8th august 2017 daily global regional & local rice e newsletter

Daily Global Rice

E-Newsletter

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August 08,2017 Vol 8 Issue VIII

Rice News Headlines...         

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The stooped labour of women rice farmers Rice basmati weakens on low demand Rice growers pessimistic about new varieties USA Rice in Mexico Runs Professional Culinary Gauntlet from Student Chefs to Restaurant Suppliers Brown-rice quality, shelf life improved with new technology PHL likely to import 580,050 MT of rice next year–NFA’s Aquino Early floods threaten Mekong rice fields NFA to reduce reliance on cheap rice imports The absolute imperative for intentional minded agriculture and agri-business - Some supportive responses from readers Agriculture: APC’s achievements fantastic – Saraki Finally, a law to curb biopiracy Zachary Ball to Lead Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering Scientists create food from electricity and CO2 Arkansas farmers optimistic despite floods Glutinous rice exports to China slowing down Iran | Growth in Rice Imports Vietnam bids for Bangladesh rice sale Loans offer for rice harvest India rice shipments slow as stronger rupee lifts export prices

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News Detail...

The stooped labour of women rice farmers

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meet the women who labour on farms for our plates of rice.It‘s a sweltering June day in Muridke in Sheikhupura district in Punjab. The harsh summer sun glints off of the rice paddies which cover thousands of acres in this area. Some of the world‘s finest Basmati rice is grown here.

Dotting these paddies are the colourful figures of hundreds of women bent over the sodden earth, manually planting each seedling.

Razia Bibi and her daughters wade through the pesticide filled muddy sludge, which fills the field. They hold bunches of seedlings in one hand and use the other to swiftly place each plant into the earth at a specific distance. Doing this work for every summer of their lives has made their movements almost mechanical and working in large groups, they manage to transplant rice over large swathes of land each day. But, the land they work on is not theirs, neither is the rice they grow.

The working conditions are harsh; the water that fills the fields is full of leeches and corrosive chemicals. Each day someone in the group collapses from the heat. The wages are abysmal. But, Razia is a widow with six children, two of whom have polio. So in a place like Muridke, her options are limited.

Women work in harsh conditions, for minimum wages in rice fields across Punjab. — Photos by Ahsan Mahmood.

Like most industrial cities along this stretch of the G.T Road, Muridke is chaotic, polluted and deeply unequal. Capitalist development has come here in bits and has left most behind in its wake.The nouveau riche drive expensive cars on perpetually dug up roads and the forlorn faces of the poor stare from the back of Qingqi rickshaws. Small and medium industrial units are ever multiplying but never have enough electricity. Local clothing brands have arrived in hordes.

There is even a McDonald‘s. But, basic civic amenities are missing, as are educational and employment opportunities.

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In the urban areas most women work in the informal sector as domestic workers, whereas in the rural areas they are employed in agricultural labour. In most farms, makeshift cots hang from trees where babies of the women working in the fields sleep. Toddlers splash around in the polluted water in the rice paddies and as soon as they are old enough to use their hands they are expected to join their family in agricultural labour.

Within the rice value-chain, women‘s main role is during the transplantation of rice from nurseries, which takes place for around 45 days once a year. Explanations of why this task is reserved almost exclusively for women vary.

The women rice workers argue transplantation of rice is too arduous a task for men to perform.

Others such as landowners claim women are able to stay bent for longer periods of time. In the past, women were also involved in the harvesting of rice and would collect the grains. However, now most farmers use mechanical harvesters, which has also taken away these women‘s chance of collecting some grains to take home.The men on the rice farms lead relatively simpler times as compared to the women.

Meet the women filling plates our of rice Shagufta is sixteen. She was eight when she was forced to leave school and join the rest of her family in agricultural labour. ―My mother said she could no longer make ends meet so it was time I contributed to the family income,‖ she says.She misses school. ―I used to hate the teacher, he would beat us. But, now I wish I could turn back time. I wish I could throw on a starched white uniform, go to school and study hard. I even miss the beatings,‖ she says with a wistful smile.

For a whole day's work, Shagufta says she makes around 100 Rupees, none of which she gets to keep. ―If I have done the work, I should get to keep the money, but that‘s not how it works does it? I give every penny to my family because if I don‘t, nobody gets to eat,‖ she says.

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Women‘s work in the transplantation process is part of the package of services offered by a group or a family on a single acre of rice for which they are paid between Rs2500 and Rs3000 and the individuals within the group are not separately compensated.

Despite their back-breaking work in the fields, women often have to take out loans for medical expenses and electricity bills aside from farming essentials.

Shamshad Bibi is a rice grower. Landless farmers like her lease the land from landowners on which they grow crops to sell to a middleman, locally referred to as an Aarti. She explains how the high cost of inputs, coupled with the expenses of the families, which almost always exceeds their income, puts them in an exploitative relationship with the Aarti. ―The Aarti is the only person who will lend to us. We borrow money for pesticides, fertilisers, electricity bills and also for weddings and medical emergencies,‖ she says. ―When the crop is ready, we take the harvested rice to the Aarti who is supposed to pay for grain, but since most people have already borrowed so much, hardly any cash is given,‖ Shamshad explains. ―When you‘re illiterate you can‘t even argue with the math,‖ she adds.

Fatima Bibi, another rice grower, says she faces abuse and insult from whoever she asks for money, whether it is a loan or payment of wages. ―I‘ve even been beaten for asking. Where someone had borrowed Rs1000 they insist it was 2000 and you can‘t argue back,‖ she says.

Being poor means these women also have no social or legal protections against sexual exploitation and harassment. ―The boys of landowners say lewd things to us. They throw water on the girls and try to grab us any chance they get,‖ Shagufta says.

Her aunt Zubaida says this is very common, no one says anything. ―We are too poor to take these people on,‖ she says. ―I was bending down to transplant the seedlings one day and when I tried to get up, I couldn‘t.

Since then, I have suffered from severe back pain,‖ — Shenaz Bibi, 65 A large portion of the income earned by these families goes towards medical expenses. The arduous labour is taxing on the body. Fumes rise from the polluted water filling the fields and affecting the lungs. Almost all those who work in rice paddies suffer from Foot Immersion disease, a condition so common in rice workers it is called ‗paddy-foot‘, where the skin on their feet and hands begins to decay and blister, leading to sores breaking out.

Constant immersion in hot water also causes the nails to become infected and come off. The paddies are full of snakes and leeches, and bending down for hours at a stretch leaves many permanently handicapped.Shehnaz Bibi says she was a little girl when her mother passed away and her grandparents put her to work in the fields. She continued to transplant rice for the rest of her life, until the age of around 65 when she suffered a herniated disk. ―I was bending down to transplant the seedlings one day and when I tried to get up, I couldn‘t. Since then, I have suffered from severe back pain,‖ she narrates.

There are no free medical services in these villages and travelling to the nearest government hospitals is an added expense. Fatima Bibi says the hospitals are so overcrowded, the staff treats poor people like her very badly. ―If you have money you can go to see a private doctor, otherwise you can suffer at home and even die. No one cares,‖ Shehnaz Bibi states indignantly. A number of these plague rice farmers across Asia.Hope on the horizon

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International NGO Oxfam is working towards promoting sustainable supply chains for agricultural products within which women are adequately compensated. The country director for Oxfam in Pakistan Mohammad Qazilbash told Dawn that agribusiness companies have a role to play in improving the conditions of rice workers. ―Oxfam is working with MATCO, Pakistan‘s largest rice exporter and other agribusiness companies to promote corporate social responsibility and other private sector regulatory frameworks to ensure better conditions for rice workers,‖ he said.Women rice farmers spend the day immersed in hot water, carrying infectious diseases apart from leeches and snakes.

However, Qazilbash added that consumers couldn‘t be absolved of responsibility urging them to ―make more ethical choices and ask businesses how their rice is sourced. They need to demand that workers are treated in a dignified manner in accordance with labour laws.‖ Additionally, he said, the government must play its role in promoting pro-poor policies and ensure that adequate health and childcare facilities are provided to cotton-pickers, rice growers and other workers in the agriculture value-chains. ―Moreover, investment should be made to promote responsible and innovative small and medium enterprises in the agricultural sector.‖ https://www.dawn.com/news/1347349/the-stooped-labour-of-women-rice-farmers

Rice basmati weakens on low demand PTI | Aug 6, 2017, 09:12 PM IST New Delhi, Aug 5 () Rice basmati prices slipped by Rs 200 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on the back of easing demand against ample stocks position.

A few other bold grains also declined on reduced offtake by consuming industries.

Traders said tepid demand against sufficient stocks position, mainly led to the decline in rice basmati prices.

In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa- 1121 variety slipped by Rs 200 each to Rs 6,000-6,100 and Rs 4,600-4,625 per quintal, respectively.

Other bold grains like bajra and maize also eased to Rs 1,150-1,155 and Rs 1,290-1,300 against last close of Rs 1,190 -1,200 and Rs 1,300-1,305 per quintal, respectively.

Jowar yellow and white too finished lower at Rs 1,400- 1,450 and Rs 2,800-2,900 from previous levels of Rs 1,450- 1,500 and Rs 2,900-3,100 per quintal, respectively.

Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal): Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,100-2,350, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,760-1,765, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,765-1,770, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 970-980 (50 kg), Maida Rs 1,010-1,020 (50 kg)and Sooji Rs 1,035-1,040 (50 kg).

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Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 6,000-6,100, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 4,600-4,625, Permal raw Rs 2,1502,175, Permal wand Rs 2,200-2,225, Sela Rs 2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,825-1,850, Bajra Rs 1,150-1,155, Jowar yellow Rs 1,400-1,450, white Rs 2,800-2,900, Maize Rs 1,290-1,300, Barley Rs 1,465-1,475. SUN KPS SRK http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/rice-basmati-weakens-on-lowdemand/articleshow/59943988.cms

Rice growers pessimistic about new varieties Amjad Mahmood August 07, 2017 RICE is the second major crop in the country whose contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) stands at 0.6 per cent and 3pc in the agricultural value-added sector.Since rice is not a staple food in the country, a large quantity of the produce is exported, fetching around $2 billion foreign exchange each year.

Still, the commodity fails to appear on policymakers‘ priority list, at least in Punjab which produces 97pc of the fine aromatic rice.Rice growers generally complain of high fertiliser prices, shortage of canal water, high price of farm inputs, high rent charges of agricultural machinery, and a lack of consultancy facilities and finance during the crop production stage.Moreover, they also say that research institutes have failed to develop new varieties of basmati having better yield and resistance against pest attacks and climate change.

Rice growers are sowing the same super kernel basmati variety for the last over two and a half decades. But the seed is now losing its productivity and attracting more pest attacks, says Chaudhry Nisar Ahmad, the central president of Kissan Board Pakistan.He says there is a need to introduce new hybrid varieties that could yield more and perform better in case of pest attacks.

This, he believes, will help growers earn more and bring down the production cost of rice.

However, he doesn‘t think a new variety could be developed in the near future.

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Stakeholders say the government is ready to spend huge sums on compensations or reliefs but is not developing new seed varieties that may help farmers stand on their own feet His pessimism is not that misplaced as policymakers in the province have allocated a meagre amount in the latest budget for the purpose.

Budget documents say that a sum of Rs8.74 million has been allocated for the provision of laboratory and field equipment to the staff of the Rice Research Institute in Kala Shah Kaku for developing hybrid basmati rice that is resistant to bacterial leaf blight disease as well as flood and salinity.

The project, with a total estimated cost of over Rs44m, was approved in 2015 and was allocated Rs8.84m that year and Rs12.86m in 2016. The completion of the project or provision of the equipment will take at least two more years as budget documents show its throw-forward beyond June 2019 to the tune of Rs5.66m.

Interestingly, the federal government allocated a sum of Rs20bn in the year 2016-17 as cash support for rice growers at a rate of Rs5,000 per acre to help them come out of the financial crunch caused by falling global prices.

Pakistan Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar regrets that the government is ready to spend huge sums of money on compensations or reliefs but is not ready to allocated sufficient funds for research work to develop new seed varieties that may increase farm yields and ensure a better return to the growers so that they may not look towards the government for support.

Some private parties are now trying to fill the void. A rice exporting firm, which also runs its own farms, claims it will provide a new basmati seed for the next crop (in 2018).

Shahzad Ahmad Malik, CEO of the Guard Agricultural Research Services, says the firm will first introduce the open pollen variety while in the 2019 season it will also provide hybrid variety of the rice.

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He claims that the new varieties will be capable of yielding 3,200kg per acre while the length of its grain will be 8mm plus, which is in highest demand in the international market.

India, the main competitor of Pakistani basmati rice on the world market, has already developed 8mm-long rice grain variety. ―Currently, we are finalising formalities for the registration of the new seed with the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council,‖ he adds.

An official of the agriculture department acknowledges that the government is performing poorly in providing growers with seeds of various crops.

He says the government is meeting 30pc of the seed needs and a similar contribution is made by the private sector, while the rest is taken care of by the growers themselves who save seed from the previous crop for use in the next season. ―But the absence of an effective quality monitoring system is causing a new problem, i.e. a lack of uniformity as the seed is not coming into the market from a single source,‖ he adds Dawn News

USA Rice in Mexico Runs Professional Culinary Gauntlet from Student Chefs to Restaurant Suppliers

By Sarah Moran

MEXICO CITY & MONTERREY, MEXICO -- Getting into the classroom and educating students about U.S. rice is a major goal for USA Rice, and to reach those attending culinary school in Mexico, USA Rice conducts more than 40 competitions each year targeting these student chefs.

Two new culinary institutions here, Universidad Justo Sierra and Edayo, recently hosted USA Rice programs where students learned how to create and present gourmet restaurant-quality

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dishes using U.S.-grown rice as the main ingredient.

For the USA Rice program at Edayo a mock restaurant was created, giving the student chefs real-world restaurant industry experience. Using U.S. rice as the primary ingredient, students prepared a variety of main dishes and desserts that were then presented to a panel of judges and restaurant guests. This enabled the students to learn first-hand the value of rice as a highyielding, adaptable ingredient.

"Gastronomy programs are popular in Mexico and several institutions are opening each year to meet the demand of aspiring chefs who want to enter the vibrant foodservice industry here," said Brian King, chairman of USA Rice and also chairman of the USA Rice Western Hemisphere Promotion Subcommittee. "USA Rice activities encourage culinary institutions to include a rice course in their curriculum to teach about rice's great versatility and inspire the next generation of chefs to think about U.S. rice when it comes to creating new restaurant menus."

To stay in touch with Mexico's professional foodservice sector, last month USA Rice exhibited for the first time at Expo Proveedores de Restaurantes (Restaurant Suppliers Trade Show) held in Monterrey, known as "The City of Business" and ranked by Fortune magazine as the best city to do business in Latin America. An estimated 8,000 visitors, including employees and owners of thousands of restaurants, industrial cafeterias, catering companies, and hotels attended the trade show to make important connections.

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"We included several U.S. origin rice packages at our booth to highlight the variety of rice types available in the market," said Gaby Carbajal, USA Rice promotions director in Mexico.

Throughout the two-day show, USA Rice conducted cooking demonstrations to showcase U.S.-grown rice's great versatility and easy preparation, and showed booth visitors how to incorporate more rice in their menus as a way of providing a healthy product while at the same time increasing profits.

Product sample selection

"USA Rice also took advantage of this opportunity to visit new culinary institutions and supermarkets in this part of the country," said Carbajal. "It was nice to see in the supermarkets here at least one of the brands using our 'Authentic American rice' logo. USA Rice developed this logo to make it easier for shoppers to find U.S. origin rice on the shelves."

Brown-rice quality, shelf life improved with new technology

By BusinessMirror AUGUST 6, 2017

In Photo: Dr. Dominic S. Guevarra, senior science research specialist of Metals Industry

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Research and Development Center of the Department of Science and Technology, discusses the superheated-steam treatment system for brown rice.

The consumption of brown rice is becoming popular these days because of its health benefits.

However, the ordinary brown rice has a shelf life of one to two months only. But with the newly introduced superheated steam treatment system (SSTS), it can last for nine months without spoilage and rancid flavor.

The new technology was discussed by Dr. Dominic S. Guevarra during the National Science and Technology Week Technology Forum held recently at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City.

Guevarra, senior science research specialist of the Metals Industry Research and Development Center of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-MIRDC), led the project, ―Design and development of superheated steam treatment system for stabilized brown rice‖, with funding from the DOST‘s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

He explained the advantages of eating brown rice and the need to improve its quality and shelf life through SSTS. Brown rice is unpolished rice with the bran retained and only the hull removed during milling.

The SSTS involves the use of specialized machine and the application of superheated steam to deactivate the enzyme and reduce or delay enzyme activity, which starts after the bran layer of the brown rice has been exposed. MIRDC designed and developed two types of machine: the Batch-type and the Continuous-type SSTS. Guevarra said the project has already obtained the optimum parameters, such as temperature, treatment time and capacity at which both machines performed best. The physico-chemical properties of the treated rice have already been tested and results were satisfactory. MIRDC, in

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coordination with Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), implemented the project, which was completed last year.

During the forum, FNRI‘s Dr. Rosemarie Garcia explained that brown rice has been existing a long time ago when rice milling machines have not yet been widely used in the country.

Nowadays, many prefer brown rice because of its health benefits in terms of boosting the body‘s immune system, reducing diabetes, controlling body weight and others.

Garcia is the study leader of the project‘s component on ―Chemical, physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory evaluation of stabilized brown rice produced using superheated steam assembly,‖ also funded by DOST-PCAARRD. More than 100 participants composed of students, researchers and employees of nongovernmental and government organizations attended the Techno Forum. This activity was coordinated by PCAARRD‘s Socio-Economics Research Division and Agricultural Resources Management Research Division.

MIRDC and FNRI will continue the project‘s field testing and promotion. The project team is providing capability-building assistance to interested fabricators, rice millers and farmers‘ cooperatives.

Patent application for the technology has already been filed at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

The development of the SSTS machines and processes is expected to increase the production and consumption of brown rice in the Philippines and make it affordable and readily available to all types of consumers, children and adults, rich and poor. http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/brown-rice-quality-shelf-life-improved-with-new-technology/

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PHL likely to import 580,050 MT of rice next year–NFA’s Aquino

By Jasper Y. Arcalas AUGUST 7, 2017 State-run National Food Authority (NFA) has projected that it would need to import some 580,050 metric tons (MT) of rice next year to make sure its stockpile is sufficient throughout 2018.

NFA Administrator Jayson Laureano Y. Aquino gave the estimate during his agency‘s recent 2018 budget deliberation at the House of the Representatives, where he defended the need for a P7-billion subsidy for its buffer-stocking purposes.

NFA Spokesman Marietta J. Ablaza told the BusinessMirror that the projected rice importation by the government in 2018 was calculated based on the food agency‘s mandated stockpile requirement and its target distribution next year. ―The NFA is mandated to have 15 days inventory at any given time and 30 days at the start of July 1. At the same time, we want to fulfill our distribution target, so the 580,050 MT was based on our supply-and-demand [assessment],‖ Ablaza said in a recent interview. ―So that‘s our proposal for us to complete our distribution target [next year].‖ However, Ablaza said the riceimportation scheme for the proposed 580,050 MT would depend on whatever the NFA Council would approve. ―That depends on what the NFA Council approves, whether it is open-tender or [we] go back to government-to-government [scheme]. It will depend next year,‖ she said.

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Ablaza added that the proposed 580,050 MT of rice importation is on top of the NFA‘s target palay procurement of 1.2 million MT next year. The food agency‘s palay-procurement target next year is 433 percent more than the 255,000 MT it is eyeing to buy this year.

Given the target palay procurement and rice importation, the NFA is eyeing to achieve a ricedistribution volume of 1.355 MMT next year, according to documents provided by the NFA. ―1.2 million [MT] of palay is what we need to buy in order to fill our importation. We really have to work double time in order for us to achieve the target,‖ Ablaza said. ―Palay is a better buffer stock than rice because we can store it longer and we can schedule the milling whenever we need to. Plus, we want to support our farmers.‖ In his presentation, Aquino said the NFA is mandated to provide support price to farmers to ensure their economic returns while providing low-income consumers with affordable rice in the market. ―Having support price to farmers while providing affordable rice in the market are among the government‘s social services that require subsidy,‖ he said.

The NFA chief said the fivefold increment in their palay-procurement target next year is in line with President Duterte‘s pronouncement to prioritize local Filipino rice farmers than imports.

Aquino added that it is also the government‘s planned support for the farmers with the expected impact of cheap rice from abroad should the quantitative restriction on the staple is scrapped next year. ―The President pronounced that the NFA should exert effort to source its buffer stock from local farmers,‖ Aquino said. ―The farmers are expected to seek government support because of the impending influx of cheap rice from abroad resulting in low farm-gate prices.‖

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Aquino estimated—based on a P18-per-kilogram pricing—that the NFA needs a budget of P21.6 billion to buy the 1.2 MMT palay from Filipino farmers next year. ―The procured paddy will be converted into rice. After serving its purpose as buffer stock, it will be sold to NFA accredited outlets at P30 per kg to provide low-income consumers low-priced rice,‖ he said. ―The proceeds of the sales will be used to augment the financial requirement for personnel services and maintenance and other operating expenses,‖ he added. http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/phl-likely-to-import-580050-mt-of-rice-next-year-nfasaquino/

Early floods threaten Mekong rice fields

Early season flooding and heavy rainfall have severely damaged thousands of hectares of rice fields in the Mekong Delta province of Long An.

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Local youth association members join farmers on the field during early harvest to cut losses

Water levels in the province hit 2.37m on August 4, 1.53m higher than the previous year‘s figure. Water levels rose approximately 5-10cm every day.Among the affected localities, Tan Hung district suffered the most damage, with 2,400ha of rice field flooded, 125ha almost destroyed and 900ha forced to be harvested early which resulted in a significantly smaller yield, according to the provincial agriculture department.

By the department‘s estimation, another 3,000ha of rice field in the province faces flood threats should the water continue to rise. Farmers are scrambling to find desperately needed manpower to harvest their rice to minimise loss, with many farmers set to lose up to 5,000-6,000 USD.Local authorities have called on members of the provincial armed force and youth associations to reinforce numerous dykes and help farmers with early harvest. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/183281/early-floods-threaten-mekong-rice-fields.html

NFA to reduce reliance on cheap rice imports

BY JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ, TMT ON AUGUST 8, 2017BUSINESS Twet Expect a major policy shift in the National Food Authority‘s buffer stocking scheme next year as the state-run grains agency looks to reduce its reliance on cheaper imported rice while increasing local procurement.

With the impending influx of cheaper rice from abroad, NFA Administrator Jason Laureano Aquino said the NFA would be increasing local palay procurement to 1.2 million metric tons next year, a massive increase from the 225,000 MT projected for this year. ―The NFA targets to procure locally 1.2 million MT of paddy. This is higher than the NFA 2017 target of 225,000 MT,‖ Aquino told Congress during a budget hearing last week. ―This would also ensure government support to marginalized rice farmers to be affected by cheaper farmgate prices as a result of higher importation of cheaper rice from abroad,‖ he said, citing President Rodrigo Duterte‘s order to source buffer stocks from local farmers.

For this year, the NFA plans to buy 43 million bags of rice from farmers nationwide in a bid to replenish its dwindling rice stocks, which have remained critically low despite the expected arrival of imports in the next two months.

NFA Spokesperson Marietta Ablaza has said the grains agency would buy the bulk of the target volume during the main harvest season from October to December.

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―So far, we have procured about 230,000 bags during the dry season harvest, and we plan to have a massive buying of palay during our main harvest to beef up our stocks,‖ Ablaza told The Manila Times in a telephone interview.

The lower buying price of P17 per kilo, however, is making it difficult for the agency to compete with private traders.

The NFA was created with the intention of protecting the interests of both rice producers and consumers. As such, its two primary mandates are to stabilize the price of rice and to ensure food security.

The price stabilization mandate means that the NFA tries to influence prices on two fronts. It must support the palay farmgate price at a level that is enough to ensure a reasonable return for farmers. At the same time, it must also ensure that the price of rice is low enough for consumers.

Over the past decade, the NFA has relied massively on cheaper imported rice to replenish its buffer stocks since it could not compete with private millers and traders in buying locally grown palay.

Buying rice from abroad cuts the agency‘s spending and it can earn more and slash losses by selling to consumers at higher prices.

Aquino also told members of Congress that they were also looking to import 580,050 MT of rice in 2018, more than double that imported by the government this year. But the volume is significantly lower than the average state-led importation over the last decade.

Sought for comment, Rachel Miguel, special assistant to the NFA chief, said the importation would help augment local palay procurement.

Miguel did not disclose the target arrival for the imported rice, saying the proposal was still subject to the approval of the multi-sectoral NFA Council.

The NFA Council has not been keen on exercising the importation option as it pushes institutional reforms within the debt-ridden grains agency.

Under a recent NFA restructuring proposal, rice for buffer stocking will be accumulated via higher domestic procurement, while import volumes would be reduced via encouraging the private sector to undertake the purchases.

The NFA‘s policy of ―buy high-store long-sell low‖ will now shift to a policy where the agency‘s selling prices are gradually increased to approach market levels, with social welfare agencies handling subsidized rice if needed but buying stocks from NFA at market prices http://www.manilatimes.net/nfa-reduce-reliance-cheap-rice-imports/343120/

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The absolute imperative for intentional minded agriculture and agri-business - Some supportive responses from readers ANIS HAFFAR

07 AUGUST 2017

The Writer, Anis Haffar The Daily Graphic (August 4, 2017) headline, ―Ghana‘s high rice imports: AfDB decries $400m annual bill‖ is a noteworthy serendipitous response to last week‘s column where I referenced the miraculous rice fields of Thailand. The Graphic headline quoted the president of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina: ―Ghana absolutely has no business at all importing rice.

You are spending US$400 million a year importing what you should be exporting. "Year after year, Ghana‘s lack of leadership foresight to come to grips with that common sense reasoning is mind boggling. The responses to last week‘s column were so numerous, I have selected a few to share with readers. The first one read as follows: ―Thank you my brother for this hard truth. I read your article with tears in my eyes and my head heavy with thoughts. I remember the Operation Feed Yourself and the Green Revolutions with its associated backyard gardens. Hmmm, I wonder everyday where we are heading to as a country?‖ Agriculture and jewellery in Thailand Another said, ―Great article. It particularly hit home because I too have visited Bangkok and the real back story is that the King of Thailand is a very educated man and his love of agriculture

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and his leadership in that area is what spurred Thailand into becoming an agricultural heavy weight. So as your title states, their success was ‗intentional‘. But that just goes without saying because the success of advanced economies in every area of endeavor has been based on ‗intention‘. ―I was even more fascinated by the Thai precious metals industry. When I landed I was approached by a government sponsored tour guide who convinced me to purchase a tour package, which made sense because I was only there for three days. They dropped me off at my hotel and came back that evening to be taken to a tailor shop (at his suggestion) … ―Then check this, the next day he picked us up to where they make their jewellery. First they showed a movie of the history of precious metals in their country and the different kinds of sapphires and rubies. And at the end, we exited into a room full of jewellery and stones where they served us free champagne as we browsed looking for something we could take with us.

Who wouldn‘t buy? And as I experienced this I thought about Ghana and our missed opportunities with our gold.

Needed: vision and creativity ―Problem in Ghana is that we think that if someone has graduated from school particularly with an advanced degree or schooled and worked abroad or for the United Nations or World Bank somehow that qualifies to them to lead. The truth is, and it bears saying, that many of these people were and are just cogs in the machinery, just that some are higher level cogs in a machinery not of their own creation but technicians simply trained to stoke the fires of the engines, so that the real owners can turn their attention to more creative ownership matters and enjoyment of their wealth. ―But to expect them to have vision or a spark of creativity or genius is not forthcoming. The new crop of leaders and visionaries, though they exist, are turned off by the dirty politics. The political appointments are not given to the creative types with the knowledge and vision to make things happen.‖ Frequent flying ministers and government officials Yet another reader responded, ―Anis, you travelled that far out on your own to appreciate this phenomenon, ‗the specter of hectares and hectares of lush green rice and other agricultural fields in Bangkok‘. Human beings did this! The sad part is that there has never been a year since our independence when we did not have a Minister of Agriculture and other Senior Government Officials in the other sectors of the economy. All these people are frequent flyers, freely attending conferences everywhere in the World. ―The see it all: the serious and disciplined efforts to do the right things in some of the developed (and sometimes not so developed) countries they visit. They come back and fail to replicate any of the good things they saw elsewhere. I am of the view that the Airport Press, must be empowered to stop and speak to every Minister / Senior Government Officials on his/her return from these Workshops and Conferences in order to get them to tell Ghanaians about the lessons

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they learnt on the trips and how they intend to implement aspects of these in Ghana. In the absence of these feedbacks / Reports to Ghanaians, these trips become essentially, costly holidays and a drain on our poor economy. Our leaders must be fiercely competitive.‖ Conclusion: Isaiah 54:2 So the question is simply ―Is this as good as it gets? Are we going to re-think, act intentionally and get better, or is this it?‖ If African nations must be led to change, this must be the question the leaders must ask of themselves every blessed day. Eradicating poverty requires commitment and persistence. That is what it takes to seize opportunities for greater prospects.

It‘s worth remembering and acting on the possibilities from this verse from Isaiah 54:2; ―Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations: spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes; for you shall break forth on the right hand and on the left [for you and your] descendants‖.

Email: anishaffar@gmail.com

Blog: www.anishaffar.org http://www.graphic.com.gh/features/opinion/the-absolute-imperative-for-intentional-minded-agricultureand-agri-business-some-supportive-responses-from-readers.html

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Agriculture: APC‘s achievements fantastic – Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki on News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum at the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday. Photo: Jones Bamidele/NAN

By Ifeanyi Nwoko The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said that the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had recorded tremendous achievements in agriculture.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, that the feats of the party in agriculture were, however, not adequately reported.

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He berated some media houses for always making headlines with negative stories while ignoring such success stories.

The President of the Senate noted that in the area of rice farming and processing, Nigeria under the APC government, had risen to a point where it would soon be completely self sufficient. ―You can see what the APC government is doing in agriculture but this is something we don‘t talk about, the success that the APC government has made is tremendous. ―Am sure in a few years time we will be self sufficient in rice and that is a major achievement for a country that is always importing rice to now get to the stage where we no longer have to import rice. ―But how often do you report it, how often does it make your front pages in the papers? ―But the point I am making is that some of these things that we have done in agriculture, I am happy to see that there are a lot of successes,‖ he said.

Recalling the poultry farm he established during his tenure as governor of Kwara, he said that the farm had grown to be the second largest poultry in Nigeria but was not being reported.

Saraki said that the farm was a true example of a success story, adding that with its current growth rate, it would soon become the largest in Africa with many international companies buying into it. ―That farm today is probably the second largest poultry farm in the country and probably in another three years,it will be the third largest in West Africa. ―Recently the farm was bought into by the largest poultry farm in South Africa. ―I don‘t think there is any other example of success in seeing something start from nothing and growing to a state where it is viable and growing to a stage where you can see private sector involvement.

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―If you go to the community around there, you will see a lot of small scale industries that have picked up and small scale farmers also. It has been a great success. ―The problem sometimes is that some of you in the media, you don‘t like going beyond Lagos and Abuja.‖ The President of the Senate, however, warned that the success story of the APC government in agriculture and those of other states and individuals would amount to nothing if smuggling was allowed to thrive.

He said that while the government was working hard to ensure self sufficiency in various aspects of agriculture, smugglers were hampering governments efforts.

He, therefore, called on all agencies concerned to immediately step up their game and end smuggling in Nigeria. ―I was in the farm recently with the governor of CBN and what we saw there was very impressive, the only thing they (farmers) are still having problems with is the issue of smuggling. ―People are still smuggling chicken and that is our biggest challenge. ―The same thing with rice, we have been working and taking on Customs that they need to do something about these issues. ―We had to give the management of Customs all the support we have to make sure that they must do something about smuggling. ‖Once we can address smuggling, I think it is the greatest challenge to our success in agriculture.‖ http://www.nan.ng/news/agriculture-apcs-achievements-fantastic-saraki/

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Finally, a law to curb biopiracy 7 August 2017 - 10:05am Gurdial Singh Nijar LAST week the Dewan Rakyat passed a bill to curb "biopiracy". This is the stealing of the biological resources of a country without its consent.

Once it becomes law shortly (after the Dewan Negara and the king give their assent), a permit will be required to access our biological resources for research and development; or to access traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples associated with these resources. If it is for a commercial purpose then there must be a benefit-sharing agreement with the resource provider – invariably indigenous and local communities. Or states – who have jurisdiction over state parks and forests. For pure research purposes, for example by universities, there is no need for a benefit sharing agreement.

Crucially, in all cases the prior informed consent of indigenous and local communities is mandatory when their traditional knowledge associated with the biological resource is taken. For it is their traditional knowledge as to the uses of these resources that is much sought after.

Indeed, such knowledge has clothed, fed and healed the world.

The World Health Organisation reports that three-fourths of the drugs in modern medicine are based on leads provided by the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities. Even the life-saving anaesthesia – so critical for surgeries – is reportedly based on the traditional knowledge of South American indigenous peoples. They caught monkeys perched high up on trees by shooting them with a dart loaded with plant-based "poison". Only the monkey's outer skin would be pierced (so the poison did not contaminate the animal) but the monkey's bodily functions continued. So rigor mortis would not set it and the monkey would fall to the ground.

In the past corporations, essentially from the North, accessed the resources and the traditional knowledge for free on the basis that they were "the common heritage of mankind". Developing countries protested because these resources – including seeds which farmers provided to collection centres (mainly in the North) – were then accessed by corporations, turned into products, patented and commercialised. The huge profits reaped were never returned to the holders of the traditional knowledge nor the country from where the resources were accessed.

And so, for example, the traditional knowledge of the multi-uses of the neem plant – described

by Gandhi as a village pharmacopoeia – was pillaged by Western scientists visiting Indian villages – who patented the precise use of the active ingredients of the bioresource.

Finally, an international Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) was enacted in 1992. It vested the resources in the country and in its people; and made it a condition that there must be prior informed consent of the resource provider. Malaysia is a party to the CBD. The CBD's benefit sharing requirements were reinforced by another international agreement – the Nagoya Protocol of 2010. Malaysia played a pivotal role in the negotiation of this protocol – as a spokesperson for developing countries grouped as the Like Minded Megadiverse Countries.

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This bill paves the way for the country to ratify the protocol.

The bill was a long time in the making. Essentially because our constituent states, which constitutionally have exclusive jurisdiction over land and its resources, were wary of the encroachment of federal authority over their rights. The matter was resolved with the jurisdiction to implement the law being vested entirely in states. The federal government plays a coordinating role. As well as provide the link to international enforcement when a resource illegally taken from the state is developed and patented elsewhere.

Under the Nagoya Protocol, countries who become parties to this treaty must ensure that anyone using biological resources (and the associated traditional knowledge) or applying for rights over products created from this use, has acquired the resource legally from the country of origin. Else, the country will be subjected to compliance measures. This is an added value for our states as only parties (read, the federal government) can be a party to the protocol to avail itself of these enforcement measures. So, if someone steals a resource or associated traditional knowledge and seeks later to patent or commercialise a product developed from the resource in a foreign country, then it must prove that it has acquired the resource legally in compliance with our laws.

The foreign country which is a party to the protocol is obliged to put in place measures that will prevent any illegal use.

This is indeed a significant step forward in ensuring that we as a country, and indigenous and local communities, do not lose benefits arising from the pirating of our resources and traditional knowledge by foreign corporations and persons.

That this illegal taking could well result in huge losses can be illustrated by a recent example. A US researcher patented a fungi which has the potential to treat a recurring disease of the oil palm.

This translates into huge potential value. He collected the resource on a visit to a research university in Malaysia. He refuses to acknowledge that he needs to get our consent nor come to a benefit sharing arrangement.

Biopiracy has been a worldwide phenomenon. The San indigenous people had their traditional knowledge of the hoodia plant accessed for treating obesity. The indigenous people were bypassed entirely. Neither their consent was sought; nor any benefits accrued to them. They had to fight long and hard to secure benefits. Turmeric and basmati rice – all have been misappropriated in similar fashion. There are many other examples. The Nagoya Protocol is focused on staunching these thefts.

Malaysia is rich in bioresources. We are among the 12 richest biodiversity countries in the world.

One of our plants is now in the midst of testing to provide a remedy for AIDS. Modern biotechnology also relies on genetic resources and its derivatives to create new products. We house the oldest rainforest in the world – which stores these resources. Our indigenous peoples are the ones who can unlock the value of these resources with their traditional knowledge as to the use of these biological resources. The renowned Sarawak Biodiversity Centre has been actively carrying out research on biological resources based entirely on the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples. It has successfully entered into arrangements with companies and researchers to derive benefits if any resultant products are commercialised.

The bill will provide the necessary framework for regulating (and incentivising) research and development – by both foreign as well as local researchers.

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In this context local researchers from public universities and research institutions can freely exchange the materials between themselves for pure research without the need for any additional permit beyond the initial one. Only when a "hit" yields a product will they be required to enter into a benefit sharing agreement.

Overall, this new Access and Benefit-Sharing law will optimise the benefits accruing to the country, states and indigenous peoples, encourage domestic researchers and provide the necessary financial and technological means for us to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the components of our rich biodiversity.

Gurdial was the founder-director of the Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity Law, a joint venture between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Universiti Malaya. The centre was involved in the drafting of the ABS bill. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Zachary Ball to Lead Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering

By Texas Medical Center | August 07, 2017

Rice University chemist Zachary Ball has been named director of Rice‘s Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering (IBB). The institute promotes interdisciplinary research and education encompassing physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.

Ball succeeds Jane Grande-Allen, who will continue to serve as the Isabel C. Cameron Professor and chair of the Department of Bioengineering.

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―Zach is our first chemist in the role of IBB director and I am very excited about how he will expand the scope of our collaborative research,‖ said Yousif Shamoo, Rice‘s vice provost for research, who announced the appointment.

Ball sees his role with IBB as an opportunity to soften boundaries between departments at Rice and to help faculty connect with outside researchers in the Texas Medical Center. ―There is this inherent tension at a university,‖ Ball said. ―We still need a traditional department structure, but there‘s also a need to empower faculty in ways that are bigger and broader than traditional departments can provide. That‘s a big reason why IBB is and remains a hugely important part of the Rice research ensemble. It‘s uniquely situated to encourage faculty collaboration.‖ ―Zach brings an objective clarity on integration,‖ said Paul Cherukuri, IBB‘s executive director. ―He has a great analytical understanding of all the things we‘re doing at IBB and how to integrate our activities across the disciplines.‖ Ball used his own recent experience at Rice as an example. ―Since my lab moved to the BioScience Research Collaborative, we‘ve been near new people and it‘s really changed how we think about some research problems,‖ he said. ―I see on a small scale how bringing together people with different views can help build research that goes in new directions.‖ Ball‘s Rice lab designs, builds and studies novel transition-metal complexes with unique structures and functions for applications in chemical biology and medicine, including the development of next-generation protein drugs. ―I‘m a chemist who clearly works on biological problems, but I‘ve also traditionally viewed myself as on the fringes of what IBB does,‖ he said. ―So I think it‘s both a strength and a challenge that I arrive at IBB with a different perspective. I‘ll try to use that unique perspective while also relying on the strong network of IBB faculty to effectively enable progress in the many diverse fields that IBB encompasses.‖ Ball, an associate professor of chemistry, joined the Rice faculty in 2006. He earned a bachelor‘s degree at Harvard University in 1999 and a Ph.D. at Stanford in 2004. http://www.tmc.edu/news/2017/08/zachary-ball-lead-institute-biosciences-bioengineering/

Scientists create food from electricity and CO2 This nutritional powder does not need soil or sunlight to be made | Credit: Lappeenranta University of Technology

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 

Madeleine Cuff

With climate change diminishing the nutritional value of agricultural crops, scientists are making headway with lab protein that can be produced anywhere Finnish scientists have created a novel form of food from electricity and water that they claim could revolutionise the agricultural industry and end world hunger. The single cell protein powder, which... https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/3015133/scientists-create-food-from-electricity-and-co2

Arkansas farmers optimistic despite floods

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31 Published 1:05 am, Monday, August 7, 2017

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) — While spring floods left many rice farmers with fewer acres of rice than they originally planned, they're hopeful a rising market can offset at least some of the lost acreage.

"We had 1,400 acres, and we were able to salvage 150 (acres)," Lynn farmer Jerry Morgan said.

"The rest of it failed."

Morgan said when the levee in Pocahontas broke in May due to record floods, it sent water into the Lawrence County area, hurting the rice crop.

With all of the recent flooding, Morgan said there is no more "room for error" for farmers.

Pocahontas farmer Greg Baltz said he's down about 20 percent in acreage, but said he's got some early and late crops that are looking good.

The Jonesboro Sun reports that in 2016, farmers were hit by excess rain, in both May and August, but Morgan, along with other farmers, said the damage done wasn't enough to recoup losses through insurance coverage. This year, however, that changed, with insurance able to cover losses, though a profit remains almost impossible, Morgan said.

"We lost enough (insurance) is going to pay us some," Morgan said, though the exact amount he'll be able to recover isn't yet known. "... You're not going to make any money. It hurts. On top of last year, when we didn't get any relief, it makes it difficult."

While flooding makes work hard for farmers in Northeast Arkansas, the rice market as a whole is up, Morgan said, with the latest numbers in the $12 per hundredweight range.

"It hasn't been there in a while," Morgan said.

If rice can wind up at about $6 per bushel, Sedgwick farmer Mitch Worlow said, that would be great.

"When it's down below $5, bankers tighten up," Worlow said.

While the market is up, Baltz said without a positive yield, the increased value of rice won't mean much.

Craighead County Extension Agent Branon Thiesse said rice is starting to head, so at this time, it's hard to tell exactly how the market will look compared to previous years.

The recent hot temperatures also hurt the crop, Thiesse said.

"As it goes through the flowering period, cooler temperatures will really help," Thiesse said. "...

Higher temperatures lead to pollination issues."

Worlow added that rice needs to not work as hard at night, and needs cooler temperatures to help it rest.

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Morgan said the country's recent deal with China to send American rice to the country for the first time in history has a chance to make a major difference.

"If China bought every grain (of rice) that we grew, it'd last them 13 days," Morgan said. "... I really see potential for the rice market."

USA Rice, an industry association, confirmed Morgan's assertion about how long the rice would last. China is the largest consumer, producer and importer of rice in the world, according to the association.

The new deal was announced July 20 by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

While challenges remain, Morgan is confident rice has a good future.

"I'm optimistic about rice, and have been," Morgan said http://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Arkansas-farmers-optimistic-despite-floods-11737834.php

Glutinous rice exports to China slowing down VNA MONDAY, AUGUST 07, 2017 - 10:05:00 PRINT

Farmers harvest the 2016-2017 winter-spring rice crop in Vi Dong commune of Vi Thuy district, the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang (Photo: VNA)

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HCM City (VNA) – Exports of glutinous rice to China, Vietnam‘s biggest rice importer, are stagnating, despite overseas shipments of the commodity soaring 34 percent in the first half of 2017.

Statistics from the Vietnam Food Association show that 2.65 million tonnes of rice were shipped abroad with free-on-board value of 1.65 billion USD in the first six months of 2017, an increase 0.25 percent in volume and 1.85 percent in value from the same period last year.

More than 1.16 million tonnes or 43.8 percent of the volume was shipped to China between January and June.

Meanwhile, more than 660,000 tonnes of the total exported rice was glutinous rice, surging 34 percent from a year earlier.

Overseas shipments of glutinous rice have sold well for the last three years as China began to purchase more of this product. Glutinous rice has made up 25 percent of exported rice volume, compared to 16.65 percent and 6.65 percent in the respective first halves of 2016 and 2015.

Most of Vietnam‘s glutinous rice was destined for China, with a little for Indonesia.

The demand for glutinous rice in China has been relatively high in recent years, boosting both domestic and export prices. Businesses even exported glutinous rice at 490-500 USD per tonne at the end of this year‘s winter-spring crop.

However, glutinous rice exports to China have slowed down over the last week, causing a drop in export prices, from 460-470 USD per tonne a week ago to 420-430 USD per tonne at present.

Domestic prices also fell from 10,800-11,200 VND per kg to 10,400 VND per kg, said Dang Thi Lien – Director of the Long An Foodstuff Co. Ltd. Many companies blamed the slowdown on changes in China‘s glutinous rice import policy, forcing Chinese importers to offer lower bids to Vietnamese sellers to make up for higher import expenses.

Vietnamese firms will struggle to make a profit if they sell glutinous rice at 420-430 USD per tonne to China while purchasing it at 9,000-10,000 VND per kg from local farmers, explaining

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why the exports have slowed down.

Some enterprises said although China is a good market where Vietnam‘s glutinous rice has few rivals, once supply surpasses demand, Vietnam‘s dependence on the market poses great risks.

Experts said the agriculture ministry‘s Department of Crop Production and localities should control the structure of planted rice varieties and avoid expanding the glutinous rice area.

Rice exporters also need to expand markets, especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, to avoid excessive dependence on China.-VNA http://en.vietnamplus.vn/glutinous-rice-exports-to-china-slowing-down/115923.vnp

Iran | Growth in Rice Imports Close to 645,000 tons of semi- and wholly-milled rice worth nearly 9.55 trillion rials ($250 million) were imported into Iran during the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 21-July 22), registering a 14.5% and 26.7% growth in weight and value respectively compared with the corresponding period of last year. The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration also reported that the UAE, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey and Iraq were the main countries from where the products were imported, Mizan Online reported. India‘s English-language daily the Tribune recently wrote that increased buying from Iran has led to Basmati rice emerging as the top agricultural export in the Indian commodity basket. During the April-June period, basmati contributed 29% to India‘s agricultural and processed food product exports value-wise, followed by buffalo meat (19.33%). According to the country‘s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority data, basmati exports for the Q1 stood at 1.25 million tons compared to 1.18 million tons during the corresponding period of last year. Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year, of which more than 2.2 million tons are supplied by domestic farmers.

The Agriculture Ministry expects domestic rice production to increase by 10-15% in the current Iranian year, because of favorable weather condition and timely distribution of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and equipment among local farmers. The government periodically places a ban on imports during the harvest season to support local farmers. Import tariffs have increased from 22% four years ago to 40% at present for the same reason. The two northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are home to a majority of Iran‘s paddy fields. Director General of Grains and Staple Foods Office with the Ministry of Agriculture Kaveh Khaksar said 81% and 70% of rice harvest in the two provinces respectively were mechanized in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2017). ―The figures are estimated to increase to 86% for Mazandaran and 80% for Gilan in the current year.

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Expansion of mechanization is aimed at increasing productivity and achieving self-sufficiency.

A 100% automation of rice harvest is projected by the end of the Sixth Five-Year Development Plan [2017-22],‖ he said. Khaksar noted that out of the 185,000 hectares of paddy fields in Mazandaran, 38,000 hectares went under mechanized rice cultivation. In Gilan, mechanized rice planting was carried out over 95,000 hectares from a total of 238,000 hectares of paddy fields.

According to Kambiz Abbasi, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture, the government of President Hassan Rouhani invested 6 trillion rials ($156 million) on mechanization of rice production, which investment is ―unprecedented‖. He added that mechanization would cut rice harvesting costs by up to 70%.

Abbasi noted that in view of water shortage in Iran, the administration is not willing to expand paddy fields in provinces other than Mazandaran and Gilan. According to the Central and West Asia Rice Center, with around 54% of Central and West Asia‘s paddy fields located in Iran, the country accounts for 61% of the regions‘ combined rice production. CWARice was officially established in 2010 at the Rice Research Institute of Iran in the city of Rasht in Gilan. Its member states include Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The mission of CWARice is to conduct advanced rice research with an emphasis on new production technologies that will be required to adapt rice production systems in the region to climate change. https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-domestic-economy/69864/growth-in-rice-imports

Vietnam bids for Bangladesh rice sale

Việt Nam is taking part in an international aucton being held today by Bangladesh on bids to import 50,000 tonnes of non-basmati parboiled rice. — Photo doanhnghiepvn.vn

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HÀ NỘI – Việt Nam is taking part in an international aucton being held today by Bangladesh on bids to import 50,000 tonnes of non-basmati parboiled rice. According to the tender, the imported rice would have to be shipped to Chittagong and Mongla ports within 40 days of the contract siganture. The rice has to have been harvested in the past year.

In May, Việt Nam and Bangladesh decided to extend a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on rice trade, allowing Việt Nam to sell up to 1 million tonnes of rice to Bangladesh each year until 2022.

After signing the deal, Bangladesh requested 300,000 tonnes of 5-per cent broken rice to reach its target of importing 500,000 tonnes by the end of 2017.

Bangladesh has a population of more than 170 million with a low supply capacity unequal to its high consuming power. The country often faces disasters and bad harvest while Việt Nam‘s rice production industry is seeking more markets.Việt Nam sold more than 300,000 tonnes of rice to Bangladesh in 2011 and 2012.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Việt Nam‘s rice exports in the first seven months of 2017 were estimated at 3.3 million tonnes and US$1.5 billion, up 15.7 per cent in volume and 13.7 per cent in value over the same period in 2016. — VNS http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/381578/vn-bids-for-bangladesh-ricesale.html#X6JOjpLcyQXTAdyW.99

Loans offer for rice harvest The government has injected another $23 million through the Rural Development Bank (RDB) to provide loans to rice mills and exporters who lack working capital to buy rice from farmers in the up-coming harvest season and stabilise the rice price.RDB‘s CEO Kao Thach said yesterday that mills and exporters who meet the criteria may apply for the loans without discrimination.―We hope that the total of $50 million of government emergency loans would stabilise the rice price during the harvest season because most rice mills and rice exporters still have working capital to purchase rice from farmers in this new harvest season,‖ Mr Thach said.

He said that the rice harvest season starts in September, so the new loan would help to stabilise prices.

The government has also approved another $15 million to RDB to work with private partners to build silos and warehouses in Kampong Thom, Prey Veng and Takeo provinces, Mr Thach said.

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37 ―Besides the western provinces such Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Pailin and Pursat, the government found that Kampong Thom, Prey Veng and Takeo provinces also have the potential to produce rice, so we have to build warehouses and silos in that area,‖ Mr Thach said. ―As planned, we want the capacity of the warehouses to store from 50,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes and silos to dry from 1,500 tonnes, but sizes would be changed according to the price and infrastructure of the silo and warehouse.‖ He added that the government had approved $30 million to build warehouses and silos for the rice sector.

In April, the government conducted a $15 million bidding contract to build a 3,000-tonne silo facility and 200,000-tonne rice warehouse. Cambodia Rice Bank won the contract for the facilities in Battambang.

The silo is expected to be finished by the end of the year and the warehouse will be fully operational for the 2018 harvest season.

Phou Puy, CEO of the Cambodia Rice Bank, said that once the facility is ready, it will help stabilise prices during the harvest season and will benefit farmers in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Pursat and Siem Reap provinces. ―We spent about $5 million on machines and other facilities for silos and all of these facilities will be installed in July,‖ Mr Puy said.

He said the Cambodia Rice Bank also signed two other agreements with Taiwan‘s Agrosun Co. and Thailand‘s International Rice Engineering Co. to supply machinery for the silos.

Mr Puy said farmers would no longer have concerns about rice production and price fluctuations after harvests. The rice, he said, could be stored when prices were low and released to be sold when prices recovered.

Mr Thach said that silos and warehouses in Kampong Thom, Prey Veng and Takeo would be smaller than in Battambang, but investment would be expanded in future in these strategic rice-growing areas.

Nguon Sokha, secretary of state at the Finance Ministry, said the government through the ministry had decided to inject more capital to the RDB to provide loans to all key players in the agricultural production chain – from farming communities, processing factories to exporters and microfinance institutions. http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5077015/loans-offer-rice-harvest/

India rice shipments slow as stronger rupee lifts export prices * Strong rupee, paddy prices make India exports tooexpensive * Chance for Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia to gain marketshare * Export prices need to fall $10-$15/T to become competitive

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38 * New crop supply to start from October, could soften prices

By Rajendra JadhavMUMBAI, Aug 8 (Reuters) - India's non-basmati rice exports are likely to slow over the next few months as its shipments ofthe grain have become too expensive on the world market due to arally in the rupee and an increase in local paddy prices. Lower shipments from the world's biggest rice exporter willgive rivals Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia a chance to raise their share of the global market.

"Other origins are cheaper than India. There will bedefinitely a slowdown in exports," Nitin Gupta, business head ofrice at Olam India, told Reuters. India was offering 5 percent broken parboiled rice <RI-INBKN5-P1> this week at around $410 a tonne,free-on-board (FOB) from Kakinada port on the east coast. In comparison, Thai rice <RI-THBKN5-P1> was offered atbetween $390 and $392 a tonne, and Vietnamrice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> was quoted at $400 to $405 a tonne. "Due to an appreciating rupee, we can't match prices quotedby Vietnam or Thailand," said M. Adishankar, executive director at Sri Lalitha, a leading exporter based at Kakinada.

The rupee <INR=IN> has risen more than 6.5 percent so far in2017, reaching its highest in more than two years. A strongerrupee means rice shippers have to raise their dollar-denominatedexport prices to cover their purchases and other costs. Key buyers of Indian rice in Africa - such as Benin, Senegaland Guinea - were not comfortable buying at the current level, Adishankar said.

Last month, India's high prices resulted in suspension of agovernment-to-government deal with Bangladesh, which needs toimport rice to replenish stocks hit by flash floods. [nL3N1KB42S] After the deal with India was called off, Bangladesh agreedto buy 1 million tonnes of rice from Cambodia. [nL4N1KO33S] In India, paddy rice prices are still rising as most of thesupplies from the winter crop have already been consumed. "Until new summer crops enter into the market from October, paddy supply will remain tight," said a Kakinada-based exporterwho declined to be named. Indian farmers had planted 28 million hectares of paddy riceas of Aug. 4, up 4.9 percent from a year ago, but lower rainfallin southern states has raised concerns over the harvest. "If Indian prices come down we can see demand from WestAfrican markets from October onwards for Christmas," said Guptaof Olam India. "Prices need to come down by $10 to $15 (per tonne) tobecome competitive."

Indian rice exports seen slowing after rise in rupee pushesexport prices higher

http://reut.rs/2fp31v8

Author Name: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/india-rice-shipments-slow-as-stronger-rupee-lifts-exportprices-20170808-00353

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