Thursday, December 04, 2014

4th December,2014 Daily Exclusive ORYZA E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Bangladesh Signs G2G Deal with Sri Lanka to Export 50,000 Tons of Rice

Dec 03, 2014

Bangladesh has signed a government-to-government (G2G) deal with Sri Lanka to export 50,000 tons of rice, according to Reuters.A senior official from Bangladesh's Food Ministry was quoted as saying that the deal has been struck at $450 per ton (CIF basis) and is for delivery by January 31, 2015.The government has assured that the current rice stocks are adequate to meet the country's consumption needs. According to the Ministry of Food, the country has around 1.083 million tons of rice stocks as on December 2, 2014, up about 67% from stocks of about 650,160 tons during same period last year.

Bangladesh usually imports rice to meet consumption needs and exports aromatic rice in small quantities.

 During the last two financial years (July - June), it exported aromatic rice worth Tk77 crore (around $9.7 million), according to government data. This is the first deal to export non-fragrant coarse rice.Bangladesh produced around 34.36 million tons of rice in 2013-14, up about 2% from around 33.76 million tons last year, according to data from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Sri Lanka’s rice production is impacted from a severe drought. The UN's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has forecasted Sri Lanka's 2014 rice imports to increase about nine-fold to around 200,000 tons from around 22,900 tons in 2013. It has forecasted Sri Lanka's total paddy production to decline to around 3.6 million tons in 2014 (around 2.4 million tons, basis milled), down about 22% from around 4.6 million tons (around 3.1 million tons, basis milled) produced in 2013. 

Food Corporation of India Revamp May be Delayed

Dec 03, 2014

The High Level Committee set up by the government of India to look into the present structure and operational aspects of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and make recommendations to restructure its operations has sought two more months time to carry out the designated task, according to Bloomberg.The Committee, which comprises of bureaucrats, government representatives, academicians, former FCI and Planning Commission members as well as the present Chairman & Managing Director of FCI, reportedly began the work on August 22 this year and was initially given three months time.
The restructuring has been taken up to address some functional and cost inefficiencies associated with the FCI operations. It is part of the new government's agenda to divide FCI into three divisions separately handling procurement, management and distribution. FCI is being criticized for inefficient management of food grains in the country.The FCI has also been facing liquidity crunch for sometime due to lesser allocation of funds against the estimated subsidy bill in the last three-four years. Meanwhile, the Junior Agriculture Minister declared that the government has no plans to increase grain allocation under the Food Security Law. Currently, five kilograms of grains (wheat and rice) are guaranteed for below poverty line (BPL) families under the Food Security Law.

El Nino Threat Resurfaces; Effects on Rice Production Likely to be Minimal

Dec 03, 2014
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (ABM) and New Zealand's National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWAR) pointed out to a possible El Nino weather pattern between December 2014 and February 2015, according to the Financial Times.The ABM was quoted as saying that climate indicators were “currently close to, or exceed, El Niño thresholds.” It issued an alert indicating a 70% probability of an El Nino pattern occurring in the coming months.However, the Australian weather officials noted that patterns are consistent with a weak or moderate El Nino weather pattern since some indicators have remained near-average or have only temporarily approached El Nino levels. New Zealand's NIWAR also confirmed the same.

The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), which indicates the development and intensity of El Nino or La Nina events, has remained between -11 and -7 over the last two weeks. Sustained negative values below -8 usually indicate a strong El Nino, according to the Australian Bureau.The Australian Bureau noted that El Nino-like effects have already emerged in Australia, Asia, South America and Southern Africa.

El Nino pattern increases temperatures of Pacific Ocean leading to extreme weather conditions such as droughts in Asia and Australia, and floods in Latin America affecting agricultural output. In the past El Ninos had impacted rice production in India, Thailand and Vietnam. However, this time the effects on rice production is likely to be minimal, according to a Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) senior economist. An El Nino pattern was predicted between July – September 2014 in many parts of the globe but probability of its occurrence was lowered as conditions associated with El Nino patterns were not properly established. 

Climate Change May Reduce India Rice Yields by 6% Over Next Six Years

Dec 03, 2014

Change in climatic conditions associated with uncertain and erratic rainfall, delayed monsoons, agricultural droughts, excess rainfall and other extreme weather events such as floods in crop growing seasons are likely to lower rice production by about 6% over the next six years, or by 2020, according to local sources.Local sources quoted the Agriculture Minister as saying that nearly 46 million hectares of agricultural land, including rice land, spread across 122 districts is likely to be significantly impacted by extreme weather events leading to decline in the output of many agricultural commodities.
The Minister's comments were based on a vulnerability report prepared by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) on the impact of climate changes on yields of major food crops, including rice, in different production zones under the National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture.According to the report, output of irrigated rice is expected to decline by 4% and the output of rain fed rice is expected to decline by 6% by 2020. Rice production is most vulnerable to climate changes in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh due to frequent erratic rainfall patterns.ICAR's estimates of rice yields are based on a climate change impact analysis on crop yields using crop simulations models.

The Minister noted that the ICAR along with the State Agricultural Universities and the concerned State Departments are preparing agricultural contingency plans for about 580 districts across the country to help farmers deal with extreme weather conditions. The government had allocated Rs.1,500 crore (around $242 million) in the 2014-15 budget to promote productive, sustainable, remunerative and climate resilient agriculture.India produced around 106.54 million tons (91.69 from kharif and 14.85 from rabi) of rice in 2013-14 (October – September), up about 1% from around 105.31 million tons in 2012-13. 2014-15 Rice production is likely to be lower due to delayed monsoons. The Indian government has estimated 2014-15  kharif rice production at around 88.02 million tons, down about 4% from around 91.69 million tons produced during the same time in 2013-14, according to a statement from the Agriculture Ministry.    


Global Rice Quotes
December 3rd, 2014

Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade          420-430           ↔
Vietnam 5% broken    385-395           ↑
India 5% broken         395-405           ↔
Pakistan 5% broken    380-390           ↔
Cambodia 5% broken             455-465           ↔
U.S. 4% broken           540-550           ↔
Uruguay 5% broken    595-605           ↔
Argentina 5% broken 595-605           ↔

Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken NQ      ↔
Vietnam 25% broken 350-360           ↔
Pakistan 25% broken 335-345           ↔
Cambodia 25% broken           NQ      ↔
India 25% broken       355-365           ↔
U.S. 15% broken         515-525           ↔

Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd            405-415           ↔
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd    420-430           ↔
India parboiled 5% broken stxd         380-390           ↔
U.S. parboiled 4% broken       580-590           ↔
Brazil parboiled 5% broken    570-580           ↔
Uruguay parboiled 5% broken            NQ      ↔

Long grain fragrant rice
Thailand Hommali 92%          915-925           ↔
Vietnam Jasmine         515-525           ↓
India basmati 2% broken        NQ      ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken   NQ      ↔
Cambodia Phka Malis             835-845           ↔

Brokens
Thailand A1 Super      330-340           ↔
Vietnam 100% broken            325-335           ↔
Pakistan 100% broken stxd    305-315           ↔
Cambodia A1 Super   NQ      ↔
India 100% Broken stxd         300-310           ↔
Egypt medium grain brokens NQ      ↔
U.S. pet food 445-455           ↔
Brazil half grain          NQ      ↔
All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

Oryza Afternoon Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Erase Yesterday's Gains, Remain in Sideways Range

Dec 03, 2014
Chicago rough rice futures for Jan delivery settled 4.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) lower at $12.140 per cwt (about $268 per ton). Rough rice futures continued their pattern of up one day down the next trading today, exactly erasing gains earned yesterday and once again charting an inside day. The market continues to consolidate, a breakout of the current consolidation pattern will likely signal future trade direction and will be closely watched by trade participants. However, the market appears to be settling into a wider $11.800-$12.800 per cwt (about $260-$282 per ton) trading range, and barring any change in fundamental outlook will likely continue to trade within this price envelope. The other grains finished the day with mixed results; Soybeans closed about 0.3% higher at $9.9825 per bushel; wheat finished about 2.3% lower at $5.8950 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 0.2% higher at $3.8200 per bushel.

U.S. stocks held gains amid data reports and the Federal Reserve's Beige Book report that said the economy continues to expand. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at an all-time high of 17,879.55 on Tuesday and traded mostly higher on Wednesday. The S&P 500 also neared its closing record of 2,072.83. The energy sector rose about 1% and was a leader on the S&P 500, helped by stabilization in oil prices and a report that showed a drop in oil supply for the last week. The ISM services index beat expectations with a leap to a three-month high of 59.3 for November.

Before the open, ADP report on private payrolls showed sector employment is keeping up its recent pace in November, although the 208,000 new jobs was a shade below expectations. U.S. nonfarm productivity grew a bit faster than initially thought in the third quarter, while sharp downward revisions to compensation pointed to muted wage inflation that should give the Federal Reserve room to keep interest rates low for a while. The European Central Bank is expected to discuss monetary policy on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 13 points, or 0.07%, to 17,892. The S&P 500 gained 4 points, or 0.22%, to 2,071, with energy leading sector gains across six sectors and consumer staples the greatest laggard. The Nasdaq rose 10 points, or 0.21%, to 4,765. Gold is trading about 0.7% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 0.1% higher, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.4% higher at about  1:00pm Chicago time.Tuesday, there were 918 contracts traded, down from 1,701 contracts traded on Monday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Tuesday increased by 217 contracts to 10,399.


One Rice Nursery Every 4 metres in Rice Farms Keeps BPH at Bay

Dec 03, 2014

Dr V Krishnayya, Retd Principal Scientist, directorate of rice research, Rajender Nagar, Hyderabad, talks about the latest solutions that farmers world over are practicing to keep the dreaded Paddy Brown Plant Hopper away.
Oryza: Despite so much of advancement in rice cultivation, what do you think is still a matter of big concern for paddy farmers?
Dr V Krishnayya
: Paddy Brown Plant Hopper invades the paddy plant with alarming regularity. While it used to affect paddy crops in delta regions in Kharif season till a few years ago, now it has become rampant in Rabi season as well. The Paddy Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) has been affecting the fields of Japan and china for over 300 years now.  Over usage of chemical fertilizers and Nitrogen rich manures along with higher moisture levels in air help the BHP to multiply fast and cause enormous damage.
Oryza: How rapidly does the BHP invade the plant? How can it be identified?
Dr V Krishnayya
: There are two kinds of BPH - brown and white. While an adult female mosquito can lay up to 150 eggs, a short-winged female can lay up to 2000 eggs. These eggs look like vertical lines on the surface of the leaves. The eggs hatch within a week to let out the babies onto the plant.  The adult and baby BPH suck the juice from the plant stem. This results in the weakening of the stem and its collapse.  It is easy to identify farms which are affected by BHP. Within 20 days of sowing the paddy, the insect affects the plant. Although the number of the eggs may seem small and its very presence looks harmless, the eggs multiply fast to mercilessly assault the plant. Soon the farmer can spot the disease spreading in a circular fashion and is called hopper burn. The disease occurs in the centre of the farm, instead of the borders.
It is dangerous disease as it spreads form one plant to the other, one farm to the other and they can spread up to a few hundred kilometres for mass destruction. As paddy that is ready to be harvested is not ideal fodder for BHP, it moves up to the top half of the plant, flies up to 2 km in the air and then gets carried away the seasonal winds, thus increasing its range and reach.
Oryza: What do you think would be the effective solutions?
Dr V Krishnayya:
Farmers should plant the trees judiciously as more than 36 plants in one square means over-population of the plant and less than that means giving ample space for the disease to spread.
- Carve out a small walkways, also known as rice nurseries or seed beds for every  4 metres of the plant as it helps spacing, more breeze and light is not favourable to the plant
As even the best soil, natural enemies of the BHP cannot prevent the growth of it, thuse emphasising the need to use external methods to control the growth of the disease.


Oryza Overnight Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Trade Lower as Bearish Grains and Stronger Dollar Exert Downward Pressure

Dec 03, 2014
Chicago rough rice futures for Jan delivery are currently trading 5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) lower at $12.135 per cwt (about $268 per ton) during early floor trading in Chicago. The other grains are seen lower this morning: soybeans are currently seen 0.7% lower, wheat is listed about 1.6% lower and corn is noted about 0.5% lower.U.S. stocks traded narrowly mixed as investors weighed a slew of data expected over the next two days. The ISM services index beat expectations with a leap to a three-month high of 59.3 for November. Before the open, ADP report on private payrolls showed sector employment is keeping up its recent pace in November, although the 208,000 new jobs was a shade below expectations.

U.S. nonfarm productivity grew a bit faster than initially thought in the third quarter, while sharp downward revisions to compensation pointed to muted wage inflation that should give the Federal Reserve room to keep interest rates low for a while. Other data for Wednesday the Federal Reserve's Beige Book report on the economy. Weekly jobless claims come out on Thursday, and the all-important jobs report is due on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 6 points, or 0.03%, at 17,873. The S&P 500 gained 2.66 points, or 0.13%, at 2,069, with energy leading sector gains and telecommunications the greatest of six sector decliners. The Nasdaq lost 7 points, or 0.15%, at 4,748. Gold is currently trading about 0.4% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 1.2% higher,  and the U.S. dollar is currently trading about 0.3% higher at 8:10am Chicago time.

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap - Steady Market as Holiday Doldrums Set in

Dec 03, 2014
The U.S. cash market held steady today with little to no trades to report as the market settles into the holiday doldrums which is the norm this time of year.Analysts insist that it will take a substantial increase in prices to get farmers to sell their rice in December; however, most buyers appear well covered considering the bids many are showing.

Ozone Treatment May Help Thailand Restore Quality of Rice Stocks

Dec 03, 2014

A rice miller in Thailand's Phichit province has come up with a brilliant idea of restoring the quality of decaying rice. The method called "Ozone Treatment" can used to restore the freshness of the grains and is considered safe for human consumption, according to local sources.Under this technique, decaying and smelly old rice is first put into huge tanks and ventilated through air flow from fans to remove dust and impurities from the grains. It is then moved into another tank for drying with ozone by circulating more oxygen. Rice grains should be retained for about 20-30 minutes for eliminating smell from them. Lastly, the ozone treated rice should be exposed to a flow of air to remove ozone smell. The rice thus treated can be said to fresh and safe for consuming.

Ozone treatment of rice costs about 800-1,000 baht (around $24 - $30) per ton.Local sources say the government could use the process to treat the rice in the warehouses that is identified as below standard before releasing it for sale.Thailand government is currently holding around 18 million tons of rice stocks according to the Thai Prime Minister, of the 18 million tons of rice, only 10% are of standard quality, about 70% were below-standard and about 20% were unfit for human consumption.

Vietnam Rice Quotes Mixed Today; Other Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged

Dec 03, 2014
Vietnam rice sellers increased their quotes for 5% broken rice by about $5 per to about $385 - $395 per ton and lowered their quotes for Jasmine rice by about $15 per ton to about $515 - $525 per ton today. Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged.
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is quoted at around $405 - $415 per ton, about $20 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $385 - $395 per ton, up about $5 per ton from yesterday. India 5% rice is quoted at around $395 - $405 per ton, about $15 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice quoted at around $380 - $390 per ton.
25% Broken Rice  
Thailand 25% rice was last quoted at around $350 - $360 per ton, on par with Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $350 - $360 per ton. India 25% rice is quoted at around $355 - $365, about $20 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice quoted at around $335 - $345 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is quoted at around $405 - $415 per ton. India parboiled rice is quoted at around $380 - $390 per ton, about $40 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice quoted at around $420 - $430 per ton.
100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is quoted at around $330 - $340 per ton, about $5 per ton premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $325 - $335 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $300 - $310 per ton, about $5 per ton discount to Pakistan broken sortexed rice quoted at around $305 - $315 per ton.



 Contents are published with permission of ORYZA

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