30th august 2017 daily global regional & local rice e newsletter

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August 30,2017 Vol 8 Issue VIII

Pakistani rice lowest offer in Iraq's 30,000 T tender Can Turkey offer meaningful concessions?

Export Summary-Egypt seeks wheat; U.S. sells corn to Mexico The Delta Is Sinking: Scientists Think Planting Rice Will Help Researchers hope to stave off subsidence in the Sacramento Harvey's Impact: Texas Update Chinese hybrid rice to produce 18 tons per hectare record yield DA SUSTAINS ORGANIC ENTITY OF HEIRLOOM RICE Eid-el-Kabir: Nigerian Customs seizes1,237 bags of expired foreign rice Midday meal scheme rolled out in govt degree college Chinese hybrid rice to reform production Japan, in efforts to crack China rice market, hits on heat-and-eat Govt announces new paddy purchase policy, to purchase record 50 lakh tonne Basmati rice overtakes buffalo meat as top export commodity for India Chinese hybrid rice to produce 18 tons per hectare record yield UAE issues new tax law to implement 5% VAT PHL imports to boost global rice trade Rice’s bullish bias remains; macro drivers weighing heavy on cotton, grain Harvey Takes Big Bite at Ratoon Rice in Texas, Louisiana Vietnam to reform rice production, improve exports 152,000 MT of rice in the market Online Advertisement:mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 0321 369 2874 CORRECTED-Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- August 28, 2017 www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-August Monitor 29 Latest Updates on www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com

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News Detail...

Pakistani rice lowest offer in Iraq's 30,000 T tender Reuters | Aug 28, 2017, 17:15 IST (Adds detail, other offers from paragraph three) HAMBURG, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The lowest price offer in the tender from Iraq's state grains buyer to purchase at least 30,000 tonnes of rice was $416 a tonne c&f free out for rice to be sourced from Pakistan, traders said on Monday.

No decision about a purchase was believed to have been made in the tender which closed on Sunday, Aug. 27, with offers remaining valid up to Thursday, Aug. 31.

The offer was made for 40,000 tonnes from Pakistan, they said.This was followed by an offer of 40,000 tonnes rice from Thailand at $420.45 a tonne c&f free out. Other offers for Thai rice were made at prices from $422.70 to $457 a tonne c&f free out.The lowest offer for rice from the United States was $660 a tonne free out for 30,000 tonnes. Indian rice was offered lowest at $574 a tonne c&f free out.

Rice from Uruguay was offered lowest at $580.50 a tonne, Brazilian rice at $584 and Argentine rice at $579 all c&f free out.Volumes in Iraq's tenders are nominal and the country can buy more than requested in the tender.Iraq made no purchase in its previous international tender to buy rice which closed on July 30.

The country has been struggling to import grain for its food subsidy programme after introducing new payment and quality terms that left trading houses unwilling to participate in its international tenders.

Iraq is expected to produce about 250,000 tonnes of rice this year, suggesting the country will face a shortfall of about 1 million tonnes which will need to be covered by imports. (Reporting

by Michael Hogan, editing by David Evans) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/pakistani-rice-lowest-offer-iniraqs-30000-t-tender/articleshow/60260306.cms

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Can Turkey offer meaningful concessions?

Hussain H. ZaidiAugust 28, 2017

As Pakistan and Turkey head towards a free trade agreement, the important question is: will Turkey offer meaningful tariff concessions to Pakistan?

The question arises because of Turkey’s obligations under its customs union with the European Union. To answer the question, one needs to look at the salient features of the customs union.

The Turkey-EU customs union dates back to Dec 31 1995. It came into being following an Association Agreement between the two sides as part of Turkey’s efforts to enter the EU club.

The customs union covers all products other than agricultural products, which means more than two-thirds of Turkey’s tariff lines, including almost all the industrial products, are within the purview of the customs union.

For import and export of all the covered products between Turkey and EU countries, all customs duties and charges stand eliminated.

This means on a reciprocal basis, all Turkish exports (industrial products) enter EU countries duty free. Besides, neither side is allowed to impose quantitative restrictions (quotas) on imports or exports traded with the other side.

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Turkish regulations on technical barriers to trade have also been brought in conformity with those of the EU. The customs union further makes it obligatory upon Turkey to adopt the same external trade policy as maintained by the EU for trade with the rest of the trading partners.

This includes common import tariffs and regulations, common rules for protection against dumped and subsidised imports, and common rules for exports.

This means, for instance, that if the EU applies five per cent duty on import of T-shirts from a third country such as Pakistan, Turkey is bound to apply the same duty — neither more nor less.

Hence, following the customs union, Turkey had to adjust its customs tariffs, within the stipulated period, to bring them at the same level as the EU’s.

Thus Turkey is not in a position to change, on its own, its common customs tariffs or other import regulations. It can, and must, do so only if the EU decides to amend the relevant regulations or tariff structure.

Reference may be made to Article 14 of the customs union agreement, which states in categorical terms: ―Under no circumstances may the Customs Union Joint Committee authorise Turkey to apply a customs tariff which is lower than the Common Customs Tariff for any product.‖ Here a question arises that in case the EU grants concessions to a third country through a reciprocal agreement, such as an FTA, or an autonomous arrangement, such as the GSP, what shall Turkey do?

As per Article 16 of the customs union agreement, Turkey must grant the same level of preferences to that third country so as to maintain the common tariffs. Turkey is thus required to negotiate similar agreements with such countries.

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In other words, it is mandatory for Turkey to negotiate and conclude FTAs with the countries with which the EU strikes an FTA. At the same time, it must not deny GSP, including GSP plus, benefits to all those counties which are the recipients of the EU’s GSP scheme.

Thus when the EU granted GSP plus to Pakistan at the start of 2014, Turkey was also required to do so. But for legally inexplicable reasons it chose not to do so despite all the apparent warmth in bilateral relations.

Besides, as per the terms of the EU-Turkey customs union, it is Turkey which has to follow changes in EU external trade policy and not the other way round.

In practice as well, Turkey follows the EU as regards negotiating or concluding FTAs. Turkey’s FTA partners include South Korea, Egypt, Jordon, Israel, European Free Trade Association, and Chile. All these are also the EU’s FTA partners.

Since India and the EU are in the process of concluding an FTA, Turkey has also made a pitch to India for a similar agreement. If Turkey does not follow EU on FTAs, it will end up reducing its tariffs for EU-FTA partners, to bring them at par with the EU’s preferential tariffs, without securing a reciprocal market access in those countries.

Despite recent events the Turkey-EU customs union is still intact. It will remain so, if for no other reason, for the sheer volume of bilateral trade, which was registered at $145 billion in 2016 including $68bn Turkish exports and $77bn exports from EU countries.

The foregoing makes it amply clear that it will be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for Turkey to offer tariff concessions to Pakistan on industrial products, such as textiles, clothing and leather products which are of special export interest to Pakistan, under the FTA. Only on agricultural products, which are not covered by the customs union with the EU, is Turkey free to reduce tariffs.

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But, as in case of EU countries, agriculture is politically sensitive and thus a highly protected sector in Turkey. For example, rice is of immense export interest to Pakistan but it will be unrealistic to expect Turkey to offer meaningful preferential market access to Pakistani rice.

It is also possible that Turkey may grant GSP plus benefits to Pakistan, which in any case it was bound to offer Pakistan, under the FTA. However, there are two fundamental differences between GSP plus and an FTA. One, an FTA is a reciprocal arrangement, while GSP plus is a unilateral arrangement.

Two, unlike an FTA, GSP plus is a temporary arrangement as it does not represent a legally binding international treaty.

Thus any GSP plus treatment offered by Turkey to Pakistan in the shape of FTA concessions will have to be withdrawn or modified when the EU abolishes or alters the GSP plus arrangement.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1354417/can-turkey-offer-meaningful-concessionsPublished in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, August 28th, 2017

Export Summary-Egypt seeks wheat; U.S. sells corn to Mexico Reuters | Aug 29, 2017, 02:15 IST Aug 28 (Reuters) - Snapshot of the global export markets for grains, oilseeds and edible oils as reported by government and private sources as of the end of business on Monday:

WHEAT TENDER: Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) set a tender on Monday to buy an unspecified amount of wheat from global suppliers for shipment from Oct. 110.CORN SALE: Exporters sell U.S. corn to Mexico - USDA.

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BARLEY TENDER: Jordan's state grain buyer has issued another international tender to purchase 100,000 tonnes of animal feed barley, to be sourced from optional origins, European traders said on Monday. The tender deadline is Sept. 7, traders said.

RICE TENDER UPDATE: The lowest price offer in the tender from Iraq's state grains buyer to purchase at least 30,000 tonnes of rice was $416 a tonne c&f free out for rice to be sourced from Pakistan, traders said on Monday. No decision about a purchase was believed to have been made in the tender which closed on Sunday, Aug. 27, with offers remaining valid up to Thursday, Aug. 31. The offer was made for 40,000 tonnes from Pakistan, they said.

PENDING TENDERS: RICE TENDER: Mauritius' state purchasing agency issued an international tender to buy up to 6,000 tonnes of long grain white rice sourced from optional origins, European traders said.

Tender deadline was Aug. 24.

RICE TENDER: Iraq's state grain buyer issued an international tender to buy 30,000 tonnes of rice, a government source said. The deadline for offers is Aug. 27 and rice is being sought from all origins, the source said. Offers should remain valid until Aug. 31.

SOYBEAN TENDER: South Korea's Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp issued an international tender to purchase around 20,000 tonnes of soybeans free of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), European traders said. The tender registration deadline is Aug. 31, they said. The soybeans are for arrival around Dec. 22, 2017, and can be sourced from any origin.

WHEAT TENDER: Jordan's state grains buyer issued an international tender to purchase 100,000 tonnes of hard milling wheat which can be sourced from optional origins, European traders said. The tender closes on Sept. 6.

WHEAT TENDER: The Ethiopian government issued an international tender to buy about 70,000 tonnes of milling wheat, European traders said. The tender deadline is Sept. 7. Origin is optional and shipment is sought around a month after contract signing.

FEED BARLEY, CORN TENDER: Iranian state-owned animal feed importer SLALissued two international tenders to buy up to 200,000 tonnes of feed barley and 200,000 tonnes of corn, European traders said. The tenders close on Sept. 11.

RICE TENDER: Bangladesh's state grains buyer issued another international tender to purchase 50,000 tonnes of rice, traders said, stepping up the country's rice import program. The tender

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deadline is Sept. 12. The latest tender on Thursday sought non-basmati parboiled rice with offers to be made in CIF liner-out terms, including cost, insurance, freight and ship unloading costs.

SOYMEAL TENDER: Iranian state-owned animal feed importer SLAL issued an international tender to purchase about 200,000 tonnes of soymeal, European traders said. Offers in the tender must be submitted on Oct. 2. The soymeal can be sourced from Argentina or Brazil only and prices must be submitted in euros. (Compiled by Michael Hirtzer)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/export-summary-egypt-seeks-wheat-us-sells-corn-to-mexico/articleshow/60267401.cms

The DeltaRice Scientists Planting Help Think Is Sinking: Will Researchers hope to stave off subsidence in the Sacramento

San Joaquin Delta with a solution farmers might like: planting rice. But a pilot project has yielded mixed results.

WRITT EN BY Meredith

Rutland Bauer

PUB LISH ED O N 

Aug. 30, 2017

READ T IM E Approx.

4 minutes

A pumping station on Twitchell Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta works to keep water off the island, which is below sea level, so crops can grow.Meredith Rutland Bauer – Bryan Brock stared out at a rice field on Twitchell Island, nestled between the meandering river paths of the SacramentoSan Joaquin Delta. Brock, a senior engineer with California Department of Water Resources’ West Delta Program, rubbed his goatee and pointed at foottall emerald stalks. The plots were drenched in about 4in of water.

TWITCHELL ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Medium-grain rice was planted here in 2009 as a research project to see if rice could help the Delta survive the impacts of subsidence. The results have yielded both good and bad news.The Central Valley is no stranger to subsidence. But unlike other areas that are sinking due to overpumping of groundwater, the

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Delta’s subsidence is a force of nature. Since most of the soil is peat, which

contains decomposing vegetation, microbes eat away at the carbon in the dead plants and emit carbon dioxide, shrinking the soil level by about 1in per year, Brock said.The Delta’s agriculture economy has made the situation worse.

Planting crops in the Delta seemed like an obvious decision for newcomers to the region following the Gold Rush. Pumping out the estuary and throwing up levees alongside nearby rivers left plots with rich soil and bountiful harvests.But generations later, those same plots that were started on unsteady peat soil are sinking further below the waterline, putting the long-term fate of farming in the Delta at risk. Currently there are more than 100 crops grown in the region on 500,000 acres of farmland. But the threat of massive flooding looms over an area where corn fields now sit 25ft below the water level of the San Joaquin River, held back by dirt-androck levees.A plot of rice on Twitchell Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta was planted as part of a pilot project to halt subsidence. (Meredith Rutland Bauer) ―In the deep areas where it’s really subsided, it’s getting really challenging to farm,‖ said Bruce Linquist, lead researcher for the rice pilot project and an agronomy researcher at the University of California, Davis. ―There’s a lot of holes out there where you have water constantly coming up.‖ The Twitchell Island rice pilot program began as an endeavor to find a solution that would help reverse subsidence while offering farmers a moneymaking solution. The results were mixed.

Rice fields can capture a significant amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the microbes in peat soil, acting as a carbon sequestration sink, Brock said. One of the rice fields on Twitchell Island used to grow corn, and during that time the underground microbes gave off 8 tons of carbon

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dioxide equivalent per year for each acre. ―By flooding it and growing rice, I think we only have an emission of 1 ton per acre per year,‖ he said. That’s a climate win.

Researchers also found that rice fields slow down – and sometimes completely stop – the microbial feeding that causes subsidence because of the wet environment, Brock said. While this halts subsidence, it can’t reverse it, so rice fields are still seen as a subpar option to wetland restoration, which is usually preferred by environmental groups. By planting cattails and other wetland plants, the plants stop microbial subsidence and can reverse subsidence when the plants die and decompose, creating new soil.

While the pilot project showed some promising benefits, rice was not the panacea researchers had hoped.

Despite the ecological benefits, the economics of planting rice in the Delta simply don’t pencil out for many farmers in the Delta, Brock said. The pilot project’s rice crop yields paled in comparison to rice grown near Sacramento, and sometimes costs exceeded revenues.

Linquist said rice could have its place in the Delta one day, even though the trial crops didn’t do particularly well. The Sacramento Valley is one of the nation’s largest producers of rice, according to the United States Department of Agriculture – but usually those fields are in clay soil, Brock said, not the Delta’s unpredictably sinking soil.

California Department of Water Resources Engineer Bryan Brock inspects a field of rice on Twitchell Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where scientists are experimenting with growing rice to halt subsidence caused by peat soil. (Meredith Rutland Bauer)

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―Really, the yield potential in the Delta is not bad,‖ Linquist said. ―If you can deal with the elements, you can get a good yield of rice. One of the big issues affecting that is cold temperatures at night.‖ Another issue is weeds, and blackbirds that arrive in ―the millions‖ and knock off rice grains when they land on the stalks, Brock said.

But one of the biggest problems is properly managing the water levels. Rice likes to be alternated between wet and dry periods. Because the Delta is sinking, and because it was naturally a flooded estuary, water has to be constantly pumped off fields. That environment keeps the rice wet year round, limiting growth potential.

Rice would be a nice option for ecological reasons, but it’s tough to convince a farmer to replace corn fields that earn significantly more money than rice. Plus, specialized equipment to harvest and maintain rice is often prohibitively expensive.

Researchers, ecological restoration advocates and state officials are also pursuing other restoration efforts in the Delta. Wetlands restoration (and the added paycheck that comes with carbon sequestration farming) and duck habitat creation for hunting are among the ecological methods that also make more economic sense than rice at the moment, Brock said.

And then there’s the simple fact that farmers will prefer to plant corn or use their fields for more profitable cattle grazing until the unstable, wet ground forces their hand.―The long-term picture is to stack as many potential moneymaking opportunities as you can,‖ Brock said of the vision for the Delta’s future. ―And to at least stop subsidence. https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/08/30/the-delta-is-sinking-scientists-think-plantingrice-will-help

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Harvey's Impact: Texas Update

By Dr. Mo Way Special to USA Rice

FANNETT, TX -- The rain gauge here, about 15 miles east of Winnie and about 15 miles southwest of Beaumont, is almost at three feet. Roads everywhere in our area are flooded and it's still raining, although Harvey is slowly going east and hammering Louisiana.

The main rice crop here is about 80-90 percent harvested and a lot of ratoon crop is developing. As long as rice is not heading, it can go under water for as long as a week and still survive, however, if rice is heading and goes under water for any length of time, then that rice is history.

The organic crop generally heads later than the main crop so there is likely some organic that is heading right now that will be adversely affected by the flooding. A lot of the organic crop has been harvested, particularly on the west side.

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This whole scenario shows the importance of planting early so harvest can occur before the traditional season for weather events like these big storms and hurricanes. As a rule of thumb, we recommend planting early and harvesting before August 15 to ensure a successful ratoon crop.

Conservation tillage and earlier maturing varieties have moved planting dates earlier. One of our Texas A&M rice researchers, Dr. Dante Tabien is breeding for cold tolerance to push planting dates even earlier. Many of the current varieties we work with are semi-dwarves that were first developed in the 1980s to resist lodging caused by tropical storms.

One of our research goals is to help mitigate the effect of erratic weather - when we suggest farmers plant earlier for instance - but it's a double-edged sword for farmers as catastrophic weather events can wreak havoc with the crop no matter when they occur and that ultimately increases the risk to the operation.

Chinese hybrid rice to produce 18 tons per hectare record yield P AR V E Z J A B R I

A U G 2 9 T H, 2 0 1 7 1 7 :1 1

LAHORE: Rice growing experts on Tuesday said that the launch of Chinese Hybrid rice in Pakistan would bring revolution in rice production having yield of 18 tons per hectare or more than 150 maunds per acre. Talking to APP the experts said that both China and Pakistan currently sown around 7-8 tons per hectares that is 15 percent more than conventional yield of rice.

Sino-Pakistan Hybrid Rice Research Centre (SPHRRC) director Professor Mohammad Zubair, said that the new rice variety would help to increase per acre yield for Pakistani farmers and increased export of rice to other countries, including China, in future. He said that both China and Pakistan were currently sowing around 7-8 tons per hectares that is 15 percent more than conventional yield of rice.

The amount of the double-cropping rice is equal to that produced over three seasons in the past,

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marking a big breakthrough, he said. To a question he said that Chinese Professor Yuan, is the father of this hybrid rice. He said his discovery of high- yield hybrid rice would help end the food crisis in the globe, which was highly regarded in China and in the world.

Prominent rice scientist and researcher, Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said that "father of hybrid rice," Professor Yuan began theoretical research about 50 years ago and continued to set new records in the average yields of hybrid rice plots. He said that the United Nations (UN) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the UN World Intellectual Property Organization, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) honoured professor Yuan with different titles and awards during the last four decades. Yuan received World Food Prize 2004 for his landmark achievement for developing the genetic materials and technologies important for breeding hybrid rice varieties, he said. As the first person to discover fast growth

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with greater yield and stress resistance he is acknowledged highly.

Meanwhile Punjab secretary agriculture Muhammad Mahmud said that Pakistani scientists, earlier had successfully developed a technology that will help farmers sow rice without water. As rice is sown with water in abundance in the field, however, the recent development would be helpful for the farming community facing water shortage problem, he added.

Professor Iqbal said that the only way to safeguard the global food supply is to raise the amount of yield per unit area via advanced technologies, including those that focus on water conservancy, fertilizer optimization, soil cultivation and improved seeds. He said that Pakistan needed to make a massive investment in science and technology for a long period to entertain the desired progress.

Noted environmentalist Dr Maqsood said that the global rice production is likely to fall in coming years due to climate change and its impacts, so it is a high time for Pakistan to avail benefit from the upcoming demand by increasing its rice production through sustainable practices.

To a query he said according to recent studies, climate change and its impacts on extreme weather and temperature swings is projected to reduce the global production of corn, wheat, rice and soybeans by 23 percent.

It is pertinent to mention here that rice is the country's largest export crop (3.8 million Metric Tonnes per annum). The country has more than a thousand rice mills catering to the need of

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farmers growing 5.54 million tonnes per annum on an area of 2.5 million hectares.

This important crop accounts for 6.7 percent of value added in the agricultural sector, and 1.6 percent of national GDP. Pakistan enjoys a strong competitive advantage in the export sector due to consumer preference in destination markets for aromatic and long grain rice http://www.brecorder.com/2017/08/29/367180/chinese-hybrid-rice-to-produce-18-tons-per-hectarerecord-yield/

DA SUSTAINS ORGANIC ENTITY OF HEIRLOOM RICE Time to read less than 1 minute Share 0 0 Print a- a+ Read so far 0% DA sustains organic entity of heirloom rice Wednesday, August 30, 2017 THE Department of Agriculture Cordillera through its Heirloom Rice Project (HRP), in partnership with Agriculture Training Institute, pushes for the preservation of the organic entity of Cordillera’s very own heirloom rice thru the training on Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management for Heirloom Rice Growers held recently.

Heirloom rice growers in Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao and Mt. Province were equipped with technologies and knowledge on integrated nutrient and pest management to improve their heirloom rice production and post-production practices. ―There must be balance among natural organisms in the field,‖ explains Jerry Batcagan, PhilRice research specialist. Batcagan pointed out insect pest management is an ecologically-based pest control strategy that relies heavily on natural mortality factors and weather. Batcagan added control by natural enemies (biological control) is cheap, effective, and non disruptive of other elements of the ecosystem while elaborating the presence of few individuals of insects in the field does not indicate they are inflicting damage that may result in significant grain yield reduction and does not necessarily constitute a pest problem. When species population is higher than normal, then they can be considered as pests, Batcagan added. Furthermore, biofermentation, which is a widely accepted practice for organic practitioners, was also introduced.

The project intends to register heirloom rice products within the region as organically produced for value addition purposes. (PR)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/local-news/2017/08/30/da-sustains-organic-entity-heirloom-rice561247

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Eid-el-Kabir: Nigerian Customs seizes1,237 bags of expired foreign rice August 29, 2017

By Chijioke Jannah

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday said that it has seized 1,237 bags of expired foreign parboiled rice in Lagos.This was made known by the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the unit, Comptroller Muhammed Uba Garba, while addressing newsmen at the command warehouse in Ikeja.According to Garba, the contraband which has a value of N9million was allegedly imported from neighboring Benin Republic. ―These are 50kg of 1,237 bags of foreign Rice with duty of over Nl8million and some of these rice are expired.―The ban of FG on rice and import vehicles are still in force and that is why we have to enforce the FG policy on ban of importation of rice and vehicles.―We will continue to enforce the policies because there is policy on local rice production we have to encourage local rice millers that will encourage the farmers for local production to improve and majority of Nigerians will get employed. ―Some of these rice are expired and these are used clothing and they are under prohibition and as policy implementers, we must ensure this goods are not allowed to come in,‖ he said.Comptroller Garba also reiterated Federal Government’s ban on importation of rice and vehicles through the land borders. ―For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal government policies banning the importation of rice and vehicles through the land borders are still in force and the Nigeria Customs Service remains tenacious in its determination to enforce these policies,‖ he warned sternly http://dailypost.ng/2017/08/29/eid-el-kabir-nigerian-customs-seizes-1237-bags-expired-foreign-rice/

Midday meal scheme rolled out in govt degree college THE HANS INDIA | Aug 29,2017 , 11:49 PM IST

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Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu serving food to the students as part of the midday meal scheme at Government Degree College in Kothagudem on Tuesday Bhadrachalam: Thanks to the intervention of District Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu and Joint Collector M Ramkishan, a midday meal scheme was introduced in Bhadrachalam for the post-graduate and degree students of the Government Degree & PG College here for the first time in Telangana for three months on experimental basis.

The teaching and non-teaching staff extended financial assistance for the scheme, along with other donors. The scheme costs Rs 14 lakh for the period of three months. Principal of the college Dr N Gopi, who had recognised the need for the midday meal for the students, particularly those coming from far flung areas, noted that many students could not concentrate on studies due to hunger pangs.

The Collector, who took part in the midday meal programme on Tuesday, said that scheme would yield good results and expected the pass percentage ratio to increase from the existing 45 to 60. He appealed to the students to make use of the scheme and concentrate on studies to achieve big in their lives.

Meanwhile, the college principal thanked the Collector and the Joint Collector for extending the needed to roll out the scheme. Speaking to The Hans India, the principal said with the donations made, the scheme would be continued till the end of the financial year.Extending their help, the Kothagudem District Rice Millers’ Association contributed rice worth Rs 6 lakh, followed by donation from ITC Contractors’ Association president Pakala Durga Prasad who announced a donation of Rs 1 lakh.

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While ITC Administrative Officer Niranjan announced a personal contribution of Rs 10,000, the Bhadrachalam Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce and S Bhaskar donated Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively. http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2017-08-29/Midday-meal-scheme-rolledout-in-govt-degree-college/322618

Chinese hybrid rice to reform production

By APP August 30, 2017

PHOTO: APP LAHORE: The launch of Chinese hybrid rice in Pakistan will bring a revolution in production with yield of 18 tons per hectare or more than 150 maunds per acre, said experts on Tuesday.

They said that both China and Pakistan currently sow around 7-8 tons per hectares that is 15% more than conventional yield of rice. Sino-Pakistan Hybrid Rice Research Centre (SPHRRC)

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Director Mohammad Zubair said that the new rice variety would help increase per acre yield for Pakistani farmers and increase export of rice to other countries, including China, in the future. Noted environmentalist Dr Maqsood said that the global rice production is likely to fall in coming years due to climate change and its impacts, so it is high time for Pakistan to avail benefit from the upcoming demand.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2017. https://tribune.com.pk/story/1494436/chinese-hybrid-rice-reform-production/

Japan, in efforts to crack China rice market, hits on heat-and-eat THE ASAHI SHIMBUN August 29, 2017 at 08:00 JST

Packages of retort cooked rice from Japan at a promotional event in Shanghai in May (Takashi Funakoshi) Is there much point in Japan trying to sell rice to China, especially as that country is the world's biggest producer of the grain? Japan thinks so, and wants to, but is having a problem getting around inspections procedures, Chinese tastes and the price of its products.Now, Japan believes

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it has a solution with packages of heat-and-eat rice. It is touting the product as free of chemicals and other pollutants, and handy as a standby for cooking.

In a recent promotion blitz in Shanghai, Koji Inoue, director-general for the Food Industry Affairs Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, pitched the product to Chinese reporters and food industry officials as the answer to parental concerns about the health of their offspring. ―Needless to say, it tastes great and is also safe,‖ Inoue told those gathered at the event held inside a cafeteria at a department store in the city.―Parents worrying about the well-being of their children know no borders,‖ he added sagely.As part of the campaign, Japanese officials also handed out 100,000 packs of retort cooked rice to raise the product’s profile in China and among Chinese tourists traveling in Japan.

Some packages were distributed in the commercial district near JR Tokyo Station as well as Narita Airport, Kansai International Airport and other Japanese sites favored by Chinese travelers between January and March.Others were given out in Beijing, Guangzhou and other major cities.

For the current fiscal year, more public relations events are scheduled at convenience stores and department stores in Beijing, Shanghai and three other Chinese cities.

The government is also targeting Chinese tourists making port stops in Japan during luxury cruises.Japanese efforts to gain a foothold in the vast Chinese market date from when Junichiro Koizumi was prime minister.Koizumi, in office from 2001 to 2006 and one of Japan's most popular leaders in the postwar period, was keen to expand exports of Japan’s agricultural produce, seafood and other food products.The current administration headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to raise the value of those combined exports to 1 trillion yen ($9.1 billion) by 2019 from 450 billion yen in 2012.

Of the targeted figure, rice and processed rice products account for 60 billion yen.Aside from the revenue that the exports would generate, Tokyo needs to address a growing surplus of the grain in the domestic market.This is due to population decline and a diversifying diet that has seen consumption of the grain falling steadily, by about 80,000 tons annually at current rates, according to the farm ministry.

Demand for rice as a food staple stood at 7.66 million tons over the year from July 2015.In its efforts to find a market for its surplus rice, Japan cannot ignore China, where the grain is a staple diet in its southern provinces.To crack the Chinese market, Japan needs to resolve a number of challenges.The first is the Chinese government's insistence that imports of polished rice from Japan must first be treated at two designated facilities in Kanagawa Prefecture.

When Abe met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hangzhou in September 2016, he proposed holding working-level talks with Beijing in the hope of advancing Japan’s plan to market rice in China.As little progress has been achieved since, Japanese officials are placing their hopes on packages of heat-and-eat rice as the first product to offer to reach out to Chinese consumers.

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A key advantage of rice in retort pouches over regular polished grain in terms of exports is that it is exempt from quarantine and other clearance procedures due to its classification as a processed food.But the main drawback of Japanese retort cooked rice is price.

A 200-gram pack retails at 17 yuan (about 280 yen or $2.50), nearly 10 times the price of the the same amount of ordinary rice grown in China.―It tastes good and is safe, but its price bothers me,‖ said Wang Ping, a 35-year-old woman who sampled the product at the event in Shanghai.

Another challenge is taste.In a sales promotion in Shanghai in March, the Japan External Trade Organization offered a variety of dishes using Japanese retort cooked rice, having enlisted the help of 12 city restaurants.Junichi Honda, the head chef at the Sun with Aqua Japanese Dining & Bar, one of the establishments that collaborated with the JETRO, said the product does not meet his exacting standards. ―If I am asked about whether our restaurant will continue to use it, our answer is no,‖ he said, adding that taste, rather than price, is the problem.His restaurant uses the coveted Japanese brand of Koshihikari rice grown in China.―The quality of the rice grown in China has improved significantly even over the past year or two,‖ he said. ―The retort cooked rice is hardly a match.‖But Honda suggested that it could be used in food delivery, a service where demand is growing.

(This article was written by Takashi Funakoshi in Shanghai and Tetsushi Yamamura.) http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201708290003.html

Govt announces new paddy purchase policy, to purchase record 50 lakh tonne Lucknow | Tuesday, Aug 29 2017 IST After successfully purchasing record wheat, the Uttar Pradesh Government has announced its paddy purchase policy under which 50 lakh meteric tonnes of paddy will be purchased this fiscal.The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held here today.Power Minister and Government spokesman Shrikant Sharma said that over 3000 purchase centers will operate across the state and farmers will get payment within 72 hours.

"The general variety of paddy will be purchased at the rate of Rs 1550 per quintal while advance variety will fetch Rs 1590 per quintal. Besides, Rs 15 per quintal will be given to farmers as handling charge, which earlier was just Rs 3," Mr Sharma said.He said in western UP, these centers will operate from September 25 to January 31 while in eastern UP the paddy purchase centres will operate from November 1 to February 28."This time, the Government has also announced incentive for rice millers. Those mills which thresh the purchased paddy within a month's time, will get Rs 10 per quintal," he said.UNI MB RSA 2119 https://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20170829/3177403.html

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Basmati rice overtakes buffalo meat as top export commodity for India The short-lived ban on buffalo meat's sale is partly another reason why export took a hit and basmati rice climbed to the top spot.

Purnita Deb August 23, 2017 14:32 IST

A labourer works at a rice mill in RanibazarReuters Basmati rice is now the top commodity that is exported from India and has replaced buffalo meat for the April-June quarter, driven by a continued rise in demand from Iran.Iran, one of the largest importers of Indian basmati rice, generally suspends import orders during its harvesting season.

However, this year, the traders did not suspend the rice import orders and continued to buy basmati from India even during their harvesting season, Business Standard reported.

"Iranian buyers have continued their purchases even during their own rice harvesting season.

That has resulted in an increase in basmati rice exports in April-June," said an Agricultural and

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Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) official.Also, the Narendra Modi-led government's order to ban buffalo meat's sale is partly another reason why the export took a hit and basmati rice climbed on to the top spot. Buffalo meat was the most exported commodity since the 2014-2015 financial year.

According to Apeda figures, India exported basmati rice worth $1.26 billion (Rs 8,168 crore) between April and June from $934 million (Rs 6,196 crore), in the same quarter last year.

A butcher swings his blade to sacrifice a buffalo (not pictured) inside an enclosed compound during the sacrificial ceremony.Reuters Buffalo meat exports were $849 million (Rs 5,473 crore) during the quarter against $823 million (Rs 5,445 crore) in the same quarter a year ago."Indian exporters used to execute orders on documents against acceptance, which was stopped by the government because overseas buyers' re-negotiated terms after shipments reached them. So, there were corrections in the export of basmati rice over the last few years. Now, overseas buyers are purchasing commodities on spot cash," added the Apeda official http://www.ibtimes.co.in/basmati-rice-overtakes-buffalo-meat-top-export-commodity-india-739450

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Chinese hybrid rice to produce 18 tons per hectare record yield

LAHORE: Rice growing experts on Tuesday said that the launch of Chinese Hybrid rice in Pakistan would bring revolution in rice production having yield of 18 tons per hectare or more than 150 maunds per acre. Talking to APP the experts said that both China and Pakistan currently sown around 7-8 tons per hectares that is 15 percent more than conventional yield of rice.

Sino-Pakistan Hybrid Rice Research Centre (SPHRRC) director Professor Mohammad Zubair, said that the new rice variety would help to increase per acre yield for Pakistani farmers and increased export of rice to other countries, including China, in future. He said that both China and Pakistan were currently sowing around 7-8 tons per hectares that is 15 percent more than conventional yield of rice.

The amount of the double-cropping rice is equal to that produced over three seasons in the past, marking a big breakthrough, he said. To a question he said that Chinese Professor Yuan, is the father of this hybrid rice. He said his discovery of high- yield hybrid rice would help end the food crisis in the globe, which was highly regarded in China and in the world. Prominent rice scientist and researcher, Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said that "father of hybrid

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rice," Professor Yuan began theoretical research about 50 years ago and continued to set new records in the average yields of hybrid rice plots.

He said that the United Nations (UN) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the UN World Intellectual Property Organization, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) honoured professor Yuan with different titles and awards during the last four decades. Yuan received World Food Prize 2004 for his landmark achievement for developing the genetic materials and technologies important for breeding hybrid rice varieties, he said. As the first person to discover fast growth with greater yield and stress resistance he is acknowledged highly. Meanwhile Punjab secretary agriculture Muhammad Mahmud said that Pakistani scientists, earlier had successfully developed a technology that will help farmers sow rice without water.

As rice is sown with water in abundance in the field, however, the recent development would be helpful for the farming community facing water shortage problem, he added. Professor Iqbal said that the only way to safeguard the global food supply is to raise the amount of yield per unit area via advanced technologies, including those that focus on water conservancy, fertilizer optimization, soil cultivation and improved seeds. He said that Pakistan needed to make a massive investment in science and technology for a long period to entertain the desired progress.

Noted environmentalist Dr Maqsood said that the global rice production is likely to fall in coming years due to climate change and its impacts, so it is a high time for Pakistan to avail benefit from the upcoming demand by increasing its rice production through sustainable practices. To a query he said according to recent studies, climate change and its impacts on extreme weather and temperature swings is projected to reduce the global production of corn, wheat, rice and soybeans by 23 percent. It is pertinent to mention here that rice is the country's largest export crop (3.8 million Metric Tonnes per annum).

The country has more than a thousand rice mills catering to the need of farmers growing 5.54 million tonnes per annum on an area of 2.5 million hectares. This important crop accounts for 6.7 percent of value added in the agricultural sector, and 1.6 percent of national GDP. Pakistan enjoys a strong competitive advantage in the export sector due to consumer preference in destination markets for aromatic and long grain rice. http://www.brecorder.com/2017/08/29/367180/chinese-hybrid-rice-to-produce-18-tons-per-hectare-recordyield/

UAE issues new tax law to implement 5% VAT The government of the United Arab Emirates has issued a decree paving the way for its new value added tax (VAT) system to be implemented from 1 January 2018, which will cover the financial services sector.

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The VAT system is designed to become the ―bedrock of the UAE’s planned tax system‖, according to Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and chairman of the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). VAT is due to be introduced across the Gulf Cooperation Council region between January 1, 2018, and January 1, 2019, as part of efforts by the six member states to shift from an over reliance on oil revenues. The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia as well as the UAE. ―The new tax system will provide extra support for the government to implement the vision of the UAE leadership and build a diversified and productive knowledge economy,‖ he added. ―The tax will have positive results on the economy given that revenues will be redistributed to development projects that benefit society at large and accelerate progress until the UAE reaches the top of global rankings across all sectors,‖ said Hamdan. The new law imposes a standard VAT rate of 5% on all goods and services not specifically exempted or zero rated. It does, for example, exempt residential properties and rent paid to landlords, and the transfer of whole or an independent part of a business for the purposes of continuing such business.

The decree requires all UAE residents or business entities to register for VAT unless they fall under a minimum annual turnover limit as defined by the tax authority. The government has previously signalled that companies with an annual revenue of over AED3.75m ($1.0m, £800,000) will be obliged to register under a Value Added Tax (VAT) system and charge the tax. http://www.international-adviser.com/news/1037767/uae-issues-vat-law-implement-tax

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PHL imports to boost global rice trade

The Philippines will boost global rice trade this year to the third-highest on record. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) raised its latest global rice trade forecast mid-August by 700,000 million tons to 43.2 million tons. It’s seven percent larger than a year earlier and the third-highest on record. The Philippines’ 2017 import forecast was raised 200,000 tons to 1.6 million tons based on a recent government tender for 250,000 tons and expectations of another 800,000 tons purchased by private buyers by yearend.

Among importers, larger purchases by the Philippines, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Guinea, Iraq, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and the United Arab Emirates are projected to more than offset reduced imports by Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Laos and Sri Lanka. The substantial year-to-year increase in exports is largely due to increased shipments from Burma, China, India, the United States and Vietnam.

In 2017, global imports are being boosted by substantially larger purchases by the Philippines, Bangladesh, China, Ecuador, Madagascar, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. In contrast, Indonesia’s 2017 imports are projected to decline 500,000 tons and Colombia’s imports to drop to 110,000 tons.

There were five export revisions for 2017, four upward revisions and one reduction. First, India’s 2017 export forecast was raised 500,000 tons to 11 million tons based on a strong pace to date, especially to top regional buyers Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Iran, Iraq and Senegal have been strong buyers this year as well.

Second, Vietnam’s 2017 export forecast was raised 200,000 tons to 6 million tons based on a strong shipment pace to date, with sales especially strong to the Philippines and China. Both

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India and Vietnam are major exporters. Third, China’s 2017 export forecast was raised 100,000 tons to 900,000 tons based on larger than expected sales to West Africa, especially to Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone. China’s exports in 2017 are up 145 percent from a year earlier and the highest since 2007. From 2011 to 2016, China’s annual exports averaged just 371,000 tons. Prior to 2008, China was a major exporter, typically shipping 1 to 2 million tons annually, sometimes more.

Fourth, Turkey’s 2017 export forecast was raised 25,000 tons to 75,000 tons based on shipment pace. Finally, Australia’s 2017 export forecast was lowered 20,000 tons to 180,000 tons based on a slow start to sales this year despite adequate supplies. Sri Lanka’s 2017 import forecast was raised 300,000 tons to a record 700,000 tons based on recent strong buying from regional sources and tight supplies. In years of a normal crop harvest, Sri Lanka typically imports only a small amount of rice, mostly from India. Bangladesh’s 2017 imports were increased 100,000 tons to 800,000 tons based on large purchases this spring and summer and a smaller crop.

In the global market, 2017/18 production forecasts were reduced for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the US. The 2017/18 global consumption forecast was lowered 0.6 million tons based on smaller expected total use in Bangladesh, US and Vietnam. With global production exceeding consumption in 2017/18, global ending stocks are projected to increase three percent year-toyear to 122.9 million tons, up 400,000 tons from the previous forecast and the highest since 2001/02. Thailand’s price quotes continue to decline while US long-grain price quotes increased further. http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/business/phl-imports-boost-global-rice-trade

Rice’s bullish bias remains; macro drivers weighing heavy on cotton, grain Bobby Coats | Aug 29, 2017 Globally, governments and Central Banks through their fiscal, monetary, trade, regulatory, exchange rate and geopolitical policies have reasonably stabilized our domestic and global economic setting date.

Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey will impact final U.S. long grain rice production figures, but too early for me to speculate.

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Economic crosscurrents: The bullish bias remains in the U.S. long grain rice market, even as global economic crosscurrents related to currencies, bonds, equities and commodities are rebalancing markets.

Government intervention: Globally, governments and Central Banks through their fiscal, monetary, trade, regulatory, exchange rate and geopolitical policies have reasonably stabilized our domestic and global economic setting in 2017 to date.

Domestic and global rice fundamentals coupled with these policy intervention activities have benefitted the U.S. long grain rice sector.

Recession avoided: The U.S. and global economic, market, policy and regulatory events this year have unfolded in a manner that has allowed the U.S. to not only avoid a near-term recession, but through policy intervention pushed a potential U.S. recession and global economic slowdown possibly two-plus years into the future. Given fundamentals, today’s domestic and global rice market would have not fared well with a significant global deceleration in economic activity.

China’s credit crisis has weighed heavy on global markets in 2017, especially commodity markets, but the crisis now appears to be manageable given aggressive Chinese and global

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financial engineering. China’s ability to remain economically stable in 2017 is a major accomplishment of the top Chinese leadership and the Bank of China.

Dollar weakness: Many of the world’s currencies remain more bullish than bearish, allowing the U.S. and Chinese currencies room to weaken and re-energize their respective economies, which is a plus for U.S. long grain rice exports.

Bond Market: The U.S. 10-Year Treasury Yield is presently trading in a range of 2.1 to 2.4, which given domestic and global economic fundamentals is friendly to domestic and global economic growth, and many commodity markets including rice.

Slow Growth: Chronic slow domestic and global growth appear to be ever so slowly fading away due to fiscal and monetary policy intervention activities, which, in turn, provides incentive to expand commodity trade.

Equities: U.S. and global equity markets have some potential price consolidation or weakness over the next one to two months. The question becomes what’s the near-term impact on cotton, grain and rice markets? We simply must cautiously work our way through the next couple of months.

Thus, the domestic and global rice fundamentals, including unfolding events associated with Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey, coupled with an array of domestic and global government and Central Bank intervention activities, continue to give rice a bullish bias to date.

2017/18 World Rice Supply and Demand World Rice-Cliff Note Version 

2017/18 world rice acreage at 161.8 million hectares is slightly below last month’s 161.9, but still the highest on record

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World rice yield at 4.4 metric tons per hectare is below 2016/17 period’s 4.5, but consistent with previous six periods



World rice rough production at 719.9 million metric tons is 1.8 million metric tons below 2016/17 and the 2nd highest on record

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World rice milled production is the 2nd highest on record at 482.6 million metric tons

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World trade at 43.9 million metric tons is the 3nd highest on record, which, in-part, reflects global uncertainties

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World rice total use at 479.1 million metric tons is the 2nd highest on record only exceeded by the previous marketing period’s 480.3 million tons

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World rice ending stocks continue to build at 122.9 million metric tons, which is the highest since 2001/02 USDA Long Grain Rice Supply and Demand -- Cliff Note Version:



The long grain rice season-average farm price range is forecast at $11.50 - $12.50 per cwt or $5.18 - $5.63 per bushel

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2017 long grain rice planted acres are estimated at 1.909 million acres or 22 percent below 2016

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5-year average 2,044,400 acres

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10-year average 2,150,600 acres

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15-year average 2,229,267 acres

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2017-18 long grain rice beginning stocks are estimated at 31.3 million cwt.



Previous 5-year average was 22 million cwt.

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Previous 10-year average was 24 million cwt.

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2017/18 long grain rice production is estimated at 132.4 million cwt



5 percent below 2016-17

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5-year average 148 million cwt



10-year average 149 million cwt



2017-18 long grain rice production is estimated at 132.4 million cwt



5 percent below 2016-17



5-year average 148 million cwt

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10-year average 149 million cwt



2017-18 long grain rice total supply is estimated at 184.7 million cwt.



12-percent below 2016-17



5-year average 190 million cwt.

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10-year average 191 million cwt.

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2017/18 long grain rice domestic and residual use is estimated at 90 million cwt,



9th largest on record

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5-year average 95 million cwt.

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10-year average 94.5 million cwt.

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2017-18 long grain rice total exports is estimated at 77 million cwt,

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1 million cwt. below last year

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5-year average 72

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10-year average 73

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2017-18 long grain rice total use is estimated at 167 million cwt.



11 million cwt below 2016-17

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5-year average 166.7 million cwt.

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10-year average 167 million cwt.

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2017-18 long grain rice ending stocks are estimated at 17.7 million cwt.



5-percent below 2016-17, 2nd lowest in the previous 13 marketing periods



5-year average 23 million cwt.

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10-year average 24 million cwt.

To view the accompanying Rice Outlook U.S. and World Slide Show, click on the download button that follows this article.

1. Bobby Coats is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System. E-mail: recoats@uark.edu http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/rice-s-bullish-bias-remains-macro-drivers-weighing-heavy-cottongrain

Harvey Takes Big Bite at Ratoon Rice in Texas, Louisiana AUGUST 29, 2017 12:52 PM

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The vast majority of Gulf Coast rice was harvested before the arrival of Harvey.

By Chris Bennett Farm Journal Technology and Issues Editor The ratoon rice crop could be a near-total loss in Texas and Louisiana after the wrath of Hurricane Harvey subsides. The vast majority of Gulf Coast rice was harvested before the arrival of Harvey, but with water still rising, questions remain over storage conditions and second crop rice.

Texas ―I estimate 80% of the Texas rice crop (170,000 acres) was cut before the storm hit and the remainder is totally lost. Rain normally makes grain, but this is so much more than rain. Right now, it’s hard to really even know the condition of harvested rice. We’ve got broken communication, no electricity for some areas, and flooded storage in places. There are so many unknowns,‖ says Dwight Roberts, president and CEO of the U.S. Rice Producers Association (USRPA), located in Houston.

Texas and Louisiana are the only U.S. states capable of producing a second rice crop. After harvest, producers generally hit stubble with one application of fertilizer and cut again roughly 40 days later. Roberts expects heavy damage for the second crop: ―I don’t know how many producers second-cropped, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the second cutting is a total loss. This is like something from a science fiction or end-of-the-world movie, except it’s real.‖ Ted Wilson, director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Beaumont, has been locked out of the center since Sunday due to high water and flooded roads. At best, he expects ratoon crop yields to be severely diminished. ―We’re talking about 50‖ of rain over just a few days. The ratoon crop east of Houston was already hit hard because of a wet spring and delayed planting. In the west, maybe the second crop could produce a little depending on how quickly soils dry,‖ he explains.

If the second cutting is indeed a general loss, the financial hit for Texas farmers will be substantial. ―It’s a large part of their operations,‖ Wilson says. ―In general, the first crop pays inputs and the second crop provides profit.‖ Louisiana Louisiana has 395,000 acres of rice in 2017; 75% in the southwest and 25% in the northeast.

Southwest Louisiana is on the cusp of rice harvest completion, with approximately 10,000 yet to be cut, according to Dustin Harrell, Louisiana State University AgCenter rice specialist.

However, the northeast region of the state has just started harvest and could face lodging, shattering, and general damage, depending on how much rain arrives.

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Economically, the ratoon crop is vital to Louisiana’s Gulf Coast growers, but water over the first cutting can kill the stubble. Yields are typically lower in southwest Louisiana with higher disease pressure and a tougher environment, compared with growing conditions in northeast Louisiana or Arkansas, according to Harrell. ―Traditionally, producers break even on the first crop and profit on the second crop,‖ Harrell adds. ―Then again, it seems the past three years have required the first and second crop just to break even.‖ https://www.agweb.com/article/harvey-takes-big-bite-at-ratoon-rice-in-texas-louisiana-naa-chris-bennett/

Vietnam to reform rice production, improve exports Vietnam will reform rice production to gain sustainable development in the production and export of rice, according to Vietnam’s Rice Market Development Strategy from 2017 to 2020.

Vietnam will reform rice production to gain sustainable development in the production and export of rice According to the strategy for developing the country’s rice export market in the 2017–20 period with a vision to 2030, one of the goals is to gradually reduce the rice export volume but increase

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the value of exported rice.Specifically, the annual rice export volume is expected to reach about 4.5-5 m illion tonnes in 2020, earning an average of about 2.2-2.3 billion USD per year.

From 2021 to 2030, the nation’s annual rice export volume is expected to reach about 4 million tonnes, earning 2.3 to 2.5 billion USD per year. At the same time, it would restructure rice export products.

Exports of fragrant rice, specialty rice and Japonica rice will account for the largest proportion of the total volume of exported rice at 40 percent, followed by glutinous rice and white rice exports at 25 percent each.Meanwhile, the proportion of high quality, high-value, organic, highlynutritious rice and products made from rice will be about 10 percent.

Tran Cong Thang, deputy director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that at present Vietnam does not have a national plan for the development of export rice but provinces have developed areas of producing high-quality rice products while applying high technology for production. In addition, the nation has had geographical indicators for rice products such as Hai Hau rice and Dien Bien rice.

Meanwhile, many local brands have been protected including Kinh Mon glutinous rice in Hai Duong province, Dong Trieu glutinous rice in Quang Ninh province and aromatic rice of Soc Trang province. Many enterprises have developed brands for their business and for their rice products.Meeting the market demand, in recent years, the area of growing high-quality rice is increasing. Rice exporters are also more active in seeking ways to penetrate high-quality rice markets as well as linking with each other to build the rice production chain. Especially, in the Mekong Delta, there are 10 to 12 brands of rice produced by private enterprises such as Ngoc Troi and Ngoc Dong.

However, Thang said, besides development of high-quality rice, Vietnam still needs to develop rice products in traditional rice markets and expand the export market to Africa.In addition, Vietnam and many other countries producing rice are experiencing various problems such as salinity intrusion and climate change, so rice production to adapt to climate change is a big challenge, he said.The MARD has worked with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to develop key rice varieties for each region according to the market demand.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said that to implement the restructuring of the rice production industry in Vietnam, the agricultural sector has to improve rice varieties, production technique and infrastructure; set up appropriate mechanisation in production, preservation and processing; and promote production chain. The sector will identify suitable rice varieties for each export market.

He said that initially, the sector would focus on researching high-quality rice varieties and rice production technical package to reduce production cost, improve rice quality, protecting the environment and ensure sustainable agricultural reforms.To implement Vietnam’s Rice Market Development Strategy for the period 2017 to 2020, the MARD will review and identify rice growing areas with an advantage to adjust production plans and convert areas with inefficient

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rice production to other purposes. It will plan a schedule on adjusting production scale and output to meet domestic and international demand and the competitive ability of Vietnamese rice.

It will also plan and organise production based on regions of material and regions specialising in the production of rice, demand of specific export markets, and orders of enterprises.The ministry said that in the first seven months of the year, Vietnam exported 3.3 million tonnes of rice, earning 1.5 billion USD, up 15.7 percent in volume and 13.7 percent in value compared to the January-July period of 2016. China was still the largest export market for Vietnamese rice, followed by the Philippines ` http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/185490/vietnam-to-reform-rice-production--improveexports.html

152,000 MT of rice in the market Development - Provincial The country has started infusing locally milled rice to the markets and has also inked an agreement with Indian private suppliers for immediate rice tranches to Colombo. ―We are also going ahead with the Indian rice orders‖, said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen today (29th Aug.).―On the directions of President Maithripala Sirisena, we released 52, 000 MT of locally milled rice to the market last weekend. These rice stocks were milled from the paddy obtained from the Paddy Marketing Board. The Indian rice orders will give us a very competitive price.‖ Accordingly, on the 25th of August the ministry and its Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) have, in a Govt-to-overseas private sector MoU placed order for the supply of 70,000 MT of Nadu rice to Sri Lanka. This tranche is expected to land here in mid-September. Another MoU with Indian private sector for 30,000 MT of Samba rice is to be inked in Colombo soon.

This rice stock is expected to arrive during late September.

On the orders of the Cost of Living Committee on 26th July, the CWE started extracting 80,000 MT of paddy with the Paddy Marketing Board’s warehouses to mill in CWE’s own mills as well as through the private millers.

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CWE sources said that 52,000 MT of milled rice from these paddy stocks have already been delivered to Lanka Sathosa last weekend to be sold to the public at the lowest possible price. The 52,000 MT tranche consists of a variety of rice types.As a result of Indian purchases and domestic paddy milling, a total of 152,000 MT of rice is in the market-of which 52, 000 MT is already in the market at this moment https://www.news.lk/news/business/item/17859-152-000-mt-of-rice-in-the-market

CORRECTED-Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- August 28, 2017 Reuters Staff Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-August 28 Nagpur, August 28 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices recovered in Nagpur Agriculture Produce andMarketing Committee (APMC) here on good seasonal demand from local millers amid weak supply fromproducing regions. Upward trend on NCDEX in gram and reported demand from South-based millersalso jacked up prices.

About 500 of gram and 300 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.

FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram varieties recovered strongly in open market here on increased festival season demand from local traders amid tight supply from millers.

TUAR * Tuar varieties showed weak tendency in open market here on poor demand from local traders amid good supply from producing regions. * Moong varieties reported higher in open market on good buying support from local traders. * In Akola, Tuar New – 4,300-4,600, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,300-6,500, Udid Mogar (clean) – 8,200-8,800, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,800-7,400, Gram – 5,500-5,800, Gram Super best – 8,800-9,200 * Wheat, rice and moved in a narrow range in scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

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FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 4,500-5,670 4,500-5,500 Gram Pink Auction n.a.

2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 4,000-4,580 3,800-4,480 Moong Auction n.a.

3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a.

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

2,600-2,800 Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,600-1,728 1,600-1,710 Gram Super Best Bold 9,000-9,500 8,800-9,300 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.

Gram Medium Best 7,800-8,200 8,000-8,200 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 5,900-6,000 5,700-5,900 Desi gram Raw 5,650-5,850 5,400-5,600 Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,500 12,500-13,500 Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,800-7,400 7,000-7,500 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 6,400-6,600 6,500-6,700 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 6,300-6,500 6,400-6,600 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,800-6,200 5,900-6,300 Tuar Gavarani New 4,700-4,900 4,750-4,950 Tuar Karnataka 5,000-5,200 5,100-5,300 Masoor dal best 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000 Masoor dal medium 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600 Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,500-8,000 7,200-7,800 Moong Mogar Medium 6,700-7,200 6,500-7,000 Moong dal Chilka 5,600-6,600 5,600-6,300 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,400-7,500 6,400-7,500 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,200 4,700-5,200 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,700 3,500-3,700 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,800 3,600-4,800 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,850-1,950 1,800-1,900 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,400 2,100-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700

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Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,600 3,300-3,600 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200 Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,900 2,600-2,900 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700 Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400 Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,500-4,000 3,500-4,000 Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,700 4,400-4,700 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,000-14,000 10,000-14,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,100-7,600 5,100-7,600 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000 Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,300-4,500 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,200 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 33.3 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 24.4 degree Celsius Rainfall : 9.8 mm FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with possibility of moderate rains. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 32 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices) https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N1LE32Q

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-August 29 AUGUST 29, 2017 / 2:09 PM /

Nagpur, August 29 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produceand Marketing Committee (APMC) here on increased festival demand from local millers amid thinsupply from producing regions because of heavy rains since yesterday evening.

Upward trend onNCDEX in gram and enquiries from South-based millers also pushed up prices.

About 800 of gram and 700 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.

FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local traders amid ample stock in ready position.

TUAR * Tuar gavarani declined further in open market in absence of buyers amid release of stock from stockists.

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* Udid varieties reported recovered in open market on increased demand from local traders. * In Akola, Tuar New – 4,300-4,600, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,300-6,500, Udid Mogar (clean) – 8,200-8,800, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,800-7,400, Gram – 5,500-5,800, Gram Super best – 8,800-9,200 * Wheat, rice and moved in a narrow range in thin trading activity.

scattered deals and settled at last levels in

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 5,500-6,130 4,900-5,900 Gram Pink Auction n.a.

2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 3,700-4,550 3,700-4,400 Moong Auction n.a.

3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a.

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

2,600-2,800 Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,600-1,728 1,600-1,710 Gram Super Best Bold 9,000-9,500 9,000-9,500 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.

Gram Medium Best 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 5,900-6,000 5,900-6,000 Desi gram Raw 5,650-5,850 5,650-5,850 Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,500 12,500-13,500 Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,800-7,400 6,800-7,400 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 6,300-6,500 6,300-6,500 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,800-6,200 5,800-6,200 Tuar Gavarani New 4,650-4,850 4,700-4,900 Tuar Karnataka 5,000-5,200 5,000-5,200 Masoor dal best 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000 Masoor dal medium 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600 Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000 Moong Mogar Medium 6,700-7,200 6,700-7,200 Moong dal Chilka 5,600-6,600 5,600-6,600 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,600-9,600 8,500-9,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,600 6,400-7,500 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,300 4,700-5,200

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Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,700 3,500-3,700 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,800 3,600-4,800 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,850-1,950 1,800-1,900 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,400 2,100-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,600 3,300-3,600 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200 Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,900 2,600-2,900 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700 Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400 Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,500-4,000 3,500-4,000 Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,700 4,400-4,700 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,000-14,000 10,000-14,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,100-7,600 5,100-7,600 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000 Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,300-4,500 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,200 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 33.3 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 24.4 degree Celsius Rainfall : 100 mm FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with possibility of moderate rains. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 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) https://in.reuters.com/article/india-cars-gst-jaitley-idINKCN1BA0ZH

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