Big groups move into rice milling business
Badrul Ahsan
Big corporate houses are investing in rice milling and marketing, encouraged by demand from a growing population in the country, insiders said.ACI, City Group, Pran-RFL Group and Bashundhara Group are among the companies that are preparing to set up automatic rice mills along with processing and marketing of the parboiled rice in the local market."Our rice will hit the market by the end of this year," said Kamrul Islam, business manager of ACI Ltd. The diversified conglomerate has business in sectors such as retail, agribusiness, food items and pharmaceuticals.
Big corporate houses are investing in rice milling and marketing, encouraged by demand from a growing population in the country, insiders said.ACI, City Group, Pran-RFL Group and Bashundhara Group are among the companies that are preparing to set up automatic rice mills along with processing and marketing of the parboiled rice in the local market."Our rice will hit the market by the end of this year," said Kamrul Islam, business manager of ACI Ltd. The diversified conglomerate has business in sectors such as retail, agribusiness, food items and pharmaceuticals.
He said his company will invest Tk 390 million (39 crore) to set
up the mill.Mr Islam noted that his company would bring "high
quality" rice under its ACI Pure brand.City Group has also taken an
initiative to set up a large automatic rice mill, its officials said."We
are now in talks with a European machinery company to set up the mill. This is
going to be one of the biggest in the country," general manager of City
Group Biswajit Saha told the FE Wednesday."We want to mill and market all
types of rice- aromatic or coarse. If everything goes accordingly, the mill
will start operation within 2016," he added
."Presently, we process and sell flour, cooking oil and
sugar. That's why, we want to get into rice business so that we can fulfill the
needs of a kitchen," Mr Saha said.Indrojit Kumar Mahalanabish, head of
plants division of Bashundhara Group's Bashundhara Food and Beverage Ltd, said
his office is in discussion with different suppliers to get machinery for the
planned mill."Discussion is going on regarding rice milling. This is now
at the planning stage," he said."Bangladesh is a country of 160 million
population. As rice is a staple food, there is a clear business prospect,"
said Mr Mahalanabish.However, some of these business groups will enter the
market through food processing giants such as Square and Deshbandhu Group while
other players will do marketing on their own.
Currently, around 500 automatic and semi-automatic rice mills
along with 17,000 husking mills are engaged in parboiling, drying and crushing
paddy bought from farmers.Of the mills, more than 350 operators market rice
under their own brands mainly in the fine rice segment, said Md Layek Ali,
general secretary of Bangladesh Auto, Major and Husking Mills Association,
which has around 17,000 members.According to Mr Ali, the association-linked
mills process and market at least 60 percent or 30 million tonnes of 50 million
tonnes of paddy produced a year in the country. Farmers keep the rest of the
produce for their own consumption.Mr Ali, however, was worried that the milling
capacity might exceed the annual production of paddy if new companies go into operation."The
market will be saturated and competition will intensify. As a result, many
small and medium husking mills will not survive, rendering many workers
jobless," he said.
badrulahsan71@gmail.com
Rice exporters urged to explore new markets
May 28, 2015
RECORDER REPORT
Chief Collector Customs (Enforcement) Nazim Saleem has said that
the rice exporters should explore new markets, particularly in Central Asian
countries, to enhance the country's exports. Speaking to the members of Rice
Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) here at REAP House on Wednesday, he
said that despite several challenges like lower price and stiff competition in
the world market, the rice exports worth $1.7 billion so far this year was a
big achievement. It was expected that the country's rice exports would be over
$2 billion by the end of this fiscal year, he added. "Rice exporters should focus on new markets in African
countries, South America, Central Asian countries, Argentine and Brazil to
achieve a 10 percent growth annually," he said.
Recently, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) also opened its branch
in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, to facilitate Pakistani exporters and traders,
he informed. Replying to a question regarding the examination of export
consignments at ports, he said this was the custom's authority to examine the
commodities, while the ANF's responsibility was to search the goods by sniper
dogs. He urged REAP to setup an academic section, which could guide its members
about laws related to trade and industry. "With the establishment of an
academic section, several issues of the exporters will be resolved
automatically," he added. On behalf of his department, Nazim
assured full support to rice exporters and said that the Customs would
facilitate the traders at all stages.
Speaking on the occasion, Rafique Suleman informed that the
country had exported some 3.4 million tons of rice including 2.87 million tons
of non-basmati and 0.587 million tons of basmati during July 2014 to May 2015.
In terms of value, Pakistan exported rice amounting $1.7 billion including $1.1
billion of non basmati and $608 million of basmati rice, he added. He said that REAP was making efforts towards enhancing the
country's rice export and sending delegation to several countries for promotion
of Pakistani rice. He said that REAP had also organised biryani festivals in
several countries to introduce Pakistani rice. As part of these efforts, he
said a REAP delegation was visiting Qatar next month to explore more export
opportunities there. The REAP Chairman said that presently almost all
commodities were facing decline in prices in the international market and rice
prices had declined by some 40 percent during the last one year, which, he
added had resulted in low exports.
"We need some support from the government to further gear up
these efforts," he added. Javed Ghani, Collector Customs (Exports); Agha
Shahid Majeed Khan, Collector Customs (Exports), Port Qasim; Cheela Ram; Safdar
Mehkari; Abdul Arshad Khaliq and Anees Majeed were also present on the occasion
http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/1190737/
Exporters need to discover
new markets for boosting rice export
May
28, 2015/
Our Staff Reporter
Karachi
- Rice Exporters Association would achieve the export target of $2 billion till
the end of current fiscal year but it would not be able to cross the previous
target due to falling commodities prices in international market.This was
stated by Chief Collector Custom Nazim Saleem while addressing the rice
exporters here on Wednesday.
Export
of rice is a good effort made by the rice exporters in adverse conditions, he
said and added that all the officials of the customs are in touch with the
exporters to accelerate the rice exports. Nazim Saleem advised the exporters to expand
the size of rice exports. It is important to discover the new markets as well
as revise the strategy for America, Africa, Central Asia and visit Baku,
Azerbaijan, Brazil and other countries for further expansions. National Bank
already had a branch in Baku for facilitation of the Pakistani exporters. He
stressed for the air service for Baku to increase the volume of exports
especially for rice. He said
Anti Narcotics Force has the authority to search the imported or exported goods
but not having the examination power. ANF does not have the right to open the
fancy or manual packaging but they can search the shipments with sniffer dogs
to curtail the drug smuggling.
He also advised the association to establish
an academic cell of educated youngsters who serve in the organization and deal
with the concerned authorities to understand the laws and existing
issues.According to the SRO duty drawback would be imposed on the export of
polypropylene or jute bag but the exporters are exempted from it because they
are using the bags with rice, he added. Salamn Rafique, Chairman REAP, said exporters
are maintaining the momentum of rice export in prevailing situation in the
world which is very difficult but we don’t have a new country or market to
extend the export. The government should support the REAP for access to
countries importing rice from countries other than Pakistan, h said, adding
that GSP Plus-like status for the rice would be a breakthrough for rice export.
Kenya is the top buyer of Pakistani rice and China is the second one but there
is a dire need to restart the rice export in Qatar to flourish the Pakistani
commodity, he added.
http://nation.com.pk/business/28-May-2015/exporters-need-to-discover-new-markets-for-boosting-rice-export
Belarus
plans to increase import of rice, nuts, fresh and dried fruits from Pakistan
Belarus plans to increase import of rice, nuts, fresh
and dried fruits from Pakistan
ISLAMABAD,
28 May (BelTA) - Belarus plans to ramp up shipments of rice, fresh and dried
fruits, nuts from Pakistan, Alesya Obodkova, the deputy director for logistics
of the Belcoopsoyuz's Belcoopvneshtorg, BelTA has learned.Rice is a very
popular product in Belarus. Belcoopsoyuz's Belcoopvneshtorg imports 300 tonnes
of rice per month.
"We took samples of rice in Pakistan and will test
them for quality. For the time being we will sign an agreement of intent,"
said Alesya Obodkova.The company is negotiating the shipments of citrus, in
particular tangerines, dried fruits and nuts to Belarus, she added.The
Brest-based Bakaleya wholesaler held the negotiations on the supplies of rice,
citrus, nuts and dried fruits with three dozens of Pakistani companies. The
director of Bakaleya Valentina Khandoshko noted that the Pakistani side is also
interested in a number of Belarusian goods, in particular, confectionery
products, canned fruits and vegetables, other types of processed food. “We have
offered them a fairly wide range of our products. The Pakistani side will study
our proposals across various product groups,” Valentina Khandoshko said.
http://eng.belta.by/all_news/economics/Belarus-plans-to-increase-import-of-rice-nuts-fresh-and-dried-fruits-from-Pakistan_i_82113.html
Rice stocks adequate:
Minister
Posted, 2015-05-28
Jakarta Post
Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said on Thursday thatIndonesia had adequate rice supplies for the next
several months, stressing that there was no need for people to worry about a
rice shortage. “Currently,
there is a secure rice...
"Currently, there is a secure rice stock in
the country and it can fulfil rice demands of people in Indonesia,"
http://article.wn.com/view/2015/05/28/Rice_stocks_adequate_Minister/
El
Nino shows global reach with Australia-to-Mexico fallout
By
Bloomberg / Bloomberg | May 28, 2015 : 4:44 PM MYT
(May 28): A strengthening
El Nino will bring a drier winter to Australia’s east, while the west is set
for a wetter period, the country’s forecasters said, adding to warnings the
pattern may have a global impact from the rice lands of the Philippines to the
food markets of Mexico.The period from June to August is likely to be
drier-than- normal in southern and inland Queensland, northern and eastern New
South Wales and eastern Victoria, the Melbourne-based Bureau of Meteorology
said in a monthly update on Thursday.
Southern Western Australia, the country’s top wheat producer, is
set for more rain than normal, it said.An El Nino was declared this month by
Australia, and forecasters worldwide are seeking to map the probable impact of
the pattern that can bake Asia, bring wetter weather to South America and crimp
the frequency of Atlantic hurricanes. While the strength of the event doesn’t
always correspond with its impact on Australian rainfall, it increases the risk
of drought, according to the bureau. This year’s El Nino, which is
intensifying, is the first since 2010.“The El Nino pattern in the tropical
Pacific is having a drying influence in the eastern half of the country,” the
bureau said. “Elevated sea-surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean, coupled
with warm temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, are tending to enhance
rainfall in Western Australia.”
Commodity Prices
El Ninos are caused by periodic warmings of the equatorial
Pacific and can roil agricultural markets as farmers contend with drought or
too much rain. Commodity prices including foodstuffs typically rise in the wake
of an event, according to a working paper published by the International Monetary Fund in April, which examined the impact on 33 countries.In the
Philippines, timely imports will be important to ease El Nino’s effect on rice
and agriculture, National Economic & Development Authority Deputy Director General Manny Esguerra said at a briefing in Manila on
Thursday.
The effect on growth depends on how prolonged the event is,
Esguerra said.The Southeast Asian country, which has already reported damage to
rice and corn crops from this year’s El Nino, imports rice as local output
falls short of demand. The event may spur a rapid rise in Philippine food
prices, the IMF said on Tuesday.In Australia, grain farmers rely on rain
through the winter to boost crop growth. Wheat output may increase 3.3 percent
this season to 24.4 million metric tons, the government forecast in March. The
country is the fifth-biggest exporter.Of the 26 El Ninos since 1900, 17 have
resulted in widespread drought in Australia, according to the bureau. The
Australian Bureau of Agricultural & Resource Economics & Sciences is
set to update its wheat forecast in June.
Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season will be less active than usual
this year as the El Nino helps limit storm development, U.S. government
forecasters said on Wednesday. The season may produce six to 11 named storms
through Nov. 30 and three to six of those storms may become hurricanes,
according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.The El
Nino will probably reverse a slide in agricultural prices in Mexico and boost
the local inflation rate in as little as six months, according to BNP Paribas SA. Vietnam’s coffee is at most risk from the pattern due to the
inconsistent nature of rainfall, according to Commodity Weather Group LLC.The Bloomberg Agriculture Subindex, which
tracks farm commodities from sugar and coffee to corn and wheat, slumped 29
percent in the past year. The gauge is about 62 percent below the record
reached in May 1997. The 1997-1998 El Nino was the strongest on record,
according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/my/article/el-nino-shows-global-reach-australia-mexico-fallout
Exporters need to discover
new markets for boosting rice export
May 28, 2015/
Karachi - Rice Exporters Association would achieve
the export target of $2 billion till the end of current fiscal year but it
would not be able to cross the previous target due to falling commodities
prices in international market.This was stated by Chief Collector Custom Nazim
Saleem while addressing the rice exporters here on Wednesday. Export of rice is
a good effort made by the rice exporters in adverse conditions, he said and
added that all the officials of the customs are in touch with the exporters to
accelerate the rice exports.
Nazim Saleem advised the exporters to expand
the size of rice exports. It is important to discover the new markets as well
as revise the strategy for America, Africa, Central Asia and visit Baku,
Azerbaijan, Brazil and other countries for further expansions. National Bank
already had a branch in Baku for facilitation of the Pakistani exporters. He
stressed for the air service for Baku to increase the volume of exports
especially for rice.
He said Anti Narcotics Force has the authority
to search the imported or exported goods but not having the examination power.
ANF does not have the right to open the fancy or manual packaging but they can
search the shipments with sniffer dogs to curtail the drug smuggling. He also
advised the association to establish an academic cell of educated youngsters
who serve in the organization and deal with the concerned authorities to
understand the laws and existing issues.According to the SRO duty drawback
would be imposed on the export of polypropylene or jute bag but the exporters
are exempted from it because they are using the bags with rice, he added.
Salamn Rafique, Chairman REAP, said exporters
are maintaining the momentum of rice export in prevailing situation in the
world which is very difficult but we don’t have a new country or market to
extend the export. The government should support the REAP for access to
countries importing rice from countries other than Pakistan, h said, adding
that GSP Plus-like status for the rice would be a breakthrough for rice export.
Kenya is the top buyer of Pakistani rice and China is the second one but there
is a dire need to restart the rice export in Qatar to flourish the Pakistani
commodity, he added.
http://nation.com.pk/business/28-May-2015/exporters-need-to-discover-new-markets-for-boosting-rice-export
MoC to crack down on 'unethical'
rice exporters
A man harvests his rice crop in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district
last month. Vireak
Mai
Thu, 28 May 2015
The Ministry of Commerce is ramping up its efforts to stamp out
“unethical” rice exporters mixing their produce with rice from neighbouring
countries, as the European Union becomes increasingly concerned about rice
tampering.In an open letter issued on May 11 the ministry said it will stop
issuing Certificates of Origin to exporters found to be using non-Cambodian
rice, as this could lead to the European Union withdrawing its duty-free trade preferences
that Cambodia enjoys under the Everything But Arms agreement.“Recently, the EU
has increased monitoring of rice imports to investigate the origins of rice
imported, with the aim to pause or ban the import of rice without clear
origins,” the letter reads.The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) urged the president
of Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), rice exporters and millers to strictly
comply with the code of conduct on rice exports to the EU agreed upon last
year.
“MOC will have a group of inspectors who will launch surprise
inspections in rice exporting companies and rice millers to investigate the
issue,” the letter added.The code of conduct was created to ensure that rice
exported from Cambodia was actually grown in Cambodia and not mixed with
Vietnamese rice, after Oryza, an industry publication, reported the EU raising
concerns last year.The EU Ambassador to Cambodia Jean-Francois Cautain said
yesterday that the EU had become increasingly concerned recently and that
ensuring the Kingdom’s rice exports were 100 per cent homegrown was the
responsibility of the Cambodianauthorities
.“Indeed, as for any other product exported to the EU under EBA,
were the rule of origin not respected, it may lead to an investigation by the
EU,” he said in an email.“We are welcoming the constructive approach of both
the Royal Government of Cambodia and the rice exporters in putting in place
proper mechanisms to ensure that the rule of origin is fully respected for rice
exports to the EU.”Kan Kunthy, CEO of Battambang Rice Investment Company, said
yesterday that the problem came down to “only a few unethical exporters” that
the MoC and CRF were currently investigating. “It will cause a huge impact on
rice industry if the EU no longer granted Cambodia with EBA, as 50 per cent of the
country’s total exports go to the EU.”Kunthy said that the EBA was a crucial
stepping stone to maintaining growth in the sector but that they need to
prepare for withdrawal of the scheme once Cambodia moves to a middle-income
status.“All we can do without EBA is to increase our competitiveness and
compete with other exporters from the region,” he added.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ministry-targets-mixed-rice-exports
Rice
prices stable – NFA
(The Philippine Star) | Updated May 28, 2015 - 12:00am
NFA administrator Renan Dalisay said inspection of rice sold in
public markets in General Santos City showed that prices were from P32 to P44
per kilogram. File photo
MANILA, Philippines - Prices of
rice remain stable amid the prevailing dry spell, the National Food Authority
(NFA) has assured the public. NFA administrator Renan Dalisay said
inspection of rice sold in public markets in General Santos City showed that
prices were from P32 to P44 per kilogram.Rice sold in General Santos City were
produced in South Cotabato, one of the provinces affected by the dry
spell. Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Dalisay
said retail prices of regular commercial rice was at an average of
P37.28 per kilo nationwide while the well-milled variety was at P41.29
per kilo as of May 23. NFA rice is sold at P27 and P32 per kilo for
regular milled rice and well-milled rice, respectively. Dalisay said the
NFA is ready for the onset of the lean months in July.
Nation
( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
“As of May 21, the NFA was able to
procure a total of 1.2 million metric tons of palay. We are also getting ready
with the importation of an additional 250,000 MT in preparation for the lean
months and to stabilize rice prices during the lean months,” he said.The NFA
set the acceptance and opening of tenders for the supply contract for the
importation of an additional 250,000 metric tons of rice on June 5.
NFA spokesman Angel Imperial Jr.
said the invitation for the tender was sent to the governments of Thailand,
Vietnam and Cambodia last Friday The NFA approved the importation of the
additional volume as buffer stock as palay production this year is expected to
fall short of the production target. The government will also import another
250,000 MT to be used if domestic production suffers significant loses due to
the prevailing dry spell. The DA has revised this year’s palay production
target to 19.02 million MT from the original target of 20 million MT.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/05/28/1459367/rice-prices-stable-nfa
Monsoon countdown begins; global models see weak initial phase
VINSON KURIAN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY
27:
Global weather models see a weak
onset phase of the monsoon over Kerala coast over the next few days.The India
Met Department said on Wednesday that an east-west shear zone of monsoon
turbulence has formed over peninsular tip on Wednesday.The shear zone
represents an area of opposing winds between three km and six km into the
atmosphere. This is the height-level where the monsoon is most active.
RIGHT PLATFORM
The ‘shear zone’ sets up the
platform for rain-bearing systems to play around in. Convective
(rain-generating) clouds have rolled over south-east Arabian Sea, an India Met
Department update said.But the build-up has otherwise failed to convince.
South-westerly winds have failed to accelerate to desired levels even over
Maldives on Wednesday. Sri Lanka stayed better, featuring winds at a faster
clip.The onset of the 2015 monsoon could be the weakest one on show for years
together, going by the scenario depicted by the US Climate Prediction
Centre.There is no support for the monsoon to look from either the higher
levels of the atmosphere, or lower down across the Arabian Sea or the Bay of
Bengal.
LEAST PRODUCTIVE
In fact, the US forecaster sees
the Arabian Sea least productive during the onset phase of the monsoon, which
it says would be delayed this year.“Some interesting areas to note include
below-average rainfall favoured over parts of the Arabian Sea and India, where
the monsoon onset is likely to be delayed,” it said.The reference could be to
the normal timeline of June 1, but this is something already factored into
forecast for onset by the Met.According to the US agency, parts of the
southwest Indian Ocean are more likely to see enhanced convection which is
consistent with the ongoing El Nino event in the equatorial Pacific.
FIRST ‘LOW’
An experimental forecast put out by the agency predicts that it
would be until late in the first week of June when a low-pressure area is
likely show up in the Bay of Bengal.It is the ‘low’ in the Bay that helps
direct
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/countdown-to-monsoon-continues-global-models-see-weak-onset/article7252214.ece
Iran may resume basmati imports by July
VISHWANATH KULKARNI
TOMOJIT BASU
BENGALURU/NEW DELHI, MAY
28:
Iran – the biggest buyer of Indian basmati – is expected to
resume imports of the aromatic rice after July, officials said. Iran had banned
rice imports mid-November last year to protect the interests of local growers
on higher domestic output and stocks.“We are getting feelers from various
stakeholders that imports from Iran are likely to resume after Ramzan. However,
there is no written communication from them so far,” said AK Gupta, Advisor,
Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (Apeda).’
Indian shipments
Iran imported about 9.35 lakh tonnes of basmati in 2014-15,
accounting for about a fourth of the Indian shipments. India had exported a
total of 11.65 million tonnes (mt) of rice in 2014-15, of which basmati
accounted for about 3.78 mt.In fact, the shipments to Iran declined by 35 per
cent in 2014-15 over previous year’s 14.40 mt, largely due to the curbs imposed
by the largest buyer of the Indian basmati.Gupta said demand from other markets
– mainly in West Asia, Europe and the US grew by around 20 per cent, which has
helped offset the impact of Iran ban on exports.Also, the domestic consumption
of basmati rice is on the rise.
Irani
market
Basmati shipments rose marginally to 3.78 mt in volumes during
2014-15 over previous year’s 37.57 mt. “We expect the shipments to increase by
10-15 per cent this year,” Apeda’s Gupta added.Rice exporters are hopeful that
Iran would open up the market for basmati to meet its consumption. The Iranian
rice consumption is estimated at around 3 mt a year, of which their domestic
production is pegged at around 2 mt.“Iran has to purchase around one million
tonnes of rice to meet their domestic demand and India has a major share in
their imports,” said Rajen Sundaresan, Executive Director, All India Rice
Exporters Association.
Acreage may rise
Rice exporters expect the basmati acreage to increase at least
by about 5 per cent in the upcoming kharif season over previous year’s 2.1
million hectares, Sundaresan said.Farmers in the key basmati growing States of
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are expected to plant more
basmati in anticipation of better returns.Besides, the Punjab Government’s move
to encourage farmers to plant more basmati, which consumes less water when
compared to the normal rice crop, is also expected to help boost the acreage.
(This article was published on May 28, 2015)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/iran-may-resume-basmati-imports-by-july/article7256466.ece
El Nino Shows Global Reach With Australia-to-Mexico Fallout
Don't Miss Out —
7:05 PM PDT
May 27, 2015
May 27, 2015
In this photo taken on
Feb. 12, an emu, an Australian flightless bird, looks for food in the dry earth
near the Australian agricultural town of Walgett. Photographer: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty
Images
A strengthening El Nino will
bring a drier winter to Australia’s east, while the west is set for a wetter
period, the country’s forecasters said, adding to warnings the pattern may have
a global impact from the rice lands of the Philippines to the food markets of
Mexico.The period from June to August is likely to be drier than normal in southern and inland Queensland, northern and eastern New South
Wales and eastern Victoria, the Melbourne-based Bureau of Meteorology said in a
monthly update on Thursday. Southern Western Australia, the country’s top wheat
producer, is set for more rain than normal.
Australia declared an El Nino this month,
joining weather agencies from the U.S. and Japan. Forecasters worldwide are
seeking to map the probable impact of the pattern that can bake Asia, bring
wetter weather to South America and crimp the frequency of Atlantic
hurricanes.The more immediate impact from the phenomenon usually appears in
Asia during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, while in North America the
reaction is more mixed, said Joel Widenor, co-founder of Commodity Weather
Group LLC in Bethesda, Maryland.“It does tend to lean the U.S. to the cooler
and wetter side in general,” Widenor said.However, many of those impacts also
stem from other patterns that bring high pressure to the northern Pacific that
set up conditions where cool air can filter south from Canada.
Drought Risk
While the strength of the event doesn’t always correspond with
its impact on Australian rainfall, it increases the risk of drought,
according to the bureau. This year’s El Nino, which is intensifying, is the
first since 2010.“The El Nino pattern in the tropical Pacific is having a drying influence in
the eastern half of the country,” the bureau said. “Elevated sea-surface
temperatures in the Indian Ocean, coupled with warm temperatures in the
tropical Pacific Ocean, are tending to enhance rainfall in Western
Australia.”El Ninos are caused by periodic warmings of the equatorial Pacific
and can roil agricultural markets as farmers contend with drought or too much
rain. Commodity prices including foodstuffs typically rise in the wake of an
event, according to a working paper published by the International Monetary Fund in April, which examined the impact on 33 countries.If the El
Nino strengthens from where it is now, the impacts across Asia may become more
pronounced, Widenor said.
Philippines Agriculture
In the Philippines, timely imports will be important to ease El
Nino’s effect on rice and agriculture, National Economic & Development Authority
Deputy Director General Manny Esguerra said at a briefing in Manila on
Thursday. The effect on growth depends on how prolonged the event is, Esguerra
said.The Southeast Asian country, which has already reported damage to rice and
corn crops from this year’s El Nino, imports rice as local output falls short
of demand. The event may spur a rapid rise in Philippine food prices, the IMF
said on Tuesday.In Australia, grain farmers rely on rain through the winter to
boost crop growth. Wheat output may increase 3.3 percent this season to 24.4
million metric tons, the government forecast in March. The country is the
fifth-biggest exporter.Of the 26 El Ninos since 1900, 17 have resulted in
widespread drought in Australia, according to the bureau. The Australian Bureau
of Agricultural & Resource Economics & Sciences is set to update its
wheat forecast in June.
Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season will be less active than usual this year as the El Nino helps
limit storm development, U.S. government forecasters said Wednesday. The season
may produce six to 11 named storms through Nov. 30 and three to six of those
storms may become hurricanes, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.The El Nino will probably reverse a slide in
agricultural prices in Mexico and boost the local inflation rate in as little
as six months, according to BNP Paribas SA. Vietnam’s coffee is at most risk
from the pattern due to the inconsistent nature of rainfall, according to
Commodity Weather Group LLC.
The Bloomberg Agriculture Subindex, which tracks farm
commodities from sugar and coffee to corn and wheat, slumped 29 percent in the
past year. The gauge is about 62 percent below the record reached in May 1997.
The 1997-1998 El Nino was the strongest on record, according to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-28/el-nino-s-hand-seen-in-australia-as-weathermen-eye-global-impact
Indian Scientists develop Rice rich in Zinc to
fight Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a very serious problem in many countries around
the world. This condition results from eating habits and diet that lacks
essential nutrients that are required for growth and development. Poverty
is the major reason for malnutrition while for a few mere carelessness is
the reason. Individuals suffering from malnutrition are prone to ill health and
health-related issues.A research team from Indira Gandhi Agriculture University
(IGAU), Raipur, has developed a new rice variety rich in Zinc.
Zinc is one of the important micronutrients essential for the
body. This new rice variety is named ‘Chhattisgarh Zinc Rice-1′ after a place
‘Chhattisgarh’ in India.Chhattisgarh is dominated by tribal population where
nearly seven lakh children are still malnourished. According to statistics,
deficiency of the micronutrients iron, zinc and Vitamin A in particular was the
reason for malnutrition in 60 to 70% of the population of this
region.Scientists are in anticipation that this new rice variety could play a
crucial role in fighting malnutrition in this area. ‘Chhattisgarh Zinc Rice-1′
is the first zinc bio-fortified rice variety in India and was launched in March
by the State Variety Release Committee.
The production is expected to begin from next kharif season (July
to September months of the year).The initiation of the development of Zinc rich
rice variety dates back to 2003. About 200 rice germplasm lines with high grain
nutritive value were developed by 2005, although they exhibited low yield in
grain production. These rice varieties were further subjected to extensive
genetic improvement exercises to increase the grain yielding capacity over a
period of 6 years till 2011. The persevering research finally yielded seven
high-yielding zinc-enriched rice varieties. These varieties were further
rigorously analyzed in coordination with Directorate of Rice Research (DRR),
Hyderabad to select final two for multiplication in about 10 acres of land.
Scientists expect to distribute the seeds to farmers for cultivation by the end
of this year.
“We focused on increasing our crop production since the inception
of the Green Revolution with the aim to eliminate hunger. In the process, we
managed to yield high production, but the quality of crop did not improve,”
said Dr. Chandel, Professor at The Indira Gandhi Agriculture University.
A Proposal to Modify Plants Gives G.M.O. Debate New Life
A
rice farmer in Indonesia. In Southeast Asia, millions of farmers use
flood-resistant rice produced through crossbreeding, a process researchers seek
to speed up with a technique they call "rewilding."CreditJohn Seaton
Callahan/Getty Images
What’s in a name?
A lot, if the name is genetically
modified organism, or G.M.O., which many people are dead set against. But what
if scientists used the precise techniques of today’s molecular biology to give
back to plants genes that had long ago been bred out of them? And what if that
process were called “rewilding?”
That is the idea being floated by
a group at the University of Copenhagen, which is proposing the name for the
process that would result if scientists took a gene or two from an ancient
plant variety and melded it with more modern species to promote greater
resistant to drought, for example.“I consider this something worth discussing,”
said Michael B. Palmgren, a plant biologist at the Danish university who headed
a group, including scientists, ethicists and lawyers, that is funded by the
university and the Danish National Research Foundation.They pondered the
problem of fragile plants in organic farming, came up with the rewilding idea,
and published their proposal Thursday in the journal Trends in Plant Science.
"Rewilded"
bread wheat plants that scientists designed to be rust resistant, left, next to
common bread wheat plants. CreditInternational Center for the Improvement of Maize and
Wheat
The best way to improve plants, they say, is with “precision
breeding,” using well-known modern methods for inserting and deleting genes in
cells.The researchers wrote that in the United States and Canada, non-G.M.O.
foods are prohibited from having genes that could not have occurred in nature
in that plant. So adding a fish gene to a plant, for example, is forbidden if
the food is to be labeled non-G.M.O. But adding a gene from an ancient variety
of the same plant using precision breeding would be allowed, Dr. Palmgren
said.In Europe, the rules are different, they report. There, G.M.O. is defined
by the process, not the product. The methods of genetic engineering are
forbidden, even if the gene that is added is from the same plant. That means
“rewilded” foods created with precision breeding could be labeled non-G.M.O. in
the United States, but not in Europe, they conclude.
Rebecca M. Bratspies, a law professor at the City University of
New York who has no public position on the G.M.O. or organics debate, said the
issue is not the definition of G.M.O. in the United States — there is no legal
definition of G.M.O., she noted. Instead, it is the definition of “organic”
that matters.To be labeled organic, food cannot have a foreign gene that was
introduced with today’s genetic engineering methods. For rewilding with
precision breeding, the question of whether the food was organic would hinge on
whether the gene that was introduced was considered “foreign.”“There’s
definitely an argument to be made there,” on each side of the issue, she
said.Brise Tencer, executive director of the Organic Farming Research
Foundation in Santa Cruz, Calif., said she is skeptical of the idea that
proponents of G.M.O.-free foods would accept precision breeding.
“They take a term that sounds really wonderful, but genetic
engineering is genetic engineering is genetic engineering,” Ms. Tencer said.
“It is not something farmers want. It is not something consumers want. I don’t
think it is a very viable concept.”Charles Benbrook, an adjunct professor of crops
and soils at Washington State University, said he worries about the precision
part of precision breeding. There can be unexpected effects on other genes when
a new gene is added or an existing one is silenced, he said. Other scientists
acknowledge that point, but add that researchers typically test the plants,
just as they do with crossbreeding, and select those with the desired
characteristics.
The Danish group may not get the response it expects from people
already skeptical of genetic engineering, Dr. Benbrook said, adding, “I think
they will be frustrated” by the reaction.Dr. Benbrook is an expert witness in
five class-action lawsuits against food companies who labeled foods as natural
when they included soybeans, wheat or corn that had been genetically
modified.The idea of restoring long-lost genes to plants is not new, said
Julian I. Schroeder, a plant researcher at the University of California, Davis.
But, wary of the taint of genetic engineering, scientists have used traditional
breeding methods to cross modern plants with ancient ones until they have the
gene they want in a crop plant that needs it. The tedious process inevitably
drags other genes along with the one that is targeted.
But the older process is “natural,” Dr. Schroeder said.For example,
in 2006, scientists discovered an ancient variety of rice that produces meager
yields but resists flooding. Rice plants in Southeast Asia were dying every
year when monsoons flooded rice paddies, keeping the plants submerged for more
than a week at a time.Scientists found the gene that makes the rice resistant
to flooding; after a couple of years of crossbreeding, researchers were able to
grow rice plants with the flood resistance gene of the ancient rice.
Now, Dr. Schroeder says,flood-resistant rice is grown by more than four million farmers in Southeast
Asia.Many of the plants grown today by both conventional and organic farmers
were created with brute force and imprecise methods, scientists said.
Researchers deliberately mutated plants with chemicals and radiation, altering
thousands of genes at once, and then searched the resulting plants to find ones
with traits they wanted. Though the plants were created using unnatural
methods, they can be grown using organic farming techniques.Nina Fedoroff, a
plant researcher and emerita professor at Pennsylvania State University, said
it seems nonsensical to say a plant is natural when it is mutated by chemicals
and radiation, but not when a gene from an ancient variety of the same plant is
added with methods of molecular biology.
And sometimes the old-fashioned crossbreeding methods just will
not suffice, she said.As an example, she noted that Chinese scientists recently
made bread wheat that is resistant to a devastating fungal disease called rust.
Bread wheat plants, she said, are “genetic monstrosities created 3,000 years
ago” with three different genomes. Scientists knew which gene they had to knock
out to make wheat rust-resistant. But because wheat has three genomes, it is
impossible to use crossbreeding to knock out that gene in all three at once. So
the researchers used Crispr, a gene-editing technique, to surgically remove the
gene. “They did not create a transgenic plant,” Dr. Federoff said. “They
knocked out a gene that makes a plant susceptible to rust.”Researchers have
previously crossbred wheat plants with traits found in ancient varieties, noted
Maarten Van Ginkel, who headed such a program in Mexico at the International
Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
“We selected for disease resistance, drought tolerance,” he
said. “This method works but it has drawbacks. You prefer to move only the
genes you want.”When Dr. Van Ginkel crossbred for traits, he did not look for
the specific genes conferring those traits. But with the flood-resistant rice
plants, researchers knew exactly which gene they wanted. Nonetheless, they
crossbred and did not use precision breeding to alter the plants.Asked why not,
Dr. Schroeder had a simple answer — a complex maze of regulations governing genetically engineered crops. With
crossbreeding, he said, “the first varieties hit the fields in a couple of
years.”And if the researchers had used precision breeding to get the gene into
the rice?“They would still be stuck in the regulatory process,” Dr. Schroeder
said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/health/a-proposal-to-modify-plants-gives-gmo-debate-new-life.html?_r=0
Rice trading company wins $2.35M judgment against distributor
Sacramento Business Journal
A Placer County jury has awarded
$2.35 million to a Granite Bay commodities trading company that said it signed
a deal under duress.The jury returned an initial verdict of $1.5 million for
Global Commodities Trading Group on April 29, but amended it last week to
include more than $800,000 in prejudgment interest. Fresno-based grain
distributor Penny NewmanGrain
Co. paid an undisclosed but reduced amount in exchange for promising not to
appeal.The crux of dispute goes to whether Global had a choice when it agreed
to a revised deal withPenny Newman that generated less money than originally promised.“Most people
think a deal’s a deal,” said Brian Taylor,
a shareholder in the Sacramento firm Boutin Jones Inc. who represented Global. “You have to treat people fairly.”Penny Newman tried to do that but was in a bind itself after a third party
refused to buy the rice, said Mark Jones,
counsel for the company and co-founder of the Sacramento firm Jones & Dyer.
“It was a difficult situation for all the
players.”When Penny Newman approached Global in August 2009 to buy $18 million worth of
rice, the grain company thought it had a buyer to resell it to: Woodland-based
rice foods company Sunfoods LLC, court documents show. Global bought the rice
from its supplier, but Sunfoods refused to go through with its part of the
transaction, asserting it had no agreement with Penny Newman.At Penny Newman’s
request, Global sold some of the rice to other parties in late 2009. In January
2010, the Fresno company suggested a revised deal to make Global whole again.
It proposed to pay Global a portion of the money due on the original contract,
with the balance coming only after Penny Newman either sold what was left of the rice or collected from
Sunfoods.Global had no choice but to agree, it later said in court, because it
feared going out of business without the money. Penny Newman made some payments, but came up $1.5 million shy of the initial
agreement. The grain company sued Sunfoods but lost at trial in 2012.In January
2014, Global sued Penny Newman,
contending that the Fresno firm owed it the full amount under the original
deal.“The question was did Global agree to a new deal in 2010 under duress?”
Taylor said. ”The jury agreed with Global’s position: The only reason the
company agreed to the new deal was because if it didn't, Penny Newman wouldn't pay at all, and Global would have gone under."
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/05/28/rice-trading-company-wins-2-35m-judgment-against.html#i1
Rice procurement
held up by AL leaders
Staff Correspondent | Update: 12:35, May 29, 2015
Local Awami League leaders have been accused of
demanding a large commission from rice suppliers at the government godowns in
Kushtia. A commission of two taka per kg of rice stands at a total of Tk 4.5
crore (Tk 45 million). These leaders are also members of the rice procurement
committee. The procurement process in the district has not started due to
bargaining over the commission.The rice procurement target in Kushtia district
this Boro season is 23,300 metric tonnes (2 crore 30 lac kg). The procurement
should have begun on 1 May.The government is to procure rice at Tk 32 per kg
from the millers.
The Awami League leaders are demanding 2 taka
commission on each kg of rice, amounting to a staggering Tk 4.5 crore or Tk 45
million. A total of 18,075 tonnes of rice is supposed to be collected just from
Kushtia sadar upazila alone.A 10-member committee has been formed for rice
procurement. The chairman of the committee is the deputy commissioner. The
member secretary is the district food officer. Four members of parliament from
the district are the committee advisors. District Awami League president Sadar
Uddin Khan represents the sadar upazila MP Mahbub Ul Alam in the committee.
Among the local influential people in the committee are district Awami League
general secretary Asghar Ali and senior vice president Rabiul Islam.The ruling
party leaders against whom these allegations have been raised, at the outset
put pressure on the district commissioner to supply 5000 tonnes of rice
themselves. The deputy commissioner refused, as this would be violation of the
rules. The leaders then put pressure on the rice mill owners to pay them two
taka commission per kg of rice.
Khajanagar in Kushtia sadar upazila is the
second largest rice depository in the country. The mill owners there said,
leaders of the rice mill owners association summoned a meeting of the millers
on Tuesday. The millers agreed t pay Tk 1.25 per kg of rice as commission. The
political members of the committee did not agree and on Wednesday night held a
meeting. After much bargaining, the mill owners association had to agree to a
two taka per kg commission.A mill owner present at the meeting, unwilling to be
named, told Prothom Alo, "This is true. This has become a system in the
district. We held a meeting to extricate ourselves from this system, but to no
avail. We had to give in to their demands."Sadar Uddin Khan, district
Awami League president and member of the Boro rice procurement committee, told
Prothom Alo, "Meetings are held every day regarding the purchase of rice.
There
are no irregularities involved."Abdul Majid Bablu, president of the
district rice mill owners association, and general secretary Jamshed Hossain,
admitted that they held a meeting with the millers, but refrained for revealing
anything further.District Awami League general secretary and member of the rice
procurement committee, Asghar Ali, told Prothom Alo on Thursday, "We held
a meeting with the rice mill owners to ensure that the rice procurement went
according to the regulations. We said there could be no quota for Jubo League or
Swechhashebok League."
http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/67877/Rice-procurement-held-up-by-AL-leaders
Rice Prices
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Varanasi(Grain)(UP)
|
4170.00
|
4.77
|
94897.00
|
2000
|
2015
|
2.04
|
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
1542.00
|
95.69
|
156027.00
|
1803
|
1788
|
-14.55
|
|
Gondal(UP)
|
1400.00
|
2645.1
|
33739.00
|
2010
|
2000
|
1.01
|
|
Dhampur(UP)
|
465.00
|
-19.83
|
2495.00
|
2090
|
2025
|
-
|
|
Gorakhpur(UP)
|
417.00
|
-9.35
|
12533.30
|
2000
|
1970
|
1.01
|
|
Burdwan(WB)
|
372.00
|
-1.06
|
4737.00
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Manjeri(Ker)
|
290.00
|
NC
|
7830.00
|
3300
|
3000
|
NC
|
|
Ballia(UP)
|
200.00
|
25
|
9410.00
|
2010
|
2000
|
6.35
|
|
Memari(WB)
|
154.00
|
-15.38
|
2183.00
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Allahabad(UP)
|
150.00
|
-11.76
|
11987.50
|
2150
|
2160
|
-
|
|
Etawah(UP)
|
150.00
|
11.11
|
12233.00
|
2230
|
2230
|
4.21
|
|
Kanpur(Grain)(UP)
|
150.00
|
NC
|
22990.00
|
2250
|
2240
|
7.14
|
|
Guskara(Burdwan)(WB)
|
135.00
|
-21.51
|
5183.00
|
2050
|
2050
|
-
|
|
Bahraich(UP)
|
127.00
|
5.83
|
5309.00
|
2075
|
2080
|
2.98
|
|
Dhing(ASM)
|
100.00
|
5.26
|
1454.00
|
1900
|
2000
|
-
|
|
Lucknow(UP)
|
100.00
|
42.86
|
5300.50
|
2170
|
2125
|
-
|
|
Basti(UP)
|
97.50
|
3.72
|
2979.00
|
1920
|
1915
|
-
|
|
Gajol(WB)
|
96.00
|
74.55
|
2011.00
|
2350
|
2650
|
-13.60
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
90.00
|
12.5
|
15077.00
|
2165
|
2170
|
1.64
|
|
Jangipur(WB)
|
90.00
|
-5.26
|
1807.50
|
2340
|
2340
|
-
|
|
Aligarh(UP)
|
85.00
|
-5.56
|
3965.00
|
1900
|
1940
|
NC
|
|
Dahod(Guj)
|
84.60
|
40.53
|
2429.80
|
4000
|
4000
|
NC
|
|
P.O. Uparhali Guwahati(ASM)
|
81.00
|
-6.9
|
2605.00
|
2100
|
2100
|
-
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
75.00
|
31.58
|
5761.00
|
2135
|
2130
|
-
|
|
Agra(UP)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
2926.00
|
2040
|
2020
|
4.08
|
|
Jaunpur(UP)
|
65.00
|
NC
|
1902.00
|
2010
|
2015
|
-
|
|
Bohorihat(ASM)
|
60.00
|
71.43
|
995.00
|
2150
|
2250
|
-21.82
|
|
Thodupuzha(Ker)
|
60.00
|
NC
|
2620.00
|
2900
|
2900
|
13.73
|
|
Alipurduar(WB)
|
60.00
|
-
|
240.00
|
3200
|
-
|
-1.23
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
56.00
|
3.7
|
2829.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-11.54
|
|
Golaghat(ASM)
|
55.00
|
NC
|
996.00
|
2850
|
2850
|
7.55
|
|
Egra/contai(WB)
|
54.00
|
8
|
1263.80
|
1900
|
1900
|
-20.83
|
|
Coochbehar(WB)
|
52.50
|
10.53
|
3019.50
|
2050
|
2075
|
-
|
|
Beldanga(WB)
|
52.00
|
-18.75
|
2560.00
|
2300
|
2350
|
-11.54
|
|
Nadia(WB)
|
50.00
|
NC
|
1200.00
|
2600
|
3100
|
-13.33
|
|
Pandua(WB)
|
48.00
|
NC
|
1543.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
-
|
|
Kasimbazar(WB)
|
45.00
|
-18.18
|
2343.00
|
2300
|
2350
|
-
|
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
|
40.00
|
166.67
|
305.00
|
2130
|
2130
|
-
|
|
Bindki(UP)
|
40.00
|
110.53
|
2127.00
|
2120
|
2100
|
-
|
|
Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB)
|
40.00
|
-33.33
|
1385.00
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Khatra(WB)
|
39.00
|
2.63
|
1836.00
|
2250
|
2300
|
-6.25
|
|
Palghar(Mah)
|
36.00
|
28.57
|
107.00
|
2311
|
2399
|
-
|
|
Gazipur(UP)
|
36.00
|
-20
|
2369.30
|
2000
|
1980
|
-
|
|
Auraiya(UP)
|
34.00
|
70
|
3873.00
|
2230
|
2250
|
3.72
|
|
Goalpara(ASM)
|
33.50
|
-77.81
|
3094.90
|
3200
|
3200
|
NC
|
|
Lanka(ASM)
|
30.00
|
-33.33
|
4395.00
|
1875
|
1875
|
-
|
|
Yusufpur(UP)
|
30.00
|
50
|
1471.50
|
1930
|
1930
|
-
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
29.50
|
77.71
|
31316.60
|
2060
|
2080
|
3.78
|
|
Lalitpur(UP)
|
29.00
|
-7.94
|
518.10
|
2180
|
2160
|
25.29
|
|
Gauripur(ASM)
|
26.00
|
13.04
|
491.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
-7.14
|
|
Sitapur(UP)
|
26.00
|
8.33
|
1066.20
|
2070
|
2060
|
-
|
|
Howly(ASM)
|
25.00
|
2.88
|
1481.00
|
1400
|
1600
|
-
|
|
Bijnaur(UP)
|
25.00
|
6.38
|
157.00
|
2100
|
2100
|
-
|
|
Jasra(UP)
|
25.00
|
78.57
|
353.50
|
2085
|
2100
|
0.48
|
|
Lohardaga(Jha)
|
24.50
|
-2
|
1401.80
|
2000
|
2070
|
-
|
|
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
|
22.00
|
4.76
|
541.00
|
2750
|
2750
|
-
|
|
Kosikalan(UP)
|
19.00
|
-5
|
230.00
|
1990
|
2000
|
1.02
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
17.00
|
-15
|
1008.50
|
2400
|
2500
|
-
|
|
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
|
16.10
|
-20.3
|
1185.70
|
2500
|
2500
|
-
|
|
Jhansi(UP)
|
15.00
|
-25
|
351.00
|
1950
|
1950
|
-
|
|
Meerut(UP)
|
15.00
|
-37.5
|
556.00
|
2130
|
2140
|
-0.47
|
|
Chorichora(UP)
|
15.00
|
-40
|
676.00
|
1985
|
1990
|
1.79
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
15.00
|
-31.82
|
990.00
|
2350
|
2400
|
-11.32
|
|
Medinipur(West)(WB)
|
15.00
|
-6.25
|
707.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
14.00
|
16.67
|
808.00
|
2020
|
2030
|
2.54
|
|
Kasganj(UP)
|
14.00
|
-3.45
|
457.50
|
2040
|
2045
|
6.53
|
|
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
|
13.00
|
4
|
260.00
|
3200
|
3200
|
-
|
|
Baruipur(Canning)(WB)
|
12.50
|
25
|
87.30
|
3400
|
3400
|
-
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
12.00
|
NC
|
129.50
|
2135
|
2120
|
-
|
|
Haldibari(WB)
|
12.00
|
33.33
|
411.00
|
2500
|
2450
|
-6.54
|
|
Wansi(UP)
|
11.50
|
155.56
|
103.50
|
1925
|
1915
|
-
|
|
Uluberia(WB)
|
11.40
|
-5
|
320.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Kannauj(UP)
|
11.00
|
-12
|
286.30
|
2195
|
2180
|
4.52
|
|
Kalyani(WB)
|
10.50
|
200
|
121.50
|
3400
|
3400
|
3.03
|
|
Kottayam(Ker)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
174.00
|
3100
|
3100
|
-3.13
|
|
Mannargudi(Ker)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
230.00
|
2900
|
2900
|
-
|
|
Hazaribagh(Jha)
|
9.50
|
31.94
|
207.40
|
2965
|
2895
|
5.89
|
|
Ajuha(UP)
|
9.50
|
-64.81
|
1135.00
|
2085
|
2040
|
-
|
|
Holenarsipura(Kar)
|
9.00
|
-95.71
|
272.00
|
1851
|
2458
|
5.17
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
9.00
|
-18.18
|
2168.00
|
2300
|
2200
|
-
|
|
Pundibari(WB)
|
9.00
|
-10
|
831.00
|
2025
|
2050
|
-
|
|
Sirsa(UP)
|
8.00
|
-30.43
|
199.00
|
2090
|
2100
|
0.97
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
7.00
|
-12.5
|
561.50
|
2500
|
2500
|
-7.41
|
|
Chandoli(UP)
|
7.00
|
-12.5
|
606.00
|
1875
|
1875
|
7.45
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
7.00
|
NC
|
909.50
|
1975
|
1975
|
5.90
|
|
Unnao(UP)
|
6.00
|
NC
|
256.00
|
2130
|
2150
|
1.43
|
|
Buland Shahr(UP)
|
6.00
|
-14.29
|
342.50
|
2030
|
2030
|
-
|
|
Katwa(WB)
|
6.00
|
-20
|
426.40
|
2200
|
2200
|
-10.20
|
|
Khurja(UP)
|
5.00
|
-28.57
|
258.60
|
2025
|
2030
|
1.25
|
|
Rura(UP)
|
4.50
|
28.57
|
196.40
|
2210
|
2165
|
8.07
|
|
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
|
4.00
|
300
|
3774.00
|
2000
|
2000
|
-
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
4.00
|
NC
|
32.00
|
2100
|
2100
|
-16.00
|
|
Baberu(UP)
|
3.50
|
40
|
101.50
|
1950
|
1975
|
-
|
|
Imphal(Man)
|
3.30
|
-8.33
|
62.60
|
2900
|
2900
|
-6.45
|
|
Balarampur(WB)
|
3.00
|
50
|
61.00
|
2320
|
2340
|
-
|
|
Lalganj(UP)
|
2.80
|
12
|
83.80
|
1985
|
1980
|
-0.75
|
|
Punalur(Ker)
|
2.50
|
NC
|
5.00
|
2800
|
2900
|
-
|
|
Jatni(Ori)
|
1.80
|
-28
|
52.70
|
2250
|
2250
|
-10.00
|
|
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
|
1.80
|
-76.92
|
226.40
|
3250
|
3250
|
-
|
|
Thoubal(Man)
|
1.80
|
NC
|
13.10
|
2800
|
2800
|
7.69
|
|
Lamlong Bazaar(Man)
|
1.30
|
NC
|
11.50
|
2900
|
2900
|
-6.45
|
|
Siyana(UP)
|
1.20
|
-20
|
88.20
|
2000
|
1965
|
NC
|
|
Mawana(UP)
|
1.00
|
-33.33
|
42.40
|
2125
|
2105
|
1.67
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
0.80
|
14.29
|
40.50
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/article7255643.ecehttp://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/article7255643.ece
Grain Industry Urges Continued
Positive Grain Recommendations in 2015 Dietary Guidelines
Girl running beside rice field
Running with
open arms towards a healthy diet
ARLINGTON,
VA - As we move closer to updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Grain
Chain coalition, of which USA Rice is a member, submitted written comments
earlier this month to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the Scientific Report of the
2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.The Grain Chain's written responses
to the Scientific Report support and extend the oral testimony, delivered in
March on behalf of the grain industry by Professor Glenn Gaesser, PhD, of
Arizona State University, and provide more detailed justification for the recommendations.
(see "Grain Industry Provides Comments on 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Report," USA Rice Daily, March 24, 2015).
"The
grain industry fully endorses the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's
decision to 'bring forward' the recommendation of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines
that called for half of all grain intake to come from whole grains," said
Katie Maher, USA Rice's manager of domestic promotion. "But we also
emphasized the importance of using the term 'enriched grains' in the guidelines
when referring to refined grains, since more than 95% of the refined grains in
the U.S. are enriched and fortified.
"Maher
added that throughout the Committee's report, emphasis is placed on targeted
reduction of 'refined grains' so it is important to provide clear guidance to
consumers regarding the differences between grain foods that are staples, and
grain foods that are indulgences rather than lumping them all together in one
category as 'refined grains.'Additionally, USA Rice joined other grain groups as
supporters of Rep. Peter Roskam's (IL-06) letter to the Secretaries of
Agriculture and Health and Human Services urging the 2015 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans address inconsistencies within the report-specifically with
regard to enriched grains and their value in the American diet-by including
specific and unambiguous language in the final recommendations distinguishing
the difference between refined and enriched grains. Sixty Members of Congress
have signed onto the letter as well.
The
Federal government will determine how it will use the information in the
Scientific Report as well as information submitted during the public comment
period, as it develops the new national nutrition policy. HHS and USDA will
jointly release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015 later this year.
Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
USA Rice Federation
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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for May 28
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USA Rice
Federation
Rice, nuts fuel ag
boom in N.E. California, study finds
Capital Press
Published:May 27, 2015 7:31AM
Tim Hearden/Capital Press A log is loaded onto a truck
at a logging site near Viola, Calif., in late April. Timber is one of the
leading industries in the mountain areas of northeastern California, according
to an economic study by California State University-Chico.Agriculture has
boomed in northeastern California in the last 10 years and now accounts for 17
percent of all economic activity in the Sacramento Valley and northern Sierra
Nevada region, according to a California State University-Chico study.
CHICO, Calif. — Agriculture has boomed in northeastern California
over the last decade and now accounts for nearly 1 in 5 jobs and 17 percent of
all economic activity in the region, a new university study has found.The
report by California State University-Chico agricultural business professor
Eric Houk looks at Sacramento Valley and northern Sierra Nevada activity in
2013 and found its nearly $4.5 billion in agricultural production in 2013 was
more than double that in 2003.While farm production expenses went up about 50
percent from 2003 to 2013, net farm income increased about 200 percent over the
period while total government payments decreased by more than 60 percent,
according to Houk’s study.The highest-valued commodities in northeastern
California two years ago were rice at $903.8 million, walnuts at $844.9 million
and almonds at $713.1 million, while the mountain region was dominated by
strawberry plants at $150.9 million, timber at $128.4 million and alfalfa at
$125.1 million.A key takeaway from the study should be that agriculture
includes much more than farm production, Houk told the Capital
Press in an email.“We often see a focus on production values, but
we need to think about agriculture in a much broader way and include
agricultural production, processing and related activities,” he said. “The
second thing I want people to get from the study is understanding how the
economy in some regions is more dependent upon agriculture than others.”The
report covers economic activity in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas,
Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba counties. Colusa
County had the highest value of production in 2013, according to the study.Houk
credits ag for creating 60,157 total jobs in the region, or 16.3 percent of all
jobs. This includes 40,054 directly in agriculture and another 20,103 created
through “multiplier” effects, which include not only processing but also farm
machinery manufacturing and support activities for agriculture, he said.Houk
said the drought has induced land fallowing that may have decreased the value
of the rice crop since the study period, but relatively strong rice prices may
have helped offset some of the decline. Growers have said strong yields on
producing fields last fall also helped make up some of the difference.The study
comes as agriculture is often cited as only accounting for about 2 percent of
California’s economy based on various studies, including a University of
California Agricultural Issues Center study in 2009. AIC director Daniel Sumner
has said he is working on an update for this year but that ag’s contribution to
the state domestic product is still about 2 percent.Defining “agriculture”
slightly differently and factoring in more supporting industries, Houk asserts
the $144.6 billion in total value added in 2013 was 6.8 percent of the state’s
total. He credits the industry with contributing about 1.6 million jobs
statewide, or 7.6 percent of the state total, and $93.2 billion in total
income, or 7 percent of the state’s total.“Relative to the state as a whole,
the economy of Northeastern California is significantly more dependent upon
agriculture in terms of employment, labor income, and value added,” Houk wrote
in the report.
OnlineThe Contribution of Agriculture to Northeastern California’s
Economy in 2013:http://www.csuchico.edu/ag/about/agribusiness-institute/ag-economy-2013.pdf
http://www.capitalpress.com/California/20150527/rice-nuts-fuel-ag-boom-in-ne-california-study-finds?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+28%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Toast Dad with a glass of J.C. Le
Roux this Father’s Day
JC Le Roux
28 May 2015
Raise a flute to Dad this Father’s Day and add
a hearty breakfast or lunch at Le Venue restaurant at The House of J.C. Le Roux
in the Stellenbosch Winelands on his special day.
With
a great selection of dishes perfectly prepared by Chef Renshaw Adams, fathers
can kick back and relax in the stylish restaurant or soak up the sun on the
welcoming al fresco deck.If Dad is an early bird, a breakfast feast of yogurt
and fruit salad, served with an omelette or vineyard plate will hit just the
right spot.For a lunch time celebration, fathers can look forward to a superb
menu, with a glass of sparkling wine on arrival and a starter of home-made
bread with biltong butter.
Mains will be a choice between char grilled
sirloin steak served with exotic mushroom sauce and vegetables, or pan fried Kingklip
drizzled with a creamy Méthode Cap Classique shrimp and mussel sauce with
basmati rice and a crisp side salad. Dessert will definitely be a difficult
choice, with options including fresh fruit skewers, apple, and chocolate and
mixed nuts crumble, Nutella chocolate mousse or dulce de leche cheesecake.Don’t
miss out on spoiling Dad with a fine Méthode Cap Classique or sparkling wine
from the J.C. Le Roux range, such as the elegant Cap Classique prestige cuvée,
Scintilla 2008, refreshing Brut and the palate pleasing Le Domaine. Booking
for the Father’s Day breakfast or lunch on Sunday, 21st June is essential. Call
the restaurant on Tel: +27.21 865 8200. Breakfast costs R135 per person and
will be served from 09h00 to 11h00. The lunch costs R195 per person and will be
served from 12h00 to 15h00.
Visit www.jcleroux.co.za, www.facebook.com/HouseofJCLeRoux,
@HouseofJCLeRoux on Instagram and be part of the conversation on Twitter
@JCLeRoux.
Overlay residual herbicides in rice to suppress weeds
Some residuals breaking early
May 27, 2015 | Delta
Farm Press
We just received our every-other-day flood at Practical Weed
Consultants. A lot of farmers and consultants have reached their frustration
limit. Most of my calls right now are from people just wanting somebody to
listen while they vent their frustration.That is fine. I understand. A lot of
farmers I talk to are farming scared this year anyway due to the poor price
outlook, and now we have to put up with this. This too shall pass, and all we can
do is ride it out. My hat is off to anybody willing to be a farmer!
Those who have been able to
overlay residuals in rice are generally in pretty good shape from a weed
control standpoint. Some residuals are breaking early, and that is a reason it
is important to overlay them. In a lot of areas there is a lot of “sick rice.”
Where weeds are emerging, it has been difficult to find treatments that would
control the weeds and not further injure the sick rice and that could be
sprayed due to emerged crops.I knew the calls would be coming along the lines
of, “I need to spray my rice and I have milo to the north, milo to the south,
soybeans to the east and corn to the west. What can I use?” I think I am pretty
good at pulling rabbits out of the hat but not that good.I have been
recommending a lot of Bolero or RiceBeax in mixtures to shore up sprangletop
control.
Sprangletop is a saturated-soil germinator. More and more calls
are Ricestar HT questions due to emerged soybeans around a lot of fields along
with a lot of emerged sprangletop.When I get calls about larger barnyardgrass,
I switch the recommendations to Regiment or Regiment plus Facet where I can. I
consider it the best postemergence barnyardgrass herbicide, but it can be
frustrating to get applied due to the crop mix in some cases.There are a lot of
choices for herbicides that might work on the weeds, but it often boils down to
what can be applied. The main thing is to do something while the grass is still
small and make sure there is a residual herbicide in the tank.It seems like I
get more questions on crabgrass in rice each year.
The best postemergence crabgrass herbicide is Ricestar HT, but
it will not be 100 percent on larger crabgrass. It will usually rot the growing
points, and if you can cover it up with water it will go away. Unfortunately
crabgrass usually is a problem only on soils that won’t hold water or where
water is short.Where fall panicum is a problem, Clincher is the postemergence
herbicide of choice.In soybeans it seems to be a mixed bag as to how well
residual herbicides have held up with all the rain. I have been in several
fields where farmers have not been able to apply second residual, and there is
a carpet of tiny pigweeds emerging. Those have to be sprayed soon in spite of
the weather.Flexstar or Prefix might be the treatment of choice in Roundup
Ready soybeand or Liberty the treatment of choice in LibertyLink soybeans.
However, if the ground
won’t dry, UltraBlazer applied by air is a good choice. Blazer is labeled in
rice and peanuts and both corn and grain sorghum have reasonable tolerance if
you don’t get carried away.Hopefully we will not have a bunch of big pigweeds
to deal with, but if it keeps raining we will. Whether you are using Liberty in
LibertyLink soybeans or the Flexstar-UltraBlazer treatments in Roundup Ready or
conventional soybeans, a repeat treatment in about seven days after the first
is the key on larger weedshttp://deltafarmpress.com/rice/overlay-residual-herbicides-rice-suppress-weeds?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+28%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Indian
food is is healthy and light if you do it right
May 27, 2015 5:00 am •
Anupy Singla
You know Indian food, right? Heavy.
Oily. Full of curry powder and cream.Then you don’t know Indian food.Anupy
Singla is an Indian food expert, blogger, teacher and author of three
cookbooks. She will be appearing at an Indian buffet dinner June 3 at House of
India, and she is passionate about the food from her native land. The real
food. The way they cook it in India.“If you’re only experiencing it in the
restaurants, you need to know that, just like any other restaurant, it’s heavy
on oil and it’s heavy on cream,” she said. “They give you an outside-the-home
experience.
”She quickly added, “I never put down restaurateurs because they
work really hard and it’s a hard business.” But restaurants need to make money,
and people will pay for food that is special, that is indulgent. People go out
to eat what they do not cook at home.“We don’t use cream in Indian households,
which is shocking to people,” she said. Real home cooking in India also makes
just a minimal use of oil, she added.
“In the Midwest, they think Indian food is defined by curry
powder, and we don’t even use curry powder. At the end of the day, it’s just
delicious food that’s clean.”The Chicago-based Singla was born in Punjab, a
state in northern India. She came to this country as a girl and was raised in
King of Prussia, Pa. She has worked as a reporter for newspapers, radio and
television — training that helps with her cooking demonstrations and teaching,
she said — and also sells Indian spices and different types of lentils through
her online company Indian as Apple Pie.She is also in negotiations to star in a
cooking show for the Chicago public television station WTTW. If the deal goes
through, it will be the first Indian-American cooking show on PBS, she said.
She hopes to begin shooting in September.
“The biggest draw, and this is kind of a surprise to me, is that
Indian food is still a mystery to people — including in Chicago, in big
cities,” Singla said.What she can offer at cooking demonstrations and events
such as the one next week is a primer on how to get started and tips on how to
make the process easier, she added. Indian food is all about layering the
flavors together and mixing several different textures and tastes in the same
dish, she said, and she explains how to do that.But she also is interested in
healthful cooking, so she emphasizes ways to make food that is better for you.
For instance, she shows how
to make basmati rice the traditional way, and then she will demonstrate how to
substitute one-third of the rice with quinoa, which is high in protein and
vitamins.Her latest cookbook, “Indian for Everyone,” which came out last year,
goes to lengths to include recipes that are healthful and also that fit into
many restricted diets. Along with the regular method of making some dishes that
are usually fried, such as pakoras, it also shows how to bake them. It has
recipes for people with allergies or who are gluten-free. And, in keeping with
the preferences of many people in India, the recipes can all be fixed to serve
vegetarians and vegans.Singla is herself a vegan, which raises an obvious
question: How can a vegan write a cookbook with several recipes for meat dishes
and many more including dairy?
“I say that I’m vegan-ish. I prefer to eat food that is
plant-based. I eat plant-based (food) for health reasons. I grew up in a family
where my father ate meat and my mother doesn’t. I come from a mixed family. And
that is common in India.“I have a husband who is dedicated to an omnivore diet.
He eats anything that moves. So he is dedicated to a meat diet. He has been a
great help in making sure that everything is cooked right and comes together,”
she said.
Anupy Singla
What • An Indian dinner
When • 6:30 p.m. June 3
Where • House of India, 8501 Delmar Boulevard. The restaurant
staff will prepare a meal from her recipes.
Cost • Admission is $53, $83 for two or $113 for three and
includes a copy of the book “Indian for Everyone.”
More info • Reservations may be made at brownpapertickets.com.
Rice exporters urged to explore new markets
May 28, 2015
RECORDER REPORT
Chief Collector Customs (Enforcement) Nazim Saleem has said that
the rice exporters should explore new markets, particularly in Central Asian
countries, to enhance the country's exports. Speaking to the members of Rice
Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) here at REAP House on Wednesday, he
said that despite several challenges like lower price and stiff competition in
the world market, the rice exports worth $1.7 billion so far this year was a
big achievement. It was expected that the country's rice exports would be over
$2 billion by the end of this fiscal year, he added."Rice exporters should
focus on new markets in African countries, South America, Central Asian
countries, Argentine and Brazil to achieve a 10 percent growth annually,"
he said.
Recently, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) also opened its branch
in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, to facilitate Pakistani exporters and traders,
he informed. Replying to a
question regarding the examination of export consignments at ports, he said
this was the custom's authority to examine the commodities, while the ANF's
responsibility was to search the goods by sniper dogs. He urged REAP to setup
an academic section, which could guide its members about laws related to trade
and industry. "With the establishment of an academic section, several
issues of the exporters will be resolved automatically," he added. On behalf of his department, Nazim
assured full support to rice exporters and said that the Customs would
facilitate the traders at all stages. Speaking on the occasion, Rafique Suleman
informed that the country had exported some 3.4 million tons of rice including
2.87 million tons of non-basmati and 0.587 million tons of basmati during July
2014 to May 2015. In terms of value, Pakistan exported rice amounting $1.7
billion including $1.1 billion of non basmati and $608 million of basmati rice,
he added.
He said that REAP was making efforts towards enhancing the
country's rice export and sending delegation to several countries for promotion
of Pakistani rice. He said that REAP had also organised biryani festivals in
several countries to introduce Pakistani rice. As part of these efforts, he
said a REAP delegation was visiting Qatar next month to explore more export
opportunities there.
The REAP Chairman said that presently almost all commodities were
facing decline in prices in the international market and rice prices had
declined by some 40 percent during the last one year, which, he added had
resulted in low exports. "We
need some support from the government to further gear up these efforts,"
he added. Javed Ghani, Collector Customs (Exports); Agha Shahid Majeed Khan, Collector
Customs (Exports), Port Qasim; Cheela Ram; Safdar Mehkari; Abdul Arshad Khaliq
and Anees Majeed were also present on the occasion.
APEDA India (News)
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Download/View On-Line the above News
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