 million people each month in 40 languages, while the Society’s digital media receives more than 27 million visitors a month.“Reporting on food is a natural extension of our coverage of water, population and environmental issues,” said Chris Johns, editor in chief of National Geographic magazine. “We believe offering clear-eyed information about issues surrounding this essential topic is an important service to our audiences, and we are thrilled to partner with FAO, an organization that is on the front lines working in this area.
”The two organizations plan to collaborate on a number of initiatives throughout the year, including the Committee on World Food Security (13-18 October 2014), World Food Day (16 October 2014), the Second International Conference on Nutrition (19-21 November 2014) and the International Year of Family Farming that runs throughout 2014.National Geographic editorial staff met with senior FAO experts in Rome in February to gather information for the series and develop a framework of collaboration that will be formalised with the signing of a memorandum of understanding later this year.The Future of Food series is the latest in a number of large-scale National Geographic investigations that have included energy, climate, water and population.
Basmati exports losing aroma as Iran goes high on curbs Sandip Das | New Delhi | Updated: May 01 2014, 22:25 IST
Iran, the principal driver of India’s rice exports due to its population’s preference for the aromatic, long-grained basmati variety, has turned protectionist and clamped curbs on the import of the grain from India. With Tehran insisting that Indian exporters of basmati must get stamps of quality approval from a multiplicity of designated global agencies, the country’s basmati exports have slumped sharply since January 2014.India’s basmati exports to Iran, which in FY14 accounted for 40% of the its total exports of the speciality grain,
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dropped from 1.3 lakh tonne in January 2014 to 89,387 tonnes in February and further to 55,210 tonnes in March, as per data furnished by the All India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA).Basmati rice exports accounted for 70% of India’s total rice exports in FY14, at R28,187 crore.Sources in the commerce ministry told FE Iranian authorities have been asking India’s exporters since January 2014 to furnish a series of documents on the good agricultural practices (GAP), ISO 22000, which deals with food safety management and packaging protocols, besides the “non-genetically modified crop” certification. Iran, the sources added, has also revised the “accepted level” of arsenic in basmati rice from 150 ppm (parts per million) to 120 ppm and asked Indian exporters to put a tag on each pack of consignment for ensuring traceability in case aresenic content is found more than the specified limit.“We do not have any issue in meeting new Iranian
regulations, but getting certification for multiple agencies is time consuming. This has slowed down exports in the last few months,” said an official in the commerce ministry.Vijay Setia, former president of AIREA and a leading exporter of the basmati variety, said shipments to Iran were likely to decline marginally in the current year. “We are taking measures to reduce the arsenic content in our rice by educating farmers besides educating exporters about maintaining stringent quality norms,” he said.Meanwhile, the commerce ministry is learnt to have asked Iran to send a team of experts to inspect rice procurement and processing facilities in the country. The ministry expects this will help allay Iran’s apprehensions over the quality of Indian rice.“Iran is a key market for us, we want a single-window clearance for all the export shipments,” a Basmati rice exporter said. The last seven years have marked a watershed in India’s exports of basmati rice. From a modest Rs 2,792 crore in 2006-07, the exports have
U.S. Rice Fighting Competition in Mexico By Michael Klein, USA Rice Federation U.S. rice’s dominant position in Mexico is under attack and still at significant risk. The share of U.S. rice in Mexico’s total rice imports is now 89%, down from nearly 100% in 2010. The USA Rice Federation says that, according to Mexican import data, total U.S. rice exports to Mexico were reported at 183,952 MT during the 1st quarter of 2014. This is down 27% by volume from the same period one year earlier. The decreases were led by both paddy rice, (down 28.6%), and milled/parboiled rice, (down 12.2%). There were small increases recorded in “other” and “brown”.The slip in U.S. rice exports to Mexico can be attributed to three factors: (1) in 2008 Mexico suspended import duties on rice and other basic grains from all origins, eroding a NAFTA-based duty edge U.S. rice had enjoyed; (2) aggressive government support to producers in Vietnam and Thailand beyond what is allowed by the World Trade Organization, enabling rice from these origins to significantly undercut U.S. prices; and, (3) high quality rice from Uruguay and Asia is making inroads in the market.
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“Simply put, Vietnamese and Thai rice is seen by importers and traders as about the same quality as U.S. rice, but at a 17 percent discount when delivered to Mexico City wholesale markets,” said Marvin Lehrer, USA Rice’s Mexico representative.The dramatic fall of U.S. milled rice market share in Mexico is troubling. From a high of more than 97 percent in 2010, down to 51 percent in 2013, and only reaching 40.5 percent for the first three months of 2014, this is a struggling segment.Lehrer said Uruguayan milled rice has gained significant market share in recent years, and is clearly seen as the quality leader in Mexico, replacing the U.S.’s long held position.The major independent rice packer in Mexico, who positions his brand as the quality leader, now uses Uruguayan milled rice almost exclusively. He tells USA Rice that he consistently receives high quality rice from Uruguay, but cannot say the same about U.S. rice.Customers of Mexican millers are also beginning to more aggressively import milled rice directly, which has put a squeeze on Mexican millers, which in turn, pushes U.S. paddy sales down. Another threat to U.S. paddy sales is alternate origins, and while Lehrer says there is no shift yet, millers are reportedly seeking offers from Brazil. “Nobody can predict the future of rice exports to Mexico based only on the first three months of the year,” said Jim Guinn, USA Rice’s vice president of international promotion. “But the fact remains that the impact of Asian and South American rice is making a serious dent in both U.S. paddy and milled rice sales.”“Importers tell me they strongly prefer to buy from the United States,” said Lehrer. “It’s easier to deal with the U.S., there’s less transport time, they really know the people, and they are extended credit, but the numbers just don’t work for many against lower priced Asian rice.”Guinn says USA Rice is not taking these challenges lying down.He points to the ongoing efforts to improve the quality of U.S. long grain rice with the formation of a voluntary elite line evaluation protocol prior to commercial release. Just last week, a private breeder asked to submit the first elite line to undergo this evaluation by rice millers/quality evaluators. These evaluators will look at five of the most important quality criteria including chalk, kernel uniformity, and overall appearance – all issues that have been expressly raised in the Mexico market. The evaluation worksheet and protocol is available online.Guinn says USA Rice is also in regular direct contact with Mexican importers and relays concerns to major American exporters. To that end, he told USA Rice Daily that an important Mexican trader will be attending the USA Rice Millers’ Association annual meeting this summer, where he is expected to deliver messages directly to U.S. traders and millers.On the promotion side, Guinn says USA Rice works closely with the USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) and their partners in Mexico. Adjustments to USA Rice’s strategy and efforts are made in consultation with these thought leaders. In the coming year, USA Rice will focus very heavily on maintaining market share as opposed to just increasing demand. The focus will be on building brand loyalty to those brands that are 100% U.S. origin, whether milled in the U.S. or in Mexico. As part of this effort, USA Rice is registering a trademark that can be used on packages of 100% U.S. rice. This logo was developed in consultation with the two largest millers and importers of U.S. rice in Mexico who informed USA Rice that Mexican consumers have a high opinion of U.S.-grown rice, especially with regard to food safety.USA Rice has also identified production subsidies in Vietnam, Thailand, and India that appear to be well in excess of WTO commitments, as well as export subsidies that simply violate WTO rules. Guinn says USA Rice is vigorously pursuing remedies for these market distortion policies with U.S. policy makers.
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“We recognize the problem is both price and quality, and we know that there is no reversing the market liberalization undertaken by the Mexican government, and halting unfair subsidies is a long-term endeavor,” said Betsy Ward, USA Rice’s president and CEO. “It’s important for us to realize there is no silver bullet that will magically return the U.S. to its previous market dominance in the Mexican market, but addressing the quality issues head-on, building brand loyalty, and tackling unfair trade practices are three ways that the U.S. may be able to stem the tide.” Tags: mexico, Rice, rice exports, rice market, rice news, thailand, uruguay, usa rice federation, vietnam
Study to focus on rice genes, yield and climate ByKrishna Ramanujan
Cornell researchers received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study relationships among rice genetics, crop yields and climate.The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded 10 universities, including Cornell, a total of $6 million April 22 to research the effects of changing climate on agriculture production and to develop strategies and solutions for farmers and ranchers to supply the nation’s food. At Cornell, researchers in the lab of principal investigator Susan McCouch, professor of plant breeding and genetics and of plant biology, and colleagues from climate science, agricultural economics and crop physiology, will use an interdisciplinary approach to address fundamental questions to improve rice production and breeding under climate variability.The researchers will incorporate data into a new computer model developed by Joshua Woodard, assistant professor of applied economics and management at Cornell and project co-principal investigator, to determine associations between rice genome regions related to yield, real market data and different weather parameters.Information of rice yields was obtained from real USDA market data over the last 40 years, which provide details of rice variety acreage per county and county-level yields .“We have access to those [rice] varieties, and we are looking at the genetics of each variety that was planted over the last 40 years,” said Diane Wang, a graduate student in McCouch’s lab who manages the project and will use the results to inform her doctoral thesis.These data will be combined with monthly weather station data of temperatures and precipitation in areas where the rice varieties were planted. This is the first time that real market data, as opposed to experimental data, have been used to model the relationship among genetic variation, yield and weather.The researchers hope to gain insights on rice genes that provide resilience in the face of climate changes, which could help breeders develop new varieties.Results from this study may have wider implications for new strategies to study the relationship between genomic signatures and climate resilience in other major cereal crops, such as maize and wheat, Wang said.David Lobell, assistant professor of
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environmental earth system science at Stanford University; Anna McClung, research leader at the USDA Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Ark.; and Lew Ziska, USDA plant physiologist in Beltsville, Md., also serve as co-principal investigators.
Asian groups back PHL farmers’ call to stop ‘Golden Rice’ commercialization Category: Agri-Commodities 30 Apr 2014 Written by Jonathan L. MayugaFILIPINO farmers opposed to the commercialization of the genetically modified (GM) “Golden Rice” in the Philippines have found a strong ally in their Asian neighbors.Members of regional networks including the Asian Peasant Coalition, Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (PAN-AP), GRAIN and World Network joined members of the farmer-scientist group Masipag and other groups at a news conference on Wednesday in Quezon City to reiterate the call to stop the field trials of the genetically engineered rice variety.The commercialization of Golden Rice, they said, will decimate indigenous rice-genetic diversity and affect farmers’ rights, people’s health and the environment.Golden Rice, a transgenic rice containing beta, is being eyed as the solution to vitamin-A deficiency (VAD).Proponents of the Golden Rice project in the Philippines led by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) have completed the multilocation field trials and are now in the process of collating the data for regulatory approval. After the regulatory approval, feed testing on people will commence. The target is to commercialize Golden Rice by 2016.Golden Rice is also being field tested in contained areas in Indonesia and Bangladesh.Opponents of Golden Rice cited issues on rice genetic-diversity loss, farmer rights, environmental effects, and health impacts as the reasons to scrap the project altogether.Dr. Chito Medina, national coordinator of Masipag, said the threat to control rice and agriculture by an agriculture transnational corporation (TNC) is very real.“Farmers have much to lose once Golden Rice contaminates their fields. IRRI, the Agrochemical TNCs and PhilRice should be held accountable to the people for deliberately exposing the people to harm, privatizing the seeds and contaminating the rice fields and environment. We should all unite to stop the commercialization of Golden Rice,” he said.“Our rights for deciding on the kind of seeds that we use, and the way we use them, are being threatened by the genetic modification of rice, our saple food here in Asia,” said Diego de la Cruz Jr., a farmer and rice breeder of Masipag based in Agusan del Sur, Mindanao.
Farmers from India also share the sentiment.“Farmers in India who planted Bt cotton have suffered. They have become more indebted, in some cases leading to suicides, because of the rising cost of inputs associated with GM cotton. Pest resistance to Bt cotton has developed and farmers cannot find non-GM cotton seeds in the market. As of now, about 96 percent of all cotton is Bt, of which 90 percent is owned by Monsanto. We fear
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that with Golden Rice, rice farmers will face similar consequences,” Sreedevi Lakshmi Kutty of Save Our Rice Campaign India said.Farmers in Indonesia also see Golden Rice as a tool for increased control of food production by transnational agribusiness, said Budianto of Aiansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria.Sarojeni Rengam of the PAN-AP said agrochemical TNCs promoting deadly pesticides are the same companies pushing for the development of GMOs and Golden Rice.“Once Golden Rice gets approved, this will also solidify the corporate ownership on seed patent. Irri is now the conduit of agrochemical TNCs to pursue their commercial interests on the rice industry. It is not true that Golden Rice is to be used for humanitarian grounds,” Rengam said.Masipag said there is still lack of studies that will ensure the safety of Golden Rice to health and environment.
The group claimed there exists a body of scientific literature to indicate unforeseen and unpredictable, irreversible harm to agroecosystems and human health.“While there were feeding trials done among school-age children in China, these generated public anxiety about the long-term potential harm to the children’s health and controversy over research ethics and biosafety rules,” the group said.Dr. Debal Deb, a rice conservationist and scientist in India, said transgenes from GM rice are almost certain to cause genetic pollution of local rice varieties through cross pollination, with unknown ecological effects.Deb said errors in expression of the alien gene, especially overexpression of the gene and co-suppression of several native genes, production of hitherto unknown proteins, and unpredictable combinations of various gene products are common phenomena in GM plants, and likely to show up in Golden Rice as well, they said.Uncertainties at the cellular and molecular levels entail effects on the rice ecosystem and the health of human consumers. In particular, likely production of retinoic acid and its derivatives would affect many biochemical pathways involved in embryonic development
.In the event of overexpression of the beta-carotene gene, people may consume excessive vitamin A, causing vitaminosis A and teratogenesis, he said.Dr. Gene Nisperos of Health Alliance for Democracy and Deb also mentioned that availability and access to vitamin A alone could not solve the problem of VAD.They said vitamin assimilation requires adequate amounts of zinc and fats in the food, and absence of water-borne enteric diseases. Thus, solving the VAD requires a holistic public-health approach, instead of a magic bullet from costly technology.Bert Autor of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bicol and spokesman of SIKWAL-GMO, an alliance of farmers and organizations against GMOs in Bicol, said the open field testing of Golden Rice puts the health of people at risk.
Government to purchase paddy directly from farmers Bangalore, Apr 30, 2014, DHNS :
The State government has decided not to depend much on the levy policy for rice procurement and instead buy paddy directly from the farmers for supplying rice under the public distribution system. Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Food and Civil Supplies minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that procuring paddy directly and getting it milled from rice millers will not only help farmers, but also save
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transportation cost for the department. owever, it will be made mandatory for millers to mill certain quantity of paddy in a year under the PDS, he added. Permission sought The government, therefore, has sought the Centre’s permission to allow it to amend the Rice Milling Industry Regulation and Licensing rules, 1959. If permitted, the government will have the power to fix the levy target every year, based on the demand and also make millers mill paddy for the PDS, the minister said.Under the current levy policy, the levy target is fixed by the Centre (33 per cent). But, rice millers are finding it difficult to comply with the policy mandate. Most of the times, the millers supply less than the stipulated target to the State government. Hence, the government has sought to amend the policy, sources said.Asked whether the government is planning to do away with the levy policy, the minister said: “It is not a good policy. It might have worked in the past. But it is not relevant now.” Budget canteen When asked about the proposal to start budget canteens, the minister said that the department was working on it. “The department is yet to decide whether to run the canteens on its own or outsource it. Besides, talks are still going on with non-governmental organisations like Iskcon in this regard.” Budget canteens, being planned on the lines of Amma canteens of the Tamil Nadu government, envisage providing lunch to the needy at an affordable price. The plan is to start the canteens on a pilot basis either in Bangalore or Mysore, the minister said.
Rice should get more money than sugar APRIL 30, 2014 · BY STAFF WRITER
Dear Editor, Over the years I observed that the government has been bailing out rice millers with large sums of money to pay rice farmers, although there was a EU facility which was set up for millers to access loans at Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry.The finance under the EU facility could be utilized for working capital by millers and exporters ($420M) and as revolving loans for input suppliers ($300M); the purchase of machinery and equipment related to rice production ($200M) and rice milling ($300M). For rice producers there was $437.5M for the rehabilitation and expansion of facilities related to rice production and milling. In total the fund
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amounted to $1657.5M or €6.5M.Farmers want to know if these loans are still active at GBTI and how much of this money was utilized by millers, exporters and rice farmers in achieving and sustaining production. I have witnessed over the last decade billions invested by millers to upgrade their mills, warehouses, laboratories dryers and seen improved efficiency using modern technologies, while farmers have not been paid for years. The government, mindful of the industry, announced in the 2014 Budget that it would inject G$500M towards funding crucial research and subsidizing fertilizers to assist farmers.Although this is a good move, I’m not very optimistic that this fund will filter down to the ordinary rice farmers. The goal should be an investment fund, offering loans at below market rates to small and medium-size farmers and to promote a well-capitalized and efficient industry. Training and education are important in helping farmers to adopt new technologies in rice production, and projects and programmes to support extension services which have disappeared over the years.Indeed, the industry continues to play no small role in feeding the Guyanese population; its multifaceted role in the country’s economy touches every citizen. Through rice, the economy secures a sizeable part of the country’s foreign exchange and should receive more money than the failing sugar industry, Yours faithfully, Mohamed Khan
SC refuses to order release of nearly 300k sacks of ‘smuggled’ rice By MARK D. MERUEÑAS, GMA NewsMay 1, 2014 12:20pm
Tags: Supreme Court
Nearly 300,000 bags of alleged smuggled rice seized late last year by the Bureau of Customs will remain locked up in a warehouse under government custody, even if the goods are "perishable."In a resolution, the Supreme Court denied separate "urgent motions and/or manifestations" filed by rice traders Joseph Ngo, Danilo Galang and Ivy Souza asking that the rice shipments be immediately released as these are "highly perishable. "The importers offered to post a bond equivalent to the value of the rice shipments as assessed by the Customs bureau, and to pay the tariff rate of 50 percent for out-quota rice importations and other BOC-imposed fees, charges and assessments.But still, the high tribunal denied the rice traders' request, saying: "(The BOC) may proceed, as it may deem proper to the best advantage, of the government, and undertake such procedures with regard to the subject rice shipments in its custody pursuant to the Tariff and Customs Code.""The court now
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cannot, with stronger reason, allow the release of the rice shipments to the said respondents because the Office of the Solicitor General disputes their ownership of the same," the high court added.Ngo purchased 91,800 bags of imported rice from Starcraft International Trading Corp. The BOC, however, prevented the release of the shipment to Ngo, saying it was imported without a permit from the National Food Authority.The rice shipments arrived in October and November last year from Thailand and Singapore. Alert orders were issued against the shipments, and the BOC's district collector in Davao issued a halt order on November 5, 2013.Ngo, however, asked and was able to secure an injunction from a Davao court, giving him rights over the rice shipments once more. He had argued that since the "Special Treatment of Rice Importation" has already expired, quantitative restrictions such as requiring an import permit may no longer be imposed.Meanwhile, 189,540 rice bags purchased by Galang of St. Hildegard Grains Enterprises and Souza of Bold Bidder Marketing and General Merchandise were seized by Customs agents last year, also for not having the necessary import permit.Like Ngo, the two rice traders were also able to secure an injunction from a Manila court by virtue of several resolutions issued last January and February.The orders restrained the BOC and the district collectors for the ports of Manila, North Harbor (Manila International Container Port) and South Harbor from "alerting, seizing, and holding" the rice shipments, including those imported by Bold Bidder Marketing and General Merchandise – which the government insisted was not even a party to the case. The Department of Agriculture, through Secretary Proceso Alcala, who is also chair of the National Food Authority, and the BOC elevated the matter to the Supreme Court which issued separate temporary restraining orders in February and March against the court injunctions.Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, the BOC and the Agriculture Department have already asked the SC to validate an NFA memorandum circular and an NFA Council resolution requiring import permits when importing rice despite a June 30, 2012 World Trade Organization ruling that lifted the quantitative restrictions on rice. — LBG, GMA News
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