4 july 10 july 2016 daily global regional and local rice enewsletter by riceplus magazine

www.ricepluss.com www.riceplusmagazine.blog spot.com Daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine 4-8-10 July,2016.

Un-Edited News Riceplus Magazine could not shared the News with our readers during the Eidulfit in Pakistan and Holidays during 4-8-10 July,2016.

Here are the News you can read Now.Do not miss any valuable news APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1511

International Benchmark Price Price on: 05-07-2016

Product Honey

Benchmark Indicators Name

Price

1

Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2140

2

Argentine 50mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2160

3

Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2180

1

South Africa, HPS 70/80 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)

2064

2

South African, HPS 40/50 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)

1950

3

Argentinean 40/50 runners, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)

1420

1

CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)

909

2

Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)

691

3

NYSE Liffe White Sugar Futures (USD/t)

565

Peanuts

White Sugar

Source: oryza, agra-net

For more info

Market Watch Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 05-07-2016 Domestic Prices Product

Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Market Center

Variety

Min Price

Max Price

1

Manvi (Karnataka)

Other

1650

1650

2

Thara (Gujarat)

Other

2000

2300

3

Sangli (Maharashtra)

Other

1800

2800

1

Dhekiajuli (Assam)

Other

1400

1500

2

Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh)

Other

1551

1755

3

Kota (Rajasthan)

Other

1501

1721

Jowar(Sorghum)

Maize

Papaya 1

Alappuzha (Kerala)

Other

3400

3500

2

Patiala (Punjab)

Other

1500

2500

3

Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh)

Other

1235

1265

1

Manjeri (Kerala)

Other

2900

3100

2

Sahaspur (Orissa)

Other

1100

1200

3

Shillong (Meghalaya)

Other

1200

1600

Cabbage

Source:agmarknet.nic.in

For more info

Floriculture

Unit Price : US$ per package Price on 05-07-2016

Product

Market Center

Origin

Variety

Low

High

Rose Flower 1

Package: bunched 10s Boston

Ecuador

Assorted Colors

15

15

Orchid Flower 1

Package: bunched 10s Boston

Thailand

Dendrobium

12.50

12.50

Lilies Flower 1

Package: per bunch Boston

California

Asiatic Type

13.50

13.50

Sunflower 1

Package: per stem Boston

Mexico

Large Head

2.00

2.00

Source:USDA

Other News 1. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to lead delegation of 110 Indian companies to Russia 2. Brexit: India, UK to hold trade talks

3. India 'aims to boost organic exports' 4. India-UK Free Trade Agreement may be easier post Brexit: CII 5. FSSAI’s risk assessment cell for easy food recall to become a centre soon 6. India signs agreement with Mozambique to import pulses

Track & Trace Enter your Container Number to Track Container.

Enter your Air Cargo Number to Track Air Cargo.

Enter your Bill Of Lading to Track Bill Of Lading.

APEDA Statistics Three Years Export Summary of APEDA Products (2012-13 To 2014-15) Top Five Destination of APEDA Products for Year 2014-15

Todays Leads Seller Leads

Buyer Leads

Egg

Rs per 100 No Price on 06-07-2016 Product

Market Center

Price

1

Ahmedabad

452

2

Nagapur

422

3

Mysore

456

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices

Unit Price : US$ per package Price on 05-07-2016

Product

Market Center

Origin

Variety

Low

Onions Dry

High Package: 40 lb cartons

1

Atlanta

Georgia

Yellow

18.50

20.50

2

Chicago

Oregon

Yellow

32.50

32.50

2

Detroit

California

Yellow

20.50

22.50

Cucumbers

Package: cartons film wrapped

1

Atlanta

Canada

Long Seedless

10

11.50

2

Dallas

California

Long Seedless

13.50

15.50

3

Miami

Canada

Long Seedless

9

9

Grapes

Package: 18 lb containers bagged

1

Atlanta

Mexico

Red Seedless

26

26.50

2

Dallas

Mexico

Red Seedless

21

24

Source:USDA

FDA warning letters: Pests, mold found in food storage warehouses

By News Desk | July 11, 2016

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently sent warning letters to owners of two food storage warehouses — one in Minneapolis, MN, and one in Chester, PA.

Lavella Brothers FDA‘s Philadelphia District Office told Lavella Brothers in a June 23 warning letter that ―significant violations‖ of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations were noted during a May 4-26 inspection of the company‘s multiple food warehouse at 723 W. Third St., in Chester, PA. These violations included not using safe water of adequate sanitary quality on food and foodcontact surfaces and for other operations, FDA stated.

―Specifically, our investigator observed that your firm did not have running water in either the ladies or men‘s restrooms used by employees,‖ the agency informed the company. ―Further, the toilets and hand washing sinks were not functioning, and there are no other sinks in your facility. We note that you informed our investigator that you shut-off the water supply due to a leak in the piping that runs under the foundation of the building, and that there has been no water in the restrooms since January 2016.‖ Lavella Brothers notified FDA on May 23 that water had been restored to the restrooms for use in toilets and hand-washing sinks, but the federal agency was not mollified. ―However, we continue to have concerns because this correction is a temporary fix and the water supply is being turned on and off at the main water supply line and the leak in the system has not been repaired. Further, we have serious concerns that your firm has been operating under these insanitary conditions since January 2016 and you only took action as a result of our inspection,‖ the warning letter stated.

FDA also had issues with inadequate cleaning of food-contact surfaces and utensils at the facility and inadequate measures to exclude pests from the processing area. ―On May 4, 5, 12, and 13 an orange and white cat was moving freely throughout the warehouse. Further, you informed our investigator that the cat was from outside and that you allowed it to enter the building,‖ the warning letter stated.

Rodent excreta was observed in the facility near stored food, according to FDA. The company informed the agency‘s investigator that there had not been any pest control services performed in the facility for some time due to cost concerns, the warning letter noted.

Rusted equipment, wood and debris were seen within the immediate vicinity of the plant buildings, which ―may constitute an attractant, breeding place, or harborage for pests,‖ the agency stated.

What appeared to be a ―black moldy substance‖ was observed on the walls of two produce coolers, causing a ―musty smell,‖ plus one produce cooler‘s thermometer was not operational, FDA stated, acknowledging that the company later installed a working thermometer.

Dreamland Trading Inc. In a June 29 warning letter, FDA‘s Minneapolis District Office informed Dreamland Trading Inc. that agency inspectors had found numerous CGMP violations at its imported food storage warehouse and distribution facility at 3912 Dight Ave. S. in Minneapolis.

The inspection, conducted from April 29 to May 18 revealed that the violations could impact the safety of imported food products such as rice, pasta, packaged juices, edible oils, tea, spices and dates. ―On May 6, 2016, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) placed an embargo on food products held in your facility,‖ the letter stated. The company submitted a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) May 24, which was revised twice in response to subsequent letters from FDA. However, FDA‘s letter continued, ―You stated that these activities will take place after the release of the embargo by MDA, and the destruction and reconditioning process is completed under the supervision of your GMP consultant. Your CAP failed to address the actions you will take to prevent recurrence of the violations.‖ Problems observed during the FDA inspection included failure to take effective measures to exclude pests and to protect against contamination of food by pests on the premises as required by federal regulations, the warning letter stated. ―On April 29, 2016, the investigators observed a dead mouse on sticky paper against the south wall of the North Warehouse,‖ FDA stated, adding that inspectors had seen rodent excreta pellets, apparent gnaw holes and nesting material where bags or pallets of Basmati Rice from India or Aged Rice from Pakistan were being stored.

Gaps in overhead dock doors and man doors were noted, with ―daylight observed beneath each gap.‖ The company had done some work to alleviate these problems, FDA stated. ―Despite these corrections, the investigators observed daylight between the bottom of the doors and the concrete aprons when the doors were shut,‖ according to the warning letter.

Metal cans containing dates were damaged and leaking, pasta packages were open and inadequately stored, pallets holding stored food had insufficient space between them and the walls, and motion lights in the facility were not working on two different inspection days in May, inspectors reported.

Recipients of FDA warning letters have 15 working days from receipt to respond with details of the procedures they have taken, or will take, to correct the current violations and prevent them from recurring

Maize recovers on scattered demand In restricted activity,maize prices recovered by Rs 10 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today due to mild demand from consuming industries.

By: PTI | New Delhi | Published: July 8, 2016 3:15 PM

Traders said scattered demand from consuming industries led to rise in maize prices (reuters)

In restricted activity,maize prices recovered by Rs 10 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today due to mild demand from consuming industries.

However, other grains moved in a narrow range in limited deals and settled around previous levels.

Traders said scattered demand from consuming industries led to rise in maize prices.

In the national capital, maize edged up by Rs 10 to Rs 1,590-1,600 per quintal.

Related



Groundnut oil eases on sluggish demand



Palmolein, soyabean oils slide on subdued demand



Gold falls off 28-month high as demand falters



Industrial oils advance on rising demand

Following are today‘s quotations (in Rs per quintal): Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,300-2,850, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,775-1,780, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,785-1,790, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 275, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 275, Roller flour mill Rs 930-960 (50 kg), Maida Rs 990-1,000 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,060-1,070 (50 kg),Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,700, Basmati common new Rs 5,900-6,100, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 4,800-5,700, Permal raw Rs 2,000-2,050, Permal wand Rs 2,175-2,250, Sela Rs 3,000-3,050 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,870-1,880, Bajra Rs 1,630-1,640, Jowar yellow Rs 1,900-2,000, white Rs 3,500-3,600, Maize Rs 1,590-1,600, Barley Rs 1,680-1,685

Kerala govt proposes Rs 12,000 crore anti-recession package in Budget The state is facing a financial crisis due to dwindling remittances from Keralites working in the Gulf Gireesh Babu | Chennai July 8, 2016 Last Updated at 15:06 IST

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

ALSO READ Basmati rice exports to US might be hit In a first, Kerala imposes 14.5% 'fat tax' on junk food Profitability of basmati rice exporters to remain under pressure in H1FY17 Kerala polls: Left is still right in this old bastion Basmati exporters eye better realisations as Iran opens up



The Government of Kerala has announced an anti-recession package of Rs 12,000 crore to overcome the financial crisis the state is facing due to dwindling remittances from its citizens in the Gulf. Of this, a sum of Rs 2,500 crore is expected to be invested during the current fiscal year, said Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac, while presenting the state's revised budget proposals for the year 2016-17. This is the first budget after the new Left Democratic Front (LDF) government took over in May this year.

The state is facing serious financial crisis after the previous government failed to collect around Rs 23,900 crore as tax during the past three years, Issac alleged. The economic situation in the state would worsen if the crisis in Gulf countries continues.

The State government is envisaging a package of Rs 20,000 crore to develop basic infrastructure facilities, with the anti-recession package and around Rs 8,000 crore to acquire land for the infrastructure development. It is expected to allocate around Rs 2,300 crore for laying 137 new roads. Around Rs 1,000 crore out of the anti-recession package will be allocated to improve the standard of one government school in each constituency to international standards.

It is expecting to produce around 1,000 Mw of power from roof-top solar.

The government will look at setting up a large-scale factory for manufacturing LED bulbs and solar panels and has allocated Rs 25 lakh to prepare project report on whether a defunct glass factory could be used for this.

The government is aiming at making almost 20 per cent of the transportation of goods through coastal shipping and through canals and has allocated around Rs 15 crore for this. Another Rs 500 crore to expedite development of Azheekkal port.

It has also ensured availability of money for development of Vizhinjam International Cargo Shipment Port, of which a large share of investment on developing the port is committed by the State government.

The budget also proposes development of Kochi-Palakkad Industrial Corridor, to bring in industrial parks and facilities in the catchment of NH 47 and land acquisition will start soon. Around 500 acre each in Eranakulam, Thrissur and Kannambra for the development of KochiCoimbatore Hi-Tech Industrial Corridor.

Five multi-purpose industrial zones will be started, and a total of 5,100 acres will be taken over with Rs 5,100 crore, of which around Rs 1000 crore this fiscal year. Rs 25 lakh has been allocated to a committee to

study and report on possibilities of setting up an industrial complex to make value added products from minerals and metals, including titanium metal.

Around Rs 1,000 crore will be allocated to a large-scale insurance scheme in which various non-communicable diseases such as paralysis, cardiac issues, lung and kidney diseases and brain tumor. It will also set up a seperate department for women, which will handle various schemes and also gender audit The government will introduce a comprehensive law for the migrant workers.

He added that the government will have to differ new appointments except for sectors like Health, to another two years. This will reduce the increase in revenue expenditure.

The state can overcome the financial crisis if it can attract investment of around Rs one lakh crore in next five years. It has also announced funding and supporting activities to promote start ups.

The government is expecting to increase revenue from taxes to 25 per cent. The state will continue to have checkposts even if the GST is implemented. Tax has been increased on packaged wheat products, Basmati rice, coconut oil brought in from other states, 14.5 per cent fat tax on ready-to-eat food including burger, pizza, pasta sold by branded restaurants. The fat tax is expected to bring in Rs 10 crore additional revenue, expects the government.

It has also imposed a green tax on private vehicles with four wheel or more and older than 15 years and transport and other vehicles with four or more wheels older than 10 years. It will initiate Rs 1,300 crore investment for new projects in Information Technology sector and around Rs 250 crore to change all filament bulbs to CFL lamps.

The previous government had to collect a total of Rs 1,30,130 crore for the last three years, of which around 81.63 per cent was collected while around Rs 23,900 crore was not collected. This was the major reason for the financial crisis in the State.

The State's capital expenditure has been lower compared to that of other state governments. The percentageCommodity Report-July 5 Published July 5, 2016

Today‘s commodity report: National Weekly Rice Summary, California Shell Eggs: Daily Egg Report, Shell Eggs: Daily National Egg Market and other commodity end of the day market numbers.

National Weekly Rice Summary

In California, medium grain milled rice prices steady. Second head and Brewers prices steady.

Rice by-products: Rice Bran and rice hulls steady.

CME Rough Rice settlements for Friday 1st, Sep 16 closed .195 lower at 10.45; Nov 16 closed .195 lower at 10.735. US dollar index on Friday settled at 95.64. According to NASS Rice Stocks report on June 30, Rough Rice stocks down 10 percent totaling 64.3 million CWT with 56.3 million CWT in off-farm stocks and Milled Rice stocks up 2 percent totaling 6.92 million CWT. USDA National Weekly Rice Summary (.pdf) with all prices.

California Shell Eggs: Daily Egg Report

Benchmark prices are 2 cents higher for Jumbo, 5 cents higher for Extra Large, 4 cents higher for Large and unchanged for Medium and Small. Demand is moderate. Offerings and supplies are

moderate for the larger sizes and mostly heavy for Medium. Market activity is slow. Small benchmark price 80 cents.

Shell egg marketer‘s benchmark price for negotiated egg sales of USDA Grade AA and Grade AA in cartons, cents per dozen. This price does not reflect discounts or other contract terms.

RANGE JUMBO

161

EXTRA LARGE

142

LARGE

130

MEDIUM

100

Shell Eggs: Daily National Egg Market

Regional and California prices are 2 cents higher for Jumbo, up 4 to 18 cents for Extra Large and Large, steady to 8.5 cents higher for Medium, steady for Small. New York prices are unchanged.

The undertone is steady to firm. Offerings are light to moderate, however moderate to heavy in California. Demand into all channels is light to moderate in the Northeast region, moderate in California and the Midwest, moderate to good in the South Central and Southeast regions.

Supplies are moderate to heavy in the Northeast and California, light to moderate elsewhere.

Market activity is slow in California, slow to moderate in the Midwest, moderate in the remaining regions. Breaking stock offerings and demand is light to moderate. Light type hen offerings are adequate; processing schedules are generally full-time.

Check the July USDA Commodity Report Calendar for today‘s commodity reports released

by USDA. Today’s Commodity Market ending market numbers:

Corn September Corn ended at $3.50 3/4 losing 9 1/4 cents, December ended at $3.58 down 9 cents.

Soybeans August Soybeans ended at 11.10 decreasing 54 1/4 cents, September ended at 11.91 1/2 losing 57 1/4 cents.

Wheat September Wheat ended at $4.33 1/2 up 3 1/4 cents, December ended at $4.53 1/2, increasing 2 3/4 cents.

Rough Rice September Rough Rice ended at 10.31 losing 0.14, November ended at 10.59 off 0.145.

Live Cattle August Live Cattle ended at $113.75 up $0.77, October ended at $114.075 gaining $0.80 and

December ended at $114.70 increasing $0.925.

Feeder Cattle August Feeder Cattle ended at $144.30 gaining $1.85 and September ended at $143.525 increasing $1.825 and October ended at $142.50 up $1.95.

Lean Hogs July Lean Hogs ended at $82.025 down $0.65, August ended at $83.20 losing $0.75.

Class III Milk July Class III Milk ended at $14.97 losing $0.10, August ended at $15.70 decreasing $0.19, September ended at $15.88 down $0.16. #2 Cotton December #2 Cotton ended at 65.21 up 0.22, March ending at 65.44 gaining 0.20.

Sugar #11 October sugar #11 ended at 20.87 gaining $0.09, March ended at 20.94 up $0.10.

Orange Juice September Orange Juice ending at 183.60 up $5.35, November ended at 180.65 gaining $2.50. of capital expenditure in the government's total expenditure has come down from 10.64 per cent during the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) tenure to 6.51 per cent in 2014-15, during the tenure of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, he alleged. Almost 60-70 per cent of the money borrowed goes to the day to day expenditure of the government and if this continues, the revenue deficit would go up to over Rs 20,000 crore next fiscal year, mainly due to clearance of arrears related to salary enhancement, said the Finance Ministe

After Bihar's samosa tax, Kerala slaps fat tax on junk food The state has also imposed a green tax, to discourage use of vehicles over 10 years old T E Narasimhan & Gireesh Babu | Chennai July 9, 2016 Last Updated at 00:56 IST

Image via Shutterstock 

ALSO READ Kerala govt proposes Rs 12,000 crore anti-recession package in Budget In a first, Kerala imposes 14.5% 'fat tax' on junk food Ignore proposals for more tax exemptions Budget to boost infra, farm sectors



The Bihar government’s decision in January this year to impose a tax on samosas and all sweets costing more than Rs 500 per kg must have given a lot of food for thought to the new government in Kerala.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF), elected to power in May, has decided to impose a “fat tax” on junk food, as it looks to increase tax revenue by 25 per cent this financial year.

At 14.5 per cent, the fat tax is expected to hit fast-food chains in the state, including KFC, McDonald’s,

Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Subway. These are popular with non-resident Indians and tourists in the state, who, the government believes, are in a position to absorb the tax.

Additionally, the state government will levy a green tax on public and private vehicles over 10 years and 15 years old, respectively, Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac said on Friday.

These measures are expected to fetch the state government Rs 61,895.62 crore in revenue this financial year vis-a-vis Rs 53,003.42 crore last year, the minister said. However, the growth in tax revenue is only about 17 per cent, tax experts said, implying there is still a deficit of eight percentage points in comparison to its overall target of 25 per cent.

The fat tax, in particular, government sources say, is intended to check obesity, a trend rapidly gaining ground in the state. A 2010 study by Vivekananda High School, Bellary, stated that among high school students in the state’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, almost 12 per cent were overweight, while 6.3 per cent were obese.

Thomas specified that food items, including pizzas, burgers, tacos, doughnuts, sandwiches, pasta and burgers, sold in upscale restaurants would fall under the fat tax ambit.

It may be noted that fat tax had been imposed by countries such as Denmark and Hungary earlier to fight obesity. Denmark chose to scrap it eventually, after losing the war on growing girth.

The Bihar government, in January, had imposed a 13.5 per cent value added tax on items such as samosas, salted peanuts, sweets and a few branded snacks, to make up for the revenue loss on account of the ban on liquor in the state.

The Kerala government, meanwhile, also imposed a five per cent tax on packaged wheat products such as atta, maida, sooji and rava. The state government is expecting additional revenue of around Rs 50 crore from this initiative alone, sources said. Tax for packaged Basmati rice has also been increased to five per cent, which is expected to bring Rs 10 crore into government coffers.

Coconut oil, imported into the state, and washing soaps will become expensive by five per cent; so will garments, which will see a levy of two per cent. The new green tax comes in the wake of the National Green Tribunal Circuit Bench’s decision in May to ban diesel vehicles 10 years and above in the state, with a capacity of 2,000 cc. At the time of renewal of registration, Rs 400 will be levied on private vehicles. Light transport vehicles will have to pay Rs 200, when the fitness certificate is renewed. While, Rs 300 will be levied on medium transport vehicles, Rs 400 on heavy transport vehicles at the time of renewal of fitness certificate.

For goods vehicles of over 20,000 kilos in weight, tax will be increased by 10 per cent, after a gap of nine years. This will bring in Rs 20 crore additional revenue, Kerala government sources said..

DIFFERENT AVATARS OF FAT TAX Taking a leaf out of tobacco’s book to curb market activity that generates negative externalities, many governments have introduced financial penalties known as fat tax, soda tax, sugar tax and soft drink tax, etc. Some have had to withdraw such measures after popular protests: 

Japan ‘Metabo’ law involves conducting an annual waist measurement of people aged between 40 and 75, administered by companies and local authorities



Mexico Sales of sodas have declined by at least 10 per cent after tax on carbonated drinks was introduced despite lobbying and protests



Denmark It withdrew ‘fat tax’ and ‘soda tax’ after protests from people



France Sugary drinks are up to 3.5 per cent more expensive due to soda tax



Norway It has a general tax on all products made of refined sugar



United Kingdom A sugar tax on soft drinks is proposed to come into effect in 2018



United States Some cities have ‘soda tax’ and ‘sugar tax’ but there is no pan-US tax on fattening products

Basmati rice exports: Why trade has shrunk, DCP India’s Gaurav Jain explains Gaurav Jain, director, DCP, spoke to Sandip Das on the challenges faced by basmati rice exporters in the global market By: Sandip Das | Published: July 7, 2016 6:05 AM

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SHARES

One of the newest entries into the fiercely-competitive basmati rice exports business is Delhibased agricultural commodities trading firm DCP India. The company last year launched its

‗Asbah‘ brand of basmati rice at the Gulfood exhibition in Dubai. Gaurav Jain, director, DCP, spoke to Sandip Das on the challenges faced by basmati rice exporters in the global market.

Excerpts: The basmati rice exports have shrunk substantially in 2015-16 because of lower realisation.

As an exporter, how are you dealing with the situation?

In the past, Iran was importing about a million tonne (mt) of rice from India due to sanctions imposed by the US. Recently, the sanctions have been lifted and Iran will now have more options to import rice from other countries, which has increased the chances of export of basmati rice from India shrinking. We still hope to buck the downward trend of basmati exports by leveraging our strength. Our efforts have been to spread the unique aroma of Indian basmati rice globally.

What are the key challenges your company faces in the export of basmati rice?

Better price realisation is a big challenge for increasing exports. To enter the trade and offer competitive prices, blending of rice (with non-basmati) is a common malpractice done by many small players. Unlike this, we would like to enter the market by maintaining the quality and consistency of our products. Another major challenge is sourcing pesticide or chemical residuefree rice. Since importing countries have very stringent to maximum residue limit for all chemicals, it is sometime very difficult to meet their standards.

How many countries do you export basmati rice to and what is the volume?

In a short span of one year, we have established our brand in countries like the US, the UAE, Italy, Cyprus, Turkey, Bahrain, Maldives, Ghana, Jordan and many more. Our export volumes are increasing considerably. In FY16, we were able to export approximately 2,100 tonne of basmati rice.

How do you see the prospects of basmati shipments in the current financial year? Will Iran import more basmati from India this financial year?

According to an ICRA report, the basmati rice industry may see a revival from the second half of 2016-17 due to the improvement in demand. However, if Iran goes ahead with the curb on rice shipments from India from July 2016, as reported, targets of basmati rice exports may take a hit.

On the other hand, as a new entrant in the global market, we see an enormous growth in exports for us.

How long have you been in the business of rice exports? What is your USP of selling basmati rice in the global as well as domestic markets?

We launched our brand ‗ASBAH‘ at Gulfood Exhibition 2015 in Dubai. ASBAH‘s idea of business is very unique. It contributes a part of its profits to the empowerment of talented, underprivileged women across the world. The money is used for education, sports training and skill development of these girls.

Basmati rice exports: Why trade has shrunk, DCP India’s Gaurav Jain explains Gaurav Jain, director, DCP, spoke to Sandip Das on the challenges faced by basmati rice exporters in the global market By: Sandip Das | Published: July 7, 2016 6:05 AM

One of the newest entries into the fiercely-competitive basmati rice exports business is Delhibased agricultural commodities trading firm DCP India. The company last year launched its ‗Asbah‘ brand of basmati rice at the Gulfood exhibition in Dubai. Gaurav Jain, director, DCP, spoke to Sandip Das on the challenges faced by basmati rice exporters in the global market.

Excerpts: The basmati rice exports have shrunk substantially in 2015-16 because of lower realisation.

As an exporter, how are you dealing with the situation?

In the past, Iran was importing about a million tonne (mt) of rice from India due to sanctions imposed by the US. Recently, the sanctions have been lifted and Iran will now have more options to import rice from other countries, which has increased the chances of export of basmati rice from India shrinking. We still hope to buck the downward trend of basmati exports by leveraging our strength. Our efforts have been to spread the unique aroma of Indian basmati rice globally.

What are the key challenges your company faces in the export of basmati rice?

Better price realisation is a big challenge for increasing exports. To enter the trade and offer competitive prices, blending of rice (with non-basmati) is a common malpractice done by many small players. Unlike this, we would like to enter the market by maintaining the quality and consistency of our products. Another major challenge is sourcing pesticide or chemical residuefree rice. Since importing countries have very stringent to maximum residue limit for all chemicals, it is sometime very difficult to meet their standards.

How many countries do you export basmati rice to and what is the volume?

In a short span of one year, we have established our brand in countries like the US, the UAE, Italy, Cyprus, Turkey, Bahrain, Maldives, Ghana, Jordan and many more. Our export volumes are increasing considerably. In FY16, we were able to export approximately 2,100 tonne of basmati rice.

How do you see the prospects of basmati shipments in the current financial year? Will Iran import more basmati from India this financial year?

According to an ICRA report, the basmati rice industry may see a revival from the second half of 2016-17 due to the improvement in demand. However, if Iran goes ahead with the curb on rice shipments from India from July 2016, as reported, targets of basmati rice exports may take a hit.

On the other hand, as a new entrant in the global market, we see an enormous growth in exports for us.

How long have you been in the business of rice exports? What is your USP of selling basmati rice in the global as well as domestic markets?

We launched our brand ‗ASBAH‘ at Gulfood Exhibition 2015 in Dubai. ASBAH‘s idea of business is very unique. It contributes a part of its profits to the empowerment of talented, underprivileged women across the world. The money is used for education, sports training and skill development of these girls

APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1510

International Benchmark Price Price on: 05-07-2016

Product

Benchmark Indicators Name

Price

1

Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2140

2

Argentine 50mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2160

3

Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2180

1

South Africa, HPS 70/80 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)

2064

2

South African, HPS 40/50 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)

1950

3

Argentinean 40/50 runners, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)

1420

1

CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)

909

2

Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)

691

3

NYSE Liffe White Sugar Futures (USD/t)

565

Honey

Peanuts

White Sugar

Source: oryza, agra-net

Market Watch

For more info

Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 05-07-2016 Domestic Prices Product

Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Market Center

Variety

Min Price

Max Price

1

Manvi (Karnataka)

Other

1650

1650

2

Thara (Gujarat)

Other

2000

2300

3

Sangli (Maharashtra)

Other

1800

2800

1

Dhekiajuli (Assam)

Other

1400

1500

2

Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh)

Other

1551

1755

3

Kota (Rajasthan)

Other

1501

1721

1

Alappuzha (Kerala)

Other

3400

3500

2

Patiala (Punjab)

Other

1500

2500

3

Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh)

Other

1235

1265

1

Manjeri (Kerala)

Other

2900

3100

2

Sahaspur (Orissa)

Other

1100

1200

3

Shillong (Meghalaya)

Other

1200

1600

Jowar(Sorghum)

Maize

Papaya

Cabbage

Source:agmarknet.nic.in

For more info

Floriculture

Unit Price : US$ per package Price on 05-07-2016

Product Rose Flower

Market Center

Origin

Variety

Low

High Package: bunched 10s

1

Boston

Ecuador

Assorted Colors

15

Orchid Flower 1

15 Package: bunched 10s

Boston

Thailand

Dendrobium

12.50

12.50

Lilies Flower 1

Package: per bunch Boston

California

Asiatic Type

13.50

13.50

Sunflower 1

Package: per stem Boston

Mexico

Large Head

2.00

2.00

Source:USDA

Increasing Demand for High-Capacity Machinery Predicted to Augment the Global Haying and Forge Machinery Market Until 2020, Says Technavio July 07, 2016 11:20 AM Eastern Daylight Time

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the latest market research report by Technavio, the haying and forage machinery market is expected to record a CAGR of over 5% until 2020.

Global haying and forage machinery market expected to record a CAGR of over 5% until 2020.

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In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global haying and forage machinery market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, Technavio researchers have considered the unit shipments of haying and forage machinery in North America, APAC, Europe, and ROW. ―Mechanization of farming practices and farm consolidation in emerging economies are increasing the demand for high-capacity haying machinery. High-capacity machinery provides high-quality output with increasing ownership cost, and it has low maintenance,‖ said Mantri Charan Kumar, one of Technavio‘s lead industry analysts for consumer goods and retail research.

Key leading countries for the haying and forage machinery market   

China US Canada



Germany

Request sample report: http://bit.ly/29fc4v9 China China is the largest producer and consumer of agricultural products. In 2015, China accounted for 21.06% of the global agricultural output. The country has about 200 million small farms, mainly used for the production of wheat and rice.

One of the main drivers of the agricultural machinery market such as haying and forage machinery in China is the government subsidies provided to farmers to promote mechanization.

Mechanized wheat and rice harvesting increased to 90% and 60%, respectively in 2015.

The Chinese government initiated the subsidies for agricultural machinery in 2004 which is increased to USD 3.7 billion in 2016. These initiatives by the government have increased the affordability of the agricultural machinery for the farmers.

US The agricultural machinery market in the US is reaching a stage of maturity. In the US, net income from farms is expected to reach USD 54.8 billion by the end of 2016, with a 3% drop from the previous year.

One of the key factors of an increase in the demand for haying and forage machinery in the US is the shortage of labor caused by increasing urbanization. However, the strengthening of the US dollar and global economic weakness have led to a decline in the prices of wheat and corn by 19% and 8% respectively in 2015. A decline in the commodity prices and fluctuation in the prices of the raw material used to manufacture machinery is affecting the overall market.

The trade-weighted US dollar index was at 87.5 on January 1, 2015, which increased to 95.3 on January 1, 2016. The fluctuation of exchange rates in the agricultural sector also impacts the commodity market. For example, the soybean exchange rate index increased by 6% in 2016. The exchange rate of corn and wheat is expected to increase by 3% and 2%, respectively, by the end of 2016.

Canada The agricultural and food industry in Canada contributes to 7% of the country's GDP, with $50 billion in exports. The net farm income reached $15 billion in 2015. However, a decline of 9% of the net farm income is expected by the end of 2016, which is still 14% higher than the average during 2010-2014.

The major crops produced in Canada are wheat, canola, and corn. Canada has 32 million acres of land dedicated to growing forage crop, out of which 25,000 acres are used for growing alfalfa seeds. In 2015, the livestock market in Canada was valued at $50 billion, where a larger portion

of the feed consists of the forage crop. The forage crop accounts for around 95%-99% of domestic consumption, which is used for livestock feed.

Germany Germany is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of agricultural machinery, with a production turnover that is expected to reach $8.2 billion by the end of 2016. Over 80% of Germany's land is used for agriculture and forestry. The major agricultural products in Germany include milk, pork, beef, poultry, wheat, and barley.

The level of mechanization in the agricultural sector in Germany is 94%. However, a slight decline in the demand for haying and forage machinery is expected by the end of 2016. A major reason for the decline in this sector is due to low commodity prices, which discourages many farmers from investing in purchasing the machinery. AGCO, Deere & Co., CLAAS, Krone Group, and Lely are the major vendors of haying and forage machinery in the country.

Browse related reports:     

Global Agricultural Robots Market - Market Research 2015-2019 Global Agriculture Tire Market 2016-2020 Haying Machinery Market In The US 2015-2019 Agricultural Machinery Market In India 2015-2019 Agricultural Machinery Market In The US 2016-2020

Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can’t find what you’re looking for? Don’t worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you.

About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com media@technavio.com http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160707005021/en/Increasing-Demand-High-CapacityMachinery-Predicted-Augment-Global

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160707005021/en/Increasing-Demand-High-CapacityMachinery-Predicted-Augment-Global

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160707005021/en/Increasing-Demand-High-CapacityMachinery-Predicted-Augment-Global

PhilRice asks farmers to be wary of rice diseases during rainy season  

Business Agri-Commodities

by Mary Grace Padin - July 7, 2016 0 130

In Photo: A farmer uses a small-power tiller to harrow his field in Ilocos Sur prior to planting rice for the next cropping season.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) urged farmers to be wary of rice diseases, such as bacterial leaf blight (BLB) and rice tungro, which are prevalent during the rainy season. ―Rice diseases are more prevalent during the rainy season, as weather conditions are more conducive to disease development and severity,‖ the PhilRice said in a statement.

Dr. Jennifer T. Niones from the Crop Protection Division of PhilRice said farmers should watch out for BLB and fungal diseases, such as rice blast, sheath blight and rice tungro, during the wet cropping season.

To prevent the spread of such diseases, Niones said it is ―crucial‖ to choose varieties that are high-yielding and adaptable to the local environment.

“Farmers must select varieties resistant to the diseases that previously attacked their farm,” Niones said.

PhilRice said there are currently many modern varieties that are resistant to pest and diseases.

Among them is PSB Rc10, which is resistant to rice blast, Rc242 for BLB and Rc216 for green leafhopper.

Niones also said farmers must practice proper cultural-management strategies in the field.

She said farmers should ensure that lands are well-prepared before planting, as pathogens and other bacterial cells can thrive on rice stubbles and straws.

Niones recommended the use of the modified ―dapog‖ method to fast-track the preparation of seeds and minimize transplanting shock. ―Farmers should also keep nursery beds and main fields from flooding and reduce plant injury during transplanting,‖ she said, adding that farmers must also practice regular weeding.

Niones also urged farmers to avoid the excessive use of nitrogen and synthetic chemicals in case of pest and disease infestation. ―It is a waste of resources. Farmers should focus on preventing the onset of the disease, not by spraying but by applying aforementioned cultural-management practices. The use of chemicals to control bacterial leaf blight is not economical and effective,‖ Niones said.

The expert added that early detection remains to be the ―best way‖ to prevent the spread of rice diseases.

PhilRice said researchers from its Crop Protection Division are currently screening breeding lines that are resistant to rice diseases. The researchers are looking at traditional varieties, as they are reported to have high resistance to rice blast.

―We hope to find novel genes against rice blast among those traditional varieties, so we can incorporate them in our modern varieties. The beauty of this is that we are working on our own materials,‖ Niones said.

According to PhilRice, experts are also exploring the use of beneficial microorganisms as potential biocontrol agents against BLB and blast http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/philrice-asks-farmers-to-be-wary-of-rice-diseases-during-rainyseason/

OPIA introduced South Korea’s rice cultivation technology into Sri Lanka Featured

Published in World - Business   

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The KOPIA (KOrea Program on International Agriculture) Sri Lanka Centre established a model farm village for rice production at Rajanganaya in partnership with the RRDI (Rice Research and Development Institute) Bathlagoda of the Department of Agriculture, to improve productivity and quality of rice in the region by utilizing Korean agricultural technology. The partnership is based on the MOU signed between the Ministry of Agriculture of Sri Lanka and the Rural Development Administration of Korea.

Under this KOPIA project, farmers were requested to cultivate in large plots with deep plowing and to employ organic manure and transplanting mechanization. At the end of the first season, a remarkable increase in rice productivity has been observed.

As part of this project, a Korean mechanic expert visited Sri Lanka from 9 to 13 May this year.

He demonstrated how to use the transplanting machine at the Rajanganaya farm village, and held a workshop at the RRDI Battalagoda, titled ―How to Use Machine Transplanting Methods for Rice‖, to educate farmers and agricultural officials how to lower labor force and improve rice quality through mechanization in the agricultural sector. The workshop also helped a Sri Lankan agricultural company, which showed a keen interest in purchasing the transplanting machines, to get information about agricultural machinery companies in Korea.

The project will also send two Korean rice experts to Sri Lanka for one month in mid July. They are planning to share their expertise in crop and post-harvest management of rice. Meanwhile, two Sri Lankan officials in the agricultural sector will be invited to visit the National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, South Korea from 30 July to 5 August, to participate in a training program on high-quality rice production technology http://www.news.lk/news/world/item/13884-kopia-introduced-south-korea-s-rice-cultivationtechnology-into-sri-lanka

Industrial, Manufacturing & Heavy Industry Market News Research details developments in the global organic rice sales 2016 WhaTech Channel: Industrial Market Research Published: 07 July 2016 Submitted by Vivian Dsena WhaTech Agency News from Wise Guy Reports - Market Research Viewed: 9 times

The Global Organic Rice Sales 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Organic Rice market.

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Report: Global Organic Rice Sales 2016 Market Research Report

The report provides a basic overview of the Organic Rice industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.

Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.

The report then analyzes the global Organic Rice market size (volume and value), and the sales segment market is also discussed by product type, application and region.

The major Organic Rice market (including USA, Europe, China, Japan,.) is analyzed, data including: market size, import and export, sale segment market by product type and application.

Then we forecast the 2016-2021 market size of Organic Rice.

Report: Global Organic Rice Sales 2016 Market Research Report The report focuses on global major leading companies providing information such as company profiles, sales, sales revenue, market share and contact information. Then the Organic Rice OEM market and Organic Rice production market status is discussed.

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Finally the marketing, feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.

With 179 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. https://www.whatech.com/market-research/industrial/179797-research-details-developments-in-theglobal-organic-rice-sales-2016

Why scientists' failure to understand GM opposition is stifling debate and halting progress      

By Sarah Hartley Thursday, July 7, 2016 5:14 PM UTC

GM protest in Montpellier. Peter/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Genetically modified crops are safe for human consumption and have the potential to feed the world and improve human health, scientists have been telling us for years. On June 30, 110 Nobel laureates from around the world signed a letter demanding that the environmental pressure group Greenpeace stop its campaign against GM crops. How many people must die before we consider this a ―crime against humanity‖? the letter asks.

The scientists are accusing Greenpeace of ignoring facts, misrepresenting risks and benefits, failing to recognise the authority of science and relying on emotion and dogma. They are particularly concerned about Greenpeace‘s opposition to Golden Rice, which has an added gene

that boosts vitamin A levels – something scientists claim is much needed in many poor populations.

But Greenpeace argues that there are cheaper and more effective alternatives to Golden Rice and that GM rice developers are out of touch with the needs of local populations. It also claims developers are downplaying the risk that GM rice will contaminate traditional and organic rice crops.

The eminent scientists appear to have learned little about opposition to GM crops over the last 20 years. Social science research suggests they are misinformed and their approach is misguided.

Opposition to GM crops is not always based exclusively on scientific risks and benefits and neither is it grounded in emotion or dogma. To characterise opposition in this way only serves to inflame the relations between proponents and opponents. It is therefore unlikely to help us realise the potential of GM crops in feeding the world.

Flawed debate Together with Frøydis Gillund, Lilian van Hove and Fern Wickson from the Norweigian GenĂ˜k Centre for Biosafety, I have been studying the acrimonious debate about agricultural biotechnology for several years. Our research has identified five requirements for advancing a responsible debate about GM crops. These are a commitment to honesty; recognition of the values underlying the practice of science; involvement of a broad range of people; consideration of a range of alternatives; and a preparedness to respond.

We believe that this approach will moderate the debate, offering a workable approach to considering the role of GM crops. But the attitudes of many scientists stand in the way of such progress.

Discussions about GM crops need honesty about the quality of the available scientific knowledge and the degree to which claimed benefits can be realised. It must take concerns seriously, even those beyond scientific risk. The lack of openness about when Golden Rice will be finished and who it will benefit is cause for concern and can lead to significant misunderstandings and mistrust between scientists and the public. Golden Rice is being developed in the Philippines, not in Africa and Southeast Asia, which you may believe if you read the letter. And even in the Philippines, it is not expected to be ready for several years.

Golden Rice (right) versus regular rice. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) / wikimedia, CC BY-SA We also need to think about how values and assumptions shape the way we govern GM crops.

We know that hiding values and choices from public scrutiny continues to be a source of controversy. With Golden Rice, there is an assumption that technology is the appropriate fix for a complex social problem. Such values must be recognised and addressed openly rather than hiding them within a narrow debate about human and environmental risk. This would in turn allow more transparent decision making and effective dialogue between Golden Rice developers, policymakers and civil society.

Decisions about GM crops need to include different scientific disciplines (for example, molecular biology and ecology) and stakeholders such as farmers, citizens, and organisations like Greenpeace. When the GM crop debate is confined to human and environmental risk, it limits who can participate in decision-making and privileges scientists – in this case, Nobel laureates who are not necessarily experts on GM crops or GM rice. However, the GM crop debate is not only a technical debate about scientific risks: it involves other ethical and social concerns such as

community empowerment, patents and nutrient availability. Inclusive decision-making about GM will make the process more democratic and create a more comprehensive knowledge base.

We also need to talk about the range of alternative ways to frame the problem of global food security, as well as the range of alternative solutions. As the Nobel laureates recognise, agricultural systems are under severe stress from converging problems associated with soil deterioration, lack of water, chemical pollution, climate change, and population growth. Current policies to address these problems typically focus on technological fixes that deliver economic benefits. For example, alternative ways of addressing vitamin A deficiency through fortification, rather than genetic modification, in the Philippines have had dramatic results since 2003.

Ultimately, GM crop developers, risk researchers, regulators, and policy makers need to be willing and prepared to consider and respond to societal needs and concerns as well as to new scientific knowledge. This is important not only for ensuring the democratic accountability of science and technology but also as a means to enable us to reverse decisions and adapt policies in the face of change.

It is clear that the scientists accusing Greenpeace of crimes against humanity feel deeply frustrated about what they see as shackles on a technology that for them has clear benefits for the world‘s poor. However, by signing the inflammatory letter, they reveal a flawed and naïve understanding of the debate. This approach is likely to result in further agitating and polarising the debate rather than achieving the desired outcome. Indeed, some may even see these scientists as using their privilege and authority to promote a particular technological solution to a political problem.

Sarah Hartley receives funding from Leverhulme Trust ‘Making Science Public’ programme under Grant RP2011-SP-013.

Sarah Hartley, Research Fellow, Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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PhilRice asks farmers to be wary of rice diseases during rainy season  

Business Agri-Commodities

by Mary Grace Padin - July 7, 2016

0 131

In Photo: A farmer uses a small-power tiller to harrow his field in Ilocos Sur prior to planting rice for the next cropping season.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) urged farmers to be wary of rice diseases, such as bacterial leaf blight (BLB) and rice tungro, which are prevalent during the rainy season. ―Rice diseases are more prevalent during the rainy season, as weather conditions are more conducive to disease development and severity,‖ the PhilRice said in a statement.

Dr. Jennifer T. Niones from the Crop Protection Division of PhilRice said farmers should watch out for BLB and fungal diseases, such as rice blast, sheath blight and rice tungro, during the wet cropping season.

To prevent the spread of such diseases, Niones said it is ―crucial‖ to choose varieties that are high-yielding and adaptable to the local environment.

“Farmers must select varieties resistant to the diseases that previously attacked their farm,” Niones said.

PhilRice said there are currently many modern varieties that are resistant to pest and diseases.

Among them is PSB Rc10, which is resistant to rice blast, Rc242 for BLB and Rc216 for green leafhopper.

Niones also said farmers must practice proper cultural-management strategies in the field.

She said farmers should ensure that lands are well-prepared before planting, as pathogens and other bacterial cells can thrive on rice stubbles and straws.

Niones recommended the use of the modified ―dapog‖ method to fast-track the preparation of seeds and minimize transplanting shock. ―Farmers should also keep nursery beds and main fields from flooding and reduce plant injury during transplanting,‖ she said, adding that farmers must also practice regular weeding.

Niones also urged farmers to avoid the excessive use of nitrogen and synthetic chemicals in case of pest and disease infestation. ―It is a waste of resources. Farmers should focus on preventing the onset of the disease, not by spraying but by applying aforementioned cultural-management practices. The use of chemicals to control bacterial leaf blight is not economical and effective,‖ Niones said.

The expert added that early detection remains to be the ―best way‖ to prevent the spread of rice diseases.

PhilRice said researchers from its Crop Protection Division are currently screening breeding lines that are resistant to rice diseases. The researchers are looking at traditional varieties, as they are reported to have high resistance to rice blast.

―We hope to find novel genes against rice blast among those traditional varieties, so we can incorporate them in our modern varieties. The beauty of this is that we are working on our own materials,‖ Niones said.

According to PhilRice, experts are also exploring the use of beneficial microorganisms as potential biocontrol agents against BLB and blast.

Image Credits: Laila Austria http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/philrice-asks-farmers-to-be-wary-of-rice-diseases-during-rainy-

season/ A woman works in a rice field in Takeo province last year. Aim Valinda

Rice sector continues its struggle in first half Fri, 8 July 2016 Sorn Sarath

Cambodian rice exports decreased nearly 6 per cent year-on-year during the first semester, reinforcing concerns about the future of the rice industry, the Kingdom‘s most important agricultural sector.

A report released yesterday by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export showed Cambodia exported a total of 268,190 tonnes during the first six months of 2016, down 5.8 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier.

Hean Vanhan, deputy director-general of the agriculture department of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the decline may be a harbinger of what‘s to come.

―Rice exports fell during four of the first six months of the year, which is a warning that we need to work together to solve the sector‘s problems,‖ he said. ―Rice millers don‘t have enough rice in stock, and we recognise that they lack funds.‖ The government agreed last week to provide up to $30 million in emergency loans to members of the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) to help buoy the struggling rice sector.

Vanhan said the financing package was good, but the funds should not be simply handed out to rice millers who request assistance. ―We need to look at the capacity of rice millers before we give them a loan as some millers are facing bankruptcy because they lack capacity,‖ he said. ―If we simply give them the money, the money will be lost.‖ Rice industry experts say the sector is suffering from a number of issues, including competition from low-cost Vietnamese imports, high production costs, and millers‘ lack of finance.

According to CRF president Sok Puthyvuth, who was re-elected for a second term last Saturday, the issues have already resulted in between 10 and 20 per cent of the nation‘s rice millers declaring bankruptcy.

Contact author: Sorn Sarath http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-sector-continues-its-struggle-first-half

USA Rice Daily, Thursday, July 7, 2016

Rice Industry Cautiously Optimistic for Removal of Ag Financing Barriers with Cuba

By Peter Bachmann

WASHINGTON, DC -- In a swarm of legislative activity by Congress over the past three days, Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) last night withdrew his amendment to the House's FY 2017 Financial Services Appropriations Bill that would have removed the restrictions on private financing by U.S. businesses for the sale of agricultural products to Cuba. Crawford's effort to improve the

underlying legislation had gained significant bipartisan support amongst several Members of Congress over the last two weeks since the amendment was first introduced.

Crawford said, "This week, I sought to pass an amendment to appropriations legislation that would have opened the Cuban market to our agriculture producers. However, instead of taking the appropriations route, which would only be in effect for one fiscal year, I received a strong commitment from House leadership that we will pursue a long-term solution that will open up agriculture trade permanently."

"This path forward is a major victory for American producers, particularly our rice farmers, who wish to sell their commodities into the island nation's market, which is estimated to be worth in excess of $1 billion annually," added Crawford.

"We worked alongside the staff of Congressman Crawford and others in the agriculture sector who are supportive of ending this outdated policy to advance this amendment and we managed to gain more support," said USA Rice Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely. "Obviously Congressman Crawford isn't the only legislator that wants to be on the right side of history. The vote was going to be close and the Congressman made the decision to pull back his amendment in return for commitments from opposition and House leadership that leaves us optimistic that the barriers will be addressed this year."

Mosely continued, "Speaking on behalf of USA Rice and agriculture as a whole, we're grateful for the work that Congressman Crawford continues to do to support our industry. USA Rice will continue to work towards a permanent, long-term solution to address private financing of commodities sold to Cuba so we can be on a level playing field with all the other U.S. industries doing business there."

Louisiana rice community gathers to celebrate crop at field day Jul 6, 2016 Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press Comments 0 

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Jimmy Hoppe, rice producer from Iowa, La., visits with Susan McCouch, professor in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell. Dr. McCouch was one of the speakers at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station‘s annual field day.

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Rice farmers have been gathering at the LSU AgCenter's Rice Research Station in Crowley, La., for 107 years to learn the latest about new varieties and other technologies that can help them produce a crop more efficiently.

This year's field day attracted growers and industry representatives not only from south Louisiana but from other exotic places such as Houston, Arlington, Va., Cornell University in New York, Puerto Rico, the Czech Republic and Thailand.

They were welcomed by Steve Linscombe, LSU AgCenter rice breeder, resident director of the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Center in Crowley, and director of the AgCenter's Southwest Region, which is headquartered at the Rice Research Station. Dr. Linscombe has been to a number of exotic places, looking for new rice germplasm that could help provide growers with higher-yielding and higher-quality rice varieties. http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/louisiana-rice-community-gathers-celebrate-crop-field-day#slide-0field_images-137231

Rice producers receive update at Rice Field Day in Crowley Tuesday, July 5th 2016, 5:42 pm PKTWednesday, July 6th 2016, 4:44 am PKT

By Candy Rodriguez, Reporter Connect

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CROWLEY, LA (KPLC) -

Hundreds of farmers, accompanied by scientists, industry members and even chefs, gathered for the 107th annual Rice Field Day in Crowley at the LSU Ag Center Rice Research Station on Tuesday.The goal of the event is to educate the rice industry and let producers know what they can expect in the years to come.

From breeding to weed control to hybrid research, the rice industry gathered to learn. The day began with a tour around the rice research station.

"Since 2010, we've had an issue with the quality of USA long grain rice and it takes a while," said Jim Guinn, vice president of international promotion for USA Rice. "It's not something you can turn around in a short period of time; it takes a few years to develop a new variety to address some of those discrepancies and I think we are right on the cusp of those varieties coming into the commercial market."

Louisiana averaged nearly 7,000 pounds of rice per acre last year according to the USDA. Guinn added they are constantly working on improving.

"A lot of the varieties that are coming out are of better quality than we've had in the past, addressing several issues that we've had in U.S. long grain rice," he said. "So it's not only maintaining yield or improving yield, but also improving the milling quality and the cooking quality of the rice," Guinn said this has not been an overnight fix but they are continuing to move forward.

"Everyone is here at one time so it's a great opportunity to share information and what's coming down the pike in future years," said Guinn.

For more information click HERE or visit the LSU Ag Center's website at www.lsuagcenter.com.

Copyright 2016 KPLC. All rights reserved. http://www.kplctv.com/story/32372391/rice-producers-receive-update-at-rice-field-day-in-crowley

110 Nobel Laureates Call Out Greenpeace Over Anti-GMO Stance July 6, 2016

by Sheila Shayon

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Image credit: The Golden Rice Project Related: 

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Health Care/Biotech/Pharmaceuticals ,

As the controversy over genetically modified foods continues to rage amongst consumers and researchers, Greenpeace recently came under fire from 110 Nobel Laureates calling them out for their consistent anti-GMO stance, in particular, against ―Golden Rice‖ — a rice product genetically engineered to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice.

In their letter, addressed ―To the Leaders of Greenpeace, the United Nations and Governments around the world,‖ the Nobel Prizewinners support precision agriculture, their key argument being that with global population projected to double by 2050, the demand for food, feed and fiber will need to double as well. ―We urge Greenpeace and its supporters to re-examine the experience of farmers and consumers worldwide with crops and foods improved through biotechnology, recognize the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies, and abandon their campaign against ‗GMOs‘ in general and Golden Rice in particular,‖ the letter reads. ―Scientific and regulatory agencies around the world have repeatedly and consistently found crops and foods improved through biotechnology to be as safe as, if not safer than, those derived from any other method of production. There has never been a single confirmed case of a negative health outcome for humans or animals from their consumption. Their environmental impacts have been shown repeatedly to be less damaging to the environment, and a boon to global biodiversity.‖ The Laureates cite World Health Organization estimates that 250 million people suffer from Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), including 40 percent of children under five in the developing world. Furthermore, UNICEF estimates one to two million preventable deaths annually as a result of VAD, which compromises the immune system, is the leading cause of childhood blindness globally affecting 250,000-500,000 children each year, with 50 percent dying within 12 months of losing their eyesight.

The letter ends by asking, ―How many poor people in the world must die before we consider this a ‗crime against humanity‘"?

Sustainable Brands reached out to Greenpeace for comment on the controversy; the NGO‘s topline response is that golden rice is not yet a viable commodity, has not proven to produce useful yields, and there is no proof that it provides the nutrition to which it purports.

Furthermore, while noting the distinguished careers of the laureates, none of them are experts in directly relevant fields. ―The science is clear: GE ‗Golden‘ rice does not exist - it is not available to farmers on the market, it‘s still in development and as such, is a fiction,‖ Greenpeace USA's Senior Research Specialist, Charlie Cray, told SB. ―The fact that it doesn‘t exist isn‘t because Greenpeace has

campaigned against it, or because people around the world concerned about genetically modified food have spoken out about it. It‘s because ‗Golden‘ rice is a failing project still at research phase after 20 years and hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into it. ―We‘ve seen the same critique of Greenpeace‘s position on ‗Golden‘ rice before, which raises the question, why are we seeing this again right now, in the U.S.?‖ he added. ―The timing of this letter is not a coincidence. The GM conversation is at a pivotal moment in the USA, with the U.S. Senate considering a vote on the issue that could determine if labeling becomes mandatory.‖ ―Corporations are overhyping ‗Golden‘ Rice to pave the way for global approval of other, more profitable, genetically engineered crops,‖ Greenpeace Philippines' Agriculture Campaigner, Wilhelmina Pelegrina, told us. ―This costly experiment has failed to produce results for the last 20 years and diverted attention from methods that already work. Rather than invest in this overpriced public relations exercise, we need to address malnutrition through a more diverse diet, equitable access to food and eco-agriculture.‖ ―The only guaranteed solution to fix malnutrition is a diverse healthy diet,‖ she added. ―Providing people with real food based on ecological agriculture not only addresses malnutrition, but is also a scaleable solution to adapt to climate change.‖ Greenpeace offers several sources supporting its positions, including one from Washington University of St Louis‘ The Source: ―It is still unknown if the beta carotene in Golden Rice can even be converted to Vitamin A in the bodies of badly undernourished children. There also has been little research on how well the beta carotene in Golden Rice will hold up when stored for long periods between harvest seasons, or when cooked using traditional methods common in remote rural locations, they argue.‖ The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), responsible for the development of Golden rice, has itself stated that initial testing results require more research, and it has yet to be proven whether GE Golden rice can improve the nutritional status of VAD people. Meanwhile, Greenpeace has highlighted alternative, eco-agriculture solutions including smart breeding and building climate resiliency.

Forbes‘ Steven Salzberg concurs with the Laureates: ―The argument about relevant expertise is ridiculous. Sir Richard Roberts and Dr. Phillip Sharp, two of the Nobel Laureates who spearheaded the effort to write the letter, are among the world‘s leading geneticists and molecular biologists, as are many of the other Nobelists who signed the letter. ―I asked Sir Richard Roberts if he had any response to the arguments from Greenpeace, and he replied that: ‗Greenpeace just reiterate the old arguments that are adequately debunked elsewhere. Why won‘t they just admit they got this issue wrong? Is it because they have consistently introduced roadblocks and then wonder why it is taking so long to introduce Golden Rice to the market? Are they serious?‘‖

―In attempts to contact the organizer of the recent letter campaign against Greenpeace, we were directed to the website of Jon Entine, who as recently as 2012 was a consultant for Monsanto,‖ Cray said. ―Today, Entine presents himself as an independent journalist, but his connections with the industry still run deep. We encourage journalists to continue reporting the facts, including any relationship the organizers of the Support Precision Agriculture campaign has to companies or interests who stand to profit from GM technology.‖

Sheila Shayon, President of Third Eye Media, is a senior media executive with twenty five plus years in television and new media including expertise in programming, production, broadband, start-up models, creative and branding strategies, digital content and social networking.

[Read more about Sheila Shayon]

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By Janina C. Lim, Reporter

DA seeks P62B for rice self-sufficiency

10 2 Google +0 0

Posted on July 07, 2016

LOS BAĂ‘OS, LAGUNA -- Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. PiĂąol said he is proposing a P62billion program to help achieve 100% rice-self-sufficiency in the next two years.

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“For the next four cropping seasons, I have asked the national government to provide a support fund of P62 billion,” Mr. Piñol said Wednesday at the rice sector stakeholder’s meeting held at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, adding that he has presented the budget proposal to the government’s economic cluster which met on Tuesday.

Mr. Piñol said the funds will support interventions in the areas of fertilizer, seeds, and insurance.

“We project that we will be able to reduce the rice shortage of the country to the point that by the end of 2018 we will be 100% selfsufficient,” added Mr. Piñol.

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The P62 billion is expected to start being appropriated for the next planting season which stretches from September to April, according to Mr. Piñol. For this dry season cropping, the agency is targeting to plant rice on some 830,000 hectares.

For this year, the DA still has P17 billion worth of undisbursed funds from 2016, according to Mr. Piñol.

The agency is drawing up targets for rice production per region which will be finalized in the next few weeks.

The head of the economic cluster, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez, however, said that an interagency review of Mr. Piñol’s proposal is needed.

“The details were scanty. He said he needed this money but how is it going to be produced. Is it a loan?

Is it a grant for farmers? What is it, I really don’t know yet,” said Mr. Dominguez in a phone interview over the holiday.

“He just had a brief presentation, obviously we have to go through his proposal in detail. So the NEDA [National Economic Development Authority], together with the DoF [Department of Finance] and the Office of the President will go through it,” added Mr. Dominguez, himself a former Agriculture Secretary.

Mr. Piñol, he said, pins his hopes on achieving rice self-sufficiency on some farmers currently achieving yields of more than 16 metric tons per hectare (MT/ha) or four times the average yield of 4 MT/ha, by cultivating hybrid rice.

Earlier, the DA pronounced plans to boost by a million hectares the country’s total hybrid rice hectarage by 2020. At present, hybrid rice seed is planted to some 400,000 ha.

Sought for comment, Henry Lim Bon Liong, president of SL Agritech Corp., the country’s leading hybrid rice producer, expressed optimism for the government’s support for hybrid rice.

“We welcome the government’s support for our hybrid rice production,” Mr. Lim told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a visit to the International Rice Research Institute http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=da-seeks-p62b-for-rice-selfsufficiency&id=130038

Basmati rice exports: Why trade has shrunk, DCP India’s Gaurav Jain explains Gaurav Jain, director, DCP, spoke to Sandip Das on the challenges faced by basmati rice exporters in the global market By: Sandip Das | Published: July 7, 2016 6:05 AM

One of the newest entries into the fiercely-competitive basmati rice exports business is Delhibased agricultural commodities trading firm DCP India. The company last year launched its ‗Asbah‘ brand of basmati rice at the Gulfood exhibition in Dubai. Gaurav Jain, director, DCP, spoke to Sandip Das on the challenges faced by basmati rice exporters in the global market.

Excerpts: The basmati rice exports have shrunk substantially in 2015-16 because of lower realisation.

As an exporter, how are you dealing with the situation?

In the past, Iran was importing about a million tonne (mt) of rice from India due to sanctions imposed by the US. Recently, the sanctions have been lifted and Iran will now have more options to import rice from other countries, which has increased the chances of export of basmati rice from India shrinking. We still hope to buck the downward trend of basmati exports by leveraging our strength. Our efforts have been to spread the unique aroma of Indian basmati rice globally.

What are the key challenges your company faces in the export of basmati rice?

Better price realisation is a big challenge for increasing exports. To enter the trade and offer competitive prices, blending of rice (with non-basmati) is a common malpractice done by many small players. Unlike this, we would like to enter the market by maintaining the quality and consistency of our products. Another major challenge is sourcing pesticide or chemical residuefree rice. Since importing countries have very stringent to maximum residue limit for all chemicals, it is sometime very difficult to meet their standards.

How many countries do you export basmati rice to and what is the volume?

In a short span of one year, we have established our brand in countries like the US, the UAE, Italy, Cyprus, Turkey, Bahrain, Maldives, Ghana, Jordan and many more. Our export volumes are increasing considerably. In FY16, we were able to export approximately 2,100 tonne of basmati rice.

How do you see the prospects of basmati shipments in the current financial year? Will Iran import more basmati from India this financial year?

According to an ICRA report, the basmati rice industry may see a revival from the second half of 2016-17 due to the improvement in demand. However, if Iran goes ahead with the curb on rice shipments from India from July 2016, as reported, targets of basmati rice exports may take a hit.

On the other hand, as a new entrant in the global market, we see an enormous growth in exports for us.

How long have you been in the business of rice exports? What is your USP of selling basmati rice in the global as well as domestic markets?

We launched our brand ‗ASBAH‘ at Gulfood Exhibition 2015 in Dubai. ASBAH‘s idea of business is very unique. It contributes a part of its profits to the empowerment of talented, underprivileged women across the world. The money is used for education, sports training and skill development of these girls.

07/6/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report ures:

WHEAT High

Low

Last Change

Jul '16 418.75 408.00 418.25 -1.25 Sep '16 434.00 421.00 427.75 -5.75 Dec '16 454.25 441.00 447.75 -5.75 Mar '17 470.25 458.00 464.75 -6.25 May '17 482.25 470.25 476.00 -7.00 Jul '17 491.75 479.00 485.25 -7.00

Sep '17 499.00 490.00 493.75 -9.00 Dec '17 515.25 505.50 513.25 -4.75 Mar '18

531.25 +4.25

Arkansas Daily Grain Report FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Wheat Comment Wheat prices again searched for a bottom today as the market put in new contract lows. Wheat continues to face a bearish supply outlook as the crop is getting bigger. This combined with the lackluster demand seen recently continues to keep wheat prices under pressure despite the market being oversold.

Grain Sorghum High Low Cash Bids 309 221 New Crop 323 228

Arkansas Daily Grain Report FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Corn

High Low Cash Bids 381 329 New Crop 370 336

Futures:

CORN High

Low

Last Change

Jul '16 346.50 333.00 335.75 -8.25 Sep '16 352.50 339.00 342.50 -8.25 Dec '16 359.25 346.00 349.25 -8.75 Mar '17 368.75 355.25 358.75 -8.75 May '17 373.50 361.50 363.50 -9.50 Jul '17 378.25 366.50 368.25 -9.50 Sep '17 377.00 368.00 370.00 -7.00 Dec '17 382.00 373.75 376.50 -6.25 Mar '18 386.50 385.00 386.00 -5.50

Arkansas Daily Grain Report FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Corn Comment Corn prices closed sharply lower again today after the market failed to find a late session rally like it did yesterday. The corn market remains under pressure from improving weather and a lack of fresh

demand. Corn needs demand to strengthen before this market can recover. Again the gap left in yesterday's trade sets the objective for corn prices at $3.30.

Cotton Futures:

COTTON High Low Last Change Jul '16 63.54 63.4 63.78 0.03 Oct '16 65.68 64.84 65.36 0.03 Dec '16 65.59 64.55 65.3 0.09

Memphis, TN Cotton and Tobacco Programs

Cotton Comment Cotton futures were mixed, with December higher. US acreage was reported at 10.023 million acres.

That is up from the March 1 Planting Intentions total of 9.562 million and last year's total of 8.85 million.

The uptrend drawn off the February low remains intact, with support currently around 64 cents.

However, the current trading pattern looks to be more sideways in nature, with resistance around 66 cents. Weekly export sales were 58,700 bales for 2015-2016 delivery and 138,300 for 2016-2017 delivery.

Rice High Low Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -

Futures:

ROUGH RICE High Jul '16

Low

Last Change 1056.5 +28.0

Sep '16 1070.0 1026.0 1059.0 +28.0 Nov '16 1095.5 1055.5 1086.5 +27.5 Jan '17

1111.0 +27.0

Mar '17

1132.0 +27.5

May '17

1151.0 +27.5

Jul '17

1165.0 +27.5

Rice Comment Rice futures were mixed today. USDA says 3.212 million acres of rice were planted nationwide. In Arkansas, the total is a whopping 1.581 million acres: 1.43 million acres of long grain and 150,000 acres of medium grain. Crop conditions remain generally favorable, with 69% of the crop rated good to excellent, unchanged for the past three weeks. September seems to have found support around $10.20 for the time being, but additional weakness could lead to a retest of support at the contract low of $9.90. Thailand has announced plans to sell off over 2 million metric tons of government stocks, which could affect export prospects

Genetically modified foods are safe and we'll need them for future, Nobel laureates say Submitted by Natalia Hall on Thu, 07/07/2016 - 04:45

―Genetically modified foods are safe, and we'll need them for the future‖, this is what a group of 109 Nobel laureates, including 41 recipients of the Nobel Prize in medicine, said to Greenpeace, an organization that has some doubts regarding the working of GMOs. The New York Times reported that on Thursday, the laureates gave their letter at a news conference in Washington, DC, and asked Greenpeace to stop accusing GMOs. The argument surrounded genetically modified ‗golden rice‘, a probable life-saving grain.

The letter reads, ―Greenpeace has spearheaded opposition to golden rice, which has the potential to reduce or eliminate much of the death and disease caused by a vitamin A deficiency, which has the greatest impact on the poorest people in Africa and Southeast Asia‖.

The letter mentioned that as per the World Health Organization estimates 250 million people suffer from VAD, out of which 40% are the children below 5 in the developing world.

As per the letter, scientists and regulatory groups have numerous times found that crops and foods improved using biotechnology were at least as safe as foods grown any other way.

In the letter the laureates have asked Greenpeace to stop its campaign against golden rice in particular, and crops and foods that have been improved via biotechnology in general.

In a statement, Greenpeace has denied it, claiming that golden rice is an unsuccessful experiment and not a good means of receiving global approval for GMO foods in the coming time.

"In a letter published online and presented at a press conference at the National Press Club, Washington DC, on June 30, 2016, over 100 Nobel Laureates virtually bashed up Greenpeace over its stand against genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in general and Golden Rice in particular. Golden Rice is a new type of rice that contains beta carotene, a source of vitamin A," according to a news report published by The Wire.

"One thing is clear to us, that there is nothing in our diet which is not genetically modified." He lucidly explained (professor style) what he means by precision agriculture. Dr. Randy Schekman, who shared the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and Dr. Martin Chalfie, who shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, joined him online. The well attended press conference was a tame affair.

The reporters appeared to be overawed by their Nobel Laureate host. The message conveyed in the letter was loud and clear. "The United Nations Food and Agriculture Program has noted that global production of food, feed and fiber will need approximately to double by 2050 to meet the demands of a growing global population," the letter cautioned.

"Greenpeace has spearheaded opposition to Golden Rice, which has the potential to reduce or eliminate much of the death and disease caused by a vitamin A deficiency (VAD), which has the greatest impact on the poorest people in Africa and Southeast Asia," they clarified According to a story published on the topic by Agri View, "The letter asked governments to oppose Greenpeace's actions and accelerate the access of farmers to the tools of modern biology - especially seeds improved through biotechnology."

More than 100 Nobel laureates recently sent a letter to leaders of Greenpeace, the United Nations and governments around the world, calling upon Greenpeace "to cease and desist in its campaign against Golden Rice specifically, and crops and foods improved through biotechnology in general."

Richard Roberts, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993, led the effort and spoke during a press conference June 30 at the National Press Club in Washington, D. C. Genetic modification has existed since people began making crosses in plants to improve traits. Genetic engineering has enabled molecular biologists to more precisely introduce a gene into a plant, know where it's going, and then monitor the plant, he said.

The Nobel laureates wrote that scientific and regulatory agencies around the world have consistently found crops and foods improved through biotechnology to be as safe as, if not safer than those derived from any other method of production

norcal.news/news/21333-genetically-modified-foods-are-safe-and-well-need-them-fut

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2016/july/professor-julian-hughes-.html

U.S. Rice Looks to Answer Call on USDA Food Assistance Grants

By Sarah Moran

WASHINGTON, DC -- Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its FY2016 food assistance grants. USDA will provide U.S. commodities and financial and technical support to food-insecure communities in Africa, Asia, and Central America through the Food for

Progress Program and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition (McGovern-Dole) Program, benefitting more than 6.1 million vulnerable people worldwide. U.S.-grown rice is expected to continue as a major player in both programs.

For FY16, USDA committed $160 million to fund eight projects under the Food for Progress program that aims to improve the agricultural supply chain in target countries through the monetization of U.S. commodities, including rice. USDA also committed $195.5 million to support nine projects through the McGovern-Dole Program, that is aimed at reducing hunger, boosting school enrollment, and improving literacy through school feeding programs and related activities.

The 2016 USDA commitment includes both direct financial support and the donation of U.S.produced rice and other commodities.

"Rice is the most requested commodity in USDA's McGovern-Dole program and we expect programming will increase even more with the new introduction of fortified rice, which has eight essential micronutrients targeted to fight hidden hunger," says USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee Chairman Jamie Warshaw. "It's great to see the U.S. government invest in nutrition to help millions of people. It makes our industry feel proud to be a part of creating a food-secure world."

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Jul 6 (7 days ago)

Arkansas Farm Bureau <mktrpt@arfb.com> to me

Click here to view this report online.

Soybeans High Low Cash Bids 1204 1127 New Crop 1166 1108

Riceland Foods

Cash Bids Stuttgart: - - - Pendleton: - - New Crop Stuttgart: - - - Pendleton: - - -

Futures:

SOYBEANS High

Low

Last

Change

Jul '16 1150.25 1110.00 1117.00 -51.75 Aug '16 1149.75 1105.00 1110.00 -54.25 Sep '16 1132.50 1086.75 1091.50 -57.25 Nov '16 1120.00 1073.50 1077.25 -60.25 Jan '17 1117.75 1070.75 1074.50 -58.50 Mar '17 1082.50 1040.25 1044.50 -49.75 May '17 1069.25 1031.00 1032.75 -45.50

Jul '17 1062.50 1028.50 1030.75 -44.25 Aug '17 1009.00 1009.00 1014.25 -41.50

Arkansas Daily Grain Report FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Soybean Comment Soybeans posted sharp losses today as the Bulls left the market. November soybeans closed down more than 60-cents today, while meal closed limit down and soy oil closed with marginal losses.

While last week's Acreage and Stocks report was not as bad as expected it also did not garner the sharp increases we saw following the report. Today's correction saw prices retest recent lows near $10.72, the 4-week low, which is support for prices. If the market breaks this support the next support level is $10.60, followed by $10.43. If weather continues to show favorable forecast and the crop size grows, soybeans have little wiggle room given the USDA is already forecasting record exports and crush in the U.S. After the market closed the USDA did reduce the percent of the crop rated good to excellent from 72 percent last week to 70 percent this week, while this is lower it is still well ahead of last year when just 63-percent was good to excellent.

Wheat High Low Cash Bids 440 376 New Crop --

Futures:

--

WHEAT

High

Low

Last Change

Jul '16 418.25 405.00 419.50 +3.25 Sep '16 434.50 415.75 433.50 +3.25 Dec '16 454.50 436.25 453.50 +2.75 Mar '17 471.75 454.25 471.00 +2.25 May '17 483.25 465.75 483.00 +2.75 Jul '17 493.25 475.00 492.25 +3.75 Sep '17 498.50 487.00 502.75 +4.25 Dec '17 519.25 500.75 518.00 +3.75 Mar '18

531.25 +4.25

Arkansas Daily Grain Report FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Wheat Comment Wheat prices were able to end the day with modest gains. After setting new contract lows last week, wheat appeared poised to extend those losses today as other markets remain weak.

However, wheat was able to strengthen late and managed a slightly higher closed despite all the bearish factor pressuring prices today. Wheat continues to search for a bottom, but may have found a near term bottom with today's strength. The next USDA report could add additional pressure to prices as there will be additional supplies added given the larger acres and stocks than originally forecast.

Grain Sorghum

High Low Cash Bids 317 235 New Crop 332 246

Arkansas Daily Grain Report FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Corn High Low Cash Bids 378 329 New Crop 379 336

Futures:

CORN High

Low

Last Change

Jul '16 350.50 333.75 344.00 -9.00 Sep '16 356.50 341.00 350.75 -9.25 Dec '16 363.00 348.00 358.00 -9.00 Mar '17 371.50 357.50 367.50 -8.50 May '17 377.25 363.25 373.00 -8.25

Jul '17 381.50 367.75 377.75 -8.00 Sep '17 379.00 369.75 377.00 -5.75 Dec '17 386.25 376.00 382.75 -5.25 Mar '18 391.00 387.00 391.50 -5.25

Arkansas Daily Grain Report FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Corn Comment Corn prices closed lower again as the December contract posted new contract lows today. Since closing at its highest level in more than a year on June 17, the corn market has only posted marginal gains twice since then as prices are down 91-cents. The corn market has seen the Bears take back the market after export demand weakened and rains returned to the forecast. The USDA continues to forecast large acreage for 2016, and with improving weather forecasts the crop could get bigger. It will not take much to get stocks forecast back over 2 billion bushels. It remains how much of today's price action is the result of current fundamentals and how much is a reaction to the sharp losses in soybeans. Either way recent losses have pushed corn to a technically oversold position, and should help minimize losses going forward. The December contract needs to close the gap left today, which if it's a measuring gap puts this markets objective near $3.30.

Cotton Futures:

COTTON High Low Last Change Jul '16 62.92 62.92 63.75 0.13

Oct '16 65.91 65.13 65.33 0.23 Dec '16 66.14 64.25 65.21 0.22

Memphis, TN Cotton and Tobacco Programs

Cotton Comment Cotton futures ended higher but near the middle of the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s wide trading range. US acreage was reported at 10.023 million acres. That is up from the March 1 Planting Intentions total of 9.562 million and last year's total of 8.85 million. The uptrend drawn off the February low remains intact, with support currently around 63.80 cents. Weekly export sales were 58,700 bales for 2015-2016 delivery and 138,300 for 2016-2017 delivery.

Rice High Low Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -

Futures:

ROUGH RICE High

Low

Last Change

Jul '16 1036.0 1020.0 1028.5 -8.0 Sep '16 1054.0 1024.0 1031.0 -14.0 Nov '16 1083.0 1054.0 1059.0 -14.5 Jan '17

1084.0 -15.5

Mar '17

1104.5 -14.0

May '17

1123.5 -14.0

Jul '17

1137.5 -14.0

Rice Comment Rice futures were lower again today as the market continues to factor in the production estimate released late last week. USDA says 3.212 million acres of rice were planted nationwide. In Arkansas, the total is a whopping 1.581 million acres: 1.43 million acres of long grain and 150,000 acres of medium grain. Crop conditions remain generally favorable, with 68% of the crop rated good to excellent for the second week in a row. September violated support at $10.70, and there is little technical support above $9.90. Weekly export sales last week totaled 84,100 metric tons for 15-16 delivery.

Cattle Futures: Live Cattle:

LIVE CATTLE High

Low

Last

Change

Aug '16 114.225 111.075 113.650 +0.675 Oct '16 114.475 111.150 114.000 +0.725 Dec '16 114.850 111.650 114.675 +0.900 Feb '17 114.225 111.100 114.175 +0.925 Apr '17 113.350 110.325 113.300 +0.875

Jun '17 107.350 104.825 107.250 +0.450 Aug '17 106.400 103.750 106.400 +0.550

Feeders:

FEEDER CATTLE High

Low

Last

Change

Aug '16 144.475 139.750 144.075 +1.625 Sep '16 143.650 139.150 143.350 +1.650 Oct '16 142.675 138.050 142.400 +1.850 Nov '16 140.600 135.750 140.200 +2.025 Jan '17 136.325 131.700 135.950 +1.775 Mar '17 133.500 130.000 133.500 +2.150 Apr '17 128.750 128.750 132.125 +1.325 May '17 128.750 128.750 130.825 +1.325

Arkansas Prices Ft. Smith Livestock Auction Heber Springs Livestock Auction Oklahoma City Oklahoma City - Feeder Cattle Auction Weighted Average Report

Cattle Comment Cattle prices closed higher today after starting the day out lower. Weakness in the grain complex helped support prices as cattle prices continue to try and move off of contract lows set in June.

Weakness in the overall economy and stronger dollar will remain a challenge for cattle prices

moving forward.

Hogs Futures:

LEAN HOGS High

Low

Last Change

Jul '16 83.650 81.950 82.050 -0.625 Aug '16 84.825 82.175 83.250 -0.700 Oct '16 72.875 70.975 72.150 -0.200 Dec '16 64.925 63.600 64.675 +0.025 Feb '17 67.625 66.450 67.575 +0.150 Apr '17 71.425 70.325 71.350 +0.225 May '17

75.925 +0.225

Jun '17 79.450 78.400 79.325 +0.175 Jul '17 78.925 77.975 78.500 -0.425

Hog Comment

Shell Eggs Daily Midwest Regional Eggs Daily New York Eggs

National Turkeys Weekly Weighted Average Prices for Whole Young Turkeys

Delmarva Broilers Daily Southern Broiler/Fryers

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Joint survey set to track wastage in rice industry ď&#x201A;ˇ

By Htin Linn Aung | Wednesday, 06 July 2016 2

Myanmar could be losing a colossal 4 million tonnes of rice to waste and damage every year, and a local university is partnering with the Myanmar Rice Federation to assess the extent of the problem.

Farmers work in a paddy field. Photo: Kaung Htet / The Myanmar Times

A nationwide survey conducted by Yezin Agriculture University over three months found that people in Myanmar consume 8 million tonnes of rice a year, according to university professor Daw Theingi Myint. She announced the findings at a press conference on July 2 at Myanma Agricultural Economic Private Corporation.

This is significantly lower than estimates under the previous government from the then-Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, which had estimated national consumption to be about 12 million tonnes a year.

The Yezin survey tested that figure, contacting 24,211 respondents in 5132 households in 148 townships in all states and regions between April and June, said Daw Theingi Myint.

The Myanmar Rice Federation said that yearly production across the hot and rainy seasons was about 14 million tonnes. If 8 million tonnes is consumed that leaves around 6 million tonnes available for export. But in the 2014-15 financial year, Myanmar exported just over 1.8 million tonnes, of which more than 1.1 million went to China.

Yezin Agricultural University and the Myanmar Rice Federation estimate that around 4 million tonnes of rice could be going to waste – half the country‘s yearly estimated consumption. The two organisations are planning a joint survey to get a clearer picture of how much is lost to waste and damage across the industry.

The nationwide consumption survey was conducted to help shape agricultural policy. U Aung Than Oo, vice chair of the Myanmar Rice Federation, told the press conference that precise rice consumption data would help as growers refined a strategy covering both local rice production and the export sector. ―This survey tells us how much rice is consumed in Myanmar and how much is left for export. It will help us decide what kinds of paddy should be planted in which districts for local consumption, and in which districts we need to plant paddy for export,‖ said U Aung Than Oo. The next step is to establish the rate of production by state and region, and to calculate the volume of waste between cultivating the rice and its arrival at the market. An eventual third step could be to promote the growing of more rice for export purposes.

But the association‘s general secretary, U Thaung Win, said there could be practical difficulties in organising a survey for a more precise and detailed strategy. ―Assessing the volume of wastage will be very important. At this point, we cannot know how many acres of land are required for paddy planting. We hope the ministry will make progress on this matter,‖ he said.

According to the survey, of all the various kinds of paddy grown in the country, local consumers prefer Paw San, Ayeyar Min and other local varieties in Shan State

Houston has been 'transformative' with eco-friendly sports arenas, exec says Jul 5, 2016, 12:04pm CDT Industries & Tags Commercial Real Estate, Sports Business,

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An Oregon-based international nonprofit wants to see a little more green in the world of sports.

That's not a reference to money, though — the Green Sports Alliance is dedicated to promoting environmentally conscious practices in athletic stadiums around the world. The alliance just spent a week in the Bayou City for its annual summit, where it awards noteworthy stadiums in

each major sports league for being a green innovator. Among MLS stadiums, Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium nabbed top honors.

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BBVA Compass Stadium nabbed top honors among Major League Soccer stadiums at the Greenâ&#x20AC;Ś more The alliance works with nearly every major sports league in the U.S., including the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer.

The conference brought between 700 to 800 people to Houston and had around 500 to 600 hotel nights booked for the conference, said Justin Zeulner, Green Sports Alliance co-founder and executive director. While they were here, Green Sports Alliance members dined at Underbelly, Reef and The Grove; most attendees stayed at the Hilton Americas or the Westin Houston Downtown, he said. It was the four-year-old conference's first time in the Bayou City, but it won't be its last, Zeulner said.

This is the Green Sports Alliance's first time in Houston. What's your experience been like? Our experience in Houston has been extraordinary. And, if I may, Houston is setting the state and exemplifying what the state of Texas has been all about. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;re feeling like we're being welcomed to Texas.

How does Houston stack up nationally in terms of its green stadium offerings? Houston, in my opinion, (has been) transformative in the last decade. University of Houston and Rice have both exemplified that, even at the collegiate level. Whether it's student athletics or the facilities themselves, they've done an incredible job. … BBVA (Compass Stadium) has embraced this at a level that others are trying to get to. BBVA, for a soccer facility, has done more than (most) in Major League Soccer.

What makes a green stadium "green"? So, you've got the core competencies of a green building, (such as) energy efficiencies, water conservation and greener cleaning … and transportation, transit, biking, waste strategies (and) food donation strategies. Where this really gets interesting, and what sports provides that no other industries do, is the amplification of what they‘re doing, and the inspiration that brings to a local region http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2016/07/05/houston-has-been-transformative-with-ecofriendly.html

Larkana projects in doldrums

By Webmaster July 6, 2016 0 212

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Larkana—Three mega projects announced by the PPP regime for Larkana are still in doldrums.

These projects include establishment of regional office of State Bank of Pakistan, a dry port and a tax free industrial zone. Several letters and reminders were sent to the government but in vain.

The dry port was established during Benazir Bhutto government in 1993 which was abandoned

by Nawaz Sharif government later as no facilities of customs services and railway bogies were provided.

Rather railways enhanced the rates of goods‘ loaded bogies due to which rice & guava traders suffered badly. Larkana‘s rice is earning millions of dollars annually through exports but this dry port was ignored by the government.

After winning 2008 elections, PPP government again announced to revive the dry port and it was inaugurated in 2010 by then Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.

He also announced and inaugurated the establishment of a regional branch office of the SBP on demand of traders rice & other commodities. A 500 acre forest department land near Khair Muhammad Areeja village was approved and reserved for establishing Tax Free Industrial Zone near Benazir Bhutto Medical University. It was allowed free of taxes for ten years.

However, during five years PPP rule at the federal level no concrete steps were taken for establishing these mega projects which would have helped in reducing poverty level and unemployment in the region.

Even the 8-year PPP rule of Sindh government has done nothing for establishing any industry here, which seems it made announcements to please its voters but refrained from implementing their own decisions.

The flood affected people of 2010 devastating floods were asked to stay in the dry port building due to this all doors, windows and shed were badly damaged and now cattle owners and drug users are using this compund.

Three to four million tons of rice are produced annually in upper Sindh including Larkana and 80 percent of it is exported. Likewise 1. 5 million tons of guava is destroyed annually due to nonavailability of cold storage facility and dry port.

President, Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Aslam Shaikh told the PPI that due to wrong policies of the government neither dry port nor tax-free zone were established, whereas construction of SBP branch was yet to be started here.

He said free bogies were given by railway authorities to the dry ports working in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Peshawar but Rs50,000 were demanded per wagon for Larkana dry port which is injustice.

He said they wrote a letter to the federal government which is yet to be replied. Shaikh said that Sindh government allocated 500 acres forest land for tax-free zone over four years ago but no practical work on the project has so far been done.—APP http://pakobserver.net/2016/07/06/larkana-projects-in-doldrums/

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July 6, 2016 5:00 pm JST

Myanmar takes first steps to ramp up rice exports MOTOKAZU MATSUI, Nikkei staff writer

An agricultural trading company leases machinery to farmers at its service center in Naypyitaw in efforts to increase Myanmar's rice production.

NAYPYITAW -- Myanmar is striving to recapture the glory of its past as the world's No. 1 rice exporter.

The country's drive to climb back up the list of leading rice-exporting countries has been led by Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corp., an agricultural trading company.

As part of its efforts to pump up the country's rice exports, MAPCO is building state-of-the-art rice-milling plants to improve the quality of rice. The company is also leasing agricultural machines to farmers to help them improve productivity.

Myanmar is working to capitalize on the vast swath of fertile rice producing areas along the Ayeyarwady River which once made the country the world's leading exporter of the main East Asian staple.

In Kyaiklat, a town in the southwestern region of Ayeyarwady, home to the Ayeyarwady Delta, one of the country's largest rice-milling plants is under construction.

The plant will use state-of-the-art technology to mill 450 tons of rice per day. Rice husks are steamed and then dried before milling to reduce the amount of rice grains that are crushed in the process.

MAPCO is spending an estimated $20 million to build the plant, which is described by MAPCO Chairman Chit Khine as "a first step" in Myanmar's quest to become a major player in the global rice market again.

Last summer, MAPCO began operating a rice mill with a daily capacity of 220 tons in Naypyitaw, the nation's capital. The company plans to build up to three to four new rice mills within three years.

A river runs through it Myanmar is blessed with huge stretches of fertile farmland along the Ayeyarwady River, which runs through the country from north to south http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Trends/Myanmar-takes-first-steps-to-ramp-up-rice-exports

110 Nobel laureates tell Greenpeace to stop campaign vs Golden Rice and GMOs By: Tricia Aquino, InterAksyon.com July 5, 2016 11:02 PM

A rice farmer in Nueva Ecija province. (Bernard Testa/InterAksyon.com/File)

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5 MANILA, Philippines – A total of 110 Nobel laureates have signed a letter urging Greenpeace to ―cease and desist in its campaign against Golden Rice‖ and other genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as the signatories accused the advocacy group of ignoring scientific research while sowing fear into consumers.

But Greenpeace Southeast Asia has denied that they are blocking ―genetically engineered Golden Rice,‖ which is being developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna.

The Nobel laureates, through the letter, urged governments all over the world to ―reject Greenpeace‘s campaign against Golden Rice specifically, and crops and foods improved through biotechnology in general.‖ They also asked the governments to ―do everything in their power to oppose Greenpeace‘s actions and accelerate the access of farmers to all the tools of modern biology.‖ Dr. Richard Roberts, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, said in a livestreamed press conference on Thursday that there is almost nothing in a person‘s diet that has not been genetically modified.

There had been no well-proven cases where a GMO had led to any health problem, while safety studies on GMOs had been successful, he added.

―Green parties that have been against GMOs have basically just ignored the scientific evidence.

They continue to take old studies that might have been shown to have faults in some way, promulgate them, and they have made haywire out of this,‖ he said. ―The time has come when we know these things are safe.‖ He cited the National Academy of Sciences in the United States and the Royal Society in the United Kingdom as among the most prestigious scientific establishments in the world that had declared how safe GMOs were. ―GMOs are not inherently dangerous. We could engineer things perhaps to make them dangerous, but that‘s not what we want to do,‖ Roberts said. ―The method itself is safe.‖ He said that Greenpeace should just admit that it made a mistake. ―They‘ve been a fantastic organization. I‘ve supported them in the past. But I can‘t support them on this one.‖ Greenpeace said on its website that GMOs were problematic because these ―can spread through nature and interbreed with natural organisms, thereby contaminating non ‗GE‘ (genetic engineering) environments and future generations in an unforeseeable and uncontrollable way.‖ (www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/agriculture/problem/genetic-engineering/) How do GMOs work?

Roberts explained that humans had always made changes to plants in particular ever since they first discovered agriculture some 10,000 years ago.

First they did traditional breeding, but in the 1980s, when Marc Van Montagu and Jeff Schell saw how agrobacterium was able to transfer DNA into plants, they were able to work out a better way to introduce genetic variation ―in a very precise way.‖ Roberts calls this ―precision agriculture‖ or ―precision breeding‖, rather than just ―GMO‖.

He used the following analogy to pinpoint the difference between traditional breeding and precision breeding: if he wanted to put a GPS system into his car, would he take a new car with a GPS system, take it apart, take his old car apart, put it back together, then see where the GPS system went? Or would he simply take the GPS from his new car, then fix it into his old car? ―We‘re talking about precision breeding, where we take one gene and put it in. We‘ve learned how to do it really very successfully and very well,‖ he said.

Golden Rice Golden Rice is one such product that is the result of precision breeding.

Randy Sheckman, winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, explained that it was developed by the IRRI to supplement Vitamin A-deficient diets in the developing world.

They did so by taking genes responsible for the production of beta carotene, ―the precursor of Vitamin A,‖ from crops such as corn, then introducing them into the rice, he said.

Sheckman said that the IRRI is making the product available around the world, particularly to destitute farmers, free of charge.

According to the World Health Organization, 250,000 to 500,000 Vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, with half of them dying within a year of losing their sight.

He encouraged the public to think ―rationally on how biotechnology has advanced human health,‖ even as he voiced concern over how groups such as Greenpeace supposedly ―prey on the sense of vulnerability that the public has, fear of the unknown, fear of technological development.‖ Martin Chalfie, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry, echoed him, saying, ―I‘m very worried about the procedure that groups such as Greenpeace have used to promote their agenda: which are basically, in my opinion, disinformation, and a development of fear. They have consistently ignored the scientific data.‖ False accusations But Wilhelmina Pelegrina, a campaigner at Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said in a statement that accusations that anyone was blocking genetically engineered Golden Rice were false. ―Golden Rice has failed as a solution and isn‘t currently available for sale, even after more than 20 years of research. As admitted by the (IRRI), it has not been proven to actually address Vitamin A deficiency. So to be clear, we are talking about something that doesn‘t even exist,‖ she said.

She added that corporations were hyping up the product ―to pave the way for global approval of other more profitable genetically engineered crops.‖ ―This costly experiment has failed to produce results for the last 20 years and diverted attention from methods that already work,‖ Pelegrina stressed. ―Rather than invest in this overpriced public relations exercise, we need to address malnutrition through a more diverse diet, equitable access to food and eco-agriculture.‖ She noted that Greenpeace Philippines was already working with nongovernmental organizations and farmers to boost climate resiliency. ―There‘s a real chance here for governments and the philanthropic community to support these endeavors by investing in climate-resilient ecological agriculture and empowering farmers to access a balanced and nutritious diet, rather than pouring money down the drain for Golden Rice,‖ Pelegrina said.

Roberts agreed with her on one point – that due to climate change, people were going to need crops that were drought-resistant http://interaksyon.com/article/129990/110-nobel-laureates-tell-greenpeace-to-stop-campaign-vsgolden-rice-and-gmos

DA-Negros Island fast tracks rice seed distribution Wednesday, July 06, 2016 By Erwin P. Nicavera

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) in Negros Island Region (NIR) is speeding up the distribution of seeds to El Niño-affected rice farmers in Negros Occidental to help them recover from damage and losses.

Joyce Wendam, officer-in-charge executive director of DA-NIR, who spoke at the Association of City and Municipal Agriculturists meeting at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel yesterday, said the agency is working on the immediate delivery of buffer stocks from the seed growers through the Negros Occidental Accredited Seed Producers Cooperative (Noasepco).

Wendam said the seeds will be stored at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice)-Negros compound in Barangay Cansilayan, Murcia, which can then be withdrawn by the local government units (LGUs) and distributed to farmers after inspection. ―We have already communicated with DA Region 6 (Negros Island Region) to send its inspection committee, who will then give the go-signal to immediately release the seeds for the farmers to catch up with the planting season,‖ she added.

For this year, DA-NIR records showed the region has a projected requirement of 12,792 bags of certified rice seeds, which will be distributed mostly to farmers in Negros Occidental.

These seeds amounting to almost P17.6 million were purchased by the agency from Noasepco.

Of the total stocks, 3, 838 bags of certified seeds will be distributed for the first tranche intended for rice farmers whose farms were damaged by El Niño from October to December last year.

The remaining stocks of more than 8,000 bags to be delivered in the succeeding tranches are for rice farms reported and validated to have incurred damage and losses starting January this year.

In Negros Occidental, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) had earlier reported total El Niño damage and losses to rice sector worth P251.39 million.

The figures cover 9,588 farmers with an area of more than 8,000 hectares, the report added. ―We are really working on assisting our rice farmers to rehabilitate their respective areas affected

by El Niño,‖ Wendam said, adding that the seed distribution ratio for each farmer is one bag per hectare.

Moreover, Negros Occidental still has a buffer stock balance of 1,282 bags from 2014 to 2015.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. has requested to utilize these remaining seeds for food-for-work program.

DA Region 6, however, said it will violate rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit (COA) thus, it recommended to subject the balance stocks to competitive bidding. ―If the Provincial Government is willing, they can buy the seeds at NFA price of P15.50 per kilo,‖ Wendam said.

Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on July 06, 2016.

Latest issues of Sun.Star Bacolod also available on your mobile phones, laptops, and tablets.

Subscribe to our digital editions at epaper.sunstar.com.ph and get a free seven-day trial http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2016/07/06/da-negros-island-fast-tracks-rice-seeddistribution-483677

Global Organic Rice Industry 2016 Market Trends, Growth and Forecast upto By Acute Market Reports

By Ravi Parmar / Tuesday, 05 Jul 2016 08:27AM / Comments Off on Global Organic Rice Industry 2016 Market Trends, Growth and Forecast upto By Acute Market Reports / 115 views

The Global Organic Rice Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Organic Rice Industry market.

First, the report provides a basic overview of the Organic Rice Industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.

Browse Full Report here: http://www.acutemarketreports.com/report/global-organic-riceindustry-2016-market-research-report Secondly, the report states the Global Organic Rice Industry market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.

Third, the Organic Rice Industry market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Global, Global and Global, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.

Browse All Reports of This Category: http://www.acutemarketreports.com/category/market-research Then, the report focuses on Global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. What s more, the Organic Rice Industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.

Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered http://www.rundirectmagazine.com/global-organic-rice-industry-2016-market-trends-growth-andforecast-upto-by-acute-market-reports/23227/

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https://www.whatech.com/market-research/consumer/178757-new-reportexamines-the-global-rice-bran-oil-consumptionPhilRice to launch Youth & Agriculture book Posted by Web Team Posted on Jul - 5 - 2016

PhilRice is set to launch a book on engaging young people in agriculture at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Baños,

Laguna, July 13, 1-5pm.

Youth & Agriculture: The Infomediary Campaign in the Philippines relates the experiences and how-tos of PhilRice project on Infomediary Campaign Campaign team lead Jaime A. Manalo IV is the main author, with contributions from team members Katherine P. Balmeo, Jayson C. Berto, and Fredierick M. Saludez.

Students and practitioners who are engaged in agriculture, development communication, community development, and anyone working in the same space are the intended audience of this book. ―This book is for them so we can all keep the passion on bringing developments to our rural communities,‖ Manalo said.

The book has three main sections. The first part narrates the brief history of the Infomediary Campaign, its major components and activities. The second part focuses on the how-tos of campaign implementation such as the distribution of activities and data collection methods.

Lastly, the third part of the book shares stories about the experiences of the Infomediary team in working in rural communities. Reflections and some lessons on development work are also included in the book.

National Scientist Dr. Gelia T. Castillo wrote the bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s foreword. The publication was made possible through the book grant given by the DA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bureau of Agricultural Research.

The Infomediary Campaign is in collaboration with the Department of Education and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security. It operates in close to 100 high schools nationwide - See more at: http://www.philrice.gov.ph/philrice-launch-youth-agriculturebook/#sthash.ZGVu6Z5N.dpuf http://www.philrice.gov.ph/philrice-launch-youth-agriculture-book/

Preventing rice pests, diseases during rainy season Posted by Web Team Posted on Jul - 4 - 2016

A PhilRice crop protection expert reminds farmers that early detection is the best way to prevent

spread of diseases in rice.

Rice diseases are more prevalent during the rainy season as weather conditions are more conducive to disease development and severity.

Dr. Jennifer T. Niones from the Crop Protection Division (CPD) of PhilRice mentioned bacterial leaf blight (BLB), fungal diseases like rice blast, sheath blight, and rice tungro are among the major rice diseases farmers should watch out for. â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Choosing the right variety to plant that is high-yielding and adaptable to the local environment is crucial. Farmers must select varieties resistant to the diseases that previously attacked their farm,â&#x20AC;&#x2013; Niones explained.

Presently, there are many modern varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases such as PSB Rc10 (for rice blast), Rc242 (for BLB), and Rc 216 (for green leafhopper).

Cultural management strategies must also be carefully observed. Niones said farmers should ensure that lands are well-prepared before they plant on it as pathogens and other bacterial cells can thrive on undecomposed rice stubbles and straw.

The modified dapog method is also recommended to fast-track seeding preparation and minimize transplanting shock. Farmers should also keep nursery beds and main fields from flooding and

reduce plant injury during transplanting. Plant sanitation and regular weeding should also be practiced.

Niones also reminds farmers to avoid excessive use of nitrogen and synthetic chemicals in case of pest and disease infestation. ―It is a waste of resources. Farmers should focus on preventing the onset of the disease, not by spraying but by applying aforementioned cultural management practices. The use of chemicals to control bacterial leaf blight is not economical and effective,‖ Niones said.

In the pipeline, researchers of PhilRice‘s CPD are screening breeding lines that are resistant to rice diseases. They are currently looking at traditional varieties as there are reports that they have high resistance against rice blast. They are also exploring the use of beneficial microorganisms as potential bio-control agents against BLB and blast. ―We hope to find novel genes (against rice blast) among those traditional varieties, so we can incorporate them in our modern varieties. The beauty of this is that we are working on our own materials,‖ Niones concluded.

To know more about pest and disease-resistant rice varieties, call or text the PhilRice Text Center at 0920 911 1398.

- See more at: http://www.philrice.gov.ph/preventing-rice-pests-diseases-rainyseason/#sthash.UGbv9oWw.dpuf

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APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1508 APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1508 Inbox x

Jul 4 (9 days ago)

agriexchange@apeda.gov.in to me

Agri Trade News from around the world

Mon, Jul 04, 2016

Vol: 1508

Todays Hot News 1. Govt mulls institutional mechanism to solve agri-export issues

2. RCEP talks: Chief negotiators to meet on July 18-19 in Jakarta, tariff talks on agenda

3. Export boost: Govt eyes updates from embassies, missions abroad

4. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nepal and India will soon sign a pact to harmonise standards of goodsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

04 Jul 2016

04 Jul 2016

04 Jul 2016

04 Jul 2016

In order to boost farm exports, the Centre is mulling to create an institutional mechanism to address all interministerial issues related to market access and export facilitation

Chief negotiators of 16 countries, including those from India and China, will meet on July 18-19 in Jakarta to discuss tariff-related issues in the goods sector

Amid Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faltering exports and Brexit potentially adding to the global headwinds for world trade, the commerce and industry ministry is working on a counter strategy that

Nepal and India concluded the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) meeting headed by the commerce secretaries from both countries on Thursday, in New Delhi

more news... more news...

Other News 1. Food Traceability and Recall: Ingredient for Food Safety 2. Govt allows state-run general insurers to sell PM's crop insurance schemes 3. Govt to identify pest-free potato zones to boost exports 4. Pulses imports may rise to 5 mn tonnes in Apr-Dec: Industry

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DGFT Notifications / Circulars / Trade Notice Allocation of additional quantity for export of sugar to USA under Tariff Rate Quota(TRQ).

Prohibition on import of milk and milk products from China.

Amendment in export policy of edible oils.

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5. Procurement of rabi pulses reaches 68,000 tonnes, will help keep prices under check 6. APCCIF for open-ended food processing policy, incentives for standalones 7. India to levy tax on investments from Cyprus from April 2017

SPS Notifications :- WTO Alcoholic beverages Sugar levels in carbonated beverages, ready to serve beverages other than milk based products, fruit nectar and fruit juices.(G/SPS/N/LKA/39) Meat of sheep or goats (G/SPS/N/COL/262) For more info

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Yellow

18

19

2

Detroit

Michigan

Yellow

19

20

Atlanta

Package: cartons film wrapped

2

Dallas

Canada

Long Seedless

10

California Long Seedless 13.50

Min Price

Max Price

Aroor (Kerala)

Other

3200

3400

2200

3900

Common 2180

2205

Shimoga (Karnataka) Medium Sainthia (West Bengal)

1

Siddhpur (Gujarat)

Other

1590

2065

2

Satna (Madhya Pradesh)

Other

1501

1750

3

Nagpur (Maharashtra)

Other

1700

1860

1

Zira (Punjab)

Other

1800

2000

2

Karad (Maharashtra)

Other

800

1300

3

Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh)

Other

2000

2400

High

1

Cucumbers

Variety

Wheat

Package: 50 lb sacks

Onions Dry

1

3

Market Center

Banana

11.50 15.50

Carrot

3

Detroit

Canada

Long Seedless

2 3

8

Package: cartons tray pack

Apples

1

6

Atlanta

Virginia

Red Delicious 25.50

Baltimore Washington Red Delicious Detroit

Source:USDA

Michigan

Red Delicious

26

28

30

18

19

1

Sahaspur (Orissa)

Other

1000

1150

2

Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)

Other

1800

2000

3

Bharuch (Gujarat)

Other

1300

1650

Source:agmarknet.nic.in

For more info

Unit Price : US$ per package

Floriculture

Price on 28-06-2016

Produc t

Marke t Center

Origin

Variety

Low

Package : bunche d 10s

Rose Flower

1

Boston Ecuador

Assorted Colors

Boston Thailand

Dendrobium

Boston Canada

Asiatic Type

Boston

Source:USDA

16

16

13.5 0

13.50

Package: per stem

Sunflower

1

12.50

Package: per bunch

Lilies Flower

1

12

Package: bunched 10s

Orchid Flower

1

High

Californi a

Large Head

1.50

1.50

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APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1509 APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1509 Inbox x

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Agri Trade News from around the world

Tue, Jul 05, 2016

Vol: 1509

Todays Hot News 1. PMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Africa tour to focus on energy, investment, dal

2. India, Sri Lanka 3. Portugal can act as agree to start talks for a doorway to European Union, says ETCA India

05 Jul 2016

05 Jul 2016

India is hoping to boost its considerable interests in Africa with a fournation tour to the

India and Sri Lanka today agreed to start negotiations on fasttrack basis for the

4. Sushma meets Hungarian counterpart, discuss trade

05 Jul 2016

05 Jul 2016

Amidst Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to move out of the European Union that

India and Hungary on Tuesday held talks on enhancing bilateral ties

continent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi starting Thursday

proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) and conclude the talks before

more news...

raised concerns on how businesses and trade will get impacted, India and Portugal, on Sunday, stressed upon

and trade as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

more news... more news...

Other News 1. Policy to boost exports, attract investments gets go-ahead 2. FAO, OECD see food commodity prices remaining stable for the next decade 3. FM Arun Jaitley expects better growth outlook for 'sweet spot' India

more news...

DGFT Notifications / Circulars / Trade Notice Allocation of additional quantity for export of sugar to USA under Tariff Rate Quota(TRQ).

Prohibition on import of milk and milk products from China.

Amendment in export policy of edible oils.

4. With IWTTP in place, Tripura to get food, fuel via Bangladesh

For more info

5. Economic Survey bats for GM crops 6. Soyameal exports up 8% in June

SPS Notifications :- WTO Alcoholic beverages Sugar levels in carbonated beverages, ready to serve beverages other than milk based products, fruit nectar and fruit juices.(G/SPS/N/LKA/39) Meat of sheep or goats (G/SPS/N/COL/262) For more info

Latest Market Report USDA Track & Trace

Grain and Feed Update Ankara Turkey Grain and Feed Update Rabat Morocco

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Grain and Feed Update Seoul Korea Republic

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For more info

Enter your Bill Of Lading to Track Bill Of Lading.

International Benchmark Price Price on: 04-07-2016

Benchmark Indicators Name

Price

1

Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2140

2

Argentine 50mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2160

3

Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

2180

1

South Africa, HPS 70/80 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)

2064

2

South African, HPS 40/50 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)

1950

3

Argentinean 40/50 runners, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)

1420

Product

APEDA Statistics

Honey

Three Years Export Summary of APEDA Products (2012-13 To 2014-15) Top Five Destination of APEDA Products for Year 2014-15

Todays Leads Seller Leads (4)

Buyer Leads

Egg

Peanuts

Rs per 100 No Price on 04-07-2016

Product

Market Center

Price

1

Ahmedabad

452

2

Nagapur

423

3

Namakkal

435

White Sugar 1

CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)

910

2

Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)

691

3

NYSE Liffe White Sugar Futures (USD/t)

565

Source: oryza, agra-net

Source: e2necc.com

Market Watch

For more info

Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 02-07-2016 Unit Price : US$ per package

Other International Prices

Price on 01-07-2016

Product

Market Center

Origin

Variety

Low

High

Package: 50 lb cartons

Potatoes

Product

Atlanta

Colorado

Russet

19.50

1

2

Chicago

Idaho

Russet

17

19

2

Detroit

Colorado

Russet

20

22

Atlanta

California

2

Dallas

3

Detroit

Atlanta

2

Dallas

3

Miami

Source:USDA

2200

3900

Common 2180

2205

Shimoga (Karnataka) Medium Sainthia (West Bengal)

Wheat

Satna (Madhya Pradesh)

Other

1501

1750

3

Nagpur (Maharashtra)

Other

1700

1860

1

Zira (Punjab)

Other

1800

2000

26

2

Karad (Maharashtra)

Other

800

1300

29

29

3

Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh)

Other

2000

2400

18

22

1

Sahaspur (Orissa)

Other

1000

1150

2

Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)

Other

1800

2000

3

Bharuch (Gujarat)

Other

1300

1650

17

18.50

California

Baby Peeled

20

22

Red Delicious 25.75

Red Delicious

3400

2

Baby Peeled

Virginia

3200

2065

Mexico

Washington Red Delicious

Other

1590

20.75

Virginia

Aroor (Kerala)

Other

Package: cartons tray pack

1

Max Price

Siddhpur (Gujarat)

Baby Peeled 18.50

Apples

Min Price

1

Package: cartons 20 1lb film bags

1

Variety

21 3

Carrots

Market Center

Rice

2 1

Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Domestic Prices

Banana

Carrot

Source:agmarknet.nic.in

Floriculture

For more info

Unit Price : US$ per

package Price on 28-06-2016

Produc t

Marke t Center

Origin

Variety

Low

Package : bunche d 10s

Rose Flower

1

Boston Ecuador

Assorted Colors

Boston Thailand

Dendrobium

Boston Canada

Asiatic Type

Boston

16

13.5 0

Californi a

Large Head

1.50

Source:USDA

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16

13.50

Package: per stem

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Package: per bunch

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1

12

Package: bunched 10s

Orchid Flower

1

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July 01

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USA Rice Daily, Tuesday, July 5, 2016 USA Rice Daily, Tuesday, July 5, 2016 Inbox x

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July 5, 2016

117th RMA Convention -- Back to the Future

By Deborah Willenborg

Mrs. Satake receiving the 11th RMA Distinguished Service Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- Founded in 1899, the USA Rice Millers' Association (RMA) is one of the oldest agribusiness trade organizations in America and their 117th convention, held here last week, celebrated that endurance with the theme: RMA Then and Now. RMA Chairman Robert Trahan peppered his remarks each day with facts about historic events from 1899 and attendees were encouraged to visit the RMA History Booth, set up in the Exhibit Hall, featuring old convention guides dating back to the 1920s and a photo gallery of past chairmen.

The convention kicked off with the presentation of the RMA Distinguished Service Award - only the Mrs. Toshiko Satake eleventh ever given - to Mrs. Toshiko Satake, current president and CEO of the Satake Corporation, recognizing her outstanding lifetime contributions to the U.S. rice milling industry. Last month Trahan and Convention Committee Chair Ken LaGrande traveled to Hiroshima, Japan, to deliver the award to Mrs. Satake in person. A short video of their award presentation was shown and Trahan said, "Anyone who knows Mrs. Satake knows that she has a passion for rice milling - for making it better, more efficient, more cost effective, and to help all of us produce rice of the highest quality."

The general session and trade show focused on the future with presentations on new products and technologies, and educational programming centered on strategic analysis of current situations and how it will impact our lives going forward. "Our

world seems to be changing at breakneck speed and this year's convention content, from the trade show to the general sessions, was a tutorial on planning for the future, not only for our industry, but for the planet as a whole," said Trahan.

For Scott Aughenbaugh, a global trend analyst with the Center for Strategic & International Studies, the future isn't next year or the year after Scott Aughenbaugh but the year 2035! He talked about the seven drivers that will influence that future: population, resources, technology, information, economics, security, and governance. And predicted that big changes in the global population, increased urbanization, and allocation of resources will create very different markets for business in the future.

Success in the future, according to Michael Swanson, an economist with Wells Fargo & Company, requires historical analysis to get that competitive edge. Swanson said everything is connected, "having all these loops - farmer, miller, consumer - running simultaneously makes it difficult" so looking back at previous trends and cycles helps determine relevant connections. He pointed out, for instance, that today the price of every grain and oilseed is measured against the price of corn. He also said the food and beverage sector is holding stable, accounting for about 10 percent of GDP, but more money is being spent off the farm and value add comes from processing and transportation.

Finally, convention attendees got a glimpse into the future of the retail food industry from Harry Harry Stagnito and Stagnito, founder and CEO of Stagnito USA Rice's Katie Maher Partners. Stagnito's Chicago-based company tracks the retail product lifecycle, from initial consumer interest to final shopper satisfaction, and according to their research, U.S. rice is at the forefront of consumer desire. Healthy, trend-setting, and adaptability are key messages for the "store of tomorrow" and U.S. rice fits all three. Stagnito predicts retail emphasis on multicultural cuisine with in-store chefs and registered dietitians providing research and recipes to individual shoppers, what he called "hyper personalization and interactivity," and said successful brands will focus on an emotional overview when it comes to quality, packaging, and promotion.

"To paraphrase Scott Aughenbaugh, our interest should be in the future because we're going to spend the rest of our lives there," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. "Throughout this convention, each speaker emphasized the constant need to look forward and for industry leaders to be vigilant about what's on the horizon."

Chairman Trahan summed up the importance of the RMA by saying, "RMA membership, which includes farmer-owned cooperatives, privatelyDynamic Duo - Trahan (left) owned mills, and associate members like and LaGrande exporters and shippers, represents virtually all of U.S. rice milling capacity. We have a proud history and legacy, and whether this was someone's first meeting or their 40th, we are all part of that tradition with a responsibility to shape our future."

Ramadan Kareem On the big screen

By Eszter Somogyi

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA & AMMAN, JORDAN -- During the Holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during the day. After sundown, they partake in large family feasts that feature rice-heavy traditional Arabic dishes. Rice consumption in the Muslim world always spikes during the observance, which is why USA Rice steps up promotions to increase awareness prior to the start of the holiday. This year, USA Rice partnered with local U.S. rice brands here to spread both the messages and the costs.

"It's important for U.S. brands to be prominent around Ramadan as last year there was a nearly 500 percent increase in U.S. rice sales to Saudi Arabia from the month prior to Ramadan," said USA Rice Vice President of International Promotion Jim Guinn. "Consumers are looking for high quality rice to use for special dishes prepared for Iftar, the daily breaking of the fast, and a donation to the poor, called Zakat that

often includes a box of food. We find that brand choices made at Ramadan tend to carry through the rest of the year."

In Saudi, four U.S. rice brands participated in promotions that included print advertising in Laha Magazine, the leading magazine in the Arab world with more than one million print and digital subscribers. The advertisements were placed in a special "pre-Ramadan cooking booklet" which consumers tend to keep throughout the year.

Outdoor advertising promotions were posted on LED screens at prime locations, including a giant tower advertisement on one of the largest LED screens in the world.

In Amman, advertising featuring local U.S. rice brands was placed in the same Laha Magazine cooking booklet and on 30 billboards throughout this bustling city of more than one million.

Market Information Daily Rough Rice Prices (updated daily)

Market Year Average Price Tracker (updated monthly)

In the News

Acreage Report, Global Events Impacting Crop Prices Delta Farm Press

A look at the previous 10 years certainly does not suggest the U.S. long-grain rice sector has the potential demand to move a U.S. long-grain rice crop this size without significant new business.

Kellogg's Cereal as Dining Event? Welcome to the Experience Economy Wall Street Journal In the experience economy, it's no longer enough for brands to shill products in magazines or on TV. Customers want to interact.

No TPP Trade Deal? Some Japanese Farmers Say All the Better for Them Los Angeles Times "Japan is really split on the value of TPP, but we've put a lot of political capital into it," said Ryo Sahashi, an associate professor of international politics at Kanagawa University. "If the U.S. suspends [the process], this will create a huge credibility issue for America in Asia."

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The USA Rice Daily is published Monday through Friday approximately 230 times per year.

The editor is Michael Klein. The deputy editor is Deborah Willenborg.

A searchable daily archive can be found on the USA Rice website.

Media should feel free to reprint and cite any original content in the Daily unless otherwise indicated.

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Acreage report, global events impacting crop prices Jul 5, 2016 Robert Coats ď&#x201A;ˇ

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Photo: LSU AgCenter Related Media

Will markets frown on surprisingly robust U.S. corn acreage?

Editor’s note: Download 1972-2016 U.S. Harvested Acreage Rice, Soybeans, Cotton, Corn and Sorghum Slide Show to view the charts referenced below.

USDA‘s National Agricultural Statistics Service 2016 U.S. harvested acreage projections released June 30 demonstrate the productive capacity of U.S. rice, cotton, and grain producers.    

Long-grain rice – second largest in current 11 years at 2.449 million acres (Chart 18).

Soybeans – largest on record at 83.037 million acres (Chart 22).

Cotton – fourth lowest in the current 10 years at 10.023 million acres (Chart 23).

Corn – third largest on record at 86.55 million acres (Chart 24).

Market considerations:

The June 30 acreage report, supply and demand as well as technical considerations, and a number of potential global anomaly and risk events (weather, political, monetary, social, military, etc.) have market participants scrambling to digest all the information and data to understand price response.  







On the one hand, fundamentals and charts suggest, near-term, likely more price weakness than strength for rice, cotton and grain markets.

On the other hand, markets are screaming price uncertainty due to a lack of global economic, political and social stability, monetary intervention, weather disruptions and military positioning.

History teaches in times of high levels of global and regional uncertainty, countries tend to have greater focus on their individual country’s food, economic, energy, and homeland security — very true today. This presents a huge challenge for analysts in interpreting price impacts.

Today’s global economies have an array of potential uncertain anomaly events, as well as known potential risk events. Evaluating the last seven months of market price action, market participants are learning to anticipate unexpected price movements for rice, cotton, soybeans, wheat and feed grains. o Near-term price movement for these commodities is more likely sideways to down, but depth of price weakness and directional price changes will likely be determined by today’s event-driven markets, so caution is advised as one has to expect complex price patterns.

Price movement near-term seems more bearish than bullish, but today’s potentially inflationary stimulus-driven global economic environment and other potential known and unknown events like weather disruption, coupled with accommodative Central Banks and events like BREXIT (United Kingdom voters voted to exit from the European Union), tend to act as a price floor and can act as an unexpected catalyst for stronger prices.

USDA‘s NASS personnel indicated they surveyed approximately 11,000 segments of land and 70,500 producers during the first two weeks of June to gather information on what farmers planted.

U.S. Rice – Slide Show Charts 1 to 21 Long-grain rice: U.S. long-grain rice harvested acreage increased over the previous five years for two key reasons: There appeared to be a price advantage for the 2016 long-grain rice crop over viable alternatives, and in challenging economic periods, long-grain rice across the region tends to have more yield and production certainty and profit potential than competing commodities.    

2016 Arkansas long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 1.425 million acres, 36 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 California long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 9,000 acres, 29 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 Louisiana long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 436,000 acres, 24 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 Mississippi long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 199,000 acres, 34 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

  

2016 Missouri long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 207,000 acres, 24 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 Texas long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 173,000 acres, 40 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 United States long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 2.449 million acres, 33 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

Medium-grain rice: Total medium-grain rice acres remain basically unchanged, but the type of medium-grain had a significant change. California increased its medium-grain rice acreage by 34 percent, from 378,000 acres in 2015 to 505,000 acres in 2016. Southern medium-grain rice acreage declined by 50 percent, from 378,000 acres to 190,000 acres.

Bottom Line: A look at the previous 10 years certainly does not suggest the U.S. long-grain rice sector has the potential demand to move a U.S. long-grain rice crop this size without significant new business.

Soybeans (Chart 22) In 2016 U.S. soybean producers are expected to harvest an estimated record 83.7 million acres, up 1 percent from last year‘s 81.814 millioon and 2014‘s 82.591 million. Market participants had expected an even larger harvested acreage for 2016. USDA-NASS indicated that when compared with last year, planted acreage is up or unchanged in 18 of the 31 major producing States. http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/acreage-report-global-events-impacting-crop-prices

Greenpeace fires back at Nobel laureates calling for end to campaign against genetically engineered food More than 110 Nobel laureates have now signed an open letter calling to end Greenpeace-led efforts opposing the use of genetically modified organisms in agriculture â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and Greenpeace was quick to respond to the accusations in the letter.

Golden Rice grain compared to white rice grain. Nobel winners take issue with Greenpeaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opposition to Golden Rice, a GMO which they say has the potential to reduce or eliminate much of the death and

disease caused by a vitamin A deficiency. Image: International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By Mike Gaworecki, Mongabay.com Monday 4 July 2016  

  

More than 110 Nobel laureates have now signed on to an open letter calling for an end to the efforts led by Greenpeace opposing the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in agriculture.

The letter is addressed not just to Greenpeace but also to the United Nations and ―Governments around the world.‖ After noting that the UN Food & Agriculture Program projects that global production of food, feed, and fiber will need to double by 2050 in order to meet the demands of the growing global population, the Nobel laureates write: Food & Agriculture

Filipino farmers protest government research on genetically modified rice Read now

―Organisations opposed to modern plant breeding, with Greenpeace at their lead, have repeatedly denied these facts and opposed biotechnological innovations in agriculture. They have misrepresented their risks, benefits, and impacts, and supported the criminal destruction of approved field trials and research projects.‖ In particular, the Nobel winners take issue with Greenpeace‘s opposition to Golden Rice, a genetically modified crop that they say has the potential to ―reduce or eliminate much of the death and disease caused by a vitamin A deficiency.‖ We urge Greenpeace and its supporters to re-examine the experience of farmers and consumers worldwide with crops and foods improved through biotechnology.

Nobel laureates, in an open letter to Greenpeace-led opposition to GMO According to the letter, the World Health Organisation has estimated that as many as 250 million people worldwide suffer from vitamin A deficiency, including 40 per cent of children in the developing world who are under five years old.

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―We urge Greenpeace and its supporters to re-examine the experience of farmers and consumers worldwide with crops and foods improved through biotechnology, recognise the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies, and abandon their campaign against ‗GMOs‘ in general and Golden Rice in particular,‖ the Nobel laureates write. ―How many poor people in the world must die before we consider this a ‗crime against humanity‘?‖ they ask.

Greenpeace was quick to respond to the accusations made in the letter. Wilhelmina Pelegrina, a campaigner with Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said in a statement that ―Accusations that anyone is blocking genetically engineered ‗Golden‘ rice are false. ‗Golden‘ rice has failed as a solution and isn‘t currently available for sale, even after more than 20 years of research. As admitted by the International Rice Research Institute, it has not been proven to actually address Vitamin A Deficiency. So to be clear, we are talking about something that doesn‘t even exist.‖ Pelegrina accused corporations of ―overhyping‖ Golden rice as a means of clearing the way for approval of other, more profitable genetically engineered crops. ―This costly experiment has failed to produce results for the last 20 years and diverted attention from methods that already work. Rather than invest in this overpriced public relations exercise, we need to address malnutrition through a more diverse diet, equitable access to food and eco-agriculture,‖ she said.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia has documented communities across the Philippines that are concerned about using Golden rice, Pelegrina added, calling it ―irresponsible to impose GE ‗Golden‘ rice as a quick remedy to people on the frontlines and who do not welcome it, particularly when there are safe and effective options already available.‖ This story is published with permission from Mongabay. http://www.eco-business.com/news/greenpeace-fires-back-at-nobel-laureates-calling-for-end-tocampaign-against-genetically-engineered-food/

Europe Organic Rice Market Size, Growth, Industry Trends 2016 By Acute Market Reports By poonam / Monday, 04 Jul 2016 09:38AM / Comments Off on Europe Organic Rice Market Size, Growth, Industry Trends 2016 By Acute Market Reports / 95 views

The Europe Organic Rice Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Organic Rice industry.

The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Organic Rice market analysis is provided for the

Europe markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.

Browse full report with TOC @ http://www.acutemarketreports.com/report/europeorganic-rice-industry-2016-market-research-report Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.

The report focuses on Europe major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Organic Rice industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.

View all reports of this category @ http://www.acutemarketreports.com/category/foodmarket With 149 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.

About Acute Market Reports Acute Market Reports is the most sufficient collection of market intelligence services online. It is your only source that can fulfill all your market research requirements. Acute Market Reports provide online reports from over 100 best publishers and upgrade Acute Market Reports collection regularly to offer you direct online access to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s most comprehensive and recent database with expert perceptions on worldwide industries, products, establishments and trends. Acute Market Reports database consists of 200,000+ market research reports with detailed & minute market research.

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Toll Free (US/Canada): +1-855-455-8662 Email: sales@acutemarketreports.com For More Information Click Here – Ac http://www.rundirectmagazine.com/europe-organic-rice-market-size-growth-industry-trends-2016-byacute-market-reports/23175/

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Stakeholders decry influx of smuggled rice into Nigeria    

In NATIONAL July 4, 2016 Ibrahim Adamu-Bello 0 comments

Stakeholders have decried the high rate of rice smuggling into the country through the porous borders, which merchants say is leading to job and revenue losses to the nation and investors.

Speaking on the ugly development, the stakeholders said that businesses are closing down and thousands are being laid off on daily basis while there is super-abundance of jobs and new businesses springing up in neighbouring countries like Republic of Benin, Niger Republic and Cameroon because of the increased activity in the seaports as a result of smuggled rice coming to Nigeria.

Rice dealers who spoke with Nigerian Association of Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ) in Lagos, said the concessionaires of Nigerian seaport are laying off staff massively, while the shipping and clearing agents, transporters, and other service providers that evolve as a result of activities in the port have ground to a halt in the past one year.

Executive Director, Nigeria Agriculture Development Watch, Dr. Johnson Idowu, lamented that shipping lines and other related businesses are pulling out of Nigeria.

In his words: â&#x20AC;&#x2022;The ripple effect of rice smuggling into the country is mass sack and redundancy.

Interestingly, the Minster of Labour will soon come on air to issue an ultimatum to these companies not to sack.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; Advertisement

Idowu added that the government even contemplated the idea of opening the land border initially for the importation of rice, which he said was a colossal error of reasoning.

Said he: ―Let us do some elementary Geography. Nigeria is bounded in the North, West and South by Niger Republic, Republic of Benin, and Cameroon respectively. None of these countries is a rice producing nation per se. So what is the rationale behind opening the borders for rice importation from these countries? The only reason there is an increase in rice importation activities in these countries is because they have favourable tariff and policy for rice importation. ―On this premise, unpatriotic businessmen hitherto in Nigeria as rice importers, have since diverted their businesses to these countries. Whereas you may not blame them, opening the land border is to encourage them further to export rice to Nigeria from these countries. Moreover, why would we want to continue to favour neighbours in terms of job creation and revenue generation from rice import rather than adjust our own policies to drive our own revenue generation, and to make businesses return?‖, he said.

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Rice exporters demand exemption from sales tax July 04, 2016 SHARE :

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Lahore: - The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has asked the government to exempt the rice export sector at least from sales tax, as the sector had not been granted zero rating, despite being the second largest foreign exchange earner of $2.

2 billion annually.

Submitting few proposals for the revival of the sector, REAP Chairman Shafique Chaudhry said on Sunday that in view of decline in rice exports from Pakistan, the State Bank of Pakistan should consider the export performance singly, instead of twice, for export refinance scheme.

He said that for the last couple of years, constant decline was being noticed in the export of rice due to low prices in the international market and lot of other factors, which caused huge losses to the rice exporters.

Shafique demanded that the withholding tax of 1.

5 percent be withdrawn. ―The exporters should not be treated as the withholding agents for local sale,‖ he added.

He also demanded exemption from duties and taxes on the import of rice machinery – processing & husking plant, besides ERF rates for the rice industry may also be brought down to 3.

5 percent at par with the textile sector.

The REAP chairman said that income tax was being charged on electricity bills, which was not being refunded either. ―This doubles taxation on exporters; therefore, it be removed,‖ he demanded.

He also expressed disappointment over what he called the step-motherly treatment of the rice export industry by the government, adding the sector had been completely neglected in the federal budget 2016-17. ―REAP sent many recommendations for the enhancement of rice exports, which were not considered by the federal government,‖ he said, and added, ―Even a very important suggestion regarding One Window Operation for the collection of all taxes was ignored. ‖ Shafique said that despite very challenging circumstances for the last couple of years, rice exporters were making untiring efforts for the growth of country‘s economy. ―Various government departments, such as FBR, EOBI, Market Committee, Social Security, WWF etc are harassing rice exporters and unnecessary amounts are demanded,‖ he alleged.

He said that sales tax refund claims of the rice exporters were also pending for long, requesting the government to pay these back at the earliest.

Shafique added that he and his colleagues had already requested the prime minister and federal finance minister to declare the rice export sector as a separate industry. ―Rice is the second largest source of earning foreign exchange reserves in Pakistan, but it is very amazing that the rice sector is not considered for the zero-rated status,‖ he said, and added, ―It will dishearten the rice exporters, who are working day and night for the betterment of exports of our country. ‖ He asked the government to extend full cooperation to the sector and give relief to the rice exporters, who, he said, had been suffering from heavy losses for many years

http://nation.com.pk/business/04-Jul-2016/rice-exporters-demandexemption-from-sales-taxRice farmers under pressure   

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...million$ owed by NFM, creditors breathing down their backs Charles Kong Soo Published: Sunday, July 3, 2016

Rice farmer Theresa Akaloo. Photo: SHASTRI BOODAN

Fed up rice farmers are warning that if they are not paid soon by National Flour Mills (NFM) and the Ministry of Agriculture for their crop that has been sold to the company since February, they will ―christen‖ the ministry‘s new site at Chaguanas by dumping their harvesters, tractors and farming equipment in front of the building as well as at the Agricultural Development Bank of T&T (ADB) on Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, rather than have them repossessed for defaulting on their loans.

The farmers claim that they are owed millions for their paddy and if their plight becomes even more dire with creditors breathing down their backs, they are also warning that T&T may end up like Venezuela with a food crisis if the country is relying heavily on imports.

Farmers wanted to know what was the future for them in the industry as some were owing millions in loans.

Speaking to the Sunday Guardian on Friday, one farmer said three other rice farmers, two from Central and one from Plum Mitan, had borrowed $10 million combined from the ADB. He said farmers from Biche, Plum Mitan, Penal, Barrackpore and Navet were depending on the monies from NFM to repay their loans for agricultural machinery and supplies, and also to continue with their rice production.

The farmer said this was affecting their credit rating because their loans were in arrears for more than two years.

According to a farmer, they had several meetings with Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, Parliamentary Secretary in the ministry, Avinash Singh and the ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Permanent Secretary Joy Persad-Myers to no avail.

He said if no resolution to the farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; plight was found soon, they had no other recourse than to take their protest to the streets.

One farmer, who did not want his name publised, claimed there was a Cabinet note for payment to NFM towards the farmers lying on a desk in the ministry since January 2016.

The farmers wanted to know why the $1 million Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) project for rice development at El Carmen, where all the land preparation, buildings and infrastructure were done already, was not being pursued.

According to rice farmers, under the former Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s partnership government and its previous agriculture ministers, Vasant Bharath and Devant Maharaj, farmers were assisted to get into rice production, with land preparation, seeds, technical support and infrastructural development.

He said that was what motivated farmers to get back into the rice industry and they were still awaiting incentives from this new Government and the ministry for harvesters, tractors, and other machinery and equipment for rice production.

Farmers said there was even a rice production expert from India, Dr GJN Rao, who worked closely with the farmers making recommendations on how to improve their yields and when the PSIP funds were removed, all the grandiose plans for boosting rice production in T&T came crashing down.

They also wanted to know whether NFM had private investors interested in the Carlsen Field rice mill and if there were plans afoot to privatise its operations.

Ramroop: Rice farmers under a lot of stress

Plum Mitan rice farmer Sarika ―Rebels‖ Ramroop said ―the situation is putting us under a lot of stress. Three farmers from Plum Mitan and five from Navet are owed over $1 million combined for their crop. ―Some of them are calling me because their creditors want their money, the farmers are asking what to do as they‘re getting the runaround from ministry officials and NFM. ―One farmer told me a ministry official NFM did not give them a list of the amount of their produce and that‘s why they can‘t proceed with the cheques.‖ She said when she messaged the ministry‘s Parliamentary Secretary Avinash Singh about the pressure the farmers were getting from their suppliers, he said he had spoken to the ministry‘s Permanent Secretary Joy Persad-Myers.

Ramroop asked rhetorically if the Government wanted rice farmers in agriculture but were not paying them, how can they sustain the industry without funding? She said she owed over $15,000 in fertilizer and chemicals, and thankfully, she was still being extended credit for this.

However, her bank instalment was due next month and she was unsure where she would get the money.

Ramroop said she can‘t keep borrowing additional money, that farmers desperately needed their payments to service their loans, pay their employees, and she herself had to pay off every three months for her tractor.

A new tractor costs $310,000 and if they had to pay additional interest, the farmers would sink deeper into debt.

Niamath: NFM awaiting disbursement of funds from Agriculture Ministry In response to the Sunday Guardian‘s queries regarding payment to the rice farmers, Pamela Niamath, general manager–Business Support Services of National Flour Mills, said, ―You will recall earlier this year, in response to a similar question, we advised of the process for payment. ―NFM sends monthly billings to the Ministry of Agriculture based on the amount of paddy delivered by rice farmers to our Carlsen Field rice milling operations. Upon receipt of funds from the ministry against these billings, NFM then pays this amount to the farmers within two weeks.‖ She said currently, the company had made two requests to the permanent secretary of the ministry for paddy received to date in 2016. Niamath said one request was made in March and another in May, totalling approximately $1.5 million. She said NFM was now awaiting the ministry‘s disbursement of funds before it can pay the rice farmers.

Regarding if there were private investors looking to buy NFM‘s rice mill, Niamath said proposals were requested sometime ago for expressions of interest. However no decision had been made on this

https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-07-03/rice-farmers-under-pressure

Nigeria: Create Enabling Environment to Boost Rice Production, Stakeholders Tell Govt Tagged:     

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Stakeholders have urged government at all levels to create an enabling environment that would lead to sustainable rice production through provision of farm inputs and credit facilities to farmers.

The stakeholders spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews across some South West, and North Central states.

Dr Aliyu Umar of the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Niger, told NAN that the Federal Government must create an enabling environment that would lead to sustainable rice production.

Specifically, Umar said there was need for a sustained funding for research on rice if the latest government's initiative to improve rice production was to work.He also said that mechanising rice farming and processing operations should be considered.

"Also, there should be available and affordable producing inputs for farmers for us to be able to produce enough rice in the country and even export.

"The government should also guarantee a realistic price for the rice produced while the ban on importation should be enforced.

"There should be rehabilitation of old irrigation structures and expansion across the country," Umar said.

Also, an integrated rice farmer, Mr Prince Ogunsina, said farmers and research institutes across the country must be mobilised and funded for effective production of rice.

Ogunsina said factors such as lack of funds, inadequate milling machines, birds, grass cutters, herdsmen, climate change and government's policy were all responsible for the limited rice production in the country.

He told NAN that there was no tangible financial support for farmers in particular by the state and federal governments for the production of rice.

"IFAD and FADAMA III are doing their best but political farmers and privileged people hijack the opportunities from grassroots farmers, who should have benefitted from programmes under the Federal Government's initiative," he said

Ration dealers see graft in rice milling Start Download - Avoid Spelling Mistakes with Free Spell Checker w/ DictionaryBoss! www.dictionaryboss.com Ads by Google 

R. Ramabhadran Pillai

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The All India Ration Dealers Association has alleged foul play in the milling of paddy being procured for distribution as rice under the public distribution system (PDS). The association wants the government to ensure that the rice milled from procured paddy is not diverted to other markets by private millers for monetary advantage.

There have been several instances of fraud by millers, says Babychen Mukkadan, general secretary of the association. Three millers in Kottayam were blacklisted for fraudulent practices six months ago, he said.

Under the arrangement of Supplyco for paddy procurement, paddy is lifted from fields by millers at an agreed rate. Supply checks the quality of the paddy prior to its transport to the mills. But the rice from the mills is lifted by ration wholesalers. Because of the absence of a government mechanism to evaluate the quality of rice at this point, several millers indulge in fraud, he says.

Mr. Babychen says that some millers get cheaper quality rice from neighbouring States and dispatch it to the PDS. ―Uma and other good varieties of paddy are cultivated in Kuttanad and Palakkad. Though Supplyco officials are expected to monitor the post-procurement process, there have been instances of corruption, resulting in rice of lower quality reaching PDS outlets,‖ he said. The association has approached the Vigilance Department for an inquiry.

Millers refute charge

The allegation is absurd, says M.P. Antony, Managing Director, Kalady Rice Mills Consortium. ―The quality of rice at the retail outlets could be examined by anyone,‖ he says.

Milling is done under the supervision of Supplyco officials, said another representative of the rice mills, on condition of anonymity. ―Paddy is stocked in separate godowns and strict quality control is maintained. But often, the rice lots are not removed on time, resulting in rice piling up at mills even as the commodity remains in short supply at the retail outlets. Such a situation could have led to allegations of fraud,‖ he says.

Say millers get inferior quality rice from neighbouring States and send it to the PDS. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/ration-dealers-see-graft-in-ricemilling/article8809705.ece

Agri-exports fall 17% to five-year low of $32.09 bn in FY16 Marine products, buffalo meat, rice including basmati have been top contributors to exports basket Rajesh Bhayani & Komal Amit Gera | Mumbai/Chandigarh July 4, 2016 Last Updated at 16:40 IST

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ALSO READ National Agricultural Market can cover only 10% of commodities: Experts Indonesia raises quality issue for groundnut export Limited integration Making a case for taxing farm incomes Maharashtra plans to delist fruits, vegetables from APMC ambit

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Agri-commodities are not behind in keeping Indian exports low. Rather they have fallen to a five-year low in 2015-16 according to data provided by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

From a pick of $42.84 billion in FY14, agri exports are falling but the fall was sharper with 17% decline in FY16 to $32.09 billion and except sugar and couple of other small items in top ten of the agri export basket, all commodities exports declined.

In FY13 Guar gum was top revenue generating export item in agri basket with $3.9 billion is now not even in top 10 list.

Marine products, buffalo meat, rice including basmati have been top contributors in exports basket and all have seen a significant fall in exports.

Ashok Gulati, former chairman, Commission for Agriculture Cost and pricing (CACP) said, "Rupee's comparative strength or higher real effective exchange rate of rupee, collapse in many agri prices globally and scarcity locally due to two successive draughts, volatile currencies changing equations of India's price parity in export market are among the key reasons for the falling agri produce exports."

On Guar gum he said that shale oil price have crashed globally in last two years which reduced demand for guar gum while Chinese players have also developed alternative synthetic material leading to fall in its demand from India.

Key reason for fall in buffalo meat exports was sharp fall in Brazil currency leading to their produce much more competitive than India. For basmati rice, Iran was virtually absent for almost a year and rice prices were also not attractive.

A senior official from APEDA however said that, "The agriculture exports from India have been falling mainly in value terms. As the global prices of commodities have been lowering, even the increase in volume of exports of agri commodities has not fetched us higher incomes. So the exports in value terms have dwindled. At the same time, the domestic prices of three major agri commodities in India; wheat, soya meal and maize have remained higher than international market in the last 18 months. This has also restricted the prospects of Indian commodity exports in the international market and we are out of market."

What needs to do to arrest the fall in agri exports? This is because it helps increasing farmers' income.

APEDA official quoted earlier said that, "In the present situation, we can only encourage exporters with more relaxed norms on the access to funds from organised sector."

Commerce ministry, according to the source, has asked all commodities boards to focus on increasing exports of commodities they are supervising. However some commodities like spices exports which is growing, has faced with several quality related issues. Several quality issues, such as adulteration in jeera and chilli, have been raised during the past two years by countries importing spices from India.

As a result, Indian trade has taken a huge hit and the spice industry has suffered losses. In order to tackle these problems within the industry and to make a strong case before the government, spice traders and exporters have come together to form a new body called 'Seed and Spice Stakeholder Association' (SSSA).

But that is not enough, Ashok Gulati says, "To oversee reforms in agri sector, and export is just one part of it, cabinet shall have a champion for agriculture."

His observation is timely as cabinet expansion is happening on Tuesday. He also advocates reforming agri marketing, creating an institution for agri research and boost investment in the sector.

Dr Ramesh Chand, NITI Ayog, who is also a champion for agriculture says that historically it has been observed that when global agri prices are high, India's share in global trade for agriculture increases and vice versa. Because global agri prices were trending low, there was less incentive for india to exports.

However, "We emphasise that there is need to reform agri marketing by promoting e-mandi program or national common market for agri product on electronic platform, pilots for which has started in almost 25 mandis. What is however needed is that states should participate in such central initiatives which is lacking many times."

For example most vibrant agriculture state Punjab has so far not participated in NAM project.

Many states have yet not removed fruits and vegetables from APMC act.

Dr Chand also said Land lease act which we have suggested is another key for agri reforms which could bring more investment in the sector which eventually bring down cost of production and making our product competitive.

Jul 132016 E- Edition Newspaper

Jul 13, 2016 Last Updated at 18:54 GST

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Oman Dining: One pot meals July 4, 2016 | 3:42 PM

by Oneza Tabish AddThis Sharing Buttons

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to PrintShare to EmailMore AddThis Share options Haleem is a hearty stew of meat and lentils

Sharelines Oman Dining: One pot meals #Oman Dining: #One pot meals

PRESSURE COOKER HALEEM Here is a quick to make mutton haleem recipe which is instant and delicious. Nutritious and wholesome, Haleem is a hearty stew of meat and lentils cooked for hours but this recipe is a shortcut yet tasty version of the same.

Ingredients • 1 tablespoon bengal gram lentils • 1 tablespoon moong dal (yellow lentil) • 1 tablespoon masoor dal (red lentil) • 1 and 1/2 cup cracked wheat

• 5 tablespoon ghee or oil • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds • 2-3 cloves and cardamom • 4 green chillies • 3 medium onions • 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste • 500g boneless lamb meat, cut into small pieces • 2 teaspoon red chilli powder • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder • 1 cup yoghurt • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped • Salt to taste • For garnishing: Coriander leaves, fried onions, lemon wedges, and julienne ginger Preparation Soak the lentils and cracked wheat for about 1 hour. Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, and green chillies. Fry for a minute and add the onions.

Fry till translucent. Now stir in the ginger-garlic paste and boneless mutton and fry till all the water has dried up from the mutton. Throw in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, yoghurt, tomatoes and salt. Mix it in and add the soaked lentils and cracked wheat. Add 5 - 6 cups of water and give it a stir and close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles or 20 minutes. (Adjust the water to prevent the bottom from getting burnt.) Allow the cooker to cool down and cook on low heat till done stirring frequently. Please make sure that the lentils and wheat have combined well with the meat. The consistency should be thick and not runny in texture. Serve hot with fried onions, lemon wedges, coriander leaves and ginger julienne.

Tip –Dry roast the wheat, bengal gram, moong dal and masoor dal till they lightly change the colour. Allow it to cool and dry grind it in a coffee grinder to a lightly coarse powder and add accordingly to the meat before pressure cooking. This is an alternate to soaking the lentils and wheat.

SPANISH STYLE RICE AND PRAWN ONE POT

A fast meal filled with delicious Mediterranean flavours., this is an easy, quick and a no fuss take on a Spanish Paella.

Ingredients • 1 onion, sliced • 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and sliced • 1/4th cup of chicken sausages (diced) • 2 garlic gloves, crushed • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 and 1/4th cup of basmati rice (soaked for half hour) • 1 (or 1/2 cup) of chopped tomatoes (this depends on your likeness) • 1 cup of peeled prawns • A few saffron strands soaked in warm milk (2 tablespoons of milk) Preparation In a non-stick frying or shallow pan with a lid, sauté the onion, pepper, sausages and garlic in the oil over a high heat for 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and chopped tomatoes with 500ml boiling water, cover, and then cook over a high heat for 12 minutes.

Uncover, and then stir the rice as it should be almost tender. Combine with prawns, with a splash more water if the rice is looking dry, and then cook for another minute until the prawns are just pink and rice tender. Add your seasonings of salt and pepper mix well and finish off with a garnish of saffron soaked in milk. Or if you don‘t want to spend time at the stove you can bake this dish in the oven. Throw in the onion, peppers, sausages, garlic and oil into a greased ovenproof dish, then bake for 15 minutes at 200C. Add the rice, tomatoes, seasonings of salt and pepper and water, cover, then bake for another 20 minutes, stirring in prawns for the final 5 minutes. Finish off with a garnish of saffron.

ONE POT MAC AND CHEESE What’s better than a bowl of macaroni and cheese? One that's made with the goodness of milk, the zip of Cheddar and all in one pot. This one pot mac and cheese recipe makes for an easy, less mess, delicious vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole milk • 3 cups elbow macaroni • 2 cups mild Cheddar, shredded • 1 cup mozzarella, shredded • 4 to 5 tablespoons cream cheese • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • Pinch of cayenne pepper • Large pinch freshly grated nutmeg • Salt Preparation Put the milk and macaroni in a medium saucepan. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to keep the macaroni from sticking and clumping, then cook, stirring frequently, until the macaroni is tender and the milk has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the Cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese, butter, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and stir until smooth, thick and creamy. Serve hot. (The dish will thicken as it cools).

EASY CREAMY CHICKEN RISOTTO A basic risotto recipe is a must in every cook’s repertoire and this one tastes great - it's bursting with fresh herbs. Creamy and cooked in a jiffy, this one pot risotto is perfect to unwind with on a busy day.

Ingredients • 1 medium onion • 50g butter (2- 3 tablespoons) • 400g Arborio Rice (3 and 1/3 cup) • 5 cups chicken stock, heated until simmering

• 2 cooked or boiled chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces (skinless) • Finely grated 1/2 zest of lemon • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves • 1/2 cup grated parmesan • Salt and freshly ground pepper Preparation Finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion until it is tender.

Add the rice to the pan and stir until well coated with the butter. Add a little of the hot stock (about 1/2 a cup) to the pan and stir until it has been absorbed. Continue to add the stock, a little at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding any more. After approximately 20 minutes, all of the stock will be used and the rice will be just tender to the bite. Stir through the chicken, lemon zest, parsley, thyme and grated parmesan. Continue to cook the risotto for a minute or two more until the chicken has heated through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in bowls and top with extra parmesan if desired.

VEGETARIAN BURMESE KHAU SUEY A delectable one pot meal which has noodles and crisp vegetables in a tangy coconut milk curry.

Ingredients • 3 cups of cooked flat noodles (see instructions) • 350 ml thick coconut milk • 1/2 cup yoghurt • 2 tablespoons gram flour • 1 tablespoon oil • 2 cloves of crushed garlic • 1 tsp each red chilli powder, cumin powder • 1 teaspoon coriander powder • Salt to taste • Salad Ingredients

• 1/2 cup each of chopped carrots, beans, steamed • 1/2 cup of finely shredded cabbage, raw • 1 cup of chopped tomatoes • 1 cup chopped spring onions or red onions • 3 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander leaves • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice • 1 cup fried noodles (boil a packet of instant noodles, drain the water and deep fry) Preparation Mix coconut milk, 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup yoghurt and gram flour. Whisk them well until the gram flour has dissolved. Heat oil in a pan; Add crushed garlic and sauté on low for a few seconds. Add the above coconut milk mixture, red chilli, cumin, and coriander powders and salt.

Give the mixture a good boil and simmer for 5 minutes. The coconut curry is ready. Transfer to a serving dish.

To Serve Divide the noodles in 4 serving bowls. Divide the steamed carrots, beans, chopped cabbage, onions, coriander leaves into the bowls. Pour in the hot coconut curry into this salad until you see it rising to the top of the bowl. Add 1tsp of lemon juice to all the bowls, top with coriander leaves and fried noodles and serve immediately.

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Agri-exports fall 17% to five-year low of $32.09 bn in FY16 Marine products, buffalo meat, rice including basmati have been top contributors to exports basket Rajesh Bhayani & Komal Amit Gera | Mumbai/Chandigarh July 4, 2016 Last Updated at 16:40 IST

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National Agricultural Market can cover only 10% of commodities: Experts Indonesia raises quality issue for groundnut export Limited integration Making a case for taxing farm incomes Maharashtra plans to delist fruits, vegetables from APMC ambit ď&#x201A;ˇ

Agri-commodities are not behind in keeping Indian exports low. Rather they have fallen to a five-year low in 2015-16 according to data provided by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

From a pick of $42.84 billion in FY14, agri exports are falling but the fall was sharper with 17% decline in FY16 to $32.09 billion and except sugar and couple of other small items in top ten of the agri export basket, all commodities exports declined.

In FY13 Guar gum was top revenue generating export item in agri basket with $3.9 billion is now not even in top 10 list.

Marine products, buffalo meat, rice including basmati have been top contributors in exports basket and all have seen a significant fall in exports.

Ashok Gulati, former chairman, Commission for Agriculture Cost and pricing (CACP) said, "Rupee's comparative strength or higher real effective exchange rate of rupee, collapse in many agri prices globally and scarcity locally due to two successive draughts, volatile currencies changing equations of India's price parity in export market are among the key reasons for the falling agri produce exports."

On Guar gum he said that shale oil price have crashed globally in last two years which reduced demand for guar gum while Chinese players have also developed alternative synthetic material leading to fall in its demand from India.

Key reason for fall in buffalo meat exports was sharp fall in Brazil currency leading to their produce much more competitive than India. For basmati rice, Iran was virtually absent for almost a year and rice prices were also not attractive.

A senior official from APEDA however said that, "The agriculture exports from India have been falling mainly in value terms. As the global prices of commodities have been lowering, even the increase in volume of exports of agri commodities has not fetched us higher incomes. So the exports in value terms have dwindled. At the same time, the domestic prices of three major agri commodities in India; wheat, soya meal and maize have remained higher than international market in the last 18 months. This has also restricted the prospects of Indian commodity exports in the international market and we are out of market."

What needs to do to arrest the fall in agri exports? This is because it helps increasing farmers' income.

APEDA official quoted earlier said that, "In the present situation, we can only encourage exporters with more relaxed norms on the access to funds from organised sector."

Commerce ministry, according to the source, has asked all commodities boards to focus on increasing exports of commodities they are supervising. However some commodities like spices exports which is growing, has faced with several quality related issues. Several quality issues, such as adulteration in jeera and chilli, have been raised during the past two years by countries importing spices from India.

As a result, Indian trade has taken a huge hit and the spice industry has suffered losses. In order to tackle these problems within the industry and to make a strong case before the government, spice traders and exporters have come together to form a new body called 'Seed and Spice Stakeholder Association' (SSSA).

But that is not enough, Ashok Gulati says, "To oversee reforms in agri sector, and export is just one part of it, cabinet shall have a champion for agriculture."

His observation is timely as cabinet expansion is happening on Tuesday. He also advocates reforming agri marketing, creating an institution for agri research and boost investment in the sector.

Dr Ramesh Chand, NITI Ayog, who is also a champion for agriculture says that historically it has been observed that when global agri prices are high, India's share in global trade for agriculture increases and vice versa. Because global agri prices were trending low, there was less incentive for india to exports.

However, "We emphasise that there is need to reform agri marketing by promoting e-mandi program or national common market for agri product on electronic platform, pilots for which has started in almost 25 mandis. What is however needed is that states should participate in such central initiatives which is lacking many times."

For example most vibrant agriculture state Punjab has so far not participated in NAM project.

Many states have yet not removed fruits and vegetables from APMC act.

Dr Chand also said Land lease act which we have suggested is another key for agri reforms which could bring more investment in the sector which eventually bring down cost of production and making our product competitive.

PhilRice, PCC forge ties to increase farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; income

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has partnered with the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to help the farmers increase their productivity by integrating dairy enterprise in rice production.

The partnership is in support to PhilRiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palayamanan Plus, an intensified rice-based production system that focuses on increasing profitability in the rice environments through integration and diversification of farming components such as rice-based crop production, mushroom, livestock, and organic production for higher crop productivity, value-adding, and marketing.

During the MOA signing, PCC turned over five pregnant purebred dairy buffaloes to support the livestock production of Palayaman Plus, June 6.

“Dairy is not a separate entity. It goes hand-in-hand with rice production. Rice straw can be eaten by carabaos. Their manure can be used by farmers for vermicomposting. Viable dairy enterprises help the rice farmers boost their income,” said Dr. Arnel Del Barrio, PCC executive director.

PhilRice and PCC will conduct basic and applied research to study rice and dairy buffalo-based production management that smallholder farmers could easily replicate.

“We hope that the enterprise will continue to progress to serve as a good model for rice farmers,” said Dr. Calixto M. Protacio, PhilRice executive director. For more information on Palayaman Plus, farmers may contact the PhilRice Text Center at 0920-911-1398.

Bio-pesticides help manage rice pests, diseases – study

A research study found bio-pesticides or organic pesticides effective in managing rice pests and diseases.

Often, bio-pesticides are used in vegetables. But the study titled Bio-pesticides: Pest management in rice conducted by PhilRice Isabela, and Northern Cagayan Experiment Station (NCES) proved that they can also be effective in managing rice pests.

Bio-pesticides are compounds derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms that contain natural deterrents and anti-microbial properties that help ensure good plant growth. They also inhibit the growth, feeding, and development or reproduction of a pest or pathogen.

“Infestation in rice causes 20-50% loss due to pests and 10-30% due to diseases,” said Gracia B. Amar, study team lead and senior science research specialist from PhilRice Isabela.

Amar’s team used PSB Rc72H (Mestiso 1) as the test variety in an irrigated lowland area of 3,000 m2.

They chose the following bio-pesticides in conducting the study: effective microorganism (EM), lactobacilli (lactic) acid, fermented fruit juice (FPJ), biodegradable soap plus water, and metarizhium.

Bio-pesticides and targeted pests and diseases based on the results of the study.

Bio-pesticides Effective microorganism (EM) Lactobacilli (lactic) acid Fermented fruit juice (FFJ) Biodegradable soap plus water Metarizhium

Target pests and diseases Bacterial leaf blight (BLB), and bacterial leaf streak (BLS) Bacterial diseases, and flies/maggots Green leaf hopper (GLF), caterpillar, and fungal diseases Whorl maggot Leaf folder, whorl maggot, white-backed planthopper (WBPH), brown planthopper (BPH), and GLH

Advantages and disadvantages According to Amar, bio-pesticides only affect target pests, and contain less toxic compounds compared to chemical pesticides.

“They are also sustainable and environment-friendly because they decompose quickly,” Amar added.

However, making bio-pesticides is laborious. Using them also needs repeated application as it takes time before they show effects on insect pests and diseases.

Findings Amar said that among the treatments, EM consistently reduced the number of diseased leaves while the biodegradable soap reduced lesion length.

The highest reduction on diseased leaves were also observed on plots sprayed with EM and FFJ. The other treatment found effective was lactic acid which caused considerable reduction in lesion length and number of diseased leaves.

“This technology will help our farmers who work in irrigated lowland condition for pest management,” Amar concluded.

For more information on how to make bio-pesticides, contact: Gracia B. Amar 0997-103-9422 Senior Science Research Specialist PhilRice-Isabela

FG Urged To Reverse Ban On Rice Importation Through Borders — Jun 16, 2016 6:25 pm | Leave a comment

A freight forwarder, Alhaji Tajudeen Adetayo, on Thursday urged the Federal Government to reverse the policy banning rice importation through the border posts.

He made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) In Lagos.

NAN reports that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in October 2015 lifted the ban on rice importation through the borders but the service went back to the ban in March 2016, due to heavy smuggling of the commodity..

Adetayo, who is Chairman, Freight Forwarders Association Badagry (FFAB), pleaded that government should allow duty payment on rice through the border posts to generate more revenue.

According to him, a committee should be inaugurated by the Federal Government to look into issue of rice importation in the country.

He noted that the Ogun Command of the Customs Service generated over N1 billion within the short period the ban on rice through the border posts was lifted.

Adetayo said that some people would continue to smuggle as long as government imposed a restriction on rice importation through the border posts. ―Banning rice imports is not a good omen. When Nigeria has sufficient foods, then importation of rice can be banned,‘‘ he told NAN. Adetayo added that Customs could not man all the porous routes alone.

The freight forwarder said that activities at the border posts were also low due to the high exchange rate and the ban on rice, which had given room for smuggling.

According to him, as at today, the exchange rate is as high as 1 million CFA to N620,000. ―From Cotonou, a Starlet car with Duty Paid Value is now above N1 million. It is now better to buy a car in Lagos,‘‘ Adetayo said.

He urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to intervene so that importers would be able to raise foreign exchange at cheaper rates.

The freight forwarder, however, called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, to dismantle the 30 road blocks between Idiroko, Ajielete and Ilase.

He described the road blocks as major hindrance to trade, adding that a journey of one or two hours, might take five hours on the road. ―We do travel to Benin Republic and Togo with three to four check points to Togo. ―On roads leading to the border posts, the Police, Customs, everybody is at the check points ―Customs officers have the right to be at the road blocks but the Police should not be there,‘‘ Adetayo told NAN. The freight forwarder commended the Divisional Police Officer, officers and men of the Idiroko Divisional Police Office, saying that they had been doing their best in terms of security.

―Car snatching, stealing have become minimal at the border posts. Commercial motorcyclists no longer move after 8.30 p.m. due to restriction of their movements,‘‘ NAN quotes him as saying.

(NAN)

Mahendra Persaud deserves his national award By

Staff Writer June 17, 2016 1 1 Shares

Dear Editor, I felt elated when I saw Dr Mahendra Persaud‘s name mentioned as a national awardee. I must endorse the national awards committee for making the admirable recommendation that such an accolade be given to an agricultural scientist. Dr Mahendra is an accomplished, enterprising, dedicated and very young research scientist at the Burma Rice Research station. His achievements came about as a result of trial and error, but he triumphed in the end. The rice industry and the farmers benefited in special ways, so too the country at large.

This young plant breeder has been working relentlessly to propagate high-yielding hybrid varieties with resounding success. He is a home-grown scientist, not an expatriate who has been seconded to the Guyana government by the United Nations to do a short stint at the Burma research facilities and then leave. Dr Mahendra was trained in India and he is very ambitious given the level of training he has received.

Dr Persaud is also an acknowledged grass-roots scientist. He meets with rice farmers in their paddy fields in his pursuit of broadening his knowledge about the farmers‘ needs and in order to strengthen their resolve to do better. He is approachable and always willing to help. For every successful person there are sure to be detractors of some sort; no man has ever been able to

please all humanity. When a country has people who are endowed with such scientific and technical skills, we must see such individuals as our future trail-blazers and an important asset.

I would like to implore Dr Mahendra to keep working on paddy strains that are drought tolerant and improve on varieties, as he did in the case of GRDB #10 â&#x20AC;&#x2019; it is very high yielding. But it goes down flat at harvesting time if the rain falls heavily. The best agronomic practice to avoid this disappointing situation is to strengthen the root base and stalk, while the leaves must be less prolific. GRDB #10 has been in very great demand among rice farmers countrywide.

I have harvested and used for paddy seedlings, plots that took a serious battering from the recent El NiĂąo weather conditions. There were lots of unfilled paddy pads because of on-and-off water in the fields, but the results have been very good germination. The crop looks very promising.

Together we grow, together we eat, and together we survive!

Yours faithfully, Ganga Persaud http://www.stabroeknews.com/2016/opinion/letters/06/17/mahendra-persaud-deserves-nationalaward/

Global rice starch market forecast to 2021 detailed in new research report WhaTech Channel: Food & Beverage Market Research Published: 17 June 2016 Submitted by The Market Reports WhaTech - Max News from The Market Reports - Industry & Market Reports at its BEST Viewed: 2 times

With around 150 tables and figures this report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.

The Global Rice Starch Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Rice Starch industry.

Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.

Complete report with detailed table of content is available at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/global-rice-starch-industry-2016-marketresearch-report Companies like BENEO, Ingredion, AGRANA, Thai Flour, Bangkok Starch, WFM Wholesome Foods, Golden Agriculture, Anhui Lianhe, Anhui Le Huan Tian Biotechnology and more are profiled in the terms of product picture, specification, capacity, production, price, cost, gross, revenue, and contact information.

Global Rice Starch Market report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out.

The Rice Starch industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.

Report available at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/buy-now/67446 Table of Contents: 1 Industry Overview of Rice Starch 2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Rice Starch 3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Rice Starch 4 Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Rice Starch by Regions, Types and Manufacturers 5 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Rice Starch by Regions, Types and Manufacturers 6 Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Rice Starch by Regions, Types and Applications 7 Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of Rice Starch 8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Rice Starch 9 Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Rice Starch 10 Industry Chain Analysis of Rice Starch 11 Development Trend of Analysis of Rice Starch 12 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Rice Starch 13 Conclusion of the Global Rice Starch Industry 2016 Market Research Report Inquire about this report: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/ask-your-query/67446

CSIR labs to come up with new rice variety, anti-malaria drug TNN | Jun 17, 2016, 01.18 AM IST Lucknow: The CSIR-run laboratories will come up with some key consumer products over the next two years. These would include arsenic-free rice and anti-malarial drug.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research instruction (CSIR) has directed institutes coming under it to speed up research and introduce products and technologies that will benefit the people. CSIR's 'Fast track translation project' aims to provide immediate benefit to the society by delivering products in short period by 'completing the last mile from lab to market'.

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Three CSIR-run institutes in Lucknow -- National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) and Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) -- are working on such products and technologies.

NBRI is working on arsenic-free rice variety, 'Muktashree', in collaboration with Rice Research Station,

Chinsurah, West Bengal. This rice would be safe for human consumption even if grown in regions with poisonous elements in groundwater and soil. In addition, NBRI is also working on anacardic acid, a potential molecule that will increase cotton fibre yield and in turn, raise farmers' income. NBRI is also working on an opium poppy plant variety which will aid in manufacturing of life-saving drugs.

CIMAP will make its early mint technology available to farmers. It will aid in increasing productivity of menthol mint by about 30% along with cutting down production cost by 30%. The facility of Technology Business Incubation Centre (TBIC) for manufacturing of herbal products.

Meanwhile, CDRI is working on three different drugs that will provide treatment for osteoporosis, malaria blood clotting. All the three drugs are in final phase of completion

It is here!!!– African Rice- leading the African Rice Revolution « Prev Next » Comments (0)     

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The story is told that in the colonial era, ―brothers‖ from West Africa particularly from the SeneGambia area and coastal Sierra Leone who were sent to the United States were employed at the highest rates because of their prior knowledge and expertise in the rice culture.

Rice has been cultivated for over 3500 years in different parts of the continent and it is no wonder that the African tongue and taste buds are so familiar with rice. The sad thing is that rice was never developed as an industry on the continent and this continues to this day.

Statistics indicate that total consumption of imported rice in 2015 was 26 million tonnes. There are other alarming statistics on the state of African rice consumption and importation that were shared at one of the plenary sessions by Dr Harold Roy- Macauley, Director General of Africa Rice Centre during a presentation at the 7th African Agriculture and Science Week and General Assembly (AASW7 and GA) of FARA, in Kigali Rwanda.

Currently, rice is the staple food of more than 80 percent of the population of Sub- Saharan Africa. Africa is not producing enough rice though a great number of the people live on rice. The Rice Sector is also more likely than any other sector of the economy to bring sustainable levels of food security.

According to Dr Roy-Macauley, with the exception of Egypt, most African countries are insufficient in rice. Rice self insufficiency is a serious problem, perhaps gradually creeping into a crisis.

The Africa Rice Centre believes that achieving self sufficiency is a measure of local and global food security and Africa and the world must pay attention to that.

The Good news Now, the good news is that Africa Rice Centre, through the Africa Riceing initiative is seeking to work with Africa to achieve rice self sufficiency on the continent. ―Africa Riceing is a strong concept in the making‖ says Dr. Roy-Macauley.

How is Africa Rice going to achieve this for the continent? According to him, Africa Rice Centre is approaching its initiative as a business. A business model on this has been developed. The situation is that Rice demand will continue to grow due to population increase and so will income expected from the industry. It is estimated that by 2025, 22 million tonnes of rice will be milled.

If the Africa Rice Centre proceeds with the Africa Riceing initiative from West Africa where rice imports are greatest and expand to all corners of the continent, average yield will increase.

Indeed, using technology with policy and institutional support, Africa‘s paddy rice production in 2025 will increase by 77 million tonnes per year.

Good Business Making business sense out of this, investment of 22 billion dollars with a promise of a return of a whopping $61 billion is good business. Now, the icing on the cake. This figure, according to Dr Roy-Macauley excludes additional benefits from high prices, improvement in quality to attract high price among others.

Africa Rice Centre has a plan to achieve this. The plan includes increase in rice cultivation to about 6 million hectors, application of science and technology, strategies carefully thought out and tools among others. When all measures are put in place to increase rice production, Africa will be able to produce 27 million tonnes by 2015.

For Dr Roy-Macauley, the Africa Riceing agenda demonstrates how technology and innovations delivered through rice research with support of its partners, could be used to ensure food and nutrition security, Revenue generation and youth and women employment

Project launched to teach farmers dairy production

THE PHILIPPINE Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has partnered with the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to help farmers increase their income by integrating dairy enterprise in rice production.

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“Viable dairy enterprises help the rice farmers boost their income,” said Dr. Arnel del Barrio, PCC executive director in a statement.

out after nine years

PhilRice and PCC will conduct basic and applied research to study rice and dairy buffalo-based production management that smallholder farmers could easily replicate, according to the statement.

Gov’t releases roadmap for abaca production

During the signing of the memorandum of agreement on June 6, the PCC turned over five pregnant purebred dairy buffaloes to support the livestock production of Palayaman Plus, an intensified rice-based production system that aims to transform rice farming communities into rural economies composed of rice-based enterprises.

“Dairy is not a separate entity. It goes hand-in-hand with rice production. Rice straw can be eaten by carabaos. Their manure can be used by farmers for vermicomposting, “ Mr. del Barrio added.

“We hope that the enterprise will continue to progress to serve as a good model for rice farmers,” Dr. Calixto M. Protacio, PhilRice executive director was quoted as saying in the statement. -- Janina C. Lim http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=project-launched-to-teach-farmersdairy-production&id=129139

IRRI to help Nepal attain rice sufficiency Friday, June 17, 2016

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna -- The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently hosted the four-day official visit of Nepal‘s Secretary of Agricultural Development (MoAD) Uttam Kumar Bhattarai and his delegation to strengthen collaboration in helping Nepal's goal of attaining rice sufficiency.

IRRI officials described on Thursday the visit of the Nepalese agriculture official to the world‘s premier rice research institute headquarters here as an opportunity ―to pave the way for stronger collaboration, particularly in helping Nepal attain rice self-sufficiency.‖ IRRI and Nepal currently have several major activities among them the Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (Strasa) project which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Accelerating the Adoption of Stress-Tolerant Varieties (ASTV) by smallholder

farmers in Nepal through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding.

The IRRI partnership with Nepal also embarked on the Improved Crop Management and Strengthened Seed System for drought-prone rain-fed lowlands in South Asia, funded by the European Commission-International Fund for Agricultural Development (EC-IFAD).

During the visit, Secretary Bhattarai and his entourage of senior Nepalese government officials from various agencies met with IRRI top officials that resulted in the strengthening of Nepal‘s host agreement to further boost work on rice production and capacity building of national partners.

The discussions also highlighted the dissemination of the stress-tolerant rice varieties in various districts of Nepal through the Strasa and USAID-ASTV projects.

IRRI officials also conducted a joint meeting with the Nepalese delegation at the Asian Development Bank where they explored sources of funding to expand research and development activities to improve Nepal‘s rice sector.

The Nepalese delegation also toured IRRI's Zeigler Experiment Station, International Rice Genebank, Grain Quality and Nutrition Center, and rice breeding and postharvest facilities.

The tours showcased areas where IRRI can help Nepal in its efforts to sustainably increase rice production and reduce rice importation.

IRRI officials Dr. Bruce Tolentino, deputy director general for communication and partnerships, and Jacqueline Hughes, deputy director general for research, welcomed the Nepalese delegation during the visit.

Joining them were Corinta Guerta, IRRI director for external relations and IRRI scientists Abdel Ismail David Johnson and Umesh Singh.

The four-day visit was facilitated by the Strasa and USAID-ASTV projects as part of the efforts to enhance collaboration and awareness of national program leaders in South Asia. (PNA) http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2016/06/17/irri-help-nepal-attain-rice-sufficiency479989

CSIR labs to come up with new rice variety, anti-malaria drug  

TOI Lucknow

ď&#x201A;ˇ

Fri,17 Jun 2016

ď&#x201A;ˇ

Summary: NBRI is also working on an opium poppy plant variety which will aid in manufacturing of life-saving drugs.CIMAP will make its early mint technology available to farmers. Lucknow: The CSIR-run laboratories will come up with some key consumer products over the next two years. This rice would be safe for human consumption even if grown in regions with poisonous elements in groundwater and soil. It will aid in increasing productivity of menthol mint by about 30% along with cutting down production cost by 30%. In addition, NBRI is also working on anacardic acid, a potential molecule that will increase cotton fibre yield and in turn, raise farmers' income.

Lucknow: The CSIR-run laboratories will come up with some key consumer products over the next two years. These would include arsenic-free rice and anti-malarial drug.The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research instruction (CSIR) has directed institutes coming under it to speed up research and introduce products and technologies that will benefit the people. CSIR 's 'Fast track translation project' aims to provide immediate benefit to the society by delivering products in short period by 'completing the last mile from lab to market'.Three CSIR-run institutes in Lucknow -- National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) and Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) -- are working on such products and technologies.NBRI is working on arsenic-free rice variety, 'Muktashree', in collaboration with Rice Research Station, Chinsurah, West Bengal.

This rice would be safe for human consumption even if grown in regions with poisonous elements in groundwater and soil. In addition, NBRI is also working on anacardic acid, a potential molecule that will increase cotton fibre yield and in turn, raise farmers' income.

NBRI is also working on an opium poppy plant variety which will aid in manufacturing of life-saving drugs.CIMAP will make its early mint technology available to farmers.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/CSIR-labs-to-come-up-withnew-rice-variety-anti-malaria-drug/articleshow/52787614.cm

4th July 2016 No rice News due to American Freedom Day

5-Jul-16 Tuesday

Acreage report, global events impacting crop prices Jul 5, 2016 Robert Coats  o   

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Will markets frown on surprisingly robust U.S. corn acreage?

Editor’s note: Download 1972-2016 U.S. Harvested Acreage Rice, Soybeans, Cotton, Corn and Sorghum Slide Show to view the charts referenced below.

USDA‘s National Agricultural Statistics Service 2016 U.S. harvested acreage projections released June 30 demonstrate the productive capacity of U.S. rice, cotton, and grain producers.    

Long-grain rice – second largest in current 11 years at 2.449 million acres (Chart 18).

Soybeans – largest on record at 83.037 million acres (Chart 22).

Cotton – fourth lowest in the current 10 years at 10.023 million acres (Chart 23).

Corn – third largest on record at 86.55 million acres (Chart 24).

Market considerations: The June 30 acreage report, supply and demand as well as technical considerations, and a number of potential global anomaly and risk events (weather, political, monetary, social,

military, etc.) have market participants scrambling to digest all the information and data to understand price response.  

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



On the one hand, fundamentals and charts suggest, near-term, likely more price weakness than strength for rice, cotton and grain markets.

On the other hand, markets are screaming price uncertainty due to a lack of global economic, political and social stability, monetary intervention, weather disruptions and military positioning.

History teaches in times of high levels of global and regional uncertainty, countries tend to have greater focus on their individual country’s food, economic, energy, and homeland security — very true today. This presents a huge challenge for analysts in interpreting price impacts.

Today’s global economies have an array of potential uncertain anomaly events, as well as known potential risk events. Evaluating the last seven months of market price action, market participants are learning to anticipate unexpected price movements for rice, cotton, soybeans, wheat and feed grains. o Near-term price movement for these commodities is more likely sideways to down, but depth of price weakness and directional price changes will likely be determined by today’s event-driven markets, so caution is advised as one has to expect complex price patterns.

Price movement near-term seems more bearish than bullish, but today’s potentially inflationary stimulus-driven global economic environment and other potential known and unknown events like weather disruption, coupled with accommodative Central Banks and events like BREXIT (United Kingdom voters voted to exit from the European Union), tend to act as a price floor and can act as an unexpected catalyst for stronger prices.

USDA‘s NASS personnel indicated they surveyed approximately 11,000 segments of land and 70,500 producers during the first two weeks of June to gather information on what farmers planted.

U.S. Rice – Slide Show Charts 1 to 21 Long-grain rice: U.S. long-grain rice harvested acreage increased over the previous five years for two key reasons: There appeared to be a price advantage for the 2016 long-grain rice crop over viable alternatives, and in challenging economic periods, long-grain rice across the region tends to have more yield and production certainty and profit potential than competing commodities.     

2016 Arkansas long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 1.425 million acres, 36 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 California long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 9,000 acres, 29 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 Louisiana long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 436,000 acres, 24 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 Mississippi long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 199,000 acres, 34 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 Missouri long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 207,000 acres, 24 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

 

2016 Texas long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 173,000 acres, 40 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

2016 United States long-grain rice harvested acreage is estimated at 2.449 million acres, 33 percent above 2015 harvested acres.

Medium-grain rice: Total medium-grain rice acres remain basically unchanged, but the type of medium-grain had a significant change. California increased its medium-grain rice acreage by 34 percent, from 378,000 acres in 2015 to 505,000 acres in 2016. Southern medium-grain rice acreage declined by 50 percent, from 378,000 acres to 190,000 acres.

Bottom Line: A look at the previous 10 years certainly does not suggest the U.S. long-grain rice sector has the potential demand to move a U.S. long-grain rice crop this size without significant new business.

Soybeans (Chart 22) In 2016 U.S. soybean producers are expected to harvest an estimated record 83.7 million acres, up 1 percent from last year‘s 81.814 millioon and 2014‘s 82.591 million. Market participants had expected an even larger harvested acreage for 2016. USDA-NASS indicated that when compared with last year, planted acreage is up or unchanged in 18 of the 31 major producing States.

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NASS‘s quarterly grain stocks report estimates there are 870 million bushels of soybeans stored in all positions in the United States, up 39 percent from the same time last year. NASS reports 281 million bushels of soybeans are stored on farms and 589 million bushels are off farm, with off-farm stocks up 55 percent from June 1, 2015.

Cotton (Chart 23) 2016 upland cotton planted acreage is estimated at 10.023 million acres, up 17 percent from last year‘s 8.58 million acres. NASS estimated American Pima cotton at 199,000 acres or 26 percent above 2015. NASS reported: 



Cotton planting was delayed in Texas due to heavy rains and severe weather. Many fields needed to be replanted due to hail damage or flooding; however, most producers were able to get the cotton crop planted within the normal planting window.

In North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, cotton planted area is down from 2015. o Low yields or complete losses experienced during last year’s flooding moved farmers to plant other crops this year. o In addition, weather conditions this year in these three states have not been ideal, with reports of poor germination, extended wet soil conditions, ponding, and cool nighttime temperatures.

Corn (Chart 24) NASS estimates 2016 corn harvested acres at 86.550 million acres, up 7 percent from last year and the third highest planted acreage since 1933. NASS reported:   

Farmers responding to the survey indicated that 99 percent of the intended corn acreage had been planted at the time of the interview, slightly higher than the 10-year average.

Planted acreage for 2016 is unchanged or up compared with the previous year across most of the Corn Belt.

Ninety-two percent of this year’s corn crop was planted with biotechnology seed varieties, unchanged from last year. Biotechnology seed includes traits for insect resistance (Bt), herbicide resistance, or stacked gene, which contains traits for both herbicide and insect resistance.

NASS‘s quarterly grain stocks report estimates of on-farm and off-farm stocks as of June 1 indicated there are 4.72 billion bushels of corn stored in the United States, up 6 percent from June 1, 2015, with 2.47 billion bushels stored on farms and 2.25 billion bushels stored off-farms.

Conclusion:  

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Long-grain rice acreage: U.S. long-grain rice acreage is very problematic without new demand and/or an event that reduces global supply or an event that heightens global food security.

Soybeans, cotton, and feed grains: Near-term (two-plus weeks) I can make a better argument for a stronger dollar than a weaker dollar. This coupled with fundamentals and technical indicators for cotton, soybeans and feed grains implies these commodities may in the near-term be in search of a price bottom.

Anomaly and risk events: o The economic state of the global economy is in a multi-year slow growth period requiring on-going fiscal and monetary stimulus. This situation is creating increasingly unexpected anomaly and risk events. o Sustained periods of anemic global growth create social unrest, political instability, unpredictable levels of fiscal and monetary stimulus, military friction, potentially unstable global governments, regional global disarray and unpredictable markets. These activities are creating increasing unexpected risk events.

Near-term market impact:  

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U.S. treasuries are very likely to remain sideways given its near-term bullish move (lower yields).

Near-term (next two-plus weeks) the dollar should be sideways to up, but the dollar is likely to remain range bound. o Remember, the Fed has real concerns about reaching and maintaining its 2 percent inflation objective in a stagnant global economic setting. To achieve this objective it would be helpful for oil prices to not resume their earlier declines and the dollar not to rise significantly, like they did on June 24.

U.S. equities should be watched carefully; after BREXIT they had a major sell-off followed by a rebound. o Quality investment options exist in this sector given global economic uncertainty. o Near-term, let price action provide guidance.

ď&#x201A;ˇ

ď&#x201A;ˇ

Rice, soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat have had interesting price movements since December. o On the one hand, this makes one tip his hat at the Fed and global central banks for their global accommodative efforts and relative success at reflating the global economy, but there have been periods when other jesters came to mind. o I expected significant fiscal but especially monetary intervention this year, but not as early as it appeared in the first half of this year. o There is a reasonable chance that rice, cotton, soybeans, corn, and wheat may now be in search of finding a multi-year bottom, presently just a consideration.

Uncertain anomaly events and elevated levels of risk events are now with us for a number of years into the future. These events will likely exert strong influences on market participants with the potential to create major swings and directional changes in individual or multiple markets.

Expect increasingly complex price patterns.

Robert 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://deltafarmpress.com/rice/acreagereport-global-events-impacting-crop-prices

rice exporters demand exemption from sales tax July 04, 2016 SHARE :

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Lahore: - The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has asked the government to exempt the rice export sector at least from sales tax, as the sector had not been granted zero rating, despite being the second largest foreign exchange earner of $2.

2 billion annually.

Submitting few proposals for the revival of the sector, REAP Chairman Shafique Chaudhry said on Sunday that in view of decline in rice exports from Pakistan, the State Bank of Pakistan should consider the export performance singly, instead of twice, for export refinance scheme.

He said that for the last couple of years, constant decline was being noticed in the export of rice due to low prices in the international market and lot of other factors, which caused huge losses to the rice exporters.

Shafique demanded that the withholding tax of 1.

5 percent be withdrawn. ―The exporters should not be treated as the withholding agents for local sale,‖ he added.

He also demanded exemption from duties and taxes on the import of rice machinery – processing & husking plant, besides ERF rates for the rice industry may also be brought down to 3.

5 percent at par with the textile sector.

The REAP chairman said that income tax was being charged on electricity bills, which was not being refunded either. ―This doubles taxation on exporters; therefore, it be removed,‖ he demanded.

He also expressed disappointment over what he called the step-motherly treatment of the rice export industry by the government, adding the sector had been completely neglected in the federal budget 2016-17. ―REAP sent many recommendations for the enhancement of rice exports, which were not considered by the federal government,‖ he said, and added, ―Even a very important suggestion regarding One Window Operation for the collection of all taxes was ignored. ‖ Shafique said that despite very challenging circumstances for the last couple of years, rice exporters were making untiring efforts for the growth of country‘s economy. ―Various government departments, such as FBR, EOBI, Market Committee, Social Security, WWF etc are harassing rice exporters and unnecessary amounts are demanded,‖ he alleged.

He said that sales tax refund claims of the rice exporters were also pending for long, requesting the government to pay these back at the earliest.

Shafique added that he and his colleagues had already requested the prime minister and federal finance minister to declare the rice export sector as a separate industry. ―Rice is the second largest source of earning foreign exchange reserves in Pakistan, but it is very amazing that the rice sector is not considered for the zero-rated status,‖ he said, and added, ―It will dishearten the rice exporters, who are working day and night for the betterment of exports of our country. ‖ He asked the government to extend full cooperation to the sector and give relief to the rice exporters, who, he said, had been suffering from heavy losses for many years

http://nation.com.pk/business/04-Jul2016/rice-exporters-demand-exemptionfrom-sales-tax

Philippines aims for rice self-sufficiency in 2 years Ronnel W. Domingo Philippine Daily Inquirer July 3, 2016 1:10 am

MANILA - The Duterte administration intends to push for self-sufficiency in rice production within two years - the success or failure of which could spell the fate of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) regional directors.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol Friday said the government intended to achieve this goal in four cropping cycles.

Piñol earlier gave conflicting pronouncements on the new administration's target.

Three weeks ago, following a transition meeting at the DA, Piñol said the Duterte government would maintain the aspiration for self-sufficiency except that there was no target date. He then said this could be attained within the next six years or even after Duterte's term.

About a week later, in a Facebook post, Piñol said self-sufficiency - which he described as "tough but doable" - would be attained under Duterte's leadership.

In his latest pronouncement, Piñol said DA regional directors should see to it the two-year objective was achieved in their respective areas or else they would lose their jobs.

"Some of you (regional directors) will be retained, some of you will have to say 'goodbye,'" he said.

"Those who will be retained will be rotated, because I'd like to gauge their performance based on their

new assignments."

He said he would give them all the support they would need, including provisions for irrigation, good seeds, fertilizer and farm inputs. "But I will give them the sack if they fail. This government is results oriented."

Piñol said no one has the right to stay working in government if he or she was not effective in the job.

"We will build on the DA's achievements under [predecessor Proceso Alcala] and fulfill their shortcomings," he said. Alcala has drawn flak for not meeting the Aquino administration's target of selfsufficiency by 2013.

When Alcala assumed office in mid-2010, the Philippines was producing 81 per cent of domestic rice demand. DA data show the Philippines is currently 97 per cent self-sufficient in rice

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/busine ss/Philippines-aims-for-rice-selfsufficiency-in-2-ye-30289683.html

PHL eyes other sources of imported rice in Asia  

Business Agri-Commodities

by Mary Grace Padin - July 3, 2016 0 162

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Friday it is exploring the possibility of sourcing imported rice from other Asian countries, such as Myanmar and Japan.

While there is no ―immediate‖ need for the Philippines to import rice, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the country‘s rice-supply shortfall currently stands at 1.8 million metric tons (MMT). ―We are looking at other sources of imported rice in Asia. The rice shortfall is at 1.8 MMT, and the standby authority is 500,000 MT,‖ Piñol told reporters in an interview.

He said he has already met with the ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, Kazuhide Ishikawa, who agreed to study the possibility of acquiring rice imported by Tokyo via the minimum-access volume (MAV) scheme of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

“Japan is obligated to import rice *under the MAV+. However, the Japanese don’t like eating imported rice because it’s usually long grain. So what they do, when they can’t dispose it, is to use it as animal feed,” Piñol said.

The DA chief said he has asked Ishikawa if Manila could purchase rice imported by Japan under MAV. Quoting the Japanese envoy, Piñol said Tokyo would determine if WTO rules allow it. ―He said, we will look at the provisions on reselling. If it‘s not allowed, Japan may provide it as grant. That‘s a big help to us. Can you imagine if Japan gives us 500,000 MT of long-grain rice as grant?‖ Piñol said.

He said he will also meet with the ambassador of Myanmar to discuss the potential of sourcing rice from them.

The Philippines usually imports rice from Vietnam and Thailand, as Manila has a standing ricesupply agreement with Hanoi and Bangkok.

Earlier, the National Food Authority (NFA) assured the public the country has enough rice stocks to last for the lean season, which started on July 1 and will end on August 31.

As of June 15, NFA Officer in Charge Tomas R. Escarez said the agency has a rice inventory of 1.02 MMT, which is sufficient for 32 days and is more than the 30-day buffer stock the agency is required to maintain during the lean season.

Meanwhile, he said the Philippines is looking at availing itself of a loan from the Japanese government to step up the distribution of farm equipment to Filipino farmers. ―I talked to the ambassador of Japan, and we were already talking about a loan that would cover farm equipment—from tractors to planters to harvesters and modern rice-processing facilities,‖ Piñol said.

He said one concern of the local farmers is the poor quality of their equipment, particularly their milling facilities. ―Right now the milling recovery of rice is lower than 65 percent. We want to increase it to about 70 percent,‖ Piñol said.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/phleyes-other-sources-of-imported-rice-inasia/

Sok Puthyvuth, president of the Cambodian Rice Federation, speaks at the Cambodia Rice Forum in Phnom Penh in May 2014. Heng Chivoan

Rice industry body president gets wary vote of confidence Mon, 4 July 2016 Cheng Sokhorng

Cambodia's apex rice industry body held its annual general meeting on Saturday, with its members unanimously re-electing its well-connected incumbent president, Sok Puthyvuth, for a second term in what some are calling a dress rehearsal for his political ascendancy.

Puthyvuth, the son of Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and son-in-law of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was re-elected as head of the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) after receiving 113 out of a total 215 votes.

His lone competitor, Te Taing Por, president of the Federation of Associations for Small and Medium Enterprises of Cambodia (FASMEC), received 79 votes. Twelve board council members were also chosen.

The CRF was founded in May 2014 with 213 members representing rice-farming communities, millers and exporters, with Puthyvuth elected as its first president for a two-year term. The founding members and 30 additional companies were eligible to vote in Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s elections, which gave the incumbent another two-year mandate.

Puthyvuth, 36, who is also CEO of the conglomerate Soma Group, said his re-election would serve to unify the industry body, which has been rocked by internal dissent in recent months.

―I vow to strengthen the sector‘s standards and production efficiency in order to compete with the international market,‖ he told reporters, adding that in the short run the CRF would focus on stopping illegal rice imports and providing loan packages to struggling millers.

In the longer term, the focus would shift toward building warehouses to stockpile paddy rice, expanding the market and lowering production costs to make Cambodia‘s most important agricultural crop more internationally competitive, he said.

Puthyvuth had come under fire during recent months for what his critics said was ineffectual leadership as the rice sector stood on the brink of collapse.

One critic, Kann Kunthy, CEO of Battambang Rice Investment Co Ltd (BRICo), said CRF members wanted a new president, but were stuck with just two undesirable candidates.

Taing Por‘s inexperience in the rice industry thwarted his election bid, leaving members to reelect Puthyvuth despite what many thought was a poor performance during his first mandate.

Kunthy said Puthyvuth was looking to redeem himself in a second mandate, possibly to build up his leadership credibility in the public‘s eye for a future foray into politics. ―Because he faced a lot of criticism of his leadership of the rice sector during his first mandate, Sok Puthyvuth wanted to continue his duties so he could build up his credibility,‖ he said. ―If he does a good job in the rice sector, you can expect he will use the experience to join politics in the future.‖Puthyvuth insisted yesterday his election bid was strictly about improving the rice sector, but that he might one day consider taking public office. ―Right now I have no ideas about politics as I must focus on how to save the rice industry,‖ he said. ―But later if I have the capacity to join politics then I will try.‖ However, some analysts said Puthyvuth‘s election trail bore all the hallmarks of a political contest, with lofty campaign promises and pre-election sweeteners to endear his constituents.

His victory comes just a week after the CRF secured an agreement with the government to distribute up to $30 million in emergency loans to struggling rice millers and exporters.

Tang Chhong Ngy, marketing manager of LBN Angkor (Kampuchea), suggested the timing of the industry aid package – just days before elections – was not a coincidence.

However, he said CRF members were more likely swayed by the belief that Puthyvuth‘s name carried influence, and while some were critical of his performance during his first mandate, the recognition that about 80 per cent of the sector‘s strategy had already been set up and a second mandate would give him a chance to implement the reforms.

According to Ngy, CRF members re-elected Puthyvuth mainly because ―he can play an effective role in negotiating with the government as he is the son of the deputy prime minister, which makes it easier for him to raise issues to the ministries concerned‖. ―However, now the pressure is on and the re-elected CRF president has to follow through on all the promises he made,‖ he added.

Contact author: Cheng Sokhorng

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business /rice-industry-body-president-gets-waryvote-confidence

Paddy price drops 10% Submitted by Eleven on Sun, 07/03/2016 - 17:06

Farmers at work in Yangon Region. (Photo:Aung Myo Thant)

Prices for monsoon paddy rice are expected to reach Ks550,000-Ks600,000 per 100 baskets this year, a 10-per-cent decline compared with the last year, according to Dr Soe Tun, vice-chair of Myanmar Rice Federation.

Last year, prices for monsoon paddy ranged from Ks600,000 to Ks650,000 per 100 baskets. But the finished paddy price will remain unchanged this year, ranging from Ks900,000 to Ks1,400,000 per 100 baskets. â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Farmers are preparing to grow monsoon paddy rice in some regions. Rice exports have halved. We need to be cautious about it as the country mainly exports rough rice. I think as prices for finished paddy fluctuate farmers may reduce production,â&#x20AC;&#x2013; Soe Tun added.

The government says it will prioritise rice production.

Farmers needed to choose high-yield paddy strains for the monsoon seasons, ensure correct planting techniques and more machinery, he said.

and

hot-season

Rice is exported to Africa, Belgium, Japan, Singapore, India, Spain, France, Malaysia and Canada but the majority goes overland to Chin

Paddy price drops 10% Submitted by Eleven on Sun, 07/03/2016 - 17:06

Farmers at work in Yangon Region. (Photo:Aung Myo Thant)

Prices for monsoon paddy rice are expected to reach Ks550,000-Ks600,000 per 100 baskets this year, a 10-per-cent decline compared with the last year, according to Dr Soe Tun, vice-chair of Myanmar Rice Federation.

Last year, prices for monsoon paddy ranged from Ks600,000 to Ks650,000 per 100 baskets. But the finished paddy price will remain unchanged this year, ranging from Ks900,000 to Ks1,400,000 per 100 baskets. â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Farmers are preparing to grow monsoon paddy rice in some regions. Rice exports have halved. We need to be cautious about it as the country mainly exports rough rice. I think as prices for finished paddy fluctuate farmers may reduce production,â&#x20AC;&#x2013; Soe Tun added.

The government says it will prioritise rice production.

Farmers needed to choose high-yield paddy strains for the monsoon seasons, ensure correct planting techniques and more machinery, he said.

and

hot-season

Rice is exported to Africa, Belgium, Japan, Singapore, India, Spain, France, Malaysia and Canada but the majority goes overland to Chin

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business /5318 Fragrant, sticky rice export highly increases in first half Vietnam exported 2.73 million tons of rice worth US$1.2 billion in the first six months this year, reported the Vietnam Food Association.

Rice harvest in Dong Thap province, the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)

Of the total export volume, jasmine variety accounted for 29 percent, up from 22 percent during the same period last year. Sticky rice jumped from 6.58 percent to 16 percent.

In June alone, businesses exported 450,000 tons of rice.

The country is expected to export 5.7 million tons of rice in the second half this year. Demand from main markets such as China, the Philippines and Indonesia will continue to be stable.

The prices of both domestic rice and export rice have been on the rise.

12:00 AM, July 04, 2016 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, July 04, 2016

Rice prices shoot up as traders,middlemen take the helm Growers had to sell it for low prices after harvest as govt procurement drive started late

A paddy market in Birganj upazila under Dinajpur district. The photo was taken recently. Photo: Star Kongkon Karmaker

In a development like a mockery to farmers, paddy prices in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Joypurhat and Naogaon districts saw rapid rise when there was hardly any saleable paddy left with the growers.

During a visit to local paddy markets in Dinajpur, the correspondent found that a maund (40 kg) of paddy is selling for Tk 650 to 750, whereas farmers had to sell it for Tk 400 to 500 only a couple of weeks ago.

In Birganj upazila of the district, a 75-kg bag of BR-28 paddy now sells at Tk 1450 while the same of other varieties like hybrid paddy is sold for Tk 1250 to 1300.

"It is strange that the paddy prices see rise when the growers have sold off their produce.

Farmers are held hostage by traders and middlemen during the harvesting season every year," said Azizul Islam, a farmer of Dinajpur Sadar upazila.

"Market prices fall when farmers want to sell paddy after harvest. It's a mechanism of middlemen and influential traders," said Rafiqul Islam, a farmer of Bhandara village in Biral upazila of Dinajpur.

Many farmers even failed to recover what they had invested for producing paddy, he said.

At least 4.38 lakh and 651 hectares of land was brought under Irri-Boro farming under Dinajpur, Joypurhat and Naogaon districts and total paddy production would be 26,33,766 tonnes this year, said officials concerned of the Department of Agriculture Extension.

Like in many other places, farmers of Dinajpur, Rangpur, Naogaon, Joypurhat and Thakurgaon staged demonstrations spreading paddy on highways in protest against the mysterious price fall of their produced paddy in May. "Our demonstration demanding proper price of our paddy brought no results. Farmers had to sell their produced paddy early to repay their loan that they had taken to cover the cultivation cost," said Afaz Ali of Naogaon Sadar upazila.

The government should take steps to ensure fair prices of paddy for the farmers before the harvesting season, he said.

Many farmers blamed the food officials for delay in starting the government's procurement drive.

As per the government's announcement, the procurement drive was to start from May 5 but in Thakurgaon district the drive began on May 29.

This year the government fixed Tk 23 for a kg of paddy under the procurement drive.

According to the food control department of Dinajpur, they have already procured nearly 32,000 tonnes of paddy although the target was 26,000 tonnes this season.

"Despite reaching their target, we are continuing the paddy procurement drive as per government direction," said Md Abdul Kader, Food Control Officer of Dinajpur.

Meanwhile, there are allegations that farmers of Azimpur union of Biral upazila of Dinajpur got chance to supply their paddy to government warehouse despite having cards, said Nazibur Rahman, a farmer of Azimpur village of the union.

Contacted, Abdul Kader said he will see the matter.

Meanwhile, Rangpur, Joypurhat and Naogaon districts are still far behind in achieving their paddy procurement drive target.

Paddy procurement target was 19,816 tonnes in Rangpur, 26,545 tonnes in Naogaon, and 12,433 tonnes in Joypurhat, but the amounts of procurement so far is 10,352 tonnes, 18,333 tonnes, and 9,131 tonnes of paddy respectively, said sources of district food control offices

http://www.thedailystar.net/country/ri ce-prices-shoot-tradersmiddlemen-takethe-helm-1249966

Rice planting rises in several States as monsoon catches up Amiti Sen Comment · print · T+ Tweet inShare1

Sowing expected to stay on course as July rainfall predicted to be better New Delhi, July 5:

Paddy sowing has increased in a number of States, including Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with the monsoon spreading to most parts of the country in the last week of June. Paddy acreage increased substantially with total transplants and nursery sowing of seeds in June reaching 47.7 lakh hectares, the same level as last year.

Experts say that with monsoon rains expected to recover further in July as predicted by the India Meteorological Department, sowing of rice would stay on course and reaching the targeted 389 lakh hectares may not be a problem. ―In States such as Punjab and Haryana, there are ample irrigation facilities which take care of paddy transplanting even when rains are not enough. Other States such as West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh do depend on rains, and they seem to be getting it,‖ pointed out grain analyst Tejinder Narang.

Better yields Although rice sowing in June this year is lower than the average of the previous five years of the same month at 59.61 lakh hectares, Narang said that a comparison with sowing in the last five years may not show the right picture as over the years yields go up and the same crop can be grown on lesser area.

Sowing of rice in Punjab jumped to 14.37 lakh hectares till June 30, 2016, compared to 11.67 lakh hectares last year. In Haryana, rice sowing in June covered 6 lakh hectares (4.5 lakh hectares last year).

The area covered under rice increased in the South with the peninsula receiving 22 per cent surplus rainfall during the month.

Acreage up in South In Tamil Nadu, rice acreage was at 1.16 lakh hectares in June 2016 (0.80 lakh hectares).

In Andhra Pradesh, rice was sown on 0.45 lakh hectares (0.33 lakh hectares), while transplantation in Telangana stood at 0.22 lakh hectares (0.16 lakh hectares). In Karnataka, however, rice sowing in June 2016 was over 1.3 lakh hectares, marginally lower than the 1.42 lakh hectares in June 2015.

In Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the top two States in terms of rice acreage, sowing was at 3.96 lakh hectares and 1.12 lakh hectares respectively in June this year, which was moderately higher than the acreage in the same month last year.

In States such as Odisha, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, coverage of rice sowing in June 2016 at 3.54 lakh hectares, 0.18 lakh hectares and 1.81 lakh hectares was lower than the acreage in the same month last year.

Rice production in India is about 105 million tonnes annually, mostly in the kharif season. India accounts for over a fourth of global rice production.

(This article was published on July 5, 2016)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/eco nomy/agri-business/rice-planting-rises-inseveral-states-as-monsoon-catchesup/article8812087.ece

Rains brighten paddy prospects in state TNN | Jul 5, 2016, 10.42AM IST

Patna: There are expectations that the monsoon rains, even though delayed, would result in increase in the paddy coverage area during this year's kharif season. Paddy accounts for the main cereal crop after wheat in the state.

Also, the total paddy coverage area might even be very near its annual target coverage area of 34 lakh hectares. The sowing of paddy and their consequent transplantation has already been done in 2.20 lakh hectares of land till July 1 - or 64.87% of the total target of 3.40 lakh hectares required for the preparation of paddy seedlings.

The sowing of paddy is done till August 15, implying that the remaining 35.13% of the target would be covered by August 15.

The overall mood at the state agriculture department headquarters was upbeat, as the monsoon rains, even though it appeared to be erratic and its arrival was delayed, have hit the state on expected lines.

"The forecast was that the monsoon rains would hit the state capital and surrounding areas on Sunday.

Precisely, this is what happened. Moreover, the wet weather conditions, accompanied by drizzling, have continued. It would be of great help to farmers," said an agriculture department official.

Till July 1, the paddy transplantation had covered 4.31% of the 34 lakh hectares - or 1.46 lakh hectares.

The transplantation has begun in districts like Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Saharsa, Supaul, Madhepura, Purnia, Araria and Katihar. Interestingly, the transplantation had covered merely 61,496 hectares of land in these districts during the corresponding period last year - that is, till July 1, 2015.

The moot question, however, is how much of the targeted 34 lakh hectares of land used for paddy cultivation would be covered by paddy transplantation this year?

Barring 2013 that was hit both by drought and scanty rainfall, the area finally covered by paddy transplantation had been 33.2 lakh hectares (97.91% of the target 34 lakh hectares) in 2015, 31.92 lakh hectares (93.9% of the same target) in 2014, 29.7 lakh hectares in 2013 and 31.68 lakh hectares in 2012, when, too, the target area for paddy coverage was the same.

The expectations are that the final figure for this year would exceed last year's mark. In another silver lining for farmers of the flood-prone north Bihar districts, Nepal is unlikely to see very heavy rainfall in

its Himalyan territory, implying that the threat of flood caused by the state's rivers originating in Nepal is also minimal

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City /Patna/Rains-brighten-paddy-prospects-instate/articleshow/53056299.cms?from=md r

Rice Prices print ¡ T+ Tweet

as on : 05-07-2016 08:10:32 PM Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.

Arrivals Current

Price

% Season Prev. Prev.Yr Modal change cumulative Modal %change Rice

Bangalore(Kar)

1913.00 12.79 132770.00 4150 4150

-3.49

Gadarpur(Utr)

1601.00 142.58 117447.00 2189 2181

11.46

Bangarpet(Kar)

188.00 -53.92

9569.00 1850 1860

NC

Nalbari(ASM)

145.00

1570.50 2150 2100

7.50

1.4

Mainpuri(UP)

145.00 163.64

265.00 2075 2060

-

Pilibhit(UP)

140.00

NC

19922.50 2230 2220

1.59

Thodupuzha(Ker)

70.00

NC

3220.00 2700 2700

-6.90

Jangipur(WB)

63.00

1.61

943.00 2185 2180

0.69

Barasat(WB)

50.00 11.11

2925.00 2200 2200

-8.33

Gazipur(UP)

41.00

-1.2

2362.50 2080 2060

3.48

Dadri(UP)

40.00 14.29

2284.00 2340 2350

11.43

Beldanga(WB)

40.00

2.56

2227.00 2350 2280

2.17

Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)

40.00

-20

592.00 2550 2550

15.91

Dhekiajuli(ASM)

32.00 33.33

1210.60 1800 1900

-14.29

Purulia(WB)

30.00

NC

2226.00 2360 2380

0.43

Rampur(UP)

22.00

-56

848.50 2335 2325

11.72

Ulhasnagar(Mah)

21.00 -80.91

258.00 3500 4000

-

Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)

20.00 11.11

778.00 2300 2300

9.52

Kolaghat(WB)

18.00

NC

757.00 2300 2300

4.55

Kasganj(UP)

16.00

NC

648.00 2140 2150

3.63

Naugarh(UP)

14.00 33.33

799.00 2080 2055

7.49

Bankura Sadar(WB)

13.00

8.33

125.00 2150 2150

-

Kaliaganj(WB)

12.00

20

804.00 2550 2550

NC

Alappuzha(Ker)

10.00

NC

110.00 4150 3975

10.67

Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)

10.00 -33.33

1962.00 3800 3750

-

8.00 29.03

1310.00 2450 2450

-

Dibrugarh(ASM)

Bethuadahari(WB)

8.00

NC

16.00 2450 2450

-16.95

Ranaghat(WB)

8.00

NC

74.00 2050 2150

5.13

Mirzapur(UP)

7.50 15.38

1391.10 1975 1980

NC

Raiganj(WB)

7.50

NC

936.50 2500 2500

-3.85

Sheoraphuly(WB)

7.50

7.14

449.85 2775 2775

-0.89

Khairagarh(UP)

6.00 -53.85

443.00 2190 2100

8.42

Robertsganj(UP)

6.00

-25

511.50 1900 1890

2.15

North Lakhimpur(ASM)

5.70 -40.62

1608.60 1900 1900

-

Karanjia(Ori)

5.50 -91.73

365.80 2600 2600

4.00

Chengannur(Ker)

5.00

25

637.00 2300 2300

-8.00

Silapathar(ASM)

4.00

NC

647.80 3000 3000

NC

Alibagh(Mah)

3.00

NC

135.00 4000 4000

21.21

Murud(Mah)

3.00

NC

207.00 3000 3000

87.50

Balarampur(WB)

2.50

4.17

78.50 2410 2270

10.55

Shillong(Meh)

1.40

40

59.00 3500 3500

NC

Aroor(Ker)

1.00

-50

179.70 7300 7100

-5.19

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/eco nomy/agri-business/article8811064.ece

Direct seeding of rice Ahmad Fraz Khan â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Published Jul 04, 2016 07:35am Whatsapp

0 Comments Email Print

AS rice sowing gets underway in Punjab, so does the acceptance of direct seeding of rice technology, commonly known as DSR — a relatively old method being granted fresh acceptance by farmers.

The technology improves growers‘ profitability by allowing savings on a lengthy land preparation process, substituting labour and, more crucially, getting better plant population.

The Punjab government has been trying to promote this technology since 1980s, but success was hard to come. Drills were never up to the mark and compatible weedicides were almost missing from the market. The drill created germination problems for seeds and the absence of specific weedicides left narrow leaf weeds in the rice belt uncontrolled.

Under the new technology, farmers can skip seven to eight (ploughing and planking) processes, each costing them Rs500-600 per acre, for field preparation

Farmers avoided the technology despite mechanising the rest of the process — from cultivator to harvesters. The only missing component was drill sowing. Of late, however, the drill was redesigned and mainly re-crafted, after a tested Indian model, with new chemistries offering solutions to local weeds. Punjab expects more and more area coming under the DSR as more progressive growers adopt the technology — creating local models of success and advocacy.

Under the new technology, farmers can skip seven to eight (ploughing and planking) processes, each costing them Rs500-600 per acre, for field preparation. They just have to keep their fields moist, and directly sow wet seeds through the especially designed drill. After a day of sowing, they have to start irrigating their fields as per normal routine. Farmers can thus roughly save Rs5,000 per acre at this stage.

Next big saving of time, hassle and money come at the transplantation stage, where farmers save money which they have to invest on sowing nurseries and save labour for transplantation.

Manually, only few farmers have been able to go beyond 50,000-60,000 plants per acre despite their best efforts, as the money is paid per acre, not per plant — thus planters have no interest in increasing plant numbers. With the new drill, they can easily sow 80,000 plants and, at least theoretically, should be able to add 50pc to their production.

Most of the farmers from central Punjab, or farmers of the traditional rice (mainly the basmati belt), term it a good omen as farmers desperately look for interventions that could bring the cost of production down. For the last few years, the initial investment has assumed decisive

significance in determining most of the crop acreage. Farmers now opt for crops that are easy on their pockets.

In order to ensure benefits of this new methodology, farmers demand two more steps by the government. They want the government to work on seed development.Farmers were able to sustain the crop last year because of the government‘s handholding — Rs5,000 per acre relief came from the prime minister‘s package. Otherwise, it could have become almost impossible to sustain the rice crop. Better seeds are necessary to bring down cost of production and increase output.

Farmers further want the government to create a regulatory mechanism that creates a balance between international and domestic prices. Exporters have been making money at the cost of farmers. The current world prices of basmati hovers around $800 per tonne. In local terms, it comes around Rs3,500 per maund. By that calculation, the paddy price should not be less than Rs1,750 per maund, whereas the local prices have been ranging between Rs900 to Rs1,200 per maund.

Farmers says they need a fair price, notwithstanding an improved technology that reduces cost of production and raises output.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, July 4th, 2016

http://www.dawn.com/news/1268996

6th July 2016 rice news

July 6, 2016 5:00 pm JST

Myanmar takes first steps to ramp up rice exports MOTOKAZU MATSUI, Nikkei staff writer

An agricultural trading company leases machinery to farmers at its service center in Naypyitaw in efforts to increase Myanmar's rice production.

NAYPYITAW -- Myanmar is striving to recapture the glory of its past as the world's No. 1 rice exporter.

The country's drive to climb back up the list of leading rice-exporting countries has been led by Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corp., an agricultural trading company.

As part of its efforts to pump up the country's rice exports, MAPCO is building state-of-the-art rice-milling plants to improve the quality of rice. The company is also leasing agricultural machines to farmers to help them improve productivity.

Myanmar is working to capitalize on the vast swath of fertile rice producing areas along the Ayeyarwady River which once made the country the world's leading exporter of the main East Asian staple.

In Kyaiklat, a town in the southwestern region of Ayeyarwady, home to the Ayeyarwady Delta, one of the country's largest rice-milling plants is under construction.

The plant will use state-of-the-art technology to mill 450 tons of rice per day. Rice husks are steamed and then dried before milling to reduce the amount of rice grains that are crushed in the process.

MAPCO is spending an estimated $20 million to build the plant, which is described by MAPCO Chairman Chit Khine as "a first step" in Myanmar's quest to become a major player in the global rice market again.

Last summer, MAPCO began operating a rice mill with a daily capacity of 220 tons in Naypyitaw, the nation's capital. The company plans to build up to three to four new rice mills within three years.

A river runs through it Myanmar is blessed with huge stretches of fertile farmland along the Ayeyarwady River, which runs through the country from north to south http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Trends/Myanmar-takes-first-steps-to-ramp-up-rice-exports

Joint survey set to track wastage in rice industry ď&#x201A;ˇ

By Htin Linn Aung | Wednesday, 06 July 2016 2

Myanmar could be losing a colossal 4 million tonnes of rice to waste and damage every year, and a local university is partnering with the Myanmar Rice Federation to assess the extent of the problem.

Farmers work in a paddy field. Photo: Kaung Htet / The Myanmar Times

A nationwide survey conducted by Yezin Agriculture University over three months found that people in Myanmar consume 8 million tonnes of rice a year, according to university professor Daw Theingi Myint. She announced the findings at a press conference on July 2 at Myanma Agricultural Economic Private Corporation.

This is significantly lower than estimates under the previous government from the then-Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, which had estimated national consumption to be about 12 million tonnes a year.

The Yezin survey tested that figure, contacting 24,211 respondents in 5132 households in 148 townships in all states and regions between April and June, said Daw Theingi Myint.

The Myanmar Rice Federation said that yearly production across the hot and rainy seasons was about 14 million tonnes. If 8 million tonnes is consumed that leaves around 6 million tonnes available for export. But in the 2014-15 financial year, Myanmar exported just over 1.8 million tonnes, of which more than 1.1 million went to China.

Yezin Agricultural University and the Myanmar Rice Federation estimate that around 4 million tonnes of rice could be going to waste â&#x20AC;&#x201C; half the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s yearly estimated consumption. The two organisations are planning a joint survey to get a clearer picture of how much is lost to waste and damage across the industry.

The nationwide consumption survey was conducted to help shape agricultural policy. U Aung Than Oo, vice chair of the Myanmar Rice Federation, told the press conference that precise rice consumption data would help as growers refined a strategy covering both local rice production and the export sector.

―This survey tells us how much rice is consumed in Myanmar and how much is left for export. It will help us decide what kinds of paddy should be planted in which districts for local consumption, and in which districts we need to plant paddy for export,‖ said U Aung Than Oo. The next step is to establish the rate of production by state and region, and to calculate the volume of waste between cultivating the rice and its arrival at the market. An eventual third step could be to promote the growing of more rice for export purposes.

But the association‘s general secretary, U Thaung Win, said there could be practical difficulties in organising a survey for a more precise and detailed strategy. ―Assessing the volume of wastage will be very important. At this point, we cannot know how many acres of land are required for paddy planting. We hope the ministry will make progress on this matter,‖ he said.

According to the survey, of all the various kinds of paddy grown in the country, local consumers prefer Paw San, Ayeyar Min and other local varieties in Shan State.

Translation by San Layy and Khine Thazin Han

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/busi ness/21234-joint-survey-set-to-trackwastage-in-rice-industry.html

Basmati export earnings seen higher on rise in prices Vishwanath Kulkarni Comment · print · T+ Tweet

inShare30

Volumes and acreage of the aromatic rice seen flat; trade unfazed by Iranian curbs Bengaluru, July 6:

Basmati export earnings, which had taken a hit last year, may see a rebound this financial year on an uptrend in prices although shipment volumes may remain at last year‘s levels, according to the Agricultural Promotion Export Development Authority (Apeda). ―Overall we expect the volumes to be largely stable at last year‘s level, but earnings could improve as prices have started looking up. We are expecting a growth in earnings by about 10 per cent this year,‖ said AK Gupta, Director of Basmati Export Development Foundation, under Apeda.

Iran buys After touching a record $4.88 billion or ₹29,299 crore in 2013-14, basmati export earnings were on a downward trend over the past two years on decline in prices and lower purchases by Iran, the largest buyer.

Indian basmati shipments, which touched a high of 1.4 million tonnes three years ago dropped to around 7 lakh tonnes last year on rise in domestic supplies.

Iran has announced its intent to regulate rice imports from July 23 this year to protect its growers during the ensuing harvest season.

Typically, Iran has been regulating rice imports during the domestic harvest period by imposing curbs and later removes them towards the end of the year.

―Our exporters are prepared for such curbs by Iran, which is no longer a surprise. Such restriction has become an annual feature and is unlikely to hurt our exports to Iran. We expect the shipments to Iran this financial year to be around 7 lakh tonnes, same as that of last year,‖ Gupta said.

No impact Basmati exporters concur with Apeda‘s Gupta to state that curbs placed by Iran would not affect the shipments this year. ―The seasonal closing of rice imports by Iran from July may not have any impact on our exports this year,‖ said Rajen Sundaresan, Executive Director, All India Rice Exporters Association. In fact, the uptrend in prices should boost the overall realisations, he added.

Acreage stagnant Meanwhile, planting of basmati in the current kharif season has already begun in the key producing States of North India such as Punjab and Haryana among others. ―We expect the acreages to remain at last year‘s levels and a clearer picture will emerge by endJuly,‖ Sunderasan said.

(This article was published on July 6, 2016)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/mar kets/commodities/basmati-exportearnings-seen-higher-on-rise-inprices/article8816268.ece

Rice Prices print · T+ Tweet

as on : 06-07-2016 08:10:21 PM

Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.

Arrivals Current

Price

% Season Prev. Prev.Yr Modal change cumulative Modal %change Rice

Bangalore(Kar)

871.00 -54.47 133641.00 4150 4150

-3.49

Shahjahanpur(UP)

780.00

500

41775.70 2200 2200

9.73

Bhivandi(Mah)

340.00 -82.11

7159.00 2400 2050

54.84

Gadarpur(Utr)

325.00

-79.7 117772.00 3833 2189

95.16

Kanpur(Grain)(UP)

250.00 -70.93

Bangarpet(Kar)

201.00

Mainpuri(UP) Bahraich(UP)

10730.00 2180 2265

0.46

6.91

9770.00 1780 1850

-3.78

137.00

-5.52

402.00 2080 2075

-

115.00

4.55

4366.00 2195 2190

5.78

Gondal(UP)

82.00

-21.9

13196.10 2060 2050

4.04

Aligarh(UP)

80.00 -11.11

4345.00 2300 2300

19.17

Ballia(UP)

60.00 -14.29

7490.00 2025 2025

1.76

Gauripur(ASM)

43.50

8.75

2793.50 4500 4500

NC

Gazipur(UP)

43.00

4.88

2405.50 2080 2080

3.48

Pandua(WB)

42.00 -19.23

2652.00 2700 2750

12.50

Jajpur(Ori)

33.00 106.25

458.00 2000 2200

-20.00

Lanka(ASM)

30.00

20

2955.00 1750 1750

-1.41

Achalda(UP)

30.00

-25

4032.50 2250 2240

-1.32

Kolar(Kar)

20.00 -35.48

168.00 1600 1700

-15.79

Kasganj(UP)

14.00

-12.5

662.00 2160 2140

4.60

Giridih(Jha)

12.68 -20.65

245.14 3500 3500

NC

Kendrapara(Marshaghai)(Ori)

12.00

-

Dibiapur(UP)

12.00

Yusufpur(UP) Pukhrayan(UP)

12.00 2500

-

-

50

187.00 2260 2250

0.44

12.00

-40

884.00 2020 2020

4.94

11.00

37.5

268.50 2210 2135

-3.91

Muradabad(UP)

9.00 -18.18

537.70 2390 2370

16.02

Mirzapur(UP)

8.00

6.67

1399.10 1970 1975

-0.25

Raiganj(WB)

7.50

NC

944.00 2500 2500

-3.85

Sheoraphuly(WB)

7.00

-6.67

456.85 2775 2775

-0.89

Dibrugarh(ASM)

6.00

-25

1316.00 2450 2450

-

North Lakhimpur(ASM)

5.50

-3.51

1614.10 1900 1900

-

Silapathar(ASM)

5.00

25

652.80 3000 3000

NC

Rura(UP)

3.50

NC

115.70 2190 2170

-2.01

Farukhabad(UP)

3.00 -14.29

208.70 2200 2190

0.46

Fatehpur(UP)

3.00 -53.85

299.70 2240 2190

2.05

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agribusiness/article8815655.ece

7th July,2016 rice news India monsoon rains 35 pct above average last week - weather office      

Monsoon rains in India were 35 percent above average in the week ended July 6, the weather office said on Thursday.

The pickup in monsoon rains in the first week of July compensated for lower rainfall in June.

The June-September monsoon has so far delivered 1 percent higher rainfall than average. The monsoon rains have covered almost the entire country, and expected to quicken the planting of summer crops such as rice, soybeans, cotton and pulses.

Though the monsoon arrived in India on June 8, a week later than usual, the weather office expects it to deliver surplus rainfall. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)      

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Arkansas Rice Federation travels to Cuba for trade talks

Posted: Thu 8:01 AM, Jul 07, 2016

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Members of the Arkansas Rice Federation have traveled to Cuba to discuss the future of trade between the U.S. and Cuba.

The delegation, which included Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward, was briefed on developments in Cuban farming and also met with representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Havana University and Alimport, the state-owned operation responsible for agricultural imports and exports.

Ward says conversations with organizations like Alimport can help put Arkansas in the best position for future business. Ward says the state wants to develop relationships before financial restrictions that hinder trade with Cuba are lifted.

Delegates also met with U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, who updated the officials on legislative efforts and discussed the possibility of stepping up attempts to ease Cuban trade restrictions

Arkansas Rice Federation travels to Cuba for trade talks

Posted: Thu 8:01 AM, Jul 07, 2016

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Members of the Arkansas Rice Federation have traveled to Cuba to discuss the future of trade between the U.S. and Cuba.

The delegation, which included Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward, was briefed on developments in Cuban farming and also met with representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Havana University and Alimport, the state-owned operation responsible for agricultural imports and exports.

Ward says conversations with organizations like Alimport can help put Arkansas in the best position for future business. Ward says the state wants to develop relationships before financial restrictions that hinder trade with Cuba are lifted.

Delegates also met with U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, who updated the officials on legislative efforts and discussed the possibility of stepping up attempts to ease Cuban trade restrictions

http://www.kspr.co m/content/news/Ark ansas-RiceFederation-travelsto-Cuba-for-tradetalks385846991.html m

yanmar rice price falls as Chinese demand slows

ď&#x201A;ˇ

By Than Naing Soe | Thursday, 07 July 2016

4

Rice prices are falling in quiet rainy-season trading, as a weaker yuan makes Myanmar exports to the world’s second-largest economy less competitive and arrests in China in connection with the rice trade discourage buyers across the border.

Click image to expand

U Thein Zaw, chair of the Mandalay rice trading centre, said on July 5 that the price of ordinary rice exported to China is down by K500 in each category. ―Trading is quiet, so prices are reduced,‖ he said.

The Chinese yuan has depreciated by 12.75 percent to the kyat this year according to Central Bank of Myanmar data, while U Thein Zaw said that traders have been discouraged by arrests in their own country. ―The big traders are not coming down from China much, so local traders here are not very active.

In Yangon summer rice is selling at a discount of K400 or K500 per basket,‖ he said.

Seasonal difficulties have also slowed trade. ―A transaction that normally takes a week can take 15 to 20 days in heavy rain, to get across the border and back,‖ he said. ―The rain has been so heavy that some shops have closed altogether. Traders sometimes come back with unsold stock.‖ A survey by Yezin Agriculture University found that Myanmar might be losing up to 4 million tonnes of paddy each year – equivalent to half a year‘s food supply for the country – through wastage, the university said last week. Of the 14 million tonnes produced, about 8 million tonnes are consumed in Myanmar, and 1.18 tonnes exported, mostly to China.

Translation by Khine Thazin Han

http://www.mmtim es.com/index.php/bu siness/21256myanmar-rice-pricefalls-as-chinesedemand-slows.html

Kharif sowing picks up pace on ample rains Press Trust of India Comment (1) · print · T+ inShare

Radha Mohan Singh, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister

Govt pitches for farm mechanisation to boost farmers‘ income

New Delhi, July 7:

After a sluggish start, sowing of kharif crops such as paddy has picked up pace this week on account of good rains in several parts of the country, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today.

Till last week, total acreage under kharif (summer) crops was down 23 per cent to 215.87 lakh hectares because of inadequate rainfall in June. Sowing of kharif (summer) crops begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June and harvesting is done from October onwards. Paddy is the main kharif crop. ―Several parts of the country received good rainfall. The monsoon situation has improved and sowing of kharif crops has picked up pace in many places,‖ Singh told reporters. The kharif sowing is expected to improve further as good rainfall is predicted for the months of July, August and September, he added.

Echoing similar views, Agriculture Secretary SK Pattanayak said: ―Good rains in several states have boosted sowing operations. The gap in sowing area has come down. Till last week, there was a gap of 60 lakh hectares, but this has come down to 30 lakh hectares in just last three days.‖ Planting of paddy, pulses, oilseeds, and even cotton is expected to improve in the coming days, he told PTI. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the overall monsoon deficiency has reduced to 9 per cent after several parts of the country received good rains. IMD has forecast overall monsoon to be better than normal this year and the government is targeting a record foodgrain production of 270.10 million tonnes in 2016-17.

Aiming to double farmers‘ income in the next five years, Radha Mohan Singh said farm mechanisation will bring down the cost of cultivation by up to 25 per cent and raise production by 20 per cent.

Mechanisation push He also said that raising support price of agri-crops will not suffice, as there is a need to bring down the cost of cultivation, for which, use of innovative farm machineries is the need of the hour. The Centre is promoting farm mechanisation in a big way under various programmes and has been setting up more testing and training centres across the country, he added. ―Farm mechanisation is key for modernising agriculture sector. Use of agri-machineries will help increase production by 20 per cent and bring down the cost of cultivation by 20-25 per cent. This is the need of the hour,‖ Singh said addressing an event on this issue.

Asserting that farm machineries need to be promoted both in agriculture and allied sectors to address labour shortage, the minister said the states should take equal interest and spend allocated central funds for this purpose.

―We don‘t have shortage of funds. The problem is that states are not utilising funds properly and timely.‖

http://www.thehin dubusinessline.com/e conomy/agribusiness/kharifsowing-picks-uppace-on-amplerains/article8820163. ece

Rice Prices print ¡ T+ inShare

as on : 07-07-2016 08:10:19 PM Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.

Arrivals Current

Price

% Season Prev. Prev.Yr Modal change cumulative Modal %change Rice

Junagarh(Ori)

71.86

-3.15

1779.10 2100 2100

-4.55

Kalahandi(Dharamagarh)(Ori)

53.20 31.07

1236.87 2100 2100

-4.55

Pandua(WB)

45.00

7.14

2697.00 2750 2700

14.58

Kolar(Kar)

25.00

25

133.00 4500 5039

-0.99

North Lakhimpur(ASM)

8.80

60

1622.90 1900 1900

-

Mirzapur(UP)

8.50

6.25

1407.60 1975 1970

NC

Bethuadahari(WB)

8.00

NC

24.00 2450 2450

-16.95

Ranaghat(WB)

8.00

NC

82.00 2050 2050

5.13

Raiganj(WB)

7.50

NC

951.50 2500 2500

-3.85

Jambusar(Guj)

7.10 914.29

1078.75 3400 3300

-

Chengannur(Ker)

7.00

40

644.00 2300 2300

-8.00

Karanjia(Ori)

6.50 18.18

372.30 2600 2600

4.00

Silapathar(ASM)

5.00

NC

657.80 3000 3000

NC

Dibrugarh(ASM)

4.50

-25

1320.50 2450 2450

-

Islampur(WB)

3.20

6.67

306.30 2350 2350

9.30

Related TOPICS agriculture | rice (commodity) |

http://www.thehin dubusinessline.com/e conomy/agribusiness/article8818 940.ece Cambodia's rice export down 5.8 pct in H1

Source: Xinhua | 2016-07

PHNOM PENH, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 268,190 tons of milled rice in the first half of 2016, dow 283,825 tons in the same period last year, according to the latest report released on Thursday.

The Southeast Asian country has exported its milled rice to 57 countries and regions around the globe, said the re Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export.

Three top buyers are China, France and Poland, it said, adding that China imported some 47,024 tons of milled ri the January-June period this year, France imported 37,463 tons and Poland purchased 36,164 tons.

Cambodia produced over 9 million tons of paddy rice a year. With this amount, it has over 3 million tons of mille export. Enditem

http://news.xinhua net.com/english/201 607/07/c_135496573. htm

A woman works in a rice field in Takeo province last year. Aim Valinda

Rice sector continues its struggle in first half Fri, 8 July 2016 Sorn Sarath

Cambodian rice exports decreased nearly 6 per cent year-on-year during the first semester, reinforcing concerns about the future of the rice industry, the Kingdom‘s most important agricultural sector.

A report released yesterday by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export showed Cambodia exported a total of 268,190 tonnes during the first six months of 2016, down 5.8 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier.

Hean Vanhan, deputy director-general of the agriculture department of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the decline may be a harbinger of what‘s to come. ―Rice exports fell during four of the first six months of the year, which is a warning that we need to work together to solve the sector‘s problems,‖ he said. ―Rice millers don‘t have enough rice in stock, and we recognise that they lack funds.‖ The government agreed last week to provide up to $30 million in emergency loans to members of the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) to help buoy the struggling rice sector.

Vanhan said the financing package was good, but the funds should not be simply handed out to rice millers who request assistance.

―We need to look at the capacity of rice millers before we give them a loan as some millers are facing bankruptcy because they lack capacity,‖ he said. ―If we simply give them the money, the money will be lost.‖ Rice industry experts say the sector is suffering from a number of issues, including competition from low-cost Vietnamese imports, high production costs, and millers‘ lack of finance.

According to CRF president Sok Puthyvuth, who was re-elected for a second term last Saturday, the issues have already resulted in between 10 and 20 per cent of the nation‘s rice millers declaring bankruptcy.

Contact author: Sorn Sarath

http://www.phnomp enhpost.com/busines s/rice-sectorcontinues-itsstruggle-first-half

Fri Jul 8, 2016 4:20am EDT

Thailand offers to sell 3.81 mln T rice in two July auctions            

Thailand is offering to sell 3.81 million tonnes of rice this month, the commerce ministry said on Friday, as the country looks to eliminate stockpiles built up under the previous administration.

The world's second-biggest rice exporter after India has stocks of about 9.5 million tonnes after buying rice from farmers at prices exceeding global rates under a scheme put in place by ousted former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The government plans to sell the rice in two auctions on July 25, the commerce ministry said in a statement.

The first auction involves 1.63 million tonnes of rice for human consumption and industrial use.

This includes 400,000 tonnes of rice the government announced for sale last week.

The rice, which comes from 108 warehouses across the country, will be a mixture of "good grade" and substandard rice, said Duangporn Rodphaya, chief of the ministry's foreign trade department.

"Successful buyers can separate the good grade rice from the grade C and substandard rice at their own cost to use for human consumption," said Duangporn.

The second auction, involving 2.18 million tonnes of rice, is targetted for export. Bidders need to have orders in hand from international buyers to qualify.

Drought in rice producing countries, including Thailand, has cut supply to global markets and given the Thai government an opportunity to accelerate sales before the main annual crop is harvested during the fourth quarter.

The commerce ministry said last week it expects to clear the entire stockpile in state warehouses by mid-2017, sooner than the end of 2017 that was previously announced.

Since coming to power in 2014 following a bloodless coup, Thailand's military government has sold more than 5 million tonnes of rice in a series of auctions.

More than half that amount, or about 2.79 million tonnes, was sold this year.

In January 2015 an army-appointed legislature impeached Yingluck over corruption in the rice scheme, which led to her being banned from political office for five years.

She now faces a criminal case for negligence over the scheme, a case her supporters say is politically motivated. (Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Christian Schmollinger)

http://www.reuters.c om/article/thailandrice-idUSL4N19U2BI

http://economictime s.indiatimes.com/ne ws/economy/agricult ure/kharif-sowingpicks-up-area-underpaddy-up-6-pulses26/articleshow/53117 760.cms Rice Prices print ¡ T+

Tweet inShare

as on : 07-07-2016 08:10:19 PM Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.

Arrivals Current

Price

% Season Prev. Prev.Yr Modal change cumulative Modal %change Rice

Junagarh(Ori)

71.86

-3.15

1779.10 2100 2100

-4.55

Kalahandi(Dharamagarh)(Ori)

53.20 31.07

1236.87 2100 2100

-4.55

Pandua(WB)

45.00

7.14

2697.00 2750 2700

14.58

Kolar(Kar)

25.00

25

133.00 4500 5039

-0.99

North Lakhimpur(ASM)

8.80

60

1622.90 1900 1900

-

Mirzapur(UP)

8.50

6.25

1407.60 1975 1970

NC

Bethuadahari(WB)

8.00

NC

24.00 2450 2450

-16.95

Ranaghat(WB)

8.00

NC

82.00 2050 2050

5.13

Raiganj(WB)

7.50

NC

951.50 2500 2500

-3.85

Jambusar(Guj)

7.10 914.29

1078.75 3400 3300

-

Chengannur(Ker)

7.00

40

644.00 2300 2300

-8.00

Karanjia(Ori)

6.50 18.18

372.30 2600 2600

4.00

Silapathar(ASM)

5.00

NC

657.80 3000 3000

NC

Dibrugarh(ASM)

4.50

-25

1320.50 2450 2450

-

Islampur(WB)

3.20

6.67

306.30 2350 2350

9.30

http://www.thehindu businessline.com/eco nomy/agribusiness/article8818 940.ece