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TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU Latest News Headlines… New technologies increase rice yields Elsevier Releases Pathway Studio Web Plant; a Powerful New Solution to Improve Global Research on Critical Crop Production and Protection Combating flash floods with submergible rice By opposing Golden Rice, Greenpeace defies its own values – and harms children Govt shift on TPP stance creates shock wave Rice prices seen stabilizing Rice harvesting starts again in former Fukushima no-entry zone Aquino rejects proposal to import more rice DA promotes farm mechanization to increase rice production Hearty rice harvest underway NFA chief junks recommendation of Neda to import rice ‘immediately’ Vietnam To Export Over One Million Tonnes Of Rice Next Year Cambodia flood death toll rises to 83, affecting over 800,000 people Late rice payments worry farmers Rice subsidy for newest harvest less than Bt270 billion 9.12 lakh tonnes of paddy arrives in Haryana mandi Bulk buyers await fall in rice prices Inaction on runaway rice price irks Legarda Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Oct 08 Iranian trade with India hit by insurance delay - sources Exporting countries to blame for rice price hike Rice farmers gearing up for switch to sugar cane Upcoming Meetings…
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NEWS DETAILS: New technologies increase rice yields Rice farmers at Golinga in the Northern Region that have implemented proper agricultural practices as well as new technologies and management practices for rice production expect to more than double yields in a couple of months‘ time.Formerly, farmers used to broadcast about 60kg of rice seeds on an acre of land, but under the new programme, Sustainable Rice Intensification, the farmers nursed just six kg of seeds and transplanted the seedlings to an acre of land.Also, the application of chemicals and organic fertilisers reduced considerably but yielded more output. For example, instead of applying three bags of NPK fertiliser per acre, they now apply only two bags of fertiliser.―Now, nobody can convince me to go back to broadcasting of seeds anymore. The new method is so good and I can‘t wait to see the output. Already, I can see that the weight of the grain is heavier than the weight of the grain on a broadcasted field.―Also, working on the transplanted field is much easier because it is well spaced-out, so I can go through and easily uproot weeds. Formerly, after broadcasting, it was difficult walking through the farm because there was no proper spacing,‖ said Mahamudu Yahaya, a twoacre farm owner. Championed by the Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body (GRIB), Green OK, Wienco, Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), Skills Development Fund (SDF) and the USAID-funded Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE) project, 10 rice demonstration sites at the Golinga Irrigation Project Scheme were introduced to the new methods.At a farmer‘s field-day at Golinga, 55 farmers of the Golinga Farmers‘ Cooperative Union who are yet to adopt the new methods were brought together to observe the rice fields that have benefitted from the programme.The farmers were shown how to use Sustainable Rice Intensification (SRI) transplanting methods, as against the traditional broadcasting method. ―From the next growing season, I will no longer broadcast because it wastes seeds and reduces yields. I used to doubt the viability of this project, but with what I have seen I will commence transplanting next year,‖ Amina Yahaya, one of the farmers, said. Atchulo Abukari, the agricultural extension officer in charge of the project, said when they tried introducing the new concepts to them, most of the farmers were reluctant; ―but I am happy they have now seen the difference, and I guess my work will now be a bit easier‖.The USAID/ADVANCE project supports demonstration sites to promote innovations and to introduce management practices to smallholder farmers. With the support of private sector companies, the project has set up close to 180 demonstrations sites for maize, rice, and soybean in the Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions. Twenty-four of these sites in the Northern Region are rice demonstrations -- four of which are rain-fed rice.―The farmers are seeing the difference between the SRI plots and their traditional broadcasting method, and are happy to see its impact on yields. I am also happy with the private sector involvement with USAID/ADVANCE to set up the demonstration plots,‖ Paa Kwasi Forson, acting Executive Secretary of GRIB, said.The ADVANCE programme is a USAID-funded project that supports the government‘s commitment to strengthening food security. Oct. 8, 2013, 8:22 a.m. EDT
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Elsevier Releases Pathway Studio Web Plant; a Powerful New Solution to Improve Global Research on Critical Crop Production and Protection NEW YORK, October 8, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Flexible informatics solution provides commercial and academic plant researchers with a comprehensive knowledgebase of molecular information from the top research journals Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the release of Pathway Studio Web Plant. This web-based research solution helps plant scientists explore breeding through trait analysis, and enables them to make more informed decisions at critical stages of crop production and protection research.Plant researchers are applying genomics information to address the urgent needs of sustaining production maximizing yield in difficult conditions, and protecting crops in environmentally safe ways. To meet these challenges, they require access to molecular information on beneficial traits, and to analytical tools that interpret reference and experimental data.Pathway Studio Web Plant has a unique knowledgebase of molecular relationships and curated pathways from three model plant organisms: Arabidopsis, Maize, and Rice. It also provides powerful analytical and visualization tools, that help plant biologists contextualize complex biology involved in conditions that affect crop yield, such as drought sensitivity and disease resistance. "Pathway Studio Plant, which is also available as an Enterprise solution, is an important technology to advance research on crop breeding and sustainability," said Jaqui Hodgkinson, Vice President of Product Development, Life Science Solutions, Elsevier. "The web version of Pathway Studio Plant enables access for even more plant researchers in academic and commercial institutions worldwide. The Enterprise edition of Pathway Studio adds additional advanced functionality to support plant breeding research, and the ability for researchers to create inhouse plant databases."Currently the Pathway Studio Plant knowledge base contains information on more than 130,000 molecular interactions, extracted from 60,000 full text plant-specific articles. Maintained by Elsevier and updated weekly as part of the subscription agreement, the Pathway Studio knowledgebase and pathway collections summarize the state of current research on Arabidopsis, Maize, and Rice. With Pathway Studio Plant, researchers now have a single solution that combines disparate information found across many different public databases. With its filtering and inferred relationship capabilities plant researchers can rapidly annotate hundreds of proteins and reconstruct hundreds of pathways, expanding the depth and breadth of scientific enquiry for their plant of choice, and supporting confident research decisions.Pathway Studio Plant is a part of Elsevier's Life Science Solutions, a suite of interoperable, domain-specific, decision support tools which span the discovery and development workflow; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, TargetInsights, Reaxys, Reaxys Medicinal Chemistry, PharmaPendium, QUOSA and Embase.For further information go to elsevier.com/pathway-studio
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About Pathway Studio A robust informatics solution, Pathway Studio provides scientists with an unparalleled knowledge base of molecular interactions drawn from literature-based evidence. Integrated data mining, analytical, and visualization capabilities rapidly connect relevant biological relationships and interpret experimental data. Presented in a visual context, results can be used to define and test in silico-based hypotheses across a wide range of disciplines, increasing efficiency and research confidence. For more information, got to: http://www.elsevier.com/online-tools/pathway-studio About Elsevier Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby's Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, helping research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange). Media contact Liz Griffioen Elsevier +31-20-485-2247 L.griffioen@elsevier.com
Combating flash floods with submergible rice Wednesday, 09 October 2013 06:00
A RECENT international research project has contributed new knowledge to the physiological functioning of paddy field rice when fully submerged underwater, such as during flash flooding events. ―Flash floods are a major stress that causes yield losses in rain-fed lowland rice in various locations,‖ head of UWA‘s School of Plant Biology Timothy Colmer says.―The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines has successfully bred more submergence tolerant rice genotypes called Sub1 rice.―We wanted to assess how this rice functions when submerged.‖Complete submergence from flash flooding blocks the plant‘s capacity to photosynthesise; CO2 uptake is reduced, and, with light weakened through water, sugar conversion and O2 production is inhibited, resulting in tissue hypoxia which can damage plant cells.However, as rice leaves are hydrophobic they retain a thin layer of air when first submerged, known as a leaf gas film.―This
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feature had been noticed for rice and several ‗wild‘ wetland plants,‖ Professor Colmer says.―We wanted to test the hypothesis that this gas film on leaves enhances photosynthesis when underwater, as it helps exchange of gases between the underlying leaves and the floodwater.‖The team conducted field experiments during the wet season (October to November) in 2011 at the IRRI using Sub1 rice.Plants were divided into three conditions; complete submergence by flooding with reservoir water, complete submergence with leaf gas films removed, and control plants in an adjacent field (non-submerged).The effect of gas films on internal aeration was measured using microelectrodes across two days of complete submergence, also providing monitoring of tissue O2 across light-dark cycles.Tissue samples of leaf blades, stems and roots were then assessed.The researchers found the presence of gas films reduced the restriction of photosynthesis when underwater. ―With more photosynthesis, more O2 is produced, and that O2 then moves through the plant body to supply tissues in flooded sediments,‖ Prof Colmer says.While the gas films contributed to the plants survival, those submerged were still in worse condition than the control plants.Other variables such as light variation, turbidity, and floodwater gas composition also contributed to differences in underwater photosynthesis, and expected longer-term survival and recovery rates. Prof Colmer recommends further research to discover if diversity exists between rice genotypes in their capacity to retain gas films and photosynthesise when underwater.―This could then become a target for future breeding for further improvements in the submergence tolerance of rice.‖Notes:This collaborative study between UWA, the University of Copenhagen and the IRRI was recently published inNew Phytologist.
By opposing Golden Rice, Greenpeace defies its own values – and harms children PATRICK MOORE:Special to The Globe and Mail Published Tuesday, Oct. 08 2013, 12:52 PM EDT:Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 08 2013, 12:52 PM EDT It was 43 years ago when I boarded an old fishing boat named the Phyllis Cormack in Vancouver on the first Greenpeace campaign to stop nuclear testing in Alaska. I never dreamed that 43 years later Greenpeace would be arriving in Vancouver on a $32-million ship, and that this time I would be going down to protest against them.I‘m still proud of the work Greenpeace did during the 15 years I was in the leadership. I left because they had drifted from a humanitarian effort to save civilization from all-out nuclear war to an organization that sees humans as the enemies of the earth. How else could they justify their opposition to Golden Rice?Two humanitarian scientists, Dr. Ingo Potrykus and Prof. Peter Beyer, used their knowledge of genetics to create Golden Rice, a variety of rice that contains beta carotene, the essential nutrient that we make into vitamin A. They were aware that two million people, mostly young children, die each year from vitamin A deficiency. Most of them live in urban slums in Asia and Africa and eat little more than a cup of rice each day. Conventional rice contains no beta carotene, resulting in 250 million preschool children who have chronic vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A is necessary for eyesight and the immune system. As many as 500,000 children go blind each year, half of whom die within a year of becoming blind, according to the World Health
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Organization.Since Golden Rice was first announced in 2000, Greenpeace has made a concerted effort to block its introduction. They have waged a campaign of misinformation, trashed the scientists who are working to bring Golden Rice to the people who need it, and supported the violent destruction of Golden Rice field trials at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines.How does Greenpeace justify this heartless behavior? First they claim there may be ―unforeseen‖ consequences for human health and the environment. Yet they are not able to specify a single health risk with Golden Rice. That‘s because the only difference between white rice and Golden Rice is the beta carotene, an essential nutrient that is necessary for good health. As for environmental risks Greenpeace says they are concerned that Golden Rice may cross with other rice plants. There is no imaginable way this could cause damage and could only make rice more nutritious. And to suggest that the threat of rice interbreeding is more important than two million deaths every year is pathetic. Second, they say that Golden Rice will not solve the problem and that children should eat leafy vegetables and take vitamin A pills. But the very reason they suffer from malnutrition is that they can‘t afford pills and they have no place in their slums to grow vegetables. Golden Rice is like a vitamin pill in a grain of rice.Third, they claim that Golden Rice may not be effective in delivering the vitamin A to children. Yet they know Dr. Gwangwen Tang and her colleagues at Tufts University and the Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences in China have already proven that Golden Rice is effective. After conducting nutritional trials with animals and then adults in the United States, 23 Chinese children were fed one meal of Golden Rice and tested to see if they had absorbed the beta carotene. The results were published in 2012 in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and demonstrate conclusively that Golden Rice is effective.The real reason Greenpeace is opposed to Golden Rice is because it is generically modified and they can‘t seem to imagine that even one beneficial crop might result from this technique. They are willing to put their zero-tolerance ideology ahead of a critical humanitarian mission. Every major science and health organization supports Golden Rice.Last week we launched the Allow Golden Rice Now! campaign with a demonstration at the Greenpeace Canada office in Toronto. We are not asking Greenpeace to give up their general dislike of genetically modified foods. We are only demanding that they make an exception to their policy, on humanitarian grounds, for Golden Rice. Dr. Patrick Moore was a co-founder of Greenpeace and helped lead the organization for 15 years. He is now an independent ecologist and environmentalist working from Vancouver, Canada.
Govt shift on TPP stance creates shock wave The Yomiuri Shimbun Shigeru Ishiba, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, answers questions from reporters at the party‘s headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
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October 8, 2013 Seima Oki and Makoto Miyazaki / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WritersA move by the government and ruling parties to consider removing some items from ―sanctuary‖ categories in Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations has sent a shock wave through political circles and the agriculture industry.With TPP negotiations running into difficulty over tariff elimination, participating countries are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve their goal of reaching an agreement by the end of the year. Japan is also likely to have to review its TPP strategy.The Liberal Democratic Party has now shifted its stance coordinating views within the party, with an eye toward removing some items, which would have limited negative impact on producers, from the five sanctuary agricultural categories, such as rice, wheat and meat (beef and pork). Koya Nishikawa, chairman of the ruling party‘s TPP committee, told reporters in Bali on Sunday, ―We have to consider whether [some products in the five categories] can be eliminated‖ from the sanctuary categories.LDP Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba had no qualms with the remarks.―That sounds obvious to me,‖ Ishiba said after being informed by Nishikawa about his remarks.Some LDP members speculate that Nishikawa made the comment to back Prime Minister Shinzo Abe‘s TPP initiative.―He [Nishikawa] apparently wanted to show support for the government in line with Prime Minister Abe‘s intention at the risk of sparking a backlash from agricultural bodies,‖ they said.The nation‘s 11 TPP negotiating partners are proceeding with TPP talks with a goal of setting a tariff-free liberalization rate of 95 percent or above. However, if they allow Japan to maintain tariffs on all items in its five sanctuary categories, the rate would fall to 93.5 percent, fueling concern among Japan‘s negotiators that the nation could be left behind in the talks.However, the party‘s shift in its stance on TPP talks has drawn fire from some LDP members. Toshio Yamada, a House of Councillors member of the LDP who previously worked for JA-Zenchu (Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives), said Monday, ―We might come to the point where we have to consider [tariff elimination item by item] in the future, but Japan shouldn‘t bring it up first.‖Yamada and other LDP members cautious about the TPP negotiations plan to hold a meeting next Tuesday to discuss ways to firmly protect the five farm categories from trade liberalization.
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Meanwhile, the party‘s TPP committee is scheduled to hold a meeting Thursday at which Nishikawa is expected to explain the current situation of the TPP talks, and party members are likely to discuss the matter further. The LDP leadership could face strong opposition at the meeting.In a policy packaged dubbed ―J-file 2013,‖ compiled as a supplement to its campaign pledges for last July‘s upper house election, the LDP said, ―Unless the sanctuary [for the five key categories] is secured, we will not hesitate to leave the TPP negotiations."In light of this, TPP skeptics could argue such a stance shift contradicts the election pledge.The key five agricultural categories comprise 586 items. For example, beef is specifically divided into items such as refrigerated and frozen.One LDP upper house member said, ―Rice, one of the five categories, also includes items such as processed rice and sticky rice that won‘t be affected much by tariff elimination.‖The LDP leadership apparently intends to convince agricultural bodies and TPP skeptics within the party with a logic that maintaining tariffs for certain items, including polished rice, would mean successful protection of the five categories as a whole.
Rice prices seen stabilizing Philippine Daily Inquirer:9:50 pm | Tuesday, October 8th, 2013 neighboring provinces, said an official of a farmers‘ group here. Rosendo So, chair of the party-list group Abono, said the price of a kilogram of commercial rice has leveled to P32 on Sunday, down from the P35 a kg selling price last month.―This is because farmers in Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija have already harvested their crops,‖ said So on telephone. ―Then the weather has been good so far, allowing farmers to dry their palay.‖Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, in a visit here last week, said prices of commercial rice had slightly gone down after farmers in rice-producing provinces started harvesting their crops.He said rice prices increased due to the disruption of the delivery of middle-priced rice supply to traders because of the continuous rains. Commercial rice shot up from P32 a kg to P35 a kg.So, a rice trader, said rice prices would continue to stabilize until December as long as farmers continued to harvest and dry their palay. He said the National Food Authority (NFA) had been buying palay from farmers at P17.50 a kg. ―Next year, we might import only about 350,000 metric tons of rice as NFA buffer stock,‖ So said. ―This is a lot lower than the amount of rice we imported in 2010, which was about 2 million metric tons,‖ he said. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
Rice harvesting starts again in former Fukushima no-entry zone October 09, 2013 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
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TAMURA, Fukushima Prefecture--The familiar sounds of a rice farmer harvesting his crop in autumn returned to the Miyakoji district here on Oct. 8 for the first time in three years since residents were forced to evacuate due to the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.―The golden scenery (of rice ears) fills me with emotion. I am happy. I hope that my rice harvesting encourages other residents in my district to restart their rice cultivation next year,‖ said Hisao Tsuboi, who was working a combine harvester in a field about 18 kilometers west of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.The reaping of rice marked the first time that it has been conducted in areas that had been previously designated no-entry zones due to the nuclear crisis triggered by the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. In April 2012, the Miyakoji district was changed from a no-entry zone to ―Hinan-shiji kaijo junbi-kuiki‖ (an area to prepare for the lifting of the evacuation order), which allowed residents to freely return to their homes in the daytime and stay overnight over the New Year's season and other consecutive holiday periods.After the government‘s decontamination work was completed in the district in June, returning residents were allowed to remain in their homes for longer periods. Tsuboi has been living in his house since August and growing rice in an area measuring 1.8 hectares.All his harvested rice will be inspected by the government. If the radiation level is lower than the government‘s safety standard of 100 becquerels per kilogram, it will be shipped to markets
Aquino rejects proposal to import more rice (philstar.com) | Updated October 8, 2013 - 9:00pm
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - President Benigno Aquino III has rejected the proposal of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to import more rice this year to address the rising prices of the grain, a senior official said today."The harvest season has begun, so it's not a good time to import rice," said Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ramon Carandang.NEDA Director General Arsenio M. Balisacan, in a memorandum sent on Sept. 10 to Malacanang, the presidential palace, recommended the importation of additional rice to arrest the rising prices and prevent a possible shortage.Balisacan said there was a need to import at least half a million metric tons (MMT), citing that "even if rice production recovers in the last quarter of 2013, deficits are expected to be incurred from as low as 0.5 million metric tons to as high as 1.4 MMT."National Food Authority administrator Orlan Calayag also said on today that there are still no plans to import an additional volume of rice for this year.
DA promotes farm mechanization to increase rice production BY: APRIL MONTES:Wednesday 9th of October 2013 The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing to raise the mechanization level of farms in the country to more than two horsepower per hectare (hp/ha) in the next three years to catch up with other Asian countries.PhilMech Executive Director Rex Bingabing said that the need to promote farm mechanization is very vital since the level of mechanization in the Philippines is at 1.2 hp/ha which is way behind other Asian countries like Thailand which has mechanization level of 2.7 hp/ha.Towards this end, the Agriculture department is replicating
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the agricultural machinery road shows dubbed ―Makina Saka 2013‖ in major island clusters for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to showcase new farming machinery, equipment, systems and gadgets. Makina Saka 2013 aims to gather the latest agricultural machinery in the market to gear up the level of mechanization in the country in support to the food self-sufficiency program of the Department of Agriculture particularly the National Rice Program which has a Rice Mechanization component.For Luzon, nearly 2,000 farmer leaders and advocates from Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V and CAR participated in the five-day Luzon-wide ―Makina-Saka‖ or Agri-Machinery Roadshow hosted by the province of Pangasinan from September 30 to October 4. Bingabing said the event helped farmers decide on what machineries to adopt for their farming activities.Farm machines like tractors, rice transplanters, reapers, state-of-the-art mechanical harvesters , multi-pass rice mills and other latest production and postproduction technologies were displayed and demonstrated by members of the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association, Inc. (AMMDA), other local farm equipment manufacturers, government institutions and DA agencies. The event also included discussions on the government‘s farm mechanization program such as land preparation technologies, state of mechanization in the Philippines, machinery manufacturing distribution and regulation efforts and programs and financial analysis of different mechanization and postharvest facilities. The discussions provided greater awareness on the advantage of farm mechanization and strategies on how to make farms more profitable.Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala emphasized that modern farm machineries are not meant to replace farm workers.Thus, these machines are introduced so that farmers can compare that production using modern equipment is higher than when farmers resort to traditional farming modes. (MCA/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan)
Hearty rice harvest underway October 08, 2013 11:39:00 AM A season of cooperative weather has meant a successful rice harvest for Yuba-Sutter farmers, at least so far.A dry spring allowed farmers to plant their crops early, and a dry, sunny fall has made for an easy harvest, resulting in a slight increase in projected crop yields."This is what I'd like to do every year," said Charlie Mathews, an area farmer. "The last couple of years we've fought rain and cold. This is an exceptional year this go around." The latest estimate of California's rice harvest from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is 4.57 billion pounds, a 1 percent increase from the previous year, said Jim Morris, communications manager for the California Rice Commission.The yield forecast is 8,300 pounds per acre."The upshot from our perspective is that it's a goodsized crop and the growers are able to get it in at a more normal rate," Morris said.The quality of the rice harvest appears to be up as well, said Mike Filice, manager of Northtree Ranch in Yuba County.The quality is determined by a grade that is given by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and reflects the amount of whole kernels of rice versus broken kernels in a sample.The favorable weather has resulted in quality rice, with the exception of the recent high northern winds, which can dry the rice and cause it to crack, Filice said.A successful rice harvest is a critical part of the local economy. According to the California Rice Commission, for
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every $1 the local rice industry contributes to the economy, $3 is generated through allied businesses such as equipment dealers, fertilizer distributors, cropdusters and laborers. By Andrew Creasey acreasey@appealdemocrat.com
NFA chief junks recommendation of Neda to import rice ‗immediately‘ Written by Benjamin B. Pulta :Monday, 07 October 2013 08:00
The National Food Authority, through Administrator Orlan Calayag, announced that the NFA would no longer be importing rice this year despite a Memorandum for the President dated Sept. 10, 2013 from the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) that recommended the ―immediate‖ importation of half a million metric tons (MT) of rice ―to address the supply gap and stabilize prices,‖ ignoring a blueprint from the National Economic Development Authority that would address high rice prices and ―possibly lower them.‖The memorandum by Neda Director General Arsenio Balisacan and copy furnished Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary and NFA Chairman Proceso Alcala warned that ―even if rice production recovers in the last quarter of 2013, deficits are expected to be incurred from as low as 0.5 million MT to as high as 1.4 million MT. ‖Despite recommendations of Neda, Calayag, in a statement released Tuesday, said the government ―has no plans to import an additional volume of rice for this year.‖Attempts were made to obtain Balisacan‘s comments on the refusal of the NFA to heed Neda‘s recommendations but he could not be reached.Balisacan, a former DA undersecretary, had argued in previously published papers for the importation of rice to stabilize prices but stressed the importance of ―relieving the NFA of the burden of handling rice imports‖ because of the possibility of corruption tainting these transactions.Calayag‘ statement also contradicted Neda forecasts regarding rice production shortfalls. The country‘s independent economic development and planning agency estimates local rice production to hit 18.45 million MT — a figure less than the 20 million MT the DA maintains is necessary to meet the needs of the country‘s 97 million people.Neda‘s estimates are consistent with those of the DA‘s Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) whose head, Assistant Secretary Romeo Recide, testified in Congress that local rice production would hit 18.45 million MT. Recide likewise testified the country would need an additional half million tons of rice to meet local demand for 2013.Despite the disparity in numbers, Calayag in his statement said ―current rice inventories and the incoming bulk of the main harvest are already enough for the country‘s requirements. ‖Alcala has likewise repeatedly claimed in the media that the country would be able to produce 20 million MT of rice this year and that the country will be rice self-sufficient by the end of 2013.Despite assurances from the
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DA and NFA that rice prices would stabilize by September, the prices of regular and well-milled rice continued to hit record highs in September. According to data from the BAS, the average retail price per kilo of regular milled rice for September 2013 was recorded at P36 per kilo, the highest this year, P4 more than pre-lean season prices and P3.60 per kilo more than in the same period last year.The average retail price per kilo of well-milled rice likewise hit an annual high, with prices pegged at P39.2 per kilo, P4 more than pre-lean season prices and P3.70 per kilo more than in September 2012.
Vietnam To Export Over One Million Tonnes Of Rice Next Year HANOI, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Industry and Trade has assured that there will be sufficient rice for export from now to the end of the year, with more than one million tonnes expected to be ready for export next year, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.The ministry said the country expects to harvest about 3.7 million tonnes of rice during the remaining months of this year, adding that rice stockpiles are estimated at about 1.44 million tonnes. Meanwhile, rice domestic consumption would total around 2.18 million tonnes in the last three months of the year and some 1.54 million tonnes of rice will be delivered under signed export contracts, leaving more than one million tonnes in stock. The country exported around 471,000 tonnes of rice in September, bringing home US$214 million. This fell far short of the country's 650,000-tonne target, itself lowered from the 750,000-tonne goal previously set by the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).In the first nine months of this year, rice export saw decreases of 14.3 percent in volume and 16.7 percent in value with 5.35 million tonnes shipped abroad worth US$2.35 billion.China remains Vietnam's largest rice importer, consuming 1.62 million tonnes or 31.4 percent of the country's total rice export turnover.Experts forecast that the fourth quarter will be gloomy for the country's rice exporters, saying Vietnamese businesses are finding it hard to seek new contracts.They pointed to India's heightened efforts to become the world's top rice exporter, Thailand's increasing rice stockpiles and China's move to reduce rice imports this year.The VFA has lowered its rice export target for 2013 to between 7 - 7.2 million tonnes from the initial 7.5 million tonnes due to low export volume and falling prices.
Cambodia flood death toll rises to 83, affecting over 800,000 people 08 October 2013 | 08:23 | FOCUS News Agency
Phnom Penh. Floods from Mekong River and heavy rainfall have killed at least 83 people and affected more than 800,000 people in Cambodia in the last three weeks, a senior disaster control official said Monday, Xinhua
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reported."Up to now, 83 people have died of drowning and over 800,000 people in 15 flooded-hit provinces have been affected," Nhim Vanda, vice-president of the National Committee for Disaster Management ( NCDM), told Xinhua over telephone. "Authorities have been continuing to evacuate affected people to higher grounds as emergency relief from charitable groups and the Cambodian Red Cross have been provided to some of affected families."Besides, some 120,000 houses and 120,000 hectares of rice paddy are also inundated, he said.
Late rice payments worry farmers The Nation October 8, 2013 1:00 am About 500 farmers have faced a delay of more than a month in payments for their second crop under the ricepledging scheme this year, raising concerns over whether the government has sufficient financial liquidity to support the project.The Internal Trade Department said the government would soon investigate the delayed payments. Wichian Phuanglamchiak from the Thai Agriculturist Association said farmers in three districts of Suphan Buri - Muang, Bang Plama and Songpeenong - have not yet been paid by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) more than a month after pledging rice from a second crop this year.He called on the government to urgently solve the problem as farmers are looking forward to their returns from their investments soon. He claimed that representatives of farmers had already asked for an explanation from the rice millers, to whom they have pledged rice, but officials had not given them an answer. He added that farmers were worried about the delayed payments, which also raised concerns over whether the government had adequate liquidity to pay farmers for the current harvest season (2013/2014 harvest season).The association will soon submit a letter of concern on the matter to the Suphan Buri governor and involved government agencies. Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach said farmers normally get their payments within three days of entering the pledging scheme. After the rice is pledged, officials verify the farmers' certification and get back to them within three days.The ministry reported that only 500 tonnes of rice have entered the government's rice pledging for 2013/2014 after the scheme started on October 1. Limited payment
The current pledging scheme has limited payment to a maximum of Bt350,000 per household. So far, 580 rice millers nationwide have participated in the rice-pledging project.Somchart Soithong, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said the government would soon check on the delayed-payment case. He admitted that some farmers had faced delayed payments as officials needed to prove their farmers' authority under the
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certification. The problem will be presented to the National Rice Policy Committee, which is scheduled to meet tomorrow, he added.Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry expects the price of domestic maize should increase continuously late this year, following the government's price intervention scheme to help farmers during the harvest season, as well as support for exports. Yanyong said the price of maize is expected to increase to more than Bt9 a kilogram late this year as more exports are listed."About 500,000 to one million tonnes of maize should be exported this year. The government has tried to help subsidise the maize price for farmers, as well as reduce the surplus during the current harvest season," said Yanyong.The Internal Trade Department targets purchasing 1.8 million tonnes of maize under its price-intervention project, which will have a budget of about Bt4.3 billion.So far, 27,400 tonnes of maize have already been purchased. Yanyong said the ministry will try to encourage more maize exports to reduce the domestic surplus and drive up the maize price.The government has set a guaranteed price for maize at Bt7 a kilo for 30 per cent moisture content. But the market price stands at Bt5.50 a kilo. Narongsak Putthaporn-mongkol, president of NCA Enterprises Company, one of Thailand's four leading maize exporters, said maize prices would increase under the government's subsidisation for millers, so they would have more liquidity to purchase maize at a higher price from farmers.He said the drop in the price of maize currently is due to a high supply of maize in the world market and high moisture content, while other countries have seriously cut their prices to ensure competitiveness.
Rice subsidy for newest harvest less than Bt270 billion Tuesday, 08 October 2013By MCOT BANGKOK, Oct 8 – The new round of rice pledging for the 2013/2014 harvest season, starting October 1, will cost the Commerce Ministry around Bt150 billion, according to the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).Luck Wajananawat, BAAC president, said the expected Bt150 billion in loans would cover rice purchase in the 2013/2014 crop, excluding paddy fields in the Central Plains and the Northeast which have been flooded and harvesting would be delayed. Rice purchase for the delayed crop, expected in DecemberJanuary, will cost about Bt5-8 billion, he said.He said the BAAC would not need to reserve as much as Bt270 billion to buy rice in the 2013/2014 crop as the Commerce Ministry should pay about Bt220 billion from selling rice in its stockpiles to the BAAC via the Finance Ministry.In addition, the BAAC was allocated Bt80 billion in the 2014 budget as its revolving fund for the rice pledging scheme, he said, adding that Thailand should be able to sell rice to China next
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year.Deputy Agriculture Minister Yanyong Phuangrach said about 500 tonnes of rice had been sold to the government under the pledging scheme in the first week since the launch of the 2013/2014 programme.The Commerce Ministry will buy rice from farmers at a maximum of Bt350,000 per household, he said.
9.12 lakh tonnes of paddy arrives in Haryana mandi By Madhvi Sally, ET Bureau | 8 Oct, 2013, 04.26PM IST
Kurukshetra is leads in the paddy arrival where 3,13,978 tonnes of paddy has arrived in the mandis, followed by Karnal with 2,40,407 tonnes.NEW DELHI: In Haryana, more than 9.12 lakh tonnes
of paddy has so far arrived in the various mandis during the current procurement season as compared to arrival of over 6.15 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year.A spokesman of the Food and Supplies Department said the district Kurukshetra is leads in the paddy arrival where 3,13,978 tonnes of paddy has arrived in the mandis, followed by Karnal with 2,40,407 tonnes. District Ambala ranks third in the paddy arrival where 1,18,438 tonnes of paddy has arrived in the mandis, whereas in district Kaithal 1,54,093 tonnes of paddy has arrived.He said that out of the total arrival of paddy, the millers have purchased 37,142 tonnes of paddy. Among the government agencies, Food and Supplies Department has purchased 4,03,760 tonnes of paddy, HAFED 2,36,240 tonnes, Agro Industries Corporation 1,30,017 tonnes, Haryana Warehousing Corporation 70,041 tonnes and CONFED had purchased 35,496 tonnes of paddy, he added.
Bulk buyers await fall in rice prices OUR CORRESPONDENT:KARNAL, OCTOBER 7: Prices of aromatic and non-basmati rice varieties ruled unchanged on Monday with the trend being steady in the market.Tara Chand Sharma, Proprietor of Tara Chand and Sons, told Business Line that lack of trading at all levels kept aromatic and non-basmati rice prices unchanged.Bulk buyers are keeping off from the market and they don‘t want to take fresh position since they are waiting for prices to fall, he said.Prices of Pusa-1121 varieties may fall in the coming days but the price of pure Basmati may rule at current levels till the end of this month, said Sharma.Pusa-1121 (steam) ruled flat at Rs 7,800-7,900 a quintal, while Pusa-1121 (sela) quoted at Rs 7,200-7,300 a quintal.
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Pure Basmati (Raw) quoted at Rs 11,000 a quintal. Duplicate basmati (steam) sold at Rs 6,300-6,400 a quintal.For the brokens of Pusa-1121, Dubar quoted at Rs 3,700, Tibar sold at Rs 4,400 while Mongra was at Rs 3,100 a quintal.In the non-basmati section, Sharbati (Steam) sold at Rs 4,500, while Sharbati (Sela) quoted at Rs 4,200-4,250 a quintal.Permal (raw) sold at Rs 2,350-2,400 a quintal, Permal (sela) went for Rs 2,300 a quintal, PR-11 (sela) sold at Rs 2,900, while PR-11 (Raw) quoted at Rs 2,700-2,750 a quintal.PR14 (steam) sold at Rs 2,850 a quintal. PADDY ARRIVALS Paddy arrivals increased to over 1.25 lakh bags of different varieties. About one lakh bags of PR paddy arrived and quoted at Rs 1,325-1400 a quintal. Around 3,000 bags of Pusa-1509 arrived and sold at Rs 3,200 a quintal, 2,000 bags of Pusa-1121 sold at Rs 3,250 a quintal, while 15,000 bags of Sharbati arrived and sold at Rs 2,1002,225 a quintal. Around 5,000 bags of duplicate basmati went for Rs 3,000 a quintal. (This article was published on October 7, 2013) Keywords: rice futures, rice prices
Inaction on runaway rice price irks Legarda October 8, 2013 7:34 pm by JEFF ANTIPORDA REPORTER SEN. Loren Legarda on Tuesday called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to immediately act on the recommendation of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) regarding additional rice imports before rice prices hit levels that would make it unaffordable to common people.At the same time Legarda, who finds the DA‘s failure to act on the high rice prices ―extremely disturbing,‖ insisted that if the Department and the National Food Authority would not act on the NEDA recommendation, it would be best for the government economic team to step in.―It‘s already October, and what has been very disturbing is that rice prices have continued to go up. Rather than normalize, rice prices are at their highest, and the NEDA memo only confirms what the law of supply and demand simply dictates: that with limited supplies, prices will naturally go up,‖ explained Legarda.The memorandum, Legarda was referring was issued by last month by NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan, informing the President that the third quarter rice production of 7.4 million metric tons (MT) is inadequate to cover total utilization amounting to 9.1 million MT, a deficit of 1.7 million MT without buffer stocks.
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The numbers, according to the document, can even balloon to 2.6 million MT if a 30-day buffer stock is factored in.The NEDA memorandum, also recom-mends that the country import an additional 500,000 MT of rice to ―stabilize prices and possibly lower them.‖The Department earlier announced that the country already completed its rice importation requirement for the year, which mean that no more rice would be imported into the country.―This document clearly explains why rice prices have failed to stabilize even after the passing of the lean season. In past years, rice prices would spike in July and August, and by September these would go back to pre-lean season rates,‖ Legarda said.Average retail price per kilo of regular milled rice for September 2013 was recorded at P36 a kilo, P4 more than pre-lean season prices and P3.60 a kilo more than the same period last year.The average retail price per kilo of well-milled rice also hit an annual high, with prices pegged at P39.2 a kilo, P4 more than pre-lean season prices and P3.70 a kilo more than in September 2012. ―We would like to believe the DA and NFA when they say rice supply is ample, but in light of data and studies that say otherwise, what is their al-ternative to ensure that there will be enough rice for consumers this year,‖ the senator asked.If in case the DA remains irresponsive, Legarda said the government economic team should to intervene and ―provide the DA with the guidance it needs to come up with a workable solution to a problem that affects us all.‖She noted that the reason why the Department of Finance and the Department of Trade and Industry are represented in the NFA Council is because these departments have an appreciation of the data and the objectivity to gauge whe- ther these NEDA recommen-dations hold water and should be adopted.The senator insisted that the government must act now instead of waiting for the country‘s rice supply to dwindle.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Oct 08 Tue Oct 8, 2013 3:20pm IST Nagpur, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC)on good festival season demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing regions. Healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses, weak overseas supply and renewed demand from South-based millers also boosted prices, according to sources. *
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FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Deshi gram jacked up in open market on good buying support from local traders amid increased demand from South-based traders. TUAR
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* Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market matching the demand and supply position. * Moong Chamki best zoomed up in open market on good demand from local traders amid thin arrival from producing regions. * Major rice varieties moved down in open market in absence of buyers amid increased supply from producing belts like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. * In Akola, Tuar - 4,100-4,300, Tuar dal - 6,300-6,500, Udid at 4,700-4,900, Udid Mogar (clean) - 5,500-5,800, Moong - 6,000-6,400, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,100-7,300, Gram - 2,800-3,000, Gram Super best bold - 4,000-4,200 for 100 kg. * Wheat and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading activity, according to sources. Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 2,610-3,280 2,510-3,150 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 3,820-4,150 3,770-4,150 Moong Auction n.a. 3,800-4,000 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 4,300-4,500 4,300-4,500 Gram Super Best n.a. Gram Medium Best 3,850-4,100 3,850-4,100
Iranian trade with India hit by insurance delay - sources By Nidhi Verma NEW DELHI | Tue Oct 8, 2013 4:07pm IST (Reuters) - Oil and container trade between India and Iran has been disrupted due to uncertainty over insurance cover, leaving some ships stranded outside ports in both countries, industry sources said.The delays had occurred because New Delhi had not yet extended approval for Iranian underwriters to provide insurance for container and tanker vessels calling at Indian ports, they said.European Union sanctions targeting Iran's disputed nuclear programme have meant insurers based in Europe - who account for the majority of cover for
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the tanker market - cannot insure Iranian oil and other shipments, leading to the emergence of new, untested insurance providers. A three-month approval by India for Iran's Kish P&I and Moallem Insurance Co to cover container and tanker vessels calling at Indian ports lapsed on September 27.Three oil cargoes were on vessels waiting at anchorage to call on Indian ports, while several container ships were stranded at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, oil industry and shipping sources said.India receives crude imports from Tehran in Iranian vessels, while exports of non-oil commodities and industrial goods use the vessels of Iran's Hafiz Darya Shipping Lines (HDS) and Safiran Payam Darya Shipping Lines (SAPID).Two Iranian vessels carrying oil for Indian refiner Essar Oil (ESRO.NS) -- Sundial, an aframax sized tanker, and a very large crude carrier Sunshine -- were waiting at an Indian port, the sources said. Another aframax, Superior, for Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Ltd's (MRPL.NS), was also at anchorage at an Indian port, they said.MRPL, which aimed to get five aframax-size cargoes from Iran this month, had complained to India's oil ministry about the delay in the shipping ministry granting approval to Iranian underwriters, the source said. AD HOC PERMISSION
Exporting countries to blame for rice price hike MENAFN - - 10/5/2013 7:18:53 PM Exporting countries to blame for rice price hike
RIYADH, Oct 06, 2013 (Menafn - Arab News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -Rice prices jumped 20 percent jump in the last six months on the Saudi market, but importers say that sufficient quantities remain available.The current stock is estimated to be about 350,000 tons -- about 25 percent of the Kingdom total annual imports of 1.4 million tons -- coming mostly from India.The chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Shaalan Rice Company, Mohammed Al-Shaalan, attributed the reasons for the high rice prices in the Kingdom to price hikes in the exporting countries, in addition to the increasing demand for rice, especially the Indian rice (Basmati) from various global markets.Al-Shaalan said the Saudi market has enough stock in various companies, and in excess of 25 percent of the total annual imports. He said this should assure everyone that there is enough quantities to meet the local growing demand for rice.."According to the information available, there is a good harvest in the source countries for the current year, and we will reap the benefits of this harvest beginning of the month of October," he said. "However, we cannot predict what might happen during the next phase of rain or floods, which may affect the size of the crop in general."Al-Shaalan added that, "Investing in rice farms in India is impossible because of the control of a lot of families and farm owners. A lot of rice plants in India also buy the products of small farmers."The entry of new countries to buy rice in large quantities with the tight supply in producing countries contributed to the rise in prices, he added.The CEO of Al-Othaim Markets Company, Yousef Bin Mohammed Al-Kaffary, agreed that there is plenty of rice in the market.For the new season, which starts during the month of October, the projections indicate an increase in production compared to last year.Al-Kaffary also indicated that rice prices have been rising over the past months due to lack of crop availability and increase in demand.
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However, the expected bumper of new crops will contribute to lower prices.The owner of chain food supermarket, Mohammad Al-Bashiry, said that the market has a sufficient stock of rice, and did not note a shortage of any kind. He reassured that such availability of rice in sufficient quantities will meet domestic demand in the Kingdom despite of the huge demand for it from different segments of society.The price of rice experienced an all-time high during the past months, with increases exceeding 20 percent, especially before the Holy month of Ramadan.Prices are expected to continue to rise, especially "Basmati" rice with its various types, which rose more than SR13 per bag, from SR25.50 to SR 8.50 for a 5-kg bag.The price of a 10-kg bag increased by about SR18, up to SR70, while the price of a 40-kg increased about SR20. ___ (c)2013 the Arab News (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) Visit the Arab News (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) at www.arabnews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services Copyright (C) 2013, Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Rice farmers gearing up for switch to sugar cane Published: 8 Oct 2013 :Newspaper section: Business
Rice farmers looking to switch to growing sugar cane have been assured that their crops will be bought by sugar mills, which have already begun submitting proposals to the Industry Ministry to expand production capacity.The moves come in response to the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry's initiative for 6.7 million rai now used for rice farming to be converted to sugar-cane plantation, as the areas are unsuited to growing rice.Of the total, 4.19 million rai is within a 50-kilometre radius of sugar mills and 2.1 million rai is within 50100 kilometres.Another 3.5 million rai, including the remaining 410,000 rai in the first lot, is in areas suitable for growing both sugar cane and maize because they are near sugar mills and animal feed plants. Sirivuth Siamphakdee, a spokesman for Thai Sugar Millers Corporation, said the ministry's plan is in line with sugar mills' goal to expand cane plantation by 7.2 million rai, starting with 2.5 million for the 2014-15 crop, 2.7 million for 2016-17 and 2 million for 2017-18.For the 2012-13 season, total sugar-cane farming of 9.33 million rai resulted in production of 100 million tonnes for a yield of 10.72 tonnes per rai.Mr Sirivuth said sugar mill operators are confident of processing higher cane capacity under the state's policy to turn rice-farming areas into sugar plantation. Sugar mills stand ready to provide basic advice to planters on preparing cane, soil, water and cutting.Thailand's sugar mills can handle about 130 million tonnes of sugar cane a year, so the increased capacity as a result of the government's zoning scheme will not be a problem for planters and millers, said Mr Sirivuth.Farmers who switch from planting rice to sugar cane can rest assured that their produce will be bought by sugar mills, he said.The revised target, meanwhile, has prompted sugar mill operators to ask for permits for factory expansion and/or relocation.Krisda Monthienvichienchai, Mitr Phol's president and CEO, said the company has submitted requests to the Industry Ministry for production expansion, but he declined to comment on actual figures, saying the plan has not been approved by the cabinet.Mitr Phol, Asia's biggest sugar producer, will focus in the
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meantime on expanding in the domestic market as opposed to overseas, he said.Sugar shipments from Thailand will probably climb 15% to a record next year as increased plantings boost output, the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board told Bloomberg yesterday. Exports will reach 8.5 million tonnes in 2014 from an estimated 7.4 million this year, said Somsak Suwattiga, secretary-general of the state-run board.Production will expand by 10% to an all-time high of 11 million tonnes in the crushing season starting Nov 15 from a highest-ever cane harvest of 110 million tonnes, he said.
Upcoming Meetings:
Future Meeting Dates The below dates under contract for our Fall Convention and Spring Management Clinics. Because the program for 2014-15 meetings are still in the long range planning stage, one day changes in start and ending dates could occur.
Save the Dates - April 6-9, 2014 Riverwalk Grand Hyatt - San Antonio, TX
November 4-7, 2014
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October 27-30,
Rio All Suites Hotel - Las Vegas, NV
2015 Sheraton - Kansas City, MO
Association Staff is currently working on site selection for:
 
2015 Spring Clinic 2016 Fall Convention
Member comments and suggestions on locations and program are always welcome, email vernon@FarmEquip.org or give us a call at 314.878.2304.
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