Ban on rice: Mexican team holds talks with officials
December 13, 2014 RECORDER REPORT
A two-member Mexican rice quarantine delegation comprising of
Olegario Barrera and Richardo Mendoza held talks with the Pakistani authorities
on the prospects of removal of ban on the import of rice from Pakistan to
Mexico. The visit of the delegation has been co-ordinated by the efforts of
TDAP. Pakistani rice exporters have hoped for the revival of Mexican market for
the Pakistani rice and with the specific Mexican quarantine experts' visit to Pakistan.
It is being expected that rice export from Pakistan to Mexico would soon be
reinstated after addressing all the concerned quarantine related issues being
faced by the two countries. Mexico has been the potential market for the
Pakistani rice in the recent years.
According to the spokesperson of the TDAP during the visit, the
delegates were taken to Green Industrial Products where they were apprised
about the rice processing, storage, inspection, packing and treatment/
fumigation. The delegates were also taken to a rice farm in Chiniot and visited
Iqbal Rice Mills where they were informed about the rice production, quality
and care maintenance besides its storage and packing and cargo facilities.
Meanwhile TDAP hosted a dinner in honour of the Mexican delegates.
It has been noticed that Mexico has been a vibrant market for the
Pakistani rice exporters and according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics,
Pakistan exported rice worth US $15.7 million to Mexico in 2013-14. Mexico had
imported around 16,000 tones of Pakistani rice in the first half of 2013 and
7400 tones in 2012 which shows an increase of rice export to Mexico in the
first semester of 2013.
Stuttgart’s Baden among those recognized with 2014 Rice
Awards
Marvin "Butch" Baden is a well deserving
recipient of the Rice Lifetime Achievement award having worked in the rice industry
for 56 years.
By USA Rice Federation
Posted Dec. 12, 2014 @ 10:29 am
Winners of the 2014 Rice Awards were announced recently
at a luncheon in their honor. Awards are presented in the categories of farmer,
industry and lifetime achievement. This year's winners are Fred Zaunbrecher,
farmer of the year, Kent McKenzie, Ph.D., rice industry award winner, and
Marvin Baden, rice lifetime achievement award winner.Zaunbrecher is a fifth
generation rice farmer from Duson, Louisiana, who started helping out on the
family farm when he was only 9 years old.
Together with his three brothers, Zaunbrecher operates GF&P
Zaunbrecher Farms where they grow 2,000 acres of rice.
The Zaunbrechers
are known for their interest in innovation, utilization of new technology and
collaboration with research scientists at the LSU AgCenter. Zaunbrecher is a
graduate of the Rice Leadership Development Class and currently serves as
chairman of the USA Rice Council.McKenzie is a native Californian, who has
worked in rice research in Arkansas, Louisiana and California. McKenzie became the director the California
Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF) in 2000. Through his research at CCRRF, he has developed
several rice varieties like the premium medium grain M-402 that are still in
production today.
McKenzie is a member of several committees and research
task forces for USA Rice.Marvin "Butch" Baden is a well deserving
recipient of the Rice Lifetime Achievement award having worked in the rice
industry for 56 years. Starting out as an office clerk, Baden eventually worked
his way into a career in rice sales. His particular expertise is in the area of
export sales, and over the course of his career, he has logged over eight
million miles traveling the world selling rice. Baden was elected as a director
on the inaugural USA Rice Board of Directors and recently received the Rice
Millers' Association Distinguished Service Award.
CSIR
closes in on 10 new rice varieties
The efforts of SARI add to other developments at the Crop Research
Institute (CRI) at Fumesua in the Ashanti Region, where researchers are also
developing new rice varieties with extremely desirable qualities such as being
high-yielding and resistant to common pests and diseases.Dr. Dogbe is therefore
advocating a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to promote and boost rice
production in the country.The support, he noted, will enable the farmers get
access to logistics needed to increase their farm produce for local consumption
and export.
Currently, Ghana’s rice import bill stands at about US$500million,
which could more than double if statistical projections on rice imports are
realised as consumption is projected to reach about 1.6 million tonnes within
the next five years.The country now produces about 30% of the total annual rice
consumption of 800,000 metric tonnes in the country.Dr. Dogbe is confident
Ghana can be rice sufficient if the right strategies are put in place to assist
rice farmers to increase their production.“If the farmers were supported with
the needed farming inputs at the right time, with high yielding seeds coupled
with education on new farming methods and good agronomic practices, Ghana would
not rely heavily on rice imports to meet local consumption,” he explained at a
rice demonstration farm at Cheshei, a farming community in the Tamale
Metropolis.
The visit also afforded the team to interact with Farmer-based
Organisations (FBOs) that are beneficiaries of an Agricultural Value Chain and
Mentorship Project (AVCMP) being implemented by SARI, a research institution
under the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and other
partners. It is being funded by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
(AGRA).Dr. Dogbe said more than 16,000 smallholder farmers in 16 districts in
the Northern Region will benefit directly from the project using rice, maize
and soya beans value chains, while another 32,000 will be reached indirectly
through radio and video shows.
He said the project is also aimed at helping farmers to increase
their incomes, ensure food security and create access to a wider market.Some
farmers who shared their experiences under the project were encouraged by the
efforts of SARI and its partner implementing agencies, as well as AGRA, in
helping them to improve on their livelihoods by boosting production output.The
secretary of the Cheshei FBO, Stephen Issifu, appealed for government to
support them with tractors for their farming activities, as one of the main
challenges for the farmers is access to tractors to plough farms before
cultivation.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/artikel.php?ID=339009Rice
Farmers have successful second crop
South Louisiana rice farmers are enjoying an excellent second crop
this year, a “ratoon crop,” Steve Linscombe of the LSU AgCenter in Crowley
confirmed.He said that crop comes from the stubble remaining when rice farmers
harvest their initial crop in August. If weather is good, that second crop can
appear on about one-third of the acreage within three months, giving farmers an
additional harvest in November.That crop is more than just lagniappe or a
bonus. Linscombe said farmers have come to rely on it.
“Producers
(are) doing a much better job of managing that second crop,” he said. “Nine
years out of 10 it is successful.”The risk is that a severe story or an early
frost might visit, ruining the second crop. The last time that happened, he
said, was in 2002 when Hurricane Lillie came calling.Not this year. Linscombe
said this year may be the best second crop farmers have enjoyed.Acadia farmer
wins top honors Rice farmer Fred Zaunbrecher of Acadia Parish was honored last
week as Farmer of the Year at the USA Rice Federation Outlook
Conference.Zaunbrecher, a fifth-generation farmer and a member of the Louisiana
Rice Research Board, was recognized for his farming career and leadership in
the rice industry.
He farms rice,
crawfish and soybeans on 4,600 acres with his brothers — Paul, Philip and Bill
— and he said their commitment to the farm allowed him to participate in
organizations including the USA Rice Federation.He credited his parents and his
wife, Candee, for his farming success. “It takes a very special person to live
with a farmer,” he said.His father, Glenn Zaunbrecher, worked at the LSU
AgCenter Rice Research Station in Crowley before farming.Steve Linscombe,
director of the Rice Research Station, said the Zaunbrechers are outstanding
farmers. “The farming operation of this group of brothers is one of the most
progressive in the region,” Linscombe said.
Mexico opens up
oil areas for bids
Mexico
continues to press ahead in its efforts to open up its oil business to
international investment, including to private companies in Lafayette and
Acadiana.The Mexican government on Thursday announced that 14 blocks of
potential oil development in shallow water are open for bids by national and
international companies. The blocks are off the coast of southern Veracruz,
Tabasco and Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico, the government said in a news release.
There are some
minimum requirements set for experience and financial strength of the companies
making the bids.Mauricio Garcia Palacios, trade and investment commissioner for
the Port of Frontera, Centla Tabasco and president of the Association of
Southeastern Mexico Oil Cos., has visited Lafayette twice to talk about
investment opportunities for companies here. He said last week that three local
companies are continuing to talk with him about those opportunities.During his
visit, Garcia Palacios suggested that Lafayette companies, which have
experience drilling in marshland, might want to bid on projects in shallow
water or might want to bid on projects that include reopening established wells
that have been closed.
Ban on
rice: Mexican team holds talks with officials
December 13, 2014
A two-member Mexican rice quarantine delegation comprising of
Olegario Barrera and Richardo Mendoza held talks with the Pakistani authorities
on the prospects of removal of ban on the import of rice from Pakistan to
Mexico. The visit of the delegation has been co-ordinated by the efforts of
TDAP. Pakistani rice exporters
have hoped for the revival of Mexican market for the Pakistani rice and with
the specific Mexican quarantine experts' visit to Pakistan. It is being
expected that rice export from Pakistan to Mexico would soon be reinstated
after addressing all the concerned quarantine related issues being faced by the
two countries.
Mexico has been the
potential market for the Pakistani rice in the recent years. According to the spokesperson of the
TDAP during the visit, the delegates were taken to Green Industrial Products
where they were apprised about the rice processing, storage, inspection,
packing and treatment/ fumigation. The delegates were also taken to a rice farm
in Chiniot and visited Iqbal Rice Mills where they were informed about the rice
production, quality and care maintenance besides its storage and packing and
cargo facilities.
Meanwhile TDAP hosted a dinner in honour of the Mexican delegates. It has been noticed that Mexico has
been a vibrant market for the Pakistani rice exporters and according to the
Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan exported rice worth US $15.7 million to
Mexico in 2013-14. Mexico had imported around 16,000 tones of Pakistani rice in
the first half of 2013 and 7400 tones in 2012 which shows an increase of rice
export to Mexico in the first semester of 2013.
Source with thanks: http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/1251651
PH allows traders to import 187,000T rice
Reuters
Posted at 12/15/2014 7:29 PM
MANILA - The Philippines' state grains procurement agency said
on Monday private traders can import 187,000 tonnes of rice and shipments must
arrive on or before Feb. 28.The volume is on top of the expected purchases by
the National Food Authority (NFA), which is looking initially at importing
600,000 tonnes to boost its stockpile for next year's requirements.Traders may
apply for import permits starting Dec. 28 until Jan. 31, the NFA said in a
statement.They can bring in rice under the government's Minimum Access Volume -
Omnibus Rice Importation programme, which allows each importer to buy up to
5,000 tonnes from any country.The programme covers only high-value varieties
such as glutinous rice, jasponica rice, basmati rice, and other aromatic
varieties.
They can also import 5 percent broken, 10 percent broken, and 15
percent broken varieties.In June, the government said it would loosen
restrictions on rice imports starting next year, cutting tariff on grain
shipped in by the private sector to 35 percent from 40 percent for a maximum
annual volume of 805,200 tonnes.The NFA bought more than 1.8 million tonnes
from Vietnam and Thailand over the past 12 months, the biggest annual volume in
four years, to shore up its buffer stocks as local retail prices soared to
record highs amid tight domestic supply.
Rice farmers have successful second crop
South Louisiana rice farmers are enjoying an
excellent second crop this year, a "ratoon crop," Steve Linscombe of
the LSU AgCenter in Crowley confirmed.He said that crop comes from the stubble
remaining when rice farmers harvest their initial crop in August. If weather is
good, that second crop can appear on about one-third of the acreage within
three months, giving farmers an additional harvest in November.
That crop is more than just lagniappe or a bonus.
Linscombe said farmers have come to rely on it."Producers (are) doing a much
better job of managing that second crop," he said. "Nine years out of
10 it is successful."The risk is that a severe story or an early frost
might visit, ruining the second crop. The last time that happened, he said, was
in 2002 when Hurricane Lillie came calling.Not this year. Linscombe said this
year may be the best second crop farmers have enjoyed.
Acadia farmer wins top honors
He credited his parents and his wife, Candee, for his
farming success. "It takes a very special person to live with a
farmer," he said.His father, Glenn Zaunbrecher, worked at the LSU AgCenter
Rice Research Station in Crowley before farming.Steve Linscombe, director of
the Rice Research Station, said the Zaunbrechers are outstanding farmers.
"The farming operation of this group of brothers is one of the most
progressive in the region," Linscombe said.
Mexico opens up oil areas for bids
Mexico continues to press ahead in its efforts to
open up its oil business to international investment, including to private
companies in Lafayette and Acadiana. The Mexican government on Thursday announced that 14
blocks of potential oil development in shallow water are open for bids by
national and international companies. The blocks are off the coast of southern
Veracruz, Tabasco and Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico, the government said in a
news release.
There are some minimum requirements set for
experience and financial strength of the companies making the bids.Mauricio
Garcia Palacios, trade and investment commissioner for the Port of Frontera,
Centla Tabasco and president of the Association of Southeastern Mexico Oil
Cos., has visited Lafayette twice to talk about investment opportunities for
companies here. He said last week that three local companies are continuing to
talk with him about those opportunities.During his visit, Garcia Palacios
suggested that Lafayette companies, which have experience drilling in
marshland, might want to bid on projects in shallow water or might want to bid
on projects that include reopening established wells that have been closed.
Mekong Delta suffers high post harvest
losses of rice
Post harvest losses of rice in the Mekong Delta appropriate 13.7
percent, equivalent to 20
million
tons or US$635,000 a year, revealed scientists at a seminar in Can Tho City on
Friday.Combine harvesters help reduce post harvest losses of rice in Mekong
Delta (Photo: SGGP)
Despite of considerable advances in preservation technologies, the
loss rate is still high in most post harvest stages, they said.Of these,
cleaning and drying loss as much as 4.2 percent, milling 3 percent, and
preserving 2.6 percent.Rice milling plants are short of capital to equip driers
and advanced milling machines, and build storehouses.The government should
provide capital or interest rate assistances so that local farmers and
businesses can buy machines for post harvest processing of rice, they proposed.
Rice export policy in the works
Myanmar Eleven December 14, 2014 1:00 am
A policy to explore foreign rice markets and to ensure the product
quality is currently in the pipeline, according to the Ministry of Commerce."We've
just started drawing it. The team responsible for this was formed very recently.
It's a trade-related policy. The Export Strategy (NES) focuses particularly on
exports. But the rice policy comprises manufacturing processes as well. In
addition, we will prioritise drawing a rice export policy," said Dr Maung
Aung, an advisor to the ministry.These policies are meant to make rice
exporting more consistent and to maintain the quality of Myanmar rice exports.
Ministry officials are working under the guidance of the Myanmar
Rice Federation (MRF) and other relevant organisations.Dr Min Aung, a senior
advisor at the MRF, urged the quick drafting process."Some procedures in
rice industry need to be relaxed. Rice merchants face difficulties, like losing
market demand. On the other hand, the farmers also struggle with price drops and
quality control problems. I advised the government to draw a policy that can
relieve the anxieties of both farmers and merchants," Dr Min Aung
suggested.
As agriculture is the central pillar of Myanmar's export economy, a
policy that solves all the challenges such as growing local consumption,
swelling foreign exports, quality assurance and maintaining a sustainable paddy
industry is urgently needed."Domestic consumption is the first priority.
The livelihoods of farmers, merchants and each and every individual involved in
the rice business is the second-most important point," said Tin Htut Oo, a
presidential economic advisor.The supply chain from the paddy field to the
platter should be consistent under a policy, the presidential advisor said."But
such a policy is not available yet."The NES, which is meant to enhance the
quality and quantity of exports, is set to be released late this year. It
allocates rice, beans, fishery products, wood-based materials and garments as
the country's highest potential export products.
"The [rice] policy is currently being drafted. It is important
and also related to the export strategy. Besides export process, domestic
consumption and prices are also needed to be considered. It takes a well-built
policy to make sure the whole supply chain grows strong," said Win Myint,
the director of Department of Trade Promotion under the Commerce Ministry.
Iraq issues tender to buy at least 30,000
tons of ricehe closing date
for the valid ntil December 26
Reuters,
Baghdad
Monday, 15 December 2014
Monday, 15 December 2014
Iraq’s state grain buyer issued an
international tender to buy at least 30,000 tons of rice, the trade ministry
said in a statement on Monday.The closing date for the tender is December 22,
and offers should stay valid until December 26.The rice can be sourced from the Unites States, Uruguay, Argentina, Vietnam,
Brazil and Thailand. Thai white rice will be accepted, the statement said.
Last Update: Monday, 15 December
2014 KSA 13:47 - GMT 10:4
400,000 tonnes for fourth rice auction |Bangkok Post: business
400,000 tonnes for fourth rice auction
Published: 13 Dec 2014 at 08.42
Newspaper section: Business
Writer: Post
Reporters
The ministry sold a combined 348,836 tonnes in
the first three auctions, raising 3.6 billion baht.After
halting rice sales to carry out nationwide inspections, the
government resumed sales of 167,000 tonnes on Aug 7.Commerce Minister Chatchai
Sarikulya said the government pledged to accelerate efforts to sell as many of
the remaining 17 million tonnes of state rice stocks as possible next year.A
new roadmap will soon be submitted to the National Rice Policy
Committee to facilitate disposal of the government's rice stockpile.Following
the nationwide rice stock inspection, authorities are now in the
process of classifying rice grades.
Gen Chatchai said the Commerce Ministry would
work more closely with millers, exporters and farmers to discuss evening out
the rice pricing structure and ensure farmers fetch the prices promised by the
ministry.Thailand exported 8.77 million tonnes of rice in the first
10 months of this year, fetching 140 billion baht. Export volume rose by 62.4%
year-on-year and value by 27%.
In Memory: Debbie Warshaw
Debbie Warshaw
USA Rice
extends deepest condolences to the family and friends of Deborah Marie Warshaw,
55, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, who passed away on December 12. Throughout her three-year battle with cancer,
Debbie inspired many with her faith, strength, and courage. Survivors include her husband, James (Jamie)
Warshaw, CEO of Farmers Rice Milling Company and a past chairman of the USA
Rice Millers' Association and the USA Rice Federation, three children and one
grandchild. Our heartfelt sympathy is with the Warshaw family," said USA
Rice Federation President and CEO Betsy Ward.
"Debbie was a joy to know and she will be greatly missed by the USA
Rice family. Her grace and courageous
spirit touched us all."
Visitation will be at from 4-8 p.m. on Monday,
December 15, Johnson Funeral Home, 4321 Lake Street, Lake Charles, LA, with a
Scripture service and rosary at 7 p.m.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, December 16, at Our Lady
Queen of Heaven Catholic Church, 3939 Lake Street, Lake Charles, LA.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to
Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church, 617 W. Claude Street, Lake Charles,
LA 70605, or to Debbie's favorite school, Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic
School, 3908 Creole Street, Lake Charles, LA 70605. An online guestbook is available for messages to the family.
Troublesome WOTUS Rule Struck
Down in Omnibus Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, DC -- The $1.1 trillion fiscal
2015 spending bill that funds most of the federal government for the remainder
of FY 2015 passed the Senate over the weekend.
The bill includes a series of policy riders important to agriculture. Under
the legislation, both the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market
Development program (FMD) will receive full authorized funding of $200 million
and $34.5 million respectively for FY 2015.Another directive included in H.R.
83, the so-called 'Crominbus' bill, kills an interpretive rule detailing
agricultural exemptions to Clean Water Act permitting requirements. The interpretive rule was issued in conjunction
with a proposed rule defining what areas are regulated as "waters of the
United States," or WOTUS, and
has
created confusion in the oversight agencies as to what practices they can
regulate with and without permits.
"This legislation is positive on a couple
fronts for the U.S. rice industry," said Ben Mosely, the USA Rice
Federation vice president of government affairs. "Uninterrupted funding for international
market promotion keeps our promotion programs overseas running smoothly and
consistently. And the WOTUS rule, which
some of our producers refer to as 'significantly nebulous,' had the potential
to create more problems than it promised to solve."H.R. 83 now goes to
President Obama to be signed into law.
Contact: Steve Hensley (703) 236-1445
|
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice
Futures
|
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|
CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for December 15
|
Rice farms could provide offsets in
carbon market
12/13/2014 4:00 PM
12/14/2014 12:00 AM
The California Air Resources Board this week will hear a staff proposal for a set of management practices that will give rice growers incentives that could be used to reduce the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. LEILANI HU SACRAMENTO BEE FILE
The California Air Resources Board this week will hear a staff proposal for a set of management practices that will give rice growers incentives that could be used to reduce the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. LEILANI HU SACRAMENTO BEE FILE
The management practices listed in
this protocol are based on sound science and have proved successful around the
world. We know that these practices will be adopted slowly at first, but we are
hopeful for increased participation in the future as more growers learn about
the benefits of these practices.
I am pleased to see progress toward this voluntary incentive
program for rice farmers in the Sacramento Valley, where they have already made
tremendous strides on other environmental issues. For example, rice farmers
here provide their agricultural fields during the winter months as valuable
open space and habitat for 230 species of wildlife and 7 million ducks and
geese that migrate along the Pacific Flyway each year.It is worth noting that,
in developing these practices, the ARB took precautions such as excluding the
Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area, which has the highest concentration of
waterfowl per acre in the world, to ensure that this important wildlife habitat
is unaffected by the implementation of any rice cultivation projects.
Even more importantly, the ARB has elected to exclude program
options that could lead to reduced winter flooding throughout the Valley, a
practice that now provides critical habitat to millions of waterbirds in a
state where 95 percent of original wetlands are gone. Additionally, the
development of this protocol has exemplified what collaboration is all about by
bringing together the rice industry, environmental groups, multiple state
agencies, national organizations and federal partners.We at the California
Department of Food and Agriculture call the multiple benefits to nature
provided by farmers and ranchers beyond food production “ecosystem services.
” These services include valuable open space and wildlife habitat
and farming practices that enhance environmental quality, provide recreational
opportunities and offer social benefits.The protocol provides financial
incentives for growers to help the state reach its emission-reduction goals by
2020. It’s timely, and recognizes rice farmers for one of the many ecosystem
services they provide. Similar carbon crediting initiatives are taking place
all over the country. For example, the USDA worked with Chevrolet to purchase
almost 40,000 carbon dioxide reduction tons generated on working ranch
grasslands in the Prairie Pothole region of North Dakota.As the magazine Modern
Farmer put it, “everyone agrees that climate change has and will have a
disastrous or at least dramatic effect on agriculture.
With California’s rich history of innovative farmers who promote
environmental stewardship, provide ecosystem services and strive for
sustainability, it makes sense that the California rice industry is at the
forefront of incorporating climate-friendly practices.This protocol has the
potential to move early innovators in the industry to get involved and start
moving the needle on climate change.
My department will continue to work across agencies to encourage
its implementation, along with technology-based verification techniques. Any
protocol proposed to the ARB for consideration must have real, quantifiable,
verifiable and enforceable metrics, without compromising crop yields.California
agriculture is incredibly resilient and innovative, and our farmers offer many
benefits beyond food production. Voluntary incentive programs, such as the rice
protocol, offer farmers in California meaningful opportunities to ensure that
as they produce food, they are also providing important environmental benefits.
Karen Ross was appointed secretary
of the California Department of Food and Agriculture by Gov. Jerry Brown.
source
withtnaks: ttp://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article4453841.html#storylink=cpy
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