Govt urged to procure paddy, rice
directly from farmers
Farmers of Dinajpur yesterday
demanded that the government procure rice and paddy directly from farmers
instead of middlemen and mill operators.They made the demand at a press
conference organised by Dinajpur unit of Jatiya Krishak Khetmajur Samity at
Dinajpur Press Club yesterday.They also urged the government to ensure fair
price of paddy, direct procurement of paddy from farmers, affordable prices of
agricultural inputs, rationing system for both urban and rural people, free
irrigation facility and interest-free agriculture loan.
At the conference, farmers said low
price of their produce this year is unprecedented. "We are selling paddy
at Tk 350 to Tk 400 per maund, whereas the production cost for the same amount
of paddy is Tk 650 to Tk 700," they said.Farmers across the country had
suffered huge loss due to countrywide political deadlock from January to March,
they said, urging the government to procure more rice from them.Bikash Roy,
general secretary of the samity, read out the keynote paper at the conference.
National Rice Month scholarships
expanded
High school graduates
in the 2015-16 school year can apply for scholarships totaling $8,500.
The scholarship
program is open to students who live in any county in Arkansas, California,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.
Applicants can submit a synopsis of their promotion in a variety
of ways, including in video format, which will be accepted this year for the
first time.The scholarship program is now open to students who live in any
county in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.
Three scholarships will be awarded based on the originality and effectiveness
of the winning entries. “We are thrilled Dow AgroSciences is supporting this
scholarship program for the sixth year in a row and opening up the opportunity
to all youth in rice-producing states,” says Darla Huff, rice product manager,
Dow AgroSciences.
“Supporting our youth and
educating the public about agriculture is integral to the success of the rice
industry.”Because the scholarship emphasizes education, the students’ efforts
also help build awareness of the valuable contributions the rice industry makes
to this country’s economy, Huff says.Nicholas Schafer, a high school senior
from Carlisle, Arkansas, was the grand-prize scholarship winner in 2014 for his
promotion titled “Do you Know Where Your Rice Comes From?” The promotion
educated children from his community about the origin of their food and the
intricacies of farming.
“They need to understand all the hard work put into growing
rice,” Schafer says. “It’s not just something you get from a grocery store.
There’s a lot behind it, and they need to understand the importance of where it
comes from.”Promotions must be executed in September, and applications must be
submitted by Oct. 15, 2015. Scholarship forms and additional guidelines are
available at the USA Rice Federation website.“The USA Rice Federation is proud to once again partner
with Dow AgroSciences, which funds these three scholarship awards, to support
the rice industry and education of our youth,” says Betsy Ward, president and
CEO of the USA Rice Federation. “Students who participate do an excellent job
promoting the importance of U.S.-grown rice and its role in their home states.
”The grand-prize winner will receive a $4,000 scholarship and a
trip with a chaperone this December to the award ceremony at the 2015 USA Rice
Outlook Conference in New Orleans. The second-place winner will receive a
$3,000 scholarship, and the third-place winner will receive a $1,500
scholarship.Dow AgroSciences has a leading portfolio of rice herbicides to help
growers maximize their yield potential. The portfolio includes Clincher SF, Grandstand R, Grasp SC, GraspXtra and RebelEX herbicides for rice grown in southern states and Clincher CA,Grandstand CA, Granite GR and Granite SC, herbicides for use in California water-seeded rice.
Health Ministry will continue monitoring 'fake rice'
Bernama |Updated:May
21, 2015
(First
published on: May 21, 2015 22:33 MYT)
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will continue to be vigilant in
monitoring the issue of 'fake rice' being produced in China.In a statement
today, ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry
would duly update the public if there was any new finding that concerned food
safety.He also advised those consumers who were suspicious of the authenticity
of rice to notify the ministry via the nearest health office or Food Safety and
Quality (FSQ) Division website http://fsq.moh.gov.my or
www.facebook.com/bkkmhg.He said the ministry was aware of the allegation
circulating in the social media that 'fake rice' was being produced in China by
mixing potatoes/sweet potatoes with plastic resin.Such rice was then exported
to a number of Asian countries.
If you don’t want your food
genetically modified, tell nature to stop it
By Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar
May 22, 2015
Tags: CHIPOTLE | CROSS-BREEDING | DNA | ENVIRONMENTALISTS | GENE
FLOW | GENES |
Chipotle hit the headlines last
week when the company announced it would no longer serve customers genetically
modified foods. This despite the fact that more than a trillion meals
containing genetically modified food have already been eaten in the United
States without incident. Science has decisively found that these foods have no
negative impact on health.Chipotle’s move seems to be based more on marketing
than on science.Recent research drives home how misled alarmists are about
genetically modified food. All human beings, two Cambridge University
scientists have established, are genetically modified, including Chipotle’s
customers. Over the years, hundreds of foreign genes have jumped into human DNA
through a natural phenomenon called “gene flow.” As a result, all humans carry
genes that originated in algae, bacteria and fungi.
If humans can safely accept alien
genes without mishap, why not food, too?
GENETICALLY
MODIFIED FOOD
A scientist shows “Golden Rice” (R) and ordinary rice at the
International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos, Laguna, south of Manila,
August 14, 2013. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
Farmers and breeders have for
centuries used cross-breeding to improve the genetic characteristics of crops
and animals. Because this process involves gene transfers within the same
species, environmental advocates label it “natural” — even though
cross-breeding is clearly man-made. Modern genetic splicing makes it possible
to combine genes from completely different species to produce much-needed
products, including pest-resistant and high-yielding crops.
Agriculturists prepares to plant “Golden Rice” seedlings at a
laboratory of the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos, Laguna,
south of Manila, August 14, 2013. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
The Bt gene from pest-resistant bacteria, for example, has been
inserted into cotton to create a pest-resistant Bt cotton. The combination has
greatly raised yields and reduced pesticide use. But some activists condemn
this as a crime against nature.When fears about genetically modified foods
first arose, little was known about gene flow, also called horizontal gene
transfer. The idea that genes could jump across species violated
then-conventional wisdom. But scientific research has established that
natural gene transfers regularly occur. So genetic transfers are not a
human invention — just a belated human effort to imitate what nature has been
doing all along.This discovery has convinced some longtime campaigners against
genetically modified crops to make a U-turn. British author and journalist Mark
Lynas, for example, converted from being an activist opposed to genetically
modified food to a firm supporter in a notable 2013 mea culpa
speech, in which he apologized for letting
his opinions trump the scientific data.Scientists once thought that gene
transfers occurred naturally only in simple organisms like bacteria. But
research shows that transfers are also common in complex species, including
human beings. Does this genetic intrusion make humans a monster species?
Hardly.The Economist used the headline “Genetically Modified People” for a report on
genetic research by Alastair Crisp and Chiara Boschetti, the two Cambridge
scientists. They have identified 145 genes that have crossed over from other
species to humans.
A genetically modified grape vine
plant in an enclosure of the state-financed National Institute for Agricultural
Research site in Colmar, eastern France, September 14, 2005. REUTERS/Vincent
Kessler
This is, of course, a tiny fraction of the 20,000 odd genes in a
human body. Why then should environmentalists lose sleep over the introduction
of a single alien gene into crops?
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/05/21/if-you-dont-want-your-food-genetically-modified-tell-nature-to-stop-it/
The Union Of Small And Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) In A Prior To Budget
Meeting Of Its Forum Urged The Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar To Ensure
Facilities For The Majority Sector Namely The Micro,Small And Medium Enterprises
(MSME) And To Ensure A Balanced Budget Providing Level Playing Field To All
Sectors Of The Economy. UNISAME Has Proposed Practical Scientific Measures For
The Promotion And Development Of The Sector.
President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver reiterated the requirements
of the MSME sector and invited the attention of the Ishaq Dar to the lack of
access to finance. The commercial banks definitely need training in risk
management and for this reason the aspect of collateral management needs to be
carried out with emphasis. The MSMEs need finance to purchase raw material,
install machinery for balancing modernization and replacement. They need bridge
financing and post shipment financing and the access to finance which is
lacking for want of collateral. This aspect needs to be addressed seriously.
The budget must
allocate funds for specialized subsidized financing under special schemes for
the MSMES.Whilst appreciating the reduction in discounting rates, he pointed
out that the with holding tax on profit on deposits needs to be reduced to
encourage savings and to make sure that the senior citizens income from savings
is not insufficient for survival.The federal minister needs to realize that
banking, insurance, leasing and logistics are the pillars of the economy and these
tools need to be sharpened to facilitate the MSMEs.Again whilst appreciating
the credit guarantee insurance scheme for the banks to make them comfortable
the UNISAME chief stressed the need to increase the share of the government to
60% instead of 40%.The other aspect is to make doing business easy and
attracting investment by one window operation in the true sense. The government
needs to seriously promote collaboration, joint ventures and transfer of
technology and provide funds in the budget for the promotion of joint ventures
and collaborations especially with China.For promotion of alternate energy all
energy generation equipment and devices must be exempt from all duties and
taxes.
The solar energy installations are proving costly and
need to be subsidized for fast track installations and must be made mandatory
for all new buildings, factories and schools and hospitals as an
alternate line of energy resource. The country enjoys the blessings of sunlight
and this could be utilized,The other important requirement is land at
concession and easy payment facilities to enable the entrepreneur to pay the
cost of the land on easy installments in industrial estates and special
economic zones.Thaver said it is needless to say but the SME Chamber of Commerce,
SME Institute, specific SME bank, SME export house and ombudsman promises in
the SME policy remain unimplemented. He urged the finance minister to consider
the importance and the necessity of these institutions for SME promotion and
development.
The union also called upon the minister to strengthen the
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and provide for
increasing the scope of the authority in the budget. SMEDA needs to be
strengthened with more personnel and must have wider outreach to cater to the
primary, secondary and the tertiary sectors of the economy.UNISAME appealed to
the minister to lower the rate of taxes for enterprises and exempt the new
industries for a period of 3 years. Import substitution and innovative
industries must be provided additional relief for their innovative
role.Imported raw material and packing materials imports must be allowed on
lower letter of credit margins and duties must be reduced to encourage
industrialization.
The tax exemption limit must be enhanced up to Rs 600000
per annum and income tax on association of persons (AOP) must be rationalized
to avoid double taxation on individuals and firms as most of the enterprises
are family businesses.The cash withdrawal from banks limit for the purpose of
withholding tax must be enhanced to Rs 100000 from Rs 50000 to facilitate
smooth transactions.The government needs to realize the fact that whatever
relief is given to the sector it will be returned back in the shape of
increased revenue due to growth of the sector and the government must not
increase taxes on the existing tax payers but broaden its tax net.The MSMES are
bothered by corruption and have to pay illegal gratification and most of the
departments are now calling it speed money. The anti-corruption department must
be strengthened to cover the several organizations and the monitoring must be
sharpened.
The law and order situation could be strengthened with
the setting up of protection squads in industrial areas and for this UNISAME
has proposed the setting up of the SME Liaison Committee (SME-LC) under the
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or the Rangers as the police cannot cope up
with the criminal activities of the miscreants who enjoy political
patronage.UNISAME has invited the attention of the federal finance minister to
the vast potential of the sector and urged him not to undermine the sector
which could turn the destiny of Pakistan if seriously promoted, supported,
facilitated and encouraged.
http://www.unisame.org/unisame-reiterates-demands-for-facilitating-msmes-in-budget/
Chinese scientists find gene that improves rice yields by 20 per
cent
PUBLISHED : Friday, 22 May, 2015, 8:01am
UPDATED : Friday, 22 May, 2015, 8:01am
Rice fields in southwest China's Yunnan Province. A new discovery
could lead to the most productive rice strain increasing its yield by more than
20 per cent. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese scientists have discovered a new “dwarf” gene in rice,
which could increase the yield of the most productive hybrid rice in China by a
further 20 per cent.
By reducing the rice plant’s height, the gene reduced the
incidence of stem collapse prior to harvest and increased the number of tillers
per plant, enabling a significant increase in grain yield.The study, led by
professor Wu Yuejin with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Hefei Institute
Physicial Science and professor Fu Xiangdong of the CAS Institute of Genetics
and Development Biology, was detailed in the journal Plos One earlier this
month.To feed the world’s largest population, China launched an ambitious
project to develop high-yielding “super rice” in the mid 1990s. Over time
scientists had significantly improved the productivity of hybrid rice, and by
last year the yield of “super rice” plants had exceeded 15 tons per hectare,
nearly three times the global average.But the yield increase came with a
problem. Farmers complained that the super rice plants, with their heavy heads
of grains, were prone to snapping, especially in windy days before harvest.
http://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/1805288/chinese-scientists-find-gene-improves-rice-yields-20-cent
Scientists develop high-zinc rice
to fight malnutrition in Chhattisgarh
By
PTI | 22 May, 2015, 12.32PM IST
Similarly, researchers from Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU),
Raipur, led by Professor Girish
Chandel, have rolled out two varieties of high zinc
rice, of which one has been released. "We focused on increasing our crop
production since the inception of the Green Revolution in the country aiming to
eliminate hunger. In the process, we managed to yield high production, but the
quality of crop did not improve," Chandel told PTI. In 2000, the Centre,
along with, health organisations in a survey found that 60-70 per cent of
population was suffering from malnutrition because of deficiency of
micro-nutrients, particularly iron, zinc and Vitamin A.
Following this, the government decided to come
out with a research programme to improve the variety of three staple crops -
rice, wheat and maize - in different states, he said. Under the programme,
Chhattisgarh, considered as the rice bowl of the country, decided to work on
the quality aspect and took up 'Rice Bio Fortification Research
Project'.Chandel said the zinc content varies between 22-24 PPM, around 8-9 PPM
more than the level of the regular variety prevalent in the country. "The
university, along with the state government, is already planning to take this
new variety of rice to farmers in a wider way so that in the coming year, its
production can be enhanced to a great extent," Chandel added.
This variety of crop is expected to not only
help combat malnutrition, but provide a great source of nutrients for pregnant
women. Thus, the plan is to introduce it in several government schemes like
mid-day meal and others. Hailing the efforts of IGAU, renowned nutritionist Dr
Aruna Palta suggested scientists need to develop both zinc- and iron-enriched
varieties of food with an urgent need to bring down the malnutrition rate. In
the first phase of the project in 2003-05, some 200 rice germplasm lines with
high grain nutritive values but low-yielding quality were identified, he said.
ubsequently, in the next phase of 2006-11, seeds were multiplied and subjected
to genetic improvement exercise, which led to seven high-yielding zinc-enriched
rice varieties.
In 2013, the Centre decided to conduct a
separate exercise coordinated by Directorate of Rice Research (DRR),
Hyderabad, to analyse the outcome of the researches being conducted in
different parts of the country. Finally, four varieties were adjudged best in
terms of quality, of which the top two came from Chhattisgarh"Currently,
we have 100 kg seeds of this new variety and we are further planning to
multiply it in 10 acres. By November-December this year, we will distribute it
to around 5,000 farmers across the state. Its sowing would be started in the
next c season," he said.
the Economic Times
Pre-monsoon showers and sowing
preparations predict a good harvest of grains
"The
pre-monsoon rains are encouraging. If it continues, farmers will pick up rice
planting. However, our concern is that if El Nino weakens or makes rain
distribution uneven across the country, it will impact yield," said
Trilochan Mohapatra, director, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack. Area
under rice, the main foodgrain grown in the kharif season, was estimated at
37.48 million hectares, more than 37.42 million hectares in 2013. Mohapatra
said that the initial sowing of early rice of 90-100 days had started in
Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Also, in the irrigated belts of
Punjab and Haryana, which contribute approximately 4.5 million hectares of the
total area under rice, farmers have started raising nurseries and will
transplant them to the fields by June second week. "With over 45% area
under paddy rainfed, mostly farmers will start preparing nurseries in June for
transplanting in July," said Mohapatra.
Rainfed regions
include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Odisha. After rice, soyabean is the
second-largest cultivable crop followed by cotton and pulses—tur, arhar and
moong. Coarse cereals like bajra and jowar are also sown in the rainfed areas
of Maharashtra and Karnataka. As long as the distribution of rainfall is even,
"4-5% deficit rainfall doesn't mean much," said Rajesh Agrawal, a
former chairman
of the Soyabean Processors Association of India (SPAI).
"Looking
at the price realisation to farmers, planting should be similar or higher to
the previous year of 10-11 million hectares." Agrawal said the current
prices of soybean at Rs 3,900 per quintal compared to government rate of Rs
2,700 will persuade farmers to plant more. Meanwhile, the government is focussing
on increased planting of oilseeds and pulses. "Higher prices of pulses
will attract farmers to plant more this season," said Pravin Dongre,
chairman of the Indian Pulses and Grains Association.
India is the biggest producer of pulses at 19 million tonnes and its biggest importer at 3.5-4 million tonne.
India is the biggest producer of pulses at 19 million tonnes and its biggest importer at 3.5-4 million tonne.
The Economic Times
Thai rice grabs over 60% market share in Hong Kong
Although Thai rice exports showed a drop of 3% in the
first three months of 2015, but in Hong Kong Thai rice has grabbed over 60%
market share there.
The higher rice exports to Hong Kong brought Thailand’s market
share in Hong Kong to 62.2%.However, Thai rice exporters are urged to
continue to promote inexpensive and high-quality rice, she said.Ministry of
Commerce earlier reported that Thailand exported 2.1 million tons of rice
during the first three months of this year, down 3.6%, since buyers went for
cheaper rice sold by Thailand’s competitors.Meanwhile, rice export to Nigeria
went up 71%, which turned the country into the largest importer of Thai rice,
followed by Philippines, where rice import from Thailand increased by
283%.However, rice exports to Ivory Coast dropped 15.9% and also 8.2%
down for China.South Africa increased its rice import from Thailand by 44%.
Tags: Business, grabbed, Hong Kong, inexpensive, market share, promote, rice export, Thai Hom Mali rice.
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thai-rice-grabs-over-60-market-share-in-hong-kong
Artificial
rice unlikely to enter Sarawak market, says authority
Posted on May 23, 2015, Saturday
KUCHING: The state’s Padi and Rice
Division under Agriculture and Agro Based Industry Ministry (MOA) has assured
all that there is little possibility for the controversial artificial rice
entering the local market.According to division’s director Ismail Sahari, the
state has not been importing rice from China over the past 20 years; thus it is
very unlikely for the fake grains to be sold here.“At the moment, we have not
received reports or complaints on the discovery of artificial rice in our
market,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.He also said rice importers were
required to have approved permits (AP), adding that the constant close
monitoring of the grade and quality of rice brought into the state would ensure
that the supply comply with the nation’s food safety and quality
standards.According to Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas), Vietnam, Thailand and
Pakistan are currently the main rice exporters to Sarawak.
Heading: Division to work
closely with ministry on rice import
“We will still be monitoring the
market and working closely with the KPDNKK (Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and
Consumerism Ministry), despite that we have not been importing rice from
China,” Ismail said, adding that his division’s headquarters in Putrajaya had
issued directives to all divisions nationwide requiring them to remain vigilant
and continue with their monitoring efforts.State KPDNKK director Dato Stanley
Tan, when contacted, also said his side had yet to hear any complaint on the
sale of artificial rice in Sarawak.“We will also be keeping tabs on the sale of
rice and monitor our (consumer) complaints hotline.”Meanwhile, a source close
to the ministry said the whole artificial rice issue could not be verified as
information based on news reports was rather sketchy.According to the source,
rice is a very cheap commodity in China, which is able to produce a yearly
output of around 130 million tonnes – for both local consumption and export
market.“This questions the logic as to why someone would produce artificial
rice. The production cost, which includes that for polishing the grains, would
be very high and will affect its selling price,” the source said.
The controversial issue had been
making headlines across Asean, in which it stated that it was possible to
manufacture artificial rice by mixing potatoes, sweet potatoes and synthetic
resin or plastic together. It is said that the target markets are countries
with large rural population such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam.Apparently,
the reports also highlighted the danger of the fake grains to the human
digestive system.An online news portal explained that the artificial rice would
remain solid even after being boiled for hours, while the resin used to mold
the ‘grain’ would emit the smell of burnt plastics whenever it got heated.A
press statement from the Health Ministry (MOH) said it would continue to
monitor the situation closely.“We would duly update the public if there’re new
findings concerning food safety,” said the ministry’s director-general Datuk Dr
Noor Hisham Abdullah. At the same time, he advised consumers who were
suspicious of the authenticity of rice in the market to notify the ministry via
the nearest Health Office, or by accessing the Food Safety and Quality (FSQ)
Division on http://fsq.moh.gov.my.
Philippines to import 250,000 tonnes of rice if El Nino worsens
The move would
be good news for regional rice markets that have been flagging this year due to
oversupply,
The Philippines, one of the
world’s biggest rice importers, is seeking 250,000 tonnes of the grain to boost
its buffer stocks and could buy more if the drought-inducing El Nino weather
phenomenon intensifies. Officials at the state grains
agency yesterday said the country was preparing to issue a tender in early June
for the supply of 25% broken variety of rice via a government-to-government
deal.
The move would be good news for
regional rice markets that have been flagging this year due to oversupply, with
an official telling Reuters by text that Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia were
qualified to submit offers. Delivery should be between July
and August, in time for the onset of the lean harvest season in the Philippines,
he said.
The government hopes to avert a
potential spike in food prices due to possible supply disruptions that could be
caused by El Nino, which Japan last week confirmed had set in. President Benigno Aquino has approved the additional rice purchases
and has also given the National Food Authority (NFA) permission to import a
further 250,000 tonnes later this year should El Nino intensify, another
official said in a text message.The Southeast Asian nation recently bought
500,000 tonnes via government-to-government deals with key sellers Vietnam and
Thailand.
Last year, the NFA imported about 1.7mn tonnes, the country’s
biggest purchase since Aquino took power in 2010. The NFA plans to issue an official advisory on the additional
imports within a day, said Food Security Chief Francis Pangilinan. The Philippine government last week revised down its estimate of
first-half domestic rice production, with dry weather already affecting more
than half of the country’s 81 provinces.Thailand, the world’s No 2 rice
exporter after India, has said it plans to sell 2mn tonnes of rice over the
next two months from stockpiles built up under the previous administration’s
failed buying programme. In Vietnam, the world’s
third-largest exporter where prices have weakened this week on a lack of buying
demand, a new crop harvest will begin from around late June, traders said.
http://www.gulf-times.com/asean-philippines/188/details/440323/philippines-to-import-250,000-tonnes-of-rice-if-el-nino-worsens
Farmers suffer in a time of
plenty
Abu Bakar Siddique
A decision to allow rice to be imported this year following a
surplus crop last year has hit the Boro paddy market, with farmers seeing the
lowest prices for the Boro harvest in recent memory.Millers, the primary buyers
of paddy from farmers, are reluctant to procure more from local markets because
they are already well-stocked with rice and paddy from last year’s yield.Excess
stocks of low-price Indian rice imports have deterred millers from procuring
paddy from the local market. And depressed market prices for local paddy are
now lower than the cost of production.
“We have around 100,000 tonnes of rice and paddy collected last
season in our godowns in Naogaon district alone and imported rice is also
available in the market causing millers to back away from fresh purchases of
new paddy. This is ultimately causing paddy prices to fall this season,” said
Nirod Baraon Saha, convener of Noagaon Rice Mill Owners’ Association.Experts
said permitting the private sector to import rice this fiscal year despite
surplus local production last year was the reason for this season’s fall in the
domestic price of Boro paddy.Quazi Shahabuddin, an agricultural economist, said
the government should not have permitted the importation of such a huge volume
of rice while there were available food grains at home.He said the government
had mismanaged the rice procurement situation, ultimately causing farmers to
suffer.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the Directorate
General of Food (DgoF) say the country produced 34.465 million tonnes of rice
last season, against a demand of 31 million tonnes.But data from the Ministry
of Food shows that private sector traders were permitted to open Letters of
Credit (LC) to import 1.524 million tonnes of rice this fiscal year.Bangladesh
Bank data shows that the private sector imported rice worth $416 million
between July 2014 and March 2015. By contrast, the corresponding figure in fiscal
year 2013-14 was just $71 million.Ministry of Food data shows that the
government’s rice reserve as of yesterday was 776,000 tonnes; the previous year
the reserve was 593,000 tonnes.
Paradoxical procurement
Experts noted a paradox in the government’s policies, as the
import order came at a time when the government itself declared a food
production surplus in the country and took the initiative to export 50,000
tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka last year.Meanwhile, the government has fixed a
Boro procurement target of 1,000,000 tonnes of rice and 100,000 tonnes of Boro
paddy from May this year.Quazi Shahabuddin suggested the government procure
large amounts of rice from the fields instead of stopping at the fixed
procurement target, otherwise farmers may not survive.
Too little, too late
At the beginning of the month, the National Board of Revenue
imposed a 10% import duty on rice imported from India, a measure rice millers
have been calling for since the beginning of the fiscal year.Finance Minister
AMA Muhith told the media on May 10 that the government had taken the step to
slow rice imports because the country had achieved self-sufficiency in the
production of rice.For the last three years, the government itself has not
imported rice although some quantities were imported by the private sector.
Farmers widely believe they are not getting fair prices because
of the importation of rice from India at low prices.Criticising the
government’s imposition of a 10% import duty so late in the day, Quazi
Shahabuddin, a former director general of the Bangladesh Institute of
Development Studies, said the government should have imposed the duty much
earlier.He said a 10% import duty was not enough to fix the situation, adding
that the government should impose an import duty nearer 30%, otherwise imported
and local rice prices would be unevenly matched, benefiting importers and
achieving little gain for farmers.
Producers’ plight
This season, Boro farmers have seen the lowest prices –
Tk450-500 per maund (40kgs) – for their product, the lowest levels in the last
few years.Boro is the largest rice harvest in the country with a production of
around 18.9 million tonnes out of a total of 34.6 million tonnes of paddy in
2013-14.At these prices, farmers are at serious risk of losing
big. Currently, while the market price per maund of Boro paddy is
Tk450-500, the production cost is Tk650.“This means, ultimately, the farmers
will be the losers,” Masud Chowdhury, a farmer from Dinajpur, said.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/may/23/farmers-suffer-time-plenty#sthash.7MNjnBSj.dpuf
U.S.
Rice at the Smithsonian Museum
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Last week, USA Rice
attended a sushi-centric event held at the
Chef
Kaz (l) and USA Rice's Maher: One day
the student shall become the master
Smithsonian
National Museum of American History. More than 150 people attended the sold out
"Sushi for Sale" event that explored how sushi, a Japanese delicacy,
has transformed into a mainstream American favorite. The evening opened with a panel discussion
featuring Chef Kaz Okochi of D.C.'s KAZ Sushi Bistro, Bonny Wolf of American
Food Roots, and FoodStory founder Yoko Isassi. During the conversation, the
importance of quality rice was stressed as a crucial ingredient in sushi. Kaz
Okochi confirmed that he exclusively uses U.S.-grown rice to make sushi, and
that its texture and taste make it a desirable sushi staple.
Following
the panel, Chef Kaz Okochi hosted interactive sushi-making demonstrations that
offered participants one-on-one tutorials on the art of making sushi. Attendees
sampled a wide variety of sushi and sake, both rice-based products. "Events like this are valuable because
they cost next to nothing, and you have a world-famous chef amplifying our
message, helping to raise awareness for U.S. grown rice," said Katie
Maher, USA Rice's manager of domestic promotions who participated in the event.
Contact: Colleen Klemczewski (703) 236-1446
CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
|
Weather, prices depress planting
estimates for Arkansas
May 22, 2015 | Delta Farm Press
Weather, declining
prices denting rice, corn acres in Arkansas
April saw 20-cent slip
in corn prices
RELATED
MEDIA
That’s ahead of the 85 percent five-year average.Corn was 98
percent planted, right on the five-year average.Stiles noted private figures
forecasting 470,000 acres of corn in Arkansas versus USDA’s March 31
“Prospective Plantings” report estimate of 530,000 acres. The estimates also
predicted lower rice acreage at 1.425 million acres, compared with USDA’s 1.441
million acres. The company’s estimates were right in line with USDA’s figures
for sorghum at 250,000 acres; soybeans at 3.45 million acres; and cotton at
230,000 acres.In Arkansas, “there are two factors at work that have reduced
acreage: weather and price. Weather is likely the dominant factor,” Stiles
said. “At the end of March we only had 2 percent of the corn in the ground.
Roughly 85 percent of corn was planted in April.September futures prices
slipped 20 cents in April, “but, I think the calendar was more of a factor in
any acreage reduction,” he said.The National Agricultural Statistics Service
“indicated we didn't have any rice planted by March 29 and only 37 percent
planted by April 26,” Stiles said, which means that “two-thirds will go in the
ground in May and we certainly hope planting doesn’t extend into June.
”He said that rice prices relative to everything else won't
encourage growers to plant rice extremely late. “Given the weather delays thus
far and severe price collapse, it seems very like some of the intended rice
acres will switch to soybeans or remain fallow,” Stiles said.NASS issues its
annual “Acreage Report” on June 30, reflecting a producer survey of planted
acres around the United States. The survey period is during the first two weeks
of June.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/weather-prices-depress-planting-estimates-arkansas?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+22%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
LSU AgCenter rice field days
begin May 28
May 22, 2015 | Delta Farm Press
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., and the program begins at 9
a.m. The event will travel to the Jimmy Hoppe farm to view research plots.Also
on May 28, the Vermilion Parish Rice Field Day will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the
Lounsberry Farm 1 mile east of Lake Arthur on Louisiana Highway 14.On June 9,
the Evangeline Parish Rice Field Day will be held at the Joey Hebert Farm with
cooperating producer, Kenneth LaHaye. On Bieber Road about 4 miles west of
Mamou, turn right at Daugeraux Road and drive a half mile, then turn left at a
well and follow signs to the research plots. The second part of the event will
be at Bieber Farms on Bieber Road 1 mile west of Mamou.
On June 16, the Acadia Parish Rice Field Day will be at the
South Farm of the Rice Research Station, in Crowley, off Louisiana Highway 13.
It will start with registration at 8:30 a.m. and the program at 9 a.m.The Rice
Research Station’s annual field day will be July 1. The day will start with field
tours beginning at 7:15 a.m. The last one begins no later than 9 a.m.The
Northeast Louisiana Rice Field Day will be July 21 at 9 a.m. at the Woodsland
Plantation in Richland Parish 4 miles west of the intersection of La. Highways
15 and 133 until 11 a.m. when the event reconvenes at the Rayville Civic
Center.A St. Landry Parish Rice Field Day also will be held, but details are
pending.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/lsu-agcenter-rice-field-days-begin-may-28?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+22%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
NFA OKs up to 500,000 MT rice
imports as buffer stock
(The Philippine Star) | Updated May 23, 2015 - 12:00am
STAR/File photo
MANILA, Philippines - The National
Food Authority (NFA) has approved the importation through
government-to-government procurement scheme of an additional 250,000 metric
tons (MT) of rice that would be used as buffer stock during the lean months
beginning in July.Also approved on standby is the importation of another
250,000 MT that would be used in the event that domestic production suffers
significant loses due to the effect of the prevailing dry spell. The Food
Security Committee would evaluate the supply situation and make a
recommendation to the NFA.
The Food Security Committee is
chaired by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), with members
composed of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Finance
(DOF), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomic Services
Administration (Pagasa), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas (BSP), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of
Agriculture (DA), and the National Food Authority.The governments of Vietnam,
Thailand and Cambodia will be invited to participate in the
government-to-government procurement scheme as these countries have existing
procurement agreements with the Philippine government.The Philippines would be
procuring rice of the 25 percent brokens variety.The Philippines awarded in
February the supply contract for a total of 500,000 MT of rice to Vietnam and
Thailand that was expected to arrive between March and April.
Business ( Article MRec
), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
The
prevailing dry spell is expected to affect domestic palay (unhusked rice)
production as plantings have been delayed.The DA has already revised this
year’s palay production target to 19.02 million MT from the original target of
20 million MT.The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that palay
production in the second quarter of the year is expected to fall 4.21 percent
to 3.90 million MT. Harvest area may contract from 939,000 hectares to 918,000
hectares. Yield per hectare may drop to 4.25 MT from 4.34 MT per hectare in
2014.
http://www.philstar.com/business/2015/05/23/1457615/nfa-oks-500000-mt-rice-imports-buffer-stock
Vietnam’s
rice exports drop as Thailand offloads overstocks
Vietnam’s rice exports have
struggled to compete with cheaper shipments from Thailand in the first four
months of 2015 as the Thai government has sought to offload inventories at
highly discounted prices.As a result, a representative of the Vietnam Food Association
(VFA) said the country’s exports to highly price sensitive markets such as
those in Africa could fall by as much as 60% from the figures in 2014.Lower
exports are resulting in more rice remaining in Vietnamese miller’s and farmers
inventories, piling pressure on already-bulging storage and raising the spectre
of grain spoiling in temporary silos.The Thai government began executing a
subsidized scheme earlier this year in which it plans to sell 10 million tonnes
of broken rice in 2015 and an additional seven million tonnes in 2016 at prices
substantially below market prices.
As one example, the Thai government
in March sold 5% broken rice from its inventories at around US$236 to US$378
per tonne compared to the global market price of US$405 per tonne.A
representative of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, who declined to be
identified, in turn justified the programme by saying that the government's
rice is old and has been stored for a long time so its value has depreciated
(Reuters).There is always a large price gap between new rice and old rice, the
official said.The nation’s rice industry can compete with private Thai traders,
but not with the Thai government as it slashes prices to bolster demand for old
low quality stock, said a VFA representative.In the four months leading up to
May, Vietnam’s rice exports dipped 12.73% in volume and 16.37% in value on-year
to 1.686 million tonnes valued at US$707 million according to VFA statistics.In
addition to lower export prices and fierce competition with Thailand, in 2015,
Vietnam exporters are at risk of shrinking markets in other countries,
particularly the Chinese market.
China has been the largest importer
of Vietnam's rice for the past three years. In 2014 alone, Vietnam exported 2.1
million tonnes of rice to China, accounting for 30% of the nation’s export
market.However, Vietnam's rice exports to China during 2015 are likely to see a
substantial decline as the Chinese government diversifies its import strategy
to increase rice import quota from multiple sources.To address the situation,
Deputy Prime Minister Hai has asked the VFA in collaboration with relevant
government offices and those in the private sector to develop specific
marketing plans for each foreign market.In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister
asked the parties to lay out a scheme to restructure production and shift rice
cultivation areas to planting crops with higher profit margins.
Hai said for 2014 Vietnam rice
cultivation area stood at around 7.6 million hectares with an estimated
production of around 43.4 million tonnes of paddy rice. Rice production exceeds
consumption, but the country imports tonnes of soybeans and corn annually.The
government will guide farmers to shift to crops to soybeans, corn or other
crops that will help them improve their overall profits, Hai stressed.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/131354/vietnam-s-rice-exports-drop-as-thailand-offloads-overstocks.html
UPDATE 1-Philippines to import
250,000 T of rice, maybe more if El Nino worsens
Fri May 22, 2015
2:10am GMT
* Seeks
govt-to-govt deal, tender in early June
* Vietnam,
Thailand, Cambodia qualified to bid
* Additional
imports possible if El Nino intensifies (Add comment, detail)
By Enrico Dela
Cruz
MANILA, May 22
(Reuters) - The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, is
seeking 250,000 tonnes of the grain to boost its buffer stocks and could buy
more if the drought-inducing El Nino weather phenomenon intensifies.Officials
at the state grains agency on Friday said the country was preparing to issue a
tender in early June for the supply of 25-percent broken variety of rice via a
government-to-government deal.The move would be good news for regional rice
markets that have been flagging this year due to oversupply, with an official
telling Reuters by text that Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia were qualified to
submit offers.
Delivery should be
between July and August, in time for the onset of the lean harvest season in
the Philippines, he said.The government hopes to avert a potential spike in
food prices due to possible supply disruptions that could be caused by El Nino,
which Japan last week confirmed had set in.President Benigno Aquino has
approved the additional rice purchases and has also given the National Food
Authority (NFA) permission to import a further 250,000 tonnes later this year
should El Nino intensify, another official said in a text message.The Southeast
Asian nation recently bought 500,000 tonnes via government-to-government deals
with key sellers Vietnam and Thailand. Last year, the NFA imported about 1.7
million tonnes, the country's biggest purchase since Aquino took power in 2010.The
NFA plans to issue an official advisory on the additional imports within a day,
said Food Security Chief Francis Pangilinan.
The Philippine
government last week revised down its estimate of first-half domestic rice
production, with dry weather already affecting more than half of the country's
81 provinces.Thailand, the world's No.2 rice exporter after India, has said it
plans to sell 2 million tonnes of rice over the next two months from stockpiles
built up under the previous administration's failed buying programme.In
Vietnam, the world's third-largest exporter where prices have weakened this
week on a lack of buying demand, a new crop harvest will begin from around late
June, traders said.
(Reporting by Erik
dela Cruz; Editing by Joseph Radford)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N0YD08N20150522?sp=true
Gov’t braces for El Niño impact with additional rice imports
THE GOVERNMENT
is beefing up the country’s rice buffer stock as it faces a double whammy of a
lean season and the possibility of an intense El Niño episode that coincide
with signs of lower production this semester, the state grains agency said in a
brief statement on Friday.
Specifically, it is prepared to import as much as
500,000 metric tons (MT) through government-to-government deals on top of the
acquisition of the same volume last March.“The National Food Authority (NFA)
Council, through the recommendation of the Food Security Committee, approved an
additional importation of 250,000 MT in preparation for the lean months
beginning July and to stabilize rice prices during the lean months,” the
statement read.
Existing bilateral rice agreements allow the
Philippines to import from Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia through
government-to-government procurement mode.The imports will involve 25% broken
rice variety.These are scheduled to be delivered by July 1, Presidential
Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis N.
Pangilinan -- who makes import recommendations together with the NFA Council --
said in a text message.NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay said separately that
invitations to bid were sent to embassies concerned on Friday.“With invitations
to bid sent out today (Friday), timeline is June 5 for the actual bidding,” Mr.
Dalisay said via text message.
EL NIÑO
The NFA is also prepared to import more rice should
the need arise amid the onslaught of El Niño and the prolonged dry spell it
brings.“Another importation of 250,000 MT is on standby in case there will be
significant effects on production brought by El Niño...” the NFA said,
clarifying that this additional volume is still subject to the evaluation and
recommendation of the Food Security Committee.The committee is headed by the
National Economic and Development Authority and consists besides of the
Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Finance, Philippine Atmospheric
Geophysical and Astronomic Services Administration, Philippine Statistics
Authority, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, National Irrigation Administration,
Department of Agriculture, and NFA itself.
Earlier this month, Australia’s weather bureau said
El Niño has already formed and that models indicated a “substantial” event,
while the Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed the weather pattern’s
emergence, forecasting it would persist into late 2015.
Last March, Vietnam and Thailand bagged contracts to
supply a total of 500,000 MT of rice to boost the Philippines’ buffer stock for
the three-month lean season that starts in July. Under the Feb. 27 auction,
Vietnam bagged the contract to supply 300,000 MT, involving 150,000 MT each of
the 15% and 25% broken varieties, while Thailand will deliver the remaining
200,000 MT to cover the balance of each rice variety.Last year, the government
imported around 1.5 million MT of rice, equivalent to 8% of 2014’s total
domestic output of 18.97 million MT that, in turn, was 2.87% more than 2013’s
18.44 million MT and topped an 18.88-million MT target.
POOR START
Production of unmilled rice -- known locally as palay
-- rose by 1.41% to 4.37 million MT last quarter from 4.31 million MT in 2014’s
comparable three months, but still fell short of a 4.47-million MT projection.This
quarter, palay output is expected to drop by 4.21% to 3.90 million MT from 4.07
million MT a year ago, leading to a 1.32% decline to 8.27 million MT this
semester from 8.38 million MT in 2014’s comparable six months.The government
expects a recovery next quarter, with output to improve by 11.7% to 3.38
million MT from 3.03 million MT in 2014’s comparable three months.That, in
turn, is expected to drive nine-month production up 2.14% annually to 11.65
million MT from 11.41 million MT. -- Claire-Ann Marie C. Feliciano
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=TopStory&title=gov&rsquot-braces-for-el-niobr-impact-with-additionalbr-rice-imports&id=108426
Trade talks
aim to boost quota
Fri, 22 May 2015
A young woman pours rice on to a pile at a paddy in Battambang
province earlier this year. A delegation from China is set to arrive on Monday
to discuss Cambodia’s proposal to double rice exports to China. Heng
Chivoan
Cambodian Commerce Minister Sun Chanthol sent a letter to Gao
Yan in April seeking to double Cambodia’s rice export quota to 200,000 tonnes
for the period between May 2015 and April 2016.“It is expected that there will
be detailed discussion of Cambodia’s request to double the rice quota to China
to 200,000 tonnes,” Ratha said, adding, however, that no agreement or
memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed.Hun Lak, vice president of
the Cambodia Rice Federation, said yesterday that he has high hopes for a
positive response due to the successful implementation of the previous
100,000-tonne rice quota between the China National Cereals, Oils and
Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) and the Cambodian state-owned Green Trade
Company.“[COFCO] ordered 100,000 tonnes and we successfully delivered it to
them. It shows that we can supply on time,” he explained.
Lak added that the doubling of the Chinese rice export quota
would help Cambodia diversify from the European market.“Although the other
markets we supply now are doing well, especially the EU, we should not be too
reliant on the EU market. We should expand the market in Asian countries, [and]
China is a huge market for Cambodia.”Export figures released by the CRF showed
that China was the biggest importer of Cambodian rice for the first three
months of 2015, importing 36,081 tonnes, followed by Malaysia and France.Thanks
largely to a boost in shipments to China, the Kingdom increased its exports to
75,867 tonnes overall in March, more than doubling the 37,676 tonnes exported
the month before.China is also looking to import more of Cambodia’s other
agricultural products such as corn, bananas and mangos.
Agriculture and mining are other sectors that China is eyeing in
Cambodia, said Lim Heng, vice president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce.Cambodia’s
rich natural resources, agricultural products, cheap labour costs and
investment incentives are significant attractions for Chinese investors to
choose Cambodia over neighbouring countries, he said.“We have always encouraged
Chinese investors to invest in agricultural processing in Cambodia as the
country has high demand for this kind of investment,” he added.In late 2012,
China and Cambodia pledged to increase bilateral trade to $5 billion by the end
of this year
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/trade-talks-aim-boost-quota
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- May 22
Nagpur, May 22 Gram and tuar prices
reported down again in Nagpur Agriculture
Produce and Marketing Committee
(APMC) here on lack of buying support from local millers amid
poor quality arrival. Release of
stock from stockists and fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh pulses
also pushed down prices in weak
trading activity, according to sources.
* * * *
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram super best bold and medium best moved down in open market here in
absence of
buyers amid increased supply from millers.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani new recovered in open market on good demand from local
traders.
Reports about weak overseas supply also fuelled prices.
* Moong dal chilka declined sharply in open market here on poor buying
support from
local traders amid healthy supply from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar - 7,200-7,500, Tuar dal - 9,900-10,300, Udid at
9,100-9,600,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 10,700-11,100, Moong - 9,000-9,200, Moong Mogar
(clean) 10,700-11,100, Gram - 4,100-4,400, Gram Super best bold -
6,000-6,200
for 100 kg.
* Whear, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market
in poor trading activity, according to sources.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS
Available prices Previous
close
Gram Auction
3,500-4,470 3,500-4,490
Gram Pink Auction
n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 5,500-7,210 5,620-7,370
Moong Auction
n.a. 6,000-6,300
Udid Auction
n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction
n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 6,200-6,400 6,300-6,500
Gram Super Best
n.a.
Gram Medium Best
5,900-6,100 6,000-6,200
Gram Dal Medium
n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality
5,250-5,450 5,250-5,450
Desi gram Raw
4,500-4,650 4,500-4,650
Gram Filter new
6,050-6,150 6,050-6,150
Gram Kabuli
5,100-6,900 5,100-6,900
Gram Pink
6,300-6,500 6,300-6,500
Tuar Fataka Best
10,500-10,800 10,500-10,800
Tuar Fataka Medium
10,000-10,300 10,000-10,300
Tuar Dal Best Phod
9,500-9,800 9,500-9,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod
9,000-9,350 9,000-9,350
Tuar Gavarani New
7,800-7,900 7,750-7,850
Tuar Karnataka
7,900-8,000 7,900-8,000
Tuar Black
10,700-11,000
10,700-11,000
Masoor dal best 8,100-8,300 8,100-8,300
Masoor dal medium
7,500-7,800 7,500-7,800
Masoor
n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold
11,000-11,500 11,000-11,500
Moong Mogar Medium best 10,200-10,600 10,200-10,600
Moong dal Chilka
9,100-9,650 9,200-9,7050
Moong Mill quality
n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best
9,600-9,900 9,600-9,900
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG)
11,200-11,600 11,200-11,600
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)
9,900-10,600 9,900-10,600
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)
8,500-8,900 8,500-8,900
Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
4,300-4,500 4,300-4,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)
3,150-3,300 3,150-3,300
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)
3,200-3,450 3,200-3,450
Watana White (100 INR/KG)
2,450-2,625 2,450-2,625
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)
3,700-4,800 3,600-4,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)
1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG)
1,500-1,700 1,500-1,700
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)
1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)
2,200-2,450 2,200-2,450
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)
1,800-1,950 1,800-1,950
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)
n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)
3,100-3,700 3,100-3,700
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)
2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG)
1,400-1,500 1,400-1,500
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG)
2,000-2,200
2,000-2,200
Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG)
2,500-2,800 2,500-2,800
Rice BPT (100 INR/KG)
3,000-3,300 3,000-3,300
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)
1,600-1,800 1,600-1,800
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)
2,100-2,400 2,100-2,400
Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG)
2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700
Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG)
3,300-3,700 3,300-3,700
Rice HMT (100 INR/KG)
4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400
Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG)
4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500
Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG)
4,600-5,200
4,600-5,200
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)
8,000-10,000 8,000-10,000
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)
6,000-7,500 6,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG)
4,600-5,200 4,600-5,200
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG)
5,600-6,000 5,600-6,000
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)
2,200-2,300 2,100-2,200
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)
2,400-2,550 2,300-2,450
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 47.0 degree Celsius
(116.6 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
29.9 degree Celsius (85.8 degree
Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest -
n.a.
Rainfall : nil
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum
and minimum temperature would be around and 47 and 30 degree Celsius
respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are
excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices.)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL3N0YD3F520150522
Punjab to bring 4.44 million
acres of land under paddy cultivation
May 22, 2015
RECORDER REPORT
The Punjab has fixed a target of bringing 4.44 million acres of
land under paddy cultivation for the forthcoming season with a production
target of 3.5 million tonnes. A Punjab Agriculture Department spokesman on
Thursday urged farmers to only sow approved varieties for achieving maximum per
acre yield of paddy and said approved varieties with higher production
capabilities were super basmati, basmati-370, basmati-385, basmati Pak (Kernal
basmati), basmati-2000, basmati-515, PS-2, PK-386 and Basmati 198 (for Sahiwal,
Okara and adjoining areas). "Nursery of these varieties should be sown
between June 1 and June 20 while suitable time of nursery preparation for
Shaheen basmati is between June 15 and June 30," he added.
http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183:pakistan/1188885:punjab-to-bring-444-million-acres-of-land-under-paddy-cultivation/?date=2015-05-22
Rice
sowing gathers pace, cane area rises
Tomojit Basu
Rural women engaged in
paddy sowing operations at Bhavadevarapalli village in Krishna District. (file
photo)
New
Delhi, May 22:
Monsoon concerns
Pre-monsoon showers have been
encouraging say experts but warn that official estimates of lower rainfall
during the four-month southwest monsoon could have an impact in low-lying
rain-fed cultivation areas in eastern India which accounts for 60 per cent of
the rice growing area with almost 50 per cent reliant on rain.The Indian Meteorological
Department has predicted rainfall this Kharif at 93 per cent of long-period
average of 89 cm., driven mainly by the El Nino weather phenomenon. Last
season, deficient rainfall estimated at 88 per cent resulted foodgrain output
declining by 13.92 million tonne (mt) to 251.12 mt.“Pre-monsoon showers should
benefit farmers planting the early ‘aus’ varieties of 90-110 days duration.
However, heat waves have been strong, and if
the lower rainfall prediction is true, there could be some apprehension about
large scale sowing particularly in eastern India,” said Trilochan Mohapatra,
Director, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack.He did not expect rice acreage to increase beyond the 37.48 million hectares registered
last season if there is a rainfall deficit and any predictions about sowing could only be made once there were estimates of distribution made
public.“If there is a delayed monsoon, farmers in States like Chhattisgarh,
Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and parts of West Bengal and eastern Uttar Pradesh, could
opt to not plant rice,” said Mohapatra.
He added that even if water levels
in reservoirs were up due to the pre-monsoon rain, it would be difficult to
supply the water in the areas mentioned given the lack of infrastructure.In
better-irrigated States like Haryana and Punjab, sowing would start by early June with nurseries being raised already.
Long-duration varieties are generally sown between end-May and early-July
across eastern and southern India, ahead of the heavy showers between
July-early September.
Cane acreage up
Acreage for sugarcane has also
risen to 40.7 lh from 40.58 lh at the same time last year with increased area reported from Uttar Pradesh (0.38 lh), Madhya Pradesh 0.43 lh) and
Gujarat (0.19 lh) and decline reported from Maharashtra (0.61 lh), Karnataka
(0.88 lh) among others.Area under jute and mesta has also shown an uptick with 6.72 lh under
the crop as compared to 6.18 lh at the same time in 2014.
(This article was
published on May 22, 2015)
The Hindu
Mahindra Group to acquire 33% stake in
Japan's Mitsubishi Agricultural Machinery
This deal will enable strategic growth avenues for MAM,
which has been providing OEM tractors to Mahindra USA and technical license to
Mahindra for rice planters & tractor in India
BS B2B Bureau | Mumbai May 22, 2015 Last Updated at 12:10 IST
Mitsubishi Agricultural Machinery
is a full range agri-machinery company producing and selling tractors, combine
harvesters, rice transplanters and other agri-machinery. It had revenues of
approximately Yen 50 billion ($ 408 million) in 2014-15.Commenting on the
partnership, Rajesh Jejurikar, president & chief executive (farm equipment
& two wheeler division), M&Msaid, “It is a matter of pride for us to have signed
this alliance today which is a ‘win-win’ for the agricultural machinery
businesses of both companies. This will enable strategic growth avenues for
Mitsubishi Agricultural Machinery (MAM) through Mahindra USA, China and other
international markets, thereby speeding up international expansion.
It will also provide a platform for both the
companies to leverage technology and product development synergies.”Mahindra is
the world’s largest tractor manufacturer by volume with a very strong
leadership position in India. MAM has been supplying OEM tractors to Mahindra
USA (subsidiary of M&M in the US) as well as providing technical license to
Mahindra for walk-behind rice planters and new tractor in India.The new
partnership will help both companies to jointly develop products to address
global opportunities in the tractor and agri-machinery space. In addition, the
partnership will enable MAM and Mahindra to improve cost competitiveness
though joint procurement and optimise the supply chain,
http://www.business-standard.com/content/b2b-manufacturing-industry/mahindra-group-to-acquire-33-stake-in-japan-s-mitsubishi-agricultural-machinery-115052200933_1.html
Raipur
scientists develop high-zinc rice to fight malnutrition in Chhattisgarh
Similarly, researchers from Indira Gandhi
Agriculture University (IGAU), Raipur, led by Professor Girish Chandel, have
rolled out two varieties of high zinc rice, of which one has been released. “We
focused on increasing our crop production since the inception of the Green
Revolution in the country aiming to eliminate hunger. In the process, we
managed to yield high production, but the quality of crop did not improve,”
Chandel told PTI. In 2000, the Centre, along with, health organisations in a
survey found that 60-70 per cent of population was suffering from malnutrition
because of deficiency of micro-nutrients, particularly iron, zinc and Vitamin
A.
Following this, the government decided to come
out with a research programme to improve the variety of three staple crops –
rice, wheat and maize – in different states, he said. According to PTI, Under
the programme, Chhattisgarh, considered as the rice bowl of the country,
decided to work on the quality aspect and took up ‘Rice Bio Fortification
Research Project’. In the first phase of the project in 2003-05, some 200 rice
germplasm lines with high grain nutritive values but low-yielding quality were
identified, he said. Subsequently, in the next phase of 2006-11, seeds were
multiplied and subjected to genetic improvement exercise, which led to seven
high-yielding zinc-enriched rice varieties.
In 2013, the Centre decided to conduct a
separate exercise coordinated by Directorate of Rice Research (DRR), Hyderabad,
to analyse the outcome of the researches being conducted in different parts of
the country. Finally, four varieties were adjudged best in terms of quality, of
which the top two came from Chhattisgarh. “Currently, we have 100 kg seeds of
this new variety and we are further planning to multiply it in 10 acres. By
November-December this year, we will distribute it to around 5,000 farmers
across the state. Its sowing would be started in the next kharif season,” he
said. Image Credit : Shutterstock ... read more onsocial.yourstory.com
http://social.yourstory.com/2015/05/raipur-scientists-zinc-rice/
Rain hurting Louisiana wheat crop,
affecting others
Excessive
rain across Louisiana is compounding existing problems with the state’s 2015
wheat crop and leading to what LSU Agricultural Center experts call a
disastrous season.Heavy rains also are causing problems for some soybean and
corn farmers, especially in the north part of the state where a storm system
brought as much as 10 inches of rain in some areas in the past week. Also being
affected are cotton, pastures and cattle.Less affected by rain are sugar cane
and rice, AgCenter experts said.
WHEAT: Wheat is normally harvested
from mid-May to the first week of June in south Louisiana and from the end of
May to mid- to late-June in north Louisiana, said Steve Harrison, LSU AgCenter
wheat breeder. But rain is keeping farmers out of muddy fields and causing the
quality of the crop to deteriorate and also contributing to what is commonly
called scab disease.
Some
of the wheat being harvested has a low weight, reducing its value.“A normal
test weight is 60 pounds per bushel,” said Josh Lofton, LSU AgCenter extension
wheat specialist. “But down south we’re seeing wheat in the high 40s and low
50s.”Grain elevators are either rejecting the low-quality wheat or
significantly docking the price, he said.Some of the wheat will be left in the
field because it’s not worth harvesting.
“They’ll
plow it under and plant soybeans,” Harrison said, adding that some farmers will
let the damaged fields go fallow for a year.Harrison expects yield losses of 30
percent to 40 percent for the 2015 wheat crop. Yield losses could translate
into about a $13 million economic loss, based on the 130,000 acres planted to
wheat, LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry estimated.Lofton said the wheat
season started with poor planting conditions through late fall, followed by
freezes in March when the wheat was growing rapidly.
The low temperatures didn’t kill the crop but
caused damage that weakened the stems and resulted in the crop collapsing when
heads formed as heavy storms hit. These conditions can cause wheat to fall
over, and harvesters can’t pick up the crop as easily. Harvesting becomes less
efficient and more costly.In addition, the continual wet conditions are
favorable for development of a disease on wheat commonly known as scab, which
can lead to low yields, low test weight, dockage and even rejection at the
elevator.“This is the worst year by far for scab,” said Boyd Padgett, LSU
AgCenter plant pathologist and director of the Central Region, who’s been
studying diseases in wheat for more than 20 years.
SOYBEANS: Ron Levy, LSU AgCenter
soybean specialist, said some fields of young soybeans have been too wet. “We
may have some losses and have to replant.”Levy said some farmers have been
waiting to plant, but the excess moisture makes that difficult.Delayed planting
will probably mean yields will be affected, he said. A late-planted soybean
crop faces more stress from intense summer heat and more disease and insect
pressure.In southwest Louisiana, as much as a third of the soybean crop may
have to be replanted, said Barrett Courville, LSU AgCenter county agent in
Acadia and Jefferson Davis parishes.The wet ground also is delaying farmers
from getting into fields to spray herbicides, Courville said. But some areas
haven’t received much rain, and the fields are ready to be planted.
CORN: Dan Fromme, LSU AgCenter
corn specialist, said corn benefits from the rain as long as the fields are not
flooded. “We’re in the rapid growth stage right now.”Some fields hit by high
winds had corn tip over, he said. Corn will suffer from a lack of oxygen in
fields with waterlogged soil. Corn farmers had to deal with excess moisture
during planting in March and April.
COTTON: Cotton in Louisiana is
80-90 percent planted, but flooding for that commodity is not good for the
crop.Donna Lee, LSU AgCenter county agent in East Carroll Parish, and Keith
Collins, county agent in Richland Parish, said water from recent heavy rains
appear to have drained, but low-lying areas have standing water.“Now we need
sunny weather,” Lee said.She said the cotton, corn, soybeans and milo she has
seen in northeast Louisiana look good so far. But cool weather that came on May
21 could slow plant growth.“The most susceptible crops were those that are
small,” said Collins.
CANE: Sugar cane is not as
affected by heavy rains now, said Kenneth Gravois, LSU AgCenter sugarcane
specialist. “At this stage, cane is pretty resilient.”He said sugar cane
farmers have made herbicide and fertilizer applications. “It would be better if
it were a bit drier, but going into the summer with good moisture is good.
Overall prospects for the crop continue to look good,” Gravois said.
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