9th june ,2017 daily global regional & local rice e newsletter

Daily Global Rice

E-Newsletter

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June 9,2017 Vol 8 Issue VI

Today Rice News Headlines...  Pakistan may dodge adverse impact of Gulf crisis  Weedy rice is growing problem for California farmers  Spies In The Field: As Farming Goes High-Tech, Espionage Threat Grows  Help Improve the USA Rice Website!  USA Rice Continues Dialog with Customers in Key Central American Markets  Commerce to update buying prices on mobile application for farmers  Plastic rice rumours fake news, says Telangana government  Why price of local rice is high  Why Price Of Local Rice Is High – Rice Miller  New Partnership Pursues Sustainable Rice  Weedy rice is growing problem for California farmers  Oil, Rice, Chabahar: India-Iran trade issues demystified  Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JUN 08, 2017  Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- January 09, 2017  Showers bring cheer to paddy growers  Thailand Sells 1.66 Million T of Rice From State Stockpiles  Mekong Delta‘s winter-spring rice output falls  Vietnam's top export products in five months  Asia Rice-Thai prices hit near 4-year high on strong demand from importing countries  New export markets boost rice sales

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News Detail...

Pakistan may dodge adverse impact of Gulf crisis Aamir Shafaat Khan : The diplomatic crisis in the Gulf is not expected to impact Pakistan adversely in the immediate future, business leaders said, but advised the government to stay neutral to ensure steady trade ties and uninterrupted import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar.In a dramatic decision earlier this week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states broke off ties with Qatar.

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) confirmed that so far ―no disruption in LNG supply has occurred‖. A PSO official said the company was currently importing 3.75 million tonnes of LNG a year from Qatar. ―Qatar continues supplies to all the countries including those in the Middle East,‖ he said.

However, he said PSO could float tenders in the case of a shortfall.

With the expected commissioning of second terminal and additional supplies from diversified sources by Pakistan LNG Ltd in the fourth quarter of 2017, the supply risk would be mitigated, he said.

Zubair Tufail, the president of Federation of Commerce and Industry, said: ―I do not see any serious repercussions on the two-way trade as Pakistan does not export any significant quantity of goods to Qatar. The overall trade volume between the two countries is not big.‖ He said Pakistan exports small quantities of rice, textile goods and meat to Qatar, and hoped that the import of LNG from Qatar will continue by sea.

Qatar has a population of 2.3m, of which 325,000 are Qataris, 150,000 Pakistanis, 615,000 Indians, 260,000 Filipinos, 280,000 Bangladeshis, 200,000 Egyptians and 145,000 Sri Lankans.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, LNG imports jumped 129 per cent to cross $1 billion in July-April as compared to $439m a year ago.Pakistan is importing LNG from Qatar under a

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multibillion-dollar, long-term deal signed last year to meet gas shortage and increase power generation. Under the agreement, Qatar will sell LNG worth $1bn each year to Pakistan.

Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan Mehmood Moulvi said trade between the two countries should continue, but advised the government to remain impartial in the Gulf crisis. Pakistan exports 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes of rice annually to Qatar, he said.President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Shamim Ahmed Firpo said there may be an impact on trade, but it would not be significant. https://www.dawn.com/news/1338065

Weedy rice is growing problem for California farmers Weedy rice was brought to the attention of California rice growers again in 2016 after it was first discovered in three fields in the northern Sacramento Valley. Since then it has been identified in at least 10,000 acres across the state's growing region.Weedy rice was officially documented in California about 2006. Today, it's found on about 10,000 acres of California rice

Todd Fitchette | Jun 07, 2017

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California rice growers are discovering a challenge in their fields that some thought was merely herbicide-resistant watergrass.Last year, newly-hired University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension Rice Advisor Whitney Brim-DeForest began receiving calls from rice growers about a weed they couldn‘t kill. This led to the quick discovery that watergrass wasn‘t the problem.

Since the beginning of the 2016 growing season, at least 10,000 acres of rice ground in California has been identified with weedy rice, one of the most damaging weeds of rice worldwide.As growers began reporting the problem to farm advisors and the California Rice Commission (CRC), UC teamed with the CRC to help growers understand what weedy rice is and what it's not. Knowing what it‘s not can reassure growers concerned with regulatory constraints.

Since it is not considered something requiring state or federal quarantines, growers can be rest assured that ―there are no repercussions because it‘s just rice,‖ she said.The issue is simply one of what markets will tolerate in terms of contamination in the milled product.

Shortly after assuming her post in 2016 Brim-DeForest was made aware of the widespread nature of weedy rice in California fields. What was first thought to be just a ―spotty‖ problem found in a handful of fields in the northern Sacramento Valley quickly became identified across 10,000 acres of rice statewide.

Brim-DeForest searched through journals and other publications on the topic. She quickly discovered that weedy rice, or red rice (known for this by its color), is of the same genus and species as cultivated rice, albeit an unwelcome one. Because of this, it does not present a human health risk if it is mixed with the cultivated rice chain.The challenge is it cannot be controlled by approved herbicides.

According to UC, it can significantly affect yield and quality. Yields in the Mid-South have been reduced by 60 percent where this is present.Brim-DeForest‘s study of weedy rice reveals that it was rediscovered in California in 2006. Historic records show it was present before 1950, but

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little was said about it since then.A 2008 survey of rice in the Sacramento Valley turned up three fields with it. Then the Rice Research Board and CRC set up a task force to look into the issue, but it quickly ―fell off the radar‖ of those in the rice industry, she said.

Though some pest control advisers were starting to see something and were bringing samples into the Rice Experiment Station in Richvale, Calif., Brim-DeForest says there was no official mechanism to track weedy rice until years later when it was beginning to show up as a more widespread problem.

Rice mills surveyed by UC said they‘d seen it ―for years,‖ she said, but reported some confusion in identifying it because there are red-colored rice bran varieties that the industry purposefully grows for certain markets. ―A lot of folks thought it was just contamination from colored rice,‖ Brim-DeForest said.

Identification and treatment In cooperation with UC, the CRC produced a website at http://caweedyrice.com/ to help growers and PCAs identify the problem and understand what to do if growers think it might be in their fields. Growers can subscribe on the website for e-mail updates.

UC has now established a set of best management practices for weedy rice, which propagates itself by shattering easily and leaving seed on the soil. According to Brim-DeForest, this seed can lay dormant for many years before germinating.

Weedy rice is easiest to identify at the heading stage, though it is possible to identify before that.

UC rice advisors can help in this identification. The weedy rice website can also be helpful.

Because weedy rice shatters easily, Brim-DeForest does not recommend growers or PCAs pull samples themselves and transport them for identification. Contact the farm advisor‘s office to get instructions on how to have it identified.

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Though it‘s not easy, weedy rice can be controlled, according to Luis Espino, UC rice farming systems advisor for Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties.

Espino is working with growers to do just that. One grower he continues to work with fallowed a 15-acre check in his field for two seasons while employing practices recommended by university researchers.

In this case, the grower fallowed the check, did minimal ground work including running a disc and roller on the field before flushing the field with irrigation water to germinate weeds, including the weedy rice.With the weeds germinated, the grower applied glyphosate to the fallowed field in two separate applications. Though glyphosate is not a registered product for use in rice, Espino says its use on fallowed rice ground is permitted.

Glyphosate was applied over two seasons to the fallowed field, killing many of the weeds present.After two seasons, the grower replanted the field in rice. When the rice began to head, he hand-rogued the remaining weedy rice in the field. This appears to have had a positive impact on the grower‘s weed pressure, Espino says.

Burning rice fields after harvest has not proven successful, though Brim-DeForest thinks a sufficiently hot fire could have an impact. Because of current air district rules and the spotty effects of rice stubble burning with respect to weedy rice seed, Espino says UC does not recommend burning as a control or treatment method.The UC will host meetings later in the growing season to update growers on weedy rice.

Growers in Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba and Butte counties who suspect weedy rice in fields can contact Brim-DeForest at (530) 822-7515. Growers in Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties should contact Espino at (530) 458-0570. Those in San Joaquin County can call Michelle Leinfelder-Miles at (209) 953-6120

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Spies In The Field: As Farming Goes High-Tech, Espionage Threat Grows

By BRYAN THOMPSON • 19 HOURS AGO

Scott Deeter, president and CEO of Ventria Bioscience, says that Chinese theft of his technology could have driven him out of business.

BRYAN THOMPSON/HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA Originally published on June 8, 2017 2:34 pm

As a group of visiting scientists prepared to board a plane in Hawaii that would take them back home to China, U.S. customs agents found rice seeds in their luggage. Those seeds are likely to land at least one scientist in federal prison.

Agriculture today is a high-tech business, but as that technology has developed, so has the temptation to take shortcuts and steal trade secrets that could unlock huge profits. The FBI calls

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agricultural economic espionage "a growing threat" and some are worried that biotech piracy can spell big trouble for a dynamic and growing U.S. industry.

Crime in the lab On the western outskirts of Junction City, Kan., just off Interstate 70, sits an unassuming industrial building. The white lettering on the blue sign out front reads "Ventria Bioscience," and driving by, it is hard to believe the nondescript building houses a cutting-edge research facility.

Scientists at Ventria have developed a way to genetically engineer rice so that it can be used to grow human proteins for medical uses. The process places a microscopic piece of synthetic DNA into the rice genome, which tells the growing plant to make the desired protein as it matures.

Ventria President and CEO Scott Deeter says the idea goes back 25 or 30 years, but his company was the first to commercialize it.

"It's really been the dream of our industry for a long time," Deeter says. "The challenge has really been that the yield of the target product in the plant material was never high enough to make it cost-effective."

The company invested some $85 million in developing the technology, Deeter says, and he thinks it has the potential to generate upwards of $1 billion in annual revenue. But that potential could be undermined by foreign piracy.

Former Ventria rice breeder Weiqiang Zhang is awaiting sentencing in federal court in Kansas City for conspiring to steal the company's trade secrets. He hosted the delegation of visiting scientists from a Chinese crops research institute in whose luggage authorities found the rice seeds in 2013.

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Had they succeeded in stealing the gene-spliced rice, the scientists may have been able to reverse-engineer it and ultimately undercut Ventria's market. Deeter says it could have driven his company out of business.

Crime in the field In 2011, a field manager for agribusiness giant Pioneer Hi-Bred International found a man on his knees in an Iowa field, digging up seed corn.

It was Mo Hailong — also known as Robert Mo — according to court documents. Hailong, who is originally from China, pleaded guilty in January 2016 to conspiring to steal trade secrets involving corn seed developed by Monsanto and Pioneer.

Jason Griess, the assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, says the investigation began as a simple matter of a farmer being suspicious about something he saw and reporting it. Digging up seeds in an open field may be simple, but it is difficult to put a precise value on the loss in cases involving trade secrets.

"Without question, the value of the seed technology in our case was absolutely off the charts," Griess says. "There's simply no disputing by anyone how valuable this is."

Intellectual property is often hard to protect, no matter what form it takes: films, books, consumer products. The technology used in our food system, however, presents a unique challenge.

"Where the commodity in question is grown in open fields, it's sometimes difficult," Griess says. "And this case is a testament to that."

The court cases in Kansas and Iowa are the only ones Griess is aware of that have been criminally prosecuted, but he says there have been a few other investigations.

"There are countries in this world that are in dire need of this technology, and one of the ways you go about obtaining it is to steal it," Griess says.

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Ties to China Theft of intellectual property costs the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars each year, according to a recent report from the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, a Washington, D.C.-based ad-hoc panel formed to study intellectual property theft.

China, the authors say, is the biggest offender.

"In the last five to seven years, the majority of the cases the government has brought have involved espionage by the Chinese," says Peter Toren, an intellectual property attorney in Washington, D.C. Toren was not involved in the IP Commission Report, but as a federal prosecutor in the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Justice Department, he won one of the first cases ever prosecuted under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996.

It should come as no surprise, he says, that scientists in China would be interested in technology related to agriculture.

"Whether it's in agriculture or any other field, they need access to the technology," Toren says.

"And, certainly, if you have 1.4 billion people, access to better seeds is something that you're going to be very interested in."

Ventria's Scott Deeter hopes that China will crack down on these cases, and that scientists across the world will respect each other's innovations.

"I think the world is better off with that, I mean you get more creativity," Deeter says. "If you make creativity a commodity and something to be stolen, and don't respect it, you won't have very much. It will go away. And that's the risk."

For now, Deeter says his company has to continue to innovate in order to stay one step ahead of the thieves.

This story comes to us from the Kansas News Service, a collaboration covering health, education and politics across the state http://wxxinews.org/post/spies-field-farming-goes-high-tech-espionage-threat-grows

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Help Improve the USA Rice Website!

USA Rice is redesigning our website and needs your input. In exchange for your feedback, you'll be entered into a drawing for a $100 Visa gift card!

You have until next Friday, June 16, to complete a brief content sorting exercise where you'll be asked to organize a list of topics into groups that make sense to you.

USA Rice

USA Rice Continues Dialog with Customers in Key Central American Markets

By Sarah Moran

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MIAMI, FL -- A USA Rice delegation met with leaders of Fecarroz, the Central America Rice Federation, here this week for wide-ranging discussions on the current rice market situation and export opportunities, as well as concerns Fecarroz members wanted to raise with their U.S. counterparts that vary by country.

Fecarroz is the leading organization representing millers and importers from the five Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which together make up the second largest export market for U.S. grown rice.

"This was a great opportunity to meet with some of the most important buyers of U.S. rice in the region," said Todd Burich, chairman of the USA Rice Latin American Trade Policy Subcommittee. "We listened carefully to the concerns raised by the Fecarroz delegation concerning quality, which is a longstanding issue, and something that must be examined by our industry if we want to maintain a stable and growing U.S. rice market in Central America."

To that end, USA Rice's Rice Marketability and Competitiveness Task Force created an elite line evaluation protocol. New rice varieties that are slated for commercial release within the next year or two are submitted to USA Rice and then anonymously sent to various mills for evaluation. Criteria such as chalk and uniformity of length (two traits that Central American customers have specifically mentioned) are collected and relayed back to the rice breeder.

USA Rice members in attendance felt the frank dialog was a resounding success and would lay the groundwork for future discussions and for stronger ties between the Fecarroz and USA Rice organizations.

"While we have our challenges in Central America, they are far outweighed by the opportunity that this region represents as a market for U.S. grown rice," said Hugh Maginnis, USA Rice vice president international. "This meeting allowed USA Rice members to tell our Central American partners directly how much we value their business and how much we appreciate them as customers. Listening carefully so that we can do an even better job to service our customers in the future is a part of this effort.

USA Rice

Commerce to update buying prices on mobile application for farmers Breaking News, Business | June 08, 2017 | By Thai PBS Reporters

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The Ministry of Commerce will update rice millers’ buying prices for rice production on a mobile application, Thai Farmers, so that farmers can check for fairer rice prices before selling to them.

It also forecasts that the rice harvest season at the remainder of the year will produce high yields and farmers will fetch higher prices this year.

This was disclosed at the meeting yesterday between the ministry and the Thai Rice Millers‘ Association to assess the rice situation at the remainder of the year so as to map out assistance measures for farmers.

The meeting was held as rice production of the next harvest season is set to be released to the market this October, particularly from the northeastern provinces.

It was agreed that this year farmers will get good rice yields from their harvest and receive good prices from selling their rice production.

In order to help farmers access to useful information through the mobile application ―Chao Na Thais or Thai Farmers‖, the ministry will update buying prices of each miller so they could use as guideline whether to sell or keep their production.

The application can be downloaded both on iTunes and Google Play.

This is apart from the information on existing rice prices and assistance measures of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

Through the daily updated buying prices, farmers can check the information before deciding to sell.

The ministry will also set up a complaint unit to look into farmers‘ troubles so that relevant government agencies could resolve their problems.

It is now working out measures to raise the standard of rice mills across the country.

According to the ministry, it has certified 100 rice mills out of 1,000 mills throughout the country and given them ‗star‘ sign so that farmers will get fairer prices for their selling of their rice production http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/commerce-update-buying-prices-mobile-application-farmers/

Plastic rice rumours fake news, says Telangana government DECCAN CHRONICLE. | L VENKAT RAM REDDY

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14 PublishedJun 8, 2017, 2:05 am IST UpdatedJun 8, 2017, 2:43 am IST

CSD termed these reports as creation of social media and urged consumers not to believe in such rumours.

Videos and pictures have been circulating on social media of the sale of plastic rice in the city for the last three days, forcing the department to order an inquiry into the issue.Hyderabad: The civil supplies department on Wednesday rubbished reports that plastic rice was being sold in the state, especially in GHMC limits. It termed these reports as ‗fake and baseless‘ and a creation of social media and urged consumers not to believe in such rumours.

Videos and pictures have been circulating on social media of the sale of plastic rice in the city for the last three days, forcing the department to order an inquiry into the issue.

Commissioner of civil supplies, C.V. Anand, said on Wednesday that preliminary tests of the samples collected from places from where the complaints had been received revealed that there was no plastic material in the rice.

He said that the tests were conducted in the laboratory of the civil supplies corporation, but samples have also been sent to the state food laboratory for more stringent chemical tests and the department will place all the facts before the public once that report is received.

Despite this, he said, the civil supplies department, enforcement officials and vigilance department has been put on high alert, which will conduct raids on rice mills and godowns across the state to collect samples and conduct tests. Mr Anand added that the department has given guidelines to officials and staff through videos on what plastic rice looks like and how to recognise it if it is mixed with genuine rice. Rice millers have also been made aware.

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Mr Anand said the tests in the civil supplies laboratory were conducted in the presence of quality control analyser Osman Mohiuddin, general manager Jayadev Singh, and assistant manager (technical) G. Saidulu.

The civil supplies enforcement department collected samples from the mill about which a complaint had been received by the Meerpet police station on Tuesday, and also from the complainant.

Both samples were sent for testing. Physical analysis and D-husk test was first conducted on the samples. The rice was then soaked in water for some time. If the rice was made of plastic it should float on water but no signs of floating were observed. Further, the cooked rice samples became like paste as usually happens when normal rice is cooked. Later, rice balls were made out of the cooked suspect rice and when they hit the floor, they bounced like rubber balls, which is exactly what happened with the normal cooked rice. ―Rice from the complainant and normal rice were cooked at the same time and the result was the same in both cases. Rice from the complainant and the rice mill from where the rice was supplied to the dealer were not plastic rice, Mr Anand said http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/080617/plastic-rice-rumours-fake-news-saystelangana.html

Why price of local rice is high Rice Miller ON JUNE 7, 201712:20 PMIN NEWSCOMMENTS Rice millers in Kano State have attributed the high cost of locally-produced rice to the increasing cost of production of the commodity in the country. Mr Liman Muhammed, spokesperson, Medium and Small Scale Rice Millers Association in the state, said this during a visit to some rice mills in Kano on Wednesday. The price of 50kg locally-produced rice ranges between N20,000 and N22,000

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while that of imported rice is between N12,000 and N15,000. ―For locally-produced rice, the cost of production is high. Our people are used to the imported rice but with government‘s intervention, we are seeing good quality rice. ―Most imported rice have spent more than 10 years in the storage and are not good enough but the local rice has more nutritional value. ―The number of people consuming local rice is increasing and if everybody along the rice value chain is empowered, the cost of production will reduce,‘‘ he said. He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers‘ Programme, noting that it had empowered rice farmers and millers across the country.

Muhammed called on government at all levels to provide necessary inputs to rice farmers to boost production in the country.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/price-local-rice-high-rice-miller/

Why Price Of Local Rice Is High – Rice Miller Lake Rice, locally produced Rice millers in Kano State have attributed the high cost of locally-produced rice to the increasing cost of production of the commodity in the country.Mr Liman Muhammed, spokesperson, Medium and Small Scale Rice Millers Association in the state, said this during a visit to some rice mills in Kano on Wednesday.The price of 50kg locally-produced rice ranges between N20,000 and N22,000 while that of imported rice is between N12,000 and N15,000. ―For locally-produced rice, the cost of production is high. Our people are used to the imported rice but with government‘s intervention, we are seeing good quality rice.―Most imported rice have spent more than 10 years in the storage and are not good enough but the local rice has more nutritional value. ―The number of people consuming local rice is increasing and if everybody along the rice value chain is empowered, the cost of production will reduce,‘‘ he said.He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers‘ Programme, noting that it had empowered rice farmers and millers across the country.Muhammed called on government at all levels to provide necessary inputs to rice farmers to boost production in the country https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/06/07/price-local-rice-high-rice-miller/

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New Partnership Pursues Sustainable Rice

A new agreement to promote sustainable agriculture in developing countries was signed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The organizations will share scientific and technical knowledge, promote capacity building activities, and assist in government strategizing, with an emphasis on benefiting small-scale farmers and women. ―With over 3 billion people across the globe eating rice every day, rice is critical to global food security,‖ said Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General. ―Ensuring sustainable rice production is a key contribution to the global goal of ending hunger. By teaming up with IRRI, already a long-standing partner, we will be able to scale up, complement and amplify our work towards reaching this goal.‖ The stated goals of the FAO are to eradicate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, eliminate poverty while promoting economic and social progress for all, and sustainably manage and use natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. Currently, two major ricerelated FAO efforts are underway. First is the Asia and Pacific‘s Regional Rice Initiative, and

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second, the Partnership for Sustainable Rice Systems Development in Sub-Saharan Africa. These are sharing technology, agricultural and pest management practices, and strategies to increase rice resilience and production efficiency. ―The world faces very significant changes over the next few decades to produce the volume and quality of nutritious food to feed a global population heading for 10 billion people,‖ said Matthew K. Morell, IRRI Director-General. ―Addressing these issues relies on global partnerships, and today, IRRI is delighted to be reaffirming through this Memorandum of Agreement our commitment to work with FAO to enhance sustainable rice-based production and food systems through awareness raising, capacity development, knowledge exchange, and evidence-based analyses for policy support.‖ IRRI is a nonprofit research and educational institute founded by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations and the Philippine government in 1960. Its goals are to reduce poverty and hunger through rice science, improve rice farmer and consumer health and welfare, and ensure the environmental sustainability of rice production. Today, IRRI has offices in 17 countries and collaborates with a variety of research partners including the food security research partnership CGIAR. Working with the United Nations Environment, IRRI developed the Sustainable Rice Platform to promote resource efficiency, sustainability, and affordability through policy development and voluntary market transformation initiatives.

By working together, the FAO and IRRI seek to increase availability and use of improved and adapted rice variety seeds. To increase nutrition and improve the income of small-scale farmers, they will develop and commercialize rice by-products. Through farmer field schools and other forms of outreach, they will better educate farmers in best-practices, including pest management.

They will also work to improve working conditions for rice farmers and improve women participation and entrepreneurial opportunities. https://foodtank.com/news/2017/06/partnership-for-sustainable-rice/

Weedy rice is growing problem for California farmers Weedy rice was brought to the attention of California rice growers again in 2016 after it was first discovered in three fields in the northern Sacramento Valley. Since then it has been identified in at least 10,000 acres across the state's growing region.

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Weedy rice was officially documented in California about 2006. Today, it's found on about 10,000 acres of California rice

Todd Fitchette | Jun 07, 2017 California rice growers are discovering a challenge in their fields that some thought was merely herbicide-resistant watergrass.

Last year, newly-hired University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension Rice Advisor Whitney Brim-DeForest began receiving calls from rice growers about a weed they couldn‘t kill.

This led to the quick discovery that watergrass wasn‘t the problem.

Since the beginning of the 2016 growing season, at least 10,000 acres of rice ground in California has been identified with weedy rice, one of the most damaging weeds of rice worldwide.

As growers began reporting the problem to farm advisors and the California Rice Commission (CRC), UC teamed with the CRC to help growers understand what weedy rice is and what it's not. Knowing what it‘s not can reassure growers concerned with regulatory constraints.

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Since it is not considered something requiring state or federal quarantines, growers can be rest assured that ―there are no repercussions because it‘s just rice,‖ she said The issue is simply one of what markets will tolerate in terms of contamination in the milled product.Shortly after assuming her post in 2016 Brim-DeForest was made aware of the widespread nature of weedy rice in California fields. What was first thought to be just a ―spotty‖ problem found in a handful of fields in the northern Sacramento Valley quickly became identified across 10,000 acres of rice statewide.

Brim-DeForest searched through journals and other publications on the topic. She quickly discovered that weedy rice, or red rice (known for this by its color), is of the same genus and species as cultivated rice, albeit an unwelcome one. Because of this, it does not present a human health risk if it is mixed with the cultivated rice chain.The challenge is it cannot be controlled by approved herbicides.

According to UC, it can significantly affect yield and quality. Yields in the Mid-South have been reduced by 60 percent where this is present.Brim-DeForest‘s study of weedy rice reveals that it was rediscovered in California in 2006. Historic records show it was present before 1950, but little was said about it since then.

A 2008 survey of rice in the Sacramento Valley turned up three fields with it. Then the Rice Research Board and CRC set up a task force to look into the issue, but it quickly ―fell off the radar‖ of those in the rice industry, she said.

Though some pest control advisers were starting to see something and were bringing samples into the Rice Experiment Station in Richvale, Calif., Brim-DeForest says there was no official mechanism to track weedy rice until years later when it was beginning to show up as a more widespread problem.Rice mills surveyed by UC said they‘d seen it ―for years,‖ she said, but reported some confusion in identifying it because there are red-colored rice bran varieties that the

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industry purposefully grows for certain markets.―A lot of folks thought it was just contamination from colored rice,‖ Brim-DeForest said.

Identification and treatment In cooperation with UC, the CRC produced a website at http://caweedyrice.com/ to help growers and PCAs identify the problem and understand what to do if growers think it might be in their fields. Growers can subscribe on the website for e-mail updates.UC has now established a set of best management practices for weedy rice, which propagates itself by shattering easily and leaving seed on the soil. According to Brim-DeForest, this seed can lay dormant for many years before germinating.

Weedy rice is easiest to identify at the heading stage, though it is possible to identify before that.

UC rice advisors can help in this identification. The weedy rice website can also be helpful.

Because weedy rice shatters easily, Brim-DeForest does not recommend growers or PCAs pull samples themselves and transport them for identification. Contact the farm advisor‘s office to get instructions on how to have it identified.

Though it‘s not easy, weedy rice can be controlled, according to Luis Espino, UC rice farming systems advisor for Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties.

Espino is working with growers to do just that. One grower he continues to work with fallowed a 15-acre check in his field for two seasons while employing practices recommended by university researchers.In this case, the grower fallowed the check, did minimal ground work including running a disc and roller on the field before flushing the field with irrigation water to germinate weeds, including the weedy rice.

With the weeds germinated, the grower applied glyphosate to the fallowed field in two separate applications. Though glyphosate is not a registered product for use in rice, Espino says its use on fallowed rice ground is permitted.

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Glyphosate was applied over two seasons to the fallowed field, killing many of the weeds present.After two seasons, the grower replanted the field in rice. When the rice began to head, he hand-rogued the remaining weedy rice in the field. This appears to have had a positive impact on the grower‘s weed pressure, Espino says.

Burning rice fields after harvest has not proven successful, though Brim-DeForest thinks a sufficiently hot fire could have an impact. Because of current air district rules and the spotty effects of rice stubble burning with respect to weedy rice seed, Espino says UC does not recommend burning as a control or treatment method.The UC will host meetings later in the growing season to update growers on weedy rice.

Growers in Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba and Butte counties who suspect weedy rice in fields can contact Brim-DeForest at (530) 822-7515. Growers in Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties should contact Espino at (530) 458-0570. Those in San Joaquin County can call Michelle Leinfelder-Miles at (209) 953-6120 http://www.westernfarmpress.com/rice/weedy-rice-growing-problem-california-farmers

Oil, Rice, Chabahar: India-Iran trade issues demystified : Ayat Ahadion: June 08, 2017In: Economically tied with high volume trade in crude oil and politically tied with similar interests for stability in the Middle East, especially Afghanistan, India and Iran have traversed a long and tumultuous journey to maintain a healthy trade relationship. In an interview with Hon. Consul General, Hassan Nourian (HN), Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hyderabad; The Dollar Business (TDB) explores current issues in the India-Iran bilateral relationship.

Speaking about diverse areas from the ambiguity in payment settlement mechanisms to problems in basmati rice exports, the diplomat lucidly explains the dynamics in India-Iran relations.

India-Iran payments settlement issues To ensure smooth trade relations between India and Iran regardless of a series of international and American sanctions imposed against the middle-eastern nation, a rupee denominated payment mechanism was in place for years. When economic sanctions were lifted in 2015, Iran‘s preference towards the use of more convertible currencies like Euro for cross-border trade left its

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rupee account depleted. The expiration of this long-running payment system caused some stress in trade relations between the two countries.

TDB: How are the unresolved issues in payments settlement between India and Iran being dealt with?

HN: The JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) opened banking routes for Iran, and caused the old payment mechanism to become defunct. Opening up of SWIFT (a secure exchange network for inter-bank transactions) to Iranian banks has supplemented current payment methods. Minor issues still exist between Iran and India, which are in the process of being resolved.

Some of the Iranian banks have submitted proposals to the RBI asking for permits to open branches in India, particularly Parsian and Pasargad. Opening up of branches in India will go a long way in introducing ease in business between the two countries.

TDB: Iran seems apprehensive in the use of dollar for foreign trade. Which currency is being used currently?

HN: There are different categories of sanctions, some imposed internationally and others specifically by the government of USA. The newly imposed international sanctions have been lifted recently by the United Nations Security Council, but the old American sanctions are not among these international sanctions.

The government of Iran is interested in diversifying its use of various currencies for foreign trade. With many countries, transactions are made in their respective currency, for instance, Yuan with China and Euro with the EU. Chabahar Port – India‘s key to Central Asia Within a few months of the nuclear deal, India made significant headway in furthering India-Iran partnership by extending support in the development of Chabahar port. The transport-and-trade corridor project meant to connect the two nations via Afghanistan is said to halve the costs and time of India‘s reach to Europe and Central Asia for trade purposes. The move is likely to help India bypass Pakistan (creating an unencumbered trade route to territories beyond the troubling neighbour) and counter China‘s growing influence in Central Asia.

TDB: What is the strategic significance of Chabahar port for India and Iran?

HN: India, Iran and Afghanistan signed a tripartite agreement last year, during the visit of PM Narendra Modi‘s visit to Tehran, to develop the Chabahar port into a transit hub. India has committed to a $ 500 million investment for the same.

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Until 1947, Iran and India were neighbouring countries. Since the separation of Pakistan, India has not had a direct trade route connecting it with Central Asia and Afghanistan. Easy trade access to Central Asia is the prime strategic reason behind India‘s investment in Chabahar port.

Chabahar is not only an economically beneficial area but also an important strategic area.

Through investments from countries like India, Iran hopes to bring about the development of many undeveloped villages and cities in the Chabahar region.

TDB: What is India‘s role in bringing stability to Central Asia, weighed down by terrorism and extremism?

HN: Our region is suffering from problems of extremism. Afghanistan, due to an unstable and weak government is a breeding ground for terrorist groups to emerge and grow. Poverty and a weak economy are the root causes for the emergence of extremism.

Empowering business environment and economy in these regions can help secure the region from growing terrorism, and that is why investment in the Eastern part of Iran (Chabahar), which will provide a direct link to Afghanistan and Pakistan, may help empower small groups of people with productive tools of education and business, cutting off their ties to extremist ideologies.

Japan and China have also expressed interest in investing in the Chabahar region.

India-Iran trade in Basmati Rice The last few months of 2016 saw Indian basmati rice exporters fret over multiple import barriers and price restrictions imposed by Iran, one of India‘s largest export destinations for basmati rice.

A total quantity of 4.05 million tonnes exported in 2015-16 is expected to drop to 3.8 million tonnes in 2016-17 due to a drop in the quantity imported by Iran. ―The India-Iran basmati rice issue is a technical one, not a political one,‖ the Consul General said, taking cognizance of India‘s basmati rice export concerns.

TDB: What are the supply-demand statistics of basmati rice in Iran?

HN: The per capita consumption of basmati rice in Iran currently stands at 37kg – 40kg annually, or 104 g per day. While Iran‘s annual production of basmati rice averages 1.8 million – 2 million tonnes, the consumption is around 3 million tonnes. To fill in for this deficit between demand and supply, Iran imports rice to the tune of 1 million tonne every year, mostly from India.

TDB: What is India‘s share in Iran‘s total import of basmati rice?

HN: The quality of Indian Basmati rice (1121 is Iran‘s preferred kind of basmati rice) is ideal and suitable for Iranian consumption. As much as 700,000 tonnes of the Iranian annual basmati rice imports is sourced from India. Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam and other European and Latin American countries account for the remaining 30% imports.

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Many other countries are competing for India‘s massive share in the pie. India must keep its prices competitive to secure its edge.

TDB: Why has the Rice Importer‘s Association in Iran capped import prices at $ 850/tonne?

HN: A price hike of 50% in October 2016 caused Indian exporters to demand high prices ($ 950/tonne) for their produce. This compromised affordability for the Iranian citizen.

Iran has off-late cut down import tariffs on rice from 40% to 26%, to boost affordability. With the same objective, the Iranian Government recommends a price cap of $ 850/tonne for rice imports.

TDB: Why does Iran temporarily ban rice imports for a few months every year?

HN: Iran imposes import restrictions not only on rice but on all agricultural products during their respective domestic harvest season. Averaging 3-4 months, the temporary barring of imports is a policy common to all of Iran‘s agricultural produce.

TDB: What are some other concerns regarding basmati rice trade between India and Iran apart from prices and temporary import restrictions?

HN: India‘s negligence in meeting quality standards raised a few red flags at Iran‘s Health Ministry. Instances of some Indian samples being laced with arsenic had aroused some quality concerns.

To override the triple hurdles of quality, price hike and seasonal import restrictions, a trade delegation from India had visited Iran in January 2017. During the high-profile visit, India invited Iran for laboratory visits to perform quality checks.

India-Iran trade beyond crude Iran is the third-largest exporter of crude oil to India after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Consistent oil trade over the years has also contributed significantly to friendly India-Iran relations, despite stringent international sanctions on the economy. In the first 10 months of the fiscal year 201617, India imported crude worth $ 6.8 billion from Iran, making up for about 12% of India‘s total crude import during the same period.

TDB: What impact will the oil price rise (due to the OPEC deal) have on India-Iran trade?

HN: India, being a fast-developing nation, has a very high demand for energy (India‘s crude oil imports grew 7.6% in quantity from 2014-15 to 2015-16). Complementing this need, Iran is the most stable and resourceful country in the region for India to import oil reliably from.

Due to a drop in global prices of oil, the India-Iran trade volume dropped from $ 13 billion in 2015 to $ 9 billion in 2016, despite an increase in the volume of oil imports by India from Iran.

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We do not wish for our economy to rely excessively on oil exports. With this objective, Iran has adopted the policy of a resistance economy.

TDB: India-Iran trade is mostly confined to crude oil. What are some other areas of focus for increasing bilateral trade between the two nations?

HN: More than 70% of the India-Iran trade is currently in crude oil. Rice, dal and other edibles make up for most of the remaining trade volume. Iran would like to go beyond this traditional trade relationship and engage with India in advanced sectors like IT, aerospace, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Hyderabad has immense potential for both industries, pharma and IT. About 70% of India‘s manufacturing capacity in pharmaceuticals is housed in Hyderabad. In fact, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore are three of the Southern IT hubs which fall under our jurisdiction. http://goodherald.com/oil-rice-chabahar-india-iran-trade-issues-demystified/

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JUN 08, 2017 Reuters | Jun 8, 2017, 01.30 PM IST Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC/Open Market-June 8 Nagpur, June 8 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices

shot

up

again

in Nagpur

Agriculture

Produce

and

Marketing

Committee (APMC) auction on good buying support from local millers amid weak supply from producing belts. Weak supply in other mandi because of farmers strike and enquiries from South-based millers also boosted prices. About 1,050 of gram and 1,100 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources. FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi gram recovered in open market here on good seasonal demand from local traders amid tight supply from producing regions. TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor. * Batri dal showed weak tendency in open market on poor demand from local traders amid good supply from producing belts. * In Akola, Tuar New - 3,900-4,100, Tuar dal (clean) 5,400-5,600, Udid Mogar (clean) - 8,200-9,200, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,800-7,200, Gram 5,400-5,500, Gram Super best - 7,200-7,400 * Wheat, rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity. Nagpur foodgrains APMCauction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 4,500-5,460 4,400-5,200 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,1002,600 Tuar Auction 3,500-4,125 3,400-4,000 Moong Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a.

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4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,500-1,630 1,5001,624 Gram Super Best Bold 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a. Gram Medium Best 6,700-7,000 6,700-7,000 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 5,100-5,200 5,1005,200 Desi gram Raw 5,800-6,000 5,750-5,950 Gram Yellow 7,200-7,500 7,200-7,500 Gram Kabuli 12,300-13,400 12,300-13,400 Tuar Fataka Best-New 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000 Tuar Gavarani New 3,8503,950 3,850-3,950 Tuar Karnataka 4,050-4,200 4,050-4,200 Masoor dal best 5,200-5,500 5,2005,500 Masoor dal medium 4,600-5,000 4,600-5,000 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold (New) 7,000-7,500

7,000-7,500

Moong

Mogar

Medium

6,500-6,800

6,500-6,800

Moong

dal Chilka 5,500-6,500 5,500-6,500 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 7,0008,000 7,000-8,000 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,400 5,200-5,500 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,1003,300 3,100-3,300 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,600 3,400-3,600 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,500 4,000-4,500 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,050 1,950-2,050 Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,7501,850 1,750-1,850 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,150-2,350 2,150-2,350 Wheat Lokwan new (100 INR/KG) 1,850-2,050 1,850-2,050 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,2002,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,500 3,100-3,500 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,800 2,300-2,800 Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,400 2,900-3,400 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,500-4,000 3,500-4,000 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200 Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,800 2,500-2,800 Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,500 2,300-2,500 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,6002,800

2,600-2,800

Rice

Swarna

medium

(100

INR/KG)

2,400-2,500

2,400-2,500

Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000 Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,5005,000

4,500-5,000

Rice

HMT

medium

(100

INR/KG)

4,100-4,300

4,100-4,300

Rice Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200 Rice Shriram best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,000 6,500-7,000 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,200 5,800-6,200 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,000-14,000 10,000-14,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-8,500 6,200-8,500 Rice Chinnor New(100 INR/KG) 4,600-4,800 4,600-4,800 Rice

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Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,000-6,500 5,800-6,300 Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,800 5,100-5,300 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,200 1,900-2,200 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-1,900 1,800-1,900 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 39.6 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 27.6 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with one or two spells or rains or thunder-showers likely. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 41 and 27 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-openjun-08-2017/articleshow/59049693.cms

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- January 09, 2017 CommoditiesJan 09, 2017 14:00

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- January 09, 2017

Nagpur Soybean, Soyoil, Soymeal Open-January 9 Nagpur, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Linseed oil in nonedible section and coconut KP oil today recovered in Vidarbha region of Western Maharashtra

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on increased seasonal demand from local traders amid weak supply from producing regions.

Fresh rise in overseas oil affected trading activity in major edible oils as traders adopted wait and watch move, sources said Monday. ***** VIDARBHA MARKETS OILS * Soyabean, cottonseed, groundnut loose, groundnut refined, sunflower refined, rapeseed and castor oils ruled steady here in thin trading activity. * Traders expect nearly steady trend in major edible oils here.

SOYMEAL * Soymeal prices today ruled steady here but demand was poor in weak trading activity.

SOYABEAN * Soyabean prices declined in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) auctions on poor demand from local crushing plants amid high moisture content arrival. No taker to soyabean oil & soymeal, easy condition on NCDEX and downward trend in Madhya Pradesh soyabean prices also affected morale of crushing plants.

About 1,000 soyabean bags reported for auction here, according to sources.

Nagpur soybean prices in rupees/tonne: -----Soybean yellow----Soybean black Available Previous Auction price (Auction price) Market delivery 25,000-27,700 25,800-28,900 -(Available price) Market delivery 25,100-27,800 25,900-29,000 -(Traders price) Plant delivery 29,000-30,300 29,300-30,500 -Soybean yellow arrivals (in 90-kg bags) and prices (in rupees per tonne) in Vidarbha, according to officials of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee and trade sources.

Deliveries Available prices Hinganghat n.a. n.a.

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Akola 400 25,000-27,300 Amravati n.a. n.a.

Khamgaon n.a. n.a.

Wardha n.a. n.a.

Arvi n.a. n.a.

Umred n.a. n.a.

Chandrapur n.a. n.a Soyabean plant prices at other places in Maharashtra : Adilabad - n.a., Akola -29,700, Washim - 29,200, Dhulia - 29,600, Hingoli - 29,300, Jalna - 29,300, Koosnoor - 30,300, Malkapur - 29,600, Latur - 29,500, Nanded - 28,800, Solapur - 30,000, Sangli - 30,200.

Sunflower arrivals (in 50-kg bag), Rapeseed (in 40 Kg bag), groundnut and Dhaniya arrivals (in 40 kg bag), linseed arrival (90 kg bag), Dhan arrival (75 kg bag), cotton (100 kg) and prices (in rupees per 100 kilogram) in Nagpur, according to APMC sources: Deliveries Available prices Previous close Sunflower n.a. n.a.

2,400-2,600 Groundnut n.a. n.a.

700-900 Linseed n.a. n.a.

4,200-4,600 Castor n.a. n.a.

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3,000-3,200 Rapeseed n.a. n.a.

1,520-1,625 Til n.a. n.a.

7,500-8,000 Dhaniya n.a. n.a.

6,500-7,000 Bajra n.a. n.a. n.a.

Gavarani Corn n.a.

1,200-1,315 1,250-1,400 Dhan 10 1,600-1,964 1,700-1,980 Cotton 154 5,325-5,425 5,300-5,450 Oil prices in rupees per 10 kilograms: NAGPUR Monday open Previous close Soyoil refined crushing plant delivery 754 754 Soyoil solvent crushing plant delivery 714 714 Cottonseed refined 750 750 Cottonseed solvent 730 730 Groundnut oil (loose) 1,060

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1,060 Groundnut oil refined (15 Litre) 1,740 1,740 Sunflower oil refined 1,010 1,010 Linseed oil 1,020 1,010 Rapeseed oil (for 15 kg) 1,430 1,430 Castor oil (for 15 kg) 1,280 1,280 Coconut KP oil (for 15 kg) 1,900 1,880 AMRAVATI Soyoil refined 753 753 Soyoil Solvent 713 713 Cottonseed refined 750 750 Cottonseed solvent 730 730 AKOLA Soyoil refined 753 753 Soyoil Solvent 713 713 Cottonseed refined oil 750 750 Cottonseed solvent 730 730 DHULIA

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Soyoil refined 760 760 AURANGABAD Soyoil refined 759 759 JALNA Soyoil refined 760 760 NANDED Soyoil refined 760 760 Soyoil refined prices at other places in Maharashtra : Adilabad - 759, Baramati - 762, Chalisgaon - 760, Pachora - 761, Parbhani - 761, Koosnoor - 762, Solapur - 760, Supa - 758, Sangli - 760.

Nagpur soymeal prices in rupees per tonne Monday's open Previous Close Soymeal (Nagpur) 23,600-24,100 23,600-24,100 Soymeal prices at other places in Maharashtra : Adilabad - 24,200 Akola - 23,800, Washim - 23,700, Dhulia - 24,200, Hingoli - 23,900, Jalna - 23,500, Nandurbar - 24,100, Khamgaon - 23,500, Latur - 23,900, Nanded - 23,600, Parbhani - 23,500, Solapur - 24,200, Supa - n.a., Dharwad - 24,000, Sangli - 24,500 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 29.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 14.3 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky.

Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 29 and 13 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.) https://in.investing.com/news/commodities-news/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open--january09,-2017-86963

Showers bring cheer to paddy growers Kids enjoy the pleasant weather at Atal Park on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service Karnal, June 7

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The nearly two-hour-long rain spell in the district this morning has brought cheer on the faces of paddy farmers as well as residents as the mercury dipped by 7 degree Celsius, giving the muchneeded relief from the scorching heat. As per the information, the maximum temperature was recorded at 37 degree Celsius today, while it was 44 degree Celsius yesterday.

There is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm in coming two to three days in the district, say experts.Experts said the rain would prove to be a boon for the farmers. ―The rain will be very beneficial for the farmers as they have started paddy cultivation,‖ said Pardeep Meel, Deputy Director, Agriculture. ―We have fixed a target of paddy cultivation on nearly 1.72 lakh hectares of land and nearly 200 hectares have already been covered. After this rain, the cultivation process will get momentum,‖ he said.―I have sown paddy, but was worried due to high temperature as it could hamper my crop. With this rainfall, I am hopeful that the field will retain some water,‖ said Karam Singh, a farmer from Majra Roran village.

Similarly, the residents of the district who had been facing frequent electricity cuts also got respite.―The rainfall has lowered the temperature and provided the much-needed relief from heat wave,‖ said Rishab Gupta, a resident of the city. http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/showers-bring-cheer-to-paddy-growers/418999.html

Thailand Sells 1.66 Million T of Rice From State Stockpiles Online Advertisement:mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 0321 369 2874 www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com

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Bangkok. Thailand sold 1.66 million tonnes of rice worth $49 million from state stockpiles on Wednesday (07/06), the commerce ministry said.

The amount sold accounted for 90 percent of the amount open for auction last month.Thailand is the world's second-biggest rice exporter after India, and still has stocks of about 3 million tonnes left over from the previous government's rice-buying scheme, which paid farmers well above market rates.The current military government has been trying to sell off stockpiles from the scheme through several state auctions since it took power in 2014.

It said it will be able to offload the remaining stock, including 160,000 tonnes of rice and 2.7 million tonnes of spoiled rice, by year-end.Thailand officially aims to export 9.5 million tonnes of rice this year, but the commerce ministry said 10 million tonnes was also achievable.

http://jakartaglobe.id/international/thailand-sells-1-66-million-t-rice-statestockpiles/

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Mekong Delta’s winter-spring rice output falls

Thursday, 06/08/2017, 16:29 The Mekong Delta region has completed harvesting this year‘s winter-spring rice crop, with the total output reaching 9.62 million tonnes, down 361,000 tonnes as compared to the same crop last year.According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, diseases and unfavourable weather were blamed for the drop in the rice output.The strongest falls were seen in Dong Thap province (166,000 tonnes), Long An (96,500 tonnes), Can Tho city (59,100 tonnes), and Kien Giang (50,000 tonnes).

The prices of rice in the region also dropped slightly in May, ranging between VND4,400 – 6,300 per kilogramme depending on rice types because the crop‘s rice was not qualified enough for export due to late sowing.

Besides, several rice import markets face difficulties. The stock levels at processing and export enterprises remain high http://english.vov.vn/economy/mekong-deltas-winterspring-rice-output-falls-351235.vov

Vietnam's top export products in five months Wood and timber products, rice, coffee, cashew nuts and vegetables and fruits, each with a value of more than US$1 billion, are top export products in the first five months of this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

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Wood and timber product exports are estimated at US$2.9 billion in the first five months of this year, up 9.9% against the corresponding period last year.

Seafood exports reached US$618 million in May, bringing the total export revenue in five months to US$2.8 billion, up 10.4%.

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Vietnam exported 105,000 tons of coffee in May to get US$233 million, bringing the total export quantity to 693,000 tons valuing at US$1.57 billion in five months, down 15.9% in volume but up 11% in value.

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Vegetable and fruit exports hit US$344 million in May and US$1.38 billion in five months, up 38%.

Vietnam shipped 112,000 tons of cashew nut in five months to earn US$1.1 billion, down 9.5% in volume and up 12.8% in value.

Rice exports reached 538,000 tons with a value of US$245 million in May, bringing the total rice exports in five months to 2.3 million tons valuing US$1 billion, up 1.6% in volume and 1.2% in value http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/179877/vietnam-s-top-export-products-in-fivemonths.html

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Asia Rice-Thai prices hit near 4-year high on strong demand from importing countries * Vietnamese prices hit highest in over two years * Strong demand from Bangladesh, the Philippines

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat BANGKOK, June 8 Prices of Thai rice hit their highest in nearly four years while those of the Vietnamese grain rose to their strongest in more than two years on strong demand from key importing countries, traders said on Thursday.Thailand's benchmark 5-percent broken rice RITHBKN5-P1 was quoted at $440-$457 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok, up from $430 last week.

Thai prices have been rising steadily since March, when traders started loading ships, and reached a level unseen since August 2013 this week."Ships are still arriving and exporters are buying supply to fulfil shipments," said a trader in Bangkok.Exporters are now buying the grain at much higher prices than when deals were struck, while some have shied away from fresh deals, he added.Thailand has exported 5.09 million tonnes of rice so far this year, up 15.7 percent from the same period last year, the government said on Wednesday.

In Vietnam, the 5-percent broken rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 was quoted at $395-$400 a tonne, FOB Saigon, up from $390 last week, and the highest level since November 2014.Prices are expected to rise further in Thailand and Vietnam, the world's second and third biggest rice exporters, traders said, given that demand from key importers of the grain has been strong this year.Bangladesh is set to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam in a government-togovernment deal, as part of an effort to build reserves, which are at 10-year lows, and rein in record-high local prices after flash floods hit output."The deal is likely to be finalised by next week," Ataur Rahman, additional secretary at Bangladesh's food ministry, told Reuters.

As a result, Vietnamese traders are holding onto stocks to sell later at higher prices."Most private traders and farmers are still holding grains for higher prices," said a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City.Bangladesh also plans to increase rice imports from Vietnam to 500,000 tonnes by end2017 and to buy 1 million tonnes of Vietnamese rice annually until 2022.It is also in talks with

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Thailand and India.The Philippines has also said it would issue a tender next month to import 250,000 tonnes of the grain from Thailand and Vietnam, and possibly also India.

In India, the world's biggest rice exporter, prices of 5-percent broken parboiled rice RI-INBKN5P1 climbed by $2 per tonne to $415-$418, as demand from overseas buyers rose."In the last few weeks demand has risen from African buyers. The quick rise is prompting many buyers to increase purchases," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.At current levels, exports are competitive despite an appreciation in the rupee, he added.

The rupee has risen nearly 5 percent so far in 2017 and trading near its highest level in 21 months. A stronger rupee trims returns of exporters.India's non-basmati rice exports in April fell 18.5 percent from a year ago to 475,050 tonnes due to a stronger rupee. (Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat in BANGKOK, My Pham in HANOI, Rajendra Jadhav in MUMBAI, and Ruma Paul in DHAKA; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) http://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice-idINL3N1J53N6

New export markets boost rice sales Submitted by Eleven on Thu, 06/08/2017 - 22:42 Writer: Sithu Aung Muse border trade camp, where most rice is exported to China (Photo-Tun Nay Hlaing) New international rice export markets mean earnings have tripled to US$117 million so far this financial year until May 26, compared with last year, according to Ministry of Commerce.About 400,000 tonnes of rice have been exported by May 26, a 348-per-cent increase from the same period last year.Last year, Myanmar earned only US$40.5 million from the export of rice and broken rice, about US$77 million less than this year.―Although international rice prices are low, exports of rice have increased. Last year, we could export to only 14 countries but now we have extended it to 30 countries. We gained a greater market share and, at the same time, more rice can be exported this year. From border trade, nearly US$40 million more was earned than in previous years. Previously the main route was Muse but we have other routes such as Lweje, Chin Shwe Haw and Kanpaiktee now. We increased sales to Bangladesh from the Maungdaw and Sittwe camps,‖ said an anonymous official from the Trade Department.Dr Than Myint, minister for commerce, said: ―The government and the private sector looked for new markets to export agricultural products. We have good prospects to increase our export to many countries."In 2015-16, exports of rice and broken rice were worth US$526 million with 1,493 tonnes, in 2016-17 it was US$553 million from 1,750 tonnes.

Eleven Media

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