Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter February 18,2016
Vol 7 Issue II
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
Today Rice News Headlines...
Editorial Board Chief Editor
China opens domestic rice market to more importers to satisfy growing demand Large Turnout at Annual Missouri Rice Conference USA Rice Presents to Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board Link to CME Group Survey China Hates GMOs. Problem Is, China Really Needs GMOs War on terror: $107 billion losses suffered: Sartaj Price Controls Irritating Rice Storage Crunch PhilMech launches 2 postharvest machines to boost farm output PhilRice adapts a simplified virus detection tool for rice Meet India's female 'seed guardians' pioneering organic farming PH may not import rice at all Madhya Pradesh appeals against IPAB order on Basmati OUAT released 7 crops last year RICE PLAN FINALIZED FOR 2016-17 Second auction for rotten Thai rice attracts interest from private sector Nigeria has capacity to produce enough rice for West Africa – CARI Thai Commerce Ministry holds low-grade rice auction 02/18/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report Local rice farmers cry over bad market Rice Prices Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Feb 18 Year's first rice auction attracts 31 bidders
News Detail...
Hamlik
Managing Editor
Abdul Sattar Shah Rahmat Ullah Rozeen Shaukat
English Editor
Maryam Editor Legal Advisor Advocate Zaheer Minhas
Editorial Associates
Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid Javed Islam Agha Ch.Hamid Malhi Dr.Akhtar Hussain Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF) Islam Akhtar Khan
Editorial Advisory Board
Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim
Assistant Professor, Gomal University DIK
Dr.Hasina Gul
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
Dr.Hidayat Ullah
China opens domestic rice market to more importers to satisfy growing demand
Assistant Professor, University of Swabi
2016-02-18 09:10Global TimesEditor: Li Yan
Assistant Professor, University of Swabi
China, the world's largest rice producer and importer, plans to start importing rice from South Korea and the U.S. in early 2016. The grain has long been a staple of Chinese diets, and the country's gigantic market offers a great opportunity to foreign exporters. Experts attributed the large amount of imports to the low cost and high quality of imported rice. They advised that China needs to make its agricultural production more advanced if it wants its rice industry to become more competitive.
Dr.Abdul Basir
Zahid Mehmood PSO,NIFA Peshawar
Falak Naz Shah
Head Food Science & Technology ART, Peshawar
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter A salesman at a supermarket in Chaoyang district in Beijing spent part of Monday sorting more than 100 packages of imported rice at the sales counter."Rice imported from Southeast Asian countries has been selling quite well. I have sold almost 20 packages of them today," said the salesman, who declined to be identified."Imported rice is growing in popularity among Chinese consumers," he told the Global Times on Monday.To meet the country's demand for rice, China will allow rice to be imported from South Korea and the US in early 2016, according to media reports.The country is the world's largest producer and was once one of the world's major exporters of the grain.However, when the country began to import rice from some Southeast Asian countries in 2011, its rice imports exceeded exports for the first time. China's imports have grown ever since, rising from 569,000 tons in 2011 to 3.35 million tons in 2015, according to a report released by industry news portal http://www.chinagrain.cn/ on Sunday.Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Pakistan and Cambodia are the countries that have supplied China with the most rice over the last three years.As Southeast Asian rice has gradually taken a greater share in China, why would rice produced by South Korea and the US enter the Chinese market? Massive market Rice, wheat and corn are the three staples of the Chinese diet. Rice output was larger than the other two before 2012, though it fell to the second place once potato output was included in 2015, according to the http://www.chinagrain.cn/ report.Citing data from the US Department of Agriculture, the report noted that global rice consumption for 2015-16 hit a record 483.7 million tons, with China accounting for more than 90 percent of the growth in global rice consumption. China consumes about 100 million tons of rice each year, said Li Guoxiang, a research fellow at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)."China imports rice from other countries mainly because imported rice costs less than domestic rice," Li told the Global Times on Monday. There is also demand for different types of rice that are produced in China, he said. For instance, some types of rice produced in South Korea differ from those produced by China. However, he noted that only a small amount of rice produced in South Korea gets exported to China because the prices aren't very competitive.As for the U.S., it's not a major rice producer. Li expressed some concerns about whether rice grown in the US could satisfy Chinese tastes, though it is priced competitively.China is a large and diverse rice market. It consumes rice from all over the world, so the countries that have access to the Chinese market can seize the initiative for marketing, experts noted. Growing price gap Thanks to rising personal incomes and numerous choices in the marketplace, Chinese consumers are just as likely to buy imported food as food produced domestically."I prefer to buy rice imported from Thailand because it tastes good and the quality is guaranteed," Cai Jie, a consumer from Southwest China's Chongqing, said on Monday.After China joined the World Trade Organization, food, especially imported grain, began to enter the Chinese market, according to the http://www.chinagrain.cn/ report.The change offered foreign grain dealers a 3|www.ricepluss.com , www.riceplusmagazine.blosgspot.com
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter great business opportunity.The gap between the price of domestic and foreign rice reached 745 yuan ($114.48) per ton. Because China imported 3.35 million tons of rice in 2015, the total price gap amounted to 2.53 billion yuan during the period, according to the report, which cited data from the State Administration of Grain.The low price of imported rice from some Southeast Asian countries did have an effect on the domestic rice market, said Li, the research fellow. The situation is something that authorities need to pay close attention to.As for foreign companies that run a good rice business in China, Li suggested that domestic firms should be open to learn from them, such as how to plant, process and market products. Struggling to compete Although China is the largest rice producer in the world, it is not a high-quality rice producer, media reports said."For high-quality rice, my family and friends are likely to choose Jasmine rice [a long-grain variety of fragrant rice], from Thailand and Cambodia first," Cai, the consumer from Chongqing, told the Global Times."Jasmine rice is moist and soft in texture when cooked, with a slightly sweet flavor. We cannot find such a good type in the domestic rice market," Cai noted.Although ordinary rice produced in countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar may not taste as good as Chinese rice, its price is much lower, according to media reports.For instance, rice produced in Vietnam costs almost 50 percent less than rice produced in China, the domestic news portal finance.qq.com reported on January 20."China's rice market is less competitive than foreign rice markets. The basic reason lies in the country's poor agricultural production system," said Ma Wenfeng, a senior analyst at Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant.In China, a lot of rice production is small-scale, Ma told the Global Times on Monday. Production costs are high and quality control is often difficult to ensure.Li, the research fellow from CASS, said that the domestic rice industry is enduring a hard time due to overcapacity and poor technology in the rice growing industry. The key to improving the domestic rice industry's competitiveness is to make agricultural production more advanced and encourage more specialized farming, Ma said. http://www.ecns.cn/business/2016/02-18/199492.shtml
Large Turnout at Annual Missouri Rice Conference By Peter Bachmann
MALDEN, MO - More than one hundred rice farmers gathered here yesterday for the 2016 Missouri Rice Conference. This was the first time the conference has been held in Malden and the new location drew a lot of new faces, including many young farmers interested in growing rice.The conference agenda featured presentations primarily geared toward ongoing rice research such as furrow irrigated row rice, rice weed control, rice varieties, and production issues.Research presenters included: Dr. Michael Aide, Southeast Missouri State University; Jim Heiser, University of Missouri's Fisher Delta Research Center; Matt Rhine, University of Missouri's Fisher Delta Research Center; and Dr. Chuck Wilson, University of Arkansas' Rice Research Station in Stuttgart. 4|www.ricepluss.com , www.riceplusmagazine.blosgspot.com
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter The U.S. Rice Producers Association also gave an update on domestic and international markets.A conference highlight was a visit by Congressman Jason Smith, a Republican from Missouri's Eighth District. Smith represents the largest congressional district in Missouri, known as the Bootheel that encompasses the entire rice-growing region of the state. Following his speech, Smith answered questions from the rice farmers in the room. Smith told attendees, "I'm supporting legislation by Rick Crawford in Arkansas that would remove the barriers to agricultural trade in Cuba." He acknowledged the importance of regaining the Cuban rice market and shared his intentions to travel to Cuba sometime this year to learn about the island's commercial needs. Smith also said he supports, "providing food aid through in-kind commodities rather than sending cash to refugee-stricken nations." He talked about USA Rice's involvement in the food aid debate and said he agreed with the position of providing in-kind contributions rather than unaccountable cash transactions. USA Rice and the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Stewardship Partnership were sponsors of the conference. USA Rice Daily, Thursday, February 18, 2016 USA Rice CFO Linda Sieh
USA Rice Presents to Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board By Chuck Wilson
LITTLE ROCK, AR - USA Rice CFO Linda Sieh presented the annual USA Rice Council report to the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board (ARRPB) here Tuesday.Sieh provided the board with the financial report and results of the audits for all five organizations overseen by USA Rice, and also gave an update on opportunities and challenges the U.S. rice industry faces in international markets. The ARRPB is made up of nine rice producers who are nominated by industry organizations and appointed to two-year terms by the governor. The board is responsible for allocating Arkansas rice promotion and research check-off funds annually. For the past 30 years, the ARRPB has awarded promotion funds to the USA Rice Council. "I appreciated the opportunity to report on work made possible by the financial resources entrusted to us by Arkansas," Sieh said. "On behalf of USA Rice, I also want to thank the Arkansas rice farmers and industry members who serve on the USA Rice Council board and on USA Rice domestic and international promotion committees. Their participation is vital to USA Rice's member-driven process for program development and implementation."
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter After the presentations on promotion results and USA Rice financials, the ARRPB approved the USA Rice Council's request for funding in the fiscal year August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017.
Link to CME Group Survey All members of the rice industry, particularly those with interest in the rice futures market, are encouraged to complete the CME Group survey found here
China Hates GMOs. Problem Is, China Really Needs GMOs CHINA HAS A fifth of the world‘s people, but only about 7 percent of its arable land. Food security is a national obsession— so it only seemed natural when, earlier this month, state-owned ChemChina announced its bid to buy the pesticide- and seedproducing giant Syngenta, in what is likely to be the biggest acquisition in the country‘s history. Technology, the Party seemed to say, and especially genetically modified crops, are the key to a sustainable future.There‘s just one problem: Most Chinese hate GMOs.The Chinese Communist Party hasn‘t hesitated to use its money and clout to support the country‘s expanding population. It‘s bulldozed vast swaths of cities, rerouted and dammed the Yangtze River, and raised skyscrapers in the desert. But when it comes to commercial GMOs, China is stalling. The country issued its first license to a GM crop in 1997—cotton, which is now widely used. But the last crop approved was papaya, in 2006. Since then, China has confined GM crops to the laboratory. Food, it turns out, is personal. In a country that only repealed its one-child policy a few months ago, families place a premium on safe and healthy foods—which have boomed as an industry over the past five years. At the supermarket, Chinese consumers choose between foods labeled non-harmful, green, natural, or organic, even if those labels don‘t mean anything. ―Genetically modified‖ doesn‘t quite fit the mold. A history of food scandals make Chinese consumers especially wary of technology in the grocery. In 2008, regulators discovered that corrupt businesses were adding melamine, a chemical used in plastics, to powdered milk and infant formula to artificially inflate protein measurements. The spiked powders killed six infants and hospitalized 54,000 others. That scandal roughly coincided with the central government‘s decision to grant permission to a group of scientists researching Bt rice—a GM crop that expresses a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensisto ward off pests. 6|www.ricepluss.com , www.riceplusmagazine.blosgspot.com
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter ―There was a widespread public fear that, ‗Oh, maybe they‘re trying to sneak this through too!‘‖ says Carl Pray, an economist at Rutgers who has researched Chinese attitudes toward GMOs. Groups like Greenpeace and the ultra-Maoist group Utopia condemned the research. When Zhang Qifa, one of the project‘s scientists, took the stage to give a presentation, someone threw a ceramic mug at him. Another member in the audience cried, ―Zhang Qifa is a traitor!‖That sentiment—minus the mug-slinging—is consistent across most of the Chinese population. In one survey, 84 percent of respondents were opposed to GMOs. The counterintuitive part? The higher your educational attainment, the more likely you are to oppose genetically modified crops. ―I found that the most interesting questions were being asked by urbanites who were predisposed— rightly, I think—to ask difficult questions and push back against the technocrat‘s assumption that more information will bring acceptance,‖ says Sam Geall, an anthropologist at the University of Sussex. Despite all this, for the 13th straight year, agriculture and biotechnology topped the Party‘s wish list in the No. 1 Central Document—the government‘s prime directive. Chinese president Xi Jinping has stated that domestic scientists should ―boldly research and innovate, [and] dominate the high points of GMO techniques.‖ The most recent Five Year Plan names biotechnology, including enhanced agriculture, as one of seven ―Strategic Emerging Industries.‖ Caixia Gao, a plant geneticist at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, has used money from the Chinese Ministry of Science to engineer rice for herbicide resistance and corn for drought resistance. ―We want to put our product on the market as soon as possible,‖ she says. Whether consumers realize it or not, China is already dependent on GM crops. The country imports 5 million tons of GM corn and much more soybeans each year. ―It‘s mostly used for vegetable oil and animal feed,‖ says Pray. ―But it‘s being consumed.‖ And while China will bar Syngenta from bringing GM crops to market in the country, the company will very quickly be able to sell things like hybrid rice strains, which are made by crossing two or more strains of rice together. The company can also avoid regulations on GM crops—which only include those in which DNA has been added to plant genome—by blasting rice and corn with chemicals to induce mutations, hybridizing the strains that end up with useful changes. Syngenta might also find a regulatory loophole in the powerful gene-editing technique Crispr. In China, GMOs are legally defined as ―something to which you add DNA.‖ Traditionally, you‘d shoot up your rice with a bacteria that mixes in some interesting, new, pesticide-resistant DNA. But with Crispr, researchers can create a specific mutation by snipping with Crispr‘s genetic scissors. The right cuts could yield a strain of rice that‘s terrifically resistant to disease—―even if you couldn‘t tell it from a plant that‘s got a mutation from a cosmic ray,‖ says Pray. Given China‘s rapid uptake of Crispr in even more ethically-fraught human biology experiments, the technology might finally help change the image of GMOs from contaminant to enhanced. So how long before Chinese citizens rich and poor are eating their GM broccoli, in one form or another? ―I would think within 10 years,‖ says Pray. ―Five years,‖ says Gao
War on terror: $107 billion losses suffered: Sartaj 7|www.ricepluss.com , www.riceplusmagazine.blosgspot.com
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter February 18, 2016 AAMIR SAEED Pakistan has suffered economic losses of around $107 billion in war against terrorism. Pakistan's exports have registered a sharp decline since the last financial year as they have plummeted from historic $25.11 billion to $23.88 billion in fiscal year 2014-15. Pakistan has spent over Rs 638 million on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's 65 foreign visits from 2013 to 2016 while 631 officials also accompanied him during the trips. In a written reply to a question during the Question Hour in the National Assembly, Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz informed the members that the prime minister made 65 foreign visits from 2013-16 along with 631 government officials which have cost the national exchequer over Rs 638 million. He also informed the house that expenditure details of the prime minister's four foreign trips are yet to be received from the relevant foreign missions and local agencies. To another question, he informed the house that Pakistan has suffered economic losses to the tune of $107 billion in war against terrorism. Pakistan also draws attention of the international community to the brutal acts of terrorism being faced by Pakistanis. The inhuman and despicable act of terrorism perpetrated against innocent school children in Peshawar on 16 December 2014 was a stark reminder of the enormity of the suffering of the people of Pakistan from the terrorism over the years, he said. The advisor said that this was acknowledged by many leaders including President Obama. The world is reminded of the thousands of Pakistani lives lost by terrorism and in fighting against the terrorism. The estimated losses to Pakistan's economy are around $107 billion (Rs 8,702.75 billion). To another question on Pakistan's membership of 34-state Islamic military coalition, the advisor said Pakistan is still waiting for further details and technical consultations regarding 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism. He said the coalition will seek participation in different areas to co-ordinate military efforts in the fight against terrorism. He said a meeting of foreign ministers or defence ministers is expected soon for further clarification on the issue. He said Pakistan along with some other countries is participating in military exercise in Saudi Arabia which is part of the military cooperation with the kingdom. Answering another question, the advisor said the short visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Lahore on 25th December last year provided an impetus to the ongoing efforts towards the normalisation of relations between the two countries. Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir informed the house that Pakistan's exports mainly based on cotton, leather and Basmati rice and their prices have declined dramatically in the international market. The exports have registered a sharp decline since the last financial year as they have plummeted from historic $25.11 billion to $23.88 billion in fiscal year 2014-15, he said. He pointed out that serious devaluation of currency by various countries particularly China is another reason for a decline in the country's exports. The minister said recent announcement by the prime minister for a reduction in electricity tariff for industry will also benefit exporters. He informed the house that exports of Gypsum and Cement to India have increased
Price Controls Irritating Rice Storage Crunch 8|www.ricepluss.com , www.riceplusmagazine.blosgspot.com
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter Policies that encourage farm output have filled China's granaries to overflowing and some say distorted the market By staff reporter Wang Su (Henan) – Farmers in trucks filled with newly harvested rice queued for days in late December outside the Luoshan County grain management facility in the central province of Henan.A sign at the head of the queue was plainly visible: "Full. No more buying." But the farmers waited anyway, clinging to a hope that they would eventually sell their crops.Luoshan-area farmers are no strangers to waiting in lines with truckloads of rice. Several years of bumper harvests have flooded the rice market nationwide, making it difficult to sell crops to the nation's biggest buyer, China Grain Reserves Corp., also known as Sinograin. Like most farmers in China, those in Luoshan want to sell their crops to Sinograin in an annual state purchase scheme after the harvest season because the government offers a good price.But since 2013 Sinograin, a state company that manages the nation's grain reserves by buying and selling rice, corn, millet and other crops at government-determined prices, has been struggling to absorb these bumper harvests of rice. The company's Luoshan-area warehouses were nearly full when farmers were turned away in December. And the storage shortage is a problem nationwide. Sinograin has been building new granaries and partnering with private companies that can provide storage facilities. It opened 115 new warehouses across the country last fall. But the storage space crisis persists. Nationwide, the company can store up to 500,000 tons of rice. But it bought a whopping 1.7 million tons from the nation's farmers in 2013, 1.2 million tons the following year and an estimated 1.5 million tons in 2015.Much of the rice purchased around the country since 2013 was still sitting in Sinograin storage facilities in early 2016, industry sources said. Some experts say there are fears that a significant amount of that stockpiled grain could spoil before it's sold. Choking Controls Exacerbating the storage bottleneck is a mismatch between market and government farm prices. Simply put, Sinograin can't find enough grain buyers willing to pay the high prices mandated by the government.In 2015, Sinograin was required to pay farmers between 2,700 yuan and 3,100 yuan per ton of rice in Henan Province. The prices almost doubled rice imported prices from Thailand and Vietnam.Government pricing has been a boon to rice importers who buy from farmers in Vietnam and Thailand. The General Administration of Customs said rice imports increased 23 percent in 2015 from the previous year to 3.3 million tons, an amount equal to about 2 percent of total domestic production.Some say legally and illegally imported rice accounts for about 25 percent of consumption in the Pearl River Delta region, which includes heavily populated Guangdong Province.
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter Market forces have thus worked against the government's plan. In 2015, according to company documents, Sinograin planned to sell 101 million tons of rice on the domestic market. But because its prices were high, only 5.3 million tons were sold.Since 2005, Sinograin has had a government mandate to implement the nationwide grain purchase scheme through which Beijing every year sets a mandatory price range for crops sold by farmers and stored in grain reserves. The scheme is designed to protect farmer incomes and encourage production.Farmers support the policy and do all they can to sell crops to Sinograin."The state purchase policy is good because it takes care of farmers," said Luoshan farmer Ye Yanggui. "Without it, no one would be willing to plant." But other market players argue that the government's prices are too high, and price controls have distorted markets for grain and processed food in China.The owner of a rice processing factory in Luoshan, for example, said he and other processors are on the verge of bankruptcy because the state purchase scheme has pushed up the price of rice too high.Meanwhile, in face of rising competitions from cheaper imported rice, market prices for processed rice is falling. "If the (government's) purchase policy continues," the factory owner said, "all rice processing factories will die."The Wuli Rice Processing Plant in Xinyang, near Luoshan, has been under pressure ever since the government's price program began in 2005, said the plant's owner, Chen Pinzhang, who has been in the business for nearly 20 years. The program has squeezed the company by pushing unmilled rice prices higher and processed rice prices lower. The first factory owner said his business has lost 2 million yuan over than past two years. Moreover, he said, it's been getting increasingly difficult to find affordable rice that meets his company's quality standards. Business is also bad at Xinyang Shanxin Rice Co., Henan's largest rice processor, where General Manager Xia Chuanjun said the company has been forced to cut 30 percent of workforce due to a dramatic decline in sales. Seeking Solutions Some large processors such as Xinyang Shanxin have managed to make a little extra money by leasing grain storage space to Sinograin, although by law they're not allowed to use these reserves for their processing operations.The owner of another processed rice company, who asked to remain anonymous, said his factory would welcome the use of stored reserves for processing. Such an arrangement would boost quality control, he said, since Sinograin warehouses often buy rice without thorough quality checks. Processing stored grain could also reduce the cost of transporting harvested grain."We could buy quality rice that meets our production demands," he said.The factory owner quoted earlier said his company is thinking about building a warehouse for Sinograin. "More and more people will follow suit if the situation continues," he said.
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter But stockpiling grain for Sinograin may fail to get to the heart of the grain business problem vexing the nation's agriculture industry. What's needed most, according to Xia and other industry experts, is a commitment to reforming the government's price control system."The state's purchasing prices should not be protection prices," he said.Some experts have floated alternatives to price controls aimed at protecting farmers by artificially holding down grain prices. Under one proposal, the government would encourage farmers to switch to more profitable crops. But this proposal clashes with a government policy that encourages farmers to grow more grain on grounds of national food security.Ultimately, many experts say, the government should agree to let the market determine grain prices. This would include letting private companies compete against Sinograin.In addition to forcing farmers to queue for days with truckloads of rice, the storage space shortage has hurt Sinograin internally. For example, 81 employees at Sinograin's Henan branch, including then-general manager Li Changxuan, were arrested and some were punished in 2011 for corruption tied to warehouse operations. Li was jailed for life.And a Sinograin official who asked not to be named said the system through which food processors are contracted to provide storage space has strained the company's ability to supervise and control grain quality. Sinograin's "management costs are high, but grain quality is falling," said the official. Meanwhile, the storage crunch continues."I queued for eight straight days" outside Sinograin's Luoshan facility, said grain broker Zhang Liansheng. "I hope they build more warehouses." (Rewritten by Han Wei) http://english.caixin.com/2016-02-19/100910580.html
PhilMech launches 2 postharvest machines to boost farm output by Mary Grace Padin - February 18, 2016 By Mary Grace Padin SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya—The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) on Thursday launched two locally developed technologies that aim to address the postharvest concerns of rice farmers in the country.PhilMech Executive Director Rex L. Bingabing said the Fluidized Bed Drying System was conceived as a ―faster and more efficient‖ alternative drying system, while the Brown Rice Huller seeks to encourage farmers and millers to produce more brown rice.―PhilMech conducted extensive tests on the two technologies, making sure they would be viable to use by local farmers,‖ Bingabing said. These two key technologies will now be commercialized by PhilMech. PhilMech said the Fluidized Bed Drying System, a high-capacity dryer, was built to accommodate large volumes of high-moisture paddy rice to be dried especially during the wet season, when conventional sun drying is not applicable.―Wet-paddy rice is subjected to short duration to high airflow, resulting to fluidization on the drying bed. This eliminates grain 11 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter clumping and results to faster and more uniform drying,‖ the PhilMech said.Bingabing said the Fluidized Bed Dryer can reduce the drying time of unmilled rice, therefore, reducing the cost of this process. ―In conventional mechanical drying, it takes eight to 12 hours to dry wet palay with a moisture content of more than 24 percent to a final moisture content of 14 percent,‖ he said. However, with this alternative system, the optimum drying time for palay can be achieved in three hours. This means the drying time is reduced by 52 percent.The director said the Fluidized Bed Drying System developed by PhilMech cuts drying cost of unmilled rice to P0.63 per kilogram, from more than P1 per kilogram in other drying systems.The system also runs on a biomass furnace as its heat source. Millers can use rice husk to generate the heat needed for drying. It has the capacity to process 1 metric ton of paddy rice per hour, and only requires two persons to operate.Aside from these, PhilMech said the dryer is fully automated, requiring low energy and made with locally available materials. Drying using this system also allows high head riceyield recovery for milled rice.Bingabing said the total project cost for the Fluidized Bed Dryer reached P2.7 million. About P2 million of this amount was used to manufacture the commercial model, comparable to the cost of machines of this type currently existing in the market. However, he added that once local manufacturers or fabricators produce this model, the price of the dryer will be lower.It will also be made available through the Department of Agriculture‘s mechanization program in 2018, which will allow farmer cooperatives to avail themselves of this dryer, with 85 percent of the cost covered by the government.Meanwhile, Bingabing said the Brown Rice Huller aims to address the need for farmers or retailers to mill brown rice in response to the growing demand for this variety.―It takes only one milling pass to produce brown rice, which is healthier to consume, because part of the bran is left with the grain.However, brown rice, has a shorter shelf life compared to well-milled rice, because the retained bran spoils easily,‖ he said. ―The compact brown rice huller addresses the need for brown rice to be milled just in time so farmers and retailers could offer brown rice to more consumers who are aware of its health benefits,‖ Bingabing said.PhilMech said its Brown Rice Huller is a village-level, impeller-type rice mill with a capacity of 150 kilograms per hour, a husking ratio of 98 percent and a wholegrain ratio of 78 percent.Bingabing said the power requirement of the huller—373 watts from a single-phase electric motor—is much lower compared to the conventional rubber-roll huller, thus, decreasing the cost of milling.The director said the project cost for the development of this machine reached P250,000. He added that the brown rice huller will be made available commercially for only P50,000 to P60,000 http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/philmech-launches-2-postharvest-machines-to-boost-farm-output/
PhilRice adapts a simplified virus detection tool for rice POSTED BY WEB TEAM POSTED ON FEB - 18 - 2016
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
Scientists at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) have adapted a simplified method to detect viruses in plant and insect vectors using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique.LAMP assay has been proven useful in detecting viruses in animals and humans, said Dr. Emmanuel Tiongco. His team, composed of Dr. Xuan Hoai Truong, Ms. Ma. Johna Duque, and Dr. Rubigilda Paraguison-Alili (Central Luzon State University), extended the application of this method to rice viruses in the Philippines.The method enables detection of the rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) in plants even before common symptoms become noticeable. ―Through this application, major rice virus diseases and insect vectors can be diagnosed in a fast, efficient, and accurate method,‖ Dr. Tiongco said.Using the method, RTBV can be detected 1 day after infection. The widely used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detects RTBV 3 days after infection.Additionally, Dr. Tiongco said that LAMP assay detects the rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV) and the rice dwarf virus (RDV) not only in rice plants but also in their respective brown planthopper and green leafhopper vectors. This way, the impending virus spread is known even before rice crop establishment.Existing virus detection tools, Dr. Tiongco commented, have difficulties in detecting viruses that are of low titer (strength of a substance‘s solution) aside from being arduous and time consuming. Easy to follow procedures, cheaper equipment required, high level of specificity, and simple result determination by merely looking at the change in color of the test solution are among the advantages of the newly developed method.Dr. Tiongco and his team have conducted training 13 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter programs for agricultural technicians, rice researchers, and extension workers about this new method at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija and its stations in Isabela, Negros, and Midsayap.This early virus detection tool, said Dr. Tiongco, is useful for pest control officers. The reliable and prompt results it provides can lead to proactive solutions, and hence, prevent viral disease epidemic. For more information, contact: Emmanuel R. Tiongco, PhD Project Leader / Senior Research Fellow Philippine Rice Research Institute Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, 3119 Tel No. +63 (44) 456-0285 local 320 Email Address: ertiongco@yahoo.com http://www.philrice.gov.ph/philrice-adapts-simplified-virus-detection-tool-rice/#sthash.lMkZHqFI.dpuf
Meet India's female 'seed guardians' pioneering organic farming The ‗seed guardians‘ of Odisha are pioneering new ways of sharing and storing seeds to reap a more sustainable future Members of the Maa Lankeshwari seedbank in India. Photograph: Bijal Vachharajani Supported by: Bijal Vachharajani Thursday 18 February 2016 14.56 GMTLast modified on Thursday 18 February 201614.59 GMT Save for later Bring up the topic of seeds and Nabita Goud sits up a little straighter and begins to talk animatedly.Nabita is a smallholder and a ―seed guardian‖ at the Maa Lankeshwari seedbank of Bhimdanga village in Odisha, eastern India. The seedbank is a small room lined with rows of neatly-labelled earthen pots and stoppered glass bottles, all of them filled with varieties of millets, ladies finger (okra), pumpkin, and red gram seeds (lentil), along with cotton.Nabita puts her hand into a pot and scoops out a fistful of paddy seeds which are a dull brown, the colour of the soil. ―This is kalajira rice,‖ said Nabita, who is an organic and Fairtrade-certified farmer. ―It‘s a scented, local variety and gives us a high-yield. We are now conserving it.‖ 14 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter Seeds are at the heart of agriculture, but they are also a significant cost for farmers. Organic seeds are hard to come by in a market flooded with genetically modified and hybrid cotton seeds. More than 90% of cotton in India is genetically modified and input costs for Bt Cotton are high. Hybrid cotton seeds cannot be replanted post-harvest, which in turn forces farmers to add to their financial burden by buying new seeds from the market.
Bhimdanga is a fully organic and Fairtrade village in Kalahandi, Odisha. Photograph: Bijal Vachharajani.Nabita is one of 18 seed guardians who are part of Chetna Organic‘s seed conservation project. Over the last two years, six seedbanks have been established in five villages in Odisha with 72 men and women conserving 50 varieties of fibre and food crops seeds. This is a much needed shot in the arm for these districts which are plagued with hunger, poverty and insecurity. ―The programme aims to promote womenmanaged and controlled seed enterprises,‖ said Arun Ambatipudi, one of the founders of Chetna Organic. Chetna was established 10 years ago to enhance sustainable livelihood options for smallholder families that are dependent on rainfed agriculture. According to IndiaSpend, 56% of India is dependent on rain-fed agriculture, and farmers are often pushed into an endless cycle of debt because of unpredictable weather, high input costs, poor soil and pest management, and market fluctuations.Traditionally, Odisha is not a cotton growing state but over the last two decades, small and marginal farmers have started growing the cash crop. Conserving organic cotton seeds that are suited to the soil and as a climate adaptation measure is a priority for smallholders. Over the last five years, Chetna has been conducting small-scale trials with farmers like Nabita to evaluate the suitability of indigenous cotton varieties such as Suraj and Anjali. From seed to plate, Kalajira rice has a heady fragrance, earning it the market name of ―white baby Basmati‖. Photograph: Bijal Vachharajani Driving through Odisha, it‘s easy to spot the organic from the non-organic farms. The landscape is dotted with stretches of waist-length cotton. In sharp contrast are the organic farms that look 15 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter like Ceres has run riot, planted with cotton, red gram, and food crops. ―We practice organic agriculture,‖ said Nabita, who farms on three acres of land. ―There are challenges. The traditional variety of cotton has a lower yield than the hybrid one, but we know it‘s good for the soil and the environment. And organic is better for health.‖ Bhimdanga‘s residents take pride in being completely organic. Visitors to the village are greeted with a board that says, ―Welcome to Bhimdanga, an Organic and Fairtrade-certified Village‖. ‖ In a volatile cotton market, the mixed cropping practice that Bhimdanga‘s farmers follow ensures individual food security, even if their cotton crop fails. Farmers grow cotton alongside food crops such as pumpkin, ridge gourd, lentils, and millets. Some are for their own consumption, and the rest is sold in the market. Ramprasad Sana, an entomologist and the technical head at Chetna Organic, said that the seedbanks have given 600 families food security.Chetna enables farmers to set up sustainable and multipliable open-source systems to share and store seeds, using traditional knowledge along with new concepts and technology. The enterprise operates like a bank, only with less bureaucracy. A farmer can ―withdraw‖ a kilo of seed and has to repay the loan with one-and-a-half to two kilos of seed after harvest. With the establishment of seedbanks, organic farmers no longer need to buy seeds from the market. This year, 1,594 kilos of seeds were distributed to 603 farmers. Empowering women farmers to manage their own seed enterprises enables them to become decision-makers in the community. This is significant, given that according to the 2011 census, 68.5% of women work in agriculture. Traditionally, women have been the custodians of seeds and Chetna hopes to revive the practice.
Food insecurity in Nicaragua: farming on the edge of a volcano Last year, Nabita and her neighbours participated in a seed festival in the neighbouring village of Mading where they met other farmers and showcased their indigenous varieties of seeds. ―Everyone loved our kalajira rice there,‖ said Nabita with a smile. The short-grained kalajira is one of the key scented rices of India (pdf) and gives a high yield in a short timespan. When cooked, the rice has a heady fragrance, earning it the market name of ―white baby Basmati‖. 16 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
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Rice is a staple agriculture product but in most of India, farmers cultivate high-yield paddy for a homogenous market. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that at least 75% of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops had been lost by the beginning of this century. Kalajira rice and indigenous cotton varieties are being conserved by seedbanks like Maa Lankeshwari at a time when indigenous species of food and fibre are rapidly disappearing from farms and plates. With women like Nabita taking back control of their seeds, soil and food security, the smallholders of Bhimdanga are becoming part of a thriving, sustainable community that is conserving India‘s indigenous seed heritage and protecting its food sovereignty.
PH may not import rice at all February 18, 2016 8:50 pm
by James Konstantin Galvez
The Philippines, once the world‘s biggest rice importer, may no longer have to buy rice from foreign traders to cover the lean season.This will be the first time in decades that the Philippine will skip rice imports.With a little over four months before the onset of the lean months, Manila continues to adopt a wait and see approach in its import plan, as inventories in government warehouses remain sufficient ahead of the summer harvest.The Food Security Committee has decided to defer the plan to import some 400,000 MT of rice, supposedly to boost the buffer stock in July to September.The committee said the current rice inventories and the incoming bulk from the dry season harvest are enough to cover the country‘s needs. Government projections showed that the National Food Authority (NFA) has an estimated 28 days of stocks by the end of June 2016 or two days short of its mandate.By law, the state-run agency is required to have a 15-day buffer stock at any given period and to cover 30 days during lean months.There is no discussion yet on possible importation, but the agency continues to monitor the supply and demand situation, NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay said.―As per NEDA (National Economic Development Authority), we still have sufficient supply. It also says the FSC will evaluate monthly the movements of stock in the industry,‖ Dalisay said in a text message. As of January 2015, the country‘s total rice stock was pegged at 3.20 million metric tons, or 20.2 percent above the 2.66 million MT level in January 2015. The rice inventory is sufficient for 93 days.The inventory includes 41.7 percent in households, 30.2 percent in commercial warehouses, and 28.1 percent in NFA depositories.The NFA chief also said the committee on food security is currently reviewing the guidelines of the minimum access volume for private sector importation. 17 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter MAV is the minimum volume of farm produce allowed to enter the Philippines at a reduced tariff of 35 percent, while shipments outside the MAV pay higher rates of 50 percent and would need NFA approval.―We are reviewing MAV based on previous experience,‖ Dalisay said, noting that about 500,000 MT of the total allocation have been subscribed and another 50,000 MT under the omnibus volume were utilized by the government. http://www.manilatimes.net/ph-may-not-import-rice-at-all/245707/
Madhya Pradesh appeals against IPAB order on Basmati SURESHKUMAR The appeal claims that if the order is implemented, it would cause irreparable damage to the State and its 80,000 Basmati farmers. Asserting that the recent order of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) directing the Geographical Indications Registry to proceed with registration of a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Basmati rice according to the geographical demarcation conducted by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is unscientific and erroneous, Madhya Pradesh has approached the Madras High Court to quash the order and direct the registry to hear the matter afresh.The appeal moved by the Additional Director of Agriculture, Department of Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development of Madhya Pradesh, claimed that if the order is implemented, it would cause irreparable damage to the State and its 80,000 Basmati farmers. On February 5, the IPAB had directed the Assistant Registrar of the Geographical Registry, Chennai to proceed with the registration of a GI tag for Basmati rice grown in seven States, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. ‘Examine afresh’ The IPAB had also directed the registry to examine afresh Madhya Pradesh‘s request to include certain parts of the State in the list of Basmati-growing areas within six months. Assailing the order, Madhya Pradesh contended that based on the ‗unscientific demarcation‘ submitted by APEDA, the IPAB has classified entire States as Basmati growing.It also contended that this issue of ‗unscientific demarcation‘ cannot be raised in the proceedings before the Assistant Registrar of GI and can only be raised before the court as a consequence of the impugned order. (With inputs from Vasanth Srinivasan) http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/madhya-pradesh-appeals-against-ipab-order-onbasmati/article8249906.ece
OUAT released 7 crops last year Minati Singha | TNN | Feb 18, 2016, 10.10 AM IST 18 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter Bhubaneswar: The Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) released seven new crop varieties, including three types of paddy, linseed, ragi, arhar and black gram, in 2015. The first hybrid variety of arhar, named Parbati, will help reduce the state's dependence on other states for pulses. "Parbati is a high-yielding hybrid variety of arhar, which has already been tested in different agro-climatic zones of the state. It will definitely augment production of pulses in the state," said vice-chancellor of the university Manoranjan Kar. He was speaking during the 35th convocation of the university here on Wednesday.
Kar informed that the university has tied up with several international institutes for implementing various research projects. "We have collaborated with the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines; Kinki University, Japan; University of Hawaii in the US; and several other international projects are in the pipeline," Kar added. The agri-university has been ranked third in the country in academic excellence among 73 universities, with 25 students qualifying Indian Council of Agriculture Research-Junior Research Fellowship (ICAR-JRF) examination this year. As many as 21 PhDs, 383 postgraduates and 798 graduates were awarded degrees at the 35th convocation of the varsity. Like previous years, girls outshined boys in the convocation, with more than 85% of the gold medallists being girls. Agriculture scientist A T Roy and veterinary surgeon B N Mohanty were awarded honorary doctorates on the occasion. Governor and chancellor of OUAT S C Jamir and chancellor of Rani Laxmi Bai Central Agricultural University Jhansi Punjab Singh were present at the event. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/OUAT-released-7-crops-lastyear/articleshow/51034921.cms
RICE PLAN FINALIZED FOR 2016-17 Thursday, 18 February 2016 01:15 Posted by Fawad Maqsood
FAISALABAD: Agriculture department has finalized plan for rice cultivation across the province during 2016-17.A spokesman of the Agriculture department told here on Wednesday that rice crop was cultivated over 4.461 million acres of land in Punjab last year which gave 3.51 million ton rice production.This year, maximum area would be brought under rice cultivation for surpassing the production target achieved during last year.In this connection, growers had been 19 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter advised to use approved varieties of the rice for cultivation, he said and added that approved varieties of rice were not only disease resistant but also gave maximum yield. http://www.brecorder.com/component/content/article/166/279329-rice-plan-finalized-for-2016-17.html
Second auction for rotten Thai rice attracts interest from private sector BY EDITORON 2016-02-18THAILAND [GOOGLE-TRANSLATOR]
Second auction for rotten rice attracts interest from private sector
BANGKOK: — The second government auction for low-quality rice stocks has been met with positive feedback yesterday with the private sector making bids for a total of 240,000 tons worth over 1.5 billion baht. Sixteen bidders handed in their bids for low-quality rice stocks. This is the second bidding for these rice stocks and there were altogether 9 high bidders for a total of 240,000 tons of lowquality rice stocks stored in 64 warehouses.In total, this represents a 67% bid of the 360,000 tons that the government has made available for auction.Mrs Duangporn Rodpayathi, the directorgeneral of the Department of Foreign Trade, stated that the total value of all the bids together represents an amount in excess of 1.531 billion baht.She said that the positive response was due to the fact that the current stock of low-quality rice was of a better grade than previous stocks which make them attractive for Ethanol and livestock feed producers.She estimated that these rice stocks can be sold as feed for around 6 -7 baht/kg while ethanol producers will buy them for around 2 -3 baht/kg. 20 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/151396
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/second-auction-for-rotten-thai-rice-attracts-interest-from-privatesector/132282/
Nigeria has capacity to produce enough rice for West Africa – CARI Posted By: adminon: February 18, 2016
Kano – Mr Abraham Odoom, Policy Advisor, Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) says Nigeria has the capacity to produce enough rice for consumption in the West African Sub-region. Odoom made the remark at the formal inauguration of the Nigerian Rice Policy Advocacy Platform in Kano, Kano State on Thursday.He said based on empirical evidence on ground, two states in Nigeria could produce the required rice to feed the West African Sub-region without necessarily importing the commodity.―The importation of rice has been taking a heavy toll on the nation‘s foreign exchange earnings. ―Nigeria is blessed with abundant arable land and water for massive production of rice,‖ he said. Odoom said with the appalling slump in oil prices, it would be absolutely necessary for the country to promote the importation of rice.―The issue of unemployment can be effectively tackled if the much needed leverage is secured by indigenous farmers willing to prove their worth on rice production,‖ Odoom said.He said CARI was ready to conduct its activity on rice production and rice value chain, based on research as a way of creating adequate awareness among farmers.
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter Odoom said that with the required indices taken into cognizance, the future of rice production in the state is bright.Earlier in his remarks, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Nasir Gawuna, said the state government would continue to give special attention to agriculture to boost food production.Gawuna was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Hajiya Binta Rabiu.The commissioner said the state government had recently given Rice Farmers Association in the state N1billion soft loan to enhance rice production. http://www.nigerianobservernews.com/2016/02/nigeria-has-capacity-to-produce-enough-rice-for-westafrica-cari/
Thai Commerce Ministry holds low-grade rice auction By editor on 2016-02-18 Thailand
Commerce Ministry holds low-grade rice auction BANGKOK: – Nine private firms submitted bids to buy about 240,000 tonnes of low-grade rice from 64 state warehouses, which accounted for 67% of the government‘s stockpiles, Foreign Trade Department director-general Duangporn Rodphaya said on Wednesday. Ms Duangporn said the bidding was more than 1.531 billion baht.She said the rice quality in this bidding was better than previous auctions. The rice can be used for industrial use and animal consumption. Many firms would use the rice for animal consumption while others would use it to produce ethanol, she added. The Ministry of Commerce has auctioned off low-grade rice from the stockpiles for the second time. It was able to offload 21,229 tonnes of rice in the first auction.The bidding was worth 110 million baht. So far, the government has offloaded 4.69 million tonnes of rice, with sales worth 50.745 billion baht http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-commerce-ministry-holds-low-grade-rice-auction/132212/
02/18/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report Rice High Low Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -
Futures:
ROUGH RICE High Low
Last Change
Mar '16 1106.0 1084.5 1086.0 -18.0 May '16 1133.0 1112.0 1113.0 -18.5 Jul '16 1151.0 1151.0 1141.0 -18.0 1153.5 -18.0 Sep '16 1171.5 -17.5 Nov '16 22 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter Jan '17 Mar '17
1184.5 -17.5 1184.5 -17.5
Rice Comment Rice future turned lower today. The average expected price for long grain is now $11.00-$11.60/cwt, and mid-south medium grain is expected to bring $11.70-$12.30. The market is anxiously awaiting the results of an Iraqi tender for U.S. origin only rice. May has downtrending resistance near $11.60.
Local rice farmers cry over bad market Thousands of tonnes of local rice are presently sitting the northern part of Ghana without market, Graphic Business has learnt. By Admin Feb 18, 2016 The situation, the rice farmers explained would have a negative impact on their fortunes and also prevent them from farming during the next farming season.This is due to the fact that the farmers would have to generate additional revenue from other sources to settle their indebtedness to the financial institutions from whom they received credit from to during the previous farming year. An acre of rice farm requires between GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,000 to cultivate, hence the situation has put thousands of farmers out of business, although the government on a number of occasions have vowed to revamp the industry.According to the farmers bad road network, delayed harvesting, improper harvesting, threshing, drying and storage handling issues are some major challenges they face.Mr Richard Akoko, a rice farmer from Navrongo, in the Upper East Region noted that the region had never experienced such development ever since, he started farming.―Our biggest issue is that we do not have the capacity to even send our produce to neighbouring countries to sell, neither do we have the strength to meet the market forces within,‖ he added.Mr John Akaribo, a rice farmer from the Upper East Region, also indicated that the price of local rice has reduced from GH¢120 per 100 kilogrammes to GH¢60 of the same kilogrammes of the rice at the Temale market specifically. This situation, he said was attributable to the increase in importation of foreign rice in to the country.Mr Emmanuel Buokanso a rice farmer at Yendi in the Northern Region, said the notion that Ghanaian rice was not tasty, full of stones and husk, therefore, makes impure and less quality as compared to imported rice is still in the minds of most Ghanaians therefore making it 23 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter difficult to sell their product.―There is, therefore, the need to create awareness on consumption of the local rice to enable farmers to make financial gains take care of our families and reduce poverty‖ he said. The Programme Coordinator of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) Ms Victoria Adongo said the association had been informed about the plight of the domestic rice farmers in the three northern regions.She said even though the phenomenon was worrying, most of the domestic rice from the northern part of the country did not go through proper milling.She urged that the government to put premium on good processing practices such as grading, labeling, milling and good packaging to help consumers to develop appetite for local rice.―Although the government had started processes to revive the sector, farmers currently need information on the market trend to help them sell their farm produce,‖ Ms Adongo who is also a local rice seller said. The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Alhassan Ahmed Yakubu for his part asked the farmers to officially channel all their challenges to the ministry.―We are not aware of this development therefore the farmers should come together and officially communicate the issue to the ministry, so that we would be able to deal with it,‖ he said.He said he was only aware of rice farmers in the region who were complaining bitterly about the price fall of the domestic rice in the market. Source : NewsGghana.com.gh/Graphic. com.gh http://www.newsghana.com.gh/local-rice-farmers-cry-over-bad-market/
Rice Prices as on : 18-02-2016 08:10:23 PM Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market. Arrivals
Current
Price
% Season Prev. Prev.Yr Modal change cumulative Modal %change
Rice Gadarpur(Utr) Srirampur(ASM) Shahjahanpur(UP) Mathabhanga(WB) P.O. Uparhali Guwahati(ASM) Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB) Cachar(ASM) Gauripur(ASM) Barasat(WB) Khatra(WB) Lanka(ASM) Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah) Partaval(UP)
330.00 140.00 110.00 100.00 81.50 65.00 60.00 57.00 50.00 39.00 30.00 30.00 30.00
-76.84 7.69 -48.84 -16.67 19.85 18.18 50 23.91 -16.67 2.63 -25 20 NC
60856.00 3845.00 38707.70 2440.00 2205.50 1520.00 1260.00 1832.50 1375.00 610.00 1695.00 790.00 894.50
2325 2950 2200 1950 2100 1950 2700 4500 2300 2250 1725 3000 2075
2089 2950 2190 1950 2100 1950 2700 4500 2200 2250 1725 3000 2055
45.31 15.69 8.64 -19.23 NC 2.22 -7.79 7.79
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter North Lakhimpur(ASM) Mirzapur(UP) Lohardaga(Jha) Udala(Ori) Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB) Dhekiajuli(ASM) Bijnaur(UP) Kolaghat(WB) Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB) Naugarh(UP) Raiganj(WB) Dibrugarh(ASM) Chengannur(Ker) Jhansi(UP) Pathapatnam(AP) Aroor(Ker) Perinthalmanna(Ker) Siyana(UP) Chorichora(UP) Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
28.00 124 27.50 5.77 24.00 NC 22.00 -15.38 21.00 NC 20.00 -33.33 18.00 89.47 17.00 NC 16.00 NC 15.50 40.91 12.00 NC 11.00 15.79 6.50 8.33 4.00 -33.33 3.00 3.00 NC 2.90 NC 2.50 66.67 2.25 -10 2.00 NC
838.70 886.50 443.50 591.00 232.00 550.50 325.00 354.00 374.00 377.50 518.00 607.30 339.50 138.50 4.50 115.70 39.40 54.00 266.65 46.10
1900 1915 1860 2700 1850 1860 2200 2300 2300 2065 2750 2400 2400 2100 2857 7000 2600 2040 2125 2000
1900 1910 1950 2700 1800 2190 2300 2300 2060 2750 2400 2400 2100 6900 2600 2045 2125 2000
1.86 5.38 12.50 -0.53 10.13 -17.24 7.69 -24.73 0.99 8.42 -9.09
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Feb 18 CommoditiesFeb 18, 2016 14:21
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Feb 18 Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC & Open Market-February 18 Nagpur, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices moved down in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on lack of demand from local millers amid high moisture content arrival. Easy condition on NCDEX in gram, increased overseas arrival and weak trend in Madhya Pradesh pulses also pulled down prices, according to sources.
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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter *FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi gram raw reported down in open market in absence of buyers amid good arrival from producing regions. TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local traders amid ample stock in ready position. * Wheat mill quality recovered in open market here on increased seasonal demand from local traders amid tight supply from producing regions like Punjab and Haryana. * In Akola, Tuar New - 7,700-7,900, Tuar dal New - 11,800-12,200, Udid 11,600-12,600, Udid Mogar (clean) - 13,900-15,700, Moong 8,000-8,200, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,000-9,200, Gram - 4,100-4,200, Gram Super best bold - 5,300-5,700 for 100 kg. * Other varieties of wheat, rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in scattered deals, settled at last levels. Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 4,000-4,450 4,000-4,490 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 6,800-8,100 6,800-8,200 Moong Auction n.a. 6,400-6,600 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a. Gram Medium Best 5,400-5,800 26 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter 5,400-5,800 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 4,600-4,700 4,600-4,700 Desi gram Raw 4,450-4,500 4,500-4,550 Gram Filter new 4,650-4,950 4,650-4,950 Gram Kabuli 6,000-8,000 6,000-8,000 Gram Pink 6,400-7,200 6,400-7,200 Tuar Fataka Best-New 12,400-12,500 12,400-12,500 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 12,000-12,300 12,000-12,300 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 11,800-12,200 11,800-12,200 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 10,900-11,500 10,900-11,500 Tuar Gavarani New 8,100-8,450 8,100-8,450 Tuar Karnataka 8,400-8,800 8,400-8,800 Tuar Black 12,200-12,800 12,200-12,800 Masoor dal best 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400 Masoor dal medium 5,800-6,000 27 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter 5,800-6,000 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold (New) 9,400-9,800 9,400-9,800 Moong Mogar Med 8,700-9,100 8,700-9,100 Moong dal Chilka 7,600-8,800 7,600-8,800 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 8,400-8,600 8,400-8,600 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 15,300-16,000 15,300-16,000 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 13,000-13,500 13,000-13,500 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,400-9,500 9,400-9,500 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,450 3,300-3,450 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 28 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,850 1,700-1,800 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,850 1,650-1,850 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,500 2,100-2,500 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 1,950-2,250 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,600 3,200-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-3,000 1,500-3,000 Rice BPT best New(100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,850 2,600-2,850 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,250 2,000-2,200 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,450 2,100-2,450 Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000 Rice HMT best New (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,800 2,400-2,800 Rice Shriram best New(100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,400 4,100-4,400 Rice Shriram med New(100 INR/KG) 29 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter 3,700-4,100 3,700-4,100 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,700-11,500 9,700-11,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,600-8,000 7,600-8,000 Rice Chinnor best New(100 INR/KG) 4,700-4,800 4,700-4,800 Rice Chinnor med. New (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,400 4,200-4,400 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,100 1,800-2,100 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 34.7 degree Celsius (94.5 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp. 16.7 degree Celsius (62.1 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest n.a., lowest - n.a. Rainfall : n.a. FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 36 and 17 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
Year's first rice auction attracts 31 bidders 18 Feb 2016 at 03:58 831 ,NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS | WRITER: PHUSADEE ARUNMAS
A trader puts a bidding proposal in an envelope at the rice auction called by the Commerce Ministry yesterday. The government currently holds 13 million tonnes of rice in its stocks. SEKSAN ROJJANAMETAKUN The government's first rice auction this year drew active interest from potential buyers, with 31 qualified bidders proposing to buy a combined 397,639 tonnes for 3.31 billion baht. The proposed purchases account for 70% of the total 570,000 tonnes of rice put up for the latest auction called early this month by the Commerce Ministry, a mix of grains for human consumption and industrial use.Foreign Trade Department director–general Duangporn Rodphaya said 16 qualified bidders proposed buying 245,262 tonnes of rice for industrial use from 64 state warehouses, worth 1.53 billion baht.Meanwhile, another 15 qualified bidders proposed purchasing a combined 152,377 tonnes of rice for human consumption from 35 warehouses for 1.78 billion baht.Ms Duangporn said authorities will submit the proposed 30 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter purchases for consideration by the panel handling the rice sales today before submitting them to the National Rice Policy Committee for final approval at a meeting on Feb 24.
The outcome is likely to be announced next week, she said.The government currently holds 13 million tonnes of rice in its stocks, down from 18.7 million accumulated from previous subsidy schemes. Two million tonnes are classified as standard grade, suitable for human consumption, with 11 million tonnes a mix of different grades including low-quality Grade C, which is not fit for human consumption.The Commerce Ministry called an auction of the first batch of lowquality rice for industrial use, totalling 37,412 tonnes, from Nov 30-Dec 1 last year. It sold 21,229 tonnes, fetching 198 million baht.Ms Duangporn said the ministry was committed to selling as much of the rice stocks as possible this year.Authorities handling rice sales are proposing the government sell 11 million tonnes of state rice stocks that are a mix of different grades.Disposal could be made on a warehouse basis.The government said in January 2015 it was committed to disposing of the rice stocks within two years.It estimated losses of 680 billion baht from previous governments' pledging schemes once the rice is sold. The government faces daily expenses of 30 million baht to maintain the rice stocks.The Commerce Ministry reported in late 2015 that since the May 2014 coup, 8.27 million tonnes of state rice from warehouse stocks and new harvests had been sold, fetching 103 billion baht. http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/868340/year-first-rice-auction-attracts-31-bidders
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