20th August, 2014
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TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU Latest News Headlines…
Rice and Ducks Conservation Fundraising Campaign Underway Jindal Announces Appointments to Louisiana Rice Promotion and Research Boards GMO rice, corn biosafety research certificates taken off the table by China Ministry of Agriculture John Compton -- keeping rice production simple Economists Say South Asia Will Pay ‘Prohibitively High’ Price for Climate Change Super-futuristic Hong Kong skyscraper is topped with rice paddy China pulls plug on genetically modified rice and corn PH rice varieties now able to endure drought, flood The two faces of rice prices Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Aug 21 Floods take a toll on paddy cultivation Rice quota to EU set at 768 tonnes for Sept Guyana To Supply 5,000 Tonnes Of Rice Per Month To Panama Haryana paddy processors want milling procedures streamlined Funding agricultural research: What does success look like? Wholesale rice price control likely to be imposed. Californian research yields cattle feed from rice straw
NEWS DETAILS: Rice and Ducks Conservation Fundraising Campaign Underway ARLINGTON, VA -- A massive fundraising effort has begun for the unique and groundbreaking multi-state conservation proposal from the USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited. The USA Rice Daily reported earlier this month that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) selected the proposal to advance to the next stage, along with 230 other proposals ("USA Rice Federation - Ducks Unlimited Conservation Proposal Clears Major Hurdle" USA Rice Daily, August 4, 2014). Now, according to the organizations, the hard part begins.
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"The successful conservation programs that will ultimately be chosen and funded by the NRCS are going to have to demonstrate a great deal of industry support and buy in," said Jeff Durand, a Louisiana rice farmer and co-chairman of the USA Rice-DU Stewardship Partnership Committee. "We are asking for $20 million for our program from the agency, and we committed to raise $8 million in cash and in-kind contributions from industry, allied companies, and other interests."Durand says support for the USA Rice-DU program will pay excellent dividends over both the long and short term. "We know what's good for rice is good for ducks and vice versa," he said. "But what's good for both of them, is also good for the environment as a whole. The critical habitat U.S. rice farms provide for waterfowl and other species is valued at more than $3.5 billion to replace. And today, rice farmers are bearing about $70 million in wetland maintenance and upkeep costs that a lot of people take for granted."USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited are sending out fundraising letters and asking their member organizations to do the same - to customers, end users, and allied groups to support the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) proposal.Created by the Farm Bill, the RCPPs will fund conservation partners who can increase the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife, and related natural resources on regional or watershed scales. "There are many worthy conservation projects out there, but given the geographic scope of ours, and the enormous return on investment we're offering, I think our proposal stands out," said Al Montna, a California rice farmer, DU Board member, and the other co-chair of the Stewardship Partnership Committee. "Our proposal's three priority-resource concerns in order are: water quantity, water quality, and wildlife habitat. If those are important to you, you should get on board with our proposal."People interested in learning more can contact DU's Scott Manley at (601) 956-1936 or USA Rice's Reece Langley at (703) 236-1471, or download a copy of the fundraising letter and pledge form.In addition to the above national rice proejct, there is also a California rice-specific RCPP and a southwest Louisiana rice-specific RCPP being developed. For more information on these contact Paul Buttner with the California Rice Commission at pbuttner@calrice.org (916206-5340) or Alicia Wiseman with Louisiana Ducks Unlimited at awiseman@ducks.org (337-408-3288). Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
Jindal Announces Appointments to Louisiana Rice Promotion and Research Boards Kevin Berken BATON ROUGE, LA -- Governor Bobby Jindal has announced appointments to the 11-member Louisiana Rice Promotion Board that oversees the annual allocation of rice promotion check-off funds, and the 15-member Louisiana Rice Research Board. Recently passed legislation corrected constitutional issues in the state's rice promotion and research
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check-off statutes. The legislation, which had industry-wide support, passed without opposition in the legislature and was signed into law by Governor Jindal.
As a result, a seat was added on both boards for the Commissioner of Agriculture or his designee, along with one additional seat.Designated state organizations make nominations for all seats on both boards, except the commissioner or his designee, which are filled by gubernatorial appointments, subject to Senate confirmation."I want to thank Governor Jindal for making appointments expeditiously and welcome each appointee," said Louisiana Rice Promotion Board Chairman Kevin Berken, a rice farmer from Lake Arthur. "I look forward to our work together on behalf of Louisiana's rice industry."
For a complete list of the governor's Promotion Board appointments, click here. Research board appointments are here.
GMO rice, corn biosafety research certificates taken off the table by China Ministry of Agriculture Aug 20, 2014 09:29 PM EDT Dan Weisman |
China agriculture officials increasingly concerned about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, have declined to renew biosafety certificates for GMO rice and a variety of GMO corn grown for research purposes. Officials didn't explain reasons for their decision.Permits to grow a transgenic corn type and two GMO varieties of rice expired on Aug. 17.
The decision by the Ministry of Agriculture to allow these GMO permits to lapse calls into question the future of some GMO crops and research in China.The decision followed a ruling two weeks ago to ban GMO corn from the U.S. used in chicken and hog feed along with ethanol production. The US National Grain and Feed Association said that ban could cost American farmers more than USD$3 billion in future sales.China only
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recently started banning GMO products. Previously, Chinese agriculture officials had been viewed as favorable to GMO production.
When GMO research corn was approved five years ago this month, officials expressed enthusiasm.Nonrenewed GMO rice permits were in play for five years at Wuhan's Huazhong Agricultural University. Researchers were allowed to test GMO rice with Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, genes designed to ward off pests.The banned GMO corn variety was being tested by Beijing's Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Biotechnology Institute. Researchers modified corn with phytase. This is an additive to livestock feed increasing the amount of phosphorous absorbed by cattle enabling them to grow faster and larger. However, the ban didn't extend to Bt corn, which the government continues to support in research settings.
The five year certificates were issued at a time when opposition to GMO seeds and genetic alterations to crops was just beginning to take shape. Public distaste for use of these crop alterations has grown exponentially during that period, acording to analysts.Environmental activists applauded the decision. Wang Jing, a Beijing Greenpeace official,told ScienceInsider GMO research permits were loopholes now closed due to public concern over food safety.Some analysts pointed to the decision as economically based.
They said China has become self-sufficient producing rice without GMO alterations, so decided it didn't need to keep going with GMO research or production.Huang Jikun, head of the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy at China's Academy of Sciences, said research wasn't deemed important since GMO alterations for commercial rice and corn production wasn't going to be approved. Cao Cong, a China policy analyst at Britain's Nottingham University said the decision was a win for anti-GMO forces.
Image: (Photo : Reuters) Rice and corn are going to be grown the old-fashioned-way GMO-free, for now, in China
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John Compton -- keeping rice production simple Aug 11, 2014Elton Robinson
John Compton found out quickly after he started farming -- it was in his blood all along. Jennings, La., farmer John Compton has doubled the size of his operation since he began farming in 2011 by keeping it simple, he says.
Louisiana rice crop ‘late, uneven,’ LSU AgCenter specialist says
John Compton had pretty much written off a career in farming, despite having grown up on his father’s rice operation near Jennings, La. But after earning an advanced degree in environmental science and embarking on a career in compliance permitting for the Louisiana oil industry, he began to wonder – was farming still in his blood? Stay current on what’s happening in Mid-South agriculture: Subscribe to Delta Farm Press Daily. One fall afternoon in 2010, after a day of harvesting on the Compton family farm, he got the chance to find out. That evening, Compton’s uncle, who farmed in partnership with Compton’s father, Tom, told his brother he planned to retire. Later, the younger Compton, who was helping the farm gather the harvest that fall, went to his father about getting back into farming full-time. They worked out an agreement for two separate operations, with separate equipment, but with father and son working them as one team. To get started, Compton took advantage of the Farm Service Agency’s Beginning Farmer & Rancher Loan Program to finance the 2011 crop and used perks for young and beginning farmers through USDA’s EQIP program to implement several conservation practices on his farm.The last four crop years have been fast and furious for Compton, but there have been few regrets. He’s grown his operation from 450 acres to 750 acres and added 250 acres of crawfish.
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Economists Say South Asia Will Pay ‘Prohibitively High’ Price for Climate Change South Asia—with so much of its population destitute and dependent on the land for their livelihoods—stands to suffer ―severe‖ economic and physical consequences from climate change, according to a report released today by the Asian Development Bank. If current trends in world-wide carbon-dioxide emissions continue unabated, climate change could depress the combined annual gross domestic product of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka by 1.8% each year by 2050, economists Mahfuz Ahmed and Suphachol Suphachalasai estimate in the ADB report. After that, the yearly cost to the region is expected to increase, reaching a ―prohibitively high‖ 8.8% of GDP by 2100. Agriculture will be a big source of economic vulnerability. Climate change threatens to reduce crop yields and increase the likelihood of crop failures. Messrs. Ahmed and Suphachol also tabulate the costs resulting from disrupted supplies of hydroelectric and thermal power, loss of land in coastal communities—and, in Bangladesh, damage to the mangrove forests on which the country’s fishing industry depends.The main driver of ecological change in the economists’ assessments—which are based on widely cited climate projections in a 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change —is higher air temperatures. Calculations based on the IPCC projections suggest warming will continue over the next few decades, with the potential for a dramatic spike in the 2080s that could send temperatures 4-5° Celsius (7.2-9° Fahrenheit) above where they were in 2026.That would affect the magnitude and distribution of rainfall, the report says. Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka would see more rain. India would see less, with northern and northwestern states suffering the most. Demand for water in the country is expected to fall short of supply by 300 billion cubic meters by the 2030s and 400 billion cubic meters by the 2050s.In the Himalayas, higher air temperatures are projected to cause the total surface area of glaciers across the Tibetan Plateau to shrink by 80% between 1995 and 2030. Glacial melt has already spawned high-altitude lakes that are prone to breach without warning, causing floods downstream with growing frequency. Greater flooding and erosion would put mountainous areas of Bhutan, India and Nepal at further risk of landslides, already all-too-frequent in that part of the region.As glaciers
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and ice sheets melt around the world, South Asia is also projected to experience higher sea-level rises than the global average. A one-meter increase in the sea level would devastate the low-lying river deltas of Bangladesh, temporarily inundating more than 14% of the area of the capital, Dhaka, and affecting more than 30% of the city’s population. In the Maldives, more than 80% of the archipelago’s total land area is less than one meter above sea level. Coastal India would also be hit hard: The western state of Gujarat would suffer the largest share of its land being inundated from a one-meter rise, while West Bengal would see the largest portion of its population— more than 10%—being affected, according to Messrs. Ahmed and Suphachol’s estimates.The economists offer suggestions for improving the region’s ―adaptive capacity,‖ or ability to adjust economically and socially to changes in the ecosystem. Their estimated yearly price tag for diversifying agriculture, erecting flood- and erosion-resistant infrastructure, and making other climate-proofing investments: 0.86% of GDP by 2050.The projected costs of inaction are also high. Ultimately, it isn’t geography or ecology alone that makes so many people in South Asia so vulnerable to serious climate-induced calamity. Malnourishment, low levels of education, poor infrastructure, weak local government and a lack of productive activities outside of farming make even small fluctuations in climate potentially disastrous to an area’s economy.Hence the higher potential economic fallout for South Asia compared to Southeast Asia, where a 2009 ADB study put total climate-change-related costs at 6.7% of GDP by 2100. In East Asia, the estimate is 5.3% of GDP, according to a 2013 ADB study.―There, the ability to adapt—and the kinds of programs they could put together—is much bigger,‖ said Bindu Lohani, a vice president at the ADB. ―For this reason, we need more focus and, I would say, even more resources for adaptation [in South Asia].‖ Photo: Flood waters in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka in July 2009.Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Super-futuristic Hong Kong skyscraper is topped with rice paddy Uncle Ben meets 'Blade Runner' in this wild vertical farming concept that also incorporates aquaculture, wind energy and 'algae facades.' Tue, Aug 19, 2014 at 02:57 PM
Renderings: Studio CTC via Designboom Towering edifices that incorporate agriculture — farmscrapers, if you will — make for solid gold in the eye-popping conceptual design imagery department. Wild and wonderful in concept, these plant-studded structures present a somewhat sobering glimpse into a land-starved future where there’s nowhere for commercial food production to go
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but up.When it comes to multitasking, an aggressively idiosyncratic conceptual skyscraper from Mexico Citybased Studio Cachoua Torres Camilletti (CTC) blows other visionary vertical farming proposals out of the water and then some.
The World Architecture Festival-shortlisted proposal, simply titled “Hong Kong Skyscraper,” incorporates housing, commerce, cultural programming, public transit, rainwater harvesting, renewable energy production, and fish farming into a giant, plantclad package that looms precariously above the Hong Kong skyline.Front and center, however, is Hong Kong Skyscraper’s futuristic presentation of the terraced paddy field, a staple of rice cultivation that's been a familiar sight in mountainous areas of China and Southeast Asia for thousands of years.The reason that Studio CTC opted for rice over other, perhaps more skyscraper-friendly crops?
Rice terraces have an important semiotic and symbolic significance in the culture of countries such as China and the Philippines, and they are cultivated by the need to sow seeds vertically. Throughout history, they have been carved by hand into mountains high above the sea as emphasized contours with built-in irrigation systems. In addition to the formal beauty of these spaces, they are a living example of the respectful change of nature by humans, who do not pose any environmental aggressio n, and are ultimately both respectful of nature and of man. Studio CTC finds such richness of the meanings and interactions that it was decided that rice should be the crop of choice for the skyscraper.A grain-centric ―urban agriculture system‖ modeled after the traditional rice paddy can be found atop the larger of the bisected building’s dual rooftops (the other is home to a helipad).
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As you can see, the volume — designed as an attempt to ―envision what a tower should be in the future era‖ while ―letting go of many ingrained preconceptions about the way buildings should be designed‖ — is not-so-neatly split down the middle; the two halves are connected/supported by a network of angled struts along with several transparent bridges that will accommodate rail and bus traffic.Writing for CityLab, John Metcalfe notes th at it would appear the two halves of the "extremely mixed-use" skyscraper, each dripping with vegetation, are posed to ―attack each other‖ in the renderings. It’s a fantastic observation — the larger tower with the rice paddy up top truly appears to be hunched over and ready to lunge at its less top-heavy counterpart — and if this was Tokyo, not Hong Kong, one could easily surmise that Studio CTC has birthed sustainable architecture’s very own dueling daikaiju. Just don't forget to eat up before running for your life ....
China pulls plug on genetically modified rice and corn Email Dennis,By Dennis Normile 20 August 2014 9:45 am China’s Ministry of Agriculture has decided not to renew biosafety certificates that allowed research groups to grow genetically modified (GM) rice and corn. The permits, to grow two varieties of GM rice and one transgenic corn strain, expired on 17 August. The reasoning behind the move is not clear, and it has raised questions about the future of related research in China.The ministry, with much fanfare, had approved the GM rice certificates in August 2009. The permits enabled a group at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan to produce two varieties of rice carrying a gene from the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
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bacteria that provides pest resistance. At the same time, the ministry approved production of a corn strain developed by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Biotechnology Research Institute in Beijing. Researchers had altered the corn so that kernels contain phytase, a livestock feed additive that boosts absorption of phosphorus, which enhances growth. All of the certificates were valid for 5 years.
Since the certificates were issued, however, public skepticism about the benefits of GM crops has grown in China. Some scientists conducting GM plant research have been attacked when giving public lectures. Why the ministry allowed the certificates to lapse is in dispute. Some environmentalists say public worries about GM crops played a decisive role. "We believe that loopholes in assessing and monitoring [GM] research, as well as the public concern around safety issues are the most important reasons that the certifications have not been renewed," writes Wang Jing, a Greenpeace official based in Beijing, in an e-mail to ScienceInsider. Others believe agricultural economics also influenced the decision. China has nearly reached self-sufficiency in producing rice using conventional varieties, so the ministry has decided there is no need to commercialize Bt rice in the near future, says Huang Jikun, director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy. He says that with commercialization off the table, there was no point in renewing the certifications. Huang says "rising public concerns [about the] safety of GM rice" likely also played a role. Whatever the reason, the decision marks an abrupt change in fortunes for transgenic rice in China. Five years ago, "China was widely expected to soon put GM rice on the country’s dining tables," wrote Cao Cong, a China policy expert at University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, in a post on The Conversation, an Australian website. The Bt rice project "is now to all intents and purposes dead and buried," he wrote, blaming an "antiGM movement whose power and influence are more than matched by its fervour and sheer, undiluted paranoia."Huang says this decision does not reflect a change in China’s overall policy regarding agricultural biotechnology. The government is increasing its support for Bt corn research, other specialists note; GM corn has faced less public opposition, in part because it is primarily fed to livestock.The researchers behind the affected GM crops could not be reached for comment.
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Posted in Asia/Pacific, Biology, Environment, Policy, Technology Image: Rice terraces in China
PH rice varieties now able to endure drought, flood Manila Bulletin – Wed, Aug 20, 2014 Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija — Rice varieties produced in the Philippines have become flexible, adopting to climate change and withstanding the production perils brought about by drought, flood and salinity, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said yesterday.Dr. Eufemio Rasco Jr., PhilRice executive director, said while it is true that certain areas are more suitable for rice, the staple can actually be planted in areas not traditionally planted.―Recent researches have shown that rice has grown in areas where there is prolonged drought, in flood-prone areas and with high salinity. And so, rice has become a very flexible crop. It can adopt to climate change and all that,‖ he said.He said PhilRice is also currently working on varieties that can survive a temperature of 37-degree Celsius, among other breakthroughs.Rasco stressed that in the midst of the abnormal weather patterns that threaten rice production, flexibility is one character that makes rice stand out as a living organism.Of the existing crops, he said rice is the most disaster-resilient commodity, thanks to appropriate technologies, interventions and environments.―Rice can actually survive disasters. We just need more R&D (research and development) to continue to improve our outputs and bring technologies to farmer. Matching these technologies to suitable environments is the key,‖ Rasco said.He said natural calamities experienced in the country only become a constraint due to lack of efficient infrastructure, specifically shipping which, according to him, is still very primitive, unreliable, and costly.―Our neighboring countries have also had their share of floods, drought, pests, among other challenges that confronted their rice production. But they managed to move on because of consistent government intervention,‖ he said. He said the Palayabangan challenge participated by individual farmers, private companies, and PhilRice showed that yields of 10 tons per hectare at a cost of less than P5 per kilogram during the dry season and 7 tons/ha at P7/kg during the wet season is attainable. This is competitive with that of the world`s most efficient rice producers like China and India.Rasco said it is possible for other farmers to attain such yields.―There are
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actually a wide range of options our farmers can resort into, if we push for exploring our rice environment. Featuring rice as the main crop supports other major needs of the country such as energy, feed, and raw materials for industries,‖ Rasco said.Studies at PhilRice proved that the rice environment can sustain other crops (e.g. mungbean and vegetables), poultry, livestock, and even fish.
The two faces of rice prices Category: Agri-Commodities 20 Aug 2014 IN the wake of the world food price crisis of 2007 to 2008, the consensus view is that, because of several trends (climate change, biofuels, scarcity of land and water, increased consumption of meat), we are entering a new era in which food prices will be higher. How has this played out so far in the case of rice? Certainly, world market rice prices have increased. The price of Thai 5-percent broken milled rice was 56-percent higher in 2013 than in 2007. But, this is misleading because, after adjusting for inflation, the price of Thai 5-percent broken rice increased by just 39 percent during that time. More important, Thailand is no longer the center of the world rice market, and prices from other sources have increased by much less. In real terms, the price of Vietnamese 5-percent broken rice increased by just 11 percent over the same interval, and the prices of 25-percent broken rice from India and Pakistan increased by 24 percent and 14 percent, respectively. But even these numbers overstate the extent of effective changes in world prices, because the currencies of most Asian countries appreciated in real terms vis-Ă -vis the US dollar by 10 percent to 20 percent during this time, thus mitigating the extent of the world price increase. When real exchange rates appreciate, that means it is cheaper to buy products on the world market in local currency. Thus, for all large Asian developing countries, the opportunity cost of Vietnamese rice in real local currency terms in 2013 (i.e., after adjusting for inflation and real exchange rate appreciation) was about equal to or lower than it was in 2007 before the crisis. Simply put, this means that, for those who need to purchase it, rice was cheaper in 2013 than it was before the crisis in 2007. And, world market prices have fallen even further in the first few months of 2014.
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Despite the constant or lower opportunity cost of rice on the world market, domestic rice prices increased in real terms in these same countries from 2007 to 2013 (see graph). One of the key recent developments in the Asian rice economy has been the increase in buying prices paid to farmers in some countries. This trend has been particularly pronounced in Thailand and China, where buying prices paid to farmers have increased by 92 percent and 59 percent, respectively, over the past six years. In contrast, buying prices in India have increased by 17 percent, while in Bangladesh they have increased by only a modest 6 percent (all changes are in local currency terms, adjusted for inflation). In both Thailand and China, broader measures of domestic rice prices have also increased substantially: comparing 2013 with 2007, wholesale market prices increased by 20 percent and 38 percent, respectively, in real terms. These large increases took place although the baht and the yuan have appreciated by more than the world price of Vietnamese 5 percent broken has increased. In other words, the opportunity cost of rice on the world market has actually declined in real local currency terms for both of these countries. Why have domestic prices increased so much in these two countries? Both of them have witnessed exceptional economic growth rates over the past few decades, leading to a structural transformation of their economies. At the same time, the share of agriculture in employment remains well above its share in gross domestic product, meaning that agricultural producers and workers are less productive—and have lower incomes—than those in other sectors of the economy. This economic change is difficult for many people who rely on farming as a key source of income—and add to this the fact that China and Thailand have the highest income inequality in the region. Thus, these countries are raising domestic prices to provide more support to farmers and to reduce inequality, both politically popular. China has also carried out other measures to support farmer income, such as cash transfers and income tax exemptions. A second key development in recent years has been the push toward self-sufficiency in the wake of the world rice price crisis, especially by Indonesia and the Philippines, which are traditionally the largest importers in the region. These two countries have occasionally lowered their rice imports during the past decade although domestic rice prices have been well above prices on the international market. This push toward selfsufficiency has meant that domestic prices in these countries are rising even higher: rice prices in the Philippines in 2013 were 16-percent higher than they were in 2007, and 17-percent higher in Indonesia (both after adjusting for inflation). In Indonesia, local prices in 2013 were 88-percent higher than the average during 1975 to 1995, when domestic prices were stable around the trend of world prices.
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The rising prices in these two countries are partially due to the same factors of structural transformation in China and Thailand, but also because their status as traditional importers makes them more vulnerable to fluctuations on the international rice market—a market that is now viewed as more unstable than in the wake of the food price crisis. The trends of rising domestic prices are not found everywhere in the region—prices have declined in poor countries such as Vietnam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Nepal. Prices have increased, but by small amounts, in other poor countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia. Because these countries are substantially poorer than the countries discussed above, they are less advanced in the process of structural economic transformation. Their income inequality is also generally lower. What are the consequences of higher domestic prices? Higher domestic prices are not generally good for poverty as they harm poor rice consumers (who in countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines are the poorest of the poor). Even in exporting countries such as Thailand, most of the benefits of higher prices end up with the farmers with the most land because benefits accrue only when marketed surplus is sold. Higher rice prices can also raise workers’ wages to compensate for the higher food prices, thereby reducing the competitiveness of the industrial sector without benefiting workers. Although higher domestic rice prices may eventually be inevitable, as in Japan and South Korea, the rise in domestic prices in some countries aligned with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is probably happening too early in the development process. These costs are important to note, but political imperatives often dictate that farmers must be supported in some way. In this case, it is important to design programs that transfer the needed financial resources at the lowest possible cost, avoiding excessive losses due to leakage to people who are not poor. It is also desirable to avoid large distortions in resource allocation that delay agricultural diversification. Some types of cash transfer programs, either unconditional or conditional on school attendance, may help in this regard. What do rising domestic prices mean for the world rice market? As domestic prices increase above world market prices in some countries, farmers are encouraged to produce more rice and consumers to buy less. These added supplies and lower demand mean fewer imports from some countries, and eventually more exports from others (assuming the rice is not allowed to rot in storage). These trends will lead to downward pressure on international prices, possibly negating the consensus view that we are now in a new era of high world rice prices. Lower world prices in turn will make it harder to continually finance the high domestic farm prices. Many developed countries can afford such subsidies because their agricultural sector is a much smaller share of the economy. They can provide substantial benefits to farmers without undue strain on the government budget. But, the opportunity cost of subsidies is much higher in poor countries, and it is not clear whether such subsidies are sustainable—witness the recent unwinding of the paddy pledging program in Thailand If such subsidies do not continue, the world price, after falling for a time in the near term, will then eventually rise again. International Rice Research Institute
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Iamge: Written by David Dawe / Senior economist, Food and Agriculture Organization
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Aug 21 Thu Aug 21, 2014 2:03pm IST Nagpur, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) firmed up again on increased buying support from local millers amid restricted arrival from producing belt. Healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses, no sign of monsoon revival and reported demand from South-based millers also boosted prices, according to sources. * * * * FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi gram raw recovered in open market here on good demand from local traders amid thin supply from producing regions. TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here matching the demand and supply position. * Wheat varieties moved down in open market on poor demand from local traders amid increased supply from producing regions like Punjab and Haryana. * In Akola, Tuar - 5,000-5,200, Tuar dal - 6,900-7,100, Udid at 7,200-7,300, Udid Mogar (clean) - 8,000-8,500, Moong - 7,200-7,600, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,700-9,400, Gram - 2,700-2,900, Gram Super best bold - 3,800-4,000 for 100 kg. * 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 Gram Auction Gram Pink Auction Tuar Auction Moong Auction Udid Auction Masoor Auction
Available prices Previous close 2,400-3,180 2,370-3,030 n.a. 2,100-2,600 4,400-4,890 4,400-4,850 n.a. 5,200-5,500 n.a. 4,300-4,500 n.a. 2,600-2,800
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Gram Super Best Bold 4,000-4,200 4,000-4,200 Gram Super Best n.a. Gram Medium Best 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a. Gram Mill Quality 3,550-3,650 3,550-3,650 Desi gram Raw 3,050-3,100 3,000-3,050 Gram Filter new 3,500-3,750 3,500-3,750 Gram Kabuli 8,000-9,500 8,000-9,500 Gram Pink 7,200-7,400 7,200-7,400 Tuar Fataka Best 7,400-7,600 7,400-7,600 Tuar Fataka Medium 7,000-7,100 7,000-7,100 Tuar Dal Best Phod 6,700-6,900 6,400-6,900 Tuar Dal Medium phod 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400 Tuar Gavarani 5,250-5,300 5,250-5,300 Tuar Karnataka 5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700 Tuar Black 8,200-8,500 8,200-8,500 Masoor dal best 6,400-6,500 6,400-6,500 Masoor dal medium 6,100-6,250 6,100-6,250 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold 9,500-10,000 9,500-10,000 Moong Mogar Medium best 8,800-9,200 8,800-9,200 Moong dal super best 7,800-8,000 7,800-8,000 Moong dal Chilka 7,700-7,900 7,700-7,900 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 8,000-9,000 8,000-9,000 Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-8,800 8,500-8,800 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,400-7,800 7,400-7,800 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,600-6,600 5,600-6,600 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,000-5,000 4,000-5,000 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,850-3,000 2,800-2,950 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,500 3,250-3,500 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,600 3,500-3,600 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,900-5,300 4,900-5,300 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,500 1,200-1,500 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,650-1,750 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,450 2,100-2,500 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,850-2,000 1,850-2,050 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,300 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,350 2,150-2,500 Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,300 1,200-1,400 Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,500-1,800 1,600-1,900
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Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,800 1,600-1,800 Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,600 2,300-2,600 Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 4,000-4,200 Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,600 4,800-5,600 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,400-13,000 10,400-13,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,300-10,000 7,300-10,000 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,600 5,200-5,600 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 31.9 degree Celsius (89.4 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.24.0 degree Celsius (75.4 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - 91 per cent, lowest - 61 per cent. Rainfall : nil FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 32 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.)
Floods take a toll on paddy cultivation In parts of Odisha, Assam and Uttar Pradesh, the crop has already seen substantial damage Komal Amit Gera | Chandigarh August 20, 2014 Last Updated at 22:34 IST Monsoon might weaken over north India from this weekend Heavy rains in major growing areas are taking a toll on thepaddy crop. In parts of Odisha, Assam and Uttar Pradesh, thecrop has already seen substantial damage.Officials in the agriculture departments of these states are compiling data on the actual extent of the flooding. It is estimated up to 40 per cent of the crop in low-lying, flood-prone areas might be damaged in these states.Coastal areas in Odisha (Cuttack, Balasore, Kendrapara and Jajpur) and eastern Uttar Pradesh have been significantly affected.
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A senior official in the Odisha agriculture department said a meeting with the chief minister had been convened to discuss the issue. In Assam, 10 districts had been affected, officials said. Major losses were recorded in Lakhanpur, Dibrugarh, Johat and Dhemaji. About 60 per cent of the sowing has been completed in Assam. In Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, sowing is in the last stages. Trilochan Mahapatra, director, Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, said if water levels didn’t recede soon, the crop might be damaged. This year, sowing had been delayed due to the delayed monsoon, he said, adding as a result, many farmers whose nurseries were affected by the floods would be at a disadvantage, as there wasn’t scope to start the process afresh.A fall in the paddy crop will not only affect the direct incomes of farmers, but also lead to a shortage of fodder and , consequently, hit the dairy sector.It is estimated the kharif season accounts for 90 per cent of the paddy crop.
Rice quota to EU set at 768 tonnes for Sept Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation August 20, 2014 1:00 am The Commerce Ministry has announced that the September quota for rice exports to the European Union will total 768 tonnes, and on Monday began accepting applications from exporters. Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the ministry's Foreign Trade Department, said rice-export quotas would be allocated on a "first come, first served" basis until the 768.08-tonne limit is reached. Applications are open to licensed exporters.Exporters that win a quota allocation need to send a report to the department within 120 days after shipping the first lot of rice. If any are unable to export the volume they requested, they need to ask the department for a refund within 10 days of starting the shipment. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry said PTT and Bangchak Petroleum had proposed purchasing damaged rice from the government's stocks for ethanol production. However, the ministry could not yet finalise the ricesale procedure as it needs to determine the exact volume of the stockpiles, as well as calculate the losses of the pledging scheme.Rungson Siworasart, permanent secretary of the Finance Ministry, said it had asked for cooperation from the Commerce Ministry in order to proceed with auditing of the rice-pledging budget.
Import ban mulled
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In another development at the Commerce Ministry, its Foreign Trade Department is considering a ban on imports of "electric cigarettes" and barakus - electronic hookahs - amid strong concerns about consumer health, said Panjit Pisawong, deputy director-general of the department.With the growing popularity of these devices, found by many studies to be as unhealthy as ordinary cigarettes, the department may include them in its import-control measures.
Guyana To Supply 5,000 Tonnes Of Rice Per Month To Panama GEORGETOWN, Aug 20 (BERNAMA-NNN- GINA) -- The governments of Guyana and Panama have signed an agreement that will see Panama purchasing approximately 5,000 tonnes of rice per month from Guyana, following a recent meeting between delegations from both countries.Minister of agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, along with Head of the Guyana Rice Producers Association, Dharamkumar Seeraj, and head of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Jagnarine Singh, visited Panama, during which the agreement was concluded. "On August 6 in Colombia, President Donald Ramotar and the president of Panama, Juan Carlos Verela were having a meeting and President Ramotar suggested that Guyana's rice be exported in a meaningful way to Panama. I need to say 'meaningful way' because we have always sent paddy and rice to Panama, but in small amounts because it was difficult to get into that market," Ramsammy said.He added that it was via this meeting the agreement between Guyana and Panama was formed."The president did not wait until he returned home, he called me from Colombia and suggested I lead the team to Panama and I proceeded before the president's return to put arrangements in place, thus shortly after we concluded that the rice trade between Guyana and Panama should start immediately," Ramsammy said.Verela, according to Ramsammy, is eager to reduce the high cost of living in Panama, which is predominantly controlled by the private sector. He added that the GRDB officials also met with the foreign affairs ministry, minister and vice minister of agriculture and their team along with the GRDB counterpart group in Panama that is responsible for the purchasing of rice. As a part of the agreement, the government of Panama will purchase approximately 5,000 tonnes of rice per month. The contracts signed include rice supply to Panama for the rest of 2014 and then there will be further discussions for a contract renewal in 2015.Nevertheless, it is expected that the contracts will continue throughout 2015, provided the terms of agreement were met to the satisfaction of the two countries, which
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will entail 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes of rice annually, exported to Panama and which will be purchased from local suppliers. In addition, since Panama imports about 150,000 tonnes of rice per year and, though they produce rice, they are not able to meet their rice demands; the remainder of 100,000 tonnes required by Panama will be purchased through bidders, of whom Guyanese suppliers (the private sector) will have the opportunity to be a part, among American suppliers, Ramsammy explained.The rice exportation agreement is one aspect of a larger agreement. Ramsammy told media operatives that the Panamanians have engaged themselves in an agriculture and trade partnership with Guyana for which a memorandum of agreement (MOU) was signed.The MOU called for exchange of scientists among Guyana's research institutions and ministries. The Panamanians are very interested in training at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), exchanging crop seeds, looking at animal breed improvement, and the development of milk, and pork industry.The minister added that the two countries will alternate visits every six months to hold meetings. Also a Panamanian delegation will attend the first ever national agriculture research conference in October.The massive increase in rice production in Guyana, he stated, had seemed impossible up to some five years ago."When we were talking about a production of 500,000 tonnes of rice by 2020, people said it is impossible and we achieved that last year and now we anticipate 600,000 tonnes produced by the end of 2014, and I have no doubt we will surpass that amount this year," Ramsammy said.He further explained that while some persons may sanction that production has increased and there is no market, "but if you go find market and you don't have the quantity to supply the market, you will lose that market. It is a dangerous thing to go find market and you don't have the production because when you reach your production, it will be years before people trust you again."Nevertheless, when a choice was made to supply Venezuela with rice and omit the European and Caribbean markets because Guyana hadn't the production, Guyana later did an excellent job at recapturing the market, Ramsammy explained, while adding that those countries are now solid customers.The minister said that, ten years ago, people saw 300,000 tonnes of rice exported as merely a dream, before declaring that by the end of June, close to 300,000 tonnes of rice would have been exported and from September to November when a massive amount of rice is exported, the target of 461,000 tonnes of rice will be met for 2014.He said Guyana has the best market it has in years with expansions to Central America and the regaining of Haiti's market and negotiations with Guatemala, other Central American countries, Ghana and other African countries, and Colombia among others. -- BERNAMA-NNN-GINA
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Haryana paddy processors want milling procedures streamlined Komal Amit Gera | Chandigarh August 19, 2014 Last Updated at 13:16 IST Rice mills in Haryana which process paddy for the Central pool (Public Distribution System / Custom Milled Rice) are faced with a double whammy, as they have been slapped with a value cut and inventory holding charges for rice.About 800 mills in Haryana which processed 24 lakh tonnes of paddy (about eight% paddy is pending for processing) for the kharif year 2013-14 have been running from pillar to post for the past few months, trying to persuade the Central and state governments to streamline procedures on paddy milling. State agencies purchase paddy from farmers at the minimum support price and enter into an agreement with the rice millers of the state with milling charges at the rate of Rs 15 per quintal (one quintal is 100 kg) and set the condition for the delivery of rice on a monthly ratio basis.The monthly ratio has been set at 10% for October and November, 20% for December, 25% for January and February, and 20% for March.Due to heavy unseasonal and sporadic rains in the 2013-14 kharif marketing season, the damage content in rice went up to four or five%, against the acceptable limit of up to three% set by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Paddy thus procured yielded rice which was being rejected by the FCI. This led the millers to stop milling.Later, the Union ministry of food raised the acceptable limit and imposed a value cut on rice. Millers are burdened by the value cut for no fault of their own, said Rajender Aggarwal, president of the Haryana Rice Millers and Dealer Association.Millers were also charged a holding charge because the delivery of rice by mills to government agencies remained suspended for three months, as a team of officials from the Union food ministry visited Haryana and prepared a report on the situation. The holding charge comes close to ~300 per day per consignment of rice, said Ashish Mehta, a miller from Haryana.Millers say that the delay in issuing the notification for relaxation in the rice specifications was the only reason for the delay in delivery of rice, and that no such penalty should be levied on them as this delay was not their fault. Further, they added that the notification came on January 2, 2014, and so the schedule must be revised from January to June, rather than from October to June. Millers are allowed to retain the by-products of paddy like rice husk and rice bran, which they can sell in the open market to make an extra buck. However, they claim that escalating input costs (power, labour and diesel) have squeezed margins and the income from paddy by-products is no longer significant.The food processing industry is the backbone of agricultural states like Haryana, providing seasonal employment to
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labour in the hinterland and checking migration to the urban areas; any lack of support from the government may harm it, said Makkhan Lal Singla, a veteran of the industry.
Funding agricultural research: What does success look like? 4:30-6:00 p.m., Wednesday, 29 October 2014, Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Thailand
The 4th International Rice Congress (IRC2014) in Bangkok, Thailand, on 27 October–1 November is regarded as the ―Olympics of rice research.‖ With the theme ―Rice for the World,― it is the largest regular conference and exhibition of the global rice scientific research community and industry. Focusing on the world’s latest advances in rice research and technologies, IRC2014 is the only major global event that brings together rice scientists and players in the international rice industry that feeds half the world. A major side event of the IRC2014 is an exclusive forum that provides a good opportunity for interaction among donors from the public and private sectors, research organizations, and other stakeholders of rice research and the rice industry. It will be held alongside the scientific program of IRC2014 and will gather investors’ perspectives on structuring an investment portfolio, investment requirements, and measurement of impact. Research organizations’ experiences in handling the challenges of responding to donor expectations will also be presented.Among the forum speakers are high-profile representatives from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the World Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Panel discussants are directors from the Africa Rice Center, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Cirad, and CGIAR. Attendance is free for registered IRC participants, but slots are limited. RSVP to Jennifer Jarlego by 15 September 2014 with your name, organization name, and contact information.A cocktail reception (by invitation only) will follow after the forum.
Wholesale rice price control likely to be imposed. WEDNESDAY, 20 AUGUST 2014 - 18:55 |
The Consumer Affairs Authority has set sights on imposing a control price for wholesale rice to prevent further increment in the market price. Small and Medium scale rice mill owners have been inconvenienced by the market price of rice exceeding the control price.The Director General of Consumer Affairs Authority J.M.U. Douglas told our news team that they have focused on setting a whole sale control price after considering these matters.
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Californian research yields cattle feed from rice straw By Lynda Searby , 19-Aug-2014 Rice growers in California are producing 'strawlage' for cattle from rice straw Related tags: Rice straw, Strawlage, UC Cooperative Extension, Drought, California, Cattle feed Related topics: R&D
Researchers at the University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension have been working on converting rice straw into cattle feed, providing a potential solution for livestock producers confronted with feed shortages as a result of California’s crippling drought.
Rice growers in California have plenty of the straw laying around after harvest now that the industry has stopped burning because of air quality concerns. Some are making it into ‘strawlage’, a moist 2-7% protein feed that UC Cooperative Extension scientists say is on a par with a low quality hay.According to Glenn Nader, livestock and natural resources advisor with the UC Cooperative Extension, the market for this feed is so new that a price point hasn’t yet been established. Going cheap...at $40 a tonne “Some growers are just happy to get the straw off their hands whilst others are trying to make some money off it. $40 per tonne will probably be the base price,” he told FeedNavigator.On the face of it this may seem incredibly cheap, considering that hay prices are high at around $200 per tonne, but Nader said “Producers have to run the equation as to whether it makes sense to pay more for a 10% moisture hay or less for a hay with a 45-65% moisture content. They don’t want to pay a lot of money for water.”The researchers have been investigating the possibility of converting rice straw into strawlage for about 15 years, but it is only very recently that they have come up with solutions to issues such as mould formation and nutritional loss over time. Mould control
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Strawlage is the process of putting up forage under high (45-65%) moearchers came up against was the loss of forage ng digestibility 200 per tonne, but Nader said isture, thus preventing the drying that causes a significant loss in digestibility. One of the first problems the researchers faced was controlling the mould that goes hand in hand with high moisture baling. “We were getting 23-28lb a day consumption, but then after 40 days, cattle quit consuming because of the white moulds. We knew that if we could deal with that mould we could get to 100 days,” said Nader. The researchers found tighter bales coupled with the application of urea and UN32 to be the best method of controlling mould.A second challenge has been improving the nutritional value and digestibility of the strawlage over time. “We spent about five years trying to figure out what was happening during the drying process - why was there such a difference in digestibility between wet and dry straw?” said Nader. Lessons from the Japanese The researchers have found answers to some of their questions in Japan, where farmers are producing ‘rice balage’ with a 5565% moisture level.
“The energy value seems to be similar to medium quality grass hay and livestock producers are wanting to harvest and feed more of the rice balage. The feed is used for heifers, dry cows and lactating cows as a local, lower cost forage than imported forages from Australia or the USA,” said Nader.The Japanese success is partly down to the dual strategy of changing the pH at the point of baling using buffered organic acids, making it hard for moulds to reproduce, and boosting energy levels via inoculants. “In Japan they are using two different strains of bacteria to enhance the nutritional quality of silage through bacterial inoculation,” said Nader. Whilst at present the findings of the University of California Cooperative Extension are only being applied by local rice growers, word of their work is spreading. “We have had contacts from rice growers in Australia and Portugal, and are looking forward to extending this work out,” said Nader. The main beneficiaries of the research, however, are likely to remain those in rice growing areas, for reasons explained by Nader: “Because of the high moisture content, strawlage will be expensive to transport, so it will be for producers who have livestock in the vicinity of rice fields.”
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